crackdown-2 posts (Subscribe to this feed)

Here's your Crackdown 2 weapon loadout, agent!

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 24th 2009 at 7:15PM }

Doling out only a handful of fresh screens for Crackdown 2 with a smattering of in-game renders, Ruffian Games has done little to supply us with more information on its upcoming game in today's media release. Everything from various character designs to about two dozen weapon types can be found in the gallery below, showcasing the visually gussied-up artwork from the sequel to 2007's surprise hit. It appears as though the few screenshots included are of areas we've seen in the past, though (as you can see in the image above) we're now treated to many more explosions. Now if only we could get some sort of a release date, we could start getting properly excited for Crackdown 2. The thrill just ain't there without an end in sight, ya know?

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (11/24/09)

Get your graffiti in Crackdown 2

by Justin McElroy { Nov 24th 2009 at 3:32PM }

Why waste your graffiti on something as temporary as the rear wall of the nearby Rio Grande or Ronald's Cheese Corner when you could have it enshrined forever, digitally? That's the opportunity being offered by Ruffian Games, which is looking for graffiti submissions from fans who'll have a chance to get their art in the game and their name in the credits, if their work is among the best, that is.

If you're having trouble deciding what exactly, the theme – the jumping off point, if you will – of your e-vandalism should be, may we suggest ... Mighty Horse?

Interview: Crackdown 2 lead designer Steve Iannetta

by Xav de Matos { Oct 19th 2009 at 3:00PM }

In 2010, the agents are returning to action, this time with a new development team at the helm. Following a demo of Crackdown 2's single-player in action and a multiplayer deathmatch session, Ruffian Games' lead designer Steve Iannetta took time to discuss everything from new concepts and features in the sequel, the media's reaction to the RealTime Worlds "controversy" and evolving the co-operative world of Pacific City.

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (TGS 2009 #2)

Continued →

Interview: Microsoft Game Studios' Phil Spencer

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 14th 2009 at 12:15PM }

If given the choice of becoming a (presumably) anthropomorphic vegetable, Phil Spencer would opt for an eggplant. Sure, we spoke to the confident head of Microsoft Game Studios about other things -- Halo, Project Natal, Fable, Crackdown, the Xbox 360's successor, blah blah blah -- but with that profound scoop out of the way, there's barely any reason to read this interview.

Mind you, the part where Spencer suggests that alternate forms of input (whether in addition to or in substitute of traditional controllers) might become a common expectation is pretty interesting. You should definitely read that.

Joystiq: We just came out of the Tokyo Game Show panel discussion for Project Natal ...

Phil Spencer: The creators panel.

Yes, the creators panel. Hideo Kojima was there; they brainstormed about all these games. How much focus is Microsoft Game Studios placing on Natal development internally in comparison to other projects?

It's a big focus for us in first party. As a first party, I think it's our duty, it's our responsibility to look at the new technologies that we bring to our platform. We did this with Live. We did at launch of 360. When we look at Project Natal as an opportunity for first party to truly innovate on our platform, creating new experiences, new intellectual property, we're very focused. A large percentage of the studio right now is thinking about Natal as part of what they're doing.

Continued →

TGS 2009: The Recap Post

by Xav de Matos { Oct 2nd 2009 at 10:10PM }

Last week, the Tokyo Game Show brought in over 100 posts worth of news, previews, interviews, galleries, and videos. Clearly, a lot happened. If you're looking for a comprehensive list of all the goings-on during TGS 2009, Joystiq has you covered -- and organized!

Click on a platform below to scan the highlights:

(On the far right: that's "News" and "Culture" on the top and bottom, respectively)

Continued →

Preview: Crackdown 2

by Xav de Matos { Sep 30th 2009 at 4:16PM }

A hands-on preview of Crackdown 2 at TGS last week came with a catch: deathmatch only. No matter how much potential for greatness a game might possess, it's hard to gauge its true character when limited to a boring multiplayer mode. That's not to say that my time with Crackdown 2 was entirely boring -- it wasn't -- but simply playing the most generic mode of all didn't raise my enthusiasm beyond a mild passing interest.

While I wasn't able to play the game's single-player campaign, I was shown a rough portion of it in action. Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta and producer James Cope showcased the game's new weapons and enemies (the mutated citizens of Pacific City that were simply referred to as "The Freaks"). Unlike the deathmatch portion of the preview session, this part was interesting.

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (TGS 2009 #2)

Continued →

TGS 2009: Watch a Crackdown 2 deathmatch

by Xav de Matos { Sep 25th 2009 at 10:29AM }

One of the biggest surprises to come out of TGS 2009 is the presence of Crackdown 2 -- and it's playable! While the Ruffian Games developed sequel was only just announced at E3, Microsoft decided to let press in Tokyo step into an early build of the new Pacific City. Some textures were missing, and a few glitches popped up, but it was to be expected in what we were told was a game "roughly at 60 percent" complete.

Stay tuned, we'll post our impressions soon, along with an interview with Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta. (Oh, and just in case you were wondering: we mopped the floor with the competition.)

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (TGS 2009 #2)

Overheard@TGS: Putting the 'crack' in Crackdown 2

by Xav de Matos { Sep 25th 2009 at 9:45AM }

During a behind-closed-doors presentation of Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games lead designer Steve Iannetta broke it down like this: "The orbs are the 'crack,' in Crackdown."

It's true, and Iannetta says that orb fiends will not be disappointed when they go hunting for the returning collectible in Crackdown 2. Stay tuned for gameplay footage and our hands-on impressions of the upcoming sandbox title.

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (TGS 2009 #2)

New Crackdown 2 screens -- zombies included [updated]

by Ben Gilbert { Sep 24th 2009 at 6:00PM }

Click to embiggen

Is it still kosher to assume zombies are what's being featured in these Crackdown 2 screens? We saw a glimpse of the ... let's call them "mutated" enemies in the trailer released back at E3, but we'd yet to see them being punched, kicked, and exploded so vociferously before. With any luck, we'll nab some new gameplay video -- or maybe just impressions of new gameplay video -- when we check out the game this week at the Tokyo Game Show.

Update: After spotting 10 unlisted Crackdown 2 images on Ruffian's Flickr page, we were asked by Microsoft to remove the screens due to an exclusivity agreement with Game Informer magazine. In the interest of playing nice, we've complied with the request. We'll have the images back on Joystiq as soon as possible, we assure you ... though a Google Images search might net you results a bit sooner.

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (TGS 2009 #2)

Crackdown 2 Zune HD (and other styles) available at Zune Store

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 17th 2009 at 9:30AM }

Microsoft's John Noonan, who is currently working on Crackdown 2 and is co-host of Microsoft Game Studios' Platform Biased podcast, got folks in a tizzy when he tweeted about the Crackdown 2 Zune HD. We got in touch with Noonan, who let us know that this laser-etched model -- along with many others sporting Xbox-exclusive brands -- are available as part of the Zune Original Program at the Zune Store.

The "Xbox Series" features Halo ODST, Gears of War 2 and Forza 3, along with a few others. There doesn't appear to be an extra charge for the ~~advertising~~ fan appreciation, so the only thing you'll pay for is the Zune -- which, we're told is like an iPod.

Game Informer drops Crackdown 2 details

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 11th 2009 at 1:50PM }

If the debut trailer for Crackdown 2 (which was revealed at E3 earlier this year) left you completely befuddled, don't fret -- you're not in the minority. However, Game Informer's recent write-up on Ruffian Games' open-world sequel explains the supernatural beasties hinted at in the teaser -- apparently, during a mission in Crackdown, your character unknowingly unleashed a virus into the city that caused portions of the population to mutate into hulking, violent brutes. Good going, stupid.

The GI article also explains that the five upgradable stats in the first game will reappear in Crackdown 2, but will unlock new abilities as they're powered up. There are also some new armaments in the mix -- including something called a "magnetic grenade," which is capable of sticking enemies to moving vehicles. Oh, Ruffian Games. You are too good to us.

[Via IGN]

Microsoft explains why Ruffian is the right choice for Crackdown 2

by Ben Gilbert { Sep 7th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Before Microsoft revealed that Ruffian Games would be developing the upcoming Crackdown sequel, the original game's developer, Realtime Worlds, expressed some skepticism towards the idea. "I very much doubt that Microsoft would harm an otherwise fruitful existing development relationship by gambling on funding Crackdown 2 with a startup on RTW's doorstep, for obvious reasons," RTW's Colin MacDonald said last year. Things weren't so cut and dry for self-accused Crackdown fanboy (and Microsoft exec) Phil Spencer, who recently told Develop, "When Billy Thomson, the lead designer of the game [Crackdown 1], left Realtime Worlds, there was an opportunity."

Apparently, it would seem Mr. Spencer believes Realtime Worlds is simply too busy developing APB to give a Crackdown sequel the attention it deserves. "I wanted to make sure that anything we work on is correctly nurtured ... we had to find the right team who really understood what game it is – and that was Billy [Thompson] and the team at Ruffian." Crackdown 2 will be the first game developed by Ruffian Games since the studio's inception late last year.

Ex-Midway Newcastle dev spills the beans on the studio's closure

by Ben Gilbert { Aug 4th 2009 at 4:30PM }

GUI artist Steven Pick has detailed on his blog the last five or so months of working at Wheelman developer Midway Newcastle (with heartbreaking detail, might we add). In doing so he reveals the various happenings at the developer while things at Midway HQ were falling apart. "The company was still operating as normal, but the Chapter 11 thing was like a silent dread-spectre hovering over all of us," Pick says of the February bankruptcy filings.

And as for Necessary Force, the IP from Midway Newcastle that was revealed not too long ago? "We got to a point where the game could be pitched - at the same time, we had a 60 day notice through from the London office," Pick says. Unfortunately, the pitches fell through and the game disappeared -- aside from a handful of Edge Magazine writers who saw it, that is.Though he notes that a group of employees were picked up prior to the studio's closure by Crackdown 2 dev Ruffian Games, the remaining employees in Newcastle were caught off guard by a surprise early studio closure -- a surprise that brought with it the news that they wouldn't be receiving their final paychecks.

In all honesty, it would be impossible to do Mr. Pick's entire story justice in a concise blog post, so do yourself a favor and give the whole thing a read at his site.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Microsoft Game Studios licenses GFx tech for Crackdown 2, all titles

by Xav de Matos { Jul 21st 2009 at 11:00PM }

Microsoft has signed a deal with Scaleform to utilize its GFx user interface middleware across all Microsoft Game Studios titles, officially beginning with Ruffian's upcoming Crackdown 2. Scaleform's GFx is a vector graphics rendering engine that allows artists to design user interfaces -- such as menus and in-game heads-up displays (HUDs) -- and animated textures using Adobe Flash. Scaleform's middleware has already been used in an assortment of games, including The Conduit, Resistance 2 and Crysis.

According to Scaleform's site, using its middleware will allow game developers to focus on building gameplay, "rather than coding interface elements or developing custom tools." We hope that means Crackdown 2's menus won't run abnormally slow, like the original game in the series.

Brendan Iribe, president and CEO of Scaleform, was elated at the news (and probably holding a giant novelty check), claiming Microsoft's new "master agreement" for use of the Scaleform GFx middleware will streamline the process for all future MGS development teams.

[Via Develop]

1.5 million copies of Crackdown sold is 'breaking even' for Realtime Worlds

by David Hinkle { Jul 16th 2009 at 3:00PM }

During a recent interview with Gamasutra, Realtime Worlds CEO David Jones talked about the success of the first Crackdown. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't a really huge success or anything, even though 1.5 million copies of ~~the Halo 3 beta~~ Crackdown were snatched up by consumers. It turns out that Realtime Worlds only broke even, which it partially blames on GameStop's used game sales.

"With Crackdown we sold about 1.5 million copies, but even at that we pretty much only managed to break even," Jones said. "It was due to the amount of factors that were out of our control as the developer, influences such as GameStop's amazing used-game sales; we know 1.5 million new copies were sold, but it's likely there were 2.5, three million sold when you include used." Hey, that sounds like another game we've heard about recently! Hopefully this whole game downloading thing will help with some of those trade-ins. Not that it's Realtime Worlds' problem to worry about any more.