Real Talk with Klei Entertainment’s Matthew Marteinsson

Mat Paget

At The Black Frog Eatery in Vancouver, I got a chance to talk to Matthew Marteinsson of Klei Entertainment about the Canadian Videogame Awards, fan response to Mark of the Ninja, and the development of Don’t Starve. We also get in depth with game audio, as well as playing the musical saw.

I promise I’ve learned how to use my phone as a microphone for interviews since this.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE
(Right Click, Save As)

The Canadian Videogame Awards

Mat Paget

We spent this past weekend in Vancouver, where we attended the 4th Annual Canadian Videogame Awards on Saturday night. The show was hosted by Elias Toufexis and had guest appearances by the likes of David Hayter, Jennifer Hale, Michael Mando, and even Nolan North. And although the humour didn’t always hit in the same way–Michael Mando never failed to make us laugh–, it continued to be an entertaining show throughout its duration. You’ll be able to see it for yourself on CityTV on April 27 from 9-11pm PT.

 For now, here are the categories, nominees, and winners.

Best Visual Arts

The Winner: Far Cry 3

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed III, Incredipede, Mark of the Ninja, Mass Effect 3

Best Writing

The Winner: Mass Effect 3

Nominees: Far Cry 3, Mark of the Ninja, Assassin’s Creed III, Sleeping Dogs

Best Technology

The Winner: Assassin’s Creed III

Nominees: Mark of the Ninja, Mechwarrior Online, Prototype 2, SSX

Best Original Music

The Winner: Mass Effect 3 “Leaving Earth”

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed III, Papo & Yo, Sleeping Dogs, Sound Shapes

Best New Character

The Winner: Far Cry 3 — Vaas

Nominees: Nun Attack — The Nun Squad, Papo & Yo — Quico, Prototype 2 — James Heller, Sleeping Dogs — Wei Shen

Best Indie Game

The Winner: Mark of the Ninja

Nominees: Papo & Yo, Sound Shapes, Shank 2, Waveform

Best Game Innovation

The Winner: Sound Shapes

Nominees: Far Cry 3, Papo & Yo, Mark of the Ninja, Waveform

Best Game Design

The Winner: Far Cry 3

Nominees: Mark of the Ninja, Assassin’s Creed III, Mass Effect 3, Sound Shapes

Best Audio

The Winner: Assassin’s Creed III

Nominees: Incredipede, Mark of the Ninja, My Singing Monsters, Sound Shapes

Best Animation

The Winner: Far Cry 3

Nominees: Mark of the Ninja, Prototype 2, Shank 2, Sleeping Dogs

Best Social/Casual Game

The Winner: The Secret World

Nominees: i saw her standing there, Jurassic Park Builder, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, Rubber Tacos

Best Game On The Go

The Winner: Sound Shapes

Nominees: Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, My Singing Monsters, Shellrazer, The Bard’s Tale

Best Downloadable Game

The Winner: Mark of the Ninja

Nominees: Incredipede, MechWarrior Online, Shank 2, Waveform

Best Console Game

The Winner: Mass Effect 3

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed III, Far Cry 3, FIFA Soccer 13, Sleeping Dogs

Future Shop Fans’ Choice Award

The Winner: Far Cry 3

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed III, Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition, Mark of the Ninja, Mass Effect 3, Papo & Yo, Prototype 2, Sleeping Dogs, Sound Shapes, Waveform

Game Of The Year

The Winner: Far Cry 3

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed III, Mark of the Ninja, Mass Effect 3, Papo & Yo

The GameSparked Podcast Apr-02-2013

The GameSparked Team

The GameSparked Podcast contains naughty words, and inappropriate content. Viewer discretion is advised.

The GameSparked Podcast is here once again, this time with a post-April Fool’s episode! Mat and Joe share their opinions on Bioshock Infinite, as well as more talk of both DmC Devil May Cry and Mark of the Ninja between them. Myles stealthily sneaks in his thoughts on Hitman: Absolution, and then the gang shares their individual Easter experiences. Also on this week’s podcast, disgusting, inappropriate old men, the ghosts of “celebrity” “chefs,” news of Metal Gear Solid V and Poker Night 2, and another installment of Mat Reads Fan Fiction! All that, and much more, in this week’s episode of The GameSparked Podcast!

LISTEN HERE

DOWNLOAD

Now Available on iTunes

and RSS

Original Intro/Outro by Cody DeBoer

The DubSparked Remix by Kevin Madden

The GameSparked Podcast Mar-26-2013

The GameSparked Team

The GameSparked Podcast contains naughty words, and inappropriate content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Join the GameSparked crew this week for a brief foray into The GameSparked Podcast! Mat starts things off by shooting his way into the podcast with the help of Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel. Joe is all about swords, bows, and guns, and talks about Far Cry 3, Mark of the Ninja, DmC Devil May Cry, and The Sims Medieval. Also on this week’s podcast: news from of PAX East, BioShock Infinite is released, and three grown men dress up in adult-sized baby clothes. All that, and much more, in this week’s episode of The GameSparked Podcast!

DOWNLOAD

Now Available on iTunes

and RSS

Original Intro/Outro by Cody DeBoer

The DubSparked Remix by Kevin Madden

[NEWS] Indie Game Round-Up — A Bunch Of Really Awesome News

Mat Paget

A lot of Indie-related news has come up in the past two days, so instead of pumping out four separate articles in quick succession, I thought I would just lump it all together into one convenient article for you all to enjoy.

First up, Fez, the brain-bending puzzler from Polytron, will be coming to Steam on May 1. It will be available for PC with a Mac version coming at a later date.

And if you’re a fan of Supergiant Games’ Bastion, then you’ll probably excited upon learning that they’ve announced their new game Transistor, which is a sci-fi Action-RPG that looks like it takes a lot of queues from Bastion itself. An early build of the game will be made available to demo at PAX East this weekend. You can check out the trailer below.

If Mark of the Ninja left you wanting more, then you’ll be happy to know that Klei Entertainment will be releasing a Special Edition DLC that will add one new level, a new style of play, two new items, and a bunch of developer commentary to listen to throughout the game. The one new level will act as a prequel to the full game. It stars the ninja’s tattoo artist Dosan, and will set things in motion for the events that occur in Mark of the Ninja. You can check out all of the details right here.

And last, but not least, is the release date of The Behemoth’s follow-up to Castle Crashers. That’s right, BattleBlock Theater will finally release on April 3 for Xbox Live Arcade at a price of 1200 Microsoft Points.

The GameSparked Podcast Mar-12-2013

The GameSparked Team

The GameSparked Podcast contains naughty words, and inappropriate content. Viewer discretion is advised.

The GameSparked Podcast returns after a week long break with a jam-packed episode! Mat starts things off with a little Vergil’s Downfall, the newest DLC for DmC Devil May Cry, and some PlayStation Vita action before delving headlong into his adventure with Tomb Raider. Joe is back, now with Sleeping Dogs, Binary Domain, and Skyrim: Dawnguard. Myles plays Mark of the Ninja and talks about a missed movie, Shame. Also this week, dentistry, mayonnaise, and super spies, as well as a brand new segment! All that, and much more, in this week’s episode of The GameSparked Podcast!

LISTEN HERE

DOWNLOAD

Now Available on iTunes

and RSS

Original Intro/Outro by Cody DeBoer

The DubSparked Remix by Kevin Madden

[GOTY] Mat’s Super Ethical GOTY Climax 2012: Apocalypse Edition

Mat Paget
GOTY 2012

A Typical Day at GameSparked. Or the apocalypse. Whichever works.

After some long and hard deliberation with myself, I have come up with a list of my ten favourite games of the year. There were many more games that I enjoyed this year, though, and you can check out the rest of them in my Top Moments of 2012 feature. I forced asked the rest of the awesome writers at GameSparked to choose their top games of the year, so I’d be a bit of a dick if I decided to avoid the pain of cutting games from a list, right? So, without further ado, here we go: my top games of 2012.

10. Dragon’s Dogma
I didn’t keep a notepad full of notes on any game this year, other than Dragon’s Dogma. The game may be weird, silly, and even dated in spots, but that didn’t stop me from falling down the rabbit hole. I spent countless hours just walking around Gransys looking for a dragon, cyclops, or griffin to look at me wrong, and I don’t regret it at all. It sort of harkens back to a day where RPGs didn’t have autosaves or fast-travel systems. As much as I love those systems in today’s games, Dragon’s Dogma just felt right without them. Also, that title menu song… I LOVE IT!

9. Far Cry 3
I hate the story of Far Cry 3. It drives me crazy, it makes me sad, and it almost made me keep Far Cry 3 off this list. But I can’t deny that I had a whole lot of fun with it, whether I was sneaking my way through an outpost, or just going all out like Rambo against an onslaught of enemies. My only real criticism against its gameplay is that I enjoyed playing it so much that I ran out of stuff to do, besides the story missions, fairly quickly. BUT THEN I GO HUNT SHARKS WITH GRENADES AND EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT!

8. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead, for me, was all about Clementine. I did everything for her; she was the one thing I truly cared about. There were times when things “went down” and they didn’t hit me quite as hard because I just wasn’t as attached to those characters as I was to Clementine. My favourite scene (mildly spoiler-free) would definitely have to be the moment Lee teaches Clementine how to shoot a gun. To me, that was the scene of the year. And I’m not going to say it…

Alright, I’ll say it. FOR CLEMENTINE!

7. Lollipop Chainsaw
Now, it’s well known that I, along with many others at GameSparked, am a big fan of Suda51. Aside from a few (ie. No More Heroes), I can’t get enough of the titles he puts out. But Lollipop Chainsaw worried me; even up to the day it was released, I was doubting its chances of being a great game. Thankfully, with the help of James Gunn’s writing, Lollipop Chainsaw turned out to be one of the most memorable I’ve played all year. The game may be short, but pound-for-pound, it’s one of the most entertaining titles to come out all year. Also, it’s hilarious. I mean, running zombies — how stupid is that?

6. Journey
I won’t talk much about Journey, as it’s something that should be experienced. All I want to say is that becoming what felt like best friends with a complete stranger I had never even said a word to, let alone learned their name, was something that I’d only ever heard about, or seen, in Disney movies. I can’t deny that it’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had the good fortune to be a part of.

5. Binary Domain

There are better third-person shooters out there, sure, but barely any of them can keep me interested like Binary Domain does. From a pure story standpoint, Binary Domain is one of the most entertaining games I’ve played all year. The characters and their stories are a big reason to I love this game, but there’s a lot going on in the gameplay that I find really interesting, too. Also, your A.I. companions are actually useful. Many people wrote this one off for a number of reasons, but those people need to give the game a chance. It’s got a lot going for it. Give it a shot.

4. Mark of the Ninja
There isn’t a game on this list that controls as well as Mark of the Ninja. It’s a shining example of how games should be made, and the AAA stealth titles that were released this year could learn more than just a thing or two from it. From its excellently-placed checkpoints, to its near-perfect gameplay, there isn’t a thing I can think of that Klei Entertainment could have improved. Also, there isn’t a thing in a game that made me feel so good as Mark of the Ninja did when I would terrorize guards — the way they reacted was empowering and hilarious.

3. Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs was a game I had no hope for. Being a True Crime game at one point, who really expected anything? Well, I’m happy that United Front Games proved me wrong, because it’s the best open-world adventure I’ve had all year. The hand-to-hand combat, chase scenes, story, and everything else makes this one very complete-feeling package that everyone needs to try. Also, it made me watch a ridiculous amount of Hong Kong Martial Arts/Crime films. And a bunch of movies starring Jackie Chan, too (including, but not limited to, The Tuxedo).

2. Syndicate

First-person shooters rarely hook me into playing them obsessively like Syndicate did. The game’s firefights are exciting, and everything is done with a really great style — holding your pistol out while sprinting never gets old. The campaign is also excellently paced and choreographed; the music comes in at the right spots and it never feels like you’re just moving from room to room, clearing out all the enemies. Also, the applications you’re equipped with are fast and easy to use, assuring that the game’s exciting action never drops for a second. And don’t even get me started on the game’s online co-operative mode — because you’d never get me to stop. This game is just fantastically awesome. Now go play it!

1. XCOM: Enemy Unknown
There is no game that comes even close to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Everything it does, I’m in love with. There wasn’t a time this year where I was more devastated from a character dying than I was in this game. Even the small missions seem absolutely huge when you know you could be coming back without one of the soldiers you’ve unknowingly grown attached to. Everything else–from the gameplay and aliens, to the sciences and homebase metagame–is absolutely fantastic, and it’s never hard to spend hours upon hours defending Earth. If I had to suggest only one game from this year to play, I’d undoubtedly choose XCOM: Enemy Unknown, as even players new to strategy games have fallen in love with this fantastic game.

———-

To finish things off, my most anticipated game of 2013:

———-

We’ll see you in 2013!

GameSparked: Public Enemy Number One

[GOTY] Who Won on Day Five? — Game of the Year Breakdown

The GameSparked Team
GOTY 2012

BEWARE! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

Best Assassin

Winner: Corvo Attano (Dishonored)
Corvo is the classic tale of revenge — he was set up for the death of the Queen, and now he must switch roles from bodyguard to assassin. But that’s not all; he’s getting a little help. “The Outsider” is a mysterious figure that grants Corvo with supernatural powers that allow him to teleport, slow time, possess living beings, and even summon an army of rats. He is at the top of his game when it comes to infiltration, hand-to-hand combat, sneaking, hiding bodies, and almost anything else you can think of. This is why he is GameSparked’s Best Assassin of 2012.

Runner-Ups: Ninja (Mark of the Ninja), Jacket (Hotline Miami)

—–

Best “Holy Shit!” Moment

Winner: Lee’s Bite (The Walking Dead)

Lee’s bite in The Walking Dead meant a lot more than what it is on the surface. It’s a cold, stark reminder that everyone is vulnerable in the zombie apocalypse, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. The entire moment is a perfect storm of everything going incredibly wrong all at once; Clementine is gone, Lee is given a time limit and a death sentence, and we don’t even know where to start. It’s this kind of crushingly dreadful “Oh, holy shit” that snapped this award up over some very, very strong contenders and even an entry at the eleventh hour.

Runner-Ups: White Phosphorus (Spec Ops: The Line), The Final Moments (Hotline Miami)

—–

Best Multiplayer Experience

Winner: XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Like a game of chess, XCOM: Enemy Unknown makes you feel incredibly smart when you’ve outsmarted your opponent, and incredibly stupid when you’ve made a careless mistake that ultimately leads to your demise. The customization of one’s team–right down to the weapons and armour–is some of the best balancing we’ve seen, and it adds a whole other level to the strategy. For a game titled “Enemy Unknown,” it truly embodies the spirit of it.

Runner-Ups: Borderlands 2, Syndicate

—–

Best Level/Mission/Quest

  Winner: Ring Side (Rhythm Heaven Fever)

There isn’t a mission, level, or quest that quite got the same loving attention from us as Ring Side from Rhythm Heaven Fever. Since we first encountered it on the game’s release in February, we have gone back to the game regularly, if not only to play this level one more time. I think you’ll be able to tell it’s everyone’s favourite Rhythm Heaven Fever level by looking on YouTube. But for us, it’s our favourite level of any game that came out this year. You can see why in the video above.

Runner-Ups: Bride to Be (Sleeping Dogs), Temple Ship Assault (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)

—–

The Most Suda51 Game That Is Not A Suda51 Game

Winner: NeverDead

NeverDead is not a good game. But a game’s quality has nothing to do with winning this award. This award is won based solely on the game’s premise. And NeverDead’s premise is what wins it the award for The Most Suda51 Game That Is Not A Suda51 Game. And here is that award-winning premise: Wise-cracking demon hunter Bryce can never die. Cursed with immortality by a demon king five hundred years ago, he now hunts demons for profit, and his own personal vendetta. With the help of a private investigator, he must stop a demonic invasion before it completely destroys a city.

Runner-Ups: Hotline Miami, Tokyo Jungle

Day Five of The GameSparked Game of the Year Debates 2012

The GameSparked Team
GOTY 2012

The final day is upon us, and things don’t cool down until the show closes down. Today, the Team argues over the Best Assassin, the Best “Holy Shit!” Moment, the Best Multiplayer Experience, the Best Level/Mission/Quest, and, finally, which game is The Most Suda51 Game That Is Not A Suda51 Game. Who will take the final awards? Listen below to find out!

BEWARE! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

Download Link (Right Click, Save As)

Original Intro/Outro by Cody DeBoer

The DubSparked Remix by Kevin Madden

Day Four of The GameSparked Game of the Year Debates 2012

The GameSparked Team
GOTY 2012

The GameSparked GotY Debate contains naughty words, and inappropriate content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Things start to get heated as the Team nears the end of the debates. The awards discussed today are Biggest Buzz-kill, Best In-Game NPC Dialogue, Best Ending, Worst Ending, and the “Thanks For Reminding Us” Award. Who wins what? Find out by listening below!


BEWARE! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!





Download Link (Right Click, Save As)

Original Intro/Outro by Cody DeBoer

The DubSparked Remix by Kevin Madden