Category: Game Developers
Roundup: Killzone 3 in 3-D
The highly anticipated Killzone 3 was officially released this week. It’s one of many titles slated for the Playstation3 in 3-D. There are a frenzy of stories. So what’s all the hype about?
Here’s a round up of some of the headlines out there on the web.
Lazygamer posted a review Killzone 3 after playing the game on a 3D TV with the motion controlled Sharpshooter accessory, describing the gameplay as a whole heap of fun. While the price point of 3D televion sets might be a little high right now for the average player, Gavin Mannion writes, “Sony will soon be launching a 3D TV’s for the budget-conscious gamer. The Sony Bravia KDL-32EX720; a 32 inch, 1080p, LED-backlit 3D TV will be available locally around April.”
James Brightman for Business Insider says Killzone 3 is a shining example what’s possible graphically on the PS3, and that the company would love to see more development studios support 3D and Move.
Speaking of the Move, Tim Hanlon for Gizmag reviewed Killzone 3 with the Move. “Move is by far the best controller yet…and turns Killzone 3 from a fantastic first-person shooter to the most immersive, visceral experience you’ll find on a console today.”
Take a look at the launch trailer.
Confirmed: Danger Close Games to develop “Medal of Honor” sequel
Greg Goodrich, exectuive producer of Medal of Honor, officially confirmed earlier this week that Danger Close, (dangerclosegames.com) is developing the sequel to the first-person shooter Medal of Honor, continuing the popular franchise. The latest release of Medal of Honor which started selling in stores in October 2010, has already sold 5 million copies worldwide.
“Yes, Danger Close is currently working on the next Medal of Honor.”, writes Greg on the Medal of Honor blog.
“Since our launch last October, we’ve studied, listened and absorbed much of your feedback and are very excited to be marching forward on the next title. We can’t wait to tell you more about it, so check back often to the website and the fan page on Facebook.”
News of Danger Close developing the next MoH title, confirms rumors that had been swirling around early last month, after Danger Close posted job openings. As I wrote about in January, Jonathan Leack, a writer for Playstation Lifestyle, noticed Danger Close studio has some job openings to work on an unannounced AAA first person shooter title, which some writers and bloggers have rumored to be the next title in the Medal of Honor series.
In case you haven’t seen or played Medal of Honor, here’s a look E3 Multiplayer trailer released last year.
Third-person tactical shooter, SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs ships, out April 19
It has been confirmed that third-person tactical shooter SOCOM 4 will be released in North America on April 19th.
Last week, Zipper Interactive, the developers behind the Playstation game, announced the news on the SOCOM.com web site, saying as the company “counts down the days and weeks to April 19, you can expect plenty of news, details and media to get you hyped up for what we think is the best SOCOM game yet..”
If you want to keep up with Socom 4, you can follow Zipper Interactive on Twitter, twitter.com/zipper
So what’s all the hype about?
Here’s a look at the SOCOM 4 “Not For Self” trailer.
Activision draws up battle plan for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Earlier this month, rumors circulated that the next Call of Duty title would focus on the Ghost character who first appeared in Modern Warafare 2.
While that rumor hasn’t been squashed, it also hasn’t been confirmed by Activision. But what the next title will be based on hasn’t been the focus of blogs and news sites in recent days - which game studio will be developing the game has been the buzz.
The independent Xbox fan site, thisisxbox.com, suggested Infinity Ward would be the game studio creating Modern Warfare 3.
However it’s looking less likely that Infinity Ward will be the only studio involved in its development, as Infinity Ward is still feeling the aftershocks of the studio’s collapse after Jason West (Infinity Ward president) and Vince Zampella (CEO and co-founder of Infinity Ward) were dismissed from the company. Shortly after the departure of West and Zampella, dozens of other Infinity Ward employees followed voluntarily.
The ex-Infinity Ward heads and former employees went on to form Respawn.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Activision is calling in reinforcements from its other studios to develop the next Call of Duty title.
Infinity Ward’s operations apparently have been affected enough that it has called in reinforcements to make the next Call of Duty military game. The studio was able to pull off prior games without aid, as it did with 2008′s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 2006′s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Activision has quietly tapped Sledgehammer Games, a Northern California studio, to help out with the making of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, according to people familiar with the situation. The game has not been officially announced by Activision. But the title is well into production and is expected to come out in November, the same month that the publisher has annually released a new Call of Duty installment, people with knowledge of situation said. Modern Warfare 3 will be the first game Infinity Ward has produced since the departure of of company co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella.
Readers, what are your predictions for the next Call of Duty game title?
Killzone 3 coming to stores on Feb. 22nd, 2011
The Playstation Blog has announced that Killzone 3 will officially be released in stores next month.
“You’ve waited patiently for 2 years, but now the time has come to return to Helghan along with Sev, Rico, Narville and the rest of the surviving ISA. Killzone 3 has officially gone gold, and will be coming to stores on February 22nd, 2011″, writes Mike Graham.
Killzone 3 has already received a Mature rating by ESRB. And will be one of many Playstation titles released in 2011 that will be available in 3D.
According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, “This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of interplanetary soldiers who must salvage mankind’s future. Players use electricity guns, pistols, machine guns, flamethrowers, and plasma grenades to destroy robot drones and enemy soldiers. Frenetic battles are highlighted by realistic gunfire and screams of pain; enemies emit large splashes of blood when shot. The game also depicts intense close-up attacks against enemies: snapping necks, slicing throats, stabbing or gouging eyes. Some weapons (e.g., boltgun and sniper rifle) can decapitate enemy soldiers with headshots, and one blood-splattered environment depicts severed human limbs. Language such as “f*ck” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue.”
Here’s a look at the brand new story trailer that was released earlier this month.
Read more about Killzone 3 going Gold.
Bodycount: Why first person shooters must distance themselves from Call of Duty to be successful
If you’re tired of playing Call of Duty or its clones, Andy Wilson of Codemasters promises that Bodycount, its upcoming video game to be released in 2011, will deliver an innovative new way for gamers to enjoy first person shooters.
To be successful in a market clearly dominated by Call of Duty, Andy Wilson told a reporter for Edge Magazine, “I think the biggest thing in the FPS genre right now is trying to distance yourself from the hugely successful examples like Call Of Duty or Battlefield.”
An excerpt of the interview was published on CVG (Computers and Videogames) in a story titled: Distancing from CoD is ‘genre’s biggest issue’ – Bodycount dev.
Andy Robinson, the author of the CVG article writes: “The director told Edge the Codies team has deliberately gone out to find a place of its own with Bodycount, and both visually and gameplay-wise it’s already pretty different. “I can’t think of anything comparable at the moment,” he said.”
The CGV story which provides good insight into how game developers are evolving, can be read in its entirety here.
About Bodycount
Bodycount rips apart the first person shooter as genre-defining gunplay comes alive in a balletic orgy of bullets and destruction.
Experience the intense thrill of close-quarters combat in a shreddable world as Bodycount blasts outrageous fire-fights and ferocious action from both barrels. Become a powerful combat asset green-lighted to eliminate enemies known only as ‘Targets’ on behalf of the ‘Network’, ensnared in a clandestine global power struggle that rages away from the headlines and under the cover of conventional war zones.
This exhilarating shooter drops players into chaotic areas of operations equipped with a mouth-watering selection of contemporary weapons to tear through environments and enemies, chaining kills, earning power ups and building up a bullet meter to unleash devastating air strikes on enemies.
Complimented by co-operative online play and multiplayer modes, Bodycount will set new standards for spectacular, visceral gun play and put the fun back into the FPS.
If you’d like to keep up on the latest Bodycount news, follow @bodycountgame on Twitter or visit the official Bodycount blog.
If you’re wondering what all the hype is about, here’s a look at one of the newest Bodycount trailers provided by IGN.
Bulletstorm rating write-up by ESRB is Badass
“Specialty kills (i.e., Skillshots) represent the most intense instances of violence: enemies can be dismembered with explosives; impaled on spikes; and drilled into walls, resulting in body parts breaking into pieces. During the course of the game, players can consume alcohol and kill enemies in order to receive an Intoxicated Skillshot; the screen turns blurry during these sequences…”
And that’s only part of it.
There’s no denying that Bulletstorm is one of the most anticipated first-person shooters of 2011.
The rating summary of “Mature” could very well be one of the best rating summaries by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the non-profit self-regulatory body that independently assigns ratings to videogames.
The ESRB summary has made a number of headlines, some for news reasons, others mainly because of the seriously badass description.
Headlines have ranged from Bulletstorm ESRB Description Is Full Of Awesome over at MTV to Bulletstorm ESRB Rating is Comedy Gold by Escapist Magazine.
Here’s a look at the full ESRB summary, which in itself, is mature:
This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a space pirate who must escape a planet populated by mutant cannibals. Players use futuristic machine guns, shotguns, magnum revolvers, assault rifles, and chain guns to perform over-the-top kills that dismember and decapitate foes. Injured enemies emit large sprays of blood that stain the ground and surrounding walls. Specialty kills (i.e., Skillshots) represent the most intense instances of violence: enemies can be dismembered with explosives; impaled on spikes; and drilled into walls, resulting in body parts breaking into pieces. During the course of the game, players can consume alcohol and kill enemies in order to receive an Intoxicated Skillshot; the screen turns blurry during these sequences. The dialogue contains numerous jokes and comments that reference sexual acts, venereal diseases, and having sex with one’s mother (e.g., “Guess I know where the ol’ gal got that limp.”). The names of some Skillshots are infused with sexual innuendo (e.g., Gag Reflex, Rear Entry, Drilldo, Mile High Club); one Skillshot (i.e., Fire in the Hole) allows players to shoot at enemies’ exposed buttocks. Language such as “f**k,” “sh*t,” “p*ssy,” and “c*ck” can be heard in dialogue.
Epic Games and People Can Fly, the development studios behind the game, have been perfectly up front about the over-the-top shooter. If you haven’t watched any of the Bulletstorm trailers, you should.
Here’s a look at one of the game’s recent over-the-top trailers.
Bulletstorm, published by Electronic Arts, is currently scheduled for a February 22, 2011 release. More information can be found on Bulletstorm.com. On Twitter @Bulletstorm and on Facebook at Facebook.com/bulletstorm
IGN interviews Lead Level Designer Rex Dickson about Homefront
IGN, the gaming and entertainment website, has interviewed the Lead Level Designer Rex Dickson of KAOS Studios about Homefront, the first person shooter videogame being released March 11, 2011 by THQ.
Michael Thomsen asked several tough questions in what he calls: A skeptical interview about Kaos Studios’ emotional first person shooter.
The article starts by saying:
Homefront is a challenging shooter from a studio of self-made developers. Kaos Studios began as renowned mod makers for the Battlefield series before launching their first original work, Frontlines: Fuel of War, one of the first 64-player shooters on home consoles. Homefront is an equally ambitious step into advancing the possibilities of single-player shooter design. Its story comes from Red Dawn screenwriter John Milius. Kaos has cast his tale of North Korean invasion against a foreground of emotion, consequence, and violence. I recently had a chance to play the game’s opening chapter and ask Lead Level Designer Rex Dickson some hard questions about the game’s themes, mechanics, and improbable story concept.”
If you haven’t seen the trailer for Homefront, here’s a look at the Developer Diary that was recently published.
Read the full transcript of the IGN interview with Rex Dickson.
Danger Close Studio is now hiring for a possible next Medal of Honor game
Jonathan Leack, a writer for Playstation Lifestyle, noticed Danger Close studio has some job openings to work on an unannounced AAA first person shooter title, which some writers and bloggers have rumored to be the next title in the Medal of Honor series.
As Playstation Lifestyle points out: “The Danger Close team has only ever produced the recent Medal of Honor game, chances are the game will be a continuation of the franchise, but it could always be a brand-new IP. The listing does mention the PlayStation 3 as well as multiplayer/co-op experience, so this fits into the sphere of the Medal of Honor series.”
Jonathan noticed the openings over at Gamasutra, however the job openings can also be found on the Electronic Arts web site.
EA has job openings working at the Danger Close Studio for a Senior Gameplay Engineer and a Weapons and Vehicles artist.
Some of the primary responsibilities of the artist include collaborating with the Art Director, Designers and Concept Artists to develop the look and feel of assets. And also to create weapons and vehicles that look great, are efficient, built to scale, and satisfy budgetary requirements.
Key duties of the Sr. Gameplay engineer include designing, prototyping, implementing and polishing gameplay systems and tools.
Here’s a look at one of the more popular Medal of Honor videos on YouTube, the Medal of Honor / Linkin Park – “The Catalyst” Trailer.
Brand new story trailer for Killzone 3
Playstation has released a brand new story trailer for Killzone 3, which is expected to be in stores on February 22nd, 2011. Killzone 3 is one of many 3D game titles slated for the Playstation3.
Aryeh Loeb with Guerrilla Games wrote about the explosive new story trailer on the Playstation blog:
Along with familiar faces from Killzone 2 such as Sev, Rico and Narville, you’ll find a couple of fresh ones: the resourceful female ISA member Jammer, as well as the hopeful heirs to Visari’s throne, Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock. When the latter two lock horns, their actions will shape Helghan’s destiny – as well as the future of the ISA members still trapped there.
Since Brian Cox’s performance as Scolar Visari is a tough act to follow, Guerrilla signed on two veteran actors for the roles of his successors in the English version of Killzone 3: Malcolm McDowell, who plays the scheming Stahl Arms CEO, and Ray Winstone, who plays the gruff Helghast Admiral. With over 70 years of acting experience between them, McDowell and Winstone lend an intriguing dynamic to the power struggle that rages in parallel to the war on Helghan.
Check Killzone.com for updates.
