Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Sundays are for wondering how we let the terrorists win in the board game last night, rambling out a quick post on Ultima and compiling a list of fine (mainly) videogame reading we gathered from across the week, while trying to stop myself linking to a couple of indie-folk-who-follow-on-me-on-twitter’s new videos. Yes. Yes.

• When Gamers with Jobs is normally good. When it’s full-on, it’s phenomenal. Fathers, sons, operations and games.
• While the games-journo twitter community was afire with gags about the games-causes-rickets scare, Joe Martin takes a well-deserved proper swing at it. And then joins twitter, to get the gags.

Read the rest of this entry »

No, don’t get over excited. No news of any new Ultima. But before I do the Sunday Papers, I thought this may make a worthwhile talking point. I was chatting with Paul Barnett of EA Mythic on Friday about Ultima, specifically people’s memories of it. As in, it’s one of the series which a towering thing in the PC history, but what it actually means to you can vary enormously. In its original golden age, I’d argue it was particularly American-centric in terms of its appeal. And then there’s a second, seismic impact with Ultima Online. And some of you reading will never have actually even played any of the things, and it lives on sheer reputation. Anyway – that’s the question for the comments thread. What was the first time you became aware of Ultima? What did it mean to you?
Read the rest of this entry »

Another day, another dollar. Another week, another bargain bucket. That’s how it goes. Everything is really cheap this week, nothing for over a tenner. We’ve got one game that just came out, one that was made back in 1991, and one that started nearly 2,300 years ago! For more savings on your games, direct your browser to SavyGamer.

Read the rest of this entry »

Since Bargain Bucket isn’t around yet, here’s a deal to consider. In the comments thread to the final part of Gameboys From Hell, Vic popped in to say that the talked-about multi-pack deal is probably not going to happen. However…

I do love RPS though and I was able to figure out how to create a discount code for $5 US off the price so it will be $24.99 US. Which is like 2 pounds now I think :) Anyway here is the RPS 5 Bucks Off code: BNEO000B9. You can also use it for Armageddon Empires. But not the Bundle of SI & AE. It’s only valid for a week so that I can push the fence sitters off their perches. :)

You can throw down cash over here. With any luck, we’ll be doing an interview with Vic next week.

Post Thirteen in the chronicles of Spong In A Posty Rock, Paper, Shotgunity – the game we’re making using the free Unity development suite – and it’s unlucky for some. That some is YOU. It’s time for some barely coherent rambling, Build 07, after the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

As Splinter Cell Conviction nears, the potential-0-meter is pretty high. Many years of development, a lot of time dedicated to getting it right, it could be the new peak for Mr Fisher and his convoluted life. You can see a ton of footage here, should you wish. And below is a new trailer, introducing Victor Coste, who explains a bit about the fall of Sam Fisher, and his current state.

Read the rest of this entry »

So it’s about time we caught up with what’s going on with Battlefield: Bad Company 2, since the multiplayer footage has seemed so solid. DICE have coughed up a single player trailer (below), which is all very spectacular, but kind of predictable in that military-hardware porn with a rock soundtrack that we’re kind of getting over-familiar with now. Anyway, there are a couple of other bits of news that might be of interest. The first is that despite bleating about their dedicated server support when the stuff about Modern Warfare 2′s atrocious online service came to light, those dedicated servers can, apparently, only be rented from DICE’s pre-approved partners. Setting up your own server if you happen to have a host-capable box won’t be an option. So it’s better than the MW2 situation, but it’s still not great. The multiplayer beta for PC begins on the 28th, so we will at least be able to take a look at these approved partners – which are the usual suspects of mass games server hosting – and see how their options hold up.
Read the rest of this entry »

Who will rule hell? Good question.
Read the rest of this entry »

This feature was originally published in PC Gamer early last Summer – I republish it here, slightly revised and updated, as it’s a few of the indie names we’ve mentioned often on RPS – 2D Boy, Solium Infernum’s Vic Davis, Edmund McMillen… – talking about what drives, defines and binds the independent development community, and why it’s on such a roll at the moment. It’s also a love letter to a form of gaming and imagineering only the PC can offer.

What is indie? It’s a term so overused, in everything from music to movies to comics and, of course, games that it’s almost lost its meaning. “Independent” is the untruncated form, of course – but, by that token, Valve are indie. Is that a term that can sit comfortably around a multi-million dollar studio that juggles multiple franchises at once? Or is indie more of a statement, a specific state and ethos, where profit and success play second fiddle to the unfettered creativity?
Read the rest of this entry »

John mentioned this last year, but we never talked about it being released. You can get it for 10 dollars, minus the five customary pence. But maybe you’ll need something to help you make you decision, either for or against it. Well, developers Exor studio have an idea which may help you. They call it a “demo” (pronounced “dem-oh”), and it basically gives you a small portion of the full game you can use to evaulate their full product. Crikey. Brilliant idea. You can get it from here or watch some moving magic pickytures below.
Read the rest of this entry »

A big part of the industry’s support, such as it is, for game download services such as Steam, GamersGate et al is that it kills the second-hand/trade-in market. A sale’s a sale, a customer’s a customer, and shops don’t end up with endless dusty racks of second-hand copies of Call of Duty: World At War that only confused mothers try to buy when their kid asks for Modern Warfare 2. You can’t very well resell a game that’s bound to an account in your name, with your credit card details attached. Surely you can’t? New service Green Man Gaming thinks you can. Hmm.
Read the rest of this entry »