Keeping a company light on its toes by keeping the core creative staff small and outsourcing the fiddly bits is how Wideload Games is approaching the problem of rising game development costs. Gamecock is taking the same approach to publishing, according to interviews with Wideload’s Alex Seropian at GameSpot and with Gamecock’s CEO Mike Wilson at Next-Generation.

Of course, in amongst all this news about cocks and chimps is a tidbit about Halo and Halo 2:

Now they are saying [games will cost] $20 or $30 million on the new platforms. Halo, Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne—all of these games cost under $5 million to make. And then Halo 2 cost like $22 million to make, because as soon as it [catches on with] one of these huge companies, they just can’t help themselves—everybody in the company wants to attach themselves to the game and basically all this overhead gets attached to the game.

How relevant this idea of people in a company “attaching themselves” to a project seems specious to me with regards to Halo 2; after all, Bungie is segregated from the rest of Microsoft in their own building and has been now for quite awhile. Perhaps there are too many Microsoft cooks spoiling the soup and inflating the budget, but $15 million worth? That’s a big chunk of change. And whether or not there’s truth to the idea that popular sequels attract unwanted expenses, it’s still hard not to admire the desire to keep costs down. Now, if that only meant a decrease in the price of the actual games…

Alexander “The Man” Seropian (or should it be “The Chimp” from now on?) throws poop at GameSpot today about Wideload’s upcoming party game for the Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3.

Is there going to be political satire? Yes, says Seropian. The Bush:Chimp comparisons are obviously unavoidable, but am I the only one who thinks the hippo looks like Steve Ballmer?

Family friendly? Yes, says Seropian. More so than Stubbs the Zombie. After all, rotting zombies making jerk-off motions to mad scientists might be funny for a lot of us, but not everbody wants their little John and Janie watching it, I suppose.

And the other projects? The trademarks Wideload applied for, “Cyclone” and “Founding Fighters”? “What projects?” asks Seropian.

There are, of course, a lot more questions and much more detailed answers at GameSpot, so go read the entire interview. Thanks for the heads-up to N1NJ4 in #wideload on irc.bungie.org.

Version 1.6 of Myth II, for which a public beta was available last summer, has now finally been officially released for Mac OS, Mac OS X, and Windows. It’s available in the Myth II Updates section of the recently-launched The Tain, an archive for Myth-related files.

From ProjectMagma.net:

Myth II version 1.6, adds native MacOS X map making tools along with a Universal Binary for OS X. Not to be left out the Windows version received some modernization that drastically cut down startup times, allows the game to be played in a window, and shares the CPU better with other tasks.

This update will be of specific interest to Myth fans running Mac OS X as this update makes the game a Universal Binary, good for play on PPC and Intel machines.

I had the honor of representing the Podtacular community on the 86th episode of Gamertag Radio. Godfree, Cyber Athlete, Pink Sage and Feelz Good and myself bring the gaming world a action packed show.

Here is a rundown of the show:

Episode #86 – Virtual Tennis 3 & Xbox Rewards

This week after a few delays we are back with a new episode! Today staff members Pinksage, Feelz Good & Godfree are hosting Ep #86. We talked about GTR’s Birthday and how we need your help to come up with an idea for next weeks show. The winner will get a free game. Sega joins us for an interview about their upcoming game Virtual Tennis 3. If you’re a fan of the game since the old Dreamcast then don’t miss this interview! I think this could be more fun with online play, extra new features such as VTtv & more . They gave us the whole scoop about it and wants to battle the GTR staff for some multiplayer action. Sega vs GTR (coming soon)! This interview features Nano 551.

Audio review this week: Battlestations: Midway (Xbox 360) reviewed by Doc Adams

Also Mo Lam the Global Product Manager from Microsoft of the Xbox Rewards. He joins us and wants the community to know more about their new program. During this interview JVB from Podtacular.com came to help us out and asked a couple of questions. I know some of you are happy that we can finally win some cool prizes for just unlocking achievements on the Xbox 360!

Pinksage wants all our listeners to give us some *Hugs* for Valentines Day. Specially Feelz Good since he will be all alone playing some old Xbox games. So any females out there reply to this thread with *Hugs* to show him some love.

This week giveaway winners: I Kage I thank you for diggin our podcast! For that you get a free copy of NBA Street Homecourt (Xbox 360) & Spartan 5O wins a free copy of Virtual Tennis 3. Thank you for being active on our GTR forums. Please give us your addy asap and thank you to EA & Sega for the games.

XyonsWrath has an interesting suggestion for all those players like me who spend their time in Halo 2 running around like chickens with their heads cut off, waiting for the next player to come along and kill them while trying to ineffectually pepper targets with SMG fire. That suggestion is: pick a nice spot and stay there. Camping, you say? Crazy? Perhaps. But it beats dying. By a lot. Thanks Louis Wu at HBO for the heads-up.

Something new and exciting is happening to the way you experience games. On February 12, Xbox® is teaming up with Old Spice to bring you Xbox Rewards and the Old Spice Experience Challenge.

Xbox Rewards offers casual and hardcore gamers alike the chance to earn actual rewards for doing what they enjoy—playing games, earning achievements, and having fun. Xbox Rewards is a free program, but in order to register you will need to have a valid Windows Live™ ID with your Xbox Live® gamercard linked.

The program is launching in the U.S. only, and you must be 13 years or older to participate.

For some Xbox Rewards Challenges, you will need to have access an Xbox 360â„¢ console with a memory unit or a hard drive, an Xbox Live Gold or Silver-level subscription, and specific Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade games. Check out http://www.xbox.com/live/memberships for more information on Xbox Live memberships.

Participation
After registering, you will automatically be placed into one of three Rewards Levels based on your current gamerscore. Your level will determine the rewards you are eligible for during each Challenge. The more you play, the higher you can advance, and the bigger the pay-out.  

• Level 1 (0 – 4,999 annual Gamerscore): You are developing your skills and gaining experience. Take some time to get used to the program and learn your way around. The Challenges will typically be easier and the rewards smaller.
• Level 2 (5,000 – 9,999 annual Gamerscore): We are going to turn up the heat a bit. You have proved that you know how to play and are willing to put in the gaming time to reap the benefits. The Challenges will get a bit more difficult. Never fear, the reward value goes up as well.
• Level 3 (over 10,000 annual Gamerscore): This is an arena filled with the who’s who of gaming. We don’t want to claim that Level 3 is an exclusive club, but if you find yourself winning Challenges here, you’ve obviously pulled out the big guns, so enjoy while it lasts.

Xbox Rewards is not a hall of fame, and there are no honorary life members. In order to maintain your Rewards Level, you have to continue to play on top. Rewards Levels are based on how many Gamerscore you gain each calendar year.

Xbox Rewards Challenge 1: Old Spice Experience Challenge
Old Spice is teaming with Xbox on the first Xbox Rewards Challenge to prove that Experience is Everything. Starting February 12, you will be challenged to increase your Gamerscore by 1,500 or more before April 12. Successfully complete the Challenge and get a Rewards Package*, and Old Spice will give you the gift of experience—all Level 1 and 2 participants will receive a level upgrade for 2007. 

Ready to get your Rewards Package? The first step is to register for Xbox Rewards and join the Old Spice Experience Challenge. Then, it’s up to you to complete the task within the time limit. You can’t register until February 12. Some of the rewards within the Rewards Package are limited in quantity, and will be distributed to those who complete the challenge the fastest, so be quick about it.

The Rewards Packages listed below are unique to the Old Spice Experience Challenge. Each new Challenge will bring new rewards.

• Level 1
  The popular Xbox Live Arcade game Contra (rated: E10+) from Konami (Retail Value $5.00)
  Exclusive Old Spice Level 1 Xbox Rewards gamer picture
  An experience upgrade to Xbox Rewards Level 2
  
• Level 2
  The popular Xbox Live Arcade game Contra (rated: E10+) from Konami
  Exclusive Old Spice Level 2 Xbox Rewards gamer picture
  100 Microsoft Points
  An experience upgrade to Xbox Rewards Level 3
  
• Level 3
  The popular Xbox Live Arcade game Contra (rated: E10+) from Konami
  Exclusive Old Spice Level 3 Xbox Rewards gamer picture    
  200 Microsoft Points
  Old Spice T-Shirt (Estimated Retail Value $10.00)
  A copy of Fuzion Frenzy 2 game (rated: E10+) (Estimated Retail Value $50.00)

More to Come
Xbox Rewards is not just about playing online and racking up your Gamerscore—you don’t even have to be an Xbox Live member to participate and score some great rewards. As the community responds, the program will grow and new challenges will be announced. Some will be open only to certain Rewards levels, some may be specific to certain games, and others won’t even require you to turn on your Xbox 360.

Foul Play
Xbox will be monitoring the Challenges and taking the necessary precautions to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience. The Xbox Rewards terms and conditions will detail the eligibility requirements. Check back after February 12 for official terms and conditions. Cheaters need not apply. 

Get Involved
On February 12, visit www.xbox.com/rewards for more information and be one of the first to register for Xbox Rewards and the Old Spice Experience Challenge.

* The Old Spice Challenge is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (includes D.C.) age 13+ who are Xbox Rewards members. Limit one (1) Rewards Package per person.  This offer expires on April 12, 2007, while supplies last. For Xbox Program Terms & Conditions, check back here after February 12.