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X-Men Destiny review: Destined for failure
Sometimes you read about a canceled game and think, "Oh, that's too bad, that could have been fun. I wish they'd just release what they had finished so I could check it out." Do me a favor. The next time that thought should happen to flit across your mind, remember X-Men Destiny. Because when someone has a cool idea and releases it unfinished, this is exactly what it looks like. %Gallery-130861%
X-Men Destiny launch trailer needs a decision, pronto
We know you've been putting off deciding whether you want to be an evil mutant or a good mutant for a while now; however, judging by the X-Men Destiny launch trailer posted above, you're going to have to make your decision sooner rather than later. (We'd go with evil. Their coffee's better.)
X-Men Destiny trailer encourages choice in your mutanthood
While some folks in the X-Men universe didn't have much of a choice in their particular mutation, the characters of X-Men Destiny seem more than happy to forfeit their boring old humanity for a taste of the wild side. That very choice becomes yours when X-Men Destiny launches next month.
X-Men Destiny preview: Designer genes
Silicon Knights founder Denis Dyack is happy to hear that X-Men Destiny looks unlike many of the games already based on Marvel's mutant universe. "We've been collaborating with Marvel and Activision to do things very differently," he says. In most X-Men games, you pick a familiar hero, like Wolverine or Gambit, and then explore the world from his or her point of view. In X-Men Destiny, however, Dyack and his team have been given free reign to separate powers from characters. Your custom-built hero can play through the RPG-driven side of the game by equipping powers as you would gear. You could combine Cyclops' eyebeams with Juggernaut's charge, or Wolvie's healing factor, all while finding a place in the campaign somewhere between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. Unfortunately, while there are a lot of interesting touches in the story and powers system, X-Men Destiny's core game struggles to hold the higher ideas up. The graphics look only marginally better than those leaked screens, and even in the short demo I played the game's combat and enemies teetered on the verge of becoming notably repetitive.%Gallery-128867%
Activision reveals April launch for Prototype 2, September for X-Men Destiny
Kicking off its San Diego Comic Con announcements, game publishing giant Activision today revealed two solid, very different release dates for two hopefully solid, very different games. First up, Prototype 2 will surf victims' bodies into retail on April 24, 2012. A new trailer for next year's sequel is available just below the break, fresh from San Diego. Additionally, a new trailer for X-Men Destiny was released, which puts a September 27 launch date on the next project from Silicon Knights. Given the origin of both pieces of info, SDCC attendees should be aware that X-Men Destiny will be playable at this week's show, while "15-minute live stage presentations" for Prototype 2 will be going off at the Activision booth. Still here? Both trailers are just below -- follow us!
Silicon Knights receives Canadian gov. grant to hire 80, self-publish
The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade announced yesterday that it gave Too Human and Eternal Darkness developer Silicon Knights "support" that will help the company become a "self-sustainable, self-publishing" company. According to the St. Catharine Standard, the developer received nearly $3 million in provincial funding. The money is also intended to create 80 new jobs and protect 97 existing positions. "This will enhance our competitive edge within the highly-competitive video game market ... and allow us to enter lucrative global markets," Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack said in a statement. Dyack had hinted toward Silicon Knight's self-publishing future in an interview with Joystiq in May. The latest batch of cash will be added to the $4 million the company received from the government last year. Silicon Knights is currently working on X-Men Destiny.
X-Men Destiny grants Grant new powers
The latest screenshots of Silicon Knights' X-Men Destiny show off some new mutant abiilities, including some kind of earth-shaking punch, rock arms (identified as "density control") and ... some blue sparkles or something. They're modeled by "Grant," a college kid who just wants to play for Berkeley's "Varsity Squad" but instead finds himself destined to have awesome superpowers. Looks like he's going to skip the Varsity Squad and go straight into the Major Leagues of beating up henchmen. The perks of this new lifestyle include a private jet and being called "bub."%Gallery-124229%
Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack still wary of game previews, hints at studio's self-publishing goal
During GDC this past March, I met with Silicon Knights head honcho Denis Dyack under the condition that he wouldn't be discussing the studio's upcoming action-RPG, X-Men Destiny (pictured above). The game is slated for release this year, yet we know relatively little about it -– and we've seen even less. Save for OXM UK, no outlet has published a preview (nor been offered one, as far as I know). I asked Dyack about his outspoken views against the preview process. "In my view, the ultimate model requires our industry to not show games until they are ready," he told me, echoing his past sentiments. "I'm not saying get rid of previews, because previews are a good thing," he clarified. "What I am suggesting is that our industry should not do previews until the game's completed."
Silicon Knights' Dyack on Too Human: 'we do plan on finishing the trilogy'
During the Game Developers Conference nearly two months ago, Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack met with me in a hotel overlooking that week's event at the Moscone Center. He wasn't there to show off his studio's next game -- X-Men: Destiny -- to press, but for unspecified "meetings" with unnamed folks. Spooky. And while we touched on the subject of XM:D during the half hour, the first questions I had for Dyack were about his studio's last major release, Too Human. Primary among them: Is the Too Human trilogy dead? "No, not at all," Dyack told me. "It is still on the table and we do plan on finishing the trilogy." When it came to other questions about Too Human, however, Dyack was far more verbose. With the intention of setting the record straight, as it were, Dyack outright denies that Too Human was in development for 10 years. "It is true that an earlier version of the general 'Too Human' concept was first shown on the PlayStation in 1998, but that was a completely different game than what was released on the Xbox 360," he said. "Among other things, the original concept was a single-player, third-person action/adventure game based on a detective called John Franks trying to discover who had killed his partner." It's a far cry from the Norse mythology-based dungeon crawler we played in 2008.
X-Men Destiny's new character has the power of petulance
Aimi Yoshida is an all-new mutant created for X-Men Destiny by developer Silicon Knights. According to her bio, she "feels only the bitterness and anger of abandonment." She also feels the need to dress like Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill. See what we mean in these new screens.
X-Men Destiny screens leaked (a bit too early, by the looks of it)
We got a bit of background information on Silicon Knights' upcoming Marvel Comics RPG, X-Men: Destiny, last week via OXM UK -- now what are said (and appear) to be screenshots from the game have made their way online. Gamekyo has the shots at the source link, which originated from a slideshow which can still be found on YouTube (until Activision has it pulled, at least). We can't imagine this is the first impression of the game its developer or publisher would like the public to have; it just frankly doesn't look very good at all. Then there's what appears to be one of the new characters created specifically for players to control. He apparently has the mutant ability to look like a model for Ed Hardy. Hopefully the official reveal will cast the game in a better light -- and reveal a better cast.
X-Men: Destiny previewed in OXM UK
The latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK contains the first in-depth preview of Silicon Knights' X-Men Destiny, as summarized by affiliate CVG, and would seem to confirm the game for Xbox 360 (though the game's official target platforms remain unannounced). The article reveals that the game will emphasize the "tough decisions that an average X-Man has to make" and will feature a darker tone than some past takes on the X-Men. Destiny is said to unfold when anti-mutant sentiment is at an all-time high, with mutant hate crimes an everyday occurrence. The X-Men have suffered some kind of loss, pushing players toward pivotal "decision moments" in the game. Players will select from three different characters, according to the OXM preview, each a child of a "human zealot," one of the card-carrying members of the anti-mutant establishment. Memorable mutants will make appearances -- Gambit, Magneto, Quicksilver and Surge are mentioned by OXM -- along with an X-Gene upgrade system through which players can modify their unique powers by borrowing genes from other mutants. Apparently splicing isn't as big a deal in the Marvel Universe as it is in other places. The full, four-page preview is featured in issue 69 of OXM UK.
X-Men Destiny teased again
When will you get to see Silicon Knights' X-Men Destiny in action? We just don't know. You can, however, watch this total teaser for it from the latest episode of GTTV. We're hoping that the X-Men among you will dissect the trailer and let us know of any interesting tidbits in the comments below.
Silicon Knights is X-Men: Destiny developer
Perhaps you were expecting Too Human 2? Though Silicon Knights claims that the trilogy treatment is still planned for the Too Human series, Activision has confirmed that Denis Dyack's studio is in fact developing X-Men: Destiny. Outside of this confirmation, IGN has the debut trailer for the game (embedded after the break), which echoes this morning's announcement -- X-Men: Destiny will be a choice-driven game. With New York Comic Con kicking off this weekend, hopefully we'll learn more about just what kind of choices we'll be asked to make.
X-Men: Destiny coming to consoles in Fall 2011
Activision and Marvel have announced a new X-Men game, due to "invade game consoles" in Fall 2011. X-Men: Destiny has you playing a new recruit amongst comic's motley mutant band, and promises a "branching storyline that features a deep element of choice." Dare we envision a Marvel-fueled Mass Effect? Activision also notes that X-Men: Destiny will grant "players ultimate control of their destiny," which means at least one mutant will have the uncanny ability to spontaneously alter and contradict the contents of a dictionary. The story will be penned by X-Men: Legacy's Mike Carey. You can check out a sparse teaser website now, and get a peek at the game itself during this weekend's New York Comic-Con. We're attempting to confirm the identity of the developer, in light of earlier rumors that suggested Too Human studio Silicon Knights was creating a Marvel RPG. Update: Silicon Knights has been confirmed as the developer. [Image: X-Men: Legacy #208 cover]
Silicon oxide forms solid state memory pathways just five nanometers wide
Silicon oxide has long played the sidekick, insulating electronics from damage, but scientists at Rice University have just discovered the dielectric material itself could become a fantastic form of storage. Replacing the 10-nanometer-thick strips of graphite used in previous experiments with a layer of SiOx, graduate student Jun Yao discovered the latter material worked just as well, creating 5nm silicon nanowires that can be easily joined or broken (to form the bits and bytes of computer storage) when a voltage is temporarily applied. Considering that conventional computer memory pathways are still struggling to get to 20nm wide, this could make for quite the advance in storage, though we'll admit we've heard tell of one prototype 8nm NAND flash chip that uses nanowires already. Perhaps it's time for silicon oxide to have a turn in the limelight.
Silicon Knights gets $4 million from Canadian government
Silicon Knights has been shoving the beggar's cup in the face of the Canadian government for some time now and The Welland Tribune reports that a grant has been approved. This means Silicon Knights has been awarded $4 million (pretty big cup, eh?), which it will use to recruit 65 new workers for the Ontario-based studio to help create its next game -- the rumored Siren in the Maelstrom. President Denis Dyack is obviously stoked about the influx of cash, but offered little on the studio's next game. "We can only say it's a next generation title and a high production value game," he offered. "That's all we can say." Hey, that's all well and good, but we don't want to hear jack about a siren and some maelstrom or whatever. Give us an Eternal Darkness sequel, please. Please? [Via GI.biz]
Dyack dismayed by layoffs, anticipates growth in Ontario
Following yet another report of company restructuring resulting in job losses, outspoken industry veteran Denis Dyack called industry-wide layoffs within the last year and a half "staggering." However, the Silicon Knights boss does see a brighter future for development over the next five years, at least in the Canadian province of Ontario. "Before, Ontario was a little isolated, there wasn't a lot of videogame companies here. But that's going to change. With all the positive steps that the government's done," Dyack told GamesIndustry.biz. Dyack's hopeful outlook for Ontario comes, in part, from Ubisoft's July announcement to open a new studio in Toronto -- a move Ubisoft hopes will bring 800 new jobs to the region over the next decade. According to Dyack, new business in Ontario means the province will be able to combat recruiters who remove developer and designer graduates from the area. "It's really depressing going to [University of] Waterloo to recruit and we see that Microsoft was there before us and took all the best people. The tax payer paid for that education," he lamented. With development expanding in Ontario, Silicon Knights can finally start combing schools for talent to help produce the (Sweet Lord, make it happen) sequel to Eternal Darkness.
Dyack predicts more publisher consolidation
Publishers have been disappearing faster than Ludwig's snickerdoodles at Joystiq's Mid-Autumn Tea Social lately, both through bankruptcy or (for the lucky ones) being purchased. Designer and industry soothsayer Denis Dyack told Gaming Union he expects that to continue, comparing the shift to that of Hollywood which went from hundreds of individual studios to the six major houses we know today. Dyack expects the role of publishers to change as well, though he's less specific on exactly what that means. Boy, one console and now fewer publishers? Sounds like Denis has been listening to too much They Might Be Giants.
Dyack muses about clouds, won't abandon current consoles
"We have no intentions to stop making video games for the current consoles ... that would be nuts." That was Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack's response to our question about whether his musing about cloud technology had anything to do with a new direction for the company. During Dyack's "musing about clouds" presentation today at GDC Europe, the SK president mentioned a belief in systems like OnLive -- but he's not ready to take a walk in the clouds just yet. The outspoken executive said that he doesn't believe people should be investing in game stores at the moment, though he was unsure how long the cloud model will take to gain a foothold. According to Dyack, cloud computing could become the dominant form of distribution and access for consumers within the next 20 years. In the meantime, Dyack told us Silicon Knights will keep doing console-based games "as long as the market is there."
