Urban Crime, Gameloft’s latest underworld action-fest, has landed on the iOS platform. The free-to-play sandbox title features plenty of vehicles to jack and enemies to plug with hot slogs. We spoke with Edouard Vitroly, product manager for Gameloft about the new crime title.

iOS games are becoming deeper, more graphically intense affairs. Which hardware does Urban Crime support?

Urban Crime certainly requires a certain level of performance from the device its played on. The most recent hardware to of appeared on the market fits the game perfectly (e.g. new devices such as the iPad2 and iPhone 4/4s), but the game also supports less powerful hardware including the iPhone 3Gs, iPad 1 and iPod Touch 3.

Urban Crime is a spin-off of Gangstar: Miami Vindication. How exactly are the two titles tied together?

As a spin-off, does use the same city & overall atmosphere, but the story itself is different. In Urban Crime you’re embodying a young gangster who has just arrived in Miami. And since Johnny Gainesville (the main character of Gangstar: Miami Vindication) took off, he’s left two massive gangs on the brink of a war over who will replace him. It’s now YOUR duty to make sure your gang not only survives, but rises to the top and claims the seat of power Johnny left behind.

Another major difference between Gangstar: Miami Vindication and Urban Crime is the missions. Urban Crime was actually created to target a new audience through series of missions developed to help introduce new and more casual players to a Gangstar-like experience.

How does Urban Crime separate itself from Gangstar in terms of themes or gameplay mechanics? Also,Urban Crime has gone the freemium model. Could you explain what exactly is free to play and what will cost gamers money?

Overall, players will see that we have simplified the gameplay by shortening the missions in order to adapt to a more casual audience. As the free-to-play model is also linked to the target, it will allow a lot of people to get into the game. The general idea is to give the possibility to play at your own pace. While you have enough energy to play 5 missions every day for free, you can also advance faster by purchasing additional energy packs. Not to mention, you also have exclusive items (e.g. helicopter or boats) that are un-lockable with real money. Although it’s important to note that while items are fun, they are NOT mandatory to finish the missions.

Now, that model has seen success in the free-to-play PC game space, but how has it fared for Gameloft? And now that Grand Theft Auto III has come to mobile devices, where does a game like Urban Crime fit into the market? Urban Crime, after all, owes its existence to the mega-popular GTA brand.

For Gameloft, freemium is viewed as a channel for which to reach new audiences. While we’ve found more avid mobile gamers committed to paymium titles and the experiences they offer, one can’t deny the mass market appeal of the free-to-play business model. In this case, we think that the Gangstar-type games we were creating could potentially resonate amongst a larger audience than the ones we were previously reaching. Thus, by simplifying the gameplay and adding in a freemium component, we thought we could broaden our reach and provide an attractive gaming experience for the more casual-type of mobile gamer.

For us we view this as something that is by no means intended for those who are loyal to the Gangstar franchise, but rather a more introductory version for those who have yet to experience or commit to our paymium titles (i.e. Gangstar: Rio, Gangstar: Miami Vindication, etc.)

I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Barnholt face to face, but we’ve dialogued via Google+, which lead to this very interview. In it, we discuss SCROLL, his new print-on-demand video game publication, the PS Vita, and the Nintendo Wii U. I also give Ray the ol’ desert island console question, which doesn’t quite hold the same weight an age of digital downloads.

Tell us a bit about your latest venture, SCROLL. What inspired you to dive into the world of print-on-demand video game writing as opposed to taking the content online?

The short answer is I got laid off, and I wanted somewhere new to write about the game stuff I like. More specifically, when I saw print-on-demand sites like Blurb and MagCloud, it seemed like a fun way to realize an idea I had kicking around for a while. I always liked magazines and their design, and felt like merging that with the kind of games I liked, which no one else rarely wrote or read about anyway. I could have easily posted it all on a site, but then it wouldn’t be as fun and challenging as marrying the writing with a real print layout. So with the zero-overhead of the on-demand sites and a little preexisting knowledge of InDesign, I was able to make it happen, so here we are.

Do you think there’s a market for print-on-demand publications when gamers can jump online from a PC, Mac, iPad, or cell phone and get information for free? I’m really impressed by publications that provide well-researched, well-written articles that aren’t created simply to rank highly in Google News.

No, not really. Not when the prices are so high. Print-on-demand is mainly priced by page count, and though MagCloud or Blurb may use nice paper and bindings, not many people are going to bite unless the content justifies the price (or they’re already a fan of yours). In my case, that’s why I think selling a PDF version is important in providing both a way to read SCROLL inexpensively and on a tablet, and why I try to make the writing and design of it be something you wouldn’t feel too bad spending around $15 on if you wanted to get a nice physical, archival copy.

SCROLL, Ray Barnholt's print-on-demand publication.

I consider you to be one of gaming’s top pens when it comes to placing games within their proper historic context. As such, allow me to ask you this: What do you consider the most influential games of all time? Maybe not your personal favorites, but those that have forever changed this industry.

A lot of trends and things we enjoy in games today can be sourced from the early computer RPGs. Certainly Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy came from those and gave us that whole Japanese wave, but I’m talking about stuff like open worlds, metagames, MMOs and social games, even basics like leveling up — Call of Duty, hello — there’s a lot that still has bits of DNA of Wizardry and Ultima in it.

Now for for you—the desert island question. You’re stranded with one console—what would it be?

This question is too easy with all the downloadable stuff, y’know! I’d go with a launch PS3 that never breaks. Pretty much every PS1, PS2 and PS3 game worth caring about all on one unit.

At the time of this interview, the PS Vita was recently released in Japan with less than stellar sales. Many proclaim that mobile games are strangling the portable space. Is that so? Or is it destiny that every gaming handheld crumbles before Nintendo’s portables?

The big barrier in the Vita’s way is itself, just like with the PSP. We’re essentially repeating 2005, where the handheld with the specs that leapfrog everything else is going to get a lot of hype but eventually contend with a narrow section of gamers. That said, Sony didn’t make the Vita to see how much it would sell in a month, and it is a great improvement on the PSP that already has a promising lineup of games. The only difference from 2005 is that cell phones are better, and though the surge of iOS and Android is very real, it’s also terribly overblown, because Sony and Nintendo aren’t going to pack up and submerge for a couple years; they’re going to keep selling their systems until the next ones come out, and on the bright side for them, there will always be boatloads of 8-19 year-old boys who will think iPhone games are for babies.

The Wii U is 2012’s other big hardware release. What are your thoughts on what’s been revealed so far? And do you have any faith that Nintendo can nail an online component? Rumor has it that EA Origin will power it…

It’s cool; I’ll buy one! The possibility of playing a console game without needing the TV is pretty neat, especially if you’re a kid in a one-TV family. I do wonder if the graphics are going to be considered “last-gen” once the next Xbox or PlayStation is out. As for online, I don’t know, and I don’t worry about it. Nintendo always marches to the beat of their own drum, and even if they do the best online service that they’ve ever done, it still won’t shut anyone up. All I need are fun games.

The X to the Z held down Monster Cable’s “Monster Game” area by bringing his passion and energy to a demo starring the company’s gaming-centric cans, the Monster Game T1. Featuring 40mm drivers, noise-isolating ear cups, and a sexy LED “Light Drive System” that gives it Tron-like appeal, the $349 gaming headset packs a wallop both in terms of audio and visual aesthetic.

But, really, you’d rather have X give you the rundown, yes?

Hit that play, button, G.

Tekken Series Director Katsuhiro Harada and Tekken Game Designer Michael Murray chat it up with 2D-X about, well, Tekken in an exclusive interview record at New York Comic Con 2011! This is one sure to raise the ire of long-time Tekken players when it comes to the future of certain series characters.

[Despite being a 2D game with one foot firmly planted in the games of yesteryear, Klei Entertainment's Shank was a breath of fresh air when it hit PC, PSN, and XBLA in 2010. It brought hardcore brawling action back to the gaming forefront in a way that hadn't been seen since Final Fight and Streets of Rage's glory years. Klei Entertainment's CEO Jamie Cheng spoke to us his upcoming brawler, Shank 2. Here's the interview.]

Shank, for many of us who grew up on the 8 and 16-bit beat em ups, was a throwback game that featured a slick modern touch–the result was remarkably fresh. What new features can Shank fans expect in Shank 2?

Honestly, it’s pretty hard to list them all, but here are a few fun ones: combat is far more smooth and responsive, Shank can now perform counter-moves on enemies and pick up their weapons, far improved visual fidelity, environments are way richer, new weapons and moves, and a totally new Survival Mode for players to play with their friends online.

Two player co-op in the original Shank felt like it was tacked on. Will there be a more robust two player option in Shank 2? Can a pair of buddies co-op the entire game?

Many of our fans told us they loved the co-op experience, but felt it ended too quickly. We still have a dedicated single player story mode, and instead of doing the same thing this time around for co-op, we created a brand new Survival Mode, where you cooperate with a friend to defend wave after wave of enemies. It’s also online-enabled, which was probably the most requested feature for Shank 1.

We created this mode because as players and fans we wanted to be able to have a replayable game mode that we can play with friends. We certainly didn’t want to create an online-enabled co-op mode that you could blow through then never play again. Expect to see multiple maps, tons of different enemies, an in-game purchase system to buy items to help you survive, and mechanics that force you to help each other. It’s a blast.

Storywise, where does Shank 2 fall in relation to the original?

The story continues immediately after the original — after Shank takes his revenge, he goes home, and… well I guess you’ll have to see!

How long was Shank 2 in development? Did you have an idea for a sequel planned when you were creating the original?

Shank’s been in development for over a year now. Honestly, we didn’t plan on a sequel during development of the original, but we did want to see Shank live on someday.

In terms of the creative team, is it mostly the same folks that worked on the original?

Klei is definitely still the same core team, and we’ve also added some talent to our studio. We certainly didn’t want to lose the learnings that we had on the original!

Shank was incredibly fun, but very linear. Will Shank 2 feature branching paths or secret areas?

Thanks! Shank is a proud, traditional beat-em-up, and so I wouldn’t go in expecting Metroid, but we’ve added some fun secrets to find and a ton more unlockable content.

Are weapons acquired in the same fashion, by defeating bosses?

This time around, Shank has allies. The rebel group is seen through the campaign, and they provide your weaponry.

Does Shank 2 feature mostly foot-based combat, or will players be able to hop into vehicles?

Nope — no vehicles battles. Just plain-old-fashioned on-the-ground stabbing.

[Contributor John de Large, the big boss at New Game Plus, drops by to share an interview that he conducted with Ryota Niitsuma, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3's producer. Make sure to check out New Game Plus for more video game coverage!]

JDL: Out of all the new characters, which one are you most excited about?

Niitsuma-san: Out of all the characters we’ve talked about here at Comic Con, the one that’s generating the most buzz is Phoenix Wright. People are really excited for him and they really like how he turned out. As for the dev team, it was pretty hard to get him to work just right in a fighting game, but I feel like we did a really good job with him!

JDL: Who was the most requested character to be added into Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3?

Niitsuma-san: While there were many requests and lots of input, it was difficult to attend to each request and make everyone happy, but a lot of people were clamoring for Phoenix Wright, he was the definite fan favorite by a mile. We also got a lot of requests for different style characters and requests for more power-based characters like Sentinel. Since so many people wanted another powerful character to play with, we ended up giving Nemesis that kind of style. In fact, we had wanted to include Nemesis in the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but we had some issues with his appearance and some of his initial moves, so he ended up not making the cut the first time around.

JDL: We’ve heard X-Factor is going to be modified: what can the fans expect from X-Factor this time around? Also, what was the motivation behind the decision to change X-Factor? Was it solely motivated by fan demand or was it a dev team decision?

Niitsuma-san: To answer the second question — a little bit of both. The changes that were made to X-Factor were partially motivated by fan demand to tone things down, but it was also a bit of a decision that came from the dev team too. As for the X-Factor itself, we’ve made some major tweaks, it won’t be as powerful, but players can activate it in mid-air and they’ll be able to use it in more diverse ways.

JDL: This may be sort of a cultural question more than anything, but was there ever a character requested whose appeal you didn’t understand?

Niitsuma-san: Not really, a lot of the characters considered are fan favorites after all, so there were no surprises. We were always able to go “Ah, I see this character’s appeal,” or “I can see how someone might like him or her.” The team was really accepting of every idea and really tried to understand things from the fans perspective.

JDL: What were the challenges that were encountered developing Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3?

Niitsuma-san: Besides the diificulty with getting Phoenix Wright just right for a fighting game there were some complications with deadlines. Marvel was a little more specific this time around with what they wanted. They gave us a list and we kind of couldn’t deviate from things too much. So I guess you could say that trying to meet deadlines and keep them happy was a little tougher this time around.

JDL: I read that you really liked Rival Schools/Project Justice and that you really wanted characters from that franchise in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Are there characters from other franchises you would’ve liked to include?

Niitsuma-san: I really wish we could’ve gotten more characters from the Darkstalkers series into Marvel/Ultimate Marvel, but I suppose there’s enough characters from Darkstalkers already in Ultimate Marvel, huh?

JDL: This next question is more of a personal question, one I’ve been wanting to ask since the very first day I started covering Marvel vs. Capcom 3: where’s Juggernaut?

Niitsuma-san: (laughs) Actually, we wanted Juggernaut in the games, too, but he wasn’t at the top of Marvel’s priority list, unfortunately. I really like Juggernaut. As we mentioned before, people had asked for more power based characters (which he is) and he’s popular in Japan too, so I think he would’ve been a great addition to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

JDL: Last question: What would you like to say to the fans?

Niitsuma-san: We’ve got new characters, we’ve made some changes that gamers are going to like and we’ve fine tuned the network to make a memorable game that everyone’s really going to like!

image courtesy http://tdar.wikia.com/wiki/Seth_Killian

When it comes to fighting games, few men know are as knowledgable as Capcom’s Seth Killian–which is why 2D-X News Editors Avion Foster-Jarvis and Eric Guzman arranged a meeting with him at New York Comic Con. The three men chatted about the intricacies of the Street Fighter X Tekken Gem System and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3‘s Heroes and Heralds mode.

Mr. Killian was more than happy to provide insight on the upcoming fighting games, and even told our reporters what he likes to play in his own free time. Check out the 2D-X Seth Killian audio interview.

Green Lantern/Green Arrow#76 (April 70'). Cover by Neal Adams.

Every industry has its legends. For music, they were artists like the Beatles, Elvis and Johnny Cash. For movies, they were greats like Marlon Brando, Jimmy  Stewart, and Katharine Hepburn. Even sports had its share of Mickey Mantle’s and Babe Ruth’s.

But few legends have reached as broad an audience as those from the comic book industry. Their names may not make the headlines as often as Charlie Sheen, but their contributions to society are far more substantial. Men like Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel who created an icon that reminds us of truth, justice and the American way during times when we forget. Bob Kane, who showed us that being a hero doesn’t always require super powers.

The list goes on. But why should we care?

Well, whether you’re lurking in the shadows of Arkham Asylum on the Xbox or web-swinging through shattered dimensions on a PS3, every detail of your journey is inspired by the works of these brilliant artists and writers. Their contributions to the fictional world of super-powered aliens and mutants have redefined our culture – bringing the impossible close enough to feel within reach but just far enough to keep us dreaming.

That’s why we sat down with Neal Adams – a veritable legend in the comic book universe – to discuss these characters, the future of gaming and its relation to the industry he’s helped shape for the last 50 years.

You can read a very small portion of the conversation below or click the links below to listen to the full interview containing Neal’s view on everything from superhero movies to digital comics. Enjoy!

Part 1, Part 2

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tom:

I read you’re from New York originally. Did you grow up here your whole life?

Neal:

Uh no, I’ve been around. My father was in the army. We were what are called army brats and so when I was a kid I moved around to different places on the East coast of North America and in Germany for a year and nine months. And where I learned, everybody had an accent. See what happened was they’d ship you to Europe because you’re a part of the Army of Occupation.

I was part of the Army of Occupation in Germany. Shooting down Nazis? No.

Original Art by Neal Adams

Part of the Army of Occupation is, America made a very big effort in Japan and in Germany to build up those countries so that they didn’t come and shoot the shit out from under us again. And so the Army of Occupation really was bent on seeing that the surviving Germans, at least in Germany and in Japan, got to live real lives and got their economy back on its feet and bought products… even if we bought them on the black market, they got their economy moving. They gave jobs to people as soon as possible, began reconstructing. So, I was in the middle of probably the most incredible time in history in Germany where the country was being rebuilt by the enemy…

(On arcades becoming popular during the late 70′s and whether games were only for kids)

Neal:

…It became part of the culture. Anybody who says “no” is out of their minds. And anybody who says it was just for kids, out of their minds. Totally out of their minds. It was for Dad. Maybe not for Mom. I don’t know for Mom. Y’know maybe quietly at home she did but it was for Dad.

Dad’s a grease monkey, y’know? You gotta admit that dads are just like kids, they’re just bigger and greasier and they shave. That’s all. It’s the only difference…

(On the Wii and motion-controlled gaming)

Neal:

…That’s the thing about the games is that not only are they involving but they’re actually giving you exercise. That’s how we’re going to lose all the fat people. Playing Wii. “Uncle Joey can’t play Wii unless he loses about 50 pounds.” “That’s right, Uncle Joey. Everybody’s doing it.”

And then what’s next? You’re going to be diving into the floor boards. You’re going to be doing all kinds of stuff and then what happens when you have interconnecting games with people all over the world?

X-Men #57 Cover by Neal Adams

…It’s going to move forward. This isn’t going to move backwards. What’s the next thing? TV walls…right? And you’re standing in the middle of your room. You’re going to have a game room only it’s not going to be a game room; it’s going to be interrelated, involved games. Turn off the light and you’ve got two walls or later, four walls and you’re going to go with your gun and you’re gonna go stalking through this place, shooting the shit outta your neighbors and doing all this stuff and you’re going to be involved in this room and in the room you’re playing the game. And they’re going to put some kind of thing in the middle of the floor where it’s like a running track only you use it in such a way that you don’t go running into the wall and you will do it with other people around the world and it will be like a workout room. You know, you might as well go in there in your sweats. That’s going to be the next thing.

Tom:

Just like the Danger Room…

Neal: Danger Room. Exactly! You read your mind!

Tom:

…Can you think of any comic book stories that you’d like to have translated into a video game?

Neal:

Well, there’s lots of stories. We have something that we’re doing with a publisher in a co-publishing venture called “The Rise of Magic” where our characters battle the Dimension of Magic that comes into our dimension. And so you now have characters, heroes that you make – because you’re going to be making them – and you’re going to have the regular characters battle these characters that come from the Magic Dimension, And sometimes you’re battling in the Magic Dimension, sometimes you’re battling in this dimension to drive them back into that dimension.

Armor #5 Cover by Neal Adams and Rudy Nebres

We have a thing called “Armor and Rage.” It basically has to do with a… well Rage is a character that was kidnapped in Canada by these space pirates who blocked off this town and took people who would fight back. And now they’ve taken them into these ships and they’re taking them off to sell them. They’re going to train them and sell them. That’s what they do. They just go and find people who are various creatures from different planets, they train them to do various things and sell them as slaves because the culture has gotten bad up in space. So, Armor, in the story that we have in the books that will be in the computer game, is going to work up from training into fighting back, into going to these various ships and working through the various ships to crash-land on this planet where he finally faces Rage and has a final battle with Rage to escape and to bring the portion of the armada that’s left, back to Earth.

So you will go through the whole story. You’ll start from being kidnapped and taken off and all the rest of it, through training sessions on different planets where you learn different skills, to beginning the revolution on this space armada, to doing various things to trick the bad guys…

But it’ll be a real story that you’ll be really involved in and you will win at the end. An actual story.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many thanks to Neal Adams for taking the time to speak with us. If you’re interested in finding out more about him or purchasing some of his artwork, you’ll definitely want to check out www.nealadams.com and be sure to check back with us for updates on his future game projects.

Mileena is returning to New York City Comic Con.

Alyssa, the cosplayer who sent whispers through the halls of the Jacob Javits Center (and prompted many a messageboard, Twitter, and Facebook query) is making her grand reappearance at New York City’s geekiest of geekfests. 2D-X interviewed the Mortal Kombat fan last year, so we thought it only appropriate to check in on her plans for this year’s show.

Consider this mini-interview a teaser of a bigger interview to come at the show itself. And a teaser for the new outfit itself.

Your Mileena cosplay at last year’s NYCC generated quite the buzz both on the showfloor and on various gaming, cosplay, and social media sites. Why did you decide to return to the character this year?
Did I ? I decided to cosplay as Mileena because she is a one-of-a-kind badass. After playing the newly released Mortal Kombat 9 and seeing her new costumes and her wild attitude, I couldn’t say no.

Will the outfit be the same as last year’s?
The costume will be totally different. Last year’s was from Mortal Kombat Gold and this one is from MK9. Many people dressed as her this year, but wanting to be different, I chose something that hasn’t been done yet. It’s a surprise.

NYCC embraces all forms of geek culture. What are your more geeky tendencies?
Although I do enjoy the culture’s entirety, from reading comics to gaming, I have to say cosplaying and seeing other cosplayers excite me most. Being able to transform into your favorite character is something special. I admire those cosplayers who show craftsmanship and accuracy in their costume and can also perform as their characters.

Does your significant other, family, or friends support those tendencies?
Of course! My friends are especially supportive! They also like to dress-up in their favorite characters. We had a sewing party and we helped each other with creating our costumes. Not geeky at all.

So some of your friends will join you at NYCC?
Yes, a handful of my closest friends will be with me. If you see Mileena, Kitana, Sub-Zero, Altair, and Taiga, you will have found our group.

What are you most excited to see/do at the show?
Again, I am most excited to see all these comic book, video game, and anime characters brought to life. I know I will be blown away by some of these costumes. Hopefully, I can amaze some people too.

What are some of your non geek tendencies that makes you smile?
Being quite bubbly, many things make me smile. Being with my friends or puppy make me smile. Volunteering, watching comedies, baking, eating cupcakes, having people read my writings, and a whole lot more make me happy.

]]> http://www.2d-x.com/nycc-2011-guess-whos-back/feed/ 3 http://www.2d-x.com/american-classic-arcade-museum/ http://www.2d-x.com/american-classic-arcade-museum/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:10:15 +0000 Jeffrey L. Wilson http://www.2d-x.com/?p=16885 Click here to view the embedded video.

The American arcade scene may be coughing and wheezing, but there is a digital oasis where gamers can play the titles of yesteryear: The American Classic Arcade Museum. Nestled in Laconia, New Hampshire, the ACAM is dedicated to preserving that former pop culture staple that has come close to going the way of the do-do in recent years.

I had the good fortune of meeting  Gary Vincent, the president of the American Classic Arcade Museum,  at the ACAM PAX East 2011 showcase. We spoke about the origins of his establishment, and the arcade scene as a whole, which you can view in the video above.

Check out the site, and don’t forget to drop a few coins in the can to help maintain a valuable part of video game culture.