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Joystiq interview: World of Warcraft's Tom Chilton

by Jem Alexander { Aug 29th 2008 at 5:45PM }

We were given the opportunity to sit down with the Lead Game Designer for the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath Of The Lich King, whilst attending the Leipzig Game Convention in Germany. Check out what Tom Chilton had to say about the rationale behind level 55 Dark Knights -- and why Warcraft III fans will love Lich King -- in our brief chat below.

What will you be putting in Wrath Of The Lich King to keep current World of Warcraft players coming back for more?

Lich King is more orientated towards existing players, than new ones. We've raised the level cap from 70 to 80, added a new class, new battlerounds, new arenas, etc. Most of these features are for existing players of World of Warcraft.

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Joystiq interview: Quantum of Solace's Adam Gascoine

by Jem Alexander { Aug 28th 2008 at 2:00PM }

It's so easy to assume that Quantum of Solace is going to be just another rushed license game (even Daniel Craig did!). But after having sat down with a couple of the game's levels (full hands-on coming later), it's easy to see that this is one of Activision's strongest games of the 2008 lineup. We had a chat with the co-design director, Adam Gascoine, about the game and its development.

Quantum of Solace is the first Bond game to be released alongside its movie counterpart. Has this impacted development? Were you rushed?

We were worried about being rushed when we started the project, but thankfully we have a very solid relationship with the movie team. We were one of the first to see the script for the movie, plus we've been able to visit the sets and watch some filming several times now. All this made it a lot easier. We've been developing really since Casino Royale, about two and a half years in total, so we've had plenty of time to develop the game.

Parts of the game are reminiscent of Uncharted. Was this a particular inspiration during the development of Quantum of Solace?

Any good game is definitely an inspiration. I loved Uncharted. I played it twice. Parts of that game may well have influenced design decisions we made during development, just like any of the great 2007 titles. In particular, though, the quality of animation in Uncharted was definitely an inspiration.

Gallery: Quantum of Solace: The Game

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Joystiq hands-on: Guitar Hero World Tour

by Jem Alexander { Aug 27th 2008 at 7:50PM }

"Hang on a minute," I thought as I played Guitar Hero: World Tour at Activision's booth at the Leipzig Games Convention, "Isn't this Rock Band?" The layout on the World Tour screen is almost identical to Harmonix's series, with the guitars on either side, the drums scrolling down the middle (with the same horizontal bars displaying bass notes, except in World Tour they're purple, not orange) and the vocals on top. The star power meter, along with the rock meter, is kept in the top left, which means that if you're playing drums or bass guitar, it's not very easy to see.

It took a little while to get used to the drums. The two-tier structure with the cymbals feels great, but can be slightly confusing at first. The drums are a lot bouncier than the Rock Band ones, making them not only quieter, but more fun to play. With Rock Band, the bounce seems to come more from the way the sticks are held, rather than out of the structural nature of the pads. Not hearing the constant thok, thok is definitely preferable too, as anyone who has bought silencing pads for their Rock Band drums will know. [Editor's note: Rock Band 2 also features quieter, bouncier drums.]

Gallery: Guitar Hero: World Tour

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Joystiq hands-on: Quantum of Solace

by Jem Alexander { Aug 27th 2008 at 5:50PM }

This hands-on report is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game, though the developers assure us that the PS3 version will be almost completely identical.

While I may not be the biggest Bond fan, and only watched Casino Royale because the Blu-ray came free with my PS3, Quantum of Solace was probably the most interesting game in Activision's Leipzig lineup. Going in with very few expectations and, to be honest, little interest in the title, I was impressed and intrigued with what I saw. It's easy to dismiss QoS as just another licensed movie game that will inevitably suck, but that's certainly not the case here.

The first section of the game that I played was set in the sewers of Sienna, where I'm chasing someone (the developers weren't allowed to say who). The first thing you notice about the game is that the environments are gorgeous. For the most part these have been lovingly recreated from reference photos taken on the set of the movie, so they'll look identical to the film. As a result they're incredibly detailed and, in parts, colorful.

The controls are both solid and fluid (if that's even possible!), leaving you to worry about what's going on on-screen, and not in your hands. Thanks to various set pieces throughout the level, you feel like you're interacting with the environment, rather than restricted by it. Everything feels a little less static and rigid when you're jumping over railings, falling through rotting wood and clambering over mounds of earth. Even if they are sometimes scripted.

Gallery: Quantum of Solace: The Game

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Joystiq interview: LittleBigPlanet's Pete Smith and Jim Unwin

by Jem Alexander { Aug 27th 2008 at 8:00AM }

The LittleBigPlanet breakdown session was a little different than most. We've been seeing the game at every trade show since it was revealed at GDC 2007. As a result, the session took a more informal Q&A approach, rather than a showcase for the game's features.

Those present – producer Pete Smith and interface designer Jim Unwin – did start off by volunteering some information: Firstly, the game is finished and pretty much ready to go. The European release date has been finalized as October 29th, with other regions to be confirmed later. Barring unforeseen circumstances there's no reason at all why this game shouldn't ship in time.

We were also told that when LittleBigPlanet was first shown at GDC, Media Molecule had only about five members. As much as the presentation at GDC was a glimpse into the PS3's future, it was also a hiring pitch. Media Molecule was looking for new members in order to work on this incredibly ambitious project. The level shown at GDC was the entirety of LittleBigPlanet up until that point. In fact, they hadn't even finalized the name until a few days before.

Gallery: LittleBigPlanet

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Joystiq interview: Guitar Hero World Tour's Brian Bright

by Jem Alexander { Aug 26th 2008 at 9:58AM }

We spent almost at an entire day at the Activision booth at Leipzig, playing and chatting with developers. They had a decent bunch of games to show to us, though the big attraction was Guitar Hero: World Tour. Before getting a go on the drums and guitar (check back later for our full hands-on) we had a natter with project director Brian Bright to learn more about some of the game's more web 2.0 features.

So I noticed when you were going through the track maker during the press conference that it didn't look like you could record vocals. Is it possible to do that?

You can record vocals while you're playing, so that you can create real songs, voice and all. If you also add a keyboard track to the song, this will act as the vocal melody. Obviously, it won't read what words you're saying, you'll just be able to hum along. But you can do the same with any singing game available now.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: World Tour

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'Best of Leipzig' looks a lot like 'Best of E3'

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 25th 2008 at 2:30PM }

Repeating its E3 performance, LittleBigPlanet took top honors at this year's Games Convention show as the "Best PS3 Game." At this point, we shouldn't have to explain exactly why it's so popular -- we're pretty sure you can see for yourself.

Another repeat winner took the crown for "Best PSP Game" -- Resistance Retribution. The upcoming Sony Bend shooter bridges the gap between the first and second games and does so in jaw-dropping style.

Finally, "Best Xbox 360 Game" went to Mirror's Edge ... which coincidentally enough, is also coming on PS3. See the full platform winners on GameDaily.

'Best of Leipzig' looks a lot like 'Best of E3'

by Joystiq Staff { Aug 25th 2008 at 2:30PM }

Repeating its E3 performance, LittleBigPlanet took top honors at this year's Games Convention show as the "Best PS3 Game." At this point, we shouldn't have to explain exactly why it's so popular -- we're pretty sure you can see for yourself.

Another repeat winner took the crown for "Best PSP Game" -- Resistance Retribution. The upcoming Sony Bend shooter bridges the gap between the first and second games and does so in jaw-dropping style. Too bad the wait until 2009 is going to be excruciatingly long for games-starved owners like us.

What's it like to go hands on with Killzone 2 multiplayer?

by Joystiq Staff { Aug 25th 2008 at 1:00PM }

It's funny you should ask, because Joystiq just posted a hands-on report of Killzone 2's Multiplayer from Leipzig. So if you're as intrigued by this game as we are we suggest you check it out and see what they thought. By which, we mean us. All this third-person talk is starting to get a little confusing, so just click the link and be done with it.

Killzone 2 is shaping up to be an incredible game, and not just graphically. While we didn't originally expect the multiplayer to be a big draw for the game, it's definitely now the most exciting aspect. If Guerilla Games succeeds in giving us an awesome single player campaign too, Resistance 2 will have to make the most of its few months head start, because Killzone 2 has the potential to flatten it.

Joystiq hands-on: Killzone 2 multiplayer

by Jem Alexander { Aug 25th 2008 at 11:09AM }

Killzone 2's multiplayer gameplay was shown off behind closed doors at the Leipzig Game Convention this week and we were there to get our hands well and truly on. As is customary for these breakdown sessions, we were given a short presentation by members of the development team.

We were told about the Squad system, which allows players to form 4-man groups mid-game. Doing so will show your squadmates' health bars, allow you a private headset channel and let you use the squad leader as a spawn point, keeping you together constantly. Setting up squads is easily done in the spawn menu. When a player receives a squad invite, they will receive a flashing notification. Accepting or declining takes only a couple of button presses from that point, making sure you're kept in the game at all times.

Guerilla Games also ran through the extensive community features found in the game. Full clan support, featuring 64 players each, 16 vs 16 clan challenges, four separate leaderboards, a mind-boggling array of stats being tracked and a clan currency system. "Valor" is wagered by each clan at the start of inter-clan skirmishes, with the total being awarded to the winner. Earning valor will propel you up the leaderboards and the intention is to host official clan tournaments, made up of 256 clans, with the entire valor pot going to the overall winner.

Gallery: Killzone 2 (Leipzig 2008)

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Far Cry 2: console video walkthrough

by Joystiq Staff { Aug 25th 2008 at 8:00AM }

Download to PSP

Ubisoft made quite an impression with its latest console footage of Far Cry 2. While we'd like to say that it's simply the gameplay that caught our attention, we'll admit that this is purely for the eye candy. We're impressed to see that the console version looks just as good as the PC. Word to Ubisoft, though: can we please have a little bit of color into this unusually bleak representation of Africa?

Gallery: Far Cry 2

WipEout HD has Platinum Trophy, should be over $30

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 22nd 2008 at 10:15PM }

Although WipEout HD is a PSN download-exclusive game, it looks like it may be priced like a standard retail game. A snapshot of the game's Trophy screen shows a Platinum Trophy for the game -- one that's reserved for full retail games. Shorter, cheaper games on PSN, such as PixelJunk Eden, Super Stardust HD and PAIN, do not feature a Platinum Medal. However, full-priced retail games, such as Uncharted, do grant Platinum Trophies.

With this evidence, we can postulate that WipEout HD will be available for download for at least $30 (the cost of Warhawk, downloaded from the PLAYSTATION Store). SCEA still hasn't announced an official release date or price for the game, but rest assured that the news is forthcoming.

[Via NeoGAF]

Don't blink! Check out our WipEout HD page to catch up on all the game's news and previews.

Producer says LittleBigPlanet will have 'global server'

by Jem Alexander { Aug 22nd 2008 at 8:00PM }

We're confused, Mr. Pete Smith, producer of upcoming platform-a-thon LittleBigPlanet. When we spoke to you during today's LittleBigPlanet breakdown session you said that "the game will have a global server." Now we hear that you told CVG something a little different. User generated content will be region locked? Normally we'd say "we're not sure who to believe" at this point, but seeing as both statements come from the same person, we're doubly confused.

Maybe you meant that the gameplay servers would be global. But what good is that if the people playing with each other can't access the same content? Will we be limited to playing with our foreign friends in one of the 50ish levels included on the game disc? Kind of defeats the point of the game, doesn't it? Sadly, we're not able to find out for sure until after the weekend, but rest assured we're actively looking to get confirmation either way.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Valve's Doug Lombardi admits PS3 success, 're-evaluating' development

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 22nd 2008 at 4:30PM }

So, looks like Valve cannot ignore the success of the PS3 anymore. Gabe Newell, head of the critically acclaimed studio sparked a bit of controversy when he repeatedly attacked the PS3's difficult development architecture, calling it a "waste of time." His studio refused to work on a PS3 version of The Orange Box, leaving it to EA to do the eventual PS3 port.

However, it looks like the continued success of the PS3 has the studio taking back some of his words. "We're always evaluating what's happening in the marketplace and certainly something that's happening in the last couple of months is that Sony's managed to sell some boxes," said Doug Lombardi to CVG. "So whether or not you like developing for that platform, if they've got millions of people connected to that platform and buying their games you have to take it seriously."

While there's "zero chance" for a PS3 version of the upcoming zombie multiplayer game Left 4 Dead this year, there's now a "50-50" chance that it will happen some time next year. While we're fans of Valve's work, we're not entirely sure if the PS3 audience will welcome them with open arms.

Update: Huge mistake folks. The headline says Valve's Gabe Newell, when it was in fact, Doug Lombardi that made the comment. We apologize for the mistake -- the article has been corrected.

Killzone 2 co-op to be patched after launch, bots confirmed

by Jem Alexander { Aug 22nd 2008 at 4:00PM }

After watching the Killzone 2 multiplayer trailer, we wondered how much more fun the game's online mode would be without your typical multiplayer douche. Well, now we can find out! The upcoming FPS will, indeed, feature bots. These will be fully customizable difficulty-wise, and can fill in for players either online or offline, allowing any Billy-No-Mates to enjoy a friendly match every once in a while.

Additionally, vehicles are currently only available in the single player mode. Multiplayer vehicles will be patched in after the game is released. Also being patched post-launch is a co-op mode for the story. Whether this will be online or not, we're not entirely certain. Considering the long delay Killzone has ~~suffered~~ enjoyed, we're surprised this won't be included from the get-go. Perhaps we'll have to pay for it, but we're used to that by now, right? Be sure to check out our full Killzone 2 hands-on impressions, coming soon.

Update: Guerrilla has a history of making free DLC with Killzone: Liberation (PSP). It released an Infrastructure multiplayer mode and an extra single-player level months after the game's release.