Army of Two The 40th Day Blog

two all-new co-op campaign maps: Chapters of Deceit

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Get your partner ready for some more co-op action starting April 1st! A new DLC pack entitled Chapters of Deceit will provide you with two more chapters to dominate. Here's the first look, with more details to follow over the next month:

EA montreal Announces TWO NEW CO-OP CAMPAIGN MAPS for Army of Two: the 40^th day

Montreal, Canada - February 23, 2010 - EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced an all-new campaign map pack called 'Chapters of Deceit' for the third-person co-op shooter ARMY OF TWO^TM: THE 40^th DAY. Available for download on Xbox LIVE^TM and the PlayStation®Network on April 1, 2010 for $9.99 or 800 Xbox LIVE points, players will return to war-torn Shanghai where they will encounter more destruction, more devastation and enemies determined to bring the city to the brink of ruin.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY - Chapters of Deceit features two all-new co-op campaign maps. In the new chapters, players stumble upon information that could lead to ending the invasion by Jonah and his 40^th Day Initiative army. However, they quickly learn that everyone is out for themselves and to trust no one but their partner.

In ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY, players have to work together to escape Shanghai as it falls under attack. The game boasts a robust playbook of co-op moves with one of the most extensive and varied weapon customization systems ever found in an action/shooter game. Players can mix and match weapon parts and execute strategic two-man tactics that create a one-of-a-kind co-op action experience.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY is rated "M" by the ESRB and available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). Gamers can also download a demo of the game now on PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE^TM Marketplace. For more information on ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY please visit: www.armyoftwo.com. For more information on EA Montreal, please visit www.eamontreal.com or www.ea.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Army_Of_Two.

Pixologic Talks Art with the EA Montreal Team

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Pixologic has provided an artist’s prospective on the development of Army of Two: The 40th Day. They sat down to talk with Rodrigue Pralier, Joseph Botardo, and Edward Hardison from the EA Montreal team. They discussed the tools that were used, techniques, challenges, and many other art-related topics. And if you’re just looking for some cool pictures they don’t disappoint!

Developer Weapon Designs: Julie Marchiori

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It's time once again for you to meet a developer from the EA Montreal team and their weapon of choice. Here's Julie Mariori and her VSS:

Julie Marchiori, Level Designer

How can you not enjoy sniping when sporting such a deadly (and classy) customized VSS? When entering a new battleground, the first thing I do is scout the surroundings for that perfect sniping sweet spot. After politely ordering my buddy to make a scene and grab the aggro, I get comfy and begin popping heads like grapes, one after the other, with a delightful giggle. Heads popping in a 7x scope is all a gal can ask for. My VSS keeps my aggro to a minimum while still giving me blissfully stable handling. And if the situation gets sticky, I always carry around my diamond encrusted grenades. Power and Fashion statement, all in one.

That being said, I am flexible. If my buddy wants to snipe, he'll have to win a 3-outta-5 in a fierce Rock-Paper-Scissor match. Coop snipe anyone?

Xbox.com/Co-Optimus Community Play Session Tonight!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Starting tonight at 5:00 PM PST (8:00 PM EST) a community play session that is hosted by Co-optimus and Xbox.com will begin, giving you the chance to play some multiplayer matches with us and the Co-optimus community. To join in add the Gamertag "cooptimus Ao2" and use the friends of friends feature. For more info on the event check out this page on Xbox.com or visit Co-optimus for complete details.

I'll be ready to dominate the matches, hope to see you there! :)

A Step-by-Step Look at adding CG Effects to the Salem & Rios Videos

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In the Salem & Rios visit EA Montreal videos real human actors from the cinematic team were mixed with computer generated versions of Salem, Rios, and other ordinary objects. It probably didn't take you long to come to that conclusion, but there are a wide variety of computer generated effects that are applied to the original footage that you almost surely will not have noticed. Here are two video clips showing the dramatic difference between the original filmed footage and the final result, with some steps inbetween (and be sure to check out the final video for comparison):

Developer Weapon Designs: Jocelyn Amyot

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It’s time once again to meet a member of the Army of Two: The 40th day dev team and their weapon of choice. Here’s Jocelyn Amyot:

I am Jocelyn Amyot, and I was an animator on Army of Two: The 40^th Day. All those times you're step jumping your buddy over a wall or a fence or a pile of rocks or a broken wall or a torn fence, think of me as you watch that silky smooth animation play out. I did that. And you'll get to enjoy it again and again.

This is my favorite boom stick, a custom AK-47. Loud, reliable and extremely deadly. Don't equip a silencer or you'll miss all fun.

Post Your Favorite Designs, We're giving away Ao2: TFD T-Shirts

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The opportunity to snag a snazzy Army of Two: The 40th Day t-shirt has arrived! We are giving away five t-shirts over in our forums. To enter simply share your favorite mask designs with the Army of Two community by posting a link/image in the giveaway forum post (more details therein). Here are some of my favorite designs to start things off:

Behind The Scenes of the Salem & Rios World Tour Trailer

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Salem & Rios toured the US, visited the UK, stopped off at the Eifel tower, and cruised down the canals of Venice in the latest Army of Two Trailer. Along the way they got a tattoo done at Miami Ink and arm wrestled Paul Teutul Sr. from Orange County Choppers, in addition to getting up to all sorts of other mischief. Francois Pelletier, the cinematic director at EA Montreal, and his team came up with the idea for this trailer and worked hard to make it happen. They traveled to all of the locations that you see in the trailer and made calls to Orange County Choppers and Miami Ink to see if they were interested in helping out. They were, and it was a little unnerving for Francois to work with such well known celebrities. Here are some behind the scenes pictures of the EA Montreal cinematics team on site as they filmed footage for the trailer:

Salem & Rios Go On A World Tour

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Salem & Rios have concluded their world-wide promotional tour for Army of Two: The 40th Day. Along the way they visited Paul Teutul Sr. at Orange Country Choppers, got a little work done at Miami Ink, and chased some pigeons...

Developer Weapon Designs: Alexis Palangie

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It's time to meet another member of the dev team at EA Montreal. Here's Alexis Palangie and his weapons of choice:

I'm Alexis Palangie, and I've been working at EA as an AI developer since the original Army of Two. Whenever the enemy darts from cover to cover to flank you, shoots you down and rushes in to stomp your face on the pavement as you desperately try to crawl away, I'm the one to blame.

As you can imagine, I've played Ao2:TFD a *lot*, and tried pretty much every gun combination possible, but I keep coming back to my souped-up AA-12 shotgun with a stealth-focused TD-Vector as back-up. I tend to play Rambo-style, always charging the enemy, so the AA-12's close range power helps a lot there, and its ability to generate a lot of aggro allows the friend I play with to sneak around and take down entrenched targets.

Now if only I could avoid dying so much... :)

Rios & Salem Action Figures

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios have been miniaturized by NECA and turned into 7" action figures. They're available now from various online retailers and should also be in retail stores that stock NECA products. Here's a description and images of them encapsulated in their pretty plastic homes:

"Each of these highly detailed and poseable figures is armed to the teeth with an assault rifle, a sniper rifle and a pistol. No worries if it's too much to carry since the weapons attach to the figures' back. Also included are the individual masks that Rios and Salem wear in the game -- pivoting up and down to give them a better look at the action."

Zoo Themed Xbox Live Theme

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Decorate your Xbox 360 in the spirit of devastation. A new devastated zoo Army of Two: The 40^th Day theme is available on Xbox Live for 240 MS points. Dead animals are included. Here are some screenshots of the theme in action:

Army of Two Fans Invade GameStop

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Army of Two fans Ben and Trey, who you may have seen before if you attended Comicon or Pax 2009, have geared up in their Rios & Salem costumes once again. They attended a midnight launch party last night at the GameStop at the San Tan Village shopping center in Arizona, where they had a great time posing for pictures and joking around with fans (and GameStop employees). Check out more pictures in this forum thread. Thanks Ben and Trey!

Army of Two: The 40th Day IS In RETAIL Stores Tomorrow!

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

EA montreal's Internationally acclaimed ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^TH DAY AVAILABLE IN RETAIL STORES TOMORROW

First Major Video Game of 2010 Unleashes Co-Op Action

Montreal, Canada - January 11, 2010 - Fight together, survive together! EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that ARMY OF TWO^TM: THE 40^th DAY will hit retail shelves nationwide tomorrow. Army of Two: The 40^th DAY delivers an exciting action experience that has earned widespread critical acclaim including a score of 9.5 from PLAY (Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system) and 4.5/5 from PlayStation: The Official Magazine (PlayStation®3). With an average score of 83* on the Xbox 360, ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^TH DAY is a full 11 point quality improvement over its predecessor. The game's signature two-man gameplay has the Official Xbox Magazine saying, "the co-op play is amazingly fun and strategic," and PSM3 in the UK calling it, "one of the best cover-to-cover shooters on the PS3."

Army of Two: The 40^th DAY is the sequel to the 2008 multi-platinum co-op shooter. Players work together as the ultimate two-man private military team, Salem and Rios, to survive and escape the city of Shanghai as it falls under attack by mysterious forces. The game boasts a robust playbook of co-op moves with one of the most extensive and varied weapon customization systems ever found in an action/shooter game. Players can mix and match weapon parts found in the world and execute strategic two-man tactics that create a thrilling, one-of-a-kind co-op action experience.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY is available for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation®3, and the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®). Gamers can also download a demo of the game now on PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE^TM Marketplace. For more information on ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY or to buy the game please visit: www.armyoftwo.com. For more information on EA Montreal, please visit www.eamontreal.com or www.ea.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Army_Of_Two.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^TH DAY is rated "M" by the ESRB.

Army of Two Comic Book Preview #3

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The first issue of the Army of Two comic is in stores starting January 13th! IDW Publishing and EA Comics have teamed up to bring you an ongoing series featuring our beloved Rios and Salem. Check out these preview images from the first issue (and you can also view our first and second previews):

Multiplayer Map Preview: Aftermath

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Fight amongst the ruined streets and buildings of Shanghai on "Aftermath," one of the new multiplayer maps in Army of Two: The 40th Day. Check out this video fly through of Aftermath in action:

Developer Diary: Don't Take Your Partner For Granted

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Veterans of Army of Two and new players alike will become quickly accustomed to depending on their partner for support. Healing, taking aggro, and performing coop moves becomes a natural part of the game--but we've added plenty of twists in Army of Two:The 40^th Day that will make you realize just how important this now routine teamwork is.

We've created unique set pieces that add interesting and unexpected twists to the game and help make you realize the importance of having your partner fight at your side. We do this by temporarily separating players as they try to survive without the support that they're accustomed to. In one case players will be abruptly separated by a crumbling floor. You'll take on distinct roles as one player must navigate the destroyed floors of a skyscraper and confront enemies head on while the other player provides long range spotting and sniper support. The game becomes much harder, and much more intense, as you quickly realize that without your partner near your side for support mistakes result in defeat when you cannot be revived. Communication becomes the key to success and when players finally reunite it's a relief.

In playtests we found that not only did players find the unexpected separation from their partner intense, but these moments also cause players to interact with each other much more as they conquer the unique challenge. Sometimes players will practice until they perfect their specific roll and finally reunite with their partner: "I went down too fast...I took too much aggro...I'll try this next time." In other cases partners aren't so patient. They'll quickly switch roles thinking that they can do it better, which doesn't always end up being the case :) For us it's a big win for co-op as the these intense moments encourage players to communicate as they overcome the difficult situation.

There will be other times that your partner will become your savior. If you're foolish enough to let enemies get within melee range they might suddenly grab you and begin to strangle you into submission. Often you can escape their clutches on your own, but having your partner nearby for a quick rescue is a relief when you are being strangled to death. It's another reminder of how critical teamwork is and how great it is to have a partner at your side when things get hairy.

In addition to these set pieces we've also designed levels in Army of Two: The 40^th Day that present players with multiple paths for reaching their goal. These paths present players with a dilemma. On one hand, you can separate and use aggro and flanking tactics very effectively to kill foes as one player easily draws the fire of enemies while the other can freely take them down--but it can be a risky strategy to adopt. Being apart from your partner is risky business since it becomes very difficult to recover from mistakes. If you or your partner goes down you'll have to quickly run to their aid, avoiding fire while you go, and perform a last moment revival before the timer runs out. Side by side you may be relatively safe, but apart you can be a more effective killing machine.

Work with, exploit, and berate your partner, but don't forget how important he or she is to your success!

By Danny Belanger and Benoit Richer.

Multiplayer Map Preview: Urban Square

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Team up and fight your foes on Urban Square, one of the new multiplayer maps in Army of Two: The 40th Day. Check out this video fly through of the map as it awaits the impending carnage just five days from now:

Multiplayer Map Preview: Temple

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Even the sacred temple is not free from carnage in Army of Two: The 40th Day. Check out this video fly through of one of the new multiplayer maps, called “Temple.”

Prima Game Guide Preview #4

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Alice Murray is helpful, but she can't solve all of Rios & Salem's problems. Fortunately for you, Prima Game Guides' Army of Two: The 40^th Day guide reveals all. Here are four more preview pages that cover part of the first chapter of the game:

Army of Two Comic Book Preview #2

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This January EA Comics and IDW Publishing bring you the first issue of the Army of Two comic. The comic is an ongoing series created by Peter Milligan, Dexter Soy, and Jose Marzan Jr. Look below for this week’s preview and be sure to check out last week’s preview as well.

Seven New Screenshots

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Start 2010 off right, start with seven glistening new screenshots of Rios & Salem doing what they do best.

Behind The Salem & Rios CG Videos

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to a trio of videos that were created by the cinematic team at EA Montreal most Army of Two fans have seen Salem & Rios play ping pong, wrestle with a malfunctioning photocopier, and cause all sorts of mischief at EA Montreal. This team is headed by Cinematics Director Francois Pelletier and consists of fourteen talented people, most of which came from the movie industry.

These videos started out as nothing more than a fun idea. In January of 2009 Francois and his team, who created the cinematics for the original Army of Two, wanted to expand their role in the company as the cinematics in Army of Two: The 40th Day moved away from being pre-rendered to being rendered by the in-game engine. With their idea in mind the cinematics team set to work and created a sample video using a low-end camera. This first footage, despite being quite grainy, allowed them to test their ideas and demonstrated how well they worked in practice. This test was compelling enough to entice people like studio General Manager Alain Tascan and Executive Produce Reid Schneider to support the project and give them the ability to go ahead and produce the videos that you can see today. It's a fun and exciting project for Francois and his team, one where they get to express their creativity and make cool videos simply for the purpose of expanding on the Army of Two universe in a fun and interesting way.

These videos were originally inspired by ESPN and Reebok's Terrible Terry Tate commercials, where professional athletes are taken out of their element and put into office settings with humorous results. The parallel is obvious as Rios & Salem, taking the place of athletes, goof off at the EA Montreal offices. The goal was not only to create fun videos, but also to expand on the characters of Rios & Salem--expanding their personalities and taking them beyond being merely in-game mercenaries. Francois thought these characters were bigger than simply a video game and could be expanded on in interesting ways. Rios & Salem were imagined as real life people who, in addition to being mercenaries, are successful media personalities who are taking care of their licenses by helping out at EA Montreal--although their personalities result in mischief more often than guidance.

These videos also become a great opportunity to feature the hard working development team. In the first video most of the actors are from the cinematic team, while in later two videos you can see the dev team who were eager to make their acting debuts in the videos. There was a casting call, but as Francois pointed out, just about anyone who showed up was eagerly turned into an actor...if only temporarily.

Of course, game developers are not professional actors so it took a lot of practice to get things right. Rios and Salem are 100% computer generated; there are no stand in actors or men in suits taking the role of Salem and Rios. Using assets 3d models, keyframe animation, motion capture, lighting, audio queues, and other techniques the cinematic team had to add Salem & Rios into the scenes and sync their animations with the movements of the actors. As a result the dev team simply had to imagine the scenario and take queues from the cinematic team when acting out the scenes. 30 minutes of footage could end up being just two to three seconds in the video, but getting the perfect reaction from the actors was crucial for making the videos believable.

Thus far the reaction from fans who have watched the videos has been almost universally positive, and in fact the positive reaction and the popularity of the videos has even been surprising for Francois. It's rewarding for him and his team to be able to create something that people really enjoy, and you can expect more of it in the future!

Multiplayer Map Preview: Vertigo

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Fight atop a partially constructed skyscraper in Vertigo, the third multiplayer map in Army of Two: The 40th Day that we've previewed. Watch the video fly through:

Developer Weapon Designs: René Hidalgo

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's time for you to meet another developer from the team at EA Montreal and their weapon of choice:

I’m René Hidalgo, Voice Over Specialist on the game. I make sure all of the dialogue plays in the game and I have been on the team since Rios and Salem were controlling the suicide-bomber population in the first AO2.

My weapon of choice is a pimped-out (literally) version of the almighty M107. I call it the Arrogant Bastard. In Rambo (2008), there is a scene where School Boy fired this gun for the first time. I remember it to this day; the sound of it hit me like a roundhouse kick to the chest. And so an infatuation with the M107 began. You will soon discover that this is one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal; a long-range, bad-ass Mamma-Jamma. Yes, you can put a silencer if you want to get all tactical, but I prefer not to. You see, I want the bad guys to hear me. I want them to know where the hell that shot came from. And, in the split second they still have left, I want them to see the light. But it’s not actually THE light. It’s a pimped-out gold gun shining in the sun that got them right between the eyes.

Army of Two: The 40th Day Prima Guide Preview #3

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check out these latest preview images from Prima Game Guides' Army of Two: The 40th Day guide. These pages showcase the first level, which you've probably had a chance to experience in the demo. For the first preview images check out this blog update.

Army of Two: The 40th Day Comic Book Preview #1

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Coming this January Salem are Rios are entering the comic book world once again with an ongoing series published by IDW Publishing and created by Peter Milligan, Dexter Soy, and Jose Marzan Jr. Here's a preview of the cover and the first couple pages from the first edition. For more info visit EA Comics and check back next week for a second preview!

Custom Mask Creator Guide Part 2, By Alvaro Rios

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Making of Seven
Part 2
By Alvaro Rios

Step 7: Creases around the Mouth

Now it is time to work in the details for the mask. I'll begin with the creases around the mouth. Using the tool that resembles a fine hair, we can create the creases around the mouth and near the nose. Remember to warp and scale the shape until it matches your reference picture, or until you think it looks good.

After you are done arranging the creases, we can work on the brow of the mask.

Step 8: The brow area of the mask.

Using the bullet shape, we can create the lines that make up the brow. Keep in mind, you can use any shape you want, as long as it achieves the desired look. I could have just as easily used one of the other shapes loaded with the Custom Mask Creator. Just to demonstrate how versatile the Creator can be, we will use the bullet shape to create the brow.

We will then add more details to the brow using this Sergeant Rank shape tool that resembles a curved line. With a little tweaking we can add the underside of the brow area.

Step 9: The power of Line

Using a rectangle, you can create straight lines by scaling the shape horizontally until it is thin. From here, you need only use your imagination. For this particular design, line is a recurring element. The original mask in the reference photo is very angular, and thus our design will be angular as well.

If you create a rectangle of a lighter shade, you can create the highlight on the bridge of the nose. The rectangle will be among one of the most versatile shapes you use in the editor, along with your circles, and triangles.

Once you work in a few more details with the lines, you should be ready to start the shading. Already, the mask is looking more and more complete.

Step 10: Shading and Highlights

To make your mask look three-dimensional, you need shadows and highlights to create the illusion of depth.

Step 11: Textures

The key to making detailed masks is to use texture whenever possible. The more textures you add, the more layered your mask will look. Textures is what separates a clean-looking mask, from a weathered, war-torn, battle mask. Nobody will take you seriously if you have a mask that looks brand-new. “How many battles did you say you survived?”

Therefore, texture is king when it comes to designing war masks.

Step 12: Enjoy your mask, and have fun creating more masks and shooting stuff

You pretty much have a basic grasp on the basics of creating detailed masks. The best advice I can give you is to experiment and play around with the editor. Stop looking at that heart shape as being merely a heart shape, and instead try to think of what you could do with it if you warped and twisted it a little. It could just as easily be the nose cavity for a skull, or the tip of a spear or arrow. Do not limit yourself by thinking that the tools you have at your disposal are inadequate. Instead, try to think outside the box. Some of the best artists do their best work under strenuous limitations.

Now go out there, create masks, and shoot stuff.

Make sure you read the first part of Alvaro Rios' Custom Mask & Armor Creator Guide and check out his designs!

Multiplayer Map Preview: Ground Zero

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this video fly through of the new multiplayer map "Ground Zero." More map previews will arrive soon!

Custom Mask Creator Guide Part 1, By Alvaro Rios

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My name is Alvaro Rios [check out his designs here], and I am an art student currently studying to become a graphic designer/game artist. The Custom Mask Creator for Army of Two:40th day opens up doors for various people to create their own amazing designs. However, some of you out there may be a little overwhelmed by the tools or confused as to how some of the talented individuals in the Army of Two community are able to create the more complex designs. Luckily, Spenser Norrish contacted me and presented me with the opportunity to try and explain some of the artistic process that goes behind creating my masks.

This guide is written in a step by step process that outlines the basic process of how I go about creating a mask. For this particular design, I have chosen to create a mask based of Mick Thomson of Slipknot. I hope this guide helps you to create your own amazing designs, or at least helps you understand and appreciate some of the hard work that goes into creating such designs.

The Making of 'SEVEN'
Part 1
By Alvaro Rios

Step One: Choose a Design

The first step to making a mask is choosing a good design. Keep in mind that you are working on a fixed template (Salem and Rios' bullet-proof masks), so try to choose a design that would fit best on the mask template. If you are a beginner, mask designs with hollow eyes tend to work well with the Custom Mask Tool (example: Hockey Masks, Skull masks, etc.), but do not limit yourself to just working with hollow eye designs. Once you get better at it, you'll know what you can and can not do on the Custom Mask Editor. For this step-by-step demonstration, I have chosen to design a mask based off one of my favorite musicians, Mick Thomson of Slipknot.

Second Step:

Research and Reference The second step before you start working is to collect and compile a good amount of reference images. If you're working from your own design, try to sketch your mask out from various angles. If you working from reference images from the internet or magazines, collect as many shots of the design from all perspectives. The more angles, the better. The purpose of all this is so that you can use the images to study what your mask is supposed to look like when you work on it from the profile view (side-view), three-quarters view, as well as from the front.

Step 3: Background Color

What is the dominant color of your design? If most of your mask design is primarily green for instance, it would be a good idea to choose this as your background color. For this particular design, a silvery gray hue is the dominant color, so I will use it as my background color. The values for the color I've decided to use as my background color are H 0,S 0,B 40 and R 102, G 102, B 102.

Tip: It is important to note the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness (HSB) values along with the Red, Green, Blue color values (RGB) in the color picker, especially if you're planning on masking imperfections later on with “hidden shapes”. In short, memorize the numerical values if you plan on using the same color various times during the design process. I tend to stick to even numbered values as they tend to be easier to memorize (Example: Blood Red = H 0, S 100, B 50, R 128, G 0, B 9. Every time I use blood splatters or spots on my design, I will input these values to get the color that I want, each and every time). Alternately you can memorize the color code, the 6-digit code that corresponds to each color. For example the color code of my gray mask's background color is # 666666. This is perhaps easier for some to memorize than the individual HSB RGB values. It comes down to personal preference.

Step 4: The Eyes

The first part of the mask that I like to work on is the eyes. That is because some of the shapes get warped due to the surface of the mask template. That circle shape tool that you placed over the eye hole may end up looking like an oval once the mask is rendered in 3D.

Tip: Turn on the Mask Outline
This helps you see where the edge of the mask will be, as well as showing you where the eye-holes are located. This is essential to your workspace when creating a mask.

For this specific design, notice the menacing glare of the mask. Study the eyes carefully. You will notice that the eyes are very angular. Luckily for us, the Custom Mask Creator comes with a stamp that is very close to the design's eyes.

The hardest part is positioning the eye shape. You'll have to tilt it a bit and mess around with the scaling until it matches the reference photo.

Remember to save and hit the preview button to see what you have so far.

It's nice, but not quite close enough to the original design, so I will add circle shapes inside to “fill” in the empty cracks inside the eye shape.

Congrats! You just finished once of the hardest parts of the mask creation process!

Step 5: The Mouth ( or mouth equivalent!)

The next part I usually work on is the mouth... the second most expressive facial feature. Notice that this particular design replaces the mouth with air vent thingies.

Tip: Breaking down the complex shapes of the mask to simple geometric shapes is the key to creating a detailed mask design. Start developing this mentality when you work with the Custom Mask Editor.

I begin by breaking down the air vent parts into simpler geometric shapes. They look rather angular, almost like triangles (hint hint).
So we use our triangle tool. Once we warp it to make it look long and thin, like fangs, we can stamp four more and proceed to rearrange them to match the original design.

However, notice that the top of the air vents are rounded. We will use circle stamps to round out the top of these shapes.

Step 6: The Nostrils

This is fairly simple. Guess what shape we'll be using for these nostrils? A Shield! Yes, a shield.
With this type of Custom Mask Creator, you must learn to look at shapes from different perspectives and angles. Each shape that has been included in the editor can be warped and twisted to create countless other new shapes and forms. That shield, with a little warping, tilting and scaling, will make an excellent pair of nostrils.

Tip: When dealing with the smaller complex parts of the mask, it is best to create and alter the shapes in a bigger size. When you are done tweaking the shapes, just scale them down to size.

You have pretty much laid out the distinguishing features of the mask.
Now it is time to work on the details that will add depth and texture to the mask.

Continue reading part two...

Buy 3 EA Games (including Ao2) And Get 800 MS Points

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

From December 25th through to January 31st you can get 800 MS points as a bonus for buying any three of the following EA Xbox 360 games on the Xbox Live Marketplace (and the original Army of Two is of course included). The deal is open to US and UK residents. Don't miss out on those family friendly games!

Shooters

Battlefield Bad Company

Army of Two

Black

Dead Space

Battlefield 1943*

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat**

*will be available for 600 MS pts for one day only on Dec 31st

**Not available in the UK

Racing

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Need for Speed: Carbon

Need for Speed: Pro Street

Burnout Paradise

Burnout Paradise - Big Surf Island

Burnout Revenge

Sports

Madden NFL Arcade

NHL 3 on 3 Arcade

Fight Night Round 3

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 - Predator Golf Course

FIFA 10 - Live Season 2 All Leagues

Madden NFL 10 - AFL Legacy Pack

Family Friendly

Sorry! Sliders

Sorry!

Yahtzee

Battleship

Monopoly

Connect 4

Action, RPG & Strategy

Mass Effect

Mass Effect - Bring Down the Sky

Command & Conquer Commander’s Challenge

Boom Boom Rocket

Dragon Age: Origins - Warden’s Keep

Mass Effect - Pinnacle Station

Developer Weapon Designs: Francois Aube

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's time for you to meet your developers and their weapons of choice. This is the first in a weekly series where a developer from the Army of Two: The 40th Day team at EA Montreal will show off their favorite custom weapon and give you a bit of info about themselves. Take a look:

Hi!

My name is Francois Aube. I worked as an Artificial Intelligence programmer on Army Of Two: The 40^th Day.

The weapon customization mode allows me to build the perfect weapon for my style of play: blowing things up.

I start with the brutally overpowering MK Grenade Launcher. I attach a 10 round drum for heavy-duty missions, and attach a combat shield to remove all hope for my enemies.

I terms of style, nothing less than 'Pimp' is acceptable. Both the Damage and Aggro ratings are now off the charts! And nothing is more embarrassing than being shot in the face by a gold gun.

Rios & Salem Are Heading to the UK

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Where's Alice when you need her?

Six New Screenshots

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There's nothing quite like the joy of seeing new screenshots of Rios & Salem looking badass and destroying their foes. Check out these six new images:

Custom Mask Creator Trailer

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You've probably already created your own Custom Mask and/or armor, but you have to wait until January 12th to actually play with it in-game. You might be wondering how awesome custom masks look when they are actually being worn by Salem & Rios, and we're here to satisfy your curiosity with this new trailer:

Multiplayer Map Preview: Zoo

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this video fly through of "Zoo," one of the new multiplayer maps in Army of Two: The 40th Day. We'll have more map previews for you in coming weeks.

Check Out the first reviews of Army of Two: The 40th Day

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

9.5 out of 10 - Play Magazine: "A killer cooperative recipe." Read the full review...

8.5 out of 10 - IGN - Editor's Choice Award: "Army of Two: The 40th Day capitalizes on its co-op play to deliver an awesome action experience that's incredibly fun to play." Read the full review...

9.0 out of 10 - Kombo.com: "Pound for pound action and fun." Read the full review...

9.0 out of 10 - GameFocus: Editor's Choice. Read the full review...

85% Games Master UK Magazine: "Army of Two: The 40th Day has taken past criticism on the chin. Salem and Rios have evolved from disagreeable meatheads into entertaining anti-heroes while the setting is now much more befitting to the gameplay. If you're looking for an intense but concentrated gaming experience, we think the masked mercs deliver." Magazine info...

85% - PS3M UK Magazine: "One of the best cover-to-cover shooters on PS3." Check out the pages of the January issue for the review Magazine info...

4.5 out of 5 - Playstation: The Official Magazine: "A rich, over-the-top buddy experience" Check out the pages of the February issue for the review. Magazine info...

Army of Two: The 40th Day PSP trailer

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Rios & Salem are bringing the fist bumping to the PSP! Check out this trailer of the PSP version of Army of Two: The 40th Day in action:

The Demo Is Tomorrow, But These Screenshots Are Today

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In just one more day you'll get your hands on the demo and get a head start on the co-op mayhem. While you wait here are four glistening screenshots of Rios & Salem taken from section in that very demo.

Previews, Interviews, & Videos Signal Impending Fist Bumps

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Things are heating up as the release of the Army of Two: The 40^th day demo approaches, just two days from now on Dec. 17th. Check out these previews and videos, many of which contain footage from the demo. Prepare your fists for bumping and tune your air guitars for the impending co-op action!

IGN: Army of Two Single Player Hands-on

After having played some of the earlier multiplayer modes and a few of the single-player chapters, Army of Two: The 40th Day seems to be addressing many of the issues from the previous game. The action sequences for each chapter seem to be much larger and more engrossing, while the weapon system seems to be much deeper than before.

1Up: Army of Two: The 40th Day Preview

That last part is the most interesting. Essentially, once per chapter, Salem and Rios will come across a very specific situation with a clear, "good/bad" choice. The first one is whether you execute a new third partner for more money or not. Whichever way you decide (in this case, to either kill him for an extra $15,000 or let him live with no bonus cash), you get both an extreme boost to your morality meter, and an animated sequence showing "the consequences of your decision."

Kotaku: Army of Two: The 40th Day Preview: They're Better, We're Best

In any configuration I felt both the relevance of having a co-op character at my side and a sustained interest in how that could make conventional situations play out in more interesting ways. The designers of the game have smartly presented a varied sequence of co-op opportunities. More interesting than the presence of a wall which the two characters need to help each other surmount are the occasional run-ins with enemies who have taken hostages and other sudden instances that are best sorted out not by one man but by two.

GamerZines: Army of Two: The 40th Day Interview & Preview

However unlike in the original, when these kinds of scenarios felt formulaic, this time around they feel tense, atmospheric and unpredictable. Enemies will still come from the same place, but the way they react to your strategy often completely changes. The introduction of armoured mini-bosses also helps to focus your panic and can often only be disabled by repeated shots to sensitive areas (not what you think).

G4TV: Army of Two: The 40th Day Hands-On Preview Part Two

The game is also built around some rather spectacular set pieces, and fighting your way through/off of a collapsing skyscraper during the opening level is just the beginning. But just remember, as tempting as it is to want to watch as Shanghai explodes and burns all around you, you’d better keep your eyes focused on the swarms of baddies who want nothing more than to liquefy your face with bullets.

GameTrailers TV: Four New Videos

Demo Q&A With Reid Schneider, Additional Info

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Army of Two: The 40^th Day demo is just two days away, but between then and now you'll have some waiting to do...but we're here to help! Courtesy of Executive Producer Reid Schneider we have answers to your questions about the demo. Read below for details.

Can I play online co-op and/or split screen with a friend?

Definitely. The demo supports online and offline coop

Which section of the game is the demo taken from?

The demo is almost the full Chapter 1. Its very robust and even features full weapon customization.

Is there any multiplayer (versus) play in the demo?

No, its focused around COOP (online/offline) Campaign

Was it easy or difficult to choose which part of the game was to become the demo?

Yes, we wanted to use the first level as it included the tutorial and would ease players into the experience.

Did you have to decide--or make a trade offs--between introducing the core concepts of the game and showing players action?

Not so much, by focusing on level 1 it offered the main features we wanted to showcase.

Was creating the demo as simple as chopping a portion out of the game, or is there a lot of development time involved?

Well it was definitely significant dev time involved to build a standalone demo but we definitely think its worth it for our customers.

Does creating a pre-release demo take away from development of the full game?

We were fortunate to be able to bring on some amazing extra resources on both the engineering and art side to build the demo. Thus we did not have to sacrifice quality on the main game.

How long is the demo?

It's pretty long. :) About 45mins to finish it.

Are there likely to be any story spoilers that I might encounter?

No, but you will be introduced into the world of AO2:TFD

Are there any differences between what I'll see in the demo and the full game?

The demo is COOP only. The main game features a highly enhanced/improved PAI.

Will I get to see some of the new elements of Army of Two: The 40^th Day that weren't in the original game, like morality moments and new co-op moves?

Definitely. That's all there.

Will I get to see how the morality system works?

Yes, you will get to see the morality system in action.

Is the demo is being released before Army of Two: The 40^th Day, does that mean that it isn't from the final build of the game?

Its very close. Most people should not see any difference. :)

Will the gameplay in the demo be representative of what I'll see throughout the whole game, or are there new concepts introduced later?

Defintely, but we also introduce a lot more later in theme.

Additionally, some folks on Twitter and Facebook have asked which European regions the demo will be available in. The demo will be available on the PS3 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. On the Xbox 360 the demo will be available in Austria, Germany*, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Note that this is addition to the North/South American regions. *Still to be confirmed.

1Up Game Night Live Streams Army of Two: The 40th Day

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

1Up is bringing the fist-bumping co-op mayhem to you early! Tomorrow, Tuesday December 15th at 5 p.m. PST, 1Up Game Night will be broadcasting a live gaming session as they play through the first few levels of Army of Two: The 40th Day. You also have the opportunity to ask questions via Twitter @GameNight1Up or on their message boards, should you have any unanswered curiosities. You can watch the stream below when it goes live tomorrow evening.

Army of Two: The 40th Day Demo Announced - Dec. 17th

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

EA montreal GIVES players AN EARLY GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH army of two: the 40^th day demo

Experience 2010's First Blockbuster Videogame Before Release

Montreal, Canada - December 14, 2009 - EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced a demo for ARMY OF TWO^TM: THE 40^th DAY will be available as a free download on the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE^TM Marketplace on December 17^th. The demo will include most of the first level in the game, where the iconic two-man private military team of Salem and Rios find themselves trapped in Shanghai as it falls under attack. Players will experience the focused co-operative action that has made The 40^th Day one of next year's most anticipated games. A demo for the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®) will also be available for free on the PlayStation Network in North America on January 7^th and in Europe on January 14^th.

Army of Two: The 40^th DAY is the sequel to the 2008 multi-platinum co-op shooter. Players must work as a team to survive relentless enemy assaults and escape the city as it collapses around them. The 40^th Day delivers an organic and immersive cooperative adventure with one of the most robust weapon customization systems ever found in a videogame. Players can mix and match weapon parts found in the world and execute strategic two-man tactics that create a one-of-a-kind co-op action experience.

"THE 40^TH DAY is non-stop action in an explosive Shanghai. The game has been designed with a focus on co-op gameplay and it has been our goal to refine this core experience in all aspects of the game," said executive producer Reid Schneider. "The demo will give players the opportunity to experience this evolution and the new co-op moves and tactics available to players at any time in the game."

Gamers who pre-order* ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY will have exclusive access to the game's all-new explosive bonus multi-player mode, 'Extraction,' at launch. This mode will be unlocked for all other players one month after the game ships. Extraction Mode pits a team of four players against a series of unique enemy waves as they move from point to point in the ruined city. Players must strategize as a unified team to combat the different forces of the 40^th Day Initiative while trying to get out alive.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY will be will be in stores worldwide on January 13^th for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®). The demo available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles is playable via online co-op or in split screen.

Prima Game Guide Preview #1

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Prima Game Guides has been busily creating their latest masterpiece, known as the Army of Two: The 40th Day Day Game Guide. Over the course of the next month we will be providing you with preview images (and not to worry, they are generally spoiler free as they merely provide details for the beginning of the first level). Here's the first look:

Four New Screenshots

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Salem and Rios do ass kicking like kittens do cute. Check out these new screenshots of our duo in action: running, gunning, mock surrendering, and taking it to a hostage. As always, visit our screenshots section for more.

Community Day Multiplayer Coverage

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Some coverage from the folks who got a chance to play some Army of Two: The 40th Day multiplayer at our community day last week in Montreal has arrived. Look below for some excerpts and links to the goods.

Co-Optimus: Ao2: The 40th Day Community Event - Extraction and Multiplayer Impressions

Not only is it incredible fun, it also serves as a nice tutorial (of sorts) for how to succeed in the other modes. Unlike other Team DMs, where one or two outstanding players on a team can make up for others who are apt to shoot their toes off, The 40th Day’s Co-Op Deathmatch really does place an emphasis on working with your partner to effectively pick off the opposing foes.

Unscripted 360: The 40th Day Multiplayer Breakdown

I have to mention one other thing. The PSP version of this game was a blast to play. I definitely had a “wow this shit is great” moment when I first got a chance to play it on PSP. It’s like a Contra mixed with Killzone and it’s fire on PSP. They did a very nice job on bringing the game to PSP. And yes you can partner up with another PSP owner to get some co-op fun in.

That VideoGame Blog: Hands-on preview / Army of Two: The 40th Day (PSP)

One difference from older games like Smash TV is that the two players don’t need to be on the same screen, so in these split off moments, it’s a little more fun and interesting than usual since your bud won’t be on view. That it translates as well as it does to this portable rendition gives the game promise and a confident loyalty to the heart of the franchise.

Sarcastic Gamer: Army of Two sequel takes the Bromance to eleven

In all, this game just got put squarely on my January radar. While there is a ton of great games coming out in the weeks after the New Year, Army of Two: the 40th Day was a fun, co-op shooter in the vein of a Gears of War, that I had a lot of fun with.

Best of Custom Mask Designs, Week 1

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Custom Mask & Armor Creator has been out for less than a week, but there have already been literally hundreds of submissions. They range from the disturbing to the awesome, and lead me to believe that there are going to be some rather stylish players running around in a little more than a month. Here are some of my picks for the best mask designs created thus far. If you like them remember to favorite them so that you can easily send them in-game once you get your hands on Army of Two: The 40th Day!

The Achivement/Trophy List

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We know full well that there are plenty of you out there who are all about the achievement/trophy points. While we won’t go as far as to reveal and secret or spoiler-esque achievements, we will be revealing many of the new achievements that you’ll be able to gain while playing through Army of Two: The 40th Day’s campaign and multiplayer modes. Take a look, and check back later for more!

Update: All non-secret achievements/trophies are now revealed.

	A STEEP DESCENT: Complete Chapter 2 on any difficulty level.
	SOFTCORE: Complete half the game on the hardest difficulty.
	CHAAAARGE!: Charge through 20 enemies.
	NOT SO BAD AFTERALL: Tie up 15 enemy combatants instead of executing them.
	POWER COUPLE: Earn the highest partnership score in a Co-op Deathmatch, Control or Warzone public match.
	TOTAL FIST BUMP DESTRUCTION: Finish the game as best friends.
	FUTURE VISIONS: Unlock all potential futures.
	JOB SEEKER: In public matches, kill a player with either the primary or secondary weapon from every weapon kit.
	FRESH MEAT: Revive your partner and perform a partner reload during the same public match.
	HEALER: Heal your partner 10 times.
	MEAT BAG: Use 15 enemies as human shields.
	NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS: Complete Chapter 1 on any difficulty level.
	THE OPTIMIST: Make a positive coop morality choice.
	ONE SHOT, ONE KILL: Kill 100 enemies with a sniper rifle.
	SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: Complete all 16 rounds of an Extraction game in a public match.
	THE TRUTH IS RIGHT HERE: Listen to all of the radio broadcasts.
	TOTAL FIST BUMP DEFLATION: Finish the game in a fractured friendship.
	THE PESSIMIST: Make a negative coop morality choice.
	THE BEAST!: Kill 6,666 people in any game modes.
	SURVIVOR?: Complete the game on any difficulty level.
	QUICK DRAW: Kill 25 enemies with a quickdraw from mock surrender.
	PUMPKIN PATCH: Shoot 2 enemies in the head with a single bullet.
	PISTOLIER: Kill 150 enemies with pistols.
	OPEN HAND SLAP!: Kill 50 enemies with a melee or bayonet.
	LOOT AND PILLAGE: Collect $1,000,000.
	KING OF THE HILL: Win a public match on every map in Co-op Deathmatch, Control and Warzone.
	IN SYNC: Kill 2 enemies with simultaneous quick draws while in co-op mock surrender.
	HUMANIST: Save every hostage.
	HATE MONGER: Customize a primary weapon to high aggro.
	HARDCORE: Complete the game on the hardest difficulty.
	GRENADIER: Kill 3 or more enemies with a single grenade.
	GONE SHOPPING: Complete Chapter 5 on any difficulty level.
	FULL ARSENAL: Collect all weapons and weapon parts.
	THE PESSIMIST: Make a negative coop morality choice.
	EMERGENCY ROOM: Complete Chapter 4 on any difficulty level.
	DIY PMC: Create a custom facemask online (www.armyoftwo.com) and wear it in a public match.
	DEATH DEALER: Kill 10 players with headshots on a single map in a public match.
	CO-OP SNIPER: Co-op snipe 5 enemies.
	TOUCH NOT A CAT BUT A GLOVE: Shoot all Maneki Neko cats in the game.
	BOUND FOR LIFE: In a public match, survive an entire Extraction map without suffering a single death on your team.
	BIG GAME HUNTING: Kill both members of a single partnership during a public match.
	ATTENTION GRABBER: Allow your partner to snipe 5 guys while in mock surrender.
	OLD FAITHFUL: Kill 400 enemies with assault rifles, submachine guns or shotguns.
	ALL GUNS BLAZING: Kill a player with every weapon, including special weapons, in public matches.
	A DECENT ANIMAL: Complete Chapter 3 on any difficulty level.
	UNBREAKABLE: CSurvive an entire level in one session without being downed on normal difficulty or above.

The Community Meets Multiplayer

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Screaming and bloodshed were commonplace today in downtown Montreal, but fortunately only egos fell victim to the violence. We hosted a day of intense multiplayer for the community where select fans and a host of awesome folks from various community websites were in attendance--the hardcore of the hardcore gamers. It was great to have the chance to see our fans get a chance to play Army of Two: The 40th Day's vastly refined multiplayer modes and have an awesome time at it. It was hours of fun playing Warzone, Co-op Deathmatch, Control, and of course Extraction. It took no time for everyone to get into the swing of things, berating their rivals and impatiently yelling for their partners to revive them before they were overtaken by waves of enemies in Extraction. It couldn't have been more fun for us, and everyone who had the opportunity to kill and be killed in both glorious and humiliating ways.

Expect coverage from our event to appear over the course of the next week or two, which will include interviews with lead multiplayer designer Eric Chartrand and impressions of the multiplayer madness that ensued. We'll make sure to keep you updated on it via both Twitter and Facebook.

The Mask & Armor Creator is Live!

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You've no doubt already noticed that the Army of Two: The 40th Day Mask & Armor Creator is live! We wanted to launch the tool early so that there would be plenty of opportunity to create awesome designs before The 40th Day hits store shelves. As soon as you have the game you'll be able to load the designs that you've created (up to 5 can be sent to game at one time) or that have been shared in the gallery. Just remember the login/password that you used to login here and enter it when prompted in-game. You'll be able to show off your design on day-one to your foes online or with your partner through the campaign.

Have fun experimenting-we can't wait to see what sort of crazy designs everyone comes up with!

If you have any feedback, questions, or just want to discuss tips/tricks for creating designs, stop by our forums.

And as cool as the designs are online, they look even better on Salem & Rios:

Army of Two Custom Mask & Armor Preview

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Army of Two: The 40^th Day Custom Mask & Armor Creator is an online, browser-based, art tool that lets you create your own unique mask and armor designs that can be worn in-game. It is simple enough that anyone can very easily create quick designs, but powerful enough to create highly unique and complex designs. The possibilities are endless, and we can't wait to see what you come up with! Here's a sneak peak of the tool that everyone will get their hands on very soon:

Shapes: Shapes are the basic building blocks of your design. There are complex shapes like common military emblems, skulls, lightning, and many other objects. There are also basic geometric shapes, like squares, lines, and circles. All of these can be combined and modified to create your designs. With enough practice and a little skill you can combine and modify these shapes to create just about anything.

Texture Outlines: Armor & Mask outlines make it easy to create designs that fit within the dimensions of the in-game armor and/or mask. The in-game mask and armor are not square like the canvas you have to create your designs on, so this outline makes it easy to create designs that won't be cropped in accidental ways.

Text & Emblems: In addition to shapes you can also use Text and Emblems in your designs. There are many different fonts to choose from and you can change the color with ease. Emblems are user-created designs that can be edited and incorporated into other designs. For example, you could create a team logo and share it with your friends as an Emblem so that they can incorporate it into their own designs. You can also browse a gallery of Emblems that have been shared by other users and incorporate them into your own designs.

Background: The background color, and the opacity, of your design can easily be changed as well. There is a default metal texture on the mask and armor that your design lays over. You can cover it with a background or incorporate it into your design.

Zoom: It is possible to create very complex designs with many small details. The zoom feature makes it easier to make tiny changes.

File Size: The more elements that you add to your design, the larger the file size becomes. The limit is very generous, but in case your design is incredibly complex you can see when you are approaching the file size limit.

Toolbar: Basic tools for moving and modifying the elements of your design are provided. Additionally, all of the components of your design are layered so that a shape that is on the top will obscure one that is on the bottom. You can easily modify the layering of your shapes with these tools.

Undo/Redo: Undo/redo functionality is provided so that you can fix mistakes. You can also save your design at any time, and preview it on actual in-game models.

Canvas: The canvas is where you create your design! You can place shapes, text, and emblems here and modify them at will.

You can preview your design on the in-game models at any time. This preview shows a simple design that I created in just a few minutes.

We think it's important that you be able to share your designs and see what other people have created! After you've created a design you can choose to publish it in a public gallery and/or share them with specifically with your friends. From the gallery not only can you comment, vote, download, and share the submitted designs, but you can also easily preview them on in-game models and send them to your own game for use.

Army of Two Community Days...Past (Pax 09) and Future (Montreal)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Back in September we brought Army of Two to the biggest gaming festival around: Penny Arcade Expo 2009. Not only did we showcase the game on the floor at PAX 2009 so that all of our fans could get a chance to try it first hand, but we also held a community day for a select number of our most enthusiastic fans and community-centric websites. We're also holding another community day in the first week of December--less than two weeks from now--where we'll be treating some fans to a day of multiplayer in Montreal. You can expect plenty of coverage here, and on Facebook and Twitter, for the event as it happens and more thoroughly afterwards. This video provides footage from the PAX floor, our community event, and interviews with fans (including Ben and Trey--the faces behind the masks)!

The Colors of Weapon Customization

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Army of Two: The 40^th Day's weapon customization is much more than creating the most powerful gun. It's about creating the weapon that best fits your style of play and compliments your partner's. I tend to rush into combat without much hesitation, generating aggro as I go. A front mounted shield is ideal for preventing my death, but this also has its downside as a front mounted shield also reduces precision and handling. A front grip, which improves handling and precision, is a better choice for anyone that likes to sit back and take precise shots.

The performance of your weapon isn't the only thing you'll be modifying. There's also a huge selection of different styles ranging from practical camouflage to the more extreme. Why not dress your weapon in some hearts to demonstrate your love for the AK47, or some pretty flowers when spring rolls around?

Design your ultimate weapon, and don't forget to give it a nice coat of paint:

Multiplayer Info Recap

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The theme of these past two weeks has been multiplayer, multiplayer, and more multiplayer. Army of Two: The 40th Day's online modes, and the features that facilitates them, are first-class in every way. To give you a taste of what you can expect we've released a trailer, screenshots, developer diary, and a host of different gaming websites posted their own impressions based on some game-time. If you missed out on any of the coverage this is your chance to get caught up!

Multiplayer Overview - Get a quick overview of the big multiplayer features.

Gaming Site Coverage - See what other people are saying about Army of Two: The 40th Day's multiplayer in these previews, videos, and interviews.

Extraction - Get details, read previews, and watch the trailer for Extraction.

Developer Diary - Eric Chartrand discusses some of the improvements that have been made to Army of Two: The 40th Day's multiplayer over the original game, some of the new features, game modes, and the co-op focus.

Frequently Asked Questions - Have more questions? Check out our FAQ, where they are probably answered.

Electric Playground - Host Briana Mcivor and the Electric Playground feature Army of Two: The 40th Day on their week-long Lock & Load feature. They had a chance to play some multiplayer and talk to developers Alex Hutchinson and Eric Chartrand about what you can expect.

Screenshots - Check out 7 screenshots of some multiplayer action. TWO vs FDI.

Rios & Salem, posing for your desktop in three new wallpapers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We know you love pretty things and there isn't much that measures up to the splendor of high res pictures of Rios & Salem. As a result we aim to please with these new wallpapers featuring our favorite duo taking a pose and preparing for action:

Choose Size: 1920x1200 1680x1050 1280x1024

Army of Two: The 40th Day Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you don’t find the answer to your question here please feel free to visit our forums and have yourself heard.

General
What is Army of Two: The 40th Day's ESRB/PEGI rating?
Which platforms is Army of Two: The 40th Day available on?
PSP?!?!?
Is there a collector's edition?

Support
Is split screen supported?
Does Army of Two: The 40th Day have VOIP support?
Will there be a PC version of Army of Two: The 40th Day?

Gameplay
Has the artificial intelligence been improved?
Can I pick up weapons from downed enemies?
Organic co-op? What does that mean?
How can I get those weapons that won the weapon design contest?
Why have the voice actors changed?

Setting & Story
Where does Army of Two: The 40th Day take place?
Does that mean that there isn't a large variety of environments like in the original Army of Two?
What is the story behind Army of Two: The 40th Day?
Will Clyde return?

Custom Mask & Armor Creator
How does it work?
Are my designs private?
When will the Custom Mask & Armor Creator be available?
If I create a custom design now, can I use it when Army of Two: The 40th Day is released?
Can I use my custom designs in the single player campaign or multiplayer?
I can't get my mask/armor in-game, help!

Extraction
What is Extraction?
When can I play Extraction?
If I bought Army of Two: The 40th Day the day it is released, why can't I play Extraction immediately?

Multiplayer
Is multiplayer region locked?
What modes are supported?
How many players are supported?
Is there host migration?
Is there matchmaking?
Is there a server browser?
Do you have leaderboards?
Can I use my custom mask & armor designs in multiplayer?
Can I use my customized weapons in multiplayer?
Is multiplayer co-op based?
Can I play split-screen multiplayer?

What is Army of Two: The 40^th Day's ESRB/PEGI rating?

ESRB has rated Army of Two: The 40^th Day M 17+ (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, and Language. PEGI has rated Army of Two: The 40^th Day 18 for Bad Language and Violence.

Which platforms is Army of Two: The 40^th Day available on?

Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PSP.

PSP?!?!?

Yup! Developed from the ground up for the PSP with a more arcade feel, the PSP version of Army of Two: The 40^th Day hasyou follow the same story arch, visit the same locations, and experience the same morality moments that are seen in the PS3 and Xbox360 versions of the game. For more information visit our PSP info page.

Is there a collector's edition?

No collector's edition is currently planned.

Is split screen supported?

Split screen play is supported in both the campaign mode and online multiplayer.

Does Army of Two: The 40^th Day have VOIP support?

It certainly does. You'll be able to easily talk to and communicate with your partner when playing online over Xbox Live or Playstation Network.

Will there be a PC version of Army of Two: The 40^th Day?

There are no plans to create a PC version of Army of Two: The 40^th Day.

Has the artificial intelligence been improved?

Most definitely! Enemies can do everything that players can (for example, they can heal each other and perform step-jumps), and the partner AI is now smarter and able to perform all of the co-op moves on the fly. Check out our developer diary on AI, where the changes made to both the enemy and partner AI are chronicled in detail.

Can I pick up weapons from downed enemies?

Yes, when you've killed an enemy they'll drop their weapon and you can then pick it up and use it until the remaining ammo is spent. This even includes special, more powerful, weapons from the more powerful 'heavies' that you'll encounter.

Organic co-op? What does that mean?

In the original Army of Two co-op moves took place at very specific points in the game. In Army of Two: The 40^th Day, co-op moves are much more dynamic (or organic). You get to choose when to co-op snipe, hostage grab, mock surrender, etc. Additionally, the GPS has been upgraded to aid in executing these co-op moves. With the GPS you can now tag specific enemies which will then be visible to your partner even if they are behind a wall.

How can I get those weapons that won the weapon design contest?

Anyone that has a saved game from the original Army of Two on their Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 will automatically have access to the AS-KR1 and Sniper Launcher in the weapon customization feature. These are powerful weapons though, so you'll need to save up plenty of cash while playing through the campaign in order to buy them!

Why have the voice actors changed?

We wanted to create a more serious tone in Army of Two: The 40^th Day compared to the original game, and as a result decided to hire new voice actors for Salem and Rios. They still have the banter and sarcasm between them but the quality has gone up dramatically.

Where does Army of Two: The 40^th Day take place?

Unlike the original Army of Two, The 40^th Day is set in one location: Shanghai, China.

Does that mean that there isn't a large variety of environments like in the original Army of Two?

Nope, while Army of Two: The 40^th Day is set in one city (Shanghai), there is still a huge variety of locations. We've put a lot of effort info creating unique environments that aren't seen in the typical shooter. You'll visit a zoo, laundry facility, Chinese temple, hospital, and much more. Check out our developer diary on location and setting for more info.

What is the story behind Army of Two: The 40^th Day?

The story of Army of Two: The 40^th Day places Salem & Rios in the middle of Shanghai, China, on a routine mission. It isn't long before chaos ensues and it's apparent that Shanghai is being engulfed in a devastating man-made disaster. Salem & Rios must fight to survive as they discover exactly what is orchestrating the chaos around them.

Will Clyde return?

As memorable as he was, Philip Clyde and will not be making a return in Army of Two: The 40^th Day.

How does it work?

The Custom Mask & Armor Creator allows you to go online at www.armyoftwo.com and use a suite of tools to create your own mask/armor designs. The creator is essentially a custom art tool that allows you to create just about any design that you could imagine. You can then send your designs to your game and access them directly from the Masks menu seen in-game.

Are my designs private?

You can choose to keep your mask/armor designs private, share them with friends only, or share them with everyone by publishing them in the gallery. You and your friend can play a cooperatively with the same mask or choose to use different designs.

When will the Custom Mask & Armor Creator be available?

We will release the Custom Mask & Armor Creator before the launch of Army of Two: The 40th Day so that you'll have plenty of time to have your designs ready when it comes time to play, but we don't have a precise date nailed down yet.

If I create a custom design now, can I use it when Army of Two: The 40^th Day is released?

Yes! Your designs, as well as all of those in the gallery, can be used the moment you get your hands on Army of Two: The 40^th Day.

Can I use my custom designs in the single player campaign or multiplayer?

You can use your mask designs while playing through the campaign, but armor designs are for multiplayer only. You can also use your custom mask designs while playing Extraction.

I can't get my mask/armor in-game, help!

Please read this forum post for help with getting your custom mask or armor in-game.

What is Extraction?

Extraction is a multiplayer mode designed for 4 players. You will fight to reach an extraction point by surviving a series of unique enemy waves as you move from point to point in the ruined city. For more information on Extraction, including a trailer, visit our Extraction information page.

Is Extraction free?

Yes! Extraction is completely free to everyone.

When can I play Extraction?

If you pre-ordered Extraction you can begin playing now by entering your code in-game. Extraction will be unlocked for everyone a month later on February 12th.

If I buy Army of Two: The 40th Day the day it is released, why can’t I play Extraction immediately?

Extraction is bonus content that was originally not part of the game. It was created specifically for our dedicated community as extra bonus content.

Is multiplayer region locked?

No, Army of Two: The 40th Day’s multiplayer is completely region free.

What modes are supported?

There are 4 multiplayer modes. Co-op deathmatch, Control, Warzone, and Extraction. For more information on each of these modes check out our multiplayer developer diary or multiplayer info page.

How many players are supported?

You can play with up to 10 players in co-op deathmatch, control, and warzone. Extraction is designed for 4 players.

Is there host migration?

Yes! We support seamless host migration. If the player hosting your game leaves a new host will automatically be chosen and the game resumed, ensuring that multiplayer games will not end prematurely because the host has left.

Is there matchmaking?

Army of Two: The 40th Day uses advanced matchmaking that not only finds you ideal games, but also partners for playing in them if you don’t already have a partner to play with.

Is there a server browser?

Yes, in addition to matchmaking you can also browse for games with an in-game server browser.

Do you have leaderboards?

Absolutely! We have leaderboards for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as separate leaderboards for campaign and multiplayer play. We also have in-depth stats that you can easily compare with other players. The leaderboards and profile stats will be available at launch on www.armyoftwo.com

Can I use my custom mask & armor designs in multiplayer?

Of course! If you choose to play on the TWO team, you will be able to use custom mask designs. If you play on the FDI team you will be able to use custom armor designs.

Can I use my customized weapons in multiplayer?

No. In multiplayer you are able to select from a list of specific weapon load outs. These load outs have a wide variety of different weapon combinations so that you can choose the one that best fits your play style, and you can always pick up a fallen enemy’s weapon!

Is multiplayer co-op based?

Yes! Our multiplayer modes focus on core co-op aspects. You will play with a partner, and you and your partner will be able to revive each other and provide ammo. Some multiplayer modes feature teams of two, whereas others feature larger teams of four to six where you also have a primary partnership.

Can I play split-screen multiplayer?

Yes, multiplayer supports split screen. One player will be logged in with their Xbox Live or Playstation Network account, while the second plays on a guest account.

Developer Diary: Part 2 of Eric Chartrand on Multiplayer

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Part 2 of Eric Chartrand's developer diary on multiplayer is here! Make sure you check out the first part, as this one begins where the last ended. Additionally, if you haven't yet, be sure to check out our Extraction info page where you can find links to multiplayer previews by sites like IGN and 1Up, and a trailer. Enjoy!

By using a client-server approach we also gain the ability to let players join-in progress games and have host migration, if it so happens that the current host quits mid-match. No longer will a game cease to exist because one player left, and when a game isn't full a player can seamlessly join that empty spot at any time. All of this just makes for a more transparent, and enjoyable, experience for users as they don't have to worry about their games collapsing because other players aren't reliable.

Additionally, we've put a lot of effort into our matchmaking. Since we are a coop game even in multiplayer our matchmaking must take into account much more than other shooters. Many other shooters simply need to match player skill with available games, whereas before we even start worrying about finding games we must first match players with partners. We have an internal ranking called "caliber" that measures things like rank, kill to death ratio, and many other stats. We use caliber to then match coop partners so that we are putting together two complimentary players who will work well together and have a similar skill level-whether that's in the single player campaign or in a multiplayer game.

When we are actually matching players to a multiplayer game we have a series of ranked criteria that we use to find the best games. In order (very roughly), we find games based on ping, then player caliber, team balance, partnership balance, and finally team balance. These are very roughly ranked in terms of importance for finding ideal multiplayer games.

Since our multiplayer focuses exclusively on partnerships, it was also important for us to design multiplayer maps that facilitated cooperative play styles. When creating maps we start by creating contention points called battle zones. Maps are built around four to six of these, and each has an objective at the middle with offensive and defensive structures surrounding them. We actively imagine how a team would like to take these objectives and design structures to facilitate those types of strategies. As a result these areas automatically become choke points and we build path between them with places for ambushes and other strategies. It makes for some awesome gameplay as players can easily use their strategies of choice, and aren't forced to simply run in and shoot everything in front of them.

We also make sure that there are always paths for flanking the enemy. This is something that we learned the hard way. Originally we designed maps with a lot of hallways that forced players to stay near each other and this just ended up being boring because players were forced to follow their partners around. Now we focus on giving players alternate paths that allow them to remain close to their partner but also give them routes to flank. It gives players variety and the ability to use tactics, and really have a lot more fun. I think we've succeeded at making maps that will be exciting because players can work so well together with their partners, and from my point of view these are some of the best multiplayer out there!

We also wanted to make sure that partners could really establish themselves as unique partners. We didn't want a bunch of anonymous similar-looking people running around, but instead we wanted to focus on the partner aspect of things. As a result we decided to design an online tool that allows players to create unique armor for themselves. Players will be able to go onto the Army of Two website and use tools to create their own unique mask and armor designs. These designs can easily be shared between friends and allow for some really cool branding and team identification. You'll be able to easily identify rivals visually, and they'll be able to recognize you too.

As a result of all of this Army of Two: The 40^th Day's multiplayer experience will not only offer some really awesome gameplay in a coop-specific format, but it will also work seamlessly. Gone are the days of worrying about dropped games and region-locking!

Army of Two: The 40th Day Multiplayer Coverage

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This week was a big one for Army of Two: The 40^th Day as our multiplayer was fully revealed to the world. Not only do we have a new trailer for you to check out, but there was a huge amount of coverage from a variety of sources around the web, so be sure to check it out:

Kotaku - Army of Two: The 40^th Day Multiplayer Preview: Extraction Some fun

IGN - Army of Two: The 40^th Day Multiplayer hands-on

1UP - Army of Two: The 40^th Day Preview

GameSpot - Army of Two: The 40^th Day Multiplayer Hands-On & Interview

Destructoid - Purple bullets and co-op kills: Army of Two: The 40^th Day

Bitmob - Journalists Working Together? Co-op Hands-On With Army of Two: The 40^th Day

Giant Bomb - Army of Two: The 40^th Day's Preorder Bonus: A Whole Online Mode

Giant Bomb - Army of Two: The 40^th Day Multiplayer Interview

GameTrailers - Multiplayer Interview

And in addition to this multiplayer coverage, you can also check out a detailed interview with Creative Director Alex Hutchinson at NowGamer, a video interview with Alex at GamerVision, and the latest episode of GameTrailers TV, which shows some never before seen footage of the hospital laundry level and the heavy that inhabits it.

Developer Diary: Part 1 of Eric Chartrand on Multiplayer

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In this developer diary Eric Chartrand, Lead Designer on Army of Two: The 40th Day, provides insight into many of the improvements and additions that have been made to the multiplayer component of this game. The first part gives us a brief description of the four multiplayer game modes and covers some of the improvements made to networking in order to provide a smooth, uninterrupted, experience.

Army of Two may have delivered on co-op, but when it came to an online experience many players were left wishing for more. As a result the multiplayer component of Army of Two: The 40th Day has been completely reworked. We want to give fans unparalleled online functionality and a unique experience that can only come with a co-op game.

Army of Two: The 40th Day offers a total of four multiplayer game modes that can be played with up to twelve players on six different purpose-built maps. The visuals are inspired by the settings from the campaign, but the maps are designed from the ground-up specifically for multiplayer.

Caption: Extraction features four-player co-op and menacing waves of enemies.

The first multiplayer mode, and in my opinion the most exciting, is Extraction. Extraction is a new game mode that was devised as a bonus for pre-orders, giving gamers who preorder a month of exclusive access. The idea came from Reid Schneider, our executive producer, after receiving numerous questions about the possibility of 4-player co-op in Army of Two. The core of our game focuses on two, so extraction became an opportunity to extend Army of Two to four-player co-op. As such Extraction offers experiences similar to single player but without Salem and Rios and in a multiplayer situation. It's a single player encounter for four players where players must defeat waves of enemies, but with the objective of progressing through a map in order to reach safety at an extraction point.

Of course, this type of game mode is not unique to Army of Two: The 40th Day. Similar modes exist in other titles coming out this season, so we knew we needed to give Extraction a unique twist in order to really make it interesting. In Extraction the difference lies in progressing through areas and moving around different battle zones in series of multiplayer maps. We have four different areas that players will have to progress through on each map, and four maps in total for Extraction. The difficulty ramps up as players progress, but ultimately it's meant to be exceedingly difficult. We want to really get players sweating when they get to the end and have them feel like they are against insurmountable odds. For some players it will be difficult to get past even the first map, but fortunately you can choose to start on any map.

Caption: Extraction won't be easy. It's designed to be difficult and success will require tight teamwork.

In addition to extraction we have three other multiplayer game modes. We have Co-op Deathmatch, which is not team deathmatch. In team deathmatch players typically run around a map and simply attack the players on the opposite team without engaging in any sort of tactics that are different from free-for-all deathmatch. In Co-op Deathmatch not only is the winner determined by a partnership score and not individual scores, but players that don't stay with their partner will ultimately have a very difficult time. If you wander off on your own not only will you be potentially fighting two people alone, but if you do manage to kill one of your foes they can simply revive their team mate-making it almost impossible for you to succeed. In this way playing closely with your partner is essential for success in Co-op Deathmatch.

We also have two other team-based multiplayer modes. One of these modes is Control, which is essentially a king of the hill game where teams fight to take control of particular objectives and score points for holding them. Our fourth multiplayer mode is Warzone. It consists of a series of objectives that last for two to three minutes whereby teams score points for successfully attacking or defending.

Caption: You will be able to create your own mask & armor designs for multiplayer games using the online Mask & Armor Creator. Designs can be easily previewed in the editor itself.

Of course, having four very solid game modes is great, but it's the experience that players have playing them that's important. We've put a lot of effort into ensuring that players have a smooth and uninterrupted multiplayer experience. The original Army of Two relied completely on client-to-client communications, which ultimately led to some negative experiences. No matter how good your connection was, when one player had a slow connection it was highly detrimental to the game as a whole. This was the case because we needed to make sure that all of the animations were smooth and synchronized, and one poor connection meant that the game as a whole suffered. We've improved our networking, and the way it works, so that lag can be reduced to a minimum. Improvements to our networking have also allowed us to make Army of Two: The 40th Day completely region-free, unlike the original which was locked for technical reasons.

Check back next week for the second part of Eric Chartrand's multiplayer developer diary where he discusses Army of Two: The 40th Day's unique matchmaking, designing multiplayer maps for a co-op game, and more!

GameTrailers Shows You Choices, Bit-Tech Provides Provides Answers

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Some great coverage of Army of Two: The 40th Day is here to satisfy your natural desires. First up, Bit-Tech.net has a massive 4 page interview with Producer Matt Turner. It starts off a little unconventionally, but quickly gets into providing some great insights. Anyone that was left wishing for a longer campaign in the original Army of Two can rest easy, as Matt notes that The 40th Day will be "an eight to ten hour minimum for the average player on his first playthrough ."

And not ts the newest go be out done, GameTrailers haameplay footage. In their Choices Walkthrough video Creative Director Alex Hutchinson shows some moral decisions that players can make when they come across hostages and some gameplay from a newly demoed level.

Gamervision Previews Army of Two: The 40th Day

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Gamervision is offering up the latest Army of Two: The 40^th Day preview as a result of their game time at EA's Naughty or Nice event in NYC. The preview is comprehensive, covering many different topics, and does a great job of describing what morality moments will be like. You won't be presented with two choices where one is clearly evil and the other good (and better), but instead you'll have to make tough decisions where the moral option isn't always the most advantageous.

Quote: "This duality represents the largest change in Army of Two: choice. At six or seven times during the game, players will need to make important decisions during key story moments. At first they were referred to as morality moments, but that's a phrase Alex Hutchinson wishes was never put out. It's about gray areas in The 40th Day, highlighting the fact that, when put in a situation that's live or die, difficult choices need to be made. It's damned if you do damned if you don't, whereas the term morality assumes there's a good and a bad."

Army of Two: The 40th Day Fan Site Kit

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Army of Two: The 40th Day Fan Site Kit is here! It contains an array of high-res jpg and photoshop formatted images, as well as fonts, for your use. While we do call this our fan site kit, we don't aim to hinder your creativity! Feel free to use these assets in the creation of fan art, background images, or anything that you set out to do. Look below for a sample of the contents of the kit. You can download the Army of Two Fan Site Kit here (314 MB).

9 Backgrounds & Banners
5 Box Art Images
2 Fonts
5 Logos
3 Renders of Salem & Rios
37 High-Res (up to 5120x2880) Screenshots

FAMED COMPOSER TYLER BATES TO SCORE ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Prepare yourself for auditory bliss! EA Montreal has announced that famed composer Tyler Bates, whose previous work includes the scores of the movies 300 and Watchmen, is scoring Army of Two: The 40th Day. The entire press release is below, but we also have an accompanying trailer and two sample mp3s: A02 TFD Score Sample_COMBAT 1.mp3 & A02 TFD Score Sample_COMBAT 2.mp3

Montreal, Canada - October 9, 2009 - EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that renowned film composer Tyler Bates will be creating the impactful score for the highly anticipated third person co-op shooter Army of TWO^TM:The 40^th Day. The sought-after composer, best known for his work on the blockbuster films 300 and Watchmen, is crafting an immersive score that will highlight the epic co-operative battles gamers and their friends will face in the first major videogame release of 2010.

"Set in Shanghai in the middle of a major a disaster, ARMY OF TWO: The 40^th Day dials up the action through a series of powerful scenes where players have to work together as a team to survive and escape the city," said Lewis James, Audio Director at EA Montreal. "Tyler examined every part of the game and how players will move through the world to craft a score that truly represents their actions and the chaos unfolding around them."

"The 40^th Day is one of the most intense games I've seen," said Tyler Bates. "The setting, characters and action in the game provided me the perfect backdrop to create an equally intense and dramatic score that compliments the gameplay."

With more than 50 films and 15 years experience, Bates is one of Hollywood's most sought-after composers. In addition to Watchmen and 300, he has scored hit films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Rob Zombie's Halloween and Halloween 2, and Showtime's hit comedy series "Californication".

"Tyler Bates' score for The 40^th Day is not only a stellar addition to this tradition but takes the Army of TWO franchise to a whole new level," said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing. "Most of all, our collaboration with a composer of his caliber furthers EA's continued commitment to creating the most groundbreaking new soundtracks in the entertainment industry."

In this sequel to the multi-million selling 2008 break-out hit, private military contractors, Salem and Rios must fight their way through Shanghai to survive a carefully orchestrated series of catastrophes that are dragging the massive city to the brink of ruin. Now, the Army of TWO are trapped and must work as a team to survive relentless enemy assaults and escape the city collapsing around them.

Army of TWO: the 40^th Day has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. The game will ship on January 12, 2010 in North America and January 8, 2010 in Europe. The game will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable),

For more information on Army of TWO: The 40^th Day or to pre-order the game please visit: www.armyoftwo.com. For more information on EA Montreal, please visit www.eamontreal.com or www.ea.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Army_Of_Two.

Six New Army of Two: The 40th Day Wallpapers

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Formatted to fit your widescreen and standard monitors of various sizes are six new Army of Two: The 40th Day wallpapers for you to choose from. Click one of the various sizes for full-screen, uncropped, views.

Choose resolution: 1920x1200 1680x1050

Choose resolution: 1920x1200 1680x1050 1280x1024

Extraction: The all-new explosive multi-player mode

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Gamers who pre-order Army of Two: The 40th Day now will have exclusive access to the game's all-new explosive multi-player mode, 'Extraction,' at launch. This mode will be unlocked for all other players one month after the game ships. 'Extraction' pits a team of four players against a series of unique enemy waves as they move from point to point in the ruined city. Players must strategize as a unified team to combat the different forces of the 40th Day Initiative while trying to get out alive.

Pre-order Now!

*Offer expires February 12, 2010. Good only for new purchases of "Army of TWO^TM: The 40th Day" for Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION®3 ("Product"). Valid only at the EA STORE at

www.eastore.ea.com. Limit one offer per person. Customers will be emailed the code for the downloadable content within 3 days after shipment of Product. Download code expires 30 days after shipment of Product. Offer may not be substituted, exchanged, sold or redeemed for cash or other goods or services. Valid only in U.S. May not be combined with any other offer, gift card, rebate or discount coupon.

Retailers, distributors and employees of Electronic Arts Inc. and their agencies/affiliates are not eligible. Void

where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

Developer Diary: Part 2 of Nathan Brierley on Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Behold! The second part of Nathan Brierley's developer diary on artificial intelligence is here! Nathan goes into detail about changes made to the enemy AI in Army of Two: The 40th Day. This second part picks up right where we left off, so make sure you read the first part if you missed it.

We also put a great amount of effort into improving the enemy AI. We iterated on aspects of the AI that worked very well, and changed the aspects that didn't work particularly well. One way that we've made the enemy AI seem particularly smart is through 'standoff' or pre-combat AI. Standoff AI most often occurs in pre-combat situations, where players enter an area and can see the enemies interacting with the environment in some highly intelligent way. These events use scripted animations, but ultimately it's dynamic in how the situation plays out. For example, the player might come upon an enemy that takes a civilian hostage. The hostage taking is scripted, but how the scenario actually plays out depends entirely on the player. The AI will act different depending on how the player reacts, even though the initial encounter was scripted.

Caption: A top-down look at the wireframe view of a map in the Unreal Editor, where information about cover and navigation is inserted for the enemy AI.

One aspect of the enemy AI that we refined was the tactics that they use during full-out combat. In many shooters the actions of enemies are almost entirely scripted. Enemies will run out to specific pre-determined locations and remain there shooting at the player until they die. It's completely predictable and not much fun when you see it more than once. This is completely unlike Army of Two, where the behavior is completely dynamic. The enemies navigate around the world and use particular tactics. They navigate throughout the world using a dynamic path finding algorithm and a nav mesh, which tells the AI where it can go in the world. Additionally, there are cover nodes programmed into the levels that tell the AI what is suitable cover and what is not. This is important because one big goal that the AI has is moving from cover to cover as it tries to get into good positions to shoot at the player. They communicate with each other in order to act as a team with the ultimate goal of attacking the player with tactics like flanking.

The behavior of the enemies depends heavily on aggro and play style as well. Continued efforts have been put into ensuring that aggro feels like an effective mechanism, so when one player has aggro the enemies will be mostly oblivious to the other player until they start generating their own aggro. Furthermore, players who are very aggressive will cause the AI to play more passively, whereas if players are simply hanging back picking off their targets one by one, they will tend to take risks. Melee combat, too, will be more interesting as enemies will be less likely to flee and actually have the ability to capture the player if they aren't quick enough.

Caption: More yellow-circle cover nodes can be seen in this view of a map in the Unreal Editor.

There is also a much greater array of behaviors that the enemy AI can exhibit. They can perform every type of move that players can. This means that they can step jump, take the player hostage, use combat shields, heal wounded mates, and more. They use these abilities intelligently too, and observant players (or rather, players who don't instantly kill everything in sight) will be able to witness really cool movie-like hero moments that are not scripted. Like in the movie Full Metal Jacket, players might witness enemies repeatedly try to rescue a wounded team mate, only to give up after taking too much fire. It's very awesome to see the enemies perform all these cool moves.

Staging now plays an important role in AI as well. In the original Army of Two players would essentially move into an area and the enemies would immediately know that they are there and begin attacking as if that is there sole purpose in life. Now many of the enemies already exist in the world, oblivious to the players until they make their presence known. Not only does this give players the opportunity to use new tactics, but it also has a big impact on how the enemies behave. They will interact with each other (or civilians), and if players use the right tactics the enemies might be oblivious to the fact that their nearby buddies just had their heads decapitated. This plays into weapon customization as well, as the enemies will react differently depending on what weapon setup is being used. Sniper rifles with silencers will allow players to pick off enemies before their presence is known, whereas shotguns will have the reverse effect.

Caption: Here you can clearly see the placement of yellow-circle cover nodes in the Unreal Editor.

Ultimately we've put a huge amount of effort into creating AI that is completely dynamic and goal oriented. Both the enemies and partner AI are capable of executing all of the coop moves that we offer players, and enemies do their very best to attack the players with actual squad tactics. The AI offers players really unique experiences, and allow for different experiences every time players replay the game using different tactics of their own.

Next week we'll have the next in a series of developer diaries that discuss multiplayer, and make sure you check us out on Twitter @Army_of_Two for more updates, and on Facebook!

Rios & Salem Come to Print in a new Army of Two Comic

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Electronic Arts and IDW Publishing have teamed up to bring Army of Two back to the comic world. Veteran comic book writer Peter Milligan, of X-Men and Batman fame, will write the new Army of Two comic book which is set to be released in January of 2010. Chester Ocampo and Dexter Soy will lend their artistic talents as they illustrate Salem & Rios on the cover and the interior, respectively. The army of Two comic will be an ongoing series, and the first edition will take place before the evasion of Shanghai by The 40th Day initiative. MTV has three exclusive preview images of the comic book and you can look below for the complete press release.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that it has signed a deal with IDW Publishing to expand two of its intellectual properties, Army of TwoTM and Dragon AgeTM, into comics under a new EATM Comics imprint with IDW beginning in January. EA and IDW will launch monthly, ongoing series for both Army of Two and Dragon Age. Each issue will be published in print and distributed nationally at comic book outlets, with digital versions released for iPhoneTM and iPod® Touch and other emerging digital platforms.

"We've seen an increasing number of video game tie-ins with comics over the last few years. This marks another step in our strategy for extending EA's wholly-owned game properties to new media. It is exhilarating to be working with the comic book creators directly," said Mike Quigley, Group Vice President, Global Marketing, EA Games Label.

Under terms of the agreement, EA will fund and manage the creative aspect of the comic book series, while IDW will be responsible for printing and distribution. IDW is the leader in digital comic book distribution and the nation's third largest comic book publisher overall.

"This is a great opportunity for IDW to work with a worldwide leader in video games," said Greg Goldstein, chief operating officer for IDW. "We look forward to bringing a tremendous amount of great content into the comics market."

Written by veteran comic book writer Peter Milligan (X-Men, Batman, Hellblazer), Army of Two is being published as a comic starting in January 2010. Rising star Chester Ocampo is the cover artist while the interior artist/penciler, Dexter Soy, is a 'hot newcomer' on the comic scene. Soy's work suggests influences from well-known comic artists such as Whilce Portacio and Leinil Francis Yu. The first story arc, "Across the Border," follows ex-Army Rangers Salem and Rios as they form their own Private Military Corporation: Trans World Operations. The story of the comic follow the events of the first Army of Two game but takes place before the deadly invasion of Shanghai by The 40th Day initiative in the videogame sequel. In the comic, Salem and Rios get more than they bargained for as they are unexpectedly caught in a brewing war between the Mexican Army, drug cartels, and The Maras - one of the most powerful street gangs in Mexico.
Inspired by the highly-anticipated BioWareTM RPG, Dragon Age: Origins, the Dragon Age comic book series will be written by award-winning fiction writer Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Ultimate Iron Man). The cover artist is the critically acclaimed Humberto Ramos. Story details and the interior artist are expected to be announced shortly.

To sign up for the EA Comics mailing list, register at: http://www.eacomics.com. The site will have complete information on all the EA comic book series, as well as unique "behind the scenes" content, news, blogs and artwork. The site will feature weekly content updates to keep audiences apprised of the latest developments on current and upcoming projects.

Developer Diary: Part 1 of Nathan Brierley on Artificial Intelligence

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Artificial Intelligence may not be as exciting as explosions and awesome graphics, but nevertheless it's hugely important in Army of Two: The 40th Day. We put an immense amount of effort into creating interesting, completely dynamic, behaviors for enemies and partner AI so that players get the reward of experiencing unique interactions with enemies as they demonstrate a wide range of behaviors that simply aren't seen in other games. Army of Two: The 40th Day has iterated and improved on the AI in the original Army of Two, but we also implemented an array of completely new behaviors that we know everyone is going to have a blast experiencing.

One big component of Army of Two's AI governs the partner when someone plays the game solo. This provides a unique challenge for us as we have to create AI that is not only smart, but AI that can also do nearly everything that real humans can without any awkward moments in-between. When we set out to improve the partner AI we had a lot of feedback from our fans to help focus our efforts, and in general they had two main gripes with the partner AI that we specifically fixed.

Caption: Information about AI is placed in every map using the Unreal Editor so that partner AI and enemy AI can intelligently navigate through the world and use cover. Yellow circles identify suitable places for cover.

Perhaps the most wide-spread annoyance that players had when playing alone with the partner AI was dragging/healing. In Army of Two players could end up frustrated as the partner AI did silly things like drag them into danger instead of towards safety and it just wasn't fun to die in the heat of combat as your AI-controlled partner indecisively dragged you around in circles. As a result it was really important that we improved how the partner AI heals players. In addition to refining the AI, we found that the best method for solving this issue was to just give players more control. Now, when wounded players are being dragged they have the option of canceling. Players can choose to drag their own crippled bodies around, attack with their pistol, or simply call for their partner to come and help. By giving the player control over these things the partner AI has much less opportunity to act in a frustrating way, and it's really just more fun to have more control over how things play out.

Caption: An Unreal Editor screenshot of a map with icons and wireframe lines indicating various elements, including yellow-circle cover indicators.

A second gripe that players often had when interacting with the partner AI concerned a lack of responsiveness to commands. Sometimes players would issue the command for their partner to advance but there simply wouldn't be a response. Most often players thought the partner AI was too stupid to execute the command, when in fact the AI was actually refusing to advance because it was too dangerous. The AI was acting intelligently, but the players weren't receiving adequate feedback and as a result concluded that their AI partner wasn't smart enough to respond. We addressed this issue by implementing positive audio feedback. When your partner can't carry out a command it will now indicate why with an audio prompt. Players still won't be able to kamikaze their partner into certain death, but they also won't be left wondering why Salem or Rios is taking cover despite commands to advance.

Caption: Cover points, shown in yellow, are clearly visible around obstacles in this top-down view of a map.

We also wanted to make sure that the partner AI was fully capable of performing the entire range of coop moves that are available in the game. Previously coop moves were scripted to occur at very specific points in the game so there wasn't freedom to simply decide when to perform coop snipe, back to back, or any of the other moves. Now the AI can initiate more coop moves and can perform different roles within them. For example, the partner AI can now hold the riot shield while the player takes the offensive role of shooting. The partner AI will intelligently, and dynamically, navigate through the world and stop at smart spots while protecting you with the riot shield. In Army of Two the player was simply forced into taking the shield-holding role. Similarly, the player now has more control over the AI partner with the coop playbook. The player can use the coop playbook to set up a variety moves that the partner AI will then be fully capable of acting out.

The partner AI will also act more humanlike as a result of what we call microscripting. Microscripting lets us define a sequence of actions and animations in order to create behaviors that seem extremely intelligent and human-like. The result is that the partner AI will react in some relevant and interesting way to the current situation (much like a human might) instead of simply waiting for combat to begin.

Check back next week for the second part of Nathan Brierley'a developer diary where he'll provide more insight into Army of Two: The 40th Day's Artificial Intelligence, including details on how enemy AI works and how it has been improved. Check us out on Twitter @Army_of_Two and Facebook for updates!

A Graphical Look at Weapon Customization

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you've read Army of Two: 40thDay previews and watched developer interviews you've no doubt heard that weapon customization has been greatly enhanced. It's often described as "lego with guns," and that's really what it is. The parts of any weapon can be interchanged with the parts of any other weapon of that same class. Blinging is back, but there's also a huge variety of different types of camouflages and many other different (more colorful) styles to choose from. All of these changes are not merely cosmetic since they all affect the aggro, handling, precision, and damage of your weapon. Here's a look at weapon customization in action:

(Click for larger views)

For more updates check us out on Twitter @Army_of_Two and on Facebook!

VideoGamer.com Interviews Matt Turner: Morality, Maturity, and More

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

VideoGamer.com has pumped out a huge 3-page interview with producer Matt Turner. There's an entire page of discussion dedicated to the morality system and how it works in Army of Two: The 40th Day, as well as a variety of other topics (such as the maturing of Rios and Salem's personalities). There's plenty of interesting tidbits to be gleamed so make sure you give it a read! Look below for an excerpt concerning morality:

VideoGamer.com: Was the morality system inspired by any other games? We've seen karma systems in role-playing games.

MT: We were by no means the first people to do it. BioShock did a cool version of it, with the harvesting of Little Sisters and all that stuff, which was pretty interesting. Playing Fallout 3, where you have a karma system where you can be go good or bad, all that stuff is there in different various forms. I think the way that we have done it in the shooter space is fresh and new. People will be excited by it because it's not typical to that kind of game, right? It's offering a different kind of problem solving within the shooter. I find with a lot of role-playing games it's [a karma system] not what it's about, but it's an integral part of it. You are what you are. Are you evil or are you good? With Bethesda, Oblivion and stuff, everything you do affects it, which is pretty neat. We're on a different level. It's not the same by any stretch but it's appropriate for what we're doing.

Developer Diary: Part 2 of Danny Belanger on Location & Setting in Shanghai

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The second part of Danny Belanger's developer diary has arrived! More insight into what went into choosing Shanghai as the location for Army of Two: The 40th Day is provided, and more specifically how big of an impact choosing Shanghai has had on storytelling. We pick up right where we left off, so if you missed the first part make sure you check it out!

Caption: A typical side street in Shanghai.

Additionally, long before we ever traveled to Shanghai it was decided which locations we wanted to have in The 40th Day and the approximate flow of them. We made these decisions knowing that we wanted to make sure there would be a lot of variety, so locations like the zoo and hospital were decided very early in our design. Early on we were worried that there wouldn't be enough variety in level design, so considered an additional location outside of Shanghai, but ultimately this idea was abandoned. Too much repetition, or not enough variety, simply isn't an issue when the player is traveling between a zoo, hospital, collapsed building, Chinese temple, and other interesting locations. The decision to stay within Shanghai was also smart from a purely practical standpoint. Creating an entirely new location requires much more effort from the prospective of our artists and designers because they would be unable to use any of the existing art that they created for Shanghai.

Caption: A house along the Zhu Jia Jiao creek near Shanghai.

Setting the entire game in one location also solved many other design problems that were present in the original Army of Two. When creating Army of Two we learned very quickly that it is very difficult to have a sense of continuity when there are drastic changes in location and time frame. In the original not only were the locations set all over the world, but there was also up to eight years of time lag between maps. It is extremely difficult, and takes a lot of work, to explain this in-game in a way that will ensure that the story also remains coherent and interesting because we are faced with the task of explaining these changes and linking them together. Ultimately we used high resolution cinematic to explain all of this in Army of Two, but even after we put a lot of time and effort into linking the story together players didn't necessarily follow it.

Caption: A variety of different types of turtles for sale at an open-air market for all things alive.

As a result, we decided to set The 40^th Day in one large sequential event. This would solve all of the problems that we faced in Army of Two, making it much easier to provide a sense of continuity that wouldn't feel awkward. It also made it much easier to introduce new characters without having to go to great lengths in order to explain their circumstances. We've moved from creating maps to creating chapters in one coherent story that is ultimately much more rewarding for the player.

Hopefully this has given you some insight into what we're doing at EA Montreal to make Army of Two: The 40th Day an amazing game!

Check us out on Twitter @Army_of_Two for more updates, and on Facebook!

Girl Gamer Chats with Level Designer Julie Marchiori

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Girl Gamer is providing an all-female prospective on Army of Two: The 40th Day in an interview that they've had with level designer Julie Marchiori. They cover all the basics, from story to game modes, and even provide a little info on Alice Murray's more active involvement in The 40th Day: "Plus, Alice gets to fight back in this one. She's not quite the helpless princess you're carrying around like in the first game. She knows how to take care of herself, and she shows it." Definitely check it out for info on some ass kicking!

Army of Two: The 40th Day Brings Coop to the 2009 Tokyo Game Show

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 2009 Tokyo Game Show is kicking off and Army of Two: The 40^th Day is coming on strong! There are many new previews available today based on a playable demo of the first chapter, which hasn't been shown up until now! There are also six new screenshots floating around that you can check out in our media gallery. Here's a sample of those previews:

Eurogamer: "...but now that enemies have their own agendas, and won't necessarily be expecting a fiery death, a few more sneaky/stealthy options have also been opened up. An unsuspecting enemy can be grabbed as a hostage, for example - or one of you can walk up and do a mock surrender while the other readies a volley of bullets. Another neat trick is for one player to sneak forward to get a visual on an enemy who's hiding behind a wall - meaning that he becomes a visible outline on the other's screen. If a sniper rifle is equipped and the wall is one that you can knock holes through, that's a neat headshot on its way."

GameSpot: "Army of Two: The 40th Day seems to be coming along nicely. The controls feel good, and the new co-op elements feel well thought out. We also really like stabbing mercenaries with a gun that had pink hearts on it--but that might just be us. At any rate, you can expect to see The 40th Day released on January 12."

IGN: "...sometimes you get punched to death when you're not looking -- that last one happened to the fine folks showing off Army of Two: The 40th Day and its split-screen co-op today when an enemy got a bit too close. After that, the demo duo rebounded nicely and moved through the section, but it was only after the room's collective laugh. No, we weren't laughing at them, we were laughing at the in-game recap: "You Died. You were beaten to death. Try using melee."

The Angry Joe Show Brings You Community Day Coverage

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A little over two weeks ago Joe, from The Angry Joe Show, was lucky enough to take part in the Army of Two Community Day, and the latest episode of The Angry Joe Show brings you coverage of the event! Joe offers up an interview with producer Matt Turner and some video footage from the event itself. In his interview Joe grills Matt Turner about partner AI, a more satisfying ending, weapon customization, drop-in drop-out coop, a region lock-free game, the length of the single player campaign, and the possibility of a demo! There's also a look at the AS-KR1, The Angry Joe Show's winning entry into the Army of Two: The 40th Day Weapon Design Contest. Take a look:

Kotaku Takes a look at the PSP Version of Army of Two: The 40th Day

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Kotaku is providing a preview of the PSP version of Army of Two: The 40^th Day, where Salem and Rios bring the fist-bumping to the small screen. They have some of the first details on what you can expect from the PSP version, along with a couple screenshots. Here's a taste:

Aggro System Is Preserved: It's very handy to have a button you can press to make your partner the center of all the gun-toting attention. I'm glad they preserved this mechanic for the PSP game. Even better, I find that the fixed camera angle actually works well with the Aggro system, making it a simple thing to maneuver your buddy into a prime location and then slip around obstacles to shoot at the heavy enemies from behind.

Developer Diary: Danny Belanger on Location & Setting in Shanghai

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In Army of Two: The 40th Day, Salem and Rios fight their way through Shanghai in order to survive as the city is destroyed by the 40th Day Initiative. The decision to set Army of Two: The 40th Day in Shanghai was ultimately crucial in developing fun gameplay and an intriguing story, and as you will see it will be an all around awesome experience!

Shanghai was initially chosen as the location for The 40th Day simply because we knew we wanted to choose a place that is relevant and interesting in today's media and culture. China was an obvious choice in this respect since they were host to the 2008 summer Olympics and within the last year made world news with their space program. This was important for us because we wanted to choose a setting that is well suited for our theme of destruction. We wanted to make sure that our setting occurred somewhere significant, but also remote, so that it would feel real and believable for the player. The alternative, setting our game in a place like New York with Russians attacking, could very easily come off as being cliché or corny. Furthermore, people understand their own politics and social situations, so suggesting that a private military organization is laying ruin to New York becomes very unbelievable without a lot of fiction to support it. By choosing China, a foreign country where the politics aren't well known, the invading destruction theme becomes more believable and real, simply because it is unfamiliar. Everything becomes much easier to digest for the player and as a result the story and themes become more enjoyable.

Caption: A street market in the Yu Garden area of Shanghai

It was also important for us to pick a setting that was relatively unique. There are an enormous number of games set in Russia and the US, and even Africa has been represented in a number of high profile games recently. This made China a much more appealing choice from this prospective.

Shanghai was also an ideal choice from a technological perspective. We use Unreal Engine 3, which is excellent at rendering modern industrial environments. As a result the modern city of Shanghai was an ideal fit.

It was also very important for us to ensure that the look and feel of Shanghai were replicated in-game. We took a trip to Shanghai where we took literally thousands of photographs and high resolution videos for reference. We literally walked around the streets and back alleys of Shanghai taking pictures, as well as visiting a hospital, the Shanghai zoo, various skyscrapers, and many other locations. It was an interesting experience in many cases because we didn't know how people would react. We met a doctor in a hospital who eagerly invited us in after our guide explained that we were making a game, but later on we were kicked out for taking photographs!

Caption: Eric Chartrand (Lead Multiplayer Design), Danny Belanger (Lead Designer), Alex Hutchinson (Creative Director), Reid Schneider (Executive Producer), Steve Dupont (Animation Director), Sarah Stewart (Line Producer), Lewis James (Lead Audio Designer), Marco Beauchamin (Art Director)

One thing that really surprised us was to see how clean and modern Shanghai is, which did not suit our theme of destruction very well. In The 40th Day Shanghai is being destroyed, but clean and modern Shanghai does not look or feel the part. We went out of our way to find some pretty dirty areas and side streets for reference. This ultimately led us to create a sort of exaggerated reality of Shanghai: a Shanghai where things are dirty and falling into ruin. Our goal was to not replicate Shanghai street-by-street, but instead to take references from Shanghai so that we could recreate the feel and look. This was important because the various places that we visited in Shanghai looked very cool, but weren't a good fit for the sort of flow that we wanted to have. For example, we couldn't simply recreate the Shanghai zoo because the layout of the real Shanghai zoo would have been pretty boring. As a result, the in-game version of Shanghai zoo has a layout that is designed specifically for coop gameplay. However, anyone who has visited Shanghai zoo will easily recognize it. Various aspects, such as the walls, fences, sign posts, the ground, and statues are all taken directly from the real Shanghai zoo. It is the same situation for the city itself. The Pudong skyline will be easily recognizable to anyone who has visited Shanghai. We took pictures of the skyline and recreated that view.

Caption: Vendors on a street in the Yu Garden area of Shanghai

We also wanted to ensure that despite basing the entire game in Shanghai there would still be new experiences for the player from place to place within the city. In the original Army of Two variety of locations wasn't a concern for us because each new map took place in an entirely different part of the world. Because of this we deliberately chose locations within Shanghai that are cool and offer unique experiences. We tried to stay away from typical shooter scenarios like warehouses and train stations, instead choosing more interesting locations like a zoo, hospital, and even a temple. Even our more standard venues that shooter fans will recognize, like the office building and hospital, are interesting and unique because we took that standard experience and completely flipped it upside down. For example, office buildings are a relatively common locale for a shooter game, but in The 40th Day the building itself is literally crumbling and being destroyed beneath the player's feet. The hospital too, is interesting because we had to imagine what happens to all of the people in a hospital when it is being invaded, and make that play out in the game.

All of this is also very important from a gameplay prospective, simply because it's vastly more interesting for the player. We wanted to put players in scenarios that they would feel comfortable in, but then surprise them with dramatic changes. In one moment they are fighting in an office building, and the next they are fighting on the collapsed walls of that same skyscraper-giving a high adrenaline and scary feeling. These are scenarios that while unrealistic, are ones that the player can easily imagine being real.

Caption: Houses along Zhu Jia Jiao Creek in Shanghai

Check back next week for the second part of this developer diary, where Danny Belanger discusses variety of locations, the impact on story telling, and gameplay. Check us out on Twitter @Army_of_Two for updates, and on Facebook!

More Interviews: Matt Turner and Alain Tascan Bring You The Inside Scoop

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

GameIndustry.biz is providing some insight into what goes on over at EA Montreal in an interview that they've conducted with Alain Tascan. Naturally there's plenty of talk about the Army of Two franchise, but there's also a lot of discussion concerning topics like hiring practices, the pressures of Metacritic, and motion control. Check it out!

Co-Optimus has followed up with the second part of their interview with producer Matt Turner, which was the result of their participation in the Army of Two: The 40th Day community day that was held before PAX a couple weeks ago. They discuss the impacts of the morality system, artificial intelligence, and weapon customization. It's all rather awesome stuff!

For all the latest updates make sure you follow us on Twitter: @Army_of_Two and join us on Facebook!

VideoGamer.com Interviews Alain Tascan & GiantBomb Brings The Video Footage

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Alain Tascan goes crazy with details in an interview at VideoGamer.com. Not only do they discuss Army of Two: The 40th Day in detail, but there's also some great talk about the Army of Two movie as well as the potential for some really cool DLC. Don't expect just maps!

And not to be outdone, GiantBomb has a 15:38 video showcasing Matt Turner's narration as they play with weapon customization and romp around the Shanghai zoo level that we've all come to love. Take a look!

As always, check us out on Twitter @Army_of_Two for updates and on Facebook!

Previews, Previews, and More Army of Two: The 40th Day Previews

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A plethora of Army of Two: The 40^th Day previews have surfaced all over the web over the last couple days providing an onslaught of information for fans. There are too many to cover them all, but here are a few of my favorites:

TeamXbox - These boss sections also give the player the chance to win special gear. In this case, it was a weapon crate that came with money and a special scope. However, you’re not a lock to receive the goodies; if you don’t execute the section properly, you’ll lose your opportunity to get the crate and its rewards.

GameSpot - Whereas the firefights in the original game had a fairly obvious on-off switch--with players either in a big shoot-out or not in a big shoot-out and very little room in between--the sequel has added scenarios for you to sneak up on enemies and get a bit of a jump on them. In the zoo, we had a chance to walk up to a group of thugs relaxing on the other side of the hippo pen and snipe them from afar, and later in the demo we had the opportunity to crawl up behind a group of enemies and let one player take a guy hostage, while the other player held back and sniped them from afar.

Kotaku - Turner talked at this point about "enemy symmetry," the feature that supposedly gives Army of Two: The 40th Day's AI-controlled bad guys the same abilities that the player has. That includes taking cover and the ability to feign death, making it harder than facing a group of baddies that simply run and gun, hoping to overwhelm you with force.

GameTrailers 4-Part Coop Walkthrough of Army of Two: The 40th Day

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

GameTrailers has 4 glorious new videos for everyone to check out. The videos showcase weapon customization and a whole lot of gameplay from the carcass-filled Shanghai zoo level that was demoed at the Penny Arcade Expo.

Army of Two: The 40th Day's Box Art is Revealed

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

These glorious images depict the just revealed box art for Army of Two: The 40^th Day! The art is notably dark, depicting the downfall of Shanghai as Salem and Rios tower above. Take a look:

Pre-Order your copy NOW!

For all the latest updates make sure to follow us on TWITTER and Facebook!

Army of Two: The 40th Day at Pax - Final Recap

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 6^th Annual Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) has come to a close and it has resulted in nothing but a great time for everyone involved. I had the opportunity to simply hang out at the Army of Two: The 40th Day booth talking with existing fans of Army of Two as well newcomers who were finally getting a chance to see exactly what The 40th Day is all about. Considering that the chairs were never empty for more than a few seconds the entire time it's safe to say that virtually everyone had a blast playing through Shanghai's devastated zoo. There were also many very eager players who easily spent upwards of 30 minutes testing their coop skills-dying didn't deter them in the slightest from trying to finish the demo, even if they had to start from the beginning.

It was fantastic to be able to watch the reactions of players as they sat down to play. A huge number of the people who did sit down were clearly fans of the original Army of Two, but despite the demanding expectations that come with being a fan I don't think they knew just how much the game has changed. This is because the 40th Day is filled with a huge number of tiny details that make even simple maneuvers exciting. I can't count how many wide-eyed and very satisfied smiles I saw when helmets popped off enemies or sniper shots decapitated foes. Even simple changes, like gruesome blood trails from injured players as they crawled around were greeted with many positive reactions. It's just fun to vault over a dead hippopotamus as bullet contrails streak across the screen.

Additionally, the fans that I had the opportunity to talk to over the duration of PAX were all exceptionally excited to hear about all of the changes. We didn't demo weapon customization outside of our community day, but nevertheless it's an obvious focus of attention for Army of Two fans. The variety and novelty that The 40th Day offers is unparalleled (where else will you be able to decide between using a kitchen knife and a screwdriver as a bayonet), but it was obvious that many fans were excited to learn how all of the changes to your weapon directly impact gameplay. Choosing to build a set of heavily silenced sniper rifles means that a player will be able to effectively play very passively and take down enemies before their comrades know what's going on. One big question that recurred frequently was whether or not The 40th Day's multiplayer is being improved. While we aren't going into the details of the team's multiplayer plans just yet it is very reassuring for players to know that multiplayer is being greatly revised in The 40th Day.

Hopefully everyone who wanted to play Army of Two: The 40^th Day managed to get some solid time at our booth, and a big thank you goes out to everyone for making PAX such a great event for Army of Two: The 40th Day!

For all of the latest updates check us out on twitter @Army_of_Two, or for more coverage from PAX as well as other updates add us on Facebook!

Co-Optimus' Army of Two: The 40th Day Community Day Coverage

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Jason and Jim from Co-Optimus spent the afternoon playing Army of Two: The 40^th Day with us at our pre-Penny Arcade Expo community day and have plenty of sweet coverage as a result. They kick things off with the first part of an interview with producer Matt Turner who tells us exactly what "organic coop" really entails, and gives us a look into some of the changes made over the original Army of Two. There are also some impressions based Jason and Jim's actual game time, and the nearly obligatory pictures of Salem and Rios busting out a fist bump.

For all the latest updates make sure you follow us on Twitter: @Army_of_Two and join us on Facebook, where you can see photos of Salem and Rios getting down to business with fans, booth babes, and a piano...

Army of Two: The 40th Day at PAX - Day 2

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Day 2 of Penny Arcade was even more packed than the opening day, which meant more and more fans piling into the EA booth to check out Army of Two: The 40th Day. Much like yesterday, all teh fans who got to play the game were extremely impressed with what they played, stating how much they can't wait until January for The 40th Day to come out.

Our good friends Salem and Rios were once again on hand, garnering much attention from anyone within a fist bump's distance away. The duo got a lot of fans excited with their giveaways of limited edition Army of Two: The 40th Day T-shirts as well as iPhone skins.

And just like in The 40th Day game, when the duo felt there wasn't any immediate danger around, they took the time out to lift their masks, and talk to some of the civilians...

The weekend has been going great so far. Producer Matt Turner has been on hand through every second of it, and has been having a blast getting to meet all the fans of Army of Two who have got to play the game.

There is one day left of PAX, which means only one day left to get your hands on some 40th Day action, so if you're anywhere near The Washington State Convention Center, make sure to swing by and get your co-op on! Or else...

Army of Two: The 40th Day at Penny Arcade Expo - Day 1

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The first day of the Penny Arcade Expo has come to a close, with two more chaos-filled days to come!

This is the first time that Army of Two: The 40^th Day has been available to the public for hands-on game time, and PAX is without a doubt an awesome event for its debut. PAX is sold-out with folks who all share a common love of gaming. As a result it has been fantastic to see the responses of the constant flow of fans who have had the opportunity to sit down and play through a portion of the Shanghai zoo chapter. We've made some tremendous improvements and refinements to The 40^th Day, and the team is extremely appreciative of all the responses from the fans who tell us just how awesome the game is after they play it. Everyoen has been having a blast shooting the helmets right off the enemies, or taking enemies hostage only to mercilessly break their necks a moment later...

Anyone who has checked out the pictures that we've posted on Facebook over the last couple days has no doubt seen Salem and Rios hanging out and having a good time with fans. Salem and Rios are actually Trey and Ben-fans of the game who were scouted at Comicon with their perfectly authentic costumes. They've been hanging out with us throughout our community day and PAX, getting a behind-the-scenes look at these big gaming events and plenty of hands-on time with The 40^th Day. They've also kept very busy taking photos with a never-ending entourage of fans who love the game. They even participated in a photo shoot with two female models that were at our hotel for their own unrelated event. Ben and Trey do a fantastic job playing the part of Salem and Rios, even after wearing all of their heavy gear all-day long! They keep the bromance real, and the fistbumping copious...

We'll have more updates on PAX and our community event as the days progress, but in the mean time check out Army of Two on Facebook for all sorts of crazy pictures, as well as @Army_of_two on Twitter for the latest updates (and the occasional giveaway!).

Eurogamer's Video Interview with Matt Turner

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Gamescom 09 has wrapped, but the coverage continues to flow in. Eurogamer has posted a video interview that they conducted with producer Matt Turner, who covers all the basics. Topics covered include "what do you think you got right with the original," "what didn't work the first time around," "are you preserving the same amusing faux-macho tone for the sequel,""how have you improved the experience,""what if you've got no mates," and more!

Examiner.com Interviews Tyler Bates, Composer for Army of Two: The 40th Day

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tyler Bates, the composer for Army of Two: The 40th Day and the man behind the music featured in the movies Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen, has been interviewed at Examiner.com! Included in the discussion is plenty of info about Tyler Bates' past projects, as well as some brief tidbits about his work on Army of Two: The 40th Day.

For all the latest updates follow us on Twitter: @Army_of_Two and join us on Facebook!

MSXbox World Gamescom Preview With Producer Matt Turner

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MSXbox World sat down with producer Matt Turner to talk about weapon customization and coop in Army of Two: The 40th Day. There’s over 12 minutes of footage, much of which is two-player gameplay footage showcasing tactics on the recently revealed Zoo level. Download or stream the video at MSXbox World.

For all the latest updates follow us on Twitter: @Army_of_Two and join us on Facebook!

Army of Two: The 40th Day Announces Its Ship Date!

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Alright everyone, today EA Montreal announced the official ship date for Army of Two: The 40th Day! Along with this news, we find out that there will be exclusive access to an all-new multi-player mode 'Extraction' available with Pre-Order! Read all the details in the full release below.

Montreal, Canada - August 13, 2009 - Start off 2010 with a bang! EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced ARMY OF TWO^TM: THE 40^th DAY will ship on January 12, 2010 in North America and January 8, 2010 in Europe. The sequel to the 2008 multi-platinum co-op shooter sees the return of the ultimate two-man private military team, Salem and Rios. Trapped in the middle of Shanghai as it falls under attack, the two must work as a team to survive relentless enemy assaults and escape the city collapsing around them. Gamers who pre-order* ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY now will have exclusive access to the game's all-new explosive multi-player mode, ‘Extraction,' at launch. This mode will be unlocked for all other players one month after the game ships.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY features a more robust and redesigned multiplayer experience with four unique multiplayer modes including ‘Extraction'. ‘Extraction' pits a team of four players against a series of unique enemy waves as they move from point to point in the ruined city. Players must strategize as a unified team to combat the different forces of the 40^th Day Initiative while trying to get out alive.

In ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY, private military contractors, Salem and Rios must fight their way through Shanghai to survive a carefully orchestrated series of catastrophes that are dragging the massive city to the brink of ruin. Jonah, the mastermind behind the 40^th Day Initiative, has amassed an army of skilled soldiers to level the city in his attempt to rebuild an empire according to his vision and ideals. Now, the Army of Two must fight their way through ravaged city districts as they try to beat the odds.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable),

For more information on ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY or to pre-order the game please visit: www.armyoftwo.com. For more information on EA Montreal, please visit www.eamontreal.com or www.ea.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Army_Of_Two.

Download the New Army of Two: The 40th Day Themes!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check out the new Army of Two: The 40th Day Themes available now on Xbox LIVE Marketplace! Download them today!

And Playstation 3 fans can now get their own exclusive Army of Two: The 40th Day Themes from the Playstation Store! Salem and Rios bring it in the images below!

Army of Two: The 40th Day Weapon Design Contest Winners Announced!

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The time has arrived to unveil the winners of the Army of Two: The 40^th Day Weapon Design Contest. The contest opened up to the public on July 12^th, and almost immediately started filling up with hundreds of entries from across North America and Europe. When Army of Two: The 40^th Day releases in stores Early 2010, players will be able to unlock these special weapons only if they have a saved game file from the original Army of Two on their hard drives! So if you haven't played Army of Two yet, get out there and go kick some co-op ass! The team from EA Montreal was overwhelmed with the quality of this year's entries. Unfortunately, only two winners could be selected so without further ado, please have a look at the fan made entries that will be modeled for use in Army of Two: The 40^th Day!

AS-KR1 "The Ass Kicker" Rifle Submitted by Angryjoeshow1

Description:

The AS-KR1 dubbed "The Ass Kicker" chambers 7.62x39 ammo, providing pinpoint accuracy with use of a built-in range scope. The operator can load up to 3 types of ammo for the underslug shotgun. Normal shells, "Smart shells" for airburst eliminating targets behind cover and finally a non-lethal solution for crowd control, the Tazer Shell - which deploys fins and shock spikes after exiting the chamber - capable of delivering enough watts to completely override the central nervous system of any sized target.

When asked about the AS-KR1 Rifle, Army of Two Creative Director Alex Hutchinson said, "It was something we could build within our game systems which stood out from the real world guns we were building - some people were worried that it was a little Science Fiction, but we really wanted these guns to be fun, so I think that works."

Although the AS-KR1 boasts some pretty badass ammo as designed, the team from EA Montreal mentions that some tweaks will have to be made to this gun's ammo system in order to fully work with the game's balancing.

Sniper Launcher Submitted by Uberblargh

Description:

This nugget of awesome is a combination sniper rifle/grenade launcher! The extended clipazine holds plenty of specialized rounds, while the hopper on top holds small grenades that can blow anything up! The 2 scopes improve accuracy. This weapon, invented by Mack of Future Weapons, combines the firepower of a grenade launcher with the accuracy of a sniper rifle. However, it is bolt-action, which means it is slow to reload.

Of the Sniper Launcher, Alex Hutchinson mentions, "This one was great for gameplay, and was something we thought people would get a kick out of using in the game on a second playthrough. It's a bit unbalanced, so not something we were going to make ourselves for the core game, but I think players will get a kick out of it."

Now that the winners have been selected, Alex mentions that the team is quickly getting to work on getting them into the game, "We've already begun modeling them, then we'll start testing them to see how they feel, and try to make sure that they're satisfying and cool."

The entire team from EA Montreal would like to thank all the fans who participated in the Weapon Design Contest whether by submitting an entry, or voting on your favorite weapon. We hope you enjoy the playing with the winning selections when Army of Two: The 40th Day releases in stores!

For all the latest Army of Two updates, please follow us on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!

Army of Two at San Diego Comic Con 2009

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Army of Two team celebrated the announcement that Chris Bachalo and Jock were lending their artistic talents to Army of Two: The 40^th Day by appearing at the San Diego Comic-Con last week, joining an EA showcase that also included Brutal Legend, Dante's Inferno, The Saboteur, and Warhammer Online.

The EA booth was packed from the preview night on Wednesday through to show close on Sunday, and Army of Two contributed to the action by hosting Chris Bachalo for two autograph sessions. While a lucky few were able to also get an on-the-spot Bachalo sketch, the focus was on Chris signing an SDCC exclusive Army of Two poster that reflected one of the key moral decisions players have to make in the course of gameplay.

After the long lines on Friday, visitors the next day received an unexpected shock: Salem & Rios, live and in person provided security at the booth!

In fact, Salem & Rios were not actually EA employees, but fans of the game inspired to recreate the outfits with an incredible amount of detail. And not only did they look good, but the pair recreated a number of action poses familiar to anybody who played the first Army of Two: ranging from dragging a wounded comrade to shelter, to playing air guitar with a rifle, these guys impressed booth goers and EA employees alike, creating a number of great photo ops (including one with everyone's favorite boy scout).

Army of Two also hosted a panel on Sunday, where Reid Schneider (executive producer) and Alex Hutchinson (creative director) presented a first-look at how the sequel is shaping up. The presentation walked the audience through an overview of the game's design and creative direction, the @Army_of_Two twitter account keeping pace along the way. Information shared included:

-          15,000 photos were generated on location during the scouting tour in China, to create a genuine sense of place

-          The moral choices the players are asked to make carry practical consequences: some weapons are only available as the result of one choice or another

-          Because the game can track player behavior, the team will track (and share) how ‘moral' gamers are in North America vs. Europe

-          The main story branches, with two distinct endings

-          Propaganda is a huge part of the game's visual language - this is more than just a military goal, the invading force has a message to deliver

-          Yes, weapon customization is back... and can you still pimp your weapon? Yes, you can!

From there, the tables were turned and the assembled fans had the opportunity to ask Reid & Alex what they wanted to know, revealing:

-          Weapon customization can now happen in-mission, and is much deeper. For example, any rifle part can attach to any rifle. Almost like "lego with guns."

-          Big boss type battles will be more challenging, with certain enemy types (‘heavies') requiring more elaborate tactics

-          Multiplayer details will be coming soon, but teasing the SDCC audience Alex & Reid did say that multiplayer will be much bigger, with more modes and maps, be fully client-server, and really focused on co-op. The pair promised that all the feedback around the first game's multiplayer had been heard and addressed.

-          There is no live day/night cycle in the game, but different missions do take place at different times of day. Some missions happen at night.

-          The goal is for all achievements to be unlockable in two play throughs (and Alex copped to being an Achievement junkie)

-          Post-ship DLC is definitely planned, and while the team has no details, they're looking to create more variety than "just another map."

A sincere thank-you from the entire Army of Two team to all the fans who came out to the booth and to the panel - we had an excellent San Diego Comic-Con and are looking forward to seeing you again! Next up, check for us at the Cologne Games Con (Aug. 19-22) and PAX (Sept 4-6).

Follow us on Twitter @Army_Of_Two and Facebook for all the latest Army of Two news and updates!

EA MONTREAL SIGNS RENOWNED COMIC ARTISTS CHRIS BACHALO AND JOCK TO ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Montreal, Canada - July 23, 2009 - EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that renowned comic artists, Chris Bachalo and Jock have lent their artistic talents to ARMY OF TWO^TM: THE 40^th DAY. The sequel to the 2008 multi-platinum co-op shooter, ARMY OF TWO: The 40^th Day sees the return of the ultimate two-man private military team, Salem and Rios. As the action heroes fight for survival in a city under siege, the soldiers must make moral choices cooperatively that affect the pair as a team. Each moral decision sets players on a course that affects the gameplay and direction of the storyline. Bachalo and Jock have been enlisted to illustrate the long term impacts of these ‘morality moments'.

On July 24 and 25 from 2pm - 4pm PST during Comic-con, Chris Bachalo will be signing original Army of Two: The 40^th Day artwork at EA's booth (# 5213).

"Chris and Jock are amazingly talented artists. We're excited that they have been able to contribute these evocative illustrations to depict the long-term consequences of the players' key moral decisions," says Reid Schneider, Executive Producer, EA Montreal.

"These new morality choices are an innovative new feature that we believe will give a new layer to the cooperative experience in the game. Chris and Jock's work give players' decisions real weight and resonance," added Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director EA Montreal.

Chris Bachalo has worked on several critically acclaimed comic series including Sandman, Batman, Incredible Hulk, and Uncanny X-Men. He recently collaborated with Jeph Loeb, a producer for the hit TV show Heroes, to create the book Witching Hour and is currently working on Marvels' flagship title, The Amazing Spiderman. An award winning comic artist from Britain, Jock is best known for his work with writer Andy Diggle on Vertigo's The Losers and the DCU's and Green Arrow: Year One. On top of creating production art for such films as Batman Begins, Hancock, and the upcoming adaptations of Dune and Judge Dredd, he's also illustrated stunning covers for DC Comics titles including Batman, Nightwing, Catwoman, Azrael and Scalped, as well as Marvel Comics Thunderbolts and Dark X-Men.

Army of Two: The 40^th Day puts players in the shoes of two private military contractors who suddenly find themselves trapped in the middle of Shanghai as it falls under attack. The two must work as a team to survive relentless enemy assaults and escape the city collapsing around them. The 40^th Day is built from the ground up to deliver an organic and immersive cooperative experience. Featuring a robust playbook of co-op moves, players execute strategic two-man tactics and make game-changing decisions that result in a one-of-a-kind action experience.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY will be available this winter for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable).

For more information on ARMY OF TWO: THE 40^th DAY please visit: www.armyoftwo.com. For more information on EA Montreal, please visit www.eamontreal.com or www.ea.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Army_Of_Two.

Interview with Character Art Director Rodrigue Pralier

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I had a chance to sit down with some of the lead artists on the Army of Two team from EA Montreal. In my chat with Character Art Director Roderique Pralier, he talks about the new look enemies that we can expect to see in The 40^th Day, as well some of the changes made to the main characters Salem and Rios.

Ron: Hi Rodrigue, being the character Art Director for Army of Two: The 40^th Day, can you tell us a little bit about the characters in the game.

Rodrigue: In Army of Two: The 40^th Day, we've added a lot more characters compared to the original. You'll see about 65-70 different types of characters as you battle through the chaos in Shanghai, as compared with the original game where we had approximately 30 different types of characters.

Ron: One thing on a lot of folks' minds is what type of enemies they'll be facing in this game. Can you tell us what Salem and Rios are going to be up against?

Rodrigue: One of the big things we wanted to improve in the [The 40^th Day] was the enemies. In the first one we had 3 categories: The grunts, the elites, and the heavies, but most of the people felt that the difference between the characters wasn't obvious enough. So we really tried to put a lot of work in the silhouette of the new characters, making all of them very very different.

For example, this guy is one of the enemies from The 40^th Day Initiative; he's a Heavy. We decided to have every single Heavy with his one distinct weapon, and as you can see, we fitted this guy with a grenade launcher.

We also have this one who is the Gatling guy, and again you can see we really worked on the shoulder pads, the armor, and the guns are slightly bigger which make them more powerful. We did a lot of work on the attitudes of the characters to give them more personality and added a lot of small details just to make them more real.

Ron: One thing that people have noticed in one of the recent screenshots is a small child. Is there anything you can tell us about him and his role?

Rodrigue: Chin will appear in the game in one of the morality moments, but I won't spill anything on it yet, you'll have to wait to play the game to see what his role is!

Ron: So a discussion about characters can't go on any further without talking about our favorite PMC's, Salem and Rios. Will we see any changes to the appearance of these two?

Rodrigue: Definitely, one thing that we changed a lot since the first game is the main characters. For example, Salem and Rios never removed their masks when you were playing with them, so a lot of people felt that they were just robots without a lot of personality. So now we have a new feature when you are not in combat mode or not fighting, they remove their masks and you get to see their faces as they interact with each other.

Ron: From the video and screenshots that we've seen so far, some people have commented on a notable size difference between the two characters, was that something that you wanted to focus on?

Roderique: In the first game, all the characters were using the same skeleton so they all had the same size. With Salem, we had to use a small trick; when they were both standing we would have him crouched over a bit so that he looked smaller, when in fact he was the same size as Rios...but now each character has their own skeleton and you can definitely see that the difference between Salem and Rios is huge. Rios is a big huge guy, and while Salem is still tall, compared to Rios he almost looks small.

Ron: Will the timeline from the original Army of Two have an effect on the characters' appearance at all?

Rodrigue: Yes definitely. In the first game Rios was super cut, but since the game takes place a few years after the original both of them naturally got older. They also own their own company now, which means they don't have as much time to train. So with Rios, we went with almost a Stallone type look where he's still huge, he's still dangerous, and he's still super badass. So while he may not be as cut, when you look at him you will still not want to mess with him.

Ron: During this time, have Salem and Rios gotten any more tattoos?

Rodrigue: Hahaha... we've learned that a lot of people are big fans of the tattoos. One popular tattoo was the dragon tattoo on Salem's right arm. When I started out, I was trying out a few different things and decided to draw a dragon. It was supposed to be temporary at first, but it turned out everyone liked it so we kept it! In the first game, the characters had sleeves so all you could really see of the tattoo was on the forearm, but now that you can see the shoulders and everything I spread the tattoo across the whole arm and it's a lot more prominent now. On his other arm he's got some flames and dice, which I felt really played into his action-loving attitude. For Rios, he has Mexican origins but we didn't really have a lot of time in the original game to develop the characters backgrounds. Through the tattoos, you kind of get the sense where each character is coming from. On Rios' arm he has a tattoo saying ‘Vaya Con Dios' and on his other arm, he still has a military tattoo since he and Salem both met in the Army.

Ron: Thank you very much for your time Rodrigue, we all look forward to playing The 40th Day and checking out all of the new characters!

Weapon Design Contest is Back!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As you may or may not remember, for the original Army of Two the EA Montreal team called on the community and all others to help design weapons that they would add to the game. The response to the Weapon Design Contest was overwhelming and as a result Army of Two had two awesome weapons designed by folks just like you! We're happy to announce that for Army of Two: The 40th Day, EA Montreal is bringing the Weapon Design Contest back and making it even bigger and better! Once again we're calling on all gamers, artists, designers, weapons enthusiasts and more to create original weapon designs for the chance to have them as actual weapons in Army of Two: The 40th Day! This year the contest is open to residents of North America, Italy, France, and the UK! So make sure to get your creative juices flowing and submit your designs! Check out the official release and rules below.

Today, EA Montreal announced the return of the weapon design contest for ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY. From June 23, 2009 to July 12 2009, participants can submit their ultimate weapon at the game's official website (http://www.armyoftwo.com) for a chance to have it included in a future EA game.

To enter the contest, gamers will need to submit an image of their weapon and a brief 200-word description. Please click on the game's official website to view the contest rules (http://www.armyoftwo.com/weapondesigner/rules). Once gamers submit their designs, the images will be posted to the site for the community to vote on. Starting on July 20, 2009 the top weapons will be reviewed by the development team who will then pick the two best designs.

More about ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY - The ultimate two-man private military team of Salem and Rios return in ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY, where they must fight to survive a carefully orchestrated series of catastrophes that are dragging the city of Shanghai to the brink of disaster. The game has been built from the ground up with a focus on an incredible cooperative experience. A bigger playbook of features and a new arsenal of co-op moves are available to both players to perform at any time, opening up fresh strategies and choices. The result is a bigger, deeper, more organic and immersive co-op experience that lets players put their best two-man tactics to use whenever and wherever they want.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Eligibility restrictions apply.

Void where prohibited.

Contest starts June 23, 2009 and ends July 30th, 2009.

Complete official rules can be found http://www.armyoftwo.com/weapondesigner/rules

After E3 and All That Jazz...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

To be honest, I just think the word ‘jazz' is awesome. Phewf...I needed to get that off my chest. It feels like I've lifted a huge burden from my shoulders: A burden of jazz.

...and Just like that, E3 has come and gone. It was loud, hot, and blinding so in other words a success. We think Army of Two: The Fortieth Day (to be referred to as ‘TFD' from here on out) showed as well as we had hoped. We spent a lot of time and energy making the demo an actual close-to-final chunk of the game and it paid off. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People loved our weapon customization system and were intrigued and excited by the COOP morality choices we presented. And on top of the great reception for the new systems we showed, the general game play was very well received as well. ‘Punchy', ‘intense' and ‘exciting' were some of the choice words used to describe the experience. We also had the prototypes of our soon-to-be-available-for-purchase action figures on display which look amazing- I can't wait to get my hands on a couple.

Here are a couple of links of some previews we had:

http://kotaku.com/5284537/army-of-two-the-40th-days-smartest-feature-guarantees-arguments

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/impressions-inside-an-army-of-two-the-40th-day-weapons-cache/

Figure 1.

We demoed for eight hours a day behind closed doors in our little room which by the end was more like a sauna in a frat house. Fortune cookies everywhere, (which we were handing out as shhhwag- see figure 1) people peeling off layers of clothes to get some air and empty food and beverage containers strewn about the place. It felt like being back at the studio. We demoed to media, buyers, execs, previewers, industry cohorts and a few movie biz type people- one Mr. Steven Spielberg to be specific. He responded well and was actively engaged in the demo, asking questions and making comments. It felt great to have someone of his experience and tremendous creative vision understanding and getting into our game.

Matt Mc-D in the flesh. Considering the awesome move I just pulled.

Every so often we'd get a break. And by break I mean tear out of the room with extra kit under our arms across the show floor to Gamespot or IGN to do a live demo and interview then tear back. On the way we'd get glimpses of other stuff being shown or the odd booth babe that was wandering around. Needless to say, the whole week was a sensory overload but when it was over the E3 gladiators of team COOP were satisfied and proud of the accomplishments of our team. TFD looked awesome.

Now we're back in the studio. I've spent the week catching up to the rest of the team that's been chuggin' along the road to alpha. "Will he say when alpha is?" No. I won't. But we're chuggin' along the road towards it. We're farther along than you might think leaving us ample time for polish which is precisely what's needed to compete in the AAA shooter space.

To my FEW faithful readers, thanks for reading and come back soon for more updates on the progress of TFD and the whacky antics of team COOP.

Peace-

-Matt Mc-D

That's a Wrap! E3 2009 Comes to an End...

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone, Community Manager Ron Yatco reporting live from Los Angeles where E3 2009 just wrapped up. It was a great show with plenty of developers putting their best games forward. I had the awesome opportunity of hanging out with the team from EA Montreal who were showing off Army of Two: The 40^th Day to all sorts of media behind closed doors during the event.

A few weeks ago I saw firsthand how hard the team was pushing to get ready for the E3 event, and I can definitely say that after seeing and hearing the reactions from the demo, all that hard work definitely paid off.

Executive Producer Reid Schneider and Creative Director Alex Hutchinson, along with Producers Sarah Stewart and Matt "McDopeblog" Turner (who will share his own E3 experiences next week once he gets some well-deserved rest) were on hand to show the media (as well as a few special guests ie: Steven Spielberg got a look at the game and was very impressed!) what Army of Two: The 40^th Day was all about.

This event was the first time the team showed off one of the many "morality" moments in the game as well as the totally enhanced Weapons Customization feature. Yes, pimping your gun is back, and is better than ever!

At the start of the demo, you really get a sense that the game not only takes place in a disaster ridden area, but that you and your partner are there while the disaster is STILL happening. The team really wanted to create settings for the game that were not conventional for most shooting games. As Salem and Rios entered an office building, I noticed the roof of the building being completely blown off while they were in there. NICE!

The team really hammered home the much more organic co-op features, which puts even more emphasis on co-op play than the original game. You and your partner have a huge playbook of new features and an arsenal of co-op moves at your disposal at any time of the game. What was really cool is that the way you and your partner play together really affects your surroundings and ultimately the overall outcome of the game. You can sneak up and take capture of enemies, and if done properly you can free hostages with little to no casualties. However, say you misfire when trying to co-op snipe an enemy; they can take cover and call for more backup, which definitely makes it a lot tougher for you and your partner to escape a situation. Another great thing about the enemies is that they now have all the capabilities that you and your partner have, meaning they can mock surrender, as well as drag and heal their partners, just like you can.

Where co-op play really becomes a key feature is during the many morality moments that you and your partner will come across throughout the game. The team showed this off for the first time and throughout the many demos I watched, this definitely got some of the biggest and coolest reactions from the crowds. In the demo, Salem and Rios come across an open weapons cabinet but are soon confronted by a nervous gun toting security guard. The really cool moment of the demo is that Reid and Alex gave the crowd their choice of "Taking the Weapons" or "Walking away." I don't think I saw any crowd that didn't choose to take the weapons. The result ended in a bloody mess for the security guard, but after this happens you're treated to a short stylized vignette that hints of future repercussions of your decision.

The great aspect of the morality decisions is that both you and your partner have to live with the consequences. If one partner makes the decision, then the decision is made for the both of you. It'll definitely be interesting to see a lot of partners arguing over each decision as they progress throughout the game. And yes, your decisions will definitely have an effect over the ending of the game.

To end the demo off, the team showed off the totally enhanced Weapons Customization feature. The best way to describe this, and I'll quote the team here, is that "it's like Lego with Guns!" Every part of your weapon is customizable and interchangeable with parts from other weapons. In addition, a lot of the customizable features are reflective of your disaster ridden surroundings. Just like real-life PMC's, you'd have to work with what's around you, and I know I for one cannot wait until I slap my soda-can silencer on my Ak-47. Yes, the team claims that through extensive research, this does really work.

It's been a long but exciting and eventful three days here at E3 for me and the EA Montreal team. The game showed great and I know that the team is getting really excited to bust out from behind closed doors and show The 40^th Day to all of you fans. So, make sure to keep an eye out as there is tons more info to come soon from the EA Montreal team.

For the latest updates make sure to follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/Army_Of_Two

Cheers,

Ron Yatco - Community Manager

The 40th Day at E3 - Day 1

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Day 1 of E3 has officially wrapped, and the team from EA Montreal kicked off its first day of showing off Army of Two: The 40th Day. In the video below, Creative Director Alex Hutchinson talks about what we can expect to see from Army of Two at E3, as well as a deeper look into how the aspect of “morality” plays out in The 40th Day.

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

For up to the minute updates make sure to follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/Army_of_Two

E3 and other jazz...

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey! Where have you been?! I've been looking for you all over! Well at least you're safe now and we can get back to business. Of course by ‘you' I mean AO2 fans and by ‘business' I mean telling you about what's crackalackin' up here in Montreal and what awesome things Team COOP has in store for the gaming community.

As THE WORLD knows E3 is this week and our new game will be making an appearance escorted by a few members of Team COOP and me- Matt Mcdopeblog. Army of Two: The Fortieth Day will be showing more stuff than ever and we're pretty pumped about it. Preparations are afoot- backup kits are packed, demos are polished, flight plans are booked and company branded t-shirts are arranged, ready to rescue us from excessive sweating as we demo harder than Billy Blanks kicks...and for those of you that don't know who Billy Blanks is, Google it. You're welcome.

E3 is always stressful. There's so much to take care of in such a finite amount of time. But despite being bursting bags of stress we're in great shape and ready to go. We have some wicked stuff to tease you with, so get ready to see a couple checkpoints loaded with organic COOP, exploding buildings and a mysterious invading PMC you can head shot and curb stomp. Did I just say curb stomp? Yes. I did. And on top of that we're going to toss some completely new stuff at you.

Excited gamer #1- "Matt Mcdopeblog! What ever do you mean by ‘completely new stuff'?"

Matt McDopeblog- "Oh nothing much, just a first glimpse at our morality and new weapon customization systems. You know, no big deal."

That's right folks. You heard if from this pony's mouth- the mystery of one of our new key systems will be revealed and right after we'll build some big effing guns. Be there.

We're excited so you should be too. To all of you that are able to make it, I hope to see you cruising around soaking up all the awesome E3 has to offer. We'll fist bump. It'll be epic. Anyway, I gotta get back in the fight up here and take care of some bidness. Look for fresh updates from me if you want to keep up with the latest on Army of Two: The 40thDay and the shenanigans of Team COOP. It's great to be back.

Video games are awesome.

Matt Mc-D

GameSpot Interviews Creative Director Alex Hutchinson

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Army of Two: The 40th Day brings Salem and Rios back into action in a war-torn Shanghai. GameSpot speaks to creative director Alex Hutchinson about the production of the game. Army of Two: The 40th Day brings Salem and Rios back into action in a war-torn Shanghai. GameSpot speaks to creative director Alex Hutchinson about the production of the game.

The 40th Day on the Cover of GAMES™ Magazine

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 40th Day Preview on 1Up

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Set atop a skyscraper in downtown Shanghai, you peer out into the city below. Out of nowhere fighter jets come shrieking across the sky, delivering their payloads onto surrounding buildings. The horizon just lights up with explosions, and structures all around you begin to crumble. Suddenly, an out of control jet crashes right into your building. A massive explosion rips through the tower, sending giant pieces tumbling to the streets below -- almost taking you with them. This is how Army of Two: The 40th Day starts. The impressive thing is, you're actually playing this. Before you can even think about what the f*** just happened to China's most populated city, you have to help your teammate Salem, who's perilously caught on the other end of what's left of your building's roof.

Not only does the intro completely set the tone for a disaster zone escape plot that's very Cloverfield in feel, but it immediately ups the expectations for this sequel. It seems epic. It seems like something you'll want to play. It seems like EA knew that kicking things off like this was pretty necessary.

After all, the original Army of Two was somewhat of a disappointment. Its co-op gameplay failed to live up to the hype; some of it worked well, and some of it didn't. And yet, the game managed to still find quite an audience (over 2 million copies have been sold). "Despite all of its flaws, we created a game that resonated with people," executive producer Reid Schneider says. "Even if wasn't as critically successful as we would have liked, it was still a game that has fans and that people really enjoyed."

Read the full preview on 1Up