This new gameplay video features a bunch different gameplay clips combined into one video. Each clip is rather short, but there is some pretty cool stuff in them. Every time I see this game I am blown away. The game is absolutely gorgeous, the setting is extremely unique, and the combat looks very intense. I absolutely expect this game to surpass System Shock 2 as my favorite game of all time.
The Insurgency team recently announced that they are extremely close (June ‘07) to releasing the game. From what I have seen, the game looks extremely impressive. Everything from the level design to weapon and player models are pretty high quality. Also, the gameplay in the trailer looks pretty fun. Could this be the next Counter-Strike or Day of Defeat? It just might be, and I absolutely can’t wait to try it out.
Insurgency is a total conversion modification using Valve Software’s Source Engine. Insurgency immerses you, as the player, into an intense and realistic online combat experience.
Set on the modern battlefields, Insurgency simulates modern infantry combat that doesn’t just encourage the use of teamwork and tactics, but makes it a requirement of survival. On the streets of Iraq it is not safe to be alone. Go head to head with guerrillas, insurgents and resistance fighters, simulating the extreme conditions faced on today’s battlefields.
Engage in urban warfare where every window, doorway or road block is a potential ambush point and every object on the street needs to be watched with care. Fight against the occupation from behind windows and burned cars, with your finger on the trigger and an unsuspecting patrol down the street getting ever closer. Whatever you choose to do, Insurgency is sure to get your pulse racing and make your breathing feel heavy while you engage in such a unique and original combat experience.
I am sure most of you know about and have played The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. It was one of the best games in the Xbox library and arguably the best movie to game transition ever. Its brutal combat and excellent stealth mechanics combined with its stunning presentation to create a truly memorable experience. I absolutely loved the game, and have been dying to get it on the Xbox 360 backwards compatibility list so that I could enjoy it again.
So of course I was extremely happy to hear about Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, a remake/upgrade for the PS3 and Xbox 360 that not only has updated visuals but features new single player content and some multiplayer gamplay. The only down side to this is that the original game is obviously not going to make it on to the backwards compatibility list. Since my original Xbox console is dying, it looks like my only chance to play this game again is to buy this new version. I am not sure if a price has been announced, but I think around $40 would be fair. In case you missed the announcement on Game Head, Gametrailers has it posted:
So, I decided to finally put the VIVO functionality of my 7800GT to use and actually record something. The first thing I recoded was an entire round of VIP on Snowbound. I personally have not seen any videos of VIP, so hopefully you will find it interesting.
The second clip I recorded is the first round of 1 Flag CTF on High Ground. After the first round, two of my teammates encountered a bug that prevented them from playing, so we shortly quit after. This actually happened three times on the same map that night, so hopefully that issue will be resolved.
Whether it be a new game or new features, the Xbox LIVE Arcade Team is asking for suggestions:
Do you have a favorite game that you just can’t wait to see on Xbox LIVE Arcade? Is there some feature that you wish more Xbox LIVE Arcade games offered? (i.e. a specific game-play mode?) Are there non-game features that you’d like XBLA (the destination) to implement? Lastly, are there events or promotions that you wish were a regular occurrence on XBLA? We want to hear your ideas! Please share your thoughts in the comments of this entry.
Don’t limit yourself to past console games, current game-play features, or events/promotions you’ve seen elsewhere. Think of games that fit the “pick-up-and-play” promise of XBLA. Think of non-game features that make XBLA a more enjoyable place to download and play those games, in general.
I think it’s great that they are openly welcoming suggestions, and I already took the opportunity to post some of the items from my arcade wish list. If there is anything you would like to add, you can send them your suggestions here.
It’s not really a surprise as I have been expecting it for almost a year now, but at least it is now official.
StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.
Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard will again offer unparalleled online play through Battle.net, the company’s world-renowned gaming service, with several enhancements and new features to make StarCraft II the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.
Features:
Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game
Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg
New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race
Bungie was kind enough to write up a nice guide for all of us that are new to the beta. The guide is split into easy to digest sections so that you can find the answers to your questions quickly and efficiently. To that end, it broken it up into several sections that you can get to quickly by clicking the links below.
According to Steve Allison, Midway’s senior VP and chief marketing officer, they don’t.
Only 7% of the new game-related intellectual properties introduced across the past four years can be considered successful and review scores had no bearing on the sales of those games. “In other words, 93 percent of new IP fails in the marketplace,” he explained on N’Gai Croal’s Level Up. “So while the 90-plus review scores and armfuls of awards create the perception that titles like Psychonauts, Shadow of the Colossus, Okami and other great pieces of work were big successes…they were big financial disappointments and money losers.”
“The truth is that there is no correlation between review scores and commercial success,” Allison wrote in a followup entry. “If there were, ‘great’ games Beyond Good & Evil, Ico, Okami, Psychonauts, Shadow of the Colossus, Freedom Fighters, Prey and Midway’s own Psi-Ops would all have been multi-million unit sellers. The aforementioned games are all games that average review scores of nearly 90 percent out of 100, some even higher. The reality is none has sold more than 300,000 units at full price in the U.S. and a couple of these less than 250,000 units lifetime even with bargain pricing.”
Earlier this year, Capcom shut down Clover Studio–the celebrated developer behind Okami (PS2), God Hand (PS2) and the Viewtiful Joe series–a move widely believed to stem from poor sales of the studio’s new intellectual properties, such as Okami and God Hand.
To rectify the issue of overlooked games, Allison suggests that developers focus on broadening the appeal of their games beyond hardcore players, crafting an on-screen experience that causes casual gamers to respond “I’ve got to get that” or “Bad ass!”. The executive also noted that timing is key, using the example of moviegoers overlooking an asteroid film if two others recently arrived in theaters before it.
“What happens all too often in the videogame business is that we get art house movies made at blockbuster budgets,” he stated. “These games inevitably fail to find an audience large enough to support their costs, and nobody is happy.”
