Guitar Hero III Developer Diary #2

...to the rock-ready final product. Hey, anyone got a light?

From a computer model...

Guitar Hero III Developer Diary #2. Sure, most rock clubs smell like a strange mixture of alcohol and body fluids, but as any fan can tell you, the right atmosphere can make a good concert great or turn a bad show into something you won't soon forget. The same goes for the virtual spaces you'll be rocking out in the upcoming Guitar Hero III. In our last developer diary, we got to learn about the process of transforming the music into guitar-shredding gameplay. This time around, two Neversoft venue artists--Jake Geiger and Ryan Magid--talk about what it takes to bring the rockin' dive bar from concept to (virtual) reality.
Rock This Joint
By Jake Geiger and Ryan Magid, Neversoft
Jake Geiger, venue art lead, and Ryan Magid, senior venue artist, here to tell you a little bit about the venue art that went into the latest version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
The Guitar Hero franchise has such a huge fan base already that you want to make a seamless transition into the next installment of the series. Thankfully, with a group of talented artists and wonderful programmers, we were able to exceed even what we thought was possible. We knew from the start that we wanted to keep with the general style and look of the previous games, but we wanted to add a certain spark to push the concept even further.

Typically, our process starts with a brainstorming session. The environment art team will get together and throw around ideas for venues. Some are good, and some are not so good. Once we have a good list of potential candidates, we'll head off and gather reference for each one of the ideas. After finding reference for each, we will usually meet again to whittle the list down more until we have the final list of venues that we want to have in the game.
Now is when the concept stage will begin. Our concept department will take the ideas and flesh them out into 2D concept paintings of each venue. Once the concept paintings have been approved, the venue moves into what we call the "pop up" stage. We call it that because once done, the venue resembles a large pop-up book.
At this stage, the concept drawings are taken, cut up, and placed into the 3D scene as rough draft of what the final 3D geometry will be like. This helps us to visualize placement and layout of stage props and gear so that the animation department can start to put in cameras, band members can be placed, and lightshows can be started. It also provides a general feel for what the final venue will be like.
Once the "pop up" has been approved and any logistical problems have been worked out, the venue moves into the final art stage. This is the time when all of the 2D pop-up elements are fleshed out and made into fully realized working stage props. Various scripts and animations are used to make them move and give life to the stage. Our concept team works hand in hand with the environment artists. Most objects will be broken down and the concept artists will paint textures for an object while the environment artists build it in 3D.

The goal is to make all of the geometry, textures, and lighting look as much like the approved concept work that was done in the initial planning stages as possible. In the end, we made a game that we are not only happy to have worked on but also love to play, and it takes lots of guys coming together at the same time to pull this off.

By Staff, GameSpot

MX vs. ATV Untamed Hands-On

MX vs. ATV Untamed Hands-On. Recently we brought you an exclusive first look at the next-generation versions of MX vs. ATV Untamed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game seems to be tracking well for Rainbow Studio's first next-generation MX title, with a raft of new features, tweaks, and in some cases, total rewrites in the form of AI and physics.
Untamed is an incredibly ambitious project, not only transitioning to more powerful console hardware from Microsoft and Sony, but also being developed for two handhelds and two other home consoles--the Wii and PlayStation 2--at the same time. Rather than offer a simple dumbed-down port of the top tier version, the four remaining games have been outsourced to other development teams. In the case of the Wii and PS2 versions, THQ studio Incinerator Studios has been given the nod to create the title. The studio is probably best known for their Cars game based on the Disney movie, and while they've made vehicular-based games before, MX vs. ATV swaps out cute for grunt.
Instead of being the same game as the Xbox 360 or PS3 version with a reworked control system, the Wii and PS2 versions offer a completely different gameplay experience. For a start, the heavy vehicles such as monster trucks and offroad buggies have been stripped out in favour of focusing on the core MX and ATV dynamic. In both versions of the game you'll be limited to 250cc, 550cc MX bikes, and a choice of four ATV quads. Given the generally harder nature of steering trucks, it makes a lot of sense to focus on smaller agile vehicles as you flail your arms. The Wii version uses the A button on the Wiimote to accelerate, and the analogue thumb stick on the nunchuck to steer your rider. After playing the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, the Wii game seems to be much less twitchy and as a result more forgiving when landing tricks. The Z button on the front of the nunchuck is used to engage the trick mode, and once activated simple hand gestures perform tricks like the Superman and Lazyboy.
The mini-game selection has also been changed, swapping out the 360 and PS3's section racing, graffiti, snake, tag, and hockey for more gesture friendly games like hill-climbing, gap jumping events, and our favourite, the downhill ski jump. The ski jump requires you to build up speed, drop onto the ramp, and perform your most insane trick combo in the air. The tough part is landing it, but if you can stick it clean, there's a second hill you can use for another crack at increasing your score.
The PS2 version of Untamed is a bit of an oddity, combining the interface and gameplay of the Wii title with the analogue control system of the Xbox 360 and PS3 games. Graphics are typical for a PS2 title, and the control pad actually makes pulling off the big combos slightly easier. We found we had more fine control than with the Wiimote since stunts only required a button press and the left thumb stick movement.
Both versions feature staples of the MX series, with clutching, power-slides, and pre-loading allowing you to get big air off the edge of jumps. Inside you'll find six series to play: supercross, nationals, opencross, supermoto, freestyle, and rally. Unfortunately there are none of those badass little 50cc minimoto races that seem perfect for the Wii audience. These are limited to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version.
Both games will include online multiplayer, with the PS2 offering six player online competitive racing, and Wii sneaking two more in per game for a total of 8. Both versions of the game are set to ship this holiday season.

By Dan Chiappini, GameSpot AU

NBA 2K8

Though he'd sometimes dribble the clock away last year, Kidd will get a shot up before time expires in this version.

Big Ben points out how many new game modes there are in NBA 2K8.

NBA 2K8.If you're a sports fan stuck with a PlayStation 2 as your only option, you're probably used to reading the phrase "it's the same as last year" with regard to this year's crop of sports games. If not, this should help--NBA 2K8 on the PlayStation 2 is basically the same as it was last year. It's a decent game, but none of the new features from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions made it to the PS2 edition, which is extremely disappointing.

There's no shortage of ways to stay busy in 2K8--there's just a shortage of new ways to stay busy. The series has had a street-ball component for a number of years, and it's back again. You can participate in full- or half-court games, one-on-one, and even 21 using real NBA players. The slam-dunk contest from the current generation is MIA. The street-ball mode is OK, but if you're looking for street ball there are much better games out there. In addition to that, you can create your own playoff scenarios. This option isn't all that useful or interesting, but it's worth mentioning because it's one of the only new features. Once again, the NBA 2K series sets the standard for online play. There's something for everyone to enjoy here. Hardcore fans can participate in an entire season, complete with online draft. You can create tournaments, as well as play ranked and unranked matches. We had some problems with drops and disconnects, but when we did get to play, the game ran smoothly.
The association is the bread and butter of the series. It's still the deepest basketball sim out there on the PS2, but not a whole lot has changed, and it's starting to feel a bit stale. The menus have been redone, but they are still a chore to navigate. A lot of the tasks aren't much fun either, such as scheduling practices and scouting future draft picks. All of these options may make it seem as if going through a season of the association is a lot of work, but the effect the options have on your team is minimal. It's possible to never schedule any practices and scout very little, and yet still do just fine. But you get what you put into the mode. If you really immerse yourself in the life of an NBA GM and coach, there's a lot to enjoy here. The new hoopcast simulator lets you monitor a game as it's simulated. You can watch text play-by-play, view team and player stats, check out a shot chart, and most importantly adjust team settings on the fly. Should you decide to worry only about the rigors of a single season, you can do that in the aptly named season mode.
Save for a few tweaks to the artificial intelligence and some new dunks, 2K8 performs just like its predecessor on the court. The games are generally up-tempo, and there's usually plenty of scoring. AI opponents are better about getting shots up before time expires, which will be a relief to anyone who watched it dribble out the clock instead of attempting a game-winning shot in 2K7. However, players still walk out of bounds and toss up shots from behind the backboard on occasion. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game have a significant problem with missed layups. It's an issue here, but to a lesser extent because characters are much more inclined to dunking the ball, even in situations where they probably couldn't dunk the ball in real life. Is it unrealistic? Yes. Is it better than missing an absurd amount of layups? Yes. Although it's good the PS2 version didn't inherit that "feature" from the current generation, it would have been nice if it had received at least something worthwhile. Neither the new dribble controls nor the defensive-lockdown feature made it over.

NBA 2K8 looks so similar to NBA 2K7 that you have to wonder if even the developer could tell the difference between screenshots from the two games. There are some new animations, and the signature-style moves look nice, but they're nowhere near as extensive as on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The frame rate is steady, which is impressive considering just how much is happening at once onscreen. Player models are still pretty good. They're all super-shiny during replays, but you can tell who most players are with little problem. The announcers do a nice job of calling the action, and they mix in a fair amount of game analysis as well. They do occasionally miss some big plays, and there are a few situations where you'll repeatedly hear the same call, but they're generally good.
If you own last year's game, and you're cool with dropping 30 dollars for what amounts to little more than a patch and some new rosters, you'll be reasonably satisfied with NBA 2K8. Just don't buy the game expecting any of the new features from the Xbox 360 and PS3--they aren't here.

By Aaron Thomas, GameSpot