Les archives du jeudi 4 décembre 2008 des news de NoFrag
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Rien à dire
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
— Tigon et Starbreeze sont ravis d'avoir été virés par Activision Blizzard: le fait de passer chez Atari a retardé Riddick 2 et leur a permis de l'améliorer.
The Conduit
— Sans être horriblement négatif, Edge est le premier à signaler que les contrôles de The Conduit ne sont pas aussi pratiques que toutes les previews le laissaient croire jusqu'alors.
Halo 3: ODST
— Comme dans Brothers in Arms et Republic Commando (déduisez-en ce que vous voulez), les squadmates de Halo 3: ODST auront chacun une identité et leur petit caractère.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
— Des previews du prochain Riddick chez Gamespot et 1UP.
Killzone 2
— "Difficile d'être vraiment catégorique concernant la qualité technique de Killzone 2, la version toussotant en effet quelques bugs plus ou moins voyants qui seront sans doute corrigés d'ici la sortie du FPS." - JV.com.
Bioshock
— "Nous ne concevons pas nos jeux en fonction d'une cible démographique." - Ken Levine (Bioshock)
En vrac
Valve perd son trésorier
Heatwave Interactive, un studio d'Austin, a débauché le directeur financier de Valve.
Dr.Loser | 18 h 55
Natural Selection 2 |
Interview: Natural Selection 2
Natural Selection 2 is an
immersive multiplayer-only online game where up to 16 marines and 16 aliens
battle our own sci-fi universe.
NoFrag: For starters, could you tell us how far along the way you are: how much of the development is done, how is Unknown Worlds doing, and how many of you are working on Natural Selection?
Charlie "Flayra" Cleveland: We have four full-time in-house people working on Natural Selection 2 (lead programmer, lead designer/operations, lead/concept artist, artist) plus about 3 people working off-site (3D art,time animation, level design). A lot of our tech is done but that will remain ongoing (especially in the tools department). A lot of the game's core systems are in place so it's technically playable but not fun yet. We're doing great!
Have you modified the game's basic mechanisms: moving speed, weapons damage, health system, reinforcements system, STR view, etc.
A lot of these numbers use NS1 as a starting point. The marines still spawn from infantry portals the same way but aliens currently spawn from "egg clusters" - eggs are produced at a certain rate and then aliens hatch out of them. They can choose which egg they hatch from and when. Our health system is similar although it's similar to Call of Duty IV in that there is no number on your display, but you definitely know how hurt you are from other feedback.
What are the new features for each team?
The biggest ones are the addition of a Commander role for the alien side and dynamic environments (including infestation). There are lots of other smaller new features (new resource system, new abilities for both sides, automatic squads, etc.) but these are the biggest. We're still learning how the Alien Commander should work but we think our dynamic environments will make every game play differently.
Could you tell us more about how the Infestation works?
It grows automatically outward from all alien structures. Also, the Alien Commander can make it grow wherever he wants through the placement of infestation "nodes". As the infestation grows, it turns off lights, breaks through doors, etc. Aliens can also morph to new lifeforms and automatically heal when they are infestation. Finally, the Alien Commander has special abilities that can only be used on infestation. We think the marine team will be able to burn infestation away with their flamethrower.
Is there a Marines' equivalent to the Infestation?
Nope. We want the two sides to be totally different.
You created NS2 with an objective of how many players per team in mind?
Anywhere from 4v4 up to 16v16 should be good.
You count on the community to create maps, but the game needs some to be released. How are you going to managethis?
For NS1, we released a huge collection of textures, props, our mapping guidelines and an early version of the game to the public. People then used that to make maps, many of which made it into the final game, either for v1.0 or later. This has been the plan for NS2 as well, although we are rethinking it a bit now.
Will the game have new environments?
Yes. We are working on environment artwork for a futuristic refinery filled with lava and ore processing machinery, as well as a biodome artwork, for which is mixture of man-made environments and nature.
Are there any 'open' maps?
If you mean outdoor maps, no. We're focused on indoor environments for NS2.
The LUA will allow us to create any scenario, but what kind of game types will already be implemented in the game when it is released?
I think we will ship only the basic NS2 gameplay with the game. We'll let the community make Combat or any other scenarios they desire.
Do you confirm that the game will be selling at $20 on Steam?
We haven't decided on a price yet!
Are you going to implement physics into the gameplay?
We do have physics implemented already, but we're not sure how much of a role it will play in the gameplay. Probably not too much, as the game is mostly about player movement, shooting and communication.
I bet NS didn't make you rich. Do you have a side job? How do you manage staying motivated after so many years?
Nope it didn't...but NS was free! The point of it was to build an audience that we could build off of, which we are doing now. Many players did donate towards development of NS though, which is how I lived for many years. Motivation has never been a problem for me.
How many copies must you sell to ensure the perennity of your company?
The nice thing about being a small, independent is that we'll be doing well if we sell even small numbers of units. If we sell 50,000 units we'll be in good shape, although we hope to sell more. It's not like we can just sit back though, we'll have to keep working to make sure we have a healthy company.
According to your website's statistics, are your fans mainly from Europe or the USA?
Our fans are mostly from North America (US and Canada), 2nd biggest group is Europe and the 3rd is Australia/New Zealand. This time around we hope to reach beyond that to Asia and South America. Our goal is to unite the worlds through play, so need to reach the world to do that!
NoFrag: For starters, could you tell us how far along the way you are: how much of the development is done, how is Unknown Worlds doing, and how many of you are working on Natural Selection?
Charlie "Flayra" Cleveland: We have four full-time in-house people working on Natural Selection 2 (lead programmer, lead designer/operations, lead/concept artist, artist) plus about 3 people working off-site (3D art,time animation, level design). A lot of our tech is done but that will remain ongoing (especially in the tools department). A lot of the game's core systems are in place so it's technically playable but not fun yet. We're doing great!
Have you modified the game's basic mechanisms: moving speed, weapons damage, health system, reinforcements system, STR view, etc.
A lot of these numbers use NS1 as a starting point. The marines still spawn from infantry portals the same way but aliens currently spawn from "egg clusters" - eggs are produced at a certain rate and then aliens hatch out of them. They can choose which egg they hatch from and when. Our health system is similar although it's similar to Call of Duty IV in that there is no number on your display, but you definitely know how hurt you are from other feedback.
What are the new features for each team?
The biggest ones are the addition of a Commander role for the alien side and dynamic environments (including infestation). There are lots of other smaller new features (new resource system, new abilities for both sides, automatic squads, etc.) but these are the biggest. We're still learning how the Alien Commander should work but we think our dynamic environments will make every game play differently.
Could you tell us more about how the Infestation works?
It grows automatically outward from all alien structures. Also, the Alien Commander can make it grow wherever he wants through the placement of infestation "nodes". As the infestation grows, it turns off lights, breaks through doors, etc. Aliens can also morph to new lifeforms and automatically heal when they are infestation. Finally, the Alien Commander has special abilities that can only be used on infestation. We think the marine team will be able to burn infestation away with their flamethrower.
Is there a Marines' equivalent to the Infestation?
Nope. We want the two sides to be totally different.
You created NS2 with an objective of how many players per team in mind?
Anywhere from 4v4 up to 16v16 should be good.
You count on the community to create maps, but the game needs some to be released. How are you going to managethis?
For NS1, we released a huge collection of textures, props, our mapping guidelines and an early version of the game to the public. People then used that to make maps, many of which made it into the final game, either for v1.0 or later. This has been the plan for NS2 as well, although we are rethinking it a bit now.
Will the game have new environments?
Yes. We are working on environment artwork for a futuristic refinery filled with lava and ore processing machinery, as well as a biodome artwork, for which is mixture of man-made environments and nature.
Are there any 'open' maps?
If you mean outdoor maps, no. We're focused on indoor environments for NS2.
The LUA will allow us to create any scenario, but what kind of game types will already be implemented in the game when it is released?
I think we will ship only the basic NS2 gameplay with the game. We'll let the community make Combat or any other scenarios they desire.
Do you confirm that the game will be selling at $20 on Steam?
We haven't decided on a price yet!
Are you going to implement physics into the gameplay?
We do have physics implemented already, but we're not sure how much of a role it will play in the gameplay. Probably not too much, as the game is mostly about player movement, shooting and communication.
I bet NS didn't make you rich. Do you have a side job? How do you manage staying motivated after so many years?
Nope it didn't...but NS was free! The point of it was to build an audience that we could build off of, which we are doing now. Many players did donate towards development of NS though, which is how I lived for many years. Motivation has never been a problem for me.
How many copies must you sell to ensure the perennity of your company?
The nice thing about being a small, independent is that we'll be doing well if we sell even small numbers of units. If we sell 50,000 units we'll be in good shape, although we hope to sell more. It's not like we can just sit back though, we'll have to keep working to make sure we have a healthy company.
According to your website's statistics, are your fans mainly from Europe or the USA?
Our fans are mostly from North America (US and Canada), 2nd biggest group is Europe and the 3rd is Australia/New Zealand. This time around we hope to reach beyond that to Asia and South America. Our goal is to unite the worlds through play, so need to reach the world to do that!
Dr.Loser | 18 h 47
Natural Selection 2 | NoFrag
NoFrag : Interview Natural Selection 2 : si on vend 50 000 copies du jeu on s'en sortira bien
Lors de sa sortie en 2002, le mod Natural Selection pour Half-Life était innovant à plus d'un titre : d'une part il mélangeait FPS et RTS et d'autre part il mettait en scène deux camps totalement asymétriques, les aliens et les marines. Suite au succès du mod, les développeurs ont créé Unknown Worlds, un studio indépendant qui travaille actuellement sur Natural Selection 2.
Natural Selection 2 est un jeu commercial construit autour d'un moteur 3D fait maison. En attendant sa sortie sur Steam, nous avons posé une dizaine de questions à Charlie "Flayra" Cleveland, le boss d'Unknown Worlds : Suite de l'information...
Dr.Loser | 15 h 47
Mirror's Edge | Annonce
Mirror's Edge sort sur PC le 16 janvier
Vous noterez la nuance : la X360 est une "console de jeu et de loisirs" tandis que la PS3 est un "système de loisir interactif".Le studio Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ : ERTS) DICE annonce l'arrivée de contenu téléchargeable pour son jeu d'action acrobatique à succès Mirror's Edge (tm) sur le système de loisir interactif PLAYSTATION 3, la console de jeu et de loisirs Xbox 360 et sur PC. DICE confirme également la sortie du jeu sur PC le 16 janvier 2009.
Au programme : neuf nouvelles épreuves de Parcours sur sept tracés inédits. Pas de flics, aucune arme, juste un nouveau défi pour l'agilité et le style des meilleurs Messagers. Ce pack téléchargeable sera disponible pour une dizaine d'euros ou 800 Microsoft points. De plus, les joueurs sur PLAYSTATION 3 auront droit à un Parcours supplémentaire gratuit.
Dr.Loser | 12 h 02
Killzone 2 | Video
Killzone 2 : vidéos et previews de la campagne solo
Entre les 12 vidéos de
Gamersyde, de JV.com (1,
2,
3,
4)
et de JV.fr (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), vous devez
pouvoir visualiser l'intégralité des six niveaux inclus dans la version preview
de Killzone 2 envoyée aux Grands Reporters. Par contre, si vous voulez savoir ce
que le jeu a dans le ventre, un peu de lecture s'impose : les casuals gamers de
Joystiq rédigent une "preview
fanboy" dont on ne retiendra pas grand chose. Par contre, IGN fait un étonnant effort
d'analyse en décortiquant les points forts et les points faibles du
jeu.
Les deux principaux atouts de Killzone 2 sont ses graphismes et ce qu'on appelle le "core gameplay" : la vitesse de mouvement du personnage, les sensations qu'on ressent quand on franchit un obstacle, qu'on grimpe une échelle ou qu'on recharge, et surtout l'impression de puissance procurée par les armes à feu et la souffrance des ennemis qu'on abat. Killzone 2 se rapproche de Call of Duty 4, mais semble moins arcade, plus lent et, selon Joystiq, plus difficile : le système de couverture en vue subjective est indispensable pour rester en vie.
Malheureusement, Killzone 2 est encore loin d'être parfait : Joystiq trouve les ennemis et les armes variés, mais IGN les considère trop classiques et répétitifs. Mention spéciale au shotgun pas assez puissant et aux grenades qui mettent trop de temps à exploser pour être efficaces. L'IA des adversaires est correcte sans être exceptionnelle, mais celle de vos coéquipiers est parfois énervante : ils bloquent vos mouvements, se mettent dans votre ligne de tir et vous ordonnent en boucle de remplir tel ou tel objectif au lieu de vous aider à éliminer les adversaires restants.
Mais finalement, le plus grave semble venir d'un problème de rythme : IGN regrette le manque de moments forts et de batailles épiques :
Les deux principaux atouts de Killzone 2 sont ses graphismes et ce qu'on appelle le "core gameplay" : la vitesse de mouvement du personnage, les sensations qu'on ressent quand on franchit un obstacle, qu'on grimpe une échelle ou qu'on recharge, et surtout l'impression de puissance procurée par les armes à feu et la souffrance des ennemis qu'on abat. Killzone 2 se rapproche de Call of Duty 4, mais semble moins arcade, plus lent et, selon Joystiq, plus difficile : le système de couverture en vue subjective est indispensable pour rester en vie.
Malheureusement, Killzone 2 est encore loin d'être parfait : Joystiq trouve les ennemis et les armes variés, mais IGN les considère trop classiques et répétitifs. Mention spéciale au shotgun pas assez puissant et aux grenades qui mettent trop de temps à exploser pour être efficaces. L'IA des adversaires est correcte sans être exceptionnelle, mais celle de vos coéquipiers est parfois énervante : ils bloquent vos mouvements, se mettent dans votre ligne de tir et vous ordonnent en boucle de remplir tel ou tel objectif au lieu de vous aider à éliminer les adversaires restants.
Mais finalement, le plus grave semble venir d'un problème de rythme : IGN regrette le manque de moments forts et de batailles épiques :
Venant d'un site aussi consensuel qu'IGN, c'est pour le moins inquiétant."Afin de pimenter un gameplay somme toute pas très ambitieux, les développeurs doivent inclure une touche de "Wahou!" à la CoD4, des éléments spectaculaires qui sortent des normes." - IGN
