SEGASaturno - Saturn, SEGA y Videojuegos

Citar:

Intrepid Computer Entertainment was originally formed as a collaborative partnership between three ex colleagues, all at one time senior employees of Bullfrog productions. The objective of the company is the pursuit of innovative excellence in computer game development and design. Intrepid employs many of the resources associated with film production to help establish new graphical benchmarks for the new century. Joe Rider, Matt Chilton and Terry Cattrell worked together as the ‘Theme’ development team, eventually deciding to leave Bullfrog to pursue their own direction and innovation. Joe Rider is a masters graduate from Centre for Advanced Studies in Computer Aided Art and Design in London and enjoyed a five year career pioneering interactive media, film and post production for the music industry before joining Bullfrog productions as the head of the aux. Art department in 1995. Matt Chilton is a triple first-class honours maths graduate from Cambridge University. Matt’s considerable experience was drawn from his role as senior lead programmer on three consecutive titles at Bullfrog productions. Terry Cattrell has over ten years industry experience as a graphics and animation specialist with a considerable inventory of titles under his belt. Terry respectively headed the animation department at Graftgold and the Art department at the Bitmap Brothers, before becoming animation director at Bullfrog Productions.

Intrepid has now expanded into a studio complex in Wimbledon Park, southwest London and the company's new title 'BC' is in full blown production. Intrepid is a satellite company of Lionhead Studios Ltd and as such is subject to collaboration with Lionhead and particularly Peter Molyneux, one of the few true legends in computer game development.

Citar:

Before there were roofs overhead, there were dank, dark caves, echoing with the grunts of their prehistoric inhabitants. Before organized crops and farming, every new fruit and berry picked off the tree could be sweet, delicious sustenance—or deadly poison.

Every roar in the distance necessitated tribal unity. Every rock shard and broken stick could be a weapon. Every flame needed to be preserved. Before there was history, there was BC.

BC is an original third-person action-adventure game that hurtles players back millions of years into prehistory, to the beginnings of humankind. Members of a clan take part in an epic journey of survival, battling against ferocious, prehistoric creatures and exploring vast natural environments.

New technologies and knowledge could be just over the next rise. If humanity is to survive, the tribe needs to evolve into a thinking, resourceful unit that can rise up to become the pioneers in a primeval, unpredictable world.

Features:

-Brutal prehistoric combat: Players experience savage battles in an uncivilized, merciless era. Heads and limbs get torn off, and pools of blood congeal after brutal conflicts in a violent, dangerous world—where only the strong survive.

-The world as a weapon: Gamers will discover and create a multitude of deadly weapons, using naturally occurring materials. Enemies can be poisoned with native plants. An avalanche can be triggered to kill predatory opponents. Interactive environments allow for multiple solutions. Any object can be picked up or used as a tool or weapon, and wild animals have the potential to be predator or prey.

-A massive prehistoric world: Players must lead their tribe through the nascent earth's deadly, but beautiful environments. From ancient rainforests to underwater settings, from scathing desert heat to fierce mountain blizzards, gamers must weather the elements

-Deadly adversaries: The tribe becomes the hunted when deadly creatures, ranging from saber-toothed tigers to velociraptors, who defend viciously defend their young when they perceive danger or stalk tribe members for food.

-Evolution or extinction: Gamers handpick tribe members to produce babies born to be hunters, mystics, fighters, or other specializations. As their experience grows and time passes, players choose the right skills and powers to enhance their characters and benefit the tribe.

Citar:

Monday, February 14, 2000 - 8:15 am CT
Interview: Intrepid on Collaborating With Lionhead

With the cost of game development increasing with each rotation of the earth, sharp companies are devising ways to extend resources across multiple titles. One such company is Lionhead Studios, which is using a new development model under which fortuitous third-party developers are given full access to Lionhead's technology, creative resources, testing, sound, and administration.

One such game--B.C. from Intrepid--is in full production and being lead at the hand of individuals with extensive experience in the industry, including Joe Rider, Terry Cattrell, and Matt Chilton. Lionhead selected the teams from over 100 groups that applied. Last fall, we approached designer Peter Molyneux, who is serving as executive producer on the project, about the things that attracted Lionhead to Intrepid.

Molyneux said the reasons were many, but could be boiled down to Intrepid's enthusiasm, along with past accomplishments, technical prowess, and the depth and vision of their game idea. “The idea of external teams is that they grow and expand, so in addition to the points above, we had to consider how they would handle the process of becoming full scale game developers,” Molyneux explained.

Molyneux was also more specific with the Adrenaline Vault about the meaning of "full access to Lionhead's technology, creative resources, testing, sound, and administration." Does this mouthful indicate Intrepid will be using the BLACK & WHITE engine to create B.C.? Yes, but there is more depth to the arrangement than that, commented the veteran developer. In fact, the relationship will be more complementary than most companies' standard third-part relationships.

“The idea is that we share all the technology in such a way that it inspires the team. They get the 3D engine as well as all the source code, enabling them to introduce enhancements they may pass on to Lionhead. This includes 3D graphics, AI, sound and game engines. Technology sharing is not a new idea, but one I had when I was at Bullfrog. I cannot bear to waste technology, which is why Dungeon Keeper was written on a hybrid of the Magic Carpet engine," said Molyneux. Intrepid also has full access to one of Lionhead’s most important resources--game testing.

We were able to interview Rider, who serves as Intrepid’s creative director, about their relationship with Lionhead and how it is serving the development of B.C. We will have an interview with Big Blue Box, a second team that aligned with Lionhead to create Demigod, soon.

Tell us about Intrepid. When did it form, where is it based, who is a part of it, and what is their experience in the industry?

Intrepid is based in cosmopolitan southwest London, and was formed within the last year as a collaborative partnership between three ex-colleagues, all at one time senior employees of Bullfrog Productions. The objective of the company is the pursuit of innovative excellence in computer game development and design. Intrepid employs many of the resources associated with film production to help establish new graphical benchmarks. Matt Chilton, Terry Cattrell, and myself worked together as the “Theme” development team, eventually deciding to leave Bullfrog to pursue our own direction and innovation.

I am a master’s graduate from Centre for Advanced Studies in Computer Aided Art and Design in London, and enjoyed a five-year career pioneering interactive media, film and post production for the music industry before joining Bullfrog as the head of the auxiliary art department in 1995. Matt is a triple first-class honors math graduate from Cambridge University. His considerable experience was drawn from his role as senior lead programmer on three consecutive titles at Bullfrog. Terry has over 10 years of industry experience as a graphics and animation specialist, with a considerable inventory of titles under his belt. Terry headed the animation department at Graftgold and the art department at the Bitmap Brothers before becoming animation director at Bullfrog.

Tell us about how you came to be aligned with Lionhead Studios and its new third-party development model.

We became aware of Lionhead’s satellite development proposal through the industry press, and our association with many of the senior staff and friends at Lionhead. We formally approached Lionhead with our game design and development plans hoping to achieve satellite status, which was no mean feat; the competition was huge. The selection procedure was extremely rigorous and we received no preferential treatment in respect to our former status within Bullfrog, although it helped that many at Lionhead were aware of our work, our production methods, and, of course, our personalities, which is a huge consideration when you start a new development team. It is fair to say that Lionhead was impressed with our concept, ambitions, and with the comprehensive amount of work we had put in before we presented. Intrepid was accepted as a satellite development team in October of last year.

How beneficial has the process of exchange between Lionhead and Intrepid been? Has the collaboration promised when the model was announced been a large part of your relationship?

The benefits we have gained from the collaborative arrangement have been unparalleled. The resources now at our disposal are substantial, and as the relationship works in both ways, we are able to offer our expertise in return. The model’s arrangements have been very influential; we have technology available to us that would take years to develop ourselves, and can apply a larger portion of our focus on producing brilliant gameplay.

Tell us about your experiences collaborating with Peter Molyneux, one of the few true legends in computer game development.

Peter’s influence has been inspirational to date. We are extremely fortunate in having someone of his status in the role of executive producer. His approach is to think around a concept in a creative fashion, and to hone in on a set of ideas produced through a series of brainstorming sessions. In fact, once Peter starts having new ideas, we can't make him stop. His ability to continually innovate has been invaluable in establishing the foundations of many of our key game mechanics.

How friendly is the industry right now to start-up developers, and what are the reasons for this?

The satellite model has ensured that Intrepid has been subject to incredible offers from the publishing community. However, I have to say that without question, it is becoming increasingly difficult for new development teams to secure deals in the present climate. Escalating production budgets arising from the resources now required to push a competitive product to market have meant that the publisher is now required to risk more capital in an environment full of uncertainty, especially with reference to the projected take up of the next generation of consoles. A start-up company will now have to convince a publisher of their products’ worth and marketability, as well as substantiate their own credentials just to get a first sitting at the negotiating table. Unfortunately this also means it is increasingly difficult to find backing for innovative titles that do not slot into the pre-established marketing routines backboned by the rise of sequel cult

Reported by: David Laprad

Citar:

Take a look at the screenshot. Just thought I'd share this very cool 'bug' with you all.



As you all know, we have a full eco system in B.C where every creature needs to eat/drink and sleep. Well, I was playing the game this morning and the pterosaurs got so hungry, instead of attacking some innocent Dodo, it swooped down, attacked me, picked me up and took me back to their nest!!! Unfortunately, I totally lost control of the caveman I was controlling and had to re-start the game!

The thing which makes this very cool is that we have no code in for the pterosaur picking up cavemen; the eco system code kicked in and the pterosaur saw the cavemen as meat so when it was hungry it made a grab for me!

I took the screenshot via our 'test cam'. There are many great story's like this but unfortunately I cant share all of em' with you! This is why I love working on this game!!!!!!

Citar:

There was another funny incident the devs ran across. They were out hunting and discovered the scene of a large battle. There were corpses of Raptors and the giant crocodiles littering a field. They were amazed to see the bloody footprints of Dodo's meandering the carnage and then leading off. At first look, it appeared the Dodo's went on a rampage and killed the carnivores! After further research, they determined the Dodo's were being hunted by two different predators which didn't want to share and had killed each other in the process, leaving the Dodo's free to go about their lives.

Another time they had found the body of a giant dead croc and decided to try and investigate what exactly killed it. So they followed the bloody footprints and eventually it brought them to a pack of raptors. This kind of stuff is amazing considering it was set to release on the original xbox. I can't believe they haven't started work on this again.

Citar:

Interview with Aaron Ludlow who is the lead tester of BC which is currently in development over at Intrepid Games....

Question: What is your name and your position within the company and can you name any previous titles you have worked on?

Answer: My names Aaron Ludlow and I am lead test on BC for the Xbox. I have been employed at Lionhead for three and a half years and have previously worked on Black&White and its add-on, Creature Isle.

Question: As a tester what does your work entail?

Answer: My work entails working alongside the designers at Intrepid to help balance the game and make it as fun to play as possible.

Question: Many gamers assume that working as a tester is glamorous would you agree/disagree with this?

Answer: Disagree! I have worked on BC close to two years now and we still have a period of time to go on the project. This means playing the same game day in and day out for long periods whilst also trying to look at it from a fresh point of view – this is where our work experience program assists us (details found at: http://www.lhtimes.com) . We basically offer people from all over the world the chance to come in and test our games. As the game develops it becomes more polished and therefore enjoyable so my job becomes much more interesting towards the end of a game’s development!

Question: As part of the overall development how important is the role of a games tester?

Answer: Testing is an important aspect of any development process; we are the guys who play the games day in, day out.

We are all avid gamers so the theory is - if we don’t like the games we are testing, neither will the gamers which are going to buy our game.

Some development companies do not have in-house test departments which in my eyes, is the wrong way to go as it will always be hard to get honest impressions of a game in development without them.

But it would be wrong to put loads of emphasis on testing alone, like many things in life, it’s all about teamwork. Without the designers/artists/programmers/scripters/producers there wouldn’t be a game.

Question: What has been the hardest part of working on BC

Answer: The hardest part must be testing every aspect of the game. Due to BC’s free roaming nature and fully interactive environments, there are literally tons of ways you could complete each task. Testing each one in different circumstances can be very time consuming.

Question: What unique game play styles have you encountered in the development of BC

Answer: BC is one of the most unique gaming experiences I have played in many-a-year, even while it’s still in development. There are just so many great things about it. Some examples;

Environments – the first game for years (surprisingly) I can think of which takes you back to the prehistoric era whilst fighting dinosaurs and overcoming gruelling environments. These tasks take both skill and nerve!

Eco System – a living and breathing world. Each creature has its own needs and desires. They need to eat, drink, sleep and be safe. The player has the chance to manipulate this and help \ hinder specific creatures in breeding, feeding etc to his/her own benefit

I could go on about other things but then that would just spoil the experience for you gamers (plus I have work to do and to explain everything would take a long time!).

Question: What element of BC has impressed you the most to date?

Answer: Probably the Eco system. Sometimes I just sit back and watch the eco system in action. Seeing hungry raptors suddenly sight a group of Domeheads, team up into formation and quietly sneak up on them to vicious and devastating effect still fascinates me each and every time I see it! It’s as if I am participating in an interactive Wildlife documentary!

Question: At X03 Peter Molyneux showed us BC in early playable form how close is BC to completion now?

Answer: We are currently nearing the latter stages of development. We have a great policy at Lionhead to only release games when we feel we have developed them to a point where we cannot improve them anymore.

Question: In BC how is the main character represented in the game?

Answer: There isn’t a main character as such, the player takes control of a tribe of characters which each have their own unique abilities. The player can take control of any of these characters and utilize there individual skills to assist in the conquering of the world. Teams can also be created \ controlled allowing various tactics to be employed that involve multiple tribespeople.

Question: How large do these tribes get and is increasing the size of your tribe an integral part of the game?

Answer: It depends on how well protected you keep your camp! If they are safe and have plenty of food and water you can breed a large tribe.

And yes, looking after your camp is an important part of the game. We hope to balance the tribe development so the player has a choice of his level of involvement, some people like to fiddle with the figures and some don’t! We try to cater for all types of gamers on BC!

Question: Finally with a complex game like BC what are the most common bugs that a tester will find?

Answer: Well recently there has been a lot of eco system bugs, as this obviously an extremely complex piece of code.

One night, I left my Xbox running overnight and when I came into work I found my level was totally populated by hundreds of dodos! The bug involved the raptor AI. They wouldn’t eat which meant that the Dodos had no predators attacking them, thus they kept breeding peacefully but at a high rate!

Another one was the gigantic T-Rex, he suddenly became 25 times his normal size! I can now look back and laugh but believe me, at 3 in the morning, with no sleep, seeing it coming out of no-where, teeth bared and intent on my tribe’s blood……. I wasn’t laughing!!!

Migl escribió: [Ver mensaje]

Ojalá en Lionhead o donde fuese retomasen este proyecto y lo hiciesen tal cual pero con las posibles mejoras que pudiesen brindar las capacidades de las máquinas de hoy día, ojalá. Impresionante.

Citar:

CHANGES FOR BC

Lionhead Studios announced today that its plans for Xbox title BC have been suspended. BC was being developed by Intrepid Computer Entertainment, part of Lionhead Studios.

In announcing the decision to suspend work on BC, Peter Molyneux Managing Director of Lionhead Studios said “The decision to suspend work on any games project is always a very difficult one, particularly when it is a title with the potential of BC. We hope to revive the project at a later date and will endeavour to assign as many of the team as possible to other Lionhead projects.”

Citar:

Lionhead drops prehistoric Xbox project - B.C. now extinct?

Posted 22 Oct 2004 by Staff

In what will come as disappointing news for Lionhead fans, the ambitious sounding (and cool-looking)Xbox prehistoric adventure, BC, has been put on hold indefinitely. In development with Intrepid Computer Entertainment, BC had originally been pitched as a unique free-roaming adventure, with RPG elements, that saw the player trying to lead a tribe of cave people in an effort to evolve into the bestest monkeys; battling rival cave people and dinosaurs in the process. Since then, the concept was taken down a peg or two: reducing gameplay to more straightforward, generic action.

Lionhead hasn’t provided an official explanation for the sidelining of what had initially sounded like a great thing. Perhaps the gaming community’s disappointed response to Fable had dissuaded the company to unleash a game like this: which may have been reduced to a shadow of its former self. But that said, Fable has become the biggest selling Xbox game yet: suggesting that there’s plenty of money to be made from slightly disappointing products. More reassuringly, Lionhead has stated that “We hope to revive the project at a later date.”

Seeing as Lionhead managed to secure multi-million pound investment from venture capitalists only three days prior to this announcement, it would seem to have been a quality rather than financial issue. But the world of games still needs more caveman related stuff. We sincerely hope that BC isn’t completely extinct quite yet.

Migl escribió: [Ver mensaje]

Joder, es que veo los vídeos y... ¡¡que salga!! ¡que se filtre! ¡que cojan lo que tengan hecho del juego (que al parecer estaba cerca de estar terminado) y lo pulan para sacarlo!

Citar:

BC (Supposedly installed on some debug Xbox at a conference for developers years ago)

Citar:

Glacial Caves Level



Near the surface, waxy looking and strangely coloured stalactites and stalagmites of ice wall vast cathedral-like caves. Deeper in the mountain, apparent volcanic activity brings some of the ice to its melting point, creating subterranean pools of frigid water. Ice walls give way to smooth caverns and geological formations created by millions of years of volcanic activity.

Citar:

BC (Xbox)

Daniel Valverde Góngora | 30/01/2003 (Todo el día) | 1287 visitas - Avance


Cuando Lionhead Studios anuncia un nuevo título en desarrollo, el mundo de los videojuegos sucumbe irremediablemente ante la genialidad, el talento, y la innata capacidad de sorprender de Peter Molyneux & Co. Esta vez, el gurú británico se va a encargar de trasladarnos hasta una de las épocas más fascinantes y misteriosas de la existencia humana. No, no estamos hablando de los años 60 ni de la moda hippie, sino de la ingente y siempre oscura y desconocida Prehistoria. ¿Alguien va a tener el valor de perderse este viaje 'Before Christ' hacia nuestros despiadados y atroces orígenes?


De Hombres y Monstruos

Han pasado ya casi dos años desde que Lionhead y Molyneux nos invitaron a jugar a ser Dioses en su aclamado y magnífico Black & White, un 'godgame' de dimensiones épicas que no dejó indiferente a nadie y que catapultó a sus creadores hasta el cenit del entretenimiento virtual. Pero el talento de estos chicos parece no tener fin. De la mano de Intrepid Games y bajo la constante supervisión de los estudios de la cabeza de león, el padre de Populous nos trae ahora este ambicioso proyecto bautizado como BC (Antes de Cristo), una exquisita y exuberante rareza que ya tiene visos de convertirse en una nueva obra maestra. Esta vez no encarnaremos el papel de un ser divino y todopoderoso como en B&W, sino todo lo contrario.

Pasaremos a controlar a los miembros de una terrenal e incivilizada tribu prehistórica que, en lucha constante por la supervivencia, se verá inmersa en una atroz batalla que los llevará a enfrentarse a cada uno de los incontables peligros que por aquella época acechaban a la aún primitiva especie humana. Y cuando decimos atroz, no lo hacemos gratuitamente, ni mucho menos. Molyneux ha llegado a afirmar que BC será el juego más sangriento, brutal, y salvaje que jamás haya pasado por nuestras retinas. Y eso no es poco. Los chicos de Lionhead van a ser capaces de desterrarnos del Olimpo celestial de su Black & White para sumergirnos en un particular viaje sin retorno hacia los albores de la humanidad más cruel y despiadada, un auténtico giro al infierno de consecuencias imprevisibles.


Según las palabras del propio Peter, BC va a ser un juego de acción y aventura en tercera persona que va a apostar descaradamente por un realismo prácticamente 'gore'. Aquí no van a haber premeditados cambios de cámara durante la acción para intentar camuflar las escenas más sanguinarias y violentas. No, ni mucho menos. La intención de los desarrolladores es que toda la crudeza de las encarnizadas luchas por la supervivencia de la especie quede plasmada lo más fielmente posible en la pantalla de nuestro monitor. Sin tapujos ni sutilezas.

Para ello, Molyneux ha decidido que los vetustos hombres y los grandes y despiadados dinosaurios compartan escena y protagonismo en su personal e intransferible visión de la Prehistoria. De esta manera, Hombres y Reptiles tendrán la cruel oportunidad de verse las caras en épicas y auténticas carnicerías de sangre, vísceras y brutales amputaciones que gozarán de un realismo extremo. 'Queríamos crear un mundo salvaje y hemos aplicado todo lo que hemos podido para conseguirlo.'- afirma Molyneux sin pudor. Como podéis deducir de sus palabras, BC será un juego exclusivamente para adultos. Y eso nos gusta, para qué negarlo.


En busca del fuego

Hablar de BC es hablar de un gigantesco mundo virtual rebosante de vida animada y de vastas extensiones de terreno por explorar. En Intrepid Games se han esforzado por conseguir que el grado de interactividad del jugador con el entorno salvaje sea simplemente asombroso. En palabras de sus creadores, 'será el entorno más interactivo que jamás se haya visto en un videojuego.' Al encontrarnos con cualquier objeto en el suelo podremos recogerlo, manipularlo, e incluso utilizarlo como arma arrojadiza si la ocasión lo requiere.

En BC todo tiene su razón de ser, cualquier detalle cobra importancia si sabemos apreciarlo y utilizarlo como es debido. Podremos hacer rodar piedras por encima de la tierra o romperlas brutalmente contra otras mucho más grandes y duras. Podremos talar árboles para obtener preciada madera y así poder fabricar antorchas que nos proporcionarán calor y nos permitirán utilizar el fuego como arma letal o disuasoria. Para que nos demos cuenta de las infinitas posibilidades que nos ofrecerá el flexible diseño de la acción, los responsables del proyecto nos avanzan que 'habrá muchas maneras de matar a un gran saurio.

Algunos jugadores lo rodearán con los fornidos miembros de su tribu y lo acribillarán a flechazos y otros menos belicosos optarán por envenenar las frutas de los árboles y dárselas como comida. Cada jugador decidirá...' Lo que pude ser un nutritivo y apetitoso fruto para una determinada especie animal puede convertirse en una venenosa trampa mortal para otra. Así de crudo. Toda esta libertad que BC va a ofrecer al jugador hará que nunca dos tribus controladas por dos jugadores distintos puedan llegar a tener las mismas características y la misma velocidad de evolución tecnológico-cultural.

De cada pequeña decisión, de cada pequeño e insignificante hallazgo, puede llegar a depender el éxito o el fracaso en la difícil tarea de la perpetuación de la especie. 'El jugador puede tropezarse con una planta enredadera en un recóndito y lúgubre lugar y llevársela de vuelta al campamento. Podría suceder que algún miembro de la tribu, al tener las flexibles ramas entre sus manos, descubriera instintivamente que podrían servir para fabricar un arco con el que disparar a los saurios voladores. Esto supondría un salto en la evolución tecnológica de la especie.' -explicaban los miembros de Intrepid Games en una entrevista concedida a la gente de XB Magazine. A lo largo del juego tendremos alrededor de cien tecnologías diferentes a nuestra disposición y toda una multitud de armas y artefactos de devastadores efectos que sembrarán el terror entre nuestros más directos adversarios.

A medida que nuestra tribu vaya escalando lugares en la peliaguda línea de la evolución, cada uno de los miembros del grupo irá ganando habilidades y facultades que lo hará mucho más poderoso y resistente al entorno hostil. Pero no todos los cavernícolas evolucionarán de la misma manera ni con la misma rapidez. Algunos desarrollarán el preciado carisma y la inteligencia que necesitará cualquier futuro líder y otros, con el paso del tiempo y las experiencias acumuladas, se transformarán en expertos y habilidosos guerreros capaces de acabar con un Rex a golpes de roca. Como declaró Molyneux a IGN.com, y siguiendo el criterio de grupo y unidad, 'en BC no habrá personajes principales ni tampoco heroicos protagonistas con asombrosas cualidades innatas.

El juego empieza con una imagen de los cinco patéticos y famélicos cavernícolas desnudos en una esquina de la cueva. Lo primero que tendremos que hacer es seleccionar a uno de los personajes para pasar a controlarlo directamente y escoger mediante 'etiquetas inteligentes' a los demás miembros de la tribu que nos acompañarán. Al salir fuera de la cueva, y desde nuestra privilegiada posición en lo alto de los riscos más elevados, podremos observar la majestuosidad del Gran Valle; grandes y pesados brontosaurios lo atraviesan lentamente mientras algunos ruidosos y feroces pterodáctilos lo sobrevuelan en busca de preciado alimento. Es como la primera vez que en Jurassic Park pudimos ver a los dinosaurios... Increíble.'


¡Vilmaaaaaa, ábreme la puertaaaa...con el botón B!

Como vemos, el objetivo de BC no será otro que el de convertir a una embrionaria y patética tribu de salvajes humanos en un grupo de inteligentes y poderosos guerreros capaces de sobrevivir al más sádico capricho del destino (habrá más de una sorpresa...). Para ello, tanto el desarrollo de nuevas armas como el de revolucionarias técnicas de caza y defensa pasarán a jugar un papel fundamental en el incierto devenir de la especie.

BC recrea un mundo peligroso y salvajemente cruel. No sólo tendremos que luchar incansablemente contra los grandes reptiles y obtener recursos vitales para poder sobrevivir a las hostilidades de una realidad atroz. Habrá otros peligros, otras tribus inteligentes y simiescas que competirán directamente contra nosotros en nuestra particular cruzada por la perpetuación de la especie humana. Y sobretodo y por encima de todo, y como siempre ha ocurrido en la accidentada evolución de la humanidad, el mayor y más mortal de los peligros estará dentro de nosotros mismos...

BC va a ser por encima de todo un sangriento y salvaje arcade. Las pinceladas de ligera estrategia y rol evolutivo que empaparán constantemente su acción, no serán suficientes para desencasillar al juego del género de la acción más 'arcadiana' y directa. Según sus propios creadores, ' al jugar los controles se parecerán más a los de un Mario o Jak & Daxter. El jugador se sentirá cómodo nada más empezar a jugar.' Los chicos de Intrepid nos han prometido que jugar a BC será tan intuitivo que prácticamente podremos controlar al personaje con sólo dos o tres botones del Pad.

Tendremos un botón, el B, que nos permitirá realizar una u otra acción en función del objeto o mecanismo al que nuestro personaje se acerque. Por ejemplo, si nuestro cavernícola se acerca a una roca de gran tamaño el botón B se convertirá en 'Empujar', mientras que si está junto a unas enormes plantas enredaderas el mismo botón nos permitirá 'Trepar' por ellas. Este botón de 'acciones inteligentes', que tanto gusta a los programadores de Nintendo y a toda su legión de incondicionales fans, va a simplificar mucho el sistema de control del personaje y va a favorecer sensiblemente a la jugabilidad de BC.


El mundo que Michael Crichton soñó

Pero donde la última joya de Molyneux va a dejar el listón altísimo será en el fastuoso e indescriptible apartado gráfico y tecnológico. En BC no habrá pre-renders, todo estará perfectamente modelado con un exquisito y potentísimo motor 3D que será capaz de ofrecernos un espectáculo visual cercano a la perfección. Una delicia para los ojos y también para los demás sentidos. 'Todo el mundo nos dice que BC en movimiento es una de las experiencias más impresionantes que se han visto nunca sobre una consola o un PC.' -concluyen a modo de sentencia los 'chicos intrépidos'.Y es que conociendo al bueno de Peter todo en Befote Christ va a estar cuidado hasta el más mínimo detalle.

Sin ir más lejos, las texturas de los impresionantes modelos humanos y de los variopintos saurios gozarán de un nivel de detalle tan extraordinario que harán palidecer a todo lo visto anteriormente. Todo el talento artístico de los chicos de Lionhead e Intrepid se ha unido para crear una abrumadora experiencia visual de dimensiones épicas. Para entender la magnitud del trabajo de los artistas gráficos de Intrepid bastará con señalar que los 'amigos de Peter' han dedicado exclusivamente más de un año de trabajo sólo para la recreación del agua y el minucioso diseño de sus espectaculares efectos de partículas. El resultado, como no podría ser de otra manera, sorprenderá a cualquiera.

Pero un mundo natural sin luces ni sombras nunca puede llegar a ser un mundo verosímil ni coherente. Por eso, los talentosos grafistas de BC se han permitido el lujo de utilizar las funciones más avanzadas y 'nvidiadas' del chip gráfico de la consola de Microsoft para mostrarnos efectos de luces técnicamente asombrosos. Así, el juego incluirá bump-lights y specular-lights en casi cada una de las superficies texturizadas del escenario, fog-mapping, sombras volumétricas, mapeados con correcciones de perspectiva por píxel...

En fin, toda una serie de efectos de luces de ensueño. 'Como es un juego exclusivo de Xbox, nos hemos permitido llevar a la máquina hasta el límite.' -confiesan los grafistas de Intrepid Games. Y creemos que lo han conseguido. El resultado salta a la vista. Y es sencillamente impresionante. Además, y por si todo esto fuera poco, el juego podría llegar casi con toda seguridad totalmente localizado al castellano, lo cual sería la guinda de lujo a un conjunto que promete y mucho.

En cuanto a la cámara que se utilizará para mostrarnos el desarrollo de la acción, será una semejante a la que usan populares juegos como Starfox, Zelda o Mario. Será una cámara situada por defecto a la espalda del personaje y que nos permitirá, mediante progresivos cambios de zoom, apreciar detalladamente lo que pasa a nuestro alrededor. Será de agradecer también la inclusión de una interesante y efectiva cámara en primera persona (a lo Shenmue) que nos permitirá observar pausadamente toda la salvaje, agreste y peligrosa belleza del absorbente entorno y sus dulces criaturas celestiales.

Y es aquí donde el título de Lionhead exhibe sus múltiples y antagónicas vertientes de juego. Hay un BC rápido, directo, para los jugadores menos pacientes y amantes de la acción sin complicaciones. Y hay otro BC contemplativo, pausado, para aquellos jugadores que se quieran recrear en cada escenario y paisaje, en cada amanecer o puesta de sol, en cada brizna de hierba moviéndose al suave compás del viento... Es en esa libertad de juego donde radica uno de los grandes aciertos de este BC. 'Le daremos al jugador la libertad de pasarse el juego a toda caña o tomarse el tiempo disfrutando de los alrededores del juego, explorando, evolucionando...' -confesaban sus creadores a XB Magazine.

Lo que aún queda por ver es si los especialistas de Intrepid y Lionhead nos van a sorprender gratamente con unos patrones de IA verdaderamente revolucionarios. Siendo razonables, a nadie se le escapa que estos chicos, con el 'ideógrafo' Molyneux a la cabeza, ya se doctoraron con nota en la compleja asignatura de 'IA Avanzada Aplicada a Criaturas' en su laureado y multipremiado Black & White. Así que en este BC no podemos esperar menos de ellos. Al contrario. Sabiendo que Peter está detrás del proyecto, estamos casi seguros de que vamos a poder ser testigos de la más fidedigna implementación de IA que se haya realizado jamás en el mundo de la Paleontología lúdico-virtual.

Y es que, como ya señalaba al principio, cuando el creador de joyas como el mítico Powermonger despierta de su aparente letargo con una nueva creación los cimientos del tedioso mundo del 'más de lo mismo' tiemblan y se hacen añicos al instante. O mucho nos equivocamos o este BC, esta preciada y exquisita rareza que tendremos que saber degustar con el versado apetito de un sibarita, se va a convertir casi con toda seguridad en uno de los grandes títulos del 2003. Porque, como ya dijo un famoso poeta hindú, 'sólo hay una historia: la historia del Hombre. Todas las demás historias nacionales no son más que capítulos de la mayor...' Y ahora nos tocará revivirla... desde las cenizas. ¿Estáis preparados?

Citar:

Fable and Xbox 360 killed Lionhead’s B.C. says developer

29 Oct 2012


“An executive decision was made to put everything behind Fable at the expense of BC”, says original Intrepid Games designer

In a special feature on the greatest cancelled games in history, games™ has spoken to Joe Rider, one of the original developers on B.C., the ambitous dinosaur hunting adventure game once in development at Peter Molyneux’s Lionhead but sadly cancelled at about 75% completion.

Developed alongside Fable, B.C. was reportedly about six months behind Molyneux’s pet RPG project and was, according to Rider, a victim of the early death of the Xbox. “Sony brought out the PlayStation 3 nearly a year ahead of schedule and in turn Microsoft pushed forward the 360 launch window by nine months,” explains Rider. “It was unlikely that Fable and BC would both be finished on time with the current resources available. An executive decision was made to put everything behind Fable at the expense of BC because both products couldn’t be made with the resources available in the now-reduced period of time.”


While Fable was a full Lionhead production, B.C. was a co-development between Lionhead and Intrepid Games, and suffered, according to Rider, because the two studios failed to work together adequately. “Looking back, one of the poor decisions that was made was not to share technology between the two studios,” he says. “Both studios were developing their own proprietary technology – shaders, engines, AI systems – and although the games were very different, I think clearly, looking back, we would have been better served by working more cooperatively.”

Is there any hope that B.C. will eventually resurface? It’s unlikely. Rider confirms to us that three employees at Intrepid Games had worked on concept documents for an Xbox 360 version of B.C. but that no further work was done, as Lionhead and Molyneux moved on to Fable 2. And with the B.C. idea owned by Microsoft and most of its original staff now at Media Molecule, under Sony, the ambitious adventure game is more than likely lost forever. Extinct.

To read more on the fate of B.C. and 20 other great cancelled games, including exclusive insights into TimeSplitters 4, Star Wars: Battlefront III and Criterion’s Skate Or Die remake, see games™ 128, on sale now in both print and digital formats.

Citar:

B.C. Frequently Asked Questions



This FAQ is a work in progress, on a regular base we will make additions, changes or updates to this document. Many of the questions asked on our boards will also be answered here, so feel free to submit your thoughts, concerns or ideas...


General Information:

What is the concept behind BC?
It's about survival, growing your tribe, exploration. It's an action adventure game with a simulated world and missions. B.C. is a deadly adventure of brutal prehistoric survival. It's a third person action/adventure game. There is plenty of combat and exploration (all within a simulated world) but within this world you must also raise and care for your tribe.

What is the goal of the game?
The objective of B.C. is to find passage to a third place, free from the dynamics of predator and prey. Your journey of evolution takes you from primitive man to an Iron Age level of sophistication

What does B.C. mean?!
B.C. comes from the acronym of Before Christ. We’re using the acronym to indicate that the game is set a long time ago.

Where can I get more information on B.C.?
The best places to look are; LHtimes, Intrepidgames and Xbox.com/BC.

Does B.C. have anything resembling a tight plot, or is it more a case of rewarding the player with emergent gameplay?
We have both emergence and a plot to give the player a clear objective.

Why are you releasing the game on the Xbox only and not the PC?
We're being published by Microsoft exclusively for XBOX.

Is there any blood in the game?
There is a lot of gore and plenty of blood. The game is very bloody and realistic, how could it not be?

How will that affect the rating of the game?
It's gritty, but none of the violence is gratuitous or pitching human against human. We are hoping that this will facilitate a reasonable rating.

With B.C. having such an emphasis on gore, what kind of damage systems are we going to see in there?
You'll find that some of the tribe's people have not developed a sense of empathy with one another and can find a team-mate having an arm ripped off very amusing. You will actually see the meat underneath the skin and all the veins and arteries which have been cut.

Intrepid apparently has a sense of humor. I'm betting it shows in B.C.?
We hope so...Humor always manages to surface through the darkest of hours, even when you are fighting a pitched battle for survival.

Is this game going to have a lot of Easter Eggs too?
There will be a number of cool Easter Eggs in the final release; most are derived from very cool game systems that we couldn't shoe horn in to the game proper.

What about the music?
Each environment has a very specific theme, which is modeled in sympathy with the graphical atmosphere and the nature of the challenges the player will face there.

Will B.C. be at E3 2004?
B.C. will put in a showing at E3 again this year, although we are not on the show floor as Microsoft has strategic restrictions on release or very close to release for show floor demos. Watch the site for material releases post E3 though, to keep everybody up to date.


Your Tribe:

What sort of physical changes will happen to your character / tribe based on their activities? Larger muscles with physical work, more hair with colder climate etc.?
The characters will start basically bare but as you gain rank, they'll gain cool clothes, hair-dos (bare apart from the essentials), tattoos, and other adornments. The character gains more and more skills, weaponry and cultural artifacts during the game. Look for some awesome tribal masks in upcoming screen shots...

Is there any other tribes? If so, will there be battles for land, resources or diplomatic arguments with these?
No, the simians will be your arch-rivals. There were other tribes present in the land once, and you discover the survivors as you progress, however the simians act as a rival tribe (and far fiercer). You assimilate those discovered humans into your own tribe; i.e. you pick up the remnants of other tribes as you go along.

Will there be simian like enemies who use tools etc?
The simians will not be as advanced as cavemen but will be able to handle rocks, sticks etc…

Could you give me one example of what kind of items you can find in the world, and/or use?
Every thing you can pickup can be used as a weapon: break a boulder for stones, knock down a tree for branches, dinos eggs, fruit, use branches as clubs, meat … But, as you advance, the tribe will manufacture better weapons. As B.C. is a very detailed world simulation, it is rich in found objects, derived from nature. It's when you choose to combine these objects properties that things become really interesting.

Does your tribe need to sleep too?
No

Up to how many people can you have in your tribe?
Your tribe's population increases as you move through the land. New babies are born when there is sufficient food and water and the camp's safety level is high. You can increase your camp's MAXIMUM population by discovering "Spirit Stones" in the world and returning them to the tribe's elder. We’re currently balancing to determine the highest figure we can have and still maintain the games playability. By the time the player reaches the foothills and the mountains (the later sections of the world), the
player's tribe will be in the thirties.

Is there some sort of level-up system?
Yes, there is - all cavemen gain experience depending on how active they are in the world: cavemen on food/water collection duties gain experience quite slowly but those cavemen on the active team, engaged in combat, will gain experience much more quickly. As the cavemen earn experience they gain access to higher ranks, with increased hit points and increased abilities for each calling, as well as the symbols of that rank: tattoos, tribal masks etc. This way you can easily recognize the most experienced members of your tribe at a glance: that guy there who looks really tough with the tattoos, the Mohican, and the
terrifying mask? Well, he IS really tough. Some of the later ranks must be unlocked for each calling before they can be obtained: this is done by accepting a Rite of Passage quest from the tribe's trainer.


Dinosaurs:

Can dangerous dinosaurs find their way into your village, or do you have to hunt for them?
Dangerous dinos can and will attack your camp. While the dinos will all be mostly neutral... just a part of the food chain, Simians will actually be out to get you.
However you can use the experience you have gained to manipulate creatures’ behaviours to do your bidding.

I must say that the dinosaur animations look incredible. Did you guys 'n gals watch alot of Discovery Channel? What did you use for information?
Videos of BBC Natural History and so on. We also have real live dinosaurs in the office. No one can animate a sleeping dinosaur like Niamh and we also watched Jurassic Park...

Are you planning to have any friendly creatures in the game... maybe something that could in theory provide some kind of symbiotic relationship?
No creatures in B.C. are naturally enemies, many like the dodo need to be hunted carefully to ensure they don't migrate. Not all creatures in the game are hostile. You could keep one as a pet even, if you just manage to trap it. Or nick an egg!

Could you give us more information on capturing and raising a creature as a "pet"?
Every creature in the game is completely feral, wild and savage. It's not possible to domesticate any creature, but it is possible to harness their power against your enemies.
Like we said, the word 'pet' would be too strong.... if you capture an animal in a walled area, for example they'll still want to tear your throat out, when they escape. Especially because they'll probably be quite hungry if you haven't fed them! The creatures will never attach to you, or become pets like a dog. But you can keep one trapped and keep feeding it, and watch it grow... and it might eat your tribe one day if you're not careful.

How about the dinosaur AI?
The behaviour modeling is extremely sophisticated; all of the creatures will behave as you would expect them to in terms of their natural habitat, level of aggression and territorial nature. With the day/night cycle, creatures are nocturnal. They will often sleep during the day and awaken during the night. This can help you plan attack strategies.


The World:

Is there one continent?
Yes, but it's huge with many different regions.

How is the world built up.....is it like a huuuuge map or some smaller?
It is a huuuge consistent map of one island but we have had to break it down into sections. Dave (our Lead Level Designer) has built a huge realistically connected continent. Each of five big levels all flow together...But you can still view the ultimate objective of the mountains from where you start!

Can you travel between the different sections on the island at will, or is it such that once you progress to a new section there's no going back?
You can return at will via the river which runs throughout the land, so yes you can go back.

You say that you can interact with the world, but does that also include something like hunting something to extinction?
We want the eco-simulation to be as realistic as possible of course, but we also need to keep the game fun. A completely empty world, devoid of all creatures wouldn't be fun.
You can force them to migrate. Not to mention set them back. We did used to allow hunting creatures to extinction but that's just what players did, and ignored the missions until everything was wiped out (just like "man" would do really) so we have had to make sure that creatures keep coming back to keep the challenge. The aim is to achieve balance with the eco system, not conquer it. You can however certainly wipe out creatures from discreet areas of the map

Is there a day and night change in B.C.?
There is a complete day/night cycle that is continually running in the game. The day/night stuff is one of our best points. The cycle is not real time; it takes about 20 real minutes for 24 game hours. With the day/night cycle, creatures are nocturnal. They will often sleep during the night and awaken during the day. This can help you plan attack strategies.

Will there be any seasons like summer or winter?
The levels start in a tropical area and then you head up higher elevations. We don't have plans for seasons, but the weather in the game deteriorates as you progress through the levels. So, effectively, the climate will be changing. There are hot regions like the desert and icy ones in the mountains.

Are there natural disasters? Like Volcanic eruptions or tornados?
There is definitely a volcano in the game, it's dormant at the start, whether it stays that way or not... you'll have to find out.


Other

Is there anything revolutionary about the game engine? Like polybumpmapping or any new lighting/rendering?
Pretty much everything is bump-mapped - including the entire landscape.

How many polygons does a human have?
Humans have between 6000-10000 polygons each.

What section of the game are you most proud of?
Some random quotes from the team;
"At the moment my favourite part of the game is the meat harvesting. "
"The lighting as you go through the day/night cycle - it looks amazing."
"You can instruct the tribe to cut away parts of any killed dino."
"The physics is looking really sweet right now!"
"The landscape is fantastic…"
"My favourite aspect of the game is trying to manage my camp and nurture my tribe to maximum population."
"I am personally extremely proud of the level of naturalism we have got going, it's an extremely frightening, brutal and savage world just as it should be."

Word from Aaron (Lead Tester) on B.C.;
"To finish off; B.C. is one of the most unique and amazing games I have seen/played for years. I know you may think ‘I have to say that because I work for Lionhead’ but it really is true. Keep an eye on this baby and it will truly blow you away, this is why you bought an Xbox!!!"

Word from Peter Molyneux on B.C.;
"Ever since the first concept shot BC has been something different, yes it is brutal and savage, but also realistic and funny, for me while playing the game it’s the feeling that your tribe would be nothing without you the player in this savage land, and then as you play you realize that you actually do have power. B.C. will be something amazing & beautiful, both unique and simple."

Citar:

Alpine Forest Level



Evergreen trees stand guard around deep, clear, cold, glacial lakes. Those lakes and rivers that are partially frozen make treacherous causeways. High above, the quickly approaching snow line is stark against grey mountainsides. Cliffs, scree slopes, and rockslides make footing somewhat difficult. The air is crisp and getting colder as you approach the mountain crags.


Swamp Level



Massive, towering, moss-covered trees, with roots as tall as a man, dominate this amazing, lush rain forest. Thick vines cable down from high above. The mist filled air is heavily populated by insect life. Huge-leafed plants and ferns fill the spaces on the jungle floor between giant, mossy logs and stumps. Rocky outcrops can be found on steep hillsides, valleys lead down to wide rivers, some of which are fed by powerful waterfalls. The flora begins to thin out as you approach the woodland hills.