Kotaku: dude huge

Don't Go Looking For Gears Of War With Natal Controls

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:30:00 MDT

Microsoft's motion control platform doesn't look like it's going to find its way into future Gears of War games — at least according to the game's designer, Cliff Bleszinski.

On Major Nelson's podcast, the game designer explained, "If there's any future Gears products [coughs elaborately], it's not the kind of thing you tag onto a game like that, right?"

Well........

"So what you have is the 360 which has captured a lot of the video viewing audience [with] movies and Netflix," Bleszinski continued, "it's captured a lot of the online gaming, it's captured a lot of the hardcore games, and you know segue that in, so now you have your yoga program, now you have your dodgeball thing, you have the creepy kid Milo who wants to drown you in the pond — you can do all of it."

But................

"Will it replace traditional gaming? No," he said, "but it's another amazing way that we can expand the gaming experience to a wider audience and enhance what's already there."

But, but, but, what about our Gears of War yoga dodgeball game with a creepy kid? Not making that game, dude, would be a huge mistake.

Show #326: Gaming in Germany, Gears of War and 'Splosion Man [Major Nelson via Eurogamer via VG247]

Gears Of War Designer Interested In New Style

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:00:00 MDT

You know the Gears of Wars look: brown, bombed out buildings and more brown. Oh, there's some gray, too. The games have really set off a visual flair.

But Gears designer Dude Huge (aka "DH" aka "Cliff Bleszinski") is ready to move on.

"Stylistically though," he says, "I'd love to play in a different field in the near future in regards to what your typical expectation of a Gears of War game actually is." Lots of pastels, please!

Gears of War 2 is a slight departure visually from the first game — nothing radical, though.

Huge currently has "five projects going on right now" and says that he and his company Epic Games are going to take more risks in the future as well as make "a few safe bets that people won't be surprised to see coming." Gears of War 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, anyone?

Cliff Bleszinski: shifting gears [Develop]

Duge Huge: "You Can Call Me Whatever You Want"

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 MDT

When Cliff Bleszinski was born, he was "Clifford Bleszinski". Then he became "CliffyB". Then he didn't want to be "CliffyB", he wanted to be "Cliff".

Then we made a typo, and he became "Dude Huge" — well, Bleszinski jokingly wanted us to call him "Dude Huge". Now? In an interview with OXM, the designer doesn't seem to care what you call him:

Honestly, that was just a media experiment to me. It was Stephen Totilo [former MTV Multiplayer editor, current Kotaku Deputy Editor] who started it — I had an IM conversation with him and said, "I'm thinking of abandoning that." And he broke it on MTV Multiplayer, and it got picked up everywhere, and then it turned into "Who does he think he is?" Dude, the fact that you're getting upset just means you're playing along with my joke here. You can call me whatever you like as long as you play the game.

That's awfully generous of him. Those thinking of calling D.H. a douchebag, he's one step ahead of you, calling himself a "giant douchebag" in the same interview.

Hello, My Name Is Cliff [OXM]

Cliff Bleszinski Is So Not Burnt Out

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:00:00 MDT

Two games into the third-person-shooter Gears of War franchise and series designer Cliff Bleszinski is so not burned out. "There have only been two Gears games," says Bleszinski.

Two back-to-back Gears games.

"There are still plenty of opportunities for things you can do in a cover-based shooter and there are still a lot of stories to tell in the Gears universe," says the designer. "I'm not burned out with the franchise at all."

Dude's got a huge point — there are only two Gears games. Wait until Bleszinski's promoting the inevitable Gears of War 7 to ask him if he feels burnt out.

We really hope Gears 7 is better than Gears 6.

Cliff B 'not burned out on Gears' [CVG]

Metal Gear Solid Mega 64: Super Stealth Kojima

Mike Fahey — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:40:00 MDT

Mega 64 stealths their way through the streets of San Francisco, Metal Gear Solid style, until the characters they are portraying finally meet their maker.

In a brilliant callback to their 2007 Game Developers Conference Mario skit, which featured a cameo by creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Mega 64 runs into the creator of the Metal Gear series while roaming the streets of San Fran as Old Snake and badly-dressed Raiden. Unlike Miyamoto, however, Hideo Kojima reacts exactly how we'd imagine the creator of the world's premiere stealth action title would react. See what you miss when you don't read the Game Developers Choice Awards liveblog?

And then just when you think the cameos are over...

Rolling Stone's "Agents Of Change" List Full Of Game Developers

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:30:00 MDT

Rolling Stone magazine have taken a little side-trip away from rock n' roll, and done a more Time magazine-like list of the "100 People Who Are Changing America". Four (well, five) are developers.

First up is Will Wright, at #84. Sure, The Sims and Spore are big sellers, but they're seen by Rolling Stone as more important for their efforts in creating popular forms of artificial intelligence as they are for making EA millions of Simoleons.

According to the magazine, Gears of War's Clifford Bleszinski is the 73rd most-changingest man in America. Yes, Dude Huge ranks higher than Will Wright. Why? "Because video games need Michael Bay-style blockbusters too". Oh, and because he is rich in nickels.

At #44, it's Harmonix founders Alex Rigopulos & Eran Egozy, who were picked as much for inventing Guitar Hero & Rock Band as they were for helping change the way the music industry does business through Rock Band's extensive downloadable content offerings.

And all the way up at #13 is someone who is not even American. And no, it's not Peter Molyneux. Or Dennis Dyack. Or Itagaki, or Brown Man, or Jeff Minter. It's Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, who Rolling Stone anoint as "the Bob Dylan of video games".

Can't he just be the Shigeru Miyamoto of video games?

The 100 People Who Are Changing America [Rolling Stone]

Let's Talk Gears of War 2 Romance

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:00:00 MST

Gears of War was all testosterone. Gears of War 2 is mostly testosterone with bonus estrogen. The sequel brings an element of romance between character Dom and his wife Maria, who's gone missing during the Locust horde onslaught. According to the game's designer Cliff Bleszinski:

I wanted to put it in the first one, honestly. It was one of the things we didn’t have the confidence in our abilities as storytellers at that time. And we didn’t have the time to get it in there. All that wound up in there was a shot of a tattoo on Dom’s arm and a reference that he might know someone stranded because he was looking for his wife. To put that at the forefront of the [new] game, you see it right in the opening cutscene. He’s looking right at the picture [of him and his wife]...
...It’s really hard to do. I think we did an admirable job of it. Is it a Nicholas Sparks romance? No, it’s not. But there’s a little bit of heart in there. For some reason, Gears seems to have more of a female following than other shooters.

Most action movies have a dab of romance or tinge of heart. There's no reason games cannot either. Well, unless they're some stone cold, hard-nosed jaded bad ass shit. Then they'd don't need that smoochy pansy junk. Otherwise, sure, we love fuzzy kittens!

Gears Romance — SPOILERS [Multiplayer]

Gears of War 2 Designer Asks For Tubgirl, Gets Tubgirl

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:00:00 MST

You ask, and you receive. Last spring, when faceplate creator extraordinaire SpaceGhost2K attended a Microsoft Spring Showcase in San Francisco, Gears of War's Dude Huge, AKA the game designer formerly known as CliffyB, told SpaceGhost2K he liked his custom faceplates and jokingly (we think? we hope?) put in a request: TubgIrl. SpaceGhost2K agreed and created a Tubgirl faceplate, which he gave to DH at the Gears 2 launch.

Hit the jump for an uncensored version. It's anime-style, but should still be stomach churning to those who haven't erased the original image from their brains. Note: New to the internet and unfamiliar with Tubgirl? Check out this text only Wiki entry. Anyone who posts or links the actual picture in the comments section will get cozy with the brunt end of the Banhammer.

You Can Find Her In The Tub [Hawty McBloggy]

DLC Might Be Released "Somewhere Down The Line"

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:00:00 MST

It's Friday, Gears of War 2 is out, and people are playing it. For those who are not playing it or not sick of the game for that matter, Cliff "DH" Bleszinski is talking Gears 2 in an interview with Irish radio station RedFM. For those who are not sick of him, give it a listen.

The designer talks about developer Epic's motion for making the game ("Why not?"), confirms that the sequel is longer and mentions that DLC might be released “somewhere possibly down the line." It's a pretty good interview, complete with Dude talking about hair semen and 15 year-old boys — tongue planted firmly in cheek. Um...yeah.

Listen Here [vicbarryvos.com via Vic Barry via VG247]

Epic Didn't Want A Gears of War 2 Beta "Popping" Its "Cherry"

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:40:04 MST

Gears of War 2 designer Cliff "D.H." Bleszinski is concerned about the sanctity of his latest gore-filled shoot 'em up. He doesn't want a bunch of dudes nailing his baby girl, turning his little lady into worn-out damaged goods as millions of Xbox 360 owners clumsily penetrate her, robbing Epic's latest of its virginity. Wait, what? Mr. B explains to GamePro exactly why he doesn't want you going near his girl with a raging beta-on.

"A beta is like hooking up with a girl just to say, 'yeah, I f*cked her,'" Cliff waxes. Furthering the Gears boning metaphor "Once you play a beta, you can check it off your list — you can say, 'yeah, I played it.' Then you might not feel motivated to get that initial cherry popping from the proper, final game."

That's an excellent point. One opportunity to "look at all that juice" wasted!

Cliff also explains why there is no Gears of War 2 demo on the horizon, pointing out "stuff takes [time] to put together." If stuff were put together "Gears of War 2 wouldn't be out until February of 2009." And then you'd have blue balls.

Cliff Bleszinski dishes on Gears and games [Gamepro]

Cliff Bleszinski Makes Presidential Endorsement... Vaguely

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:00:00 MST

Dude Huge, AKA Cliff Bleszinski, won't say who he's voting for, but does offer that he's registered to vote and "a fan of change."

Election Day is today. We don't know when Dude Huge day is.

Cliff Bleszinski Is A Fan of Change [1Up]

GameStop's Gears 2 Launch - Dude Huge Does LA

Mike Fahey — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:40:00 MST

If I were a GameStop employee right now I would be so very sick of midnight openings, unless of course I worked at the Universal CityWalk location in Los Angeles, where they'll be hosting the official “‘Gears of War 2’ Midnight Mayhem” event. Dude "Cliff Bleszinski" Huge himself will be heading up an all-star lineup of talent from the game, including John Di Maggio, the voice of Marcus Fenix and Futurama's Bender. They'll even have folks in the Nightmare Armor Studios Delta Squad costume patrolling the streets, handing out Gears of War merchandise!

Meanwhile, at the less important GameStops, they'll still have trivia challenges and tokens for exclusive in-game gold-plated Hammerburst weapons and Xbox LIVE themes. It's not Bender, but it's something I suppose. Call your local GameStop to find out if they're hosting midnight events, and reassure your wear game advisor that the season is almost over and they can rest soon.

GameStop to Host Gears of War 2 Launch Events Nationwide

GRAPEVINE, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—GameStop (NYSE: GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host midnight release events for the Xbox 360 exclusive “Gears of War 2” by Epic Games at 3,500 stores nationwide. Starting at 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2008, customers can visit their local GameStop and be among the first to get their hands on the new game at 12:01 a.m.

Fans will have the opportunity to compete in a variety of trivia challenges as well as have the chance to bring out their inner war hero during “Gears of War” tournaments. Customers who purchase “Gears of War 2” at the events will receive an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive in-game downloadable gold-plated Hammerburst for use in multiplayer gameplay and “Gears of War 2” Xbox LIVE Theme tokens, while supplies last. These tokens will not be available beyond the night of launch.

In addition, GameStop will host a marquee “‘Gears of War 2’ Midnight Mayhem” event in Los Angeles at its Universal CityWalk location with Xbox 360. The midnight extravaganza will feature special celebrity appearances and autograph signings by Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games, the creative force behind the game, and “Gears of War 2” voice actors John Di Maggio (Marcus Fenix), Lester Speight (Augustus Cole), Carlos Ferro (Dominic Santiago) and others. Additionally, fans will have the unique opportunity to hang with a real life “Delta Squad” – costumed characters from Nightmare Armor Studios will be patrolling the GameStop event handing out free “Gears of War” merchandise throughout the evening.

In “Gears of War 2,” players continue the story of Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero, as he leads Delta Squad on a series of perilous and adrenaline-pumping missions. “Gears of War 2” blends a best-in-class third-person shooter with unsurpassed high-definition visuals, all layered on top of an engaging story of survival, loss and retribution.

To participate, visit a GameStop store for details. To find a local store, log on to GameStop.com, and search using the ‘Store Locator.’ For more information about “Gears of War 2,” please visit www.gearsofwar.com.

Are You Making Twisted Metal for PS3 - Yes or No? David Jaffe Says...

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:00:00 MDT

David Jaffe says bad words. That's okay, he says them well. He's also good at typing them, too. Speaking to Nottingham's GameCity festival via video link from his San Diego abode, Jaffe ended up having to to communicate with the audience through instant messenger due to sound problems. When one typed question asked Jaffe "Are you developing Twisted Metal for PS3 David — YES OR NO", the Twisted Metal lightheartedly replied:

We haven't announced anything yet... now FUCK OFF.

What can we say, Jaffe's a Renaissance cusser.

Jaffe tells Nottingham to "f*** off" [Eurogamer]

The New Yorker: Dude Huge Looks Like Boyish Model Or Weed Dealer

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:00:00 MDT

The latest entry in our cosplay contest comes via The New Yorker. Dude Huge has dressed up in a Gears of War costume, only to march around the Epic offices, repeatedly screaming, "Eat shit and die." Sadly, since Huge forgot to hold up a Kotaku sign, his entry is disqualified — embarrassing, we know.

He can take consolation in his The New York profile, which gets florid with its DH description:

His current haircut is short and cowlicked, his bangs twirled up into a tiny moussed horn. He was wearing what in my high school would have been called “exchange-student jeans”—obviously expensive but slightly the wrong color and of a somehow non-American cut. Beneath a tight, fashionably out-of-style black nylon jacket was a T-shirt that read “TECHNOLOGY!” His sunglasses were of the oversized, county-sheriff variety, and each of his earlobes held a small, bright diamond earring. He could have been either a boyish Dolce & Gabbana model or a small-town weed dealer.

They're really batting fly balls here. Incisive blog Magical Wasteland has an incisive look at The New Yorker piece.

P.S. If anyone has that Dude Huge dress-up picture at 1000 pixels or larger, please send it our way. We'd totally appreciate it.

The Grammar of Fun [The New Yorker]

Dude Huge Wants Clive Owen Type

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:00:00 MDT

...For the Gears of War movie. Instead of the obvious muscle-bound "wrestler type" for character Marcus Phenix, Gears of War designer Dude Huge prefers muscle-bound thespian. "You know...like a Clive Owen type; somebody who can actually act and is incredibly charismatic," says Huge. "And they can put him on a workout plan for six months so he can build the muscle mass he needs." If that doesn't work, Hollywood can inject him with needles to make him grow muscles!

(Though, since when is Marcus Phenix charismatic?!)

Cliff Bleszinski Interview [IGN] [Pic]

Dude Huge Courts Casual Gamers With Gears of War 2

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:00:00 MDT

No doubt, one of this year's biggest releases is Gears of War 2. Microsoft and developer Epic clearly have expectations, things they'd like to achieve. But it's got to be more than simply making money and milking a nascent franchise. The game's designer, Dude Huge, offers this:

We want casual gamers to play the game and be sucked into the universe and finish the game... We want them to potentially finish with a friend and become a fan of the characters and the setting.

Bravo to Epic for expanding casual gaming from puzzle and music games to curb stomping and "Eat shit and die."

Videogame makers banking on big hits with sequels [Reuters] [Pic]

This Is What It Sounds Like When Dude Huge Cries

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:30:00 MDT

You know Dude Huge likes the Lancers. The blood, the gravelly voices, the destroyed beauty. But do you know what he likes to listen to? What he kicks his feet up to after a hard day's puppy eating/Larry Hryb chainsawing/developing? Let's find out! The Dude's Zune profile has his favourite songs listed, and amongst the picks are Welcome to the Jungle, Paint it Black and, yes, Prince's When Doves Cry. I love that song. I love everyone who loves that song. Don't make me chase you, Dude Huge. Even doves have pride.

Cliff At Epic [Zune, via X3F]

Dude Huge Weighs In On The PS3

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:00:00 MDT

There are things Dude Huge likes and things Dude Huge hates. Plastic guns for example, Dude Huge loves plastic guns. Just look at DH's face. Things he hates?

I hate the fucking controller. I’m sorry, I can’t stand the PS3 controller. I love the Blu-ray player... I think there are some great games for PS3. I think Metal Gear’s great. Heavenly Sword was great. But at the same time, right now, I’m always working on Xbox with Gears... I’m pretty comfortable with 360. I like its controller.

And it likes you too, Dude Huge.

Bleszinski on PS3 [VG247]

Gears Isn't A Game. It's A Platform. OK?

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:30:00 MDT

Know this, humans, Gears of War 2 won't be a short game. It'll be a long game. One you play for "months, if not years to come". So says Epic's Cliff Bleszinski, at any rate, who also says that because of the amount of time you'll spend with it - thanks to the longer campaign and multitude of multiplayer modes - it's no longer a "game". "It’s no longer a game: it’s a platform. Each mode is huge", he told VG247. And he should know! Dude Huge knows huge when he sees it.

Bleszinski: Gears of War “is no longer a game: it’s a platform” [VG247]

Gears 3? "Total Disco Town"

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:00:00 MDT

Gears of War 2 mastermind Dude Huge has confirmed that A). Gears of War 2 is 85 - 90 percent done B). "batshit insane" and C). has more colors. According to Dude Huge:

We kind of actively aimed for the de-saturated look, but its since become de riguer for this generation of games. I think that's why something like Mirror's Edge has become kind of like an oasis in the desert of E3 — 'Look! There's a red crate! I love you!' ...We actually have a little more color in Gears 2 — reds, oranges. Hopefully you've noticed. What I can tell you is that if there was a Gear 3 it'll be a total disco town: purples, pinks and greens everywhere!

"If" there was a Gears 3, oh please.

Gears 2 "85/90%" complete [CVG]