Front Mission Evolved Interview with Double Helix Games

We got the chance to ask Double Helix Games' Design Director, David Verfaillie, and Lead Technology Programmer, Panos Zobolas, about their upcoming actioner, Front Mission Evolved.

Q) What are some of the dev team's personal experiences with the Front Mission series? Are many of you long-time fans? Or, are you coming to this with fresh eyes?

A) The whole team has played at least one of the past Front Mission games.  The two most popular games on the team are Front Mission 2 and Front Mission 4.  There are a few people who joined the team later who never played a Front Mission game before and their unbiased opinions have been useful, but for the most part the game is being driven by fans of the series.  And this goes from the development staff all the way to the marketing groups and testers.

Q) Do you feel that your coming into the Front Mission series, after so many games in the universe have already been made, was a daunting task? What are some of the development challenges Double Helix has faced in this undertaking?

A) Double Helix Games has lots of experience with developing games based on established franchises.  It is always a challenge, but it’s something we relish taking on.  With the wealth of knowledge about Front Mission on the team and direct collaboration with the experts and creators at Square Enix, we were able to ensure we stayed true to the spirit of the Front Mission universe...(cont.)

Read the rest of our developer interview with Double Helix Games, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Dragon Age 2 Hands-On Preview from the 2010 San Diego Comic Con

Over the weekend at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, I was able to get some hands-on time with BioWare's upcoming Dragon Age 2. According to Lead Designer Mike Laidlaw, up until the beginning of the convention on Wednesday, only 11 people outside of the team had seen the game, so it was a real treat to check it out.

Before getting to play the demo which had been setup for the show, Laidlaw gave about a ten minute introduction to Dragon Age 2, including talking about some of the most significant changes since the original. The BioWare team developing the sequel first looked at Dragon Age: Origins after its release, including forum and reviewer feedback. From there, they went on to discuss if these suggestions/changes were something they would implement in the sequel... (cont.)

Read the rest of our Dragon Age 2 preview from the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, head After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

We Preview Codemasters F1 2010

On Day 2 of the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo I had the chance to visit the Codemasters suite to check out F1 2010.  A small group of us sat down to a presentation by two of the games producers and off we went into the wild world of racing.  The demo started off with the producers explaining the world of F1 racing to us.  F1 racing is a huge mega sport in Europe that has yet to branch out to North America.  The development team's goal for F1 is to spread the sport globally by delivering story into a racing game...(cont.)

Read the rest of the story, after the break!

Tweet this Story!

Sid Meiers Civilization V Promises 'One More Turn' Addiction

Okay, let's face it, some games just appeal to addictive personalities.  For some it is 'one more fight,' others 'one more quest' and then there is the addiction that has been around since the beginning of games: 'one more turn.'  Be it the old days of Monopoly or Risk or today's technologically based beauties there is always a need for 'one more turn.'  And any fan of the Sid Meier's games knows the itch.  Sid Meier's Civilization V is the latest offering in the award winning Civilization strategy game series featuring the famous “just one more turn” addictive game play that has made it one of the... (cont.)

Finish this fine bit of gaming journalism, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Preview of Spec Ops: The Line from 2K Games

Next up on our tour of 2K Games at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo is their 3rd person war shooter Spec Ops:  The Line.  As I made my way into the viewing room it was almost like being transported to a broken down palace in Dubai.  Once again 2K Games went over the top to make sure their rooms were themed for the game they are showing.  The lights went down and we were greeted by a couple of the games producers and off we went into the war torn desert...(cont.)

Check out the rest of the story and some screenshots, after the break!

Tweet this Story!

DCS: A-10C Producer Interview - Exclusive Screenshots

We got the chance to interview Matt Wagner, Producer of the upcoming DCS: A-10C combat flight simulator from The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics. In our Q&A segment, we query Matt on a number of issues from random multiplayer missions to damage modeling to gun recoil and a whole lot more. Fair warning: This article will feature some technical terminology now and again so get your Google search bar warmed up! If you are a flight simulator or military aviation enthusiast, however, you should be right at home with it.

Additionally, Matt sent over some very pretty and exclusive screenshots of the upcoming sim for your viewing enjoyment.

Read our full Q&A with Matt Wagner as well as checkout the exclusive screens, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Preview of XCOM from 2k Marin

During the 2010 E3 Expo we had a chance to go behind closed doors and check out 2K Games re-imagination of XCOM.  One of the best things about attending a 2K Games preview at E3 is the outstanding way they theme their screening rooms.  I made my way into the XCOM room and was transported into a 1950's kitchen with everything that you would expect.  I was seriously waiting for the milkman to knock on the door looking to drop off his daily delivery...(cont.)

Check out the rest of the story and some screenshots, after the break!

Tweet this Story!

Supremacy MMA E3 2010 Impressions

At this year's 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo I was invited to check out 505 Games and Kung Fu Factory's newest title Supremacy MMA.  The developers focus was on making a brand new type of MMA game then what is currently or coming out on the market.  The devs at Kung Fu Factory definitely have the chops as they were part of the design for UFC Undisputed 2009.  We were loaded into a small room and first shown a trailer for the game.  It didn't have any in game footage or noticeable real world fighters.  When the video ended the developers leading the presentation when into all about Supremacy MMA...(cont.)

Check out the rest of the story and a screenshot, after the break!

Tweet this Story!

Our E3 2010 Impressions of DC Universe Online

At this year's E3, I had the chance to spend some time playing DCUO.  I walked in with hesitations, I'm not going to lie.  I had many concerns before getting some hands on time.  I was unsure about making a game in this universe, it seemed too limiting.  So many giant boots are already filled up - I would say to capacity.  I suppose Metropolis and Gotham are large enough that the big boys can't be everywhere at once.  I also had issues with the combat, especially when I heard it was going to the PS3.  Is it going to become a button smasher?  What about the end-game?

Find out about this and more, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Impressions of Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures from the 2010 E3 Expo

I had a chance to talk to the folks at Sony Online Entertainment about Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, an upcoming free-to-play MMO set in the Clone Wars time period of the Star Wars universe. Sony has learned a thing or two about free-to-play, micro-transaction based MMOs and it looks like they are gaining steam with this one.

Checkout my full impressions of this upcoming title, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Natsume Announces E3 2010 Lineup

Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced their lineup for the Electronic Entertainment Expo.  'We can't wait to show off some of the key titles in our 2010 lineup at this year's E3,' said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO at Natsume. 'We have eagerly-anticipated new entries in the Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series, a fun-filled new rhythm adventure game, and the triumphant return of the Lufia series!'

Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar (DS)
The bazaar is now open! Zephyr Town's bazaar was once the grandest in the world, drawing customers and peddlers from all four corners of the Earth. These days, though, the bazaar has more tumbleweeds than customers. Maybe you can turn its fortunes around! Raise animals, harvest crops, craft rare delicacies, and then sell your wares at your very own shop! Can you bring prosperity back to Zephyr Town?

Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals (DS)
The Sinistrals have returned! The Sinistrals, the four legendary harbingers of doom, are out to resurrect the ultimate evil and bring the world to its knees. It's up to the fiery monster hunter Maxim and his eclectic band of adventurers to put a stop to them once and for all. Their adventures will take them across an expansive world packed with dangerous enemies, powerful items, and diabolical puzzles! (cont.)

See the rest of Natsume's E3 lineup, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Nail'd Pre-Alpha Impressions

A few weeks ago, we were invited out to a Santa Monica hotel suite to check out Deep Silver's new and, at that time, unannounced title Nail'd.  Developed by Techland (Call Of Juarez) Nail'd was booted up on an Xbox 360 debug unit and off we went.  Check out our impressions of that pre-alpha build, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Interview with The Odd Gentlemen Co-Founder, Matt Korba

We got the chance to interview Matt 'King' Korba, Co-Founder of The Odd Gentlemen. The Odd Gentlemen are the development house behind the upcoming puzzler, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. We would like to thank Matt, 2K Games, as well as The Redner Group for making this interview possible.

Q) Tell us a bit about the gameplay in your upcoming project, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom.

Matt:  You have a record button you can press and hold at anytime in the game. This creates an instance of yourself that exists in an infinite loop.  You can then use this clone to step on, smack around. You can use clones to interact with the environment, and do your evil bidding.  These tricks serve one purpose… to steal more delectable sweets. Pie!

Read the rest of our interview with Matt Korba, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

Preview of Cryptic Studios Star Trek Online

We were happy to take part in the recent beta test of Cryptic Studios' upcoming MMO, Star Trek Online, and wanted to make sure we give you our preliminary thoughts on the game prior to its February 2nd release date (Feb. 5th in Europe).

After getting the beta client up and running, and following a rather large patch, I jumped into creating my first character. The game's user-interface and themes seem to have a lot in common with Champions Online, Cryptic's other MMO in play currently. At the time we played in the beta, we were limited to creating a Starfleet character at first. Overall, the system is similar to the previously-mentioned Champions but far less flamboyant in your options... (cont.)

See the rest of our Star Trek Online preview, After the Break!

Tweet this Story!

A Preview of MAG from Zipper Interactive

Back at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, SONY and Zipper Interactive announced a huge endeavor in multiplayer gaming.  Their plan was to develop a massive action game featuring 256-player battles - this game was to be titled MAG.  With the game close to release we jumped into the current open beta test to see if we had the chops to survive on the battlefield.  Check out our full preview, after the break!

Tweet this Story!

CES 2010 - Lost Planet 2 Preview

While at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas we got some time to visit Capcom's very fine suite, on the 30th-floor of the Planet Hollywood hotel, and play some Lost Planet 2. We would like to thank Capcom for giving us great access to their upcoming shooter, which is due out sometime this year.

Tweet this Story!

A Sneak Peak At The Bayonetta Demo

Thanks to SEGA we were able to get our hands on the Bayonetta Xbox 360 demo before it launches to the public.  Bayonetta is a supernatural action game where you are a killer female going up against dark magic and even the forces of heaven.  Check out our full preview after the break!

Tweet this Story!

Preview of Positech Games Gratuitous Space Battles

One of the more interesting games coming down the pipe in the near future is Positech Games' Gratuitous Space Battles. GSB allows players to customize various space craft types and pit their fleets against others in various combat scenarios. But in this seemingly simply concept, there is quite a bit of complexity.

Customizing your ships begins with selecting what ship chassis you want to load out. Ships are classified into three categories (the retail game may add more, time will tell): Fighters, Frigates, and Cruisers. Even different chassis in the same ship class will differ with regards to numbers of hardpoints and other bonuses such as hull or shield modifiers. After choosing your chassis you will begin loading out the ship with various technologies. Will you create a dedicated missile platform, or perhaps an anti-fighter ship? The choice is really up to you and makes for many fun hours of tinkering to get it just right... (cont.)

Tweet this Story!