Zombie Game : [insert verb or adjective here] Dead [insert verb or adjective here], etc.
Dead Island launched this week - a supposed cross between Fallout 3 and L4D. I haven't purchased it yet (waiting for the sale) but very curious how this turns out.
When I started doing research on the game, I came accross this video:
Couple of initial thoughts on that.
1) Dead child (albeit Zombie child - although that isn't really clear until watching the video) - kind of risky. At the same time, it really illicited emotions from me that game trailers typically don't. The combination of the reverse frame sequence, soft music, and visuals was very effective of portraying the struggle and loss of life. Very impressive that way.
Still effective in the reverse of the reversed version:
Reverse of the Reverse Trailer
2) Being a big fan of the often mindless (did I say 'often' - meant 'always!') zombie genre, the video gave me hope that the game itself could be a well placed adult oriented adventure of survival and horror to really sharpen up the genre. See: Dead [Rising], [Left 4] Dead,
Initial reviews explain the trailer to be misleading in that regard, and the game is plagued with a few notable hiccups (my pet peeve from those reports: searchable items (luggage, garbage bins) that respawn after time, making 'limited resources' actually unlimited).
I'll probably end up getting it at some point, will wait for a patch and some more reviews. Anyone have personal experience with this title?
PS - Bonus - the family in the video is actually in the game, so you can find their fate. (*spoilers on the video link*)
Family from Dead Island Trailer
The Body is Still Warm…
Received this in my inbox today.
An Open Letter to Shooter/MMO Fans from Hi-Rez Studios
Dear Shooter/MMO Fans:
The last few years have been rough for many fans of the Shooter/MMO genre.
Several innovative game titles with great communities have folded as they sought to bring together those of us who enjoy the fast-action, intense pace of a shooter, but also the character progression and persistence offered by MMOs.
Today, we mourn our latest fallen colleague, APB. In making APB, Realtime Worlds had a bold vision to make an MMO devoid of traditional tab-targeting, cast bars, and die-roll combat. We honor their effort and innovation, and greatly mourn the game's closing.
Sadly, the APB server shutdown leaves their entire community with nothing to shoot or blow up tonight!
So between today and Friday, September 24, 2010, we are offering refugees from APB and other Shooter/MMOs an opportunity to join Global Agenda's growing community more easily and affordably than ever.
We figure you deserve it. And you'll fit right in since you already know how to aim.
All players that purchase Global Agenda on the game's official webstore prior to September 24, 2010, using the promotion code "LongLiveShooterMMOs" will receive a 30% discount off the game. That's $20.99, £13.12 and €15.75!
This one-time purchase gives you full access to the game's content, with no monthly fees.
And, remember, you can try the game before you buy by playing the free trial, available here..
We at Hi-Rez Studios believe strongly in the Shooter/MMO genre. We celebrate and thank all developers advancing innovative Shooter/MMO concepts, as well as the fans that dedicate their time to playing and supporting these games.
Todd Harris
Executive Producer, Global Agenda
So.. too soon?
I’m on Vacation
Forgot to pop this up last week - I am away on vacation so won't be checking here for the week. You know, just in case you missed me and stuff.
Have a great one, and we will get back to our regularly scheduled program once I return!
Thanks,
Chris F.
Scroll of Blasphemous Conundrum
Damn you, YOU, who sent me the Blizzard scroll of Resurrection. Did you do it because you missed me? Did you do it to get phat xp rewards? (they still giving those out?) because I am a cynical blogger now, surely, it must be to taunt me. Taunt me after reading my last near brush with WoW death (erm.. life?) and sure enough in my inbox, sitting right now, is 10 free days waiting for me. No Paypal fiasco, no hobo-sleep-interrupting wallet retrieval, just 10, free, painful/glorious days of WoW return. When I first received it in my inbox I smiled, then groaned, then smirked, then hrmpf? followwed by a mmmhmmmmm. I wish I had the video of it to share with you. I haven't cashed in that chip yet but it did remind me of the other few times I tried to "go home again". I wouldn't classify them as successful.
Libertarian
I am away from home for work which means no gaming for me (need laptop upgrade, stat) and as such am going to touch upon everyone's favorite topic. Politics. Even more exciting, CANADIAN politics. Canada had it's federal election and had an interesting outcome - the same as the last federal government - a minority government. For my American friends, Canada has more than 2 political parties and as such during an election there is a very good possibility that one party doesn't achieve a full mandate. This basically means that they cannot do anything without the support of at least one other political party to get anything passed. For the record, this is good government in theory. In the USA there is such a polarization - you are a Democrat or a Republican, and one party wins and that agenda is pushed forward for 4 years. The problem when looking at the American system is that I am sure the citizens of the USA aren't just Dems or Pubs but rather a wide range of ideals and personalities. Being forced to accept one or the other as a government every four years is consequential. Since we have a minority government again in Canada, that means the "ruling" party can't pass anything unless they get the other parties to buy into it - meaning a wider range of Canadians, in essence, need to agree to it. The bad part of a minority government is that stalemates can often occur where nothing gets passed. I'll take a larger pool of opinion needed in my government over an agenda shoved down my throat anyday.
Tuesday was the official election day, and I was asked by a friend last minute to be a scrutineer for the candidate he was officially representing. Again, not quite sure how it works in the USA but a person running for political office is allowwed one scrutineer per polling station. This person, after the votes have all been casted, gets to review all the votes (with the other scrutineers from other candidates) and agree on official ballots, spoiled ballots, etc to make sure the count is fair and accurate. After the polls closed I sat dilligently through the vote reviews, added my two cents, and watched the candidate I was helping out with get blown away.
Blogroll Updated!
I knows. Exciting! Basically anyone who commented here and had a blog link was added, as well as a few favorite sites I enjoy reading. If you would like to add your blog just let me know.
‘NYUK OF THE LIVING DEAD
Just before launch I made a post about a few bothersome things we would face at launch. I just entered the T3 lands and figured I would review to see how things are going.
1) Gravitation to EvC - still an issue, as I found the T2 and T3 scenarios popping the most for me on my scenario nights (I fly around and queue all pairings)
2) Tanks have worked out as a problem as we discussed on the order side - the Order tanks aren't as yummy as the Destro ones and they (again, in my experience and on my server) are typically outnumbered 2:1 tank wise with their counterparts. Good news is Mythic is going to pop those characters back in as soon as possible, as free content - no timeline, unfortunately.
3) Cross Pairing Scenario Queues - They are now in! I have been bugging them for the past 6 months in beta (as have others) and because of how quick they got this out, methinks they had the capability all along - and just wanted to see how things played out at release. Mythic I love you, at the bare minimum, for this alone.
4) Destro population imbalance - held true as well. No fix announced for this yet, but I am sure it is on the top of their minds as the whiney-whinertons are out in full force - as they should be. Everyone called this as would-be-happening and while I appreciate being cautious to see how it played out, let's hope they already have a solution in the wings they are getting ready to launch it. Hopefully it is part [2] above, with the speed of part [3].
On a side note: this is the longest 'between posts' since I started the blog, and I apologize for that. I saw the good (bad?) end of a bottle of The Belvanie awaiting my red-eye flight home from a working weekend in Vancouver. Needless to say, two days later, I am still feeling the pain. I don't recover quite as well as I used to. Once the cobwebs are all out and I am fully healed, I'll be sure to grant more of my enlightened wisdom upon you all. [sarcasm alert]
On a second side note: Good to see OZ posting again at KTR. He may deny this to save face, but I became a guild member with Oz in EQ on the testserver in The Grove. He and his band of merry men/women showed me what a guild of like minded people can do to an online experience - turn a tag into a home. Sorry for the off topic pingback Oz, but I was wondering where you went. He covers a topic that as an older gamer I am faced with every day - time value. Go check it out. Just stay away from the scotch while you are reading it.