« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  The second installment of Apostasy, the graphic novel made up of Garry's Mod-enhanced Half-Life 2 screenshots has been released. Two familiar characters make an appearance in part two as it continues the story of life in and around City 17 just before the events of the game unfold. APOSTASY - Issue #2... Issue #1 Related: Graphic Novel Illustrated with Half-Life 2 Screenshots (17 April) About Garry's Mod Discussion >>  Although the first Black & White looked great, it polarised the community because of gameplay flaws that were considered irrelevant by some and spoiled all the fun for others. Black & White 2 will also feature stunning graphics, as you can see by taking a look at 19 new screenshots. Under the watchful eye of Peter Molyneux, Lionhead also take pains to refine the sequel's gameplay. As before, you take on the role of a deity and have to make all sorts of moral choices that have an impact on the creature you control, turning it into an either benevolent or evil character. To that end, you can now wage all-out wars, or make use of so-called Epic Miracles such as earthquakes or volcanoes that wreak havoc with devestating effect. However, you can opt for more diplomatic and peaceful means if that's more to your liking. Molyneux is working on enhancing the creatures' artificial intelligence, one of the hallmarks of Black & White, and of which traces could already be seen in the first installment. According to Molyneux, Black & White 2 will hit the shelves in fall. Related info: Black & White 2 Lionhead Studios Black & White 2, first impressions (23 May) Black & White 2 Official Trailer (29 April) Discussion >>  Microsoft's J Allard has given an interview with TheStreet.com, and finally revealed the price of the XBox 360 - it will be "in the neighbourhood" of $300. Recent rumours also had a similar number for the Playstation 3's price.In the interview, Allard answered questions about when the new console would be released ("when it's done"), and admitted that some XBox 360 demos shown at E3 were running on emulators on Apple G5's. He also attempted to let some of the air out of Sony's tires by dismissing the impressive PS3 tech demos, saying they weren't running on real hardware: I don't worry about great visuals that they showed that weren't actually running on real hardware. It doesn't matter. Gamers don't make their purchase decisions based on movies that were shown in May for products that come out in March. They just don't. PS3 To Have Same Launch Price as Previous Playstations? (25 May) Apple Powering XBox 360 Demos at E3? (20 May) PlayStation 3 technical demos U.S. Retailers Already Taking Pre-orders for XBox 360 XBox 360 User Interface Details Discussion >>  Sony is looking to outsource production of the PSP to possibly China or Taiwan to meet rising demand, Bloomberg news reports.Currently a sole factory near Tokyo makes the PSP console, churning out one million units per month, but Sony announced they would step up production to two million per month back in February in order to compete with Nintendo, who hold 90 percent of the handheld market. SCE chief Ken Kutaragi is quoted as saying that the company has ran out of units in the U.S., and that they are not yet ready to start selling PSP's in Europe: ``We have to somehow increase our production capacity as we're not prepared to start selling in Europe, we've run out of units in the U.S. and it's still selling well in Japan,'' Kutaragi, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., told Bloomberg News today at a games industry meeting in Tokyo. Sony PSP launches in the U.S (24 March 2005) PSP sells more than 1/2 million units in 2 days (7 April) €249 PSP to launch in Europe on 1 Sept 2005 Discussion >>  Sources close to Nintendo have told MCV that the Nintendo Revolution will be the last next-gen console to launch in all territories, and suggested the system won't hit PAL territories until Spring 2007: “Revolution will launch towards the end of next year,” the source said. “We’re currently looking at mirroring the DS strategy, so Revolution would release in the US first in November, closely followed by Japan – then we’re looking at March 2007 for PAL territories.” Revolution I think will have really no problem standing up to [Playstation3 and XBox 360]. Q&A: Nintendo Vice President George Harrison Related: Nintendo announce Revolution Touchscreen Tech Sparks Another Revolution Rumour More Nintendo Revolution Details Before Year End Homebrew Games for Nintendo Revolution? (19 May) 20 Years of Nintendo Content with Revolution (17 May) Discussion >> Midway have confirmed they have seven titles in development for the Xbox 360, among them John Woo's Stranglehold, which will star Chow Yun Fat. David Zucker, CEO of Midway, said in an earlier interview with TheStreet.com that the company would have games ready for the launch of the Playstation 3 - but not the launch of Xbox 360. The interview caused a stir on the web, because one of the reasons Zucker gave for missing the X360 launch was a "pretty small install base" for the console, but the main factor appears to be simple time constraints: But just because Midway won't have any next-gen games ready in time for the launch of Microsoft's sleek new console does not mean they are eschewing the platform. "Midway is fully supporting the Xbox 360 and we have games in development at all of our internal studios," a rep told GameSpot. Midway Games Midway: No Games for Launch of XBox 360 TheStreet.com: Midway Games Placing Its Bets on Quality John Woo's Stranglehold in development at Midway Games (23 May) Discussion >>  BioWare have revealed in an interview that they have two games in development for the Xbox 360, hinting that one or both titles would likely appear after the console initially launches.BioWare didn't give many details, but did scotch rumours that one of the two confirmed 360 titles would be Dragon Age. They said they would be focusing on making Dragon Age the most ambitious PC RPG they've ever attempted, but didn't rule out an Xbox 360 version further down the line. Another point made in the interview is that Bioware will not be Xbox 360-exclusive, and they have been watching carefully as details of the PS3 and Revolution materialise: "We're actually looking at all the next-gen systems closely--they all look impressive--very interesting and powerful," beamed Muzyka. Zeschuk chimed, "We're really excited about the [Nintendo] Revolution and the ability to download and play all those old games!" BioWare.com Bioware plans 2 Xbox 360 games; one of them Jade Empire 2? The language of Bioware's Jade Empire (21 April) Discussion >>  A PC playable demo is now available for Area 51, the sci-fi FPS that features voice-acting by David Duchovny:The U.S. Army has received a distress signal from Area 51 where a viral outbreak has just shut down the research facility and the automated quarantine procedures have locked all scientific and military personnel inside. Area 51 official site Area 51 reviews on metacritic.com Discussion >> As Microsoft and Sony start to hype and counter-hype their next-gen consoles upon us, it's easy to become dazzled by the promise of fantastic sounding features. CNN's Money column has a good article suggesting we come back to reality and realise that some of the promises and feature details of the PS3 and X360 may never materialise, and that we need only look at the launches of the PS2 and original XBox to see a pattern of empty hype: The PlayStation 2 was going to offer AOL Instant Messaging and have characters whose facial expressions were incredibly lifelike as they progressed through the game. AIM and PS2 were never again spoken in the same sentence Sony: XBox 1.5 "today's technology" XBOX 360 / PLAYSTATION 3 COMPARISON Xbox 360 vs PS 3 Blogcast (MP3), (WMA) Discussion >>  Now you can take the force with you wherever you go, even on those rainy days when you just don't have the muster to get things done, this Lightsaber Umbrella will be your guide and get you through every wet outing in "style".Made of a durable vinyl material which blossoms outwards to 100cm when opened, the umbrella will shield adventurous walkers from wind, rain, and sun. Two types are available for preorder: One features a shadowy Darth Vader who wields a saber and the other one shows a diamond-shaped Vader logo. Pricing is set at Y8000 in Japan or US$85 from NCS. Delivery is expected in mid-late June 2005. Related: The Parade of Unfortunate Star Wars Costumes Discussion >>  Joystiq are reporting on an interesting new form of media coming soon to the PSP - the sound novel. Vaguely described as being comprised of music, images and text, sound novels will tell viewers "a story that's not quite movie, not quite book and most certainly not game".The first sound novel is due for the Japanese PSP by 28 of July. Called Jitsuwa Kaidan: Shin Mimi Bukoru - Chapter 1, it will use narration, text and 3D sound to tell 50 ghost stories. “Sound Novels” headed to PSP Related: Sound novels?? Discussion >>  IGN has an interesting write up in which they discuss ideas and concepts they would like to see made into games. From Movies, Novels, TV shows and more.Although it may be hard to believe these days, there's still a good deal of stories and characters from various mediums that have yet to be plumbed by the gaming industry. No-brainers like The Matrix, Ringworld, Rendezvous with Rama, LotR and 24 have all gotten their time in the sun. And while we at IGN are all for original, non-franchise titles--reference Katamari, Psychonauts, God of War, Spore--a lot of us have places in our hearts for certain TV shows, films, and books that made us all fuzzy with joy. Doom 3 Expansion, uninspiring money grabber? Touchscreen Tech Sparks Another Revolution Rumour Discussion >>  A three-minute video showing ingame footage of Epic Games upcoming XBox 360 title Gears of War has been leaked from E3. The game was only shown behind closed doors at the expo: The in-game footage is already looking very impressive, and apparently it’s running on an alpha kit – which represents only 30% of the power of the final Xbox 360 hardware. GearsofWar.com Epic Games XBox365.com: Gears of War Fact Sheet Gears of War "Killer-App of the XBox 360" Epic: No PC version of Gears of War in the works Discussion >>  VGiMx are hosting MP3 files made by gamers which consist of a mix between old and new titles. If you visit their release page you will find a wealth of musical mash-ups from Donkey Kong Country, Doom, Final Fantasy 8, Castlevania 3, F-Zero, Double Dragon 3 and many more.This is going to be fun :-) Via MetaFilter Related: I'm Still Seeing Breen - HL2 Music Video (7 March) Discussion >>  Morpheus has been killed off in the MMORPG Matrix Online; this week's live event (aptly titled "The Hunt for Morpheus") saw him getting gunned down by a mysterious assassin as he attempted to set off a series of bombs in the Matrix.A press release sent out announcing the dramatic plot twist vaguely hinted that Morpheus' death may not be permanent, though Paul Chadwick, the writer behind the storyline said in an interview that there are no plans for a resurrection. The next step in the evolving storyline is a murder-mystery as players try to uncover the identity of the assassin: Players will be encouraged to figure out not just who the assassin is, but what Morpheus was really all about. That means, in fact, that thanks to the wonders of flashback scenes, "Matrix" users haven't heard the last of Laurence Fishburne's voiceover work in the game. Gamespot: Morpheus put to sleep Kotaku: Morpheus Gets Killed Off in Matrix Online The Matrix Online Focus on the Cast of The Matrix Online (9 May) The Matrix Storyline Discussion >>  The next iteration in the Moh franchise of ww2 shooters has gone Gold according to gamespot and is in line with its D-Day ship date for GC, PS2, and Xbox.Not to be confused with Medal of Honor Allied Assault, Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Spearhead, Medal of Honor Frontline, Medal of Honor Underground, Medal of Honor Rising Sun, or Medal of Honor Pacific Assault, Medal of Honor: European Assault features an all-new story set in the 20th century's biggest conflict. It begins in 1942, when Lieutenant William Holt, the first field agent of the CIA's precursor, the OSS, joins the fight to liberate Europe. The game's script was penned by Apocalypse Now screenwriter John Milius, and its designers consulted with famed military technical advisor Capt. Dale Dye. European Assault website Discussion >>  Gaming Monthly, Computer Gaming World, Official Playstation Magazines and 1up.com have cast their votes for the top game showcased at E3 2005.Half Life 2 walked away (kind of) with the award for Best X-Box Game with Stubbs the Zombie, Total Overdose, Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders and Serious Sam II settling for runner up positions. Check out the full list here Via hlfallout Related: Falling Dominoes Half-Life 2 Video Doug Lombardi Interview, DoD Source development still unclear Half Life 2 In The Real World Valve showcase HDR at E3 Discussion >>  Grand Turismo 4, having spent months at the top of the Aussie gaming charts has been ousted by the Ps2 version of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by LucasArts.Also, Lego Star Wars is gaining ground on the no.3 and no.2 spot, it is up one place to no.4. Microsoft's Forza Motorsport is at No. 5, as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sticks at No. 6. The PS2 version of fellow Rockstar title Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition is in seventh place. The Parade of Unfortunate Star Wars Costumes Discussion >>  Recently released on the Xbox, Majesco has announced the Ps2 version of Psychonauts has gone Gold and is sheduled for a June 21st release in North America.Developed by Double Fine Productions, Psychonauts has players assuming the role of psychic cadet Raz, as he tries to stop an evil scientist from abducting students from the Psychonauts boot camp. The game features 13 levels in the real world, and ten inside the minds of various enemies and opponents, and will let players earn various psychic powers such as: telekinesis, invisibility, pyrokinesis and clairvoyance. Psychonauts carries the ESRB rating of “T” for teen. Psychonauts XBox/PC Ships Psychonauts official website Double Fine - Company founded by Schafer Psychonauts PC Playable Demo Released (13 April) About Tim Schafer Discussion >>  Will Wright's Spore will be making its way to the Xbox 360, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. In an interview with Jostiq, Ballmer said:We've got to be there telling the story and showing those things which are more interesting, whether it's a Spore or a Kameo, which is a different kind of game for the console world. EA designer WIll Wright, the man behind the successful Sims franchise is currently developing his Spore, in which players will guide a single-celled organism from the state of an amoeba to world-domination."One of my goals for this whole thing has been to give somebody an awe-inspiring global view of reality, almost like a drug-induced epiphany with a computer," explains Wright. Certainly the line between game and art is increasingly bein blurred by philosophically conscious games like Spore. Whether EA can pull it off is another question entirely. More soon. Will Wright's Unveiling of Spore Video Spore website Will Wright wows GDC with new Sim (11 March) Spore: Will Wright's latest project is a game about... everything. Will Wright on Wikipedia Discussion >>  An interesting picture has been making the rounds today of a supposed Xbox 360 retail Kiosk, the very same type that is used in retail outlets to showcase consoles and give buyers a chance to play around with them.According to the kiosk picture below it will allow gamers to haul around their high capacity memory cards to download content. This is specifically beneficial to the offline gamers that may not have internet access or a friend to steal from. Midway: No Games for Launch of XBox 360 XBox 360 Will Feature Parental Controls Security Flaw in XBox Website Fixed High definition Xbox 360 videos Microsoft select partner for XBox wireless controller design Discussion >>  This must have taken ages to set up; to illustrate the power of the physics engine in Half-Life 2, someone has positioned steel doors and other objects very carefully to create a falling dominoes effect in a Half-Life 2 map that ends with a hapless Dr. Breen getting squished.Link via Boingboing.net Related: Doug Lombardi Interview, DoD Source development still unclear Half Life 2 In The Real World Valve showcase HDR at E3 Discussion >>  An interesting review over at netjak of the Doom 3 expansion Resurrection of Evil paints the game as nothing more than a money grabbing expansion with not only a lack of creativity but an endeavour that brings absolutely nothing to the genre.They also describe the expansion as one that does not even live up to the original game, let alone bring anything fresh or ingenious to the story or gameplay. The game doesn't exactly change much in terms of playability. The expansion contains the same movement, same firing, same cramped level designs, and same waves of monsters as the original game. There are only two notable gameplay differences. First, there is a new weapon: the Ionized Plasma Levitator, aka 'The Grabber'. Behind its complex name, the Grabber is just a copy of the Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2. I guess id figured that if Valve can steal the entire first person shooter genre from them, they can copy something minor like the concept of a grabbing gun. The Grabber has two key differences from its HL2 counterpart. First, the weapon has a limited charge, meaning you cannot just grab something and run around for as long as you like. It will release the item you hold after a few seconds then recharge itself for another use. The second is it has a use other than just grabbing inanimate objects. The Grabber, according to in-game records, was designed to manipulate ion energy for power production. What that means is you can also grab energy blasts tossed at you from various enemies, like the imps, and send them back postage due. Doom 3: Resurrection Of Evil Ships (04 April) DOOM Movie Details, Screens Discussion >>  This is more speculation, but would be very cool if it happened; Gamersfeed have a post about a new technology from Immersion Corporation for "tactile touchscreens", that gives users the sensation that they are pushing actual buttons, and speculate if this could be used in the Nintendo Revolution:This new technology will allow for tactile cues in a touchscreen, allowing for the physical simulation of pushing a button or depressing a switch. Something like this technology may be used in the Nintendo Revolution controllers, as they are oft rumored to have touchscreen capabilities. Immersion Corporation: Tactile Touchscreen Technology Revolution a tactile touchscreen? More Nintendo Revolution Details Before Year End (21 May) Homebrew Games for Nintendo Revolution? (19 May) 20 Years of Nintendo Content with Revolution (17 May) Discussion >>  CEO of Epic Games Mark Rein has told BeyondUnreal.com that Gears of War will be an "XBox 360 exclusive", contradicting Microsoft's J Allard, who said the game would also be coming to PC.Rein didn't rule out a PC version, but said that Epic weren't even thinking about doing that just yet, with all of their effort at the moment put into making Gears of War "the ultimate XBox360 game": Gears of War is an Xbox360 exclusive. We're developing it specifically to take advantage of the power and features of the console. All of the work on Gears between now and when we ship is toward creating the ultimate Xbox360 game. J Allard: Gears of War Coming to PC (24 May) Gears of War "Killer-App of the XBox 360" (20 May) GearsofWar.com Epic Games XBox365.com: Gears of War Fact Sheet Discussion >>  Planet Half-Life's halflife_84 managed to score an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi which revolves mainly around Valve's upcoming releases. Day of Defeat fans in particular might be temporarily dismayed at Lombardi suggesting DoD Source will be further delayed as they have something up their sleeves.Certainly the announcement by Valve from October 5th of last year that DoD Source was coming soon has no weight or bearing on today's development stage, it actually appears that Valve has indeed removed that announcement from their news archives... Halflife_84 : Will the new HDR allow us to have complete Night/Day cycles in a game? Half Life 2: Aftermath set for September release? Valve at E3, Lost Coast details and screenshot Valve showcase HDR at E3 Doug Lombardi, Half Life 2 Interview Half Life 2 reviewer goes panoramic Half Life 2 In The Real World Legend Counter Strike Mapper Springs Back Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - More Details Emerge Retail Valve Games to Continue Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast - New Screenshots and Movie More Half-Life 2: Aftermath/ Lost Coast Details Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast Discussion >> CEO of Midway Games David Zucker has said in an interview that the company would have games ready for the launch of Playstation 3, but not for the XBox 360 launch. Zucker explained that time constraints and a small install base were the reason, and didn't rule out XBox 360 support further down the line: We're certainly going to have games for the launch of the PS3, but we don't have any games for the launch of the Xbox 360. Midway Games Midway Support PS3 launch but not Xbox 360 John Woo's Stranglehold in development at Midway Games (23 May) Midway Games yesterday announce Unreal Tournament 2007 (18 May) Discussion >>  The Sun is reporting that the XBox 360 will have functions to allow parents to stop their children from playing violent games, and mandatory parental controls for XBox Live will also let them oversee what their kids play online.Microsoft said in a statement: "Xbox is the only system in the market today that provides safety and security features so parents can control what their kids play and watch. XBox360.com High definition Xbox 360 videos Microsoft select partner for XBox wireless controller design Discussion >>  An interesting article over at bit-tech.net reports on a technology conference, where NVIDIA's CFO, Marv Burkett gave a fifteen-minute presentation in which he discussed some details about RSX, the chip behind the awesome graphics on Playstation 3, and upcoming 90 nanometre products.Although the article suggests that the powerful GPU that is to ignite the Ps3 is not yet ready, looking at Sony's schedule they expect the RSX to be ready near Christmas 2005, in time to start producing units for the expected Spring 2006 launch of the Ps3. The beauty is that once NVIDIA have bug-free silicon and the chip works as it is meant to, Sony will take complete control of production, paying NVIDIA for the technology. Once Sony take over production, NVIDIA need not worry about anything related to the production of the GPU, which means that the money they make of Playstation 3 will be free, as their work was completed before Sony took over the reins. PS3 To Have Same Launch Price as Previous Playstations? Mainichi Daily News: "new machine will be priced at less than 50,000 yen each" (17 May) PS3 E3 video roundup, More Live Forever with Playstation 5 Under $500 Pricetag on PlayStation 3? (18 May) Sony CEO Slams "XBox 1.5" Discussion >>  Microsoft have fixed a security hole in the official XBox website; apparently the vulnerability could have allowed the harvesting of email addresses and credit card numbers:The bug, called a "cross-scripting" vulnerability, affected Microsoft's Xbox 360 site, where gamers can get a sneak peak at the upcoming console's features. According to Finjan Software, the vulnerability could let phishers harvest such things as email addresses and credit card numbers. Microsoft: XBox Games To Continue Through To 2007 (10 April) High definition Xbox 360 videos Microsoft select partner for XBox wireless controller design Discussion >>  Popeye: Rush for Spinach for the Game Boy Advance has been given a very poor review over at gamespot. They bestow upon the game a shameful score of 4.2. The only positive thing they had to say about the Popeye adventure, that combines both a racing and platforming genre into one, was the graphics which they warned people not to be lured in by.The easiest way to describe Rush for Spinach is to say that it's a side-scrolling platformer that has been transformed into a racing game. After deciding whether to play as Popeye, Olive Oyl, Wimpy, or Bluto, you're tossed into a level that's not unlike the levels you'd find in a Mario or Sonic game. You have to work your way back and forth to locate the end of the level and deal with obstacles such as spike pits and switches along the way. The difference here is that there are also three other characters on your tail trying to do the same thing. So now, in addition to just finishing the level, you have to finish first to move on to the next one. Power-up items, such as spinach and curses, can give you a boost of speed or slow down your nearest opponent. The chicken curse is particularly amusing. It transforms one of your opponents into a chicken. There are also vehicle-type items, such as pogo sticks, cars, boats, and magical capes, that can help you move faster or bypass hazards more easily. Magic Pockets website (Developers) Discussion >>  It wasn't so much of a surprise when Jowood and developer Phenomic finally announced Spellforce 2, given the commercial success of the first installment. Jowood has now hosted the official website along with brand-new in-game screenshots, a developer diary and a forum. The game combines role-playing with real-time strategy elements as you lead whole armies into battle or bulid bases to gather resources, but also fight in the front line with your own avatar who will learn new skills as the game progresses. Naturally, Phenomic are working on improved graphics to make Spellforce 2 much more detailed than part one but without losing the special Spellforce atmosphere. The game design will also be refined, as project manager Martin Löhlein explains in the dev diaries: Our main target was to make the game faster, more thrilling and to regard the wishes of our fans. Faster means shorter ways, improved travel possibilities and shortcuts, but also faster building and unit producing. More interesting as in more effective decisions – not only in the quests and story but also in the skill-system and the RTS-component. Our new improved skill tree puts the player on the brink of important decisions on every level. Not only that you chose your character class in the beginning, moreover you decide in which way you evolve every time you level-up. Additionally building up and fighting gets more exciting: which way are you going to develop e.g. extending the faction of your alliance by taking over the elves with their healers and archers, take the dwarves with their strong melee warriors and siege weapons or take the humans to get mounted units and gryphon-mages! The game is scheduled for a release in late 2005.Related info: Spellforce 2 Website Spellforce 1 Jowood Productions Phenomic Discussion >> |
