How Nintendo is Encouraging Devs to Make Games on Wii U

Miyamoto has talked about how Nintendo is encouraging developers to make games for Wii U in an IGN interview.

It seems that Miyamoto has been meeting personally with developers to encourage them to work with Nintendo's new console. "I am trying to meet with the game developers individually for this matter," he says, asked how the company will be supporting other developers that want to get the best out of the hardware. "The real subject is whether I’ll be able to - we’ll be able to - convince developers inside of the licensing publishers to be excited about the new features of the Wii U, so much so that they’ll be enthused towards making brand new entertainment that I couldn't come up with myself."

It's no secret to anyone that third-party developers struggled to get the most out of the Wii - almost all of the system's truly great games came from within Nintendo's own stables. But Miyamoto does not think that third-party developers lack the know-how to make the most out of the hardware; far from it.

"When it comes to technologies and techniques and skills necessary for working on Wii U, [and] what we can provide, I can count on them that they already have that. They know how to do that," Miyamoto asserts. "They are always skilful, and actually they must have some different know-how from what we have. There might be some misunderstanding - as if Nintendo alone had some special know-how, and because Nintendo has not shared those unique, secret protocols with other, third-party publishers have not been able to create the exciting, unique gameplay on Nintendo hardware. But that was not the case."

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There might be some misunderstanding - as if Nintendo alone had some special know-how...

"The fact of the matter is that most third-party licensees from a business point of view, had to create multi-platform titles – and because Nintendo has been trying to create very unique hardware, oftentimes it was not considered the first choice for them to work on multi-platform software," he explains. "So it’s the entire company decision-making process that is hindering developer’s ability from making unique titles on Wii U hardware. Once again, my job as one of the developers is meet with the individual people and convince that they’ll be able to create brand new entertainment that they really wish to realise. My job is to try to assist them in that fashion.

"I do not think that providing any special technologies, know how or skills would be able to change the situation, because I understand that most third-party developers already have those things."

Look out for our full interview with Miyamoto very soon.

Keza MacDonald is in charge of IGN's games team in the UK. You can follow her onIGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Report: PS4 Dev Kits Surface, Details Inside

A new version of the PlayStation 4 dev kit is currently being distributed to developers with the final version expected next year, according to a new report.

Anonymous sources have reportedly told VG247 that new versions of the Orbis kit are winging their way to developers, replete with Blu-ray support and housed in the humble cases of normal PCs.

This is apparently the second iteration of the dev kit; the first, which appeared earlier this year, was in essence just a graphics card, while this version is now a "modified PC". The report asserts that the next update will come in January, when it'll be close to final specifications, with the ultimate version landing with devs next summer.

The shipping of the Orbis kit apparently follows a series of meetings held by Sony in the US this week, where the company explained what the machine was designed to do and how to get the most out of it. Interestingly, at these meetings it's been claimed that Sony didn't refer to the machine as "the PlayStation 4" at all, instead opting to use the "Orbis" title at all times.

The dev kits are apparently based on the AMD’s A10 APU series and come with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM, as well as the Blu-ray drive already mentioned and a 256GB hard drive as standard. This is to ensure that the console will be able to run 1080p60 games in 3D.

The Orbis kits have both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, as well as HDMI out slots; so pretty much exactly what you'd expect to find on your current PlayStation 3. However, the big reported difference comes with the UI, which has been designed to be more fluid and allow extensive navigation anywhere on the system simply by pressing the PS button mid-game. This was demoed to the assembled masses by purchasing DLC from the PS Store without quitting the game.

No details were leaked about the system's controller. IGN reached out to Sony for comment, but were told the company "doesn't comment on rumour and speculation."

If you're looking for more info on the Orbis, we've dissected the reported components that make up the dev kit before, as well as what it could mean for Sony's prospects in the next generation of consoles.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and lifelong PlayStation owner. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Blizzard’s Titan Has 100 Developers

Blizzard has revealed that 100 developers are now working on its next MMO project, codenamed Titan. In an interview with Curse Entertainment, Blizzard chief creative officer Rob Pardo said “Titan’s still moving along. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up that it’s around the corner or anything. It’s a very big project. It’s got a long ways to go. We don’t know yet when we’re going to really start releasing more information. We’re definitely dead in the middle of development at this point. I think we’re over 100 people now on the team working on it.”

When asked about rumors that Titan has been in development for six years, Pardo commented that “It depends on how you look at such things. When we first start a team, we start it really, really small. We might start with just a couple people. We talk about the concepts, we draw some concept art. It definitely has not been in core development for that long. I’d say core development is maybe closer to four-ish years, but even that was with a smaller team.”

We first heard hints of Blizzard’s next MMO back in December 2007, when Blizzard said its new MMO isn’t related to World of Warcraft. Blizzard later began hiring developers and WOW lead designer Jeff Kaplan began working on the project. Blizzard said in 2010 that the project was a long way off and the codename Titan emerged later that year.

Last year, rumors suggested Titan would be shown at BlizzCon, but were later debunked by Blizzard. The last time we heard the title referenced was during an Activision Blizzard earnings call last month when it was referred to as “an all-new MMORPG in the future” in reference to Blizzard’s release calendar.

Little is known about Titan, and it sounds like we might still have a long time to wait before concrete details are revealed. In the meantime, Blizzard released World of Warcraft’s Mists of Pandaria expansion earlier this week. For our thoughts so far, read our Mists of Pandaria review in progress.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Call of Duty Devs Plan 24 Hour Gaming Marathon

Call of Duty developers Infinity Ward have announced plans to participate in a 24-hour gaming marathon via Extra Life. On October 20th, the developers will play for a full day in order to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospital, which treats children regardless of their financial situation.

Those wishing to donate will be able to choose from a monthly pledge or one-time gift. All donations are tax deductible and all proceeds will go toward helping kids with cancer, cystic fibrosis and injuries from accidents, among other ailments. More information (and the link to donate) is available on Infinity Ward’s Extra Life page, which has a current funding goal of $10,000.

In the past, Extra Life has raised over $1.2 million to benefit children. More information is available on the program’s official site. Infinity Ward, meanwhile, recently released the final pieces of downloadable content for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which you can read all about right here.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition – Extra Content Breakdown

The real problem with DLC, quite apart from the fact it costs money, is that most developers don't give it enough TLC. Instead of feeling like extra content, it can feel like superfluous content. Dark Souls has always followed its own path. And with its new content, which comes as part of the PC's Prepare To Die Edition and will be available to buy on consoles soon, it shows just what DLC should be like - almost.

You can find IGN's full review of the Prepare to Die edition here but here we’re just concentrating on the new stuff. There are two sides to it, the first being a large single-player area, Oolacile, which is split into roughly four smaller sections (the environments flow into one another very easily, so dividing them up is a little arbitrary). The second is a multiplayer arena, something the playerbase has wanted since Demon's Souls, which theoretically should lead to easier matchmaking.

A set of carvings can be found that let you communicate in multiplayer. Drop one and the odd, distorted voices utter a phrase like 'Very Good!', 'Hello!', or 'I'm Sorry'.

If you're a Dark Souls nut and don't want minor spoilers about the content, such as character names, best to skip to the final paragraph now and know this: you will absolutely lap it up. The best thing about this new content is that it slots beautifully into Dark Souls' world, like it had always been there, and shines much light on certain unexplained aspects of the original. Dark Souls, superb as it is, has the unmistakeable signs that it was rushed to make its original release date, and this feels like it was meant to be there all along.

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This new content is that it slots beautifully into Dark Souls' world, like it had always been there

Finding it is the first tricky task, and you won't be able to enter Oolacile until a significant way into the game - basically, you need access to the Duke's Archives and the Darkroot Basin. There's a little in-joke with the fans, based around a broken pendant and a somewhat obscure character in the world, but that's about as friendly as Dark Souls ever gets. From here it's one big stretch of deadly environments, and one hell of a boss line-up.

Things start off with the Sanctuary Guardian, which managed to kill me about ten times as a welcome present, a lion and serpent combination that's vicious, poisonous, and shocking. After this comes the only minor disappointment with the single-player portion of the DLC, an expansive wooded environment that is basically a mirrored version of the Forest area from the original. It's a different beast, with a visual overhaul turning it into a spooky netherworld dotted with fake lights, but the familiar geography blunts a little of the impact. As with everything to do with Dark Souls, the lore justifies it, but I'm still not happy.

The setups for each boss are amazing and actually finding the hardest enemy in the DLC is a challenge in itself.

This place takes ages to explore safely, thanks to the ridiculously hard-hitting tree-men that are dotted everywhere and can be all-too-easily aggro'd in groups, though shortcuts can eventually be opened up and there's a very interesting merchant character waiting to be found. I was around soul level 45 when first attempting this section, and got a good kicking quite a few times.

The boss awaiting at the end of this is a killer. Knight Artorias is one of the great legendary figures in Dark Souls' world, a presence often hinted at but never seen - and here he is, a corrupted beast swallowed by the Abyss. Putting him away solo is a massive challenge, worthy of comparison with anything in the original, and I could only do it in the end thanks to Summoning in some wonderful help. The fight is so good though, with more than an echo of Ornstein and Smough, that you want to go straight back and do it again.

From here things go down - deep down. A stretching walk over the remains of a town take you into its guts, preparation for what's to come with ranks of bloated-head warriors and their deadly dark mage backup. As you press further and further in, you eventually find the very bottom. Barely lit, filled with enemies in corners, haunted at pockets by the unblinking eyes of ghosts that then begin to move slowly, steadily towards you. Unaffected by your shield, and simply wanting to touch you and drain sweet life, they're a dangerous and unsettling addition to the Dark Souls bestiary.

If you kill enough former inhabitants of Oolacile you might get one of their pustule-ridden heads to wear. Hats FTW!

The final boss lies in wait beyond this - and then, in best Dark Souls tradition, there is actually a final, hidden boss back along the path that's even tougher. Both are terrifying opponents to face, capable of destroying ill-prepared teams and turning what looks like a possible victory into a crushing defeat. Both match up to the very best Dark Souls has to offer, and ensure this new content slots neatly in alongside the wonderful original.

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What is not such an easy fit, though it can also be great on occasion, is the PvP.

What is not such an easy fit, though it can also be great on occasion, is the PvP. The arena is unlocked after defeating Artorias, and is snuggled away in an antechamber almost like From Software is somehow embarrassed. Six pedestals represent three different PvP modes over two maps - duels (one versus one), team battles (two versus two) and four-player FFA matches. If you ever want to actually play a game of Dark Souls PvP, then go for a Duel at the Ruins.

That mode and map is your only real chance of action. I've spent hours – and I mean hours – standing on the trapdoors for the other modes and maps, waiting patiently as the little glowing red circles supposed to indicate other players blink in and out of existence. Dark Souls' online has always been less-than-perfect, but the game is so good you tend to muddle through and be grateful when it does work.

The red circles are supposed to show other players waiting for matches, but they didn't impact anything for me.

But this is a dedicated matchmaking system that gives its players no feedback - it may well break the lore, but the fact you can't have something as crass as a player count or an estimated wait time begins to really grate after a few hours. So basically, the PvP modes are largely unplayable at the moment. Perhaps things will improve as more and more players discover the arena, and there's a wider spread of levels, but going on From Software's past form don't count on it.

That said, the one mode that does work semi-regularly, a Duel at the Ruins, shows what we're missing. I've fought crazy dark wizards that are half-Saruman half-Zorro, giant hulks in unbreakable armour heaving clubs and knocking you around like a tennis ball, and assassins that turn invisible when you respawn, and strike with a backstab while you're looking.

People don't talk much about Dark Souls' customisation options, but it's a game where you can make your avatar look unique, and there are some awesomely silly hats and armour sets lying around - as well as unbelievably cool weapons. The duels are so good because you see all of this, and come across tactics you'd never have imagined. Just like the single-player, thinking on your feet is the only way to victory, and so it breaks my heart there isn't a better structure for it.

There was no-one else around to fight with – so we decided to strip naked and do this queensbury-style.

The Prepare to Die content adds much to Dark Souls, and not a bit of it feels out of place, or like filler. The single-player is recommended without any caveats, though it is important to emphasise it's designed for experienced players rather than newcomers and thus you won't see it for a good while. As for the PvP... well, it's the same old story. The concept is great, and when it infrequently works it is great. But it just doesn't work most of the time. While I love Dark Souls more than anything, sitting in front of your PC for hours waiting for something to happen is just a waste of time. The matchmaking needed to be much, much better than this.

To find out how Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition scored, check out IGN’s review.

Source : ign[dot]com

PAX: Tim Schafer and The Making of Double Fine Adventure

Double Fine Productions has a problem. Well, more like 3.3 million of them.

Since launching arguably the most well-known and successful video game campaign in Kickstarter history, the quirky developers of beloved games like Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, and Brutal Legend, are on the hook to make Double Fine Adventure (DFA), quite possibly the most talked about adventure game in the last decade. The real trick will be making it the most played, and Double Fine briantrust Tim Schafer knows it.

Discussing the making of DFA at the Double Fine Adventure Adventure panel at PAX 2012, the President and CEO, alongside Double Fine producer Greg Rice, laid his process bare, making a hall-full of friends in the process.

That's a 834% fund rate right there, folks.

If you've ever put something off, changed your idea in the middle of a thought (because you lost it), or considered tossing out plans wholesale for fear that no one will like them, you probably have a lot in common with the self-deprecating developer. Turns out the studio didn't have everything ready to go when the seconds counted down to zero and corks popped. $3.3 million dollars funded, now it was time to make a game. That's actually when that process began - by design - explained Schafer, onstage and throughout the 25-minute showing of the Double Fine Adventure Documentary that filmakers 2 Player Productions have begun shooting for their throng of Kickstaer backers.

His process is as fascinating as it is overwhelming. Thumbing a stack of notebooks evoking John Doe's journals from Se7en, Schafer shows how his games spend their infancy slow-cooking in the deep pages of his scrawled manuscripts, alongside non-sequitur ramblings and complaints about his poor memory or girls he'd loved and lost from the sixth grade. This is not a senselessly scatter-brained man, just proof that extremely-functional attention deficit disorder pairs well with game design. Once his ideas take form, Schafer talks himself into doing what sounds like the part of the process he like least: telling someone about the idea for the first time.

Pitching his good friend and partner in Double Fine crime, Ron Gilbert (best known for Maniac Mansion and the first two Monkey Island games), the industry vet speaks adorably in fits and starts, flush like a boy talking himself into asking a girl for a first dance. Schafer's not lacking for confidence, but he wants to hear that his ideas are good, naturally. And if they'er not, he wants to find better ideas. Because he cares so much, nothing matters to him more than getting it right.

And getting it right means uncertainty, and not having all the answers all at once. But he's okay with that. Walls pasted with sticky notes, "art jams" - long sessions that bring all the artists together to concept the art direction - and asking hard questions about story continuity alongside Rice; each is an inexcahngeable part of a vulnerable but self-assured process. That and the pizza orgies.

Once a Double Fine game is playable, schafer traditionally gathers a group of people to marathon of game testing and crowd-noshing by the slice. If the art jam is how the team finds out how the game should look, the pizza orgies are where they find out how the game should play.

By the end of their PAX panel, Rice simplifies all of this with a rosy-scheeked Cheshire aside, affirming the core "how-to" of good game making. "Look for good ideas, ignore bad ideas." Ricean megascience.

If Double Fine Adventure Adventure doesn't work out, perhaps they'll create  Pizza Orgy: The Game, one attendee offered during a lively question and answer session as the panel wrapped.

When asked if Pizza Orgy: The Game would be a "party game" in genre by another guest, Schaefer simplay said, "That depends on who you invite. Sometimes its really sad."

Casey Lynch is Editor-in-Chief of IGN.com. Hear about his love for PAX , metal, and Dark Souls on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Opinion: Borderlands 2 and the Girlfriend Mode Farce

Have you ever wondered why publishers don’t let their developers talk openly more often? Here's why.

It was nearly a month ago that I talked to you about the perils of political correctness in games. And while the response was overwhelmingly positive, there were some who insisted that there was no PC invasiveness in our industry. Some suggested that things were just fine, that the status quo of second-guessing everything and everyone for anything at all was actually positive. Others, rightfully so, said to espouse your opinions, but understand that there should be no expectation that those opinions are taken into account, or even valid to artists and consumers alike.

Yet -- lo-and-behold -- here we are again. And this time, it’s not even about a cancelled game, a sensitive religious person or folks suggesting that gamers can’t handle and be a party to adult themes. Instead, ire is focused at Borderlands 2. In an interview with Eurogamer, Borderlands 2’s lead designer, a man named John Hemingway, discussed a skill tree in his new game and described it as “Girlfriend Mode." Let’s look at exactly what Mr. Hemingway said:

“The design team was looking at the concept art [of the Mechromancer class] and thought, you know what, this is actually the cutest character we’ve ever had. I want to make, for the lack of a better term, the girlfriend skill tree. This is, I love Borderlands and I want to share it with someone, but they suck at first-person shooters. Can we make a skill tree that actually allows them to understand the game and to play the game? That’s what our attempt with the Best Friends Forever skill tree is.”

In case you can’t figure out why some people were aghast by this statement, it’s because Hemingway dared call the skill tree associated with someone who “suck[s] at first-person shooters” the “girlfriend skill tree." And even though the skill tree isn’t actually called that – and therefore we’re now looking at the words of one man and how he best thought to describe it -- the Internet exploded in unison.

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...the faux outrage over Hemingway’s comments forced Randy Pitchford’s hand.

Well, not quite exploded. It’s actually refreshing to read many of the comments on stories posted at outlets that decided to cover this episode. Many people are tired of knee-jerk reactions that attempt to take people’s words and spin them into something offensive when they were meant innocuously. And they’re especially sick of being subjected to the vocal whims of a few people that feel like they need to be there to protect someone or something that never requested their help in the first place. (If you pay close enough attention to society at large, this is a common problem.)

The reason why a person could be offended by this is obvious; such a statement could be construed as stereotypical, and even sexist. But this sort of reaction misses the mark and appears to call into question the character of a man who simply described a facet of his game, perhaps not in the best words possible, but certainly not as overtly offensively as some are led to believe. Of course women aren't inherently bad at games -- my sister could kick my ass at Street Fighter and any number of other games any day of the week -- and I doubt the faux outage manufactured over a simple term does justice to the intent of Hemingway's words.

But it doesn't matter, because regardless of intent, this faux outrage over Hemingway’s comments forced Randy Pitchford’s hand. As the president of GearBox Software – Borderland 2’s developer – Pitchford took to Twitter to defend his game and his designer. He had to actually clarify that there is no “girlfriend mode” in the game, and stood by his under-siege colleague so that people know he’s not “a sexist."

That’s unfortunate, because any rational person already knows that the mention of “girlfriend mode” doesn’t make a person sexist, any more than someone who connects my love of pizza with my Italian, Long Island born-and-raised heritage is a racist. It’s silly. It’s reaching. It’s the very reason why so many people advocating for political correctness in its many forms have steadily become parodies of themselves. When you are offended by literally everything any anything – even the words of one man clearly not designed to offend – you fall into that trap without even knowing it.

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...any rational person already knows that the mention of “girlfriend mode” doesn’t make a person sexist...

Let’s look at it this way. My girlfriend isn’t very good at games. She can’t play any game that requires dual analog sticks, and while she’s utterly dominant at games like Super Stacker and Critter Crunch, she’s more focused on finishing her PhD than mastering the art of the DualShock controller. So for me, Hemingway’s verbiage actually resonates, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Maybe this really is something good for my girlfriend. Taking his anecdote at face value, maybe this can be the gateway for her to learn dual analog controls. And maybe Hemingway knows – as any rational person would – that this statement could easily be reversed. Maybe a skilled female gamer has a gaming-inept boyfriend that this could be helpful for. Does he actually have to come out and say it to appease the eager-to-persecute?

But let’s look at it another way entirely. Kotaku recently ran an interesting article entitled “Gaming’ Biggest Problem Is That Nobody Wants to Talk." It’s a great read. You should go check it out. I’ll wait.

Okay, you’re back? Good. See, author Jason Schreier said something interesting in that article that resonated with me:

“The biggest problem in gaming today is that the gaming industry thinks we’re all out to get them. They think gamers are the enemy, a group that needs to be treated with disdain and avoided whenever possible. They think the only way to fool us into buying their products is to cover everything in a shroud of secrecy, only drip-feeding us pretty trailers and juicy sound [bytes] during carefully tailored marketing campaigns. They think we should just sit there and lap it up.”

“

Remember, Mr. Hemingway didn’t actually say anything offensive. People wanting to be offended are simply looking for anything to jump on...

Contrast that notion – a very real notion that Schreier ruthlessly nailed on the head – with this situation. Think about 2K Games, the publisher of Borderlands 2. What do you think it learned from this fiasco? Do you think it’s going to make its developers more available to the press now? Or do you think that, because one outlet decided to make a mountain out of a molehill and others thusly followed suit, it’ll pull back, become even more secretive, become even more isolated and leaving you wanting more? I think we all know the answer.

Remember, Mr. Hemingway didn’t actually say anything offensive. People wanting to be offended are simply looking for anything to jump on, consequences for anyone and anything be damned. So expect to hear a lot less from developers in the future because of episodes like this, and a lot more canned responses from PR as a result.

All because Mr. Hemingway dared say “girlfriend mode." The horror.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

Source : ign[dot]com

Epic Gives Ex-Kingdom of Amalur Devs a New Home

Epic has formed a new studio comprising many of the developers who worked on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning at Big Huge Games, before its parent company 38 Studios filed for bankruptcy.

The new venture is called Impossible Studios, and will be based in Maryland. Sean Dunn will head the studio, overseeing its very first project: Infinity Blade: Dungeons, an action RPG for iOS made in collaboration with Epic and Chair Entertainment (the team behind the previous Infinity Blade titles).

Studio Logo

Dunn said, "Epic Games has truly embraced this stellar collection of developers who were displaced by the closing of Big Huge Games. They have looked after us with complete care, giving us all the tools and resources we need to make a lot of gamers happy." Meanwhile,  the president of Epic Games Mike Capps said, "We were so glad we could help keep this great team together, and we're lucky to have them."

"At the time, I said that finding a full team of superstars was 'impossible' and apparently the name stuck! Pairing the imagination and experience of Impossible with Epic's technology, IP and resources makes for a business greater than the sum of its parts."

Are you excited to see what the Amalur dev team does next? Let us know in the comments below.

Daniel is IGN's UK Games Writer. He hopes to live long and prosper. You can follow him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Fallout: New Vegas Devs Take on Sexism, Social Games

A team of developers that formerly worked on Fallout: New Vegas is creating a new town-building game called Steam Bandits: Outpost. While the term “town building” is one that scares off many hardcore gamers, the team behind the game assures fans that Steam Bandits is more Civilization than Farmville, calling it a “pay to style” game along the lines of League of Legends or Team Fortress 2 as opposed to the “pay to continue playing” model of Zynga games.

“If we make money, great, but I just want people to play,” creative director Jason Fader told IGN. “I hate pay-to-win, I hate pay-to-continue-playing. I’m in it for fun. If people want to spend money they can, but they never have to pay to have fun.”

This philosophy is just one way that Fader’s Iocaine Studios is looking to bring hardcore ideas to a traditionally casual market. Fader previously served as lead producer at Obsidian, working on Fallout: New Vegas and its downloadable content, as well as a sci-fi RPG that never saw the light of day and a canceled next-gen project codenamed North Carolina. Prior to that, he spent time at Blizzard and developed the Atari-published ThreadSpace: Hyperbol. Fader knows the hardcore audience, and so does his team.

Many members of the team working on Steam Bandits are veterans of multiple rounds of widespread layoffs at Obsidian that took place over the past two years. Regarding reports that Obsidian layoffs and bonuses were affected by the Metacritic score for New Vegas and that developers continue to hire based on that metric, Fader said the practice isn’t fair. “Why Metacritic?” he asked. “It’s like saying ‘you must have an IQ of 140 or higher’ on a job application. We like distilling things down to numbers, but scores vary, and there are opinions and preference involved. Royalties are fair, but Metacritic isn’t fair. I hope [that practice] goes away.”

Looking back to his time at Obsidian, Fader also noted that many of the employees affected by the layoffs were female. While he doesn’t think the layoffs were based on sexism (many of the most junior team members just happened to be female, and senior members were kept on since they’re harder to replace), Fader did mention that many of the female employees had trouble finding jobs post-Obsidian.

“If you took two artists, one male and one female, that applied for the same job, the male could end up getting it while the female never even got called back for an interview,” he said. “You don’t want to believe discrimination like that goes on, but statistically it does.” Many of those women have now been brought into the fold at Iocaine, where 10 of the 12 current team members are female.

According to Fader, the team at Iocaine is mostly ex-Obsidian, but has also been built on the connections of team members who knew other developers looking for jobs. “If someone had a friend who was a good fit, they’d fill a role,” Fader explained. When it comes to friendships, Fader is loyal to a fault. When he was at Blizzard around the time of World of Warcraft’s launch, a game he worked on independently with friends who didn’t have full-time jobs in the industry yet was nominated for an IGF Award. After an interview regarding the game appeared in a local newspaper, Blizzard gave Fader a choice: keep working on the game and leave the company, or stay at Blizzard but stop working with his friends. He chose his friends. (Fader notes that in the years since, Blizzard has changed its policy on outside projects.)

As the industry continues to embrace free-to-play, Fader said he expects all games to adopt that model in the future -- including consoles (a prospect that Microsoft appears to be looking into). “I’m surprised there aren’t more. The console market is already prepared for it,” he said, noting that “Microsoft Points already exist” and would make perfect sense for quick micro-transactions. He feels the problem is that there’s a “long list to satisfy for consoles” in terms of development, which “creates a barrier of entry for indies.”

For now, Steam Bandits: Outpost is seeking funding on Kickstarter, which Fader notes will support one of the three locales the team has envisioned. An original version of the Kickstarter sought three times as much funding, but Fader notes that the current funding goal will allow for one one locale, and Iocaine will be able to add in the other two areas and additional new features if the funding goal is exceeded.

Concept art from Steam Bandits: Outpost.

Fader and the team at Iocaine have big plans for Steam Bandits, and if Outpost does well, the plan is to follow-up with multiple games in different genres. In the next game, players might play as an airship captain in a League of Legends-style real time strategy game. Players in that game could run missions for players in Outpost, with money and items transferrable between the games. It’s an ambitious idea, but Fader believes if anything can allow it to happen, it’s Kickstarter.

“Kickstarter was our first choice for funding,” he said. “It’s sort of like when iTunes came around for MP3s. It cut out the record label and distribution, allowing music to be delivered directly from the people making it. Crowdsourcing works.”

As of this writing, Steam Bandits: Outpost has approximately 25% of its $30,000 goal on Kickstarter, with 17 days of funding still remaining.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

NRL Fans: Get Your Rugby League Live 2 Questions Answered Here

Calling all rugby league fans! Got any questions for the developers of Rugby League Live 2? Let us know what they are!

We'll be chatting to Melbourne-based Big Ant soon, so let us know what YOU want to know.

Leave your questions below, or head to IGN AU's Facebook page, and stay tuned for the full interview.

Source : ign[dot]com

Dead Trigger On Android Faces Rampant Piracy, Now Free

It's been said many times that Android developers find it hard to make money on Google's mobile platform, and this sad tale is further proof of that.

Developer Madfinger Games announced via Facebook on Monday that it's making its zombie first-person shooter Dead Trigger free on the Android platform, down from the lowly price of only 99 cents. 

But it's not a new "freemium" model that drove Madfinger's decision: It's what they refer to as the "unbelievably high" piracy rate on Android.

"At first we intend to make this game available for as many people as possible -- that's why it was for as little as buck," the developer explained on Facebook. "However, even for one buck, the piracy rate is soooo giant, that we finally decided to provide DEAD TRIGGER for free.

"Anyway, DEAD TRIGGER is not FREEMIUM, it always was and still remains FREE-TO-PLAY, that means, all players are able to play it without IAP (in-app purchase)!" the statement concludes.

While recent hacks have compromised in-app purchases on iOS, such a move would still be almost laughable on Apple's mobile platforms, where the App Store enjoys a much higher level of security for all but a select few jailbreakers. But it's a sad statement on the Android platform, when users aren't willing to part with even a buck to indulge in a quality game.

Meanwhile, Madfinger still offers Dead Trigger for 99 cents on Apple's mobile platform, and apparently has no plans to change its pricing scheme there.

Source : ign[dot]com

Ubisoft: Industry "Penalised" by Long Console Cycle

Ubisoft's CEO has claimed that the lack of new consoles has damaged the entire games trade for consumers and developers alike.

In an interview with Gamasutra, Yves Guillemot shared his feeling that the lengthy console cycle has stymied creativity and led to companies resorting to making sequels.

“

It's a lot less risky for us to create new IPs and new products when we're in the beginning of a new generation,our customers are very open to new things.

"What we missed was a new console every five years," he said. "We have been penalized by the lack of new consoles on the market. I understand the manufacturers don't want them too often because it's expensive, but it's important for the entire industry to have new consoles because it helps creativity.

"It's a lot less risky for us to create new IPs and new products when we're in the beginning of a new generation,our customers are very open to new things. Our customers are reopening their minds -- and they are really going after what's best.

"At the end of a console generation, they want new stuff, but they don't buy new stuff as much. They know their friends will play Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed so they go for that. So the end of a cycle is very difficult."

He also claimed that the innovative benefits of new generations were clearly evidenced by Nintendo's Wii U, which Ubisoft is developing Zombi U for.

He explained, "I think they've created something good, if the customer uses everything they have created, I think we can see a good success with that machine. That type of collaboration can be fun and also challenging at the same time. It's something has never been done before. Those guys are taking lots of risks with the games they create - and they're extremely successful."

Guillemot's comments come hot on the heels of Square Enix's Julien Merceron, who also lamented this generation's length. While both men have cited cost as a reason for consoles being so long delayed, there's been increased speculation in recent months that next-gen consoles may utilise subscription fees to make things cheaper for consumers.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant, and is dreading having to find the money for new consoles. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com