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Aliens: Colonial Marines adds 'Escape Mode' to multiplayer
Debuting at PAX is a new multiplayer mode for Aliens: Colonial Marines, called "Escape Mode." It's a simple concept: a team of four players, as Xenomorphs, try to hunt down four Colonial Marines, and the team of four humans do their best to get the hell out of their way. The Marines do more than scream and run, as they "blast their way through the fast-paced map" trying to reach the exit.If you'd like to try it at PAX, the mode will be on display in Sega's booth, which covers the space of both #242 and #252. You won't miss it – what with the giant power loader statue and all.
Dress up like XCOM's Thin Man, skip the lines at 2K's PAX booth
The lines at PAX Prime can be the show's biggest pain. It's all open to the public, so playing a much-anticipated game like XCOM: Enemy Unknown can have you standing around for ages. Fortunately, the folks at 2K have cooked up a cheat to help you out: Just dress up as the game's Thin Man character and you'll get a VIP badge when you show off your costume at the show.That badge will grant you access to play XCOM and Borderlands 2 without waiting, plus you'll be able to duck into the XCOM panel on Saturday. You can see what the Thin Man looks like above, and study some concept art on the official blog post, if you need it.If you don't want to wear a costume but still want some quality hands-on time with Borderlands 2 (and some Joystiq staffers), be sure to stop by the PAX party tomorrow night. The bar is open there no matter who you're dressed as.
'Sup, Notch: Why Guncraft got a booth next to Minecraft's at PAX
Exato Games co-founder John Getty makes no apologies about the inspiration behind Guncraft. Yes, it's based on Minecraft. Problem?Getty can afford to be flippant about Guncraft's origins because his game, while it resembles Minecraft, utilizes entirely different mechanics and goals, and it simply isn't a rip-off, he says. Guncraft spawned while Getty and his partner Alex Schlee were working on another game, Progenitor."Our artist and former programmer were having a talk about how Minecraft isn't objective-oriented enough," Getty recalls. "They thought that it would be awesome if it was like an FPS, which is an objective-driven genre, where you could also make use of the levels you intricately design. They also thought it would be awesome to be able to blow the crap out of said level, without getting banned from a server for trolling someone's masterpiece."I overheard the conversation and thought it was an awesome idea. After a week of drawing up some preliminary game-design documents, I pitched it to my partner, we both decided it was too good to pass up, and we postponed Progenitor in favor of Guncraft."Guncraft is now a Kickstarter success story, raising more than $16,000 in March to continue development, and it's heading to PAX Prime in Seattle this week – in fact, it's heading to a very specific place on PAX's show floor. Guncraft has a booth right next to Minecraft's.
Jukebox Heroes Extra: An interview with Inon Zur
Did you grow up watching Power Rangers? I didn't, but then again, I was slightly over the age demographic there. But it tickles me pink (ranger) that the guy who got his start doing background music for one of the cheesiest shows of all time ended up scoring many of the greatest video games of all time. Israeli-born Inon Zur was hard at work in the film, TV, and video game industry in the '90s, but it wasn't until 2002's Icewind Dale II that his music and fame started to climb to a whole different level. Zur started winning awards left and right for his work on Dragon Age, Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, and Men of Valor, among other titles. MMO players might not know it, Zur's deft hand is all over the place. He's composed several EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions, the now-defunct Exteel, last year's RIFT and most recently, TERA. As a driving force behind MMO music, Inon Zur has a unique perspective on what makes for a great audio experience. Want to hear more? Us too. We have a great interview with Zur as well as a few select pieces of his works after the jump.
Firefall reveals founder's packages, special deals available at PAX
Earlier today Red 5 Studios posted a portion of its Firefall monetization model on the game's official website. While we've heard a lot about combat revamps and various other gameplay details in recent weeks, one thing we've never really known is how the sci-fi shooter will sell itself. This week's PAX convention will see the studio begin selling its founder's packages, complete with special attendee discounts. The packages start at $15 and offer an assortment of "convenience and cosmetic items." Check out the Firefall website for further details, and don't forget to watch the founder's package video after the jump.
RaiderZ opens Ingen Free Port for business
Perfect World is cranking up the PR machine leading into this weekend's Penny Arcade Expo. While we got a look at RaiderZ's Broken Mast zone yesterday, today we're treated to a visit to Ingen Free Port. Ingen Free Port is supposedly a "safe harbor" for visitors, offering an array of services and vendors to heroes looking for a respite from non-stop combat. Senior Producer Mark Hill says that it's important for the company to show the quieter side of the game world: "The kingdom of Rendel and its many bustling cities, like Ingen Free Port, is key to bringing the world of RaiderZ truly to life." Perfect World will be promoting RaiderZ at PAX Prime, but you don't have to wait until then to see Ingen Free Port. We've got the full flythrough after the jump. [Source: Perfect World press release]
Attract Mode and Fangamer host all-ages video game art show Saturday night at PAX
If you're in Seattle this week – perhaps for PAX Prime – then your Thursday night plans have been taken care of. You'll be at Joystiq's Borderlands 2 party, and you'd better say hi when you see us there. But PAX goes for four days, you say – what about the rest of the weekend? We'll cover Saturday for you as well: "Videogame collective" Attract Mode and videogame apparel site Fangamer are teaming up to hold a great big live art and game show, starting at 7pm on Saturday, September 1 in Seattle.Cumulo Nimblers, Capy's Super Time Force, and Eric Zimmerman's Metagame will all be there and playable, 8-bit artist Danimal Cannon and hip-hop gamer MegaRan (he's good) will provide the tunes, and the whole show will be drenched in some of the best video-game related artwork you'll find (and which you can see examples of in the gallery below). It'll be a rad time indeed; it's an all ages show that's open to the public, and admission is $5.The event starts at 7pm and goes until 11 on Saturday September 1, and you can find it at the 1927 Events space, at 1927 3rd Ave. in Seattle. As for your Friday and Sunday nights at PAX, well, you'll have to find your own party space for those.%Gallery-163481%
Microsoft bringing blockbusters, Dream Build Players to PAX Prime
Microsoft is blowing out PAX Prime with playable demos of Halo 4 multiplayer, Forza Horizon, Resident Evil 6 and Tomb Raider, along with a bunch of previews for XBLA, Dream Build Play and Windows 8 games. Microsoft will also have a big Gears of War: Judgement surprise, which Major Nelson promises to reveal tomorrow, and features on FIFA 13 and Fable: The Journey.The XBLA games gracing PAX with their presence are State of Decay, Crash Course 2, Avatar Motocross Madness and Happy Wars, XBLA's first ever free-to-play title. Microsoft will host the 2012 Dream Build Play winners in its booth (#412), with the four Xbox 360 winners and top four from the Windows Phone division on display.
PSA: Valve's Dota 2 championships begin prelims today, watch live
The International Dota 2 Championships begin today with preliminary rounds, running through August 28. The preliminary rounds don't eliminate any teams, but they decide the seed for the main competition starting Friday, August 31, at PAX Prime. The International runs through September 2, offering a first-place prize of $1 million.The preliminary rounds begin at 9 a.m. PDT each day from August 26 - 28, while the main event will begin at 10 a.m. PDT August 31 - September 2. Watch all the action of the preliminary rounds here, with main event streams to be posted as those games start.
Everyone's hair will be ruined by Nintendo's PAX Prime world record bubble gum attempt
Kirby's twentieth anniversary as a fluffy pink omnivore is coming up, and in addition to releasing a collection of his most popular games, Nintendo will also be attempting to join the Guinness Book of World Records in the little guy's honor.It shakes out like this: At 1 p.m. Pacific on September 1, Nintendo will try and round up at least 305 people at the PAX Prime Expo Hall Queue Area to beat the world record for "Most People Blowing a Chewing Gum Bubble Simultaneously," which is currently 304 people. An official Guinness adjudicator will be on site to verify the attempt's success or failure. Meanwhile, a college student in a Kirby outfit will be interacting with the crowd and wondering if they've made the right choices in life. The link between Kirby and bubble gum may be kind of weak (both pink, both round), but having a few hundred people blow bubbles at the same time is a lot more feasible than setting the world record for "Most People Inhaling Live Animals Simultaneously."
Play Borderlands 2 at the Joystiq, 2K Games and Amazon PAX Prime party
Heading up to Seattle, Washington for PAX Prime next week? Well, your pals at Joystiq – along with Gearbox Software, 2K Games and Amazon – have a party on Thursday night that we'd love for you to attend. You like being invited to party-type things, yes?On Thursday, August 30, from 7pm until 11pm, 2K Games and Amazon are taking over the PNK Ultra Lounge. PNK is located on the 4th level of the Pacific Place Shopping Center at 600 Pine street – here's a map – in downtown Seattle.There will be demo stations for Borderlands 2 set up at the event, and in-between furious bouts of loot farming you'll be able to chat with a few Handsome Jacks (or a Mike) from Joystiq and Gearbox. If you're old enough you can also enjoy the open bar, which goes on until 9pm. We'll see you there!
Indie fighting game Yatagarasu coming to 3DS eShop
Cave Story publisher Nicalis is bringing a new fighter to 3DS eShop, with an impressive pedigree. Yatagarasu – that's the name given to the Japanese PC release, but it's due to change here – is developed by Circle Edge, a three-person team made up of former SNK talent including art director Styleos and designer Umezono. Weirdly, it features "a unique optional commentator system that mimics the tournament trash talk experience."The handheld fighter will be on display at next week's PAX Prime, within the expanses of the Indie Megabooth.
Watching TV together: The seasoned business strategy of Frost Wars
Austin Hice and Carlo Eugster began their professional careers in the film industry, working on television shows and on-camera, live entertainment in Los Angeles. When they decided to quit those jobs and start an independent game development studio in 2011, it wasn't simply to get away from the repetitive hierarchy of Hollywood – it was to fulfill a lifelong passion for gaming and engaging storytelling."Video games seemed like the natural tansition. We've both been avid gamers since we were very, very small," Hice tells Joystiq. "We saw an opportunity to take the experience we got in film and television and establish something new. That's how Lantern got its start."Lantern now has a dozen core staff and is working on its first game, Frost Wars: The Rise of Fatty Sparkles, which will debut at PAX on August 31 in the form of a booth with a four-player demo.Frost Wars is a turn-based strategy, comedy and adventure game planned to launch for iOS, Droid, PC, Mac and eventually Linux. It's set in the Arctic, where Toxi Co., a foreign corporation, interrupts the peaceful life of the Eskimos by drilling the ice and accidentally tapping into an ancient goo that, once released, mutates the native animals. The Eskimos and Toxi Co. employees are then thrown into a vicious war. Fatty Sparkles, for those wondering, isn't on either side; he's the arms-dealing polar bear pulling the strings behind the scenes.%Gallery-163178%
Trion to stream RIFT, Defiance, and End of Nations live from PAX
If you're a RIFT fan who can't make it to PAX next weekend, we've got some good news. Trion is going to be streaming live from the show floor beginning on Friday, August 31st. The RIFT website says that "the latest in Storm Legion with interviews, playtests, and more" will be available for viewing via Trion's Twitch TV channel. Trion devs will also be accepting questions via the Twitch page, and the company will be showing its Defiance MMOFPS and its End of Nations MMORTS throughout the show.
Guacamelee has expanded Vita controller functionality
Drinkbox Studios will be attending this year's PAX Prime festivities in Seattle at the end of this month, and while it's there the developer will be showing off one of the benefits of Guacamelee's PlayStation 3/Vita exclusivity."We're integrating the Vita as a PS3 controller for Guacamelee, utilizing the Vita screen for a mini-map, and hopefully more," Drinkbox's Chris McQuinn told Joystiq. "Does this sound like a next-gen console you've heard of perhaps? As far as we know, we're the first game doing this."PAX Prime attendees, however, won't need a transmedia map on a $250 handheld to find Guacamelee on the show floor: Juicebox will be setting up shop inside the Indie Megabooth, which will be discernible from other, mainstream booths due to its abundance of pixel art and stylish, easily accessible development teams.
PAX Prime registration site officially open, registration opens next week [updated]
It's been almost a month since you attended PAX East, so you're probably ready to start preparing for this August's PAX Prime out in Seattle, no? The folks over at the official PAX website are hoping so, as the registration site officially opened today. What's that, you already had it bookmarked? Well look at you!Anyway, registration itself hasn't opened just yet, but the site promises it's on the way "soon." By last year at this time, said registrations had already opened, so we expect "soon" to really be "any day now." We've reached out to Penny Arcade for more specific info.Update: Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo says that registration "should reopen next week" after some technical hiccups earlier today.
The Firing Line: Firefall, Defiance, John Romero, and more
Dude, there was a ton of big shooter news this week! I mean, this isn't terribly unusual, particularly since the genre is expanding at a rapid rate, but when I've got to cut interesting items out of this column for length reasons, you know it's been an eventful few days. Join me after the break for a recap on everything from Firefall to Defiance to John Romero and beyond.
TERA recaps PAX East and a week of reveals with new video
If you're looking forward to TERA but sad about missing En Masse's demo of the fantasy MMO at last weekend's PAX East, cheer up! The firm has just released a recap video that's almost as good as being there. It was a big week overall for TERA, and the reveals included an A-list voice cast, snippets about the launch head-start period, dungeon finder and economic tweaks, and the lush Twilight Valley region showcased at PAX. TERA's PAX demo pitted players against wave after wave of argons and big-ass monsters, not to mention a nasty cuss called Subject 5005. Players who were able to whittle the boss's health down were then given a further challenge when 5005 transformed into an Argonomorph (yeah, we're not sure what that is either, but you can see it via the video after the cut). [Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]
PAX East 2012: Exploring the dark corners of The Secret World
As anyone around the Massively offices can tell you, I am eagerly-bordering-on-obsessively awaiting the release of Funcom's latest entry into the MMO market, The Secret World. I'm all about the supernatural, occult, and paranormal, and The Secret World's "all the myths are true" philosophy is right up my alley, so when I heard that there would be a playable demo at PAX East 2012, it was all I could do not to squeal like a 12-year-old girl (and I may have done so anyway). Of course, many people are hesitant about the title. Between The Secret World's subscription-cum-microtransactions business model and Funcom's track record of poor launches and bug-laden games, some gamers are finding themselves hesitant to get hyped up for the game's June 19th launch. Of course, I'd be lying if I said I weren't at least a bit cautious myself, regardless of my enthusiasm for the game. So how is the game shaping up? Well, sit down, grab yourself a drink, and let me tell you what I think.
PAX East 2012: Hands-on with Perfect World's RaiderZ
TERA isn't the only upcoming MMO to feature big-ass monsters and action combat. Perfect World Entertainment showed us a demo of RaiderZ at last weekend's PAX East, and producer Mark Hill was pretty enthusiastic about the game's level of polish. He also made a point of highlighting the amount of free gameplay the company will be making available to fans later this year. "We really want to blow people away with how much free content they're getting out of a really top-notch game," he said. Join us after the cut to see what RaiderZ has to offer.
