Joystiq

See gameplay 'target' footage of Spielberg's canceled Project LMNO

Randy Nelson — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:45:00 EST

It's common practice for developers to create "target" footage of their games early in the development process in order to give their artists and designers something to shoot for. Following its look back at the now-canceled collaboration between EA and director Steven Spielberg, Project LMNO, 1UP has posted what it says is target gameplay footage from the cooperative "escape" game.

It's a (very) brief clip, but it clearly shows the A.I.-driven future girl "Eve" from a first-person perspective, and actions that imply that it's the player's character looking at her. The player sniffs a rose that's sitting in a vase on the table of the diner they appear to be in, and passes it to her. Eve smells it next, showing a range of reactions on her face, then abruptly bolts from the table when a sinister black Humvee pulls up outside. This is presumably the beginning of an escape sequence, and sees Eve performing inhuman acrobatic moves to traverse the restaurant.

The footage is clearly pre-rendered, and it's not much to go on, but it's unquestionably neat to see what Project LMNO could have looked like. You can see for yourself just after the break.

Continue reading See gameplay 'target' footage of Spielberg's canceled Project LMNO

See gameplay 'target' footage of Spielberg's canceled Project LMNO originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1UP examines Spielberg's LMNO, the game that 'tried to do too much'

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST

If EA and the Steven Spielberg couldn't pull of a first-person hybrid built on "escape gameplay" and driven by an emotional co-op dynamic, featuring an AI-controlled partner -- spoiler alert -- from the future, whose character evolution was to be determined by non-verbal interaction with the player, then who could pull it off? Probably no one. "LMNO," as this project was code-named, was officially canned by EA last month -- and it's been dead for at least a year, according to 1UP's new in-depth investigation into the game.

The report -- and definitely read the whole thing -- is a compelling tale in and of itself: the inside scoop on a big-budget experiment (a "hyper-replayable" 2- to 3-hour game with no multiplayer) that would later morph into an Uncharted clone (complete with "an alien version of Megan Fox"), dubbed The Escape Artist, before being canceled altogether. But the LMNO story is also a striking reminder of just how inflexible AAA game development has become.

EA tried admirably to invest in new IP several years ago, but its actually released games didn't provide the returns the publisher had expected from consumers. Had it come together as original designers Doug Church and Randy Smith once envisioned, LMNO could have been EA's most ambitious original IP to date. Instead, it fell apart as the industry fell back on iteration (you know, "sequelitis") and made jaw-dropping investments in socially-networked casual gaming as the path to future profitability.

LMNO once carried the heavy burden of being the video game that would finally "make you cry." Assuming that the industry has yet to recognize this milestone as having been achieved, the mission now seems better suited for an indie developer with nothing to lose; one free from the concerns of the corporate goliath: namely, staying in business.

[Pictured: Pre-Megan Fox "Eve" character concept; source: 1UP]

1UP examines Spielberg's LMNO, the game that 'tried to do too much' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Rez 2 prototype was in the works, Project LMNO canned

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

According to industry vet Jake Kazdal, immediately following the completion of Rez, a small group of developers at United Game Artists worked on a prototype for Rez 2. Kazdal -- a man who's worked everywhere from Nintendo to Irem to Sega, and is currently developing Skulls of the Shogun -- also explained on the latest 8-4 Play podcast that another game he worked on, Steven Spielberg's now mythic "Project LMNO," has been cancelled. EA confirmed as much, telling Joystiq this afternoon, "While EA maintains its relationship with Steven Spielberg, we ceased development of LMNO."

We pushed EA for clarification about the status of any projects in development with Spielberg and were told again, "EA maintains its relationship with Steven Spielberg. EA has ceased development of LMNO. EA continually monitors development resources and adjusts resources as appropriate. No new title announcements."

Continue reading Report: Rez 2 prototype was in the works, Project LMNO canned

Report: Rez 2 prototype was in the works, Project LMNO canned originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Command & Conquer series discounted this weekend on EA Store

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Are you one of the three PC strategy game enthusiasts who refrained from picking up StarCraft 2 earlier this week due to a lack of cash-on-hand? EA's offering a way to console yourself with some retail therapy: It's reduced the price of a handful of Command and Conquer titles on its online store.

Continue reading Command & Conquer series discounted this weekend on EA Store

Command & Conquer series discounted this weekend on EA Store originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Danger Close: The story behind EA LA's new name

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

"It was literally an exercise of about 20 minutes because it just came up, it happened, we went with it, and there you go," new Danger Close studio head Greg Goodrich told us in an interview last night, explaining how he and two of his colleagues came up with the new name of their studio (formerly EA LA).

Late last evening, EA revealed that its Los Angeles-based development house would be rebranded. The studio is now known as Danger Close, which Goodrich told Joystiq is indicative of the reborn studio's direction. "I think the core of what we're doing right now and the sort of DNA of this team and this studio is the first-person shooter genre. I can't foresee us doing anything other than that in the near future, and specifically Medal of Honor." Goodrich did add, however, that his hands aren't tied creatively in terms of what the studio is allowed to do -- be it first-person shooter or whatever else it might have in store.

That said, Goodrich wasn't speaking about anything other than Medal of Honor, and he remained coy about his studio's involvement with the game post-release. He's proud of the mutliplayer component built by DICE, but he's not ruling out Danger Close getting involved in multiplayer support, say through DLC. "Personally, I think that would be something that the guys here would be very excited about doing in the future," he offered. "But, you know, we're gonna see how this one works out and see how the fans accept it, and make those decisions at a later time."

Goodrich is content to leave his studio's future plans a mystery. "That's also a part of creating your own identity and starting your own future, and throwing up a website that says 'Now hiring,'" he teased. "There's intent there."

Continue reading Danger Close: The story behind EA LA's new name

Danger Close: The story behind EA LA's new name originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Medal of Honor (single player)

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST

You won't always play as a Tier-1 operative, a.k.a. "the scalpel," in EA's upcoming Medal of Honor reboot. I got to see a portion of "the sledgehammer" side of the single-player campaign at an EA event last week. While this segment stayed true to the core values that definine EA's vision for the game, one thing was clear: you can't always be the hero.

With the player and his squad pinned down by a Gatling gun atop a hill, the situation called for a support effort, not heroics. While most games would have you storming the hill against all odds, or finding a convenient way around, Medal of Honor approaches this situation quite differently. You have to accept that you're rather powerless.

You're told that your best option is to simply lay down some suppressive fire. I watched as the demonstrator stayed behind cover, peeking out just enough to roughly spot the target. Then he fired away. While you may not be scoring any kills doing this, you are providing a sufficient enough distraction for your squadmates to plant charges underneath the gunners and blow them to pieces.

Seeing as how "modern warfare" was recently interpreted as "riding snowmobiles while dual-wielding Uzis," it's refreshing to see that EA's approach isn't obnoxiously bombastic.

Continue reading Preview: Medal of Honor (single player)

Preview: Medal of Honor (single player) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Danger Close' studio formed at EA by Medal of Honor team

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:05:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

In a somewhat unexpected announcement this afternoon, EA Los Angeles revealed the creation of a new studio, named "Danger Close," responsible for handling the upcoming reboot of Medal of Honor. If you've been paying close attention to the words of your generic soldier comrades in various war games over the past, say, 10 years, you've probably heard the term -- that's because "Danger Close" refers to "information in a call for fire to indicate that friendly forces are within 600 meters of the target" (according to About.com).

Given that EA LA was the former studio working on Medal of Honor (alongside multiplayer developer DICE), this appears to be little more than a rebranding of EA's LA offices under the "Danger Close" nomenclature. That said, we've fired off a round of questions to EA and will let you know more about the studio as soon as we do.

'Danger Close' studio formed at EA by Medal of Honor team originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Games on Demand: Medal of Honor Airborne, SoulCalibur IV

Mike Schramm — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:09:00 EST

Microsoft has added two more popular Xbox 360 titles to the console's Games on Demand system -- Medal of Honor Airborne and SoulCalibur IV are now available for download, priced at $19.99 each. Those of you overseas (or in the US with amazing memories) will know that MoH Airbourne actually appeared internationally back in February, but now everyone can enjoy the relentless slaughter of WWII soldiers from above.

Oh, and playing a fighting game as Yoda is fun, too.

Xbox.com: Add Medal of Honor: Airborne to your Xbox 360 download queue ($19.99)
Xbox.com: Add SoulCalibur IV to your Xbox 360 download queue ($19.99)

Games on Demand: Medal of Honor Airborne, SoulCalibur IV originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Killspace Entertainment pulling from ex-Pandemic, EALA; working on two unannounced games

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST

Ever heard of Killspace Entertainment? Yeah, neither had we until Supererogatory spotted the unannounced development studio's website (replete with strange video). In a Digital Development Management brochure (warning: PDF link), the studio is advertised as having one "Original IP with major publisher" in development and one "Licensed IP -- TBA," though it's said to be working on games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, iPhone, and Facebook. A quick search on LinkedIn shows that the dev house has been picking up employees from the likes of Obsidian Entertainment, Pandemic Studios, Red 5, and EALA, and will be focusing on "3rd and 1st person character action" titles. It also appears that some employees have been with the studio for over a year, meaning it's not exactly a brand new venture.

Odder still, it appears that one Douglas Markland of Killspace Entertainment is down as the contact on a WHOIS of both ApocalypseNowGame.com and WarIsNotAGame.net (though both sites are still devoid of content as of this writing). We've reached out to the studio for information on any of this and will update this post if we hear more.

Killspace Entertainment pulling from ex-Pandemic, EALA; working on two unannounced games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medal of Honor trailer defines Tier One Operative (in case you were wondering)

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST

The latest trailer for EA's upcoming reboot of the Medal of Honor series, which debuted this week on GTTV, really goes out of its way to explain exactly the kind of gentlemen you'll be piloting this summer. These guys are Tier One Operators -- "experts in the application of violence." That seems pretty self-explanatory ... but we've never been able to turn down a video featuring expertly applied violence. Check it out after the break.

Gallery: Medal of Honor

Continue reading Medal of Honor trailer defines Tier One Operative (in case you were wondering)

Medal of Honor trailer defines Tier One Operative (in case you were wondering) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Supergiant Games: New studio of former Command & Conquer vets

David Hinkle — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST

A new company debuting at GDC 2010, Supergiant Games is largely comprised of ex-EA LA members -- you know, the guys and gals who made those Command & Conquer games you like so much. The new studio's project is something for "digital platforms," destined for a 2011 release. Sadly, there's no more info to go on right now.

The studio is on-hand at GDC with said title, so we've contacted them to try and schedule a visit.

[Via Big Download]

Supergiant Games: New studio of former Command & Conquer vets originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Medal of Honor

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST

It's impossible to avoid comparisons between EA's upcoming Medal of Honor reboot and Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare series ... so, I'll just get it out of the way: Medal of Honor unapologetically follows in the footsteps of Call of Duty. In fact, I'm willing to raise the possibility that Medal of Honor could be the "true" sequel to the Call of Duty 4 campaign many of us are still waiting for after suffering through Modern Warfare 2's increasingly preposterous storyline.

Recently, I got a peek at a new Medal of Honor trailer which lays it out like this: There are two sides to every war: the sledgehammer and the scalpel. What Call of Duty 4 did so well was to portray exactly how these two components work in tandem, as it featured scenarios in which large assaults aided small elite forces, and vice versa. Medal of Honor promises to recreate similar battlefield situations, with the "scalpel" represented by the Tier 1 Operators, an elite branch of SOCOM.

Gallery: Medal of Honor (GDC)

Continue reading Impressions: Medal of Honor

Impressions: Medal of Honor originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Command & Conquer 4 shows off 'Night Moves' pre-order bonus mission

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST

If you've hopped on the Command & Conquer 4 bandwagon with a reservation at your local game retailer, you're in for a treat: Pre-orders will get access to an exclusive in-game prequel mission, titled "Night Moves." You can learn about this scenario by watching the trailer above. Basically, you'll be tasked with sneaking some heavy weaponry into a GDI-controlled city without attracting too much attention to yourself. In other words, you'll want to avoid "making some front page drive-in news."

For even more information on C&C and "Night Moves," we suggest watching this instructional video we've thrown together.

[Via Big Download]

Command & Conquer 4 shows off 'Night Moves' pre-order bonus mission originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Command & Conquer 4 won't have LAN support or dedicated servers

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST

Based on the precedent set by your reaction to similar news for StarCraft 2 and Modern Warfare 2, we're guessing you're not going to like the information Command & Conquer 4 lead designer Sam Bass recently shared with Destructoid. According to him, the FMV-filled strategy title won't provide any LAN or dedicated server support to its players.

These two features were apparently struck from the game in favor of a server-based character progression system. Bass explained "if you go to another machine -- friend's house, Internet café -- whatever, you can login with your profile and all the stuff you've unlocked is accessible to you there. It all lives on a server so you can't really do dedicated servers with that." He also explained that the game's online networking is "a lot more solid," so you won't be left completely high and dry, as far as multiplayer skirmishes are concerned.

Still, we're worried about the future of the LAN-friendly strategy game, which appears to be turning into an endangered species. We've contacted Bono to see if he'd lend his musical support to a charity concert event.

Gallery: Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

Command & Conquer 4 won't have LAN support or dedicated servers originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Command and Conquer Classics free to download, tricky to install

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:30:00 EST

The free game wagon just keeps on a-rolling -- our PC-obsessed sister site Big Download recently directed our attention to three classic installments in the Command & Conquer franchise which are currently available to download for nary a penny: Tiberian Dawn, Tiberian Sun (with the Firestorm expansion pack), and Red Alert.

Installing the games might exact a price upon your patience -- Dawn and Alert both require a fair amount of tinkering to work on your futuristic computing rig. Still, we'd rather pay for games with patience than hard-earned dollars any day of the week.

Download: Command & Conquer Classics

Command and Conquer Classics free to download, tricky to install originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 'Medal of Honor' Beard Cover Interview

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

In early December, EA revealed the cover for its Medal of Honor reboot and all anyone could say was: "BEARD!" Well, after months of trying to get an explanation of how that grizzly (Adams) decision went down, Craig Owens, director of marketing at EA Los Angeles, has finally delivered the answers. Here are the declassified details of our exchange:

Joystiq: How did you select the cover image for the Medal of Honor reboot?

Craig Owens: What you see today as the key art (or box front image) is the result of a long process that's been going on for nearly a year now. When we set out to reboot the Medal of Honor franchise, we knew that the key art of the new game had to accomplish two very important things. First, it needed to stay true to the authenticity that the brand is known for. Secondly, it had to be unexpected not only for the brand but also for the shooter genre. After several months of reviewing many, many concepts, it wasn't until this past summer that the new face of Medal of Honor was born. During an agency pitch meeting with several creative agencies, our current partner - Ignition Creative based in Santa Monica, California - revealed a concept, using a photographed model with this real, epic beard. That concept was nearly identical to the final image you see today. When the development and marketing team first saw it, we immediately knew that was our guy. He was authentic to a Tier 1 Operator and unexpected for both MOH and the current characters out there in the gaming space.

Gallery: Medal of Honor

Continue reading The 'Medal of Honor' Beard Cover Interview

The 'Medal of Honor' Beard Cover Interview originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First gameplay footage of Medal of Honor revealed

Xav de Matos — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST

It's been a while since the Medal of Honor franchise has found its way on to store shelves, but we're interested for what the series will bring to the crowded realm of modern shooters. At tonight's 2009 Video Game Awards, the first footage of the recently revealed Medal of Honor impressed with solid visuals and a metric ton of explosions.

Not enough for you? The gameplay trailer concluded with one NPC kicking a booby trapped prisoner through a high rise window. Now we're not marketing pros, but that should be the first bullet point on the back of the game's box. Check out the trailer -- in all its YouTube quality glory -- ~~after the break~~.

Update: Hi-res version now available above.

First gameplay footage of Medal of Honor revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Medal of Honor promises 'most authentic modern war experience'

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:35:00 EST

Click to enlarge

Shrugging off years of mediocrity and partially descriptive subtitles, EA's newly announced Medal of Honor reboot will thrust players into a modern milieu: Afghanistan. Set for release in 2010 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the new first-person shooter follows the Tier 1 Operator, described as "a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle," and not described as an oddly militant member of ZZ Top. EA claims that "Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community" have been involved since the earliest stages of the game's development.

The publisher seems intent on throwing the gauntlet down in the modern war arena (do they still use gauntlets?), promising a "best-in-class single-player campaign" from the minds at EA Los Angeles, as well as a multiplayer component developed by the Battlefield veterans at DICE.

You can bear witness to the game's full unveiling during Spike TV's 2009 Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12 at 8:00PM PT. You can witness beard in the gallery below.

Gallery: Medal of Honor

New Medal of Honor promises 'most authentic modern war experience' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Mercs Inc' officially announced, developed by Pandemic at EALA

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:48:00 EST

This morning's leaked footage, purported to belong to a new multiplayer-capable Mercenaries game called "Mercs Inc," just barely beat EA's official announcement of the (working) title to our front page. In development at EA Los Angeles, the latest toy in the destructive sandbox is paraded underneath the Pandemic banner, held aloft by the "core creative team" that survived the physical studio's recent closure. No target platforms have been announced.

According to EA senior VP and group GM, Nick Earl, the swift announcement "demonstrates our continued commitment to Pandemic's rich catalog of intellectual properties." As the press release innocently points out, "Mercs Inc will also be the first Pandemic game" to be released after this December's The Saboteur, the last Pandemic game. Oh, the previous one, we mean.

'Mercs Inc' officially announced, developed by Pandemic at EALA originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Leaked video shows Mercenaries multiplayer sequel

Justin McElroy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:15:00 EST

A leaked video that's rumored to show gameplay of a pre-production, multiplayer version of Mercenaries -- titled Mercs Inc. -- has been unearthed by Bitmob. The project is reportedly in pre-production at EALA, being created by two dozen or so of the Pandemic team that weren't let go when the studio's doors were closed last week.

The video features plenty of car-on-car and car-on-dude violence, as well as the extremely rare Triple Teabag, which hasn't been seen since the Ukranian Ice Hurling team's dramatic win over Poland in the 1906 Winter Olympics. It must be seen to be believed, and you can do just that right after the break.

Continue reading Rumor: Leaked video shows Mercenaries multiplayer sequel

Rumor: Leaked video shows Mercenaries multiplayer sequel originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandemic closes physical doors, brand lives on

Justin McElroy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:12:00 EST

We've got a little more perspective on the closing of Pandemic, which was rumored earlier today. Though the studio will physically close, and the majority of its staff (some 200 people) will be sacked, the brand and IPs (like Mercenaries, Star Wars: Battlefront and The Saboteur) will continue, EA representative Holly Rockwood told Joystiq. Founders Josh Resnick, Andrew Goldman, Greg Borrud will leave the company.

A lucky few from Pandemic will continue the studio's work under the EALA roof in Playa Vista, reporting to GM Sean Decker. Here's hoping that those who aren't as fortunate won't have to go too long without work.

Pandemic closes physical doors, brand lives on originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA job listing mentions next-gen project for Boom Blox team

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

We've heard sly references and seen mysterious job listings indicating that Xbox 360 and PS3 owners would soon know the joy of tower toppling -- however, we've not seen anything as concrete as a recent help wanted ad from EA's Boom Blox team. According to the listing, "our last two titles were Wii-based, but our next titles will be for the next generation." We assume they actually mean the current generation's high definition consoles. Otherwise, whoa, we just confirmed the PS4.

This job listing, which was initially discovered by internet detective extraordinaire supererogatory, is supported by two other EA job listings he (or she) previously uncovered -- both of which reference Project Natal or the unnamed PlayStation Motion Controller. Unless the studio is changing directions to work on a motion-controlled Mirror's Edge (which would be unimaginably dangerous on Natal), the odds of an upcoming high-def Boom Blox announcement seem pretty good.

EA job listing mentions next-gen project for Boom Blox team originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA announces Command & Conquer 4 (intentionally, this time)

Jem Alexander — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:41:00 EST

That press release EA linked to yesterday? It's up now, which makes Command & Conquer 4 that little bit more real. Not only that, but everything mentioned in that online survey was also real. This will be the final chapter of the Tiberium series and will feature "persistent player progression and [an] all-in-one mobile base" when it launches in 2010 for PC.

Command & Conquer 4 will also feature a co-op mode for the two campaigns, as well as a 5-vs-5 objective-based multiplayer mode, allowing for a new "social real time strategy experience." Aren't those called LAN parties? A new episode of Battlecast PrimeTime, which will be available on July 24, will give more information on the game, and the exclusive reveal of the first cinematic trailer will be shown on GameTrailers TV on July 23.

Gallery: Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

EA announces Command & Conquer 4 (intentionally, this time) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA accidentally announces Command & Conquer 4

Jem Alexander — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST

EA's UK PR team just tweeted an announcement that Command & Conquer 4 is now in development, though the linked press release doesn't seem to exist yet. This seems to us like the result of an itchy trigger (or tweeter) finger. With recent online surveys asking what people would like to see in the next Command & Conquer, we were expecting an announcement sooner rather than later. Still, this is a little earlier than we -- and EA, seemingly -- had expected the announcement to come. We'll update you with more information on the game once the press release becomes available.

EA accidentally announces Command & Conquer 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Command & Conquer 4 could feature persistent RPG mechanics

Jem Alexander — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Well? How about it? If this online survey -- conducted by British marketing firm 2CV -- is to be believed, the next Command & Conquer game could feature "innovative" RPG features, as well as co-operative multiplayer. The survey goes on to suggest that the RPG features will be persistent throughout your entire C&C4 career, with experience points accumulating constantly over successive games, allowing you to unlock new "units, powers and upgrades."

The survey also mentions taking control of "the first ever mobile base in RTS games" (guess they didn't play Warcraft 3, then,) as well as a class system, co-op gameplay and 5-v-5 multiplayer. Basically, it sounds like an MMO. Is that what you want from the next Command & Conquer? Be sure to let EA know.

Of course, none of these features are confirmed and any number of them could be shelved between now and the game actually being announced. Check out the second screenshot after the break for the full list of potential features.

[Thanks Jake!]

Continue reading Rumor: Command & Conquer 4 could feature persistent RPG mechanics

Rumor: Command & Conquer 4 could feature persistent RPG mechanics originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: 3 Days of Red Alert 3 swag [update]

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST

Update: Winners have been contacted, folks. Congratulations, winners! Good luck next time, non-winners!

Is that ... Ric Flair? Why yes, yes it is! And he's signed five glamour shots for five lucky winners who'll also receive the Red Alert 3 Premium Edition for PC, a code to download the recently released Uprising expansion and a sweet Red Alert 3 t-shirt to cap it all off.

Here's the stipulation: We need your best faux-facts (a la Chuck Norris) about everybody's favorite wrestler turned FMV actor, Ric "The Nature Boy" Flair. For example, Ric Flair doesn't land, he descends, but, ya know, different than that. After 72-hours have passed, we'll pick five winners at random from the comments section. Here are all the specifics and contest rules, just in case we haven't spelled it out enough for you already:

Leave us a comment with your best Ric "The Nature Boy" faux-fact
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
You may enter once per calendar day
This entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Friday, April 3. We'll randomly select five (5) winners at that time to receive: one Red Alert 3 Premium Edition for PC (ARV: $29.99), one Red Alert 3: Uprising download code (ARV: $19.99), one Ric Flair signed headshot (ARV: $10), and one Red Alert 3 t-shirt . Please check your e-mail!
For a list of complete rules, click here

Feel free to check out the gallery of gameplay screens below in all their glory to drum up some ideas for the contest! And good luck to everyone!

Joyswag: 3 Days of Red Alert 3 swag [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA, Activision vets put together Game Mechanic Studios

Jason Dobson — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business

Acetylene torch in hand, three former EALA and Activision employees have welded together Game Mechanic Studios, a new development studio based in Tarzana, California. The company was founded by Jason Alejandre, Jeff Hua and Henry Ji, who together have had their hands in several projects, including multiple games in the Tony Hawk and Medal of Honor franchises as well as EA's euthanized FPS, Tiberium.

While nothing specific has been revealed as to what the trio are up to, Joystiq has learned that the company expects to announce its first title, which will be based on an original IP, in the coming weeks. In the meantime, take a look at the blurred screenshot above and let us know what you think it is. Our guess? It's a game about soup. Delicious soup.

EA, Activision vets put together Game Mechanic Studios originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: EA shuts down Blueprint, Boom Blox sequel carries on

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Business, Casual

Was it a project? A division? A windowless room in the basement of EA HQ? Whatever "Blueprint" was, it is no more. All corporate employees of EA Blueprint were lost in the recent layoffs, transferred, or simply quit, reports Variety. The somewhat mysterious experiment, known as Blueprint, was established in mid-2007 as an effort to support a development process populated by individuals and small, independent teams working together virtually. Blueprint was best known for striking a deal with Armature, the studio founded by several former Metroid Prime developers, and for managing EA's trio of Spielberg games, of which Bloom Blox was the first.

As it turns out, a sequel to Boom Blox is currently underway, spearheaded by original developer EALA. The project is being shaped by many hands, though, co-created from various locations around the world. "Everybody is integrated, regardless of whether they're in the same physical location," an ex-Blueprint employee told Variety. "It's truly the spirit of what Blueprint was going to be."

Report: EA shuts down Blueprint, Boom Blox sequel carries on originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Alert 3 skipping PS3 due to 'exotic and tough' development

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Strategy

Apparently, developing games for the PlayStation 3 is roughly comparable to that one time we pushed a wheelbarrow full of lovely, scantily clad ladies up and down the beach -- "exotic and tough." Speaking to VideoGamer.com, EALA producer Amer Ajami used those words to elaborate on the decision to halt PS3 development of the Hitler-free real-time strategy romp, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.

"We actually announced a PS3 version early on but that was when we were still doing a lot of technical exploration of the architecture," explained Ajami. "PS3 is a very powerful system but as you guys know it's very exotic and tough to develop for and our engine really at the time wasn't designed for PS3." Couch commanders need not give up all hope, though, as Ajami notes EA "might go back and do something with the PS3 later on." Also just like that time we pushed a wheelbarrow full of lovely, scantily clad ladies up and down the beach.*

*We went back to apologize.

Gallery: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

Red Alert 3 skipping PS3 due to 'exotic and tough' development originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Five

Christopher Grant — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Joyswag

Our five (non-consecutive) day long Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Xbox 360 giveaway is at an end. Here's how you could win the one, final copy:

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us Where in the World Bobblehead Kane is (is that Serra?)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec ... and Serrans)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified)
This entry period ends at 10:00pm ET on Sunday, July 6th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Oh, and in case you were curious, the last four cities were: Lyon, France (Lyon-Satolas Airport Railway Station); Milan, Italy (Duomo Square); Moscow (Red Square); and Cologne, Germany (Cologne Cathedral).

Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Five originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Four

Christopher Grant — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Joyswag

Our five (non-consecutive) day long Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Xbox 360 giveaway continues. Here's how you could win:

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us Where in the World Bobblehead Kane is (is that Serra?)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec ... and Serrans)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified)
This entry period ends at 10:00pm ET on Saturday, July 5th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Four originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Three

Christopher Grant — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Joyswag

Our week-long Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Xbox 360 giveaway continues. Here's how you could win:

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us Where in the World Bobblehead Kane is (is that Tetris?)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec ... and Tetris)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified)
This entry period ends at 11:00pm ET on Friday, June 27th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Three originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Two

Christopher Grant — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Joyswag

Our week-long Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Xbox 360 giveaway continues. Here's how you could win:

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us Where in the World Bobblehead Kane is (is that a train station in the future?)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec ... and the future)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified)
This entry period ends at 7:00pm ET on Wednesday, June 25th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day Two originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day One

Christopher Grant — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Strategy, Joyswag

Command & Conquer 3 sure has gotten around. The game's most recent expansion - Kane's Wrath - is not only EA Los Angeles's latest console strategy release following Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II and last year's Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, but it's also being released tomorrow. To celebrate, Bobblehead Kane is touring the world all this week, and we're giving away a copy of the game each day. Here's how you could win:

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us Where in the World Bobblehead Kane is (is that a moon base?)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec ... and the moon)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified)
This entry period ends at 7:00pm ET on Tuesday, June 24th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Joyswag: C&C 3: Kane's Wrath (Xbox 360) giveaway, Day One originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spielberg's BOOM BLOX to be featured at GDC 2008

Scott Jon Siegel — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Puzzle, GDC, Video

The official site for the 2008 Game Developers Conference has revealed that Steven Spielberg's first collaboration with EA Los Angeles with be the focus of a GDC session, revealing the creative process that turned a simple puzzle concept into a full-on Nintendo Wii title. The announcement also reveals the official name of Spielberg's Wii game: BOOM BLOX (that's right, with the caps-lock and everything).

The game will be discussed during "Creating Spielberg's BOOM BLOX", a session led by EALA's VP of Creative Development, Louis Castle. Sadly, it doesn't seem like Spielberg himself will be on-hand to discuss the physics-based puzzle game.

Check out some early footage of BOOM BLOX from E3 2007 after the break.

Continue reading Spielberg's BOOM BLOX to be featured at GDC 2008

Spielberg's BOOM BLOX to be featured at GDC 2008 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spielberg EA project built for Wii

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, GDC, Business

EA Los Angeles VP and General Manager Neil Young slipped a little tidbit about the studio's trio of Steven Spielberg games to GameDaily in an interview to be published next week. "I can't really share any game details, but recall our original announcements was for three projects. Well, two of those are underway right now in the studio," Young told GameDaily, adding, "The second project is something Lou Castle is producing, one of the great producers in this industry, and that's one of the products we're building for the Wii."

Apparently Spielberg pops into the studio for a few hours a week to ~~practice his backhand~~ goad the projects along. Aside from the Wii game, he's spinning one of those "big stories shown through the eyes of a small group." The third project remains a total mystery.

Spielberg EA project built for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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