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Mysterious Games Lurk In The Future

Posted by Zonk on from the welcome-to-the-world-of-tomorrow dept.

FiringSquad has up a piece running down a bunch of games that we know are on the horizon, but have precious few details about. Without even names to describe them, the article talks about projects like Bioware's MMOG, the next original title from id, Tim Schaefer's new game for Vivendi, and whatever the premier title for John Romero's new studio. The article taken as a whole is short on details, but brings to light several titles that are sure to provoke public interest when they are finally announced. From the article: "Psychonauts was a rarity in games; a title that had a quirky and fun game design that was actually funny and original. The high sales, however, did not occur as expected. The acclaim that DoubleFine got for their first title helped to secure their publishing deal with Vivendi and that hopefully will give their next title more of a marketing boost than Majesco created for their first game. So what will it be like? Quirky, fun and original ... just like all of Tim Schafer's titles."

44 comments

  1. Curse you blizzard... by rehtonAesoohC · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm holding out for Starcraft 2.

    Or World of Starcraft...

    Or... Star...craffttt.....

    1. Re:Curse you blizzard... by User+956 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm holding out for Starcraft 2.

      They'd make it, but they require more vespene gas.

      --
      The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    2. Re:Curse you blizzard... by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      I'd rather have Diablo III, personally. And, no, WoW is not the same. Sorry.

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      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    3. Re:Curse you blizzard... by offput · · Score: 1

      show me the money

    4. Re:Curse you blizzard... by Sparxter · · Score: 1

      I'm still holding out for Mutants! 2... or maybe Tele-Arena 2. Still got that 56K modem bubble wrapped and ready to come out of retirement like Rocky.

  2. on slashdot by stoolpigeon · · Score: 1

    games lurk in the mysterious future

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
  3. DOA Code Chronos by Sciros · · Score: 1

    Dead or Alive: Code Chronos has been a "mystery title" from Team Ninja for some time now. I'm not sure anyone knows what genre of game it even is, despite it having been announced years ago at this point.

    Itagaki likes to concentrate on one project at a time, and I believe now that he's done wasting his time on DOAX2 he's working on Ninja Gaiden 2 for the Xbox 360. Code Chronos is supposed to follow, but what is it??

    There's also the mystery of what Nintendo's next Wii-centric Zelda title will be like, but knowing Nintendo that's six years away and will probably be released concurrently on the Wii and on the, idk, Biiver or whatever they're going to call their next console.

    --
    I like basketball!!1!
    1. Re:DOA Code Chronos by TheDreadSlashdotterD · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      The next zelda will be an interactive cartoon that will stop periodically to have the "viewer" conduct fun little kids' songs with the WiiMote. At least, given Nintendo's history with the zelda series, that's my guess.

      --
      I have nothing to say.
    2. Re:DOA Code Chronos by TheDreadSlashdotterD · · Score: 1

      I get modded flamebait, and I'm actually a nintendo fan. I've simply found that I dislike, with a few rare exceptions, every other Zelda title. Oh well, such is life.

      --
      I have nothing to say.
  4. I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet! by big+ben+bullet · · Score: 1

    Duke Nukem Forever !!!

    Nah... seriously though. I'm waiting for UT 2007

    1. Re:I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet! by jurt1235 · · Score: 1

      You were the 3th post, but it was not to be avoided that someone would mention it.

      --

      My wife's sketchblog Blob[p]: Gastrono-me
    2. Re:I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah... seriously though. I'm waiting for UT 2007

      You me Unreal Tournament 3?

    3. Re:I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet! by atomicstrawberry · · Score: 1

      You might be waiting a while, since Epic have renamed it to Unreal Tournament 3.

    4. Re:I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet! by twistedsymphony · · Score: 1

      Really? Since when? AFAIK the engine is labeled "3" while the game is labeled "2007"

      For instance Gears of War runs on the Unreal 3 engine, Unreal Tournament 2007 will also run on the Unreal 3 engine.

      --
      Collector's Edition
    5. Re:I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet! by MeanderingMind · · Score: 1

      http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_conte nt&task=view&id=4628&Itemid=2

      Unreal 3 engine, but the game name is Unreal Tournament 3. Note the added word, Tournament.

      --
      Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
  5. so uh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Whatever happened to Vic Tokai's Wet Corpse? Yeah I know that company went under a few years ago, and that game was an N64-era title, but the name always piqued my curiosity seeing it in the "Upcoming Games" lists of videogame ublications everywhere. "Wet Corpse" isn't exactly something that sounds like Nintendo would allow on their systems...

  6. UQM2 by Brunellus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ur-Quan Masters: 2 (or, how you got the Mark 2)

  7. it's a sequel by User+956 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Without even names to describe them, the article talks about projects like Bioware's MMOG, the next original title from id, Tim Schaefer's new game for Vivendi, and whatever the premier title for John Romero's new studio.

    I heard John Romero was working on a sequel to his last blockbuster. That's right. Daikatana Forever, starring Samuel L. Jackson as your sidekick Superfly. The whole game takes place on an airliner full of snakes.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:it's a sequel by Purity+Of+Essence · · Score: 2, Funny

      If Slipdate Ionwrecks can make a game even half as good as Daikatana, I'll be impressed. It's not that they aren't capable of good code, I just think they've probably already smoked it all.

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      +0 Meh
  8. TIE Fighter by liak12345 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unless the list says a new game involving Ties and Fighting, you can count me out.

    1. Re:TIE Fighter by kalirion · · Score: 1

      I'll laugh if someone announces a Tie Fighter game, and it turns out to be a fighting game with neckties.

    2. Re:TIE Fighter by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I was thinking Super Bondage Fighter 2 Championship Edition Turbo...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:TIE Fighter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was thinking Super Bondage Fighter 2 Championship Edition Turbo...

      I tried the beta, but it was just too painful.

  9. Free Radical + LucasArts by PresidentEnder · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Oooh! Oooh! New adventure games, in the vein of Day of the Tentacle, Maniac Mansion, and Monkey Island?

    What's that? Free Radical does shooters? Darn.

    --
    I used to carry a bottle of whiskey for snake bite. And two snakes. -Nefarious Wheel
  10. As for Tim Shafer, three words: by VGPowerlord · · Score: 1

    Reduce load times.

    Seriously, if I'd reveiewed Psychonauts for the PS2, you'd have some serious down marks for the load times, particularly for the store just outside the starting area. It's two small rooms! It doesn't need 30 second load times in each direction! Geez, did you let the development team for Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly do your loading code?

    --
    GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
    1. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Psychonauts was such a great game I don't even recall the loading times. What I do remember was everytime I went into a new level I wanted to know what the hell these guys were on and where do I get some! The grin on my face from the milk man level laster for at least a week.

    2. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      have to agree on the load times - my son picked up the PS2 Psychonauts title and those load screens are way too long.

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      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    3. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by PylonHead · · Score: 1

      My three words would be:

      "Frustrating End Game"

      I really enjoyed the game up until the meat circus level. Then there are 2 sequences where you basically have to play perfectly for a period of about 5 minutes or start the sequence over from scratch. I'm talking about "Help the kid catch the bunny" and "Prove to your dad you are an acrobat".

      It almost made me hate the game by the time I was done.

      For what it's worth, I purchased it through Steam. On my 2 year old PC, the load times were acceptable... typically about 10 seconds. In the campground area you refer to you do hit a lot of load barriers though, and occasionally it gets annoying.

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      # (/.);;
      - : float -> float -> float =
    4. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by VGPowerlord · · Score: 1

      I imagine the load times are a lot lower for systems that have a hard drive.

      The PS2 version read everything from the DVD.

      To be honest, I haven't played through to the end of the game. The load times annoyed me too much, and I shelved the game.

      --
      GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
    5. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by ben+there... · · Score: 1

      I really enjoyed the game up until the meat circus level. Then there are 2 sequences where you basically have to play perfectly for a period of about 5 minutes or start the sequence over from scratch. I'm talking about "Help the kid catch the bunny" and "Prove to your dad you are an acrobat".
      I agree wholeheartedly with that. For an otherwise very easy game, that part was insanely difficult. Especially the part where you have to jump from one wire mesh wall to another while avoiding the flames and the rising water. The worst part is if you lose too many lives doing that, you don't have enough for the 2 bosses after that level.

      I mostly just wish the game was longer though. It was a really fun game, but I wish there were more to do in the "real world" campground, outside of the various characters' minds. It was a really satisfying game, but I just wish it would have a direct sequel with the same storyline, and an epic world to explore, something I know will never happen. Tim Schafer even mentioned in one of his interviews that if he had chosen to make a sequel for [insert his game here], his next game never would have been created.
    6. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by PylonHead · · Score: 1

      Especially the part where you have to jump from one wire mesh wall to another while avoiding the flames and the rising water.
      Exactly. That might have been the single most difficult move in the game. The other insane part is getting the sword throwers to place a sword at just the right place so you can ride it up the rotating backdrop and make a huge jump right to a platform.. Geez!
      --
      # (/.);;
      - : float -> float -> float =
    7. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by moloko_synthemesc · · Score: 1

      My three for him would be "make more games!". Overall the gameplay took a backseat to the story, characters & just the well realized concept, I think. A few parts of Meat Circus were too frustrating for me, but that's when I handed the gamepad to my oldest daughter ;) I've noticed after playing about 200 or so PS2 games that load times in general are horrible. But then you have Jak & Daxter, a very early game that had no loads after you started playing...so I guess there's really no excuse for other devs. But the PS2 port was mostly handed off to some other studio (that I never heard of). I don't think Double Fine had much to do with how crappy the load times were, or any of the major concessions that were necessary to bring it to the PS2, like (as usual) very poor textures, and spotty framerate. I'm just glad I played it on PC. If you want to experience the absolute worst load times on PS2, give Winnie the Pooh's Rumbly Tumbly Adventure a spin. Each area is roughly the size of only 2 full screens on your television, and every time you go to either a new or previous area, which is EVERY 1-2 minutes, there's a 30-60 second load. And this is supposed to hold the attention of a child. I had to tell our 3-year old that the game broke just to get out of having to play it with her it was so torturous, and I tend to give quite a bit of leniency to kids' games, having had to endure more than my share over the years.

    8. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by HiVizDiver · · Score: 1

      I remember the mesh part being frustrating, but I think I only had to do it about 10 times. The sword-chucking/ride up to the next meat platform bit? That literally made me put the game down for a whole YEAR.

    9. Re:As for Tim Shafer, three words: by chrish · · Score: 1

      That's actually one of the cooler things about the GameCube; most games have no load times, or almost no load times, during play. PS2 games are notorious for making you wait, and wait, and wait...

      Although there are exceptions, I'm pretty sure Ico (for example) doesn't make you wait, so there must be clever work-arounds for the PS2 that have been in existence for most of its lifetime.

      --
      - chrish
  11. drink slurm! by snarfbot · · Score: 0

    the original quake was supposed to be an rpg. i dont think theyll stray too far from the mold, but it would be cool to have a new fps with rpg elements, system shockish and such.

    maybe a mmofps with a persistent world, and missions and shit. that would be money.

    theres one mmorpg coming out called conan and its going to have a combat system more like diablo than eq and its ilk. id like to see the same thing in an fps, maybe a deus ex mmo, that would be sick, since it doesnt totally eliminate the players skill.

  12. link to printable article (one page) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    link to printable article (one page)

    http://www.firingsquad.com/print_article.asp?curre nt_section=Features&fs_article_id=2092

    damn multi-pages...

    Also, they left out Fallout 3 (which IS in development, I mailed them). So looking forward to F3.

  13. In summation by 5c11 · · Score: 4, Funny

    So... to sum up the article: "Some companies are working on games that have not been announced and they are mysterious and we don't actually know anything about them really."

    Wow, how does one about getting a job in games journalism again? I want me a piece of that action.

    1. Re:In summation by mustafap · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      >Wow, how does one about getting a job in games journalism again?

      Same way all the other idiots do. Set up a blog, and write rubbish.

      Of course you will need a lobotomy to be successful.

      --
      Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
    2. Re:In summation by StikyPad · · Score: 2, Insightful

      How does one about getting a job in games journalism again?

      By turning that into 10 paragraphs that keep people reading, basically.

      --
      https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  14. Games by AnotherAnonymousUser · · Score: 1

    I for one welcome our far-off on the horizon digital overlords whom we are all too willing to serve. Here's to a good turnout. I'm looking forward to Spore myself.

  15. quirky, huh? Jackass the game! by ILuvRamen · · Score: 0

    What if Jackass comes out with a Jackass the Movie 2 tie in game for the Wii where you beat eat other with the wiimote and get points for it. Extra points for nut shots! Now that's quirky and original to the max! I'd play it ;)

    --
    Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
  16. The Fall? by denzacar · · Score: 0

    How about finally releasing the English version of The Fall - Last Days of Gaia? http://www.the-fall.com/e/index.php

    I mean... there is a fan-made patch but still no English version. http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action= file&file_id=861

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  17. Psychonauts and PS2 by deek · · Score: 1

    Psychonauts for the PS2 was ported by some third party developers. They were probably the cheapest quote, and it shows. While the game itself is playable for the most part, it has many bugs and issues. For example, while saving a game, the audio gets stuck in a loop. It's very annoying, especially with the long delay when saving. The game also froze up on me a few times, which was even more annoying, although much less frequent. Also, as you mention, the load times were pretty horrible. Quality assurance was sadly lacking in this port.

      From all accounts, the PC and Xbox versions don't suffer these issues (plus the Xbox appears to be widescreen compatible, unlike the PS2). So basically avoid the PS2 version, unless you have no choice. If you have no choice, the game is still enjoyable to play, you just have to put up with the irritations in between the good bits.

      As an aside, I enjoyed the difficulty of the Meat Circus level. While it didn't have the awesome originality of previous levels, it was a great challenge. I did retry it quite a few times, but I felt like I was progressing further almost every time.

    1. Re:Psychonauts and PS2 by Babbster · · Score: 1

      I can speak to the Xbox version of Psychonauts. While I'm sure it was slow compared to PC, the load times didn't cause me any irritation at all except a rare couple times when I would accidentally "zone" while searching for something and have to wait through two loads to get back on track. Of course, once I modded my Xbox, the load times became miniscule in comparison when running from the hard drive. :)

      Xbox load screens were only truly awful in a couple of games that I played. Top Spin was absolutely the worst with long loads to enter events and even long load "pauses" within the store where you could buy clothing and equipment (like a long pause between buying tank top A and tank top C). KOTOR was another that was bad with both load times (a symptom of having relatively small, but highly detailed, areas in which to adventure) and save times (thanks, Bioware, for not bothering to create a true save system and instead just taking a snapshot of memory).