Sega Reveals "Condemned" for Xbox 2 & PS3

[nixts]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but Condemned is the cover feature in next month's Game Informer. The game will be a survival horror title similar to Resident Evil and will be available at launch for Xbox 2.

The real meat of the feature however is the Xbox 2 + PS3 tidbits. The game is being developed by Monolith and they reveal some differences between the Xbox 2 and PS3 development kits. For example;

Development times will be shorter for Xbox 2 because Microsoft has implemented new design and certification tools into development kits.

Monolith describes the development process for Xbox 2 as easier than PlayStation 2 or GameCube, and only slightly more difficult than the current generation Xbox.

[nixts]

I don't have a scanner, so here's one quick pic from the mag. (My crappy digicam)

http://members.aol.com/nixts/conx.jpg

[zewone]

Even from that pic you can tell the game is gonna look great.

[smellhasreturned]

looks pretty cool

[EnderBui]

I would still play RE4 over that any day.

[Astinus Majere]

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/4187/condemned16id.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/3936/condemned26de.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/9189/condemned35lm.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/8687/condemned49oz.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/6087/condemned56af.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/331/condemned62iz.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/7735/condemned76aj.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/9522/condemned87ut.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/8923/condemned92mq.jpg

http://img94.exs.cx/img94/7613/condemned108zj.jpg

taken from GameFAQ's

[Snake2715]

This is looking good. I hope sega really delivers in the next generation.

[CaseyRyback]

as cool as this game looks, Monolith need to get cracking on Cate Archer's next adventure

[MegaMan3k]

Holy... crap...

This game looks amazing.

Edit: I've loved almost all of Monolith's games, as well.

[repetske]

I would still play RE4 over that any day.

Sweep the leg Johnny!

[alongx]

Until they announce a new Panzer Dragoon, or a Shining Force that doesn't suck, Sega means nothing to me.

[lionheart4life]

Wow, even if this game sucks imagine how other games will look.

[EnderBui]

I would still play RE4 over that any day.

Sweep the leg Johnny!
*Me sweeps someone's leg and gets yelled at.

[SEGA128DC]

Well, Condemned looks really good, I hope it turns out to be a great survival horror game from Sega...:D

[XboxMaster]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but Condemned is the cover feature in next month's Game Informer. The game will be a survival horror title similar to Resident Evil and will be available at launch for Xbox 2.

The real meat of the feature however is the Xbox 2 + PS3 tidbits. The game is being developed by Monolith and they reveal some differences between the Xbox 2 and PS3 development kits. For example;

Development times will be shorter for Xbox 2 because Microsoft has implemented new design and certification tools into development kits.

Monolith describes the development process for Xbox 2 as easier than PlayStation 2 or GameCube, and only slightly more difficult than the current generation Xbox.


I remember XBN (RIP) was talking about this new system of development tools Microsoft planned to promote for the next console generation. Can anyone remember what they called it?

[FriskyTanuki]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but Condemned is the cover feature in next month's Game Informer. The game will be a survival horror title similar to Resident Evil and will be available at launch for Xbox 2.

The real meat of the feature however is the Xbox 2 + PS3 tidbits. The game is being developed by Monolith and they reveal some differences between the Xbox 2 and PS3 development kits. For example;

Development times will be shorter for Xbox 2 because Microsoft has implemented new design and certification tools into development kits.

Monolith describes the development process for Xbox 2 as easier than PlayStation 2 or GameCube, and only slightly more difficult than the current generation Xbox.


I remember XBN (RIP) was talking about this new system of development tools Microsoft planned to promote for the next console generation. Can anyone remember what they called it?

XNA

[ryanbph]

I am excited about the possibilities of xna, and what it will allow developers to do

[Kaijufan]

I am excited about the possibilities of xna, and what it will allow developers to do
It would also be great if XNA makes Xbox 2 games easer and faster to develop, which could keep retail prices at about what they cost now.

[Jrunt20x]

I have a major problem. I know these games look great. But how will they play, condemned . Godfather etc. I am just not impressed. The visuals look amazing but is it worth the money on a new system just to have better graphics. I want new gameplay, not new graphics.

[cheapass Gundam]

Sega + hordes of undead = jolly good time!

[zewone]

I have a major problem. I know these games look great. But how will they play, condemned . Godfather etc. I am just not impressed. The visuals look amazing but is it worth the money on a new system just to have better graphics. I want new gameplay, not new graphics.

Well, we can't tell how they play until we play them ourselves. So the best we can do is stare at the purrdy pictures. :D

[epobirs]

I have a major problem. I know these games look great. But how will they play, condemned . Godfather etc. I am just not impressed. The visuals look amazing but is it worth the money on a new system just to have better graphics. I want new gameplay, not new graphics.

Increased graphics horsepower and sophistication has always lead to new and better gameplay in the past there is no reason to expect it to stop anytime soon. We've come along way from the days when acquiring a hammer meant your sprite was shown holding up a hammer as big as it was, then to 3D objects that were crude but at three dimensional even if the proportions and color were still odd since had to stand out as a usable object. The world would still sparsely populated since every distinct object added to the processing load. Now we're heading into a generation where scenes look believably comparable to real life and the world has a realistic amount of clutter even though most of the objects may be meaningless other than their ability to be thrown at zombies.

[scdoanintendo]

So since the xbox 2 is being released first this time around will the next PS and GC have better graphics than the xbox 2?

[Dr Mario Kart]

So since the xbox 2 is being released first this time around will the next PS and GC have better graphics than the xbox 2?

yes

[Ugamer_X]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

[Jrunt20x]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Well, I have to disagree. I think they look amazing. I'm concerned with jumping the gun on a new console. Should we really drop 300+ on new hardware to get the same experience with better graphics. I know better technology gives chances for better gameplay but it's up to the devs. to do it. And I don't seen any integrity,

[DrunkTigerWoods]

Looks amazing but I wont be buying a new system til all 3 are out so I can compare.

[Scorch]

And just think - this is a LAUNCH title. (I doubt it'll actually be out when the system launches though) - this is the first result, the earliest test of the hardware. Can you imagine it in three years, after people get the hang of the development tools!?

[EvilAkana]

Those screens are AMAZING. I cannot wait to see it in action!

[kaji7p56]

I have a major problem. I know these games look great. But how will they play, condemned . Godfather etc. I am just not impressed. The visuals look amazing but is it worth the money on a new system just to have better graphics. I want new gameplay, not new graphics.

Increased graphics horsepower and sophistication has always lead to new and better gameplay in the past there is no reason to expect it to stop anytime soon. We've come along way from the days when acquiring a hammer meant your sprite was shown holding up a hammer as big as it was, then to 3D objects that were crude but at three dimensional even if the proportions and color were still odd since had to stand out as a usable object. The world would still sparsely populated since every distinct object added to the processing load. Now we're heading into a generation where scenes look believably comparable to real life and the world has a realistic amount of clutter even though most of the objects may be meaningless other than their ability to be thrown at zombies.

I agree. It would be cool if they made fully destructable environments. Instead of looking for a key, you blast the door open with a grenade. If there's a wall in your way, then plant some explosives (and not at pre-determined points like in MGS, but anywhere and anytime). More horsepower in a system could make the gaming experience great, but who knows if it will happen soon. RE4 is a good start, but FAR from realistic.

[epobirs]

So since the xbox 2 is being released first this time around will the next PS and GC have better graphics than the xbox 2?

Of course, but that hasn't hurt Sony any, you may have noticed.

The PS2's dominance comes from much more than having the most powerful box of the moment. If it were otherwise the Xbox would long since have taken over, but Sony had many other areas of execution to help maintain their lead after the GameCube and Xbox launched.

Microsoft has a big opportunity here if they execute well. Some of the approaches Sega and nintendo attempted had great merit but the products and companies were saddled with too many negatives for their positives to win out. Microsoft has a chance to make it work. The first Xbox was a rushed product and this made it pretty much impossible to really go head to head with Sony. The second generation has much more planning behind and the chance to build on a now established brand.

Sega and Nintendo both tried to emphasize low cost of entry, both coming in $100 lower than the PS2 launch price. Sega's Dreamcast was heavily subsidized but Sega simply was in too precarious a position to survive the capital outlay that required. Nintendo, OTOH, swears they've never sold for a significant loss but this meant giving up features that would made their GameCube more competitive. Microsoft can strike a happy medium. They can readily afford to subsidize a console at a low price point and in the process not sacrifice major features. Establishing the maximum installed base before Sony can launch PS3 is critical and low cost of entry is a major bit of leverage for reducing consumer resistance in the face of a Sony hype campaign.

Online support. Sega's was premature for console gamers in what was still primarily a dial-up world and Nintendo still doesn't get it. It doesn't matter if online players are a subset of the market. Many game genres are niche markets but their addition to a system's library is still valued. A well implemented feature has positive value even among consumer who don't expect to use it. Consider the number of SUVs that will never touch an unpaved road.

Microsoft's online functionality is well established. If Xbox Live accounts seamlessly transfer to the new machine and at least one good XBL game is available within two months of launch, they have that base covered.

The objective isn't to have the most powerful console but the most popular one. Microsoft can do that if they get the formula right.

[epobirs]

And just think - this is a LAUNCH title. (I doubt it'll actually be out when the system launches though) - this is the first result, the earliest test of the hardware. Can you imagine it in three years, after people get the hang of the development tools!?

It's possible they can make the date. The primary platform here is a PC with a DirectX9 class video card. When the first Xbox launched most developers weren't in the position to take good advantage of it since DX8 and the introduction of hardware pixel and vertex shaders to the consumer market was still quite new on the PC side. The XGPU was an extension of the first DX8 part on the market, the GeForce 3.

DX9 is a huge leap in power and complexity over DX8 but the PC world has had the better part of two years to get their feet wet and assemble their tools. If XNA delivers on its promise to make DirectX systems easier to exploit and reduce cross-platform issues, it could make a big difference for the launch titles. It will certainly be the first make or break test.

It may not compare all that well to much later Xbox 2 games but those aren't the competition. It has to stand against the existing systems and cause consumers to invoke the fecal deity. In other words, make them say, "Holy shit! I have to have this!" Putting DX9 games in a $200-$300 box has a good shot at that. The difference is much greater than, for instance, that between the Dreamcast and Playstation 1.

[Snake2715]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Its not a PC title PC's always always lead the way in graphics dept.

I had played stuff a few years before Xbox that looked better. The thing is consoles are more accessable. And therefore more people think its the best out there. Mainly because to keep a PC up you need 500+ every 6 months.

[Snake2715]

So since the xbox 2 is being released first this time around will the next PS and GC have better graphics than the xbox 2?

Of course, but that hasn't hurt Sony any, you may have noticed.

The PS2's dominance comes from much more than having the most powerful box of the moment. If it were otherwise the Xbox would long since have taken over, but Sony had many other areas of execution to help maintain their lead after the GameCube and Xbox launched.

Microsoft has a big opportunity here if they execute well. Some of the approaches Sega and nintendo attempted had great merit but the products and companies were saddled with too many negatives for their positives to win out. Microsoft has a chance to make it work. The first Xbox was a rushed product and this made it pretty much impossible to really go head to head with Sony. The second generation has much more planning behind and the chance to build on a now established brand.

Sega and Nintendo both tried to emphasize low cost of entry, both coming in $100 lower than the PS2 launch price. Sega's Dreamcast was heavily subsidized but Sega simply was in too precarious a position to survive the capital outlay that required. Nintendo, OTOH, swears they've never sold for a significant loss but this meant giving up features that would made their GameCube more competitive. Microsoft can strike a happy medium. They can readily afford to subsidize a console at a low price point and in the process not sacrifice major features. Establishing the maximum installed base before Sony can launch PS3 is critical and low cost of entry is a major bit of leverage for reducing consumer resistance in the face of a Sony hype campaign.

Online support. Sega's was premature for console gamers in what was still primarily a dial-up world and Nintendo still doesn't get it. It doesn't matter if online players are a subset of the market. Many game genres are niche markets but their addition to a system's library is still valued. A well implemented feature has positive value even among consumer who don't expect to use it. Consider the number of SUVs that will never touch an unpaved road.

Microsoft's online functionality is well established. If Xbox Live accounts seamlessly transfer to the new machine and at least one good XBL game is available within two months of launch, they have that base covered.

The objective isn't to have the most powerful console but the most popular one. Microsoft can do that if they get the formula right.

Great points.!

[evilmax17]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Yeah, I'm not impressed. Granted, PC games usually look better than console games, but these shots don't even look that much better than current Xbox games. Yeah, they look a LITTLE better. But thing of the jump from Nes->Genesis/SNES, from Genesis/SNES->PSX/Saturn, PSX/Saturn->PS2/GCN/XBox/DC. These were all HUGE differences, differences that left you breathless.

These screens don't leave me breathless, they're just marginally better than the current generation.

[dafoomie]

So since the xbox 2 is being released first this time around will the next PS and GC have better graphics than the xbox 2?

yes
Not necessarily. Xbox 2 will launch, at most, 3 to 6 months before PS3 does in Japan. Xbox launched over 18 months after PS2 did. Xbox 2 is scheduled for Q4 05, PS3 is scheduled for Q1 06 in Japan.

Xbox 2 will be very easy to program for, with their toolkits. PS3 and the Cell processor will be insanely hard to program for. But don't take any screenshots for Xbox 2 at face value, they're probably just prerendered and not running on any hardware at all.

Even if PS3 is a lot more powerful, it will take years to get to that level. Not to bash the PS3, I'm planning on owning both consoles.

[dafoomie]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Yeah, I'm not impressed. Granted, PC games usually look better than console games, but these shots don't even look that much better than current Xbox games. Yeah, they look a LITTLE better. But thing of the jump from Nes->Genesis/SNES, from Genesis/SNES->PSX/Saturn, PSX/Saturn->PS2/GCN/XBox/DC. These were all HUGE differences, differences that left you breathless.

These screens don't leave me breathless, they're just marginally better than the current generation.
PS2 didn't look any better than Dreamcast at launch, and for the most part, for a year afterwards. I don't expect to be blown away by the new consoles immediately either. But in time, they'll get to a point where its clearly on another level.

[jennie25]

Even from that pic you can tell the game is gonna look great.

I don't care if it looks great, and isn't fun and plays like crap

[Grave_Addiction]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Yeah, I'm not impressed. Granted, PC games usually look better than console games, but these shots don't even look that much better than current Xbox games. Yeah, they look a LITTLE better. But thing of the jump from Nes->Genesis/SNES, from Genesis/SNES->PSX/Saturn, PSX/Saturn->PS2/GCN/XBox/DC. These were all HUGE differences, differences that left you breathless.

These screens don't leave me breathless, they're just marginally better than the current generation.
PS2 didn't look any better than Dreamcast at launch, and for the most part, for a year afterwards. I don't expect to be blown away by the new consoles immediately either. But in time, they'll get to a point where its clearly on another level.

True. I would have loved to see what some DC games would look like now if companies were still developing games for it.

[epobirs]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Its not a PC title PC's always always lead the way in graphics dept.

I had played stuff a few years before Xbox that looked better. The thing is consoles are more accessable. And therefore more people think its the best out there. Mainly because to keep a PC up you need 500+ every 6 months.

But it is a PC title. The article plainly indicates that.

But that's fine. The DX9 GPU is a major, major advancement to the graphic capabilites of PCs. Having it well established in PC game development will be of great benefit to developers getting up to speed on a new platform using the same API suite and a collection of tools intended to promote crossplatform use of those APIs. It doesn't bother me a bit if the Xbox 2 contains no radically new technology. I just want what is already on the shelf for PCs at a very low price point standardized across millions of units so developers are free to exploit it fully.

[MorPhiend]

I have a major problem. I know these games look great. But how will they play, condemned . Godfather etc. I am just not impressed. The visuals look amazing but is it worth the money on a new system just to have better graphics. I want new gameplay, not new graphics.

Buy a Revolution. :D

[onetrackmind]

Man that looks awesome, such a cocktease though

[MorPhiend]

Am I the only one not very impressed by these screens? Maybe it's the scans but I'll be more satisfied when I see the game in motion. It just doesn't look all that much better (if at all) when compared to some recently released PC titles.

Yeah, I'm not impressed. Granted, PC games usually look better than console games, but these shots don't even look that much better than current Xbox games. Yeah, they look a LITTLE better. But thing of the jump from Nes->Genesis/SNES, from Genesis/SNES->PSX/Saturn, PSX/Saturn->PS2/GCN/XBox/DC. These were all HUGE differences, differences that left you breathless.

These screens don't leave me breathless, they're just marginally better than the current generation.
PS2 didn't look any better than Dreamcast at launch, and for the most part, for a year afterwards. I don't expect to be blown away by the new consoles immediately either. But in time, they'll get to a point where its clearly on another level.

Of course there was no huge change. DC is this generation. It was just the first out of the gates. He was talking about the difference from one generation to another. And as good as the N64 looked, it was nothing compared to the DC.