behind the scenes
Latest
City of Steam reveals journey from turn-based to real-time combat
The saga of City of Steam's creation continues to grow more impressive with a new behind-the-scenes story. In it, the devs tell the little-known tale about how the game used to be turn-based. This was originally due to a very limited team and budget, although the devs further justified the decision by saying that the MMO was based on a turn-based pen-and-paper game anyway. City of Steam managed to make the transition to real-time action with the help of some surprise financing prior to alpha. Over 90% of the code had to be reworked to make it happen, but the team pulled it off prior to the game's alpha and any actual players' eyes. It might be easy for us to take for granted how studios can whip up real-time combat in MMOs, but this post illustrates how incredibly complicated it can be, especially for teams with limited resources. City of Steam heads into beta next month.
First two LocoCycle trailers show off gameplay, voice talent, wackiness
Twisted Pixel just released the first two trailers for its latest jam, LocoCycle, and boy howdy does it look as trademark weird as we were hoping. The game focuses on a sentient three-wheeled motorcycle named I.R.I.S. (voiced by Lisa Foiles) who is on the run from her creators and, by extension, the bike they've sent to retrieve her: S.P.I.K.E., voiced by Robert Patrick.As shown in the gameplay trailer above, I.R.I.S. is armed with automatic weaponry and is capable of dramatic, in-air martial arts, ala Devil May Cry/Bayonetta. S.P.I.K.E., who can be seen in the behind-the-scenes voice-actor trailer after the break, has a decidedly more sinister Ghost Rider feel, as opposed to I.R.I.S.'s sophisticated Tron vibe. Well, as sophisticated as a motorcycle dragging a person while punching dudes with its tires can look, at any rate.LocoCycle's release window is still a painfully vague "2013."
RuneScape behind-the-scenes video rebuilds Al-Kharid
Although players won't find bright orange construction cones littering the streets of Al-Kharid in RuneScape, developers are busy rebuilding the desert city. And lest you think "under construction" is just a euphemism for workers standing around, leaning on their shovels while enjoying some coffee, Jagex has released a behind-the-scenes video showing off the work in progress. In the video, the developers discuss how the rebuilding will bring the city to life; they want to portray a dynamic city with an undercurrent of menace. When the new and improved Al-Kharid goes live, players will find a larger population, a wider variety of character models, more cinematic elements, and a new questline to take advantage of all the changes. For a peek at some of the new character models and more, watch the video after the cut.
Persona 4 Arena videos display sick moves, goofy work environment
This latest quartet of trailers for Persona 4 Arena communicate two very important concepts: One, entering combinations of directional inputs and button presses result in impressive feats of daring do while playing, and two: Being a voice actor looks really, really fun.The behind the scenes video above gives a glimpse into the recording process for P4A's English dub, while the three other videos tucked beyond the veil break down Elizabeth, Labrys and Shadow Labrys' special move sets. Not only did we learn a bit more about the game's characters, but we also added the word "gesitantly" into our ever-growing vocabulary of portmanteau, which was a pleasant surprise. A "plurprise," if you will.
Rohirrim war steeds highlighted in LotRO: Riders of Rohan behind-the-scenes video and screenshots
Turbine understands that in an expansion based on the Rohirrim, you need more than just your average horse -- you need strong war steeds. In the third episode of the behind-the-scenes video series for the Lord of the Rings Online expansion Riders of Rohan, Equestrian Specialist Chris Poller shows off the horses used to model for the storied steeds in the game. Online Art Director Todd Demelle and Design Director Linda Currie also talk about the history and importance of horses in Rohan. Check out the the new screenshots showcasing the war steeds in the gallery below and watch the inspiration behind them in the video after the break. [Source: Turbine press release]%Gallery-158706%
The Art of Blizzard is captured in new book
While some might argue the artistic merits of games themselves, few can deny the artistry of the concept art and sketches behind their development. And those who love the artistic style of Blizzard games will now be able to enjoy the inspiration behind their favorite games in a new hardcover book. The Art of Blizzard offers an exclusive look at many of the ideas and images that influenced and defined the various game universes, including World of Warcraft and Diablo III. It covers the timeline of the company from its origins as a three-person console-game development studio to its present day success. It is composed of almost 800 pieces of concept art, paintings, and sketches as well as commentary from VP of Art and Cinematic Development Nick Carpenter, Senior Art Director Sam Didier, and Senior VP of Story and Franchise Development Chris Metzen. The 352 page book will retail at $75.00 US; pre-sales will be available at San Diego ComicCon from July 12th through the 15th. The book can also be pre-ordered on Amazon.com for a discount. [Source: Blizzard press release]
Behind the scenes with Mega Bloks World of Warcraft
Last year at BlizzCon, Blizzard announced that Mega Bloks would be producing a line of World of Warcraft building block sets. Mega Bloks has just released a video that gives a "Behind the Bloks" look at the process. The headquarters of both companies are explored, and the actual fabrication of the blocks is demonstrated. Also showcased are the Deathwing Stormwind Assault and Goblin Zeppelin Ambush playsets. Andrew Sparkes, vice president of kid and collector brands at Mega Brands, Inc., narrates the video along with Nick Carter, vice president of art and cinematic development at Blizzard Entertainment. They discuss the timeline of the product, the relationship between the two companies and the inspirations behind the playsets. The Mega Bloks World of Warcraft website links to previews of the season one sets, which are due to be released some time this summer.
Latest RuneScape behind-the-scenes video details cryptic clue fest, evolution of combat
It's time yet again for another RuneScape behind-the-scenes video, and this time we get to take a look at the newly announced Evolution of Combat changes that players are surely awaiting with bated breath. Jagex's developers say that they want to keep players from having to navigate through multiple interfaces in order to cast spells, change combat styles, and so forth. To this end they plan the addition of an action bar that will allow players easy access to spells, emotes, items, and anything else they want to keep at their fingertips. The video also touches on an upcoming very special cryptic clue-fest in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A mysterious royal visitor is on her way to the city of Varrock, and it's up to players to help ensure that everything is in tip-top shape when she arrives. Players will be responsible for assisting Varrock's Tourist Office in keeping supplies for the grand celebration sufficiently stocked. For the full details on both of these exciting upcoming features, head on past the cut and check out the behind-the-scenes video for yourself.
RuneScape behind-the-scenes video gives players a peek at upcoming Queen Black Dragon update
RuneScape players, do you want a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes of Jagex's popular free-to-play title? If so, then you're in luck because today we've got the first in a series of weekly videos that take fans on a behind-the-scenes tour of the game's upcoming content. This first video focuses on the upcoming Queen Black Dragon update, which is a members' update that will be coming in two parts. The first part of the update will bring a new questline and a "multi-level training dungeon," while part two will bring the Queen Black Dragon herself. The video promises that the fight will be one of the biggest that RuneScape has ever seen, and players who emerge victorious will have plenty of loot to look forward to. For the full, juicy details, check out the full behind-the-scenes video after the cut.
Take a behind-the-scenes tour of ArenaNet's (totally awesome) offices
Guild Wars 2 fans are surely champing at the bit to get their hands on the game next week in the game's first public beta weekend, but you know what's cooler than taking part in GW2's beta weekends? Doing so at ArenaNet's offices in Seattle, which is exactly what the folks at Eurogamer got to do just recently. Not only did they get the opportunity to sit down and play the Guild Wars 2 beta with the team, but they also got the chance to chat with many of the key figures behind it all. Virtually every department of development is represented in the lengthy article, which includes interviews with head honcho Mike O'Brien, QA manager Mike Zadorojny, art director Daniel Dociu, lead content designer Colin Johanson, and many, many more. So if you're interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the studio behind what could be this year's biggest MMO, just head on over and check out the full piece.
'Hugo' director Martin Scorsese, cast explain the advantages of shooting movies in 3D (video)
We'll have to wait until this weekend to find out if Martin Scorsese's Hugo takes home any hardware from the Academy Awards, but we've got an early preview of one the Blu-ray 3D release's special features right here. Press play to hear the director explain why 3D affects the storytelling by bringing in qualities usually found in the theater to film, as well as comments from actors Christopher Lee and Sascha Baron Cohen. Scorsese explains "We see in 3D, we see in space... most of us do. Space is part of our lives. It means something. I think, for the individual person who has a vision of telling a story through images, how that person uses space -- that extra element, that extra dimension -- to tell a story is very, very important." Adapted from a book inspired by filmmaker Georges Méliès, the movie hits stores February 28th -- check out the trailer after the break.
The Last of Us announcement trailer broken down in making-of video
One of the better surprises of this year's Spike VGAs was not random tea-bagging -- for most, it was the unveiling of Naughty Dog's new IP, The Last of Us. All of that buzz is attributable to the dramatic trailer used to announce the title.Today, Naughty Dog released a behind-the-scenes making-of trailer for the announcement trailer. Within you'll see some of Naughty Dog's famous mo-cap work at play and probably suffer a bit of disappointment when you see Ashley Johnson in a mo-cap suit. Yes, we know you were expecting Ellen Page, but we're pretty sure Juno is totally dead in this post-apocalyptic future anyway.
Roll up, roll up for the magical mystery Arduino tour
If this news isn't as obvious as John Obvious: Professor of Obvious studies at Cambridge University: we love Arduino 'round these parts. Phil and Limor of Adafruit Industries took a tour of the Italian foundry's Turin factory and took a gallery of pics (and video!) on the way. It's a great insight into how the building process works for the modding tool, and you can head on down to our source link to check out the gallery in full -- we've also included a direct link to the video as the guys walk down the production line in our more coverage link. We're so good to you, you know.
EverQuest II invites you backstage with a pair of Age of Discovery videos
Ignore the man behind the curtain! Bow before the great and powerful Smokejumper! Oh... what? It's OK if they see behind the curtain? Come on in, folks -- SOE's totally fine with you seeing what's going on backstage during the development of EverQuest II's Age of Discovery and has a couple videos to prove it. The first video is narrated by EQII Lead Game Designer Akil Hooper, who takes us on a lightning tour of the new Beastlords and their animal Warders. Hooper shows off the new additions to the UI that make viewing, customizing, and switching between the Warders possible. Flipping over to Age of Discovery's mercenaries feature, Game Designer Carlos Mora demonstrates how the system works. Players can hire one of 10 mercenary NPCs to form a temporary party, and Mercenaries have both a hiring fee and a salary that is withdrawn from your account every 30 minutes. Mora says that a couple of the mercs are more difficult to find -- and more unique -- but are worth the search. You can watch both of the behind-the-scenes videos after the jump!
EVE development video features engineering team interviews
CCP has released another behind-the-scenes video that details life as a member of the EVE Online development team. This time the focus is on the engineering group, and the five-minute clip features a few talking-head interviews with CCP Atlas, CCP Punkturis, and other luminaries. In terms of content, we don't get a lot of new information, and much of the dialogue centers on fairly mundane design items like UI scaling, improvements to the game's bookmarking functionality, and the like. That said, it's an interesting peek behind the curtain, and it's always nice to put a face with an oft-quoted developer name. Check out the full clip after the break.
How an AT&T smartphone comes to life: behind the scenes (part two)
By now, you're probably getting a pretty good idea at what goes into the development of a groundbreaking smartphone. In part one we followed the development of the Motorola Atrix 4G, discussing the process of how AT&T decided upon a design and collaborated with Moto to get the ball rolling. Now, we conclude the series by covering the intense testing process, getting the device prepared for launch and updating the phones after they're released.
A look behind the scenes for City of Heroes' first signature arc
The second part of the first signature arc for City of Heroes is now available for players (free for VIP and in the Paragon Market for everyone else), continuing to ask the question of who will die. It's a weighty question when you're dealing with the key NPCs of the game lore for the whole of its lifespan, one that Paragon Studios isn't addressing without a keen understanding of the consequences. A new video documentary has just been released, with the staff discussing the creation of the arc. As laid out in the video, one of the major pushes for the signature arc wasn't just to engage the players who were already committed to the game but to attract new players to City of Heroes Freedom because of the major changes being wrought upon the lore. Check out the full documentary just past the cut, with a few hints about where the arc might end up when the dust settles.
TERA podcast highlights convention news
Episode five of the official TERA podcast is in the can, and it's also available for your listening pleasure on the TERA website. The show finds En Masse community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman talking with producer Chris Hager and COO Patrick Wyatt for approximately 20 minutes. The subject? Convention season, of course, and the gang talks about everything from the TERA Gamescom demo to the preparation necessary to convey a certain message to members of the gaming media. The trio also mentions the challenges inherent in answering difficult questions on stage at a major convention, and Wyatt even chats briefly about his experiences working on Blizzard's seminal StarCraft RTS.
Spider-Man: Edge of Time behind the scenes vid tells the tale of two Spideys
Despite their different time periods, the two Spider-Men of upcoming Spider-Man: Edge of Time have plenty in common. The men behind the masks, however, sound significantly different from each other, as evidenced by the behind-the-scenes clip above.
BioWare: The Old Republic will be 'one of the biggest launches ever in the history of gaming'
While Star Wars: The Old Republic looks to be on track for a holiday release, BioWare's Dr. Greg Zeschuk admits to being "daunted" by the size and scope of the project. "This game's launch is going to be one of the biggest launches ever in the history of gaming," he said. When talking with Eurogamer, Zeschuk said that the studio is trying to make sure that everything is "solid" enough before it pulls the trigger and releases the game, but it is also trying to get the game out the doors as fast as it can. Currently, the game is being tested by thousands of players daily, a number that is expected to increase dramatically once September's expanded testing cycle hits. "It's literally live right now," he said. Whether The Old Republic will stand or fall, it won't be for a lack of preparation on BioWare's behalf. Zeschuk paints a picture of the hectic work being done behind the scenes: "It's one thing to get the game done, another to ensure you can login thousands of people a minute. It's a different sort of requirement. The things you need to get done to ship this are very different from a standard game. A standard game, this is like five of them, right? Our job is really simple: making sure it's great when it comes out."
