Liverpool.com Blog – Frost/John/Yoko

27th Feb 2009

“People in England don’t know what’s going on…”

With Slumdog Millionaire winning all the glitz and glamour at the recent Oscars, it’s easy to forget about Frost/Nixon, the tense, political reworking of David Frost’s rise up the journalistic ranks. One of our recent jaunts down to YouTube unearthed this video where, when typing in ‘David Frost’ casually, we found an old video of him hosting John and Yoko on his show as they sing about Attica State Penitentiary. What follows is a tense stand-off with the audience as John and Yoko’s message seemingly get lost in translation as they struggle to get their point across, two outraged audience members getting full backing to confront the artists. The audio is a bit fuzzy due to it being lifted from VHS, but it’s a fascinating argument that ends with the tragic irony that Attica State is now where Mark David Chapman, John’s killer, resides behind bars.

http://www.liverpool.com/blogs/frost/john/yoko.html

F.E.A.R. 2 Developer Interview – GamesMaster Magazine Issue 209

We want your Job!
Pestering the jammiest jobsmiths in the business!

F.E.A.R. 2 is creeping up on us soon; we talk to Dave Matthews about how he keeps his bowels in check:

GM: So, Mr. Matthews, tell us what you do on F.E.A.R. 2…

Dave: I am the Primary Art Lead on F.E.A.R. 2. Throughout the project, I have done many things ranging from UI, to AI Design, Scheduling, Combat design, FX and many other things, ultimately I am responsible for the delivery of Art in F.E.A.R. 2.I think our art team is pretty badass, and I think it shows in F.E.A.R. 2.

GM: Is there such a thing as a typical day when doing all these jobs?

Dave: I spend a lot of time keeping everyone moving forward, this means working with other departments like design, or engineering, marketing, Who ever might need art assets. I try to break down the walls so that we can do our jobs better. Ultimately I do whatever is best for the team, which means each day can brings new things to tackle.

GM: What influences help make you make F.E.A.R. 2 such a supernatural Pandora’s box?

Dave: In F.E.A.R. 2 we started looking to other influences, so you’ll start to see hints of ideas that came from the Russian films like Daywatch and Nightwatch, or some of the newer psychological/horror films out of the US. We really look for moments in films that create an emotional trigger, and then we try to recreate scenarios that will elicit that same trigger.

GM: What improvements can the gaming public expect from other F.E.A.R. titles?

Dave: The horror is still very much a focal point of the game, and much like combat, we have added variety to that facet of the experience. You have to remember that great scary moments require pacing and build up, without that all those tricks in the bag, the scares will start to feel repetitive and expected. With the addition of these various aspects of combat and scares to our already existing palette, we can create a new stratum of experience to show the evolution in F.E.A.R. 2 from F.E.A.R.

GM: Any tips for hard workers looking to enter the development world?

Dave: Never give up… I’ve been in the industry for over 16 years and that seems to be one of the largest traits that I see in people working in the industry. It’s a great industry to work in, it is incredibly rewarding, but it requires hard work and a bountiful amount of dedication. If that sounds like you, send me your CV!

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

CAPTION: Notice the toothpaste under the monitor? We only interview those with the pearliest whites here at GM…

01: My weapons and Range Papers. These remind me we are making an over the top shooter

02: Ipod. Music will be my muse throughout the day.

03: Happy Holidays Barbie Action Figure. Levity making scary action games requires a little levity.

04: The Rooster or cocque…reminds me if our Culture of Quality (coq) always trying to maintain a specific standard of quality.

05: Reindeer Head. Having a reindeer head in your office just sets things askew.

Official UK Chart – GamesMaster Magazine Issue 208

UK Top 10 Games Chart

Call of Duty blasts its way to the top of the chart, while Resistance 2 crawls into the top 10…

GM uses ChartTrack – the only chart officially recognised by the UK software industry. Get the top 10 in GM every month!

1 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR – 360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS, PS2 – ACTIVISION – XX%

2 NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER- DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360 – EA – XX%

3 FIFA 09 – DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360 – EA – XX%

4 MARIO KART WII – Wii – NINTENDO – XX%

5 DR KAWASHIMA’S BRAIN TRAINING – DS – NINTENDO – XX%

6 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 – PC, PS3, X360, PS2, PSP, Wii – KONAMI – XX%

7 TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD – DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360 – EIDOS – XX%

8 WII PLAY – Wii – NINTENDO – XX%

9 GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR – PS3, Wii, X360, PS2 – ACTIVISION – XX%

10 RESISTANCE 2 – PS3 – SONY – XX%

CAPTION: “Hohoho! All herald my return to the top 10, weak brained, foolish mortals…”

01: CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR

Well, World at War has certainly proved the Modern Warfare naysayer’s wrong as gamers show that taking the leap back to WWII isn’t a problem for them at all. With its new breed of multiplayer and interesting co-op campaign, World at War deserves this month’s top spot.

CAPTION: Mnyaaaaaow…. BOOM… Ratatatatatat… Playground war sounds are still the best.

03: FIFA 09

Illustrating the fall from grace suffered by PES, Fifa 09 continues to beat it in the charts. Has the fact that EA uses official licenses got anything to do with it? Or is it the excellent ‘Be a Pro’ mode? Either way, Fifa rides high in third spot, pushing PES down to sixth.

CAPTION: “WHO ARE YA? WHO ARE YA?” Oh, it’s Peter Cech. Our mistake, the head gear threw us…

08: WII PLAY
We call it the Christmas effect. How else can you explain Wii Play lasting so long in the chart? It’s opened up a new world in the casual market, but when we see Gears of War 2 fall out the top 10, then isn’t something terribly wrong?

CAPTION: Wii Play is, amazingly, on its 93^rd consecutive week in the charts. Are we missing something?

JAPAN CHARTS

The excellent Chrono Trigger update gets the recognition it deserves in its home country and even 360 makes an appearance…

1: Machi e Ikouyo: Doubutsu no Mori – Wii

2: Chrono Trigger – DS

3: Kidou Senshi Gundam: Gundam Vs. Gundam – PSP

4: Last Remnant – 360

5: Saka-Tsuku DS: Touch and Direct – DS

US CHARTS

The Wii dominates the American chart this month, as the Yanks try to burn off ol’ Momma Mae’s apple pie.

1: Wii Sports – Wii

2: Wii Fit – Wii

3: Call of Duty: World at War – 360

4: New Super Mario Bros – DS

5: Wii Play – Wii

WATCH OUT FOR…

The future’s bright; the future’s these gems…

THIS MONTH
ALAN WAKE – PC, 360

Zzz… What the… we told you to wake us up when it was out. Is it really released this month??

NEXT MONTH
STREET FIGHTER IV – PC, 360, PS3

It’s here, we’re finally going to be able to jam it into our consoles and never let it out! This is the next gen fighter you’re waiting for.

FUTURE

DUKE NUKEM FOREVER – PC

Hail to the King, baby! Old balls of steel’s return is coming ever closer, we can’t wait to see how Duke’s aged.

HEED OUR WARNING: Here at GM we endeavour to bring you the most accurate release dates around. But the games industry is a fickle beast so bear in mind that the info above is constantly on the move. If it doesn’t come out when we say it does, blame someone else!

CheatMaster Boxouts – GamesMaster Magazine Issue 208

GREATEST CHEATS EVER!

FAR CRY – (PC)

PUBLISHER – UBISOFT

YEAR OF RELEASE – 2004

Far Cry 2 is giving us hours of enjoyment, so much so that a brilliant cheat from the very first game popped into our head when playing the other day. Whilst most cheats on current games equate to lazily entering a code for a quick health boost or to unlock an armoury the size of Sellafield, Ubisoft reminded us how fun cheats can actually be, highlighted by this hoot in the original Far Cry for PC. If you’re bored enough to jump in a buggy and drive it somewhere really unsafe (some stairs, for instance) then a pig will trot along, jump in the buggy, reverse to the nearest road and park. If you were daft enough to get in his way, then no mercy was shown and the pig would run you over. Probably because your surname was Carver…

CAPTION: Die, pig! Swine’s shouldn’t command powerful 4X4’s, it just aint right…

—

SPOILER!

MIRROR’S EDGE – 360, PS3, PC

Don’t have the faith to get to the end? Read what happens here with a mirror…

Faith reaches the top of the Shard only to be confronted by Jackknife, who has handcuffed Kate. Explaining that Project Icarus is intended, by Callaghan to eliminate all the city’s runners, he boards the helicopter with Kate, mocking Faith. Faith charges at the helicopter and swings inside, kicking Jackknife to his doom. The helicopter starts to spin uncontrollably, throwing Kate onto the edge of the building, where Faith leaps out and catches her before she plummets to the ground. They both stand up and hug, looking into the sunset whilst a voiceover during the credits announces that both have gone missing and are now wanted criminals…

—

YOUTUBE SOLUTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnMRacUWmEU

DEAD SPACE: KILLING THE LEVIATHAN – 360
After papping our pants in fear on Dead Space, we headed straight over to Youtube to help us kill one of the most fearful beasties we’ve come across in ages. The Leviathan. Follow user SgtStrungOut as he stocks up his armoury and shows us how to kill this tentacle-limbed terror without running away like a space-suited chicken.

—

CONSOLETATION ZONE

GM – Coming to the aid of stuck gamers since 1993!

FALLOUT 3 – 360, PS3, PC

Hi GamesMaster,

I’m a bit bored traipsing around the wasteland in Fallout 3. My friend told me that there is a load of super sized mutants to hunt down and kill in game, is this true? Where can I find them?

Muhammad Baker, Leicester

Sure Muhammad, we can help. What you’re looking for are appalling monstrosities called Behemoths, it’s wise to get yourself at a very high level before taking them on. There’s five to be exact, their locations are:

Galaxy News Radio:

Quest related, it’ll crash through the wall as you enter the area.

Evergreen Mills:
By Vault 112, destroy the electric enclosure to make it escape.

Capitol Building:
Head in the West entrance and find an alternate route to the main room.

Takoma Industrial:
East of the GNR building, it’s hanging around by a bunch of crushed cars.

Jury Station:

Head out west to all the wrecked train cars and take the teddy bear from the trolley.

Our weapon of choice? The minigun. Good luck!

CAPTION: VATS life! Tackle these monsters with Fallout’s excellent combat options.

CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR – PS3, 360, PC

To GamesMaster,
Do you have a cheat/tricks for games ps3 call of duty world at war? If you have, plez tell me more. Thanx for the answer.
Jimmyen69, via email

Here’s a tip, Jimmy, learn the art of letter writing! We’ll be kind in this instance, and assume those pesky Nazi’s on World at War have turned your brain to mush. One funky tip we’ve come across is when you finish the main game, a new mode called Zombie mode, where you have to survive for as long as possible against a horde of rampaging zombie’s! Also, if you head over to the random weapon chest, a Ray gun will have lovingly been left within.

CAPTION: Feeling’ hot, hot, hot. There’ better ways to spend your holiday, you know…

GOT A PROBLEM? STUCK IN A GAME?
WE CAN HELP! EMAIL IT TO US AT GAMESMASTERTIPS@FUTURENET.CO.UK, SUBJECT CONSOLETATION OR WRITE TO CONSOLETATION ZONE, GAMESMASTER, 30 MONMOUTH STREET, BATH, BA1 2BW. IF WE CAN’T HELP – YOU’VE HAD IT!

We Really Love Games! – GamesMaster Magazine Issue 208

WE REALLY LOVE GAMES

YOU THOUGHT YOU LOVED GAMES? THESE FOLKS HAVE TAKEN IT ALL TOO FAR!

This month, Janis Stevenson’s lovingly crafted DS Gameboy pouches! Check them out at http://tinyurl.com/67clur.

GM: A Gameboy within a Gameboy. Genius! How did you come up with the idea?

I was brainstorming new pouch ideas and it just popped into my head. I started with the original and a customer gave me the idea for the colour.  The original is my personal favourite; I like that it could be mistaken for a real Gameboy!

GM: How long do these pouches take to make? Is it awkward?

Each pouch takes about an hour and a half total. Now that I’ve made around 300 pouches, the process is pretty streamlined and comes second nature to me. The hand sewing takes the most time and effort. Needle pricks and sore fingers are part of the job.

GM: Any other gaming goodness in your head? What are the plans for the next project?

The Wiimote is always in my head, but I haven’t worked that one out yet. I’d like to make a pouch for DS accessories and game cartridges. Maybe a Wiimote shaped cartridge case or a pouch that looks like the Gameboy advance could be next.

GM: Is pocket gaming your only passion?

I’m always finding something different to make. I love Halloween. Costumes, decorations, candy. It gets me in a lot of trouble! I always have time for Zelda, it seems like I’m always waiting for a new Zelda game to come out. They don’t make them fast enough.

GM: Finally, what are you up to at the moment?

I’m sewing everyday! Pouches aside, I am trying to finish a Megaman quilt that I started in February. It gets pushed to the back burner when I get swamped with orders, but I hope to have it done soon. I just beat Fable 2, I’m still working on the achievements, though.

GM: Thanks, Janis!

CAPTION: Hard working Janis makes them all the colours of the rainbow.

CAPTION: Gameboys through the ages. Which one would you rather play, though?

CAPTION: Janis, proving the best way to rest sewing pains is to play on your Gameboy!

REALLY LOVE GAMES?

Send us your pics to You Thought You Loved Games? GamesMaster, Future Publishing Ltd, 30 Monmouth St, Bath, BA1 2BW and you could be featured in the pages of GM!

Skate 2 Developer Interview: GamesMaster Magazine Issue 208

We want your job!
Pestering the jammiest jobsmiths in the business.

This month, we’ve got out our skateboards out in an effort to be cool, doing ollies and being all gnarly and everything. With this in mind, we talked to Simon Roper, who’s helping to make Skate 2.

01: Hi Simon, tell us about your role on Skate 2.

I work in various areas of the game with engineering. Right now my focus is with presentation as I’m the front-end lead on Skate 2.

02: Sounds tough! Tell us about your typical day at work.

Is there such a thing as a typical day? The work involved varies immensely over the course of the project; right now we’re at the end of Skate 2 and wrapping it up. Copious amounts of coffee, coding, emails and bug-fixing are the order of the day – it’s an intense part of the project but it’s fab seeing it all come together….

03: Tony Hawk has obviously dominated for so long, so Skate was a welcome surprise. How are you planning on moving skating forward?

With Skate 2, the game pushes the engine we created and improves every aspect of the original Skate. There’s double the bag of tricks, 60 FPS, more challenges, new modes and much more. What people can do on a skateboard in real-life is crazy enough, and the bar continues to be raised for what we can incorporate into a game.

04: Is a background in skating essential? Do you hang around skate parks and jot down notes?

Nope, never stood on a skateboard in my life! There are some incredibly dedicated and passionate people around the team whose life revolves around the sport and that’s the key on pushing the game in the right direction. If you stare hard enough you may see the odd skate pro walking through the office…

05: Lastly, any tips on sneaking into the gaming industry?

Passion and enthusiasm are key, as is a smattering of common sense. It’s pretty much the foundation upon which everything else feeds off. When I was younger back in the 8-bit era, I wrote to a few coders on some of the big titles back then and I actually got some replies. I was well chuffed and it inspired me to keep trying!

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

01: My St Paddy’s day hat – reminds me of enjoying the odd beer or twelve. I like my beer…

02: Coffee – I can’t live without it since moving out to Vancouver…

03: Danny Way Skateboard, signed by the maestro himself for working on the original Skate.

04: A random plant – I like to my bit for the environment here and there.

05: An oversized tennis ball. No idea why but its kinda fun.

CAPTION: THE WRITE STUFF. Simon’s advice? “There’s no harm in writing to a company or a person directly if you’re really keen. You never know what may happen…”