Archive for the ‘Developer Corner’ Category
inFAMOUS 2 Update and 2010 Recap
Posted by Ken Schramm in Developer Corner, infamous 2, Inside PlayStation, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on December 27th, 2010
Hey guys, hope you are having a great holiday break. 2010 was a huge year starting with the amazing response to our announcement at E3 to the sharing of Cole’s comic book inspirations at Comic-Con. Whether it’s exciting new powers, gruesome new enemies, or a new comic book, there’s a lot in store for our hero/villain Cole MacGrath.
We’re busy working on making inFAMOUS 2 the best action game experience we possibly can, and we’ll have more to share in the New Year, including some big announcements. What will Cole’s powers be? How will your choices affect the game? What lies unseen in the city of New Marais? Your questions will be answered in 2011.
Until then, check out the holiday issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine where you can get more details on inFAMOUS 2 and soak in some new images from the game.
We’ll have more updates soon — thanks for your support!!
Farewell, Canal House
Posted by Aryeh Loeb in Developer Corner, guerrilla games, holidays10, Inside PlayStation on December 23rd, 2010
Early next year, Guerrilla will relocate to a new building. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally outgrown the Canal House on the Herengracht. When we moved in here we had more space than we knew what to do with – two adjoined buildings, a monumental garden house, six stories of seventeenth century architecture and a reinforced basement which had doubled as a bank vault at one point. Now, every nook and cranny of the Canal House is filled with high-tech gadgetry, network cables, dev kits, monitors and action figures.
We knew the writing was on the wall when our power needs became so demanding that our neighbors started to experience brownouts. Adding an electrical transformer allowed us to at least finish Killzone 3 without bringing down the whole block, but the rising number of employees and the start of a new IP meant it was only going to be a temporary reprieve. (And we’re still hiring, by the way. You can check out guerrilla-games.com/jobs for a full overview of available positions.)
Anyway, we’ll miss the old Canal House – not just for its quaint atmosphere, but for its unique construction as well. Between the parallel-but-uneven stairwell columns and the mixed-height floors, it took new employees months to get a grasp of the layout. Many were the times an intern would get hopelessly lost, ending up in the wrong room or even on the wrong floor after returning from a meeting. The Canal House would’ve made a pretty good multiplayer level, but somehow we never got around to including it in a game.
As for the studio itself, Guerrilla isn’t going far: 700 meters to the east to be precise, to a lovely location overlooking Rembrandt Square. By sheer coincidence, the new building also used to be a bank – but unlike the Canal House, this one was constructed in the twentieth century. That means there will be plenty of space for high-tech gadgetry, network cables, dev kits, monitors, action figures and anything else we might choose to bring along.
See you in the New Year, everyone!
Christmas in Amsterdam
Posted by Aryeh Loeb in Developer Corner, guerrilla games, holidays10, Inside PlayStation on December 23rd, 2010
Without a doubt, one of the biggest perks of working at Guerrilla is the fact that it’s located in Amsterdam. Unlike the Helghast, the people here are very welcoming to newcomers; “Amsterdammers” are world-famous for their open-mindedness and acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles. Most of them are fluent in English, and they relish any opportunity to speak it.
At the same time, Amsterdammers place a lot of value on traditions. They have their own version of Santa Claus called “Sinterklaas,” whose holiday in early December rivals Christmas in terms of importance. And they insist on using bicycles as their primary form of transportation, regardless of temperature or precipitation. At this time of year, it’s not uncommon to see someone chugging through 2 inches of snow on a bike, with one hand on the handlebars and the other clutching a bag Christmas shopping.
Above all else, the people of Amsterdam appreciate atmosphere – or, as they call it, “gezelligheid” – and nothing brings this out more than the holiday season. When the days grow short and the weather grows cold, the city takes on the nostalgic charms of a Dickens-inspired Christmas village display. The sight of so many cozily lit canal houses and decorated high streets is enough to warm the heart of even the coldest Helghast polar trooper.
If you’d like to experience Christmas in Amsterdam someday, you may be in luck – Guerrilla is hiring! Check out our website at http://www.guerrilla-games.com/jobs for the full list of job vacancies. Who knows, by this time next year you could be walking – or, if you’re brave enough, biking – around Amsterdam yourself.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Happy Holidays from Guerrilla!
Posted by Aryeh Loeb in Developer Corner, guerrilla games, holidays10, Inside PlayStation, PlayStation Community on December 23rd, 2010
The holidays are here! After a busy but productive crunch period on Killzone 3, we’re finally able to catch up on our Z’s and spend some quality time with the family. For quite a few of us, there’s an additional family member waiting at home this year. In fact, since we began working on Killzone 3 over a dozen of our developers have become parents!
Here at Guerrilla, we observe a peculiar Dutch tradition to celebrate the birth of a baby: we eat “beschuit met muisjes,” which literally translates as “biscuits with little mice.” It’s a Dutch delicacy consisting of biscuits coated in butter and sprinkled with sugared anise seeds. We also give the parents these adorable little one-pieces to put on their newborns:
As to why there have been so many Guerrilla babies lately – perhaps it’s the constant exposure to militaristic Helghast propaganda, which has increased the virility of our developers. Or perhaps it’s simply a sign that Guerrilla has matured. After all, the young turks who stood at the studio’s metaphorical cradle ten years ago are professionals in their thirties today. They’re old and wise enough to stand at real cradles.
Being able to provide for your family by doing what you love is a rare fortune, and it’s during these days of celebration and reflection that we truly realize how blessed we are. We want to take this opportunity to thank you, the fans, for supporting us all these years; for showering us with your infectious enthusiasm and honest criticism, and for playing our games with endless dedication. We hope you’ll share a wonderful holiday with your loved ones, and we’ll see you in 2011.
MotorStorm Apocalypse Dev Diary Details The Festival, New Gameplay Video
Posted by Matt Southern in Developer Corner, evolution studios, Inside PlayStation, motorstorm apocalypse, PlayStation Games, PS3 on December 21st, 2010
We teamed up with the guys in the video production department at Studio Liverpool to produce three video diaries focusing on the two main modes in the upcoming MotorStorm Apocalypse. Both modes have been present in every MotorStorm game, but we’re trying to do a lot more with them this time round. This one is all about Festival mode, which is our version of a ‘Campaign.’
There’s a ton of unseen game footage in this video that I hope you like and also some glimpses into the recording of the original soundtrack. It features Paul ‘Rushy’ Rustchynsky, our Lead Designer and handling design guru, and Simon ‘Barlos’ Barlow, our invaluable Assistant Game Director who looks after big chunks of the gameplay features.
We call our more flexible free-play mode ‘Wreckreation,’ and it needs two video diaries to fully explain. They’ll follow soon. For now, enjoy our first video diary focusing on The Festival!
PlayStation Move Developer Diary: MAG
Posted by Brad Bennett in Developer Corner, MAG, PlayStation Games, playstation move, PS3, zipper on October 8th, 2010
In case you missed it, last week we released Patch 2.0 featuring Playstation Move compatibility for MAG. So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive from our community. We worked hard to implement PlayStation Move with MAG and are stoked to see it taking off. To get in on massive 256-player battles and learn more about dominating the battlefield with Playstation Move, check out the new Developer Diary below.
“The Move is not only precise but it also takes you in different direction, it feels like a natural extension of your hand and wrist. It just flows with your body and you stop thinking about having a controller. Those are the experiences that really pull you in as a player.” -Ben Jones, MAG level designer
With MAG available for only $29.99 as part of the PS3′s Greatest Hits line, now is the perfect time to jump!
Re-imaging of Dante, and the New Devil May Cry
Posted by Rey Gutierrez in capcom, Developer Corner, devil may cry, ninja theory, PlayStation Games, PS3 on September 24th, 2010
“I remember calling it Developers May Cry, it looked that good.” God of War III’s game director Stig Asmussen confesses in the upcoming God of War Directors Live event, when asked about his art direction days on the original God of War. Devil May Cry; its headliner, Dante; and the entire DMC mythology have sprung installments on multiple consoles, comic books and an anime series. Dante is an iconic figure in the video game world, so imagine the reaction when Lead Producer Alex Jones and Chief Creative Director Tameem Antoniades were tapped to change everything we know about Devil May Cry and start from scratch. The result? DmC.
Clearly, Ninja Theory and Capcom were anticipating a strong reaction and fan skepticism, but after my conversation with the new DmC team, I grew more confident that Dante and the cast of DmC are in good hands. It’s daring, crazy and extremely challenging to change an 11-year-old franchise. But, if Christopher Nolan can do it with Batman Begins, maybe Ninja Theory can do the same for Devil May Cry. I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that I feverishly await more details behind the new DmC. Expect both Jones and Antoniades to visit the PlayStation.Blog in the future.
I like the new hair. There, I said it.
Team Ico Talks: Fumito Ueda on The Last Guardian, Shadow of The Colossus
Posted by Sid Shuman in Developer Corner, PlayStation Games, PS3, team ico, team ico collection, tgs10, the last guardian on September 24th, 2010
Fumito Ueda is a name well known to most PlayStation fans. After directing the iconic PS2 games Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda-san fast became one of the most celebrated figures in international game development. Now he’s working on a new game, the boy-beast buddy adventure The Last Guardian. If you missed the new trailer released one week ago at the Tokyo Game Show, you can watch it below.
While in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ueda-san about The Last Guardian and his upcoming PS3 compilation Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. I knew that getting a lot of firm details about a game as enigmatic and ambitious as The Last Guardian would be no easy task, so I decided to focus my questions on learning more about how the game plays, its core mechanics, and nuances I spotted in the trailer. Ueda-san’s replies provide a rare glimpse into one of 2011′s most intriguing games.
Sid Shuman: How would you describe The Last Guardian to somebody who had never seen it before?
Fumito Ueda, Director, The Last Guardian: It’s not a pet game, but there is a live animal in the game. I would describe it as an adventure game that you play with this animal.
SS: Will you control the boy, Trico, or both?
FU: You can only control the boy.
SS: What can you tell us about the boy? Does he have a name? Is he on a quest of some sort?
FU: The boy does not have a name…yet. The goal of the boy is to escape from the location you see in the trailer.
SS: Judging by the video, Trico appears to be be a powerful force in combat situations. Is there a combat element to The Last Guardian? How does it work?
FU: As you saw in the video, Trico is able to defeat an enemy with one swipe. So in that sense, he functions as a guardian of sorts. But the boy is unable to defeat the enemies on his own — that’s the gameplay element involved.
SS: What can you tell us about the enemies we’ve seen in The Last Guardian? In the trailer, they appear to almost fall apart like statues…
FU: I can’t give you any details about the enemies. But I will say that they are not acting fully out of their own intentions.
SS: Is Trico the only creature of that size in The Last Guardian’s world?
FU: Again, I can’t give you any specific details. But there may be something like that out there…
SS: Shadow of the Colossus was known for its unusual control scheme. Will The Last Guardian follow suit with its controls, or will the controls feel familiar to players?
FU: The actual method of controls and button layouts have not been decided yet, because it doesn’t take much time to change the control scheme. But because we’re using the theme of an animal for The Last Guardian, I also want people who are not serious game players to try out this game. So I want the controls to be simpler than before.
SS: Many game journalists — and even the entry on Wikipedia — have described Shadow of the Colossus as one of the best examples for video games being an art form. How does that make you feel? Do you agree?
FU: I’m happy about it, I’m flattered. But I wonder what part are they are referring to when they make that comment, that it’s art. What part are they looking at? Because I think it’s possible to make it even more artistic. But because it’s a video game, those possibilities have been subdued somewhat — it’s a game. So I’d be interested to know what part, exactly, they mean when they refer to it as art.
There are games out there that are much more artistic than Shadow of the Colossus. And personally I also believe that it would be possible to make it even more “arty,” so to speak.
SS: What other games do you think represent a good argument for games as art?
FU: I guess it depends on how you define art, of course. But in a Japanese conception of the term “art,” it’s thought that it might be something that’s difficult to understand, or complex. Or something unique or uncommon.
So given that definition of art, maybe it’s a little detrimental to actually name any titles.
SS: You were asking why so many people name Shadow of the Colossus as an example of art. I think many people would answer that it’s because players begin to sympathize with the Colossi…
FU: So it makes you think — I understand.
Team Ico Talks: Fumito Ueda on The Last Guardian, Shadow of The Colossus
Posted by Sid Shuman in Developer Corner, Featured Post, PlayStation Games, PS3, team ico, team ico collection, tgs10, the last guardian on September 24th, 2010
Fumito Ueda is a name well known to most PlayStation fans. After directing the iconic PS2 games Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda-san fast became one of the most celebrated figures in international game development. Now he’s working on a new game, the boy-beast buddy adventure The Last Guardian. If you missed the new trailer released one week ago at the Tokyo Game Show, you can watch it below.
While in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ueda-san about The Last Guardian and his upcoming PS3 compilation Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. I knew that getting a lot of firm details about a game as enigmatic and ambitious as The Last Guardian would be no easy task, so I decided to focus my questions on learning more about how the game plays, its core mechanics, and nuances I spotted in the trailer. Ueda-san’s replies provide a rare glimpse into one of 2011′s most intriguing games.
Sid Shuman: How would you describe The Last Guardian to somebody who had never seen it before?
Fumito Ueda, Director, The Last Guardian: It’s not a pet game, but there is a live animal in the game. I would describe it as an adventure game that you play with this animal.
SS: Will you control the boy, Trico, or both?
FU: You can only control the boy.
SS: What can you tell us about the boy? Does he have a name? Is he on a quest of some sort?
FU: The boy does not have a name…yet. The goal of the boy is to escape from the location you see in the trailer.
SS: Judging by the video, Trico (the beast) appears to be be a powerful force in combat situations. Is there a combat element to The Last Guardian? How does it work?
FU: As you saw in the video, Trico is able to defeat an enemy with one swipe. So in that sense, he functions as a guardian of sorts. But the boy is unable to defeat the enemies on his own — that’s the gameplay element involved.
SS: What can you tell us about the enemies we’ve seen in The Last Guardian? In the trailer, they appear to almost fall apart like statues…
FU: I can’t give you any details about the enemies. But I will say that they are not acting fully out of their own intentions.
SS: Is Trico the only creature of that size in The Last Guardian’s world?
FU: Again, I can’t give you any specific details. But there may be something like that out there…
SS: Shadow of the Colossus was known for its unusual control scheme. Will The Last Guardian follow suit with its controls, or will the controls feel familiar to players?
FU: The actual method of controls and button layouts have not been decided yet, because it doesn’t take much time to change the control scheme. But because we’re using the theme of an animal for The Last Guardian, I also want people who are not serious game players to try out this game. So I want the controls to be simpler than before.
SS: Many game journalists — and even the entry on Wikipedia — have described Shadow of the Colossus as one of the best examples for video games being an art form. How does that make you feel? Do you agree?
FU: I’m happy about it, I’m flattered. But I wonder what part are they are referring to when they make that comment, that it’s art. What part are they looking at? Because I think it’s possible to make it even more artistic. But because it’s a video game, those possibilities have been subdued somewhat — it’s a game. So I’d be interested to know what part, exactly, they mean when they refer to it as art.
There are games out there that are much more artistic than Shadow of the Colossus. And personally I also believe that it would be possible to make it even more “arty,” so to speak.
SS: What other games do you think represent a good argument for games as art?
FU: I guess it depends on how you define art, of course. But in a Japanese conception of the term “art,” it’s thought that it might be something that’s difficult to understand, or complex. Or something unique or uncommon.
So given that definition of art, maybe it’s a little detrimental to actually name any titles.
SS: You were asking why so many people name Shadow of the Colossus as an example of art. I think many people would answer that it’s because players begin to sympathize with the Colossi…
FU: So it makes you think — I understand.
Patapon 3 Q&A with Hiroyuki Kotani: More epic, more multiplayer
Posted by Sid Shuman in Developer Corner, Inside PlayStation, patapon 3, PlayStation Games, PSN, psp, tgs10 on September 23rd, 2010
In addition to Patapon 3’s better-known enhancements — the tough-as-nails Super Hero Patapons, approximately 80 levels, the Pata-text chat system — the topic of multiplayer gameplay remains something of a mystery.
So while at the Tokyo Game Show, I jumped at the chance to speak with Hiroyuki Kotani, better known as the director of the Patapon series, to touch upon more details for his upcoming PSP rhythm-action game. I was particularly interested in how the new online multiplayer-centric gameplay would impact the game, as well as what new challenges the Patapons will face in their strange new surroundings.
Sid Shuman: Patapon 3’s visual style looks more sophisticated, how have you evolved the art style?
Hiroyuki Kotani, Director, Patapon 3: Along with the more epic theme, we changed the graphical style not only for the Superhero Patapon, but also for the backgrounds. The backgrounds in the previous games looked more flat and two-dimensional. But now in Patapon 3 you can feel much more atmosphere — it’s both more fantastic and more realistic.
The Patapon 3 environments (left) look more dynamic and three dimensional compared to Patapon 2’s flatter, simpler backgrounds (right).
SS: How are the enemies different? Are they bigger? Do they have any new ways to attack your Patapons?
HK: The monsters from the original game have some tricky new actions that are not nice to the Patapons. There will be many more different types of monsters in the game, though details can’t yet be released.
SS: How has multiplayer been expanded and improved for Patapon 3?
HK: The multiplayer part of Patapon 3 is what the team has worked on the most! For Patapon 2, we only offered ad-hoc Wifi connection, but we’re adding infrastructure Wifi play so you’ll be able to play with more people together — eight at once in Patapon 3.
But the biggest evolution for multiplayer is probably opening up the multiplayer stages. Patapon 2’s multiplayer was really limited, but in Patapon 3 you can play on almost all of the stages in multiplayer. That’s one of the biggest improvements.
SS: Will Patapon 3 implement a clan system or buddy system for keeping friends organized in the multiplayer modes?
HK: Unfortunately, I cannot say everything regarding all these details. But there will be a clan feature called “Team.” There will be single-player, of course, and cooperative play, and competitive play as well. The play styles will practically be infinite! This part of the game is still being worked on.
Patapon 3 will offer many more options for character customization, especially for the powerful Super Hero Patapons. All told, expect to see approximately twice the Patapon types.
SS: How will character customization be different in Patapon 3, and will that tie into multiplayer in any way?
HK: How you develop your characters is totally different from the previous games. I can’t say the exact number, but there will be more than double the Patapon types. So now you can be what you want to be! Also, in Patapon 3, you can earn experience points to level up your characters with new skills and abilities. Depending on what kind of skills you acquire, your final performance and effectiveness will be very different.
SS: Does Patapon 3 have more a narrative focus than past Patapon games?
HK: If they played the E3 demo, I can see how users would think that Patapon 3 is different. Patapon 3 will be different from the previous Patapon games, and it will be more dramatic because you are the playing as a hero, the Super Hero Patapon. Players can get more into the game for this reason — it will be a far more epic game.