When I heard that Max Payne 3 was going to be developed internally at Rockstar and NOT by Remedy Entertainment, I was a little uneasy but I gave Rockstar the benefit of the doubt. Now that I see the first full image of Max, now bald with a terrible beard?

I don’t know, man.

On one hand, I like the potential of exploring what’s happened to the character over the period between The Fall of Max Payne and now. Obviously he’s gone through hell and high water, and according to the details that have been seeping out (I’ve yet to pick this issue up), he’s now addicted to painkillers and living in Brazil.

On the other hand, I am NOT a fan of the redesign in itself. I just hope that they at least used the same guy from MP2 for the character model, otherwise I’m going to be VERY pissed — because that’ll mean that in three different games, Max has had three entirely different and unrelated faces.

…who am I kidding? I’ll still play the hell out of the game. Anyways, here’s the news for the week that was.

Green for Microsoft
Blue for Nintendo
Red for Sony

• Alan Wake will play out like a season of a TV show — like Alone in the Dark did – Joystiq
• Online Gaming now 25% of all Gaming Revenue – Gamasutra
• Story played a big role in designing Splinter Cell: Punisher Conviction’s gameplay – Joystiq
• Resident Evil on PSP will be a whole new experience – Shacknews
• Midway Creditors settle with (current) Midway Owner – Gamasutra
• Green Day confirms some kind of Rock Band involvement – Destructoid
• And now, Harmonx Confirms some kind of Green Day Rock Band stuff – Shacknews
• Several members of original Monkey Island cast to return in new game – Joystiq
• Sucker Punch explains why they remain PS3 loyal – Industry Gamers
• Everyone not named Sony wants a PS3 price cut – GameDaily
• R.I.P. Xbox 360 Coffins – Joystiq
• Sony will offer Digital replacements for your UMDs – Gizmodo
• 16-player multi, 4-player co-op coming to Crackdown 2 – Shacknews
• In case you were wondering, Project Natal works with black people too – Eurogamer
• No Trophies on PSP, says Sony — because Sony is actively trying to fail – Destructoid
• Hulu on Xbox 360? …it’s possible – Destructoid
• You know you’ve screwed up with Michael F’n Pachter says You’re Nuts – Joystiq
• Pachter renigs on “rip off” comments, the sissy – GamePolitics
• Koei Tecmo would like their employees to breed — that is no typo – The Feed
• ESA sez… “we would like to rate iPhone games, plz!” – GamePolitics
• Activision sez… “Modern Warfare 2 will be the best thing EVAR!” – Industry Gamers
• The Sims 3 is already at 1.4 million sold – Gamasutra
• Valve on not developing for PS3: It’s too hard. Wah. – Loot Ninja
• Electronic Arts sez… “Xbox 360 has been maxed out” – Joystiq
• Six Days in Fallujah could still find a publisher – Eurogamer
• Warriors Orochi Z will never, EVER come to North America – Destructoid
• Prototype on PS3? …it’s broke as shit, man. - Joystiq
• Crysis on consoles was inevitable – Gamespot
• Free Realms is now over three million strong – VideoGamer
• Metroid M is gonna be a throwback to the classic Metroid – The Escapist
• Jack Tretton speaks truth in saying game journalists, by and large, don’t respect confidentiality – Gamasutra

• Borderlands. October. BUY IT! – Shacknews
• Dungeons & Dragons Online is now Free-to-Play. Meaning it’s Free. To play. – Gamasutra
• More Doom coming to the iPhone – Shacknews
• As if you didn’t have a reason to buy Forza 3 yet, GameStop reveals the Limited Edition goodies – Destructoid
• More Guitar Hero 5 songs announced – Shacknews
• Electronic Arts kinda confirmed Battlefield 3 – The Feed
• Duke Nukem Trilogy is coming to the iPhone – Shacknews
• Mirror’s Edge 2 in development, says EA – VideoGamer
• Oblivion, Morrowind are both coming to Steam – Shacknews

• Richard Ham tells you why Brink is better than college – Machinima
• Tim Shafer is better than you, slightly crazy – Joystiq
• Tomonobu Itagaki is back, and ready to skewer all comers once more – 1UP
• Muramasa was a pleasant surprise this year, and here is why - Joystiq
• Kaz Hirai explains why Sony is set-up for long-term success – Guardian
• Depending on who you ask, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories either is or is not a remake of Silent Hill – Destructoid

• Sony to drop PS3 price by $100 in time for Madden NFL 10? – GameDaily
• Cryptic Studios working on a Neverwinter Nights MMO? Redundant, but possible! – Shacknews

• The Saboteur looks to be everything that’s great with video games – Joystiq
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is… well, a crack in time – Destructoid
• Red Steel 2 has swords, guns, and Clint Eastwood references – Joystiq
• Borderlands. What else must be said? – Destructoid
• Split/Second is… fucking gorgeous – Joystiq
• Tales of Monkey Island warms the cockles of my heart – Destructoid

• Star Wars: The Old Republic will not play like this trailer – Destructoid
• Not only is Brutal Legend brutal and legendary, but lots of people like it too – Joystiq
• Huxley. I’ve no idea what it is, but it looks awesome – Destructoid
• DC Universe Online is… eh, it’s an MMO – Shacknews
• From DC to Marvel: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has venomous goblins – Destructoid
• I have a feeling that Homefront may be taking itself a little too seriously – Joystiq

After we get all of our E3 stuff up and out there, we’ll be returning to normal site activity. I promise.

Doom and Diablo. Diablo and Doom. I never would have guessed such a seemingly awkward hybrid could be so graceful.

Is this a sign of gaming evolution? Perhaps. But more so, it’s a sign that plenty of fresh, original titles are still being developed—even if they are the remixed children of yesteryear’s super hits.

There’s hope for this industry, there is.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with one such developer—the mysterious mastermind behind If Software and sole developer of Doom: Fall of Mars, Andrew.

Just Andrew.

This was a real privilege for me, as I fell in love with the beta and can’t wait to see the finished game. Still, the delicious flavor of the FoM beta left me wanting more, wondering what the final release has in store for fans such as myself.

Will there be a BFG and a chainsaw? Will there be super-secret corridors and magical rooms filled with special goodies like the BFG and chainsaw? Will there be another beta—nay, a final release date that will bring us secret rooms showcasing awesome weaponry such as the BFG and the chainsaw?

Well, I’ve got good news, kids. I was finally able to get some of those unanswered questions answered—and with video responses to boot!

BG: If you wouldn’t mind starting by telling me a bit about yourself, what you do, and so forth, that’d be great. Just as a little bit of background to use in my intro for the interview, really.

Andrew: I’m everything a well-dressed private detective should be.

BG: The idea of mixing Doom with Diablo seems pretty absurd. But judging from the beta, it seems you’ve found the perfect balance. How’d you come up with the idea to mix two games that, on the surface, are really nothing alike?

Andrew: Absurdity is the road to happiness and personal satisfaction. That’s why they don’t want you to take it. The harmony is a result of my drudgery, and the idea is a result of my listlessness for real life.

BG: When did you begin working on FoM and what do you ultimately hope to achieve with it?

Andrew: I began my labor on FoM about one year ago. It was an on-and-off affair at first and began like any other project. Ultimately I don’t have any extravagant plans, I don’t think. I hope to finish it, polish it, and move on.

BG: The FoM beta was surprisingly expansive. My first play through took somewhere between two and four hours, much longer than expected. How many hours of gameplay  do you expect FoM to have when all is said and done?

Andrew: When all is said and done, the gameplay will be more extensive with additions such as quests, side quests, and more to explore. I’m aiming for at least 10 hours if played straight through.

BG: From the looks of it, there will be several friendly NPCs present in FoM. What significance will they serve?

Andrew: These friendly folk live, in one spot mind you, for one purpose only—to serve you. They will do this by getting you to do their dirty work (quests), gossiping about their day (lore), and selling you the crap they don’t need (as well as buying what you don’t want).

BG: You’ve mentioned “quests” multiple times, and now I’m intrigued. What kind of quests can the player expect to find in FoM? Can you give us a sample quest or an example?

Andrew: Mostly just killing unique enemies as part of a plot with rewards such as experience, skills, and items. E.g. You talk to a NPC, he tells you a demon of some sort has caused him some sort of inconvenience. You find this demon, kill him, bring back his head or other evidence, and you get your reward. There will also be some less conventional ones, but for the most part it will be like that, minus the ambiguity.

BG: The original Doom offered multiple episodes (“The Shores of Hell”, “Inferno”, etc.). Will FoM be taking a similar approach, offering different towns for different scenarios?

Andrew: There will be unlockable modes, but they will be more intended for difficulty (for example Diablo’s “Normal,” “Nightmare,” and “Hell”). These will, however, also change some key elements of the game, but what they change is a secret for now.

BG: The Doom franchise is known for its fast-paced, hard metal soundtrack. Are there any plans to include similar music in FoM, or will you instead maintain the eerie ambiance found in the beta? Has there been any consideration toward using fan remixes of songs from the original Doom?

Andrew: For the most part expect more ambient music. But at the same time it will be mixed with the instruments and grunginess of Doom. I have a very talented artist working on remixes from Doom which will be used in FoM. Here is an example of his work:

BG: I just gotta know, will you be including Doom staples such as the BFG and the chainsaw in the final version? I didn’t see them in the beta, but I’m sure fans would love to have them.

Andrew: Yes. It would be ridiculous not to have a BFG, and you can actually see the early stages of the chainsaw in this video:

BG: The original Doom is chock full of secret rooms and hidden passageways. Though the maps in FoM are randomly generated, will you be including secret areas in the final version?

Andrew: If I wanted to, I could say that there are already secret levels in the beta and that no one is looking hard enough. No one would know if I were lying or not. It could drive them crazy. But I will say that there will be secret rooms within levels as well as secret levels in future releases.

BG: Many would agree that depth and replayability are essential to making a good game a great game. What will FoM offer in terms of depth and replay value?

Andrew: Aside from the randomization of levels and weapons, I hope for FoM to have a fluid feel to it so replaying doesn’t feel like a chore.

BG: It’s all about the multiplayer these days. Any plans to include multiplayer at some point, and if so, what kind of game modes would you like to implement?

Andrew: As for now, I don’t have the time or resources to take on the daunting task of multiplayer. But hopefully one day.

BG: What improvements have been made to FoM since the beta’s release back in March?

Andrew: Mostly I have just been working on the bugs that the community has pointed out since the release. On top of that, it is much more difficult and balanced because there were some unreasonable circumstances. But for the most part more difficulty, more content, and less bugs (hopefully none).

BG: Are there plans to release further updates to the beta throughout the course of development?

Andrew: Yes. I do plan to put out releases every so often. I’d like to release a beta and then later release it without the bugs that the community finds. Then release another major update with distinct changes after that and repeat the process until it’s done.

BG: So can you clue us in as to when we can expect the next beta update? I’m sure a ton of people are anxious to see it.

Andrew: First I’ll have to clue myself in, but I’m sure it won’t be too long. If you put a gun to my head, I’d say June.

BG: It’s obvious that you’ve been pouring a lot of time into FoM. Roughly how many hours have you put into the development so far, and how much longer will it be before we see a finished copy?

Andrew: I try not to think about this. It’s not a healthy amount. The week before the March release I clocked over 120 hours—in one week. But at the same time, there were weeks that I didn’t even touch it. So it’s impossible to even estimate. Let’s just say “a lot.” I could never give an estimate on when it will be done either, considering the sometimes sporadic nature of my work habits.

BG: Of course, all this work can’t be for nothing. How much can gamers expect to pay to play the final version of FoM?

Andrew: It’s not for nothing, but it is also not for money.

BG: So can we score a copy if we impress you by singing a charming musical number?

Andrew: As long as it’s not from Grease. Two copies for anyone who can perform “Morning in the Burbs”.

BG: What does the future hold for If Software after you finish developing FoM?

Andrew: Oh, I don’t know. I’ll probably just fill my jacket with rocks and jump off a bridge. If I float, and the fish don’t get me, then I guess I’ll try my hand at sobering up and trying something new.

No?

Well, the people at If Software did (but you probably already knew that).

Yesterday I got my hands on the recent Doom: Fall of Mars Beta, and I couldn’t put it down. So far I’ve managed to squeeze three or four hours out of it, and I’m probably going to hit it up again to see if I missed anything. It’s—er—slightly addictive.

Just about every baddie from the original game is present in the Beta: the zombie marines, those floating red cyclops things, those funky fire-spitting Sasquatches. Even those pink muscle monsters with the horns make an appearance.

And of course, it wouldn’t really be Doom without all sorts of fancy weapons to tear them apart. Starting out with a measly pistol, you’ll quickly toss it aside for something cooler like the plasma rifle or the nailgun. The game holds true to the classic graphic stylings of the original Doom too—and is just as gory.

Based on what I’ve played so far the game is pretty damn good, and the cross between Doom and Diablo is practically seamless. I’m excited to see the finished product and the ways in which it improves upon the Beta.

But don’t just take my word for it. Try it for yourself here. It’s free, so what do you have to lose? Just remember that it’s only a Beta, and that If Software is still expanding and making changes to the game.

And while you’re at it, show If Software your support. They’re doing gamers everywhere a huge service.

Screenshots below for those of you too lazy to download and play it for yourself.

I checked it out myself, and I have to say I’m pretty tempted to empty my wallet into this sort of thing, despite not being much of a PC gamer.  I haven’t purchased anything from Steam in the past, but do yourself a favor and at least take a peek at some of these must-haves on the cheap:

• Ultimate Doom – $0.99
• Doom II – $0.99
• BioShock – $4.99
• Portal – $4.99
• SPORE – $37.49
• Left 4 Dead – $37.49
• FarCry 2 – $37.49
• Fallout 3 – $39.99
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning – $37.49
• Call of Duty: World at War – $44.99
• Grand Theft Auto IV – 44.99

Of course, this is a list of but a few of the titles I noticed on the site, and I’m sure there’s a number of other great deals to be found.

There are also some pretty sweet bundle packs, some running as low as $75.  With the Valve Complete pack running at only $74.99, containing games like Left 4 Dead and a boatload of Half-Life expansions, it’s not a bad deal if you ask me.

Just keep in mind, the sale ends January 2nd.

Finally, we’re all screwed. All of us. You see, there is a black hole at the center of our galaxy — which means we’re doomed. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually we’re doomed. At least we don’t feel anything as we’re sucked at faster-than-light speeds into nothingness.

In 1993, we also saw two companies that would go on to change to way we play video games: Take Two Interactive, the future publishers of Grand Theft Auto III and beyond, and nVidia.

10.) Dinosaurs for Hire

Also, fighting a robotic minotaur on top of the Empire State Building is just plain righteous.

9.) Sonic CD

Sonic CD has a couple of distinctions. It is widely considered to be the best Sonic the Hedgehog video game, and is almost universally accepted as the best SEGA CD game… even if that isn’t saying much.

8.) Battletoads & Double Dragon

All of these differences aside, Rareware and Tradewest pumped out a kick ass fighter. Even if it did take place in Bizarro World.

7.) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

6.) Mutant League Football

In a way, Mutant League Football played more like a war game than a football game. One of the perks of MLF was being able to murder the quarterback with exploding balls, electric shocks or just plain beating the hell out of them. If that wasn’t enough, both sides had to worry about where they stepped at any moment. A wide receiver could break for the ball and fall in a pit of fire, or a running back could break through the lines and into the secondary, only to blow themselves to hell by stepping on a landmine.

MLF did so well that EA decided to turn their eyes on hockey, and in 1994 gave us Mutant League Hockey.

5.) Sim City 2000

One thing about SC2000 that gave it that extra step of customization was the ability to customize the buildings using the Sim City Urban Renewal Kit.

4.) Super Mario All-Stars & Super Mario World

Oh, and they all have 16-bit graphical upgrades (sans SMW, which was slightly downgraded in order to fit the other four games). They all play exactly the same, but they all look gorgeous and are on a single cartridge.

What else do I have to say?

3.) Myst

If you haven’t played Myst, you suck. But more importantly, you missed out on one of the first true point-and-click adventures that sucked you into a fully 3D world. In Myst, all you did was explore the island that the game is named after. As you explored, you discovered new “ages” through a series of books that teleported you to different time frames, as well as solved a series of logical puzzles.

Myst has had a long-lasting popularity amongst the PC gamer crowd, and had been the highest selling PC game of all time until a little game called The Sims surpassed it. If you haven’t played through Myst in a while, you can pick the game up on either the Nintendo DS or the PSP.

2.) Star Fox

Of all the games in the franchise, though, there was never a true Star Fox 2. As it turns out, Nintendo canceled Star Fox 2 after the game had been completed because Nintendo wanted to focus on the Nintendo 64 – a system that wouldn’t be released for another year and a half.

With that one sentence, I have just described the whole plot line to the original Doom. The gameplay of Doom is equally as simple, but at the same time it has endured through fifteen years of game evolution. In Doom, all you are asked to do is find the colored keycard, and make your way to the exit. Along the way, you were given a shotgun, rocket launcher, plasma rifle, chainsaw, the the ultimate in badassery, the B(ig)F(ucking)G(un) 9000.

Doom continues to live on today, with fans of the game still making new mods, called “WADs”, for the game. In 1996, Doom was finally made kid-friendly in the form of the infinitely awesome Chex Quest. In 2001, developers and selected game journalists voted Doom as the most important game of all time.

Worst Game of 1993
Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero was one God awful movie. The game was even worse, playing like a broken version of Kung Fu with weights in Ahnuld’s shoes. You could kick, punch and jump your way through scenes taken directly from the movie, all of which were awful.

Just. Awful. That’s all I can really say. Thankfully, we were given True Lies, which was an awesome game.

Hmm. This seems pretty convenient. I’ll have to start doing this more often daily.

RRDoom.rar (Download at your own risk, requires ZDoom).