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

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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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