Posted 7/9/2008 at 12:06 PMBy MondoPest

You can feel it coming...Anticipatory excitement like mild electricity surging through your body... E3 is close. And this year, we will be covering the expo for the first time. And yet, many people I talk to about E3 seem ambivalent. They tell me how last year's was 'lame' and disorganized. Thats when it hits me. That electricity I feel is a remnant from the previous incarnation of the expo, when it was huge and a spectacle to behold.

The whole point in downsizing the expo was to save everyone money but all thats seemed to happen is that exhibitors are spending more than ever not only on the E3 expo, but their inhouse showings and other gaming events like Leipzig.

E3 must make a comeback this year. Its very survival depends on it. All hope is not lost, thankfully. There is still enough memory of 'what was' to get us through this rough patch should they improve the show. Bring back some of the spectacle, the glitz, the energy. Everyone here is pulling for the event and hopes it lives up to our expectations.

Which brings us to this...Only a handful of days remain until it begins. Our preparations are fully underway. The hotel room has been booked (long in advanced thanks to the Shogun), the right configuration of bags have been selected and are waiting for their final payloads, and our transportation has been arranged. Pfgonzo will be flying down early next week before the festivities begin to meet the rest of us so we can get underway. Our meetings have all been scheduled save for a few select timeslots which I am wrestling with as I type this. We have been contacted by several last-minute requests to meet, so I am confident we will get those assigned in no time.

We will post again soon with our official GamingShogun.com equipment list so you know what tech we will be using in our coverage.

(Continue reading 'E3 2008 - Our Preparations Underway'...)

Posted 7/1/2008 at 10:03 AMBy GamingShogun

We got the chance to interview Firefly Studios' Simon Bradbury, Lead Design on Stronghold Crusader Extreme. Stronghold Crusader Extreme is a new edition of the cult-classic real-time strategy and castle builder with an increased unit cap as well as new challenges to test player's metal. You can find our review of the game here.

GS – So, tell us a little bit of the reasons behind Stronghold Crusader Extreme’s development. Why create an additional expansion to such an old, albeit classic, title?

SB – It is old, but it is still a hugely popular title, with thousands of new people playing it every month, and the single biggest request we have had from fans, is can we have more Crusader! Whilst we are not quite ready to start on Crusader2 yet, we felt we had a great opportunity to add more life into the series with a hardcore extension to game play.

GS – How many people worked on this edition of Stronghold Crusader?

SB – 5 core people, with another 5 touching it in various ways.

GS – Many people criticize the graphics of Stronghold Crusader Extreme. Personally, we love hand-drawn sprites. However, our issue was with the tearing and pixilation of those sprites on larger displays. Why were the graphics not overhauled in SCE?

SB – Thank you, an awful lot of work and attention went into creating those graphics and the animations of daily life that they show and its nice for the guys to be appreciated! The reason we haven’t change the graphics engine is basically so that we can get our huge numbers of troops on screen. We use highly optimized, assembly coded routines to draw them and as CPU speed have exploded over the last 7 years, we are now able to take advantage of that improvement.

GS – Stronghold Crusader Extreme features a unit cap of 10,000. We were wondering if you guys tested it with an even larger unit cap? If so, where did the game start slowing down too much to be playable?

SB - Given that all the work is in fact done on the CPU it really depends on your processor. We have had 20000 running on a dev machine here, but set the limit at 10k to allow older machines to run the game well . Once we got beyond 20K we found that the AI’s path finding started to become a bit of an issue!

GS – Will Firefly Studios be appearing at the E3 expo this year exhibiting anything?

SB – Yes we will! We will be showing of our new baby which is ‘Dungeon Hero’ (see below!)

GS – What other upcoming titles are being worked on by Firefly Studios?

SB - We are working on Dungeon Hero, which is a 3rd person action title and so - something of a departure for us! We have always liked dungeons (almost as much as castles!) and wanted to put some of that passion into our very own dungeon environment. What I think will be different about ‘Dungeon Hero’ (outside of some fresh combat ideas) is that we wanted to bring a little of Stronghold into the dungeon. We wanted to breathe a lot of life into what is often a very sterile environment. So whilst we may not have woodcutters(actually we do!) - we do have goblin cheese makers, goblin resources , goblin storage areas and a sense that the dungeon is full of life and (in a strange way) real!

GS – Is there anything new you can tell us regarding Stronghold 3?

SB – Well we certainly want to do it! And we have a very clear idea as to its look and feel. But no announcements just yet…!

GS – And finally, is there anything you would like our readers to know?

SB - When (If!) you start to get our extreme trails beat. You might want to go to our website and see if you score is good enough to submit, as we are going to be building a comprehensive table of the hardcore extreme players out there!

We would like to thank Simon Bradbury, Firefly Studios, and the Gamecock Media Group for making this interview possible!

(Continue reading 'Interview with Simon Bradury of Firefly Studios on Stronghold Crusader Extreme'...)

Posted 5/2/2008 at 10:40 AMBy GamingShogun

The E3 Media & Business Summit of 2007 was somewhat of a bust and a let-down. After it changed from the previous media spectacle to its current, more intimate event, the magic just seemed to be lacking.

 Now, with the news of Vivendi Universal and Activision (as well as some others) not attending this year's E3 Media & Business Summit (and subsequently leaving the ESA), many gamers and forum trolls are raising the red flag of 'E3 is dead!' and all that nonsense. While the full list of companies at E3 has yet to be announced 'officially', so far it looks like these companies will be attending:

* Akella
* Atari Inc.
* Bethesda Softworks
* CAPCOM Entertainment, Inc.
* Codemasters
* Crave Entertainment
* Disney Interactive Studios
* Eidos, Inc.
* Electronic Arts
* Konami Digital Entertainment America
* LucasArts
* Microsoft Corporation
* Midway Games, Inc.
* MTV Games
* NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
* Nintendo of America Inc.
* Rebellion
* SEGA of America
* Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.
* Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
* Square Enix Inc.
* Take-Two Interactive
* THQ, Inc.
* Ubisoft Entertainment Inc.
* Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment

-The list has been updated with the recent announcement by ID Software, Her Entertainment, and NC Soft.

Sure, losing the six companies is a hit to the line up at the summit, but with all of the other talented developers appearing this year, I would hardly call the expo 'dead'. It is true that there are fewer developers on the list for this year's event when compared to year's past, but there is also no word on how much floorspace the ESA has rented at the convention center. Additionally, there is still plenty of time to register and set up a booth, so that list could grow.

Pulling the expo back from its 60,000+ attendance circus to a more intimate event was an attempt to re-focus on the games, not who's booth was bigger and better and I would rather a company spend some of that booth budget on additional development assets than waste it on some booth-babes. Now while this may seem like a moot point being that this particular change occurred last year, many posters are still citing it as one of  the reasons 'E3 is dead!'.

By losing a few of the top-tier, huge developers from the line-up, it might allow smaller, independent studios an 'in' to showcase what they are working on, something that was very difficult to do in the event's previous incarnation.

While these changes are painful, they will pay off in a much more focused event where gaming media can get the information they need to the public who craves it. Everything fluctuates, and this is just another rebuilding year for the E3 expo. Things will improve and there is no reason for all the gloom and doom talk, people!

(Continue reading 'E3 Media and Business Summit Dead - Hogwash'...)

Posted 3/5/2008 at 3:08 PMBy GamingShogun

Way back when, youngsters, there existed a company that put out some of the best video games in history. Titles such as F-117 Stealth Fighter, F-15 Strike Eagle III, F-14 Fleet Defender, and Master of Orion II just to name a few. This company was started by Sid Meier and Bill Stealey who called it.... Microprose. And, after serious financial trouble and a six year hiatus in the great beyond, some investors and 'industry veterans' have resurrected the software company....Or have they?

After browsing the new corporate website, it seems to me that they just bought the name to slap onto some hardware they produce (or perhaps just license from manufacturers - that is not clear). They mention the games of the past every so often, but never state they will make games again. The 'new' Microprose is all about hardware and cabling, NOT software development.

From the company site:
'In 2007, the Microprose brand was acquired from Atari Interactive, Inc. (formerly known as Hasbro Interactive, Inc.). It is being restructured and relaunched by a team of veterans of the video game industry as a Video Game accessories and Consumer Electronics products firm. The new Microprose stays true to the brand, focusing on high quality products delivering to the user the ultimate experience in the interactive entertainment universe.'

And just what is the 'ultimate experience in the interactive entertainment universe'? The answer: Digital TV Receivers. Yup, thats right, those and HDMI 3-port switchers. In what is almost a slap in the face nod to gamers, they will also make a very crude-looking gamepad/joystick (looking like a relic from 1985) which will surely have gamers lined up around the block. All of these products branded with the once proud Microprose logo.

They claim that the new company 'stays true to the brand..', which is true I guess, my father told me that they once had a Microprose stereo system. It was cherry. They only thing that is staying true to the brand is their use of the original logo and they added some text to it as well. Maybe that 'brand truthfulness' will really drive the point home, Microprose: We are the same...but totally different - hey, look at our logo!

I seriously wish them success, but I also wish they did not have to tarnish the name of one of the greatest game developers in history to get it. So I ask you, gamers who remember the Microprose that was: Is it really back?

The 'new' Microprose site.

Image gallery of Microprose hardware after the break.

*The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this web site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the GamingShogun.com and its owners.

(Continue reading 'Microprose - Resurrected and Dead All at the Same Time'...)

Posted 2/18/2008 at 12:06 PMBy GamingShogun

We recently got the chance to  interview Vic Davis, Founder of Cryptic Comet, developer of the popular turn-based strategy game Armageddon Empires.

GS) You founded Cryptic Comet, tell us a bit about your background in the gaming industry, or, gaming in general.

VD) I’m actually a neophyte to the gaming industry. I made interactive Civil War battlefield CD-ROMs for a bunch of years for a start up company with my brother. The company is called TravelBrains and if you visit Gettysburg you will see our tour there. It’s a very novel product in that it lets you learn about the history before you leave and then gives you a AAA tour at the site. Now I run a one man show called Cryptic Comet. My first game was the result of almost three years of work. It’s a turn based strategy game called Armageddon Empires.

GS) What prompted or inspired, if you will, Cryptic Comet to design Armageddon Empires as a turn-based strategy game instead of the more mainstream real-time variety?

VD) Well, turn based is really the central element in my design philosophy. I just like taking the time to sit and think about what I want to do in a game. I like to examine my units at my own leisure and revel in there stats, attachments, victories and power. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I still enjoy playing an RTS every once in a while but I always have this terrible feeling in my gut that there is something going on somewhere that I am missing. Mainstream gaming has left the turn based games behind on the PC so I thought I’d take a shot at it and see what I could do. I’m not alone though. There are some great small companies and many more indies doing this. You just tend not to find the games on the store shelves.

GS) Armageddon Empires features some really well-done 2D artwork. Who were the artist(s) for the game?

VD) I rounded up some great artists from all over the world. First on board was my sister Katie. She worked for cheap so she was a key hire. She did a bunch of the icons, interface art templates, the website and the manual. Then I found Matt Bradbury an amazing artist out of the U.K. He did the Machines, Mutants and a bunch of flavor images. Zdenek Sasek came on next. He lent his unique style to the Empire of Man and produced some great work. I also snagged an ex-Bioware artist by the name of Michael Grills. He did a stand up job on all the equipment you salvage from the Wasteland. Ric Lim Boon Keat then lent a talented hand to many of the indie facilities you will stumble upon in the game….. the beached Trident submarine being one of my favorites. Finally Jon Hodgson delivered on the tough assignment of bringing the tentacled Xenopods to life and Aaron Porter modeled all the 3-D dice. Team complete.

GS) There is a 'Collectible Card Game' aspect to Armageddon Empires, which really adds an additional layer of strategy as well as random chance to gameplay. Are there plans to release 'booster packs' for the game?

VD) Yes, I’m actually wading around knee deep in the guts of the program right now adding code for a free mini expansion pack called Cults of the Wastelands. It will basically be version 1.07 of the game and will let you toggle on a challenge mode of sorts to really up the difficulty. You will face off against some insidious cults that have there own plans for the wastelands. Normally the non-AI players called independents just sit there waiting for you to destroy them and claim their treasure. Not these guys. Pizza will send out for you!

GS) Despite all the positive reviews Armageddon Empires has garnered, a sticking point most reference is the unnecessary button clicking as well as button placement. What happened in the game's design of the user interface which led to this?

VD) Well the interface is really the result of a non professional like me taking a shot at what is really some complex game dynamics. I think it could definitely be improved and I’ve added some incremental steps to that. One of my last updates added a timer for the appearance of a message pad that only had an ok button to press….just some info I thought was needed before the next screen popped up. Because I wanted to mimic a board game and show all the dice rolls, you have this very regimented flow process for resolving conflict in the game. There are certain points where you can roll the dice, certain points where you can re-roll selected dice and even points where you can play cards to change things. The UI is probably a bit too literal. I’m going to keep smoothing it on the margins but in the end it is what it is… and short of a complete design overhaul its core character isn’t going to change. I do know that once people get used to the flow process they come to terms with it…. Sort of like a bad marriage

GS) Currently, your website lists Armageddon Empires as the only game in the Cryptic Comet stable. Any current projects coming down the pipe you can speak about?

VD) Well I’ve got the free mini expansion pack coming out in late March if everything goes according to plan. I’ve also made a lot of progress on my next game that I haven’t officially announced yet. It’s called Project Brimstone at this point but that’s just a code word. I really liked how the old Black Isle guys used to give code names to their projects. I got a lot of feedback that people really wanted some multi player for Armageddon Empires. Converting that game to multi player would be an impossible task because I really didn’t lay out the architecture for it. The design would also have to be heavily modified and frankly my networking code experience is non-existent. So for this next project I am going to attempt play by e-mail (PBEM) and see how that goes. The game is designed from the ground up for it with simultaneous turns and it has a bunch of cool board game mechanics. Right now my one line description of it is to think of an eclectic combination of Diplomacy, Dune, A Game of Thrones and Ticket To Ride.

GS) And lastly, is there anything you would like our readers to know?

VD) Just that I’ve got a long list of game ideas that I eventually want to bring to life. Ideas are a dime a dozen so I’m going to keep working on pulling off the execution. You can expect strong themes, brain itching mechanics, great art and solid support from Cryptic Comet in the future. I’ve also got a blog up on my website where I like to spout off about strategy game design.

Thank you again for the interview Vic, we appreciate it as do our readers. You can find more information on Cryptic Comet and Armageddon Empires at their website.

(Continue reading 'GamingShogun Interviews Vic Davis of Cryptic Comet'...)

Posted 1/4/2008 at 11:08 AMBy GamingShogun

Here is my list of most-anticipated PC games for 2008. Happy New Year, all, I hope it is full of good times and good gaming!

Age of Conan (PC/360)
by FunCom
Release: March
I totally dug the hell out of the Conan flicks growing up, and enjoyed the Howard stories as an adult. Given the chance to play in that world. A chance to quest, adventure, and hack up anyone who gets in my path!?! I am so in it isn't funny. And after playing the beta of the MMO for a bit, I am definitely in - at least when they work out their performance issues (oops - did I say that out loud?).



Frontlines: Fuel of War (PC/360)
by THQ
Release: February
Imagine a world starving for the base substance that propels their whole economy: oil. Sound familiar? Well in the shooter Frontlines: Fuel of War it is taken to the next level and the whole world is fighting over the last of the stuff in the not so far off future. The shooter looks to focus mainly around Battlefield-style gameplay with a cool 'frontline' system where your side will gain and lose enhancements based on where the frontline of battle is located.



Sins of A Solar Empire (PC)
by Stardock
Release: February
We are big space game fans here at GamingShogun. We reminisce of the days of Wing Commander, Tie Fighter, Freespace....Those days are gone but the space game comes in many flavors. Sins of a Solar Empire takes elements from space RTS games like Homeworld and mixes it up with elements from 4X space games like MOO (Master of Orion).



Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (PC/360/PS3)
by Ubisoft
Release: Fiscal 2008
Rainbow Six Vegas was a whole lot of fun. The single player game was entertaining and the multiplayer game had some great moments. The sequel, however, looks to improve on all that by enhancing the single player story and bringing the multiplayer where it needs to be: with a dynamic co-op campaign and new multiplayer match modes to boot. They have also tweaked up the graphics engine a bit and promise to deliver a lot more Vegas this time around.



Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (PC/360/PS3)
by Codemasters
Release: Q1
So here you are, Mr New York Construction Worker, going about your everyday life. The next thing you know, Nazi's are everywhere! It is a full-on invasion of the US! This game explores an alternate history where in 1953, after stomping victoriously across Europe, the Nazi's decide to take on Uncle Sam 'mano y mano'. You play as that construction worker turned freedom fighter across what promises to be a fun single player campaign to retake the city from the Fascists.



Fallout 3 (PC/360/PS3)
by Bethesda
Release: Autumn
You would either have to be born under a rock or after 1985 to not know what Fallout is. If you are one of the above and DO know what the game is, congratulations! The Fallout series is one of the best in all of video gaming history. It's sardonic vision of a retro-future turned nuclear is unforgettable. Apparently, others think this same way as it has been resurrected from the ashes of Interplay and is under development by Bethsoft(Oblivion). This time around it is a FPS RPG, which has stirred critical reaction on both sides of the fence. Personally, I am of the opinion that as long as the story is Fallout, it wont matter.



Ghostbusters (PC/360/PS3)
by Sierra
Release: Autumn
After the Ghostbusters game scare from Zoot earlier in 2007, the gaming world felt seriously ripped off that they would NOT be getting their game. Thankfully, Sierra has listened and the official Ghostbusters game was announced as in development. It is still to be determined whether or not the Sierra gameplay vids look as good as the Zoot ones, but the coolest thing about GB is that the original cast has returned to do all the voice over work and are treating the game as the official third 'movie' in the series.



Tiberium (PC/360/PS3)
by EA
Release: Autumn
The first Command & Conquer FPS, Renegade, was not well-received nor well done. It looks like EA is redeeming itself with Tiberium, however, as the FPS promises to delve deeper into the C&C story while also giving players a great bunch of multiplayer opportunities. The graphics looks great from screen shots we have seen thus far but hopefully the tentative release date wont slide back so far you will see it on the 'GamingShogun's Most-Anticipated Games of 2009' list!

Concept Render:


Operation Flashpoint 2 (PC/Wii/PS3/360)
by Codemasters
Release: 2008
The original OF is one of those unique games that spawned a thousand gaming stories. Playing co-op in such an open world gave rise to almost limitless ways of completing an objective short of diplomacy. Besides, who needs that option, anyway?



Space Force: Captains (PC)
by Dreamatrix
Release: Early 2008 (For US)
This little gem looks like alot of fun. A turn-based strategy game of starship combat set in the Space Force universe. Already out in Europe, the US version wont be ready until early this year (actually, VERY early). Build a space station, create your captain then customize a fleet to conquer the universe. What could possibly go wrong? The game features 3 campaigns with roughly 25 missions each, tons of equipment/customization options, and crisp 3d graphics. Fun fun fun.



So there you have it! Hopefully, I can get a list of my most-anticipated Xbox 360 games for 2008 up soon as well. If you think I missed anything on my list, feel free to post your choices below!

(Continue reading 'GamingShogun's Most-Anticipated PC Games of 2008: A List!'...)

Posted 12/17/2007 at 9:55 AMBy MondoPest

Next-Gen has posted their list of the top 30 games of 2007. Their take on the top games list is MUCH more realistic than TIME's was. In fact, aside from their top five of the list, it is pretty darn good.

I commend Next-Gen for their top 30 list and think it shows their true 'gamer' status as opposed to people who just pull the top sellers off of the Gamestop website and put them in their articles.

The top five from Next-Gen:

• Super Mario Galaxy
• Rock Band
• BioShock
• The Orange Box
• Halo 3

(Continue reading 'Reaction to Next-Gen Top 30 Games of 2007'...)

Posted 12/11/2007 at 11:53 AMBy GamingShogun

TIME has named its 'Top Ten Video Games of 2007' and called Halo 3 the best of the bunch. They praise it as the 'perfect hardcore first-person combat simulator' and liken it to a pebble, rounded by the ages.

The Top 10 According to TIME:

• Halo 3
• The Orange Box (although that is technically MANY games)
• Rock Band
• Super Mario Galaxy
• BioShock
• Call of Duty 4
• Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• Mass Effect
• Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
• God of War 2

(Continue reading 'GamingShogun Takes on TIME's Top Ten Games of 2007'...)