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Free for All: Host your own Stanford Prison Experiment thanks to Die2Nite
Whenever I wander into a new town in Die2Nite, I try to be as quiet about it as I can. I walk in, nod my head at a few people, and settle down. I also try to figure out the pecking order of the town as quickly as I can. There is almost always a pecking order. If not, it's a town of chaos and likely won't last longer than a few days of zombie invasions. I've played long enough to recognize players who are trying to lead, those who are willing to follow any instruction (even if wrong), and the fact that most players are content with popping in, making a few moves, and logging out. The town I am in at the time of this writing is called Plagued Sanitorium. The names seem randomly generated for each town, but they always fit. I am a paid member, so I can choose the town I want to start in. Once a town has 40 members, the invasions begin. At 5:00 p.m. EST every day, the site literally goes down while the zombies come. After 10 minutes of attack, players log in to see what happened and who survived. check out any one of my livestreams on the game to see it all in action. Sanitorium is a pretty unique experience so far, but in most ways it's as common as basic human psychology.
I Am Alive takes downloadable survival horror to PC in September
I Am Alive is coming to PC on September 13, Ubisoft announced today. I Am Alive launched for XBLA and PSN in March, to a fair few middling reviews. The PC version, apparently, will include enhanced resolutions and graphics, and two new games modes: Easy mode and Replay mode, both of which do exactly what their names suggest.The above trailer teases the PC version of I Am Alive, showing off the lonely landscapes and survival horror through an updated terror filter. The game will hit Steam, Ubishop and other digital retailers.
Bethesda teases first concept of Mikami's 'Zwei,' explains what 'pure survival horror' means
After Tango Gameworks head and veteran game dev Shinji Mikami outed news on his current game, "Project Zwei," to Famitsu earlier this week, publisher Bethesda apparently decided to do its own big debut. In an email missive early this morning, Bethesda announced Mikami's project as "the realization of *pure* survival horror" (Bethesda's asterisks, not ours), and included a collage of various environments in Zwei, "that communicate the tone and direction that the production is taking."Mikami said true survival horror is a situation "in which the player confronts and overcomes fear." From that note, we can only assume that the Black Eyed Peas must play some role in Zwei. Mikami added, "I've found my focus and once again I'm striving for pure survival horror. I am being very hands-on in the development of this game to ensure that the quality is there. Rest assured."As reported earlier, the game is still in the initial stages of development (as evidenced by the collage of environments above). It's expected to launch on "HD consoles" at some point in 2013.
Resident Evil's Mikami welcomes Bethesda to the world of survival horror
Nope, it's not Billy Corgan's next group – "Project Zwei" is actually Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's first project from his Bethesda Softworks-supported Tango Gameworks. The name (codename?) of Mikami's project was revealed to Famitsu in a recent interview (interpreted by Andriasang, via Sokuho), wherein Mikami says the game will be of the survival horror variety, drawing on his past work with the Resident Evil series.The interview also reveals that the game is still rather early in development – not entirely unexpected for a game not due for at least another year – and that Mikami is content in his relationship with Maryland-based publisher Bethesda Softworks.Little else is known about the title, with Mikami only saying that the game is intended for "HD consoles." As for the name? "Zwei" is tied to the German for "two," but Mikami says the name has no connection to the game's content.
The 'bullshot' dates back to Alone in the Dark
In the games industry, a 'bullshot' is a screenshot that's been manipulated to appear prettier and more exciting than the actual game. It happens more commonly than our tag would have you believe. The thing is, scientists have been trying to determine the genesis of this heinous act for quite some time now -- and we think we've found a prominent example of one of the earliest bullshots in Alone in the Dark.During his GDC postmortem, designer Frédérick Raynal admitted that he drew the back-of-the-box face for Alone in the Dark's protagonist in MS Paint, back in 1992. The main character doesn't look like he does above in the actual game, though the original packaging still shows the hand-drawn visage."We were in September 1992, master state, but we still had no head for the hero." Raynal said that Infrogrames was looking for screens to share at the time, and so Raynal was in a tough spot. He decided he was just going to draw the head in."It is funny because if you still look on the first box for the game, you an see those pictures with the fake head on it." Raynal said the bullshot even made it into the game -- if you don't touch the keys in the main menu, a slideshow featuring the touched-up image will start up. Nobody ever bothered to fix it.
We want to play Peter Molydeux's 'CasCore' prototype
One of our favorite Twitter accounts, @petermolydeux, is a constant source of entertainment, but now he's taken it to the next level. Rather than leave it up to us to imagine his insane gaming ideas, he's gone ahead and created a video proposal for CasCore, a game that marries the casual gameplay of Wii Sports' bowling with the hardcore survival-horror genre. Give your imagination a break already and check out the prototype video above. How else will you see a child's dreams crammed into a bowling ball?
Take Amy's hand on PSN this summer
Since we hadn't heard anything on PSN survival horror exclusive Amy since it was announced in February, we'd let it fall comfortably off our radar. But now we've read the first gameplay details and seen new screens from the project -- headed by Flashback creator Paul Cuisset -- and it's right back there on the radar just ... you know, blooping away, or whatever it is that things on radars do. The town of Silver City has been torn apart by a mysterious virus, and the one hope is a young girl named Amy whose presence seems to be the only cure. As Amy's protector, you'll lead her out of Silver City, holding R1 to take her hand. The tender gesture won't just be used for guiding her, you'll also be able to feel her pulse through the Dual Shock, with an increase in her heart rate providing a warning for an oncoming increase in danger. The emphasis is on stealth, or "exfiltration" as Cuisset puts it, avoiding conflict with the terrors plaguing Silver City just long enough to get Amy to safety. There are a few other tidbits in this post on the PlayStation Blog, but none more exciting than the fact that we'll be able to start leading Amy out of Silver City at some point this summer. Just a heads up: You'll probably want to go ahead and start watching this Hootie and the Blowfish classic to prep for our inevitable review headline pun. %Gallery-126761%
Undead Labs talks about environments and the undead
The upcoming zombie games from Undead Labs are aiming to give players a feeling of genuinely surviving in a world ruled by shambling corpses. To make that work correctly, players are going to need lots of little touches here and there to reinforce just what has gone wrong and what sort of threat living humans are facing. In the most recent set of questions and answers from the development team, more elements of the environment and interaction with same are spelled out, giving prospective survivors an idea of what to expect. While the game isn't planned to be an ornate physics simulator, there will be a practical limit to how much an individual can carry -- and while vehicles can carry more, the problems of noise and fuel will place some limits on stacking an SUV to the brim with heavy weapons. Hunting wildlife and handling aquatic environments will both be issues in the game, with the obvious caveat that humans drown far more easily than zombies. There are a lot of other interesting tidbits in the full rundown as well as some valuable takeaways that aspiring survivors would do well to internalize.
Capcom planning Resident Evil 15th anniversary merchandise blitz
It would seem that releasing five Resident Evil games in one year isn't enough to celebrate the series' 15th anniversary. Capcom has also added a zombie-filled boatload of merchandise to the Japanese Resident Evil 15th anniversary site. The highlight looks to be the airsoft replica of Chris Redfield's "Samurai Edge" pistol. It's scheduled to be released sometime this year and, at ¥20,790 ($245), the pellet-shooter certainly isn't cheap. Head over to the 15th anniversary site for more images of the planned goods, including lots of clothing, soundtrack collections and Jill Valentine figures.
Get uncomfortable with Saw 2 release date and new art
When Konami suggested a Halloween release for Saw 2: Flesh & Blood at E3, it apparently meant Halloween-ish. Uncertainty is part of setting a devious trap, after all. The publisher today announced the October 19 release date of the game, "just in time for the release of Saw VII 3D, the seventh installment of the popular horror franchise from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures." Along with the date, Konami has sent out some new Saw 2 concept art. "Just the silhouette of the character in the trap had to make the viewer uncomfortable," producer John Williamson explains. "You had to know instantly that something bad was going to happen to this person if you didn't get them out." If you're thinking, "Why on Earth would I want to be uncomfortable," you aren't the target market for this game. %Gallery-100164%
Rising Star Games sees a Deadly Premonition in Europe
Deadly Premonition, Access Games' creepy, low-budget survival horror adventure starring an insane FBI investigator, is on the way to Europe. Former Marvelous partner and "Home of Japanese Games" Rising Star Games will publish the surreal open-world Xbox 360 game in Europe this "autumn," for £24.99 ($39), which isn't quite as wallet-friendly as the North American release's $19.99 price point, but is still less than full price. In the press release, Rising Star noted the unusual range of reactions from reviewers, including IGN's 2/10 review. Seriously, this quote is in the press release announcing the game: "Awful in nearly every way... Terrible controls. Terrible pacing. Terrible sound effects. Terrible visuals." Absolutely everything about this game is insane, even the people publishing it.
Dead Space lives in two new formats: animated movie and graphic novel out this winter
The Dead Space universe just got a bit less lonely. EA announced two more projects for the property, this time an animated feature called Dead Space Aftermath, available January 2011, and a graphic novel called Dead Space Salvage, expected out December 2010. Perfect for those of you who love Dead Space, but somehow hate video games. The animated Aftermath tells the story of a group sent by the Government to the site of the Aegis VII disaster, specifically to be exposed to Marker shards, in order to create a carrier for a "Marker blueprint." Of course, the people don't know that's why they've been brought there, and since it's horror (and Dead Space) we can expect the expedition to go ... well, not great. The Salvage comic, published by IDW, is about a group called the "Magpies" who come across the abandoned Ishimura, which is full of candy Government agents and necromorphs. We'll learn more details about these projects during today's Comic-Con panel, "Building a Horror Entertainment Franchise: Dead Space 2."
Capcom prescribes Dead Rising 2: Zombrex Edition to North America
The European special edition of Dead Rising 2 may include a tiny, plastic zombie, but the North American special edition trumps it by helping you avoid becoming a zombie yourself. The Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition, available on both PS3 and Xbox 360, includes a syringe of life-saving Zombrex medicine (which looks suspiciously like a pen), along with a Zombrex safety information card, sales brochure, and 25-page prescription pad. The steelbook case also includes materials not related to fictional anti-undeadifying pharmaceuticals, including a Dead Rising 2 artbook, and a disc with a "Making of" featurette. The Xbox 360 version will also include the Zombrex Dead Rising Sun film, while the PS3 version will include a voucher for a dynamic theme. The Zombrex Edition will be released on the same September 28 date as the regular version, and will retail for $79.99 -- isn't it worth the extra $20 to have the peace of mind that only anti-zombie medication can provide? %Gallery-97578%
3DS Resident Evil Revelations ... revealed in trailer
Capcom announced that Resident Evil: Revelations, the 3DS survival horror game, uses the same MT Framework engine that powers console games like Lost Planet 2 and Resident Evil 5. According to Capcom, the engine delivers stereoscopic visuals and "graphical quality comparable to consoles." You can judge for yourself in the trailer below. Of course, since it isn't stereoscopic, and there is as of yet no way of knowing whether these scenes are in-engine or pre-rendered, it's not exactly the most accurate representation of the 3DS's capabilities. It is, though, still a trailer for a new Resident Evil game, and as such it's loaded with entertainingly overacted dialogue. %Gallery-95705%
Playboy mags make Dead Rising 2 more inappropriately sexy
What better combination could there be than the sexy ladies of Playboy magazine and rotting, unnaturally ambulatory corpses? Capcom and Playboy have reached an agreement wherein Playboy magazines and imagery will be seen throughout the world of Dead Rising 2, in the form of magazines, as well as billboards and other advertisements. Judging by the costume in one of the new screens, Fortune City is host to a Playboy Club as well. Playboy is just one of the publications used for the game's new "magazine system," which, like Dead Rising's book system, will offer enhancements to the player's stats. Playboy imbues Chuck Greene with a "unique and special upgrade" -- good that it has an actual gameplay purpose, because on its own, stopping to check out some babes while on the run from thousands of undead monsters is highly questionable, both in terms of tactics and just plain sanity. %Gallery-94955%
Dead Space 2 cover is possibly Dead Space Girl-free
EA just made what it classifies as a "big reveal" via Twitter -- the cover art for Dead Space 2. We regret to inform you that the cover does not feature any terrified, meme-worthy faces, unless there's one behind the visor of that helmet. You know what, we're just going to assume there's a Dead Space Girl face right behind that helmet. It ... helps. Check out the full image after the break. Dead Space 2 is currently slated for an early 2011 release (inside that box), according to EA earnings reports and statements from CEO John Riccitiello.
Last Flight teaser trailer comes in for landing
Bloober Team's extremely gradual rollout of media for Last Flight continues... In October, Bloober Team sent out screenshots; today, there's a teaser trailer, which shows what would appear to be real environments from the game -- we hope. Even at this glacial pace, we're pleased to see progress toward a release of Last Flight, the now-episodic WiiWare action game about a plane full of vampires and the food critic who loves kills them. Being trapped on a plane with a bunch of monsters is a great setup for a horror game, and killing vampires with a bunch of random weapons is a great setup for a game. %Gallery-75104%
Composer says Wii's 'Sadness' was cancelled, releases soundtrack
Finally, resolution to a story we've been following for several years -- though it's a bit disappointing. Nibris's Wii horror title Sadness (what did you think we were talking about?) has been canceled, after years of disappearing websites, slipping release dates, nonexistent demos and a generally game-free history. The news comes from a Polish-language blog post from April, announcing the release of composer Arkadiusz Reikowski's soundtrack for the game. The post notes that, according to Reikowski, the game was cancelled before work on the music was complete. So that soundtrack is basically the closest part of the game to "finished" -- and it's still in a preliminary state itself. [Via Original Sound Version; thanks, Aquacharger!]
Takeuchi unsure about his Resident Evil 6 involvement
It sounds like that high-stakes game of Blackjack might not be necessary in deciding the producer of Resident Evil 6. In an interview with Xbox World 360 magazine (via online affiliate CVG), Resident Evil 5 and Lost Planet 2 producer Jun Takeuchi acknowledged his intent to give up a possible leadership role in developing the next installment in the series. "Personally, I don't think I'm gonna deal with Resident Evil 6 at all," Takeuchi explained, "as far as the series is concerned I'm not planning to return until at least two more Olympics have passed!" You mean ... in four years? (Why couldn't he just say "in four years?") Well then, we hope to hear more about the future of Resident Evil in just 1/24th of an Olympics calendar. Which is to say, in June, at E3 2010.
Amazon discount sparks chart-topping sales of Deadly Premonition
A combination of word-of-mouth promotion and a one-day discount has propelled Access Games and Ignition Entertainment's Deadly Premonition to the top of Amazon's Xbox 360 sales chart this week, according to Gamasutra. The low-budget survival horror game received an unusual range of reviews -- from a 2/10 from IGN to Destructoid's 10/10, with everything in between. Those that did like the game describe it as a combination of Twin Peaks–like storytelling and awkward writing, which are often the key ingredients for a cult hit. Of course, the main motivator for Deadly Premonition's uptick in sales was Amazon's discount. On Wednesday, it was the retailer's Deal of the Day, with its price knocked down from $19.99 to $14.98. Apparently, a lot of people were waiting until it dropped under $20. Sadly, the game has returned to its exorbitant original price.
