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Alpha Protocol dev diary yaps about dialogue system, headslams
This latest developer diary for Alpha Protocol, Obsidian Entertainment's forthcoming secret-agent-'em-up, certainly speaks for itself -- and for the game's dialogue system. Though the primary form of communication is verbal and varies between suave observations and snide retorts, we're most enamored with the delightful "headslam" option. In fact, that's probably going to be the modus operandi for our Jack Bauer impersonator once the game arrives in October.Ex-KGB agent slow to spill secrets? Headslam. FBI director whining about reckless behavior? Headslam. Old lady giving eye witness account of terrorist activity? Headslam. Old lady with broken nose crying about getting headslammed for no reason? Headslam again.
Alpha Protocol vid declassifies speech trees and handlers
Alpha Protocol appears to be coming along nicely and we're slowly getting excited for its planned October release. The latest video from developer Obsidian shows off the RPG's speech tree and some of the different "handlers" in the game. It's a nice touch that mission options and information change depending on which handler the player decides to align with.Humor us, though: doesn't the protagonist seem awfully "generic white boy?" We're talking Mass Effect box art guy + Fracture lead + Bourne. We're hoping this is more like the Mass Effect cover issue, where the promo materials all had one "Commander Shepard," but the actual game allowed a canvas to paint the protagonist. Considering Alpha Protocol is a modern, western RPG, it'd be nice to have choice in who we can play as. But, that aside, we're ultra keen to see more of the modern spy RPG.
Fallout: New Vegas coming to consoles next year
At a Bethesda press event in London today, our very own Jem Alexander learned of a brand new addition to the Fallout universe. Fallout: New Vegas will be available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 next year, courtesy of Alpha Protocol developer Obsidian Entertainment. No other details have been revealed yet, but we're certain Jem will lockpick and hack his way to as much information as he can. We'll feed him to the mutants if he doesn't.Update: The title is "just Fallout: New Vegas. No number. It's not a sequel." For those worried this non-numbered expansion would be a party game, fret not. It's "definitely an RPG," according to Bethesda VP Pete Hines. Obsidian Entertainment was founded by Fergus Urquhart who, along with a few other Obsidian guys, worked on the original Fallout. The team was approached by Bethesda and "jumped at the chance" to work on this new title.
Obsidian evolves in Alpha Protocol dev diary
Obsidian has released a new developer diary about its upcoming spy RPG Alpha Protocol. In the video, the developers discuss how they wanted to create a truly modern RPG. Executive Producer Chris Parker says Obsidian wanted to make an action-oriented RPG, "something that made the player have to think both tactically and be a little twitchy at the same time." Obsidian also stresses the use of real locations, noting that it adds a "tangible" quality to the game that may not be readily apparent in fantasy or science fiction RPGs.Finally, the devs mention the feature of player choice. As in many other recent games, choices made by the player will have repercussions later in the game. Say you're tasked with taking out an arms dealer. Should you decide to let the arms dealer go, it may help you reach other goals, but it also means enemies will be more heavily armed later in the game. What Obsidian doesn't tell you is that the reward for taking the arms dealer out is a lifetime supply of chocolate.Not such a tough choice now, is it?
Alpha Protocol in October, new trailer right now
With Sam Fisher still MIA, we've turned to other sources to get our spy fix, even getting a little dirty pleasure from Quantum of Solace (or, as we just decided to start calling it, Call of Suit-y). We were hoping to get a little bump from Alpha Protocol, as Sega had announced it was coming between April and June of this year. Of course, it also announced Aliens: Colonial Marines for that same window, and we all saw how that turned out. You guessed it: Alpha Protocol has been delayed to October.On the plus side, we've got a new trailer above, and it's definitely giving us a Splinter Cell vibe. Seriously, watch the clip, it's like casual Friday at Third Echelon.
Ex-Obsidian staffer's CV confirms Aliens RPG canceled
This is never how you want to get confirmation for a story, but we do what we must. Ex-Obsidian designer David Kondor's LinkedIn profile lists his involvement in a "canceled third-person action Aliens RPG (Xbox 360, PS3, & PC)." The listing lends credence to rumors of the game's cancellation, which circulated earlier this month. We still haven't heard back from Sega for official word, but we've put in another request for comment this morning.If you're curious about what might have been (but what almost certainly won't be), you can see more details from Kondor's listing right here.
Obsidian CEO says company is 'doing fine'
"We are doing fine," says Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian, just a day after Aliens RPG, arguably the developer's most anticipated project, was said to have been forcibly burst from its chest by publisher Sega. Despite the rumored bloodletting, the executive seems encouragingly upbeat, telling our sister site Big Download that the studio has no plans to close up shop. In fact, the exec says that work continues on its espionage RPG Alpha Protocol and, according to Urquhart, "another couple of properties."Yesterday's rumor painted a much bleaker picture for the company, with multiple sources claiming Sega's reported actions had left the Neverwinter Nights 2 dev in dire straits with some 20 employees let go as a result. Urquhart wouldn't confirm any of this, however, leaving us wondering if by "doing fine" he is being sincere or is simply in shock. If all of this turns out to be true, we doubt we could put on a brave face while staring down at our freshly eviscerated trunk.
Rumor: Sega pulls funding on Aliens: Colonial Marines, Aliens RPG
Sega has allegedly pulled funding from both Obsidian's Aliens RPG and Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines, sources have revealed to Joystiq. Supposedly, 20 people were laid off from Obsidian yesterday and more could soon lose their jobs. The layoffs also affected the team working on Alpha Protocol, another Obsidian-developed, Sega-published title. Without the Aliens RPG, Obsidian is apparently on the ropes, our sources say. As for Gearbox, Sega allegedly stopped paying the developer for its work on Colonial Marines for "a while" -- production has since ceased. At this point, it's unclear whether Colonial Marines has been "halted" or "canceled," which Gearbox president Randy Pitchford – in response to a previous rumor – called an "inaccurate characterization." This rumor comes less than 24 hours after Sega announced Aliens vs. Predator and refused to answer questions about the previously announced Aliens titles. Sega turning off the money tap wouldn't exactly be shocking, given the company plans to lay off 560 people and already lost $119 million in the first three quarters of its fiscal year. Requests for clarification from Sega and Gearbox on the status of the titles have not yet been returned as of press time. An Obsidian representative responded with "no comment" to our inquiry. If you're one of those let go, or have any further information, please feel free to contact us.
Aliens: Colonial Marines, Alpha Protocol slated for Q1 '09 release
No, we don't believe it either, but at least Sega has confirmed that the nebulous development of Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines is still ongoing. According to a release list issued to UK site VideoGamer.com, Sega currently has the xenophobic first-person shooter pinned to the first quarter of its 2009 release calendar -- though the article questions whether said calendar is Gregorian or fiscal.Joining Colonial Marines in the Q1 '09 release window is Obsidian's Bauer-esque spy RPG, Alpha Protocol. We've contacted Sega of America to clarify these dates and confirm the other titles on the list, including House of the Dead: Overkill (February), Sonic and the Black Knight (March) and Bayonetta (a vague "2009").
Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion in the works
Based off a translation from Spanish site Neverwinteros, IGN reports that a new Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion is in development. Obsidian confirmed that the expansion, called Storm of Zehir, will include full party customization and "free exploration of a non-linear game world via an Overland Map."Players will take control of their party during a post-war economic recovery period, choosing whether to ally with syndicates or obtain items through nefarious means and sell them on the black market. There's currently no announced timetable for a release.[Via Big Download]
More spy images of Alpha Protocol revealed
Click for high-resolution image. Espionage is a growing theme on the PS3. There's the MMO The Agency, The Bourne Conspiracy game that just released, and then there is SEGA's Alpha Protocol. This new title developed by Obsidian Entertainment takes the action and tactical espionage world and merges it with RPG elements. That sounds like one fun ride and a synergy that will work quite well. We can't wait to try out the game for ourselves ... though, it looks like that will be awhile. In the meantime, enjoy these new screenshots of the upcoming spy-thriller.%Gallery-19771%
Sega's espionage title confirmed: Alpha Protocol
A new espionage title has emerged, this one touting strong ties to the RPG genre. Sega and Obsidian have announced Alpha Protocol -- a game set in the modern world with a James Bond-like main character named Michael Thorton. Sega says the decisions you make over the course of the game will change what kind of agent you become. Hopefully this also affects the jobs you can take on and whether or not you can woo the ladies in your penguin tuxedo.Folk from Planescape: Torment and Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines are on the job, so we think we'll have something interesting when the final product rolls around. Obsidian has high hopes too, saying "Alpha Protocol blends Obsidian's knack for intricate stories, engrossing characters, and significant character advancement with fast-paced modern combat." We'll keep you posted as more bits of news escape.
Sega officially acknowledges Alpha Protocol
Following some early warnings about the operation, Sega has officially acknowledged the existence of espionage RPG Alpha Protocol. Obsidian Entertainment (Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2) is developing the game, which is expected to release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in early 2009.Sega currently has no images of the game to share. All we know is that you play as a "young agent cast out by his government" and "Alpha Protocol embraces everything [Obsidian] enjoy[s] about making RPGs from a fresh perspective." So, the best current guess would be ... Mass Effect with spies?
Rumor: Obsidian unveils 'Alpha Protocol,' a spy-focused action RPG
The latest issue of Game Informer reportedly has details on Obsidian Entertainment's next title: an action RPG called Alpha Protocol (via Obsidian forums and NeoGAF). The game will feature third person gameplay described as being similar to Mass Effect, and a storyline that comprises Bond-like romances and Bauer-like espionage. We haven't managed to snag a copy yet of the latest Game Informer to confirm it.Players take on the role of Michael Thorton, an inexperienced secret agent who has to deal with the ramifications of a mission gone haywire. An open-ended approach to objective-based gameplay seems to be at the core, with skill trees allowing players to build up particular play-styles. It all sounds nice on paper, but we'll have to see if Obsidian is up to the task of melding Mass Effect with 24.
PAX 07: Joystiq Interviews Obsidian's Nathan Davis about NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer
One of the many games being shown off at this year's Penny Arcade Expo was the expansion to one of the biggest RPGs from last year, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer. Obsidian's Nathan Davis, the Assistant Producer for the title, was on hand to tell us a bit about the highly anticipated expansion. Read on to see what he says on how they've fixed some of the lingering problems from NWN2 and details on some the cool stuff they've added.Early on one of the major complaints with Neverwinter Nights 2 was with the camera system. Have you guys worked on making it better in the expansion?We have improved our camera system quite a bit. So we have two new modes now including a character camera mode that is similar to the one in World of Warcraft and also a new strategy camera mode that is more reminiscent of what you would see in Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale. The character mode is great for exploration and general activities, while the strategy mode is great for big combat scenarios where you want to have a good feeling for where all your teammates and enemies are.One of the other problems with Neverwinter Nights 2 initially, was poor system performance. It was helped a bit by later patches, but you still needed a fairly powerful machine to run it. Have you been able to optimize this at all for the expansion?Yeah, we've done a lot to improve that, we brought in programmers specifically work on performance issues and to fine tune everything. So we've gotten a better and more responsive game engine now. We're really trying to reach for a much improved graphical look to the game without creating a heavy draw on systems. We've tested the expansion on a number of different systems and it's running reasonably well. In general I think it's running better than the original NWN2.
RPG devs adapt or die, here comes the MMORPG
Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart has some strong words for single-player RPG developers. With the rise of MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and Everquest, old-style role playing games need to re-think their strategy or face extinction. "It used to be fine to make an RPG that was just wandering around and hacking things up with the player having very little effect on the world around them", explains Urquhart, "Why play that game now if you could just play a MMO?"The key is to define what single-player RPGs offer over the online experience and bring that into sharp focus. Dungeon hacking is a thing of the past, now players want as much control over their character and surroundings as possible. But what does solo role playing offer that the online experience doesn't? Is there still a demand for epic single-player RPGs in the world, or are we moving to a strict MMORPG diet?
Saitek's sexy Obsidian mouse incorporates touch-sensitive scroll
If you've found yourself pacing in tense anticipation for Apple's touch-sensitive mousing device, Saitek's latest could definitely calm your nerves and satisfy your desires simultaneously. The sexy Obsidian mouse touts a 1,000 DPI optical tracker, four-way touch-sensitive scroll, a bundled recharge cradle with wireless transmitter, five total buttons, support for Windows / OS X systems, Teflon feet, and best of all, it even includes a pair of Li-ion batteries to keep you mousing all through the night. Additionally, the curvaceous critter doesn't play favorites with dominant hands, as both righties and southpaws alike shouldn't have any qualms handling this one. Currently, the Obsidian is available now for £39.99 ($80) for our pals across the lake, but if you'll just be patient, the device is slated to land on US soil for a mere $49.95 real soon.[Via I4U]
Atari reveals Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
Not quite done casting Magic Missile and attacking the darkness of Neverwinter Nights? Well, good. Atari has announced an expansion pack for Neverwinter Nights 2, ominously entitled Mask of the Betrayer. Slated for release this Fall and developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the game promises more spells, more monsters, more weapons, more levels, more modding possibilities and presumably, more heartless backstabbing. "Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer's engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling," says Obsidian CEO and plausible fantasy character, Feargus Urquhart. He also notes that the expansion will see enhancements made to the companion Influence System, as used in the base title and Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. Of course, it's probably best to just avoid adding any masked strangers to your party during this particular adventure.
Gearbox to develop Sega's Alien FPS
Sega has revealed that Brothers in Arms creator Gearbox will develop its Alien FPS. The announcement comes padded with a lil' promise, as Sega has declared the shooter "will retain the atmospheric look and feel of the original films" -- we'll interpret this line to be a reference to Alien and Aliens, not the additional sequels (and certainly not AVP).With the game not scheduled for release until 2009, neither Sega or Gearbox is saying much else. Should we assume, given Gearbox's history, that this Alien FPS will be squad-based, with a touch of strategy?See also:Alien games to burst out of Sega's chestObsidian to helm Aliens RPG for Sega
Obsidian to helm Aliens RPG for Sega
Sega is bleeding acid, slowly, with each drop another hint of where it will take its new Aliens license. The first major announcement is of an Aliens RPG, currently under development by Obsidian Entertainment (Neverwinter Nights 2, KOTOR 2).Although officially unveiled today, the Aliens RPG is likely the mysterious project announced in March by Sega and Obsidian, which has been in development under the name Project Georgia. The game is scheduled to be released for PC and next- new-gen consoles. We're hoping to see fleshed-out Aliens lore and, much in the way Oblivion handles vampirism, the "chance" to become a Xenomorph.IGN notes that Sega will announce the developer for its Aliens First-Person Shooter on Friday. If Sega aims to milk the franchise for all its worth, we're hoping to also see real-time strategy games, MMOs, kart racers, text-based adventures, and party games forthcoming.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
