downloadable-game
Latest
Alganon to be exclusively distributed through Direct2Drive
Alganon fans, you're going to want to make sure you're keeping an eye on Direct2Drive, as Quest Online has announced an exclusive partnership to sell the game solely through the online digital distribution service.Pre-ordering the game before the launch date of October 31st will net you a variety of incentives, including beta access, study bonuses, mounts, family heirlooms, and more! While we don't have any exact information to offer on what those items are, it still sounds like a nice plethora of stuff for buying the game early.Of course, partnering with D2D means partnering with IGN, and that means that Alganon's beta will be conducted exclusively through Fileplanet. Those guys over there will be the keepers of the Alganon beta keys from here on out, so look to them if you're interested in the game's upcoming open beta.
New details on Zombie Apocalypse, Konami's old-school gore fest
Konami and Nihilistic's upcoming downloadable title, Zombie Apocalypse, has been the subject of a monster-sized update on the PlayStation Blog. Written by Nihilistic designer John Slavin, the update outlines the style, weapons and scoring system in the upcoming PSN and XBLA title. Zombie Apocalypse is a 4-player online co-op enabled twin-stick shooter (in the vein of Smash TV) with so much realistic gore, it has apparently already been denied classification by CERO in Japan. The downloadable title includes seven environments (55 levels in total, which act as days) that are heavily inspired by zombie film masters; Romero, Fulci and Boyle. Each of the game's four playable characters (which seem very inspired by Valve's Left 4 Dead) can wield 10 different weapons -- from chainsaws to flamethrowers -- and use the game's environment to kill for extra points. Slavin promises the better gamers are, the more they will score and the longer they will last. We promise to re-organize our zombie plans for next month, when Apocalypse is scheduled to hit PSN and XBLA. Note: This post originally referred to Zombie Apocalypse as a PSN-exclusive title, which it isn't. It's coming to XBLA as well, a fact that slipped our mind when -- of all things -- a zombie took a bite out of it. Go figure. %Gallery-49992%
NPD study says that gamers prefer retail
We've long worried that we were the only ones who would gladly trade the convenience of downloaded games for the visceral, ritualistic thrill of slicing open a new game case and burying our snouts inside to take a luxuriously long pull of that "new game smell." According to a new study by the NPD, 75 percent of players share our preference for retail (though not necessarily our fetishistic odor hang-ups). Group analyst Anita Frazier revealed the findings at DICE last week.More surprisingly, 58 percent of those surveyed say they've never so much as downloaded a game. Guys, we love new game smell too, but not being able to give it up even once? Not to pass judgment on alternative lifestyles, but that's a little much even for us.
Wii Warm Up: Downloadable regrets
There was a lot of temptation on the Virtual Console and WiiWare this year, but not all downloadable games live up to the high standards of your heart. Did you end up with any real lemons last year? Maybe you bought a game you skipped many years ago, or something on the recommendation of a friend (or perhaps a trusted gaming site) that just didn't turn out to be quite what you wanted? If so, we want to hear about it.
