Up now on Eurogamer (yes, you’re allowed to read it even if you’re not a Europerson) are the word-fruits of my recent hands-on time with a near-finished version of ArmA II. It’s the second spiritual sequel to Operation Flashpoint, nasty old Codemasters having nicked the name from original developers Bohemia Interactive Software, but reportedly it’s the first true sequel – the first ArmA having been something of a stopgap release primarily aimed up updating the tech available for the enthusiastic community to tinker with. Arma II, though – that’s definitely a whole new game. And an incredibly ambitious one too, as you’ll read in my EG piece. I’m massively excited about it, even if I am a bit frightened by the obtuse controls and punishing difficulty – but unlike ArmA 1, I reckon I will get into this. Read why here.
We’ll also have some bespoke RPS coverage on ArmA II soon – Jim and I are going to sit down and have a chat about our individual impressions of what might be a landmark videogame. Beneath the digi-hurdle, you can find some recent footage of this huge, strange thing.
Compressed videos really don’t do the scale and beauty of the landscapes justice – though, in all honesty, they’re probably doing some favours for the faintly creepy, mannequin-like character models.
Oh, and here’s the crazy, face-waving TrackIR peripheral that ArmA II has been designed to take full advantage of. If you like wearing baseball caps and shooting insurgents, you’ll love TrackIR 5.
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Actually our game was designed for PC/XB360. But without a console publisher, you can’t do it. When you’re self-funded (as we are), some decisions have to be made earlier on. Most groups who are doing titles these days, need publisher funding for their games. We don’t. Never did.
Developing an XB360 game is not a big deal tbh. Anyone who tells you that it is, has no farking clue. The problem is getting a publisher. And then getting MS to approve the title. The Catch-22 situation is that if you have your own project, then the publisher is going to wait for MS to approve it before they do a final commit. Thats what LOIs are for. So if the publisher sez OK and MS say “fark off”, the project is basically dead.
MS never – ever – declines titles from leading publishers, no matter how crappy. Why? Well gee, only because thats their primary source of income (read: royalties)?
I’m quite sure that when they started ArmaII, it was with the intention of doing an XB360 version. But as development plodded on, the reality of things like engine (if you see the PC specs, then you already know that there is no way in hell thats going to run on an XB360 – especially since BIS are not exactly the pillar of optimization) issues, target specs, *publishers* etc being to sink it. Thats why you decide if you’re going to put everything behind your [PC] bread & butter and leave those console weenies to their own devices and come back later – or go bust.
My guess is they opted for the path of least resistance and decided to focus on the PC version. Just like we did.
And it is only going to get worst. Last week I got word that MS is now even rejecting XBLA projects unless you already have had a retail XB360 title. And this was through a very good publisher friend of mine we’ve been talking to. Either MS have truly lost it, or they’re trying to separate the publishers from the enthusiasts so that the publishers don’t end up flodding XBLA with titles when they should be focusing on retail XB360 titles where MS makes the most money. That strategy – if thats what it is – makes sense to me actually.
If MS can raise the restrictions (size, game type, pricing, ludicrous royalty scheme) on XBLA, it would best Sony’s crappy PSN. But until then, XBLA is going to continue being host to crap until the occassional Castle Crashers, Braid etc comes along.
XBLA would have been great for guys like us who are approved XB360 devs and can do our own thing. But the brain trust at that revolving door that is Microsoft – always very good at stuffing things up – made sure that wasn’t going to happen. So the current XBLA is what we’re stuck with, when you could be looking at getting premium games like ours, ArmaII and others on XBLA without having to piss around with publishers.
Make no mistake, doing a game on the console for guys like us is about money, not love for the platform. We don’t give a toss what platform you play our games on – as long as you pay for it.
The sys requirement always fits the game. You’re going to be hard pressed to require ArmaII type requirements for a space game such as SiNs.
When the devs decide what game they’re going to make and with what tech, believe me, its not like we all wake up one morning and take leave of our senses. Why would we not want to cater to the largest common denominator? The most advanced and complex the game, the more likely you’re going to run into tech hurdles.
Now if you’re into the low end thing, then you to stay focused on games on that low end.
Building a pc requires basically no technical skill what so ever, all it is is slotting things together.
“@Okami: Because I’m going to look totally cool sat at my computer wearing a headband with sparkly LED’s. People will want to be me.”
I think you’ll find that playing hardcore military simulators on the PC will bring all the girls and boys to your house regardless of headgear.
@Psyk You may think so Psyk but I have to disagree because I can’t do it :P I’ve been able to upgrade very basic things like putting in new graphics card, upgarding the PSU and adding ram but that is all very basic stuff. Removing the entire mother board and putting a new PCU in it when I get installed is a much bigger step. I’m not saying I couldn’t do it, but I’m also afraid I’l destroy the stuff I’m working with because I’m a farking idiot ;) Also not sure if whatI’ve already GOT in my computer will work with the new mother board and make me end up with a new mobo and pcu but a computer that won’t work with it other wise (Say my hard drive and cd /dvd is so old it won’t work with newer generations of mother board or my graphics card don’t like it ect) EVen the cheepest options I’ve explored cost to much as well. What may be easy and cheep for you isn’t easy or cheep for me my friend. I’ve been able to keep my computer playing new games for 8 years but I’m afraid my computer’s life span is finally coming to an end, at least for the high end games. I’ll probably be able to play Indie games and the like for a long while yet, and there is still a massive number of games I can play that I’ve not gotten around to yet like say the company of heros expansion and bioschock ect.
@DSmart I see what you’re saying and totally agree with you. With a game like Arm-A 2 I supose they couldn’t really shoot for a wider auidence by lowering the specs and still get the insane game they’re shooting for. At some point I supose you just have to cut customers like me loose. The only thing I’m afraid of for them is that they don’t have MANY customers to begin with, losing ones with lower spec machines might end up doing them in while they spend more and more money using high end technology for their newer games. Arm-A is a niche game as is , cutting that niche down to even less people can’t be good for the business model. I could be wrong, maybe I’m at the extreme outside of the niche or not really even part of the niche at all and just a fluke customer lol.
That being said Arm-A is a fantastic game in and of itself and I’ll happily be playing it until my computer finally dies. Not much beats paradroping into the middle of a beautiful forest from 3000 meters then stealthfully sneaking close enough to snipe people 2000 meters away with a giant sniper rifle or sneaking in and blowning up radio towers with satchel charges ect. BF2 and the like just aren’t realistic enough to make the game interesting to me.
ArmA without mods had such clumsy controls that I felt like a 300-pound fat jerk on a boot camp. I love the game but there were times when I thought to myself, “Gee, I could crouch and get up faster than that!”
Hopefully ArmA 2 will be different. Inferior graphics I can live with, but shit controls are virtually fatal.
Kinda agree about finding stuff that works together but it only needs a bit of research to find out what works well together but putting it together couldn’t be more simple is just screws and slotting things together.
@Serondal, make a paypal donation account and I will send you some money. :)
Seriously, man, I built my first computer about a year ago, and it was really quite easy. Did it for my brother, then did my own in the fall. Built a very high end computer for less than a thousand bucks, including a 22 inch samsung display. There’s really no reason you can’t build yourself a great new box from scratch for $600 – $800 for a mid to high end computer. If you already have a case, PSU and all your peripherals, you’re looking at even less. Honestly, I do recommend it. I bought a 360 to bridge the gap between my laptop and the time when I could build my own comp. Now that I have the comp, the 360 has lain unused for over a year (anybody want it?). There’s really no reason to subject yourself to console gaming when you could have a good PC. I like that I can say that on this message board. Long live RPS.
Anyone else think the videos made by dsylecxi are much better than the BIS ones. I think the music he uses in his clips is more brooding which seems to match the mood of the game footage a LOT better. The BIS videos try and use a bombastic orchestral score or rock soundtrack but they can’t compete with games like COD for that sort of thing. Arma II footage will never have the cinematic quality of a COD title because the game isn’t a series of “scripted hollywood sequences”. BIS should respect their own game a bit more and make trailers that match it in mood. The immersion for one thing is a stand out and the ambient sound when the squad is crossing a field or in on of the town streets is really quiet but it sounds real (aka peaceful) which is eerie and cool seeing as you are in a combat zone.
Also watching this footage made me think this kind of realism is what games like Stalker need to make the otherwordly elements they depend upon more jarring. I only mention it cause I read ‘Roadside Picnic’ last week and now I want to enter the zone.
Technologically I think Arma II will be great, I just have absolutely no faith in their gameplay at all since Arma. The game was as fun as gargling with wasps. :/ OPF2 for my money, Codies may have stolen the name, but they know gameplay.
TrackIR is so damn wonderful. I even find myself wanting it in games where I can turn with the gun as fast as I can turn my head, simply because it’s easier and more natural – if I’m sprinting past a turning and want to see what’s down it without turning to face it, for instance, or if I want to quickly check out an entire room. It’s just better to look from side to side and up and down with it, and knowing what’s about to drop on your head is always good. Always.
The only downside is that playing first person games without it feels weird.
Half-Life 3 needs TrackIR support. Maybe not in something like Team Fortress 2, but I can see a place for it in the Half-Life games, and maybe Left 4 Dead.
Exactly. No matter who says what, the PC is the best gaming platform and it has more gamers than ALL consoles combined.
The problem with our beloved platform have all been related to piss-poor games, the upgrade grind and of course piracy.
@Digit
I absolutely agree. ArmaII is going to end up being populated by us die hards. I simply don’t see them increasing the user base in any way, shape or form. Which is fine of course because obviously the user base was substantial enough for them to want to do a sequel. Most studios with games with such a storied history don’t get a second chance. Ever.
OFP2 will kill ArmaII. Anyone who says otherwise is dillusional. For one thing, they’re on all three consoles. Plus, given the backing of Codemasters, those guys already have the console versions in mind since day one. So that right there is a given.
Since OFP2 is looking like a COD4 clone – but with open spaces – my guess is that the battle is going to be between OFP2 and MW2 where ArmaII isn’t even going to be a bleep. In that battle, my money is on MW2 because that team is vastly more experienced than anyone that Codemasters can or has thrown at OFP2.
ArmaII is going to continue being the niche underdog and a year from now, we’ll all still be playing and bitching at it.
I’d just like to point out to dsmart that Sins of a Solar Empire would be abbreviated something like “SoaSE” or just Sins, instead of “SiNs” (which looks like that other game: http://store.steampowered.com/app/1300/).
Oh-oh
Slightly OT in relations to ArmaII but this is where the TrackIR stuff is heading -> http://vimeo.com/4177769
Looks amazing.
Why Bother with the platform war thing?
I prefer PC games but there’s no point in being elitist about it
It’s just taste
Are you working on AAW? You guys need to get your shit together when it comes to releasing trailers