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NWN2: new interview with Urquhart, more screens
Here's the situation for Obsidian Entertainment and co-founder Feargus Urquhart as they prepare Neverwinter Nights 2 for launch: you're following up a popular, award winning series started by BioWare (again); Atari's potential implosion could have a major impact on your efforts to support the mod and user communities; and you have the hopes and dreams of millions of D&D fanboys (myself included) riding on your shoulders. What pressure? FiringSquad talked to Urquhart about all this, as well as NWN2's toolset and DM client, why we probably won't see a demo, and Obsidian's deal with Sega to create an original RPG franchise. There are a bunch of new NWN2 screens too. See also: Customization is key in NWN2 Obsidian's Urquhart: happy thoughts on KoTOR 3
Customization is key in NWN2
Following in the footsteps of a company like BioWare is never easy, but Obsidian appears to be doing all they can to make Neverwinter Nights 2 worthy of its predecessor. Hence, the delayed release date (Oct. 17). Obsidian reps chatted with 1UP at last weekend's Comic-Con about NWN2's extensive customization, including character armor and environmental props that modders can tweak to their hearts' content. The game's party limit has also been expanded to four characters and seven summoned creatures, and with KoTOR 2's party influence system, they'll be as clean or as nasty as you want to be. Stay tuned for more previews as the launch date nears.
Pie in the sky Test Drive concept car
Our auto-obsessed (addicted?!) colleagues at Autoblog have a bunch of shots of the entrants in Atari's Test Drive Unlimited contest to design a vehicle for the game. Out of the more than 100 designs submitted, Atari chose David Sichtermann's action figure getaway car in exchange for $2500 in remuneration. The other finalists were all much more ... y'know, realistic, while Sichtermann's concept looks like an updated MASK vehicle. But, with over 90 vehicles to drive in game, we suppose a little creativity isn't such a bad thing. See also: Joystiq hands-on: Taking Test Drive for a test drive
Test Drive Unlimited won't break the bank
Test Drive Unlimited will retail for $39.95 when it drops later this year. That's right, a brand new, shiny 360 game will cost you $39.95. Not only that, but more content including cars and music will be available in Marketplace shortly after the game's release, and the music, at least, will be free. CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Atari, Bruno Bonnell, had this to say of the deal: "Innovation should be available to everyone, not a privilege for those can afford high price tags, Our GamersFirst program demonstrated the positive impact of flexibility in pricing. We believe it is our mission to deliver triple-A games that are accessible to the masses. As such, we are offering Test Drive Unlimited - a game that is being positively touted and recognized by the media - for $39.95, and furthermore, will continue users' experiences past launch by featuring new cars and free music for download." Let's hope this flexible pricing strategy will catch on with other developers as well.
Neverwinter Nights 2 delayed
GameBanshee is reporting that Atari's Neverwinter Nights 2 has been delayed until late October. According to a representative from Obsidian Entertainment, "the sheer size and scope of Neverwinter Nights 2 and its 50 to 60-hour single player campaign" is what prompted the KoTOR 2 developer to push back the release date. NWN2 had an impressive showing at this year's E3, taking home Best RPG awards from both GameSpot and IGN. Look at it this way, the delay will give you more time to play Infinite Dungeons.See also: Obsidian's Avellone on breaking into the industry NWN mod creator on Atari, Infinite Dungeons Atari halts NWN1 support, in financial ruin
Ubisoft nabs Atari's Driver license, drops $24M in deal
Atari has sold the rights to the Driver franchise to Ubisoft for roughly $24 million. The deal will be completed during Ubisoft's second fiscal quarter, which ends September 30, 2006, and includes the acquisition of developer Reflections Interactive Limited, along with most of the studio's assets.Now the onus is on Ubisoft to steer this franchise out of the junkyard. Good luck.
Sexy shots of Test Drive's GUI
Atari went to the trouble of releasing some new shots of Test Drive: Unlimited, and Planet Xbox 360 even went so far as to post them. Of course, we've all seen screens of boring old sports cars, but now we have some juicy shots of the GUI. That's where the real action is. Just look at all those photo options! I hear there's driving or racing or some such in the game as well. Seriously though, the screens look pretty slick. Anybody looking forward to this one?
DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2 scans
Now, I'm no DBZ expert, but I did have my "phase." As such, I always loved the DBZ movie Tree of Might. I don't know what it is about that independent feature that rocked my world so much, but to this day if it is on, I'll watch it. So imagine my delight in seeing some new scans confirming the inclusion of none other than Turles, the antagonist in Tree of Might. The scans also show the inclusion of other characters, but I honestly have no clue who they are and what movies and/or series they come from.
360 needs more pirates
No, not software pirates, silly! Seafaring pirates. Atari recently announced it will distribute Playlogic Entertainment's upcoming swashbuckler, Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales. Director of Marketing, Rick Mehler, describes Age of Pirates thusly: "Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales provides a deep role playing experience that encourages development of captain, crew, ships, towns, fighting abilities, weapons and more. With a chest full of features, Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales is a treasure of a game." PR lingo aside, Age of Pirates looks like it could be pretty good. Developed by Akella -- the people behind Sea Dogs, Age of Sail II, and Pirates of the Caribbean (often described as Elder Scrolls on water) -- the title looks like it's definitely in experienced hands. The title is scheduled to be released for Windows this September, making it an easy candidate for a 360 port. Haha, port. Get it? Oh, never mind. Hit the read link to visit the Age of Pirates website and see a juicy trailer. [Via Xbox Solution]
Vote on fan-submitted Test Drive designs
Tired of test driving the same old Ferrari's and Lamborghinis? Cruise over to Atari.com and vote for your favorite fan fabrication in the Test Drive: Unlimited Design Contest before the final flag drops July 10. The winner gets their ride included in the game as a driveable car, plus $2500. [Thanks X Budd]
Some really shifty shots
Xboxyde graces us with some new shots of Vivendi's 4th dimension bending shooter, Timeshift. The screens show off some of the nifty backdrops and some decent weapon models -- not spectacular, though this is expected from what was originally an Xbox title. Hopefully the final gameplay lives up to its promise (it should if E3 was any indication).
Obsidian's Avellone on breaking into the industry
Over at Penny Arcade, Obsidian co-founder Chris Avellone has some advice for aspiring game designers. A creative force behind RPG classics Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and the upcoming Neverwinter Nights 2, Avellone is always an entertaining read. He values persistence, practical experience, and attention to detail over academic background. And if you want to be a writer, a sense of humor doesn't hurt, either. Just make sure your email address isn't SuperMageCockLord@yourmomma.com. Chris will explain why.See also: NWN mod creator on Atari, Infinite Dungeons Obsidian's Urquhart: happy thoughts on KoTOR 3
Microsoft to pull a PS3, place motion sensors in Xbox 360 pad?
In a recent episode of Gamertag radio, Peter Moore speaks out about the increasing complexity of video game controllers, comparing today's gamepads to the simplicity of the Atari 2600's button-and-stick joystick. He didn't exclude the Xbox 360 controller's design from criticism, mentioning that his 14-year old daughter found the controller somewhat confusing. Naturally, there was a point to his self-criticism; later on in the podcast he says that Microsoft is "doing a lot of stuff there. Nothing that we're ready to talk about, and we're not going to force anything that is not going to be intuitive and innovative."The most obvious conclusion to make from this statement would be that Microsoft is working on a new, simplified controller, which may or may not "borrow" the Wiimote's defining feature, although the part where Moore says that "[Microsoft is] not going to force anything that is not going to be... innovative" could suggest that simply slapping a motion sensor inside an Xbox 360 pad isn't on the cards.British tech magazine T3 points out that the company could possibly be working on a simplified controller--to be sold in parallel with the main Xbox 360 pad--designed specifically for Xbox Live Arcade games. The magazine reasons that the company won't want to make the Xbox 360 pad's ergonomic design obsolete any time soon, which lends credence to the possibility of a simplified controller designed to play simple games to compliment the "hardcore" 360 gamepad.[Via Engadget]
Joystiq hands-on: Taking Test Drive for a test drive
Driving games are dime a dozen, in my opinion, so when one comes around claiming to be "different," your ears are forced to perk up. This is where the latest version of Test Drive comes in. It's your standard, every day driving game but with a twist -- one that Atari and the developers hope is enough to draw you in. Whether or not you're a fan of these kinds of games, Test Drive Unlimited is looking to add more than just cruising and racing to your experience. When the game drops -- first on the Xbox 360 on September 5th, with the PS2, PSP, and PC versions following in October -- all of them will offer some unique online capabilities.
Lumines Live multiplayer blocked by micropayments [update 1]
Kikizo Games reports that Lumines Live's base package -- which will likely cost 1200 Microsoft points ($15) -- will not include Xbox Live multiplayer. The game's creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, recently detailed plans to sell multiplayer support as a separate add-on, although he added that the decision had not been finalized. Lumines Live will also feature licensed music and backgrounds available through premium downloads. The original Lumines debuted on the PSP for $40, suggesting that the base price of Lumines Live is a bargain. But charging us extra for multiplayer is a slippery slope and could usher in a series of cannibalized games crowding the casual (and cheap) atmosphere of Xbox Live Arcade. [Update 1: Ross Erickson, the "Worldwide Games Portfolio Manager" for Xbox Live Arcade, let us know that the Lumines micropayment story is "not true." He said the same to sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy. So, there you go. No more worrying, m'kay?]
NWN mod creator on Atari, Infinite Dungeons
Neverwinter Nights Vault recently interviewed Jason Lowry, co-creator of the latest NWN premium module (Infinite Dungeons) and architect of the random dungeon generator used in the game. Lowry talks about his experience working with BioWare and Atari's decision to cancel the premium module program. An excerpt:"The 1.67 patch was a direct result of the premium module system. It's too bad we could not keep that system working into NWN2 and beyond, it was good for both the company and the consumer, a win-win, those are hard to come by."Download Lowry's original masterpiece, Elidrin's Random Dungeon Generator, from the Vault. Infinite Dungeons is available at the BioWare store.
DDO solo play now available
Last month at E3, Turbine announced they would be adding solo play to Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach -- a decision based on user feedback (and most likely, to bring the game a step closer to World of Warcraft). According to the company's web site, a "Solo" option is now available to players at the earliest levels, and dungeon difficulty is adjusted accordingly, although there are certain maps that still require team play. PvP functionality will also be added in the future.[via RPGPlanet]
Legendary computer scientist Alan Kotok has died
Alan Kotok, a pioneer that helped create the first video game, SpaceWar! on the PDP-1, and helped the joystick, this site's namesake, become an icon of video gaming passed away peacefully in his sleep over the U.S. Memorial Day weekend. His help in creating Spacewar! was invaluable, although not necessarily conventional. In one memorable incident, Alan forced Steve Russel (the main author of Spacewar!) to get his act together by calling up the maker of the PDP-1 to get some math routines required to write movement code for the game. Once he'd received the code he slammed down the tape on Steve's desk (who was widely known by the nickname "slug") and said "Here you are Russel. Now what's your excuse?" Steve got the point and went on to finish Spacewar!Had Alan not taken the initiative like he did, the entire history of video games could have turned out differently. A man called Nolan Bushnell was later inspired by Spacewar! to try and make video games accessible to everyone: he eventually went on to found a little company called Atari. There's nothing to say that games wouldn't be as popular as they are today had Alan not given Steve Russel the kick up the arse he needed, but it certainly makes you think.Another of Kotok's achievements was working with John McCarthy of Stanford to create the first computer program that could credibly play chess. The program, which could look at 1100 positions per second, took part in an international competition with a USSR chess program in 1966. The match took nine months to complete! Alan is survived by his three children and one grandchild. His wife, Judie, passed away last year. Rest in peace, Alan.Update: see comments.
Europeans to get steeper next-gen prices
Sorry European gamers, it looks like you'll be getting the short end of the stick yet again.Atari has dropped the skinny about the pricing of some next-gen titles slated for Europe, and it doesn't look pretty. These higher costs probably won't bode well with gamers, but it wouldn't be a shocker to see similar price hikes all around the market. So just how much will Europeans have to pay?Sonic the Hedgehog on PS3 will be available for around 68 euros (that translates to about $87!). World Snooker Championship 2007 is even higher at 73.99 euros, or almost $95. If you thought that the console alone was going to run you up a pretty penny, then you better keep saving because it looks like the games are going to be a steep investment too.
Infogrames prepares for Atari disposal
Last week, a developer from the Neverwinter Nights community discussed some of the financial difficulties Atari is currently experiencing. MSNBC is now confirming that French publisher Infogrames, who has a controlling interest in Atari, is attempting to restructure its failing business, which could have a substantial impact on some of the year's most anticipated games.Atari had recently cut prices on all current gen games, but more drastic actions are in store. Infogrames may sell the publishing rights to upcoming titles Neverwinter Nights 2 and Timeshift (both due in September), and is also considering potential buy-outs of its other subsidiary studios, including Shiny Entertainment (Matrix: Path of Neo, Earthworm Jim). A potential merger with rival French games maker Ubisoft has even been speculated, although Infogrames founder and executive chairman Bruno Bonnell has dismissed this rumor as premature.Bonnell's recent discussions with Elevation Partners have lead some industry analysts to believe that Atari's Dungeons & Dragons license might find its way back to BioWare, but this could just be wishful thinking. Let us know if you think the Atari brand should be put out to pasture at this point, or if it just needs more capable management.
