Release Updates For Bioshock, Many Other Titles

There have been several updates to game releases and showings this week. Probably most interesting is the news that the much-anticipated Bioshock will release in August, as opposed to the 'June-ish' timeframe we had previously. GTA and Civilization fans have much to look forward to next year; GTA IV's downloadable content, as well as new Civilization content are both due out in 2008. GTA IV itself is due out later this year. If anyone but me was wondering when the MMOG 'Bigworld: Citizen Zero' would be coming out, you can stop wondering: it's been canceled. The sci-fi title was to feature a world where players re-discovered their past on a penal colony where everyone's memory had been erased. Developer Micro Forte has been working on the game for some seven years now, and they've now publicly announced it just won't happen. Instead, they're now working on a spy-themed title. Finally, RPG fans will be getting their fix next week. Tabula Rasa and Mass Effect will be on display at GDC. More details will finally be available for both of these intriguing but mostly-enigmatic titles.

Comments

Hey at least they know they won't finish anything

[CrazyJim1]

Developer Micro Forte has been working on the game for some seven years now, and they've now publicly announced it just won't happen. Instead, they're not working on a spy-themed title. I'm also not making a FPS based in the Tokien world.

A replacement

[Anonymous Coward]

'Bigworld: Citizen Zero' would be coming out, you can stop wondering: it's been canceled. The sci-fi title was to feature a world where players re-discovered their past on a penal colony where everyone's memory had been erased.

You could just go to Australia on a Friday night and talk to people who have been drinking for the past 12 hours. The effect is pretty much the same

Delays are OK with me.

[antdude]

Delays = Better games, less bugs, etc. I'd rather wait than have a crappy buggy game.

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Duke Nukem Forever is going to be the most stable, rock-solid software ever released!

Posting from class means no login for me!

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[Anonymous Coward]

so duke nukem forever should be absolutely perfect?

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[SheeEttin]

So why isn't Vista all that great? It has been delayed for years...

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[antdude]

When did I say it will be perfect. I said less bugs.

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[metalcoat]

In your logic, Duke Nukem Forever = (Insert religious figure here)

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[antdude]

How so, Metalcoat?

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[Cheapy]

DNF will be the greatest game ever.

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[antdude]

It better be after waiting so long and so many delays! :(

Re:Delays are OK with me.

[Anonymous Coward]

-----------------------> Joke

~~~~\_0_/~~~~ ---> You
                    ^Water

Seven Year Ditch

[aapold]

Micro Forte was such a tease....

Bioshock delayed?

[PingSpike]

Bioshock delayed! Unacceptable. Prepare for ramming speed!

Re:Bioshock delayed?

[duranaki]

It's sad that I learn of this only because it's been delayed. :( System Shock (1) was an incredible game, one of my all time favorites.

Re:Bioshock delayed?

[Borg453b]

While not as state-of-the-art as SS1, SS2 was pretty nice as well, because allowed for coop mp - a rare thing in an RPG. Unfortunately BioShock (not abbriviated for obvious reasons ;)) wont allow for coop play - also it interface does seem "dumbed down" to console standards.

I understand this decision, as the game is meant to be marketed for consoles as well.. but I dont like it.. just like i disliked the "Low-res" multitabbed interface of oblivion.

That being said, the setting does look very cool, even though ill miss SHODAN.

FP-RPGS need more coop play.

Doom3 had the "looks" of a modern Systemshock, but none of the fun and atmosphere in the long run.. despite the audio discs that SS1 introduced.

Dont forget to salt the fries.

Re:Bioshock delayed?

[mink]

What we need is a Shodan office assistant.

"Would you like help with your resume you pathetic creature of meat and bone."

I think it would be a good companion to the HK-47 and Marvin (the android) office assistants.

Er?

[Rob T Firefly]

If anyone but me was wondering when the MMOG 'Bigworld: Citizen Zero' would be coming out, you can stop wondering: it's been canceled. The sci-fi title was to feature a world where players re-discovered their past on a penal colony where everyone's memory had been erased.

That sounds like something I would have liked. How come I haven't heard about it until now? Or at least, I don't remember hearing about it before now... oh, dear.

Re:Er?

[siesta at uni]

Quest "The first steps" completed.
You gain 122 experience points.
You have advanced to level 2!

Bioshock - What went wrong?

[Anonymous Coward]

First there was PGR3 fooling us with photomode pics that looked nothing like the real game's graphics.
Then we had Epic do the same bullshit with Gears screenshots.
Bungie is doing it too with their marketing stuff vs the real in game footage we've seen.
And now this game looks like crap compared to what the previously released. Something has to be seriously wrong with the 360's graphics hardware if developers are having to resort to all this bogus marketing shots crap. Damn it Microsoft.

Re:Bioshock - What went wrong?

[MeanderingMind]

The problem with screenshots is that they are limited. This is a fault of every single console post 16-bit era.

When you take a screenshot of polygonal models in motion, you are missing out on a lot of the finer points of what makes polygons so useful. Namely, animation. This is an often overlooked, yet absolutely paramount, component of a game's graphics.

With a still image you can selectively choose a moment/viewing point where none of a model's flaws are apparent. In screenshots for FPSs since their dawn did we ever see official screenshots displaying how weapons and limbs could clip through doors? Of course not!

It will always be every company's goal to make their product look as good as possible. This is true of Sony, of Microsoft and of Nintendo.

Re:Bioshock - What went wrong?

[Anonymous Coward]

And now this game looks like crap compared to what the previously released.

Huh? Looks pretty similar to previous screenshots and in-game footage to me.

Something has to be seriously wrong with the 360's graphics hardware if developers are having to resort to all this bogus marketing shots crap.

Ah, maybe you were looking at screenshots from the PC version before.

LOL "Videogame journalism"

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably most interesting is the news that the much-anticipated Bioshock will release in August, as opposed to the 'June-ish' timeframe we had previously.

For vanishingly small values of "interesting".

GTA and Civilization fans have much to look forward to next year

You mean I can't start looking forward *this* year? Now what am I going to do?

Finally, RPG fans will be getting their fix next week. Tabula Rasa and Mass Effect will be on display at GDC. More details will finally be available for both of these intriguing but mostly-enigmatic titles.

An announcement about an upcoming announcement. Very meta. Also, using hyphens for no reason is the new black.