Just found this game on gamespy and the trailer looks pretty damn cool.

http://www.prey.com

theres a trailer on the main page, but navigate to the bigger trailer in the media section. Looks pretty awesome to me.

I'm sold. Looks like it could be fun.

That thing screamed Doom 3 so much that I wasn't least bit surprised when I saw it on the features list.

---

''Everyone wades in s**t until they're competent enough to walk on it. Jesus style.''
Dystopia - Empires

It looks pretty average. I'm getting kind of sick of the overhaul on FPS' that are coming out now. I can understand some of them, since they are good and are very different games. Prey looks like Event Horizon, Doom 3, and Turok had an orgy. It also looks very uninspiring. There doesn't seem to be much originality, based on that video. I mean, the portal stuff looks cool ... but that would only go so far.

I suppose we'd have to wait and see!

But, the same thing happened with TimeShift. It's a really awesome concept and it has some really cool features ... but the game, as far as the demo let on, really fails to be ... good. Which is really sad, because it has some really cool aspect, like jumping through time.

I think, Prey is missing unique elements. I'd wait for a demo to make any real judgement, but it really doesn't look like anything fantastic ... or even good. Definitely not "I must have it now" type stuff. (However, 3D realms is an awesome development studio, so, who knows?)

[EDIT]
I watched some of the other videos. It actually looks really interesting. It looks really linear, which doesn't both me very much, but it also looks like the developers were trying a little too hard to make things f**ked up. (The spirit jumping through the kid causing her to zombify and murder the other kid by impaling him on a rail, for example)

There are some cool aspects, and the game looks much more smooth in the larger videos than the small video at the entrance of the site.

But, I'm not sure, the game looks really gimmicky. Like ... are the upside-down walkway absolutely imperative? The design really is odd, in that sense. It looks like that stuff was built for a player to run up on and kill enemies, not like it's suppose to be there, is what I'm getting at.

Not sure if the game is novelty or not, but it looks more interesting. Even if it is rather 'run of the mill'.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

I liked the upside down parts in AvP. Still I'm not a big fan of this game's style of art direction. Don't get me wrong graphics look spectacular. But the art direction reminds me of another Doom/Unreal hybrid.

As they say... 'the story is in the telling', and 'you can't judge a book by its cover'.

Yes, for all of the similarities that Prey has with other fps games visually, it also seems to be trying to innovate with gameplay mechanics - this gives me hope. A game can be somewhat generic on many levels (F.E.A.R), but still hit a homerun, if it A. know's where it wants to innovate B. really pulls it off (F.E.A.R)

When I watch the Prey videos, I look past the normal mapped, Doom'esque imagery, and see the cool stuff like -

• Spirit mode (dual states)

• Wall walking

• Spherical worlds

• Dynamic Gravity

... and from the looks of the videos, their seems to be a certain 'flair' to the execution that gives me hope that it won't be 'Doomed'. :razz:

You could be right Finger, but I must argue on the F.E.A.R. part. It
wasn't very different gameplay wise and it became repetitive quite
soon. Another office after another. Not very intresting. AvP 2 gave me
more kicks back when it was released than F.E.A.R., which was a great
dissappointment after all that hype...

The portals seemed fun though, but I've always hated that plastic feel
Doom 3 engine and other reatime lighted games have(previously mentioned
F.E.A.R. included), but time will tell what will come of this.

---

''Everyone wades in s**t until they're competent enough to walk on it. Jesus style.''
Dystopia - Empires

Environmentally FEAR was repetitive, but for me the moment action kicked off it felt fresh pretty much every time. My flatmate felt it was far too easy (though he didn't play all the way through) by just relying on the bullet time, but I always found myself trying to fight battles "cool", regardless of whether it was the smartest or easiest method. I was even putting my back to pillars and then spinning out from behind them the wrong way in some sort of gunplay role play, just because it felt more cool. The variety of melee moves might have been small, but the fact you had choices made the world of difference too - very few games let you feel as bad ass as sliding into a guy and sending him flying into his mate while in slow motion.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

Environmentally FEAR was repetitive, but for me the moment action kicked off it felt fresh pretty much every time. My flatmate felt it was far too easy (though he didn't play all the way through) by just relying on the bullet time, but I always found myself trying to fight battles "cool", regardless of whether it was the smartest or easiest method. I was even putting my back to pillars and then spinning out from behind them the wrong way in some sort of gunplay role play, just because it felt more cool. The variety of melee moves might have been small, but the fact you had choices made the world of difference too - very few games let you feel as bad ass as sliding into a guy and sending him flying into his mate while in slow motion.

I know exactly what you mean. Although I never played FEAR outside the demo it is Max Payne (2) that made me feel the same way. There were passages I finished unhurt and still hit the reload key just because I felt like I could do it again, just a bit cooler. Half-Life is different but because of all the options you have it too has those moments where you reload just to try out something different. I think that's what makes the real good FPS games... mmmmm

I think the multiplayer video looked kind of fun and intense, with all the wall walking.

---

What the Snarkpitters listen to!

I've seen the PC Gamer exclusive on that one. I damn hope this game turns out well, it'll be sure to pull the company out of all the muck about DN:Forever

Ya'll do realize that prey is develped by 3d Realms, the same people who are STILL working on Duke4ever. So you have to give them some credit for popping somthing out in these past ten years.

(note: Duke Nukem Manhatten project was not created by 3DRealms, only published, or whatever. Another company made it as a gift to promote the ten year aniversery of the origanal duke and 3d Realms recognized it as an Official Duke title.)

But still, all this footage is about 6 months old. --just so ya'll know. I think it ships some time soon.

The franchise is 3DRealms, but it's being developed here across town at Human Head (Rune, Dead Man's Hand).

Much in the same way Gray Matter did RTCW, we did Q4 and are doing the new Wolf, etc.

---

www.button-masher.net

New Wolf?

<3 Rune btw. and yeah.. really old. still, looks very interesting to me. I'm sure I'll end up playing it.

---

___My Site___ | www.leveldesign.nl

cant wait for this one..

---

f**k Fun maps!

I only watched half the trailer, but why does it always seem that games
nowadays always start out with "normal" situations going to hell in a
handbasket.

I only watched half the trailer, but why does it always seem that games
nowadays always start out with "normal" situations going to hell in a
handbasket.

Because, most recent games didn't get produced in the manner: Idea -> Development -> Game. They got produced in the manner: Graphics -> Devlopment -> Game -> Story -> Development Stage 2 -> Game Version 2.

A world filled with poorly written characters, plot holes, and probably spelling errors.

Where have you been anyways? (Besides the GrandPap thing)

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Looks fairly boring/run of the mill, no different to the uninspired bore fest of iD's standard fodder.

Hey guyz shiny space stations, dark corridors and big guns.

Fear was really repetitive environmentally, it just reduced the enjoyment of the game. Fair enough Doom 3 was fairly generic action but at least they took the time and effort to produce varied, detailed and interesting environments. The generic office/concrete tunnels in FEAR made what could have been a great game into a good game.

Oh yeah, and Prey looks cool :razz: .

---

Ham and Jam Contributor
http://www.hamandjam.org

'Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!'

Haven't felt really invigorated by an FPS since Half Life, TBH - very
few games have a real wow factor nowadays, and if they do they're
either on a console I don't own or they come out when I can't afford
them.

I'm not bitter, honest.

The last game I got wet over was Unreal 2. In fact, its the only game I have completed in .... Since Duke Nukem 3d. :eek:

No game has captured my attention really.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

The last game I got wet over was Unreal 2. In fact, its the only game I have completed in .... Since Duke Nukem 3d. :eek:
No game has captured my attention really.

Wow, not even HL2? It has a slightly more satisfying endgame than HL1. The better gravity gun is worth playing through the later levels.

"Finger" said:
When I watch the Prey videos, I look past the normal mapped, Doom'esque imagery, and see the cool stuff like -

• Spirit mode (dual states)

• Wall walking

• Spherical worlds

• Dynamic Gravity

... and from the looks of the videos, their seems to be a certain 'flair' to the execution that gives me hope that it won't be 'Doomed'.

I'd like to add to this list - Portals

I wasn't paying any attention to this game, since all I had seen before was generic Doom 3 style environments and mediocre-looking weapons. Seeing these newer trailers I think I'll be watching this one closely. I saw quite a few puzzles in these trailers, definitely a good thing. I also like the fact that there are huge monsters, It's always fun to blow away creatures many times your size. :smile: The developers seem to know what makes a game engaging. And the multiplayer looked pretty nuts.

Back to mediocre weapons... they seem to plague most shooters nowadays. The weapons in most games just don't "feel" right. I think too much priority is put on the "pretty" aspect, and not enough on solid animations and good sounds. If I don't feel like my gun can make bloody goo out of aliens it makes the game less fun IMO. Maybe my standards are too high though.

---

o

One part of gaming that I'd like to see return is teleporters that teleport the round you fired at the person escaping. To many times I missed a kill in HL because the RPG exploded on the wall behind the machine. :sad:

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

I can't figure out what you are talking about for the life of me, Orph :biggrin: Something about teleporters that teleport your bullets into the enemy? You seem to suggest its something that used to be in lots of games in the past but isn't now, so I'm not really sure if I'm getting you right because I don't really recall that. Also, whats this about RPG explosions "behind the machine" - what machine?

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

In Duke Nukem, you could fire an RPG round into a teleporter and it would vanish.

In Half-Life the RPG round continues on, even if it passes right through the teleporter.

In Duke, you couldn't dodge into a teleporter to escape. In HL you can.

Machine = general design of the teleporter. Be it just a pad, or an elaborate construction.

Anyway, I want a teleporter, that teleports anything that passes into it.

I have been up all of 30 minutes and you have been up for hours. Why are you the sleepy one? :wink:

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Q4 DM teleports projectiles. :smile:

As for Prey, the portals can have entire firefights going on straight through them, and I imagine in MP as well (they have the crazy wall walking and such in there, too).

Crono, I think you're being unfairly harsh on this one. :razz: Game has a fantastic premise that just happens to be paired with a pretty cool graphics engine and some great content. It's still a simple game at its core, sure, but so many of the best (Half-Life) are.

I think this game has the potential, key word "potential," to give that sort of classic Half-Life feeling. We'll see when it comes out, I guess, but I'm guessing this will be one of the best shooters of the last few years.

Oh, and Belg: Yes, new Wolf. http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/655/655726p1.html

---

www.button-masher.net

If I'm not mistaken, you can teleport barrels in HL2. I've thrown them into teleporters and had them explode at the destination several times. I cant recall about standard ammunition though.

On a side note, I just purchased "Computer Games" magazine yesterday,because the cover story was about Prey, and it looks awesome. There was also a sidebar about Duke Nukem Forever. Basically here are some quotes from 3d Realms George Broussard:

"We F***ed up" George Broussard says."Basically, we threw everything out and started again".

The first thing is that Duke Nukem Forever is well underway. "We've been Tech complete for a year".

The second thing is that 3D Realms trademark sense of humor is still intact."Duke is a mans man, He drinks, he smokes, he enjoys women."

"Every other game that comes out is World War II or dead serious.Duke is about being the ultimate alien ass kicker".

Theres some more about the technology, and a tech demo where Broussard gives Duke the interviewers e-mail address and Duke heads over to a computer, types and sends an e-mail, which the interviewer actually recieves on his home computer.

And the third thing is that interactivity is still a big part of what 3D Realms wants to accomplish."You should reward the player for playiong around with the world".

Thats it in a nutshell, no dates (of course) but actual recent proof that DNF is still alive.

KungFuSquirrel said:
Q4 DM teleports projectiles. :smile:

Great, now all I need is DSL and we're all set. :heee:

Great news there Juim. I just fear that Duke will be old, about 2 years before it hits the shelves. They have taken so long now that if its not at least the U2 engine, then it will most assuredly will be old.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

If it's an Unreal Engine 2.x based game, it's already old Orph :biggrin: If it's UE3 however, that's a different story.

Are they licensing an engine for it or developing one in-house? After all this time, I'd be inclined to hope it is the latter.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

I gotta say unreal 2 was quite an awesome looking graphics, and its older than HL2. Only downside is is the plot

---

I need a new sig

ReNo said:
If it's an Unreal Engine 2.x based game, it's already old Orph :biggrin:
.

True, but still serviceable. The U2 engine is hardly obsolete. But, originally it was supposed to be? The Q2 engine. Then they scrapped a nearly complete game for the U1 engine.. A step up to be sure but with its age, the U1 engine is obsolete now. I'd expect that simply upgrading to the U2 engine would be simpler than beginning from scratch again with the U3 engine... I doubt they can upgrade 2 whole engines with one step.

I'd settle for the U2 engine. Its still powerful as hell and runs smooth on almost any medium sized PC now.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Last I heard about DNF was that it was essentially just a collection of test levels, and that there wasn't really any game content. If that really was the case, then it will be quite some time before the game hits, and if it isn't gonna be in the shops until this time next year, it really won't be able to compete if it is using UE2.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting ReNo</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Last I heard about DNF was that it was essentially just a collection of test levels, and that there wasn't really any game content. If that really was the case, then it will be quite some time before the game hits, and if it isn't gonna be in the shops until this time next year, it really won't be able to compete if it is using UE2.</DIV></DIV>

Why?

Looks? U2 has graphics out the yin-yang.

I know that the U3 engine is going to whip its socks off but, the U3 engine will require another PC upgrade. U2 doesn't and it still looks modern enough to be counted as new.

Besides, people are still discovering HL1. How much older is that?

In the end, I don't think it will be graphics that sell Duke. It will be a combination of two elements.

1) Its been on the drawing board since before some of these kids were born. It will be bought for its legendary history.

2) Its content. Nothing beats Duke for originality and bravado.

Duke 3d set the standard to which many games were compared to for a long time.

[EDIT] Sorry, I dunno where that D stuff came from. My bad.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

What are you talking about with D2/D3? The Doom series? It doesn't sound like it, but thats normally what people refer to when using those terms.

Nothing beats Duke for originality

Bwahahahahahaha Maybe the bravado bit is true, but Duke isn't quite "steeped in originality" as far as I'm concerned.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

Crono, I think you're being unfairly harsh on this one. :razz: Game has a fantastic premise that just happens to be paired with a pretty cool graphics engine and some great content. It's still a simple game at its core, sure, but so many of the best (Half-Life) are.

I didn't say it was a bad thing, just unoriginal and plot-less (appearance so far)

I mean ... I love Far Cry and there's more plot in the games description than the actual game.

Half-Life, in general, feels larger than the plot you're shown in the games, just because, there's an obvious back-story (whether it's ever actually been developed or not) it feels like there's thought put into many aspects. I'm sure that's not true and it's all an illusion, but eh.

Plot-less games have their place. But seriously, this game does look a bit boring. The only thing that caught my interest was the dynamic gravity in that cube the player was standing in and shooting opposite sides to change gravity direction (and some of the portal stuff). I'm sure it's just that those videos don't show that much of the game, because being able to attack people from all directions is a cool idea.

MAN, D and D2 were awesome games. (I'm not talking about Doom here)

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

ReNo said:
Bwahahahahahaha Maybe the bravado bit is true, but Duke isn't quite "steeped in originality" as far as I'm concerned.

Hold on a sec. We're talking about a game over a decade old now? Or nearly so.

Up to that time, no game came close to Dukes simulated 3d environment. It also had a character all its own. Show me one game up to that time that Duke resembled?

Duke was original at that time.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

I agree U2 does look good, and some of the maps in UT2004 in particular are really beautiful. But if DNF comes out on the U2 engine AFTER there have been games released on the U3 engine, it's NOT going to look "new" - it's gonna look like a game that's been in development for 10 years only to come out as a sorry second-rate game using old tech. Saying that people are still discovering HL1 isn't relevant in the slightest either - people discover old games all the time, but that doesn't mean that if they were to hit retail now they would be regarded as good.

Duke Nukem was fairly original at the time, but you said "Nothing beats Duke for originality...", and that is a whole different kettle of fish. Katamari Damacy, Jet Set Radio, Parappa The Rapper - those and many more are far more original games than a standard fare FPS featuring some bad-ass talkin' action hero.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

Hmm.. I will lay you odds. No matter what engine they use, DNF will sell record numbers.

I personally do not see them remaking the game for a 4th time, just to use the U3 engine... Its taken years just to get..... Well no place.

I just don't see them wasting more time on another engine. Its simply not economical.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

hmm, I think you guys aren't watching the latest videos. :smile: Ones on the prey site look like older stuff.

Check out the 'super trailer' (http://www.fileshack.com/file.x?fid=8691) and latest gameplay video (http://www.fileshack.com/file.x?fid=8715); there's a lot of really impressive stuff.

---

www.button-masher.net

The fact the game still exists isn't economical, yet somehow it still does Orph :smile:

Anyway, I think our argument is a moot point anyway, as I don't see any reason why it would be a UE2 game, so we're debating something that most likely won't even occur.

What do you mean by record numbers though? Are you talking actual records, or just using it as a figure of speech? I'm inclined to think it will sell well, if only because people will want to see what the hell took them so long, but whether or not it becomes a record breaker will be down to quality. I think it will need to be one hell of a record breaker if it's gonna recoup all the development costs though :biggrin:

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

I doubt that its possible to recoup losses incurred but, companies like the one producing DNF hardly depend on the sales or losses of one game to measure "Profits"

DNF will prolly never regain its investment dollars but, then again, games/prices/sales are higher now than they were in the 90's. Its conceivable that they might break even.

You also know as well as I that sales depend on hype, as much as content quality.

I doubt seriously that your average Joe is interested as much in DNF quality as its legend. Everyone is going to want bragging rights to their copy of a legend. Duke may not be the stuff of legends, but the game sure is.

As for the moot discussion over its engine use, I am willing to put that on hold, but I bet its going to be U2 not U3. There is simply no profit in delaying a total revamp yet again.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

I'm convinced it will be a proprietary engine personally, but hey, who knows eh? :smile:

Games companies rely on sales from a single game more than you know - development studios normally only work on one title at a time and if it flops, that can spell disaster. You any idea how many development studios close down a year? It's ridiculous, and really rather terrifying :sad: It may not be so bad for the publisher who has a portfolio of games out per year, but developers spending a couple of years on a project (typically) only to end up not breaking even often end up disbanding.

Game prices might have risen a bit over the years, but then so have development costs. Dev teams are typically 50-100 people large these days, so a 2 year project costs a lot in staff payroll and other overheads (eg. the big bloody office!). Then of course there is licensing the tech (eg. UE3, Havok, Speedtree, Renderware) and tools. After a 10 year development cycle, I find it pretty hard to believe that DNF will make a penny for 3D Realms.

I think your average joe doesn't even know Duke Nukem Forever exists, and as such will judge it on the marketing it recieves. Its the hardcore - the people "into" PC gaming in a big way - that will buy it regardless for it's history.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

Games are a bit cheaper now than they were in the 90s ... the 90s was the only decade that had games on average costing well over $70. (MKII was $80, I remember) When the N64 and PSX were introduced games started going down in price, then back up where everything sort of leveled off at $50. It's stayed that way for awhile now, except now they're getting cheaper, new games on average cost about $40 now. Which isn't too bad.

There's also plenty of good titles for $20 and Special Editions for over $60. It's much more diverse than it was.

Also, a PC gaming maket didn't really take hold until late 90s. So, maybe you're talking about the bargain bins at EggHead software where you could buy Duke Nukem 2 for $3. Then get home and not be able to play it because you had a Low Desnity Floppy Drive. Dammit, I hated second hand computers when I was younger.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Except for xbox 360 games, which on average are $120 AU, breaching the magic $100 mark. The only main stream game (that I can remember) to do this in the past has been Enter the Matrix, which was $110. We might see a trend in games increasing in price, at least for the latest consoles.

---

Ham and Jam Contributor
http://www.hamandjam.org

'Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!'

I personally think this game looks awsome! I mean it looks so big and vast esspecially in that part were you are flying around. Besides I love alien races that inslave and conqure other races, why do you think I love the Irkens so much.

---

Yes I spell bad, but remimber Mighty are the stupid.

Check out my drawings at http://half-dude.deviantart.com/

Indeed AS, 70 bucks before taxes here. THe newest releases on PC
games are only 60, and then usually drop to 50 after a few weeks.

Except for xbox 360 games, which on average are $120 AU, breaching the magic $100 mark. The only main stream game (that I can remember) to do this in the past has been Enter the Matrix, which was $110. We might see a trend in games increasing in price, at least for the latest consoles.

Most 360 games here are $50-$60 USD

All prices I mention are USD, also, if there was any confusion there for anyone.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Wow, thats fairly cheap! 360 games in high street shops are ?40-50 in the UK at the moment. I remember a lot of N64 games came out at ?50 quite some time ago, so it doesn't seem a horrendous price to charge in my opinion. There are exceptions though, some games just don't justify the price tag, particularly ports of games that are already budget on other platforms (eg. Gun, Burnout Revenge). At least FFXI has the decency to come out at a reasonable price ?30 for the game with all 3 addon packs and a free month? However you might feel about FFXI going to the 360, you can't grumble at the price!

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

I guess we do have it good :smile:

Most games are seriously like $40 here. 360 is just new, I'm sure the prices will go down. I know used 360 games were like $30 and stuff the week the damn thing came out. (Saw CoD2 and Gun a couple times used)

The used prices were from a (now non-existant ) local game shop. Which had beautiful prices. They didn't price gouge.

Just a note, I looked it up and most 360 games are actually $60 new. But that's still far cheaper than the conversion. 50 pounds ~= $92 USD, for anyone too oblivious to look it up. (and $110 AU ~= $84 USD)

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.