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GDC conference organizers drop the ball [update 2]
This is a brief list of some of the quality issues that I noticed plaguing the Game Developer's Conference held in San Jose and ended on Friday. It seems that nobody really talks about these things, perhaps because they're simply grateful that there's any GDC at all. Well, I'm also grateful for GDC, but that doesn't mean it's immune from criticism. I should note that my beefs here are primarily informed by my perspective as a blogger covering the convention. We're sure that developers, publishers, recruiters and other major GDC constituent groups have their own issues. We encourage submission of other issues in the comments, below. If you prefer to send something anonymously, use our tips form located at http://www.joystiq.com/tips/. [Image at right is from www.demotivation.com. The caption reads, "Mediocrity: it takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late."] In no particular order, gripes follow.
Rumor: Capcom Studio 8 (Maximo) shut down
If the word of a former Capcom employee can be believed, it looks as if the publisher's shut down Capcom Studio 8, its U.S. development house, leaving 20 people out of a job.Studio 8 was best known for its Maximo remakes for the PS2--Maximo: Ghosts to Glory and Maximo vs. Army of Zin. Unfortunately, a poor performance with its latest retro retread, Final Fight: Streetwise, has apparently done the studio in with the higher-ups.According to GameSpot, this means the end of the Maximo series (and obviously the end of the Streetwise one). A Capcom rep only had this to say in response: "Capcom does not comment on day-to-day operations." If this story's true, we hope those kids can find a new employer, possibly at the Game Developers Conference that's currently taking place in CA.See also: Final Fight Streetwise interview Final Fight: Streetwise looking for a little respect FF:S loses respect with metascores in the 40s (for the PS2 and Xbox) BioWare opens Austin studio for new MMO [so bring resumes to GDC]
Chris Grant co-host on Gaming Steve podcast
Joystiq's very own Christopher Grant is not only posting from the 2006 Game Developers Conference, he's also starring in a podcast.Okay, so technically he's just co-hosting an episode of an ongoing podcast with Gaming Steve, but you can't miss this opportunity to hear Chris's laid-back, sweetly smooth voice. (There are reports that Chris also sounds somewhat like a stoner, but we wouldn't be able to tell you what those kind of people sound like anyway, so what can we say?)As for the podcast itself, Chris and Steve go into the events of the last day, enthusiastically sharing about Microsoft's bloggers breakfast with Peter Moore (inset), Phil Harrison's PS3 keynote, what the new Battlestar Galactica might have to do with games, and everything else that they saw in San Jose. And, hey, maybe if we're lucky, we'll get another guest Joystiqer co-hosting with Steve today. More from GDC as we get it...See also: Direct download link for the podcast in question [55 minute-long MP3] Gaming Steve's "Day 3" report on GDC 2006 [where we got the pic] Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning... [w/a little bloggers breakfast info] GDC: The PS3 keynote blow by blow
GDC: Games to tackle abortion, obesity, ADD, and wall climbing
MTV's Stephen Totilo reports on big ideas coming out of the annual Game Developers Conference. Forget the next-gen hoopla expected from Sony and Nintendo later this week, yesterday was all about "Serious Games." Take, for example, an abortion game being developed by Georgia Tech's Experimental Game Lab, where mini-games range from "find a condom" to balancing your reputation with friends, your baby's health and your future earning power. Georgia Tech's Ian Bogost claims that the game's real innovation is its ability to present multiple angles of an issue. The game is designed to change depending on a given player's biases. So, if a player is shown to express pro-life tendencies, the game will stress the importance of personal responsibility and adoption.Also on tap were presentations that featured GPS-enabled cell phone games that encourage obese youths to actively explore their neighborhoods while hunting for virtual prizes, technology that monitors players' brainwaves and rewards those that are paying attention, and a climbing wall that doubles as a game controller.
