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DayZ standalone ambition expands, imminent closed test to dictate public release
DayZ creator Dean Hall acknowledged this morning that the standalone version of the hit mod missed its planned 2012 launch, and explained the reasons for the delay."The plan from here is straightforward. We will be releasing a closed test imminently, during which approximately 500-1000 people will assist in ensuring our architecture is correctly functioning," Hall wrote on the DayZ development Tumblr. "This closed test will be focused purely on architecture, not the game design. Once we have confirmed fixes for issues arising from the closed test, we will then reschedule an internal date for our public release."Hall also said the inventory system has been overhauled to make it more intuitive. Changes include use of drag-and-drop on "3D models rather than 2D pictures, and being able to add items/clothing to your character in 3D in the inventory screen."DayZ taking the "it's done when it's done" approach may be in its best interest from a couple angles. Given the title's similarity and proximity to the War Z debacle, distance and a polished product can only help the game when it's ready for public consumption.
ARMA 3 delayed into 2013
While two Bohemia Interactive team members remain in Greek jail on suspicion of espionage, Bohemia's ARMA 3 has been unsurprisingly delayed past its planned 2012 release. The new release window falls sometime within 2013, the developer revealed in a statement (available after the break).New project lead Joris-Jan van 't Land, who has replaced Daniel Musil, said that the studio is "in the process of implementing changes that will help us innovate as a studio under unexpected circumstances - facing problems we simply couldn't have imagined." Bohemia plans a "more complete announcement at the beginning of next year."
DayZ creator on game's 'delay,' console ports and why he's holding back on showing it
Dean Hall has been on a roller coaster of 16-20 hour days since his highly successful ArmA 2 mod, DayZ, broke free and was officially announced as a standalone project in early August. Hall had previously expected the standalone version to launch in December, but that release window was cast in doubt yesterday. "We really don't know, it's still our target," Hall told us when we got in touch late yesterday to discuss the state of DayZ. "But the architectural changes are scheduled to be complete next week. These are still on track to be completed then. But we don't entirely know what effect these changes will have, if any, on everything else. So there could be a massive amount of unforeseen work that comes out, we just don't know until it's done and we test." According to Hall, "The changes we've been making are so fundamental to the game that estimates can be a bit of a stab in the dark. The lucky thing is, so far nearly everything has taken less – even much less – time than we expected. So we won't know until next week, and we'll let people know the plans from there. Regardless, we'll be into some open testing this year anyway, as we need to capacity test. So the likelihood of seeing something is high even if we did push our release date." DayZ has not been delayed, but it may be pushed back if development doesn't proceed to Hall's satisfaction. "We haven't announced a delay yet," he said. "We're just saying, if it comes down to it, we will slip the date no matter what effect it would have on sales - rather than ship something we believe is not ready as a first step. We're also trying to be honest about the uncertainty over the impact of these major architectural changes. Initially, this was just going to be 'mod on steroid'. This is now really a refurbishment of the engine specifically to suit DayZ."
Jailed ARMA devs thank fans and friends for support in handwritten note
The Bohemia Interactive developers being detained in Greece sent a handwritten note to fans and friends expressing thanks for words of encouragement and the knowledge that they are "not forgotten." The note, sent last week, is now online at HelpIvanMartin.org.Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar were arrested after being accused of spying on Greek military installations on the island of Lemnos. They've since spent 81 days in jail, with the Czech president recently asking the Greek president to treat their case with "special care."In the note, the Czech devs say they are being treated well, and that they are doing their best "to stay optimistic and use this time well." They go on to thank the 14,000+ signatories of the petition created to show support for the detained pair.We have a full version of the note in text after the break.
Czech diplomats get involved in ARMA developer detainment in Greece
A Czech ambassador was reportedly invited to a meeting by the Greek president regarding the detainment of Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, two developers from Bohemia Interactive accused of espionage. HelpIvanMartin.org, which has been following all the developments of the case, states the meeting was set up following a letter from Czech President Vaclav Klaus to Greek President Karolos Papoulias.HelpIvanMartin.org have a full primetime news report with translation on the diplomatic maneuvering. The developers were recently refused bail and are accused for photographing Greek military installations on the island of Lemnos. They have been in jail for 75 days.
DayZ mod is going for the hobo appeal
For all DayZ fans who feel that the inclusion of powerful weapons and relatively plentiful supply caches don't accurately portray their personal vision for a horrible post-apocalyptic zombie world, then a new mod in the making might do the trick. Called DayZ 2017, the mod seeks to progress the game world forward five years to a time when everything's a lot harder to come by. Modder Luke Hinds explained his reasoning on the DayZ 2017 website: "I now want to go back to basics and really focus on what made Rocket's mod really tick with players, and that was scarcity and threat. The main changes will be taking out most loot and making what's left very rare." Hinds cites films such as The Book of Eli and The Road as inspiration. He created "hobo-like" characters who look far more worn-down and a combat that slants more toward melee than ranged. DayZ 2017 hopefully will arrive by the end of the year. Recently, the makers of DayZ cracked down on a different mod that sought to monetize the game through a bounty system.
Jailed ARMA devs have been refused bail
Detained ArmA 3 developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar have been denied an appeal against their espionage charges. Eurogamer, working off a translation of news site Rozhlas, reports the pair of Czech developers have now been held for over 70 days, waiting weeks longer to have their appeal heard due to a strike in the Greek legal system.Developer Bohemia Interactive previously stated the two men were on vacation and were not there on official company business. The pair stated two months ago the incident was a "completely absurd misunderstanding."The men are reportedly in a cell with over 25 people, sleeping on the ground. According to family members, the tone of their conversations with the men have changed to them asking to be saved. The Czech government claims it is doing what it can. Bohemia has set up a site to show support.
DayZ cracks down on 'Bounty' mod
You'd be hard-pressed to find a dedicated DayZ player who doesn't think the game's already exciting enough. Even so, there is a trio of gamers who have decided that the hardcore zombie survival mod needs some spicing up. Hence, the creation of a real-money version of the game called DayZ Bounty. DayZ Bounty requires players to pay per life but offers income in return if the gamer is good enough to take out NPCs and other humans. Co-creator James Ortiz said that it made the game far more interesting: "We figured that if people had a value on their life... there'd be something to fear besides the zombies." Unfortunately for the Bounty team, DayZ's creators are calling for an end to the mod. A spokeperson for the development team said that Bounty "undermined" the title, and asked for a cessation of the project. "It changes the focus of DayZ from being a creative, enjoyable, gritty gaming experience to a game that is based almost solely on financial gain," the spokesperson explained, "and that is not something we want to be associated with."
First DayZ standalone screens take a trip to the country
A standalone version of DayZ, the little Arma 2 mod that could, is currently in development and project lead Dean Hall has shared the first images today. They're not exactly what you might have expected. There are no zombies, no humans-slash-backstabbers to look at; just a quaint country house untouched by the plague affecting the outside world.The standalone version of DayZ will launch in an alpha version this December. Project lead and mod creator Dean Hall has said DayZ will follow the Minecraft model with quick, incremental updates.To see more shots of the DayZ country manor's interior, check out the source link below.
DayZ development screenshots released
The development as DayZ as a standalone title is rolling ever forward. To give fans a hint of the sort of progress being made, the development team shared a few work in progress screenshots of some interiors in the game. The art team's recent focus (as you might've guessed from the content of the screenshots) has been on going through and giving each building an interior. Moving forward, the developers will be working on balancing complexity within cities and an interest in scavenging opportunities with a need for greatly increased performance.%Gallery-168382%
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission demo takes off on PC
A PC demo for Carrier Command: Gaea Mission is now available. Created by Arma (and now Day Z) developer Bohemia Interactive, Carrier Command revisits the 1988 game of the same name, mashing up strategy, vehicular land and air combat and first-person shooting.You can nab the demo now from the Carrier Command website.
DayZ receiving a standalone version before the year is out
Are you interested in zombie survivalist fantasies but not interested in buying an unrelated first-person shooter? DayZ has already garnered a fan following despite being a mod for an existing game, but a standalone version of the game is in the works for release before the end of the year. Creator Dean Hall has stated that in terms of what the team wants to accomplish (some of which was outlined in our interview on the game), the alpha version absolutely has to be out by the end of the year. Hill has not named an exact price, but he has made it clear that the standalone version will be cheap. He's also made a point of stating several of his longer-term plans for the standalone version, including the spread of diseases, makeshift first-aid remedies, and the eventual inclusion of vehicles. All of it is very ambitious, but that's part of the reason that the team is dead-set on having the standalone game out before the end of December.
Massively Interview: Bohemia's Matt Lightfoot on DayZ, modding, and zombie survival
Thanks to viral content, word-of-mouth praise, and a passionate, growing fan base, Arma II mod DayZ has become one of the most talked about games in the industry. We sat down with Bohemia Interactive's Matt Lightfoot to get an idea of how exactly this game came to be, why it has exploded in the way it has, and how he'd attempt to survive a real-life zombie apocalypse: Massively: Could you give us some idea as to how DayZ came to be? What was the inspiration for the game? Matt Lightfoot: DayZ was created by Dean Hall, a former soldier in the New Zealand Armed Forces. He originally came up with the inclination to make a survival game when he was doing survival training in Brunei. The zombies come from Dean's discussions with his brother Richard, who is a world expert on influenza. Dean created it in his spare time after moving to the Czech Republic to work for Bohemia.
Website, petition created to support detained ARMA 3 devs
Bohemia Interactive is directing press and fans to HelpIvanMartin.org, a community-created website established to share news and show support for ARMA 3 developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar currently held in Greece on suspicion of espionage.We followed up with Bohemia Interactive for clarification on some points it made in a statement yesterday, where the company contested information reported in the original news piece on the incident. Bohemia Interactive denies the pair told authorities they were collecting images for ARMA 3."Their legal council has stated, according to an investigation file in his possession, that from the very beginning of their detention both of them testified that they were on holiday in Greece. They stated that they knew Lemnos from their work and, therefore, they picked it as their holiday destination. Never did they tell the investigators that they were there on business," a Bohemia Interactive representative told Joystiq."Our colleagues deny the accusation of espionage. We consider the matter to be a gross misunderstanding; Ivan and Maxell traveled to Limnos on vacation, certainly not to gather materials that may endanger the national security of Greece."
ARMA devs detained in Greece call incident 'completely absurd misunderstanding'
Bohemia Interactive developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, currently detained in Greece on what are reported espionage charges, have relayed a statement to their friends and family."The conditions are tough, but the people we meet treat us fairly and correctly. It is all a completely absurd misunderstanding that will certainly be quickly explained," the pair, currently being held in Mytilene, wrote. "We mainly think of you, our families; you have to stay calm and not to worry about us. We hope we will meet soon."Bohemia continues to state that the two men were on vacation and were not there on official company business. Furthermore, the company states the pair did not enter any military area and did not take any pictures of military objects for use in the upcoming ARMA 3.
Employees of ARMA dev arrested on spying charges in Greece
Bohemia Interactive is currently unable to provide comment about two alleged employees arrested in Greece on suspicion of espionage. IN.gr reports two Czech citizens were found in possession of video and photos of military installations on the island of Lemnos, Greece.The two men, aged 28 and 33, have been charged with espionage. The pair apparently told authorities they work for Bohemia Interactive and were collecting images for ARMA 3."We would like to apologize for not providing any statement, but we do not have any official and confirmed information at the moment," Bohemia Interactive told us. "For more details please contact Czech Embassy in Greece or Czech ministry of foreign affairs."We've reached out to both entities for further comment. We'll update as information becomes available.Update: CVG spoke with a producer at Bohemia Interactive who confirmed the men's employment, he also added the pair are being transferred to the district court, but have yet to be charged.Update 2: Bohemia Interactive's CEO speaks, statement after the break.Update 3: From the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic follows the case, however, there is no official statement on this."
Arma dev's Carrier Command ships out to North America on Oct. 2
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission will make its way to North American shores this October 2, Rising Star Games has announced. Developed by Bohemia Interactive, the studio behind the Arma series (and now the standalone version of DayZ), Carrier Command will be available on both Xbox 360 and PC.Based on the original Carrier Command simulation game, Gaea Mission takes place in a futuristic setting, blending first-person shooting and vehicular combat both on the ground and in the air. Check out a new trailer above.%Gallery-163881%
DayZ lead wants game on consoles, 'having meetings' about it at Gamescom
DayZ project lead Dean Hall "really hopes" the game is successful enough to justify a console version. Speaking to us today at Gamescom, the developer, who has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to the incredibly successful Arma2 mod, told us the only stumbling block is DayZ needs to be successful enough to justify a console version."You're not going to put it on the consoles if you're only going to sell 100,000 units or something like that," he said. "DayZ will be driven by its PC development and it will innovative on that. And, once we're at a point, we'll take it and do a Mac version, 360 and PS3."Asked if he's met with any of the console developers, he immediately chimed back, "We're meeting with them here."DayZ's publisher, Bohemia Interactive, does have a console background, and Hall has been a producer on console games in the past and knows "the pitfalls and horror that's involved with it."
DayZ becomes a standalone project
DayZ, the little mod that could, has grown up and moved out of the house. The Arma II mod will now be developed as a standalone project by Bohemia Interactive with lead developer Dean Hall as the project's boss. The mod and the standalone game will continue to be developed side-by-side, so if you're invested in the mod, now you can keep on keepin' on just as you have been. Like Minecraft, the game will have an alpha version available for a big discount, and alpha will go through fast iterations. Hall promised more information in the coming weeks.
DayZ now an official standalone project
DayZ, the Arma2 mod that's taken on a life of its own, will now become a standalone product. Lead developer Dean Hall will remain project lead, with Arma developer Bohemia Interactive as publisher.Hall explains the game will follow the Minecraft development model, with "fast iterations" and a community alpha available at a "heavily discounted price." He also notes that development and updates to the mod with continue in parallel with the standalone product.
