The Sudden Stop: Game Informer 2015

28th November 2015
Remedy on the Max Payne Movie [Game Informer Coverage]

18:40 Rachel

Last Friday, Game Informer concluded it's month-long coverage of Quantum Break with a conversation on the Max Payne movie.

Remedy gets asked about the Max Payne movie from time to time, and it's always a topic which is a little challenging to talk about. Especially as the developers had no real control over the project, and didn't own the Max Payne rights at the time. This is possibly the first time where they've talked about the project more in-depth.

It's an interesting read, so make sure to check it out, ~~HERE~~ (archived).

Back in 2008, there was a Max Payne movie. We talked to Max Payne's creators about it. https://t.co/L3EyT9EbJN pic.twitter.com/1rP6M7fVwb
— Game Informer (@gameinformer) November 29, 2015

25th November 2015
Game Informer Special Edition Podcast / Quantum Break
With Sam Lake and Thomas Puha

01:47 Rachel

Ben Hanson and Ben Reeves of Game Informer recently spoke with Thomas Puha (Head of PR at Remedy) and Sam Lake (Creative Director at Remedy) about some of the community's burning questions. They answered topics ranging from Alan Wake 2, to Jack Joyce's background.

Questions were collected for the past week over on the Game Informer website.

The interview is pretty long, over 40 minutes, so make sure you grab a drink before sitting down to listen to it.

To catch up on all of Game Informer's exclusive Quantum Break coverage this month, check out their site, ~~HERE~~ (archived). Make sure to stay tuned this Friday for the final piece!

23rd November 2015
A Guided Tour Around Remedy with Saku Lehtinen
[Game Informer Coverage]

23:46 Rachel

We're entering the final week of Game Informer's month-long coverage of Quantum Break, but that doesn't mean that they're slowing down. Today, we were treated to a guided tour by Remedy's Art Director, Saku Lehtinen. The tour focused on the studio's basement where years of the company's history is stored, from unedited Max Payne photographs to scripts, Alan Wake outfits and old concept artwork. It was a unique glimpse into the side of game development that is so often kept hidden.

Click ~~HERE~~ (archived) to watch the video!

This post will be updated with a YouTube link as soon as it goes live!

Uncovering the secrets of Max Payne and Alan Wake. A guided tour with Remedy's Art Director: https://t.co/ogmGa5fD9W pic.twitter.com/ecptGxpC6m
— The Sudden Stop (@TheSuddenStop) November 23, 2015

20th November 2015
Sam Lake on Interactive Storytelling
[Game Informer Coverage]

18:58 Rachel

In a recent interview with Game Informer, Sam Lake (Creative Director at Remedy) talked in-depth about interactive storytelling in video games. In the video he discusses the evolution of narrative driven games and how developers help immerse players into the story with game mechanics.

It's a really interesting interview, especially as it comes across like a TED talk or a lecture; something which Sam doesn't do often.* One reason why I really like this interview is that he talks about how the approach to storytelling has changed; he's been in the video game industry for almost twenty years now, and in that timeframe the definition of story-driven games has changed a lot.

Click ~~HERE~~ (archived) to watch the full interview!
I'll update this page with the video as soon as it's posted to YouTube.

Update (24/11/15): YouTube Video.

*There was recently a panel he took part in at Slush 2015. It was livestreamed, but there isn't archived footage online yet. I'll post a link as soon as it is available.

18th November 2015
TV Shows & Movies Which Influenced Quantum Break
[Game Informer Coverage]

08:09 Rachel

For inspiration, Remedy tends to look for things beyond what games have already delivered. Instead their titles are fuelled by books, movies and television shows.

For Game Informer's latest article, they spoke to Sam Lake (Creative Director), Greg Louden (Narrative Designer), Saku Lehtinen (Art Director) and Stobe Harju (Drama Director). The group suggested their own personal list of what influenced Quantum Break and their approach to their work.

It's the perfect list to check out, especially in the lead up to the game's launch.

See the full list, ~~HERE~~ (archived).

17th November 2015
The Origins of Quantum Break / Documentary
[Game Informer Coverage]

17:55 Rachel

Yesterday, Game Informer uploaded a documentary-style video focusing on the origins of Quantum Break. This is the latest instalment in Game Informer's exclusive month long coverage of the game.

The video, which lasts over 10 minutes, features interviews with Sam Lake (Creative Director), Mikael Kasurinen (Game Director) and Greg Louden (Narrative Designer). They talk about their personal opinions on the title, how they got involved, how Quantum Break came to be, and what challenges they've faced so far.

The video has just been posted to YouTube, which allows us to embed it below. Make sure to check it out, it's a really interesting and informative look on the game.

To view all of Game Informer's articles so far, check out their Quantum Break Hub page, ~~HERE~~ (archived). And mark your calenders for 18th November for more goodness!

13th November 2015
Quantum Break's Live Action Show / First-Look Impressions
[Game Informer Coverage]

23:35 Rachel

Game Informer's next piece of exclusive coverage is up! In the latest article, Kyle and Ben takes a look at Quantum Break's live television show. The show is currently in post-production, and there's still editing to do before the full show is complete, but GI had a first look at some of the more intense scenes that players will see in the game.

Click ~~HERE~~ (archived) to read the full report on Game Informer.

For those who don't know, Quantum Break will have both gameplay and show elements. Gamers will play an episode of the game, watch an episode of the show, play an episode of the game, etc. Both the game and show will ship on one disc and will be connected by Junction Moments; areas of the game where the player can take control over which future is to pass.

12th November 2015
Quantum Break Hands-On Impressions
[Game Informer Coverage]

21:30 Rachel

Last night's exclusive Game Informer coverage of Quantum Break explored the first hands-on demo for the game. In the article, Ben and Kyle discusses the title's combat mechanics and various time powers that Jack has available.

The article mentions that the demo wasn't very long, and there's also tweaks still taking place.

Mark your calendars for Friday 13th November, for the next piece on GI's exclusive coverage!

Click ~~HERE~~ (archived) to read the discussion.

9th November 2015
Game Informer Expands on Quantum Break's Story
[Game Informer Coverage]

09:39 Rachel

The next part in Game Informer's exclusive coverage is out! In this latest part, Ben Reeves explores Quantum Break's story and answers questions which some fans may have about character motivations, the mysterious Paul Serene and the even mysterious Monarch Solutions.

Mark your calendars for 11th November 2015, the next part of Game Informer's coverage will be out then.

Click ~~HERE~~ (archived) to read the full article.

6th November 2015
Greg Loudon Talks Time Stutters
[Game Informer Coverage]

21:28 Rachel

Game Informer continues's their exclusive coverage today and the next part of their Quantum Break feature is up! In their latest article, they talk with Remedy's Narrative Designer, Greg Loudon, about the game's time stutters.

The article also features a series of never-before-seen screenshots from the title and a gif showcasing the new lighting system in the game.

If you thought that the stutters can be harmless, you're wrong. While they may help Jack in some cases, these are describes as "frozen moments of chaos", where the environment becomes unpredictable and dangerous. Read more in the Game Informer article, ~~HERE~~ (archived).

Our Oscar-winning superstar Greg Louden talks #QuantumBreak https://t.co/9jQsdMQJ4A @gameinformer @remedygames pic.twitter.com/Gwi9Ohkqsl
— Sam Lake (@SamLakeRMD) November 6, 2015

4th November 2015
Sam Lake Answers 100 Questions
[Game Informer Coverage] / [Updated]

20:39 Rachel

"Can Jack go back in time and fix Max Payne's life?"
"That would be lovely."

Game Informer asks Sam Lake (Creative Director at Remedy) 100 rapid-fire questions about his life, Max Payne, Alan Wake and Quantum Break. It's a really good interview, and funny too; perfect for watching after a long day. Some of the questions are serious, others are puns, but together they form an really interesting interview.

Also. Another reason why you should watch it. One of the questions were "Could you have written a better Max Payne movie?" Sam's reaction is pretty perfect for the question.

Click ~~HERE~~ (archived) to watch the interview.
[This post will be updated with the video, once it is posted on YouTube.]

Update (17/11/2015):

3rd November 2015
Game Informer December Cover & Hub Page

18:27 Rachel

QUANTUM BREAK FANS! Whatever you're doing, stop right now, and check out Game Informer (archived). Jack Joyce will be on the cover of the December issue (later today) in an all new promotional image, but that's not all!

Throughout this month, keep an eye on ~~THIS~~ (archived). It's the hub page for Quantum Break, where exclusive behind the scenes goodies will be posted every few days. The next update is tomorrow! At the moment it's just got the cover reveal available, but by the end of the month those hub pages are always absolutely packed with material.

Quick Update: Just after I posted this, the digital issue has just gone live! If you're outside the US or prefer to read it on your tablet, check it out ~~HERE~~ (archived). (3/11/15)

In fact, you can see a bit of some of the footage the site has below:

This is a major marketing opportunity for the developers, as Game Informer is the largest video games magazine in the world, with a 7.4 million circulation. Having Joyce on the cover is a pretty big thing! Stay tuned all this week for Quantum Break goodness.

As a quick side note, I want to talk about updates to this site in regard to it. This is a Remedy fan site, so of course it's going to be updated. However, with Game Informer exclusives like this, there are rules to what websites can cover. I know some sites have got into a little trouble before about sharing material from them that they shouldn't, so it's something which GI takes seriously. As a personal note, this is the third cover/hub that I'll be following and posting about, and I actually have a rough list of guidelines that I'll be following. However, I will make sure that you will get notifications every time there's a new update and you will be linked to the all of Quantum Break's coverage.

Also, here's the cover, anyone else getting that Alan Wake's American Nightmare artwork vibe? :)