CRI Movie Playback Engine for the Wii

Famitsu has some interesting news. "Cinemastudio" is either being developed for the Nintendo Wii, or is already available. From what the rough translation states, it seems Cinemastudio is some sort of optimization engine that allows playback for high quality video and sound even in compressed state. The article also states that it makes the whole process of compiling full motion video much more simple for the Wii, and even sports a "multilingual function" for localization.

In other words, creating FMV for the Wii seems to have been a hassle for developers. This tool makes it much easier and it boasts new features for FMV that was not previously available. Don't hold it against me if my explanation isn't 100% correct, though.

What does this mean for you? Perhaps faster development cycles. I'm sure game studios can cut production time on FMV's by using this tool, which means the sooner the game can be finished and out on the market.






Call me crazy, but this seems like a perfect platform for anime on the Wii. You have high quality video and sound, with multi-lingual support. Yet, the article never did say anything about a subtitle feature. I say this because I wonder if the fledging Wii homebrew community could or would take advantage of the Wii capabilities by using this tool. The article didn't state any information on how widely available this tool would be.

[Source: Famitsu (translated) via Go Nintendo]

[ADVANCE]

Factor 5's Julian Eggebrecht on Wii Graphics

Once again, Julian proves everything FWA believes about the Wii to be true. In a recent interview with Revogamers, Mr. Eggebrecht spoke his mind on the possible causes for the crappy graphics syndrome on Wii. Revogamers translated the important parts of the interview for our reading pleasure:

- On publishers not taking advantage of the Wii’s power for graphics: “the traditional, more photorealistic route, because there you really have to push it, and they’re really not pushing it. Why not? Hmmm I don’t know, the hardware is very, very easy to understand. Now the problem might be –and it just might be- is that some studios -or some publishers specifically- are discarding the graphical capabilities automatically simply because it is a Wii title and they’re basically telling the developers “look, we won’t pay for any advanced graphics”.”

- On Wii’s “shaders” and possibilities: “If you connect you can get a lot of shader effects which would’ve been on the 360 or the PS3.” (…)”it’s got so much more power compared to the GameCube. If even with the extremely similar shader hardware, the system clockrate is so much higher, you can do so much more advanced things” (…)”in the photorealistic route there’re certain things which the basic structure of the graphics hardware was not meant for and which you have to find really clever tricks to basically make up.

Publishers refusing to pay more for decent-looking graphics? Not surprising. More after the jump, including Factor 5's next possible projects.


Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of Factor 5 developing for the Wii. Luckily, it seems the possibility isn't being ruled out entirely. And considering that Lair hasn't done nearly as well as it should have, the company could do with making some moolah. What better way to do that than work on a polished game on a system you're extremely familiar with?

And then there's that little matter of the Wii already having outsold the 360.

- On porting their old tools (SW engine): “If we would do a Wii version of that, certainly that could be something which somebody could license. (…)” “But I can imagine that there will be several engines coming out, also for the Wii ”

- On casual gaming: “I really hate the current trend of the hardcore people very much getting into this bubble of being very defensive and not wanting the whole casual thing to happen. In the end it’s all one big market we’re, essentially we’re all casual.”

- On F5’s next project: “We’re honestly at this point thinking about several titles in development (…). So might be PS3, might be Wii… we’re totally open to that.”

- On Mario Galaxy: “is so inspired that it seems to be worth the success of Mario 64. (…) “yes, this thing is actually taking advantage, (…) it’s basically doing new graphical things with the hardware”

- On the German and European industry: “now that the consoles are coming back, specially with the Wii selling so extremely well, I think for the first time in many, many years, you actually have a pan-European situation where you can develop quite nicely”

[ADVANCE]

Rumour: Wii Zapper Bundled with Zelda Spin-off?

You know how rumours are usually supposed to get you all excited and feeling tingly in certain parts of your body? Well, here's one that doesn't quite do that. Coming from Opposable Thumbs, this rumour revolves around a Zelda spin-off bundled with the Wii Zapper.

If you're a manager for a GameStop store, at this moment you're in Vegas, enjoying all the vendors pitching their games to you. A source at the show tells Opposable Thumbs that after Nintendo's speech, the managers were given a world-exclusive first look at the pack-in game for the Wii Zapper. Are you ready? Zelda Crossbow Training.

"The game looked beautiful," my source said. "I'm pretty sure it was running on the Twilight Princess engine. It's a third-person game, and you had some control over Link. While the video was way too short to get a good idea of the gameplay, it looks like a light-gun inspired Zelda title."

Ummm ... yeah, no. I love Zelda with all of my heart, but this is just not striking me as a very smart move. From a sales point of view, it is of course, very effective. However, if one would consider what it means for the Legend of Zelda franchise as a whole, I think one would agree that tarnishing the good name and reputation of the franchise by making some Wii Play-like minigame/tech demo based on it to promote a product is a bad idea.

Nintendo, of course, knows better than anyone that a bad Zelda game is suicide. There have been "OK" Mario games. There's been an "OK" Metroid game. There has never been an "OK" Zelda game. Ever. There would be a long, long line of people screaming for Iwata-san's head on a platter if that ever happened.

Which is why I doubt this game will really be "bad" as such. Just that, the idea of using the Legend of Zelda name solely for the purpose of promoting a peripheral doesn't quite strike me as very good creative idea. A Metroid Prime: Hunters for the Wii might have been better suited to such a task.

However, one should note that the potential for this game to look visually stunning is very high. Considering it's titled Crossbow Training, I don't think Nintendo is going to be cramming Hylian Field-like environments into it. We'll find out soon enough.

[Via: Kotaku]

[ADVANCE]

Multi-player Components in Games Attract More People

Multi-player; one of the greatest components ever implemented in video games. At least in my own opinion. Aside from a few single-player oriented franchises I like to play every few years a new game is released, a video game, specifically a first person shooter has probably a ninety-five percent chance of not being bought by me due to a lack of solid multiplayer. That's just me. I view large amounts of solitary gaming where I am playing pre-fabricated opponents with algorithms for brains, as a waste of my time. I love nothing more than hoping on Teamspeak with a bunch of people, splitting into teams, coming up with a strategy and then going at it with the other team. I am sure you well know that not all gamers are like that. But according to Ars Technica, games that do offer the opportunity to play with and against other human players does to a large degree, affect the maximum potential revenue that can be generated.

"Developing and publishing video games is a competitive business, but based on research from Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, there are a few things that can seemingly lead to guaranteed higher sales. That's not to say that there aren't interesting trends to spot, however, such as the critical role online support plays in a game's success.

The study found that by adding online functionality into a game—more specifically the ability to play against or with others—developers can generally double the amount of money your game makes. The finding in the study is more intuitive: high quality games (defined as having a Metacritic score of 90+) can sell up to 531 percent more than the average. So now, the job is clear: make high-quality games, and don't forget the online component. "

I hope reports such as these send a strong message to the industry about the subject. Which is actually ridiculous because this should, and probably is to some extent, a well known fact. Gamers don't want just multiplayer. They want good multiplayer -- fun multiplayer! Not something just added on for the sake of it.

Easier said than done, right? Of course! In many cases, adding multiplayer functionality can decrease the overall quality of a game. This is all constituted by how hard the studio, company, publisher works at it and markets it. People want to make money and the financial aspect that makes these companies run smoothly do tend to get in the way many times. Receiving twice as much revenue is worth the extra time and resources required, but sometimes dilemmas appear and decisions have to be made. That's understandable. In many cases, great multiplayer requires a lot of work. Sometimes developers have to take many steps backwards from their original design to make something that runs smoothly from a technical perspective which may interfere with the gameplay.

As the article said, the online component shouldn't be neglected. Games with a great single-player experience and multi-player aspect are essentially a double threat. It appeals to both types of gamers. I'm sure game developers realize this already, I just hope they take seriously.

[Source: Ars Technica]

[ADVANCE]

Death Note Dub Cast Announced

Anime on DVD reports that Viz Media has finally announced the cast line-up for of the voice talent for their English dub of Death Note.

The dub will be produced by The Ocean Group in British Colombia, who did the ADR work for most of the Gundam series, Ranma ½ and Inuyasha, so you can expect most of the actors listed to have done voice work on these shows. Looking at the list of announced actors, quite a few seem to have worked on the Black Lagoon dub as well.

The main protagonist, Light Yagami, will be voiced by Brad Swaile. Previous works include Amuro Ray from Gundam and Rock from Black Lagoon. The famous antagonist of Death Note, L, will be voiced by Alessandro Juliani who is a cast member on Sci-Fi's Battlestar Galactica (also produced in British Columbia).

All of the announced cast and their respective roles so far:

Light Yagami - Brad Swaile
L - Alessandro Juliani
Misa Amane - Shannon Chan-Kent
Ryuk - Brian Drummond
Rem - Collen Wheeler
Soichiro Yagami – Chris Britton (?*)
Matsuda – Vincent Tong
Mogi – John Murphy
Raye Penber – Michael Adamthwaite
Aizawa – Trevor Devall
Ukita – Jeremy From
Naomi Misora – Tabitha St. Germain
Ide – Brian Dobson

Aside from the few episodes of Inuyasha I've seen, I've never really experienced any of these voice actors' work so I can't provide any commentary on how good I would expect this dub to be. I will say this though: I was not impressed with the original teaser trailer Viz put out for the dub a few months back.

Other details of interest include the suspected release date and prices. We have two editions; your typical Standard and Limited editions with prices set at $25 and $40 respectively. Both include the first four episodes.

I love Death Note, but I don't love it enough to pay $10 an episode, even if it does come with a Ryuk figurine. If you do want the Limited edition, they are only making 15,000 of them, so pre-order as soon as possible.

[Source: Anime on DVD]

*(I'm not quite sure if this is the same actor. He has done work for Sci-Fi like Juliani.)

[ADVANCE]

Scanlation of the Month - August 2007

It's that time of the month again at Manga Jouhou, and ... no, not that time of the month you pervs. Pull your filthy, filthy minds out of the gutter would you? Anyhoo, onto the scanlation recommendations for August!

As you'll notice, there is now a recommendation in the Yuri genre as well, much to you delights. And no, I won't explain what that is if you don't know already. Google it up.

Yuri: She-Wolf by Eiki Eiki (scanlated by Lililicious)

Shounen: Mirai Nikki – Future Diary by Esuno Sakae (scanlated by Luicifer @ Anime-Source)

Seinen: Hourou Musuko (”The Transient Son”) by Takako Shimura (scanlated by Kotonoha)

Hentai: Hanafuda by Okama (scanlated by Oishii Manga)

Yaoi: Border by Kazuma Kodaka (scanlated by Dangerous Pleasure)

[ADVANCE]

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Impressions

Oh yes, I've got more impressions than a nudist beach after a summer shower. Today, I'm coming at you with my take on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

Now, you should be aware that this is based on the current Beta 2 trial, which is actually a beta, not a cheap - ploy - for - some - media - attention - by - passing - off - a - demo - as - a - beta. [cough] Call of Duty 4 [cough]. With that in mind, you should realise certain aspects of the game may change between now and Sept 28th (Eur/Aus)/Oct 2nd (U.S./N.A.) release. A demo of the now gold retail will be available before that date so you can try it out for yourself.

That in consideration, can Enemy Territory: Quake Wars supplant the likes of other team-based games such as the Battlefield series? What does it bring to the table that we've not seen before? What exactly is all the fuss about? Do British developers make great games as well as great lovers?*

Read on to find out.


The Developer

Firstly, if I am going to invest a considerable time in playing a game, I have to feel confident that the developer is going to support it. This isn't a 15 hour single player experience. If I'm going to invest hundreds of hours in this game, I demand a similar level of support from the developer to make that investment fulfilling. My digs at Call of Duty are not because the game ultimately failed at its goal, mostly because the path to reach that goal was often made harder by the developer themselves. (Although, I had several fun years playing it)

So I look towards Quake Wars with confidence in that aspect, as I see Splash Damage as a developer who enjoys interacting with its community. Whether it's on their own or the official game forums, it isn't unheard of to see the game designers, programmers, artists and even the head designer and owner of Splash Damage participate in discussions, verify changes that are being made, offer help and guidance to mod teams and even eat the occasional humble pie. Sure, this isn't a guarantee of a quality game but it is a good sign that the developer is listening to its audience. It's very refreshing and reassuring to see beyond the usual PR barrier we're exposed to.

With listening in mind, I have to say that I've never before picked up a game and thought, "Wouldn't it be neat if...", only to find out that it actually already does what I had in mind. These might be trifling interfacing issues on their own but they soon add up when you play the game over an extended period. Things like seeing the number of bots a server is running and so, saving on wasteful connections. Context-sensitive binds allowing you to map keys to specific classes or vehicles ensuring you utilise the keyboard fully. Independent screenshot and demo-rendering allow maximum quality output regardless of the power of the system running the game. These small implements, were no doubt added based on feedback on Splash Damage's previous game, Enemy Territory, and also during the development of Quake Wars with its extensive year-long testing with various clans and the public alike. It just bodes well for the future of the title. This is clearly not going to be an EA "release and run" effort as is now commonly seen with the Battlefield series and many other games.


The Plot

If you are unfamiliar with the Quake Universe story line (oh for the shame of it!), this game covers the period where it all began. The Strogg, a race torn apart by decades of war on their home planet of Stroggos finally emerge as a single cybernetically-enhanced race unified by their mighty leader, the Makron. Think Borg but less emo goth and more scorched flesh, blood and rusty metal. While rampaging through the galaxy and generally being up to no good, they stumble upon a juicy planet of potential spare parts and fuel. That would be humans and yup, it's Earth in 2052 (Ha ha, we'll all be too old to care by then). Long story short, invasion ensues, Earth is taken unawares and their Global Defense Force is tasked with fighting back the Strogg beachheads, learning about this new enemy and ultimately sending them right back to where they came from. Enemy Territory: Quake Wars covers 12 of those pivotal battles in four geographical three-map campaigns.

The Mechanics of Objectives

Technically, you're talking about an objective-based online team and class-oriented FPS. In English that means you'll typically have 24 players on each server (this is design choice, there is actuallly no hard limit and 32 player servers exist happily on the Beta), 12 on each GDF and Strogg team. Of those players, there are several classes to pick from. In the Beta 2 map "Valley", some classes such as the Medic/Technician and Field Ops/Oppressor have a more supportive roll while others such as the Soldier/Aggressor, Engineer/Constructor and Covert Ops/Infiltrator are more critical to directly completing specific objectives. You should also note that while each team mimics each other, there are also important underlying differences between them. For example; a GDF medic can revive his teammates with a quick paddle shock. The Strogg technician ,however, has a much slower revive injection but in turn can convert the dead or dying GDF into one off-spawn points (spawn hosts allow the Strogg team to immediately just back into the action instead of at the usual base position). This is true, to a greater or lesser extent, for all the classes, weapons and vehicles in which each team needs to find the correct balance and counter-balance in order to defeat the opposing team and win the map.


Gameplay centers around a set of objectives which one team must achieve and the other stop until the round ends. In the case of the Beta 2 map, "Valley", your ultimate goal is to have a soldier plant explosives and destroy a contaminator which is poisoning the local population. To do so you must first use an Engineer to reconstruct a bridge, then escort an MCP (Mobile Command Post) to the enemy base. You'll also need the engineers here to repair the MCP whenever the Strogg disable it. Once in the base, a Strogg shield blocks your attempts to gain access to the contaminator with a missile strike, so you'll need some covert ops to go hack and disable the shield. Finally, with a successful missile hit and an accessible contaminator, your Soldier can go in and do his stuff, planting explosives and destroying the structure. In the Beta 1 "Sewer" map, you again played as GDF on offense, this time trying to destroy a Strogg base by flooding the sewer system they are entrenched in.

First, you'll need an engineer to construct an EMP Generator to disintegrate the Strogg shielding around the facility. Once you have access, you need Soldiers to plant explosives at one or more access points. Finally, with access to the sewer controls, you get a Covert Op to hack the controls and flood the enemy base.

These are just the two maps that have been publicly playable in the Beta. Other maps have been confirmed as Strogg offense-oriented, so no one side is left defending. Additionally, the multiple objectives maps are to be swapped out with "Document Run" missions, which will see you infiltrate an enemy stronghold -- no doubt after completing some objectives -- steal their secret documents, and run to a safe point on the map. There is also no saying whether Splash Damage has some other tricks up its sleeve or how they've worked out the objective play in the other maps.


But but but it's Battlefield

No it's not. While surface similarities can be made, the game is quite different when you look closer. Speed, accuracy and twitch reactions are as crucial to this game as they are in many other games in the Quake series. This shouldn't lessen your expectations as far as tactical strategies are concerned. Slow does not in itself define strategy. In fact, the hectic path ensures you need to think on a wider scale altogether. Vehicles in Quake Wars are primarily a means of transport and have many vulnerabilities. That isn't to say a well-commanded Tank or Cyclops should be dismissed as useless, only that there are multiple avenues for removing them. I've covered this already, but the game is objective-based. Once an objective is completed, it can't be reversed, so while spawn points can and do get handed back and forth, the meat of the game never descends into a flag chase. It also means there is a defined front line, so teams are generally more concentrated in one place.

id Tech 5's Daddy

As this is possibly one of the last titles (RTCW2 to come) based on the id Tech 4 engine, we're seeing a lot of technology cross over and mature. The buzzword here, of course, is "Megatexture".

Simply put, the technology allows for a single huge texture tile to be applied to world geometry. This Megatexture can be up to 64,000 x 64,000 pixels in size, which is about a square Kilometer in real world measurements and around the 5 gigabytes region during its uncompressed development use. (At retail we're looking at 300-500meg of a more compressed and optimized megatexture per map) What does this mean for you?

Well, the impact of the Megatexture on the world is consistent, so looking into a distant mountain range or at the ground has the same impact and overhead. Detail is streamed from the Megatexture stored on your hard drive to your GPU, meaning you get a Google Maps-like increase in resolution as more data is streamed in.


The reality is, as you rush past a landscape, it is of a lower resolution. When you stop the resolution increases, revealing more details. This makes for a fast, fluid game on a variety of system specifications without those frequent framerate bumps as you look to the horizon. Of course, with the technology as it is here, you are still prone to see framerate drops when your already maxed-out system encounters traditional clusters of models and textures. Guess we'll need to wait for id Tech 5 and 6 to see that smoothed out or just stop being greedy and over-exerting our systems!

Overall, the system works surprisingly well, and I'm dying to see the 10 other maps and then all the community-related content that is created with that freedom. Two interesting details of the engine thus far are that, although the global light is not real-time calculated, (no on-the-fly time of day changes) there is nothing stopping it from being modified in a new map version. Likewise, the Megatexture file can be reused with new models. It would, therefore, be entirely possible to create a series of maps that plot a battle from dawn to dusk over the same terrain, but with architecture in different states of destruction. These could also be quite small in size as you'd already have the large Megatexture as part of the game installation. That means a lot more bang for your buck, with map makers being able, reuse their older work to stunning new effect.

Enough already, how does it play?

I'm in love with the game. Both teams offer a uniqueness that makes playing either side a refreshingly different experience rather than just a cosmetic change of player models. With the fact that both teams, depending on the map, also need to alternate between offensive and defensive roles, you are practically playing with a base set of 4 different team tactics. It's this deep, multilevel gameplay that I think raises Quake Wars up and above its competitors. Sure, when you first step into the game, the array of classes and multitude of options presented to you can be overwhelming, but again, Splash Damage have given you an adequate tool set to make this critically hard period in an online shooter into a real-time tutorial.

For example; the Mission Manager which is available at the press of the M key enables you to cycle through specific missions that will offer a direct benefit to your team and which are better suited to the class you are playing. Some of those missions will be directly added by your teammates, simply by them pointing out targets and using another neat feature called the Context Sensitive Chat System. So, although you may be playing a poorly-armed medic, you can spot an anti-personnel turret, press V and click the mouse button. Immediately even your most clueless team mates will have the mission available and can attack or disable the turret.


That is, however, just the surface of the game. As you delve further, you open up a surprisingly large amount of tactics and strategies you can use to help your team. I've already mentioned in passing the anti-personnel turrets. They are, however, just one of the deployable types available to select classes in each team. Each player can request one such deployment to any friendly area of the map the team currently posesses.

But there are choices here again. As a covert ops you have only one deployable type, which is a radar. This enables a circular area of the map around the radar to display enemy locations and automatically add missions to the Mission Manager. The radar is also useful to your team on an individual level, allowing them to see if groups of enemies are incoming, pinpoint a sniper, or even watch out for someone sneaking up behind them. But the question you have to ask yourself is, do I deploy at the front of the battlefield where I get maximum range but risk the radar being disabled or destroyed, or put it somewhere safer but have less exposure? Add to that question other deployables such as the Field Ops long range artillery, rocket artillery and hammer missiles (which will want to be in a secluded or well defended position far from the action). Likewise, Engineers with their short-range tactical personnel, vehicle and artillery interceptor turrets will want to be close to the action and in a frequently traveled path.

So, where would you put the radar?

This is just one of the questions that race through your head as the game opens up its box of tricks. It's funny, but you actually feel a slowdown in the initial hectic pace as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. At times, you'll bypass the Mission Manager as you adopt certain strategies, changing them on the fly as your enemy counters with their own. Other times you'll use it as a tactical resource, feeding you targets to attack and so clear a path for your team. At all times, however, you feel that you're not just in another meat grinder game. You can play and contribute to your team from a distance and without even firing a shot. Such is the variety open to you when you play Quake Wars.


Weapons and accuracy

Weapon aim is pretty much dead center if you peck off single shots. This degrades with the usual firing rate and movement penalties. Shooting at targets over a greater distance has a larger spread, and over certain distances the damage rates will fall off. However, I've come away feeling that this is a more accurate model than say Call of Duty, which at times felt most random even at close quarters.

Of course, the sniper weapons (Currently, yes, sniper nerfing requests are piling up) are deadly accurate and just a slight sway at higher magnifications, from upper torso and heads result in one-shot kills as long as they are within the minimum range limits. Soldiers, of course, get a selection of heavier, more powerful weapons, which are good for creating a lot of damage. It's also nice to see that, where a weapon is not suitable for close quarters combat, an upgraded sidearm replaces the standard pistol.

Of all the aspects of the game, I'd have to say it's the weapons that appear to mirror each other with the most similarities, at least in function if not operation. The key exceptions being that the Stroggs reliance on Stroyant for health and ammo means they can exchange between both freely (this also means their technicians' Stroyant packs increase both health and ammo). There is also no reloading of involved with majority of the Strogg weaponry. Instead there is a cool-off period when the weapon is continuously used. (Burst firing is recommended) To further balance this clear advantage, most of the Strogg weapons have a slower rate of fire with the standard Lacerator firing 30% slower than the GDF Assault Rifle.


XP Upgrades, Campaigns and Stats (ranked or unranked)

As standard, games will be played over 3 maps, which is known as a campaign. During campaigns you will accumulate experience points (XP) for completing objectives on your team. The XP then enables upgrades, which may help you or your teammates better succeed at completing the objective. After the campaign is finished everyone's XP is reset back to zero. XP is balanced so that an average player should be able to attain the highest levels by the start of the third map, which should be a nice even spread of upgrades.

I quite like this. You get a sense of achievement and a reward for playing well, but with campaigns only consisting of 3 maps you're never at a disadvantage if you join, say, during the middle of a campaign. The upgrades are subtle, too. Small health bonuses, extra ammo, faster abilities ... nothing that dramatically overpowers one person against another but still gives a slight edge to them or their team.

Another "Wouldn't it be neat if..." moment around the XP points is that while Spawn Camping is possible to a certain extent, people will not be awarded XP points for doing so. This should limit the camping to an advanced strategy, and sacrificial decision rather than an easy way to score points.

Now, if you're playing on a "ranked" server, the XP you accumulate will, along with a whole stack of other details, be passed onto a central stats server maintained by Splash Damage and then likewise onto their stats website. There are however some key differences between a ranked and unranked server.

Obviously, a ranked server will pass on your details but it will also function on the same default setup as all other ranked servers. People who own and run those servers will not be able to tweak settings or change any aspects of the game. They will also not be able to add any custom maps or mods to their ranked server. While this ensures that on some level the stats can't be manipulated or skewed, it also means that when you join a ranked server you are assured of the same experience each and every game. Stats are also purely cosmetic. You do attain a higher rank as you complete objectives and gain XP, but at no point is there a difference between a brand new player and one who has played for several years due to stats. So no Battlefield style stat unlockables ... thank God for that!

However, with that restriction also come the "unranked" servers which you are free to run, tweak and modify to your heart's content. For example, SD specifically stated during the release of the server files in the Beta that, those who felt the game ran too fast for them could easily configure their own servers to enforce a slower pace. I feel that both server types will be popular, but unless SD run some competitions to integrate community maps into the fixed ranked server configuration, we'll ultimately see greater public support on unranked servers as custom mods and maps arrive from the community and offer fresh experiences.


The Lagness Monster

The beta has seen some lag issues client-wise. Most were crushed as the introduction of anti-lag code and prediction polished up the net code. Servers have still been found to lag out and spike, and I hope they fix up the server binaries to solve those problems before release. When the game is running and the server is fresh though, I regularly get a solid 20+ ping to local Dallas servers and the net code in those situations is stable and very playable. If the niggling issues are not solved prior to release I see that constant tweaks in the patches will perfect what is already a capable system. I just hope a majority of the server lag spikes are cleared up before more people misrepresent them as a dramatic flaw in the game.

The Spectre of Advertising

I'll be blunt here. The game will include ingame advertising on billboards and posters placed around the levels. Personally, I'm of the mindset that, if it helps the developer better support the game, release an improved or continually improving product, and that it can do that without interfering with my enjoyment of the game, it's a fair deal. I know others, however, feel very strongly about the issue and that is the only reason I mention it here, so you aren't surprised when you see it ingame and feel cheated. I'll end the discussion there as I think that might spill over into another feature at some point, so if you feel strongly in either direction please do send me an e-mail.

The release and beyond. Patches and support

If the Beta is any indication of the level of support Quake Wars is to receive, I have zero concerns for the health and future of this game. It is, however, shipping amiss of a few features, among those being VOIP, which was dropped from the PC version of the game due to time constraints and the fact that alternative VOIP software is available.

The community, however, responded to this announcement with varying degrees of disapproval and Splash Damage recently confirmed it is back on the wish list for future patches. I happen to agree that its removal was warranted if it was going to delay the game further, but think third party VOIP software is far from a practical solution on public and well-traveled servers. However, the point is moot now, and I wish Splash Damage luck on its future integration.

The SDK is also being completed to give the map makers and modders all the tools they need to tear apart the game and build an even better and more entertaining experience as the months turn into years. I'm glad to see that QWTV -- the spectator camera system enabling large audiences to watch matches live -- is being worked on directly at Splash Damage. Too often, these aspects are passed up in the expectation of users picking up the baton. A scripting system is also on the list to enable server owners to quickly change aspects of how a map is played. This will be key to help balance maps for different play styles or team sizes.

As of August 30th, the game was officially announced as going gold. Splash Damage are now focusing on completing the PC demo for release in several weeks so that you can try out the game before it hits retail shelves. If you can't wait that long, you can still download the Beta 2 files from Fileplanet and run a local server against bots. Either way, it's not too long to wait and hell, I'm damn excited to see what polish they've put on in the last few weeks and run through all twelve maps, some of which they've kept totally secret from everyone. Those guys think of everything. Power to the Tapirs!

• All pictures are courtesy of this thread at the ETQW Community Forums. They are all ingame generated, beta-tester shots with no post-processing short of some framing. Note that the distance blur shot was achieved with altering game settings, the game does not feature such a blur during play.
  
  
• Beta2 available from Fileplanet at this page or watch for the full demo release at the Community Site
  
• ETQW Stats page, including XML feed can be found here (this is mine. Don't laugh, I've been playing Metroid Prime 3 since they wiped the stats, honest!)

* May not actually be included as part of the impressions article.

[ADVANCE]

Gabe Newell Tells Game Informer All About the Wii

I have two video game developers that I really love. One is Retro studios. The other, is Valve. All the games that come out from either of these two studios seem to be instant gold, and are considered the some of the best, if not the best, games on their respective platforms. Another common characteristic is that both of these companies take complete advantage of the hardware they use and we are then presented with a game with excellent art style and graphics that continue to look good well into future video game generations.

Gabe Newell, one of the co-founders of the Valve corporation, and one of the original creators of the PC first person shooter franchise, Half Life, recently told Game Informer what he thought about the current generation of consoles that are out today, specifically the Nintendo Wii.

"I think the Wii represents more of a challenge because of its input. You can think of the Xbox 360 as pretty much a PC and a PlayStation as kind of a PC. The Wii gives you a bunch of problems that don't fit into that model," Newell told Game Informer.

"I think it's more valuable. I think it's more interesting than just graphics chip - CPU combination. It's the machine I have at home. The fact that we don't have anything in development on it even though it represents big opportunities as a whole is an obvious hole in our strategy."

This could be a hint of something big for the Wii in the near future. If any company can push the Wii to it's maximum potential in terms of graphics and innovative gameplay, it would be Valve. What I wouldn't give for a Half Life game on the Wii. I don't care if it's a mini-game compilation where you beat citizens with a shock stick as a Combine police officer, or harass innocent civilians as a head crab.

More after the jump.

Now that I think about it, out of all the games in Valve's upcoming lineup, Portal would most definitely be most suited for the Wii.


Portal is probably one of the most innovative PC games I've seen in a very long time. I'd even say it is more innovative than some of the Wii games out today. I'm not sure if the Wii can pull off some of the graphics that have been portrayed in recent trailers and demos of Portal, but I'd absolutely love to see Valve give it a try. Valve also has a long history when it comes to first person shooters. Many journalists have said that Retro Studios Metroid Prime 3 has pretty much nailed down the first person shooter formula for the Wii. I'm not saying whether they have or have not, but I will soon find out seeing how I have the game still in it's shrink wrap laying on my entertainment center.

If Valve puts it's chips on the table, all the more better for the Wii. If good studios such as Valve and Retro continue to set the bar so high, other companies will have to try to do as good or better, or they will know their game has already failed before it is even released. Up until the release of Metroid Prime 3, no arch-type existed in terms of the first person shooter for the Wii. Red Steel should have been it, and I refuse to beat that dead horse. Call of Duty 3 was passable, but not solid. Medal of Honor: Vanguard had, in my opinion, the best first person shooter control scheme. When it came down to taking cover and firing, I would honestly say it is as good, if not better than a mouse and keyboard.

The only problem was, you could not move while aiming; you had to stand still. Of course you could move and fire from the hip, but that made your weapon accuracy plummet so you were lucky if you hit anything at a long distance. On top of all that, the actual game itself was extremely mediocre and a shame to the franchise.

Back on the subject of Metroid, Prime 3 may have after all, tamed the FPS beast on the Wii. But as many people including myself have said hundreds of times in the past, Metroid Prime is not a true first person shooter. Rather, it is an adventure game from the first person perspective. I know I am being nitpicky here, but what else can I say? The first person shooter is my favorite genre when it comes to video games, so I do feel obligated to be extremely politically correct about the subject.

What do you think? First off, is Newell's slight disappointment with his company enough to say that software for the Wii is indeed coming? What would Valve create, and more importantly, what would be better? Existing software or something brand new? Valve has already gotten their feet wet in the console market. They have not exactly made a big splash in that pool, but they are poised to with their upcoming release of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and all the other games that come with it. Why not the Nintendo Wii as well?

Marketing and distribution would be no problems since they will team up with EA. Valve is a company that loves to make games. They love to make great games that are unforgettable. I am sure you will agree that the Nintendo Wii is an excellent platform to use to continue to create great games just like they have in the past.

[Via: GamePro]

[ADVANCE]

The Balancing Act: An Art Perfected by Nintendo

Looking at the recent first-party releases on both the Wii and the DS, it’s hard to imagine that the company creating these games is the same one that was churning out 8-bit games like Metroid and The Legend of Zelda way back in the 1980s. Where, once upon a time, the games created by Nintendo back in the NES and SNES eras encouraged players to develop skills and reflexes to beat them, most games now focus on being easy to “pick up and play”, and are targeted at a far broader audience than SNES titles were.

This line of thinking is obviously nothing new to any Nintendo faithful. The company’s direction has clearly changed from what it used to be earlier, and considering how well the Wii and DS are currently doing, it would be silly to assume that Nintendo will change their strategy any time soon. While the core Nintendo feel of “family-oriented games” has always been present, it is far more apparent now than in the past. However, while they cater to these “casual gamers”, Nintendo has also vowed to not forget their longtime fans, who made them what they are today.

While it sounds impossible, it probably isn’t. The one thing Nintendo has always been good at is balance. Despite Nintendo being a company of massive proportions, it has always been able to successfully micro-manage several projects at once, and this is the reason that Nintendo’s strategies are so unpredictable.


When Wii Fit was announced, no one was prepared for what Nintendo showed off. The “hardware reveal” that was rumoured to be at the company’s press conference at the E3 Business & Media Summit was thought to be a new DS design or a new Wii SKU with a built-in hard disk. Instead, Nintendo introduced their “Balance Board”, yet another crazy input device targeted at the casual gamer, but not one without a huge amount of potential for hardcore game control as well. Within days of the revelation, both Square Enix and Electronic Arts publicly expressed an interest in developing games for the board.

The Balance Board is fully expected to give a significant boost to the Wii, which is already enjoying a ton of positive press and ridiculously high sales numbers. And amidst the Brain Ages and Wii Fits and numerous casual games on the DS, we’re still seeing a fairly generous stream of “hardcore” first-party titles making their way to retail this year. In less than a year into the Wii’s lifespan, we’ve seen Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, Mario Strikers and Mario Party. And with the AAA offerings Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. right around the corner, one can hardly complain that Nintendo is ignoring their “hardcore” fans.

Perhaps the immense popularity of the Wii is what has sparked the enormously high expectations that result in these complaints. Or perhaps it is due to the company’s new direction and reputation, which it has been wearing proudly for the past year and a half. Whatever the case, it is fairly apparent that several of these complaints are without merit. Come this holiday season, and even the most hardcore Nintendo faithful will probably be able to look back and agree that it wasn’t a bad year for first-party titles at all.


Sometimes, I truly am intrigued by how Nintendo seem inhumanly capable of micro-managing so many projects … so many different assets all at once. Part of the reason, of course, has to be Shigeru Miyamoto, who seems to have his fingers in far too many different pies at once. Indeed, the designer who was not so long ago working on perfecting Twilight Princess is now hard at work on both Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit – two games of entirely different genres, ideology and gameplay.

In the mean time, you have Eiji Aonuma’s team, which started work on The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass as far back as 2004, while Aonuma was still working on Twilight Princess. As we speak, the same team is also working on a new Zelda game built ground-up for the Wii. Indeed, even the Wii itself was well in development shortly after the GameCube’s release.

I don’t even want to try and imagine who worked on Mario Party, Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, Brain Age 2 and the upcoming Mario Kart for Wii.

Also, keep in mind that, not too long ago, Gunpei Yokoi’s R&D1 team merged with Miyamoto’s EAD division. Metroid: Dread (if it really exists) is probably being developed by them as well. And then, there’s that matter of Nintendo having acquired Monolith Soft, the studio behind the excellent XenoSaga games. I suspect this was done to 1) Get Monolith cracking on a role-playing game to cater to Nintendo’s hardcore fans, and 2) To get the studio more involved with Nintendo’s own senior (or more experienced) development staff, who are undoubtedly giving Monolith guidance wherever they need it.

Equal credit goes to Nintendo of America, which not only develops games itself, but also localizes all of Nintendo’s first-party titles. Considering the seamless transition Nintendo games make from Japanese to English, this can’t be an easy task.

In addition to this, the company is tasked with the huge job of showing third-party developers the ropes with regard to Wii development. Make no mistake; Nintendo probably receives a fair number of calls from developers who require some help with various aspects of the Wiimote.


Over the past 20 years, Nintendo has managed to perfect the ability to balance … the ability to create content across so many different genres, targeted at so many different kinds of people, that one can only imagine the senior developers at the company are one-man teams by themselves. Whether they’re headed up by Shigeru Miyamoto or Eiji Aonuma or Mark Pacini, Nintendo’s various development teams have never failed to deliver the incredibly unique and enjoyable content that no other game studio could hope to match.

Perhaps someday, they’ll clue us all into how they manage to do it. But until then, all we can do is stand back, crane our necks and gaze in admiration upon the awe-inspiring game development giant.

[ADVANCE]

Impressions: JUNK - Record of the Last Hero vol. 2

The madness continues in JUNK volume 2 as Hiro and the mystery-maiden in the white JUNK suit finally come face to face.

When we last saw Hiro, he wasn't in the best of states after bombing his home, duking it out with the white JUNK suit, and running away with his tail between his legs. However, as JUNK volume 2 begins, we see Hiro leading a slightly more stable life. Having moved into his own place (and a pretty fancy one at that), and living off of his parents' life insurance money, Hiro chooses to wile away his time watching TV, eating junk food, sexing up his best friend's mom, obsessing over singing sensation Manami Hiraga, and learning about his JUNK suit.

[Read the full review]

[ADVANCE]

And Now For Something Different

I'm guessing everyone's noticed the horrendous new header? I'm getting rather good at those, so I'm hoping it's enough of an atrocity to make people marvel at my complete lack of website presentation skills.

Anyway, the new header (as horrendous as it is [send me a better one if you think you can throw something together]) isn't just a cosmetic change. Well, it is a cosmetic change, actually, but it's one that signifies something.

Everyone who's been reading FWA since it got set up (all six of you) knows that it is targeted at people who like lots and lots of text. This will never change. Flame War ADVANCE is always going to be text-heavy, and if you don't like to read, chances are you'd be better served elsewhere.

However, from September onwards, the kind of content you'll find at FWA might be slightly different from what you're used to seeing.

Starting now, FWA will be "less about the headlines and more about the meat" (you can thank Jelster for coming up with that one). Meaning, instead of just reporting every single news announcement like the gazillion other blogs out there, we'll focus on stories that we feel would be of interest to enthusiastic gamers who follow the industry and reflect upon those same stories.

Speculation, reflection, discussions ... that's something that's always been encouraged on this blog, and we figured we may as well go all the way. We're fairly certain the aforementioned are going to be a lot more interesting for readers than the regular "Analysts predict PS3 outsells 360 this July!" crap. The lengthy posts, will, of course, remain and probably even get lengthier from time to time. There may or may not be a complete overhaul to the look of the blog, depending on how much time I, or any of the other staff -- more on that in a minute -- have. Again, if you think you can come up with a decent blogger template and are feeling generous, feel free to throw me a line.

As I mentioned just a second ago, it's no longer just me updating the blog. Jelster, whose opinions are extremely valued here, is now officially an editor, and you can look forward to seeing him put his PC gaming expertise to use in the near future. PC gaming is heavily under-represented nowadays, and I'm pretty sure he plans to do something about that.

Also joining us is former-commenter-turned-blogger Arro, who asked if he could cover the anime content that I haven't had the time for lately. Chances are you'll see gaming stuff from him, too (just wait till some really good Super Smash Bros. news hits!), but he's probably going to be dealing with a lot of Japanese culture and anime-related content ... something he yelled at me for ignoring these last few weeks.

Just the three of us for now, but as the "site" gets more "staff" (I'm really making us look bad, aren't I?), we'll be sure to let you know. As you all know, FWA is a non-profit site, and we welcome all kinds of opinions here. If you feel like writing - on a regular basis, or even just the occasional article / post - let me know. Suggestions are also welcome. Good ones will probably be taken up.

That's all for now. Hope everyone likes the new direction the site is headed in. I, for one, am very excited.

[ADVANCE]

Metroid Prime 3 Impressions

You know, sometimes when you read a review or first impressions you get a bunch of info you either already know or couldn't care less about. So I'm going to try something different. But first, the something you couldn't care less about: my background.

In brief, I'm a PC, online FPS gamer. Quake 3, CoD / CoD:UO and now Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (come October 2nd). I say this to let you know what gets my crackling erm, crackling and understand that console gaming is quite a secondary pastime for me. Likewise, Metroid and I haven't had a cool relationship. I never picked up the SNES Super Metroid (although I might now hit it up on the VC), Prime and Echoes I got on budget and just never really got into them due to a combination of pacing, frustrating controls compared to the PC and well, I always got a strange hollow impression from them.

Enough of that, I just wanted you to know where I'm coming from. I don't think I can be honest with you unless you know that stuff. So, in lieu of a review I thought I'd just hammer down my impressions. The things that struck me hardest in my first few hours of play.

A Wii favorite: Graphics. I honestly have to say, I'm stunned by them. I expected a dull drab mess of blurry textures and the odd bit of glow. What I was presented with was vibrant contrasting colours, crisp textures and detailed models. Where the levels lack the polys to perhaps lavish on the current high-gen touches, the ones you'd be hard pressed to notice anyway. Here they've been put to good use, filling the world with more obvious objects and decoration. This is certainly not one of those games where every hallway looks alike.

You can see the care and attention Retro has paid to every map inch of the levels. If I have to sum up the style, I kind of got struck by the powerful colours to the point that I felt like I was playing a comic book. You could literally pause and snap a picture and just compile them into a comic (the snapping pictures part is an unlockable by the way). Before I go wash up, I'd also like to prove my Metroid "newbieness" by saying that, seeing Samus stare back in the visor while tracking the pointer is spookily fun, as are the neat visor touches like steam and rain. This is just what I call polish and it's what sets a good games apart from extraordinary ones.

Okay, so I'll cut out the lushing right there.


Controls are up second. Usually a sore point for me, but I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. The lock-on really makes the game, negating the annoying "my enemy is at the edge of the screen oh wait the screen is scrolling!" moments. Instead, you can now, like in Zelda, lock on and strafe around a target. You still need to aim at them, so this isn't a skill gimping feature, it just lets you focus on the shooting and avoiding while it handles a lot of the movement issues. No, the lock on is not without its faults. I've found at times that it's sometimes easy to lose the lock and you end up disorientated for a few moments, as your movements are no longer pivoting around an enemy. You then suffer the agonizing wait as the screen slowly rotates around as you try to find the guy shooting you in the back. All in all though, this is the best I've seen thus far and that niggling point aside, you'll have a huge amount of fun playing the game and not wrestling with the controller. Yes, Red Steel, I am looking at you!

Gameplay. So far, I've found myself playing through of more of it than I honestly expected. My recent gaming form I'm getting old I guess is that I'll play for a few hours, then take a break. With Metroid, I've found I take a break for a few minutes and then want to get back into it and do a bit more. Writing this has probably been the longest I've stayed away from the game all day!

I still, however, feel the pangs of emptiness as you invariably explore largely deserted levels picking off a few baddies as you go. It strikes me as funny that Zelda, which similarly throws you into dungeons doesn't feel this way. Perhaps it's the solemn orchestral musical score, but either way, I'm sure this is intentional to the series as a whole.


Other things that have struck me while playing, other than my wife: The title screen just smacks me with quality and a lust to navigate the menus. it works really well and more games should see about putting some effort into what is the welcoming face of their game. The achievements and unlockables are a nice motivator beyond just getting a completion percentage in the high 90s. Audio and acting is well done, although, I wish they had included the option to allow it to run on without pauses, which kind of breaks the immersion a little.

Ratings. I'll pass on those thank you! They're even more subjective than my opinions. So, I'll just say that on my scale, this is a must buy unless the very name "Metroid" turns you giddy with nausea. For Metroid fans, I expect you'll love it. For Wii gamers, this is hopefully the start of a quality crop of games for you to get into. For doubters, you now have proof that many failings of the Wii are a result of developers taking the easy path, much like all other poor quality games.

Now, where's my Wiimote?

[ADVANCE]

The Wii: What Works and What Doesn't?

Using the Wiimote effectively is something the most experienced game developers have been having trouble with. However, it seems kind of hard to believe that so many creative minds would have trouble coming up with ideas for how to use the system's unique controller. While there have been a fair number of good games released for the system so far, there is still a ton of crap that needs to be filtered out.

But, what if the problems these games faced weren't in the ideas, but in the presentation? Let's explore how one could potentially fix that little issue.

[Solving the Wii's Control Problems]

[ADVANCE]