The Grinder

[Emasher]

Hopefully thats just a PSN/XBL version. Before I watched the video, I was thinking, it can't be that bad... ...Then I watched the video. How can you go from a decent looking FPS game, to a terrible looking top down game like that?

[david.dakota]

Yeah, that looks shocking. Still hoping we'll see the 'original' Grinder on Wii, but i'm doubting it, personally.

[Emasher]

Although, in all honesty, if they're charging $10 for it or so on PSN/XBL, its starting to look not bad.

[Ren of Heavens]

The right decision. I think it could be good for a PSN/XBLA game. The FPS genre is overcrowded on PS3/X360 and I honestly can't see High Voltage has the quality to compete with Valve's Left 4 Dead 3 next year.

[Retro_Link]

Perhaps the right decision for the HD console market, but if this is the Wii version aswell, High Voltage can go fuck themselves!

[mcj metroid]

i knew they wern't going to release another fps game when conduit exists

I mean jesus I got flamed for mentioning this before but it never made sense to me.

They are a small studio they'll likely try this title and work on a conduit 2.

[Fierce_LiNk]

What the Harry Mason is this shit?

[Zechs Merquise]

HAHA, what an utter joke. I thought it was bad when they said they were going from 4-player coop to two. Now it's a top down shooter??? WTF? I seriously hope the Wii version stays how it was last e3 where it actually looked great. That crap won't sell even if it is just an XBLA game.

[david.dakota]

but if this is the Wii version aswell, High Voltage can go fuck themselves!

 

Clearly, they'd do it top down too.

[Retro_Link]

Clearly, they'd do it top down too.

It would be such a shame to scrap all that FPS work!

[mcj metroid]

They should really TRY be more professional and speak about a game when they are CERTAIN what it's going to be.

 

I hate to be cruel but They way this company is going they can't last much longer.

 

An ambitious developer doesn't go from a 4 player on-line fps to a top-down shooter , a desperate one does.....

 

reminds of of loaded back on ps1

[Dante]

High Voltage History:

-HVS is a standard small developer, getting by with a bunch of passable shovelware and licensed products.

 

-IGN shows High Voltage's original FPS game with no publisher (The Conduit) for the Wii, in an attempt to help smaller devs with original Wii game ideas. The game looks rough, but it's an original FPS for the Wii so it gets noticed.

 

-The Conduit attracts attention from publishers looking to expand their Wii content.

 

-HVS starts announcing more games, most notably Animales de las Muertes, a bloody yet cartoony co-op top-down shooter for WiiWare.

 

-After showing off updated versions of The Conduit with all the control whatsits, Sega is revealed as the publisher and there's some B-listers announced as voice talent. Positive impressions, fancy feature lists like full online functionality, customizable controls, and Wii Speak support, and the fact that it's an original Wii FPS whip up hype.

 

-Animales never resurfaces after its initial reveal, is delayed and purportedly becomes a retail game.

 

-In the meantime, HVS releases WiiWare games Evasive Space, Gyrostarr, and High Voltage Hot Rod Show. They're all mediocre.

 

-Despite being hyped up as this serious rising developer, HVS is revealed to be developing the Wii/PS2/PSP Astro Boy movie game.

 

-Before The Conduit is even released, HVS announces two more Wii games: Gladiator A.D., a bloody swords and sandals Punch-Out style game in ancient Rome, and The Grinder, a 4P co-op FPS set in the Southwest and obviously inspired by Left 4 Dead. Both supposedly will have MotionPlus support.

 

-The Conduit is released to middling reviews and sales.

 

-HVS goes silent for months.

 

-Gladiator A.D. is re-revealed as Tournament of Legends. No longer is it a bloody semi-realistic gladiator game that plays like Punch-Out, but a colorful 3D fighting game with magic attacks and mythological monsters from around the world. To be published by Sega and aimed at... families looking for a Wii fighting game, I guess.

 

-HVS is announced to be developing the Iron Man 2 game for Wii.

 

-The Grinder is announced to be going multiplatform, and media showing the FPS game with higher quality graphics is released.

 

-The Grinder for 360 is shown at GDC, no longer as a co-op L4D-style FPS in which bat monsters and werewolves are fought in the desert but... a co-op top-down shooter that shows players fighting magical monsters in mad science labs. The Wii version is not present.

[STOOPIDDITTIES]

I'm very hopeful that we will still get the FPS version, but even if that was to be it wouldn't make any sense. If they were to just make a completely different game for the Wii there would be no point in making it a multi-platform release in the first place, because it wouldn't be the same game. It jst would not make sense.

 

If they release the FPS version then colour me exceedingly happy, but it would just go to show that they are an extremely confused developer who certainly aren't under the best management.

 

This is just mess.

[Strange Cookie]

Hmmm, not quite as epic as the art has led us to believe...

 

Anyways, I seriously doubt the Wii-version will be a top-down-affair too. They have the best FPS-controlscheme outthere, and a lot of time and effort has already spent on The Grinder FPS. Surely they want to take credit for it.

 

Then again, stranger things have happened. If they change the Wii-version too, it'll prove what I've come to expect ever since playing The Conduit: HVS can talk the talk, but they can't walk the walk.

[Zechs Merquise]

I can see HVS becoming one of those industry jokes. Promising the earth, delivering shite.

[Daft]

A bit like Square-Enix then.

[Fierce_LiNk]

A bit like Square-Enix then.

 

Can you hear that rumbling in the distance?

 

Over the hills and far away

Sheikahzilla is coming to rip your soul away.

[Cube]

There's already too many top-down dual-analogue shooters for the XBLA. Not to mention that this genre is much faster for aiming with two analogues than an analogue and a pointer. On the flip side, a pointer is more accurate when shooting things on the edge of the screen.

[Daft]

Can you hear that rumbling in the distance?

 

Over the hills and far away

Sheikahzilla is coming to rip your soul away.

 

Have him work for them for a year, then get back to me.

[Fierce_LiNk]

 

Have him work for them for a year, then get back to me.

 

Was it not a nice place to work?

[Daft]

The people there were absolutely awesome (I still talk to them daily). The stunningly incompetent and oblivious upper management, not so much.

[Zechs Merquise]

Over on VGChartz.com they have hands on impressions of the Grinder on XBOX360, http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=7483&mp=1

 

They article stated:

 

There has been some confusion recently as to whether this new genre switch from FPS to top-down shooter for the PC, PS3, and XBox 360 versions mean the Wii version will remain an FPS or not. We asked High Voltage's Art Director, Matt Corso, if he could clarify this for our readers, and he told us he can't say yet, because they're just not sure yet. But Corso told us he wanted to make one thing clear: "High Voltage Software is not cheating its Wii fans, and we will keep providing quality content."

 

In fact, Corso said it would be great if they could get as much feedback as possible from their Wii-owning fans.

 

So Wii fans, Conduit fans, High Voltage fans, what do you think? Let us know in the comments if you want to see The Grinder for Wii as a top-down shooter or first-person shooter.

[Retro_Link]

There's already too many top-down dual-analogue shooters for the XBLA. Not to mention that this genre is much faster for aiming with two analogues than an analogue and a pointer. On the flip side, a pointer is more accurate when shooting things on the edge of the screen.

From the video it looks like it has a simple lock-on system.

So Wii fans, Conduit fans, High Voltage fans, what do you think? Let us know in the comments if you want to see The Grinder for Wii as a top-down shooter or first-person shooter.

Duh!

[STOOPIDDITTIES]

I have an idea, whether or not anyone wants to participate is a different matter.

 

We could write an "N-Europe The Grinder" e-mail with several posts giving suggestions as to what we want from the game. So either saying how much we still want an FPS or like the new look. I only say this because I sent them an e-mail when I got The Conduit saying how much I liked it and giving suggestions for a sequel and they responded to me with a lengthy e-mail of their own, which was great as I'm sure they would get a lot considering how fan-focussed they are. So I don't think writing something like that would go to waste and it could definitely have an influence.

 

Just a thought.

[Fused King]

I have an idea, whether or not anyone wants to participate is a different matter.

 

We could write an "N-Europe The Grinder" e-mail with several posts giving suggestions as to what we want from the game. So either saying how much we still want an FPS or like the new look. I only say this because I sent them an e-mail when I got The Conduit saying how much I liked it and giving suggestions for a sequel and they responded to me with a lengthy e-mail of their own, which was great as I'm sure they would get a lot considering how fan-focussed they are. So I don't think writing something like that would go to waste and it could definitely have an influence.

 

Just a thought.

 

I'm all for that!

 

I once send them them a mail in which I spoke of the Castlevania series and it's healthy diversity of freaks, monstrosities and other mythical creatures. If they needed inspiration on monsters and the like, I told them to play some Castlevania games, take note of different, rather unheard of, creatures and give them the unique 'HVS' treatment.

I was just stressing the fact that us gamers wouldn't want to end up with your typical, vampires, werewolves and frankensteins. At least that's what I thought.

 

 

Here's another suggestion:

 

DON'T GO TOP DOWN FOR WII!