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HP's Rahul Sood says Microsoft killed Xbox vs PC online gaming due to keyboard-mouse superiority
Once upon a time in 2007, there was a little-known game called Shadowrun, that let gamers on both Xbox 360 and PC destroy one another for sport. Such is the environment that Microsoft facilitated, but alas, it wasn't for long, as the moment Shadowrun flopped the cross-platform feature was dropped, though it resurfaced once or twice in third-party titles as the years shot by. Outspoken HP exec Rahul Sood (of Voodoo fame) spins a slightly more complex yarn, however: he says Microsoft killed the project when it found that "mediocre" PC gamers could wipe the floors with the very best players on Xbox. Now, we're not confirming his story, and there are plenty of other possible explanations if you follow the money, of course, but we can't help but feel a hint of admiration for the longevity of gaming mouse and keyboard. Here's hoping we can all leave our predilections at the door as developers pit Android vs. iPhone.
Rumor: Footage of canned Shadowrun reboot
Before 2007's Shadowrun released and Microsoft subsequently closed the doors on FASA, the studio was apparently working on Shadowrun: The Awakening -- a game with a full single-player campaign and unique 3D gameplay engine developed in-house. Some footage (teleport past the break to give it a look-see) managed to make its way online over at Unseen64, showing off a few environments and some character animations. As Unseen64 would tell it, the story goes: FASA brought a new art director in which, through a series of unknown events, lead to an eventual cancellation in favor of the multiplayer-driven experience that was the 2007 game. As it stands now, Jordan Weisman managed to snag the rights to the Shadowrun IP (among others), so the possibility of seeing this resurface as an actual thing isn't entirely impossible -- though Weisman is trying to let some of the negativity surrounding the brand die down a bit before revisiting it. [Via StrategyInformer]
Gazillion Entertainment Names Stuart Moulder as VP
Gazillion Entertainment have announced that their expansion into the MMO market continues with hiring Stuart Moulder as their new Vice President of Studios, with responsibility for game development across all of their studios. Gazillion recently announced that they had purchased Netdevil, who are developing Jumpgate Evolution and LEGO Universe. They also announced that they are developing two games based on the Marvel superhero licence.Moulder has most recently worked as Senior Vice President at Screenlife where he was responsible for bringing the Scene It? license to games as helping with the sale of the company to Paramount Digital. He also spent eight years at Microsoft where he was responsible for acquiring and managing companies such as Halo developer Bungie, Age of Empires and Halo Wars developer Ensemble Studios and veteran developers FASA of Mechwarrior and Shadowrun fame, although since he has left Microsoft we have seen Ensemble Studios and FASA shut down and Bungie has become independent.
Sarcastic Gamer: Shadowrun is a Bad Game
Sarcastic Gamer is up to their expressive ways again, this time directing their anger and musical talents towards FASA Studios' Shadowrun. Their latest song "Bad Game" is a parody of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" with lyrics targeted towards bashing what they feel are the worst games of 2007, most notably Shadowrun. Sarcastic Gamer is ready for the emails, hatred and verbal abuse Shadowrun fans will bring after hearing the song, so go ahead give it a listen to see if "Bad Game" captures your feelings. If not, show Sarcastic Gamer the angry!
Shadowrun gets some title update #3 love
FASA Studios just released a freshly new title update for Shadowrun (number three in fact) which fixes some bugs, alters gameplay a little and enhances the overall Shadowrun experience. The title update is free (as always) and should download the next time you pop in the game. A complete list of enhancments, fixes and all the jazz the Shadowrun title update brings is viewable after the break. Haha Elves, your healing powers are a quarter second slower ... mwahahaha![Thanks, MageGriff]
Shadowrun title update now available
Humans and elves, dwarves and trolls rejoice, for a patch title update for Shadowrun has been released. Despite TeamXbox reporting that the patch would go up sometime next week, it looks like it has already hit. The title update features several fixes including some exploit fixes (FASA isn't talking about what those exploits are by the way), crash fixes, and improved bot AI. The biggest change, however, has to be reduced wait times in matchmaking, which FASA reports to be improved by 200-300%. Hit the "read" link for the full list of fixes.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, SadistiK Roth]
Calling 1-800-Magic episode 4
The fourth installment of 1-800-Magic is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Strangely, the episode isn't available at Rooster Teeth yet, so, for the moment, you're stuck watching from your Xbox 360. In this episode we continue the story of Bitterman in his quest to understand his newfound magical abilities. Now that the series has been established in the first three episodes, the fourth gives it a little twist to keep things interesting. We won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say it is both funny and intriguing. We're looking forward to future episodes. This is the last episode, so we hope you weren't too attached to the series.Update: Looks like this is the last episode of the series, so there won't be any more. So sad.
1-800-Magic #3 BAMFs onto XBLM
And the cycle of machinima continues. Even as Red Vs. Blue readies for the final curtain, another series is just beginning. The third episode of 1-800-Magic has now landed on Xbox Live Marketplace. Of course, you could always check it out on the intarwebz right now, but we find the HD widescreen view from the couch much more appealing. In case you've missed the series so far, here's a quick nonsensical recap: arguing trolls, talking trees named Frank, bacon, BAMF!, tech support, and magic. That pretty much sums it up.
1-800-Magic continues, argues with tree
The latest episode of 1-800-Magic, from the demented minds that brought you Red Vs. Blue, has hit the airwaves ... er ... internetwaves? The story continues to evolve as the characters learn to deal with magic (and tech support). Oh, and there is a rather protracted argument with a tree (whose name is Frank). And we can't forget the trolls continuing to look for the perfect attack phrase ("smoke 'em" is the new hotness this week). Rather than spoil anything else, why not have a look for yourself and tell us what you think? Be warned though, the video is NSFW on account of some salty language. Check it out after the break.
Win a copy of Shadowrun from X360A
The generous gents over at Xbox 360 Achievements are giving away a copy of Shadowrun to celebrate the 250,000th post on their forums. To enter all you need to do is post your gamertag on this thread, though registration is required. This is definitely a pretty good deal, then again, when is anything free not one? Speaking of free giveaways, we'll be announcing the winner of our The Darkness contest soon, so stay tuned.
Shadowrun reviews bother FASA
On the latest OXM podcast, Shadowrun's own Mitch Gitelman (who we had a chat with on our Fancast) talked with the guys and expressed his anger with how the game's reviews are being calculated. Gitelman's argument is that most of the Shadowrun reviews agree that the game is an innovative, fun and unique FPS experience, but deduct points due to its lack of campaign and a $59.99 price tag. He goes on to say that the game should be reviewed for what it is and not how much it costs as they never said a campaign would be included. It's an interesting argument to say the least as Shadowrun's reviews tend to lean towards what the game isn't. But what say you fellow fanboy? Should reviews take a game's price into consideration or should the content and just the content be rated? It's a difficult topic to tackle, so we're interested in hearing what you think.[Via Games Radar]
Video: Free Shadowrun tips from Gamerscore blog
Chris Paladino has kindly offered up some Shadowrun tips with video on the frees. In the video, he plays a Dwarf, and in this particular round, focuses on defense, and shows the art of Quick Casting. Quick Casting is casting magic (or throwing grenades/AMGs) without having it bound to a bumper/left trigger. To do this you hold B, select Magic or Tech, then your spell/nade, and pulling the right trigger. He uses this technique with Strangle, whilst having Tree and Resurrect assigned to his left trigger and right bumper, respectively. That's fine for the purpose of this video, but note that Tree and Res are the the easiest to Quick Cast, since, you can hold the direction for Magic (left) before hitting B. So if you are holding left and strafing, hit B, you're automatically selecting Tree of Life at that point, and can pull the right trigger and cast. Res is slightly higher on the radial menu, but on the left side. Conversely, nades are on the 3 o'clock position, so Quick Casting them is just as simple. All in all, good tips on the use of Strangle, and Quick Casting, and the price tag certainly is easier to swallow, so thank you, Chris.Do you use Quick Casting when playing Shadowrun? If so, on what Magic or Tech (noting it only works on the nades)?
Shadowrun strategy videos will cost you
Available for purchase off the Marketplace are four brand spanking new Shadowrun video strategy guides that'll teach you sniping locations, teleporting lines and the quickest way to get to the artifact in each map. Very useful information indeed. But the negative cloud surrounding these downloads is that they cost 100 Microsoft points apiece. We're sure these Shadowrun videos showcase only the most special and uber elite strategies, what we call the metaphorical prime cut of the strategic cow, but can't bring ourselves to plop down the cash to find out. Now that we think of it, this content smells eerily similar to those COG tag location videos. Overpriced and, with a quick Googling, completely unnecessary.
More Shadowrun Demo-lition today
The Shadowrun demo hit yesterday, and our little social experiment/mini community event was very successful. That being said, only 20 or 30 of you got to participate in the fun, so we're doing it again. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the party system found in the retail game is present in the demo, making this all the easier to accomplish. But we're upping the ante, not only do you get to play with the die-hard enthusiast of the title, but the promise maker will be living up to his word, showing up at 8:00 PM EDT. If the stars are aligned, the final piece of the X3F puzzle will arrive, but that's merely a maybe. So, if you're still on the fence about Shadowrun, and didn't get in on the action yesterday, the festivities are going to start within the next 15 to 30 minutes, and go on for a few hours to help spread the word of what a gameplay gem this is. We'll try to make room on the demo event's gamertag for newcomers, but you can still send a message to see if you can get into the party, but check to see that it's online, and in the demo first. Hope to play with you soon, and if response is high, we may continue this after the end of the Halo 3 Beta. X3F Gamertags:Richard Mitchell -- SenseiRAMDustin Burg -- SuperDunnersDavid Dreger -- noswaD selkcunK (For Shadowrun Demo)
Shadowrun demo IS available! You just need to look. [update 1]
Update: Whoo! That was close. Shadowrun now appears under "New Arrivals" .Silly Microsoft. The Shadowrun demo IS available for download off Marketplace right now. It weighs in at about 1.07 GB, which is similar to the beta's size, and can be found under "all Game Demos". It's got the "New" tag when selected, but for whatever reason, has been neglected to be added to the "New Arrivals" section, which has a couple more pieces of content we're in the process of reporting on. Scroll down and get it now!As such, our offer still stands: Add this gamertag to your friends list, and we'll play with you and show you why the FPS deserves the attention it's been getting from us.
Shadowrun demo coming tomorrow
It looks like promises made to Mitch Gitelman will have to wait another day, as the Shadowrun demo is going to be hitting Marketplace tomorrow at 2:00 AM PDT, instead of today, as originally planned. Kimona from the game's official forums updated her demo FAQ thread with the new date and time information, which still gives everyone the down low on what will be available in the download. Fanboys, we entreat you, please play the demo and give this unique first person shooter the chance it deserves. Heck, we'll sweeten the deal: Anyone sitting on the fence who needs proper convincing can call upon our resident Shadowrun aficionado to play with them and show the appropriate ropes. To make things even easier, we have a special gamertag available with an empty friends list, so add it to your own for some Power Station fun tomorrow.
CAD's Shadowrun comic is just silly
While some of you are left with a bitter taste in your mouth regarding our singular blind devotion to Shadowrun, that isn't going to stop us from enjoying humorous comics to feed aforementioned devotion. Today's offering is from Ctrl+Alt+Del, as they look at some of the possible downsides to various Magic or Tech in the game, namely Glider, Summon, and Teleport. The last one, though, we think you can figure out for yourself. Appearances can be deceiving, though, as that particular combination can be deadly. [Thanks, Zam]
Win Shadowrun from Uncle Gamer
Perhaps you find yourself in the difficult position of liking Shadowrun but not liking the thought of laying down $60 bucks for its multiplayer-only antics. If so, we have the perfect solution for you: don't pay for it at all! Uncle Gamer is giving away a copy of Shadowrun for the low, low price of no dollars. That's zilch, nada, naught, and whatever other words for zero you want to throw at it. Head over to Uncle Gamer for your chance to win. Be warned though, winning will take just a teeny amount of work (and listening), but we think you can handle it. Our question to you: if you win, what will you do with all the money you save?%Gallery-3497%
Penny Arcade takes on Shadowrun's races
Penny Arcade's latest comic takes a rather humorous look at Shadowrun's races. In particular, the Troll, and the potential hazards that the RNA Corporation has to take into account when employing such a metahuman. In Tycho's post, he gives his take on the game's party system and gameplay and continues to support and recommend the title in spite of mediocre reviews. Either way, he reminds us that the demo is coming out tomorrow. Speaking of, are any of you still on the fence going to download the demo and give it a shot? We know that some of us here and Fanboy Towers made promises in regards to giving the demo the attention it deserves.
Play with the Shadowrun devs on launch day
As part of their launch party fun, the charitable devs over on the Shadowrun team are holding a few screenshot caption contests where the winners will be invited to play with the team on launch day. If your sense of humor is top notch, then they want you to create the funniest caption for the three Shadowrun screenshots that they've posted on the forums. The funniest caption from each contest will get an invite to frag with the dev team in a private Shadowrun match on launch day via Xbox Live. And all winners will also receive a rockin' Shadowrun tshirt. But you must hurry, because screenshot caption entries must be submitted by tomorrow night at 10:00PM eastern. And don't forget to be all funny and stuff.[Via Hushed Casket]
