Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Unreal Engine 4's GDC demo: exposed!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/unreal-engine-4s-gdc-demo-exposed/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/unreal-engine-4s-gdc-demo-exposed/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/unreal-engine-4s-gdc-demo-exposed/#comments ImageJust around 30 lucky GDC attendees saw Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 demo. And one such person was Wired's Stu Horvath, who describes the two minute demonstration as "breathtakingly photo-realistic" in an exclusive reveal. The demo apparently follows the demon knight seen above, as he wakes from a frozen sleep ... only to set everything on fire. That scamp!

The demo runs on Nvidia's Kepler GTX 680 - a graphics card often described as "next-gen" - and it follows the armored demon dude as he shows off his fancy, graphics-heavy castle. Just 14 Epic employees put together the demo, which apparently runs in real-time within the Unreal Engine 4 environment (a feat for modern game engines, including UE3). Don't be surprised if we see this demo show up in a future Epic game - the company's past demos for Unreal Engine lead to some of Epic's biggest games.

Lighting is also improved, according to the piece, with "dynamic lighting" within the engine rather than being individually implemented after the fact. "The number of man-years that required was astounding," Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski said. But with all the additions, Epic's new engine requires much more horsepower; horsepower for which Epic is pushing the likes of Microsoft and Sony. Whether Epic (and us gamers) will get that horsepower, however, remains to be seen.

JoystiqUnreal Engine 4's GDC demo: exposed! originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepicepic-gamespcunreal-engineunreal-engine-4Thu, 17 May 2012 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski: On-disc DLC an unfortunate necessity]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/bleszinski-on-disc-dlc-an-unfortunate-necessity/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/bleszinski-on-disc-dlc-an-unfortunate-necessity/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/bleszinski-on-disc-dlc-an-unfortunate-necessity/#comments With the recent kerfuffle surrounding Street Fighter X Tekken's on-disc downloadable content, Epic's Cliff Bleszinski chimed in on the issue, calling it "an ugly truth of the gaming industry." Speaking to GameSpot, the well-known designer noted that prior to a game finally shipping, there are "often three or four months where the game is basically done," leaving developers with "an idle team that needs to be working on things."

For the sake of compatibility, some downloadable content may need to be located on the disc itself. "It's an ugly truth of the gaming industry," Bleszinski added, "I'm not the biggest fan of having to do it, but it is one of the unfortunate realities." Once the industry goes entirely digital, he said, the issue will be obsolete.

Capcom recently raised the ire of its fans when it was discovered that upcoming downloadable characters were already on the disc. The publisher stated that the content was included on the disc in order to ensure compatibility by offering a "single, unified version of the game." In a response to Better Business Bureau complaints, the company later stated its belief that there is "effectively no distinction" between bonus content included on a disc and downloaded content.

JoystiqBleszinski: On-disc DLC an unfortunate necessity originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomcliff-bleszinskidlcmicrosofton-disc-dlcplaystationps3street-fighter-x-tekkenxboxTue, 10 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War: Exile was once a thing, isn't a thing anymore]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/gears-of-war-exile-was-actually-once-a-thing-now-not-a-thing/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/gears-of-war-exile-was-actually-once-a-thing-now-not-a-thing/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/gears-of-war-exile-was-actually-once-a-thing-now-not-a-thing/#comments Way back in January 2011, a trademark for Gears of War: Exile surfaced on the US Patent and Trademark office website. Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has revealed the studio was working on a project named that, but that it has since been canned.

"Let's just bury the hatchet now," he told Gamespot here at PAX East. "Gears of War: Exile was an unannounced game that I can't give any details about that has since been cancelled." Outside of the existence of the trademark, there really isn't any other information.

Some speculated Gears of War: Exile was to be a Kinect title and an on-rails experience, but without any further information from Epic it looks like we're left to speculate on what could've been.

JoystiqGears of War: Exile was once a thing, isn't a thing anymore originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskigears-of-war-exilemicrosoftpax-east-2012xboxSun, 08 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mike Capps: Epic Games has a PC-exclusive game in the works]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/epic-games-has-a-pc-exclusive-in-the-works/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/epic-games-has-a-pc-exclusive-in-the-works/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/epic-games-has-a-pc-exclusive-in-the-works/#comments ImageGears of War and Fortnite dev Epic Games is getting back to its roots with a PC-exclusive project, creative lead Cliff Bleszinski and president Mike Capps announced today during a PAX East panel. "We might be working on a PC-only title," Capps teased, before Bleszinski picked up where he left off: "Let me say that again: we are working on a PC game."

The panel is still going on, but we'll be sure to chat to the Epic folks as soon as it's over.

Update: Epic Games prez Mike Capps told us after the panel that the unannounced PC project is currently underway, and that the current plans are to keep the game exclusive to the PC platform. Unsurprisingly, he wouldn't tell us anything else.

JoystiqMike Capps: Epic Games has a PC-exclusive game in the works originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiclifford-bleszinskiepicepic-gamesmike-cappspax-eastpax-east-2012pcSat, 07 Apr 2012 13:50:00 EST<![CDATA[These games inspired Cliff Bleszinski, John Romero, Will Wright, and Sid Meier]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/these-games-inspired-cliff-bleszinski-john-romero-will-wright/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/these-games-inspired-cliff-bleszinski-john-romero-will-wright/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/these-games-inspired-cliff-bleszinski-john-romero-will-wright/#comments Everyone in the industry has a story about their formative experiences with video games, but Jon-Paul Dyson, the director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, was a bit more blunt than most.

"Great artists don't borrow. They steal," Dyson said, borrowing a quote from Pablo Picasso as he introduced Wil Wright, Sid Meier, John Romero, and Cliff Bleszinski. Speaking in front of a packed house at GDC, the four industry luminaries shared the games that inspired them as creators, and continue to influence them today.

Continue reading These games inspired Cliff Bleszinski, John Romero, Will Wright, and Sid Meier

JoystiqThese games inspired Cliff Bleszinski, John Romero, Will Wright, and Sid Meier originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskigdcgdc-2012john-romeropac-manpinball-construction-setseven-cities-of-goldsid-meierthe-legend-of-zeldawill-wrightFri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cliff Bleszinski to host GDC Awards, Schatz returns for IGF Awards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/cliff-bleszinski-to-host-gdc-awards-schatz-returns-for-igf-awar/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/cliff-bleszinski-to-host-gdc-awards-schatz-returns-for-igf-awar/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/cliff-bleszinski-to-host-gdc-awards-schatz-returns-for-igf-awar/#comments Planning to attend GDC? If you are, you'll get to see everyone's favorite design director of Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski, host the 12th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, replacing Double Fine's Tim Schafer as host. The Independent Games Festival Awards is kicking it old-school with 2007-2009's host, Andy Schatz of Monaco, winner of the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Excellence in Design awards in 2010's IGF.

Peruse the list of finalists for both award shows right here, and look for winners to be announced March 7 from GDC.

JoystiqCliff Bleszinski to host GDC Awards, Schatz returns for IGF Awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy-schatzawardscliff-bleszinskiCliffyBgame-developers-choice-awardsGDCgdc-2012igfmacmicrosoftmobilemonacopcplaystationPocketwatch-Gamesps3xboxTue, 17 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cliff B talks Fortnite: 'There's no dudebros in it']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/cliff-b-talks-fortnite-theres-no-dudebros-in-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/cliff-b-talks-fortnite-theres-no-dudebros-in-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/cliff-b-talks-fortnite-theres-no-dudebros-in-it/#comments We cornered Epic lead Cliff Bleszinski on the VGAs red carpet yesterday to talk about the newly announced Fortnite, and he says that it'll be very different fare from the popular Gears of War series. "There's no dudebros in it," he told us outright. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, right? But creatively for the team, Gears has been amazing for us. But it's fun to kind of stretch our wings and do something that's a little different from the usual."

Epic's Lee Perry is the project lead on this one, but Bleszinski says that he definitely is involved in playing the game and giving feedback on development. "It was a project that was pitched internally. I was a staunch supporter of the idea, because the game is just like a no-brainer -- I was like yes."

So Epic is hard at work on Fortnite, Chair Entertainment is doing Infinity Blade on iOS, and we're curious as to what Bleszinski is up to lately. "I just hang out at the beach these days," he joked. "No, trust me, I have plenty to work on, it's just a lot of unannounced stuff. Trying to figure out where a lot of things are going in the next five years."

Given the success of Chair's iOS offerings, is that platform something that Epic's main branch would consider making games for? Bleszinski says no. "If we were to do that, which we're not, we'd probably make like six or seven iOS games. Our bread and butter is still with triple A and it's still largely with console, but it remains to be seen what happens."

JoystiqCliff B talks Fortnite: 'There's no dudebros in it' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chair-entertainmentcliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesfortniteinfinity-bladespike-vga-2011Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic's Cliffy B teases 'fresh, new experience' to be revealed at VGAs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/epics-cliffy-b-teases-fresh-new-experience-to-be-revealed-at/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/epics-cliffy-b-teases-fresh-new-experience-to-be-revealed-at/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/epics-cliffy-b-teases-fresh-new-experience-to-be-revealed-at/#comments We've been let down by Epic teasing new IP in the past, so we're a bit wary of tipping you off on this one. That said, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski took to an official Spike Video Game Awards promo himself to hint at a big reveal coming from his studio this week. "An entirely fresh, new experience" is what Bleszinski characterizes the unveiling as, specifically noting that it doesn't have anything to do with Gears of War or Infinity Blade.

Presumably, the reveal does have something to do with the once teased GDC 2011 announcement (the announcement that never happened), as well as the recent hirings, though Bleszinski isn't offering up much else in the clip. Okay, okay -- he also offers that the project is being developed internally at the Cary, NC headquarters for Epic. Otherwise, like you, we'll find out what the big secret is when the VGAs air later this week. Peep the teaser right here in the meantime.

JoystiqEpic's Cliffy B teases 'fresh, new experience' to be revealed at VGAs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepicepic-gamesnew-ipspike-vgaspike-vga-2011Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski: 'Code magic' can still squeeze power out of 360]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/bleszinski-code-magic-can-still-squeeze-power-out-of-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/bleszinski-code-magic-can-still-squeeze-power-out-of-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/bleszinski-code-magic-can-still-squeeze-power-out-of-360/#comments Good ol' Cliff Speaking to Next-Gen, Epic's Cliff Bleszinski expressed his belief that developers can still sap some untapped potential from Microsoft's Xbox 360. Said Bleszinski, "With creative programming you can squeeze anything out of any given platform," adding that all is needed is "a little code magic."

Bleszinski stated that Epic employed such magic in creating Gears of War 3, noting, "We're now at at the point where it's not learning how to use the hardware, it's learning to trick the hardware into doing what you want it to do." He compared the current state of Xbox 360 to the end of the Super Nintendo era, when programmers "started using Mode 7 in ways you never expected."

Presumably he's not talking about go-karts and turtle shells.

JoystiqBleszinski: 'Code magic' can still squeeze power out of 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiEpic-GamesmicrosoftxboxWed, 09 Nov 2011 07:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3 campaign DLC will focus on different cast]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/gears-of-war-3-campaign-dlc-will-focus-on-different-cast/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/gears-of-war-3-campaign-dlc-will-focus-on-different-cast/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/gears-of-war-3-campaign-dlc-will-focus-on-different-cast/#comments We know to expect the voice of Aisha Tyler in upcoming Gears of War 3 campaign DLC, but the rest of the cast remains a mystery. Posting in a NeoGAF thread, designer Cliff Bleszinski shared some additional details, explaining that the story won't be focused on the game's core cast.

And though it won't be based on the Gears of War graphic novels either, former Stranded-turned-COG Michael Barrick will appear. "No, it won't be the graphic novel, but it will have all new campaign content that doesn't have Marcus, Dom, Cole and Baird in it," Bleszinski wrote. "Expect Barrick and more..."

We're assuming Aisha Tyler won't be the one playing Barrick.

JoystiqGears of War 3 campaign DLC will focus on different cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskidlcepic-gamesGears-of-War-3microsoftmicrosoft-studiosxboxWed, 28 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski: Shadow Complex 2 is 'largely designed' and 'sitting there']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/bleszinski-shadow-complex-2-is-largely-designed-and-sitting/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/bleszinski-shadow-complex-2-is-largely-designed-and-sitting/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/bleszinski-shadow-complex-2-is-largely-designed-and-sitting/#comments Remember when we told you that Shadow Complex 2 was probably going to come out, even though Epic focused on a new iOS title, Infinity Blade, after releasing Shadow Complex? Turns out we were right. Again. Epic's Cliff Bleszinski confirmed to Gamasutra that Shadow Complex 2 is "largely designed" and is just "sitting there."

Bleszinski said Epic and Chair Entertainment, the developer behind Infinity Blade and Shadow Complex, are looking for a partner to help finish the sequel. Even though it left Shadow Complex 2 behind, Bleszinski said developing Infinity Blade for iOS was the right move: "We needed a flagship product for iOS, plain and simple," he said. "And we could have ported Shadow Complex, but it would have been a lot of work and it might not have been the right fit. And then Donald Mustard suggested Punch Out!! with swords with RPG layers and we were like, 'Yes!'"

Update: We got a comment from Chair, which reads:
In a recent interview, Cliff reiterated the same thing ChAIR's Donald Mustard has said in the past and Epic President Mike Capps commented on a few weeks ago. Following the release of Shadow Complex, ChAIR did some really great design work on Shadow Complex 2. ChAIR then shifted gears to develop Infinity Blade upon noticing a huge opportunity with the emerging iOS market.

In regards to the "looking for partners" comment, its likely Cliff was referring to a potential publishing partner. Given the tremendous popularity of Shadow Complex, there's a ton of interest in a sequel and plenty more we'd like to do in that universe. We're confident we'll revisit when the right opportunity presents itself.

JoystiqBleszinski: Shadow Complex 2 is 'largely designed' and 'sitting there' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chairChair-Entertainmentcliff-bleszinskiEpicEpic-Gamesinfinity-blademicrosoftmobileShadow-Complexshadow-complex-2xboxSat, 17 Sep 2011 00:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski would 'love' to make a Kinect game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/bleszinski-would-love-to-make-a-kinect-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/bleszinski-would-love-to-make-a-kinect-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/bleszinski-would-love-to-make-a-kinect-game/#comments Even though nothing's come of that Kinect-compatible Gears of War rumor, it doesn't mean Bleszinski isn't open to devloping with Microsoft's peripheral in mind. He told IndustryGamers that while he'd like to give it a go, it's really an issue of time and money. Isn't that always the case?

"If I had unlimited amounts of time and a team I could sit down and make a cool Kinect game, and I would love to, but it's a matter of time and opportunity costs right now," he said. While we knew long ago there wouldn't be any Kinect functionality in Gears of War 3, we fully expect something down the line. As one of Microsoft's most successful franchises on Xbox, we wouldn't count the series out after the release of its third game this September. But as of right now, there isn't any indication to suggest that a Kinect-compatible Gears is more than just a brilliant idea bouncing around the internet's collective noggin.

JoystiqBleszinski would 'love' to make a Kinect game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesGears-of-War-3kinectmicrosoftmicrosoft-kinectxboxWed, 15 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3 single-player preview: Two paths coming together]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/08/gears-of-war-3-single-player-preview-two-paths-coming-together/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/08/gears-of-war-3-single-player-preview-two-paths-coming-together/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/08/gears-of-war-3-single-player-preview-two-paths-coming-together/#comments During Microsoft's E3 2011 press conference, Cliff Bleszinski and Ice-T took to the stage to show off some single-player co-op action in Gears of War 3. In a small room high above Microsoft's booth here at the LA Convention Center, I was given an extended look at that sequence by Bleszinski himself, who was keen to show me the destructive capabilities of the mech, which I would ultimately get to see more of in my time with Horde mode.

As you can imagine, the Silverback mech is pretty powerful. But before we could get to that, Bleszinski set the scene. "The section we saw at the press conference showed Marcus and Dom on a flotilla, dealing with a Lambent Leviathan. It's ultimately taken out by them in a Silverback while Cole and Baird up above take a giant crate of Tickers and empty it onto it. Once we're done with Marcus and Dom, we're going to swap over to Cole and Baird and play with them during that same sequence."

Gallery: Gears of War 3 (E3 2011)

Continue reading Gears of War 3 single-player preview: Two paths coming together

JoystiqGears of War 3 single-player preview: Two paths coming together originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskie3e3-2011EpicGears-of-War-3microsoftMicrosoft-Game-Studiosmicrosoft-gamesxboxWed, 08 Jun 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski: Master Chief passed on a Gears of War 3 cameo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/bleszinski-master-chief-passed-on-a-gears-of-war-3-cameo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/bleszinski-master-chief-passed-on-a-gears-of-war-3-cameo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/bleszinski-master-chief-passed-on-a-gears-of-war-3-cameo/#comments Curious as to why the Xbox 360's two biggest exclusive shooters never managed to fuse, forming some kind of chimera made of space armor and hilariously disproportionate guns? Wonder no more -- in a recent interview with Complex, Gears of War' designer Cliff Bleszinski revealed, "I actually approached Microsoft on getting Master Chief into the game, but those guys are kind of squeamish." He jokingly added, "If you had to break it down, I'd say that Gears is like Mortal Kombat and Halo is like Street Fighter."

From there, things get ... a little grisly. Bleszinski said, "if we were to get Master Chief, we'd get his model, put him in a COG suit, make it blow up, and do some test animation work. We'd have to see what his head looks like being blown to smithereens or how his arm would look getting sawed off." We're not sure the ol' arm-saw technique's gonna work on MC. After all, this is the same guy who can get shot point blank by a rocket-propelled grenade without suffering any structural damage.

JoystiqBleszinski: Master Chief passed on a Gears of War 3 cameo originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 May 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bungiecliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesGears-of-War-3master-chiefmicrosoftMicrosoft-Game-StudiosxboxMon, 02 May 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski: Gears 3 multiplayer has to be good, or 'the franchise is dead']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/bleszinski-gears-3-multiplayer-has-to-be-good-or-the-franchis/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/bleszinski-gears-3-multiplayer-has-to-be-good-or-the-franchis/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/bleszinski-gears-3-multiplayer-has-to-be-good-or-the-franchis/#comments Not only are we excited about the prospect of joining the Gears of War 3 beta next month because, you know, of all the dude-sawing -- we're also hopeful that the tests will prevent a rough start-up for the full game's multiplayer experience. In an interview with IGN, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski acknowledged (the beta test-less) Gears of War 2's less-than-optimal online offerings at launch, saying the developer "can't afford to make that mistake twice."

The outspoken developer explained, "if we release Gears 3 and it has the same launch as Gears 2 online then the franchise is dead." He later added, "to be fair, over the course of the six title updates, we got Gears 2 in a very good position. And we need to take it to great. And that's what this will help do." We've got another suggestion for making the game "great" -- two chainsaws. One on your gun, and another one on your chainsaw.

Chainsawsaw.

JoystiqBleszinski: Gears 3 multiplayer has to be good, or 'the franchise is dead' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabeta-testcliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesGears-of-War-3microsoftMicrosoft-Game-StudiospcxboxThu, 10 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski: Marry gamers, don't date them (or: design long-term engagement for fans)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/bleszinski-marry-gamers-dont-date-them-or-design-long-term/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/bleszinski-marry-gamers-dont-date-them-or-design-long-term/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/bleszinski-marry-gamers-dont-date-them-or-design-long-term/#comments In a candid talk during the Game Developers Conference on Thursday, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinksi advised attendees to "have an educated gut," and to be cognizant of the value of marketing and long-term relationships with customers. He encapsulated his talk in the "power creative," a project member who is unique, valuable and visibly tied to the game's identity. "This could be anyone," Bleszinski said.

With consumers constantly immersed in an information feed -- via social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook -- it's important for game designers to be "surgical" and "devious" in creating IPs that thrive in an always-on, heavily branded world. According to Bleszinski, the market only tolerates games that land on the far ends of the spectrum between freemium or "snack" games and big-budget productions like Gears of War. "I believe the middle class game is dead."

Continue reading Bleszinski: Marry gamers, don't date them (or: design long-term engagement for fans)

JoystiqBleszinski: Marry gamers, don't date them (or: design long-term engagement for fans) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskigdc-2011Gears-of-War-3ipmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxSun, 06 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Unreal: Cliff Bleszinski really likes musicals]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/unreal-cliff-bleszinski-really-likes-musicals/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/unreal-cliff-bleszinski-really-likes-musicals/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/unreal-cliff-bleszinski-really-likes-musicals/#comments Listen, just because Cliff Bleszinski makes games where you chainsaw dudes in half doesn't mean the man can't feel. Like, take this interview with Adult Swim about his favorite shows for instance, in which he admits that he kinda, sorta loves musicals:
I can enjoy a twisted, strange movie like [Funny Games] but also be like, "Sweet! Chicago's on Blu-ray now! Let's go see The Lion King on Broadway! Oh my God, I love Wicked!" ... There's this weird dichotomy going on with my tastes. I think it's important to enjoy all spectrums of entertainment that way.
Well, this certainly explains why so many Epic games feature highly choreographed knife fights between rival gangs. Also, because we were all thinking it: This.

... No? Well, we were thinking it.

JoystiqUnreal: Cliff Bleszinski really likes musicals originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskicliffy-bdefying-gravityepic-gamesmusicalswickedThu, 24 Feb 2011 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3 multiplayer preview: Dedicated to the fans]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/gears-of-war-3-multiplayer-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/gears-of-war-3-multiplayer-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/gears-of-war-3-multiplayer-preview/#comments When Gears of War 2 launched, its mutliplayer community quickly singled out two distinct issues: the nerfed shotgun and a mess of glitches, including a host exploit that was allowing unscrupulous players to gain an unfair advantage. Epic would eventually address these issues through title updates, but one serious problem remained: all of those damn cheaters.

These ne'er-do-wells plagued the community until the bottom fell out, leaving only a dedicated core group of players. You won't find too many folks playing much Gears 2 these days.

For Gears of Wars 3 multiplayer, Epic is adding dedicated servers, the community's most requested feature, which design director Cliff Bleszinski describes as "the best way" to combat cheating.

Gallery: Gears of War 3 (2/24/2011)

Continue reading Gears of War 3 multiplayer preview: Dedicated to the fans

JoystiqGears of War 3 multiplayer preview: Dedicated to the fans originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskidedicated-serverepic-gamesGears-of-War-3microsoftmicrosoft-game-studiosrod-fergussonxboxThu, 24 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cliff Bleszinski talks Bulletstorm's development, canned co-op]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/18/cliff-bleszinski-talks-bulletstorms-development-canned-co-op/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/18/cliff-bleszinski-talks-bulletstorms-development-canned-co-op/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/18/cliff-bleszinski-talks-bulletstorms-development-canned-co-op/#comments Speaking to the Telegraph, Epic's Cliff Bleszinski discussed the development process of Bulletstorm. He noted that the game began as a cover-based, third-person shooter akin to Gears of War "but in a world that felt like you were eternally in a factory that manufactured sparks." Over time, the team came up with the leash and sliding, and changed over to the first-person perspective that we see today. The leash in particular changed the gameplay, with Bleszinski noting, "we realized people were playing with their enemies like a cat plays with a mouse before he takes it out, so we thought why not reward people for that, and so the points system came along."

Another interesting tidbit: Bulletstorm originally had campaign cooperative play, but it was eventually removed. According to Bleszinski, co-op killed the game's pacing: it "just broke down, and it was a situation where people would race through the game, ignoring the vistas and they wouldn't set up as many skillshots," he said. That's probably for the best, because we're not sure today's processors could have handled the profanity generated by another Bulletstorm character anyway.

JoystiqCliff Bleszinski talks Bulletstorm's development, canned co-op originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bulletstormcliff-bleszinskiepicmicrosoftpcpeople-can-flyplaystationps3xboxFri, 18 Feb 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[3DS, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Bleszinski talks at GDC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/3ds-donkey-kong-country-returns-bleszinski-talks-at-gdc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/3ds-donkey-kong-country-returns-bleszinski-talks-at-gdc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/3ds-donkey-kong-country-returns-bleszinski-talks-at-gdc/#commentsWe're guessing Satoru Iwata will talk about the 3DS during his Game Developers Conference keynote. But it's even safer to assume that Nintendo's Hideki Konno will mention the system during his newly-announced GDC talk, called "The Development Process of the Nintendo 3DS". Konno works as producer for Nintendo hardware, and is also producing Nintendogs + Cats, so he should have at least a passing familiarity with the hardware.

A third high-profile Nintendo talk has also been announced: Nintendo's Kensuke Tanabe and Retro Studios' Michael Kelbaugh and Bryan Walker will present "We Hate You: Why Donkey Kong Country Returns was So Hard". Okay, it's actually called "Donkey Kong: Swinging Across Oceans" and it's about developing the game across continents.

GDC also announced one more marquee presentation: Cliff Bleszinski's "Industry Lessons Learned and Applying Them to the Road Ahead", a wide-ranging talk about "Bleszinski's thoughts on AAA gaming, social gaming, and the connected future" as well as the importance of PR and marketing to game design.

Joystiq3DS, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Bleszinski talks at GDC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsbryan-walkercliff-bleszinskidsepic-gamesgdc-2011kensuke-tanabemichael-kelbaughmicrosoftnintendopcretro-studioswiixboxTue, 18 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic Games to reveal new IP at GDC 2011]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/epic-games-to-reveal-new-ip-at-gdc-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/epic-games-to-reveal-new-ip-at-gdc-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/28/epic-games-to-reveal-new-ip-at-gdc-2011/#comments Cliff Bleszinski said recently that Epic Games would unveil a brand new IP at next year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. This will be a brand new universe, unrelated to anything Epic has done before, according to Bleszinski. "Gamers votes with their dollars and they often like established IP, but those IPs came from somewhere, right?" he told EGM. "Call of Duty was crafted by the original Medal of Honor guys. Gears of War was crafted by the original Unreal Tournament guy. I look forward to creating what's next."

We pinged Bleszinski ourselves to try and find out what platform Epic is aiming for, but he tells us there's "not much to say yet." The company has had a lot of success with Infinity Blade on iOS recently, and has also been rumored to be working on a Kinect title. GDC 2011 kicks off on February 28 -- we'll be there in San Francisco to cover any announcement for you.

JoystiqEpic Games to reveal new IP at GDC 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskicliffy-bepic-gamesgame-developers-conferencegdc-2011gdc2011intellectual-propertyipnew-ipTue, 28 Dec 2010 21:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3 to include 'special unlocks' referencing other Epic games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/gears-of-war-3-to-include-special-unlocks-referencing-other-ep/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/gears-of-war-3-to-include-special-unlocks-referencing-other-ep/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/gears-of-war-3-to-include-special-unlocks-referencing-other-ep/#comments Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has tweeted that Gears of War 3 will feature some "special unlocks" for fans of other games the company has had a hand in, including Unreal Tournament 3, the upcoming Bulletstorm and Chair Entertainment's Shadow Complex. Don't worry if you don't happen to own one of those, though, as Epic tells Joystiq directly that Bleszinski was talking about "unlockable content" for everyone rather than something specifically for owners of those other games. "Everybody gets the content," we were told, but "those 'in the know' will just 'get it.'"

As in "get a little more excitement out of it," because Epic fans will understand the references. In fact, Epic even added one more title to the list of references that the third Gears of War game will make: its iOS hit Infinity Blade. And if you don't know your God King from your Jason Flemming, or what an Impact Hammer is, then you've got plenty of time to find out before Gears 3 debuts later on in 2011.

JoystiqGears of War 3 to include 'special unlocks' referencing other Epic games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskicontentepic-gamesGears-of-War-3microsoftreferencesunlocksxboxMon, 20 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[UDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/16/udk-out-for-ios-epic-demonstrates-with-jazz-jackrabbit/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/16/udk-out-for-ios-epic-demonstrates-with-jazz-jackrabbit/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/16/udk-out-for-ios-epic-demonstrates-with-jazz-jackrabbit/#commentsThe December update for the Unreal Development Kit is available, adding support for development of iOS games in Unreal Engine 3. To help you get started, the latest version includes the full source code for Epic Citadel (along with another new castle map), so you can figure out how those impressive medieval landscapes came to be.

To further prove what's possible with the engine, Epic put together a technically impressive twin-stick shooter starring none other than Jazz Jackrabbit, star of Cliff Bleszinski's 1994 side-scroller of the same name. Check out screenshots of this proof-of-concept game in our gallery. Epic told Joystiq that it's currently just a demonstration; the company doesn't have plans to release it.

[Update: There's now a tutorial video featuring the Jazz Jackrabbit game, and a "sizzle" video for UDK, after the break.]

Gallery: Jazz Jackrabbit (iOS UDK)


Continue reading UDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!]

JoystiqUDK out for iOS, Epic demonstrates with Jazz Jackrabbit [update: video!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesiosjazz-jackrabbitmobileudkunreal-development-kitunreal-engine-3Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Bleszinski sounds off on Bulletstorm's Whedon-esque inspirations, cactus murder]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/bleszinski-sounds-off-on-bulletstorms-whedon-esque-inspirations/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/bleszinski-sounds-off-on-bulletstorms-whedon-esque-inspirations/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/bleszinski-sounds-off-on-bulletstorms-whedon-esque-inspirations/#comments Epic Games design director and Gears of War guru Cliff Bleszinski was recently cornered by PlayStation Blog to chat about the studio's upcoming, over-the-top shooter, Bulletstorm, co-developed by People Can Fly. The outspoken designer shares more than a few interesting pieces of insight into the foul-mouthed title, such as the game drawing creative inspiration from Joss Whedon's short-lived "pulp sci-fi" series, Firefly. Bleszinski also drops a few more details about the game's Horde-inspired co-op mode, Anarchy, which sounds appropriately insane.

Additionally, Bleszinski describes his favorite kill (from the game) -- but we're not sure we can contextualize it in a way that you could understand. Just know that a cactus is involved.

Continue reading Bleszinski sounds off on Bulletstorm's Whedon-esque inspirations, cactus murder

JoystiqBleszinski sounds off on Bulletstorm's Whedon-esque inspirations, cactus murder originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bulletstormcliff-bleszinskieaepic-gamesmicrosoftpcpeople-can-flyplaystationps3xboxWed, 08 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[No Kinect in Gears of War 3, Bleszinski assures]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/no-kinect-in-gears-of-war-3-bleszinski-assures/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/no-kinect-in-gears-of-war-3-bleszinski-assures/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/no-kinect-in-gears-of-war-3-bleszinski-assures/#comments Cliff Bleszinski has curb-stomped the rumor of Kinect functionality appearing in Gears of War 3. Responding to a report by IGN that suggested motion-control features would emerge in a Gears of War game, the Epic Games developer said on his Twitter: "No Kinect in Gears of War 3."

The IGN piece did leave some wiggle room for itself, noting that it "cannot clarify whether or not this is an all-new Gears of War for Kinect or if it's an existing Gears of War game, retro-fitted for the camera controller." The reveal will apparently be made at the Spike TV Video Games Awards. Master of WORLD EXCLUSIVES, Geoff Keighley, has already started to hype the show's "world premiere announcements," teasing two earlier reveals set for Wednesday.

If Microsoft wants to combine Gears of War with some optional Kinect functionality, it seems like a perfectly reasonable way to get more core gamers interested in the peripheral, which is a little too family friendly with its catalog at the moment. However, if we don't get a Tickle-Me Dominic[TM] minigame, we'll consider any Kinect/Gears crossover a failure.

JoystiqNo Kinect in Gears of War 3, Bleszinski assures originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiEpicEpic-GamesGears-of-War-3Geoff-KeighleyKinectmicrosoftVGA-2010xboxTue, 16 Nov 2010 09:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Cliff Bleszinski (probably) beat more NES games than you]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/cliff-bleszinski-probably-beat-more-nes-games-than-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/cliff-bleszinski-probably-beat-more-nes-games-than-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/24/cliff-bleszinski-probably-beat-more-nes-games-than-you/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Beyond being recognized as a high score champion in the first issue of Nintendo Power, Gears of War creative lead Cliff Bleszinski has an NES marked up with permanent tallies -- what he approximates to represent "close to 60" completed games. He's also got a totally rad sticker of Link on it.

Continue reading Cliff Bleszinski (probably) beat more NES games than you

JoystiqCliff Bleszinski (probably) beat more NES games than you originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiclifford-bleszinskicliffy-bnesFri, 24 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Cliff Bleszinski on Gears of War 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/cliff-bleszinski-gears-of-war-3-interview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/cliff-bleszinski-gears-of-war-3-interview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/22/cliff-bleszinski-gears-of-war-3-interview/#comments During E3, we managed to distract Cliff Bleszinski, design director for Epic Games and the face of Gears of War, long enough for an interview. Despite our intense interrogation, he remained a good sport throughout and offered us candid answers. The full interview follows.

Joystiq: Most of the things we want to ask, you probably can't talk about yet -- like Gears 3 multiplayer ...

Cliff Bleszinski: Can't talk about that yet.

Okay, let's try it this way: in Gears 1, a lot of people complained about opponents being able to roadie run into them, stun them with a punch and then shoot them -- and you guys fixed that with updates. Are you concerned that the new spearing ability, with the retro Lancer, is going to lead to similar complaints in Gears 3 multiplayer?

You know, we try our best that before we ship, we balance these things as much as possible. But when you release into the wild, you never know what the gamers are going to come up with.

So in regards to the Lancer charge, we're going to try our best to, you know, play with it as much as we can and you never know. We did six title updates to Gears 2 and we continue to refine that experience. Matchmaking wasn't the best at the start, but we stand behind our products and continue to support them.

Gallery: Gears of War 3

Continue reading Interview: Cliff Bleszinski on Gears of War 3

JoystiqInterview: Cliff Bleszinski on Gears of War 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cliff-Bleszinskie3-2010Epic-GamesGears-of-WarGears-of-War-3Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Gears of War 3 campaign demonstration]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/21/video-gears-of-war-3-campaign-demonstration/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/21/video-gears-of-war-3-campaign-demonstration/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/21/video-gears-of-war-3-campaign-demonstration/#comments If you were absent, either online or otherwise, from the Microsoft press conference last week at E3, you probably missed out on Cliff Bleszinski's brief demonstration of Gears of War 3's single-player campaign. No worries -- through the power of internet magic, we've captured this moment in time and embedded it in a video posted after the jump. Now you can witness all the profanity, bloodshed and bayoneting from the safety and comfort of your own home.

Continue reading Video: Gears of War 3 campaign demonstration

JoystiqVideo: Gears of War 3 campaign demonstration originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskidemoe3-2010gears-of-war-3microsoftxboxMon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3, now with Ice-T]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/gears-of-war-3-now-with-ice-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/gears-of-war-3-now-with-ice-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/gears-of-war-3-now-with-ice-t/#commentsFiled under: , ,

That rumor about Ice-T playing a role in Gears of War 3? Totally true. The man himself took the stage at tonight's Gears of War 3 shindig in downtown LA, as indicated by Major Nelson on Twitter (and seen in the picture above, also care of Major's tweet). Apparently, he'll voice a character named Griffin, with Gears creator Cliff Bleszinski mentioning Ice "won't stop telling everyone about his role as Griffin in Gears 3."

What's that, you say? You're just as excited as we are to hear Ice-T's debut gameplay voiceover role? Good! Now get back to reading about E3 2010, won't you?

Update: Microsoft officially detailed Ice's character Griffin as the leader of "a rag-tag group of human survivors, known as the Stranded, who Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad will encounter as they battle the infected Lambent."

JoystiqGears of War 3, now with Ice-T originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cliff-Bleszinskie3e3-2010Gears-of-WarGears-of-War-3Ice-TmicrosoftThu, 17 Jun 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic's Mike Capps: PC piracy 'changed our business model']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/18/epics-mike-capps-pc-piracy-changed-our-business-model/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/18/epics-mike-capps-pc-piracy-changed-our-business-model/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/18/epics-mike-capps-pc-piracy-changed-our-business-model/#commentsRecent comments from Epic Games president Mike Capps in Edge Magazine (via Develop) show the developer's frustration with the PC piracy scene, as well as its hesitance to fully embrace the platform. "We still do PC, we still love the PC, but we already saw the impact of piracy: it killed a lot of great independent developers and completely changed our business model," Capps said.

Of course, Epic's shift to console development (think: Gears of War) also makes a lot of cents ... err, sense. "And now, people are saying 'why do you hate the PC? You're a console-only company.' It's because the money's on consoles," he said. Capps' candid stance likely doesn't preclude future success on PC -- there's still fertile land out there -- but for now, Epic has prioritized console blockbusters.

It's a shame it'll have to miss out on that $13 billion pie, though. We know how much Cliff Bleszinski likes his pie.

JoystiqEpic's Mike Capps: PC piracy 'changed our business model' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 May 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepicepic-gamesgears-of-warmike-cappspc-piracypiracyTue, 18 May 2010 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: Bulletstorm]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/impressions-bulletstorm/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/impressions-bulletstorm/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/impressions-bulletstorm/#comments Epic Games and Painkiller dev People Can Fly have finally taken the wraps off Bulletstorm, their FPS collaboration for EA, and it's looking like a brutal yet beautiful love note to fans of over-the-top action. Epic's design director Cliff Bleszinski and Bulletstorm producer Tanya Jessen (who also produced Gears of War on PC) flew in to San Francisco last week to debut the game. The duo kicked things off with the above trailer before getting into the nitty-gritty details in a live gameplay demo, with Bleszinski steeling the crowd for what he considers to be "a mix of Burnout, Duke Nukem and Firefly / Serenity."

Bleszinski prefaced the demo by saying that, while still very much into the Gears series, "what really gets me out of bed in the morning is crafting a whole new world" -- something that he's excited to do on this project with the team at People Can Fly in Poland. He says he plays the game three to four times a week to offer his feedback, and that Epic's art and production teams in Raleigh, NC work daily with PCF. He said that Epic also sends techs to the developer on a frequent basis to ensure that it is up to speed on Unreal Engine updates.

Whatever they're all doing, it looks amazing -- both from a visual and gameplay standpoint. Blezsinski said that, unlike most modern FPS titles, Bulletstorm "doesn't take itself too seriously," adding that it has the intense action, the headshots and the like, but "does it with a wink and a smile." But what does it do differently? Skillshots. "It's like a cat playing with a mouse before killing it," Blezsinski said of the game's core play mechanic, claiming that it takes the scoring system introduced in Unreal Tournament -- killing sprees, double-kills, etc. -- to "the next level."

Gallery: Bulletstorm (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Continue reading Impressions: Bulletstorm

JoystiqImpressions: Bulletstorm originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bulletstormcliff-bleszinskieaea-partnersElectronic-Artsepicepic-gamesMicrosoftpeople-can-flyXbox-360Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Watch the Gears of War 3 trailer right now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/watch-the-gears-of-war-3-trailer-right-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/watch-the-gears-of-war-3-trailer-right-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/watch-the-gears-of-war-3-trailer-right-now/#commentsWhy wait for Cliff Bleszinski to debut Gears of War 3 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon? Here's the trailer for the "worst-kept secret in the video game industry," posted to the Late Night website (and embedded above) ... before it's appeared on television. The trailer is prefaced by some banter with Mister B about his vintage Nintendo Power appearance and what makes a great game.

The new game has playable female soldiers in it! Take that, Crackdown 2! Don't worry, it's still jam-packed with men who look like refrigerators and mellow music, like the famous Gears of War trailer (in this case, Sun Kil Moon's "Heron Blue"). Other elements mentioned by Cliff include new weapons and new aliens -- "crazy tentacle monsters" with mutating ability. Bleszinski said GOW3 will arrive "probably around April 8" -- one year after his Late Night appearance was supposed to be shown. Wouldn't that have been nice marketing? Oh, well.

Update: Official release date is April 5, 2011. And catch Cliff's Late Night appearance after the break.

Gallery: Gears of War 3

Continue reading Watch the Gears of War 3 trailer right now

JoystiqWatch the Gears of War 3 trailer right now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskicliffy-bCliffyBepic-gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-3Jimmy-Fallonlate-nightlate-night-with-jimmy-fallonMicrosofttrailervideoXbox-360Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Epic Games planning gala celebration to open Tokyo office]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/epic-games-planning-gala-celebration-to-open-tokyo-office/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/epic-games-planning-gala-celebration-to-open-tokyo-office/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/epic-games-planning-gala-celebration-to-open-tokyo-office/#comments
Fujisoft building in Akihabara [image source] Epic Games has announced the official opening of its Japan office -- on April 15, the company will hold an event in the Fujisoft Building in Tokyo's Akihabara district, and the guest list includes a few gaming luminaries, including No More Heroes' Suda51, Halo Legends producer Joseph Chou and, of course, Epic Games' Tim Sweeney and Jay Wilbur will be there as well. Cliff Bleszinski won't be in attendance -- he'll be delivering an address via video, which we presume will come from the underground bunker where he's working on Gears of War 3.

Taka Kawasaki will also be there -- he's the "territory manager" for Epic Games Japan, and he'll give a short address about the purpose of the studio, which will be to handle both licensing and tech support for Unreal Engine 3 in the region with a team hired starting last year at TGS. This will be the sixth such center for Epic, which also operates centers in North Carolina and Utah, and overseas in Poland, Shanghai and Seoul. There was one set up on the far-off planet of Sera, but unfortunately it was destroyed by a giant worm. We're told Sera-based licensees should call Utah if they happen to need engine support.

JoystiqEpic Games planning gala celebration to open Tokyo office originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>akihabaracliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesgears-of-war-3internationaljapanofficeoverseasstudiotokyoMon, 12 Apr 2010 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Bulletstorm to induce yells in 2011]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/bulletstorm-to-induce-yells-in-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/bulletstorm-to-induce-yells-in-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/bulletstorm-to-induce-yells-in-2011/#comments It's official: EA has announced Epic and People Can Fly's Bulletstorm for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3, targeted for a 2011 release -- which means that both of the games we thought Cliff Bleszinski planned to bring to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon have been revealed by publishers beforehand. It was a scheduling error that got Gears of War 3 announced early; EA's motivation for sending out this press release before the show is less clear. Perhaps it's the fact that Game Informer beat EA to it. Or perhaps this press release was the Monday announcement Bleszinski was talking about, and Bulletstorm won't be on TV tonight.

But enough of that: what's the game about? Bulletstorm stars Grayson Hunt, one of two mercenaries exiled to a distant planet when they're labeled as traitors. The pair end up "surrounded by hordes of mutants and flesh eating gangs in an abandoned paradise," and fight to survive, make it back home, and get revenge.

Bulletstorm features a "skillshot" system that offers rewards (in the form of points that can be redeemed for weapons) for creative kills -- a system that the announcement says "produces unprecedented levels of frantic gameplay and yell-inducing satisfaction."

JoystiqBulletstorm to induce yells in 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bulletstormcliff-bleszinskieaElectronic-Artsepic-gamesfpsMicrosoftpeople-can-flyXbox-360Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:25:00 EST<![CDATA[CliffyB: 'Two upcoming games' on Monday's Late Night; Us: It's totally Bulletstorm and Gears of War 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/cliffyb-two-upcoming-games-on-mondays-late-night-us-its-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/cliffyb-two-upcoming-games-on-mondays-late-night-us-its-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/cliffyb-two-upcoming-games-on-mondays-late-night-us-its-t/#comments When Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski got bumped from last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon because of a Justin Bieber-shaped "scheduling conflict," someone forgot to tell the Xbox Dashboard programming team who, inadvertently, spoiled Mr. B's big reveal: Gears of War 3. Re-booked for Monday's show with no big reveal has left Epic Games with only one alternative: reveal a second game!

CliffyB took to Twitter with the following comment: "NEWSFLASH: Two announcements about two upcoming games on Monday. BOOM!" Lucky for them, Epic has a second game that's just about ready for its close-up, People Can Fly's Bulletstorm.

Now, he didn't say specifically that Bulletstorm would be the second "upcoming" game, but the pieces are certainly in place. Take, for example, the cover of next month's Game Informer magazine, which can already be found floating around various corners of the internet. Of course, Epic could simply be following Nintendo's lucrative Pokemon strategy and releasing two editions of Gears of War 3. If so, might we suggest Gears of War 3 Brown and Gears of War 3 Gray?

[Update: Not ones to let some internet scans steal their story, the Game Informer crew has come right out and said it, albeit a few days earlier than planned: "The latest issue of Game Informer Magazine [has a] world-exclusive look at People Can Fly's upcoming shooter, Bulletstorm." They've got some higher-res art too, if you're interested.]

JoystiqCliffyB: 'Two upcoming games' on Monday's Late Night; Us: It's totally Bulletstorm and Gears of War 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BulletstormCliff-BleszinskiCliffyBEAEA-PartnersElectronic-ArtsEpicEpic-GamesGears-of-War-3Jimmy-FallonMicrosoftPeople-Can-FlyXbox-360Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:48:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: Cliff Bleszinski's new game reveal on Fallon bumped to Monday, April 12]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/psa-cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-reveal-on-fallon-bumped-to-mond/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/psa-cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-reveal-on-fallon-bumped-to-mond/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/07/psa-cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-reveal-on-fallon-bumped-to-mond/#comments
Those eagerly awaiting the network television reveal of Gears of War creator Cliff "Don't Call Me CliffyB" Bleszinski's newest game (that includes us!) will have to wait a few more days, unfortunately. Originally scheduled for tonight's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon taping, Bleszinski's appearance has been bumped to Monday night, April 12 at 12:35/11:35C.

The news was dropped by Gavin Purcell, co-producer of Late Night, via his Twitter feed. Purcell cited a "scheduling conflict" as the reason for the last-minute switcheroo. We bet that Cliff's taking the weekend to add Extra Awesome[TM] to whatever he's about to spring on us.

JoystiqPSA: Cliff Bleszinski's new game reveal on Fallon bumped to Monday, April 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskigears-of-warJimmy-Fallonlate-night-with-jimmy-fallontelevisionWed, 07 Apr 2010 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War director to debut new game on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/gears-of-war-director-to-debut-new-game-on-late-night-with-jimmy/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/gears-of-war-director-to-debut-new-game-on-late-night-with-jimmy/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/gears-of-war-director-to-debut-new-game-on-late-night-with-jimmy/#comments
It must be warming up outside the epic Games HQ in North Carolina, because Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski is gearing up to debut his latest game. The news comes from none other than Late Night host (and friend of games) Jimmy Fallon, who's tweeted that, "Game designer Cliff Bleszinski (@therealcliffyb) debuts his new game on Late Night next Thur. Set your TiVos! And your Xboxes."

If, like us, you're already grabbing your remote to do just that, Late Night airs on NBC at 12:35/11:35C and Mr. Fallon is specifically referring to the show that will air the night of Thursday, April 8 (or very early Friday, April 9 depending where you live). Any guesses that don't rhyme with "deers and boars tree?"

JoystiqGears of War director to debut new game on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-3Jimmy-Fallonlate-night-with-jimmy-fallonWed, 31 Mar 2010 20:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Overheard@GDC: The Cliff Bleszinski Pie Analogy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/overheard-gdc-the-cliff-bleszinski-pie-analogy/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/overheard-gdc-the-cliff-bleszinski-pie-analogy/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/overheard-gdc-the-cliff-bleszinski-pie-analogy/#comments
[Flickr: Ephemeron]
"Save your fork, there'll be pie. The game is the fork and the pie is the DLC." -Cliff Bleszinski

After confessing to having a big appetite for Borderlands, the Gears of War developer used the pie analogy to explain to Joystiq how games without any sort of DLC "hooks" are becoming increasingly rare.

JoystiqOverheard@GDC: The Cliff Bleszinski Pie Analogy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesforksgdcgdc-2010overheardpieSat, 13 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War now available via Xbox Live Games on Demand]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/gears-of-war-now-available-via-xbox-live-games-on-demand/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/gears-of-war-now-available-via-xbox-live-games-on-demand/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/gears-of-war-now-available-via-xbox-live-games-on-demand/#comments Put down that can of Imulsion energy drink, friend, 'cause we've got some good news for you (and we wouldn't want you to choke, you know). The original Gears of War has arrived on Xbox Live's Games on Demand service, making it that much easier to get ready for next year's big announcement from series creator Cliff Bleszinski (spoilers: it's probably Gears of War 3!).

For the usual $19.99, all 6GB of Marcus Fenix's Locust murder opus can be yours -- without all that pesky 'physical media' nonsense -- through the Xbox Live Marketplace (except in Japan, sorry!). We've linked it below of course, for your convenience.

Shortcut: Add Gears of War to your Xbox 360 download queue (via Xbox.com)

JoystiqGears of War now available via Xbox Live Games on Demand originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskidigital-distributionepicepic-gamesgames-on-demandgears-of-warmajor-nelsonmicrosoftxblxblmXbox-360xbox-livexbox-live-marketplaceTue, 29 Dec 2009 19:45:00 EST<![CDATA[VGA 2009: Cliff Bleszinski teases new projects, more to come 'when the weather's warm']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/vga-2009-cliff-bleszinski-teases-new-projects-more-to-come-wh/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/vga-2009-cliff-bleszinski-teases-new-projects-more-to-come-wh/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/vga-2009-cliff-bleszinski-teases-new-projects-more-to-come-wh/#comments This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and - before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside - we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here's what we learned from Epic's Cliff Bleszinski.

So you segued from Gears into Shadow Complex ... what are you working on now?

I can't tell you that! It's actually quite agonizing for me right now, because there's a bunch of awesome shit we're working on, but I can't say a damn thing about it no matter how many alcoholic beverages you might try and feed me! Well, maybe if you bribe me with hookers and blow, that might work.

Shadow Complex will be on sale during the holidays. Was that Microsoft's idea or Epic's?

Microsoft is doing that promo. They're doing some other stuff as well to help drive the holiday sales. I mean, in this day and age look how crammed Christmas is, and it's like March is the new holiday. Everybody's moved out to March. I think it's good because the good games will rise, and the bad games will sink, right? I was getting tired of the fact that everyone had to cram everything into the holiday season. Hopefully we'll get some quality releases in March that will do well, and the gaming industry can sell more than 80% of its games outside of a three month period.

What are you playing right now?

I'm playing the hell out of Modern Warfare 2 and I hate those guys, because those guys are so awesome. Uncharted 2 I beat, which was absolutely stellar. Borderlands co-op is amazing ... that's the only way to play, really. I gush about it not just because it's our engine but because Randy and those guys are good friends, and it's the kind of game I really want to play. It's the perfect blending of the shooter and the RPG.

So when will we hear about this "awesome shit"?

Maybe sometime when the weather's warm, you'll be hearing something.

JoystiqVGA 2009: Cliff Bleszinski teases new projects, more to come 'when the weather's warm' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff-bleszinskicliffybEpicGears-of-WarinterviewMicrosoftred-carpetShadow-Complexspike-vga-2009vga-2009Xbox-360Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:20:00 EST