Tag: Game Developers

Iron Man 2 Dev Diary: Behind the Music with Lamb of God

The latest Iron Man 2 developer diary tells the story of how Sega and Lamb of God teamed up on the game. Members of the band and the dev team talk about the collaboration between developer/publisher and band. Lamb of God’s single “Hit the Wall” is the game’s official theme song. It’s a cool clip and I hope you check it out!

Coffee Talk #122: If You Could Visit One Developer in Japan….

Since I’m making a brief stop in Japan, I wanted to ask you ladies and gents a question about the Land of the Rising Sun: If you could visit any Japanese game developer, which one would it be and why?

There are so many great ones to choose from! Would you stay in Tokyo and visit Kojima Productions? Maybe you’d go to Kyoto and pay homage to Nintendo? Perhaps you’d want to visit Capcom in Osaka?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Mark Buehrle’s ridiculous play, Jack Swagger as your World Heavyweight Champion, or the iPad selling 300,000 at launch, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Since I’m making a brief stop in Japan, I wanted to ask you ladies and gents a question about the Land of the Rising Sun: If you could visit any Japanese game developer, which one would it be and why?

There are so many great ones to choose from! Would you stay in Tokyo and visit Kojima Productions? Maybe you’d go to Kyoto and pay homage to Nintendo? Perhaps you’d want to visit Capcom in Osaka?

So yeah! Let’s play this game. Which Japanese developer would you visit? What would you want to see? What kind of questions would you ask?

(Btw, the header image is of the Yokohama skyline from when I visited Yuke’s last September.)

Mafia II Developer Diary: Story and Characters

Here’s a cool developer diary for the upcoming Mafia II. The game is kind of flying under the radar, but I suggest keeping an eye on it. I saw it last spring and was very intrigued by its potential. The video features 2K’s director of creative production Jack Scalici, senior producer Denby Grace, cinematics director Thomas Hrebicek, and associate producer Alex Cox.

Jack is awesome because he likes to drink at my San Francisco dive bar.

Iron Man 2 Behind-the-Scenes Developer Video

Here’s an excellent video that gives you a behind-the-scenes look of the upcoming Iron Man 2. I guarantee you that this sequel will be way better than the original game. Sharing their insights are Sega Studios SF studio director Constantine Hantzopoulos, creative director Kyle Brink, development director Michael McHale, associate producer Beejey Enriquez, and producer Dean Martinetti.

McHale is an awesome guy. I’ve known him for like a decade and he’s just a sharp, sharp individual. Plus, he has awesome MacGyver hair. Martinetti is also a really cool guy. I met him randomly at a San Francisco dive bar and we bonded over being transplanted New Yorkers.

Anyway, check the video out and let me know what you think of the game (please)!

Konami’s Hideo Kojima is now Tweeting in English

If you can’t get enough Hideo Kojima in your life (and really, who can?) then you’ll want to follow the legendary developer’s Twitter feed. Whether he’s talking about going to the gym, his latest stomach ache, Castlevania, or Metal Gear, Kojima always has…uh…something to say. Check it out!

Jason Rubin Believes Digital Distribution Will Help Gaming Thrive

Naughty Dog founder and current Monkey Gods chief executive monkey Jason Rubin believes that there’s one thing that will help the gaming industry thrive: more cowbell. Wait, that’s not right. I meant digital distribution. In an interview with Character Arcade Rubin said:

Inefficiencies in distribution tied to the box release are hampering that part of the business. If publishers and developers could recapture the 20 percent stores’ take, plus a substantial part of revenue lost to piracy, rental, and resale, not to mention the cost of shipping pieces of plastic all over the world, then I think that part of the industry would be in a better position financially, without a single extra dollar of cost to gamers. Digital distribution can help with all of those inefficiencies, at the same time as it improves the gamer’s experience.

From a developer’s perspective, I totally see where he’s coming from. From a consumer’s perspective, I know that some of you have issues and concerns about digital distribution. What do you think of Rubin’s take on the matter?

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BioWare Just Says No to Vampires

BioWare has developed several outstanding games that use traditional fantasy and sci-fi settings. It even took gamers on a mystical adventure in ancient China (Jade Empire). The company has considered other backgrounds, but one you won’t be seeing any time soon is horror (or as it’s known these days, vampiric romantic teen angst). BioWare’s Dr. Greg Zeschuk recently told me:

Years ago we talked about horror as a genre setting. We just didn’t feel like it really worked for us. It’s funny how crazy that’s going — the vampire stuff.

I’m mostly relieved, but a little disappointed. I was never into vampires and the Twilight phenomenon currently has me hating the bloodsuckers. If there’s one company that could get me interested in vampires, it’s BioWare. So while I’m glad it appears to be sticking to its bread and butter, I’m curious about what BioWare could do with a vampire game.

Are you happy or disappointed that BioWare isn’t going all Twilight?

Go to Work with Gas Powered Games’ Chris Taylor

The second entry in Gas Powered Games’ Kings and Castles video blog shows you a day in the life of creative director Chris Taylor. Join him on his morning commute and for a tour of the office. Chris Taylor is funny and awesome (even if he did miss our DICE 2010 meeting), so you should watch this video. It’s good, clean fun that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at Gas Powered Games.

PadCast: BioWare’s Dr. Greg Zeschuk Talks Games, Social Media, Fitness Titles, and Being Awesome

BioWare’s Dr. Greg Zeschuk completely rules. He truly is one of my favorite people in the business (as is his partner in crime, Dr. Ray Muzyka). After the diabolical Chris Taylor missed our interview session at DICE 2010, Dr. Greg was there to save the day. Naturally I asked him about the crazy three months BioWare has had, with two giant games — Dragon Age: Origins Awakenings and Mass Effect 2 — released in short period of time. The good doctor revealed which characters he used in Dragon Age. I also asked him about BioWare’s efforts to extend its properties through web games, Facebook games, iPhone titles, books, and more.

Since he was a practicing physician before starting up one of the best development houses in the business, I wanted to get Dr. Greg’s view on games like Wii Fit and EA Sports Active. This led to a pretty cool tangent about performing remote operations with Wii-like controls. The interview ends a little abruptly because the press room was being shut down, but it was an absolute pleasure chatting with Dr. Greg and I think you’ll enjoy our chat.

(Yes, it sounds like I’m totally kissing his ass, but I’ve known Greg and Ray for several years. I assure you that my fondness is genuine.)