Modern Warfare 3 and How Not to Do a Powerful Moment
You've probably heard about Modern Warfare 3's controversial scene, or at least are aware of it. After Modern Warfare and MW2, it's pretty much expected to have a shocking, powerful moment in the game that really hits you in the pathos. A soldier you played through a mission dying in a sudden and unexpected nuclear attack and seeing his vision fade as he's overcome by radiation poisoning, an airport full of civilians getting killed by terrorists as you're helpless to do anything, and so on. Modern Warfare 3 has one big moment like that, and a few that call back to it. Unfortunately, it fails at making any of those moments powerful or deep.
Spoilers ahead, so don't read on if you haven't played through the game (or specifically if you haven't played through the game and don't want it to be spoiled).
Bungie’s first non-Halo title in a decade is an MMO
Speaking at GDC earlier today, Bungie lead network engineer David Aldridge used the words "massively multiplayer action game" to describe the developer's first foray away from the Halo franchise since 2001 (from IGN). Aldridge emphasized that the game is not "WoW in space" (was anyone was saying Bungie had to do another space sci-fi game?) and will be published by Activision, but unfortunately, that's about all the information we're going to get right now.
Action games in MMO format don't have a great track record, as APB can attest, and I'm trying to get my head around how the design of a game like that would work. In games that depend on building teams out of diverse class types, it's hard to get around the use of statistics-based abilities, and those tend to be cultivated through a lengthy leveling process. If they're trying to come up with something that has the relative social advantages of an MMO without the grinding and gear-mongering, should be interesting to see how that will work. Maybe the first real "WoW-killer" won't be anything like WarCraft at all.
From the Game: Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition RC-XD Spy Car
Once again, Activision has elected for a 2-tiered collector's edition plan for its biggest game. Like Modern Warfare 2
Jackpot.
Activision Making a Bizarre Move: Studio May Shut Down
From the minds that brought you Project Gotham Racing, Blur, Geometry Wars, and 007 Blood Stone comes... job loss? At least that's what the staff over at Bizarre Creations thinks. There is a NeoGAF thread that has people who claim to be from the studio stating that Activision has intentions to close down the studio. Further investigation has revealed a 90-day consultation period in which Activision will decide what to do with the studio, be that sell them or, in the worst case, shut them down entirely. Activision sent out this statement:
"Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly. Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience. Bizarre is a very talented team of developers, however, because of the broader economic factors impacting the market, we are exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business."
In spite of my feelings toward Activision, a world with no more Geometry Wars does make me sad.
(via Giant Bomb)
Activision plans more Call of Duty DLC than ever in 2011
Call of Duty has taken on a Madden-like death-and-taxes inevitability, and so it comes as no shock that three days into the reign of Black Ops, we're already getting teasers about the next CoD content. The Good News: if you love all the DLC, then rest assured that 2011 will see "our largest line of exciting new digital content ever," according to Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg (via MCV). The Bad News: if you're frustrated at forking over $10 to $15 or so for every new map pack, well...better get used to it.
And, because it's never too early to look to the horizon, Hirshberg confirmed "Then in the back half of 2011, we are launching new large-scale Call of Duty FPS title." That's about all the details you're going to get. Sorry Black Ops, your days are already numbered.
Goldeneye 007: Split-Screen, Not Stirred
Activision's biggest display at New York Comic-Con was its Goldeneye 007
The game mode was Golden Gun. I didn't recognize the level, but it seemed to be a shipping yard or a depot, with multiple levels and objects to hide behind. I was Bond, remodeled as Daniel Craig instead of the original Pierce Brosnan. I had a Classic Controller, the tethered Wii remote sitting on my lap as I played.
Kotick: “If you ain’t Bungie, you ain’t ****”
That's not the exact quote, but it might as well have been. Mr. Headlines continues his campaign to piss off everyone in gaming. Bobby Kotick was speaking at the Deutsche Bank 2010 Technology Conference when he gave this statement: “They’re probably the last remaining high quality independent developer. That has sort of has institutional skills and capabilities. And they’re a real company.”
I don't even know what to make of this. In three sentences he just offhandedly dismissed the hard work of all the other hard working devs out there who aren't making money for his company. I mean, profit is one thing, but there's no reason to be so cutthroat about it, nor is there reason to try to alienate your consumers.
So sorry, Valve, Double Fine, Insomniac, Ninja Theory, Grasshopper Manufacture, Introversion, Level-5, Q-Games, Sucker Punch, Twisted Pixel, 5th Cell, The Behemoth, Gearbox, Rebellion, Terminal Reality and thatgamecompany. You all pale in comparison to the greatness that is Bungie.
WoW Doesn’t Want Zombies On Its Lawn
I'm not a World of WarCraft player; I've never even tried it. But, regardless of my feeling toward MMO's and Activision, this is easily one of the coolest things I've ever seen in any MMO. World of WarCraft: Cataclysm comes out sometime this year, though the latest rumors are pointing at a November 2nd release. Via Destructoid.
Amanita’s “Pirate Amnesty” sale: Machinarium $5 through August 12
Amanita Design, the developers of the critically acclaimed adventure/puzzle game Machinarium, are holding a "Pirate Amnesty" sale through August 12. For the next few days, the game will be available for just $5, 75% off its previous $20 price. The thought behind this is to pull in some of the people who have already pirated the DRM-free indie game with a great deal. If you've already pirated the game and still don't want to drop $20 on it, you can legitimately purchase it for $5 and be certain that you supported a great indie developer in the process.
People, this is how you deal with piracy. Instead of introducing increasingly draconian measures that barely prevent people from pirating games and either inconveniences or enrages people who legitimately buy your games (I'm looking at you, Activision, EA, and Ubisoft), focus on appealing to gamers' better nature and try to pull pirates toward legitimately buying your game.
Piracy is an unfortunate reality of software. It's impossible to make a game completely pirate-proof, and to claim you have done so is inviting legions of extremely skilled code crackers to prove you wrong. You can lock down more and more features and require constant registration and authentication, but for every pirate you thwart in that manner you piss off at least ten people who actually paid for the game.
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