Category Archives: Cyberpunk

Technicolor 23:52:00 Liam Wong. All images courtesy of the artist and Thames & Hudson

Late-night taxi rides, rain-soaked streets, a fleeting glimpse of the last train home video game designer-turned-photographer Liam Wong reveals a neon-soaked journey into the nocturnal world of Tokyo.

Creative Boom was one of the first to share his Blade Runner inspired series when it was launched in 2016. Now we're happy to discover that Wong is releasing his first book, TO:KY:OO presenting the world's biggest city as it's rarely seen, masterfully reinvented from midnight street scenes to cyberpunk dreamscapes.

Self-taught and influenced by creative masters such as Syd Mead and Hideo Kojima, Wong developed his own software techniques to create the evocative images that render Tokyo's particular nightlife in a surreal world all his own.

The book also features a section on Wong's creative process, so diehard fans can discover how he chooses the right scene, enhances colour and adds further impact.

"One night, it rained, and the city came to life. I got lost in the beauty of Tokyo at night. I kept taking picture after picture. It was like being inside the cyberpunk world created by Syd Mead in Blade Runner," says Wong.

Art directed by Wong himself, TO:KY: OO is published by Thames & Hudson. You can grab a copy via Liam Wong's website at http://www.liamwong.com.

Neon Noir 23:50:20 Liam Wong

Blade Runner Origins 00:17:59 Liam Wong

Ultraviolet 02:41:27 Liam Wong

Memories of Green 00:00:33 Liam Wong

TO:KY:OO Night Train 00:00:00 Liam Wong

Kimono Glitch 01:51:19 Liam Wong

Self-Portrait in Midgar 01:00:00 Liam Wong

Youth 23:11:00 Liam Wong

Neo Tokyo 20:9:00 Liam Wong

Traffic 02:32:19 Liam Wong

Blade Runner Vibes 00:49:51 Liam Wong

Noir 23:56:30 Liam Wong

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Liam Wong's debut monograph is a cyberpunk-inspired exploration of a neon-soaked nocturnal Tokyo - Creative Boom

January 11, 2020 4:34 PM EST

Ever wonder what the brilliant minds of CD Projekt Red could do with other major gaming IPs? Well, youre in luck a Principal Concept Artist from the Cyberpunk 2077team has taken his hand at making some Metal Gear Solidinspired concept art that looks like the making of a great game. In fact, some of these concepts are so good, hopefully we will see something similar in eitherCyberpunk 2077 or a future Hideo Kojima title.

The CD Projekt Red Concept Artist Furio Tedeschi shared some of these designs earlier this week on his LinkedIn page. With each one simply titled MGS Inspired Work, there isnt a ton of detail into the thought process behind the designs. With that said, these feel right out of Hideo Kojimas metaphorical sketchbook.The environments are somewhat varied. Though Tedeschi stuck with a military camouflage aesthetic for each of these characters, they all feel wildly different. While the first in the set gives off a distinct icy arctic impression, the other two draw from more modern settings with desert and a more outdoorsy print:

While the visuals themselves scream neo-militaristic futurology, there is a great reference to theMetal Gear Solidseries: a patch on their uniforms that signify Outer Heaven. Its clear that Hideo Kojima is a big fan of this style even beyond the Metal Gear Solidfranchise. After parting ways (unceremoniously) with Konami, his earliest concept art of DeathStranding then titled Dead Stranding had more of a soldier aesthetic than the games final end product.

This is far from the only crossover artist weve seen in 2020. A week ago we highlighted the lead artist fromGod of Warand Sony Santa Monica who was drawing different Nintendo series characters, starting with Fox fromStar Fox.

Cyberpunk 2077will launch on April 16, 2020 for Google Stadia, PC, PS4, and Xbox One and you canpre-order it over on Amazon to support the site. Check out the full gallery of theMetal Gear Solidinspired art, below:

This post contains affiliate links where DualShockers gets a small commission on sales. Any and all support helps keep DualShockers as a standalone, independent platform for less-mainstream opinions and news coverage.

January 11, 2020 4:34 PM EST

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Cyberpunk 2077 Concept Artist Is Creating Metal Gear Solid Inspired Art - DualShockers

Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to sell quite a few copies in its first year of availability, and sales may exceed the developer's previous game quite a bit.

Bloomberg analyst Matthew Kanterman predicts that Cyberpunk 2077 will sell 20 million copies within its first year of availability, which is a huge number that The Witcher 3 only managed to sell in four years.

Related Escape from Tarkov New Trailer Showcases Patch 0.12 Improvements

Earlier this week, CDPR John Mamais talked about Cyberpunk 2077 and how the game will be the last, big exceptional looking title on this current console generation.

And as the technology changes, we're expected to use it too - and we want to use it cause that stuff keeps looking cooler and cooler, all the time. We'll always keep pushing the envelope on the way a game can look, and that's one of the most exciting things about working at CD Projekt Red; getting to do just that. I think Cyberpunk is going to be a real show piece in terms of tech. Especially as this generation of consoles is fading out. I think we're going to be that one last, big, exceptional looking title on this current generation of hardware.

With the game's scope and mechanics which will make the game enjoyable for fans of role-playing games and first-person shooters,it's not hard to see how Cyberpunk 2077 will manage to sell a lot in its first year

One key point to take away is that this one singular mission was shown over fifty minutes. While aspects were duplicated, you could comfortably call it a half-hour mission, and it's one of so many that will be found within the six districts of Night City. Much like The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 is looking like it will be an undeniably huge game with so much to offer. From what I've seen over these past two years, it's one I'm absolutely looking forward to.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches on April 16th on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Expected To Sell 20 Million Units Within One Year, Analyst Says - Wccftech

Cyberpunk 2077 is still far from being released. However, the game has created a hype so big it is already expected to sell quite a few copies in its first year of launch. Even more so, CD Projekt Reds highly anticipated titles sales could exceed the studios previous game by quite a bit.

According to theBloomberg analystMatthew Kanterman, he predicts that the upcoming title will be able to sell about 20 million copies within its first year of availability. This also means that the title could surpass The Witcher 3, which only managed to sell that in four years.

Also, earlier this week, CD Projekt Reds very own John Mamais talked about Cyberpunk 2077 and how the game will be the last, big exceptional looking game on this current console generation.

As the technology changes, we're expected to use it too - and we want to use it cause that stuff keeps looking cooler and cooler, all the time. We'll always keep pushing the envelope on the way a game can look, and that's one of the most exciting things about working at CD Projekt Red; getting to do just that, he said in the interview. I think Cyberpunk is going to be a real showpiece in terms of tech. Especially as this generation of consoles is fading out. I think we're going to be that one last, big, exceptional looking title on this current generation of hardware.

The studio promises that the scope and mechanics of Cyberpunk 2077 will be very enjoyable for fans, especially for those who are fond of role-playing games and first-person shooters. And since the game is going to cater to this player base, it is not really hard to see how it will be able to sell a lot in its first year of availability.

Mamais further added that [m]uch like The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 is looking like it will be an undeniably huge game with so much to offer. From what I've seen over these past two years, it's one I'm absolutely looking forward to.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches on April 16forPC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Expected To Obtain 20 Million Sales - Player.One

Vita Ayala: I am not sure about other folks, but for me, cyberpunk is about marginalized people using the tools of oppression to change both themselves and their environment in a way that gives them (some) power. Cyberpunk is techno-noir, which, noir is another genre that I think a lot of queer folks connect with. The play with the tropes has always been very appealing, and the room for ambiguity and identity that other genres tended to shut down is something I love.

Science fiction, as a genre that is concerned often with the future, appeals to me (and I think a lot of queer folks) because of how DIFFERENT things can be there. Gender, sexuality, family dynamics, all of it is fair game in sci-fi because it is not rooted in the NOW.

Also, both cyberpunk and sci-fi have a lot of room for people of color and non-conforming expressions of self that are very much queer coded.

Danny Lore: Vita and I are in agreement about the connections between noir, cyberpunk, and marginalization. I wanted to add, as well, that for me, cyberpunk is also a path to talking about transhumanism, about our relationships to spaceand reinvention, and therefore queerness as it pertains to self-identification. Cyberpunkisthe exploration of what your body is, what your mind is, and where the two meet and where they dont.

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This Queer Cyberpunk Comic Is Action-Packed and Diverse AF - Pride.com

We started working on the open world stuff in The Witcher 3 quite late in development, John Mamais, studio head at CD Projekt Reds Krakow studio admits. In many ways The Witcher III: Wild Hunt propelled the studio to superstar status among RPG fans. An immersive and huge open-world that pushed the cinematic possibilities of the genre forward with memorable stories, moments, and character development that fully realised the series epic fantasy ambition.

During its development, and as the size and scope of Geralts final adventure took form, the team at CD Projekt Red expanded and grew to accommodate its vision for the game. We did as much as we could, John continues. Compared to The Witcher though, Cyberpunks open world is way fucking cooler.

You've also just got the passive part of the open world, the crowd system, the conversations that are happening, the music youll hear, and the ambience, John adds, whilst moving the discussion towards Cyberpunks narrative. That was also one of the pillars during development that we would make it as immersive as possible. And that decision led us ultimately choosing first-person.

As the studios follow-up to The Witcher, every element of Cyberpunk 2077 shines with the sort of bright neon glow one can see from a great distance. But getting to this point has been a long and involved journey for the team, where even after almost an hour of stunning real-time gameplay showcased to eager fans - Cyberpunk 2077 is still not feature complete. Or, fully playable from start to finish. The goal, at least for 2019, has been to get everything in there. The Street Stories, the main story, the levels, the player choice, the secrets, the crowds, the weapons, the emergent exploration, the stunning art, the music, the immersive cinematic first-person presentation.

We're playing it all the time though, John adds. But there are blockers all over the place, because stuff is still going into the game. And that can be technically challenging for us. It's like if we can't do that now, at this point, were fucked. Now's the time to start really testing it all.

Thanks to John Mamais for his time, CD Projekt Red, and Bandai Namco. For more on Cyberpunk 2077 check our companion feature CD Projekt Red on Pushing Graphics Tech Forward and Building Night City.

This article is sponsored by ASUS.

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to Read 'Cyberpunk 2077 - CD Projekt Red on Creating an Immersive Open World RPG - AusGamers

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource GamesPress.]

In partnership with developer Suzaku and publishing studio Top Hat Studios, we are excited to announce that we will be publishing the cyberpunk horror adventure Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story on Nintendo Switch in 2020.

Set in 2083 Neo Hong Kong, Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story tells the story of a young woman named Mei Lin Mak, who is dragged into a maelstrom of supernatural horror. Inspired by popular horror adventure games of the PS2-era, Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story mixes cyberpunk with traditional Cantonese folklore. Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story hopes to return the horror genre to its roots by celebrating visceral horror and the slow, fearful creep of dread.

Successfully funded on Kickstarter, with more than US$60,000 raised, eastasiasoft is excited to publish the Nintendo Switch version of Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story worldwide in 2020. Publishing duties on other platforms will be handled by Top Hat Studios. More release details will be announced in the new future.

About Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story

Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story is a 2.5D game inspired by horror adventure games of the PS2-era. With careful attention to pacing, atmosphere and storytelling, Sense hopes to return the horror genre to its roots; celebrating the slow, fearful creep of dread instead of relying on over the top action and jump scares. The ghosts - as glitches on our reality - act as spiritual and paranormal threats, not monsters to be killed. The horror of our story comes from atmosphere and storytelling, not loud sound and artificial effects.

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Return the horror genre to its roots in Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story - Gamasutra

It's been nearly two months since Polish developer CD Projekt Red shared with us its latest vision for Cyberpunk 2077. A 15 minute slice of gameplay impressed many thanks to the employment of various play styles that allowed you to get the job done in different manners, but there was more to that quarter of an hour than meets the eye. Carefully pieced together to get some of its most important points across, the footage is actually three times as long when left uninterrupted. At EGX 2019 this past weekend, we watched that full 45 minute demo being played in real-time, and we came away more impressed than ever.

Kicking things off with a quick bit of character creation, you'll be able to choose between a male or female protagonist V, adjust their eye colour and facial characteristics, and then select a hairstyle from a limited amount along with its colour. But then you're on your way. A set of red pupils and various surface wiring seems to be about as creative as you can get, but with another six months to go before launch, let's hope this is a feature which is fleshed out at least a little bit more.

Back to the action and we're doing a job for Placide. After asking of his whereabouts throughout the rundown, law-free district of Pacifica, V tracks his location down to a Butcher's shop. Hidden in the back is a makeshift office and the choice of whether to trust him or not. Jacking in and allowing him access to your chip-set basically gives the suspicious character a killswitch, but since the job on offer is an essential one, it's a necessary evil you'll have to deal with. Of course, you can always deny his help in your own playthrough.

It's time to make our way to the Animal gang's hideout, which forms the crux of our next operation, but we'll need some transport to get us there in sufficient time. A motorbike nearby is the answer to that, which appears to be a complete joy to control. The playtester was able to gracefully weave their way between debris, the pavement, and other cars as a booming, original soundtrack played in the background. From the hip-hop station to the selection of dance tracks, there'll be something for every sort of musical taste.

You'll want to scout out the building before entering, though, because while going all guns blazing through the front door might be your first thought, it's probably also going to be your last. The demo finds a back entrance to sneak through, and thus begins the life of a Netrunner. Sticking to the shadows, the playstyle favours hacking and stealth above all else. When used in tandem, those two skills can produce some deadly, but silent, results: turn off security cameras to mask your presence, force an AI bot into overdrive so that it leaves an enemy with a bloody nose, or render a bench press so heavy that its user drops the weight onto their neck. They're grisly demises indeed, but then that's just the cogs of creativity at work.

Alternatively, with a Strong Solo build, you'll be able to bypass those encounters altogether by employing a high strength stat to rip a locked door off its hinges, thus getting you to the centrepiece of the action faster. You're definitely in the thick of it as soon as the gang is alerted, but with a turret nearby that's thirsting for blood, it becomes more of a deadly playground than anything else. The playtester grabs an enemy to form a human shield as they bridge the gap between protagonist and weaponry before ripping the turret from its very foundations and going to town on the rest of the Animals.

It is abundantly clear that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to let you play it however you want to. With a Life Path that helps to form your backstory, dialogue options are affected by your core stats, abilities and how much of an upgrade they're packing, and the relationship you hold with that particular character. On the other hand, combat can be as gritty and intense as you want. Complete the game without killing a soul, tear Night City apart by testing the limits of your ammunition stocks, or fall in-between the two extremes as you forge your own path through what looks set to be the next great PS4 RPG.

But it's not perfect. The 45 minute stretch of gameplay featured some incredibly rare, minor texture issues and two examples of NPCs T-posing as they went about their lives. It's something which highlights the fact that after its proper reveal back at E3 2018 and the aura that came with it, Cyberpunk 2077 is starting to look more and more like an actual video game and an incredibly impressive one at that.

How hyped are you for Cyberpunk 2077? Did you check out its 45 minute gameplay presentation at EGX 2019 too? Hack into the comments below.

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First Impressions: Cyberpunk 2077 Looks to Raise the Bar for All RPGs Again - Push Square

With the sheer scope and the detail of its world, Cyberpunk 2077 is going to push current gaming tech to its limit. Between the open-ended gameplay and dynamic setting, CD Projekt Red believes the expansive sci-fi RPG will be something of a benchmark for this generation of games.

Speaking to AusGamers at PAX Australia,John Mamais, the head of CD Projekt Reds Krakow studio, discussed the ambition of Cyberpunk 2077, saying the team had to rapidly expand to keep up. We grew alongside the design as it was developing. And really, you dont know how many cinematic animators youre going to need until you have a scope for the number of scenes youre going to have in the game, He said. We didnt have that in the beginning, we just knew we wanted to have cool cinematics and we knew that we were going to be at least as big as The Witcher 3. We ended up hiring a lot more people than what we needed for The Witcher because the fidelity and overall requirements of 2077 crept up on us.

Mamais went on to talk about the technological challenges of Cyberpunk 2077, mentioning that CD Projekt is still knee-deep in the process. You need crowds of people moving around or it wont look right. It was very technically challenging, and still is. Were still working on it in fact, He explained. Last time I talked to the Technical Director, he talked its current status as a real achievement, where weve got all these people in the same space moving around. In Cyberpunk these are all, in a way, unique characters moving around the space. And its a combination of AI, tech, and art. I dont know even know how to explain how it exactly works but I can say that it was fucking hard and that were still working on it.

In other interviews, Mamais has talked quite a bit about the studios current standing. CD Projekt will soon have enough staff to work on two games at once, opening up the possibility of multiplayer-only projects, and hes doubled-down on the teams flat rejection of micro-transactions.

For Cyberpunk 2077, Mamais believes CD Projekt hascultivated the last word on what this generation is capable of. As the technology changes, were expected to use it too and we want to use it cause that stuff keeps looking cooler and cooler, all the time, He said. Well always keep pushing the envelope on the way a game can look, and thats one of the most exciting things about working at CD Projekt Red; getting to do just that. I think Cyberpunk is going to be a real show piece in terms of tech. Especially as this generation of consoles is fading out. I think were going to be that one last, big, exceptional looking title on this current generation of hardware.

Cyberpunk 2077 will beavailable April 16, 2020.

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Cyberpunk 2077 will be the last, big, exceptional looking game of this generation - PCGamesN

If you ever find time to play tourist during your travels through Night City, it looks like the game will oblige you with a Cyberpunk 2077 photo mode. Developer CD Projekt Red told a fan last year that it was "planning to have" photo mode, and a brief video posted to Cyberpunk 2077's official Twitter account today seems to hint that we'll learn more about it soon.

The video is a brief pan over the Night City skyline, its neon billboards and window-studded high rises shining out into the night sky. A stylized camera icon appears on the screen (though that symbol will probably be as meaningless as a floppy disc save icon in the future) and the video loops. The included hashtags "#CaptureCyberpunk" and "#PhotosFromNightCity" tease more to come. That is photos plural after all.

While photo mode has become a near-standard inclusion for many big-budget games, making it work with Cyberpunk 2077's dedicated first-person perspective will require some interesting decisions from CD Projekt Red. People love taking pictures of their characters - especially when they can customize them, as Cyberpunk 2077's character creator will allow - but in normal play you won't see much more than your hands and arms. If photo mode lets you pull back and look at your character at any point in the game, that would create a whole lot of extra animation work that CD Projekt Red would have to do for a fairly small portion of the game.

On the other hand, if a traditional Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer mode comes to the game after launch, CDPR would need all of those animations for player characters eventually. Having all those third-person animations ready to go would be future-proofing with an extra benefit in the near term. Or maybe V will just wink out of existence whenever you get ready to frame a shot, I dunno! I trust the developers to make the best choices with the resources and tools they have, and I'll be interested to see whatever form Cyberpunk 2077 photo mode takes.

Read about how the developers are working to give each neighborhood of Cyberpunk 2077 "its very own atmosphere and vibe".

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Cyberpunk 2077 photo mode teased yet again, but how would it work in first-person? - GamesRadar