Scrapland

[Erkki]

I'd never even heard of this game until I read this thread at AG.

This is some kind of action/adventure game similar to GTA3 and BG&E with robots! And by the sound of it it should rock! Why hasn't it had any publicity?

Apparently the demo was released but retracted. I'm trying to download it now via eMule.

[jokemaster]

The demo is available at fileshack, I just downloaded. But haven't played it yet.

[OftenK]

Looks pretty cool, but I can't say I'm impressed with the main character design. It's not very unique, and, from what I saw from the trailer, he seems a bit annoying too. But the rest of game does look fairly decent, so I'm downloading the demo now.

[MrHoatzin]

I totally posted some news about the game some six months ago or something...

[Chris]

Congrats.

[Kolzig]

I played this some hours ago and it was indeed a positive surprise.

After the first playtest, I couldn't find anything bad in it, except that it isn't yet the full game, I want buy this thing already!

[ysbreker]

a scrapland demo!? Ooh me wants!

*goes on a demo-hunt*

[edit]

aww crap:

Enlight Software has released a new movie trailer and the playable demo for Scrapland, offering an opportunity to try out the colorful sci-fi 3D action game in the works at MercurySteam Entertainment. The high-resolution movie introduces the game's premise in more than three minutes of in-game footage, while the demo contains a single-player mission that kicks off with an encounter with the Crazy Gambler, as well as two multiplayer maps titled The Forbidden Zone and The Great Data Base. Update: Despite appearing on the official site, the demo was apparently released by mistake, and we have now removed it upon request by publisher Enlight.

this sucks :/

[Erkki]

a scrapland demo!? Ooh me wants!

*goes on a demo-hunt*

[edit]

aww crap:

this sucks :/

Didn't you read this?

The demo is available at fileshack, I just downloaded. But haven't played it yet.

I just downloaded it too, and played it. Seems really promising, but it feels really incomplete. And probably that's why it was retracted.

I fear the final game may still end up a bit incomplete though (if they're planning on releasing this year), but I hope not.

[ysbreker]

hmm, must have missed that, oops But no worries! I found the demo on some french ftp-site

[Kolzig]

I just downloaded it too, and played it. Seems really promising, but it feels really incomplete. And probably that's why it was retracted.

Hmm, did everyone else also have the sound off in the demo's cgi sequence?

[Erkki]

the end sequence? no, I think there was sound.

What bothered me most about the demo is that there was only a limited number of character types and whenever you spoke to a char of that type you'd get the same reply. And they had so little to say too. It's worse than the Elder Scrolls games. If the full game is like this, I think it will be a big turn-off for me.

[Ryam BaCo]

i remember american mcgee saying that he's working on a pretty brutal title.

but while looking after scrapland i found these lines, which indicate, that at least this game can't be this very brutal title:

The player assumes the role of D-Tritus, an extraordinary robot - and very nice guy - who has made himself in a distant space junk dump and gambles on finding work in Chimera.

my question(s): is american mcgee working on another game? or is my statement about the brutal title just nonsense?

[Jake]

"Bad Day LA?" - "A new action game in the style of smash hits "Metal of Honor" and "Call of Duty", Bad Day LA brings a new twist to a well established genre of games."

That or "The Streets" mentioned here. "Info coming soon."

[Kolzig]

the end sequence? no, I think there was sound.

Yeah, my friend also had the sound in it.

I have to check again, if that no sound was only a random thing.

[Ryam BaCo]

"Bad Day LA?" - "A new action game in the style of smash hits "Metal of Honor" and "Call of Duty", Bad Day LA brings a new twist to a well established genre of games."

That or "The Streets" mentioned here. "Info coming soon."

thank you for the links. i think i meant american mcgee's grimm. i know that this game i read and watched artworks about a few months ago was pretty alice alike. grimm fits into this scheme, but i'm not entirely sure though.

[Jake]

He was also working on "American McGee's Oz" which was "like Alice but Oz instetead." The game got put "on hold" and I guess he's trying to use the design stuff so far to pitch possible TV shows, movies, other ideas in hopes that one of those will catch and fund the game... Or something? Only the Internet knows for sure.

[Ryam BaCo]

reminds me to the rumors about a movie to alice...

to american mcgee's oz: is he trying to make a game out of the wizard of oz? (where michael jackson played a scarecrow... )

[Jake]

New Scrapland preview up at IGN.

If I had to compare Scrapland to any game, it would be Beyond Good & Evil, the charming and undersold action-adventure game Ubisoft published last fall. Scrapland has the endearing characterization and animation, quality voice acting, vibrant colors, and sense of, well, adventure.

And it's a pretty game, too, making lots of use of primary colors, neon lights and other glow effects, and some decidedly unique character models with detailed animation that look like they've stepped out of a Pixar production. They sound like it too, with nary a dull performance, although the main character is a little earnest. Speaking of audio, there's also some surprisingly catchy music, especially at the local casino, and soom cool sound effects round things out. It may not be jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but the art style goes a long way towards helping the player forget about the latest graphics jargon.

It's a very vertical town, and you'll bounce around town in your hover jet free-form style like in GTA3. There's traffic everywhere, and people getting in fights, and police patrolling the routes. It's a very lively environment, and it's dotted with arcade-style powerups including armor repair and ammo for different types of weapons. As you progress through the game, you'll earn upgrades to your vessel and unlock additional vessels.

Early on, you'll get the ability to steal someone's body like in Messiah. You'll need to use this to impersonate people and to navigate areas that would be impossible with your default humanoid form. Or, if you're feeling frisky, you can morph into one of the bruiser police, armed with a flashy cannon and pretty speedy on his tires.

and my favorite bit:

Some types you can change into don't have attack moves. The small officer's move, for example, is to extort a passerby for a small amount of money, which is necessary to upgrade your ship.

Etc etc read the article.

[Erkki]

Some types you can change into don't have attack moves. The small officer's move, for example, is to extort a passerby for a small amount of money, which is necessary to upgrade your ship.

Actually, that was in the demo. The "Bankers" went around, stealing money from people. When you get caught there's going to be a fight and police after you. I changed into a Banker and stole shitloads of cash from another banker who had just done the same to someone else And I think at the same time a third banker was stealing money from me.

I didn't try the police officers/extortion.

[Marek]

I haven't played Scrapland yet but from what I've read at least the concept is interesting, and it isn't called Scrapland III or Scrapland Returns: The Reckoning.

I have a low tolerance for smooth-talking 'call my agent' type characters, but as much as McGee is in danger of being seen as one, I don't think he really is that kind of guy. Yes, he's blatantly attaching his mostly self-appointed stardom to other games, but you have to admit that he's at least being very smart about it. A few months ago no one knew about Scrapland, and now it's being talked about on forums everywhere.

[Chris]

I haven't played Scrapland yet but from what I've read at least the concept is interesting, and it isn't called Scrapland III or Scrapland Returns: The Reckoning.

You just wait a few years...

[Jake]

I gotta tell ya: I'm getting really tired of seeing "American McGee presents..." plastered all over everything. They even want to put that crap in the Start menu folder name. Ridiculous! Get over yourself, American! Alice may be decent, but you haven't really earned the name branding yet.

He insisted during the Alice days that EA marketing were the people who put his name on everything... Whether that's the case or not, I'm glad he's doing it! Why on earth not? If it helps slightly off games like Scrapland get recognition, why not? If it helps get creator driven and creator owned titles off the ground and gets that concept further rooted into the minds of the gamers why not?

Whether or not it was American McGee who started the trend of slapping his name on everything or if it truly was EA marketing, the fact that people know who he is is, in my opinion, really cool. Not enough game designers get to put their name on the box, whether or not American McGee has "earned it" or not, the fact that he is allowed to ... well, I think the last thing people should be doing is to try and get less game designer names on boxes.

Its I guess slightly shady in the case of Scrapland since he's producing it, but whatever.

[Chris]

Scrapland is creator-owned?? That's pretty awesome.

[Jake]

No probably not.

I overstepped in my early morning excitement.

[Jake]

To be sure, I agree with Jason Rubin about game designers needing to get more recognition, and that includes putting their names on the box. But I'd have FAR less of a complaint if they did not try to put American McGee's name on the freaking Start menu folder. I see his name several times just trying to navigate my way through the game, thanks. Worst case of cheap, blatant promotionism in a game I've seen yet. I feel like his name is being used to create an aura for unsuspecting consumers that the game is indeed designed by a game design god. I don't like that, as its unfair to consumers and mars the practice.

I agree with you! Hooray, sorry for the misunderstanding