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Blood Bowl developer: making PS3 version 'a bit risky and expensive'
If you're a PS3-only gamer who happens to be a fan of vintage tabletop gaming, monsters, and football, then you are probably acutely, painfully aware of the lack of Blood Bowl video games in your future. Cyanide is making an Xbox 360 version -- why not use the same assets and codebase for the PS3 like so many others? What's the deal? Does it hate the PS3 or something?In an interview with Destructoid, the developer explained its apparent snub on the platform. "Cyanide is a small company," a representative said. "We have no previous experience on that platform [and] it would have been a bit risky and expensive for us. But, we are hoping to do a PS3 version if the game is selling well."So, rather than a lack of faith in the platform, Cyanide has somewhat of a lack of faith in its own ability to develop for it without killing the budget. It still means no PS3 version for now, but it also means no janky, poorly ported PS3 version for now. That's ... something. And if the other versions of the game, coming out in Q2 of this year, are successful, we may see a (good) PS3 version yet.[Via VG247]
New Blood Bowl trailer pits rats against lizards
Like you, we've spent a good deal of time in our backyards, wrangling together neighborhood mice and lizards and forcing them to play miniature games of football. Now, a new trailer for the video game re-imagining of tabletop favorite Blood Bowl looks to bring that fun indoors, as the rat-like Skaven skitter about down field against brutish Lizardmen. That's something you won't see in Sunday's big game.In development at Cyanide Studio, Blood Bowl is expected to take the field for the PC, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS and PSP in the second quarter of 2009. Finally, we'll be able to settle the age old question of which is better at tossing around the pigskin: reptiles or stupid, stupid rat creatures. Download Blood Bowl Skaven vs Lizardmen Trailer HD (36 MB)
Capcom finally ready to talk Talisman cancellation
When we last heard about the XBLA, PSN and PC versions of the board game Talisman, they were already dead in the digital waters. GiantRealm spoke with Capcom's Production Director, Adam Boyes, about what went wrong with the project. No juicy legal shenanigans, no bitter disputes between the publisher and license owner Games Workshop -- the demise came as a result of an epiphany that gamers weren't likely to set aside more than an hour for a game, especially when one session of off-the-grid Talisman could last up to five hours. Boyes also cited the challenges of recreating the "social aspect," as well as the dilemma of lengthy turns. "As we continued to refine the concept of the game," he said, "we realized that the average gamer needed at least 60 seconds per turn to roll their dice, choose their direction, and then choose how to interact with the space they landed on. That meant that in a six player game, you would spend 80 percent of the time not doing anything." "All of the issues I've mentioned do have solutions. The problem was we had already been developing the game for six months, and with a limited budget you have to make hard decisions," he said. While Boyes is hopeful Talisman will one day get digitized, it isn't going to be done by Capcom. The interview is a great read for those interested in the behind-the-scenes actions of the industry.[Via Capcom Blog]
The Daily Grind: Has Warhammer Online dragged you away from the tabletop?
This last week, I had occasion to wander past the local Games Workshop store, longtime home of Warhammer Fantasy Battle/Warhammer 40K merchandise and related goods. I can't be said to venture within with any great frequency, but something particular caught my eye, and I was intrigued enough to duck in and talk to the staff. You see, uncharacteristically, the store was devoid of customers for the first time I had seen since it had opened. I spoke with Todd, the store manager, who told me that it had been like that for a couple of weeks. Customers and sales had suddenly dropped off, leaving the store empty for hours at a time. Previously there were customers passing the time, discussing products and their collective hobby for extended periods, as well as making purchases. Without warning it had all dried up. Todd and I toyed with the speculation that perhaps his regular customers for miniatures and related paraphernalia had simply chosen to join the epic battle between Order and Chaos online instead of offline, but came to no real conclusion. So, what about it, enlightened readers -- has Warhammer Online curbed your time with the tabletop and face-to-face versions of this popular game, or are you still the loyal grognards and figure-fans you always were?
GamerDNA rolls out their guild roster API
Remember that super nifty Warhammer Online signature API we showed you a little while back? Well, GamerDNA is back but this time with a guild roster tool that throws together a pretty nice website with little effort. They have a quick and dirty example for guild leaders to check out, but emphasis that more could be done with a larger portion of time. GamerDNA seems more than able when it comes to making use of all this data, in fact we're inclined to say they're data-masters to some degree -- mostly because it sounds kinda cool.We're sure there'll be more cool code coming from the guys 'n gals over at GamerDNA as Mines of Moria and Wrath of the Lich King see their release dates roll up.
Talisman quietly canceled
While we must admit we've never played the Talisman board game, we are sad to announce that Capcom has canceled the Xbox Live Arcade version of the game. Strange as it may seem, the cancellation was announced not in any official capacity, but in a forum post nearly two months ago. Capcom's Christian Svensson broke the news to an inquitive forum goer, stating that there was a "misfire" at the beginning of development and Capcom had decided not to switch developers because "the costs of moving forward outweighted the potential revenue."Any hope of the project being resurrected rests with Games Workshop, which once again owns the rights to Talisman.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, Jonah]
Blood Bowl trailer channels Madden + Warcraft
Tabletop gamers are no strangers to the game Blood Bowl, which we mentioned back in November. The game has spanned 22 years, multiple editions and several expansion sets. The basic concept is "fantasy" football, literally. As in orcs, trolls, elves and the like playing an organized team sport where they try to tear their opponents' heads off. Check out the newly released, Warcraft-tastic trailer after the break.
New cinematic Blood Bowl teaser released
No doubt a whole bunch of you have been itchy to get your hands on something new regarding the upcoming title Blood Bowl. No? Well tough, we've got a newly released video to watch and you're going to sit there and like it. Unless you don't. Obviously there's no gameplay in this teaser trailer but it does a good job of introducing you to the world of Blood Bowl. If you don't already know, it's a Games Workshop (tabletop gaming) game which sees Humans, Orcs and Elves compete in a brutal version of American Football. There's combat and magic and all sorts of strange stuff you don't see in normal American Football. Sounds like it good make a decent video, but we'll have to wait to see it in action to make any judgments there. Check out the teaser trailer on the Blood Bowl website.
UK Games Expo 2008 announces new artist for charity event
If you've been following NCsoft Europe around lately, you'll notice they've been attending a ton of conferences and keeping fairly busy with charitable events as well. This coming weekend is no exception, as they'll be participating in the UK Games Expo 2008 event in Birmingham, after just returning from Bristol's Comicexpo. Also, with them once again are the artists from Draw the World Together, a charity formed to help children in developing third-world countries.During this coming event, NCsoft will be joined by Games Workshop artist Karl Kopinski. You may have seen Karl's amazing work if you're a Warhammer fan, or if you've checked out his personal site itself. He will be appearing at the UK Games Expo 2008 on Saturday only, so if you'd like to have your character drawn by him, you better get there early!
Vigil Games details Warhammer 40K MMO
While what we know about the game is barely knee-high to a gretchin, PC Gamer magazine recently had the opportunity to speak with a pair of folks behind Vigil Games' upcoming Warhammer 40,000 MMO, specifically general manager David Adams and studio creative director Joe Madureira. Both shed a few details on what we can expect while we wait patiently to kill rats aboard space hulks for the emperor. Says Adams, the game will be "much more intense" and combat-focused than the traditional fantasy MMOs upon which we've cut our teeth, giving us all the more reason to want to trade up our broadsword for a storm bolter. However, the dev notes that the MMO "will be an RPG," adding that "Relic has the RTS angle covered with the awesome Dawn of War series - we are making an RPG." Other interesting tidbits from the article include note that the game will include all of the tabletop game's "important" races, customizable characters, a variety of solo, party-based, and PvP missions, and the possibility of in-game vehicles as well. We can't wait to see how the tabletop war game makes the leap to MMO, but as it stands, in the grim darkness of the far future ... there is only waiting.[Via Massively]
Germans show undying love for Warhammer Online
We've always known that Europe -- and Germany in particular -- were big Warhammer fans. This fandom apparently loses no potency when applied to MMO versions of the franchise, as the German version of the Warhammer Online Collector's Edition has apparently sold out on Amazon. As of right now, there's no word on whether or not more copies of the CE will be produced to meet further demand, but it would be silly for Electronic Arts not to do so. Surprised? Well you probably shouldn't be, as Games Workshop has legions of thronging fans throughout Europe and usually experiences the Hasselhoff effect in Germany. If this kind of trend continues throughout the rest of Europe, we suppose that Warhammer Online's success in North America could become a bit of a moot point.Whatever happens throughout the rest of Europe, It looks like Germany is hooked on a feeling when it comes to WAR.
Warhammer Online tours America, unites people
It's not stating the situation too excessively to remark that people are excited about this game. Many are anticipating it with the same fervor mustered by religious zealots. Some use the phrase 'WoW Killer'. And all of this without even having played the thing at all.Well, there's news that might mitigate that last little bit: If you can't wait for the eventual open beta download, you can play WAR at a few events across the country! The list of events, with locations and dates, after the jump!
Footloose in WAR
When you and your family move from big-city Chicago to a small town out west, you're in for a real case of culture shock. You try hard to fit in, but you can't quite believe you're living in a place where rock music and dancing are illegal. There is a glimmer of hope, however: a troubled but lovely blonde with an exceedingly strict father, who is responsible for keeping the town dance-free. You and your classmates want to do away with this ordinance, especially since the senior prom is around the corner. Only YOU have the courage to initiate a battle to abolish the ban and revitalize the spirit of the repressed townspeople! Sound familiar? If you're a child of the 80's you might recognize this as the plot for the rebellious teen drama Footloose, but recently Warhammer Online announced that it will not include a /dance emote in their game. Is this the decision of EA Mythic, Games Workshop or an overly restrictive minister who oddly resembles John Lithgow? More importantly, how drastically will this affect the economy if players can't /dance for gold in town?
WHA tellz you grots bout da' WAAAGH!
One of the aspects about Warhammer Online's Greenskins that seems to endear them to players so much is that they present the opportunity to write in a hackneyed and entirely ungrammatically stunted form of english. Wut iz dees humies lookin' at dem shiny bits for? See, I slipped into character there. I bet you thought I was an Orc for a second. It's OK, you don't have to feel bad, I'm a pretty good actor.For those not already well steeped in the Warhammer lore via the tabletop game and pen and paper RPG, the folks over at Warhammer Alliance have been going faction by faction putting up guides to the various races. By some strange fortune, we somehow missed the fact that they had posted a "Guide to the Waaagh" last week, replete with biological information, sociological observations, and of course a gracious dose of Orc-speak. It's a short run-down, but well worth soaking up for anybody at all interested in fielding a Black Orc or Shaman into battle in Q2 of this year.Of course, if you really want to get serious about things, you should probably pick up the Orcs & Goblins Army book or bookmark the Warhammer Wiki for perusal at work.
WAR vs WoW: Keen and Graev compare
This is definitely a topic that will continue to come up throughout the year of 2008, so get used to seeing it. Keen and Graev attempt to get the first (and probably the biggest) part of this issue out of the way quick; it's not about which is the better game. They continue on with their topic comparing the two games' differences and similarities. One such similarity is posted above this text; the graphical appearance of the games. The argument here is that both games have a "cartoony" look to them, but that Warhammer Online's style is a bit more "grungy". We're not entirely sure if that picture above (not taken by Keen and Graev or us, mind you) illustrates much of a similarity, unless Blizzard is the only company allowed to use red in their MMOs now.Aside from that, the article lines out the huge difference in PvP between the two games. The biggest difference of course is the Realm vs Realm combat where conquering your enemy has a real in-world cost; your land as well as your pride. Something that is very related to RvR that we happen to be very excited about is Keeps and Siege Weapons, which were originally in Dark Age of Camelot. A suggestion that Keen and Graev make that we think is a good idea is to check out the official podcasts made by the dev team. They explain many aspects of WAR in fun, informative and often entertaining ways (we're looking at your Mr Barnett).
What do SimCity Societies and Second Life have in common?
Over on Computeractive.co.uk, Anthony Dhanendran has a capsule review of SimCity Societies, where he calls Simcity Societies "the game's answer to virtual worlds such as Second Life." You might wonder just how deep the similarities go. We've played SimCity Societies, even though it isn't actually an MMO of any description, and - of course - we're all over Second Life. So, what does Dhanendran base his comparison on, and is it really valid?
Warhammer Online: an interview of massive miniatures
Tentonhammer have recently posted an interview with Erik Mogensen, Licensing Manager of Games Workshop, about the upcoming Warhammer Online. The interview focuses on the problems of turning a tabletop miniature game into a top-flight MMO, and whether EA Mythic have had difficulty adapting to the licensing requirements that Games Workshop need.Licenses and MMOs are curious bedfellows, and it's a separate kind of balance that -- although Erik is very upbeat about the work that's been done by Mythic, it's usually much less flexible than the PvE and PvP side of things. On the one hand, it's instant market saturation -- you don't have to explain what a Klingon or a Lightsaber is to anyone. On the other hand, condensing a universe into a single game will never be easy.
THQ's Squad Command-themed PSP is sexy, ridiculously limited
THQ is excited about its recently shipped Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command for the PSP. How excited? Unphased by the handful of lukewarm reviews, it seems that the company has had crafted a very limited set of Warhammer 40K-themed PSPs to celebrate the game's release. Unfortunately, limited is the name of the game, as THQ has seen fit to have just six of the handhelds forged at the hands of Games Workshop and a squad of professional modelers, making this both one of the rarest game console variants ever created as well as something of a cruel joke.So far, the fate of only one of these handhelds has been revealed, as it will be given away to one extremely lucky gamer in the UK care of a competition on THQ's website. As to where the other five golden tickets PSPs will end up, it's anyone's guess. We have a call into THQ's US office at the moment, but as their phones just rang off the hook, it's entirely possible that their staff still suffers from a tryptophan-induced stupor.
Cyanide confirms Blood Bowl for Xbox 360, PSP, DS
Having opened a new studio in Montreal earlier this year and released the Diablo-clone Loki, French developer Cyanide has what we call 'a lot of irons in the fire.' The studio also announced today that it has waded waist-deep into the murky waters of middleware development, creating its own "dynamic 3D animation engine," which Cyanide interestingly describes as a tool that "integrates physical and biomechanical laws under the control of a powerful artificial intelligence system." Skynet, can you hear us?While the company hopes to license the engine to other "small and medium sized" game developers, Cyanide is not above eating its own dog food, and will utilize the technology in its own projects, the first of which will be a title based on Games Workshop's fantasy tabletop game Blood Bowl. First announced briefly last year, the real news here is that the game, which is an unofficial follow up to the unlicensed PC title Chaos League, has been confirmed as in development for the Xbox 360, PSP, and Nintendo DS, as well as the PC. Few details are known at present beyond that the studio calls the project a "faithful representation" of the tabletop game, and adds that Blood Bowl should be released sometime in late 2008. In the absence of a new Mutant League Football, we will take what we can get.
Warhammer Online updated screens
Games Workshop's Warhammer franchise has provided the setting for multiple PC strategy titles over the past ten years including Shadow of the Horned Rat, Dark Omen, and the recently released Mark of Chaos. Next year, Electronic Arts plans to bring the popular fantasy realm into the MMO market with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Speaking with GameSpot earlier this month, lead designer Steve Marvin said Reckoning will be the "best-looking massively multiplayer RPG out there". See if you agree with him by checking out developer Mythic Entertainment's (Dark Age of Camelot) massive gallery, which was just updated with over a dozen new screen shots.
