Rock, Paper, Shotgun

It should be amusing, I suppose, that Haunted House could be considered a licence worth digging up and remaking. A classic status for this game means it is, by the rules of the games industry, destined to be brought back with physics and 3D graphics. That’s what Atari are working on, of course, and the game is due to arrive at some point in the autumn. There’s a video below, which neatly contrasts the past with the present. (Also I love that the original box art had “Ghosts, Bats, Tarantulas” written on the cover as a mini feature list. Innocent times.)
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It turns out that Jagex’s planned MechScape MMO wasn’t the follow up to RuneScape after all – in fact it got scrapped – and instead they are planning a sci-fi MMO called Stella Dawn. Not much in the way of details yet, but there’s some art and a beta sign up form over on the site. Eurogamer report that a “sizeable chunk” of the game will be free, and that it is Jagex’s most ambitious game ever. I guess we’ll get to see a lot more of that in the coming months. I’d like to see someone do a genuinely playable sci-fi MMO that wasn’t just spaceships, at least.

And Bohemia Interactive have released a video which shows off some of the stuff that means Arma 2 – and its Operation Arrowhead expansion which arrived on the 28th, last month (sorry, I missed that entirely) – definitely isn’t just a first-person shooter. This High Command tutorial (which is below, and spotted via Mr Blue) shows off all the means by which the game allows you to direct a battle, rather than just fighting it yourself. Reminds me that we need to have a crack at doing a bit more Arma 2 coverage on RPS, and get some multiplayer going. Yep.
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Hot news from the develop free delegate lunch. Of the two varieties of cake provided, the micro-chocolate cakes disappeared with unseemly haste into the ravenous maws of sugar-depleted developers. Their attention turned to micro-Pavlova, which were in turn devoured. At the time of writing, it’s impossible to ascertain whether this famine of micro-chocolate cakes is due to a difference in the supply of the two cakes, or whether there has been a fatal overestimation of the micro-Pavlovas amongst the games industry community on the part of the Develop Caterers.

Unknown Worlds appear to be creeping towards the final stages of the epic development of their RTS-FPS multiplayer hybrid sequel, Natural Selection 2. The $20 pre-order is going to give folks access to an alpha test from the 26th of this month. Apparently 12,000 people have already pre-ordered, so you should have no shortage of people to “test” things with. Pre-ordering also unlocks the SDK, tools, and fancy armour (pictured). This one has been so long in the making that, at times, I thought it was never going to happen. It is happening, and it’s looking like an extremely interesting example of a what a seven-man independent team can achieve when they really want to make the game in question. (Old) teaser, trailer plus more recent footage, below.
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The day’s first Keynote is from Bioware, with Dr Greg Zeschuk is flying solo, as Ray is up to day 5 in the world series poker. I’ve just arrived in Brighton to find myself staring at the title: “Creative Game Development: How We Do It At Bioware”. And I’m sniggering to myself like an nine-year old, because I’m wondering whether it’s going to be a guide of how they “do it” at Bioware. Tell me about the romance options, Dr Greg!

Alas, the reality is a little more prosaic.
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Sad news, chums. Olden UK PC games mag PC Zone has closed, apparently. It’s finished and they’ve all read it.

The next issue will be the last, RPS has been told by a whole bunch of people. And seen, on a company webpage and stuff. Honestly, we’re not just spreading muck here. Farewell, then, to the UK’s first PC games mag. Trails were blazed. It Was Important. And now it’s gone.

Best of luck to everyone on the mag. You will do well.

Ed Vaizey has appeared at the Develop conference in Brighton to confirm that not only does he play console games, but he confirms that Miyamoto’s designs are suitable for casual incompetents. “I play Super Mario Wii,” said the UK Culture Minister, “That’s all I’m capable of”. We tried to reach Nintendo for comment, but failed, because we didn’t try very hard. He also faced stiff questioning from TIGA on the issue of tax-breaks for games development, but argued that the general breaks for business were competitive adding that he didn’t rule out the possibility that the situation could change if the Games Industry managed to rally more convincing argument and “his door was open”. But I wasn’t really paying very much attention.

Riot Games send word that their “Season One” event for League Of Legends is getting under way. That means a content update for everyone, but also a big old championship. Here’s the bit where it gets interesting for serious players:

Players who finish the season at the top of the League of Legends ladder will have the opportunity to participate in the Season One finals tournament which boasts a total prize purse of $100,000.

Riot are also celebrating this event with a cinematic trailer, which I’ve posted below. Watch for more information over on the official site.
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With the international foot-to-ball championship settled with the final battle of the Hollands versus the Spains, it came to be that foot-to-ball is now finally complete, and we can move on to other sport. Konami have chosen to commemorate the end of this particular sport with a new videogame, which is called Pro Evolution Soccer 2011. In it you can participate in all the things that made that lost art so popular with all the people who have now moved on to badmington and skiing. You can see the commemorative mechanics below, in a splendid trailer. So long, foot-to-ball, you made us proud.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 will be lobbed onto the unruly pitch of games in Q4 2010.
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After much to-and-fro, King’s Quest tribute game The Silver Lining from Phoenix Online Studios has not only been granted a release by IP holders Activision, but the first episode is out now. A completely fan-made project, and completely free, it’s been eight years in creation. I’ve finished the first chapter, so here’s Wot I Think.

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