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In the beginning: Guild Wars 2 shows off Ascalon Catacombs intro cinematic
Dungeons without context tend to just blend in with the other 55,000 instances we've run in our MMO careers, so a gripping backstory can make all the difference in how memorable a good dungeon run can be. ArenaNet has released a new introductory cinematic for Guild Wars 2's Ascalon Catacombs that helps bring players -- those both unfamiliar to the Guild Wars lore and heavily steeped in it -- up to speed. A Charr narrates a slice of history from the first game, leading up to how this dungeon was created and why it's so full of teed-off ghosts. In an attached developer blog, Horia Dociu tells us why these cinematics aren't just window dressing but essential to the experience: "These cinematics play at the key moments of the story mode in each of the eight dungeons in Guild Wars 2, setting the mood and delivering valuable info. Stylistically, we're pushing the concept of a visual storybook as a form of communicating to the player -- we want the cinematics to feel like moving paintings." You can watch the full intro to Ascalon Catacombs after the jump!
Guild Wars 2 dev blog exposes the Commando
April Fools! There is no Commando class in Guild Wars 2! Wait, you already knew that was a joke? OK, well, did you know that Cinematics Lead Horia Dociu posted up an article outlining his inspiration for the whole practical joke? ArenaNet developers take not only their work but their fun very seriously. Dociu explains that his work at Valve and his love for games like Metal Gear Solid and Rogue Spear were part of the inspiration behind this April Fools' hit. He was able to get a bunch of developers involved in the project because they believed it would be fun for the fans. In today's ANet blog entry, he tells us that "the key was starting early, so that people could work on this fun stuff whenever they had free time. I also made sure not to involve any designers in hooking up actual game play, since that would have put a major dent in their schedules." If you'd like to find out more about the good times at ArenaNet, check out the rest of the dev blog and the Commando class page.
An ArenaNet retrospective: "We're not a video game company, we're a community building company"
"I don't think I've seen a studio more passionate about its work." Massively contributing editor Larry Everett made this comment regarding ArenaNet in our recent Staff Choice Awards, and his timing couldn't have been better. ArenaNet has begun 2011 in a big way with the ArenaNet retrospective. The 15-minute video is a trip back in time to the earliest days of ArenaNet and Guild Wars, but it doesn't stop there. Over 20 ArenaNet team members give their perspectives on where the company has been, where it's going, the company's take on Guild Wars 2, and what makes it great. If you loved the Manifesto video, you're likely going to find this one an even bigger treat. Follow along after the jump to see the ArenaNet retrospective video and Massively's take on it.
Digital arts workshop to feature Guild Wars artists
Guild Wars fans and aspiring game art designers will be descending on Bellevue, WA at the end of the month to attend FUTUREPOLY's sold-out digital arts workshop. FUTUREPOLY focuses specifically on video game development and offers a series of regular classes ranging in length from one to six months, but this is their first one-time workshop, and was obviously a big hit. The workshop will be five hours long, and feature demonstrations from the regular instructors, some of the top names in the field: Daniel Dociu, Chief Art Director at NCsoft North America (currently focusing on Guild Wars 2.) Jaime Jones, digital artist for titles such as Halo, Guild Wars, Wizards of the Coast and many more. Kekai Kotaki, lead concept artist for Guild Wars 2. Richard Anderson, ArenaNet artist for the past seven years, currently creating cinematic illustrations for Guild Wars 2 Matthew Barrett, creature and environment concept artist Horia Dociu, cinematic director for Guild Wars 2. The artists will present a start-to-finish demonstration of the creation process and discuss their technique. More information about the event as well as FUTUREPOLY's regular course schedules can be found here.
