Archive for the ‘sucker punch’ Category
See inFamous 2 on Cover of PlayStation: The Official Magazine
Posted by Gary Steinman in infamous 2, Inside PlayStation, PlayStation Games, playstation: the official magazine, PS3, sucker punch on November 12th, 2010
Some days I like my job. Other days, I really like my job. But today? I love it. Why? Because we just got back from the printers a big box of the Holiday issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine — and it might be my favorite one yet.
For starters, there’s our spectacular cover story: inFamous 2. We spent a full day with the fine folks at Sucker Punch, seeing aspects of the game that no one outside of the studio has ever witnessed, and getting a chance to go hands-on with Cole MacGrath in new areas of the New Orleans-inspired setting. All the electrifying details are revealed inside our lavish 10-page feature, along with world-exclusive screens, juicy new tidbits about the story, and a guided tour of New Marais’ first island.
We’ve also scored a big scoop with the first hands-on with Mass Effect 2 on PS3, including details on how developer BioWare will ease us PlayStation gamers into their epic sci-fi RPG (since the original game wasn’t released on PS3). Nifty stuff.
And it wouldn’t be a holiday issue if there wasn’t a gift guide. Our whip-cracking managing editor rounded up 49 of the coolest games, gadgets, Blu-rays and more, then doled them out to the PTOM staff in order to prod us to finally hit our deadlines. Find out how you too can win allies and influence gamers with this totally unique gift guide.
As if that weren’t enough, we have our biggest reviews section ever, with most of the holiday hits covered; playtests of some of the biggest 2011 releases; and must-read interviews with everyone from Twisted Metal’s David Jaffe to My Chemical Romance. It’s all in our Holiday issue, on stands November 23, and hitting subscribers as you read this.
To keep up with the goings-on at PTOM, be sure to follow us on Twitter. Or you can follow me directly. Enjoy!
Play inFAMOUS 2 at PAX!
Posted by Wilson Cheng in infamous 2, pax10, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on September 2nd, 2010
If you are going to PAX this weekend, I wanted to let you know that inFAMOUS 2 will have its very own booth space at the show! Sucker Punch will be on hand and we’ll have 7 kiosks featuring a demo of the game that will feature Cole’s new melee weapon (the “Amp”) and a new power called the Ionic Vortex.
Our booth number is #122 so swing on by to get your inFAMOUS destruction on! We’ll also be giving away a limited number of t-shirts to players until we run out.
If that wasn’t awesome enough news, the inFAMOUS 2 team will also be holding a panel on the topic of “Creating Super Powers” and showing some new gameplay featuring a power called the Kinetic Pulse, and a new enemy, the Ravager. Details are below, so hope to see you there!
inFAMOUS 2 Panel “Creating Super Powers”
Seattle Sheraton, Pegasus Theater
Time: 6:30-7:30pm 7:00pm
inFAMOUS 2 PAX Booth #122
gamescom: inFAMOUS 2 Interview
Posted by James Gallagher in gamescom10, infamous 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on August 20th, 2010
After the SCEE gamescom press conference, we had an event where press and developers could mingle, overindulge and try out the latest PlayStation games. I got talking to Bruce Oberg, co-founder of Sucker Punch Productions and development lead in inFAMOUS 2; without further ado, here’s what we said.
James Gallagher: From what I’ve seen, you seem to have been working particularly hard on the game’s graphics. Has this been an area in which you’ve placed special focus?
Bruce Oberg, Co-Founder, Sucker Punch Productions: We’ve tried to leave no stone unturned in just about every facet of the game and the graphics have been helped by us having another year of learning about PlayStation 3 under our belt. We’re able to use more of the cell processors now than we finished the first inFAMOUS, so we can have more characters on-screen, more complicated shaders, and much greater layering.
It basically means we’re able to up the amplitude when it comes to graphics and the number of breakable objects you see on the screen. The characters, in particular, look a lot better as we have learned things like light scattering under the skin that makes a big difference. We’re also using motion capture for the first time to create animations, which gives movement a more powerful, visceral look. It’s all looking great!
JG:How much collaboration has there been with studios such as Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games on this project?
BO: We’ve always felt like a little brother to those guys that you mentioned; they’re down in California so we don’t see each other all of the time, but we’ll occasionally give them a call if we’re having trouble with this or that, because they’re super smart.
We’re completely humbled to be mentioned in the same sentence as either of those teams.
JG: Morality was at the heart of inFAMOUS and I’ve always thought that the Holy Grail for those kinds of games is to nail the grey shades of personality in-between. Would you agree?
BO: Morality was never our starting point with inFAMOUS; it was ‘what would you do if you do if you were suddenly given superpowers’ and I think that karmic choice is a big part of that. What would you do? It’s not natural to give someone this power and then expect them to be a hero.
People responded really well to the choices we gave them, and we’re going to be doing more of that in inFAMOUS 2, but I think we’re going to make the choices even stronger, taking you either further in the good or evil directions. We want it to be clear to people what kind of choice they’re making.
JG: What are the storytelling challenges in that kind of forking narrative?
BO: It’s incredibly challenging. You think of the story as a tree that ends up with so many branches that it becomes a daunting task creating all of that content. In inFAMOUS there were essentially two endings that you could see and we might broaden that a little bit, but the real emphasis is on making sure that the way the game plays changing after you make certain choices.
JG: What inspired the new setting of New Marais?
BO: First of all we wanted somewhere that would offer more variation than a regular city. New Marais has echoes of New Orleans and other Southern cities, but there’s also a bit of Atlanta in there. We wanted a warmer, wetter climate with all these different districts like a modern area, a French quarter, a swamp and all these different shapes of the gritty world. It gives us a far more varied ‘jungle gym’ to explore.
JG: What are the new powers like?
BO: We showed the Ionic Vortex at E3, which is tornado made out of static electricity that just wreaks havoc. You have to remember that Cole is not a beginner anymore like he was at the beginning of inFAMOUS. He has a lot of powers already, so we’re giving him even more, but also a greater sense of limitation in that he has to consider the damage he’s going to cause to the city by using the really big powers.
JG: For people like me that have played a LOT of inFAMOUS, what’s going to surprise us in the sequel?
BO: I think that the sheer amount of extra content in there and the scale of the new powers is really going to blow a lot of people’s minds.
inFAMOUS 2 gamescom Trailer
Posted by Wilson Cheng in gamescom10, infamous 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch, Trailers on August 17th, 2010
We’re really excited to share with you the stunning new gamescom trailer for inFAMOUS 2. It has all the things you could want: new looks of New Marais, monsters, running pedestrians, and an electrified Cole being in the center of it all (who by the way should look a little more familiar. Check it out below!
inFAMOUS 2 Comic-Con Panel Highlights
Posted by Jeff Rubenstein in comic-con10, infamous 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on July 30th, 2010
Panels are typically the highlights of Comic-Con, but truth be told, they’re a bit of a pain in the arse. You end up waiting in a long line (sometimes for hours), fight for good seats with people who are squatting for the Vampire Chick Lit panel happening like 2 days later in the same room, and endure one or more of the following: difficult lighting/audio issues/off-topic Q&As.
Wouldn’t it be easier if all the good stuff was cut down into, say, 7 minutes and 53 seconds?
In this highlight reel of the inFAMOUS 2 Comic-Con panel, the Sucker Punch team talks about the creation of Cole and the changes he’s gone through since the first inFAMOUS (including his voice), how New Orleans is an influence on inFAMOUS 2’s setting of New Marais, and, the all important question of why Cole can’t climb chain link fences:
And round of applause for IGN’s Greg Miller – huge inFAMOUS fan and panel host extraordinaire. Nice job moderating, Greg.
One last bit of inFAMOUS-related business: tomorrow is the last day to register on inFAMOUStheGAME.com to get an exclusive PS3 theme. It’s made from concept art for the game and this is the only way you can get it.
InFAMOUS 2 for PS3: New Comic-Con cutscene
Posted by Edward Pun in comic-con10, infamous 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on July 23rd, 2010
For all of our awesome fans who weren’t at Comic-Con this year, I’m excited to share the first look at the 2D cutscenes from inFAMOUS 2 we debuted yesterday night.
As senior artist on the title, I work with the art teams to help production run smoothly and tackle the huge task of drawing every frame of our graphic cut scenes. It’s time consuming and a lot of hard work but, in the end, I hope InFAMOUS 2 will reflect our love for comic books and give fans the experience of being a super powered hero. It means a lot to both me and the team to see all the love you have for InFAMOUS. In addition, we may have some Comic-Con panel highlights next week to share as well.
Before I forget, go and register on infamousthegame.com to receive an exclusive InFAMOUS 2 PS3 theme!
inFAMOUS 2 at Comic-Con
Posted by Edward Pun in comic-con10, Events, infamous 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on July 21st, 2010
I’m the Senior Artist on inFAMOUS 2, responsible for doing storyboards and rendering all the line work for the 2D cut scenes, plus anything else I can help the art teams with. We are all busy working on InFAMOUS 2 but wanted let anyone who is going to SD Comic-Con know that we’ll be doing a special panel discussion this week!
It’s called “From Origin to Evolution: The Making of a Modern Day Superhero for the Videogame World,” and we’ll be discussing topics like how we made inFAMOUS, our comic inspirations, and of course some insights into what we hope to accomplish for inFAMOUS 2. We’ll be showing some cool artwork, plus one of the first 2D cutscenes from the new game. Greg Miller from IGN fame will be moderating the discussion and you’ll be able to ask us any burning questions you might have. Here’s the summary:
inFAMOUS 2 Panel & Q&A
When: Thursday, July 22nd, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: Room 7AB
On top of all that, all panel attendees will score a sweet InFAMOUS 2 shirt!
For those who can’t make it to Comic-Con this year, have no fear, check out our first behind the scenes video leading up to our panel discussion to see how much comics have been a factor in the creation of Cole and the InFAMOUS universe.
inFAMOUS 2: See the E3 Trailer Now!
Posted by Nate Fox in E310, infamous 2, news, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on June 15th, 2010
E3! It’s finally here, and those of us from Sucker Punch couldn’t be more excited. Today we’re getting a chance to show off the first trailer for our new game (you guessed it) inFAMOUS 2.
In inFAMOUS we told the story of Cole MacGrath, an ordinary guy who gets superpowers. This time around in inFAMOUS 2, Cole starts out as a full on superhero and only gets more and more powerful. It’s more visceral, brutal and personal experience that commands you attention, making you feel the part of the superhero in every decision you make… be it for good or evil.
Get ready for the hell of a fight right off the bat. At the beginning of the game Cole meets a civilization ending villain who’s too powerful to beat. Looking to get stronger powers for a rematch Cole is forced to head south to New Marais, the town where the Ray Sphere was designed and built. Like I said, Cole starts out the game as a superhero over the course of inFAMOUS 2 he’s going to become a super super hero (that’s right double super).
If you check out the new trailer you’ll get an eyeful of steamy New Marais; it’s a town inspired by the great cities of the American south, particularly New Orleans. My father grew up there, when I was a kid he would tell me stories about the place: man eater alligators, creepy buildings, jazz music, river boat casinos, above ground cemeteries, and people going crazy at Mardi Gras. He made the town sound larger than life, full of overpowering beauty and scary stuff in every alley, what better place to set a superhero story?
While watching the new trailer you’ll also get a glimpse at Cole’s new threads, the perfect outfit for jumping across rooftops on those humid New Marais nights. Actually Cole’s going to be doing a lot more than jumping this time around; his parkour and electrical powers continue to grow, providing him with more and more ways to fluidly race through the city.
He’s also picked up a fine, fine new weapon to bash enemies with; it’s basically two heavy pipes with some stored up electrical charge between the poles (sorta like the world’s biggest cattle prod). Laying into villains with this baby is exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about when describing inFAMOUS 2 as more visceral, brutal and personal. You can feel the pain Cole is dishing out when the weapon connects with a enemy’s skull.
Anyhow, there you go. I look forward to posting more stuff once we have it ready for the public. inFAMOUS 2 is the biggest, baddest game Sucker Punch has ever tried to pull off… stay tuned for more from on inFAMOUS 2 in the near future.
inFAMOUS 2 Announced, in the new Game Informer
Posted by Wilson Cheng in infamous 2, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on June 4th, 2010
Hey Guys – you may have seen the new inFAMOUS 2 cover on gameinformer.com.
I’m very excited to officially announce that Cole MacGrath will be returning exclusively to the PS3. This issue will give the very first details of the game and how Sucker Punch has improved every aspect of it. You’ll learn about the new city, new powers and new gameplay. It should be hitting news stands in the next week.
Look for more inFAMOUS 2 news at E3.
ModNation Racers Artist Spotlight: Designer Jesse Hernandez Shows Us His “Vinyl Addiction”
Posted by Chuck Lacson in modnation racers, PlayStation Games, PS3, sucker punch on May 3rd, 2010
Happy ModNation Monday!
To kick off ModNation May, we are bringing you a new Artist Spotlight!
After seeing some of the gaming industry’s top talent and development icons take ModNation for a spin, our next Spotlight takes us to a completely different scene. ModNation definitely has a unique art style, and if you’ve seen any of ModNation’s behind-the-scenes videos, you might know the look of the game was inspired by the Urban Vinyl art movement.
No one knows this scene better than artist Jesse Hernandez, the man behind Immortal Studios and host of Vinyl Addiction, a show that covers the designer toy scene.
We spent sometime with Jesse, not only get a bit of insight on the scene and to explore his art, but to see how a true Vinyl artist could express himself with the game while having some fun along the way. What we saw was how easy someone can bring their vision to life, even if they are used to a totally different medium.
More Spotlights to come in the weeks ahead! As you noticed, Jeff has hooked us up with a sweet new COUNTDOWN clock! (You can see it by looking over to the right!)
Just 22 days left!
To quote Jesse, “That’s What’s Up!”