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| PS4 - Battle Chasers: Nightwar |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-02-2017, 02:17 PM - Forum: New Game Releases
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Battle Chasers: Nightwar
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is an RPG inspired by the console genre-greats and the 90?s cult comic book. Experience deep dungeon diving, turn-based combat presented in classic JRPG format, and a story driven by exploration of the world. Publisher: Nordic Games Publishing Release Date: Oct 03, 2017
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| Super Smash Bros Nintendo Switch release date, news and rumors |
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Posted by: xSicKx - 10-02-2017, 01:35 PM - Forum: Nintendo Discussion
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![[Image: zsyRpK9EcPEyE2MWxMmh7E-970-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zsyRpK9EcPEyE2MWxMmh7E-970-80.jpg)
Fighting games haven’t really ever gone out of fashion – just look at how well Street Fighter 5, Tekken 7, Injustice 2 and Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite have performed recently for proof of that. However, for all their success not one of them has felt quite as timeless as Super Smash Bros.
A fighting game with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach? If you’re not a fan of the series (yet) then it’s a pretty barmy idea at first glance, but spend a few rounds brawling your way through a four-player showdown and you’ll be forever convinced of its unique brilliance.
You can imagine, then, just how much the Super Smash Bros community wants a new entry in the series, particularly now that the Nintendo Switch is consistently proving itself to be a system worth investing in.
Super Smash Bros has featured on most of Nintendo’s major systems (including Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U and 3DS) so a Switch version certainly seems likely. It’s also become a staple at fighting game tournaments such as Evo, so Nintendo clearly isn’t going to waste such potent eSports potential, either
Cut to the chase - What is it? The highly anticipated fifth entry in the Nintendo fighting game series
- When can I play it? Not anytime soon
- What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch will likely be its next home, although a 3DS version could follow (as it did with Super Smash Bros 4)
As of right now, there’s been no official announcement regarding Super Smash Bros Switch - but considering we have had/are getting a new Zelda, a new Super Mario, a new Splatoon and a new Metroid, a fresh Super Smash Bros feels like a certainty for 2018 and beyond.
It certainly seems, however, highly unlikely that we’ll see a new entry before the end of the year. For a start, there's been 6 to 7 years between each of the previous games (2001’s Melee, 2008’s Brawl and 2014’s Wii U/3DS versions) so history would suggest we’re not going to see it anytime soon.
![[Image: fZ6ySdPNfHnkmKGxsdSVuV-650-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fZ6ySdPNfHnkmKGxsdSVuV-650-80.jpg)
However, with The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey all arriving in 2017 (and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also slated to arrive by the end of the year), Nintendo is going to be keen to ensure Switch’s second year is just as heavy on the first-party hits.
We’ve already got Metroid Prime 4 booked for 2018, so it would make sense for Nintendo to slate Super Smash Bros Switch for next year as well and ensure the handheld/tabletop console can keep rolling out new games you won’t find on PS4, Xbox One or PC.
If we had to make an educated guess, we’d say we’re (hopefully) going to see a brand new Super Smash Bros Switch in time for Christmas 2018.
Super Smash Bros Switch - what do we know so far?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to what the next Super Smash Bros might be. One argument says the next entry will likely be a ‘deluxe’ re-release of Super Smash Bros 4 (the one that appeared simultaneously on Wii U and 3DS in 2014).
This is based on Nintendo’s decision to re-release Mario Kart 8 (which originally arrived on Wii U in 2014) as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch. The same thing happened with Pokkén Tournament, which debuted on Wii U in 2016 before dropping on Switch this year with a similar complete edition earlier this year.
- News
- Super Smash Bros Switch release date, news and rumors
Super Smash Bros Switch release date, news and rumors
By Emma Boyle 6 hours ago Gaming
Get ready for more brawls and melee on Nintendo Switch
![[Image: zsyRpK9EcPEyE2MWxMmh7E-320-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zsyRpK9EcPEyE2MWxMmh7E-320-80.jpg)
Fighting games haven’t really ever gone out of fashion – just look at how well [url=http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/novice-vs-expert-our-street-fighter-5-reviews-are-live-1315303]Street Fighter 5, Tekken 7, Injustice 2 and Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite have performed recently for proof of that. However, for all their success not one of them has felt quite as timeless as Super Smash Bros.
A fighting game with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach? If you’re not a fan of the series (yet) then it’s a pretty barmy idea at first glance, but spend a few rounds brawling your way through a four-player showdown and you’ll be forever convinced of its unique brilliance.
ADVERTISING
You can imagine, then, just how much the Super Smash Bros community wants a new entry in the series, particularly now that the Nintendo Switch is consistently proving itself to be a system worth investing in.
Super Smash Bros has featured on most of Nintendo’s major systems (including Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U and 3DS) so a Switch version certainly seems likely. It’s also become a staple at fighting game tournaments such as Evo, so Nintendo clearly isn’t going to waste such potent eSports potential, either.
![[Image: 7UGM24XK7jAAoUhCLhynTH-650-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7UGM24XK7jAAoUhCLhynTH-650-80.jpg)
Cut to the chase- What is it? The highly anticipated fifth entry in the Nintendo fighting game series
- When can I play it? Not anytime soon
- What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch will likely be its next home, although a 3DS version could follow (as it did with Super Smash Bros 4)
As of right now, there’s been no official announcement regarding Super Smash Bros Switch - but considering we have had/are getting a new Zelda, a new Super Mario, a new Splatoon and a new Metroid, a fresh Super Smash Bros feels like a certainty for 2018 and beyond.
It certainly seems, however, highly unlikely that we’ll see a new entry before the end of the year. For a start, there's been 6 to 7 years between each of the previous games (2001’s Melee, 2008’s Brawl and 2014’s Wii U/3DS versions) so history would suggest we’re not going to see it anytime soon.
![[Image: fZ6ySdPNfHnkmKGxsdSVuV-650-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fZ6ySdPNfHnkmKGxsdSVuV-650-80.jpg)
However, with The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey all arriving in 2017 (and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also slated to arrive by the end of the year), Nintendo is going to be keen to ensure Switch’s second year is just as heavy on the first-party hits.
We’ve already got Metroid Prime 4 booked for 2018, so it would make sense for Nintendo to slate Super Smash Bros Switch for next year as well and ensure the handheld/tabletop console can keep rolling out new games you won’t find on PS4, Xbox One or PC.
If we had to make an educated guess, we’d say we’re (hopefully) going to see a brand new Super Smash Bros Switch in time for Christmas 2018.
Super Smash Bros Switch - what do we know so far?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to what the next Super Smash Bros might be. One argument says the next entry will likely be a ‘deluxe’ re-release of Super Smash Bros 4 (the one that appeared simultaneously on Wii U and 3DS in 2014).
This is based on Nintendo’s decision to re-release Mario Kart 8 (which originally arrived on Wii U in 2014) as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch. The same thing happened with Pokkén Tournament, which debuted on Wii U in 2016 before dropping on Switch this year with a similar complete edition earlier this year.
![[Image: zEWikYWwZwViQdimqU3m8U-650-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zEWikYWwZwViQdimqU3m8U-650-80.jpg)
Taking this approach would be an easier and faster way for Nintendo and developer Bandai Namco Games to release a Super Smash Bros Switch as the base game is already there. Adding new content would make the game seem fresh and exciting, and it'd also justify slapping on another big price tag.
Bundling in new characters and stages (much in the same way Nintendo included fresh racers for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) would be a great way to sell a remastered version, as would including new skins for the current 58 characters on the roster. Gearing these skins around recent Switch/3DS releases (such as Link’s new look for Breath Of The Wild and Mario’s revealing attire for Odyssey) would also make a lot of sense.
The other argument is that Super Smash Bros Switch would be a brand new entry, built from the ground up for Switch. The new console is the most powerful bit of hardware Nintendo has ever released, so offering a bespoke entry just for Switch would make the next Super Smash Bros entry extra special and a much more attractive sell to new and existing players.
![[Image: tEaBMLn8GSBjkB78oqhNGS-650-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tEaBMLn8GSBjkB78oqhNGS-650-80.jpg)
The flipside is such a brand new entry would likely take a lot longer to develop. While we doubt the development cycle for it would be as long as previous games, we’d imagine we wouldn’t see an entirely new version of Super Smash Bros until 2019 at the earliest.
Super Smash Bros Switch - which characters will appear?
As we mentioned, the previous entry in the series had 58 characters (including on-disc ones and DLC) so we'd expect to see a similarly big number this time around.
There are plenty of characters that have become staples in the series (such as Mario, Peach, Captain Falco and Kirby) and others (such as Sonic The Hedgehog, Ryu and Pac-Man) that have come and gone over the years.
![[Image: t9GrXBjH96QvKee5qj8ZbY-650-80.jpg]](http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t9GrXBjH96QvKee5qj8ZbY-650-80.jpg)
The updated Inklings from Splatoon 2 seem likely, as do Rex and Pyra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The meme-inducing popularity suggest Breath Of The Wild’s Prince Sidon could get appear alongside Nipha. We’d love to see the new version of Zelda, too, considering how well-received her makeover was.
We could see some off-the-wall additions as well. Could Skyrim's arrival on Nintendo Switch mean we’ll see the classic look of the Dovahkiin in the new Smash Bros? Those dragon shouts would certainly come in useful, that’s all we’re saying...
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| Activision News - Upgrade Complete! StarCraft®: Remastered Now Live |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-02-2017, 03:05 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Upgrade Complete! StarCraft®: Remastered Now Live
 Blizzard Entertainment’s sci-fi classic emerges from the warp gate with 4K Ultra HD graphics, enhanced audio, and the same timeless real-time strategy gameplay that captivated a generation
Reexperience the war between the terrans, protoss, and zerg NOW at www.starcraft.com
IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Battlecruisers are operational, the Corsairs stand ready, and the Zerglings are boosted for the rush. StarCraft®: Remastered, Blizzard Entertainment’s lovingly crafted upgrade of the real-time strategy classic and its legendary expansion Brood War®, is NOW LIVE and available to purchase digitally at www.starcraft.com and through the Blizzard Shop.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170814005960/en/
StarCraft: Remastered upgrades the original sci-fi classic with 4K graphics, enhanced music sound, and more. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Widely regarded as one of the most influential strategy games of all time, StarCraft and Brood War tell the story of the first interstellar war between three distinctive factions: the Earth-born terrans, psi-powered protoss, and hive-minded zerg. StarCraft: Remastered lets players reexperience the saga of iconic characters like Jim Raynor, High Templar Tassadar, and Kerrigan, through upgraded 4K visuals, enhanced audio and music, and new illustrated story interludes.
StarCraft: Remastered continues to use the same legendary gameplay engine that’s made StarCraft a competitive gaming and esports staple for nearly two decades. The classic gameplay is reinforced with new online features that propel the multiplayer experience into the modern era and beyond. Remastered provides players with matchmaking and leaderboards, cloud saves, as well as full multiplayer compatibility with the original versions of StarCraft and Brood War.
“We know how much StarCraft and Brood War mean to our community around the world, and our primary mission with StarCraft: Remastered was to enhance as much as we could while keeping the core StarCraft experience intact,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Whether you’re a StarCraft veteran or you’re experiencing the beginning of the saga for the first time, we hope you enjoy revisiting the Koprulu Sector as much as we did.”
StarCraft: Remastered provides players with an arsenal of new updates and features, including:
- Full graphical upgrade of the original StarCraft and the StarCraft: Brood War expansion
- Widescreen UHD support for up to 4K resolution
- Matchmaking and leaderboards
- Player profiles that track individual statistics
- Cloud saving for campaign progress, hotkeys, and replays
- Improved high fidelity music and sound
- Ability to switch between Remastered and the original StarCraft with the click of a button
StarCraft: Remastered is available now digitally for Windows® and Mac® PCs for $14.99 USD, and is available in English, Brazilian Portuguese, Latin American Spanish, French, German, European Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and simplified and traditional Chinese. To purchase or learn more about StarCraft: Remastered, visit www.starcraft.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170814005960/en/
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Andrew Reynolds Global PR Director 949.955.1380 x14301 areynolds@blizzard.com or Bob Colayco PR Manager 949.955.1380 x14198 bcolayco@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
News Provided by Acquire Media
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| News - Minecraft on Nintendo 3DS Out Now! |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-02-2017, 03:05 AM - Forum: Minecraft
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Minecraft on Nintendo 3DS Out Now!
 Nintendo and Mojang have announced the surprise release of Minecraft on Nintendo 3DS. This is a separate edition of the game designed specifically for the 3DS.
- Compatible with the following 3DS consoles: New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL, and New Nintendo 2DS XL
- Priced at $29.99
- Maximum world size is 2016 x 2016 and 128 blocks high
- Inventory and crafting make use of the 3DS touch screen
- Does not support multiplayer, local multiplayer will be added at a later date
- This is not a console or Bedrock edition of the game, it is a 3DS specific version and the closest equivalent edition in features is the 0.15 Friendly Update version for Minecraft: Pocket Edition
- This edition of Minecraft will continue to receive updates
- Available on the Nintendo eShop now in America and Japan, and launching in Europe very soon
- A packaged cartridge will be available in retail stores at a later date
- There are 6 skin packs included with the game, Biome Settlers Pack 1, Biome Settlers Pack 2, Redstone Specialists, Journey to the West, and Holiday Skin Pack 2015
- There are 2 texture packs included with the game, City and Plastic
Here’s what Mojang had to say on Minecraft.net:
Just a few months after we brought Minecraft to Nintendo Switch, we’re double-dipping with the big N to bring the game to the New Nintendo 3DS series. Whatever next, an N64 port? Get on it, Jens! […] That dual screen setup helps make crafting easier than ever, with quicker access to your inventory and a handy map on the touch screen, perfect for charting out your worlds.

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| Deals: Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games And Accessories For October And November |
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Posted by: xSicKx - 10-02-2017, 02:20 AM - Forum: Nintendo Discussion
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Can you believe it's October already? It's a great time to be a Switch owner; we've recently seen the release of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Pokkén Tournament DX and there's still lots more to look forward to in the coming months. So, what's on the horizon for Nintendo Switch fans, then? We've complied a list of all the good stuff coming out at retail in October and November, so you don't miss a single thing.
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale which helps support the site. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information. Super Mario Odyssey
27th October cannot come soon enough, with Super Mario Odyssey set to be an epic Mario adventure with the themes of exploration and travel. You've got this one pre-ordered already, right? Fire Emblem Warriors
Another big game in October is Fire Emblem Warriors. This hack-and-slash action game developed by Omega Force, Team Ninja and Intelligent Systems is sure to be a winner. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
One of the Switch's earliest confirmed third part titles, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim isn't far away now. Are your ready to give up hours of your life to this RPG classic? L.A. Noire
This was certainly a shock announcement but we can't wait to get our hands on this modern classic when it hits Switch this November, complete with motion controls, touch-screen commands and much more besides. More Awesome Nintendo Switch Games
Other than Super Mario Odyssey and Skyrim there are lots more Switch retail games which might take your fancy in October and beyond. Nyko Portable Nintendo Switch Docking Kit
While we love the official Switch dock, it's not the most portable of devices. The Nyko Switch Docking Kit is certainly a solid alternative. At only $49.99 it is reasonably priced, too. Awesome Accessories For Your Switch
We saw a whole slew of interesting accessories released for the Switch in the past few months, but more are on the way. Here are some tantalising accessories coming up in October and beyond which we found for your consideration. So that's it for October and November - did we miss anything? Let us know with a comment and also tell us if you've preordered any of these goodies!
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| 3DS - Hey! Pikmin |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-02-2017, 02:17 AM - Forum: New Game Releases
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Hey! Pikmin
Captain Olimar has crashed on an unknown planet inhabited by Pikmin. And his first 2D platformer gives you a new perspective on his adorably fierce partners. Touch the screen to throw Pikmin into action: swim with Blue Pikmin, fly with Winged Pikmin, and more to survive hostile wildlife, solve ecological puzzles, and escape. Help Captain Olimar explore and escape a new world by guiding him and his Pikmin with the stylus. Olimar is a half-pint Hero on a personal mission to save himself. Get a new perspective on the powers and personalities of Pikmin. Tap the touchscreen to choose Pikmin and toss them at objects or enemies. [Nintendo]
Publisher: Nintendo Release Date: Jul 28, 2017
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| News - Wii Shop closure announcement |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-01-2017, 04:42 PM - Forum: Lounge
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Wii Shop closure announcement
Wii Shop closure announcement
Dear Nintendo fans,
On January 30, 2019, we plan to close the Wii Shop Channel, which has been available on Wii systems since December 2006. We sincerely thank our loyal customers for their support.
You can still add Wii Points until March 26, 2018, and purchase content on the Wii Shop Channel until January 30, 2019. In the future, we will be closing all services related to the Wii Shop Channel, including redownloading purchased WiiWare, Virtual Console titles, and Wii Channel, as well as Wii System Transfer Tool, which transfers data from Wii to the Wii U system.
If you have Wii Points to spend, content you want to re-download, or content you’d like to transfer from a Wii system to a Wii U system, we recommend you do so while the services are still available.
If you have any questions, please see our Q&A.
Thank you for supporting the Wii Shop Channel and for being such great fans of Nintendo.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at Nintendo
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| News - Classic Postmortem: No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in HARM’s Way |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-01-2017, 04:42 PM - Forum: Lounge
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Classic Postmortem: No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in HARM’s Way
 In honor of the 15th anniversary of the release of the campy shooter No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’S Way, we present this classic postmortem, which first appeared in the January 2003 issue of Game Developer magazine. Sadly, this venerable franchise from Monolith Productions has not received the rerelease that it richly deserves, and that many are clamoring for, due to what seem to me insurmountable licensing issues. But the story behind its design is still fascinating. This in-depth look at what went right and what went wrong during development was written by Craig Hubbard, who was Monolith’s creative director at the time.
When creating a sequel to a critically successful first-person action-adventure game, it’s not enough to measure up to the original. In order to meet fans’ higher expectations, you have to surpass it . Unfortunately, the dizzying rate at which game technology evolves means you’ll probably be rewriting major engine components, such as your renderer or physics, as well as adding and revising game systems and overhauling tools and exporters. Your characters and environments will probably be more detailed, with more animations, more special effects, and more layers of complexity. In other words, you’ll spend more time on less content.
There’s also the problem of keeping people motivated. No one wants to spend a year and a half rehashing a game they just spent a year and a half developing. So you have to evolve the design sufficiently to excite the team, present new challenges, eliminate or rework elements of the first game you didn’t like, and explore new gameplay concepts.
At the same time, you have to stay true enough to the essence of the previous game that you don’t completely alienate your fan base. You’ll find that many fans really want more of the same, only better, so you have to strike a balance between evolution and reiteration. Our mantra for the recently released No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’S Way (NOLF 2) was to create a game in the spirit of the original but not necessarily in its image. Judging by early reactions, we were fairly successful, although the game is certainly not without its shortcomings.
As proud as we were of the original No One Lives Forever (NOLF), released in late 2000 (for which I also wrote a Postmortem, available here), we didn’t want the sequel to be more of the same with different levels and new characters. The surest way to doom a franchise and alienate a team is to make decisions based on what was in the original game. Instead, we chose to navigate by what worked well in the original game.
We began by evaluating reviews and fan reactions to NOLF, comparing the general consensus to our own opinions, and charting out a course of action building on the first game’s strengths without reiterating its weaknesses. It was imperative that we identify elements that fans liked and disliked, but it was also useful to identify which things no one noticed at all. Every feature in a game takes time to design, develop, refine, and test, so squandering precious days or weeks on anything that won’t register with users is the last thing you want to do.
Based on our research, we determined the franchise’s key elements were: a variety of interesting locales; memorable events, such as falling out of an airplane or being aboard a sinking cargo freighter; humorous conversations, documents, and characterizations; and an intriguing story told through cutscenes and in-game encounters. The franchise’s flaws included a lack of visual polish; frustrating stealth elements; overly long, tedious cutscenes; and the inclusion of superfluous weapons and gadgets.
These summaries helped immensely in characterizing the essence of the NOLF franchise, but they also pointed out some fundamental problems we would face in creating the sequel. For example, given our schedule, it wasn’t possible to produce the same variety of locales; because the content would be significantly more detailed, it would take longer to create. We also wanted a stronger, more deliberate visual presentation, which meant devoting more effort to each set. Furthermore, NOLF had made it clear that the more time spent building level geometry, the less time could be spent implementing gameplay.
Other issues were easier to address. NOLF had included roughly 30 weapons and gadgets, with a lot of overlap. For example, there were three pistols, two sniper rifles, several very similar missile-type weapons, and a couple of gadgets — such as the camera disabler and robotic poodle — that where rarely used. NOLF 2 has about the same number of items, but with a wider variety, including such devices as the Angry Kitty, banana, and bear trap, to compensate for the absence of the redundant firearms.
Our efforts to make stealth more intuitive and rewarding resulted in a redesign of the entire AI system. We decided that if we were going to allow players to sneak around and spy on their enemies, those enemies had better be doing interesting things. So Jeff Orkin, our AI engineer, and John Mulkey, our lead level designer, spearheaded the design of a goal system that would give non-player characters a sense of purpose, as well as a Smart Object system that would provide them with cues on how to interact with the environment.

The key to these systems is their unscripted nature. An NPC may start off working at a desk with a typewriter, get up and head over to the vending machine for a can of soda, step outside for a cigarette break, lean against a wall, walk over to a window to admire the view, and even run off to the restroom for a potty break. To ensure that players would be able to observe these behaviors, we effected a system that let us designate hiding places in levels from which you can watch enemies without being seen. Our implementation left something to be desired, but it still served the purpose of making stealth easier.
A more important refinement was to make it easier for players to escape from enemies. In NOLF, we used a time-based solution to determine whether an NPC would give up its pursuit, but it had lots of limitations and never worked very well. In NOLF 2, your ability to elude an enemy is based on passing through junctions. When an NPC reaches an intersection and doesn’t see which way the player goes, it picks a course randomly. Level designers can weight a specific direction to make this decision-making seem more intuitive, so that an NPC is less likely to investigate an alley than to continue down a major street. Designers can also specify what actions an NPC takes when it chooses a particular path. For example, if the NPC chooses to explore the alley, it may switch to slower, more tactical movement, whereas if it chooses the street, it keeps running.
Cinematics were another major consideration for the sequel. On NOLF, I implemented the cutscenes very late in the project. By the time I realized how long and tedious some of them were, it was far too late to do much about it. Also, the sheer number of cutscenes in the game limited the amount of time I could spend on each, which adversely affected the overall quality of the presentation.
By contrast, I finished the NOLF 2 cinematic script very early in the project. Once it was approved, we scheduled motion capture and placeholder voice sessions, which allowed me to implement first-pass cinematics that we could review for pacing, clarity, and continuity. Gradually, we began to finalize sets, animations, voice work, and pacing. Scott Albaugh, our primary character artist and animator, added the final polish with detailed facial animations and hair and finger movement. These touches really brought the cutscenes to life.
In retrospect, the conciseness of NOLF 2’s cutscenes may have overcompensated somewhat for the tedium of the original’s. Compounding the issue, I chose to tell a different type of story on this project in an effort to avoid stagnation, which alienated some fans wanting a narrative more in tune with NOLF’s but appealed to others who wanted something new. Ultimately, this conflict illustrates one of the perils of creating a sequel. You have to evolve the franchise enough to keep it fresh, but not so much that you transform it entirely. It’s a difficult balance to strike.

After the debilitating chaos of NOLF’s early months, we were determined to schedule a preproduction phase for NOLF 2 that would allow us to plan, prototype, and refine its core design before we started building publishable content or technology. The idea was that by the end of the preproduction period, we’d have a design that we could execute during production, refine during alpha, and test during beta.
Overall, preproduction was tremendously beneficial, with a shipping product remarkably faithful to the blueprint. Despite the inevitable setbacks and minor changes during production, our plan was solid enough to survive a complete rewrite of the renderer, new player physics, and various other technical and conceptual calamities. We remained flexible enough to revise and streamline as necessary, but it’s a testament to the value of preproduction that such changes were largely unobtrusive.
NOLF 2 was completed on time and on budget, evidence that an AAA title can be developed in 18 months with effective scheduling. A detailed plan allowing us to draw up thorough, itemized task lists was the key. The team’s experience enabled us to furnish realistic estimates, adding buffer time for insurance. We also insisted upon a prioritization system that not only guaranteed that critical features would be completed first, but also allowed us to jettison low-priority items (should time become an issue). Because both Monolith and our publisher, Fox Interactive, agreed upon this plan during the preproduction phase, cuts made during production were much less painful.
We were also smarter about how we scheduled the project. We allowed longer alpha and beta periods to ensure more time for play-testing and polish. We made sure to leave more room for E3, demos, and marketing and PR materials, as these interruptions had blindsided us on NOLF. The result was that in spite of all the obstacles and unforeseen challenges we faced on NOLF 2, we hit our ship date with a product that we’re very proud of.

We knew early in preproduction that NOLF 2 would be more focused than its predecessor. Given the amount of extra detail that had to go into characters, environments, and objects, we couldn’t hope to produce the same amount of content without forsaking quality, unless we streamlined the content creation and management pathways to let us work faster and more efficiently.
The single most important tool we added was the referential prefab system, allowing us to populate environments with objects that refer back to one original source file. In other words, edits made to one file propagate throughout the entire game. For example, if the sound department wants to add a sound to a door opening and closing, they only have to modify a single prefab instead of tracking down every single instance of that door in the game.
The primary advantage of this system is that it puts the power in the hands of the people who need it, without any programmer intervention. A level designer can create a block of geometry that represents a desk, with which he or she can plan the layout of a given room. The art team can then build a nicer-looking desk of roughly the same dimensions to replace the block. Level designers can hook up the drawers to open and close and add work nodes so that AIs can sit and type or fill out forms.
Other important improvements included robust exporters for 3DS Max and Maya, which let us build and texture geometry in professional 3D packages and import it into our proprietary editor, where we added gameplay. Rather than enumerate every improvement, I’ll just say that the decision to focus on upgrading our tools not only saved us immense frustration but also led to significantly higher quality content than we would have been able to produce otherwise.

On NOLF, certain lead positions remained unfilled for months after the contract was signed. As a result, some of the most crucial people on the project arrived when it was already well underway. They inherited decisions that had been made without adequate expertise or experience, leading to redesigns, cuts, and inconsistent quality.
At the beginning of NOLF 2, we had great leads and good project management across the board. These key personnel were able to produce the detailed, organized documentation we needed in order to communicate with each other and our publishing partners. They were also able to provide accurate time estimates that led to a realistic schedule. The simple fact that we achieved most of what we set out to do without missing our ship date demonstrates the value of competent leadership.

The cooperative multiplayer component of the game proved challenging, but as we had hoped, it ultimately was far more complementary to the single-player game than competitive modes would have been. Much of what constituted the cooperative experience came directly from the single-player game, but some of the features we developed chiefly for cooperative play worked their way back to single-player and resulted in a better product. For example, we added the radar feature for co-op play but quickly realized its value for solo play, which in turn led to tracking darts which allow players to mark enemy positions. In contrast, the competitive modes we added to the original NOLF really didn’t benefit the single-player game at all. Furthermore, we found that traditional multiplayer divided our efforts, which resulted in a whole slew of new bugs, distracting the QA department.
In retrospect, we would have been smarter to add competitive multiplayer as part of the NOLF support package, which is what we’re doing with NOLF 2. This approach allows us to focus our development and quality assurance efforts instead of diluting them across very different types of experiences.
Building a solid, stable team was the most challenging hurdle we faced; in addition to replacing a couple of people who went to other projects, we needed to expand the team in a couple of key areas. The process of advertising available positions, screening potential candidates, arranging interviews, and getting new employees on-site for training consumed enormous amounts of time. To complicate matters, our initial recruiting phase included several bad hires. In some cases, new employees proved to be less skilled than we had hoped; in others, poor attitudes or work habits led to dismissals.
Another major snag was that several team members, including me, had to help out on Aliens Vs Predator 2 for several months. The time we invested in that project was well spent, but NOLF 2 paid the price; the work we should have been doing on NOLF 2 had to be delayed until we returned. Given how many interdependencies there are on a project of this complexity, such setbacks can be frustrating and costly.

While preproduction was incredibly valuable for NOLF 2, it wasn’t long enough. Ideally, we would not only have finalized the design but also fleshed out a solid playable prototype. We couldn’t manage both in the three months available.
While our plan had been fairly thoroughly laid out, it hadn’t been tested. This was our main problem. Therefore, any hitch we encountered affected the schedule. Needless to say, we ran into plenty of hitches and had to make lots of adjustments. By the time we shipped, we cut an entire mission from the game, numerous levels had been simplified, and our hopes of offering multiple solutions to every obstacle had been dashed (as I’ll explain shortly).
Our goal was to have a solid plan by the end of preproduction that we would then execute during production and refine during alpha. In retrospect, we should have completed a rough draft of the game sooner in order to identify weak links and pacing issues while there was still plenty of time to address them. As it was, we ended up making some drastic adjustments very late in the project. For instance, we removed the entire exfiltration from Japan, which proved not to be as exciting as we hoped. In another case, we added an action-oriented level to break up a long section of slower-paced gameplay. These changes inarguably improved the game, but they should have been made earlier in the process.
Also, while the game was decidedly more systemic than its predecessor, we still spent a lot of time tracking down individual items that could have been systematized. These cases usually involved components that couldn’t easily be converted to prefabs. The windows in the main records building of the Siberian outpost were especially problematic, because they were all different sizes and shapes. If we wanted to change the amount of damage they could sustain before shattering or the radius of the resulting disturbance, we had to modify each one manually.
Finally, while play-testing helped balance and tune the game, it should have happened sooner. Thanks to observing playtesters, we made some crucial refinements to the stealth system and the opening missions, but we didn’t have sufficient time to play-test the entire game. Play-testing also revealed some design flaws that couldn’t be addressed without jeopardizing our ship date. While none of these issues was especially grave, they underscored the need to start play-testing as early as possible.
During our analysis of NOLF, it became clear that the sequel would require significant graphical upgrades to compete in the rapidly changing PC game market. Upgrading our graphics required a rewrite of major engine components, such as the rendering pipeline. Because many of these features were not completed until after production had already begun, the team was occasionally forced to rework content as new technology came online.
The most dramatic change was the new renderer’s occlusion system, which proved difficult to use and required a learning period for artists and level designers. During this time, the content team was in full production, meaning that environments were being created and detailed without a thorough understanding of the system’s intricacies. Consequently, several layouts had to be significantly modified after a great deal of time and energy had already been invested in them.
While our scheduling was vastly better on NOLF 2 than on NOLF, we still crammed things too tightly for our own good. Unexpected budget cuts early in production ate up most of our buffer time. The aforementioned team issues took their toll as well. Most of us worked at least 100 hours per week during the last several months of the project, and some people were crunching even before that. In NOLF 2’s closing credits, special thanks are given to Metrolabs, the developers of XTZ caffeine and herbal energy drinks, whose products sustained several team members in the absence of adequate sleep.
Time constraints led to some disappointing compromises. My most painful concession was giving up on our ambition to allow multiple solutions to every problem, which resulted in various points in the game where you must procure a specific inventory item in order to proceed. For example, in Chapter 4, which takes place at a Siberian military outpost, there was a point where you had to get through an electrified gate. Only one of several planned options survived. Unfortunately, the easiest option to implement from a development perspective was the least desirable from a gameplay perspective.
Another problem was that there still wasn’t enough time scheduled for public relations and marketing assets. We didn’t anticipate that people would want so much from us. While being overwhelmed with requests for interviews and screenshots is certainly a great problem to have, it would have been better for everyone involved if we’d been more prepared.
THE PRICE OF SUCCESSS
I concluded the original NOLF Postmortem by remarking that Monolith had matured from a disorganized but enthusiastic young company to a focused, professional business. NOLF 2 is the proof. Although the game is by no means perfect, it’s a testament to the value of planning, organization, prioritization, and experience.
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| Xbox Wire - Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 2 – 8 |
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-01-2017, 04:42 PM - Forum: Xbox Discussion
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Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 2 – 8
Hello and welcome to Next Week on Xbox! A great variety of titles are hitting this week, like the refined version of the RPG classic Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, the endless-wave, sci-fi inspired shooter Let Them Come, and the Battle Royale classic The Culling 1.0 will graduate from the Xbox Game Preview program! Read on for further details about these games and more and come back next week for another edition of Next Week on Xbox.
October 02, 2017
Go hunting in a beautiful open world teeming with life, from majestic deer and awe-inspiring bison, down to the countless birds, critters and insects of the wilderness. In addition to its rich single-player experience, theHunter: Call of the Wild offers unique multiplayer options – co-op and competitive – for up to 8 players.
October 03, 2017
Trouble is brewing at the Hamore School of Witchcraft, and the only freshman witch-in-training Belle MacFae can put things right. As Belle, you must seek out the three crucial ingredients of the Walpurgisnacht Brew, which means investigating the school’s colorful 2D landscapes in a quest that combines elements of nonlinear exploration-based action-platformers and class object-oriented adventures.
October 03, 2017
You are Rock Gunar, mercenary gun for hire with alien blood on his hands. Twitchy trigger fingers and focused battle tactics are the order of the day as you take on this ultimate survival mode challenge to wipe out every alien on this ship. You will die — a lot — but sheer brute force plus cool ammo and weapon upgrades will help you take these vermin down, one wave at a time.
October 03, 2017
The critically acclaimed action-RPG Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen combines exhilarating and deep combat with the freedom to explore the huge open world of Gransys. Choose between nine different classes, embark on your own adventure, and use the deep combat system to wield devastating skills and magicks to take on fabled monsters. Includes all DLC, making this the ultimate version of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen.
October 03, 2017
Drop into the retro-futuristic world of Marble Void! A 3D Platformer inspired by old school platformers, Marble Madness, Marble Blast Ultra and the 80’s. Pilot your Marble through puzzles and skill based obstacles to complete stages. With 3 tiers of difficulty and mini games, Marble Void is easy to pick up and play, yet tough to master! Moving platforms, switches, teleporters, gravity modifiers, kill spheres and more await you in 40+ stages of varying difficulties. Great for all ages!
October 04, 2017
This is the long-awaited sequel to the legendary N+, rewritten from scratch to be bigger, better, and more beautiful in every way. N+++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer about darting around obstacles, narrowly evading enemies and collecting gold in a beautiful minimalist landscape.
October 04, 2017
Inversus is a negative-space shooter up to four players. Movement is constrained to opposite colors of a black and white grid. Each shot flips tile colors to block, trap, and close in on the enemy. Both online and local couch play are supported. The competitive mode pits you against other players; single-player and co-op have you face endless waves of enemies together as you fight for the highest score.
October 06, 2017
Build your own cybernetic JYDGE and eradicate crime in the never-sleeping megacity of Edenbyrg. Create your own play-style by augmenting your JYDGE, modifying your Gavel rifle, and choosing fearless companions to suit the tasks at hand.
October 06, 2017
In a remote arena, 16 contestants have 20 minutes to explore, scavenge items, craft weapons, build traps, hunt, and kill each other. Face to face, mano a mano, this is Battle Royale in its most brutal form. That means only one will be crowned the winner.
October 06, 2017
An intuitive horror adventure about a boy with a glowing head. Inspired by Machinarium and Gobliiins, you’ll solve puzzles, defeat wicked monsters, and reveal Bulby’s abilities to unfold a twisted tale. Ohhh… And don’t forget to save your Grandpa-raffin and Mothdog from the frightening darkness.
October 06, 2017
Take down the Nazi aerial menace across a rich campaign of missions, each with numerous objectives and enemies as well as side objectives in this World War II air combat game. Work with your partner to assign objectives together in order to succeed.
October 06, 2017
Go on a time traveling adventure, or delve deep into procedural dungeons full of gold, loot, and secrets! Upgrade your guns with mods and artifacts, find magic spell runes, potions, items, melee weapons, unlock 50 characters to play as, discover 150+ unique guns and weapons, launch teddy bears that explode into fire, blow up your friends with heat-seeking missiles, and get to the final zone to kill the Dance King.
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