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Today in Gaming News – March 13, 2012

March 13, 2012 By Richard Jacklin In Microsoft, News, PC, Playstation 3, Sony, Xbox 360

Notch says Psychonauts 2 won’t happen “for a while”

Despite offering funding to aid development of a Psychonauts sequel, Markus “Notch” Persson has revealed that it will be a while before the game becomes a reality. In an interview with Gamespy, Notch said that he met Schafer at GDC where the developer revealed that Double Fine had “a lot to do for a while.”

Notch added that if the studio wants to develop the game and “the numbers are reasonable”, he would be willing to help as long as there is a “return on the investment and stuff.”

“I think Psychnoauts 1 did surprisingly poorly in sales, which is bizarre,” Notch said. “Sure, it’s kinda niche, but it has huge personality and only one bad level: the meat circus. So I think there’s definitely room for a Psychonauts 2 to sell well. Especially now, because you could treat as not necessarily a triple-A project. I mean, you can’t make it too small scale, because it needs to top the first one.”

Gamerscore reset issue plagues Xbox players

Ealier today an issue on Xbox Live was causing Gamerscores to be reset to zero. Microsoft responded to the issue quickly and took to their support page to tell users We are aware of the problem and appreciate your patience while we implement a solution.”

Later today Microsoft resolved the issue, posting the following on their support page:

“The issue that some customers were experiencing with zero Achievements and Gamerscores has now been resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. You may need to log off and log back in for the information to be updated.”

This issue comes a day after Microsoft revealed that the achievement cap for XBLA games would be raised from 200 to 400.

Alan Wake sells two million across two platforms

Psychological thriller Alan Wake has sold over two million copies across the Xbox 360 and PC. This mileston secures the title’s future as a series.

“We’ve moved over two million copies — that’s including PC,” Remedy’s Oskari Häkkinen told CVG. “So after a slow start it’s turning into something really positive. It’s definitely had legs. I think narrative experiences just have a tendency for that.”

With Alan Wake’s future secured, we can all eagerly await news of an Alan Wake 2.

Mass Effect 3 multiplayer DLC spotted

An image of what appears to be unannounced Mass Effect 3 multiplayer DLC has hit the internet. Originally found via Facebook and spread across Reddit, the image apparently comes from an unknown player who reached a developer server for the game which unlocked “test DLC” for the game.

Some are wondering if the DLC in question is from the Mass Effect 3 action figures that are set to be released, but according to Bioware, those are supposed to include randomized DLC that could be anything from new characters to new weapons.

Retailer reveals Ninja Gaiden 3 special edition with bloody-sword Move accessory

A week before the release of Ninja Gaiden 3, a listing for a special edition of the game has popped up on the website of the Canadian online retailer Video Games Plus. The special edition features a copy of the game along with a special bloody “Dragon Sword” Playstation move accessory.

This edition has not been listed anywhere else so it is either a Canadian exclusive or never made it through production.

Phil Harrison takes over MGS Europe

The fromer Playstation front-man Phil Harrison has switched sides, joining Microsoft as head of its European Games Studios. This news comes after the departure of Peter Molyneux, but Microsoft claims Harrison will not be taking Molyneux’s old job and that the hiring of Harrison is “completely unrelated to Peter’s departure.”

A spokesperson for Microsoft added:

““Phil will lead Microsoft Studios European organization, but will also influence the broader performance of IEB’s European business. We will continue to rely on our stable of first party developers as we determine if and when the Microsoft Studios Europe creative director vacancy should be filled”

Harrison has been known for switching positions often and never staying in a single job for too long. It remains to be seen if he will settle down with Microsoft.

Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter ends today, nearing three million

As of writing, the Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter has only four hours left. A little over a month since it started, the Kickstarter has raised just over three million dollars. That number far exceeds the initial $400,000 goal.

Those who are eager to see how much more Double Fine can Kickstart in the final two hours can watch a live stream of the Double Fine offices. Can they reach four million? Likely not, but it will be fun to see them try.

Wasteland 2 development being Kickstarted

Originally released back in 1988, the original post-apocalyptic RPG Wasteland is back … if it can be funded. inXile Entertainment has started a Kickstarter to fund the development of Wasteland 2, a sequel to the “Godfather of post-apocalyptic RPGs.”

The developer has set a funding goal of $900,000 and has raised just over $250,000 as of writing. With lots of great rewards for backers, it shouldn’t be too difficult for inXile to reach — or possibly surpass — their funding goal.

The Big Discussion: Should Journalists Contribute to Developer Kickstarters?

February 9, 2012 By Richard Jacklin In Editorials

Late today Tim Schafer revealed that Double Fine and 2 Player Productions would be starting a Kickstarter fund to help cover the costs of developing a new point-and-click adventure game along with documentary videos covering the process. Immediately fans jumped on board and began to invest in the development of this title. As of writing, the Kickstarter has received just under $250, 000. It is quite clear that the gaming community is interested in this project and willing to help support it financially. Of course, many video game journalists fall into this category of fans that are willing to financially aid the development of a new game. But being journalists, does contributing to this Kickstarter create a conflict of interest? Below we have both sides of the argument and create an open forum for discussion on the topic.

A Big No-No

As Patrick Klepek of Giant Bomb pointed out on Twitter:

Is it weird if members of the media contribute to Double Fine’s Kickstarter?

By financially contributing to a game’s development, the journalist is investing themselves into the final product. Although they don’t have a financial investment and they won’t make any money from the success of the game, by donating to a Kickstarter fund they are already showing bias towards the game. It is in their best interest for this game to do well, thus they are more likely to write favourable articles for the game. By financially contributing to the development of a game, a journalist is creating a conflict of interest.

No Problem Here

What’s the big deal? As Chris Remo, previously of Irrational Games responded to Mr. Klepek on Twitter:

@patrickklepek You aren’t an investor, so you can’t profit from it. And members of the media clearly preorder and buy games.

Whether it is in the form of a Kickstarter fund or by simply purchasing a game, journalists usually financially support the games they cover. Financially supporting a game does not equate to writing favourable articles about a game. Although many journalists are provided copies of the games they cover, what about the games they don’t cover? If a journalist pays for one game in a series, but is provided a copy of another game in the same series does that make them more likely to write favourable articles about that other game? What if they don’t even end up covering the game they are supporting? It doesn’t seem fair to black-list all journalists from supporting the development of games, whether they report on the game or not. Game journalists should be free to spend their money as they wish and that includes supporting the development of a video game.

Two very different opinions on the subject have been provided above, but what about your opinion? Do you feel by financially supporting the development of a game, journalists are creating a conflict of interest? Or do you feel their support creates no such conflict? Leave your comments below and the best from each side will be published in our follow up article.

Double Fine and 2 Player Productions Announce Kickstarter for New Adventure Game and Documentary

February 8, 2012 By Richard Jacklin In News, PC

Double Fine and 2 Player Productions have officially announced a kickstarter for a new adventure game and documentary. This announcement comes hours after Tim Schafer took to Twitter to say “on the topic of using non-traditional game funding to fulfill fan requests, we WILL be making an announcement later today!” This announcement also came via Twitter.

Those interested in donating large amounts to the Kickstarter fund will receive the following:

Pledge $15,000 or more:
Dinner with Tim Schafer and key members of the dev team.

Pledge $20,000 or more:
Dinner and BOWLING with Tim Schafer and key members of the dev team.

Pledge $30,000 or more:
Picture of Ron Gilbert smiling.

Pledge $35,000 or more:
Undoctored picture of Ron Gilbert smiling.

Pledge $50,000 or more:
Become an actual character in the game.

Pledge $150,000 or more:
Tim Schafer (that’s me) will give last four remaining Triangle Boxed Day of the Tentacles, in original shrink-wrap.” (Limit of 1) (Holy crap, what am I thinking? I only have four of those!)

Previously Schaffer was in talks with Minecraft creator Notch about the possibility of Notch funding the development of a sequel to Psychonauts. Talks are underway over the development of a Psychonauts sequel and it remains to be seen how this latest announcement will affect those talks.

You can check out the Kickstarter page for the game here.

Sources: Twitter, Double Fine

Trenched to become ‘Iron Brigade’ in all regions

September 12, 2011 By Craig Hart In Microsoft, News, Xbox 360

Double Fine has been fighting tooth and nail to have their latest title released in the European markets. Due to trademark issues with a similarly named board game the folks at Double Fine have been unsuccessful in those attempts. Rather than drag out the delay any longer the name of the downloadable title will be changed in all regions from ‘Trenched’ to ‘Iron Brigade’. The name change was announced on Whiskey Media’s Big Live Live Show Live. A title update will be provided to the consumers who already own the title to show the new name.

Along with the release of the name changing patch will be the inclusion of DLC. The new content will feature a survival mode, weapons, costumes and gestures.

You can check out our review of ~~Trenched~~ Iron Brigade, here.

Source: XBLA Fans

Review: Trenched

July 7, 2011 By Craig Hart In Images, Reviews, Xbox 360

Double Fine is trying to change the way gamers think about a tower defense game. Trenched allows players to take a more aggressive hands-on approach to typical tower defense gameplay. Other games have taken a step in the right direction but Double Fine’s latest titles jump in feet first and blows all the other games out of the water.

Trenched has an interesting story but its presentation does not keep you completely engaged. The story revolves around trench warfare (go figure) and pits two former friends/allies against one another. Frank Woodruff and Vladimir Farnsworth were injured comrades that intercepted a mysterious signal that made them abnormally smart. Woodruff invented mechanical legs, known as Trenches, that are used by injured soldiers (including himself) to regain mobility. Farnsworth invented Monovision (television) that enables injured soldiers to explore the world. Woodruff gained notoriety with his invention while Farnsworth’s invention gained none and was considered a plague on society. Farnsworth went crazy and built his Monovisions into giant monsters known as “Tubes” and unleashed his fury. Woodruff sent his Trenches to defend the world against the Tubes and attempt to foil Farnsworth’s plans of world domination.

Trenched is a tower defense game but requires players to take an aggressive offense-oriented role in order to defend strategic points or defeat giant bosses. Players take control of a giant mech machine (Trenches) that comes equipped with various guns and defensive emplacements. The emplacements can consist of various turret weapons that players can place anywhere on the map they see fit. Proper placement and management of emplacements can require no gunfire from the player (though this is difficult) to win the battle. Those who wish to get down and dirty can run full tilt into the action and blast the Tubes with various weapon options equipped on each mech. Shotguns, machine guns, and grenade launchers, begin the list of available weapons that players can use to destroy Farnsworth’s death devices. After each Tube is destroyed they will drop scrap resources which are collected and used to place more emplacements on the battlefield. Players must be within a certain distance to collect the scrap. On larger maps with many emplacements the collection of scrap becomes a chore and requires you to leave the action to collect the scrap before it disappears. Since scrap is so important to maintaining the proper emplacements this task is essential to your success.

After the completion of each of the 15 campaign missions players stats are tracked and if certain milestones are completed they are awarded new weapons, emplacements, mech chassis and character/chassis customization options. Before each mission, the game provides recommendations that will help in the upcoming battle. These are used to make the proper selection when equipping the mech chassis. The unlockable weapons are typically needed to effectively dispose of enemies in the later missions. Each mech has a specific number of available weapon and emplacement slot which allows the player to customize each mech for specific battle conditions. The game does not feature one correct way to customize your mech and each mission can be won through various methods. This highly customizable aspect of the game makes it great for replay value and allows each player to control the game the way they want to.

Online gameplay, unfortunately, can be hit-or-miss depending on what players you get teamed up with. Trenched requires that players work together as a cohesive team in order to succeed (especially in boss battles). While some teammates can be more aggressive, others will need to defend the proper map points or flank enemies while others take down a boss. On several occasions the mindset of the team was skewed towards aggression which was met with demise. After dropping into un-cooperative teams the online begins to be more frustrating than fun. Online should be left to friends rather than luck of the draw if you plan on playing co-op.

Trenched is a fantastic mix of defense and offense. The gameplay is fast-paced and requires players constant attention. While I am not the biggest fan of typical tower defense games, I am a huge fan of Trenched. The gameplay is solid, the customization is immense and the co-op (with friends) is top notch. Trenched is easily one of the best downloadable titles available on Xbox Live.

Pros:

Aggressive offense-oriented tower defense gameplay
Highly customizable
Missions do not have one single way to victory and provide players the ability to play the way they want to

Cons:

Collecting scrap can be a chore
Online gameplay can be spotty when grouped with likeminded allies

SCORE: 9/10

Video: Trenched Developer Diary

May 25, 2011 By Craig Hart In Microsoft, News, Videos, Xbox 360

Double Fine Productions have released a new developer diary for their upcoming XBLA title, Trenched. The developers discuss the title over a few beers and even play the game with an upside-down controller (see 49 seconds into the video). The video offers nice insight into the community at Double Fine Productions. Once we get more information on the title we will pass it along to you. For now, enjoy the video:

Double Fine’s New Game Revealed, Unusually Non-Wacky

March 3, 2011 By Thomas Mayer In Images, Microsoft, News, Xbox 360

If you didn’t stick around towards the end of the GDC awards ceremony, you would have missed Double Fine’s big announcement. The tease revealed their newest XBLA game, Trenched. (more…)

Double Fine’s Next Game Takes a Stroll Down Sesame Street

February 15, 2011 By Thomas Mayer In Microsoft, News, Xbox 360

What the what? No one could have predicted this. Double Fine’s next title is a Kinect-controlled game taking place in the fuzzy, furry world of Sesame Street. It sounds odd, but this could be a great opportunity for both the studio and the franchise.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster puts players in the world of a living storybook, joining Cookie Monster, Elmo, and other monsters. Players “make new zany monster friends from the Once Upon a Monster world and share in their adventures, solving problems, forging friendships and learning key life skills along the way.” Gameplay is described as “dancing, jumping, flying and more.”

This is most likely the first of many episodic Sesame Street games, assuming Double Fine does a solid job of course. Given the pedigree and the studio’s ability to create atmosphere, this is right up their alley. Warner Bros. and Double Fine have a bright future here.

Source: WB Press Release
Via: CVG

Costume Quest is Going Cold Next Month

November 19, 2010 By Peter S. In Microsoft, News, Playstation 3, Sony, Xbox 360

Costume Quest is surviving autumn and making way into winter with the downloadable expansion, Grubbins on Ice.

The expansion appears to be a full five hours with similar gameplay to the original game. A new costumed member is missing. New costumes will also be present for use including a pirate costume, a track suit, and an eyeball. Players will also be able to go to the monster world of Repugia and some bug fixes will be present to update the original game.

Costume Quest add-on, Grubbins on Ice, is set for release on December on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

Tim Schafer Wants to Make Psychonauts 2

November 12, 2010 By Peter S. In Microsoft, News, PC, Playstation 3, Sony, Xbox 360

Tim Schafer wants to make Psychonauts 2 now. The only problem is getting the funding for the project.

“It’s really a question of getting a publisher who’s interested in doing it.”

Psychonauts didn’t fair too well last console generation but did see a small revive in interest when it was released on Steam.

Really Schafer. How many games are you going to make until a good one is released?