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Axis all areas - Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions out next month
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions plots a course for PS4, PS3 and PC via Steam on November 25, with Xbox One and Xbox 360 launches scheduled for the following day. Activision announced the dates this week, pinning a $15 asking price across all platforms. The surprise return of one the last generation's defining twin-stick shooter series is helmed by Lucid Games, a company comprised of former staff from the defunct original Geometry Wars studio, Bizarre Creations. As the name implies, a major new element in the GW3: Dimensions are the 3D visuals and environments, though in his PAX Prime preview Joystiq's Mike Suszek said fans can expect more of the frantic, chaotic action they're used to. While Mike only got hands-on time with the single-player, Dimensions also features co-operative and competitive multiplayer modes, including face-offs between two teams of four players. [Image: Activision-Blizzard]
Globe-trotting with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
It wouldn't be fair to Lucid Games to say that Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is "just more Geometry Wars," and then leave one's impressions at that. Announced just a few weeks ago, the game literally takes the series where it has never been, primarily thanks to new three-dimensional visuals (with a pun-tastic title to match). In all honesty though, calling it "more Geometry Wars" serves as a reassurance to the twin-stick series' devotees that its fast-paced action hasn't gone anywhere. My time with Geometry Wars 3 at PAX Prime in Seattle demonstrated that the game fits perfectly with its 2D brethren. Piloting the iconic, angular cruiser through galactic grids felt as tight as ever, while slipping past threats and rapidly firing laser-like bullets at geometric baddies is as chaotic as ever. It took a few attempts to get acquainted with the game's latest twist, though the enemy and bullet behavior is just that, a "twisted" version of the previous games. The flat grid-like playing field fans are used to is now a sphere, tube, pill, peanut or one of numerous other shapes, depending on which of the single-player mode's 50 levels you jump into. Every element in play is stuck to the surface like Nintendo's iconic plumber in Super Mario Galaxy, but ultimately Geometry Wars 3 draws some appropriate comparisons to Super Stardust HD. Missiles rocketed past my ship and around the bend of some levels, but aiming for the more distant neon creatures never felt like a real shot in the dark, if I'm allowed to make my own puns here.
Behind-the-scenes video basks in Geometry Wars 3's glow
We don't envy Lucid Games – the studio has a passionate fanbase to appease when it launches Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions this fall on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PC. Fortunately, Lucid houses senior developers from now-defunct series creator Bizarre Creations, and it's clear that the team has some ideas on how to progress from 2008's GW2: Retro Evolved. In a behind-the-scenes feature posted after the break, Lucid Co-Founder Nick Davies and Creative Director Craig Howard describe what they have in mind for Dimensions, including boss battles, 3D battlegrounds and head-to-head multiplayer. Check the video to get a glimpse of those elements in action and to get reacquainted with your neon-hued geometric rivals! [Image: Sierra]
Activision's dipping its toe into indie gaming with 'Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions'
Activision creates and publishes a small group of blockbuster video games aimed at mainstream consumers. The world's largest game publishing company handles some of gaming's most culturally impactful titles: the Call of Duty franchise, this year's Destiny, and the entire Blizzard catalog. This week at Gamescom 2014, Activision announced its first smaller effort in many years with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. As the name implies, Dimensions is the third entry in the Geometry Wars franchise -- a beloved series that debuted as a minigame within the first Xbox console's Project Gotham Racing 2. People like it so much in that completely unrelated game that it spawned into its own series. Sadly, the studio behind the originals (Bizarre Creations) was shuttered after a commercial flop with the critically-lauded racer Blur. Some of the folks from Bizarre are back on Dimensions, now part of a new studio named Lucid. But this isn't the return of Activision's expanded portfolio, says Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg.
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions twin-sticks with you
Late last week, Activision teased the return of longtime developer and publisher Sierra Entertainment, which birthed series like King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest and Gabriel Knight. The resurrection of the Sierra brand was not only confirmed earlier this week, but brought with it the announcement of two new games: new entries in the King's Quest adventure series and Geometry Wars twin-stick shooter series. The latter is Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, and will be the first game to launch under the "new Sierra indie label," the game's description reads. It follows the fast-paced trend set by series creator Bizarre Creations, picking up the spacey, shape-shooting action where it left off in 2008's Geometry Wars 2: Retro Evolved. It will include "full 3D action" with competitive online multiplayer, a revamped cooperative multiplayer mode and "dynamic and persistent progression." The game's single-player campaign features 50 challenges and over 10 battle modes, five of which are new to the series. The publisher also introduced screens of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, which does not have a determined release date or platforms just yet. [Image: Sierra]
Seminal game publisher Sierra returns from obscurity with 'Geometry Wars'
Ready to blast some pinwheels again? Hallowed '90s game publisher Sierra is back as an Activision subsidiary with an upcoming sequel to King's Quest and, yes, Geometry Wars. The latter game will be called Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, and Venture Beat reports that Sierra is in talks with independent developers to produce new content as well. In case you've forgotten (or not played the mobile versions), Geometry Wars is about avoiding and blasting an ever-thickening pile of graphically-shaped enemies. It first came out on the original Xbox platform through Project Gotham Racing 2, while the sequel arrived on Xbox Live Arcade -- leaving Xbox One gamers in the lurch. There's no word on which platforms it'll hit when it arrives this Christmas, but Sierra did say that King's Quest will come to Xbox Live, Playstation Network and Steam in 2015 -- a good sign for Geometry Wars.
Report: Resurrected Sierra working on King's Quest and ... Geometry Wars 3? [Update: It's official!]
As expected, the newly reborn Sierra label will be returning to its roots, publishing a new entry in the revered King's Quest adventure game series, reports VentureBeat. Less expected is that Sierra will also be working on a new Geometry Wars. In fact, the Sierra name is slated to become something of an independent game label for Activision. Rather than producing games itself, Sierra will partner with independent developers to both retread cherished adventure classics and create new experiences outside of the company's legacy. The new "reimagined" King's Quest will be handled by The Odd Gentlemen, known for The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and, more recently, the disappointing Wayward Manor. Meanwhile, Lucid Games, which has many members from former Geometry Wars developer, Bizarre Creations, will develop Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. The new King's Quest is expected in 2015, while Geometry Wars 3 will arrive this holiday. Platforms haven't been specified, though Sierra is expected to publish games across Steam, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Update: Activision has confirmed Sierra's new direction, as well as the new entries in King's Quest and Geometry Wars. Find the official PR after the break.
Sierra returns... like, legitimately?
Activision has something planned for the long dormant Sierra brand at Gamescom 2014, which will take place next week in Cologne, Germany. Sierra has spent years as something we speak fondly of, but almost entirely in the context of GoG sales. For gamers of a certain age, Sierra holds hands with LucasArts as the peak of the point-and-click adventure genre. The publisher had a breadth of beloved series like King's Quest, Gabriel Knight, Space Quest, Police Quest and Softporn Adventure... ok, so maybe that last one isn't beloved.
GOG sale offers up Sierra's many 'Quest' games for under $4
GOG.com, distributor of fine digital goods, is discounting a large number of titles in its Winter Quest Fest sale right now. If you've ever wanted to take Sierra's Police Quest, King's Quest, Quest for Glory or Space Quest series for a spin, then you'll definitely want to check out what's on offer. In addition to the many adventure-based Quest games, GOG is also discounting the Gabriel Knight series, Phantasmagoria, The Zork Anthology and classic strategy game Call to Power 2. Each game in the sale is available for under $4 and many are even under $3. The sale lasts for the next three days, so if you're interested in snagging some classic games on the cheap, head on over to GOG and peruse the goods.
Activision PC games on sale on GOG.com this weekend
GOG.com is holding a sizable sale on Activision properties this weekend. While the official number of discounted games is 32, the sale features a number of multi-game packs in series like Quest for Glory, King's Quest, Police Quest and Space Quest for $3.99 each, bringing the grand total of games included in the sale to 55. Other deals for the weekend include Phantasmagoria ($3.99) and Phantasmagoria 2 ($2.39), the three games in the Gabriel Knight trilogy for $2.39 each as well as Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura for $2.39. The entire sale comes to $97.28, which the digital retailer says can save players $146.60 on all 55 games. GOG.com's sale is good until Tuesday, November 12.
Gigabyte outs three low- to mid-range handsets with dual SIM slots, we go hands-on (video)
Okay, so we didn't quite know what to make of Gigabyte's lamp / Ultrabook hub. But what about its new smartphones? The company is showing off three handsets here at Computex 2013 -- the Maya, Sierra and Simba, in ascending order of impressiveness -- all of which have dual SIM slots, IPS displays, 1GB of RAM and a stock build of Android 4.2. To tell the truth, none of them are exactly high-end (even the top-tier Simba runs just a dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor), but we were impressed by the quality of those IPS screens, which offer wide viewing angles even under harsh lighting. They've all got thick, plastic builds too, but some are at least nicer-feeling than others. The 5-inch Sierra has a slightly metallic finish that could possibly pass for metal at a glance. The 5-inch Simba is done up in a trendy white, but with a glossy, tacky sort of look. And the lowest-end Maya (4.5-inches) is made of plain, drab plastic. Not much to see there. On the inside, as we said, the Simba has a Snapdragon 400 (Krait) SoC, while the other two make do with a 1.2GHz, quad-core processor from MediaTek. As for screen quality. the Maya has QHD resolution whereas the Sierra and Simba step up to HD; either way, no 1080p flagships here. That's about all we have to share at this point -- Gigabyte hasn't announced pricing or availability -- but a company rep did tell us these phones should at the very least be headed to Asia and Eastern Europe. For now, head past the break for a quick video tour.%Gallery-190374%
Activision (Sierra) adventure games 50% off on GOG this weekend
The massive catalog of adventure games from Activision – which once upon a time were known as the Sierra adventure games – is 50 percent off on GOG until Monday, June 3. The sale includes the Kings Quest, Quest for Glory, Zork, Space Quest, Police Quest, Gabriel Knight series and many, many more. They are all either $2.99 or $4.99. The entire portfolio can be yours for $121. Also, there's no shame in looking up the answer to the Rumpelstiltskin riddle in King's Quest when you get stuck. We've all done it.
Reliving the controversy of Phantasmagoria
This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again. I have a confession to make. The only reason this column exists is because I wanted an excuse to write about Phantasmagoria, an adventure game created by industry pioneer Roberta Williams. Not that I could have told you who Roberta Williams was when I first played the game in the mid-1990s. I played the majority of the game on my friends Danny and Mikey's computer. My family didn't have much of a PC at the time, but Danny and Mikey had a 486 beast that could run Windows 95 and a glut of incredible games I couldn't get at home. (Maybe I'll tell you about my family's PCJr in a future column.)In some ways, Phantasmagoria is the quintessential 90s game, borrowing elements – intentionally or not – from some of the decade's biggest phenomena. Released in 1995, it was smack in the middle of publisher Sierra's adventure game heyday. Like CD-ROM sensation Myst, all the characters are rendered using full-motion video, while the environments are all composed of static, pre-rendered 3D backgrounds. And, like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap before it, Phantasmagoria's realistic and often gruesome depiction of its characters stirred up controversy.%Gallery-178177%
Leisure Suit Larry 'Greatest Hits and Misses' collection now on GOG
Classic PC adventure gaming examples of how not to pick up women have been spritzed with horrendous cologne and dressed up as GOG's Leisure Suit Larry "Greatest Hits and Misses" collection. The $10 pack includes the first five Larry jams, the oldest of which (Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards) comes in both Original and VGA flavors.The release of this collection marks the first time that Larry's adventures have swung both ways, by which we mean "been both PC and Mac OSX compatible," obviously. The collection also includes the 1981 text-based DOS/Apple II game Softporn Adventure, which despite how it sounds, is mostly about navigating a bar and reading newspapers. Not that we've played it or anything.Since this collection's screenshots and trailer are borderline not safe for work, we've decided to err on the side of caution and refrain from hosting them on our family friendly internet blog-o-site. Clicking all up on the source link below will take you where you want to go, if you're into that sort of thing.
The Game Archaeologist: Steve Nichols' The Realm Online debriefing, part 2
This week we continue our interview with Steve Nichols, one of the original lead developers on The Realm Online. After his work on this pioneering title, Nichols expanded his MMO resume with projects such as the never-seen Middle-earth Online (MEO), the seminal Freelancer, the PvP-centric Shadowbane, and the cult classic Dungeon Runners. These days, Nichols is with Retired Astronaut Collective, continuing to create games for all of us nutty players to enjoy. In this riveting conclusion to our talk on The Realm Online, Nichols discusses the difficulties of the game's promotions, lessons learned from his time on the project, and the sundry secrets of hanky-panky in this early MMO.
The Game Archaeologist: Steve Nichols' The Realm Online debriefing, part 1
It's been called one of "the internet's forgotten games," and yet there are those who will never forget the impact that The Realm Online had in their gaming lives. For some gamers in the mid-'90s, it was the very first taste of a graphical MMO. Though it was little more than two-dimensional cartoon graphics added to the then-standard MUD setup, The Realm Online nevertheless helped to forge a path to the brave new world of MMOs. The Realm, as it was originally called, was a project of Sierra On-Line. Development on the title began in late 1995, with a 1996 beta and launch following soon after. As with other early graphical MMOs, Sierra had little experience or comparisons to draw from while making The Realm but somehow made it work anyway. The resulting game featured a strong emphasis on roleplay, trade, and turn-based combat, although a robust questing experience this was not. Sierra On-Line never fully got behind The Realm, eventually selling it off to Codemasters in the early 2000s, which then turned around and handed off the title to its current operator, Norseman Games. To date, it's one of the longest continuously operating graphical MMOs in existence and can still be enjoyed by today's gamers. We reached out to one of the lead developers on The Realm Online, Stephen Nichols, who agreed to an interview on the condition that we give him a very big horn in a tent. Just kidding; the horn is from his private stock. Let's get to it!
Classic Sierra games, other Activision properties on sale on GOG
They may technically be considered "Activision" games, as that company currently has the rights to all of them, but the new GOG offers include what you'd think of as Sierra games (Gabriel Knight, Space Quest, Phantasmagoria) Infocom games (The Zork Anthology) and ... oh, Activision games (Interstate '76).They're all on sale for 60% off this weekend. You can get the whole bundle for $94.89, if you like ... massive, thematically incomprehensible collections.
Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budget-minded 4G
Canadians have had fairly limited options for LTE-based 4G if they didn't want to turn to the three main carrier brands: they could go to a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile, and that's it. While there isn't a truly independent LTE carrier yet, Rogers' lower-cost Fido label has just taken its promised LTE access live to at least offer some competition among the smaller names in the field. Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John's, Toronto and Vancouver can immediately hop on the network at speeds of up to 100Mbps. Bring-your-own-device users don't have to pay a premium to get the faster speeds, although there's currently little choice in hardware if you want to buy straight from the source: the lone LTE device on offer is Sierra Wireless' AirCard 763S hotspot, which costs $50 on a two-year contract. The flexible rate data-only plan also isn't the greatest deal, starting at $22 for a gone-in-five-minutes 100MB per month to $92 for 9GB. All the same, light data users in the True North will be glad to know they don't have to be relegated to 3G to save a few dollars.
The glory of Quest For Glory
This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. Last week, when GOG.com announced that Quest For Glory was the newest addition to its collection, I was delighted. In fact, I'm not sure that there's a game series that could have induced as much joy. I think some others, like Wizardry or a collection of old SSI games, might have been better and more important, sure. But I have more love for Quest For Glory than those other games. I'm not the only one, either: The Quest For Glory games are great games, yes, but they're also special games.Quest For Glory is a five-title series of adventure/role-playing hybrids, with the first release in 1989, and the last in 1998. They were published by Sierra – a company whose fate was recently detailed to Joystiq by Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe – and used similar interfaces and graphics as other adventures, such as King's Quest or Gabriel Knight, combined with combat systems that varied from game to game.Being a genre hybrid is one of the surest ways to become a beloved game. Panzer General, Deus Ex, and Mass Effect are all crossover hits, thanks in part to combining role-playing with other genres. Quality hybrids manage to feel both fresh conceptually and comfortable to actually play, a winning combination.
Entire Quest for Glory series now available on GOG
If you have an affection for adventure games, you may want to sit down. Since you're on the internet, you may be doing that already, so feel free to stand up and subsequently sit down again. Ready? Good. It's been a long, long road, but Sierra's classic Quest for Glory series is finally available on Good Old Games.You can snag all five Quest for Glory games in a single package for just ten bucks. Best of all, the pack seems to be based on the CD-ROM collection, meaning you'll get both the original and VGA enhanced versions of Quest for Glory 1, and the sweet, velvety voice of John Rhys-Davies all up in your Quest for Glory 4.
