Joystiq

DayZ free-to-play was considered

David Hinkle — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST

During his GDC talk chronicling the ascension of the DayZ mod, creator Dean "Rocket" Hall revealed that there was a time - albeit a brief window - when he considered turning DayZ into a free-to-play game. "Every one likes having four Lamborghinis parked in their driveway," Hall joked.

"When I looked at signing with a bunch of companies, some of them were interested in free-to-play. We're talking a lot of money, like stupid money. I felt like - I just knew it wouldn't work. DayZ is about survival and not buying your way into it. I still think there's room for free-to-play games - I've got one idea I think could actually work quite well as a free-to-play game - but it's like trying to cram a round peg into a square hole."

Hall also touched on the infamous shops found in some free-to-play games, where players can purchase good gear or bypass certain mechanics by throwing down real money. "The DayZ experience is about what you find in the world, so introducing a shop and things like that, like cosmetic items. It's not about cosmetic items, there are no cosmetic items in DayZ - it's not like, 'I worked at Burger King for an hour and bought this hat,' you know; it's 'I found that hat in a barn fight.'"

DayZ standalone is currently in development at Bohemia Interactive. The alpha build isn't expected to launch until at least June.

DayZ free-to-play was considered originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dean Hall: DayZ standalone alpha won't launch until at least June

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:35:00 EST

DayZ, the standalone zombie survival game spawned from the popular Arma 2 mod, will enter official review in June, with plans for a widespread alpha sometime after then, creator Dean Hall tells Joystiq.

"We're going to review the situation in June," Hall says. "So there'll be no release between now and June. And we're quite hopeful that we'll go then. I know that people get really frustrated because they want to play, but I just think this is the best option."

DayZ is basically ready for an alpha run, but Hall and his team are waiting to perfect the client-server architecture. Hall currently has 25 people in a small pre-alpha, and he hopes to get a few hundred playing DayZ before opening the alpha. DayZ alpha keys will go live in batches, possibly 50,000 at a time, and Hall is looking at a possible Kickstarter-inspired distribution model, where players would pay certain amounts to opt into the alpha and snag other goodies, in tiers.

"We want to release the keys in chunks of what we have servers available," Hall says. "The idea is to very, very quickly try to release something out there, because that allows us to start capacity testing. We've got one final thing we're waiting for with the release date, which is the completion of our client-server architecture. It's basically making the game into an MMO, and pretty much the moment that's done, we'll release."

Dean Hall: DayZ standalone alpha won't launch until at least June originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DayZ standalone teases new health system, overhauled zombies

David Hinkle — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:00:00 EST

Creator Dean Hall has offered up another video diatribe on the development on the standalone version of DayZ. One teased addition is an overhauled health system, one that features "longterm play effects such as poor diet affecting your long term health levels."

There's a new inventory system, which supports "crafting, interchangeable clothing, degradation, tracking, weapon customization, and much more," the developer blog post says. Hall promises crafting will be different than how it's presented in other games, but says it isn't ready for the public eye yet.

Meanwhile, zombie spawning and behavior is governed server-side, so the game client is less susceptible to foul play and hacking. It also means the undead are able to move around the island autonomously, rather than being summoned around active players. (They'll still enjoy your presence, though, so don't get reckless.)

DayZ standalone teases new health system, overhauled zombies originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arma 3 arms itself with cover art and screens

Mike Suszek — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST

Bohemia Interactive posted the cover art for Arma 3 to its official Facebook page. We have a higher res version of the art available in the gallery below, along with a handful of screens from the game's site.

You could say we're "up to our armas" in Arma 3 images, but we can't put our fingers on what that pun really means. The Steam-exclusive shooter is entering its closed alpha phase this coming Tuesday.

Gallery: Arma 3 (Cover Art)

Gallery: Arma 3 (Alpha Screens)

Arma 3 arms itself with cover art and screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arma 3 alpha launches Mar. 5, includes eventual beta access and full game

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:30:00 EST

Gaining entrance to Arma 3's closed alpha will be a simple matter of slappin' down some virtually-represented cash stacks, once the test goes live next Tuesday, March 5. Available through Steam, the alpha will include four missions, a "limited subset of vehicles and weapons," two multiplayer maps, a Scenario Editor and mod support.

The size of the requisite cash stack varies depending on which version of the alpha you buy: A standard version for $33 or a Digital Deluxe Edition for $50. The Deluxe Edition features a soundtrack, "digital maps," a "tactical guide" and a Steam copy of Arma: Cold War Assault, all of which will become available when the full version of the game launches in Q3.

There will also be a $92 Supporter Edition available directly from the developer's online store, which includes all of the Deluxe Edition bonuses, as well as all future Arma 3 DLC and the "opportunity" to have your name in the credits, whatever that means.

All three versions include automatic access to the Arma 3 beta test slated to start in Q2, as well as a copy of the full game when it eventually comes out. Players who purchase access to the alpha can also invite their friends to participate in an even more limited "Lite" version of the test, which does not include multiplayer or modding support.

Continue reading Arma 3 alpha launches Mar. 5, includes eventual beta access and full game

Arma 3 alpha launches Mar. 5, includes eventual beta access and full game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates]

Sinan Kubba — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:15:00 EST

Sony made wholesale corrections to the list of European/PAL companies confirmed as PS4 developers and publishers, reducing the list of named studios from 53 to 28. Curiouser, not one of the developers and publishers named on the previous list makes an appearance on the new roll call. A spokesperson for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe confirmed to us the first list, sent out last week, was erroneous, and this new one is correct. There are no revisions for any other regions.

The new list removes a number of significant names, including Mojang (Minecraft), Rovio (Angry Birds), Frozenbyte, Criterion Games, and City Interactive. In their stead are some new noteworthy studios, such as CD Projekt, who've confirmed The Witcher 3 as a PS4 game. Also included are Bohemia Interactive, Deep Silver, Ninja Theory, IO Interactive, Codemasters, 2K Games, and Sumo Digital. The full list can be found after the break.

We've reached out to a number of studios for comment. Mojang's Daniel Kaplan reiterated to us the comments he gave to Gamasutra, saying his studio hasn't decided anything yet, and that the error is "confusion from Sony's side." Gamasutra's article also confirms Super Crate Box developer Vlambeer and Skulls of the Shogun creator 17-Bit, both included in the original list, as not currently working on anything for the PS4.

A spokesperson for Monsters (probably) Stole My Princess developer Mediatonic, included in the original list but not in the corrected one, told us he couldn't make any comment on his studio and PS4 development. Meanwhile, Sumo Digital's inclusion adds weight to the rumor the British studio is working on LittleBigPlanet 3, but for the PS4. When approached previously about LBP3, a studio representative told Joystiq, "No comment."

Update 1: A spokesperson for 505 Games tells us the Italian company is "definitely" planning to publish games on the PS4. 505 Games was in the original list of European/PAL PS4 developers and publishers, but not the revised list. The spokesperson noted the company's logo appears in the image showcasing PS4 partners, as shown during last week's event, as do many of the names in the revised list.

Update 2: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe informs us the list of European PS4 studios has been further revised. Two more studios are now present in the form of Criterion Games and Ghost Games (an EA studio) - both were in the original list of 53. That takes the tally of confirmed European studios up to 30.

Continue reading Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates]

Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arma 3 a Steam exclusive

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:00:00 EST

Arma 3 will go Steam-exclusive, with the development team at Bohemia Interactive stating the move will ensure a 2013 launch.

"We have evaluated the pros and cons, but in the end Steam enables us to release Arma 3, brings massive advantages to the game, and improves the end-user experience. Not to forget, the majority of our players already come from Steam," said Bohemia Interactive CEO Marek Španěl.

Bohemia is also exploring more Steamworks integration to "enable game features that are impossible to develop in-house, on time." Further details will be announced later, but the intention is to provide access to user-generated content and multiplayer.

Continue reading Arma 3 a Steam exclusive

Arma 3 a Steam exclusive originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DayZ standalone dev update flaunts new island, rehauled loot spawning

David Hinkle — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:00:00 EST

DayZ mod creator Dean Hall has been hard at work on the standalone retail version of DayZ since it was announced back in August, and even has dreams of console ports dancing around in his head. In this hefty development diary, he is joined by production assistant Matt Lightfoot and takes the time to check in with us on the improvements to the terrain of Chernarus, the enhanced UI and the new loot spawning system.

A good deal of the first part of the video has to deal with clothing, but the real juicy stuff comes at the tail-end where the two go into how loot spawning has changed - specifically, items can spawn in odd places like behind an overturned chair or underneath a kitchen table. So in the standalone version, you'll need to poke around a bit more to find those tins of baked beans, whereas in the mod things are pretty much there in plain sight.

On top of that, the world of DayZ has gotten a bit more damp with the addition of swamps to the island and even another small island off the coast of Chernarus. It's an island pulled directly from Arma 2, the original game the DayZ mod was built on.

Sadly, Hall has no word on when we might get to play the standalone version of DayZ, but did say that the team at Bohemia Interactive are working to be more transparent during the development process, offering information in blog posts and (hopefully) more lengthy video updates like these.

DayZ standalone dev update flaunts new island, rehauled loot spawning originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arma 3 now set on island of 'Altis'

JC Fletcher — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:30:00 EST

Arma 3 no longer takes place on the island of Lemnos. Instead, it's now set on the fictional island of 'Altis,' a logical move considering the ... sensitivity Greece has exhibited in response to the game's development. Moving the setting to a nonexistent island based on Lemnos means there is no involved government to arrest any developers occupying said nonexistent island.

"As part of the creative process, our virtual environments are often rooted in real-life locations and, during development, they evolve and grow along with our design, said project lead Joris-Jan van 't Land. "The resulting fictional environment is often close to its inspiration, but it's never exactly the same - nor would we want it to be. For us, 'Altis' echoes the Mediterranean heart of our island, but differentiates it from any undesired real-life connotations."

Continue reading Arma 3 now set on island of 'Altis'

Arma 3 now set on island of 'Altis' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Detained ARMA devs released by Greece

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST

Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, two Czech developers from Bohemia Interactive accused of espionage in Greece, are reportedly free on bail. HelpIvanMartin.org, the community website established to follow the case, has translated two Czech news reports that the men are on their way home after posting €5000 bail.

The pair have spent over 120 days in jail, after they allegedly photographed and recorded military objects, for what the Greek authorities considered espionage. Bohemia Interactive stated early on that the two men were on vacation and were not there on official company business. The company also claimed the pair did not enter any military area and were not taking pictures of military objects for use in ARMA 3.

Report: Detained ARMA devs released by Greece originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DayZ standalone ambition expands, imminent closed test to dictate public release

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST

DayZ creator Dean Hall acknowledged this morning that the standalone version of the hit mod missed its planned 2012 launch, and explained the reasons for the delay.

"The plan from here is straightforward. We will be releasing a closed test imminently, during which approximately 500-1000 people will assist in ensuring our architecture is correctly functioning," Hall wrote on the DayZ development Tumblr. "This closed test will be focused purely on architecture, not the game design. Once we have confirmed fixes for issues arising from the closed test, we will then reschedule an internal date for our public release."

Hall also said the inventory system has been overhauled to make it more intuitive. Changes include use of drag-and-drop on "3D models rather than 2D pictures, and being able to add items/clothing to your character in 3D in the inventory screen."

DayZ taking the "it's done when it's done" approach may be in its best interest from a couple angles. Given the title's similarity and proximity to the War Z debacle, distance and a polished product can only help the game when it's ready for public consumption.

DayZ standalone ambition expands, imminent closed test to dictate public release originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARMA 3 delayed into 2013

JC Fletcher — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:15:00 EST

While two Bohemia Interactive team members remain in Greek jail on suspicion of espionage, Bohemia's ARMA 3 has been unsurprisingly delayed past its planned 2012 release. The new release window falls sometime within 2013, the developer revealed in a statement (available after the break).

New project lead Joris-Jan van 't Land, who has replaced Daniel Musil, said that the studio is "in the process of implementing changes that will help us innovate as a studio under unexpected circumstances - facing problems we simply couldn't have imagined." Bohemia plans a "more complete announcement at the beginning of next year."

Continue reading ARMA 3 delayed into 2013

ARMA 3 delayed into 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DayZ creator on game's 'delay,' console ports and why he's holding back on showing it

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EST

Dean Hall has been on a roller coaster of 16-20 hour days since his highly successful ArmA 2 mod, DayZ, broke free and was officially announced as a standalone project in early August. Hall had previously expected the standalone version to launch in December, but that release window was cast in doubt yesterday.

"We really don't know, it's still our target," Hall told us when we got in touch late yesterday to discuss the state of DayZ. "But the architectural changes are scheduled to be complete next week. These are still on track to be completed then. But we don't entirely know what effect these changes will have, if any, on everything else. So there could be a massive amount of unforeseen work that comes out, we just don't know until it's done and we test."

According to Hall, "The changes we've been making are so fundamental to the game that estimates can be a bit of a stab in the dark. The lucky thing is, so far nearly everything has taken less - even much less - time than we expected. So we won't know until next week, and we'll let people know the plans from there. Regardless, we'll be into some open testing this year anyway, as we need to capacity test. So the likelihood of seeing something is high even if we did push our release date."

DayZ has not been delayed, but it may be pushed back if development doesn't proceed to Hall's satisfaction. "We haven't announced a delay yet," he said. "We're just saying, if it comes down to it, we will slip the date no matter what effect it would have on sales - rather than ship something we believe is not ready as a first step. We're also trying to be honest about the uncertainty over the impact of these major architectural changes. Initially, this was just going to be 'mod on steroid'. This is now really a refurbishment of the engine specifically to suit DayZ."

Continue reading DayZ creator on game's 'delay,' console ports and why he's holding back on showing it

DayZ creator on game's 'delay,' console ports and why he's holding back on showing it originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jailed ARMA devs thank fans and friends for support in handwritten note

Sinan Kubba — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:30:00 EST

The Bohemia Interactive developers being detained in Greece sent a handwritten note to fans and friends expressing thanks for words of encouragement and the knowledge that they are "not forgotten." The note, sent last week, is now online at HelpIvanMartin.org.

Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar were arrested after being accused of spying on Greek military installations on the island of Lemnos. They've since spent 81 days in jail, with the Czech president recently asking the Greek president to treat their case with "special care."

In the note, the Czech devs say they are being treated well, and that they are doing their best "to stay optimistic and use this time well." They go on to thank the 14,000+ signatories of the petition created to show support for the detained pair.

We have a full version of the note in text after the break.

Continue reading Jailed ARMA devs thank fans and friends for support in handwritten note

Jailed ARMA devs thank fans and friends for support in handwritten note originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Czech diplomats get involved in ARMA developer detainment in Greece

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:30:00 EST

A Czech ambassador was reportedly invited to a meeting by the Greek president regarding the detainment of Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, two developers from Bohemia Interactive accused of espionage. HelpIvanMartin.org, which has been following all the developments of the case, states the meeting was set up following a letter from Czech President Vaclav Klaus to Greek President Karolos Papoulias.

HelpIvanMartin.org have a full primetime news report with translation on the diplomatic maneuvering. The developers were recently refused bail and are accused for photographing Greek military installations on the island of Lemnos. They have been in jail for 75 days.

Czech diplomats get involved in ARMA developer detainment in Greece originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jailed ARMA devs have been refused bail

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:15:00 EST

Detained ArmA 3 developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar have been denied an appeal against their espionage charges. Eurogamer, working off a translation of news site Rozhlas, reports the pair of Czech developers have now been held for over 70 days, waiting weeks longer to have their appeal heard due to a strike in the Greek legal system.

Developer Bohemia Interactive previously stated the two men were on vacation and were not there on official company business. The pair stated two months ago the incident was a "completely absurd misunderstanding."

The men are reportedly in a cell with over 25 people, sleeping on the ground. According to family members, the tone of their conversations with the men have changed to them asking to be saved. The Czech government claims it is doing what it can. Bohemia has set up a site to show support.

Jailed ARMA devs have been refused bail originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First DayZ standalone screens take a trip to the country

David Hinkle — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST

A standalone version of DayZ, the little Arma 2 mod that could, is currently in development and project lead Dean Hall has shared the first images today. They're not exactly what you might have expected. There are no zombies, no humans-slash-backstabbers to look at; just a quaint country house untouched by the plague affecting the outside world.

The standalone version of DayZ will launch in an alpha version this December. Project lead and mod creator Dean Hall has said DayZ will follow the Minecraft model with quick, incremental updates.

To see more shots of the DayZ country manor's interior, check out the source link below.

First DayZ standalone screens take a trip to the country originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carrier Command: Gaea Mission demo takes off on PC

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:45:00 EST

A PC demo for Carrier Command: Gaea Mission is now available. Created by Arma (and now Day Z) developer Bohemia Interactive, Carrier Command revisits the 1988 game of the same name, mashing up strategy, vehicular land and air combat and first-person shooting.

You can nab the demo now from the Carrier Command website.

Continue reading Carrier Command: Gaea Mission demo takes off on PC

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission demo takes off on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Website, petition created to support detained ARMA 3 devs

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 07:00:00 EST

Bohemia Interactive is directing press and fans to HelpIvanMartin.org, a community-created website established to share news and show support for ARMA 3 developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar currently held in Greece on suspicion of espionage.

We followed up with Bohemia Interactive for clarification on some points it made in a statement yesterday, where the company contested information reported in the original news piece on the incident. Bohemia Interactive denies the pair told authorities they were collecting images for ARMA 3.

"Their legal council has stated, according to an investigation file in his possession, that from the very beginning of their detention both of them testified that they were on holiday in Greece. They stated that they knew Lemnos from their work and, therefore, they picked it as their holiday destination. Never did they tell the investigators that they were there on business," a Bohemia Interactive representative told Joystiq.

"Our colleagues deny the accusation of espionage. We consider the matter to be a gross misunderstanding; Ivan and Maxell traveled to Limnos on vacation, certainly not to gather materials that may endanger the national security of Greece."

Website, petition created to support detained ARMA 3 devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARMA devs detained in Greece call incident 'completely absurd misunderstanding'

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST

Bohemia Interactive developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, currently detained in Greece on what are reported espionage charges, have relayed a statement to their friends and family.

"The conditions are tough, but the people we meet treat us fairly and correctly. It is all a completely absurd misunderstanding that will certainly be quickly explained," the pair, currently being held in Mytilene, wrote. "We mainly think of you, our families; you have to stay calm and not to worry about us. We hope we will meet soon."

Bohemia continues to state that the two men were on vacation and were not there on official company business. Furthermore, the company states the pair did not enter any military area and did not take any pictures of military objects for use in the upcoming ARMA 3.

Continue reading ARMA devs detained in Greece call incident 'completely absurd misunderstanding'

ARMA devs detained in Greece call incident 'completely absurd misunderstanding' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Employees of ARMA dev arrested on spying charges in Greece

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EST

Bohemia Interactive is currently unable to provide comment about two alleged employees arrested in Greece on suspicion of espionage. IN.gr reports two Czech citizens were found in possession of video and photos of military installations on the island of Lemnos, Greece.

The two men, aged 28 and 33, have been charged with espionage. The pair apparently told authorities they work for Bohemia Interactive and were collecting images for ARMA 3.

"We would like to apologize for not providing any statement, but we do not have any official and confirmed information at the moment," Bohemia Interactive told us. "For more details please contact Czech Embassy in Greece or Czech ministry of foreign affairs."

We've reached out to both entities for further comment. We'll update as information becomes available.

Update: CVG spoke with a producer at Bohemia Interactive who confirmed the men's employment, he also added the pair are being transferred to the district court, but have yet to be charged.

Update 2: Bohemia Interactive's CEO speaks, statement after the break.

Update 3: From the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic follows the case, however, there is no official statement on this."

Continue reading Employees of ARMA dev arrested on spying charges in Greece

Employees of ARMA dev arrested on spying charges in Greece originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arma dev's Carrier Command ships out to North America on Oct. 2

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:30:00 EST

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission will make its way to North American shores this October 2, Rising Star Games has announced. Developed by Bohemia Interactive, the studio behind the Arma series (and now the standalone version of DayZ), Carrier Command will be available on both Xbox 360 and PC.

Based on the original Carrier Command simulation game, Gaea Mission takes place in a futuristic setting, blending first-person shooting and vehicular combat both on the ground and in the air. Check out a new trailer above.

Gallery: Carrier Command: Gaea Mission

Continue reading Arma dev's Carrier Command ships out to North America on Oct. 2

Arma dev's Carrier Command ships out to North America on Oct. 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DayZ lead wants game on consoles, 'having meetings' about it at Gamescom

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:20:00 EST

DayZ project lead Dean Hall "really hopes" the game is successful enough to justify a console version. Speaking to us today at Gamescom, the developer, who has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to the incredibly successful Arma2 mod, told us the only stumbling block is DayZ needs to be successful enough to justify a console version.

"You're not going to put it on the consoles if you're only going to sell 100,000 units or something like that," he said. "DayZ will be driven by its PC development and it will innovative on that. And, once we're at a point, we'll take it and do a Mac version, 360 and PS3."

Asked if he's met with any of the console developers, he immediately chimed back, "We're meeting with them here."

DayZ's publisher, Bohemia Interactive, does have a console background, and Hall has been a producer on console games in the past and knows "the pitfalls and horror that's involved with it."

DayZ lead wants game on consoles, 'having meetings' about it at Gamescom originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DayZ now an official standalone project

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST

DayZ, the Arma2 mod that's taken on a life of its own, will now become a standalone product. Lead developer Dean Hall will remain project lead, with Arma developer Bohemia Interactive as publisher.

Hall explains the game will follow the Minecraft development model, with "fast iterations" and a community alpha available at a "heavily discounted price." He also notes that development and updates to the mod with continue in parallel with the standalone product.

DayZ now an official standalone project originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK Ministry of Defence finds modern shooters more realistic than its sims

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST

Apparently the UK's Ministry of Defence has some pretty unexciting war simulators. So unexciting, in fact, that the MoD's Science and Technology lab - the folks responsible for managing said simulators - is looking to the likes of Battlefield and Call of Duty to help up its game.

Speaking to UK newspaper The Guardian, technical team leader Andrew Poulter ran down a brief history of the UK's past with simulators, and detailed the current predicament he believes the MoD is facing. "Back in the 1980s and 1990s, defence was far out in front in terms of quality of simulation. Military-built simulators were state of the art. But now, for £50 [$77], you can buy a commercial game that will be far more realistic than the sorts of tools we were using."

The MoD has been employing a simulator known as "Virtual Battlespace 2," which, strictly from a sequels perspective, is way behind pretty much every video game that exists. The simulator was originally created by Operation Flashpoint dev Bohemia Interactive, which itself is not exactly considered at the forefront of game development. According to Poulter, that'll be changing in the coming months, with a reinvestment in his team from the MoD to bring in new technology from more modern shooters.

"The weapons need to be credible. If they fire a rifle and the bullet travels three and a half miles, then that is not right. If they are steering a vehicle, then that has to be right too. Realism is more important than entertainment. Levels of immersion are very important," he said. And it definitely doesn't hurt that the soldiers tend to be more engaged with virtual simulations than paperwork. "It is certainly a lot more fun than going through lists of checks and box-ticking. We want them to think 'I would quite like to do a bit more of that kind of thing'. So they might spend 10 minutes [on a simulation] after reading papers in the morning, or in their spare time."

And let's be fair, wouldn't soldiers be playing games like these in their spare time anyway? Why not direct that attention to something that could potentially save their lives? Poulter seemed to agree, as he concluded, "It has been invaluable. It is being taken seriously. It's not just a game." We feel the same way about our Battlefield 3 sessions, but don't tell anyone.

UK Ministry of Defence finds modern shooters more realistic than its sims originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Check out Bohemia Interactive's watery FADE anti-piracy

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST

We're so inspired by Bohemia Interactive's new implementation of its FADE anti-piracy software, we've decided to adopt it ourselves. See, FADE is designed to cause illegally downloaded versions of Bohemia's titles (starting with Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis back in 2001) to experience a rapid decline in performance. The latest game to feature the safeguard is Take On Helicopters, which gets all wiggly and wobbly as the game progresses, as seen in the screenshot above.

We're still figuring out how to get that safety protocol on our website, but we're pretty sure it's going to have to involve getting the pirates to spread Vaseline on their monitor. We'll have no way of enforcing that, of course: It'll be on the honor system, which should go pretty well.

Check out Bohemia Interactive's watery FADE anti-piracy originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Prague-based dev studio, Warhorse, is ready to rock your RPG world

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST

Four eminent 2K Czech and Bohemia Interactive employees have split to form Warhorse, a new development studio in Prague, and are now working on a previously unannounced RPG. Mafia and Mafia II creator Dan Vávra is heading the team at Warhorse, co-founded with Martin Klíma, author of Dragon's Lair. Viktor Bocan, designer of Operation Flashpoint, and Mafia animator Zbynek Trávnivký complete the fearsome foursome.

Combined, the Warhorse crew's games have sold more than 11 million copies. They are hiring now for work on this mysterious RPG, requesting people who are willing to move to Prague to work with talented, successful, laid-back developers, which we're sure will be nearly impossible to find.

New Prague-based dev studio, Warhorse, is ready to rock your RPG world originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codies' new Operation Flashpoint 'not a sequel,' original dev insists

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:57:00 EST

We've all heard this story before: Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl produce child, boy decides to create next child by himself, girl sues boy for infringing on legal rights of girl ... alright, so maybe this is a little different. Bohemia Interactive, creator of Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, this week posted a press release on its company forums, stating that Codemasters' upcoming OFP sequel (Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising) isn't a true "sequel."

Leora Hermann, a lawyer representing Bohemia Interactive, states in the release, "In the license agreement, Bohemia Interactive expressly reserved the exclusive right to develop sequels to the original OFP game." Hermann expands upon the agreement between Codemaster and Bohemia Interactive, claiming, "Codemasters also acknowledged that Bohemia owns all the intellectual property in the game -- except the words 'Operation Flashpoint.' Since Codemasters has no right to use the Bohemia Interactive game engine or any other component of the Bohemia-developed game, how can it rightfully claim to produce a 'sequel'?"

Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, a Cold War-era FPS, was developed by Bohemia Interactive and published by Codemasters for PC in 2001. Codemasters has since developed a sequel (in name only, according to Bohemia Interactive) internally as Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising; while Bohemia Interactive has continued using updated versions of the original Operation Flashpoint game engine in its ArmA series. We've seen this kind of franchise catfight before (see: Call of Duty and F.E.A.R.), though this one seems likely to bare some deeper scars.

We've put in word to Bohemia Interactive and Codemasters for comment and will update as necessary.

Codies' new Operation Flashpoint 'not a sequel,' original dev insists originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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