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Bethesda announces Fallout: New Vegas collector's edition for high rollers
Bethesda is releasing a Fallout: New Vegas package worth squirreling away in your bomb shelter. The Collector's Edition includes a bunch of goodies modeled after items found in the game, including a set of seven casino chips representing casinos from the game, a special "Lucky 38 platinum chip," a deck of cards with New Vegas character imagery ("Use the cards to play poker, blackjack or Caravan, an original card game that was created by Obsidian especially for New Vegas!"). A hardcover graphic novel, "All Roads," written by Obsidian creative director Chris Avellone, and a making-of DVD are also included in the package. Bethesda didn't offer a price for the Collector's Edition, but GameStop has it at $79.99 on PS3 and Xbox, and $69.99 on PC.
Alpha Protocol trailer demonstrates Michael Thorton's sweet karate skills
When we last saw Alpha Protocol, protagonist Michael Thorton was being formally introduced. Now, just two days later, he's pulverizing and/or murdering everything in his sight. The latest trailer, as you might have guessed, features Thorton in a variety of combat scenarios, showing off some Splinter Cell: Conviction-esque pistol takedowns and American Ninja-esque karate moves. Immediately after watching the clip, we felt inclined to alert Mr. Thorton to one very important protip when engaging in hand-to-hand combat: leaping through the air at someone only to introduce your knee to their face is not the most effective way to start a fight. Just a thought! At very least, you kids shouldn't try pulling that off at home. Maybe in Alpha Protocol when it releases on June 1, but not physically in your home.
Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas
Imagine going to work on "Van Buren," the original Fallout 3, as a designer for Black Isle Studios, only to see the title canceled due to parent company Interplay's financial problems. Then, imagine Bethesda buying the Fallout 3 license and developing an entirely different game, which goes on to win multiple awards and accolades. Now, imagine you're brought back into the franchise, as a designer for Obsidian Entertainment, to create a sequel to Bethesda's popular title. Preposterous, you say? Josh Sawyer is the lead designer on Fallout: New Vegas and, after having the rug yanked from under him on the original Fallout 3, he's happy to be working on the latest new Fallout project -- one that will be released later this year. Read on for our conversation with Sawyer. Joystiq: What's your history with the Fallout franchise? Josh Sawyer: I worked on what's called "Van Buren," which was the codename when Black Isle started to work on what would have been Fallout 3, and we had worked on it for maybe half a year, and then it was canceled because Interplay had a lot of financial problems.
Alpha Protocol trailer asks, 'Who is Michael Thorton?'
Isn't he the guy who wrote Jurassic Park? No wait, that's Michael Crichton. Our bad. Michael Thorton is protagonist super spy in Alpha Protocol, Obsidian's upcoming Espionage RPG™. As you can see in the trailer above, he's a dude who likes to knee chumps in the face ... and run through laser-heavy hallways in slow motion, apparently. We get it, broseph: you're a spy. You drink martinis, drive expensive automobiles and get all the exotic babes. That's all well and good, but we have one problem with the above highlight reel, Mr. Thorton: Don't ever go around blowing up helicopters. That job is best left in more capable hands.
PC Alpha Protocol's Uniloc DRM explained
An administrator on the Sega forums has detailed what purchasers of Alpha Protocol on PC can expect from the Uniloc DRM system. With some publishers employing excessive DRM, it's good for PC players to know what they are getting into. Sega details that initial activation of the game will require an internet connection, but after that they should be good to go. Five activations are allowed per license key, with users having the option to deactivate a computer's license if they wish. Most importantly, the DRM will allegedly be removed through a patch 18-24 months after release. PC owners who submit to the DRM can pick up a copy June 1. In tragic irony, those who refuse to submit to any DRM will likely be able to download the game around the same time -- or earlier -- from their favorite torrent site. But don't do that. [Via Big Download]
Best Buy confirms Alpha Protocol 'Stealth Weapons Pack' pre-order bonus
Sega and Best Buy wired a press release confirming the Stealth Weapons Pack for Alpha Protocol, which includes "the Hamilton Marksman High-Accuracy Pistol, the Samael Typhoon High Recoil Control SMG and a bonus arsenal of ammo and mines." Huh, since when did the purveyors of home appliances start manufacturing weaponry? The extra spy gear is only available through in-store Best Buy pre-orders, so you'll have to put on your best camo and infiltrate your local store if you want 'em.
An Eastern Bloc of Alpha Protocol character vignettes
Comrades: though we can hardly believe it after so many delays, all signs still indicate Alpha Protocol is on track for a June 1 release -- so let us celebrate with some trailers featuring former communists. One focuses on a hormonal East German mercenary named Sie, while the other spotlights an old Russian information broker, who likely remembers a time when information sold him. The German is above, the Russian is after the break and a martini is stirred, not shaken. %Gallery-19776%
Best Buy offers 'Stealth Weapons Pack' for Alpha Protocol pre-orders
Click image to sneak a peak at the pre-order ticket Snapped by a Joystiq reader at his local Best Buy, the above image confirms that those who pre-order Alpha Protocol at the big blue box store will gain an exclusive set of stealth-based weaponry. The aptly titled "Stealth Weapons Pack" includes a "Hamilton Marksman Pistol and Samael Typhoon SMG, each with custom upgrade kits and bonus ammo." This pre-order bonus is valid to anyone who pre-orders between April 25 and May 29. And just in case you're worried that every story about Alpha Protocol you read on the internet has to be about a delay, rest assured: it's still on track for a June 1 release. %Gallery-90930%
Killspace Entertainment pulling from ex-Pandemic, EALA; working on two unannounced games
Ever heard of Killspace Entertainment? Yeah, neither had we until Supererogatory spotted the unannounced development studio's website (replete with strange video). In a Digital Development Management brochure (warning: PDF link), the studio is advertised as having one "Original IP with major publisher" in development and one "Licensed IP -- TBA," though it's said to be working on games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, iPhone, and Facebook. A quick search on LinkedIn shows that the dev house has been picking up employees from the likes of Obsidian Entertainment, Pandemic Studios, Red 5, and EALA, and will be focusing on "3rd and 1st person character action" titles. It also appears that some employees have been with the studio for over a year, meaning it's not exactly a brand new venture. Odder still, it appears that one Douglas Markland of Killspace Entertainment is down as the contact on a WHOIS of both ApocalypseNowGame.com and WarIsNotAGame.net (though both sites are still devoid of content as of this writing). We've reached out to the studio for information on any of this and will update this post if we hear more.
First screens from Fallout: New Vegas surface, feature glorious beards
Click to embearden Around these parts, we're all avid supporters of a thick, lustrous beard. Though our tastes for the gaming industries various genres differ greatly, we can all get behind any game so long as it includes characters with copious amounts of facial hair. For this reason alone, a recent batch of screenshots has placed Fallout: New Vegas firmly on our list of most anticipated games of 2010. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/First_screens_from_Fallout_New_Vegas_surface_feature_beards'; You can check out images depicting New Vegas' unprecedentedly hirsute ensemble in the gallery below. There's also a Super Mutant with heart-rimmed glasses and a doo-wop weave, and man, we've got to find out what that's all about. %Gallery-87609%
April OXM features Fallout: New Vegas, Halo: Reach
The small, irradiated pool of Fallout: New Vegas knowledge is about to get bigger. Bethesda has announced that the April issue of Official Xbox Magazine -- set to hit newsstands next week -- will devote its cover story to the game. Readers can expect an eight-page spread on New Vegas and, as a bonus, the included DVD will also feature some exclusive gamer pics (what, no Avatar items?). Sharp-eyed readers will notice that the magazine has an eight-page feature on Halo: Reach as well. All in all, probably something Xbox gamers should keep an eye on.
New Alpha Protocol trailer declassified, box art is Bourne again
Emerging from "deep cover" (a euphemism for plastic surgery in Eastern Europe), where it received "tweaks," Alpha Protocol is ready to shake its money maker and get everyone interested in it again with a new trailer and screenshots. Not only that, but the game's box art has also received a facelift, adding several more guns to what was only a two pistol cover before. Alpha Protocol is set to prevent war in the States on June 1, with layovers in Australia and Europe on May 27 and 28, respectively. %Gallery-86521%
Alpha Protocol obtains June 1 release date [update]
Alpha Protocol is ready to spy hard on May 28 and June 1 in Europe and North America, respectively, according to IGN. Spies in the land down under will get their chance to play the game on May 27. Obsidian's RPG has been plagued by delays, shifting its launch from fall, to spring, to summer. Hopefully, this time Sega can make the game's latest release date -- or at least let us know in a reasonable amount of time if it's delayed, again. Update: Sega has confirmed the June 1 release date for North America. All three versions -- PS3, Xbox 360 and PC -- will release on that day.
Fallout: New Vegas plot details surface from USA Today
Aside from a cursory description of the game's premise on its official website, we've heard very little about Fallout: New Vegas. Today, friends, that changes, with a USA Today feature that reveals the game's protagonist as a shot and left-to-die package delivery boy who finds himself in Sin City "and the surrounding area" in 2280. "You were a courier, and you were obviously carrying something that somebody wanted," Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines says of the player's character. "Part of the story is finding out what you had and what they took." Hines additionally insists New Vegas will "feel" far different from 2008's Fallout 3 through one key aspect: the setting. "Vegas is up and running. It is not a ghost town. It still exists and thrives. There are casinos, and you can go down onto the Strip. It will have a very different feel from that standpoint." Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hines also notes that the New Vegas will "take you hundreds of hours to explore every nook and cranny" -- not unlike the 2008 iteration of the Fallout franchise. We'd be straight lying if we said we weren't unbelievably ready to invest that time in more of the Fallout universe this fall, even after all of last year's DLC.
Red Eagle and Obsidian collaborating on Wheel of Time
As if Obsidian didn't already have enough on its plate, with Alpha Protocol somewhere doing something and Fallout: New Vegas nuking this fall, the company is now in a "services agreement" to assist Red Eagle Games with The Wheel of Time titles. Red Eagle Games COO Larry Mondragon states that although his company is the producer and publisher, it "could benefit from supplementing small in-house technical and creative teams with a proven third party developer." The "first-generation of [the] Wheel of Time games" will be available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The last we'd heard about these Wheel of Time games was the distribution agreement hammered out with EA back in January 2009, a few months before that, the games were announced by the newly founded LA studio. If the fantasy nerds out there will pardon our mixed reference, the Eye of Sauron is watching this one.
Sega cites 'tweaks' and release position for Alpha Protocol delay [update]
It would have been nice to hear more of an explanation way back in October when Sega's Alpha Protocol was "officially delayed" to the amorphous "Spring 2010," but, unfortunately, that didn't happen. Speaking with MTV Multiplayer this week, though, assistant producer at Sega Matthew Hickman explicitly detailed the reasons for the delay, saying, "We really wanted to polish the game up, make it everything Obsidian planned it to be, and give the consumer a very polished game." He added that there's been some "tweaks in lighting here and there," and the inventory screen has been revamped a bit, but in general the team has been focused on "bringing the whole quality level up." The post's author also notes that the game is set for a "Summer 2010" release window now, and we've reached out to him (and Sega) for clarification. Update: The post's author has responded that, yes, the game's current release window is set for "Summer 2010." Guess that's another delay then, eh? We'll update again if Sega responds. %Gallery-19776%
Rumor: Leaked footage from canned Aliens RPG
It's never been made clear just how far Obsidian got with Aliens RPG, a project that started back in 2006 and was then canceled in June of last year. If alleged footage from the uncompleted game is any indication, there was more than a solid foundation laid down. The brief snippet of supposed gameplay paints Obsidian's game as more of a third-person shooter than a traditional RPG -- though we're quite used to that sort of thing by now. Head past the break to see the footage, but make sure you turn up your brightness before doing so. This video is dark. [Via Superannuation]
Big Download awards 2009's vaporware
In response to Wired's own 2009 vaporware awards, our pals at BigDownload have complied their own list of software and hardware that woulda, coulda and shoulda seen the light of day this year. Topping the list is the streaming service OnLive, which was slated to release in "winter 2009," following a healthy dose of beta testing. While reception for the service has been mostly positive, OnLive's claims have yet to be tested on a global stage (during E3 2009, OnLive was previewed for select media via a cable modem connection to the service's California-based headquarters). Other nods go to Gearbox Software's oft-delayed -- we'll believe it when we see it -- Aliens: Colonial Marines, Obsidian's "oh, by the way, it's not coming out today" Alpha Protocol, and Midway's This Is Canceled Vegas. Sadly, Duke Nukem Forever failed to win an award for what would have been a record twelfth-straight year.
GameFly changes Alpha Protocol release to 'TBD'
With Sega still refusing to respond to inquiries about Alpha Protocol's release date, it seems retailers are doing the talking for 'em: GameFly has changed its release date of "the espionage RPG" from October 27th to TBD. The video game rental site has a long-standing history to "simply post information as it is supplied to [GameFly] by the publishers." Further requests for clarification from Sega continue to be met by the Sega Wall of Silence™. We have been told by the company's development director that we should expect "an update shortly via PR." And for the record, the official release date for Alpha Protocol is still next Tuesday. Sega?
Rumor: Alpha Protocol delayed, possibly until 2010
It appears Sega's Alpha Protocol is going to suffer a delay, the precise length of which remains in question. The last official word we heard from the publisher was that Alpha Protocol was to be released on October 6 (that's next week!), a release date that has seemed unlikely after numerous retailers shifted that date to late October. The latest release date change? Mega-retailer GameStop has shifted its expected launch date for the title to 6/1/2010, with Amazon Canada also showing a 2010 release (Amazon US has not made any change). Developer Obsidian Entertainment is forwarding all requests for comment to Sega which, in traditional Sega fashion, have been met with the Sega Wall of Silence™. We'll update as soon as somebody decides to say something. Remember, the company line from Sega is that Alpha Protocol is supposed to hit store shelves next week.
