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GDC08: Another gong for Phantom Hourglass
It only seems like a fortnight ago that we partied long into the night over quietly celebrated The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass scooping an award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Wait -- it was only a fortnight ago! And it already has another award to its name!This time it's a Game Developers Choice Award for Best Handheld Game of the Year, which Zelda clinched over Puzzle Quest: Challenge of The Warlords, Phase, Contra 4, and the iPod version of Peggle. Time to expand that trophy cabinet again, Nintendo!%Gallery-4748%[Via press release]
GDC08: Xfire's video capture beta
We missed this story last month, but our intrepid on-the-ground crew at GDC has found it out for us: Xfire, the PC chat client/game launcher/social networking tool, has introduced a beta video capture module into their application. Taking a cue from sites and services like WeGame, they are using their own video codec (xfcodec, which unfortunately won't work with a few video applications yet), and letting you record video on the fly during any Xfire-enabled game. We're told that a future version will enable you to upload your videos directly to your Xfire profile.As you can see above, despite YouTube's horrible compression, the video itself doesn't look too bad. And James Woodcock, who took this video, says that while the audio still has a few issues, the video quality before compression is "exceptional." Not everybody is thrilled -- the client can sometimes cause lag and drop frames -- but Xfire says they want to hear about any issues you have. Anyone tried it yet?
GDC08: Fable 2 co-op demo gameplay
The always ambitious Lionhead boss, Peter Molyneux, sat down with reporters during GDC08 to outline the Fable 2 co-op experience in greater detail. Peter discusses the differences between men and women, family life and values and the dangers of giving gamers this much control in a universe while strolling through the beautifully lit world around him. It's an interesting video and gets us ludicrously excited for the game that can't ship fast enough. Fable 2 is set for a 2008 release, but specifics about a release have yet to be revealed.
GDC08: Penny Arcade, Braid, Schizoid and GGBS screenshot blowout
As part of the whirlwind GDC announcement fest that went on yesterday, we sort of lacked the time and energy to organize all the screenshots we obtained from Microsoft's Summer release Arcade press kits. But we've had our beauty sleep, drank our morning cup of coffee and diligently put together new XBLA galleries and added screenshots to old ones. So, if you take a looksy after the break, you'll see new screenshots galore for XBLA games including Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Braid, Schizoid and Go! Go! Break Steady. Enjoy the media as we take a quick break to refill our coffee.
GDC08: Building brands in virtual worlds
We've seen a lot of interesting things at the Worlds in Motion Summit which took place at GDC earlier this week, we found this post-mortum of Scion's virtual campaign in There.com fascinating. While we tune out commercials and skim over print advertisements as much as anyone, but well thought-out interactive advertisements in virtual worlds still feel novel and interesting. (Well, okay, some of them aren't.) So what made Scion's campaign stand out? Read on for an analysis.%Gallery-16584%
PAIN expansions coming today
You've been waiting for it. New PAIN content is hitting the PS Store later today. For a game that launched with only one freakin' level, that earns a huge sigh of relief from us. Stay tuned for more details on what new content PAIN will earn in today's complete PSN update.
GDC08: Naruto: Ninja Destiny sneak-attacks with quality
Naruto: Ninja Destiny is quite a surprise. It's openly an attempt by D3 and Dream Factory to pretty up a disappointing Japanese Naruto game -- the surprising thing is that it worked. Screens and trailers don't convey the shockingly beautiful graphics, which run at a constant 30 fps. Developer Dream Factory upped the framerate and changed the graphical style to a more cel-shaded look for the American release. It worked! I don't usually have much motivation to be personally interested in a Naruto game, but I was somewhat convinced by the appearance.As for the gameplay, it's an openly mash-friendly 3D fighter, controlled with the d-pad and buttons. There are two attack buttons, a jump, and a special "jutsu" attack that uses energy from the chakra meter. The jutsu attacks are these huge flashy sequences of attacks. The touch screen holds a random assortment of recovery and booster items that restore health, chakra, and also have other in-game effects.The game comes out next week, so we don't have long to wait until we find out if longterm play is as fast-paced and fun as it is in brief gameplay sessions.%Gallery-15479%
GDC08: PhyreEngine, Sony's new (free!) cross-platform engine
Quietly unveiled at yesterday's PSN session was PhyreEngine, a new "free to use graphics engine" from Sony Computer Entertainment. According to the presentation, the package includes full documentation, "70+ samples" and "full source code and artwork" of sample game templates. Working on both OpenGL and Direct3D, this engine will allow developers to more easily develop for the PS3 by using PC environments they're more familiar with. A "simple recompile" is supposedly all that's needed to make the game run on the PS3. Sony is promising "ongoing development and support" for the PhyreEngine.The ramifications of this subdued announcement are actually quite significant. Three titles have been revealed to have used the PhyreEngine for development: flOw, GripShift and DiRT. Of those three, only one is exclusive to PlayStation. It appears that the PhyreEngine is truly cross platform -- Sony is indirectly contributing to the development of PC and Xbox 360 games.But why make it easier to make games on a competing console? Well, it's undeniable that developers are increasingly focused on multiplatform development. It's been rather commonplace for developers to neglect PS3 with inferior and oftentimes delayed versions of multiplatform games. With PhyreEngine, Sony is making a much more attractive plea: make games on PS3 first, guaranteeing high quality games that will not only match their 360 counterparts, but in many cases can exceed them. Sony's message is clear: start games on the PS3, and they will be better for both PS3 and 360 owners. It appears to us that PhyreEngine is a crucial part of that plan.
GDC08: Thinking outside the virtual world
Tuesday afternoon, Michael Acton Smith, CEO of Mind Candy, presented attendees at the GDC's Worlds in Motion summit with an interesting look at the confluence between real goods and virtual worlds. For some background on where Smith is coming from, Mind Candy "creates games and puzzles that span multiple media.... [they] use all forms of technology to tell stories and interact with... [their] audiences." They run Perplex City, an alternate reality game that uses clues puzzles in the real world combined with web-based resources to create a unique type of gameplay. Their upcoming game Moshi Monsters is an adoptable pet game geared towards kids. Smith says it's a "new type of virtual pet experience." The pets will be very alive with their own emotions (driven by a behavior engine which will cause your pet to act different ways depending on how you treat it) that will be reflected in the pet's animations. The game will also incorporate a number of social tools, so both you and your pet monster can hang out with friends. And, of course, there will be toys, oh glorious toys. (Some already available, though the game itself is still in beta and closed to the public.)%Gallery-16441%
GDC08: Live from Sony's Block Party
Click for high-resolution image. We're currently enjoying the tunes of Q-Tip and Guru in what's been called the most exclusive party of GDC. Sony's "PlayStation Block Party" has a seemingly limitless budget, with food, booze, and girls everywhere. "Let the good times roll," indeed. But we have a question: where are the games?Enjoy our gallery to make yourself feel like you're there. We'll try to have video for you in the coming hours.%Gallery-16579%
GDC08: Super Smash Bros. Brawl hands-on
digg_url='http://digg.com/nintendo/GDC08_Super_Smash_Bros_Brawl_hands_on'; After reporting on the game about five hundred million times, and posting other people's impressions, I finally got a chance to play the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl at an after-hours convention associate game tournament. I had to do something special for Wii Fanboy's gameplay impressions, right? So I went big. Big group, and big screen. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is exciting. For every single second it's being played. It ratchets up the adrenaline in Melee to an insane degree. There is always unexpected stuff happening. The tournament was set up using Brawl's tournament mode, which allowed everyone to pick their character and enter their name and let the game take care of the rest. Gamecube controllers were set up for everyone, for consistency.I totally lost, by the way.
GDC08: Ninja Gaiden II demo to appear on XBLM
Microsoft promised that we'd have access to special GDC media from the comforts of our own home thanks to the wondrous service that is the Xbox Live Marketplace. And so far, they've done a pretty fine job releasing trailers, free gamer pictures and videos. But never in our wildest dreams did we expect a Ninja Gaiden II demo, which is exactly what is headed down the GDC XBLM pipeline.According to a GDC content banner that appears on the XBLM, it makes mention that a downloadable Ninja Gaiden II demo will be "Coming Soon". The item is not clickable just yet, so no demo goodness for us, but we have a feeling that Thursday will bring bloody ninja fun for fanboys across the globe. Keep your eyes glued to the XBLM and keep your browser tuned into X3F as we await the demo's release. Ninja-KICK![Thanks, MIKEAWESOME]
GDC08: The Top 10 PSN downloads since launch
Ever wanted to know what the best selling PSN games are? Well, here it is. The top 10 PSN purchases since the system's launch. flOw Mortal Kombat II Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection PAIN Warhawk High Velocity Bowling Super Stardust HD Calling All Cars Aquatopia Everyday Shooter Are you surprised that flOw is the best selling PSN title so far? We are as well. Even more surprising: how well Mortal Kombat II seemingly did. At the very least, we're glad to see great games like Super Stardust HD and Everyday Shooter make the list as well.
Schizoid "Sploderific" achievement named by X3F
It all began in late 2007 when our own Dustin Burg was so awed by the explosions in Torpex Games' Schizoid that he was forced to invent a new word to describe them. Upon seeing the positively terrific explosions, Dustin combined the terms "explode" and "terrific" to create the perfect word to describe the harmonious combination of explosions and joy. That word is "sploderific." Not long after, we were contacted by Torpex's Bill Dugan, asking us if the company could use our word for an achievement in Schizoid. After a brief and fruitless attempt to work out a royalty system in which Dustin would receive a check every time the achievement was unlocked, we agreed to allow the word's use free of charge.We caught up with Bill Dugan at GDC today, and we can confirm that "Sploderific" will definitely be appearing in Schizoid. Thus, step one in X3F's plan for world domination is complete. Good work, Dustin. You've made us proud! Stay tuned for our full interview with Bill Dugan coming soon.
GDC08: Unreal Tournamennt III will get 'improvements'
In spite of Microsoft's announcement of the XBL community arcade, there's apparently no progress on making Unreal Tournament III mods available on the Xbox 360. In an interview with Joystiq, Epic Games' VP Mark Rein noted that there's still no set release date for the 360 version.More interesting than that bit of news comes from what Rein has to say about the PS3 version. He acknowledged the current mod system is "less than stellar." The cumbersome process of having to download files to a PC, properly format them on a Memory Stick, and transfer them to the PS3 is certainly an annoying one. Unfortunately, no specific details about what "improvements" will be made, or when they'll be available, have been announced yet. Considering how broken the current system is, we'd like to think that anything is going to be an improvement.
GDC08: Monster Lab: it's a lab -- for monsters
I was able to catch a demo of Backbone Entertainment's Monster Lab at the GDC Career Pavilion, which is mostly involved with game company recruiting, but features some game demos as a function of games being what game developers do. The game is almost completely different than previously assumed, and, in a way, more interesting. What may look like an online fighting game is in fact turn-based. It's important to note this, because the game looks so strongly fighter-like. Monster Lab puts the player in the role of a new assistant mad scientist, who has to help her boss in a power struggle against other mad scientists -- by gathering and creating monster parts. The story is presented in a '50's sci-fi-movie opening and an introduction from your mad scientist boss (and his giant robot arm).
GDC08: God of War developer goes behind-the-scenes
Nathan Phail-Liff held a session at GDC entitled "God of War: Deconstructing an Epic." Through the session, he talked about the development of the game, and gave tips for interested developers on how to make the most out of limited resources.
GDC08: Insomniac video hiring call hints at Resistance 2
While this new video hiring call from Insomniac Games showcases the company's kooky side, it also holds a lot of hidden messages pertaining to the upcoming PS3-exclusive Resistance 2. The video is basically a guided tour through Insomniac's Burbank office, and this happens all to the tune of a campy rock ballad. Throughout the video, employees join in on the singing, and in their merriment, they forget that they have secret information on their computer screens. We saw two such screens; one read "twelve new Chimeran enemies" and the other had "0708". The former is quite obvious, but what does "0708" mean? A release date is highly unlikely because we know the game is due out in Autumn. The numbers could be referring to a demo date perhaps?Of course, our speculations could be wrong. It's also possible that there are more Easter eggs hidden in the video, and we just happened to miss a key piece to the puzzle. Maybe you can find even more than we did, so go watch the video already.[Thanks Platano!]
How Ken Levine (maker of BioShock) plays World of Warcraft
Ken Levine is best known for his work on such games as Thief, System Shock 2 and (most recently) BioShock. Before a talk at GDC this morning about the storytelling BioShock we noticed a World of Warcraft icon very prominent in the quicklaunch bar on his Mac. Over the course of the lecture Levine reinforced his online influences by several times referencing some of Blizzard's talented design. We chatted with him for a few minutes after the talk ended, and he confirmed that he's a big fan of the game. In fact, he just recently leveled a druid to 57 - solo, as that's the way he generally plays.He also touched on the depth of WoW's design in a response to differences between BioShock and System Shock 2: "Feature-wise it's not really that different from System Shock 2. We wanted to make sure every player understood what they were doing on an instictual level - not that they were doing 2d6 of fire damage. That meant there were limitations. In a game like WoW, on the other hand, they can make stuff that's incredibly deep because you're watching the numbers scroll by. My friend Joe likes to brag "My tank has 12,612 armor points!" Which in a game is a distinction that's meaningful to some extent - some people really like min/maxing, some people area really about the world, and I didn't want to get trapped in the middle."
GDC08: Wi-Fi PSP Store promised
Chris Eden from Sony Computer Entertainment made mention of PLAYSTATION Store on PSP in his Game Developers Conference session. Currently, players must use a PC in order to download content and transfer it to the PSP. Going forward, PSP fans will be able to download games directly to their systems from within the PSP itself. "Access native PLAYSTATION Store on PSP via wireless hotspot," the slide notes. "Purchase and download content direct to PSP (no USB cable)." Launch is currently "TBA." More details are promised for the future. Let's hope we don't have to wait too long.
