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| Dragon Age: Origins Updated Hands-On - The Dwarf Commoner's Humble Beginnings
August 21, 2009 at 10:07 pm
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| We start a new story with the commoner background for dwarf characters in this upcoming role-playing epic from BioWare. 
We've already covered much of the basics of starting a new game in BioWare's upcoming role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins...because we've played through them. If you haven't already, take a look at our previous story covering the origins of the human mage, which also covers the basics of character creation and interface elements--we won't be repeating those here. Instead, we'll jump into the origin story for dwarves who begin their careers as lowly commoners in the streets of Orzammar, the subterranean metropolis. As a dwarf commoner, you can choose to play either as a rogue or as a warrior--there's virtually no difference whatsoever in the experience or gameplay, except that each class has its own skills, and that certain fights seem tougher if you play a rogue who didn't specialize in combat skills. On that note, please be advised that this story contains minor spoilers. Even though the tall, stony architecture of Orzammar looks impressive in some places, the life of a dwarf commoner isn't pretty. According to the introductory cinematic sequence for this origin, the dwarves have a rigid caste system that forbids dwarves of lower classes to mingle with highfalutin nobles--and your character is at the very bottom of the barrel, a "casteless" character marked with a brand on his or her face that tells the world that you're the most common of commoners. You begin your adventure being harangued by the local dwarf slumlord Baraht, who has recruited you to do his dirty work while he "encourages" your kindhearted sister Rica to catch the eye of a dwarf noble. Baraht's potentially not-family-friendly scheme is to marry her off into a noble family to give birth to an heir, elevating her, you, and "Uncle" Baraht to noble status. (Interestingly, while mages speak with the prim and proper BioWare British Accent made famous in Knights of the Old Republic, dwarves all speak American/Canadian English--no evidence of a British accent or Scottish brogue in sight.) Baraht then storms off, reminding you that you have more dirty work to do before the day is done. Before you go, you can chat with your sister to get more insight about your situation and the world of the dwarves--how most of your people remain below ground rather than deal with repugnant, smelly surface dwellers like humans and elves, and how the darkspawn, the game's villainous monsters, have risen from the depths of the earth to claim the lives of most members of the noble and warrior castes, which leaves the nobles desperate for heirs. It also seems that Rica has caught the eye of a potential suitor, but with no promises made on either side, you're better off heading out to Orzammar for some more shady dealings, at least for the time being. You leave your sister, and immediately meet Leske, a dwarf thief and cohort who also works for Baraht, and who also has the hots for your sister. (In fact, if you create a female dwarf character, he'll actually make a pass at you as well.) After reminding him that his attentions are unwanted, you get the details of your next mission--locating, shaking down, and ultimately killing a smuggler who works for Baraht, but has been skimming lyrium ore (the enchanted metal used to power magic spells and forge enchanted weapons) to sell to illicit parties on the surface. The common areas in the dwarf city, much like the halls of the mage tower, are full of ambient characters that go on about their business and occasionally have independent conversations that touch on bits of the world's lore, such as the political tension between the current dwarven king and an ambitious dwarven prince. And if you happen to be a rogue, you can also use the profession's free skill point in the stealing skill to relieve some commoners and guards of their coins and healing poultices--the latter of which will prove to be a godsend later on. When you find the smuggler at the local tavern, you and Leske seat yourself at his table, and can re-enact a classic BioWare conversation quest path of either killing the marked man outright, or letting him go and lying to your boss about doing the job anyway--a quest we've seen in some form in both Baldur's Gate II and also Knights of the Old Republic. We decided to keep things civilized and instead blackmail the smuggler for all the ore he was carrying before cutting him loose, figuring that we'd pocket the proceeds without any questions asked, just as we had in previous BioWare games (and we were wrong, as we'd find out soon enough). By using "intimidate"-based conversation skills (bolstered by our character's "cunning" statistic, which we boosted when creating our character), we were able to convince the poor sap to part with his ore and skedaddle, and we also convinced a terrified Leske to go along for the ride with a generous 50-50 arrangement. Leske came around and pointed us to a nearby merchant who took the ore off our hands at a reduced price, pointing out that demand for it is poor below ground (dwarves are inherently resistant to magic and cannot be mages, and so have little use for the stuff in its raw form), and moving it to the surface would be difficult. We pocketed the few coins we were able to get and reported in to our crime boss. Said crime boss and his number one gal, Jarvia (an angry female dwarf who can't seem to say anything without phrasing it as a threat) were waiting at a nearby merchant shop. When we lied about killing off the escaped smuggler, the slumlord didn't exactly buy what we were selling--apparently, one of his cousins was also at the tavern at the time and watched the smuggler get up and walk away. Fortunately, Leske was quick-witted enough to come up with a lie of his own about how we later bumped off traitorous cheat in a back alley, preferring not to make a scene in the tavern. And fortunately, Baraht actually took the bait, and dispatched us to our next task--rigging the "proving ground" arena battles being held for visiting grey warden Duncan, who was rumored to be in town in search of new recruits to battle the darkspawn (hint, hint). To rig the match, we were instructed to drug the water of one of the arena champions to ensure the victory of a different competitor offering longshot betting odds (on whom Baraht had a pile of coin), and were handed a phony pass to get into the arena area. Upon entering arena hall, we encountered Duncan himself, whom we greeted on a dare from Leske, and exchanged pleasantries with before the grey warden took his leave. We then paid a visit to our longshot gladiator to check on him, only to find that the mighty warrior was dead drunk. After a brief, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" conversation with Leske, we decided to don the warrior's armor and his maces and swords (which fit just fine, even though we were playing a rogue) and masquerade as him, though we also made the decision to not drug the rival gladiator, instead entering the fight as a true test of skill. We pilfered the plastered pugilist's possessions, equipped them, and headed out to the face our first match in another familiar BioWare setup--an arena battle with consecutive one-on-one battles. Unfortunately, since we were playing a sneaky thief who specialized in speed and trickery, we didn't have a character with a very high strength score, so we were unable to equip the drunken warrior's better weapons. So, we readied a light battle axe and shield for our battles, which began with a tougher-than-expected scrape that we survived only by using some of our purloined healing poultices. The same could be said for our second and third matches, both against determined dwarves looking to prove themselves. By the end of the third match, we were out of healing poultices and ready to beg for mercy, but that was cut short as the inebriated gladiator we were impersonating staggered into the arena, accusing us of being an impostor. Knowing we were caught dead to rights, we removed our helmet, revealing our character's branded face (the mark of a lowly casteless dwarf) to much consternation from the arena crowds and the dwarven arena master--though Duncan, the guest of honor at the proving match, seemed impressed by our performance. One blackout later, we awoke in a strange cell--apparently, the match results had been renounced and we had been trounced, first by arena guards, and then, by Baraht's men, who had us taken back to the crime boss's lair. Jarvia returned one last time to taunt us before leaving us in the capable hands of a single guard. Fortunately, our rogue character gained an experience level here, which let us take a glimpse at the advanced character classes he'll one day be able to select (assassin, bard, ranger, or duelist). He also had a basic knowledge of the "deft hands" skill and was able to pick the lock on his cell and make a break for his confiscated belongings, equipping himself with his original leather armor and an axe, and making short work of the guard before freeing Leske and sallying forth. Luckily, since we were playing a rogue character, we were able to spot and disarm some of the hidden traps lining the floors. So began the dungeon hacking portion of the dwarf commoner's origin story. Our party of two made their way through Baraht's cellars, looting any open chests and barrels for a handful of trinkets and fighting small contingents of guards. Rogues begin with a basic skill known as "dirty fighting," which deals no damage, but briefly stuns their target. They can also specialize in dual-weapon talents or archery talents, but must first learn the combat training skill. When creating our character, we preferred to make more of a stealthy burglar character, and weren't as prepared for head-on battles, but we did make liberal use of the rogue's backstab ability, which deals extra damage and is triggered automatically when you properly place a rogue character directly behind your target. By periodically using both our character's, and Leske's, dirty fighting skill to stun other targets, we were able to focus in on our enemies, one by one, keeping the thugs' focus on one party member while the other snuck in as many backstab attacks as possible. (As it happens, we later played through the dwarf commoner origin again as a fighter, and found the battles much easier, especially since we specialized in two-handed weapons, which have powerful and quick-to-recover attacks that can deal unusually large amounts of damage or just send your foes sprawling.) Finally, we made our way to Baraht himself, who was in the process of putting a price on our heads to two more of his greasy thugs, and saying some less-than-polite things about our sister. We went right into battle but had to retry this fight a few times, since Baraht himself was a tough fellow who seemed immune to being backstabbed, and since we had hardly any health poultices (and since again, we created a relatively wimpy rogue character). With determination and carefully timed applications of the dirty fighting skill to control the other thugs and focus on picking off our enemies one by one, we finally brought the brute down. And we emerged from his hideout victorious...to find the furious dwarf arena master waiting for us with a group of guards, and with Duncan, and with...our sister? Even more curiously, there was no sign of Baraht's second-in-command, the sharp-tongued Jarvia. Hmm. It was at this point that Duncan made the offer to join him as a grey warden, saving us (just like with the mage origin) from capital punishment for a grave offense. We spoke with Leske (who insisted we take the opportunity) and Rica (who, as it turned out, had begun a storybook romance with her suitor), and received their blessings to join Duncan in his quest. We were on our way out of our origin story to see the rest of the realm of Ferelden. And you'll be able to hear more about origins, and Ferelden, by following GameSpot's ongoing coverage of Dragon Age: Origins. Come back next Friday when we explore more of the game. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Brave: A Warrior's Tale Review
August 21, 2009 at 8:17 pm
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| A cruelly hijacked story makes this otherwise serviceable game a pale shadow of adventures past. 
Score: 4.5 / poor Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger Screens
August 21, 2009 at 7:48 pm
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| | 5 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Brave: A Warrior's Tale Screens
August 21, 2009 at 7:18 pm
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| | 28 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| The Beatles: Rock Band Launch Center
August 21, 2009 at 5:43 pm
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| | The lads from Liverpool are invading your home again! Check out our The Beatles: Rock Band Launch Center for the latest news, previews, videos, and more! Get the full article at GameSpot
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| NHL 2K10 Screens
August 21, 2009 at 5:42 pm
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| | 10 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Rock Band 3 in the works
August 21, 2009 at 3:48 pm
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| MTV Games head confirms Harmonix is already working on third major entry in rhythm franchise, exploring possibility of another game devoted to one major band. 
Rock Band is coming back for a second encore. In an interview with MCV this week, MTV Games executive vice president and general manager Scott Guthrie confirmed that Harmonix has begun work on a third Rock Band game. When asked about MTV's plans for the franchise's major releases in 2010, Guthrie confirmed the possibility of a genre-spanning Rock Band game like the first two releases in the series, as well as a game dedicated to a major artist, like next month's The Beatles: Rock Band. "We're exploring both, and possibly will do both," Guthrie said. "The Harmonix development team are working on what is effectively the next game, or 'Rock Band 3.'" The executive also talked about the changing face of the music genre, and described it as "transitioning as a category out of the 'plastic' area." With a plethora of musical instrument controllers littering the living rooms and closets of gamers worldwide, Guthrie said that MTV was switching its focus to software, whether it be packaged or online. And given the introduction of new technology like Microsoft's motion-sensing Project Natal, there might come a day when Rock Band might not even need all that hardware. "We aren't standing still," Guthrie said. "we will keep moving into new areas and look at new technologies that our platform holder partners are also developing, such as Project Natal from Microsoft. We're working with them to pull some things together. " Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010 Screens
August 21, 2009 at 3:24 pm
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| | 10 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Dragon Age: Origins Screens
August 21, 2009 at 3:12 pm
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| | 6 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| Batman: Arkham Asylum Screens
August 21, 2009 at 3:06 pm
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| | 22 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| NBA Live 10: Changing the Game
August 21, 2009 at 2:37 pm
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"We're moving away from spreadsheet ratings… that's 'videogame speak.' All the stuff we've done [with NBA Live 10], that's what I want to see driving player ratings." - NBA Live producer Sean O'Brien
There's a little revolution brewing up in the NBA Live franchise, one that I think is going to change the way sports videogames are made… once the rest of the world catches up, that is. There's plenty that's new happening with this year's NBA Live 10--as I saw earlier this week when EA Sports producers came by to show off the game. I'll get to the big changes in Live, but I'd like to start with an aspect of the game that I think might turn out to be the most significant change to how sports games are going to be made in the coming years, and it has to do with player ratings. The Ratings Game Player ratings are always a hot topic in sports games. Whether it's arguing about the relative ratings of Michael Vick and Brett Favre as they return to Madden NFL 10, or discussing where you think Florida quarterback Tim Tebow should be rated in this year's NCAA Football 10, it's a constant back-and-forth, one that is reflected in sports games via frequent roster updates. But, like so much else in sports, there's an element of bias in player ratings that is sometimes difficult to reconcile with the facts. In some cases the bias is overt--as might be the case in the Vick or Favre debates, where fan controversy stokes the fires. But even in situations where player performance and statistics drives the ratings decisions--as is the case with the sports game developers at companies like EA Sports and 2K Sports who assign the ratings to players--the simple fact of the matter is that, at its core, an attribute rating is often a judgment call. That is set to change, and NBA Live is leading the way. That's because more and more of the player data in NBA Live is being driven directly by the so-called Dynamic DNA system, which was introduced in 2008's NBA Live 09. Dynamic DNA takes the metric ton of data recorded by the Synergy scouting service (who partners with EA Sports in this feature) and feeds it directly into Live. As a result, if you're playing Live, you have a direct feed as to what is happening with every player and every team in the NBA, thanks to the daily downloads available in the game. [ Watch Video ] According to producers, the NBA Live team barely scratched the surface of what Dynamic DNA could do with NBA Live 09. This time around, the data being pulled into the game has been expanded--with more categories of stats being used--and that data will surface in the game in a slightly different way. Most importantly to me, though, is the process of how the Live team is handling their player ratings. This year, the Synergy data has an extreme focus on shooting tendencies for players. Bring up a player's DNA data and you'll see a level of shooting detail that breaks down his entire offensive game--not based on an arbitrary rating assigned to him, but from actual on-court percentages. Here's some of the information on the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, pulled from the DNA Scouting Report in the NBA Live 10 demo: Scoring Tendencies
25% At the Basket
56% Jump Shots
19% Post-Ups Perimeter Tendencies
33% Drive Left
46% Pulls Up
53% Finish at the Basket
33% Drives Right
46% Pulls Up
54% Finish at the Basket
34% No-Dribble Jumper Post Tendencies
43% Turn Left
43% Turn Right
14% Faceup
Jump Shots Overall
42% Jump Shots [Jump Shot] Range Breakdown
46% Short
43% Mid-Range
37% 3 Point Shots [Jump Shot] Situation Breakdown
50% No Dribble Unguarded
37% No Dribble Guarded
43% Off-Dribble
From these percentages, you can derive a fairly sophisticated picture of Kobe's offensive game--and, when compared to DNA data in the past, a detailed account of how Bryant's game has changed over the years. It's this kind of data that is driving a good chunk of Bryant's actual player ratings in NBA Live 10. Producers told me that approximately 70 percent of NBA Live 10's player ratings are determined by Synergy data, and t hat number is expected to only increase in coming years. 
"The goal is to have all player ratings driven by actual Synergy data," game producer Sean O'Brien told me. "We're moving away from spreadsheet ratings… that's 'videogame speak.' All the stuff we've done [with NBA Live 10], that's what I want to see driving player ratings." While the focus for DNA is on offense this year, already the team is planning for next year: they're working with Synergy to develop and import a host of new defensive stats into next year's game, making the ratings of players in next year's NBA Live 11 that much more complete. While the idea of having player ratings driven by hard numbers is an enticing one, it's obvious that this kind of extensive data has a value all its own. EA has already trumpeted the Dynamic DNA service as a scouting service for NBA teams--and if the feature expands as it looks like it will, it's practically inevitable that EA will find a way to monetize it as a premium service. They've already done something very similar, in fact, with last year's FIFA 09; the Adidas Live Season featured on-the-fly roster updates that were free for one league of the player's choice, if you wanted data from additional leagues, you had to pay for it. It seems just a matter of time before players are paying for the privilege of keeping up with the NBA via Dynamic DNA. NBA… Courtside While Dynamic DNA is driving so much under NBA Live 10's hood, it isn't the whole story. The team behind the Live's gameplay are quick to own up to the mistakes of previous Live games, yet quick to focus on what's been improved for NBA Live 10. Controls are first and foremost--in addition to tweaks made to well-received features like last year's pick and roll controls, there's some new additions to gameplay specifically designed to let advanced Live players get more out of their team. The goal, producers told me, is to get the player thinking about playing all over the court--not just looking for the dunk or the three-pointer. First up are "solution layups", which gives you more control when driving towards the basket to drop one in. When you get close to the hoop, you can go either to the left or the right of the basket by pressing the left stick in the correct direction and pressing the shoot button. These solution layups are great for advanced Live players who are looking to beat defenders on either side of the basket. For certain skilled players in the game--such as nimble guards like Steve Nash or Manu Ginobli--you'll have access to specific moves designed to help you get around that first defender--by holding down the right trigger and moving the left stick you'll be able to beat your defender with specialized moves like the pro step layup, Euro step layup, and the spin layup. You've got several options for passing in NBA Live 10--in addition to icon passing, which is pulled off by holding the left trigger and then choosing the corresponding icon of the player you wish to pass to, you've also got options like freestyle passing. Freestyle passes are controlled by holding down the left stick and moving the right stick in any direction. The direction you move the right stick will determine which direction you pass the ball. The new direct pass receiver control is a big help for players looking to get their CPU teammates into position on the floor, without having to always call a set play. To do so, you hold the left trigger and the button of the player you wish to pass to. With that button held down, you now have complete control over where that player moves on the court--and releasing the player button will cause your original player to pass the ball. In theory it sounds tough but, in practice based on my time with the game, it's a pretty easy way to create some space, or get a player driving to the basket where they otherwise might not. A similar control feature allows you to control an off-ball player without throwing a pass, in essence creating a temporary player lock. To do so, you once again hold down the left trigger and press the button of the player you wish to control. Once you've switched player, you let go of the left trigger while still holding your teammate's button. Once you let go of the button, you'll be locked into an offball player and can do things like call off ball screens to help get that player free in order to set up an easy play. The one-on-one battles between NBA stars is why so many of the leagues fans love it and, knowing this, the developers are looking to make those battles more prevalent in the game as well. To that end, size-up moves (a series of fancy dribbles that is executed with the right trigger/R2 during a stationary dribble) can help you break down an opposing defender. The longer you hold it, the better chance you have of breaking his ankles once you decide to move--and there are also attacking size up moves you can do by mixing in the right stick with the right trigger held. In an attempt at balance, using size-up dribbles for too long and your defender will have window in which he can snatch the ball out of your hands. NBA Live 10 is also utilizing some of the ideas from last year's NCAA Basketball 09, including the post moves down low as well as that game's "team tempo" feature. While the team tempo variables aren't brought to the surface via the HUD as they were in NCAA 09, it sounds like they will work in a similar way, in that you'll need to play your team the correct way or else your team's abilities will suffer. Coupling team tendencies with the advanced player statistics available to players via the Dynamic DNA, as well as a ton of team-specific sets available in the game, and it seems like knowing your team and its players will pay off bigger dividends than ever before NBA Live 10. 
Most of my demo focused on the full version NBA Live 10, including details a big feature that I can't talk about just yet, but EA also left code of the Live 10 demo that will be released in the coming weeks. The demo features a two-quarter match-up (four minutes apiece) between last year's NBA Finalists, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Things that are immediately noticeable in the demo, beyond some of the new gameplay mechanics described above include better body-to-body contact between players, ball physics that make sense more often than not (something I could rarely claim in previous versions of Live) and busier CPU teammates on the floor. Of course, it all remains to be seen for the full version of NBA Live 10 but, at least from the demo, things seem to be looking up. Baseline In the short-term, I think NBA Live 10 holds a good deal of promise--the game looks better and the developers seem dead-set on making the gameplay is improved as well. However, it's the long-term impact of NBA Live's approach to game development and player progression that intrigues me the most. Player ratings based on a constant stream of hard data rather than subjective judgment have been a long time coming and it's clear that--should the Live team figure out a way to integrate Synergy's exhaustive NBA data into the game's ever-improving AI--the future of sports gaming will take another leap forward.
Look for much more on NBA Live 10 in the coming weeks ahead of the game's October 6 release. Read and Post Comments (There are currently 2 other comments) | Get the full article at GameSpot
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| NBA Live 10 Screens
August 21, 2009 at 2:30 pm
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| | 4 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot
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| DJ Hero books October 27 gig
August 21, 2009 at 1:43 pm
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| North American release date of Activision's new mix-and-mash rhythm franchise confirmed; international launches to happen by Halloween. 
With Guitar Hero 5's release date set for September 1, Activision had left a hole in its release schedule around the franchise's previously favored late October launch window. That hole won't go unfilled, as the publisher confirmed to Joystiq that its upstart music game, DJ Hero, is set for an October 27 North American launch and simply "late October" in other markets. DJ Hero will feature 100 individual songs in 80 all-new mixes previously unavailable to the public, with a number of licensed disc-scratchers, including DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Shadow, DJ AM, DJ Z-Trip, Grandmaster Flash, Tiesto, and DJ Yoda. That crew will be mashing up familiar songs from a wide variety of artists, from Daft Punk to Tears for Fears. The game will also pack in a new turntable peripheral, with retailers accepting preorders for a standard edition bundle at $120, and a Renegade Edition package for $200. The Renegade bundle will contain a "premium" black-and-gold turntable controller and a hard-shell carrying case that converts to a stand, so gamers can easily take their kits on the road to battle the DJ masses. A pair of CDs from Jay-Z and Eminem will also be included featuring unreleased tracks. For more on DJ Hero, check out its appearance on the premiere episode of Today On the Spot (below). Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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