At id Software’s annual press conference, CEO Todd Hollenshead let it be known that there will be a Doom 4. Its just unfortunate all information is being sealed until QuakeCon 2010. Great way to tease us guys.

I’d hoped against hope that id Software would reveal at least a little bit about the announced but not yet revealed Doom 4, but studio CEO and co-owner Todd Hollenshead dashed those dreams during the press conference that opened up QuakeCon this year. Hollenshead said people are going to “love it” when Doom 4 is unveiled, but people will have to come back to QuakeCon in 2010 to see anything. Until then, id Software is staying dark about it. Boo.

Hello, everyone, and greetings to those who are of the few lucky ones to read the beginnings of this very insightful blog!

I’ll start off by introducing myself: My name is Charles, and I am a music student at Cal Poly Pomona with an emphasis in piano performance, and hope to aspire to be a piano teacher, performer, and university professor. I am also a technology enthusiast, and have often expressed my opinion verbally to my friends about the world of computers and software, but no one really seems to genuinely care so  I decided to bring my insight to a medium where I will have readers and (hopefully) commentators who share my passion for things geeky and nerdy.

But enough of me, let’s get down to business.

I am a big fan of id Software and the Doom franchise, so being unable to go to Dallas (and not having a very powerful gaming PC to be proud of bringing with me…) for QuakeCon 2009, I watched the live streaming feed on IGN, which was scheduled to start at 1:30 Pacific Standard Time. So, 1:30 rolls around, and I’m sitting there at my laptop, waiting for the live feed to come on, but it doesn’t for 10 minutes, and I notice that there’s mention of there probably being a delay. So, I leave to go get a snack and come back at around 2:00, and the QuakeCon press conference had begun, and there was Todd Hollenshead rabbling away about I-forget-what, but one of the first things he said was that they’re not ready to release anything about Doom 4 and will be ready next year. Naturally, I screamed, “ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!” and wanted to throw my laptop across the room. Thankfully, self-restraint and world-premiere trailers of Rage and Wolfenstein prevented me from doing that. In addition to these fantastic trailers (more on those later), they additionally talked about some cool iPhone games that made me wish I had an iPhone. (ESPECIALLY Doom Resurrection, AND they marked it down from $9.99 to $2.99…)

But let’s get down to the important particulars. First, let’s show the new Wolfenstein trailer:

Awesome, is it not? I think so. Too bad I can’t easily cough up the 50 bucks to buy it when it comes out next week…

Now, for the Rage trailer, which gives us a very thorough look into the new id Tech Engine 5:

Anyone notice a stark similarity to Fallout 3??? (Bethesda recently bought id, so there won’t be any copyright lawsuits). Uber awesome as well, but it’s going to be awhile before it is realeased… which is fine for me, because I need to get a job to get a buttload of money not only to feed my gaming habit but necessary expenses as well.

And for the rest of the press conference, John Carmack came onstage and rabbled on for a good hour and a half or so about the items presented previously and the particulars of video game design, programming, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.

Well, that conlcudes my first post, and please comment, if you feel inclined to do so.

Según ID Software, encargada del desarrollo y propietaria de la exitosa franquicia, acaba de anunciar que este juego al igual que Rage podría llegar en no menos de tres DVD para la versiones de PC y 360, mientras que la gran capacidad que otorga un blueray para la PS3 podría ser suficiente.

A nadie asombra, conociendo que cada secuela de Doom deja el liston cada vez más alto y con el nuevo motor id Tech 5 Engine, capaz de mover grandes texturas era de esperar que el espacio de almacenamiento supondría un problema.

Este si es un juegazo, y si viene largo mucho mejor

“Nos hubiera encantado que Rage hubiera sido un Blu-ray para PlayStation 3 y tres DVDs para PC y Xbox 360, pero no podemos cortar el juego de esa forma”

Declaró John Carmack a la revista norteamericana Game Informer.

“Lo único que podemos hacer es cortarlo en dos partes porque tenemos dos mapas muy grandes, pero no podríamos haberlo hecho de forma arbitraria”.

“Con DOOM 4 con toda seguridad deberemos dividirlo en tres partes para la versión DVD, en contraposición al único Blu-ray para PlayStation 3. Al menos en esta ocasión tenemos la opción de hacerlo por la forma en la que está estructurado el videojuego”.

Este si causa espanto

Por mi, puede llegar en 5 DVD, ¿Alguien alguna vez se a quejado por el numero de CD que ocupaba Final Fantasy?

RAGE is for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, MAC and Linux platforms. It will ship in 2 DVDs (PC and 360) and 1 Blu-ray disc (PS3). It’s from the developers of some famous PC titles like DOOM and Quake.

What’s interesting about this game that it uses the all new id Tech 5 Engine, which uses MegaTexture in this engine. You don’t have to use Windows Vista/Windows 7/DirectX 10 to run this game. Using XP and DirectX 9 would be able to run this game on your PC.

id Tech 5 Engine logo

More info and features about this cool engine can be found at wiki. More info about the game can be found at here as well.

Okay time for the RAGE scans! (Be sure to click on the images to enlarge them)

And that’s all! Amazing scans, too bad this game is not gonna to be release this year..should be either next year or 2011 ~_~ Still excited about this game! And the scans did mentioned about DOOM 4 in 3 DVDs and 1 Blu-ray disc as well

Last month’s id acquisition by ZeniMax was a shock.  After a little time to digest the news, it’s starting to seem more like a pleasant surprise.  Kotaku had some interesting insight on the deal:

That’s how the deal with id Software started, as a friendly conversation between ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman and id president Todd Hollenshead.

“They were talking about what we could do together,” Hines said. “And the more they talked the more they realized that if we got together the whole would be better than the sum of its parts.”

It would also allow id to get away from the biggest problem they have, being a small cog in a much larger publisher’s machine.

“Now they get to be a whole part of the process and the know the publisher will be fully behind them,” Hines said.

Under the new arrangement id Software will remain mostly untouched and be allowed to do what they do best: Make solid games. But the deal will give id Software the ability to expand their stable of developers, said Hines, who had just returned from a trip to id Software’s Texas studio.

So what’s that mean for gamers?  Most importantly, it gives Doom 4 an even better shot at being a very fun, stunning, and successful game.  id certainly seems to now be in a better environment – financially and creatively – to make brilliant games.

It means more id games too.  The house is expanding from two teams to three – all working on separate games (Rage, Doom 4, and reportedly a brand new IP for the new team).

And finally, it means Bethesda has some good help at hand.  And while we all love Bethesda, we know John Carmack (pictured) could show them a thing or two.

24 юни, 2009 (Rockville, MD) – ZeniMax Media Inc., родителската компания на Bethesda Softworks, обявиха, че са финализирали сделката по придобиването на легендарното гейм студио id Software, създатели на световно известни игри като DOOM, QUAKE, Wolfenstein, и задаващият се RAGE. Придобиването от страна на ZeniMax Media ще събере два от най-добрите, и уважавани разработчици на игри в света, и ще комбинира FPS опита на id Software с превъзходните RPG-та на Bethesda Game Studios – създателите на спечелилата наградата “игра на годината ‘08″ Fallout 3, и “игра на годината ‘06″ The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. От тук насетне Bethesda Softworks ще издава всички задаващи се игри на id Software с изключение на тези за който вече има потвърдени други издатели!

Повече инфо на www.idsoftware.com

Признавам си, че първата ми реакция беше: НЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕ! Отиде си един от последните независими гейм разработчици… После обаче се замислих. Първо id правят тази стъпка по собствено желание.
Второ това ще позволи на id да разширят вътрешните екипи, и да започнат пълноценно да използват ip-тата които вече са създали. Това пък разбира се ще означа по-регулярно издаване на игри.

Отделно, само мисълта за комбинация на FPS уменията на id с RPG стила на Bethesda…. олеле! Това ще бъде истинска лудница… Така че да, тази сделка може да донесе много плюсове и радост за феновете! И да, живеем в интересни времена!

BTW най-вероятно първата игра която ще излезе под шапката на ZeniMax ще бъде Doom 4!

Чакам да видя какво следва!

Източник: ZeniMax Media Acquires id Software [idsoftware.com] via [kotaku.com]

Ако имате желание, можете да гласувате за този материал тук. 10х

by dkpatriarch

© 2009 David Hilton

Prior to E3′09 I listed 22 games gone Missing In Action (MIA) that I hoped to see at E3.  Well in this update you will see which ones re-appeared, which ones remain lost, and which ones are stuck in production waiting for a publisher to help out.  For more details about each game see the full-write up by clicking here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

In the meantime, if you’re like me, you’d like to see some of the big publishers enter into the buyer’s market and pick up some of these new and interesting titles that aren’t just safe sequels or offshoots of existing IPs.

In a year full of talk of twos (Bioshock 2, Assassin’s Creed 2, Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Killzone 2, Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2: Drakes Fortune etc.) it is the newer IPs like Alan Wake and Heavy Rain (for PS3) that have me the most fascinated.  Sure, those twos, threes, and fours are some really great IPs that I have or will be picking up, but creative new ideas and games give diversity, and the little studios could use some help to get their vision to full potential and market.

Here is the list and current status of each game as we know it:

Found at E3

OXCGN has some great interviews with the various developers and publishers on those games mentioned below that were found at E3-09. We will endeavour to have those interviews, screens and videos up in due course.

Alan Wake: Found at E3

The Pacific Northwest, with its logging towns, great massive treed forests, and tiny fishing villages should provide a variety of excellent environments for a psychological action thriller game about a writer who has trouble sleeping but starts to pen a thriller he doesn’t remember writing that also happens to be coming true.  Spooky and cool.

Microsoft and Remedy have shown us that this exciting game is coming next year and woken us from the vaporware nightmare. Visit Alan Wake Official website for more information on the game.

Darkest of Days: Found at E3

I really like the sound of this shooter, probably because history is a passion of mine.  The concept behind this little known game announced way back in 2006 is that Darkest of Days puts you in a historically-based first-person shooter where you travel back and forth in time to experience some of history’s “darkest days” and fight through some of the most epic battles and events in history, including the eruption of Pompeii during Roman times, the U.S. Civil War, World War 1, World War 2 and more.

8Monkey Labs is working on it for the PC for sure, but even though they’ve said it will be out in Fall 2009 for PC and Xbox 360 and having a video on their website that shows a bunch of gung-ho marines (yes them again) heading off on their ‘last best hope’ missions through time, there is little evidence of a 360 version.  I hope there is because I’m particularly curious about the scenes where you shoot Roman Centurions with a modern machine gun and about the Nazi concentration camp.

Edge Of Twilight: Found

Here’s a local Australian game being produced by studio Fuzzyeyes for publisher SouthPeak Interactive that combines third-person platforming with hack ‘n slash; sort of like Devil May Cry, but in a steampunk fantasy world.

It is based around 5 characters, the main one being Lex, a halfbreed who can travel between the two realms of Day and Night. Then there’s Athern Guard, Majestic Lithern, Tainted Warrior and Tainted Bruiser. You’ll find their specific details on the website as well as some downloads and further information.

• New videos leaked? It seems Atari and FuzzyEyes Studios are having a lovers quarrel about this “leaked video” at E3 . . .

Section 8: Found at E3

Section 8 means to be discharged by the military by being mentally unfit for service and I wondered if this game had gone MIA because it was unfit for service or if it just has just ‘gone dark’ to surprise us at E3. Well now we know…it was to surprise us at E3. To be honest another FPS based around gung-ho space marines (albeit with lots of armour) doesn’t really excite me.

To be fair the concept by TimeGate Studios (who are hirinig btw) is that you will be able to dynamically alter the flow of battles by calling for vehicles and ‘burn in’ wherever you want on the map, sort of like a faster futuristic version of the parachute jumps we did in Medal Of Honor: Airborne a few years back.

Venetica: Found at E3

• But PC only???? There seems to be a lack of reference to 360?

A year ago first footage of a new RPG fantasy game that promised to mix cinematic emotion, story and action called Venetica and developed by studio Deck 13 was revealed.  The environments were an amazing colourful fantasy version of Venice, Italy, and certainly grabbed my interest.

In it you play Scarlett, the daughter of Death, who must grow her powers to save her father and defeat the evil necromancers.  I never thought of Death as the good guy…but anyway. Then it went MIA and I feared that this was going to be yet another new IP from a smaller developer that would just disappear.  After all, we now have Assassin’s Creed 2 that is re-creating Venice so perhaps they got a bit intimidated?

Good news is that the game is still kicking.  A new ‘behind the scenes’ video was revealed, but the footage still doesn’t show how far along the game is, though they still have ambitions of a Q3 2009 release for PC and Xbox 360.

On hold – seeking new Publishers

Faith and a 45:

On hold, awaiting new publisher

This one, from Denmark independent studio Deadline Games, (also responsible for the 2 Watchmen games) looks to take some Gears of War style cover and shoot gameplay and mix it with a romantic road movie storyline.  The story of two outlaw lovers in a re-imagined depression-era America, fighting to survive against a corrupt oil-man and his men, certainly seems original.  It intends to be a gritty co-op shooter with an atmospheric cinematic quality.

The game takes the unlucky Bonnie and Clyde-styled couple, Luke and Ruby, across 1930s America fighting against a “dark army of steel-plated vehicles, and armour-clad pyromaniacs”.  The fact that they are a couple is important to the game as Ruby will apparently give a “kiss of life” to Luke if he falls in battle to revive him and kisses as rewards for good work.

Theseis:

On hold, awaiting new publisher

This 3rd person puzzle game by Greek Studio Track 7 Games looks like something different and largely missing from the 360. From modern Athens the characters of this adventure game explore ancient mysteries with environments that are both modern and ancient.

The game’s website is still active but the last entry made was a year ago, and this game also lacks a publisher.  The 360 needs a good Broken Sword-like adventure. This was a no-show as well at E3, but they at least told us why.

The Crossing:

On hold due to unexpected financial challenges

What happens if the Renaissance never occurs and medieval monk-knights the Templars never get killed off? Well Arkane studios thinks they would seize control of France and you would have a Paris that advances with medieval influences in both architecture and ideas and they do this through their game The Crossing. So you have two settings; normal modern Paris and an alternate reality Paris where things are very different.

I think it’s a great concept with lots of interesting environmental possibilities. Except this First Person Shooter has gone missing….or was released in an alternate reality where alternate me is playing it.

Their website has lots of interesting screenshots, but no news on a release date (even in the forum where some devoted gamers are begging).

Still Missing In Action

Doom 4: Still MIA

Ahh Doom.  It came at the dawn of the First Person Shooter (FPS) game,  after Wolfenstein 3D, another Id Software creation for PC, in the early 1990s. We had a remake of sorts with Doom 3 last gen on Xbox and PC, but another was supposed to be coming. While Id has confirmed it is hard at work on another Wolfenstein for this gen (which looked great at E3) as well as the new IP Rage, Doom 4 was announced a year ago and not much has been heard or seen since.  This game was firmly MIA. Then some news finally trickled out of GameSpot last month: it was still being planned with a new team, Id Software were still hiring, and it’s not a sequel or a reboot.  But it wasn’t shown at E3.

Halo Chronicles: Still MIA

Awhile back the idea of ‘episodic video games’ became popular, with games like Alone In The Dark doing “previously on…” TV-style recaps. Other titles decided to do episodic downloadable content instead.  In 1997 Peter Jackson (of King Kong and Lord Of The Rings film fame) had his Wingnut Interactive start work on an episodic game (we think meaning an interactive film-game) using the Halo franchise called Halo Chronicles.  Even in 2008 it was confirmed that people were being hired and Halo Chronicles was being produced, but this year rumours are that the game is on hold indefinitely. With Microsoft wanting to get Halo fans in a frenzy about Halo: ODST and with the surprise announcement of Halo: Reach it’s no surprise it didn’t make an appearance at this year’s E3, so that leaves it not alive, but not quite dead yet either.  What happened?  Did Microsoft or Peter Jackson have problems with each other?  Will it be a Natal game in the future?

Perfect Dark 2: Still MIA

Rare’s Perfect Dark series began on the N64 console and Perfect Dark Zero was one of the first games made and released for the 360 console at launch.  Though its look was overly ’shiny’ the rebooted game was mostly a success because of its deep split-screen and online multiplayer.  Not many other games have come close, even today, to the number of multiplayer gameplay options, except Halo 3. We’ve heard at E3 that the N64 title is coming to XBLA, but this is different.

This game wasn’t announced, so technically it isn’t MIA.  However, there were rumours of it being made back in late 2007 and Rare’s other games this gen, though creative and with a niche following, have not been the big successes that Microsoft would have liked.  The next Perfect Dark Zero (2) on 360 was said to be darker (of course), with a less shiny but more interactive environment, have moral choices with a variety of storylines, will avoid having cut scenes like the Half Life games, and be as big as Halo.  Yet we’ve heard nothing solid since those rumours and still didn’t at this year’s E3.  Rare have to be hard at work on something…..and my guess is that Natal may be involved.

Star Wars: Battlefront 3: Still MIA

As early as 2006 there were rumours that Star Wars Battlefront III was in development by Free Radical for LucasArts.   However, Free Radical imploded after the failure of the PS3 exclusive title Haze and after LucasArts removed the Battlefront game from their hands.  The company went into administration and half the staff were dumped and then finally Free Radical was bought by Crytek.  Meanwhile, leaked images and promising footage of Battlefront III found their way onto the net before LucasArts did their best to shut them down.

Rumours then turned to the possibility that Pandemic (who made the recent Lord Of The Rings: Conquest game, which is similar in style) would be the next studio handed the game.  This was denied by Pandemic and nothing showed up at E3.  So is it happening?

Age of Conan: Still MIA

In 2008 the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) Age Of Conan was released on PC, a platform known for its online-only games.  The thing is that it was also announced for the Xbox 360 and has yet to appear, almost exactly a year later.

Is there trouble porting it to the 360 or is the whole concept of a MMO game for a console just too uncertain?  Are console gamers going to take to a game that is only played online the same way many PC gamers have?  After all the Halo MMO and The Lord Of The Rings: White Council MMO games were either cancelled or put on ‘indefinite hold’.

Then there’s the issue of those who would be most excited by the game having already purchased it for PC, thinking it would be at its best there anyway (assuming they have a high-end PC).

Crusaders: Invasion of Constantinople: Still MIA

Not much is known about this “deep action adventure game with an RPG touch” set in 12th century Constantinople (present day Istanbul) by French game studio Kylotonn. It was announced in 2007, but all is quiet now.  With Assassin’s Creed moving into the Renaissance, the Crusades is still a rich period to set an action game.

If they can make the game’s primary location, Constantinople, medieval Europe’s bridge between West and East, come alive, then I’m sold. Another little guy who has to struggle to be competitive against the big studios who largely remake similar games in an economic environment gone bad, their website is also still active, but the last screenshot was posted in July 2008.

Dead Island: Still MIA

Dreaming of a holiday on a tropical island full of drooling raging zombies (no, not the druged-out backpacker variety)?  Studio Techland have been working since 2006 on Dead Island

It’s a sandbox first-person view survival horror game where the protagonist is trying to find his wife on a zombie-infested island.  Think Lost (because you crash on the island and there are human factions) meets lots of zombies….stuff the ‘black smoke’!

The chance to kill zombies on a tropical island sounds interesting, as is its focus on melee combat over shooting.

Highlander: Still MIA

The premise of a 2000 year old immortal warrior makes for a perfect time-travelling video game with a great variety of game settings in different time periods.  From New York to feudal Japan in the shadow of Mount Fuji and on to what promises to be a very interesting new game environment, Roman Pompeii during the eruption, this game had me very excited.

Announced  by Eidos in January 2008 with an eye-catching trailer, it went missing shortly after.  The latest is that the game, a third-person action game featuring a previously unknown Immortal, Owen MacLeod, as the main character, will be released in March 2010.  With Square-Enix taking over Eidos late last month, will the game really see the light?  Or will it be violently beheaded? Check out Highlanders Official Website for more information.

• possible early 2010 release?

Hydrophobia: Still MIA

Hydrophobia is set onboard the Queen of the World (no doubt a homage to the movie Titanic and the over-used quote ‘I’m the King of the world!’). It is the largest cruise ship ever constructed. The area between the hulls resembles a city – it has schools, universities, even a football stadium. You can live there if you are super rich, which sounds good to me: visit exotic ports by day and return to a city every night. It’s virtually a mini country, like a floating Vatican City- but its religion is money. No taxes and no prying Big Government here. And lots of water. Sounds like a winner…a city that turns into a waterpark when terrorists show up to spoil the party.

The game is being made by Blade Interactive who showed a trailer last E3 but the release date of March this year has passed, and not much news has been forthcoming since.  Since the game is supposed to already have a sequel for it planned, we had hoped to see something of it at this year’s E3! – But alas, it was a no-show.

Rainy Woods: Still MIA

Access Games is aiming for a Twin Peaks-type atmosphere with their PS3 and 360 game Rainy Woods, but not much is known about it and their site only has a page that says its coming in 2009, which is doubtful.

With that other mysterious missing game Alan Wake seen at E3, and the exciting PS3 mysterious game Heavy Rain already looking fantastic, would there be enough room for a game about a young FBI agent, who happens to have an alternate personality,  investigating a murder outside the fictional American town of Rainy Woods?  Obviously not…it didn’t show.

I love mysterious atmospheric games but this one may have gone MIA to stay away from these other two more famous atmospheric games.

Salvation: Still MIA

No, not Terminator Salvation, the game based on the film.  This Salvation has a very interesting story, but not much has been seen since the basic video on the Salvation website. The game is being made by Black Wing Foundation and N-Game Studios.

The story goes something like this: it is the year 2026 and the world government  has resorted to stem cells and gene engineering to stage the Judgment Day. They create a genetic replication of Christ and the Antichrist and destroy them to set forth severe fundamentalism on Earth.  Salvation was not at E3…

To End All Wars: Still MIA

This title was originally announced in 2007 by UK- based video game publisher Ghostlight Ltd. for a release in October 2008.  That was quite some time ago, obviously, and rumours have had the game coming out early this year but so far nothing. The game studio working on the game, Kuju, describes the shooter: “Set in the war-torn trenches of World War I Europe, To End All Wars will deliver unrivalled atmosphere and realism” and “no two battles will be the same and game maps will feature a massive variety of terrain”.  The screenshots looked like they needed polish, but the premise was promising.

But it’s all quiet on the gaming front….

The Outsider: Still MIA

Washington D.C. provides a great backdrop to political intrigue in a game promising to allow more freedom of choice and difference in storyline depending on your actions. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before too, but Fable 2 was a start.  It was supposed to come late this year.

Game studio Frontier (who are now hiring btw) is going for a ‘unique experience with The Outsider, using a dynamic world and story’. You are John Jameson, ex-CIA officer framed in the assassination of the President of the United States. All so very Jack Bauer-ish. Apparently there will be a lot of NPCs running around too, making the environment more realistic and interesting. Hopefully this game will combine a replayable game with multiple possibilities in an environment that is fresh and alive. So maybe a more interesting sandbox-like game with actual stories instead of ‘fetch this, protect that, find, chase and kill this and that’?

2 Days 2 Vegas: Still MIA

How long has this game apparently been in production?  2 Days To Vegas has been in production – since 2003!  I’d have given up on this one except it has recently resurfaced and has a 360 and PC  release date of 2009, and a PS3 one of 2010. Game studio Steel Monkeys are creating a third-person action adventure game about one brother (a recently release convict -sigh- how original) going to Vegas to help out another brother in trouble.  The game takes place over 48 hours during the journey from New York (sigh) to Vegas.

If you have any further information on these games you can link to, please do not hesitate to let us know.

© 2009 David Hilton

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Games We Need To See At E3 – Part 2

by dkpartriach

© 2009 David Hilton – 2IC

Updated as info is revealed at E3.  Updates will appear after game description below.

Earlier this month I brought you 12 games that have gone Missing In Action (MIA), and later updated a few with new information.  Unfortunately the news wasn’t good for at least two of them.

I’ve managed to round up another bunch of games that were announced some time ago and have had very little new shown about them.  These are games that must make an appearance at this year’s E3, or they will be presumed dead or dying.  This time there are some sequels among the 10, and as always if you’ve seen new information about them, or have other missing games to add to the list, let us know in the comment section below.

1. Doom 4

Ahh Doom.  It came at the dawn of the First Person Shooter (FPS) game,  after Wolfenstein 3D, another Id Software creation for PC, in the early 1990s. We had a remake of sorts with Doom 3 last gen on Xbox and PC, but another was supposed to be coming. While Id has confirmed it is hard at work on another Wolfenstein for this gen as well as the new IP Rage, Doom 4 was announced a year ago and not much has been heard or seen since.  This game was firmly MIA.

Then some news finally trickled out of GameSpot last month: it was still being planned with a new team, Id Software were still hiring, and it’s not a sequel or a reboot.  Beyond that, nothing.  E3 may bring us more on this title.

2. Halo Chronicles

Awhile back the idea of ‘episodic video games’ became popular, with games like Alone In The Dark doing “previously on…” TV-style recaps. Other titles decided to do episodic downloadable content instead.  In 1997 Peter Jackson (of King Kong and Lord Of The Rings film fame) had his Wingnut Interactive start work on an episodic game (we think meaning an interactive film-game) using the Halo franchise called Halo Chronicles.  Even in 2008 it was confirmed that people were being hired and Halo Chronicles was being produced, but this year rumours are that the game is on hold indefinitely.

I doubt with Microsoft wanting to get Halo fans in a frenzy about Halo: ODST that it will make an appearance at this year’s E3, so that leaves it not alive, but not quite dead yet either.  What happened?  Did Microsoft or Peter Jackson have problems with each other?  Was it the global financial crisis that is claiming so many other new and creative titles?  You decide…

3. Perfect Dark 2

Rare’s Perfect Dark series began on the N64 console and Perfect Dark Zero was one of the first games made and released for the 360 console at launch.  Though its look was overly ’shiny’ the rebooted game was mostly a success because of its deep split-screen and online multiplayer.  Not many other games have come close, even today, to the number of multiplayer gameplay options, except Halo 3. We’ve heard that the N64 titles may be coming to XBLA, but this is different.

This game wasn’t announced, so technically it isn’t MIA.  However, there were rumours of it being made back in late 2007 and Rare’s other games this gen, though creative and with a niche following, have not been the big successes that Microsoft would have liked.  The next Perfect Dark (2) on 360 was said to be darker (of course), with a less shiny but more interactive environment, have moral choices with a variety of storylines, will avoid having cut scenes like the Half Life games, and be as big as Halo.  Yet we’ve heard nothing solid since those rumours.

Microsoft has 4 big game announcements this E3 and this one could very well be one of them.  I hope?

4. Star Wars Battlefront 3

As early as 2006 there were rumours that Star Wars Battlefront III was in development by Free Radical for LucasArts.   However, Free Radical imploded after the failure of the PS3 exclusive title Haze and after LucasArts removed the Battlefront game from their hands.  The company went into administration and half the staff were dumped and then finally Free Radical was bought by Crytek.  Meanwhile, leaked images and promising footage of Battlefront III found their way onto the net before LucasArts did their best to shut them down.

Rumours then turned to the possibility that Pandemic (who made the recent Lord Of The Rings: Conquest game, which is similar in style) would be the next studio handed the game.  This was denied by Pandemic.

So where does this leave the game?  MIA, that’s where.  We may see more of it at E3, and I doubt it will be completely canned as the previous games were big hits.

5. Venetica

A year ago first footage of a new RPG fantasy game that promised to mix cinematic emotion, story and action called Venetica and developed by studio Deck 13 was revealed.  The environments were an amazing colourful fantasy version of Venice, Italy, and certainly grabbed my interest.

In it you play Scarlett, the daughter of Death, who must grow her powers to save her father and defeat the evil necromancers.  I never thought of Death as the good guy…but anyway. Then it went MIA and I feared that this was going to be yet another new IP from a smaller developer that would just disappear.  After all, we now have Assassin’s Creed 2 that is re-creating Venice so perhaps they got a bit intimidated?

Good news is that the game is still kicking.  Last week a new ‘behind the scenes’ video was revealed, but the footage still doesn’t show how far along the game is, though they still have ambitions of a Q3 2009 release for PC and Xbox 360. They need to show more at E3 for me to feel confident, but I really hope this one is released.

6. Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

In 2008 the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) Age Of Conan was released on PC, a platform known for its online-only games.  The thing is that it was also announced for the Xbox 360 and has yet to appear, almost exactly a year later.

Is there trouble porting it to the 360 or is the whole concept of a MMO game for a console just too uncertain?  Are console gamers going to take to a game that is only played online the same way many PC gamers have?  After all the Halo MMO and The Lord Of The Rings: White Council MMO games were either cancelled or put on ‘indefinite hold’.

Then there’s the issue of those who would be most excited by the game having already purchased it for PC, thinking it would be at its best there anyway (assuming they have a high-end PC).  Still there may be more word on the game and maybe even other MMOs for the 360 at E3.  Maybe…

7. Section 8

Section 8 means to be discharged by the military by being mentally unfit for service and I wonder if this game has gone MIA because it is unfit for service or if it has just ‘gone dark’ to surprise us at E3.  To be honest another FPS based around gung-ho space marines (albeit with lots of armour) doesn’t really excite me.

To be fair the concept by TimeGate Studios (who are hirinig btw) is that you will be able to dynamically alter the flow of battles by calling for vehicles and ‘burn in’ wherever you want on the map, sort of like a faster futuristic version of the parachute jumps we did in Medal Of Honor: Airborne a few years back.

The game is announced for PC (which is apparently being beta tested soon), PS3 and 360 but not much has been shown, so E3 may flush this one out from cover.

Update 29/05/09: This game has indeed been rediscovered with three new E3 videos at Gametrailers.

Update 1/06/09: Atari announces “Section 8 the futuristic multiplayer FPS will be released in Q3 of 2009 for PC and Xbox 360″ (no PS3?).

8. Darkest Of Days

I really like the sound of this shooter, probably because history is a passion of mine.  The concept behind this little known game announced way back in 2006 is that Darkest of Days puts you in a historically-based first-person shooter where you travel back and forth in time to experience some of history’s “darkest days” and fight through some of the most epic battles and events in history, including the eruption of Pompeii during Roman times, the U.S. Civil War, World War 1, World War 2 and more.

8Monkey Labs is working on it for all major consoles and PC, but besides saying it will be out in Fall 2009 for PC and Xbox 360 and having a video on their website that shows a bunch of gung-ho marines (yes them again) heading off on their ‘last best hope’ missions through time, there is little else known.  I’m particularly curious about the scenes where you shoot Roman Centurions with a modern machine gun and about the Nazi concentration camp.

I hope we see it at E3 and that it gets the polish the idea deserves.  History will tell…

9. Rainy Woods

Access Games is aiming for a Twin Peaks-type atmosphere with their PS3 and 360 game Rainy Woods, but not much is known about it and their site only has a page that says its coming in 2009, which is doubtful.

With that other mysterious missing game Alan Wake more likely to be seen at E3, and the exciting PS3 mysterious game Heavy Rain already looking fantastic, will there be enough room for a game about a young FBI agent, who happens to have an alternate personality,  investigating a murder outside the fictional American town of Rainy Woods?

I love mysterious atmospheric games but this one may have gone MIA to stay away from these other two more famous atmospheric games.  Will it be too afraid to show at E3?  And what is it about rain and mystery anyway?

10. Salvation

No, not Terminator Salvation, the game based on the upcoming film.  This Salvation has a very interesting story, but not much has been seen since the basic video on the Salvation website. The game is being made by Black Wing Foundation and N-Game Studios.

The story goes something like this: it is the year 2026 and the world government  has resorted to stem cells and gene engineering to stage the Judgment Day. They create a genetic replication of Christ and the Antichrist and destroy them to set forth severe fundamentalism on Earth.

• Check the Salvation Video out.

If you have any ‘wrong’ (heretical) thoughts you are killed or sent to Hell…a virtual environment where suffering is the go.  Fundamentalism in video games = resistance fighters, so no prizes for guessing what sort of roles the player will take.  It is classed as an ‘action-3rd person shooter-stealth-RPG’ game set in future Tokyo and London.  So, yes, a bit confusing, but interesting.

And missing.  It’s supposed to be released this year for PC and Xbox 360.  Has this game had bad thoughts and been taken to virtual Hell to be tortured or killed?  Maybe we’ll find out at E3?

To check out PART 1, with 12 more games gone MIA, click here.

© 2009 David Hilton – 2IC

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Пълната версия на интервюто с Todd Hollenshead което беше излъчено в последният епизод на GameTrailers TV и което успя да създаде “леко” объркване относно датата на излизане на RAGE.

Все пак, ако някой не е разбрал, RAGE няма да излезе през 2009г.!

Освен името на новата игра на Blackrock Studios, последният епизод на GameTrailers TV хвърли и малко светлина върху две от горещите заглавия на id Software – новият Doom и Rage.

От страна на Doom 4 няма нищо особено съществено – смятат да се придържат към предишните игри (затворени клаустрофобични пространства), и най вероятно играта няма да се казва Doom 4. В id Software за сега и викат просто Doom.

По интересната новина обаче, е потвърждението, че изродщината RAGE ще излезе през 2009 година! Хип хип упааааааа!

Цялото интервю, можете да гледате тук.

Falando sobre DooM 4, a iD Software disse que civis e militares terão personalidades diferentes, assim como na vida real. Bom, o artigo foi apagado depois, mas vocês sabem como é a Internet. Não dá para esconder.

“[Mark Bristol] foi bem específico no caso dos civis terem uma certa personalidade e os militares outra. A linguagem corporal dos civis é menos, digamos, “treinada”. Eles carregam as armas de m modo incorreto e são um poucos descuidados quando correm. Já os militares estão em forma, possuem movimentos rápidos, sabem posicionar bem uma arma e se viram rapidamente.”

Der britische Science-Fiction-, Fantasy- und Horror-Beststeller-Autor Graham Joyce (Bücher u.a.: House Of The Lost Dreams, Requiem und The Stormwatcher) wurde laut einer Ankündigung von Id Software als Schreiber für die Hintergrundgeschichte des mit Spannung erwarteten neuen Teils der Doom-Reihe von id Software engagiert.

Doom 4 wird derzeit für Ende 2009 angekündigt. Ein neuer Film, basierend auf dem kommenden Spiel, wäre laut Todd Hollenshead, CEO von id Software, ebenfalls denkbar. Allerdings hält Universal Pictures weiterhin die Filmrechte an der Reihe und müsste die Entscheidung für das Projekt treffen, was aufgrund des Flops des ersten Films zumindest im Moment nicht besonders wahrscheinlich scheint.

Pickman meint: Mit einem echten Schriftsteller at work kann bei der Story des Games eigentlich nichts mehr schiefgehen. Für die geniale technische Umsetzung wird id Software hingegen sicherlich auch sorgen. Man darf gespannt auf die weitere Entwicklung von Doom 4 sein.

Credit to whoever named their dog Cortana. (image: digitalbattle.com)

It’s just before midnight and I’m done with the Fable II DLC already. I’m gazing fondly at my hero who now dons a full set of plate armour, sadly no statistical benefits along the lines of damage mitigation, but he looks fantastic. Not to mention the suspisciously Bungie-esque “Hal’s Rifle” on his back. It’s been a fantastic bit of additional content, and I’ll have a full review on it up on GamerNode tomorrow, so I’ll link to it once it’s up.

In other news today, the Cartoon Network MMO launched today, which came as a slight suprise. I know I pine on and on about a Lego online experience, but Cartoon Network? Seriously? Imagine what raiding would be like, or being PvP spawncamped by Cow and Chicken. It’ll be a fad event I should expect, unless it develops a hardcore cult following from those of the 80s generation.

Doom 4 has finally entered the writing stage, and I couldn’t be happier. I piddled around on the third incarnation, but my main feelings were of disappointment. It was almost like an early Bioshock prototype; alone and scared in a sealed-off-from-civilization universe, nothing but audio logs for company. But it lacked what Doom was famous for; simplistic gunplay and tounge-in-cheek sci-fi humour. But they’ve got one Graham Joyce, a science fiction writer, to take the helm for the plot, which is stunning, as I don’t remember any storyline in the first three bar “Mars = Hell Portal. Uhoh.” and the obvious shutting of said portal.

The rumour mill has fired up once again for 2009, with some GTA V rumours to kickstart everything this month. The only interesting part of it, ignoring the blatantly unrealistic Christmas ‘09 release date, is a rumour of it being set in Tokyo, as opposed to the heavily suggested San Andreas. Tokyo would be a welcome change of scene, and possibly a fantastic storyline. That said, with GTA: Chinatown Wars already out, the East seems to be getting a lot of attention from Rockstar, so it’s not too far off the mark to cross my fingers for Smart Car related antics in the Shibuya district just yet.

And finally, the Daily Mail are likely to hit the journalistic roof, as MadWorld, the insanely violent yet quite stylish Wii title, has been given the green light by the BBFC. I can’t express how happy I am that the BBFC have not only given a big yes to a game that involves brutally murdering your opponents, but does so via use of the Wii Remote. It’s brilliant. All the violent videogames protesters are going to go absolutely crazy, and I cannot wait to see the Mail’s response to this being released. It’s a matter of time before Postal makes it to the DS and then we’ll start hearing about people stabbing eachother with styluses. Honestly. I read it in the Daily Mail, they said that it must be happening somewhere, in some dimension of reality. Chortle.

Три новини. Една лоша и две добри:
- Това е последният епизод на първият сезон на The Jace Hall Show.
- Не може да няма втори сезон
- ЕПИЗОДА Е ВЕЛИК! Признавам си, че се смях се от сърце с глупостите на Jace. В епизода има малко кадри от ALIENS: Colonial Maries, BORDERLANDS и още много други, но най-забавната част е факта, че Джон Кармак, не само владее бойни изкуства но и за малко да удуши Jace! Невероятно забавен епизод, остро ви го препоръчвам, дори да не сте гледали предишните и да не сте чак такива големи фенове!

Чакаме инфо за втори сезон!

Por: Roberto Guedes

Revisão: Fabian Kurayami

Anos passam e gerações de videogames passam. E as tecnologias avançam. Nós, gamers, vimos a mudança da 2º dimensão (2D) para a 3º (3D) e finalmente chegamos à alta definição (HD), onde o realismo gráfico tomou muito espaço na importância dos jogos da geração, algumas vezes até de modo exagerado, outras de modo justo. A coluna de hoje vai tratar exatamente desse assunto, falando das engines mais importantes da geração e se tanta importância nos gráficos vale a pena.

Engines gráficas

Toda essa importância talvez começou com Gears of War, lançado em 2006 para o XBox 360. O jogo impressionou tanto graficamente, que esta é a primeira lembrança que se tem ao falar de Gears of War. A Unreal Engine 3, que estreiou com o jogo da mesma empresa, Epic Games, logo se tornou de grande importância para a indústria. Muitas empresas usaram a engine a seu favor, como a 2K, a Mistwalker, a Square-Enix, a BioWare e a Midway. A grande maioria dos títulos tiveram sucesso no campo visual, apesar de algumas exceções (como Blacksite: Area 51).

Com o tempo, a Unreal Engine 3 foi atualizada, aprimorada e otimizada. A Epic Games vai lançar a versão 3.5 na seqüência do jogo que a popularizou: Gears of War 2. Nada mais justo.

Logo depois de Gears of War, criou-se uma grande expectativa  sobre qual seria o próximo destaque na parte gráfica. E este jogo não demorou a aparecer. A CryTek, com sua nova franquia Crysis, se destacou. A engine usada foi a CryEngine 2, da mesma empresa, que é mais poderosa do que a Unreal Engine 3.

O problema é que o primeiro jogo da franquia, que é exclusivo para o PC (pelo menos até agora, já que não sabemos qual Crysis irá para os consoles), exigiu muito dos PCs para rodar o jogo. Poucas placas de vídeo top de linha da época, e de hoje, conseguiam suportar o jogo.Este problema, mesclado ao alto índice de pirataria nos jogos de PC, resultaram em um grande fracasso de vendas. Tanto que a Crytek jurou não criar mais jogos exclusivos para o PC.

Logo depois de Crysis e Gears of War tivemos poucas novas engines. Até que a iD, responsável por DooM e  Quake, lançará a quinta versão da sua engine, batizada simplesmente de id5 Engine. Mas…por que ela merece tanto destaque? Porque John Carmack, presidente da empresa, sabe muita coisa de programação. E poderemos ver algo superior à CryEngine 2, apesar da dificuldade. Mas, a diferença para a engine da  é a otimização. Exatamente a razão do sucesso da Unreal Engine 3.

Enquanto a CryEngine 2 exige máquinas da NASA, a id5 promete visuais absurdos (como o visto na tela acima que, pasmem, é real time) em configurações realistas e nos consoles.

O realismo é tão importante?

Sim, principalmente nessa era HD. Mas ele não pode se tornar o único foco da produção, já que isso prejudica o conteúdo e as vendas de um jogo, no caso do PC quando sua configuração recomendada é absurda. Tanta importância nos gráficos, na minha opinião, pode ser prejudicial para um jogo se houver excessos. Mas, se bem aproveitada, pode ser usada a favor. Basta ver BioShock (imagem acima), que usou a Unreal Engine 3, adaptada, e conseguiu belíssimos resultados. Mas, quem jogou sabe: o principal fator do jogo são os gráficos? Ou são a história e a jogabilidade, de certa forma inovadora? Outro exemplo é Mass Effect, pelo mesmo motivo que BioShock.

Quando os outros aspectos do jogo não correspondem ao visual problemas acontecem. Quantas vezes você já se pegou, falando sobre um determinado jogo, a seguinte frase: “Só tem gráficos e mais nada.” Se grande parte do orçamento para o jogo é destinada somente para os gráficos, certamente vai sacrificar outros aspectos do produto.

Muitas pessoas também falam mais dos gráficos do jogo do que do resto, esquecendo que a nova geração significa mais oportunidades para explorar a história, a jogabilidade e a parte sonora. Esquecendo dessas partes, as pessoas acabam desvalorizando algum jogo que toma o caminho do balanceamento entre história, jogabilidade e som e a parte gráfica do jogo.

Como tudo na vida, tudo demais é veneno.