UNCHARTED 2 GAMEPLAY LOOKS AMAZING

Wow! I played the first Uncharted and uhh.. it was cool and all but.. damn, this gameplay footage from Uncharted 2 has blown me away. This makes Tomb Raider look like Pong. It just can’t compete with what Naughty Dog has done. If the developers of Tomb Raider are watching this, take notes. This is how it’s done.

Man I really can’t wait for E3 to come already. I am secretly (OK it’s not a secret) hoping SONY announces a $100 price reduction on the PS3. Then maybe I can finally get my hands on some of these awesome games coming out!

Thanks to TheKoalition.com for the video…

NEW MASS EFFECT 2 VIDEO: PRELUDE TO E3

I really wasn’t that excited when Mass Effect 2 was first announced, were you? I had purchased the original Mass Effect and played it all the way through in a relatively short time (short time for me is a week or two). Yes, every once in a while I’ll play a game that’s good enough to play through until the climactic end, and Mass Effect was one of them. It’s rare for me, but this game had enough sci-fi ingredients to keep me coming back for more and to figure out the story. I especially liked the ending of this game and knew it was only a matter of time until the sequel arrived. Mass Effect was my first ever RPG type game I’ve played (Thanks to the shooter aspect of the game, it made it interesting enough for me to be patient during the long RPG-lite conversations), and I found it surprisingly compelling. Though the game itself still could have been so much better. After the game was over, there really wasn’t much else to do. The DLC came out after a short while but I was already finished with it by that time and had traded it in for something else.

Which is why I am officially excited to learn more about Mass Effect 2. The developers seem to be very aware of what went right with Mass Effect and more importantly, what went wrong. I can already tell from this video that the development of Mass Effect 2 is going in the right direction. (hopefully without any stupid sex scene distractions this time.. which I never got to see!) When looking at some of the previews on display during this developer interview, I automatically get a different feeling about it. As usual with sequels, this sequel looks to be bigger and better than before and I look forward to learning more about it. E3 is close my friends.. this is just a taste of what’s to come. Mass Effect was good, let’s hope Mass Effect 2 is epic!

What do you think about the video you just watched?

Thanks to Kotaku for the video…

VIDEO: ZERO GEAR DEVS MODEL A KART

The creators of Zero Gear, NimbleBit, are still going at it. If you recall, I had written a post about Zero Gear a while back (Zero Gear: The next level in Kart racing) and since I saw this insightful time lapsed video last night, I figured an update on the game was due. You’re more than welcome to view the 10 minute time-lapse video above showing off a very quick version of how they model their karts as I discuss some of the updates listed on their site.

As of now, the game is in Beta on the PC platform. Some of the new features they have added and discussed on their website include a wide range of weapons you can use during each chaotic race. Some of the weapons include the heat seeking missile (always a fan favorite). Of course you have the option of dropping bombs (yes, quite possibly dropping bombs on your moms). The invincible weapon (which I’m sure I’ll never need because I’ll be so far ahead of you) or you could always use the puncher (each kart has a Manny Pacquiao boxing glove attached to the front end) or even the all powerful, ever-so-feared… ice cube. That’s right my friends, you have the option to ice cube your friends to death. Encase them in this cold slippery wetness and watch them slide off the road, hopefully to their demise. But be careful with that weapon, you could end up helping your opponent by encasing him in the ice sending him sliding across the finish line before you. That’s just some of the weapons they have listed, there are more as well and you can check them out on their site.

Another interesting aspect of their “open to the public” creation process is a recent post from marshmonkey (one of the developers). In this post in April, he goes over the art direction of Zero Gear and why they made the game the way they did. And it really makes a lot of sense. Especially on their decision to not use normal maps and specular maps on everything. They wanted to keep it simple so they gave the karts and characters a diffuse map (color map depending on which 3D app you use) only. Which obviously cuts down on render time. NimbleBit also managed to keep each model to a reasonably low poly count where multiple levels of detail were not needed.

I’m really excited to play Zero Gear because I am finally starting to get into PC games. PC games like COGS (The best puzzle game ever?) which are creative, unique and very well made. The quality of video games keep increasing and indie developers like NimbleBit and Lazy 8 Studios are helping to lead the way. Lead on my friends… lead on!

Thanks to marshmonkey, murphy and eeenmachine for keeping a development log updated so people like me can see all that’s involved in a game making process.

You can read more on Zero Gear and NimbleBit by visiting their site…

Follow NimbleBit on Twitter…

And of course, you can get updates by following their Polycount forum post…

GOT A JOB INTERVIEW? BE PREPARED!

Is this your nervous job interview face? This has got to be the most helpful article I have ever linked to on GameCareerGuide.com. I had planned on skimming through the article and taking out a few key points to highlight, and then add my own advice or opinion since I have already completed a lengthy interview with Rockstar games, but the article touches on just about everything I could ever think of to prepare myself for an important first interview. I mean really, this article discussing interview questions and how to answer them is priceless. If you’re close to securing an interview, or if you just completed your first or second phone interview, hell, even if you haven’t gotten that far yet in the process, it will be a huge benefit to you to read this article now. Write down the questions provided, write down some questions of your own and start preparing your answers. The more prepared you are, the more likely your interview will turn into a conversation. And that’s what you want! It’s just a conversation. Keep thinking to yourself, you’re just talking games with other people who enjoy talking about games. And of course, how you can help them make their games better.

With interviews, I know your nerves get all whacked out. You start sweating. You wonder where the restroom is at in case your anxiety gets the best of you. You start constantly drying off your sweaty palms on your pants in order to present a dry handshake to the art director or lead artist.. I mean, geeez.. my hands are sweating right now just thinking about it. (Quick Tip: Keep some tissue in your pocket to dry off your hand right before the handshake) But the more you prepare, the more you mentally play out the interview in your head, I think the better your chances of a successful interview. Most important advice I could give you is, be yourself. Don’t be a prima donna. Don’t try to be someone you’re not, and don’t answer the questions with answers you think they want to hear. Chances are, they’ve heard them all before and they can pinpoint which candidates are being truly honest with their answers, and which candidates are playing them for fools.

Seriously, go check out this article. Bookmark it. Print it out. This is awesome information to have. If you’re doing a phone interview, print this out and keep it in front of you while you’re on the phone. Have your notes in front of you as well to refer to in case they ask one of the questions you prepared for. Ask the question out loud to yourself and then provide your answer as well. Practice in the mirror if that helps. There is nothing wrong with talking to yourself. OK, maybe there is.. but day time soap operas can’t be the only people in the world who consistently talk to themselves, right? Riiiigght. (Quick Tip: If doing a phone interview, try doing it while standing up. Your voice will project more confidence and clarity in your answers as opposed to sitting down. Also smile while doing the interview, even though the interviewers can’t see you smiling, they will be able to tell the difference.)

One last thing, not only should you think about what questions they might ask you and the answers to those questions, you also need to think about what questions you want to ask them as well. I absolutely love turning the tables on the interviewers and start asking them questions as if I’m the one conducting the interview. And in a way, you really are interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you. Maybe after a couple of hours into the interview you start getting a sense that maybe this place isn’t what you expected. Make sure when it comes time for you to ask questions, you actually have some questions for them. It’s a negative sign when a candidate does not have any questions prepared to ask as it may show a disinterest in them or their company.

Like Rob Schneider would say, “You can do eeeet!”

Now go get that job man!

Good luck.

Read more at GameCareerGuide.com…

THE GAMER REPORT REVIEW: WOLVERINE

When I was young, I used to hold 3 metal barbecue skewers between my fingers on each hand, hold a bread stick in my teeth like a cigar, and tell my 300 pound linebacker brother, “I’m gonna slice you up and kick your ass, bub…” Most of the time he would punch me, or beat me senseless, but the method to the madness remains to this very day: Wolverine is a badass!! I have been reading Wolverine comics since I was about 8 years old. As a long-time Marvel fanboy, he still remains one of my favorite characters of all time. When I saw the preview for the X Men Origins: Wolverine movie for the first time, I must admit I almost peed a little bit. Let’s face it, a lot of times movies are great, but when a video game is released based on said movie, it usually blows goats. Such is not the case with the X Men Origins: Wolverine video game.

It was a lazy Sunday. I was hanging out playing Halo 3 when one of my buddies asked me what I thought of the new Wolverine demo. I was shocked as I didn’t even know a demo was out. I finished up the game of Halo I was playing and immediately exited to the dashboard with eager eyes. After a pretty quick download I fired up the demo. After about 2 minutes in, I shut down the 360 and asked my wife if there was any cheesy chick-flicks she wanted to watch, because I was headed over to Blockbuster. That’s right! This game was so awesome that’s all the time I needed to ensure I was playing this one! To my surprise, Blockbuster had a copy. I rushed home GTA style in my car with the game in my hand like a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Let’s just start with the opening cinematic. WOW! If you have not seen it yet, do yourself a favor and at least watch this video. *WARNING: Video clip is extremely violent and badass*

Now thats what I am talking about! You know from my past reviews that I love me some gore and violence in video games, and this one does not disappoint! Being the movie was pretty toned down on the violence aspect, I totally wasn’t expecting the game to be so Mortal Combat-Esque. Unfortunately this awesome style of cutscenes did not continue through the rest of the game until the last couple when you beat it. I don’t even know how the developers pulled off releasing this one. I mean, it seriously makes Gears of War and Dead Space look like PG-13, no joke. It’s not just the violence I liked so much, but the cinematic style in which it was done. Take for instance the part of the demo where you lunge to a helicopter, ripping the pilot out and holding him head-first to the propeller. Good times.. good times. There are so many moments during the game that are just jaw-droppingly awesome. Having seen the movie, finally, there are some spoilers in the game. So be aware if you’re planning on seeing it.

The game plays like your typical God of War/Ninja Gaiden/Devil May Cry-style Hack n’ Slash. There is a light attack, heavy attack, jump and a grab button that provide some pretty deep and awesome combos as you level Wolvy up throughout the game. While you level up, you also progressively gain 4 different “special attacks” that are executed by holding the right trigger and hitting one of the four face buttons. These special attacks are very similar to Marvel Ultimate Alliance special attacks for those of you who have played that gem of a game. These attacks are also upgradeable, along with upgrading your health, rage and claws. It’s not a particularly deep upgrade-system, but a nice touch that adds a sense of accomplishment as the game progresses. There is also a lunge mechanic that is executed flawlessly in my opinion. Holding the right bumper down will target nearby foes, and when you are within striking distance a green arch will appear at which point a press of the left bumper will send Logan flying towards the enemy with claws drawn, taking them down. Often times you will need to use this lunge to cross gaps or mount the backs of large bosses, but it is especially awesome in the battles where you face multiple enemies at a time. It pays a nice tribute to Wolverine as you see him lunge from one enemy to another giving them an adamantium chest exam. There is even the occasional “stealth kill” in which case a head is usually lopped off, or an enemy ripped in half.

Speaking of decimating foes, there is an “instant kill” mechanic as well. Probably one of my favorite parts of the game, these fatality-style executions never really got old. For each type of enemy, (which there are several varieties), there is at least a few different kills. It kept the cinematic aspect I spoke of fresh and exciting as the game progressed. There are also Mutagens scattered about that will give you several different perks like extra health, extra rage, extra experience per kill, etc. Again, not incredibly deep but a nice addition.

The game isn’t perfect. There are a couple gripes I have, but nothing that defeats how incredible this game was. For starters, the levels are long. I am talking, “how many friggin’ checkpoints are in this level?” .. long. Another disappointment was again, how the cutscenes differed from the opening cinematic. It would have been incredible to seen the same style throughout the game. I was pretty surprised how non-linear the levels felt. There were several puzzles and climbing moments in the game that reminded me a lot of Prince of Persia. Another mechanic executed well to compliment the puzzle solving is in the form of “feral-sense.” Basically, pressing up on the D-Pad will give you a kind of infrared vision that will show you objects that you can interact with like ledges and doorways.

I haven’t craved coming home to play a game like this since Ninja Gaiden. There were some really late nights I paid for at work, as I just couldn’t get enough. This masterpiece also has it’s “collectibles” in the form of bodies with dog tags you can collect, and Wolverine figures which lead to unlocking the classic Wolverine costumes. Man it felt good to rock the Yellow and Blue costume instead of the Hugh Jackman skin! Throw in a couple easter egg/achievements relating to my favorite TV show, LOST one of my favorite games of all time, Portal, and one of the games I have lost several friends to, World of Warcraft, and this game has got something for everybody. I must say before I go any further, this game really caught me off guard and took me by surprise. I have a feeling it will do the same for you. If you don’t think so, fire up the demo and give it a go. It is gory, long, awesome in so many ways and is one of my favorite games of the year, let alone ever! Holla at me in the comments and lemme know what you think!

–DIGGITY OUT

DUKE NUKEM FOREVER: LEAKED DEMO REEL

Too bad, so sad.. Duke Nukem Forever is somehow still Duke Nukem ForNever. It’s been how many years since this game was in production? I think I read 12 years or something like that? Oh man, this really sucks. I don’t know what it’s like to have a game project run out of funding and then end up closing the whole studio down because of it, but 3D Realms and all the talent there have my best wishes. Some how, some way or another I’d like to see this game eventually finished, but I’m afraid the game really is finished. This may be it. This may be all we see of what could have been.

Take a look at some interesting Maya, 3ds Max animations and early game footage. I really like games that have character and humor added in the mix so this one bums me out a bit. I never played the original Duke Nukem game, (I’m sure my parents made sure I never did) so it really sucks a new generation couldn’t experience this new take on a classic. Rest In Peace my friend.

But wait, there may be hope still. Is that you Take-Two?

GAMER TRAILER: SERIOUSLY, IT’S CALLED GAMER

So is this what video games of the future will be like? Is this what Microsoft Research & Development are slaving away on day and night? Who knows? ‘Gamer’ is about real life Gamers taking control of real life prisoners for a crazy MMO shooter reality game called ‘Slayers’.(Wonder how they came up with that name?) People controlling other people,j ust like a video game. After watching this, I seriously doubt video games and reality game shows will go to this extreme, but it could make for a very interesting movie. It’s being made by the same guys who made Crank. Unfortunately I’m not a big fan of that movie so I hope Gamer is something I can get into. It’s starring Gerard Butler so as long as there is a, “This is Sparta!” slow-mo kick type moment in a scene, I think the movie will do just fine. Watch the trailer and leave some comments.

GAME CAREER GUIDE: HAVE NO ILLUSIONS

Interesting article over at GameCareerGuide.com today called “Student Illusions about being a Game Designer”. Basically, the writer of this article wants to crush any possible illusion a game student might have with regards to what the game industry is really like. While reading through the article, I felt like the illusions he wrote about are really not for students but are more for the ill-informed public, or the clueless gamer who thinks game design is an easy career path of playing video games for the rest of their lives. As if that’s all game designers do. Then they find out the hard way, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. It takes a special type of person to succeed in such a competitive environment.

If you’re currently a student of Game Art & Design and you don’t know some of these things mentioned in the article, then you’re attending the wrong school. Take what you can from the experience, cancel that tuition check and get the hell out of dodge. The instructors and your school need to be telling you exactly what Dr. Lewis Pulsipher of Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina has neatly laid out in this GameCareerGuide article. But I want to make a point real quick, you shouldn’t have to hear it from him, (unless of course you’re in his class) nor should you be hearing about it only on the internet. You need to be hearing this from your school. Yes, the school you’re paying thousands and thousands of dollars to attend, they should be giving this information to you on day one. (Preferably when you tour the school campus and before you give them your deposit) No misconceptions, no misrepresentation… they need to tell you the truth and this article lays it out quite nicely. Some of it seems like it should be common sense if you’ve gone as far as looking into possible schools to attend and some of his points are brutally honest. Which I always appreciate.

Let’s take a look at a few key points real quick:

They’ll play games all day on the job. It matters that they’re expert game players.

“Even game magazine editors cannot play all day. Playing games is important, but that’s not something you’ll do much on the job. Game playing expertise is virtually irrelevant.” –GCG.com

Exactly correct. I can tell you since I’ve started my journey into this industry, my video game playing time has dropped dramatically. But it’s fine with me because I also enjoy modeling just as much as playing a game. Sometimes even more so.

Getting a degree is going to get them a job.

“They can do just what’s in the curriculum, and without any additional effort, they will have 100% of what it takes to succeed. A degree differentiates you from the thousands who want to work in the industry but haven’t taken the time to do much about it.”

“Still, students have to show what they can do, the degree alone doesn’t count for much yet. That means students need to be as fanatical about preparing themselves for a game industry job as they’re fanatical about playing video games. There are dozens of times as many industry wannabes as there are jobs available. Only those who prepare themselves fully will get the jobs.”-GCG.com

I have heard this repeated many times during my time at VanArts. Yes, a degree is definitely something you should strive for in life as it can only benefit you. However, it is not the be all end all requirement to get hired at a game studio. What matters most is your demo reel and portfolio. If you’re the best animator or artist a studio has ever seen but you don’t have a degree, chances are you will still get hired due to your quality of work, and the amout of effort and creativity put into it. Again, a degree is nice, but not required to get your foot in the door.

Testing is only about playing games.

“Testing is serious work; you have to write up results, contribute to bug databases, etc. If you test one game long enough, you’ll come to dislike the game no matter how good it is.”

“Given the increasing budgets for AAA titles, the majority of people working on games are not working on AAA games. The studios working on AAA games have few entry-level positions. Why risk a lot of money on inexperienced people? Do the math.”-GCG.com

I had one extremely short game testing experience that I can definitely admit saying, it is in no way shape or form… fun. I worked for a gaming company that made and tested games for cell phones. Let’s just say I only lasted 3 days. OK, so it was only 2 1/2 days but who is counting? (I was) During that brief period of time though, I learned a lot. Mostly, I learned that I did not like cell phones. I mean, I really.. really do not like cell phones. The 3pm-12am shift did not make it any easier for me to stay on board either. It’s definitely not like the movie Grandma’s Boy. I assume my experience would have been more positive had I been testing games on the 360 or PS3, but don’t even think for one moment that testing games in general, is all fun and games. Pun intended.

Read more at GameCareerGuide.com…

MICROSOFT ACQUIRES BIGPARK INC.

Good news out there gamers and game artists! Microsoft has agreed to acquire Vancouver, BC based online gaming company, BigPark. Why is this good news you ask? Well, a few reasons actually. For one, BigPark is comprised of some very experienced industry veterans, with games like Need for Speed, SSX, FIFA Soccer and NBA Street under their belts. So when you add their experience together along with the talent pool over at Microsoft Game Studios, the future for both MGS and BigPark look promising. BigPark is currently working on a new unannounced exclusive for the 360. Which brings up a question I have: did Microsoft buy them once they saw the game BigPark was working on? Or did Microsoft buy them and then tell them what game they want the BigPark developers to create? I’m sure there is more to it than that but I happen to think the game BigPark is working on is a major factor in this agreement and I want to know what it is! Don’t you?

Excerpt:

“This opportunity provides us with access to the unparalleled talent, resources and exciting innovation taking place within Microsoft,” said Wil Mozell, studio president and co-founder of BigPark. “We’re looking forward to being part of the Microsoft Game Studios team, where we believe we can successfully contribute to shaping key Microsoft initiatives through fresh and engaging consumer experiences.” –Microsoft Press Release

Another reason why this is such good news, especially for you folks up in the Pacific Northwest: They’re hiring! Yes, they are! Many positions are open and they’re up for grabs for the best men and women in the industry. If you’re a modeler, animator, game designer, even a web developer… why are you still reading this? Go to BigPark and apply now. Especially if you’re out of a job or can’t stand the current job you’re at, why not try y’know? It’s worth a shot.

On the BigPark website, I’d like to highlight the directions for applying, because the application process involves a website that I started using recently. The site is called LinkedIn.com. It’s basically a social networking site for professionals in various industries, including the game industry. I actually set up my LinkedIn account several months ago but never completed my profile nor did I start to network with people in my “connections”. Now that I have, I wish I had done it earlier because I’ve been able to get in contact with a lot of industry veterans. I even got in touch with a woman who was my first contact in Vancouver, BC who gave me a tour of VanArts in 2006. She sold me on the idea of moving up there and starting a path to a new career. Now she is a Producer working for a major studio. So it finally gave me the chance to thank her since she was gone by the time I moved up there.

The site also gives you many ways to connect with your friends, and also connect with their friends. So what BigPark is asking now (which I have not seen before.. and believe me, I’ve been to and applied on many game studio websites), they are asking for you to email them your resume or your “LinkedIn Profile”. I found that very interesting and wonder if the whole “applying through LinkedIn” is the start of a new trend.

As a game student I was first told to mail out our DVD Demo Reels to all the major game studios we were applying at. Then we were told the studios were just inundated with too many DVD’s so the industry started leaning more towards applying online. Y’know, create your own site to show off the work you’ve done, include a resume, your demo reel so you could just apply by giving them your site’s web address. So using a site like LinkedIn.com could be beneficial to you and the industry as a whole because it’s already set up in a way to show off who you are, what you know, who you know and what your references say about you. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re struggling to find a job in the game industry like myself.

Now please excuse me, I have some applying to do. Cheers!

Read more on the Microsoft press release here…

RED DEAD REDEMPTION TRAILER & SCREENS

It’s so weird that these new screens came out today as I was just talking about Grand Theft Horse… excuse me, Red Dead Redemption with some friends yesterday. I’m still bummed they didn’t stick with the Grand Theft Horse nickname but I’m sure I’ll get over it by the time this game is released. Who knows, maybe I’ll remain bitter and refuse to call it anything other than what I want to call it. But call it what you will, Rockstar San Diego is bringing it! Bringing what you ask? Bringing the pain! Wait no. Well, maybe they are, I don’t know. But they are bringing the Western genre back into the spotlight with an open world twist that is sure to please fans of the genre, Red Dead Revolver, and create new fans in the process.
There is supposed to be a new trailer coming out soon, as soon as tomorrow I hope. And when it’s released, you can be sure that I will be posting it and talking about the new trailer and hopefully the new features shown. The screens here I believe are taken directly from the trailer you’ll soon see. So make sure to come back again tomorrow to get my take on it and see what else the trailer has in store for us.

Update: Screw tomorrow, the trailer is already out! Here it is! Oh, and check out the very first thing shown in the video. What is it? That incredible locomotive I talked about a while back. So beautifully done.