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Hybrid review: A hop, skip and a pump shotgun
Two hovering islands sit nestled in the skyline of a war-torn city. My decked-out soldier crouches behind a wall on one island, my opponent sitting comfortably behind cover on the other. A massive chasm separates us, but that's not a problem thanks to our handy jet packs. No, the problem is that traversing the gulf means launching myself into the air at the risk of becoming the world's biggest clay pigeon.The ultimate goal is to take down my foe, sure, but the real challenge of Hybrid – and the real joy – is in bridging the gap between us.%Gallery-154142%
Microsoft local currency pricing on Xbox Marketplace items an 'error'
Microsoft states local currency options on the Xbox Marketplace that showed up yesterday were a "display error." SaveandQuitGaming caught the real money options early in the day, which also appeared on the European marketplace as well."Today, a few Avatar items appeared with an option to purchase with local currency, instead of Microsoft Points," a company spokesperson told Joystiq. "This display error doesn't signal a change in payment options, but rather an error in how the offers were configured in our services which resulted in an inconsistent experience. It is in the process of being resolved."Initially it appeared this conversion was the beginning of the rumor from earlier this year that Microsoft would do away with its space bucks in favor of real currency. But, that simply seems to not be the case at this time.
Hybrid pulled from Xbox Live Arcade [update: issue resolved]
Hybrid, 5th Cell's third-person shooter that's been suffering server issues throughout its launch day, has been pulled from the Xbox Marketplace."We'd like to confirm that we have identified a problem and are in the process of finding a solution," Microsoft wrote in a statement. "We will make the game available as soon as we can, and we apologize for the inconvenience! Thank you for your patience in the meantime."5th Cell creative director Jeremiah Slaczka wrote on the game's forum: "We are working with Microsoft to fix these server issues. Many people from both 5TH Cell and MS are working together to sort the problem out. We are making progress, but it will take time unfortunately. Sorry for the inconvenience, however we don't foresee this problem to continue once it's fixed."We've been in touch with Microsoft for an estimated time of a fix. We'll update as soon as we hear more.Update 2: Hybrid is back on the Marketplace.Update: 5th Cell has told Joystiq the issue has been fixed, and the game will be back on Xbox Live tonight. Creative director Jeremiah Slaczka issued this statement:"We have worked with Microsoft to diagnose and resolve the server issue surrounding Hybrid. Our entire team appreciates the overwhelming response of fans logging in on day-1 and for bearing with us during this short downtime. We expect a smooth gameplay experience from here on out."
Hybrid jumps onto Xbox Live Arcade, server problems abound
Hybrid, the third-person shooter brought to us by 5th Cell – a studio best known for the wildly different series, Scribblenauts – is now available on Xbox Live Arcade. At least, the game itself is available. As of this writing, the servers are experiencing some rather serious issues, namely that they are generally unavailable.We've managed to connect to and finish a single game, but that's it. 5th Cell's Jeremiah Slaczka has responded to the issue on the Hybrid forums, stating that Microsoft is "looking into the issue." It should be noted that you can't even get to the main menu without a server connection, so you might want to wait until the servers are up and running before plunking down $15.
Summer of Arcade: Deadlight, Wreckateer, Tony Hawk HD, Dust: An Elysian Tale and Hybrid
During pre-show coverage of Microsoft's E3 press conference, Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer revealed the lineup of this year's Summer of Arcade promotion.The first game he talked about was Hyrbid, 5th Cell's jetpack-driven multiplayer shooter. This was followed by a brief vignette of Deadlight, the Tequila Works side-scroller set in a post-apocalyptic world. Next was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD from Robomodo, followed by Wreckateer for Kinect. Rounding out the list is Dust: An Elysian Tale.There's no word on when Summer of Arcade kicks off – summer, right? – but considering Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD drops in on July 11, at least we have some idea of the Summer of Arcade window.
Skyrockets in flight, Hybrid is a delight
Hybrid is an online-only, three-on-three, cover-based, third-person shooter – with jetpacks. Phew! Don't worry, movement is very simple. You point your reticle at a piece of cover and hit a button to initiate automated flight. While moving quickly through the air you can aim and strafe, and you can switch your cover destination mid-flight. Flying out of cover is a big risk, but fighting in the air leads to the exciting stuff: dogfighting and jousting.%Gallery-154142%
Hybrid will cost $15; beta to kick off at 'the end of this month'
5th Cell's XBLA-exclusive shooter, Hybrid, now has a price point: 1200 MS Points ($15). Producer Caleb Arseneaux confirmed the pricing with Joystiq during a preview session earlier this week.Arseneaux also narrowed down the beta timeline. Initially set to launch the game sometime following GDC, 5th Cell is now targeting a live date by "the end of this month." Arseneaux wouldn't go into more detail, but reinforced how essential the beta would be to Hybrid's successful launch. If you signed up for the closed beta, you should receive an email with your download code soon.
Sign up for the Hybrid beta right now
5th Cell has opened registration for the beta of its upcoming XBLA game Hybrid -- true to its word, shortly after GDC. By going to the Hybrid site and signing up, you get a chance to receive one of a limited number of keys for the closed beta, which begins in "late April." Regardless of whether or not you get in -- or whether or not you sign up -- there's an exciting new trailer above.The developer must be confident that every beta player won't find obnoxious glitches, because it holds firm to its summer 2012 release window.%Gallery-151079%
Hybrid beta test begins on XBLA 'shortly after GDC'
5th Cell's XBLA shooter Hybrid is ready for a semi-public debut. The developer announced an XBLA beta test this morning, with signups taking place "shortly after GDC" (which runs next week, March 5-9).This may not be as welcome as news of a release date, but it does mean that the game is in a state to be played by at least a subset of the community, which strikes us as a positive development. Now, if you get into the beta, make sure you find all the bugs immediately so 5th Cell can release the game.
5th Cell's third-person ceiling shooter Hybrid arrives this summer
After pushing back its crazy shooter concept, Hybrid, to a 2012 launch window, Scrriblenauts dev 5th Cell is once more ready to talk about the forthcoming Xbox Live Arcade game. First things first: Hybrid is now scheduled for a summer 2012 launch window. Hooray!Moreover, 5th Cell is promising a variety of major updates as a result of the delay time. Said promises include locking the shooter's framerate at 60FPS, a redesigned look, and a new twist on the in-air movement. Take a look at the improvements with the latest media straight from 5th Cell, above and below.%Gallery-146069%
5th Cell planning four games for 2012, including Hybrid
While talking to 5th Cell creative director Jeremiah Slaczka about the new iOS game Run Roo Run, I couldn't help but check in regarding the developer's delayed XBLA shooter Hybrid. "Hybrid is coming along great," Slaczka told me. "The game has been heavily refined since we gave the first hands-on at GDC last year. All the same core concepts are there, but there's a lot of new surprises we want to show off. We'll be revealing a lot very soon actually." Slaczka said that Hybrid is one of four new games 5th Cell expects to release this year. "Run Roo Run will be our first and Hybrid may or may not be our next, we'll see." Slaczka remained adamant that Hybrid would make a 2012 release. "We may be using Source Engine," he said, "but that doesn't mean we adhere to Valve Time."
5th Cell's Hybrid bumped to 2012
Hybrid, developer 5th Cell's unique XBLA shooter, originally slated for a release sometime this year, can now be expected to provide an unexpected experience in 2012. 5th Cell announced the delay today, with creative director Jeremiah Slaczka explaining that "with an additional year, we can take what we've learned and really drill down on our ideas to hopefully transform this game into something great." When we saw it a couple of months ago, it was a tactical shooter with movement mapped to the buttons. It's already a transformative experience. We kind of can't wait to see how the company is going to "transform" it further.
Hybrid preview: A new breed
After getting turned around in the rain on the way to check out Scribblenauts developer 5th Cell's first XBLA game, Hybrid, I wandered into the initial presentation a few minutes late. And so, I missed creative director Jeremiah Slaczka explain what sets Hybrid apart from other third-person shooters -- which is nearly everything. Ten minutes later I had my hands on an Xbox 360 controller and understood why Slaczka looked at me like my head was on backwards when I asked what makes the game different from other XBLA shooters. For starters, player movement is mapped to buttons -- a crucial aspect of Hybrid's bizarre, yet shockingly accessible controls -- leaving the right analog stick free to adjust the camera. Slaczka and his team at 5th Cell mitigated the "circle-strafing with shotguns" play style of most online shooters by making movement more deliberate. The result is a game that plays like real-time, sped up, 3-on-3 Valkyria Chronicles. Which, to be clear, means it's a lot of fun. %Gallery-118392%
How 5th Cell follows Naughty Dog's lead with Hybrid
"Expect the unexpected" may be a cliche all but robbed of meaning by overuse, but it's also a pretty helpful way of understanding the path of Scribblenauts developer 5th Cell. Creative director Jeremiah Slaczka explained why the studio's choice of Hybrid, a team-based shooter, isn't such an odd one for the up-to-now kid-friendly studio. Now that we have a slightly better understanding of Hybrid's persistent, ongoing, massively multiplayer war, we're starting to get where he's coming from. 5th Cell has been a two-project studio since it developed Scribblenauts alongside Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter for the DS, and Slaczka said the studio is still growing. "Right now our studio is at sixty people and still expanding with three full projects in development. We've learned a lot as a studio since the original Scribblenauts and I'm very proud of how our studio has matured in our development," he told Joystiq. "I think working on multiple projects simultaneously has really helped us to expand our talent base; we've always got the right person for the right job, which is indispensible for us as we are offered the opportunity to evaluate new platforms."%Gallery-115142%
5th Cell's 'Hybrid' to feature persistent online war
5th Cell continues to hold back details on its XBLA shooter Hybrid, but the developer has released one key nugget that recalls games like PlanetSide and Chromehounds. Hybrid will feature a "a persistent online world war" with "hundreds of thousands" of players on a "single, unified world server." As always, the war will be waged between the blue team (the Paladins) and red team (the Variants), as the two sides fight to control "territories and countries, leading to global domination" on what appears to be a world map cribbed from Risk. What was initially teased as "a completely new gameplay experience never seen before in the genre" is now revealed to be ... "an innovative new system unique to the shooter genre." Really? Oh, but it has a name! An "it came from marketing"–sounding name: "Combat Focused Movement." Just what is it? We'll have to wait for the first hands-on demo of the game at next month's GDC to find out. %Gallery-115142%
'Hybrid' XBLA shooter announced by 5th Cell, due 2011
The countdown on Scribblenauts developer 5th Cell's site ran its course last night, revealing the somewhat surprising identity of the studio's next project: An Xbox Live Arcade third-person shooter called Hybrid. The game, which is built with the Source Engine, has players enlist in one of two opposing forces, Paladins or Variants. Aside from their titles, these two factions seem to exhibit other differences, as evidenced in the trailer posted after the jump. For instance, one's good at taking cover, while the other does parkour. 5th Cell promises that Hybrid will provide "a completely new gameplay experience never seen before in the genre," a claim that might not be so outrageous given the studio's innovations in the puzzle-platformer genre through its Scribblenauts series. If we were a betting site, we'd wager that the wall-to-ceiling-running shown in the trailer has something to do with said innovativeness -- but seeing as how Hybrid's due for release sometime in 2011, it might be a little too early for such baseless conjecture. %Gallery-106255%
