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Peugeot's PGR4 finalists for concept contest revealed
Back in September we briefly reported on Peugeot's contest to design a concept car for them to use in the upcoming Bizarre Creations title, Project Gotham Racing 4. Well, the contest is now closed, and they are currently displaying the top ten finalists, complete with multiple angle shots and words from the designer on their inspiration. Not only will the winner's car be used in the upcoming racer, but Peugeot will be making a scale-to-life version to put on display for the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Click the "Read" link to be taken to a translated (you're welcome) page showing off the selected designs. Which one do you want to rack Kudos up with the most?[Via Gaming Bits]
Bungie owns up to Halo 2's flaws
Edge Online posted an interview with Bungie, where various team members discuss Halo 3, the development process and other aspects of the team's infrastructure. One thing has seemingly stood out from the article, though, and that is their view on Halo 2. The comments from Technical Lead Chris Butcher seem to be generating the most buzz. He feels that the team miscalculated on Halo 2 and that the multiplayer should have been exponentially better than what was released on the disc. He even goes so far as to say that he can't even play Halo 2, and uses that as a springboard to illustrate that Halo 3 will not fall into the same trap. Bungie has been known to be hyper critical of their own work in the past. While their opinions may be a little on the extreme side, if it motivates them to make Halo 3 the best it can be, then everybody wins. So, what do you think? Was Halo 2 really that bad? It still set the standard of how party matchmaking should be done, right? To have a look at the rest of the interview, which touches on many things other than what was wrong with Halo 2, click the "Read" link.[Thanks, KilgoreTrout]
Forza 2 jacks PGR3 technology
As much as we'd like to envision Microsoft programmers bursting into the UK offices of Bizarre Games, waving oversized pistols around and demanding that employees dump their precious code onto an external hard drive, the word "sharing" is the one used to describe the technology deal between the Project Gotham Racing 3 developer and the Forza Motorsport 2 team. In an Xbox World Australia love letter interview, lead designer Dan Greenawalt explains that the upcoming Xbox 360 racing sim will include an online TV mode, much like the one found in PGR3. "In Forza Motorsport 2, you won't just be watching a bunch of Ferraris racing together. You'll be watching completely customized Ferraris racing in a simulation environment. The personality of the driver emerges in Forza Motorsport TV. Paint schemes and physics mastery add to the excitement and diversity of the 'telecasts'." Exciting news, certainly if you've discovered that watching is the best part of playing a game.All joking aside, it is heartening to see PGR3's solid online implementation finding its way into another flagship franchise. Greenawalt goes on to highlight the game's 60 frames-per-second graphical glory, its more nuanced Drivatar AI system and a photo mode that -- get this -- may allow you to share your virtual snaps with friends. Let's hope Microsoft remembers to share that marvelous technology with the Project Gotham team. Well, maybe not all joking then.[Via Eurogamer]
Metareview - Rise of Legends
The double-edged sword of success must have weighed heavily on the minds of Brian Reynolds and his creative team at Big Huge Games. In developing Rise of Legends, they were faced with the challenging, yet unenviable task of following up the game's hit predecessor, Rise of Nations. So what do you do for an encore? First, retain Nations' user-friendly interface, and then overcompensate for some poor audio choices by introducing three oddly original, and exceptionally balanced races. Those looking for a unique twist on traditional RTS civilizations will appreciate Legends' blend of classic fantasy, myth, and technology, as well as the visual quality Big Huge has become known for. 1UP (90/100) gives kudos for balance and diversity among the Vinci, Alin, and Coutl races: "Whereas Rise of Nations had a bunch of historic civilizations with relatively minor distinctions in their units and technology, Rise of Legends throws only three races into the fury, but they're both unique and incredibly well balanced." IGN (82/100) likes a good fight in campaign mode: "The AI is generally very good. The enemy knows how to use its hero units and, though it still suffers from the trickle tactics of most RTS' AI, it can still manage to put together a sizable enough force to make you break a sweat. If the challenge level isn't just right, you can actually adjust the game's difficultly at any point during the campaign." Gamespot (76/100) warns of a potentially difficult transition from standard RTS fare: "Each of the civilizations is so offbeat that there are no reference points, no similarities to RTS conventions that you can latch onto and use to dip a toe into the weirdness. The story in the campaign is decidedly convoluted, as well." [via Metacritic]
