As you may have already heard, Telltale Games is working on a piece of DLC for the first season of their The Walking Dead video game and this DLC will be called The Walking Dead: 400 Days. It will feature five sections of gameplay where each section will feature a different playable character.
To help hype up the DLC, the company has released a new “Playing Dead” video where Sean Ainsworth, the game’s director, and Harrison Pink, one of its two designers, discuss some of their decisions with 400 days and how it will be affected and will affect other parts of The Walking Dead game. Currently no release date has been announced yet for 400 Days but when it is released it will be sold for only $4.99 or 400 MSP.
State of Decay has been such a popular title that it was downloaded over a half a million times in less than two weeks and for good reason, considering the title is quite excellent. However despite being an enjoyable XBLA game, it still had a number of issues that were holding it back from greatness and Undead Labs has been working on patching some of those problems.
In their latest patch they have fixed a few smaller issues as well as bigger problems such as screen tearing. The full list of patch notes can be read below:
Fixed story getting blocked if you refuse Quentin’s request to talk to the sheriff.
-Fixed soldier and zombie pathing in “The Armory” mission.
Fixed character getting stuck in passenger seat if hit by a zombie right when you enter the vehicle.
Corrected displayed weapon type for Hockey Stick.
It is no longer possible to establish an Outpost or relocate your Home while on a mission.
Enabled V-sync to eliminate screen tearing.
Find Missing Survivor mission opportunity timeouts increased from 30 to 60 minutes.
All mission opportunity timeouts pause while not playing.
Fixed Leaderboard crashing for profiles with a large number of friends on the SoD Leaderboards.
Fixed incorrect camera angle in final mission.
Reduced frequency of “I brought you a pony…” line.
Fixed rucksacks falling through floor and being unrecoverable. Rucksacks are now moved to an easily accessible location within the same building.
You can now manufacture homemade painkillers in the Medical Lab.
Stockpiles that are over the maximum storage provided by your current Facilities (the “cap”) will no longer drain while you are not playing. Instead, Stockpiles that exceed the cap will drain every five minutes of play at the following rate: 2 if you’re 100% over, 1.5 if you’re 50% over, and 1 if you’re 15% over.
Improved awareness of Stockpiles that are over the cap. The Assets page now displays both the current amount and cap for each Stockpile. Stockpile amounts that are over the cap will be displayed in yellow, both in the Assets page and the Home Status panel.
Influence in excess of Fame no longer drains while you are not playing. Influence in excess of Fame drains for every five minutes of play at the following rate: 2 if you’re 100% over, 1.5 if you’re 50% over, and 1 if you’re 15% over.
The rate at which Stockpiles are consumed no longer factors in the number of missions played during the current day. It was causing Stockpile consumption to be too high.
Fixed a bug that caused some characters to be given 100 ammo.
The “Too many infestations!” to-do item is now properly cleared if you relocate your Home to a site with fewer than two infestations within 500m.
Fixed several areas on the map where the player can get stuck.
Fixed several pockets of deep water.
Fixed a bug that could cause unexpectedly large numbers of zombies to spawn near the Mt. Tanner cabins.
Fixed a bug that caused games with large communities to fail to load.
Fixed a bug that allowed players to get stuck in the abandoned farm house north of Marshall.
Removed several sections of fencing around warehouse near fairgrounds to improve navigation for missions in the area.
Made it easier to navigate fairgrounds in vehicles.
Adjusted draw distance of dynamically generated vehicles to match pre-placed vehicles.
Fixed a bug that caused character to become stuck in a falling state when dropping from a ladder into a group of zombies.
Fixed a bug that prevented weapon durability from being reduced by certain combat moves.
Made it easier to execute “Double Kill” move.
Fixed a bug that caused a Feral zombie to react incorrectly if you dodged while he was leaping.
Fixed a bug that briefly displayed debug text in the main menu after selecting a storage device.
Made major adjustments to Facility action times to make Facilities more useful during the current play session:
Globally changed Want delays from 1 real-time day to 4 real-time hours.
Duration of Fitness Regimen, Combat Training, Big Meal, Feast, and Firearms Practice changed from 3 real-time days to 2 game-time hours (where “game time” means time playing the game, not counting time that elapses while you are paused or logged out) so you get the full benefit of the bonus while you are actually playing the game.
Cooldown on Big Meal and Feast changed from 22 real-time hours to 3 game-time hours. This means your community is “full” for 1 game-time hour after the effects of Big Meal and Feast wear off before the Facility actions can be used again.
Trade Opportunity action time changed from 1 real-time day to 90 real-time minutes.
Train Outsiders action time changed from 1 real-time day to 90 real-time minutes.
Preservation Attempt action time changed from 3 real-time days to 90 real-time minutes.
Create Biodiesel action time changed from 3 real-time days to 90 real-time minutes.
All Library research actions changed from 2 real-time days to 4 real-time hours.
You now receive a Stockpile bonus upon claiming a new Home site. Each site comes with a specific number of Stockpiles, based on the size and number of Facility sockets in the site.
Fixed a pathing bug that caused zombies to get stuck in the floor during a “Besieged” mission.
Added a “Stick Sensitivity” option.
The game will now repair saves affected by a bug fixed in TU1 that could cause Lily to be killed by the simulation.
Characters selected for Mercy Shot mission can no longer recover from their injuries.
Mercy Shot missions can no longer select playable characters.
Moved “Horde Alerted!” banner higher on the screen and reduced size to avoid interfering with driving.
If you move your Home site when a Trade Opportunity mission opportunity is active, the mission opportunity now relocates to the new Home site.
Lily no longer reminds you to come to the final mission site. It was annoying during sandbox play after winning final mission.
Edged weapons are now effective against Feral zombies.
Fixed bug relating to Juggernaut reactions to incendiaries.
Fixed a bug that notified you of simulation events affecting NPCs that are not in your community.
Searching for Stockpiles with the radio is now more reliable.
Fixed bug causing stimulants to have permanent effect. Stimulants such as coffee and energy drinks now properly wear off over time.
Improved music track selection logic.
If you’ve yet to update State of Decay, for fear of the bugs inflicted by the first title update, you’ll be pleased to learn that the second patch includes all the first’s alterations, as below.
Playable characters can no longer be killed by the simulation
Workshop now repairs weapons and vehicles at game dawn rather than the next real-world day.
Reduced cooldown times of commands in the Radio Menu, notably Words of Encouragement, Words of Inspiration, and Medical Advice.
NPCs no longer get stuck behind the counter or on the stairs at the gun shop in Spencer’s Mill.
The “Too many infestations!” event will now only occur when there are too many infestations within 500m of your Home, rather than anywhere in the world.
The “Too many infestations” to-do item is now cleared when there is only one remaining infestation within 500m of your Home, rather than anywhere in the world.
You must now be close to the ranger station for the Memento mission scene to play. Previously you would be teleported to the station if you left before the end of the mission.
Community members will properly interact with Facilities in your home. Previously they would stop after a period of time.
Feral zombie now properly dodges vehicles approaching at an angle.
NPCs will now reliably reach warehouse between Mt. Tanner and Spencer’s Mill when called to gather supplies.
You can now punch out through the windshield of a vehicle if both doors are blocked.
Zombies and NPCs no longer get stuck behind the grocery store in Marshall.
NPCs now properly move to the proper location during cinematic scenes.
Zombies no longer fall through floor in the Marshall courthouse.
Zombies can no longer get under porch or floor at the Wilkerson’s farmhouse.
After being successfully Greenlit and Kickstarted, Edge of Space has entered Steam’s Early Access program. Handyman Studios has stated on IRC that they will announce plans for distributing Steam keys to those who have pre-ordered the game on Kickstarter, Desura, and RainDG sometime next week.
The 2d platformer from Handyman Studios features a dynamically generated new world for players to explore with vehicles and weapons while fending off the unfriendly local animal life, including sharks wielding lasers ala Austin Powers and squid pandas. A crafting system allows players to create thousands of possible weapons. The game comes with an HTML 5 powered builder that will allow players to create buildings outside of the game on any device supporting HTML 5 like tablets and smartphones and import them into the game.
Edge of Space is available for $11.99 on Steam while it is part of the Early Access program. The price will rise to $14.99 on full release. Edge of Space is available for Windows.
This week’s deal of the week goes to Amazon’s Borderlands Bundleganza. Gamers can snag Borderlands Game of the Year Edition, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands 2 Season pass for 78% off. Just in time for the release of the new Borderlands 2 DLC. This insane savings is worth it even if you own Borderlands Game of the Year Edition. Be sure to check out our review of Borderlands 2 if you actually need any more convincing!
Amazon is currently running an offer that will provide a free copy of Astroloco: Worst Contact, Major Mayhem, and Cell HD: Emergence for those who make a purchase from their new Indie Store. This deal includes Amazon’s $9.99 bundles.
This is the cheapest price the Psycho Pack has been to date. In fact, short of a coupon, this may be the first time it has actually been on sale. Unless you are waiting for a 75% off, buy it now.
This pack contains Dream Pinball 3D, Hotel Giant 2, Insecticide, Legendary, Raven Squad, Roogoo, Section 8, Trine, Two Worlds Epic Edition, and Velvet Assassin. This is possibly the best bundle from Amazon this week.
For those who love Japanese games, this bundle contains Acceleration of SUGURI-X Edition, cloudphobia, Flying Red Barrel, GundeadliGne, and QLIONE
GMG is running a 25% off sale that will knock the price of some of the biggest pre-order titles and recently released games with the coupon GMG25-BAWQB-8UQWG. Some of these games are already discounted.
The full retail game of the classic Half Life mod. A wonderful community and a fantastic game fusing FPS and strategy. A great alternative if you were disappointed by Aliens: Colonial Marines
Mawaru Penguindrum Part II Studio:Brain’s Base Publisher:Siren Visual Format: DVD, Blu-Ray – Reviewed on Blu-Ray Release Date: 20th June 2013 Price: $49.95 – Available Here
Overview The search for the Penguidrum continues. Mawaru Penguindrum Part II delves further into the darker themes present in Mawaru Penguindrum Part I, exploring character’s histories and motivations. But does this extended metaphor for life conclude the series, or just raise more questions? And just how penguin-centric can one world be?
Welcome to Penguin Radio. All penguin, all the time.
Story Penguindrum Part II picks up right where Part I left off: the Hospital. After the soul crushing events of the previous episode, a ray of confusing hope is presented in the form of Sanetoshi Watase. This pink haired stranger, whilst providing a solution to Himari’s problem also creates a very difficult situation for Shoma and Kanba. As the series progresses, this situation leads to an increasingly dark story that twists the lives of all involved. By the end of the series, no-one is the same as they were before.
Part II diverges from Part I in a fairly big way. Though it still keeps its quirky style, the darker elements that have been present since the beginning begin to take precedence. Each character is given an incredibly dark reason for why they act as they do, explaining some of the more crazy behaviour in Part I. Though as the series delves further and further into these pasts, the stories become intertwined, revealing previously unknown connections and motivations. Flashbacks occur much more frequently, with a decent portion of certain episodes spent in the past. Most of these flashback moments are presented as heavily stylised metaphors that, while providing information, can be somewhat difficult to decipher. Simple sequences may be simplified or even colour-shifted to convey an idea rather than simply depicting it as it happened.
You just activated my trap card
As the series continues, Kanba follows a much darker path of character progression. Shifting far away from his original womanising self, he loses all sense of others as he single mindedly pursues his ultimate goal: Himari’s health. The nature of the Takakura family also completely changes. More of the siblings’ past is revealed, shedding light on their parents and the truth behind their abnormal upbringing. The series also introduces more detail to the supporting cast, broadening the view of the world and yet somehow simultaneously focusing the story more closely on the Takakura’s than ever before. By the end of Part II, it becomes difficult to imagine how the characters could’ve possible acted the way they did in Part I.
Overall, the series shift focus from the central story arcs in Part I. Ringo no longer has such a prominent part in the main ensemble, having moved past some of her demons and come to accept herself. The diary itself, the core element of the early parts of the series, is mentioned occasionally as being important but is no longer the immediate goal of Ringo or the Takakura siblings, who begin to follow different paths. The penguins themselves are also relegated to background events, as the stories of their owners becomes more interesting, providing symbolic interaction rather than mere comic interruptions.
I don’t think that’s working…
Visuals For the majority of Part II, the series retains the same vibrant style it originally possessed. Kanba and Shoma continue to wield a vivid shade of red and blue hair respectively, singling them out from the background. During the more intense emotional scenes however, their hair colour fades along with the mood. Occasional fight scenes are animated to a much greater standard than the rest of the series, featuring more intense facial expressions and more fluid movement. This contrast the majority of background characters, who continue to appear as male and female cutouts, though there are occasional instances of full designed citizens.
The series also employs a great deal of visual symbolism throughout the episodes. During flashbacks regarding the Child Broiler, an overly simplistic room featuring a giant shredder appears. This, combined with the shattered glass, the representation of broken people, create a very unique visual. The Survival Tactic sequences also appear far less than in Part I, but when they do they retain the vibrant and over the top style.
Sanetoshi just broke 88mph
Audio During the more emotional sequences present in the series, an almost haunting melody is played via chimes. This tune becomes the calling card for sadness in the series, sounding almost innocent, yet at the same time tragic. As the drama reaches crescendo, an operatic chorus kicks in, providing a more intense and poetic sound. At one point during an episode, even the upbeat “Rock Over Japan” insert song receives a more sombre version, slowed down to fit the mood. With the increase in flashbacks, the alarm sound effect is heard far more frequently, acting as an introduction to each of the numerous cutaways.
The English dub itself continues to vary in level. Some characters possess emotive voices, adding realism to the scenes, whilst other characters present a somewhat dull reaction to certain important events. One particular character is purposely overacted, played for laughs during their brief appearance.
Extras Penguindrum Part II contains the standard fare of extras, featuring clean versions of the series’ two openings (“Nornir” and “Boys, Come Back to Me”) and eight ending sequences (“Dear Future”, “Haiiro no Suiyobi”, “Bad News Kuroi Yokan”, “Ikarechimattaze!!”, “Hide and Seek”, “Private Girl”, “Tamashii Kogashite” and “Heroes ~Eiyū-tachi~”). Also included is the series’ “Rock Over Japan” trailer, along with a slideshow featuring various pictures and a montage highlighting important moments over the course of the 24 episodes.
Ah, memories
Overall Mawaru Penguindrum Part II is noticeably different from Part I. Whilst the earlier episodes blended a dark storyline with a quirky style, Part II leans much more heavily on the serious elements of the series. The fantastical cutaways to the Penguin-clad spirit are all but gone and there is far less joy in the Takakura household. Part II answers questions that have been present throughout the series, but it does it in a somewhat convoluted fashion, melding stories into each other and revealing truths rather suddenly. The final episodes employ visual elements to the point where it’s difficult to imagine the actual events occurring outside of the metaphor. Overall, Penguindrum Part II is a much more serious affair than Part I. Still an interesting experience, but it trades the humour it originally possessed for metaphors regarding the truth of the human condition.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
As we’ve already heard, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 is going to be a complete remake of the original Hyperdimension Neptunia title which was released three years ago. Now the game will be released on the PlayStation Vita and will feature an update to practically everything in the game.
This includes using the battle system and character portrait styles used in Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory as well as the character models, a slightly modified story and more. You can see some of the first upgraded screenshots from the game below. Currently there is no word from NIS America about whether Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 will be released in North America but for now it is set to be released in Japan sometime in October.
Today a rather short promo video was released for Senki Zesshō Symphogear G which begins airing this Summer 2013 anime season. Senki Zesshō Symphogear G is the second season to Senki Zesshō Symphogear which was licensed by FUNimation.
In the promo video which can be seen below we see the three main characters from the original series, Hibiki, Tsubasa and Chris fighting against three new opponents, Maria, Kirika and Shirabe who have apparently been given their abilities by dark Gungnir. It also appears that the Noise enemies will still return as basic enemies of humankind, though their role in the story has yet to be revealed.
Today FUNimation announced the first license pick ups of the Summer 2013 anime season and while one of these may have been expected, the other one is kind of out of left field. Today the company revealed that they have acquired the streaming rights to Danganronpa The Animation and Brothers Conflict. While FUNimation did not say when these anime would debut on their website, they will premiere in Japan on July 4th and July 2nd respectively.
Danganronpa The Animation will be an adaptation of the PSP action adventure game featuring the same cast as the game which sees a group of highly skilled students being trapped inside of a school. The only way to escape? To kill another student without getting caught and prosecuted by the rest of remaining students.
As for Brothers Conflict, it is an otome style anime adapting a romance novel which focuses on a girl who suddenly finds herself with 13 stepbrothers of various ages after her father remarries.
SteelSeries announced the release of their updated H series headset line today. Originally introduced 2005, the line has grown to three tournament grade headsets.
The SteelSeries 9H Headset is the new top of the line closed ear cup headset, featuring Dolby technology to provide surround sound gaming with Dolby Headphone and Dolby Prologic IIx. The 9H is tuned for balanced and linear sound, perfect for tournament level gaming. The closed ear cup features special double enclosures that will help block outside noise. The drivers are covered in a special mylar film that provides high quality sound with low levels of distortion. The microphone is retractable, so it can stay out of the way when it isn’t needed. The cables are swappable for use with PC, Mac, and mobile platforms. The PC/Mac cables feature an in-line audio controls while the Tablet/Smartphone cable is a plain cable. The 9H will be released in October 2013 for an MSRP of $199.95 AUD or $249.95 AUD
The legendary 5h headset has been updated to its third iteration. It features the updated double enclosure earcups seen in the new 9H headphones that improves the sound isolation and the swappable double braided nylon cables. The microphone also retracts when not in use. The 5Hv3 will continue to provide high quality audio, optimized for tournament gaming. The headset will be released in August for $99.95 AUD or $139.95 NZD.
For those on a budget, the 3Hv2 will provide high quality sound for a lower price. The 3Hv2 is a foldable headset featuring a retractable microphone and in-line audio controls. The 3Hv2 will be available in August for $49.95 AUD or $69.95 NZD.
Not every game has to be of the video variety as seen by Live Action Role Play (LARP) being another choice and popular enough to find its way into conventions. LARPing can also take many forms from staging zombie scenarios to creating the worlds best known from highly acclaimed video game like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines on the PC. That particular theme just so happens to currently be in the middle of a very successful Kickstarter from By Night Studios.
That Kickstarter began as a simple attempt to create a physical rulebook for Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire The Masquerade, a LARP set in the World of Darkness from White Wolf Publishing. With an initial goal of $60,000 to cover printing and shipping, backers have so far pledged more than doubled that amount and there are still 10 days to go. With all this support By Night Studios has set even more stretch goals to shoot for as the Kickstarter starts to wind down.
Now in addition to the previous tiers with the physical rulebooks and rings, backers can pledge to receive pins of the various clans and sects from the Vampire: The Masquerade as they attempt to raise enough money for the stretch goals of a Tim Bradstreet Edition rulebook where all art comes from the Vampire: The Masquerade artist. Even further goals will see the rulebook translated into additional languages.
Those interested in a Vampire: The Masquerade LARP and/or wanting to help with the Kickstarter can find more information in the video embedded below, otherwise they can find the Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire The Masquerade page on Kickstarter.
