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[Total War: Rome 2 is a 'completely reworked vision' from The Creative Assembly]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/16/total-war-rome-2-is-a-completely-reworked-vision-from-the-cre/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/16/total-war-rome-2-is-a-completely-reworked-vision-from-the-cre/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/16/total-war-rome-2-is-a-completely-reworked-vision-from-the-cre/#commentsTotal War Rome 2 is a 'completely reworked vision' from The Creative Assembly

Rome: Total War is one of those games that a certain, very dedicated audience loves, while the rest of the gaming world is left outside admiring the craft but not quite understanding the dedication. The first Rome: Total War was critically acclaimed and spawned a line of expansions and updates, and now strategy giants The Creative Assembly are returning to the game with a full sequel, not to mention switching around the title to Total War: Rome 2.

What's different? "Just about everything, really," says lead battle designer Jamie Ferguson during an interview at E3 2013. "In the ten years since we did Rome 1, we've completely overhauled the game. The game engine isn't even the same."

TCA has released a number of Total War sequels and spinoffs throughout periods of history, and updated the original title with new features and systems already. But even despite those improvements, Ferguson says the new game has even more updates and improvements. "When we call it Rome 2, it might be a bit of a misnomer in a way," he says. "We might call it Rome Redux, I guess. It's a completely reworked vision of the game."

Gallery: Total War: Rome 2 (E3 2013)

Continue reading Total War: Rome 2 is a 'completely reworked vision' from The Creative Assembly

JoystiqTotal War: Rome 2 is a 'completely reworked vision' from The Creative Assembly originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlecombatdominique-starre3-2013gamesgaminginterviewjamie-fergusonpcreleasesegastrategythe-creative-assemblytotal-war-rome-2warSun, 16 Jun 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[DCUO and PlanetSide 2 devs deal with good and bad on PS4 ports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/dcuo-and-planetside-2-devs-deal-with-good-and-bad-on-ps4-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/dcuo-and-planetside-2-devs-deal-with-good-and-bad-on-ps4-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/dcuo-and-planetside-2-devs-deal-with-good-and-bad-on-ps4-ports/#commentsDCUO and PlanetSide 2 devs talk about the transition to the PS4 Sony Online Entertainment doesn't have any new games at this year's E3 conference. But the developers behind DC Universe Online and PlanetSide 2 are hard at work anyway, and not just because they're running two live MMOs. Both games, which currently run on the PC (for both) or the PS3 (for DCUO) are coming to the PlayStation 4, which presents both positives and negatives for the developers involved.

Adam Clegg, game designer on PlanetSide 2, says he's excited to develop for the PS4 rather than the PC, because it'll make optimization for the game's graphics "1000 times better." Currently, the PC team has countless builds of hardware to optimize the game for, but everyone playing on a PS4 will use the same hardware, which makes things much easier. Additionally, Clegg says improvements should go the other way, too, as optimizing for the PS4 should make the game better for PC users.

Continue reading DCUO and PlanetSide 2 devs deal with good and bad on PS4 ports

JoystiqDCUO and PlanetSide 2 devs deal with good and bad on PS4 ports originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-cleggdc-universe-onlinedcuoe3-2013interviewjens-andersenpcplanetsideplanetside-2playstationplaystation-4ps2ps3ps4soeFri, 14 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Reinventing Shadow Warrior for the modern era]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/reinventing-shadow-warrior-for-the-modern-era/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/reinventing-shadow-warrior-for-the-modern-era/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/reinventing-shadow-warrior-for-the-modern-era/#commentsReinventing Shadow Warrior for the modern day player Just over 16 years ago, Shadow Warrior launched on PC. As the follow-up to 3D Realms' popular shooter Duke Nukem 3D, the two bore similarities; both donned an iconic first-person shooter style, substituting substance for violence at every turn. While Duke Nukem was a macho, chauvinist with all the ammo he could ever need, Shadow Warrior's main character was crass in a slightly different, albeit still offensive way.

The ninja assassin protagonist, Lo Wang, intended as a spoof on East Asian action heroes, was a walking racial stereotype. Lo Wang shouted "you want-a some wang?" with a mocking Asian accent, used chopsticks to catch flies, picked up fortune cookies in secret areas and fought sumo wrestlers. For many, Shadow Warrior was offensive and the game was criticized heavily for it.

Sixteen years later, Devolver Digital and developer Flying Wild Hog have announced a collaboration to reinvent Shadow Warrior; the spoils of the partnership due this fall on PC and in 2014 for unspecified next-gen consoles. While a modern Shadow Warrior will bare an updated skin, the "reinvention" isn't expected to be a departure from the original game's roots.

Gallery: Shadow Warrior (Announce)

Continue reading Reinventing Shadow Warrior for the modern era

JoystiqReinventing Shadow Warrior for the modern era originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 May 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d-realmsdevolver-digitalflying-wild-hoginterviewjan-bartkowicznigel-lowriepcreimaginingshadow-warriorMon, 20 May 2013 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Former NFL player looks to unite athletes and gamers with 'OverDog']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/former-nfl-player-looks-to-unite-athletes-and-gamers-with-overd/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/former-nfl-player-looks-to-unite-athletes-and-gamers-with-overd/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/former-nfl-player-looks-to-unite-athletes-and-gamers-with-overd/#comments Former NFL player looks to unite athletes and gamersHunter Hillenmeyer spent eight years in the NFL as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears. For five of those years, he served as a player rep, which he describes as a "liaison between players and everything else that goes on, whether that's labor relations or off-the-field opportunities."

Aside from public appearances and social media, fans don't have many ways to interact with their favorite athletes on a personal level. Hillenmeyer argues there are "better, more fun, more efficient ways to connect athletes with fans." He sees an opportunity for video games to fill that role, and that's where his new service called OverDog comes in.

Teaming up with a number of developers and gathering advice from fellow professional athletes, Hillenmeyer's plan is to launch the beta version of a mobile app for iOS in April and deploying to Android users later. Athletes looking for some competition in their favorite games can challenge fans through the app, and one lucky fan will have the chance to battle against sports stars on the athlete's game and platform of choice.

Continue reading Former NFL player looks to unite athletes and gamers with 'OverDog'

JoystiqFormer NFL player looks to unite athletes and gamers with 'OverDog' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidathleteshunter-hillenmeyerinterviewiosipadiphonekickstartermobileoverdogsportsThu, 28 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney reaches into the Toy Box with the new Infinity platform]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/16/disney-reaches-into-the-toy-box-with-the-new-infinity-platform/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/16/disney-reaches-into-the-toy-box-with-the-new-infinity-platform/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/16/disney-reaches-into-the-toy-box-with-the-new-infinity-platform/#comments The signs were all there in the rumors leading up to yesterday's big Disney Infinity reveal in Los Angeles. Disney's been working on a new gaming "platform," designed to bring all of its properties together in one IP spanning across multiple consoles and outlets. But the one note we missed was the most important: this game is connected to a series of real toys that interact with Disney's digital worlds, Skylanders-style.

There are a few important differences, but the similarities between Activision's enormously popular toys-into-games platform and Disney's new Infinity initiative are quite striking. Both are inspired by smaller developers with big ideas: Toys for Bob on the Activision side, and Avalanche Software on Disney's, which developed the "Toy Box" idea in a much smaller form as part of the Toy Story 3 game. Both are big, expandable product lines with lots of options for console (and eventually mobile) titles, and both take retail-friendly physical toys and tie them directly into engagement-friendly video game experiences.

Oh, and both franchises are probably going to make their owners lots and lots of money.

Gallery: Disney Infinity

Continue reading Disney reaches into the Toy Box with the new Infinity platform

JoystiqDisney reaches into the Toy Box with the new Infinity platform originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avalancheavalanche-softwaredisneydisney-infinityinfinityinterviewjohn-daymicrosoftmobilenintendopcplatformplaystationproducerps3skylanderstoyswiiwii-uxboxWed, 16 Jan 2013 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Last issue of Nintendo Power available now, founders look back]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/last-issue-of-nintendo-power-available-now-founders-look-back/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/last-issue-of-nintendo-power-available-now-founders-look-back/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/last-issue-of-nintendo-power-available-now-founders-look-back/#comments Last issue of Nintendo Power available now, founders look backThe last issue of Nintendo Power is on newsstands today, giving you one final trip into the magazine that kickstarted many a Mario and Zelda obsession. To commemorate the occasion, Gamasutra has a nice feature up with the magazine's founders looking back on its history.

According to one of the founders, Howard Philips, the original draw of Nintendo Power wasn't the game news or the features; back then, it was the maps and the gameplay tips that really drew readers in. "I'm just gaga over it now," he remembers, "thinking of how fun it was to pull out a map of Zelda and see the entire world, and be able to go through it with your fingertip and then say, 'Okay, there's where you can burn that tree,' or push that rock, or whatever. It was so cool. Getting that in the hands of kids was - from my perspective - the real big win that we were after." Considering the industry's own thoughts on Nintendo Power and its legacy, there are probably a lot of readers out there who agree.

JoystiqLast issue of Nintendo Power available now, founders look back originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classified-informationfun-clubgail-tildenhoward-phillipsinterviewnintendonintendo-powerpower-meterTue, 11 Dec 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Platinum and KojiPro on partnership: 'We'd love to do it again']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/07/platinum-and-kojipro-on-partnership-wed-love-to-do-it-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/07/platinum-and-kojipro-on-partnership-wed-love-to-do-it-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/07/platinum-and-kojipro-on-partnership-wed-love-to-do-it-again/#comments Platinum Games and Kojima Productions say they'd do it againThe build of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance shown off this week at a press event in Los Angeles was essentially complete, and while the game itself won't be released until February, finished product means that the collaboration between Kojima Productions (represented at the event by producer Yuji Korekado) and Platinum Games (represented by producer Atsushi Inaba) is also done. So when Joystiq sat down to chat with them, we only had one important question: How'd it go?

Both sides were unsure of the partnership when it began. Korekado said that "the challenge for us was the worry about what kind of game would this end up being," and Inaba told us that Platinum wasn't sure about taking over for Kojima's series on this iteration. But now that all is said and done, both sides also say they not only had a great time, but they'd do it again. "We could not have done that without Platinum Games' expertise, it would not have happened," said Korekado. "So of course, this tag team, we'd love to do it again."

Inaba was even more adamant about the two studios working together in the future. "From our side, it would be a waste to not do this again. We made a great game, and we'd love to do it again," he said. He agreed that when the project started, both teams were reticent about joining forces. "But after working together on the game for a while, they were both able to learn from each other and grow as people and as developers. And we feel that's a plus. Moving forward as a team, we'd love to do it again, no doubt." Obviously, nothing's been announced yet, and the goal right now is to get Rising in the public's hands. But it sounds like Platinum and Kojima are ready to make more Metal Gear music together in the future.

JoystiqPlatinum and KojiPro on partnership: 'We'd love to do it again' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atsushi-inabaexclusiveinterviewkojima-productionsmetal-gear-rising-revengeancemetal-gear-solid-risingmgr-revengeancemicrosoftplatinum-gamesplaystationps3xboxyuji-korekadoFri, 07 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation All-Stars adding Kat and Emmett Graves, plus Heavenly Sword/Wipeout level]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/playstation-all-stars-adding-kat-and-emmett-graves-plus-heavenl/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/playstation-all-stars-adding-kat-and-emmett-graves-plus-heavenl/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/playstation-all-stars-adding-kat-and-emmett-graves-plus-heavenl/#comments PlayStation AllStars gets Kat and Emmett Graves, along with a Heavenly SwordWipeout levelSuperBot Entertainment showed off a new pair of fighters in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale at the Sony Santa Monica studio recently: Kat from Gravity Rush and Emmett Graves from Starhawk will be the first two DLC characters to join the fracas. The character pack containing both will be free for a limited time when it arrives sometime early next year.

SuperBot's director Omar Kendall also premiered a brand new level for the game, combining the worlds of Heavenly Sword and Wipeout into a beautiful but precarious environment. The actual pricing (and release date) for the level hasn't yet been decided.

While letting us play a little bit with each character, Kendall talked to us about the reaction to PlayStation All-Stars, why these two characters are the first to make the DLC cut, and what else SuperBot has planned.

Gallery: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale: Kat and Emmett Graves

Continue reading PlayStation All-Stars adding Kat and Emmett Graves, plus Heavenly Sword/Wipeout level

JoystiqPlayStation All-Stars adding Kat and Emmett Graves, plus Heavenly Sword/Wipeout level originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charactersdlcemmett-gravesheavenly-swordinterviewkatomar-kendallplaystationplaystation-all-stars-battle-royaleplaystation-vitaps-all-starsps3sony-santa-monicasuperbot-entertainmentvitaTue, 04 Dec 2012 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[0x10c may charge monthly subscription for ship ownership]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/0x10c-may-charge-monthly-subscription-for-ship-ownership/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/0x10c-may-charge-monthly-subscription-for-ship-ownership/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/0x10c-may-charge-monthly-subscription-for-ship-ownership/#comments 0x10c will 'probably' charge a monthly subscriptionIn a recent interview, Mojang's Markus "Notch" Persson says he's thinking more and more that 0x10c, the Minecraft mogul's space-based PC title, may use a subscription-based monetization plan when it's ready to be sold. The idea's not cemented just yet, but Notch expects to have a multiplayer mode with the game called "the multiverse," and there will likely be cost associated with keeping all of the virtual ships running on a real server.

Each ship will require a "generator" to keep it running, so Notch's current idea is that "one subscription gives you one generator." Presumably, he says, multiple players could run around inside one ship, so you may pay a subscription and then invite your friends to join you on your vessel. But someone will have to pay to keep the game going.

Notch also talks a bit about how construction will work in the game: Players will likely build a ship's external features first, and then organize various components inside for different layouts or more options. And Notch says there will be "mining," in that players will have to find resources in the galaxy to use as parts, but he says it definitely won't be Minecraft-style. As Notch told us at PAX, work is definitely well underway, and we should see more very soon.

Joystiq0x10c may charge monthly subscription for ship ownership originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>0x10cchargingcpuinterviewmarkus-notch-perssonmarkus-perssonnotchoculuspcpc gamerPcGamerspaceshipsubscriptionThu, 29 Nov 2012 22:45:00 EST<![CDATA[New Hotline Miami content will more likely be 'like a sequel, kind of']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/new-hotline-miami-content-will-more-likely-be-like-a-sequel-ki/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/new-hotline-miami-content-will-more-likely-be-like-a-sequel-ki/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/new-hotline-miami-content-will-more-likely-be-like-a-sequel-ki/#comments Hotline Miami grabbing, shooting, stabbing some DLCHotline Miami's creators Jonatan "Cactus" Söderström and Dennis Wedin have shared some insight on where the game might be headed next in an interview with Eurogamer, and Söderström says it'll probably be "quite a big project." Instead of smaller pieces of downloadable content, it sounds like the team is aiming for a full followup release. "It will be like a sequel, kind of," says Söderström, "but building on the story."

He adds that this possible new game "will probably have more playable characters than the first game did. And a couple of different stories and angles." And Wedin says it might have a map editor as well: "We're looking at if it's possible to do that. I think it would be really cool to let people do their own stages."

The first game, says Söderström, took quite a while to develop. But with an engine already built, a new release would primarily focus on adding new content, he says, so the process should be shortened. "We hope it would take no longer than four or five months to make the sequel, but we're not sure at this point." That's fine, Cactus. We'll just don our finest creepy pig mask and wait here patiently for more news.

JoystiqNew Hotline Miami content will more likely be 'like a sequel, kind of' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dennis-wedendlceurogamerfollowuphotline-miamiinterviewjonathan-soderstrommap-editorpcreleaserumorsequelstoryMon, 19 Nov 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Even after Overstrike, Insomniac's Fuse continues to change]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/even-after-overstrike-insomniacs-fuse-continues-to-change/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/even-after-overstrike-insomniacs-fuse-continues-to-change/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/even-after-overstrike-insomniacs-fuse-continues-to-change/#comments Even after Overstrike, Insomniac's Fuse continues to changeEven if you happen to be the biggest fan of Insomniac's Fuse, formerly called Overstrike and coming to consoles next year, you may have missed one little detail in the brand new video released by Insomniac and EA yesterday. Izzy Sinclair, the hacking and healing main character, has a brand new look to her clothing, something that's a little more casual than the tactical gear she was wearing on the previous preview footage.

That's a change that came directly from player feedback, Insomniac's Ted Price told Joystiq yesterday, and he says there may be more coming. "We're continuing to tweak the game's look and colors," he suggested. Insomniac's fans have been very vocal about the change from the game's original concept back when it was called Overstrike, and Price admits that "there are always going to be questions about our tone shift and that's just something we accept."

But Price also says that despite the back and forth about the game's tone, the development team is also getting clear input about the gameplay itself. "The most gratifying feedback we have gotten recently, he says, "has been from our playtests, where we see both the press here and overseas and then occasionally consumers play the game. We've been really positively surprised with how quickly people pick it up, how readily they begin working as a team and just how happy with how much fun they're having."

Gallery: Fuse (10/12/12)

Continue reading Even after Overstrike, Insomniac's Fuse continues to change

JoystiqEven after Overstrike, Insomniac's Fuse continues to change originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doug-sheahanfusegameplayinsomniacinterviewmicrosoftoverstrikeplaystationps3ted-pricexboxTue, 23 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard North considered making Diablo Junior for the Game Boy Color]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/blizzard-north-considered-making-diablo-junior-for-the-game-boy/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/blizzard-north-considered-making-diablo-junior-for-the-game-boy/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/blizzard-north-considered-making-diablo-junior-for-the-game-boy/#comments Blizzard North considered making Diablo Junior for the Game Boy ColorDavid Craddock is a freelance writer (and former Joystiquer) who's putting a book together about Blizzard North, the studio that created the enormously popular Diablo series. Up until the book's release (it is called, of course, "Stay Awhile and Listen"), Craddock is doling out some insights that he's picked up from his research on Diablo's past development.

Like, for example, the fact that a version of Diablo 2 was considered for the Game Boy Color and/or the Game Boy Advance. Following the release of the popular sequel, Blizzard North considered a single-player handheld game with the working (and adorable) title of Diablo Junior, which would have three separate cartridges on offer, each featuring a different class of hero. The game was never made, mostly due to the high costs of mobile development at that time.

Craddock says Blizzard North also considered a second expansion for Diablo 2, which would have come out after Lord of Destruction. That expansion would have focused on multiplayer features, and set up customizable guild housing and banks. In the end, however, that expansion was also scuttled, and Blizzard North got to work on the long project that would become Diablo 3.

JoystiqBlizzard North considered making Diablo Junior for the Game Boy Color originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-northdavid-craddockDiablo-3interviewmobilepcstay-awhile-and-listenFri, 12 Oct 2012 03:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Splinter Cell: Blacklist aims to take Conviction's promise to the next level and then some]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/splinter-cell-blacklist-aims-to-take-convictions-promise-to-th/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/splinter-cell-blacklist-aims-to-take-convictions-promise-to-th/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/splinter-cell-blacklist-aims-to-take-convictions-promise-to-th/#comments Splinter Cell Blacklist aims to take Conviction's promise to the next level and then some"I'm not going to go into the whole story," says Splinter Cell: Blacklist creative director Maxime Béland during an interview with Joystiq at PAX 2012, "but Conviction was kind of a rescue job for me." As the last game in the Splinter Cell series (that also served as a more action-oriented reboot), Conviction ended up doing fairly well at retail. But Béland says that he and another producer were "brought in because it wasn't going well. We changed the direction and kind of shipped the game in two years. So Conviction is very sweet and sour for me."

Soon after Conviction's release, Béland says he and his team sat down to put together a spreadsheet, going through over 80 reviews of the game and marking out what features were most mentioned, and which were most positively or negatively received. The black-and-white graphics during gameplay weren't well liked, so this past E3 when Béland announced Blacklist, one of the first things he said was that black-and-white was out.

Players felt the single-player part of Conviction "was too short, and the scope of the game wasn't big enough," so growing the world of Sam Fisher has become a priority for Blacklist. And the least-liked feature of Blacklist? Fans really missed the spy vs. mercs competitive gameplay mode. That's why for Blacklist, it's implemented right back in there. "Easiest decision of my life," says Béland.

Gallery: Splinter Cell: Blacklist (E3 2012)

Continue reading Splinter Cell: Blacklist aims to take Conviction's promise to the next level and then some

JoystiqSplinter Cell: Blacklist aims to take Conviction's promise to the next level and then some originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ghostinterviewmaxime-belandmicrosoftpantherpax-2012pax-prime-2012pcplaystationps3splinter-cell-blacklisttankxboxTue, 11 Sep 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Notch still working on 0x10c, despite a few stops and starts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/notch-still-working-on-0x10c-despite-a-few-stops-and-starts/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/notch-still-working-on-0x10c-despite-a-few-stops-and-starts/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/notch-still-working-on-0x10c-despite-a-few-stops-and-starts/#comments Notch still working on 0x10c, despite a few stops and startsSpeaking to Joystiq at PAX last weekend, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson told us that while most of his days lately are taken up with "just discussing how to do stuff" ("and then Reddit," he added slyly), work continues on the 0x10c space game he announced a while ago. Oh, and in case you're still wondering how the title is pronounced, Notch calls it "ten-to-the-C."

"I have the game world fleshed out, all the soft stuff, like the setting," he says. "And I have the emulator for the CPU, which is probably the most complex part of it, all written. I had a prototype for walking around and trying out all of the graphics styles, but that wasn't really fun. So I kind of took a break to recharge my batteries and deal with some personal stuff, and then I'll probably start over again when I get back to Sweden." Starting over again means he'll just rework the graphical engine on the game, and "rethink how the rendering is done, how the physics is done for the character."

The team working on 0x10c did have a building interface in mind for players to design their own spaceships, and Notch said it was heavily based on the popular 3D Construction Kit. But the interface wasn't fun, he told us. "We had something kind of inspired by [the Kit], with cubes you could remove corners from to make angles, but it turned really annoying when you tried to build anything."

And Notch also confirmed that the game, whenever it is ready, will be released to the public in the way Minecraft was, in various states as it's being built. Notch says he got the idea to release games that way from the old roguelike genre, of all places. "The first version they release is just you can walk around in the dungeon and that's it, that's the extent of what you can do. That's where I got it from." That release schedule, he said, works well for games that fall back on sandbox or user-generated content. "If you're making like The Walking Dead or something, because it's story driven," he said, then obviously a half-finished version won't work. "You're just going to ruin it for people in the other versions."

JoystiqNotch still working on 0x10c, despite a few stops and starts originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>0x10ccodinginterviewnotchpax-2012pax-prime-2012pcphysicssci-fishipsspaceThu, 06 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Notch responds to Guncraft: 'I'm a huge fan of clones']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/notch-responds-to-guncraft-im-a-huge-fan-of-clones/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/notch-responds-to-guncraft-im-a-huge-fan-of-clones/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/notch-responds-to-guncraft-im-a-huge-fan-of-clones/#comments Notch responds to Guncraft 'I'm a huge fan of clones'Before PAX started up in Seattle last week, even before the booths were assembled in the convention center, we heard about Exato Games' plan to attract Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson's attention to its own Guncraft. "Notch, come have a beer with us," John Getty said through Joystiq last week. So how did that go?

At least on Saturday morning, when Joystiq sat down to chat with Notch, that beer hadn't yet been shared. "I saw some video going on, and it looked like Minecraft with guns," Notch told us, "which seems like a fairly interesting game if you don't make it fantasy." But he hadn't stopped by the booth, and it didn't sound much like he planned on doing so.

Notch that there was no drama between the two developers, however. "I'm a huge fan of clones," he said. "I think clones is how games evolve, I'm a huge proponent of patterns." At the same time, however, Notch says he's "been through hell and back" enough to know how trademarks work, and he's a fan of protecting those as well. "I think trademarks are great, because you can go this is our product, this is your product and it can all be seen by consumers."

That's Notch's real response to Guncraft's attempts to get his attention. "A lot of people will come up and say, 'Oh, so Guncraft is actually your new thing?' They're kind of maybe sort of kind of maybe implying that we're connected somehow, and we're not," Notch said to us. "It's just a clone. If they want to make a clone, that's awesome, as long as it's clear we're not related in any way."

JoystiqNotch responds to Guncraft: 'I'm a huge fan of clones' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>guncraftinterviewmarkus-perssonminecraftnotchpax-2012pax-prime-2012pcThu, 06 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mass Effect 3 single-player DLC to focus on Shepard]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/mass-effect-3-single-player-dlc-to-focus-on-shepard/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/mass-effect-3-single-player-dlc-to-focus-on-shepard/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/mass-effect-3-single-player-dlc-to-focus-on-shepard/#comments So, what's next for Mass Effect? Producer Mike Gamble showed off one picture of future Mass Effect 3 content in his panel at Comic-Con, and from what he told Joystiq it seems to point to more single-player DLC. "We want to do single-player DLC," he said. "We want to do single-player, maybe more multiplayer if people still play it."

That single-player DLC, whatever it is, will still be about Shepard, not someone else in the universe. "Mass Effect 3 is Shepard's story," said Gamble, "so the single-player DLC for Mass Effect 3 will probably focus around Shepard."

The Earth DLC pack for Mass Effect 3 will be the fifth update to the game since launch, following three other multiplayer updates, and the Extended Cut update that fans begged for. Mike Gamble and his team have learned a lot over the course of these updates, but he told us there were quite a few things that surprised them about the reception to Mass Effect 3 multiplayer.

"We see people who have everything unlocked all the way up to level 20 on everything, plus all the mods, plus all of the gear, everything," said Gamble. "It takes a lot of time, a lot of time to get that stuff, like hundreds and hundreds of hours of play to usually get up to that level. And some of these people had done it in the first month to two months."

Gamble was also been surprised by the response to the Vorcha class, playable for the first time in the Rebellion Pack DLC. "I expected people to shy away from the Vorcha because they're Vorcha, but everyone seems to love to play with them."

JoystiqMass Effect 3 single-player DLC to focus on Shepard originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comic-concomic-con-2012dlcearthinterviewmass-effect-3microsoftmike-gamblepcplaystationps3sdcc-2012shepardsingleplayerxboxTue, 17 Jul 2012 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zynga CEO: company building cross-platform cloud compatibility]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/zynga-ceo-company-building-cross-platform-cloud-compatibility/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/zynga-ceo-company-building-cross-platform-cloud-compatibility/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/zynga-ceo-company-building-cross-platform-cloud-compatibility/#comments We've already heard from Zynga how the company plans expand its scope a little bit from its very popular Facebook-only titles. Zynga founder Mark Pincus says in an interview with Om Malik that its policy extends to current tech being built to share saves across the cloud. "In other words, you can play a game on a computer and call it up on Xbox," Pincus says as an example, "and you resume from the point you left off, except the game play will now be customized for the Xbox controller." Game information will be shared, but the experience will be different.

That's already the case for Zynga's games on iOS -- they have a very different feel when played on mobile devices, and have even found different audiences. "Words for Friends doesn't do as well on Facebook as it does on the iPhone," for instance, "because they are a mobile first experience. Our poker game does well on the mobile as well."

This doesn't mean that Pincus is saying Zynga's working on Xbox ports of its titles. Instead, the company is building out the tech right now to extend these games out in various forms to even more platforms in the future.

JoystiqZynga CEO: company building cross-platform cloud compatibility originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>compatibilitycontrollercross-platformfarmvillegameplayinterviewmark-pincusmicrosoftom-malikpcxboxxbox-liveFri, 23 Mar 2012 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria tries to breathe new life into an old World of Warcraft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/mists-of-pandaria-tries-to-breath-new-life-into-an-old-world-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/mists-of-pandaria-tries-to-breath-new-life-into-an-old-world-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/mists-of-pandaria-tries-to-breath-new-life-into-an-old-world-of/#comments Video games these days have a shorter shelf life than ever before. Titles fall out of the top ten within days or weeks (if they ever get there at all), there are awesome new releases arriving every month or so, and even the biggest games are on a yearly (if that) sequel schedule at this point. And yet World of Warcraft has remained a constant. Blizzard's MMO has held millions of players in sway for over half a decade, and those players have killed countless boars, cleared out endless quests, dungeons, and raids, and have vanquished not one but three world-threatening expansion bosses, in the forms of Illidan Stormrage, Arthas the Lich King, and Deathwing and his Cataclysm.

So Blizzard is perhaps taking on its hardest task ever with the upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion. There's no question in the halls of the (recently quieter) Blizzard campus in Irvine, California that the game is at a crossroads of sorts. Blizzard's formula for WoW expansions (define a baddie, and lead a player to gear and level up to the final fight) has worked so far, but it's almost as if the company realizes that the old tricks are getting old.

Blizzard needs, then, to take World of Warcraft, one of history's most-played, most-traversed, and most-conquered games, and make it feel new. "This is definitely different fare from any expansion we've tried so far," VP of Creative Development Chris Metzen said in a presentation to assembled press. He then talked about the game on a much longer scale than a few weeks, a few months, or even a Call of Duty-length year. "The big global threat that's coming, to define the next couple years of WoW's gameplay, is really war itself."

Gallery: World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (3/18/12)

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria tries to breathe new life into an old World of Warcraft

JoystiqMists of Pandaria tries to breathe new life into an old World of Warcraft originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentchris-metzenexpansionghostcrawlergreg-streetinterviewj-allen-brackpandapandarenpcscott-mercertalentsupdatewarwarcraftworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandariaMon, 19 Mar 2012 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jaffe outlines plans post-Eat Sleep Play; no Twisted Metal DLC or sequel planned]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/jaffe-outlines-plans-post-eat-sleep-play-no-twisted-metal-dlc-o/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/jaffe-outlines-plans-post-eat-sleep-play-no-twisted-metal-dlc-o/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/jaffe-outlines-plans-post-eat-sleep-play-no-twisted-metal-dlc-o/#comments As we learned earlier this week, Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe will be leaving Eat Sleep Play sometime after the series relaunch of Twisted Metal hits store shelves. Jaffe sat down with our own Alexander Sliwinski during this week's DICE summit for a segment on The Joystiq Show, during which he elaborated on his waning presence at Eat Sleep Play and his plans for creating a new studio based out of San Diego.

"I will be with Eat Sleep Play until we finish what's called the 'maintenance contract' we have and have been working on with Sony. That will allow us, post-launch, to stay and address issues that there's no way we can know of. Cleaning things up in terms of balance, bugs, tuning, tweaks." This maintenance contract expires at the end of March, at which point Jaffe plans on cultivating new ideas, as well as a new team, for his fledgling studio.

"There's no corporate filings, there's no official company name yet; 99 percent of my day is Twisted Metal right now. There's four games I would love to do, the one I do really depends on the team I can put together and the money that I can find to make it." His ideas for new titles include both console and browser-based offerings, with a "guerilla-style" survival-horror thrown in for good measure: "There's a survival-horror genre in there, a real low-budget survival horror, kinda guerilla film making style. Not in terms of the look, but in terms of that kind of financing and that kind of production."

Jaffe recently told Game Informer that there are no sequel or DLC plans for Twisted Metal, although that doesn't mean he's left the series for good. "You never know what the future holds, I'd love to make another Twisted down the road with these guys one day, if that opportunity presents itself." For now, though, Jaffe's focus is on building new experiences with new IPs.

JoystiqJaffe outlines plans post-Eat Sleep Play; no Twisted Metal DLC or sequel planned originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david-jaffedicedice-2012eat-sleep-playinterviewnew-studiotwisted-metaltwisted-metal-2011twisted-metal-2012Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sid Meier: modern graphics have lowered the barriers of entry to gaming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/sid-meier-modern-graphics-have-lowered-the-barriers-of-entry-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/sid-meier-modern-graphics-have-lowered-the-barriers-of-entry-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/sid-meier-modern-graphics-have-lowered-the-barriers-of-entry-to/#comments In this interview with Game Informer, legendary developer Sid Meier says even he has succumbed to the lure of modern graphics. "I used to love to try and challenge the players' imagination," he says, "to show them a few pixels in 16 colors and try and convince them that they're ruling an empire to stand the test of time. But I think today's player is not really willing to make that investment, so we're able to bring the worlds to life in 3D."

But he also believes that beefing up the graphics has brought in a much bigger audience than games could have picked up 20 years ago. "You had to kind of suspend your disbelief and be willing to step into that world," says Meier. "Today we make it a lot easier," and as a result, players who want more than a few pixels on screen can also get their fix.

Meier's currently the creative director of game development at Firaxis, and though he's not participating directly on XCOM it doesn't mean he's not working. Every morning, he says, he comes out of the shower with "about 10 ideas," and is constantly iterating with his team on different prototypes. "Most of them," he says, "just go back into the trash heap." In other words, anyone who wants to make an awesome game should probably go root around in the garbage cans near Sparks Glencoe, Maryland.

JoystiqSid Meier: modern graphics have lowered the barriers of entry to gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>civilizationfiraxis-gamesgame-designgraphicsinterviewmarylandpcsid-meierstrategyWed, 01 Feb 2012 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hideo Kojima gets his Revengeance with Metal Gear Rising]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/hideo-kojima-gets-his-revengeance-with-metal-gear-rising/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/hideo-kojima-gets-his-revengeance-with-metal-gear-rising/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/hideo-kojima-gets-his-revengeance-with-metal-gear-rising/#comments Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and Platinum Games producer Atsushi Inaba took the stage at Konami's offices here in Los Angeles earlier this week for a mea culpa of sorts: Kojima now admits that Metal Gear Solid Rising, though it may have looked nice in the trailer back at E3 2010, just wasn't working.

"In the summer of 2010, the team made a presentation for me," he recounted through a translator, "and I realized the game design still wasn't there yet." The team's vision was split between stealth and action, the idea of "cut everything" worked technically but made for gameplay that was too open-ended, and the game just wasn't fun, says Kojima. "As the young staff said to me, they wanted a good game that just felt good moving around, and we would never get that, so I decided to cancel the project."

"But still, we had a lot of things" that could still be used, says Kojima. "Motion capture, a lot of good story, the view of the world inside the game, and I wanted to use that somehow. I wanted Rising to be born again, so that's when I decided to contact Platinum Games."

Gallery: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3/ Xbox 360)

Continue reading Hideo Kojima gets his Revengeance with Metal Gear Rising

JoystiqHideo Kojima gets his Revengeance with Metal Gear Rising originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atsushi-inabahideo-kojimainterviewkojima-productionsmetal-gear-rising-revengeancemetal-gear-solid-risingplatinum-gamesplaystationps3qATue, 13 Dec 2011 20:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/#comments The build of Diablo 3 being shown at BlizzCon 2011 last week did have a few polish updates, but generally it was the same content previously available in the beta, which we've covered thoroughly so far. Diablo 3's Technical Director Wyatt Chang agreed while chatting with me last week that the game is basically content complete, but the polish phase is far from over. "Content complete for us usually means things like voice recording, art, assets are in place, but it doesn't mean that things like the tuning, balance, and game systems are in place."

The team is still working hard on some of the core concepts, however -- one issue that's come up lately is whether players can switch skills on the fly or not. In the beta, says Cheng, "you can play with your skill window open, and you can switch skills in the middle of the fight, which has some upsides and it's very cool in one regard, but on the whole, I think it's sort of a more negative experience, and a lot of people in the community have agreed." Just recently, the team was dealing with things like "how many Pages of Training you can have in one stack," so they are starting to dive into the nitty gritty of how the game will work.

Gallery: Diablo 3 (10/21/11)

Continue reading Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet

JoystiqDiablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betablizzcon-2011designDiablo-3interviewpcpolishingskillswyatt-chengTue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:00 EST<![CDATA[IndieCade 2011: Tom Sennett cares about Deepak Fights Robots]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/indiecade-2011-tom-sennett-cares-about-deepak-fights-robots/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/indiecade-2011-tom-sennett-cares-about-deepak-fights-robots/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/indiecade-2011-tom-sennett-cares-about-deepak-fights-robots/#comments
When Tom Sennett stepped on stage to pick up the Game Design award at this year's IndieCade, his entire speech suggested strongly that he doesn't, um, really care. But here's his secret: He actually does. "I take the work very seriously," he said. When it comes to Deepak Fights Robots (currently available on Mac, Windows and Linux), Sennett actually cares very much.

Sure, the graphics look like they were created with free software and a mouse (they were), the action ranges from surreal to nonsensical, and the game's funky soundtrack and aesthetic (that extended even to the signs around Sennett's IndieCade display, as seen above) might make you think Deepak Fights Robots is just a joke. It is funny, but once you dive into the game mechanics at play here, there's a surprising amount of depth and insight built on just a few standard platformer-style tropes.

Continue reading IndieCade 2011: Tom Sennett cares about Deepak Fights Robots

JoystiqIndieCade 2011: Tom Sennett cares about Deepak Fights Robots originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deepak-fights-robotsdevelopersindiecadeindiecade-2011interviewpcMon, 10 Oct 2011 23:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Hideo Kojima talks life, influences at USC presentation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/hideo-kojima-talks-life-influences-at-usc-presentation/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/hideo-kojima-talks-life-influences-at-usc-presentation/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/hideo-kojima-talks-life-influences-at-usc-presentation/#comments Hideo Kojima (and young Kojima) in a presentation at USC. Legendary game developer Hideo Kojima took the stage at the University of Southern California last night to talk about his life as a game developer, and give a few thoughts on the current state of gaming and game development. During an interview moderated by Geoff Keighley, the creator of Metal Gear Solid spoke honestly about his past as the son of two pharmaceutical executives, his current work/life balance, and what he thinks the future of gaming looks like.

Kojima told a few cute stories from his past -- he said that he started writing as a young man, and early on wrote a long story called "Survival Battle" that had everyone in its world fight at the age of 14, earning extra time in their lifespan for each victory. He said that in college, he was an economics major, and thus the "only oddball in my class that wanted to make movies or novels." His economics thesis even included a short story "to surprise my professor, and he was very surprised," said Kojima through a translator, "but it didn't help my grade much."

Kojima also talked about his gaming influences, starting with the original Famicom, and mentioned titles like Super Mario Brothers, Xevious, and the Japanese text adventure Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken as early influences on his work. "I felt great potential in the medium," Kojima said about discovering video games, adding that the interactivity was what really drew him in early on.

Continue reading Hideo Kojima talks life, influences at USC presentation

JoystiqHideo Kojima talks life, influences at USC presentation originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biofox-enginegeoff-keighleyhideo-kojimainfluencesinterviewkojima-productionslifeplaystationpresentationps3pspsonyuniversity-of-southern-californiaThu, 06 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare 'figuring out the right way' to continue Mass Effect after ME3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/mass-effect-continuation-after-me3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/mass-effect-continuation-after-me3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/mass-effect-continuation-after-me3/#comments Speaking with business giant Forbes, BioWare founders/doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka spoke on the possibility of life after Mass Effect 3, saying that ME3's universe of diverse alien races and planets has struck a chord with the series' audience. While their priorities and resources are currently focused on "nailing it" with ME3, the doctors maintain that possibilities in the future are wide open.

"We do have a desire to continue the Mass Effect franchise," said Muzyka, "and we're working on the details, figuring out what the fans want, figuring out the right way." Given the amount of codex text the series has generated over the years, we don't doubt that there are still stories left to tell in the ME universe.

JoystiqBioWare 'figuring out the right way' to continue Mass Effect after ME3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareelectronic-artsgreg-zeschukinterviewmass-effectmass-effect-3microsoftpcplaystationps3ray-muzykaxboxMon, 27 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Prototype 2 preview: To Heller and back]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/prototype-2-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/prototype-2-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/prototype-2-preview/#comments We're just going to throw this out there, harsh as it may be: Does Prototype, 2009's open world New York-based superhero fantasy title, really need a sequel? Sure, there was some fun to be had in Alex Mercer's shoes, pulling off some over-the-top (and often just overwhelming) proto-moves, navigating a New York under alien and military siege. But by the end of the first game, we'd taken out tank after tank after tank, gutted Supreme Hunter after Supreme Hunter, and learned everything we needed to know about Blackwatch and the Blacklight virus, didn't we? There was a lot of game in Prototype -- repeated, some might say, more than even its fans wanted.

Ken Rossman, the studio head at Radical Entertainment, obviously believes we do. He and his studio are hard at work on Prototype 2, and when we spoke with him at a pre-E3 event a little while ago, he made his case as to why we want to return to this world. The main problem with Prototype, he told us, was that "it had two volumes: 1 and 11. And really there was nothing in that middle range, so either you were in disguise and the world ignored you, sometimes, or all of a sudden you kicked the hornet's nest and the world's on fire. So that was something that we acknowledged and we were like, 'That's something that we need to figure out in a better way.'"

Gallery: Prototype 2 (6/5/2011)

Continue reading Prototype 2 preview: To Heller and back

JoystiqPrototype 2 preview: To Heller and back originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionalex-mercere3e3-2011interviewjames-hellermicrosoftopen-worldpcplaystationprototypeprototype-2ps3radical-entertainmentxboxSun, 05 Jun 2011 20:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/stardocks-brad-wardell-talks-about-selling-impulse-to-gamestop/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/stardocks-brad-wardell-talks-about-selling-impulse-to-gamestop/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/stardocks-brad-wardell-talks-about-selling-impulse-to-gamestop/#comments "Not everyone's goal in life is to run a thousand person company," said Stardock founder Brad Wardell, who just today announced that he's sold the growing digital distribution arm of his company, Impulse, to GameStop for an undisclosed sum. "Certainly the path of least resistance would have been to just grow with Impulse and become a digital retailer, but that's not what I signed up for."

Impulse was originally started as a way for Stardock to distribute its own games and software digitally, and was opened up three years ago to other developers. Since then, it's grown to compete with the big player in digital distribution, Steam. Wardell, speaking with Joystiq in an interview today, said that the growth in revenue actually became a cause for concern. "When Impulse became our number one source of revenue," said Wardell, "I realized it was time for us to look at our options there."

Continue reading Stardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop

JoystiqStardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardelldigital-distributiongamestopimpulseinterviewpcpc-gamingsalestardockThu, 31 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Notch suggests Minecraft achievements, console ports in the future]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/25/notch-suggests-minecraft-achievements-console-ports-in-the-futu/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/25/notch-suggests-minecraft-achievements-console-ports-in-the-futu/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/25/notch-suggests-minecraft-achievements-console-ports-in-the-futu/#comments Minecraft has already cemented its place as one of the best sandbox games of all time, but sometimes you need a little narrative with your creative impulses. Don't worry -- there's a solution for you: achievements. In an interview with Gamasutra, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson says that achievements are one way he could add a little narrative structure to the title, by rewarding players for doing certain things in the game in a certain order (starting by chopping down a tree, for example, and moving on to "killing a dragon or something").

Notch also says he's still surprised by all the interest in the game, both his own and that of players, who've actually turned up in greater numbers after he recently decided to raise the price. Also, while he does agree that Minecraft could be ported to other platforms at some point and "become a franchise," he warns that, "if we make an Xbox version there should be a point to it being on Xbox."

Sounds reasonable enough. Hopefully if he does go with the achievement model, we'll get a nice big reward for "Burning Down the House."

JoystiqNotch suggests Minecraft achievements, console ports in the future originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementsinterviewMinecraftMojang-SpecificationsnarrativenotchpcportxboxFri, 25 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mario Sports Mix 'press conference' reveals Mario's dreams and aspirations]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/mario-sports-mix-press-conference-reveals-marios-dreams-and-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/mario-sports-mix-press-conference-reveals-marios-dreams-and-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/mario-sports-mix-press-conference-reveals-marios-dreams-and-a/#comments Mario can be quite the stoic character. So, this 10 minute interview with the Italian plumber to promote Mario Sports Mix is a bit ... jarring. In fact, the iconic Nintendo mascot sometimes comes across as a jerk.

Continue reading Mario Sports Mix 'press conference' reveals Mario's dreams and aspirations

JoystiqMario Sports Mix 'press conference' reveals Mario's dreams and aspirations originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charles-martinetinterviewmariomario-sports-mixnintendowiiMon, 07 Feb 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Riccitiello: Digital downloads won't kill physical media just yet]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/riccitiello-digital-downloads-wont-kill-physical-media-just-ye/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/riccitiello-digital-downloads-wont-kill-physical-media-just-ye/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/riccitiello-digital-downloads-wont-kill-physical-media-just-ye/#comments EA CEO John Riccitiello said recently that 2011 would see digital sales overtaking retail sales, but before you start trashing all of those $60 discs and plastic cases you bought, not so fast. Riccitiello also says that game discs aren't going away "any time soon." Sometimes it's just easier to plug in a disc or buy a box than receive a huge download over a relatively slow connection, he says, and what the industry will end up doing is choosing certain cases out of all of the options for various uses. "I think it'd pretty silly for us to stream Scrabble to you," he says. "Why would you want to pay for bandwidth for us to redraw a Scrabble board sixty times a second? That's just sort of bad math, if nothing else."

Not to mention that "the disc can actually be a great starting point for a digital business, like an MMO, World of Warcraft, for instance." While digital and streaming services will almost certainly see growth this year, it's far too early for game makers and retailers alike to completely abandon physical media. The consumer, says Riccitiello, "doesn't care what the technology is, what lives behind the veiled curtain; they just want it to work." Amen.

JoystiqRiccitiello: Digital downloads won't kill physical media just yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digitaleaea-ceointerviewjohn-riccitiellophysical-mediasalesThu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[From the VGAs Red Carpet: Treyarch's Mark Lamia]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/12/from-the-vgas-red-carpet-treyarchs-mark-lamia/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/12/from-the-vgas-red-carpet-treyarchs-mark-lamia/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/12/from-the-vgas-red-carpet-treyarchs-mark-lamia/#comments With Infinity Ward's studio heads on the outs with Activision, it was up to Treyarch to take over the Call of Duty series, and according to fan reception, it did exactly that. "The response that I've gotten," Treyarch head Mark Lamia tells us, "is that people are happy with the game." But he says during VGA's red carpet event that it was never about competition among Activision's studios. "We've just got to stay focused on what we want, what we're making and our own creative, and that's really the best way to do your best work."

Now that it's become the Call of Duty heir apparent, what's next for Treyarch? "First thing we're doing," says Lamia, " is we're still working on Black Ops." Lamia promises Treyarch is listening to the community and will be responsive in tuning the game and providing new content. "So everyone who bought and is investing their time in Black Ops, they can expect that that's just how we work." Lamia says Treyarch is in fact "a Call of Duty studio as far as anyone is concerned."

World at War's Zombies mode had a successful life on the iPhone, and we asked if Treyarch was considering trying to replicate that success with Black Ops. Lamia says he trusts developers Ideaworks to do a good job on a sequel if that's what they choose to do, but "it's not a question of can we do it or is it good to do it, it's really about focus. Right now we are just focused on the PC and console skus that were just launched. There's millions of people playing every day, and we're focused on supporting that."

JoystiqFrom the VGAs Red Carpet: Treyarch's Mark Lamia originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-dutyCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsinterviewmark-lamiamicrosoftpcplaystationps3red-carpettreyarchvga-2010xboxSun, 12 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[From the VGAs Red Carpet: Guillermo del Toro and THQ's Danny Bilson]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/12/from-the-vgas-red-carpet-guillermo-del-toro-and-thqs-danny-bil/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/12/from-the-vgas-red-carpet-guillermo-del-toro-and-thqs-danny-bil/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/12/from-the-vgas-red-carpet-guillermo-del-toro-and-thqs-danny-bil/#comments THQ Executive VP of Core Games Danny Bilson stopped by our red carpet post at the VGAs this weekend with director Guillermo del Toro in tow, and Bilson talked with us about all of THQ's upcoming properties, including the quickly ensuing Red Faction movie on SyFy. "They're prepping right now," he promised, "And there's another one coming that we're going to announce soon." Would that be the elusive Saints Row 3? "I can't talk about it or they'll cut my head off," he said. "But we're going to be talking about it at some point in the future in a big way."

For his part, Guillermo del Toro decided to work with THQ on the newly revealed inSane because he believes that gaming "is one of the most immersive mediums for storytelling right now." We asked him to tick off a few specifics, and he dutifully did. "Left 4 Dead has passages that are incredibly scary. Silent Hill is great, and Shadow of the Colossus was incredibly moving. There are Call of Duty moments that are better than any war movie."

Bilson interrupted at that one. "Wait until they ride the bus in the first level of Homefront!" As for del Toro's inSane, Bilson says, "we're only focusing on the game right now, and whatever happens later happens later. But we're building an incredible world together that we will be talking about more later on." We'll look forward to it.

JoystiqFrom the VGAs Red Carpet: Guillermo del Toro and THQ's Danny Bilson originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>danny-bilsonguillermo-del-torohomefrontinsaneinterviewred-carpetsaints-row-3thqvga-2010Sun, 12 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Inafune talks about Capcom split, wants to be 'driving force' in game development]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/01/inafune-talks-about-capcom-split-wants-to-be-driving-force-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/01/inafune-talks-about-capcom-split-wants-to-be-driving-force-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/01/inafune-talks-about-capcom-split-wants-to-be-driving-force-in/#comments
Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune has blasted the Japanese gaming industry in an interview conducted by 4Gamer.net right after his recent exit from Capcom, and translated by a NeoGAF forum user. In it, Inafune says that Japanese publishers are "making developers into salarymen" and that he could no longer be the designer he wanted to be at Capcom. Inafune also revealed that he would have liked to have worked alongside his former employer after the split, perhaps as an outside contractor, but was told, "That won't be necessary."

Inafune is quite honest in the interview, commenting that Capcom won't survive using its current employment structure, and that the company will have to pare down its internal workforce and commission Western developers to help make its games in the future. Western developers, says Inafune, are "far and away more passionate" than Capcom's internal teams -- and technically superior, as well.

As for what's next, it sounds like Inafune is planning to start his own company. He says he wants to "do business" and be a "further driving force" in the Japanese games industry. It's a pretty epic interview; you can read it in its entirety at the via link.

JoystiqInafune talks about Capcom split, wants to be 'driving force' in game development originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-rising-2gamingindustryinterviewjapankeiji-inafuneMon, 01 Nov 2010 21:35:00 EST<![CDATA[StarCraft 2's designer stands by tradition, promises updates 'soon']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/22/starcraft-2s-designer-stands-by-tradition-promises-updates-so/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/22/starcraft-2s-designer-stands-by-tradition-promises-updates-so/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/22/starcraft-2s-designer-stands-by-tradition-promises-updates-so/#commentsFiled under: , ,

To hear Starcraft 2 designer Dustin Browder tell it, creating games at Blizzard takes years of fighting and yelling rather than coding or creating art -- every little decision is a "a three-week or longer holy war." Browder says that the controversial decision to release the RTS as three titles was made to get the game out faster -- after all that arguing, Blizzard figured that it needed to release something, and if that had been the whole game, we'd have been waiting even longer. As it was, he says, "we wanted to get a product into consumers' hands sometime before the end of the decade. Even that we didn't quite make, I guess, but it was still sooner!"

Browder answers fans' concerns about how closely the second game resembles the first by suggesting that adapting RTS competitors' innovations wouldn't have made the game more successful. "I haven't really seen another gameplay experience that's attracted millions of players with hundreds of thousands playing online," he says. "I have not seen someone else be successful by removing economy. I have not seen other RTSes be successful by removing micro."

And finally, he says to look for future updates coming to the game, both in the form of patches to Battle.net, and in the other versions. There's no timeline set yet for the paid user maps program, but Blizzard is working on more art for modders, and updates "for our fans to get more value out of Battle.net." As for what updates will be in the second retail title, Heart of the Swarm, Browder seems to hint that Blizzard just hasn't decided yet. They must still be throwing things and yelling down in Irvine.

JoystiqStarCraft 2's designer stands by tradition, promises updates 'soon' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-netblizzard-entertainmentdustin-browdergame-informerinterviewpatchespcrtsStarcraft-2starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarmupdatesWed, 22 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: The Behemoth's Battleblock Theater (Comic-Con build)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/28/preview-the-behemoths-battleblock-theater-comic-con-build/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/28/preview-the-behemoths-battleblock-theater-comic-con-build/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/28/preview-the-behemoths-battleblock-theater-comic-con-build/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Indie gaming studio The Behemoth was an unexpected surprise among the video game booths at Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego. We haven't heard much about its upcoming Battleblock Theater since it was announced, making the brand new build on the show floor all the more enticing.

Like the previous version we played, gameplay revolved around little blockheads battling it out in a deathmatch ... put on for the entertainment of large cats.

Continue reading Preview: The Behemoth's Battleblock Theater (Comic-Con build)

JoystiqPreview: The Behemoth's Battleblock Theater (Comic-Con build) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleblock-theatercomic-con-2010gameplayindieinterviewmicrosoftthe-behemothtom-fulpxblaxboxWed, 28 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[38 Studios on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/26/38-studios-on-kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/26/38-studios-on-kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/26/38-studios-on-kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Curt Schilling's 38 Studios has finally announced the title of its first game at Comic-Con, and while details on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning are still sparse, you can't argue that the game's already got potential. Fantasy author R.A. Salvatore has been working on the game's world and story, comic artist Todd McFarlane is designing the art, and Big Huge Games has teamed up with Elder Scrolls veteran Ken Rolston to put the title together.

That's Schilling's gamble -- as an experienced gamer himself ("I've got five 70-plus" characters in World of Warcraft, he says), he's trying to make something that thrills him. On Thursday, the team held a Comic-Con panel and teased a mix of "deep quest narrative" and "combat that keeps you doing combat." Todd McFarlane jumped up on his chair to show off how big his characters' motions were and promised that "we will kill some people better in this game than anybody kills anybody."

But can this talented lineup pull it off? I sat down to chat with Schilling, Salvatore, and Big Huge Games' lead designer, Mark Nelson, to see if they could share anything beyond what the short trailer and the screenshots revealed.

Gallery: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (screenshots)

Continue reading 38 Studios on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Joystiq38 Studios on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-studioscomic-con-2010curt-schillingeainterviewkingdoms-of-amalur-reckoningmark-nelsonmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ra-salvatorexboxMon, 26 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3 producer wants Carmine dead]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/23/gears-of-war-3-producer-wants-carmine-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/23/gears-of-war-3-producer-wants-carmine-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/23/gears-of-war-3-producer-wants-carmine-dead/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Rod Fergusson is the executive producer of Gears of War 3, and he wants Clayton Carmine to die. He wore a "Carmine Must Die" t-shirt at Microsoft's Comic-Con party last night, casting his vote for the fate of the third Carmine brother, but he's willing to leave the decision up to the fans: "They kept saying, 'How can you be so mean,' and 'What about Mrs. Carmine,' and 'What's that like [losing her sons]' -- all this stuff," he told us at the event. "And so we're like, let's just question them and see what they want."

Fergusson also shared a few development updates, relaying the most difficult part about designing the new Beast Mode: getting all of the playable beasts to control as solidly as Gears and Locust characters. "Just making sure the camera works from a Ticker to a Serapede to a Berserker," he explained, "just refining the technical ways of making people feel like they have control and that they're grounded in the character." It's not so much about balancing the beasts, though -- Epic wants these creatures to feel powerful, so "even if it's overbalanced a little towards the monsters, that's cool. We want to make players feel successful."

Thankfully, some development components have gone down smooth. "Ice-T is kicking it as Griffin," Fergusson reconfirmed. "We recorded it this week remote from New York ... Ice is doing a great, great job -- we wanted him to be him somewhat, but he's just bringing that character to life for us. It's really fun working with him on that stuff."

JoystiqGears of War 3 producer wants Carmine dead originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carmineclayton-carminecomic-con-2010epic-gamesgears-of-war-3ice-tinterviewmicrosoftrod-fergussonxboxFri, 23 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Warren Spector]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/interview-warren-spector/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/interview-warren-spector/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/interview-warren-spector/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Warren Spector is here at E3 this week showing off his Disney Epic Mickey project for the first time, and we got to sit down with the creator of System Shock and Deus Ex to talk about his new gig with the House of Mouse.

After the jump below, Spector answers our questions about why he decided to do a Disney game in the time and place that he did, his favorite Disney properties, and how hard it is to make a platformer game. Read on for more.

Continue reading Interview: Warren Spector

JoystiqInterview: Warren Spector originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disney-epic-mickeye3-2010Epic-Mickeyinterviewmickey-mousenintendowarren-spectorwiiThu, 17 Jun 2010 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions impressions and interview with producer Meghan Morgan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/spider-man-shattered-dimensions-impressions-and-interview-with/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/spider-man-shattered-dimensions-impressions-and-interview-with/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/spider-man-shattered-dimensions-impressions-and-interview-with/#comments At a pre-E3 event a few weeks ago, Activision finally took the wraps off of the third of four universes that Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will travel through, and Peter David geeks everywhere cheered: the game is going nearly a century in the future to the Spider-Man of 2099. We got an early look at gameplay in the new universe, and it's hyperkinetic, with vast future cityscapes full of flying cars and neon setting the backdrop to the skull-emblazoned dark blue figure of the future Spider-man flipping and kicking in dizzying aerial fights.

The future setting wasn't the only new footage we saw -- Activision also showed off another Noir level, set in a carnival atmosphere, where stealthy Spidey was pitted up against that universe's Norman Osbourne, a.k.a. Goblin, a crime boss. That level was much slower than other parts of the game we've seen -- until Spider-man got spotted, at which point the music spurred into action ... and Activision moved on to the 2099 reveal.

Gallery: Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions E3 2010

Continue reading Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions impressions and interview with producer Meghan Morgan

JoystiqSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions impressions and interview with producer Meghan Morgan originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbeenoxe3-2010interviewmeghan-morganmicrosoftmiguel-oharanintendoplaystationps3spider-man-2099spider-man-shattered-dimensionswiixboxXbox-360Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Hunting orbs with Crackdown 2's Billy Tomson and James Cope]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/27/interview-hunting-orbs-with-crackdown-2s-billy-tomson-and-jame/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/27/interview-hunting-orbs-with-crackdown-2s-billy-tomson-and-jame/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/27/interview-hunting-orbs-with-crackdown-2s-billy-tomson-and-jame/#comments
Though the Crackdown franchise has a new development team in Ruffian Games, the upcoming sequel hopes to retain the best qualities found in the original Xbox hit. You'd think the task is made easier when former Realtime Worlds employees form part of the developer, but creative director Billy Tomson and producer James Cope believe there is still room for improvement.

In an interview with Joystiq, the pair discussed Crackdown 2's vision and its attempt to perfect the open-world formula. Read on to learn more about the limitations of the original engine, memory complications, the omission of female playable characters, and plans for future content.

Gallery: Crackdown 2 (X10)


Continue reading Interview: Hunting orbs with Crackdown 2's Billy Tomson and James Cope

JoystiqInterview: Hunting orbs with Crackdown 2's Billy Tomson and James Cope originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 May 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>billy-tomsoncrackdown-2interviewjames-copeMicrosoftruffian-gamesXbox-360Thu, 27 May 2010 12:20:00 EST