There are a lot of reasons why someone might want to check out a guide like T Dub Sanders'. One might be interested in the underside of the game testing field. Others might just want to know what they can gain from a guide that is written to help people understand their role in the gaming industry. Others still are just pining for that ultimate career working alongside game developers and designers.

Whatever the reason, T Dub Sanders has put together one of the biggest and best game testing guides on the market – one that shows the underpinnings of the career in their raw, real format. There are no false promises of automatic testing or sitting at home and playing the newest games for hundreds of dollars a day.

That stuff is all pretty much a pipe dream and most people know it – yet many guide writers try to tell everyone that they can become the biggest and best new game testers in a field that doesn't really exist every day and too many fall for it. On the other hand, what T Dub has put together is a much more realistic, much more comprehensive look at what game testing is really about – the hard work and dedication that goes into becoming someone in charge of all that code each day.

By showing what it really takes to be a game tester, T Dub opens up an actual, realistic path to getting into the industry. He showcases skills needed to get started as a tester, the classes or college majors that people better be willing to invest in if they want to be a professional in this field and much more to help them figure out not only if the career path is right for them but if they are going to be cut out for it. That means a great deal for someone who may or may not know exactly what a game tester does and how it operates.

For anyone that is thinking about taking the path toward becoming a game tester, one of the first things that needs to be done is to learn more about what the career entails. Those people should pick up T Dub's newest guide and get a real insider's look at the job and how it really works. If you're serious about doing what T Dub shows you, you'll be on the fast track toward game testing in no time flat.
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Monday, September 30, 2013

Shuhei Yoshida: 'Games are all about having fun, right?'

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Posted July 2nd, 2013 at 21:25 EDT by Dane Smith0 Comments

Talking to the official EU PlayStation forum, President of Sony Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida discussed used games, making the PS4 a gamer-first console, bringing back PSOne-era excitement, and even working with Kaz Hirai and PS4 lead system architect Mark Cerny.

"We made this decision early in the process of designing PS4," he said in reference to PS4's openness toward used games. "There are still a lot of people who want to have the physical medium and the option to share with their friends. That's part of people's enjoyment of games today and that wouldn't change overnight."

Of course, PS4 games may be so good you won't think twice about buying them new. "The only reason people look to spend several hundred euros to get a dedicated games system is because there are experiences that are only available on PS4," Yoshida said. "That's the message we really focused on in New York [back in February 2013] . . . There's the kind of attitude that we used to have back in the PS one days. Games are all about having fun, right? So we enjoy what we're doing, whether it's making games or communicating about them."

Yoshida also discussed the very early stages of his career, when he greenlit legendary games and worked with industry legends. "Actually, the first game I produced was Crash Bandicoot for the Japanese market and since then Mark [Cerny] and I have a long history of working together with PlayStation. Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance: Fall of Man... So many years we worked together."

What do you think of his views? Are you feeling some of that original PlayStation excitement and energy around PS4? Is Sony's gamer-first attitude and everyone working in harmony enough to make you switch consoles? Let us know your thoughts and ideas.

Dane Smith is the Japan editor for PlayStation Universe. When not out on the streets of Nagoya wondering why no one is looking for a Yakuza-style showdown, he can be found cracking open the newest RPG to hit the shelves. You can follow him on Twitter or read some of his past musings. 

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Kaz Hirai: PS4 'all about the gamers' first, unlike Xbox One

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Posted May 30th, 2013 at 17:06 EDT by Ernest Lin11 Comments

Today at the D11 conference hosted by AllThingsD, Sony president and CEO Kaz Hirai emphasized what many anticipated following the Xbox One unveiling: the PS4 would put gamers as their top priority rather than the more widespread demographic Microsoft appears to be targeting.

“I fundamentally believe that the initial market that we need to make sure we appeal to with any new platform … is really the gaming audience. They will be the supporters of your platform and they will help propel the installed base,” explained Hirai.

However, that doesn't mean that applications for streaming entertainment will be neglected. “But that’s after we establish the platform as a video game platform," explained Hirai. "We want to make sure that we are there for the gamers with our PS4 as well. They will go beyond this, but they’ll definitely start with gamer first."

“For us, it’s all about the gamers.”

Stay tuned to PSU for breaking news on PS4 and more.

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Ernest Lin is a US Editor for PSU when he's not recovering from a recent cold. Follow him on Tumblr & Twitter for updates on gaming, movies, traveling, anime, Japanese pop culture, and more.

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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Today is International BioDiversity Day! How to Teach About the Effects of Agriculture on Biodiversity

How to Teach About the Effects of Agriculture on Biodiversity/**/var WH = WH || {};WH.lang = WH.lang || {};button_swap = button_unswap = function(){};WH.exitTimerStartTime = (new Date()).getTime();WH.mergeLang = function(A){for(i in A){v=A[i];if(typeof v==='string'){WH.lang[i]=v;}}}; wikiHow - How to do anything Sign Up or Log In or Log In via

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HomeArticlesCommunityMy Profile WH.translationData = {};WH.mergeLang({'navlist_collapse': '- collapse','navlist_expand': '+ expand'});EditHome » Categories » Education and Communications » Subjects » Science » Ecology and Conservation » BiodiversityHow to Teach About the Effects of Agriculture on BiodiversityEdited by Flickety, Krystle, Rio44, Milind and 1 other

Pin ItArticle EditDiscussTeach About the Effects of Agriculture on Biodiversity

The ways used to grow crops and raise animals can have either good or bad impacts on biodiversity. On one hand, farmers can support biodiversity through careful farming methods. On the other hand, if farmers are not careful, the environment and organisms on and near the farm can be harmed. This article explains how teachers can teach the possible impacts of farming on biodiversity and provides some ideas for what a farmer can do to mitigate negative consequences to biodiversity. Students can apply this information for projects or for interactions with a local farming community to share knowledge between each other.

Edit Steps1Explain the impacts of pesticides use. Using pesticides can have unexpected and unwanted side effects. Often, the same chemicals that farmers apply to get rid of crop pests harm other species living around the farm. Some of these species may actually help to control the real crop pests! For example, DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) is a powerful pesticide that is poisonous to not only insects, but also animals and humans. DDT is so powerful it was banned in many countries, however, some countries that face malaria problems still use it to kill mosquitoes.2Teach about the impacts of overuse of natural resources. If farmers are not careful in their use of natural resources, farming activities can decrease the amount of resources available to grow food. When there are not enough nutrients in the soil, farmers often buy chemical fertilizers. Using fertilizers can help grow more food, but using too much can pollute the water. Polluted water affects organisms that drink the water or that live in it. For example, too many pollutants can kill fish. Water pollutants also affect our health, as it decreases the amount of clean water to drink, wash and grow crops.3Explore the impacts of industrial farming. Some industrial farms mass-produce a few select breeds in their quest to produce more meat, milk or eggs. This practice, however, leads to a decline in livestock diversity. The same principle applies to crops. As the number of varieties decreases, existing crops become increasingly at risk to destruction by disease and pests. If crops are all identical, it is much easier for a new disease or pest to wipe out an entire harvest. The less diversity farmers maintain, the greater the risk of diseases and pests. This increase in risk means farmers apply more pesticides to the crop fields or administer antibiotics to the animals.4Help students to be aware of the interconnections between farming and negative biodiversity impacts. Farming usually changes the landscape, the water, the air and biodiversity. For example:

Construction workers build roads so that trucks can pick up farm produce and take it to markets.When farmers cut trees to create space for growing crops or raising livestock, they also reduce natural water filtration (cleaning) and available habitats for many species.Tractors and other farm machinery emit air pollutants.In some areas, farming brings enormous changes to the landscape. In parts of the Amazon, large tracts of forests have been cut down and replaced by monoculture (one crop) farming or pastures for cattle grazing. These changes reduce the number and variety of habitats available for species. Without suitable habitats, hundreds of species, including trees, vines, plants, birds, snakes, frogs and mammals, can no longer live in the area. The end result is a loss of biodiversity.5Have the students research the positive interconnections between farming and biodiversity. There are also many positive examples of how farmers find a perfect balance between agriculture and biodiversity. For instance:

In some areas, the land does not change much. Some farmers use the landscape as it is. For example, grasslands are natural pastures for many farm animals or wild herbivores. Many farmers do not fence in these natural pastures so that wild herbivores can use them too. Leaving the pastures open can be risky – carnivores may prey on farm animals.Other farmers design their farms to minimize changes to the natural landscape. They might even try to enhance biodiversity on and around the farm. They can promote biodiversity by using sustainable farming methods such as including both plants and trees in one field, using little or no pesticides and planting a variety of crops.6Explore the ways in which agricultural activities that promote and protect biodiversity. There are numerous ways that farming can promote biodiversity conservation. Here are just a few of them:

Farmers who choose to spray chemicals, can make sure to always follow the instructions carefully to minimize the damage to other harmless species.Rotate crops. When farmers are careful and manage resources sustainably, they can help preserve biodiversity and the environment. Many farmers around the world use sustainable farming and organic or ecological farming methods. One method is to grow two or more crops in the same field. This helps the farmer reduce crop pests while using fewer pesticides. Another method is to avoid applying pesticides on rainy or windy days so less pesticide will enter waterways causing pollution or get blown away.Use trees as part of regular farming practice. Trees can act as natural water filters. Their roots absorb rainwater, and minimize the amount of runoff entering rivers and lakes. Runoff often carries pesticides from farmers’ fields that can damage aquatic ecosystems.Keep the soil filled with beneficial organisms. A handful of farm dirt is rich in biodiversity. Soil biodiversity includes animals, bacteria, fungi and even the roots of plants growing above. Soils form complex ecosystems that make farming possible. There are millions of organisms that live in soil — microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, and macroorganisms, such as worms, mites, ants and spiders. These organisms can help farmers to reduce the negative effects of farming. When they eat and dig underground, earthworms, termites and other burrowing organisms mix the upper layers, redistribute nutrients and increase the amount of water absorbed by the soil. Some macroorganisms are critical to local farming techniques. Farmers in Burkina Faso and in other areas of West Africa encourage termites to live and burrow in their farm plots because they improve the soil.

Edit Things You'll NeedExamples of farming practices - use magazines, TV, internet etc. to find examples

Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Understand the Concept of BiodiversityHow to Celebrate the International Day for BiodiversityHow to Learn About the Biodiversity Benefits of EcosystemsHow to Learn About Biodiversity and Food WebsHow to Help Protect Biodiversity

Edit Sources and CitationsOriginal source of article, Convention on Biological Diversity, Youth section, Biodiversity, Food and Farming for a Healthy Planet; shared with permission and appreciation.Article Info Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Biodiversity

Recent edits by: Milind, Rio44, Krystle

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Friday, May 31, 2013

Angelina Jolie was proactive about breast cancer, you can be too: How to Know if You Have Breast Cancer

3 Ways to Know if You Have Breast Cancer - wikiHow/**/var WH = WH || {};WH.lang = WH.lang || {};button_swap = button_unswap = function(){};WH.exitTimerStartTime = (new Date()).getTime();WH.mergeLang = function(A){for(i in A){v=A[i];if(typeof v==='string'){WH.lang[i]=v;}}}; wikiHow - How to do anything Sign Up or Log In or Log In via

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HomeArticlesCommunityMy Profile WH.translationData = {};WH.mergeLang({'navlist_collapse': '- collapse','navlist_expand': '+ expand'});EditHome » Categories » Health » Conditions and Treatments » CancerHow to Know if You Have Breast CancerEdited by General Jackson, Elizabeth Knudsen, BR, Maluniu and 8 others

Pin ItArticle EditDiscussBreast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, affecting one in eight women.[1] Though the risk is much lower for men, they’re also susceptible. A history of breast cancer in your family makes it especially important to be proactive. Awareness, early detection and swift treatment increase survival rates. Here’s how to check yourself for signs of breast cancer, as well as what to expect when you seek treatment.

Edit Steps

Part One: Recognizing Symptoms at Home1Perform a self-exam. A self-exam is free and painless, and it only takes a few minutes.Do a self-exam once a month. Aim for the week after your period.Check yourself in the shower. Raise your right arm straight up, bending your elbow so that your right hand is behind your head. Start in the outer quadrant of the breast and glide the pads of fingers over the skin in small, circular motions. Note any lumpy, hardened or tender spots. The typical description of a lump caused by cancer is of an irregular, hard, painless mass that does not move. Repeat the process on your left breast.Don’t skip your armpits! Breast tissue actually extends up into the armpit, so be sure to include it in your self-exam. Feel from your armpit up to your collar bone. If you find a lump this may indicate an enlarged lymph node, and can be due to cancer or infection.Check around the nipple. Finish the self-exam with a gentle squeezing in the central breast, around the nipple. Note any thickness or irregularities.Know what you’re trying to find. Breast tissue is naturally lumpy. Palpating a new lump is like feeling a marble in a bag of rice. If you notice something new or concerning, call a doctor to schedule a mammogram or ultrasound.2Look for visible changes in the breast. Stand in front of the mirror, and lift and lower your arms. Look for any unusual retractions or bulging in the breast tissue. Also note any changes in the appearance or feel of the breasts, including:Dimpled and puckered skin, like the skin of an orange (known as peau d’orange)New redness, or a scaly rashUnusual breast swelling or tendernessNipple changes, such as retraction, itchiness, or rednessNipple discharge, which can be bloody, clear or yellow3Know the most common risk factors associated with breast cancer. Some people have a higher chance of developing breast cancer than others. Be aware, though, that just because you fall into these categories, you’re not doomed to have breast cancer — you should just be extra careful about self-exams and yearly medical check-ups. Factors that indicate higher risk include:Gender: Women get breast cancer more often than men.Age: Most people who have breast cancer are over 45 years old.Personal medical history: If you have a previous diagnosis of breast cancer, there is a risk that the cancer can re-occur in the same breast, or in the opposite breast.Family history: You are more likely to develop breast cancer if one or more members of your family have had breast, ovarian, uterine or colon cancer. Your risk is doubled if you have a first-degree relative (sister, mother, daughter) with the disease.Genes: Genetic defects found on BRCA1 and BRCA 2 can dramatically increase your risk of developing breast cancer. You can find out if you have these genes by contacting a genome mapping service.Menstrual periods: If you started menstruating before you were 12 years old, or entered menopause when you were older than 55, your risk is slightly increased.Pregnancy and breastfeeding: An early pregnancy or multiple pregnancies can both reduce your risk, as does breastfeeding. Having no children or getting pregnant after the age of 30 increases your risk of developing breast cancer.Lifestyle factors: Obesity, smoking and alcohol use are all risk factors for the disease.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Current or previous use can increase the risk for breast cancer.4Recognize signs of advanced breast cancer. Remember, having these signs doesn’t necessarily mean you have breast cancer. They’re all good reasons to see a doctor, though, for further investigation. Symptoms include:Weight lossBone painShortness of breathUlceration of the breast

Part Two: Screening for Breast Cancer1Get a manual check once a year. When you go in for your yearly physical or pelvic exam, ask your physician to do a manual check for any suspicious lumps. He or she might be able to detect something you missed in your last self-exam.Know what to expect. Your doctor will have you lie down on the examination table, then use the pads of the fingers to examine the entire breast area, including the armpits and collarbones. The exam shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.Overcome your embarrassment. Doctors do these exams a lot — they’ve seen it all! If you’re still not totally comfortable, you can ask for a nurse or family member to be present in the room for the exam. (If you’re a female patient seeing a male doctor, this is probably standard procedure anyway.) Take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is a necessary part of keeping an eye on your health.2Get a mammogram. A mammogram is a low-energy X-ray used to examine breast tissue, and it can detect lumps before you’re able to feel them. Here’s when you should get one:If you’re younger than 40 with no family history of breast cancer, you probably don’t need a mammogram just yet. If you’re concerned, though, ask your doctor about when you should have one.If you’re younger than 40 with a family history of breast cancer, consider getting a mammogram once a year.If you’re over 40, you should get a mammogram once a year.

Part Three: Investigating Suspicious Changes1Go in for more testing. If you find a lump on your own, call your doctor and request a manual exam or a mammogram. From there, your doctor can order additional tests to investigate any troubling changes. Here are some tests you might encounter:Diagnostic mammogram: A breast X-ray to evaluate the lump. This may take longer than a screening mammogram because more images will be required.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This test uses magnetic fields to create images of the breast.Ultrasound: Ultrasonic waves are used to produce an image of the breast. Current evidence reports this test is best used in conjunction with a mammogram.2Get a biopsy. If the tests above still point to a cause for concern, your doctor might order a biopsy. Tissue is removed from the suspicious area of the breast and analyzed. Most breast tissue biopsies are outpatient procedures, and you won’t have to stay overnight in a hospital.3Find support. Find support.Find support. Breast cancer can feel like a devastating diagnosis, and you might have a lot of worries and concerns you can’t discuss with anyone else. Take some time to locate cancer support groups in your area via the American Cancer Society, or look around online for breast cancer support forums or discussion boards. Talking to other patients or breast cancer survivors can calm your fears, and help you feel emotionally prepared to tackle treatment.


Edit TipsSee a doctor for a formal diagnosis. Some lumps are benign, so don't work yourself into a panic before you've had a medical evaluation.It has been discovered that vitamin D deficiency is a better marker for breast cancer than a mammogram! You are almost surely vitamin D deficient, unless you spend an average of an hour a day outside, in the summer, and depending upon your latitude, three hours a day in the winter might still be insufficient. Seek other, dietary sources of vitamin D.


Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Do a Breast Self ExamHow to Deal With a Newly Detected Breast LumpHow to Recognize Signs of Breast CancerHow to Recognize Male Breast CancerHow to Prevent Breast Cancer


EditSources and Citationshttp://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/http://www.cancer.org/treatment/indexhttp://ww5.komen.org/? http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-key-statisticsArticle Info Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Cancer

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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Interview with Insomniac founder&CEO Ted Price about Fuse

Posted May 18th, 2013 at 16:18 EDT by Ernest Lin3 Comments

Last week, I had the chance to sit down with Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price and ask him some questions about his studio's upcoming game, Fuse.

Why the name change from Overstrike to Fuse?

Well, as you probably saw in the cinematics of the levels you played, the game revolves around Fuse. It’s this alien substance and after we had been through the first part of the project, we realized that Fuse was at the heart of the game, in terms of both the story and the gameplay, as we started integrating Fuse into the weapons. It made a lot more sense to focus on that. Overstrike is the name of the team you play, but we don’t really delve into the background of the Overstrike organization itself, but we spend a lot more time on Fuse itself and how it affects the protagonist and antagonist in the game. Because everybody you encounter in the game is affected in some way by Fuse, in terms of motivation and the outcome of the game.

What was the biggest challenge Insomniac Games faced during Fuse’s development?

The biggest challenge was figuring out how to make the four Xenotech weapons work well together. We wanted to avoid a scenario where we were just giving you off-the-shelf machine guns and asking everybody to do exactly the same thing. What we wanted instead was four well-differentiated weapons that conferred specific archetypes on each of the four characters, but we went through a lot of trial-and-error to get those right. In fact, we did it very publicly - we showed off the first iterations of the Xenotech in our 2011 trailer. While they looked cool, they did not work gameplay-wise. We went back to the drawing board after we showed that video and after we had been trying to make them work, we simply couldn’t make the ones we showed work well. So we took a different approach for each of the weapons. It ended up becoming more fun to use and we ultimately figure out how to make them better in terms of their complementary effects in combat.

Were there any particular influences or sources of inspiration for Fuse?

From the very beginning, Fuse was about a team of agents infiltrating enemy strongholds in pursuit of this alien substance. So from a thematic perspective, Mission: Impossible and even James Bond movies were influential in terms of the story we were telling, but from a gameplay perspective, we drew heavily on what we had done on co-op previously: Resistance 2 co-op was one where we were experimenting with how to create archetypes in a shooter and [Ratchet & Clank] All 4 One where we had four-player co-op so we were experimenting how that could work together. But along the way, we found what we believe is a fresh approach to four-player co-op, with all the different features that we implemented into the game.

Was there a particular reason why third-person perspective was chosen over a first-person perspective?

That’s a great question - nobody’s asked that before! The reason was, when we initially came up with the story and the characters, we wanted to play up the fact that we have four very different agents in the game. They’re different races, different genders, and they have very different personalities. We felt we could anchor those personalities better and accentuate the differences between the characters by showing them more frequently with a third-person perspective. At the same time, we’ve had a lot of experience with third-person mechanics and wanted to build on what we had been doing with Ratchet [& Clank] and take it into a slightly different place with Fuse.

Are there any ideas in place for a sequel?

Whenever we begin an IP, our intent is to create a franchise, not just a one-off game. Because we don’t stick to real world themes or ground them in today’s world, we feel like every game and franchise we make is open-ended in terms of where we take it thematically and gameplay-wise. We’re certainly looking ahead to expanding Fuse in numbers.

Were there any difficulties also developing for the Xbox 360 since it’s a new platform for Insomniac?

There were fewer than we imagined because we have folks on our team who developed for Xbox 360 and PC. So that helped first and foremost. Secondly, we rebuilt our engine and tools from the ground up when we began Fuse to facilitate multi-platform delivery and to improve our internal efficiency.

Did you ever consider taking Fuse to next-gen consoles instead of current-gen?

No, because when we began Fuse, we had no idea when the next generation was coming. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that anybody had any real idea about when next generation would land. We wanted to, first and foremost, build a brand new world - it’s a new game, new franchise. For us, it was more about creating something fresh and new because that’s what we love to do at Insomniac versus waiting for the next generation platform. The timing just worked out for us for putting it out on this generation. I get a lot of questions about why we decided to release a new IP at the end of a console generation. There are two answers: one is we didn’t know when the next-gen consoles were coming, but the second is we acknowledged that coming out with a new IP at the end of a console generation can be risky. At the same time, we’ve heard fans talk loudly about the fact that all they’re being given is sequels. For us, it’s exciting to be one of the few new intellectual properties that are available PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 players.

Ernest Lin is a US Editor for PSU when he's not sleeping in on the weekends. Follow him on Tumblr & Twitter for updates on gaming, movies, traveling, anime, Japanese pop culture, and more.


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Monday, May 20, 2013

Interview with Insomniac founder&CEO Ted Price about Fuse

Posted May 18th, 2013 at 16:18 EDT by Ernest Lin3 Comments

Last week, I had the chance to sit down with Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price and ask him some questions about his studio's upcoming game, Fuse.

Why the name change from Overstrike to Fuse?

Well, as you probably saw in the cinematics of the levels you played, the game revolves around Fuse. It’s this alien substance and after we had been through the first part of the project, we realized that Fuse was at the heart of the game, in terms of both the story and the gameplay, as we started integrating Fuse into the weapons. It made a lot more sense to focus on that. Overstrike is the name of the team you play, but we don’t really delve into the background of the Overstrike organization itself, but we spend a lot more time on Fuse itself and how it affects the protagonist and antagonist in the game. Because everybody you encounter in the game is affected in some way by Fuse, in terms of motivation and the outcome of the game.

What was the biggest challenge Insomniac Games faced during Fuse’s development?

The biggest challenge was figuring out how to make the four Xenotech weapons work well together. We wanted to avoid a scenario where we were just giving you off-the-shelf machine guns and asking everybody to do exactly the same thing. What we wanted instead was four well-differentiated weapons that conferred specific archetypes on each of the four characters, but we went through a lot of trial-and-error to get those right. In fact, we did it very publicly - we showed off the first iterations of the Xenotech in our 2011 trailer. While they looked cool, they did not work gameplay-wise. We went back to the drawing board after we showed that video and after we had been trying to make them work, we simply couldn’t make the ones we showed work well. So we took a different approach for each of the weapons. It ended up becoming more fun to use and we ultimately figure out how to make them better in terms of their complementary effects in combat.

Were there any particular influences or sources of inspiration for Fuse?

From the very beginning, Fuse was about a team of agents infiltrating enemy strongholds in pursuit of this alien substance. So from a thematic perspective, Mission: Impossible and even James Bond movies were influential in terms of the story we were telling, but from a gameplay perspective, we drew heavily on what we had done on co-op previously: Resistance 2 co-op was one where we were experimenting with how to create archetypes in a shooter and [Ratchet & Clank] All 4 One where we had four-player co-op so we were experimenting how that could work together. But along the way, we found what we believe is a fresh approach to four-player co-op, with all the different features that we implemented into the game.

Was there a particular reason why third-person perspective was chosen over a first-person perspective?

That’s a great question - nobody’s asked that before! The reason was, when we initially came up with the story and the characters, we wanted to play up the fact that we have four very different agents in the game. They’re different races, different genders, and they have very different personalities. We felt we could anchor those personalities better and accentuate the differences between the characters by showing them more frequently with a third-person perspective. At the same time, we’ve had a lot of experience with third-person mechanics and wanted to build on what we had been doing with Ratchet [& Clank] and take it into a slightly different place with Fuse.

Are there any ideas in place for a sequel?

Whenever we begin an IP, our intent is to create a franchise, not just a one-off game. Because we don’t stick to real world themes or ground them in today’s world, we feel like every game and franchise we make is open-ended in terms of where we take it thematically and gameplay-wise. We’re certainly looking ahead to expanding Fuse in numbers.

Were there any difficulties also developing for the Xbox 360 since it’s a new platform for Insomniac?

There were fewer than we imagined because we have folks on our team who developed for Xbox 360 and PC. So that helped first and foremost. Secondly, we rebuilt our engine and tools from the ground up when we began Fuse to facilitate multi-platform delivery and to improve our internal efficiency.

Did you ever consider taking Fuse to next-gen consoles instead of current-gen?

No, because when we began Fuse, we had no idea when the next generation was coming. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that anybody had any real idea about when next generation would land. We wanted to, first and foremost, build a brand new world - it’s a new game, new franchise. For us, it was more about creating something fresh and new because that’s what we love to do at Insomniac versus waiting for the next generation platform. The timing just worked out for us for putting it out on this generation. I get a lot of questions about why we decided to release a new IP at the end of a console generation. There are two answers: one is we didn’t know when the next-gen consoles were coming, but the second is we acknowledged that coming out with a new IP at the end of a console generation can be risky. At the same time, we’ve heard fans talk loudly about the fact that all they’re being given is sequels. For us, it’s exciting to be one of the few new intellectual properties that are available PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 players.

Ernest Lin is a US Editor for PSU when he's not sleeping in on the weekends. Follow him on Tumblr & Twitter for updates on gaming, movies, traveling, anime, Japanese pop culture, and more.


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