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raphier · May 27, 2011

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/new-game-engine-brings-hitman-absolution-to-the-masses/

The Hitman games of past have been very hardcore, said Tore Blystad, game director at IO Interactive. Even though the fantasy of the Hitman universe has a very universal appeal, the games have been so difficult to play, that its been more of an acquired taste. The biggest challenge that we had with this game was to make it much broader in every sense, so that it was easier to play and more accessible, but still retain a very strong, hardcore side as well. We dont want to alienate any of our fans who have been extremely loyal for so many years.

They also talk about AI. But this right there, what to make of it?

Dilly · May 27, 2011

That's a load of crap, Hitman was perfectly balanced between the two.

You could sink in hours just to get SA rating or just blast your way through the levels.

derFeef · May 27, 2011

...but still retain a very strong, hardcore side as well. We dont want to alienate any of our fans who have been extremely loyal for so many years

Hope still strong.

bathala · May 27, 2011

Fuck it got Splinter Cell-ed

Say it ain't so

bjaelke · May 27, 2011

@ToreBlystad Why have you decided to make the game more casual? Splinter Cell: Conviction did that and it was received awfully by fans of SC

https://twitter.com/#!/Neon_25/status/74046411674632192

@Neon_25 Our approach is quite far from SCC, and we believe that we can get a broader appeal while still making the hard core fans happy..

https://twitter.com/#!/ToreBlystad/status/74053605468016640

I NEED SCISSORS · May 27, 2011

Here is what you do, IO: you keep it the same but include an easy mode that the casual player selects ot the start of the game. This mode adds an arrow at the top of the screen (like BioShock) which tells them where to go, along with some text detailing the current objective. Upon completing each mission objective, the player is given a Crysis 2-style selection of which path they wish to take next.

Everyone else gets the standard Hitman that we love.

Ellis Kim · May 27, 2011

I like the second cover best. 3rd one doesn't pop out as much, even if its kind of "cooler."

raphier · May 27, 2011

bjaelke said:
https://twitter.com/#!/Neon_25/status/74046411674632192

https://twitter.com/#!/ToreBlystad/status/74053605468016640

I've heard this line like million of times from every claiming developer. Yet it never comes to that, because it's a bloody paradox in design.

derFeef · May 27, 2011

SCC is still a weird comparison because we knew from the beginning that it was going to be different and not like the good old Splinter Cell games.

Chinese Electric Batman · May 27, 2011

More accessible?

All interest lost.

It was good knowing you, Agent 47.

MMaRsu · May 27, 2011

sigh @ recent comments from IO.

Speedymanic · May 27, 2011

Improved AI, YAY!

Blystad said the artificial intelligence (AI) that is featured in Hitman: Absolution is something that has taken the most time to develop. The gameplay revolves around player actions, and since there are many choices in every scenario, the AI had to be able to respond to any given situation at any given time.

If you attack and enemy from any angle, than were able to have them fight back, or continue on in a normal state if you ignore them, said Blystad. There are similar things in games like GTA or these bigger sandbox games, but its on a much less granular level because we have a very strong focus on the abilities of the characters. You get so close to the characters in this game. They all have names, and they have all some kind of part to play in the story, so that they act as believable as possible is the most important thing for us. Its the most central part of the game.

JCtheMC · May 27, 2011

Great... 6 years of waiting for a game that would've been perfect if they'd just done more of the same with slightly better graphics. The games industry: If it isn't broke, we'll fix it.

shuyin_ · May 27, 2011

Casual Hitman that your mom can finish too, confirmed

Interfectum · May 27, 2011

raphier said:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/new-game-engine-brings-hitman-absolution-to-the-masses/

There is no such thing as medium between hardcore and mainstream. You're about to displease both sides, IO.

Goddamnit. I mean... god fucking damnit.

Ceebs · May 27, 2011

If you ask me, all Blood Money really needed to have to reach a broader audience was a streamlined control scheme. Something highly context sensitive like Assassins Creed would work quite well. The game itself might not have been the easiest, but I know I was fighting with controls for a good bit of it which only made it harder.

MMaRsu · May 27, 2011

Ceebs said:
If you ask me, all Blood Money really needed to have to reach a broader audience was a streamlined control scheme. Something highly context sensitive like Assassins Creed would work quite well. The game itself might not have been the easiest, but I know I was fighting with controls for a good bit of it which only made it harder.

On consoles the controls probably werent great, never played it on 360 though :/

I need to find it cheap in the netherlands..

Blood Money on pc was godlike imo.

Ceebs · May 27, 2011

MMaRsu said:
On consoles the controls probably werent great, never played it on 360 though :/

I need to find it cheap in the netherlands..

Blood Money on pc was godlike imo.

I have it from a Steam sale but never tried it on the PC. Does it still have you diving into that rotating inventory for every damn thing you want to use?

LiquidMetal14 · May 27, 2011

Hitman has always been better than SC so I will not jump the gun like some of you.

derFeef · May 27, 2011

Aaand everyone jumping the (silenced) gun again. Will judge when I see it and not just because someone bolded the one part and not the other important part.

Oneself · May 27, 2011

That 3rd cover is awesome.

Seeing how bad were IO games over the years (other than Hitman & Freedom Fighters) I don't have faith in this "more mainstream" BS. Blood Money was perfect IMO, hopefully it will be part of a "PS3 remastered" collection at the very least. (2,Contract & Blood Money) I sure would double dip ..

Interfectum · May 27, 2011

derFeef said:
Aaand everyone jumping the (silenced) gun again. Will judge when I see it and not just because someone bolded the one part and not the other important part.

Let me jump the gun and, if you end up being right, feel free to ship me plates full of crow and I'll happily eat it while playing Hitman.

Angry Fork · May 27, 2011

inb4 'lets wait till the trailer k guyzz'. Trailer is shown and fans hate it. 'guyz guyz lets wait till demo k lol' Demo is released and fans hate it, tons of casual shit way too easy etc. 'guyz lets wait till game releases it's just a demo lolol just a beta' Game releases, it's shitted on by fans. The 'lets just wait' guys eat crow.

ShinobiFist · May 27, 2011

raphier said:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/new-game-engine-brings-hitman-absolution-to-the-masses/

There is no such thing as medium between hardcore and mainstream. You're about to displease both sides, IO.

I don't get it. Hitman is the type of game were you could play it anyway you want. You could go the Rambo route, or the Ninja route. That's what made Hitman awesome, the freedom. Hope is fading fast on my side GAF. Whatever they show on E3 better impress the shit out of me.

Interfectum · May 27, 2011

ShinobiFist said:
I don't get it. Hitman is the type of game were you could play it anyway you want. You could go the Rambo route, or the Ninja route. That's what made Hitman awesome, the freedom. Hope is fading fast on my side GAF. Whatever they show on E3 better impress the shit out of me.

My worst fear is they'll still do that but it'll be really streamlined and guided.

Like: "There are two guards up ahead, you can sneak past them or kill them, make your choice."

That way the developers can say "we're still appealing to the hardcore Hitman crowd by giving gamers a choice, but we are making it easier to play by guiding the player through the experience."

Ahoi-Brause · May 27, 2011

So everything they say basically suggests that this game will be shit and casualized and fail to reach the sales of blood money because casuals will play call of duty and assasins creed and hardcore gamers will be pissed off.

Thanks IO.

Ponti · May 27, 2011

Well there's that dreaded word, 'accessible'. FUCK.

At least I still got you Blood Money.

UrbanRats · May 27, 2011

D4Danger · May 27, 2011

Ponti said:
Well there's that dreaded word, 'accessible'. FUCK.

At least I still got you Blood Money.

Blood Money was more accessible than the previous Hitman games

did I just blow your mind?

RedStep · May 27, 2011

Ahoi-Brause said:
So everything they say basically suggests that this game will be shit and casualized and fail to reach the sales of blood money because casuals will play call of duty and assasins creed and hardcore gamers will be pissed off.

Thanks IO.

You hit the nail on the head. We have enough information to judge the game completely, and it has come up wanting. Time to pack up and wait for the next one. See ya.

Ahoi-Brause · May 27, 2011

RedStep said:
You hit the nail on the head. We have enough information to judge the game completely, and it has come up wanting. Time to pack up and wait for the next one. See ya.

Well their twitter statements are stuff like "it's still a stealth game AT HEART" which translates to "it's not a stealth game anymore but it's build on a franchise that's famous for stealth"

Murkas · May 27, 2011

The next update will be online mulitplayer.

derFeef · May 27, 2011

Ahoi-Brause said:
Well their twitter statements are stuff like "it's still a stealth game AT HEART" which translates to "it's not a stealth game anymore but it's build on a franchise that's famous for stealth"

Reading to much into quotes, spinning them until it fits your view. Thats all we do here apparently.

Evolved1 · May 27, 2011

I hope they still have OTSV and FPWV... the later was always kind of janky but I loved that it was there.

raphier · May 27, 2011

derFeef said:
Reading to much into quotes, spinning them until it fits your view. Thats all we do here apparently.

Well, Splinter Cell Conviction is a stealth game at heart too (in the end of day; technically) *rolls eyes*

Always-honest · May 27, 2011

good, i'm getting too old for difficult games anyway.

saladine1 · May 27, 2011

All I want is a modern version of the game we all know and love.
Is that too much to ask?
Well, is it?

I'm getting sick and tired of our franchises being made 'accessible' and 'mainstream'.
All you casuals out there, man the fuck up and be HaRdcoReZ!!

derFeef · May 27, 2011

http://twitter.com/#!/ToreBlystad/statuses/74197783980158976

Wow, people are going crazy about this 'appeal to broader audience'. I will stop talking about that for now, you'll have to wait and see.

You guys have done well

Guerrillas in the Mist · May 27, 2011

derFeef said:
http://twitter.com/#!/ToreBlystad/statuses/74197783980158976

You guys have done well

"Wait till you see the badass cover system, the sweet gunplay, and our patented, original "tag and eliminate" mechanic. Then you'll know what we mean."

derFeef · May 27, 2011

Guerrillas in the Mist said:
"Wait till you see the badass cover system, the sweet gunplay, and our patented, original "tag and eliminate" mechanic. Then you'll know what we mean."

Magic crystal ball? You guys are just trolling me, aren't you?

MMaRsu · May 27, 2011

derFeef said:
Magic crystal ball? You guys are just trolling me, aren't you?

Well that guy is, a bit much.

Jason's Ultimatum · May 27, 2011

I dunno. When I read that quote, the first thing that popped in my head was the AI in the Hitman games I played. Actually, I only played Hitman 2, but when I talk about the AI I mean just how sensitive it was.

I hardly remember the game at all, but two missions that still sticks with me today was the Russian level where you have to find some Russian person in an apartment like building, and the night level where you're at some party. No matter how quiet I was in killing someone, the AI would be alerted right away, even enemies that were nowhere near my POV.

The Technomancer · May 27, 2011

I am...cautious.

Appeal to a broader audience isn't automatically a bad thing.

Just usually.

Tain · May 27, 2011

In what universe is Hitman: Blood Money too hardcore?

WrikaWrek · May 27, 2011

I hope that they added in a sweet ass hand to hand combat system.

Dude is an assassin cmon

Guerrillas in the Mist · May 27, 2011

Jason's Ultimatum said:
I dunno. When I read that quote, the first thing that popped in my head was the AI in the Hitman games I played. Actually, I only played Hitman 2, but when I talk about the AI I mean just how sensitive it was.

I hardly remember the game at all, but two missions that still sticks with me today was the Russian level where you have to find some Russian person in an apartment like building, and the night level where you're at some party. No matter how quiet I was in killing someone, the AI would be alerted right away, even enemies that were nowhere near my POV.

Yeah, the AI in Hitman 2 tended to be on the paranoid side.

"Holy shit, that man has gone out for a jog. KILL HIM!!!"

They made the AI a good bit less psycho for Blood Money, even if the AI was still weak in many ways.

spicy cho · May 27, 2011

derFeef said:
http://twitter.com/#!/ToreBlystad/statuses/74197783980158976

Wow, people are going crazy about this 'appeal to broader audience'. I will stop talking about that for now, you'll have to wait and see.

No, tell us more you jackass. "Hey folks, seems you don't like our direction talk so I'll just quietly continue killing a beloved franchise, kthx."

Foliorum Viridum · May 27, 2011

I always found Hitman too hard to get in to. I welcome this news.

Interfectum · May 27, 2011

@hitmanforum hitmanforum
Great fun @IOInteractive today! Game looks fresh but stay true to the original! Look forward to E3! Thanks @nick_at_io @toreblystad

This gives me some hope. Though I'm not sure how drunk "hitmanforum" was when posting this.

Tears For Fears · May 27, 2011

Nope.

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