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Wright rocks out with the mainstream media
Will Wright has had a very busy month thanks to his upcoming game, Spore. Everyone that saw the gameplay video from GDC '05 knew that the real highlight of this May's E3 would be Wright's presentation. Although his presentation at E3 didn't reveal too much that we didn't already know about Spore, the slightly more mainstream appeal of E3 has resulted in some well deserved coverage from the mainstream media. The positive endorsement by Robin "Sniper" Williams can't have hurt either.The two most notable examples of MSM picking up this story are featured in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) and the BBC. The Beeb covered Spore and Wright from an angle of user generated content, comparing it to current and past titles that have popularized the concept (e.g. Second Life, The Sims and the popularity of mods like Counter-Strike). The quirky video interview with Wright that runs alongside the article also gives a good idea of how much Wright values user generated content (i.e. a lot). The WSJ picked up the story from a more general "profile of Wright" viewpoint, although it was displayed very prominently. If you picked up last Saturday's edition of the paper it's possibly the first article you would have seen, it being on the front page and all. One of the world's most recognizable and respected business publications profiling a game developer on the front page: they've finally wised up!Read - BBC video interview with WrightRead - Wall Street Journal Spore article
50 DKP Dives -- the new Leeroy
The words "50 DKP MINUS" are becoming somewhat legendary even in non-WoW circles, but have you ever wondered about the guy who originally uttered them? Wagner James Au has interviewed Dives, leader of the Wipe Club, and the interview contains some real insight into the life of this particular raid leader.Turns out that, for those following the Onyxia Wipe closely, Crushim didn't actually get -50 DKP once the situation was explained. Thank goodness for that then.
Next-gen Rez could happen in the future
Tetsuya Mizuguchi sat down for an interview with Eurogamer, and out came the skinny concerning a new generation of sound and visuals. I'm talking about Rez, of course. When specifically asked about a new iteration, he said, "I'm currently seriously considering it. It's always there."The unique original for PlayStation 2 was well received, so it only makes sense that an even better sequel for PS3 would garner even more acclaim. And let's not forget all the cool applications we could see with the new controller for a game like Rez. Just remember not to swallow your tongue or anything if you're susceptible to seizures.
Interview With WoW Producer Tom Chilton
The news from E3 keeps pouring in, and the folks over at WorldofWar.net have secured an entertaining video interview with Tom Chilton, one of the producers of WoW. The interview is rather lengthy, and split into two parts, but it's well worth watching, as Mr. Chilton discusses the Burning Crusade, changes in upcoming patches, and more.The interview can be seen via streaming video right here.
The Engadget & Joystiq Interview: Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto (again!)
When we found out Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to give us a second round to ask him about the latest in the world of Nintendo here at E3, I found that same inner-child fanboy Peter reminisced about when we last interviewed him start to emerge. Suddenly I wanted to play all those games I grew up on again, but we had to know how he thinks the Wii is going to change the future of gaming. Vlad Cole and I somehow managed to pull ourselves together long enough to ask him about whether the sedentary gaming world is ready for full-body frenetic gameplay, how he's influencing the next generation of Nintendo games and game designers, the media agendas of the 360 and PlayStation 3, and even a little on HD gaming.So, thank you very much for meeting with us, I really appreciate it. The Wii represents a major step forward for Nintendo in terms of functionality and capabilities. One of the things we're really curious to know is what Wii is going to enable you as a game maker to create that you've never been able to create before.Well, I think the greatest strength of the Wii is that it allows you to create games that are very intuitive and very easy to pick up and play, such that people who've never played a video game before can easily pick up the controller and start playing. And that's kind of the concept behind the games like Tennis and Golf and Baseball and the Wii Sports Series, and these are really kind of the very basic games that we're looking at doing.And then of course thinking about the types of games that the gamers have come to know and play over the years, the unique features of the Wii controller, such as the direct pointing device on the Wii Remote will allow gamers to now more directly interact with the types of game screens that they've seen, where they're pointing directly at a place on screen to interact with it.Is there a type of game that even now you still can't or for whatever reason create?I can't think of any off the top of my head. I don't really have any ideas that stew in my brain for long periods of time. I really just focus on what I'm working on at the moment.The one thing that I have been thinking about for a long time is this problem we've had with 3D games, where as we've been making 3D games, 3D worlds and the control schemes have becomes so complicated. People who don't play games can't easily jump into those interactive worlds and experience them. And I think we've been able to overcome some of that difficulty with the functionality of the Wii controller. So now as we go forward and create software I have to continue to think of ideas of how to take advantage of that to overcome that barrier.
Have Questions for the WoW Developers?
Well, World of Warcraft Stratics has been given the chance to interview the game's developers and is taking questions from you. They will be selecting 15 of the best questions to forward on to the development team. So if you have questions, here's a chance to get some answers. The deadline for entry is May 7th, so you have a couple of weeks to consider.
The Engadget Interview: Sky Dayton, Helio CEO
Ok, so CTIA, the big wireless industry trade show that Ryan and I went to earlier this month, didn't exactly knock our socks off, but we were lucky enough to sit down with Sky Dayton, the serial entrepreneur behind EarthLink and Boingo. Dayton's latest venture is Helio, a youth-oriented (yeah, we know...) MVNO that's all set to launch this spring. Thanks so much for taking some time to speak with us; I'm sure it's been a busy week for you here at CTIA. Could you tell us about Helio? I know you're getting ready to launch soon. Helio is a new mobile brand designed for young, passionate consumers that have really been missing out on cool stuff; not just in terms of technology, but in terms of services -- some of which are available elsewhere in other countries like Korea, and some of which we’re just inventing and that are totally new. We don’t have the word “wireless” or “mobile” in our name -- it’s just Helio. That's because for young, passionate consumers today, it’s just as much about fashion and lifestyle as it is technology, and saying the word "wireless" is a little bit redundant. Of course it’s wireless. We never had a concept that there was a wire. What we’re doing is starting with a technological lead with a platform from Korea, from SK Telecom, probably the most advanced wireless market in the world and bringing a basis of innovation here. Then we’re taking that and creating some interesting stuff with that.
XBLM chief talks Goldeneye, free XBL Gold and more
Xbox Live Marketplace honcho Aaron Greenberg talks to VGM about a variety of topics ranging from Goldeneye 007 on XBLA (not happening) to the Euro Diamond Card (happening). Xboxic has a helpful summary of the discussed topics: 50% of users are connected to Xbox Live. And 85% of those connected are downloading content More downloads on Live (ten million so far) than iTunes had on launch Talk about Cloning Clyde How an indie developer gets a game onto Xbox Live Marketplace Addresses the criticisms of Blizzard COO Paul Sims and Arena Net Co-Founder Jeff Strain. Explains how the open LSP model allows for MMO’s to easily be on Live Over 80 High-Def games available by June New big update for Live this Spring Partnership with Epic records. High Def music video’s and play the artists of these video’s on Live No movies are planned for download onto Live at the moment. TV content is a possibility in the future New information about the Direct TV partnership is coming soon Comments on Wi-Fi and HUB Xbox Live Marketplace is going to see its own major “virtual console-like” announcement at E3, and it’ll be rolled out BEFORE Nintendo’s Revolution even hits the market. Plans to bring Rare’s Goldeneye 007 to Xbox Live Marketplace Advertising on Marketplace and in games It’s possible some day gamers could see an ad enabled free (and full) version of Xbox Live Diamond card IS coming to other markets Xbox Live @ E3 Despite my aversion to Burger King, an ad-supported "free" version of XBL Gold sounds like a good idea to me. At least it offers some benefit, as opposed to product placement-packed games that still cost $60.
Warcraft Designers on Class Reviews
There's an interview with Lead Game Designer Tom Chilton up on the official site on the topic of class reviews. It gives us a bit of insight into how the developers approach the process as well as providing a bit of insight into what to expect for mages in patch 1.11. Chilton hints at some of the must have talents in the arcane tree (possibly Evocation and Improved Arcane Explosion) being made available to all mages, as well as reducing the mage's downtime and improving the viability of frost/fire combination builds.
Inside the Bioware-Pandemic super-developer
We reported last year on the merging of developers Pandemic and Bioware into one "super-developer", and Gamasutra has followed up the move by interviewing the heads of both companies, including Pandemic CEO Josh Resnick (right). The studios aren't merging directly, but share revenue and a common executive team, an interesting move for future companies which might plan to follow in their footsteps.It appears that the companies are working together closely, with only a little technology sharing as of yet--the simple move of giving feedback on each other's products is apparently working wonders. However, Bioware and Pandemic intend to stay fairly separate, each focusing on their genres of expertise. Unfortunately the interview reveals no tidbits of information on Bioware Austin's MMO plans, but the CEOs are confident that there is room to innovate and customers to be had in the MMO space still.
Ueda: ICO isn't a video game
In this interview with Wired, Fumito Ueda (the creative mind behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus) talks about the difference between ICO and "conventional" video games. It seems Ueda has tried to distance the product from the negative connotations of the term "video games"; whether that was successfully accomplished rests in the opinions of those who view games negatively.The interview also talks about some of the design decisions behind Shadow of the Colossus--it's an interesting insight into Ueda's creative processes. Update: Warning, the article contains spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus.
Interviewing with Apple
Many of us think about what it would be like to work at Apple. Is it true that all Apple employees are given a new iPod everyday? Does Steve really roam the halls dispensing sage wisdom and manly bear hugs?I will never know the answers to those questions, but Cameron Moll was close to becoming an Apple employee but he decided against it. Read all about his experience (which includes 6.5 hours of interviewing on one day), and you'll understand why he isn't working for Apple (but he will always wonder if he made the right decision).[via Daring Fireball]
TUAW on the news
It was only for a second or two, but this morning I appeared on WABC (the NYC ABC affiliate) morning news as an "iPod expert." They show my harrowing visage with my name underneath and a quick mention of The Unofficial Apple Weblog / TUAW.com beneath my name. We're famous! We've made it to TV! w00t! Here's a link to the accompanying story and if you are curious to see exactly how badly my diet has been going, make sure you check out the video podcast of the interview.
Joystiq interview: Hoyt Ma, The9
Online gaming is so popular in China, the country has more than 100 online game operators. One of the most successful is Shanghai-based The9, which focuses primarily on MMORPGs. In 2003, they launched MU Online, which attracted over 15 million subscribers within two years.The9 is also in charge of running Blizzard's international hit World of Warcraft (WoW) for Chinese gamers--who account for more than half of the game's 5.5 million worldwide customers. On a recent visit to Shanghai, Alan Rose from Joystiq had a chance to meet with Hoyt Ma, The9's Senior Marketing Manager for WoW. We talked about his job and the growing popularity of gaming in China.
CE Pro attempts to answer the question: "What is Viiv?"
Intel's new platform that so far has provided more questions than answers is the subject of an interview by the CE Pro Weblog. Installers and resellers are just as interested as everyone else in what Viiv can do, so will this quell the "Viiv is DRM" rumblings?Not exactly, although they do talk about transcoding, why Viiv is necessary despite DLNA, and Intel Virtualization Technology, so check it out.*Shrug*, sorry Intel, but no matter how many partners you have, I just don't think I'll be impressed until you show me some muscle to justify wearing the "verified Viiv digital device" yoke. We prefer our high definition content DRM-free, but who knows how possible that will be in the coming year.
Blizzard Europe on server problems and more
The folks over at Eurogamer have managed to sit down with Shane Dabiri and John Lagrave to talk about the technical side of things. There have been login issues with many European realms for some time now; I've experienced unexpected outages, sudden queues caused by a lower player cap, and thirty-minute delays between entering my password and seeing my characters.According to Blizzard, it's a problem of concurrency -- with additional players signing up over the holidays, the servers are under more stress, but they're working on new, improved hardware and network infrastructure. These things don't happen overnight but as a player affected by these issues it is nice to know that something is being done.Other tidbits from the interview include the unveiling of "some exciting stuff" at E3 and the fact that expanding outside the PC is "not something we're planning on doing at this point". Also, if you're wondering when the Lunar Festival is going to clear off, that's February 14th -- just in time for the planned Valentine's events.
Who has bankrupted more companies?
So Engadget has another great interview with Bill Gates up, but there's this one part where Bill takes a low blow at Apple. Peter asks: "So you don't worry about Apple opening things up so an OEM like Sony could offer OS X?" And Bill replies, "Well, the last time Apple went out and licensed their operating system to people they changed their minds and they bankrupted all the people who had been involved in that, and I don't know if we'll see another round of Apple tantalizing people with that or not." Meanwhile, back here in reality: how many technologies and business moves have Microsoft backed out of that resulted in the bankrupting of regular people? I mean, hello kettle! It's a good interview though, so make sure you check it out.
Engadget Podcast 059 - 01.06.2006
UPDATE: OUR RSS FEED IS EXPERIENCING SOME DIFFICULTIES, BUT RATHER THAN CONTINUE TO WITHOLD THE PODCAST, WE'RE POSTING IT. WE'RE WORKING ON IT, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE! On our second day of CES coverage we didn't exactly get much more sleep, but we did manage to have the best keynote coverage of anyone anywhere. Marc Perton, our resident keynote ninja, sits down with Peter to talk about his day spent with Moto, Dell, Samsung and Sony. Besides the keynotes, we pontificate on Verizon finally adding V CAST Music, SanDisk rocking two new MP3 players, and TiVo yanking a keynote at what looks like the last minute. Plus, Peter interviews Dell CEO Michael Dell (yeah, that Michael Dell). The Engadget podcast from CES is a-go! Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3). [MP3] Download the show (MP3). [AAC] Download the show (enhanced AAC). [OGG] Download the show (OGG). [Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley! Hosts Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer Randall Bennett Music J J J - Jobs that Require Headphones Format 38:54, 17.8 MB, MP3 Program 03:33 TiVo announces the Series 3 DVR, but kills their press conference 05:20 Verizon VCAST Music 06:02 Sandisk intros new PMPs 07:09 Recap of Intel's keynote 16:17 Marc Perton on Sony's keynote 20:42 ... and on Michael Dell's Keynote 25:59 ... and on Samsung's press event 28:14 ... and also on Motorola's press event 33:09 Interview with Dell CEO Michael Dell LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Call up the Podcast at: 1-888-ENGADGET
