Saturday, November 3, 2007
What’s The Inspiration Behind Kane & Lynch?
3:30PM Luke Plunkett | You see Kane & Lynch, you think “what was the inspiration behind this?”, you then assume it’s a Michael Mann fantasy land transformed into interactive entertainment. It’s what we thought, anyways. Turns out we’re only partially correct. Sure, badass movies played their part (as did the Hitman games), but so too did real, crummy people: We’ve also spent what feels like a lifetime listening to drunk people at bars – you’d be surprised what lives some of these people have led. Or at least what stories they come up with to cover it up. We wanted to create characters that are real. We’ve all seen and played our share of immortal action heroes. We wanted to get a couple of guys with some proper problems centered around themselves. No saving the world or anything. It helps if they´re a little older. They know that they´re not immortal and they know they don´t get a second chance. So next time (or…first time) you’re playing the game and imagining a suit-wearing De Niro looking very stern, try instead to think of the drunks down the local pub. Or Norm from Cheers. Bet he can get real mean when he gets his drink on. “We’ve spent a lifetime talking to drunk people at bars”. I/O Interactive reveal the REAL inspiration behind Kane & Lynch [The Guardian] More »
Famitsu’s 100 Top Games Readers Dig
3:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Sure, the stereotype is that Japanese gamers like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. But do they really? Famitsu readers do, apparently! Famitsu is the biggest game magazine in Japan, and the readers who voted in this poll are a good representation of, well, Famitsu readers. So what was the number one favorite? Final Fantasy X takes the top spot with FFVII coming in second place. That’s followed by Dragon Quest III and Dragon Quest VIII. What about Western games, do they like them? Not really! The list after the jump. More »
Sick Of Waiting For Halo, Peter Jackson Goes And Makes Something Else
2:30PM Luke Plunkett | Doesn’t look like he’s fighting that hard. Rather than wait around for some studio to agree to Microsoft’s unreasonable demands for a Halo movie, Peter Jackson has added to the list of his “things to do before I do a Halo movie”. Along with original Halo director Neil Blomkamp, they’re apparently working on some movie called DISTRICT 9, with Jackson producing and Blomkamp to direct. DISTRICT 9 should be filming in South Africa, and when you add in Jackson’s work on Lovely Bones, as well as rumours of Tintin and Dambusters movies, this all goes a ways towards killing the whole idea of a Peter Jackson Halo project. At least while we’re all still young enough to remember what Halo was. Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson getting a new flick off the ground called DISTRICT 9 [AICN, thanks Fernando!] More »
“In Three Months, You Will Be Happy”
2:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Not everyone was thrilled with some of the choices shown in the re-imagined Bionic Commando. The most vocal complaint? People hatin’ on the cornrows. Next up, the arm is way too big. The hot dogs inside the arm were a distant third — a distant third, but close to our cold, bitter hearts. According to BC producer Ben Judd, the cornrows move and sway when Nathan does the swingy-swingy — an effect that wouldn’t appear with a military-style haircut. Early on, it was even suggested that the character have a bandana, but Judd shot that down as Snake from Metal Gear Solid already has one. Another possible design was a mohawk, but that was also nixed as Judd felt too many games have too many bald protagonists. He wanted something different and original. So, does that mean the producer isn’t open to changes? The game is a while away. Those design elements could be changed. Judd tells Kotaku: In three months, I’m almost ninety percent certain that fans will be very, very happy. Just wait and give me three months. Does that mean the cornrows will be out? “No comment.” What about a slimmer arm? “No comment.” And the hot dogs? Ditto. Keep in mind that this a game he’s fought hard to get made, so he certainly has his own vision for it. Changing everything would no doubt create a very safe, middle-of-the-road game. Bright spot: Judd is listening. We’re pulling for no more hot dogs. You? More »
Nintendo Offers Helping Hand To Third-Party Devs?
1:40PM Luke Plunkett | Nintendo aren’t exactly known for their warm, cuddly relationships with third-party developers on their systems. Something they’re changing! Or at least, trying to change, general manager marketing Shinji Hatano saying: Since we should not be telling these third party developers what they should do in terms of the game content per se, we are offering advice and cooperation in order to produce software which is accessible to users with the least possible stress. Of course, we can not assign too many of our internal developers for all these projects, so we are asking the third party developers to create their own internal team which can work closely with our developers. Sounds like minimal work/effort on Nintendo’s end. Last I checked, the mountain didn’t go to Mohammed, he had to go get there himself. Nintendo keen to help out third-party developers [MCV] More »
Time Play It Safe With Their Consoles Of The Year
1:20PM Luke Plunkett | You might have heard, Time went and named the iPhone “invention of the year”. BIG SURPRISE. In your iPhone-fuelled hysteria, though, you may have missed their lesser award categories, including best “Video Game Systems”. Here, then, are the winners. For something “fancy”, there’s the Halo 3 edition of the 360. For something “cheap”, there’s the…wait for it…Nintendo DS. Finally, for “something different”, there’s the…drum roll please…yes, it’s the Nintendo Wii. No surprises with the two Nintendo consoles, but the cricket-inducing Halo 3 360? Guess their penchant for orange won out over Blu-Ray and the Sixaxis. Three of a Kind: Video Game Systems [Time] More »A Week In Comments (baberg Edition)
1:00PM Brian Ashcraft | This Week on Epic v SK… Comment by baberg Nominated by NunianVonFuch Rabidsquirrel Witzbold Epic: You want the engine? SK: I think I’m entitled to it Epic: You want the engine? SK: I want the truth! Epic: You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has textures, and those textures have to be generated by men with Photoshop. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Bungie Studios? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Too Human, and you curse Epic. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Too Human’s delay, while tragic, probably saved money. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves money. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at GDCs, you want me making those textures, you need me making those textures. We use words like tri-linear, polygonal, anti-aliasing. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent building an engine. You use them in a lawsuit. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very engine that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and bought Gears of War. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a compiler, and write some code. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to. More »Mass Effect Shootin’ Shit Up
12:20PM Luke Plunkett | That’s funny, could have sworn there was an RPG in here somewhere…no, seriously, this looks great. RPG cry-babies, your wailing will no doubt be heard across the seven internet seas as you bemoan the dumbing-down/action/shooting on display here, but really, who are you kidding. You’re going to buy this anyway, if only for the guy-on-hot-alien-girl action, and deep down, you’re going to love it. More »
BlackSite Goes Gold For 360, PC
11:40AM Michael McWhertor | Midway’s first person shooter with nods to its arcade heritage BlackSite: Area 51 has finally gone gold. Well, the Xbox 360 and PC versions did. The PlayStation 3 version follows the current Midway release schedule formula, giving owners of Sony’s console ample opportunity to weigh the review scores. The PS3 one should ship sometime in December. Mark and I found it surprisingly enjoyable, in an arcadey sort of way, when we played it at Games Convention this summer. Blacksite: Area 51 ships on the twelfth of November, pitting it against Super Mario Galaxy, Assassin’s Creed and Kane & Lynch, among many, many others. Good luck, boys! More »
