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WarDevil resurfaces in bizarre (original) Xbox demonstration

by JC Fletcher { Oct 12th 2009 at 2:30PM }

After five years in the making and hardly any time taken out for interviews or status updates, you'd imagine Digi-Guys' WarDevil would be just about wrapped up and ready to grab some GOTY awards, right? Not so much, as Edge discovered during a studio tour. Although Digi-Guys does have some very cool technology to show off, that may eventually result in a game.

To prove the effectiveness of the developer's mysterious texture technology, Digi-Guys gave Edge a demonstration of the game engine as it was in 2005 -- running on an Xbox. The first one. "So what you'd expect to see even in modern games – textures that turn to porridge if you look too close – doesn't happen here," Edge notes. "Then there's motion blur, of the kind seen in Jurassic Park rather than the harsh, sometimes nauseating vector blur used in modern games. Add to that many of the light and particle effects you'd expect to see today, and a healthy layer of anti-aliasing."

Another demo on more recent hardware is similarly impressive, showing high detail in skin and clothing as the camera zooms in. Evidently, this version of WarDevil was actually playable behind closed doors at Tokyo Game Show -- and not, like the Xbox demo, in a placeholder rail shooter mode. And that is progress.

Wired hails Duke Nukem Forever as 2008's vaporware king, baby

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 29th 2008 at 7:30PM }

Wired, embracing the redundancy of doing so, has named Duke Nukem Forever as the top piece of vaporware in 2008. As we've made abundantly clear in the past, much has happened since Nukem's latest adventure was first announced back in 1997. Wired was going to leave the perennial favorite off the list this year because "even the best jokes get old eventually," but obviously thought the DNF horse -- with a DNR order -- still had enough life left in it for one more jab.

Keeping the dream alive that DNF may be coming to the end of a very, very (x12) long development cycle was its appearance on the Jace Hall show earlier this year. However, that was followed up by more teaser images. Keep hope alive, Duke faithful. Keep hope alive.

Gallery: Duke Nukem Forever (yes, really)

Cipher Complex, not quite vaporware yet

by Jason Dobson { Oct 29th 2008 at 11:00PM }

Starcraft: Ghost. The Phantom. And let's face it, Sadness, too. Video game history is littered with the corpses of titles and projects that choked on their own ambition before making it to the finish line. So much so that we've become accustomed to second guessing games that stay out of the spotlight for any considerable length of time. Of course, devs are reluctant to publicly admit defeat, leaving us to remember from time to time to poke our heads in and see if that game we saw screenshots for a year ago still deserves a place on our radar.

Recently we were reminded of The Incredible Hulk developer, Edge of Reality, and its stealth action game for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Cipher Complex, which has run noticeably silent since it was first announced in 2006. So we pinged company president Binu Philip, who reassured us that despite the absence of press, Cipher Complex is still on the way. "We are still working away on the title," he told us, adding however that the team is "not currently saying anything publicly about the game." For now, it seems video game history will have to wait for its next victim -- at least until another decides to stop chewing bubble gum and just lie down.

Gallery: Cipher Complex

3D Realms: 'Several hours' of Duke Nukem Forever sort of done

by Randy Nelson { Aug 27th 2008 at 10:30PM }

Is that the sound of Satan sharpening his skates? According to a new interview with Team Xbox, 3D Realms boss George Broussard implies that – dare we say? – development of Duke Nukem Forever is going along swimmingly. You know, just like it has been since ... 1998.

~~All~~ most kidding aside, Broussard tells the site that the developer has "several hours of fairly polished game to play," and that, "It's fun, it's in focus, we know what bits are fun and which are not, and it's just a matter of time now." But clearly, time moves a little slower in 3D Realms', er ... realm. Given that the company has already denied reports that it's coming this year, we'll have to make due with Duke Nuken 3D on XBLA "sometime in September." Of 2008. Really. Promise.

[Via Big Download]

Rub your eyes: Sadness 'footage' emerges, disappears again [Update 1]

by Chris Greenhough { Aug 21st 2008 at 10:30PM }

Go Nintendo's RawMeatCowboy recently received an email from an anonymous, shadowy figure calling themselves "rabbits can't be sad." That's pretty weird, but stranger still, the email contained something we almost never expected to see: footage of Nibris' "vaporware" title, Sadness. Despite the unconventional method of its delivery, it definitely looked like the real deal.

We say "looked" because now it's gone, pulled down by RawMeatCowboy, who (we're guessing) was asked to remove the footage. In his amended post, RMC simply writes: "Sorry for the inconvenience, but I unfortunately have to remove this post. That is all I can say at this time."

So after being relentlessly mocked (not least by us), has Nibris actually been making a game all along? Really, really slowly?

[Update 1: Some enterprising soul grabbed the footage before it was pulled, and added it to YouTube -- thanks, DaisukeKiriyama!]

Gallery: Sadness

[Via Go Nintendo]

Previously, we've had plenty of reasons to believe that Sadness is about as likely to exist as Bigfoot: just take a look at our timeline of the game to see what we mean.

Nibris Web site promises Sadness for Fall 2009

by Kyle Orland { Jul 7th 2008 at 7:29PM }

Previously on The Young and the Sadness.

*A mysterious stranger, Nibris, enters the scene*
Nibris: Come away with me, and I'll make all your mature-themed, Wii horror gaming dreams come true.
Joystiq: Can it be? Is it true?
Nibris: It is true! Just listen to my story and you'll know in your heart that it is so.
Joystiq: I'm just not sure I can believe in you.
Nibris: Look, I bring you concept art to prove my fidelity.
Joystiq: Lies! I heard you're already planning to run out on me.
Nibris: Would I release these official screenshots if I was planning to halt development?
Joystiq: I just don't know what to think! *Sobs*

And now, today's episode:

Nibris: Look at my new Web site. I promise you, Sadness will be out by Fall of 2009. Meet me at the Leipzig Games Convention if you still have faith in me. In us.
Joystiq: Sorry, dear, I've moved on. Give me a ring when you're ready to show me a playable demo.

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

Sadness website does nothing to dispel vaporware rumors

by Phil Larsen { Jul 3rd 2008 at 9:30AM }

Hold on, what's all this? A Sadness rumor that actually came true? This can't be right -- and it sort of isn't. The website is there, and it's got stuff on it, but the stuff is old and it's a pretty amateur attempt at a website. It's just, you would think that the creators of the most talked-about Wii game pretty much ever would make the effort to put together a good show, but it looks somewhat awful.

The screens are old and tiny, the text is formatted all wrong (and translated poorly), and there is no trailer, although it will be "Coming soon (this vacation maybe)." Maybe? Maybe? Whatever.

To top it off, the release is scheduled for Fall 2009. That is, over a year from now. On the plus side, Nibris representatives will be attending the Leipzig Game Convention this year, so if nothing turns up at E3 we might find something there.

Gallery: Sadness

[Via GoNintendo]

Inconsequential Sadness news #287 -- website, more details 'coming'

by Phil Larsen { Jun 20th 2008 at 4:15PM }

There's nothing left to say. Sadness is the definition of sadness, and it always will be. We'll post about this "news", oh yes -- but until a physical copy of the game is actually in a Nintendo Wii console, right in front of us and running properly, we won't be certain of its existence. Forward motion is a myth.

The latest on Sadness is thus: the official website will be launched next week, along with some new images. A chap from Fog Studios (because they're so damn hazy on the details) says it's all real, and Nibris is still working away without a publisher. The lack of a publisher means a lack of a release date. If the game exists.

Rest assured, if any of the above actually happens, we will let you know. We know what a promise from anyone remotely associated with Sadness is worth, so don't hold your breath.

Gallery: Sadness

[Via GoNintendo]

Nibris returning with more promises

by Alisha Karabinus { Apr 8th 2008 at 10:30AM }

clicky clicky

Most companies choose to issue media via press releases or exclusive articles. But here we're talking about companies with actual games, not just a campaign of windbaggery and empty promises. Nibris, where they tend to focus on the latter, apparently feels releasing what is purportedly the first and only screenshot of Sadness to date (two years late, mind) to some random dude on the Internet is what makes for good PR.

The IGN Wii boards have blown up over the past few days due to the unending campaign of one Nibris supporter, a single purported screenshot, and a few cryptic remarks from the Nibris president himself, who is long known to frequent message boards. The numerous threads are a mess, so we'll attempt to sum up: user Twiilight_Prince posted the above, stating it was an actual in-game screenshot from Sadness and that he had received it from Nibris. He then apparently received messages from the user posting as Nibris, asking him to remove it. He did. Someone else also posted it, and received similar messages. Eventually, the reported PMs were posted. In them, Nibris (who we assume is president Piotr Babieno) did in fact ask for the shot's removal ... and also promised that there would be screens from Sadness and a trailer next month.

Now where have we heard that before? It's same to assume we're not holding our breath around here -- but here's the apparent screenshot for your perusal.

[Thanks, Joe!]

Sadness: a chronology of disappointment

by Christopher Grant { Jan 2nd 2008 at 9:00PM }

We had such a good time reading this, we thought we'd share for a laugh. If you're the kind of person who really splits a seam reading about Duke Nukem Forever's glacial progress, you're sure to get a laugh out of the comedy of errors that we know as Sadness. This vaporous piece of software has been teasing gamers for nearly two years and, despite that lengthy timeframe, we've yet to see even a single screenshot. Stop by Wii Fanboy's Sadness chronology and relive all those precious moments like it's your first time.

A look back through time: Sadness

by Alisha Karabinus { Dec 31st 2007 at 5:30PM }

There were several things in 2007 that made us sad. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was delayed, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. got canceled, then it didn't, then it did, and now we're just stuck with rumors that it might exist, somewhere, in some form. People told us that the Wii Zapper would make us kill our families. We got no hard drive love. Reggie didn't kick any ass, though he might have taken (down) some names (we're not sure). But the thing that's made us saddest of all is the ongoing saga of the aptly-named Sadness, the Nibris vaporware game. For all we know, we could be playing it right now; their idea of a game may be centered around stringing us along for a couple of years. It's fun for the whole family!

Or, y'know, sad. So grab your tissues and journey with us through a timeline of Sadness.

*Not actual Sadness concept art, because Nibris hasn't bought/commissioned it yet from artist Mark Ryden.

Gallery: Sadness

Continued →

Where's Duke Nukem been the last decade?

by Christopher Grant { Dec 19th 2007 at 1:56PM }

The door swung shut, his familiar frame lumbered in, sunk into the couch, like nothing had changed these last ten years.

"Where have you been?" we screamed. "It's been ten years!"

"I'm looking for some alien toilet to park my bricks. Who's firrrrst?"

"So that's it? You come in here stinking like a wet cigar and that's all you've got to say for yourself?"

He puffed on his cigar, blew radioactive smoke in our faces, and left ...

Evidently, the boys at ShackNews have gotten over their abandonment issues (any pointers?) and taken a calendar-heavy look at the game's progress (or lack thereof, knowhutamean?) over the last decade of development. Most telling: the two E3 trailers, in '98 and '01, that show plenty of gameplay in what would almost seem to be a nearly complete game. Once you're done reading that, take another look at The Duke Nukem Forever List, an incredibly sobering breakdown of the things that have transpired since the game was first announced (spoiler alert: Google didn't exist yet). How much were milk and eggs back then, Grandpa?

Read – A Decade of Duke: The Brief Long History of DNF
Read – The Duke Nukem Forever List

If Project H.A.M.M.E.R. still existed, this would be a preview of it

by JC Fletcher { Dec 7th 2007 at 9:45AM }

NeoGAFfer Shiggy has posted some more screenshots from the vaporous apparition that once had the name Project H.A.M.M.E.R., this time focusing on the in-game perspective. It's strange how disparate the action scenes look from the shots of architecture we were given: those screens were crisp, stylized, and made use of heavy, thick shadows, while the "real game" is, well, blurry. But next-gen blurry! It's like they were making two different games. Or, we suppose, it's like they put two different games on "indefinite hold".

As of now, it is still "indefinite hold" rather than "dead forever," so you can take these screenshots as a preview of a potential future game. At the very least, some guy is poking through the game getting some screenshots.

First trailer for Project Offset

by Jared Rea { Jul 30th 2007 at 4:55PM }

Remember Project Offset? The tech demo that blew your socks off back in 2005? Well, it's back and this time it's a game! As mysterious as ever, this hybrid of first and third person combat claims to sport five unique classes, rideable creatures, squad based multiplayer and more. Now if they'd just let us know who's publishing this beast, that would be fantastic.

Naturally, there isn't a release date in sight, just pretty graphics. We're going to assume that this is still coming to the PC and maybe Xbox 360.

New Sadness artwork is not screenshots

by JC Fletcher { Apr 30th 2007 at 8:15PM }

Oh, Nibris. We recently had some real-looking videos of what appeared to be a real game on the DS. But all we've had about their Wii game Sadness recently is bad news (and responses to bad news). Well, they seem to be back on track with Sadness, or at least they're back on their uniquely Nibris track of showing a few tidbits of artwork, but no screens and no evidence that there is any game at all.

For what it's worth, the artwork looks okay. We're glad work is being done on this game at all. Do you think the issue with Sadness is that Nibris has been unusually transparent with the earliest stages of their game design, leading to the impression that it's been a really long time without seeing anything? Or is it just that they're really late getting to showing any real content? Check out the artwork after the break, and feel free to discuss what has become an impromptu Wii Warm Up in the comments thread.

Continued →