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Section 8 (video game)
Encyclopedia
Section 8 is a first-person shooter
developed by TimeGate Studios
and published by SouthPeak Interactive
. It utilizes the Unreal Engine 3
and was released for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
. It was released on September 1, 2009, on the Xbox 360 and September 4, 2009, on the PC in North America, September 11, 2009, in the UK and Asia Pacific, September 18, 2009, in the rest of Europe, and on the PlayStation 3 on March 25, 2010 in North America and April 15, 2010 in Europe.
Players are able to "burn-in" by dropping onto the battlefield from orbital dropships hovering at 15,000 feet (5200m) from the surface, thus eliminating fixed spawn points. "Burning-in" also creates the opportunity for the player to choose where they drop on the map, granting the game an increased aspect of unpredictability. This process is an interactive experience as players can be shot down upon entry by players and anti-aircraft turrets alike, though these situations can be avoided or mitigated by using the "air-brake" feature which allows the player to make mid-air adjustments.
Players are encouraged to work in teams to achieve objectives and defend one another. They may deploy defensive structures such as Mini-Gun Turrets, Rocket Turrets, Anti-Air Turrets, Supply Depots, or Sensor Arrays to protect friendly-controlled objectives, or deploy vehicles such as Tanks or Heavy Armors which can operate to assault enemy-controlled objectives. Players are be able to purchase these using "Requisition Points" which are awarded to the player for various feats they perform through play.
Players are able to choose their primary and secondary weapons, such as assault rifles, pistols, shotguns, and sniper rifles, as well as grenades, explosives, knives, mortar launchers and healing units. The player is also able to create their own player class through various stackable modules that determine the player's speed, stealth, or the regeneration of the limited-use jetpack. Excessive damage endured by the player to certain parts of their body, such as their legs, arms, head, or chest, may disable or hinder the use of these enhancements.
Dynamic Combat Missions (DCMs), a type of mini-game, can be activated mid-combat by the player, and can reward the player with Requisition Points when completed successfully. Some DCMs will include protecting a convoy, destroying a bridge, or assassinating an enemy character.
, and also refers to the 8th Armored Infantry in the game because of their participation in near-suicidal missions.
Section 8 takes place in the future after the human race has discovered interstellar travel and has colonized across the galaxy. At the time of the game, a group called the Arm of Orion, has begun to 'disconnect' the outermost frontier planets from the main governing body, taking them over while keeping their presence hidden from the government. As space travel is slow, it often takes weeks to communicate with or travel to a frontier world, affording the Arm with enough time to seize worlds and build their base of power, ultimately preparing an ambush for the government forces that will eventually respond. The government then discovers the Arm of Orion, and sends in the 8th Armored Infantry, including Alex Corde (the player), on a mission to investigate, and presumably fight, the Arm invasion.
TimeGate Studios cites Aliens
and Blade Runner
as major influences for the game.
's i37 also got a beta key despite being in the UK.
A downloadable demo was released on Xbox Live
on August 21. 2009. This multiplayer-only demo allows for online play on Xbox Live or offline play with AI-controlled bots on one map for indefinite playtime.
version would release alongside the Xbox 360 and PC versions, though it was not released during this time-frame. Speaking at GamesCom 2009, SouthPeak Games, the publisher, said that a PlayStation 3 version currently existed, but there are no dates on its release.
On February 16, 2010, the game was officially announced as a PlayStation Network exclusive downloadable title, published by TimeGate Studios
. The downloadable version would include the three bonus maps that were released for the Xbox 360 and PC versions, along with a number of other reported improvements. This version will also include the ability for 32-player games to be hosted on a PC.
On March 25, 2010, the game was released on the PlayStation Network in North America. It was released in Europe on April 15, 2010.
rates the game at a similar 69%. Though the PC version of the game is ranked slightly higher, a complaint common to both console and PC versions is the lack of server population. Since the single player campaign is essentially a tutorial for the multiplayer, the lack of other players severely inhibits gameplay. IGN
praised the game for its multiplayer features and for its effective implementation of concepts drawn from the genre's history, but conceded that the game found itself "stumbling over some control and combat speedbumps". GamePro
gave a similar review, highlighting the multiplayer nature of the game and describing it as "hardly worth a second glance" to the single-player. GameSpot
also gave a somewhat positive review of the multiplayer, although criticism was directed towards the game's vehicles, with the opinion that the vehicles could have been more inspired.
with a trailer.
Unlike its predecessor, Prejudice is a digital download-only release that promises to have more content than a standard retail game. The game was priced $14.99 at release. It was released for Xbox Live Arcade April 20, 2011, PC on May 4, and a PlayStation Network Summer 2011 release.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
developed by TimeGate Studios
TimeGate Studios
TimeGate Studios is an American video game developer based in Sugar Land, Texas . The company, which was founded in 1998, has released eight titles to this date.-Company history:...
and published by SouthPeak Interactive
SouthPeak Interactive
SouthPeak Games is a video game publisher of titles in Europe and North America.-History:SouthPeak Games, which was originally a subsidiary of SAS Institute, has been publishing games since 1996 and has worked with multiple development studios, including EAI Interactive, Psyonix Studios and...
. It utilizes the Unreal Engine 3
Unreal Engine 3
Unreal Engine 3 is a computer game engine developed by Epic Games. It is the third generation of Unreal Engine, designed for DirectX 9/10/11 personal computers , the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Vita, the Wii U, Android and OpenGL-based operating systems such as iOS and Mac OS X...
and was released for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It was released on September 1, 2009, on the Xbox 360 and September 4, 2009, on the PC in North America, September 11, 2009, in the UK and Asia Pacific, September 18, 2009, in the rest of Europe, and on the PlayStation 3 on March 25, 2010 in North America and April 15, 2010 in Europe.
Gameplay
In Section 8, characters wear powered armor suits which provide damage absorption and augmented mobility. Players can use "overdrive" to move horizontally at superhuman speeds, or activate vertical thrusters (jetpack) to achieve new heights.Players are able to "burn-in" by dropping onto the battlefield from orbital dropships hovering at 15,000 feet (5200m) from the surface, thus eliminating fixed spawn points. "Burning-in" also creates the opportunity for the player to choose where they drop on the map, granting the game an increased aspect of unpredictability. This process is an interactive experience as players can be shot down upon entry by players and anti-aircraft turrets alike, though these situations can be avoided or mitigated by using the "air-brake" feature which allows the player to make mid-air adjustments.
Players are encouraged to work in teams to achieve objectives and defend one another. They may deploy defensive structures such as Mini-Gun Turrets, Rocket Turrets, Anti-Air Turrets, Supply Depots, or Sensor Arrays to protect friendly-controlled objectives, or deploy vehicles such as Tanks or Heavy Armors which can operate to assault enemy-controlled objectives. Players are be able to purchase these using "Requisition Points" which are awarded to the player for various feats they perform through play.
Players are able to choose their primary and secondary weapons, such as assault rifles, pistols, shotguns, and sniper rifles, as well as grenades, explosives, knives, mortar launchers and healing units. The player is also able to create their own player class through various stackable modules that determine the player's speed, stealth, or the regeneration of the limited-use jetpack. Excessive damage endured by the player to certain parts of their body, such as their legs, arms, head, or chest, may disable or hinder the use of these enhancements.
Dynamic Combat Missions (DCMs), a type of mini-game, can be activated mid-combat by the player, and can reward the player with Requisition Points when completed successfully. Some DCMs will include protecting a convoy, destroying a bridge, or assassinating an enemy character.
Campaign
Section 8 includes a single-player campaign mode called "Corde's Story" that allows the player to proceed as a character named Alex Corde of the 8th Armored Infantry. The first several missions take place on the arid planet New Madrid and later move to a temperate planet. The single-player campaign consists of eight objective-based missions on the same maps as multiplayer that serve as a tutorial to the player for multiplayer play.Multiplayer
Section 8 supports X-Server functionality, where players can run their own dedicated servers for Xbox 360 games using a Windows-based PC. An X Server can handle up to 32 players at once. Similar to this, the PlayStation 3 version supports TGNServer technology which allows players to host dedicated servers using a Windows-based PC with up to 32 players. The PC version also features a 32-player maximum. Computer-controlled characters (bots) may also be used to fill remaining slots in multiplayer games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.Plot
The name "Section 8" is derived from an old United States military discharge regulation for reason of being mentally unfit for serviceSection 8 (military)
The term Section 8 refers to a category of discharge from the United States military for reason of being mentally unfit for service. It also came to mean any serviceperson given such a discharge or behaving as if deserving such a discharge...
, and also refers to the 8th Armored Infantry in the game because of their participation in near-suicidal missions.
Section 8 takes place in the future after the human race has discovered interstellar travel and has colonized across the galaxy. At the time of the game, a group called the Arm of Orion, has begun to 'disconnect' the outermost frontier planets from the main governing body, taking them over while keeping their presence hidden from the government. As space travel is slow, it often takes weeks to communicate with or travel to a frontier world, affording the Arm with enough time to seize worlds and build their base of power, ultimately preparing an ambush for the government forces that will eventually respond. The government then discovers the Arm of Orion, and sends in the 8th Armored Infantry, including Alex Corde (the player), on a mission to investigate, and presumably fight, the Arm invasion.
TimeGate Studios cites Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
and Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
as major influences for the game.
Beta and demo
An open beta for Section 8 was made available at FilePlanet. Access to the game's beta was originally limited to residents in the U.S and Canada, but the beta was later made public. Attendees of MultiplayMultiplay UK
Multiplay UK hosts the largest LAN party in the United Kingdom, the I-Series. These events were hosted at Newbury Racecourse in the United Kingdom from i5 to i33 when the venue was relocated to Stoneleigh Park for i34, increasing the total amount of BYOC places to 2000, i38-42 returned the event to...
's i37 also got a beta key despite being in the UK.
A downloadable demo was released on Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
on August 21. 2009. This multiplayer-only demo allows for online play on Xbox Live or offline play with AI-controlled bots on one map for indefinite playtime.
PlayStation 3 version
There was originally speculation that a PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version would release alongside the Xbox 360 and PC versions, though it was not released during this time-frame. Speaking at GamesCom 2009, SouthPeak Games, the publisher, said that a PlayStation 3 version currently existed, but there are no dates on its release.
On February 16, 2010, the game was officially announced as a PlayStation Network exclusive downloadable title, published by TimeGate Studios
TimeGate Studios
TimeGate Studios is an American video game developer based in Sugar Land, Texas . The company, which was founded in 1998, has released eight titles to this date.-Company history:...
. The downloadable version would include the three bonus maps that were released for the Xbox 360 and PC versions, along with a number of other reported improvements. This version will also include the ability for 32-player games to be hosted on a PC.
On March 25, 2010, the game was released on the PlayStation Network in North America. It was released in Europe on April 15, 2010.
Reception
Section 8 currently holds a 70.05% at GameRankings. MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
rates the game at a similar 69%. Though the PC version of the game is ranked slightly higher, a complaint common to both console and PC versions is the lack of server population. Since the single player campaign is essentially a tutorial for the multiplayer, the lack of other players severely inhibits gameplay. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the game for its multiplayer features and for its effective implementation of concepts drawn from the genre's history, but conceded that the game found itself "stumbling over some control and combat speedbumps". GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave a similar review, highlighting the multiplayer nature of the game and describing it as "hardly worth a second glance" to the single-player. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
also gave a somewhat positive review of the multiplayer, although criticism was directed towards the game's vehicles, with the opinion that the vehicles could have been more inspired.
Sequel
A sequel to Section 8 was announced by TimeGate, titled Section 8: PrejudiceSection 8: Prejudice
Section 8: Prejudice is a first-person shooter video game developed by TimeGate Studios. It is the direct sequel to the 2009 game Section 8 and was demonstrated at Penny Arcade Expo East 2011. Unlike its predecessor, Prejudice is a digital download-only title that contains more content than the...
with a trailer.
Unlike its predecessor, Prejudice is a digital download-only release that promises to have more content than a standard retail game. The game was priced $14.99 at release. It was released for Xbox Live Arcade April 20, 2011, PC on May 4, and a PlayStation Network Summer 2011 release.