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Sony to reveal "interesting announcements" at GDC
Well, duh. CVG pointed out an interview that Phil Harrison did with 1UP, where he reminded fans of the beleaguered company that exciting revelations would surely take place at the upcoming Game Developer's Conference in March. With E3 being a shadow of its former self, many are looking to GDC as the year's big gaming event, with representatives from Sony and Nintendo presenting keynote speeches.This intrepid blogger will be there, live-blogging from the show floor. Make sure you stay tuned to PSP Fanboy from March 7th for the latest up-to-the-minute info on every bombshell that Sony's sure to deliver the PSP community.
Detailed Fable 2 info coming at GDC
This year's Game Developers Conference kicks off in March and it looks like we'll get the insider dish on Lionhead's Fable 2. GWN.com dugg up information on the GDC's conference sessions and found one on Fable 2 hosted by Peter Molyneux. We double checked this information and located a GDC session called "Innovations in Fable 2" hosted by Peter and starting on March 8th. The description says that the "talk will centre around revolutions in Fable 2." and "will examine how key game play elements have been refined and expanded". Will we finally get every last detail on Lionhead's highly anticipated sequel? Will we get to see actual gameplay videos? Will Molyneux start the hype machine and over promise on all levels? We don't have any answers now, but we know that there will be some Fable 2 information coming out of GDC ... how much is still unknown.[Thanks, Jonah]
Killzone 2: to be or not to be... at the Game Developer's Conference
One place says Killzone 2 will be at GDC while another source gets told that no, in fact, Killzone 2 won't be at GDC at all. Who to trust? It's a tough call, since we reported on a pretty lofty rumor stating that a demo for the new game may just make an appearance at the Game Developer's Conference. After going over the two linked stories above, you may think that, indeed, IGN has the correct story. They spoke with Sony, after all, right? But, CVG has "well-placed sources!" This is turning into more and more of a big deal, but it really shouldn't. If it's there, neat. If not, well, damn.Now is the time for all of the beautiful readers out there to think about the two conflicting ideas presented here and discuss them in a rational, logical, adult manner. Personally, I'd like to believe the game will still make an appearance. It's not like Sony would try to hide its trump card, right?
Sony: 'Killzone won't be [at] GDC at all'
And like a rifle butt to the ocular cavity, the spark of hope in our eyes was handily extinguished with SCEA Manager, Ryan Bowling telling IGN, "No, Killzone won't be [at] GDC at all." Really? The game was a no-show at both E3 and TGS last year; in fact, the only thing we've heard (besides rumors) following the title's infamous E3 2005 debut is that it's the "biggest multimedia project in Dutch history." So, if that rumored Killzone 2 demo won't be making an appearance at GDC after all, and E3 is gone, when will it crawl out of the foxhole it's been hiding in for the last two years? Says Bowling, "The time for that game is coming and we'll have new information about it in the future, but not at GDC."[Thanks, Nav]
And the GDC Award nominees are ...
We expect The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to get nominated for awards. It's a beautiful entry in a long-running series known for racking up the awards. What is surprising today is that while Twilight Princess received its due attention, it wasn't Nintendo's star when the Game Developers Choice Award nominees were announced -- Wii Sports was. Just a few months ago, people were calling it a "trumped-up demo" and decrying the fact that this "minigame" was going to be marketed as a full game. Then, as a pack-in, some wanted to take a pass on it in favor of a cheaper price. Who'd have thought that months later, Wii Sports would emerge as a powerhouse and continue to dominate the spotlight? Now that everyone's had some time to be sporty in the living room -- and realize the depth of Wii Sports -- we wonder if that attitude's changed. Certainly someone thinks it's worthy of attention.Twilight Princess is nominated in the Best Game and Writing categories; Wii Sports is up for three awards: Best Game, Technology, and Game Design.
RUMOR: Killzone 2 demo to Face/Off against Halo 3 beta?
Heh, Face/Off was a funny movie. Was it supposed to be funny? Doubt it, but movies where the point is to get as many big stars as possible (Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen) so they can draw in as many "admirers" as possible are just silly. Luckily, Face/Off just had two or so big celeb names. I digress. Over at 1up, there's an interesting blog entry discussing Sony's answer to the Halo 3 beta arriving soon.The answer? According to Luke Smith, Sony will respond to the beta even before it's released -- the Game Developer's Conference. Phil Harrison is one of the keynotes (all the keynoters are actually very important... I mean, Miyamoto? Awesome.) and what better way to rise up to the Bungie challenge than announce a playable Killzone 2 demo? The game's rumored to be very far along in development, so why not? But please, don't call it a Halo-killer. That term is really annoying. But if this speculation turns out to be true, Killzone 2 will inevitably have that phrase tacked onto it.
Oblivion, Okami top GDC Awards Nominations
The 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards nominations were announced today, with Okami and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion taking the most number of nods at four each. Wii Sports and Gears of War also earned high honors with three nominations apiece. With Capcom's recent bitterness over the AIAS "snubbing," four Okami nominations and a Technology nod for Dead Rising should satiate their ego. We're also glad that Rayman Raving Rabbids, Dreamfall, and Sam & Max: Episode One are getting some much-deserved kudos.The awards ceremony will occur Wednesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. and is being hosted by Tim "Psychonauts owns your soul" Schafer (also known for Monkey Island and Grim Fandango). The nominations are listed after the break.
Look out, Nintendo -- the N-Gage is coming (again)
Since failing in a spectacular fashion is so much fun that they wanted to do it again, Nokia is gunning hard for their second generation N-Gage, according to UK site Pocket Gamer. If you haven't been following the story, this time Nokia's not attempting to make a dedicated handheld-phone hybrid, but rather a platform for gaming that can be used with their N-series smart phones. Is that a better recipe for success? It will depend on the execution, of course, but apparently Nokia's been meeting with some big developers lately and they have plans to reveal the platform at next month's Game Developers Conference.They are, obviously, fixing some of last round's mistakes; if there's no dedicated handheld and the service is supported by downloadable games, then gamers will have no reason to complain about having to completely dismantle the device just to change games. On the other hand, we figure it's probably safe to assume that most gamers with smart phones already have a handheld they love and cherish, so at best this may free up a pocket. What do you think, DS gamers? While a download service would certainly be a nice thing to have on our handheld (we're looking at you, Virtual Console), is the new N-Gage platform a threat to our dual-screened beauty?
Phil Harrison speaks at GDC about "always on" gaming
GDC is little over a month away, and big names plan on headlining this potential E3 replacement. Phil Harrison, SCE Worldwide Studios president, will speak about "new opportunities offered by advancements in connectivity." Let's hope that this doesn't end up to be like Nintendo's infamous Pac-Man showing at E3.His keynote, "Game 3.0: Developing and creating for the third age of videogames," will undoubtedly speak about PLAYSTATION 3, but I expect PSP to play a large role in his speech. The concept of "always on" gaming sounds a lot like "Live Anywhere," but unlike Microsoft, Sony has a fully fledged portable gaming device to make "always on" gaming possible.Expect more news at GDC, which begins March 5th.[Via GI.biz]
GDC to host Miyamoto keynote
We don't want to alarm anyone, but Nintendo's own Shigeru Miyamoto will be coming to San Francisco this march to conduct a keynote at the Game Developers Conference. Before anyone gets the wrong impression about this and rushes to Wal-Mart for some poster board in an attempt to be internet famous, please, don't. It makes for fantastic blogging fodder to be sure, but lets spare the development community what should be reserved for the internets.As his first GDC keynote since 1999, Miyamoto's appearance could possibly be the most popular event at the conference. It's not indicated exactly as to what Mario's papa will be talking about beyond "the creative process behind his work on highly-regarded software as well as his thoughts on new Nintendo hardware", his keynote is titled "A Creative Vision." Maybe if we're all good boys and girls, he'll drop less "bombs" and clue us in on the secret of the DS printing money.
Miyamoto to provide keynote at GDC
That's correct, in the way that Iwata made a keynote at last year's GDC, Miyamoto is following in his footsteps with his keynote presentation titled A Creative Vision. Miyamoto's keynote is to revolve around his "singular creative vision [that] drives his work, not only in terms of his world-renown software, but also in generating key technologies, including the current global phenomena, Nintendo DS and Wii." Not much for us to go on, but being the veteran that he is, and the large amount of respect he demands for his contributions to this industry, we're sure it'll be a keynote to remember.
Molyneux, others join GDC lineup, Fable 'talk' imminent
Having the inside scoop, Gamasutra reports that Peter Molyneux, Killer 7's Goichi Suda, and a team of Final Fantasy XII developers led by Taku Murata are joining the GDC 2007 lineup. Molyneux, well known for his mastery of hype-building (and subsequent apologies), will by lecturing on Fable 2, musing aloud about the brilliant innovations that might or might not make the final cut -- Molyneux promises to reveal "a totally unexpected feature" (we've heard that before).Teasing aside, Molyneux is one of the most forward-thinking developers in the industry today. He might not always deliver, but he's earned his street cred for being a risk-taker. Molyneux's colorful presence is a key addition to GDC.Also making appearances during the conference will be Goichi Suda, who will illustrate the experience of working on a small development team (in this case, Grasshopper), along with Taku Murata and other core members of the FFXII team, who will reflect on the lessons learned during the game's development.
Sign up and get involved with the Experimental Gameplay Workshop
Are you sick of the same ol' World War II shooter? Have enough of the clichéd role-playing hero? Want more innovation and gaming as art like Katamari Damacy and Shadow of the Colossus? Now is your time. Join the Experimental Gameplay Workshop, which is hosted at the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. You can check out what they accept and reject on their website. Interestingly, they don't deal with "edgy" material (probably something completely stupid to think of, like playing as a rapist or something else unspeakably "edgy") which is probably for the best. What they do look for are more open-ended gameplay mechanics -- linearity is a thing of the past, ostensibly. It all seems so interesting! I'd love to try my hand at offering some ideas, but I live way too far from San Francisco to think about it. So go ahead, submit yo'self, or leave a couple of your fleeting ideas here and we'll talk about them.
Developers cautiously wait to make PS3 titles
The lackluster launch lineup is slightly indicative of third-party caution when referring to game development on the PlayStation 3. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry, GDC boss Jamil Moledina spoke about just that. Most third-party hesitation is due to the complicated nature of the PS3 itself, stating the difficulty lies with both the Cell and the RSX graphics processor (not the Acura). Says Moledina, "It's always a challenge for developers to dedicate resources to next-generation titles like this - consider the cost, resources, and time it takes to make these games." While all that may be true, certainly he can't ignore the notion that maybe developers are waiting for more PS3's to actually enter the gaming marketplace? Oh well.It may be true that much of Sony's effort has been focused on their first-party titles and developers -- you have to teach yourself how to work something before teaching others, right? -- but that will change in the coming months. Robustly, as Jamil puts it. One last thing to note -- Moledina equates this launch to the PS2 launch. A hatful of decent games, but the real winners are due out next year: Lair, Heavenly Sword, MotorStorm to name a few. Hopefully he's right -- those games certainly look badass enough.
Developers still waiting for keys to PS3
In a recent interview, GDC head Jamil Moledina reiterated developers' hesitancies to begin working on PlayStation 3 projects. "A lot of the developers I know are waiting out on the first round and focusing on handhelds," Moledina told GamesIndustry.biz.From Moledina's perspective, Sony is at fault, unable to provide needed support to third-party developers. But as first-party studios gain experience with the Cell, knowledge will inevitably spread throughout the industry. "I'm generally optimistic about the platform's prospects," Moledina opined. In other words, the GDC boss is giving it a year.
Attend the Game Developers Conference for free!
Not enough bling in your pocket and want to attend the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco for free? Now you can. If you sign up to be a conference associate, you'll get a full Giga pass with privileges when you're not working (an $1850 value).You'll be taking part in helping the conference run, and working extremely non-demanding jobs like: Guarding doors Monitoring conference sessions Checking badges at meals and special events Stuffing conference bags Data entry ...And much more! Leaving your brain free to figure out what you want to see and deciding which lectures you want to sit in on. The GDC is a great opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the game industry, and to witness first-hand all of the work that goes into building a game from scratch. Tim Brengle and Ian MacKenzie who run the CA program are top-notch guys, so you'll be in good hands. You'll make friends, attend parties, and get all the benefits of the Giga pass (including free breakfast and lunch on workdays, toastyyyyy!). Several Joystiq readers went the volunteer route last year and were able to enjoy the program gratis, so what are you waiting for?The GDC is in San Francisco from March 5th through the 9th in 2007. We hope to see you there.
New tech puts the squeeze on texture files
A company called Allegorithmic recently held a presentation at London's Game Developers Conference and briefly talked about their advanced texture compression technology. The uninterestingly named ProFX and MaP Zone 2 programs aim to reduce the size of in-game texture files by up to 70% -- with no image quality lost. One of the games utilizing the technology turns out to be Roboblitz which, like every other Xbox Live Arcade game, is expected to come in at under 50MB. Allegorithmic's software supposedly reduced the entire game's collection of textures to a size less than 280KB. Efficient compression techniques, if implemented correctly, could easily be seen as a way to obviate the initial need for new storage mediums such as HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. However, the Bit-Tech article points out that designers are just as likely to fill the extra space to create even more rich and varied textures. Instead, the biggest winnner would be the world of digital distribution. Though broadband speeds are constantly increasing, nobody likes waiting for a progress bar to fill. Casual or arcade games could certainly benefit greatly from smaller overall file sizes as they vie for your limited time and attention. [Via PS3 Fanboy, thanks to everyone that sent this in.]
MS in-game ad master plan: Less vomit, more BK
Microsoft in-game ad pimp Kevin Browne gave the keynote address at the GDC "Focus On" series Game Advertising Summit. This article sums up the ad happy proceedings, essential reading for those concerned about the phenomenon. Favorite quote:"Think about this consumer as somebody not to vomit all over with messages," Browne said, "but rather to engage in a discussion."Right. A discussion about Burger King.
UK gaming events this summer
This summer is shaping up to be great one, at least in terms of the number of UK gaming trade shows and conferences coming up soon. The great gaming fiasco of 2004 resulted in both of the major gaming trade shows in the UK (Game Stars Live and ECTS) being canceled when they decided to take place at exactly the same time, so it's great to finally see that the industry has picked itself up.Click continue to see a round-up of some future gaming events within the United Kingdom. Joystiq's UK contingent (consisting of Jennie and I) hopes to be able to attend as many of these events as possible so if you're also planning on attending make sure to leave us a comment. If we've missed a show or conference, let us know and I'll add your tip to the table.
Full GDC interview with Katamari creator
The boys at Gamasutra have posted their full interview with Katamari creator Keita Takahashi from this year's GDC conference in San Jose. On whether he's glad that the Katamari series has ended: "I know I won't be working on it right now, but I think Namco will probably continue it... I had nothing to do with the PSP version, so clearly they can keep making them on their own. So yeah, I won't be having anything to do with it anymore, but Katamari is not finished." It was this same interview that Takahashi was critical of Nintendo's Wii console saying, "I don't think a controller should have that much influence on the enjoyment of games." To give the man some respect, when asked in the past what non-Nintendo games Shigeru Miyamoto would like play, Katamari Damacy was at the top of his list.[Thanks, simon]
