Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Hands-on: Magicka]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/05/hands-on-magicka/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/05/hands-on-magicka/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/05/hands-on-magicka/#comments Services like Xbox Live Arcade have done a good job of reviving classic genres and reinventing them for modern audiences. Unfortunately, one genre that's been sorely under-represented is the top-down dungeon crawler. Arrowhead Game Studios' Magicka is looking to fill that void, mixing in classic Diablo gameplay with elements of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

The premise should be familiar to anyone that's played a fantasy adventure game before. An evil old wizard is trying to destroy the world and only you (and three other players) can stop him. The tired setting isn't a handicap for Magicka, though, as it allows Arrowhead to satire some of the genre's conventions and most iconic moments. (For example, a hidden area will have you grabbing a "Master Sword" from a stone pedestal, with Zelda-esque music playing in the background.)

What is unique is its gameplay, which focuses on casting element-based magic using the right analog stick. Various elements are assigned to eight directions on the stick, and hitting the analog in a certain direction queues up a spell. The placement of the various elements (and the iconography used to represent them) isn't particularly clear, making Magicka not the most intuitive game to play. However, these elements can be combined and stacked to create interesting spells -- and the addition of co-op multiplayer makes casting magic even more dynamic.

Gallery: Magicka

Continue reading Hands-on: Magicka

JoystiqHands-on: Magicka originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2010magickaMicrosoftxblaXbox-360Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Akira Yamaoka explains Grasshopper jump]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/interview-akira-yamaoka-explains-grasshopper-jump/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/interview-akira-yamaoka-explains-grasshopper-jump/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/interview-akira-yamaoka-explains-grasshopper-jump/#comments Having composed Silent Hill's unmistakable audio ever since the series began, Akira Yamaoka is best known for unsettling even the soundest of minds with an unpredictable mixture of industrial noise, haunting melodies and straight-up rock. He left his position as producer and fan-made custodian of the survival-horror franchise earlier this year to join Grasshopper Manufacture and Goichi "Suda 51" Suda's "video game band."

Although Grasshopper isn't ready to talk specifically about its upcoming collaboration with EA, we did get an opportunity at GDC to ask Akira Yamaoka a few general questions about his move and his relationship with Silent Hill.

Joystiq: What have you seen at GDC this year that interested you?

Akira Yamaoka: [laughs] I'm actually really busy with having interviews and I did a session, so I was busy with preparation for that. So, I didn't have much chance to look at a lot of sessions yet because of that, but the image around GDC has been changing. It seems like a lot of seminars are more like -- they don't really talk about new technology but they talk more about concepts and stuff like that. That's what I feel about GDC now.

Continue reading Interview: Akira Yamaoka explains Grasshopper jump

JoystiqInterview: Akira Yamaoka explains Grasshopper jump originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>akira-yamaokaaudiogdc-2010grasshopper-manufactureinterviewkonamisilent-hillsuda-51Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: NBA Jam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/nba-jam-wii-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/nba-jam-wii-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/nba-jam-wii-preview/#comments You need to get the preconception that NBA Jam is part of the rigid "sports game" genre out of your mind right this second. I can understand why you might possess this notion: for gamers whose youths were spent mastering the original game's showboating mechanics, Jam is one of the few franchises they can call up when accused of not playing sports games. For folks unfamiliar with the franchise, one might logically associate a bouncy, orange sphere with its eponymous sport: "basketball."

Yet, based on my time with EA Canada's Wii-make of NBA Jam earlier this month, I don't think the "sports game" archetype -- a turn-off for many non-sports enthusiasts -- is an accurate descriptor for what's going on here. Jam is a "party game" and will likely overtake Rock Band and Boom Blox as my entertainment of choice while hosting a social gathering. Provided, of course, attendees are prepared to get buffeted with an unstoppable deluge of smack talk.

Gallery: NBA Jam

Continue reading Hands-on: NBA Jam

JoystiqHands-on: NBA Jam originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>basketballeaea-canadaea-sportsElectronic-Artsgdc-2010nba-jamNintendoparty-gameremakesportsWiiWed, 31 Mar 2010 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: The Secret World]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/23/the-secret-world-mmo-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/23/the-secret-world-mmo-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/23/the-secret-world-mmo-preview/#comments During GDC, I saw Ragnar Tornquist demonstrate his upcoming Funcom MMO, The Secret World. I should note that I'm not well versed in MMOs, and my experience doesn't extend far beyond a scant few hours with the trial version of World of Warcraft (and many, many hours with Phantasy Star Online and Diablo II, if you count those). As such, I had my doubts about being the best candidate to catch an early glimpse of Funcom's latest project.

After seeing the game in action and learning more about its direction, however, I started to think otherwise. As someone who typically avoids MMOs, it's interesting to see one that abandons the traditional fantasy and sci-fi trappings of the genre. As a gamer accustomed to lavish, story-driven console games, it's wonderful to see an MMO focusing on narrative (with fully voiced cutscenes, no less). No leveling, no specific character classes -- no Orcs? In short, what really struck me about The Secret World is how different it is.

Gallery: The Secret World

Continue reading Impressions: The Secret World

JoystiqImpressions: The Secret World originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>funcomgdc-2010Microsoftmmoragnar-tornquistthe-secret-worldXbox-360Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/22/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-and-ray-muzyka/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/22/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-and-ray-muzyka/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/22/interview-biowares-greg-zeschuk-and-ray-muzyka/#comments "Are you saying BioWare fast turnaround?" company co-founder Greg Zeschuk asks jokingly. The respected RPG developer has been known for taking its time with producing hits like Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate, but has seemingly never been as prolific as it has been in recent months -- just over two years after being acquired by EA. How's this for fast turnaround? Dragon Age: Origins in November 2009, Mass Effect 2 in January, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening in March and several DLC packs in-between (and more on the way).

We spoke with BioWare co-founders and super-doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka at the Game Developers Conference about their improved production pipeline, the practical challenges of creating DLC and, of course, how fast the turnaround could be on Mass Effect 3*.

*"It's not official!" - Greg Zeschuk

Continue reading Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka

JoystiqInterview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredlcdragon-age-originsdragon-age-origins-awakeninggdc-2010greg-zeschukinterviewmass-effect-2mass-effect-3Microsoftray-muzykaXbox-360Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony's Jack Tretton: 'I can promise you a Killzone 3']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/sonys-jack-tretton-i-can-promise-you-a-killzone-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/sonys-jack-tretton-i-can-promise-you-a-killzone-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/sonys-jack-tretton-i-can-promise-you-a-killzone-3/#comments He doesn't know exactly when the third Killzone game will be announced, but SCEA prez Jack Tretton does know that it's gonna happen. When pushed by GTTV host Geoff Keighley about a sequel to last year's Killzone 2 on last night's episode, the Sony exec openly answered, "You know, we own Guerrilla Studios, and uh, they did a great job on Killzone 1 and 2 ... I don't know when you'll see announcements about it, but I can promise you a Killzone 3." Pretty straightforward, Jack!

Though he didn't make any promises regarding Killzone for E3, he did additionally note that the news from Sony out of GDC was "the icing on the cake," referring to big announcements at E3 this year as "the batter." And if there's one thing we really, really like, Jack, it's cake batter. You've won this round.

JoystiqSony's Jack Tretton: 'I can promise you a Killzone 3' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2010gdc-2010guerrilla-gamesguerrilla-studiosjack-trettonkillzonekillzone-2killzone-3Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/interview-spoiling-heavy-rain-with-david-cage/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/interview-spoiling-heavy-rain-with-david-cage/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/interview-spoiling-heavy-rain-with-david-cage/#comments
Once a major release has been completed and propelled to the top of the sales charts, the critical discussion surrounding it typically evaporates just as the Next Big Thing appears on the horizon. But Heavy Rain -- whether you like it, love it or loathe it -- has been kept afloat in popular opinion, with critics still debating its controversial design and embarrassing themselves as they attempt to shoehorn water puns like "afloat" and "evaporates" into ham-fisted introductory paragraphs.

We drew Heavy Rain's director and writer, the soft-spoken, passionate and occasionally enigmatic David Cage, into the ongoing discussion and asked him to elaborate upon the game's story, its technology and its critical reception. Oh, and the nature of the Origami Killer, which means ...

SPOILER WARNING: The following interview contains massive, big-huge spoilers for Heavy Rain. If you have not completed Quantic Dream's cinematic adventure, do not proceed beyond the break -- and don't even think about reading the comments. Just turn around and slowly R2 away.

Continue reading Interview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage

JoystiqInterview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventuredavid-cagegdc-2010heavy-rainInteractive-Dramainterviewmysteryquantic-dreamSCESCEAsonySony-Computer-EntertainmentSony-Computer-Entertainment-AmericaFri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PixelJunk Eden's Baiyon creating music visualizer for PS3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/pixeljunk-edens-baiyon-creating-music-visualizer-for-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/pixeljunk-edens-baiyon-creating-music-visualizer-for-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/pixeljunk-edens-baiyon-creating-music-visualizer-for-ps3/#comments Q-Games is teaming up with Japanese artist Baiyon once again for another PSN collaboration. Baiyon, who created the visuals and sound for PixelJunk Eden and Encore, is directing an interactive music visualizer for the PS3, to be distributed via the PlayStation Network.

Unlike Q-Games' Earth visualizer, this upcoming project will not be built into the PS3 operating system. Instead, this will be a standalone application, akin to .deTuned. This is terrific news for Trophy hunters, as they should be familiar with how easy it is to get PSN XP with these standalone art applications.

JoystiqPixelJunk Eden's Baiyon creating music visualizer for PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baiyongdc-2010pixeljunkpixeljunk-edenq-gamesvisualizerThu, 18 Mar 2010 19:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap (PSN)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/hands-on-pixeljunk-racers-2nd-lap/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/hands-on-pixeljunk-racers-2nd-lap/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/hands-on-pixeljunk-racers-2nd-lap/#comments As the first PixelJunk game from Q-Games, Racers was largely misunderstood by most. Now, after the success of Monsters, Eden and Shooter, Q-Games is ready to go back to its first concept and give it a second chance. PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap isn't just an add-on to the original PSN game, but a new game (with new features like Trophies) that warrants a second look from fresh PixelJunk fans.

Like the original, 2nd Lap is a unique interpretation of classic top-down racers of yore. However, Q-Games' take on the genre makes it more of a puzzle or rhythm game, rather than a racing game -- an easy mistake for players to make, considering both the game's look and title. While some modes do require "winning" a race, most are about achieving rather specific goals. For example, you may need to complete a number of laps in a constantly-accelerating vehicle, while avoiding all the other cars on the road. "Sunday Drive" will have you trying to get past as many slow-driving cars as possible. It's a frustrating recreation of being stuck in traffic, yet it's oddly compelling.

In its second iteration, PixelJunk Racers remains essentially a collection of car-themed minigames, with the ultimate goal of scoring as high as possible on the leaderboards. Thankfully, 2nd Lap has been made considerably easier and more accessible than the first game, easing players into a much easier single-player experience. The addition of YouTube recording support should appease the show-offs, while the presence of PSN Trophies may make the overall package far more rewarding. (Don't worry Trophy hunters, Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert told us that they've learned from PixelJunk Eden and Monsters, and will make the Trophies much easier, akin to PixelJunk Shooter.)

Gallery: PixelJunk Racers: 2nd Lap

Continue reading Hands-on: PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap (PSN)

JoystiqHands-on: PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap (PSN) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dylan-cuthbertgdc-2010hands-onpixeljunkpixeljunk-racerspixeljunk-racers-2nd-lappsnq-gamesThu, 18 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - The Penal Zone (PS3)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/impressions-sam-and-max-the-devils-playhouse-the-penal-zone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/impressions-sam-and-max-the-devils-playhouse-the-penal-zone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/impressions-sam-and-max-the-devils-playhouse-the-penal-zone/#comments You wouldn't expect to find "We've tightened up the graphics on Episode Three" among the usual list of noted improvements between Telltale's episodic releases. After all, with endearing, demented characters like Sam and Max taking up quite a bit of the screen, who cares how many polygons are left for that potted plant in the corner?

"We wanted to bump everything up presentation-wise for this season," said designer Chuck Jordan, drawing attention to the Telltale engine's impressive -- nay, tight -- visual enhancements. The Penal Zone, the first of five monthly episodes comprising Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, features noticeably improved lighting, real-time shadows and more expressive facial animation. As Jordan pointed out, "an expression can sell a joke for the first time."

Based on the demo I saw at the Game Developers Conference, it's also apparent that the improved graphics do make a difference to that potted plant. Because you transform into one. "When you finally get to control Max," Jordan said, "it's really weird." Like, really really weird.

Gallery: Sam & Max: Devil's Playhouse

Continue reading Impressions: Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - The Penal Zone (PS3)

JoystiqImpressions: Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - The Penal Zone (PS3) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurechuck-jordanepisodicgdc-2010sam-and-maxsam-and-max-the-devils-playhousesam-and-max-the-devils-playhouse-the-penal-zonetelltaletelltale-gamesWed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/lead-and-gold-gangs-of-the-wild-west-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/lead-and-gold-gangs-of-the-wild-west-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/lead-and-gold-gangs-of-the-wild-west-preview/#comments Multiplayer first-person shooters are a dime a dozen lately, meaning Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West has a lot to prove for itself. The gameplay is definitely fun, but it's clear that its main selling point is the format. As a downloadable game (confirmed for PC, planned for XBLA and PSN), it's one of the most polished multiplayer shooter experiences available in the space.

Priced at $15, Paradox Interactive's shooter is competing against the likes of Battlefield 1943. Like DICE's shooter, the production values are impressive and highlight by colorful, animated visuals. The style is reminiscent of Team Fortress 2, with the characters donning an almost psuedo-cel shaded look. Combined with the Wild West theme, it can oftentimes look identical to Valve's shooter.

Of course, there are far worse places to look for inspiration. In many ways, the gameplay is also similar to Team Fortress 2. There are four classes for players to choose from, and each features distinct and valuable traits. The primary difference between the four classes is their range: some classes are equipped with shotguns, best for short range fighting, while the requisite sniper is obviously equipped to handle long distances. Beyond their weapons, each class is equipped with a special ability. One can throw dynamite, while another can "mark" an enemy. (Marked enemies take twice the normal rate of damage.)

Gallery: Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West

Continue reading Hands-on: Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West

JoystiqHands-on: Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2010hands-onlead-and-goldlead-and-gold-gangs-of-the-wild-westMicrosoftxblaXbox-360Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: ModNation Racers PSP]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/modnation-racers-psp-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/modnation-racers-psp-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/modnation-racers-psp-preview/#comments The PSP has become home to a growing number of PS3 ports, from Super Stardust to LittleBigPlanet, but rarely has a portable rendition of a PS3 game remained so faithful to the original as ModNation Racers on PSP. (Well, perhaps with the exception of PixelJunk Monsters.) ModNation Racers is launching simultaneously on PSP and PS3, and unlike many previous cross-platform titles, this racer loses almost nothing in its portable conversion.

The career mode is nearly identical on both platforms, even featuring the same CG animated cutscenes in both. The much-touted creation tools also make an appearance on the PSP, allowing you to create and share levels rather easily. And most importantly, unlike LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers retains multiplayer options, offering both Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure connections.

Even the control schemes between the two platforms feel nearly identical. The PSP version also uses the R-button for acceleration, just like its big console counterpart. It makes sense, but for some reason, I expected the handheld to use the X-button for gas, and Mario Kart players may need some time to adjust; especially considering ModNation's very different drift mechanic.

Continue reading Hands-on: ModNation Racers PSP

JoystiqHands-on: ModNation Racers PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2010hands-onmodnation-racersmodnation-racers-pspWed, 17 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: Designing Assassin's Creed 2 (or: Dodging a curveball from upper management)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/gdc-designing-assassins-creed-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/gdc-designing-assassins-creed-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/gdc-designing-assassins-creed-2/#comments Though Uncharted 2 may have snatched away most of the Game of the Year trophies, Assassin's Creed 2 stands out as another of 2009's most acclaimed and successful titles. Lead game designer Patrick Plourde candidly discussed Ubisoft Montreal's development process at one of the final panels during this year's Game Developers Conference and gave some surprising insight into what happens when a project's scope is altered in the midst of development.

From the outset, Assassin's Creed 2 took aim at the commercial success of the first game, as well as its vocal group of detractors. "I'm not gonna lie about it," Plourde said, "some people liked it, some people despised it. That's the way it is."

The way things would be took a surprise turn in the middle of 2008, months after the game had begun development in earnest. As Plourde puts it, a "curveball from upper management" requested a change in the game's scope. Ordinarily, ambitious plans may get trimmed down as a launch date draws near, but Ubisoft had decided to increase the number of features dramatically.

Continue reading GDC: Designing Assassin's Creed 2 (or: Dodging a curveball from upper management)

JoystiqGDC: Designing Assassin's Creed 2 (or: Dodging a curveball from upper management) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creedassassins-creed-2gdc-2010Microsoftpatrick-plourdeubisoftubisoft-montrealXbox-360Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-preview/#comments Giant spiders. Why'd it have to be giant spiders?

Mind you, seeing Lara Croft gun down squealing, eight-legged monstrosities doesn't bring with it the tinge of regret that I've come to associate with her tendency to permanently cross off creatures from the endangered species list. Had Crystal Dynamics opted to switch out the spiders with tigers, there'd be enough fur coats left over to give everyone in the world a warm winter.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is heavy on the action, with territorial enemies swarming the eponymous explorer and a newfound partner, the Mayan warrior Totec, from all directions. Thankfully, the guy knows how to fire a gun and toss a spear -- though I pray he doesn't mix the two up when the situation gets out of hand. If you're playing the game with a co-op partner, either online or on couch, you'll have someone to yell at should that happen.

The game's isometric camera angle and twin-stick shooting mechanics bring to mind Assault Heroes (or Geometry Wars, at a basic level), but the pacing here is different. A more apt comparison -- that takes into account the lulls in action -- would be Left 4 Dead, especially when one player is tasked with manipulating a puzzle object while the other defends the rear.

Gallery: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Continue reading Impressions: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

JoystiqImpressions: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crystal-dynamicseidosgdc-2010lara-croftlara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-lightMicrosoftpsnsquare-enixtomb-raiderxblaxblmXbox-360Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:41:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC breaks attendance record: 18k geeks in da house]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-2010-breaks-attendance-record-18k-geeks-in-da-house/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-2010-breaks-attendance-record-18k-geeks-in-da-house/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-2010-breaks-attendance-record-18k-geeks-in-da-house/#comments
The 2010 Game Developers Conference welcomed 18,250 industry professionals, many of whom also moonlighted as alcohol professionals during the evenings, to San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center for another round of the annual meet-up. The record number surpassed last year's total of 17,000 attendees.

Next year's show is already set to be tapped on February 28, 2011. A call for lecture submissions will go out sometime this summer. In the meantime, you can join the GDC circuit party and get your multi-core binary integration theory groove on at GDC Canada, May 6-7, in Vancouver.

JoystiqGDC breaks attendance record: 18k geeks in da house originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdcgdc-2010gdc-2011Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: Parrot AR.Drone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/hands-on-parrot-ar-drone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/hands-on-parrot-ar-drone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/hands-on-parrot-ar-drone/#comments We've never written about the Parrot AR.Drone on our humble news site because we've yet to see its applications in the gaming space. Don't get us wrong -- it's as inherently awesome as you'd expect a hovering, camera-equipped drone (that's controlled by your iPhone!) to be. However, "random things that are awesome" doesn't really align with our editorial purview.

At GDC, Parrot went to great lengths to show off the gaming applications of the Drone. A representative presented two tech demos to us, both of which use the device's front-mounted camera to recognize "tags" in the environment, creating augmented reality overlays which allow the user to virtually interact with an object. In layman's terms: It recognizes predetermined patterns, and turns them into virtual targets, at which you can then shoot virtual bullets and missiles.

Gallery: Parrot AR.Drone

Continue reading Hands-on: Parrot AR.Drone

JoystiqHands-on: Parrot AR.Drone originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Appledronegadgetgdc-2010iPodparrotparrot-ar-droneremote-controlvirutal-realityTue, 16 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: 'Designing Shadow Complex' (or: zig when they zag)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-designing-shadow-complex-or-zig-when-they-zag/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-designing-shadow-complex-or-zig-when-they-zag/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-designing-shadow-complex-or-zig-when-they-zag/#commentsShadow Complex slide While Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto may not have played Shadow Complex, the XBLA darling's creators definitely played Metroid. During a panel titled "Designing Shadow Complex," Chair Entertainment Creative Director Donald Mustard encouraged the audience of prospective downloadable game makers to embrace genre limitations. "So, genre is one of your limitations because you aren't just competing against other games that are released in the downloadable space," Mustard said, pacing across the stage. "You really are competing against Gears of War, Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2. That is the real competition and you need to find a way to differentiate yourself from those kinds of games. And that is an awesome opportunity."

For Mustard, that meant moving "orthogonally" from what the "big $60 retail games" are doing. Mustard said, "For us, what that ultimately meant is target an old and abandoned genre. Which to us was kind of this Metroidvania side scroller adventure genre that had been abandoned. No one was making games in this genre. And we said, 'What if we took that genre and fused that with some of the modern sensibilities that had come out; some of the modern ideas of AI and physics and graphics? That would be a really cool combination.'

Continue reading GDC: 'Designing Shadow Complex' (or: zig when they zag)

JoystiqGDC: 'Designing Shadow Complex' (or: zig when they zag) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Chair-EntertainmentDonald-MustardEpic-GamesGDCGDC-2010MetroidvaniaMicrosoftShadow-ComplexXBLAXbox-360Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Developer Tom Soderlund explains the frights of Ghostwire]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/developer-tom-soderlund-explains-the-frights-of-ghostwire/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/developer-tom-soderlund-explains-the-frights-of-ghostwire/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/developer-tom-soderlund-explains-the-frights-of-ghostwire/#comments Bumps in the night. Unexplained sounds. A chill up your spine. Extreme terror. These things aren't associated with the Nintendo DSi, unless you unexpectedly leave yours behind in a taxi. But A Different Game CEO Tom Soderlund wants to bring all of that augmented paranormal activity to your DSi with Ghostwire and turn you into a ghostbuster (minus the proton packs). Now you're armed with a stylus and the power of Nintendo.

Originally conceived four years ago for Symbian-powered smartphones, the idea is to turn your handheld into a tool for communicating with the paranormal world. The built-in camera, sound meters, light meters are all a part of the experience, providing a combination of real-world and computer-generated data. Soderlund's team built an adventure game around it -- you talk to ghosts, find out what's troubling them, and either capture them or attempt to ease their pain.

Continue reading Developer Tom Soderlund explains the frights of Ghostwire

JoystiqDeveloper Tom Soderlund explains the frights of Ghostwire originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>A Different Gamea-different-gameADifferentGameaugmented-realityDSdsiGDC-2010ghostwiremajescoNintendoTue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ghostwire might haunt iPhone, Android]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/ghostwire-to-haunt-iphone-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/ghostwire-to-haunt-iphone-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/ghostwire-to-haunt-iphone-android/#comments Ghostwire lead developer Tom Soderlund told us at GDC that his upcoming DSi-exclusive Nintendo DS game might be coming to Apple's iPhone and Google's Android. The DSi version, published by Majesco, is set to come out near Halloween this year, and it's possible that other flavors might join it at that time.

"With the DSi we have location to some extent using the wifi chip, because we can kind of recognize when the user is in a new location, or where they are somewhere they've been before." Soderlund said, "But, we're thinking of taking to the iPhone or the Android which have more emphasis on location-based gameplay.

We hope Elvis' grave is first on the list.

JoystiqGhostwire might haunt iPhone, Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AndroidAppleDSGDC-2010GhostsGhostwireGoogleHalloweeniPhoneiPodNintendoTue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: The music and sound of Flower]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-the-music-and-sound-of-flower/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-the-music-and-sound-of-flower/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/gdc-the-music-and-sound-of-flower/#comments
On the last day of GDC, a little room in the back of the North Hall of San Francisco's Moscone Center was packed. Most of the audio design and sound creation panels in that part of the building weren't very well attended for most of the week. But on Saturday morning, it was standing room only for the panel hosted by a surprised Vincent Diamante and Steve Johnson, the respective composer and sound designer on thatgamecompany's downloadable gem, Flower.

They started off by explaining a little bit about how thatgamecompany developed the game: It all started from the narrative, as co-founder Jenova Chen wanted to try and create a rise and fall story with no actual protagonist to speak of. Then, they loaded up the game itself, and played through most of the levels, talking about their designs as commentary over the gameplay itself.

Continue reading GDC: The music and sound of Flower

JoystiqGDC: The music and sound of Flower originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Actionflowergdc-2010PSNSCEASonySony-Computer-Entertainment-AmericaThatGameCompanyTue, 16 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: EyePet's Nicolas Doucet discusses Move integration]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/interview-eyepets-nicolas-doucet-discusses-move-integration/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/interview-eyepets-nicolas-doucet-discusses-move-integration/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/interview-eyepets-nicolas-doucet-discusses-move-integration/#comments We were starting to worry that SCEA had forgotten about EyePet when its planned holiday 2009 release came and went. Sony's Eye-enabled virtual pet simulator made a surprising reemergence recently, now featuring PlayStation Move support. We chatted with EyePet producer Nicolas Doucet about implementing Sony's motion controller into the game, and what that means for gamers, new and old.

By removing the Magic Card, and replacing it with motion controls, isn't this new version of EyePet, essentially, a brand new game?

Especially for North America and Japan, as well. It's going to be the first release, so yeah it's a brand new game. We've really made a lot of effort to make sure that whatever we converted from the Magic Card for the Move wasn't just a port. We deconstructed and reconstructed things to really make it feel like a Move-dedicated game. Obviously, to begin with it wasn't. We put a lot of effort into that. We've extended the development by another nine months to really give something special to players.

Will it be a PlayStation Move launch title?

Yes it will be, this Fall.

Gallery: EyePet (Move)

Continue reading Interview: EyePet's Nicolas Doucet discusses Move integration

JoystiqInterview: EyePet's Nicolas Doucet discusses Move integration originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameraeyeeyepetgdc-2010interviewmoveplaystation-eyeplaystation-moveTue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OnLive features 'cloud' session saves, disables graphics settings]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/onlive-features-cloud-session-saves-disables-graphics-setting/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/onlive-features-cloud-session-saves-disables-graphics-setting/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/onlive-features-cloud-session-saves-disables-graphics-setting/#comments In a demo of its upcoming streaming service, OnLive president and CEO Steve Perlman confirmed something long suspected -- players will not be able to adjust graphics settings. "We don't want somebody going and changing the settings to something different for what the game is optimized for," he told Joystiq in an interview during the 2010 Game Developers Conference. "We'll go and scale or adjust or do whatever changes we need to make in order to make it work."

Perlman also demoed an OnLive "cloud gaming" feature which will allow players to "suspend" action at any time and retrieve the session later through any OnLive source (PC, Mac or on TV). "This is also good if something happens to your connection," Perlman said. "Take as long as you want to resume. So, literally, you can pause a game with OnLive, quit -- suppose you're on your TV -- and then later on in the office a few days later, resume. And it will pick up where it left off."

According to Perlman, OnLive's lowest-end server resource offers twice the GPU performance of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The service also has the ability to "virtualize" servers, allowing multiple players per server or creating dedicated servers for players for high-end games. "We can also go and, in principle, tie together multiple servers so you can get something like an SLI type of experience," Perlman concluded.

OnLive will launch this summer with various pricing and service models, which Perlman says may change as "statistics of usage" data is examined and the company learns what levels "peak loads" reach.

JoystiqOnLive features 'cloud' session saves, disables graphics settings originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2010onlivesteve-perlmanstreamingMon, 15 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper class]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/hands-on-star-wars-the-old-republics-trooper-class/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/hands-on-star-wars-the-old-republics-trooper-class/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/hands-on-star-wars-the-old-republics-trooper-class/#comments
Click to Jabba-size
LucasArts and BioWare have thus far released information for their upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic, at a painfully slow pace -- the same goes for the hands-on opportunities they've offered us over the past year. When we finished our demo of the game at GDC, we were still left with a number of the same questions we had when we checked out the game back in December: Will there be space combat? What community features will be available? Can we build our own sentient, wise-cracking droids which secretly possess hearts of gold (and tin)?

Alas, these questions remain unanswered. However, our GDC demo did clarify one hang-up we've been concerned about since the game was announced: Why would anyone play as a non-Force user? The answer is now clear. It's because the Galactic Republic's Trooper class is awesome.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic (Trooper)

Continue reading Hands-on: Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper class

JoystiqHands-on: Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper class originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaregdc-2010hands-onlucasartsmmommorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicthe-old-republictrooperMon, 15 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: Harmonix on the ups and downs of creating the Rock Band Network]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-harmonix-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-creating-the-rock-band-net/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-harmonix-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-creating-the-rock-band-net/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-harmonix-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-creating-the-rock-band-net/#comments Eleven days ago, Harmonix delivered on a concept many of us had fantasized about since the very first time we ever played Rock Band: It democratized the track-making process. For the first time in the franchise's history, any schmo off the street with a bit of MIDI engineering experience and a song in their heart could put that song on the Rock Band Store for the world to see (and hopefully purchase).

At GDC, Harmonix senior sound designer Caleb Epps and Rock Band Network producer Matthew Nordhouse sat down to speak about the challenges that came with opening up the game to user-generated content, and how its dedicated community has organically evolved the song-sharing process.

Continue reading GDC: Harmonix on the ups and downs of creating the Rock Band Network

JoystiqGDC: Harmonix on the ups and downs of creating the Rock Band Network originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2010harmonixMicrosoftmtv-gamesmusicrhythmrock-bandrock-band-2rock-band-networkXbox-360Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: ModNation Racers' Dan Sochan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/interview-modnation-racers-dan-sochan/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/interview-modnation-racers-dan-sochan/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/interview-modnation-racers-dan-sochan/#comments ModNation Racers has come a long way since the release of its public beta last year. Since then, Sony San Diego Studios and United Front Games have expanded the franchise quite a bit, adding a number of new creation tools, four-player split-screen support and even a PSP counterpart. We chatted with ModNation Racers producer Dan Sochan about what's new, and what we can expect from the future, including support for the PlayStation Move motion controller.

Joystiq: What's new about the code we're seeing today at GDC?
Dan Sochan, producer, ModNation Racers: There's the four-player split-screen, two-player online split-screen, and we've also announced and have been showing off more of the single player career. We kept the story of the single player career mode quite light. At its core, it's still a racing game, so we didn't want to complicate it with you saving the world. The story is you're this young racer who goes into this league, the ModNation Racing Championship, and you're basically going from a nobody to take on the ultimate champion. Through the way you have also have a bit of an influence. It has some elements of Pleasantville, where everyone tends to be a little bit more drab with the colors they choose for their characters and karts, and you influence them by being very creative. So all of a sudden everyone wants to have bright, vibrant colors and doing very elaborate decorating of themselves and their karts, and it's narrated through two characters: Biff and Gary, who offer comic relief through the game.

How does progression work in the single player campaign? Do you unlock creation tools in that mode, akin to LittleBigPlanet?
Yes, definitely there will be a certain number of unlockables you'll get through the career, but we tried not to make it exclusively through the career. We didn't want to pigeonhole people and force them to play that way. So you'll also get more unlocks by publishing, sharing, downloading, voting, basically being a participant in the community, which is kind of cool.

Gallery: ModNation Racers

Continue reading Interview: ModNation Racers' Dan Sochan

JoystiqInterview: ModNation Racers' Dan Sochan originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc-2010interviewmodnation-racersmodnation-racers-pspmoveplaystation-moveunited-front-gamesMon, 15 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gaijin bringing iPhone's Lilt Line to WiiWare]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gaijin-bringing-iphones-lilt-line-to-wiiware/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gaijin-bringing-iphones-lilt-line-to-wiiware/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gaijin-bringing-iphones-lilt-line-to-wiiware/#commentsLilt Line, winner of a 2010 IGF Mobile award for Audio Achievement is a simple iPhone game, in which you tilt the phone to guide a line through winding tunnels, and tap the screen in response to on-screen cues, all in time to dubstep music by 16bit. Essentially, it's Irritating Stick without the irritation! Developer Different Cloth revealed in a tweet that Wii owners will get to experience Lilt Line as well, thanks to Bit.Trip creator Gaijin Games.

All we know from the (necessarily brief) announcement is that Gaijin is bringing the game to the Wii. We can assume, both from the nature of the game and the fact that we don't think the three-person Gaijin Games team is going to start publishing packaged games, that it's WiiWare. We've asked Gaijin for more information. In the meantime, check out the iPhone version after the break.

Continue reading Gaijin bringing iPhone's Lilt Line to WiiWare

JoystiqGaijin bringing iPhone's Lilt Line to WiiWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>different-clothgaijin-gamesgdc-2010indielilt-lineportMon, 15 Mar 2010 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Recently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-recently-laid-off-developers-rant-about-being-laid-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-recently-laid-off-developers-rant-about-being-laid-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-recently-laid-off-developers-rant-about-being-laid-off/#comments I think we can all agree that, aside from being hit by a speeding train or dropping a hot meal you've been cooking for hours, being fired from your job is like, the worst thing that can happen to you. As such, we expected the speakers on last week's GDC rant panel, titled "Fired and Fired-up: Jobless Developer's Rant," to be especially inflammatory. We were not disappointed.

Just past the jump, we've highlighted three of our favorite presentations from the panel. Some of them get awfully, explicitly blue, so if you happen to find yourself reading this video game news site while at work, you might want to think twice about going beyond the break. (You should also get back to work, you lazy so-and-so!)

Continue reading Recently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off

JoystiqRecently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carey-chicochris-heckerdeveloperdevelopmenteaElectronic-Artsensemblefiringgdc-2010layoffsmaxismicrosoftpandemicpanelpaul-bettnerrantMon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Alan Wake: several DLC episodes this year, second 'season' dependent on audience]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/alan-wake-several-dlc-episodes-this-year-second-season-depen/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/alan-wake-several-dlc-episodes-this-year-second-season-depen/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/alan-wake-several-dlc-episodes-this-year-second-season-depen/#comments As revealed during this year's Consumer Electronics Show, tormented writer Alan Wake will continue his dimly lit journey in the form of post-launch downloadable episodes. After the internally episodic thriller hits shelves on May 18, Remedy Entertainment will expand it with at least two episodes in 2010. The scope of subsequent episodes and the duration of DLC support will hinge on the audience, of course, but Remedy managing director Matias Myllyrinne envisions a substantial engagement.

"I think it'll depend a lot on the audience, but certainly we want to -- if we're successful -- we want to do a large 'Season 2,' if you will, at some point," he said in an interview with Joystiq. "Right now, I'm not allowed to say what we're doing exactly this year. But we're going to have more than one episode come out this year."

Once the full game is complete and the team has a chance to gauge acceptance and feedback, Remedy Entertainment will shed some more light on its plans. We'll share ours with you right now: Expect to see the full Matias Myllyrinne interview on Joystiq later this week.

JoystiqAlan Wake: several DLC episodes this year, second 'season' dependent on audience originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan-wakedlcgdc-2010Matias-Myllyrinnemattias-myllyrinneMicrosoftremedyremedy-entertainmentXbox-360Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC Impressions: APB]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/apb-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/apb-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/apb-preview/#comments Last week, Realtime Worlds MMO APB featured prominently during an in-booth press conference held at GDC. The game was playable (though, sadly, not by me), and the audience was treated to a live demo lead by the developer's founder, ex-DMA and Grand Theft Auto co-creator, David Jones.

Using two separate PCs hooked up to their own projection setups, Jones and another Realtime Worlds staffer hopped onto one of the game's servers and began by giving a tour of one of three main areas, the Social District. As its name implies, this area -- which reminded me more than a little of PlayStation Home -- is where players can meet up, trade or sell their items, build custom music in the game's built-in sequencer and buy a new set of wheels (or upgrade their current rides). When talking about the latter, Jones showed the vehicle customization tool, which featured not only cosmetic mods (custom designs can be sold to other players) but performance and aerodynamic tinkering, as well.

Before heading out onto the mean streets, Jones pointed out a couple other unique features of the Social District: Statues and display points. The former are generated by the game as effigies of its top players on an ongoing basis, while the latter are spots that can be "rented" in order to publicly display players' cars that are up for sale or auction.

Gallery: APB

Continue reading GDC Impressions: APB

JoystiqGDC Impressions: APB originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apbgdcgdc-2010mmorealtime-worldsMon, 15 Mar 2010 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Bungie & BioWare discuss franchise maintenance at GDC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/bungie-and-bioware-discuss-franchise-maintenance-at-gdc-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/bungie-and-bioware-discuss-franchise-maintenance-at-gdc-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/bungie-and-bioware-discuss-franchise-maintenance-at-gdc-2010/#comments As part of the GamesBeat "fireside chat" series during GDC 2010, Bungie's Joseph Staten and BioWare's Ray Muzyka discussed some of the challenges with maintaining big, huge franchises with Spike TV's Geoff Keighley. Staten noted that Bungie originally "had absolutely no 10-year plan" for the Halo franchise. Now, for Bungie's next project -- the one that isn't part of the Halo franchise -- Staten said that "the responsible thing to do" is to "create something with legs," adding that it's easier to secure funding with a project that has long term potential for investors. Muzyka added that it's important to create a product that keeps players emotionally engaged, so that they anticipate the next installment.

When asked about how consumer feedback affects the development of a franchise, Muzyka pointed to the many changes that BioWare made to the various game mechanics and systems of Mass Effect when creating Mass Effect 2. "You've got to listen to fans," said Muzyka, "really, the changes you saw in the second game came from the feedback" from the first Mass Effect.

Continue reading Bungie & BioWare discuss franchise maintenance at GDC

JoystiqBungie & BioWare discuss franchise maintenance at GDC originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebungiegdcgdc-2010joseph-statenray-muzykaMon, 15 Mar 2010 09:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Sid Meier talks player psychology and the year of Civilization]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/sid-meier-talks-player-psychology-and-the-year-of-civilization/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/sid-meier-talks-player-psychology-and-the-year-of-civilization/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/sid-meier-talks-player-psychology-and-the-year-of-civilization/#comments The "father of computer gaming" gave the keynote at GDC 2010 this past week, and while we really hoped he would tell us a lot about the upcoming Facebook version of Civilization, it got only the barest of mentions during the hour-plus talk. Instead, Meier shared wisdom with the gathered crowd, talking about the lessons he'd learned in player psychology over his long and storied career in game design. First, he talked about what he called the "Winner's Paradox" -- "if you've played Civilization," he said, "you're an egomaniac," since anyone crazy enough to think that they can actually "build a civ to stand the test of time," as it says on the game box, must be pretty full of themselves. And because of that, Meier says his players always believe that if they don't win for whatever reason, fate or the random number generator or the crappy AI must be out to get them. As a result, his policy has become to let the player win -- the threat of punishment is enough to keep it interesting, but in the end, the player should win the game.

He also talked about the "unholy alliance" between players and developers -- not only is the relationship beneficial for both parties (players offer their money, developers offer their time and talent), but it's also one of "mutually-assured destruction," as players can break contact with (or even just belief in) the game anytime they feel it's not fun any more, and developers can "really mess up the game, too." Everything in the game, said Meier, should be designed with an eye towards this alliance -- the AI should live to serve the player, the graphics and gameplay should engage imagination, and even options screens and load/save settings should be developed with an eye towards preserving the relationship.

Civilization Network was mentioned under a section Meier called "my bad" -- along with the original ideas to make Civ real-time (whoops) and make the tech path random, he said that the CN team had considered letting players give gold to each other on Facebook, but during playtesting, found that players never actually did. He did say that the game is deep into testing currently, and that it will allow co-op, singleplayer, and competitive gameplay, and that it will be interesting whether players play for just "a little time a day" or more than that. At the end of the talk, in reply to a question about where he saw gaming going, Meier declared that "this is the year of Civilization!" With CN coming soon and Civ V due out this fall, we can't wait to send our Settlers out into the world.

JoystiqSid Meier talks player psychology and the year of Civilization originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiciv-vCivilizationcivilization-5civilization-networkcrappygdcgdc-2010keynotesid-meiersid-meiers-civilizationunholy-alliancewinners-paradoxSun, 14 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OnLive's Perlman would rather stay out of the hardware business]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/onlives-perlman-would-rather-stay-out-of-the-hardware-business/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/onlives-perlman-would-rather-stay-out-of-the-hardware-business/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/onlives-perlman-would-rather-stay-out-of-the-hardware-business/#comments In an interview with Joystiq during the 2010 Game Developers Conference, OnLive president and CEO Steve Perlman said he'd prefer not to sell any kind of hardware for his company's upcoming streaming game service. "The fact that we have to sell a piece of hardware for the TV, if you will, takes us out of our core business." While OnLive will launch as a computer application on PC and Mac this summer, the company is also currently beta testing the OnLive Micro-console for use on televisions. "We think the Micro-console is a cool thing, but we'd rather not have any hardware at all," Perlman said.

Ideally, Perlman would like the OnLive service to be added to set top boxes -- including adding the service to existing boxes via software update. "If it has a USB port [for the controller] and we have adequate performance in there, then it's conceivable we can do it," Perlman told Joystiq. "A lot of them just have built-in latency because they assume they're using a conventional compression algorithm [for video]. In that case there's nothing we can do."

Perlman echoed previous statements, saying that he expects OnLive to be "scrutinized" for any latency issues that may arise, especially considering OnLive is unique in that it "demands the connection to be exactly what it's spec'd to be." We'll certainly find out when it arrives this June.

JoystiqOnLive's Perlman would rather stay out of the hardware business originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdcgdc-2010hardwareonlivesteve-perlmanSun, 14 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: Toriyama explains the themes of the Fabula Nova Crystallis trilogy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-toriyama-explains-the-themes-of-the-fabula-nova-crystallis/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-toriyama-explains-the-themes-of-the-fabula-nova-crystallis/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-toriyama-explains-the-themes-of-the-fabula-nova-crystallis/#comments The creators of Final Fantasy XIII have been notoriously tight-lipped about the Fabula Nova Crystallis trilogy, a series comprised of FFXIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII and the PSP-exclusive Final Fantasy Agito XIII. During a GDC panel titled "The Crystal Mythos," director Motomu Toriyama gave a few scant details about the other two branches of the trilogy, and the few similarities connecting the entries in the franchise's 13th series.

Toriyama's main point during his presentation is that Agito and Versus won't be sequels to the recently released Final Fantasy XIII -- they'll both have their own unique set of characters, gameplay systems and overarching stories. The only thing connecting them is the "Crystal Mythos" motif -- a theme where the fates of ordinary humans are controlled by omnipotent gods. Players of Final Fantasy XIII should already be acquainted with this storytelling device.

The other detail about the series Toriyama mentioned was that, like XIII, the rest of the series will continue to focus on story-driven gameplay rather than allowing the player to explore an open world. For better or worse, it sounds like Versus and Agito will possess the same linearity for which XIII was frequently criticized.

JoystiqGDC: Toriyama explains the themes of the Fabula Nova Crystallis trilogy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fabula-nova-crystallisfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-agito-xiiifinal-fantasy-versus-xiiifinal-fantasy-xiiigdc-2010Microsoftpanelrpgsquare-enixXbox-360Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: The UI of The Beatles Rock Band]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-the-ui-of-the-beatles-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-the-ui-of-the-beatles-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-the-ui-of-the-beatles-rock-band/#comments
Most UI panels at the Game Developers' Conference tend to be full of dry technical information, all about how the team developed their own font kerning tool and organized menu elements in a data-driven fashion. The Harmonix UI panel this morning hosted by Senior Artist Kevin McGinnis did have that stuff (McGinnis is a self-diagnosed font geek, and did sound overly excited about formatting bitmaps), but it was also full of art -- beautiful The Beatles: Rock Band inspired art.

McGinnis talked about the different concepts the team had tried -- they first attempted to do a very clean, serene respectful version of the menus, but then decided to go much more colorful. They hired a few artists to build the menus up into actual 3D spaces (after accidentally telling Apple Corps that yes, the menus would all be animated), and McGinnis even showed off the 3D model that the camera zooms around in to guide the player into the game. You can see all of the art in the gallery below, from the various pieces of flair to the menu designs and concept work.

Gallery: The Beatles: Rock Band Art

JoystiqGDC: The UI of The Beatles Rock Band originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dapple-corpsartartistartistscolorfulconceptsfontsgallerygdcgdc-2010harmonixkevin-mcginnismodelplainrock-bandspacesthe-beatles-rock-bandSun, 14 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC 2010: EEDAR on Achievements, user behavior]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-2010-eedar-on-achievements-user-behavior/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-2010-eedar-on-achievements-user-behavior/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-2010-eedar-on-achievements-user-behavior/#comments EEDAR hosted a two part panel at GDC this year. In the second half of the panel -- you can read about the first half here -- Jesse Divnich presented the results of an Xbox Live Achievement study the firm recently conducted. The info was pulled from a pool of 32 million data points -- provided by MyGamerCard.net -- and centered on a random sampling of 100 different Xbox 360 games.

Probably the most interesting statistic that Divnich dropped: An average of only 4 percent of Xbox gamers actually managed to earn all of the achievements in any given game. When focusing only on major, "AAA" titles, that number drops to 2 percent. Meanwhile, less than 10 percent of consumers get more than 80 percent of Achievements. Furthermore, Divnich noted that only 27 percent of users manage to unlock more than 50 percent of Achievements.

Divnich concluded his talk by saying that developers should learn as much as possible from Achievements. He advised studios to use them as motivational tool for users noting that the number of unlocked Achievements tends to drop off at around 30 percent. He added that gamers who manage to unlock at least 80 percent of Achievements are typically motivated to unlock the remaining 20 percent.

Finally, Divnich stated that developers can use Achievements as a form of direct user feedback. By observing which Achievements are unlocked, developers can see the parts of a game that players enjoy. This, in turn, can help developers decide what to focus on in the sequel. Beyond that, Achievement monitoring could even help them decide whether to make a sequel at all.

JoystiqGDC 2010: EEDAR on Achievements, user behavior originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementseedargdcgdc-2010jesse-divnichMicrosoftXbox-360Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC 2010: From student game to success]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-2010-from-student-game-to-success/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-2010-from-student-game-to-success/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/gdc-2010-from-student-game-to-success/#comments Believe it or not, many of the best games start out as student development projects. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, flOw and even Portal all began life as student projects. Speaking at a GDC panel, the developers of the games listed above gave their advice on how budding student game designers can see their own projects become a success. The panel included Kim Swift, designer of Portal and currently of Airtight Games, Matt Korba and Paul Bellezza of The Odd Gentlemen (P.B. Winterbottom), and Kellee Santiago of thatgamecompany (flOw).

The advice was wide-ranging, though all the panelists agreed that the best way to get a game noticed is to submit it to as many competitions and festivals as possible. Swift specifically noted that it's a good idea to literally drag people to come and play your game at festivals and shows like GDC. The game itself should "grab" players as well, with Korba saying that a festival showing of a game should be get players involved within five minutes.

Continue reading GDC 2010: From student game to success

JoystiqGDC 2010: From student game to success originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesairtight-gamesflowgdcgdc-2010kellee-santiagokim-swiftmatt-korbapaul-bellezzapb-winterbottomportalthatgamecompanythe-odd-gentlemenSun, 14 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq vs. GDC 2010]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/joystiq-vs-gdc-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/joystiq-vs-gdc-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/joystiq-vs-gdc-2010/#comments GDC generally isn't packed with the "oohs" and "ahs" that are typically exuded during E3 or the Tokyo Game Show. The name says it all, really, what with it being the Game Developers Conference. That doesn't mean their aren't hot scoops to be found though. This year we got our first taste of the PlayStation Move, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and, of course, the hamster ball-inspired future of video games. Now, with GDC over and done, it's time for us to say goodbye. You'll see a few more GDC stories popping up over the next few days but, for now, watch the video above and see how the Joystiq team spent the week in San Francisco.

JoystiqJoystiq vs. GDC 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturegdcgdc-2010joystiq-vs-gdcjoystiq-vs-gdc-2010metaSun, 14 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Will Wright predicts social games will grow to 25 percent of market]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/will-wright-predicts-social-games-will-grow-to-25-percent-of-mar/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/will-wright-predicts-social-games-will-grow-to-25-percent-of-mar/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/will-wright-predicts-social-games-will-grow-to-25-percent-of-mar/#comments One of the big trends at this year's Game Developer's Conference is social gaming, thanks to wild success stories like Facebook-powered Farmville. While many see social gaming as the next big thing, Will Wright -- famed creator of SimCity, The Sims and Spore -- warned GDC attendees that expectations for the genre are unrealistic. "What people tend to do is apply a power curve to this," Wright explained using the above diagram. "And so when you make an extrapolation based upon that, you're really way off, when in fact, what we were really looking at was an S-curve."

"It gets a lot of attention, of course, because investors, when they're looking to invest in something, they're looking to invest in the steep part of this curve. And so that's why there's so much business interest in this sort of platform," Wright hypothesized.

But don't think your mom is going to suddenly lose interest in raising animals on her virtual farm any time soon. In fact, while the genre may not explode, it will ultimately represent a large percentage of the overall games business. "It's not that I don't think social games are going to be big ... I can imagine them doing about the quarter of the market, really." That's good news for Facebook, which is still looking for its Mario, its "iconic" game.

JoystiqWill Wright predicts social games will grow to 25 percent of market originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookFarmVillegdcgdc-2010social-gamesWill-WrightSat, 13 Mar 2010 23:45:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC 2010: EEDAR talks new IP strategy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/gdc-2010-eedar-talks-new-ip-strategy/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/gdc-2010-eedar-talks-new-ip-strategy/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/gdc-2010-eedar-talks-new-ip-strategy/#comments Game industry analysis firm EEDAR dropped some interesting statistics during its GDC panel this year. The first half of the presentation -- hosted by EEDAR president Geoffrey Zatkin -- concerned new intellectual property in the games industry. According to Zatkin, the amount of new IP released has increased slightly over the last three years. Specifically, it was up to 22 percent in 2009, up from 17 percent in 2006. However, breaking it down by console, Zatkin stated that new IP currently comprises 27 percent of Wii software, while that number drops to 17 percent on the PS3 and 360.

He added that certain genres see very few original properties, particularly fighting games. Furthermore, the relationship between new IP and ESRB ratings is different on various platforms. Most new IP on the Wii tends to be rated E, while new properties on 360 and PS3 tend to be rated T or M. Using data like this, Zatkin said, publishers can decide what sort of games to release on which platforms. The question, according to Zatkin, is whether publishers decide to follow the trends or fill the "holes" in their portfolios by releasing titles in underrepresented areas (any pubs up for a mature Wii fighting game?).

Zatkin also discussed the best time for publishers to release new properties. A bar graph illustrated a slight trend away from the industry crowding all its releases into the holiday shopping season, though it still accounted for 37 percent of releases in 2009. Zatkin also pointed out that many publishers release their major titles at the end of their fiscal quarters. The lesson for publishers looking to release new (and risky) properties? Keep your games out of the fourth quarter and try to release them in the second month of any given fiscal quarter.

Continue reading GDC 2010: EEDAR talks new IP strategy

JoystiqGDC 2010: EEDAR talks new IP strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesseedargdcgdc-2010geoffrey-zatkinnew-ipSat, 13 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: Mass Effect 2 DLC - Kasumi's Stolen Memory]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/impressions-mass-effect-2-dlc-kasumis-stolen-memory/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/impressions-mass-effect-2-dlc-kasumis-stolen-memory/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/13/impressions-mass-effect-2-dlc-kasumis-stolen-memory/#comments
click to kazoomi

 Like some of the best loyalty quests in Mass Effect 2, "Kasumi's Stolen Memory" is an inventive sub-story that steps away from all the galactic peril just long enough to explore the motives and traits of a newly recruited squad mate. The downloadable add-on introduces Kasumi, a cocky human thief in search of data relating to a former partner (in crime?), and sees Shepard accompanying her on an important and incredibly dangerous two-person mission. You know, a date.

Donning a sleek bit of evening wear and a false identity, Shepard accompanies Kasumi to an exclusive party -- the kind that requires either a shiny invitation or a shady conscience. While the commander mingles, a cloaked Kasumi keeps an eye out for the hidden art vault that she believes holds her partner's grey box. What they eventually find encroaches upon spoiler territory (that's especially sensitive given the 90-minute length of the mission), but unsurprisingly triggers one of Mass Effect 2's intense combat sequences.

Gallery: Mass Effect 2 - Kasumi's Stolen Memory

Continue reading Impressions: Mass Effect 2 DLC - Kasumi's Stolen Memory

JoystiqImpressions: Mass Effect 2 DLC - Kasumi's Stolen Memory originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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