StarCraft Ghost Axed?

[Jupiter_x]

Uh-oh! (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/698/698433p1.html)

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Blizzard sucks!!

I've been wanting to play SC: Ghost since the GI cover story way back in 2002. The last in-game footage I saw from E3 was very promising, especially with Swinging Ape developing the game. I just knew the announcement of online multiplayer for Ghost would mean trouble. Blizz should have let Swinging Ape finish the singleplayer of Ghost and release it a stand alone title like it was originally supposed to be, and add the online multiplayer component to a possible sequel.

[Gadfly2317]

They postponed after they got a chance to see what Rev control would do for the game.

[shogun]

It's one thing to delay a game because you're tweaking and improving it, it's another to just let the thing stagnate because of goings-on in your company. The former means the game is improving, the latter just freezes it in time while other games continue to raise the bar.

I was keeping my eye on this Ghost, but to be honest the further back it got pushed because of internal politics, the less likely it was to be relevant. I mean really, look what happened to PD Zero and Kameo. Two decent-looking titles, with gameplay that would have been cutting-edge a few years ago. At best, we're probably missing a "C" game if the thing gets canned.

[GameLegend]

They postponed after they got a chance to see what Rev control would do for the game.

Riiighhht.
We Nintendo fans are very proud and sometimes delusional individuals.

[no.1gamer]

It's one thing to delay a game because you're tweaking and improving it, it's another to just let the thing stagnate because of goings-on in your company. The former means the game is improving, the latter just freezes it in time while other games continue to raise the bar.

I was keeping my eye on this Ghost, but to be honest the further back it got pushed because of internal politics, the less likely it was to be relevant. I mean really, look what happened to PD Zero and Kameo. Two decent-looking titles, with gameplay that would have been cutting-edge a few years ago. At best, we're probably missing a "C" game if the thing gets canned.

Blizzard doesn't make "C" games. They only make "A" games that sometimes get underrated "B" reviews.

:p

[GameLegend]

It's one thing to delay a game because you're tweaking and improving it, it's another to just let the thing stagnate because of goings-on in your company. The former means the game is improving, the latter just freezes it in time while other games continue to raise the bar....

...gameplay that would have been cutting-edge a few years ago. At best, we're probably missing a "C" game if the thing gets canned.

Disagree.

2 words: Eternal Darkness
This game has been delayed for years and years, but stilled turned out to be one of the best games on the GC.

I wonder when Too Human is coming on the 360...

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I wonder when Too Human is coming on the 360...

In a recent IGN interview, the head guy of Silicon Knights, Denis Dyack, says he wants to try and get Too Human on 360 by the Holidays '06. That means the game should be in store shelves sometime in March '07.

[Jupiter_x]

In a recent IGN interview, the head guy of Silicon Knights, Denis Dyack, says he wants to try and get Too Human on 360 by the Holidays '06. That means the game should be in store shelves sometime in March '07.
Hey, Be nice....ok ok your probably right though!

[Gadfly2317]

In a recent IGN interview, the head guy of Silicon Knights, Denis Dyack, says he wants to try and get Too Human on 360 by the Holidays '06. That means the game should be in store shelves sometime in March '07.

Whenever it comes out, I hope Xbots support the game better than Nintendroids supported Eternal Darkness. Too Human could potentially be Silicon Knight's best game yet. The interview with Denis Dyack was interesting, and he was talking about how much the company has learned about game design from working with Miyamoto (Eternal Darkness) and Kojima (Twin Snakes) and have put all they got out of these learning experienes into Too Human.

Eternal Darkness was one of the few compelling and mature storylines I've ever experienced in a game. . .and with the company being more experienced than ever, and freshly schooled by a couple of the best Japanese game designers, I can't wait to see how the Too Human trilogy turns out.

[Glockstar]

Too Human and Mass Effect sound almost identical. So unless Silicon Knights and Bioware can release their games far enough apart from one another, I'll only get into one. And if that's the case, then between the two, I'm going with Mass Effect.

[Gadfly2317]

Too Human and Mass Effect sound almost identical. So unless Silicon Knights and Bioware can release their games far enough apart from one another, I'll only get into one. And if that's the case, then between the two, I'm going with Mass Effect.

Of course. I don't know why SK is wasting their time with the 360. I wish they'd have decided to head back to Playstation.

[Glockstar]

Aha. The truth will out.

"I don't know why SK is wasting their time with the 360. I wish they'd have decided to head back to Playstation." <-- That says a lot about you. (Another #@$%ing hater.)

[Gadfly2317]

Aha. The truth will out.

"I don't know why SK is wasting their time with the 360. I wish they'd have decided to head back to Playstation." <-- That says a lot about you. (Another #@$%ing hater.)

It has nothing to do with hate. . .it's that like the Xbox, 360 is shaping up to have little that interests me. I don't want to buy a whole console to play a few games again like I did last time (Fable, Crimson Skies, Strangers Wrath, Panzer Dragoon, Ninja Gaiden).

It's not hate. . . it's wishful thinking. . ."ah, wouldn't it be nice if a couple games migrated to the Ps3." Is it hate to love a game franchise and hope that it shows up on the console that features more of the type of games you like?

[Glockstar]

LOL Oh, I get it, you know more than the rest of us - you know exactly what games are coming out for the PS3, and when. HAHAHAHAHA What a #@$%ing joke.

[slade]

Too Human and Mass Effect sound almost identical.

I thought one was an RPG and the other was a third person action/adventure game.

[Gadfly2317]

LOL Oh, I get it, you know more than the rest of us - you know exactly what games are coming out for the PS3, and when. HAHAHAHAHA What a #@$%ing joke.

No. I know about the same stuff you know, like which franchises are on what system. I also know with all the Ps2 games still coming out like God of War 2 and Okami that is damn nice that the Ps3 features actual backward compatibility.

So yeah, I'd like to see Ninja Gaiden 2 show up on Ps3 so I don't have to even think about buying an 360. And Too Human. It's not hate, I just don't want three consoles under my TV again. That's all. And since I HAVE to have a Rev, that leaves me watching how the chips fall between 360 and Ps3.

To be fair, I could always root for the Rev to destroy Ps3 in Japan, and for 360 to destroy Ps3 in America, so that maybe some of the niche japanese stuff I like would show up on Rev or 360. . . but that seems like more of a stretch than rooting for Team Ninja or SK to change allegience to Ps3.

[Glockstar]

I thought one was an RPG and the other was a third person action/adventure game.

You know, as erroneous as your statement first reads, it's really not that far off... you just need to flip-flop your descriptors - in order to get the respects right.

That said, Too Human is still considered to be an Action-RPG.

And, like, Bioware would ever do a non-RPG! Hell would surely freeze over!

For those that don't know, here's a preview of each, courtesy of IGN:

Too Human (Developer: Silicon Knights; Publisher: Microsoft)
Denis Dyack is weary. ... But he's still smiling. Why? Because. Too Human has a publisher and a new lease on life. Dyack is smiling because after six-plus years he's finally going to make the dream game he's been waiting to make since the origins of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. "I like to say this, and I've been saying it for years, but we as an industry have reached the point where the production values and our technology are so high now that they finally match our imaginations. We've reached the point where people will decide that they'd rather play a videogame instead of go out to see the movies. Games will be the dominant form of entertainment in this generation, and it's fantastic."

In Too Human, a game that was once slated for PlayStation, then GameCube, and now, finally, Xbox 360, players take on the role of a cybernetic god, a role in which you're designated as the sole defender of humanity. Increasingly, artificial intelligence-driven armies have come to your planet to wipe out the rest of humanity, and using your god-like strength and combat skills, you take a stand. Throughout the game, you will continually augment and enhance yourself, a concept that was integral to the original Too Human, and that's now quite a trend in game development.

Dyack clarified that Too Human is a non-linear action game with a distinct gun and melee combat system that's different than any game we'd like to compare it to, be that Devil May Cry, Onimusha, or what have you. Silicon Knights has hired Hong Kong consultants to instill authentic martial arts moves and to choreograph this innovative new system with Hollywood-like cinematic flair and beauty. Heavy hitters from movies like the Matrix, Chronicles of Riddick, and other films are working right now with Silicon Knights to make it happen. The short trailer revealed at yesterday's keynote shows a powerful warrior using an energy based sword to "kill" off giant robots, while quickly switching to handguns to destroy smaller, more abundant enemies with an arc of shots that's sci-fi in nature. It doesn't look like martial arts, but the choreographed influence is already prevalent. "We're combining the camera movement we learned in Eternal Darkness into a new realm with an innovative fighting system that's going to be great," Dyack explained. "Fans will love this."

Too Human will also be online, the details of which he had to hold back. "A big part of this game is its Xbox Live functionality. I love MMORPGs, I love Diablo and games like that, and so Too Human will definitely take advantage of online in a way I'm really excited about."

Too Human uses the Unreal Engine 3, though Dyack says it's being heavily modified to their specifications. He also clarified that Too Human is the first of three games. "Right now, we're about 40% to 50% done with Too Human, but in all honesty, we're already designing and thinking about Too Human 2. As part of the development process it's better to think this way. The days of 60 to 100 hour games are gone. Games are broken into smaller chunks now, and it works in both development design but also it makes more sense in the business climate we're in today."

But while the game is nearing 50% completion, Dyack would not commit to a release date, or even a year. "The story has many levels," he explained. "I can't reveal it all now. And the story is a big part of the game; it's got to be done right, and as our fans know, we love developing deep, engaging stories. So we're not committing to a time just yet. But the theme man versus machine is just the tip of the iceberg. The rabbit hole goes way deeper than that. Let me just say this, gamers will not be disappointed."

--October 5, 2005; by Douglass C. Perry, IGN


Mass Effect (Developer: BioWare; Publisher: Microsoft)
Two of the game's key themes are organic life vs. artificial life and nature vs. technology. As you and your crew learn, the more advanced artificial life living in distant solar systems have plans for you that are, shall we say, not so pretty. BioWare asks the question, "What would happen if we explored deep into the far reaches of the galaxy and found civilizations that are vastly more advanced than ours? What would they do with us if their intentions weren't all that altruistic?" As the lead character, which you create from the beginning and enhance and alter throughout, you come to the realization that humankind and this other, more advanced AI civilization, cannot co-exist.

Like Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, Mass Effect is a squad-based RPG, so you'll travel around in a trio, but you'll have command of a space vessel and its crew. You're a military authority, and it's your task to raise humanity to the pinnacle of its galactic civilization. Sounds a little like Star Trek, perhaps a little like Too Human. But the key is how you go about achieving this hefty task. Do you want to achieve it in an evil way, or in an heroic way? A third choice is to take a profiteering approach, which is a wiggly in-between gray area. Somewhat like Fable, the decisions you make have massive effects (get it?) on the world around you.

BioWare emphasizes that the cinematic story is critical to Mass Effect, and the company is using a new means to deliver the tale. First of all, the digital actors will express emotions with sophistication and realism. BioWare is going after conversation innovation by using a different interface than that seen in Jade Empire or KOTOR. "We're tightening the dialog," said the BioWare representative. "Dialog in almost all of today's RPGs is so literal. We're creating real-time banter. Characters will be able to converse by using facial expressions, body movement, and subtle human things we do but are unaware of when talking."

"We're combining the great story-elements of KOTOR and implementing the interface of a squad-based shooter, and we're going to deliver innovations on Xbox Live," the BioWare rep said confidently. "You'll fight as a squad of three. You'll have real-time combat. You'll actually aim in real time, but the game will be paced like an RPG. You'll also have the choice of how to upgrade, choosing biotics (which are supernatural abilities) or tech skills, among others."

Since you travel on a ship and will visit many planets and worlds over the course of the game, BioWare thought it would make sense to enable you to explore the vast, dark reaches of the galaxy. You'll visit unchartered worlds, hostile worlds at the very edges of space. These visits aren't part of the main story or even secondary goals, but by wandering around the galaxy you will find rewards for your troubles. You'll also feel a sense of space, freedom, and size.

In another interesting tack, Mass Effect is the first game in a trilogy, which, BioWare says, will cover the lifespan of the Xbox 360's five-plus year cycle. When you finish the first game, BioWare plans to upload content in between games in an episodic fashion, filling in the story between games. Thus, when the second big title arrives, fans who stick with the downloads will know exactly what's going on.

BioWare plans to release Mass Effect in one to one-and-a-half years, and like Silicon Knights, wouldn't commit to a date or month yet.

--October 5, 2005; by Douglass C. Perry, IGN (No, that is not a cut-n-paste error; the day, date, and writer are all correct - which means, yes, they are all the exact same.)


So, it sounds like to me, one of the key differences between the two is that Too Human is totally a solo adventure, where as in Mass Effect you'll command a "party".(?)

That's not the only difference, of course. The biggest difference is that Too Human is developed by Silicon Knights (not bad, not bad), while Mass Effect is developed by Bio-freakin'-Ware! - the greatest developers of videogames on the planet!... next to Bungie!