aitd
Latest
Zero Punctuation unleashes the fury on Alone in the Dark
Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee has himself an awful game this week with Alone in the Dark, and he uses the opportunity for all that it's worth. This is a classic episode for the amount of ire it dishes out. Yes, it's everything one expects from Yahtzee reviewing Edward Carnby's latest misadventure in the well-intentioned, but ultimately flawed, game.The NSFW clip can be found after the break.
Alone in the Dark producer talks design
At a recent Atari event, the same one in which Phil Harrison stated that Atari would no longer pursue big budget, single-player titles, Gamasutra sat down with Nour Polloni, producer of Alone in the Dark. The interview focuses mainly on the gameplay and design choices that Eden made for the game. Of particular interest is Polloni's thoughts on the game's open design, which allows players to solve problems in ways that make sense to them. Said Polloni, "we didn't want you to search for the golden key to open the door." She emphasizes that players shouldn't be asking themselves what they can't do within the game. In other words, if a player thinks of a logical way to open the door -- smashing it with a fire extinguisher, for example -- it will work. It all boils down to logic and accessibility.It's really a refreshing idea, and one we'd like to see implemented in more games. The interview is a worthwhile read. We suggest you check it out. Oh, and just so you know Polloni isn't merely spewing hot air, check out Joystiq's (very positive) impressions of the game.
Video: Finally! Some Alone in the Dark enemies
Until now, there hasn't been much talk of the enemies Edward Carnby will be facing in Alone in the Dark. We've seen a few random enemies, but thus far, no real details have been revealed. Thanks be to Eden Games then, as they have released a new developer video that explains the game's enemies and what you'll be doing to combat them. You'd better learn how to dispatch them too, as the video explains they will track you down, even following your trail of blood to do so. Thankfully, Edward can come up with plenty of impromptu weapons using his inventory and the environment. Enough talking about it though. Go ahead and watch the video.Getting excited yet or do you still need convincing?
Phil Harrison talks Alone in the Dark, spotlight shines on game footage
The dialog may sound cheesy, but Alone in the Dark looks like it could be good enough (and given our hands-on, maybe even 3 million units good enough) to try when it releases in late June. In the video above, Atari/Infogrames Directeur Général Délégué Phil Harrison speaks to 1Up about being impressed after seeing AitD for the first time and enjoying the narrative structure of the title.The real highlight in the video is the impressive amount of gameplay footage shown, which gives us a much better idea of what the title will actually be like. We're not sure yet if Alone in the Dark will be "blow your mind" fantastic, but much like The Darkness last summer, it appears well suited in getting some attention from the consoles it'll launch on during a less-than-crowded release time. Don't fret PS3 owners, you should be way too busy with Solid Snake starting June 12 to care about little ol' Edward Carnby.%Gallery-14429%
Infogrames CEO: Alone in the Dark will sell 2-3 million units this fiscal year
Infogrames CEO, David Gardner, tells Reuters he believes Alone in the Dark will sell two to three million copies this fiscal year. That means that, between its June 24 release and next March, the title needs to perform better than a game like BioShock. Given the fact that the title is being released on Wii, PS2, Xbox 360 and PC (PS3 is "sometime in 2008"), it just may hit that projection when combining all the systems ... maybe.Gardner's currently focused on getting Infogrames / Atari to stop hemorrhaging money, and has Directeur Général Délégué Phil Harrison and friends looking to "get a business plan together that gets [Atari] to a break-even level." Unsurprisingly, Gardner couldn't give specifics on when he expects that to happen.[Via GameDaily] %Gallery-14429%
Alone in the Dark "Real World Rules"
In the hustle and bustle of GDC, it looks like we missed the beginning of a new series of videos about Alone in the Dark. Entitled "Real World Rules" the videos take a look at the environmental interactions that are possible in Alone in the Dark. It seems that the game is taking a different approach to survival horror. Rather than collecting more and more powerful weapons, emphasis is placed upon collecting and combining real world objects in order to solve puzzles and dispatch enemies. One of our favorite combos featured in the video: pierce a bottle of fuel, wrap it in tape, and toss it directly onto the back of an enemy (where it will stick, thanks to the tape). Since you pierced the bottle, you've not got a handy trail of gasoline leading from your feet to the enemy or, to put it more clearly, a fuse. Light the fuel trail on fire and BOOM, bad guy flambé. Episode one is embedded above. Find episode two after the break.
Alone in the Dark website is intentionally unsettling
Central Park is a place full of creepy things and pervs. At least, that's what the Alone in the Dark website would have you believe. Before yesterday, CentralDark was just a teaser site. In order to promote its upcoming game, though, Atari has recently added some rather disturbing stories about Central Park to the game's official website. The site is scheduled to be updated with articles every two weeks until the game's release in May.Also, on a personal note: This blogger grew up relatively close to Central Park, and it's a pretty nice place. Hear that, potential visitors? Don't let this marketing scare you. (This post was paid for by the New York Department of Tourism.*)*Not really.%Gallery-10200%
Alone in the Dark not delayed says Atari
Hey, remember when Games for Windows magazine reported that Alone in the Dark was delayed until September? It looks like they may have spoken to soon, as Eurogamer reveals that Atari has taken exception to the article, saying that the Games for Windows report was a rumor. Granted, this isn't an out right denial of the delay, but it looks like Alone in the Dark is at least still scheduled for a March release. We hope so, because we needs our survival horror fix.
First Alone in the Dark 5 footage
If there is one thing that the Xbox 360 needs more of, it's survival horror games. Today, we're proud to display the latest trailer for Alone in the Dark 5. We've shown off some creepy screens before, but it's always better to see a game in motion, especially when it's this pretty. You'll probably see the note at the beginning of the trailer, but we have to point out that this video is taken from real time game footage. In other words: wow. Alone in the Dark 5 looks very nice. The facial detail alone is staggering, from the scarring to the glistening eyes. So let's see, we have Alone in the Dark 5, Alan Wake, and Resident Evil 5 all coming eventually. Add Silent Hill 5 and Eternal Darkness 2 to that list and we'll be happy terrified.Check out the official Alone in the Dark 5 website for screens and a downloadable version of the trailer. Alone in the Dark arrives later this year.[Thanks, Machiavelli 420]
