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CliffyB's top priority for movie Marcus: Charisma
And no, not Charisma Carpenter, though, yes, that would be an inspired bit of casting. No, the man behind Gears of War said that the film version of Marcus Fenix should be able to light up a room with his charm ... even if it doesn't look like he could lift a Lancer above his head. "I get a lot of forum posts where Gears fans tell us we need to cast this wrestler as Marcus. I don't give a f**k if the guy's buff or six foot five," CliffyB. told GameDaily BIZ. "What matters most is that this guy is charismatic and he can act and is somebody compelling that you want to watch on screen. The Rock is the rare exception of a wrestler who is that charismatic that he can carry a movie. If they cast four mongoloid wrestlers in Gears and they're just as exciting to watch as paint dry on the screen, nobody's going to go see it."The Rock, huh? ... Do you hear that? That's the sound of bloggers across the planet Googling screen captures of The Game Plan.
BioShock is Cliffy's GOTY
Cliffy B has been busy busily working up a storm in North Carolina as of late, probably working on a super secret project (ahem, Gears of War 2). But all that busyness doesn't stop him from giving his thoughts on the industry's blockbuster games and giving out his official Cliffy B game of the year honors to none other than BioShock.Over on CliffyB.com, Mr. Cliff gives his brutally honest yet professional take on BioShock discussing the good (art design, story narration and evil dudes who make you feel bad about yourself) along with the bad (somewhat sloppy telekinesis and annoying bees who don't make honey). Overall though, Cliffy thinks that this Unreal Engine 3 based game deserves game of the year honors for perfecting the blend of gameplay and immersive story that all next gen game should strive for. But then again it's only September and Cliffy has yet to play Halo 3, so we'll see if he retracts his GOTY honors next week. We kid, we kid Cliffy, BioShock is good times and we all know it (ahem, Halo 3).[Via Joystiq]
Cliffy B: BioShock is my game of the year
You know why people like Cliffy B? No, it's not just the stylish locks and game design skills (though that's part of it, make no mistake). It's his honesty. It's the forthrightness, for example, to call BioShock his Game of the Year in September of a year when he is releasing a game of his own. That's the kind of guy we look up to. The man behind Gears of War gives a frank, funny take on the game (which was made with Epic's technology) over at his blog. Although he's dumping heaps of praise on the game, Cliffy's also honest enough to admit there are some things he doesn't like, including forcing his enemies to be covered in bees. We're still curious about the GOTY distinction though. Either he's as honest as we think, "Except for My Game" was implied in the award title or, maybe, it's just a subtle hint that Unreal Tournament 3 really, really isn't guaranteed to come out in November.
Cliffy B's adolescent story inspires comedic skit
We knew Cliffy B liked the spotlight, but we didn't know he also enjoyed comedic improv. The other night, during a DSI Comedy Theatre performance in North Carolina, the improv crew invited Cliffy B on stage to tell of his childhood, his Nintendo roots, and how badass he thought the Nintendo Power Glove was back in the day. As expected, Cliff's storytelling is pretty darn good, but the improv crews' rendition of his story leaves us scratching our heads a little. No matter, it's Cliffy B taking the stage, so be amazed and give the storytelling and improv a watch. Video ever so conveniently embedded above.[Via Digg]
Today's most standup video: CliffyB, the comedian
You know the old saying: game designers always want to be comedians, and comedians always want to be game designers. As part of DSI Comedy Theater, Gears of War creator CliffyB provided humorous anecdotes on his childhood and what drove him to the Nintendo World Championship. The troupe provides performance inspired by CliffyB's stories.We don't want to spoil any of it, so go on and check it out yourself. Video embedded after the break.
GoW's new Annex gametype to feature respawning [update 1]
Yesterday, on Epic's official Gears of War forums, Cliffy B decided to shake things up a little. On the forums there has been a lot of discussion about the addition of the new Annex gametype and how it'll end up working. So, in one of the Annex threads, Cliffy B came to the rescue by stirring the speculation pot and simply posting a one word answer to what Annex will include, "::respawning::". Yup, that's all Cliffy posted, but it is one post that could change how we think of Gears as it pertains to Annex. So, let's recap. Annex will probably be a territory or land grab based game and will be the only gametype to include a respawn feature. Anyone excited about the twist on traditional Gears gameplay or do you shun Epic and vow to never play Annex ... ever?Update 1: It's official, Annex details revealed.
CliffyB will executive produce Gears of War film
Gears of War creator CliffyB will serve as an executive producer to the film adaptation, according to Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games. Speaking to Game Invasion at Midway's Gamer Day, Rein also explained that it was Jay Wilbur, the other Epic Game VP, who worked with Creative Artists Agency to negotiate the deal.Having the creator of the franchise in such a prominent position is sure to satiate purists to the game, but so far we have seen only minimal plot that could not be stretched to a feature length. And CliffyB's production role may not give him too much influence, for better or worse -- after serving as executive producer for the latest film adaptation of his work, Frank Miller has decided to serve as director on his roles from now on.No director has been announced, but the treatment was done by Stuart Beattie, scribe of Collateral, which bodes well. New Line won the rights to create the film, but we're still hesitant to call it will still come to fruition or fall through the cracks like Halo did.[Thanks, Frank]
Post-release GoW interview with the Bleszinski bros.
If you're like us, you can never get too much Gears of War coverage or too many Cliffy B interviews. The other day Gearheads of War founder Tyler Bleszinski interviewed his brother Cliff after their recent Friday Night FragFest. Tyler asks some of the typical questions about the Gears universe and the game's success, but gets other information from Cliffy we haven't heard before. Cliffy discusses the cliche sci-fi storyline, delves into what his favorite maps and weapons are (Fuel Depot and the torque bow), but still refuses to confirm a sequel or a time frame for when new content will be released. He's kind of like a clam that just won't open even though we know he's holding a pretty pearl inside. Just crack already! Overall, it's a darn good interview with dashes of brotherly love sprinkled throughout ... check it out.
Should game designers get celebritized?
Quick, name ten famous game designers. OK, now name ten famous movie directors. Which list took you longer? Even if you're a serious gamer, the list of movie directors probably came out quicker. Patrick Dugan helps explain why in an excellent post on the small but growing phenomenon of the celebrity game designer.While movie studios often sell a movie as the singular vision of a single auteur, games or more often sold as products than statements. With games, "it was far simpler to associate that content with a genre, or better yet, a franchise brand, than it was to associate it with a personality," as Dugan puts it.Perhaps this is for the best. After all, most modern games are produced by a large group of people, not just a celebrity designer that can serve as a public face for the project. Even this is changing, though, with high profile, independent projects like flOw and Super Columbine Massacre RPG being closely associated with a single designer (Jenova Chen and Danny Ledonne, respectively). In an internet world where anyone can easily make and distribute a game, literally anyone can be a celebrity designer.Personally, we just hope this growing trend of attention for the people behind the games doesn't grow into outright celebrity worship. The line between respect for a designer's vision and Us Weekly style obsession with everything they do isn't as thick as you might think.[Via Raph]
GDC 07: CliffyB on designing Gears of War
CliffyB hosted a panel at GDC to discuss the design process for Gears of War. While the panel didn't exactly contain much in the way of news (apart from Jazz Jackrabbit), it was interesting to see the beginnings of Gears of War and see how it became the phenomenal success that it is today. Cliff shared some early design work from Gears of War and how it changed and evolved over time. For instance, the Locust were originally called Geist. However, the name was trademarked by Nintendo, so we wound up with the Locust we know today. Cliffy also discussed the inspirations for Gears of War, which was originally designed as an extension of the Unreal franchise. In fact, many of the original concepts for Gears of War made it into Unreal Tournament 3. He uses the phrase "Resident Killswitch" to describe the title's inspirations from both Resident Evil and Killswitch.A few more entertaining tidbits of information were revealed, too. For one, the cinematic Y button was actually created by accident. Epic originally decided to emulate the Halo control scheme. After mapping the weapons to the D-pad, the team was left with an empty Y button. So, they had to figure out what to do with it. As Cliffy put it, one of his leads suggested that it become the "look at cool sh*t" button. And so, the "points of interest" function was born. Finally, Cliffy revealed that the infamous "roadie run" is very misleading. You see, the roadie run is, in fact, only 1.2 times faster than regular movement. The illusion of speed is created by the camera angle and the wobble effect.Just remember that next time you rush the torque bow.
Cliffy B reveals the secrets of the universe
He didn't tell us how to program a VCR or how socks go missing in the dryer, but in his session today, Cliff Bleszinski clued us into some interesting aspects concerning the development of Gears of War. Our friends over at Xbox 360 Fanboy told you about Cliffy's longing for Jazz Jackrabbit on Xbox Live Arcade, but did you know that Gears of War began as Unreal Warfare, which then turned into the Onslaught mode found in Unreal 2004? If that didn't blow your mind, Cliff also revealed that the "roadie run" only increases your speed by a whopping twenty percent. It's all in the camera tricks, my friends. He also touched briefly upon the original name for the Locusts, which was Geist, until a Nintendo trademark squashed that into oblivion. The Y Button -- used to focus in on objectives in the final game -- was without a purpose until one of his leads came to him one day and said, "Why don't we make it the look at cool sh*t button?" Designing by iteration, indeed.
GDC: CliffyB wants Jazz Jackrabbit on XBLA
Speaking at GDC, Cliff Bleszinski, the mad genius behind Gears of War, noted that he'd like to see his classic platformer, Jazz Jackrabbit, on Xbox Live Arcade. Cliffy noted that many people have told him the game would be good for Live arcade. "Honestly, I'd love to see it, too," said Bleszinski, but noted that Epic is too busy to take on the task themselves. "If anybody knows a person out there that can do it for us, more power to them," he said, stating that Epic was currently focusing on Unreal Tournament 3 and a "potential sequel" to Gears of War. "Potential sequel," by the way, was said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.So, any developers out there want to take on Jazz Jackrabbit?
GDC Awards: Gears takes home the hardware
The GDC's Game Developer's Choice Awards were announced last night and our very own Gears of War came away with a handful of metal statuettes. Gears walked off stage with a few trophies for best in technology, visual arts, and of course game of the year. Gamespot reports that when Cliffy B went on stage to accept the game of the year trophy for Gears he, in all his Cliffy B glory, exclaimed "holy sh**!". We congratulate you Epic Games (again) for the numerous awards you've received for Gears of War. Though, you'll probably have to invest in a new trophy case pretty soon.
Joystiq not-so-live coverage of the IGF and GDCA awards
6:20 p.m.: The Joystiq crew walks the red carpet, because we're just that important.6:33 p.m.: Gnarls Barkley's cover of the Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone" is blasting as we find seats in the press section. Cushy seats with recline-able chairs.6:42 pm: Sam and Max introduce the start for the independent games festival. The mention of projectile vomiting is disturbing, but welcoming somehow. 6:43 pm: Jamil Moledina and Simon Carless march onto stage, noting that the show is being broadcast to the entire world. We sense somewhat sinister undertones.
Gears of War takes best game at GDCA, Aquaria wins IGF best game prize
At tonight's Game Developers Choice Awards, Epic Games' Gears of War took home three awards: best technology, visual arts, and the coveted Game of the Year award. On the independent side of things, Bit Blot's Aquaria won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize from the Independent Games Festival.Okami picked up a win in one of the four categories it was nominated in (take that, AIAS). Unfortunately, Loco Roco did not pick up any awards despite two nominations (character design and audio). Independent game Everyday Shooter won two awards and a distribution deal from GameTap.View the full list winners and nominees from both events below.
Cliffy B looks back on GoW's success
In an interview with The Mercury News' own Dean Takahashi, Cliff Blezinski talks about Gears of War's success, its future, life in general, and how he deals with the infamous internet vacuum. We don't learn too much more than we've already known from the interview, but we get a candid Cliffy B who talks openly about the creative process and how he has progressed as a video game designer. Noteworthy is Dean's attempt at trying to coerce Cliffy into confirming a Gears sequel, but comes away unsuccessful as Cliffy dances around the question. Though, our favorite quote from the interview would have to be Cliffy's analysis of growing older stating that "when you grow up, you still act stupid. You just pace your stupidity. When you're young and you don't give a f..., you act stupid all the time". Another great Cliffy B quote you can add to your scrapbook.
UK gamers: take on GOW developers, CliffyB
Everyone wants to take out CliffyB in Gears of War. It's a natural inclination, really. Whether you love him or hate him, something about the guy just makes you want to shoot him (virtually, of course). If you find yourself in this particular mood and you happen to live in the UK, then have we got news for you! Starting next Saturday (Feb. 24th) at 19:00 GMT until 22:00 GMT, you'll be able to play with the developers of Gears of War, including the outspoken Cliff Bleszinski. All you have to do is add some special Epic Gamertags to your friends list and wait for an invite. The battles will take place on the newly released Raven Down and Old Bones maps, so make sure you've got those, too. Find the list of Epic Gamertags after the break.
CliffyB talks Gears afterthoughts, new DLC
IGN has posted an extensive 8 page interview with the ever boastful Cliff Bleszinski. In the interview CliffyB discusses the success of Gears of War and take time to discuss the future of the game and potential sequels. Of particular interest is his discussion of forthcoming downloadable content. While no specific content or date is announced, CliffyB assures us that something is coming and that we should get some news about it soon. He notes that the possibilities for such content are very broad -- new maps, new multiplayer modes, improved matchmaking, etc -- but declines to give any specific details. Furthermore, Cliffy discusses the possibilities of expanding the GOW franchise into other media, from movies to graphic novels to lunch boxes.Cliffy also takes time to defend the story of Gears of War, essentially saying that Epic never intended to have gamers "beaten over the head with story," preferring to think of GOW as a big budget, summer action flick. Primarily, Cliffy leaves us with the knowledge that Epic plans to support GOW for a long time to come (presumably until a sequel arrives). Hit the "read" link for the full interview.
Gears of War update: more talk, less tagging
Epic's Mark Rein has divulged a list of issues that will be addressed by tomorrow's Gears of War update. The update, a prelude to Wednesday's new multiplayer maps, promises to fix the problem that left latecomers to a match without an audible voice. The noted aspect ratio bug that occurred with the Xbox 360's VGA cable has also been crushed beneath the weight of improved code. The full list of fixes reads as follows: Fixed aspect ratio distortion when using VGA cable with 4:3 displays at resolutions higher than 640x480 Fixed voice issue with new players joining Player Match games in progress Players can now get the Achievement for "Dish Best Served Cold" when using Troika turret to kill RAAM Fixed rare situation where host could loop countdown and never start match Fixed rare situation where players could get stuck after chainsawing in multiplayer Reduced Grenade Tag melee distance Enabled "Strict" NAT check on host to prevent possible connection issues Optimized server browser queries to return results more quickly and prevent scroll bars from hiding quality of service icons Reduced number of possible revives in Execution to match Warzone Removed host name from Ranked match server browser Disabled security cameras in Ranked matches Ranked matches now require balanced teams (3v3 or 4v4) Increased penalty for quitting a Ranked match to -50 points Added additional cheat detection code Additional housekeeping updates Those that find themselves exploding at an alarming rate should be pleased to learn that grenade tagging will now require more intimacy to be effective. Indeed, the ones closest to you always end up hurting you the most.
Cliffy B recognized for 2006 contributions
It's that time of year when Game Daily's yearly Game Industry Persons of the Year awards are being announced and look who came in at number four. Gears of War lead designer Cliff Bleszinski (Cliffy B) has been honored with the title of number four person of the year. Not only has Cliffy B created the Xbox 360's killer app, launched a new major IP, and proved he can drink anyone under the table, but he has pushed the shooter genre in a whole new direction. We salute you Cliff as you are one rocking dude, but we're still patiently waiting on our Gears patch.[Via Digg]
