behind the scenes
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More on the sound design for Guild Wars 2
Yesterday, the Guild Wars 2 sound team got to have a day in the limelight with a video detailing the process of making the sounds that go into the game. Today, the team is back in the spotlight, showcasing an equally-important but slightly different aspect of the audio game. This time, the video isn't showing off getting the sounds just right, it's showcasing getting the sounds to work correctly in the game world, rather than just playing a footstep effect every few moments. As demonstrated in the video, the team uses a complex dynamic layering system in which several different sounds can have varying levels of volume, frequency, and focus -- as demonstrated by a windmill, which has ten different sounds playing at intervals to create the illusion of wood and cloth slowly turning. Guild Wars 2 players might not find any tips about the gameplay just past the cut, but they will find a video that further explains how you make just the right kinds of noise in the game.
Go behind the scenes with RuneScape's August updates and upgrades
RuneScape players have a treat in store for them, as Jagex has released the August Behind the Scenes letter today. What do players have to look forward to in the coming month? Quite a bit, actually. Not content to rest on its laurels after the ambitious clan citadels update, Jagex is maintaining full speed with a variety of upgrades and updates to the world of RuneScape. For starters, the Grand Exchange will be seeing an upgrade that will split it into four wings in order to disperse the crowds around the central exchange booth, thereby making the service easier to use. The game's audio will be seeing an overhaul as well, with all elemental, normal, and Ancient Magick spells receiving new sound effects. Agility users will also notice some spankin'-new sounds as they scamper around. Temple Trekking is getting completely reworked, with the Temple Trekking partners' AI getting a large improvement. The largest update this month comes in the form of Branches of Darkmeyer, which will pit players against legions of deadly vampires in pursuit of shiny new vampire-slaying equipment. For all of this and more that we just couldn't fit, check out the August Behind the Scenes letter over at the RuneScape website.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The life of the alter-ego
In response to my original column about City of Heroes Freedom, I got an email. This in and of itself isn't particularly unusual; I get a lot of email, even if I don't respond to all of it. (I do read all of it, but there are only so many hours in the day.) The mail itself was pretty angry, however, claiming that I had sold out to NCsoft and was being just another corporate shill. Exact terminology has not been preserved, but you get the general idea. It's the sort of letter that pretty much everyone at Massively gets from time to time, insisting that we've sold out at some point. Of course, after I had my usual laugh, I realized that there are some genuine misconceptions about what it's like being on the other side of the screen. They've been touched on from time to time with reader questions, but rather than scattering information hither and yon, I figured I'd just take a column to clear the air and dispel some misunderstandings about what goes on behind the scenes at Massively.
Captain's Log: Season Four launch recap
Captain's Log, Stardate 65037.1... Hello, computer (and players)! As I mentioned in last week's Captain's Log entry, Season Four: Crossfire is now alive and kicking on Star Trek Online's Holodeck server. Based on past experiences with major content and code pushes, I feel that this was the smoothest to date with virtually no server issues or overload. While there have been a few snags along the way with some bugs making it past Cryptic's "white-glove" QA process, the update was a success and players are having more fun than ever before. As discussed in one of my past log entries, Season Four was to bring many updates to the game, including the acclaimed ground combat 2.0 system, which would make it an even better Trek experience -- in all honestly, Cryptic delivered. STO is more active than ever and the fleet that I am in is having multiple newbies sign up each day; it is an exciting time to be a player and your weekly columnist. What I would like to do this week is revisit what I let you know was coming to the game and let you know some of my thoughts on them now that I have been experiencing them for myself. Ensign, warp 12! Oh yeah, we are taking this to a whole new level...
Captain's Log: The Gospel of Tribble
Captain's Log, Stardate 64959.3... Hello, compu... what the... shields up, red alert! Brace for impact! A giant Tribble is on the loose, and its name is Season Four. That's right -- the Star Trek Online public test server, Tribble, sometimes nicknamed the Trouble with Tribble, has finally reopened with the major update that we have all been waiting for. This build was first pushed last Friday but was taken down moments later due to a "major database error." The show-stopping kinks have been worked out now, so it is time to get to testing out all of the new content I have been writing about for the past couple of months. If you have not seen the release notes for this build, there are dozens of updates that will be altering the way you have come to play the game. Not sure what to test? That is what I am here for. The goal of this week's Captain's Log is to provide you a checklist on what to hit up once you patch your game and get on your test toon. Also, if you have never installed the test server, now is a great time -- Cryptic will soon be announcing a Tribble Test Weekend, during which you can log in and receive an exclusive item on the live server just for helping test. Ensign, warp 10! Let's share some text from the word of Tribble...
Behind the scenes on Verizon's big deal with Apple for the iPhone
TechnoBuffalo's Adriana Lee has an interesting writeup that claims to go behind the scenes on Verizon's big deal with Apple to finally sell the iPhone on a second network earlier this year. Unfortunately, this information comes from an unnamed source, so we can't exactly vouch for its veracity. But it's an interesting tale anyway of what the Verizon deal may have been like. Apparently security was tight -- only those who needed to know about the deal did so officially beforehand (though, honestly, we'd heard rumor after rumor about it for a long time). And actual handsets were closely guarded, with owners being required to routinely put a special code in to guarantee things hadn't leaked out. The post also talks about the mood at CES about the "VPhone." I was at CES this year, and I can at least agree to the authenticity of that part -- the buzz around the press rooms and show floor was that it was pretty silly that Verizon was still playing dumb about an iPhone release, and when the invites finally appeared in the middle of the busiest tech show of the year, the response was more a sigh than anything. "Really?," we all asked. "Now?" Of course, that release plan worked out just fine anyway. The launch turned out to be more than a solid effort, and while lots of the buzz was undoubtedly due to the actual iPhone itself, Verizon seemed to handle things well on its side also. Thanks, Sean!
RuneScape introduces sagas and more in May
The team over at Jagex always has several irons in the fire when it comes to RuneScape's future. In a recent behind-the-scenes article, RuneScape's "Mod Mark" provides us with an advance look at some of the team's plans for the game this May. Several new capes will be added to the game, including a five-year veteran cape and one for players who have tried out RuneScape Classic at some point. Each of the capes is not only stylish but comes with special emotes as well. Continuing with the fashion theme, the devs will also make available PvP "death hats" that change in appearance as you rack up the kills. Several other quality-of-life improvements are on the table, such as the Dwarf Lava Flow Mine becoming an actual mine for players working on that particular skill. But by far the most exciting plan in the works is the introduction of a fresh type of content in the game: Fremennik Sagas. These are replayable stories by which you step into the shoes of famous characters to experience defining moments in their lives. There are three such Sagas being developed right now, including one in which you hunt for a bandit on the run. You can peruse all of the proposed additions to the game over at RuneScape.
Mega64 goes behind the scenes, deeper into the awkwardness
If you were sent into inescapable spirals of discomfort while watching one of Mega64's videos released this year, the video after the jump may very well kill you. It's a behind-the-scenes look at their take on Limbo, Portal 2, Shenmue -- and, of course, the horrified crowds they left in their wake.
It's Friday I'm in lab: Undead Labs opens its doors to you
"Monday the world can fall apart / Tuesday, Wednesday they eat my heart / Oh, Thursday my chainsaw doesn't start / It's Friday I'm in lab." We're reminded of the immortal words of The Cure as we watch this neat behind-the-scenes glimpse into the inner workings of Undead Labs. Ever wonder what it might be like to actually go to work and spend your whole day creating a post-apocalyptic zombie world? And get paid for it? Watch these devs and feel the bitter sting of envy at the back of your neck. While the video doesn't go into depth about Undead Labs' as-yet unnamed MMO or the XBLA game the studio is developing, it does offer tantalizing sights such as sheets of concept art, in-game building models, and even a brief bit of man-vs-zombie mayhem. And there are few things more surreal than witnessing a room full of businessmen and women seriously discussing zombie behaviors. You can watch the full video after the jump!
Back to the Future's third episode snags Claudia Wells as Jennifer
As if A.J. LoCascio's eerily accurate impression of Marty McFly wasn't haunting enough in-game, how about some live-action joshin' between LoCascio and the original actress who played Marty's love interest, Jennifer? That's just what Telltale has delivered in the latest trailer for the third episode of Back to the Future: The Game, starring multiple versions of Jennifer (played by original Back to the Future actress Claudia Wells, who was replaced by Elisabeth Shue in the sequels). For her part, Wells says she was "thrilled" when LoCascio asked her to reprise her role from the film. "I said, 'I wanna be Jennifer!'" she explains in the latest clip. And that's when things get ... strange. Head past the break and see for yourself.
World of Warcraft Magazine issue 4 preview now available
Do you like World of Warcraft news? Do you like your World of Warcraft news in convenient paper form? Does the number four fill you with such joy that you obsessively compulsively collect all things with that particular number on it? Well, good news on all these fronts: The folks at World of Warcraft Magazine appear to be sending issue four to the printers. Hopefully, this means the magazine will be shipping and arriving in mailboxes soon. The 148-page behemoth contains a look at the creation of the goblin and worgen races, a selection of artwork from Blizzard artist Samwise Didier, and a behind-the-scenes look at BlizzCon. If you just can't wait, head over the the official website and check out the excerpts for preview that were just posted.
Video shows off voicework in Black Prophecy
As every day passes, more and more people are joining the Black Prophecy beta testing. Slowly, the localizations are being smoothed out, and even more goodies are being added into this hotly anticipated sci-fi space dogfighter MMO. For those of you who haven't quite made it in as yet, as well as those who have but are curious about the nuts-and-bolts, Gamigo and Reakktor Media have released a video today that offers an interesting look at ongoing behind-the-scenes production. In this video, we take a trip to Periscope Studios and T-Recs Studios to watch just a little bit of how the voicework is done. Along with that, we're treated to a look at just how they get the voice to match the mouth animations of the NPCs without it looking completely silly or taking obnoxious amounts of time. Whether this upcoming free-to-play game is on your personal radar or you're more the type who is fascinated with the overall industry, it's a video worth spending a few minutes of your life to check out. We've embedded this new behind-the-scenes video after the break for your viewing pleasure.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Perfect World International's upcoming expansion
Just when you thought it was safe to wander back into Perfect World International, the time foretold by elders is coming. In the game's upcoming expansion, Genesis, the land will be torn asunder, leaving all in darkness and confusion. Along with this world-shattering event, two new classes will emerge, ready to help lead denizens of this fantasy game back into the light. Of course, before that can happen next month, there's tons of work to be completed on the back-end. Creation of new art, music, quests, animations, armor, and more. That's why the team at Perfect World Entertainment have offered an interesting teaser trailer for Perfect World International's upcoming Genesis expansion. Rather than reiterating specifics of the storyline which are easily readable on the main site, the team has instead opted to give players a behind-the-scenes look at all the hard work the team is putting in. From character modeling and rendering to music, motion-capture, and more, it offers a refreshing look at the operations of the studio. You can check out the video behind the break or head over to the Perfect World International site if you want to see the Perfect World one last time before things change.
Choreographing a humanoid robot's dance routine is as easy as click and pull
You may not be able to build an HRP-4C fembot in your average garage, but the programming would practically take care of itself -- not only does the AIST humanoid sing using off-the-shelf Yamaha Vocaloid software, its dance moves are click-and-drag, too. Roboticist Dr. Kazuhito Yokoi gave IEEE Spectrum an inside look at the HRP-4C's motion trajectory software, which works much like 3D animation tools: you position the limbs where you want them to start and when you want them to end up using keyframes, and the software takes care of the rest. The system's intelligent enough to generate a 6.7 second sequence from just eight keyframes, and it compensates for hazardous instructions, too -- if your haphazard choreography would tip her over or send limbs flying, it'll automatically adjust her moves. See how it works in a video after the break and hit up our source link for the full interview.
IO Interactive's second look behind the scenes of Kane & Lynch 2
Ready for more ultra-violence? IO Interactive is here to supply it, with a second behind-the-scenes, extra gruesome look at upcoming murder-'em-up Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Jump past the break to check it out.
SOE takes you behind the scenes at Fan Faire
Ever wondered what it was like to throw a huge party like Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire? The official EverQuest II website takes you behind the scenes at Fan Faire 2010 via a new article that features SOE Events Team member Dawn Wilson. Members of the Events Team talk about everything from live quest planning, to logistics, to the rewards of a small team putting on a large event. "Because this is 100% an SOE venture I most enjoy the pride we get when we see how happy everyone is with our hard work. We are a small department and at times it is hard to think how we will get everything done for the summer events. When we are there and it looks amazing and everyone is having a great time, it is the best feeling," Wilson says. Read all about it on the official EQII website.
Ask Massively: Behind the scenes edition
While the Ask Massively mailbag has been overflowing the first few weeks, we have a light edition this time around with what are essentially two questions. Although one question has sprouted dozens of menacing tentacles attacking from all directions, like the Watcher in the Water grabbing at your pony. Or the team's only minstrel. These questions all focus on the "behind-the-scenes" aspect of the site and what makes us tick. As we here at Massively love to share any info on how awesome this job is, prepare yourself for a long-winded answer, which you'll find just after the jump below. And don't forget to get your own questions in for next week's installment at either ask@massively.com or in the comments.
Lego Harry Potter 'Behind the Scenes' video shows us around Blockwarts ... er, Hogwarts
Are you ready to explore the "largest, most detailed Hogwarts" that's ever been created in a game world? We're not certain that we are either, but TT Games certainly has high hopes that we'll get to that point before LEGO Harry Potter's delayed June release window arrives. The latest "Behind the Scenes" video (seen above) has employees from the UK-based developer detailing the enormous, immersive world that they've built (primarily out of LEGOs, as one might imagine). And though we might argue that we're not exactly looking for "immersive experiences" from our LEGO-based titles, well, it's pretty cute watching little LEGO Harry in action. Even "He Who Must Not Be Named" is kinda adorable with a cylinder head -- how could we resist?! %Gallery-89979%
Dead to Rights: Retribution takes us behind the scenes a second time
Sure, you saw the first part of the Dead to Rights: Retribution behind the scenes video, but have you seen the second half? Yeah, we didn't think so. But it's here, just above, and Volatile Games project director Imre Jele is back again to lay out how the game was put together over the past few years. Jele describes the development as akin to a kid in a candy shop, unable to pick just one item and instead choosing everything. While that sounds nice from a quantity perspective, we're hoping things play out as well in the quality department when the game finally arrives at retail in a couple weeks. Either way, at least there's a murderous dog, right? %Gallery-45220%
Prince of Persia film sneak peek reminds us of our Bruck-love
Regardless of how unfaithful it might end up being to its ludological source material, or how cheesy its dialogue is, or how poorly its actors perform, it's difficult for us not to get substantially excited by the two behind-the-scenes previews of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time we've posted above and after the jump. It looks to be, on all accounts, a Bruckheimer joint -- big, awesome and ... uncerebral. Like a big, clumsy elephant, riding a race car into a tornado made of swords. That's a spectacle we'll gladly drop $10.50 to witness once the film hits theaters May 28.
