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Shadowrun boxart, release in early June?
Com Raven, over at the Shadowrun forums came across the boxart for Shadowrun at EBgames, albeit for the PC version. It looks pretty nice and has some cool action in the foreground and background. The RNA teleporting Human weilds a Katana with a Troll with Glider in tow (commonly referred to as a "floating tank"). The Lineage Troll and Human return fire with a minigun and rifle, respectively. Also worth noting is that the Pre-Release is listed as shipping on the 29th of May, so perhaps Shadowrun is due in early June? Full resolution boxart also available for your scrutiny.[Thanks, Com Raven]
Shadowrun Beta NDA lifted
Over the past 4 months, beta testers for Shadowrun have had to acknowledge the NDA and keep tight lipped about the goings on in the game. Today, FASA officially lifted the NDA, and testers are allowed to speak freely about their experiences in the game. FASA reminds us that the beta does not use final art, and to consult their screenshots to get an idea of how the game will look. Also, the gameplay is constantly being tweaked and balanced, including feedback from the testers themselves having a prominent effect. For example, before the patch when it was just Elves and Humans with a portion of the Tech and Magic, the shotgun was not that effective. After the patch added all the remaining tech, magic and races, FASA also changed the balance of the weapons, giving the shotgun a significant boost in power. Some think it's been given too much power and that it's effectiveness at range should be reduced. When running into FASA devs online, as they do play the beta frequently, they've said that the shotgun's current stats aren't final, though they are closer than in the initial build. Another example would be that in the beta, Humans take a smaller penalty to their available essence than any other race for the tech they equip. It's been confirmed that there will be no penalty to their essence for any tech equipped, which will drastically change the balance of the game between now and June. In any case, should any extraordinary occurrences take place in the beta, our blogging testers will definitely keep you up to date.
Is FASA closing its doors?
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Shadowrun_studio_closing_its_doors'; With all the hype Microsoft is trying to generate around Shadowrun, you'd think team morale at FASA would be riding high. A thread on the official Shadowrun forums would seem to indicate otherwise. A poster by the name of Boomstick, claiming to be an employee of FASA, has declared that FASA is shutting its doors. Boomstick notes that FASA has serious human resource problems and poor management, mentioning several names in the process. He adds that Shadowrun brings nothing new to the FPS genre and is graphically subpar. While we (almost) see his point about the game's graphics, we know from personal experience that Shadowrun has plenty to offer hardcore FPS fans.Naturally, we questioned Boomstick's identity as an employee, but a post by FASA's lead program manager gives him validity. The lead program manager, whose user name is Kimona, stated that many of FASA's workers may choose to leave at the end of the Shadowrun project, noting that this kind of turnover is normal and even healthy. Furthermore, Kimona states that FASA's contingent staff is required to take a mandatory "break" after working for a certain amount of time. Kimona closes the statement saying that Boomstick's personal attacks (in a public space no less) are inappropriate.Is there a real problem at FASA, or are these simply the ramblings of one disgruntled employee?[Thanks, Lorul2]
No custom game types in Shadowrun
In an interview with GameSpot, FASA's Bill Fulton revealed that Shadowrun will not support custom game types for multiplayer. In other words, players will only be able to play the three specific game types that ship with Shadowrun when it launches this June. Fulton told GameSpot that FASA decided not to have custom game types because it caused player confusion. In his words: "we don't support playing public multiplayer games with custom modes. It often just leads to awkward situations where you join a game playing something weird that you don't want to play." We're not really sure we follow Fulton's reasoning, as custom games are typically limited to friends only. At any rate, Fulton goes on to say that there is nothing that prevents players from agreeing to certain "house rules," but Shadowrun contains no hard code to support them.So, if you want to play nothing but snipers and katanas, you'll have to rely on the honor system. Does this development affect your anticipation of Shadowrun?[Via Shadowrun the Blog]
Shadowrun beta invites sent out
It's time for Shadowrun fans to get pumped up, because a new batch of beta invites have been sent out! Yesterday, Microsoft notified lucky Xbox Live members that they were in the beta by sending out invite codes via email. So, if you haven't received one yet then Microsoft didn't think you were cool enough. For those of you lucky enough to get in the Shadowrun beta all you have to do is download the 888MBs and start playing. And a big thank you goes out to all the fanboys who flooded our inbox with this tip. It's awesome to see such eloquent use of the tips form and excitement for the beta ... you guys rock! Quit reading already, check your email, and get online to play some Shadowrun![Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Shadowrun in June, PC Live features revealed
Tucked away inside Microsoft's latest Windows Live press release is the official release month for Shadowrun. EGM speculated that the game would see release in April, but the press release reveals that the official month is June. We would have preferred to rock some Shadowrun a little earlier, but at least this gives us something to play over the summer.The press release also reveals that the Windows Vista release of Halo 2 will be May 8th. In addition, the press release outlines what PC users can expect from Windows Live. Silver members can utilize Gamertags, voice chat, gamerscore, single player achievements, friends lists, and PC only multiplayer. Gold membership grants access to matchmaking, TrueSkill matchmaking, multiplayer achievements, and cross-platform gameplay. Full press release after the break.
FASA wants you for Shadowrun LAN test
Microsoft and FASA Studios want you to test Shadowrun at their Redmond campus, that is if you are a l33t gamer. FASA is testing out some Shadowrun LAN style this Saturday, March 17th and needs some testers. The requirements for this four hour LAN session are that you need to be 18 years of age or older, live near the Redmond area, and either ranked in a major PC/console tournament or have a rank of 32+ in Halo 2. If you feel you are more than qualified then head over to the official forums for details on how to sign up. How freakin' cool is that? Being invited to the Redmond campus to play some Shadowrun with other competitive gamers in a LAN setting ... can you say sweetness? We only hope the few lucky gamers will be treated like royalty and showered with finest sodas and munchies Microsoft can buy.[Thanks, Eric]
EGM: Shadowrun releases in April
The never sleeping spies at EGM report that Shadowrun will release next month. This comes as a bit of a surprise, especially considering that FASA would only say "spring" when we inquired about a release date last week at GDC. Of course, if the latest EGM is right, we certainly aren't going to complain. We enjoyed our time with the game at GDC and are looking forward to taking on the real thing. Anyone planning on picking Shadowrun up if it launches next month?
FASA sheds light on Shadowrun's offline experience
Eurogamer sat down with Mitch Gitelman and went over some Shadowrun details. First off, Mitch clarifies that in terms of the solitary experience, there are six training sessions that players can play, after each of which there is a skirmish match against bots for you to test out the related game mechanics from that lesson. On top of that, you can play matches against bots on any gametype in any arena to practice strategy and learn the maps. So while there may not be any split screen, you still can play offline against bots who are perfectly capable of using the tech and magic effectively. They'll resurrect you if you die, teleport to flank enemies, and call out enemy positions using Enhanced Vision and Situational Awareness. The interview also has details about the online experience, confirming that there won't be ranked matches. Although, we now know they are using the TrueSkill equation for matchmaking purposes, but not showing players what that ranking is. Expect a hands-on report from Richard down at GDC soon.
Shadowrun PC cross-platform requires Live Gold
In the latest Shadowrun trailer, there is a little snippet that you Games for Windows users may want to pay attention to. We all know that to play Shadowrun's Xbox 360 version online, you're going to need an Xbox Live Gold account. Likewise, to play Shadowrun cross-platform on Vista, you're going to need a Gold Live account for Windows. At this point, there hasn't been any pricing announced with regards to Gold Live accounts on Vista, so there's no telling what may be the better deal. Also, given that they explicitly state "cross platform", that may mean that PC only servers may be playable with Silver Live accounts and will be free of charge. Interesting food for thought. Do any of you plan on playing Shadowrun on your PC?[Via Joystiq]
Shadowrun questions answered
There's a canned Shadowrun Q&A floating around that details some of the game's lauded features. First of all, the question and answer session explains Live Anywhere and how it works on a PC. Essentially, it's exactly the same as it is on Xbox 360. Playing on Vista, players will have access to voice chat, friends lists, gamerscore, acheivements, and (eventually) Marketplace. The rest of the interview reads more or less like a laundry list to propagate the game's bullet points. For example, the controller vs. mouse debate is covered, with FASA studio manager, Mitch Gitelman, who notes that the game was designed for both from the ground up. Gitelman says that approximately half the testing team are Counter-Strike players and the other half are Halo players, and none complain about unfair advantages. While mouse players may have an aiming advantage, they can still be outclassed by players with a better grasp on magic and techniques. Finally, the game supports 16 players online and should ship with 8-10 maps. Hit the "read" link for the Q&A.In related news, the official Shadowrun website should post a new trailer some time today. We'll keep you posted.
Games for Windows Vista: how the new brand & OS will change PC gaming [update 1]
We recently sat down with Games for Windows (GFW) Marketing Director Kevin Unangst and PR Manager Michael Wolf for a brief pre-launch tour of gaming on Vista. Admittedly, the implementation hasn't changed much since we first previewed Vista nearly a year ago. Even so, from a GUI-perspective, Vista features a user-friendly central location for cataloging, accessing, and tweaking (settings, parental controls, updating, etc.) GFW-branded games -- non-GFW games won't necessarily be excluded, but they won't feature many of the required functionalities built into the branded titles.Games for Windows is still very much a vision. The first priority, a retail initiative, is currently underway. By employing marketing strategies used by console makers, namely platform-branding, Microsoft hopes that PC gaming (under the 'Games for Windows' banner) will become less intimidating to mainstream consumers -- no longer will the PC games isle be a cluttered mess of disparate titles. Computer Gaming World was also renamed as Games For Windows to help drive Microsoft's new brand. Aside from retail consolidation, this branding will ensure certain requirements are met by games' publishers. To earn the GFW brand, a title must comply with certain Microsoft-tested specifications, including widescreen support, compatibility with the Xbox 360 controller, parental control features, and simple installation. GFW games will also begin to carry a system rating, based on a 5-point scale. Vista will assess the value of your PC's gaming abilities and assign a rating (or "WinSAT"), say 4.5. You can then weigh that rating against a game's recommended rating (example: 5.0) and its required rating (example: 3.5) before purchasing. Update: The scale will begin at five points, but is designed to grow as newer technologies enter the market.
Shadowrun forgoes TrueSkill for 'party' play, Epic told the truth [update 1]
Shadowrun will use a friend-linking party system for ranked matches, yes, but developer FASA had to forgo the use of Microsoft's TrueSkill matchmaking system to implement the feature. In fact, according to Knuckles Dawson who had a chance to play Shadowrun, FASA has built its own matchmaking system from scratch. Microsoft's TrueSkill system does not allow friends to play together in ranked matches -- the explanation Epic used in its own defense.It's hard to knock Epic for opting to go with TrueSkill. Heck, the system was already in place, and there were seemingly more important areas of development to focus resources on -- and Epic succeeded with an exceptional title. But there's no denying that the Xbox Live community has been upset with how the limitations of TrueSkill affect Gears of War. Epic is certainly considering these opinions, and it wouldn't be too far-fetched to predict that a future update will replace TrueSkill with an Epic-designed matchmaking system that supports parties.[Update: We incorrectly identified Knuckles Dawson as an employee of Shadowrun developer FASA when he is in fact an echidna an avid Xbox Live player invited by the FASA team to test out their title. The post has been amended.]
More Shadowrun, no TrueSkill matchmaking
We reported yesterday that Shadowrun will feature a party based matchmaking system, flying in the face of Epic's claims that Microsoft does not allow the feature. It looks like we might owe Epic an apology. 360Arcadians revealed in an interview with Knuckles Dawson, who had a chance to actually play Shadowrun, that the game will not use TrueSkill. TrueSkill is Microsoft's in house matchmaking system, and according to Knuckles, it was tossed by FASA -- creators of Shadowrun -- because it does not allow friends in ranked matches. FASA has opted instead to use their own matchmaking system. Gears of War uses TrueSkill, so it looks like Epic's reasoning for not including a party system is valid after all. The interview also contains lots of information about Shadowrun. If you're interested in Shadowrun, you should definitely give it a listen.
Shadowrun has online party system, further damages Epic's claim [update 1]
Xbox 360 Fanboy has done us the good service of plucking the juicy details out of Major Nelson's recent blogcast featuring Shadowrun Lead Designer John Howard. What we learn is that the development team is implementing a friend-linking party system for its online Live Anywhere launch title. It's about time. No studio has attempted this since Bungie debuted its 'Party System' in Halo 2 (back in 2004).Epic would have you believe that the lack of support for party systems is Microsoft's doing. But with Halo 3 and Shadowrun both confirmed to support this feature, Epic's excuse isn't holding up. Our guess is that a Gears of War team-play patch for ranked games (and maybe an apology) is definitely in the works.Update: Shadowrun forgoes TrueSkill for 'party' play, Epic told the truth
Shadowrun will have party based Live play
Shadowrun, Microsoft's Live Anywhere launch title, is coming along nicely, according to Lead Designer, John Howard. Howard is interviewed in the latest episode of Major Nelson's blogcast and speaks at length about his job and the development of Shadowrun. A few choice bits of information are revealed, chief among them is that Shadowrun will feature a party based online system similar to Halo 2. What this means is that friends will be able to form a party online and face other players as a team. Many of you will remember that Gears of War has been criticized for lacking such a system. With Shadowrun now including a party system, Epic's excuse for excluding the feature -- essentially, "Microsoft made us do it" -- is getting flimsier all the time. Howard also speaks to the age old debate of mouse vs. controller, stating that the issue doesn't even come up during Shadowrun play tests. He goes on to say that the controls were designed for the 360 first, which may explain how well they work. In fact, he says that many testers actually prefer the gamepad to a keyboard and mouse combo. Head over to Major Nelson to hear the whole interview. And, don't forget to sign up for the Shadowrun beta if you're interested.
Shadowrun public beta: testers wanted
FASA has begun registering participants for a public beta testing of its eventual cross-platform ('Live Anywhere') FPS Shadowrun. The beta is scheduled to begin by mid-December and will run through March 2007. Testing applies to the Xbox 360 version only (sorry, no early access to Vista for you). You have to be a US-based Xbox Live Gold member to participate. Anyone still interested, read on for registration details...[Via Press Release]
Sign up for the Shadowrun beta
Microsoft and FASA Studio have officially announced the Shadowrun beta program. Shadowrun, you may recall, is the launch vehicle for Microsoft's Live Anywhere service, allowing gamers on both PC and Xbox 360 to compete with each other. An FPS that combines both technology and magic, Shadowrun looks to bring something different to the shooter genre -- and answer the age old keyboard and mouse/gamepad question once and for all. Find instructions on how to participate in the beta after the break.
Shadowrun preview at FASA
Over at Method Director they received some special treatment from FASA studios and got some hands on time with Shadowrun. I honestly haven't been too much in the loop with this game, but after watching the YouTube video (embedded after the break) and the description of the game ... it has some potential. Blending technology with magic is like peanut butter and chocolate (word to Cliff). Given that it takes a LOT of work to make a FPS new and fresh, Shadowrun has peaked my interest. Can anyone out in fanboy land shed some more light on this game and whether or not your interest too has been peaked by this blog post?
Magic, science, and fun, Shadowrun preview
Evil Avatar scored a sneak preview of FASA's upcoming Shadowrun, the debut game of Microsoft's new Live Anywhere platform which will allow both 360 and PC players to hash it out online. Some of you may remember that FASA was involved with the debut title for Xbox Live -- MechAssault -- way back in 2002. The preview pretty much covers everything you need to know about Microsoft's would be multiplayer king. The game plays out like Counter-Strike. Each match is divided into six rounds. At the beginning of each round, players purchase magic, technology, and, of course, weapons. The interesting factor here is that magic and technology remain with players even if they are killed during a round -- weapons must be purchased again, however. Essentially this causes the match to intensify with each new round. Adding another layer of strategy to the game is the ability to resurrect dead players. As the author notes, there's nothing quite like resurrecting your entire team and fighting your way back to victory. The preview is full of other details about the game. For instance, PC and 360 players may not be able to answer the age old mouse vs. controller question after all. See, you won't be able to tell if your playing against 360 or PC players. As far as the game is concerned, they're one and the same. The game also has another way of leveling the playing field. The faster you move the targeting reticle, the less accurate your shots. The idea is to moderate the massive speed advantage that mouse players have over console players. According to the author the experience on both the PC and 360 versions is nearly identical. We're always excited by fresh multiplayer so, here's hoping Shadowrun really shapes up. Anyone looking forward to this cross-platform frag fest?
