Written and Contributed by: Alex Rubens | Videogame Journalist | @alexrubens

When Shank, the latest stylish game from Klei Entertainment, was revealed, it created a buzz that spread through the internet for days.  On the eve of its release, I talked to Jamie Cheng, Founder and CEO of Klei, about Shank and its development.  He talks everything from inspiration to his favorite weapon in the game.

Alex Rubens: What was your main motivation in making such a different style of game?
Jamie Cheng: It was a spark of an idea that we couldn’t get out of our heads — working with Jeff to create a classic beat-em-up, and make it our own by way of amazing animation, visuals, story and our own flavor of gameplay.

How would you compare your original direction for Shank to how it turned out now?
You often hear about how much a vision changes over time. This is not one of those cases. Shank has always been about bringing in the influences of Desperado and similar aesthetics into a beat-em-up world, and we nailed that feel within the first couple months. After that, it was all about how to create a consistently solid experience throughout and polishing the core game mechanics.

How much of a focus is the story in Shank?
This was a key part where we differed from the classic games like Double Dragon — the story is not simply an excuse for the gameplay, but instead a focal point that we had to think about early on and throughout development. Watching people enjoy not only the carnage but also the character development that Marianne crafted is very satisfying.

Shank’s score has garnered much praise on the Internet, did you expect that it would be loved so much pre-release?
Vince and Jason’s work on the score is amazing, and I simply wanted to share that with everyone. The little promotion we concocted was a little experiment and also something we figured could drive more people to check it out, but I honestly had no idea what the reaction was going to be. Vince was really floored — but these guys deserve the recognition for sure.

Before EA had signed on to publish Shank, you had been showing the game off on the 360 platform but you had a Dreamcast controller there also, was this sense of humor always present throughout the development process?
We’ve always been a bit tongue in cheek and campy, and that totally shows in the game. Yes, we deal with mature content, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun. I’d say more people laugh when playing Shank than I’ve seen in most video games.

When Shank first debuted at PAX 2009, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Did you expect this and did it change your direction for the game at all?
Like the score, we simply set out to make something we were passionate about and felt others might be, too. We walked into PAX thinking the fans would probably like it — who doesn’t like beat-em-ups and Desperado? — but we got these insanely big smiles and sweaty hands playing the game, and that’s when we realized that it wasn’t just us who loved Shank. He is pretty sexy, afterall.

Did we change direction because of it? No — I think that’s what was great — people loved the game for what it is and we’re absolutely unabashed about it.

The addition of co-op was a great idea in my opinion, had this been in the plans since the beginning or was it a late addition?
Okay now I take back my last comment — we were undecided whether or not to implement co-op, and in fact HOW to implement it properly, but after the reaction we got at PAX, and having every other question being “is there co-op?” we decided to take the leap. A lot of people are asking why it’s not online co-op, and the answer is that we had to take a stand in what was important to the end user. We decided that two separate campaigns, each with their own storyline and specially designed levels to take advantage of singleplayer and multiplayer, had to be made at a level we were proud of. We couldn’t do that, and also add online, so we made the choice to choose the core experience over features.

What is your favorite weapon in the game?
Later in the game you obtain an Uzi. It’s actually a little more difficult than, say the shotgun, to use effectively, but if you can get the hang of it, it’s brilliant at dealing rapid damage.

Where did you draw inspiration from when crafting Shank?
Visually: Jack Kirby, graphic novels, Golden Age comics
Aesthetically: Movies by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino — specifically Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn
Gameplay: Double Dragon, Soul Caliber, Prince of Persia

When does Shank come out and how much will it cost?
Game launches really, really soon. August 24th for PSN, August 25th for XBLA. PC version will be out in the Fall (we’re working on it!) and the price is $14.99 or 1200 space bucks.

[Images courtesy Klei Entertainment. Video courtesy Klei and GameTrailers. For more information visit ShankGame.com]

Over the next three days, the fine folks at 72 Hours Remain are punishing themselves for the greater good.  Hosting a gaming marathon inspired by the 72 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, the team will be playing a plethora of games over the next few days in efforts to raise donations for Child’s Play, a charity devoted to providing games, movies, and toys to hospitalized children around the globe.

From 6AM August 13th (THAT’S TODAY!) until 6AM August 16th, the group will play and complete classics like Shadow of the Colossus, ActRaiser, Wind Waker, Pikmin and more as they aim to beat last year’s total of $1500 donated.  At key intervals, specific secret “events” will take place, hopefully prolonging the length of time the team will play.

The entire marathon can be watched live on their website, via Ustream.

Here’s how you can help:

- Donate to their cause!  Every little bit helps.  Click here to donate.

- Mention the event on Twitter, Facebook, in blogs, and in your podcasts… The more people know, the more will join in.

- Follow their official twitter account at @72hoursremain for information, news on the event, etc

It’s a great cause, and a great way to reach their goal!  Now, click that donate button!

We love BioShock.  The world of Rapture is incredible.  But, what many feared was that the confines of a liquid universe would eventually become stale.

Enter Irrational Games’ latest: BioShock Infinite.

The game, taking place in 1912, precedes the world of Rapture by catapulting us into the stratosphere, literally.  Set in Columbia, a giant sky city, the game follows former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt as he must rescue Elizabeth, a girl trapped in the city.  Infinite will follow their relationship as it builds, and as the couple’s bond allows their “abilities” to form, merge and adapt.  The couple must escape from the city together, with DeWitt protecting Elizabeth along the way (a la Ico).

The game is set to capitalize on a lot of the action and suspense that the original BioShock brought forward, coupled with intriguing new weapons and abilities, “high speed air battles” along rail lines, and a setting which hasn’t been done in an FPS nearly as strikingly.  Steampunk style is everywhere, as the early 20th century brings with it the flavor of the Chicago Worlds Fair and the beginnings of American Imperialism to the dream of a floating city.  But, much like with Rapture, something goes terribly wrong.

In essence, it’s more BioShock, with the familiar tropes that the series brings with it, but in a new setting… But is that a bad thing?  I don’t necessarily think so.  The idea of bringing a fantastically fun FPS play mechanic to a new, equally exciting setting pings my interest-o-meter to extreme heights.

Yes, I’m excited.  And you should be, too.

2012 is suddenly my favorite year ever.

CodeMasters released a teaser for the third installment in the DiRT series today, appropriately titled “DiRT 3″. A slickly-designed video using transitions to showcase some of the different environments that will be available in the next game is all we get for now, but I’m already liking what I see.

As expected, particle effects are improved over previous iterations (rain and snow in particular are looking better than ever), as well as vehicle and environment rendering, which are beginning to cross into the uncanny valley as far as realism goes.

No specific release date has been announced as of yet, just a nebulous “2011″ at the end of the trailer. A simultaneous cross-platform (PC, PS3, 360) release is hoped for by this PC gamer in particular.

Click here for Part 1 of the trends review | Part 2

As technology advances and pushes the limits of gaming, there has been an inevitable resurgence in classic gaming standards, with possibly none more so evident than the return of several franchises that older gamers fondly remember.  Along with these classics come their play mechanics, seeded in memories of Friday night college gaming in dorm rooms with friends huddled around glowing 19″ CRT screens.

This third and final part of the trend report focuses on the “safe mode” in game development this year, as well as the advances in multiplayer gaming, music rhythm game divergence, and dance music games.

Safe Mode

Return of known properties

Spurred by the influx of remakes and demakes over the past two years, 2010 will continue to see this trend take hold, with a shift towards the tail end of the 16-bit era and the dawn of the 32-bit era as the focus.  Properties that defined consoles — Donkey Kong Country, Kirby, GoldenEye, Castlevania, Marvel vs Capcom, and NBA Jam — will make a strong comeback.  Nintendo especially is banking on the success of the popularity of classics for their Fall/holiday line-up.

Much like New Super Mario Bros and Bionic Commando in 2009, the continuation of classic franchises is an important theme for returning sales to post-Recession levels.  Unfortunately, this is an indicator that many new IPs will need to take a back seat for the next year until the industry regains momentum.

Sequelitis

As noted above, with the Recession affecting game design in 2008 and 2009, publishers have put their focus on safe practices to salvage sales.  Sequels to popular modern franchises is perhaps one of the best ways to do just that.

The annualization of game franchises is a norm in the sports genre, but has made it’s way to others as well.  Call of Duty: Black Ops aims to continue the record-setting sales of it’s yearly predecessors. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood introduces multiplayer elements to one of 2009′s Game of the Year candidates.  Super Scribblenauts was spurred by the incredible sales of the 2009 original for the DS. Even DJ Hero and the Conduit, which met with tepid sales in 2009, are receiving sequels.

This year will be pivotal in dictating if annualized sequels will result in sales growth, or if they will begin to wear on a sharply more discerning consumer.

The Next Modern Warfare

Several years ago, video games set during World War II where a normal occurrence.  Now, the same can be said for modern settings.  Thanks to the success of 2007′s titanic Modern Warfare , the FPS genre has firmly relocated into more modern times.

Homefront brings an alternate universe in which North Korea invades the US.  Medal of Honor‘s return sets it in modern Afghanistan as the player takes the helm of an elite team of Tier 1 Operators. SOCOM 4 brings the popular PS2 tactical combat franchise to High Definition and MOVE support.  Spec Ops: The Line, due later this year, brings combat amid sandstorms to Dubai.

Publishers are aiming to capitalize on the trend, releasing wave after wave of games that first began development after Modern Warfare was first revealed.  While the majority of the games involve realistic storylines, a sub-trend is that of alternate timelines in which games like Homefront are beginning to explore.

Multiplayer

Co-Op

Though multiplayer gaming continues to be a factor in games, in 2010 co-op play looks to surpass competitive play on many genres, as well as appear on new ones.  In 2-D platform games, co-operative play has gone from a “nice to have” to a “must”.  New Super Mario Bros Wii may have popularized the mode, but new entries in Donkey Kong Country and Castlevania will help make it become a norm in 2010.

The standard definition of co-op is being stretched, as developers are innovating the ways in which the mode can be utilized in games.  Gears of War 3 pushes 4-player co-op play to the graphical limits, Dance Central allows additional players to jump in as backup dancers, and Rock Band 3 pushes the band depth to 7+ members with keyboards, real guitars, and harmonies.

Music Rhythm Gaming Evolves

Game vs Realism

As the music rhythm genre continues its decline, developers and publishers are squeezing the most out of what remains by refocusing on the target audiences.  With Warriors of Rock, Activision will begin to push Guitar Hero as more of a game rather than a simulation of band play.  Since the 3rd revision, the series has been playing catch-up to Rock Band.  This latest version marks a decidedly more fantasy-based game, and should be a fresh direction as the series begins to separate itself from its competitors.

Rock Band 3 and Power Rig are taking the opposite path.  Entrenched in realism, the games allow for actual instrumental play and are meant to be simulations with the niche, expert audience in mind.  Though the games may be too much for the casual audience, they should be well-received by the core group of fans that continues to play the games regularly, and often seriously.

Dance Games

Several years ago, Dance Dance Revolution burst onto the scene with a pseudo dance game genre and a giant plastic pad, relegating it to a continuous fad.  Now, with the popularity of motion controls expanding, the technology to improve and provide dance gaming has caused the genre to explode.  With the addicting gameplay of Just Dance 2, the technology of Dance Central, and the music & dance combination of Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson Experience, among others, the momentum looks to place the genre at sales levels that music rhythm games witnessed 2 years ago.

Finally

Though the trends were plentiful this year, their grouping into three tiers — technology evolution, aesthetic design, and safe game design — tells us that this year is more geared towards rebuilding than anything else.  As the industry’s sales have predictably dropped, the need to build upon knowns and known properties is ever more important, at least for the foreseeable future.

Every so often, friends of Team SideQuesting need a little help.  Sometimes that means stepping out beyond our day-to-day lives and donating a little to support a cause.

Our friend and yours, the Internet’s James Gillard, has recently been in-and-out of the hospital, out of work, and dangerously close to losing his place of residence.  If you’ve been following his tweets, you’d understand how much of a dire situation he is in.  And, since he’s a pretty good guy (apart from the constant murdering of us on XBox Live) he’s been as positive as you could ever hope someone could be. Though he’s not asking for it, we, virtual and actual friends of his, are banding together to host an online event.

Much like the “New Gums Day” fundraiser this past January 1st, this event — Romancing the Stones, taking place this Sunday, July 25th — will help James in great ways.  Featuring an auction, prizes, and a terrific live show with some incredible guests, Romancing the Stones will not only be a great charity event, but a great event overall.

So, help out!  Donate, join the event page, or spread the word!

Facebook Event Page

Full info below! (Thanks to everyone who’s helped to arrange this!)

Dear Big-Hearted Friends in This Here Club the JPAG,

In case you didn’t know, this is a real love-in of a Facebook Group. Every now and then a serious need arises among our group, and so we band together to do good. We’ve helped repair consoles; we’ve helped pay crazy dental bills.

And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, I now sound the clarion call once more.

While we’ve jokingly adopted Twitter memes when James “Take My Bike — Please!” Gillard has been hospitalized, he has unfortunately suffered multiple hospitalizations of late, and British healthcare unfortunately doesn’t come with British job security for part-time teachers. It’s been one damn thing after another, and none of those things are generating dough.

Put bluntly, he hasn’t been able to work for some time, and times are desperate. As in, eviction-desperate, and in short order.

Are we going to sit idly by while Mr. Sophistication gets kicked to the curb? Most assuredly not, fellow fans of Battenberg cake!

To wit: on July 25, from 2 – 5 PM CDT, the JPAG will host a live JPAG podcastravaganza, featuring fabulous prizes and live call-ins! This time, no prawns will be present.

Oh, yeah, I said PRIZES. Prizes to be awarded in a fashion TBD (likely similar to the New Gums Day method); there will likely be a raffle for some items of particular significance, and some other thank-you gifts sent to all those who donate, or who donate at some TBD level. Here’s what people have committed to donate thus far:

*** BEGIN PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS, LARGELY PLAGIARIZED FROM DONOR COPY ***

Evan Hodgins (Toronto, America’s Hat): Evan will put you in as a guest in his comic Of Noobs and Men (a two-time winner of the Joystiq Weekly Webcomic Wrapup). Get famous, in line-art!

Kyle Collis: Kyle donates three prize packs, as follows…
1. Dreamcast Prize Pack – PAL Dreamcast with two controllers, a VMU, and a scart cable. Also comes with four games: Mr Driller, Shenmue, SoulCalibur and Jet Set Radio.
2. Promotional Consideration Prize Pack – Eight promotional PlayStation 2 games: Destroy All Humans, Burnout Revenge, The Warriors, Brothers in Arms – Road to Hill 30, Ultimate Spider-Man, Fantastic 4 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006. He says: “Since these are a little crap I also included a copy of Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box on PS3 (without the sleeve), Final Fantasy VII Complete (a two-disc DVD set of an entire playthrough of FFVII I bought off eBay years ago for some reason) and The Legend of Zelda: Melodies of Time (a soundtrack CD that came with an issue of the official UK Nintendo magazine).”
3. Arty Prize Pack – Art books for Devil May Cry 4, InFamous, Dead Space (hardback, includes 3D glasses), Jade Empire and five art cards for Halo Wars. Also includes the 10th anniversary Complete Pokedex hardback book and comics for Halo: Uprising, De Blob and Wanted.

Jarret Green (St. Louis, Missouri):
Seth Cohen Starter pack:
2 lucky winners will get 1 book, 1 game (PS or Stream, prob), 1 cd (or mix CD), 1 movie, and 1 wildcard item from Jarret’s personal collection based on your own taste (and ability to enjoy such a items)*
*your taste to be determined by painfully generic facebook quizzes.
It’s like JPAG Secret Chrismakkuh Guy in July!**
**All prizes will be related to The O.C.***
***in that they are in the same house as every season of the O.C.

Patrick Young (Waldorf, Maryland): A homemade plush Sackboy made out of some of his BBMT wristbands from PAX East.

Klee Baker (Manhattan, Kansas): Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition Players’ Handbook.

Jeff LeClerc (Chicago, IL): New copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum (360 version).

John Moore (Medford, Oregon): Two MP3/CD audiobook packs!
Pack one includes:
-Death by Black Hole, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
-The Pluto Files, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
-Where’s My Jetpack?, by Daniel H. Wilson
Pack two includes:
-Sex Lives of Cannibals
-Getting Stoned with Savages
-Lost on Planet China, all by J. Maarten Troost
Pics here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140366112655950#!/photo.php?pid=1548586&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=140366112655950&aid=-1&id=1242062878

Dustin Deckard (Wichita, Kansas): Lord of the Rings Online limited edition box signed by the entire lead development team. These boxes were given away at PAX Prime and include the game (no expansions) and soundtrack, as well as a poster and map of Middle Earth. It’s a big, cool-looking box, and although it’s not shrink-wrapped or anything, it’s brand new and the code has never been activated, meaning it’s good for 30 days of gameplay. Considering that LOTRO is going free-to-play this fall, it’s a great way to dip your toes into the game. Also: digital codes for 2,000 Turbine Points, usable in Dungeons & Dragons Online (retail value $20).

Steven Strom (Fargo, North Dakota): Custom-designed t-shirt, designs TBD.

Justin Russo (Oak Park, Illinois): A complete set of his videogame art posters, signed and numbered by the artist, PLUS the super-secret pack-in poster, given only to those who backed at a premium level. I got my posters the other day, and let me tell you, this is a SWEET PACK. As in, better than my joystick. It took a lot to write that. So there.

Alan Black (Asheville, North Carolina): An invaluable chance to be ‘chopped in with the Joystiq Podcast hosts in one of his podcast banner pictures.

Mare Odomo (Seattle, Washington): Personally donated copies of his Pokexistentialist mini-comic _Letters To An Absent Father_. See more here: http://mareodomo.com/#425319/Letters-To-An-Absent-Father

Alexander Bevier (Tacoma, Washington): A brand-new, unopened Razer Boom Slang 2007 Collector’s Edition mouse, numbered 05978 out of 10000. See more here: http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.169415700

Holly Attesi (Springfield, Massachusetts): XBLA codes, nature TBD.

Wesley Johnson (Greenville, Kentucky): Some “pretty sweet graphic novels.”

Jesse “Mainfinger” Gregory (Bellevue, Washington): Three copies of Mode7, his game music CD compilation, physical copies of Save the Princess Vol. 1 (previously available only via digital distribution), several games in pristine condition, and the right to pick ANY game music song you know and have him make a custom remix of the song just for you. Remember that this is the guy who won the Capcom Dark Void contest for doing just such work. Now he can do it for you! See prize pics of the games and Mode7 CDs here: http://www.mainfinger.com/misc/prizes.jpg

Oscar Mancia (Chicago, Illinois): A Fulgore Killer Instinct T-Shirt (size XL), two 500 Nintendo Points cards, Pokemon Gold and Silver display boxes, Scribblenauts/A Boy and His Blob posters, and a digital photo of Ryan Mulvaney in front of the Eiffel Tower.

*** END PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS ***

So mark your calendars, peeps! This is going to be all kinds of fun, and all for a cause that will have immediate and lasting impact on one of our own.

Lastly, if you are good at something or make things that could be used as raffle prizes and you’d like to help, please message me right away. If you have the time and willingness to help organize this dealio, that’s also appreciated.

NOTE: This year, instead of mailing all donated goods to a central location whereupon a bedraggled volunteer packs it all up again and sends it out, we are relying on donors to take on the task of shipping the goods to the winners. Bear in mind that in some cases, international shipping may be involved, and thus it could tak…e several months for your prize to arrive by ice floe.

*** If you want to donate now, you can paypal your funds to jpaganimalrescue@gmail.com. ***

Your brother who never beat you up and always defended you in the schoolyard,

-Randall

Click here for Part 1 of the trends review

With the massive push for new technology this year, other aspects of game design are being affected.  Visual design, game environments, and story-telling take center stage to make sure that not only are the games technologically impressive, but entertaining as well.

Part 2 of the trend report deals with how visual aesthetics, environments, and character design trends are taking shape.

Visuals

Trend: 2D Platforming

As developers and publishers aim to out-do each other with high technology, there is a considerable backlash taking place. The desire for a pure game experience that is devoid of technological gimmickry is leading to a resurgence in 2D platform games.  In some respects, this is an evolution of retro-inspired gaming, but in other cases the genre is far-surpassing classic games.

“Re-makes” are a popular trend again, with updates to classic games (either in HD, 2.5D, or retro-influenced) currently peaking.  Nintendo’s approach is to leverage their popular franchises, pushing Kirby and Donkey Kong as their premiere 2D titles this holiday season much like with New Super Mario Bros Wii last year.  Konami is creating modern sequels to Bonk and Hard Corps, as well as a multiplayer Castlevania with an incredible zoom-out play feature.  Even the new Mortal Kombat and Marvel vs Capcom fighting games have gone back to 2D.

Independent developers see the opportunity to look at 2D platforming very differently. Indie developer Playdead is creating Limbo, a highly artistic game based on storytelling and shadows with Mario-like mechanics.  Super Scribblenauts, the sequel to last year’s E3 darling, improves the mechanic that made it popular by adding adjectives as to allow an exponential amount of variety in play-throughs.  Prope’s Ivy the Kiwi? looks at game controls from a more passive attitude.

2D platforming, thanks to playing on our classic gaming memories, isn’t just making a comeback, it’s already here.

The resurgence in 2D platforming is leading to companies evaluating alternative presentation methods for visualizing their games. Sprites, soft material, and hand-drawn visuals are in abundance this year.

Trend: Visuals as Art

The use of art-like visuals in 2D platforming has always been common, yet this year the idea is being stretched in unique ways… literally.  Kirby’s Epic Yarn draws influence from Little Big Planet in using materials to portray the pink puff and his worl, even using the physics of the materials in game play.  Prope’s Ivy the Kiwi? uses hand-drawn visuals that look as if they have been sketched on craft paper.  This is a continued extension of previous “art-aesthetic” games such last year’s Muramasa, or even Street Fighter IV.

Silhouetting (designing the games as shadows) is another visual aesthetic that is showing more in indie games.  World of Goo somewhat fit the concept last year, and Echochrome before it, of manipulation of dark on light.  This year, the use of shadow (and adversely, light) as a key game play element allows for a high-contrast use of black.  Both Lost in Shadow and Limbo, for instance, utilize a shadow character amongst a shadow world to design the visuals.

Trend: Anti-Post Apocalyptic Colors

A few years ago, the plethora of post-apocalyptic or alien invasion game settings utilized grey and brown.  This inadvertently became known as the “next gen” look, as popular games — Fallout 3, Bioshock, Gears of War — used the earthy, crumbled color scheme to portray a worn and dirty world.

This year, though the post-apocalyptic settings are similar, the colors have become much more saturated, perhaps cuing off of the success of the stylized Borderlands last year.  Bright red, “living” green, and bluish-gray are the popular colors we’ll see in games, with an electric yellow used as an accent to show off special powers or weapons.  Things are looking up for the doomed world.

Growing Trend: Environments

Every year, a new visual “schtick” takes place that highlights the latest graphics technology. Two years ago it was water. Last year developers showed off fire effects.  This year snow is in, specifically in mountainous landscapes and cities.  The reason that snowy scenes are becoming popular is possibly a correlation to the growing use of particle physics in games.  Killzone 3‘s battle scenes are reminiscent of the blizzards in Uncharted 2 or Modern Warfare 2.  Expect to see more game snow and mountains in the next two years.

Another locale that is trending is directly related to the war-torn post-apocalypse.  Collapsed cities are found in upcoming games like Rage, with the ability to take down deteriorating structures even more of a draw.  Crumbling buildings, with falling blocks of cement and dusty interiors, push the limits of texture technology, even though they don’t necessarily appear as dynamic as forests or war zones.

Growing Trend: Character Design

Middle-aged men with beards.  If there was any character design that has become prevalent in gaming it is the “Nathan Drake” look, a variation on the scruffy, middle-class, white male that’s been popularized by TV shows like LOST.  Protagonists in games like Infamous 2 and Medal of Honor are becoming more realistic, which means that there is more of an emphasis on the half-shaven, stuck in a bad situation look.  This may be a reflection of the film industry, where realistic takes on comic book properties (The Dark Knight, for instance) are becoming more popular as directors aim to create believability.

Growing Trend: The Motion Control “Look”

As Microsoft and Sony unveiled their motion control peripherals at E3 this year, both publishers had distinctive ways at marketing the games via aesthetic.  Microsoft, aiming at the Wii audience, is pushing “offend no-one” cartoon-like visuals with avatar support.  Sony, on the other hand, is using realism to showcase its MOVE games, focusing on more of the core audience.  It remains to be seen if either of these aesthetics will take hold for the respective technologies.

Conclusion Part 2

As new technology is being brought into video games, the aesthetic and design follows.  Though there is a sort of “backlash” against high-technology, 2D platforming is actually incorporating ground-breaking and revolutionary design and storytelling.  This also showcases a defiance in the peaking post-apocalypse and zombie trends in gaming that have been prevalent in recent years, with more of a focus on brighter, more pleasing colors amid new environments.  In the next one-to-two years, expect developers to begin to move away from death and destruction towards more positive experiences as a reflection of the seemingly positive turn in the economy.

Each year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) showcases the games and technology that we will be playing over the foreseeable future. Often, that can mean products that are debuting in the Fall, or even those that are 1-2 years away from completion. These products guide the industry in design and technology for years, as consumers flock to those products that they find more enjoyable.

This year’s E3 continued that formula. The products that were on the show floor and behind closed doors displayed clear trends and direction for 2010 and onward as to what game designers and publishers are proposing to the gaming public. From technology, to visual design, to the cultural sphere around gaming, this year’s show was more subdued in blockbuster announcements, instead focusing on revision and evolution over revolution. Over the next few days we will discuss the leading trends that were apparent at the event.  This is part 1 of 3.

Part 1: Technology

Trend: 3D Gaming

The major focus of Sony and Nintendo at the show was aimed towards 3-dimensional gaming.  The technology has been hot and cold over the decades, found in film, books, and gaming.  This time around, James Cameron’s film Avatar set the precedent for immersion with 3D visuals that were designed to place the viewer into the scene as opposed to having objects thrown out of it. It should be noted that 3D visuals are presumed to cause strain on eyes to some viewers.

Sony’s Playstation 3 console effort relies on special glasses and televisions, a technology that is in minimal adoption at the moment.  Even with several impressive 3D titles set to arrive this year, such as Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone 3, the slow return of the economy has consumers hesitant to make large home purchases such as expensive new televisions with unproven technology.

Nintendo, on the other hand, is utilizing glasses-free technology that has been available on mobile devices for the past 2 years.  Their 3DS portable allows for a narrow-angle glasses-free view of 3-dimensional visuals.  “It really works,” was the common comment coming out of E3.  Intent to purchase for the 3DS should be relatively high when it arrives, as consumers are ready to move on from the current DS and PSP generation.

There is an interesting phenomenon taking place with 3D.  Most developers and publishers are currently exhibiting a “wait-and-see” attitude towards the technology in the living room, but are excited by the idea of a self-contained mobile 3D experience.  The technology may be a nice-to-have for the PS3, but a driving force of sales for the 3DS.

Trend: Motion Control

Last year at E3, both Microsoft and Sony debuted their concepts for motion control, Natal (Kinect) and Move, respectively.  This year, the updated technologies took center stage as the companies aimed to sell to distinctly different markets.  Microsoft’s controller-less Kinect seemed focused on capturing the Wii’s casual crowd, while Sony showcased more core efforts such as FPS and racing games.

Both Microsoft and Sony are using motion control to extend the life of their respective consoles, with Microsoft also launching a a redesigned XBox 360 to coincide.  Once again, Sony is adding support for the new tech to a large percentage of their future software, while Microsoft is leaning towards technology-specific games that cannot be played without the Kinect.  Though the technologies are different, the software is still very similar, and we may not see “killer apps” until next year’s E3 show.

Trend: Cloud gaming

As ISP networks become more stable and quicker, Netflix-like streaming of video games is becoming a reality.  Last year, OnLive debuted their service in early form, showcasing how games can be played without a console or disk and just a fast internet connection.  Since then, the product has launched and companies like Gamestreamer and Gaikai have begun testing their own versions.  Browser-based games have gone from fad to norm on desktops and laptops, as Facebook games like Farmville and Mafia Wars have consumed the time of millions of players.

OnLive has been the most publicized of the emerging group, with a technology that allows for playing of the newest games on even some considerably sub-par or older computers.  With the popularity of Netflix streaming continuing to grow at an accelerated pace (appearing on all consoles and several mobile devices), the technology is just now becoming realized in the gaming world.  Its advantages include near-perfect piracy control, play-anywhere (regardless of device), and accessibility; within a few minutes after signing up, anyone can play without purchasing any new hardware.

Expect the technology to continue to grow, especially once ISPs like Comcast and AT&T decide to partner with the service providers as early as next year.

Growing Trend: Augmented reality

Augmented reality became a buzz word in 2008 with the release of several novel apps for the iPhone 3G, and the 3GS in 2009.  At this year’s show, augmented reality began to appear in the mobile platforms as well as on consoles.  The technology brings realistic visuals or locations into the games that we play and meshes them with unique gameplay mechanics.

On the mobile front, Nintendo showcased a tech demo that wowed users.  Using the 3DS and its exterior 3D cameras, the portable captured an image of a question block on a table.  The image then transformed into a fully playable battle scene, showcased in the hand-held’s glasses-free 3D technology.  Almost instantly showgoers began wondering what StarFox or Mario might look like in augmented reality.

Sony is utilizing the EyeToy in the EyePet software, due in 2010.  The game uses live video of the users and overlays a 3D image of a creature that is played with, either hands-free or with the Move motion controls.  The software can also interpret 2D images and sketches, allowing for even more interaction.

Though still fairly small, the use of augmented reality in gaming is being pushed more on portables than it is on consoles, thanks to location services and built-in motion sensors, but will remain a novelty experience for the foreseeable future.

Growing Trend: Everything to Everyone

When the PS3 launched on 2006, it prided itself on being the only console that gamers would need. Almost four years later, Sony has renewed its push with the “It Only Does Everything” campaign.  Thanks to recent firmware updates the console can display Netflix and Hulu content, video editing, social network connectivity, and 3D gaming, along with the ever-expanding Home and Playstation Plus.  Sony has capitalized on being first-to-market with recently new technology.

Microsoft is doing the same, albeit with more focus on networked tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix.  Kinect is aimed at the casual audience, and ESPN and video conferencing is also coming this year.

These companies are hoping to expand the potential sales “bullet points” of their devices, as they work to capture the check list mentality of how consumers view value.  Thanks to smart firmware updates, both Sony and Microsoft, along with Nintendo and its 3DS and Apple with its iOS devices, are able to continually expand the usability of their products.  This is easily the “Most Functional Generation” of gaming products, to the point where gaming often takes a back seat to other applications.  This will continue even more so with the growth of 3D and motion control.

Conclusion Part 1

This year marked the push for extending the life of the current console generation with new technology and a refocus on gaming audience. The key trends to consider going forward through 2010 and into 2011 are clearly based on the adoption of three key technologies: 3D, motion control, and cloud-hosted gaming. These trends are affecting both haptic interaction with and visual design of games and consoles.

It’s 100 degrees outside. It’s the middle of July. It’s an unbearable Summer.  IT’S HOT.

The best way to prepare for going outdoors? This sweet zip-up jumper from Bethesda!  At E3, the Rage and Hunted publisher gave us this ultra-limited piece of swag to pass along to you.  With several notable Bethesda logos screen-printed on, you’ll at least be ready for the chilly nights of gaming in Autumn.

How to win?  Simple!

1) Leave a comment in this post telling us what upcoming game of 2010 you’re most excited about.
2) Enter up to once per day Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday
3) Winner chosen & announced on Tuesday night at 10PM EST using a randomizing number selector.

Good Luck!

[UPDATE: Winner is Memo, who's excited about Crysis 2!]

Castlevania.  In many languages, the name roughly translates into “Bad-Ass Side-scrolling Adventure”.  The foundations of many past & present 2D gaming experiences fall within the Transylvanian walls of Dracula’s 8-bit castle.  And while the magic worked in pixelated worlds, it never quite translated into the third dimension.  E3 brought us a hopeful new game, looking to break that streak.  Our hands-on time revealed an interesting conundrum:

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the best 3D Castlevania game, though it doesn’t always feel like one.

The scenery, the environment, the characters of Lords of Shadow are all inherently Castlevania, right down to the triumphant return of the Belmont family and their stable of weapons.  But something doesn’t feel quite right, as if the game, fun and exciting as it is, was built as different experience with a Castlevania decal applied on top.

The game’s 3D design is reminiscent of Devil May Cry 4, with the first area I played — a tutorial town infested with werewolves — set in just a few areas and specific camera angles.  The rain is pouring around Gabriel Belmont, the new protagonist called in to thwart the attack, with the moonlight dancing off of puddles and the rain-soaked ground.  Extremely atmospheric, and with the limited camera control it sometimes felt like a pre-rendered scene.  The rain purposefully hid some characteristics of the werewolves, with only their blood-red shining eyes visible at times.

The werewolves all appear similar and move in a predictable way: wait, wait, wait for the attack, dodge (with a flick of the left stick), and strike back with the whip.  Gabriel automatically locks onto the enemies, providing a method to mimic the precision of the attacks in the 2D games.  Should the whip flail wherever I want it to, it may be nearly impossible to strike the werewolves.  It is almost like playing a tiny QTE, but it works.

After a few rounds of werewolf murdering — and with an explosive toss of the cross, it definitely feels like murdering — a giant werewolf leaps over a wall onto the scene for a mini-boss battle.  Completion of this relatively simple fight, a tutorial meant to showcase specifically how to dodge and strike, lead to the next scene, a chase on a horse through a chilly forest.  And, more giant werewolves.  Also available was the ability to upgrade weapons and skills along the way, designed like an unearthed tome with a truly giant list to work through.

Though the game looks beautiful and plays extremely well, it seems to lack some of the staple touches that made classic Castlevania so wonderful.  Namely, I miss breaking boxes, candles, and the straightforward and consistent progression of the 2D games.  Lords of Shadow seems like several (exciting) scenes strung together, with nothing really screaming uniquely “Castlevania” at me.  It almost, almost, feels like God of War II with Vampires.  This is possibly a fault of the short length of E3 demos, so playing the full game during it’s Fall release will hopefully correct that.

Nonetheless, it’ll be an exciting romp through Europe of the 1800s, especially with exploding werewolves.

[images and video courtesy Konami]

Well, it’s been two weeks and we’re still riding high from E3.  [Editor's note: That was a lie.  We're still totally tired.]

Our pile of E3 swag is slowly diminishing each week, thanks to you, our intrepid readers and visitors.  However, we still need your help to relieve us of the remainder.  This week, we’ve bundled a couple sets together to create some truly yummy prizes!  Two winners will be crowned this time, so your chances are doubled at winning!

Prize Pack 1: APB T-shirt, Blacklight dog tag, Portal 2 iPhone 3G/3GS skin and wallpaper, and Gamercoins card

Prize Pack 2: Gamers’ Rights T-shirt, Blacklight dog tag, Portal 2 iPhone 3G/3GS skin and wallpaper, and Gamercoins card

How to win?  Simple!

1) Leave a comment in this post telling us what your favorite SideQuesting E3 preview was. (Click here for the cheat sheet).
2) Also note which prize pack you’d like, #1 or #2.
3) Enter up to once per day Friday, Saturday and Sunday (that’s 3 chances total).
4) Winner chosen & announced on Sunday night at 10PM EST using randomizing number selector.

Good Luck!

I have a huge confession to make: Portal was a good game.

There, I said it. Not a great game, not the best game of the year, and certainly not the eye-opening experience that many made it out to be… at least to me it wasn’t. While it introduced a wonderful gameplay mechanic and an unforgettable cast and plot, I felt that tank-like controls and the lack of some physical detail — the Companion Cube just “floated” in front of me when I picked it up, instead of showing my hands or shadows — were enough to take me out of the experience. Not by much, but by enough.

Please give me a moment to duck from the tomatoes being thrown my way, because I’m about to turn into a reformist:

Portal 2 was the best game at this year’s E3.

When we arrived at Valve’s “secret room” hidden in the farthest corner of West Hall, the collection of games journalists that greeted us looked like a line-up of expectant father’s in a delivery room. Beads of sweat trickled down brows as the anticipation for the Messiah-like rebirth of GLaDOS was imminently near. We were soon ushered into an even smaller, more compact room, where we were treated to an almost Dharma Initiative extended trailer for the game. We realized quickly that Portal was back, and its magic had been amplified by exponential amounts.

The game is set years after the end of the original. GLaDOS, the malevolent mechanical mistress, is rebuilding the chambers, making improvements and spawning new traps tools. The poor thing only knows how to interact with us humans by testing us, we’re told.  GLaDOS, intent on revenge, maintains the same sly sarcasm that she was famous for, insisting that she be allowed to reengage with our hero/lab rat “for science”.

As the pre-recorded trailer rolled on, the visuals looked much more crisp and glossy and the rooms much bigger and detailed, as Portal moves on from development by a small Indie team to full AAA title treatment.  The spectacular lighting effects around the new weapons and tools highlighted the emphasis on a more vibrant, living environment.  The portals themselves were no longer flat 2-D objects; they now shimmered and emitted little blobs of light.  Also visible was the lush overgrowth of the setting, as vines, weeds, and plants have overrun Aperture Science.  I half-expect to see some wildlife running around as well.

Portal, built around a novel “weapon” and an FPS perspective, was at times purposefully repetitive.  Some of the stage designs were too similar, and often the joy of puzzle-solving dissipated into “when will I get the hell out of this room.”  Portal 2 resolves that by implementing several new tools to help (and hamper) along the way.  The Excursion Funnels, Aerial Faith Plates (platforms that launch users into the air), Thermal Discouragement Beams (an “always on” deadly laser), and the vacuum-like Pneumatic Diversity Vents are not only smartly named, but also add proportional levels of problem solving that needed to take place.  The joy is in their combination, as the elements can create a Rube Goldberg machine to reach the goal.

My personal favorite new tools are the ones that Hero would have direct control of: the gels.  Sprayed onto the floor, walls, or objects, the gels amplify specific actions.  The Repulsion Gel allows for higher jumps, while the Propulsion Gel increases run speed.

The most engaging addition to Portal 2 may be the new side-kick, Wheatley.  Wheatley, a “personality core”, has become sentient and has been trying to escape from GLaDOS since the collapse of the lab.  The writing for the character is brilliant, as Wheatley comes off as a likable know-it-all, much like an English club-goer finding the perfect night club to drink expensive martinis.  “Oh no, avoid eye contact, they’ll never shut up” he decries when passing a turret.  The room full of sweaty journalists erupts in laughter.  Even with those short 10 minutes in the demo room, Wheatley may be one of the most memorable video game characters to date.

One important point to note is that the original Portal, though a “core” game, was accessible to players of any ability.  If a puzzle was attempted enough, the player would eventually figure out the solution.  With Portal 2, the developers do not want the game to be harder, but want the puzzles to require more thinking.  It’s this type of design that makes the game that much more appealing to me.  I won’t be throwing any controllers, I may just set them down for a day.  And for that, Valve is creating more than just a sequel… they’re creating a legacy.

Fresh off the presses (ok, my email inbox, but whatever… nitpicker). Square Enix has released some dates for Final Fantasy XIV on PC.

Global Release Date (English, French, German & Japanese) – September 30, 2010.

• Pre-Orders at certain retailers (not specified) available today.
• Pre-Orders of the standard edition are rewarded with a special in-game item, and 30 days of free play ($13/month afterward).
• Pre-Orders of the Collectors Edition are rewarded with another special in-game item, early access (8 days before everyone else), a behind-the-scenes DVD, a travel journal with previously-unreleased concept art, a special ‘rite of passage’ certificate, and a custom-designed cover art by Yoshitaka Amano.

They have also announced a beta launch for “Early July 2010″.

Release on PS3 slated for March 2011 (It’s about time PC got out there first. Do you see that, THQ?).

Recently, they’ve tapped our friend Justin Russo to create a poster for their “Everybody can Game” campaign.

The 18″x24″ screen-printed beauty, shown at left, will be limited to just 350 prints, and only to those who donate $55 or more.  Depicting simplified Super NES, XBox 360, and PS3 controllers, the art speaks to the “we’re all in this together” mentality that we gamers preserve.

All profits will go towards the foundation.  The posters are limited to a first-come, first-serve basis, so get those donations in now!

Justin Russo’s AbleGamers Foundation Poster

I have been trying for over a week now to figure out the right words to describe the experience of the 3DS, previewed at the Nintendo E3 press conference. Anyone who has talked to me since that event knows that it has been a difficult task. The problem arises because the instant I start talking about it, I start getting excited all over again and end up tripping on my words. As you can imagine, this makes it difficult to describe.

In short: The Nintendo 3DS is simply an amazing device, and will change portable gaming forever.

The 3DS’s primary display is a 3.5″ widescreen with 3D capabilities. The standard touch-sensitive bottom display is in place, along with the expected user-facing camera and controls. The 3DS also adds a “slide pad” which can be used to control objects in 3D space.

The real kicker about the screen on the 3DS is that it does not require 3D glasses to experience the effect. Let me state that again so we are sure I am 100% clear on this: You do not need 3D glasses to use a 3DS. One more time, in case this hasn’t sunk in yet: NO GLASSES.

At first, I was a bit skeptical. I have seen a lot of technology promises that turn out to be rather flat. Most of the time, the promises are qualified with a *, which leads to a long disclaimer that essentially negates the promise while not breaching any legal boundaries.

I was pleasantly surprised when I first got my hands on the device to take a look. Now, when I say “pleasantly surprised”, I should probably clarify that I actually mean “dumbstruck, and only able to utter ‘Oh, wow’ under my breath for several minutes”. It’s right there in front of your face, 3D images without glasses. 3D images as good or better than you would expect from a 3D movie, but in a handheld device.

The demo at the press conference was limited to a display of a few 3D models and action sequences. The actual Nintendo booth on the show floor, however, had several stations with different games and software to check out. The most impressive of these was a 3D augmented-reality game that showcased the power of the little device. Additionally, a 3D trailer of an upcoming Disney movie (a take off of the Rapunzel fairy tale, titled ‘Tangled’) was on display. Nintendo has announced partnerships with several studios to have 3D movies available for the 3DS sometime after launch.

Nintendo is currently trickling out news of 3DS exclusive releases, but it is difficult to say when anything will be available, as they have not yet announced a release date for the device. By the look of the number of units on hand for E3, we can probably expect a release sometime later this year, or early 2011.

Finally, I thought it would be nice to just give a rundown of the vital specifications:

Main Screen: 3.5″ widescreen LCD. Total resolution of 800×240, effective resolution of 400×240 (400 pixels for each eye). The main screen also has a slider to adjust the depth of the 3D effect, which can also be turned off completely.

Camera(s): 1 user-facing 640×480. 2 outward-facing 640×480 (capable of shooting 3D images).

Communications: 802.11 (b/g/n not specified) with WPA/WPA2 capabilities. Also able to make peer connections with other 3DS devices, presumably able to create mesh networks. Able to maintain wireless connections while in sleep mode.

Standard controls: Lower touch screen, A/B/X/Y buttons, DPAD, L/R buttons, Start/Select buttons.

Additional controls: “Slide Pad”, motion sensor, gyro sensor (allows detection of movement in 3D space), 3D depth slider.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one already: Kinect will sell for $150.  Though retailers have been listing it as such all weekend, Microsoft has yet to announced the final price.  As part of Gamestop’s Summer Sizzlers promotion, they have (for the second time now) listed Kinect for $149.99.  The promotion is meant to sell pre-orders of the games that debuted at E3.

Granted, games like Dead Space 2 and NBA Jam still have the magical “flex” date of December 31, 2010, so this news should be taken with a grain of salt.  But if there is anything that Gamestop knows, it is to collect your money during pre-orders.  Unless there is a dramatic price change for the hardware (and for the casual Kinect games, priced at $60 each) this appears to be the most damning evidence yet.

Gamestop’s Summer Sizzlers Promotion link

We didn’t quite know what to expect from Activision’s mega E3 event this past Monday in Los Angeles.  When we were invited, we were told it was a “super exclusive” event with the location TBD.  Our initial reaction was that this was either a small party or an intimate hands-on demo of some of their upcoming games.

It wasn’t until the rumors began to pour in that we knew this was going to be something… different.

Eminem. Travis Barker. Black Eyed Peas. Soundgarden. N.E.R.D. Usher.  The rumored list of supposed appearing stars kept growing and growing.  Eminem confirmed his attendance via Twitter, and we realized that this was more than just a press event.  The venue was then revealed to us: the Staples Center.  This was going to be some sort of concert, pimping DJ Hero, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty.

When we arrived at the event we knew that it wasn’t quite as “exclusive” as we had been told.  Inside the arena, around 4000 people were enjoying the free beer and food that Activision provided.  After an hour delay, we were ushered inside to the floor.  DJ Z-Trip ground the dance beats, while Deadmau5 and David Guetta took turns bringing the crowd to a frenzy.

Moments later, Usher appeared from an opening under the stage and was joined by will.i.am for his recent hit, “OMG”.  Things continued to explode from there as acts like Jane’s Addiction, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Tool, Rhea, Rihanna, NERD, and a stripper/acrobat on a 40-ft poll took the stage one-by-one for 10-minute sets.  E3, it seems, was back in full force once again.  Activision was mirroring some of the incredible events that Sony would put together for the show years before.

The Eminem/Rihanna/Travis Barker climax at the end of the night was intense, leaving one man behind us nearly in tears.

When we left the event we had no more or less love for Activision, as these kinds of events are fairly commonplace during E3 (and any other large conference).  We were full of free beer, pretzels, nachos and Twizzlers, but still felt a little empty.  We were hungry for games, not necessarily for a concert.  Regardless, it wasn’t as if we were upset that we were there, just not expecting that outcome.  We enjoyed the night as much as we could, knowing full well that 20 minutes later we would be back at work on writing pieces and preparing for the next day.

Here are a few of the photos we took, as well as some of the Qik video from my iPhone and Activision’s own press clips.

Link to Activision video:

http://activisionvideo.com//video/149/Activision-E3-Preview-Event–Usher-and-Eminem-perform-live

Contributed by: Toby Davis

When I was young, tabletop miniature games were king in my family. Today many people overlook the genre in favor of video games due to factors like accessibility, cost, and connectivity.

Privateer Press, creators of many classic and popular tabletop miniature games like the hit Monsterpocalypse, are looking to keep the game genre from fading away.  With the Voltron expansion coming out in July, I had the opportunity to speak with Matt Wilson, Creative Director, on his thoughts about the direction that tabletop miniature gaming is headed, as well as their plans for their popular franchise.

Toby Davis: Matt, can you give us a little history behind the creation of the game?

Matt Wilson: Monsterpocalypse was equal parts strategic business decision and a fit of inspiration harkening from a childhood spent immersed in classic giant monster movies. The time had come for Privateer to launch a new brand and we wanted to do something that could appeal to a new audience; WARMACHINE & HORDES, our two related tabletop miniatures games were cruising very nicely and creatively, I needed to put my head in a different space for a while. So after doing some research, I locked myself in a closet for 6-12 months and started cranking out character concepts and game rules that eventually emerged as Monsterpocalypse.

TD:  How accessible is this game?  Can anyone pick this up, or are there a lot of rules to understand and learn?

MW: Yes and yes. The core rules of the game are pretty simple. You spend dice to do things, you roll dice and look for little blast symbols, you compare numbers. You can be playing the game with just a few minutes worth of instruction. But there’s a great deal of the depth to Monsterpocalypse, which is why it also appeals to serious strategy game players. Every figure has abilities that can combo with other figures to achieve some great effects. Whether you’re playing it ‘lite’ or playing to win, though, the fact that you’re rampaging monsters through a city skyline, crushing tanks and brawling with other giant monsters means you’re having one of the most fun experiences you can imagine with a tabletop minis game.

TD:  How are the monsters and settings picked for this series, and do they go through any testing before being picked?

MW: We assemble the cast of characters to be diverse, to offer new experiences both fictionally as well as in game play, and at the end of the day, to really satisfy our desire to see certain monsters realized as figures. We don’t market research this stuff, it’s a matter of searching out the cool factor and knowing it when you see it.

TD:  Privateer is releasing the Voltron expansion in July.  Can we expect more iconic characters in the future, or are there any plans to add on to the Voltron lore first?

MW: Voltron is a self-contained set but the characters and vehicles can be dropped into your normal Monsterpocalyspe experience, so if you want to see Voltron go up against Gorghadra or Terra Khan, you can make it happen. Whether or not we see more guest appearances in Monsterpocalypse by known film or TV characters remains to be seen…

TD:  The Iron Kingdoms & Hordes series have books upon books of character background and history.  Does Monsterpocalypse have anything like this, or is anything planned?

MW: In the Starter Set rulebooks and Strategy Guides, we’ve featured the backgrounds of each of the monstrous factions. We’ve also had some fun fiction tid-bits on our blog at monsterinsider.net and we launched Monsterpocalypse with a four issue comic-mini series.

TD:  What monster, setting or unit is your favorite for the game and why?

MW: This is always a tough one to answer because I have a hand in creating them all. So, it’s like asking a parent which kid is their favorite. I love them all equally! But the ones that put an extra big smile on my face are probably the planet eaters, because they’re just crazy, fun cosmic alien monsters, and also G.U.A.R.D., because nothing turns my crank like giant robots, as anyone who knows me can attest.

TD:  Satisfying the long-standing fans seems to be a focus for Privateer Press. Has there been a fan moment that stands out since the release of Monsterpocalypse?

MW: Definitely. Seeing players show up in costume at conventions. One of our players who is an excellent costume-maker showed up at the cons last year as Zor Raiden, and it was fantastic. I think that having people devote so much time, energy and creativity to making a costume of one your characters is a sure sign that you’ve hit a chord with them. There’s nothing better.

TD:  Is there anything you can say about the series that the fans don’t already know before more is revealed at GenCon (in August), or perhaps what the next promotional monster may be?

MW: Well, we’ve had some very big news lately about the next really big step for Monsterpocalypse, which isn’t taking place on the tabletop, but rather, on the big screen, courtesy of Dreamworks. For all the Monsterpocalypse fans who ever wished they could see these battle played out in front of them, we’re on our way to an amazing monster movie experience!

I was an incredibly huge fan of the original Donkey Kong Country for the Super NES.  The sequels, though fun, never quite captured the magic of the original.  Unlike Mario games the DKC formula became repetitive over time, failing to introduce much beyond new characters and locales.  It became a series that I didn’t miss not having played in 13+ years.

So, when Nintendo announced Donkey Kong County Returns for the Wii during their annual E3 press conference, I wasn’t nearly as excited as the crowd around me.  It wasn’t until I got my hands on the game, though, that I reconnected with what made the original game so much fun: obsessive collection, zany action, and great visuals.

Luckily for me the majority of the visitors to the Nintendo booth were in line for either the 3DS or the Legend of Zelda, so I was able to snag some good time with DKC Returns.  The demo had 4 levels available to play, including a new version of the original’s “treehouse” section and a mine cart stage.

As soon as the first stage fired up, the feel of the game was unmistakably familiar.  Developer Retro Studios realized that part of the allure of the series is its pre-rendered visuals.  The textures, lighting, and shading of the polygons recreates that look, and the “bouncy” animation allows for something always to be moving in the jungle environment.  The proportions of the stage elements — giant springy flowers, volcanoes, spike pits — all seem a bit larger than I remember, but that only added to the over-the-top feel of the design.

The game maintains the controls of the series, with a few noteworthy additions. Firstly, the game introduces a ground pound triggered by drumming the WiiMote and Nunchuck in the air, allowing for various obstacles and item containers to be broken.  It’s actually a pretty natural motion that I found works well and doesn’t feel tacked on.  It only becomes a nuisance when trying to blow the petals off of flowers, which requires Donkey Kong to crouch down first.  Other than that, the jumps felt natural and smooth, like a hybrid between Super Mario and Little Big Planet, and Diddy’s pod shooter and jet pack (yay!) were great inclusions.

The heart of any Donkey Kong Country game is the collection system.  In Returns, the developers have us collecting coins, bananas, puzzle pieces, and letters.  I’d imagine that the replay value will be great for those who are collection hungry, but may be a little much for gamers who just want to play without feeling like they are missing out on something.

Donkey Kong Country Returns really is a refined experience.  I expected a mine cart stage, and it was there, only with more loops and jumps.  I expected a treehouse level, and it was more colorful and action-oriented than before yet still a great introduction.  The game plays exactly like I wanted it to, especially for someone still high on platforming.  The edition of the background layer, an entirely second level of play on many stages, provides even more variety.

Nintendo has a knack for building on our nostalgia.  The latest iteration is a sort of re-imagining of the original DKC instead of a real sequel.  Much like New Super Mario Bros before it, Donkey Kong Country Returns strips the franchise to its basics before adding a layer of polish to it.  Thankfully, Nintendo knows how to create brilliant platforming experiences even from those bare essentials.

Donkey Kong Country Returns ships this Holiday season.

[Images and video courtesy Nintendo]

We’re back from E3 and we have a TON of swag for you!  BUT FIRST!  We need to clear out some of the great swag we have here at SideQuesting HQ, which means yet another Friday of free stuff!

This week we’re sending out this super duper giant gem paperweight sent to us by D3P as a special promotion for the upcoming Puzzle Quest 2.   There’s an easy way to win this one:  just leave a comment below, telling us what your favorite announcement was from this year’s E3 spectacular!

See?  Simple!  Now get off your keisters and get to it!

Rules:

1) Leave a comment in this post telling us what your favorite E3 announcement was.
2) Enter up to once per day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
3) Must be a US or Canadian resident to enter (Sorry, Algeria!)
4) Winner chosen & announced on Sunday night at 10PM EST.

Good Luck!

Tuesday, I was able to spend some time at the booth and take a look at how OnLive works, as well as get some insight about how things are handled on the back-end to address network lag and other potential issues.

First, though, the game play.

I played a few minutes each of DiRT2 and Borderlands. Since I’m primarily a PC gamer, I wanted to make sure I checked out the experience from both the keyboard/mouse and the game pad.

DiRT2 played great. Inputs from the game pad were exactly as you would expect playing locally on a PC or console. Since a racing game is entirely dependent on reflexes and reactions, any kind of lag in controller or network response would have you smashing into a wall before you knew what happened. Once I got a feel for the controller, everything was dead on. Clean, smooth movements, and no perceptible time between making an input on the controller to the car reacting on screen.

I switched to the keyboard/mouse setup to check out Borderlands. FPS games have the same concerns as racing games: Any lag in input or network means you’re dead. Since the keyboard/mouse is where I live when it comes to gaming, there was no adjustment curve at all, and I was able to jump right in and play. Aiming, shooting, and dodging enemies all worked just as you would expect.

The thing that impressed me the most about the OnLive experience was the feel of instant gratification. The menu system loads and reacts just like a console system, popping up instantly when requested. Choosing another game is as simple as scrolling down to look for the one you like. Click on the game you want to play, and it begins loading instantly. It’s overall a great improvement on existing gaming systems, but where I think OnLive is going to be changing the game the most is in their rental system.

Currently, the only way to try out a new game for PC is to either download a demo (if it’s available), or buy it outright and hope you don’t hate it. Demos are fine to a point, but most of them have a limited gaming experience, and don’t necessarily give you a feel for the experience. Buying the game gives you the entire experience, but if you don’t like it, you’re essentially out of luck.

OnLive’s rental system allows you to check out the full experience of a game on your PC (Mac and their Micro Console are currently in beta testing) for just a few dollars, just like renting a console game at your local vendor. If you don’t like it, you’re out just a few bucks, and if you do like it, you can ‘buy’ the game for unlimited play time. When I pull together more details about the OnLive rental and purchasing experience, I’ll be sure to lay them out for everyone.

Overall, I think OnLive is going to be a real game-changer when it comes to home gaming. Clients for both PC and Mac, as well as the MicroConsole mean that OnLive is something that should appeal to everyone. My experience here at the E3 demo booth was just as good as playing the games on a moderately spec’d PC, more than enough for my “Just this side of casual” gaming habits. The MicroConsole was at least as responsive as an even higher spec PC or a current-gen console. The menu system is lightning fast, and rivals or even surpasses the responsiveness of the menus on current-gen systems.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should remind our readers that I am what is known as “A huge geek”. Whether the word ‘huge’ is referring to the amount of atmosphere I displace or the magnitude of my geekness is irrelevant, as it pretty much works either way. The last section of this article will detail some of the technical information about how the system works.

The first concern that anyone has when they are presented with the idea of OnLive is: What about lag?

As I mentioned above, when you’re playing games, lag is a killer. OnLive has done a great amount of work with hardware vendors to address lag on the home side of the connection (controllers, video hardware, and monitors are all sources of delays between input and display), and has put together peering agreements with major Internet backbone providers to ensure that the traffic from OnLive to your house traverses as little of the public Internet as possible. In order to preserve the experience, OnLive has set 2 strong restrictions for the client: You must be within 1,000 miles of one of their data centers (covers most of the U.S. at this point) to use the client, and you must have a ping lower than 80 before the client will even allow you to sign on. These two restrictions ensure that every time you sign in to OnLive, you get the best experience possible.

OnLive even addressed the issue of video decoding lag. Once the data is streamed to your device (whether it be a PC or the MicroConsole), it needs to be uncompressed and decoded so that it can be presented to you in an image that makes sense. The uncompression and decoding of a video stream is a time-consuming task in computer terms. Every millisecond the system spends on that process directly affects the overall lag in the system.

In order to fix this potential issue, OnLive created a custom codec that they have complete control over. They also implemented the codec in the hardware of the MicroConsole, making the uncompressing and decoding process lightning fast. This, I think, is where the additional quality feel comes about when using the MicroConsole versus the PC.

Next, I had a question about the versions of the games that are playable with OnLive.

OnLive has worked with publishers to create very lightly-modified versions of their available games from the PC versions that are available to everyone. Small modifications like restricting the available resolution and detail levels to those supported by their encoding system are about it.

Finally, we talked a little bit about hardware and OS compatibility.

I have a relatively medium-spec business laptop by today’s standards. OnLive noticed this while we were talking and mentioned that this particular model (a Dell Latitude D830, specifically) was the most tested laptop in their beta runs. As for hardware requirements, OnLive would be an ideal addition to a home theater PC (HTPC) system in the living room, as even relatively low-spec’d PCs are able to handle streaming 720p these days.

OnLive is also currently beta testing the Mac version of their client. Feedback so far has been pretty positive, and a launch is due pretty soon, though no date has been announced.

The purpose-built MicroConsole is also in testing and ready for launch as soon as manufacturing is able to ramp up to an acceptable rate to satisfy demand.

I also asked if there were any plans to have a Linux client, as many of the underpinnings of MacOS’s BSD system can be ported pretty easily to a Linux environment. Currently, OnLive has no plans to launch a Linux-based client, but they did note that it wasn’t a ridiculous idea, since the MicroConsole is running on an embedded Linux already.

Finally, I asked about importing existing games that players already own. Particularly, I mentioned content purchased through Steam. While nothing is confirmed at this time, they assured me that they are working with publishers on all aspects of the gaming experience. While this does not say they have plans for Steam in the future, it tells me that they have at least breached the idea with Valve at some point.

OnLive officially launches here at E3 today, June 17. Keep an eye out for a follow-up in the next few weeks as I try and put down some serious play time. At launch, they will have 23 games available from most of the different genres. They are continually working with publishers to grow their library.

There is always something magical about a Nintendo press conference at E3.  Is it the respectable Reggie and Miyamoto? The instantly recognizable legacies of names like Mario and Zelda? Or is it that Nintendo pushes games and fun above all other aspects?  I can’t quite pinpoint it, but I do know that whenever Nintendo presents they hold an almost Apple-like grip on the gaming press; we stop and listen for the big N, no matter what our fanboy affiliations may be.

This year Nintendo seemed to do what Sony and Microsoft didn’t: build upon mega-reveal after mega-reveal of games and hardware that we wanted/didn’t expect to see to the point of near religious-like convulsion.  Nintendo essentially said “You can have your technological breakthroughs, we’ll make blockbuster games that people want to play.  Oh, we also have technological breakthroughs.”

…And Dammit, People Like Me

In a sort of self-affirmation, Reggie Fils-Aime opened the press event by speaking to the recent negative press Nintendo has received for the Wii’s sales drops, amount of play time, and “fad” status, noting that this past December the Wii posted record sales for a home console.  Nintendo this year will focus on tech, but also on games that everyone will want to play.

A Legend Reborn

The new Legend of Zelda game was at the top of many gamers’ wishlists for E3 this year, and Nintendo chose to kick off its conference with the game.  The WiiMotion Plus-enhanced entry is the first truly “Wii” Zelda game, after Twilight Princess was criticized for being a waggle-enhanced (albeit great) port of an originally Gamecube game.

Apart from some technical difficulties on the stage during Miyamoto’s demo, the crowd was floored by the enhancements.  Miyamoto-san noted that the well-executed swordfighting from WiiSports Resort was the inspiration for the game, with slashing and strikes being true one-to-one motions.  The demo included Link walking through a field to a door with a giant impenetrable eyeball on it.  To pass, Link must rotate his sword in the air to cause the eye to track it, which leads to the eye becoming dizzy and unlocking the door.  A novel design feature that could only be done with the WiiMotion Plus.

The only (and major) disappointment: to allow for the completion of the final dungeons and game elements, the game will not be released until 2011.

2010 is Side-Scrolling

The resurgence of classically-infused side-scrolling games in 2009 continues into 2010, as Nintendo is focusing on the genre to bring some of its biggest classic names to the Wii.  Each time a new game was revealed, the crowd sound of booming yelps of joy could be heard throughout the crowd of attendees.

Metroid: The Other M, announced last year, will fuse 2D and 3D action elements like never before in the series.  The game, which focuses on Samus Aran’s back story, releases August 31st.

Kirby Epic Yarn, which may be the greatest double entendre for video game yet, stars the once fluffy blob in a game designed around knitted thread, denim, and cloth.  Kirby can pull enemies towards him with a new whip weapon, unzip the world and travel “behind” the background (creating a neat visual lump), and scrunch together the world’s elements.  It releases this Fall.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is the next project from Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios.  The game works much the same way that the original DKC games worked on the SNES: classing platforming and exploration.  The addition of layers in the game, a la Little Big Planet, allows Donkey Kong to travel between foreground and background to solve puzzles and avoid traps. The is Nintendo’s “big game” for the 2010 Holiday season.

Though these games all looked great and received incredible crowd feedback, they don’t seem to be the huge “blockbuster” level games that we’ve come to expect from Nintendo for an important Holiday release.  Without Zelda this year, can the retro-based Donkey Kong and Kirby maintain Nintendo against the Kinect/Move onslaught?

Bridge Games

Nintendo, unlike Sony and Microsoft, did not place too much focus on casual games in their presentation.  Instead, key “bridge” games were shown: the Mii-infused WiiParty (think Mario Party with Miis), Just Dance 2, and Mario Sports Mix (a collection of team-based sports games… with Mario). It’s unknown exactly how “bridge” these games actually are, but if history tells us anything then they’ll probably sell extremely well.

Big Names, Big Games

Gameplay footage was shown for Epic Mickey, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, and Dragon Quest IX, with Warren Spector presenting and showing a playthrough of gorgeously-designed Mickey.  The games joined a reveal of the Goldeneye “remake” that fans have been asking for, which for all intents and purposes didn’t seem to visually be up to par with anything this generation.  Goldeneye appeared to be stuck in time somewhere between N64 and PS2 in terms of fidelity.

We’ve just left the Microsoft E3 2010 press conference, where much fun was had, and are primed and ready to share our thoughts and the breaking news.  Microsoft chose this year to push a big focus on the casual, with an hour’s worth of Kinect/Live talk amongst a splatter of a few core titles.

What went down wasn’t as glitzy or glamor-filled (or terrifying) as the Cirque du Soleil event from the night before, but a much more refined experience focused on gameplay, live demos, and hardware.

The Core Gamer

As expected, Microsoft catered to the core audience with footage of Call of Duty: Black Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Halo Reach, and Fable 3.  It’s interesting to note that all games were sequels in popular franchises, with the only new IP being a Crytek-developed title, “Codename: Kingdoms” (working title, obviously).  In a resurgence year, Microsoft and publishers are clearly and safely pushing blockbuster sequels to blockbuster games.  Each of the games looked huge, action-filled, and exciting.

The push for exclusives was also apparent.  Microsoft VP Don Mattrick noted how Call of Duty expansions, add-ons, and map packs would be released first on XBox for the next three years.  Key exclusives and partnerships will be important.

User Interface

Kinect, formerly known as Natal, will be the clear push for Microsoft this year.  The completely controller-free interface provides for incredible and unique experiences.  First and foremost, an updated NXE interface will focus on Kinect’s hand-waving and voice recognition to provide a way for commanding the XBox to do things without picking up a controller.

“Xbox, play game.”

Just simple commands (preceded by the word “XBox”) will allow couch potatoes like us to open menus, play and pause videos in Zune, Netflix, and Live, and play games. Video Kinect, an updated chat client, allows integration with Microsoft’s Live Messenger across PC platforms to speak to friends and family, watch movies together, and view video clips.  Though Live Messenger is still in use it pales when compared to Skype’s userbase, relegating Kinect Video to a small (though efficient) app.

Trey Wingo and Josh Elliot showcased the new ESPN app, free for Gold members, that includes over 3500 live and on-demand sporting events, almost all in HD, integrated trivia and polls, and ties to ESPN3.com.  Watching live NCAA football games over XBox should blow away anything cable can provide.

Kinect Games

As expected — and much to the chagrin of core gamers — the Kinect games that were showcased were mostly casual.  From Kinectimals‘ cuteness to the decidedly WiiSports-like collection of sports minigames in Kinect… Sports, to Joyride, Adventure, and YourShape, it was a clear push for capturing gamers of all ages and backgrounds.

The audience did cheer, ooh, and aah during the announcement of the on-rails Star Wars game from Lucasarts, which depicted a Clone Wars-ish hero facing off against storm troopers and Darth Vader by mimicking light saber swings and force pushes in the air.  Note: Playing a game about swinging a lightsaber may be awkward when not holding a lightsaber.

What excited me most was the announcement of the use of Kinect in Forza 3. While not the “changing a tire” integration seen in last year’s glitz trailer, it allows for complete walk-arounds of cars, being able to look at vehicle details (headlights, engines) up close with stats and info, and the ability to sit “into” the vehicle, turn the key, and race off into the sunset.

Kinect launches on November 4th in the US (price TBA).

Read Nathan’s write-up of all of the announced Kinect titles shown.

XBox Slim

Finally, the worst-kept secret this year may have been the reveal of Microsoft’s new, svelte XBox.  The glossy machine includes HDMI and 802.11n Wifi built-in, 5 USB ports, a special port for Kinect, 250gb HDD and touch-sensitive buttons. Microsoft certainly turned the world on its ear when it announced that the sexy new XBox will begin shipping TODAY for $299.  Shades of the Sega Saturn debut in the 90s suddenly flared up.

Oh, and budgets be damned: everyone in attendance at the Wiltern Theatre got one for free, effective immediately. (We were evicted into the overflow area, and enjoyed watching the hundreds around us boo and hiss as the announcement was made.)

We’ll have more in-depth details on all the news from the conference throughout the week.  Stick tuned!

[Images courtesy Microsoft. Forza video courtesy GameTrailers TV]

Microsoft today announced 6 titles that will work exclusively with their new Kinect control system (previously dubbed “Project Natal”), and launching for the coming holidays. They also announced 2 larger titles that will be coming some time in 2011.

For the holidays:

1. Kinectamals – The kludgily-named casual baby animal trainer for kids was actually pretty interesting. With face, voice, and name recognition, the baby animals are very reactive and interactive with the player. The demo was of course ridiculously cute, starring a little girl and her baby tiger named ‘Skittles’.
2. JoyRide – Cruisin’ USA with a little bit of MarioKart thrown in. Jumps and tricks for extra points all have their own special motion. Looks like fun, but difficult to tell how Kinect handles acceleration and braking. The boost power-up is activated by a move akin to Ryu launching a power ball in Street Fighter, though, which I found interesting.
3. Adventure – A little like ABC’s Wipeout, but I’m sure with far fewer injuries to participants. Travel along a moving track, dodge obstacles, and grab coins. Definitely a good party game, and a good game for getting you out of your chair and moving around.
4. Your Shape – I tried to stay away from the direct comparisons to other console offerings, but the similarities to Wii Fit are undeniable. However, Your Shape is light years ahead of Wii Fit. Full-body 3D scanning and tracking, and a very slick interface make it really quite interesting. It was noted that the 3D body model’s movements had a pretty significant delay when compared to the movement of the person actually doing the demo.
5. Kinect Sports – Again, the comparison to a Wii title must be made. And again, Sports is light years ahead of Wii Sports, or Wii Sports Resort. Some of the individual games seemed like they might be difficult to get a handle on. The track and field games work well with the interface, particularly the quick shot we got of the javelin throw. I think long-jump might have people crashing into their TVs in a similar manner to the incidents of flying WiiMotes we saw at the first launch of that console.
6. Dance Central – Harmonix has put together a pretty impressive new iteration on the dance game. Using the body tracking of Kinect, Dance Central is able to coordinate actual dance moves, rather than just the hands (Let’s Dance for Wii) or feet (Dance Dance Revolution). Using actual professionally-developed choreography, and a training mode that will allow even the most awkward individual to learn some pretty advanced moves, I think Dance Central is going to be a pretty big seller. Don’t be scared if you start seeing nerdy guys approaching the dance floor next summer, they might actually be halfway decent dancers.

For release in 2011:

• A Kinect-enabled version of Forza that looks pretty impressive so far. As is to be expected of a Forza title, the car models and overall design are fantastic. The introduction of Kinect allows for some unique control options, such as being able to look into a corner as you’re approaching it. The inability to do this is something that has always bothered me about racing games, particularly when you’re dealing with road courses in heavy traffic. The same concern with Joyride applies: How do you control throttle and brake without a controller?
• A Star Wars game reminiscent of the Force Unleashed that appears to be set in the Clone Wars era. Light saber battles and use of The Force are there, as well as the appearance of everyone’s favorite villain right before the cut. Not having played any of the recent Star Wars games, it’s difficult for me to compare with existing IP, but it definitely looks like it will be a pretty good title.

It will be interesting how the Kinect-enabled ecosystem comes together. They definitely took some time putting together the titles that work with the new controllerless control system. Everything we were shown today looks like it works well with the setup.

I’m still concerned about the driving games, though. I’m sure they have put together a mechanic that works well for players, but they didn’t really show us how that part of the control system works.

With a chainsaw.

The artist, a woodworker in Michigan decked out in facial protection, resembled Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke more so than a lumberjack.  This truly bad-ass statue was carved from start to finish with the spinning blades, and then painted by hand to completion.

(Taken at Altermatt Farms in Macomb, MI)