CVG
Latest
'Bioshock on PS3' rumor finally confirmed true
After first appearing in February 2007, a full five months before the games release, the rumor that Bioshock would be coming to PS3 has been debunked and revived more times than we can count (and we can count quite high!). Now, however, the time for rumors is over as the cover of UK mag PSM3 has not only confirmed that the title will be made available for the PS3, but that it will be a somehow superior version of the game. We won't find out in what way until the magazine arrives on news stands on June 5th.While it may be a few weeks before we get any details on what makes the PS3 version different, it's nice to finally get some closure regarding this confusing "will it, won't it" rumor. However, the game has been out for over six months now, so we're hoping for some significant changes in order to make the port worthwhile. Let's be honest here, most gamers have played this on the 360 and those who didn't have played it on the PC. Right?
Warhammer Online preview covers all the basics
Up until now, you might have had a shaky understanding of all the basics in EA Mythic's upcoming Warhammer Online. If that's the case, then there's a recent article where you can read up on what we like to call the, "WAR Essentials" as it's pretty much covering the basics. Unfortunately, if you've been following news on WAR then there isn't anything here that you didn't already know. It's nice as a refresher on all of EA Mythic's basic talking points, though. In fact the article itself sort of reads like that: a prolonged "back-of-the-box" set of bullet points. It just seems a little dry for a preview about a videogame like Warhammer Online, where there are some crazy things to talk about like squigs or little (and big) green monsters from space.It wouldn't have hurt to try and spice things up a little, is all we're saying.
Make enough noise and Free Radical might remake Timesplitters 2
Free Radical Design, the developer behind Haze, has told CVG that if people make enough noise then they will consider remaking Timesplitters 2 in HD with online multiplayer. TS2 was a classic PS2 game and, while it still stands up as a great game today, an HD makeover would not only allow those of us who loved it the first time around, but also people who let it slip them by, to enjoy it all over again. CVG is campaigning for people to contact Free Radical Design and let them know that, yes, we do want it to happen. To do so, simply send an email to CVG so that they can, presumably, collect all the names together and forward it on. Sure, FRD is currently working on Timesplitters 4, which will no doubt be in Hi-Def and feature online multiplayer, but it won't have that sweet tang of nostalgia about it. Not for another five years, at least.
PC Gamer previews Age of Conan
PC Gamer (part of the CVG network) has just released their preview of Funcom's Age of Conan: Hyborean Adventures. It is packed full of tasty observations, screenshots, and interesting details about this eagerly anticipated MMO. While we knew some parts of it already (the conversational choices with NPCs affecting your standing with them) other parts were interesting to hear about. We're most interested in the work of the 8 dedicated quest-writers, working hard to fulfill the promise of staying true to the books that we've heard so much about. Apparently they've cranked out 800 quests for launch! Someone order these guys a pizza and a frosty adult beverage for writing approximately 100 quests a piece -- and for trying to do it without using the "kill x things" mechanic. When you couple this with the other great write-ups we've seen and the statement at the very end: "The open beta starts any moment now" we can honestly say we're more than ready to go Barbarian! Anytime you want to hook us up with some of that sweet, sweet beta love Funcom, we'll be here.
The man in charge of Mythos gets interviewed
There's not much more to know about Mythos at this point, but CVG has gotten a few good chunks of information out of the guy in charge of the upcoming massively game -- Max Schaefer. One such revelation is that the Mythos team will be aiming for expansions every three months and that said expansions will be available to everyone. That's a sensible decision considering their business model profits from players sticking with the game or at least coming back for new content and paying for the extra stuff.Aside from the standard Mythos matters, there's an interesting quote from Max, "PC gaming isn't going anywhere until people stop having PCs. It's up to developers and publishers to keep it fresh and keep bringing creative, entertaining games to market."We're glad that somebody out there has a rational response to the PC gaming death question. Especially from Flagship Studios, who's first title wasn't exactly a major hit. If things pan out the way we think they will, though, Mythos is going to have a pretty dedicated player-base.
Well what do you know? Overlord IS coming to PS3
We totally didn't see this one coming (oh wait, yes we did) - CVG is confirming that Overlord will be coming to the PS3 this summer. Thanks to the storage capacity of Blu-ray the game will come bundled with all of the downloadable content that's currently available for the 360 and PC versions on the same disc as the game. The PS3 version will be released under the name Overlord: Raising Hell to reflect the extra content.It's nice to get confirmation, even if Codemaster's vague quote all-but confirmed the game was coming. Sadly a more specific release date than "summer" isn't available, so it could arrive in four months or seven. Whichever happens, we'll be happy to finally get our hands on the game for our console of choice.
The Secret World becomes a little less secretive
Age of Conan hasn't even come out just yet, but for certain people FunCom's next project is the focal point. There has yet to be a massively game with a modern (alternate Earth-style) setting, where Lovecraftian horrors threaten to disembowel unprepared players. Up until now the only game with this kind of promise -- The Secret World -- has been operating in near-silence while Age of Conan's release as crept up (and jumped back) over the past year. With knowledge of the game barely a year old, we're left with a lot of room to wonder. So it's kind of nice to read an interview about the game with its product manager, vague as the information may be.
Lord British's history of violence
If you've ever played a game made by Richard Garriott, then chances are you've probably encountered (or at least heard of) his alternate persona, Lord British. Ever since his very first game Akalabeth, the character of Lord British has been something of a digital signature for Garriott. However, being a lord comes with its personal risks, as many players are always trying to find ways to stick a knife in you.For all he might have tried, every time a game was released with Lord British in it, players would figure out ways around the code and put him in the ground. With nine Ultima games and the more well-known Ultima Online incarnation, Lord British has bitten the dust more than a few times. Many of people never played the original Ultima series or weren't there when the infamous fire spell blasted Lord British face-first into the ground. It's for this reason the you'll probably want to check out an article by CVG chronicling the many different deaths of Lord British. They even cover the way in which General British was killed during the beta for Tabula Rasa.
Sony confirms LittleBigPlanet's planned September release
Sony has confirmed to CVG today that LittleBigPlanet is planned for a September release. Don't feel too down, though. We were supposed to be seeing a beta occuring before the end of 2007 and while there's no news on when that's coming, it should be during the first half of the year. Hopefully. We're in two minds about this. Currently our philosophy is to assume any high profile game will get at least one delay before release. Just look at Metal Gear Solid 4. Does that mean we should expect LBP to land around Christmas (or, yikes, 2009?) or have the team now given themselves the time they need to get the game done by September? We're hoping for the latter. Bring on the beta!More videos of the game, after the cut.[Via Digg]
Blizzard was only expecting 1 million WoW subscribers
Former Blizzard producer Bill Roper described the early days of World of Warcraft's development to CVG, saying, "we were hoping we'd be able to sell a million copies of the game." He pointed out that at the time, EverQuest was the gold standard for MMOs, and it only had 500,000 subscribers. "It would have been impossible to predict that World of Warcraft would take off as a cultural phenomenon as it did," he said.He's right; people knew World of Warcraft would be a comparatively big deal, but how could they have predicted 9.3 million players? Throughout the history of persistent world online games, we've been surprised again and again at just how large the market for them can be. There are studios out there who think they can take it even further -- BioWare, for instance. Or maybe the industry will fragment into niche games now. The point is, you can't always predict this stuff. That's what makes it so exciting.In case you were wondering what Roper is up to now, his company Flagship Studios recently released Hellgate: London -- more of a niche title than a mainstream record-buster. Flagship is also working on Mythos, a Diablo-esque-dungeon-crawler.
Bethesda on new MMO: keep waiting!
Sometimes, as bloggers, we feel bad for game developers. They try so hard to give us straight-forward interviews on their pet projects, and all we do in return is try and get them to slip us information on another, even bigger pet project. A Blizzard producer being interviewed about Wrath of the Lich King? I'll bet you ten bucks he gets asked about their "next-gen" MMO. Cryptic employee trying to discuss the terms of their separation with NCsoft? So, how's that Marvel Universe Online going? And in the case of a recent interview with CVG, Bethesda's Peter Hines came in to talk about Fallout 3 and the first question he's asked?So is there any progression down that avenue with the franchise at the moment, with the MMO?Oy vey! Well, in case you were wondering, Mr. Hines didn't have much to say on the subject of Zenimax Online, their new online studio, beyond that because they are a start-up, it's unlikely that we're going to hear any announcements for quite some time. Well shoot, it was worth trying, right? In the mean time, we're going to be left to sit and ponder on this cool Sunday evening about what kind of game they could make if NOT an Elder Scrolls MMO.
Warhammer: We're not trying to "kick WoW's arse," we swear
Computer and Video Games supposedly has an interview coming up with Warhammer Online's project manager Attaba Rahim (although we haven't actually seen it on their site yet-- man it's a pain to navigate around), but until it gets posted, they have an interesting quote from him. Apparently, WAR isn't planning to try and put the smackdown on WoW.It's probably not true-- this is the old, old PR tactic of saying your competitor doesn't matter to you before release. That way, if your game does beat them, you can say it was "a nice surprise," and if it doesn't, no one throws your words back at you. Still, whether you believe him or not, Rahim says that EA Mythic would rather "deliver the best MMO ever" than "kick WoW's arse." Rahim also calls WAR an evolution rather than a revolution-- "players want something different but with some familiar elements."I've played an early build of Warhammer (and our own Barb Dybwad played the latest version), and I have to admit that if anyone can "kick WoW's arse" (whether Mythic actually wants to or not), they're definitely in a good position to do it. Of course, they have to actually get the game done first. If you see the rest of the interview at CVG, let us know and we'll update the post here.
Microsoft: UK shouldn't expect price cut
Gamers in the UK wanting to buy a 360 but holding out for a price cut like the one that isn't-but-probably-actually-is coming to the U.S. may have quite a bit longer to wait. Though Microsoft has not confirmed that the Xbox 360's three SKUs will be getting cheaper in the U.S. in August (insert giant wink here), they are denying that any cuts will come to the console in the UK (insert no giant wink, just a kind of sad sigh).A spokesperson for Microsoft told CVG "We're very happy with the price we're at, and have no plans to make any changes at this time." That's much more of a denial than "Nothing's changed since last week," like we heard in the states, if you're not among those who speak PR. Hopefully, Microsoft will start winking in the UK closer to the holidays.
DEFCON goes mobile; PSP intended target?
Introversion recently started looking for new developers for a mobile version of DEFCON, according to CVG. The original DEFON was a cult success, heralded by many for its unique apocalyptic premise: players are engaged in a deadly endgame, where the world's superpowers are launching their nuclear weapons. Players must kill as many people as possible through strategic use of their country's nuclear cache.The game's simplistic graphics would make it an ideal candidate for all handhelds, including cell phones, PSP and DS. Although the awkwardly-worded job ad mentions no specific platform, CVG speculates that it will most likely head to PSP. We're not exactly sure why they'd assume that, but we really hope they're right.
PGR screenshot used to promote PS3 ... again
For the second time this year, an image from Bizarre Creations' Microsoft exclusive Project Gotham Racing series found its way into a Sony promotion. On a Spanish internet ad for both Kia Motors and the PlayStation 3, a virtual Kia car with a PGR license plate could be clearly observed in a scene where the virtual and real car kept fading into one another. Though it has since been fixed, CVG managed to capture the incident.Previously, a PGR3 render had been used by Sony to promote Gran Turismo: HD on Sony's official PSP Connect site. As CVG suggested, we don't blame Sony for this ad blunder -- more likely the err came from Kia's camp. Shame on Kia, though, for realizing that this image obviously isn't "True HD"; that should've been the first red flag that something is amiss.
Hydrophobia unveiled, wows with water effects
Blade Interactive has finally unveiled Hydrophobia, a survival action game whose creators are hoping will show gamers something different. In the game, you play Kate, an engineer with no combat experience and a fear of water on a sinking ship the size of a city (loosely based on the Freedom Ship) who must use the incoming waves to help her on her path to rescue survivors and take on terrorists.What Blade is hoping will set Hydrophobia apart from the others, visually, is HydroEngine, which purportedly simulates water like never before. It "reacts dynamically to its environment. It flows from source, it bubbles, it gets surfaces wet, it has a current, it's persistent," according to Xbox World 360, who saw the game in action and walked away impressed. We're hoping to get some video uploaded soon because these images, though visually beautiful, do nothing to show off the HydroEngine in action.The physical properties of water will also be used as a key gameplay component, and the Xbox World 360 preview covers a few of the more intriguing examples. The game is a big departure for Blade, whose catalog includes a series of billiards titles and Pocket Racers for the PSP, but the developer reportedly hired a wide range of talent for this project, including industry veterans who worked on Splinter Cell and Fable 2 ... and an astrophysicist!No release date has been announced; Hydrophobia is being developed for release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.%Gallery-3017%
Greenwalt: Forza 2 may make you a better driver
We really wish videogame companies would unify their message. First we're told that crashing is awesome, and now Forza 2 lead designer Dan Greenawalt is telling CVG that his game is driver's ed. on a disc! Well, actually, he said that "things you learn in Forza Motorsport apply in the real world," but that's practically the same thing. Greenwalt explains, saying that there are some videogame conventions that would have your family clipping coupons for Casket Town if you tried them in reality. "They learn that if you're at the edge of traction and you brake, you'll get more turning," Greenwalt said. "Well, that's just not true, and it'll get you killed on a track."As a result of our completely non-court-orded house arrest (we just loved Disturbia) we're unable to test Greenwalt's assertions. But that also means we're without an answer to the big question: Will games turn us into "Machine Gun" Joe Viterbo or Hoke Colburn? No matter what you think the answer is, let's just keep it between us, shall we? We don't need any attorneys-at-lawl getting any bright ideas.
EndWar controls to be nothing like Battle for Middle-earth II
EGM has secured some hot new details on the fourth pillar of the vast Tom Clancy empire, the RTS EndWar. The game is being headed up by Michael de Plater, a familiar name to fans of the Total War series, who said he's taking a different approach to the console RTS. In fact, EGM quotes him as saying "[The Battle for Middle-earth II] was a test case for exactly what we didn't want to do." Oh, snap!Reporting from the EGM info, CVG says the game will pit the U.S. Joint Strike Force, Russian Spetsnaz and European Enforcers against each other on fully-destructible battlefields, with fights limited to 12 squads at a time. With all of the questions that it does answer, EGM leaves the most important one on the table: Has no one realized that if this is, in fact, the "end war," it'll leave Tom Clancy slinging curly fries at Arby's? Hopefully we'll find the answer in next month's issue of the mag.
Will Oblivion ever come out?
Happy 10th un-birthday, Duke Nukem Forever! As we "celebrate" your un-life, we want to think about a PSP game with an analogous development time: Oblivion. CVG reminds us that the title was supposed to launch by now, possibly in time for the recent PS3 release. They contacted Ubisoft for some word on whether or not the title was actually still in development, but they received a noncommittal "no comment."Gamestop's release date for the title continues to shift, having moved from last year to this, from April to September, back to April, and now December. Do you think Oblivion will ever come out for our system?
Crytek: You'll poop your pants!, Us: Thanks?
In what's sure to become the "flaming ninjas" quote of the modern era, Crytek chief Cevat Yerli has dropped the following bon mot about the aliens in his forthcoming game Crysis: "The first time you see them you'll shit your pants!" In other news: Crytek is having a hard time keeping testers. Yerli continues in his chat with CVG, describing the shooter as like "the last good horror game you played," but different during every session. (How long until you make bad-bad in your shorts this time? Five minutes? Ten? You've gotta play to find out!) Needless to say, he never really reaches the heights (or is it the lows?) of his prior proclamation of bowel-movement-inducing scares. Of course, there's no release date yet for the game, so there's always the chance that the ravages of old age could finish the grim work of making us game in our own self-mess before Crysis can get to us. Let's hope not.
