Rumors of Prey 2's demise may have been greatly exaggerated

When I first got an Xbox 360, one of the first games I played was the first-person shooter "Prey." The game followed Tommy, a Native American living on a reservation who gets abducted by aliens and must try and save the others abducted while escaping the alien ship. The game introduced unique methods of level interaction by playing with the gravity that many found to be innovative, though I don't remember being too impressed with those mechanics.

I did like "Prey" overall, though. It was a neat idea, its execution was great and even the strange Native American mysticism tie-in powers later in the game were a lot of fun. Even though "Prey" was released all the way back in 2006, info about a possible sequel began circulating last year. The info was surprising and not just because of the length of time that passed since "Prey" was initially released.

Though this info could have all changed by now, I'll relate a bit of what I can remember reading about "Prey 2" when it was first announced. The most important change is a new protagonist, Killian Samuels, is a US Marshall who is aboard a plane that crashes into the alien ship from the first game. I think this crash is even shown, or referenced, in "Prey" but I can't remember for sure. Jumping forward a few years, Killian is now a bounty hunter living on an alien planet, which is what the bulk of the game will revolve around.

The most interesting change in the sequel is the move to an open-world environment. Where the original title was a linear experience, "Prey 2" will allegedly follow Killian on his bounty hunting career through the city of Exodus. It was also rumored that this title would have a noir feel to it and would be reminiscent of the movie "Blade Runner."

While the rumored title sounded promising, it was allegedly shelved near the end of 2012 when it was removed from Bethesda's website. Bethesda claimed that the game was still in development and not officially cancelled, but didn't elaborate much more.

Earlier today, I saw a post on Joystiq.com (that you can read here) stating a rumor that "Prey 2" is still in the works and has changed developmental studios. It seems that Bethesda has removed original "Prey" dev Human Head Studios from "Prey 2," which could be seen as a bad sign. And you might think that...right until you find out the new, alleged, developer.

Arkane Studios, developer of the critically acclaimed title "Dishonored" is rumored to now be at the helm of "Prey 2." If true, this would be fantastic news. "Dishonored" proved that Arkane has an excellent handle on creating fully-realized worlds in an FPS format and would translate perfectly to "Prey 2." Given that the title has changed hands, it could be a long time before we actually get to see "Prey 2" in action, let alone get to play it ourselves.

Ever since I heard the initial rumors about "Prey 2" I've been intrigued by the title and the news that Arkane is now in charge of its development only makes it sound better and I sincerely hope this isn't the last we hear of this game.

Xbox One – New, slightly less bad info

But don’t be mistaken, it’s still looking pretty bad.

Report:No fee to play used games

Allegedly, the Xbox One will perform “regular online checks” to verify the authenticity and ownership of a particular disc. It was originally thought that Microsoft was trying to cut out third party retailers, like GameStop, who buy and sell used video game discs. Apparently, this isn’t the case. But only apparently.

The Xbox One – from the info released so far – will still rely on physical copies of games being purchased. Once you buy a game, a brand new game for the sake of this example, you need to install that game on your One. Once installed, you no longer need the disc to play said game.

Now if you were to sell said new game to GameStop, there is some system in place – that Microsoft hasn’t detailed – to revoke your access to said game (because remember, you don’t need the disc to play once it’s installed), possibly going so far as to delete it from your console themselves, as well as returning it to Free Agent status.

This is weird, though, because it essentially means that Microsoft (and maybe even retailers) are keeping track of what you buy and play and deciding whether or not you’re “allowed” to play a game that you have in your possession – whether you bought it new, used or borrowed it.

And though it’s not detailed in the article above, I’ve read that this whole convoluted system of buying physical media for a one-time install that still restricts how you can use what you’ve paid for with your own money is actually a way for MS and developers to get a slice of the used game market. Apparently (allegedly) used-game retailers will have to pay a fee to MS for every used game sold, because hey, look at that, it just so happens that Microsoft is putting a system in place to basically track every single copy of every game sold. So this means that used games for Xbox One will probably be more expensive, negating the entire reason to buy used.

So while it might not be an extra “fee” to play used games, MS is still very intent on getting a cut of the used game market, and this seems to be their strategy. It also brings me back to a point from my original Xbox One article – you won’t be able to share Xbox One games. Once a game is installed, it’s locked to your account/console/whatever. I borrow and lend games with my friends all the time. In high school, I can remember a time when I bought a game and a friend bought a game specifically so we could trade after we were done with them. But I’m almost positive this is an instance that doesn’t even register as an issue to Microsoft. Because why design your console and games for multiple people to use at once when you can make so much more money by forcing everyone to get their own.

Or, in the case of the Xbox One, lose a whole bunch of money from fans who don’t want to be spied on all the time. And no, I wasn’t talking about how the Kinect in constantly watching you. But now that you mention it…

The Kinect is always watching you. Even Germany says so.

In an article on Joystiq.com (via the German language news site Spiegel.de), apparently Germany’s federal commissioner for data protection and the freedom of information, Peter Schaar, has expressed concern over the Xbox One Kinect peripheral (which I guess isn’t technically a peripheral, since it will be packaged as standard with the One), calling it a “monitoring device.”

Even though my initial reactions from my Xbox One reveal article sounded pretty alarmist when it came to the Kinect’s functionality, it seems I wasn’t the only one to see the Kinect as the beginning of some Orwellian plot. In a quote translated by Google Translate from Joystiq, Schaar states, “Under the heading, 'game device,' Microsoft pushes a monitoring device in the market.  The Xbox continuously records all sorts of personal information about me: reaction rates, my learning or emotional states. These are then processed on an external server, and possibly even passed on to third parties. Whether they will ever deleted, the person can not influence.”

I’ll admit, outside of selling any gather information to some third party advertising company or whatever, Microsoft probably doesn’t have any (or many) sinister designs for the Xbox One. We’re most likely overreacting to the fact that the Kinect will always be on and processing information. But that doesn’t change the fact that some people (a lot of people, apparently) don’t like the idea that the Xbox One and Kinect even could be monitoring you at any given moment.

But regardless of what Microsoft is doing with any data gathered from the Kinect (or if it even does gather and store data on users), the fact that I’m buying a video camera to put in my personal space that is ALWAYS ON is just…unsettling. I never asked for something like that and I definitely don’t want something like that.

And short of Microsoft having the most amazing E3 lineup of games ever and also, somehow, totally assuaging all my anxieties about the Xbox One, I’m keeping my eyes on the Playstation 4.

 

Xbox One reveal in a word – underwhelming

Even though Sony announced the Playstation 4 weeks and week ago, Microsoft must not have felt very worried about the main competition. Why? Because rather than get their act together and reveal their own next-generation console around the same time, Microsoft decided to wait until May 21 to unveil the next Xbox. And so far, the overwhelming reaction from fans has not been positive.

On Tuesday, Microsoft finally revealed the Xbox One. Originally dubbed the Durango, Xbox One was given its name because Microsoft wants it to be an all-in-one entertainment device, one that is the center of your multimedia home set-up.  Along with a host of hardware upgrades, the One is also being packaged with an upgraded Kinect as a standard.

As I stated above, the internet did not react favorably to the Xbox One reveal. And I am among that crowd. But, in the interest of unbiased journalism, I’m going to relate the cold, hard facts of the reveal before editorializing. But be sure to stick around for those thoughts, you won’t want to miss them.

Xbox One - The facts

-Microsoft went out of its way at the Xbox One reveal to hammer home the point that the Xbox One is a new system, built from the ground up to be a completely different machine from the Xbox 360. This means a few things but mainly that nothing that works with the 360 will be compatible with the One. Games, controllers, headsets – nothing produced for the 360 will work with the One.

-The next most important thing to take away from the reveal is that every Xbox One will come packaged with a next-gen Kinect model. Apparently, the Kinect will be integral to the functionality of the One. So even if you haven’t bought a Kinect, don’t or didn’t want a Kinect, you’ll have to set one up anyway – a Kinect that will always be watching you (more on that later).

-And even though I’m not huge into discussing hardware specs, I’d be doing people a disservice by not relaying the pertinent specs of the Xbox One. The One (the system, not the Jet Li movie) will have 8GB DDR3 RAM, a built-in 500GB harddrive, a Blu-Ray drive, built in WiFi and a bunch of other numbers that I don’t know what they mean. Microsoft has also stated that The One will be relatively silent, which will be a big step up from the 360, which sounds like its constantly revving up to take flight.

-The Xbox Live online component will also, obviously, be making the leap to the Xbox One. It’s not going to be exactly the same as it exists today, but Live will obviously still be around. Gamerscores are allegedly going to transfer as well as profiles should transfer over.

-The bulk of the reveal was spent by Microsoft touting The One’s multimedia center capabilities. With The One, you’ll be able to watch TV, watch a movie, surf the internet, draft a fantasy football team, Skype with friends or play a game and instantly switch between multiple screens at once, via Kinect interactivity.

-Microsoft will be shipping a new, upgraded controller with The One. The new controller boasts over 40 (alleged) improvements, such as an improved d-pad, improved face buttons, new shoulder buttons and triggers as well as a manner of force feedback through the triggers.

-Then, near the end of the presentation, Microsoft finally mentioned video games. (Yes, during the reveal of their new video game console) Apparently, there will be 15 new IPs in the first year of The One, with 8 of those new titles being turned into new franchises. Only one of these games was actually announced, though, something called “Quantum Break” being developed by Remedy Games.  And beyond the name, I don’t think there was any info announced about the game, other than that it definitely wasn’t “Alan Wake 2” (because an announcement of that game actually would have excited people). They also announced that “Call of Duty: Ghosts” will, in fact, be on the Xbox One.

Above is an edited version of the Xbox One reveal, which is the way you heard it if you care about video games

Xbox One reveal – My thoughts

I…I just don’t know where to start. How could things have gone so wrong? I honestly don’t know where to start since the official One reveal could be described as anything from confusing to annoying to downright upsetting. And only very few fans on the internet seem to be pleased with what MS has presented so far.

My biggest gripe about the reveal – hardly any mention of games. As some have stated, perhaps MS wanted to use the reveal to talk about console specifics to a wider, more casual audience. Which, I suppose, is necessary in this day and age. It was the very first time they talked about the console so it’s obvious they wanted to get all the boring stuff out of the way. The thought on the internet is that MS saved the meatier subjects – games, specifically – for their E3 presentation.

But it wasn’t so much that they didn’t talk about the games as much as it was the tenor of the entire presentation. Judging from the reveal alone, MS wants the One to be of much broader use and not “just” a video game console. And though I don’t like the idea of MS not focusing on their core audience – gamers – I understand that they want their product to reach a wider audience. But their strategy for upcoming titles, the indy game market, the Arcade venue – none of it was even hinted at. It’s almost like it was the presentation of a new home theater system that, hey, also happens to play video games.

And hey, Microsoft, I don’t want a Kinect. I didn’t buy one when you released it for the 360. I don’t want one now, I don’t want one ever. But if I want to play the One, I’ll have to suck it up, right?

Because call me crazy, but I’m not keen on having a camera in my room that’s constantly watching me. Because, yes, it will constantly be watching you. Whether you’re sitting in front of it watching a movie, playing a game or on the couch doing things you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see, the Kinect will be watching. How do we know? Because Microsoft is trying to convince us that being able to walk into a room and say “Xbox on!” and have the One turn on is such an amazing feature (FINALLY, I don’t have to press a button to turn on my console), that I won’t realize that the Kinect is also always on, watching and waiting.

But the worst thing – out of a presentation filled with terribly disappointing news – to come out of the Xbox One reveal is that Microsoft is doing its damnedest to screw with the used game market. With the One, games will have a mandatory install and once installed, it’s tied to your console. For life. But don’t worry, because Microsoft has ambiguously stated that “they have a plan for the used game market.” (Sounds kinda like a mob boss dancing around the fact that he’s ordering a hit, doesn’t it?)

You have friends, right? And those friends play video games, yes? Do you ever borrow games from them? Sure, of course you do. And they borrow your games, right? Well, you won’t be doing any of that with the One. Seems that Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom, is implementing what is in essence a licensing system for your games, that you paid for with your money. With The One, when you purchase a new game, the first time you play that game on your One, it will be locked into your account. Once it’s tied to your account, a separate FEE will need to be paid to be able to play the game (that you already paid for once) on another console/account.

What does this mean? A whole host of things – none of them good. You won’t be able to share games with friends – you’ll need to pay Microsoft again for the right to play games you paid for once already. You won’t be able to resell games – once they’re connected to your account, you need to pay a fee to play it on another account. It also essentially means that the One, which Microsoft says isn’t always online, IS ACTUALLY ALWAYS ONLINE so it can always be checking to make sure that there isn’t some more money that can be fleeced from your pockets.

But wait, what was that? What does “always online” mean? Like, it’s always got its phone out, checking Facebook?

No, in terms of video games, always online is, in a sense, a form of Digital Rights Management or DRM. If a game is said to be “always online” it means you need a constant internet connection to play it. Even if you’re playing single player, for a portion of the game that doesn’t even have online capabilities. So, in terms of the One, it means that it will always be connected to the internet and if it is not, you won’t be able to use it. Simple as that.

Obviously, MS doesn’t want to say that this is just their form of DRM, because DRM is a scary and evil word in the video game world today. But if they say “it’s not always online, you just need a constant internet connection,” what in the world does that mean? Apparently the One only checks for an internet connection once a day. What happens if it doesn’t find one? Who knows, but if you want an idea, go ask anyone who bought Diablo 3 or the most recent SimCity what it’s like to play a game that’s “always online.”

But wait…there’s more. Practically every aspect of the reveal drew my ire.

-No backward compatibility means that my entire library will be obsolete after my current 360 inevitably breaks down for good. (It’s my third 360, for the record, which means that I’ve had to replaced my 360 far fewer times than many other gamers)

-A new controller is nice, I guess, but necessary? I love the 360 controller, it’s damn near perfect.

-Hey guys, don’t worry! The next Call of Duty game will totally be on the One! Because you were worried it wouldn’t be, right?

-A Halo TV show? Stop the presses! My prayers have been answered!

This has been pretty tough for me to write. I owned an original Xbox alongside my PS2 and opted for the 360 over the PS3. After the Xbox One reveal and seeing Microsoft’s strategy for the next generation of video game consoles as compared to Sony’s, the choice to me is clear. I’m going with the company that is focused on delivering a high-quality gaming experience. I’m going with Sony. When I want to Skype through my TV through a camera that’s always watching me through a video game console that doesn’t seem to be designed to play video games, I’ll consider a One.

Review: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - A neon soaked vision of the distant future of 2007

If you remember the 1980s, you’ll remember that its vision of the future was slightly different from the way it has turned out. Neon saturated everything and we seemed pretty sure that robots would eventually become a part of our daily lives – that is, if they didn’t rise up and overthrow humanity first.

Well, a time traveler from the 80s might be pretty disappointed at how bland the future is. Luckily for said time traveler, there is “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon” – a loving tribute to an antiquated idea of the future. But don’t be thrown by the term “antiquated,” because Blood Dragon is absolutely soaked in neon, robots, lasers and all the cheesy one-liners you would come to expect from a vision of the future from the 1980s.

“Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon” is a stand-alone spin-off of Ubisoft’s spectacular first-person shooter, “Far Cry 3” Though Blood Dragon shares the same engine and a vaguely similar setting, almost every other aspect of this title is different from Far Cry 3 proper. Also, Blood Dragon is a stand-alone title, not an expansion pack, so you don’t need to have played or own Far Cry 3 to enjoy this title.

An action game in every sense of the word, Blood Dragon stars cyborg super-soldier Sergeant Rex “Power” Colt. Set in the distant future of 2007, Colt and another soldier infiltrate the island compound of Colonel Sloan, a former military man who has lost it and threatens the world with an army of cyborgs and only Rex Colt can stop him. It’s the typical “one grizzled badass versus the world” scenario we saw played out countless times in movies in the 80s and 90s. But what makes Blood Dragon so special is that it genuinely feels like it could’ve been produced in that time period and isn’t just a collection of nods and references.

Though the final product might come off as pseudo-ironic, Blood Dragon sticks to its themes so closely and so well that its over-the-top grandeur is more charming than annoying. Every ounce of the game is slathered in shades of neon and a sweeping synth score accompanies everything from exploration to cutscenes. There’s even a montage late in the game! But perhaps the best part of Rex “Power” Colt is that veteran actor Michael Biehn lends his voice to the character, adding a depth and life to the character that no one else but Biehn could have pulled off. His voice acting will consistently put a smile on your face as he rattles off hilarious one-liners and references. For instance, the first time Rex picks up a powerful weapon, he shouts, “I’ve got the touch…I’ve got the power!” And just like any great example of 80s nostalgia, there’s a message underneath the neon sheen and retro style that believing in yourself is powerful enough to conquer anything.

To say that Blood Dragon doesn’t take itself too seriously in an understatement – it embraces its inherent cheesiness to the maximum and uses its setting and characters to lampoon popular action movies and stars. Video game tropes aren’t spared either, as Colt makes his views on tutorials and gathering collectibles very vocal over the course of the game.

If you’ve played Far Cry 3, you already have a pretty good idea of how Blood Dragon is played. After a linear introduction sequence, you’re free to explore the island, gather collectibles, clear out garrisoned strongholds as well as engage in story missions, which, like Far Cry 3, are more directed experiences. Though there is one major difference between Jason Brody and Rex Colt – Colt is a undeniably more badass than Brody. Aside from being a cyborg with incredible physical prowess (I don’t think I stepped foot in a jeep once – I just ran everywhere), Colt has access to much more powerful weaponry than Brody. Colt’s arsenal at first is fairly standard at first but eventually turns into full-blown sci-fi madness with laser guns and handheld miniguns.

Being that this title is only an Arcade game, many aspects of it have been streamlined from the original version of Far Cry 3. The map is smaller and there are fewer enemy outposts to take over. There are no more skill trees. While you do still gain XP (or as they’re called in this game, cyber points), each new level has a specific skill tied to it such as another health bar or a new ability.  Blood Dragon is a fairly short title, overall, but fun enough to be played multiple times.

For all that I loved about Blood Dragon, there were a few aspects that threw me a bit. Though I absolutely loved the style of the title, from the visuals to the incredible soundtrack, the cutscenes took me out of the action a bit. Instead of being rendered in-engine, the cutscenes were created to look like animated sequences from an 8-bit game. Rather than adding to the overall ambiance, the switches from 3D models to 8-bit cutscenes and back again is more jarring than anything else. What would have worked well, and even played along with the knowing cheesiness of Blood Dragon, would have been to do live-action cutscenes, the type that were popular in video games from the late 80s and early 90s.

On top of those odd switches, I found the game’s intro to be a very poor representation of the game as a whole. The opening segment of the game is incredibly linear and without any kind of framing, is both confusing and not much fun to play. Those unfamiliar with Far Cry 3 may even be so off-put by the opening sequence that they don’t bother to play the rest of the game. I played through the entirety of Far Cry 3 and the opening of Blood Dragon was so poorly put together that I almost put it down completely.

As you can see, “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon” is incredibly well-realized but isn’t without its flaws. The stunning visuals and synth-heavy soundtrack perfectly set the game apart from any other shooter on the market, but the overdose of neon and electronic music may be just a bit too much for some. The mechanics of the game work as flawlessly as they did in Far Cry 3 and are aided by the superb voice acting of Michael Biehn, though the overall game itself is a good deal shorter than Far Cry 3. But since Blood Dragon is an Arcade title, you can safely download a free demo and see if it’s the right game for you. But trust me, if you’re a fan of over-the-top action movies or pine for the simple, neon-coated days of the late 80s, Blood Dragon will be right up your alley.