Brink
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Preview: Brink
In Brink, Splash Damage has created a world of two perpetually warring sides: the Security and the Resistance. Each is fighting for its own slice of a very small pie called the Ark, a floating city that remains the last bit of "land" on a flooded Earth. It was built to safely support a few thousand, but its ranks have swelled into the tens of thousands -- overpopulation and the two warring sides naturally brought about a conflict. Each side has four different classes. There's the Medic, the Engineer, the Soldier and the Operative. The Medic doles out health and revives downed teammates, the Operative can disguise himself as a person on the enemy team, the Soldier can replenish his teammates' ammo, while the Engineer is tasked with maintaining the hardware. Every in-game action nets you experience points, which can then be used to purchase specific abilities (things like damage buffs, extra ammunition, etc.) and customize weapon loadouts -- quests are accessed through an in-game radial menu, which allows players to choose from a set of ongoing objectives on the fly. %Gallery-64854%
New Brink screenshots arrive (thanks, Eyjafjallajokull!)
The recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced as ... uh ... never mind) may have prevented Splash Damage from properly showing off its latest game at a Bethesda press event, but at least the internet remained functional. We've got some new screenshots of Brink in our gallery below -- just think of it as a collection of "I'm sorry I couldn't be there" cards. Brink, which promises to embed player customization, first-person shootering and elements of parkour into a futuristic world, is due on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this fall. %Gallery-92196%
Interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines
Two years ago, our discussions with Bethesda were dominated by Fallout 3. Now, the publisher has four new titles in the pipeline: Fallout: New Vegas, Brink, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, and RAGE. Oh, and it also recently announced plans to dominate the world. At a press event each of those four upcoming games, we spoke with company vice president Pete Hines about future plans and, of course, Fallout: New Vegas. Read on for the full interview.
Bethesda sets up offices in France and Germany
A powerhouse purveyor to the discerning role-player, Bethesda Softworks, has announced the opening of two new offices in Europe. Situated in Frankfurt, Germany and Paris, France, the offices will oversee sales and marketing and act as regional custodians for Bethesda's stable of popular properties. Think of them as Fallout shelters that are thoroughly stocked with baguettes and sausages. Bethesda has appointed Frank Matzke -- formerly marketing director for central Europe at Vivendi Games -- as managing director for the German arm, and Julie Chalmette as MD for France (just that office, not the whole country). Previously, Chalmette worked as a general manager for Vivendi Games France.
Brink trailer showcases acrobatic, lanky dudes
Whomever compiled this Brink trailer must have enjoyed themself some Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, because we swear we've only seen dudes stylishly dodge projectiles like that in a Hideo Kojima game. But, we digress. There are plenty of other noteworthy things, but if you're looking for actual in-game footage, you won't find it throughout the three minutes of video above. But, hey, if the CG is any indication, there will be lots of action to look forward to in Brink. That and curiously tall, acrobatic gentlemen wearing a variety of neat masks.
Bethesda: Brink release dates are 'speculative'
Initially appearing to be a bit more official than the standard placeholder date, a Brink sweepstakes page on GameStop's website declares the first-person shooter's release date as September 7, 2010. Publisher Bethesda Softworks tells Joystiq that the date should be "considered speculative." A representative for the company explained, "Often times retailers will assign a release date for a game that falls within the game's announced launch window. While we have announced that Brink is due out in Fall 2010, we have yet to announce an official release date for the game." GameStop now notes on its Brink page: "Official pricing and release dates have not been announced by the publisher. These are estimates only and subject to change." [Via Videogamer]
New Brink video shows how to customize your lanky, lanky character
If you're as intrigued as we are by Splash Damage and Bethesda's co-operative FPSRPG Brink, you'll probably want to check out the video above, which shows the many options you'll be afforded when customizing your personal freedom fighter. For instance, what kind of full-torso tattoos would like? And how many mohawks do you want perched atop your skull? Three, you say? Wonderful, wonderful. Though all of the characters designed in the video turn out horrifically homely, there certainly seems to be a lot of depth in the customization tools. We just hope there's an option to shorten our characters' arms, as all of the soldiers seen in the trailer above probably do a lot of tripping over their own forearms.
Brink moved to Fall 2010; watch its S.M.A.R.T. system now
Back at E3, we were briefly shown Brink's S.M.A.R.T. system for navigating around the Bethesda-published FPS' environment. Our play session was mainly focused on the combat and quests of the game at the time. Now, Splash Damage's own Paul Wedgewood has been kind enough to demonstrate how it works in-game, courtesy of the G4 video past the break. Another interesting item brought up in this video is Brink's new release date: Fall 2010. Last we heard, it was destined for a Spring 2010 release. Not so anymore! %Gallery-64854%
Splash Damage's Brink wants to change your mind on multiplayer
Are you one of these folks who don't even realize there's a "multiplayer button" in your first-person shooters? After spending hours with the single-player campaign, you shelve the game and press onward, eschewing time with multiplayer for other, more solitary experiences? Splash Damage head Paul Wedgwood wants to change your attitude, telling Eurogamer in an interview that his studio's upcoming FPS Brink will do just that. "It's our goal from the outset to incidentally teach people to be good at multiplayer shooters while they're playing our single-player shooter," he says. Apparently, Brink will offer in-game rewards (double XP, for instance) to players willing to take their game online. "At a certain point in the game we say to them, 'Why don't you just try co-op and see how you go? For this next mission we're going to give you twice the number of experience points if you play co-operatively with somebody else.'" Thankfully though, he assures the internet-less among us (how are you reading this?!) that there's plenty of game in Brink without having to go online. "Your experience through it, imagining you have no internet connection should, for us to have achieved our goal, be as compelling as any other triple-A shooter." We'll find out if his plan works when Brink arrives sometime next year. %Gallery-64854%
Splash Damage has big plans for Brink franchise
We've spoken to Splash Damage's Richard 'Rahdo' Ham in the past, so we know he's no stranger to a certain amount of exuberance about the game he's working on, Brink. In his latest interview with Eurogamer, his excitement reaches a fever pitch and he confirms plans for a "second and third" in the Brink series. "We already have big plans for that," Ham said. He hopes that Brink's integration of online play -- a combination of Burnout Paradise's freeburn mode and an FPS -- will best reigning multiplayer kingpins Halo and Call of Duty. Of course, upcoming new entries in each of those franchises are certain to put up a fight before succumbing to Mr. Ham's ambitions.%Gallery-64854%
QuakeCon 2009 detailed, first public demos of Rage and Brink
Nothing more clearly shows the new relationship forged by Zenimax Media between id Software and Bethesda Softworks than this year's QuakeCon lineup. Littered with little extras like an hour-long presentation by Bethesda's Todd Howard and the first public demonstration of Splash Damage's Brink, QuakeCon 2009 is clearly accommodating some new faces.That being said, id Software's John Carmack will be giving this year's keynote speech, and the event is still very much PC-centric, with Alienware, NVIDA and Ventrilo hosting a handful of events. Upcoming post-apocalyptic, not-Mad Max FPS Rage will also be getting its first public demo at the show, further asserting id Software into the event. For those of you attending, we encourage hounding Todd Howard for information on the next Elder Scrolls game during his Q&A -- if not for us, do it for the kids.
Splash Damage's rules of engagement: No ports, no movie games
Speaking today at the Game Horizon conference in the UK, as reported by Gamasutra, Splash Damage CEO Paul Wedgwood laid down his company's "rules of engagement." The rules are simple, according to Wedgwood: "Don't work on movie licenses, don't work on ports, don't do work for hire, and find a big brother to nurture us in those early years." He noted that this is how Splash Damage attained its focus, which is to "shamelessly pursue critical acclaim" by "focusing all our effort on making sure the stuff we do is better than the stuff we did."The most important factor, said Wedgwood, is people. He stated that "People are the only important asset you have," adding that, as a company, one should attempt to "hire people who are better than you -- because guess what? They have better ideas than you." Here's hoping that the folks Splash Damage hired earlier this year have some great ideas for Brink, the company's first console title.
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
Interview: Splash Damage's Richard 'Rahdo' Ham
Immediately following our demo of Brink, we were able to sit down with Splash Damage creative director Richard 'Rahdo' Ham and grill him some about the game. He came to Splash Damage following work on Fable 2 for this project, and has quite the gaming resume. But, following the demo for Brink, we were left with a lot of questions, and luckily Ham didn't mind answering them. He couldn't give us everything, though, as he failed to answer some of our more serious questions (Coke, or Pepsi?). So, head past the break and check out our chat with Splash Damage's Richard 'Rahdo' Ham!%Gallery-64854%
Impressions: Brink (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
The Splash Damage and Bethesda title that remained a secret for so long was revealed last week in Brink. We were given a teaser video with little more content than an eye and an ominous white tower. So, when we arrived at our appointment with Bethesda today, we were anxious to see more on the game, and Splash Damage delivered.%Gallery-64854%
Roundup: GTTV's E3 trailers
Did your late night Canasta tournament keep you away from your television last night, preventing you from catching all of GameTrailers' exclusive ... trailers for a number of highly anticipated titles that will be appearing at E3? Fear not -- we've got them posted conveniently after the break. What games are present and accounted for, you ask? Well, let's see (deep breath): Mass Effect 2, Brutal Legend, Lost Planet 2, Split/Second, Brink, DJ Hero, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Just Cause 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Supreme Commander 2, Dante's Inferno, Madden 10, NHL 10, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Need for Speed Shift, Alpha Protocol and Heroes of Telara. Check 'em out!
Brink: Bethesda / Splash Damage collaboration revealed
Just a few scant days before the year's biggest gaming event and GameTrailers has snuck into E3's living room and unwrapped one of its biggest gifts. Oh, and it televised what it found inside, spoiling it for everyone. So, what was inside? Namely: "Brink" – the product of Bethesda and Splash Damage's collaboration, first revealed just over a year ago. And what does the teaser trailer tell us about said project? Well, for starters: it's a video game, it appears to have a science fiction theme and, if the sound of bullets are any indication, there will be shooting in it. More details? It's coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC (with Games for Windows support). Oh, and you'll be playing it by Spring 2010 – take that, holiday shopping season!
'Brink' trademarked by Bethesda parent company
ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (Fallout 3, Oblivion), has applied to trademark "Brink" for computer game software, reports Gamespot. Beyond that, we're in total speculation territory. Brink could be the secret Wii game, the E3 reveal from Splash Damage or that MMO the company is working on. Bethesda's got a buffet full of projects right now. We've contacted the company for comment.
