Force Unleashed creators form Fearless Studios
Haden Blackman joins fellow LucasArts vet Cedrick Collomb to form new game development house; projects TBA.
Haden Blackman recently wrapped his 12-year career at LucasArts, having led development on a range of titles at the Star Wars house, including creating and serving as senior executive producer on The Force Unleashed and its impending sequel. Today, Blackman's next venture came into focus, as he and fellow LucasArts veteran Cedrick Collomb announced the formation of a new development house, Marin, California-based Fearless Games.
Haden Blackman and Cedrick Collomb
Today's announcement offered little indication on the direction of Fearless Games. In a statement, Blackman said, "By taking bold creative risks and tackling new challenges, Fearless Studios will fuse the best of story and gameplay to immerse, engage, and affect players just as deeply as our favorite films and novels." Platforms or future development projects were not revealed.
As for its management structure, Blackman will serve as co-president and chief creative officer. Collomb will share Blackman's president title, as well as pick up the title of chief technical officer. In addition to serving as director of technology at LucasArts and LucasFilms, Collomb has been credited on such titles as EA's Black. Seahorn Capital Group founder Marc Jackson will serve as Fearless Games' acting CFO.
Intrepid Studios is currently accepting resumes via their web site .
Read and Post Comments| Get the full article at GameSpot
Ghost Trick spooking DS Jan. 11
Capcom bringing Ace Attorney creator's latest detective-style handheld effort to North America early next year.
It has been more than a year since Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi first began talking about his latest zetetic handheld effort, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. And while the game didn't exactly light up the Japanese sales charts upon its release for the DS in June, North American audiences can soon begin peeling back the game's mysteries, as Capcom today announced a January 11, 2011, release for the title.
Ghost Trick's box art in its corporeal form.
A blend of the adventure and puzzle genres, Ghost Trick tells the story of an amnesiac ghost who attempts to solve the mystery behind his own death while saving the lives of others. As the deceased Sissel, players can take control of objects in the world to accomplish various challenges, with puzzle examples including making a bike float through the air to scare the living or possessing a light switch to zap an assassin.
Takumi fans have more than just Ghost Trick to look forward to in the near future. Earlier this month, Capcom and Level-5 announced it would be creating a crossover for its Ace Attorney and Professor Layton franchises. Tentatively titled Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, the game will be written by Takumi and released on 3DS, although the date has not yet been announced.
For more on Ghost Trick, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Game Lawyer Predicts Bleak Future if SCOTUS Case Fails
I'm not a fan of headlines with question marks at the end, but the story IndustryGamer, "Can California's game law lead to the exodus from the industry? ," poses an interesting question. What are the repercussions of an entire industry under the thumb of a state government, and if the California law succeeds, what states will line up to pass their own laws? Will there be job losses and less mature-rated titles on the market?
Patrick Sweeney, a lawyer Reed Smith LLP and represents video gaming publishers (EA, THQ, Sony Online Entertainment, and Nintendo), makes a prediction: More
read more
THQ pencils in uDraw release date: November 14
Along with these three release dates (or is it one of the release date three things), THQ said that "The future wave of video games scheduled during calendar 2011 and beyond." It 'S nice to have some measure of confidence that the peripheral will be maintained, at least.
Gallery: uDraw Studio (Wii)
Continue reading THQ pencils in uDraw release date: November 14
THQ pencils in uDraw release date: November 14 originally appeared on JoystiqFri, Oct. 15, 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .
Why we love Minecraft
It's become an Internet sensation, an instant classic, and one of the best-selling independent games in recent memory. And best of all, Minecraft still in alpha - Theres a lot more in this way.
There seems to be a considerable amount of confusion, though. What IS Minecraft, and what do you do in it, exactly? Those answers are readily available online, if you're willing to look. But when it comes to the web, many people aren't.
We hope that through this article, we can get you interested. You really are missing out on something magical.
{{page_break}}
LEGO-style creation
By now, you've probably seen one of those videos showcasing some grand creation in Minecraft . There was a company-D from Star Trek, a massive waterslide, and an entire minecart interstate, Just to name a few of the latest hits.
There's a fine balance in Minecraft when it comes to resource gathering and creation. Left click on a block to break it down, right click to place it back into the environment; easy, but not too easy. I often liken it to building with LEGOs: finding the individual pieces you want might take a while, but the actual process of putting the blocks together is intuitive, and most importantly, fun.
True sandbox
When you run Minecraft for the first time, you aren't placed into a tutorial. Hell, you aren't even told anything, period. You're presented with a vast, open world, and that's it. It's up to you to explore, to make up your own "rules," and in a way, cater Minecraft to how you want to play it.
For some players, that's a major turnoff. To an extent, they need to be told what to do in their videogames -- otherwise, boredom will quickly strike -- and cannot handle ultimate freedom. For others, the true sandbox-style game has finally been realized, and they couldn't be more enthusiastic about it.
That's the beauty of two modes. In the creative mode, anything goes, if you want to install the game in this style. Survival, on the other hand, is very intentional elements that push you to the game a certain way. This leads me to my next two points.
Chance development
Levels - or the worlds, more precisely - in Minecraft are procedurally generated. In a game where your enjoyment is directly dependent on how imaginative a person you are, this is a big deal. I see those aforementioned videos and think to myself, "Man, I'll never be able to create anything that impressive."
But you know what I can do? The bridge connecting the two nearby mountains, or man-made island, or even a secret base for the waterfall that inexplicably surrounded by lava moat. I can create these things because the game presents me with the foundation to do so through his encouraging, non-linear maps.
Oh GOD turn around!
As I said earlier, Minecraft pushes you to do certain tasks, even if you don't immediately realize it. Another way the game accomplishes this is by way of a day-and-night cycle. During the sunny hours, you had best collect resources and stock up while it's safe outside, especially during your first few days. During the night, well -- that's when the monsters come out.
Yes, Minecraft has monsters, and they will kill your face off. Building a shelter -- whether it's a castle, a box, or a coffin-esque hole in the wall -- is necessary to live through the night. So while you are technically free to do whatever you want, it's ideal to work on dungeons or above-ground buildings during this time. It's a clever limit on your in-game freedom. As they say, a complete lack of restraint greatly hinders creativity.
Theres also a thrill to be had from roaming the world, where the skeleton archers, spiders and zombies on the prowl. I think almost everyone who played Minecraft felt that one moment of horror when they hear the noise, turn around and look, the creature looked into their eyes.
Collective building
The Future
As mentioned in the introduction - and the ugly shows in my paintings - Minecraft is still in alpha. Anyone who has coughed up the thirteen bucks or whatever it is for the full game will receive all future updates for free. It's crazy to think that this Game of the Year contender is only going to improve from here on out.
Personally, I'm desperately hoping for the Survival mode to expand. The potential is there for Minecraft to be the best game of survival of the island ever made, if the creator Markus Persson and co. can make demands for sustainable living deeper.
That said, there are a million directions he could take this game in, and I'll be happy with whatever he decides to do. He's already proven himself to be a brilliant designer.
Why we love Minecraft
It's become an Internet sensation, an instant classic, and one of the best-selling independent games in recent memory. And best of all, Minecraft is still only in alpha -- there's so much more on the way.
There seems to be a considerable amount of confusion, though. What IS Minecraft , and what do you do in it, exactly? Those answers are readily available online, if you're willing to look. But when it comes to the web, many people aren't.
We hope that through this article, we can get you interested. You really are missing out on something magical.
{{page_break}}
LEGO-style creation
To date, Youve, probably seen one of those videos showcasing some of the Grand creation in Minecraft. There was the Enterprise-Dfrom Star Trek, A massive waterslide , and an entire minecart interstate, just to name a few of the more recent hits.
Teresa delicate balance in Minecraft when it comes to resource gathering and creation. Left click on a block to break it down, right click to place it back into the environment; easy, but not too easy. I often liken it to building with LEGOs: finding the individual pieces you want might take a while, but the actual process of putting the blocks together is intuitive, and most importantly, fun.
True sandbox
When you run Minecraft the first time, Arent you put in the textbook. Hell, you Arent even said anything, period. You presented a huge, open world, and it is so. Its up to you to explore, to make their own rules, and thus satisfy Minecraft to how you want to play it.
For some players, thatsa core rotation. To a certain extent, they should be, what to do in their video games - otherwise, boredom strikes quickly - and can not cope with the ultimate freedom. According to others, truesandbox-style game has finally realized they could not be more enthusiastic.
That's the beauty of two modes. In the creative mode, anything goes, if you want to install the game in this style. Survival, on the other hand, is very intentional elements that push you to the game a certain way. This leads me to my next two points.
The randomness factor
The levels -- or, "worlds," to put it more accurately -- in Minecraft are procedurally generated. In a game where your enjoyment is directly dependent on how imaginative a person you are, this is a big deal. I see those aforementioned videos and think to myself, "Man, I'll never be able to create anything that impressive."
But you know what I can make? A bridge connecting two nearby mountains, or a man-made island, or even a secret base behind a waterfall that's inexplicably surrounded by a lava-filled moat. I can create those things, because the game presents me with the foundation to do so through its encouraging, non-linear maps.
Oh GOD turn around!
As I said earlier, Minecraft pushes you to do certain tasks, even if you don't immediately realize it. Another way the game accomplishes this is by way of a day-and-night cycle. During the sunny hours, you had best collect resources and stock up while it's safe outside, especially during your first few days. During the night, well -- that's when the monsters come out.
Yes, Minecraft has monsters, and they will kill your face off
There's also a certain thrill to be had from roaming the world when the skeleton archers, spiders, and zombies are on the prowl. I think just about everyone who has played Minecraft has experienced that one moment of sheer terror when they hear a noise, turn around, and see a creature staring them in the eyes.
Collective building
Don't get me wrong, seeing your creations come to fruition is mighty satisfying. Even more satisfying, however, is sharing what you've build with your friends. Whether you want to expand on what they have started putting together, or be an absolute dick by griefing their structures, it's once again your choice. Admittedly, pushing people off of bridges is more fun than it ought to be. Try it sometime, if you'd like.
The Future
As mentioned in the introduction - and the ugly shows in my paintings - Minecraft is still in alpha. Anyone who has coughed up the thirteen bucks or whatever it is for the full game will receive all future updates for free. It's crazy to think that this Game of the Year contender is only going to improve from here on out.
Personally, I'm desperately hoping for the Survival mode to expand. The potential is there for Minecraft to be the best island survival game ever made, if creator Markus Persson and co. can make the requirements for sustained life more in-depth.
Nevertheless, there are a million ways he can take this game, and I will be happy with whatever he decides to do. Hes already proved that he is a brilliant designer.
Back to the Future trilogy Blu-ray includes voucher for free episode of Telltale's game
The insert lists a URL for redeeming the included code -- "121GIGAWATTS" -- which currently directs browsers to the the game's homepage. We contacted Telltale to find out when the episode will go live and were told that the timing has yet to be nailed down. "At the URL on the insert, people will be able to register for the free episode and will receive notification from Telltale Games when the episode is available to download," the developer clarified.
In addition, if it Wasn 'm obviously, ISN redemption code' t unique, suggesting that free episode will be available for the masses - Telltale, when asked
Back to the Future trilogy Blu-ray includes voucher for free episode of Telltale's gameoriginally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2K Games has no plans to bring Bioshock 2 DLC to PC
2K Games has no plans to bring Bioshock 2 DLC to PC on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds
2K Games has no plans to bring Bioshock 2 DLC to PC
The representative went on to apologize for "the disappointment this will cause to PC players out there," though we wouldn't worry too much about that, as PC gamers are almost certainly used to it by this point.
2K Games has no plans to bring Bioshock 2 DLC to PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Halo franchise roadmap includes new trilogies and film, transmedia campaign reveals
Updated: Microsoft representative Ryan James has contacted Joystiq to say "We worked with Starlight in the past, but the information ISN 'T an accurate representation of our plans for Halofranchise. "
Starlight Runner have yet to issue any official comment on the news.
[Thanks Steven!]
Halo franchise roadmap includes new trilogies and film, transmedia campaign reveals originally appeared on JoystiqSat, Oct. 9, 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is experiencing a surplus
Check out the ninehigh-quality game-related bands below and vote for your favorite after the jump! There 'SA a little bit more than you' re used to, but we hope that you 'We'll have to force power.
Mandatory (VG Cats)
Full of twists and turns (Penny Arcade)
Effect of Rob Ford (Of Noobs and Men)
The Sacrifice(Nerf Now)
You and the Captain Make It Happen (No Cash Value)
Skill Sets (Digital Unrest)
Dead Rising 2 (Another Videogame Webcomic)
Health Hazard (Brawl in the Family)
Least Objectionable War(Virtual brackets)
Continue reading Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is experiencing a surplus
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is experiencing a surplus originally appeared on JoystiqSat, Oct. 9, 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .
Duke Nukem Forever cost 3D Realms head up to $30 million - Pitchford
Gearbox CEO estimates George Broussard sunk tens of millions into once-vaporware shooter prior to studio's closure.
3D Realms spent a staggering 12 years trying and failing to bring Duke Nukem Forever to market. Though the emotional toll that effort exacted on the studio remains unsaid, Duke Nukem Forever savior Gearbox Software has affixed a price tag to the labor. In an interview with CVG, Gearbox president and CEO Randy Pitchford said that 3D Realms head George Broussard spent $20 million to $30 million of his own money to finish Duke Nukem Forever.
Broussard spent a princely sum in turning Duke into the killing machine that he is.
\\ "George Broussard is not a poor man, but I would estimate that it lost $ 20 - $ 30 million dollars of his own money on Duke Nukem Forever - I 't care who you are, that' AS A . hell lot of money, "Pitchford said." He was committed to the Duke point of madness. "
Pitchford's comments came as he detailed the events that led to Gearbox's acquisition of the Duke Nukem IPEarlier this year. "There was bad news in May 2009" Pitchford said. "You've all seen stories -.. 3D Realms was closing, the Duke was dead, that sucked was hard to stay in Dallas, many of my friends lost their jobs.
"I spoke to George Broussard, and he said, 'Randy, this is the worst day of my life,' but you could hear in his voice there was more," he continued. "This was 12 years of his life. Try and imagine what you've achieved in 12 years. Gearbox has made 15 games in that time."
Duke Nukem Forever returned to relevancy in August, when Gearbox trotted out a playable version of the game at the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo. The Borderlands studio went on to announce that it had acquired the Duke Nukem IP in perpetuity, including Duke Nukem Forever and all future developments in the franchise, from 3D Realms.
At that time, Pitchford emphasized that the game being brought to market was one and the same that 3D Realms had been toiling away at, confirming that he had hired many of the original Duke Nukem creators to finish the game. It is currently slated to arrive in 2011 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, and demo accesscurrently promised to those who buy the Borderlands: Game Year.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Snoopy Flying Ace dev working on free-to-play sky combat game
According to the announcement, Smart Bomb 'S next project, browser-based air combat simulator called Sky Legends . Little is known about the game -- only that it will be built on the increasingly popular Unity engine, will feature multiplayer matches and customizable planes, and is due out in the first half of 2011. Keep an eye on the game's official site for future updates. Or this site! That works, too.
Snoopy Flying Ace Dev working on free-game sky fight originally appeared on JoystiqWed, October 6, 2010 2:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .
Demo: ArcaniA - Gothic 4
Content: ArcaniA - Gothic 4| 06/15/2010 |
| Innergy First Look |
| Ubisoft took its "Games You Can Feel" E3 2010 motto to new heights today when it announced a PC "game" that aims to teach players how to breathe. Titled Innergy, the program will use a small sensor attached to the player's finger to measure his or her heartbeat and match it with an onscreen visual. The stage demo showed a colorful rainbow heartbeat graph moving across the screen; moving through the graph was a small, beanlike creature that occasionally fired the commands "breathe in" and "breathe out" via a speech bubble. According to the game's designer, following the onscreen prompts to breathe in and out for 10-minute sessions every day will change players' heartbeat patterns and create something called "cardiac coherence." Details are sketchy, but according to Ubisoft, this can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and boost the immune system for up to six hours a day. No more details were given, but you can be sure we'll be seeing more of Innergy in the future. Read and Post Comments| Get the full article at GameSpot "Innergy First Look" was posted by Laura Parker on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:03:10 -0700 |
| 04/14/2010 |
| DDO's Turbine Partners With Notorious SuperRewards |
Read more of this storyon Slashdot. |
| 09/24/2010 |
| Production Exec talks Shadow of the Colossus movie, the future of Team ICO project |
 In the interview, Chang talks about the narrative difficulties in bringing the episodic (think: one colossus per episode) structure of the game to a two-hour film, and hints that adaptations of other Fumito Ueda games like Ico and The Last Guardian may be in the cards if this one pans out. Listen, Kevin, we 'Re forward to seeing you "Re passionate, but let' S take this film at a time well? T Don 'want to put the cart before the giant, furry horse dragon.
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| 09/22/2010 |
| Capcom, Level-5 teaming up - Report |
Keiji Inafune apparently confirms the Dead Rising 2 publisher is collaborating with studio on an undisclosed project; Professor Layton franchise sales hit 9.5 million units.
The day after Capcom R&D chief Keiji Inafune heaped praise on Level-5, reports have surfaced that his employer and the Professor Layton studio are in a full-blown collaboration. When asked by Japanese business site Diamond Online (translated via the blog Andria Sang) If the reports of the joint project were accurate, Mega man by the Creator did not mince words.
 Like Professor Layton's two heroes, Capcom and Level-5 are working closely together. The plaudits for Hino apparently grew even more effusive. "The thing I most respect about Hino is his work ethic," beamed Inafune. "Before I met Hino, I had confidence in the amount of work I was doing, and even thought that maybe I was the hardest working person in the game industry. But after meeting him, I thought, 'I'm probably not number one.'" Inafune went on to state that sales of Level-5's Professor Layton series have now surpassed 9.5 million units. The puzzle-solving DS franchise was recently updated with last week's North American debut of the critically praised Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. The name was among Bestbuy.com 'S Top 10 best-selling games for its launch week, according to rankings released megaretailer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot \\ "Capcom, Level-5 combines - report \\ "Was posted on the Tor Thorsen at Wed, September 22, 2010 13:12:35 -0700 |
| 09/17/2010 |
| TGS: Hands on with Miles Edgeworth 2 |
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I absolutely love the series of Ace Attorney, so I'm sure, go with the stand Capcom 'try their latest recording Ace Attorney Investigations 2. The booth itself was pretty fantastic, adorned with a giant inflatable Steel Samurai set against a backdrop designed to appear exactly like the opening sequence of the game. While I waited in line to play, I was treated to an interesting trailer, complete with voice-acting. Needless to say, it immediately got my hopes up. Who wouldn't want to hear Miles Edgeworth berate his incompetent partner, or interrogate a witness until they piss themselves? So, did the demo live up to that expectation? Read more after the break. So, as the line neared the end, I was handed a card explaining the new features and controls -- which might have been cool if not for the fact that it was entirely in moon speak. Unfortunately, I could barely read it, despite my ability to speak the language to some degree, but thankfully that didn't prove to be an issue at first. I was immediately seated at a table with three other people, and gave ear with the DS - I really hoped would enable me to hear the voice of the legendary acts that I saw the trailer. I turned the system and booted up the demo. Not to spoil too much, but the opening sequence features what appears to be a politician being assassinated via gunshot on a podium, by a plane. The next sequence shows Miles throwing on his jacket and the game begins with Edgeworth and Gumshoe standing at the scene of the crime. After a quick investigation -- which plays exactly like the previous title, complete with combining clues via the logic system -- you meet his new would-be rival, a young reporter named Makiko. Like most characters, her name will likely be changed should the game head stateside. Miles then proceeds to question her, which leads to the activation of the new Chess system that everyone has been talking about for the last week. From what I could see, the whole chess concept is more of a visual aid to assist you in determining what choices to make when attempting to win the debate, which the opponents argument being represented by stronger -- or arguably more important -- pieces. The debate is also timed, and failure to properly question the opponent results in a penalty to that time. It was kind of a cool little twist on the classic interrogation sequences.
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| 09/18/2010 |
| Q-Games Talks PixelJunk Shooter 2, Teases Future Projects |
| TOKYO Q-Games, developer of the popular series Kyoto PixelJunk games for PlayStation 3, was on hand to Tokyo Game Show, to show the press his new game PixelJunk Shooter 2, continued its 2009 download. This new party will follow you around the tiny ship out from inside of a giant creature [...] |
| 05/08/2010 |
| Will Game Cartridges Make a Comeback? |
Read more of this story at Slashdot. |
