Mike Schramm
Articles by Mike Schramm
Defiance team plans five DLC releases, first adds the Castithan race and more
Now that the MMO-slash-TV show Defiance has been launched, says executive producer Nathan Richardsson, things are about to really get good, in the form of five DLC releases later this year. He admits that fan response to the game has it pegged as "about as deep as a bag of chips but great fun," but adds that he'd "like to get to the two-bag of chip depth category or at least, add some salsas for various textures." Most of those spices will come in the form of DLC, and Richardsson has outlined what the game's first addon, tentatively titled "Enter the Castithan," will look like. There will be three elements to it: Those who buy the downloadable content for $10 will get access to the Castithan playable race, along with a new outfit and vehicle, and a new story mission line and game mode. There will also be free content, including new weapons, a new PvP map called Military Academy, and some other game improvements. And then there will be new items in the store, including weapon mods, more vehicle versions, and the ability to change your character's customizations. Richardsson says all future add-ons will have these paid, free, and store components, and the team's goal is to keep the updates and content flowing and focused on what players want. The first DLC release is expected to hit the game after a patch later on this month.
GamersGate offering Bethesda's best for cheap this weekend
GamersGate is hosting a big sale on Bethesda titles this weekend, featuring games from the last few years of the company's history on sale for a fraction of the usual price. Dishonored, for example, is available for a low $14.99, or you can get Skyrim for $14.95, Rage for $9.95, or Fallout: New Vegas' Ultimate Edition for $9.95. Brink, Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Morrowind are all listed at bargain prices as well. A few of the titles have dropped out of stock already, which means that GamersGate has run out of digital keys for them. But as long as the title is still available for purchase, you can buy it, and then GamersGate will deliver a key when more are available. The deals last through the weekend, so now's your chance to fill out that Bethesda back catalog you've been missing.
Limited edition Mass Effect 3 Paladin pistol replica available for pre-order
BioWare has just revealed this snazzy real-life replica version of Mass Effect 3's M-77 Paladin pistol, available for pre-order today. The weapon weighs 7 pounds, is hand-finished and hand-painted, and is one of a set of only 200 made by collectible firm Triforce. Buying one for yourself will run you a total of $400: You'll need to put down $200 now to reserve your own fake space gun, and then another $200 when it's ready to go, which is expected to be later this year. That's not cheap, but then again nobody said fighting off the Reaper Invasion would be.
Crowdfunded 'My Carnival' is a video game designed to help children with cystic fibrosis
AccessAble Games has announced a new campaign to raise funds for a free video game designed to help children with cystic fibrosis learn how to perform their breathing exercises correctly. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that requires daily physiotherapy training, and while experts say there are some tools out there to teach affected children already, they're not as helpful and entertaining as they could be. Enter My Carnival, which will use a standard PC mic to track a child's breathing in and out, and can be adjusted depending on the child's ability. Once the breathing is tracked, My Carnival then translates that into playing games at an busy carnival, having the player do things like fill a balloon with a water stream. You can contribute to the project right now. AccessAble's "tipping point" budget of $29,000 would cover just four minigames, but the full budget of $40,000, if raised, would provide for eight minigames total. Currently, the team has only raised just over $1,000 with 23 days left in the effort.
Sony to begin manufacturing PlayStation 3 units in Brazil
Sony has announced plans to build PlayStation 3 systems locally in Brazil. The consoles will be manufactured in Manaus by Sony Brasil Ltda., with the 250 GB version costing 1,099 Reals. Major upcoming games The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto 5 are getting localized releases in Brazilian Portuguese as well. A PlayStation 3 bundle featuring God of War: Ascension will hit stores in the region as part of the "Viva Em Estado Play" ("Living in a State of Play") marketing program in South America. Sony says it's committed to investing in the local gaming development industry in Brazil, and Sony President Andrew House claims the manufacturing setup will "infuse the Brazilian economy with approximately $300 million over the next 12 months." As one more gesture of goodwill, the first ten consoles manufactured in Brazil will be given away to local gamers.
Mutant Mudds Deluxe for Wii U almost ready to be submitted
Developer Jools Watsham has tweeted that Mutant Mudds Deluxe, which was set to come to the Wii U this spring, has reached the final stage of development. Watsham says the game is currently being polished, and that it should be submitted to Nintendo for release later on this week. The Deluxe version of the retro platformer will be playable directly on the Wii U's tablet controller, and will feature both the add-on content from the main game and new levels to play. If the game is submitted this week as planned, it should appear on the eShop soon after.
Valve now selling a Balloonicorn plushie, with in-game code
You can now buy a Balloonicorn Plushie straight from Valve's official Team Fortress 2 store. The cute pink union of a balloon and a unicorn is 14.5 inches from horntip to tail and comes with a code for a genuine Balloonicorn in-game item, for $24.99. The Balloonicorn serves as the "Municipal Ombudsman" of Pyroland, which is the cute and creepy world as seen through the Pyro's eyes. Like the best things in life, it's adorable yet horrifying.
Rawbots pitches custom robot battles in a sandbox
Rawbots is a multiplayer game in which you build and program robots to battle other players in a sandbox arena. Designer Alex Rozgo and the Rawbots team is pitching the game on Kickstarter, where they're trying for $300,000 to deliver the product on the PC, Mac, Linux, Wii U, and possibly the PS4. Rawbots intends to have various parts available for the making of your mechanical minions, which can then be traded with others using contracts and blueprints. The structure of the world is meant to combine different types of gameplay, enabling you to put together various levels designed for FPS or RTS-style interaction. So far, Rawbots has only picked up a few thousand dollars, but the project has over a month to go. The team is also selling early access to the game on its website for $29.99.
Bethesda opens a Play Test Lab at id Software in Dallas
Bethesda has announced it has opened a Play Test Lab in Dallas, Texas, inside the offices of id Software. The lab will be used to test upcoming games with local Dallas players, and Bethesda promises some extra "games or swag" to anyone who comes in for testing. You'll need to be 18 or over to apply, and Bethesda says it's looking for gamers of all types, both casual and hardcore. If you're around Dallas and want to put your name in the hat, you can sign up on the website right now.
Gamestop Expo 2013 to take place in Vegas this August
GameStop's annual Expo event is set to return to Las Vegas on August 28. The event serves as a manager's meeting for the chain, and as of last year the company has also opened the show to the public. Expo 2013 will feature 250,000 square feet of exhibitions from 80 major game developers and publishers, and offer a look at Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4. Just like last year, general admission to the Sands Expo Center for the show costs $35. GameStop has knocked $10 off the VIP pass (which grants access to a special lounge, a swag bag, and panel discussions), which is now available for $90. GameStop is also giving away an all-expense-paid trip to one lucky PowerUp Rewards member who buys or trades something in the month of May. Just like 2012, the show's August 28 kickoff puts it right before PAX Prime in Seattle.
Star Citizen funding eclipses $9 million
Star Citizen has reached over $9 million in funding, thanks to its almost 170,000 contributors. The space exploration MMO, spearheaded by Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts, began with a successful $2 million run on Kickstarter, and has since raised almost $7 million on its own website. The original goal was "just" $500,000, but Star Citizen has topped every stretch goal it set and then some. As part of its stretch goals, Star Citizen's launch plans include a tablet companion app, celebrity voice acting, a free mission pack for every player, and over 100 star systems to explore while playing. Developer Cloud Imperium Games has just opened offices in Santa Monica, and the game's website is proclaiming a victory for post-publisher game development. Players will get a chance to explore the world of Star Citizen in an alpha release, scheduled for sometime this winter.
Sega and Gearbox targeted in Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit
Gearbox Software and Sega have both been named in a class action lawsuit alleging that the two companies knowingly misrepresented Aliens: Colonial Marines in trade show demos. After the game was released to negative reviews, some players and critics claimed the game's trailers and demonstrations didn't match up to the final product. The lawsuit's plaintiff, Damion Perrine, and the law firm of Edelson LLC have decided to take the matter to court for consumers. The suit cites a tweet from Gearbox head Randy Pitchford, who called initial complaints over the delta between demo and final game "understood and fair." The legal action also suggests demos were misleadingly labeled as "actual gameplay," and that Sega embargoed press reviews until the early morning of Colonial Marines' release date, preventing early buyers from discovering the differences. Accordingly, the suit asks for class action damages for anyone who pre-ordered the game or bought it on release day. The next step in a class action suit like this will be for the courts to certify the class. Unless Sega and Gearbox fight for a settlement right away, Edelson will next need to figure out how many players were mislead in the way described in the lawsuit. Once determined, the class will be notified of the suit, and the case can move forward.
Why Kojima wanted MGS Legacy to include graphic novels
Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has taken to Twitter to add some insight into why he decided to include two graphic novels by artist Ashley Wood in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection.The first two Metal Gear Solid have "got different control feeling" compared to modern games, says Kojima through a translator. The graphic novels are meant as more of a "watch MGS" mode for those raised on modern control schemes.With more remakes and longer series lately, it's not uncommon to see developers help players get players caught up on a universe one way or another. Including a graphic novel for backstory is an interesting way to make up for gameplay differences over a series' lifetime.The Legacy Collection will be out in June for PS3 and include the first two games, if you're up for the challenge, along with MGS 3, Peace Walker, MGS 4, and MGS: VR Missions.
Variety: Gears of War movie script back in the works
The ethereal Gears of War movie is back in the headlines, with Variety reporting that producer Scott Stuber has signed on with the project. There's still no writer or distributor attached, but Stuber will work with his own studio, called Bluegrass Films, and Epic Games to develop a script and finance the project. Universal Studios currently has first look rights to whatever he can come up with.Stuber has produced a number of big-budget films, including Battleship, Ted, and the upcoming 47 Ronin. A movie based on Gears of War was originally set for a release in 2010, but that project allegedly fell apart due to "creative differences."
Try not to lose the Battle of Teutoberg Forest again in Total War: Rome 2
The Battle of the Teutoberg Forest is an epic historical Roman defeat against Germanic tribes, in which about 20,000 Romans died, including suicidal officers tormented by their failure and soldiers who had their remains desecrated by the barbarians. And now you can play it as a game!
Dota 2's The International tournament will return August 7
The Dota 2 tournament called "The International" is set to return for a third round this year, with two different qualifiers leading up to a championship on August 7. The West Qualifier will run May 13-19, and be hosted by eSports outfit GDStudio, and the East Qualifier, hosted by BeyondtheSummit, will go from May 20-26.Those two qualifier winners will be joined by last year's winners from Invictus Gaming, twelve other contenders, and a special Wild Card contender, to be determined from the qualifier runner-ups right before the final showdown.The contest itself will take place at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, WA, and all of the matches will be broadcast online to watch for free. No official prizes have been announced yet, but traditionally The International boasts a $1 million payout for the winner, so the stakes will undoubtedly be high.
Witcher 3 skipping quick-time events and multiplayer
Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, project lead on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has confirmed multiplayer modes, quick-time events, and DRM are not part of the plan for the third entry in the role-playing game series.The "final saga of Geralt" will maintain a focus on single-player content, Tomaszkiewicz told Forbes, though multiplayer had been considered for the game at one point.Quick-time events found in previous Witcher games have also been abandoned. The lead designer noted that QTEs "didn't fit" the experience and often leads to frustration for players. "There is a small number of games where it is fun, like, for example, in the Uncharted series, where you don't even realize that you've just finished a QTE sequence. And I think that only this way of using QTE has any kind of future in games."Calling digital rights management "the worst thing in the gaming industry," Tomaszkiewicz confirmed The Witcher 3 will not have such restrictions. Though the decision against using DRM applies to retail copies and CD Projekt's GOG.com platform, other digital distributors such as Steam would still feature its own form of DRM. Distribution channels for The Witcher 3 have not been announced.The Witcher 3 is coming to the PC, PS4, and "high-end platforms" next year.
PSA: BlizzCon tickets on sale right about ... now [Update: Gone!]
Just a heads up: Tickets for this year's BlizzCon event in Anaheim, California, are going on sale in just a few minutes at 7pm Pacific. The tickets – which will likely sell out quickly – are priced at $175, and include a swag bag and admittance to the two day event beginning November 8.Tickets are on sale on from the official BlizzCon site.If you don't get tickets today, there's two more chances to do so. This Saturday, April 27, a second round of ticket sales will begin at 10am Pacific, and when that's done, all of the regular admission tickets will be gone. Your last chance, then, will be on May 1 at 7pm Pacific, when Blizzard will sell 200 tickets at $500 a piece for the Blizzcon Benefit Dinner, which includes full admission to the show and a charity event.Update: 29 minutes later, the first round of tickets is sold out. If you didn't get yours, you'll have to try again Saturday.
Portabliss: Robot Unicorn Attack 2 (iOS)
Is it possible you haven't played Robot Unicorn Attack yet? It's by far Adult Swim's most popular onilne Flash game, and not only is it available to play for free (in a few different forms) in your browser, but it's about a robot unicorn collecting fairies and dashing through star crystals while the 2009 remix of Erasure's "Always" plays in the background. Seriously, you better have played this.The game's also spawned three different versions on iOS, including the original, a Heavy Metal version, and a special Christmas edition. But now the full numbered sequel has arrived on iPhones and iPads, and it's made by PikPok, the developers behind the excellent Monsters Ate My Condo games.I'll hit the sourest note first: "Always" isn't in this one. At least not right away.
Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi coming to the 3DS in America
Aksys Games has announced a North American release of Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi on the Nintendo 3DS. The game is based on Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, which made it to the PSP last February.The female-focused "otome" romance game comes to Nintendo's handheld with new story content and some 3DS-specific features, like 3D graphics and the ability to take your potentially creepster picture with the story's main characters.No release date has been announced yet, but those interested can stay tuned to the official site for more.