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Rage + Xbox 360 = BFF After All

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Contrary to reports, Microsoft's reliance on the puny DVD has not gimped the number of wasteland mutants you'll be shooting at.

Quick, find more gigabytes!
Shacknews has what I sincerely hope is the final word in the Xbox-360-is-screwing-up-Rage saga that's been raging (ugh) the past few days. Short version: id Software designer Tim Willits was reported as saying at the Austin Game Developers Conference that the amount of content in all versions of id's post-apocalyptic shooter was being constrained by the space limit of the 360's DVD format. Willits rapidly came out of the woodwork bellowing about a "miscommunication" and clarifying that it was merely the arrangement of the game's major areas--from "five or six" smaller areas down to two larger ones, at one per disc--that changed with the DVD in mind. Oh, and he made sure to clarify Microsoft is "not being dickheads" about all this.

You can almost hear the company reps and spokespeople scurrying frantically behind the scenes as you read that.

More interesting than all these shenanigans is this tiny bit of new gameplay info that came out of Willits' AGDC appearance.

"The wasteland is big, and then you'll drive up to something like an old bunker, and then you'll get out of your vehicle and you'll enter that bunker," added Willits. "And that will actually load the level, and it will be like a Doom 3 level--not like Doom 3 technology, but a first person, classic id style level. Then you complete your mission, and you'll come back into the wasteland, and drive back to your settlement, or you'll drive to another level, or you'll drive around and blow up bandits."

Loading times between outdoor and indoor environments! You heard it here first! Wait, no, you heard it on Shacknews first. But his description at the end there does make this sound like a traditional open-world game, with a number of different activities available to you at any time.

The attentive among you will remember Rage was announced back at E3 as the first game to be released under id's new publishing contract with EA Partners, which is soon going to be handling just about every major game release ever, if this trend continues. Harmonix, Crytek, Valve, and now id are not a stable of developers to scoff at. Brad Shoemaker on Google+
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Rage
Xbox 360
Xbox 360
24 Comments
Posted by Brad
Quick, find more gigabytes!
Shacknews has what I sincerely hope is the final word in the Xbox-360-is-screwing-up-Rage saga that's been raging (ugh) the past few days. Short version: id Software designer Tim Willits was reported as saying at the Austin Game Developers Conference that the amount of content in all versions of id's post-apocalyptic shooter was being constrained by the space limit of the 360's DVD format. Willits rapidly came out of the woodwork bellowing about a "miscommunication" and clarifying that it was merely the arrangement of the game's major areas--from "five or six" smaller areas down to two larger ones, at one per disc--that changed with the DVD in mind. Oh, and he made sure to clarify Microsoft is "not being dickheads" about all this.

You can almost hear the company reps and spokespeople scurrying frantically behind the scenes as you read that.

More interesting than all these shenanigans is this tiny bit of new gameplay info that came out of Willits' AGDC appearance.

"The wasteland is big, and then you'll drive up to something like an old bunker, and then you'll get out of your vehicle and you'll enter that bunker," added Willits. "And that will actually load the level, and it will be like a Doom 3 level--not like Doom 3 technology, but a first person, classic id style level. Then you complete your mission, and you'll come back into the wasteland, and drive back to your settlement, or you'll drive to another level, or you'll drive around and blow up bandits."

Loading times between outdoor and indoor environments! You heard it here first! Wait, no, you heard it on Shacknews first. But his description at the end there does make this sound like a traditional open-world game, with a number of different activities available to you at any time.

The attentive among you will remember Rage was announced back at E3 as the first game to be released under id's new publishing contract with EA Partners, which is soon going to be handling just about every major game release ever, if this trend continues. Harmonix, Crytek, Valve, and now id are not a stable of developers to scoff at.
Staff
Posted by MOLE

MS needs to start over and do it right next time, they just seem to just never get it.  They the hardware power of the 360 is great, but the quality is pure shit, and the storage problem is a real big problem

When will they learn?????

Posted by Milkman

Buying an id Software game on anything other than the PC would be a pretty bad idea anyway.

Posted by Jayge_

They're dumbing it down for the 360 version, I think that's the message here.

Don't do it iD!

Posted by DECA555

shoulda bought a PS3

Posted by Terrell

"They're dumbing it down for the 360 version, I think that's the message here."

Isn't the message here that they are NOT dumbing it down?  It's going to have the same amount of content as it was originally going to have...

Posted by FCKSNAP

I wonder if the PS3 version will have mouse and keyboard support as I have such gamer contraptions that I can transplant to my PS3.

Also, <3 new GB layout

Posted by pill92

MS needs to switch to blue ray discs like ps3
note:not a fanboy lol

Posted by DavidSnakes

I predict his quote being taken out of context by SDF to make a half-assed point.

Posted by lamegame621

You would have to have an amazing PC to get everything out of this game i'm sure. Think Crysis with an extra GPU. Also, new giantbombdotcom layout is....da bomb.

Posted by Vaxadrin

"Isn't the message here that they are NOT dumbing it down?  It's going to have the same amount of content as it was originally going to have..."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what the whole article said.

Posted by Grim_Fandango

Its nice to see that ID is taking this into account, they are dumbing it down so every gamer on the planet (exception for WII) will be able to play Rage, they knock the Xbox 360 version off the shelves, what does that say about them, a fraction of the world won't be able to play this game.

Posted by Torb

Everyone needs to chill and remember it's the gameplay that counts, first and foremost. Secondly, I think id is pompous and bullcrapping everyone. Look at what Bethseda can do with Oblivion and Fallout 3? If they are pushing the limits as much as everyone thinks, it will either be a revolution in gaming or a big flopping lie.

Posted by MrKlorox

Ugh... loading indoor levels... which presumably do not use megatextures. I was curious how that would work out... now it is clear.

Posted by DrPepper1990

go blu ray

Posted by Hef

PS3 version better not get screwed over with more loading times and smaller levels because DVD's can't hold all that space. That's pretty dumb if you ask me.

Posted by f4talweapon

valve and cryteck were never developers to scoff at. ea, maybe

Posted by Linkyshinks

I am totally with Milkman on this

Posted by yellownumber5

My biggest question with this whole fiasco is if game content already has been finalized in development, or if Id now finally knowing what their limitations are can finally start to develop what was intended content within their now known guidelines.  What was exactly that "content" and how significant is what the said content is along in this stage of development to determine what is really important to what may or may not alter the finished game because of the approach to fitting the game on two DVDs?

Posted by Haklin

Stupid Xbox!!!! PS3 and PC get screwed because of the inferior console.

Posted by first2die

All this carry on about DVD sizes. With the upcoming x360 dashboard update and the ability to copy games to the HDD, why not just install games on the HDD. Sure all us 20gb users will be screwed. But hey im willing to pay the price for better games. Also DVD DL hold like 8gb, sif they can't fit games onto that.

Posted by Luis

"Stupid Xbox!!!! PS3 and PC get screwed because of the inferior console."

C'mon fanboy; it's just the cycle of life. Last console generation, xbox owners were the ones getting F-ed by the "least common multiple". Wait two years more and you'll see that owners of the xbox 720 (or whatever the heck is called) will be the ones getting the short end of the stick.

Posted by John

This begs the question, do people give a dam for this game? And if you do, do you care that it may be a 2 disk game?

Posted by reversethedevil

don't care that's its 2 discs. with that november xbox dashboard update we should be able to dump one or both on our hd's anyway. i was planning on getting a bigger drive anyway.

does this game even have a release date?

Use your keyboard!

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