insomniac
Latest
Katee Sackhoff is Dr. Cassie Aklin in Resistance 2 ARG video
Following the previous video, both parts of the Resistance 2 ARG website projectabraham.com have been updated. It appears the female, identified as Cassie Aklin, is a government doctor. She speaks to another doctor about the man from the last video, about the influenza and experiments, warning she will not be "a counselor to a slaughter house." Before long, the doors begin slamming and Cassie runs off to get help.The Blackout part of the site has also been updated with a letter from a Colonel Grant Thompson addressed to Cassie, aka Dr. Aklin. It informs her that the government has "suspended all injections until further notice" and that only six candidates remain in the Project Abraham because of "unexpected results to the first injection of the serum."Some questions we are thinking about: Is Nathan Hale one of the remaining six subjects? Is this Project Abraham what turned him into what he is? Share your thoughts in the comments below.[Thanks, Jonathan C.!]
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty rated by ESRB
Many moons ago we heard of Ratchet: Quest for Booty due to a leaked PSN list, and now the ESRB has rated a very similarly named title. Although Sony hasn't officially acknowledged the game's existence, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is pretty much an open secret now following the software ratings board's listing.The ESRB rating doesn't explain whether this a retail follow-up to Tools of Destruction or a standalone PSN Ratchet & Clank game. With E3 next week we're not even going to try and pull speculative answers out of Clank's metal heinie; a little bit of patience should result in answers shortly.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Ominous Resistance 2 ARG site Project Abraham uncovered
We are not sure how they did it, but some very clever posters over at NeoGAF has found us another ARG website for Resistance 2. The website features a woman standing over you at what appears to be a hospital, concerned for your well-being, before she is forcibly removed and the video ends with a long beep. What does this all mean? Is that actress Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galatica fame standing over us in this video? What is Project Abraham? Is that logo on her shirt the same as the one of the US military from getawarjob.com? The Morse code at the end of the video apparently spells "blackout" and leads you to another part of the site, with a picture of seven guys that you can move around on a table.Is Nathan Hale one of these guys? Is the darkness on the sides moving? We noticed pressing tab will frame a yellow rectangle around the picture. You can also drag the picture all the way off screen on the bottom and the right, but not the top and the left, And what is that in the window on the left? Take a look around and post your thoughts on this. *hums The X-files theme*[Via NeoGAF -- thanks, Noshino!]
No trophy patches coming from Infinity Ward, Insomniac or 2K Games
After receiving word that Burnout Paradise creator Criterion Games and Uncharted's developer, Naughty Dog, were planning on supporting their games with trophies patches soon, we were getting quite optimistic about most games receiving the feature. Today, however, three developers have come out to say that they won't be doing so. Namely, Infinity Ward (Call of Duty 4), Insomniac (Resistance and Ratchet & Clank) and 2K Games (Civilization Revolution).Both Infinity Ward and 2K Games posted the news on their forums, clearly stating that trophies will not be coming out for these titles. As for Insomniac, their Community Relations Manager, Bryan Intihar, responded to comments on the PlayStation Blog yesterday, stating that "currently, there are no plans to add trophies to R1 and RCF. Right now, our No. 1 focus is finishing R2 and making it the best game possible." If you're particularly optimistic, you can hope that they'll work on a patch after Resistance 2 is out. It would be nice, but we won't hold our breath.Source - "No trophies in Call of Duty 4" @ InfinityWard.comSource - Forum post @ 2KGames.comSource - Bryan Intihar's comment response @ PlayStation Blog[Via MCV]
See Resistance 2's Leviathan boss
While GamePro is sharing the goods on Resistance 2 in its latest issue, we know that not everyone is a fan of getting their game news off the rack so we thought we'd share the first couple of screens from the magazine's cover story. Posted by the PlayStation Blog, the shots give us a look at Chimera-occupied Chicago as well as the city's resident boss, a massive 300-foot Leviathan. Honestly, we don't know if we're more excited to collect the Trophy for dropping this baddie, or simply watch him rip through downtown, Cloverfield-style.%Gallery-26754%
Insomniac not 'currently' adding trophies to Ratchet or Resistance
After it was announced that Uncharted and, well, "every game" for the PS3 will receive Trophies, many expected Insomniac's two titles would be on the shortlist of receiving updates in the "foreseeable future." Sadly, Insomniac's Bryan Intihar expresses on the PlayStation Blog that Ratchet and Clank Future and Resistance: Fall of Man aren't getting Trophy updates soon.Intihar writes that there are currently no plans to add Trophies because the company's "No. 1 focus" is finishing up Resistance 2. We're disappointed, but we'll take this to mean Insomniac isn't dismissive of Trophies and giving it over to the summer intern as busy work.
GamePro August issue sheds Resistance 2 details
Let's not mince words, Insomniac's Resistance 2 is sure to be one of Sony's heaviest hitters during E3 later this month. But if you can't wait for what is sure to be minutes devoted to the Trophy-enabled shooter during Sony's pre-show festivities, you might want to take a peek at what GamePro has in store for its latest issue, which features a fold-out cover of the above art, with war-themed propaganda on the back. Nice!Among the details promised, the mag will offer a look at the game's campaign, co-op, and competitive multiplayer modes, as well as a gaze skyward at a towering 300-foot tall Chimera that besets Chicago as the game's first end-level nasty. For more, we suggest heading to your favorite magazine rack to pick up the latest issue of GamePro, and let your eyeballs soak up the August issue's 10-page cover story on the upcoming FPS.
New Resistance 2 footage hits YouTube
PS3 Fanboy brings word that a new slice of Resistance 2 footage has popped up on YouTube after appearing on (then disappearing from) Eurogamer TV. If you want a fresh look at Sony's big FPS for the fall, watch it while it's hot. There's a good chance this instance of the video will get pulled soon as well. Update: We have removed the embedded YouTube player as a courtesy to Sony. (It's still up on YouTube though!)
New Resistance 2 trailer sneaks onto YouTube
Update: Unfortunately, this video wasn't meant to be leaked to the net. An SCEA rep has contacted us, requesting removal of this video. Hopefully, it won't be too long until we find other Resistance 2 content!Originally found on Eurogamer TV, this Resistance 2 trailer was taken down rather quickly. Luckily for us (and unfortunately for those wishing to keep the trailer under wraps) somebody slapped it up on YouTube for us to watch. It'll probably get removed sooner or later as well, or it might not. This trailer seems to really show off the enhanced focus on the franchise's storyline -- we got pretty excited. Hopefully you will, too.
Here's the first gameplay footage from Resistance 2
No longer ensconced in a GameTrailersTV shell, we've assembled Friday night's three gameplay clips from Resistance 2 for you to enjoy without leaving the 'Stiq. Get a first look at one of the game's new locations: Chicago; check out the 60-player multiplayer mode, Skirmish (we've played it, it actually works!); admire the HD graphics (really, watch the HD feeds if you're able) and get a peek at ... holy crap, is that a skyscraper-stomping Godzilla? Multiplayer video is embedded above, and the single-player videos are after the break.
Resistance 2 details, gameplay revealed on last night's GameTrailers TV
Don't get your hopes up -- the above video isn't particularly fresh or tantalizing, though watching Geoff Keighley get repeatedly shot down by Ted Price, president of Insomniac Games, is rather entertaining. If you're looking for new gameplay videos and information on the sequel to the PS3's well-received launch title, you'll have to watch the entirety of last night's episode of GameTrailers TV, as the individual nuggets of new information about the game have yet to be compartmentalized into easily digestible clips.There's some interesting gameplay footage spliced throughout the episode, but for those of you who don't have 22 minutes to kill, you can check out chapters one and two for details about the single player campaign, chapter three for new info about mutliplayer, and chapter four for new characters and weapons. We imagine there's enough footage of Keighley getting the silent treatment from Price to fill up at least seventeen additional chapters.
Insomniac clarifies comments on Resistance trophy and Home support
Insomniac Games tells Eurogamer that trophy and Home support will not be added into Resistance: Fall of Man contrary to our previous report. Both features, however, will be fully supported for the upcoming Resistance 2 coming out this Fall.In all honesty, we're perfectly fine without both features in the first Resistance. It's really time to move forward anyway. Resistance 2 is on the horizon and that's where the development focus should be fixated on. We just hope that at least one out of these two features will be ready by game's launch.
Insomniac's Dezern and McCabe talk new North Carolina digs
Insomniac's push eastward was one of last week's most intriguing items of interest, despite a lack of details concerning what exactly the Ratchet & Clank developer has in store for its new Raleigh, NC studio. However, while we don't know exactly what the Burbank, California-based developer has up its sleeves, we figured if anyone had the scoop it would be current Insomniac art director Chad Dezern and gameplay guru Shaun McCabe, both of whom will be given reigns over the company's eastern arm once it opens in January.We recently spoke with both execs about the new studio, and we couldn't help but kick off the interview by asking the one nagging question on our mind: Why North Carolina?"We wanted to expand Insomniac's capabilities while retaining the small team culture in Burbank. Opening up an office in The Triangle lets us do that while also offering an alternative for talented people who want to stay on the East Coast," Dezern answered. "Plus, Shaun and I are from the South and we missed the distant strumming of the banjo."
Insomniac opens second studio in North Carolina
As if Insomniac Games didn't love Sony enough, they're opening up another studio in North Carolina to continue developing games for Sony hardware. This is the first time in the company's history that it has expanded beyond its original Burbank offices. The North Carolina team will start off small, with about 30 people, but that will be enough for game development. "Traditionally, we've had more than 30 people working on a title, but over the past few years we've learned a lot about product management and how to create more effective and more efficient pipelines," Insomniac's Ted Price told GameDaily BIZ. "We have a good handle on the PlayStation 3 technology. The tools and technology we've developed over the last couple of years have enabled us to develop AAA games with smaller teams."It's unclear what the teams will work on after the completion of Resistance 2, but we're certain Ratchet & Clank will want to return in another PS3 game. Best of luck to the Insomniacs.[Thanks, Kyle!]
Insomniac plans North Carolina studio
Raleigh, NC had better stock up on Ambien. GameDaily reports that Burbank, CA based Insomniac Games – creator of Resistance and Ratchet & Clank – plans to have a North Carolina office open for business by January 2009. Insomniac art director Chad Dezern will head the studio, with gameplay lead Shaun McCabe taking on the role of production director. Both Insomniac veterans will head east once development wraps on Resistance 2.The studio, situated in the same "Research Triangle" area of Raleigh-Durham as Gears of War developer Epic Games (no peeking, guys!) will be home to roughly 30 new Insomniacs working on current and all-new franchises for PS3. In his interview with GameDaily, Insomniac president Ted Price points out that a team of 30 should be just the right size for creating a big-time PS3 title using the company's refined tools and technology. PS3 fans should be (rightfully) excited by the prospect of Insomniac likely bringing another all-new franchise to the system by way of the new studio, as the Burbank home base continues to develop future Ratchet and Resistance installments.
Capcom announces Wii exclusive 'Spyborgs'
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Capcom_announces_Wii_exclusive_Spyborgs'; In the midst of promoting returning favorites like Resident Evil, Bionic Commando and Street Fighter, Capcom also took a little time for some new properties during last week's Captivate 08 event in Las Vegas. Perhaps the biggest unveiled was Spyborgs, a Wii-exclusive title coming in 2009.The action title is being created by Bionic Games, an offshoot of sorts of High Impact Games that's chock-full of former Insomniac staffers, and helmed by Mike Stout, Lead Multiplayer Designer for Resistance: Fall of Man. It's early days yet, but what we've seen looks like a sci-fi brawler crossed with an episode of Ren and Stimpy. If that makes zero sense to you (and why should it?), you may just want to come back for our impressions later today.%Gallery-24211%
Battle of the 'Bams!': Resistance 2 vs. Killzone 2
Sony has two major FPS offerings on tap for releases in the next nine-odd months, both of which have plenty of similarities – not the least of which are their sci-fi trimmings. But how do they differ from one another ... or stack up against other big titles in the genre? Enter MTV's Multiplayer, who have put together a nice comparative feature on the two games, covering points such as visuals, gameplay, and overall themes. Oh, and the abundance of earth tones, of course.Is there room on PS3 for two similar first-party titles? We say "yes," and "please make sure they're better than Haze." Read on for Multiplayer's observations, along with some developer insight on Sony's positioning of both first-person battles against creepy creatures and ... Space Nazis.%Gallery-14773%%Gallery-4719%
Resistance 2 video interview covers multiplayer squad tactics
Here's another insight into the world of Resistance 2 -- the community relations manager, James Stevenson, covers all the aspects of Insomniac's upcoming shooter as far as multiplayer is concerned. A lot of the interview is focused on clearing up what is meant by "squad-based" play. That is, groups of squads in a match tackling separate objectives, while still working together. It's a lot less confusing if you listen -- that is, if you aren't mesmerized by the gameplay in the background.
Interview with Ted Price about Resistance 2: secrets still locked
Ted Price, main man behind Insomniac Games, talked with IGN for a bit about Resistance 2. While you won't hear much about the single-player adventure and all the mysterious features it supposedly has in store for us, he does speak about the 60-player online squad matches, the time setting for the game, details on the co-op mode, and some other stuff. Part of it is covered in the above interview, and we'll try to summarize the rest of interest from what was written down at IGN.Interestingly, you have a radar that finds your "rival squads" -- people that have killed you the most online. This is cool because you can hunt them down. Conversely, you can form squads based on interests (age, hobbies, et cetera) so you can forge real friendships in and out of the game, which could lead to increased performance and whatnot while playing.Co-op mode is "story light" -- not as many cinematics. With the class system, there's no auto-balancing, so if you're not careful (or particularly skilled), you might end up with a full party of Medics or something. You'll see lots of cars from the 1950's pop up, like Cadillac's or Thunderbirds. True secrets are kept pretty close to Price's heart, so you'll just have to wait for more information as Resistance 2 nears release.
See Mirror's Edge in PlayStation Day footage [update]
Update: Videos for Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 have been removed at Sony's request. "This was an internal video to show work in progress and was not ready for distribution." We will post new media when it is available.If you were furiously pounding F5 to follow along with PS3 Fanboy's live coverage of PlayStation Day 2008, you probably felt a little pang of sadness as our man, Jem Alexander, got to see some new footage from Mirror's Edge, Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 while you had to make do with reading his text second-hand.Now, you can make amends and see the videos directly from the show for yourself. Oh, and you should know that the audio on the Killzone clip seems to become a little crazy at the end, but we're hoping you still get the idea. You can find Resistance Mirror's Edge after the break right here.
