PD0 multiplayer changes

By Ellie Gibson Published 27 September, 2005

Rare cuts some corners.

Rare has revealed that forthcoming Xbox 360 title Perfect Dark Zero will not launch with a 50-player online mode as previously announced.

It's not the end of the world, though - Xbox Live matches will still support up to 32 players, which is a decent enough figure if you ask us.

However, this isn't the only corner Rare is cutting - a lack of time left on the clock means they're also binning the DataDyne Kill TV mode, which would have allowed you to watch games and upload your best performances à la Project Gotham TV.

But there's light at the end of the tunnel - Rare reckons this feature could still be implemented after the game has launched if there's enough demand, and there are also plans to issue a patch which would allow for 50 player games after all.

And we do know that co-op mode will be finished in time for the game's release, as will the Dark Ops mode - a deathmatch-type game that finds you struggling to survive with just one life per round and zero health. Ouch.

So good news then, but why is Rare dropping the other stuff? Well, we'd hazard a guess that perhaps it is trying to get PD0 ready in time for Xbox 360 launch day - December 2 in Europe. The sooner we get our hands on Perfect Dark Zero the better, so we say good luck to 'em.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kangarootoo #1 6 years ago

    50 player down to 32 isn't that big a deal IMO, and as for watching videos of other people playing the game... I think I'll miss that like a fork in the head.

  • w00t #2 6 years ago

    Oh nos! Only 32 player! How will I cope!

  • tengu #3 6 years ago

    You need to change the record slide.

  • InfiniteFury #4 6 years ago

    Shame about not being able to watch the games. Just think of the soundtrack:

    "Shut the f*ck up douche"
    "You're the douche"
    "Your mom's a f*cking douche"

    "Shut the f*ck up, you f*cking noob!"

    "Caaaaahn I bee the schniper???"

    "Ay want the plasma bolt, can I get the plasma bolt?"

    Have fun with PD0 - I for one will be giving this a miss.
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/05 @ 12:48

  • Blerk #5 6 years ago

    a lack of time left on the clock means they're also binning the DataDyne Kill TV mode, which would have allowed you to watch games and upload your best performances à la Project Gotham TV.

    Most pointless feature ever! \o/

  • Teeth #6 6 years ago

    For crying out loud slide_away could you just STFU about the stinking PD0 videos? I knew you'd be the first poster on this thread when I clicked the RSS link. You're dull. Go away.

  • Eighthours #7 6 years ago

    These features haven't exactly been "dropped" though, have they? Seems like they will be part of a patch instead, in order to get the game out for launch.

  • Hunam85 #8 6 years ago

    hmm, are we going to see the pc trend of release early, patch later on next gen consoles?

  • Huxley #9 6 years ago

    Wouldn't have thought so.

    On the consoles the single player aspect has to be right. You cannot patch later as not everyone will be connected to live and such.

    Multiplayer can be patched to high heaven for all I care, by definition its linked to the network.

  • Hunam85 #10 6 years ago

    good point huxley, also, as there is a core edition no hdd means no patch

  • alpha-0ne #11 6 years ago

    the features being left out ARE multiplayer features so they can be released later

  • The_Real_Olla #12 6 years ago

    Teeth, no you are dull .... The PDZ videos are looking great.. Just wait till X05 and you will be crying like a little booii..
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/05 @ 13:24

  • Ecanem #13 6 years ago

    Horray for patching games!

  • snick #14 6 years ago

    Begs the question, wtf do RARE actually get up to? They don't churn out that many games, and the recent ones haven't even been up to much.

  • Blerk #15 6 years ago

    Just wait till X05 and you will be crying like a little booii..

    ?

    :-)

  • Fatfish #16 6 years ago

    @ Hunam85 - more fool those who purchase the core package then! If they're too tight to pay for the HDD, then they don't deserve the extra content and patches.........only kidding, I'm not really that nasty or infantile.

    But really though, who would buy the core system? Surely any serious gamers know that the most is only going to be made out of the machine with the HDD? I can understand not being too concerned about 'anchor'less controllers, a fancy (but ultimately not essential) DVD remote, extra face plate (paint your own with acrylics on the plain white one you get?!) or the incredibly high quality HD leads (which, let's face it, 95% of the country won't be using from day 1 - "d'oh" at M$!!), but the HDD is only going to improve the system overall - surely? I know there's lots of speculation flying around about it, but surely M$ have enough sense to instruct developers (at least the major ones) to use the facility if it's there? I don't have a great deal of faith in M$ generally, but they've done well with the xbox as a starter, so here's here's hoping they have the common sense to utilise the hardware properly, even if it's slightly further down the line than release day...........

    /crosses fingers, kisses lucky rabbit foot, puts 4 leaf clover behind ear, touches wood (the table you sickos...!), wears lucky boxers until day of release......etc/

  • Xerx3s #17 6 years ago

    Personally, i think anything more than 16 players is to much, unless its a concept made for it (like massive warfare games). I prefer close and personal battles and beeing able to know me opponent. Its what makes things fun imo. Having something like 32 or 50 players is far to chaotic imo (imagine having like 15 ppl sniping on the map).

    "good point huxley, also, as there is a core edition no hdd means no patch" - True and yet not quite. If you have an xb2 without the HDD, you still need a mem card to store your savegames (without a mem card its almost impossible to finish a game imo). Considering that your more or less forced to have one and the fact that they are 64 mb (enough for a patch id think) still makes it possible to dl stuff without a HDD imo.

  • Teeth #18 6 years ago

    "Teeth, no you are dull .... The PDZ videos are looking great.. Just wait till X05 and you will be crying like a little booii.."

    What the hell are you talking about eh? I didn't say anything as to the quality of the videos or anything about the Xbox 360. The videos may be looking great; I haven't seen them. Why would I cry when X05 comes round? Events like that usually unveil exciting new things. I'm sorry if EG can't pander to you Xbox fanboys by making every single news post an Xbox 360 post, but I don't think that's the way they want to run the site.

    Honestly the Xbox fanboys on this site are possibly the most stupid people on the internet!

  • skillian #19 6 years ago

    I hope this isn't the beginning of a trend.

    Something tells me that "get-it-out-quick, patch-it-up-later" type games won't sit as easily with console gamers as it does with the PC crowd.

  • Ecanem #20 6 years ago

    With the devs/publishers chosing to release non-finished products the choice of patching or not will be non-existent.. buy a faulty game and you just have to patch it..

  • Teeth #21 6 years ago

    That's what we thought would happen with Xbox games and it didn't, really, in the majority of cases.

  • afray #22 6 years ago

    Teeth: "Honestly the Xbox fanboys on this site are possibly the most stupid people on the internet!"

    Helluva claim. :-)

  • tengu #23 6 years ago

    No less true.

  • freedumb #24 6 years ago

    what videos? and where?

  • Mike69_2004 #25 6 years ago

    /fanboy mode

    PDZ is d00med!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    /fanboy off

  • Nikanoru #26 6 years ago

    I'm sad that they didn't keep the movable reticule from the previous games, I thought that was one of the great things about Goldeneye and PD. :( Moving your gun around in your hand felt like you actually had a gun in your hand, with PD0 it just looks like a static gun graphic pasted to the screen that doesn't really react to your movement. Just like Doom 1 and everything that came after it.

    This is important dammit! :(

  • Bates #27 6 years ago

    Fuck off slide_away you knob.

  • Chojin #28 6 years ago

    Is this game gonna have a split screen coop mode?

  • Derblington #29 6 years ago

    Bates - be friendly.

    Chojin - yes: there's a 5 page feature in the latest Edge mag.
    Edited by 1 at 28/09/05 @ 00:10

  • IronGiant #30 6 years ago

    Blame MS for trying to get the 360 to market so soon not Rare.. though it does make me wonder what else they've dropped and is the same happening with other titles? Gears of War is the only launch title i'm keeping an eye on anyway.

  • AgentCooper #31 6 years ago

    IG -As far as I was aware it's not a launch title though........

  • #32 6 years ago

    expect gears of war quarter 2 2006.

    ignoring the cretin Bates' idiot boy comments, yes i'm saddened the reticule is now stuck in the middle of the screen.

    timesplitters no longer does this either, i guess it's a concession for the casual gamers.

  • Genji #33 6 years ago

    "timesplitters no longer does this either, i guess it's a concession for the casual gamers."

    That's the funniest thing I've heard today. Those damn casual gamers! Ruining everything!

  • Bates #34 6 years ago

    Bit rich you calling ME a cretin slide_away, you're the saddest retard on this site right now. "zomg wear r the perfick drak zero vidz!!1!!11 y wil u not show them!1!!1!! i am from teamfanboy.com and i am desperate 2 spread the holy word of the xbox 360!!1!!!11! eurogamer u r a thing that sux!!1!!1!".

    If teamxbox is such a great site(which I know it isn't after a hilarious visit not long ago) then why not fuck off back there and stay away from here you tedious little prick, hmm?

    Loser.