Velkommen tilbage

Velkommen tilbage! Du havde nok ikke regnet med at se mig tilbage efter denne lange pause men tillad mig at forklare årsagen bag mit fravær. Jeg var i færd med at skrive mit speciale, og det tog såmænd en vis mængde ressourcer at få færdiggjort. Det er sandt! Inden længe kan jeg (forhåbentligt) kalde mig selv Cand. Mag. i Medievidenskab fra Aarhus Universitet. Det er fine sager, kan du tro! Hvad skrev jeg om? Det vil jeg hjerteligt gerne fortælle dig om, og tak fordi du spørger!

Jeg skrev om narration og indlevelse i open world-computerspil, hvor jeg fokuserede på Grand Theft Auto IV og The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Det var lidt af en drengedrøm at få lov til at skrive om de to spil, så jeg var rigtigt glad for mit emne hele vejen igennem den 6 måneder lange arbejdsproces. Fordi det involverede meget mere arbejde, end jeg havde forestillet mig, kunne jeg desværre ikke holde bloggen opdateret. Jeg ved det: Der var tårer og gråd i de danske og internationale hjem! Men nu er jeg tilbage på hesten og i gang med aktiv jobsøgning, og tro mig når jeg siger, at det er ganske hårdt. I skrivende stund hober de mange afslag sig op i min arme indbakke. Jeg har stadig rigeligt med ansøgninger derude, så der er da masser af muligheder endnu, men det er bestemt ikke en let affære at komme ind på arbejdsmarkedet. Det handler derfor om at holde sig selv i gang og fokusere på det noget af det mest fantastiske i livet: gaming!

Hvad har jeg så lavet og spillet i de sidste 6 måneder? Jamen altså, jeg har jo været lidt her og der. Jeg har blandt andet spillet Borderlands 2, BioShock Infinite, Assassin's Creed III, Batman: Arkham City, Sleeping Dogs, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Warframe, Path of Exile og Dawn of War II. Som I kan se, har jeg holdt mig selv ganske fint i gang. Jeg har også været aktiv på videosiden, hvor jeg har lavet 2 meget fine trailers til mit speciale. Ja! Jeg har lavet trailers til mit speciale, og dem vil jeg faktisk gerne dele med jer her, såfremt I ikke allerede har set dem. Enjoy!

Det var vist alt for denne gang, vil jeg tro! Fremover vil jeg være langt mere aktiv på bloggen, men fordi jeg har gang i 63 andre projekter for tiden, vil jeg nok ikke kunne holde den dagligt opdateret. Jeg lover, derimod, at der bestemt ikke vil gå 6 måneder igen! Forvent opdateringer hver anden eller tredje dag. Det bliver rigtig fint, kan du tro! Så er der vist ikke andet at sige end: velkommen tilbage!




English version

Welcome back! I guess you hadn't expected to see me again after this long break but allow me to explain my absence. I was busy working on my Master's Thesis for the last 6 months and that sure took its toll. I handed it in a couple of days ago and yes: before long I hopefully get my Master's Degree in Media Sciences from the University of Aarhus! That's very nice, indeed! What did I write about? I'll be happy to tell you and thanks for asking!

I wrote about narration and immersion in open world video games where I focused on Grand Theft Auto IV and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was kind of like a dream coming true to be able to write about those games so I enjoyed myself during the long process even though it got tough at times. Since it absolutely required more than I had imagined to write this thing I sadly couldn't maintain the blog. I know: there were tears in many homes! But I'm back again and ready to give it another shot! At the moment I'm looking for work but let me tell you that it's not easy to get a job these days. As I'm writing this rejections are piling up in my inbox, and though I have plenty more applications out there, it looks even more sad for each passing day. The trick is to keep smiling and maintain focus on one of the most important things in life: gaming!

So, what have I been doing and playing for the past 6 months? Well, a bit of this and a bit of that. I've been playing games like Borderlands 2, BioShock Infinite, Assassin's Creed III, Batman: Arkham City, Sleeping Dogs, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Warframe, Path of Exile og Dawn of War II. As you can see, I've been happily occupied. I've also been active producing videos. I've actually made two trailers for my Master's Thesis! Yes, that's right: two trailers for my Thesis and I would like to share them with you. If you haven't already seen them then please do enjoy!

I guess that sums it up for now. I'll be more active on the blog in the future but because I'm busy with many other projects I can't promise to keep it daily updated. I do promise, however, that it won't take 6 months again until the next update! I expect to be able to write something new about four times each week. It's going to be great, to be sure! I guess there's nothing more to say than: welcome back!

Skyrim-DLC (stadig) på vej

Ejer du en Playstation3? Spiller du The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim og er ked af, at Bethesda Softworks endnu mangler at udgive Hearthfire og Dawnguard? Så er der imidlertid godt nyt nu: Bethesda siger nemlig, at de for tiden arbejder på den seneste udvidelse, Dragonborn, men efter den vender de tilbage til de to første udvidelser, som de planlægger at udgive til både PC og PS3 tidligt næste år.

Bethesda siger: "On PS3 in particular, we turned our attention to Dragonborn, as we thought it was the best content to release first, and we didn’t want folks to wait longer. Once it’s ready to go for everyone, we’ll continue our previous work on Hearthfire and Dawnguard for PS3." Men dog vil de ikke udtale sig om hverken pris eller nærmere udgivelsestidspunkt, så alle PS3-ejere må (desværre) væbne sig med yderligere tålmodighed: "Each one takes a lot of time and attention to work well in all circumstances and all combinations of DLC. Once we have a better idea of release timing and pricing, we’ll let you know." Men et er helt sikkert: Bethesda arbejder hårdt på at få udgivet alle udvidelserne til PS3 og PC, og man må give dem ret i, at Dragonborn formentligt er den rette at fokusere på. Tålmodighed, mine kære dragefødte venner. Tålmodighed er en dyd.


English version:

Do you own a Playstation 3? Are you playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but are unhappy about Bethesda Softworks not having released both Hearthfire and Dawnguard yet? Well it seems you are in for some good news: Bethesda has stated that they are indeed working on the latest expansion, Dragonborn, but when they are done with that they will turn their attention back on the first two expansions, which they plan on releasing for both the PC and PS3 early next year.

Bethesda says, "On PS3 in particular, we turned our attention to Dragonborn, as we thought it was the best content to release first, and we didn’t want folks to wait longer. Once it’s ready to go for everyone, we’ll continue our previous work on Hearthfire and Dawnguard for PS3." However they are not too keen to talk about possible pricings and/or release dates so every PS3-owner need to be a little bit more patient: "Each one takes a lot of time and attention to work well in all circumstances and all combinations of DLC. Once we have a better idea of release timing and pricing, we’ll let you know." One thing is for sure, though: Bethesda is hard at work on getting every DLC released for the PC and PS3, and we must agree with them in Dragonborn being the most important expansion to focus on. Patience, my dragonborn friends. Patience is key.

Bethesda arbejder på DLC til PS3

Bethesda Softworks arbejder for tiden hårdt på, at både PC og PS3-ejere kan komme til at nyde de officielle udvidelser, Hearthfire og Dawnguard, til Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, som har været tilgængelige på Xbox360 ganske længe. Studiets officielle Twitterkonto bød forleden på følgende budskab: "We’re also close on new Skyrim content for PS3 and PC." Noget godt er på vej!

Men udvidelserne på især PS3 har dog været præget af tekniske problemer, og studiet sagde således tilbage i august, at "This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content." PS3-ejere må altså vente lidt endnu på udvidelserne, men Xbox360-ejere kan imidlertid se frem til at nyde den seneste DLC, Dragonborn, allerede d. 4. december.


English version:

Bethesda Softworks is hard at work as of late to make sure that both the PC and PS3 owners will be able to enjoy the official expansions for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Hearthfire and Dawnguard has been available on Xbox360 for quite some time, but the official Twitter account has finally stated that "We’re also close on new Skyrim content for PS3 and PC." Something huge is coming!

Work on the expansions on especially PS3 has, however, been marred by technical issues and Bethesda Softworks said back in August that "This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content." PS3 owners need to wait a little bit longer to get the expansions but Xbox360 owners can look forward to be playing the latest DLC, Dragonborn, on December 4th.

Dragonborn DLC kommer til Skyrim

Så er Bethesda Softworks klar til at udgive den seneste udvidelse til det kritikerroste rollespil: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Udvidelsen går under navnet Dragonborn og fortæller historien om den første dragefødte kriger. Udvidelsen kommer til at foregå på øen Solstheim, som nogle gamere vil kunne genkende fra Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. I spillet tager man kampen op med den første dragefødte, en ond Dragon Priest som er ude på skræmmer, og ydermere kan det afsløres, at man omsider får muligheden for at flyve på drager. Tjek traileren nedenfor og se det hele i aktion!

English version:

Bethesda Softworks is finally ready to release the latest expansion for their critically acclaimed roleplaying game: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The DLC is named Dragonborn and tells the story about the very first dragonborn. It will be set on the island of Solstheim which some players will remember from Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Gamers will be combating the first dragonborn, an evil Dragon Priest up to no good, and yes: dragon mounts will also be available with this DLC. Check out the trailer below and see it all in action!

Hearthfire: Bør man købe?

Som I alle muligvis ved på dette tidspunkt, er det nu muligt at købe den seneste udvidelse til Bethesda Softwork's episke eventyr, men bør man anskaffe sig den? Det er det spørgsmål, som spilsiden gameinformer.com har taklet, og jeg tænkte, at jeg også ville dele mine tanker omkring Hearthfire.

Jeg skal skynde mig at være ærlig og sige, at jeg faktisk ikke har udvidelsen selv, og før I afskriver mig som en uvidende tosse, så lad mig fortælle hvofor. Hearthfire virker, for mig i al fald, lidt ligesom Horse Armour udvidelsen til Oblivion: Det var en billig og trist udvidelse. Javist, det så da pænt ud, når man kom ridende igennem Cyrodiil som en anden konge, men var det i virkeligheden pengene værd? JA! På det tidspunkt var det helt klart. Jeg kunne ikke få nok af Oblivion, men efter en række år kan jeg nu også se, at man skal være mere selektiv vedrørende sine valg af DLC.

Hearthfire giver dig mulighed for at købe et hus i Skyrim, og skønt dette kunne være en underholdende tilføjelse og muligvis skænke nogle flere timer til et spil, som i forvejen kræver en investering på over 200 timer, kan jeg ikke se bort fra, at det virker lidt hult. Hvad får man egentlig ud af at købe sit eget hjem? Man kan jo ikke gå online og vise huset til sine venner, og man har kun begrænsede muligheder for at tilpasse og personliggøre huset. Jeg kommer næppe til at købe Hearthfire, idet jeg ikke fornemmer nogen konkret værdi i forhold til historien eller gameplay komme til udtryk. Bethesda Softworks har forhåbentligt noget bedre gemt oppe i ærmet i forhold til DLC, efterhånden som vi nærmer os Skyrim's etårsdag.

English version:

As you all know at this point it is indeed possible to purchase the latest add-on for Bethesda Softwork's epic adventure but should you get it? That is the question that the gaming site gameinformer.com is wrestling with and I thought I'd share my thoughts regarding Hearthfire as well.

I must be honest and say that I haven't got Hearthfire, and before you go ahead and think of me as a ranting ignorant, at least let me explain. Hearthfire feels a bit like the Horse Armour DLC for Oblivion. It was a cheap and kind of a sad add-on, if you ask me. Sure it looked awesome riding through Cyrodiil on horseback but was it worth the money? YES! At least at the time. I couldn't get enough of Oblivion. But years later I have come to realize that one must be more selective regarding available DLC.

Hearthfire gives you the opportunity to create your own home and though this could be entertaining and maybe provide several more hours to a game that already demands 200+ hours to truly appreciate, I have to admit that Hearthfire feels shallow. What is it exactly about this house that makes it worth a purchase? You can't go online and invite your friends over for a party, and the customization options are limited. It is highly unlikely that I'll be getting Hearthfire because I can't see the actual value in terms of story or gameplay. Hopefully Bethesda Softworks will have something better in store for us as we're approaching the one year anniversary for Skyrim.

Dishonored's varighed

Bethesda Softworks og Arkane Studios løslader snart Dishonored, men inden spillet bliver udgivet, får man altid nogle informationer om det, og dette er ingen undtagelse. Arkane Studios har netop offentliggjort deres vurdering af spillets varighed, som de har sat til henholdsvis 12-14 timer for de direkte spillere, men for dem, der kan lide at udforske, kan man få op til 28 timers sjov og ballade.

28 timer virker muligvis ikke som meget i forhold til Skyrim, men 28 timer er faktisk ganske betragteligt i forhold til andre spil, der kun med nød og næppe passerer 3-4 timer. En kampagne på minimum 12 timer er heller ikke den værste nyhed, men nu er spørgsmålet bare: Bliver de 12 timer en positiv oplevelse? Det vil tiden vise, når spillet senere i år bliver udgivet!


English version:

Bethesda Softworks and Arkane Studios will soon release Dishonored but before that we, the gamers, are always given tidbits of information about it and this is no exception. Arkane Studios has just announced their estimation of the time it will take to complete the game, and they said that it will take 12-14 hours for very direct players but the explorative player can expect up to 28 hours of fun.

28 hours may not seem like much when compared to games like Skyrim but 28 hours is actually quite good when compared to games that just barely pass the duration of 3-4 hours. A campaign lasting a minimum of 12 hours is something noteworthy but now's the question: will those 12 hours represent a positive experience? Only time will tell when the game will be released sometime this year!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard

Ja tak! Så er den her omsider: Traileren til den første udvidelse til The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Bethesda Softworks' episke eventyr får til sommer udvidelsen, Dawnguard, og den kan hentes via Xbox LIVE for 1600 Points. Tjek traileren ud nedenfor og se om ikke Dawnguard, kan friste din indre rollespiller til atter at tage rollen som Dovakhin!




English version:

Yes! It's finally here: the trailer for the first game add-on for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Bethesda Softworks' epic adventure is getting the expansion known as Dawnguard this summer, and it will be available on Xbox LIVE for 1600 Points. Check out the trailer above and see if Dawnguard will be enough to rekindle your inner roleplayer and once again become the Dovakhin!

Elder Scrolls Online's verden

ZeniMax Online Studios er i fuld sving med at udvikle det næste spil i Bethesda Softworks' episke saga, The Elder Scrolls Online, men hvordan kombinerer man Tamriels mange regioner i et hele, når hver har særegne egenskaber og kulturer? Jared Carr, Art Director for spillet, forklarer de mange valg, som designerne har truffet i forhold til at samle Tamriel og bringe det i live, og dette kan ses hos gameinformer. Hvis du endnu mangler at se traileren til spillet, så kan du tjekke den ud nedenfor!



English version:

ZeniMax Online Studios is working around the clock on the next installment in Bethesda Softworks' epic saga, The Elder Scrolls Online, but how do you combine the many regions of Tamriel into a complete whole? Jared Carr, the game's Art Director, explains about the many decisions that the designers made to create a living and complete Tamriel, and you can watch this video at gameinformer. If you have yet to see the trailer for the game then click the video above for some action.

The Elder Scrolls Online screenshots

Gameinformer kan nu endelig vise nogle screenshots fra det kommende MMORPG: The Elder Scrolls Online. Siden kører for tiden en særlig dækning af spillet, og jeg vil anbefale alle fans af serien at tjekke dette ud via linket.

Spillet kommer til at foregå længe før Skyrim, og spilleren kommer til at udforske Morrowind, Cyrodiil samt Skyrim og forhåbentligt også resten af Tamriel. Det bliver både sjovt og bemærkelsesværdigt at genfinde mange af de steder og ruiner, som man fandt i de tidligere spil, men denne gang bliver det altså i selskab med venner - hvis det da er det, man foretrækker.

English version:

Gameinformer has finally revealed some screenshots of the coming MMORPG: The Elder Scrolls Online. The site is currently doing a special cover of the game, and I can wholly recommend every fan of the series to go check it out here!

The game is set a long time before the events in Skyrim and the gamers will be exploring Morrowind, Cyrodiil, Skyrim and hopefully the rest of Tamriel. It's going to be fun and remarkable to (re)visit the many places and ruins found in the singleplayer games, but this time it'll be in the company of friends - if that's what you prefer.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Så skete det omsider: The Elder Scrolls går online! Længe har det været rygtet, og længe har spillere overalt på kloden ventet på en mulighed for at rejse rundt i Bethesda Softworks' episke univers med andre, og nu får de altså snart muligheden med The Elder Scrolls Online.

Spillet kommer til at foregå 1000 år før begivenhederne i Skyrim og fortæller historien om den dæmoniske prins, Molag Bal, og hans forsøg på at rive Tamriel ind i hans rige. Det er omtrent det, som vi kender indtil videre! Spillet er udviklet af Zenimax Online Studios, og du kan læse mere om spillet inde på gameinformer. The Elder Scrolls Online er sat til at udkomme i 2013 til både PC og Mac. Tjek teaseren nedenfor!




English version:

Finally! It has happened: The Elder Scrolls is going online! Is has long been rumoured and many players have patiently been waiting for an opportunity to traverse the landscapes of Bethesda Softworks' epic Universe with friends, and now it seems that opportunity is about to dawn with The Elder Scrolls Online.

The game is set a millenium before the events taking place in Skyrim, and it tells the story of the daedric prince, Molag Bal, and his attempt to overtake all of Tamriel. That's about all we know so far! The game is being developed by a team at Zenimax Online Studios, and you can read all about the game at gameinformer. The Elder Scrolls Online is set to be released sometime in 2013 and it'll be available on both PC and Mac.

Mød Skyrims' første DLC: Dawnguard

Så faldt nyheden omsider! The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim får omsider sin første udvidelse under navnet Dawnguard, og vi er flere, som klapper i vores små hænder lige nu! Udvidelsen kommer til sommer og lander på Xbox360 før de andre platforme, og vi kan forvente mere nyt omkring udvidelsen til E3.

Todd Howard og resten af holdet hos Bethesda Softworks har imidlertid lovet, at udvidelserne til Skyrim ikke kommer til at minde om Horse Armor-udvidelsen til Oblivion, og allerede her scorer de heftige point i min bog. Ligeledes har de sagt, at spillet får færre og større udvidelser fremover, og igen scorer studiet bonuspoint i min bog. Hvad vil Dawnguard indeholde? Er det Snow Elf Prince? Hvem ved?! Jeg ved bare, at jeg er spændt på at se det!

English version:

The day has finally come! The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will soon be receiving its very first DLC named Dawnguard, and we are many who finds joy in all of this! The expansion will hit the Xbox360 first this summer before landing on the other platforms, and we can expect more juicy news at this year's E3.

Todd Howard and the rest of the crew at Bethesda Softworks promised us that the expansions to Skyrim would not be in the form of the Horse Armor DLC for Oblivion and for saying this Bethesda Softworks gets some serious points. Likewise they also stated that the game would receive fewer and more substantial expansions, and this just counts as bonus points! What Dawnguard will contain is still unknown. Is it the Snow Elf Prince? Who knows? But I am very excited about it!

"Snow Elves"-DLC til Skyrim

Jeg skrev forleden om DLC til Bethesda Softworks' episke spil, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, og at vi formentligt inden længe vil få flere nyheder om dette. Nu er rygter om indholdet begyndt at flyde op til overfladen, og en aktiv spiller har såmænd gransket lidt i spillets seneste patch og fundet noget ganske interessant.

Vedkommende har nemlig fundet referencer til "Snow Elves" og en såkaldt "Snow Elf Prince", som skulle have dialoger tilknyttet. Ydermere er der filer, der henviser til Crossbows, og der skulle ligeledes være en mappe ved navn "DLC01" at finde i denne patch. Om dette betyder, at vi inden længe skal møde en Sneprins blandt Skyrims snefyldte bjerge vides ikke, men det bliver interessant at se! Vi blev lovet DLC til spillet allerede før dets udgivelse, og det er blot på tide, at vi får noget. Jeg håber bare, at det bliver i stil med Shivering Isles og ikke ligesom Horse Armor-DLC, som vi fik til Oblivion.


English version:

I recently wrote about DLC for Bethesda Softworks' massive game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and that we might hear something official in the coming days. Rumors have begun to sweep the Internet regarding the content, but one active gamer has looked around in the latest patch and found something quite interesting.

The gamer found references to "Snow Elves" and a so-called "Snow Elf Prince" who seems to have some dialogues, and the patch also contained files referencing crossbows and a folder named "DLC01". It is still unknown what the DLC will be but it seems that we're off to meet a Prince among the Snow Elves somewhere in either Skyrim or elsewhere. Could it be Elswyr? Who knows! We were promised DLC even before the game launched last year so it's about time that we'll be getting something. I just hope that it will be more like the Shivering Isles than the Horse Armor DLC we got for Oblivion.

Skyrim DLC på vej

Vi er mange, der har spenderet utallige timer i Bethesda Softworks episke eventyr, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, og har nydt hvert et sekund. Skønt spillet har sine skønhedsfejl, så kommer man ikke udenom, at det er et af de største singleplayer-spil til dato, og det fik såmænd også prisen som Årets Spil sidste år. Der er altså noget om snakken, når gamingmiljøet hæver spillet til skyerne, og det er ikke kun det alvorlige: Humor er der såmænd også plads til. YouTube er spækket med videoer af sære glitches og andre fejl, både store og små, som man støder på i Skyrim, og for nogle er det blevet lidt af en sport at finde disse.

For os andre, derimod, er vi blot begejstret for at have spillet et spil, der lever op til forgængeren, Oblivion. Jeg er personligt i tvivl om, hvilket spil er det bedre, men jeg er ikke et sekund i tvivl om, at jeg vil modtage DLC til Skyrim med åbne arme, og det får vi muligvis snart lov til! Pete Heines, fra Bethesda Softworks, har netop i dag skrevet følgende inde på Twitter: "2) I am working on getting a little more info out on Skyrim/DLC. Maybe next week? We'll see. Also trying to confirm Kinect release date." Det lader altså til, at vi snart skal på gensyn med Skyrims åbne og snefyldte landskab: DLC er i vente!

English version:

Many of us has spended countless hours in Bethesda Softworks' epic adventure, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and loved every second of it. Though the game has its fair share of flaws it cannot be denied that it's one of the greatest singleplayer games ever created, and it was even awarded last year with the title, Game of the Year. It's not just for fun and giggles that players around the world shout out their praises for this game, but they also love the game for its unintentional humor. YouTube is filled with hillarious videos depicting the game's numerous flaws, bugs and glitches, and for some it has even become a sport to spot these.

The rest of us are just happy to have played a game worthy of being the successor to Oblivion, and though I'm not sure about which of the two is actually the better game, I am sure that I'll be receiving DLC for Skyrim with open arms, and I may just be given the chance soon! Pete Heines, from Bethesda Softworks, wrote the following on Twitter today: "2) I am working on getting a little more info out on Skyrim/DLC. Maybe next week? We'll see. Also trying to confirm Kinect release date." It seems that we'll be headed to the open and snowy fields of Skyrim once again: DLC is coming!

Mesteren vender tilbage

Shinji Mikami er et navn, som mange af os husker mest tydeligt for at have givet fødsel til en af de mest toneangivende horror-spil til dato: Resident Evil. Capcom og Shinji Mikamis franchise har med tiden bredt sig til både bøger, film samt tegneseriehæfter, og alt tyder på, at vi vil fortsætte med at se flere spil i serien. Shinji Mikami er en visionær spiludvikler, som kører sin helt egen stil, når det gælder spiludvikling, og det er sjældent, at man ikke kan genkende hans særpræg.

Shinji Mikami gik imidlertid bort fra Capcom og dannede sit eget studie, Tango Gameworks, som i 2010 blev opkøbt af Bethesda Softworks. Shinji Mikami har efter Resident Evil stået bag udviklingen af blandt andet Vanquish og God Hand, men nu er han imidlertid klar til atter at træde ind på horror-scenen med løftet om et nyt og atmosfærisk spil under dækkenavnet: Zwei. Hvad Zwei egentlig er, vil han ikke løfte sløret for, men man kan vurdere ud fra nedenstående billede, at det bliver mørkt og uhyggeligt - ligesom vi kender ham. Han siger selv, at "I've found my focus and once again I'm striving for pure survival horror. I am being very hands-on to see that the quality is there." Shinji Mikami er et lys i mørket, og jeg har en snigende mistanke om, at Zwei - hvad end det er - nok skal blive en succes!

English version:

The name, Shinji Mikami, is one that many of us will always remember for giving birth to one of the most influential horror game ever to grace our screens: Resident Evil. Capcom and Shinji Mikami's franchise has spread itself like a viral bliss to other media and platforms and we can expect several more games coming. Shinji Mikami is a visionary game developer who has his very own and unique style, and it's quite rare that one cannot recognize his work.

 

Shinji Mikami left Capcom to create his own studio, Tango Gameworks, which was acquired by Bethesda Softworks in 2010, and since Resident Evil he's been involved in developing games like Vanquish and God Hand. But now he has finally announced that he is going back to making horror games! This is very good news and there's even a game to support this announcement under the deceptive codename: Zwei. He wouldn't tell what the game is but judging from the artwork above it's easy to see that it's going to be dark and rich in atmosphere. He said in an interview that "I've found my focus and once again I'm striving for pure survival horror. I am being very hands-on to see that the quality is there." Shinji Mikami is a bright light in the darkness and whatever Zwei is I am sure it will be successful!

Prey 2 lever?

Prey 2 lever! Sådan lød begejstringen i mit indlæg forleden, da det omsider kunne bekræftes, at det længe-ventede spil, Prey 2, stadig er under udvikling. I noget tid havde der hersket fæle rygter hist og pist om spillets mulige aflysning, men Bethesda Softworks kom hastigt ud med en beroligende meddelelse om, at disse rygter altså ikke helt stemmer. Men hvad er nu dette?

Nu lyder det atter, at spillets fremtid er usikker. Human Head, som er spillets udvikler, lader til at være røget i uoverensstemmelser med ZeniMax (ejer af Bethesda Softworks). På grund af disse uenigheder er det ikke sikkert, at spillets sidste stadier vil blive udviklet af Human Head. Eller muligvis endda udgivet. En kilde på Shacknews udtalte sig, at spillet har stået stille siden november sidste år, og at flere ansatte fra Human Head er blevet afskediget grundet disse uenigheder dog med løfte om, at de ville blive hyret igen, når begge parter når til enighed.

Hvad betyder dette for spillet? Det betyder skam, at det muligvis ikke vil blive udgivet. Det bedste vi kan håbe på er, at Human Head og ZeniMax hastigt begraver stridsøksen og husker på dem, som betaler regningen i sidste ende: Os. Spillets fans.

English version:

Prey 2 lives! That was the sound of my joy when I recently wrote that Prey 2 is indeed still in development. For some time nasty rumors about the game's cancellation had been filling the waves of the Web, and many of us were deeply concerned. This is a game that we are actually looking forward to! Bethesda Softworks acted relatively quickly and issued a statement saying that the game wasn't cancelled but rather delayed due to quality issues. However...

Quality issues may not be the only issue in this matter. It seems that developer Human Head and ZeniMax (who owns Bethesda Softworks) has had a disagreement regarding the contract and as a result of this the game's development hasn't been moving since November last year. A source at Shacknews could verify this. The potential fallout of this could either be the confirmed (and much feared) cancellation of Prey 2 or the development moving to a new studio.

The only thing we can hope for is that both Human Head and ZeniMax will reach some kind of agreement and return to developing the much anticipated game. Maybe they will remember who is actually paying the bills in the end: us. The fans.

Ugens Trailer: Dishonored

Så er det atter tid til at vælge dennes uges trailer, og skønt udvalget har været mange med eksempelvis den nye trailer til God of War, så faldt valget på et spil, som jeg personligt ser frem til: Dishonored. Arkane Studios, som blandt andet har bidraget til Bioshock 2, står for selve udviklingen af spillet, og Bethesda Softworks (Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls) har endnu engang indtaget rollen som udgiver.

I Dishonored hopper man i skoene af en snigmorder med hævn i tankerne, og hævn serveres altid bedst køligt med en knivspids vold. I stil med The Elder Scrolls-serien lader det til, at man begynder spillet som en fange, og traileren giver masser af stof til eftertanke i forhold til karakterens baggrund. Men det interessante er de fikse evner, som man får. Under ens fangenskab bliver man mødt af en shady person, der ikke blot tilbyder sin hjælp men ligeledes giver hovedpersonen utrolige evner i form af en tatovering på hånden. Ikke den værste handel en fange kan få!

Spillet foregår i en besynderlig tid, der bedst kan beskrives som steam punk, og traileren giver udtryk for en æstetik, som er rig på atmosfære og charme. Hovedpersonen ses klatre på tage og vægge, som vi også har oplevet i spil som Assassin's Creed, Mirror's Edge og inFamous, og det lader til at foregå fra et First-Person-perspektiv, hvilket sjældent kan anbefales, men det bliver interessant at se, om Arkane Studios har løst problemet med perspektivet. Traileren giver flere hints om gameplay og historien, som den skrider frem, men en ting er sikker i min bog: Dette bliver et spil værd at følge! Se traileren nedenfor og nyd fire minutters god historiefortælling!



English version:

It is time to select this week's trailer, and though we have got some heavy hitters such as God of War, I have chosen the trailer for Dishonored. The game is being developed by Arkane Studios, who among other things helped develop Bioshock 2, and Bethesda Softworks has taken on the role as publisher.

The game will let us play as an assassin with a grudge, and though we see him as a prisoner at first he soon gets some serious firepower in the form of a mark on his hand. He is approached by a shady character while in prison, and not only does this character offer to help him escape and deliver sweet vengeance, he also bestows upon him God-like powers. Who is this guy? Why does he want to help? We don't know - yet!

The trailer shows hints of gameplay and it looks like we can look forward to be traversing the landscape like we did in both Assassin's Creed and Mirror's Edge. Like the latter it seems to be done from a First Person-view, which can only be described as a bad idea, but perhaps Arkane Studios has cracked the problem with platforming sequences from that perspective. The game's aesthetics seem to be inspired by Steam Punk and the world looks rich in both atmosphere and charm. I really must say that I am kind of exited about this game! The setting, world and characters look amazing in this trailer, and as such it is no wonder why I have chosen this to be the Trailer of the Week!

Prey 2 lever

Der har længe floreret rygter på interwebs om, at Bethesda Softworks, udvikleren af Fallout 3 og The Elder Scrolls, havde aflyst udviklingen af Prey 2. Et rygte som mange af os ikke mødte med glæde og fryd. Men nu kan vi alle omsider ånde lettet op: Prey 2 er i live og er endnu under udvikling! Udvikleren af spillet, Human Head, arbejder stadig hårdt på at gøre spillet episk, men der er dog også dårlige nyheder: Prey 2 finder ikke vej til butikshylderne i år, da Bethesda har valgt at skubbe udgivelsesdatoen til næste år.

Bethesda udtaler i en pressemeddelelse, at Prey 2 ganske enkelt ikke lever op til deres kvalitetskrav, og at de i den forbindelse ikke vil gå på kompromis med disse krav for at nå udgivelsesdatoen. Kvalitet frem for alt, lyder budskabet i al sin enkelhed. Dele af mig vil dog ønske, at samme kvalitetskrav ligeledes var gældende ved inXile's Hunted: The Demon's Forge, men man kan ikke vinde hver gang. Her kan du læse den fulde meddelelse:

"Development of Prey 2 has not been cancelled but the game will not be released in 2012 as planned. The delay is due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards. Prey 2 has shown great promise and we regret disappointing our fans. We have made a substantial investment in game development to deliver the experience fans want. We are determined only to release the AAA game that fans rightfully expect, and are unwilling to compromise our quality standards to meet a release schedule."

Den gode nyhed, og det vi bør fokusere på, er: Prey 2 lever! Tjek traileren ud nedenfor og se hvorfor jeg er begejstret for denne nyhed!



English version:

For some time there has been rumours of a certain game getting cancelled. That game is Prey 2. Many of us are actually looking forward to be playing this game and of course we were displeased to hear about the potential cancellation, but today we can finally put that fear to its rightful rest: Bethesda Softworks, the developer of Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls, has just announced that the game is still in progress but that the game will sadly not be released this year.

Bethesda says in a statement that the game hasn't seen a satisfactory level of development last year and as such it doesn't live up to their quality standards. The game's developer, Human Head, is however still at work on the game, and I am very exited to hear that Prey 2 is indeed on its way! If only Bethesda had made the same decision regarding Hunted: The Demon's Forge it too might have been a better game, but we can't win them all. Anyways: this is very good news and I am a bit more pleased than before to call myself a Bethesda fan!