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Developers talk about Unreal Engine 3 lawsuit
Following the news of Silicon Knights suing Epic games for "inadequacies" with the Unreal Engine 3, ShackNews went ahead and talked to some developers about the issue. Of course, most of the people who spoke against the engine and its licensor Epic (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament 3) did it anonymously -- except for the Postal developers, 'cause they just treat the world with one giant middle finger up in the air, although they did it so softly here with a simple: "It just wasn't the best relationship for us [with Epic]."The statements pretty much cover the spread from good to bad. The most interesting anonymous source talks about several studios who had various levels of experience with the UE3. The key thing is that the source doesn't believe the problems were "intentionally malicious," but a product of Epic being stretched thin because of their own product development. Interestingly, this is given even more credence by Sony swooping in and lending support to Epic in getting the UE3 working properly with PS3. The question is slowly turning into what did Epic deliver to these developers through their license? How much extra work did these developers have to put into the engine to get it functional? Obviously, Sony felt the need to help out. The Unreal Engine 3 tree is going to continue shaking and we're sure to see more stories fall out very soon. Hopefully, with developers who know what they're talking about and are willing to go on the record.
Silicon Knights gets sue happy with Epic
Too Human developer Silicon Knights is not happy with Epic Games or their Unreal Engine 3 and when they get angry, they like to sue. Silicon Knights recently filed a lawsuit in a North Carolina district court stating that Epic Games breached their contract by not supplying final engine code for the Xbox 360 and claims that Epic used licensee fees to promote its own games while sabotaging their licensee's projects. According to Silicon Knights, Epic was supposed to supply the final Xbox 360 code for the Unreal Engine 3 six months after the launch of the console (around March 2006), but failed to and only got the code to them in November 2006 with no guidance on how to implement the new code. Epic flat out denies such wrong doings and vows to fight the lawsuit. We ask, can't we all just get along?[Via XboxNowOnline]
Silicon Knights sues Epic over Unreal Engine 3 'inadequacies' [Update]
The information is still coming in, but what we do know is that Silicon Knights, creator of the gratuitously delayed Too Human, is suing Epic Games, licensor of the Unreal Engine 3. Epic, who is best known for showing the power of the Unreal Engine 3 in their hit Gears of War, is being sued over "unspecified allegations" relating to the Unreal Engine 3. Mark Rein, VP of Epic says, "This morning we were served with a lawsuit by Silicon Knights. We believe the claims against us are unfounded and without merit and we intend to fully defend against them."Currently the lawyers are ordering lockdown and Rein says he'll have no choice but to give a "no comment" for a while. Denis Dyack in a statement defends Silicon Knights' actions saying, "We stand behind everything in our complaint and believe it is highly unfortunate that Epic forced us into this situation ... Epic simply refuses to acknowledge the inadequacies of the Unreal Engine 3 code it provides to its licensees and refuses to accept the fact that its code has caused serious damage not only to Silicon Knights, but a number of other developers in the industry. We look forward to successful resolution of our claims in this court proceeding." This is going to get big and bad. At least this may shake out some of the issues other developers say they've been having with the UE3.Update: More details from the lawsuit appended after the break.
Dennis Dyack talks Nintendo, E3
If you're one of those folks who still finds themselves lost in a thick fog when thinking about the split between Silicon Knights and Nintendo, Dennis Dyack might be able to clear things up. In sitting down for a lengthy chat with NintendoWorldReport, the man explains why Silicon Knights split with Nintendo and touches upon the prospect of the two working together in the future.Turns out, the way that Nintendo was planning on taking the company with the then upcoming Wii console didn't jive with Silicon Knights. They didn't like the fact that the Wii wouldn't be competitive, graphically, with the other consoles on the market. Silicon Knights wanted to make games with jaw-dropping graphics and high production values, but Nintendo's new approach wasn't helping with that. So, they turned to what they believe is the best hardware on the market, in Microsoft's Xbox 360 console.The interview is a very good read, so be sure to head on over and check it out.
Too Human update, new screen
Okay, first thing is first, the headline above is somewhat misleading. Indeed, there is a new entry on IGN's Too Human blog. This time, however, Dennis Dyack of Silicon Knights steps back to let a cognitive psychologist write the entry. No, seriously, the latest entry was written by a psychologist discussing the Interacting with Immersive Worlds forum, a gathering of game designers and scholars. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss game design and theory. Rather than discuss, say, Too Human, the blog uses the birth of chemistry as an allegory for the game industry. Again, we're not joking. It's an interesting read, sure, but a little Too Human talk wouldn't have hurt. Still, we do get a screenshot, which you can see above (see it in hi-res here). Hit the "read" link for the full article.
Too Human offers up a color lesson
Over on Silicon Knights' IGN space, Too Human's art director Carman Dix posted an interesting article on how color is used in their upcoming game. Dix talks about the role of color, what feelings are associated with each hue and how Too Human's environments are colored to invoke the mood they wish. It's an interesting read for those of us who like getting inside the heads of the people who are involved in game development.So now that you're in the "know", you can analyze a few Too Human videos to see what emotions Silicon Knights was going for. Hint: Becoming hungry is not an option.
Dennis Dyack says nay to the enthusiast press, again
In a perfect world the press would not see a game until it was finished. Developers would have all the time in the world to enrich a product with both labor and love "until it's done." We would critique games as a legitimate form of media and wear leather clothes that will last the rest of our lives.Dennis Dyack wants a perfect world.The president of Silicon Knights was certainly better composed in his lengthy interview with Gamasutra compared to his now infamous appearance on the EGM Live podcast (3/12/07). His idea is this: we, the press, should not be allowed to see titles before their completed state as to foster a critical approach to games. Furthermore, said games should not be promoted until they are completed.The idea being that if we're ever to take this absurd past time of fiddling with joysticks and turn it into a legitimate medium, we need to become more like Roger Ebert (who hates video games) and less like Tony Stark and Miss Cleo. There are a few road blocks on the way to utopia as most publishers would balk at the idea of sitting on titles and not letting the press do their marketing for them. And you? The readers? We reward you for not using your noodle and jumping straight to a score that (supposedly) proves superiority over other titles.Some day, Mr. Dyack. Some day we may live in a perfect world. But until then it's nothing but good ol' fashioned compromise and crotch sniffing for us!
Too Human blowout continues, new video
IGN's massive Too Human blowout continues with an interview with the developers at Silicon Knights. In case you haven't been keeping up, IGN has already featured a new video, a retrospective, and a 5 page hands on preview. The most recent interview goes behind the scenes to learn what tweaks have been made to the game over its (very) long development cycle. The team discusses concerns that the game will be considered a Devil May Cry or God of War clone and what ultimately separates Too Human. Also discussed is the game's detailed combat system, the RPG elements, and the battle cries and Ruiners, which act as special class-based abilities. For example, you might heal your allies or summon a spirit to help you fight. Finally, the team discusses the item drop system and the game's hub world. Anyone familiar with Diablo and other dungeon crawlers will likely feel right at home (right down to 4-player online co-op). Hit the "read" link for the full interview. Be sure to check out the new video above before you go.
Dyack breaks Too Human silence, talks four player co-op
If you're Denis Dyack and the crew over at Silicon Knights you've had a rough time since last year's E3. The company unleashed on the gaming press and attendees the stunningly awful demo for Too Human, which ran like a stuttering flip book and played like a poor man's God of War -- like cat food is all you've got left to eat poor. Dennis Dyack is now breaking the silence by plopping a big ol' exclusive over at IGN and saying Too Human is too different now. He just wants people to M.I.B. flashy-thingy last year's demo from their memory. The big shiny reveal for this too new Too Human is the very ambitious four-player cooperative mode that can be played over Xbox Live.Dyack says, "With Too Human, we're trying to seamlessly integrate multiplayer with the single-player. If you're really going to do that, you should be able to jump in any time, anywhere and go on a 15-minute mission with friends or play five or six hours straight if you want to. In order to do that, the world has to be pretty open and hub-based so you can jump anywhere and come back very much like Diablo."The cooperative mode will have players utilizing different character classes in a team structure. There are five initial classes to choose from and more will be available through downloadable content -- the talk of downloadable content in the piece smacks of trying to regain lost development revenue, otherwise why not just put it in the game upfront? Dyack says the single-player campaign is balanced differently from cooperative to keep players on an even playing field. IGN talks about the game a bit saying, "It's functional, it's fun, but so far it lacks the graphic umph that we would like to see accompany the combat scenes, especially since they play such an integral role to the game ... the fluidity, which drops below 30 frames per second, should be locked." Dyack says they haven't optimized the frame rate yet (video after break) and that they're going "to hit a solid 30 frames per second." We hope so ... we really hope so. Last year's lashing will be nothing compared to what Silicon Nights will experience after an extra year of development and delivering another Too Human flip book simulator.See also: Too Human's Dennis Dyack pokes fun at Penny Arcade
Video: Too Human lives!
Flying well below the watchful gaze of the internet for several months now, Too Human has risen once again. IGN has a massive video preview for the game, showing off many new and undiscussed elements. In particular, the preview goes into great detail concerning the RPG elements of Too Human. Dennis Dyack and the crew from Silicon Knights reveal details on the online co-op mode as well as the deep character customization system, which includes more than 20 customizable sets of armor (with more planned as DLC). In this sense, Too Human has a Diablo-like feeling to it, which certainly isn't a bad thing. Also discussed are the combat systerm (where melee attacks are based on right stick movements) and the dynamic camera system. Viewers will also get some insight on the Norse mythology on which the game is based. All in all, the preview is about nine minutes long. Give it a watch and tell us what you think.[Thanks, kabes]
Too Human's Denis Dyack pokes fun at Penny Arcade game
Ever since Too Human got savaged by the press for sporting a decidedly wonky framerate at E3 2006, Silicon Knights frontman, Denis Dyack, has been somewhat frigid towards the issue of unfinished games and the media's ability to influence opinion based on early code. Not too long ago, the first part in the sci-fi action trilogy emerged from a "very cold place," hoping to set things back on track and get people to focus on all the good things that were, perhaps unfairly, overlooked in favor of counting the number of frames per second. The Penny Arcade duo has discussed (some would say dissed) the game several times in the past, most recently posting a comic literally illustrating the dangers of revealing premature products.Dyack has continued the trend by posting his own modified Penny Arcade strip on his IGN blog, taking a jab at the generally unfavorable reaction to Gabe and Tycho's upcoming foray into interactivity. With the greener shoe now on the other end of the turning tables (or something along those lines), it becomes clear that presenting your unfinished game to the public is a tricky business indeed. Perhaps that's too serious a tone to end on considering Dyack's amusing contribution, but it's an interesting dilemma nonetheless.How do you convey the big picture in a cursory glance? When do you show too much and when do you show too little?[Thanks, Adam]
Too Human pre-preview impressions
Matt over at IGN got his hands on a new Too Human demo up in Canada the other day and came away feeling pretty good. If you remember, Too Human was shown at E3 last year and was ripped apart due to its lack of solid gameplay, loose camera, and sub-par graphics. Matt just wanted to let everyone know that Silicon Knights wasn't happy with last year's showing and reworked a lot of the problems and are coming out with something they are proud of. Overall things are looking on the up and up for Too Human as Matt goes on to say that "the game has inevitably evolved, and it's on the level you'd expect from the maker of Eternal Darkness". Also, be sure to head on over to IGN next month when they'll be releasing a bunch of exclusive Too Human content and coverage. What do you think ... will it be good or will it be great?[Thanks, Matthew M.]
Too Human still 2007, Dennis Dyack rants
Silicon Knights head, Denis Dyack, has been all over the intertubes lately. First he appeared on the Electronic Gaming Monthly podcast proclaiming that video game previews of unfinished products should be abolished altogether. No doubt Dyack is still stinging from Too Human's unfortunate performance at last year's E3. Then Dyack popped up on NeoGAF to say his piece about a supposed delay in Too Human's production schedule. Finally, 1UP reports that Dyack made comments on the IGN forums alluding to an eventual 2007 release for the game.Frankly, with so many releases already arriving by the end of 2007 -- Halo 3, Lost Odyssey, and Grand Theft Auto IV just to name a few -- we wouldn't mind too much if Too Human slipped into 2008. Then again, we're not exactly going to complain if it doesn't. Is anyone out there still salivating for Too Human or has it been overshadowed by the rest of 2007's impending releases?
Too Human peeks out, reemerges soon
On his latest developer blog, Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack explains just what happened to Too Human, an action title about cybernetic gods. Savvy readers will know that Too Human dropped from the public radar after a highly criticized showing at E3 2006. Many publications were quick to point out the E3 demo's low framerate and less than perfect camera. All in all, Silicon Knights took quite a beating for an unfinished demo of an unfinished game. In his latest entry, Dyack explains the reasons they took an unfinished demo to E3 and the reasons for Too Human's subsequent disappearance. Dyack explains that Too Human had to "go dark" after E3 in order to make the necessary improvements (many of them made as the result of E3 feedback). He promises that all of the E3 problems have been fixed and that "sweeping improvements" have been made all around. He concludes by offering a single screenshot of the current build and letting us know that Too Human should re-emerge "soon."Hopefully, "soon" means that the game will make an appearance at GDC before its expected June release date.
Eternal Darkness to see light on next-gen systems?
If you're one of twenty people who owned the little lunchbox known as the Gamecube, you probably at least heard of Eternal Darkness -- a type of horror game that used some fairly unconventional methods to creep you out (although some of it was seen in the battle against Psycho Mantis in the first Metal Gear Solid). In his blog, Silicon Knights' own Denis Dyack has let loose that the idea for a sequel taking place in the same universe as the first Eternal Darkness is more than just a thought: it's a plan. See, they make their games the same way I try to write my own stories: they envision a universe and create a history -- what may be the "final boss" or the evil our heroes must face are only a small pawn in a much larger game. Hmm... how can I make this more clear? I guess we all know who Sephiroth is, if not, he was the bad guy in Final Fantasy VII. I don't care what you think of the game, that's not the point. The point is that if Sephiroth turned out to be a puppet manufactured by an ancient civilization who happen to be immortal zombie vampire pirates from the moon, that's the idea behind Eternal Darkness. The first game was just one battle against one enemy. So sequels are practically a given with such a large universe to explore. Does that make sense? Anyway, we'll keep tabs on this development and hope it goes to more places than just the Wii-cube. I know it's not actually a cube, give me a break!
Moore: Too Human, Crackdown, Forza 2, Shadowrun by end of June
Speaking with MTV's Stephen Totilo, Peter Moore promised that Crackdown, Forza Motorsport 2, Shadowrun, and Too Human would all see release by the end of June 2007. While Shadowrun's debut has always hinged on the availability of Windows Vista (FASA's game is cross-platform), the other three titles were once expected to round out Xbox 360's exclusive holiday lineup this year. As it goes, Gears of War and Viva Piñata will have to convince shoppers to pass on PlayStation 3 and Wii -- or shortages will. Still, with PS3 likely in short supply early next year, Microsoft has an opportunity to attract potential consumers with well-timed releases throughout the tail end of winter, leading into summer. But don't be surprised if a few of these exclusives continue to slip, landing alongside Master Chief in next year's holiday release batch.
Silicon Knights debunks Too Human rumor, still using Unreal Engine 3, duh
Denis Dyack, president of Silicon Knights, has debunked a rumor that his studio has given up on Unreal Engine 3 in favor of a homegrown engine for Too Human, writing in a statement released by Microsoft, "Silicon Knights continues to build Too Human using the Unreal Engine 3 ... Rumors of Too Human experiencing production challenges that will cause massive delays are false."Curiously, just yesterday, Microsoft issued its standard response to the rumor: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation." It's unclear why Dyack and Microsoft have decided it was necessary to address this rumor, as there was little evidence to validate it in the first place. Too Human is tentatively scheduled for a Q2 2007 release on Xbox 360.
Eternal Darkness 2? "Absolutely yes."
On his IGN blog, Dennis Dyack -- the man behind the upcoming Too Human trilogy -- reveals that Silicon Knights has plans for sequels to Eternal Darkness: "I am most often asked if we have sequels in mind for Eternal Darkness. The answer is absolutely yes. Although this may not be obvious to those outside of Silicon Knights, anyone inside the guild understands that there is really no other answer." For those who may be unfamiliar with Eternal Darkness, it's still one of the best games available for Nintendo's Gamecube. A survival horror title in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft, the game provides plenty of psychological scares and an involving story. One of Eternal Darkness' most interesting features is the "insanity meter." The more monsters players see, the crazier the character gets, and will eventually start hallucinating. The great thing about these illusions is that they would often break the fourth wall. For instance, you might enter a room filled with zombies when the game would give you a fake "please reconnect your controller" message. Good stuff. Considering Silicon Knights' lucrative trilogy deal with Too Human, we can only hope that any Eternal Darkness sequels will hit the 360 as well. [Via GameDaily]
First impression: Too Human for Xbox 360
At the Microsoft reception today after their event, the press was given an opportunity to get their hands on some Xbox 360 titles before the show floor opens up. I managed to score some hands-on time with Silicon Knights' Too Human, and so far it looks pretty good.
Vidcam-capture of Too Human gameplay
Following their interview with two members of the Too Human development team, Bytesector returns with some camcorder footage of actual Too Human gameplay! We'll be seeing plenty more of this next week at E3, but if you've been waiting to see how Silicon Knights' much-anticipated action game plays, then you'll be pleased to know: it looks action-packed! As was written in EGM this month, there appears to be a plethora of maneuvers to keep the action exciting and the repetition to a minimum. Most interesting is probably the camera. Much of the demo appears to be a user-controller camera, but there are scenes where the camera automatically selects a dramatic angle for the action. This technique was used to great effect in last year's God of War, and looks to be similarly effective in this short bit. Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog has also put up some screens of Too Human on their Flickr page.[Thanks, Asim](Before this post was even done, the video has been removed. It's only a matter of time before someone gets this up at YoutTube, or the like, and we'll update the post then. Sorry!)(Update: Big ups to bv for tracking it down at the shiny new GameVideos site.)
