Hello from Studio Liverpool…

We wanted to touch base with you all to share some information about the impending release of the 2.10 update for Wipeout HD / Fury that’s coming soon

The 2.10 Update makes some small improvements to front-end functionality and addresses some minor issues with the audio. In addition, small issues that could affect gameplay or scores in the Eliminator and Detonator game modes have also been corrected.

Changes have also been made so that any adverts shown during loading screens will not adversely affect the loading times of the title. As many of you know, the functionality to display adverts during loading screens was first introduced in the 2.0 Update and originally didn’t function as intended, leading to extended loading times in some areas of the game.

This issue has now been resolved and we understand that a new advertising campaign in Wipeout HD is expected to launch across a number of European territories soon (no word yet on what is happening in North America). In the meantime, a range of PlayStation-specific ads will be making an appearance in the coming days.

Wipeout and in-game advertising and sponsorship have gone hand-in-hand since 1996, when a now famous energy drink appeared in the seminal Wipeout 2097 and over the years many brands and products have been associated with the series.

It is our hope that by adopting this approach to dynamic advertising, it will be possible to create new associations in a unique way. We have therefore focussed on ensuring that the advertising is embedded as sympathetically to the overall experience as possible.

Finally, we’d like to remind everyone who hasn’t experienced the awesome adrenaline-rush that is Wipeout HD Fury, that the game is now also available on BluRay across Europe and that a Wipeout HD + Fury Expansion bundle is available to download from the PlayStation Store.

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Hi Everybody,

I’m Joey and I’m the European Product Manager for WipEout HD Fury on Blu-ray.

I’m really excited to tell you that we will be releasing a Blu-ray that contains both the core WipEout HD game and the explosive Fury expansion pack for €24.99 as well as a digital bundle at the same price on the PlayStation Network!

For the first time people without access to the PlayStation Network can experience the thrill of piloting an anti gravity racer at speeds of over 600KPH!

The Blu-ray will contain:

• 28 reversible tracks
• Two campaigns (HD and Fury)
• 26 Individual Ship models
• 8 game modes (4 available for online play)
• Online ranking and Badge System
• 51 Trophies including a coveted Platinum trophy!

Now about those game modes:

• Single Race
• Time Trial
• Speed Lap
• Zone Mode
• Detonator
• Eliminator
• Zone Battle
• Tournament
• Playable online

The Eliminator game mode will allow you to release all that pent-up aggression as you use the full arsenal of WipEout weaponry to destroy your opponents. Forget those racing lines; this is all about destruction, with the victor being the first to reach the target score!

Zone Battle is about risk and reward! Acceleration is automatic as you swoop over zone pads to fill your zone bar. Your choice is whether to use the bar to increase your speed and boost your ship ever closer to the target zone or absorb it to replenish vital lost energy. Warning, avoid the ‘zone barriers’, obstacles left on the track by your opponents as they boost towards the target zone, hitting these can literally destroy your hopes of victory!

Detonator mode introduces a brand new ship model to the game that will test both your piloting skills and your shooting accuracy as you accelerate through as many as 14 stages. Score points by destroying the mines that have been strewn along the track and take out the bomb on each stage to earn additional points. The more accurate you are the more points and bonuses you will score!

Have a look at the screens below to see what WipEout HD Fury is all about

See you at the track!

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Hi everyone! This is Zico Liu, programmer on WipEout HD; you all might remember me from the “Beat Zico” trophy. Before I talk about what I’ve been up to on the WipEout HD Fury expansion pack I would just like to let you know that the pack will be available from PlayStation Store on Thursday 23rd July.

The pack will be priced at £7.99 / €9.99 and will provide three new race types – Eliminator, Zone Battle and Detonator, 12 new tracks, 13 new ships, 6 new music tracks, a redesigned menu system, a new campaign to complete as well a host of new trophies to win. Oh and let’s not forget the additional ranks for you to achieve online. We are really excited about the content and hope you enjoy all the new features.

Also, on Tuesday 21st July, we are releasing a free update to the existing game. If you boot up WipEout HD at around 5pm GMT, you will be prompted to download the update. It will add a number of new features and tweaks to menus of the game including a brand new statistics section, new redesigned ship and track select screens and some new community/online features.

Now let’s get back to what I’ve been up to since HD was originally released. I’ve been busy working on the new game modes, mostly Eliminator and Zone Battle but also a bit on Detonator.

Eliminator mode was relatively easy to get in since it was taken from WipEout Pulse but we wanted to make it even better. Someone came up with the idea of having the 180 degree flip, which allows you to flip your ship, fly backwards down the track and fire your weapons at on coming opponents, like the Quake, which I know some people missed being able to do like they could in Pulse.

We also didn’t want people doing all the hard work of reducing an opponent’s shield, to then have someone else steal the kill and you receive nothing. So rather than the straight forward kills system seen in Pulse we have introduced a points system where you are awarded points for completing laps, inflicting damage and getting the kill. The winner is the first player to reach the target score.

Playable as both a single player game as well as online we are really pleased with the end product and hope that players will enjoy the new mode.

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Hello my name is Marcus Tanner, Art Director on WipEout Fury, and I’m here today to give you a brief insight into how a WipEout environment evolves from concept art to production geometry.

A WipEout track is set in a utopian environment populated by stunning, cutting edge architecture enhanced by contemporary graphic design. This aesthetic is created by designing architectural forms that are influenced by abstract sculpture, structure in art and science, futuristic architecture, mecha detailing and contemporary product design.

To create the WipEout aesthetic our concept artists use a fluid design process that involves creating abstract shapes in 3D and bouncing work around the team from artist to artist to evolve and clarify the designs. This results in bold, abstract 3D structures, which are rendered and painted over with architectural detailing and placed into the context of a WipEout environment.

These concept images use the structures as set pieces, trackside furniture, tunnels etc and give the production team an idea of how they would look in game:

The positioning of objects in a WipEout environment is created by a design process called Dynamic Composition. The results can be likened to a piece of music providing the track with a visual melody, rhythm and harmony. This process involves sectioning the environment along the track to provide the fundamental flow of shapes that creates an interesting rhythm for the player. It includes strategically adding set pieces which provide focus for the player and then populates the track to create an enhanced game experience. The result is a dynamic environment that emphasises the feeling of speed and movement as a result of the rhythmic pattern of structures around the track and also focuses the players’ attention on set pieces.

WipEout Fury is all about the use of bold structural shapes which define the architectural forms. These structures are oversized so they register with the player as they accelerate past at high speed and their striking shapes become associated as icons of each track. Interlocking modular shapes & overlaid layered surfaces make best use of the lighting by allowing shadows to play over the structures, and sunlight to glint through the gaps. This gives the impression of a highly complex and richly populated environment which is enhanced by the use of hyper-real gleaming hi-tech surfaces.

That’s it from me! But here’s Tony (Games Director) and Paul (Producer), after the jump, with answers to some of your questions from the WipEout Fury ship update last week.

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Hello everyone, my name is Dave Glanister and I’m the WipEout Fury Ship designer, here to give you a little insight into how we created the look of the ships.

Our main aim for the new WipEout Fury ships was to modernise their visual look whilst keeping the DNA of each existing individual team. On previous WipEout games, a key feature for ship design was its dynamic straight edge and triangular silhouette. For PSone and PSP this key element was the best way to achieve a great design without using a huge amount of polygons.

Our approach for the Fury ships was to keep the dynamic straight edge design but add to it by dividing the ships body panels up into three main layers. This new addition to the ships allowed us to overlap, interlock and weave the main ship panels together to achieve a more complex look.

By taking this approach it allowed the designs to show gaps, grooves and negative windows of space that were in-turn filled with real time PS3 self shadows. This made the ships appear lighter and more hover like without reducing the ships scale or bulk.

To evolve the designs further we replaced the nut and bolt element to the WipEout HD ships by building clean simplified inter-locking mechanical shapes. This suggested fewer components in the ships build. Also it gave the ships a tailor-made look and also suggested that the ships parts had been created with new and advanced material.

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