Demigod Takes Hollywood by Storm

By hughferriss on July 25, 2008 4:43:31 PM from

Hi. Nate here.

As many of you may already know, our first trailer hit the internet yesterday at Gamespot. It's hard to overstate how eager we were to get this footage out into the world -- at 2pm yesterday Gas Powered Games resounded with the sound of "refresh" buttons being repeatedly clicked as we waited for Gamespot to update. Not only was this Demigod's first serious public outing, it was our first chance to show our friends and families what we'd been working on. My wife says it's cool, so it's officially, objectively cool.

We have been enjoying the ongoing debate about the authenticity of the trailer. Yes, every shot in the trailer was taken in-game. We made no custom animations for the trailer. The footage was run through After Effects to apply certain atmospheric effects and film grain, but by and large, what you see is what you'll get. Steve Thompson, our lead animator, sat down with Jessica Snook, one of our designers, and the two of them camped out inside the game like wildlife photographers. Steve managed to capture some great moments at some very beautiful angles, and then Howard Mostrom composed some gorgeous music to go with it. If you still doubt that it's actual in-game footage, look closely at some of the shots late in the trailer: we managed to immortalize a bug that was generating persistent splats in midair when angels got shot down by towers of light. That bug has been fixed, so if you could all kindly return the video to us, we'll go ahead and fix that.

Anyway, I'm glad the animators finally got to share their work, because they've been doing some spectacular stuff. I know that superlatives are suspect in an officially-sanctioned developer journal, but Steve and Aung Oo have accomplished something that hasn't been done before in this type of game. These characters feel alive, and I think that pays off in the gameplay.

Finally, Matt Vainio deserves a big wet kiss for designing our new logo. It says everything it needs to say: a little mythological, a little future-y, and more than just a pinch of heavy metal. It's amazing how having a logo makes you feel like you're working on a real, big-league game.

I can't wait to show you guys the stuff that'll be in the next trailer. We definitely still have some eye-poppers waiting in the wings.

Nate Simpson, Lead Artist - Demigod

0 Karma | 47 Replies

I still don't like it. Especially if my parents saw it

...and the attacks look very impactful.

Thanks! We on the visual effects team do our best to make sure every animation is accompanied by a clear gameplay indicating, visually appealing and distinct effect. We're pushing some technical and artistic boundaries on Demigod visual effects that very few other games are attempting.

really all i can say is...MOAR!

No, that's just what you have to say since this is a public forum

and since when has the fact that this is a "public" forum stopped eets huh Anny? ??

??

Absolute torture it is....that trailer....torture!

I'll probably get slammed for saying this, but I am a little disappointed that you had to add the almost-nude fairy lady. I would prefer that that was removed, but it doesn't look like anyone else cares. And I'd be really disappointed if it gave the game an M rating. I doubt it would, but that's a lot of bare skin.

Actually, i hope they keep everything as it looks right now, including the "almost nude fairy lady".

Im glad they strayed off of the prude path even if just by a little bit, since what they achieved by doing so is what appears to be a very interesting havoc wreacking flower nymph

To the developers:

You are the artists, the computer is your canvas, please show us what for an art you can bring towards millions of players world wide....and satisfy our lust for wonderful games.

-Snuzz

RE: Concerns about our rating.

We'll be doing what's required to get a T rating. I think I might break something if people weren't able to play Demigod because their parents wouldn't let them buy the game.

- Mike "Tyo" Marr
Demigod Lead Designer

And besides, what will you be doing zoomed all the way up into the "face" of the dryad? Losing. To play the game competitively, I'm afraid you won't be able to enjoy the scenery nearly as much as we did in the trailer.

So when are we going to see some movies of the game mechanics, not just eye catching footage. The graphics though do look really awesome.

I agree. When do we get more? Besides the dryad, I am LOVING everything I see! Especially The Rook. I see him as being my main character.

I agree. When do we get more?

One of the earliest opportunities to see more of Demigod will be at Penny Arcade Expo, we'll be offering chances for the public to sit down and play Demigod.

Mike "Tyo" Marr
Demigod Lead Designer

Does that mean the beta won't have been launched at that time ?

Are any websites going to be taking video footage of PAX, or is it a no-cameras thingie?

I agree. When do we get more?One of the earliest opportunities to see more of Demigod will be at Penny Arcade Expo, we'll be offering chances for the public to sit down and play Demigod.Mike "Tyo" MarrDemigod Lead Designer

ONE of the earliest. So that means we'll get the beta before that?

An official annoucement of "the beta probably won't be until after PAX" or the equivalent would be really appreciated.

I bet they haven't commented on that because they're not sure. Let's make sure they'll be better off by releasing the beta BEFORE the PAX

Hey if they release the beta before PAX they can get earlier bug reports and hardware compatibility issues fixed, meaning they won't have to worry about bringing it to PAX and having computer issues (unless of course they bring their own computers, then my reason is dead in the water).

Bugs in public demonstrations are bad and embarassing. Release the beta before PAX to ensure good first impressions from the public

it wouldn't be first impressions anymore if they have revealed it before.
*laughs*

and I guess they will use a very stable build there with all experimental features disabled and of course using a tested hardware setup.

This is incredibly awesome.

No bad TBO bad!

>.>
you're not supposed to point out the flaws
<.<

Love everything I see. Any chance of saying where the bug is so I don't mistake it for something you haven't fixed?

Also, which one is the Unclean One? Now to get me a preorder...

Be warned, if it's as good as it looks, I may not be able to report anything I'll be so busy playing it/worshiping it.

Also, which one is the Unclean One?

The Unclean Beast is rather hard to miss, being the only beastly-looking Demigod in the trailer

They said what the bug was in the post, and the unclean beast is the guy with green stuff and the tongue... and the beastly appearance.

The Forums Are Now Closed!

The content will remain as a historical reference, thank you.

Demigod Takes Hollywood by Storm