Alone in the Dark developers diary

Alone in the Dark

Developer Diary 1

Hervé Sliwa, Lead Designer, Eden Games

First steps

As lead game designer on Alone in the Dark my job is to design all the content of the game, the story, and the game’s rules of interaction. I’ve worked at Eden for 6 or 7 years and my last project here was Kya: Dark Lineage. Before that I worked for Infogrames for 6 years, including working as the lead game designer on Sheep Dog and Wolf.

I was always a huge gamer playing a lot at night in my room. I really love video games, but I never dreamed that it would become my job because I didn’t even think it was possible that making games could be a job. So I started to study music in Lyon and to make some money after college I was working as a tester for Infogrames. From that moment I realised that making games could be a real job, so I did everything I could to make it happen, and after two years I had my first temporary contract.

My favourite games of all time are probably Zelda, Half-Life and the first Metal Gear Solid. Zelda because it’s Zelda and it’s maybe the best adventure game ever made because it has such a perfect blend of RPG and action styles – I spent so many hours on this game, I love it. Half Life because it has maybe the best perspective on the situation of gameplay – the first game where I felt like a normal guy in this specific situation and you need to survive. It was a really amazing game when I first played it. Metal Gear was the first time I felt that a game could be better entertainment than a movie, and it was really important for me. And of course, and it’s not bullshit, but Alone in the Dark, the first one. I played so many hours on this game because it was such a huge step in terms of technology and narrative, and it was really amazing.

Alone in the Dark is a huge legacy because it was one of my favourite games. It means innovation, breaking the rules, and trying to bring something new in interactive entertainment. It’s a masterpiece, a huge legacy for us. To do a re-make of alone is a kind of gift – it’s something I dreamed about 10 years ago. Honestly, I applied to Infogrames because it was the company that made the first alone in the dark. It’s such a beautiful game, and when I realised Infogrames was in Lyon where I was studying, I applied because of Alone in the Dark, so it means a lot to me have the opportunity to develop this game. It was incredible that infogrames was in Lyon where I was studying.

We have great respect for the first Alone in the Dark and we want to respect the legacy of that, but we also want to put our souls into the new game. I would say the new game is not a sequel, it’s a new approach to the game with new innovations and new rules. Of course you don’t need to play the first one to start this one, but we have little connections between the two games.

The project started in my mind 10 years ago when I was on a trip to New York city, my first trip to the US. Just after I arrived, I was walking in Manhattan and I went up to Central Park. New York at night is lights everywhere – the city that never sleeps. I arrived in front of Central Park very late at night and the park was very dark. I was in front of this huge dark square and it was really weird – it was such a contrast between the dark square in front of me and the lights in the street everywhere. It was like a parallel world, the world of the light and the world of the darkness – it was amazing. At that moment I had a flash in my head that it could be a great playground for a new Alone in the Dark game. When I came back from the trip I had lots of photos of the buildings around the park and I started to imagine lots of different situations and possibilities for the game, different scenarios in the park, adventure plots and so on. At that moment I was working on Sheep Dog and Wolf, so I put all my ideas in a box. After Kya: Dark Lineage we found out Atari had the brand and we had the opportunity to propose a new project, so I took all my ideas out of the box. We had a brainstorm at Eden and proposed the first ideas for the new game and that was the start of the new Alone in the Dark.

Buzz! Junior brings Dinos back to life in time for Easter

Buzz! Junior brings Dinos back to life in time for Easter

Buzz! Junior: Dino Den - A prehistoric adventure for kids

35 dino-tastic games featuring hilarious challenges and puzzles
Brand new ‘2 verses 2 mode’ for co-operative team play
Great fun for children and parent’s this Easter holiday

The Buzz! Junior franchise is on a mission to take children back in time this February with the launch of Buzz! Junior: Dino Den, exclusive to PlayStation 2. This new title follows hot on the heels of November’s Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble and includes brand new games, four cheeky Dino characters and a whole host of exciting features – all set in a prehistoric Dino world.

Buzz! Junior: Dino Den is the fourth title in the critically-acclaimed Buzz! Junior series. The game play is ideal for children, challenging them to improve their co-ordination and hone their reflexes by using the coloured buttons on the famous Buzz! buzzers in a series of lightning-fast games of skill, speed and logic. It’s a perfect dose of fun for the whole family this Easter.

Set in the prehistoric time of the dinosaurs, players find themselves in a land of volcanoes, geysers and festering mud pools - ideal for a refreshing dino bath! There are a mammoth 35 multiplayer games for the four cheeky playable Dinos to get their claws into including stone age go-kart racing, T-Rex riding, and caveman dunking. Players compete for Dino eggs - the Dino with the biggest egg collection at the end is crowned king of the Dinos.

Buzz! Junior: Dino Den features lots of exciting ways to play, including the brand new Team mode where players can join forces to compete in 10 unique 2vs2 team games. Players can also compete in every-Dino-for-themselves action as the Dinos work their way over treacherous lava rivers, frozen lakes and muddy pools.

Suitable for up to four people, Buzz! Junior: Dino Den lets kids compete against each other or, if there isn’t a full herd of Dinos to play with, use the computer controlled ‘Tribal Dino’ to take control – meaning that Dino friends are always on hand!

Key features:-

• 1-4 player buzzer-bashing fun
• 2 or 4 player co-operative mayhem in the all new 2vs2 Team mode
• 25 great new multiplayer mini games
• 10 all new 2vs2 Team games (so that’s a whopping 35 games in total!)
• Computer controlled ‘Tribal Dino’ enhances gameplay when playing with less than 4 human players
• Four great characters to choose from: T-Rex, Pterodactyl, Stegosaurus and Triceratops
• Even more Buzz! Junior humour with a twist of fun-filled mischievousness

This hilarious new title is firmly focused on delivering the fun and side-splitting humour that guarantees entertainment for the whole family as they come together over the course of a series of colourful and wacky Dino challenges.

If you loved Buzz! Junior’s Jungle Party, RoboJam and Monster Rumble, then you’re in for a seriously mammoth treat when Buzz! Junior: Dino Den hits shelves this February – just in time for Easter. Visit www.buzzjunior.com for more fun and games.

Get Your Motor Running - Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

Additional special features included in the European release
16-player online racing on PLAYSTATION Network – a Gran Turismo first!
71 dream cars, High Definition graphics, new physics engine… and a TV channel

Attention all driving fans!! One of the games industry’s most legendary titles is about to make its PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) debut! That’s right - the real driving simulator that’s already sold almost 50 million units is back. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital are pleased to announce Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, a prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo 5 for PS3, will be available both on Blu-ray Disc (BD) on Wednesday 26 March for £24.99 (RRP), and as a download from PLAYSTATION Network on Thursday 27 March. Launching on the same day as the standalone BD version, a PS3 bundle will be available including a PS3 40GB model, a SIXAXIS wireless controller and a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game, all for just £299.99 (RRP).

Gran Turismo on PlayStation is one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last decade – renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology. Now, with the power of PS3 behind it, it’s going to be unstoppable. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features 71 stunning cars – including vehicles by Lotus, Aston Martin, Subaru and, making another striking appearance, Ferrari - for you to race on six seriously realistic tracks: the Eiger Nordwand; the Daytona International Speedway; the London City Track; the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring – all drivable in two layouts and all rendered in incredible High Definition graphics. There’s also all-new driving physics for the most lifelike driving experience ever and new, improved, opponent artificial intelligence for the toughest race challenge yet.

But that’s not all – for the first time in the history of Gran Turismo, you’ll be able to race online. Thanks to PLAYSTATION Network, up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world’s best racetracks – all you need to get racing is a broadband connection and a PS3. Once you’re up and revving, Global Online Rankings will leave the world in no doubt as to just who is the best at Gran Turismo.

And then there’s Gran Turismo™ TV – a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network and packed with some of the greatest content that motorsport has to offer.

And, when you’re done watching live coverage, you can take a more sedate browse through the Gran Turismo museum, where you’ll find virtual exhibits on the history of many of the world-class car marques that have starred in Gran Turismo.

Key Features:

• The first ever Gran Turismo title with online racing: drive online against up to 16 other Gran Turismo aces
  
• Race a total of 71 stunning, high-performance cars
  
• Race the Eiger Nordwand, the Daytona International Speedway, the London City Track , the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - and then race them in alternative layouts
  
• All-new physics engine means true next-generation vehicle handling
  
• All-new and improved opponent AI opponents for a nail-biting race experience
  
• Access to Gran Turismo TV : a world of great motoring TV programming online
  
• In-game museum featuring the history and heritage of the top car manufacturers
  
• My Garage - a personalised homepage feature with calendar, clock and map & weather of major race circuits worldwide
  
• Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tyres, suspension and more
  
• All in stunning High Definition at 1080p
  

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Additional Features for Europe:

• Drift Mode – The player’s drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
  
• In Depth Car Tuning – Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle’s performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing.
  
• Two-player Split Screen Racing – Allows players to race head-to-head offline.
  
• New Race Events – Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.
  

The complete Gran Turismo 5 launches in 2009. Until then, there’s enough ultra-realistic, high-speed racing in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PS3 and it’s out now! To find out more, visit www.granturismoworld.com.

Lost Empires: Immortals demo exclusively with FilePlanet

Release of cosmic demo for Lost Empires: Immortals

Paradox Interactive launches demo exclusively with FilePlanet

Paradox Interactive, in cooperation with FilePlanet, aims for the stars with the exclusive launch of its Lost Empires: Immortals demo.

Budding galactic warlords can experience a host of game features within this limited version of the full game. Play as the Humans against the Megalanians and Horde factions. Explore and colonize across the boundaries of a single galaxy, for a massive 350 turns. Players are limited to constructing destroyers only, while multiplayer, custom options and main game storyline are disabled.

To temporary abate any cravings for galactic conquest; download your own corner of the universe by following this link:
http://www.fileplanet.com/184936/180000/fileinfo/Lost-Empire:-Immortals-Demo

Lost Empire Immortals will be available for download on GamersGate from March 11, 2008

Major Update to Mayhem Intergalactic, Award-Winning PC Strategy Game

Major Update to Mayhem Intergalactic, Award-Winning PC Strategy Game

Independent game developer Inventive Dingo releases a major update, featuring all-new audio and revamped graphics, for the award-winning game Mayhem Intergalactic, a streamlined and engaging "arcade strategy" game of interstellar conquest. The game is easy to learn and quick to play. A free demo is available.

Independent game developer Inventive Dingo, www.inventivedingo.com, has released a major update to Mayhem Intergalactic, a streamlined and engaging "arcade strategy" game of interstellar conquest. The update, which brings the game to version 1.1.0, features all-new audio and revamped graphics, and like all such updates is free to existing customers. A free demo is available at http://www.inventivedingo.com/mayhemig.

Mayhem Intergalactic was recently awarded a place in the Student Showcase of the 2008 Independent Games Festival in San Francisco, often called the Sundance of video games. The game was subsequently featured on the Australian gaming TV show "Good Game".

"The IGF was a unique experience," says Chris Pelling, the founder and sole employee of Inventive Dingo, who also studies full-time at university. "Everyone who tried the game said they loved it. I'm a bit of an upstart, even for an independent game developer, so I felt quite out of place there - too indie for indie! - until people actually started playing the game and voicing their opinions on it. Once they got to that stage, they were hooked!"

Mayhem Intergalactic keeps things simple. Unlike many other strategy games, there are no complicated technology charts to learn, no unit rosters to choose from, and no tedious resource-collecting activities to engage in. A typical game session lasts mere minutes rather than hours. Yet despite this simplicity, the game contains a surprising amount of tactical depth. Attractive graphics and a stirring original soundtrack, which adjusts dynamically depending on your progress, round off the package.

Mayhem Intergalactic can be played against the computer or over the Internet. It costs $19.99 USD, and is available for Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. Versions for Mac OS X and Linux are planned; users of those platforms are encouraged to sign up for the email newsletter at http://www.inventivedingo.com/. Doing so will ensure they receive a notification when the game becomes available for their platform.

Red Octane, Gamertag Radio & SFX360 Sponsors Guitar Hero III Tournament April 5th

Red Octane, Gamertag Radio & SFX360 Sponsors GH III Tournament April 5th Fundraiser Event

http://www.gamertagradio.com/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=6691

Red Octane, The Inner Circle and LLS Presents The Ultimate LLS Guitar Hero Tournament, Saturday April 5th 2008 at The Inner Circle located at 2232 N. University Dr Coral Springs, FL (At University and Royal Palms Blvd. Behind Kinko's)

This event will be hosted by members of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's "Team in Training" . Red Octane is sponsoring the event as well as The South Florida Xbox 360 Meetup Group and Gamertag Radio.

Registration starts at 6pm with a $10 buy in, seeding starts immediately after you register. All proceeds will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). A secondary contest for style during play will be determined by a panel of judges. Basically if you show up in full rock star garb, you will gain style points!
To ensure participation, please be there at 6pm to register.

If you would like to donate but are not able to attend the event, you can do so at:

http://www.active.com/donate/tntsofl/jackyec

For additional information on Guitar Hero III Tournament April 5th Red Octane Sponsors Fundraiser Event to Benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society , please contact Jackye Clayton at 954 600-1873. For more information about the South Florida Team in Training program, please go to http://www.teamintraining.org/sfl .

Iraq's Guitar Heroes Shred by Day, Take Out Insurgents by Night

Attack helicopters and robotic planes, in combination, can be extremely hazardous to an insurgent's health. In 14 months, one copter-and-drone crew has killed over 2,400 bomb-planters. The indefatigable Michael Yon offers the most detailed look I've seen yet at how the manned and unmanned aircraft work together, to lethal effect. Step one: Let the pilots finish up their round of Guitar Hero.

The bombers were being watched. Invisible to them, prowling far overhead, was a Predator.

The Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) whose eye sees through the darkness... I often watch the live feed streaming down into the Tactical Operations Centers (TOC) around Iraq, while crosshairs track the enemy, and the screen lists data such as altitude, azimuth, ground speed, and the precise grid coordinates of the target. The Predator carries a deadly Hellfire missile, but also has other weapons, like the crosshairs on its eye, which links down to soldiers watching the video and data feed. The soldiers have radios to other soldiers with massive arrays of weapons. With that combination, every weapon in the US arsenal can be brought into action...

The Predator peered down on the terrorists planting the bomb. There were too many targets for one Hellfire missile, and it’s better to conserve the weapon when possible, since the Predator must fly far to reload.

More from WIRED...

Sony PlayStation Network's Top Ten Games

The PlayStation Network's 2.8 million registered users have been busy, downloading 46 million pieces of content so far. Some of the most popular items downloaded by the service's overwhelmingly male audience (92 percent) were, naturally, games.

The top ten games downloaded purchased the United States were fl0w, Mortal Kombat 2, Tekken 5, Pain, Warhawk, Bowling, Super Stardust, Calling All Cars, Aquatopia, and Everyday Shooter.

Compare them with the top ten Xbox Live Arcade games from last year: TMNT 1989 Arcade, Worms, Castlevania: SOTN, Uno, Bomberman Live, 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures, Sonic The Hedgehog, Pinball FX, Geometry Wars Evolved, Texas Hold 'em.

The services aren't identical, so this isn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, but one does have to wonder if this says more about PSN and XBLA themselves or the audiences they serve. Is the PSN simply a haven for indie games, or does the 360's audience just plain prefer more tried-and-true content? Would flOw be a hit on XBLA? Would Uno score on PSN?

Source: Blog WIRED

Panzer Command: Kharkov Announced! - A Major New Release in the Panzer Command 3D Tactical Wargame series from Matrix Games!

Panzer Command: Kharkov Announced!

A Major New Release in the Panzer Command 3D Tactical Wargame series from Matrix Games!

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Koios Works are excited to announce a major new release in the Panzer Command series of 3D tactical wargames. In Panzer Command: Kharkov, players step back to the early days of May, 1942 as both the German and Soviet armies prepare major offensives focused on the same place – Kharkov. Panzer Command: Kharkov is scheduled for release during March, 2008. To mark the official announcement, Matrix Games has also released a short promotional trailer to give gamers a quick peek at what they can expect in just a few weeks. The trailer is available for download or simply watch it on YouTube.

Panzer Command: Kharkov is a 3D tactical game in which players control a core force of vehicles and squads while battling through individual scenarios and historical campaigns as well as new random battles and campaigns across the Eastern Front of World War II

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Panzer Command: Kharkov is the second in our new series of 3D tactical wargames and we’re very excited at the progress we’ve made since the first release in realizing our vision. If you enjoyed Winter Storm, just wait till you see what Kharkov can do!”

Panzer Command: Kharkov is a 3D simultaneous turn based strategy game where you command either the Soviet or German forces during the punch and counter-punch of the 1942 battles around Kharkov in the Ukraine. Two new Kharkov campaigns as well as some additional short campaigns tie the scenarios together, allowing core units to progress from battle to battle, gaining experience, medals and special abilities. A point system allows players to “purchase” additional units for each mission in the campaign as well as replace losses, forcing decisions on management of resources.

The design for Panzer Command: Kharkov lets first time wargamers sit down and start playing, while allowing hard-core gamers to enjoy the realism and historical accuracy. All campaign battles can also be fought as individual scenarios and a new random battle generator as well as a random campaign generator make for almost infinite replayability! The AI can control either side in each battle and a full Play-by-Email system allows for head to head play.

Panzer Command: Kharkov includes a full set of scenario and campaign editing tools as well as excellent support for moddability, extending to the game data as well as the 3D models themselves.

Owners of Panzer Command: Winter Storm will receive a special upgrade offer to purchase Panzer Command: Kharkov at a discount.

Features of Panzer Command: Kharkov include:

New Scenarios and Campaigns

• German Kharkov, May 1942, 14th Panzer Division, (8 Battles)
  
• Soviet Kharkov, May 1942, 169th Rifle Divison, (8 Battles)
  
• German Mcensk, October 1941, 4th Panzer Division, (4 Battles)
  
• German Kursk North, July 1943, (3 Battles)
  
• Boot Camp Tutorial (6 Battles)
  
• Plus additional individual battles and updated Winter Storm campaigns for Winter Storm owners (48 scenarios total if you own Winter Storm)
  

· New Random Battle Generator

· New Random Campaign Generator

· New Spring and Summer Maps

· Trenches and Foxholes

· Minefields

· Detailed LOS and Terrain rules for historical realism

· Scenario Editor, Campaign Editor, Template Editor

· Improved Commands, Improved Interface Options

· Improved AI

· Improved Infantry Combat

· Reinforcements

· Surrender Option

· Smoke

· New Auto-Targeting

· Improved Graphics

· Improved Sounds

· Improved Performance

· New Units

• New On-Map Mortars
  
• 
  
• New On-Map Infantry Guns
  
• 
  
• Greatly expanded list of German and Soviet Units from 1941 - 1944
  

Assassin's Creed- Director's cut edition PC video game

Assassin's Creed- Director's cut edition

PC Product Description

Assassin’s Creed is the next-gen game developed by Ubisoft Montreal that will redefine the action genre. While other games claim to be next-gen with impressive graphics and physics, Assassin’s Creed merges technology, game design, theme and emotions into a world where you instigate chaos and become a vulnerable, yet powerful, agent of change.

The setting is 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart. You, Altair, intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict.

You are an Assassin, a warrior shrouded in secrecy and feared for your ruthlessness. Your actions can throw your immediate environment into chaos, and your existence will shape events during this pivotal moment in history.

Key Features

• Be an Assassin
Master the skills, tactics and weapons of history’s deadliest and most secretive clan of warriors. Plan your attacks, strike without mercy and fight your way to escape.

• Director’s Cut edition: experience exclusive PC content
Four PC-exclusive investigation missions make the game an even better experience than its console predecessors, including the Rooftop Race Challenge, a race to a specified location and the Archer Stealth Assassination Challenge, where the player must assassinate all archers in a certain zone to help out fellow Assassins.

• Realistic and responsive environments
Experience a living, breathing world in which all your actions have consequences. Crowds react to your moves and will either help or hinder you on your quests.

• Action with a new dimension – total freedom
Eliminate your targets wherever, whenever and however. Stalk your prey through richly detailed, historically accurate, open-ended environments. Scale buildings, mount horses, blend in with crowds. Do whatever it takes to achieve your objectives.

• Relive the epic times of the Crusades
Assassin’s Creed immerses you in the realistic and historical Holy Land of the 12th century, featuring life-like graphics, ambience and the subtle, yet detailed nuances of a living world.

• Intense action rooted in reality
Experience heavy action blended with fluid and precise animations. Use a wide range of medieval weapons, and face your enemies in realistic swordfight duels.

• Next-gen gameplay
The proprietary engine developed from the ground up for the next-gen console allows organic game design featuring open gameplay, intuitive control scheme, realistic interaction with environment and a fluid, yet sharp, combat mechanic.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
(Both Minimum and Recommended):

Supported OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista (only)
Processor: Dual core processor 2.6 GHz Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ or better recommended)
RAM: 1 GB Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista
Video Card: 256 MB DirectX 10.0–compliant video card or DirectX 9.0–compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (see supported list)*
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0 or 10.0–compliant sound card (5.1 sound card recommended)
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0 or10.0 libraries (included on disc)
DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM dual-layer drive
Hard Drive Space: 8 GB
Peripherals Supported: Keyboard, mouse, optional controller (Xbox 360 Controller for Windows recommended)

*Supported Video Cards at Time of Release:
ATI RADEON X1600*/1650*–1950/HD 2000/3000 series
NVIDIA GeForce 6800*/7/8/9 series
*PCI Express only supported

Laptop versions of these cards may work but are NOT supported. These chipsets are the only ones that will run this game. For the most up-to-date minimum requirement listings, please visit the FAQ for this game on our support website at: http://support.ubi.com.

NOTICE: This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some disc and virtual drives.