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First Drawn to Life Videos are Animated to Life
Someone at Gametrailers has worked some arcane sorcery upon the preview images of Drawn to Life. We cannot comprehend the events that are occurring before our eyes. BEHOLD ... THE PICTURES MOVE! After the break, we've posted three developer walkthroughs that show character creation, item creation, weapon creation, and, of course, the basic platforming gameplay. And it all looks amazing. There is a different category of customizable weapon for each of four worlds. The animation on the characters is remarkable for something that is based on player drawings. Plus you can replace moving platforms with your own drawings. Something that random and weird, we have to love.
Drawn to Life previewed
1UP's Jeremy Parish was lucky enough to get to play 5th Cell's Drawn to Life, a game whose hype train we have already boarded, even before we knew anything about the gameplay. Parish's preview has gotten us even more hyped, because the drawing element, rather than being gimmicky window dressing, is integral to the gameplay in really unique ways. One example given in the preview: players are asked to draw a clam to be used as a springboard. We don't know if the player's drawing affects the performance of the springboard (if, for example, the angle of the thing affects its power) but it seems logical. The actual platforming, according to Parish, was just okay-- inoffensive, but not exceptional. We could chalk that impression up to its lack of novelty compared to the editing functions; and as long as the game isn't bad, we think the drawing will carry it. %Gallery-3281%
No DirectX 10 update for Supreme Commander
Those of you just itching to put that DirectX 10 hardware to good use will be disappointed to learn that Supreme Commander -- the Games for Windows-branded RTS from Gas Powered Games -- will not be getting that DirectX 10 patch they've been promising. Turns out it's a matter of timing: Vista release coupled with DirectX 10 hardware coupled with driver support ... you get the idea. They write, "The bottom line: DirectX 10 support will not be patched into Supreme Commander or its expansion packs." There is light at the end of this tunnel, however. They intend to integrate "this exciting technology into future projects." In the meantime, if you've just got to test out the capabilities of that $600 video card, download the Lost Planet PC demo here and have your butler let us know how it is. [Via Next-Gen]
DS Daily: Visual edition
Okay, here's what we want you to do: Go to the Drawn to Life demo page. Draw a character. Be an adult and keep it clean. Children: Be like adults. Save a screenshot of your handiwork. Upload it to Imageshack or something. Post the URL in the comments. Share a hearty laugh with your fellow commenters! While laughing, distribute high fives all around.
Drawn to Life is demonstrably great
5th Cell has released a demo of the character-drawing utility used in Drawn to Life. We've messed with it for a while, and here are our detailed impressions: wheeeee! The tool is simple-- freehand, flood fill, and eraser, but it works well, and there is something incredibly satisfying about drawing a character and seeing it animate on the top screen as you're drawing it. It'll be a lot more satisfying to do the drawing with an actual stylus. So far, we feel justified in our anticipation of Drawn. When you've created a character you're satisfied with (like our completely original protagonist above), you can enter it into a contest, the winner of which gets included in the game! Oh, and also you get a bunch of stuff.
Stuntman: Ignition screenshots wheel in, following dramatic explosions
THQ is releasing another Stuntman game? Yes, yes they are. While the latest iteration has been in the dark for a few weeks, we've finally stumbled across some new screenshots over at CVG. These sure are some crazy stunts. If you're unfamiliar with how these games work, you're hired as a stuntman for Hollywood and your mission is to pull off the most intense stunts in all of Hollywood cinema. Some of these can be incredibly difficult.This latest game has 6 films, 25 vehicles, and 36 stunts to get through. There's even online to challenge other people to the most insane stunts. You can even create your own stunt runs and let other people over the internet try them out. While the game seems to be running you through the same ol' hoops, it should still be pretty fun, especially when presented in gorgeous, next-gen high-def glory.[via CVG]
Saints Row 2 will be alive in 2008
During THQ's earnings report, the big whigs on hand announced that they'll be releasing a Saints Row sequel sometime next year. They went on to say that they've canceled plans for porting the original Saints Row to the PS3 and will be using all that team's resources for Saints Row 2. So, Saints Row will remain an Xbox 360 exclusive for the foreseeable future, if not forever.We also can't help but draw a connection between the cancellation of the PS3 port and the release of Grand Theft Auto IV later this year. The competition would not be good for a ported PS3 version of Saints Row, so they probably figured why waste the cash. Speaking of GTA IV, is anyone interested enough in the Saints Row franchise to buy it on top of GTA IV (or ignore a GTA purchase all together) or were all those Saints Row sales filling a GTA void at the time?[Thanks, xBlaCkPlaGuEx]
Frontlines: Fuel of War pushed to 2008
THQ has announced that Frontlines: Fuel of War has been delayed. For the uninitiated, Fuel of War is a team-based combat game on a grand scale, filled with multiple classes, vehicles, and weapons (you may want to check out Joystiq's hands-on impressions of the game from earlier this year). Sound like fun? Too bad, because Fuel of War won't be coming out until 2008. The reason? THQ didn't want to be part of the already full Holiday 2007 lineup. In other words, going up against monsters like GTAIV and Halo 3 didn't sound like a good business decision. Probably a good call, really.Was anyone out there looking forward to Frontlines: Fuel of War?
Saint's Row has been cancelled - also, Saint's Row 2 announced!
The PlayStation 3 port of Saint's Row has been officially cancelled after disappearing from the radar some time ago. THQ announced that all the resources dedicated to the port have been moved to Saint's Row 2, which will come out on the PlayStation 3 as well as the Xbox 360 in 2008. The original Saint's Row came out in 2006 on the Xbox 360 to positive reviews and has gone onto sell an impressive 1.4 million copies.The cancellation will surely upset some people, but I'd rather have a fully developed and polished sequel than a port of a 9 month old game myself. It will give THQ more time to familiarize themselves with the complex architecture of the PS3 and tweak the gameplay of the series. The game was pretty good, but had some technical and gameplay issues (jaw-droppingly dumb storyline aside) that I hope they fix in the sequel.
PS3 Saints Row pimp-slapped and capped, sequel in works
Life ain't easy in the ghetto. THQ announced today that they are canceling the PS3 version of Saints Row and diverting those funds into a sequel for Xbox 360 and PS3. The sequel is scheduled for a 2008 release. THQ CEO Brian Farrell told NextGen, "We've done great things for our brands by putting them in the right time frame ... The most important thing for the Saints Row franchise is to have a simultaneous shipment into a larger installed base next year. That's what we're looking for with Saints Row 2." Saints Row ended up becoming a sleeper hit with 1.4 million units shipped for Xbox 360. The game recently became a platinum hit for the console and costs $29.99. Saints Row surprisingly elevated the GTA-style sandbox game. In the wake of GTA IV's release later this year it'll be interesting to see if Saints Row II can top it in 2008. See also: Saints Row the musical
New Drawn to Life details paint an appealing picture
A few more screens of 5th Cell's Drawn to Life have popped up, and we're glad they did. We're getting a warm, happy morning feeling from them, because in addition to being generally pleasant, they're also pleasantly surprising. It turns out that not only do you draw your own (jointed) characters, but you are also tasked with drawing many other of the game's assets: background details, weapons, vehicles, and platforms. Opportunities to draw these items come up during the game as obstacles: you come across a blank area and are asked to fill it in. As evidenced by the many hours we've spent in Fighter Maker, we perk up at the sight of user-created content. With the potential to draw this much stuff, Drawn to Life has just suddenly shot to the top of our want list. We've posted some screens-- feel free to save them and doodle on them in MS Paint.
Next Worms game to have exclusive features on PSP
We know that Worms: Open Warfare 2 is coming to both Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. So, how are the two versions different? Well, both feature online (Infrastructure) play, but the PSP version will have a few features that Nintendo's handheld won't be able to offer. In an interview with IGN, director Martyn Brown revealed that the game will have additional leaderboards and the ability to share user-created levels with others. "With the PSP version, each user can upload a number of their custom created landscapes to be stored on the game's server, and those landscapes can then be downloaded by other users at any time. The PSP version also has extended community features, enabling players to form clans and compete against other clans, as well as send messages to other players who are connected to the game server (aka WormNet)." The PSP version will also have a few more customization options for Worms teams, and a "Time Attack" mode, "which are missions that see the player use the Ninja Rope, Parachute or Jetpack to race around a landscape, guiding their worm to an exit point in the shortest amount of time possible." We're excited to see Team 17 acknowledge the PSP's robust hardware capabilities and take advantage of it. When Worms: Open Warfare 2 comes later this year.
Worms: Open Warfare 2 gets the preview treatment
Over at IGN, they got their hands on an early build of Team 17's upcoming sequel to the horribly-received Worms: Open Warfare. With Worms: Open Warfare 2, the developer is set to make right the mistakes of the first title, confirming that Wi-Fi gameplay will be included this time around (get ready for Game Night, you silly little worms) and changing the core team out that worked on the original for Two Tribes. IGN confirms that just about everything has been improved; graphics are better, gameplay is more smooth (including the ninja rope) and the sound is way more crisp. What's most interesting, though, is the new "Laboratory" game type, which charges players with navigating a worm from one edge of the map to the other using a variety of the DS's unique features (blowing into the microphone etc.). See also: Worms: Open Warfare 2 trailer hits the internet trenches
Big Huge Games to make RPG with THQ
Remember how back in February we told you about Ken Rolston, lead designer for both Morrowind and Oblivion, joining the ranks of Big Huge Games (of recent Catan fame) to work on an RPG project? Well, last week there was an official announcement from THQ that they are working on that very same RPG project alongside BHG (with Ken in tow) and it will be hitting Xbox 360s, Windows Vista PCs and PS3s in 2009. Tim Train, President and COO of BHG displayed his enthusiasm towards the project's direction in the RPG genre. Make the jump to take the dive for more PR fluff to sift through. Still, THQ & BHG RPG FTMFingW?
Worms Open Warfare 2 gets serious about online
Worms Open Warfare 2 is getting serious about online. Not only does it feature Infrastructure play, it will offer a plethora of other features that will make it one of the most fully-featured online titles on our handheld. IGN's recent preview notes that "you can even create clans, text chat, track your online stats, share battlefields you've created in the level editor." Of course, that's not all. Like Wipeout, the game will have a great deal of longevity thanks to its downloadable content. Players will be able to "download some of the classic maps from previous Worms games via the title's online capabilities." With all these new features, Open Warfare 2 looks like a substantial upgrade to the franchise's previous iteration.
THQ and Big Huge Games start making Small Tiny Games
The two companies, THQ and Big Huge Games, have entered into an agreement to start working on an RPG for the PC, PS3 and 360. The bad news? We're not going to know squat until near its release in 2009. There's no name for it, no details on what kind of RPG it is... nothing. All we got is "2009".However, Big Huge did score an RPG guru named Ken Rolston. This guy has worked on a number of pen & paper role-playing games as well as the Elder Scrolls titles. Rolston said this about his new job: "[I'm] flabbergasted by the talent, craft and boundless energy of the Big Huge Games team. In such splendid company, I'm privileged to embark on a bold pilgrimage to create a refreshingly original RPG experience." Well, we know a refreshingly original RPG experience is due out in 2009. Hopefully people will know how to port a PS3 title then. We'll give you details as they get penned.
THQ & Big Huge Games announce RPG led by Ken Rolston ... for 2009
Starting the hype train about two years early, THQ recently confirmed it has entered a development agreement with Big Huge Games (the Rise of Nations folks) to create a new role playing game to be released in 2009 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Elder Scrolls veteran Ken Rolston is heading up the team, shedding light on the mysterious "strikingly original and cunning concept for a console RPG" game he referred to back in February.An RPG will be a departure from the usual Big Huge Games diet of RTS games, but with Rolston on board, this is something to keep our eyes on. We would say "mark your calendars", but it isn't likely THQ will let us forget about this one. That, and who has a 2009 calendar now, anyway?[Via CVG]
Yuke's chats up improvements in next Smackdown!
Knowing the number of WWE fans that read PSP Fanboy, I'd feel wrong not sharing some details from Gamespot's recent interview with Yuke's. Here's what fans can expect in Smackdown! vs Raw 2008: A big focus this year is making more differentiated, and complex fighting styles A vastly improved and more realistic animation system, with more animations than ever before, and a motion blending system The motion blending system also allows for better controls of your wrestlers ECW's inclusion means lots more weapons in the game 24/7 mode will allow the gamer to experience the ECW invasion and as always work their way through the ranks to become WWE champ Yuke's wants Smackdown! to be one of the premier fighting games on all the systems. We'll have to wait for the title's release to see how they do.
Worms: Open Warfare 2 trailer hits the internet trenches
When we revealed yesterday that a sequel to Worms: Open Warfare would be gracing the DS, complete with Wi-Fi Connect compatible multiplayer, we didn't realize that there was a trailer somewhere out there on the internet. After navigating the vast sea of tubes that comprises said intertron, we finally found our destination. We hastily caught the massive trailer in our nets and wrestled it on board. Now that the chefs had time to prepare it, it's ready for you past the post break. [Via Gaming Bits]
Worms goes Infrastructure in Open Warfare 2
This is what the original Worms: Open Warfare needed! Infrastructure multiplayer. None of this silly Ad-Hoc play. Finally, for those of us that don't have friends, we can take part in online Worms mayhem. Not only will this be an "international" affair, THQ is promising "stats and leaderboards." Not only that, "this time round you can create your own custom landscapes; as well as team flags, modified hats, tombstones, victory dances and more."A handful of new modes will be available in the sequel, including "Rope Race, Forts, Puzzle and Campaign modes. There's even a new Firing Range to try your hand at the 11 new weapons: such as the Bunker Buster, Buffalo of Lies, Super Sheep, Concrete Donkey and Holy Hand Grenades!" We have no idea what that means, but it sounds exciting, no?See a trailer, after the cut.[Via Joystiq]
