• Peter Molyneux's stated ambition as a designer is to make FABLE 2 a landmark game. In order to achieve this three big design features have been added. The inspiration and rational behind these features will be discussed along with their evolution throughout the development process. The wider context of their impact and influence on the RPG genre with also be examined as the ambition is also to evolve the genre itself. The talk will be supported by retrospective videos as well as live game examples.

• Game stories can matter, even in first person shooters. But first we're going to have to give up a lot of our preconceptions about what people care about when playing a game. For too long, games (especially first person shooters) have been stuck in a "game sequence followed by story sequence" mentality. Ken Levine will tell the tale of how the BIOSHOCK took a pointy-headed idea about a pseudo-objectivist utopia and turned it into one of the most compelling and succesful game worlds in recent history. What were the tools used? What compromises had to be made? Where did the shooter end and the story begin? How did we make people give a crap? How did we use story and narrative to become perhaps the most talked about game at the super-crowded E3 2006? What does this all mean for stories in games? And must of all, what hell does "Mise En Scene" mean?

• The online multiplayer mode of HALO 3 features an automatic matchmaking system to place players into games. Players may join individually or with parties of friends, and are quickly matched into groups. This presentation describes the algorithms behind the peer-to-peer matchmaking model, and its implementation over Xbox Live. It examines the impact of matchmaking on the HALO online community, and provides techniques for shaping the player experience and discouraging cheaters. The tradeoffs of an automatic matchmaking system compared to traditional multiplayer game browsers will be discussed, and illustrated by some results from the first months of HALO 3's operation.

• This session will offer a look into key areas of CRYSIS development that markedly depart from Crytek's first project, FAR CRY. Main topics include Nanosuit design and gameplay, creating a rich, destructible/non-linear world, and peopling it with dynamic, believable AI enemies that challenge and entertain the player.

Namco Bandai announced that their PlayStation Portable fighter, Tekken: Dark Resurrection has shipped to retailers.

The latest game in the series heads to the Sony handheld and features two new fighters in Lili and Dragunov. Classic characters are still included as well like Paul, Steve, Kazuya, Jin and Armor King. Tekken also looks to feature a variety of customizable items as well as various mini-games including Tekken Bowling. The game will feature wireless ad-hoc mode and ghost infrastructure mode which will allow you to upload your ghosts data character online to share with others in the network.]]> Tue, 25 Jul 2006 22:13:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tekken_dark_resurrection_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tekken_dark_resurrection_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tekken_dark_resurrection_psp1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Eric Dayday.

Ports have been the biggest theme ever since Sony’s little handheld was released. One of the larger fighting game franchises finally makes its PSP debut in Tekken: Dark Resurrection, a port of the latest arcade version of Tekken 5. And by the looks of things, fans of the series will not be disappointed. 

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the graphics. Simply put, Tekken: DR looks fantastic. It’s probably one of the most gorgeous games on the PSP. In fact, it almost looks like it belongs on the PS2. There are rumblings that there are some framerate hiccups resulting in some slowdown as well as some slight pixilation and aliasing problems, but word is that it doesn’t detract much, if at all, from the rest of the game. 

The sheer content found here is quite amazing. I mean they managed to squeeze everything from the Tekken 5 arcade game onto the small UMD – characters, backgrounds, music tracks, etc. You name it, and if it was in the original arcade version, it’s in Dark Resurrection. On top of that are the numerous game modes – quick battle, story battle, arcade battle, network, Tekken Dojo, attack, and practice. Quick battle and practice are your standard fare; and story mode, of course, let’s you follow each character’s individual stories. Playing through story mode opens up more modes and a bunch of extras, which I’ll touch on later. Now, let’s take a look at some of the more unique modes.

Arcade battle plays out like you’re at a virtual arcade; think about Street Fighter II on Xbox Live and its quarter battles, and you’ll have the basic idea, though sans the human controlled opponent on the other side. Instead, you face off against a random set of “ghosts”, or AI opponents. Sounds like a generic survival mode, but the ghosts all have their own names, skill levels, and playing styles. And after each match, you can choose from a list of potential challengers and their preference of characters. The kicker – if you choose to, the game can track and record your own fighting style and tendencies to create a ghost of you. Even better is the fact that you can exchange ghost data with others using the wireless connection so you can fight your friends while you’re playing a solo session. 

Sharing ghosts isn’t the only multiplayer option available, though Wi-Fi matches are not present. If both PSPs have a copy of DR then you can play ad hoc versus matches with everything that’s available in-game to the players. The single-disc game-sharing versus matches aren’t too shabby themselves. They offer the entire roster to both players, but the player who downloaded the game won’t have any music playing, and the number of backgrounds is severely limited. Not too bad with one-disc though, right?

We’ve already mention how much stuff Namco has shoved onto the disc, but what makes it even more insane is the amount of extras they piled on. There’s a theater mode that lets you check out each character’s prologue and ending movies as well as the main intro. You can also listen to the game’s soundtrack while in the theater. There are also a handful of minigames that are unlocked as you progress through the different game modes. Not much is known about what kind of games are included, but we do know that Tekken Bowling makes an appearance.

Oh and one last thing - the fact that the PSP’s button layout mimics the Dual Shock controller quite well will make Tekken vets feel right at home here. It will be a smooth transition from console to handheld. 

Beautiful graphics, loads of extras and bonuses, a healthy dose of multiplayer options, and with the overall tried and true Tekken gameplay intact, Tekken: Dark Resurrection has everything it needs to be a success. It really is a Tekken you can play on the go, taking the arcade game and shrinking it down to handheld size. Tekken fans will gobble this up, but even PSP-owning fighting game fans in general may want to think about dedicating some money and time into it.]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:19:07 -0500 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/children_of_mana_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/children_of_mana_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/children_of_mana_screenshots# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

A new set of screenshots has surfaced for Square Enix's upcoming action RPG, Children of Mana. Enjoy!

]]> Wed, 10 May 2006 00:16:00 -0500 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/new_dungeon_siege_ii_broken_world_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/new_dungeon_siege_ii_broken_world_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/new_dungeon_siege_ii_broken_world_screenshots# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

2K Games has released four first screenshots of Dungeon Siege II: Broken World today for your viewing pleasure. Check them out below.

]]> Wed, 03 May 2006 00:18:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_drakengard_2_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_drakengard_2_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_drakengard_2_ps21# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Sean Kearney.

It has been almost two years since Square Enix released Drakengard, the action role-playing game that combined on the ground hack-and-slash with aerial combat gameplay. Although the sequel to this game has been out in Japan for quite some time now, fans of the series stateside are finally going to get their hands on the sequel, as Square Enix releases Drakengard 2 in the U.S. just in time for Valentine's Day.

Drakengard 2 begins eighteen years after the events of the original game. You play as Nowe, a new member of the Knights of the Seal, the organization of warriors from the original Drakengard. Nowe is accompanied by a blue dragon, named Legna, who raised Nowe as a child, and together with Mana, a character from the first Drakengard, they battle their way through 12 chapters, featuring numerous ground and aerial combat missions, all the while leveling up their weapons and characters.

The gameplay in Drakengard 2 sticks rather close to that of the original. The game primarily consists of hack and slash ground battles that resemble those found in games like Dynasty Warriors, along with intense aerial combat missions, as Nowe boards his trusted dragon to take the battle to the skies. Although there are specific missions that call for you to be atop your dragon Legna for their entirety, missions that place you in an open area on the ground allow you to call Legna by pressing select anytime you need to do a little aerial assaulting.

While in the air, you have the ability to shoot two types of fireballs, a homing fireball that locks on to your enemy, as well as a non-homing fireball that packs a bit more power. You can also obtain the ability to unleash various "fire breath" attacks throughout the game by defeating enemies. The fire breath attacks have the ability to take out numerous enemies at once, and can provide a considerable amount of help in aerial missions.

On the ground, the fighting style remains similar to a traditional hack and slash title, with a plethora of button mashing involved in defeating enemies. You can choose between different weapons to fight your enemies with, and can perform combos, as well as magic attacks, to help you take on opponents. You also have the ability to carry along an inventory of different weapons with you during combat by filling your "Grand Wheel" before you leave for battle. Once in combat, you can call up the grand wheel by pressing R2, and select the necessary weapon. If the weapon you select is specifically used by a certain character in the game, the grand wheel will send down the character who can use the weapon for you to play as.

Being able to cycle between weapons and characters is important, as Drakengard 2 does feature some RPG elements (This is a Square-Enix title remember). Aside from beautiful cinematics and an in-depth story, the ability to level up both weapons and characters provides a real reason to make sure you give all of your characters and weapons equal battle time.

Sticking very close to the original title, and with a few new additions to boot, Drakengard 2 will definitely keep fans of the series happy. With its action-focused gameplay, complete with RPG elements and in-depth story, the game could quite possibly attract some new fans to the series as well. Either way, Drakengard 2 just might be the perfect way to tell the action or RPG gamer in your life how much you care about them, as Drakengard 2 hits store shelves on February 14, Valentine's Day. As always, stay posted to Gaming Horizon to find out additional information about Drakengard 2 as it ships.]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:41:00 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_broken_circle_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_broken_circle_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_broken_circle_screenshots# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Alten8 and 7Raven Studios have released the first screenshots of Broken Circle for the Game Boy Advance. Enjoy!

]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2006 11:49:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/drakengard_2_gets_japanese_date http://www.gamebump.com/go/drakengard_2_gets_japanese_date http://www.gamebump.com/go/drakengard_2_gets_japanese_date# Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:53:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/capcom_ubisoft_ink_pc_publishing_deal http://www.gamebump.com/go/capcom_ubisoft_ink_pc_publishing_deal http://www.gamebump.com/go/capcom_ubisoft_ink_pc_publishing_deal# Ubisoft has secured the rights to publish three premier Capcom titles for the PC: Resident Evil 4, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, and Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. The titles will be distributed throughout North America and Europe, the first being Onimusha 3: Demon Siege later this month.

“Capcom has created fantastic universe which have become blockbuster franchises,” said Ubisoft VP of Publishing Jay Cohen. “We are excited to be bringing three of the industry’s most innovative titles to PC gamers around the world.”

Disney released their latest animated feature film this fall with Chicken Little. Along with the movie’s release came a slew of products including games that are based on the chicken hero. More often than not this strategy for games fails and is a miserable translation. Despite the action platformer finding some success, in the end it just isn’t up to par.

First and foremost the graphics for Chicken Little are pretty impressive. The cut-scenes are straight from the movie and really keep the story going. You don’t just get ten or twenty second clips, but rather they put in a minute or more of film straight from the movie. As for the in-game graphics they are also very well done and look much like their film counterparts. The environments you’ll play in are pretty detailed with distinct buildings and everything on screen is colorful and stands out.

Another quality aspect to the game is the audio and sound. Disney didn’t spare any expense with lousy knockoff voice actors and instead signed on the film’s actors doing all the voiceover work including Zach Braff as Chicken Little, Joan Cusack as Abby and Steve Zahn as Runt amongst others. I did notice throughout the game that if the characters did talk, they were a little repetitive. More than that though, the score is mostly simple background music. The pieces used for these are very repetitive also.

The controls for the game are also very easy to pick up and play. You have a yo-yo that you can sling to go across areas. You’ll also be able to jump and grapple up poles along with the ability to get better gadgets like a slingshot and hoverboard. Later in the game players can take control of Little’s friends including Runt of the Litter, Abby Mallard and Fish Out of Water. A nice touch found in the game is that each character moves a little different.

The last thing that stands out about Chicken Little is that the gameplay is varied. The first level in the game is a magnificent platforming experience that has you figuring out your way to school. You must jump, run and swing through different obstacles to get there. Once you arrive at school, you must collect coins to buy a soda and fly inside. After that you have to ride a mop bucket to class and then play dodgeball. Later in the game you’ll play baseball by doing a DDR type button game, fly a space ship and even drive a car to deliver newspapers, groceries and more. Obviously you can see there is a lot of variety in the game, but each of the twenty-one levels more often than not feels like a mini-game instead of a straight platformer, which can be good and bad, although at least it offers variety.

The biggest problem with Chicken Little is that each of the levels is very easy and most can be finished in approximately ten minutes. The levels are just too short and easy to figure out. A problem related to this is that the levels, although varied, often get repetitive too. You’ll notice that a lot of the game involves collecting items like your baseball uniform, coins or acorns. Another problem is that some of the levels seem to drag on too long also; one in particular I recall was when Abby, Runt and Fish were driving to get over to Chicken Little’s house. On your way you continuously have other tasks to do before you get there. It was more just an irritating waiting game, instead of an enjoyable driving experience.

Obviously Chicken Little is geared towards kids, but I personally thought some aspects of the game could be a little too difficult for children as you are under time restraint, have to run from an opponent or swing across gaps with the touch of a few buttons very quickly. These tasks weren’t difficult to accomplish after two or three tries for me, but I could see kids getting stuck on them for a very long time. It seems obvious that Chicken Little wasn’t made completely for children, but at the same time is way too easy for adults.

Finally, the game doesn’t provide a lot of replay value. The actual single player game won’t take gamers too long to get through and the mini-games won’t keep players interested for very long.

Disney’s Chicken Little is better than many other titles in the movie to game genre. The developers did a good job with the graphics putting actual scenes from the movie in the game and sound by acquiring the film’s voice talents. The controls are solid too as they make the game easy to pick up and play. The problems with the game are that it almost offers too much variety and doesn’t go in any one direction. The developers relied on scavenger hunt style games that become tedious and repetitive and many of the levels are way too short. I have to say Disney did put together a solid product instead of coming out with a sloppy game to market with the movie, but they still didn’t quite close the deal. I’d have to say Chicken Little is no more than an average title, although it had the potential to be much better.

Good variety of levels and the controls make it easy to pick up and play, but it's too short.

The cut-scenes are straight from the movie and graphics are colorful and full of life.

The voice acting is from the movie and the music is upbeat although both get repetitive.

It’s entertaining for a bit, but the appeal quickly wears off.

Once you beat it, you probably won’t go back and the mini-games don’t provide much value either

]]> Mon, 07 Nov 2005 01:39:00 -0600