Rachet and Clank is Back in its new game: SIZE MATTERS
The PSP is expanding its recent awesome game lineup with the Sony PSP exclusive , Rachet and Clank: size matters. This game was not only one of my favorite PS2 games, but it was also one of the most creative, so its a definate must check out the PSP! Check out the preview below, im sure you won’t regret it!
OVERVIEW
Early next year, get ready for all the firepower players have come to expect from the multi-million unit-selling Ratchet & Clank series in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, an all-new sci-fi action adventure made exclusively for the PSP system. Featuring many new and returning weapons and gadgets, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters will draw players into a galaxy spanning adventure set across new levels with diverse gameplay.
As the first title developed by High Impact Games, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters goes back to the franchise’s roots with hallmark Ratchet & Clank gameplay sure to please fans of the series. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters features all new gameplay for Ratchet’s brainy robotic sidekick, Clank, who steps out from behind the shadows to assume a prominent role alongside Ratchet. Capturing all of the humor from previous PlayStation 2 installments with engaging cinematics, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters will allow up to four players to blow one another away in action-packed wireless multiplayer gaming.
STORYLINE
While on a much needed vacation, Ratchet and Clank’s rest and relaxation time is suddenly cut short as they soon find themselves lured into a mysterious quest. Following the trail of a kidnapped girl, Ratchet and Clank rediscover a forgotten race of genius inventors known as the Technomites. They soon uncover a plot more dangerous than they could have imagined.
KEY FEATURES
· Ratchet and Clank make their PSP debut, going back to the franchise’s roots with classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay as playable Clank returns with all-new gameplay.
· Set in the franchise’s signature style sci-fi universe, players will take on the roles of both Ratchet and Clank in a journey across the galaxy full of new destinations to explore and conquer.
· Featuring new and returning weapons and gadgets, including the Blitz Cannon, Agents of Doom and Shrink Ray, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters packs all of the combat and destruction fans have come to expect from the series.
· Players can utilize the all-new customizable armor system themed for various gameplay to gain upgrades and advance through challenging action-packed areas.
· Gain access to different vehicles to compete in races and combat enemies in intense battlefield missions.
· With wireless multiplayer gaming, up to four players can connect for intense combat and head-to-head action.
SCREENSHOTS:
Bioshock is a computer and video game in development by Irrational Games, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. It is described by the developers as a "spiritual successor" to their previous PC title System Shock 2 [1]. It has been in development since late 2004 (and in planning for some time before that). On January 9, 2006, Take-Two Interactive announced that they had acquired Irrational Games, and would be publishing Bioshock under their 2K Games publishing label, "planned for release in the second half of 2007".[2] The game will be an Xbox 360 and Windows XP/Vista title only. The title of the game was initially BioShock; on April 4, 2006, it was announced that the letter 's' in the title had been changed to lower case.[3] The announced release date was reported as sometime in June 2007.[4]
Bioshock is said by the developers to include a great deal of interactive environments and player-driven choices, called emergent gameplay; with Ken Levine stating its interactivity would be, "unprecedented". While the term has been used for a variety of games, such as the popular Grand Theft Auto series, most[attribution needed] believe this gameplay will borrow highly from System Shock and System Shock 2. Another point of focus is the "AI ecology", which will dynamically search for opportunities to fulfill their purpose. The player can even exploit the ecology to his/her advantage, making enemies and NPCs turn against each other or otherwise manipulate them into helping the player. Irrational games announced in a Q & A session on January 19, 2007 that there would be no multiplayer element. They also stated that a demo would not be released, but "[t]hings could change".[5]
A 14 minute video showing for the first time to the public gameplay and introducing some of the AI was released on September 20, 2006. [6]
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The game starts with the player underwater following a plane crash in the ocean, surrounded by debris. No introductory cut scene is displayed explaining how this happened, leaving the player to decide for themselves why they were on the plane. Nearby, a lighthouse is sticking out of the water, in the middle of the ocean. Upon getting inside and traversing the internal stairwell, the player finds a bathysphere, with a corpse inside. Upon removing the corpse and descending in the bathysphere (having nowhere else to go), the player eventually reaches an underwater city on the ocean floor.
A plot unfolds involving the crumbling city, named Rapture, and the utopian society for which it was built. A man named Andrew Ryan, a former Soviet citizen, built the city in 1946, and the society was envisioned as the ultimate capitalistic and individualist paradise, with the elite achieving for themselves, rather than for the whole. Protected by a network of giant sea walls and consisting of a cluster of enormous skyscraper-shaped hive towers, Rapture was designed to be entirely self-supporting, with all of its electricity, food production, water purification and defense systems powered by the natural undersea currents of the ocean. At one point, it is learned that Rapture's population numbered several thousand at its peak during the early 1960s, composed of those people Ryan viewed as the best examples of mankind. A large and tiered economy grew among the people, catering different quality products to different levels of the society. The city itself is inspired by Art Deco and has an appearance merging the futuristic and archaic.
A scientific discovery upset the balance of the society. Two scientists studying ocean-floor dwelling creatures discovered a species of sea slug that secretes pure stem cells. These could be used to enhance one's body, improving physical or mental capabilities, curing diseases and healing injuries. A young entrepreneur named Fontaine invested early on in the research to gain control over the material. The substance, dubbed "Adam", became so sought after in the society, that it became the dominant currency of the city. A "full-scale genetic arms race" broke out between Ryan and Fontaine as Fontaine's monopoly on Adam threatened the current social structure. Ryan eventually won, but everyone in the city was permanently changed. During the war, it was discovered that Adam could be used to modify one's body, combining technology and mutations to adapt and survive the conflict, but losing their humanity in the process. During the conflict, all natural sources of Adam were destroyed, which eventually resulted in a major shift in the "ecology" of the city, as all inhabitants had become biologically dependent on Adam to survive.
When the player arrives in Rapture, the city is in a state of disrepair, its vast underground living areas and laboratory complexes scarred by the effects of the civil war and poisoned by biological weapons. Low-level flooding is also found to be a problem, as the use of high-powered explosives and corrosion weapons during the war created small breaches in the city's sea walls, allowing the sea to enter some of the buildings.
As the player descends through the underwater city, he or she will explore the many levels of the giant undersea base, including the huge living quarters modules, the multi-floored scientific headquarters and the undersea monorail transport network. Remnants of the last days remain in notes and recordings made by the citizens before and during the collapse of Rapture's society. Not only does this provide background, it also opens new avenues in the player's interaction with the ecology of Rapture.
The game was originally planned to be set at some point in the near future, in an abandoned WW2 laboratory. Coverage in the March, 2006 issue of the magazine Game Informer sets the game in the 1960s, in an underwater city known as Rapture.
Four main categories of enemies are encountered:
To adapt and advance their character, the player can spend Adam to gain upgrades called "Plasmids" to modify themselves and give themselves new and/or enhanced abilities and weapons. Some of these are grouped under trees such as Weaponry, Engineering, and Psionics.
One of these abilities, as mentioned in a GameSpot preview of the game, is Aggressor Irritant, which causes all nearby Aggressors to attack the target of the plasmid. There is a Plasmid that allows the player to sound like a Gatherer, gaining Protector aid and scaring away some Aggressors. A screenshot released in August 2006 shows a fire-related plasmid ability along with video revealing a plasmid allowing the player to produce and control a horde of wasp like creatures.
A Bioshock Developer Walkthrough video also revealed the existence of "Speed Boost" (temporary superspeed) and "Security Beacon" (causes security devices to detect (and attack) the target). Also during the video, when accessing the "Plasmi-Quik" (a device to change plasmids), there is a fire-based plasmid. Recently released pictures also revealed a lightning-related plasmid.
Bioshock was originally going to run on an enhanced version of the Tribes Vengeance engine, the highly modified version of Unreal Engine 2.5 technology, used by previous Irrational titles Tribes: Vengeance and SWAT 4 and SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate. In an interview at E3 in May 2006, Levine has revealed that, " we've moved to Unreal Engine 3.0, we've done a lot of modifications on top of it," particularly to the way the engine handles water effects, which he claims will be very impressive, "we've hired a water programmer and water artist, just for this game, and they're kicking ass and you've never seen water like this." [7]
Levine has stated in an interview with gaming magazine IGN that the project has drawn on many influences, mostly from utopian and dystopian literature; "And I have my useless liberal arts degree, so I've read stuff from Ayn Rand and George Orwell, and all the sort of utopian and dystopian writings of the 20th century, which I've found really fascinating." He also states that he wanted to confront challenges that face the modern world such as, "stem cell research and the moral issues that go around."[8]
In an interview appearing in gaming magazine EGM, Levine says, "As a kid, I was obsessed with 1984 and Logan's Run. I love exploring what happens when good ideas fall apart. [...] This world is self-contained. It has its own products, its own culture, its own movies...even its own advertising. Rapture is populated with real entities who do their own thing. They have their own goals. Take the Big Daddies and Little Sisters: all they care about is harvesting genetic material from corpses. If you don't get in their way, they won't bother you. Live and let live. But if you mess with them - watch out. The Big Daddies aren't the forgiving type."
Since the game is a "spiritual successor" to the System Shock series, and is being developed by former developers of that series, many features and themes are revisited in the game. Levine pointed out many of the similarities during his narration of a video initially screened for the press at E3 2006[9]:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (大乱闘 スマッシュ ブラザーズ X, Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu Ekkusu, Great Fray Smash Brothers X) is a fighting game for Nintendo's newest console, the Wii. The third iteration of the Super Smash Bros. series, it has been confirmed that it will support some network features and Internet play (Wi-Fi).[3][4] Brawl is the first Super Smash Bros. game that features at least one character from a franchise not owned by Nintendo with the inclusion of Solid Snake from Konami's Metal Gear series. Its official trailer was first unveiled at E³ 2006. It is currently slated for release sometime in 2007.
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Fox McCloud (フォックス・マクラウド, Fokkusu Makuraudo?) is the main protagonist of the Star Fox series. He appears in both Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, and returns in Brawl as confirmed on November 3, 2006, the first day of the Nintendo World Tour.[5] Little information has been released about Fox as of yet, but it is known that he will use his blaster as in the previous Smash Bros. games, which he now keeps out at all times, rather than drawing it to shoot and putting it away afterward. Whether this will affect his moveset is unknown. Fox's appearance in Brawl is similar to his Star Fox 64 and Command designs. [6]
Kirby (カービィ, Kābī?) is the star of the Kirby series, first appearing in Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy. Kirby appears in both the original Smash Bros. and Melee. Just like in his games, Kirby has the ability to inhale his opponents and copy an ability from them, as well as resemble them in appearance. This ability gives Kirby a wide range of possible moves. As seen in the E³ trailer, one of Kirby's moves is his "Cook" power from Kirby Super Star, which involves boiling enemies in a pot.
Link (リンク, Rinku?), the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series, is a legendary Hylian hero who appears in both previous Smash Bros. games. Link's swordplay is featured in the E³ trailer, as well as a special attack, in which he slashes at his opponent while he or she is trapped between two Triforces (see below). Link appears in a more detailed and realistic fashion in Brawl, as he does in Twilight Princess. The Master Sword serves as Link's primary weapon in Brawl.
Mario (マリオ, Mario?) is Nintendo's official mascot as well as the star of his own series of games. He is one of the most well known video game characters, and is present in the first and second Smash Bros. games. Mario's signature fireball is shown in the E³ trailer, as well as a new special move, where he projects a massive blast of fire that moves across the entire stage.
Meta Knight (メタナイト, Meta Naito?) is a recurring enemy of the Kirby series, and is the second of the series after Kirby to become a Super Smash Bros. fighter. In the trailer shown at E³ 2006, he can be seen performing quick sword slashes and blocking an attack with his cloak, which blends into the background. He is also shown jumping multiple times in midair, an ability held previously only by Kirby and Jigglypuff in the first two Smash Bros. games. During the E³ trailer, Meta Knight's wings only appear while he is jumping in midair. Meta Knight is also able to glide in air as shown in the Nintendo World trailer. His symbol is the same as Kirby's, a warpstar.[7] As stated in his Toukouken, Brawl's director, Masahiro Sakurai, however, plans to make Meta Knight's fanfare more of a "rock version" of Kirby's.[8]
Pikachu (ピカチュウ, Pikachū?) is the famous and popular mascot in the Pokémon series. It became iconic in the Pokémon anime. Pikachu's first video game appearances were in Pokémon Red and Blue for the original Game Boy and then as the player's starting Pokémon in Pokémon Yellow for the Game Boy Color. Since then, it has been in every Pokémon video game made to date. Pikachu’s Super Smash Bros. attacks are based on its own Electric attacks and other physical attacks in the Pokémon series.
Pit (ピット, Pitto?), the savior of the Kid Icarus series, head of the royal bodyguards for the goddess Palutena, makes his first playable appearance since the 1987 classic Kid Icarus & 1991's Game Boy game Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters. He is shown in the E³ trailer fighting again with the Sacred Bow of Palutena, which has the ability to separate into two short blades for close-range combat (a feature nonexistent in the Kid Icarus games). On Pit’s left arm rests a pair of glowing rings, which expand onto the Sacred Bow when he prepares to fire Light Arrows; the rings retract onto his arm after use. Pit is also shown in the trailer jumping multiple times midair as Meta Knight does. Pit’s symbol is a bow and arrow tilted at an angle.[9]
Samus Aran (サムス・アラン, Samusu Aran?) is the heroine of the Metroid series. She returns in Brawl, this time in her Power Suit and as Zero Suit Samus, based on her unsuited form from Metroid: Zero Mission. The official Brawl website states that Samus will remove her Power Suit "under certain conditions", but the means of which have not been released. In the E³ trailer, Samus fires a massive laser blast at Meta Knight and Pit. In the E³ and Nintendo World trailers, Zero Suit Samus is shown wielding a gun that can transform into a laser whip.[10] In addition, Zero Suit Samus is shown performing acrobatic moves in the Nintendo World Trailer.
Snake (スネーク, Sunēku?) is the first third-party character to appear in a Super Smash Bros. game. He is the main protagonist of Konami’s Metal Gear franchise. Snake appears in Brawl as he does in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Sakurai states on the official website that Snake will use a variety of explosives, including rocket launchers, and fight hand-to-hand. Snake will also use his trademark cardboard box, which he is seen hiding in near the end of the E³ trailer. In the Nintendo World trailer, Snake is shown performing his classic punch-punch-spin kick combo, and using an RPG from his series. Snake's symbol is that of the FOX organization in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which is also the logo of Kojima Productions.[11]
Wario (ワリオ, Wario?) is the antithesis of Mario and is the star of the WarioWare, Inc. and Wario Land games. Brawl marks his first appearance in the series; he wears his biker costume from WarioWare, possibly to avoid confusion with Mario's yellow alternate color scheme. In the E³ trailer, Wario projects an atomic flatulence, tentatively called the "Wario Waft" by the official website. In The Nintendo World trailer, Wario is shown performing various dance moves inspired by WarioWare before attacking his opponents. Wario’s moves are shown to have very quick and exaggerated motions. His symbol is the letter "W"[12].
The E³ trailer suggests that new stages will include the interior and exterior of a gloomy castle (suspected to be from the Fire Emblem series)[13]; the Halberd, Meta Knight's airship from Kirby Super Star; and an island floating high above a rocky canyon, very similar in shape to Melee's Battlefield stage.
New stages shown in the Nintendo World trailer include an Angel Land stage from Kid Icarus that features destructible platforms, a stage in the style of the Yoshi's Island games that appears to change seasons, a Mario Kart stage styled after the "Mario Circuit" track theme (similar in platform arrangement to parts of Melee's Mute City, with kart-driving Shy Guys that seem to be similar to the F-Zero racers), a Pokemon Stadium stage similar to the one from Melee, and a Star Fox stage in outer space on on top of a nondescript spaceship that appears to come out of hyper drive and starts to freefall towards Fox's home planet, Corneria. The Great Fox was shown flying around in the background. A stage based on Metal Gear Solid that features indoor and outdoor areas was also shown.
It should be noted that in the first trailers for Super Smash Bros. Melee (originally shown at E³ 2001), a number of stages that turned out either to be heavily modified in the final game, or to not be in the final game at all, could be seen.[14]
The video from E³ suggests the new ability to perform new special moves. These abilities are acquired through orb or emblem-shaped power-ups which bear the Smash Bros. symbol.[4]
The trailer shows powerful special attacks from Mario, Link, and Kirby. Mario, who is the only one seen in the trailer actually grabbing an orb, invokes a large blast of fire, Link performs a barrage of sword slashes while Mario is trapped between two Triforce symbols, and Kirby uses his Cook ability from Kirby Super Star and Kirby and the Amazing Mirror to boil Mario in a pot.
The E³ trailer also shows footage of a Labrador puppy from Nintendogs attempting to climb the screen,[4] blocking the view of the battle. Although Nintendo has confirmed that this is caused by an item, the actual item was not shown in the trailer.[15]
In the Nintendo World trailer, Pikachu, Wario and Snake were shown with the ability to crawl. It is unknown if every character will have the ability to crawl, as only a few characters had the "wall-jump" technique in Melee.
The main theme for Brawl was revealed in the E³ trailer as the background song, and it was created by the famed Final Fantasy composer, Nobuo Uematsu. It is unknown whether he will be composing additional tracks. Additionally, opera singers Ken Nishikiori and Oriko Takahashi have also contributed to the vocal arrangement in this project. Sakurai stated that the game's music will be performed by a full orchestra with vocals in Latin.[16] An arranged version of the main theme with no choir is present in the Nintendo World trailer.
In the E³ trailer, an orchestrated version of the game over jingle from Metal Gear Solid plays when Snake appears at the end of the trailer. It is unknown whether this will be used in the game or not.
The music from Super Smash Bros. Melee's Corneria stage was heard at the end of the second trailer. Although it is the only other music shown to go with this game, it is unknown whether it will be changed or not.
Masahiro Sakurai, former HAL Laboratories employee and creator of Kirby and the Super Smash Bros. series, is the director for the game. Sakurai revealed that at E³, he was called to Iwata's room on the top floor of a Los Angeles hotel, and told by Iwata, "We'd like you to be involved in the production of the new Smash Bros., if possible near the level of director".[17]Although originally suggested to be a launch title, an IGN article states that "as of May 2005, the game's development staff consisted of exactly one person," Sakurai himself. Sakurai states that many people who have spent a lot of time playing Super Smash Bros. Melee are being brought in as the development team,[18] and the team will have access to all the original material and tools from the development of Melee. However, actual development of the game never started until late 2005.[19] Sakurai cannot announce the name of the team at this time but refers to them as "The Studio".[18]
The game was conspicuously absent from Nintendo's Wii showing at its 2006 Pre-E³ press conference. The next day, on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at the After-Hours Press Conference, Nintendo officially revealed the game under the name of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Miyamoto and Sakurai, who were there to make the announcement, hinted that the game could have full compatibility with the GameCube controller. This has been confirmed by Nintendo Power Magazine, which states that usage of the GameCube controller is recommended by Nintendo. Sakurai said that the reason was because he did not want to "alienate those familiar with the pad." In an interview with IGN, Sakurai said the Wii's motion sensing features might not be included because, "we found that trying to implement too much motion-sensory functionality can get in the way of the game."[4]
As far as Wi-Fi play is concerned, Sakurai has confirmed some functionality.[3][4] However, as stated in the Toukouken on the Japanese version of the Smash Bros. website, "there would be many hurdles to cross," and an online ranking system is unlikely to be implemented.[20]
Recently, the new trailer shown on November 3 at Nintendo World has been added to the official site.[21] The trailer is slightly modified from the original version: the Japanese text is changed to English, and the suspected Winter Yoshi's Island is no longer seen. The version of the trailer added to the Japanese site keeps the Japanese text, but the suspected Winter Yoshi's Island is once again removed. Also, Sakurai has updated the site to say that it will be a little longer before the game will be playable.
The inclusion of Konami-created character Solid Snake may seem to conflict with the Super Smash Bros. paradigm — to only include characters from games made by Nintendo and its second parties (e.g. HAL Laboratory) — but Sakurai said that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima "practically begged" for Snake to be included in the next Super Smash Bros. game (which, at the time of said "begging," was during the production of Super Smash Bros. Melee, but production of the game was already too far in to make the addition viable). Incidentally, this is not the first time Snake would appear in a crossover fighting game, as he was previously featured as a secret character in DreamMix TV World Fighters.
When questioned about the inclusion of other characters, Shigeru Miyamoto alleged that discussions for possible other third-party characters are underway, but nothing has been confirmed. If a third party character does appear in Brawl, the character must have been on a Nintendo console. Additionally, the character must originate from a video game (as written in a response to one fan requesting several anime and manga characters). Japanese fans were asked to submit their desired characters and musical themes via a forum on the game's official Japanese site, with some possibly appearing in the game. Likewise, fans from other countries were asked to submit ideas on Nintendo's official forums. It is currently unknown if Nintendo will ask fans outside of Japan to request characters or musical themes.[22]
As of 9 June 2006, suggestions were no longer being taken. In Toukoken, the portion on the Japanese site chronicling character and music suggestion updates, Sakurai has stated that some of the characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee may not return. He also states that he may not want to put much emphasis on Japan-only characters, but is not opposed to them entirely, noting the success that the Fire Emblem characters enjoyed internationally thanks to their inclusion in Melee. He also said that third-party characters will amount to one or two, excluding Snake.[23] Also, each of the guest characters (including Snake) will be unlockable. [24]
In August 2006, Sakurai and Miyamoto stated that Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog was the most requested third-party character to be included.[25] Around the same period of time, Tips & Tricks reported that Miyamoto has stated Nintendo has actually contacted Sega regarding this, and that they're awaiting a final decision.[26] Then, in the October 2006 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, he mentioned that "Sega's hedgehog would be the perfect addition to Brawl's cast." An article in the first issue of a Swedish Nintendo Magazine named "+N" makes a report that the known confirmed characters will be in Brawl, along with Sonic the Hedgehog as a playable character[27], though the magazine's credibility is questioned.
Unreal Tournament 3, codenamed Envy and formerly known as Unreal Tournament 2007, is part of the Unreal series of games and is the sequel to 2004's Unreal Tournament 2004. Using Unreal Engine 3, it is a first-person shooter video game designed mainly for multiplayer gaming. However, in a recent interview, the staff at Game Informer discovered that UT 3 will not have the normal UT single-player experience. Instead, there will actually be a story-line and the players "people" will have their own personalities. This is a change from the normal UT single-player campaign, which simply mimics the multiplayer mode and has ladders. The game is developed by Epic Games and will be published by Midway Games.
In 2005, Unreal Tournament 3, then known as Unreal Tournament 2007, was announced for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3. On January 25, 2007, Midway made an official announcement that the newly renamed game, Unreal Tournament 3, would be released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.[1] Each version of the game is targeting a release date in the second half of 2007. Additionally, a demo will be released for Windows before the full game's release.[2][3][4]
Unreal Tournament 3 is also abbreviated as UT3 or UT2007, from its former title.
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Currently, the game's official release date is unknown, though it is scheduled for release sometime in the second half of 2007[1] — meaning it could be released as late as December 2007. Epic has also mentioned that a beta or demo for the Windows version will be released before the console versions.[citation needed] The website "Play.com" suggests that the Windows version will be released first for Windows on March 1, 2007, with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions following on October 1 and October 2, 2007, respectively.
UT3 will use the Unreal Engine 3. The engine can take advantage of third party technologies such as PhysX physics cards to provide an advanced game experience.[5][6] The engine will require DX9 graphics cards. The game will feature many of the modes from the previous games in the series. Not returning, however, will be the "Bombing Run", "Double Domination", and "Assault" game types. The previously known Assault mode will be replaced by a new gametype called "Unreal Warfare", which will feature vehicles and accommodate a large number of players. According to sources within Epic, Unreal Warfare will feature a style of gameplay similar to UT2004's Onslaught, while also having objective-based side missions (like Assault), where the outcomes of those side missions could sway match progress to a specific side with the addition of new weapons, vehicles and more.[7] The AI bots will now respond to voice command as opposed to the past where the player must give commands through a command menu.[8]
Like in Half-Life 2, the levels of UT3 are being developed with simple building blocks, with artwork to be added afterwards, so as to focus on improving gameplay. Lead designer Steve Polge claims, "We're not trying to make a prettier UT2K4. We're really trying to make a very new game." A larger emphasis is also being placed on AI. The bots in UT3 will be able to understand simple voice commands; while they will not understand speech as well as a human, Polge states the player will be able to "have some sort of conversational vibe with it".
The Unreal Editor (also known as UnrealEd and UEd) is included with all UT games, and allows the user to edit and create custom content for the game. The editor for UT3 will be a little different from the editor for UT2004, as the older editor was for Unreal Engine 2.5 while UT3 uses Unreal Engine 3. One notable addition will be a "play" button allowing mappers to test their content from within the editor itself. There will also be a visual scripting interface, known as Kismet, allowing those with little or no programming knowledge to create their own mods easily.
In an interview with Gamasutra, Tim Sweeney revealed that the Playstation 3 version of UT3 will support user mods, created on PCs and downloadable to the console.[9]
The following game modes have been confirmed:[10]
There are rumours of some new games that may be added, this include a possible instagib mode.
The following weapons have been confirmed:[7]
The following vehicles have been confirmed:[12][13][14]
The vehicles in Unreal Tournament 2004, including those in the Editor's Choice Edition, will return in UT3, referred to as "Axon Vehicles" as they are manufactured by the Axon Corporation. These are the more traditional of the two sets.
The Manta is an extremely fast and agile hovercraft, using a pair of fan rotors on either side to hover. Its primary weapon is a pair of plasma cannons, and the secondary is a downward thrust that brings the vehicle low enough to the ground to clip heads off with its rotor blades.
The Raptor is a fast fighter equipped with plasma cannons and air-to-air homing missiles.
The Scorpion buggy now has an enclosed cockpit as opposed to UT2004's unshielded cabin and fires Grenades instead of bolas(plasma ribbons). It has a speed-boost function (similar to Unreal 2 XMP buggy's) that allows long jumps off ramps and also works as a kamikaze self-destruct if the player ejects from the cockpit. Its secondary weapon is a pair of blades that extend to either side for cutting down enemies. The blades now extend from under the nose of the vehicle, rather than the sides as in the UT2004 version.
The Hellbender is a two-man armored jeep with shock weaponry and a heavy build. The driver is able to use the skymine turret eliminating the need for an extra gunner manning the turret, as was the case with UT2004. The vehicle's rear mounted beams have done away with the charge and release style attack; they now feature a much faster rate of fire similar to the Shock Rifle.
The Cicada is a heavy, yet manoeuvrable two-seater flying gunship with an arsenal of powerful missiles. It also is equipped with a targeting mechanism allowing the pilot to target areas and release swarms of missiles. Unlike UT2004's Cicada, UT3's version will have its missiles home in on specific land units when they are targeted. The second seat controls a twin barrel turret on the belly.
The SPMA (or SPAM as many like to call it), is a long-range and mobile artillery unit that shoots powerful shells. The SPMA in UT3 has a half-track chassis (unlike the 6-wheel UT2004 version), and will allow players to more carefully calculate the trajectory and range of the shot - making the weapon more accurate to use. Whether or not the vehicle will have a skymine turret like the Hellbender (as it did in UT2004) is still unknown.
The Paladin is a prototype one-manned tank that moves (slowly) on 8 wheels rather than the traditional tank treads. It is equipped with a powerful plasma shot and a shield that protects it and nearby players from a particular direction. It also features a powerful shockwave explosion that surrounds the tank, activated by firing the main cannon into its own deployed shield.
The new Goliath Mk.2 will feature improved handling and upgraded weaponry and it "should handle more like a tank than a brick". It has been rumoured it will also feature destroyable treads. Playtests revealed that the main cannon fire was relatively the same; but the vehicle now featured a wide range "infantry killer" shell as its secondary fire(this is presumed to have replaced the secondary zoom function of the previous title). The secondary minigun turret has also been upgraded for much better accuracy and firepower.
The Leviathan is a powerful five-man vehicle with a main turret controlled by the driver. The driver can deploy a super weapon at the cost of immobilizing the vehicle. There are also four secondary turrets controlled by other players. The secondary turrets feature shields similar to those on the Skaarj mothership's turrets in UT2004. Each turret has a different type of weapon.
The Necris, an alien species in the Unreal universe, will have a rival set of vehicles. There will be 9 new Necris vehicles with very different styling and unusual behaviors. Although they will not parallel Axon's vehicles, they are intended to make a good balance against them.
The following vehicles have been confirmed:[15]
Designed to be highly manuverable. It will feature a kamikaze function which will allow the pilot to bail out and turn it into a sort of flaming projectile that will inflict much more damage than the turret weapon it has.
Will have snake-like treads which adapt to the ground below it as it moves. Its main gun is very similar to mounted energy turrets. This vehicle has a zoom function.
The main weapon will be a laser beam which can fire in short bursts; secondary fire produces a tremendous "scream", which would knock opponents off their feet, making them easier targets. It will also have the ability to bend down or pop up in order to surprise the enemy. Judging by screenshots, the Darkwalkers somewhat resemble the "Striders" in Half-Life 2, and more strongly resemble the tripods from Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. The second seat of the darkwalker is a powerful turret that projects plasma in a beam capable of instantly vapourising an unarmoured target (much like in war of the worlds, except much messier)
A Necris aircraft that uses tentacles for a jellyfish-like method of propulsion through the air. Has the ability to boost and barrel roll to escape enemy fire.[16]
All players have a skateboard-like hoverboard, intended to provide a fast way to get around the larger maps of UT3. While on the hoverboard, players may attach themselves to a vehicle in order to be "towed" quickly. Players are unable to use their weapons, and are extremely vulnerable to attacks; the hoverboard is intended for non-combat use only. Players are also able to perform tricks while on the hoverboard, although this is purely cosmetic and has no effect on gameplay.
White-skinned, gothic-looking undead with advanced technology. They also appeared in UT, and in UT2004 with the UT2004 Mega Pack. In Unreal Championship 2, they are described as humans resurrected via the "Necris Process" They are the antagonists of Unreal Tournament 3.
Egyptians, who have been living on another planet and have advanced technology.
Humans, who have been gene-boosted, giving them added qualities such as increased strength and aggressiveness. They mostly consist of disgruntled prisoners and criminals.
A team of cybernetic robots with very advanced programming. Their leader is the first champion of the Tournament, Xan Kriegor. The robots have been created and are financed by the Liandri Corporation itself. They are upgraded each Tournament.
A group of hardened mercenaries, led by Brock and his girlfriend Lauren (who will stay a part of this team).
A veteran clan of reptilian alien warriors, slaves to the Skaarj during the time period of Unreal. In Unreal Tournament 3, they serve as soldiers for the Necris army. There was much initial confusion when media of the Krall was first released; many players thought they were in fact Skaarj, because they resembled Skaarj more so than the Krall. It was later confirmed by Epic that the aliens were in fact Krall, and not Skaarj.
Lead by Malcom, this famous team of former NEG soldiers needs no introduction.
Not much is known about this team at this point. One of the characters of this team can be seen in a publicity screenshot - he is a black man wearing red armor.
In the single player game the player can create a team of his own, name it, and play against the other teams.
 First Person View |
 The Scorpion Buggy |
 Malcolm |
 The Goliath |
 Shock Rifle |
i knew it and dispite what jacob says spore is coming out on ds and mobile phone
Spore is a computer and video game under development by Maxis, and designed by Will Wright. It simulates the complete history and future of life. Its concept, scope, and development philosophy (broad use of procedural generation) have drawn wide attention.
Spore is, at first glance, a "teleological evolution" game or god game: the player molds and guides a species across many generations, growing it from a single-celled organism into a more complex animal, until the species becomes intelligent. At this point the player begins molding and guiding this species' society, progressing towards a spacefaring civilization. Spore's main innovation is the use of procedural generation for many of the components of the game, providing vast scope and open-endedness. Wright said "I didn't want to make players feel like Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins. I wanted them to be like George Lucas or J.R.R. Tolkien."[1]
The game was already in development in 2000 around the time that The Sims Online was starting development.[1] The game was first revealed and demonstrated to the public during a speech on procedural generation at the 2005 Game Developers Conference (GDC).
On October 8, 2006, the game, its development, and its developer were featured in an article by Steven Berlin Johnson in the Sunday New York Times magazine; the article was entitled "The Long Zoom". [2]
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As of 2007 no official release date has been announced, though Will Wright has said in interviews with GameSpot and Stephen Colbert that the game would be released in the second half of 2007. [3] Electronic Arts, the publisher, partially confirmed this in a conference call regarding the fiscal quarter which ended March 31, 2006. It was stated that Spore would not be released for the Nintendo DS or the PC in the fiscal year which ends March 31, 2007.[4] Many retailers have listed specific release dates; for example EBgames.com currently lists the release date as October 2007.[5] Amazon.co.uk currently lists the date as March 30 2007[6]. Play.com lists the release date as March 2 2007.[7] These release dates are speculative and cannot be considered true dates until EA has officially announced a ship date. As of January 2007, a PC version is confirmed as well as a Nintendo DS Version [2], though Wright has expressed a desire to release the game on other handheld, next-gen, Mac, and even mobile phone formats.
The January 2007 edition of PC Gamer magazine contains an interview with Morgan Roarty, senior producer on the game, including information about the vehicle editor. It lists the current release date as the second quarter of 2007, which falls between April and June 2007.
Spore will be a simulation that "ranges from the cellular level to the galactic level". It will consist of several long phases, each with its own style of play. In his Game Developers Conference speech, Will Wright likened the style of game-play of each phase to an existing game:
Each phase of the game determines the starting point of the next phase. In the Game Developers Conference presentation, the creature that Will Wright was presenting during the creature phase was based on his earlier cell creature (in having three legs, a tail, eyes and mouth in roughly the same positions) that he had evolved through gameplay. He also mentioned that how each phase is played develops the creature's personality, referring to whether the creatures would be logical or emotional, peaceful or violent, among other attributes.
The Tide Pool Phase is sometimes referred to as the microbial stage or the Cell stage and is the starting point of the game. The player guides a simple micro-organism (microbe) around in a 2D environment, eating other, weaker cells. There are at least three other types of cells, two of which can eat the player's microbe to begin with. Once the microbe has eaten several cells, it lays an egg which, when clicked, opens the creature editor which allows the player to modify the appearance, shape, and abilities of the microbe. This includes adding offensive abilities. For example, in Will Wright's 2005 demo, he added a small spike which allows the player's microbe to attack the organisms which would previously eat the player's microbe. Each time the player's microbe progresses to the next generation, it grows larger. Once the microbe grows to a certain size, the player leaves the 2D world of the microscopic and enters the creature phase.
While the tide pool phase introduces the player to the game and its editor, the creature phase plays a big part in terms of what the player's creatures will look like in the later phases. It is similar to the tide pool phase, but there are several important differences. The most obvious one is that it is a 3D environment. There will be other creatures inhabiting the world and most, if not all, of them will have been created by other players. If there is a lack of predators in the ecosystem and weak herbivores are everywhere, the game will automatically download a new race of predators that another player has created and load them into the current player's world to balance the ecosystem.
The appearance of the player's creature is based on the microbe the player created in the tide pool phase. The basic goal is the same: Hunt food to earn DNA points, reproduce, and avoid being eaten by predators. Unlike the asexual reproduction in the tide pool phase, the player must now locate a mate. Once the player's creature has laid an egg, it does not hatch straight away; scavengers will attempt to steal the eggs and the player must defend them. Before the egg hatches, the player will have the opportunity to 'evolve' their creature further into the next generation, which can be done using DNA points (body parts require DNA points). When the egg hatches, the player becomes a baby version of the creature that spawned it. Aesthetically, this version of the creature will be smaller and have a voice of a higher pitch. It will also be somewhat weaker than adult creatures until it grows. Once the player's creature evolves in the creature phase, the fins may (optionally) be replaced by legs and feet, provided the player has collected sufficient DNA points, which allows the creature to move onto land. Will Wright has stated that you can build any type of creature; the possibilities are endless.
The ultimate goal of the creature phase is to increase the creature's brain capabilities slowly using DNA points. Once they have increased sufficiently, the player's creature becomes sapient and the player progresses to the tribal phase.
After the player's species evolves its brain capacity far enough, it enters the tribal phase. At this stage physical development ceases, but the player is given a hut and several of the creatures designed in earlier phases.[8] The player may give tools such as weapons, musical instruments, campfires, and other technologies. The creatures' behavior and collective personality is affected by what tools the player decides to give them. At this point, contact with other tribes can take place, should the player choose to (whether contact is cooperative or hostile). Once the tribe's hut has been upgraded to a high enough level, the player will progress to the city phase.
In his GDC presentation Will Wright described this stage as "a simplified version of SimCity". The player's tribal camp has grown to a city, which must be cared for. Players can use a building editor to change the appearance of the buildings in their city. As in the creature phase, the game will attempt to detect what style of content the player prefers, download similar content created by other players and add it to the buy menu. Although no clear goals for this phase have been revealed, it appears that once a player develops a large enough city, and spreads out across the globe, the game will advance further.
After the city phase comes the civilization phase. In this phase players focus on relations between their civilization and other civilizations on their home planet, whether peaceful or war-torn.
The 'Civilization Phase' is where a player is expected to start seeing the results of their influence on the budding species. Players can still access the building editor and buy new buildings, and once players reach this point they are allowed to zoom out further for the first time, and view the entire planet from space. Once the player zooms out past a certain point, the realistically detailed features of the planet become more stylized. For example, the cities of the planet change from a properly-scaled view with all individual buildings visible to a more stylized, cartoon-like depiction. This is all so that the user can see important landmarks, such as cities and vehicles, even from far away. As in the tribal stage, players can meet other creatures of the same species in other cities to attempt either diplomacy, for opening trade routes and eventually forming an alliance, or for the purpose of attacking them. At this point, a vehicle editor is opened, allowing the player to construct a large variety of land vehicles, aircraft, boats, and submarines.
The goal in this phase is to gain control of the entire planet, and it is left for the player to decide whether to conquer by warfare or diplomatic means. Once players have gained enough credits in this phase they unlock the UFO and the UFO editor, and can proceed into the Space Phase.
After the civilization phase, the space phase, or 'sandbox phase', begins. At this stage the player controls a vehicle (known as the UFO) capable of traveling throughout their local star system (and after obtaining better engines, other star systems within the galaxy) and visiting other planets. This ability presents the player with multiple options:
The Space Phase is sometimes referred to as 'sandbox' mode, since the player has near complete control of anything and everything. Rather than presenting the player with a finite goal, as earlier phases do, the Space Phase gives the player freedom to accomplish any variety of tasks they wish to perform. Planetary zoos, alliances with other races and interstellar warfare have all been mentioned, and are all believed to be possible in-game. Every race will have a 'personality' that will change how a player interacts with them. (At GDC, Wright has mentioned that the races of Star Trek have influenced these "personalities").
It has also been mentioned that the Space Phase works on two axes: a horizontal axis (the ability to interact with many planets in a variety of different ways) and a vertical axis (the ability to revisit different phases of gameplay).
As is traditional with most of Will Wright's games, the game never presents the player with an absolute ending and the Space Phase continues for as long as the player wishes.
Spore's major concept is that nearly everything is created by the players. Will Wright has stated that in addition to being simple, all the editors will be as similar as possible to each other so that content creation skills are easily transferable from one editor to the next. There are several different editors, each one dealing with a different type of content.
At E3 2006, Wright showcased the creature editor. It allows the player to take what looks like a lump of clay with a spine and mold it into a creature of their choosing. Once they are done molding the main form, they can then add legs, arms, feet, hands, eyes, mouths, decorative elements, and a wide array of sensory organs like antennae. Many of these parts affect the creature's final abilities (speed, strength, diet, etc.), while some parts are purely decorative. Once the creature is designed to the player's satisfaction, they can paint the creature using a large number of textures, overlays, colors, and patterns. After the player feels their creature is complete, it can be tested in a small enclosed area.
There is also a building editor (city phase), a hut editor (tribal phase), a vehicle editor (civilization phase), a flora editor (from tribal to space phase), a UFO editor (civilization/space phase) and a terrain editor. Once the player has access to the UFO, it becomes possible to terraform entire planets.
In Spore, all creature animations are made on the fly. "The game automatically knows how to animate your creature based on how you put it together. For example, if you give your creature four equine legs, you can logically expect it to gallop around like a horse"[10] In Wright's first public demonstration of Spore, he created a tripedal creature in the creature editor. The game then determined how a lizard with three legs and a prehensile tail should walk. Other animations of the lizard including hunting, eating, swimming, dragging objects, mating and dancing, all of which were procedurally generated based on the model that the player created. Wright then revealed several pre-made creatures which moved realistically, despite their exotic design: large, insectile creatures with multiple heads and six legs, Tweety Bird the SUV: a walking bird whose massive head caused it to tilt while turning, and a dog-like creature with a set of unusually branching limbs. He also humorously demonstrated a creature that looked like a Care Bear (claiming it would be a vicious carnivore), indicating that players could create animals similar to those found in nature or popular culture.
There has not been much direct information released regarding the technology Spore uses to procedurally generate its creatures and worlds. Wright mentioned in an interview given at E3 2006 that the information necessary to generate an entire creature would be only a couple of kilobytes, according to Wright, who presented the following analogy: "think of it as sharing the DNA template of a creature while the game, like a womb, builds the 'phenotypes' of the animal, which represent a few megabytes of texturing, animation, etc".
Chris Hecker, who currently works on Spore (including its early prototypes), gave a presentation at GDC 2005 and Futureplay entitled "Why you should have paid attention in multivariable calculus", in which he describes the mathematics of an implicit surface and various methods to apply texture projections to such surfaces. Sean O'Neil worked as a consultant for Maxis "to assist with R&D development involving dynamic generation and rendering of a fractal-based world".[11] He maintains a website[3] with demonstration of procedural planet generation and a simulation of dynamic atmospheric scattering.
Wright noted that he hired a handful of demoscene programmers and artists because of their familiarity with procedural generation.
Wright calls the game a "massively single-player online game"[12]. Simultaneous multiplayer gaming is not a feature of Spore. The creatures, vehicles, and buildings the player can create will be uploaded automatically to a central database (or a peer-to-peer system), cataloged and rated for quality (based on how many users have downloaded the object or creature in question), and then re-distributed to populate other players' games. The data transmitted will be very small — only a couple of kilobytes per item transmitted, according to Wright, (due to the aforementioned procedural generation of material).
The music for the game is being designed by Brian Eno, an artist famous for his work with ambient music. Eno has created a simple piece of software called "The Shuffler", which procedurally generates fragments for the soundtrack from a number of samples. Eno appeared in November 2006 to give a talk alongside Will Wright at the Long Now Foundation [4]. In January 2007, Eno confirmed his involvement in a lecture given at the University of Arts, Berlin [5]. Eno had been involved with Wright and Spore at least as early as June 2006[13].
Following several years of development, Spore was first introduced to the public on March 11, 2005 in Wright's lecture about "procedural content generation" at the Game Developers Conference. It was officially unveiled two months later at E3 2005, the industry's annual trade show. GDC 2006 featured two Spore related talks, Building Community Around Pollinated Content in Spore[14] and Spore: Preproduction Through Prototyping[15]. A video released on YouTube [16] shows "unedited footage of Spore that will be going to TV networks covering E3 [2006]", and includes an overhauled creature editor, a first look at the texturing tools, as well as glimpses at other aspects of the game. Will Wright has said that the game was also influenced by many TV shows, movies, and toys, such as Lego and Star Wars.
Will Wright originally intended to call the game Sim Everything, but needed a codename to use during the development process. Over time, however, the team came to prefer the name Spore, as it suited the game very well. He went on to state in an interview that "not putting 'Sim' in front of it" was "very refreshing".
The game has currently been in development for five years [citation needed]. The New York Times reported a projected development cost of twenty million US dollars on October 10, 2006.[2]
Will Wright names the demoscene as a major influence on Spore,[1] which is largely based on procedural content generation developed by many demoscene veterans. Specifically, as the demoscene was originally limited by the hardware and storage capabilities of their target machines (16/32 bit micros such as the Atari and the Amiga ran on floppy disks), they developed intricate algorithms to produce large amounts of content from very little initial data. Wright showed pictures from demoparties like Assembly demo party to great applause at the GDC '05.
Some of the advanced animation technologies used in Spore are described in the research and papers published by Steve Capell (and others), who made his Ph.D dissertation on Interactive Character Animation Using Dynamic Elastic Simulation[6] and is now employed at EA. The papers were submitted and presented to SIGGRAPH. Specific papers which cover the animation techniques are:
all part of the Deformable Objects and Characters projects[10] with example videos.
Other elements of the animation synthesizing techniques are presented in the Motion Libraries for Character Animation projects[11] at the University of Washington and contain more videos.
The video[12] of the skeletal editor in the project offers insight into the theory behind the animation technique.
At E3 2005, the game won the following Game Critics Awards: Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best PC Game, and Best Simulation Game.[17] At E3 2006, Spore was awarded the following Game Critics Awards: Best PC Game, Best Original Game, and Best Simulation[18].
EA has plans to expand Spore's features even further. There are plans for the creation of a type of Spore collectible card game based on the creatures, buildings, vehicles, and planets that have been created by the players. There are also indications of plans for the creation of customized creature figurines; some of those who designed their own creatures at E3 2006 later received 3D printed models of the creatures they created.[19]
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a real-time strategy video game currently being developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles for the PC and Xbox 360 platforms, and is the long-awaited sequel to the 1999 RTS title Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and its expansion pack Firestorm by Westwood Studios. Canonically it takes place at the advent of and during the "Third Tiberium War", after the Brotherhood of Nod launches an unexpected and worldwide offensive against the Global Defense Initiative, abruptly ending a period of seventeen years of silence and crippling GDI forces everywhere. With the odds tipped in Nod's favor this time, GDI field commanders rally their troops and begin to combat the Brotherhood's second re-emergence, trying to restore lost hope. The game will also feature the introduction of a new third faction to the Tiberian series of the Command & Conquer games, and is the second C&C title in which the player will be able to upgrade their forces.
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The story of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars kicks off in the year of 2047 (roughly sixteen to seventeen years after the events of Firestorm). While the conflict between the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod appears to have subsided substantially ever since, Tiberium infestation has begun to reach critical levels and continues to destroy the Earth's ecosystems at an alarming rate, prompting GDI to divide the world into three different geographical zones based on the levels of local infestation.[2] 30% of the world's surface has been designated as "red zones", which have suffered the worst contamination and can no longer support human - or otherwise carbon-based - life. 50% of the regions in the world have been designated as "yellow zones", which are dangerously contaminated yet contain most of the world's population. Decades of war and civil unrest have left these regions in a state of social collapse and have continued to provide the Brotherhood of Nod with opportunity for concealment as well as large-scale recruitment over the years. The remaining 20% of the Earth's surface is unscarred by Tiberium outbreak and is relatively untouched by war. These "blue zones" are considered the last refuge and hope of the human civilized world and have been placed under the direct protection of the Global Defense Initiative.
In March 2047 the Brotherhood of Nod suddenly fires a nuclear missile at GDI's orbiting command station "Philadelphia", destroying the fulcrum of GDI's senior command structure in a single major blow. Since the end of the Second Tiberium War, Nod has silently built up its influence and its military potential into the status of a true superpower, and is now supported by a significant number of the world's population through medical aid, enforcement of stability and hate-mongering against GDI and the "blue zone" populations from within the "yellow zone" territories. Isolated and unprepared to handle the offensives led by Black Hand shock troops across the globe, GDI regional field commanders take charge directly and begin rallying their demoralized troops, hoping to win a new victory over Nod.
As the conflict rages however, forces of alien origins will suddenly enter the fray and alter the nature of the Third Tiberium War entirely. The precise connection between these alien creatures and the Tiberium substance, as well as the original conflict between the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod, still remains to be unveiled.
The Global Defense Initiative's internal structure and organization is quite similar to a supranational and large-scale integration of all of the world's major modern day conventional armies into a single globalized military force.[3] GDI is capable of instantly deploying vast quantities of well-trained and well-equipped soldiers backed by powerful ground, air and naval assets to any point on the globe, and this in ways that are considerably more organized, advanced, as well as on a much greater scale than any conventional real-life military force of today possibly could.[3] Global Defense Initiative troops utilize both superior armor and firepower, making them typically much more powerful than Nod forces in direct open confrontations, but also more cumbersome and less flexible, the exploitation of which the Brotherhood is notoriously adept at through its combinations of futuristic guerrilla warfare with uniquely advanced Tiberium-based technologies.[4] By the year of 2047, GDI forces were restructured to allow for decentralized operations in multiple theatres of war, through the establishment of forward-operating bases in all types of terrain[3] and the deployment of specialized, reliable, and cost-effective ground and air forces supported by the most advanced network of orbital artillery satellites in history.[5]
The Brotherhood of Nod is a mysterious, enigmatic and highly militant Abrahamic cult of an allegedly ancient origin[6], which in modern times began to show the combined characteristics of a vast religious movement, a multinational corporation and a nation-state, whilst being none of the three in itself.[6] The globalized brotherhood is led by a mysterious man who is known only as Kane[7], and its influence in the world at the advent of the events in which Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars will take place eventually reached nothing short of the status of an unconventional superpower[6]. The Brotherhood of Nod represents a flexible, elusive and worldwide cultic army which thrives on the synergy between low-tech guerrilla warfare and highly-trained forces equipped with state-of-the-art communications gear and the most advanced weapon systems available, which all have been derived from the Brotherhood its uniquely adept understanding of Tiberium-based military technologies.[6] Nod's tactics are highly radical and appear more cruel than GDI's, often showing little to no regard for human life, and their fascination with Tiberium also leads them to use the dangerous and toxic substance offensively whenever possible. Nod forces are completely dedicated to Kane and the Brotherhood's cause, and are well known to fight and willingly die for either.[7]
The December 2006 issue of the Games for Windows magazine first confirmed that the mysterious third side will be the extra-terrestrial species featured in Tiberian Sun and known as the Scrin[8], the units and structures of which show a distinct insect-like appearance. In FMV trailer footage, Kane himself additionally is heard to refer to them as "the Visitors", and is seen to become enraged when he learns his General Kilian Qatar considers the alien species to be a greater threat to Nod than even the GDI. In-game trailer footage narrated by C&C 3 associate producer Jim Vessella has confirmed the existence of a number of specific Scrin units, including but not limited to the 'Stormrider' light attack fighter, the 'Annihilator Tripod' (a mech unit with three laser turrets), and the so-called 'Buzzers' (a swarming anti-infantry unit made of razor blades). Interviews of game producer Amer Ajami additionally revealed that this alien species will feature numerous economic advantages over the traditional two factions, as well as a significantly higher build rate for both their infantry and their vehicle units, yet at the cost of having a relatively weaker protection from enemy attacks in comparison to their counterparts of the GDI and Nod factions. An IGN preview has with regards to the storyline stated that a Scrin mothership has been dormant on the edge of the solar system for a thousand years, in wait for a Tiberium related signal. Awakening from their slumber, the alien faction joins the fray in the Third Tiberium War with unknown motivations and goals.[9]
In their November 2006 podcast, EALA revealed the existence of a "mutant hovel", a type of tech building that a player can take over and use to build a variety of mutant mercenary units. While they do not make up a new side on their own, they are a useful addition to any army as mutant soldiers traditionally have greater combat skills than the basic Nod and GDI infantry units. In the C&C 3 fanpack by EALA, an early concept art of the mutants was revealed.
As of October 18, 2006, several actors are confirmed to have been casted in the cutscenes of Tiberium Wars: [10]
Electronic Arts Los Angeles has also stated that it will be employing the talents of several real-world news casters, including Shanon Cook (CNN reporter) and John Huck (Las Vegas Fox News anchor) to deliver TV-style reports of the Tiberium Wars within the game's cutscenes[11], which will be directed by cinematic director Richard Taylor.[12]
EA has confirmed that an early trailer, in which the iconic character of Kane was portrayed, did indeed feature Joseph D. Kucan, who will return to reprise his role as the infamous leader of the Brotherhood of Nod for Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.
Other known facts about the game include:
A sequel to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun has been expected since after Tiberian Sun’s release in 1999. A hypothetical sequel was called "Tiberian Twilight" due to EA copyrights throughout the Command & Conquer community. Work on a sequel is believed to have been started at Westwood Studios in 2001, but Electronic Arts decided to shift the focus of a sequel from a science fiction theme to a modern theme based on current world conflicts. The work on a sequel was used to make Command & Conquer: Generals and other current SAGE engine based games. Developers still retained the Command & Conquer 3 idea (tentatively named 'Incursion'), intending it to be an update of the original possibly in terms of gameplay and setting.[19] However, just before Generals was released, EA announced that Westwood Studios in Las Vegas would be closing and would be consolidated into EA Los Angeles. This split the Westwood team, with some members not willing to relocate and thus quitting and the rest moving to Los Angeles to work at the new consolidated studio, thus effectively stopping the development of Command & Conquer 3 for the time being.
In 2004, old concept art from Westwood was revealed, under the name "Command & Conquer 3". This artwork showed a mech unit, a fully 3-dimensional environment similar to that used in the game Generals, and the original interface system from both the original Command & Conquer and its sequel of Tiberian Sun. This revealed artwork fueled speculation that EA was working on a Command & Conquer game, which in turn set off rumors as to when the game would ship and what the plot would be; however, in December of 2004, after the EALA team settled down, then executive producer and Command & Conquer lead Mark Skaggs announced in a mass e-mail that the next Command & Conquer game would be Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 and not a long-awaited sequel to Tiberian Sun. However, shortly there after Skaggs left EA for reasons unknown and ideas for Red Alert 3 were mothballed. Mike Verdu later became the new lead on Command & Conquer.
On April 18, 2006, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars was prematurely announced. On April 20, an official press release was made.
Crysis is an upcoming sci-fi first-person shooter computer game that is currently in production by German developer Crytek. Crytek is best known for the 2004 shooter Far Cry that was released for PC.
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Little is currently known about the storyline, although the basic plot was recently revealed by the developers.
Set in 2020, the game focuses on Jake Dunn, a United States Delta Force soldier. Dunn and his team are sent in to investigate a meteorite crash in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The United States is not the only country aware of the crash; North Korea is also investigating the crash site.
The game is planned to be set across three acts.
Crytek has stated the aliens themselves will not be revealed until the end of the game, giving them a certain degree of suspense.
As with Far Cry, Crysis will be an open-ended game with many ways to meet objectives. An addition to the previous Far Cry formula is that any weapon may be modified with devices such as silencers, targeting scopes, and targeting lasers.
The protagonist is also capable of being modified, as he wears a US Military prototype "Nano Muscle Suit." This allows Jake to carry armor, use heavy weapons, reduce noise output, increase speed, jump higher, and treat wounds on the battlefield. Due to the ability of constantly regenerating health, the game will be completely devoid of first aid kits or medical kits. All of these actions, however, use rechargeable energy reserves that power the suit. The suit can be greatly modified to meet the playing style of the player and further enhance the gameplay experience.
14 hand-held weapons are to be included in Crysis
Up to 32 players will be able to go head-on in Crysis multiplayer. It will be consisted of 3 different modes:
Tactical Capture The Flag is no longer part of the game mode line up. Crytek employees have commented though that this multiplayer mode could be added in a patch or if not, it will no doubt be developed by the modding community.
The 2 modes are familiar with a twist. Tactical precedes the name due to the dynamics of customizing your suit, weapons, and ammunition. As an example in Tactical Team Deathmatch, you can either shoot down an enemy helicopter or put the pilot to sleep.
Power Struggle: All players start the game on one of two teams with nothing more than a pistol and a basic nano-suit. The two possible teams are the US Delta Force, or the North Korean Army. After you have joined a team with your pistol and basic nano-suit, you have to fight to earn points. These points do more than just make your name look pretty on the scoreboard. You will use these points to purchase weapons, vehicles and even whole manufacturing plants. How you earn points is quite interesting as it will depend on what type/rank of player you killed. For example, if you're a noob and you just killed a general, then you will get more points than if he killed you. This helps with balancing so the guy who gets the vehicle first doesn't just own the whole map.
Each game in "Power Struggle" mode can last over 10 hours (5 Crysis days). If buying standard vehicles isn't enough, you can even crossbreed them with alien technology. So you can have an invisible tank or a jeep that has a mounted freeze gun rather than a 50.cal. The combinations are amazing. You can buy weapons from where you spawn, but you can buy better weapons and vehicles at certain control points of the maps. You can buy items using your prestige points which you can earn doing all sorts of things but mainly by killing enemies. However, when you die you will lose your gun and any of your vehicles, presuming your vehicle exploded when you died.
Crysis will contain its own sandbox edtior, much like Far Cry in which you can edit and create new levels. Created levels will have full support in all multiplayer modes.
Crysis will use an all new engine that is the successor to Far Cry's CryENGINE. CryENGINE2 is to be among the first to use the Direct3D 10 framework of Windows Vista.
The engine features many graphical enhancements, some of which include:
As well as supporting Shader Model 2.0, 3.0 (Direct3D 9) and 4.0 (Direct3D 10), the engine will be multi-threaded to take advantage of SMP or hyper-threading capable systems. The game will also come in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Crytek claims that running the 64-bit version will give a performance increase of up to 10-15% per thread.[2] Crytek does not intend to support any sort of Physics Processor such as the AGEIA PhysX.
Halo 3, the third game in the best-selling Xbox game franchise Halo, is a highly-anticipated first-person shooter video game under development by Bungie Studios for the Xbox 360. An official announcement on the developers' website states that Halo 3 will end the current story arc of the Halo trilogy. A beta test of the multi-player component of the game is scheduled to be available in Spring 2007. The final version of the game will be released sometime later in the year.
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A trailer of the game was shown at Microsoft press conference at E3 2006. The trailer ends with the tagline "Finish the fight". The trailer begins in a dry, desolate area, a few miles inland of New Mombasa's remains. Parts of the broken space elevator and bridge are in the background. Through the smoke and rubble, the Master Chief, emerges, occasionally obscured by overlaid images of what appears to be Cortana transmitting a distorted message:
One of these lines is in the Cortana Letters. Fans have noted that the voice of the Gravemind can be heard, speaking Cortana's words, leading many to believe that the Gravemind plays a part in Cortana's speech, and is possibly even using Cortana to speak to the Master Chief. Screaming can be heard before the transmissions, further supporting this hypothesis. Other forces may also be acting on Cortana - in the 'Behind the Scenes' video[2], it is stated, "We don't know what has happened to her since then. We don't know it's Cortana. It could be any sort of bizarre, almost Satanic sort of voice. Something seems wrong." Each transmission is clearer than the last. It should also be noted that Cortana's dialogue is highly reminiscent of, and can be attributed to, the dialogue of Durandal, an artificial intelligence originating from Bungie's previous FPS series of games, Marathon [3]. The Master Chief is seen holding a new MA5C assault rifle, an upgraded version of the MA5B rifle used in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Overhead, a massive Covenant "excavation fleet," as it was called by Bungie, holds position over an enormous crater the Chief is overlooking. Within the crater is a large, circular, metallic structure over three miles in diameter, stated by Bungie to be a Forerunner-related structure. Above the crater, there is an immense maelstrom in the sky caused by "massive, never before seen subatomic forces," presumably caused by the gigantic structure.[citation needed] Banshees and Covenant warships fly towards it, paying no attention to the Master Chief, who backs away from the crater's edge as the structure begins to activate and pieces of the crater's edge crumble away.
The Chief watches as the structure blooms and a round of pronged spires unfold toward the sky as the surrounding Covenant craft slowly fly away from it. A brilliant light rapidly consumes the area, fading to black as Cortana closes with the line, "This is the way the world ends." Cortana's closing words are directly from T.S. Eliot's famous closing words in his poem, The Hollow Men:
The trailer was produced entirely using the Xbox 360 hardware in real-time. After the E³ showing, Bungie demonstrated the real-time nature of the demo by moving the camera around and moving Master Chief to demonstrate the game's visual effects. The Assault Rifle was also fired to demonstrate that the muzzle flash was reflected off Chief's visor in real-time.
The music in the trailer utilized a 60-piece orchestra and a 24-member choir, above and beyond what composer Martin O'Donnell used for Halo 3's predecessors. The trailer fanfare sports a wholly new arrangement, the addition of trumpets, and the noted absence of Halo's signature "monks."[2]
Due to speculation of the identity of the Spartan shown in the trailer, Bungie has confirmed that it is the Master Chief. [4]
There is also an "easter egg" hidden within the trailer: a wobbling sign on the side of the road which appears to be a "Grunt Crossing" sign. Bungie's official response to the sign was "The New Mombasa City Council had an incredibly efficient public works department until and even during the tragic and devastating Covenant invasion". There is another Easter Egg in the trailer when the structure is activated: Bungie's original Marathon symbol is in the lights around the installation. This picture is a choice of many symbols for players' multiplayer icon in Halo 2 and is an inside-joke which Bungie regularly features in their games. Also, avid fans of the series froze and magnified an image of the Master Chief, and found the Marathon logo imprinted on the Assault Rifle (As seen in the "Newsweek" screenshot below).
On December 4, 2006, a 60-second CGI commercial for Halo 3 was aired on ESPN, followed by a release on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE. The advertisement does not contain any gameplay footage, and was created entirely by Digital Domain, using a mix of live action (for the two children) and animation; Bungie-supplied assets for vehicles and models, and pure CGI.[5]
The ad opens with two young children lying in long grass looking at the night sky as a shooting star flies overhead. The little girl asks if they'll ever meet what's up there, and the boy replies, "I hope so. Don't you?" The conversation is cut off by a screeching noise as the scene changes and a plasma mortar impacts the ground nearby. The camera cuts from the lush grassland to a first-person view of an arid Kenyan shrubland. Covenant plasma projectiles bombard the area.
Reeling, the dazed Master Chief struggles to regain his orientation. He catches a glimpse of aircraft overhead as he reaches for his helmet lying on the ground. He staggers to his feet, taking note of the overturned, damaged Warthog from which he had presumably been thrown. As he stands up, the voices of the children echo in his head, along with those of Cortana, Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson, and a voice that says "Time to go"; he is on Earth in the midst of the Covenant invasion.
Upon regaining his composure, the Chief takes note of a nearby MA5C Assault Rifle and stows the weapon away on his back. The voices of unidentified Marines are heard over the radio; an urgent voice gives the order to fall back. The following dialogue indicates that the Chief is unaccounted for; it appears that the Marines have "lost him." Gazing at a strange cloud formation in the distance (confirmed to be the same clouds as in the E3 Announcement Trailer), he replies, "Not yet". He then takes a grenade-like device in hand, arms it, then throws it onto the ground before him. The device emits a loud, electronic hum and immediately generates a shield resembling a transparent geodesic sphere, termed a "Bubble Shield" by Bungie. A Covenant mortar impacts on the shield, which dissipates shortly thereafter; the wreckage of a nearby overturned Mongoose ATV is caught and disintegrated in the same explosion.
The Chief then charges forward, holstering his pistol and brandishing the Assault Rifle as he leaps off a ledge into a cluster of Brutes, many of which appear to be wielding Spikers, except for the leader, who seems to be wearing a red headdress with red-themed armor, and is lifting something akin to Tartarus's gravity hammer, the Fist of Rukt.
The ad closes with the same "HALO 3", "FINISH THE FIGHT - 2007" and Xbox 360 taglines as the E3 trailer, and an additional caption: the "Jump In" slogan of the Xbox 360 marketing campaign.
The "Et tu, Brute?" ViDoc (a portmanteau of video documentary), released on December 20, at 2 AM PST, shows how the Brutes have been almost completely redesigned for Halo 3. Bungie clarified that none of the graphics shown in the ViDoc are final, and that some elements may be completely redesigned before launch.[6]
The ViDoc explains that the three classes of Brutes have been differentiated, the same way Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 featured different classes of Elites, Grunts, and Jackals. There are 'standard' infantry Brutes, Brute Captains and the Brute Chieftain. All are shown with much heavier armor than the Brutes in Halo 2. The Minor Brutes wear blue armor held together by buckles. The Captains have more elaborate helmets and armor, and the Chieftains have the most elaborate helmets and armor. The color scheme of Elites in the prior games seems to have been applied to Brutes (blue is the lowest rank, red is higher, and gold is the highest). To reflect the Brutes' violent nature, some new animations have been created. Examples shown in the ViDoc include a Brute ripping off the arms of a Marine, a Brute ramming a Marine into a vehicle, and another Brute punching the stomach of a Marine lying on the ground.
The AI has also been updated to incorporate the new idea of a Brute pack. A Chieftain in Halo 3 may order all of its troops to throw grenades at the enemy together, or may decide to focus on attacking one character.
The film also includes many previously unseen elements, such as dual-wieldable Energy Swords (at least, by AI) and the new "spike grenade". Early play tests have shown that these "Spike Grenades" may stick to any surface except water and release directional spikes upon explosion. The Brute Chieftain is seen firing a weapon resembling an un-deployed plasma turret from Halo 2. However, as previously mentioned, the game is still in a pre-alpha stage, and the graphics and game elements in the vidoc are currently unconfirmed for final release in the game.
The only official release date can be found on Bungie's official FAQ for the game, which says only that the game will be released "at an as-yet to be announced date in 2007." They also stated in their end-of-2006 Weekly Update "may 2007 bring you the most incredible stuff you ever hoped or dreamed for. Including, but not limited to Halo 3."[7]
Soon after the Xbox 360 was unveiled in May 2005, EB Games and FYE started taking preorders for Halo 3, despite having no official word from Bungie on whether they would make another Halo game. The preorder pages have since been removed, but other retailers have followed suit.
On May 9, 2006, exactly a year and a half after the release of Halo 2, the announcement trailer to Halo 3 appeared on the Xbox Live Marketplace, shortly before the trailer made its appearance at E3, due in part to the E3 conference's late start. Halo 3's announcement was soon posted on other gaming sites, including GameSpot.[8] After some downtime on the official Bungie website, the game was announced officially and the trailer was made available for download.[9]
On June 6, 2006, Bungie Studios released a behind-the-scenes look at the E3 announcement trailer on their website. The video included many elements intended to produce speculation in the fan community. Some of these elements include glimpses of the updated UNSC Marines' appearance, an unknown race holding a new weapon, and Master Chief holding the M90 Shotgun from previous Halo titles. The video also showed different angles and takes of the announcement video, showing how powerful the engine was (and proving the video was not pre-rendered).
As of August 18, 2006, Best Buy has the Halo 3 Set release date as November 15, 2007, although it is also stated on the same page that an official release date for Halo 3 has not yet been announced by Microsoft. UK website Play.com Had set their release date for November, though it has now been changed to April 27th 2007, though with no notice that it is unofficial.
On October 2, 1UP.com featured an article about the November 14 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM). The magazine features a "blowout" on the game, featuring new information, as well as new screenshots and videos available on the 1UP website. [10] In addition, three weeks worth of continuous coverage of Halo 3 was added to the site throughout November.[11]
Various game journalists from around the world were exclusively invited to Bungie to play on multiplayer test builds of the game.[12] Bungie.net usually has a weekly "Humpday Challenge" where the Bungie team plays Halo 2 against other groups from the gaming community. Recently, Bungie has started using Halo 3 for its Humpday Challenges.[13][14]
EGM, Swedish magazine Level and the UK Official Xbox Magazine released screenshots of Halo 3 in action, featuring the Mongoose ATV in use in a CTF game. The magazine also included screenshots of three different multiplayer maps: High Ground, Valhalla, and Snowbound, as well as three new weapons. The Spiker is the new gun of choice for the Brutes, as well as the Spike Grenade, and humans have a new "anti-vehicular" shoulder-mounted laser gun. The articles also described a new map-based element called a "Man Cannon," a launch pad that would be capable of flinging objects -- and players -- from one side of the map to the other (similar to the "jumping pad" on the side of the map "Ascension" in Halo 2). On November 2, 2006, GameInformer stated that GameStop and EB Games are already taking pre-orders for Halo 3 and that the release date is November 1, 2007. Three versions were announced: Standard ($59.99), Collector's ($69.99) (contents still unannounced), and a special "Legendary" 4-disc edition[15] ($99.99). This version comes with an exclusive stand with a MJOLNIR Mark VI helmet replica(Dimensions are Height 10", Width 8.5" and Depth 11.5"), which acts as a cover for the stand containing the 4 discs (Dimensions are Height 11.5", Width 10", Depth 12.5"). The 4 discs consist of the Halo 3 Game disc, and 3 bonus discs. The three bonus discs include: Behind-the-scenes content at Bungie Studios with new insights into the Halo Universe and the making of Halo 3, a special hi-resolution collection of all cinematics from Halo 1 and Halo 2 with director commentary from the Bungie Team bonus, videos from Red vs Blue and This Spartan Life, a Theme, and more unannounced content.[16]
Joystiq reported a Microsoft blogger claimed Brutes would be a playable race, but this rumor was quickly proven false by Bungie's Frank O'Connor.[17]. However, it revealed that upcoming Bungie gameplay videos would feature "new insights into elements of the campaign and will peel back the curtain on a certain prominent character in Halo 3." [18] O'Connor would later say that Brutes would be "more exciting, clever, graphically impressive, terrifying, numerous and angrier."[19] Bungie promised a "Vidoc" (Video Documentary) focusing on the Brutes, which was released initially on Xbox Live Marketplace at 2AM PST on December 20, 2006. [6]. So far there is no information on the release of the Official Soundtrack.
On January 1, 2007, gameplay footage of Halo 3 was posted on various websites. Selected army personnel stationed in Iraq were privileged to test a recent build of the game and apparently had recorded the game footage. The footage, six seconds in length, contains the first glimpse of up-to-date, real Halo 3 gameplay that the general gaming community has seen. The footage shows a Spartan traversing the multiplayer map, High Ground with Assault Rifle in hand. No other elements were shown. Stills have also been found through the same sources, featuring Halo 3's user interface and stills of gameplay footage.
On November 15, 2006 it was announced that the online beta would be released to the public in Spring 2007, along with new Halo 2 maps exclusively for Xbox 360 owners. [20]
As of January 24th, 2007, registration for the first segment of the beta test selection is closed to North American entrants. However, the Australian and New Zealand Xbox sites are still offering 15 Beta test places (10 for Australia, 5 for New Zealand). Entrants must provide a 25-word opinion on how they think the Master Chief would "finish the fight" in Halo 3. In Europe, the available slots are available through online media outlets. Bungie has stated that this is only "phase one" of the registration process and that there will be more options for players outside of North America to register for the public beta. According to IGN, over 140,000 players signed up to play in the multiplayer beta as of December 13, 2006.[21] Applicants for this segment of the Halo 3 Beta test began to receive acceptance e-mails on January 22, 2007.
On January 3, 2007, Bungie Studios announced that the Halo 3 beta will be obtainable by registering on Halo3.com. However, players must own an Xbox 360, and they must be one of the first 13,333 players to play 3 hours of Halo 2 (between 12:01 AM EST on February 1st and 11:59 PM EST on February 3rd, 2007) on Xbox Live and register on February 5th, 2007.[22] Players may also purchase specially marked versions of the video game Crackdown and use a number on the box as a "key" to download the Halo 3 beta from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Only the initial launch shipment copies of Crackdown will include this key to the Halo 3 beta. Crackdown will be released on February 20th, 2007 in the United States and Canada, February 23rd, 2007 in Europe, and February 27th, 2007 in Japan.
This section briefly lists elements of Halo 3 that have been confirmed, specifically those returning from the other titles in the Halo series.
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stunning
Unreal 3 engine is amazing
And multiple choices