Discussion: Movies inspired by Games
3flweb - Friday, December 21, 2007
I remember a time not so long ago that every major blockbuster movie had a tie-in game released not too long after the movie had finished but these days it seems that this still happens but the game is usually out just before the movie is released which proves that movie publishers know where the money is at. Even the Wachowski brothers (or siblings…) took it one step further and released “Enter the Matrix” which was to be played between the 2nd and 3rd movie to get the full Matrix experience and since I took on that challenge seeing the 3rd more was even more fulfilling.
There have been an increasing number of large budget of late that seems to be going the other way around. I recently saw the movie “Hitman” which I am sure a number of people will remember from the popular Eidos game from the same name, and while I was in that movie I saw a preview for the next instalment of Aliens Vs Predator and it got me thinking of the number of large budget films that are based on games and not the other way around.
In my opinion, I think this is a huge thumbs up to the writers and creators of these games to have it so popular that they get copied instead of having to copy a movie. I would love to see more games made into movies but only if it is done well (Sorry but not a huge fan of the Doom movie). What surprised me though was Silent Hill movie as I am not a huge fan of horror but even I was surprised at hwo well it was converted.
What games would you like see converted into a movie? There is a forum thread here so don’t be shy post your comments.
Duke Nukem Forever – Teaser (It’s here!)
admin - Thursday, December 20, 2007
As we reported yesterday, 3D Realms had announced plans to release a teaser for the majestic vapourware title Duke Nukem Forever, this has come to fruition and you can download it from the 3FL Download Vault here.
What does everyone think?
Personally the content itself was not impressive, and from what I understand – looks like a batch of pre-rendered clips strung together. It is a teaser after all, so I am far from ungrateful, but with a title that has been in development hell for more than 10 years, I thought there would some what be a bit more. Perhaps this is just a cruel joke from the 3D Realms to keep us wanting, who knows? Let's just hope I'm still alive when it gets finally released (I mean this with the utmost sincerity). I will add, it was good to hear the sweet voice of Jon St. John again.
To put things in perspective, there have been a few lists flying around stating the achievments in a variety of sectors since 1997 – the announcement of Duke Nukem Forever. Some interesting and undeniable points/random facts are:
- Google, Ebay, MySpace did not exist.
- In 1997, the fastest consumer internet connection was a 33.6 kbps modem. On average, consumer internet connections are 300 times faster today.
- All three Star Wars prequels (both theatrical and DVD released).
- Britney Spears' entire musical career (and downfall) as a pop star has taken place during Duke Nukem Forever's development.
Another way to put things into perspective in regards to how much you can get up to in 10 years, The Beatles formed, released every single one of their albums and broke up. During this time they also toured the world several times all in less than 10 years.
Duke Nukem Forever: New Teaser Trailer
admin - Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Everyone's favourite vapourware is releasing a brand new trailer!
It's OK, I just had my morning beverage spurt out of my nose too, if you tell your work colleagues or even your Mum you just heard that there is a new Duke Nukem Forever trailer being released, they will too engage in similar bodily reactions.
OK, so I'm a little bit (well massively) sceptical that Duke Nukem Forever will be released any time this decade. The mysterious folk at 3D Realms have come out of the wood work saying there will be a new trailer surfacing on the 19th of December US time. The trailer is said to be around one minute long and shall feature some in game footage.
Now for those who are oblivious to the dramas that is Duke Nukem Forever, the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D was officially announced in 1997, more than 10 years ago. Over the years the release dates have been pushed back, and there have been screen shots and trailers oozing out since 1998, with the last trailer having been released at E3 2001. Duke Nukem Forever has been the receiving end for much angst and vapourware awards – having won Wired New's Vapourware Lifetime Achievement Award. The game has been reported to have received many re-codings and has changed physics engines too often to count. Adding more steam to the vapour, 3D Realms placed a job-advertisement on Gamasutra for two employees to work on the game – which also had a tiny screen shot attached that was confirmed by 3D Realms as being an 'in game' shot.
Now, at present day – at the annual 3D Realm's Christmas party, after a secretly worked on teaser trailer was shown to its staff members, 3D Realms staff believed this was too great to not reveal to the public.
Personally, I'm still a bit (ok, MASSIVELY) sceptical that this game will ever be released, let alone 'in production', and with 3D Realms' notorious 'When it's done" quote, I'll create an unofficial one on behalf of the gaming community and say – "I'll believe it, when I play it". However, with that said, I'll still be looking for the trailer tomorrow and watch it at least 10 times and pretend it will soon be released one day.
Check out the two previously released trailers from a few E3's of yesteryear. I reckon I've watched these at least 100 times each.
Valve Release TF2 Stats
admin - Monday, December 10, 2007
Valve, as you all know are responsible for Counter-Strike amongst other titles has released some very interesting statistics on their website for Team Fortress 2.
Stats revealed include:
- Total time played per class (%)
- Average points earned per class per hour
- Average kills per class per hour
- Average time per round per map
- Average damage per hit per weapon
- Average lifespan per class in minutes
- and the list goes on…
They have also added in a colour coded death map for each of TF2's map to show the 'hot spots' or to put it simply – 'where people die the most'. Some stats provided come as no surprise, however there are admittedly alot of surprising stats revealed.
Valve have stated that it will help 'build better products' – which nothing short of spot on, their full statement is below:
At Valve, we're always striving to make our products better. We've traditionally relied on things like written feedback from players to help decide which improvements to focus on. More recently, Steam has allowed us to collect more information than was previously possible. TF2 includes a reporting mechanism which tells us details about how people are playing the game. We're sharing the data we collect because we think people will find it interesting, and because we expect to spot emergent problems earlier, and ultimately build better products and experiences as a result.
3FL CS:S Summer Ladder Launch
admin - Friday, December 7, 2007
3FL are proud to announce the introduction of a Tournament and Ladders System for all registered members. To get things rolling, we have launched our first Ladder for 3FL members which will be for Counter-Strike: Source.
To help assist in the public testing of the 3FL Server Booking System we have launched a ladder competition which will run until mid January 2008, upon where the top teams will be placed into a Tournament to battle it out for some great prizes.
Registrations have officially opened, and shall remain open for a few weeks as the ladder permits. In order to compete, a team must have at least one registered member so they can execute and accept challenges between teams.
For your convenience, we have put together a 3FL Wiki article on the 3FL Tournament and Ladder System, please take the time to read and understand, and if you have any questions please consult the 3FL Forums.
As with anything new, we may encounter problems with any of the above services that unfortunately – private testing cannot uncover. So we are keen to hear any issues encountered so they can be addressed quickly and efficiently, please use the 3FL Forums as a medium to relay any problems, feedback and suggestions. As mentioned, we are very proud to offer these great services to 3FL Members, please make the most of them and we hope you thoroughly enjoy them!
3FL Launches Server Booking System
admin - Thursday, December 6, 2007
After several delays, 3FL is proud to announce the launch of a Server Booking System for Counter-Strike Source which is free to use for all registered members.
Currently 3FL are only offering bookable servers for Counter-Strike: Source initially, however we do intend to eventually release servers for other games as the demand increases, with Team Fortress 2 being slated next.
In order to use the 3FL Server Booking System, you must have a registered member account, so you'll just need to login or register here if you already haven't.
The 3FL Server Booking System will primarily aid future Tournaments and Ladders for which our first will be officially released and announced in the next few days. 3FL members can also use the Server Booking System for practice or scrim purposes.
For your convenience, we have created bookable servers in each state except for NT. The time that a server is booked is for the local time of the state you have booked in. Please note the 3FL User's Code of Conduct still applies on these servers, so please take the time to read and understand.
As with anything new and shiny, we understand that there may be (likely) problems with the system that our private testing has yet to reveal. We encourage users to provide feedback and help us in the refining of this new valuable feature. You can do so via Email – support@3fl.net or through the 3FL Server Booking System Forum.
Please take the time to read the below 3FL Wiki articles to familiarise yourself with this great addition to 3FL.
Have fun!
World of Warcraft – The Laptop…
admin - Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Blizzard's, or should should I say Activision Blizzard Entertainment's merchandise for their money-printing World of Warcraft is quite extensive. There are trading cards, figurines, clothing, novels, keyboards, board games and the list goes on. Dell have stepped up to produce the World of Warcraft laptop – fitting into the juggernaut Dell XPS series of laptops.
These are not your OLPC jigs with some fancy stickers, these are seriously tricked out laptops that are based on the Dell XPS M1730 chassis. Below is a snap shot of the specs you can expect.
The laptop is definitely aimed at those seeking a desktop replacement considering the average hours spent on WoW will definitely exceed the average battery life of even the best laptops, let alone this SLI-powered beast. Some may say this maybe overkill considering WoW's official minimum specs include an 800Mhz processor, 512MB of Ram and a 32MB video card. Either way, Perhaps WoW players have further reason to leave the house? 
3FL Launches Server Booking System
admin - Monday, December 3, 2007
After several delays, 3FL is proud to announce the launch of a Server Booking System for Counter-Strike: Source which is free to use for all registered members.
Currently 3FL are only offering bookable servers for Counter-Strike: Source initially, however we do intend to eventually release servers for other games as the demand increases, with Team Fortress 2 being slated next.
In order to use the 3FL Server Booking System, you must have a registered member account, so you'll just need to login or register here if you already haven't.
The 3FL Server Booking System will primarily aid future Tournaments and Ladders for which our first will be officially released and announced in the next few days. 3FL members can also use the Server Booking System for practice or scrim purposes.
For your convenience, we have created bookable servers in each state except for NT. The time that a server is booked is for the local time of the state you have booked in. Please note the 3FL User's Code of Conduct still applies on these servers, so please take the time to read and understand.
As with anything new and shiny, we understand that there may be (likely) problems with the system that our private testing has yet to reveal. We encourage users to provide feedback and help us in the refining of this new valuable feature. You can do so via Email – support@3fl.net or through the 3FL Server Booking System Forum.
Please take the time to read the below 3FL Wiki articles to familiarise yourself with this great addition to 3FL.
Have fun!
