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Jagex releases Stellar Dawn teaser
Jagex Games Studio, noteworthy publisher of the long-running browser-based Runescape MMORPG, has released the first trailer for its latest project, a sci-fi MMO known as Stellar Dawn. The teaser doesn't feature any gameplay footage, but does manage to conjure a nifty Dead Space-esque sense of dread. Stellar Dawn, also browser-based, will feature a large, explorable world conducive to both cooperative and solo play. Extensive portions of the title will be free-to-play, with the remainder employing a version of Jagex's RMT offerings. You can read more about the title, as well as sign up for beta, at the official Stellar Dawn website. Don't forget to check out the trailer after the jump.
Dead Space 2 producer reflects on the changes and challenges of the sequel
First on the agenda for my meeting with Dead Space 2 executive producer Steve Papoutsis at Comic-Con was an earnest request: better tutorials, please. After all, I had played through the entire first game without realizing that I could press a button to use a medkit -- that I didn't have to open up the onscreen inventory, while being attacked, to heal. "You're not alone," Papoutsis said laughing. "We're currently focus testing some of our tutorials, and believe you me, we've got two that remind you to do that, because you're not alone." "That was a feature that we were in hot debate over," Papoutsis added, "and many of us, myself included, really pushed for it." Similar discussions have carried over into the development of the sequel, as Visceral Games continues to refine the gameplay. "We're taking it a step further," Papoutsis said of Dead Space 2, "so now, when you're not in combat or aim mode, you'll use one of your stasis recharge items. We've got health and stasis mapped" to a button. %Gallery-97881%
Dead Space lives in two new formats: animated movie and graphic novel out this winter
The Dead Space universe just got a bit less lonely. EA announced two more projects for the property, this time an animated feature called Dead Space Aftermath, available January 2011, and a graphic novel called Dead Space Salvage, expected out December 2010. Perfect for those of you who love Dead Space, but somehow hate video games. The animated Aftermath tells the story of a group sent by the Government to the site of the Aegis VII disaster, specifically to be exposed to Marker shards, in order to create a carrier for a "Marker blueprint." Of course, the people don't know that's why they've been brought there, and since it's horror (and Dead Space) we can expect the expedition to go ... well, not great. The Salvage comic, published by IDW, is about a group called the "Magpies" who come across the abandoned Ishimura, which is full of candy Government agents and necromorphs. We'll learn more details about these projects during today's Comic-Con panel, "Building a Horror Entertainment Franchise: Dead Space 2."
Dead Space: Martyr novel out today
If your hunger for fiction set in the Dead Space universe hasn't been slaked by two games, an online animated comic and a straight-to-DVD feature film, you might want to sink your teeth into Dead Space: Martyr, which hit bookstore shelves today in paperback for $15.
Dead Space Ignition detailed at EA press event
At an EA press event today, a Dead Space 2 producer showed the first footage of the downloadable interactive comic Dead Space Ignition. The story, a prequel to the sequel, is delivered via lightly animated comic book-style art and follows an engineer on the Sprawl space station. Between the uniforms, the voices and the semi-animated look, Ignition reminds us of Sealab 2021 -- bizarro! The engineer's job, of course, is to fix electronics, and that's where the main interactive part comes into play, in the form of three minigames: "Hardware Crack," "System Override," and "Trace Route." Only Trace Route was shown today -- a hacking-themed riff on the abstract line racer, Light Trax. Ignition is coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this fall.
Dead Space's Isaac Clarke playable in Skate 3
Got Skate 3? Want to bust kickflips as everyone's favorite outer space engineer, Isaac Clarke? By inputting the code "deadspacetoo" into the Cheats area under the Extras section, you'll unlock the Dead Space protagonist for use in Free Play mode. Who knew he could be so nimble in that outfit? Keen observers may notice Clarke riding on a futuristic board. That's because, by inputting the code, you'll also gain the new deck. Sorry, it's non-transferable between skaters -- we tried.
'Plenty' of Dead Space material planned, producer wary of diluting franchise
Speaking at a recent EA showcase in London, Dead Space executive producer Steve Papoutsis explained that while Visceral Games has plenty of ideas for the deep space horror series, the studio doesn't intend to run the franchise into the ground. According to Videogamer.com, Papoutsis told attendees, "we've mapped out plenty of games worth of stuff. But there has to be an interest, right?" He added, "we don't want to cheapen what we're doing. We're really focused on quality with it. Hopefully if people like this one, we get to make another one." Papoutsis then told the crowd, "it would be great to just keep making more and more of them. We're thinking kart racer, a fitness game... joke!" Yeah, we're not sure a Dead Space fitness game would go over so well. You know, considering Isaac Clarke's main technique for weight loss is to forcibly remove excess appendages with the aid of futuristic power tools.
Impressions: Dead Space 2
Click to fill your browser space with Dead Space 2 In the run-up to Dead Space 2's full unveiling at E3 next month, Visceral Games executive producer Steve Papoutsis recently gave me an all-too-brief run-through of some environments from the game, introducing me to a new array of nasty necromorphs -- but also some fancy new weapons with which to carve them up. Papoutsis was also keen to reassure me that, despite rumblings on the internet (oh, that thing) the game is not a run-and-gun shooter. Having seen it in action, I can assure you that it's not a run-and-gun shooter. The demo took place deep into the game, according to Papoutsis, so the weapons and suit that Issac Clark was sporting were far cooler than what you'll start out with while fighting to stay alive inside (and outside) of a mining complex -- the "Sprawl" -- on Saturn's moon. Though I could see the towering spires of a cityscape in the distance, we were headed into the mine itself for our first stop on the tour ... of terror. %Gallery-92988%
Dead Space 2 back on track for PC release
There was a bit of confusion following the release of EA's Q3 2010 investor's report, which seemed to omit a mention of a PC version of Visceral Games' next deep space horror-surgery title, Dead Space 2. The most definite answer EA could give us back in February about its intentions to bring the game to our compy was, "A PC SKU is under consideration." Now, after three months of heartfelt consideration, EA has come to a decision: Yes, fine, you can have Dead Space 2 on PC. Those weren't EA's exact words, mind you -- rather, yesterday's Q4 2010 investor's report simply mentioned the game will launch on consoles, handhelds and PC. EA later confirmed via Tweet that the PC listing was legit, and not some kind of sick, twisted act of schadenfreude executed against personal computer enthusiasts.
Dead Space 2 debut trailer becomes undead
"Make ... us ... whole ..." It appears all the re-dead Necromorphs that Isaac killed in the first Dead Space game aren't exactly happy about being strategically dismembered. EA has released the debut trailer for Dead Space 2 -- for real, this time. Expect a lot of gruesome imagery, some inkblots, and a whole lot of screaming. If you're watching at work, you may want to turn down your speakers. And get back to work.
Dead Space 2 trailer leaked, then pulled (... so that's what Isaac looks like)
Joystiq readers know we're fond of one Ms. Lexine Murdoch, or, as she's known around these parts, Dead Space Girl. Well, we'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Mr. Isaac Clarke, the oft-masked engineer (and protagonist) from the first title. While you may think this is the first time you're actually laying eyes on the mysterious Mr. Clarke, we'd like to direct your attention to this video from the 2008 original. While Isaac looks a little worse for wear after the harrowing ordeal aboard the USG Ishimura, we're glad to see he hasn't lost his trademark sense of humor ... The image comes from the first trailer for Dead Space 2, apparently called "Dementia" according to Scrambled Pixel, who somehow tracked the video down early. We say "early" since we're assuming this was the treat intended to be released tomorrow, on 4/29/10, the date coded into the Rorschach inkblot we received earlier this week. Oh, also because it's now been pulled from YouTube "due to a copyright claim by EA." Don't worry though, we remember everything! It had the usual Dead Space fare: Necromorphs, Necromorphs vomiting, the Marker, crazy alien runes, and the above reveal (but not really!) of happy-go-lucky space miner Isaac's face. On second thought, you should probably just stop back tomorrow.
Dead Space 2 Rorschach inkblot teases Thursday's date, makes us work
Growing up, our grandpop would relate a time when video game news was sent via the telegraph and his ability to decode the dots and dashes of Morse code put food on the table. But now, times are different, and all that's needed is a quick copy and/or paste shortcut that's led to no shortage of complaints about "young people" and all the things we don't "appreciate." Whatever. And now the team at Visceral Games -- no doubt comprised of Matlock-loving old folks -- are intent on making us work for our gaming news. Take, for example, the above Rorschach inkblot we received in the mail. Sure, it's a creepy Dead Space 2 thing, we get it ... but, wait. What's that? If you turn down the lights (or, to put that into "young folk jabber," adjust the contrast in Photoshop) there's a hidden message. We managed to decode the alien runes on the included letter, which read, "The Sickness is the Cure! The Cure is the Sickness!" However, plum tuckered from all that decoding, we decided to skip deciphering the ink blot and instead stopped by the Unfiction forums where users have handled most of the heavy lifting already. The message mostly looks like nonsense ("ust a shard"?), but there is one decoded piece that is promising: 42910. That's either a nonexistent zip code (from space?) or a reference to April 29, 2010 ... this Thursday! We're going to stick with the latter, for now, but what does it all mean? Even money says it's going to be a trailer for the game, which we can just upload and embed in between our already scheduled Thursday afternoon naps. Grandpop would be proud. %Gallery-91844%
Dead Space: Martyr novel tells story prior to Dead Space
Click to necromorph image to full size Looking to bone up on your knowledge of the Church of Unitology? Tor Books, in collaboration with Visceral Games, will release Dead Space: Martyr this July -- a book that will not only explain the origins of the fanatical church, but also that of the "Black Marker," the powerful alien artifact discovered on Earth in Dead Space's fictional future universe. The book stars Michael Altman, the geophysicist who first discovers the potential for crazed-out hallucinations from alien artifacts. Steve Papoutsis, Dead Space 2 executive producer, hopes that Martyr is "the first of many books to let fans dive deeply into Dead Space's secrets and immersive lore." Dead Space: Martyr by B.K. Evenson will retail for $14.99 when it releases this July.
10 games added to PS3 Greatest Hits lineup, Sony confirms
Looks like the Walmart ad we posted yesterday actually undersold the number of PS3 games that Sony will soon add to the $30 Greatest Hits collection. The following 10 titles will be decked in red and reduced in price in the U.S. and Canada within the next few weeks: inFAMOUS (Sony Computer Entertainment) God of War Collection (Sony Computer Entertainment) Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment) LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year (Sony Computer Entertainment) Resistance 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment) Dead Space (Electronic Arts) Fight Night Round 4 (EA Sports) Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) Soulcalibur IV (Namco Bandai Games) UFC 2009 Undisputed (THQ) That's a pretty good assortment of quality titles -- assuming, of course, that this isn't some kind of horribly distasteful April Fools' Day joke.
Dead Space 2 thrusts gameplay footage at PAX audiences
Dead Space 2 producer Steve Papoutsis promised that Visceral's survival horror sequel would have a greater emphasis on action. Well, they weren't kidding. At their live-streamed PAX panel, the Visceral team showed off thirty seconds of footage of the upcoming game, and "action-packed" would be a pretty appropriate way of describing it. The blurry off-screen footage captured from the show's Ustream may not be the best look at the quality of Dead Space 2's graphics, but it gives a good idea of what to expect from Issac Clark's new adventure. Rushing through a moving train, Issac can be seen activating a jet pack in a scene that looks like it should be from Dark Void The Rocketeer. Watch it after the break.
Visceral Games to stream Dead Space 2 panel live from PAX East
Can't make it to PAX East this year? We feel your pain -- while there are quite a few Joystiqeurs winging their way off to the East Coast to partake with Mike and Jerry and the gang, there are almost as many of us still stranded back at home with all of you. But fortunately, our friends at Visceral Games are doing their best to share the love -- they'll be Ustreaming their Dead Space 2 PAX East panel live this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EST. We've included the feed on this very post, so bookmark this page right now, and then come on back Saturday afternoon. Producers Steve Papoutsis and Rich Briggs will be in attendance along with Art Director Ian Milham, and the guys will "bring players up to speed on the Dead Space universe and prepare them for what's to come in Dead Space 2." They're even showing a bonus look at "the all new Isaac suit," and they'll be answering questions live from the simultaneous Facebook chat, too. Of course, a Q&A with the Dead Space 2 producers is little consolation to missing out on eating breakfast cereal with professional hugger Justin McElroy, but those of us at home this weekend will have to take what we can get.
Former DICE designer analyzes in-game user interfaces
Though we rarely acknowledge their existence (unless they're super original or horrifically ugly), heads-up displays and user interfaces play a major role in how we interact with games. Former DICE designer Marcus Andrews was recently tasked by his previous employer with studying a variety of UIs to find out which work effectively, and why. Andrews then took his findings and penned an extremely fascinating article on Gamasutra, which you should really read at your earliest convenience. The article examines the relationship between in-game "diegetic" HUD elements (think Isaac's holo-projector in Dead Space) and "non-diegetic" elements which only the player can see. Heck, it's worth reading just because of new vocabulary like that, which could easily be used to impress friends and members of the opposite sex.
Report: Dead Space 2 PC no longer in EA's plans [update]
A great deal of news came out of EA's Q3 earnings report yesterday; enough to make us overlook this item: The early 2011 listing for Dead Space 2 didn't reference a PC version of he title, as was previously announced. Blue's News reportedly contacted Electronic Arts about the absence of the listing, and was told by a representative that "as of right now a PC sku is not in the plan." That doesn't mean a PC version of the game is never coming out -- after all, the game's release window is still a year away. We've contacted EA to see exactly what "the plan" entails. Perhaps an elaborate casino heist? Update: An Electronic Arts representative responded to our query, stating "Visceral Studios is dedicated to delivering an outstanding Dead Space sequel for the Xbox 360 and PS3. A PC SKU is under consideration. Nothing additional at this time."
Dead Space 2 and EA's Epic shooter slated for early 2011
EA's tentative release schedule for Q4 of its fiscal 2011 (or, as us normal people call it, January–March 2011) contains more than a few intriguing entries. You already heard about the new Dragon Age game -- but listed just below that is an untitled "Shooter from Epic TBA." Of course, this can only mean one thing: Gears of Madden 2012 is within spitting distance of becoming a sweet reality! Wait -- what's that? Oh, right, the listing more likely points to new speculative details about that possible "Bulletstorm" project from Epic's People Can Fly studio. How ... unofficial. Also listed under the early 2011 releases is Dead Space 2, which EA had previously promised would drop before next March. The excitement level of the remaining games drops off like the deep end of a pool: The list includes (deep breath) a new Need For Speed on consoles and PC (in addition to an apparent Holiday 2010 release), a downloadable "action" game, a new fighting game designated as a "sports" title, a new Hasbro game (more Family Game Night?), and new installments in the Sims and Spore franchises.
Ken Levine goes behind the scenes on System Shock 2
Irrational Games continues to empty out its vault of memories and secrets over on its newly commissioned blog -- Ken Levine and the crew are revealing so much old insider information over there you have to wonder how long they'll keep it up. Today, it's "what might have been" on System Shock 2, as Levine relates what they would have liked to do with the SHODAN showdown game, given more time and resources. The game was originally designed as an Apocalypse Now-style assassination in space, and it included some zero-G gameplay ideas (that sound pretty similar to what Dead Space pulled off years later). The ending also had to be rewritten, as the cinematic that Levine got back didn't have much to do with the script that he had originally put together. And perhaps the most disturbing factoid is that the entire game was created in just 900 square feet of office space, full of overworked (and smelly) game developers. Wandering around the Von Braun was scary and all, but spending 11 months in a tiny room full of developers on crunch? No wonder Levine sounds ecstatic he survived.
