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Dungeon Defenders 2 hits Early Access next month
Good time co-op tower defense game Dungeon Defenders 2 will enter Steam's Early Access program on December 5. Although DD2 will eventually launch as a free game with, as Trendy puts it, "ethical in-game purchases," the Early Access version will be a premium experience. "Players that purchase the game in Early Access will get access to a pre-alpha build of Dungeon Defenders 2 and be able to play the entire first region of the game with the franchise's four iconic heroes," Trendy explained in a press release. Trendy let go of 20 percent of its staff earlier this year, as it reorganized for profitability under a new CEO. We had a chance to play the pre-Alpha build of Dungeon Defenders 2 this year and we'll invite the developers back on Joystiq Streams when the game hits Early Access.
New plugin-free web games run (almost) as well as their desktop counterparts
So far, sophisticated 3D web games have typically required either a plugin (think Quake Live) or a special environment where they can run native code. While those are just dandy, they aren't really web games, are they? That's going to change shortly, as Trendy Entertainment has revealed plans to launch truly web-based versions of both Dungeon Defenders Eternity and the upcoming Dungeon Defenders II. Both Unreal Engine-based titles use a mix of open standards like WebGL, Web Audio and Mozilla's heavily tuned JavaScript web code (asm.js) to handle desktop-level 3D and sound in your browser at "near native" speeds. You may not notice the difference at all, provided you're on a reasonably quick PC.
Former LucasArts president now CEO at Dungeon Defenders dev
Darrell Rodriguez, who served as president of LucasArts between 2008 and 2010, will now lead Dungeon Defenders developer Trendy Entertainment as its CEO, the studio has announced. Rodriguez, who most recently served as Chief Creative Officer at casino game creator International Game Technology, said in a press release that he was drawn to the studio due to it being "among the first companies to recognize that digitally distributed releases deserve the same high-quality treatment as traditional retail titles." "AAA doesn't belong to AAA anymore, and finding fellow video game industry veterans who understand this is an exciting proposition," Rodriguez said. Trendy's Dungeon Defenders 2, sequel to the studio's 2010 hit Dungeon Defenders, recently dropped its MOBA-inspired mode to focus on the game's unique blend of tower defense and RPG elements. It's expected to launch later this year. [Image: Trendy Entertainment]
Send in the first screens for Dungeon Defenders 2
We've got the first wave of screens for Dungeon Defenders 2, the free-to-play sequel to the popular tower defense game. We got a little time with it recently and think it's shaping up to be a worthy successor. Check it out with us on an episode of Joystiq Streams, next Thursday at 4PM Eastern.
Dungeon Defenders 2 'resets' development, conjures up a teaser trailer
Dungeon Defenders 2 is now strictly a tower defense game. The sequel was revealed earlier this year as two games in one, featuring a tower defense component and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. Developer Trendy Entertainment has dropped the latter and is now focusing on making the game an actual sequel to the original Dungeon Defenders, a good tower defense game that became great after several updates. "We had strayed from making the kind of game fans wanted and the kind of game we wanted to develop. So, we've nixed the MOBA-style of gameplay and other 'extra' features we were talking about and instead are making the sequel we all want to play," said Philip Asher, marketing director at Trendy. "In late October we're going to kick off our first major community initiative to get fans involved in the development of the game, and start working with them to make the roleplaying and item systems as satisfying as possible." A soft launch for the game is expected in the spring of 2014 on PC, Mac and Linux. Surprisingly, the game is still expected to be a free-to-play title. Those attending New York Comic Con can play Dungeon Defenders 2 in its new incarnation this weekend.
Dungeon Defenders 2 begins character profiles with 'Man and Machine'
Trendy Entertainment's Dungeon Defenders 2, which is split into a tower defense sequel and a MOBA, has begun releasing videos for the latter portion of its DNA. Every Wednesday, the studio will highlight a new character for the player-versus-player mode. First up is the "Man and Machine."
Nokia Lumia 720 unveiled: 4.3-inch ClearBlack display, 9mm thick, 6.7MP Carl Zeiss, wireless charging capable
Notice Vogue in that live tile up there? That's because Nokia's toning down its focus on imaging innovation at this year's MWC (remember the PureView 808?) for a hyper-targeted take on the mid-range: the Lumia 720. Made for über-social types prone to late-night party shots, selfies and multimedia uploads, this 4.3-inch device builds on the polycarbonate unibody of its 920 elder, albeit in a much slimmer and smoother form factor. Measuring just 9mm in thickness and weighing 128 grams (4.5 ounces), the 720 also bears the distinction of being Nokia's most svelte Windows Phone 8 device to date. It also packs a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon CPU (the same as the Lumia 520), 512MB RAM, 800 x 480 ClearBlack display, 2,000mAh battery, NFC and an option for wireless charging (enabled by a separate snap-on cover) into the trendiest design the company could create. To push that trendsetting message forward, Nokia's imbued the 720 with a dual-camera setup that's ideal for the party circuit (e.g., low-light shots and self-portraits). Up front, there's a 1.3-megapixel camera with wide-angle lens and a 6.7-megapixel rear shooter with f/1.9 lens on back, specifically crafted by Carl Zeiss labs to take in more light. And as a further lure for the vainglorious types that may pick it up, the 720 will also ship with a new digital lens pre-loaded: Glam Me. As the name implies, this proprietary filter allows users to edit their images (whiten teeth, oversaturate colors, widen eyes, etc.) before sharing on social networking sites. In addition to that proprietary camera software perk, Nokia's also tacked-on its full suite of Here apps (Drive, Transit and Maps), as well as Nokia Music -- all exclusives to the Lumia line. Nokia fans keen on a US release will have to sit and wait this one out (or opt for the Lumia 520 on T-Mobile). At present, the Lumia 720's only set to launch in Asia (specifically China) and parts of Europe in five colors (cyan, black, yellow, red and glossy white) for €249 (about $330 USD) this Q2 2013. Head on past the break for the official PR.
Dungeon Defenders celebrates first birthday with new content, sale
Co-op tower defense action-RPG (phew) Dungeon Defenders is celebrating its first year of existence with some party favors and a sale. For the next two weeks, the "Dungeon Defenders Anniversary Pack DLC" is free. It finds our pint-sized heroes wearing party hats and defending a newly decorated tavern homebase from wave after wave of monsters trying to destroy the birthday cake crystal core.Dungeon Defenders is also 75 percent off as part of Steam's midweek madness sale, making the core game a mere $3.74. Want to be a big spender and receive all of Dungeon Defenders' content? Well, better cancel that trip to The Olive Garden tonight, because that's going to cost $12.49.
Dungeon Defenders free to play on Steam this weekend, 50% off until Monday
Dungeon Defenders, which launched its Mac version and latest expansion today, will be free to play on Steam until Sunday at 1PM Pacific. The game itself will also go on sale this weekend for 50 percent off ($7.50) until Monday, March 19, at 10AM Pacific.If you've yet to check out this addictive tower defense action game, now's the time! All you need is some motivation and a computer that connects to the internet, and we just took care of the first part for you.%Gallery-150840%
Dungeon Defenders is $3.75 on Steam for a few more hours
Trendy Entertainment's polished tower defense action game, Dungeon Defenders, is a mere $3.75 ($11.24 for a four-pack) until 1PM Eastern/10AM Pacific on Steam. The 75 percent discount is part of its Steam's Daily Wishlist promotion. Dungeon Defenders' DLC, including the New Heroes and Warping Core Challenge Pack, is also currently 75 percent off, for $1.24 and $0.49, respectively. That means one could grab the game and all its DLC for less than the game's regular $15 price. %Gallery-137147%
Dungeon Defenders PC SDK public, pre-alpha pass for new mode available
Dungeon Defenders, Trendy Entertainment's stalwart downloadable title launched in the midst of the end-of-year madness, recently released its software development kit (SDK) and a pre-alpha pass to a new game mode on PC. The Dungeon Defenders SDK allows modders to tweak all aspects of the game and create... well, whatever they've got the the talent to come up with. Compelling new levels would be a great place to start. Trendy also launched a pre-alpha pass for the game's 16-player capture the flag mode. In it, two teams of eight compete to hold the flag longest, with players able to import their existing characters. It is an alpha, so dive in if you're ready to give plenty of feedback. %Gallery-137147%
Bigpoint working on Game of Thrones MMO
Winter is coming, and according to USA Today, so is a rogue's gallery of games based on George R.R. Martin's trendy Song of Ice and Fire IP. In addition to the recently released A Game of Thrones: Genesis strategy title, the lands of Westeros will be featured in an upcoming single-player RPG, a social networking game, and an MMO. The massively multiplayer entry is being developed by Bigpoint, a German browser-game specialist known for its Battlestar Galactica game and its love of selling in-game advantages. Whether you're excited about the prospect of killing 10 Lannisters or slitting your wrists over the inevitable MMOification of another beloved fantasy world, the next few months should be interesting to watch.
Dungeon Defenders sales hit 250K, majority on PC
The little co-op tower defense action game that could, Dungeon Defenders, has achieved 250,000 sales. A good start for Trendy Entertainment's solid game that came out during the big bad launch week of Batman: Arkham City. Actually, Batman's no-show on PC may have been a blessing for Dungeon Defenders, since it sold 200K units on PC alone, accounting for 80% of sales. Trendy plans to continue supporting the title with community events for PS3 and Xbox 360 players, with details found in the gallery below (or downloadable here). The events will include special game modes with the devs and a chance to win unique loot. Definitely check out Dungeon Defenders if you've got a group to play with . It's easily one of the best co-op experiences of the year with plenty of content.%Gallery-138233%
Dungeon Defenders scares up free Halloween DLC on PC
Dungeons are pretty spooky places to being with, what with the shackles and the chains and the spiders and everything, but are Trendy Entertainment and Reverb Publishing content with letting Dungeon Defenders' inherent dungeon-dwelling spookiness carry it through the brief-yet-important Halloween season? Hell no! Well, "Hell no!" if you regularly defend dungeons on your PC, at any rate. PSN and XBLA defenders will have to make due, but Steam users can download Dungeon Defenders' Halloween Costume and Mission packs for free, right this very instant. In aggregate, the packs include eight new costumes, a "devilishly hard" Halloween mission, eight new seasonal weapons, and a redecorated tavern for Halloween merry-making. We don't want PSN or XBLA defenders feeling left out, so we recommend imagining how different your life would be had you purchased the game on Steam, instead of your console of choice. Terrifying! %Gallery-137971%
Android's in-app billing makes a dent: Dungeon Defenders free on Android Market
Dungeon Defenders: First Wave cost $3 when it first came out. This week, the iOS version will cost you ninety-nine cents. But if you want to play the Unreal Engine-powered tower defense game today, you can have it for free -- developer Trendy Entertainment is now leaning on Android's new in-app billing system to pay for the whole thing. We can't give Trendy all the credit, of course, as Glu Mobile's Gun Bros and Tapulous' Tap Tap Revenge 4 are doing the same thing, but to our knowledge both of them were free to play from day one. Free-to-play gaming has been a controversial proposition in the console and PC gaming space -- most publishers would just like to sell a game once, and call it a day. On phone, however, where apps are expected to be cheap, it could indeed make more sense to charge users for items and upgrades than to have users "buy" the game. Either way, we penny-pinchers are pleased as punch with the idea. PR after the break.
Versace Unique launched, Vertu put on notice
And here it is, the Versace phone. Teaming up with the ModeLabs outfit that's already quite familiar with building lush phone-like pieces of handheld jewelry, Versace has just announced its first foray into the world of touchscreen communicators. It's quite the striking debut, too, coming with a sapphire crystal screen that is apparently the largest single piece ever offered in a consumer device, as well as gold plating and "high-tech ceramic" construction options. Hand assembly is an obvious standard feature, as is the Medusa-embossed leather back. LG is responsible for putting together the innards, including the 3-inch display and 5 megapixel camera, and worry not, we understand a black version will be available too. Look for the Unique in the usual places you find wildly overpriced gear starting next month.
Packard Bell looks to reposition self as 'trendy' lifestyle brand (no, really)
Packard Bell, what a wild ride it's been... you've gone to Europe, you've been bought out by Acer,and you've hit back stateside with some truly gnarly gaming PCs. But this latest scheme of yours is really a stretch: you intend to reposition yourself as a "lifestyle brand." Long gone, you say, are the days of bizarre case designs, with their peripherals jutting out of the machine at odd angles. You will have new designs -- designs that exemplify the elegance and "alchemy" of your company. And alchemy, you say, is "a mixture of science and magic, to generate emotion." We expect great things.
Toshiba kicks out sexy new Portege M500 ultraportable
If you're weary that the shiny white MacBook may not stay that way for long, or just prefer your laptops to come pre-loaded with palm rest stickers, Toshiba has a trendy new notebook aimed at you. The Portege M500 sports a sleek 4.1-pound enclosure, "white pearl" (and black, too) color scheme, and a 12.1-inch LCD. Beneath the hood of this sexy machine is Intel's 1.73GHz T2250 Core 2 Duo processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, 80GB SATA hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, a 5-in-1 flash card reader, and a built-in microphone. It also boasts a fingerprint sensor, "spill-resistant" keyboard, and a "Quick Play" function that plays back DVDs without the OS being booted. The M500 can be snapped up now, provided that you're in South Korea and have 1,390,000KRW ($1,489) to spare.
