Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Watch naked ladies streaking in Saint's Row II ... or don'thttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/watch-naked-ladies-streaking-in-saints-row-ii-or-dont/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/watch-naked-ladies-streaking-in-saints-row-ii-or-dont/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/watch-naked-ladies-streaking-in-saints-row-ii-or-dont/#commentsFiled under: ,


If a recently uploaded video (which you can find after the break) is any indication, you'll be taking on the task of "female streaking" in Saint's Row II, which is sure to make all of our lives very annoying for weeks to come, or as soon as the mainstream media sees it. It's not really SFW, even though the lady business has been blurred out, giving the appearance that a giant Barbie doll became sentient and horrifically confused.

But before you hop over the break to bask in utterly non-erotic semi-nudity, we'd ask you to reconsider. You're better than that, right? We're honestly a little embarrassed we brought it up. You wouldn't want your mom, girlfriend or, heck, even your friends who've seen actual boobs before to catch you watching something like that, would you? Why don't you just scroll down to the next post, dignity intact? Or, to put it more simply ... "Don't look, Ethel!"

[Via ToaRG]

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]]>saints-row-2saints-row-iistreakingthqJustin McElroy2008-10-08T10:00:00+00:00THQ worldwide studio exec leaves, job split into three roleshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/thq-worldwide-studio-exec-leaves-job-split-into-three-roles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/thq-worldwide-studio-exec-leaves-job-split-into-three-roles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/thq-worldwide-studio-exec-leaves-job-split-into-three-roles/#commentsFiled under:


THQ's "internal problems" popped up again as Exec. VP of Worldwide Studios Jack Sorensen has quit the company. Sorensen's role will now be played by three different executives promoted from within the company. The company's president, Brian Farrell, believes this will make "a more efficient management structure."

THQ has been on a bad road lately, pinning many of its hopes and blockbuster dreams this year on a few titles like Saints Row 2. The company laid off 200 employees in May and has been having negative financial reports for a year. If Atari can turn it around, there's hope for THQ.

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]]>brian-farrelldanny-bilsonroy-tesslersteve-decostathqAlexander Sliwinski2008-10-07T09:30:00+00:00Joystiq impressions: Age of Empires: Mythologieshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/joystiq-impressions-age-of-empires-mythologies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/joystiq-impressions-age-of-empires-mythologies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/joystiq-impressions-age-of-empires-mythologies/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Age of Empires: Mythologies follows the style of the DS Age of Kings, turning the PC real-time strategy into a portable, turn-based title. We checked out the game a the Nintendo Media Summit and found a lot of depth in the transition. While you'll only choose from Greek, Norse, or Egyptian armies, there's still ample Age of Empires inside.

Gallery: Age of Empires: Mythologies


We initially rushed into battle without a background playing the original DS Age of Empires. While a little confusing at first, the game easily evokes Advance Wars; we moved a handful of units around the grid-based board to attack enemies. Each unit has benefits and drawbacks compared to others; for example, our normally-weak spearmen easily hacked through powerful cavalry enemies.

Unlike Advance Wars, Age of Empires requires more resource management and building maintenance like the PC original. While going to battle - or often before - we used one unit to create farms built structures that generated fighters. We even developed new weapons and upgraded units through research tracks. While the rush of real-time is missing, Age of Empires still retains a lot of depth.

Up to four players will be able to compete online or locally if each person has the game. And two people can locally play against each other with only one copy.

Strategy gamers should look for Age of Empires: Mythologies soon, with a tentative release date of November 14.

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]]>age-of-empiresage-of-empires-mythologiesjoystiqfeaturesnfms08-hands-onnintendonintendo-fall-media-summit-08nintendo-fms-08thqZack Stern2008-10-06T23:30:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Darksiders: Wrath of Warhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/joystiq-hands-on-darksiders-wrath-of-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/joystiq-hands-on-darksiders-wrath-of-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/joystiq-hands-on-darksiders-wrath-of-war/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


One of the biggest things we missed at E3 this year was the upcoming Vigil Games / THQ title, Darksiders: Wrath of War. How we managed to miss this one is still unclear -- we can only assume that it was in our blind spot the entire time. So, during our recent jaunt down to Austin for the Game Developer's Conference, we made time to stop by Vigil and take an in-depth look at the the team's debut title and two-year labor. Luckily, they weren't holding any grudges against our non-existent E3 coverage and were nice enough to give us a huge chunk of time with the game and the designers.

Concept artist and Vigil founder Joe Madureira and lead designer Hadyn Dalton sat down with us for two hours, taking us through the game and showing us levels that haven't been released to the public just yet. We got to take control of protagonist War and do battle with enemies, solve puzzles, and even take his massive warhorse Ruin for a spin. Check out the full writeup after the break, and be sure to check out the gallery, full of exclusive images from the game, just below. If you've been itching for a Joe Madureira Battle Chasers fix, this might be about as close as you can get.

Gallery: Darksiders: Wrath of War (9/30/08)


"Think of The Watcher as a more evil version of the Genie in Aladdin. It's kind of like if he was a dirtbag."
In this game, you play as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the other three being (in the Darksiders universe, at least) Fury, Strife, and Death. Somehow, Armageddon has been prematurely triggered, and all signs point to War being the culprit. Thankfully, he's given a chance to go back and clear his name and find out who (or what) is truly to blame. You know, because no one would want the name of War to be sullied.

Naturally, you're stripped of most of your powers, but you're joined by a mischievous demon called "The Watcher," who's hidden inside a massive gauntlet (Battle Chasers fans know how much Joe Mad loves huge gloves) shackled to your wrist. This guy swallows the souls of the creatures you kill and, quite conveniently offers helpful advice. "Think of The Watcher as a more evil version of the Genie in Aladdin. It's kind of like if he was a dirtbag," explained Madureira.

Though War's final look is still being nailed down, we're particularly interested in his choice of weaponry. Take, for instance, the massive Chaos Eater sword that builds up Chaos as you strike enemies, doing more damage as the meter fills up. If you don't use it enough, the sword starts to "starve" and will do less and less damage. According to Dalton, "It's a bit like an in-game combo meter as well." War's power gauntlets provide his secondary attack, which is in addition to the ability to build up Wrath and release it as a powerful shockwave. It's a good thing to use when you're getting swarmed. Need more killing utensils? Try picking up some of the parking meters, cars, gates or rubble scattered throughout the environment -- they work for ranged attacks too.

"You'll see that there are quite a lot of puzzles in it. I think that part surprised a lot of people. It's a lot more like Metroid or Zelda in that aspect."
As you mow down your enemies, their souls will float towards your gauntlet and get chomped up (souls are delicious!), providing you with currency to use when you encounter the Soul Trader in the game. He's like your basic corner grocer, except he takes souls instead of green stamps. He'll help you unlock abilities and do simple things like sell you health. "Early on when we only had the combat to show, it got a lot of comparisons to Devil May Cry and God of War," said Madureira. "But once we started showing the dungeon areas like The Church, you'll see that there are quite a lot of puzzles in it. I think that part surprised a lot of people. It's a lot more like Metroid or Zelda in that aspect."

A lot of those puzzles involve the different weapons that War wields. For instance, he acquires an item called the "Crossblade" that works like the Glaive in Krull ... if you're old enough to remember that movie (if not, think Dark Sector). It's a huge whirling blade that War can control somewhat, and it always boomerangs back to him. He can also charge it up (by holding down the right trigger) and hurl it buzzsaw-style into an enemy -- or several if you select multiple targets. This comes particularly in handy when you need to hit several switches within seconds of each other to trigger a door. For more violent purposes, you can also hurl it through a torch, providing an incendiary boost when it strikes different enemies / puzzle objects next.

Some of the other weapons you'll encounter throughout the game include different guns, like the Gatling gun we later wielded against massive worm creatures, Death's Scythe, and an "uber-sword." All of the weapons can be slotted and upgraded after you encounter "The Smith" and his massive anvil. You'll want to enlist his help in banging out new items and carving out weapon slots to do damage with. According to Madureira, there will also be roughly six or seven guns in the game, including three BFGs, the weapons wielded by the angels. Wait, angels with blazing guns? We didn't cover this in Sunday School.



Helping War in his task is Ruin, a warhorse with blazing hooves. He'll get you across the landscape a lot faster and even has his own sets of attacks. He can even be summoned when you jump off a building -- land on him, gunfighter style! Clearly, he's a bit tougher that your faithful puppy dog in Fable 2, and you'll find yourself looking for excuses to summon him and trample multiple enemies. Plus, there's something satisfying about firing a Gatling gun at distant enemies while riding on the back of a horse whose feet are on fire. Maybe it's just us.

"We're thinking it will take about 15+ hours for players to get through the game, we feel like that's a very good target."
According to Dalton, "We're thinking it will take about 15+ hours for players to get through the game, we feel like that's a very good target." Based on what we were shown, that means the scale of this game is going to be immense. Some of the levels we saw, like the Ashlands, were still under development, as is much of the game -- it's slated for a 2009 release, remember? It's also something that Vigil would like to develop into a franchise, especially given that the subtitle of this is, you know, Wrath of War. Does that mean we'll be seeing the other horsemen? According to Madureira, "Part of the story is discovering what happened to the other Horsemen, and whether they were involved or not. They do make an appearance."

By now you might be thinking that it's impossible to take a look at Darksiders without comparing it to God of War II, and you'd be right ... not that it's such a bad thing, especially for you poor, PS2-less folks. On face value, they're very similar games, sharing approaches to puzzle-solving (how do I get to that chest way up in that corner?) and a combat system that includes multiple weapons and combos. Kratos finds the Wings of Icarus, and War finds a similar ability called a "Tempest Cloak" that gives him dark, demonic wings and allow him to glide. War has a chain-based weapon that allows him to yank enemies closer ... the list goes on.

Comparisons to other games aside, and there are plenty to make, the developers at Vigil are hoping that Darksiders is more than the sum of its parts. You've been through a Zelda dungeon before, sure ... but have you ever done it with a combat system like God of War's? With an early 2009 launch, Vigil and THQ may avoid being overwhelmed by this year's top titles, and get a chance to have the spotlight all on Darksiders.

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]]>DarksidersDarksiders-Wrath-of-WarGod-of-WarJoe-MadureirajoystiqfeaturesRuinTHQVigilWarWrath-Of-WarKevin Kelly2008-10-02T10:30:00+00:00Low-brow lowdown: Saints Row 2 multiplayer http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/low-brow-lowdown-saints-row-2-multiplayer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/low-brow-lowdown-saints-row-2-multiplayer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/low-brow-lowdown-saints-row-2-multiplayer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click to pimp-size

THQ is hoping to differentiate Saints Row 2 from other Grand Theft Auto clones. By that we mean it's not so much a clone of Rockstar's crime epic, but rather what might be born unto the world if it had a lapse in judgment and accidentally knocked up the Jerry Springer Show (which turned out to be half-Jackass, according to DNA results).

Our first impressions bore this out, and we were left permanently convinced of the fact once porn starlet Terra Patrick and certifiable loon, Gary Busey, were brought on to, er, entice folks to play the game. We were enticed to check out its multiplayer features, which, as opposed to the in-your-face presentation of the "main" game, seemed to do the best job of really seeming substantively different.

Playing off a perceived demographic-wide case of ADD among gamers, Saints Row 2's main multiplayer draw, Strongarm, combines elements of control points (tagging), racing, deathmatch, and other match types into one mega-mode. Akin to an iTunes playlist on shuffle, the mode is constantly swapping out modes and rules, with the overall goal being for each team to amass as much cash as possible.

In one example, typical street racing in an open-world environment is skewered by the fact that team members who aren't racing can take up arms and attempt to destroy rivals as they pass. In many ways, the Strongarm play types reminded us of things we might have put together ourselves in GTA IV multiplayer - only now there's some quantitative payoff for goofing off.

The nudges - some more subtle than others - to do silly stuff even extend into the pre-match lobby, where players can run around in-world, talking smack and shooting each other. Before, y'know, the rest of the smack talking and shooting gets underway.

If it's a war between transvestite pimps and clowns in hotdog suits you want, that's what you'll get. But until we see something truly remarkable out of the game as a whole, you'll have to really want it - otherwise this Row might not be up your alley.

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]]>hands-onjoystiqfeaturesmultiplayersaints-row-2thqvolitionRandy Nelson2008-09-26T15:00:00+00:00McCain and Obama join forces for Saints Row 2 trailerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/mccain-and-obama-join-forces-for-saints-row-2-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/mccain-and-obama-join-forces-for-saints-row-2-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/mccain-and-obama-join-forces-for-saints-row-2-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Things have been fairly aggressive between the two presidential nominees as of late, perhaps largely due to a certain comment involving a farm animal and mouth-based cosmetics. That's why we were so glad to see them squash the beef in a recent Saints Row 2 advertisement (posted after the break), combining forces to wreak havoc across Stilwater (much to the chagrin of their respective campaign staffs, we imagine). We're also glad to see that the character customization in THQ and Volition's crime-riddled sandbox is so versatile. We've already begun planning our own presidential nominee superteams for when the game comes out -- we've always wondered what Roosevelt and Dewey would look like in a gang war.

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]]>mccainobamasaints-row-2thqtrailervolitionGriffin McElroy2008-09-13T21:30:00+00:00Destroy All Humans! Intellivision Lives! New Xbox Originals Sept. 15!http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/11/destroy-all-humans-intellivision-lives-new-xbox-originals-sept/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/11/destroy-all-humans-intellivision-lives-new-xbox-originals-sept/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/11/destroy-all-humans-intellivision-lives-new-xbox-originals-sept/#commentsFiled under: , ,



It's high time for some real talk about Xbox Originals. Specifically, who's choosing what makes the cut? Not that Destroy all Humans! or Intellivision Lives! are bad games by any means. It's just that, when you think of a service that could be offering the best, exclusive games from a system's previous generation on the current one via the interwebs, you'd hope they'd be more ... original and memorable.

As it stands, we're getting a complete mish-mash of revered and forgettable moments from the annuls of the original Xbox. How about some Panzer Dragoon Orta or Star Wars: Republic Commando before the likes of Kabuki Warriors? Ahem. Ranting aside, both Destroy All Humans! and Intellivision Lives! hit the Xbox Live Marketplace on September 15 for 1200 ($15) each. We'd love to hear which Xbox games you would have join the ranks of the Xbox Originals in comments.

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]]>activision-livescrave-entertainmentdestroy-all-humansthqxblmxbox-originalsRandy Nelson2008-09-11T23:30:00+00:00Rumor: Warhammer 40K third-person shooter in developmenthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/rumor-warhammer-40k-third-person-shooter-in-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/rumor-warhammer-40k-third-person-shooter-in-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/rumor-warhammer-40k-third-person-shooter-in-development/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Apparently, there's some "leaked" footage of a third-person Warhammer 40K shooter floating around the internets. The game, with the awfully generic subtitle of "Space Marine," appears to be a mix of Gears of War and God of War. The voice-over that accompanies the video, which Eurogamer guesses belongs a developer, explains that the game is focused on brutal, close-quarters combat.

We've contacted THQ, which holds the video game license to the Warhammer 40K universe, to see if it can shed some of the Emperor's light on this topic. While we're not exactly sure about the video's authenticity, it certainly has had some nice work put into it. Find it after the break.

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]]>space-marinethqwarhammer-40kwarhammer-40k-space-marineAlexander Sliwinski2008-09-08T14:50:00+00:00Gary Busey promotes Saints Row 2, teaches valuable life lessonshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/gary-busey-promotes-saints-row-2-teaches-valuable-life-lessons/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/gary-busey-promotes-saints-row-2-teaches-valuable-life-lessons/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/gary-busey-promotes-saints-row-2-teaches-valuable-life-lessons/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Were you recently diagnosed with a severe case of sanity? We've got your physician-approved prescription posted after the break -- a triple dose of advertisements for Saints Row 2, with commentary provided by esteemed Shakespearian thespian, Gary Busey. We highly doubt that Busey was provided with a script in these videos -- when the Silver Bullet star asks, "Who hasn't wanted to kill someone with a garden gnome," he's probably not reading from a script. His addled mind ponders that very question two or three times a day.

If you're confident you can look into the heart of lunacy and come out unaffected, check the ads out after the jump. Even if you don't care about the game, we're sure you'll enjoy trying to pinpoint the moment Busey stops promoting the game, and starts having honest-to-god Vietnam flashbacks (video NSFW).

"Costumes"

"Props"

"Flying" (NSFW)

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]]>gary-buseysaints-row-2thqvideovolitionGriffin McElroy2008-08-31T15:30:00+00:00Saints Row 2 Collector's Edition shipping in gun boxhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/saints-row-2-collectors-edition-shipping-in-gun-box/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/saints-row-2-collectors-edition-shipping-in-gun-box/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/saints-row-2-collectors-edition-shipping-in-gun-box/#commentsFiled under: , ,


THQ has revealed to Europe the Saint's Row 2 Collector's Edition bundle, which appears to come with the game, some posters, a 1GB USB stick in the shape of a bullet and some kind of ... gun. Eurogamer explains that "the box is shaped like a gun," but we can't tell from the picture above if the gun comes out of its casing, or if it's molded to the box. The publisher also tells the site this special edition is only for Xbox 360.

We're not exactly sure about the SR2 Collector's Edition for North America, so we'll have to wait and see if THQ announces this same bundle for the region. Sadly, nothing involving porn star and "special producer" Tera Patrick will be included in the box. The boys and girls of Saints Row 2 are expected to shoot up the streets of Stilwater in October.

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]]>saints-row-2thqvolitionAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-29T13:00:00+00:00Viva Pinata DS coming Sept 2, Rare releases new Halo 3 parodyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/viva-pinata-ds-coming-sept-2-rare-releases-new-halo-3-parody/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/viva-pinata-ds-coming-sept-2-rare-releases-new-halo-3-parody/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/viva-pinata-ds-coming-sept-2-rare-releases-new-halo-3-parody/#commentsFiled under: ,

Rare has announced that the THQ-published Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise for the DS will be proliferating retail shelves with dirty puns on September 2 in North America and September 5 in UK and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) alongside the Xbox 360 sequel VP: Trouble in Paradise. The DS title will also "begin to filter through to the rest of the world on the 11th, with VP:TIP not far behind."

Along with the announcement, Rare also released its second Halo 3 parody, "Museum," based on the sci-fi shooters' Believe ad campaign. We've embedded the video and the previously released (and pretty funny) "Believe Pinata" video after the break.

Gallery: Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise




"Museum"

"Believe Pinata"

"Making a Ruffian"

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]]>believehalo-3pocket-paradiserarethqviva-pinataviva-pinata-pocket-paradiseRoss Miller2008-08-15T15:00:00+00:00THQ bombing XBLA with Rocket Riot this fallhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/thq-bombing-xbla-with-rocket-riot-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/thq-bombing-xbla-with-rocket-riot-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/thq-bombing-xbla-with-rocket-riot-this-fall/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Nothing sounds quite as satisfying as disintegrating ninjas and zombies with a stylized 8-bit bazooka. That's probably why THQ's upcoming XBLA Worms clone, Rocket Riot, remains on our radar. First announced last October, the game, developed by Dutch dev CodeGlue, evokes a retro feel that speaks directly to our aging hearts with its 80 "completely destructible" pixel-laden levels. Unlike some recent digital offerings, Rocket Riot also promises to support up to eight players over Xbox Live, or four for those wishing to hash out their differences on the same couch. Rocket Riot is expected to send us diving for cover when it drops like a bomb onto XBLA this fall.

Gallery: Rocket Riot

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]]>codegluerocket-riotthqwormsxblaJason Dobson2008-08-15T10:00:00+00:00Gettin' Siggy with it: Joystiq goes to SIGGRAPHhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/gettin-siggy-with-it-joystiq-goes-to-siggraph/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/gettin-siggy-with-it-joystiq-goes-to-siggraph/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/gettin-siggy-with-it-joystiq-goes-to-siggraph/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We headed into the wonderific CGI fray known as SIGGRAPH this year, and ultimately decided that we need to start checking this out more often. The technical conference just entered its 35th year, with the acronym being for Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques. While it's evolved into a pretty glorified job fair, they still show off new and impressive technology, have a large section focusing on papers relating to innovation in the field of computer graphics (like this year's "Simulating Knitted Cloth at the Yarn Level") and feature a fun Computer Animation Festival component filled with dozens of short CGI films in competition.

The only gaming companies we noticed in attendance were Activision, LucasArts, and THQ, which mostly offered "we want to hire you!" booths, but a lot of the tech behind games was being shown as well. NVIDIA was demoing "the world's first fully interactive GPU-based ray tracer," and the Mova Contour system was showing off their futuristic looking rig. Plus, it now seems like everyone and their uncle is creating 3D printers that pump out plastic models, but that doesn't mean we don't want one.

Read on after the break to find out more, explore the gallery below, and be sure to watch the video that got the biggest laughs, just ahead.

Gallery: SIGGRAPH 08



Out of 31 films we saw in competition, this one got the biggest laughs by far. Plus, this was in the same theater where we saw Video Games Live last year, and it ain't a small place. Seriously, when we hit the lotto, we're building one of these just for gaming. Anyhow, some of the animation entries were short, some were touching, and others just made you scratch your head. We'd seen the TF2 videos before, but it looked great on that screen in high-def.

Most of our time there was spent roaming the show floor, checking out the different booths (what? Disney's giving out Rubik's cubes?), listening to talks (at LucasArts, we discovered that the Euphoria engine was developed as a digital stuntman replacement), and taking photos of strange things (like this Japanese touchscreen system that uses plain paper to show you two different images from the same screen).

We also attended Sony Pictures Imageworks' "A Tribute To Stan Winston," where they showed reels of everything he'd worked on, and people like James Cameron got up to talk about working with him. It was a brief but touching tribute, and the stage was flanked by two of Stan's creations: Arnie in T2 and the Iron Man Mark III armor. Almost all of the Digital Domain company was there, taking precious rendering time away from Avatar -- they bustled out the door when they cued up a screening of the "HD Blu-ray Master" of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I watched for about 30 minutes, then remembered I had the movie, and a bed, waiting at home.

SIGGRAPH rotates cities every year, and will be in New Orleans next year before returning to Los Angeles in 2010. If you can stop by, we highly recommend it, especially if you're seeking a job in the gaming industry or just enjoy checking out new technology.

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]]>ActivisionAnimationComputer-AnimationComputer-GraphicsContourjob-fairLucasArtsMovaSIGGRAPHTHQKevin Kelly2008-08-14T21:30:00+00:00Some humans destroy Destroy All Humans! PSPhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/some-humans-destroy-destroy-all-humans-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/some-humans-destroy-destroy-all-humans-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/some-humans-destroy-destroy-all-humans-psp/#commentsFiled under: ,


It seems the folks in charge at THQ have decided to disappoint all humans who were anxiously awaiting the PSP outing of Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed. Though the three of you absolutely nobody will lament this particular cancellation, IGN reports that it was at least done for the right reasons. Said a THQ representative: "Basically, the PSP version was cancelled because of control issues."

With the game being designed specifically for the Wii, "the controls simply didn't translate well, and instead of pushing out the product with translated controls, it was cancelled." From the player's perspective, it sounds like it was the humane thing to do, but we wonder how many PSP games would be left if all developers adopted this particular stance on controls.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

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]]>Big-Willy-UnleashedCancelledDestroy-All-HumansDestroyAllHumansPSPTHQLudwig Kietzmann2008-08-05T21:30:00+00:00THQ boss declares console cycles deadhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/thq-boss-declares-console-cycles-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/thq-boss-declares-console-cycles-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/thq-boss-declares-console-cycles-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


THQ president and CEO Brian Ferrell believes traditional hardware cycles are dead. MTV Multiplayer reports that Ferrell explained his thinking at a leadership conference and believes there are now several sub-cycles in the industry.
  • Sub-cycle #1: The Handheld market.
  • Sub-cycle #2: The Wii market.
  • Sub-cycle #3: The Xbox 360 and PS3 market.
Ferrell even thinks that the online market is becoming its own category. He expresses it's hard to do business around traditional concepts like "the cycle" and that THQ now plans around platforms. The THQ CEO does have a point, there's a lot of different pools for publishers and developers to jump in ... although we hear someone left a deposit in the PC one.

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]]>brian-ferrellconsole-cycleconsole-cyclesferrellthqAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-05T15:57:00+00:00Saints Row 2 controversy concerns, graphics keeping it off Wiihttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/saints-row-2-controversy-concerns-graphics-keeping-it-off-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/saints-row-2-controversy-concerns-graphics-keeping-it-off-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/saints-row-2-controversy-concerns-graphics-keeping-it-off-wii/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Saints Row 2 producer Dan Sutton tells CVG that the game isn't coming to the Wii over controversy and graphical concerns. He explains that implementing Wii controls for "chainsaws, satchel charges, stuff like that" in the game might risk the title running into Manhunt 2-style controversy. That's a bad thing? Apparently, SR2's developer, Volition, isn't totally run by the marketing department.

Sutton also explains that SR2 won't be making it to Nintendo's waggle-enriched juggernaut because Volition is "about pushing really good graphics" -- he believes the Wii feels like an older console. Ouch, at least he didn't mention duct tape.

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]]>dan-suttonsaints-row-2thqvolitionwiiAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-04T19:30:00+00:00Red Faction: Guerilla beta open on 360 for IGN Insider and FilePlanet subscribershttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/red-faction-guerilla-beta-open-on-360-for-ign-insider-and-filep/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/red-faction-guerilla-beta-open-on-360-for-ign-insider-and-filep/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/red-faction-guerilla-beta-open-on-360-for-ign-insider-and-filep/#commentsFiled under: , ,


If yesterday's video extravaganza for THQ's upcoming shoot-'em-up Red Faction: Guerilla tickled your ludological fancy, then a tip we recently received might interest you. Apparently, the Guerilla multiplayer beta from which yesterday's footage was gleaned is now open for Xbox Live Gold subscribers through FilePlanet -- though you have to be either a FilePlanet subscriber or an IGN Insider in order to gain the access code necessary to conjure the beta onto your 360 through Live Marketplace.

There is a beta application to fill out, though we don't think they would turn their precious subscribers away. It's of little importance to us, however, as we make it a point not to subscribe to things that aren't the Oprah magazine.

[Thanks, Kyle.]

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]]>betafileplanetmultiplayerred-faction-guerillathqxbox-liveGriffin McElroy2008-08-03T13:30:00+00:00Red Faction: Guerilla multiplayer beta video dumphttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/red-faction-guerilla-multiplayer-beta-video-dump/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/red-faction-guerilla-multiplayer-beta-video-dump/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/red-faction-guerilla-multiplayer-beta-video-dump/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We love jet packs. Let's get that out of the way right now. We can't get enough of the things, whether they be on 1930s superheroes, cargo pilots, or in this case, hilariously named online multiplayer combatants. GameTrailers recently hit the motherlode of gameplay videos from Red Faction: Guerilla -- in addition to the jetpackery you see above, there's four more videos posted after the break. We like what we see -- the action looks frantic, the destructible environments look fun, and the jet packs are... well, jet packs. Need we say more?







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]]>betajet-packmultiplayerred-faction-guerillathqvideo-dumpvolition-incGriffin McElroy2008-08-02T19:30:00+00:00THQ: Q109 buoyed by Wall-E, but still sees $27.2m in losseshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/thq-q109-buoyed-by-wall-e-but-still-sees-27-2m-in-losses/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/thq-q109-buoyed-by-wall-e-but-still-sees-27-2m-in-losses/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/thq-q109-buoyed-by-wall-e-but-still-sees-27-2m-in-losses/#commentsFiled under:

License-rich publisher THQ reported $27.2 million in net losses for its first Fiscal 2009 quarter, ended June 30. That figure is nearly triple the net losses of Q1 2008, even though sales were $137.6 million this quarter, up from last year's $104.5 million. The little beacon of light for THQ's first quarter was Wall-E, which boasted over a million unit sales. Other notable titles include Big Beach Sports, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and MX vs. ATV Untamed.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell pointed to September's de Blob and this holiday's Saint's Row 2 and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, along with a new Red Faction, Darksiders and WWE Legends of Wrestlemania, as sales boosters for the rest of the fiscal year.

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]]>BreakingNewsfy09q109thqwall-eRoss Miller2008-07-31T12:00:00+00:00Tera Patrick 'hired' as 'special' 'producer' on Saint's Row 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/25/tera-patrick-hired-as-special-producer-on-saints-row-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/25/tera-patrick-hired-as-special-producer-on-saints-row-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/25/tera-patrick-hired-as-special-producer-on-saints-row-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Phillip: Well, here you go, Ms. Patrick, this is where you'll be working.
Tera Patrick: Right, well, that's what I wanted to ask you about. What is it, exactly, that I'll be doing here?
Phillip: You see, Tera, you're a "special producer" on Saint's Row 2, so you'll be ... well, you'll be a producer. But a special one.
Tera: You just wanted to use a picture of my boobs on a poster, didn't you?
Phillip: No, no, don't be ridi--
Tera: Is this computer made of chocolate?

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]]>saints-row-2thqJustin McElroy2008-07-25T16:30:00+00:00