Joystiq

GC 2008: New Killzone 2 footage shows game is 'pre-beta'

Ross Miller — 2008-08-21T07:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

While not as high quality as the falsified chat multiplayer trailer, the Kizzy Dos (remember, that's our nickname for Killzone 2) footage from Leipzig GC 2008 above does reveal that the game is now in pre-beta. When we last saw the game about a month ago at E3, K2 was rocking a pre-alpha build. We're happy to see the game progressing smoothly, even if we have to wait until February to play the final build. Here's to hoping developer Guerilla Games follows in the footsteps of its peers and opens a public beta for the game.

Gallery: Killzone 2

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GC 2008: Killzone 2 says, 'Hey, look at me!'

James Ransom-Wiley — 2008-08-20T17:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters, Galleries

click for maximum ogle

Perhaps "pretty" isn't the most appropriate word to describe Killzone 2. But if Guerrilla's shooter keeps showing up to the party looking like this, well, then what choice do we have? We're hot for you, Kizzy*. Three spooky red eyes and all!

(*Yup, official Killzone pet name confirmed.)

Gallery: Killzone 2 (Leipzig 2008)

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Joystiq E3 hands-on: Killzone 2

James Ransom-Wiley — 2008-07-18T20:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, E3

How did Killzone come to carry such a burden? I asked myself this as I slogged through an early level in Killzone 2. PlayStation 2 wanted its "Spartan" and the original Killzone was called to task, failing miserably. And then, almost forgotten, Killzone emerged again through a dazzling display of smoke and mirrors at E3 2005. Three years later, we're inching ever closer to Killzone 2's release in February 2009. Now that the smoke is settling we wonder if a true "Halo killer" stands before us.

The E3 2008 demo begins with a beach landing (what else?), and continues with a crawl up into the bowels of a hellish place. This is a gray and lonely world, an industrial city of towering steels and concrete. The views are beautiful though. This is a gorgeous game -- Guerrilla has delivered on that promise. Where Halo offers relief from the horror of its subject matter with rich, 'toonish colors, Killzone plunges your senses deep into the despair and grotesqueness of a world at war. The stark environments are enriched by a distinct art design. There's cinema here. But we're not idly watching, are we?

Gallery: Killzone 2 (E3 2008)

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Killzone 2 multiplayer: everything you need to know

James Ransom-Wiley — 2008-07-16T21:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Online, E3

Guerrilla hosted a Killzone 2 "online" (what else?) multiplayer tutorial at E3 today, detailing the ins and outs of the experience. What we saw borrowed much from recent efforts, including Call of Duty 4, Team Fortress 2, Metal Gear Online, and even Battlefield Bad Company. Player progression is at the core of Killzone's multiplayer, which supports up to 32 players and features 8 maps of varying sizes and 5 missions (game modes).

Player progression is divided into 12 military ranks and 46 ribbons and medals, which, once earned, unlock game features. The key game feature is the badge (think: character class). There are six badges, unlocked through progression (except the default Rifleman), each possessing a primary ability and secondary ability, and linked to certain weapon groups. The badges are:

Rifleman: default badge; no special abilities
Engineer: erect automated turret (primary); repair skill (secondary)
Medic: revive teammates; deploy health packs
Scout: cloaking suit; tag enemies with hidden marker (they become revealed on team radar)
Assault: heavy armor; sprint boost
Tactician: green smoke grenades (they're spawn points!); AI sentry bot (it's the COD4 helicopter but cooler)
Saboteur: enemy disguise; proximity-activated C4 charge

Badges can be combined in order to merge two abilities from two different badges, creating a new class. For example, players can create a Medic Engineer possessing revive and repair abilities. (PS3 Fanboy has more on multiplayer classes.)

Gallery: Killzone 2 Online Multiplayer

Clans are another unlockable, with the draw being "valor" points, a sort of team currency. Valor points are wagered before clan matches and tournaments, with the winning team earning the pot. Perennial losers will be able to claw back from broke by entering no-fee tournaments (facing a field of up to 256 clans) ... and, gulp, winning. Less dedicated players have the option to create more casual alliances, squads, which can be formed mid-match via a menu screen, linking up to 4 players (two squads or 8 players form a faction). Squad benefits include the ability to spawn on the heels of the designated squad leader, a private headset channel (accessible even from the grave) and shared HUD data.

Guerrilla is attempting to design a multiplayer game that "inspires" teamwork, and the missions are clearly orientated toward team-play:

Assassination
Body Count
Capture & Hold
Search & Destroy
Search & Retrieve

Missions can be made "dynamic," combined to create a match with changing objectives. Search & Retrieve morphs into Assassination; a player escaping with the coveted object becomes the target to the opposing team.

Loads of game data will be tracked -- more than 100 stats in all -- across a robust series of leaderboards, which will be integrated into Killzone.com. The site will also include a clan management feature used for tweaking your team's roster or posing challenges to opposing clans. Global servers promise those challenges can be flung overseas for intercontinental warfare.

Killzone 2 multiplayer is doing a lot right, not a lot new. (There are a few tweaks to the formula: a "spawnmap overview" includes a real-time camera capturing the current activity at any given spawn point as you decide where to redeploy.) But the key to success is in the execution. And that's months away.

What else...? Public beta confirmed (again). "Later this year."

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Killzone 2 delay a 'pure management decision'

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-05-21T13:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Business

A statement by Sony PR on the PlayStation Blog clarifies some details about Killzone 2's delay to February 2009 and confirms that the game is also being released in North America that month (previously, that date had only been confirmed for Europe). Sony's Ron Eagle explains that the game was intentionally delayed because the fall release calendar was already full.

Eagle points out that if Killzone 2 was released this fall, it would be the third shooter in the PS3 marketplace (joining SOCOM and Resistance 2) fighting for retail dollars, so the decision was made to push its release into the new year (how'd they decide which to delay -- flip a coin?). Eagle insists that "there is nothing wrong" with Killzone and the so-called delay is a "pure management decision." If holiday 2008 is anything like last year, our wallets are already thankful to the management for the breathing room.

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See Mirror's Edge in PlayStation Day footage [update]

Justin McElroy — 2008-05-06T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

Update: Videos for Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 have been removed at Sony's request. "This was an internal video to show work in progress and was not ready for distribution." We will post new media when it is available.

If you were furiously pounding F5 to follow along with PS3 Fanboy's live coverage of PlayStation Day 2008, you probably felt a little pang of sadness as our man, Jem Alexander, got to see some new footage from Mirror's Edge, Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 while you had to make do with reading his text second-hand.

~~Now, you can make amends and see the videos directly from the show for yourself.~~ Oh, and you should know that the audio on the Killzone clip seems to become a little crazy at the end, but we're hoping you still get the idea. You can find Resistance Mirror's Edge ~~after the break~~ right here.

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Killzone 2 dated February 2009

James Ransom-Wiley — 2008-05-06T11:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

Live from Sony's PlayStation Day 2008 in London, David Reeves has just announced Killzone 2 for February 2009, ending speculation that the game would arrive this fall. (See, Guerrilla said so.) The apocalyptic shooter will be playable later today at the event, so head over to PS3 Fanboy for the hands-on impression and further details.

We're contacting Sony to confirm whether the Feb. '09 date is just for the European release or a worldwide launch. Update: A Sony spokesperson told us they "haven't made any announcements for Killzone 2's release date in North
America" but, perhaps sensing our disappointment, said they'll have "more news for [us] in the next couple of weeks." You'll know when we know, you know?

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Killzone 2 dev admits screenshots 'touched up'

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-12-10T13:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, First Person Shooters

Even virtual worlds need to visit the powder room before parading in public. The practice of 'touching up' is something our shallow, image-conscious society accepts (heck, we expect it!), so long as the object doesn't stray too far from our idealized imaginations. So when Guerrilla Games rolled out a new batch of Killzone 2 screens, captured from this year's E3 demo, fans noticed the images looked a little too good to be true, drawing obvious connections to Killzone's infamous E3 2005 debut trailer, which substituted actual game content with pre-rendered 'target' video.

Guerrilla QA manager Seb Downie joined the discussion on the PlayStation Forums, admitting, "[The screenshots] are only the tiniest bit touched up ... there was a little bit of colour-correction done and some minor polish, but nothing major." The comparison image above, also posted in the discussion (via PSU), seems to corroborate Downie's admission, revealing sharper colors and deeper contrasts in the 'doctored' screen on the right (effects that seem within the limits of standard display settings; i.e., a television could be capable of displaying both the dull and stylized versions of this scene by tinkering with its display settings). Also, the "original" version of the image is a frame snagged directly from video, so it's subject to a certain amount of blurring that's not necessarily an accurate depiction of gameplay frozen in that instant. In any case, how can a screenshot ever tell the truth? Downie concludes that Killzone 2 simply "looks better in motion."

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Killzone 2 dev: Blu-ray is a necessity

Ross Miller — 2007-10-17T17:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

The upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive Killzone 2 could not fit onto a DVD (capacity of dual-layer disc: 8.5 GB), according to the game's producer Steven Ter Heide. In an interview with GamePro, Heide said, "It is not a luxury to have Blu-ray, but rather a necessity, as compression only gets you so far."

He added that the one level shown at E3 took 2GB of space (approx. 24% of a dual-layer DVD), which is unsurprising since he said the same thing during an E3 presentation. Assuming he meant assets exclusive to the level (we're guessing quite a few vehicles and enemies will be seen in multiple levels), that'd make for a rather short game on DVD. Still, it's hard to be convinced by the statement when reusable assets are factored in. The real decider will be the final product; we're hoping Heide's statements indicates a plethora of content when Killzone 2 comes out.

Heide also lauds the Cell processor. We wouldn't expect a Sony developer to join in on the hardware hate-fest, but we're not hearing a lot of other developers at this point standing up for the PS3. Killzone 2 still does not have a release date.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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Virtually there: Sony's Killzone event

Andrew Yoon — 2007-07-11T13:54:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, E3, Galleries

Sony took over Sushi Roku to show off an exclusive preview of Killzone 2 to the press. While our readers continue to argue over whether or not our impressions were negative, or positive, we wanted to show you how Sony threw a party. The sushi and drinks were never-ending, and the Japanese sushi chefs were constantly jovial and friendly. The menu was simple, consisting of tuna sashimi, California rolls, shrimp tempura, and other standard sushi fare.

Amongst a crowd of international journalists and tons of unfamiliar faces, we saw Sony executives mingle and chat freely about the state of PlayStation. Somehow, the giant Phil Harrison snuck behind us as we grabbed a drink. Afar, we could hear Kaz Hirai talking about PS3 sales figures. As we headed to the behind-closed-doors screening, a life sized Helghast greeted us, with ominous eyes. We were hoping it would animate at some point, because we'd certainly be scared out of pants. The event was a rousing success, showcasing Sony's ability to mix style with gaming. Check out our gallery of the event below:

Gallery: Sushi Roku party

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Killzone 2 at E3, revisited

Andrew Yoon — 2007-07-11T04:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters, E3

Clouds dash by as a flying vehicle zooms ahead. Armored soldiers are yelling frantically, as the chaotic sounds of a war zone fill the jam-packed auditorium. Sound familiar? It's meant to be. The opening seconds of the new Killzone presentation bring to life the infamous E3 trailer from 2005 -- only this time, it's in real-time.

Certainly, the question on everyone's mind is: does it look as good as the notorious it's-not-CG-we-swear trailer from 2005? In many ways, the visual fidelity of the updated presentation matches the highly polished look of the debut trailer. Beautiful volumetric smoke filled the screen, and the characters were alive with animation. Motion blur was used to great effect, adding a subtle hint of realism (unlike the over-the-top blur of Crysis.) However, unlike the deceptive E3 presentation of yore, this one had an aura of believability. A critical eye could note a few rough jagged edges, and textures that are a far cry away from Hollywood renders. In particular, the floor textures were no short of terrible. The facial animation system could certainly use a bit more work as well. Were we a little disappointed to notice such identifiable indicators of visual flaws so quickly? Certainly. However, in spite of all the shortcomings within the game, there's no denying that Killzone 2 provides a visual feast that effectively demonstrates the technical prowess of the PlayStation 3.

Gallery: Killzone 2

The presentation continues with a Helghast that gets burned alive, much to the delight of this blogger. Although the fire didn't look particularly "next-gen," the way it interacted with the flailing body was intensely lifelike. Action connoisseurs would certainly be impressed by the first few non-interactive moments of the presentation, with innumerable explosions that would make Michael Bay jealous.

As the airship landed, we were delighted to see the presentation transition to gameplay seamlessly. The onscreen player moves down a passage, with rows of barricades, and dozens of soldiers being torn apart by Helghast fire. Even if the finer details of the game's visuals couldn't live up to the expectations created by the original E3 trailer, the actual gameplay maintained much of the same intensity. The senses become easily overwhelmed by an apocalyptic feast of aural and visual information: comrades fall, in battle, under a hailstorm of bullets and explosions. The director of the game noted Guerilla's team to create a "hostile theatre of war." They've undeniably succeeded in that.

The player, with SIXAXIS controller in hand, moved down the crowded corridor, using the default rifle's impressive zoom scope. The attention to detail in the weapons designs is much appreciated: the hand that holds the gun is well-modeled, down to the nails in the finger. The guns themselves look good, and utilize a subtle motion blur that makes it look even more authentic. Shooting through the sapphire-coloured lenses looked enticing, to say the least. As the game progresses into an indoor environment, the game stutters for a few seconds, freezing as it tries loading new data. We're told that this will be fixed in future builds of the game, but it served as a refreshing reminder that everything that we were seeing was, in fact, real.

People will most likely argue over the graphical quality of Killzone forever. It's true that it's not as good as the E3 trailer, but it's still impressive nonetheless. What made the original trailer so compelling and realistic wasn't necessarily its high polygon count, and stellar texture work. Rather, it was the incredibly lifelike animation. The new Killzone demo we saw delivered some stellar animations and ragdoll effects. Looking at the reload animations is a simple testament to the high quality of animation work in the game. One memorable moment had to be when an enemy was shot in the back, fell down, and began trying to crawl away. However, certain animations seem incomplete, as if they're missing keyframes.

Bodies are wildly thrown about due to the endless shower of explosives seen in this level, and we're glad to say that the ragdoll animations seem realistic, with an observable weightiness to the bodies. The various physics effects seemed impressive as well. At one moment in the demo, the player shot a bucket from high, and it fell and bounced as one would expect. In a particularly dramatic moment, the player ducked behind some wooden planks, which were slowly being destroyed by gunfire. It appeared as though the wood's destruction was physics based, and not from a canned animation.

A detailed animation and physics systems is a must for a game like Killzone 2. Even from the single level that we've seen, it's clear that the game lives up to its title ... almost too well. At any given moment, something must be dying in front of you, and not necessarily because of the player's actions. This is a war, and both the Helghast and the human resistance suffer severe casualties all the time. The incredible amount of carnage crafts an appropriately claustrophobic feeling, which serves as a reminder that you are, indeed, in a zone of killing.

The gameplay has us intrigued, but not completely sold. Killzone 2 will undeniably be an intense experience, but not necessarily one filled with original ideas. There were a number of moments where we saw echoes of Gears of War: at one moment, the player takes cover, and starts blind-firing at enemies that were also hiding behind cover. When running, the camera gets closer, and the camera shakes furiously, as if holding A in Gears. When a comrade falls down, it appears that players can revive them by running next to them and offering a medkit. This option suggests that Killzone will feature extensive team play, but it wasn't fully demonstrated in the demo that we observed.

A boss fight, of sorts, reminded us a little of Bioshock. "The Heavy Soldier," Killzone's equivalent of the "Big Daddy" tore apart soldiers with ease. The massive armored goliath easily pushed aside anything in its way, but it has one weakness: an explosive located on its back. After a satisfying explosion, more carnage and mayhem ensued. Of particular note was the way blood was animated: it appears to be location-specific, coming from specific points shot. In the mayhem, we thought we saw a tiny chunk of bone in one of the blood pools.

We really appreciated the HUD, or lack thereof. The ammo HUD appears on the bottom right hand corner of the screen when collecting ammo, or reloading. At all other times, it disappears, providing a clean look at the action. More interestingly is the Fight Night-inspired representation of health. When the player runs low on health, instead of using a more traditional HUD indicator, the screen starts to blur, go into black and white, and the sound becomes muffled. The worse the player becomes, the more red starts to appear, trying to recreate the experience of having blood in the eyes. As in most FPS games post-Halo, avoiding damage will restore the player's health.

One thing that'll certainly set apart Killzone 2 from other FPS games is its focus on weather. The Helghast are harnessing the power of electricity in the sky. Demonic strikes of lightning can be seen in the clouds at all times, and apparently is being used to power the weapons of the Helghast. The demo ends with the player attacking a lightning pillar, which appears to be one of the sources of the Helghast's power. By attacking its weak point, the massive pillar will explode, revealing a menacing new enemy. Too bad the presentation ended there, saying "Mission Accomplished."

The evening ended with a few brief comments on the tech specs of the PS3 exclusive. The game will feature (warning: technical terms follow) deferred rendering with ambient occlusion and multiple shadow casting lights. The effects used include "depth based color grading, motion blur, and full screen anti aliasing" with "proprietary lighting techniques to create a vivid and living world."

Aurally, the game will offer 7.1 surround sound, audio occlusion with wave tracing. We're assuming the game is running in 1080p, as we sat in the first row of a massive screen ... and it still looked stunning. The developers noted that they were "grateful for Blu-ray" as a single level has already taken 2GB of space. "The PlayStation 3 allows us to do so much ... [it] would not be possible on any other platform."

Overall, we're impressed by Killzone 2, even though it falls short of the incredible expectations that Sony has placed on it. Gamers that see Killzone 2 in action will be easily impressed -- but we'd like to know if Guerrilla can develop a game that expands upon the incredibly cinematic, overwhelming battles seen tonight. PS3 fans all over the world are waiting.

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Sony E3 invite hints at Killzone 2 unveiling

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2007-06-25T17:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters, E3

We love receiving mysterious packages at Joystiq HQ and are particularly enamored by the ones that don't violently explode upon their opening. The card pictured above matches the latter description, though it seems to indicate that demolition and destruction is nevertheless in our near future. The card glibly invites its recipient to attend a unique two and a half hour Sony event on the evening of July 10th, just as Min-E3 gets underway.

Unless Sony has taken a very interesting approach to promoting the next SingStar, the disagreeable fellow on the card implies that Killzone 2 will be the event's focus. Considering the event's length and the game's brief showing at GDC, a playable version of the anticipated shooter seems increasingly likely to appear. Once we finally see whether or not it lives up to the infamous 2005 prerendered trailer graphically, we can move on to more pertinent questions like, "Is it any fun?" We suspect we'll have an answer next month.

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Killzone PSP update finally live

Ross Miller — 2007-05-30T17:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PSP, Action, First Person Shooters, Online, Competitive Gaming

A new patch for Killzone: Liberation for the PSP is now available. Included in the update are a new chapter for the single-player game and additions to the multiplayer mode, which now lets you play against anyone via Infrastructure mode.

The 8MB patch and 75MB fifth chapter, originally supposed to come out almost a year ago, are both free through the in-game menu or by visiting the new (though slow-loading) Killzone website.

[Via PSP Fanboy; thanks, Matt Bailey]

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Killzone popping in at Min-E3

Ross Miller — 2007-05-21T14:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters, E3

After a long period of darkness, new details on Killzone for PlayStation 3 will be revealed at E3 Media Summit, according to Peter Dille, senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment.

"Yeah. I think all the stuff [from Sony Gamers' Day] you can have playable at E3. And then the one we've been holding back on is Killzone, so it's a good reason for you to come to E3, because we'll have some updates on that," he said in an interview with Game Informer.

Killzone hasn't been seen publicly since its unveiling at E3 2005, but a trailer was shown behind closed doors at this year's Game Developers Conference. While we'd love to see a playable demo, our interpretation of "some updates" implies that what we'll get is a new trailer and maybe a release window.

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Killzone to have public beta, 'of course'

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-05-16T15:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, First Person Shooters, Online

Killzone lead tester Seb Downie has confirmed that the Dutch mega-project will eventually open its doors to a multiplayer testing phase. "Of course there is going to be a public beta," says Downie (aka motherH), posting on the Killzone forums. "I have always said that any game that has an online mode needs to go through a public beta to ensure it works as intended." But what ensures that a beta works as intended?

Guerrilla Games could avoid such temporary disaster by continuing to keep development and PR low-key throughout its beta. Since the shooter's spectacular, but oft-criticized E3 preview two years ago, Killzone has become vaporware, resurfacing from time to time through rumor, but never in reality. Buzz will begin again when further beta details are disclosed -- Downie says more info "later this year" -- but don't count on Killzone's public beta becoming the sort of hype-potion that Microsoft and Bungie have recently concocted.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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PSP price drop extends to Europe on May 4th

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2007-04-23T09:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PSP, Business

The price of a PSP in Europe is set to be violently assaulted with a sharp object next month, when Sony plans to slash at it wildly in the hopes of trimming a few pounds. And Euros, obviously, but as with the US price drop earlier this month, that particular currency simply doesn't suit the rapid weight loss imagery we're going for.

A report on GamesIndustry.Biz indicates that the retail price of the PlayStation puny will drop by £20 in the UK to £129.99 on 4 May. The rest of the continent will pay €169.99 following a drop of €30. The change in price will be accompanied by a cheaper £14.99 tag for Platinum titles, with Ridge Racer 2, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Killzone: Liberation, LocoRoco and Moto GP all being included in the range and fighting against the argument that the system doesn't have any games.

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Three Speech retracts PS3 BioShock, but not other release dates

Alexander Sliwinski — 2007-04-07T17:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Three Speech, the "semi-official blog handled by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe," has retracted their claim that BioShock is coming to the PlayStation 3. The kerfuffle began when Steve Boxer, one of the only non-anonymous writers for the site, stated the PlayStation 3 would be getting the game. He wrote in a post about upcoming games, "Another hotly anticipated title from 2K Games (also appearing on Xbox 360) is BioShock." Of course, having this posted on Sony Europe's semi-official blog did bring the statements some weight. The post also stated September would see the releases of Killzone, Heavenly Sword, Ratchet & Clank, Lair and Warhawk. None of these release dates have been retracted, but Sony America says the only game with a confirmed date is Lair in July.

It would be nice to finally get a statement on what Three Speech is to Sony. This is the second time in two weeks Three Speech has gone off-message. They state on their site, "Three Speech isn't part of PlayStation, but it does get to speak to PlayStation. You could say we're 'semi official'." Our requests to Three Speech for the name of their editor and a list of their writers have been ignored previously. We continue to question who Three Speech is and what they represent. If they are a handled by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, like Sony America says, it might be time to tug the leash.

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Rumor: Killzone 2 demo before Halo 3 beta

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-02-06T11:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online

1UP Editor Luke Smith has posted a bold prediction on his blog: "Expect a playable Killzone 2 demo to be released ... before gamers are participating in the beta for Halo 3." Smith's reasoning descends from a string of rumors, which suggest that Killzone disappeared, in part, to direct the spotlight on Resistance. The rumors also indicate that while on the down-low, Guerilla has transformed its "Halo-killer" from a pre-rendered heartthrob into a developed game; some rumorists even suspect that Killzone has been playable online for nearly a year.

Smith points to Phil Harrison's GDC keynote address as an opportunity for Sony to steal (in typical from-out-of-nowhere fashion) some mindshare away from Microsoft and the mid-March Halo beta test by dropping *GASP* the Killzone 2 ~~bomb~~ demo! Never mind that the Killzone franchise has yet to deliver a noteworthy game; is the first half of 2007 really gonna be defined by a clash between a beta test and purported demo? If I'm a developer not working for Bungie or Guerilla, I'm about ready to hire a new PR agency -- that, or beg Sony to let my game piggyback on the Killzone demo's shoulders.

Update: In response to comments that Killzone: Liberation (PSP) is "very good" or has "gotten great scores all around" (etc...), we simply offer up evidence that the title ranks 56th among current PSP games (233 in all) listed in score order. While we respect the opinions of those who enjoy the game, generally speaking, we maintain that Liberation is hardly noteworthy beyond its tie to the ridiculously over-hyped Killzone franchise.

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Killzone returns: "biggest multimedia project in Dutch history"

James Ransom-Wiley — 2006-11-28T15:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

Dutch newspaper de Volksrant brings word of PlayStation 3's reclusive shooter Killzone, in an article titled, "A video game more expensive than the most expensive film." Guerrilla Games has allegedly hired some 120 developers to complete the project, which made its dubious debut at E3 2005 and promptly disappeared from the public eye.

According to de Volksrant, the next-gen Killzone sequel will cost more than Black Book (Zwartboek), Paul Verhoeven's World War II thriller and the most expensive film in Dutch history (totaling roughly $21 million). Killzone director Arjan Brussee would not quote a specific figure, but did confirm that the bill would exceed Black Book's budget; driven in part by large-scale localization, which will see Killzone translated into 20 different languages.

Brussee also hinted at the possibility of downloadable episodic content, telling de Volksrant, "The Killzone that is in stores is only the beginning." Indeed, the article suggests that additional "chapters" will be added after the game's initial release. *Sniff, sniff* Smell that? Halo-killer? Nah, couldn't be...

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Actual Killzone 2 better than trailer?

Justin Murray — 2006-11-14T09:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

When Sony showed off the first trailer of Killzone 2 off forever ago (E3 2005), they billed it as actual in-game footage. Later down the line, it turned out those "in-game" shots were just CGI mock-ups; target renders they're called. Now Sony is telling us those CGI mock-ups are inferior compared to the REAL Killzone 2. O RLY?

Phil Harrison, Sony CEO and game commenter extraordinaire, made some bold claims in the most recent issue of OPM (reprinted at Sony's semi-official blog, ThreeSpeech); supposedly, KZ2 has "some elements [that] already exceed the trailer." Excuse us, Mr. Harrison, but we'll wait until we see a working game this time.

Given just how good Gears of War looks, pumping something out that looks like the Killzone 2 E3 trailer is possible. However, given Sony's history on this particular title, we're less inclined to believe 'em until we (or someone else we can all trust) actually plays the real thing.

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