Mike Schramm
Articles by Mike Schramm
Diablo 3 Director Jay Wilson: Auction Houses 'really hurt' game
Former Diablo 3 Game Director Jay Wilson admitted during a talk at GDC 2013 in San Francisco that both of Diablo 3's Auction Houses (both the real-money and the in-game gold item auction house) "really hurt the game." Wilson said that before Blizzard launched the game, the company had a few assumptions about how the Auction Houses would work: He thought they would help reduce fraud, that they'd provide a wanted service to players, that only a small percentage of players would use it and that the price of items would limit how many were listed and sold.But he said that once the game went live, Blizzard realized it was completely wrong about those last two points. It turns out that nearly every one of the game's players (of which there are still about 1 million per day, and about 3 million per month, according to Wilson) made use of either house, and that over 50 percent of players used it regularly. That, said Wilson, made money a much higher motivator than the game's original motivation to simply kill Diablo, and "damaged item rewards" in the game. While a lot of the buzz around the game attacked the real money Auction House, "gold does much more damage than the other one does," according to Wilson, because more players use it and prices fluctuate much more."I think we would turn it off if we could," Wilson said during his talk. But the problem is "not as easy as that;" with all of Blizzard's current players, he says the company "has no idea" how many players like the system or hate it. Blizzard, Wilson said, doesn't want to remove a feature that lots of players will be unhappy to see go. But he did say that the team is working on a viable solution, without giving any other details about what that would be like.
The '101 Gameplay Ideas' behind the Assassin's Creed franchise
During a panel at GDC today, Ubisoft writer Corey May and lead mission designer Philippe Bergeron discussed their "balancing act" in crafting the stories of Assassin's Creed. May is focused on building up the story, making the characters and their relationships important to the player, while Bergeron and his colleagues aim to deliver fun mission gameplay, and stay within the various technical and developmental limitations shared by the entire team.May and Bergeron both focus on research at the outset of the process. For each Assassin's Creed game, the team has picked an era first, and then looked for potential locations, specific events to portray, major characters, "potential Templar targets," and possible protagonists. While May picks characters, Bergeron's team brainstorms various mission ideas for the game.May said Ubisoft has an internal document containing "101 gameplay ideas." It has been pillaged and refilled since the first Assassin's Creed game, as designers sample previously unused ideas or add more when concepts don't make the cut during development of the latest game.Finally, May said, once all the mission plans are completed and his early script scenes are done, he takes the mission design documents and pastes them directly into a file that eventually becomes his finished script for the game. May said this process was "the ultimate expression of our collaboration," and that mission designs created by Bergeron's team are then used as "the skeleton and the backbone that I work off of."Once the script and designs are all completed, the real work of coding and testing the game begins. May and Bergeron's teams cycle down (or, most likely, move on to the next game in the process).The talk was a simple look at an undoubtedly complex process, but it did offer some good insight into the marriage of story and mission design in the Assassin's Creed franchise.
Halo 4 getting new Forge Island map for free on April 11
343 Industries has announced at PAX East this weekend that Halo 4 is getting a new Forge map, with plenty of blank, open canvas for Halo level makers to paint their creativity on. As you can see in the quick video on IGN's page, "Forge Island" actually has three different islands of varying size, all completely flat and round, to give map makers lots of room to build whatever they want.The map will also come with some new Forge pieces, which the developers have already used to build a copy of Hang 'Em High. 343 specifically asked at the panel if a fan would be kind enough to remake Blood Gulch on the biggest island, so that's possible too. The new map and related tools are all being released for free on April 11, just a few days after the Castle Map Pack arrives on April 8.
BioWare Edmonton and producer Casey Hudson working on 'a whole new fictional universe'
During a panel this weekend at PAX East, Mass Effect producer Casey Hudson revealed that his team at BioWare Edmonton has started work on "a whole new fictional universe." Other details weren't shared, except that Hudson said that he and BioWare's Senior Creative Director Preston Watamaniuk are going to be "building something new" together.Hudson oversaw Mass Effect 3 as an executive producer, and he says he'll still serve that role on the next Mass Effect title. But that game is being developed at BioWare Montreal, so Hudson's team at BioWare Edmonton has moved on to something completely new. Hopefully we'll hear more about it soon.
Kaiju Combat Kickstarter on hold over Wizards of the Coast trademark dispute
A Kickstarter project for an indie game called Kaiju Combat: Giant Monsters has been put on hold, due to a trademark disagreement with game publisher Wizards of the Coast. Soon after raising $112,513 for its $100k goal, developer Sunstone Games received an infringement notice from Wizards of the Coast. The notice claimed the name of Sunstone's game violated Wizard's "Kaijudo" trademark, which refers to a collectible card game based on a Hasbro TV show.Sunstone says its lawyer contacted Wizards last December to argue that "Kaiju" (a Japanese word that means "monster") had nothing at all to do with "Kaijudo," and they believed the matter had been settled. But this past week Wizards took the matter to Kickstarter directly, which took the project offline, claiming it was "the subject of an intellectual property dispute."Sunstone's owner Simon Strange says he's working as quickly as possible to get the project reinstated. Going through court costs, he says, would be prohibitive on the company's "limited development budget." Strange adds he's "hopeful" that Sunstone won't have to change the game's name.
Zynga's website removes Facebook login requirement
Zynga has redesigned its website, no longer requiring gamers to log into the site using the Facebook credentials.Once upon a time, Facebook and Zynga were the best of pals, with Zynga's titles driving engagement on the big blue social network and Facebook providing a steady stream of new users to play Zynga's offerings. Last year, however, Facebook and Zynga decided to start parting ways, and that's led us to this current situation, where Zynga is pushing its platform beyond the walls of the Facebook system.Not completely outside, however: Zynga players can still log into Facebook on Zynga.com if they like, and as you can see on the site, the Facebook logo and login box are still prominently displayed. But players are no longer forced to use that process to partake in Zynga's library of games.
Sony and Unity enter 'strategic partnership' for tools optimized for PlayStation platforms
Sony has announced a partnership with Unity that will result in tools built for "optimized deployment" to the PlayStation 4, PS3, Vita and the PlayStation Mobile platform.Games developed on the "Unity for PlayStation" platform will be able to take advantage of system-specific features – like the Vita's touchpads and cameras – and can integrate easily into the PlayStation Network. The tools also allow developers to more easily port titles across to other supported Unity devices, such as iOS and Android.Sony's platforms already support Unity's tools, with Might & Delight's Pid and Funbits' Escape Plan built with the engine. The full Unity for PlayStation toolset will be available along with the rest of the PlayStation platform development tools later on this fall.
Total War fan will live on as a character in Rome 2
The Creative Assembly has decided to include the likeness of one of their fans, named James, in the upcoming Total War: Rome 2. James visited the studio last year the day after the game was announced, and unfortunately passed away from a bout with liver cancer just recently. The Creative Assembly says he was the first person in the world from outside the studio to play the game, and character artist Mauro Bonelli offered to assemble a model of James from reference photos and measurements. The screenshot above is a mockup for now, as Creative Assembly community manager Craig Laycock says the company isn't sure where he'll end up. But he will be in there, according to Laycock, and the team is "determined to make it a fitting tribute" to their fan when the game is on shelves later this year.
World of Keflings dev NinjaBee to debut 'Nutjitsu' at PAX East
Developer NinjaBee (makers of XBLA hits like Cloning Clyde, A Band of Bugs and A World of Keflings) is revealing a brand new game at this weekend's PAX East show, titled Nutjitsu. That title is all we have so far; NinjaBee says it'll be playable at the show (booth #599, if you're going), but doesn't say anything else about what it is. It's kung-fu fighting squirrels, right? Can it be kung-fu fighting squirrels?In addition to the new game, NinjaBee is also showing off A World of Keflings for Wii U and the recently released version for Windows 8. It's also giving away prizes, including a free copy of Kingdom of Keflings for PC to anyone who plays any of the demos, and 1600 Microsoft points to the high scorer on Nutjitsu every day. If you can't be at the show, don't worry, because we will. Stay tuned for coverage this weekend.
All of Duke Nukem 3D arrives on Steam in a Megaton edition
3D Realms' original Duke Nukem 3D is finally available on Steam, and it's in a special Megaton edition, including almost all of the content released in the game's history. The expansions Duke Caribbean: Life's a Beach, Duke It Out in DC, and Duke: Nuclear Winter are all included in this version, as is the original game and the Atomic Edition, released back in 1996 with a fourth episode for the game, new enemies, new boss fights, and multiplayer matches against bots.All of this is now available together on Steam for just $9.99 (currently on a launch sale of just $8.99). The game is even SteamPlay-enabled, which means you can install it on both a PC and a Mac. There's no better way to play one of the wackiest, best-loved first-person shooters of all time.
Aliens: Colonial Marines gets new mode with Bug Hunt DLC today
The Bug Hunt DLC for Aliens: Colonial Marines is available today on Steam, Xbox Live, or the PlayStation Network.Bug Hunt is a new mode in the game that pits up to four players against waves of incoming xenos and enemy soldiers across three new maps: Broadside, Mercenary, and Tribute. You can earn money on the map by killing enemies, and then spend that money to open up extra areas, or buy more guns, ammo, or health.If you invested in the Season Pass for the game, you'll get this DLC for free. Everybody else has to pony up the equivalent of around $15, though Steam has the game itself on sale for 33 percent off.Careful, as fighting giant monsters with acid blood in cramped quarters might be exactly as fun as it sounds.
Draw Something 2 is coming soon
No, that's not a threat; it's a fact. Just about a year after Zynga bought developer OMGPOP, CEO Dan Porter has confirmed on Twitter that a sequel to Draw Something is coming soon. Porter says the new version of the game will feature "new ways to draw and connect," and TV host Ryan Seacrest has been posting screenshots that reveal new paint swatches and a number of other additions and upgrades. Don't worry: There's also a price-tag button right on the top bar, so the app will undoubtedly feature lots of in-app purchase options. The original Draw Something (which was released on mobile platforms and Facebook) saw its daily users drop quickly after the Zynga acquisition, but OMGPOP recently announced the game has seen over 100 million downloads and 11 billion drawings in the year since release.
Bungie not concerned about Destiny's always-on connection requirement
In a new Mail Sack blog post, developer Bungie has responded to concerns about its always-on requirement for Destiny, the studio's upcoming multi-platform shooter. The developer says it's not worried about a SimCity-style server outage for Destiny when "the massive onslaught of players" arrive on launch day because it's dealt with high-demand in the past. "This isn't our first rodeo," the post reads. "Bungie is no stranger to anxious mobs of players who rush home after a midnight launch and put our best-laid plans to the test." Bungie says it plans to "focus on some less frightening but equally important challenges" for now, worrying about release day problems at a later time.Elsewhere in the Sack, there's also a question about whether or not the alien races will be playable in the game, and Bungie mysteriously teases that it's "barely scratched the surface on the character and customization options." When graphic designer John Stvan is asked to tell a tale about playing the game, he says he once "loaded a build, shot a gun, killed a dude." Sounds riveting!
Rumor: Maxis insider claims SimCity servers not essential
Though EA's official stance on SimCity's persistent Internet connection has been that it's absolutely required for the core game to function, a report from Rock, Paper, Shotgun claims that is not the case. An inside source who asked to remain anonymous told RPS the online servers are "not handling any of the computation done to simulate the city you are playing."According to the source, the servers are coordinating social messages between cities in a region, as well as "cloud storage of save games, interfacing with Origin, and all of that. But for the game itself? No, they're not doing anything."Even when the servers go down, certain cities have stayed online and playable for a period of time, suggesting off-site computation is not entangled in the main gameplay loop. The RPS source claims servers are also being used to repeatedly check for instances of hacking and cheating – and the game's verification messages to servers are creating queues and hampering responsiveness.Finally, the source casts doubt on EA's claims that a single-player version of this SimCity would be impossible to produce. "It wouldn't take very much engineering to give you a limited single-player game without all the nifty region stuff." EA's current public reasoning about why the game needs to stay online has done little to quell frustration voiced over the game's tremendous launch issues.Joystiq has contacted EA for comment regarding the source's claims.
Payday 2 will feature a 'contract database,' coming this summer
Starbreeze has revealed new features, game upgrades, and a release window for Payday 2, the sequel the Overkill-developed multiplayer shooter Payday: The Heist. According to a new fact sheet released today, Overkill's latest is due out this summer as a downloadable game on Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, and the PC via Steam.The first game only offered a few different "heists" to play, but the sequel features CRIMENET, a "contract database" offering dozens of different jobs to take, which can take place across multiple stages and change according to certain equipment purchases (like a faster escape car or an inside man). Additionally, each level has a new amount of dynamic content, including random layouts or rare events, and finishing each job rewards loot like new masks, weapons, or other accessories.Players also get to choose a profession of Mastermind, Enforcer, Ghost or Technician, each with its own skills and equipment to use, and can work their way up from the lowest thug on the totem pole to high-end heisters as they play. That summer release is coming up quick, so we should see more of the game very soon.
Steam's weekly deals include cheap Rochard, Jet Set Radio, Arcania and Endless Space
Steam has announced its latest round of weekly deals, with physics-focused platformer Rochard dropping to $2.49, along with Jet Set Radio. Left 4 Dead 2 and Arcania are both available for $4.99, and the Emperor Special Edition of Endless Space (which includes the soundtrack and a number of other in-game goodies) is $17.49.All of these deals last through March 18 at 10am PST, so you've got one week to look under as many couch cushions as possible for the right amount of pocket change. And why stop at your own couch?
Rumor: Injustice 'Blackest Night' DLC pack will offer a zombie Batman
Germany's Amazon page appears to have revealed the first pack of downloadable content for the DC superhero fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us. A confusing listing for the DLC has appeared on the site for a little while now, but Amazon has added a detail page complete with a trailer for the DLC that shows off new zombie skins for the characters, and teases a "zombie mode" that turns all of the game's characters into the undead.The DLC is based on the "Blackest Night" DC storyline by Geoff Johns, in which a Black Lantern Corps power ring brings back various superheroes, including Batman, from the dead. The DLC is mentioned as an Amazon exclusive preorder bonus, but that doesn't mean it won't be available as a separate purchase sometime in the future. In the meantime, we've contacted Warner Bros. for confirmation and clarification on exactly what this content is.
A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda getting an EX version for X.B.L.A.
The manic side-scrolling shooter A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda, originally developed for Windows by a Thai developer named Extend Studio, is making its way to the Xbox Live Arcade in an extended version, courtesy of Origo Games and publisher Aksys Games. The console version of the title (which placed second in Microsoft's 2010 Dream.Build.Play. competition) will feature new controls, a new UI, redesigned maps and enemies, and new high resolution textures and animated cutscenes.The XBLA version, called A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda EX, will also include both the original soundtrack, and a new soundtrack for the second campaign by Peruvian heavy metal guitarist Charlie Parra Del Riego. Aksys hasn't announced a date or price for the game yet.
Mass Effect series for PC on sale via Origin through March 12
The last iteration of the Mass Effect series went on sale one year ago this week, and to celebrate, EA is offering a big sale on all three versions of the game over on Origin. You can grab the original Mass Effect for just $7, the critically acclaimed Mass Effect 2 for $10, or a digital deluxe edition of the third game for $15, all about half off the standard prices. Or if you haven't yet taken a trip aboard the Normandy, the whole trilogy is on sale for only $25, which is less than half what it would usually cost. That's a whole lot of excellent gaming hours, but then again, you'll need something to do while waiting for those SimCity servers, right? [Thanks, Alex]
Plague Inc. developer agrees to speak with Centers for Disease Control
James Vaughan, the creator of the iOS disease-spreading hit Plague Inc., has agreed to speak to the actual Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a US organization that deals with real viruses and other infectious outbreaks. "They reached out to contact me," Vaughan told Polygon recently. "It was something they were all playing, and they thought, 'Wow, this is pretty cool.'"Vaughan doesn't have any medical training; he started Plague Inc. as a hobby while working as an economic consultant. But he said he did make the game as "scientifically plausible as possible," and the CDC wants to speak with him not only to chat about infectious diseases, but how to best use games to educate and inform the public about real health issues.