GDC 2010
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Final Fantasy XIII launch party equips +10 awkwardness
What do Cerny Games' Mark Cerny, Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor, Microsoft's Corrinne Yu, and Obsidian's Feargus Urquhart have in common, besides being game developers? Absolutely nothing. Yet, Square Enix managed to sit them down for an hour long roundtable discussion to talk about one thing: how awesome Final Fantasy (and Final Fantasy VII, in particular) is. To say it was awkward is a tremendous understatement. Certainly, there's much cause for celebration. With the game first announced nearly four years ago, the impending release of Final Fantasy XIII feels like a much needed breath of relief. It was Square Enix's night to celebrate its work, and with a red carpet entrance for key producers and voice actors it carried an aura appropriate for the return of the long-awaited flagship franchise. With some glowing reviews, this launch party could have rested solely on the game's merits. A cheerful (and perhaps slightly mistranslated) speech from Square Enix president Yoichi Wada set the right tone for the evening, with Wada wearing a Fal'cie tattoo on his hand calling the audience to join him in a quest to save the world; however, the evening took a quick turn for the bizarre. A visually breathtaking 3D trailer for Final Fantasy XIII was marred by the host's obnoxious desire to watch it a second time in quick succession. The roundtable discussion that followed highlighted the franchise's accomplishments, twisting them into an overview of these developers' shortcomings. There was an almost defeated attitude with the panel, many admitting their inability to match the sheer production values of a Square Enix joint. The evening escalated to quite possibly one of the most awkward toasts we've ever encountered. A Microsoft spokesperson took the stage, congratulating Square Enix on bringing Final Fantasy XIII to Xbox 360. Shortly thereafter, a Sony spokesperson also took the stage, emphasizing how Final Fantasy is a PlayStation franchise, and how XIII is best on PS3, on a single Blu-ray disc -- the way it was meant to be played. The audience was abuzz like a Joystiq comments thread, and champagne was had by all. Congratulations on releasing Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix! %Gallery-87750%
Microsoft bringing 'the full lineup' of Natal titles to E3
GDC 2010 is the hotness this week, but according to Microsoft's Mindy Mount (speaking at a tech conference in NYC), E3 should be fun this year, too. As you might expect, Microsoft is bringing "the full lineup" of Project Natal titles to the convention in June. We know there are a whole bunch of developers working on Natal titles, including EA, Capcom, Forza Motorport's Turn 10, and SpawnPoint Studios. Mount promises that Microsoft is "putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we're going to have some great stuff." We'll start working out now to make sure we have enough stamina to flail our limbs all week long.
GDC10: DCUO debuting Mass Animation contest preview trailer
Question: What happens when SOE holds a worldwide contest wherein they provide a special edition of Autodesk Maya 3D -- accessed through the Mass Animation application on the DC Universe Online Facebook fan page -- replete with every asset required to animate in-game characters, then ask the community to submit their best efforts for the chance to see their work in a trailer for the game as well as win glorious prizes? Answer: SOE announces that submissions came in from over 28 countries and that half the winning submissions were from participants beyond the United States. Considering that most contests are limited to the US (and sometimes Canada) this is a refreshing change of pace. Also, we're guessing that several "dudes" sent in animations specifically designed for Power Girl. The actual identities of the winners is still unknown, but we're guessing SOE is saving that news for GDC10 proper in order to maintain some extra suspense.
The Daily Grind: GDC10 predictions?
With GDC 2010 officially beginning tomorrow, March 9th, we'd like to hear your MMO predictions. And remember, the wilder the better. Although, if you've got some inside info, we're always happy to receive hints via our contact form. Here are some of our predictions, see if you can figure out the wild crazy ones: Red 5 Studios minimally reveals the name of their first title. BioWare attends, but Star Wars: The Old Republic maintains a low presence. Realtime Worlds will be there showing off something awesome about All Points Bulletin. This particular blogger will obsess over not attending and missing out on seeing the game again. Massively Editor Sera Brennan will be dared and subsequently sing a most heinously embarrassing song. She'll later regret these events, as the very performance of said song will delay, at minimum, five MMOs set to release sometime within the next 24 months. Think you can do better? We agree, but would like to see proof, mind you.
Molyneux combats fear of Natal input lag
The problem of input latency is something that keeps popping up in coverage of Microsoft's Project Natal. It's something we noticed when demoing Natal at TGS last year, something Microsoft promised to address before launch. Apparently, certain outlets are still noticing latency issues, which has prompted both Microsoft and Peter Molyneux to come to the peripheral's defense. The comments come in response to reactions from a recent event held in London for non-enthusiast press. Speaking to GI.biz (account required), Molyneux noted his "frustration" at seeing the press use a version of Natal that has since been "exceeded many times over." Said Molyneux, "So very often you get a position that what a person's looking at is two, three, four months, a year old and you kind of want to go, 'no, no, it's 10 times better than that!'" He added that there have been "countless" revisions to Natal's camera and software since X10, which was held just weeks ago. Furthermore a Microsoft source told GI.biz that the unit demonstrated in London was "one-tenth as responsive" as the current revision. Microsoft doesn't have any Natal presentations planned for GDC next week, but maybe, just maybe Molyneux will show us how far the peripheral has come during his panel on intuitive game design.
iPhone games ported to webOS in 'a matter of days' on tap for GDC?
EA has already said that it was able to get 3D games up and running on webOS in a "matter of weeks" using the OS' PDK (or Plug-in Development Kit), but it looks like Palm might be ready to step things up even further at GDC next week. While any official word will have to wait until then, John Paczkowski of AllThingsD says that he's heard from sources close to the company that Palm will be now demonstrating how iPhone apps can be ported to webOS "in a matter of days," and with virtually no degradation in performance. Not much more to go on that at the moment, unfortunately, but you can be sure we'll be there at GDC to how this and anything else Palm might have in store pans out. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Epic showing off APB, new Unreal features at GDC
As has become custom, Epic has announced that it will be showing off new Unreal Engine features during a press conference at GDC 2010. Some of the new features include a new "procedural artist-driven tool" for creating buildings and new tool for "continuous branching objects such as roads, sidewalks, tentacles, roots, vines, cabling, and railway tracks." A new foliage demo -- which will be viewable in 3-D -- is set to highlight the engine's new features. In addition to its Unreal Engine 3 conference, Epic will also host live demonstrations of the upcoming Realtime Worlds MMO, APB. Joystiq will be on hand for both events, so stay tuned for coverage next week.
American McGee's Little Red Riding Hood looks pretty Grimm
click here for full version Legendary game developer American McGee has posted concept for the Little Red Riding Hood game he's planning to pitch to publishers at GDC 2010 next week -- and wow, Little Red has never looked quite so badass. The art, put together by a few artists at the Spicy Horse Games studio, features a white-haired little girl embedding an axe (almost bigger than she is) in a demonic wolf's skull. McGee probably has a pitch of his own all set up, but we look at a pic like that and can't help but think, "My, what complicated weapon combos you must have." All the better to get published with, we suppose. We'll be at GDC en masse next week, so we'll do our best to corner Mr. McGee and see if he willing to tell us any more about this not-simply-fractured-but-actually-mauled fairytale. If this is what the little girl looks like, just wait until we see the Hunter. [via GSW]
CryEngine 3 visiting GDC in stereoscopic 3D
Stereoscopic 3D visuals can really bring a tear to the eye, especially if your hand-eye coordination is off and you end up jabbing a plastic temple arm into a squishy place. Don't do that. Instead, CryEngine developer Crytek wants you to marvel at the latest addition to its engine, which will power upcoming urban shooter Crysis 2. This year's Game Developers Conference (running in San Francisco from March 9 to March 13) will mark the debut of stereoscopic 3D support in CryEngine 3, the company announced. According to Carl Jones, Crytek's director of global business development, the technology will enable engine licensees to create 3D content on all supported platforms. It will enhance CryEngine 3's "LiveCreate" feature, which allows a single editor to create content that's playable on all three high-end platforms: PC; PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. "There are basically no longer any limits to a designer's creativity," Jones said. We can't wait to see what kind of sci-fi cyborg shooters all the developers have in store for us at GDC. In 3D!
Sony files for 'PlayStation Arc' trademark in Japan -- all but a done deal?
Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller has gone through a few different names during its development, but "Arc" has cropped up far more than any other over the past few months, and it's now looking increasingly like a sure thing. While any official announcement will likely have to wait until GDC next week, the folks at Siliconera have discovered that Sony recently filed to trademark the name "PlayStation Arc" in Japan, which is just the latest form of confirmation of the name following a domain registration, and some noticeable name-dropping from gaming CEOs seemingly in-the-know. Of course, Sony could always pull a surprise out of its hat, and we'll be there live at GDC to report on whatever happens.
Direct2Drive indie award finalists named, threatened with Chobot lick
Aside from a spot on Sony's The Tester, we can't imagine a contest in the game industry with a much more ominous prize than Direct2Drive's Vision Award winner. Aside from the $10,000 bounty, apparently the trophy will be presented onstage at the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival by IGN's one and only lick-happy reporter, Jessica Chobot. We've listed all five of the games up for the Vision Award after the break -- a list that includes Hello Games' Joe Danger and Edmund McMillen's Super Meat Boy. The awards presentation will be held during GDC 2010, specifically taking place on Thursday, March 11. We here at Joystiq would like to wish all the contestants luck. Also, you might wanna bring a towel. Just in case, ya know?
Game Developers Choice Awards shooting John Carmack a Lifetime Achievement Award, Warren Spector hosting
This year's Game Developers Choice Awards will honor id Software's John Carmack with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Although certainly well deserved for his (continuing) contributions to the technical side of the industry, it's got to be weird to receive such an honor at the cusp of turning 40. We certainly hope Carmack still has plenty of years in the industry ahead of him. Former winners of the award include Sid Meier, Shigeru Miyamoto and Will Wright ... which got us wondering: could Carmack (or any of the above!) grab another Lifetime Achievement Award in the actual twilight of their career or does a single award preclude you from future awards, regardless of the achievement? Hosting the GDCA's this year is Warren Spector, who'd better be on his game following Tim Schafer's stellar performance as emcee last year. Spector is currently working on the (currently) Wii-exclusive Disney Epic Mickey, but is best known for his work on Deus Ex. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 11, during GDC 2010 in San Francisco.
Vicious Engine 2 adds Wii, PS2 and PSP
[smilingsquid] Vicious Cycle today announced that the second iteration of its Vicious Engine is getting set to ... viciously tear apart the innards of the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PSP. Wait, that doesn't sound very nice at all! What we mean to say is that the engine that brought you Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond for XBLA is heading to ... okay, that's not helping too much either. Anyway, for the past year, Vicious Engine 2 has been available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but today's news announces the game creation tools' ubiquity across pretty much everything else. Vicious Cycle will be next showing off the engine for the aforementioned consoles at GDC next month, where game industry folks and journalists will get a chance to see it in action. With any luck, they won't be deterred by the "Vicious Cycle" signs surrounding the booth.
Uncharted 2 & Assassin's Creed 2 headline GANG Award finalists
We thought we'd reached a point in the year where Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 would stop being nominated for awards; apparently, we were wrong. The Game Audio Network Guild adorned both games with nine nominations in its 8th annual Audio Awards. Winners will be announced and awards will be distributed on March 12 in San Francisco, alongside the Game Developers Conference. Check out the full list of nominees after the jump. They seem pretty fair, though House of the Dead: Overkill's absence from the "Best Dialogue" category almost ensures that we'll be boycotting the event.
OnLive, PlayStation Motion Controller and others getting GDC panels
The latest salvo of announcements for panels and presentations taking place at the Game Developers Conference was recently launched, revealing sessions focusing on a wide range of topics. Said topics include OnLive, Shadow Complex, the Smithsonian's admittance of video games, Blizzard's philosophy on game design, and a panel titled "Introducing the PlayStation Motion Controller." We're pretty sure we're already acquainted, thanks -- though we wouldn't mind if you'd finally tell us the damn thing's name. Check out the full list of scheduled speeches on GDC's interactive site. Just don't look too hard for that special session which allows you to dine on the finest of breakfast cereals. That one will be at the other March gaming convention.
More GDC talks: Yamaoka, Deus Ex 3, Arkham Asylum
The GDC organizers have just announced a few more of the Game Developers who will be Conferring at next month's event. Eidos Montreal art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletete will offer some rare info about the upcoming Deus Ex 3 in his talk, "The Successes and Failures of Creating a Near-Future Cyberpunk Setting with a Renaissance Twist in Deus Ex 3", while new Grasshopper Manufacture hire (and former Silent Hill producer and composer) Akira Yamaoka will present a retrospective of his career at Konami. Other new lectures include Rocksteady's David Hego on the art direction of Batman: Arkham Asylum and ngmoco's Neil Young on "Things to Unlearn Moving From Traditional Development to the New Digital World". GDC will take place in San Francisco from March 9-13.
Metroid co-creator hosting GDC lecture
The official GDC 2010 website has revealed that Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto will be leading a lecture at this year's conference. The lecture is titled "From Metroid to Tomodachi Collection to WarioWare: Different Approaches for Different Audiences." The session will focus on Sakamoto's "thought processes and techniques on game designs that have allowed him to find market acceptance for his expansive portfolio of titles." In other words, it will delve into the success of Sakamoto's many wildly different games. Assuming the lecture has a Q&A session, we also imagine it will focus on journalists needling Sakamoto about Metroid: Other M. Curiously, the lecture listing also fails to mention the inevitable follow-up event: Watch fanboy journalists and developers rush Sakamoto to get their DSes autographed. [Via Gamasutra]
Pixar, Molyneux and Schafer also giving talks at GDC 2010
Worried that you're only gonna get one legendary game developer speaking at this year's GDC? Well quit it, because it turns out that March's pontification festival will also feature the likes of Double Fine's Tim Schafer, Lionhead/MGS Europe head Peter Molyneux, Square Enix FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama, a couple of "Pixar notables," and fantasy wordsmith R.A. Salvatore. According to Gamasutra's announcement of the speakers, the gentlemen will join "almost 350 other lectures, keynotes, and panels" taking place at the early March event, giving speeches on everything from comedy in gaming (Schafer, of course) to intuitive game design (Molyneux), and even a sneak peek (the first, actually, if we're not mistaken) of 38 Studios' upcoming MMO (with R.A. Salvatore). For all you zipper and chain-clad folks, Toriyama's speech on creating "The Crystal Mythos" might be more up your alley. If none of that sounds exciting to you, then there's always the other 345 or so folks at the event or ... umm ... a bar down the street maybe? Listen, are you alright?
Penny Arcade to be honored by Game Developers Choice Awards
To the far, far outside observer, a comic strip which frequently features a tiny robot who commits sex crimes against citrus fruits wouldn't seem like the most altruistic venture. We know the truth, however -- that Penny Arcade's Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik and Robert Khoo have been putting a generous, entertaining face on the gaming industry for over a decade. For this, the three men will soon receive a special honor during the Game Developers Choice Awards -- the "Ambassador Award." Man, that sounds prestigious as hell. According to a press release announcing Penny Arcade's decoration, the award is given to folks who have "helped the game industry advance to a better place, either through facilitating a better game community from within, or by reaching outside the industry to be an advocate for video games and help further our art." Yes, Penny Arcade has done both of those things, while still finding time to make hilarious comics about sentient juicers.
Civilized Sid Meier presenting revolutionary keynote at GDC 2010
Sid Meier, creator of Civilization and unwitting architect of countless break-ups over the past 20 years, will keynote the 2010 Game Developers Conference. Meier's presentation will argue that "real-world, historical and mathematical facts cannot form the foundation of a successful game design," but that "the driving force of a game's design should be the psychology of the player." Meier's keynote will dig deep into psychology, showing designers that "egomania, paranoia and delusion" should be part of their toolkit. Hm, maybe Meier isn't such an unwitting participant in all those divorces after all? GDC will take place March 9-13 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, and Meier will reveal his tips for mainlining e-crack to the brain on Friday, March 12.
