Apocalypso's Atomic Arcade: 8/23/09

2009/08/29

Not Another List: 6 Canceled Video Games That Could Have Changed The World, and More DNF myths

Yes, this is another list based on video games, this time called: "6 Canceled Video Games That Could Have Changed The World".

I bet you can guess which one is on there.

Dungeon Keeper 3 - War for the Overworld

Fallout 3 (Project Van Buren)

Starcraft Ghost

Warcraft Adventures

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

None of these games would have "changed the world", and even if they did, I didn't care much about them, but perhaps the last one on the list:

Duke Nukem Forever (Did you guess it?)

Duke Nukem Forever myths and errors contained in the article:

"DNF started with the original Quake engine"- they were just experimenting, and making mock-ups, or bullshots, before using id Tech 2 (Quake II, which is what they really wanted)

"rumors said they even toyed with Doom 3 engine"- Wrong. This was a rumour started by Take-Two, and was denied by 3DR.

"3D Realms hit bankruptcy earlier this year"- Wrong. They let go of the DNF team, but many sites claimed that they had shut down, which 3DR denied.

"Take Two still has the rights to develop Duke Nukem Forever"- Wrong. They have the publishing rights only.

Sigh.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Now Available

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is now available at Amazon.com.

"Starting today, Mac OS X Snow Leopard is available for shipping at Amazon.com. Current Mac OS 10.5 Leopard users are eligible to upgrade to Snow Leopard at the very low price of $29.

Snow Leopard is a truly exciting addition to the Mac OS X line, with half the footprint of previous versions, great new features in Expose & Stacks, quicker Time Machine backup, and faster wireless network interaction. It’s the world’s most advanced operating system, finely tuned." - Amazon.com

And if you need any motivation on buying the product, then you can speak to John Romero over at Twitter. He just bought a copy.

2009/08/28

Victoria's Secret Revealed: Gabe Newell

Recently I read a story about how Gabe Newell, head of Valve Software, ended up in a Victoria's Secret contest- and got second place, for a while.

It's a crazy story, and I also read that the guy who supposedly is the head of the gaming clan who put Gabe up there, got to first place.

Naturally they were both taken down.

That'll teach Gabe to make everyone wait for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 without even so much as a sneak peak at E3 this year. I guess it's also retaliation for bringing Left 4 Dead 2 too soon. Now I wonder what that L4D2 boycott group over at Steam will come up with to embarrass old Gabe?

Sources& Resources:

Gabe Newell booted from Victoria's Secret contest
http://kotaku.com/5345547/gabe-newell-was-victorias-secrets-no-2-body
http://www.bodybyvictoria.com/#/Gallery/7656
http://www.bodybyvictoria.com/
Gabe Newell Was Second Place in Victoria's Secret Contest

2009/08/27

Wikipedia versus Predator

Just a silly little thing that I read on SEGA's twitter page recently. This site just features the predator and random articles on wikipedia, and you have to decide which one is the victor.

Predictably, the Predator has won more than double the amount of battles. These people need Aliens vs Predator now.

In other news, Wikipedia is giving more control to editors and less to random who wish to vandalize
pages up there. Things will be moderated before being put up, hopefully cutting down on vandalism and such.

Aliens: Colonial Marines may not Even Make 2010

I hope that's not the case, but Sega is saying that the release date of Aliens: Colonial Marines will depend on the sales figures of Aliens vs Predator, which should be out in February 2010, hopefully.

Aliens: Colonial Marines was initially due out in 2009 at one point, then was pushed back in favour of Aliens vs Predator, and now some cynics say that Aliens: Colonial Marines' release is in doubt.

All ready one Aliens title, the Aliens RPG, was cancelled this year, but on that note, Sega apparently have plans for a third game to replace that loss.

So, that's Aliens vs Predator, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and another Aliens which we don't know much about if anything at all.

Further Reading:

Aliens: Colonial Marines May Not Arrive Until 2011 News
Aliens: Colonial Marines Release Date Dependent on Aliens vs. Predator Sales, Says Sega
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be released - someday

2009/08/26

Apogee Software Comments on Rise of the Triad Reboot

Apogee Software tweeted about Scott Miller's interview with Gamasutra the other day, where he revealed that there are about a dozen more games planned, even after DNF's situation, including a Rise of the Triad reboot.

"Well, Scott let the cat out of the bag about Apogee and a reboot of Rise of the Triad...I wonder what we have planned."

Does it sound as if there's a hint of sarcasm in there somewhere? Hard to tell when it's online sometimes. Of course there's some old biffer I know who would gladly point it out if he read this (eh, Gravy?

).

Maybe Apogee doesn't even know what Scott Miller has planned for them when it comes to having something planned for ROTT, which sounds familiar to what the development for DNF was like. Here we go again...

Commandos not MIA Afterall- New Title Coming

I was a big fan of the Commandos series, particularly Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty, and Commandos 2: Men of Courage. Commandos 3 was bloody hard as I remember. The only Commandos title I haven't touched is Strike Force, which by many accounts was rubbish anyway, so I'm glad I didn't. Not just fans, and critics, but even the developers say that Strike Force was a "mistake".

I guess shifting from strategy to FPS doesn't always work as well as you hope.

Anyway, Pyro Studios, a name I haven't heard for a long time, says that a new Commandos title will be coming sometime in the future, and that it will restore our good faith in the WW II strategy genre, and the Commandos series too.

Update: Well, it turns out that the site that started this rumour, gamer.nl, was fibbing a little.

Pyro Studios has denied any rumours about another official Commandos game. Apparently at GamesCom, their comments about another game in the series were taken out of context: they claim that there may be a game in the future, but nothing concrete for now- certainly nothing in development or anything.

This is what Pyro had to say: "We always had in mind to bring back to life the Commandos series; this isn't something new, but nowadays there's nothing official or decided and everything is still a wish, nothing else."

Sources:

Pyro Studios Planning New 'Commandos' Game
News: Pyro denies reports of new Commandos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will have Duel Weapons Gunplay

Heroes' Day (holiday)

I was just thinking about this the other day, and low and behold, I read it recently. Call of Duty has never featured duel weapons in any of the games in the series. But that is set to change with Modern Warfare 2- apparently the player can pick up two pistols and use them at the same time, usually referred to "guns akimbo".

The drawbacks with using two guns at the same time is that you can't aim down the sights, and your accuracy is decreased. You can also only this ability with pistols- not SMGs or assault rifles, machineguns or rocket launchers. You've got to be a bit realistic, I suppose.

There go the daydreams of wielding two M16s while walking down the streets or corridors of Modern Warfare 2, gunning down anything and everything in your path.

But still, wielding two pistols can be so much fun. In fact, like a similar saying: "Two guns are better than one!"

Sources:

Modern Warfare 2 Doubles Your Shooting Pleasure [Infinity Ward]

2009/08/25

Not Another List: Best Game Over Screens

Lists- it's a love hate relationship with most.

They usually don't require a lot of reading, and get straight to the point. And people get excited when something they know, in this case, a game that they've played, is on a list.

Others hate lists because it's one person's opinion, and because their favourite game might not be mentioned on the list. I've even received criticism due to some of my lists.

I usually avoid lists because of some of the above reasons, but I may have had a change of heart. Now I get to be the one reviewing (hating on) video game lists.

So, this list I'm talking about now is one I read just now, and it's called "Best Game Over Screens". It could have been good, and I agree about Mortal Kombat 4's "ending", and that Colonel Campbell's scream when Solid Snake kicks the bucket in MGS is awesome- but the rest...

Call me a fan, but one gave over screen that should definitely have made onto this list somewhere is that of ROTT, or Rise of the Triad. Look:

This screen rocks, and not only that but the music which plays during the screen is called "You Suck", which is one of the best on the entire soundtrack, and is also what an anonymous voice says when you lose a life, or die for good, which is when you get this screen above.

For an in depth view of great video game endings, check this site.

Sources& Resources:

Best Game Over Screens
Have A Nice Death

2009/08/24

John Tobias' Birthday Today

On this day in 1969, John Tobias was born. He turns 40 today.

Tobias, a comic book artist, graphic designer and video game designer, is known for being part of the duo, along with Ed Boon, who created Mortal Kombat. He designed many of the original characters in the game.

In the late nineties, he left Midway, and after that, the mysterious character known as Noob Saibot (which is Boon Tobias backwards), became known mainly as Noob.

Tobias then formed Studio Gigante which later closed down a few years afterwards, and now works as a consultant.

Video Games Coming out This Week- August 8/23- 8/29

Pick of the Week: Fallout 3 Game Add-On Pack: Broken Steel and Point Lookout and Batman: Arkham Asylum

This week sees the release of the second Fallout 3 addon retail pack, which includes Broken Steel and Point Lookout.

Now I've played through the first pack, which has Operation Anchorage and The Pitt. I enjoyed The Pitt immensely, and I've heard that Point Lookout is the best out of all the DLC packs, so I will try to get a hold of this pack in the near future. I'm torn between getting this pack, or waiting until October when the Fallout 3 Game of the Year addition comes out, because this will have the original game plus all five DLC packs.

Another game that has gotten a lot of attention is Batman: Arkham Asylum, which was meant to release earlier this year, but was delayed for a bit. It doesn't seem as though the game will come out on PC yet though- only the console versions. The PC release will be out in the middle of next month.

PC

Fallout 3 Game Add-On Pack: Broken Steel and Point Lookout
Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger

PlayStation 2

Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy

PlayStation 3

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Collector's Edition

Xbox 360

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Collector's Edition
Fallout 3 Game Add-On Pack: Broken Steel and Point Lookout
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger

Wii

Cursed Mountain - Limited Edition
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (GameStop Exclusive)
Metroid Prime Trilogy
Reel Fishing: Angler's Dream

Nintendo DS

Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues
Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming
Imagine: Teacher Class Trip
Marker Man Adventures
Princess Lillifee's Magic Fairy
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Sarah: Keeper of the Unicorn
The Clique: Diss and Make Up
Wizards of Waverly Place

PSP

Dissidia Final Fantasy
Warriors Orochi 2

Sources:

Shacknews

Eidos Recruiting for Thi4f Team

Eidos Montreal tweeted recently on Twitter that they are looking for an Art Technical Director, Senior Game Designer, and a Senior Level Designer.

This time last month, it was pretty much the same story- looking for gaps to fill in their development team. So, they're still getting the team together, and I suppose once Deus Ex 3 is released, all efforts will be focused on Thi4f, and I'm sure many people are praying that, first and foremost, they change the name of the game.

2009/08/23

Apocalypse Then: GoldenEye 007

Developers: Rareware
Publishers: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo 64
Release dates: August 23, 1997
Genres: First-person shooter

On this day in gaming, in 1997, GoldenEye 007 was released. The game is based on the James Bond movie released in 1995, GoldenEye.

The game has been listed as one of the best games of all time on several occasions, and is credited with providing one of the best multiplayer experiences. On top of this it is also always mentioned in the elite, small group of movie to game adaptations which is actually good, along with titles such as Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. . It was also released at a time in the 90s when games like Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, and Quake II ruled the scene, and introduced stealth elements to the genre. It's also one of the only good James Bond games to date.

Quite a lot of accolades, then.

The title has been sort after to be ported to other consoles like the Xbox Live Arcade and the Wii, and even spurred on a modding effort with Half-Life 2's Source engine, to bring the game to the PC.

You can pick up GoldenEye 007 here if you want to play a classic.

Resources:

http://www.goldeneyesource.net/
http://www.moddb.com/mods/goldeneye-source

The Wish Granter: Rise of the Triad 2

Recently I wrote a piece about the plans that 3DR/Apogee has to resurrect Rise of the Triad.

Now, Rise of the Triad, or ROTT, is one of my favourite games of the 90s. It used an enhanced Wolfenstein engine, and not the Build engine that some thought it did, seeing as it was developed just down the hall from where the Duke 3D team, which became known as 3D Realms, was working on Duke Nukem 3D.

Tom Hall, in retrospect, wishes the DIPs, or Developers of Incredible Power, who made ROTT, had used the build engine instead.

So, recently, I've actually been thinking, before I read this interview with Miller, that there should be another ROTT game sometime. But I was plagued by nightmares of what it would be like- probably some title for one of the handheld consoles like the Wii, DS, or PSP, and that it would be utterly rubbish- which I hope isn't the case if it ever sees the light of day. And I'm actually kind of thankful that it will be Apogee LLC and not 3D Realms doing it, because, well you know the whole story of DNF by now...

As bigdownload says, there's no real word yet on what form this game will take, and whether it will come to the more "hardcore", big boy consoles like the PC, 360, and PS3.

When I think back, ROTT was a mix of action with some humour- in a sick sort of sense. In fact, I don't have to think back- I have ROTT on my PC right now, and I've even written an article on my Classic Games Resurrected series about it.

ROTT was supposed to be Wolfenstein: Part II at one point, developed by Apogee, until id shot down the whole idea. The game has a dark atmosphere and all, but there was also the dev's trademark humour which made it into the game as well, a lot of which were inside jokes- you had to be there to understand, and most of us weren't. I always thought it was completely wacky and addictive. Think of the jump pads, and the elevators complete with elevator music or "muzak", the EGADs, (levitating discs) and some of the wicked weapons.

I don't know enough about the game yet, since it's only just been revealed or hinted at by Scott Miller, but I'm not sure what direction would work with the game. ROTT wasn't completely serious, as it had some dark humour in it. True, a lot of the levels were bloody irritating. It was a first person puzzle game that was of course similar to Wolfenstein 3D, with its secret floor plates and push walls, but not overdone like in Spear of Destiny.

Miller said "reboot", and when you think of Doom 3, and how it was a reboot of Doom, I suppose it's logical that ROTT 2, or whatever it will be called, will be inspired by ROTT and not just a remake with fancier graphics- I hope. I'd like to see several things return, like the excessive gore, and the outrageous missile-based weaponry, perhaps with a little more conventional weaponry too like that big machinegun that the Triad Enforcer carries. It'd also be interesting to see how playing as different characters would pan out in this game, and it might be good if you can interact with them and complete missions with their help. It would make for a good co-op type multiplayer.

ROTT was literally DOOMed from the start though, despite all this. It didn't receive as much attention as Doom, or even Wolfenstein 3D, and the year the shareware version was released, Doom II had all ready been out for a while. Then when the full version of ROTT surfaced the next year, in 1995, The Ultimate Doom, with the fourth Episode, Thy Flesh Consumed, which even got a radio advert which I found on John Romero's website, was released shortly afterwards.

ROTT may have been overlooked and forgotten by history, but it did introduce a few features in to the (at that time) blossoming FPS genre, and it would be foolish to skip it and go straight from Doom to Duke Nukem 3D as if it never existed, when taking a look back at the evolution of FPS games.

ROTT did receive a few addons over the years and developed a cult following of El Oscuridos. And it's this cult, of which I am a member, or monk, that's probably thrilled that ROTT might make a comeback after all these years, whether it's Rise of Triad 2 or known by some other name, it's about time.