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MAG review highlights strengths and flaws of the console MMOFPS
MAG is a PlayStation 3-exclusive MMOFPS title we've been keeping our eyes on at Massively. The inevitable debate aside about whether Zipper Interactive's title is an MMO or not -- yes, tanks and guns replace dragons and magic spells -- the game accommodates up to 256 players in a zone at a time. The idea of FPS gameplay with that many people at such a high degree of graphical detail is pretty mind-boggling, and it's something we've explored a bit in the MAG beta. Our parent site Joystiq recently sat down with the game now that it's officially launched and wrote a short MAG review. Joystiq's Griffin McElroy gives a brief overview of MAG's gameplay and his assessment of the title's merits and flaws. That idea of 128 players per side doesn't mean you'll all be charging towards your opponents in one awesome wave, he notes. Rather, you'll typically be interacting with your fellow soldiers on a squad level (4-8 people) to achieve objectives, with multiple squads comprising platoons, and four such platoons forming an army.
Redefining MMOs: The Shooter Invasion
The MMO industry is always changing, and if we're going to stay ahead of the curve, we need to re-evaluate some of our views and ingrained notions from time to time. The Redefining MMOs series at Massively is our look at the state of massively multiplayer online games as it is today, and where we see it going. This week we're going to look at how shooters have invaded the MMO space, give you a run-down of some promising MMO shooters on the horizon, and finally tackle the question of whether or not they should be covered here at Massively. Something we're seeing more and more is a blurring of the lines between formerly distinct game genres -- this is especially true of shooters and MMOs. There are a number of shooters on the horizon that fit the bill as MMOs (although not RPGs), but such games are a radical departure from the DikuMUD pedigree shared by most MMORPG titles we cover at Massively. These shooter-MMO hybrids may have quests, levels, and classes, but they cast few illusions about being true RPGs. They're shooters through and through, but have persistent settings or are massively multiplayer -- traits which catch our attention.
Global Agenda video interview gives a closer look at the game
Massively has been keeping an eye on Global Agenda, a title on the way from Hi-Rez Studios that's one of the new breed of shooter MMOs. Our own Shawn Schuster recently visited their Atlanta studio for a video tour as the Hi-Rez team prepped for closed beta. We see that BarnGamerz also got an early look at Global Agenda and scored some face time with the developers, who explained a bit about their respective roles in creating the game. They put it all into a video, with Lead Technical Artist Mick Larkins discussing a bit about his work, and an interview with Executive Producer Todd Harris. If you haven't been following the coverage of Global Agenda across the various MMO sites, this might serve as a good primer on the game. Harris sits down with Jaimie from BarnGamerz to discuss the basic concepts behind the title, including Global Agenda's classes and how they'll be employed, illustrated with some in-game footage. You can see the Global Agenda Studio Tour at BarnGamerz or check out the video embed after the jump.
Dark Sector half-priced on Steam, console versions also going for cheap
Having only been on the market for three months, the PC version of Dark Sector will already be going on sale for half price on Steam. The third-person shooter will stay at the slashed price of $9.99 throughout the week and up until next Monday, June 22.If you're strictly a PC gamer and looking to dive into Dark Sector, then this appears to be a good time to pick it up. Those with consoles should hit Amazon. The site lists the PS3 version at only $6, and the Xbox 360 version is going for an acceptable $1.49. The PC software of Dark Sector is a direct port of the original console game released last year, so the only difference you'll notice between versions is the price.
This is Killzone 2's opening cut scene
Perhaps by now you've decided whether you've wanted to board the Killzone 2 hype-train or not. If you have, then you'll have seen the gameplay videos, prepared for the release day, and read up on everything you'll ever need to know. The game's now just one month away, though that wait may seem unbearable. There's only one thing which can abate that feeling of longing and that's perhaps to have a taste of one of the first things you'll ever see upon putting in that mint new disc. We're talking about the opening cinematic scene to Killzone 2. Watch it right here after the break if you've got to purge that urge; however, don't, if you want to keep the whole experience fresh on February 27. [Thanks T-e-X!]
TGS 08: RE5's 'Shooter' control scheme lessens strife, adds strafe
click to enlarge If there was any doubt as to whether the Resident Evil series had abandoned its traditional survival-horror mechanics in favor of a more action-packed horror experience, the appearance of "shooter" controls in the franchise's fifth installment should completely eradicate it. You know, if the fact that the not-zombies drop ammo wasn't enough to convince you.As hinted at in an earlier producer interview, Resident Evil 5 does indeed have an optional control scheme that is more in line with the third-person shooter genre. The left analogue stick now allows you to strafe to the left and right, with aiming (enabled via the left trigger) and turning assigned to the right analogue stick. The controls are a step away from Resident Evil 4's tank controls and feel considerably more familiar and intuitive.We're relieved -- and you may be inclined to disagree -- that Chris Redfield and his spirited partner are still unable to move and shoot at the same time. By not entirely giving in to the demands of shooter fans and placing one significant limit on your offensive capabilities, Capcom has preserved the sense of anxiety felt when a monster approaches. Shoot or run? Make the choice!%Gallery-33594%
TGS 08: Quantum Theory confirmed as PS3 exclusive
Out of all the possible answers relating to platform exclusivity inquiries, a simple "yes" is easily the most difficult one to extract. This did not prove to be the case with Tecmo's Makoto Shibata, however, who calmly assured us that Tecmo's upcoming third-person shooter, the cryptically named Quantum Theory, is indeed exclusive to the PlayStation 3.The Team Tachyon director, who candidly described the game as Japan's answer to titles like Gears of War, is sticking to the predominantly Western genre's "basics," while making sure that his country's "skills and talent are incorporated." You'll note that the game's art employs a more expanded color palette, though not at the expense of unfeasibly enormous biceps. The traditional, post-apocalyptic environment is augmented here by a striking "living tower," a labyrinthine structure that the game's protagonist and his occasional female foil must traverse and ultimately defeat. Taking a page corner from Fracture, Shibata noted that the "shape-shifting" environments within the tower would constantly change in real time, either providing new cover or creating unexpected dangers. With the game not being due until late 2009, however, we were unable to see this feature in practice. But at least that leaves plenty of time to tweak the game's name. In response to our suggestion to incorporate the word "tower" to better highlight the game's oblong villain, Shibata joked that it would ultimately be inappropriate for the tower-less sequel.... He was joking, right?%Gallery-34101%
Castle of Shikigami III shoots up Wii next spring
Once upon a time sprite-based shoot-em-ups, or shmups as the kids would say, were all the rage, casting players in the role of spaceships, witches on broomsticks, and even penguins as they blasted away at anything that moved while deftly avoiding a seemingly nonstop stream of bullets. It was a simpler time, and while the industry has long since moved on, those of us with an eye for nostalgia and one foot firmly rooted in the past can jump in excitement at publisher Aksys' plans to bring Castle of Shikigami III, a vertical 'bullet hell'-style shmup to the Wii this coming spring 2008. Thankfully checking motion sensitivity at the door, the game follows 2004's Castle Shikigami 2 and its hilariously covered prequel Mobile Light Force 2, both of which made it to these shores care of indie pub XS Games. While both of those titles were released at a budget price point, its unclear if Aksys will follow this tradition. What we do know is that Castle of Shikigami III will feature two player co-op and 10 selectable characters, making this certainly one to watch for those of us who refuse to grow up and recognize the polygons as our lords and masters.
Xbox 360 only 17% shooter games (22% of 'good games')
The Xbox 360 has a reputation for being a shooting man's console. If it runs and guns, it must be Xbox 360. Turns out that's not so true, but it took until now for site to lay it all out. FPS Source gave us the numbers and X3F came along with an easy to understand pie chart. Originally taking what FPS Source believed is the console's current 137 title library, they discovered the FPS genre makes up 11% and the Third Person Shooter genre is 6%, with the most common genres being sports and action/adventure titles.Over the last couple days since FPS Source wrote the original piece, some people have become quite passionate on the subject. There's been a few updates, a little give and take, and someone even made a new chart, using scores from Metatcritic, showing that 22% of the good games are shooters. There is also criticism because sports games, like Madden, are just the same thing with a different number every year, so they shouldn't count multiple times. The point is that even with the back and forth, shooters are merely a facet of the Xbox 360's identity. With any luck, games like Blue Dragon, Mass Effect and the beautiful Eternal Sonata (try the demo) will help round out those hard shooter edges that the Xbox still gets pegged with.[Via X3F]
Advergaming hits Indian movie industry
ZDNet is reporting on Bollywood3D, a new company set up to release promotional games for India's famously prolific film industry. Unlike movie-based games in the States, which count on a box office bump from the film's premiere, Bollywood3D games will come out ahead of the movie to create early buzz, including built-in contests for merchandise and premiere tickets.Bollywood's famous musicals won't be adapted to start -- early games will instead let you take control of big Bollywood action stars like Emran Hashmi and Salman Kahn. With budgets of $100,000 and and a development cycle of two months, the games aren't likely to be AAA blockbusters in their own right. But as a marketing promotion aimed at India's millions of computer owners, it might just work. Hey, if they can sell two million Burger King games, anything is possible.
Majesco brings indie game TUMIKI Fighters to UK Wii as 'Blast Works'
It's been an indie day for Nintendo: first the announcement of the WiiWare developing platform, and now comes news that Majesco is officially bringing unique indie shoot-em-up TUMIKI Fighters to the Nintendo Wii in Europe, under the sadly generic name Blast Works: Build, Fuse & Destroy.The original TUMIKI Fighters, created by Kenta Cho, is a Katamari-esque freeware shooter on the PC, where the polygons of exploded enemy ships can be "stuck" to the player's ship for increased firepower and greater points. According to Majesco's press release, Blast Works will retain the gameplay and "retro" aesthetic of the original, and will include a new ship editor, level editor, and a two-player cooperative mode. No word yet on a US release, but Majesco states that Europe will be building, fusing, and destroying sometime this fall.[Via Wii Fanboy]
Wii Warm Up: Too many shooters?
The Virtual Console has made shooting games widely available for the first time in years. We like shooters, despite being categorically awful at them, so we're happy about this. But has the genre been disproportionately represented on the VC? There are so many, versus very few fighting games, and no role-playing games. Are you guys buying shooters? Are you happy with the selection? Are you all zap zap zap and pew pew pew at the bad spaceships?
Metareview: Shadowrun (Xbox 360, PC)
As far as weird decisions go, exhuming a popular pen-and-paper RPG franchise and transforming it into a cross-platform shooter isn't nearly as disastrous as you might expect. Indeed, most Shadowrun reviewers concur that the gameplay is enjoyable and pleasingly distinct from your space donut shootouts. As for the decisions that led to a dearth of single-player content and a comically high price tag, well, those are every bit as disastrous as you'd expect. Eurogamer (6/10) considers Shadowrun to be a "well-designed, well-conceived game," but faults its anemic features and "counter-productive" price. "There's nothing wrong with a game choosing to specialise in either offline or online experience, of course," notes Kieron Gillen. "But if you decide to completely ignore one pole of the experience, you have to offer something generally astounding and/or groundbreaking to justify yourselves." Gamespot (6.9/10) feels the game, which is "about $30 too expensive," makes poor use of the Shadowrun license and doesn't offer enough variety. Despite finding the combat unique and the customization choices to be meaningful, Jeff "8.8" Gerstmann ultimately labels Shadowrun as "a pretty shallow experience." IGN (6.8/10) loathes the game's presentation, one of many criticisms it piles atop the "well-designed nucleus of gameplay." Charles Onyett finds the whole thing to be unrewarding, explaining that, "As gamers, it's rewards we crave, be it of the narrative variety, in-game items, new options or modes, or something entirely different." It's a shame to see Shadowrun providing "something different" to a crowded genre, only to clumsily stumble its way into the retail world with a heavy price on its back. We're sure the brilliant executives at Microsoft will pin the blame for inhibited sales on the license itself: "What? Shadowrun tanked? Well, that could only be due to the fact that nobody likes the Shadowrun universe anymore! Let's put that one back in the closet, eh chaps?"Read -- Metacritic on the PC versionRead -- Metacritic on the Xbox 360 version
Radio Allergy cancelled
Radio Allergy, Milestone's "Wii Compatible" shooter for the Gamecube, has finally been canned by publisher O3 Interactive after months of delays. We like cel-shading, and we like shooters, so we're a little sad. In a statement to Cubed3, O3 said that there was a hope of putting Radio Allergy on the Wii. No plan, but a hope.Aeropause then speculated that this hypothetical Wii release would be bundled with Karous, the current "last Dreamcast game ever" from Milestone, or-- even better, both Karous and Chaos Field, Milestone's first "last Dreamcast game ever." We do like the idea of more games, but we don't have any evidence of that right now. All we know is that we aren't getting Radio Allergy any time soon. At least we can all download the papercraft patterns from the Japanese website! Video game papercraft beats actual video games every time.
Blazing Lazers confirmed for Monday VC release
Here's a little pre-Monday Virtual Console Madness, courtesy of Hudson. Get your Wii Points ready, because our personal favorite shmup ever is going to be available for download next week in the US. Blazing Lazers (Gunhed in Japan) is a vertical shooter for the Turbografx-16 that differs from other vertical shooters in one important way: really fun weapons. There are four categories of weapons, each of which can be upgraded to five different levels. Our favorite is the enemy-seeking green lightning beam thing. It's pretty.[Via GoNintendo]
Lost Planet PC demo available on 15 May
Those eager to traipse through an unforgiving climate and annihilate despicable alien creatures without the aid of an Xbox 360 won't have to wait much longer. A PC demo of Capcom's Lost Planet is set to materialize online next week, May 15th, and finally give those DirectX 10 cards something to do. Indeed, they'll be expected to utilize "the advanced features of Shader model 4.0" in order to render those frigid landscapes and enormous plot holes. Older hardware isn't quite given the cold shoulder, however, as Lost Planet also supports Windows XP and DirectX 9. If monsters and mechs do it for you, find it on store shelves this June, priced at a totally last-gen $39.95.%Gallery-2562%
Wii Are Tumiki Fighters?
A listing for a Majesco-published Wii version of Tumiki Fighters has shown up on Gamefly, and we really, really hope it turns out to be real. Tumiki Fighters is a freeware shmup by Kenta Cho that involves collecting pieces that fall off of destroyed enemy ships to power up your own ship. We like Kenta Cho's games. They're gorgeously presented abstract shooters that either (like Tumiki Fighters) invent new gameplay mechanics or, like rRootage, artfully (and openly) rip off mechanics from other shmups. We aren't sure we'd want to pay full price for them, since they're free right now, but we would consider paying budget price for sufficiently expanded versions.
Ikaruga bound for Xbox Live Arcade
CVG has the scoop: Treasure's hypnotic, crushingly difficult and strikingly beautiful shoot-em-up, Ikaruga, is headed for Xbox Live Arcade. An early build of the game was spotted on the debug version of Xbox Live, which is only accessable through an Xbox 360 debug unit. Though the code wasn't functional yet, we imagine that Live co-op would make for an excellent addition to this particular version.For those who missed out on Ikaruga's previous console ports on the Dreamcast and Gamecube, know that the game is one of the genre's best -- at least if you're willing to accept the irremediable psychological damage caused by the game's never-ending sea of pulsating bullets. Let the torturous wait for further details begin!
Deal of the Day: Gradius Collection $15 at Best Buy
If you're like me and have recently been bitten by the old-school gaming bug on the PSP, you'll be happy to hear of a nice deal at Best Buy. You can currently snag Gradius Collection for only $15 by using Best Buy's Gamer Gift Card.You see, the Gamer Gift Card gives you $5 off a $20 or higher game. All you do is buy the gift card, put a few bucks on it and use it to slash a quarter of the price off any $20 game. Pretty easy, huh?And with the recent news of Konami releasing more classic shooters, picking Gradius up will just get you all the more ready.[Via Cheapassgamer - Registration required]
25-year-old XBLA game delayed by a week
In a moment that's sure to elicit a grin or an unstoppable urge to fling your retinas into the back of your head, a game that was released in 1981 has somehow managed to be delayed for a week in the year 2006. Konami's side-scrolling shooter, Scramble, was all set for release this Wednesday when Microsoft's elite and possibly overworked team of testers concluded that the game simply wasn't ready to hit Xbox Live Arcade. The official word reveals that "during the final testing and certification of the title, we discovered some minor issues that should be addressed. Therefore, we are going to take an extra week and fix these items to ensure a high quality game experience for all when the title does launch on its new date of Wednesday, September 13." This isn't the first time the weekly XBLA release schedule has had to make due without a new game -- this week's replacement is a Project Gotham Racing 3 UNO deck priced at 100 points ($1.25 in non-funny money). As exciting as theme decks and picture packs may be, the consistency of game releases has been somewhat shaky so far. Let's hope future XBLA Wednesdays don't have more games taking XBLA sick days. Har.[Thanks Matt!]
