Activision is taking a cue from Rock Band and will be including vocal, bass and drums in Guitar Hero IV. Joystiq has pics of the drum kit prototype for the game from the latest issue of Game Informer. The kit comes close to a midi compatible professional drum kit. It features a bass pedal and three snares and two dedicated symbol pads.
At this time, there’s no word on whether the kits for the two games will be compatible. However I doubt they will be considering the near open warfare between Activision and Harmonix over guitar compatibility; and the guitar peripherals were almost identical in design.
It’s hard to imagine I’d be really excited about another open-world game with GTA IV’s release mere hours away, but that’s exactly what Prototype continues to do with each new bit of information. This new gameplay trailer runs down the highlights of the protagonists many powers, from parkour chase scenes to “devastator” attacks that can obliterate everything around him. This is already looking like it could have some of the craziest open-world action since Crackdown. Guess we still have to wait until this summer to find out though.
DC Comics and Sierra have announced that they will be bringing a comic bok series to the market based on the upcoming Prototype video game. The book will be published under DC’s Wildstorm label and will expand on the story of Alex Mercer, an anti-hero who gains strange powers as the result of a government experiment.
“We’re blown away with what Sierra and developer Radical Entertainment have shown us of PROTOTYPE, and know with absolute certainty that this will make for a terrific comic book,” said Hank Kanalz, VP & General Manager, WildStorm. “PROTOTYPE’s back-story, visuals and gameplay are stunning, and we have every intention of bringing those core pillars to our book because this is a great opportunity to expand on the world they’ve created, and build something new and interesting for comics fans.”
No word yet on specifically who will be working on this book, but past game-to-comic adaptations have turned out pretty well, so we’ll have to see.
Sierra Entertainment has launched the new website for Prototype. Now when gamers need their fix, they can just log in and start consuming the ever-evolving compilation of in-depth game information and assets hidden within Protype’s Double-Helix DNA Strand.
They have done a pretty decent job creating an interactive site for the upcoming open-world action game. By entering the correct code sequences, on the site, visitors can unlock and access exclusive new assets, including fresh screenshots, videos and other mysterious images; and as the Helix evolves, new code sequences will become active.
Code sequences will be concealed within print, online and broadcast/television preview features, along with a myriad of other mediums through the end of the year.
You can expect Prototype to be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall.
Gamer Doc, a new video game retailer on the block, is ready to reveal new store prototypes at this year’s International Franchise Expo. These stores are supposedly tailored to gamers, offering customers a new interactive experience.
“Our store design is a new innovation in retail,” said Jim Belanger, president of Gamer Doc. “Customers can come into the store and have the kind of personal shopping experience they want. They can come in and make a purchase, browse the latest and upcoming titles, try out, trade-in, rent or pre-order games, or have repairs made with as much or as little assistance as they like. Each customer is in charge of their own shopping experience.”
Gamer Doc franchisees will be able to choose one of three themes for their store; a burned-out building, a futuristic, or a character theme. Although themes will very, all the layouts will be familiar to gamers from store to store. Two “Pro Gamer” pods are stationed at the front with “Gamer Centers” with consoles and video games as well as flat-panel monitors for trying games. There will also be a used game section in each store.
“Our franchisees have the best understanding of how customer preferences vary by local markets. We want the franchisees to choose the theme for their store interior design that best fits their location,” Belanger said. “We believe that this concept will create a lot of excitement and generate a ton of interest in Gamer Doc at the show.”
Gamer Doc has sold franchises in Orange County, California; Tampa/St. Petersburg and Orlando/Daytona Beach, Florida.
According to an interview with Tim Bennison of Radical Entertainment, Prototype has had multiplayer removed from the game.
From its inception Prototype was planned first and foremost as a single player open-world/action game. Naturally, with Alex’s genetically mutated shape-shifting abilities, we started to explore what would happen if he were to sub-divide into two Prototypes and what kind of multiplayer gameplay we could create around that concept. We’ve been looking at this potential multiplayer idea much more closely as Prototype’s development has been progressing, and while it’s a great concept and gameplay bonus, our conclusion is that we won’t be able to pull it off with the same level of quality and polish that we’re aiming for with the original single player story.
So there ya have it folks. No multiplayer for Prototype. Is that so bad really? Not all games HAVE to have a multiplayer aspect to them, and sometimes - especially here of late - the single player campaign can suffer for it. On the other side of the spectrum though, you can’t just throw in half-baked multiplayer modes just to appeal to the multiplayer crowd or it in turn suffers as well - *cough Condemned 2 cough*.
Sierra has many titles in the works right now, and the ones scheduled for release sometime this year will stay on schedule. However, the titles that are currently in development and scheduled for a 2009 release are to have their fate decided soon by Activision.
Those of us who are eagerly anticipating The Bourne Conspiracy, Prototype, Brutal Legend, or Ghostbusters should just sit back, relax and wait for our games to hit shelves - they are safe. Sierra titles for 2009 though will have to be resubmitted to Activision and go through the approval process all over again.
Changes always happens when a new company buys your old one, and gaming is no exception. Hopefully all of the hard work that Vivendi’s Sierra line had put into these projects will not have been in vain, but you know something has to go and it may just be something you have looked forward to, so be prepared. One example of a conflict of interest may be Activision’s sequel to F.E.A.R. and Warner/Monolith’s Project Origin - I would sincerely hope that Activision is not dense enough to waste the time and money spent on these two massive projects - they may put them on hold, but I doubt they feel the headsman’s axe any time soon.
When corporations merge, loads of changes happen and it is not always for the better. We will just have to wait and see how this goes down.
UEFA Euro, which only happens every four years will have soccer (football) hooligans and video gamers alike all in a tizzy on May 20th. UEFA Euro 2008 will be released by Electronic Arts and celebrates the UEFA European soccer championship and allows the gamer to determine the plot line. According to Colin Macrae, EA’s Communications Director, the newest version will give gamers the ability “to control their player after scoring a goal so they can decide how to celebrate, where to run on the field, how to drop to their knees and the like”.
The Vancouver International Games Summit will take place May 21 to 22 and many a gaming company will be present for the second annual event. The gaming development industry is booming in Canada with not only the larger corporations but smaller animation houses as well. Vancouver is also starting to see film and television productions returning now that the writers strike is over and it is also speculated that the strength of Canadian currency is also a culprit for gaming and movie companies being developed and filmed in the country.
Even with video games sales eclipsing movie revenue and major studios cutting back on filming, Vancouver is still swamped with Hollywood royalty like Jennifer Aniston, Keanu Reeves, Kathy Bates, Ben Stiller and others who have or will be descending upon our northern neighbors because of filming. Radical Entertainment, named one of Canada’s top 100 employers will be releasing their game Prototype later on in the year and EA, Rockstar, and many other small gaming companies are located in Vancouver.
It looks like Canada may end up being the next Dallas when it comes to the gaming and internet industry. While we have been used to some of our favorite television shows being shot up there (X-Files for example), we will more than likely be seeing or hearing a whole lot more from those crazy and lovable canucks in the near future and I don’t mean just Red Greene either!
Vivendi has unveiled a new teaser trailer for their upcoming open world, superpowered action game, Prototype. The trailer doesn’t really show much that’s new, but it’s still pretty cool, and you get to see the main character wreak some havoc in a big city. Normally I’d be skeptical of whether the gameplay will actually look that good, but a preview on X-Play awhile back shows that you really will be able to move like that around the city. This definitely one I’ll be keeping an eye on until it’s released. However, for you to get your eyes on the trailer, you’ll have to go through an age gate and watch it here.
Sierra Entertainment and Radical Entertainment are set to talk about their new open-world/action game PROTOTYPE at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Fransisco, California.
Radical Entertainment will be delivering two different PROTOTYPE speaker presentations by key development team members Thursday and Friday, February 21st and 22nd. Information on both presentations follow the break. Read the full article
MugenLord of Mugen TV discusses Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Nintendo Wii and what it has to offer the MUGEN community. He discusses the fact that Nintendo is allowing them to use Super Smash Brothers Brawl for some type of upcoming prototype event. With little information to go on, I have no idea what kind of deal they have going with Nintendo, but I’ll certainly keep an eye out for more information.
Early yesterday, we got taste of some of the Prototype’s gameplay from an X-Play preview. Last night, the full episode premiered with even more amazing footage from the game, which you can view above. Now we finally see Alex’s shapeshifting abilities in action. With his biological powers, he can jump along the tops of cars with ease, beef up his defenses, and slice enemies in half. The most surprising thing though? Chris Ansell of Radical Entertainment says this is only a 20% build of the full city. If this is 20%, I can only imagine what the full game will be like.
Tonight’s episode of X-Play on G4 will bring viewers an exclusive hands-on look at the upcoming Prototype game. In Prototype, you’ll play Alex Mercer, who has gained superpowers as a result of government experiments and is now on the run from the military. Chris Ansell from Radical Entertainment dropped by the X-Play studios to give a little preview of the game, which you can watch in the video above. This short clip shows Alex jumping high in the air to latch onto the side of a helicopter and hijack it. More powers and abilities are sure to be shown during the actual episode tonight, but so far, the game looks pretty amazing.
You may never have heard of Patrick Goschy before; he’s a former employee of Midway. There’s nothing notable about that. What is noteworthy about him, though, is the fact that he apparently designed something extremely similar to the Wiimote. Eight years ago.
As Engadget pointed out yesterday, when we see lawsuits filed for patent infringement, they’re often over very generic ideas from not too long ago. But this looks to be the real deal, as you can see in the YouTube video above. The concept between Goschy’s idea and what we have today in the Wii clearly aren’t too far apart.
Originally, it was falsely believed that Goschy was intending to sue Nintendo, but we have since learned this isn’t the case. Midway actually owned the patents to his designs, which were apparently sold to Nintendo as one of them is actually referenced by Nintendo.
Goschy claims he simply wants people to know the truth.
“I just wanted to people to know. Wanted the truth to come out. Did this 8 years ago, and the Wii has been such a huge deal, I wanted the truth to get out there. It wasn’t these two or three Japanese guys that came up with this thing.”
This past week or so has been pretty crazy regarding Rock Band gear, both custom and official. Rounding the New Year we saw an official announcement regarding Mad Catz development of 3rd party Rock Band peripherals. At CES we saw SoundTech’s Ediface gadget that allows real guitars to be used in Rock Band. Also at CES, we saw Nyoko showing off a guitar controller that is both compatible with Guitar Hero III and Rock Band. And just today, I noticed EB Games listing an item in their electronic store that instantly had me shaking my head in disbelief: The Rock Band Stage Kit (sorry, no photos).
When does all this Rock Band madness end?
Probably the slickest news coming out of all of this Rock Band insanity is the CES showcasing of a new Rock Band drum kit designed by the professionals over at ION Audio. ION Audio, of course, is famous for its line of professional electronic music equipment (turntables, mixing boards, electronic drums, etc.). The prototype drum kit (shown above) was presented at CES 2008 this past week and is, no doubt, targeting the more extreme Rock Band audience. Right off, one can observe the quality make of the pseudo-instrument. ION’s drum kit authentically appears as if it could absorb even the most extreme poundings from would-be drummers. Considering the seemingly fragile reputation of Harmonix’s stock Rock Band drum kit, ION’s kit could provide a nice, if expensive, alternative for Rock Band owners and fans.
Of course, if the ION drum kit isn’t “real” enough for you, you can always mod a real drum kit into the Ultimate Rock Band Drum Kit. Real? Fake? Seriously, when does the madness stop?
This new trailer for the upcoming Prototype deals mostly “Blackwatch,” with the seedy organization that gives the protagonist his strange super powers. This same organization is also out to capture you, and has no qualms about doing so in a completely ruthless manner. Think of them as the overzealous police force in GTA; if you draw too much attention, they’ll send out the bigger guns. They also adapt to your abilities and develop imporved defenses as the game goes on. Frankly, it’s about time someone just up and made an open world, superhero game without trying to fit into a license.
This new trailer for Prototype premiered yesterday during the VGAs, and, as you can see, it’s pretty awesome. The story will follow Alex Mercer, the subject of an experiment that leaves him with strange superpowers that allow him to absorb the abilities of his enemies. He escapes from the lab and is soon running from the military. The trailer seems to indicate you’ll be traversing a free-roaming environment, which could definitely be awesome when combined with crazy powers. The game should be released for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC sometime next year.
Posted by William on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 10:46 am under Gamer Life
In an interesting move, Kuma Games has teamed up with the American Film Institute’s Digital Content Lab for a project titled “Leaving The Game”. Kuma has developed a prototype that leverages the video game engine to create a new form of dynamic storytelling. This groundbreaking work will eventually deliver movie-like experiences to our PCs and game consoles. Unlike traditional movies, this form of entertainment will be more personalized. and also open up the door for highly targeted advertising. The full press release follows the break.
Prototype, the upcoming game from Radical Entertainment introduces a new world and a new hero in the form of Alex Mercer, an amnesiac man looking to uncover the secrets of his forgotten past. Radical, creators of last year’s Scarface:The World is Yours and the excellent non-movie tie in Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction are bringing this new world rife with conspiracy and a gritty real world feel to life.
Recently Gaming Today had an opportunity to question lead designer Eric Holmes about the world setting of his new game. Eric talks about the game’s protagonist, the story and just what makes Prototype different from every other superhuman sandbox game on the market today.
Sierra has released new screenshots for the upcoming title, Prototype. The game’s story will revolve around Alex Mercer, a man imbued with mysterious shape-shifting powers. He’ll traverse through an open-world trying to unravel a city-wide conspiracy and the origin of his powers, while fighting the military and viral epidemic. He’ll also be able to use his powers to mimic the appearance and powers of his foes. The game is slated to hit the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in the summer of next year. You can check out the new screens here.
Activision is taking a cue from Rock Band and will be including vocal, bass and drums in Guitar Hero IV. Joystiq has pics of the drum kit prototype for the game from the latest issue of Game Informer. The kit comes close to a midi compatible professional drum kit. It features a bass pedal and three snares and two dedicated symbol pads.
Sierra Entertainment has launched the new website for 
Gamer Doc, a new video game retailer on the block, is ready to reveal new store prototypes at this year’s International Franchise Expo. These stores are supposedly tailored to gamers, offering customers a new interactive experience.
