Bulletstorm

   Recently, Epic Games released some information on how they developed Bulletstorm, a game that is soon to be released. Epic showed off their new technology which they claim can take one character model, and convincingly alter it to create hundreds of unique characters. But does it work? In a word, no. Yes, their technology allows them to change the character's equipment, (nothing new) alter their height, (nothing new) change the skin on the character, and modify the hair. (nothing new.) Basically the only thing that separates Epic Games new technology from every other character character creator out there is that it can modify the skin of the character. Epic games claims that what sets them apart is the ability to make the characters each look unique from each other, and make it so the player won't identify one with the other. Are they right? You be the judge.

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Killzone 3

   Killzone has been a fantastic series for the Playstation consoles. The first title of the series was a huge commercial success, and motivated many game developers to hop on the bandwagon, creating several installments. Unfortunately, the rest of the games haven't been as successful as the original. Killzone 2 sold 323,000 copies in the first 48 hours of its launch, and failed to meet expectations in March and April. By the Beginning of May, Killzone 2 had sold only 677,000 copies throughout the states, far below what was expected. The company made the mistake of trying to release their game around the same time as the latest installment in the Halo series. As a result, sales suffered miserably.

   Killzone was also released for the PSP. Fortunately, developers realized that having a single analog stick greatly reduced a player's ability to control their character from the first person perspective. Instead of trying to poorly make a game with a similar control layout to the console titles, Guerilla Games made a brilliant decision to make it a third person isometric shooter. This game proved to be really fun, but unfortunately was missing some promised features for the game that later required a patch. (The patch took up 10mb, which was huge considering that the largest memory stick sold with the PSP at the time was 32mb.) Killzone was the first isometric shooter for the PSP, and as a result, many people didn't know what to think about it. Rather than spending their money on a game type they had no experience with, many players chose to opt for simil FPSs such as Socom. Again, Killzone sales tanked.
   Now, with the upcoming release of Killzone 3, many are wondering if it will succeed, or if it will tank. However, the answer to this question is obvious. Killzone 3 will be a huge success. Even if it fails as a commercial title, speaking strictly from a design stand point, Killzone 3 looks unbelievably promising. Many think that it looks great because it features the best graphics of any FPS to date. Some think it will succeed because there are no other promising FPSs coming out in the near future. Some believe that because Guerilla games is so determined to make a successful game, they have dedicated themselves to developing Killzone 3. However, none of these are the reason Killzone 3 should be considered a success. Killzone 3 should be considered a success because it is the first FPS that was part of a series dedicated to hardcore gamers who have mastered the controls of a gamepad, and has transitioned to include motion control. Make no mistake: although there have been a few attempts at getting a hardcore gaming audience involved with motion controls, the audience has been overwhelmingly casual. Killzone 3 will change all of that. Killzone has paved a road that will encourage hardcore gamers to try the motion controls, and consequently, encourage developers to make games that are more immersive, getting players to go through the motions of their character. It will encourage nerds to get exercise, and it will help eliminate the stereotype that motion control games should never have a rating greater than "E." Even if Killzone sales are poor, it will show that its possible for a hardcore game to be made with motion controls. Directly, or indirectly, if hardcore games ever incorporate motion controls, it will be thanks in part to Killzone 3.

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