Joystiq

First look at Rocksmith, straight out of SXSW

JC Fletcher — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST

If we were Ubisoft, we would have picked Austin's South by Southwest event as the location for the first demonstration of Rocksmith as well. During that week in March, it would have been impossible to find a person who wasn't totally thrilled about anything involving a guitar.

So keep in mind that many of the people interviewed in this trailer (after the break) were already in high spirits (and possibly high on spirits) when they tried Ubisoft's real-guitar-compatible music game. At least you'll be able to see the game for yourself -- the first gameplay footage is contained within, too.

Rocksmith looks to feature a traditional Rock Band/Guitar Hero interface, with the guitar's strings represented vertically on top of the note chart. It's harder to explain it than it is to tell you to just watch the video.

Continue reading First look at Rocksmith, straight out of SXSW

First look at Rocksmith, straight out of SXSW originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft's Chris Early on Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy and other 'companion games'

JC Fletcher — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST

Ubisoft's VP of digital games, Chris Early, delivered a talk last week at SXSW Interactive on the rising phenomenon of "companion games"; small, downloadable or web games that use the same IP as and link in some way to a larger retail product. These games include Dragon Age Legends and Ubisoft's own Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy for Facebook, but also, he explained, titles like Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.

After the presentation, we talked with Early more about companion games, their value to core gamers, and how they can be used to completely dominate a player's life.

Continue reading Ubisoft's Chris Early on Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy and other 'companion games'

Ubisoft's Chris Early on Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy and other 'companion games' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: EA2D's Mark Spenner on going 'browser and beyond'

JC Fletcher — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:20:00 EST

EA2D is Electronic Arts's small-team, small-game studio, which just launched Dragon Age Legends on Facebook (today!) and has Fancy Pants Adventures for PSN and XBLA in the wings. We spoke to Mark Spenner, VP and GM of the studio, about these two very different projects. How, we wondered, do these two wildly different things, a console game based on a Flash game, and a Facebook spinoff of a giant RPG, both fall under the same EA2D banner?

"EA2D is 'browser and beyond,'" Spenner told us at SXSW Interactive. "We're trying to push from the browser out." That includes projects like Mirror's Edge 2D, which began as a Flash game and moved to iPhone and iPad, and the new Dragon Age Legends, which was already "beyond" and moved into the browser -- and is also moving back out with a mobile app.

Continue reading Interview: EA2D's Mark Spenner on going 'browser and beyond'

Interview: EA2D's Mark Spenner on going 'browser and beyond' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Super Mario Bros. movie that should have been

David Hinkle — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:10:00 EST

Attendees of SXSW were privy to a trailer promising a more dramatic version of the tale of the brothers Mario. Now said trailer is online for all to see and we'd be remiss not to bring it to your attention. Joe Nicolosi's take on the Mushroom Kingdom is not only irresistible, it's pretty hilarious -- oh, and NSFW.

Continue reading The Super Mario Bros. movie that should have been

The Super Mario Bros. movie that should have been originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop, Sony, Ubisoft on the growth of retail in the age of downloads

JC Fletcher — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:00:00 EST

"We are looking for ways to make money," Sony's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, said at an SXSW Interactive panel about the rise of digital distribution. "We are not looking for a system -- whether it's iPhone, Android, whatever -- that is this wonderful socialist idea that we can give things away for free. "

That helps frame the discussion -- it was from a moneymaking perspective that representatives of Ubisoft, SCEA, and GameStop discussed retail and its role as downloadable content and digitally distributed games become more popular.

Continue reading GameStop, Sony, Ubisoft on the growth of retail in the age of downloads

GameStop, Sony, Ubisoft on the growth of retail in the age of downloads originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ratchet & Clank All 4 One preview: For all

JC Fletcher — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One isn't "casual" in the sense that makes gamers cringe. It's not a microtransaction-based minigame collection with friendly avatars. It's "casual" in the universally accepted way: It's fun for anyone who feels like dropping into it, with minimal startup time.

All 4 One is also a competent action game, from what I saw, with a series of really exciting set pieces connected by interesting platforming. But it's all about experiencing these set pieces together.

Gallery: Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (3/13/2011)

Continue reading Ratchet & Clank All 4 One preview: For all

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One preview: For all originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angry Birds downloads soar past 100 million across all platforms

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

During a panel at this past weekend's South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Rovio exec Peter Vesterbacka told attendees that the company's bird-flinging pig terrorizer, Angry Birds, has been downloaded over 100 million times. As Vesterbacka revealed during GDC, more than 30 million of those downloads have been of the game's freemium Android version, and both the lite and paid versions topped 2010's iOS charts. Since its release on PSN in January, Angry Birds has also dominated PlayStation Minis sales. So many scared pigs!

During his presentation, Vesterbacka went on to make a somewhat dubious claim, however, saying, "Tablets are killing consoles. Four generations of new tablets come before a new console, if one ever comes." While hardware iteration of tablets has certainly been speedier than that of consoles, we don't see tablets "killing" the home console market anytime soon. Nokia interim VP of services Tero Ojanpera apparently agrees with us, as he countered Vesterbacka by arguing that, despite the iPad 2's ability to output 1080p video, most folks won't ever plug their tablet devices into their televisions.

Not to mention, Vesterbacka and company recently hired Remedy co-founder Petri Järvilehto to spearhead Angry Birds expansion to consoles. "We want to make Angry Birds a long-lasting global gaming franchise, and we see the console platforms as a way of delivering an even more entertaining, powerful and involving experience," Rovio CEO Mikael Hed said last month in an announcement of the company's intention "to take the Angry Birds success story to current and emerging console platforms."

Angry Birds downloads soar past 100 million across all platforms originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GLiD wins Independent Propeller Award at SXSW

JC Fletcher — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:50:00 EST

During an awards ceremony on SXSW's Day Stage, hosts Meredith Molinari and Adam "Atomic" Saltsman revealed the winner of IndiePub's Independent Propeller Award -- GLiD, also an IGF Student Competition finalist. The creators received $50,000 (in novelty check form) and a publishing deal from sponsor Zoo Publishing -- and a trophy.

Other developers won awards sponsored by Intel and Unity, and subcategory awards worth 25,000 damn dollars each. Find the full list of awards handed out after the break.

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GLiD wins Independent Propeller Award at SXSW originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ratchet & Clank All 4 One features 3D

JC Fletcher — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:50:00 EST

During a SXSW Interactive demo event, Sony let us know that Insomniac's co-op action platformer Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, will add new depth to its Lombax-tossing action by featuring stereoscopic 3D visuals. You know, as first-party Sony games tend to do. It's like your eyes are playing in co-op!

The announcement was actually first made by Sony's Jack Tretton on CNBC. You can see that presentation here. We got a chance to play All 4 One during SXSW (in 2D, however), and we'll bring you our impressions soon.

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One features 3D originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Click here to learn more about Insomniac Click

JC Fletcher — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST

Insomniac Games made the surprise announcement at SXSW Interactive that a new division would make games for Facebook and other social gaming platforms. The newly hired team is already at work on an unannounced project based on a new IP.

I wrangled the two Insomniac panelists, marketing director Ryan Schneider and lead artist Tony Mora, to discuss how the new division will integrate "social gaming" into the Insomniac style, and to find out just what a "social game" is.

Continue reading Interview: Click here to learn more about Insomniac Click

Interview: Click here to learn more about Insomniac Click originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deep Sea: The scariest game ever

JC Fletcher — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST

I don't even know if Wraughk Audio Design's Deep Sea is intended to be scary, but it's more effective at generating real fear than any game I've ever seen. And it does so with no graphics at all.

The Independent Propeller Award finalist is daunting from the outset: first, the player is helped into the gas mask contraption seen above, with blacked out eyes. Then, noise-canceling headphones are lowered onto your face, and your hand is guided to a flight-stick style joystick.

The game is simple: you use recorded audio direction from an AI character, and directional audio cues, to locate enemies underwater, then "ping" them with your sonar to target them. You'll get feedback from the AI commander character when you ping: things like "It's far to the left," essentially. And that's it!

What makes it terrifying is the combination of instant claustrophobia due to the oppressive mask, and the helplessness of total sensory deprivation. Being scared to death actually makes the game harder, as it tracks your breathing and plays exaggerated "breathing" sound effects over the audio, drowning out commands. I've never considered myself a claustrophobic person, but panic set in immediately upon playing this game.

This seems like one of those games best suited for a proof of concept, or an experience to be had at events. I doubt Wraughk is going to be selling blackout gas masks to anyone. I hope that doesn't happen.

Deep Sea: The scariest game ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insomniac launches social/Facebook game division 'Insomniac Click'

JC Fletcher — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Insomniac Games is now the company behind Ratchet & Clank, Resistance ... and Facebook games. Timed to coincide with a SXSW Interactive panel (at which Joystiq is seated right this second), Insomniac's Ryan Schneider announced the creation of "Insomniac Click," a division of the company devoted to the creation of web and mobile games.

It's based in Burbank, home of Insomniac's current operations. But it's a new team, made up of people newly hired for social games, so it shouldn't take resources away from games about shooting aliens or making prurient jokes about weapons.

In a blog post about the new division, Brian Hastings said that "Insomniac Click is dedicated to taking the qualities that define our brand - deep worlds, rich stories, accessible gameplay - and applying them to new game experiences that anyone in the world can play." Insomniac hasn't said exactly what its first social game will be, but you can read a lengthy manifesto about game design and social games (and why they aren't really great yet!) here.

Insomniac launches social/Facebook game division 'Insomniac Click' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What is Zynga doing to that sheep? Brian Reynolds on the power of innuendo

JC Fletcher — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST

During a presentation at SXSW Interactive yesterday, Zynga chief designer Brian Reynolds shared an emergent game feature that the team discovered when making Frontierville, one designed to appeal to juvenility.

The "tutorial" mission in Frontierville involves finding a lost sheep and bringing it back, he explained. Because it's a Facebook game, you get the option to post when you've done so, which shares a little blurb about your achievement and a picture of a cartoony character struggling to pull a stubborn sheep. But that's not what players' friends saw.

"What is she doing to that sheep?" was a common refrain from people who saw that post, Reynolds said. "The look on the sheep's face kind of sells it." But this wasn't a problem, as it turned out. That pseudo-scandalous sheep image "has our highest post rate and our highest clickthrough rate," he explained, with many more replies to those posts creating increased visibility, and thus inadvertently promoting Frontierville. And so Zynga went forward with innuendo-laden status messages, more examples of which you can see above.

At the end of the presentation, Reynolds answered a question about his reaction to Satoru Iwata's GDC keynote, during which Iwata pretty clearly denounced social and mobile games in general. "I don't understand why they'd feel threatened," he said, suggesting that social games and console games can coexist. "Maybe that person thinks a lot about console games," but not about mobile games.

What is Zynga doing to that sheep? Brian Reynolds on the power of innuendo originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SXSW debuts Propeller indie game awards this March

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Between schmoozing with record company executives and debating the merits of Lester Bangs, you may want to take a breather at South by Southwest to play a video game or two. Beyond relaxing in the ScreenBurn Arcade, you'll have a chance to demo games submitted to the first annual SXSW ScreenBurn Independent Propeller Awards. Indiepub Games is sponsoring the event, where finalists for "Best Art, Best Audio, Best Design and Technical Excellence" will show off their games from March 11 - 13.

If you're a developer interested in competing, submissions are open now through February 18 -- finalists get a free flight and accommodations to SXSW at the very least, where they'll be tasked with impressing attendees. One grand-prize winner will be decided on March 13, closing out the awards as well as the first annual SXSW ScreenBurn Game Developer's Meetup (a series of "informal round tables, impromptu talks, and a barrage of industry war stories").

SXSW debuts Propeller indie game awards this March originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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