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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.
HP's Obsidian becomes iPAQ Glisten, officially comes to AT&T
Wow, talk about digging deep in the memory bank. The same phone that we spotted way back in July (known then as the iPAQ K3 Obsidian) has finally emerged in official fashion on AT&T. Dubbed the iPAQ Glisten, this all-business smartphone boasts a vanilla coat of Windows Mobile 6.5, a 2.5-inch AMOLED display, 3.1 megapixel camera, 256MB of SDRAM, a microSD expansion slot, A-GPS, 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a QWERTY keyboard, 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. 'Course, you'll still be dealing with a resistive screen and a dated OS, but if you're turned on in some weird way, it'll be "available in the coming weeks" for $179.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement.
Sega actually confirms Alpha Protocol delay
Despite seeing some semi-official evidence of an Alpha Protocol delay from Sega's website, and some circumstantial evidence in the fact that it didn't make its original release date, nothing official has been said from anyone at Sega or Obsidian regarding the too-sneaky-for-its-own-good game. Until today!Obsidian's Feargus Urquhart has come forward to speak on the delay. "We're very happy that Sega has made the decision to hold back the shipment of the game in order to give it the best chance at becoming the publishing success that we at Obsidian and our partners at Sega are striving for," Urquhart told CVG. Sega Europe managing director Alan Pritchard, the first person at Sega to officially acknowledge the Alpha Protocol release date change, added, "By pushing Alpha Protocol to Spring 2010, we can ensure that the game will be released in the best commercial release window possible and will also receive the focus this true AAA title deserves."While we question Spring 2010's status as "the best commercial release window possible" (given the preponderance of publishers of other games that decided the exact same thing), we're relieved that we can finally stop haranguing that Gamestop salesperson about our pre-ordered Alpha Protocol that still hasn't arrived.
Sega: Alpha Protocol 'out now,' er ... 'Spring 2010'
While Sega of America's public relations team still hasn't said one word regarding an increasingly inevitable delay, Sega of America's website has finally declared that Alpha Protocol will not begin its mission until 2010. The site displays the Xbox 360 and PC launches for May 6, 2010, while the PS3 version has been left at "Spring 2010." This is a not-so-slight change from what the publisher's website showed this morning, when the release information stated the espionage RPG was "out now" -- a strange pronouncement for frustrated consumers, venting on developer Obsidian's forums, and retailers we'd spoken to. Sega's update now fits with what several retailers have suggested about a 2010 release, including GameStop, Walmart, Amazon and GameFly.
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.
Leaked AT&T presentation confirms remaining WinMo releases for 2009, that employees can't spell 'proprietary'
Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 release is just a month away, and so too are the first phones that will utilize it. Boy Genius Report has managed to get its hands on one slide from a recent AT&T concall confirming a partial list of the handsets set to ship with the new, improved, more finger-friendly flavor of the OS, and even a few models that will be upgraded to it. Two from Samsung, the Epix and Jack, will receive version updates in October, while HP's Obsidian, earlier targeted for November, seems to have been pushed back to December, and LG's Monaco similarly has slipped to November. HTC's Fortress (a.k.a. the Pro2), however, will apparently be ready with bells on next month. As will we, dear readers. As will we.
Obsidian CEO almost talks about canceled Aliens RPG
We cornered Obsidian's CEO Feargus Urquhart with a motion tracker (notepad) and a an M41A1 Pulse Rifle (pen) at Austin GDC to ask him exactly what happened with the canceled Aliens RPG the company was working on for Sega. The game was announced back in 2006, and then canceled abruptly in February earlier this year. Of course, it took Sega four months to officially let us know about it. So what did happen? The good news? There's an answer. The bad news? You're going to have to wait until February 2011 to get it. We hope we remember the question that far in the future. If that makes anyone think about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you get bonus points. Read on after the break for what he said, which did not include the proper pronunciation of his name.
Pre-order Alpha Protocol on Steam, get Space Siege free
For those of you anxious to WASD your way through Obsidian's Alpha Protocol (y'know, the Espionage RPG), Steam is offering a bonus if you pick up the game through its service. Anyone who pre-orders will get a free copy of Gas Powered Games' (and Sega-published) Space Siege immediately, a $20 title. The freebie should help to assuage Obsidian's gross oversight. C'mon, how could the studio forget to include cyborg space marines?Download the PC demo for Space Siege right here.
Alpha Protocol issues license to NOT kill
According to a Twitter update from Obsidian regarding its upcoming stealth-em-up RPG, Alpha Protocol, it's possible to complete the game without killing anyone. The tweet failed to elaborate on why someone would choose to play through a spy-action game without killing anyone (but you can bet there's some kinda reward in store for the apprehensive player) and also whether or not it's possible to clear the game without maiming, disfiguring or severely bruising anyone. Frankly, given the nature of the action-spy business, we don't see how that would be possible. The "no kill" challenge has been posed before, appearing in other stealth titles like Metal Gear Solid and even the straight action-oriented Mirror's Edge. In fact, it would be kinda strange if Alpha Protocol didn't allow players to finish the game without killing -- it's become a requisite for the genre, after all.Well, however you decide to tackle Alpha Protocol, at least there's some sex in it for you, right?
Obsidian: Sex scenes help involve players in the game world
Obsidian's Chris Avellone, creative director on the upcoming Alpha Protocol, thinks that human interaction is a very important element in RPG -- especially when it comes to the love shared between two consenting adults. Avellone recently commented to Destructoid that including sex scenes in Alpha Protocol was "an important step, and it's not sex for sex's sake, but it's part of human interaction that makes you more involved in the game world and your characters."Sometimes the act can come off more out-of-place than appropriate, which our time with Dragon Age: Origins seemed to highlight, but, on the other hand (keep it where we can see it!) the sex scene in Mass Effect was fairly tasteful. Well, unless you're one of the misinformed minds at Fox News.
HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian lives it up in the wild, sneaks in a stylus for the nostalgic types
There's always been a little chunk of softness in our cold, stone hearts for candybar QWERTY handsets. Stylus interaction? Not so much. That's why it's a little disappointing to see HP's upcoming iPAQ K3 Obsidian handset for AT&T show up with a stylus on board, despite the initial leaked documents we saw that clearly stated otherwise. Still, it's nice to see how Windows Mobile 6.5 can operate under such conditions, and the 2.43-inch screen is OLED, even if it's restricted to a mere QVGA resolution. It appears that a scroll wheel does the duty of shuffling through that honeycomb menu. As far as we know, we're still looking at a November release.[Via SlashGear]
New Alpha Protocol video sneaks inside the safe house
Alpha Protocol continues its leak of classified information in this latest walkthrough trailer. The video, obtained by super-secret spycam, shows how players will use the safe houses in the game to accessorize their weaponry and character. We learn how to put a silencer on the protagonist's head and change the hair on his gun ... wait, reverse that.The video also covers the skill tree and some of the special moves available to the character in the espionage RPG releasing October 6.%Gallery-19776%
Fallout 3 will not get higher level cap
Bethesda likes you just as you are, Capital Wastelander. At the very least you don't need to keep working on that level grind in Fallout 3, as Bethesda's Jeff Gardiner confirmed to MTV Multiplayer that the game's level cap won't be raised beyond 30. (Back in May, the game's Broken Steel DLC increased the maximum possible level from 20 to 30.)He did, however, note that he's "sure we'll [Bethesda] look into addressing these concerns in future games." Though the company is farming out development of next year's expansion Fallout: New Vegas to Obsidian, the Fallout IP is still very much in Bethesda's hands -- making us wonder if we'll see what Mr. Gardiner is talking about as soon as next year. %Gallery-50700%
Pre-order Alpha Protocol for in-game bonus packs
Are you planning on pre-ordering The Espionage RPG? It may not be at the top of your list, but after hearing about the pre-order bonuses ... well, that probably won't change. Still, if you're planning on picking up the game anyway, they're worth placing an order for. Alpha Protocol will be offering pre-orderers two different in-game packs, depending on where you decide to make your purchase.The Assault Pack, available from GameStop, unlocks a bunch of the more beefy weapons in the game, as well as giving access to two "exclusive specially modified weapons and extras." The Stealth Pack, available from GameCrazy, is very similar, but is more skewed towards quietly picking off enemies with tranqs and suppressors. Check out the Sega blog for full details.
Alpha Protocol: The Espionage RPG: The Release Date
Sega of America has announced the release date for Obsidian's Alpha Protocol, whatever that is. Oh, it's "The Espionage RPG." How helpful! That game will be out on October 6.In addition to the date announcement, Sega released the North American box art, which can be found in our gallery. We must warn you, however, before you rush into the gallery, full of hope for a more exciting, distinctive box art image: it's exactly the same as the UK box art seen yesterday, with the "PAL" label changed to "NTSC" and the PEGI rating box changed to an ESRB box. It's still the same Pseudo-Bourne standing up in front of geography class.%Gallery-19776%
Obsidian confirms the cancellation of Aliens RPG [Update: Sega agrees]
[Update: And, not with a bang but a whimper, Sega has confirmed the cancellation of Aliens RPG, telling Giant Bomb, "At this point, SEGA has no plans to move forward with the Aliens RPG. The Aliens franchise offers us so much content to choose from that we feel it important to take a step back and carefully consider the type of game we want to release. We plan to continue working with the Aliens franchise and ask fans to be patient and stay tuned for more information about what SEGA has coming out for the Aliens series of games, starting with the upcoming Alien vs. Predator game. We are very excited about and focused on Alien vs. Predator, which promises gamers a fantastic single player game and an equally compelling multiplayer experience. We are confident that it provides all the excitement and fun that the Aliens and Predator fans are looking for!"][Original: Finally, Aliens RPG's will it, won't it dance has come to an official, if disappointing, end. We were hoping the many, many rumors of its cancellation would be for naught, but a moderator at the Obsidian forums has confirmed that the project is dead; "unfortunately, it is true that we are no longer working on the game, and we wanted to finally announce that officially to everyone who has been following its development."Hopefully the same isn't true for Aliens: Colonial Marines, or that would leave Sega with only Aliens vs Predator in development. The Japanese publisher further confirmed the project's termination to GameSpot, saying, "At this point, Sega has no plans to move forward with the Aliens RPG."] [Via Big Download]
Sega: game not over for Aliens: Colonial Marines, Aliens RPG
The big, green gooey eggs containing Sega's long in development Aliens: Colonial Marines and Aliens RPG are going to hatch -- just not soon. When we asked why the games were absent from this year's E3, Sega replied, "Aliens vs. Predator will be the first to ship out of our triplet of Aliens titles; hence it was shown at this year's E3. We'll have more news to share about the other two games in the near future so stay tuned." Rumors of both titles being jettisoned out an airlock have been swirling since earlier this year.In addition, Gearbox Software prez Randy Pitchford has confirmed to Kotaku that Colonial Marines lives on in now-gen console and handheld form on DS. Pitchford told the site that Gearbox is not developing the portable title, lending more credence to purported footage of a WayForward-developed Colonial Marines that leapt out of the darkness last month. We've put word into Obsidian, developers of Aliens RPG, for confirmation of that title's status.
Obsidian working on unannounced fourth project
In addition to the upcoming Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas, as well as the perpetually delayed/possibly dead Aliens RPG, Obsidian Entertainment is apparently working on a fourth, unannounced title. In an interview with GameBanshee, Obsidian's Feargus Urquhart said, "We have been working on another title for the last four months that we can't talk about yet." According to the piece, the game is being developed on the company's internal engine, though Urquhart had, more or less, positive things to say about his company's experience with Unreal Engine 3. "Our engine, like Unreal, is a tool and different jobs can be done better with tools that are made for them ... there are things that our engine may never do as well as Unreal, but likewise there are things that our engine will do that will be better than Unreal," Urquhart says of the choice. Considering the rest of the interviews answers, we're fairly certainly that the game's not a new Neverwinter Nights nor Knights of the Old Republic 3. Guesses, friends?
HP triumphantly returns to AT&T with iPAQ K3 "Obsidian"
Tears well up in our eyes when we think back to the early days of Windows Mobile and HP's dominance; in recent years, the company has all but vanished from the scene, trudging along with a handful of poorly-marketed, underexposed devices that haven't launched on any US carrier. Turns out we haven't said our last goodbyes, though, because the iPAQ K3 -- codenamed "Obsidian," seemingly -- is scheduled for November 30 retail availability on AT&T. The device would launch with Windows Mobile 6.5 onboard and feature a 2 megapixel camera (a second cameraless version for high-security businessfolk might be available, too), 256MB of RAM, a half gig of ROM, microSD slot, GPS, triband HSDPA and quadband EDGE, WiFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a QVGA display to complement the full QWERTY keyboard. Looks like it won't be the most exciting smartphone on the carrier's shelves, but it might be a sensible choice for businesses and really, really boring people. Follow the break for a couple renders of the phone in action-packed angle shots!
