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Orcs bleed in new Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor trailer
Pop quiz: What color is orc blood? Buzz. Time's up. We're not going to tell you the answer, but if you still don't know, watch the latest trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Just 20 seconds or so will do. [Image: WB]
Shadow of Mordor enemies less devious on Xbox 360, PS3
Monolith Productions is doing "whatever we can" to ensure feature parity between the Xbox 360, PS3 versions of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and the Xbox One, PS4 offerings. But the developer admits this may be an impossibility and reveals the game's core hook, the Nemesis system driving its procedurally-generated enemies, will likely lack some complexity on Xbox 360 and PS3 when the game launches this year. "To break it down, some of the stuff we're pretty confident will still be very similar on current gen: the core mechanics, like combat, stealth, ranged and movements; the basic control and gameplay, that should all be really solid," Monolith Design Director Michael De Plater told IGN. "What it won't have is the same level of depth and variety and simulation within the 'Nemesis system.'" De Plater added that the Nemesis system is "just so huge in terms of content, calculations and AI we'll just have to try and get as much of it in as we can." The Nemesis system is the mechanic driving Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's core gameplay loop. Protagonist Talion, on a mission of revenge, explores Mordor and isolates Orcs in order to extract information on Sauron's army. This information reveals not only Orc hierarchy, but also the vulnerabilities and strengths of individual Orc commanders, each of which are procedurally-generated by the game. We were able to go in-depth with Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system last month, though admittedly all we saw was the next-gen version running on a high-end PC. Monolith was unwilling to discuss the planned Xbox 360 and PS3 versions at the time. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Research is a vehicle for revenge in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is more than mindlessly killing scores of Orcs. Sure, there's plenty of that, but more important are the game's main hooks surrounding guerrilla information-gathering and systematic assassination of key targets in a growing military force. Like an undercover cop busting a drug addict on the street and climbing the chain to the top, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor sets players on a course of disruption as they ascend through the ranks of the Dark Lord Sauron's army on a mission of revenge.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor takes the Tolkien universe to next-gen systems
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a new third-person action game in development by Monolith Productions, publisher Warner Bros. announced today. As the title indicates, the game is placed in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe, and has players assuming the guise of the "valiant ranger" Talion. Both Talion and his family are killed by series baddie Sauron, leading to Talion's resurrection by a rather vengeful spirit that grants him Wraith-like supernatural abilities. Warner Bros. boasted a "dynamic world" in the game that is expected to remember and adapt to players' choices as well as "craft their own battles, enemies and rewards." While no release date was given for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the game will arrive on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3 and PC.
GDC Europe 2013: SOE talks game shutdowns, The Matrix Online
Sony Online Entertainment's Linda "Brasse" Carlson took the stage at this year's GDC Europe to talk about SOE's approach to community management, and in the process delivered a little insight into how studios can (and should) approach shutting down MMOs with waning or nonexistent player populations. Carlson used Monolith Productions' The Matrix Online as an example, explaining that the game's population had dipped down to fewer than 500 players by the time the decision was made to take it offline in 2009. The breaking point where cost of maintenance just to keep the game up was ridiculous. Sometimes you just have to shut these games down. Determining when and how to sunset an MMO is never an easy task; Carlson noted that a studio should never "belittle the people who are deeply emotionally upset" about their favorite title shutting down. The talk wasn't all about shutdowns, however; Carlson also discussed Sony's community management philosophy, which includes showing empathy to players, protecting developers from abuse, and using the player-driven community council to make more educated and agreeable decisions about the future of its games. Gamasutra has a nice collection of quotes from the presentation, if you're into that sort of thing.
Guardians of Middle-earth is coming to PC
Of all the magic in Lord of the Rings, nothing makes me more envious than the elf-tossing power behind Sauron's giant mace. The look on those pretty faces as they flail through the air is just priceless. Guardians of Middle-earth, a console MOBA from Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is finally coming to the PC, and with it my dreams of throwing elves to and fro are realized. With playable characters such as Sauron, Radagast, and Elron, it's easy to see why any Lord of the Rings fan should take a look at this upcoming MOBA.
MMO Burnout: Revisiting Gotham City Impostors
Remember that scene in 2008's The Dark Knight where those nerdling Batman-wannabes were running around in imitation capes and cowls shooting at criminals with shotguns? That's pretty much what you get when you log into Gotham City Impostors, Monolith's garish, goofy first-person shooter set against the sprawling backdrop of DC Comics' legendary mythos. And for all you MMO historians in the crowd, yes, that's the same Monolith that originally developed the late, great Matrix Online. %Gallery-174397%
Guardians of Middle-Earth release dates clarified, out 12/4 on Xbox and 12/5 on PSN [Update: In Europe]
Warner Brothers sorta, kinda dropped release dates for the various versions of Monolith's Lord of the Rings-flavored MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth earlier today, but fans were still confused about exactly when the game was going to be out, especially on Xbox 360. So let's set the record straight: The game will arrive on PSN on December 5, and an actual retail version for the PS3 (complete with early access and a full season pass to the DLC) will be out on December 7. On the Xbox 360, there won't be a retail version, and the downloadable version will arrive on December 4 [Note: These dates are unfortunately just for Europe. A North American Xbox 360 release hasn't been announced yet].So there you go. By December 8, you'll be upgrading towers, killing minions, and ganking top lane with Sauron and Gandalf. And on December 14, you'll be watching The Hobbit in theaters. It's almost here!Update: Warner says the dates are wrong again. In North America, the PS3 version will be out at retail on December 4, and the PSN version will be downloadable at that same time. There reportedly will be Xbox 360 versions for both XBLA and retail, but official dates on those haven't been announced yet -- Warner is still saying "this fall." Joystiq is following up to find out why, and when we can expect the Xbox versions.
Gotham City Impostors F2P arrives on Steam very, very quietly [update: trailer]
A free-to-play version of Gotham City Impostors apparently launched very quietly on Steam yesterday. Monolith Productions' multiplayer shooter, originally released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC in February as a paid-for download, is now available to download onto PCs for free. What's curious is there seems to be zero official word from Monolith or publisher Warner Bros. Interactive on the matter. What's more, the game appeared as an unofficial listing on Steam's Open Steamworks database earlier this week.There are downloadable content packs listed on impostors' Steam page too, although the price list looks oddly incomplete. It very much seems the game launched accidentally, but it's definitely there. We're downloading it right now, and people are playing it.We've reached out to Warner Bros. Interactive for comment.[Thanks, Ethan]Update: Warner Bros. Interactive sends us a press release, which you can find after the break. It says those who download the new Steam version have "will have access to the original game, as well as all DLC packs, which includes new maps, weapons, mascots and more." There's also a 'Migration to Steam' page up on the game's website, which offers 'exclusive rewards' to anyone who' previously purchased the game.
Gollum gets tricksy in Guardians of Middle-earth gameplay video
Given Gollum's propensity for killing things in the dark, it only makes sense that his character is suited to hit-and-run tactics in in Guardians of Middle-earth. On the other hand, we never thought we'd hear Gandalf described as "tanky," but there you go.
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard, elsewhere in this Guardians gameplay video
Sometimes when we start up a game with branching story paths or "evil" character options, we'll get down with our bad selves and go for the dark choices, intent on violently slaughtering the goody-two-shoes right off the "light" side. With Guardians of Middle-earth, we don't think we'll be able to do that, though.Perhaps it's because we're invested in the lore of Lord of the Rings, because we've spent years devouring the books, films and Trivial Pursuit board games, and we've rooted for Frodo, Gandalf and the good guys to win the whole time. Choosing to play as Sauron now would feel dirty.That said, the first-ever gameplay trailer for Guardians of Middle-earth makes each side look equally cool, and it promises the game will launch this fall, for XBLA and PSN only. Go Gandalf! Really, go -- Sauron's like right behind you.
Guardians of Middle-earth brings MOBA to XBLA and PSN
Monolith Productions has one of the most varied histories in video game development. The studio first cut its teeth on first-person shooters, finding a cult hit in the popular No One Lives Forever series. Then, it was a vast experiment with The Matrix Online, before coming back to shooters with the Fear and Condemned series of games. And now, the company's trying to reinvent itself yet again with two licensed downloadable titles for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment: first Gotham City Imposters from earlier this year, and now Guardians of Middle-earth.Guardians of Middle-earth is a weird one. It's a licensed Lord of The Rings title, starring characters from Tolkien's series. It's a MOBA game, similar to League of Legends or DOTA 2, featuring Tolkien's characters fighting it out across a battlefield full of AI-controlled troops. And it's a complicated, deep online multiplayer title, designed for competitive play."What's so weird about that?" you ask? It's being developed only for consoles.%Gallery-157247%
The first Guardians of Middle-earth trailer puts LOTR's celebs in a fight to the death
Wondering what that DOTA-inspired Lord of the Rings game, Guardians of Middle-earth, will look like? So are we, as the first trailer for the game is little more than a who's who of LOTR, and features zero actual gameplay. But hey, Gollum's got a big rock! Don't you go taking his precious!
Lord of the Rings meets MOBA in XBLA/PSN 'Guardians of Middle-earth' from F.E.A.R. devs
Guardians of Middle-earth is the next "massive online battle arena" heading to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Warner Bros. Interactive's Monolith Productions is crafting the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit-themed MOBA, and the studio plans on launching the game this fall (ahead of this December's film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).According to the announcement, 10 players will battle in five-on-five matches set against the backdrop of Middle-earth. Various Lord of the Rings bulletpoints will be hit, of course, with characters like Gollum and Sauron available for fighting (as "Guardians" – think League of Legends' "Hero" characters). We'll assuredly get a closer look at the game next week during E3.
Rumor: The Hobbit movie tie-in games coming from Monolith
This rumor fulfills too many literary and ironic fantasies for us to completely ignore it, but for now it is very much and definitely a rumor: Monolith Productions, under WB Games Seattle, is working on The Hobbit: Part One, the video game tie-in for Peter Jackson's film The Hobbit, rumor hunter Superannuation reports. WB was previously slated to handle the tie-in title with an expected launch this year, making this leap, well, hobbit-sized. We have reached out to WB for comment.Superannuation pegs WB Seattle as handling the second Hobbit game as well, noting that WB Games Seattle consists of Monolith Productions almost entirely, after WB fired 60 employees from Snowblind Studios, Surreal Software and Monolith itself in November.We're just in love with the idea of a studio called "Monolith" -- defined as a large thing -- working on The Hobbit.
Users report reset glitch in Gotham City Impostors
It seems Gotham City Impostors might not have gone through quite the same ruthless training and disciplined regimen that Bruce Wayne did before he became Batman. An admin on the game's official forums recently posted about a potential glitch in the game that resets earned stats and unlocked content, and that thread has earned itself a whopping 63 pages of irate customers on both Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Just losing your stats in the game is a waste of time, but some of those customers bought and paid money for XP boosts and other items to help them level up, which means they're losing that money as well.Another official forum post suggests that the problem arises when the trial version of the game is converted into the full version. We've contacted WBIE for more information on the glitch. If you're thinking about unlocking the full game or have a lot of stats saved up already, you might want to step gingerly until a fix is out.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Gotham City Impostors delayed to February
Monolith's Bats vs. Jokerz shooter, Gotham City Impostors, was originally due for release on digital distribution services by January 10. It's been pushed to February, according to a quick missive from publisher Warner Bros. The title is in beta now. The real Batman would show up on time. Just saying. This seems to be one faux-superhero shootout game worth waiting for. Our preview lauded its "feel factor," "quick and responsive" controls, and "powerful and diverse" arsenal.
Gotham City Impostors blast away in latest trailer
Guns. There are tons of 'em in Gotham City Impostors, which is recruiting vigilantes for its open beta this month. Meanwhile, the latest animated short for the multiplayer shooter, launching January 10, isn't lacking for death or violence.
Warner Bros. makes cuts across Seattle studios
A WB Games representative this evening confirmed to Joystiq that the publisher has "had to make reductions" across its Seattle-based studios this week. The layoffs were apparently a result of the publisher's "continual review of our business operations and fluctuating market conditions," and no specific studios were named in the comment. We first heard of potential firings at the company from 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard's Twitter account, which puts the cuts at "60ish" folks in the studio's Seattle studios (which includes Monolith Productions, Snowblind Studios and Surreal Software). The latest release from WB Games Seattle was this week's Lord of the Rings: War in the North.
Gotham City Impostors animated short sets the stage
If you don't already know the premise of multiplayer shooter Gotham City Impostors, this animated short sets it up nicely. Average citizens don the cowl of the caped crusader, while others smear on the Joker's make-up. Then they try to kill each other.
