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Recommended Reading: The fate of Facebook's free internet project
What happened to Facebook's grand plan to wire the world? Jessi Hempel, Wired For years, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg touted the company's Internet.org initiative that sought to bring connectivity to everyone in the world. It was presented an ambitious humanitarian effort, but things didn't go according to plan. Wired tells the story of what happened to the project following criticism and bans from local governments.
‘Lawbreakers’ studio Boss Key shuts down
Boss Key Productions, the studio founded by Unreal and Gears of War designer Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski, has shut down. The small company spent years making the competitive shooter Lawbreakers, but when that game fizzled, the studio sped out the game show-esque shooter Radical Heights to tap into the battle royale craze. Apparently, that wasn't enough to save the studio, Bleszinski wrote in a public letter on Twitter.
Cliff Bleszinski's 'LawBreakers' is in a death spiral
LawBreakers, the gravity-defying shooter from Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski, is on borrowed time. The game has never had a huge player-base, even after doling out new game modes and offering up free-play weekends. Developer Boss Key took to its blog to say as much. "The fact is LawBreakers failed to find enough of an audience to generate the funds necessary to keep it sustained in the manner we had originally planned," the post reads.
'Gears of War' creator's 'LawBreakers' is a timed Steam exclusive
It turns out Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski hasn't abandoned PC gamers after years of making Gears of War games for the Xbox 360. His new shooter LawBreakers will be a Steam exclusive "at launch." What's more, the game where humanity destroyed The Moon isn't free-to-play any longer -- but it won't cost $60, either. Why the change of heart? "As the game continued to take shape, we realized free-to-play wasn't the right fit for what we're building," Bleszinski says in a canned press release quote.
New game from 'Gears of War' creator breaks the moon
LawBreakers is not a post-apocalyptic shooter. It is a shooter. It does star a group of Marine-like soldiers out to gun down people in the name of justice and it does take place in the future. But creator Cliff Bleszinski is adamant that this isn't a standard futuristic, kill-streak kind of game. As the mastermind behind Gears of War and Unreal Tournament, he knows all about those. Instead, LawBreakers takes place in a post-catastrophe world: Human experiments on the moon cause it to shatter, which triggers devastating earthquakes and breaks gravity in certain spots. Humanity rebuilds, bigger and better than ever, and then violent gangs begin to attack the new world. The LawBreakers are deployed to fight the gangs, using super-human supplements and special maneuvers made possible by the low-gravity zones.
Cliff Bleszinski quits Epic Games, leaves us with an Unreal feeling
Fall must be the season for sea changes in the game industry. Just weeks after BioWare's founders retired, key Epic Games veteran and Design Director Cliff Bleszinski (known to many as just CliffyB) is hanging up his hat. He simply describes it as taking a "much needed break," which makes sense when you see his development experience: he joined Epic's crew with Dare to Dream Volume One in 1993 and has nurtured virtually every major (and often minor) game franchise at the company since, including the Jazz Jackrabbit platformers, untold numbers of games in the Unreal line and most recently the Gears of War series. Bleszinski hasn't said where he's headed next, although it's hard to imagine him switching professions like the two BioWare doctors -- for many, he's synonymous with certain eras of first- and third-person shooters. Wherever he goes, we wish him the best of success.
Cliff Bleszinski to host GDC Awards, Schatz returns for IGF Awards
Planning to attend GDC? If you are, you'll get to see everyone's favorite design director of Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski, host the 12th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, replacing Double Fine's Tim Schafer as host. The Independent Games Festival Awards is kicking it old-school with 2007-2009's host, Andy Schatz of Monaco, winner of the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Excellence in Design awards in 2010's IGF. Peruse the list of finalists for both award shows right here, and look for winners to be announced March 7 from GDC.
The Soapbox: Game developers are not rock stars
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Take a moment to think of your single favorite game developer. Is this person your favorite because of his talent? Maybe he made a game that influenced you growing up, or he has a charming personality for interviews. Whatever the reason, we probably all have our favorite game developers whom we hold on a pedestal of greatness. But did this one person make the game entirely by himself? Did Sid Meier write every line of code for the Civilization games? Did Richard Garriott draw every texture in Tabula Rasa? No, of course they didn't, but their names are right there on the box, showing ownership. Despite my own fanboy appreciation of certain devs, the title of this article says it all. With a few notable exceptions, those who make our favorite games make up a collective group of talented people who come together under proper leadership and design guidelines to create something that keeps us entertained for hours/weeks/months/years. So why do we pick out one or two and treat them like rock stars?
Watch the Gears of War 3 trailer right now
Why wait for Cliff Bleszinski to debut Gears of War 3 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon? Here's the trailer for the "worst-kept secret in the video game industry," posted to the Late Night website (and embedded above) ... before it's appeared on television. The trailer is prefaced by some banter with Mister B about his vintage Nintendo Power appearance and what makes a great game. The new game has playable female soldiers in it! Take that, Crackdown 2! Don't worry, it's still jam-packed with men who look like refrigerators and mellow music, like the famous Gears of War trailer (in this case, Sun Kil Moon's "Heron Blue"). Other elements mentioned by Cliff include new weapons and new aliens -- "crazy tentacle monsters" with mutating ability. Bleszinski said GOW3 will arrive "probably around April 8" -- one year after his Late Night appearance was supposed to be shown. Wouldn't that have been nice marketing? Oh, well. Update: Official release date is April 5, 2011. And catch Cliff's Late Night appearance after the break. %Gallery-90396%
CliffyB: 'Two upcoming games' on Monday's Late Night; Us: It's totally Bulletstorm and Gears of War 3
When Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski got bumped from last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon because of a Justin Bieber-shaped "scheduling conflict," someone forgot to tell the Xbox Dashboard programming team who, inadvertently, spoiled Mr. B's big reveal: Gears of War 3. Re-booked for Monday's show with no big reveal has left Epic Games with only one alternative: reveal a second game! CliffyB took to Twitter with the following comment: "NEWSFLASH: Two announcements about two upcoming games on Monday. BOOM!" Lucky for them, Epic has a second game that's just about ready for its close-up, People Can Fly's Bulletstorm. Now, he didn't say specifically that Bulletstorm would be the second "upcoming" game, but the pieces are certainly in place. Take, for example, the cover of next month's Game Informer magazine, which can already be found floating around various corners of the internet. Of course, Epic could simply be following Nintendo's lucrative Pokemon strategy and releasing two editions of Gears of War 3. If so, might we suggest Gears of War 3 Brown and Gears of War 3 Gray? [Update: Not ones to let some internet scans steal their story, the Game Informer crew has come right out and said it, albeit a few days earlier than planned: "The latest issue of Game Informer Magazine [has a] world-exclusive look at People Can Fly's upcoming shooter, Bulletstorm." They've got some higher-res art too, if you're interested.]
VGA 2009: Cliff Bleszinski teases new projects, more to come 'when the weather's warm'
This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and – before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside – we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here's what we learned from Epic's Cliff Bleszinski. So you segued from Gears into Shadow Complex ... what are you working on now? I can't tell you that! It's actually quite agonizing for me right now, because there's a bunch of awesome shit we're working on, but I can't say a damn thing about it no matter how many alcoholic beverages you might try and feed me! Well, maybe if you bribe me with hookers and blow, that might work. Shadow Complex will be on sale during the holidays. Was that Microsoft's idea or Epic's? Microsoft is doing that promo. They're doing some other stuff as well to help drive the holiday sales. I mean, in this day and age look how crammed Christmas is, and it's like March is the new holiday. Everybody's moved out to March. I think it's good because the good games will rise, and the bad games will sink, right? I was getting tired of the fact that everyone had to cram everything into the holiday season. Hopefully we'll get some quality releases in March that will do well, and the gaming industry can sell more than 80% of its games outside of a three month period. What are you playing right now? I'm playing the hell out of Modern Warfare 2 and I hate those guys, because those guys are so awesome. Uncharted 2 I beat, which was absolutely stellar. Borderlands co-op is amazing ... that's the only way to play, really. I gush about it not just because it's our engine but because Randy and those guys are good friends, and it's the kind of game I really want to play. It's the perfect blending of the shooter and the RPG. So when will we hear about this "awesome shit"? Maybe sometime when the weather's warm, you'll be hearing something.
Bleszinski sees RPGs as key to the shooter's future
Look, we know, alright? Cliff "Not CliffyB" Bleszinski has a lot to say, and as such, he ends up in the headlines a bit more than anyone could expect. But how can we resist when he says such interesting stuff, like what he said during a recent interview with Develop. He dropped some pretty serious hints about the future of shooters -- and in turn, his own franchise, Gears of War. "I had a conversation with Harvey Smith – one of the lead designers on Deus Ex – and said to him the future of shooters is RPGs," the Cliffster said during the interview. "He said he completely agreed." So, Deus Ex of War with RPG elements confirmed? Not quite. Bleszinski made sure to mention immediately afterward, "One could wean that from the comments I made earlier about the future of shooters is RPGs and see where things are going with us. It depends on where things go." Here's hoping "things go" right back to work on the game and less of the gum flapping! (Just joshin' ya, Cliffy. We still love you.)
Cliff Bleszinski explains why there are so many bald space marines
If you think Unreal Engine 3 games feature too much gray and brown, laden with "pillars and girders," all being stomped around on by bald space marines, Cliff "Young Clifford" Bleszinski wants you to blame the tech. Speaking with Develop recently, the man that birthed Marcus Fenix said, "The technology of this generation just happens to be very good at rendering metals and stones and dramatic lighting." He argues that "translucent effects" are much harder to pull of with the technology given and as such, "the tech is good at showing off armor and it's not that good at doing hair ... that's why we have bald space marines."Though we'd argue that there are lots of bald men in our lives who happen to not be space marines -- CheapyD and Dr. Manhattan prime among them -- we can appreciate how Marcus Fenix may be more equipped to take down the Locust than an omnipotent blue man. Wait a minute! Interestingly, Bleszinski also notes during the interview that he's got "like five projects going on right now" -- we're counting Shadow Complex and another (still unannounced) Gears of War, which leaves three unannounced projects? Something is afoot at Epic Games. And it almost certainly involves bald space marines.
The rise and fall of @cliffy_b
At some point during the short life of Twitter's @cliffy_b, a mockumentary version of Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski, the joke became a little too real for some people and it had to be shut down. Matthew Downham, who we've actually featured before in spoofs where he fails hard at games, along with his friend, Austin Brown, were the men behind the false Bleszinski. Today he posted the full explanation of the birth and death of @cliffy_b.Downham explains the duo never intended any malice with @cliffy_b, that the character, a clear goof on the extroverted designer, was meant to be an over-the-top version of a gaming personality they admired. The joke was going along fine, until one particular tweet was taken a bit too seriously. Although Downham avoids what the post was, it was probably the tweet heard round the Gears community: "After much testing, it looks like matchmaking is permanently broken ... There are new maps though, only 800 Microsoft Points!" That's when the Epic lawyers had Twitter kill the fake Mr. Bleszinski. The story stands as a good metric on how some lines -- especially involving money and multi-million dollar franchises -- are dangerous to cross.
The winner of the Mark Jacobs Award for Corporate Community Achievement is...
Yes, you didn't blink when you read the title. Of course, the award was made by Alex Litel of "Bell, Game, and Candle" at GameSetWatch and it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but it really shows how connected Jacobs is with all of the Warhammer Online hype.Litel's article showcases the many press release quotes that just make you tilt your head in confusion and wonder why exactly someone wrote that for marketing purposes. Quotes such as Cliffy B calling the original Gears of War "...just a tease, an appetizer to Gears of War characters and new style of gameplay" just to ramp up marketing for Gears of War 2.Litel inserted the Mark Jacobs award because he thought it would be unfair to include Mark Jacob's quotes in with the other quotes he gathered. With all of the passion Mark puts behind his marketing promises, including Jacobs's quotes would turn the article into a countdown of Mark Jacobs moments. So, the quotes were left out, but the spirit of Jacobs remained alive and well.If you want to see all 50 quotes, and which quote got the coveted award, head on over to GameSetWatch and check out Litel's article. We certainly got a few chuckles out of it.
Video: Silence CliffyB
It's hard to really call video game designers celebrities. Sure, most of the people reading the Joystiq network can tell you who Shigeru Miyamoto is, but his isn't exactly a household name. There is, however, at least one game designer who acts like a celebrity, and that's Cliff "Formerly CliffyB" Bleszinski, designer of the Gears of War series. Like many celebrities, it seems Cliff is willing to share his thoughts on any subject, even voting. Sarcastic Gamer has had enough, and has created the parody "Silence CliffyB," which sends up Cliff's constant quips.That's not important though. What is important is that the video also sends up the various gaming outlets and blogs that cover Cliff's shenanigans. Specifically, the video shows a snapshot of this very blog. We're totally in a video, and that's awesome. Find the video after the break.
Nega-Review: Gears of War 2
"Don't expect the perfect shooter" out of Gears of War 2." (3) "There's a lack of depth here -- an amalgam of recycled mechanics and ideas that ... never really gets anywhere." (1) "The game has what seems to be a disappointing lack of polish, what with the minor glitches that have crept in." (6) "The execution is frustrating" (1) and "one can't help but think that the team is still honing its level design, its pacing, its combat and its storytelling." (3)"Overall, Gears of War 2 is ... essentially the same as its predecessor." (6) "It's as if the original Gears has gotten a face-lift, and been expanded upon, without much real change." (1) "The game's opening teaser ... could have been sliced out of the original title" (4) and "the basic gameplay, with the focus on taking cover and precise re-loading, as well as the dismal gray visual design, is little changed from the first Gears." (2) "The whole freshness and aspect of 'new' that came with the first game won't really come across here." (6)The game's "major shortcoming is a mawkish and cliche-ridden story." (2) "The characters [are] as macho and stereotypical as ever," (3) and "so uninspired you can almost predict their next response or action -- usually some variation of a grim, determined assertion of their physical prowess." (1) "Do we really have to have the shit-scared new cadet who's barely old enough to shave, the general giving a rah rah speech consisting entirely of jingoistic clichés, and the loud-mouthed hick who calls his rig Betty (and has a fetishistic love for it)?" (3) "There's barely a single character beat that isn't cringe-inducing." (2)
Clifford B: Betas are like one-night stands
First, let us say we love Clifford Bleszinski. With that out of the way, we would offer him this bit of sage advice: If you want people to take you seriously, asking them to not call you CliffyB anymore is a great Step 1. But Step 2 should almost certainly be to stop saying things like, "A beta is like hooking up with a girl just to say, 'yeah, I f*cked her.' I know that sounds crude, but it's the honest-to-God truth. Once you play a beta, you can check it off your list – you can say, 'yeah, I played it.'"There's more to that quote in a GamePro interview that you really have to read right here, we just didn't want you to think we were taking anything out of context. Credibility, ahoy!
The New Yorker profiles Cliff Bleszinski
"His current haircut is short and cowlicked, his bangs twirled up into a tiny moussed horn. He was wearing what in my high school would have been called 'exchange-student jeans'-obviously expensive but slightly the wrong color and of a somehow non-American cut." After a brief period of alarm, thinking someone had stolen and published our romantic Cliff Bleszinski novella, it came to our attention that The New Yorker had posted a lengthy profile on Mr. Gears of War himself.Packed with biographical information and sensual descriptions of Bleszinksi's earlobes, the article provides an interesting glimpse at a man who has set out to make game design "a little cooler." Check it out and get to know the man responsible for your recently developed chainsaw fetish a little better.[Thanks, mn]
'CliffyB' defends Too Human from critics
[Update 2: The Giant Bomb user formerly known as CliffyB has changed his user name based on a request from the Giant Bomb staff. Seems this was a case of mistaken/overtaken internet identity. Joystiq regrets the error.][Update: It seems there's some doubt as to whether or not this review was actually written by Mr. Bleszinski or just some Giant bomb user who took his common online moniker. Either way, the review is still an interesting, alternative look at the game. We're looking into it and we'll update as warranted.]After so much hype and so many years in development, many were surprised by the lackluster critical reception for Silicon Knights' Too Human. Count among the surprised Epic Games' Cliff "Don't call me CliffyB anymore" Bleszinski, who defended the game from its harshest critics in a recent Giant Bomb reader review.Bleszinski says he found the game more engrossing than either BioShock or Call of Duty 4, pouring 16 straight hours into it on his first sit down and readying for a second playthrough after a 42-hour quest. While admitting that the story "isn't God's gift to writing," Bleszinski still insists it compares favorably to a lot of other video games. His main beef, though, is with critics who derided the game's combat as too simple simply because they weren't willing to delve into what Bleszinski sees as some complex strategic depth. "It will require some attention to learn," he warns, "If this is too much to ask, do not fret. There is always the Wii." Ouch!The full review goes into an insane amount of detail on Bleszinski's experience with the game. Check it out if you're interested in a well informed, decidedly different perspective on this epic.
