CliveBarker
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Four Bit Maze dares you to solve its puzzles, work your way up to the Lament Configuration
Got a relative who keeps cheating his way out of your yew maze? This holiday season, perhaps you should consider a different kind of challenge: Oskar van Deventer's Four Bit Maze. The apparently simple goal is to move the quartet of sliders from zero to one, but an Arduino UNO microcontroller makes things a bit trickier. It's programmed with ten different puzzles, each requiring a different sequence of movements to solve. An Arduino Motor Shield operates the motorfaders, and the whole thing's USB-programmable, meaning you can tweak it to your heart's content. See an in-depth video demonstration after the break if this sounds like your idea of fiendishly difficult fun.
Jericho demo now available
The demo for Clive Barker's Jericho is now available on PC, Xbox Live and PSN. We've been itching to try this game since it surprised us back at E3. The videos we've seen since then have stayed pretty impressive and gore filled. Doesn't look like Codemasters is going to pull any punches regarding the gore either. Despite yesterday's report about Jericho's non-rating in Germany, Codemasters is sticking to their guns and won't edit the game. The game is rated M in the States.As for the demo, the first thing anybody who has played The Darkness will notice is the main menu screen looks very, very familiar. It's also worth watching the "Introduction to Jericho" because it gives all the exposition so that the actual demo is pure gameplay -- be warned though, the voiceover guy is incredibly annoying. Although there are seven members of the Jericho squad, you'll only play as three in the demo. Controls are intuitive for anyone that's played an FPS and switching between bodies works really well. The combat takes a little getting used to, but certainly a demo worth checking out.Update: Updated PSN information.%Gallery-4998%
Jericho demo scared up on XBLM
The demo for Cliver Barker's Jericho is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The game centers around a sort of paranormal SWAT team called in to fight the evils of the world. Of course, by evils we mean the otherworldly kind. Each member of the squad has a different weapon set and paranormal specialty like telekinesis or the ability to summon fire. By switching between the various squad members, players can combine their abilities to make the best of any given situation. We'd tell you once again that Joystiq was impressed with the game at E3, but now you can try it out for yourself. Ain't Xbox Live grand?
Jericho gameplay video will get your blood pumping
Nothing quite like a violent FPS gameplay trailer to wake you up on a Monday, huh? This latest video for Clive Barker's Jericho contains what we assume to be the opening cutscenes to the game, followed by a brief look at the actual gameplay. While at the moment it looks like any other FPS, we know there's a lot more to each character than weaponry: spells, secret abilities, etc. It's sort of hinted at when the one person starts waving blue hands at you, probably to heal you. If nothing else, fighting nasty-looking creatures who emerge from the sand is going to be a different experience for a lot of FPS fans.
Clive Barker, Codemasters want to make many different games
While Clive Barker is most commonly known for his work on horror novels, as well as the upcoming title Jericho thanks to the development team over at Codemasters, the two don't want to part ways anytime soon. We've already talked about the possibility of the Jericho series becoming a trilogy, but we didn't talk about the idea of Clive Barker going all Tom Clancy on us -- getting a lot of different game licenses out there and flooding the market with titles.It's not a bad thing, since Barker has actually done something beyond political intrigue/spy espionage. He's got a large back catalogue of not just horror, but fantasy as well. Not goblins and elves ... more like Gaiman-esque fantasy. We're interested to see if this idea comes to fruition, especially if Jericho proves to be a good title. We'll keep you posted.
Codemasters seeks LTR with Clive Barker
Codemasters is hoping to make Clive Barker's name as synonymous with games as Tom Clancy's is now. Speaking with IGN, Jericho producer Joe Falke says Codemasters is looking at Barker as a potential source for many, not just horror, titles. Allegedly Barker is on board with the idea and wouldn't mind doing more games.Years ago Clive Barker's Undying was well-received, but ultimately a failure, causing EA to cancel the very notion of a sequel. Given the lack of marketing, we were certainly caught off guard when we saw Clive Barker's Jericho at E3. The game did impress us and our only main fear point was whether the squad's AI would hold up in actual gameplay. Later released videos kept us on track to being impressed this October when the game is expected to launch. Hopefully some more muscle will get put behind Jericho's marketing before the release.
Newsweek's Croal chimes in on 'video games as art' debate
Film critic Roger Ebert, who originally sparked a blaze of discussion in late 2005 by labeling video games inferior to art like film and theater, reignited talks last week when he "clarified," so to speak, that games could be art but not "high art." Our own Ludwig Kietzmann chimed in on the debate, but the ferocity of his diction is marginal compared to the exhaustive rebuttal laid out by Newsweek's N'Gai Croal.Taking Ebert to task paragraph by paragraph, Croal criticizes and calls the film critic out on his apparent ignorance to the subject that he is chastising, much in the way Ebert did himself when he pulled quotes from a Hollywood & Games panel with Clive Barker. Croal's vitriolic and eloquent response warrants notice and discussion, if only for the sheer detail of his counterargument. If we are going to debate whether one medium has the potential to achieve an artistic maturity now in comparison to one more than three times its senior, this is how we should do it.Here's a scenario regarding Ebert's opinion giving players a "smorgasbord of choices" proves detrimental to its emotional impact: imagine a situation where a player's task is to save someone he loves, yet no matter what action he or she takes, that person cannot be saved. In that situation, wouldn't giving an audience multiple choices actually be more emotional as it emphasizes the hopelessness of the situation?
In video: Clive Barker's Jericho
After questioning Jericho's lack of presence so close to its impending September release in our initial impressions, we're finally able share some (very dark) gameplay videos from Gametrailers. The clips focus mainly on physical combat, though you'll catch a few glimpses of the character switching mechanic and the destructive magical abilities that prompted us to describe the depicted struggle as a "micro-war between fantastic supernatural beings." Also of note is the fact that voice acting is not yet finalized and that the soundtrack, composed by God of War's Cris Velasco, is currently absent.[Warning: Videos contain some profanity, violence and the line, "I'm very dusty, sir."]
Joystiq takes a look at Clive Barker's Jericho
So, what was the best game at E3 that you haven't heard anything about? According to Joystiq, it might be Clive Barker's Jericho. Apart from featuring gobs of ghastly ghoulies, Jericho also looks to be sporting some very solid gameplay. The primary gameplay element revolves around the character switching dynamic, which gives players a multitude of skills and abilities spread across six different squad members. If the idea of blasting monstrous baddies with mind-controlled bullets sounds exciting. Hit the "read" link to check out Joystiq's in depth preview. Oh, ever wondered what the first person view of decapitation looks like? Yeah, that's in Jericho.
Joystiq impressions: Clive Barker's Jericho
"Seen any great games so far?" It's a question that's constantly passing between members of the press during the E3 Media Summit, with answers including the likes of "Assassin's Creed," "Halo Wars" and, in what surely came after a bout of heavy drinking, "The Golden Compass." When the conversation turns to the Codemasters-published Jericho, however, most people have to pause in order to search through their memories, hoping to extract any tidbits of information to discuss. "Oh yeah, it's that Clive Barker game," is the best most can manage. We find ourselves similarly stunned upon seeing the game in action for the first time. Though this result speaks highly of the game's unique content, it's somewhat alarming when the title in question is nearly 95% complete and scheduled for release this September. When queried about the game's lack of buzz and information (just try finding a video of gameplay!), creative lead Joe Falke shrugs and exchanges an uncertain glance with a colleague. "Well... we're not sure how the marketing people are handling this." Rather poorly, we think. Lucky for them (and for you) our job is to equip you with enough knowledge to muster a better answer the next time somebody inquires about Jericho. "Oh yeah, it's that Clive Barker game. You know, that squad-based, time-traveling horror first-person shooter that lets you steer bullets with your mind."%Gallery-4998%
Clive Barker talks of games as art, of Jericho, of sequels
Clive Barker is scary. He writes scary stuff. If we're going to use very faulty, feeble and silly logic, we'd say "Clive Barker is a writer. He writes scary stuff. Thus, Clive Barker is scary stuff." Crazy logic is fun and that seems to be a driving point with his games, such as Jericho, which is planned as a trilogy. We had a big preview of the game a while back and we're pretty excited to see how it turns out. But does he really think games are art? Here's a hint from us: they are.When asked about the claim that games are inferior to things like film or books, Barker frighteningly replied, "That's bullshit ... We can debate what art is, we can debate it forever. But if the experience moves you, some way or another, even if it just moves your bowels, I think it's worthy of some serious study ... Games mean something to a lot of people." Right on, Clive, right on.He discussed Jericho and some future games, namely the two sequels. The game was supposed to be a book, initially. He couldn't decide what medium exactly, but for some reason he was drawn into making it as a game. Why? He clarifies: "It would make a f***ing terrible novel. It really would, it doesn't work! It screams out to be something other. Maybe if games hadn't existed, I would've made it a movie. But I much prefer the idea of having twenty hours to play this world, to enter this labyrinth than the two hours or the way movies are going now." We agree with him and we can't wait to play Jericho either. We're glad it's not a book. We like games.
Hollywood & Games Summit: Clive Barker is scary
Clive Barker was the keynote speaker yesterday at the Hollywood and Games Summit in Los Angeles, and Joystiq was there. You know that it's just a normal day in Hollywood when you have to stumble through a crowd of teenyboppers attending a Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus concert, fight through a forest of lounge chairs bearing bikini-clad girls, and make your way through the labyrinthine Hollywood & Highland complex to find a conference about video games.Barker, who sounded like he'd taken a chainsaw to the throat recently, rasped his way through a lot of information about his upcoming Clive Barker's Jericho game, which he's been involved in developing based on one of the "millions of ideas flying around in my head." He made it a special point to talk about Roger Ebert's now famous quote, where he states that video games are inferior to literature and movies, and cannot be considered high art.Shortly after Barker began slamming this quote, there were extremely loud noises behind the stage. Barker paused and said, "He's outside! Let's leave him there." Later, the apparently clumsy waiter backstage dropped a huge tray, or possibly a box full of hubcaps, and Barker said "He's gonna get in! He's passing himself of as a waiter ... coming around the side door!"
Clive Barker's Jericho hands-on impressions
Over at the almighty CVG, Jericho recently got a playtest and the impressions from the players overall could be described as: stunning. We'll summarize their thoughts and skip most of the story-revealing bits for those who want to sleep tonight: Every member of the "Jericho Team" has a special set of brutal weaponry and their own psychic abilities. These abilities range from exorcism and alchemy to clairvoyance and telekinesis (Hmm, Psi-Ops, anyone?). You can swap control between any of these characters at any time during the game. Their powers are described and, yeah, they're pretty darn neat sounding. Don't worry, a slick AI controls the other characters you aren't in the eyes of. The graphics? Amazing. The atmosphere? Sinister with dark ambience. Basically, it does the FPS-Horror cross-genre justice. Gruesome enemies with a fantastic atmosphere... sounds hot. You're in first-person at all times. Climbing up cliffs, scrambling through a narrow passage... this is a true first-person title. Sounds pretty impressive. There are other things, like timed button sequences (or something similar) and rain/blood splattering against your screen/eyes, but those aren't new. They'll certainly add to the atmosphere, though. We'll keep our eyes open for more information on this cute title.
A Jericho trailer for Halloween
Scant hours ago, we found some shots of Clive Barker's Jericho. Now we just dug up a teaser trailer on GameTrailers. Full of TV "white noise" effects -- it's the new bullet time -- the trailer is sure to scratch that horror itch. Granted, there's not really any gameplay, but it conveys the mood quite well. You can check out the trailer after the break (age verification required).
Boo! Clive Barker's Jericho [update 1]
Codemasters is getting in on the Halloween spirit, dropping the first teaser for Clive Barker's Jericho today (see it on Eurogamer). Jericho is Barker's second gaming collaboration, the first being Clive Barker's Undying (published by EA in 2001). Aside from games, the British-born horror novelist has stretched his talents across the film, theatre, paint, and comic mediums.Judging from these early glimpses, the development team is setting a grisly tone, but nothing shockingly novel. Codemasters has gotten too comfortable with its string of racing-sims these past few years. Let's hope a change of direction -- and Barker's imagination -- lends itself to something special, lest Jericho become just another pretender saturating the horror genre. Show us more!Update: corrected Barker's gaming history.
Clive Barker's Jericho announced for next-gen consoles
Creepy author Clive Barker seems to have little trouble moving between entertainment mediums, raising hell in the realms of books, films and video games with his special brand of horror that often involves people getting sharp things shoved into their fleshy bits. The latest game to bear his name and twisted influence is entitled Cliver Barker's Jericho and, thanks to the power of modern consoles, will likely feature the most realistic blood to ever grace your HDTV set.Joining hands with British developer Codemasters and gleefully skipping through the development graveyard, Mr. Barker claims that the project is very close to his heart and that he doesn't think "there's ever been anything like it." He goes on to label it as "the most spectacular, creative, and unflinching realization of a Clive Barker nightmare that will drag players in kicking and screaming." Even scarier is the fact that he now refers to himself in third-person, no doubt brought on by all those nightmares he's so keen on sharing with us. Tasked with wiping out an evil, umm, evil, players will have to deal with a lost city that's mysteriously reappeared in the desert, no doubt returning with its streets lined with all manner of monsters and unpleasantries. The initial screenshots look lovely, though "lovely" may not be the most appropriate word when describing a man with blades for hands, giant staples in his head and what appears to be a nasty case of Gingivitis. We don't particularly look forward to meeting him.If the superb Clive Barker's Undying is anything to go by, however, we do look forward to learning more about Jericho. It's out on next-generation consoles and PC sometime next year.
Clive Barker, scary guy extraordinaire, makes new game
Clive Barker, with the assistance of Codemasters, is making a game called Jericho. It will be scary. Mr. Barker worked on Undying, a PC game from 2001 that was pretty darn creepy. Not to mention the Hellraiser and Candyman films. Should we lock our doors and keep all the lights on? Nah, where's the fun in that? Play this one during a windy night with the windows open and the curtains sweeping, in the dark. Naturally. That's part of what makes surround sound Silent Hill games so freakin'... freaky.Barker said over at IGN: "There are things in my imagination which I think can only be paintings, things that can only be books, and this thing has to be a game." Awesome, especially since the article pointed out how Barker was captivated with the ability of games to allow the gamer multiple paths and multiple endings. Movies and books are restricting in that manner. Basic gist of the game, according to Barker again, takes place in a town "like Russian dolls, spaces within each other, and trapped inside each space is a slice of time where the warriors of good have gone against ultimate evil and have lost." Sounds... vague interesting.Love Clive Barker? He promises to be involved every step of the way on this title. His previous work on a game called Demonik, has found itself stranded in purgatory mid-production. Hopefully this title won't make such action a trend.
