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All the World's a Stage: Magical table, magical screen
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.As with many other people, my first experience of roleplaying was with a "tabletop" roleplaying game in high school. The older kids introduced me to Vampire: The Masquerade, and although I wasn't enthralled by the whole "bloodsucking" thing, I quickly realized that the basic activity was lots of fun, and I ended up starting my own roleplaying group with Earthdawn, a more traditional (yet surprisingly original) fantasy setting. Those games were my some of my happiest memories from high school.In college I couldn't find many people who were interested in playing with me, and when I came to live and work in China after graduating in 2000, I thought that my roleplaying days were over for sure. You may imagine my surprise when in late 2007, I came across another foreigner here in Nanjing, discussing Dungeons and Dragons with his Chinese wife in one of my favorite restaurants. It turns out he needed another player for the group he has going here, and although his wife wasn't interested, I happened to appear, ready and eager to join up.Originally I had thought that WoW would be the only way I could continue roleplaying while living in the far East, but starting to get back into my old hobby has given me a chance to see more clearly what the differences are between tabletop roleplaying and roleplaying in a game like WoW. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and different people have their preferences. Both have a special value which is mainly derived from connecting creatively with other people.
New Battlefield Heroes trailer hits the beach
When last we heard, there was no other information about the upcoming casual MMO Battlefield Heroes other than 'It's in development'. Well, now we have more -- a lot more.According to the trailer, BH is completely free to download and play, features full leveling of your character, a matching service that ensures that you only play against others of your level, an overarching 'metagame' to measure your progress against, and it's still slated for a Summer release.It's worth checking out the website for the developer blog, as anyone who's interested in how a game like this comes together will find items of interest both now and going forward. Perhaps our earlier question about whether or not the WWII setting will feel limiting is mitigated by the fact that for all intents and purposes, you'll be playing an olive drab colored online version of Mario Kart. [Via Joystiq]
Video: Buildings go BOOM! in Bad Company
Yesterday, we made mention of new Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer details and embedded some (super knife!) gameplay footage. We were also quite open about how promising Bad Company is with its solid visuals and destructible environments. So, when we came across the new'ish video above, we figured we'd share. The video shows off the game's destructible everything, including trees, walls, buildings and fences. You'll also see bunch of "love 'em or hate 'em" duffel bags popping out of dead bodies. That'll take a bit of getting used to. Also, we recommend watching the video through the end, because there's some explosive goodness in the final thirty seconds. Boomer go boom!
GDC08: First screenshots of Mirror's Edge
click to embiggen At the EA DICE event during GDC last week (the same one where we saw Battlefield Heroes and Bad Company), we had a chance to watch a trailer and a one-level walkthrough of Mirror's Edge, a stylistic first-person game reminiscent of both Parkour and the Bourne movies. DICE went for a more realistic perspective by slightly tilting the camera back and forth depending on how fast you move. The level we saw had the character jumping over fences, sliding under pipes and traversing through and over buildings like a crack-addicted monkey looking for its next fix. Items and platforms turn red while you run to provide context clues for what you can use to keep your momentum going and move forward (e.g. a swinging rope you can grab jumping off of the side of a building).As for combat, it seems the point of the game is rather nonviolent; when our hero did steal a gun from an opponent, she quickly disassembled it and kept running. The game looks promising, but we can't help but wonder how it would have looked if they used the same camera/blur effects and moved the camera back to third person.%Gallery-17126%
See the Battlefield Heroes debut trailer
We saw this trailer for Battlefield Heroes at an a EA/DICE party during GDC and it was enough to get us really, really excited for the game. Trust us on this one. As much fun as this looks in the video, it looks twice as good when you actually see it in action.After seeing the trailer (and the reaction from the hardened, cynical journalists at the shindig) it was pretty much understood amongst the Joystiq crew that Battlefield Heroes was going to be "a thing." Do you and your friends have a similar understanding yet? Is this trailer not enough to put you over the edge? Have you no soul?%Gallery-17121%
GDC08: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer demo'd
Click to embiggen EA hosted a special DICE event at GDC last week, showing off the various titles the Swedish developer has in the works. The first embargo to up and die covered the recently delayed Battlefield: Bad Company and, since we couldn't spend as much time as we'd have liked with the title, we've gathered videos and previews from some other outlets for you to enjoy. We do have some pictures of the swank event, hosted at San Francisco's Vessel Lounge, for you to peruse but let's jump right into the game, shall we? %Gallery-17120%Read – Battlefield: Bad Company Multiplayer Hands-On (GameSpot)Read – Battlefield: Bad Company Preview (IGN)
Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer preview
Since being bit by the delay bug, Battlefield: Bad Company has been flying under the radar, but recently developer DICE felt confident enough to show off the game's multiplayer and it actually impresses. IGN posted a nice writeup of their first Bad Company multiplayer experience and are pleased to report that the framerate, textures and overall look of the game has drastically improved since their single player play session last year. The extra polish looks to have paid off. Their hands on time consisted of a 16 player versus multiplayer match in a map called "Ascension" (no, not that Ascension) where the goal was to lay waste to the other team all while destroying their heavily secured gold stash. The graphics are sharp, the gameplay was solid enough, the destructible environments lived up to their name and IGN walked away satisfied and hopeful. And from their positive praise (and videos like the one above) we're, oddly enough, impressed as well. Make the jump to read their complete multiplayer writeup as well as their preview of a yet to be played campaign mission. B-company out.
Details on the WoW Minis game
WoW Insider has obtained a copy of the "sell sheet" sent to distributors about the upcoming WoW minis game, and it contains information about pricing, pack size, and even some hints at a release date. var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/WoW_Insider_obtains_details_on_the_upcoming_WoW_Minis_game'; Basically, the minis will become available in three different ways: there will be the core booster sets, which will contain three minis of the same Horde or Alliance faction, plus three character cards and six ability cards, and will have a suggested retail price (SRP) of $14.99 per booster. Additionally, each booster will have a chance to include an ingame Loot Card, supposedly from the Trading Card Game (there is no word if there will be loot cards specifically for the minis game), and a 1/8 chance to have an "epic" character.More info on the starter sets, including the full text of the "sell sheet," after the break.
Blizzard wins the Oscars of online games
As Oscar time gets closer, some of us gamers may start wishing for awards of our own. Mass Effect was at least as good as There Will Be Blood, right? Luckily, on February 7th, we gamers got our own red carpet show, as The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences hosted the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards in conjunction with the DICE Summit at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Blizzard, of course, managed to snag a few rewards of their own. Not only did the Burning Crusade pick up Massively Multi-player Game of the Year, but Blizzard President Mike Morhaime was inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame.Gamespot had video coverage of the event, which you can check out here, or if you'd rather just cut to the meaty stuff, the Academy's website has a PDF with a list of the winners here. You can also check out some wider commentary on all the awards from our friends at Joystiq here. We'll expect trophies for Wrath of the Lich King and Starcraft II next year!
Factor 5 Wii engine 'does everything the PS3 did, and then some'
We first heard about Factor 5's Wii project about a month ago, and with DICE 08 comes some new details about the title. IGN spoke with Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht about the game, and learned a bit about the impressive engine being built, which Eggebrecht claims rivals their work on the PS3.According to Eggebrecht, the engine for the Wii title is nearly complete and, according to him, "does everything the PS3 did, and then some, quite frankly." The title is described as being technically impressive, pushing the Wii hardware further than most will expect it to go. Though further details are scant, Eggebrecht does emphasize Factor 5's focus on the controls, specifically the Wii remote's ability to act as a pointing device. We'll have to wait and see how the Wii title will manage to outdo Factor 5's PS3 development (insert snide remark about Lair's abysmal critical reception).
Banjo Kazooie 3 coming late 2008
In addition to chatting about Alan Wake and the Marvel MMO cancellation, Microsoft Games Studio head Shane Kim revealed to MTV's Stephen Totilo at last week's DICE summit that Rare's Banjo Kazooie 3 is slated for a 2008 release. Said Kim, "I'm super-excited about what they're doing with Banjo' I think Banjo is going to be a big hit for us this holiday."Kim also noted that Rare may go back to developing M-rated games as well as continue along the family-friendly route we've seen for the past few years. Last we heard, Rare was working on a vision cam-supported collection of party games dubbed The Fast and the Furriest for Xbox Live Arcade. With little to no information on Banjo 3, we're hoping next week's GDC will have more revelations.
DICE 08: Shane Kim talks Marvel MMO cancellation, Alan Wake
Shane Kim has been getting a lot of coverage at this year's DICE summit, and it's not just because he's got a thousand-watt smile that lights up a room. Microsoft has been pretty cagey about 2008 so far, and it seems like, thanks to Kim's hinting, the first details of a schedule for the year are just starting to solidify. If you want to know where your favorite upcoming title stands, look no further than MTV's comprehensive interview with Kim on all of the company's big 08/09 guns.Besides hearing about how great Fable 2 is going to be (answer: very) we were especially intrigued by Kim's reluctance to pin down Alan Wake as a 2008 title. Also, though we were disappointed by the cancellation of the Marvel MMO, we have to admit we agree with the reasoning: In short, Microsoft noticed the dozens of subscription-based MMO carcasses that littered the road and decided that, perhaps, advancement was unwise. We heartily concur.
GameStop to label Interactive Achievement Award winners
Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences president Joseph Olin has recently announced a unique partnership with American games retailer GameStop. Following the 2008 Interactive Achievement Awards held alongside DICE, GameStop and AIAS will work together to place labels on winning titles, raising awareness of the awards, as well as raising sales of the games.At GameStop locations, copies of games like Call of Duty 4, Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy, and The Orange Box will bear labels informing consumers of the categories in which they won at the Interactive Achievement Awards. Rock Band, for instance, will be labeled for "Outstanding Innovation in Gaming" as well as "Family Game of the Year."Admittedly, a lot of the winning games certainly don't need any help moving copies on shelves, but the recognition will help to further legitimize the Interactive Achievement Awards. Check out our coverage of the awards to see a full list of games which will bear the AIAS label.
More Blizzard news from the D.I.C.E. summit
Wired's games blog brings us more news from D.I.C.E., with word of a "never before seen" presentation about Blizzard's canceled games over the years. Some of the games were later released by other companies, but others... Well, if you can remember anything about them, you may be a true Blizzard fan, and we'd have to kneel in homage to you.But really, some of the games sounded pretty awesome by the title alone. Around Blizzard these days, Nomad refers to a new human unit from the upcoming Starcraft II, but it seems at the presentation in question, it was on the list of canceled games accompanied by a picture of two giant Zeppelins. And we, of course, are all about the Zeppelins, so the game would have obviously been cool, if it had Zeppelins. Starcraft:Ghost, amazingly enough, didn't make the list of games, which brings up the question of whether there's still plans to resurrect it - or if Blizzard, like Wired's blogger suggests, just wants to forget about it altogether. Finally, no list of canceled Blizzard games would be complete without a reference to Warcraft Adventures. I was always disappointed that this one got canceled, being a big fan of the old adventure games, and it looks like I even have allies at Blizzard on this point. But the WoW team seems to like to fit the game's story in wherever they can, so it wasn't all in vain, right?
WoW: The Burning Crusade wins MMO of the year from the AIAS
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has placed another feather in the positively avian cap of Blizzard's World of Warcraft. A final list of the nominees and winners from AIAS' 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards has been released, and of the five shortlisted games in the Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year category, it is the WoW expansion in particular, The Burning Crusade, that took the top honor (as Mike Schramm predicted when the nominations were first announced). Blizzard executives also gave speeches on the strategies behind their success -- unrelated to the award -- at the D.I.C.E. Summit, where the awards took place.There were four other MMOs that deserve a mention for being nominated, and these are a mix of new titles and expansions. In no particular order, they are: EVE Online: Trinity, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, and Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa. The Overall Game of the Year went to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and you can check out a discussion of this, and some of the other AIAS' gaming awards outside of the MMO focus, at Joystiq.
DICE 08: Riccitiello warns against consolidation, says EA 'blew it'
EA CEO John Riccitiello took the stage during the final day of DICE to preach a doctrine of, well, basically: the exact opposite of everything EA has been doing for the past 15 years. In late 1992, EA gobbled up Origin, and then it was Bullfrog in '95, followed by Westwood in '98, and so and so forth, leading right up to the acquisition of BioWare and Pandemic Studios last October. "We at EA blew it," said Riccitiello, speaking to the woeful fates of those early, and once top-tier developers after they became part of the EA 'family.' Lesson learned, apparently.Riccitiello highlighted "creative failure" as the most telling outcome of consolidation (Hello Activision!) and urged the industry to follow examples set by studios like Rockstar, Valve and Blizzard, who have succeeded by remaining autonomous within the corporate umbrella (Riccitiello used the analogy of "city-states"). Overall, Riccitiello's was a promising message of awareness and change from EA -- at the least, reassurance that BioWare will never be relegated to Madden duty under his watch.
DICE Summit <3 Ken Kutaragi, father of PlayStation
From Crackle: Ken Kutaragi Honored at D.I.C.E. We love you Ken Kutaragi, or as we like to you call you, Crazy Ken. You were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at DICE, and this video explains your incredible accomplishments. Called the "father" of PlayStation, Kutaragi is responsible for redefining what games are meant to be -- away from their "toy" moniker into something more mainstream. PS3 is the culmination of his vision, and we'd be out of a job without you. So thanks.
DICE 08: Microsoft owns Crackdown IP, sequel an 'option'
Despite the dynamic pairing of good sales and majority acclaim for Crackdown, Shane Kim grew cagey when questioned about the status of a sequel at DICE, during an interview with Game|Life. "I don't really want to talk about that discussion," said Kim when asked to comment on reports that Realtime Worlds would not develop a sequel to last year's successful super-cop sandbox shooter. What Kim did clarify is that Microsoft owns the Crackdown IP and is free to pursue development of a sequel with a new studio. "I think that customers would like to see more in that space," Kim vaguely noted, "So that's an option for us."
DICE 08: Shane Kim Q&A from AAA to Xboy
In a lengthy and comprehensive Q&A conducted by New York Time's games journo Seth Schiesel with Microsoft Game Studios' veep Shane Kim at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas, the two go a couple rounds hitting on everything from big AAA titles like Halo, to ActiBlizzion, to the departure of the Bs (Bungie, Bizarre, BioWare), all the way over to the long-rumored (and so far totally fictitious) Xboy.Gamasutra was there to detail all the good bits in a lengthy writeup that we'd be doing you a total disservice by trying to condense. Check it: digital downloads, Vista-only PC games, console war winners, third-party sales, mass-market appeal, Grand Theft Auto IV, console lifespan, PS3 growth in Europe ... ... phew. See? Comprehensive.
Call of Duty 4 dubbed game of the year at Interactive Achievement Awards
Despite nabbing 12 nominations for the (deep breath) Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, BioShock was bested in the Overall Game of the Year category by cinematic tour de force, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Both games were awarded four, err, awards at this year's event, held alongside D.I.C.E. at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Orange Box's Portal made off with some shiny statuettes, as did fake instrument extravaganza, Rock Band. Super Mario Galaxy was deemed the best "adventure" game in absence of a "platformer" category (a sad commentary in itself), while Assassin's Creed got a hearty stab pat on the back for its fancy animation. The complete list of winners can be found after the break -- a list of whiners is sure to follow shortly.Read [PDF link]
