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I headed out a bit early yesterday to check out the launch event for Madden NFL 2009 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. I figured with them renting out the entire Rose Bowl and bringing in mainstream bands like Good Charlotte, Bustra Rhymes, and more. It’d be good research for me when thinking about future events for our games. I’m always checking out other games collector editions, launch events, community days, first to play events, etc. for inspiration on what we can do in the future for our titles.

While I was there, I grabbed some quick footage to share the experience with all of you. It was a massive set-up. I was there early, so most people didn’t show up till late afternoon (5pm onwards).

the one about the game industry (Part I) - Straight from my office. Covering a bit of game industry culture, what it’s like to work at a developer, tips on how to get your foot in the door, and secure a job in the video game industry.

Note: I know I promised this yesterday, but I ran into some compatibility issues with the Flip Mino and my movie editor that required some re-encoding. I apologize.

the one about the game industry (Part II) - Conclusion to Part I.

Regardless if this is “real” or not, you have to appreciate the “Blair Witch Project” approach:

Zombie animation + Vacant’s empty halls and fog + creepy ass Halloween music = Creepy as hell!

Thanks to Only Use Knife for sending me this!

A few of the forum regulars are ‘re-telling’ Jurassic Park, Call of Duty 4 style, with their new machinima Jurassic Warfare. Great use of the ghillie suits and camera angles, I love the cargo container blood splatter when they go to investigate the Raptors on the boat. Really well done guys, can’t wait for Episode 2.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM8cz-RYy2s]

I spent most of my time, this past extended weekend, playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer with a lot of you from the community. The cool thing is, like most games that have been out for a while, the community starts creating their “own versions” of gametypes or completely making up new ones that they play in Private Match. So I spent a good deal of my time online this weekend in private matches with several readers of this blog, playing some community made gametypes. Such as one of our games of “Michael Myers” that one of the players in the game apparently recorded last night that can be found above.

If you’re not familiar with the Mike Myer’s gametype, it essentially boils down to hide and seek. Hit the jump for a full description of how to play it, but that’s not the point of this post.

The point is. Talk of new playlists has sprung up again here at the studio, and I’m pushing to get another playlist update for the game, hopefully adding some gametypes or revamped playlists. This weekend really got me thinking about what we can do. Essentially anything you can make up in Private Match (by tweaking settings / rules) can be used as a new playlists / gametype. Something as making more hardcore gametypes hardcore, or something more complex like a completely new mode.

That said, I’m looking for a group of people who’d be interested in getting together for some private matches and trying out some community made gametypes, or throwing in ideas for rule sets / settings that could make for some interesting gameplay. We obviously have some ideas already of what we’ve like to do, but I’m interested in playing all the community Gametypes that you guys have already come up with and seeing how fun they are. I’ve played Zombie (that’s a given), and quite a few other, but if you have any cool gametype you and your friends have come up with in COD4, let me know. Let’s play it.

Drop me a message online and I’ll make some room on my friends list, and we’ll get games going this week / weekend to try some of them out, or leave your gametype ideas / suggestions / rules in the comments!

For how to play “Mike Myers” or “Manhunt” as well as a summary of how our games went this weekend, hit the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

IAMfourzerotwo EP2 (Video Blog)

See IAMfourzerotwo EP2 and more gamer videos on PWNorDIE.com

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I finally got around to recording another video blog. This episode covers what I’m currently playing as well as asks what you’re currently into. I answer some questions received since the first video blog, including a look into just how much detail is modeled into the characters of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and just how valuable normal maps are.

Most important, this is your chance to grab some free Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare T-shirts to kick off the opening of the new Infinity Ward online store over at www.infinityward.com. So if you want a chance for a free shirt, be sure to head over to www.pwnordie.com/fourzerotwo and subscribe to the new blog and / or leave a comment here telling me you want one and giving a suggestion for future episodes.

Other than that, it’s general gaming rambling and walking through a typical day at the Infinity Ward studios. Next episode will cover “How to get into the game indsutry” from my experience of doing it, and talking with peers who have done it. Hopefully you guys like it, and if you have any suggestions for future episodes, let me know. Meanwhile, I’ll continue answering questions received from the first episode as well as any new ones sent in!

Fyi - the background is my new living room design, check out full pics of it here:

IAMfourzerotwo - Flickr Account

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.515031&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] from youtube.com posted with vodpod

Since this is the first, I feel it deserves a bit of an introduction. I’ve decided to kick off a video blog on the site, with the first episode lovely titled “The One About Nothing” being posted above. The concept behind the new video blog is to allow you guys a more visual look into game development or anything else you want.

As I said in the video, let me know what you guys want to see. I know there has been a lot of request to see some footage inside Infinity Ward as well as other things and I’m hoping this little video blog will allow us to do that. Ever wonder what a development kit looks like? how it works? Or what the game looks like in the eye of a designer? Ever want to see inside the studio or check out the offices?

Also feel free to ask questions about anything from the game, to how to get into the industry, to what a daily life in development is like. I think it’d be a cool way to get you guys more connected with the development of our games and the industry in general for any fans or potential future game developers. So let me know what you think and how we can make this work as I’d love to start doing them on a regular basis.

Be sure to check out it’s direct link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOlJTEVXXoY

and Subscribe to the Channel to stay connected with future videos if you like the concept. Meanwhile, head over to the YouTube page to comment or leave your comment here on what you’d like to see more of in any future videos. Thanks guys.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.500673&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod

I have another community created video for you, this one comes as the debut episode to a new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Machinima Series entitled ‘Retaliation’ brought to you by Sgt. Padrino. This episode, entitled ‘Calm’, follows a squad of US Marines behind enemy lines in the aftermath of an attack on a British S.A.S. training facility. Follow the squad in the attempt to secure a target linked to the bombing, only problem is, the Pentagon wants him alive.

Be sure to keep tabs on the series as it progresses and watch the original and higher quality videos of it at it’s Machinima homepage here:
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=25388

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.496893&w=425&h=350&fv=] from www.gametrailers.com posted with vodpod

Looks like the official release time for the new Variety Map Pack DLC for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is going to be 6:30 AM PST Friday morning. It’s currently 11:47 PM Thursday night at the time of this posting, so only 6 more hours to go before we can jump on the new maps. To go along with the news of the exact release time, Gametrailers has posted up two new videos that we shot yesterday at the Infinity Ward studios about the map pack. There should be one more in the pipeline for Chinatown, meanwhile enjoy the new Broadcast and Creek videos where I lay out some of my favorite strategies for the new maps as well as a general overview of what you can expect after 6:30 AM when the maps are available for download via Xbox Live!

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.496901&w=425&h=350&fv=] from www.gametrailers.com posted with vodpod

In addition to the map packs hitting, I hear there may be a little extra XP up for grabs this weekend when playing on the new maps. So I’ll definitely be online this weekend to play the new maps.

I love getting sent user made videos and this is by far my favorite of the week. This video from Serpento99 on YouTube features a music video consisting completely of music created by gun fire in the game. Nice work man, really nice work.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.486970&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod