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MicroBot preview: Inner conflict
MicroBot is the first and only game I've played where your character is introduced to the world through the needle point of a syringe. The "world," as it turns out, is actually a living human body, pumping with plasma and microscopic ... enemies? Your character's intent is ambiguous in MicroBot, but it's clear upon picking up the controller that, like so many other games, your goal is to destroy everything that might pose a threat to you. What those things are and what you're doing inside the body, however, remains a bit of a mystery. (Surely those evil nanites don't deserve to be in here.) The first thing that struck me about MicroBot -- a top-down Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network shooter from EA and Naked Sky Entertainment -- was the impressive graphics engine, a proprietary solution from the dev team. Sure, you're controlling a MicroBot on a 2D plane, but depth of field trickery shows off various happenings in the body in the forefront and background, giving the environment a grander scale despite its 2D perspective. And the game's procedurally created world assures that no two playthroughs of any environment will be identical. The second thing that struck me was the game's sense of momentum. As a robot floating around inside a human body, careening in any particular direction too fast could result in an accidental death. It also gives the environment a more dangerous presence. Our worry? Who knows what happens to a human when robot parts are left to scatter throughout the internal organs.%Gallery-105174%
Star Trek D-A-C gets new ships, modes, major online fix
Paramount has announced that a free update is now available for the Xbox 360 version of Star Trek D-A-C. The update adds two new ships to the game, the missile cruiser and the support frigate. The missile cruiser packs heavy, long range attacks, while the support frigate can heal friendly units and destroy escape pods. A new single-player survival mode has also been added as well. The online portion has been updated with more options, like configuring bot AI and the number of points needed to win. Probably the most important addition, however, is host migration. This will automatically switch hosts if the current host decides to quit -- rather than simply dropping everyone from the game. Considering we were dropped several times even in the trial version, that's probably a good addition. %Gallery-78934%
GDC09: Star Trek DAC details (and no, we don't know what it stands for)
We caught up with Benjamin Hoyt, senior producer at Paramount Digital Entertainment, David Baronoff, associate producer on the new Trek film and Bad Robot workerbee, and Joshua Glazer, CTO from developer Naked Sky Entertainment to talk about all things Star Trek DAC. We didn't get any juicy screenshots or video, nor did we find out what the heck "DAC" stands for (although Baronoff did say that a lot of the fan guesses are "in the right realm"), but we did come away with a lot of information about the upcoming title that's tied to Paramount's May release of the new Star Trek movie. Beam down beyond the break where you can read all about it.
From nothing to RoboBlitz, Naked Sky speaks
In a new Postmortem article on Gamasutra, RoboBlitz developer, Naked Sky, speaks of the trials and tribulations of creating a new IP from the ground up with a relatively inexperienced team -- something they managed to do in only 11 months. Naked Sky discusses the things they did right, what went wrong, what the future holds, and even gives would be developers a little advice. Noted among the things that went right was having a solid and dedicated team and licensing the Unreal Engine 3. Some things that went wrong include overambitious design and (gasp) running out of money. Other oversights include not hiring an internal QA lead, which lead to less extensive testing. This, in turn, made it harder to track down bugs. Still, with the very dedicated team (and some understanding friends and family), Naked Sky managed to pump out one of the most technically impressive XBLA games out there. If you like learning about the development process, or if you're thinking about getting into the business yourself, check out the article for some good lessons and pointers. See also:X360F interviews RoboBlitz's Tian Mu
X360F review: RoboBlitz
RoboBlitz has had a lot going for it from day one. Since it was first announced, it was something special. Oddly enough, the hype surrounding RoboBlitz had little to do with gameplay, but rather the fact that the game uses Unreal Engine 3. Of course, that's a huge claim coming from an Xbox Live Arcade title that has a mandatory size cap of 50 MB. RoboBlitz's other major bullet point was physics driven gameplay. According to Tian Mu, co-founder of RoboBlitz devs, Naked Sky, every element of gameplay is driven by physics, right down to character animation. All in all, RoboBlitz was trumpeted as a game that could redefine the retro-friendly Xbox Live Arcade. We spent a good week playing RoboBlitz, delving into its physics, killing baddies, and, ultimately, finding out if it lives up to its promise.
Free RoboBlitz multiplayer in '07
Enjoying RoboBlitz? No? Are single player, physics based puzzles not doing it for you? If multiplayer is more your bag, it may interest you to know that Naked Sky will be releasing a free multiplayer expansion in 2007. We don't know much about the multiplayer, but we can assume it will involve robots blasting each other to bits. Hopefully, it will include some new player models to choose from (kind of boring if they're all Blitz, amirite?) and some new weapons as well. We're really getting a kick out of RoboBlitz so far, and a free expansion will go a long way towards making that 1200 MS points feel like a decent price. Our review of the game is forthcoming, so keep an eye out for it if you're still on the fence.Would you be more willing to spend 1200 points on RoboBlitz if it had a multiplayer component?[Via The Xbox Domain]
RoboBlitz hands-on impressions
So, my 360 automatically downloaded the trial version of RoboBlitz this morning, and I finally got a chance to sit down with it around lunch time. The first thing you will notice about RoboBlitz is that it looks gorgeous. It looks like an original Xbox game and is even decent as a 360 title. Squeezing all this into 50 megs is a work of technical wizardry and other developers should pay attention. Once you're done marveling at the graphics, it's time to start the game proper.
RoboBlitz makes physics phun on XBLA
Boy, oh boy, do we love fresh, new content on Xbox Live Arcade. Today is a landmark day for the service, as it's receiving its first game powered by the Unreal Engine. We've covered all the RoboBlitz we could stand since we first learned of its existence, and now we finally get to try it out. If you're currently unable to grab the game yourself -- say you're at work or school -- then why not have some with physics all on your own? It's almost as good as playing the game itself! See that pencil on your desk? Pick it up. Now drop it. Did you see it fall? That's physics. Now just keep doing that all day until you get your hands on the game. It's like infinite entertainment. If that doesn't do it for you, rest assured, we'll get some hands-on time with the game and give you our impressions as soon as possible.
RoboBlitz hitting Xbox Live Arcade this week
Another new franchise is arriving on Xbox Live Arcade this week, one that notably boasts robots, explosions, and in certain circumstances, exploding robots. Developed by Naked Sky Entertainment, RoboBlitz sees you guiding a charming little contraption through all manner of gear-grating, cog-crunching puzzles and ridding the world of nasty space pirates. You know, pirates. But in space.Other key phrases you might associate with RoboBlitz are "physics-driven challenges," "Unreal Engine 3" and "available this Wednesday, December 6, at 1AM PST." According to the press release (read it after the break), the trial version will offer three different levels in its attempt to get 1200 MS points (that's $15) out of you for the full game. As one of the more expensive titles on Microsoft's service, its argument will have to be persuasive indeed. Penny-pinchers might also consider the Steam version on PC -- at $14.99, it makes for a saving of one whole cent.
RoboBlitz rolls out this week
With all the Halo 3 news today, we almost lost this week's Live Arcade release in the shuffle. It looks like the new content stream that started with Small Arms is still flowing, as this week we get the Unreal-powered, physics based RoboBlitz. We've just about covered RoboBlitz to death, with coverage including an interview and a five day contest (those shirts are shipping soon, we promise). If you haven't heard about it by now, check out the video above for a rough idea. All in all it looks like another quality title that shows us what Xbox Live Arcade can do. If RoboBlitz tickles your fancy, you can download it this Wednesday for 1200 points. Full press release after the break.
RoboBlitz T-shirt contest: It's over!
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. The Xbox 360 Fanboy RoboBlitz T-shirt contest is over. Before we say goodbye, let's crown our final winner. And the winner one one extra special, extra large men's T-shirt is ... Tony, who will wisely use this brand new shirt to put off doing his laundry for one more day (what about pants?). Congratulations, Tony and all of our other winners. We'll be contacting all of you shortly for your shipping info. So, how do we let go of a contest gone by? We're not really sure. Look at it this way, you may not have won a shirt, but soon everyone can actually play RoboBlitz. That's something to look forward to, right? We'd like to take a moment to thank Tian Mu of the RoboBlitz dev team, Naked Sky, for making this possible. Thanks, Tian. We'd also like to extend an invitation to other companies for game related swag. People love swag, you silly companies! Send us swag and we'll ceremoniously give it away in a fabulous, buzz generating contest. Seriously, drop us a line. Wait a minute ... do they make Small Arms T-shirts?
RoboBlitz T-shirt contest: Day 5
This is it folks, your last chance to win a RoboBlitz T-shirt. As usual, before we get into today's contest, we must announce yesterday's winner. And the winner of yesterday's fine T-shirt is ... Cth, for a very creative weapon idea: the pen is mightier than the sword. It's kind of a complicated idea, so we suggest you read Cth's description for yourselves. So, here we are ... the final day of our RoboBlitz contest extravaganza. Today is the day that many of you have been waiting for, a chance to win a men's XL RoboBlitz T-shirt. The other puny large men's shirts and the tiny women's shirts would never fit your manly girth. Well now is your chance, because today, we're making the contest easier than it's ever been. RoboBlitz is about tackling your objectives in any way you want. You can do it however you please. In the spirit of this freedom, today you can choose to leave a comment about anything. Just comment on this post. It doesn't matter what you say, you'll be entered to win this mythical T-shirt. So, leave a comment and make history.General contest stuff: Only one entry per person. Winners will be contacted via email in order to obtain shipping information. This contest is open to residents of the United States only
RoboBlitz T-shirt contest: Day 4 [update 1]
And the mighty RoboBlitz T-shirt contest keeps moving across the land, distributing T-shirts to those in need. Before we announce today's contest, we must pick a name from the proverbial hat. The winner of yesterday's RoboBlitz shirt is (fanfare) Beef! Beef's dream robot is named Ephraim, which is apparently Beef's real name as well. It seems that Ephraim's primary function is to be a clone of Ephraim. Some of you came up with other really good ideas, too. Read 'em all right here.Now, what to do for today's contest ... we should really start coming up with these beforehand. Let's see ... okay, we have an idea. RoboBlitz has some really interesting weapons (don't believe us? Watch this). To enter today's contest, leave a comment describing an interesting, fictional weapon. You know, something that would be fun in a video game. The winner -- randomly chosen -- will receive a women's XL RoboBlitz T-shirt. We'll get the creative juices flowing by coming up with a weapon first. We would create the Poodle Launcher, which would launch specially trained ballistic poodles (properly shaven for aerodynamics, of course). So there you go, get crackin' and good luck.Update: This contest is now closed. Click here to see the winner and enter the latest contest.General contest stuff: Only one entry per person. Winners will be contacted via email in order to obtain shipping information. This contest is open to residents of the United States only.
RoboBlitz T-shirt contests: Day 3 [update 1]
The RoboBlitz contest train keeps a-rollin' along. Now, before we get started with today's contest, it's time to announce Friday's winner. And the winner of a women's large T-shirt is ... Jack Lukic for his Green Eggs and Ham inspired quote: "Look a box,inside is a fox!"Congratulations, Jack. Now for today's contest. RoboBlitz has cool robots. We like robots. We're betting that you like robots, too. So, today we'd like you to make one. No, you don't actually have to build one -- this isn't BattleBots. Just leave a comment about your dream robot. Give it a name and describe what it does. The winner will receive a large men's RoboBlitz T-shirt. Also, we know some of you have been holding out for XL sizes. Well, fear not, for they are coming. We still have a men's and women's XL to give away. In the meantime, start dreaming up robots.Update: This contest is now closed. Please click here to see the winner and enter the latest contest.
RoboBlitz T-shirt contest: Day 2 [update 1]
Okay, first thing's first: yesterday's winner is (drum roll) Beezer, for his comment, "Just turn a glass full of water around! Pretty impressive, isn't it ?" That's something pretty fun you can do with physics, I guess .... Anyway, on to day 2 of our fabulous contest. Today's contest is for the ladies (or anyone who wants a woman's shirt anyway). The shirt to be given away is a large women's T-shirt. This one is a lovely sky blue with dark blue collar and sleeve cuffs, and Blitz in the middle. It's oh so attractive and the boys will just love it. So, let's see, we need a contest. Ooh, ooh, I know! RoboBlitz has a catchy hip hop theme song, so let's do something in the spirit of song. To enter today's contest, all you have to do is leave a comment that rhymes. By the way, that means you will have to use at least two whole words. Get rhyming and good luck. Our (random) winner and our next contest will be announced on Monday.Update: This contest is now closed, to see the winner, click here.General contest stuff: Only one entry per person. Winners will be contacted via email in order to obtain shipping information. This contest is open to residents of the United States only.
Get (Robo) blitzed with interview, t-shirt contest
The upcoming Xbox Live title RoboBlitz is a feat for developers Naked Sky. The action-puzzler, available now on PC, runs on Unreal Engine 3, makes extensive use of real physics, and manages to stay under the 50 MB limit for XBLA titles thanks to procedural synthesis.Our buddies over at Xbox 360 Fanboy interviewed Tian Mu, co-founder and CEO of Naked Sky, to talk about his title. In addition to elating aforementioned developer achievements, Mu talked up the humor and non-linear gameplay. The main focus of the Q&A, however, is the development process behind the game. Release date and price are not discussed, but Mu did mention their ongoing work to add multiplayer to the RoboBlitz, as well as plans for future downloadable content.Xbox 360 Fanboy also has five RoboBlitz t-shirts to give away, with a new contest each day. Today's contest asks you to leave a comment about something fun you can do with physics and they'll pick a entry at random. For example, quantum mechanics teach us that a boxed feline can be both alive and dead at the same time. Science be praised!
RoboBlitz T-shirt contest: Day 1 [update 1]
Some of you may recall that I was a little jealous of the RoboBlitz shirt that Naked Sky gave to Gamertag Radio's Godfree. It looks like Naked Sky's Tian Mu (who we interviewed yesterday) was listening, because he sent us not one, not two, but five T-shirts to give away. We have three men's shirts and two just for the ladies. Starting today, we'll give one away every day. What do you have to do to win? Well, we're not sure, but we'll think of something new every day. Today's T-shirt is a men's large. Bearing a picture of Blitz the robot on the front, and the RoboBlitz title smartly emblazoned on the right sleeve. RoboBlitz is all about physics, so if you'd like to have this shirt as your very own (your preciousssss), all you have to do is tell us something fun you can do with physics. You know, things like kicking a ball, using a lever, or curb stomping a Locust. So, think something up, leave it in the comments, and we'll choose a winner completely at random. If you don't win today, just come back tomorrow. And if you don't win tomorrow ... well, then you'll have to come back Monday, but still, that's an awesome shirt, right? Get to it and good luck.Update: This contest is now closed, and we are on to Day 2. Check out our new contest here.General contest stuff: Only one entry per person. Winners will be contacted via email in order to obtain shipping information. This contest is open to residents of the United States only.
Unreal Engine 3 prepares to Roboblitz XBLA
Time to take another look at the trailer for Roboblitz from indie developer Naked Sky, the first Xbox Live Arcade game to sport Unreal Engine 3. Mike from K1lla's Xbox Domain spotted a forum post from one of the devs that says:The game is super close to complete. Design and art wise, we're pertty much locked, now we're just making sure the game is bug free and fully optimized. An exact release date...still don't have one. But considering the state of the game, it can't be much longer. Believe me, we want the game out asap! The only thing we know for sure is that it'll be 1200 MS points, and the PC version will include (TBA) bonus content. SOOOON!!The best part is it actually looks like it's worth 1200 MS Points.
RoboBlitz looks real perty
Some new -- and oddly not widescreen -- shots of Naked Sky's RoboBlitz were released today. Once only a tech demo, RoboBlitz is now a full fledged Xbox Live Arcade title powered by the Unreal Engine. The gameplay is based entirely on physics and features cool weapons, humorous characters, and, of course, robots. Looks pretty nice.Oh, and it's expected to cost 1200 points. So, let's get the complaining out of the way now while it's still fresh.
