Geometry-Wars
Latest
E307: Geometry Wars: Galaxies gets slightly online
The Xbox 360's best launch game, Geometry Wars, is heading to the much-less-HD screens of the DS, and we've got the first screens of Geometry Wars: Galaxies. It appears to have been adapted to a touch-screen-based method of control, but we're sure that's the first thing you thought of when you heard about, well, a DS game. More interestingly, the DS version of Geometry Wars has online leaderboards! And if you happen to end up with both the DS and Wii versions of the game, you can combine your high scores and compete on the Elite Leaderboards. An apt name for something that basically requires more money to use. Publisher Sierra Entertainment says that Galaxies contains the full version of the Xbox 360's Retro Evolved as well as a new single-player campaign. %Gallery-4777% [Via press release]
Geometry Wars video hurts
We think we've underestimated Xbox 360 gamers. Not that we didn't hold them in high regard, but we just assumed that they were all humans. We don't know how anyone can play Geometry Wars and see what's going on through all the sparks and particle effects. It must require a feat of concentration just to track your own ship on the screen. We could barely play Bangai-O on the Dreamcast, and this is like Bangai-O with everything made of sparks. Wii gamers are going to get extra complexity in Geometry Wars: Galaxies, since we'll have to track not only our ship but also the Wiimote-controlled aiming reticle. It's like training your brain! Also, oooooh pretty. [Via Joystiq]
Geometry Wars Galaxies confirms Wii particles possible
Remember when you paid $5 for this game on Xbox Live Arcade? Or maybe just $2.50? You ready to drop $40? Sure, you'll get the level structure and wireless downloading features -- and a sidekick drone! But isn't Galaxies better suited for Wii Ware? At least visually, Geometry Wars Galaxies appears to be a worthy sequel to the Xbox 360 money-maker. Apparently, Wii really does produce results that are "very close" to Xbox 360 ... an Xbox 360 XBLA game. We'll bring you our hands-on later in the week.
Geometry Wars Galaxies coming to 360?
Gamespot has a video hands on demo of Wii/DS title, Geometry Wars Galaxies, and while it is for a competing platform, there is one thing worth bringing to your attention. During the gameplay demo, whenever the Bizarre Creations developer pauses the game, the word "Achievements" is clearly shown in the pause menu. Also worth noting is that the selection is skipped over whenever scrolling down to "Exit Game". So, the tradition may be kept alive with a new Geometry Wars game released alongside PGR4. Either that, or else the Wii version will have in-game Achievements, which may or may not be "allowed". Either way, very interesting stuff.
Geometry Wars on Wii and DS offer wireless downloading, shininess
The handsome devils over at Gamespot recently spent some time with early builds of Geometry Wars: Galaxies on both the DS and the Wii, and walked away happy with what they saw, even in the games' nascent stages. According to their preview, both versions feature a level structure, with solar systems divided into planets, and each planet being one playable level. Both the DS and Wii version will also include the full content from Xbox 360's Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, but Gamespot reports that that content amounts to one planet, in proportion to everything else offered in the game. Other juicy details include cooperative multiplayer, and wireless sharing of a multiplayer DS demo of the game. The DS version can actually share a full copy of Retro Evolved wirelessly with other DSs, but perhaps what's more exciting is that the Wii version can do the exact same thing, making Galaxies the first game we know of to offer Wii-to-DS wireless downloading. The preview also gives some detail on control schemes. The Wii version has players using the nunchuk to move the ship, with the Wii remote functioning as a cursor to indicate the direction being fired in. The DS version, on the other hand, uses the d-pad to move the ship, and the stylus to aim and fire. Gamespot has also included video coverage of the Wii version, so we'd encourage you to head over and check it out. Both versions are due out sometime later this year, but impatient folks can still find Retro Evolved on Xbox Live Arcade, or Geometry Wars XP on Steam. [Thanks Grog]
Geometry Wars XP debuts on Steam
Those hoping to engage in wanton shape genocide without a console's involvement can now look towards Valve's online game distribution service, Steam, now hosting a Windows XP version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. Developed by Bizarre Creations and considered by many to be the Xbox 360's first must-have game, Geometry Wars is being offered at an introductory price of $2.50, half that of its 2005 "supposed to be free" launch price. The game will be shifted to $3.95 starting June 22. If Steam isn't your thing either, perhaps this holiday season's Geometry Wars: Galaxies on the Wii and DS will be enough to enlist you in the fight against circles and diamonds. Failing that, we'll have to conclude that you're one of them -- a total square.
Indies and consoles: an imperfect system
According to Gamasutra's Simon Carless, the independent scene is facing an uphill battle when developing for consoles, specifically in the realm of digital distribution. Carless argues that the difficulty in bringing a title across all platforms, both for technological and business reasons.Other than some retro titles (e.g. Joust), a very small number of downloadable title are appearing on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is one of the few exceptions, and Capcom's Christian Svensson said it required "considerable coordination" to get the titles on both consoles, which indicates to us that less established independent houses would have insurmountable difficulty.Carless notes that Sony's collection, retro games aside, are predominantly first party (though we should note that flOw went to Sony because they actively sought out the independent title). Nintendo has always talked about bringing original games to the Wii, and there have been murmurings of a Game Channel, but so far all the only tangible indication of a non-Virtual Console title is Impossible Mission.Carless' analogy to the film industry (three separate formats for theatre chains), though admittedly ham-fisted, does not account for industry history. It may be unfair to the independent developer, but there hasn't been a time when gaming was controlled by a single format. Sure, development teams are now much larger and require a bigger budget, but that hasn't stopped smaller teams from succeeding with Geometry Wars, Ragdoll Kung-Fu, and Alien Hominid (pictured). The state of indie games isn't ideal, but it seems to be getting better. We say keep on fighting, Simon.
Geometry Wars Wii, DS details emerge
We were taken aback (in a good way) when news trickled in that the Xbox Live hit Geometry Wars was making its way to the Wii and DS. CVG and GameSpot were surprised, so they got in touch with Roger Carpenter, senior producer for Geometry Wars: Galaxies, to get the scoop on the announcement. The first big question on our minds: how will dual analog controls translate to the stylus/Wiimote? Carpenter says not to worry. Early tests with the remote/nunchuk combination were very promising, and n00bs managed to rack up respectable scores with ease. We're assuming the analog stick will move the ship and a hearty Wii remote jerk will fire the weapon. And touch screen control should be a snap: move with the d-pad, fire by tapping the screen. The next item of interest is the announced single-player campaign mode, something we would have never imagined for the coin-munching arcade style of Geometry Wars. Carpenter promises a more "varied and structured game" complete with galaxies, solar systems, and planets ripe for exploration. You'll need to plan battle tactics and scrounge up currency as well. Along with the robust single-player mode, Galaxies will also offer online multiplayer modes for both games. Look for the titles to hit sometime this holiday season.
Geometry Wars Galaxies defects to Wii and DS
Coming our way from the latest issue of Nintendo Power is word that Bizarre Creations' Xbox Live Arcade-defining hit Geometry Wars will be gracing the Wii and DS. The title, which will feature the Evolved and Retro modes of its Xbox 360 counterpart, is also to have an "extensive single-player campaign." No word on whether the game will be offered via download or sold in boxed retail form, so be sure to keep an eye on DS Fanboy for further news as it develops. [Via NeoGAF]
Geometry Wars Galaxies for Wii
A scan from Nintendo Power revealed a surprising new game for the Wii and DS: Geometry Wars Galaxies. We had always thought that Bizarre Creations was an exclusive Xbox 360 developer and that the Geometry Wars property was similarly exclusive, but this announcement dispels that notion. Development duties are being handed off to Kuju Entertainment, who are responsible for the Battalion Wars series. The new game, in addition to both Retro and Evolved modes, will contain some kind of "extensive single-player campaign" on both the Wii and DS. Like everyone else on the Internet, we're interested in seeing if the Wii version will be sold as a disc or a download. This would certainly be an incredibly obvious step towards an Xbox Live Arcade-like service! Check after the break for the full scan. [Via NeoGAF]
Geometry Wars: Galaxies shooting for Wii, DS
Humanity's vendetta against simple (and notably evil) geometric shapes is set to continue its expansion beyond the humble beginnings as a bonus in Project Gotham Racing. Xbox Live Arcade, Vista and mobile phones now find themselves joined in the war by the Wii and DS, at least if the July issue of Nintendo Power is to be believed. A blurb in the magazine (via Buttonbasher) asserts that Geometry Wars: Galaxies will be arriving on both Nintendo platforms thanks to the efforts of "the dev team responsible for Battalion Wars." That would imply the involvement of the UK's Kuju Entertainment, which is apparently hard at work grafting "an extensive single-player campaign" onto the game's frantic combat. Of course, we fully expect a gripping and operatic storyline to go with it, something along the lines of an intergalactic mathemagician attempting to tri-strangulate vital supply route coordinates. Alas, our expectations are oft set too high. A multiplayer mode and prior versions of Geometry Wars are also said to be included in both packages, expected to materialize this Fall. It probably wouldn't be absurd to expect a new Geometry Wars game alongside Bizarre's Project Gotham Racing 4 either.
Geometry Wars was 'supposed to be' free
In a recent interview with IGN, Ben Ward of Bizarre Creations said Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was intended to be a free gift to hardcore gamers. They eventually realized they couldn't pull it off, so they went with the bare minimum price Microsoft would allow: 400 points. As we all know, Bizarre later attacked the free Geometry Wars clone for the PC, Grid Wars, claiming it "impacted the sales" of their game. Why so uptight when they wanted their game to be free in the first place? We understand that operating a business requires you to protect your intellectual property, but if the intention was to give it away, clones shouldn't be an issue. Either the Grid Wars fiasco was Microsoft-induced or these latest comments are nothing more than PR-speak. Something doesn't quite add up. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Bizarre wanted Geometry Wars to be free
In an interview with IGN about their upcoming game Boom Boom Rocket, Bizarre Creations' own Ben Ward revealed the true ambitions behind that uber hit Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. When asked about their experience with the XBLA and comparing the risks involved between Boom Boom and Geo Wars, Ward said that, "Geometry Wars was really intended as a gift to hardcore gamers and we initially wanted to give the game away for free. When it became evident that we couldn't do this, we said to Microsoft "what's the absolute bare minimum we can charge". They said 400 points, so we went with that." We have yet to find someone who has complained about paying 400 Microsoft Points for Geometry Wars, because the game is good enough to charge 1200. But how cool would it have been to get it for free? We always knew that the guys at Bizarre were good folks which makes us want Boom Boom Rocket all the more. Speaking of Boom Boom, make the jump for the complete interview where Ward discusses everything Boom Boom related. And feel free to express your disgust with Microsoft for not allowing Geometry Wars to be a free download ... long live the free content!
Geometry Wars Vista available on MSN Games
Microsoft be a cold pimp, turning out its Xbox Live Arcade darling onto the uncharted streets of Windows Vista. There's no crawling into bed with a trusted XP customer for this version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. Vista-only. For its sake, Geometry Wars won't be working the MSN corner alone, as it's joined by fellow newcomers Bliss Island and Crystal Quest. The cost might have gone up (from $5 on XBLA to $7.95), but the experience will be over just as fast for the average john (patience, it takes practice) -- do remember to bring your Xbox 360 controller for an authentic experience. Play safe, folks.
XNA Challenge: Final Stand
Josh Butterworth is probably better known to NeoGAF readers as Ghost, the author of XNA space shooter Last Alarm. The game got him noticed not just by the NeoGAF community but also by Microsoft, who invited him to take part in the XNA Challenge to create a game from scratch in four days at the Game Developers Conference.Butterworth's creation is Final Stand, a "static-screen shooter" that he admits draws lots of inspiration from Geometry Wars, right down to the dual stick control scheme. Where Final Stand tweaks the formula is in its multiplayer mode, which will allow four people to work together to kill as many of the swarming yellow enemies as possible. The game is intended as a co-operative exercise, but Butterworth said he'll be leaving friendly fire on so "if you're losing in the scores and have two seconds left and have a missile in your pocket and you see your friend over there, you can feel free to shoot him." Think of it as Space War meets Geometry Wars.Butterworth is impressed with what he's been able to get out of the XNA environment after only a few months of experience, but he isn't really trying to compete with his more experienced challengers. "It's not really a competition," he said. "It's about showing what's possible on XNA." Watch a video of the work-in-progress after the jump.
512MB memory card and exciting XBLA news
It looks like that silly rumor was true as Microsoft just announced a bigger memory card for the Xbox 360. The new 512MB Xbox 360 memory card will be available April 3rd, will retail for $49.99, and for a limited time will come pre-loaded with Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. Simultaneously, the ancient 64MB memory card will drop in price to $29.99 (be on the lookout for clearance prices). Also, with the announcement of the new 512MB card, the XBLA size limit will be raised from 50MB to 150MB allowing developers to run wild with their creativity. Microsoft also announced that they'll be showcasing XBLA titles Boom Boom Rocket, 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures, Eets: Chowdown, Jetpac Refuelled, and Pinball FX at GDC. Check out the full press release after the break. So, after reading that informative spiel what is your gut reaction? We definitely agree with raising the XBLA size limit to 150MB and find the 512MB memory card to be a much better deal than the old 64MB version. And for curiosity's sake, is there anyone out there who just purchased a 64MB memory card and is kicking themselves?
EA to publish Bizarre's new XBLA game
EA's first downloadable console title will be Boom Boom Rocket, a new rhythm game from the geometric warmongers at Bizarre Creations. The game sees players traveling through a 3D cityscape and launching rockets to the beat of the music -- the more accurate you are, the more spectacular the resulting fireworks become. Gamedaily Biz reports that Boom Boom Rocket should arrive on Xbox Live Arcade in Spring.Chip Lange, EA's vice president of online commerce, feels they've crashed the party at the opportune moment. "Now feels like the right time. Across EA there's been a lot of internal excitement about Arcade and we're at a point where we can dedicate resources to building Arcade games. We're very excited to be entering this space. This is a great way to develop new IP and work with small development teams internally and externally to build a casual, fun game experience." Originally thought up by EA's own Pogo casual games team, the game should be a welcome addition to the XBLA lineup, especially given the grievous lack of any other rhythm games. The fireworks in Boom Boom Rocket will be accompanied by ten original tunes from Ian Livingstone -- we certainly hope he's familiar with synesthesia.
Today's most geometric game video: Geometry Wars PC 'Vista'
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has had its own little evolution, going from minigame, to full-fledged console game, and now it'll be dropping onto PCs everywhere and we've got the video to prove it. Yes, it's retro gaming action that takes you back to the land of arcade quarter-eaters like Tempest and Qix ... and it's incredibly addictive fun. Check out the Vista version in action after the jump. It looks pretty spiffy on that monitor, or else the brightness levels are just kicked up to 11. Either way, PC users can finally toss Minesweeper and Solitaire away, because this will be the new king of the timesuck in cubicle-land.
Top XBLA title Geometry Wars headed to PC [update 1]
During the Microsoft keynote at CES on Sunday, Microsoft gave us evidence that surprise hit Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (an Xbox 360 launch title) is headed to the PC (the confirmation occurs at timestamp 44:28 on the official keynote video). No surprise there, because genuine hits like GW are so rare that hay must be made while the sun shines. We've already blogged about a mobile version of the game; a PC version was inevitable. No word on timing or price, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect it to land this year for between $5 (the price on XBLA) and $20 (the price for most "casual" PC games). [Update 1: noted that confirmation occurs at timestamp 44:28 on the official keynote video.]
DVD players finally more common than VCRs
The DVD celebrated its 10-year anniversary this fall, but DVD players have only just this week surpassed VHS players in number, according to a survey by Nielsen Media Research, as reported by the New York Times. Because Microsoft and Sony have entangled gaming in a new format war, we often blog on the HD-DVD versus Blu-ray debate that began this year. If DVD took ten years to reach this important milestone, how long will it take one of the new formats to "win," considering that the DVD didn't have to battle against a rival format? In 2016, won't the whole idea of physical distribution of digital content seem rather archaic? Will the DVD last long enough to bridge the gap to the all-digital utopia, or will we need a stopgap format like Blu-ray or HD-DVD? Nobody knows, but we do know that so long as games like fl0w and Geometry Wars exist, Luddite gamers can rest easy knowing that there will be at least some very good games that don't require a $200 gamble on stopgap formats.
