With QuakeCon 2009 in the rearview mirror, there’s plenty of coverage to catch up on. Starting with Brink, G4TV has an interview with Brink Game Director Paul Wedgwood. Watch it above.
Switching gears to RAGE, G4TV also interviewed John Carmack — who discusses id Tech 5, future projects, and of course, RAGE itself. Watch this one below.
For more RAGE/id Software news, check out the links after the break…
Between QuakeCon last week and GamesCom this week, there’s new screenshots and coverage up for Brink to check out on Brink.
With GamesCom going on in Cologne this week, we’ve put up three new screens on the official site for Brink (including the one above). As new coverage pops up from the event, we’ll keep you posted.
Out of QuakeCon, Kotaku has a few posts from Stephen Totilo about the game. He chatted with Game Director Paul Wedgwood about the game’s SMART system, as well as the buzz that players get from great teamplay. He also wrote a new preview of the game. Here’s an excerpt:
“Wedgwood explained that the game would keep generating contextual missions that suited the classes of the three controlled characters. They assisted each other until reaching a narrative choke point that cued an in-engine cut-scene and a cliffhanger — the three troopers discovering something surprising that we couldn’t see.”
For more QuakeCon coverage, be sure to check out BlueGamer, Big Download, David Ellis of 1Up’s Twitter, and Paul Wedgwood’s shortest-ever interview at ScrewAttack.
Running between our booth and events at QuakeCon, I didn’t have too much time for blogging. In case you missed it, here’s the QuakeCon 2009 trailer for id Software’s RAGE. For a breakdown of the trailer, visit IGN Rewind Theater.
For more on RAGE, visit the game’s teaser site, www.aftertheimpact.com.
Apparently some folks got a bit upset by reports based on Todd’s talk at QuakeCon last week. An article came out where Todd was quoted as saying we had no plans for a TES V. He did not say that. That was not a direct quote from him. That was someone’s interpretation of what he said. I know, I was there.
At his QuakeCon talk he was asked when TESV is coming out and Todd replied, “Don’t look for a new Elder Scrolls game in the near future.” He also went on to say how much the franchise means to us and that it definitely will continue. He just wasn’t going to provide any timeframe on “when.” This should not be news to anyone that has been paying attention. Both Todd and I have said repeatedly that, of course, we’re going to do another Elder Scrolls game. The last one was enormously popular. So was the one before that. You get the idea. So do we.
Todd and Bethesda Game Studios are hard at work on their next big game, and we’re not ready to discuss it. As always, we prefer to have something amazing to show when we talk about it. We aren’t going to confirm or deny or comment on speculation, nor are we going to give hints about anything. If you know us by now, you know we don’t really do that.
In regards to the MMO comment, he was asked if there was “any chance of an Elder Scrolls MMO” and he replied — in a joking fashion — by saying “I guess there’s a chance.” To be clear, Todd and his team do not make MMOs, for any franchise, at all. We have another division, ZeniMax Online Studios, which is lead by Matt Firor, and they are working on an MMO. They have not said anything about what game they are making. When ZeniMax Online is ready to show what they are up to, we’ll let everyone know. Until then we aren’t going to provide hints or speculate on what they’re doing either.
Hope that helps clear things up.
Above is an image I took this morning at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center — home of this year’s QuakeCon. Overnight, thousands of folks set for the event’s BYOC (that’s “bring your own computer”).
Down below is a similar picture I took while setting up the Bethesda Softworks’ booth late in the afternoon yesterday — so you can see how quickly things get in gear.
In short time (about one hour from now),the BYOC will be open for everyone for the largest LAN event in North America. Stay tuned for more from QuakeCon!
Today a press release went out announcing the scheduled events for QuakeCon 2009 — set to begin on Thursday, August 13th (that’s next week!).
Those able to get to the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Thursday will have a chance to see id Software’s John Carmack deliver QuakeCon’s keynote address. Meanwhile, Bethesda Game Studios’ fans will be excited to know that on Friday, Todd Howard will talk about our process for making games like Oblivion and Fallout 3. Following the presentation, there will even be a Q&A. Also on Friday, Splash Damage’s CEO and game director, Paul Wedgwood, will deliver the first public demo of Brink. Meanwhile, folks will be able to see id Software’s Rage in action for the first time on Saturday.
For more on all the events taking place, hit the jump below…
Time to make the donuts for another update…
Wanted to let you guys know that tomorrow night at 6pm EST, X-Play is hosting their G-Phoria special – an awards show on G4TV where the awards are voted on by the fans (YOU!). Tune in to see if Fallout 3 (or any of your other favorite games) take home an award.
“I didn’t have too much trouble capping the guys, until I managed to acquire a ghoul mask, which allowed me to pass among them and observe their empty lives like a zombie Jane Goodall. Kind of left me wishing I hadn’t spent the first half of the game pinning their heads to the walls with railway spikes. I got over it, though. Go cry, emo zombie.”
Moving right along — with Mothership Zeta’s release this week, reviews are beginning to show up online. Here’s an excerpt from G4TV’s review:
“As a combat mission, “Mothership Zeta” is excellent. It’s fast paced, full of enemies, and great for loading up on XP. I finally hit level 30 about two-thirds of the way through. You won’t just be fighting aliens — abducted ghouls and raiders can also be found in certain sections of the ship.”
More reviews can be found at GameFocus, Gamervision, Examiner.com, and AtomicGamer.
Wrapping up this “Around the Web,” I thought I’d share some id Software news. First, at TeamXbox, you can find plenty of new details on the multiplayer component for Wolfenstein — due out this month on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Meanwhile, the Twitter page for RAGE has announced there will be a video blog for the game — and it will start during QuakeCon next week. Head here to submit your questions.
Here’s some of the latest online coverage — in case you’re having a slow Saturday like me.
If you haven’t checked out Drakortha’s Fallout 3 fan videos, definitely give his channel a look. His latest video, The DC Chronicles Ep 3 – Tunnels (above), is quite entertaining.
Sites continue to look back at Fallout 3. GamesRadar includes Fallout 3 a a feature about games from 2008 they can’t stop playing. Meanwhile, Geek.com has their own look back.
Gamasutra has a new interview with Ed Stern — Senior Game Designer at Splash Damage for Brink. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
Kris Graft: What about accessibility? You guys have a background in hardcore shooters, but I’ve always thought that something like Valve’s Team Fortress 2, for example, is a shooter that somebody who’s not good at shooters can still play.
ES: Well, that’s why we hired Richard Ham. He was one of the co-creators of Syphon Filter. He put The Sims on the consoles, which as far as I’m concerned is a superpower. That is a certifiable achievement. And he just finished Fable 2. He is brilliant at taking a system and making it easy to get into.
In WET news, Play Magazine has a new feature on Gaming’s New Girls — featuring the game’s lead character, Rubi Malone. WET also gets a mention (as does Rogue Warrior) in a new BBC article discussing Hollywood stars becoming involved in gaming.
In id Software news, in preparation for QuakeCon 2009, there’s a new YouTube video with CEO Todd Hollenshead making wagers with the QuakeCon Girls. If you’re attending the show, you’ll be able to find out who wins the best. Elsewhere, WebDesignDev has a list of the 30 Most Influential People in Programming that includes John Carmack on the list.
Wrapping things up, I thought I’d share some really impressive Fallout 3 Fan Art and Nuka Cola machine spotted by folks at our office.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Here’s a quick web update.
We’re less than a week away from Mothership Zeta, and there’s a pair of new interviews with DLC Producer Jeff Gardiner at Go! Gaming Giant and Talking About Games. Here’s a look at a snippet from the latter:
What was the motivation behind taking players onto an alien spacecraft for Mothership Zeta? Did someone on the team have an encounter?
Jeff Gardiner: We thought it would be a very unique environment to explore, a far cry from the dust ravaged wastes of DC. The lead designer, Emil Pagliarulo, and I are interested in Alien conspiracy theory… There’s a lot of information to sift through on the internet, while neither of us is quite sure what to believe it makes for interesting coffee conversation.
Sites continue to give away Point Lookout Codes. GameFocus is the latest with a contest running through tomorrow.
In preview coverage, NowGamer has a new preview for Brink. Here’s a sample:
“Your character will be entirely user-created, giving you the chance to be totally unique. Our short demonstration pointed to a customisation engine that appeared to ensure your character looked damn cool no matter what you did with it – quite a feat.”
For more on Brink, check out E3Coverage.com’s interview with Richard Ham.
Finally, if you haven’t checked out the trailer for The Book of Eli — starring Denzel Washington — you might want to give it a look. On several sites, including Kotaku, comparisons to Fallout 3 are already being made.
Updates: This morning on Kotaku, I spotted some cool Fallout “accessories.” Learn how to put them together at The Weekly Geek.
Elsewhere, you can learn more about the technology for Brink at PC Games Hardware — who has an interview with Arnout van Meer — Splash Damage’s Technical Director.
If you’re planning on attending QuakeCon — check here for details on how you could win a 2010 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 Coupe. Sadly, I’m not eligible, so I’ll have to stick with Nike and New Balance.
For those not familiar with QUAKE LIVE, it’s a browser-based (and totally free) version of Quake III Arena. As announced in a press release today, QUAKE LIVE will have a huge presence at QuakeCon 2009 — with tournaments for amateurs and pros alike with a total of $50,000 in prize money.
To read all the details about the touraments, check out the press release. For on the official rules, requirements, prize money distribution, pool of arenas and additional information, please go to www.quakecon.org.