Polygonal Grass

Skylanders Giants is Coming

Tyler C — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:50:05 +0000

Activision plans to take advantage of their successful toy/game franchise Skylanders, with a sequel including a brand new set of characters. Titled Skylanders Giants – a name that rings familiar after a few registered domains and a Twitter account – the game will bring with it eight new figurines, twice the size of the current line. The game will not require a different Portal of Power to scan in the characters, and original ones will still work with their stats intact. Activision didn’t provide a release date, but the game will be shown at the America International Toy Fair later this month hopefully with more information.

A set of 12 new, regular-sized Skylanders are coming soon, but whether or not they have a relationship to Skylanders Giants is unclear.

Activision also confirmed a separate mobile app is in development, said to include integration with the PC and console versions of the game. Speaking to Joystiq, Toys for Bob CEO and development lead Paul Reiche said the game will use information from the Skylanders web-based experience instead of the toys themselves.

Reiche said they’re “looking at” the recently announced NFC technology in the Nintendo Wii U controller.

Source: Joystiq [1] [2] [3]

Sony Confirms the UMD Passport Program Won’t Be Available in North America

Tyler C — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:12:23 +0000

Sony’s answer to the PlayStation Vita’s lack of backwards compatibility with PSP games the UMD Passport Program, will not be available in North America, according to a statement to Kotaku.

Already available in Japan since last December, the UMD Passport program allows users to download their library of UMDs after scanning them in the slot of a PSP – for a price determined by the publisher – onto the Vita.

Without it, North American Vita owners have no way to play their UMDs on the Vita. Games downloaded digitally through PSN will be playable however.

The announcement comes just less than two weeks before the U.S. launch of the Vita on February 22.

Source: Kotaku

Fit to Print: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review

Tyler C — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:59:57 +0000

What, you’ve already read this before? Well, first of all, thank you, and second, yeah, I know. I’m going back through my previous work and sprucing it up, making it a little more legible. It’s probably more self-indulgent than it is appealing to you, but I need to get better at editing, and I thought, hey, I have all this (sometimes embarrassing) work to use! Enjoy it or skip it, I won’t be offended!

This weekend I played a theatrical movie, and its name is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Moments in, you’ll feel the plethora of cinematic qualities tucked inside the game that are unlike thousands of others before it. Almost instantaneously after pressing the tradional “start” button you’re left in control of the most enjoyable fortune-hunter I’ve ever seen.

Nathan Drake has been betrayed, and now he sits in a derailed train car with a bloody wound above his hip. Unbeknownst to him, the abandoned car is a few feet away from sliding off a cliff somewhere in the Himalayas. When Drake quickly becomes aware of his imminent doom, he begins to assess his options. This is one of the many moments where the game flawlessly converts from cutscene to gameplay. Immediately the train lurches even further off of the cliff and causes Drake to descend closer to his ominous fall. Luckily, Drake still has enough in him to grab onto the door jutting out from the back of the car. From there you must lead him further up to the top of the cliff, and eventually make the final, life-saving jump. Once you arrive on safe ground, I guarantee you will breath a sigh of relief simultaneously with the game’s protagonist.

Events like these are scattered throughout Uncharted 2, making the game thrilling and very intense at times. From dodging a pursuing helicopter in a office building that is exploding with you’re inside it, to nearly escaping death from a hulking tank following you through a village; Uncharted 2 doesn’t let you go until the very end. Naughty Dog implemented unique actions depending on Drake’s current situation that create a sense of realism that I have yet to see in a video game. The firefights make for visceral events etched into the game’s masterful tale. While the weapons are the general variety, each firearm felt distinct while running from cover-to-cover, trying to flank the oncoming swarm of enemies.

With that in mind, the game hurts itself in smaller areas. I found myself constantly sticking to a wall for cover while an oncoming RPG was hurdling my way. Trying to jump frantically off of a cliff caused some deaths because Drake felt the need to hold onto the ledge often too long. Even battling in train cars cause some unnecessary deaths due to the imaginary glue on the walls. Ocassional frustrating scenarios like these were annoying, but they couldn’t ruin a game of this value.

The men and women who contributed their voice talents for the game (notably: Nolan North) should be honored. Each cutscene was presented in the most amazing in-game graphics to date, along with superb voice-acting. Not o mention the story feels like it was stolen from a multi-million dollar movie script. It’s clear in the narrative, Naughty Dog developed the gameplay directly alongside it. You constantly feel as if you are the actor in a magnificent tale.

A video game cannot offer more that what is delivered in Uncharted 2. Every aspect of it left me astonished. Before purchasing a PlayStation 3 Uncharted 2 was one of the games I was looking forward to. All I can say is buy this game. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

What did I change? You can read the original review here.

THQ Feeling the Repercussions of uDraw’s Poor Performance

Tyler C — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:31:22 +0000

Here are some things overheard on today’s THQ earnings call.

“Unfortunately, we were wrong.”

“Our confidence was misplaced.”

“Looking at fiscal 13 … were going to be a smaller company.”

“Were in the process of transforming THQ into a very different company.”

THQ is suffering from losing roughly $30 million on the uDraw tablet, and the damage it inflicted was clear in the voice of CEO Brian Farrell while he was reading off the third quarter fiscal 2012 earnings today.

Even with successful sales from Saints Row 3 and WWE 12, THQ is forced to lower its financial estimates for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, and couldn’t provide anything on 2013.

The Warhammer 40K MMO isn’t doing well either, THQ said it is “actively looking” for partners to help its development. It is still scheduled for a 2014 launch along with inSaNE and several other unannounced titles.

Unsurprisingly, the uDraw hardware has ceased production, for now, and THQ plans to move the remaining units through retail channels.

As announced previously, the publisher will be restructuring to focus on core franchise development, laying up to 240 off and cutting Farell’s salary by half.

Source: THQ

Syndicate Will Not Include an Online Pass

Tyler C — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:51:26 +0000

EA has decided to break its own tradition and not include an online pass in Syndicate later this month.

Speaking to Eurogamer, EA Partners executive officer Jeff Gamon said, “We want as little resistance or barriers to entry as possible.”

EA has a policy when it comes to Online Passes for its games, although it’s not strict when it comes to those under EA Partners like Portal 2 and Crysis 2 which did not include one. EA owns the Syndicate IP, causing it to fall under their discretion despite Starbreeze being independent.

“Under normal circumstances it would have had an online pass, but because it didn’t have competitive multiplayer and because we wanted as many people as possible to be playing co-op, we got away with it,” Gamon said.

Syndicate will have nine maps, offering up to six or seven hours of single-player content according to Gamon.

Via: Joystiq

Source: Eurogamer

THQ Suffers Layoffs up to 240, Executive Pay Cuts

Tyler C — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:30:34 +0000

THQ continues to feel the effects of its recent financial decline, forced to perform a restructuring that will require 240 jobs and the CEO’s pay to be cut in half.

After receiving a stock delisting notice Tuesday, THQ has confirmed “up to 240 selling, general and administrative personnel worldwide,” will be laid off according to an SEC filing. “The majority of the restructuring plan is expected to be implemented by March 31, 2012, with the remainder completed by September 30, 2012.”

Along with other company directors taking a cut, THQ CEO Brian Farrell will have his base salary reduced to $359, 250 from $718,500, roughly fifty percent for one year.

THQ announced a “updated business strategy” in January to move its focus from kids’ license video games, the changes made were said not to affect its five internal studios including Relic Entertainment, Volition, and Vigil Games.

This comes after a rumor started by IGDA Mobile head Kevin Dent regarding THQ’s 2014 release calendar and the cancellation of the Warhammer 40,000 MMO Dark Millennium.

Source: THQ

38 Studios Head Curt Schilling Apologizes for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Online Pass

Tyler C — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:24:18 +0000

Curt Schilling, the vocal and honest founder of 38 Studios has made an effort to apologize for the misunderstanding, and to clear up Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning’s online pass offer. After an uproar from the community in response to a voucher included in the game said to provide “access to the House of Valor faction quest” – suggesting a very similar situation to the Catwoman sections in Batman: Arkham City that were already on the disc – Schilling made a post on the 38 Studios forums.

Schilling made it clear the content is day one DLC, not simply a quest already on the disc. “You can argue the merits and effectiveness of it, but right now it’s how it’s done and as someone that’s as invested as I am in this company, I stand by what has happened,” he wrote.

He says he would have liked the situation to be handled with more care, and goes on to explain why the DLC method is beneficial to both his business and the player. ”We must make a profit to become what we want to become. The only way we do that is to make games you cannot wait to buy! If we do that, and you do that, we want to reward you with some cool free stuff as a thank you.”

Via: Joystiq

Source: 38 Studios Forums

The Backlog: Bioshock

Tyler C — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:39:44 +0000

Heralded for its atmosphere and twisted characters, Bioshock is a highly concentrated game. Every desk, every suitcase, and every trashcan holds small morsels of the underwater city’s tragic descent. Exploration and discovery are heavily contrasted by the frantic combat, thus making it very difficult to focus on both. Rapture is a dark place, so dark like the gritty, black games of that era in gaming; it’s almost becoming a period piece. The wonder of the initial experience is gone, now it’s routine.

Entering the world of Bioshock four years after its seat in the spotlight, it feels desolate and lonely. It’s as if the inhabitants of Rapture have been performing their patterns for nearly half a decade, exhausted and angry. They have to keep re-applying fresh blood, smearing drywall dust, and fastening those white masks to their faces. All in service of a curious guest seeking to hear the story once again.

The little sisters, they’re angry, forced to stay young and attached to those slow-moving monsters waiting for an excuse to pummel something. The helmeted monsters and the young girls don’t talk anymore. They’ve seen each other fail time and time again. “Big Daddy” no more, he wishes one day the sister won’t be there, freeing him to remove that metal can and lie down, maybe rest for awhile. She is aimless now, no father-figure to guide her. Both of them are now broken and without an appetite.

Even Andrew Ryan himself is tired. He’s growing old, he finds it harder to hold down the button on his intercom, he contemplated ending his life before his last moment of human contact. He’s fake, he doesn’t run Rapture anymore, nobody does. He has nothing to condemn or punish anymore, everything goes as planned.

The denizens of Rapture are distant, numbed by the job. Their actions show no confidence or exertion. They know the line is drawn without any forks, what was to change? An immense weight slowed their motivation, constantly wondering when their time would come. “Can we stop?” they would ask with their unwavering stares. But no one would answer.

Bioshock isn’t the world it used to be. All has been said, seeping every drop of significance out of it. It’s better to read about its glory days rather than to spend time with it. Without nostalgia for it, Bioshock is a dying machine on its last burst of electricity. One can only imagine what it was like, not what it is.

Image courtesy of Dead End Thrills

Rayman Origins Jumps to the Nintendo 3DS March 20 in North America

Tyler C — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:16:45 +0000

Last year’s unsung hero of absurd amounts of adorable and solid platforming Rayman Origins will try to get some much needed attention on the Nintendo 3DS. Launching on March 20 in North America, Rayman Origins 3DS will utilize StreetPass to share accomplishments like collectibles, achievements, and time played. If you could barely handle the sugary sweet visuals in 2D just imagine the effect with another whole dimension.

The PlayStation Vita version of the game announced previously as a launch game, but will be included in the First Edition Bundle a week prior to the system’s launch on February 15.

Via: Joystiq

5th Cell Begins Self-Publishing with Run Roo Run, Three More Games Planned for 2012

Tyler C — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:38:20 +0000

Run Roo Run is a sidescrolling “runner” game released on iOS earlier this month. It’s the first entirely new project to come out of 5th Cell after Super Scribblenauts, and the iOS port Scribblenauts Remix done in collaboration with Iron Galaxy Studios. Company co-founder and creative director Jeremy Slaczka told Gamasutra it has been doing “pretty well”, despite its spontaneous beginning as merely a side project.

Hybrid, 5th Cell’s cover-based third-person shooter announced in October 2010 for XBLA, and Run Roo Run are two of the four games it expects to release this year. 5th Cell will be self-publishing each of the games, Run Roo Run marks the first.

“It’s important, because if we call ourselves an innovative company, to be truly innovative you have to consistently be doing new and interesting things, not just in the industry, but for yourself. If we’re just going to keep on doing quirky 2D games, we’re not going to be innovative,” Slaczka said.

Source: Gamasutra, Joystiq