SpawnPoint - Where Game Begins

 PHXX is back from the Game Developers Conference. GDC is one of the few conferences that I can say actually lives up to its hype. We found an amazing array of games and game developers. It was for the most part, a indie dev paradise!  All working very hard to produce some amazing pieces of work. This year is certainly going to be the year that we see releases of some fantastic games. We sampled just about everything. Some notable pieces of work coming this summer would be Section 8 from TimeGate Studios with the ability to spawn anywhere on the map and fortify with drop in vehicles, this one is sure to put Fragfest back into first person shooter. Also coming in the FPS arena is parabellum, a take on the traditional FPS with an MMO twist! We all know this has been tried before but the feeling at Gamers Frist is this is going to be the first FPS MMO combo that really works.

 

Notably absent from GDC was EA, and Microsoft. The big guns. I for one, feel it’s a good thing, without those massive companies overshadowing all, it really allowed for the smaller, dedicated game developers to shine, and collaborate.

 

Our prediction, the break out game for 2009 is going to be no other then the free to play (if you don’t count the $0.15 we all pay in taxes to develop the game) is going to be American Army 3. AA3 utilizes the Unreal engine 3, the game play and realism is just unbelievable. I had the opportunity to speak with some special forces members who helped apply real world tactics into the game. Everything from how the units setup their gear to under car ricocheting techniques to get to enemies hiding behind them, this game is sure to please the hard core as well as any NOOB with a keyboard and mouse.  With the marrying of Steam for delivery and updates and an astounding amount of stats available, this is a sure to please all.