munster house blog: November 2010

Thursday 11 November 2010

Official Plot Synopsis for FRIGHT NIGHT 3D Remake

Yesterday we received news that the FRIGHT NIGHT remake would be in 3D and that the film was being bumped up to compete with the big boys for next summers block buster season. Today via our friend Brad Miska from Bloody-Disgusting we learn the official plot synopsis for the film. Feast on it after the break...

Follow up:

Plot Synopsis: Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—but everyone, including Charlie’s mom (Toni Collette), doesn’t notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

August 19, 2011 is the official release date.

Colin Farrell joins Toni Collette (United States of Tara) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation) in the cast. Yelchin is slated to play the part of Charley Brewster, the young man that intends to prove, with some help from local-pulp horror-show-host Peter Vincent, that Jerry is killing people. Collette will play Jerry’s mom. In the original, Charley’s mom proved that she wasn’t the greatest parent when she becomes enraptured by Jerry, the suave, suspected-vampire, despite her son’s protests.

Source: B-D

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HorrorBid's Countdown to Halloween - Tribute to TRICK 'R TREAT

We continue our countdown to All Hallow's Eve and with just 23 days left we take a look at tribute music video dedicated to the film TRICK 'R TREAT. We are not only fans of the film but it has become a staple of our yearly Halloween lineup. Feast on the video after the break...

Follow up:

Source: YouTube

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Are Insurance Companies Pushing Out Spouses?

The health care overhaul passed last year promised more affordable coverage, but many businesses are saying: show us the savings. As premiums continue to rise, businesses are doing what they can to cut costs, which might include separating spouses. In what may not be a new trend, but one that is gaining ground, more and more businesses are saying to employees, "Sorry, we're not going to cover your spouse any more." Lehigh County certainly isn't immune to the woes of the current economy. "We're always looking at our health care costs and figuring out how to keep down a little bit," said Tom Muller, director of administration for Lehigh County, who said yearly health coverage for the county costs $25 million. "One of the bigger ticket items on our budget." So to cut costs, in January 2008, new hires couldn't get health coverage for their spouses if they could be covered by their own employer. "They're only asking someone who is employed by another company to take insurance provided by that company for primary insurance," said Anne Baum, vice president, Capital Blue Cross of the Lehigh Valley. Baum said it's called "spousal coordination." It's not a new trend, but it is one that is gaining ground, especially in the private sector as employers try to offset the skyrocketing costs of health care. "This is an initiative being driven by what they can and can't afford," said Baum. But will costs rise for couples and families now forced to split their health care plans? "Coverage is going up, so amount out of pocket for health care is going up," said Muller. "It really depends on the type of business an employer group is in and depends on how much they are willing to pass on cost of health care to employees," said Baum, who said spousal coordination is one of the more mild ways employers can cut costs. Decreasing benefits and increasing monthly costs to employees are more drastic ways. Copyright 2010 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Doctor Accused Of Trading Drugs For Sex

Posted: 6:35 pm EDT October 7, 2010

TELFORD, Pa. -- The sign on the clinic door said family practitioner, but police said the doctor inside was prescribing a different type of medicine. Dr. Harris Newman, who runs a clinic in Telford, Bucks County, was arrested earlier this week on 35 felony charges for allegedly providing his patients prescription drugs in exchange for sex. His medical license was also suspended. "He's been charged with dispensing prescription drugs," said assistant district attorney Adam Tanker. "In exchange, he would receive sexual favors in his office." "Makes me sick in the stomach right now," said Stella Gehman, a patient of Newman's for 17 years. "I trusted him. I always thought he was down to earth." But authorities painted a different picture. They said, for the past five years, Newman, 67, wrote at least 250 prescriptions to drug-addicted women in exchange for sex. He is accused of prescribing drugs like Xanax, Oxycodone, and Percocet. "The doctor betrayed the trust he was instilled in," said Tanker. "These people came to him for help and they ended up being addicted to drugs because of him." Investigators said one of those women was Stacey Coffey, a 31-year-old mother who died of a drug overdose in April. Police said six of the drugs Newman prescribed to Coffey were found in her system. Newman has not been charged in connection with her death, but the investigation is ongoing. Investigators said they believe Newman was not only having sex at his office after hours, but also during work. Nobody answered the door at Newman's home, but those who live in his upscale Gwynedd Valley community said they were shocked to learn what their friendly neighbor is accused of. "I can't stomach it," said Gehman. "I really feel bad about it." Newman is currently free on bail. Copyright 2010 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Wednesday 10 November 2010

DC Universe Online: Expert Opinions

DC Universe Online: Expert Opinions - PC Preview at IGN if(typeof _comscoreGuard == 'undefined') { document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); }if(typeof _comscoreGuard == 'undefined') { COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:"3000068", c3:"", c4:"http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/112/1126897p1.html", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); var _comscoreGuard = new Object(); } if(typeof _omniGuard == 'undefined') { document.write('#Layer1, #Layer1 IMG {position:absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index:10;}

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Join the IGN Community!Log In | Register | Home My IGN Xbox 360 Browse Xbox 360 Games Reviews & Top Games Upcoming Games All Xbox 360 Games » Xbox 360 News & Updates Top Stories Previews News Videos Images All Xbox 360 Updates Xbox 360 Game Help IGN Game Guides Reader Walkthroughs Cheats & Codes Xbox 360 Community Message Boards Blogs Xbox Live Xbox Live Home All Xbox Live Updates Xbox Live Games PS3 Browse PS3 Games Reviews & Top Games Upcoming Games All PS3 Games » PS3 News & Updates Top Stories Previews News Videos Images All PS3 Updates PS3 Game Help IGN Game Guides Reader Walkthroughs Cheats & Codes PS3 Community Message Boards Blogs PlayStation Network PSN Game Reviews Upcoming PSN Games All PSN Games Wii Browse Wii Games Reviews & Top Games Upcoming Games All Wii Games » Wii News & Updates Top Stories Previews News Videos Images All Wii Updates Wii Game Help IGN Game Guides Reader Walkthroughs Cheats & Codes Wii Community Message Boards Blogs PC Browse PC Games Reviews & Top Games Upcoming Games All PC Games » PC Gaming News & Updates Top Stories Previews News Videos Images All PC Updates PC Game Help IGN Game Guides Reader Walkthroughs Cheats & Codes PC Community Message Boards Blogs FilePlanet Play Game Betas Play Free PC Games Play Game Demos Download Mods & Patches IGN Partner: Direct2Drive Download & Buy PC Games Games Under £10 DS Browse DS Games Reviews & Top Games Upcoming Games All DS Games » DS News & Updates Top Stories Previews News Videos Images All DS Updates DS Game Help IGN Game Guides Reader Walkthroughs Cheats & Codes DS Community Message Boards Blogs PSP Browse PSP Games Reviews & Top Games Upcoming Games All PSP Games » PSP News & Updates Top Stories Previews News Videos Images All PSP Updates PSP Game Help IGN Game Guides Reader Walkthroughs Cheats & Codes PSP Community Message Boards Blogs Reviews Recently Reviewed PC: F1 2010 DS: Super Scribblenauts iPhone: Modern Combat 2 X360: MySims SkyHeroes PC: NBA 2K11 All Recent Reviews » Upcoming Top Upcoming Games X360: Gears of War 3 X360: Call of Duty: Black Ops X360: Fallout: New Vegas X360: Fable 3 PS3: Infamous 2 All Upcoming Games » News Latest Headlines Movies: Flash Script Nearly Done TV: Doctor Who in America DS: Omega Five Heading for 3DS Xbox360: Reach Matchmaking Dated PC: BioShock 2 DLC Canned for PCAll Top Stories | All Updates » Guides Walkthroughs & Guides Xbox 360PlayStation 3Nintendo Wii PCNintendo DSSony PSP All Walkthroughs & Guides » Game Help Community Game Help Message BoardGeneral DiscussionSubmit a Walkthrough or Upload via FTP Cheats Browse Cheats & Codes Xbox 360PlayStation 3Nintendo Wii PCNintendo DSSony PSP All Cheats & Codes » Game Help Community Game Help Message BoardGeneral DiscussionSubmit Cheats & Codes » Movies Browse Movies ReviewsTrailersNewsRelease Dates All VideosGames to FilmAll Latest UpdatesAll Movies » DVD & Blu-ray Blu-Ray ReviewsDVD Reviews Upcoming Blu-RayUpcoming DVDs Blu-Ray Home | DVD Home Community Message BoardsPodcasts Blogs TV Latest UpdatesReviewsPreviewsNewsAll TV Shows » Clips & VideosTV ListingsMessage BoardsPodcasts Comics Latest UpdatesComic Book SeriesReviewsNewsPreviews FeaturesCharactersToysBoardsPodcasts Video Video Series Daily FixIGN_StrategizeRewind Theater Jace Hall ShowIGN HypeAll Video Series » Trailers & Clips Game PreviewsGame Reviews Movie TrailersSubmit Your Videos Movie ReviewsIGN OriginalsAll Videos » More More Games Free Games iPhone Games Sports Games Game Sites PlayStation 2 Retro Games All Platforms » More IGN Sites Gear Music StarsEvents & Conventions Community & IGN Membership All Boards All Blogs All Podcasts IGN Accounts IGN Insider IGN Founders' Club Recent ReviewsHalo Reach: Best of the Series?Dead Rising 2: Brrrraaaaaains!PS Move: Motion of the Ocean DC Universe OnlinePC #facebook-like {float:left;} Release Date: Q1 2011 More Info

Also Known As: DC Comics Universe Online
Also on: PS3
Genre: Persistent Online RPG
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
RP for Rating Pending For more info visit the DC Universe Online Profile » Game Highlights Videos Images Guide Walkthroughs Cheats All Articles Message Boards #Layer1, #Layer1 IMG {position:absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index:10;}

DC Universe Online: Expert OpinionsAn MMO nerd and a comic dork played for a day. Here's what they think...showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? 'US, ' : ''); October 8, 2010by Nick Kolan and Greg MillerLATEST IMAGES

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While it might be true that good things come to those who wait, adages never make the waiting any easier. Underoo-wearing fans everywhere were dealt a blow this week when DC Universe Online was delayed from November until early next year. However, the news was coupled with the announcement that the DC Universe Online beta was finally going live so that fans could help make the game as rad as possible.

Still, that wasn't enough for IGN, so Sony Online Entertainment hosted MMO Editor Nick Kolan and PlayStation Executive Editor Greg Miller at its Texas studio so that the dynamic duo could kick the tires on the game and see how it's coming along.

Here's your first look at the creation mode.
Thing is, this pairing's a bit more interesting than you might think. Nick's a crazy hardcore MMO player but knows little about comics. Greg's a huge comic book fan but never plays MMOs. Thus, the goal of the visit became simple: is DC Universe Online good enough to satisfy two completely different gamers who are both attached to the same title.

Let's find out.

Nick knows MMOs.Now before I talk about DC Universe Online, I need to come clean about something: I know very, very little about the DC Universe. I know Batman and Superman, and that's about where it ends. I only saw The Dark Knight about a month ago after someone forced me, and while I genuinely enjoyed it, I didn't feel any more compelled to head down to the local comic repository and read the latest adventures of the Caped Crusader. In fact, as I typed this, I had to ask someone whether the Caped Crusader was Batman or Superman. It's Batman.

Anyway, my point is that this put me in an ideal position to take a look at DC Universe Online from the perspective of someone simply looking to play an MMO, with no true investment in the universe. I'll start with the basics of any game -- the controls. The creators of DC Universe Online, Sony Online Entertainment, are calling it an action MMO, and for the most part, that is a pretty accurate description. Most of your attacks are instant, triggered by your actions. You have combos and most depend on which way you're facing. Your abilities and many ranged attacks work on more standard MMO mechanics.

I had played this briefly on a PS3 at E3 this year and found it a little awkward. I'm primarily a mouse-and-keyboard guy, so having to hold a shoulder-button to toggle abilities felt overcomplicated, but for someone more controller-preferential, I can see that being a negligible issue (if an issue at all). As anyone who has played other action games on the PC might expect, your primary attacks are controlled with the left mouse button, while the right toggles an alternate attack.

The types of attacks these are depend on what weapon skill you chose at the start of the game. There's a bunch to choose from -- kung fu, brawler, swords, rifles, pistols etc. -- and each of these have a talent-style chain of moves you can slowly learn. Brawler, for example, has a leaping ability that closes the gap on your opponent and deals decent damage simply by holding down the left mouse button.

It's a simple system that will be familiar to anyone who has played an action game on the PC. The ranged mechanics, however, are less action-based as you can simply lock onto a target and mash the mouse-button to fire away. Don't expect it to feel like a third-person-shooter.

Nick has no idea who this is.Triggering abilities feels more like your usual MMO whereby pressing a hotkey uses your ability. As a villain following the path of traps and trickery, my earliest skill involved throwing explosives at the feet of a foe which would pop them in the air, damage them and stun them for a short while. Some abilities have cast-timers and most have cooldowns, both of which will feel familiar to most MMO players.

There will six classes available at launch which fall into three categories. There will be two tanking classes, designed to grab and hold an enemy's attention, two healing classes, and two control classes designed to disable enemies and keep them out of the fight. Each of these three classes has a damage-mode, meaning there is no need for a pure damage class. Players will be able to toggle between their class modes when they're out of combat with zero penalty, which provides a lot of flexibility when grouping. The importance of the classes, the developers at SOE told us, won't really become apparent until players begin doing raids.

Why so late in the game? Most games, you're looking at 200-plus hours on your first character before you're into even the most basic raid instances. To understand what's going on here, you have to look at the way SOE are structuring the game. There are large open-world areas like Gotham City and Metropolis, and these serve as your questing locations for about three-quarters of your way to max level (which is 30). The other quarter takes place in instanced indoor locations like the lair of a crime boss. Typically, the open-area quests lead to the instance as a sort of climax, with a boss at the end. We played through a quest chain as henchmen of the Joker and that led us to a boss fight against the Huntress, with Catwoman aiding us. DCUO is designed so that players can hit the max level entirely solo.

There is group content, though, and it starts around level 10 or so. These are called Alerts and, although they're more difficult than your standard solo-instance by design, they're not the sort of place that requires precise cooperation. If you're looking for the kind of tank/healer/damage dealer group scenario where one false move spells death, you'll have to hit level 30 and start raiding. The wait won't be all that long though -- about 60-70 hours from level 1 to 30, give or take -- which is why SOE is happy to leave the class-role kind of grouping until the end of the game. Plus, as I'm sure many can attest, that kind of ultra-organized group play isn't for everyone.

If you're turned off by meticulous cooperation, you're probably into the player-versus-player bit. PvP is another core part of the MMO experience for most, and DCUO has a couple different options. The standard kind where you take your character into an arena or battlefield or some sort of map and blast the faces off of dudes will be there, but we didn't get to try that.

I hear he's pretty good with that crowbar.Here I have to voice one of my concerns, as PvP balance is a tricky thing, and the class system that DCUO has implemented leads me to worry that a control class will have a very obvious advantage in PvP, without the disadvantage of a lack of damage that normally comes with control classes. That is why I believe they've implemented Legends mode, in which players may don the capes and spandex of their most beloved heroes and villains and have it out. Players unlock iconic characters to play as within legendary mode on their way to level 30, starting with Harley Quinn for the villains and Robin for those who've taken the namby-pamby hero path. Legends mode allows devs to build characters with mixed powersets without having to worry about the PvE side of things, and allows them to balance the characters within a sort of PvP bubble.

What I played was a pretty basic king-of-the-hill scenario within a chemical plant that I'm sure has some significance within the DC universe but, to me, was "green and filled with vats." (Greg Note: It's Ace Chemicals; where the Joker was born.) I was playing as the Joker you know from screenshots and Greg was playing as an Arkham Asylum version of the Joker who was clad in the inmate uniform. The two Jokers were actually different characters with different (although similar) skill sets. This alternate-versions thing is something SOE is likely to do more of in the future, which ought to provide interesting PvP scenarios in addition to lots of balance complaints (even if they're perfectly balanced). The map itself had some interactivity in that we could jump into the vats and be damaged or mutated by them.

We also saw a lot on character creation, and although I personally have never much cared for creating a pretty character, the combination of the number of customization options available, mixed with the three-color-limit in choosing your character's color scheme resulted in interesting and not entirely ugly looks. Some would even say they looked pretty neat.

There's no crafting system in the game which might deter some, but SOE haven't ruled out adding a crafting system in the future. Their only condition is that it has to fit the superhero theme of the game, so knitting bat-wings together won't cut it.

What I came away with from the whole experience was this: If you're used to sword-and-sorcery, super complex MMOs, you might find DCUO to be pretty simple. Likewise, if you're expecting a fast-paced, action-packed God of War-type game, you might find DCUO to be a little slow. The game fits somewhere in the middle and feels like it will reach a much broader audience than some of SOE's last online outings. Most importantly, DCUO is going to be on a console, meaning its audience will be broader still.

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IGN recently visited Creative Assembly's studio to get a fir... Taking a Shot at Medal of Honor Gamescom: The Sims 3: Late Night Preview FIFA 11 PC First Look Arcania: Gothic IV Previewvar pagetype = 'article';var topicID = '196537454';var linkColor = '990000';var commentsIndexURL = 'http://pc.ign.com/articles/112/1126897c.html'var articleTitle = 'DC Universe Online: Expert Opinions'commentsFetchInline();Connections for DC Universe Online (PC)Popular games in this genre:
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Game Details

DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlinePublished by: Sony Online EntertainmentPublished by: Sony Online EntertainmentPublished by: Sony Online EntertainmentDeveloped by: Sony Online EntertainmentDeveloped by: Sony Online EntertainmentDeveloped by: Sony Online EntertainmentGenre: Persistent Online RPGNumber of Players: unlimitedRelease Date:
US:Q1 2011
Release Date:
Europe:Q1 2011Release Date:
Australia: Q1 2011RP-T+ for Rating PendingPEGI: RPOFLC: RPAlso Available On: PlayStation 3#Layer1, #Layer1 IMG {position:absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index:10;}

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No Arrests Yet In Shooting Death Of Teen

Posted: 3:00 pm EDT October 15, 2010Updated: 7:14 pm EDT October 16, 2010

READING, Pa. -- Police investigating the deadly shooting of a Reading teenager returned Friday afternoon to the neighborhood where his body was found Thursday morning. Detectives, including Capt. Fran Drexler, examined a red Oldsmobile Intrigue with an apparent bullet hole through the windshield and possible blood stains on the inside. It was parked on the opposite side of the baseball field from where the body of David Arango was found by two children on their way to school. An autopsy determined he was shot in the head. The coroner ruled his death a homicide. The field where is body was found is located in the 1000 block of Scott Street in the city's Oakbrook section. Drexler would neither confirm nor deny whether the car has anything to do with the investigation of Arango's death. Police had it towed away for evidence processing. They also took someone from the scene into police headquarters for questioning. So far, police said they have no suspects or motive for the homicide. Copyright 2010 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Women's 5k Classic Raises Thousands

Posted: 5:32 pm EDT October 16, 2010Updated: 7:11 pm EDT October 16, 2010

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Thousands of women were thinking pink and working to raise awareness of cancer Saturday. It was the 18th year for the Women's 5k Classic Run and Walk. More than 5,000 women took part in the event, which was held at Little Lehigh Parkway in Allentown. The mission of the event is to promote fitness among women to and raise awareness of women's cancers. Organizers say they raised at least $200,000 from this year's run. Copyright 2010 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Cats Pose Potential Problem For Airport

Posted: 4:28 pm EDT October 7, 2010

HANOVER TWP., Pa. -- Lehigh Valley International Airport near Allentown has a growing problem on its hands. It's trying to figure out how to deal with a number of feral felines roaming around the area. "A few cats, you don't notice 'em," said Oliver Long, who lives near the airport. "But it's a lot past a few cats now." Long is familiar with the felines. He took in two cats about a year ago and had them fixed and domesticated. But there are many more. "I don't know how the population got like it is, but it is out of control," said Long. To try to help, Long has spent time and money trapping, neutering, and releasing about 20 cats. "I thought when I did some neutering there in the beginning there, this will probably help the situation, but it evidently has not," said Long. It's not completely clear how many cats are out there. The Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority said what is evident is that they pose a hazard. "They have the potential to attract coyotes, fox, and raptors, which of course could present collision problems for aircraft," said Lawrence Krauter, interim executive director of the airport authority, which found out about the felines while updating its wildlife hazard management plan. "The federal aviation regulations that govern our airport operating certificate require us to take immediate action when we become aware of a wildlife hazard." Krauter said he doesn't want to kill the cats, and he won't, unless he has no other option. "We want to do everything within our means to use nonlethal methods to address this problem," said Krauter, who said he would like to work with qualified organizations to trap the cats and figure out whether they can be domesticated. Copyright 2010 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Playing Make-Believe with James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Playing Make-Believe with James Bond 007: Blood Stone - PC Feature at IGN if(typeof _comscoreGuard == 'undefined') { document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); }if(typeof _comscoreGuard == 'undefined') { COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:"3000068", c3:"", c4:"http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/112/1126941p1.html", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); var _comscoreGuard = new Object(); } if(typeof _omniGuard == 'undefined') { document.write('#Layer1, #Layer1 IMG {position:absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index:10;}

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Also Known As: Blood Stone, James Bond 007 Driving Action Project [untitled], James Bond 007: Bloodstone
Also on: X360, PS3, DS
Genre: Action
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bizarre Creations
RP for Rating Pending For more info visit the James Bond 007: Blood Stone Profile » Game Highlights Videos Images Walkthroughs Cheats All Articles Message Boards #Layer1, #Layer1 IMG {position:absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index:10;}

Playing Make-Believe with James Bond 007: Blood Stone An interview with Bizarre Creations' Peter Collier about translating the big ideas into minute-to-minute gameplay.showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? 'US, ' : ''); October 9, 2010by Michael ThomsenLATEST IMAGES

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Bond games have been a microcosm for the strengths and weaknesses of videogames. The concept of the seductive and crafty spy is perfectly suited to the language of interaction. Stealth, spectacle, exotic locations and punny one-liners have all become well-defined tropes in gaming. For all that promise, translating those game ideas into actual mechanics has been a great challenge, with a long history of games that could reasonably be described as under performers. Bizarre Creations' James Bond 007: Blood Stone aims to not outrun that past precedent but prove that, in the absence of the failed movie that was supposed to accompany Blood Stone, games can be a rich enough entertainment by themselves. At New York Comic Con I spoke to Peter Collier, a level designer at Bizarre (with a fine game design blog of his own), about the challenges of translating great ideas into minute-to-minute gameplay.

IGN: One of the most impressive things about Blood Stone is the way it switches from shooting to melee, to boat racing, to car driving. How did that affect development? Did you have different designers making different sequences, or did everyone work on everything?

Peter Collier: We had different level designers working on different parts. We had one level designer that specifically did the driving levels and worked closely with one of the gameplay programmers to deliver on those levels. We found it was better to specialize on a particular area individually to get the best results. I tended to focus on a lot of the combat encounters and other level designers focused on the stealthier levels. We found that was the best way to approach things.
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IGN: What issues affect level design when you've got to accommodate both cover shooting and an up-close melee system?

Peter Collier: It's interesting, the takedown system we've got—we feel it adds an extra layer of strategy to cover combat. Before all you could do was stay behind cover, shoot, and move on to the next piece of cover. When we design the layout of cover we've got this risk-reward thing—is it worth the risk to sprint over there to take out that guy and then use the focus mode to take out the next one in the open? With that extra layer of strategy involved it means extra design elements need to go into it in the way you lay out cover and the spacing between cover. That's on top of the regular things you need to do with level design like branching options to suit different player styles. Giving players stealthier routes if they're inclined to that kind of play, as well as supporting all-out guns blazing routes.

IGN: It seems a lot of the areas you're showing here are more confined. There are a lot of narrow corridors and medium sized rooms with lots of cover that kind of push you towards using the takedowns much more frequently.

Peter Collier: There are a few larger shootouts in larger areas, but yeah you're right. We wanted the player to have a cinematic experience. The narrative's important; we wanted to push the player through the narrative. We don't want it to be particularly long and drawn out. Bond's not about that. It's a very high action franchise, what they do in the films and stuff. It has got an element of linearity to it, but for us the experience is king above anything else. It's not an overly technical game. You're not going to be punching in lots of buttons to do combos and takedowns. It's a very simple takedown system, it's more about how and when you use it.

What would James Bond do?
IGN: That leads into another question I want to ask. It seems like Bond can take a lot of damage here. I just saw someone in a room with three or four enemies just pop out of cover and bull rush all of them, he get shot a lot and without any big penalty. Did you play around with the damage levels during development to see how that would affect the way players would want to use different tactics in different situations?

Peter Collier: We experimented with a lot of that stuff, made a few mistakes, learned from those mistakes, and came to this conclusion. The thing is the Bond audience is very broad, you're not just catering to hardcore gamers. On the lower difficulty setting, like right now we're showing everything on Recruit, which is the easiest setting. That does mean you can absorb a lot of damage, so that makes it easier to cover large distances to take enemies down. The later difficulty settings, especially the 007 difficulty, is really punishing. You really have to be careful anytime you run towards enemies, you have to make sure you use the smart phone to get the layout of patrol routes and things like that. We've had to really think about accessibility to the audience. Experience is king for us. If the player feels like Bond, then that's really, really good for us. Of course you've got to make sure there's a challenge to the gameplay. We hope we've charted that side very well.

IGN: Are you worried about the cursed nature of the IP? Since the original GoldenEye no one's really had much creative success with the Bond license. Even the games that have sold decently have sort of evaporated culturally without any lasting impact.

Peter Collier: They've got a very patchy history, the Bond games. I think the Bond games that have been successful have demonstrated the authenticity of the Bond experience that fans want. Everything or Nothing, for example, that gave a variety to players and I think fans appreciated that. GoldenEye was just a very solid experience in terms of delivering an authentic Bond feel. Other games maybe haven't delivered on that authenticity. Perhaps there's been too much shooting or things like that. That's one of those things we've done with Blood Stone. We've really designed it in a way that really encourages players to play in a very physical way, to step out of cover—to not play the whole game in terms of going from cover to cover to cover to cover. That's why we have this extra layer of melee.

IGN: Did you think about using the GoldenEye concept of adding new objectives to levels on higher difficulties, so that the better you got at the game the more of the environment you're able to explore?

Peter Collier: It was definitely a consideration. We looked at all the Bond games and what they offered, but really the main inspiration for us was looking at the recent Bond films and looking at what it is that makes it Daniel Craig's. The conclusion we came to is a more cinematic experience, there's not really that element of unlocking different skills or anything. You're Daniel Craig right from the start. While you're missing out on that progressive element, maybe that detracts from the feeling of being Bond if you start at the beginning of the game and are in any way limited.

IGN: Are you nervous about releasing the game independently without any big movie behind it?

Peter Collier: No, not really. Obviously as a Bond fan I want there to be more Bond films. But it's given us an opportunity to stand out as an entertainment medium. Perhaps games can start to become more of an equal partner to film in entertainment franchises.