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Don't expect Saints Row, Metro, Dead Island or TimeSplitters at E3
Deep Silver says those franchises won't be featured at Summer Game Fest either.
Dead Island 2 beta exclusive to PlayStation 4 for 30 days
Tucked inside an unassuming FAQ is news that Yager's first-person open-world zombie apocalypse fantasy Dead Island 2 will enter beta testing on the PlayStation 4 prior to the Xbox One and PC. This timed exclusivity was discovered by players who pre-ordered the recent Escape Dead Island spin-off from GameStop and received a bonus code for an eventual Dead Island 2 beta test. When attempting to redeem the code, players found an official notice that reads, "Those who have selected PS4 as their platform of choice for the Dead Island 2 beta will receive access 30 days before Xbox One and PC users." Unfortunately, there's no word on when the beta might start and publisher Deep Silver has yet to reveal any additional methods to enter the test. We expect more information soon, as Dead Island 2 is slated to debut in early 2015. [Image: Deep Silver]
Report: Dead Island movie back from the grave of Hollywood
Dead Island series publisher Deep Silver has partnered with Occupant Entertainment in an attempt to revive the stalled Dead Island movie project, Deadline reports. Although Lionsgate bought the rights to a film based on the intellectual property back in 2011, the lack of momentum and departure of high-level personnel meant a return of those rights to Deep Silver. The original plan for a film was to follow the tone of the infamous trailer that shows a small horde of zombies attacking a family on vacation, but with Dead Island 2 on the way and a new trailer that goes in the opposite direction, we're left wondering which direction filmmakers will take. Actually, it sounds like Deep Silver and Occupant are in the same boat: "Deep Silver has created a highly successful game franchise based on very cinematic, widely viewed and well-received trailers, which provide a great template for launching a film franchise with a distinctive and commercial take on the zombie apocalypse," Occupant told Deadline. "We want to find the right filmmaker and present somewhat of an open canvas, to make something distinct and original that also appeals to and expands the core audience." Despite apparently not having a solid plan or filmmakers attached, Deep Silver and Occupant have reportedly fast-tracked the film's development, hoping to start production in early 2015. [Image: Deep Silver]
Escape Dead Island or lose your mind
Dead Island is spawning a new game with mystery in mind, thanks to a partnership between Deep Silver and Swedish studio Fatshark. Escape Dead Island, which is both the game's title and obvious directive, is a third-person game that favors sneaking over wild extermination of the undead, and it tells a different kind of story to match the slower pace.
Dead Island 2 turns its frown upside down
It's not the "world's first motion-captured cat," nor the lovely, gory graphics that should attract players to Dead Island 2. Instead, it's that developer Yager is proudly crafting a game that lets players live out their gory dreams of surviving amidst the zombie apocalypse with the core goal of using hordes of the undead as so many blood-filled stress balls. Those hoping for a drastic departure from the original Dead Island gameplay formula are likely to be disappointed by Dead Island 2. The focus remains on dispatching zombies with as much brutality as possible, using makeshift weaponry, vehicles and the occasional environmental aid. The game's tone, however, is moving in an entirely new direction. Contrast the above trailer with the much-lauded Dead Island debut cinematic which saw a family being (literally) ripped apart to a particularly maudlin tune, and you'll understand what Yager is going for here. This is a game that revels in its destruction of the undead, and wants you to have as much fun as possible at the end of the world. [Image: Deep Silver]
Ghoulish MOBA Dead Island: Epidemic enters beta testing
Publisher Deep Silver has begun beta testing the free-to-play Dead Island: Epidemic, and it needs your help putting the zombies through their shambling paces. As its name would suggest, Dead Island: Epidemic is a spin-off of Deep Silver's Dead Island franchise. Instead of a first-person action game, Epidemic drops players into a multiplayer online battle arena (think: League of Legends) populated by the same walking corpses that make up the supporting cast of the core Dead Island series. Cooperative teamwork is key to surviving the undying hordes, but when your teammates fail you, you can also rely on over-the-top DIY weaponry, another hallmark of the Dead Island games. Gaining access to the closed beta is as simple as visiting the game's website and filling out a quick registration form. Those who participate in the beta test will be able to earn "exclusive in-game items and rewards" that will carry over into the eventual retail incarnation of Dead Island: Epidemic. [Image: Deep Silver]
Dying Light trailer waxes philosophical on shambling corpses
Moreso than shotguns, orange juice or even Servbot masks, mankind's most valuable resource in the event of a zombie apocalypse is its humanity, or so claims this trailer for Techland's most recent foray into interactive undead fiction, Dying Light. Dying Light is akin to Techland's earlier Dead Island in that both are first-person action games set in the ruins of civilization following an outbreak of hungry corpses. Dying Light, however, adds new wrinkles to this formula, such as a realistic day-night cycle and parkour-esque acrobatic maneuvers useful for navigating the crumbling world. Despite these mechanical novelties, the above trailer instead chooses to focus on a more intellectual angle, a strategy that has become a trademark for Techland. In 2011, the developer rocketed to fame with the release of a maudlin, melodramatic trailer for Dead Island that focused less on the gore of ambulatory dead people and more on the despair felt when watching a loving family torn apart – in this case, literally. Dying Light is currently slated for a March 31 release on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. [Image: Techland]
Toy Soldiers: Cold War, Dead Island free for Xbox Live Gold members in February
Microsoft's Major Nelson has announced next month's lineup of free games for Xbox Live Gold members, revealing that subscribers can expect to receive free copies of Toy Soldiers: Cold War and Dead Island in February. Signal Studios' Xbox Live Arcade strategy game Toy Soldiers: Cold War includes a series of tower defense-styled battles featuring miniature foot soldiers and combat vehicles. Dead Island, a 2011 retail release from Techland, is a first-person action game that challenges players to survive a zombie invasion at an island resort, with help from friends via online cooperative play. As with previous Games With Gold program releases, both Dead Island and Toy Soldiers: Cold War are free for users to keep once they are downloaded, even after associated Xbox Live Gold memberships expire. New games are added to the service on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Live-action version of iconic Dead Island trailer is even sadder
Grab some tissues, because the tear-jerking, award-winning trailer from Dead Island has been remade in live-action. That's right: Instead of looking into the soulless, dead eyes of a computer-animated horde of zombies, you can look into the soulless, dead eyes of real-life zombies and the family they devour. Aren't video games fun? The trailer comes to the Internet courtesy of Machinima, and save for the very end, is a shot-by-shot recreation of the infamous trailer. We assume the reason for the ending remaining a CG animation is because there is, in fact, no Royal Palms Resort on the island of Banoi, and building an entire hotel for roughly 10 seconds of footage is a pretty tall budget order. Or maybe the creators just didn't feel like tempting fate and starting the zombie apocalypse. While this is a fan film, it nonetheless gives us an idea of what that Dead Island movie from Lionsgate might look like, should it ever be finished.
Dead Island developer Techland opens Vancouver studio for work on Dying Light
Polish-based developer Techland (Dead Island series) has jumped across the mighty pond of the Atlantic to open Digital Scapes Studio in Vancouver, Canada. As VentureBeat reports, former Radical Entertainment Technical Director Marcin Chady will serve as the studio's managing director. Digital Scapes will be treading familiar territory, as they'll be at least partially responsible for developing Techland's upcoming zombie-themed first-person melee game, Dying Light, which is set to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive sometime in 2014. In short: the technical director from the studio that brought us Prototype 2 will be leading a team that promises Mirror's Edge-style free-run gameplay plus zombie slaughter. Yeah, we're cool with that.
Dead Island: Epidemic puts zombies back in MOBAs
What's a ZOMBA? It's not that thing that roams around your floor sucking up dirt but instead an entirely new thing that makes a happy marriage of Dead Island's zombies and MOBAs: a Zombie Online Multiplayer Battle Arena. Trust us, that term will be on everyone's lips come next week. Dead Island: Epidemic is an upcoming free-to-play MOBA set in the same gory world as the PC game. Details about the game are scarce, other than the fact that it'll be for the PC, feature three players, and probably contain a thousand bad "brainssss" references. Developer Deep Silver said that more information about the title will be released at Gamescom in a couple of weeks. [Source: Deep Silver press release]
Dead Island: Epidemic is a free-to-play MOBA for PC
Deep Silver announced a new game in the Dead Island universe today, Dead Island: Epidemic. As a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game, Epidemic has three teams of players battling one another for survival while facing the hordes of undead that inhabit the series. Dead Island: Epidemic will come to PC at an as-yet-unannounced date, and will be free to play. Deep Silver said it will have more information on the game at Gamescom this month.
Humble Deep Silver Bundle adds Metro 2033, Sacred Citadel, Risen
The Humble Deep Silver Bundle recruits Metro 2033, Sacred Citadel and Risen today. These new additions are free for anyone who's already purchased the bundle, while new customers must pay over the average price (currently just shy of $5) for the trio. Calling the Humble Deep Silver bundle successful is perhaps an understatement: It has sold over 340,000 bundles and earned in excess of $1.6 million since its introduction last week. The pay-what-you-want lineup consists of Dead Island: Game of the Year Edition, Saints Row 2, Sacred 2: Gold Edition, Risen 2: Dark Waters and Saints Row: The Third and all its Full Package DLC. Paying more than $25 also secures a copy of Dead Island: Riptide. The Humble Deep Silver Bundle has little less than a week to go before closing its virtual doors. It's also worth noting that these games are provided as Steam codes, so you'll need Valve's digital distribution platform to run them.
Saints Row, Dead Island head up Humble Deep Silver Bundle
Humble Bundle organizers have launched The Humble Deep Silver Bundle, a pay-what-you-want compilation offering up Steam codes for Saints Row: The Third, Dead Island, and other standout games from the publisher's PC catalog. Buyers who pay $1 or more will receive Steam codes for Saints Row 2 and Saints Row: The Third, along with the pirate-themed action-RPG Risen 2: Dark Waters and the Gold Edition of Sacred 2. Pay more than the average purchase price (currently around $5) and you'll also get the Game of the Year Edition of Dead Island and Saints Row: The Third's Full Package DLC collection. If you're feeling particularly charitable, you might consider the bundle's $25 purchase tier, which includes a Steam copy of Techland's recently released Dead Island: Riptide. The Humble Deep Silver Bundle will be available for purchase through August 13.
Steam weekend deals aim for Dead Island series' head
This weekend's Steam deals have a decidedly undead slant, offering content from the Dead Island series at a reduced price. The original Dead Island is down to $5, while this year's entry, Dead Island: Riptide, is $20. DLC for some extra costumes and a special blade have also been reduced. Last week at E3, developer Techland revealed a new zombie game being published by Warner Bros. called Dying Light. It mixes parkour elements in a "ruined-world game," as our own Ludwig Kietzmann put it, with a full day/night cycle.
New info and trailer for Techland's Hellraid
The first few details of Techland Hellraid have been revealed to Eurogamer's Polish site. The game is a horror/fantasy-style first-person RPG using Techland's Chrome Engine 5 to portray melee and spell-based fights with various demons, skeletons, and other bad guys. Just like Dead Island, the game will have four player archetypes that can work together, though they'll be classes rather than characters: Warrior, Paladin, Mage and Rogue. The game will be influenced by older games like "the first Quake, [and the] second Hexen or Diablo," says producer Marcin Kruczkiewicz. Hellraid's maps will be less open than Dead Island, and the experience system will be simpler, with skill trees that unlock as characters level up. Techland is currently looking for a publisher for the game, which it expects to have out this year on the Xbox 360, PS3, and the PC.
Borderlands takes over Xbox Live Ultimate Game Sale
The lineup for day five of the Xbox Live Games on Demand sale is a star-studded one, as nine games are at least half-off for today only. Highlighting today's deals are Borderlands and Borderlands 2, available for $9.99 and $29.99, respectively.Other games in today's deal include Fable 3, Dead Island and Fallout: New Vegas for $9.99 each. Batman: Arkham City, Portal 2 and Red Dead Redemption can be downloaded for $14.99 each, while Dishonored rounds out the group at $29.99.The Ultimate Game Sale ends March 4, and while these games are on sale for today only, there's still a sizable list of games at low prices for the length of the promotion.
Dead Island sales pass 5 million
Counting both retail and digitally distributed copies of Dead Island, total sales for the weird zombie action-RPG have surpassed five million units globally, Deep Silver announced today. In meaningless, arbitrary statistics, that shakes down to about 402.18 units sold an hour since the game was originally released in back in September of 2011.By December 2011, Dead Island had shipped 3 million units worldwide, with a fourth million added to that total after another eight months. Today's figure, however, is our first look at how the game has actually sold, since shipped figures count all units sent to retailers, while sell-through/net sales only count what is actually purchased by a consumer. We're sure those Steam sales didn't hurt anything.
Deep Silver apologizes for 'gruesome statue'
After discovering that sane people are universally disgusted by its foot-tall statue of a mutilated human torso in a bikini, included with the Europe/Australian Dead Island Riptide Zombie Bait Edition, publisher Deep Silver issued an apology today through its Twitter account.The company said the statue was inspired by the violence in the game: "a decision was made to include a gruesome statue of a zombie torso, which was cut up like many of our fans had done to the undead enemies in the original Dead Island."Deep Silver said it "sincerely regret[s] this choice," and that it is "committed to making sure this will never happen again," which is as simple as not doing it again.What isn't clear, however, is whether it's still happening this time. The apology note makes no mention of pulling or replacing the offending item from the Zombie Bait Edition.
Dead Island: Riptide's UK 'Zombie Bait' edition comes with bloody torso
If you're less than thrilled about the contents of the North American Dead Island: Riptide "Rigor Mortis" Edition, know that it could be worse. In fact, it is worse in the UK, where the collector's edition of Techland's latest comes with this mangled torso, presumably intended for you to display in your home. It's too gross even to qualify for the A Christmas Story joke that usually applies to body-part statues.The 31 cm-high statue, and the rest of the "Zombie Bait Edition," are only available with the Xbox 360 version of the game, limiting the potential spread of these things and ensuing psychological damage somewhat. It will be released in the UK on April 26.
