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Voice of Dom takes Pacino part in Godfather II
Hey, we just got an email from our close personal friend Carlos Ferro -- oh, you know, the voice of Dom in the Gears of War series? He wanted to drop a line to let us know he'll be filling some very big shoes as Michael Corleone in the Godfather II game, which just got delayed to sometime between April and June of this year.The role of Michael – as even film neophytes among you likely know – brought Al Pacino the first and third of his eight Academy Award nominations. But hey, no pressure, Carlos.
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2008: Dead Space
<< BACK (10) COMMENT NEXT (8) >> Many of us found our hearts eviscerated by Electronic Arts' welcome, if financially maddening, newfound appreciation for original property. And while survival horror is hardly an unexplored genre, it's rare that any company, even a juggernaut like EA, gets everything right the first time. Dead Space nails it, and whether it's an eerie trek through the bowels of a derelict space ship, or surviving being cut to ribbons by aliens, cultists or former co-workers, staying alive has seldom felt as satisfying as it does aboard the USG Ishimura.
Joystiq hands-on: The Godfather II multiplayer
click to enlarge Back when we got our first look at The Godfather II's strategy-infused single player campaign, we wondered how its developers at EA Redwood Shores would translate that experience into the realm of multiplayer. As it turns out, there's strategy involved in the game's 16-player online matches – just of a different (and more familiar) sort.EARS (yeah, it doesn't like that acronym either) began development of the game's online component knowing that it wanted it to be influenced by single player, and vice-versa. So, for starters, you can't play multiplayer until you've recruited at least one soldier in single player. That character can then be used online, leveled up, and will retain his "upgrades" in the single-player game. %Gallery-39728%
Dead Space devs cooking up Dante's Inferno
Electronic Arts may be planning fewer titles next year, but that won't stop EA Redwood Shores from sending players straight to hell. The Dead Space developers have officially announced their next hellish project, dubbed Dante's Inferno.Little is known about the upcoming third-person action title, other than it will be based upon Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. Jonathan Knight, executive producer on Dante's Inferno, simply notes that "the time is right" to adapt the 14th Century literary work into a game, though with Universal tapped to twist the game into a movie, clearly the time is also right to make lots of money. A teaser site and embedded video have also been released, and after playing through Dead Space it seems that we might soon abandon all hope of sleeping through the night.
Dead Space Demo dismembers XBLM
We realize that many of our readers have long since forgotten Halloween -- its memory having been replaced by slavering thoughts of turkey -- but that doesn't mean we have to forget about survival horror. In an effort to remind us -- and perhaps to push a few more copies out the door -- EA has released a demo for Dead Space onto the Xbox Live Marketplace (sorry, Gold members only, for now). The demo is vaguely referred to as a "Dismemberment Demo" and, frankly, we haven't the foggiest idea what that's about. And hey, check this out, thanks to the new online Marketplace at Xbox.com, we can do this:Click here to add the Dead Space demo to your 360 download queue!
Dead Space DLC uses stasis on your wallet
Hey kids, just a quick reminder that a metric ton of DLC for Dead Space has been released to the Xbox Live Marketplace today. What kind of DLC you ask? Well, if some random skins and special suits and upgraded weapons suit your fancy, you're in luck. Actually, let us take that back. You're in luck if you like all those things and you'd like to pay for them. Some of the items are merely skins, while others will net you firearms with extra speed or power or fully upgraded suits. There's also a brand new gun up for download as well.Technically, we suppose these aren't merely downloadable cheats, but they're pretty close. Find a full list of the new content after the break.
And the Dead Space Costume Contest winner is ...
click to embiggen Sam Warman! Congratulations to Mr. Warman who won the votes of our esteemed judges panel with his costume's "surprisingly good detail" -- "that's a lot of stuff!" observed one of the judges on his scoring card. Also, Sam's last name is "War-man," which is totally rad.*Feel free to dispute our choice (to no avail) by selecting your picks from the submissions gallery below. Thanks to everyone who participated! *Legal disclaimer: Winner's last name was not a factor in actual judging. %Gallery-35319%
PS3 Fanboy review: Dead Space
Dead Space is a survival horror title developed by EA's internal Redwood Shores studio, a new IP from a studio with (and I say this with no malice intended) a mediocre pedigree. The odds were stacked against Dead Space being a good game. Instead, it emerges as one of this year's must-have gaming experiences.From the moment Dead Space begins, you're thrust into a highly stylized and great-looking game. The opening cutscene sees you, Isaac Clarke, and your team respond to a distress call from mining vessel USG Ishimura. As the Ishimura comes into view, the light from a nearby sun bounces off it. The use of color is stunning. This is the first of Dead Space's "wow" moments.From the get go, my graphical expectations of the game were raised -- and Dead Space doesn't disappoint. The texture work is excellent, lending to the creepy atmosphere with blood stains and wall scribbles. "Cut off their limbs" and "evacuate this area immediately" appear to be scrawled in blood. The Ishimura is well realized thanks to this level of detail. For example, every door has an LCD ticker above it, telling you the next room's name. Character models look good and move well, with impressive animation throughout. %Gallery-25378%
24 hours to submit your Dead Space costume!
Rome wasn't built in a day, sure, but we're not challenging you to build one of the founding cities of Western Civilization. No, just a headless costume. Are you up to it? Winner takes all ... that stuff* pictured above! Head over to the contest post for full details. *Choice of Dead Space game on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.
Reminder: Design your Dead Space costumes!
What better way to curb your spending during these uncertain times than to win free stuff? No, we're not just handing it out, but if you can show us evidence of your homegrown American work ethic (or deep Canadian resolve), then you, dear generic Joe Six-pack / the Plumber / hockey mom, will have earned yourself a tax break, er, mucho Dead Space loot. Head over to the contest post for full details!
Design a Dead Space costume, get a head!
Final Update: And the Dead Space Costume Contest winner is ...Update: That's it folks! The entry period is over. Thanks for participating!They say in space, no one can hear you scream. Luckily, here on earth, they'll hear you loud and clear if you win this cache of Dead Space goodies. But this is no ordinary Joyswag giveaway, folks. Oh no, you're gonna have to work for this one. You're finally being called upon to put those hard-earned hours in front of Project Runway to the test!Here's the deal: You design the winning costume, send us a JPEG, and we'll give you the head. In this case, 1 of only 8 fully modeled, handmade Dead Space helmets created for EA (embiggened view). You'll also receive the Dead Space game (PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 version -- your choice) plus game guide, Downfall (the animated prequel), the graphic novel, and art book (with 3-D glasses!). (Approximate value of prize is $600.) So bust out the scissors, sewing machine, gorilla glue, severed limbs, duct tape, and whatever else you can scrounge up ... and remember, take some risks! (Read: We don't want a thousand pictures of you all wrapped in tin foil.) Have fun!Update: To answer some of your questions, yes, the costume can be totally original (or based on the game's design) -- either way, it should complement the helmet. It's like Voltron: you form the body, we form the head. So, the costume must be fully realized (not a drawing, painting, proposal in comments, etc.). Consider your Halloween dilemma solved!
Joystiq hands-on: The beginning of Dead Space (PS3)
click to embiggen As one of the most anticipated titles of the year, Dead Space is enjoying quite the moment in the sun. Releasing next week for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and later in the month on PC, we had a chance to go hands on with a near-final build of the PlayStation 3 version at the Sony Holiday event in Toronto, Canada. Having experienced the game with a plethora of weapons and abilities at PAX in Seattle, how does the game compare to the beginning where resources are limited? Jump in for our analysis.%Gallery-23118%
Dead Space scores 91% in first review
Buhbuhbuh it's EA, Joystiq! Though we'll save our most obnoxious we-told-you-sos for the more comprehensive metareview ... we did tell you so. Our E3 Game of Show has scooped up its first (and hopefully not last) set of review accolades, scoring 91% in the pages of Xbox World 360. The review reportedly suggests that EA could teach Capcom "a thing or three about survival horror," with Dead Space boasting ferocious foes that make others in the genre seem "decidedly average." Oh, but there is one thing that worries us: the game's "film-worthy" script. Have they not been to the cinema recently? With rare exception, a poorly formatted paragraph describing a pair of voluptious breasts ramping a Porsche over an explosion would have to be dumbed down by a script doctor. Too arty.[Via X3F and Twitter, which apparently works in outer space]
Dead Space dev to be re-branded, develop more titles
Quick question hotshot. Who is currently developing Dead Space? Electronic Arts isn't the right answer, they're publishing it. To those who know (or have returned from Wikipedia) congratulations if you said EA Redwood Shores. EARS, as they are affectionately known around the office, has continuously impressed industry professionals, horror masters and gamers alike and EA has seen fit to give them a proper name, reports Variety. Glenn Schofield, the head-honcho of EARS, revealed EA's plan to rename the studio is part of an over-arching plan to pitch the developer to gamers and potential employees as one of "creativity, originality, and high quality third person action adventure titles". What does that mean exactly? Well, after the inevitable Dead Space sequel the team may become EA's go-to studio for all things third-person action. Take that EA Montreal and your buggy Army of Two![via Joystiq]
Dead Space team to get a new name, make more games
With all of the excitement surrounding its forthcoming horror title, the Dead Space team must be quite happy to be known as ... the Dead Space team. That is, until it wants to make something else. That's probably one of the reasons for, as Variety reports, the EARS (EA Redwood Shores) team being "re-branded" as something niftier-sounding in the near future (EYES?).EARS (yep, that has got to go) studio head, Glenn Schofield, says that the name change is part of an over-arching plan to pitch the team to gamers and new hires as one of "creativity, originality, and high quality third person action adventure titles" (our emphasis). So, while it may create another all-new IP after the probable inevitable Dead Space 2, it certainly sounds like the studio has decided on its most favoritest genre, henceforth to be known as the "3PAA" ... at least by us.
Dead Space banned in Japan, Germany, and China
We were contacted by EA late last week about the recent expedition of the Dead Space release date and, somehow, we failed to notice that the email also confirmed that Dead Space has been banned in Japan, German, and China. According to the email, "Dead Space was banned from being sold (yes outright banned, this time I'm correct) in Japan, Germany, and China!" So, there you have it kids, it's not a rumor at all (though that matter is apparently in dispute). The email makes no mention of the reason for the ban, though we imagine it has something to do with the amount of gore and violence present in Dead Space. X3F has contacted EA to find out if the company will make changes to the game in order to sell it in the aforementioned regions.
Dead Space Zero-G dev diary is disorienting
In the latest Dead Space developer diary, the developers at EA talk about the implementation of zero gravity environments. According to the video, "at least 20%" of Dead Space takes place in zero gravity. In zero gravity players use magnetic boots that allow Isaac, the game's protagonist, to stick to different surfaces. Players can also launch themselves to -- and subsequently walk on -- other surfaces in a room.The developers mention that part of the game's challenge is becoming reoriented to your surroundings in zero gravity. As "the floor maybe become the ceiling, and the ceiling the floor," players need to reorient themselves quickly in order to deal with enemies. One last thing: in complete vacuums (where sound does not travel) players will only be able to hear the sounds of Isaac's breathing and heartbeat. Creepy.
Dead Space engine being primed as middleware tool
The development team working on Dead Space is hoping its engine becomes a new middleware tool in the vein of Unreal Engine and id Tech. Speaking with Gameplayer, Executive Producer Glen Schofield said the company is in the process of working with lawyers to figure out the legalese for officially naming the engine, which was originally used for The Godfather and From Russia with Love. It's unclear if the intention is to use the engine in-house for EA or market it to other developers for licensing, although according to the article Schofield cited the success of Unreal Engine 3 and how other studios have contributed to its success by adding more technology. Dead Space's engine, which we'd suggest be called simply "Dead Engine," is currently being used for Godfather 2. Dead Space will try to administer a dose of the heebie jeebies (to most places) on October 14.
Dead Space NA release bumped up to Oct. 14
At this rate, Dead Space will be coming out tomorrow. Clearly taking note of the immense terror and confusion imparted by its decision to release Dead Space earlier than expected, EA has announced that the outer space corridor creeper has been moved forward a week ... again! That's like, the opposite of a delay. You can now catch the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions in North American stores on October 14th (PC guys are still on for the 20th). That is, if you're confident enough to leave the house, knowing that the world has become a very sick and unusual place.
Godfather 2 detailed -- less GTA; more RPG, RTS, board game
Xbox World 360 magazine brings forth details of EA's forthcoming Godfather 2 game – helpfully extracted by sister-publication CVG – describing the sequel as "Scarface meets Total War." To further contextualize that pairing, the game is dropping some of that GTA-clone vibe in favor of the far less popular "sandbox game with RPG, RTS and erm, board game elements"-vibe.If the game isn't content straddling just one game type, why should locales be any different? Following the plot of its cinematic namesake, Godfather 2 jet-sets from Miami to Havana to New York City. Want more numbers? The game packs six character classes – "bruiser, demolitions expert, arsonist, medic, safe cracker and engineer" – and each character can have one of twelve different "personalities." Here's some simple back-of-the-box math for y'all: six character classes times twelve personalities equals an amazing 72 playable characters (except not really). Other features include "Don's View" (that's where the RTS magic comes in) and a perks system (thanks, board games!). No word on multiplayer, but EA's just getting this hype machine started before the game's ought-nine release. Give 'em time.
