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Interview: Crackdown 2 lead designer Steve Iannetta
In 2010, the agents are returning to action, this time with a new development team at the helm. Following a demo of Crackdown 2's single-player in action and a multiplayer deathmatch session, Ruffian Games' lead designer Steve Iannetta took time to discuss everything from new concepts and features in the sequel, the media's reaction to the RealTime Worlds "controversy" and evolving the co-operative world of Pacific City. %Gallery-74365%
Preview: Crackdown 2
A hands-on preview of Crackdown 2 at TGS last week came with a catch: deathmatch only. No matter how much potential for greatness a game might possess, it's hard to gauge its true character when limited to a boring multiplayer mode. That's not to say that my time with Crackdown 2 was entirely boring -- it wasn't -- but simply playing the most generic mode of all didn't raise my enthusiasm beyond a mild passing interest. While I wasn't able to play the game's single-player campaign, I was shown a rough portion of it in action. Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta and producer James Cope showcased the game's new weapons and enemies (the mutated citizens of Pacific City that were simply referred to as "The Freaks"). Unlike the deathmatch portion of the preview session, this part was interesting. %Gallery-74365%
Ireland trying to court Realtime Worlds, other Scottish devs with tax holiday
In an attempt to kick-start its own video game industry, Ireland has begun to target a number of high-profile Scottish game development studios, attempting to woo them over to the Emerald Isle by offering a five-year tax holiday. Colin Macdonald, manager of Dundee-based APB developer Realtime Worlds, responded by saying "if the package on offer in Ireland was attractive we'd have to give it serious consideration." Other Scottish developers who could be influenced by the tax holiday include Rockstar North, Denki, Ruffian Games and Dynamo Games. Macdonald went on to say that Scotland's going to need to do more to preserve its burgeoning gaming industry in light of attractive offers from countries such as Ireland and Canada, who Realtime "lost some of [its] key staff to" in the past few years. We can't help but wonder if this might have had less to do with the strength of Canada's gaming industry, and more to do with the deliciousness of their bacon. [Via Gamasutra]
TGS 2009: Watch a Crackdown 2 deathmatch
One of the biggest surprises to come out of TGS 2009 is the presence of Crackdown 2 -- and it's playable! While the Ruffian Games developed sequel was only just announced at E3, Microsoft decided to let press in Tokyo step into an early build of the new Pacific City. Some textures were missing, and a few glitches popped up, but it was to be expected in what we were told was a game "roughly at 60 percent" complete. Stay tuned, we'll post our impressions soon, along with an interview with Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta. (Oh, and just in case you were wondering: we mopped the floor with the competition.) %Gallery-74365%
Overheard@TGS: Putting the 'crack' in Crackdown 2
During a behind-closed-doors presentation of Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games lead designer Steve Iannetta broke it down like this: "The orbs are the 'crack,' in Crackdown." It's true, and Iannetta says that orb fiends will not be disappointed when they go hunting for the returning collectible in Crackdown 2. Stay tuned for gameplay footage and our hands-on impressions of the upcoming sandbox title. %Gallery-74365%
New Crackdown 2 screens -- zombies included [updated]
Click to embiggen Is it still kosher to assume zombies are what's being featured in these Crackdown 2 screens? We saw a glimpse of the ... let's call them "mutated" enemies in the trailer released back at E3, but we'd yet to see them being punched, kicked, and exploded so vociferously before. With any luck, we'll nab some new gameplay video -- or maybe just impressions of new gameplay video -- when we check out the game this week at the Tokyo Game Show. Update: After spotting 10 unlisted Crackdown 2 images on Ruffian's Flickr page, we were asked by Microsoft to remove the screens due to an exclusivity agreement with Game Informer magazine. In the interest of playing nice, we've complied with the request. We'll have the images back on Joystiq as soon as possible, we assure you ... though a Google Images search might net you results a bit sooner. %Gallery-74365%
Game Informer drops Crackdown 2 details
If the debut trailer for Crackdown 2 (which was revealed at E3 earlier this year) left you completely befuddled, don't fret -- you're not in the minority. However, Game Informer's recent write-up on Ruffian Games' open-world sequel explains the supernatural beasties hinted at in the teaser -- apparently, during a mission in Crackdown, your character unknowingly unleashed a virus into the city that caused portions of the population to mutate into hulking, violent brutes. Good going, stupid.The GI article also explains that the five upgradable stats in the first game will reappear in Crackdown 2, but will unlock new abilities as they're powered up. There are also some new armaments in the mix -- including something called a "magnetic grenade," which is capable of sticking enemies to moving vehicles. Oh, Ruffian Games. You are too good to us.[Via IGN]
Microsoft explains why Ruffian is the right choice for Crackdown 2
Before Microsoft revealed that Ruffian Games would be developing the upcoming Crackdown sequel, the original game's developer, Realtime Worlds, expressed some skepticism towards the idea. "I very much doubt that Microsoft would harm an otherwise fruitful existing development relationship by gambling on funding Crackdown 2 with a startup on RTW's doorstep, for obvious reasons," RTW's Colin MacDonald said last year. Things weren't so cut and dry for self-accused Crackdown fanboy (and Microsoft exec) Phil Spencer, who recently told Develop, "When Billy Thomson, the lead designer of the game [Crackdown 1], left Realtime Worlds, there was an opportunity." Apparently, it would seem Mr. Spencer believes Realtime Worlds is simply too busy developing APB to give a Crackdown sequel the attention it deserves. "I wanted to make sure that anything we work on is correctly nurtured ... we had to find the right team who really understood what game it is – and that was Billy [Thompson] and the team at Ruffian." Crackdown 2 will be the first game developed by Ruffian Games since the studio's inception late last year.
Ex-Midway Newcastle dev spills the beans on the studio's closure
GUI artist Steven Pick has detailed on his blog the last five or so months of working at Wheelman developer Midway Newcastle (with heartbreaking detail, might we add). In doing so he reveals the various happenings at the developer while things at Midway HQ were falling apart. "The company was still operating as normal, but the Chapter 11 thing was like a silent dread-spectre hovering over all of us," Pick says of the February bankruptcy filings. And as for Necessary Force, the IP from Midway Newcastle that was revealed not too long ago? "We got to a point where the game could be pitched - at the same time, we had a 60 day notice through from the London office," Pick says. Unfortunately, the pitches fell through and the game disappeared -- aside from a handful of Edge Magazine writers who saw it, that is.Though he notes that a group of employees were picked up prior to the studio's closure by Crackdown 2 dev Ruffian Games, the remaining employees in Newcastle were caught off guard by a surprise early studio closure -- a surprise that brought with it the news that they wouldn't be receiving their final paychecks. In all honesty, it would be impossible to do Mr. Pick's entire story justice in a concise blog post, so do yourself a favor and give the whole thing a read at his site.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Crackdown 2 spotted on iPhone
Get it? It's not an iPhone version of Crackdown 2. It's literally an iPhone with Crackdown 2 emblazoned across its shiny, shiny surface. It's a joke, see? The offending iPhone was spotted on the Ruffian blog, which noted it belonged to an unnamed executive producer at Microsoft. Certainly, it's not quite as cool as a portable version of Crackdown 2 -- assuming it was a good portable version, anyway -- but it's cool nonetheless. At any rate, with the complete absence of any concrete Crackdown 2 details, we suppose it wil have to do for now.
Close to half of Crackdown team working on Crackdown 2
Close to half of Ruffian Games' Crackdown 2 team is made up of developers from the original group from Realtime Worlds. So says Ruffian Creative Director Bill Thompson in an interview with Edge, where he explains that the developer has "core members from every discipline who worked on [Crackdown], the majority of the design team," along with the coders and artists. That talent drain from Realtime Worlds might explain why its creative director, David Jones, was a "bit miffed at Microsoft" for giving the sequel to Ruffian Games.Producer Jim Cope states that the company still maintains a "really strong working relationship" with Realtime, noting that they are neighbors in both "personal and professional relationships." Cope says the team firmly believe they're "the right people" to make the sequel and that they know what to fix and enhance in the second outing.
Missing the memo: Realtime Worlds hiring
Realtime Worlds plans to hire another 50 staff by early 2010 and has already taken out an additional 8,000 square feet of space to accommodate. CEO Gary Dale says the team has been energized by the "countless plaudits" (what is that, a sparkly button?) it received for APB during E3.Realtime's vocal need for talent probably has a little something to do with the fact that it's in a talent acquisition race with the neighbors at Ruffian Games, who are currently working on Crackdown 2. As we recently learned, the Scotland-based studios are skimming talent from a relatively shallow pool.
Crackdown 2 situation one of those 'awkward moments' for Realtime creative director
Imagine: Your company makes a hit game (and gets bundled with a hit beta). The publisher won't green light a sequel, so your team begins work on another franchise. Then the sequel is awarded to a developer ... in your own town, who permanently borrows your talent. With all that said, it's understandable that Realtime Worlds Creative Director David Jones was a "bit miffed at Microsoft" for giving the Crackdown sequel to start-up Ruffian Games.Speaking with GI.biz, Jones explains that Realtime Worlds was all set to do a sequel before Crackdown's release. When the company didn't receive the go-ahead from Microsoft, it moved on to create APB. Jones wishes that Microsoft had chosen one of its shuttered internal studios to make the game instead of going with Ruffian Games, a company that's in the same town and takes from the same talent pool. He notes it's "challenging to get enough developers in one region as it is." Maybe Realtime can get the third title in the series? Trade off like Infinity Ward and Treyarch did with Call of Duty.
Crackdown 2 features 4-player co-op, 16-player online
Details posted to Xbox.com reveal that Ruffian Games' sequel to Crackdown -- the sleeper open-world, super-powered crime fighting game -- will feature cooperative four-player gameplay. The original game featured two-player, drop-in, drop-out co-op. Also noted: 16-player online multiplayer -- though not confirmed, this is presumably competitive and team-based. If you haven't done it yet, watch the official reveal trailer. [Thanks, Erluti!]
The Agency is recruiting again: First Crackdown 2 trailer
"The city is infected. You are the cure." So begins the first trailer for Crackdown 2. The trailer subsequently showcases one of the Agency's supercops doing what he does best. If you've played the first Crackdown, you'll know that what an Agent does best is basically to be a complete and total badass. The only difference is that this time, it looks like the Agents just might have met their match. We won't spoil it for you, so just go ahead and give it a watch.
Crackdown 2 announced for Xbox 360
Microsoft answered many an open-world action game fan's prayers today by finally confirming Crackdown 2 for Xbox 360. The game -- which has been rumored for some time -- was shown in trailer form during the company's pre-e3 press conference, currently underway in LA. The footage appeared to be an in-game cinematic and showed a monster emerging from a sewer. We noticed that, while the game's art style is reminiscent of the original's, it did appear slightly more realistic. Also as rumored, the game is being developed by Ruffian Games, a studio comprised of many former Realtime Worlds staffers who worked on the first game. No release timeframe was teased. We'll do our best to crack down Microsoft's PR walls and get more info on the game over the next four days.
Ruffian Games expands team by 15, 'itching' to reveal first project
While many other development studios are withering beneath the sweltering heat of the recession, it seems at least one studio is blossoming -- Ruffian Games, founded earlier this year by a number of former Fable II, Crackdown and GTA devs, recently announced that it had bolstered its staff with 15 new recruits. This is great news for the unorthodoxly expanding studio (and for the recently employed developers), but we still don't know what Ruffian is working on. Apparently, this fact bothers them as much as it bothers us -- studio head Gaz Liddon said, "Now we're in full production, we're itching to share the fantastic work these guys have been producing," adding that he hoped said sharing "won't be too far away." We hope so too, as our attention span is pretty limited as far as -- Hey, a butterfly! Neat!
Ruffian Games job ad is decidedly Crackdown-free
Scottish development house Ruffian Games has been the subject of a long-running rumor -- a rumor it is developing a sequel to Realtime Worlds' open-world 360 action title, Crackdown. To date, much of the speculation has centered around the high percentage of former Realtime Worlds staff now employed by Ruffian; staff that previously worked on Crackdown. Now, up pops a Ruffian recruitment ad on Flickr, featuring a piece of artwork that looks wholly un-Crackdown-like. In fact, it's some sort of hideous beast. (In the good sense; no offense to the artist who drew it.) So, is this proof against the studio producing the rumored sequel or just Ruffian trying to throw us off the trail? We'd still wager we're not barking up the wrong developer, er ... tree.
Wheelman, Crackdown designers join Ruffian Games
It's fully a month on and we're still no closer to discovering just what newly founded Ruffian Games is up to than we were when it first broke ground. The fledgling company was first announced in January, formed by team members having worked on such titles and franchises as Fable 2, Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown. Now a pair of new faces have joined the Scotland-based studio's eclectic cast, including Steve Iannetta, former lead world designer on Wheelman for Midway Newcastle. Iannetta was also a designer on Crackdown alongside Ed Campbell, who also joined the company. With so much former Crackdown talent on Ruffian Games' payroll (most everyone at the company had at least some part in the game's development), the smell of open worlds and explosions coming out of the Ruffian's kitchen is unmistakable.
Former GTA, Fable 2 and Crackdown devs for Ruffian Games
Recently mentioned alongside rumors of Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games has officially been formed. Develop reports that several former developers on projects such as Fable II, Grand Theft Auto, Crackdown and MotoGP have gathered to form the studio, which is based in Dundee, Scotland. Heading the studio is Gaz Liddon, who most recently worked on titles including Fable II, Crackdown, Project Gotham Racing and Too Human. The studio aims to create "the best in action gaming" on the current crop on consoles. Creative director Billy Thompson -- formerly the lead designer of Crackdown -- stated that Ruffian's "highest priority is gameplay" and that the company aims for "tight intuitive controls, well-balanced goals, game changing rewards, and player progression that will make you feel like a god!" Sounds like a good set of priorities to us. Thompson also stressed Ruffians committment to online "co-operative and competitive multiplayer gaming," and said that it is "the future of gaming." According to the company's website, the team is already signed with "one of the world's biggest and most successful publishers" for its first game. Is Ruffian working on Crackdown 2 after all? You'll know when we do.Source - Develop: Ruffian officially opens its doorsSource - Ruffian Games Website
