Interview
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Interview with Mike Morhaime
The San Jose Mercury news managed to snag an interview with Blizzard Entertainment's president, Mike Morhaime. This doesn't contain lots of news about the upcoming Burning Crusade expansion, like the recent interviews with Jeff Kaplan and Tom Chilton, but does provide a broader-picture view of what's happening back at Blizzard entertainment. How has money and success impacted the company? Well, it's a bit much to summarize, so go check it out yourself.
Elizabeth Harper08.12.2006
"Big Games" guru melds games, real world
Over at Gamasutra, Bonnie Ruberg has an interview with Frank Lantz about "Big Games," his term for games that break the bounds of a board or a computer and use the real world as the play space. The most well-known example of the form is probably Pac-Manhattan -- which uses the streets of New York in place of the classic maze grid -- but Lantz's company Area/Code has put together games ranging from a phonecam treasure hunt (ConQwest) to a massive, massively-multiplayer board game (Big Urban Game), and more.Traipsing around the streets of New York in a pink ghost costume may seem a little silly, but there's a somewhat philosophical bent to Lantz's work. In the interview, Lantz says he wants to use make games that use technology to emphasize the idea of "living with one foot in the real world and one foot in Wonderland at all times." It's a beautiful idea, and one that has the potential to change the way we look at the world. How many video games can say that?
Kyle Orland08.10.2006
TDMW interviews DefectiveByDesign
Remember those crazy DefectiveByDesign kids in hazmat suites trying to give customers the 411 on DRM outside Apple Stores? TDMW (The Digital Music Weblog) snagged an interview with the DbD collective on the state of DRM, what their beef really is and where they believe things are headed. The group has been snagging some major news coverage as of late, and this interview is a really interesting window into their stance on DRM and what it's doing to our culture (example: ooh, sorry - your mom isn't authorized to borrow that CD).In the interest of avoiding another bloody war over whether we should be shopping at the iTMS, however, I'll just direct your attention to TDMW's interview for your reading enjoyment.
David Chartier08.02.2006
Major talks Madden
Major Nelson is on the road at the present time, so his regular show is an on-the-run collection of interviews with the folks behind Madden 07. Is there a football-obsessed soul out there planning on paying for this pay-per-view special they're talking about?
Ken Weeks07.31.2006
Activision hires Goldsmith for CoD3
Activision has hired Emmy nominated composer Joel Goldsmith, son of the late great Jerry Goldsmith, to score the upcoming Call of Duty 3. Anbody who listened to Major Nelson's interview with Xbox audio expert Scott Selfron got a fresh reminder about the importance of music in games. Hopefully, picking up some name talent for CoD3 will add to that "cinematic experience" developers are always talking about.
Ken Weeks07.31.2006
Switching from the DS to the PSP: a homebrewer's perspective
A while ago, we ran an interview with a homebrewer that seemed pretty popular. Another one seems to have popped up on the great internets, this time at e-MSC.net and QJ.net. They had a chance to speak with LiraNuna, a prominent DS homebrewer that's now switching from the DS to the PSP. Here are some interesting quotes: "I didn't leave the DS cause I think the PSP is better. I find the systems to be equally great! DS is great for gaming, PSP is great for music and homebrew." "I enjoyed working on the DS since it's a low level machine. As far as I saw it, the PSP is a higher level handheld." It appears that LiraNura plans on playing around with the system and then jump into making some original games. Considering the popularity of his DS hombrew project, Tales of Dagur (pictured), we can all hope that his next project will be just as successful.
Andrew Yoon07.31.2006
This news is so old! Prey video circa 1998
Prey is old. No, seriously, Prey is really old. No, you're not listening. Prey was in development for almost as long as Duke Nukem Forever. That's how old it is. As a little blast from the past, check out this video interview from 1998 with Prey developer Paul Shuytema. This video shows off some of the original concepts for the portals and more than a few weapons that didn't make the cut -- some of them looked pretty nice, too. And of course, you get to see the jaw dropping graphics that only a Voodoo 2 could muster (in truth pretty amazing for 1998). We're rocking 266 megahertz, boyeee![Via Evil Avatar]
Richard Mitchell07.24.2006IGN interrogates Miyamoto-san
Shigeru Miyamoto recently sat down with IGN to speak vaguely on upcoming projects and various Wii-related topics. The origins of the Wiimote and nunchuck attachment are discussed, as well as left-handed gamers, the classic controller, and the controller's internal speaker. He speaks of an upcoming game in which all four players will use the same Wiimote, and the speaker will call out player names to indicate whose turn it is.Finally, the article seems to confirm that the nunchuck will come packaged with the console. We really didn't think Nintendo would stiff us like that...after all, their first three huge games (Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Mario Galaxy) all require its use...but it's nice to know. Head on over for the details.[Thanks, Alex!]
Jason Wishnov07.21.2006
Joystiq interviews Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Q Entertainment
In our final interview from the Develop Conference, Jen and I had a quick chat with Tetsuya Mizuguchi from Q Entertainment (and Rez fame) about the problems western developers face in trying to tackle the Japanese market, Rez 2 (he regrets never making it) and the issue of games that are critically successful, but don't sell so well (Rez again).Earlier on in your career you worked on titles like Sega Rally, Channel 5 and Rez. These are all very different genres and styles of game. What's inspired you to create such varied styles in your games?I don't care about the genre. Somebody once told me that I'm "hopping genres", but I've never really cared about genres. I always think about the human being, the wants that I think people have. Their basic instinct. So my games speak a universal language, so everybody can feel what is fun.
Conrad Quilty-Harper07.17.2006
Joystiq interviews Rob Kay of Harmonix
In our second interview from the Develop Conference in Brighton this week, Jen and I sat down with Rob Kay of Harmonix. Rob was project lead on the cult classic Guitar Hero, a game which is part of a new wave of hyper accessible games that is all about catching the mindset of the mainstream, as well as addicting millions of hardcore gamers. We talked with Rob about song licensing, Konami's recent "Guitar Revolution" trademark and the possibility of a Trombone Hero.You talked about clones of Guitar Hero in your seminar. Specifically you talked about how other companies are being inspired by the premise of games like Guitar Hero. I don't know if you heard about Konami trademarking a Guitar Revolution game?Yeah, I read that on the internet. To give Konami props, they started this whole instrument simulation in games thing when they did games like GuitarFreaks which they released in Japan. We worked with Konami on Karaoke Revolution and Karaoke Stage as well. So, I think it's great actually. I'm kind of the opinion that whoever is making these games with us then we're exploring this new ground together. I've got friends who have played Karaoke Revolution, and they wanted more songs so they've gone out and bought SingStar. So I think great, more people are out there playing these types of games.
Conrad Quilty-Harper07.14.2006
Just Cause developer interview
Mike from K1lla's Xbox Domain has a Just Cause for interviewing the Swedish guys who run Avalanche Studios -- that would be the need for more info on their upcoming open-world thriller, set in a scenic South American dictatorship. This game made a few "best sleeper" lists at E3 on the strength of the Avalanche engine and a plot that sounds like it's designed to make Hugo Chavez nervous. Just Cause has sort of been flying under the radar, but not for long: The devs say a demo will hit XBLM "very soon."
Ken Weeks07.07.2006Raiden unplayable in Metal Gear Solid 4
You probably read that headline with a smile on your face. Even so, Kojima-san has revealed the infamous Raiden will not be a playable character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. But he is going to be pretty integral to the overall narrative.He also goes into detail about the story. Nanotechnology, military strength, Senior Citizen Snake... it's all there. Older characters will be making an appearance as well. Naomi Hunter, Campbell and even Meryl Silverburgh will be along for the ride. One of the best quotes is from when Kojima stated why he's even bothering with this new game when MGS3 was supposed to be his (and Snake's) last title: "I decided to make MGS4 because so many mysteries still remained, and I couldn't ignore all the people who had requested a new game." So keep the requests coming and he won't be able to refuse! Check out the Show Maybe? publication to see the original.
Adams Briscoe06.19.2006TUAW interviews Tim Wood, project lead of OmniDazzle
The program everyone seems to love to poke fun at has come out of beta. Version 1.0 changes the default positioning of the window, and not much else. OmniDazzle is available as a free demo. Licenses go for $14.95. I had a chance to sit down with Tim Wood, project lead for OmniDazzle.
Dan Lurie06.16.2006AOL refreshes Netscape as social news site with a twist
AOL yesterday relaunched the aging Netscape.com as a social news site (yea, like digg) but with a professional journalistic twist. Check it out. Anyone can sign up, submit and vote on interesting stories from across the web in a wide range of categories from politics, money, television, technology, health and even 'do no evil'. Going above and beyond the social news bookmarking concept, however, is a staff of journalists, including TUAW's own C.K. Sample III and Fabienne Serriere, who will follow up on some of the stories and dig deeper by nabbing interviews, posting related links and keeping users informed as the situation develops (on a side note, we finally figured out why C.K. and Fabs gave us that 'we'd tell you what we're working on, but then we'd have to kill you' bit a while ago).Why are we telling you about all this since it isn't specifically Apple-related, you ask? Well, we should probably tell you the project was headed up by Weblogs Inc.'s CEO, Jason Calacanis. Granted, Weblogs Inc., including TUAW, are owned by AOL, but we could still call it crummy if we wanted to - fortunately, that isn't the case. We think it's a great concept that you should go have some fun with. Still, if you're looking for some Apple-specific details before you fire off a flaming comment, how does 'full-Safari compatibility' work for you? In fact, I think the site actually looks surprisingly better in Safari than Firefox.
David Chartier06.16.2006Small Arms developer interview
K1lla's Xbox Domain talks to Don Wurster of Gastronaut Studios about the indie developer's potential XBLA super smash, Small Arms. Sample quote: A number of review sites are writing the game off as a 'Super Smash Bros' Clone, but in reality it plays quite differently. The combat focuses on ranged attacks which make for a less claustrophobic , more tactical game. I think 'Small Arms' has just as much in common with games like 'Abuse' and 'Metal Slug' as with 'Smash Bros'. E3 gameplay video above.
Ken Weeks06.13.2006PS3 wanted in CA, NJ, but not Colorado?
That's the vibe we're getting from this interesting write-up from GameDaily. They polled some gamers in each of those places only to find that California and New Jersey seem to be looking forward to the Sony system, but no love for it in Colorado?In fact, here's one quote that has a pretty good point: "With a price like $600, people might just come back to the arcade for affordable gaming. Well, either that or get a PS2." To those of you too poor not attracted to the PS3, think you may pick up your grassroots in the arcade for some gaming action? Seems like a viable alternative if you already own an Xbox 360 and don't plan on picking up Sony's console. Of course other gamers just spoke their mind like "They're out of their f***ing heads."Yeah, we've heard that one before too. Possibly the most valuable quote to take away from the whole affair pretty much sums it all up perfectly: "It's just the hardcore people that have a problem with it. Core gamers are little bitches. They complain about everything because they're used to a certain standard of living, and whenever anyone dares to change it they complain. You don't see people stressing out about the prices of new cars, computers, or appliances nearly as much. The cost of living is going up. If you don't want a PS3, then don't buy one."[Thanks boots]
Adams Briscoe06.09.2006EGM sits down with FFXIII developers
It's a fantasy of the final kind that just keeps on chuggin'. Shane Bettenhausen of EGM fame got to talk it up with Shinji Hashimoto, Yoshinori Kitase, Tetsuya Nomura and Toriyama about Square Enix and their Final Fantasy XIII project.While the interview will be appearing in this month's magazine, the whole unabridged version can be seen on 1UP. Mr. Kitase starts it up by conceding that they had originally thought about doing FFXIII on PS2 before deciding that both it and FFVersusXIII would ship on PlayStation 3. On the subject of narrative crossovers, Nomura says that each world is separate and will not allow for other characters meet each other.Of course he follows that up stating that there is the "possibility in the future" of that happening, but obviously they haven't gotten to that bridge yet. Check out the full interview to see what else they had to say (motion-sensing anyone?).
Adams Briscoe06.08.2006
DOAX 2 jiggles in real time
Gamedaily sat down with Tomonobu Itagaki and got some new details on DOAX 2. For instance, the trailer on Marketplace is confirmed real time! I'm sure the same people who skeev out over Rumble Roses will continue to complain about this game's fixation on jiggling polygonal flesh, despite volleyball's inate moral superiority to professional wrestling. Besides, don't they know we only want this disc for the jet ski mini-game.[Thanks Sense]
Ken Weeks06.08.2006
CliffyB gears up for war
Here's a pre-E3 interview with the famous CliffyB. Old stuff, but interesting nonetheless. I like to think the "B" stands for "Bunny" instead of Brez..Blez... whatever.
Ken Weeks06.08.2006
Bungie behind the scenes nifty as always
Bungie says their behind the scenes look at the making of the Halo 3 trailer is a "nifty counterpoint" to that IGN documentary from last week. I guess when you're working on the world's most anticipated video game, and offering glimpses of next-gen Master Chief like hits off a crackpipe, "nifty" just seems like the word to use. If your beat up laptop (like mine) sucks at handling 720p video, don't worry. This niftyness is coming to Xbox Live Marketplace in the near future.[Thanks Nitin]
Ken Weeks06.07.2006