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Deals with Gold: Catherine, EA Sports UFC, Fallout
Deals with Gold isn't fooling around, as five Xbox One games and eight Xbox 360 games are discounted this week. Of the bunch, one game is on sale for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members, as all Xbox One players can download EA Sports UFC for half-off. The other four Xbox One games on sale for Gold subscribers are Stick it to the Man, KickBeat Special Edition, Divekick and CastleStorm's Definitive Edition, each for 30 percent off their respective prices. As for Xbox 360 players with an Xbox Live paid subscription, both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are 67 percent off this week through Games on Demand as well as Catherine, which is 60 percent off. Serious Sam Double D XXL and Serious Sam 3: BFE as well as the latter's Jewel of the Nile DLC are 67 percent off on XBLA. Rounding out the group is Foul Play, Pool Nation and How to Survive, each discounted by, you guessed it, 67 percent. The deals are good through Monday, November 17. [Image: EA Sports]
Road to BlizzCon Day 2: Fruitcake and Fallout
I couldn't even begin to explain why, but I'm fairly certain my comrade-in-arms Anne Stickney insisted on making our BlizzCon road trip an annual event exclusively so she could get a glimpse of a 104-year-old fruitcake. Our itinerary went through numerous iterations leading up to the start of our journey. The fruitcake was struck from the list countless times, but she managed to worm it back in there every single time. At some point, a guy accepts his fate and travels cross-country to see an old, crusty fruitcake. What can you do? I'll let it slide, though. Day 2 of our road trip also included Goodsprings, Nevada, which I insisted on visiting from the beginning. Anyone who has played Fallout: New Vegas will recognize the location: it's the game's first Vegas locale. And, as it turns out, this supposedly-haunted town and its Pioneer Saloon may be recognizable to even those who have never touched a video game. It's been a standby location throughout modern pop culture, its Hollywood breakthrough predating Fallout by many years.
Zenimax Media files trademark for 'Nuka Cola'
Bethesda Softworks parent company Zenimax Media recently filed three separate trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the term "Nuka Cola," a phrase that should be very familiar to Fallout fans. Not just the favorite carbonated beverage of the post-apocalypse, Nuka Cola is also a handy energy source, and wily vault dwellers have even been known to craft the sugary goop into a deadly weapon. While it's currently unclear what Zenimax plans to do in the event the trademark is granted, it is notable that the applications were filed "based on intent to use," as opposed to "based on use in commerce," despite the fact that Nuka Cola appears frequently in both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. This suggests that instead of attempting to protect an existing product, Zenimax has new plans for the Nuka Cola name. When contacted, Zenimax offered no further information, but we can be reasonably sure the media company is not planning to launch a line of Fallout-themed soft drinks. Two of the trademark applications apply specifically to computer games and related electronic services, while the third applies to branded clothing items. About a year ago, Zenimax renewed its trademark on the Fallout name, however, so it's possible this Nuka Cola trademark may tie in to any upcoming sequels Bethesda has planned for the roleplaying franchise. [Image: Zenimax Media]
Fallout: New Vegas gets playable Enclave faction thanks to mod
The Enclave, a paramilitary organization claiming to be the last bastion and continuation of Earth's government in the Fallout universe, is now a joinable faction in Fallout: New Vegas thanks to modders Otellino, CNC and many others. The "For the Enclave" mod available via NexusMods allows players to join a splinter group of the original Enclave as it goes head-to-head against their former brothers-in-arms. The mod adds a five-part main quest, four side quests, new voice acting, a potential companion and even an Enclave radio station. Rookies need not apply, though; players who want to undertake this mission must be level 15, must have interacted with the NPC Benny, and must be running the most current version of New Vegas on Steam. The mod's description text also warns that it will be incompatible with most mods that alter Searchlight Airfield. [Image: Bethesda]
Assassin's Creed 4, more heavily discounted in Ubisoft's holiday sale
Ubisoft is currently hosting a massive sale, including half-priced versions of Assassin's Creed 4, and Far Cry 3 at 75 percent off. The caveats attached to these deals are all time-based and surprisingly complicated. For instance, that Assassin's Creed 4 discount is only available to UK PlayStation 3 owners on the PlayStation Network and draws to a close on December 21. The Far Cry 3 deal however, which can be found on Ubisoft's online store, runs until January 5 and includes a swath of other games such as Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and even a few discounts on non-Ubisoft games like Fallout 3. A cursory glance at the Ubisoft store shows The Walking Dead's PC incarnation at $6.25 and the Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition at a mere $5. If sorting through the reams of discounts seems like too much work, here's a trick that might help: While you can find all of Ubisoft's discounts by navigating its site, those who visit the Winter Sale page are able to pull up lists of games based on the size of their discounts. Edit: The text of this article has been altered to clarify the terms of the Assassin's Creed 4 discount.
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.
Fallout: New Vegas 2 ideas, courtesy of Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart
Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart has a few ideas on where a potential sequel to Fallout: New Vegas could be located and how it'd have to be "separate" from what the team at Bethesda is currently working on."If I think of going from Fallout 1 to Fallout 2, we tried to associate the two areas somewhat closely," he told RPS during an interview back at DICE. "It wasn't just 'Oh, we're gonna do this 2,000 miles from here.' So I think if we were to do Fallout: New Vegas 2 – or just a new Fallout – we would probably separate it from what the internal team at Bethesda's doing. We'd keep it on the West Coast, because we're West Coast people. They're East Coast, so it makes sense."As for possible locations, LA seems to be high on Urquhart's list of places – or, as it's known in the cannon, the Boneyard. "And we need an interesting confined area. So I mean, it could be LA. Fallout LA. That could be interesting. It'd probably be The Boneyard, which is from Fallout 1. It could be very different. It could be almost a Walking Dead meets Fallout-like thing because of all the radiation."Of course, the onus is on Bethesda to greenlight a new Obsidian game and, according to Urquhart, the two studios are still on good terms. Still, with new consoles looming in the horizon, it's a tough time for publishers and developers – do they continue to make games for the established consoles or put their eggs into the next-gen basket?"We talk to Bethesda all the time," Urquhart said. "And I think the challenge here doesn't just apply to Bethesda specifically, but to a lot of publishers in general. But basically, what does all the [current] console crap mean? The challenge in this period of time has been, you have this console transition, and it's strange that they're still not announced. But that always creates a disruption in the industry. And now you mix in [the emergence of] mobile and F2P stuff, and it's left a lot of people reeling."
Elder Scrolls, Fallout and other Bethesda soundtracks now on iTunes
Now that's what we call Dragonborn music, Vol. 1. Bethesda Softworks has released seven of its game soundtracks to the mom and pop record shop known as "iTunes."The Elder Scrolls soundtracks, all composed by Jeremy Soule, include Morrowind and Oblivion for $9.99 each, while Skyrim asks an imperial premium at $15.99.Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, both by Inon Zur, are $11.99 apiece. Daniel Licht's soundtrack for Dishonored and Rod Abernethy's RAGE are $9.99 each.If you're trying to use the Elder Scrolls tracks in a surreal experience, try playing them on your iPod while walking around a city. Everything's so ... majestic.%Gallery-177751%
Fallout: Lanius fan film shows off its first trailer
Fallout: Lanius is a large-scale, in-depth fan homage to Fallout: New Vegas, with real-life actors playing out the origin story of Legate Lanius. The creators, a team from Australia, want to capture a true cinematic experience, something "more than just another Fallout fan film." The video above is our first glimpse at that vision.The Lanius team snagged New Vegas voice actor Mitch Lewis for the film, and they're using input from Obsidian's Chris Avellone and John Gonzalez. The Indiegogo drive for Lanius has nine days remaining and the project has already received more than the $10,000 it requested. With that cash, Lanius should be able to provide some friendly competition to Wayside Creations' Fallout: Nuka Break series.If anything, check out those soaring landscape shots in the teaser video. The apocalypse sure is gorgeous.
How to write Fallout: New Vegas DLC
In a narrative-focused presentation at GDC Online, Obsidian Entertainment creative director Chris Avellone outlined the considerations that went into the development of the four Fallout: New Vegas DLC packs. For one thing, "We had the rare opportunity to know we were actually going to do four of these," unlike most game projects where sequels are not guaranteed, he said.However, they couldn't carry storylines over. "Each one was a very self-contained short experience" by design; each storyline and setting had to exist in isolation from one another, because the team could not assume that any player would own all four packs. That "short experience" adds up to just 10,000 lines of dialogue across all four, Avellone said – a hard maximum. As a result, Avellone and Obsidian had to pad out the dialogue with "trickery" including mute characters who spoke in hand gestures. "We were only able to get away with that for so long," he added.
Steam Summer Sale, Day 8: Alan Wake, Witcher 2, Fallout: New Vegas
Valve's onslaught on your wallet continues with yet another day in the Steam Summer Sale. Today's deals include horrifically slashed prices on Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the Alan Wake franchise. RPGs have taken a critical price hit as well, including the Witcher franchise, Fallout: New Vegas and Krater.Still not satisfied? Dip into even more savings on Plants vs. Zombies, Sniper Elite V2, Gratuitous Tank Battles or yet another Indie Bundle.Update: If you're looking for Sniper Elite V2, Amazon actually has a better deal and is currently offering a PC download for $15.
Fallout: Nuka Break wants to film season two
After Wayside Creations launched its Fallout fan film in January 2011, it filmed one (excellent) season of Fallout: Nuka Break in a webseries with $30,000 of funding. Now Wayside wants to start filming the second season, bigger, badder and better than the first, with $60,000 in funding. It doesn't have that money, but it's betting some of its fans do.Fallout: Nuka Break has a Kickstarter running to raise the full $60,000 for its second season. Watch the video above for a brief rundown of what Nuka Break does and who will be involved, including Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth actor Doug Jones, who has a scotch-based cameo in the Kickstarter video itself. Nuka Break has 59 days left to raise its money, but if you're still not convinced check out Wayside's previous episodes, beginning right here.
Obsidian missed Fallout: New Vegas Metacritic bonus by one point
Business sucks, alright? It's cold and rigid and occasionally unfair. Such is the case with Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas contract with Bethesda, wherein the developer only received royalties if the game matched or exceeded an 85 rating on Metacritic. Leaving aside the fact that Metacritic is a woefully unbalanced aggregation of review scores from both vetted and unvetted publications, agreements like this can leave indie studios -- like Obsidian -- in the lurch should that Metacritic score just barely miss the mark.Unfortunately for Obsidian, Fallout: New Vegas currently has a Metacritic average of 84, a single point below the average that would've earned the company royalties on its product. "[Fallout: New Vegas] was a straight payment, no royalties, only a bonus if we got an 85+ on Metacritic, which we didn't," Obsidian creative director and co-owner Chris Avellone told one Twitter user.The Metacritic news comes just one day after we reported layoffs at the California-based developer -- layoffs that were said to be the result of a canceled next-gen project (codenamed "North Carolina") for an unnamed console. New Vegas lead producer Jason Fader's Facebook profile reflects the recent layoffs, also outing himself as former lead producer on the North Carolina project. His credentials also list an unnamed project known as "Vermont," but that could be Obsidian's upcoming South Park RPG (we've reached out for clarification).Additionally, Kotaku reports that the North Carolina project was to be published by Microsoft, and was intended for the still unannounced Xbox 360 successor console. Our tipster tells us that the North Carolina project was "desperately needed" for the studio's continued survival, which matches reports that Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart "choked up" while addressing his employees about the canned project.
Dark Side 'Cause It Looks Cool: The Failings of Moral Choice in Games
This is a weekly column focusing on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. Morality systems have become role-playing. Or at least, a significant amount of people have come to believe this. To take one example, this review of The Old Republic is premised on the concept that BioWare's style of moral choices are effective character-building mechanics. It's a fine review, but it's one that I can't agree with because I find the model of game morality used in The Old Republic and many other role-playing games ineffective at creating a moral system.In order for a moral choice to have weight, it needs to have two components. First, meaningful choices have to cause the player to lose something in order to gain power. Something has to change, or be expected to change, within the game in order for the decision to matter. In Mass Effect, at one point in the game, you have to choose which of two party members to rescue – the other dies. Or, in Fallout: New Vegas, working with Caesar's Legion turns the New California Republic into an enemy, and vice versa.Second, a moral choice has to be a difficult choice. The old adage "If doing the right thing were easy, everyone would do it" applies here. This is where games usually fail. They can do it with little choices, like with stealing even when you won't get caught in New Vegas. Take the owned items and you'll lose karma, which might be a small hit compared to the benefits of a new weapon. Alternately, in some games, honorable characters will simply refuse payment for quests, forcing money to be acquired by other means.
The Rhythm Of The Quest in Fallout 3 and New Vegas
This is a weekly column focusing on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. Have you ever been horribly frustrated by one part of a game, only to think of it as the best and most memorable section of that game in retrospect? It's the ruins of D.C. for me. I played Fallout 3 on the PC a year or so after release, so the first thing I did was load up on mods, introducing different play balance, graphics, more weapons, and most motivating of all, more music for Galaxy News Radio. But at the start of the game, GNR is in trouble and the station's signal is weak. So I went to fix it as soon as I could. When I went into the ruins of D.C., I wasn't ready. By heading in that direction almost immediately, I skipped doing smaller-scale quests, which would have provided more experience and better equipment. D.C. was a slog. I scrambled for ammo, for health. I explored nooks and crannies that I didn't need to, because I hadn't even really figured out the game's compass yet. It was nail-bitingly tense, it was fresh, it was new, it took me hours. It was a pain, too. I died multiple times, but oh was it magnificent.
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition reminds you what a great deal it is
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition strikes the US on February 7 and Europe on February 10. It includes every DLC pack -- Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road, Courier's Stash and Gun Runners' Arsenal -- for $50 on Xbox 360 and PS3, and $40 for PC.
Fallout: New Vegas designer makes his own unofficial mod
Among the modders eagerly tinkering away at Fallout: New Vegas, arguably "correcting" what they see as deficiencies in the original design, is ... lead designer J.E. Sawyer. Sawyer has developed an optional patch for the PC version, which reduces the level cap to 35, halves XP acquisition, cuts water and food drop rates, and tweaks a bunch of other variables, all detailed on Sawyer's Formspring. You can download the mod here. So why is this a mod instead of an official patch? "In addition to technical reasons," Sawyer said, "some of the mechanics changes make the game significantly more difficult (base health / stim changes) or at least more of a hassle (carry weight, stims having weight, H2O/SLP/FOD rate increase). I'd rather have people opt-in to those changes than make them the default in a patch." This is also something Sawyer is doing in his spare time, as nobody is officially working on New Vegas anymore.
'12 Days of Xbox' savings continue with Fallout DLC today
Select DLC for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas is in the deal spotlight today on Xbox Live. For $5 you can snag "Lonely Hearts," "Old World Blues," "Lonesome Road" or "Dead Money" for Fallout: New Vegas, or "Mothership Zeta," "Operation: Anchorage" or "Broken Steel" for Fallout 3, half off the usual asking price. You'll need to act fast in order to take advantage of this sale. Tomorrow, each of these will be back up to their full price.
Vault Decoration 101: Free printable Fallout posters and vectors for the masses
Let's face it, a nuclear fallout shelter isn't exactly the brightest, most cheerful place to spend an eternal global winter. The walls are cold and metal, the halls echo and there's a terrible draft from the oxygen recycler, not to mention the dog-sized cockroaches. There are some things you can do to spruce the place up a bit, however. If your shelter is equipped with a printer, for instance, printing out and hanging up these free safety posters and advertisements will give your new home a little bit of the consumerist flair that has now been turned to ash on the surface. Scalable vector logos are available as well, which means you'll be able to keep your Vault-Tec home looking good as new as its logos and markings fade over time. Be sure and join us next week on Vault Decoration 101, where we'll teach you over 1,000 different games to play by yourself in a pitch black room. See you next time!
Steam Autumn Sale adds LA Noire, Fallout: New Vegas, Monkey Island and more
Before you venture over to Steam's Autumn Sale page, quietly recite your honed mantra of resistance: "I do not have time to play these games. I haven't even finished Skyrim. All these small charges add up in the long run." Alright, now that you've done that and shown yourself a vague, minute attempt at adhering to frugality, you'll feel less guilty when you buy everything. L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition wants $24.99, Fallout: New Vegas is five bucks and the Monkey Island Special Edition bundle is cut down to $5.09. ACE Team's bizarro brawler, Zeno Clash, enters the sale at $3.74, and topsy-turvy adventure VVVVVV costs $1.24 until tomorrow afternoon. That's less than 21 cents per V.
