<![CDATA[The Gamer Forums - All Forums]]> http://thegamerforums.com/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:33:50 +1100 MyBB <![CDATA[EA shifting ad sales in-house starting with Madden NFL 11]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6554.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6554.html EA's been keen on in-game advertising since 2006, and, two years ago, signed a pretty big deal with in-game ad provider Massive. Apparently, though, EA won't be re-upping that agreement. As Mediaweek reports, the publisher has instead decided to take it upon itself to coordinate in-game ad sales starting with Madden NFL 11.

Elizabeth Harz from EA's global media sales division says it's basically a situation in which EA is cutting out the middle man. "Fundamentally, [EA sales execs] are talking about these gaming audiences everyday already," meaning that EA is already discussing who's playing and what products would best target those audiences.On its own, EA can create more diverse and specific advertising packages, with increased ability to personalize packages based on the potential advertisers' targeted demographic. Exciting stuff, we know.

[Via Game Politics]

JoystiqEA shifting ad sales in-house starting with Madden NFL 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> EA's been keen on in-game advertising since 2006, and, two years ago, signed a pretty big deal with in-game ad provider Massive. Apparently, though, EA won't be re-upping that agreement. As Mediaweek reports, the publisher has instead decided to take it upon itself to coordinate in-game ad sales starting with Madden NFL 11.

Elizabeth Harz from EA's global media sales division says it's basically a situation in which EA is cutting out the middle man. "Fundamentally, [EA sales execs] are talking about these gaming audiences everyday already," meaning that EA is already discussing who's playing and what products would best target those audiences.On its own, EA can create more diverse and specific advertising packages, with increased ability to personalize packages based on the potential advertisers' targeted demographic. Exciting stuff, we know.

[Via Game Politics]

JoystiqEA shifting ad sales in-house starting with Madden NFL 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[Darksiders dev David Adams gushes about THQ]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6555.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6555.html Unlike the less than wonderful relations some developers are currently having with their publishing partners, Vigil Games' general manager David Adams says things between his studio and THQ couldn't have been better during the development of Darksiders. "We were pretty lucky, just because our publisher had this weird, insane faith in us that I don't necessarily think any other publisher would have had ... our take was that if we just did really cool stuff, people would see that -- they'd want to jump on the bandwagon and support us, and THQ did," Adams tells GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview.

Adams adds that his studio is constantly "trying to be more efficient, do stuff quicker, using less money," so that certainly can't hurt how THQ feels about Vigil, especially given the last year of "restructuring" the publisher underwent to become financially solvent once again. "THQ went through a lot of pain and restructuring -- they took a lot of bullets so we could continue to make our game, and that's a good indication of their faith in us, and their drive to make great-quality products." We'd like to point out that, in this situation, we're all winners because THQ has seemingly become a competitive publisher again, due to producing quality products that we get to play -- and hey, tons of people don't lose their jobs.

JoystiqDarksiders dev David Adams gushes about THQ originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> Unlike the less than wonderful relations some developers are currently having with their publishing partners, Vigil Games' general manager David Adams says things between his studio and THQ couldn't have been better during the development of Darksiders. "We were pretty lucky, just because our publisher had this weird, insane faith in us that I don't necessarily think any other publisher would have had ... our take was that if we just did really cool stuff, people would see that -- they'd want to jump on the bandwagon and support us, and THQ did," Adams tells GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview.

Adams adds that his studio is constantly "trying to be more efficient, do stuff quicker, using less money," so that certainly can't hurt how THQ feels about Vigil, especially given the last year of "restructuring" the publisher underwent to become financially solvent once again. "THQ went through a lot of pain and restructuring -- they took a lot of bullets so we could continue to make our game, and that's a good indication of their faith in us, and their drive to make great-quality products." We'd like to point out that, in this situation, we're all winners because THQ has seemingly become a competitive publisher again, due to producing quality products that we get to play -- and hey, tons of people don't lose their jobs.

JoystiqDarksiders dev David Adams gushes about THQ originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[SWTOR is EA's most expensive project yet]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6556.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6556.html Surprise! Major MMOs cost batty-bonkers-cuckoo amounts of money to produce. Eurogamer reports that Electronic Arts CFO Eric Brown said as much today, describing Star Wars: The Old Republic as the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company." EA is apparently betting big on having something like Activision Blizzard's World of Warcraft with The Old Republic. Brown guesstimates that WoW cost about $100 million to launch back in 2004 -- the game makes something like that now in a month.

The executive explained that the average game costs about $30 million to produce, but that "any MMO costs significantly more than that." With an expected spring 2011 release, hopefully EA will start making a return at that time on its investment in a galaxy far, far away. Otherwise, the gaping maw of the Rancor would be preferable to what investors will do.

JoystiqSWTOR is EA's most expensive project yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> Surprise! Major MMOs cost batty-bonkers-cuckoo amounts of money to produce. Eurogamer reports that Electronic Arts CFO Eric Brown said as much today, describing Star Wars: The Old Republic as the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company." EA is apparently betting big on having something like Activision Blizzard's World of Warcraft with The Old Republic. Brown guesstimates that WoW cost about $100 million to launch back in 2004 -- the game makes something like that now in a month.

The executive explained that the average game costs about $30 million to produce, but that "any MMO costs significantly more than that." With an expected spring 2011 release, hopefully EA will start making a return at that time on its investment in a galaxy far, far away. Otherwise, the gaping maw of the Rancor would be preferable to what investors will do.

JoystiqSWTOR is EA's most expensive project yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[Monkey Island Home costumes allow for Dread Pirate Quincy]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6557.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6557.html Does your dead-eyed Home avatar lack a bit of that buccaneering spirit? LucasArts has a sure-fire way to fix your lack of nautical flair: During its pirate-themed party at GDC, the company announced that Monkey Island costumes (pictured above) would soon make their way to PlayStation Home.

Now, we rarely get excited over virtual duds for our virtual manifestations -- but Stan's coat could really add a certain savoir-faire to our terrifying craft.

JoystiqMonkey Island Home costumes allow for Dread Pirate Quincy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> Does your dead-eyed Home avatar lack a bit of that buccaneering spirit? LucasArts has a sure-fire way to fix your lack of nautical flair: During its pirate-themed party at GDC, the company announced that Monkey Island costumes (pictured above) would soon make their way to PlayStation Home.

Now, we rarely get excited over virtual duds for our virtual manifestations -- but Stan's coat could really add a certain savoir-faire to our terrifying craft.

JoystiqMonkey Island Home costumes allow for Dread Pirate Quincy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[We touched it: PlayStation Move from every angle]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6558.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6558.html
Click to MOVE into the gallery
Professionally taken publicity shots of new hardware are nice, sure, but nothing really compares to seeing what the thing actually looks like in the real world. It's with that in mind that we grabbed a PlayStation Move and snapped the photos you can browse in the gallery below. In them, you'll see such noteworthy features as the USB syncing / charging port; what appear to be notches for some addition doodad to lock onto at the bottom of the Move; and the select and start buttons tucked away on either side of the "wand" itself.

Gallery: PlayStation Move (Joystiq's Photos)

JoystiqWe touched it: PlayStation Move from every angle originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]>
Click to MOVE into the gallery
Professionally taken publicity shots of new hardware are nice, sure, but nothing really compares to seeing what the thing actually looks like in the real world. It's with that in mind that we grabbed a PlayStation Move and snapped the photos you can browse in the gallery below. In them, you'll see such noteworthy features as the USB syncing / charging port; what appear to be notches for some addition doodad to lock onto at the bottom of the Move; and the select and start buttons tucked away on either side of the "wand" itself.

Gallery: PlayStation Move (Joystiq's Photos)

JoystiqWe touched it: PlayStation Move from every angle originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA['Arc' lives on in PlayStation Move's logo]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6559.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6559.html Even the not-so-keen-eyed observer has probably noticed by now that the PlayStation Move's logo doesn't really look like a letter "M." That's because it's a letter "A," as in "Arc," the name which, according to multiple Sony sources who wished to remain anonymous, is what the peripheral was to be called at retail until the company was refused a trademark on the Arc name. In fact, we've been told that the change to "Move" was made quite recently, which further explains the incongruous logo.

If you think "Move" is an odd name for Sony's motion controller, these same sources assured us that we got lucky - many of the other proposed names following the trademark denial were ranged from silly to awful, they said. When we suggested that "PlayStation Boogie" was about as bad as we could imagine, we were told, "Actually, that's an improvement over a lot of them."

Keep an eye on the Move logo -- we wouldn't be surprised if Sony's marketing department adds a little extra blue ink before E3, making it a true (stylized) letter "M."

Joystiq'Arc' lives on in PlayStation Move's logo originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> Even the not-so-keen-eyed observer has probably noticed by now that the PlayStation Move's logo doesn't really look like a letter "M." That's because it's a letter "A," as in "Arc," the name which, according to multiple Sony sources who wished to remain anonymous, is what the peripheral was to be called at retail until the company was refused a trademark on the Arc name. In fact, we've been told that the change to "Move" was made quite recently, which further explains the incongruous logo.

If you think "Move" is an odd name for Sony's motion controller, these same sources assured us that we got lucky - many of the other proposed names following the trademark denial were ranged from silly to awful, they said. When we suggested that "PlayStation Boogie" was about as bad as we could imagine, we were told, "Actually, that's an improvement over a lot of them."

Keep an eye on the Move logo -- we wouldn't be surprised if Sony's marketing department adds a little extra blue ink before E3, making it a true (stylized) letter "M."

Joystiq'Arc' lives on in PlayStation Move's logo originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[Hands-on: PlayStation Move's 'Move Party']]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6560.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6560.html
Click to enlarge

The PlayStation Move-equivalent of the minigame compilations released for PS2's EyeToy, Move Party is an excuse to use Sony's motion controller to look like a fool in front of your family and friends. (As if holding a glowing wand and pantomiming playing a sport isn't already silly enough.)

Ludwig and I took turns looking utterly ridiculous while playing the title earlier today, trying to best one another in a series of minigames which ranged from swatting bugs with tennis rackets to painting shapes in the air - things that would have been entirely possible with Sony's older tech. We got a brief taste of the Move's potential when we needed to stab a spear at jellyfish floating up the screen - I really had to stab toward the screen pretty strongly to pop them. The precision possible with the Move was best demonstrated by the haircut minigame, where it was possible to finely cut along the scalp line to remove the comical characters' locks.

The most impressive element of Move Party, though, is by far the precision with which the various tools - paintbrushes, shears, rackets - that all mimicked how I was holding the controller exactly in the on-screen "augmented reality" video. It was ... kind of spooky. Though it wasn't announced as such, this has to be the software title Sony intends to pack in with the hardware. I can't imagine it debuting as a full-priced retail title. Maybe at $20, or, better yet, a PSN release.

Gallery: PlayStation Move: Move Party

JoystiqHands-on: PlayStation Move's 'Move Party' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]>
Click to enlarge

The PlayStation Move-equivalent of the minigame compilations released for PS2's EyeToy, Move Party is an excuse to use Sony's motion controller to look like a fool in front of your family and friends. (As if holding a glowing wand and pantomiming playing a sport isn't already silly enough.)

Ludwig and I took turns looking utterly ridiculous while playing the title earlier today, trying to best one another in a series of minigames which ranged from swatting bugs with tennis rackets to painting shapes in the air - things that would have been entirely possible with Sony's older tech. We got a brief taste of the Move's potential when we needed to stab a spear at jellyfish floating up the screen - I really had to stab toward the screen pretty strongly to pop them. The precision possible with the Move was best demonstrated by the haircut minigame, where it was possible to finely cut along the scalp line to remove the comical characters' locks.

The most impressive element of Move Party, though, is by far the precision with which the various tools - paintbrushes, shears, rackets - that all mimicked how I was holding the controller exactly in the on-screen "augmented reality" video. It was ... kind of spooky. Though it wasn't announced as such, this has to be the software title Sony intends to pack in with the hardware. I can't imagine it debuting as a full-priced retail title. Maybe at $20, or, better yet, a PSN release.

Gallery: PlayStation Move: Move Party

JoystiqHands-on: PlayStation Move's 'Move Party' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[GDC: Making games to prevent violence against children]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6561.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6561.html The highlight of yesterday's GDC Serious Game Summit panels focused on an appropriately consequential topic: How games can help protect children from the commonplace dangers they face from predators, both online and off. The panel was led by Child Safety Research and Innovation Center president Allan McCullough -- a man who's strived to develop games which teach young people how to identify and avoid dangerous situations.

The two Flash-based games which represent the fruits of McCullough's two decades of labor look deceptively simple on the surface. They are, after all, hand-illustrated, poorly animated educational games geared towards children, with budgets too small to allow the hiring of professional voice actors and experienced gaming professionals. However, beneath the crude surface of these games lie clever methods of imparting crucial information to their young players which could ostensibly help them avoid encounters with people who mean them harm.

Continue reading GDC: Making games to prevent violence against children

JoystiqGDC: Making games to prevent violence against children originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> The highlight of yesterday's GDC Serious Game Summit panels focused on an appropriately consequential topic: How games can help protect children from the commonplace dangers they face from predators, both online and off. The panel was led by Child Safety Research and Innovation Center president Allan McCullough -- a man who's strived to develop games which teach young people how to identify and avoid dangerous situations.

The two Flash-based games which represent the fruits of McCullough's two decades of labor look deceptively simple on the surface. They are, after all, hand-illustrated, poorly animated educational games geared towards children, with budgets too small to allow the hiring of professional voice actors and experienced gaming professionals. However, beneath the crude surface of these games lie clever methods of imparting crucial information to their young players which could ostensibly help them avoid encounters with people who mean them harm.

Continue reading GDC: Making games to prevent violence against children

JoystiqGDC: Making games to prevent violence against children originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[Hands-on: PlayStation Move's Sports Champions]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6562.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6562.html
Click for the gallery of Champions

You might think it derisive to call Sports Champions (working title) the Wii Sports of PlayStation Move, but it's really intended as a compliment. Although the collection of sports-themed games are relatively simple, they adequately highlight the Move's motion-sensing capabilities and, most importantly, how they're distinguished from those offered by the Wii (something that another Move game, The Shoot, did not do). Like Wii Sports, Sports Champions seems good at selling you on the hardware's abilities -- and what they might mean in more elaborate games.

The Gladiator Duel sub-game is a simple affair of blocking and attacking (your character moves towards the opponent automatically), but the Move will take into account the height of your swings and the positioning of your shield (generated by a second Move controller). It'll also sense distance -- if you don't hold your weapon arm back, it'll swing into your own shield to deleterious effect. Aside from swinging and blocking, you can also move both arms upwards to activate a jumping attack, or shuffle the controllers to the side in order to roll out of the way from an incoming strike. Basic stuff, but natural enough to not come across as a tacked-on gesture.

Table Tennis was more promising, and easily bested the Wii's equivalent. Your paddle's angle and area of exposure is almost instantly determined by how you're holding the controller. The Move's weight, coupled with the game's quick response and predictable physics, made every swing feel ... just right. It'll be a shame if a table tennis game turns out to be one of the best launch games for Move, but at least it'll stand out as one of the best of its ilk. That's a win, right?

Gallery: PlayStation Move Sports Champions

JoystiqHands-on: PlayStation Move's Sports Champions originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]>
Click for the gallery of Champions

You might think it derisive to call Sports Champions (working title) the Wii Sports of PlayStation Move, but it's really intended as a compliment. Although the collection of sports-themed games are relatively simple, they adequately highlight the Move's motion-sensing capabilities and, most importantly, how they're distinguished from those offered by the Wii (something that another Move game, The Shoot, did not do). Like Wii Sports, Sports Champions seems good at selling you on the hardware's abilities -- and what they might mean in more elaborate games.

The Gladiator Duel sub-game is a simple affair of blocking and attacking (your character moves towards the opponent automatically), but the Move will take into account the height of your swings and the positioning of your shield (generated by a second Move controller). It'll also sense distance -- if you don't hold your weapon arm back, it'll swing into your own shield to deleterious effect. Aside from swinging and blocking, you can also move both arms upwards to activate a jumping attack, or shuffle the controllers to the side in order to roll out of the way from an incoming strike. Basic stuff, but natural enough to not come across as a tacked-on gesture.

Table Tennis was more promising, and easily bested the Wii's equivalent. Your paddle's angle and area of exposure is almost instantly determined by how you're holding the controller. The Move's weight, coupled with the game's quick response and predictable physics, made every swing feel ... just right. It'll be a shame if a table tennis game turns out to be one of the best launch games for Move, but at least it'll stand out as one of the best of its ilk. That's a win, right?

Gallery: PlayStation Move Sports Champions

JoystiqHands-on: PlayStation Move's Sports Champions originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[Lego Universe beta invites being sent out]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6563.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6563.html We're received a handful of tips, and Massively confirms it: beta invites for the surprisingly hype-worthy Lego Universe beta have started to roll out. It's something we entirely want in on.

But, alas, no invite for us. Our tips box is only a repository for our own sadness, as others regale us with tales of their conquests; their own acquired beta invites. No, it's fine -- don't worry about us. We're just going to sit in the corner, with our real-life Legos, pretending there are actual people behind those hopelessly optimistic smiles, willing to interact with us in a virtual world.

JoystiqLego Universe beta invites being sent out originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> We're received a handful of tips, and Massively confirms it: beta invites for the surprisingly hype-worthy Lego Universe beta have started to roll out. It's something we entirely want in on.

But, alas, no invite for us. Our tips box is only a repository for our own sadness, as others regale us with tales of their conquests; their own acquired beta invites. No, it's fine -- don't worry about us. We're just going to sit in the corner, with our real-life Legos, pretending there are actual people behind those hopelessly optimistic smiles, willing to interact with us in a virtual world.

JoystiqLego Universe beta invites being sent out originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[PC gaming revenue grew in 2009 as retail PC game sales shrank]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6564.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6564.html
[Logitech PC accessories]
Despite fears about the languishing PC game industry, revenue seems to have grown a bit in 2009. According to PC Gaming Alliance's Horizons Report, revenue hit $13.1 billion in 2009, versus $11 billion in 2008.

Don't expect that growth to translate to increased shelf space for PC games, however. The report notes that digital distribution sales are way up, as are the sales of virtual items. "In 2009 we saw North America and Europe experience a rapid uptake in purchasing virtual items," PCGA president Randy Stude said. "This model is what drove growth in Asia and we think it is just starting to come to Western markets."

As expected, given the rise in digital distribution, packaged game sales have dropped for a second year, now accounting for just 20 percent of PC game revenue. It appears that PC games are going to go all digital unless we start seeing some really awesome cloth maps.

JoystiqPC gaming revenue grew in 2009 as retail PC game sales shrank originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]>
[Logitech PC accessories]
Despite fears about the languishing PC game industry, revenue seems to have grown a bit in 2009. According to PC Gaming Alliance's Horizons Report, revenue hit $13.1 billion in 2009, versus $11 billion in 2008.

Don't expect that growth to translate to increased shelf space for PC games, however. The report notes that digital distribution sales are way up, as are the sales of virtual items. "In 2009 we saw North America and Europe experience a rapid uptake in purchasing virtual items," PCGA president Randy Stude said. "This model is what drove growth in Asia and we think it is just starting to come to Western markets."

As expected, given the rise in digital distribution, packaged game sales have dropped for a second year, now accounting for just 20 percent of PC game revenue. It appears that PC games are going to go all digital unless we start seeing some really awesome cloth maps.

JoystiqPC gaming revenue grew in 2009 as retail PC game sales shrank originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[Hands-on: PlayStation Move's 'The Shoot']]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6565.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6565.html
"The Shoot" is a pretty fun title. The on-rails shooter propels you through a series of cheesy movie sets, populated by cardboard cut-out civilians, antiquated B-movie aliens and hulking robots. And then you shoot them ... on the shoot. See? What's more fun than a title with a double meaning?

Although the title is a riot, my time with the game left me feeling disappointed and annoyed. Lightgun shooters have a comfy home on Wii, and the point-and-shoot mechanics of games like House of the Dead: Overkill are a natural fit for the controller. The PlayStation Move is similarly well-suited, both in terms of aiming ability and comfortable weighting. But "The Shoot" felt like a second-rate shooting range, marked by a slow pace and obvious simplicity.

Those can't be trotted out as negatives for every gamer, but if you're a Joystiq reader, there's something you have to know: In order to activate a useful slow-motion effect in "The Shoot," you have to -- I'm not kidding -- spin around on the spot like a ballerina with an ice-cream cone in her hand. I imagine Sony would like to separate its motion controller from the Wii's stigma of vapid, gestural-overload games, so pulling an early-days Wii stunt like that makes for a bad impression.

Gallery: PlayStation Move: The Shoot

JoystiqHands-on: PlayStation Move's 'The Shoot' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]>
"The Shoot" is a pretty fun title. The on-rails shooter propels you through a series of cheesy movie sets, populated by cardboard cut-out civilians, antiquated B-movie aliens and hulking robots. And then you shoot them ... on the shoot. See? What's more fun than a title with a double meaning?

Although the title is a riot, my time with the game left me feeling disappointed and annoyed. Lightgun shooters have a comfy home on Wii, and the point-and-shoot mechanics of games like House of the Dead: Overkill are a natural fit for the controller. The PlayStation Move is similarly well-suited, both in terms of aiming ability and comfortable weighting. But "The Shoot" felt like a second-rate shooting range, marked by a slow pace and obvious simplicity.

Those can't be trotted out as negatives for every gamer, but if you're a Joystiq reader, there's something you have to know: In order to activate a useful slow-motion effect in "The Shoot," you have to -- I'm not kidding -- spin around on the spot like a ballerina with an ice-cream cone in her hand. I imagine Sony would like to separate its motion controller from the Wii's stigma of vapid, gestural-overload games, so pulling an early-days Wii stunt like that makes for a bad impression.

Gallery: PlayStation Move: The Shoot

JoystiqHands-on: PlayStation Move's 'The Shoot' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[Hands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!)]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6566.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6566.html There are two questions I'll try to answer with this quick hands-on preview. Firstly, is SOCOM 4 the true sequel to the SOCOM franchise we've been waiting for? Secondly, does the PlayStation Move controller work as intended?

It's hard to answer the first question, especially within the constraints of a ten-minute demo. What I can say is that even in this early state, SOCOM 4 looks very good, sporting incredibly detailed environments. While the early code has a noticeably choppy framerate, there was already a large number of objects in the environment. Whether it's a car, a trash can, a thrown-out mattress, there are tons of objects to take cover behind in the world.

Controlling your squad should be familiar to anyone that's played a recent SOCOM game. Holding L1 on the Move allows you to slightly slow down time and direct your team to move to position and await orders. You can even call in an airstrike by holding down the Move button and holding Down on a target. After sneaking down an alley, we were able to catch a large squad of soldiers lounging in an open field. They had no idea what hit them as the bombs dropped.

Gallery: SOCOM 4

Continue reading Hands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!)

JoystiqHands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> There are two questions I'll try to answer with this quick hands-on preview. Firstly, is SOCOM 4 the true sequel to the SOCOM franchise we've been waiting for? Secondly, does the PlayStation Move controller work as intended?

It's hard to answer the first question, especially within the constraints of a ten-minute demo. What I can say is that even in this early state, SOCOM 4 looks very good, sporting incredibly detailed environments. While the early code has a noticeably choppy framerate, there was already a large number of objects in the environment. Whether it's a car, a trash can, a thrown-out mattress, there are tons of objects to take cover behind in the world.

Controlling your squad should be familiar to anyone that's played a recent SOCOM game. Holding L1 on the Move allows you to slightly slow down time and direct your team to move to position and await orders. You can even call in an airstrike by holding down the Move button and holding Down on a target. After sneaking down an alley, we were able to catch a large squad of soldiers lounging in an open field. They had no idea what hit them as the bombs dropped.

Gallery: SOCOM 4

Continue reading Hands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!)

JoystiqHands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[First Monkey Island SE coming to PSN, Mac, Telltale, InstantAction]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6567.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6567.html At a GDC 2010 event, LucasArts announced that The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is headed to a plethora of new platforms and services. First and foremost, it's been ported for both the PlayStation Network and Mac OS. Furthermore, the game is also making the jump to the Telltale games store as well as InstantAction.com. There are currently no details as to when the game will hit the services mentioned above, but rest assured we're following up with LucasArts right now.

It's worth noting that InstantAction.com is currently down for "maintenance," with the site's blog mentioning some "exciting announcements" in the near future. Regardless of when the game does show up, it's definitely good news for adventure fans that have been deprived of the remake thus far.

JoystiqFirst Monkey Island SE coming to PSN, Mac, Telltale, InstantAction originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> At a GDC 2010 event, LucasArts announced that The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is headed to a plethora of new platforms and services. First and foremost, it's been ported for both the PlayStation Network and Mac OS. Furthermore, the game is also making the jump to the Telltale games store as well as InstantAction.com. There are currently no details as to when the game will hit the services mentioned above, but rest assured we're following up with LucasArts right now.

It's worth noting that InstantAction.com is currently down for "maintenance," with the site's blog mentioning some "exciting announcements" in the near future. Regardless of when the game does show up, it's definitely good news for adventure fans that have been deprived of the remake thus far.

JoystiqFirst Monkey Island SE coming to PSN, Mac, Telltale, InstantAction originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[The Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition announced for XBLA, PSN, PC, iPhone]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6568.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6568.html At a pirate-themed party in San Francisco tonight (with special guests Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer!) LucasArts announced The Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition, coming "this summer" on Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, PC, iPhone and iPod Touch. This isn't simply the same "special edition" treatment applied to last year's edition; instead, fans can expect a new control mechanism. "In addition to the point-and-click interface, we've added the ability to move Guybrush around, so you feel more connected to him," said LucasArts' Craig Derrick, project lead on all Monkey Island products. They've also added never-before-seen art from Peter Chan and Steve Purcell and developer commentary (!) for you Monkey Island fanboys out there (that's you).

Of course, that's in addition to all the stuff you'd expect from the special edition treatment, including high-definition art, remastered music, full voiceover track, and the ability to swap between original and "special edition" modes. Derrick even said they've "reimagined" each character, citing fan displeasure with Guybrush's hair in the first special edition. Really? We liked his hair ...

Gallery: Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: Lechuck's Revenge

JoystiqThe Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition announced for XBLA, PSN, PC, iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> At a pirate-themed party in San Francisco tonight (with special guests Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer!) LucasArts announced The Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition, coming "this summer" on Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, PC, iPhone and iPod Touch. This isn't simply the same "special edition" treatment applied to last year's edition; instead, fans can expect a new control mechanism. "In addition to the point-and-click interface, we've added the ability to move Guybrush around, so you feel more connected to him," said LucasArts' Craig Derrick, project lead on all Monkey Island products. They've also added never-before-seen art from Peter Chan and Steve Purcell and developer commentary (!) for you Monkey Island fanboys out there (that's you).

Of course, that's in addition to all the stuff you'd expect from the special edition treatment, including high-definition art, remastered music, full voiceover track, and the ability to swap between original and "special edition" modes. Derrick even said they've "reimagined" each character, citing fan displeasure with Guybrush's hair in the first special edition. Really? We liked his hair ...

Gallery: Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: Lechuck's Revenge

JoystiqThe Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition announced for XBLA, PSN, PC, iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[GDC: EA's Schappert touts DLC as most profitable form of digital distribution]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6569.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6569.html EA's chief operating officer John Schappert had a fireside chat with Alex Pham of the Los Angeles Times about "mythbusting" at GDC today. Unfortunately, not many myths were actually busted -- other than the one we heard that everything at GDC is exciting! But Schappert did speak briefly about DLC, talking up the fact that Dragon Age: Origins DLC has made over a million dollars (and that was by November's count!). He went on to explain that digital distribution, in all its forms, earned $575 million dollars for EA last year, and the publisher placed its expectations for this year at $750 million.

"The fastest growing area of digital distribution -- and that includes subscriptions and microtransactions -- is downloadable content," Schappert said. "It's the extension of your current game through expansion packs and downloadable content."

JoystiqGDC: EA's Schappert touts DLC as most profitable form of digital distribution originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> EA's chief operating officer John Schappert had a fireside chat with Alex Pham of the Los Angeles Times about "mythbusting" at GDC today. Unfortunately, not many myths were actually busted -- other than the one we heard that everything at GDC is exciting! But Schappert did speak briefly about DLC, talking up the fact that Dragon Age: Origins DLC has made over a million dollars (and that was by November's count!). He went on to explain that digital distribution, in all its forms, earned $575 million dollars for EA last year, and the publisher placed its expectations for this year at $750 million.

"The fastest growing area of digital distribution -- and that includes subscriptions and microtransactions -- is downloadable content," Schappert said. "It's the extension of your current game through expansion packs and downloadable content."

JoystiqGDC: EA's Schappert touts DLC as most profitable form of digital distribution originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[GDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6570.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6570.html
Unreal Engine 3 on the iPhone ... it looked better in person!
While we've yet to see Unreal Engine 3 ported to Nintendo's Wii or Sony's PSP, Epic did undertake the considerable task of squeezing its seemingly ubiquitous middleware platform onto Apple's similarly ubiquitous iPhone. According to Epic's Josh Adams - Epic Games' senior console programmer - that could be due to fundamental hardware limitations in the other platforms. You see, the iPhone 3GS has a PowerVR SGX graphics processor which supports programmable shaders. According to Adams, "Programmable shaders are something UE3 is pretty much dependent on."

Though you're probably most familiar with Unreal Engine on Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3, Adams says the engine also runs on Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, on Linux, and on Mac, though (Adams notes) "we haven't shipped any games on those platforms yet." Adams says the iPhone port was "a fun 'Can we get UE3 onto the iPhone?' kind of project." Though Adams' presentation was exceptionally technical - this is the Game Developers Conference, after all! - it's fascinating to hear about the technical underpinnings and workflows that result in this type of outcome.

Continue reading GDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like

JoystiqGDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]>
Unreal Engine 3 on the iPhone ... it looked better in person!
While we've yet to see Unreal Engine 3 ported to Nintendo's Wii or Sony's PSP, Epic did undertake the considerable task of squeezing its seemingly ubiquitous middleware platform onto Apple's similarly ubiquitous iPhone. According to Epic's Josh Adams - Epic Games' senior console programmer - that could be due to fundamental hardware limitations in the other platforms. You see, the iPhone 3GS has a PowerVR SGX graphics processor which supports programmable shaders. According to Adams, "Programmable shaders are something UE3 is pretty much dependent on."

Though you're probably most familiar with Unreal Engine on Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3, Adams says the engine also runs on Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, on Linux, and on Mac, though (Adams notes) "we haven't shipped any games on those platforms yet." Adams says the iPhone port was "a fun 'Can we get UE3 onto the iPhone?' kind of project." Though Adams' presentation was exceptionally technical - this is the Game Developers Conference, after all! - it's fascinating to hear about the technical underpinnings and workflows that result in this type of outcome.

Continue reading GDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like

JoystiqGDC: This is what Unreal Engine 3 on iPhone looks like originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink]]> <![CDATA[PlayStation Move sub-controller: Don't call it a Nunchuk]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6571.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6571.html
Click for little-big size

<script> digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/The_PlayStation_Move_sub_controller_Don_t_call_it_a_Nunchuk'; According to the block of info posted on European PlayStation Blog, there are a lot more PlayStation Move games out there to be seen than tonight's press release let on. Beyond the already revealed support for Move in SOCOM 4, LittleBigPlanet and EyePet, a whole mess of games were shown off at Sony's GDC event, from Move Party (um, a party game) to Slider (Mirror's Edge meets Pain?) to a Western shooter in The Shoot. (We've dropped a screen of Sports Champion above -- a game we think looks particularly fantastic.)

Oh, and the Euro Blog's mention of "DUKES" is just another name for that Motion Fighter game, which was mentioned onstage during this evening's press event -- so cool your heels and put the Jump to Conclusion mat back away. (We do rather like the name "Dukes," we'll admit; though we've been told it's a regional thing, and us North Americans are likely stuck with "Motion Fighter" instead.) We've yet to confirm which studios are developing which games, but you can be sure we'll ask Sony just as soon as we can. Here's the complete list of PlayStation Move titles that we know of, though, for now:
  • Sports Champion
  • The Shoot
  • Slider
  • TV Superstars
  • Move Party
  • Motion Fighter

JoystiqThe PlayStation Move games (we know of) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> According to the block of info posted on European PlayStation Blog, there are a lot more PlayStation Move games out there to be seen than tonight's press release let on. Beyond the already revealed support for Move in SOCOM 4, LittleBigPlanet and EyePet, a whole mess of games were shown off at Sony's GDC event, from Move Party (um, a party game) to Slider (Mirror's Edge meets Pain?) to a Western shooter in The Shoot. (We've dropped a screen of Sports Champion above -- a game we think looks particularly fantastic.)

Oh, and the Euro Blog's mention of "DUKES" is just another name for that Motion Fighter game, which was mentioned onstage during this evening's press event -- so cool your heels and put the Jump to Conclusion mat back away. (We do rather like the name "Dukes," we'll admit; though we've been told it's a regional thing, and us North Americans are likely stuck with "Motion Fighter" instead.) We've yet to confirm which studios are developing which games, but you can be sure we'll ask Sony just as soon as we can. Here's the complete list of PlayStation Move titles that we know of, though, for now:
  • Sports Champion
  • The Shoot
  • Slider
  • TV Superstars
  • Move Party
  • Motion Fighter

JoystiqThe PlayStation Move games (we know of) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read]]> <![CDATA[PlayStation Move trailer shows you what you'll look like whilst Moving]]> http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6573.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +1100 http://thegamerforums.com/thread-6573.html <script> digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/First_trailer_for_PlayStation_Move';