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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.
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.
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]
GoW: Race to Launch
On Monday night set your DVR, TiVo, VHS recorder or just tune into MTV's little documentary Gears of War: Race to Launch airing at 8:30PM. Oh and by the way, this is the same special that a GearHeads of War ultimate fan was chosen for. Seriously, you can't have enough Gears of War or Cliffy B interviews ... that's just how it is right now.
Don't beat on kids for GoW
A 36 year old man in Detroit thinks it's okay to go around beating the crap out of a 15 year kid so he can get his hands on a video game. The man, Deion, was waiting in line at Gamestop to purchase Gears of War when the manager announced that they were running out of copies. So, logically he decided to push his way to the front of the line, have a confrontation, and proceeded to pummel a poor 15 year old kid for his copy of the game. The guy was arrested and the kid was taken to the hospital for his injuries. As for punishment, who's up for letting that kid have a chance to chainsaw old Deion in half?[Via Digg]
Gears of War's ranked matches smell rank
Despite being considered a tactical, team-centric game, Gears of War will not allow you choose who you play with in ranked matches. Epic Games programmer Joe Graf confirmed as much on the official forums recently, citing Microsoft certification as the reason. Graf, through a long series of discussion, explains that Microsoft would not allow the game to be shipped unless ranked match-ups were randomized (based on skill level, of course), though non-ranked games will still allow you to play with friends, privatize games, and send/accept invites.From Graf's tone, we get the feeling Epic would prefer a more clan-friendly online system, and we're inclined to agree. Microsoft's theory, according to Graf, is that randomized ranked matches "prevent collaborative cheating (I kill you ten times, now you me, etc.)." However, this move will breed loner behavior -- why should I help a fellow teammate out when I now have less competition against my kill count? A potential solution would be to reward players who heal their down-but-not-out brethren, thus promoting brotherly love. But might one also abuse this reward if friendly fire is enabled?Halo 2 is cited by several forum members as having a matchmaking system that promotes teamwork, allowing you to play with a party of people. Halo 2 is an original Xbox title, however, and is therefore not bounded by MS's new policy. Will Halo 3 follow the same suit as Gears of War?[Thanks, Sanchinos]
Gears of War should look great on your crap TV
Gamers will be pleased to learn that all missions in the upcoming Gears of War should be easily accomplished without the need for excessive squinting or unanswered pining for a better television set. According to an entry on the official Epic Games forums, the upcoming, Unreal-powered and unbelievably macho tale of man versus monster has been tested on "small, non-HD TVs, to make sure you can read the writing." Presumably, the legible on-screen text in Gears of War will not be conveyed by a lonely security guard who calls at the worst possible times. Though this news will allay the fears of those still confined to the realms of standard definition, developers shouldn't expect a pat on the head whenever they cater to a huge part of their audience. This just in: Gears of War will totally work on your Xbox 360. Thanks for going the extra mile, Epic![Via 1UP]See also: Dead Rising: patch chance lost! Mea culpa for 360's Kong In defense of Sony's HDMI.O.U.
G.O.W. on sale before Emergence Day
CliffyB had some interesting remarks for his brother, who just so happens to be a blogger for Gearheads of War. What did he say? I'm glad you asked. It breaks down like this. Emergence Day, as we all know, is November 12th. Sure, that's a pretty BIG deal, but there's more. The game will begin shipping on November 7th, and:"They'll be able to sell it the minute they get it so some of those stores will have the game well before the 12th."So there you have it, Emergence Day is not so BIG after all. If any of you manage to get it on November 7th, let us know and we'll write it up. Surely Bungie has something to do with this. (117, get it? No? Too nerdy?)[Via Joystiq. Thanks, Mike]
GOW rumblings: no demo?
Following yesterday's BIG announcement that Gears of War will hit the US on November 12th and in the UK on the 17th of November, comes the news that there will not be a demo released before the game ships, or possibly ever. Speaking with TeamXbox, Epic VP, Mark Rein, had this to say:"Demos take a long time to create and polish and we can't afford to get derailed like that if we want to have the game in stores by Thanksgiving. Given a choice of the game this year or a demo this year and the game next year I'm sure every one of you would rather have the game this year because you're already planning to buy it. No idea if we'll do a demo or not after the game ships."Maybe that was the real BIG announcement. Seriously though, we all want a taste of GOW, but is there anyone out there waiting for a demo to make up their minds? If so, tell us why.[Via Fraggerock]
GOW to be released outside America, too?
Before you all start thinking this blogger is a Xenophobic American prick (that's only a half-truth), please note that the above headline is a joke. With that out of the way, everybody knows that Gears of War is hitting North American shores on November 12th. Slightly less publicized, however, is the fact that our European friends can look forward to picking up the game a mere five days later on November 17th -- I suppose they would call it the 17th of November, though.For those of you keeping score, that's the same day PS3 launches in Europe. Zoinks! And, finally, since Ken and I were both indisposed at the time of the BIG announcement, here are some shots of the limited edition collectors booklet "Destroyed Beauty." Who loves ya, fanboys?
Joystiq interview: Cliffy B
Yesterday, I sat down with video game standout Cliffy B and spoke with him about everything from Epic's upcoming 360 savior Gears of War to the recent E3 news. As usual, Cliffy was very open and honest and more than willing to answer anything thrown at him. One answer I wasn't able to squeeze out, however, was what was up with those GoW viral marketing rumors. Cliffy quickly denied any knowledge or responsibility over them. Read the full interview after the break.
GoW headed to the silver screen
Grab your over-priced popcorn. A big screen trailer for Gears of War will roll before 5 upcoming theatrical releases including Miami Vice, Pulse, A Scanner Darkly, Clerks 2, and Little Miss Sunshine. Not content to share time with ads for Raisinettes, CliffyB is hinting at a fullscale GoW movie -- with Uwe Boll in the director's chair. Just kidding. It's not a horror flick.[Thanks Luis]
