Kotaku: wolfenstein

Google Yanks Android Ports of Doom, Quake on ZeniMax Demand

Owen Good — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:00 MST

A takedown notice sent by ZeniMax led to the Android Store's removal of several ports of Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein; one of the developers admits that, though the port used open-source Doom code, some of the game files were proprietary.

ZeniMax, which of course now owns iD software, filed the DMCA complaint with Google. Developer L!TH!UM told the site Android and Me that Doom for Android, offered for free, was built with open source code but "My mistake was allowing the download of the Plutonia and TNT WADs, at least that is what I suspect."

"Although I may not be able to distribute the application through the Market, the APK can still be downloaded and installed through the web," the dev said.

Other ports pulled include: Ultimate Doom; Quake Platinum; Doom II; Wolf 3D: Spear of Destiny (two versions); Wolfenstein 3D; Quake GL; Wolfenstein 3D Lite (Beta 2) and Doom Soundboard.

iD Software frags Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein ports for Android [Android and Me via Game Politics]

Seeking A Game That Can Trick Me

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:26 MST

This is the third in a series of posts labeled "Hindsight" that discuss games you may have thought we were done writing about. Last time: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This time: Wolfenstein.

I make it hard for video games to be unpredictable.

Not that I make games. I play them. And by playing them, I try to examine them and test their resilience, as if tapping their fender and poking the tires, slamming the doors a few times to make sure they don't stick and assessing that, okay this thing is sturdy, before I've ever driven it.

I am, while doing this, hoping for a surprise.

I want to know everything about a game before I play it but also be caught off guard by it as it unfolds, and I don't want anyone calling that a paradox.

I want to know the scale of the thing and its scope. I check menu screens and Trophy lists to determine how many levels the game has. I start a game, just barely, and I check what percentage the game says I've completed, to determine how much more I've got. I check level lists. All in-game, of course. Consulting outside sources would be cheating. Through these means I determine that New Super Mario Bros. Wii has at least eight worlds and that Assassin's Creed II employs a rarely-seen level-counting trick.

This is, I believe, the psychology of the experienced gamer: he or she who can size up a game before having started it. It is, I propose, part of the act of playing a game. You will agree if you recognize playing a game as playing with the systems a game developer has created, and if you consider a key part of playing with systems the act of understanding them, testing them, looking for shortcuts or exploitable faults.

But that's not entirely fair, because it may be out of bounds. Few would deny that prodding at a gameplay system is the good sport. It is the act of getting better at playing a game and exposing faulty, porous game design. But prodding the level-numbering system of a game may be nothing more than an elaborate way of turning to the last page of a book, if not to read how it ends, but at least to size up the novel by measuring it, crudely, by a count of its pieces of paper.

This is a reflex that might best be turned off, because there is little gained but disappointment to know just when a game will end or how many hidden items it has tucked away in its corners. Therefore, you must understand how I can desire to know the whole thing and yet still hope to be surprised.

I can't turn this instinct off. But, like a good advocacy group, I can lay the blame for this part of my behavior on video games.

It was the draws-itself-as-you-go map of Super Metroid that teased to me the idea that a game knows how big it is before it will tell you. And it was the inventory screens of the Nintendo 64 Zeldas that taunted with a framework that showed me how much menu space there was to contain all that I could discover in the game, inviting me to guess at the items that would fill it and forcing me to recognize when I had reached a quarter, then halfway, then sadly, near-completion (already?) of a wonderful adventure. If only, I began to hope, I was being tricked and a new, empty menu would appear at the last minute, to reveal that this game still offered more.

(Main item screen of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, as seen at the beginning of the game)

(Main item screen of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, further into the game. PIC)

So we're at Wolfenstein, a first-person-shooter from August for which I had negligible expectations, a game I was certainly not studying in advance to know its scale and its scope nor one that I expected to, finally, thankfully, surprise me.

I played the game because it was out in slow August. I played it because a first-person-shooter with super-powers feels worth trying though, for me, seldom worth finishing. I tried it because it was being made by major studios, Raven and id, but oddly being disowned by the latter party and maybe neglected by its publisher. Such is the drama that makes a game more interesting.

I played it and enjoyed it and dared to tell people that I preferred its campaign to that of Killzone 2 and F.E.A.R. 2 and the rest of the 2009 first-person-shooters I had played by then, leaving a caveat for Modern Warfare 2, though I'm not sure I needed to.

And if I had to explain why I liked it so much — me not being someone with an endless need to virtually kill supernatural Nazis and me having no affinity for earlier Wolfenstein games because I never played them — I'd have to say it's because I had tried, early, to size this game up, and better than anything else I played this year, it tricked me and surprised me.

I praise Wolfenstein because it fooled me.

The game isn't simply a first-person shooter. It is a shooter linked with a hubworld, an oddly unusual design for a game in the genre. It's built less like a Call of Duty — broken into levels you play in order — and more like Super Mario 64, with the Nazi-controlled city of Isenstadt taking the place of Princess Peach's castle. Doorways in that city to new shooter levels substitute for the paintings in Peach's castle through which Mario could leap to enter his platform-jumping levels. In Peach's castle and in Isenstadt you have some choice as to which level you'd explore next and you could have some fun just exploring the hub geography that connects them.

You'd think this would be a game structure a veteran gamer could accurately size up. It would feel all the more knowable if you saw in Wolfenstein's mini-map the implementation of a poor-man's Grand Theft Auto. Little icons appear on the lines denoting Isenstadt's streets and alleys, identifying locations where new major missions might be assigned or begun. As side goals emerge as well, the GTA scheme seems apparent: There will be essential main things to do and unessential though possibly fun tributaries to explore.

That's what I thought. That's why I was wrong.

There is something games could do but seldom do, and that is confound a gamer's level-size expectations. I played a few missions in Wolfenstein and assumed I had the measure of them, that I recognized the number of minutes and Nazis involved in each. Then I reached a level set at a farm, which I guessed to be an average-sized level and which, as it was unfolding, appeared to consist of a battle near a barn, a fight down a road, and a one-man breach of a farmhouse that would culminate in a stated goal to reach a basement. I even had to shoot a rushing horde of enemies from a second story window, which is often the sign that a level has reached its climax. But in that basement of destiny, which I fought hard to reach, was an elevator. And down that elevator was a vast military complex and the level's second half. I was radically off in my sense of how big this level would be. I'd been fooled and was happy for it.

(Concept art for Wolfenstein. PIC)

As I played more of Wolfenstein I realized that the game offered few clues with which I could guess the scale of its levels. I might as well have been predicting earthquake magnitudes. Some of my missions might have been side missions, others main, but I couldn't distinguish even when they were about to begin.

Down one street of Isenstadt I found a door to a building. Entering it started a new level, called the Officer's House. Having fought through that massive farm, gone through some other large levels set in a hospital and an archeological dig site, I guessed (wrong again!) that this level would be big. You play a level in a game based on an "officer's house" and you just assume you're going to be fighting through, maybe, a 25-room house? Or taking the battle out of the house across rooftops? Or up in a blimp? Or into the sewers? Anything to make it bigger than the terrain you'd cover just fighting in one officer's house. Except that's all it was. Just a short level. A short shooting mission in this guy's house. Just a couple of stories tall, nothing big, nothing that lasted too long. I was fooled again.

I don't think the Wolfenstein development team could have gotten away with sizing their levels so differently from each other had their game been structured like a Call of Duty or a GoldenEye or many of the other major first-person shooters. It'd seem like one level designer was lazier than the other or something.

But this game, dare I uncork some over-praise, could do this because its hub-city structure allowed it to unfold with the pace of a life.

When I wake up on a November day in my apartment I don't know where and when the major missions of my day will begin. The subway steps of Brooklyn may lead me to a brief trip to work or an odyssey involving crazy beggars, mechanical difficulties, and a painful stumble on the stairs. The door to the bank could lead to a quick withdrawal or a sudden inward-turning mental scramble to calculate credits and debits. Even that trip to bed and the drift to sleep might lead to a level of unknown size and scale, maybe a brisk dream or a restless night.

These are the rhythms and surprises of our days that games, no matter how realistic they supposedly have become, so rarely recreate.

Wolfenstein could well be a game whose parts are not as good as its whole. I can't tell. I can't see those parts as separate from the delight I took in being tricked by them. I've become confident that I can see a game from across the horizon and know what it'll be when it gallops to me, that I'll at least know how tall it stands. But not this time. And I was happy for it.

Maybe, after all, this is a valid way to play a game on top of the other ways you're playing it. Maybe it is part of the game to poke around the game to see how big it is and to think you've got it figured out before it has even begun.

That is all legitimate, if the designers play back. That is all fair if the designers recognize that innate zeal among gamers to know, understand and master — and if the designers assert that just when we think we have it all figured out, they have something new to throw us off.

I'd rather not be able to know a game in advance, despite my best reflexes to try. I yearn to be tricked.

The PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00 MST

With at least one potential game of the year exclusively nesting on the Playstation 3 and a price drop under its belt, the PS3 has had a pretty darn good year.

My favorite among the games listed is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which probably isn't surprising. What is yours? Anything we didn't review that you would suggest?

Remember, the games listed aren't all recommendations. Instead we're providing this as a quick reference guide to help you decide if a game is a good gift or not.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person hip-hop shooter
Subject Matter: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand tells the unintentionally(?) amusing tale of rapper 50 Cent as he struggles to reclaim his diamond encrusted skull from a Middle Eastern bad guy. He's assisted by his G Unit hangers on and some laughably outlandish moments.
Value: An adequately long adventure, made seemingly longer by endlessly looping 50 Cent songs. There are much better games to give this holiday season.
Buy it for: someone as a gag. Or a die hard 50 Cent fan fresh from a six month coma.
Read the Full Review

Assassin's Creed II

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Free-running platforming adventure game
Subject Matter: Assassinations and conspiracy spent mostly in 15th century Renaissance Italy.
Value: Lots more content than the first game had, probably lasting gamers at least double the time they spent with the first Assassin's Creed.
Buy it for: People who were let down by the first game, people who like history, beautiful scenery, dynamic platforming, solving mysteries and games that might be the Game of the Year.
Read the Full Review

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Price:$59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure
Subject Matter: Join one of comic books' most iconic heroes on an adventure in Gotham City's insane asylum, where The Joker is on the loose.
Value: With character ability customization, bonus challenge maps and tons of riddles courtesy of The Riddler, Arkham Asylum offers at least three playthroughs' worth of fun.
Buy it for: Batman fans and anybody jonesing for a Mark Hamill voice over fix.
Read the full review

The Beatles: Rock Band
Price: The stand-alone game sells for $59.99, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle sell for $249.99, the Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar sells for $99.99.
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm music game
Subject Matter: The Beatles: Rock Band is a musical journey through the history of one of the world's most popular bands.
Value: For those new to the Rock Band phenomenon and fans of The Beatles, this 45-track game is well worth a purchase because this is the only way you'll play The Beatles music in a Rock Band game. If you're not into the band, give this a pass.
Buy it for: huge Beatles fans.
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Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on PlayStation Network or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend

Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Price: $59.99 to $149.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person military shooter
Subject Matter: Lead a team of elite commandoes in Modern Warfare 2 as they try to prevent a Russian invasion and global thermonuclear war. Then take the action online, going head to head against other well-armed gamers. It's loud, violent and a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Value: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's single-player storyline may be short, but the package more than makes up for it with ample cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Near endless replayability will be stoked with future downloadable content.
Buy it for: the Michael Bay action movie fan who likes his shooters bombastic and nearly devoid of a comprehensible story, one who doesn't shy away from ultra-violent fare.
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Critter Crunch

Price: $6.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Puzzle
Subject Matter: A puzzle game with bug eating, cute critters and sorta cut, sorta gross tecnicolor yarn.
Value: The good puzzle game mechanic is strong and addictive — add to that beautiful graphics, a lengthy adventure mode and super fun multiplayer and you have a good time. With barf.
Buy it for: Gamers with a strong like of puzzle titles and no fear of cute puke.
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Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a Civil War era first-person shooter.
Value: With an engaging story, wide open maps and plenty of mulitplayer options, this game will take up quite a bit of your time.
Buy it for: First-person shooter enthusiasts, fans of the Wild West and Civil War buffs.
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DJ Hero
Price: $119.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: DJ Hero is a rhythm game featuring a replica DJ turntable so players can mix and scratch to the beat of original music mash-ups.
Value: DJ Hero features upwards fo 100 different DJ-driven mash-ups featuring songs from the 70's on up to present-day hits. Unlike the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band games, however, it's only good for one or two players, so the party element just isn't there. The innovative turntable-based gameplay makes it a breath of fresh air in the currently band-centric music genre, but it certainly isn't as social.
Buy it for: Fans of eclectic music mixes and lonely Guitar Hero fans.
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Dragon Age: Origins
Price: $49.99
Rating:Mature
Genre: Roleplaying
Subject Matter: An epic action roleplaying game set in a world besieged by evil inside and out.
Value: Dragon Age: Origins packs more than 100 hours of gameplay into this action RPG, with branching story paths that encourage multiple play throughs in order to experience it all. BioWare designed the game so it can be played by RPG gamers of any skill level, but mature content and strong sexual situations mean you might want to keep it in the high teens.
Buy it for: Anyone who has ever conversationally mentioned hit points.
Read the Full Review

EyePet

Price: £20 game only, £35 with PlayStation Eye (game currently only available in PAL territories)
Rating: E
Genre: Virtual Pet Management
Subject Matter: Using the PlayStation Eye, "directly" interact with a digital pet on your TV screen.
Value: Smaller kids won't mind the game lacks any real direction, they'll be happy to play it every few days just to check on their pet.
Buy it for: Kids who think Tamagotchi is so 20th century.
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Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 expansion involving missions with a high-powered fighting force.
Value: High because it extends the level cap to Fallout 3, changes the game's ending and allows the adventure to be played infinitely once the story has "ended"
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans who want to play more; essential for anyone getting any Fallout 3 downloadable content
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Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta

Price: $10.00 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Still a post-apocalyptic RPG
Subject Matter: It's Fallout 3 in space!
Value: Mothership Zeta gives the Fallout 3 player an entire spaceship to explore and make their own, some futuristic new weapons, and tacks a good five hours onto the regular campaign, making it a relatively fair value for your money.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
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Fallout 3: Point Lookout

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 in microcosm, set on a spooky island.
Value: Tons of content, and widely seen as the Fallout 3 downloadable content that best shares the strengths of the base game.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
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Fat Princess

Price: $14.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: Capture the flag? No, capture the princess. And feed her cake, so she's fat and hard for enemies to cart her off.
Value: Single player weakness aside, the main draw here is multiplayer. That, and cake. Cake's always a draw. Always.
Buy it for: Gamers with a sweet tooth for multiplayer.
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FIFA Soccer 2010

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Round-Ball Football
Subject Matter: The best football game on the market.
Value: Almost endless. There are so many leagues and cups, and such a deep singleplayer experience, that it can be played to death until FIFA 11 is released. And that's before we even get to the 10v10 multiplayer…
Buy it for: Anyone who has even a passing interest in the world game.
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Fight Night Round 4

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Boxing
Subject Matter: Boxing
Value: Tons of fighters, good online options and no real competition.
Buy it for: Boxing fans or people looking for a fighting-based game that has longer-lasting fights.
Read the Full Review

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Price: $49.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A arcade-style shooter loosely based on the live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Value: G.I. Joe is a movie tie-in strangely reminiscent of Konami's Contra series. One or two players take control of their favorite Joes from the movie and take on Cobra across multiple levels of run-and-gun action. There are a few unlockables catering to fans of the old cartoon series, but other than that this is strictly a movie-lover's affair.
Buy it for: Really, really big fans of the G.I. Joe live-action movie.
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Guitar Hero 5

Price: $59.99 for the game, $99.99 with a guitar controller included
Rating: Teen
Genre: Music/Rythym
Subject Matter: It's Guitar Hero. You play a quintet of color-coordinated "notes" as they scroll downscreen to a new selection of music.
Value: Guitar Hero 5 offers a great suite of single and multiplayer modes, the most robust options yet for the series. What it doesn't offer is the series' most attractive soundtrack, despite an 85 song strong line up. Good for the new Guitar Hero gamer, but that money may be better spent on downloadable songs.
Buy it for: for Guitar Hero noobs who have extremely eclectic taste in music.
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inFamous

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Open-world action game
Subject Matter:Gritty adventures of an electricity-based super-hero from the makers of the Sly Cooper series.
Value:Designed to be played through twice to explore two distinct moral paths.
Buy it for: Super-hero fans and folks who like Grand-Theft-Auto style open-world games.
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Katamari Forever

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Planet-building action
Subject Matter: Katamari Forever offers a greatest hits style package of the Katamari Damacy series' more memorable levels. Players will roll the titular sticky katamari over objects, building bigger and bigger piles of stuff to replace the universe's missing stars and planets and ultimately please the King of All Cosmos.
Value: At $49.99, Katamari Forever is the most expensive entry yet, a high price for a game that's largely rehashed content. But the content is vast and offers plenty to play. Sadly, there's no online component to help extend the experience.
Buy it for: the fan of quirky games who somehow missed every other Katamari Damacy game or the kid that longs to make snowballs in the summer time.
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Killzone 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Single-person shooter
Subject Matter: Killzone 2 takes the fight to the Helghast, with an invading force landing on Helghan.
Value: Even though this game landed back in February, you would be remiss if you forgot to check it out. Next to Uncharted 2, this is one of the top games for the Playstation 3. The chunky single-player experience backed by 32-player multiplayer matches makes this a very good deal as well.
Buy it for: Anyone with a Playstation 3 who some how missed this title when it first hit.
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The King of Fighters XII

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: SNK Playmore's latest entry in its King of Fighter series is a return to its roots with 2D fighting and hand-drawn graphics.
Value: The game feels largely unfinished — though, the parts which are done should please the hardcore fans.
Buy it for: Die-hard SNK fighting game fans.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: Tons of Marvel heroes take on tons of Marvel villains
Value: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 may not quite live up to the thrill of the original, but it is a more cohesive package overall, with a storyline ripped from Marvel's Civil War storyline and a good dozen hours of heroic fun for 1-4 players.
Read the Full Review

Marvel VS. Capcom 2

Price: $15.00
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: Marvel characters. Capcom characters. Fighting.
Value: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 contains one of the largest roster in fighting game history, with 56 Marvel and Capcom characters to choose from. The sheer amount of variety plus online multiplayer makes this one downloadable title well worth the price.
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Mini Ninjas

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Juvenile Bush Disguise/Phantom Removal
Subject Matter: Play as one of a band of adorable child ninjas on a quest to kill a bad guy and free the adorable little forest animals.
Value: A somewhat short singleplayer game, but the ability to play as one of several ninjas means there's plenty of replay value.
Buy it for: Anyone. Everyone. Kids will love the straight-forward combat, adults will find there's a great stealth and combat system lurking under the hood.
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Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
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Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo Faceplate

Price: $14.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This faceplate snaps onto your Playstation 3 controller.
Value: For $15 it's not bad, but not a great deal. Consider it a cheaper alternative to buying a new controller.
Buy it for: HUGE fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Wireless Headset

Price: $39.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless headset gives weak lip-service to Modern Warfare 2.
Value: The painful design and static-filled connection makes this a bad deal.
Buy it for: Someone you hate.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
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NBA Live 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10

Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.

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Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Realistic military first-person shooter
Subject Matter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a relatively open-world tactical shooter that has players trying to take the fictional island of Skira from China.
Value: Plagued with problems this shooter doesn't deliver much for the premium price you pay.
Buy it for: hardcore fans of realistic shooters that offer no chance for mistakes or do-overs.
Read the Full Review

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

Price: $59.99
Rating: E
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: Football title encompassing international and club tournaments, manager modes and online play.
Value: Pro Evo's "Master League", a time-devouring game mode incorporating RPG and strategy elements, is the one area fans remain devoted to this series ahead of its rival, EA Sports' FIFA.
Buy it for: Football fans who like to not only play a good game, but also roll up their sleeves and get lost in a sea of statistics and growth charts.
Read the Full Review

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Price: $59.99
Rating: E10+
Genre: Third-person shooter (Ratchet sections); Third-person time-manipulation puzzle-platformer (Clank sections).
Subject Matter: The third PS3 Ratchet is still an action game, but has a stronger than normal narrative, as Ratchet discovers he's not the last of his species, while Clank discovers his origins.
Value: A bombastic single-player campaign full of spectacular cartoon visuals is designed to be replayed, with new content and missions available only after the first play-through is complete.
Buy it for: Jaded Ratchet fans who were waiting for the series to feel special again; fans of cartoon visuals who don't mind their entertainment feeling like a fun all-ages sci-fi adventure.
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Resident Evil 5

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Survival Horror meets third-person shooter
Subject Matter: The latest iteration in the famed survival horror game ditches a bit of the slow pacing and fear for a bit more of an action feel.
Value: A worthy addition to anyone's library, but perhaps not the sort of game you'll keep around after it's completed.
Buy it for: fans of Resident Evil and those interested in the premise of the franchise but not in the steady pacing of the gameplay.
Read the Full Review

Street Fighter IV

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: The next iteration in the storied and fabulous fighter brings with it a dynamic new look and a death grip on classic mechanics.
Value: Packed with playable characters both old and new and a mechanic that is timeless, the online play and in-room versus mode make this a great deal..
Buy it for: fighting fans, Street Fighter fans.
Read the Full Review

Tekken 6
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: Once you've mastered the moves of your favorite character, Tekken 6's 3D fights are all about timing and tactics.
Value: With 40 playable characters and a seemingly endless single-player campaign, Tekken 6 is a good deal for fans of the franchise willing to put up with some online issues.
Buy it for: fighting fans, Tekken fans, and maybe as a taste of something different for Street Fighter IV fans.
Read the Full Review

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action adventure third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: A well-crafted story and pithy dialogue is backed by solid third-person shooter action, stunning Himalayan backdrops and a smattering of puzzles to solve and things to climb.
Value: The story-driven campaign will only take up about eight hours of your time, but the plentiful and creative mulitplayer modes are sure to be a lasting time drain.
Buy it for: anyone with a Playstation 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is destined to be one of the best games of the year.
Read the Full Review

WET
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person acrobatic shooter.
Subject Matter: Rubi Malone is a leather-pants wearing, wall-running, pole-spinning death machine. She can shoot two shotguns while flipping through the air, slide under tables to hamstring and gut with her sword, and regains health by swigging liquor.
Value: The single-player only game has a sizable campaign, fantastic music and troubled controls and camera work. It's sort of a mixed bag.
Buy it for: fans of Kill Bill and fast-paced action noire games.
Read the Full Review

Wolfenstein

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: World War II First-Person Shooter with Occult Tendencies
Value: While Wolfenstein is an excellent first-person shooter from a technical standpoint, the story is a bit far-fetched and the multiplayer is disappointing, especially in the face of games like Modern Warfare 2.
Buy it for: First-person shooter fans looking for a little something different.
Read the Full Review

WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010
Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Pro wrestling
Subject Matter: WWE wrestling, with deep customization options allowing players to create and share their own characters, moves and — the big new addition — storylines.
Value: High value for those who will take advantage of the online play and content creation/sharing.
Buy it for: WWE fans, even those who don't like current WWE programming, since those disgruntled fans can create the WWE of their own liking using the game's deep editors.
Read the Full Review

The Xbox 360 Buyer's Guide

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

New Halo, new downloadables for Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Grand Theft Auto, new Forza. It was a pretty good year for Xbox 360 owners.

Pick through the list to decide which games to give and get and leave a comment to point out any you would add that we didn't review.

And don't forget, this is more reference material than it is suggestion. Just because it's on the list doesn't mean we're saying you should get it.

Axel & Pixel
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Adventure
Subject Matter: A point and click adventure game about a man and his dog escaping a dream world with small doses of action.
Value: Axel & Pixel is a good couple of hours worth of relaxing adventure gaming, with a few action / racing segments tossed in to keep things interesting. It's very simply, extremely easy, and once you are done there isn't much reason to go back through it.
Buy it for: Adventure game fans and older parents, to show them that consoles have something for them too.
Read the Full Review

Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on Xbox Live or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend
Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Fairytale Fights

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A quartet of cutesy fairytale characters set out to regain their fame by beating the beejesus out of other cutesy things.
Value: With two-player cooperative play and a four player battle royal mode, you can really let out you violent side in buckets of cartoony blood.
Buy it for: People who need a healthy way to blow off steam after a bad day at work. Just don't be standing next to them if the game happens to crash and they need an immediate alternative.
Read the Full Review

Forza Motorsport 3

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Driving simulation
Subject Matter: Forza Motorsport 3 takes the driving simulation in a new direction, making it easier than ever to get into a car, upgrade it, tune it and take if for a spin. For more advance driving game fans, there's plenty of hardcore driving simulation to enjoy as well.
Value: Hundreds of cars, dozens of tracks, thousands of upgrade possibilities and an increasing amount of user-generated content available via the game's storefront, all purchased with in-game credits, not real money, make Forza Motorsport 3 a great driving value.
Buy it for: the Xbox 360 owner who likes to go fast.
Read the Full Review

Gears of War 2: Dark Corners

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points (about $15)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person tactical shooter
Subject Matter: This downloadable add-on for Gears of War 2 lets players run through The Road to Ruin, a campaign level original cut from the game.
Value: With a new single-player level, seven new multiplayer maps and director's commentary, you can't go wrong for $15.
Buy it for: Owners and fans of the original Gears of War 2.
Read the Full Review

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Price: $20 if downloaded through Xbox Live Arcade (requires a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV) or $39.95 if purchased as one half of the Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes From Liberty City disc (GTA IV not required; Episodes disc also includes the similarly-sized first GTA IV expansion, Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned.)
Rating: M
Genre: Open world, third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: Over-the-top modern crime drama set in a fictional New York City.
Value: Offers more content per dollar than just about anything else downloadable on the Xbox 360, a 13-hour-plus campaign, numerous side activities and returning multiplayer challenges similar to what was offered with GTA IV.
Buy it for: People who thought GTA IV was too tame and wished their lead character would be asked to parachute off skyscrapers, steal subway cars (with a helicopter), dance in a nightclub and cross paths with the last two protagonists in the GTA IV saga.
Read the Full Review

Halo 3: ODST

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Daytime sci-fi military action interspersed with noir-inspired nighttime sleuthing.
Value: Varies depending on one's Halo experience. A seven-hour campaign and the offline Firefight mode can be played with up to four players and is all-new, but only three of the game's 24 multiplayer maps haven't been sold — and possibly purchased by the prospective ODST consumer — before.
Buy it for: Halo fans who either never bought Halo 3's bonus maps or wouldn't spend $60 of their own for ODST because they did.
Read the Full Review

Left 4 Dead 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person horror shooter
Subject Matter: Four Survivors fight their way through a gory zombie apocalypse in the Southeastern United States, decapitating, dismembering and generally destroying every walking dead human in their path. Cooperative multiplayer is at the core of the Left 4 Dead 2 experience.
Value: Left 4 Dead 2 is a multiplayer game with a massive amount of replayability, but requires cooperative gameplay and reliable friends to fully enjoy. There's very little here for the lone, single-player gamer, so make sure that Live subscription is all paid up.
Buy it for: the grown-up Xbox Live Gold subscriber who believes there's no "I" in team and may be disappointed with the body count in Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3 ODST.
Read the Full Review

Lucidity

Price: 800 Points
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platform/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Little girl Sofi wanders through her dreams, looking for her lost Nana.
Value: While the puzzle gameplay element is average, the art style is superb.
Buy it for: Tim Burton fans.
Read the Full Review

Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator

Price: $29.99
Rating: NA
Genre: NA
Subject Matter: This throat communicator is meant to replace the need for a standard Xbox 360 microphone.
Value: The throat communicator does a great job of cutting down on room noise for your friends and feels pretty comfortable. If those things are important to you, you should pick this up.
Buy it for: Modern Warfare 2 enthusiasts, online gamers and friends who play in noisy settings.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
Read the Full Review

Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station

Price: $5 (requires a copy of Mass Effect)
Rating: M
Genre: Bonus missions for third-person shooter/role-playing game
Subject Matter: Mass Effect gets a battle simulator to allow goal-based shooting challenges.
Value: High for those looking for something new in the original Mass Effect while awaiting the January sequel; low for people looking for what made the first game popular.
Buy it for: Mass Effect completists, though you'll only be able to buy them download points for this game or give them a small check.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wired controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10
Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.
Read the Full Review

South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!

Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Rating: Mature
Genre: Tower Defense
Subject Matter: South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! has the South Park kids big towers to fend off enemies that range from gnomes to old people in an 11 mission campaign.
Buy it for: Fans of South Park, fans of tower defense games, and fans of both.
Value: The game features unlockable characters and challenging maps (especially the later levels), co-op and online. There are also unlockable clips from the show.
Read the Full Review

Trials HD

Price: 1200 Points
Rating: Teen
Genre: Racing/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Trials HD is a twist on motorbike racing: Players must navigate trick courses and tricky in-game physics as fast as they can.
Value: The game features over 50 tracks and seemingly simple, yet deep game play — offering replay value as your skills continue to get better and better. A level editor lets players make their own courses. It's the Excite Bike of the 21st Century.
Buy it for: Those who want more from their racing games than speed.
Read the Full Review

The PC Buyer's Guide

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:00 MST

Poor PC gaming.

There was a new operating system roll-out and it was completely ignored. The biggest launch in entertainment history included a game on the PC that played like a console title.

But that doesn't mean there weren't games worth picking up for your computer. Here's a run down of a few of those that we reviewed. Which would you suggest?

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Price: $29.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a Civil War era first-person shooter.
Value: With an engaging story, wide open maps and plenty of mulitplayer options, this game will take up quite a bit of your time.
Buy it for: First-person shooter enthusiasts, fans of the Wild West and Civil War buffs.
Read the Full Review

Dawn of War II

Price: $40
Rating: T
Genre: The Waging Of Endless War
Subject Matter: Control a handful of Space Marines against the worst the Orcs and Tyranids can throw against you, your men and the Immortal Emperor.
Value: Fairly lengthy singleplayer campaign is bolstered significantly by a handy, and more traditional multiplayer component.
Buy it for: Warhammer fans who wanted Dawn of War to be more intimate, and anyone who likes a bit of RPG in their RTS.
Read the Full Review

Dragon Age: Origins
Price: $39.99
Rating:Mature
Genre: Roleplaying
Subject Matter: An epic action roleplaying game set in a world besieged by evil inside and out.
Value: Dragon Age: Origins packs more than 100 hours of gameplay into this action RPG, with branching story paths that encourage multiple play throughs in order to experience it all. BioWare designed the game so it can be played by RPG gamers of any skill level, but mature content and strong sexual situations mean you might want to keep it in the high teens.
Buy it for: Anyone who has ever conversationally mentioned hit points.
Read the Full Review

Empire: Total War

Price: $40
Rating: T
Genre: 18th-Century Musket Drill
Subject Matter: Take control of a European, American or Indian power of the 18th century and control every aspect of their military machine across both a strategic campaign map and tactical RTS battles.
Value: Even a single campaign play-through will take weeks. And there are dozens of available factions across three continents. It'll last for years.
Buy it for: Anyone who loves strategy, history or the smell of grapeshot in the morning.
Read the Full Review

League of Legends
Price: Free to $30
Rating: Teen
Genre: Real-time strategy
Subject Matter: Once a spin-off of famously fun Warcraft III, League of Legends is a simplified, highly-addictive strategy game of warriors, magic and monsters.
Value: The free-to-play game only charges if you want to pay for upgrades or to lock in your favorite characters. A fantastic deal for what you get.
Buy it for: people who enjoy strategy gaming and fans of games like Warcraft III.
Read the Full Review

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Realistic military first-person shooter
Subject Matter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a relatively open-world tactical shooter that has players trying to take the fictional island of Skira from China.
Value: Plagued with problems this shooter doesn't deliver much for the premium price you pay.
Buy it for: hardcore fans of realistic shooters that offer no chance for mistakes or do-overs.
Read the Full Review

Torchlight

Price: $19.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: One of the most blatant Diablo clones ever created.
Value: Torchlight is one of the most blatant Diablo clones ever created, but it's also one of the most capable. There's a main quest with a good 10 hours of gameplay, with multiple side quests, random dungeons, and three different character classes, so the replay value is through the roof. For the price, Torchlight's value is downright amazing.
Buy it for: Diablo fans waiting for Blizzard to get the next installment out
Read the Full Review

Wolfenstein

Price: $49.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: World War II First-Person Shooter with Occult Tendencies
Value: While Wolfenstein is an excellent first-person shooter from a technical standpoint, the story is a bit far-fetched and the multiplayer is disappointing, especially in the face of games like Modern Warfare 2.
Buy it for: First-person shooter fans looking for a little something different.
Read the Full Review

Zuma's Revenge
Price: $19.95
Rating: E
Genre: Puzzle
Subject Matter: A color-matching, marble-shooting game for people with fast mouse reflexes.
Value: A massive amount of content compared to the original Zuma; the first playthrough of the game's main campaign levels alone lasts more than six hours.
Buy it for: Moms who need a new obsession for their PC; hardcore gamers who want an addictive diversion they wouldn't admit has hooked them.
Read the Full Review

Wolfenstein PC Patch Fixes In-Game Breaking, Lets Players Finish Game

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:40:17 MDT

The PC version of id and Raven Software's Wolfenstein has graduated to version 1.11, fixing a small batch of errors that have plagued the Windows release and prevented some gamers from finishing the game at all.

The game notably addresses the "gamex86.dll" error that may have shut your game down for good. The positive news is that you should be able to pick up your progress from a previous save. The bad news is you may have to patch twice. For a full list of changes and places from which to download, hit up Wolfenstein.com.

New Wolfenstein PC Patch 1.11 now available to download [Official Site]

Wolfenstein PC Demo Now Available

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:40:35 MDT

Are you one of the millions of gamers who didn't play Wolfenstein when it hit the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? Perhaps you'd like to try the PC version on for size?

Of course, you can also contribute to the game's underperformance by downloading the Wolfenstein PC demo, yours for the sampling. It's available wherever fine Windows-based demos are offered, places like FileShack and FilePlanet. Or, simply grab the Steam release, which is now available for download.

Swastika Gets Wolfenstein Pulled from German Shelves

Owen Good — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:40:00 MDT

Nazi imagery is a big nein-nein in Germany, and the localized version of Wolfenstein was supposed to have removed all of it. A small swastika slipped through, and Activision is said to be recalling the game from shelves there.

The news, sourced back to 4players.de (translation) attributes a statement to Activision saying that "although it is not a conspicuous element in the normal game ... we have decided to take this game immediately from the German market."

Whether that means the content isn't in the game but is on the PC version for modders to exploit, or if it's a swastika as part of a background somewhere, who knows.

Planet Wolfenstein notes that the Wolfenstein teams from Endrant and Raven already have been laid off, putting a revised localization into doubt. Update: Raven's workforce reductions were across the board, not specifically targeting the Wolfenstein team.

Update: Via twitter, Kotaku reader Spunior pointed me back to one of the sites also linking to 4player.de. Schnitterbericht has a ton of screenshots showing differences in the U.S. and German versions of Wolfenstein. The final one (scroll alllllll the way down) shows a faint swastika at the bottom of a poster. If that really triggered a voluntary recall, Mein Gott in himmel!

We've emailed Activision for comment. Should any be provided, it'll be updated here.

Sell Stop in Germany [4players.de, via Blue's News]

Looks Like You Won't Be Getting A Refund On That Copy Of Wolfenstein

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:20:51 MDT

Prior to the release of Wolfenstein, Raven Software designer Manveer Heir promised a full refund to anyone who bought the game if it outsold this year's Madden. It did not. It didn't come close, actually, according to NPD Group estimates.

According to a report from GameSpot, the Activision game sold just 106,000 copies across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Madden sold 1.9 million. Sure, combined Wolfenstein looks like it may have outsold the Wii version of this year's Madden, but I don't think that counts.

Not terribly good news for Activision, id or Raven, but news that helps shed a bit more light on those recent layoffs at the developer.

Here's to hoping that Singularity, Raven Software's other first-person shooter, fares better with its new release date.

Wolfenstein sells 106K on PC, PS3, and 360 combined [Gamespot]

Bang Bang, Is Creativity Dead?

Leigh Alexander — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:00:16 MDT

When future generations of gamers look back on this period of growth and advancement in our medium, will they be able to tell one military shooter, space adventure or dungeon crawler from another? Probably not.

Are video games creatively narrow, or rich? Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski calls this "the most loaded question I've been asked in five years."

Amid much discussion on whether games will one day be perceived as relevant art, one thing's clear –it's on today's leading creators to break the cycle of sameness. What do games need to truly diversify?

If many of us gamers had our way, we'd play games and little else. For others, as much as we prize our favorite pastime, we've often lamented the same-ness of the experiences on offer – often, the biggest blockbusters are derivative of one another, cycling us through near-indistinguishable experiences again and again.

Industry veteran and Zoonami CEO Martin Hollis, most recently creator of quirky Wii Ware title Bonsai Barber, agrees that the thematic range of games isn't very broad. "Pauline Kael famously criticized films as being only about violence and romance: ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang'," he says of the great film critic. "Games are virtually all about violence, or at least conquest and dominance. So we can say games are all ‘Bang Bang, Bang Bang.'"

Raven Software's Manveer Heir has firsthand experience with the "Bang Bang, Bang Bang" – and agrees with the general idea that a lack of creative range is constricting games.

"There are some outliers, but we continuously make the same games about the same things," says Heir, who worked on this summer's Wolfenstein sequel. "The only things that change are our mechanics. We regularly have white male generic space marine characters as protagonists. Our NPCs are often cookie cutter and stereotypical. We use the same backdrops of post-nuclear apocalypse or colonizing Mars, or crazy fantasy worlds."

The Sameness Cycle

Among gamers, Double Fine president Tim Schafer has attained the sort of hero status reserved for the coolest kid in school thanks to his consistent originality. He has a theory on why this same-ness keeps happening.

"There is a cycle in game development," he says. " People making games usually make games that appeal to themselves, and choose from a narrow set of inspirations — Star Wars, Aliens, Blade Runner, Tolkien, World War II, super-hero comics, and a few more.

"Then, those games appeal to a certain set of fans, and some of those fans will eventually grow up to make games themselves, and those games end up looking like the previous generation, because they were made to please a similar bunch of people. That loop just repeats and stays the same size forever."

"I think any medium that only looks to itself for inspiration is limiting its scope of possibility," says writer Marianne Krawczyk, who counts the God of War franchise among her projects. "It's been a mantra of mine for a while now that we need to look outside of games (and movies and TV, for that matter) and start letting other art forms and other kinds of experiences influence development."

For example, artist David Hellman drew from the art of French Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne for the painterly style used in Braid. Although that decision came primarily from Hellman's own tastes, he finds a parallel between Cézanne's creative goals and those of the game: "Braid is about worlds of subjective perception and also about ideas and laws," muses the artist. "Cézanne married impressionism's transient play of color and light with a powerful geometric order."

"Games are very inspiring to me, but only for gameplay, not subject matter," says Schafer. I will experience something awesome in a game, and I will think, ‘That was awesome.' But then, I'll think, ‘Why was that awesome?' And try to deconstruct the experience down to its essence to find out why it works."

Schafer says he got the idea for cult hit Grim Fandango from reading Mexican folk tales; Psychonauts was inspired by a class he took on dream psychology; Brütal Legend came from heavy metal album covers, and Full Throttle took its cue from something as simple as the story of his friend's summer vacation.

"You never know where inspiration is going to come from," says Schafer. "I think the secret is just to make sure you are exposed to a variety of inspiring influences all the time… I trekked around Nepal once, but that didn't give me as many game ideas as just reading one book on Mexican folklore did."

Risky Business

"Creative people need to look at all avenues of creative expression," agrees Krawczyk, who says she's fascinated by the Bigfoot legend, of all things. And one doesn't even need to be an expert in their external hobbies and interests to draw inspiration from them – Krawczyk has had little success learning guitar, attempting surfing or trying to draw, but she keeps at it anyway.

"I allow myself to fail miserably, which opens up a kind of creative freedom that translates into the work I do care about," she says. "If you are open to failure, at least in the beginning, you'll take risks and eventually get something that is better than if you had played it safe."

Risk-taking is a key element – Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello called Brütal Legend a "significant creative risk" — just before the publisher announced it'd be the one to rescue the title from its post Acti-Blizzard limbo. Fervent gamers now look forward to its breath of fresh air.

"We need more games that are willing to go out on a limb and try something new," says Raven's Heir. "And we need them to be smaller-budget games that are very successful at first, so that large companies will take the risks down the road."

The Emerging Market

Trying innovative, smaller-budget titles with a creative bent is the tack that Zoonami's Hollis has chosen. He's been focused primarily on Bonsai Barber of late, but he's also so humble that perhaps few gamers know that during his career, he was one of Rare's earliest programmers and directed and produced not only critically-acclaimed Perfect Dark, but widely-beloved Goldeneye 007, a dorm room mainstay for a generation of gamers.

He says he's often inspired by his own "failed" prototypes, but as for friendly plant-hairstyling Bonsai Barber's influences: "Henri Rousseau, thematic influence from Magritte, a structural influence from Friends, a game design influence from Animal Crossing, and there is also something ideological within the game," he says. When it comes to the industry's influences, "I hope no one looks only at games!" says Hollis. "That is going to lead to stagnant creations. You can't breathe the same air forever."

And yet the pattern of the video game industry tells us otherwise. Derivative games sell, sequels are the watchword for the holidays, and the audience's appetite for war campaigns and space marines seems never to wane. What's wrong with more of the same, if that's what people seem to want?

Power Fantasies Sell

Keeping to the familiar can cap games' commercial potential. While core audiences may not mind the same-old, the gaming audience is growing, andthose narrow tropes aren't appealing to anyone new. "You can see from the best-selling titles on the Wii that those games aren't generally the ones that make huge headway into the market," Heir points out. "Our narrow focus on male power fantasies is going to hurt us in the long run."

Epic's Gears of War has become the poster title for that much-maligned "male power fantasy." The original game and its sequel have moved more than 11 million units to date, numbers that challenge the assertion that musclemen chainsawing aliens in a sci-fi warzone is a concept with limited appeal.

As progenitor, Gears-head Cliff Bleszinski has become a polarizing figure over the years among those who'd like to name the franchise – and Bleszinksi, by association – as simple pap for meatheads. His influences? "A childhood filled with Transformers, GI Joe, Thundercats, Inhumanoids, MASK, and mountains upon mountains of sugar cereal," he says.

But Bleszinksi, too, describes non-traditional influences as playing a primary role in his work. "I believe it's crucial for developers to maintain a competitive edge by playing the games that their peers create," he says. "However, over the years I've found that real life experience can not only inspire the creative process, but also be a wonderful way to decompress from the stress of development."

He "decompresses" through hobbies like jungle ATV rides and trying out zero gravity on parabolic plane flights. Bleszinski enjoys activities as energetic as the style of gameplay he favors in design, demonstrating that life experience drives developers' work. "Pursuing new experiences and enjoying the art of fun can translate into understanding how to have a better sense of speed, momentum, adrenaline rushes, or overall satisfaction," he explains. "You're channeling that experience back into the sofa when you build a game."

But Is It All Talk?

People like Krawczyk, Hollis, Hellman and Heir aren't the only intelligent, creative professionals working in game development. Not every other developer takes their cues solely from shallow, limiting archetypes. And yet the epic games to which so many developers and publishers devote the largest share of their budgets make only occasional progress toward breaking the tiresome loop Schafer describes. ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, BioShock and Portal make strong arguments against shallowness and sameness – but how long are gamers going to milk those?

"I think we can use games to reflect society, hold a mirror up and show people how we are as a culture in a way other mediums can't do," says Heir. What, then, does a Wolfenstein re-up say about us as a culture – that we'll never get tired of shooting Nazis?

Multitudes of annual trade events convene developers for discussion on meaningful narratives and immersive art, and yet creative people still do uncreative work. Developers bemoan male power fantasies and yet more games with "war", "dragon" and "star" in the title, and yet they keep signing up to make them. The commercial nature of the games biz may constrain the risk inherent in breaking new ground, but that's not a sufficient excuse – all art is commercial.

Consumer demand has the largest influence over the games that hit the market. So, if games are limited, it also suggests that the legions of fervent gamers, bloggers and enthusiast writers who devote endless words to their desire for culturally significant games are simply paying lip service to an ideal they won't back up with their wallets. Either that, or this most vocal vertex is a segment of the market too small to matter.

The same games keep getting made largely because that's all the core audience is interested in. So maybe it's gamers, not game developers, who need to get a life.

And even when games great and small take big risks on new ideas, many will still fail to rock the boat. But there's a glimmer of hope: it only takes one to break the derivative loop, says Schafer. "If you throw a wild card into the cycle — like Grand Theft Auto did with urban crime — then that game reaches a new set of fans, previously unserved. Then some of them grow up to join the industry, and maybe expand it with their own wild card ideas."

"So, if the games industry is going to keep growing, it has to pull in influences outside those currently explored in games," he adds. "Life is very broad, and games so far have only sampled a narrow slice of it."

[Leigh Alexander is news director for Gamasutra, author of the Sexy Videogameland blog, and freelances reviews and criticism to a variety of outlets. Her monthly column at Kotaku deals with cultural issues surrounding games and gamers. She can be reached at leighalexander1 AT gmail DOT com.]

Wolfenstein Review: Occult Following

Mike Fahey — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:20:45 MDT

The battle against supernatural Nazis wages on in Wolfenstein, that latest chapter in epic saga of one man's struggle against the occult-fueled Third Reich.

Himmler's Schutzstaffel is on the verge of harnessing a dark paranormal power that would mean the end of the free world as we knew it in 1943, and special agent B.J. Blazkowicz is the only man who can stop them. The direct sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein finds B.J. slinking through fictional city of Isenstadt, performing guerrilla-style missions in order to weaken and eventually overthrow the Reich's grip on the region, thwarting their vile plans in the process. Luckily for fans of the series, B.J.'s idea of slinking involves shooting tons of Nazis in the face, this time while harnessing the strange powers of a mystical amulet to accomplish that very task.

It sounds a bit far-fetched, but then the Wolfenstein franchise was never known for its grip on reality or historical accuracy. What it is known for is delivering some of the most entertaining and influential games in the first-person shooter genre. Does Wolfenstein follow suit?

Loved
Point and Shoot: At the heart of Wolfenstein is a rock-solid first-person shooter experience. The controls are tight and accurate, the movement fluid, and the action on each of the weapons is, for the most part, very satisfying. If you are going to make an FPS with the Wolfenstein name on it, you'd better get this aspect right, and the developers nailed it.

Semi-Open World:Rather than following standard FPS conventions and guiding the player by the nose through a series of linear levels, Wolfenstein allows players to explore the fictional city of Isenstadt between missions, randomly spawning enemies at various locations to deliver the illusion of an ongoing conflict. As you complete missions, you'll see more resistance fighters on the streets, following your example and standing up to their Nazi oppressors. It's certainly a pleasant change from your average shooter.

Magical Powers: As you progress through Wolfenstein, special agent B.J. Blazkowicz gains a variety of supernatural powers via a magical amulet, such as the ability to slow time, or uncover hidden passages by slipping into the Veil, a sort of paranormal parallel dimension. The powers are gimmicks, and they feel like gimmicks, but at times they can be really handy gimmicks, granting the player multiple ways to approach a situation. Should you slow down time and rush in with guns blazing, or use your Veil vision to pick off targets from afar? In a genre known for its linearity, choice is always good.

Big Bad Boss Battles:The Wolfenstein series has featured some of the most entertaining boss battles in the genre, and while there is no robo-Hitler to vent your frustrations on, there are several bosses that require much more than simple run-and-gun techniques to defeat. In fact, some aren't even damaged by your weapons at all, leaving you to use your wits alone to take them down. Your wits, or GameFaqs.

Hated
And I Care Why?: In the original Wolfenstein games, B.J. Blazkowicz wasn't much more than a portrait at the bottom of your screen, and it's really no different in this installment. B.J. is a generic action hero, saving generic foreigners from the mean old supernatural Nazi regime. If it weren't for the fact that history has established the World War II-era Nazis as the most villainous military force that ever existed, I would have had serious trouble being motivated take them down. The game excels at death, but could use more life.

The Not-So-Constant Struggle: Wolfenstein might have some impressive boss fights, but getting to those fights can be frustrating, thanks to an oddly unbalanced cast of enemy characters. One moment you are fighting a swarm of enemy soldiers who react intelligently to your actions, following you into buildings, and generally doing things we would expect enemy soldiers to do, such as dying in droves. The first time you encounter one of the larger enemy types sets you off balance, but soon enough you realize the range of your sniper rifle is much longer than the range of their sense, making it easy to take them out with well-placed bullets to their weak spots while they wander around randomly firing off their weapons. This puts the player at ease, making the ultra-fast, silent-movie Veil Assassins even more frustrating, killing you repeatedly before you can even point your camera down. Don't worry - death points it down for you.

Multiplayer Meltdown: Developed independently by Endrant Studios, Wolfenstein's multiplayer side is a bit of a letdown, especially after spending a good 10-12 hours playing through the solid and mostly satisfying single-player campaign. The three modes and eight maps quickly become stale, especially when constantly faced by jittery enemies that almost seem to flash wildly about the screen. The developer did try to change things up a bit, adding three classes - engineer, medic, and soldier - and the ability to use cash earned during play to purchase upgrades to your equipment, but the experience as a whole is simply disappointing.

I can't imagine the sort of pressure that a development studio faces when they are tasked with creating a follow-up to one of the most iconic franchises in the history of gaming. Wolfenstein 3D paved the way for today's first-person shooters. Without it, there might not have been a Halo or a Modern Warfare to compare this game with, and while expecting a shooter on par with those titles might be unrealistic, a new Wolf game should at least bring something special to the gaming table. The single player Wolfenstein experience comes close to doing just that, but the multiplayer misses by a mile.

It might not live up to its name, but Wolfenstein is still a solid, entertaining first-person shooter with some ambitious ideas. It's easy enough to find enjoyment in the game, as long as yours doesn't hinge on taking the fight online.

Wolfenstein was developed by Raven Software, id Software, Pi Studios, and Endrant Studios and published by Activision for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on August 18. Retails for $59.99 USD ($49.99 PC). Played Xbox 360 version of the game on default difficulty to completion, participated in multiple rounds of online multiplayer.

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Raven Hit By Layoffs, Some Point to Lackluster Wolfenstein Sales

Brian Crecente — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:40:00 MDT

Raven Software, developers of recently released Wolfenstein and soon to be released Singluarlity, let 30 to 35 go from their Wisconsin studios, sources tell Kotaku.

In a prepared statement released to Kotaku today, Activision confirmed that Raven, a subsidiary of the company, had laid people off today, but declined to confirm or deny the number of people impacted.

"With the recent completion of both X-Men Origins Wolverine, based on the summer blockbuster movie, and Wolfenstein, the next chapter of the famed franchise, Raven Software is slightly reducing its workforce to better reflect the studio's upcoming slate," the Activision statement read.

But our sources tell us that the layoffs were the aftermath of an over-budget and under-performing Wolfenstein and the delay of upcoming time-shifting shooter Singluarity.

The delay for Singularity, which was pushed back from a holiday release to sometime next year, forced Raven Software to move members on the Wolverine team to the project to help reduce the delay, we are told.

The shift in personnel, increased expenses and lackluster sales led Raven to drop from a three game team studio to a two game studio, our sources say.

Game Movie Writer Pleads Guilty To Vehicular Manslaughter

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:00:00 MDT

Roger Avary, who won an Oscar for Pulp Fiction, has pleaded guilty to DUI and vehicular manslaughter for a deadly crash in 2008 that left his friend dead and his wife in critical condition.

The filmmaker penned the Silent Hill script and was slated to make a big-screen version of Wolfenstein.

In January 2008, Avary was involved in a car accident which saw his wife hospitalised and his friend, 34-year-old Andreas Zini, killed. The director entered his plea in a Ventura, California court this past Tuesday.

He will be sentenced on September 29 and is currently free on bail.

Arts, Briefly - ‘Pulp Fiction' Writer Pleads Guilty in Crash [NYTimes.com]

Kotaku Approval Ratings Delivers 56% Negative for Wolfenstein

Owen Good — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:40:00 MDT

In our inaugural Kotaku Approval Ratings this past weekend we sampled your attitudes on games due to release, and two or more years old. The results are in, and they weren't kind to Wolfenstein.

Our poll covered attitudes about Wolfenstein, which dropped on Tuesday, and then four multiplayer console exclusives from gaming's class of 2007, plus three multiplatform games released around the same time. More than 15,000 of you responded, which is impressive, and I know you'd like to see the results. So here they are:

1. Based on what you've seen and read, would you stop playing your current game to start playing Wolfenstein?

Yes: 23 percent (3,593 responses)
No: 56 percent (8,711)
Undecided: 21 percent (3,357)
15,661 total responses

2. Based on what you've seen and read, do you plan to purchase Wolfenstein?

Yes: 18 percent (2,361 responses)
No: 55 percent (7,233)
Undecided: 27 percent (3,586)
13,180 total responses

There's not that much to say here, other than the Wolfenstein reboot has failed to really capture the imagination. The fact that 56 percent wouldn't put down whatever they're working on now to play it is a very strong negative. And another 55 percent who say they wouldn't buy it means a hard verdict has already been reached, and was likely formed well before the question was asked.

3. Is Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) still worth playing?

Yes: 38 percent (5,201 responses)
No: 40 percent (5,422)
No Opinion: 22 percent (3,000)
13,623 responses

We're going to tweak this type of question this weekend because, as a reader pointed out, "still worth playing" implies that the game was "worth playing" in the first place - a value judgment the respondent may not share. But for now, the general feeling is that Brawl, nearly two years after its release, is played out.

4. Is Team Fortress 2 (PC) still worth playing?

Yes: 65 percent (9,042 responses)
No: 15 percent (2,050)
No opinion: 21 percent (2,896)
13,988 total responses

Valve's commitment to keeping Team Fortress 2 fresh with consistent updates has given the franchise an enviable reputation for quality. It's 15 percent "not worth it" score was the lowest of any title surveyed last weekend, which includes Modern Warfare and BioShock.

5. Is Warhawk (PS3) still worth playing?

Yes: 16 percent (2,313 responses)
No: 37 percent (5,351)
No opinion: 47 percent (6,759)
14,423 total responses

Some might have felt Killzone or Killzone 2 should have been here. Here's the problem. Killzone is on the PS2, is four years old, and lacks the multiplayer scope of shooters in this group. Killzone 2 is barely six months old, and this grouping was calling on games from the class of 2007. The same problems left out Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2, as Res 2 went out last November and moots Resistance, which is a year older than the games in this grouping. So we were left with Warhawk as a kind of imperfect representative of a PS3 exclusive from two years ago, and the shoulder-shrugging 47 percent no opinion shows. It, rightly or wrongly, points up the PS3's most glaring weakness in the release window surveyed: Catalog size, especially in exclusives. We'll revisit Warhawk later, but promise that questions in the meantime will reflect more of what PS3 gamers are playing right now.

6. Is Halo 3 (360) still worth playing?

Yes: 43 percent (6,472 responses)
No: 41 percent (6,069)
No opinion: 16 percent (2,366)
14,906 total responses

In light of one million unique users still playing this game's multiplayer every day, Halo 3's narrow "Yes" plurality can likely be attributed to polarized views about the title's perceived importance, or lack of it, to gaming at large, and its close association with both Microsoft and the Xbox 360. In other words, a fanboy effect. Again, this is an unscientific survey with opt-in respondents coming from a specific readership, so no one expects 100 percent. But we're very opinionated around here, and these numbers seem to reflect more a weariness with the game's exposure than its quality of gameplay.

7. Is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (any platform) still worth playing?

Yes: 69 percent (9,197 responses)
No: 19 percent (2,504)
No opinion: 13 percent (1,713)
13,414 responses

Modern Warfare pulling the highest "still worth it" rating is likely a no-brainer to many. But where the full-bore Team Fortress multiplayer experience is only available to PC gamers, Modern Warfare emerges as the multiplatform standard-bearer for multiplayer shooters. How Modern Warfare 2 pushes this number will definitely be worth watching later in the year.

8. Is Assassin's Creed (any platform) still worth playing?

Yes: 34 percent (5,029 responses)
No: 49 percent (7,252)
No opinion: 16 percent (2,425)
14,705 responses

Repetitive gameplay and the pending release of Assassin's Creed II are probably what is dragging down a game that was, generally speaking, still favorably reviewed during the time of its releases.

9. Is BioShock (any platform) still worth playing?

Yes: 69 percent (10,765 responses)
No: 21 percent (3,232)
No opinion: 10 percent (1,573)
15,570 responses

Interestingly, the final question got the second-most total responses, just 100 fewer than the first. It suggests a heavy participation by folks who wanted to vote, scroll down and comment and not spend much time in the middle. But BioShock still tied for the highest positive rating of any of the seven surveyed - even two years later, singleplayer only, and with a sequel on the way soon. The landslide response speaks to the game's depth of experience and enduring impact on games as an art form.

Those were last week's questions; we'll have a new batch of Kotaku Approval Ratings questions for you this Saturday. To all who participated, thanks.

Kotaku Approval Ratings: Wolfenstein

Owen Good — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:30:00 MDT

Let's try something a little different. While unscientific, I've long toyed with the idea of a tracking poll of our readership's posture over time on certain games.

And while this method of feedback is open to spamming, fanboy manipulation and all sorts of other bad behavior, let's put it out there and see what happens. If it proves useless or gets abused, we'll end the feature.

Approval ratings are a concept most closely identified with, of course, politics, and how the governed feel about the job being done by their leaders. I'm not going to ask your opinion of publishers, as nearly everyone has some negative feeling toward them, but rather about games.

Kotaku Approval Ratings will examine, at at least attempt to, your mood about certain games prior to their release, immediately after their release and review, and then periodically thereafter.

Additionally, it will ask for the readership's long-term posture on certain games, exclusive (or with content exclusive) to a single platforms, and some multiplatform games, all of these more than two years old.

Like the question "Do you approve of the job so-and-so is doing," this doesn't ask for anything deeper than a gamer's feeling about a title, either long established, or currently in the news. The results have been hidden from view to discourage voting for a specific result. I'll report the percentages next week when the tracking poll continues.

As certain games enter the news, or as certain trendlines become uninformative, other games will be rotated in and out.

Already then, time for the first Kotaku Approval Ratings polls. These polls will close in 24 hours 7:30 p.m. U.S. Mountain time, tomorrow.

For starters, your feelings about Wolfenstein - the game that is being released this week, not previous versions.

And now, your feelings on some older games:

Thank you! These results will be reported next week, with another set of questions.

Wolfenstein: The Launch Trailer

Brian Crecente — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:40:00 MDT

Featuring disintegration guns that don't just evaporate Nazis, but their hats too, the latest iteration of Wolfenstein hits stores next week.

This launch trailer was shown off yesterday during QuakeCon's epic keynote, covered by our very own Stephen Totilo live. The trailer may have been slightly eclipsed by the first in-depth look at Rage, but only one of those games can be in your hands in less than five days.

Wolfenstein Launch Video Trailer [Game Videos]

If Wolfenstein Beats Madden, Wolfenstein Is Free

Mike Fahey — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:20:00 MDT

Raven Software designer Manveer Heir has mounted a one-man Twitter Wolfenstein marketing campaign, offering to pay for your copy of the game if it manages to outsell Madden 10.

Yes, he's completely serious folks. If the latest game in the long-running first-person shooter franchise manages to topple the game that generally dominates the month of August, he'll reimburse you the full retail price for Wolfenstein.

Here's the original tweet:

Here's the deal folks: if Wolfenstein outsells Madden 10 in August I will personally pay for your copy (keep your receipt) - SPREAD THE WORD

Since that original post earlier this morning, Heir has gone on the clarify details about the offer. For instance, reimbursements will take place on an international level, and he'll be using official NPD numbers to determine whether or not he needs to pay. Oh, and you need to follow him on Twitter to collect, so pay close attention to the link below.

It's a pretty bold statement, but I'd say that going up against Madden for the month of October with a first-person shooter is like trying to entice your football-loving spouse into sex with a striptease in front of the television on Super Bowl Sunday. It's futile, and you could get hurt.

Besides, if he has that kind of money to spend, why not buy a bunch of copies himself to pad the numbers? It would certainly save him a fortune in PayPal fees.

Manveer Heir's Twitter [Twitter, duh]

Nothing Enhances Nazi Fighting Like A Little Zeppelin

Mike Fahey — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:00:00 MDT

While its August 18th release date is set in stone, some of Wolfenstein's gameplay remains up in the air.

The latest entry in the Wolfenstein series features a sequence in which B.J. battles the supernatural side of the Third Reich inside of a giant zeppelin, one of those giant flying airships that everyone thought was a brilliant idea until the Hindenburg went belly up, caught on fire, and exploded. It looks like a great deal of fun, though I'm used to my airship battles being turn-based, so it might take a little getting used to.

id Vows to Punish Mentions of Wolfenstein Leaks

Owen Good — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:40:00 MDT

If you got that multiplayer build of Wolfenstein that leaked out last week, you should keep that fact to yourself. Chest-beating about it on the Wolfenstein forums will bring instant banning. Maybe worse.

id Community Manager Pete Sokal says yes, they're aware of the leaks of Wolfenstein Multiplayer. It is "now being distributed illegally through breach of NDA and mirrors posted on the internet. I must warn anyone involved that Activision's legal department is taking this matter very seriously."

Ruh-roh. He continues:

Same applies here on the forums. If you mention that you have acquired this build, you are openly admitting to illegally obtaining the build and will be banned straight away. You have been warned.

With regards to any footage, screenshots and comments posted here and all over the internet, an important thing to keep in mind is that these were not created from a build of the game that was final or consumer ready. There's nothing we can do about it now except continue working on the game.

We often get questions asking if they bought a title from a retailer who broke a street date can get them banzored. If you have to ask that sort of question here, you probably shouldn't be in possession of this. In fact, you probably aren't even in possession of it.

Regarding the Wolfenstein MP Leak [Wolfenstein Community via VE3D]

Castle Wolfenstein Has Come A Long Way

Mike Fahey — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:20:00 MDT

Okay, so it might not be THE Castle Wolfenstein, but it's a castle in Activision's upcoming Wolfenstein game, so we're running with it.

Wolfenstein is, of course, another prequel to the game that started it all, Wolfenstein 3D. It may seem funny, this game being set before that relatively primitive example of 3D technology, but when you think about it it makes sense. Towards the end of World War 2, Germany had all but depleted their supply of polygons, and had to revert to pixels. True story.