Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Diablo III Interview With Atomic Gamer

esurgence as of late. From the popularity of Torchlight on Xbox Live Arcade, to all those little Diablo clones popping up in the iPhone’s App store, dungeon-crawling fans have had ample opportunity to loot, level and lay the smack-down on oversized rats. Higher profile titles, like fresh takes on classic formulas (Dungeon Siege III) and brand-new heirs to the hacking-and-slashing throne (Lord of the Rings: War in the North) will soon see the genre taking center stage in a generation that’s been more interested in pulling triggers than swinging swords.
Of course, the undisputed granddaddy of the genre, Diablo, is also set to make its return--maybe even by the end of the year. We recently caught up with one of the keepers of Diablo III‘s kingdom, Lead Content Designer Kevin Martens, to discuss what players can expect from their next trip to the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary. While Martens was expectedly cryptic about the title’s release date and rumored console port (even under the threat of our Berserker Sword, he refused to give up the goods), he did provide plenty of insight on the state of the genre, its place in today’s frag-obsessed market and, yes, even some details on the game itself.
AtomicGamer: So why do you think we haven’t seen many triple-A action RPGs this generation?
Kevin Martens: Well, I think there’s a couple of things going on. Firstly, the action and RPG genres are bleeding together a lot more than they used to. You have games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that’s a good example of a great RPG that also has good action systems. Furthermore, a lot of action games are adding RPG elements as well, likeBioShock. One of my favorite RPG games of the previous generation was Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. That had really compelling RPG stuff, but was marketed and sold and seen as an action game. So that one element of it is that the two genres are sharing a lot more things together. RPGs are inherently compelling in their level-up systems and character customization ability, etc., so that stuff is coming into action play. Now, if we’re going to talk specifically about action-RPG, the genre mold of Diablo, I think it’s really a game that’s randomized like that, it has a bunch of different classes. Those games are just really hard to make. Diablo II was a king of that genre, and it’s still for sale everywhere over 10 years later.
AG: Yes, even after all these years people keep coming back to it. What do you think the appeal of the genre is?
KM: I think one of the best things is the low barrier of entry for games like these. By having that action front end, in the case of Diablo, you just start clicking on things. It’s not that complex. You have a couple of simple powers and a potion and so on. It’s not that hard to understand how to play them. Many more people are willing to try them when they have sort of an action feel to them. I think that some people are scared to try certain RPGs because they come across as really complex or confusing.
I think that’s why action tends to be an easier genre than RPG, so by merging the action gameplay and then taking all the elements of RPG, like map customization, randomness, etc., we have found this thing is still enduring. That’s why something like Diablo II, with all the polish put on it, when you add all that up, that’s why it’s played 11 years later.
AG: Do you feel this decade-old formula is enough to appease today’s gamers? What does the Diablo franchise need to do to appeal to this generation, aside from offering what the series has already done so well?
KM: In that sense, we’re really going to make a lot of improvements to a lot of different systems. The main thing is that, as you said, there’s not a lot of games in this type of genre, this type of action-RPG genre. If we deliver a really compelling re-playable game like this and we do it with a newer engine, but we keep the system specs low, and we couple it with something like our new Battle.net experience, which makes it widely accessible and very easy to play with your friends, you know, that strong co-op multiplayer element, it’s hard to see how people aren’t going to love this game.
AG: Can you talk about some of the more defining features Diablo III is bringing to the series?
KM: The first thing of all the new stuff that we can talk about is that of the five classes we have, four are brand new to the universe. They have a lot of new play styles involved with that. Furthermore, when you have all these classes, there’s a lot of diversity, not just which powers you choose or which type of wizard you’re going to be, but whether you’re going to go with disintegration, fire, etc. But even within those, we have this system called “runes”, where you can take these powers and do just crazy stuff with them. You can take a witchdoctor power called “Plague of Toads“, and turn you into a giant toad. It literally swallows the enemy and spits out the gold inside of them and so on. So the customization is extraordinarily huge. It’s astonishingly re-playable. We have a lot more areas of the world that no one has seen before, so we’re changing the universe. The quest system itself is way better; the quest and the stories are much deeper and probably more re-playable than Diablo II as well. So that’s some of the new things that we’ve done. Additionally, I think that the co-op multiplayer is better than ever; Battle.net is going to become the new standard for multiplayer systems online.
AG: A lot of gamers will be introduced to Diablo for the first time with Diablo III. Is Blizzard looking to expand its audience and introduce Diablo to new players, or are you satisfied just to please the hardcore guys who have been with you since the beginning?
KM: I think there’s elements of both. We try to keep the barrier to entry really low from every angle. We try to keep the system specs as low as possible. You don’t have to buy a new computer to play the game. We want all people to be able to play it. So, first, it’s successful that lots of people can play it. After that, we make the barrier to entry when you start playing it very low. All Blizzard games have a very good system of rounding up the complexity. When you first start playing, everything is very simple. The playability and all the options…they can gain from the systems as much as they want
AG: What would you say really separates Diablo III from other upcoming games in the genre?
KM: I think, primarily, the randomness. So the fact that we have random dungeons, random monsters, random loops, pretty much random everything. Every time you go around a corner in a dungeon, you don’t know if you’re going to see a brand new quest that you’ve never seen before. You might see the same monster, but with totally new powers. You might see a totally different monster. That aspect of it is one of the things that Diablo is most well-known for, and I think that we do that better than anyone. I think that’s the feather in our cap, that and Battle.net. A lot of RPGs, unfortunately, don’t even have co-op at all; as a huge co-op player myself, it’s always disappointing when they don’t, but it’s really hard to do. We built this game from the ground up with co-op in mind. That is just as important as any other element of the game because that’s one that has to be seamless. You can be playing along in your single-player game, and at any time, your friends can join and they can drop out. All of that should be really easy for both them and you to be able to handle. A game should very elegantly handle the addition of new players and level of difficulty.

AG: In terms of the engine the game is built on and what it can do as far as visuals and special effects, are players going to see a real boost over Diablo II?
KM: Yes. You know, when we first started making the game, we tried a lot of different experiments with changing the camera angle and everything from first person to different zoom-ins and so on. We ended up keeping this old school Diablo II-style isometric camera because we found out very quickly that this was so integral to the way the game felt and played, and we wanted to keep that. So I think we’ve got a really neat and retro-cool thing going on here that we can push the video cards and everything and have a lot of fancy features with the higher-end cards, but it’s part of our policy to lower system specs as much as possible. When you have everything at the lowest setting, and you mix that with these hand-painted textures that we have, it looks like a painting that’s come to life. I think that’s a great way to avoid looking old. It looks retro-cool instead of old school.
AG: Speaking of the camera angle, other updated action RPGs, specifically the upcomingDungeon Siege III, are offering two options, an isometric and an over-the-shoulder view. Did you guys ever consider doing something similar?
KM: We tried, but honestly, everyone will find that the game plays differently with different camera angles. If you want to experience something as highly polished as we want to put out there, you’ve got to pick one or the other to do a fabulous job with it because everything is tweaked to that angle. The challenge for us was picking the right one. In Diablo II, the isometric view was definitely the right choice. We are making sure that every move and ability and every strategic, tactical decision you make works perfectly with that camera. A second camera angle makes everything play differently.
AG: Is there anything specifically from Diablo II that the team felt needed improvement and wanted to tweak for Diablo III?
KM: The questing and story. I think we’ve added way more quests, more variety of quests. We’ve randomized the quests, and have these sort of quests that are self contained. For example, if you enter a dungeon in Diablo III, there might be somebody standing at the entrance, like a treasure hunter, saying, “Hey, I heard stories about the Idol of Rygnar is hidden somewhere in this dungeon. Help me find it and you can share in the reward.” Then you go through the dungeon and protect this guy. Then you’ll find the idol and you’ll get the reward. People will turn on you…you’re never quite sure what is going to happen. We’re adding all those random elements all over the world. There is way more quest content overall than Diablo II, period. Also, I think we wanted to do a much better job on the storytelling aspects, not just the cinematics, which are fantastic, but also in the storytelling itself, like more twists and turns, more interesting quests, more variety of experiences. That’s what we spent a lot of time on, and making the co-op nature of it better as well.
AG: What do you guys think of all the popular “Diablo clones”, such as the Dungeon Hunter and Underworlds series, finding success on the iPhone?
KM: A lot of us play iPhone games. The most common time iPhone games are played here at Blizzard is when you’re waiting in a meeting for someone more important than you to arrive…everybody on the team is pulling out their iPhones and playing some game, whether it be Angry Birds or something hardcore like Dungeon Hunter or Hero of Sparta. I think some of those games that have evolved from Diablo are very flattering.
AG: Do you see a Diablo spin-off coming to the iPhone or iPad? I mean, it’s a popular platform right now, and guys like id are putting stuff on there. Would you ever consider this?
KM: Yes, that would be cool, but I think we have a big enough challenge just gettingDiablo III out right now. We are exploring options of moving a Diablo-style game onto consoles. We’re looking for console people right now to see if that’s feasible, but we just want to make the best Diablo PC game right now.
AG: What are the chances we’ll actually see Diablo III on consoles in the near future?
KM: We’re definitely looking into it. We’re seriously considering it. I would say that the whole system specs thing is one of the cool things about Blizzard. You’re always hearing in interviews with us about the death of the PC gaming. We’re always like, “What death?” I think one part of that secret…you know, quality and polish and all of that as well…but part of that is keeping the system specs low. Everybody had a PC, even if they just use it for nothing but e-mail and web surfing. Almost everyone has one, so we do have a pretty giant install base. That said, gaming systems like Xbox and PS3 and so on… Diablo is one of the more natural hits for a Blizzard title to go on those, so I think that’s why we are looking at it pretty seriously.
AG: Okay, I have to ask: Are you still shooting for a 2011 release for Diablo III on PC?
KM: Yes, we haven’t announced a date yet, and the standard answer always applies, which is “It’s ready when it’s ready.”
Thanks to Blizzard’s Kevin Martens for stealing some precious development time from one of 2011’s--but probably 2012’s--most anticipated titles to sit down and talk with us.

Iphone Game You Can Only Play Once


The iPhone Game You Can Only Play Once


One Single Life is an iPhone game you can only play once. Not because it's short, or because it's crap, but because once you play it and die, the application never lets you play it again.
Drastic! Yet it's also nerve-racking. One Single Life is essentially Canabalt, sans the aliens, and comprises of ten levels. Each of those levels consists of a single jump. If you clear it, you can move onto the next one. If you die, you're dead, and you can never ever play the game again.
By the time I met my demise on level 9, I was a wreck, the gravity of the situation well and truly having taken hold. And by the end it does mean something, because the game looks great and has Canabalt's same appeal of trying to pull off some manic timing.
Oh, and as you'd hope, it's free.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

3DS New Pervy Game



Nintendo may've come a bit short of its stated goal of selling 4 million Nintendo 3DSes in the first month, but all that is about to change really quick, no doubt. Why? Because with Marvelous Entertainment's new boob-tastic action game Senran Kagura, every girl-game fan in Japan and worldwide is going to buy as many 3DS consoles as they can get their sticky hands on.
Featuring a scenario written by 428's Yukinori Kitajima and art by girl-game veteran Nan Yaegashi (sample art above), Senran Kagura tells the tale of a team of five sexy female ninjas as they face off against a looming threat to their school. Largely it's a side-scrolling action game, but it offers a few features you don't usually see in such titles -- the heroes can get their clothing ripped up, there are mini-games that emphasize their...erm...assets, and a special mode lets you view all the ladies from any angle you like.
Senran Kagura is due out this summer in Japan. Don't hold your breath for an overseas release. 

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Mass Effect Movie


Mass Effect 2

BioWare has announced it is collaborating with FUNimation Entertainment on a Mass Effect-based anime feature film, production of which is already underway.
Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson will serve in the same capacity on the film, which is being co-produced by T.O Entertainment, Inc. FUNimation is the same company responsible for theDragon Age anime movie that's currently in the works for release later this year.
"Over the last few years, we have revealed different pieces of the Mass Effect world through different media. Extending the story through an anime medium is another amazing opportunity for us," said Hudson in a press release. "Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we will bring this rich universe to life with the utmost quality and the same attention to detail that the Mass Effect games are known for."
The Mass Effect anime is expected to be released during summer 2012. Like the Dragon Age anime, it'll be a direct-to-video affair, so don't make plans to see it in theaters.
Those who are still holding out for a proper live-action Mass Effect movie aren't necessarily out of luck. BioWare claimed early last year that there had been a "tremendous amount of interest" from Hollywood in making a Mass Effect movie before Legendary Pictures picked up the rights

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Sony Beware


As a result of Sony's legal action against individuals like GeoHot, the online hacker group Anonymous has announced that it has targeted the PlayStation maker over what it believes is an abuse of the judicial system.
Coinciding with the announcement was word from the official PlayStation help and support Twitter account claiming, "PSN currently undergoing sporadic maintenance. Access to the PSN may be interrupted throughout the day. We apologize for any inconvenience." Whether or not that happens to be a coincidence, PlayStation.com and other sites under its domain name (including thePlayStation Blog) are currently unreachable. Sony.com, on the other hand, is fine.
After declaring that the attack is a result of Sony's litigation involving GeoHot, Anonymous'statement declares, "You have abused the judicial system in an attempt to censor information about how your products work. You have victimized your own customers merely for possessing and sharing information, and continue to target those who seek this information. In doing so you have violated the privacy of thousands of innocent people who only sought the free distribution of information. Your suppression of this information is motivated by corporate greed and the desire for complete control over the actions of individuals who purchase and use your products, at least when those actions threaten to undermine the corrupt stranglehold you seek to maintain over copywrong, oops, 'copyright.'
"Your corrupt business practices are indicative of a corporate philosophy that would deny consumers the right to use products they have paid for, and rightfully own, in the manner of their choosing. Perhaps you should alert your customers to the fact that they are apparently only renting your products? In light of this assault on both rights and free expression, Anonymous, the notoriously handsome rulers of the internet, would like to inform you that you have only been 'renting' your web domains. Having trodden upon Anonymous' rights, you must now be trodden on."
Sony is in the processing of suing George "GeoHot" Hotz, a 21-year-old hacker who uncovered (and subsequently shared online) the PlayStation 3's root key. The case has yet to go to trial, with Sony doing all it can to have the case tried in California despite Hotz residing in New Jersey. Sony hasalleged that Hotz fled to South America in order to avoid the courts and had sabotaged hard drives, claims that he has denied.
Anonymous has previously targeted the likes of anti-WikiLeaks organizations, anti-piracy groups, and more. This latest campaign against Sony appears to be a spin-off of Operation Payback, which was a retaliation against distributed denial of service attacks that were made on torrent websites. The FBI has been actively investigating the group since the United States Copyright Office wastaken down last year, if not earlier.
We've contacted Sony for comment on the situation and will report back if the company decides to make any announcements. 

Monday, April 4, 2011

Black Gamers Spend the Most Time Playing Consoles

Nielsen Survey Finds Black Gamers Spend the Most Time Playing Consoles

Nielsen, the folks who measure every single thing that is or could possibly be done with a television set, have released an analysis of gaming habits by ethnicity, finding that African-Americans game the most per day, on average, Asian-Americans the least.
Black gamers spent an average of 16 minutes a day using a TV to play video games, Nielsen said, according to a study conducted in November of Americans aged 18 to 49. White gamers spent 13 minutes per day, on average; Hispanic gamers 10 minutes and Asian gamers 9. Overall, Americans spend an average of 13 minutes a day using a TV to play video games.
Game time on a TV is a tiny fraction of the set's overall usage, on average, representing about 4 percent of the 5 hours and 11 minutes a TV is on in an American household each day. But it is comparable to the 15 minutes of time a day, on average, Americans spend watching a DVD through their television.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Madden Creator Suing EA



Madden NFL 11


Update: EA has issued a statement to 1UP on the lawsuit. Tiffany Steckler said, "The complaint and its 20 year-old claim are utterly without merit."
Original Story: Electronic Arts already has to contend with both an NFL lockout that could seriouslyimpede sales of Madden NFL 12 and activists upset with a potential cover athlete for the game, and now one of the series' original creators has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging that it owes him millions of dollars in royalties.
Robin Antonick's lawsuit was filed this week requesting a jury trial in California, Reuters reports. According to him, he signed a contract with EA in 1986 that dictated he be owed royalties on derivative versions of the game. He claims that he helped to develop the original game, John Madden Football, which was released in 1988 for Apple II, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. Despite the increasing complexity of the series (it might still be football, but it's a much different game), Antonick believes the series continues to build on his creation.
"Only recently, as a result of publicity surrounding the 20th Anniversary of the 'Madden' videogame did Antonick become aware that Electronic Arts did not independently develop subsequent versions of its Madden NFL software," the complaint states. "Instead, according to recent statements by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, the current generation of software apparently derived from software developed by Antonick."
Antonick says his last royalty payment came in 1992 and that he had been unaware "Electronic Arts decided that it did not want to share profits with him even though he was responsible for the development of virtually all of the ground-breaking technology at the heart of the game."
Confidential negotations are said to have taken place in recent years, the Reuters story notes. With those talks apparently having failed, he is now seeking tens of millions in royalties. He's also after disgorgement, which is a fancy way of saying that EA would be forced to submit profits that it has obtained illegally or unethically. 

Saturday, April 2, 2011

April Fools Pranks

Just like the pranks themselves, it's become a tradition each and every year to complain about the pranks and the ensuing confusion that results from trying to determine if Pokemon Kart Wii is real. In order to make sure you aren't falling into the trap of believing that you can play StarCraft with Kinect or can throw feces in Duke Nukem Forever (actually, we're not so sure about that one), we've compiled a list of this year's pranks (along with links) below. We'll be updating the story throughout the day to make sure you stay apprised of what's a prank and what's not. If we've missed any, feel free to drop a link in the comments to let us know. Enjoy!


http://www.1up.com/news/1up-april-fools-11-pranks-round-up