Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The weirdest booth attractions of Gamescom 2010]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/the-weirdest-booth-attractions-of-gamescom-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/the-weirdest-booth-attractions-of-gamescom-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/the-weirdest-booth-attractions-of-gamescom-2010/#comments While most booths at Gamescom relied on the games themselves to attract visitor attention, there were plenty of booths that went to some ridiculous lengths to stand out from the crowd. Take the above picture, which was set up to promote some sort of tractor simulation that's apparently popular in Germany. And that was actually one of the more game-related booths we captured for the odd gallery below. And you thought Gamescom was all about the games. You're so silly.

Gallery: Gamescom 2010's weirdest booth promotions

JoystiqThe weirdest booth attractions of Gamescom 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boothsgamescomgamescom-2010haircutmilitaryredkenrock-climbingskateboardspringweirdyo-yoTue, 24 Aug 2010 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Confirmed: PlayStation Move is trampoline compatible]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/confirmed-playstation-move-is-trampoline-compatible/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/confirmed-playstation-move-is-trampoline-compatible/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/confirmed-playstation-move-is-trampoline-compatible/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Because we know you were wondering. Seriously, this odd setup for a Sports Champions demo unit at Gamescom 2010 made us do a definite double take. Is this now the official, Sony-recommended way to play the game?

Continue reading Confirmed: PlayStation Move is trampoline compatible

JoystiqConfirmed: PlayStation Move is trampoline compatible originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationPlaystation-Moveps3sports-championstrampolineTue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Cosplayers of Gamescom 2010]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/the-cosplayers-of-gamescom-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/the-cosplayers-of-gamescom-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/the-cosplayers-of-gamescom-2010/#comments Given the hundreds of thousands of people who turned out for Gamescom 2010, the number of cosplayers in attendance was surprisingly small. Or maybe it wasn't surprising, given that this year's show didn't even encourage the costumed patrons with a feeble world record attempt or anything.

As you browse this collection of photos, see if you can spot:
  • The two guys who I suspect may have been gang members and not actually cosplayers
  • A character that is usually not seen eating popcorn eating some popcorn
  • Link pulling a reverse-Michael-Jackson (you'll know it when you see it)
  • The best use of a pacifier for Day of the Tentacle cosplay you will ever see

Gallery: Gamescom 2010 Cosplay

JoystiqThe Cosplayers of Gamescom 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cosplaygamescomgamescom-2010Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:20:00 EST<![CDATA[What Killzone looked like before it was Killzone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/what-killzone-looked-like-before-it-was-killzone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/what-killzone-looked-like-before-it-was-killzone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/what-killzone-looked-like-before-it-was-killzone/#comments The E3 2005 trailer for Killzone 2 quickly became well-known (infamous, even) for its supposedly unatainable levels of in-game graphical prowess. But the initial trailer for the game that would become the original Killzone has been much less well known ... until this past week at GDC Europe.

Guerilla Games Managing Director Hermen Hulst showed off the circa-1999 concept video in a keynote speech in Cologne earlier this week, calling it a "showcase of technical competence" prepared for their first meeting with Sony. Even though Hulst admits there's "nothing really 'Killzone' about it" at this early stage (for instance, the Helghast and their glowing eyes don't even make a cameo appearance) we thought it was an interesting look at the pre-history of one of Sony's biggest exclusive franchises. To see the video in full, follow us past the break.

Continue reading What Killzone looked like before it was Killzone

JoystiqWhat Killzone looked like before it was Killzone originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>concept-videogamescomgamescom-2010gdc-europegdc-europe-2010guerilla-gameshermen-hulstkillzonekillzone-2playstationps3sonytrailerSun, 22 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: Fighters Uncaged]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/preview-fighters-uncaged/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/preview-fighters-uncaged/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/preview-fighters-uncaged/#comments First, the good news: Fighters Uncaged Prodcuer Luc Verdier recognizes that there have been too many casual, family-oriented games announced for the Kinect thus far, and says the game is his attempt to fix this. Now the bad news: based on a recent demo of the game at Gamescom, Fighters Uncaged utterly fails in this attempt.

As you can see in this live demonstration video, the movement recognition for Fighters Uncaged is far from perfect at this point. Punches can be completely finished and retracted in the real world before they even start in the game, making it hard to string together quick combinations of moves. In fact, Verdier said combos in the final game would actually be activated using a quick-time event system, asking players to string together preset poses for an unblockable chain of attacks. A similar match-the-on-screen-pose system is already in place to dodge or block incoming attacks, and feels incredibly unwieldy.

Gallery: Fighters Uncaged

Continue reading Preview: Fighters Uncaged

JoystiqPreview: Fighters Uncaged originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ama-studiosfighters-uncagedgamecomgamescom-2010kinectmicrosoftpreviewubisoftxboxSun, 22 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo support was crucial to uDraw's creation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/nintendo-support-was-crucial-to-udraws-creation/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/nintendo-support-was-crucial-to-udraws-creation/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/nintendo-support-was-crucial-to-udraws-creation/#commentsFiled under: , ,

THQ may be the company publicly pushing the recently announced uDraw tablet controller for the Wii, but a presentation of the new technology at Gamescom this week emphasized just how important Nintendo's support was to the device's creation.

"When we came to [Nintendo] in the beginning with the idea for uDraw, they said 'that's brilliant, let's figure out how to do this,'" THQ director Luis Gigliotti said during a presentation. "It's been an incredible partnership. ... I've been working in game development for 17-plus years and I can honestly say this is one of the smoothest collaborations with a first party I've ever had, just because everybody got it on day one."

Gigliotti specifically pointed out that Nintendo's hardware design expertise was key to transforming the monstrous uDraw prototype (nicknamed "Frankenstein" by the THQ team), into the light, sleek unit shown off at the show. "[The prototype] was a like bunch of lasers and mirrors and loose parts, it was wood and it had brass on it," he recalled. "I said, 'There's no way we can get this to something like this [the current hardware] without it costing a fortune.' Nintendo said, 'Don't worry about it. You guys are software developers, we are the kings of hardware. We will figure this out.' And they did, for one reason -- the idea was solid. Everybody knew it was a good idea, so we figured out the rest."

Continue reading Nintendo support was crucial to uDraw's creation

JoystiqNintendo support was crucial to uDraw's creation originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developmentgamescomgamescom-2010hardwareLuis-GigliottinintendoSD-cardsupportTHQuDrawuDraw-studiowiiSat, 21 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Redspotgames looking to continue publishing for Dreamcast]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/redspotgames-looking-to-continue-publishing-for-dreamcast/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/redspotgames-looking-to-continue-publishing-for-dreamcast/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/redspotgames-looking-to-continue-publishing-for-dreamcast/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Redspotgames, the small publisher behind relatively recent Dreamcast releases such as Last Hope, Rush Rush Rally Racing and Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles, says they are looking to continue publishing games for the long-dead system into next year.

"We have seen some stuff on the PC, and we [are] talking to to the companies to see if they will agree to release on the Dreamcast," Redspotgames marketing and sales director Adrian Loudero told Joystiq at Gamescom this week. "We also have plans for 2011, maybe a new release, but this is really all I can say right now."

Loudero told us that Redspotgame only sells a few thousands copies of each new Dreamcast game it releases. As such, the company has recently expanded to WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade development to stay afloat. But he also said that he's heartened by the way the Dreamcast demo units at the company's small Gamescom booth draw double takes and appreciative play from passers-by. "I think the Dreamcast is still famous," he said.

Asked if he thinks Sega should get back into the Dreamcast game-publishing business, Loudero responded enthusiastically. "Yes, of course, please."

JoystiqRedspotgames looking to continue publishing for Dreamcast originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adrian-louderodreamcastgamescomgamescom-2010last-hoperedspotgamesretrorush-rush-rally-racingwind-and-waterwind-and-water-puzzle-battlesSat, 21 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Overheard @ Gamescom: A development house divided]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/overheard-gamescom-a-development-house-divided/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/overheard-gamescom-a-development-house-divided/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/overheard-gamescom-a-development-house-divided/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Like many Wii games before it, the upcoming revival of Goldeneye 007 supports a number of different controllers. You'll be able to play with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller, a GameCube controller or even the Wii Zapper. But surely one of these myriad methods must be the preferred control scheme among the development team, right?

Well, no, not really. "There's a house divided, at least amongst ourselves," said Activision production coordinator Graham Hagmaier while presenting a demo of the game at Gamescom this week. "A lot of us play with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. I prefer this particular scheme [the Classic Controller], just because I used to play a lot of FPS games on [the Xbox] 360 and PS3, and for a lot of people those are very popular formats. But it just depends on your proficiency with the controller."

The team's proficiency with the Wii Zapper was left unaddressed.

JoystiqOverheard @ Gamescom: A development house divided originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionclassic-controllerclassic-controller-procontrollergamescomgamescom-2010goldeneyegoldeneye-007-2010nintendowiiwii remotewiimoteWiiRemoteFri, 20 Aug 2010 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Overheard @ Gamescom: Competitive Kinect fighting is dangerous]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/overheard-gamescom-competitive-kinect-fighting-is-dangerous/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/overheard-gamescom-competitive-kinect-fighting-is-dangerous/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/overheard-gamescom-competitive-kinect-fighting-is-dangerous/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Since shortly after the Wii Remote first brought motion control to the masses, we've known that over-enthusiastic use (and slippery hands) can lead to controllers (and other things) getting broken. So what happens when Kinect's 3D camera turns your entire body into the controller? Well, not surprisingly, it turns out you're the one that could get broken.

"Versus mode was a bit too dangerous," Fighters Uncaged producer Luc Verdier said when asked about a competitive mode for his newly announced Kinect-enabled fighting game. "It's possible to do, but people just end up hitting each other." Thus, the game's only multiplayer mode is a cooperative battle, where two players work together against the artificial intelligence.

Of course, people don't usually end up killing one another while playing games like Just Dance, even if four players are moving about in an enclosed space. But Verdier said motion-controlled games where multiple players are synchronized are safer than games where the players can just "do whatever." We'd also hazard to guess that dancing players just tend to be less intentionally violent than fighting game players, especially when those fighting game players are actively playing.

JoystiqOverheard @ Gamescom: Competitive Kinect fighting is dangerous originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fighters-uncagedfightinggamescom-2010kinectLuc-VerdiermicrosoftoverheardquoteubisoftxboxFri, 20 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: Goldeneye 007 (single player)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/preview-goldeneye-007-single-player/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/preview-goldeneye-007-single-player/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/preview-goldeneye-007-single-player/#commentsWe already said this when we talked about the multiplayer gameplay in the upcoming Wii version of Goldeneye 007, but it bears repeating: This is not your Goldeneye N64 game all prettied up. In fact, an eyes-on walkthrough of the game's Jungle level at Gamescom this week showed off just how much first-person-shooter game design has changed in the last 13 years.

The changes were incredibly apparent right from the start, when the developers guiding the demo sneaked up behind a guard and took him out with the kind of close-quarters combat neck-snap you might expect to see in every bit of pop culture ever (but not the original Goldeneye). Taking out two more guards with headshots ensured that the alarm wouldn't be raised and the game could remain a Splinter Cell-style stealth experience for at least a while longer.

Gallery: GoldenEye 007 (7/16/2010)

Continue reading Preview: Goldeneye 007 (single player)

JoystiqPreview: Goldeneye 007 (single player) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioneurocomfpsgamescom-2010goldeneye-007-2010nintendowiiFri, 20 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: MotionSports (Kinect)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/preview-motionsports-kinect/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/preview-motionsports-kinect/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/preview-motionsports-kinect/#comments Ubisoft's entry into the already burgeoning Kinect casual sports game market was roughly 60% complete in a demo at Gamescom this week, so the game was still looking pretty rough around the edges. Of the six different sports available on the menu, only downhill skiing and boxing were available to play.

The skiing game was enjoyable enough, detecting slight variations in my lean to guide the on-screen skier down a pretty basic hill. The experience felt much smoother and more natural than similar games designed for the Wii balance board, which I usually find a bit twitchy in skiing simulations. I liked how the game recognized a low crouch as a way to improve aerodynamic speed, and how swooshing my arms at any time resulted in a satisfying ski pole push. Aside from some frequent graphical glitches (which made my skier look like he was showing off the bottom of his shoe), the demo was a great proof of concept.

Gallery: MotionSports (Gamescom 2010)

Continue reading Preview: MotionSports (Kinect)

JoystiqPreview: MotionSports (Kinect) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Gamescom-2010kinectmicrosoftMotionSportsubisoftxboxFri, 20 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: Okamiden]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/preview-okamiden/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/preview-okamiden/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/preview-okamiden/#comments
Okamiden on the DS manages to capture the painterly art style of the PlayStaton 2's (and then the Wii's) beloved Okami while also adding a heavy dollop of adorableness to the mix. This really comes through in some of the animations, such as tiny wolf god Chibiterasu's darling backflip attack, or the way he flails his paws in mid-air, Saturday-morning-cartoon style, before he falls from a collapsing bridge.
Okami's trademark magical paintbrush is back in the DS game, of course, and the short Gamescom demo showed it being used to manipulate the world in some of the same ways as the original game -- slashing rocks and obstacles in half, circling trees to make them bloom, and building bridges across gaps. Using the stylus to do all these things feels a bit more natural than awkwardly painting with the Wii remote, but was essentially similar.

Gallery: Okamiden (Gamescom 2010)

Continue reading Preview: Okamiden

JoystiqPreview: Okamiden originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomdsgamescom-2010nintendoOkamidenThu, 19 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: From Dust creator Eric Chahi and Guillaume Bunier, producer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/interview-from-dust-creator-eric-chahi-and-guillaume-bunier-pr/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/interview-from-dust-creator-eric-chahi-and-guillaume-bunier-pr/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/interview-from-dust-creator-eric-chahi-and-guillaume-bunier-pr/#comments
Amidst so many Gamescom titles that seemed to tread familiar ground, Ubisoft's From Dust stood out with its impressive technology and wholly non-violent gameplay. We had a chance to speak with creative director Eric Chahi (who you may know as the creator of Out of This World) and producer Guillaume Bunier about their unique project. Read our interview past the break.

Continue reading Interview: From Dust creator Eric Chahi and Guillaume Bunier, producer

JoystiqInterview: From Dust creator Eric Chahi and Guillaume Bunier, producer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>from-dustguillaume-buniermicrosoftpcplaystationproject-dustps3ubisoftxboxThu, 19 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Media Molecule reveals LittleBigPlanet 2's more-than-just-music sequencer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/media-molecule-reveals-littlebigplanet-2s-more-than-just-music/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/media-molecule-reveals-littlebigplanet-2s-more-than-just-music/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/media-molecule-reveals-littlebigplanet-2s-more-than-just-music/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The demo of LittleBigPlanet 2 that was shown at Cologne's Gamescom this week was similar to the build shown off to great effect at E3 a few months ago. But there was one significant level-editing feature that was being demonstrated for the first time here: a music sequencer that's also quite a bit more.

LittleBigPlanet 2 Technical Director Alex Evans demonstrated the sequencer, which lets you arrange notes on a four-measure grid with the beat at the bottom and multiple octaves of notes running vertically. You choose from a selection of instrument samples including a honky tonk piano, acoustic guitar, drum kit, beatbox, and roughly 30 more that were shown in the demo (more are expected for the final game, Evans said). Notes can be built into samples, which can then be repeated and mixed further via a larger timeline object in the level creation screen.

Continue reading Media Molecule reveals LittleBigPlanet 2's more-than-just-music sequencer

JoystiqMedia Molecule reveals LittleBigPlanet 2's more-than-just-music sequencer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-evansgamescom-2010LittleBigPlanet-2media-moleculeplaystationps3Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How 'From Dust' turns manipulating nature into a game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/how-from-dust-turns-manipulating-nature-into-a-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/how-from-dust-turns-manipulating-nature-into-a-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/how-from-dust-turns-manipulating-nature-into-a-game/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We already know quite a bit about how From Dust (née Project Dust) uses a few layers of basic elements to create a highly realistic and malleable virtual world. What's been less clear was how Eric Chahi and his team were going to make an actual game out of this lava-filled sandbox. Until today, that is, when Chahi and producer Guillaume Bunier presented the first details of From Dust's gameplay in a Gamescom demonstration.

Gallery: From Dust (first screenshots)

Continue reading How 'From Dust' turns manipulating nature into a game

JoystiqHow 'From Dust' turns manipulating nature into a game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Eric-ChahiFrom-Dustgamescom-2010god-gameguillaume-buniermicrosoftpcplaystationProject-Dustps3ubisoftworld-buildingxboxWed, 18 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: The Fight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/preview-the-fight/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/preview-the-fight/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/preview-the-fight/#comments Sony had a new, roughly 60% complete build of The Fight on hand at a pre-Gamescom press event, and I have to say, my experience with the game couldn't have been more different from the one Chris Buffa had a few months ago (when the game still had its "Lights Out" subtitle). For one, I found the artificial intelligence to be at least competitive, if not overly hard. My computerized opponent -- a thin, bouncy, tattooed Asian gangster -- came at me constantly, using quick jabs to take advantage if I opened myself up with too many attacks and not enough guarding. The player who went before me actually lost to his computer opponent, a beefy black man in a wifebeater who countered an endless series of high, straight punches with some accurate low body blows.

For another, I didn't notice any discernible lag between my real-life motions and the punches on screen. That's not to say there wasn't any lag -- in fact, there probably was -- but just that it wasn't easily discernible in the heat of the battle. I didn't find myself making a punching motion and then waiting for a second to see if the game would recognize it as a punch or anything like that. On the contrary, the game seemed pretty good about moving my on-screen fighter's arm almost immediately when I moved my own.

Continue reading Preview: The Fight

JoystiqPreview: The Fight originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boxingfightinggamescom-2010moveplaystationplaystation-movepreviewps3the-fightthe-fight-lights-outWed, 18 Aug 2010 20:20:00 EST<![CDATA[David Cage on his 'benevolent dictatorship' over Quantic Dream]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/david-cage-on-his-benevolent-dictatorship-over-quantic-dream/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/david-cage-on-his-benevolent-dictatorship-over-quantic-dream/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/david-cage-on-his-benevolent-dictatorship-over-quantic-dream/#comments For most developers, creating a game is a constant struggle between the design-based decisions of the creative team and the marketing-based decisions of the business team. Not at Quantic Dream, where David Cage's role as both CEO and lead designer means that "game design guides everything" at the company. So when Cage says "the game designer decided this, and I fully agree with it," he's actually referring to himself both times, as he pointed out at a talk at GDC Europe this week.

Cage said developing a game like Heavy Rain just wouldn't work in a more democratic development environment, where everyone on the team has equal power and the majority rules on major decisions. "When you want a strong vision, you need a vision holder, you need someone who has the final cut," Cage said.

Continue reading David Cage on his 'benevolent dictatorship' over Quantic Dream

JoystiqDavid Cage on his 'benevolent dictatorship' over Quantic Dream originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>David-CageGamescom-2010GDC-Europe-2010Heavy-Rainplaystationps3Quantic-DreamWed, 18 Aug 2010 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Red Steel 2 director unsure on Kinect, Move potential]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/red-steel-2-director-unsure-on-kinect-move-potential/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/red-steel-2-director-unsure-on-kinect-move-potential/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/18/red-steel-2-director-unsure-on-kinect-move-potential/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In developing Red Steel 2, Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VanderBerge learned quite a bit about Nintendo's optional Wii MotionPlus accessory (and how people use it). So he seemed like a good person to ask about the potential of Sony and Microsoft's impending motion control accessories, the Move and Kinect. When we did just that, catching up with VanderBerge after his talk at GDC Europe this week, he was a bit ambivalent about the subject.

Continue reading Red Steel 2 director unsure on Kinect, Move potential

JoystiqRed Steel 2 director unsure on Kinect, Move potential originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamescom-2010gdc-europe-2010jason-vanderbergekinectmicrosoftmotion-controlmovenintendoplaystationps3red-steel-2ubisoftwiixboxWed, 18 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: SingStar Dance and SingStar Guitar]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/preview-singstar-dance-and-singstar-guitar/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/preview-singstar-dance-and-singstar-guitar/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/preview-singstar-dance-and-singstar-guitar/#comments A music game that's just about singing? That's so 2003. Or if you're the SingStar franchise, it's so, um, today. Sony's PlayStation karaoke series has proudly focused on grading vocals for years now, but that's about the change with this fall's release of both SingStar Dance and SingStar Guitar. I got a chance to try both of these games at Sony's pre-GamesCom press event, and have written up some quick initial impressions after the break.

Continue reading Preview: SingStar Dance and SingStar Guitar

JoystiqPreview: SingStar Dance and SingStar Guitar originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamescom-2010gdc-europe-2010hands-onplaystationpreviewps3singstarsingstar dancesingstar guitarsingstar-dancesingstar-guitarSingstarDanceSingstarGuitarTue, 17 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How Project Dust's world-building world was built]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/how-project-dusts-world-building-world-was-built/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/how-project-dusts-world-building-world-was-built/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/how-project-dusts-world-building-world-was-built/#comments We're still not entirely sure what kind of game lies underneath the virtual-sandbox-with-lava of Eric Chahi's Project Dust, but after a GDC Europe talk today, we do know a little bit more about the underlying system that makes that sandbox work.

Continue reading How Project Dust's world-building world was built

JoystiqHow Project Dust's world-building world was built originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Eric-Chahigdc-europe-2010microsoftpcplaystationproject-dustps3Ronan-BelubisoftxboxTue, 17 Aug 2010 18:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Guerrilla Games working on new PS3-exclusive IP, not related to Killzone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/guerrilla-games-working-on-new-ps3-exclusive-ip-not-related-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/guerrilla-games-working-on-new-ps3-exclusive-ip-not-related-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/guerrilla-games-working-on-new-ps3-exclusive-ip-not-related-to/#commentsFiled under: , ,

During his just-concluded GDC Europe keynote presentation, Guerrilla Games Managing Director Herman Hulst confirmed that the company has started work on a new IP not related to the Killzone franchise. No further details were given about the new project, but Hulst said the company was looking to broaden their abilities to create not just Killzone but "any game we want to make."

Hulst said he hopes the new project would bring back the "level of scope and ambition" they had when they were a startup company. To that end, Hulst said they're building a brand new studio and scaling up their team by hiring new talent.

Speaking to Joystiq after the presentation, Hulst added that the project -- in "very early days in terms of conceptualizing what we're doing" -- is intended to be exclusive to PlayStation 3.

JoystiqGuerrilla Games working on new PS3-exclusive IP, not related to Killzone originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-europe-2010guerrilla-gamesplaystationps3Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Cage: Heavy Rain sold four times more in US than Sony had anticipated]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/cage-heavy-rain-sold-four-times-more-in-us-than-sony-had-antici/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/cage-heavy-rain-sold-four-times-more-in-us-than-sony-had-antici/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/cage-heavy-rain-sold-four-times-more-in-us-than-sony-had-antici/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We already knew Heavy Rain was an immediate success in the UK and a moderate hit in Japan. But with the game's quick disappearance from the NPD's monthly top ten in the U.S., we've been wondering whether the game's sales on this side of the ocean (which NPD pegs at just over 400,000 units so far) have lived up to expectations.

Well, "lived up to expectations" might be a bit of an understatement. At a GDC Europe talk this week, Quantic Dream CEO David Cage said Heavy Rain ended up selling "four times as many copies" as publisher Sony expected. "They were shocked. 'Oh my god, what happens?'" Cage said in his charmingly stilted English.

These unexpected sales presented a bit of a problem, Cage said, because the marketing spend for the game was based on the lowball expectation, not the surprisingly strong actual sales numbers. Still, Cage said Sony did a great job pushing the game in the States, especially considering the game's unorthodox concept and lack of a big franchise name, which led to some reluctance from distribution channels.

Cage said Heavy Rain has already sold 1.5 million copies (up from one million in April) worldwide and the game is on track to sell two million units by the first anniversary of its February release.

JoystiqCage: Heavy Rain sold four times more in US than Sony had anticipated originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david-cagegdc-europe-2010Heavy-Rainplaystationps3quantic-dreamsalessonyTue, 17 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/the-red-steel-2-directors-field-guide-to-wii-remote-swingers/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/the-red-steel-2-directors-field-guide-to-wii-remote-swingers/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/the-red-steel-2-directors-field-guide-to-wii-remote-swingers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If there's one thing Ubisoft Creative Director Jason VanderBerge learned in playtesting Red Steel 2, it's that different people respond to the simple direction "swing the Wii Remote like a sword" in very different ways. At his talk at GDC Europe today, VanderBerge showed off just how different those swings can be, using a cane to demonstrate the movements of the seven major types of Wii Remote swingers he's identified. Besides being highly entertaining, the demonstration showed just how hard it is to train motion control players to perform even simple actions the way a developer expects.

We weren't quick enough to get a video of the hilarious, high-energy performance, but we did manage to snap some pictures that show off the intensity of VanderBerge's flailing. Hit the break and see how many of these specimens you've encountered in the wild.

Continue reading The Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers

JoystiqThe Red Steel 2 director's field guide to Wii Remote swingers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamescom-2010gdc-europe-2010jason-vanderbergenintendoRed-Steel-2swingswordubisoftwaggleMon, 16 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Cage: Lack of additional Heavy Rain DLC 'unfortunate' but 'understandable']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/cage-lack-of-additional-heavy-rain-dlc-unfortunate-but-under/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/cage-lack-of-additional-heavy-rain-dlc-unfortunate-but-under/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/cage-lack-of-additional-heavy-rain-dlc-unfortunate-but-under/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With the chances of further downloadable episodes of Heavy Rain's "Chronicles" DLC looking all but nonexistent, we wondered how Quantic Dream CEO and creative head David Cage felt now that his game has been folded up like an origami crane. We caught up with Cage after his talk at GDC Europe today to find out.

"I understand why the decision was made," Cage said of the cancellation of the planned DLC. "From a creative point of view it was not my choice. I would have really preferred a thousand times developing the Chronicles. I thought we had a lot to say about these characters, about their background. Things that were just mentioned in the game that had a true explanation in the background, and it's a little bit unfortunate that we won't be able to tell you the full story."

But at the same time, Cage said he's looking forward to working on something new. "I didn't want to do everything, I wanted to move on," he said. "I didn't want to spend another two years on Heavy Rain developing Move and Chronicles and stuff. ... So a decision had to be made and it's a decision I respect. Honestly, it's not like I'm upset about it, I would have preferred to do it differently but, you know what, it makes sense."

So, to sum up, Cage says he really want to finish the story through DLC, and that it's unfortunate that he didn't get to. But he also says he didn't really want to spend all that extra time on the game, and that he's happy to be moving on. So... that clears that up, yeah?

JoystiqCage: Lack of additional Heavy Rain DLC 'unfortunate' but 'understandable' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david-cageDLCgamescom-2010gdc-europe-2010Heavy-Rainheavy-rain-chroniclesplaystationps3quantic-dreamsonyMon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Develop: How is digital distribution changing the games you play?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/17/develop-how-is-digital-distribution-changing-the-games-you-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/17/develop-how-is-digital-distribution-changing-the-games-you-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/17/develop-how-is-digital-distribution-changing-the-games-you-play/#commentsethernet jack Now that services like Xbox Live, PSN, Steam and the iPhone App Store have proven digital distribution as a market force to be reckoned with, it's time to start examining what this change means to publishers and developers. Four game industry veteran got up on stage at the Develop Conference in Brighton this week to do just that.

On the one hand, some saw the increasing influence of digital distribution as having a democratizing effect on the market, letting big publishers and small indie developers compete on even footing. BioWare's Greg Zeschuk argued that, these days, a well-known brand isn't enough to sell a low-quality game on its own. "EA hasn't been throwing out half-assed content [on digital platforms]," he said. "You not only have to have the franchise but also the quality."

Continue reading Develop: How is digital distribution changing the games you play?

JoystiqDevelop: How is digital distribution changing the games you play? originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alastair-JarvisBill-StruthersBioWaredevelop-2010dsElectronic-ArtsGet-GamesGreg-Zeschukmicrosoftmobilenintendoplaystationps3Tim-PontingxboxSat, 17 Jul 2010 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Develop: How a movie screenwriter helped save Enslaved's story]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/develop-how-a-movie-screenwriter-helped-save-enslaveds-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/develop-how-a-movie-screenwriter-helped-save-enslaveds-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/develop-how-a-movie-screenwriter-helped-save-enslaveds-story/#comments Enslaved Odyssey to the West Gamers sometimes criticize games for playing too much like movies. But as Ninja Theory Designer Tameem Antonaides explained at a Develop Conference session this week, bringing in screenwriting veteran Alex Garland to consult on their upcoming game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West made their game more movie-like is some very beneficial ways.

As the writer behind movies like Sunshine and 28 Days Later, Garland had a feel for how to get the most drama out of Enslaved's story scenes, Antonaides said. Garland would write scenes with very simple, reductive dialogue that looked thin on the page, Antonaides said, but gained more "meat" with an actor's performance behind them.

Indeed, the short story clips shown at the conference were notable for how much they relied on body language and vocal cues to convey information without words. Antonaides said they ended up cutting the game's cutscenes down from two hours of dialogue to a lean 80 minutes, with less focus on exposition and more on drama. "If you have too much dialogue, it doesn't work," Antonaides said. "Alex changed my view of what writing meant," Antonaides said. "I felt like a schoolboy so many times talking to Alex."

Gallery: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (07/09/10)

Continue reading Develop: How a movie screenwriter helped save Enslaved's story

JoystiqDevelop: How a movie screenwriter helped save Enslaved's story originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alex-Garlanddevelop-2010enslavedenslaved-odyssey-to-the-westmicrosoftNamco-BandaiNinja-Theoryplaystationps3tameem-antoniadesxboxFri, 16 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony limiting use of 1080p 3D in PS3 games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/sony-limiting-use-of-1080p-3d-in-ps3-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/sony-limiting-use-of-1080p-3d-in-ps3-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/sony-limiting-use-of-1080p-3d-in-ps3-games/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sony 3D logoSony's official guidelines for 3D gaming on PS3 limit the displayed image to a resolution of 720p, a Sony representative confirmed at the Develop conference this week.

Even games that run natively at 1080p resolution, like Super Stardust HD, are downscaled in 3D mode to two 720p images (one for each eye), Sony's Simon Benson explained during a demo of the technology at the conference. While the PS3 is capable of displaying a 1080p 3D image -- indeed, it will support 3D Blu-Ray movies at that resolution later this year -- Benson said upping the resolution comes at the expense of the silky-smooth 60 frames per second available at 720p (Blu-Ray movies run at 24 frames per second). Benson said that a "more cinematic game" might be well-suited for the lower frame rate and higher resolution, but that Sony's current guidelines for 3D games wouldn't allow for such a setting.

The effects of this policy are probably unnoticeable to most gamers. Benson said that, in 3D, even trained computer graphics artists could barely tell the difference between the resolutions. Still, for all you pixel counters out there who obsess over "full HD 1080p," here's another bit of technical trivia for you to argue over.

JoystiqSony limiting use of 1080p 3D in PS3 games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080p3D3D-gaming720pBlu-raydevelop-2010playstationps3resolutionSimon-BensonFri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Develop: Molyneux talks Fable 2 problems, Fable 3 fixes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/develop-molyneux-talks-fable-2-problems-fable-3-fixes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/develop-molyneux-talks-fable-2-problems-fable-3-fixes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/develop-molyneux-talks-fable-2-problems-fable-3-fixes/#comments Despite "generally favorable reviews," there were quite a few people out there who had some serious problems with Fable 2. And to hear Lionhead's Peter Molyneux talk at the Develop Conference in Brighton today, he's one of them.

Molyneux's hour long on-stage presentation of Fable 3 included a veritable smorgasbord of self-deprecating remarks about the problems in the first two Fable games that would be fixed or mitigated in the threequel. For instance, Molyneux lambasted his studio for throwing way too many unnecessary features into Fable 2, even citing a study showing that most people didn't use more than 60% of the available features. Even when a feature was used, Molyneux said, it was often only used once and didn't factor into the larger game enough. For example, "most people did get married, but it didn't mean anything, it was just an excuse to have sex," he said. At one point Molyneux likened Fable 2 to "designing a car with 300 buttons on dashboard when you only need a steering wheel."

Gallery: Fable 3 (E3)

Continue reading Develop: Molyneux talks Fable 2 problems, Fable 3 fixes

JoystiqDevelop: Molyneux talks Fable 2 problems, Fable 3 fixes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>develop-2010FableFable-3LionheadLionhead-StudiosmicrosoftMicrosoft-Game-StudiosPeter-MolyneuxRPGxboxThu, 15 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine's next projects: four 'smaller' games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/double-fines-next-projects-four-smaller-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/double-fines-next-projects-four-smaller-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/15/double-fines-next-projects-four-smaller-games/#commentsFiled under: , ,

After releasing only two games over its first ten years of existence, Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions is heading in a slightly different direction and working on four smaller projects, each with a different producer.

Speaking at a keynote presentation at the Develop Conference this morning, Schafer didn't reveal many details about the new game projects. He did, however, mention who was heading up each one. They are:
  • Lee Petty, art director on Brütal Legend, is leading a game Schafer described as "sort of retro but also really new."
  • Nathan Martz, lead programmer on Brütal Legend, is working on a game that's "quite cutting edge."
  • Brad Muir, who designed a lot of the combat and multiplayer on Brütal Legend, is working on a game that "focuses on gameplay mechanics."
  • Tasha Harris, lead animator on Brütal Legend (and former senior animator at Pixar) is heading up a fourth game.
Schafer didn't say what systems or formats the games would target, but did mention that some would be available as downloads while others would be retail products. He off-handedly mentioned that the quick development process meant some of these projects would be coming out this year, but quickly caught himself. "I didn't announce that," he said. "I see you writing that down. ... That was not a ship date."

Schafer said the transition to multiple smaller projects happened in the wake of the unexpected cancellation of a planned Brütal Legend sequel. "Apparently when they said it was a done deal, they meant there was no deal, and we're done," he said.

Continue reading Double Fine's next projects: four 'smaller' games

JoystiqDouble Fine's next projects: four 'smaller' games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Brutal-LegendDevelop-2010Double-FineDouble-Fine-ProductionsTim-SchaferThu, 15 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Develop: Is PlayStation Home the next great game development platform?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/develop-is-playstation-home-the-next-great-game-development-pla/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/develop-is-playstation-home-the-next-great-game-development-pla/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/develop-is-playstation-home-the-next-great-game-development-pla/#commentsFiled under: , ,

These days, every developer and their brother seems to be making a beeline for hot new gaming platforms like Facebook and the iPhone, visions of Farmville- and Doodle-Jump-style riches dancing in their heads. But nDreams CEO Patrick O'Luanaigh says all these gold rushers might be ignoring a more welcoming and neglected platform for their gaming projects: PlayStation Home.

Continue reading Develop: Is PlayStation Home the next great game development platform?

JoystiqDevelop: Is PlayStation Home the next great game development platform? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Develop-2010develop-conferenceHomeNDreamspatrick-o-luanaighplaystationPlaystation-Homeps3Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rare discusses new challenges of Kinect development]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/rare-discusses-new-challenges-of-kinect-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/rare-discusses-new-challenges-of-kinect-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/rare-discusses-new-challenges-of-kinect-development/#commentsNick Burton Twenty-five years ago, Rare founders Chris and Tim Stamper had to reverse engineer a Japanese Famicom development kit in order to make the early NES game Slalom. Today, at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Rare Talent Director Nick Burton outlined some of the very different challenges the company has run into in the developing of Kinect Sports for Microsoft.

"Kinect was a no-brainer as far as we were concerned," Burton said. "Just the opportunities it brought ... because it removes one layer between you and the computer." Burton said that Rare has always been interested in technology and game design that "is trying to remove that barrier to entry, trying to get that fun experience the entire family could have, but also getting the fidelity gamers could love."

The problem with older motion control solutions Rare has worked with -- like accelerometers and even the Power Glove -- was that the fidelity wasn't there, Burton said. Rare tried to fix this for years by augmenting the original Xbox Live Vision Camera with a PlayStation-Move-style light-up handheld wand made out of a supermarket vitamin tin (pictured above). The first-person spell-casting game they made for the wand, Soulcatcher, never got out of the prototype stage, but it did go a long way to "prove you could have that kind of hardcore depth of experience with this kind of control scheme," Burton said.

Gallery: Kinect Sports

Continue reading Rare discusses new challenges of Kinect development

JoystiqRare discusses new challenges of Kinect development originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>develop-2010Kinect-SportsmicrosoftMicrosoft-Game-StudiosNick-BurtonRareSoulcatcherxboxWed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lionhead talks about Fable 3 voice stats, emotional storytelling]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/lionhead-talks-about-fable-3-voice-stats-emotional-storytelling/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/lionhead-talks-about-fable-3-voice-stats-emotional-storytelling/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/lionhead-talks-about-fable-3-voice-stats-emotional-storytelling/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you thought the amount and variety of spoken dialogue in Fable 2 was ridiculous, then the voice statistics Lionhead is targeting for Fable 3 will... um... also seem ridiculous to you.

Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Lionhead Audio Producer Georg Becker mentioned that the upcoming title would feature about 80 actors speaking over 460,000 recorded words, representing a full 47 hours of speech in the final game. For context, Becker estimated Fable 2 had a mere 50 voice actors speaking a paltry 370,000 words over a laughably short 36 or 37 hours of speech.

Gallery: Fable 3 (E3)

Continue reading Lionhead talks about Fable 3 voice stats, emotional storytelling

JoystiqLionhead talks about Fable 3 voice stats, emotional storytelling originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Develop-2010Develop-ConferenceFableFable-3Georg-BeckerLionheadLionhead-StudiosmicrosoftxboxWed, 14 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Press the Pele button to see Kinect Sports soccer footage]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/press-the-pele-button-to-see-kinect-sports-soccer-footage/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/press-the-pele-button-to-see-kinect-sports-soccer-footage/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/press-the-pele-button-to-see-kinect-sports-soccer-footage/#commentsKinect Sports soccer As part of a Develop Conference talk on the lessons learned from developing Kinect Sports, Rare Talent Director Nick Burton showed a short video of the near-final version of Kinect Sports' soccer mini-game. The clip shows how control jumps between different teammates as the player passes the ball, with the Xbox 360 AI controlling player movement automatically (a la Wii Sports tennis). Check it out after the jump.

Continue reading Press the Pele button to see Kinect Sports soccer footage

JoystiqPress the Pele button to see Kinect Sports soccer footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>develop-2010KinectKinect-SportsmicrosoftNick-BurtonRarexboxWed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Can Kinect handle a player lying down? Yes and no]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/can-kinect-handle-a-player-lying-down-yes-and-no/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/can-kinect-handle-a-player-lying-down-yes-and-no/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/can-kinect-handle-a-player-lying-down-yes-and-no/#comments Amidst all the hubbub around the question of whether Kinect can or can't handle a player sitting on a couch, one related question seems to have been lost: Can Kinect handle players lying on the floor? This important issue was finally addressed at a session of the Develop Conference in Brighton today, and the answer is a definitive "kind of."

Speaking at the session, Blitz Games CTO Andrew Oliver said his team ran into this very issue when developing their The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout game for Kinect. Many of the exercises on The Biggest Loser TV show, such as push-ups and certain yoga poses, require lying on the ground.

Replicating these in the game offered a new challenge for Microsoft's 3D motion sensing hardware, and apparently it's a test the hardware fails. Oliver reported lying on the ground fundamentally breaks the 3D skeleton of your body detected by the Kinect camera and technology. "We had to consider, would this skeletal tracking ever realistically be able to work out that a player is laying on the floor," Oliver said. "We asked - believe me we asked - and we were told it wasn't going to happen."

Continue reading Can Kinect handle a player lying down? Yes and no

JoystiqCan Kinect handle a player lying down? Yes and no originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Andrew-OliverBlitz-Gamesdevelop-2010KinectmicrosoftNick-BurtonRarexboxWed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[InstantAction CEO: Game retail 'headed for a disaster']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/instantaction-ceo-game-retail-headed-for-a-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/instantaction-ceo-game-retail-headed-for-a-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/instantaction-ceo-game-retail-headed-for-a-disaster/#comments
 InstantAction CEO Louis Castle is a big fan of "the kind of big, complicated games that cost a lot of money to make," he says. But he left a job making just those kinds of games at EA's Los Angeles studio in order to focus on finding "a new way to get the money needed to make those games." Without such a solution, Castle says we're "headed for a disaster in the retail space."

The core cause of this impending disaster, Castle argued in a keynote presentation at the Develop Conference in Brighton today, is the big-budget, hit-driven focus that has overtaken the industry. This mentality has made it hard to make a game with a budget of less than $20 million and hard to profit on a game that doesn't hit the top 20, Castle said. "Really, we're becoming the worst of what Hollywood did become at one point before the independent film festivals and such," he said.

Continue reading InstantAction CEO: Game retail 'headed for a disaster'

JoystiqInstantAction CEO: Game retail 'headed for a disaster' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Develop-2010InstantActionLouis-CastlepcTue, 13 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PopCap: Social features coming to 'all existing games']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/popcap-social-features-coming-to-all-existing-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/popcap-social-features-coming-to-all-existing-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/popcap-social-features-coming-to-all-existing-games/#comments PopCap Senior Designer David Bishop said today that the company is "looking to add social features to all our existing games going forward."

Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Bishop wouldn't elaborate on what kind of social features we could expect to see or which existing games might get the social treatment first, but he did mention sending cross-platform taunts and challenges in Peggle as a hypothetical example. When questioned, Bishop said we could expect to see these features rolling out in the next six to 12 months.

Continue reading PopCap: Social features coming to 'all existing games'

JoystiqPopCap: Social features coming to 'all existing games' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>David-BishopDevelop-2010FacebookpcPopCapPopCap-GamesTue, 13 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Joe Danger dev explains why publishers don't get downloadable games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/joe-danger-dev-explains-why-publishers-dont-get-downloadable/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/joe-danger-dev-explains-why-publishers-dont-get-downloadable/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/13/joe-danger-dev-explains-why-publishers-dont-get-downloadable/#comments
Hello Games' Sean Murray learned a lot when looking for a third-party publisher for his company's recent PSN critical and sales success Joe Danger. But the final takeaway from all those lessons seems to boil down to the same thing: most of the big publishers do not know what they're doing in the downloadable games market.

Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton today, Murray presented much of the personal research and anecdotes that convinced him and the three friends that make up his tiny company to self-publish on PSN rather than attach themselves to an established third-party publisher. Chief among those reasons was the fact that digital downloads from big publishers don't tend to sell very well on the download services.

Excepting established franchise re-releases like Galaga and Street Fighter 2, which skew the data, Murray's research found that an overwhelming majority (77 percent) of original IP from third-party publishers sold a paltry 25,000 copies or less on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. These weren't underappreciated critical gems either -- 68 percent of original IP third-party downloadable games earned a 65 percent or lower average on Metacritic, Murray said.

Continue reading Joe Danger dev explains why publishers don't get downloadable games

JoystiqJoe Danger dev explains why publishers don't get downloadable games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Develop-2010Hello-GamesJoe-Dangerplaystationps3PSNSean-MurrayTue, 13 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Exclusive: UGO in high-level talks to buy 1UP; EGM not part of deal]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/exclusive-ugo-in-high-level-talks-to-buy-1up-egm-not-part-of-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/exclusive-ugo-in-high-level-talks-to-buy-1up-egm-not-part-of-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/exclusive-ugo-in-high-level-talks-to-buy-1up-egm-not-part-of-d/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Multiple sources in and around Ziff Davis Media have told Joystiq that UGO Entertainment is on the verge of finalizing a deal to buy parts of Ziff's 1UP Network, including 1up.com, GameVideos.com and MyCheats.com.

The sources, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the talks, confirmed to Joystiq that the companies were in "very advanced talks" regarding the sale of many of Ziff's popular gaming web sites. 1UP Network editorial staff were reportedly informed of the potential sale in an all-hands meeting Tuesday and UGO executives will reportedly be flying out to meet with the Ziff staff as soon as Wednesday. Few details of the potential buyout plan are known at this time, but UGO reportedly plans to keep the Ziff sites operating independently as separate entities with their own branding, rather than subsuming them fully into the UGO Entertainment Network.

Our sources also report that UGO has little to no interest in purchasing either Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine or FileFront.com, two wavering pillars of Ziff's increasingly shaky Game Group. Ziff has had particular trouble selling ads for upcoming issues of EGM, suggesting that the February issue might be the final one for the long-running magazine, our sources reported. This adds credence to recent reports that Ziff may be looking to transform EGM into an online-only property. Ziff has been looking for a buyer for the beleaguered Game Group for at least two years.

UGO Entertainment started off in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online and currently attracts over 35 million unique monthly visitors to its general lifestyle portal at UGO.com. In July of 2007 the UGO Network was acquired by mega-publishing conglomerate Hearst Corporation. The network's current properties include GamingTarget.com, GameCheats.com and RPG-focused site GameBanshee.com, as well as celebrity-focused sites like At Pictures.

JoystiqExclusive: UGO in high-level talks to buy 1UP; EGM not part of deal originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1upbreakingnewsEGMelectronic-gaming-monthlyexclusiveGameCheatsGameVideosGamingTargetMyCheatsrumorUGOWed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nega-Review: Gears of War 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/nega-review-gears-of-war-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/nega-review-gears-of-war-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/nega-review-gears-of-war-2/#commentsFiled under: ,

"Don't expect the perfect shooter" out of Gears of War 2." (3) "There's a lack of depth here -- an amalgam of recycled mechanics and ideas that ... never really gets anywhere." (1) "The game has what seems to be a disappointing lack of polish, what with the minor glitches that have crept in." (6) "The execution is frustrating" (1) and "one can't help but think that the team is still honing its level design, its pacing, its combat and its storytelling." (3)

"Overall, Gears of War 2 is ... essentially the same as its predecessor." (6) "It's as if the original Gears has gotten a face-lift, and been expanded upon, without much real change." (1) "The game's opening teaser ... could have been sliced out of the original title" (4) and "the basic gameplay, with the focus on taking cover and precise re-loading, as well as the dismal gray visual design, is little changed from the first Gears." (2) "The whole freshness and aspect of 'new' that came with the first game won't really come across here." (6)

The game's "major shortcoming is a mawkish and cliche-ridden story." (2) "The characters [are] as macho and stereotypical as ever," (3) and "so uninspired you can almost predict their next response or action -- usually some variation of a grim, determined assertion of their physical prowess." (1) "Do we really have to have the shit-scared new cadet who's barely old enough to shave, the general giving a rah rah speech consisting entirely of jingoistic clichés, and the loud-mouthed hick who calls his rig Betty (and has a fetishistic love for it)?" (3) "There's barely a single character beat that isn't cringe-inducing." (2)

Continue reading Nega-Review: Gears of War 2

JoystiqNega-Review: Gears of War 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliffybepicgears-of-war-2gearsfwar2gow2Xbox-360Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nega-Review: Fallout 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/nega-review-fallout-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/nega-review-fallout-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/29/nega-review-fallout-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


"Fallout 3 is not the game that hard-core, longtime Fallout fans are hoping for." (4) "The game is not the infallible masterpiece many ... expected." (6) "The real trouble is there's this air of ... incompetency to the game at large." (7) "You really notice it when you bump up against the technical and storytelling limitations of the game and its narrative structure." (3) "The game's filled with cock-ups so glaring that you almost wonder if it ever got play-tested before release." (7)

"There's no denying Fallout 3 is, as many already observed, 'Oblivion with guns.'" (5) Superficially, the world that Bethesda has created for Fallout 3 seems like Oblivion with a Fallout paint job. (4) "As was the case with Oblivion, they stumble badly when it comes to details and production values." (7) "Combat in Fallout 3 is also an obvious evolution of Oblivion's, right down to having the exact same delay timing when swinging a melee weapon." (4) "Dialogue is another element very similar to what we've seen in Oblivion." (5) "Fallout 3 does suffer the same failings as Oblivion, and one can't help but think these could have been improved upon." (8)

"Fallout 3's story ... just isn't as good as those of past Fallout games." (4) "The biggest single problem is the scriptwriting, which varies in quality throughout the whole venture. ... Every once in a while you'll hit upon something that's wincingly overblown, or else simply not appropriate for a Mad Max-style wilderness." (9)
"It even occasionally feels a bit stiff and sterile, thus diminishing the sense of emotional connection that would give some late-game decisions more poignancy." (1) "The silly comments made during fights and the consistently inane conversations detract from the overall sense of accomplishment." (6) Indeed, "the double whammy of shonky dialogue and wobbly acting rips the affecting edge off [the] atmosphere." (7)

Continue reading Nega-Review: Fallout 3

JoystiqNega-Review: Fallout 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bethesdaBethesda-Game-StudiosBethesda-Softworksfalloutfallout3negareviewPCPS3RPGXbox-360Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:44:00 EST