2011 Video Games Conferance Thread

Subject: 2011 Video Games Conferance Thread Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:39 am

Since the offical realses date is still Spring 2011 i will put up in two diffrent part Spring and post spring

February- May Spring
Games Developer Confrence 28th Feb- 4th Mar
~~PAX East~~ ~~11th Mar- 13th~~
2011 London SWTOR Event 5th April

June- September Summer
E3 2011 7th June- 9th
Comic Con 2011 July 21st- 24th
gamescom 17th Aug- 21st
PAX Prime 26th Aug- 28th Aug

Links
GDC 2011
PAX East 2011
E3 2011
Comic Con 2011
gamescom
PAX Prime

Subject: Re: 2011 Video Games Conferance Thread Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:40 am

News Post

I will put importen news up in this post

GDC 11
Gamasutra
IGN

Subject: Re: 2011 Video Games Conferance Thread Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:48 pm

Gamasutra wrote:: GDC 2011: The Travails of Localizing Star Wars: The Old Republic
by Christian Nutt
2 comments
At GDC's Localization Summit, Gordon Walton and Ian Mitchell shared lessons learned localizing BioWare's RPGs and experiences gained by working on its in-development Star Wars MMO.

The Need for Localization, and How to Communicate It

Up until recently when he switched to Playdom, Gordon Walton was one of the studio directors of BioWare Austin, where The Old Republic is being developed and has been under localization during its development.

"Localization is essential. Are we still talking about this?" asked Walton.

"The chart on costs of making a game are going up and worldwide competition is increasing... At a hypercompetitive rate." Meanwhile, "the most expensive games are where we're seeing a down trend in the market," he said. "In the end, if we don't make money with games, people won't give us more money to make more games."

BioWare mandates a simultaneous ship for localized products despite the huge amounts of text and dialogue in its titles (Dragon Age Origins had 1 million words; Mass Effect 2 400,000.)

In the case of localization, which allows developers to reach wider audiences with their work, "for once the business people and game making people are in alignment," said Walton.

But "to make localization work, it has to be a reqirement that the team embraces. Which means that whenever you start building a game, in the very beginning you need to say which customers we're going to reach and how. If you don't do that at the beginning, you are doing it at the end, and what you end up with is a Frankenstein's Monster."

In Walton's view, "To make entertainment you have to suspend disbelief and to suspend disbelief you have to be seamless," and that is true also of localization. It's ougher than it looks, too: "Localization being done well is about every part of the team being involved."

Convincing staff can be tough, but "the smart people can get context... They want to know why the extra work they are going to do matters. You can give them that context: 'If I don't do that work we don't meet our goal of reaching the most possible people with a game they're really going to like.'"

Localization at BioWare

Ian Mitchell, a localization PM for BioWare, discussed how the company handles its complex, simultaneous-ship localizations.

"At BioWare, we really strive for sustainable localization, and that's really challenging," he said. However, "There is a big difference. It's a really good business practice that will make localization a really good return on your investment."

He noted that its games require a big time investment from players, and "you don't sit down and spend 60 hours playing a game that grates on you in terms of the VO or the text."

In his view, to succeed, you need a dedicated, "passionate and knowledgable" kocalization team, a committed development team who are accountable for the quality of the localization, and "efficient practices, processes, and tools."

Localization project managers at BioWare run educational sessions and seminars from staff, to "bring it up from the grassroots." Asset managers "find the assets to localize. Content creators don't always know what needs to be localized." QA is "integral" to localization, and marketing and PR need to be "experts who are dedicated to maintaining consistency between our products" and running effective community that matches the localized product.

"Excel sheets don't work for us very well because they're so big, so we have to build very robust processes," Mitchell said. "The more specific you are about your process, the better the tools you're going to get out of it. You're going to build a better GUI and better cinematics design tools if you're specific about what you need for localization up front."

"We have dedicated teams building our localization toolsets," he said. "I can't stress enough how important it is to have good tools. [If not], your process can't be facilitated and it makes it impossible" to get the development team to work with you.

The tools are built "to empower the localization team"; it's a cross-project tool suite because this "encourages reuse and helps sharing of knowledge" He describes BioWare's localization tools as "an organic construction of tools that build on one another."

Having localization built into development brings in "extra checks and balances," which "mitigates risk on high impact features... They get to make sure their features don't require refactoring or intense rework."

To get your company to embrace localization, said Mitchell, "have patience and think long term. Come up with committed ideas... Dedicate your time to teaching the development team about localization. Let them know your time is there for them as well. Get to know how they develop their features and content. Sit down with the guy who builds maps for your game and... get to know those tools. Being there and aiding them with that is invaluable. The greater you involve your dev team, the greater commitment you'll have from your team."   

At the end of the talk, Walton revealed that good localizations of BioWare games aren't cheap. "The number to do one more localization in The Old Republic is a 'make another game' number for most companies. It's a 7 digit number."

Gamasutra

Subject: Re: 2011 Video Games Conferance Thread Thu Mar 03, 2011 11:45 am

IGN wrote:: Bounty Hunting in Star Wars: The Old Republic
Life as a mercenary in BioWare's upcoming MMO.
March 3, 2011

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a kind of a big deal, as most that follow video games know at this point. It's the first massively multiplayer online game built by BioWare, and the next serious attempt after Star Wars: Galaxies to offer a persistent online world in the Star Wars universe. The game features fairly traditional MMO mechanics mixed with fully-voiced character interactions usually found in single-player role-playing games. The strong focus on story helps set apart The Old Republic from many other games in the genre, and I think it's safe to say there are a lot of people very curious about the impact it'll make when it's finally ready for launch.

While we wait, let's talk about bounty hunters. As one of the eight classes offered in The Old Republic, the Bounty Hunter class is available to those who choose to fight on the Empire side. BioWare writing director Daniel Erickson and principal lead combat designer Georg Zoeller offer more information.

IGN: How do you go about designing specific missions for the Bounty Hunter class? What types of objectives, goals and narrative framing is important to get right?

Erickson: The Bounty Hunter is his own man and always needs space to stretch out, so as much as possible missions take you into situations you won't see with other classes. Conflicts with authority figures on both sides, stand offs with other individualists, and, of course, the epic chase are all important parts of designing a Bounty Hunter story. For tone and texture we look a great deal at classic Westerns: a man, a gun and a world (galaxy) of trouble.

IGN: What does "Star Wars bounty hunter" mean to BioWare? The movies don't really get into it all that much, but the comics and extended fiction get into the idea of the Bounty Hunter's guild, and how that's a source of tension for certain Bounty Hunters in the future. Is that sort of political environment present for Bounty Hunters in The Old Republic?

Erickson: As an unknown Bounty Hunter, early in your career the galaxy is pretty open. As you become more famous there are several different interested groups that can make life interesting. The Mandalorians are an obvious one, but the Republic has their own secret band of Hunters as well and there are always those trying to organize by force or bribe.

IGN: Did you ever find that it was difficult to ally Bounty Hunters with a specific faction? Is there every any indication in the game as to why Bounty Hunters are allied with the Dark Side when really they're just entrepreneurs working for the highest bidder?

Erickson: Bounty Hunters in Star Wars will kill people for money. They'll capture innocent people for the right price and do all sorts of things that a modern democratic government would have problems associating with on a large scale. The Empire was just a much easier place to put them than the Republic would have been.

IGN: Besides the obvious Boba Fett, what other Star Wars Bounty Hunters did you draw upon for inspiration?

Erickson: Before originally planning the first chapter of the Bounty Hunter I read every Bounty Hunter comic and book I could get my hands on. Dengar is a particular favorite both for his complicated friendship with Boba Fett and his gritty, old cowboy attitude towards life.

IGN: Do NPCs in the world react differently to Bounty Hunters than they might other classes, and if so how? Do Bounty Hunters get unique options during conversations and what are they like?

Erickson: NPCs react differently to all classes and the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler most of all. As outsiders on their respective sides these are the people who get to shake things up and see their sides from another perspective. An Imperial officer that wouldn't dream of trying to strong arm a Sith will talk down to a Bounty Hunter, but an underworld contact might be far more likely to offer up information.

IGN: How early on in development was it decided that the Bounty Hunter should be included in the launch version of the game? Was there ever any debate about replacing the Bounty Hunter with another class?

Erickson: Bounty Hunter was in on day one and there has never been any thought of changing it. We just started with "Who do you want to be?" written on the white board. Obi-Wan, Luke, Qui-Gon, Darth Vader, the Emperor, Han Solo and Boba Fett were the clear leads and provided our first classes.

IGN: As development continues, would you be able to provide any details as to how the Bounty Hunter's changed? How have his primary skills evolved and what tend to be the most effective skills once a large amount has been unlocked?

Zoeller: Here are some examples of recent changes to the class: the introduction of the Bodyguard skillset which adds a healing and support role to the class [and] the addition of talent choices to create synergy between blasters and tech attacks. There aren't really 'most effective' skills for any class, as what is effective varies between encounters, different builds and whether or not you are in a group or not.

IGN: What are the signature skills?

Zoeller: The Mercenary Bounty Hunter focuses on missiles and staying at range from enemies. Devastating attacks like Heatseeker and Fusion Missile and Rail Shot make the Mercenary a sight to behold on the Battlefield. The Powertech Bounty Hunter specializes in flamethrowers and close range attacks. Attacks like Flame Burst, Flame Sweep as well as the jetpack-assisted Rocket Punch are some of the signature moves of this advanced class.

IGN: How does the Bounty Hunter compare to the classes available to Republic players? Is there a direct parallel class or does the Bounty Hunter have a style of its own and is there a gimmick for the Bounty Hunter the way there is with the Smuggler's cover system?

Zoeller: The Bounty Hunter's role for the Empire is similar to that of the Trooper on the Republic side. One could say that they are arch enemies. Within the class, the roles are divided as follows : the Mercenary advanced class can take the role of ranged damage dealer or healer [and] the Powertech advanced class can take the role of close range damage dealer or tank. The skill trees for these advanced classes offer various ways of sub-specializing these roles (e.g. burst vs. sustained kind of damage dealing roles, etc.)

IGN: What is the Bounty Hunter's resource that's drawn upon to activate special skills?

Zoeller : The Bounty Hunter is always trying to manage the heat generated by active armor and weapon systems. As abilities are used heat is generated that naturally dissipates over time, although in a non-linear fashion. Overheating shuts down access to the more powerful abilities, so proper heat management is vital for the skilled Bounty Hunter.

Not all of the Bounty Hunter's abilities are constrained by heat of course and there are some emergency abilities that allow quick venting of heat when needed.

Bounty Hunters are serious business.

IGN: What kind of companions will a bounty hunter be able to obtain?

Erickson: The Bounty Hunter has a very diverse group of companions. Not being part of any organized group, the Bounty Hunter picks people up along the way in all sorts of odd circumstances. Former targets, rivals and what is possibly the cutest Companion Character in BioWare history all show up to make an appearance. And no, I'm not talking about Mako.

IGN: What are the most suitable professions for a bounty hunter?

Zoeller: The answer is it depends. Does the Bounty Hunter want to craft blasters, personal armor, or other useful types of gear? Does the Bounty Hunter want to gather resources or run missions for his craft? Or does the Bounty Hunter want to forego crafting and sell gathered or mission rewarded resources to other players? The most suitable crew skills for a Bounty Hunter that wants to craft blasters or personal armor are the following:

Crafting:
Armstech – The ability to work with hard metals, alloys, and synthetic materials to craft blasters.
Armormech – The ability to work with hard metals and electronic shielding to construct all types of personal armor.

Gathering:
Scavenging – the art of recovering useful materials and parts from old or damaged technology. Scavenging provides crafting materials for Armstech and Armormech.

IGN

Subject: Re: 2011 Video Games Conferance Thread Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:42 am

SWTOR Stephen Reid wrote:: Hello to all my fellow countrymen in the UK...

We have a late-breaking, limited quantity, super exclusive community event for you to potentially attend. Read on for more information, and please pay attention to the details!

On Tuesday, April 5th at gamerbase, inside HMV at the Trocadero (near Piccadilly Circus, London - here's a Google Map) we'll be doing a ONE NIGHT ONLY community event where a limited number of Forum members will be able to play Star Wars: The Old Republic!

Entrance is free, but INVITES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED on a first-come, first-serve basis.

We will be holding two separate play sessions, at 7pm and 9pm, with gamerbase being cleared between each session to allow us to reset. Here's all you need to know:

WHAT: Play Star Wars: The Old Republic - Origin Worlds! Any class, either faction.

WHERE: gamerbase, inside HMV - Trocadero Centre, Coventry Street, London W1D 7DH

WHEN: Tuesday April 5th - 7pm and 9pm (two sessions)

WHO: Possibly you! Admittance is free, but you must be a member of these Forums and aged 18 or over to attend.

HOW:

Admittance to this event will strictly be by INVITE ONLY. If you do not have an invitation YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED. Invites are non-transferable and will be issued in your name. To get an invitation, here's what you need to do:

1) Send an email to bwacommunitysupport AT bioware.com with the subject line "SWTOR at Gamerbase Registration".

Click here to create an email in your default email program with that subject line.

2) In the email, include the following details:

- Your name as it appears on photo ID (eg driving license or passport; this will be checked at the event)
- Your Forums username
- Your age (YOU MUST BE OVER 18 TO ATTEND)
- Which session you wish to attend (7pm or 9pm)

If any of the details required are not included, you will not be eligible for selection. Please note we have a strictly limited number of seats available at gamerbase. This post will be updated once all applications have been received and we cannot take any more. We cannot guarantee your choice of session will be available. EA and gamerbase reserve the right to refuse admittance.

And now, a few FAQs I'm anticipating. If you have more questions, ask them below:

Will any developers be attending this event?

Yes, but we cannot confirm who at this time. I'll be there for the community team.

What can I play during the event?

You'll be able to pick from Republic and Empire factions, and play on the Origin Worlds with any character class you like. Please note, due to limited numbers we may not be able to guarantee you will play your preferred faction.

How long will I get to play?

Approximately an hour, depending on how long we take to seat people. We need reset time between sessions, so the first session will close at approximately 8:30pm.

Can I create my own character to play?

Sorry, but character creation will not be available during this event.

Can I film the event?

You may film the event itself, but you may not film the game screens.

I operate a fan site for The Old Republic. Am I allowed to attend?

Absolutely, as long as you secure one of the invites.

Can I talk about this event on the internet??

Absolutely! Tweet, post, blog, podcast - whatever you like.

Can I bring anyone else with me if they don't get to play?

No - because of capacity restrictions, entrance is strictly limited to those with an invite. Invites admit one person only.

I can't make it. Can I give my invite to a friend?

Unless your friend has your name, and looks identical to you in photo ID - no.

But I can't make it now, what do I do?

Check your invite email for details.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

Yes it is.

Why is this in London? I live far away and can't make it!

We're holding a press event at gamerbase, and this event is a happy bonus feature to that event. It's in London, so the event is in London.

Will you be exhibiting at [insert show name here]?

We're going to be exhibiting SWTOR at a variety of events across the world both pre and post-launch. Stay tuned to SWTOR.com for details as they're announced.

When will I know if I got an invite?

All invites should be sent out to those who received them by Thursday, March 31st.

SWTOR

» UPDATE: 5th. April 2011 - PAX East 2011 Highlight Video
» The Funny Star Wars Video Clip Thread
» Finding old games

BOUNTY HUNTER

MEDIUM (3 Required)

IMPERIAL AGENT

LOW (1 Required)

SITH INQUISITOR

LOW (1 Required)

SITH WARRIOR

FULL

Recruitment Thread
SWTOR Guild Page

E.P.O.C.H Wiki

SWTOR-RP-Wiki
SWTOR Wiki

SWTOR-Wikia

Wookieepedia

SW:TOR Roleplay

HeroMachine 2.5

E.P.O.C.H on Steam

Midnight Resistance

2011 Video Games Conferance Thread

BOUNTY HUNTER MEDIUM (3 Required) IMPERIAL AGENT LOW (1 Required) SITH INQUISITOR LOW (1 Required) SITH WARRIOR FULL

Recruitment Thread SWTOR Guild Page E.P.O.C.H Wiki SWTOR-RP-Wiki SWTOR Wiki SWTOR-Wikia Wookieepedia SW:TOR Roleplay HeroMachine 2.5 E.P.O.C.H on Steam Midnight Resistance

2011 Video Games Conferance Thread

BOUNTY HUNTER

MEDIUM (3 Required)

IMPERIAL AGENT

LOW (1 Required)

SITH INQUISITOR

LOW (1 Required)

SITH WARRIOR

FULL

Recruitment Thread
SWTOR Guild Page

E.P.O.C.H Wiki

SWTOR-RP-Wiki
SWTOR Wiki

SWTOR-Wikia

Wookieepedia

SW:TOR Roleplay

HeroMachine 2.5

E.P.O.C.H on Steam

Midnight Resistance