RipTen Videogame Blog » Ted Price

Insomniac CEO Talks Face-to-Face About Decision to End Resistance Franchise

Drake Hess — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:00:48 +0000

Yesterday we reported that Insomniac Games CEO, Ted Price, was quoted at a Southern Methodist University’s Game::Business::Law Summit talking about the end of their involvement with the Resistance Franchise leading many to believe that the franchise as a whole was finished. Shortly after that news began to circulate around the web, despite Ted himself stating that it wasn’t the first time they had said that, he felt the need to address fans with a personal face-to-face video. We have that for you below.

Gears of War vs. Resistance – An Epic Rivalry Concludes and Everybody Wins

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:00:16 +0000

In early November 2006, one of the greatest franchise fights of this console generation began: Gears of War vs. Resistance. It started as a battle between exclusives to showcase the capabilities of each respective console. Surprisingly, both series had many parallels and further cemented the rivalry by releasing each successive game in the same month, with release dates often less than two weeks apart. Two Sci-fi shooters designed by respected studios featuring characters fighting for humanity’s survival against far more powerful mutated alien invaders. While there is no doubt that the Gears of War series proved more dominant, the Resistance series has more than held its own in many respects as one of the PlayStation 3′s standout franchises.

The rivalry has included six games, three from each studio: Gears of War, Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3 from Epic vs. Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2 and Resistance 3 from Insomniac Games.

Origins

Back in November 2006, the Xbox 360 had been basking in the sun for a year as the only “next gen” console. This was soon to change with the coming release of the of the Nintendo Wii and PS3. Out of the new contenders the PS3 was considered the more likely rival with expected greater computing power and graphical capabilities.

Prior to the PS3′s release, two major exclusives were being trumpeted to showcase the system’s prowess : one being the now infamous Killzone 2 “gameplay” trailer and the other being Resistance: Fall of Man. Both were hyped to be superior to anything found on the Xbox 360.

ORLY?!

At the time, Microsoft had not released a console defining game. Halo 3 was still in development and would not debut until 2007. Microsoft knew they needed a champion – a showcase title to release as a counter to the PlayStation 3. Luckily a young and ambitious developer from Epic games named Cliff Bleszinski had an idea for a 3rd person shooter which involved using cover and tactics. It was a new approach Cliff came up with after enjoying paintball outings with friends. Rather than a simple backstory, the ambitious Cliffy B created a complex sci-fi adventure featuring inhabitants of the earthlike planet of Sera in a desperate situation fighting for existence against a recently emerged overwhelming menace – the Locust. As the first Xbox 360 game using Epic’s propriety Unreal 3 engine, early in development Gears looked amazing and after it won several “Xbox 360 Game of Show” awards at E3 2oo5, Microsoft was sure they found their champion.

Sony was also in a desperate position. The PS3 launch needed marquee titles and as the launch date came closer more than a few expected titles would be delayed. Luckily Insomniac’s Resistance: Fall of Man would be ready. Resistance was developed as a “Halo Killer”. Insomoniac looked at the popular FPS’s of the time: obviously the console king Halo and World War 2 shooters such as Call of Duty. What they created was an alternate timeline sci-fi shooter which took place in 1950′s England. This world, while similar to ours, never experienced the second World War. Instead they faced an alien invasion which extended beyond simple miltary conquest with futuristic weapons, as the enemy Chimera could spread by virus. The focus would be entertaining and innovative weapons. Sony had found its first “killer app”.

The stage was set for battle with the success of each competing title tied at least some part to the success of their consoles. The two Sci-fi shooters with more than a few similarities debuted just a week apart.

This is 'Slightly' More Scary A Nazi Invasion

Resistance: Fall of Man vs. Gears of War

Gears of War debuted first on November 7th, 2006 to universal critical acclaim with an aggregate score of 94% on Metacritic. Critics praised the game for its graphics, solid gameplay, innovative cover system, multiplayer and reload mechanics. Resistance released ten days later on November 17th as the most celebrated launch title for the PS3. Fall of Man received generally positive reviews from critics. The game received an average score of 86% on Metacritic as reviewers enjoyed the game’s setting, story, variety of weapons and 40 player multiplayer.

Although Gears of War outscored Resistance by an average 8% points, many critics were divided as to which exclusive was superior. Furthermore, Gears lead in sales which could easily be attributed to the higher install base at the time of Xbox 360s.

Screw You Major Nelson!

Head to head, both had their strengths and weaknesses. Critics praised the story in Resistance while many described Gears as being “shallow” and a “missed opportunity”. Clearly, Gears had better graphics and distinguished itself with a excellent cover system, but Resistance had more interesting and varied weapons. Both games had excellent but far different multiplayer components however.

All in all both titles could claim victory because both had accomplished their individual goals. Gears of War raised the bar for console graphics proving that Microsoft’s console would be able to compete, while Resistance gave the the PS3 the killer app it would need to sell consoles in the first place.

Like with any good fight, the first round ended, both combatants had gotten a feel for each other and adjusted their tactics for round two.

RipTen’s Resistance 3 Beta Key Giveaway!! (Finished)

Aaron Alexander — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:30:09 +0000

Sitting on the edge for Insomniac’s new first person shooter, Resistance 3? Well come a little closer, RipTen has the magical keys which will give you early access to the Beta. (Today!!)

You may be asking yourself; “But how do I win such an awesome prize?” It’s simple. Follow me (Aaron) on Twitter, and in the spirit of Insomniac’s crazy weapon design:

Shoot me a tweet with your own ideas for a kick ass gun that could be used against the Chimera Horde.

We’ll pick out the tweets with the most unique ideas, and the lucky few will be able to access the Beta immediately!!

Get tweetin’ soldier!!

UPDATE: All codes have been given out, thanks to all who participated. We’ll be listing the winners in an article later today.

Beer, Smokes, & Videogames: Insomniac CEO Urges Gaming Sites to Rally Against Proposed California Game Law

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:26:38 +0000

Ah the good ol’ days. Gathering around a coffee table with underage friends, snorting lines coke off the Super Mario tinted mirror, chugging Mega Man beer, and satisfying Yoshi’s severe case of the munchies.

Unfortunately, future generations may not be able to enjoy these simple pleasures thanks to a proposed California gaming law that, according to Insomniac Games CEO, Ted Price, aims to treat video games as “restricted substances – similar to cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.” Ted follows up this statement by citing a real world example comparing other forms of media:

“It’s very important to note that no other form of media has to contend with this kind of restriction. It’s not illegal for those under 17 to attend a R rated movie, to read a Stephen King book or to listen to Howard Stern. But if the Supreme Court rules against the game industry, it could be illegal for someone under 18 to buy Resistance if the game is deemed inappropriate for minors under the new law. And as content creators, if there is a chance that our games will appear in an “Adults Only” section of game stores we will have to restrict what we create to avoid going out of business. To me such a situation is tantamount to government censorship.”

He makes a good point, however he didn’t stop there. Ted then urged gaming sites to focus less on flame bait stories and more on matters such as this that could adversely impact, not only the developers and publishers of games, but the sites that report on the industry as well.

“What I’d love to see are more game news outlets focusing on big issues like this. Game sites can encourage gamers to take a stand and tell their representatives that games deserve the same protection as other art forms. We have the strength of hundreds of millions on our side. We need to take advantage of our numbers to make it crystal clear to our government that a law like this cannot stand.

And one article doesn’t do it. Those who are reporting the news should be treating this case with the gravity it deserves – giving us frequent updates, interviewing those involved, opining on the outcome and explaining the consequences of a decision that goes against gamers.

But the time is now. The US Supreme Court hears oral arguments beginning November 2^nd and a decision will probably follow quickly. There are a few short weeks for gamers to be heard before it’s too late.

I challenge the news sites to carry the flag on this issue, to make it a key and ongoing story. Because ultimately whatever decision is made will affect them too.

Who’s going to rise to that challenge?”

Consider your plea for help heard Mr. Price. The sheer notion of regulating games on the same level as cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs is ludicrous.

And I ask you, our loyal readers, to do your part as well. Tell them that your Mega Man gaming has never impaired your ability to drive a vehicle, that Super Mario power ups have never made your nose twitch, and your Legend of Zelda collector plate has never been used as an ash tray!

Of course I know they are not talking about our beloved Nintendo icons — at least not yet. This proposed law is focused more on the Grand Theft Autos of the gaming world, but that’s not to say they won’t expand their blanket ban the moment some kid decides to blame Super Mario for jumping up and down on his sisters head like a Goomba.

Say it loud, say it proud. Tell the US Supreme Court to keep their grimy political mitts off your videogames!!! And don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Sign THE GAMER PETITION!!

Insomniac’s Ted Price Calls Fan To Say “Thanks”

Sam Naylor — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:32:55 +0000

How many game developers have phoned you to say thanks for being such a big fan? For me, the answer to that question is simply “none.” Still, my answer would not change if the question was simply “has anyone ever phoned you?”

Anyway, not many games developers are willing to take the time to call their fans and tell them how great they are. The fan in question is Brandon Winfrey, the host of a YouTube show called ‘Reaction Time’ and a big fan of Insomniac games. The Founder and CEO of the company Ted Price noticed the show, and decided to call him just to say thanks. Not a common occurrence, but a great gesture. It’s almost as good as Valve hiring their fans.

If you want to see the Reaction Time episode that Ted is referring to in his thank you call, you can watch it below.

Cliff Bleszinski: Comparing Gears of War 2 to Resistance 2 is “Largely Apples to Oranges”

Chelsea Thompson — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:40:12 +0000

In a recent interview, Cliff Bleszinski talked a bit about his opinion on Resistance 2, and how it might affect the sales of GoW2. Since the two games will be shipping in the same week there might be a bit of competition in sales, despite the sci-fi shooters being released exclusively on different consoles.

Bleszinski shoots down the speculations that this might be cause for bad blood between himself and the CEO of Insomniac Games, Ted Price, stating:

“Ted (Price) is a wonderful guy and I think they do great work. Everybody loves this dynasty shit where they want to see Ted and I fighting in a fountain pulling each other’s hair or something like that. Sorry, but it’s not going to happen. They’re making their own sci-fi extravaganza, as are we. When you break it down and look at each game, it’s largely apples to oranges.”

Granted, it’s more like comparing sepia apples to glowing oranges (has anyone else noticed that everything in Resistance 2 glows orange?). It’s still interesting to see that while these two games might fall under the same genre, they will probably both offer completely different experiences when it comes to gameplay and story.

Which one will you be buying this November?

Source: Dasgamer.com