1994-1996 : three years on STORM for Electronic Arts

Virtual Studio : video game industry

S.T.O.R.M.: Looking for Praxilium

Apr. 10th, 1996 02:01 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/235 — updated on Nov. 13th, 2018 01:32 exists for 27 years & 11 months ago

S.T.O.R.M is a video game I developed from October 1994 to April 1996 with a team composed with first-time employed people.
STORM is an action/adventure game designed and developped at Virtual Studio in France for American Softworks Corp and Electronic Arts, many target platforms were addressed.

The game is a 3-CD set which includes about 45 min of CGI in two different resolutions, with about 12 different 3-part levels, supported by 12 original sound tracks composed by Christophe Zurfluh.
The game won the International Festival of Underwater Movie 1st Prize at Cannes (France) in 1996.

Some screenshots of the action mode:








S.T.O.R.M. : À la recherche du Praxilium

Apr. 10th, 1996 02:01 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/275 — updated on Nov. 13th, 2018 01:28 exists for 27 years & 11 months ago  Content not available in English.

S.T.O.R.M est un jeu vidéo que j'ai développé d'octobre 1994 à avril 1996 avec une équipe dont le projet constituait leur première expérience professionnelle, en cours de production, la taille de l'équipe a atteint 31 personnes en interne.

STORM est un jeu d’action/aventure 3D conçu et développé à Virtual Studio en France pour American Softworks Corp. et Electronic Arts ; plusieurs supports ont été adressés.

Le jeu est édité sur 3-CDs et inclut 45 minutes de film conçu par ordinateur; il est composé de 12 niveaux jouables entrecoupé de rides interactifs. Le tout est supporté par 12 musiques originales composées par Christophe Zurfluh.

Le jeu a remporté le premier prix du Festival International d'Images Sous-Marine de Cannes en 1996.

Some screenshots of the action mode:








Have a look at some 1995 project archives

Nov. 11th, 2005 21:54 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/274 — updated on Oct. 29th, 2018 16:55 exists for 18 years & 4 months ago

Here are some issues of the project magazine I was publishing to the team during the development.



You can read issue reprints here:


Jettez un oeil à la gazette interne du projet

Nov. 11th, 2005 21:54 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/276 — updated on Oct. 29th, 2018 16:30 exists for 18 years & 4 months ago  Content not available in English.

Voici quelques numéros de la gazette interne au projet que j'éditais alors pendant le développement, retrouvés dans mes archives.



Vous pouvez relire ces numéros :


USS S.T.O.R.M description

Nov. 11th, 2005 21:44 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/273 — updated on Oct. 29th, 2018 16:36 exists for 18 years & 4 months ago


  • Dimensions: Height: 10”, Length: 30”
  • Power Plant: Magnetic Hydro-Dynamic Propulsion
  • Maximum speed: 30 knots

S.T.O.R.M. can carry 3 aquanauts. It has multiple weapons, and an R.O.V. drone submersible.


Weapons Description

Listed by destructive power from lowest output to maximum destructive power.

(a) Laser beam.

10 KiloJoule pulsed laser. Extremely responsive, the laser shoots forward.
(b) Neutron beam.

The unidirectional beam shoots forward like the laser. It has a 10 TeraJoule output, and can annihilate most objects quickly and effectively.
(c) Dual Plasma beams

Two cannons permit you to shoot both upwards and downwards simultaneously.
(d) Torpedoes.

Self powered, they have highly destructive power and long range.

(e) Photon bombs.

They are tactical weapons due to a limited area of use. But they are the most powerful of S.T.O.R.M. weapons.


U.S.S. S.T.O.R.M. Equipment

Nov. 11th, 2005 21:38 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/272 — updated on Oct. 29th, 2018 16:48 exists for 18 years & 4 months ago

S.T.O.R.M. can only carry a limited quantity of ammunition for each weapon type. But on the way to the drill head, you will be able to find ammunition refill packs.

(f) Mechanical arm (g) R.O.V ( Remote Operational Vehicle) (h) Anessa
It's a useful part of the S.T.O.R.M. submersible. It enables you to collect ammunitions packs, oxygen refill packs, etc. or allows you to handle any object you will find on your mission.
But be aware that this highly technical part of S.T.O.R.M. is also very fragile. You could loose it.
This mini submarine is remotely guided. It has laser beam weapons. It can be use in a hostile or narrow area where neither the S.T.O.R.M. nor the diver can enter. This is the most advanced computer technology in existence. Its holographic memory bank technology offers you highly accurate advice and reporting on any problems that may occur. It has a female personality interface, and you can rely on it completely. Your best friend in a battle.



Looking for Praxillium

Nov. 11th, 2005 21:30 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/271 — exists for 18 years & 4 months ago

By the year 2055, an ever increasing population has almost depleted Earth's natura resources. Widely used fossil fuel and nuclear products has resulted in an extremel polluted environment due to Global greed and apathy dealing with nuclear waste. Nation have accused one another of plundering the Earth. Tensions are at breaking points an drastic actions have been taken by those in power.

In a desperate, last ditch effort to find a solution, the world nations have given the Bureau of Advanced Energy Research (B.A.E.R.) the task of finding another source of energy. Using special satellites to probe the Earth's depths for energy sources, a startling discovery is made. There appears to exist a rare mineral capable of supplying vast amounts of energy. It is coined PRAXILLIUM after Doctor Gustav Praxis, the inventor of the satellite energy sensor.

Praxillium is an extremely rare mineral. Found only underwater, it has the fissionable characteristics of Uranium, without any radioactive waste. The first source of Praxillium is discovered underwater at about 400 miles south-east from Newfoundland.

B.A.E.R. immediately sets up an underwater drilling site 5 miles beneath the North Atlantic to extract the Praxillium. Not long after the first Praxillium site had been established, an unexpected undersea explosion occurs. All contact with the drill site has been lost.

You, the player, are ex-SEAL Andy Steele. You have been hired by BAER to lead an expedition to investigate. No human has ever traveled these depths. An experimental military submersible code named S.T.O.R.M., which stands for Submersible Tactical Operational Reconnaissance Module has been commissioned. Your mission is to get to the drill site and find out what has happened. Be careful! The mission will be extremely dangerous.

Because of the value of the Praxillium, there will likely be other parties interested in acquiring it. You should expect B.A.E.R.'s arch rival, the N.E.O. (Nuclear Energy Office), to be determined to beat you to the answer. They have in fact hired a team of ex-military mercenaries who will try to stop you.

You will select two crew members to join you on this mission. And there's no one else but you and S.T.O.R.M. to find out what happened, get the Praxillium production going, and save the earth. Be prepared to discover many intriguing secrets spoken of only in legends.


Un jeu sur 3 CDs

July. 29th, 2006 19:47 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/350 — updated on Nov. 2nd, 2018 18:42 exists for 17 years & 7 months ago  Content not available in English. - .

Le jeu comporte une heure et demi de vidéo et 13 sound tracks originales, ce qui a vallu au jeu de remporter le prix de la fiction de Festival Mondial de l'Image Sous Marine 1996 à Antibes, France.

N'ayant pas de version numérique du film présenté, voici une reconstitution à l'aide des rush du jeu:

Intro

Prolog:

Arrival on departure site:

Arrival at HP1: the first underwater station

Getting to the broken drill head

Arrived at HP5 underwater station:

HP5:

A Monacus…

…is causing an the accident:

Need to explore with STORM through the passage:


Discovering Atlantis and Mikonos

The probe detects unknown life:

Briefing:

Meeting Atlantis:

Ennemies are coming:

Atlantis history explained:

Medusa attacks:

Mikonos lose:

Mikonos wins:


Game Over



A 3-CD-set Game

July. 29th, 2006 19:47 by Stéphane de LucaPermalink | TrackBack: https://stephanedeluca.com/trackback/349 — updated on Nov. 13th, 2018 01:35 exists for 17 years & 7 months ago - .

The game features about 1 hour and a half of video, plus 13 sound tracks.
The game won the Fiction prize of the World Festival of Underwater Pictures in Antibes, France, in 1996.
As I don't have a numeric version of the movie, the following is an attempt to reconstitute it by taking snap shots from the game:

Intro

Prolog:

Arrival on departure site:

Arrival at HP1: the first underwater station

Getting to the broken drill head

Arrived at HP5 underwater station:

HP5:

A Monacus…

…is causing an the accident:

Need to explore with STORM through the passage:


Discovering Atlantis and Mikonos

The probe detects unknown life:

Briefing:

Meeting Atlantis:

Ennemies are coming:

Atlantis history explained:

Medusa attacks:

Mikonos lose:

Mikonos wins:


Game Over