Hands On Preview #4 & More Movies! (February 24, 2007)

Bandit LOAF

Bandit LOAF

Long Live the Confederation!
IGN has posted a new hands-on preview of Wing Commander Arena! This one is shorter, but it still seems very positive. Again, note the surprising depth and the interest EA has in pleasing "hardcore" fans:
How do you create a new game for a franchise that has a hardcore following that pleases the fans and casual gamers alike? That is the question that EA is attempting to answer with Wing Commander, an online 16 player Xbox Live Arcade space shooter due out this summer. The result is an arcade-style game with simple goals that has a surprising amount of depth for a downloadable title.
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They've also posted five new preview videos! Among other highlights, you'll get your first look at the ship selection screen, which is one of the coolest looking parts of the game...

#1 - "Bring It" - An Arrow in an asteroid field. (19.5mb WMV, 19.2mb MOV)
#2 - "Multiplayer Combat" - Includes ship selection! (38.5mb WMV, 36.9mb MOV)
#3 - "Target Acquired" - CapShip Combat. (23.2mb WMV, 22.9mb MOV)
#4 - "Attack!" - Rapiers in an asteroid field. (44.7mb WMV, 44.3mb MOV)
#5 - "Dusty Rings" - Asteroids Mode. (19.7mb WMV, 19.5mb MOV)

You can find other preview videos at our Wing Commander Arena page. Here's what the new set looks like:






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Original update published on February 24, 2007
 
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"How do you create a new game for a franchise that has a hardcore following that pleases the fans and casual gamers alike?"

You stick to the roots of what the series means to them, and you don't rehash a game into a cheap arcade version that belittles the name of the game itself.
 
I think you're confused about what Xbox Live Arcade is. The "arcade" doesn't mean every game is Galaga.
 
Actually I think Arena is the WC game that has more effort devoted into fitting in with the previous games than any other. WC3 had a radically different look and feel from WC2. Arena actually takes ships from a variety of previous titles and use them togheter in a very fitting way, and I don't think this has ever been accomplished before. The closest thing that comes to mind is WCSO with Excaliburs and Thunderbolts, but Arena takes that a step further.
 
I admit I was a little skeptical at first about Arena being a more Arcade like game than the other Wing Commanders. However the more I find out about it the better it looks. I think this will be a great game and they definitely made an effort to make it look and feel like Wing Commander.
 
Yeah... I suppose ordinary skepticism is a normal thing, but it's hard to quantify when every hands-on preview has been glowingly positive -- from both biased WC fans and from the professional gaming media.

Gamespot says it's great, IGN says it's great, Voodoo Extreme says it's great, LOAF says it's great, Chris says it's great... they must be trying to screw us!

It's the same old song and dance -- questioning authority is good, but blindly refusing to listen to anyone is even worse. I wouldn't trust me, either, I'm incredibly biased... but now that you've seen the rest of the world react, you should believe me when I say -- you will be *surprised* at how much this game plays like Wing Commander, and at how much dedication has been put into making sure it 'fits' with the franchise.
 
CataclysmX said:
"How do you create a new game for a franchise that has a hardcore following that pleases the fans and casual gamers alike?"

You stick to the roots of what the series means to them, and you don't rehash a game into a cheap arcade version that belittles the name of the game itself.
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CataclysmX said:
I didn't play Wing Commander to enjoy multiplayer. I played for the single player experience and the story.
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Assuming this belittles anyone or is trying to screw you over is rediculous. Obviously Armada wasn't your thing either and that cetainly didn't stop Wing Commander 3 or 4 being made.

Having a game not be your taste is one thing, but to suggest everyone is somehow being humiliated by EA simply because you are going to try your best not to like it is in and of itself insulting.
 
No, it's pretty different. Quake III just let you play the multiplayer stuff without other people.
 
CataclysmX said:
I didn't play Wing Commander to enjoy multiplayer. I played for the single player experience and the story.
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That's fine, but that doesn't mean every game should follow that exact formula. I don't play Wing Commander Armada for the traditional space combat or story. I play it for the unique WC single player and engaging online experience.

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People should give this shot a close look:

dralthiix.jpg


It's a fairly low resolution screenshot, but you can see how detailed that Dralthi IX is. This is one of the shipboard areas that I think's pretty neat. All of the fighters can be viewed like this on the flight deck. Hopefully we'll get some nice HD shots next week.
 
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Personally I think it's a bold new move by EA, cause I honestly think this one is for the fans (and probably also a test to see if the market conditions for space-sims are back or not).
 
The loadout selected for that Dralthi screenshot seems pretty balanced--Porcupines and Dumbfires for dealing with slow, heavy opponents, high speed and acceleration, medium armor and turning radius, and light Meson guns combined with heavier short-range Neutron guns. Personally I would trade the Porcupines for Heatseekers, though. I am guessing that you will be able to choose two kinds of gun and two kinds of ordnance for your vessel?
 
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