I did my first pumpkin carving last night and I decided to do a design for one of my favorite games this year. Here's my attempt at an Arkham Asylum pumpkin. No stencil and all done by free hand drawing. Turned out OK I think.

I got a nice (but brief) guided tour of Dragon Age Origins, Bioware’s spiritual successor to the Baldur’s Gate saga. Freed from the confines of the D&D license, Dragon Age Origins is able to strike out on its own world and story while still capturing the feel of one of my favorite series of all time.

 

From my brief tour, Dragon Age doesn’t seem to bring too many new offerings to the RPG table, but everything I did see felt wonderfully familiar and soundly crafted. With the PC version, players have the option of playing in a pseudo-action RPG or zooming out for the old-school , pause-and-command style of the old Baldur’s Gate line. Players will assume control of both their hero and a (possibly) merry band of adventurers (including a PC-controlled war dog, complete with his own level-ups and abilities!), and arrows and magic will quickly be flying. The graphics looked solid and the controls fit like glove.  I didn’t get to peek at too much of the story, but from what I saw each character type gets a slightly different story experience, adding to the replayability factor.  I did get to romp around the first few minutes of the game, with my character’s castle being invaded and assassins pouring in every door. The combat was smooth and full of crunchy RPG goodness, and quite a bit bloodier than I remember from Baldur’s Gate. Or perhaps the graphics are just that much better nowadays. Regardless, I had a blast during my time, and quite a line was forming behind me while I was hogging the controls.

 

Dragon Age will be released for both the PC and Xbox 360, followed a few weeks later by the PS3. I was told that the story will be the same for all platforms, but the PC has the added benefit of the mouse-and-keyboard controls that just feel right for this sort of game. The PC and Xbox 360 versions were available at the booth, and both looked  and sounded great. I’m seriously looking forward to the release of this one.

No tomfoolery today, I'm just plunging right in.

The focus of many of this years improvements is adding realism to the game.

The demo for EA's 2010 entry into the NHL gaming franchise battle starts off with a bunch of tutorials for some of the new features designed to add that realism to the game.

Anyone who knows hockey will tell you that games are won when 2 guys go into the corner or up against the boards, and your guy comes away with the puck. For the first time in an NHL game, players can truly experience this part of the game with the addition of board battles to the game. Whether you're the guy with the puck, or the guy trying to knock his ass down and walk away, it truly adds depth to the game.

Then there's the addition of more gameplay styles. The one likely to draw the most attention is the Hardcore style. The game play slows down, and it's noticable from the minute you start playing. I think it's because the game has to handle a lot more details and it's designed to feel as real as possible. THe differences between stars and scrubs is accentuated, in a way that feels slightly beyond real, but a lot closer to what you see in the other styles. You're not going to get as many game winning goals from your 4th line left wing, but you'll truly earn the goals you do get. And goal scoring is only the beginning. Just try hitting with your soft 2nd line euro winger. Or Marian Hossa.

Actually, I wouldn't try anything with Hossa. I think EA has picked up on his complete lack of karma. In all 3 versions of the Game 7 scenario I played, Hossa had a last second shot on his stick, and on 2 of the 3, the AI hit the post. On the other try, I played as the Wings, and I shot it over the top of the gaping net. Sure, it could have just been me, but I'm sticking with blaming Hossa. It's worked for Pens and Wings fans in back to back years.

Of course, there's the change that's bound to draw the most attention; first person fighting. Personally, I'm not one for fighting. Hell, I play soft for a big guy when I actually play hockey. ("Am I a big guy Tree?" "Yeah, Johnny, you're a big guy" "No, Tree, I'm not. You're the big guy.") But I recognize it's place in the game, and what it does for the teams and the fans. Those same fans are going to LOVE the fighting aspect of this game. There's no pre-programmed key sequence to win fights. Instead, it brings you right into the fight making all the decisions. Are you going to grab and grapple? Or are you a serious thrower, who wants to get the momentum back on his side? Blocking, shoulder movements, uppercuts and jabs are all a part of this mode. (A certain Editor in Chief who will remain nameless is a bit of a *ahem* thug on the ice. I think EA may have written this and the more realistic checking system just for him).

The feature I'm most excited about is the change to the Be a Pro process, where you start as a junior player, looking to get drafted. Through a rather abbreviated process, you can play in a prospects game, and by standing out, affect your draft status. In my first attempt, I wound up actually LOWERING my draft status, from 15th to 20th. The second time around, I scored a goal and put the shot on goal that set up the game winning goal. I actually wound up getting drafted first overall by the Dallas Stars. It's not everything you'd want in a Junior/Minors/NHL progression, but it's another step in the process.

So, that's a pretty good overview of what's in the demo, leaving a lot more to look forward to when the NHL 10 releases on September 15th.

I managed to wrangle some quality guided demo time from the crowded Atari booth at this year’s GenCon, featuring Champions Online. While it’s been a long while since I’ve been tempted by the siren call of the MMORPG, there’s just something about the supers genre that threatens to pull be back in. Supers games, when done correctly, are an absolute blast for me, and it looks like Atari has a strong contender with this title.

One of the most important aspects any good supers game is the setting. Some games don’t have the rich backstory needed to make the game come alive, with generic spandex-sporting characters battling vanilla villains. On the other end of the spectrum lie the Big Names in supers. These setting are a licensing nightmare, filled with so much (often conflicting) cannon and familiar characters that players feel like they’re just along for the ride in a world upon which they cannot have any real impact. Cryptic Studios did the smart thing here, adopting the wonderfully rich tabletop RPG Champions to electronic format. The tabletop Champions setting is designed specifically with the intent of players running the story, only this time the table is much, much bigger.

I spent much of my time with the demo simply ogling the character design process, which is one of the most detailed I’ve seen in an MMO. I could easily lose an hour designing my character’s appearance. Almost everything is customizable, and Champions Online uses a very clever randomizing process that allows players to lock in the aspects they like while rolling the dice again for those they don’t. In this way, players can hone in on things that look cool and not have to remember exactly what they wanted twelve clicks ago. In addition, players can also back up to previous appearance rolls, which becomes extremely handy when quickly clicking through the process.

As for the functional design of the character, players get to choose from more than a dozen of the typical superpowers suites. Blasters, toughs, super sorcerers, most every power type is represented. The only package I didn’t notice was the speedster, but that could be difficult to implement within the setting. Or I was simply too engrossed in all the shiny lights to see it. Regardless, players pick a starting package and head out into the world of Champions.

Gameplay seemed fairly typical, although it was a bit more complex than many of the old MMORPGs I’ve played, especially at these initial levels. Characters gain quests from various sources, beat up baddies, and gather the superhero equivalent of swag. Rather than receiving gold, characters get generic “resources”, representing money, underworld favors, or whatever other form of currency would be appropriate to the given archetype. And instead of magic swords and wands, characters get more subtle upgrades that better fit the superhero setting. As characters defeat the baddies and level up, they can continue to improve their suite of powers, choosing from their current package or mixing and matching power suites. In this way, players can greatly customize their characters to exactly what they envision.

There are also some pretty cool things in store at higher levels. For instance, after a while of adventuring, players will be asked to develop their character’s own nemesis, and then watch as this nemesis becomes a regular part of the character’s world. Super groups are also available for those who like to team up to fight evil. I also (unofficially?) heard about other cool things that are possibly in the works, and while I won’t mention them here, I will say that Champions Online is going to head in some fun and interesting directions. Swing by Champions Online’s site and check out what’s in store.

We have a friend, Andy Thissan, visiting BlizzCon today and he'll be sending minor updates as he visits the convention.

 Day 2

 2:39 PM  Ok i just have to say 2010 is too long to wait for SC2. This game is incredible.

 1:15 PM

 

 Day 1

 2:56 PM -  so we all want to know where is the beta key?

 2:10 PM - Waiting by the main stage for announcements.  the buzz is the wow expansion and that there will be alot of Diablo details

 

 More...

So, maybe this isn't the #1 news story with a bullet on your run of the mill gaming site, but here at GN, we take our hockey SERIOUSLY. It's not underestimating to say that release day for the NHL titles is up there with my favorite days of the year.

The NHL 10 Demo was previewed today on the EA website, and rumor has it the demo will be released sometime this week, possibly even tonight.

The demo will contain the games "Be a Pro" player creation mode, which allows you to build a custom player, and participate in a Prospects game. Your performance in that game will determine your ranking for the upcoming draft. Play your nuts off and be the #1 pick.

The demo also allows you to play a shortened version of Game 7 of the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup Finals, allowing you to either repeat history (Pittsburgh wins) or re-write it (Detroit wins). I'm guessing the game doesn't let the Wings win, because Hossa's bad karma even extends to the 360. There's even a custom scenario where you start in the 3rd period of the game to show how the game handles injured players and their lessened ability to produce.

The demo also provides the first opportunity to try out some of the new game modes, like hardcore. 

The link to the video is here.

 

With the incredible amount of free press Six Days in Fallujah is getting these days, you would figure some publishing house would have the balls to step up and put out a game that brings some much needed social commentary on what playing war based games means in the broader spectrum. I mean we hear plenty of complaining about how violent games breed violence. And yet there are TONS of games in the Civil War or WWII era that are played heavily. What this is really means, is that for soem people, this game is too soon. For those people, it may well always be too soon. For many of these people, the sacrificies of their sons, brothers, or fathers may be a wound that never closes. But that doesn't mean that others should not be allowed to be exposed to the situations in question.

 The statement about staff reductions at Atomic Games is posted below.

 "The further question this begs is how long until games, like movies, television, books, or other mediums are seen as an art form used to examine historical events, and raise questions or even just heighten awareness to the situations we as a nation send our fighting men and women into?

 Due to a mixture of fears about the edgy subject matter of Six Days in Fallujah, as well as low videogame sales this summer, we have been unable to secure full-scale funding from a major publisher for Six Days in Fallujah. This has caused us to reduce the size of our studio today.

In the words of Marine officer Chesty Puller, "We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem." Development at Atomic will continue with a smaller team that will be funded by our sister company, Destineer.

We wish to assure the dozens of Marine veterans who have collectively invested hundreds of hours in this project that, while we have been badly wounded, we will fight on. The stories of your brothers' courage and sacrifice in Fallujah must be shared with the world.

All of the 75 people in the Atomic studio have stayed with us until this week. This is a testament not just to their commitment to Six Days in Fallujah, but also to their character when faced with adversity and personal financial risk. We encourage videogame development studios wishing to speak with the many talented and loyal staff who are affected by this situation to contact the jobs page on the atomic.com web site."

[Sara, a single mother, and Mike, her son, are homeless and living in an abandoned park in The Sims 3.  You can backtrack to any of the first four entries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) or jump right into their continuing adventures.]

Sara visits Abraham Finkel at the condo he lives at.  Despite the fact that he looks like a poorly-dressed college dropout, he discusses politics and nature.  Oh wait.  (The baby isn't Abraham's, though he does pick the baby up and carry him upstairs.)



The usual comes up.  Sara wants a home.  Abraham asks what it's like sleeping on a bench.  Sara says she wants to take a bath.




Abraham invites Sara up.  Their conversation remains amicable.  Sara's rather concerned about the baby, though.  I can't tell if her concerns are maternal or merely curious.  Abraham turns on the TV.




Sara meets the lady of the house.  The baby may be hers, though I don't see her interact with the baby (who's crawling off elsewhere) or with Abraham.  She's apparently a bit of a drama queen.




Sara then heads for the bathroom.  She may not have showered for a week (which, in "Sims Time," equates to about a quarter of her adult life), but no one will accuse Sara of not taking care of her teeth.




Sara brushes her teeth once, twice, three times.  Abraham finally has to shoo her out of the bathroom so that he can use the toilet.




Maybe that was Sara's cue to just leave.  She heads out the door, but Abraham meets her out front before the cab arrives.  They goof around.




Perhaps misreading the signals, Sara enjoys making faces with Abraham.  She heads back inside the condo.  That might not have been the effect Abraham was after.




On the other hand, getting on Sara's good side may have been a ploy all along.  Abraham drops a startling request on Sara:  He asks for money.




Sara doesn't acknowledge the request.  They both head into the kitchen and grab some dinner.  They sit at separate tables, and they stop talking to one another.  The mood is suddenly somber.   Abraham's request wasn't detrimental to their friendship, no; but Sara immediately leaves after the meal.  Abraham wordlessly cleans up after her.  Sara doesn't call Abraham again.




Back at the abandoned park, Mike is doing his homework, diligent as always.  He usually finishes it all before the strain starts to set in and he has takes a nap.




I watch Sara head for the cab, and it looks like she's just going to go home.  Then I switch views back over to the abandoned park.  When she doesn't arrive, I have to look around town to locate her.  In another unexpected move -- one that makes me applaud her autonomy -- I find Sara at the public pool, finally getting herself cleaned up.




The weekend arrives.  Sara has been practicing guitar all morning, and now she wants to play in the park.  I send both her and Mike to Central Park.  She plays, and the crowd grows to a burgeoning half-dozen.  Sara gets uncomfortable with the size of the crowd, but she keeps playing.  Very soon, Sara will be good enough to play for tips.




Mike will have a birthday and become a teenager tomorrow.  Sara continues to pursue her dream of mastering the arts.  Things are looking up.  But, without any income as of yet, there's one person that's going to remove a tiny piece of what little Sara and Mike have.  It's the Repo Man.




And that's it, folks.  This blog ends on an uncertain note.  The story of Sara and Mike will continue; just not in written form.  Again, special thanks to Robin Burkinshaw for his embarrasingly-addictive Alice and Kev blog.  Which is still ongoing.  Do yourself a favor and go read his work.  It's fantastic.

[Previous:  From the Bottom of the Harts' Fridge]

[Sara, a single mother, and Mike, her son, are homeless and living in an abandoned park in The Sims 3.  You can backtrack to the first three entries (1, 2, 3) or, below, hop right into their continuing journey.]

It became obvious that Sara should visit the Sunset Institute of Modern Art (or SIMA, if you like the acronym tie-in with the game's title).  She traipses past the reception desk up to the second floor of the showroom.

 

 

Perhaps confused by their non-feng shui placement in the center of the room, Sara levels her first criticism towards the couches.





Sara is paralyzed by the smell of her urine-stained clothing, but even then she can't help but realize she's surrounded by the very objects that populate her lifetime wish of becoming a Master of the Arts.

At first, Sara is at a loss for what to do.  But she views the still life oil paintings (looking past the taxicab-checkered Venus de Milo) and considers the learning opportunities as hand.  She feels inspired.

She takes in the whimsical painting of the giraffe trio.  Perhaps she feels like a kindred spirit.  Living in the outdoors.

But a full night's rest is never a full night's rest when it's on a park bench.  Sara takes a noontime siesta on a cloudy couch in a quiet corner of the Institute.  It's the best nap she's ever had.

When she wakes up, there's no spite in her movements, but Sara never acknowledges the toilet on display.

Also, Abraham Finkle, the androgynous-looking fellow she nearly played chess with in the park, is visiting the Institute, too.  While he had nothing to say to Sar yesterday, he has even less to say to her today.

The school counselor announced a new buddy system is being encouraged.  Making friends will earn rewards.  Bella Bachelor, the girl he hopped off the bus with the other day, seems like Mike's natural choice.  But Mike instead has a boy named Malcolm Landgraab (heir apparent to the Landgraab fortune and industries) who follows him home to the abandoned park.  Mike and Malcolm had met on the first day of school, but they hadn't spoken since.  Mike would rather be hanging out with his mother.  Instead, he sleeps.  Malcolm wanders the abandoned park.

 

One particular cubist painting is the piece de resistance for Sara.  She admires it longer (and more times) than anything else on the floor.  But it's the dining chair on display that eventually moves her to tears.  She admires its craftsmanship and its artistry, to be sure.  But the chair's ability to become "functional art" is what gets her.  She thinks about the plates of food this chair could see when placed at a dining table, and their her own stomach howls at her.

Sara returns to the abandoned park and meets Malcolm.  The introduction is friendly.  Malcolm thinks a little bit of food would be nice to have right about now.  Malcolm has no idea.

Malcolm is not quite sure what to make of the homeless situtation.  Forthright, he discusses it immediately and at length with Sara.

Sara changes the subject as soon as she can, discussing topics she never usually addresses:  football, running, boxing.  But Malcolm brings the discussion back to living the good life:  rich foods, libraries full of books, and leisure time enough for fishing.  He's never so shallow as to discuss money for money's sake, however.

Malcolm, though late for dinner, starts up a chat with Mike who had been doing his homework near the park sign's lights.  They too discuss new topics that Mike never regularly chats about:  upward mobility, public speech, and looking at the bigger picture.

 

But it's after 10 p.m. and Mike mentioned the topic of food.  That reminds Malcolm:  He'll be going home now for a meal.  Later, waking up in the middle of the night, Sara seems mortified by having peed herself first thing that morning.  And there, in the lamplight of the park, she does it again.  This time, she doesn't even move from the puddle.





Okay, Sara wins this battle.  I (once again) build a tiny public restroom in the back corner of the abandoned park.  But no sinks!  I'm not giving Sara and Mike the opportunity to turn into tooth-brushing zombies again.



[Previous:  A Day in the Park]