interview posts

Indie darling Arcen Games has created two incredibly stellar titles: the difficult co-op strategy title AI War and the refined puzzler Tidalis. They aren't going to simply sit around and continue updating those two games, however, and their latest announced title is the intriguing A Valley Without Wind. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters roam, supplies are scarce, and magic is rampant, it aims to bring procedural generation to the realm of adventuring. Set out in a direction and explore while interacting with inhabitants in interesting and meaningful ways. Erik Johnson and Chris Park of Arcen Games sat down with us to talk a little more about previous successes, the direction of A Valley Without Wind, and the future of Arcen Games.

Gallery: A Valley Without Wind Screenshots

The Medal of Honor Tier 1 interview series continues, and this installment covers one of the most important aspects of any military operation: leadership. Once again, an anonymous Tier 1 operative gives insight into the military world for those of us that haven't served. It's fairly straightforward, with most of the discussion being things we've heard before, albeit in a slightly different way. The most interesting part is the advice given: true leadership comes about when you deal with people who need to be led, rather than those who want to be led.

Download HD Medal of Honor Tier 1 Interview, Episode 8 - Leadership' Trailer
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When Dragon Age 2 was revealed, it wasn't entirely clear how the BioWare would tie the player character from Dragon Age: Origins into the new title. After all, it was expected that imported saves would form the common thread through the Dragon Age series, much like it did for Mass Effect. In an interview with NowGamer, BioWare's Marc Laidlaw revealed that the save import for Dragon Age 2 won't determine the main character's attributes, but rather the world that was left by the actions of the player's Grey Warden, such as who rules Ferelden and Orzammar. Here's hoping the changes are a little more substantial than those in Mass Effect 2.

[via Joystiq]

It's nice to see a developer talk about their games, and this video interview (trailer? diary? what should we call it?) of Danny Bilson reveals more about THQ's plans for the upcoming Red Faction titles. We loved Red Faction Guerrilla, so the tidbits mentioned in this interview have us excited. Granted, this is not from Volition, but rather THQ, but the sentiments are still the same. After all, THQ is funding the series!

There's no big reveals in the interview, but there is certainly info to get thrilled about. THQ is partnering with Syfy to launch a television series and collection of webisodes, titled Origins, that get into the events between Guerrilla and Armageddon. There is also the downloadable title Battlegrounds, which is multiplayer and unlocks content in Armageddon when played. Bilson's excitement over the property is infectious, and we can't help but get more pumped for the game.

A follow-up interview with Jacques Hennequet is after the jump, and details a few of the changes that have been made to the Red Faction world and gameplay. Once again, it's not really anything we haven't heard before, but it's great to get it straight from the developers mouth. Some of our favorite bits: lakes of ice and lava, inclusion of the nanoforge, and the aliens.

When people have a movie-inspired idea of what being a Special Ops soldier is like. These are the soldiers tasked with only the most difficult and dangerous missions the military needs done, which requires a great deal of courage and sacrifice. Real Special Ops soldiers were consulted during the development of Medal of Honor to help ensure a sense of realism in the campaign. Players will be able to see for themselves what it means to be a Special Ops soldier when the game releases on October 12th.

Download HD Medal of Honor 'Tier 1 Interview - Consulting' Video (153 MB)
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Medal of Honor is very straightforward in its depiction of the Tier 1 Operators of the Joint Special Operations Command. It's well known for bringing many of the soldiers onto the project as consultants, and they've been conducting a series of interviews to hammer this point home. It's now time for the latest interview in the series: 'Hammer and Sickle.'

While the interview is nothing particularly shocking, it's an interesting look into the military life. The interviewee discusses camaraderie ('I would rather take a bullet than cause the death of one of my squadmates'), morality ('If you are an innocent in harm's way, we want to be the guys that stop the bully'), and the rigors of training ('Years and years of sacrifices'). All in all, it'll be familiar to military personnel, but it's still an inspiring interview.

Download HD Medal of Honor Tier 1 Interviews: Hammer and Scalpel Trailer
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To ensure a sense of authenticity in the Medal of Honor campaign, the developers at EALA consulted a number of Tier 1 special ops soldiers. The thinks of itself as a wolfpack, and they offer personal accounts of their jobs. The video above provides background on the special ops soldiers' mentality while the video after the jump goes more in-depth on the missions they go on. Medal of Honor is expected to release this fall on October 12th. The multiplayer beta is live now and the client can be downloaded here.

Download HD Medal of Honor 'Tier 1 Interview, Ep 1 - Wolfpack' Video (62 MB)
Download HD Medal of Honor 'Tier 1 Interview, Ep 2 - The Missions' Video (52 MB)
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Do we even need to write up this interview? This is World of Warcraft. It's the most popular game on the planet. Naturally, the game director talks about plans for the Cataclysm expansion, such as the new zones, new races, and flying mounts in old world. Nothing particularly new, but it's still nice to hear it directly from the director's lips. It's also nice to hear that the expansion won't cause a massive issue for new players trying to make it in the radically changed old world.

Those waiting for the new Medal of Honor to release now have so much more to look forward to. Greg Goodrich, the executive producer, has given an exclusive interview on the new multiplayer goodies, and there's a number of important details that will make any PC modern war FPS fan drool. Dedicated servers and admin tools are confirmed, and will apparently be undergoing a revamp to avoid the connection issues inherent in Bad Company 2. There will be a multiplayer co-op mode, and players will gain ranks and advance in tiers until they are a Tier One Operator. Greg also talks about the Helmand Valley map, which is intended to be a depiction of what most people expect from Afghanistan: dry, rugged terrain.

The Sims 3: Ambitions expansion will give players a chance to expand the careers of their sims to greater heights. Careers include firefighter, private investigator, inventor and more. These jobs give players a chance to tell fantastic stories, and their careers will have a significant impact on the world around them. Fans will have a chance to get to work playing when the expansion releases on June 1st.

Download The Sims 3: Ambitions EA Showcase Interview (126 MB)
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