gdc-2010 posts

We have seen what third party developers have done with PC hacks and programs for the Xbox 360's Kinect motion camera controller over the past few months. However Microsoft has yet to offer up any official PC support for the device. Now a listing of an panel for the upcoming 2011 edition of the Game Developers Conference hints strongly that Sony might be offering official PC support for its Playstation Move motion controller.

The panel, titled "Update on PlayStationMove Development (Presented by SCEA)" states that among other things it will "discuss the new Move Server project that will make it possible for academics and hobbyists to develop software using the PlayStation Move controller on their own PCs." The panel itself will be held on March 2.

[Via Kotaku]

This cinematic trailer for Crysis 2 is the extended version of the one shown in Times Square earlier this week. The story, written by professional sci-fi author Richard Morgan, takes place in New York City after it is invaded by aliens. Crysis 2 is currently expected to release this holiday season for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Continue after the jump to watch a tech demonstration video from GDC 2010 showing off the real-time lighting effects that players can expect from the game using CryEngine 3.

Download HD Crysis 2 'The Wall' Trailer (74 MB)
Download HD Crysis 2 'Real-time Lighting' GDC 2010 Tech Video (166 MB)
Check out all Crysis 2 downloads

Shown at GDC 2010, this trailer shows off some of the amazing graphics and gameplay of TERA, an upcoming fantasy themed MMORPG. The game is currently expected to launch in Korea over the summer with a North American release in the winter.

"In TERA, players master their destiny in a richly detailed game world with a pioneering dynamic combat system. Individual player actions can transform the balance of power in a world where old rivalries are erased, and disparate races must form a common federation to stave off destruction by marauding monsters and warring gods."

Download HD Tera GDC 2010 Trailer (275 MB)

Nexon America recently announced the development of a new online game, Vindictus, at this year's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. This trailer shows off some of the gameplay footage, which includes some pretty intense combat. Vindictus is expected to release in North America sometime later this year.

Download HD Vindictus Trailer (34 MB)

This straightforward teaser trailer for The Secret World was shown at GDC 2010. As indicated, secrets regarding the upcoming MMO game that pits secret society members against dark supernatural forces will be revealed sometime tomorrow. We'll certainly be keeping an eye out.

Download HD The Secret World GDC 2010 Teaser Trailer (20 MB)
Check out all The Secret World downloads

In 2008, Microsoft announced their plans to shut down Ensemble Studios after March 2009. Fans of Ensemble's games, particularly the Age of Empires RTS series, were in shock. After all, the game were big sales hits, selling millions of copies. Why would Microsoft want to close down the studio behind all of that success?

Our sister site Joystiq attended a GDC 2010 lecture where that question may have been answered. Paul Bettner, a former manager for Ensemble, said that things at the developer were not all wine and roses. Indeed, he said morale at the studio was low when the developer was making what turned out to be their last game, the Xbox 360 RTS title Halo Wars. He stated, "The reality is that every single game we shipped took twice as long as we said it would take, and took twice as much to make it." Because of constant crunch time, he says that the quality of the games suffered and so did the people.

Even with the battered economy, it looks like the just completed Game Developers Conference can still bring in large crowds. Today the organizers announced that GDC 2010 had 18,250 official attendees. This is the largest ever for the show, breaking 2009's record of 17,000 attendees.

As we reported last week the 2011 edition of GDC will be held once again in San Fransisco but at an earlier point in the year, from February 28-March 4. If you didn't get a chance to go, don't fret. In about two weeks. selected video from many of GDC's various lectures will be available for free at the GDC Vault web site.

If you liked the first Mass Effect game, you likely know that your save games can be carried over into the recently released Mass Effect 2. You also know that the choices that you made in the first game might influence certain events in BioWare's sci-fi RPG sequel. But just how much influence does a player have?

During a lecture at GDC 2010 last week, BioWare's Armando Troisi stated that the development team had let 700 plot hooks from Mass Effect 1 carry over into the sequel. While the main storylines could not be changed from one game to another based on player influence, smaller details can change based on player decisions. With the announcement that save games in Mass Effect 2 can carry over into the upcoming third game in the RPG series, it should be interesting to see what BioWare comes up with in that area.

Technically there was only one official main keynote address at last week's GDC 2010. It was given by legendary game designer Sid Meier who has declared 2010 to be "the year of Civilization!" That's not just because of the recently announced Civilization 5, due out this fall, but also the upcoming Facebook game Civilization Network that should start beta testing later this year.

Neither game got much hype during Meier's chat, according to our sister site Joystiq. Instead he talked a lot about players and how they relate to the the games they play. Meier stated that he always lets the player win his games, with just the threat of punishment enough to keep the player interested. You can check out more from the speech at Joystiq.

The fallout from last week's GDC 2010 is still being felt as some embargos are being lifted on some hands-on previews that were handled during the show. The big one is the first real hands-on previews for Star Wars: The Old Republic and naturally our sister site Massively got a chance to get BioWare's upcoming debut MMO out.

The preview, conducted at LucasArts' San Fransisco compound, let the press control a member of the game's Trooper class in some PV3 missions. Massively liked what they played, saying, "This is a BioWare game on a LucasArts property, so you just know it's going to be done right, and from what I've seen so far, it is done right." With the title still at least a year away from coming out, that's certainly encouraging.