Rock, Paper, Shotgun

The World Adventures expansion pack for The Sims 3 is released on November 17th, and it’s looking like a fairly ambitious idea: holidays for your Sims, complete with multiple locations, places to explore (Egypt, China, and France), and things to bring home such as an… ancient Egyptian mummy? It’s going to be interesting to see where EA go with these expansion packs from here, frankly, because the new game is ripe for expansion both inwards and outwards. I’d quite like to see the career side of things developed, as some of the stuff your characters do at work (which is largely hidden from view) sounds a good deal more interesting than what they get up to in the rest of the game. Trailer ‘neathward.
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I’m not one to leap with joy at news of a new racing game, but when I see a trailer like the one below the joy-leaping muscles begin to clench. Proun, which is a splendid word, is a 3D obstacle-avoiding puzzly racing game set in a bizarre world of geometric shapes. You rotate around a cable, rather than steering, in a gorgeous looking environment. The project by Joost van Dongen is due to be released early next year, and will be freeware, according to IndieGames.

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Big Fish Games, they of the casual gaming world who aren’t PopCap, have released a new game rather beautifully called Fauna Sphere. I love the name, I’m terrified by the game. It’s one of them-there free cutesy MMO things, with an animal of your creation – a Fauna – and tasks to complete. It seems rather competently done, but it keeps asking me to socialise with other players, which sounds simply awful. But you know, perhaps you’re not me and this is your sort of thing. Have a look at the trailer below to help make up your mind (although it’s hard to believe too many people will be swayed by the opening gambit, “BECOME A CARETAKER”), or play it for free via the magical clicking of this link.

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A little while back, I attempted an interview with Turbine’s producer Jefferey Steefel about their reliably successful MMO Lord Of The Rings Online. It was intended for a preview of the upcoming expansion Siege Of Mirkwood, and for another publication. I wasn’t, ah, entirely illuminated by the answers I got, so I sent some follow-up questions intended to further solicit his thoughts on the extent to which the players have shaped the game, and why it’s proven to be such a survivor in what are broadly dark times for the MMO industry. Alas, the responses didn’t arrive in time for that piece – but now I have them, and it seems a shame to waste them. PC gaming website to the rescue! If I’m honest, I suspect speaking to some of LOTRO’s more dedicated players (is that you? Please, share your thoughts below) would have given a significantly more useful sense of why it’s a diamond in the MMO rough, but here’s sir Steefel’s thoughts on the matter….
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Just as a FYI. (Click for the full thing)

(Picked up from the PCG forum via Poisoned Sponge)

Thanks to those readers who pointed out that The Ball, an Unreal Tournament 3 mod that’s featured heavily in the current Make Something Unreal competition, is now set to be released as a commercial product in Spring 2010, according to the official site. Presumably Toltec Studios are now taking advantage of the new UDK stuff (judging by this UDK demo), and working the mod into a standalone game over the coming months. A new “combat focused” version of the mod has just been released, and that’s going to be the last version of the previously puzzle-led mod before it’s available as a full game.

Man, I pick my moments. If I’d have waited just one more day, just one more measly day, I could have ended my post about King’s Bounty: Armored Princess yesterday with a link to the just-released English demo. I didn’t. I got too excited. I have failed you. I’m sorry. You won’t ever hear from me again.

…At least not until my Armored Princess diaries, starting next week. (There will be a conclusion to the Risen ones at some point during the coming weeks, by the way – I’ve just been waylaid by Too Many Games.) Meantime, try the 470MB demo and see what you make of it. Too similar? Too cute? Too wordy? Too wonderful? I’ll admit I’m approaching it with some trepidation – you can have too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to games – but I’ll be very surprised if I don’t enjoy myself.

A lot of indie games have just changed their names. Remember Fez? It’s now Fedge. Tyler Glaiel’s Closure is now named Closure: on the EDGE of reality™. The forthcoming iPhone game Critter Crunch is henceforth referred to as Critter Credge. And the enormously enjoyed Canabalt is now called Canabedge. Although Atomic Edge Games aren’t too pleased about it all. Other new games have been announced including Ted Marten’s Edgeward McEdgington, Secret Exit promises to bring us LEDGE, Steph Thirion’s Eliss declares a sequel, Edgeliss, Tyler Glaiel is back with a new game, Edgeform: On The Edge Of Insanity, and there’s rumours of a new game from Dejobaan, EeeeeEEeeeEEEeeEEEEeEEEEEdge! A Feckless Disregard For Poopieheads. You may have noticed a pattern. This is a solidarity movement amongst the indie development community to stand up to the legal actions of Tim Langdell, who has recently launched another attempt to remove a game from Apple’s iTunes store due to including the word “Edge” in its title.

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Mark Brown’s article over at Resolution caught my eye, because it’s on one of those perennial topics that I think’s always worth thinking about. Because thinking about comedy never kills a joke. Er… joking apart, it’s a biggie. Where Now For Comedy In Games, basically? He interviews Zombie Cow’s Dan Marshall, Rhianna Pratchett, Twisted Pixel’s CCO Josh Bear, and the key point – at least to me – is that a couple of factors conspire to make comedy difficult. Firstly, genres which are popular at the moment don’t lend themselves to comedy. Secondly, comedy is about timing, control and situation – and with today’s generally increasingly large teams, especially one where the comedy-creator isn’t central, that becomes increasingly tricky to pull off. Oh – and as a third one, the idea of “genre” in games is different from many other forms. “Comedy” isn’t a game genre. It’s something that’s added to other genres. Anyway, I think this is a good place to start talking about this, so let’s. Comedy. Right? Wrong? What? Who? Where? Why? How? If?

Action MMO Global Agenda has a limited beta test session going on this weekend, and there are only thirty slots available for RPS readers. You’ll need to register for the beta right now if you want to get in. Register using this code: GABETA-RPS, and you’ll be in with a chance of being selected for one of the RPS slots, later tonight. If our hands-on preview is anything to go by then this is a game that’s definitely worth paying attention to, so you might as well sign up now. More details about this weekend’s activities can be found in this forum thread.

Who can tell? But Lord British has given his blessing, apparently. As picked up via Game Set Watch who picked it up from Armchair Arcade. Italian photographer Enrico Ricciardi has created an Ultima-themed calender, showcasing the 12 virtues. Which sounds like a euphemism, if I’ve ever heard one. Anyway, skimming through the images, it seems like it’s probably one for the Witcher fans. Oh yeah. I went there. Oh yes – ladies and/or gay men! You’re not left out. You’re just – er – marginalised. Check out Courage, eh? Pwoooar! (Are you sure? – Ed).