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GDC: A quick chat with XBLA's Greg Canessa
I met Xbox Live Arcade's Greg Canessa outside a casual gaming session this afternoon. We didn't talk long, but did manage to hit some of the larger points. Competition from Sony? They don't know what Sony has planned, so they don't know what to expect. You and all of us both. XNA and Xbox Live Arcade titles? The new programming tools have Arcade clearly in their sites. They want to attract game designers and increase the number and quality of original offerings for the Arcade service. They'll continue to manage the service and hand pick the available games. The glut of low quality cell-phone games? "Crappy." Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war? Downloadable content is the future. Greg was a really amiable guy, genuinely passionate about his role in one of the most exciting spaces in gaming today. Of course I told him (again) how much we love Geometry Wars (though I'm sure he's heard this more times than he cares to count). I also pointed out that the insert in his GDC badge adverting Real as the largest distributor of casual games right above his name and title struck me as humorous. He agreed (note its absence). I'd like to thank Greg for chatting; if I see him again I'll try and get him to spill the beans on Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting. No bad blood about that "trash talk" post, right Greg?
Microsoft's GDC Lobby Bar (aka: the cash bar)
Located prominently in the middle of the lobby is the Microsoft sponsored "YOU Lobby Bar." Featuring four Xbox 360s, some cushy couches, tables, and of course, booze. This picture was taken early in the morning, so it belies the popularity of the cash bar. Ad-hoc business meetings over reasonably priced mixed drinks or bottled beer is the name of this game.
The GDC Store/Bookstore tour
The real business starts in just a few short hours, beginning with Microsoft's blogger's breakfast, quickly followed by the Sony keynote, the Game Developer's Choice Awards, and more! Until then, live vicariously by checking out the GDC Store/Bookstore where they're selling... uh, books and stuff. If you're curious what the industry insiders keep on their bedside table, look no further. Behold!
Rumor: Revolution to be renamed this Thursday
According to CVG, there's "a strong whisper that the Revolution's real name will finally be confirmed this week" at GDC.Satoru Iwata's disruptive GDC keynote, scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 AM PT (1:30 PM ET) to 11:30 AM PT, would be the perfect opportunity to reveal the new name for Nintendo's next console.The other rumor--regarding a highly unlikely June launch for the machine still code-named Revolution--was a lot less believable. Then again, this week's events could simply confirm that the Big N's going with its hardware code name for the Rev as it did for the DS. Questions, questions... hopefully we'll have some answers this Thursday.[Via Gamecloud]See also: Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning... [a few upcoming GDC highlights] Revolution's real name and final form to be revealed in May Revolution still just a "codename?" Nintendo overhauls the DS [but keeps the code name]
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.
Presenting, the GDC bag of schwag
Here's the bag of schwag they're handing out when you claim your badge. Liberally adorned with Microsoft's various X-brands (DirectX, Xbox 360, and XNA), just like the entire convention is (more on that later), the bag is omnipresent at the show thus far. Read on for some shots of the magical trinkets inside the bag.
GDC: MS releases XNA tools, opens Xbox Live
After being announced by J Allard at GDC two years ago (and again last year), Microsoft unveiled their XNA framework this morning, kicking off this year's GDC event. The tools are designed to streamline the development process, and facilitate porting of titles from the Windows environment to the 360 and vice-versa. They've also announced that they're opening their Xbox Live Server Platform to publishers and developers. It appears this will allow game developers to add more functionality into their Live implementation and "can also be used to support the creation of massively multiplayer online game worlds." What's that? MMOs? A response to Blizzard COO Paul Sams' criticism that the Xbox Live is a "walled garden" or was that obfuscation until a real announcement can be made?This announcement is ostensibly in lieu of a keynote from Redmond this year, and the raison d’être for Wednesday's blogger's breakfast with Peter Moore and Chris Satchell (GM of Game Developer Group... the XNA guys).UPDATE: If you're really curious, you can check out the presentation, via Major Nelson. He also teases, "...the XNA team will be making some announcements. They are starting to trickle out... plus I am told more ‘wickedly cool tech’ news will happen later this week once the event kicks off and they start showing demos." Tip of the iceberg?
Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning...
Flying at 35,000 feet, about ten minutes from the Rocky Mountains, our captain chimes in to inform us that we're experiencing "unusually" strong winds. I glance up from the computer just long enough to note that he said something about "50 miles an hour faster than expected" and that we're "getting nowhere fast." Glancing at my layover boarding pass, converting ET to MT to PT, I determine I should still have enough time. Hopefully. Unfortunately, the other matter at hand isn't quite as forgiving as Mother Nature, the airline industry, and the vagaries of layovers combined: the GDC schedule that I've been pouring over for the last several hours... days... weeks.
BioWare opens Austin studio for new MMO
RPG-producing giant BioWare (Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Jade Empire) has announced the opening of a new studio in Austin, Texas--the company's first office outside its native Canada. BioWare Austin will be responsible for a new MMORPG and has already brought some considerable talent to the unnamed project. In addition to relocating in-house design talent from the Neverwinter Nights team, veterans from Ultima Online, Sony Online Entertainment, and EA are also on board. And you could be next! If you plan on attending the Game Developer's Conference next week, bring your resumes. BioWare and sister studio Pandemic (Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars Battlefront) will be recruiting.[via GameBanshee]
Major press conference set for March 15th by Sony
We all knew that Sony's Phil Harrison was going to deliver a keynote at the GDC next week, but it looks like we might get "some details" early thanks to a major press conference set in Tokyo for this Wednesday the 15th.After a hint about just such an event from a certain Koei executive, gaming news site Ferrago claims Sony is "conceding that a major press conference will be held" on that date. It is hoped that further details concerning the PS3's launch schedule and its upcoming games would be revealed if the event actually takes place.[Via Joystiq]
Sony PS3 press conference this week
After months of speculation and rumor concerning the PlayStation 3's projected launch, we may finally get some official answers from Sony as soon as this Wednesday. According to Koei CEO Kiyoshi Komatsu, Sony is planning a press conference for March 15 that may reveal long-awaited details of the console's availability. Ferrago is also reporting that a Taiwanese manufacturer won't begin assembling the PS3's circuit boards until the summer.Given the potential development hassles Sony faces with cell processor and blu-ray drive production, and the fact that developers like Square Enix are still waiting for finalized hardware specs, there's mounting evidence that even a holiday release could be too much to hope for. Will Sony end our fanboy misery and spill the beans on the PS3 launch this Wednesday, or will they wait for Phil Harrison's GDC keynote next week?
GDC Director confirms new PS3 info at show
In an interview with GameDaily, GDC Director Jamil Moledina has confirmed that Sony's Phil Harrison will reveal some much needed details about the PlayStation 3 during his keynote. In response to being asked if there would be new info, Moledina bluntly replied, "The answer is yes," before going on to promise the keynote would "contain significant editorial value and developer takeaway."It's worth noting that Phil's keynote is titled, "PlayStation 3: Beyond the Box," so this only confirms what was already a reasonable expectation. Joystiq will be on hand, keyboards at the ready, eagerly listening for anything of value. If they somehow manage to reveal nothing during a keynote with "PlayStation 3" in the title, then we'll eat a (slim) PS2.**This offer not good in real life.[Via Gaming Horizon]
Which GDC Awards nominees we ended up voting for
All right, this blogger's ballot's been cast, and now it's time to share.In the interests of a stronger vote--that will actually make a difference--I made two choices in each category below (as the system allowed you to vote for as many or as few of the nominees as you wished). We'll see how well I picked at the Game Developers Choice Awards on March 22nd.Ultimately, my choices listed here came down to personal preference and subjective evaluation, so there are bound to be some votes that don't mesh with what you would have chosen. Whatever the case, please note that my eventual choices are not necessarily indicative of what Joystiq as a whole, or the other writers who blog for this site, would have voted for. (So don't blame them!) But enough of that... on to the ballot!
Encore! Satoru Iwata to deliver GDC keynote
It was a year ago, to the day, that the president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, was confirmed as a keynote speaker at the 2005 Game Developer's Conference. His speech, called "The Heart of a Gamer," was considered a heartfelt plea that stood in stark contrast to J Allard's hyperactive giveaway. Additional details of his presence at GDC have been revealed. Iwata-san will resume the battle-cry for innovation in video games with his keynote speech, titled "Disrupting Development." Topics will include Brain Age, NiWiFi, and the Revolution. Iwata's keynote will be held on March 23rd, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
