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Red Dead Redemption readies for zombie infestation with title update 1.05
Ahead of tomorrow's Undead Nightmare DLC release, Rockstar has amended Red Dead Redemption with an automatic title update. Undramatically named "Title Update 1.05," the free digital addition to RDR brings with it "Friendly Free Roam" mode (the same as Free Roam, just without all the player-on-player murder), as well as a mess of fixes for everything from griefing to missing co-op Achievements. Given that the patch also adds some preparations for tomorrow's DLC, Title Update 1.05 is a mandatory update before you start wranglin' the undead. Head past the break for the nitty gritty details on everything the update includes.
Red Dead Redemption 'Undead Nightmare' multiplayer caught on video, achievements detailed
In case you needed more of a reason to want Red Dead Redemption's upcoming "Undead Nightmare" DLC than zombie bears -- excuse us, Zombears -- this just might be it. Rockstar has released a trailer focusing on the new content's co-op "Undead Overrun" multiplayer, and it might strike you as a little familiar. In it, you and your posse take on waves of the infected, while trying to reach a safehouse survive until the timer runs out. Weapons and ammo must be "chosen wisely" at the outset (though more can be rummaged from coffins) and fallen amigos can be revived, provided you get to them fast enough. See it for yourself in the amusingly narrated trailer after the break. We'd try to rhyme like its narrator, but it would probably come out something like this: "Undead Overrun is a lot of fun." (Wait -- that sounds like one of his actual lines.) In addition to the trailer, Rockstar has revealed that the DLC will bring with it 12 additional Achievements / Trophies, our favorite of which is "Smoke That Skinwagon," unlocked by making it to wave 15 of the Undead Overrun mode. You can browse the full list here, unless it's spoilers you fear.
Halo: Reach, New Super Mario Bros. top software sales for 2010 (so far)
Gamasutra recently pieced together NPD data for the first nine months of 2010 to give us a look at the top-selling software of the year so far. Though the data doesn't combine the sales of multiplatform titles -- which might affect the landscape of the chart -- the results are a little perplexing. (And not just because half of the games therein were released in 2009.) Halo: Reach is leading the pack so far, followed by New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which is so, so old. Also, the 360 version of Red Dead Redemption made the list, but not the PS3 version. Even more confusing than that: Pokémon SoulSilver made the list, while Pokémon HeartGold did not. What earthly reason could there possibly be for that? Did consumers think that gold would be more gaudy than silver?
As if you needed an explanation for this Zombie Bear
There are no doubt certain sticklers for authenticity who have problematized the spread of zombies in next week's Red Dead Redemption add-on Undead Nightmare. "The undead simply do NOT belong in the heretofore historically accurate RDR canon. Period," reads one hypothetical tweet, which might echo the thoughts of others. Perhaps giving voice to these naysayers, GameSpot has questioned Rockstar boss Dan Houser on the matter. "We wanted the game world to feel like a 1970s movie set," Houser explained, "in which by day people shot a serious revisionist Western and by night some maniacs invaded the studio and filmed a somewhat insane horror movie using the same sets and cast." Well, good, that certainly closes the book on the issue for us -- though we do wonder about Houser's suggestion that "it simply was not what people expected." We've been pretty much stockpiling weapons in heated anticipation of a zombie apocalypse at least since '02. Now, if you'd thrown a transforming steam-powered hovertrain locomotive that flies through time at us? That would've been totally unexpected, not to mention an accepted fact of revisionist history.
Red Dead Redemption DLC and Free Roam mode get standalone retail release
If you're turned off by the prospect of playing through Red Dead Redemption's lengthy single-player storyline, but are significantly turned on by its multiplayer offerings and upcoming zombie-themed expansion, you're about to be very, very pleased. Rockstar has announced that it will release a standalone retail version of the Western epic, featuring the game's Free Roam online multiplayer mode and all of the game's downloadable add-ons. Titled Undead Nightmare, the $30 retail disc includes -- you guessed it -- the "Undead Nightmare" expansion, as well as the "Outlaws to the End," "Legends and Killers" and "Liars and Cheats" add-ons (the DLC prices of which add up to exactly $30). Much like Rockstar's other DLC compilation, Episodes from Liberty City, the Undead Nightmare disc won't require Red Dead Redemption to play. However, it would probably appreciate the company when introduced to your cold, cliquey video game storage unit.
Red Dead Redemption's 'Undead Nightmare' begins October 26
Is Red Dead Redemption getting a bit stale? It's going to be a lot more stale come October 26 -- so stale it's rotten, in fact. That's when all the deceased cowpokes, banditos and even varmints rise from their graves in the Undead Nightmare DLC. The pack will run you $10 on Xbox 360 and PS3, and will give you "5–12 hours" worth of zombie-shooting, coffin-burning, ex-horse-riding fun. For more information about what you'll actually be doing (besides screaming in a gentlemanly Southern accent), we invite you to peruse our preview. %Gallery-104661%
Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare trailer blames Washington
Just like we blame Washington for our lack of national health care and the crack epidemic of the 1980s, Red Dead Redemption's denizens struck with a bad case of the zombies in the "Undead Nightmare" DLC do the same. And who can blame them, really?
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare DLC preview
The upcoming Undead Nightmare expansion for Red Dead Redemption is both a rather difficult and easy concept to grasp. On the one hand, it's hard to understand how or why this zombie plague is striking the American Wild West. (Rockstar still wouldn't talk about story details.) On the other hand, it's an easy excuse to introduce new enemy types into Rockstar's open world. Undead Nightmare adds a lot of things to shoot at, and looks to be a meaty extension of the game's single-player experience for a rather reasonable $10 price. Perhaps as an admission of its incompatibility with the canon of the world, Undead Nightmare is a standalone experience that takes place between the end of Marston's quest to find his family, and the game's final battle. Nothing is carried over from the main game, with the exception of any new weapons unlocked by the game's other DLC. The goal of this quest is to rid the country of a zombie infestation, a journey that will take a player anywhere from 5-12 hours, depending on their skill and propensity to complete side quests. Rockstar wouldn't reveal exactly how much of the map would be infected, but they did tease that a new area would be added to the world via this expansion. The cure to the undead plague appears to be rather simple. At cemeteries, there will be a collection of coffins you'll have to burn. Of course, this is easier said than done. [Update: Rockstar offered clarification, adding that "clearing the graveyard is just a small piece of the narrative and it is one of the many theories people in RDR have as to the cause of the plague. But it's definitely not the entire plot of the game."] Burning one coffin will trigger a massive influx of enemies, as they rise from the ground. As you burn the coffins and fight the swarm, you'll eventually encounter a boss zombie. Take him down, and you'll rid the area of the zombie menace, clearing the skies in the immediate vicinity whilst lowering the frequency of random "ambient" zombie attacks.%Gallery-104661%
Red Dead Redemption 'Undead Nightmare' screens are hypnotic
Most of the media we've seen from Red Dead Redemption's "Undead Nightmare" DLC paints the expansion's ghouls as decaying, hideous monsters. This latest batch is ... well, it's still pretty grim, but look at that guy in the picture above! The diffusive glow of his brain hole is just delightful.
Red Dead Redemption adding free outfits and ... jackalopes
Red Dead Redemption's "Hunting and Trading Outfits Pack" will be released for free next Tuesday, October 12, on PSN and Xbox Live. The DLC's "Savvy Merchant" outfit will grant the wearer the power to purchase guns and ammo for half price, while the pelt and hide adorned "Expert Hunter" outfit will double the amount you earn from selling your skinned trophies. That's not the best part, though. The best part of the free outfit pack is that it will add the Jackalope (pictured) to the game. Though, considering there are soon to be zombies in the Wild West, this horned jackrabbit seems pretty darned ordinary.
Zombies mosey on into Red Dead Redemption's 'Undead Nightmare' trailer
Like most issues that plagued the Wild West, the zombie situation was apparently "cured" with a bullet. See Marston take on the "Undead Nightmare" in this debut trailer for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption add-on pack.
Red un-Dead zombies spotted in dem dere hills
Sure, those could just be a bunch of drunk cowpokes and some prostitutes, but why take the chance? Plus, zombie hides fetch a mighty fine price over at the Escalera general store. Check out these first screens of the Red Dead Redemption "Undead Nightmare" DLC -- "coming soon" to Xbox Live and PSN for $10. [Thanks Bob!] %Gallery-103642%
Wrangle double XP in Red Dead Redemption multiplayer this weekend
Once again, the time has come for you to take your lowly cowpoke in Red Dead Redemption's multiplayer and turn him into the king of the range. This weekend, the game's online component will reward players with twice the standard rate of XP in celebration of the new "Liars and Cheats" DLC pack.
Red Dead Redemption DLC screens show off gambling and explosions
We've got a gallery featuring Red Dead Redemption's upcoming DLC, "Liars and Cheats," wherein you'll find images of the new multiplayer-enabled Poker and Liar's Dice games, as well as the new explosive rifle. It's actually not the rifle that explodes, but you get the idea. %Gallery-102935%
Red Dead Redemption 'Liars and Cheats' trailer goes all in
We'd describe what's in Red Dead Redemption's "Liars and Cheats" pack launching September 21, but the corporate safety voice-over guy after the break does a pretty swell job explaining everything. The DLC will cost 800 MS points or $10 on Xbox Marketplace and PSN, respectively.%Gallery-101945%
Take a gamble on Red Dead Redemption 'Liars and Cheats' screenshots
Rockstar recently released a handful of new screens for Red Dead Redemption's upcoming, gambling-filled DLC update, "Liars and Cheats." You can check out all the lying, cheating and completely unrelated ... deathmatching (?) in the gallery posted below.
LotRO's radiance to be run over by a train and other future tidbits revealed
"We took Radiance outside, tied it up to some railroad tracks, and...well...I think you saw the end of this in Red Dead Redemption. Look for this in the future -‐ we will be removing Radiance from LotRO." Thus sayeth Turbine's Jen "Jalessa" Gordy, who confirmed that the controversial gear gating system is headed for a messy death. In the same WarCry developer chat, the team fielded a number of questions about where LotRO is headed after this week's mega-update. Some of the features in the works for Tolkien's digital offspring include a new raid, class changes for monster play, a barter item wallet, PvMP skirmishes, Isengard, additional minigames and -- yes -- vanity pets for all. The devs also admitted to slipping in a few pop culture mentions into the game, such as Firefly and Futurama references. And will there ever be any other hobbies than fishing in LotRO? Kate Paiz mused: "All of us devs really want to make golf next, but it's a tricky undertaking, so we don't have a timeline yet, but feel free to start practicing your backswings!" You can read the full transcript at A Casual Stroll to Mordor.
Mafia 2 controls top of UK Charts for second week
Did you think Take-Two's Mafia 2 would slip off the top spot in the UK charts after one week? Well, fuhgeddaboudit -- Chart-Track notes that despite a 23 percent drop in sales, the crime sandbox maintained its Godfather status. Last week, the publisher announced that it expects the game to continue being a good earner. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days maintained its silver status with Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort rallying into bronze (thanks to a Wiimote bundle). Sales stalwarts Toy Story 3 and Red Dead Redemption remain in fourth and fifth, respectively. It appears that the time for one of Ubisoft's Dance titles is over. Older brother Just Dance is still jammin' at seventh, but Dance on Broadway has a bum leg and laryngitis, slipping even further this week down to 22. Check out last week's top 10 selling titles in the UK after the break. Update: Oops, we neglected to mention Metroid: Other M premiered last week at 12. Looks like we weren't the only ones who didn't notice it was available.
Red Dead Redemption pushes Take-Two Q3 revenue up to $354.1 million
Take-Two has reported that net revenue for its third fiscal quarter, which ended July 31, 2010, reached $354.1 million -- an increase of $259.2 million over the same period last year. The company attributed the rise primarily to Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption, which has shipped more than 6.9 million units life-to-date. And while several older games, including Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, NBA 2K10 and Borderlands, contributed to overall sales at retail, Take-Two highlighted digitally distributed content as a "meaningful component" of this quarter's outcome. Operating income for the quarter landed at $12.4 million, a big turnaround compared to the $58.3 million loss suffered in the same quarter during 2009, and a minor dip from Q2 2010's $16.9 million. Take-Two's fourth quarter won't benefit from Red Dead's landing impact, but the company already has an extensive lineup of DLC planned for the coming months.
Red Dead Redemption has shipped 6.9 million units and counting
Red Dead Redemption has been a bonanza for Take-Two, with the company announcing today that more than of 6.9 million units have been shipped to retail. Take-Two stated a couple months back that the title had already become profitable after the western shipped over 5 million units and allegedly recouped six years of development costs. The breakout hit has been a staple of the NPD and UK sales charts since launch, but it's still got a lot of sales to go before it has the cachet of Grand Theft Auto. And before we stop using that picture above.
