More servicesWindows Live
HomeHotmailSpacesOneCare
 
MSN
Sign in
 
 
Spaces home  ACMPhotosProfileFriendsMore Tools Explore the Spaces community
June 06

Aliens: Colonial Marines slips to 09

computerandvideogames.com has news that SEGA have apparently released a list of game release dates for their upcoming titles. On the list is Gearbox Softwares Aliens: Colonial Marines. And it seems that the release date has slipped from late 2008 to Q1 of 2009. Not really a surprise to anyone who's been following the game since the beginning. As the game was originally publicized to have a late 09 release date.
 
Thanks to jamiepoole for the heads up. Secret telling
June 04

Games Radar Preview

Here is another preview over on gamesradar.com. Its an old preview but does have a few new tidbits of information.
 
A couple of quotes from the article:-
 
"You play as a squad of six new Colonial Marines ordered to clear and sweep the USS Sulaco after its previous crew goes missing."
 
"Plot details beyond that are really thin on the ground, but Gearbox says that the six Colonial Marines will all have a unique perspective on the conflict, and that the game will be divided up into ‘TV-style’ episodes. This should mean that you can pick up the game for an hour at a time and feel like you’ve experienced a satisfying self-contained storyline."
 
Sounds like thats six playable characters in total then.
 
Thanks to Dwaine from the GBX forums for the find. Secret telling
May 17

Sega Teases Aliens: Colonial Marines

I noticed this on Kotaku. "Sega teases Aliens: Colonial Marines."
 
Apparently a quick teaser video was shown at Sega Gamer's Day earlier this week in San Francico.
 
"In the incredibly short video a camera pans away from a clutch of Alien eggs as a voice, obviously the voice of a Marine talks in the background. One of the eggs breaks open unleashing a young Alien and you can hear the marine say: "Wait a minute there's movement, looks to be some kind of bug or something..."

Sega promised to have the game at their booth during this year's E3."
 
Hopefully that means we will see some video soon. Tongue out
May 15

New Concept Art

Darkness from AvPGalaxy discovered some amazing concept art for Aliens: CM. They are environment concepts very much in the style of Syd Mead. You can see the images yourself by visiting AvP2Daily.com. There are also some game model renders.
 
I added all the images to the Gallery.
 
pic-243.jpg picture by Zer07
May 10

Gameplayer Preview

Space Voyager found this preview on gameplayer.com
 
Here is a small snippet:-
 
“Immediately impressive in this situation is the way that the aliens move. They’re fast and agile and do not conform to predictable A.I paths. In fact, you’re almost hypnotised by the way that they hop around the level, grabbing onto pillars before leaping to the ground and attacking your beleaguered squad by whipping their tails and slashing their claws. Being so fast, it’s hard to get an accurate bead with your weapon. You’re literally crapping your pants hoping that you can hold off against the hordes, hoping that the turret can kill a few or that your explosive charge can take out as many as possible.“
 
 
Wow, sounds awesome!
May 04

Xbox 360 Magazine Preview

Issue 35 of Xbox 360 magazine (UK) has a new preview of Aliens: Colonial Marines. No new scans or pictures we havent already seen, but here is the preview and Q&A with Brian Martel.
 
 
The Preview

Moan as much as you like about the vacuity and vanity of the Eighties, you can't get past the fact that it was artistically one of the most influential decades for media, particularly sci-fi. Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey set the bar for flashy future-set media, but it was the Eighties and its gritty realism that would come to set the aesthetics for visions of the future still to come, thanks mainly to one visionary Brit. Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Alien created worlds that were not only plausible and familiar, but also filled with the unknown. James Cameron really took that to heart when making his sequel, Aliens, and there is now barely a single futuristic movie or videogame that doesn't give a nod to the Alien series. From Halo to Half-Life, there's a debt to the style, pacing, writing and design of the series that in its four films alone has managed to rake in $557 million at the worldwide box office. That's a lot for Gearbox to live up to.
 
While some thought that Aliens vs Predator 2 showed some promise, there really hasn't been a pure Aliens game worthy of the title, and that puts a lot of pressure on Gearbox to pull something special out of its hat. Rather sensibly, Gearbox has made the decision to go back to the well and draw as much as it can directly from the movies. For a start, it has made the move of hiring a concept artist, Syd Mead, who worked on the original movies (as well as Blade Runner and Tron) and could faithfully expand upon the Alien universe in a way most others would struggle to achieve.
 
The opening of the game, taking place around the time of Alien 3 in the series timeline, will see you lead a squad of US Colonial Marines onto the USS Sulaco, to investigate the fate of the crew who all seem to have disappeared, leaving their cryo-chambers empty and the ship floating in space. While this would appear to be the perfect setting for an alien attack, it won't be the only location the game uses to tell its story as you visit brand new worlds. Gearbox clearly doesn't want to be stuck making a corridor shooter and has stressed the importance of varying level design to make the whole experience more diverse and enjoyable.
 
Back when we first heard about Sega picking up the rights to an Aliens game, we had some simple requests designed to make the game worthy of its name. Every one of these requests revolved around bringing key elements from the movie back in the game, and it seems that whether or not Gearbox paid attention to us directly, it is looking to fulfil our most important points. For example, the game will be completely ignoring the existence of Alien: Resurrection, a blight on the otherwise good name of the series, with events in the game taking place just after Ripley's pod was jettisoned into space at the end of Cameron's action opera. This neatly puts Sigourney Weaver's character out of the equation, with the actress seemingly avoiding adaptations of her former work (Ghostbusters won't be getting her, either). It also gives writers Bradley Thompson and Dave Webber a clean slate to work from. The Battlestar Calactica duo have seen their fortunes rise in recent years, and having the freedom to craft a new story, albeit in an established universe, could lead to some very promising results. It's not as if the Aliens world isn't rich enough to support stories beyond those that are depicted in the movies.
 
A big part of the story is in the iconography, the objects that are immediately recognisable from the films. Three things we felt were essential in bringing Aliens home were the power loader, the motion tracker and the pulse rifle, and once again Gearbox has seen fit to include all three. The pulse rifle, in particular, is essential, and the developer has gone to great lengths to make it as authentic as possible. Gearbox actually went back to the filmmakers to secure the original recordings used to create the pulse rifle's unique sound and had them remastered for the game — that's dedication to authenticity for you. The motion tracker was always likely to feature in the game, having so much potential as a gameplay device and already proven itself more than capable of building tension and atmosphere. The alien scouts will crawl through air ducts and up walls just as they did in the movies, and are not constrained by any human-based motion capture. These fully animated characters will behave in an entirely inhuman manner, so expect the unexpected, regardless of what the tracker is telling you. While the dark corridors of the Sulaco will be an ideal place to test out some of this, we're more interested to see how the open worlds of the game will take to the aliens and if this will affect things significantly.
 
What will certainly give the game that little extra something is the seamless co-operative gameplay. With a choice of one of five marines to play as, you've got plenty of different roles you can potentially play throughout the game. Each marine has a skill, such as medic or technician, and can be used to perform specific tasks like welding doors closed against an alien attack or setting up gun turrets to protect your position. Four player co-op can be played online, as well as offline with split-screen, which is something quickly going out of fashion, but is more than welcome. Alien is, after all, a franchise that exists far beyond the sphere of gaming, and attracting our non-gaming friends to give this a try should be no problem at all. Of course, as good as your squad may be, the aliens are always going to break through eventually, and for that the game switches to quick-time events where you must either escape the clutches or be shredded like crispy duck. It's unclear whether or not your buddies will be able to save you in such scenarios but we would imagine there's a good chance they can.
 
Lest you get worried about the appearance of the marines in these shots, we should add that their final appearance has yet to be determined. There have been some vocal calls for character editing and even Live Vision camera compatibility, similar to Rainbow Six Vegas, to be included, and we would certainly echo those sentiments as they would add yet another interesting element to the co-op nature of the game. We also understand that a more confrontational form of multiplayer will be making its way into the game, and while the ability to play as an alien remains unofficial, we think it very likely. As a package, Aliens: Colonial Marines is shaping up very nicely and could well achieve the impossible by matching its source material for ingenuity and atmosphere. If nothing else, Gearbox is treating this IP with the utmost respect, building on the franchise's strengths in natural and promising ways. While currently being prepared for a late 2008 release, we wouldn't be surprised to see it slip into 2009 as originally planned, but that's no great shame as long as we end up with a fully polished and realised Aliens game.
 
 
The Q&A with Brian Martel
 
Gearbox Software's creative director Brian Martel tells us why Aliens was so important to his company and how its experience is making this adaptation something special

360: What inspired you to chase after the Aliens licence? Do you feel Gearbox is ideally placed to adapt this popular franchise?

Brian Martel: There were several different reasons. For one thing, it's always been a dream of mine to work on an Alien game. When the movie first hit the screen — I must have been 17 or 18 — I went to see it the very first day and it really left an impression. I've had the movie and the whole design in my head ever since, and without meaning to, I actually compared it to all the titles I ever worked on or otherwise came into contact with. You see a bit of Alien in every game.Somehow, the development of Aliens: Colonial Marines is just the thing for Gearbox. We've often worked on external brands in the past, and always treated them like our own. That's why we want to make a really good Alien game. Plenty of developers have tried before, but with the technology available today, we can create truly believable characters, aliens and environments, which allows us to tell a very intense, intriguing story.

360: You guys are big Aliens fans, but there are even more out there who'll be upset if you don't get it right. Is that a pressure?

BM: You know, it's always hard to keep everyone happy. At Gearbox, we have some of the greatest Alien fans right here. As long as we treat the brand sincerely and respectfully, that will reflect in the end result. I think when the players see the story and the game as a whole they will appreciate our efforts, so I'm not really worried. For example, I own several props from the movie, storyboards and probably every single Alien novel and 'making of book ever published. I really think all those hardcore Alien fans out there can rest easy: we are not going to disappoint you: a really awesome Alien game is what you'll get.
 
360: Have you worked closely at all with the original filmmakers?
 
BM: Not that closely! I mean, we are in contact with Fox, and they've provided a lot of material. We work closely with some of the special effects people at Amalgamated Dynamics, who did the special effects for Alien3, Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs Predator. We went and talked to them to get a better understanding of how the aliens work, and how they would design the aliens for a game. The writers' contributions were also essential in helping us create an experience that is as close to Hollywood as it gets. James Cameron hasn't been round for a chat yet, but hey, we'll keep knocking at his door. You never know...

360: Have you looked to try and implement some of the tactical gameplay from Brothers In Arms into Colonial Marines?

BM: The tactical command system used in Brothers In Arms is very intuitive and easy to grasp. You just aim at something and give the order to either advance to a specific position, or open fire on an enemy. Aliens: Colonial Marines doesn't require that much complexity. There's no sense in outflanking in alien. Why make the game harder than it needs to be? Sometimes, you may want to be able to give orders to your team-mates; I felt that way in Halo. Basically, we treat the squad like a tool. If I want a door opened, then one of the marines will cut it open. If I want to know where my enemies are, my lieutenant will give me their positions. It feels like a real squad, but without the complexity and depth seen in Brothers In Arms.

360: Has it been hard to get the alien Al right?

BM: Of course, players will want to see the aliens in the game act the same way as in the movie. So they want them to crawl along the walls and ceilings, and use objects in their environment, and they expect them to be clever. We learned from the movie that, for example, they are quite capable of cutting off the power supply. In the game, the aliens will often attack players and their team-mates head-on, but they will also set clever traps and attack from ambush.

360: Do you have any particular preference from the movies? Which one had the biggest impact on you?

BM: I think I was most creeped out by the first movie, because I was young. But if you're asking which one I prefer to watch, Aliens is the one that I enjoy most. There's the great cast, and really cool action that just creates a fantastic atmosphere. However, the first Alien movie is the best, in my opinion, because it's the original. It's not as fast-paced as the second movie, but it's certainty the best of all four Alien movies.
 
May 03

CVG Mini Interview

Theres a small interview over on Computer and Video Games. CVG interview Mike Gallo of Gearbox Software, Producer on the upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines game.
 
Heres a small excerpt:-
 
"Where will the game take place in the Alien canon?

Mike Gallo:
The game's set after the events of Alien3, which takes place very shortly after the end of Aliens. Our goal is to make a game that answers some of the questions from those two movies and picks up the story right after the marines were wiped out on LV-426."

 
Thanks to the G-Man over on AvPGalaxy for finding the interview. Secret telling
April 03

Everything We Know

Here are the things we have been able to confirm so far. Charlie Wiederhold, Associate Producer on Aliens: Colonial Marines said the design was iterative so all information presented here is subject to change during the course of the development. But I will do my best to try and keep this list up to date whenever more information is released.
 
Last Updated: 06 / June / 08
 
 
 
Full Title
Aliens: Colonial Marines
 
Release Date (Updated: 06 / June / 08)
A recent games release date list from SEGA has the game marked for Q1 of 2009. Previously a
nnounced by Sega to be late 2008, apparently the game has slipped to 09 now. The original press release estimated late 2009 though, so I guess it could be anywhere in 09. eggshen [site admin] from the Sega of America forums says the release is planned for spring 2009. A preview on gamesradar says may 2009. But in the same article the previewers said GBX said to pay no attention to that.
 
Formats
The game is being developed for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
 
Game Engine
The developers are using the most recent version of the UE3 engine.
 
Is This A Remake?
Many fans have asked if this is a remake of the Aliens: Colonial Marines game that was going to appear on PS2, but was cancelled before release. To answer that I’ll just post what wieder said from the 3Drealms forums:-
 
“The game isn't intentionally related to the previous game, but the title was absolutely perfect. It's not an association we're upset to have, as we all wish that game had been able to be finished because it showed promise. But yeah, any similarities are coincidences or just because they are good ideas for an Aliens game.”
 
Story (04 / June / 09)
The story is written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle (Correct Names) who most recently wrote for the remake of the Battlestar Galactica series and also worked on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series.

The game will be divided up into 'TV-style' episodes. Which means each instalment will be like an episode of 'Lost' or something similar, focussing on different marine characters with each new instalment. Each episode will tell its own story yet be tied into the whole and likely come to a head in the final instalment. We don’t know how many levels will be in each episode but previewers from gamesradar have said they'll last around an hour. And their will be more than six episodes.

It has been mentioned that we will be going up against an enemy faction (Speculated to be W-Y. Though wieder seems determined to throw doubt into our assumption...he aint fooling us though) Wink that want to harness the alien as a biological weapon. It has also been said that we will get to learn more about the dead alien race known as the Space Jockey.
 
Here is the plot set-up published in the GameInformer magazine:-
 
“Ripley is dead. None of the soldiers dispatched from the military ship Sulaco survived the infestation of the colony Hadley’s Hope. The details of their doomed struggle against a predatory alien species on the moon LV-426 are unknown. In the absence of firsthand accounts, only one clue remains to illuminate the unexplained disappearance of Hicks, Vasquez, Hudson and the rest of the squad. That clue is the Sulaco itself, which has been found floating through space, the hypersleep pods ejected after an apparent fire in the chamber. The ship does not respond to any communications. Sent in to investigate the disappearance, a new squad of colonial marines is about to stumble upon the horror Lieutenant Ellen Ripley sacrificed herself to destroy: ruthlessly adaptable creatures bred as weapons and created for war. Hundreds of them.”
 
Single Player Campaign
The games single player component will focus on the Colonial Marines from James Cameron‘s sequel, Aliens. Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox software said "Our game's about becoming a Colonial Marine, and looking at it from the Colonial Marines' perspective,"
 
Adversarial Multiplayer
The game will feature an online MP component, but no details have been released as of yet. Sega have said that details will be released later in the year.
 
4 Player Coop
Jump in/out four player coop online and two player split screen. Or a combination of both. No word on whether the screen will be split horizontally or vertically. *Crosses fingers for the former*
 
Squad Based
Players will control a colonial marine squad of up to four marines (including the player). Each marine will have a specific skill such as hacking, welding or explosives etc. The squad control / actions wont be as in depth as Rainbow Six: Vegas. And players will have to re-evaluate the standard squad shooter tactics. Positioning and firepower along with cooperation will take precedence over finding cover.
 
Playable Characters (04 / June / 08)
In coop mode their will be five playable marine characters to choose from. The number of playable marine characters in single player is six. Four of the characters are currently named Winter, Bella, O’Neal and Monday. It has been said that the player will switch between the six characters during the course of the game and experience the story from their unique perspective. That will also allow the player access to each marine characters specific weapons and equipment. Apparently the marines wont die until their scripted deaths during the course of the game. It is unknown how GBX are going to handle team-mate deaths during normal combat with the aliens. Female marines will appear alongside their male counterparts.
 
Context Sensitive Orders
You can issue commands to individual squad mates. The control mechanic is context sensitive based, with you able to send marines to perform specialised tasks like sealing vents with the welder, hacking open doors, setting up sentry guns and planting explosive booby traps on oxygen tanks etc. In addition the player will be able to give basic move to, attack and follow commands.
 
Quick-Time Events (10 / May / 08)
Quick-time Events, or as Gearbox would prefer to call them Close Encounters. The CE’s are tightly scripted events that appear at set points during the course of the game. Each encounter is viewed from first person view. During the course of these events subtle, but bright colours representing a corresponding control will flash at the edges of the screen. They will demand the player to press the corresponding control on the controller, which will play out mini sequences from the first person viewpoint of the player. PC controls will be designed separately to make the CE mechanic feel intuitive to use with M/K. The gameplayer preview said that the CE's WONT require super fast reflexes like QTE's in Tomb Raider or God of War, and that there will be multiple controls that perform the same action.
 
Acid Blood
Acid blood will mark the environment and hurt the players, but we don’t know the extent it will have on the surroundings yet. It could just be simple decals, burn marks etc.
 
Marine Arsenal
It has been said the game features a moderate arsenal. So far we know the game includes the following weapons:-
 
 
Load-Out
Each character can carry five items of equipment; four weapons and a single gadget. Additionally all marines wear body armour and are equipped with Halogen lamps. Here is what the marines carry:-
 
  • Primary Weapon: Includes Pulse rifles and Smart Guns etc.
  • Secondary Weapon: These weapons are personalised to the character like Hicks’ shotgun.
  • Sidearm: A pistol for backup or use with a gadget in the off-hand, like a motion tracker.
  • Grenade: For use with the pulse rifles grenade launcher, but probably also usable as an ad-hoc hand thrown grenade.
  • A Single Gadget: Motion tracker, medkit, welder etc.
 
Gadgets
The following gadgets are confirmed so far:-
 
  • Motion Tracker - An actual in-game model that the player can equip in his off-hand. When equipped the player wont be able to use his primary weapon. But will be able to equip his pistol in his free hand.
  • Medical Kit - This item can revive injured squad mates and neutralise acid burns. Your A.I. Squad can also use this item to revive the player.
  • Hacking Kit - Is used for bypassing lock-downs on doors.
  • Miniature Welder - Used for sealing air vents and doors. (No confirmation on whether it can be used to cut new entryways or doors open yet.)
 
Locations (10 / May / 08)
Here is a list of locations we have heard about:-
 
 
Combat Environments
We will be experiencing both claustrophobic interior combat and less-restrictive outdoor conflicts.
 
Driving Segments
Its also been said that the game will feature driving segments. But no details on what vehicle or how they will be implemented.
 
Solo Segments
From time to time the player will find themselves completely alone against the xenomorph.
 
Make A Stand Sections (04 / June / 08)
The game will feature Make a Stand sections which will be like the alien assault on operations in Cameron's Aliens. A classic siege moment, the player will receive information over his com-link (Likely from his commanding officer) that multiple aliens are about to attack. The player will have a slim amount of time to secure the area by giving context sensitive orders to his squad, like seal vent / bulkhead, position and set-up sentry gun, booby trap oxygen tank with explosive or push heavy objects in front of openings etc. Once time is up, the aliens will then attack wave after wave coming from every un-secured opening and the squad must hold them off to survive. It was said in the gameplayer preview that the motion tracker comes into its own at times like this. With it equipped the player can determine which direction the aliens are going to come from.
 
Characters and Enemies
So far we have heard about a number of non-playable characters and enemies that will be appearing in the game. The developers have said that alternate xenomorph castes wont be anything stupid appearance wise. Instead any new alien types will mostly differentiate themselves with their behaviour and attack patterns. Here is a list of characters and enemies we know about so far:-
 
  • Androids - Confirmed, but not whether they will be enemies or friendly.
  • Human Opponents - Confirmed, but its still unclear who they will be (Weyland-Yutani?)
  • Warrior - The classic ridged Cameron alien design seen in the second film. This alien will be the main one we encounter and it will often attack in numbers.
  • Drone - This sub-species of alien appeared in Cameron’s original script. It wasn’t used in the film but, it was to be the worker caste, nursemaid and hive builder. Currently the devs are experimenting with this caste and its ability to transport eggs using its carapace. (Not confirmed to be in the final game.)
  • Scout - The devs have confirmed that the smooth headed Giger design from the original film will appear in the game, and will be a much more sneaky solo hunter compared to the Warrior. This alien will hide and ambush the squad.
  • Face Hugger - Seen in the screenshots. It has been confirmed that head humpers will initiate a QTE if they land on your screen.
  • Chest Burster - We know there will be exploding stomachs, but its doubtful if the little critters will present any real danger.
  • Queen - In the game she will apparently appear as a boss fight. (Maybe a QTE?)
 
HUD (04 / June / 09)
The heads-up display will be minimal with nothing but your FPV weapon model in hand. The health system will be like COD4’s recharging health mechanic. Though we are still waiting to hear how players will target the enemy. Will there be a aim down the sights mechanic like COD4?

We do know that the pulse rifle has had an ammunition counter added to the left side as well as the right, so you can see it from your first person view point. It also says in the game radar preview that all the guns will have ammo counters that the player can see.
 
Alien A.I. (10 / May / 08)
The developers have said the aliens will be smarter in this game, compared to older Alien titles. The aliens will use the air ducts to travel around and launch surprise attacks. They will hide in air ducts, pipes in the ceiling and the grating under the floor and wait for just the right moment to attack. The aliens will often attack players and their team-mates head-on, but they will also set clever traps and attack from ambush. The alien movement within the environment will be unpredictable making it difficult for the player to draw a bead on them as they move and attack.
 
Gore & Drool (04 / May / 08)
It has been said repeatedly that there will be plenty of blood and guts. Gearbox have also mentioned that they are implementing alien drool using in game shaders.
 
Authenticity (04 / May / 08)
Gearbox are well known for their faithful recreation of the source material they are working from. For Aliens: CM the development team have access to all the original mixed and un-mixed sound recordings from Cameron's film. And they are busy remixing / recreating them through modern sound hardware/software. They also contacted Syd Mead who was a concept artist on the films. He went back and created new concepts pieces for the game, like designing the rest of the Sulaco for gamers to explore. They have even matched the film grain and colour tones to recreate the look of the films.
 
Animation (10 / May / 08)
The alien characters are being animated fully by hand, no human like motion capture. This is to make them appear more inhuman and less like a man in a suit. In the gameplayer preview it is said aliens move impressively. They are fast and agile and hop around the level, grabbing onto pillars and leaping back down to the ground to attack marines by whipping their tails and slashing with their claws.
 

CVG Mini Preview For PC

Here is a nice small preview of Aliens: Colonial Marines from computerandvideogames.com.
 
A quote from the article:-
 
“However, Aliens: CM doesn't just include the atmospheric settings of spaceships such as the alien derelict (where John Hurt was facehugged for the first time), but expands into bigger locations including cargo ships (so that means power-loaders) and even futuristic cities - so maybe we'll get to see xenomorphs on Earth after all…”
 
I think we are unlikely to see the plot take the game to Earth mainly because it would break the canon of the last film too much, but the futuristic city sounds really tasty. Its also nice to know that there will be more ships to explore than just the Sulaco.
 
Thanks to arnolder from the Gearbox forums for the find. Secret telling
April 02

Forums Rundown 02

Computer I have been doing some more stalking over at 3Drealms.com. Charlie Wiederhold (Associate Producer on A:CM) has been replying to a lot of fan posts over there. So here is what he had to say:-
 
 
Commando Nukem Posted: “Aliens Colonial Marines. Hell yeah. In case anyone has forgotten what Aliens : Colonial Marines USED to look like, heres the E3 footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIeLGifENbI
 
Is that title just a rip or is there a particular similarity between the two games?”
 
Wieder Answered: “Oh and to answer your first question: The game isn't intentionally related to the previous game, but the title was absolutely perfect. It's not an association we're upset to have, as we all wish that game had been able to be finished because it showed promise. But yeah, any similarities are coincidences or just because they are good ideas for an Aliens game.”
 

 
Kalki Posted: “It does need to be darker and more shadowy with flickering and strobing lights. Like the AvP games. Never seen an alien exposed like that. They usually blend in. Then again, I'm only judging from banner size images and perhaps limited environments or maybe the xenomorph AI simply forgot to hit the lights first.”
 
Wieder: “Muzzle flash is 90% of the light hitting the xeno in the shots.”
 

 
avatar_58 Posted: “Well see the way I see it - it's just silly. Redoing the same scene over and over until you manage to get it right? Who thought this was a good idea? If they do it properly like grab a guy, use QTE to force him down, If you fail he goes free - then it's okay. When they do it like Tomb Raider or Jericho and force to review the same cutscene over and over until I get the combo....I just get irritated.
 
Even worse is for PC games. "BUTTON 10!". Excuse me? Where is....*dead*. Oh thats right button 10 requires me to press in my analog stick. How about next time you tell me that or stop using obscure buttons that aren't even used in the gameplay? Better yet - when the action is something like a rotation of the stick and you don't even realize it until the event ends.”
 
Wieder: “We don't like the bad examples you've given either. We very much want them to feel natural... just like strafing and shooting... and don't want you to do a "repeat until you figure it out just for the sake of extending gameplay" stuff. And even worse... don't want the "surprise the buttons are random and have no meaning to what's going on in the game so you couldn't possibly figure them out hahahaha... look how mean we are to the player!!".
 
The point is to have fun and experience something that you can't experience from any other entertainment medium. We've been staring down the "This better not suck and make people who otherwise like the game put it down" gun barrel from the start.
 
And yeah, PC is given it's own consideration. The foundational principle is to not *ever* have a player need to do a button hunt.”
 

 
Daveman Posted: “The guy holding the flamethrower in the picture you linked is standing really awkwardly. Hopefully it's just a badly-timed screengrab and not an indication of the quality of the animations.”
 
Wieder: “Please don't remind me. Work in progress!”
 

 
mysteryperfecta Posted: “The screens posted here look really good (the screens linked to won't load for me). However, I'm not a fan of the name of this game. Colonial Marines? Colonial? Don't like it. Not that it has any bearing on the actual game, but still, my two cents.”
 
Wieder: “Well... Colonial Marines is what they are called in the movie. We can't really call them anything else, and this game is *all* about experiencing first hand what it's like to be a Colonial Marine in the Aliens universe. From what the squad dynamics are like (personalities and combat) to what using the weapons is like to what encountering Xenomorphs is like.
 
We did kick around using the squad designation, and a whole host of other stuff... but ultimately it was the only name that really fit perfectly.
 
Now if we do a sequel... then we've got naming problems.
 
Or when you read "Colonial" does it evoke images of 17th and 18th century British Rule?”
 

 
Fjallraven Posted: “Am I the only one who think that weapons who are as square as that one, look ugly? I want more smooth edges. I personaly don't like that gun very much.”
 
Wieder: “The screen position for the first person Pulse Rifle isn't good in those shots. It doesn't show it well, and does make it just look like a big blob. To compare... the weapons in the marines hands are the same as what you are holding, so you can see just how much detail you are losing. We've been working on that exact aspect recently.
 
RE: The Xeno Skin Tone: Concerns are understood. Will wait until you're seeing them in motion with them moving in and out of different lighting styles to see how people react to them. Just like how the props look one way in the movie in motion vs under brighter lighting... game characters if used correctly do the same thing.
 
Example: The combat shot... imagine it in action... the muzzle flash is only going to lighten the Xeno up in flashes, otherwise he's very dark and only glints being picked up by the softer environmental light.
 
Or the one from first person in the vents... notice the lighting level changes through the vent... where the xeno would be going in and out of dark and light.
 
Or the one where you are peering down on your squad mate... where they swing in quickly and are gone with your buddy in no time (if that's what happens in that scene... who knows!!!
 
There are lots of other factors that go into picking the right color balance (gameplay, different light levels throughout the whole game, accuracy, etc)... but we definitely have heard and understand the concerns about the coloring. The fact that *that's* the only sort of things people are really bringing up makes us so happy... couldn't ask for anything better.
 
We knew Close Encounters were going to be a tough sell from the start and the most controversial aspect of the pitch... and no matter what Xeno style or color you pick everyone has a different favorite. That's what different versions are there for.
 
As for all the exceptionally positive and supportive comments... nothing but huge thanks for that. It means a lot for everyone on the team to read it. Gives us that much more drive to meet the expectations and play the game with you now.
 
On a personal note it's nice to finally get to show you guys some stuff that myself and the other guys have been working on after so long of a black out.”
 

 
Commando Nukem Posted: “This may be a dumb question but... Are these things we're talking about like this? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv73h8fOwec.
 
That scene really pissed me off. I figure they wont be a big deal as long as its not so A = live, B = death. Its just too damn frustrating to have to redo and redo and redo the same sequence over and over again because one keeps dying.
 
Wieder: “Not a dumb question at all. That's one version of QTE that people think we're doing and that's very much NOT what we're doing. People also try to imagine it like God of War and while that's closer than Resident Evil 4's... it's still not what we're doing.
 
People have also tried to compare it to Jericho, and the only thing we *really* share with those is that we stay in first person like they did, but it's still not an accurate comparison.
 
There really is not a game that has taken the approach we're taking. But I'm not in a position to get into specifics. Just know that we really do understand why people are going "We hate QTE!"... we actually dislike having the Close Encounters called Quick Time Events purely because of the connotation it has in people's minds. But... that's the way the world works and it's up to us to turn that tide as we get closer to release.”
 

 
Well thats it for rundown number 02
 
-Sh0dan signing off 
View more entries
 
Updated 4/3/2008
Updated 5/15/2008
Updated 5/11/2008
Updated 5/15/2008

ACM

Thanks for visiting my web space.