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Retailers set console Quake Wars release in May
Word on the intertubes is that Activision and id have settled on a May release for Enemy Territories: Quake Wars, or so say retailers. According to various reports from retail sources, Quake Wars (which has been available on the PC since late last year) will make its Xbox 360 debut May 30th in Europe and we expect a Tuesday, May 27th release in North America. But so far, Activision has refused to comment on any of this May release talk, so it isn't officially official. And is it just us or does this Spring / early Summer seem loaded with video game releases?
Doom and Assault Heroes now only 400 MS Points
If you're looking for this week's new Xbox Live Arcade games, don't bother. There aren't any you see, because this week all we're getting is the newly discounted versions of Doom and Assault Heroes. Yes, they are now both considered Xbox Live Arcade Hits, and are now both available for only 400 MS Points each, half their original price. Seeing as these aren't new titles, we won't be putting together a new XBLA in Brief video this week. Suffice it to say that both are very good XBLA games and easily worth 400 points each.
Assault Heroes and Doom go half price this Wed
This Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday, we will sadly not be treated to any new Arcade releases. And we agree, that's a stinker. But there is a bright spot this week when, this Wednesday, March 19th, both the previously released XBLA games Assault Heroes and Doom will graduate to Xbox Live Arcade Hits status. And, as everyone knows, when an XBLA game becomes an Arcade Hit it means that its price gets slashed and in this case, in half to 400 Microsoft points each. No new releases is a bummer, but we haven't seen any new Arcade Hits since the program's launch in December so how could we not be thrilled for discounted XBLA fun? Remember, there's always next week.
Gameloft, Id to develop for iPhone
Joining the ranks of Electronic Arts in game development for the iPhone, Gameloft and id Software have announced their commitment to Apple's portable. According to its press release, Gameloft intends to develop over 15 titles. In a post on Slashdot, id's programming wizard John Carmack lauded Apple's 70% royalty deal and distribution deal. As for the SDK, Carmack said, "Just based on the blurbs, it looks very good -- a simulator plus debugging on the native device is the best of both worlds." Id also noted it had to put in an application for development like everyone else. Can we get an official version of Doom now?[Via Engadget]Read - John Carmack on iPhone SDKRead - Gameloft Confirms Plans to Develop For iPhone With Over 15 Titles in 2008
GDC08: Surviving the war of words in 'The Future of Story' session
First off, kudos to the GDC organizers for putting such different-minded people together for "The Future of Story" panel, which ended up being an insightful and vitriolic debate. The panel, hosted by indie writer Deborah Todd, included Saber 3D's Matthew Karch and Michael Hall (Time Shift), Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack (Too Human), Eidos Montreal's Mary DeMarie (previously: Myst III, IV and Dungeon Siege), Matt Costello (7th Guest) and Director of id Software Tim Willits.A focus of the panel was the the dichotomy of story and gameplay, with both Dyack and Karch taking opposing viewponts and everyone else scattered somewhat in the middle. Early on, Karch asserted his view that some genres don't need to value story as much, citing Call of Duty 4 as a game where no one cared about the story. Later, he summed his viewpoint up best saying, "My whole argument is, it doesn't need to be a story written by Steinbeck, it needs to be someone who just keeps the game moving on."Said Dyack, "In five to ten years, there will not be a shoter genre. It's gonna be more literative -- horror, science fiction, etc." When Karch asked if Bruckheimer would go away (referencing the "high-octane" film producer), Dyack retorted that "He's McDonald's, thats what he is. and people love McD's." The back and forth continued, culminating in the following exchange:Dyack: "We should still aspire to this. you could have bubble gum like, Transformers [the film] for example, but in the end its what entertains."Karch: "I'll take bubble gum."
GDC08: Quake Zero becomes Quake Live
It's been a while since we've heard anything about Quake Zero, id Software's free-to-play variation of Quake 3. For starters, it's not going by that old name anymore. From now on, you can call it Quake Live. Secondly, gone are any doubts about the financial efficacy of their business model: in-game advertising acronym addicts IGA Worldwide has announced a partnership with id Software to convert your roaming gaze into cold, hard cash.Quake Live will be available, cleverly enough, at www.quakelive.com, along with an assortment of features like stats, matchmaking, and of course, the game itself. And no, we still don't know when it (or the XBLA version) is scheduled to be release. Regardless, coupled with EA's free-to-play Battlefield Heroes, our trend-sensors are ringing off the charts.[Via GameDaily BIZ]
Splash Damage growing, confirms new multi-platform project
London-based Splash Damage has been noticeably quiet since the release of last year's tactical shooter Quake Wars, though we've been at this gig long enough to know that no news does not necessarily mean the code monkeys are all on sabbatical. As it turns out, the company plans to do its best mitosis impression this year by doubling in size as it ramps up for a new mysterious project, and it's seeking new blood to help out in areas such as art, programming, and design. Your guess is as good as ours as to what Splash Damage is up to, though the company confirms that the project is a multi-platform title and -- wait for it -- "genre defining." As Quake Wars left many of us cold, we'll be sure not to get too excited until there is reason to do so, though the studio will be on hand at this month's GDC, and company owner and design guru Paul Wedgwood will be waxing poetic about his company is a panel titled "From Amateur to Triple-A in Five Years," so perhaps we'll be able to glean more information from him without having to slip the exec a mickey. We'll keep that as plan 'B,' you know, just in case.
John Carmack to make a cell phone MMO
So when you think of the next shiny new MMOs coming out, do you think of any being released on a cell phone? Apparently John Carmack has said he does in a recent CNNMoney article. He says it will probably be after a sequel to one of id Software's newest original IP, Orcs and Elves. We can't imagine a cell phone MMO would have a very long development cycle (more akin to the PC-side of things) so the game could see light of day much sooner than anyone may think. Carmack goes on to say that his reasons for the idea is a lack of interest in competing with Blizzard. That's understandable given how saturated the massively game market continues to become, however we can't help but wonder if a cell phone MMO would even be very successful unless some serious innovations were made. Considering mobile phone functionality, there are definitely some interesting possibilities such as being able to play easily with anyone in your contact list permitted they have the game as well. However, this isn't the first time we've heard of a mobile MMO, so maybe Mr. Carmack is going to run into a little competition after all.[Via VirginWorlds]
Orcs & Elves & a John Carmack autograph
As if having the words "Orcs & Elves" emblazoned on your DS isn't enough to get you made fun of at school/the office by fantasy-hating jocks/co-workers, id Software went the extra mile and slapped on some dragon artwork onto this customized system to multiply its dorkiness rating tenfold. Oh, and the John Carmack autograph on the lid is sure to bring in a few putdowns, too: "Who is this John guy supposed to be? Your boyfriend?" So what if he is?Thankfully, we won't ever have to worry about Alisha heckling us for carrying one of these around, as only two were made, and they've both already been given away as part of a recent GamePro contest. We just might end up printing out a similar decal for our own DS, however -- the idea of designing our handheld to match the dragon posters we've put up in our cubicle is too tempting.
Bioshock and Enemy Territory on sale on Steam, 20% off
Maybe you're still hungover from a turkey overdose, or perhaps you have a completely rational fear of crowded malls on Black Friday, but if you weren't able to haul your keister out of the house to get your gaming deals (last minute stragglers: see our handy dandy Black Friday deals list here) then Valve's got your back. If you're looking for either BioShock or Quake Wars: Enemy Territory, you can nab them on Steam for an extra 20% off, placing these previously $50 games at a far more palatable $40 price point. And unlike those inconveniently short Black Friday sales, this one will be around until Monday morning at 10am so you've got some time to mull it over. Joytip: Best Buy has BioShock – and Orange Box – boxed for only $25 if you can get there in the next couple hours.
Wolfenstein planned for the DS
For those of you who enjoy first-person shooters on the DS, or at least were hoping to see the genre expand, you may be glad to know that id Software is bringing Wolfenstein 3D to the dual-screened handheld. Anyone excited to shoot more Nazis?The announcement of this game is not official, but id's John Carmack and Anna Kang told Wired about their plans in a recent interview. The husband and wife developers also mentioned that they would like to bring Quake Arena to the DS, and id's recent DS release Orcs & Elves to the Wii.
Will it play Doom? Yes: id Software creates mobile division
Granted, mobile versions of Doom aren't exactly in short supply, but the variety of mobile games coming out of legendary id Software's arsenal is about to explode. Founder John Carmack's wife -- who just happens to have started Fountainhead Games, the co-creator of Doom RPG for phones -- has been tapped to lead id Mobile with the goal of creating mobile ports of Wolfenstein and Quake (official ones, anyway) along with a sequel to the moderately successful Doom RPG. Long term, Carmack's hoping that we're on a cusp of an explosion in the popularity of mobile gaming, an explosion that could very well end up being driven by full-force entries into the arena by companies like id as they start to pull top-tier game developers into a field that's been historically dominated by offal from the desktop and console gaming worlds.[Via mocoNews]
Carmack attack: Orcs & Elves developer supports homebrew, wins our hearts
Homebrew rules. We know it, you know it, and apparently Orcs & Elves developer John Carmack also knows it. He recently told IGN, "It is a shame that homebrew development can't be officially sanctioned and supported, because it would be a wonderful platform for a modern generation of programmers to be able to get a real feel for low level design work." Okay, so maybe our reasons for loving homebrew are slightly more selfish than his, but we're all on the same page here, amirite? Too bad Nintendo won't ever feel the same way, due to the high potential for piracy. Carmack also mentioned that the DS was the most fun platform that he has worked on to date. Speak no more, Mr. Carmack -- you had us at hello.[Via Games Industry]
Limited edition Orcs & Elves stylus can't cast real spells
In an attempt to build some hype for the soon-to-be-released Orcs & Elves, EA has unveiled this limited edition stylus. And why not? It worked for another game you may have heard of.You won't have to pre-order Orcs to get your hands on this stylus, which was designed to match the wand used in the game. However, since it is limited, those of you wanting the game should pick up your copy sooner rather than later. The editions of Orcs with the pack-in will cost the same as regular copies, but they'll only be available at specific retailers. Unfortunately, they'll only be sold in the US, too. Sorry, PALs!Don't worry about it scratching up your DS, though. This stylus is Nintendo approved. It's also DS Fanboy approved, which is all that really matters, right?
Quake Wars patch to add voice, better balance
Though they've just delivered what, by all accounts, is an extremely solid shooter in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, developer Splash Damage hasn't taken much time for themselves. For that is the horrifying double-edged sword of video game success, your fans may be legion, but they are also voracious. They are like vampires that crave content, and can be slowed in their advances only by nerfs. For now, Splash Damage is satiating the hoard with patch 1.2. In addition to balancing issues you'd expect to be fixed, the patch will also bring some user interface improvements and improve bots. Also, you can look forward to full voice support, so you'll finally be able to tell if "PrincessTeddyRainbow" you've been fighting alongside is a Hot Lips or a Klinger.
GameStop inserts Mario in Quake Wars
What better way to ring in your Wednesday morning than with a little "Fun With Copy Editing Errors"? A listing for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars on GameStop's home page says that players of the game will get to "Duke it out with characters from your favorite Nintendo games, Mario, Link, Kirby, Pikachu and more!" You can allow yourself a bit of fan fiction day dreaming before you realized that somebody probably screwed up. It's not the end of the world, but you have to admit it's good for a laugh. This entry might be gone by the time you click your way to GameStop's front page, but thankfully it's saved here in digital amber for you and your grandkids to enjoy. [Thanks, dg10050]
John Carmack ponders Orcs & Elves on Wii
"Maybe we will do a Wii version next... with a magic wand."Those were the words of John Carmack, CTO and co-founder of id Software. While his company has made their fortune in the PC sector, the company has also outsourced development for some of its titles for gaming consoles, as well as most recently entering the mobile phone market. Now, they're bringing one of their mobile phone games, Orcs & Elves, to the DS.But, John apparently thinks the game could do well on the Wii. Having never played Orcs & Elves before, we're looking forward to the DS installment. Still, the premise of utilizing the Wiimote as a wand, casting spells and cleaning up dungeons, is one we can get behind.Any of you play Orcs & Elves before? Think the game can be adapted for the Wii?
Quake Wars demo now available
Admit it: Releasing a big multiplayer shooter a few days after Halo 3 is just plain scrappy, and it's the kind of scrappy that calls for a sports movie analogy. If late September were a movie, we'd like to imagine that it would be The Mighty Ducks. We see Halo 3 as "The Hawks," strong and confident, while Quake Wars is the Ducks, short on hype, but big on heart. Continuing our analogy, the newly released demo for Quake Wars could be the game that the team wins to clench their slot in the playoffs that gives Emilio Estevez the opportunity to start hitting on Charlie's mom. It could also be the game after Emilio is fired from his lawfirm and the team is so demoralized that they get beaten to a pulp. You can only find out by playing. We admit that the big game between Quake Wars (Ducks) and Halo 3 (Hawks) won't actually have much gravitas, what with them being on different consoles. But as long-time Quake fans, it would warm our hearts to see them pull out a triple deke.
Quake Wars demo due this month
When id Software and Splash Damage announced that work had finished on Quake Wars: Enemy Territory, they mentioned another nugget we thought you might be interested in. Splash Damage is currently working on a demo that's planned for release in mid-September. With the full game releasing in late September/early October (depending on where you live) that means you have around two weeks to assess the game before you make your purchasing decision. It also will allow you valuable time to ponder why anyone would start a war during a quake. Doesn't that seem like the worst possible time? Isn't that a time for understanding? [Via CVG]
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars shines gold
Not to be outdone by another prominent first-person shooter with a new metallic finish, id Software's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars has gone gold. According to the press release, the game will invade Europe and Australia first on September 28, followed by North America four days later (October 2). Though not mentioned, we're expecting the game to also be released via Steam much like the rest of id's catalog. No word on its impending release for Mac (being handled by Aspyr), Xbox 360 (Nerve Software) or the PlayStation 3 (Activision Foster City). %Gallery-1618%
