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Eyes-on impression: Icuiti iWear
Roaming around the North hall expo floor, we stopped by Icuiti to check out their iWear 3D goggles. Although Marketing Rep Adam Travers explained that their primary audience was not necessarily gamers, for demonstration purposes they were running the headset with Unreal Tournament 2004. (For clarification purposes, Travers explained their audience would also be business people conducting and attending interviews in a virtual environment akin to Second Life.)There were two models at the floor: the AV920 and the more premium VR920, which is being touted as the "first interactive Video Eyewear for gamers." The difference between the two models was $50 (as quoted by Travers, at least), a microphone and an accelerometer for motion tracking. The 3D portion when playing UT 2004 worked on multi-floored rooms where you could see all the floors, though the impact does not compensate for the price. Wearing the headset was surprisingly comfortable. When we added our glasses to the mix, the headset dropped a bit but still managed to work decently. At all times we could divert our eyes downward and clearly view the keyboard and mouse.
The challenges and philosophies of Crush
At yesterday's Experimental Game Design lecture, Alex Butterfield discussed his latest project, the mind-bending PSP title Crush, billed as a "revolution twist on the puzzle platform." Butterfield's presentation focus on the challenges of making a game that seemingly transitions from 2D to 3D without effort. Crush is designed so that your character, who is under hypnosis to cure insomnia and forced to find a way through 40 dream sequence levels, can only "crush" (transform 3-dimensional space into 2-dimensional platformer) horizontally and top-down. Of the challenges discussed, Butterfield talked about the shortcut challenge, whereas the clever player would be able to use the crushing ability to move from the beginning of the level to the end without effort. Thus, the team devised three different blocks whose behavior differed when crushed: ghost block (insubstantial), solid blocks (impassible) and hollow blocks hollow block (somewhere in between). Other issues include disorientation, which Butterfield tried to fix by way of camera work and the placement of prominent landmarks to help the player. There were two design flaws that the dev team worked to solve. The creation of cut-zones let the developers section off part of the level so that one does not accidentally crush themselves next to a horrid enemy without prior knowledge. A safety feature was also implemented so that a crush process does not cause the character to fall helplessly to their doom; "an explanation as to why you failed the puzzle" will be shown instead. Many of these problems were also solved, of course, through countless QA and debugging. Following the talk of problems and problem solving, Butterfield moved into the realm of conjecture, philosophy and other higher-order thought. What if you were allowed to crush at any angle? What if you could crush outward into four dimensions (with time being the 4th candidate); i.e. a block could become a bridge, a cockroach would crush into a centipede, etc. How about multiplayer? Butterfield suggested separate realities for each character, whereby only you control the crushing in your reality and only your movement would be reported to the other player's screens. There's no clean-cut solution, but some of these problems give us an idea of the far future of platform puzzlers. Crush is looking good and the game's twist well-executed. The game is slated for release later this year on the PSP.
Vicious Engine envisions creative Wii FPS controls
While at the Vicious Cycle booth, we got a chance to view at Vicious Engine, now working on the Wii, and how the team sees to implement controls for first-person and over-the-shoulder titles. Essentially, only the nunchuk is used for camera and movement. The top joystick moves and strafes your character, while left and right rotations trigger the accelerometer and rotate the characters perspective left and right and a forward / back roll with cause the camera to look down / up, respectively. In play testing the control scheme, using the accelerometer control to move the camera feels awkward, and the rotations seem to move in 15 degree spurts (as opposed to fluid movement). After a few minutes, however, the movement became more intuitive. With the simplification of movement in one hand, the other hand (and, more importantly, the infrared motion sensor) is free to control whatever -- sword-fighting or off-of-middle cursor positioning. Level Designer Bryan West told us, rather bemused, that with how the control scripts are implemented in the engine that even he could build a game with what's available. Visually, the engine looked slightly better than Red Steel, especially the character model we saw. West talked with us and lamented about the common trend of ignoring Wii's graphical capability and simply upscaling textures used for PSP titles. We're assuming, then, that we won't be seeing the same issue with Alien Syndrome, a PSP and Wii title using the Vicious Engine. West also told us that they are working on a Wii game internally that involves the Vicious Engine but cannot currently discuss at this time.
Joystiq not-so-live coverage of the IGF and GDCA awards
6:20 p.m.: The Joystiq crew walks the red carpet, because we're just that important.6:33 p.m.: Gnarls Barkley's cover of the Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone" is blasting as we find seats in the press section. Cushy seats with recline-able chairs.6:42 pm: Sam and Max introduce the start for the independent games festival. The mention of projectile vomiting is disturbing, but welcoming somehow. 6:43 pm: Jamil Moledina and Simon Carless march onto stage, noting that the show is being broadcast to the entire world. We sense somewhat sinister undertones.
Gears of War takes best game at GDCA, Aquaria wins IGF best game prize
At tonight's Game Developers Choice Awards, Epic Games' Gears of War took home three awards: best technology, visual arts, and the coveted Game of the Year award. On the independent side of things, Bit Blot's Aquaria won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize from the Independent Games Festival.Okami picked up a win in one of the four categories it was nominated in (take that, AIAS). Unfortunately, Loco Roco did not pick up any awards despite two nominations (character design and audio). Independent game Everyday Shooter won two awards and a distribution deal from GameTap.View the full list winners and nominees from both events below.
Jackson's Halo project will be episodic
During Microsoft's annual Blogger Breakfast at GDC (which Richard will be writing about soon), our Joystiq blogging army received some interesting news. During the breakfast, Shane Kim revealed that Peter Jackson is currently in the pre-production phases of two episodic games for the Xbox 360, with one being based on the (previously announced) Halo universe. When hearing the news, everyone jumped at the chance to pry more information from Shane's lips, but he refused stating "I may have said too much already". So there you have it folks, two episodic games coming from Peter Jackson. Anyone want to speculate to why Jackson chose to go with episodic content rather than a stand alone game? So many questions and so much waiting ...
Crytek engine licensed to Avatar Reality, Inc. for online virtual world
Crytek's latest engine, CryENGINE2, will be licensed to upstart developer Avatar Reality, Inc. for use in a massively multiplayer virtual world, according to a press release from today. The game, currently untitled, is best described as a Second Life on Mars. From the PR: "Set in Terraformed Mars, Avatar Reality's MMVW will allow players to live their fantasy lives by creating personalized characters, or avatars, in a beautiful environment." According to a brief chat we had with Crytek's Avatar Reality, Inc., whose advisory panel it notes features Father of Tetris Alexey Pajitnov and former Nintendo of America President Minoru Arakawa, was formed by "Mastermind" Henk Rogers, chairman of Tetris Online, Inc. It is based out of the oh-so desolate city of Honolulu and will be managed by industry vets Kazuyuki Hashimoto and Li-han Chen. More information can be found at their website.The first public presentation of CryENGINE 2 is expected today at GDC.
Live for Windows priced, XBL accounts confirmed to work on Vista
Microsoft revealed yesterday the pricing for Live for Windows, the Vista equivalent to Xbox Live. The pricing plan is identical to Xbox Live: a Silver membership will be free and Gold will cost you either $8 for one month, $20 for three months or $50 for a full year, according to Game Informer.Appropriately, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to use their accounts to enjoy the Live for Windows features on their home PCs (and presumably vice versa). Some casual games and Halo 2 for Vista will reportedly add to your gamerscore. We don't have any details on how exactly gamers will benefit from a Gold account over a Silver one (other than Shadowrun cross-platform play), but hopefully Microsoft will stick to the modus operandi of PC gaming and keep non-MMOs free to play online multiplayer.
GDC 07: Sony proves they don't care about PSP
Phil Harrison's conference has come and gone, and although the audience was cheering throughout, Sony has proved one thing: the PSP doesn't matter. Well, at least not to Sony's "Game 3.0" idea. The PSP is able to do everything the PS3 can: use wi-fi, download files, take pictures, display video, and more. Why not incorporate a PSP version of Home, instead of making a "Virtual PSP" on the PS3? Why not add the Playstation Network to the PSP? The complete absence of Sony's handheld makes me believe that the platform simply doesn't matter to them right now: let's hope I'm wrong.Expect some very specific PSP-prodding at Sony's bloggers meeting tomorrow.
GDC 07: a quick chat with Aaron Greenberg
After the Microsoft blogger's breakfast (which will be written up shortly) we caught up with Xbox Live's Aaron Greenberg (also known as BIGVIP) for a quick chat. Unfortunately, we lacked the presence of mind to shoot a candid photo, so we present you with this handsome stock photo instead. We can tell you, however, that he was wearing this shirt. Along with Spencer from Siliconera, we had a chance to ask Greenberg a few questions. When asked about specific Arcade releases, in this case Ikaruga, Raiden IV, and Every Extend Extra Extreme. Greenberg said that it's rare for the team to concentrate on distant games. According to Greenberg, in the world of "internet time" he mainly focuses on games coming out within the next 6 to 8 weeks. In other words, don't expect Ikaruga anytime soon. He did mention that the XBLA games on display here at GDC -- Minigolf Adventures, Boom Boom Rocket, Jetpack Refuelled, etc -- will be released within a few months. We should get some hands on time with these games later this week.We asked about the possibility of seeing some RPGs on Xbox Live Arcade, and Greenberg said there was no reason we couldn't see them, citing Castlevania as an example of a deeper Arcade experience, though perhaps not a traditional RPG. When asked about the possibility of Final DOOM hitting the Arcade -- its ESRB entry was recently discovered -- he noted that Id is definitely interested. Talking about DOOM's surprise launch last year during X06, Greenberg said that their were more surprise launches involving famous franchises in the future. So, RPGs heading to Live Arcade ... surprise launches ... famous franchises. Anyone care to make some wild speculation?
GDC 07: Sony fights back; unveils Home, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, more
At last night's Sony press event, Sony unveiled a plethora of new products and services that show that the PS3 is far from dead. Phil Harrison will undoubtedly be discussing more about their Web 2.0-inspired effort that he calls "Game 3.0" at his conference (happening right now). The revamped PlayStation effort to be shown today includes a performance-sharing version of Singstar, a beautiful cooperative platformer called LittleBigPlanet and a new service called PlayStation Home. Joystiq has all the pictures, videos and details you want right now:Playstation Home, the free virtual world of Playstation 3"Comparable to Second Life, PlayStation Home is a virtual community of PS3 owners living together in both public and private environments. Users will be able to login, chat with both text and speech and play casual games together such as pool, bowling and even embedded arcade machines. And when the old stand-bys grow stale, users can invite one another into other PlayStation Network titles outside of PlayStation Home."Gallery: Playstation HomeContinued, after the jump.
Sony unveils new tools to live on the Edge
Empowering the development community, Sony has unveiled the PlayStation Edge: advanced graphics tools and technologies for PlayStation 3 development. A meeting on the tools is taking place later today. From the lecture announcement:"Three first party technology teams within Sony -- the WWS Europe Advanced Technology Group, WWS America ICE team, and WWS America Tools and Technology group -- have combined to create PlayStation Edge, a set of cutting edge technologies for imminent release to all PlayStation 3 developers. Rather than overarching engine, these teams have chosen to create specialized systems that demonstrate best practices of SPU and RSX utilization. A unique tool for RSX performance analysis, extensively used in the turning of first party titles, will also be presented."Those without technological backgrounds should find Wikipedia helpful. A video of Killzone 2 was shown last night to showcase the Edge technology. We'll be at the Edge presentation, hosted by Vince Diesi, Jon Olick and Mark Cerny, later today.
GDC 07: Virtual PSP debuts in Playstation Home
At last night's Sony media briefing, Sony unveiled a plethora of new games and features for their next-gen home console, the PS3. Suspiciously absent was the PSP. Well, almost. Playstation Home, the PS3's upcoming social networking service, has a "Virtual PSP" that allows you to customize your virtual avatar. Sony states that "Your Virtual PSP gives you access to all the navigation, features and options of Home." Although this product placement is a cute way of promoting the platform, there's one thing that will work even better: more games on the system. Hopefully, the Phil Harrison keynote (happening now) will reveal some interesting non-PS3 tidbits for handheld gamers to enjoy. See also:Sony fights back; unveils Home, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, more
In-game Forza 2 footage is pretty
Game Trailers posted an exclusive video of a quick Forza 2 in-game demo. As you can see above, the Ferrari Enzo is quick, shiny, and darn pretty. Hell, that car model is gorgeous! And we understand that games like Forza aren't all about their damage effects like the Burnout series is, but we would like to see a few pieces of car fly off when the Ferrari slams into the barrier. But overall, after looking at this short clip, we think Forza 2 fans will be satisifed with how the game looks and what the development team has accomplished with the sequel. Anyone care to share their opinion on the video?[Thanks, DjDATZ]
Fable 2 is getting a cute puppy dog
The French folks over at Xboygen posted pictures of a new "character" in Fable 2. It's a dog! Your own personal dog to play with, train, and love while exploring the lush green world that Fable offers. In one picture, Peter Molyneux is pointing to our furry little companion and probably explaining how to get your dog to attack on command ... or so that's what we want to believe. And of course these screen grabs beg the question to whether or not this is the big Fable 2 announcement or just one interesting addition to the game. Only time will tell, but we'll find out soon as our very own Richard Mitchell will be getting the complete dish on Fable 2 during his coverage of GDC: 07. Stay tuned.
GDC 07: Major Nelson and his Sony swag bag
Make no mistake, covering a conference is mind bending work. Getting a chance to stop and chat is a welcome respite. While waiting for the Microsoft RPG Panel to begin, we ran into Larry Hryb, better known as Xbox Live's Major Nelson. We had time to shoot the breeze about what's happening at GDC, including the super secret feature in Fable 2 (patience, it's coming). Before we ran off to do our blogging duty, we made sure to snag a picture of him holding his newly acquired and highly fashionable Sony swag bag. What was in it we can't say (a golden PSP perhaps) but we sure like those snazzy logos. Much to our shock and delight, Larry asked us why he hadn't been given the honor of appearing on the Xbox 360 Fancast. Soon, Major, very soon.
GDC 07: The Black Corsair
GDC offers a chance for unproven games, new IPs, and new development teams to get a chance in the spotlight. Nearby Tiki Games' Galaxy's End booth was The Black Corsair, from an Italian game development team, Virtual Identity. This action adventure game combines platforming and multiple fighting styles in an imaginative pirate-inspired world. Although the game is headed to the PSP, the developers are trying to make it anything but small: supposedly, there will be over 100 NPCs to interact with, and over 40 minutes of cutscenes. The supposed 80 hour playtime seems inflated, but it would be incredible if this team is able to pull it off.The Black Corsair certainly looks interesting. Although I didn't get my hands on the game, it's great to see independent studios try to do something new for our handheld. To find out more about the game, visit the game's official website.
GDC 07: Makeup and Japanese housewife sims
Forget being a lawyer. Or a surgeon. Two new games from Studio Nocturne, a Thailand game development team, are going to make you experience the horrors and trials of being a Makeup Diva and a Housewife Superstar. Ai Housewife Superstar appears to be a celebration of pre-suffrage femininity: various mini-games will take you through what looks to be quite the Cinderella story.More exciting was Makeup Diva, and not just because of the mysterious (and unexplained) Nintendo Wi-Fi logo featured on the game's poster. The game has you preparing the ultra-glam looks of faux celebrities. One of the game's developers spoke about a much-too-timely addition to the game: a certain celebrity must recover from a head shaving gone wrong--and only the Makeup Diva can save the day! Each of the scenarios will attempt to parody famous people and movies: "It's a lot like Mad TV," one of the representatives said.The concept is certainly exciting, but hopefully the game will deliver the gameplay to make a truly insane, fun experience. Writing of Phoenix Wright caliber would do wonders for a game as quirky and unique as this one. Hopefully, we'll see more of Makeup Diva (and Housewife Superstar) in the future.
GDC 07: Galaxy's End hands-on
Lead designer Kevin McCann loves the PSP, and he's going to incredible lengths to show his undying affiliation for Sony's portable. Sure, Galaxy's End could be made for other systems, such as PS3, but the game was "created from the ground up" for play specifically on the PSP. Although Galaxy's End still doesn't have a publisher, the prospects for one seem better every time we see the game: after today's hands-on demonstration, it's clear that this game has what it takes to succeed.The graphics look quite nice on the PSP's screen. The game is surprisingly colorful, and features a good deal of animation. Of particular note: the flora looks especially nice; it all comes ot life through some great animation. The number of enemies on screen can be quite plentiful, but there are clearly a few things that need to be fixed later down the road: explosions need a good deal of work, and pop-in was a regularity thanks to the fog of war.It'll be months before the game ever comes out (if it does), but even at this early stage, the controls felt solid. The basic controls involve simply pressing the X and Square buttons to select troops and target enemies. Moving with the analog nub felt precise, thanks to tweaking done by Tiki Games. The simplistic nature of the controls made it incredibly accessible, in spite of some problematic AI glitches (which should be fixed later on). With solid controls, and a meticulously detailed design document, It's clear that a lot of thought and effort has gone behind this game. Expect to see more on this title soon.
GDC 07: Lost Odyssey 2007 worldwide launch
We mentioned it briefly in "Sakaguchi part one," but we felt it worthwhile to post separately as well, so here it is: Hironobu Sakaguchi announced today that Lost Odyssey will launch simultaneously worldwide this holiday. That's right, a game that most of us weren't expecting until 2008 will be spinning in our Xboxen before Christmas. Once we shake off the head asploding nightmare that is liveblogging, we'll post our impressions of Lost Odyssey in "Sakaguchi part two."
