Tricky little bastards Epic Games and the folks responsible for New York Comic Con decided it would be a good idea to hold a session called "Gears of War 2." Featuring Epic Games President Mike Capps and Gears of War 2 writer, Josh Ortega, they were very clear about the session's contents once you found a seat -- there would be no new real details about Gears of War 2. Well then ...
I had other work to take care of that morning, so I took a pass on that particular panel. In a blog, Destructoid community member power-glove makes note of "one good thing" that came out of the event -- the role the game's antagonists, the Locusts, would play in the story of Gears of War 2.
"[The] story of Gears of War 2 [will] flesh out the Locust character's story and make them more than a group of grunting behemoths," power-glove writes in his community blog. The softer side of the Locust hordes, eh?
I strongly encouraged Phist, one member of Destructoid's talented art team (and designer of the Mr. Destructoid Bomberman Live character model), to attend the panel and report back to me. You can check his bitter ramblings on the session after the post.
Michael "Phist" Yi's take on the panel:
We get there 10 minutes early. Panel was running late (ten minutes), technical difficulties. They finally get some video going from a laptop. Huge letdown as everyone realizes it's the chainsaw battle teaser trailer. President(?) of Epic Games, a writer dude and a rep from NECA Toys run through intros. Epic Games guy warns that no new assets or vital points about Gears 2 would be released during the panel. I proceed to facepalm.
They talk a little about where the story would go in the sequel, very vague (more point-of-view on the Locusts side, mentions how Covenant storytelling is more prominent in Halo 2 and 3, blah blah). Writer guy (who writes for comics and games) talks about how he met Cliffy B and goes into early developmental stages of the writing for the game. A mention of "live cover" (organic, moving cover?) and also complaints about cover being too sticky in Gears 1 and new workings of that and other controls.
NECA guy goes into Gears 1 and 2 toy lines, mentions the headshot toy and how one of their sculptors came up with the idea. Between Xmas and New Years, he worked on a clay prototype. NECA people get excited, send a more polished rough draft to Epic Games and everyone is fapping together at this point, and decide to put it out as one of the pieces for the toy line. There will be some alternate color schemes for characters that differ from the game.
Panel now open to audience questions. Little kids and retards start asking very general and stupid questions. Epic Games guy said there would be no specific information about the game during the panel and yet everyone was asking about gameplay, bosses and story. He does mention that there would be some new info on multiplayer in May. The panel turned into a fanboy fapfest and then we decide to leave. I was so disappointed. Whoever decided to name the panel "Gears of War 2" needs to be fired.
Contest:
9:03 AM on 04.23.2008
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Or have I just completely missed something important and massive?
It sold more than Mario Galaxy.....so to awnser your last question YES!
Halo 3 7.62
Galaxy at 6.47 mil
Gears at 5.13 mil
I cannot wait.
Protagonists? Write much?
That would be a major twist if the Locusts become the heroes.
Anyway.
I think its lame that they're going through the process of humanizing the opposing faction. I've never played the game, but it feels so slathered on and by-the-book. Will you get to play as the locust in a "twist!" middle section? Ooo! how about an RTS where you can play as either side!? Hey even better: How about a GoW MMO?!! There are classes now: command, grunts, specialists, fringe resistance . . .
Pardon my morning sarcasm, but I think its a stupid direction to take the franchise in. I thought it was silly in Halo 2 and ridiculous in I Am Legend.
Give me StarShip Troopers anyday.
There has to be a reason, right?
->RJG: It's an awesome game, splitscreen coop was some of the most fun I've ever had gaming, and the cover mechanic and active reloads were brilliantly implemented. Also, chainsaw bayonets.
->EDS: Wasn't it at least implied at the end or something that the planet wasn't earth, and that the locust were there first or something? I don't really remember, though.
Yes, there has to be a reason. And I for one would love to find that out either through gameplay or cut-scenes.
I liked GoW, but I think the developers and writers are a bit immature. Just listen to the dialogue.
How many times can you say, "But, it's going to be more badass!" Ugh. Don't even get me started on Cliffy B too.
The whole covenant civil war thing was awful...
I in no way want games to be considered as a legitimate art form by anyone outside of the gaming community, so let's hope that games never progress past mindless action and boobies. Also, burn every game that has done that. For great retcon.
Stories must be taken out of games. Anything that makes you think on more than an instinctual level must be crushed in the field of video games.
Exactly.
If I start having to think about anything outside of which chick I'm about to go snog and which popped collar looks best with my haircut and which beer I'm chugging tonight, I may end up thinking about everything and when that happens I may become intelligent and do something worthwhile for the world.
We can't have this. End game stories now.
Maybe because i played killswitch the cover thing didn't seem so new and cool to me...
The gamespot review for that game says :
"The mechanics for ducking and getting behind cover are well done, and the premise is a good one. Unfortunately, that's all kill.switch really has going for it."
For me , i can apply the same to gears ( but adding that the graphics are amazing )
I can't get enough entertainment designed for me as a drooling moron.
now assuming you're being sarcastic . . .
We'll need desert with our vegetables. I'd like to think of Gears as a good gooey brownie with ice cream and hot chocolate. You star putting strawberries and apples on it, then next thing you know, it'll be a salad with chocolate shavings. All I wanted was desert here!
lol, locust/human kissing heh heh
I've been playing CIV4 recently. I really have no problem if we just take away from making superfluous graphics and invest the money in a better pursuit like the story.
So you're saying Gears is kinda like a one night stand? No substance but fun for 90 minutes?
I totally want a $60 dessert
I think its a great game, and the multiplayer was a blast.
Best game ever? no... but one not to miss for sure.
I am definitely looking forward to Gears2... And reading the teaser articles really make me want to stick Gears1 into the tray again.
Although, in reality, I'm too lazy to do something that rash.
Yep. High quality popcorn flick / action flick / not the girl you marry / simple desser treat
@Fiat
Same here on what you want. I love me some awesome narrative like COD or dynamic, self told storytelling like in the CIV games. But I think the "hey the enemy might not be so bad after all, huh guys?" thing is a little hokey at this point, if only because it been done so much lately.
I'm not at all suggesting that story-lines should be taken out of video games. I'm merely pointing out that many video game plots are quite sub-par.
Also, I don't really agree with your assertion that having a stellar story is an essential element of the future development of gameimg as an art form.
Games are by necessity an experiential medium. They have their own internal language, and I feel that attempting to apply borrowed literary conventions to them smacks of emulation and not inspiration.
Movies speak through images, literature speaks through words, and gameing should express itself in the psychological interaction between the player and the game. As cliched as it sounds, I feel that Ikaruga is the closest we've come to producing something artistic.
I really don't think gameing is anywhere near an "Art-form"- at least not yet. In the final analysis, just because we really enjoy something doesn't make it Art. We shouldn't have to justify our love for our favorite hobby by elevating the media to place it's not, yet, ready to go.
I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to make this post as long, and as off topic as it turned out.
Ugh... this process started when the fucking game came out. The story was there, the locusts have a reason for being on the planet and attacking the humans: it was their planet first. You don't have to know the story to play the game, but there is more depth to it than just "shoot the uglies". Lots of details were left out that I hope start getting filled in during the 2nd game. I know I'll be grabbing it the day it's released, and I don't think I'm in the minority by waiting in great anticipation. This franchise has staying power.
Gears 2... I hope it's fun enough to play through twice.
GoW rocked my world and convinced me to get a 360 ( along with a slew of other games off course but still... ) so I hope they don't dissapoint with this... ( or fry my xbox, it was allready pretty hot during regular GoW and this engine looks like its gonna analy rape the 360 :-)