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Stormrise only supports DirectX 10, is Vista-exclusive
It's now confirmed that The Creative Assembly's upcoming RTS title, Stormrise, will only support DirectX 10 on the PC, thus making it exclusive to Windows Vista by default.In an interview with PC Games Hardware, Stormrise lead designer Artem Kulakov confirms the title's DX10 support, making it the first (and possibly only) Vista-exclusive game (Update: Uh, except for all those other ones). According to Kulakov, the reason for only supporting DX10 is to make it easier to port to console platforms and to give the developer an "opportunity to increase performance and improve visual quality."While we aren't experts in the field of how to launch a new franchise, we suspect that limiting the potential user base to only those with Vista (and without some hacking skillz) seems counterproductive to the goal of making a profit. [Via Big Download]
Trophies: Stormrise
Developed by Creative Assembly, Stormrise is a brand new RTS that takes place in a post-apocalyptic civilization. View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
Avert your eyes! Stormrise box art revealed, hideous
Stormrise is an upcoming console RTS from The Creative Assembly, developer of the Total War series. Among the standard promise of intuitive console controls, Creative Assembly is introducing "verticality" to console RTS players. Units can be deployed in the air, on rooftops, at ground level, or below the planet's surface. Okay. So far, so good ... Uh-oh, wait a minute. Stormrise's box art looks like the class project of a paint-by-numbers after school program. Sure, it's the game inside that matters -- and we're excited for it -- but imagine if, instead of saying Stormrise on the cover, the box read RoboCop vs. Zombies. This art would still totally work, and probably be twice as rad.
First video of Stormrise, Sega's 2009 RTS
When a trailer for a video game trailer begins with the phrase "The following trailer has been rendered using the game engine," an implicit statement has been made. That statement reads thusly: "The graphics in this game are so good, you won't believe it isn't pre-rendered." That is not the case with Stormrise, an upcoming real time strategy game from Creative Assembly (Viking) and Sega (lots of games). It doesn't look bad by any stretch, but we found the disclaimer a little unnecessary. Anywho, what we get to see is a bunch of soldiers facing off with Predator-like monsters, enemy soldiers, and what look like miniature Brumaks (sort of). The video concludes by saying "A change is coming" for console RTS games in 2009. Seems like everyone is trying to reshape the console RTS genre these days.Given Creative Assembly's experience with the Total War RTS series, we're eager to see what's in store. And to see some real gameplay, of course.
Sega releases new Stormrise trailer
Download to PSP Sega has released a new trailer for the upcoming console RTS Stormrise. The video, found above, shows off the sort of battles you can come to expect in the game. Footage is recorded from within the game engine, so no CG here. How does it look? There are some interesting character designs, but we're still in two minds about Real Time Strategy gameplay on a console. Regardless, the game isn't out until 2009, so no point getting too hyped up. There're plenty of games that are coming out before then that require your attention. Almost too many.
Joystiq E3 eyes-on: Stormrise
Real Time Strategies have never been a good fit for consoles, thanks to their over-reliance on a mouse and keyboard. The Creative Assembly are hoping to change that with Stormrise by creating a fully intuitive, pad-based control system. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to try the controls out for ourselves, but from what we saw it has some potential. Selecting units is as simple as flicking the right analogue stick. Holding it in any direction will bring up a radar screen, showing your troops throughout the level relative to your currently selected unit. Rotating the right stick will let you highlight your units and, letting go of the stick, select them. Quickly "whipping" the right stick in any given direction will select the nearest unit in that direction, allowing you to switch between units swiftly. Once selected, the game's viewpoint switches to above and behind the unit, allowing you to see what they see. They can then be moved to any visible ground using a 3D cursor. This seemed to work well, but there are also other methods of controlling units that seemed to work even better, depending on your play style.
PS3 Fanboy eyes-on: Stormrise
Real Time Strategies have never been a good fit for consoles, thanks to their over-reliance on a mouse and keyboard. The Creative Assembly are hoping to change that with Stormrise by creating a fully intuitive, pad-based control system. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to try the controls out for ourselves, but from what we saw it has some potential. Selecting units is as simple as flicking the right analogue stick. Holding it in any direction will bring up a radar screen, showing your troops throughout the level relative to your currently selected unit. Rotating the right stick will let you highlight your units and, letting go of the stick, select them. Quickly "whipping" the right stick in any given direction will select the nearest unit in that direction, allowing you to switch between units swiftly. Once selected, the game's viewpoint switches to above and behind the unit, allowing you to see what they see. They can then be moved to any visible ground using a 3D cursor. This seemed to work well, but there are also other methods of controlling units that seemed to work even better, depending on your play style.
Stormrise devs call PC market a 'strong niche'
You may think that strategy games are the domain of the keyboard and mouse, but don't tell that to the guys at Creative Assembly. During E3, company reps walked us through several minutes of their upcoming console-focused RTS, Stormrise, but not before while lamenting the reason for the studio's move beyond the PC -- a market project director Ken Turner calls a "good, strong niche."Awwe, thanks man, that's so sweet of you to...hey wait a sec! Why you! "We're hoping that there will be other people out there who'll appreciate what we can do," explained Turner, who calls the now three-and-a-half year old effort a "breaking away" project for the company. He further noted that Creative Assembly "targeted the console directly," and "distilled it down to an interface where 90% of what you do is with two thumbsticks and one button." After watching Stormrise being played his words certainly ring true, though admittedly it's hard to hear his point beneath the claxon of so many PC gamers' disdain.
Sega announces console-specific RTS in Stormrise
Okay class, it's time to take out your notebooks and no. 2 pencils. Today we're going to be learning a new word -- verticality. The word traces its origins back to the Total War chaps at Sega-owned The Creative Assembly, who coined the term to describe the studio's latest project, Stormrise, a new real-time strategy game "built from the ground up" specifically for the Xbox 360 and PS3.Who here can tell the class what verticality means? Billy, put your hand down. No one? Verticality, according to Sega, is a means of allowing players to control multiple layers of units, from the sky to beneath Stormrise's "bleak and barren" earth. Currently gathering resources for a 2009 release, the game represents The Creative Assembly's first attempt at creating a RTS for consoles, so if they fall on their face we must do our best to keep any criticisms constructive. Class dismissed.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
SEGA announces new RTS 'Stormrise' for 2009
SEGA has announced that a it will be releasing a new game, entitled Stormrise, for the PS3 sometime in 2009. The game promises to be a unique take on the RTS (Real Time Strategy) genre -- which usually doesn't translate well to game consoles. SEGA promises that the controls are being made "specifically for consoles," with gameplay that involves a non-detached form of controlling your units.In Stormrise, The Creative Assembly are creating a post-apocalyptic RTS set "on a bleak and barren earth". There seems to be a lot of sci-fi race vs. race backstory in there and there's a video to check out on the official site. We'll probably see a little bit more of it at E3.
