Up late talking games & writing? You're...

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TV: Just a quick PSA to let y’all know that Misfits is back. Season 4 is now in progress, and it's available for download via Hulu, iTunes, and who knows where else. 

I've mentioned it before a million times on the blog so I won't go into it just now, but know this… it is one of the greatest shows to ever grace the small screen, and if you don't watch it, your life will always be missing that certain something.

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Games: GameFly sent me Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale the other day, and while I haven't had a whole lotta time to get into it, I did play a few multiplayer sessions with my youngest son. The time we spent on it basically amounts to me standing still while he beats on me with a variety of different characters, but he enjoys it and that's good enough for us.

I'm definitely not at a point where I can speak about it in a critical sense, but so far I've been pleasantly surprised. The graphics look great, the selection of characters is a little on the small side but still pretty satisfying with a good mix of both new and old (no clue why there are good AND evil versions of Cole from inFamous, though…) and it seems pretty solid.

However, just a word of warning: if you rent the game or buy it used, you need an online pass in order to play multiplayer via PSN. The catch here is that Sony is not selling the pass online. I don't know if there is some kind of licensing problem, a technology problem, an oversight in the PSN store or what, but if you get this game any way other than new, you won't be able to play online. I'm sure the issue will be fixed at some point in the future, but until it is, you may want to hold off unless you've got catch-co-op buddies or you're cool with going solo.

In other games news, my next major review will be Hitman: Absolution from Io Interactive. Working on the full writeup now, but if you follow me on twitter, then you already know that this is a pretty miserable interpretation of the Hitman formula, not to mention a fairly miserable game in its own right. 

Although there are a few stretches when it seems to find the old magic, more often than not, any enjoyment is crushed under the weight of poorly-designed levels, ridiculous AI, a totally broken disguise system and a dozen other choices which make this the worst game in the series.

If you are a longtime Hitman fan like I am, prepare to be bitterly disappointed. If you're new to the series, expect to find a game that feels very confused and muddled, caught halfway between being stealth and a shooter without really succeeding at either.

Moving on, I've been playing a bit of Sine Mora on the Vita, and I've got to say, it's pretty impressive. I don't often get too excited about graphics, but this game looks absolutely beautiful on the handheld and comes across as a bullet-hell shooter which doesn't overdo the bullet-hell. 

I haven't completed yet, but I've been loving it so far... the story is a bit of a jumbled mess, but everything else is right on target. I will be doing a review on this one after Hitman, but my early take on it is that it seems like a must-own for Vita folks.

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Links: I was quite happy to be invited back on to the Monster Hunter Video Podcast hosted by the Teamwork guys recently. Although Nick and Shepard were not able to join in, Nahxela and Krystian were gracious enough to carry my rusty skills along for some G-rank hunting.

We do a successful three-beast quest, get pwned twice, and then end on a high note by taking down my first-ever Lavasioth. While this is happening, there’s plenty of talk on current games, the state of games writing, and the right way to review.

If you’re a Monster Hunter fan, it’s a great set to watch. If you’re not, then just listen in and ignore the video portion… If you ask me, it was a pretty good chat!

If you need still more me, my review of Ragnarok Odyssey went live at Gamecritics a couple of days ago, and you can check that out right here. It's not a terrible game, but... well, nevermind, I guess it is pretty terrible.

If you're in the mood for something completely different, Brandon Bales has a great interview with Greg Rice of Double Fine Studios right here. I have no idea how this guy keeps lining up all these interviews with developers, but man, is he good at it.

Here's another thing from Brandon. He recently attended a precedent for upcoming a vampire stealth game called Dark. This isn't a puff piece preview -- He's got some reasonable criticisms based on what he saw. Despite his words (and he knows his stuff) I have to admit, I'm still pretty curious about it... 

Despite the prevalence of vampires in popular culture, it's a little bit strange to me that they haven't been used in more videogames apart from the type of generic bloodsuckers that serve as sword fodder in fantasy RPGs. Although I'm sick of reading about them, they seem totally ripe with potential for new types of gameplay.

Finally, my man @PeterSkerritt has a new blog up talking about the woes of the WiiU launch, and why being an early adopter might notbe the smartest move. I have to say, he ain’t wrong.

********************PR/NEWS/INFO********************

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SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced details for the GameStop exclusive DLC for the highly anticipated Anarchy Reigns™ game, launching January 8, 2013. For those gamers eager to cause as much anarchy as possible, pre-ordering the game at GameStop will net them two extra multiplayer game modes, Mad Survival and Dogfight, and an extra playable character: none other than the world’s most famous witch, Bayonetta™!

 To pre-order Anarchy Reigns from GameStop with the exclusive pre-order bonus, please visit your local GameStop store or visit http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=16k-anarchy+regins

 Anarchy Reigns™ will be available on January 8, 2013 on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft for $29.99.

For more information on Anarchy Reigns, please visit http://www.sega.com/ and www.platinumgames.com.

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Award winning game developer and animator, Michel Gagné, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance the first four minutes of a proposed animated feature film based on his graphic novel, The Saga of Rex.

Gagné began his career as an animator in 1985, and went on to work on several high profile projects for studios such as Don Bluth Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and many more. In the mid nineties, he worked his way up to Head of Special Effects at Warner Brothers Feature Animation where he remained for six years. In 2001, he decided to leave the big studios behind in an effort to pursue a different goal.

Since becoming a full time independent artist, Gagné has done books, graphic novels, short films, a video game, live performances, etc., while at the same time, continuing his affiliation with the movie, television and game industries as a freelancer. Earlier this year, he was awarded a BAFTA (British Academy Award) and an Annie Award (Animation's Highest Honor) for Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, a video game he created with Seattle based game veteran, Joe Olson. The Saga of Rex: The Animated Film is his latest venture and he is confident that he can get the project off the ground through the crowd funding opportunity that Kickstarter offers.

The Saga of Rex was serialized in six volumes of FLIGHT, from 2005 to 2010. All the chapters were then compiled and published as a single book by Image Comics in the Fall of 2010. The story features a little fox who gets abducted by a flying saucer and is transported to the planet Edernia, where he encounters the Blossoms, a race of shape shifters. One of the Blossoms, chooses Rex as a potential mate and so the adventure begins. Rex must prove his worth and Aven, the shape shifting Blossom, must conquer Rex’s heart. The Saga of Rex is a labor of love that reflects Gagné's deep enthusiasm for offbeat golden age science fiction and classical animation.

Find out more about The Saga of Rex's Kickstarter campaign, and Gagné's plan on how he intend to make the movie at the following links: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michelGagne/the-saga-of-rex-the-animated-film-project Kickstarter Video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/A5M3ebgBL04 Michel Gagné's Official Website: http://www.gagneint.com/ Contact: gagneint@aol.com

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Life: I had a completely different blog post planned for this evening, but a few hours earlier, I was informed that a good friend of mine passed away tonight.

I knew she had been sick for a while, but I didn't realize she was so close to death's door.

I had planned to visit earlier, but had found various reasons not to. Not enough money this week, not enough time that week. So on and so on.

The thought that she might pass away before I would see her again was certainly in the back of my mind, but I was essentially playing the odds that she would live long enough for my situation to be more agreeable towards making the trip.

I knew her for about eighteen years, and over the course of that time, we had worked together, shared many laughs, gone on trips, spent a lot of time talking… we were never best friends, but I certainly would've counted her as someone who meant something to me. She was one of those people who was always around, or in the background of pictures while never being the focus, but when absent, she was missed.

The last time I saw her we left on good terms, so I'm glad that there wasn't any unfinished business between us. Still, I'm sad that there was no "last time" before she died.

Her death today is a very real reminder of the fragility of life. Any of us can go at any time, and for practically any reason.

An undetected tumor for someone without health insurance. A drunk driver blowing through an intersection. Unchecked addiction for someone who says that they don't have a problem, eating a meal that shouldn't have had any peanuts, or trying to leave someone who refuses to let go... these things and a million others can lead to the untimely end of someone we care for.

Every minute we have is precious, and it's very rare that any of us knows exactly how many of them we have left. We forget sometimes, or choose to ignore it, but it’s a real and true thing.

Scary, perhaps. Unpleasant to be reminded of, but still… A real and true thing.

Spend time with people you care about. Talk to those who are far away. Don't put important things off until later, and take every opportunity you have to say "I love you" to those you do. Make the most of what you have, and be thankful for what you’ve got. 

You never know when you won’t have it anymore.

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Book: Quick update on my upcoming Urban Fantasy novel, Speaking in Forked Tongues - the publisher sent over the contract this weekend, and just as I was about to print it out and sign... my printer is out of ink. Go figure, right? Anyway, the pieces are falling into place and I'm very happy that progress is happening.

More to come.

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Reviews: My review of Dokuro is now live. I guarantee it's the best game you didn't play this year... Expect it to figure quite prominently in my year-end top ten.

Other recent pieces at Gamecritics include @GC_Danny’s review of Mad Max wannabe Ravaged, and @CoreyMotley’s semi-epic examination of why Survival Horror sucks so much these days.

If you've got time, give them a click.

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Games: I've been asked a few times if I will be getting a Wii U, and what my plans are in regard to the system. Basically, my plans are... I have no immediate plans.

Nintendo will not be sending review hardware to Gamecritics (they never send us anything!) and discretionary spending on a new console is on hold right now. Apart from that, I’ve looked at the release list and as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to get excited about. Although what technically qualifies as the "release window" is a little squishy, the only things I'm even remotely interested in are Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, ZombiU, and Pikmin 3.

I'll definitely get hardware in the house in time to play Monster Hunter next year, but I don't really see any reason to pop for it right now. Pikmin will be more Pikmin (not a bad thing, but not a system-seller, either) and ZombiU is still an unknown quantity.

So, there you have it. Unless Nintendo has a change of heart and a unit shows up on my doorstep out of the blue, don't expect any Wii U coverage from me until March at the earliest.

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Games: I'm expecting to start my new review assignments this week, but in the meantime I took a couple of days to finish the Origin of Pain DLC for Trials Evolution on XBLA.

I didn't hear a lot about it at the time it was released, but I'm glad that I didn't miss it... the addition of a BMX bike is a lot of squirrelly fun, and some of the new tracks are atmospheric and full of personality. Be warned, though... the Magic Marker Extreme level was a serious pain in the ass to complete. It was perhaps not as difficult as some previous Extremes, but that's kind of like saying hitting concrete at 200MPH is less painful than hitting it at 300MPH.

Anyway, check out this video to see how easy the track looks when a top-class player does it, and then don't even think for a second that you'll be able to do the same without days of practice and an ulcer. Me? My best finishing run was around 6 minutes and 98 crashes...  

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Music: If you're in the Seattle area or will be on 11/15, Kirby Krackle will be playing a last-minute show with I Fight Dragons and MC Lars at El Corazon. Tickets are $12 in advance or $14 at the door!

Doors open at 7:30pm, the show is All-Ages, and will feature the full band!

***************PR/NEWS/INFO***************

Experience a brand new chapter of the Devil May Cry adventure with Vergil’s Downfall, the untold story of Dante’s twin brother Vergil which will be downloadable from XBLA and PSN. Vergil’s Downfall offers fans the opportunity to play as one of the most wanted Devil May Cry characters, Vergil, in an all new storyline with fresh gameplay including new weapons, combos, enemies, and locations.

Vergil’s Downfall will be available shortly after launch for 720 MS points and $8.99 on PlayStation Network. North American consumers who pre-order Devil May Cry at GameStop or EB Canada will receive a redeemable code to access Vergil’s Downfall at no charge when the content becomes available.

DmC Devil May Cry arrives on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on January 15, 2013 across North America and Europe with a PC version shortly after.

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Award winning game developer and animator, Michel Gagné, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance the first four minutes of a proposed animated feature film based on his graphic novel, The Saga of Rex.

Gagné began his career as an animator in 1985, and went on to work on several high profile projects for studios such as Don Bluth Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and many more. In the mid nineties, he worked his way up to Head of Special Effects at Warner Brothers Feature Animation where he remained for six years. In 2001, he decided to leave the big studios behind in an effort to pursue a different goal.

Since becoming a full time independent artist, Gagné has done books, graphic novels, short films, a video game, live performances, etc., while at the same time, continuing his affiliation with the movie, television and game industries as a freelancer. Earlier this year, he was awarded a BAFTA (British Academy Award) and an Annie Award (Animation's Highest Honor) for Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, a video game he created with Seattle based game veteran, Joe Olson. The Saga of Rex: The Animated Film is his latest venture and he is confident that he can get the project off the ground through the crowd funding opportunity that Kickstarter offers.

The Saga of Rex was born when Gagné was approached by editor Kazu Kibuishi, about creating a story for the annual comics anthology, FLIGHT, published by Image Comics and Random House.

The Saga of Rex was serialized in six volumes of FLIGHT, from 2005 to 2010. All the chapters were then compiled and published as a single book by Image Comics in the Fall of 2010. The story features a little fox who gets abducted by a flying saucer and is transported to the planet Edernia, where he encounters the Blossoms, a race of shape shifters. One of the Blossoms, chooses Rex as a potential mate and so the adventure begins. Rex must prove his worth and Aven, the shape shifting Blossom, must conquer Rex’s heart. The Saga of Rex is a labor of love that reflects Gagné's deep enthusiasm for offbeat golden age science fiction and classical animation.

Find out more about The Saga of Rex's Kickstarter campaign, and Gagné's plan on how he intend to make the movie at the following links:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michelGagne/the-saga-of-rex-the-animated-film-project

Kickstarter Video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/A5M3ebgBL04

Michel Gagné's Official Website: http://www.gagneint.com/

Contact: gagneint@aol.com

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Today, BioWare is excited to announce that the global launch date of the Star Wars: The Old Republic Free-to-Play option will be November 15, 2012. This release will be simultaneous across all of the territories and countries where The Old Republic™ is available. The new Free-to-Play option allows gamers to experience all of the class storylines through to Level 50, the current level cap, at no charge and introduces the new Cartel Market!

Any paying subscribers at the launch of the Free-to-Play option on November 15th will be granted all of the Complimentary Cartel Coins currently listed on the Cartel Coin Ledger page, plus a one-time grant of 250 Complimentary Cartel Coins! Additionally, the Rewards Program has been extended! All former subscribers who reactivate their subscription by the new date of December 20, 2012 at 11:59am CDT will be granted Complimentary Cartel Coins for their prior paid months up to November 15, 2012.

As always, be sure to check StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com for latest updates and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. 

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Rising Star Games Inc. has released a new trailer for the arcade shooter Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition. The trailer features new gameplay footage of the remastered classic, and unveils the exclusive 'VKL6.02(A)P Chopper.' The exclusive helicopter features a unique design and a stockpile of powerful weapons.

Under Defeat HD is developed by Japanese arcade game powerhouse G.rev and will be released in North America for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Network on November 27 for $29.99. The retail version of Under Defeat HD will be available exclusively at Amazon.com.

In Under Defeat HD, players will take on the role of a helicopter pilot as they are caught in a struggle between the Empire and the Union. Along with additional upgrades and features, Under Defeat HD will include destructive realism, dual stick compatibility and the new 16:9 New Order Mode. In addition to the full game disc, Rising Star Games' Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition includes:

- Digital art book

- All current DLC and patches

- Soundtrack CD featuring tracks from the New Order Mode

For more information on Under Defeat HD, visit: http://www.risingstargames.com/game.aspx?sku=under-defeat-hd-deluxe-edition-ps3.

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Games: So, the end of 2012 is drawing near.

I've had a chance to play most of the candidates for my year-end Top 10, and after scanning the upcoming release lists, it doesn't seem like there's much likely to shake up my current ranking. There are a couple of things still on my radar, though.

Hitman: Absolution is one of the few that has a good chance of getting on the list if the levels are as free and open as they appear to be at first glance. I can't say that I've ever been much of a Far Cry fan, but I'll give Far Cry 3 a shot as well.

Apart from those, it's looking pretty done. However, I'm definitely up for any suggestions for sleeper picks or surprises worth investigation. If you've got something that’s worth considering, drop me a line via Twitter, email, or with a comment on this article, and let me know!

Games: I'm still between review games at the moment, so I started playing Silent Hill: Book of Memories on Vita. I liked the demo and I'm a big fan of dungeon crawlers and Roguelikes when they're done well, so despite all of the negative talk I heard, I decided to go for it. I'm about ten levels into the campaign so far, and I think it's actually pretty good – but that statement needs some qualification.

  

For some reason, Wayforward (the developers) decided to keep the player in the dark about basic aspects of how the game works. I'm not talking about a few little details here and there, I'm talking about some core, fundamental elements which are barely explained. By not taking the time to properly introduce the player to what's going on, I can easily see why so many people were turned off.

Once I got my hands on a copy, I spent the first two hours or so trying to figure out what was affecting what, what was causing what, and basically, trying to get a handle on how to play the game efficiently.

Even after that, there was still plenty of stuff that I didn't understand, so I went to GameFAQs and read as much information as I could. I got some answers there, but not all. Then, I talked to a few reviewers who had already been through the game, and that helped clarify a few more things. That research combined with my previous experience with other Roguelikes finally started making all of the pieces fit, and that's when I finally began to enjoying the play.

A welcoming, approachable title this is not, but if you've got a Vita and jumping into a quasi-Roguelike with rusty metal and bloody nurses sounds like an appealing thing, here are a few tips to get started:

***Save up money and buy Backpack upgrades ASAP. Every upgrade lets you hold one extra weapon and increases the amount of supplies that you can carry. Needless to say, this is absolutely crucial for your survival.

***Choose which enemies to kill carefully, and invest in the Karma Flip ability as soon as possible. Killing enemies willy-nilly means that the Karma meter will usually hover near the center, without building up towards either side. Without making progress towards the Blood or Light side, the player will never be able to use special abilities, and using them is key towards making progress.

A strategy that's working well for me is attacking only Blood karma enemies until they're gone, then using Karma Flip and turning any remaining Light enemies into Bloods. (I know this probably sounds like gibberish, but it will make sense once you start the game.) If you're having trouble telling which enemies are which, use the left shoulder button to lock on and their orientation is revealed by the color of the reticle around them. By doing this, I keep my Karma meter consistently high on the Light side, which means I have a few healing spells available so that I don't have to use healthpacks except in extreme emergencies.

***If you run out of supplies, replay the first level and stock back up. The enemies there are pretty easy to beat, and you probably won't need to use any items to get through to the end.

***Take the time to do every bonus mission that the demon offers you at the beginning of each level. The weapons he rewards you with are usually quite powerful, and well worth the effort. Once your backpack is upgraded, use the pickup weapons found in each level as your primaries while keeping a Sword of Obedience or a Great Cleaver on hand in case of emergency. Having a heavy-hitter in your back pocket can get you out of trouble in a hurry.

***On difficult levels, don't try to make any real progress until you locate the save point. In most cases, it's possible to find it after a few test runs. Once you know where it is, then start putting the effort in towards meeting your objectives and take the time to save after each one -- losing a ton of progress is really disheartening, and there's no real reason to do so. Haste makes waste.

***Increasing the INT stat to at least 10 gives you time to avoid all of the invisible traps that pop up in each level. Strongly, strongly, strongly recommended.

***Weapons have their own alignments. If you're trying to use Light powers and find that your Karma meter keeps dropping, go to the pause menu and check the details for your weapon. It's possible you may be using a Blood weapon that’s sapping your Karma. The reverse is also true, if you are trying to use the Blood powers while wielding a Light weapon.

….So yeah, there's a lot of stuff to learn about Book of Memories and the game tells you basically none of it.

Some of this can be figured out with a little experimentation, the frustration factor ramps up quickly when you’ve got no idea what’s happening, and I would imagine that plenty of people who would have otherwise enjoyed this game bailed before they came to grips with it -- and I don't blame them. Giving players something to figure out is one thing, but failing to explain fundamental principles of a game in which they aren't immediately obvious is a pretty serious lapse in judgment, if you ask me.

I'm definitely glad I stuck with Book of Memories and did the legwork, but WayForward’s got no one to blame but themselves for all the negative reviews and poor word-of-mouth. And really, it's a shame... once a little light is shed on the proceedings, it's actually a solid title on a system that really needs ‘em.

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Parties organized by gamers across America this weekend will raise funds for and collect video games and consoles to be sent to U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan as well as being rehabilitated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  The events, part of Operation Supply Drop’s national Veteran’s Day “8-Bit Salute to Veterans,” will be held in Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York City on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. Gamers everywhere are invited to participate.

Attendees and others can contribute via monetary donations or drop boxes.  The events will feature live music, bars, game tournaments and prizes.  Professional athletes will support the Dallas and Los Angeles events.  The Dallas party will also have the Charisma +2 calendar models.  Pamela Horton, an avid gamer and Playboy Playmate Miss October 2012, will be present at the Los Angeles event. 

Captain Stephen "Shanghai Six" Machuga, a former Army Airborne Ranger, founded Operation Supply Drop in 2010, after serving for eight years with the US Army, including 13 months in Iraq.  An avid video game player himself, Machuga realized that many soldiers are gamers and don’t have access while deployed to their favorite form of entertainment, one of the few types of leisure activity permitted in high threat areas.

“When soldiers aren't outside the wire on patrol, their favorite activity is playing video games,” explains Machuga. “Our packages are an immeasurable morale booster; troops are accustomed to getting care packages from strangers full of baby wipes and socks.  Our care packages are designed to blow their socks off."

Since the charity’s establishment, Operation Supply Drop has raised more than $60,000 in games and gear packages, each with an average value of $2,000 to units deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

With the help of a variety of allied gaming organizations, Operation Supply Drop’s “8-Bit Salute to Veterans” will be one of the country’s largest efforts undertaken in support of Veteran’s Day. 

Join one of these groups on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012.

Chicago

Game Pazzo

2011 63rd St.

Downers Grove, Ill. 60516 (West Suburb of Chicago)

6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Dallas

Kung Fu Saloon

2911 Routh St

Dallas, TX 75204

1 to 9 p.m.

Las Vegas 

Insert Coin(s)

512 Fremont St

Las Vegas, NV 89101

7:00-10:00 PM

Los Angeles 

Los Angeles Film School

6363 Sunset Boulevard  

Hollywood, Calif. 90028

2:00 – 4:00 p.m. 

New York

Union Hall

702 Union St.  

Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215

Midnight to 4 a.m. (Saturday night into Sunday morning)

If someone would like to make a contribution to Operation Supply Drop, but cannot attend one of the events, there are still several ways to get involved:

Operation Supply Drop (OSD)
9301 Alvyn Lake Cir.
Bristow, VA 20136

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It's time again for one of my "house-cleaning" posts where I toss up a bunch of random bits and links to stuff and get it off of my computer. No real rhyme or reason to tonight's bits, but do take a moment to scan the PR stuff at the bottom... a lot of really great announcements down there.

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>First up, a quick shout-out for my man @Kotowari’s super-awesome Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide.

I'll be doing a more in-depth examination of this in the near future, but for now, be aware that it exists and that it is fabulous. Take it from me, as someone who jumped into Monster Hunter with zero background information and struggled my way through, I would have killed to have concise and relevant information of the sort that is compiled here.

With the upcoming release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on WiiU and 3DS, this guide will be a huge help to give you a leg up… read this guide, and I guarantee you won't be the noob dropping a trap as soon as you enter the stage!

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>The good people over at Undead Labs who are currently working on XBLA’s State of Decay sent along this link showing one potential distraction technique as a way of dealing with hordes of zombies surrounding a house that you need to raid for supplies.  

Can't wait to get my hands on this one.

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>My co-critic @Horrorgeek posted this link a while ago, compiling some of the greatest lines from the best horror films of all time. I am a little ashamed to admit that I didn't know every single one, but I did know most. How about you?

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>The wife passed along this YouTube video which kind of encapsulates the basic idea behind homeschooling/unschooling. Every time I mention it, I get lots of comments on the subject, so clearly there are a lot of you out there who are curious about it. Oh, and while I'm on the subject, I thought the pic below was oddly true...

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>Oh, what am I playing?

Just wrapped my review for Dokuro on Vita, and it was one of the best games I've played all year. Not even kidding. I love that game, so so hard.

Following that, I've been spending time with Orgarhythm (also Vita) and while the production values are a little on the rough side, the blend of real-time strategy and music rhythm genres actually comes together surprisingly well. It may require the sort of player willing to overlook a general lack of polish, but it's worth checking into.

***************PR/NEWS/INFO***************

Regarding Ravenmark on iOS…

- Firstly, we're delivering iPhone 5 support to Ravenmark! The extra screen space will help players see more of the battlefield and more of our gorgeous artwork in dialogue scenes - border-free!

- We've also put in support for Game Center achievements.

- We recently announced we would do away with IAPs for campaign purchases in the premium game. This means anyone who purchases Ravenmark today will receive all future campaign updates free of charge, including today's release of Raven's Dusk.

- For players who bought the previous Deepwood Dragoons IAP campaign unlock, we have prepared a compensation of sorts. If you purchased Deepwood Dragoons AND have signed up for our in-game WHS Account service, we will award you a unique brigade of units in our upcoming multiplayer sequel to Ravenmark. We've made records of folks who've done the necessary steps to be sure they are duly rewarded! 

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Regarding Minecraft on XBLA… Here’s a link outlining all of the stuff that went into the recent update. It's pretty substantial, and makes the game even friendlier for kids!

http://playxbla.com/check-out-whats-coming-in-the-update-for-minecraft-xbox-360-edition/

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Acclaimed publisher Rising Star Games Inc announced that the cult phenomenon hit, Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut, will be released in the US and Europe Q1 2013 exclusively for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. High-definition graphics, fresh content and updated controls provide a whole new, outrageous gameplay experience for diehard fans and newcomers alike.

The award-winning suspense-horror, action-adventure game gives players an open-world experience featuring detailed interactions with Greenvale locals, as well as numerous side quests and mini games to help solve the murders and uncover hidden town secrets.

  

Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut includes the following new features:  New scenario from the game's director, Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro, HD graphics, Reworked control system allowing for an even better combat experience, Downloadable content to expand the mystery beyond the original game  

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Capcom is pleased to announce that, in response to player feedback, a free title update for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Resident Evil 6 will be made available in mid-December 2012. This update includes the following additions and improvements:

-          Gamers will be able to adjust the camera to give a greater field of view as best suits their play style. Screenshots illustrating the new camera and co-op features can be found on Capcom’s press site. The camera screenshot pairs show the minimum and maximum range of the new camera setting. Please note that this feature is still in development and may change without further notice before the title update is released.

-          Subtitle options have been improved so that English language audio can be combined with subtitles in an alternative language.

-          As recently announced, Ada Wong’s campaign will be unlocked from the start and have an optional player-controlled co-op partner added. It was previously necessary to complete all three other campaigns in order to unlock Ada’s story.

-          ‘No Hope’ difficulty level will be added above the existing levels, for players who want an extreme challenge.

Capcom values user feedback on Resident Evil 6 and ResidentEvil.net and is working continuously to improve the experience for players.

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Online Patch Now Available for XBOX 360 Sku of Silent Hill: Downpour
& Silent Hill: Downpour Coming to Games on Demand

Today, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced a patch and product update for Silent Hill: Downpour, the critically acclaimed survival horror title, originally released in March. The online patch, available via XBOX Live, enhances the gameplay experience by improving features and bugs within the game, including, but not limited to:
o       Improved frame rate
o       Fixed save game system
o       Fixed bugs in "Homeless" side quest/mission
o       Several other performance enhancements/bug fixes

A PlayStation 3 patch is currently in development and will be released in the coming weeks.

KONAMI also announced today that Silent Hill: Downpour is going to be available for download, via XBOX Live Games on Demand, beginning on October 30 for $39.99.

Deep Silver announced today that a pre-order program for a special North American edition of Dead Island Riptide, the follow-up to the 2011 global smash horror hit Dead Island, is now available for players who preorder Riptide early at participating retailers. Launching in North America on April 23, 2013, Dead Island Riptide brings more epic zombie thriller action to fans with additional gameplay mechanics, all-new gorgeous locales to explore, more types of zombies to provide constant threats, an additional character class and the best co-operative zombie action experience in gaming.

The Dead Island Riptide Special Edition puts tempting extras in your survival arsenal including a pack of exclusive weapon mods (for more creative undead destruction!), a digital strategy map (for the best expert advice on how to own the approaching hordes!), and a unique character skin (looks good and helpful for recognition among the undead.). Supplies are limited and will be sold on a first-come, first serve basis.

Over four million players around the world survived the ordeals of the zombie infestation on the once beautiful island resort of Banoi, and our group of survivors thought they had finally found a safe place to escape from this terrifying nightmare. They were wrong.

Dead Island Riptide will be released on April 23, 2013 in North America for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for Windows PC.

For more information, visit one of the following official Dead Island sites:

Official Website: www.deadisland.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadislandgame
Youtube: www.youtube.com/deadislandgame
Twitter: twitter.com/deadislandgame

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In honor of Saints young and old, THQ and Volition are proud to unveil Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package, scheduled to ship in North America on Nov. 6 and internationally Nov. 16.

The premiere edition of Saints Row: The Third, The Full Package includes the award-winning Saints Row: The Third, all three downloadable mission packs, and more than 30 bonus DLC items. The Full Package lets it all hang out. With every weapon, every vehicle, every outfit, go over the top, off the reservation, and to places where no decent game should go.  Strap it on, all the way.

In addition, Volition is happy to give away to all Saints Row fans five new in-game clothing items, compatible with Saints Row: The Thirdas well as The Full Package. Simply drive on down to Let’s Pretend in Steelport, and all Saints players can snag the “Member of the Row” shirt, 3rd Street Hoodie, His and Hers Free Throw basketball jerseys, and the always-stylish Antenna hat, modeled after the finest arthropod antennae in the land. 

  

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Funcom is excited to announce that 'Dreamfall Chapters', the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning adventure title 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey', has gone into pre-production at Red Thread Games, a new studio founded by Ragnar Tørnquist, creator of 'The Longest Journey' saga.

Red Thread Games has licensed the rights to 'The Longest Journey' universe from Funcom, and Mr. Tørnquist will spearhead development of 'Dreamfall Chapters', while continuing in an advisory role as Creative Director on Funcom’s recently launched modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’.

'Dreamfall Chapters' will be developed by Red Thread Games, under license from Funcom. For more information about the game, please contact Red Thread Games at info@redthreadgames.com.

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Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that critically acclaimed Ōkami has been re-incarnated as a digital download in North America today and in Europe starting tomorrow on PlayStation®Network for $19.99/ €19.99 / £15.99. The game originally praised for its gorgeous Sumi-e style graphics has had its spirit boosted with heavenly HD graphics, PlayStation®Move support and PlayStation®3 system trophies.

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