lobotomy42

I like how everyone in this thread takes every minor throwaway line Nathaniel utters about technical features and implementations as some sort of fundamental reinterpretation of the game design.

There has been some discussion of Alpha Protocol on the Idle Thumbs podcast lately: http://idlethumbs.net/archive (#9 and #10, specifically)

The style seems similar to NWN2.

So...it sounds like this is probably never happening. Got it.

It's been awhile since we've heard anything about this title. The Red Eagle Games site hasn't been updated since that press release announcing Obsidian's involvement six months ago. Are these games even still happening?

Is Square-Enix having a big single press conference like they did last year?

Has anyone here besides me played both AP and NOLF2? As I play through Alpha Protocol, I keep thinking that it could have used some of the elements from NOLF2, like gadgets (the disappearing body-powder, noise-makers, the exploding robot kittens,) and some of the stealth systems. I particularly liked NOLF2's safe spots - hidden niches where you could duck in and hide, and if you were still long enough, could effectively become invisible until enemies left the area.

LOL if you let reviewers decide for you what game buy/avoid i feel pity for you. If you can read IGN with a straight face, I pity you.

It not only looks like an FPS, but it also appears to play like one, more or less. So I think comparisons with other FPSes are valid.

If Bioware were still independent, I'd agree with you, but EA is in charge now, and they've been bleeding financially these past two years. If they do start farming out Dragon Age to other dev teams, you can bet its going to be internal ones. (Dragon Age the Flash game, for example, and Mass Effect the iPhone app.) If you don't have enough money coming in to keep your current people employed, why throw money at another company to keep *theirs* employed?

I'm looking forward to Diablo III. A lot. Too bad it won't be out this year...

This isn't that surprising - the game has failed to gather hype thus far, why should it suddenly become popular overnight? I think there is something about this game that clearly puts off the "hardcore" gamer. It's possible that because it looks so much like an action game, people are judging its graphics against other action games rather than RPGs. (Although personally, I think it looks pretty good. Certainly better than I expected.) It's also possible that the "spy movie" setting isn't as immediately grabbing as a fantasy or sci-fi setting would be. (Watching videos of Mass Effect are immediately distinctive because of the ways certain aliens, ships, etc., look. Similarly, Final Fantasy has a very specific J-Pop-ish look. Alpha Protocol, being set on present-day Earth, looks...like present day Earth.) Whatever the reason, it's probably too late to fix at this point. Oh well! I'm still just as excited to play this game. It seems destined to become something that is loved a lot by a very specific niche. I just want to play it already!

How exactly would "open-world" work when the world in question is modern-day Earth? That's a heckuva huge amount of stuff to model, populate, etc. And since most of the game occurs in only a few cities, there wouldn't be anything to do between Paris and Moscw other than walk...

Would love to see Mexico City. Or Helsinki.

I'm excited! At this point I just want it to come out already, though. Just a few more months. *sigh*

Whoops. Guess my ears were broken. And yet, I like it so much better than Dragon Age!

Great trailer! Has me really excited for the game. Have to say that I'm getting a little sick of Nolan North's voice by now, but that's a minor quibble at best. This game arrives just in time for my birthday and I'm super-psyched!

Nah, I still think its June.

Wasn't it scheduled for June '09 at some point? A June '10 release would make the delay a full, round year.

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