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Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U 'no longer in development'
The Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines is game overed, man."Sega can confirm that the Wii U SKU of Aliens: Colonial Marines is no longer in development," a company representative has informed Joystiq.Discomfort over the game's heartbeat rose this week after the title missed its first quarter launch window and publisher Sega was unable to confirm an updated status. Aliens: Colonial Marines currently stands as one of the worst-reviewed games of the year.
Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U misses launch window, Sega declines comment
The Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines missed its first quarter launch window at the designated retail rendezvous point and its fate is currently in question. Gamespot asked Sega yesterday if there was a new debut date for the year's highest profile disaster (you're welcome, SimCity) for the Nintendo console and the publisher responded, "Still no comment on ACM, sorry!"Gamespot notes this is the third time the publisher has refused a status update and Demiurge, the developer tasked with the Wii U version, isn't talking. Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software (which put its name on the box for the other console versions), was also unsure last month if the Wii U version was coming out, noting it was Sega's decision.
Aliens: Colonial Marines Wii U version overseen by Shoot Many Robots studio
Don't count out that Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines, despite Gearbox pushing its launch to an unknown spot beyond the 360/PS3/PC version's February 2013 date. Gearbox head Randy Pitchford says that Shoot Many Robots studio Demiurge Studios has been overseeing the Wii U version for the past nine months, alongside both Nerve and Timegate.Pitchford couldn't speak to many specifics of the game, but he did extol the Wii U controller. "When I play with the controller, I immediately realize that for the types of games I like to play and make, this is the best controller I've ever had from Nintendo." He also teases one potential use for the WiiPad, saying, "For Aliens: Colonial Marines, it's really exciting to have that screen there because I can do things that are very unique to this universe. For instance, we have a motion tracker in this universe. Now our motion tracker can literally be in our hands and we can see and hear it –and scan the room in 360 degrees, since it's a motion device."Aliens: Colonial Marines launches on February 13, 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The Wii U version is expected some time beyond that date.
Shoot Many Robots through Steam April 6
Shoot Many Robots will be downloadable as a prime directive for humans using personal computers on April 6. Demiurge's co-op shoot-every-metal-thing-that-moves title will be available for $10, with an option to buy three copies of the game and receive the fourth for free.Steam-specific bonuses include gear that lets avatars dress like Half-Life's Gordon Freeman and the addition of Portal's turrets as robots to shoot. The Chopper Bot backpack for the Pyro and Medic classes in Team Fortress 2 is also available exclusively through Steam."We rebuilt the controls for PC and overhauled the user interface so it won't feel like you've turned your keyboard into a gamepad that makes clicky sounds – every detail has been considered to make this an optimized and seamless experience," said Demiurge CEO Albert Reed.Demiurge will also host a "Control Scheme Throwdown" at next week's PAX East to resolve some control issues with the non-mouse and keyboard set.%Gallery-150740%
Shoot Many Robots dev holding 'Control Scheme Throwdown' at PAX East
Shoot Many Robots developer Demiurge will host a "Control Scheme Throwdown" at the upcoming PAX East. The throwdown is in response to feedback the studio received, which CEO Al Reed detailed in a blog post, arguing the merits of a twin-stick control scheme for the game over the single-stick method found in the game. In a couple of weeks, the studio will have a special build of the game rigged with both control schemes at the show, with head-to-head competitions of Shoot Many Robots featuring both styles of play.Reed wrote, "To show that we're willing to put our money where our mouth is -- if we end up patching Shoot Many Robots (which is not a certainty in the console world), we will include controller configuration in the patch and we'll set the default to whatever wins at PAX!""Our user-testing failed to capture that some of the people who preferred the twin stick controls loathed the single-stick ones. It's also worth noting that you can't judge twin stick to be better until you've tried it yourself," Reed told Joystiq in a follow-up conversation. "It's one thing to say 'I don't like the controls,' it's another to go so far as to say 'the developer was foolish, this scheme I thought of would be better.'"Well, in a couple weeks, real-world consumer testing will deliver an answer (or simply add more gasoline to the debate). Either way, we hope the game gets patched so both sides can live in harmony and shoot many robots.%Gallery-150740%
Shoot Many Robots boots up launch media
If the title of Shoot Many Robots didn't make it expressly clear what the point of the game is, Demiurge has provided a video and some screens for the game's launch that will help those of you still not catching on. Let us know if you still have any questions.
Mass. Lt. Gov. wants game tax credits tied to job creation
Massachusetts is the fifth largest state for game industry employment in spite of better developer incentives in other states. Nearly 1,300 industry jobs exist in the Commonwealth, but a recent profile of Irrational Games by The Improper Bostonian covers how the state's grip on gaming could slip if it doesn't step up studio stimulus.A bill for game developer incentives has been floating around the Mass. legislature for about a year, but hasn't gained traction with lawmakers. The state currently provides heavy cuts for the movie industry, despite the game industry pumping more cash into local economies."It's ironic," Irrational Games' director of product development Tim Gerritsen said. "If you look at it, where do you want to put your money? We've got 120 permanent employees. They spend all their money here. They pay their rent here. They pay their taxes here. Do you want Dane Cook? He's here for two weeks doing a film, and he's gone.""When you talk about tax incentives, that's less revenue that you're receiving, so I think any kind of incentive would have to be linked to hard commitments from the private sector," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, who is coming off a win by keeping PAX East in Boston until 2023. The convention will also make donations totaling $325,000 over the next 11 years to MassDiGI.The state did lose a major studio last year when former Red Sox player Curt Schilling's 38 Studios moved to neighboring Rhode Island for a $75 million loan. The state isn't likely to lose established studios like Harmonix, Demiurge and Turbine. The problem comes founding or incubating new studios without concessions.
Shoot Many Robots preview: What it says on the tin
Shoot Many Robots reminds me of classic 2D shooter Metal Slug, but with the addition of leveling and upgrade systems. Or it could be like a linear, 2D version of Borderlands -- beyond exhibiting a similar color palette, SMR's constantly popping out XP numbers and loot notices. Or maybe it's more like Contra, given the steady flood of enemies and enormous mini-bosses. Okay, let's just call it a mixture of all those things, melded with its own southern-baked main character -- the gaming equivalent of Zombieland's Tallahassee character. That all makes SMR sound pretty derivative -- which it certainly is, to an extent -- but the game's developers show a ton of heart going into the project. Also, tutus.%Gallery-117003%
The many hats of Demiurge Studios
Shoot Many Robots is Boston-based Demiurge Studios' first original game, and my hands-on with it at GDC was the first time that anyone at the developer ever gave a press demo. Studio head Albert Reed was, unsurprisingly, excited to delve into the studio's origins. "We got our start doing mods for Unreal Tournament. It was me and two other college buddies doing mods in the frickin' computer cluster at Carnegie Mellon. I'm not kidding!" Reed told me before showing off Shoot Many Robots last week. "Then one thing lead to another and those companies that were licensing Unreal Engine started hiring us," Reed added humbly. It turns out that the folks hiring Demiurge were developers like Gearbox Software, Irrational Games, BioWare, and Harmonix. "We did some work on the first level -- the lighthouse and that sort of descent into Rapture," Reed told me, casually explaining that his studio clandestinely assisted with one of gaming's most iconic openings: the beginning of BioShock.
PAX East todo: It's not the Length, it's the Mirth (Game Length Versus Value)
With new forms of distribution for video games come new pricing models. Outlets like Apple's iOS App Store and digital distribution storefronts like Xbox Live Arcade and PSN are challenging the convention of $60 AAA retail titles, and complicating the already peculiar brand of calculus that gamers use when determining "value". Why is $1 okay on iPhone but $6 is too expensive? Why is one ten-hour retail game criticized for being "too short" while others aren't? Why are we so hung up on game length? Join myself and a stellar lineup of panelists as we wrestle with this age-old quandary. Panelists include: Chris Hecker is the sole developer behind SpyParty, the as-yet-undated indie "about human behavior, performance, perception, and deception." Mike Wilford is CEO of Twisted Pixel, the Austin-based developer behind upcoming downloadable titles Ms. Splosion Man and The Gunstringer. Albert Reed is the studio director and co-founder of Cambridge-based Demiurge Studios, which has worked on everything from Mass Effect on PC to Borderlands, and its first original IP, the downloadable Shoot Many Robots. Chris Grant is a writer who works from home in his pajamas. The panel takes place at 4:30pm on Sunday, March 13, in the Wyvern Theatre (on the 2nd floor).
What's in a Name: Demiurge Studios
Albert Reed is the studio director and co-founder of Demiurge Studios, the Boston-based team responsible for the forthcoming Shoot Many Robots and a mess of contract work with Harmonix' Rock Band franchise, Gearbox Studios' Brothers in Arms and Borderlands franchises, and many more. Reed discussed the origin of his studio's name during an interview with us at GDC: "Late night with a thesaurus searching for words that mean 'creativity' and 'innovation.' So the demiurge was -- there's a bunch of different interpretations of it, some of which are sort of ... mean to religions. I don't know. But the one that we originated from was the Greek philosopher Plato needed -- there was no one in the Greek pantheon of Gods who sort of created the Earth, there wasn't much of a creation myth there. So the demiurge was sort of responsible for forming the material world. So the Earth and trees and all that stuff, right? And so since we make worlds inside of video games, that seemed appropriate." Shoot Many Robots is being planned for digital launch later this year on consoles, and currently has no publisher. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name Archives.
Schilling's 38 Studios leaving Massachusetts for Rhode Island
38 Studios is OUT ... of Massachusetts. Curt Schilling's studio, which just announced its first project, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, at Comic-Con last week, is moving from Maynard, Massachusetts to Rhode Island. The state will be giving the development house $75 million in loan guarantees. According to The Boston Globe, the studio is obligated to bring 450 direct jobs to Rhode Island by the end of 2012 or face penalties. Massachusetts is home to several high-profile game developers now, including Harmonix, Turbine and Irrational. Demiurge Studios, which will become the state's largest independent studio once 38 leaves, had the most immediate reaction to the news, sending out an open letter to Curt Schilling. Studio CEO William D. Reed, who was the former director of the greater Boston region for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development wrote, "I can assure you more industry professionals than ever call this great state home. A large number of game-focused graduates and brilliant thinkers come from our local colleges and universities, supplying the talent to meet our industry's growing demand. Our businesses are truly fortunate to grow in such a thriving community." The letter concludes that if "anyone on the talented 38 Studios team" wants to stay in Mass., they're welcome to join Demiurge. Keith Stokes, the executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp., informed the Globe that the state will provide 38 Studios the $75 million in bonds while it adds jobs and meets predetermined milestones. If 38 Studios goes under, RI taxpayers will be left holding the bag.
Green Day: Rock Band releases June 8 worldwide
That's right, folks -- Harmonix has just revealed that Green Day: Rock Band will be available for all come June 8 on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Up to 6 players (3 mics; 3 instruments) will progress through the career of the trio, unlocking collectible images (more than 100, apparently) and some 40 minutes of "rare and unreleased" footage from interviews, outtakes and performances along the way. As alluded to above, GD:RB will also sport the same vocal harmonizing feature that made The Beatles: Rock Band such a delight for mic hogs and comes loaded with 47 Green Day tracks, including "Brain Stew," "Jaded," "Hitchin' a Ride," "American Idiot," "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Oh, and if you're looking to export these tunes, worry not: all 47 tracks are fully exportable to a console hard drive and playable in Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and the recently announced Rock Band 3. The export fee is $9.99 via Xbox Live or PSN. The export features is not available for the Wii system. Additionally, if you've picked up the six Green Day tunes already available as DLC, you can play them in the new game with added harmonies, "unique" visuals and more "exclusive archival material." Green Day: Rock Band will be available as a standalone game for Xbox 360 and PS3 for $59.99, while Wii owners will get a bit of a price break at $49.99. A special edition Green Day: Rock Band Plus will also come to Xbox 360 and PS3 for $69.99 and includes fancy packaging, an "export" feature (we assume, a voucher to export the disc tracks to the hard drive) and the six previously released Green Day DLC tracks. Update: The GameStop pre-order bonus for the standalone game is an export voucher (for Xbox 360 or PS3). Essentially, pre-order GD:RB from GameStop, and you can export all 47 tracks to your console hard drive for free. %Gallery-87997%
Harmonix cooperatively developing Green Day: Rock Band with Demiurge, MK12, others
MTV Games has confirmed that Harmonix is working on Green Day: Rock Band. The reiteration follows the widespread misinterpretation of a Demiurge Studios designer's personal blog post, specifically this line: "Not included in the [VGA] announcement was the fact that Demiurge Studios was working on Green Day: Rock Band." A spokesperson for the publisher told Joystiq in a statement, "Green Day: Rock Band is being developed by Harmonix in partnership with Demiurge, MK12 and others." This is not Demiurge's first time working with Harmonix on Rock Band: the studio had also previously worked on the Rock Band Country Track Pack and the Rock Band Metal Track Pack.
GDC08: Mass Effect PC demo
It was once called an 'Xbox exclusive,' but after one agonizing trip into the bowels of the tedious inventory UI, we knew Mass Effect was destined for a PC makeover. (Oh, what wonders a little mouse can do!) With keyboard in tow, BioWare took us through a short demo of Mass Effect for PC, the studio's first 'EA game,' though grunt work has been passed on to a third party, Demiurge Studios.While of course rig-dependent, Mass Effect PC should display higher resolutions than its console counterpart (a maximum has yet to be determined), with fewer pop-ins, smoother framerates and more seamless loading. Does that mean lifts will operate at expected Space Age speeds? No, not necessarily -- many lift sequences are 'slowed' by intentional dialogue. Oh, and the Mako's still a bizarro Halo reject. At least, controls are now independent of the camera (the 'up' key is always forward).%Gallery-16537%
