Domain: gamespy.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to gamespy.com.
Stories · 515
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Chris Taylor on Middle Earth Online
Recently, GameSpy's Andrew Bub caught up with Vivendi Univeral's Chris Taylor (of Fallout and Starfleet Command) at GenCon to talk about their Middle Earth Online MMORPG which is in the works. A lot of ground is covered, from which parts of middle earth will be in the game, to how they manage to keep track of all of Tolkien's lore, to Tom Bombadil's poetry. -
Chris Taylor on Middle Earth Online
Recently, GameSpy's Andrew Bub caught up with Vivendi Univeral's Chris Taylor (of Fallout and Starfleet Command) at GenCon to talk about their Middle Earth Online MMORPG which is in the works. A lot of ground is covered, from which parts of middle earth will be in the game, to how they manage to keep track of all of Tolkien's lore, to Tom Bombadil's poetry. -
Silicon Knights On History, Nintendo, Miyamoto
Thanks to GameSpy for their new interview with Dennis Dyack, founder of Silicon Knights, the developers of the Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain, as well as Eternal Darkness and the forthcoming Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Dyack discusses working with Shigeru Miyamoto on MGS: "Working with Miyamoto is like working with Aristotle ... like working with one of the great masters. I said this at a press conference: 'Gameplay is his ocean, and he navigates it like no one else.'" and praises Nintendo's vision: "When [Nintendo ex-president Yamauchi] appointed Iwata as his successor, we were all amazed, but it was a great call. Look at his aggressive approach: the GBA-SP, for example. He said it best at the press conference, 'We know what happened, we know what the issues are - we're moving forward.' And what did the other groups do? Microsoft cancelled its party. Sony talked up a handheld that it didn't show." -
The 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming
gorgon_123 writes "GameSpy has been running a feature on the 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming. The feature has been in progress all week, and comes exactly one month after another special series, the 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming." This set of accomplishments are shrewdly divided into 'Smart Move!' ("This is your standard issue smart business decision."), 'Good Prediction' ("Someone had a vision."), and 'Blind Luck!' ("Somebody was in the right place at the right time and did something that just clicked.") Quake's multiplayer innovations, the Playstation, and, of course, Nolan Bushnell and Pong make the Top 5, but what's missing from this list, and why? -
The 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming
gorgon_123 writes "GameSpy has been running a feature on the 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming. The feature has been in progress all week, and comes exactly one month after another special series, the 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming." This set of accomplishments are shrewdly divided into 'Smart Move!' ("This is your standard issue smart business decision."), 'Good Prediction' ("Someone had a vision."), and 'Blind Luck!' ("Somebody was in the right place at the right time and did something that just clicked.") Quake's multiplayer innovations, the Playstation, and, of course, Nolan Bushnell and Pong make the Top 5, but what's missing from this list, and why? -
The 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming
gorgon_123 writes "GameSpy has been running a feature on the 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming. The feature has been in progress all week, and comes exactly one month after another special series, the 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming." This set of accomplishments are shrewdly divided into 'Smart Move!' ("This is your standard issue smart business decision."), 'Good Prediction' ("Someone had a vision."), and 'Blind Luck!' ("Somebody was in the right place at the right time and did something that just clicked.") Quake's multiplayer innovations, the Playstation, and, of course, Nolan Bushnell and Pong make the Top 5, but what's missing from this list, and why? -
The 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming
gorgon_123 writes "GameSpy has been running a feature on the 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming. The feature has been in progress all week, and comes exactly one month after another special series, the 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming." This set of accomplishments are shrewdly divided into 'Smart Move!' ("This is your standard issue smart business decision."), 'Good Prediction' ("Someone had a vision."), and 'Blind Luck!' ("Somebody was in the right place at the right time and did something that just clicked.") Quake's multiplayer innovations, the Playstation, and, of course, Nolan Bushnell and Pong make the Top 5, but what's missing from this list, and why? -
The 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming
gorgon_123 writes "GameSpy has been running a feature on the 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming. The feature has been in progress all week, and comes exactly one month after another special series, the 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming." This set of accomplishments are shrewdly divided into 'Smart Move!' ("This is your standard issue smart business decision."), 'Good Prediction' ("Someone had a vision."), and 'Blind Luck!' ("Somebody was in the right place at the right time and did something that just clicked.") Quake's multiplayer innovations, the Playstation, and, of course, Nolan Bushnell and Pong make the Top 5, but what's missing from this list, and why? -
The 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming
gorgon_123 writes "GameSpy has been running a feature on the 25 Smartest Moments in Gaming. The feature has been in progress all week, and comes exactly one month after another special series, the 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming." This set of accomplishments are shrewdly divided into 'Smart Move!' ("This is your standard issue smart business decision."), 'Good Prediction' ("Someone had a vision."), and 'Blind Luck!' ("Somebody was in the right place at the right time and did something that just clicked.") Quake's multiplayer innovations, the Playstation, and, of course, Nolan Bushnell and Pong make the Top 5, but what's missing from this list, and why? -
F-Zero Breaks Freeloader - Intentionally?
Thanks to Gamers.com for their article pointing out that the Japanese release of Nintendo's hotly-awaited F-Zero GX is partially incompatible with the Datel Freeloader region-free disc for the GameCube, which "normally allows players to run Japanese games on American or European Cubes without difficulty", as it "refuses to display the select screens or the in-game interface overlays (such as the speedometer, placing indicator, and so forth)." Since this a major Nintendo-developed title, and one of the first to sport notable incompatibilities with Freeloader, could it be that Nintendo are deliberately releasing games to break region-free circumvention, or is this just a coincidence? -
The Rise Of Bugs In Console Games
Thanks to GameSpy for posting a column discussing the increasing prevalence of serious bugs and glitches in console titles, especially in relation to several of this summer's 'blockbusters'. Singled out are Enter The Matrix: "Even if you enjoy the game.. you can't ignore the fact that all three console makers let Atari have a 'get out of final approval free card' when it came to testing...", as well as the new Tomb Raider title: "AOD froze up on me at least half a dozen times... Lara fell through invisible gaps in the street, walked through invisible gaps in walls, and refused to walk up stairs that she was supposed to be able to climb." What's to be done when, as the author says, "judging from the sales of these... titles, enough of you guys just aren't punishing the companies for releasing sub-par products to make a difference"? -
Gladius - LucasArts Goes FF Tactics?
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the GameSpy preview of LucasArts' Gladius, a PS2/GameCube/Xbox "epic tactical RPG that'll have you building an army of gladiators, one axe swing at a time." There's also a new Gladius preview at RPGamer giving a combat overview: ".. [it] takes place on a standard, tactical-RPG square grid, but the graphics do a good job of hiding it... combat is turn-based, but.. using certain attacks on a foe necessitates the use of several action/arcade elements, such as combo attacks strung together by timed button-presses." They also comment on the unexpected genre choice: "American-developed as it may be, Gladius is a tactical RPG that takes its cue from the old favorites, while at the same time trying to expand the genre." Might this title improve on LucasArts' recent efforts? -
New World Computing - Not Well
Thanks to Blues News for pointing out a recent post on the Celestial Heavens fansite discussing the continuing demise of New World Computing, the creators of the Might And Magic series, saying that the 3DO-owned developers, caught in that company's recent bankruptcy, have had their separate office in Solvang, CA, closed, and are running out of time for a third party to buy up the Might and Magic license from 3DO and re-employ the team. Elsewhere, fan Charles Watkins has published a discussion piece about how the franchise might be reborn, suggesting: "The conservative approach to product planning has a strong appeal. By sticking with a successful formula, you feel you are taking fewer risks so your profits seem more secure. And the less you change, the less effort is required. It is this mentality that brought Heroes down." -
New World Computing - Not Well
Thanks to Blues News for pointing out a recent post on the Celestial Heavens fansite discussing the continuing demise of New World Computing, the creators of the Might And Magic series, saying that the 3DO-owned developers, caught in that company's recent bankruptcy, have had their separate office in Solvang, CA, closed, and are running out of time for a third party to buy up the Might and Magic license from 3DO and re-employ the team. Elsewhere, fan Charles Watkins has published a discussion piece about how the franchise might be reborn, suggesting: "The conservative approach to product planning has a strong appeal. By sticking with a successful formula, you feel you are taking fewer risks so your profits seem more secure. And the less you change, the less effort is required. It is this mentality that brought Heroes down." -
Nintendo's Famicom Turns 20
Warrior-GS writes "GameSpy has been running a weeklong series of articles dedicated to the Famicom, which became the super-console Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. The Famicom turned 20 on July 15th. The series covers everything from the birth of the console to the hardware to many of the classic games." This massive article is, indeed, both comprehensive and lovingly researched, and is well worth checking out. -
Nintendo's Famicom Turns 20
Warrior-GS writes "GameSpy has been running a weeklong series of articles dedicated to the Famicom, which became the super-console Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. The Famicom turned 20 on July 15th. The series covers everything from the birth of the console to the hardware to many of the classic games." This massive article is, indeed, both comprehensive and lovingly researched, and is well worth checking out. -
Nintendo's Famicom Turns 20
Warrior-GS writes "GameSpy has been running a weeklong series of articles dedicated to the Famicom, which became the super-console Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. The Famicom turned 20 on July 15th. The series covers everything from the birth of the console to the hardware to many of the classic games." This massive article is, indeed, both comprehensive and lovingly researched, and is well worth checking out. -
Nintendo's Famicom Turns 20
Warrior-GS writes "GameSpy has been running a weeklong series of articles dedicated to the Famicom, which became the super-console Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. The Famicom turned 20 on July 15th. The series covers everything from the birth of the console to the hardware to many of the classic games." This massive article is, indeed, both comprehensive and lovingly researched, and is well worth checking out. -
Half-Life 2 Interview Illuminates
As part of the continuing Half-Life 2 media blitz, GameSpy has an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi about the much-heralded FPS sequel. This insightful interview has info on who'll be returning: "A few of your friends from Black Mesa are in Half-Life 2, and they are sort of immediately your allies; like some of the scientists and Barney the security guard character", as well as more on system requirements: "I think that Valve tries very hard to support as far back with system as we humanly can, and in this case we're going back to a Pentium II 800 with 128mb of RAM, but as get up to a Pentium 4 class you'll see better water and better effects." Meanwhile, the third direct-feed Half-Life 2 movie, 'Kleiner's Lab', is available via Steam, Gamers Hell, BitTorrent via GameTab, and most of the other usual online stockists. -
Pile On Star Wars Galaxies?
Thanks to GameSpy for their new feature called Star Wars Galaxies: Pile On!, where-in a multitude of GameSpy employees, and not just editors, either praise or trash their personal experiences playing Lucasarts' PC MMORPG. As the intro says, "We pretty much agree that Galaxies was the most ambitious MMORPG since Ultima Online. What we can't agree on was if it was released too soon, whether it's the second coming, or a big empty planet of bugs and tedium." The game doesn't seem to be getting any less controversial as time goes on, does it? -
Limitations Of Game Licenses Probed
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to game designer Mark Barrett's page, where he has an opinion piece discussing the gameplay limitations of videogame licenses. He references earlier discussions on the subject from the likes of Warren Spector and Greg Costikyan, and says his Enter The Matrix play sessions revealed "..most of what I was doing and seeing had been forced not by design decisions, but rather by the promise of the license itself... [which was] encumbered by filmic conventions and film-related audience expectations, some of which were unrelated (or even antithetical) to a meaningful interactive experience." Do developers just have to rely on luck when it comes to how game-translatable a license is, or can they beat the odds by being smart? -
Unofficial Adventure Sequel Demonstrated
Thanks to RetroGames for pointing to the project page for Adventure II, an unofficial Atari 5200 sequel to the classic Atari 2600 version of Adventure. There's a 40 percent version available for download, and the page asks you to bear in mind that "..the dragon will eat you (resetting the demo) if he bites you too many times." In related news, this review of the Atari 10-In-1 TV Game, including the original version of Adventure, points out that the world's first videogame 'easter egg', sneaked in by creator Warren Robinett and containing his name, has been changed in the new TV Game version to the word 'TEXT' - shurely shome mistake? -
More On Blizzard Departures, Arrivals, Action Figures
Thanks to GameSpy for their interview with Bill Roper, quizzing the ex-Blizzard veteran further on his recent departure from the company. He confirms: "..the uncertainly surrounding [Blizzard's] future in regards to who was going to own us understandably caused a lot of speculation and uncertainty. Our lack of participation in the process made it difficult for us to provide any insight to the people we worked with." In related news, Blizzard has announced that former Diablo II lead programmer Rick Seis will now lead Blizzard North, who "..will be streamlining their teams into one core group in order to focus.. on one key project." Finally, GameSpot has photos of the new Warcraft III action figures, including the death knight Prince Arthas, the night elf archer Shandris Feathermoon, and the dread lord Tichondrius. -
Operation Iraqi Freedom - The Game
Thanks to the Dallas Business Journal for a brief article announcing the release of F/A 18: Operation Iraqi Freedom, an Atari-distributed PC flight combat game that's just about to ship, less than 4 months after the start of the real-life campaign. The game's official website has more information on the title, which allows you to "..jump through your television directly into.. the F/A-18 Hornet.. load up with precision guided munitions and bring the forces of freedom to bear on the Iraqi regime of terror." And yes, this upgrade of GraphSim's earlier popular F/A 18 Hornet flight sim really does exhort you to "Kick Some Ba'ath" on the features section of its site. -
Breaking Into The Games Industry Discussed
Thanks to GameZone.com for their interview with Marc Saltzman discussing his book, Game Creation and Careers: Insider Secrets from Industry Experts. The book includes interviews with many leading creators, plus design docs from Chris Taylor of Dungeon Siege/Total Annihilation notoriety, as well as "..everything from how to protect your game idea, how to sell it, getting a job at a development studio or publishing company, setting up your own development house, working with headhunters and agents, doing it yourself by selling games online (shareware, etc.), proper game testing, marketing, public relations and key organizations, conventions, Web sites and schools." He also tries to address the paradox stumping many wannabe game professionals: "..how do you get experience when no one will hire you without any?" -
No One Lives Forever Prequel Unveiled
Thanks to GameSpy.com for their hands-on preview of the PC FPS, Contract J.A.C.K., the prequel to Monolith's critically acclaimed but disappointingly selling No One Lives Forever series. According to the preview, "..the expansion has opted for a male hero, more action and less stealth, and a bit of de-emphasis on the campy 60's feel.. you play Jack - 'just another contract killer' - who's been hired by the nefarious H.A.R.M. to help with a little problem." Contract J.A.C.K. will retail as a stand-alone game for an expansion-pack price (around $30) when it launches in October - could this be the title to finally turn the public on to the NOLF games? -
No One Lives Forever Prequel Unveiled
Thanks to GameSpy.com for their hands-on preview of the PC FPS, Contract J.A.C.K., the prequel to Monolith's critically acclaimed but disappointingly selling No One Lives Forever series. According to the preview, "..the expansion has opted for a male hero, more action and less stealth, and a bit of de-emphasis on the campy 60's feel.. you play Jack - 'just another contract killer' - who's been hired by the nefarious H.A.R.M. to help with a little problem." Contract J.A.C.K. will retail as a stand-alone game for an expansion-pack price (around $30) when it launches in October - could this be the title to finally turn the public on to the NOLF games? -
How Console Piracy Affects Gaming
Thanks to GameSpy for posting a three-part article discussing the problems of pirated console games, and the steps being taken to combat the problem. The article talks to IDSA boss Doug Lowenstein, and suggests that "..console piracy is a worldwide industry, as multi-national as wireless telephones or McDonalds hamburgers.", also contrasting the piracy problems of the major manufacturers: "Nintendo's piracy problems are more localized than those of Sony and Microsoft. While GameCube piracy has not been a problem, Game Boy piracy, on the other hand, has proliferated." -
Best Voice Chat Software For Gaming?
a-freeman writes "I frequently play Everquest and Quake III with some close friends that (now) live far away, and we've been looking for a solid voice-chat package to encourage trash-talking and taunting during our raid/frag sessions. We have variously tried Roger Wilco, TeamSound, TeamTalk, and Microsoft's Sidewinder GameVoice, and all of them have various limitations. TeamTalk has the best latency and sound quality but poor compatibility, TeamSound has terrible latency and requires lots of firewall holes, GameVoice requires a .net passport and Windows Messenger, and Roger Wilco is horribly unstable. This is a fairly simple problem, and I refuse to believe that these are the best-of-breed solutions. Can anyone recommend a solution that they are pleased with?" -
Warcraft III Expansion Released, Reviewed
Vladimir Niksic writes "According to the official Blizzard site, Frozen Throne, the long-awaited expansion to Warcraft III is out. The review at GameSpy marks it 'another quality expansion that plays like a full game.'" There's also a review at ActionTrip which praises the new features which "enhance every facet of gameplay, great storytelling, [and] varied mission types", but notes the $35 price as "..a bit steep for an expansion pack." -
Western Xbox Titles To Flood Japan?
Thanks to GamePro for posting an article discussing the fact that Microsoft may try to keep the Xbox alive in Japan by flooding the market in less territory-suitable, but already in-development Western titles such as Conker, Voodoo Vince, and Counter-Strike. According to the article, a Japanese retail chain "..claims that Microsoft is planning to release overseas titles in Japan without bothering to localize them for the local market - in other words, they'll release the original English version with a Japanese manual attached." The article suggests this is a sign that Microsoft may forget about the mass-market in Japan, and will be "..dropping its large-scale strategy [until Xbox 2], and concentrating on the 400,000 or so hardcore fans it's managed to scrape together over the past 16 months." -
Super Mario 3 Gets All Portable
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamers.com article showcasing new screenshots and details from Super Mario Advance 4 for GameBoy Advance. This title, which is a portable revival of the classic NES title Super Mario Brothers 3 with the higher quality visuals of the SNES Super Mario All-Stars version, will also have e-Reader connectivity, and a recent IGN Pocket preview claims "players can transfer the data from e-Reader to the game... to upload brand new levels and challenges", though, logically enough, "you'll need two GBAs (or a Game Boy Player [for Gamecube] and a GBA) to take advantage of this feature." -
Bioware CEOs Discuss Neverwinter Nights
Thanks to GameSpy for posting an interview with Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk the CEOs of developer Bioware, about the Neverwinter Nights franchise and the success of the mod community. As Greg Zeschuk says, "It's actually kind of funny - in a sense it's a well-kept secret that some people don't realize.. the volume of [mods] is unbelievable". The article goes on to discuss RTS and even MMO mods that users are creating for the million-selling PC role-playing game, as well as touching on the Shadows Of Undrentide expansion pack, which is released on June 18th in the US. -
25 Dumbest Moments In Gaming Concluded
Thanks to Gamespy for finishing up its 25 Dumbest Moments In Gaming set of articles by picking their Top 5 mistakes of all time. We ran a story on these articles earlier in the week, and congratulate Slashdot commenter Saige for correctly guessing Gamespy's No.1 pick, Atari passing on producing and distributing the NES Stateside. Plus, well done to, uhm, pretty much everyone for guessing a certain long-haired FPS designer might make it into the Top 5 somewhere. -
25 Dumbest Moments In Gaming Concluded
Thanks to Gamespy for finishing up its 25 Dumbest Moments In Gaming set of articles by picking their Top 5 mistakes of all time. We ran a story on these articles earlier in the week, and congratulate Slashdot commenter Saige for correctly guessing Gamespy's No.1 pick, Atari passing on producing and distributing the NES Stateside. Plus, well done to, uhm, pretty much everyone for guessing a certain long-haired FPS designer might make it into the Top 5 somewhere. -
25 Dumbest Moments In Gaming Concluded
Thanks to Gamespy for finishing up its 25 Dumbest Moments In Gaming set of articles by picking their Top 5 mistakes of all time. We ran a story on these articles earlier in the week, and congratulate Slashdot commenter Saige for correctly guessing Gamespy's No.1 pick, Atari passing on producing and distributing the NES Stateside. Plus, well done to, uhm, pretty much everyone for guessing a certain long-haired FPS designer might make it into the Top 5 somewhere. -
Orbiter Sim Gets You Spaced
stinky wizzleteats writes "Ever wondered why a space flight simulator never really got off the ground in the PC simulation scene? The answer is that it needed to be free. Dr. Martin Schweiger started the ball rolling a few years ago with Orbiter, a freeware Win32 DirectX based space flight simulator, in which you can fly orbital rendezvous, lunar landing, and even interplanetary missions. The current version has excellent graphics, including atmospheric descent and re-entry effects. There's also a burgeoning community of add-on developers, creating everything from sound add-ons and interplanetary navigation aids to complete working Apollo/Saturn 5 spacecraft. Virtual space agencies have even sprung up, using Roger Wilco and remote telemetry software (virtual mission control) to do Orbiter missions online. You can find the basic Orbiter files at Avsim or Sourceforge." -
Republic - The Revolution Analyzed
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamespot hands-on preview of the PC strategy title Republic:The Revolution. This Elixir-developed game, which has had a legendarily long development cycle and has previously drawn flak for claims of an 'infinite polygon engine', looks somewhat unorthodox, with Gamespot offering only qualified praise, and mentioning that it's "..an unusual strategy game, in that it focuses on the world of politics.. Republic transports you to the fictional former Soviet republic of Novistrana, where taking on the establishment requires.. ..extreme measures." You can even visit the official Novistrana website if you'd like to learn more about the (fictional) country featured in the game. -
The 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming
Gudlyf writes "GameSpy has a multi-part series this week titled The 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming, highlighting some of the biggest debacles ever to plague our beloved pastime. While only the first part of the series is present, I can already think of a few that the list wouldn't be complete without. Anyone care to offer their own picks?" Predictions for the Top 5 also welcome, we'll run another story at the end of the week to see how people did. -
Want To Get Schooled By Levelord?
Kelli Hagen writes to point out a new CNN article about college degrees in video gaming, particularly the new 18-month course offered by The Guildhall at SMU. We've run stories on gaming university courses before, but this course is interesting because it has leading Texan game developers helping with curriculum and teaching, including id's Graeme Devine, Monkeystone's Tom Hall, and, of course, Ritual's highly 'individual' Richard 'Levelord' Gray. -
Megaman - Network Transmission Analyzed
psyco484 writes "A new Megaman title, Megaman Network Transmission, is being released in the US this month for Gamecube. Gamespy has further details on this cel-shaded side-scroller. Is there still room for side-scrollers, in this age of incredible 3D worlds with incredibly realistic world physics?" Actually, this 3D graphics/2D gameplay Arika-developed title is already out in Japan, and the ever-resourceful Toastyfrog has a helpful review of it - but is this where you want to see the Megaman series going? -
Shadows of Undrentide Interview
GameSpy has a new Q&A up with Trent Oster and Darcy Pajak, the producer/project director and assistant producer of Shadows of Undrentide, the upcoming expansion to Neverwinter Nights. The new features of SoU, which we first mentioned a while back are touched on, including a more engrossing plot, prestige classes, new tilesets (snow! finally!), new feats, henchman inventory control, and more. -
Shadows of Undrentide Interview
GameSpy has a new Q&A up with Trent Oster and Darcy Pajak, the producer/project director and assistant producer of Shadows of Undrentide, the upcoming expansion to Neverwinter Nights. The new features of SoU, which we first mentioned a while back are touched on, including a more engrossing plot, prestige classes, new tilesets (snow! finally!), new feats, henchman inventory control, and more. -
Yuji Naka On Sonic, Employee Defection, Billy Hatcher
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out a Computer And Video Games article interviewing Yuji Naka, boss of Sonic Team and creator of Nights and Sonic The Hedgehog. He discusses the shown-at-E3 Sonic Heroes, the forthcoming Gamecube exclusive Billy Hatcher, and also deals with the fact that a Sonic Team employee jumped ship to work at Naughty Dog with notably sharp words - "Some of the details [on the original Sonic games] ..were done by the guy who's working on Jak and Daxter right now. He was involved until Sonic 3, and after that for eight years he didn't do anything in Sega, so he was quite useless in Sega. We really didn't need him." Elsewhere, Naka interestingly reveals that Billy Hatcher started life as a four-player fighting game. -
Hacking Enter The Matrix
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to Gamespy's new guide to the hacking section of Enter The Matrix. This extra section of the game brings up a DOS-style interface, even on Playstation 2/Xbox/Gamecube, and lets you 'hack' to get pictures, movies, and extras from the million-selling but still controversial Atari-published title. Reminds us a little of the low-profile but excellent PC/Mac hacking game, Uplink? -
Secret Weapons Over Normandy Interview
Courtesy of Gamespy, there's a new interview with Lawrence Holland about Secret Weapons Over Normandy. This sequel to the classic PC flight combat game Secret Weapons Of The Luftwaffe comes from Holland and his Totally Games development house, who are also legendary for the X-Wing series of games for Lucasarts. This game is due in time for Xmas on PC, PS2, and Xbox, and Holland offers - "We're not very complicated. What we emphasize is re-creating the WWII combat experience, meaning that we try a visceral, seat-of-the-pants, total involvement on the violence of the actual battles." -
Best Of E3 Awards Announced
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out that several sites have now posted their Best Of E3 awards, including Gamespy's Top 25 awards, and separate best-ofs from IGN PS2, IGN Xbox, and IGN Cube. Oh, and the Gamespy editors also found a grilled cheese sandwich to be one of their biggest E3 highlights. -
Best Of E3 Awards Announced
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out that several sites have now posted their Best Of E3 awards, including Gamespy's Top 25 awards, and separate best-ofs from IGN PS2, IGN Xbox, and IGN Cube. Oh, and the Gamespy editors also found a grilled cheese sandwich to be one of their biggest E3 highlights. -
DoA Creator Says Online Is New Arcade
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to this interview with Dead Or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki at Gamespy. The discussion covers the forthcoming Ninja Gaiden, as well as the new Dead Or Alive Online title we've previously mentioned, but the most interesting part of the interview may be Itagaki's assertion that "When you look at arcade culture, it's pretty much dying. I feel that it needs to be replaced with something else, and that is online gaming. Online connects the homes around the nation to create an arcade-like experience without going to an arcade." -
Top Ten E3 Picks - From 1903?
cethiesus writes "It seems Gamespy has posted their top ten picks from the 1903 E3 convention. Booth babes and magic lanterns, mmm." You've got to like the look of that high-tech 'dual monocle' technology, and may also be delighted to see that Duke Nukem Forever jokes were alive and well even at the dawn of the 20th Century.