May
26
2008
Archive for May 26th, 2008
May
26
2008
Doug Lombardi: death of Computer gaming is a ‘perception problem’Posted by admin in Video Games
May
26
2008
Alone in the Dark: game can be completed in 15 hours, morePosted by admin in Video Games
If you’ve been following the recent events surrounding Atari’s upcoming action adventure video game Alone in the Dark (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC), then you’d know that Atari recently held an Alone in the Dark event at the Everyman Cinema Club at Hampstead, London. Oodles of information and eye candy were given and shown and of course, we’re sharing it with you. Phil Harrison opened the event as he’s involved in Alone in the Dark’s development on the Xbox 360. He was followed by producer Nour Polloni, who did the bulk of the presentation. As reported by videogaming247, the presentation included snippets of cutscenes, cinematics, story narration, importance of fire in the game, new character Sara, use of objects, and Central Park, among other things. First off, it was indicated that the basic plot of Alone in the Dark centers on a stone and a guy who knows how to use it. The story is told in episodes, which you can skip if you get stuck somewhere, but you’ll need to complete a certain amount of content before you can finish the game. According to Polloni, fire will be playing a vital role in the game and it will be “simulated.” Fire will also be casting light, will look realistic, and can be made through interaction. Of course, fire will cause a lot of smoke, falling debris from burning buildings, and more fire. The ability to switch between first and third person modes were also shown, along with the interaction with objects part where you can use certain items you pick up to create something useful (read: think MacGyver). Plus, the inventory system will have you looking at the items you collected that you placed in your character’s coat and belt. Lots of other things were shown at the event, including Central Park, Sara, the “DVD chapter choose menu,” and cars. After the presentation, Pollock answered a few questions from the audience and it was revealed that Alone in the Dark can be finished in 15 hours if you don’t have OCD and it would take twice as long if you’re a completist. If you want more info, you can check out the via link below. We’ll bring you more info and goodies about Alone in the Dark as soon as they become available so stay tuned. Buy: [ Alone in the Dark (Wii), (Windows), (Xbox 360) ] source pc.qj.net
May
26
2008
Atari to soften hardcore-only focus; Alone in the Dark details revealedPosted by admin in Video Games
In an interview, Infogrames‘ Phil Harrison clarified that Atari will still be developing mainstream games, but there will be a focus on social and casual games for the new broader market. Alone in the Dark (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox 360) is being polished by the capable hands of Eden, but it is not to be the last mainstream videogame that the recently reinforced Atari will be serving. Harrison was quoted to have said, “I don’t see that we’re going to be making huge-budget, single-player games in the future,” but he also meant that there would still be that drive for ambitious, high quality games. It’s just that they won’t be single player, full story (full in the sense that there was a beginning, middle, and closure) driven games. Or in Kevin Bruner’s words, they won’t be large budget, over the top titles. Guess on their battle to rise up again, Atari decided to begin out small. Alone in the Dark was supposed to be an example of Atari’s new plans – however partially. You see, the game is a full narrative-driven title that was supposed to be split into episodes. These episodes were instead compounded into a full title by various reasons that cropped up within the company. But the idea was there, and they nearly nailed it squarely if not for additional troubles. Has the horror-survival game been compromised by the change of plans? Apparently not. “Alone in the Dark, as a game, is brilliantly executed and all on one disc. Nothing wrong with that. It’s perfect for 2008,” concluded Harrison. The CEO praised the developers at Eden for their skill and fervor to create a memorable huge bang from Atari. It would appear the game’s primary inspiration was from another form of entertainment – the non-interactive kind, according to Harrison. “What I have the ability to state is that the team was clearly inspired by what was happening around them in contemporary TV,” he added. He pointed out that narratives in series such as the X-Files and Lost kept viewers coming back for more because of how each show had a “cliffhanger at the end.” The larger story was never completed at the end of 30 minutes; instead, it was split into episodic narratives. With this idea came the chapter selection feature in Alone in the Dark, though one may argue that this was the by-product of mashing all the episodes together into the full game. Harrison explained: This is a game that requires a good level of skill to play. This isn’t a easy game by any means. But because it’s challenging, that’s where the chapter choose mechanism comes into its own, because you can pause. Now whether that means pause for half an hour or a week, it doesn’t matter. You can still come back to it, and it will remind you of where you were and re-engage you with the story. I think that’s why that plays so strongly to this structure. It keeps you going through the game. Alone in the Dark is an important game for Atari, states Harrison, but the company already has several other games lined up as well. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear from them. Buy: [ Alone in the Dark (Windows), (Wii), (Xbox 360) ] source pc.qj.net
May
26
2008
Doug Lombardi: death of Personal computer gaming is a ‘perception problem&Posted by admin in Video Games
May
26
2008
Maxis co-founder, OddWorld Inhabitants developing new game with CG movie qualityPosted by admin in Video Games
In a statement hosted by the Wilfrid Laurier University, Maxis co-founder Jeff Braun revealed that he is currently working with the people over at OddWorld Inhabitants, the studio behind the successful franchise. He confirmed that a new game is under development and he described a powerful new set of tools that could revolutionize game graphics as we know it. He didn’t say much in terms of launch windows or storylines, but he did guarantee that CG movie-quality visuals are now possible on games with the right set of tools recently made available. He said that his team is using that slicing edge gear right now, and efforts are being made to maximize their potentials. “The rendering tools are getting so good now for 3D animation that you can literally create a linear animation and create a video game using the exact same objects,” he stated. “The tools are finally getting to the level where we have the ability to come out with a show and we can come up with a game.” He did remind everyone not to begin peeing their pants in anticipation for those things. He stated that it could take years for these things to hit the market. Until then, titles like Crysis would still be the stick by which visuals are measured. source pc.qj.net
The company behind the classic FPS title Doom failed to reveal any details regarding its reason to leave the ESA. However, word has it that id might release a full statement some time this day which might explain their actions. Earlier this month, id already expressed hesitation to join the upcoming E3 event. With only 24 members left on the ESA roster, it raises the question whether more companies will follow suit in this exodus away from the video gaming association. Keep an eye on this space for more news regarding the ESA. source pc.qj.net
May
26
2008
Maxis co-founder, OddWorld Inhabitants developing new game with CG motion picturPosted by admin in Video Games
In a statement hosted by the Wilfrid Laurier University, Maxis co-founder Jeff Braun revealed that he is currently working with the people over at OddWorld Inhabitants, the studio behind the successful franchise. He confirmed that a new game is under development and he described a powerful new set of tools that could revolutionize game graphics as we know it. He didn’t state much in terms of launch windows or storylines, but he did guarantee that CG movie-quality visuals are now possible on games with the right set of tools recently made available. He stated that his team is using that slicing edge gear right now, and efforts are being made to maximize their potentials. “The rendering tools are getting so good now for 3D animation that you can literally create a linear animation and create a video game using the exact same objects,” he stated. “The tools are finally getting to the level where we have the ability to come out with a show and we can come up with a game.” He did remind everyone not to start peeing their pants in anticipation for those things. He stated that it could take years for these things to hit the market. Until then, titles like Crysis would still be the stick by which visuals are measured. source pc.qj.net
May
26
2008
Blizzard: rumored StarCraft 2 specs “result of independent speculation”Posted by admin in Video Games
According to IGN, the official word from Blizzard is that they’ve not yet released final, official system requirements for the game. Said a Blizzard rep, “The numbers you’re seeing are a result of independent speculation from a Spanish game magazine.” The stipulations, first seen in Spanish gaming magazine Micromania, are a bit higher than the usual specs that Blizzard requires for players to run its games. For those who have yet to see the supposed StarCraft 2 system specs, here they are: Minimum Requirements
Suggested Stipulations
Optimal Requirements
source pc.qj.net
May
26
2008
Blizzard: rumored StarCraft 2 specs “result of independent speculationRPosted by admin in Video Games
According to IGN, the official word from Blizzard is that they have not yet released final, official system stipulations for the game. Said a Blizzard rep, “The numbers you’re seeing are a result of independent speculation from a Spanish game magazine.” The stipulations, first seen in Spanish gaming magazine Micromania, are a bit higher than the usual specs that Blizzard requires for players to run its games. For those who have yet to see the supposed StarCraft 2 system specs, here they are: Minimum Stipulations
Recommended Requirements
Optimal Requirements
source pc.qj.net |
|
The Oddworld series was one of the best game franchises back in the PlayStation One days, but its star slowly faded when the last console cycle rolled in. Just when we all thought that we may never see the quirky 
Another company has 
If you’ve been keeping a constant lookout for news about