FanExpo 2010
4th Dimension – Two Things Worth Trying
By Jorge Figueiredo - September 1st, 2010
Conventions are a hotbed of marketing; so many products are being pushed into the spotlight, and at a crowded event like FanExpo, you can be pretty sure that companies will push even harder. Even so, some overshadowing is bound to occur, and interesting and worthwhile projects may not get the attention that they deserve.
When I was wandering the floor, I found two really neat things that I wanted to share with our readers…
Hegemony: Philip of Macedon
Real Time Strategy games on the PC have been around the block a few times; so much so that much has been done in the way of innovation: tweaked cover systems, super-detailed character animations, improved graphics, to name but a few. I have noticed that many game designers have been steering away from resource management, in the sense that has been streamlined to allow the action of battle to take precedence.
Toronto-based Longbow Games is a different type of developer. Hegemony: Philip of Macedon is their latest offering, combining a number of elements; think Risk meets Warcraft meets The History Channel. For instance: battles are very detailed; you can set your formations on the fly for multiple groups of troops, and they actually seem to make a difference in the battle. However, unlike other developers, Longbow Games has stayed the resource course, opting to allow you to really get your hands dirty with what is usually thought of as “support”; indeed, control of resources can be used to win a battle, if not the war (supply lines can be an awesome way to manipulate an enemy army)!
Check out the level of detail here!
At this point, I have played for an hour or so, and the game is very addictive and lots of fun. If you are expecting jaw-dropping over-the-top graphics (think: Crysis; I know, that’s not an RTS, but people have weird expectations), you may be slightly disappointed. However, given the fact that it is such a small download (purchasing the game will net you a serial number; there is no DRM or download limit if you mess up an installation), you will be extremely impressed with what you get; the level of detail is unbelievable; sound and graphics are great. The game is very detailed and will hook you quickly if you like this genre. Check it out!
Battle Tag
Back in the day, Laser Tag was a huge hit (frankly, when I was in University it still was); “paintball lite”, we called it. The premise brought a lot of the excitement, but none of the pain of it’s more colourful cousin (although, frankly, not getting hit by a paintball was a fantastic motivator). Nowadays, the latest FPS will usually capture the attention of gamers more than something where they actually may have to get off their couches.
Enter Battle Tag from Ubisoft; a “live FPS”, the game involves a set of guns, some vests, some plastic boxes (containing ammo, medical kits, or mission boxes) and the UbiConnect device.
Ian is, as they say, “trigger happy”.
Ian Richman, from Ubisoft, told me that the UbiConnect device has a range of 300 metres, and is connected to all of the players (up to 
in the game. The data collected from the device feeds an application with stats. Thus, your computer keeps track of your scores, and whether mission parameters have been fulfilled. The application also acts as a games master, giving the players the rules, and providing challenging missions! There is also internet connectivity; think about the bragging rights!
It looks like Ubisoft’s classic with a new twist might be a lot of fun. We will report more on this later, as we discover more about it.
