iHacker - Gameplay Video Released

[TrueADM]

I know quite a few members here have been following the new hacking simulation - iHacker. For those who don't know, iHacker is the new Nanobyte Online by ADM Studios.

Here's the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxvzohNPt2M

Website:

http://www.adm-studios.com
http://www.ihacker.co.uk

[Rkiver]

1) Site says nothing bar the name. Not really very good for advertising a game. No screen shots, nothing.

2) Video sounds.....lots appear "borrowed" from Uplink. Connection sounds etc. Did you get permission to use them?

3) The name. Applesque naming is NOT unique, funny, or good.

Overall not impressed.

[TrueADM]

1) Site says nothing bar the name. Not really very good for advertising a game. No screen shots, nothing.

2) Video sounds.....lots appear "borrowed" from Uplink. Connection sounds etc. Did you get permission to use them?

3) The name. Applesque naming is NOT unique, funny, or good.

Overall not impressed.

1) Site's under construction.

2) Yep I do for the 4 sounds.

3) It's effective and unique, plus I own the trademark for 'iHacker'.

[Rkiver]

Point 3.

After checking with the UK trademarks authority, you don't actually own it. No one does, yet.

[TrueADM]

Point 3.

After checking with the UK trademarks authority, you don't actually own it. No one does, yet.

It's been filed and accepted, it takes 3 months to update their database.

[Rkiver]

You really sure on that? I gave them a call and they said the name was available.

And back to it being unique.....ripping of Apples naming system is not unique.

[TrueADM]

Yeah, I only registered for it last week, but I've got a letter through already. Maybe ring back next week? I'm sure the status for the trademark will have changed by then.

Personally I think the name is appropiate and quite catchy. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but it's too late now.

Also, it sounds like you're out to get me? I'm a developer trying to make a decent game, I'm doing the best I can in the time I have (I'm a student at University of Kent and that demands enough time already).

[Rkiver]

Out to get you personally? No not at all. Think of me as kind of a devil's advocate, or an asshole. I speak my mind on things and I don't hold back, ever. Hasn't always made me friends, but if you don't like me as I am I don't give a damn.

However like many on here, sick of seeing rip offs of Uplink, and while that may seem harsh, it's essentially why your game is. Others may not put it that way, or even say it, but I will.

I do wish you all the best as a games developer, but originality never hurt, and neither your game nor it's name are that.

[TrueADM]

Out to get you personally? No not at all. Think of me as kind of a devil's advocate, or an asshole. I speak my mind on things and I don't hold back, ever. Hasn't always made me friends, but if you don't like me as I am I don't give a damn.

However like many on here, sick of seeing rip offs of Uplink, and while that may seem harsh, it's essentially why your game is. Others may not put it that way, or even say it, but I will.

I do wish you all the best as a games developer, but originality never hurt, and neither your game nor it's name are that.

iHacker offers online functionality (clans, PvP, trading), console based hacking, overclocking, benchmarking, warez software, virus protection and many other features that Uplink lacks.

iHacker also simulates not only the OS, but the hardware (such as cooling and power usage). iHacker also has vastly a different interface graphically.

It's in the same category as Uplink, granted, but it's not ripping off Uplink. It's like Unreal and Quake, both offer the exact same structure of gameplay - yet they have different approaches to their gameplay.

[Rkiver]

Well if it has all that, and does it well then you may have found yourself as the actual spiritual sucessor to Uplink.

I can only go on what I've seen so far, and it's nothing we haven't seen before really, lots of promise, lots of style (well it does look rather slick, then again so does vista) but no substance. Until I get to play it, a demo for example, I will withold full judgement but all I see for now is something that appears to be copying Uplink.

Posting when a demo was available would have been a better idea overall.

[TrueADM]

Just thought I'd give a quick update. The website is now operational. Also there's a thread on the iHacker forums regarding what features people want, I'd like to get some input from this community if possible. So if anyone has any ideads - could they post it there, or PM me via this forum. That would be appreciated!

[coolsi]

Is Rkiver not getting any at the moment or something?

Out to get you personally? No not at all. Think of me as kind of a devil's advocate, or an asshole. I speak my mind on things and I don't hold back, ever. Hasn't always made me friends, but if you don't like me as I am I don't give a damn.

"Hasn't always"? There's a surprise.

[Rkiver]

Is Rkiver not getting any at the moment or something?

/golfclap

[Reflectyca]

Hmm, looks nice so far but time will tell once the game is actually out I guess.
Just wondering though, will it be able to run on a Mac aswell? I went to the site but couldn't find anything Mac related so fast on the forums.

[Mas Tnega]

You really sure on that? I gave them a call and they said the name was available.

Making the point abundantly clear is only one registration and C&D away...


Commenting just on the video alone: The game looks nice and stylish; where's the substance? Gameplay looks a little different, and that difference makes me think "But I've got a perfectly good copy of Uplink on my USB dongle." What gives?


As for this:

• You play as a hacker who works for VivalCorp. VivalCorp operates the largest hacking network in the world, employing millions of hackers to work for the many clients that are affiliated with VivalCorp. VivalCorp's clients may require you to do things like breaking into a competitor's system and stealing vital files, or decyphering massive data problems and breaking encryption algorithms using your powerful software and hardware.
  
• Build up your character as you collect experience from missions and tasks. The more experience you have, the more talent points you receive, allowing you to specialise in certain areas.
  
• Cheat the system as you make news headlines from infecting a server with a malicious virus. Steal the password and credit card details of a server admin by sending them an e-mail containing a key logger. If that's not enough, you can get all the latest hacking software for free, off the global warez network.
  
• Play with your friends using iHacker's unique multiplayer system. The multiplayer system will allow you to chat, trade and even give you the opportunity to show off your gateway's benchmarking performance to world.
  
• Build the ultimate computer with over 1,000 unique hardware parts and items that you can collect, purchase and trade. These parts not only help you complete missions faster, but they also come in handy for the mini-games and benchmarking gameplay too.
  
• Overclock your hardware way over the limits with the extreme cooling range, from vapour-cooling to nitrogen-cooling so that your computer is the best in the game. Imagine a nice quad-core 2.0 GHz computer overclocked to 6.0 GHz on some of the most advanced technology known to mankind.

I can't help but propose another feature:

Plan meticulously with a team of other hackers for over half an hour and take on the paranoid defence of a single server, belonging to one of the fore-runners of hardware design, in the hopes of getting a chance to have the company send one of you one of the newest, most powerful pieces of hardware in existence.


This is more of a "What the hell?" than a "This sucks!"