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

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It feels like it's been a while since I’ve done a proper blog post, and there's a lot of stuff to catch up on, so let's get right to it…

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Games: First up, the @IndieGamerChick takes a sober look at what being Kickstarted can really mean, and why it may not be the right way to go for everyone. She's definitely got some pearls of wisdom to share here, so it's worth a read for anyone who's considering using Kickstarter as part of their business strategy.

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Games: Had a whole bunch of stuff go live at @GameCritics recently, and we’ve added a bunch of new folks to the ranks of our regular staffers, as well. Our new blood consists of:

Christopher Floyd - @Lamournumerique

Darren Forman - @KayinAmoh

Denis Farr - @Aeazel

John Vanderhoef - @JohnVanderhoef

Michael A. Cunningham - @FinalMacstorm

And in case you missed 'em, here are our reviews of DmC, Giana Sisters, Anarchy Reigns, Crimson Shroud and Uncharted: Fight for Fortune. If you want some info on iOS stuff, here's TouchTalk 5. 

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Games: What am I playing right now? Glad you asked.

At the moment, I'm still putting time into DmC (360) and nearly done with it. I've never been the biggest fan of Dante and his slicey-shooty shenanigans, but @NinjaTheory has really outdone themselves with this one. 

Although I think DMC3 is probably deeper, a very convincing argument can be made that DmC is the best game in the series thanks to the overall level of polish, intelligent design choices, and accessibility to players of all skill levels. It must also be said that the game looks utterly fantastic... I'm honestly surprised that I haven't heard more people raving about the visuals, from the large details all the way down to the smallest. It's pure beauty.

Apart from that, I just completed Gravity Rush (Vita) this afternoon. Although I didn't find it very compelling the first time I played it back in June of last year, I decided to give it another shot and this time it totally clicked. 

It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why I fell so hard for it now when I was left so cold previously, but the only thing I can think is that I must have been in the mood for something of a higher octane back then. Gravity Rush does have a few tense moments over the course of its campaign, but in general, it's a pretty mellow, laid-back affair. In any event, I have a newfound respect for the title and it quickly became one of my favorite Vita games.

(P.S. – GR’s main character Kat is one of the new DLC additions coming soon to Playstation All-Star Battle Royale on PS3/Vita. Excite!)

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Games: The good people over at @UndeadLabs have shared a link to a recent devblog post talking about their work on State of Decay, due out on XBLA later this year. 

It's a detailed survivor's guide of sorts, and gives a little insight into the kind of depth that the developers are shooting for with this open-world zombpocalyptic action/sim romp.

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Book: Just a quick word on Speaking in Forked Tongues… I got my first round of major edits back from the publisher right before my oldest son came for Christmas, so I put everything on hold at the time. Now that we are well into the new year, I'm just about to crack into the book again and make the requested changes. 

Thankfully, none of it seems too major and I thought the editor did a great job in highlighting areas that needed some polish. I'm a firm believer that no matter how strong a writer is, there's always a benefit from having someone else critique the work. That's just as true for me as it is for anyone else, and this is a perfect example of that. I'm hoping that after these tweaks, the book will be even stronger and ready to go for publication later this year.

More info to come!

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Capcom today confirmed that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the Wii U system and Nintendo 3DS will bring the battle to retail stores in North America on March 19, 2013 and across Europe on March 22, 2013. The full game will also be offered for digital purchase on both systems during this launch timeframe and the Wii U game will fully support the voice chat functionality available on that system.  For hunters looking to embark on their journeys sooner, free playable demos on the Wii U system and Nintendo 3DS will be available on February 21.

In Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, players take on the role of a hunter sent to explore a settlement within the Monster Hunter universe, completing quests on their journey to seek and slay monsters while improving their skills and earning equipment upgrades. With many challenging monsters and over 200 quests, the latest addition to the series is set to be the most expansive offering to date. The game can be played alone, online (up to four players) on the Wii U system, or locally using up to four Nintendo 3DS systems or a combination of up to three Nintendo 3DS systems and one Wii U system.

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Deep Silver today unveiled the gory details about a special North American Collector’s Edition for the eagerly awaited zombie action RPG, Dead Island Riptide.  The Dead Island Riptide Rigor Mortis Edition contents were voted in by the Dead Island community in a Fall 2012 survey, which resulted in tens of thousands of entries determining the contents of this exclusive edition.

The contents of the Rigor Mortis Edition are extremely limited and are available for preorder now at retailers across North and Latin America on a first come-first serve basis with a suggested retail price of $79.99.  In the haunting, superb-quality Rigor Mortis Edition, Dead Island fans receive their very own zombie hula girl bobble figurine, a bloody zombie arm bottle opener magnet and a bungalow key with a branded wood keychain.  In addition, the Rigor Mortis Edition will include a copy of the Dead Island Riptide Special Edition for console, packed with a treasure trove of extra DLC content and a helpful digital strategy map.  All of this is embalmed in the ultimate Dead Island replica suitcase – the most iconic item from the original Dead Island.

Dead Island Riptide will be released on April 23, 2013 in North America for consoles 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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Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced a playable demo for METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE will be available via download on PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® on January 22. The free demo will showcase Chapter 1 of the game and introduce Raiden as the central character - a child soldier transformed into a cyborg ninja killing machine, equipped with a high-frequency katana blade and a soul fueled by revenge.

METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE will be available on February 19, 2013 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft at major retail stores nationwide. 

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ATLUS, a brand of Index Digital Media, Inc., today announced that the award-winning action RPG Demon's Souls is now available for download on the PlayStation®Network (PSN) for $19.99.

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This week XSeed Games has announced the exciting news that we have come to an agreement with Nintendo to bring the highly anticipated action role-playing title, Pandora's Tower, exclusively to Wii™ in Spring 2013. Developed in Japan by Ganbarion, Pandora's Tower takes the classic fairytale theme of a maiden in distress and adds a violent twist, with the protagonist setting out to slay over a dozen giant monsters and collect their flesh in order to free his beloved from an evil curse. The game can be pre-ordered the game at Gamestop and Amazon.com.

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Microsoft Studios is announcing the launch of Microsoft Studios PLAY on Windows 8 today with 15 new games. The games are available for download now and can be purchased via the Windows 8 App Store or Xbox live. All Microsoft Studios titles let you try before you buy, so check them out today!  Watch the official PLAY launch trailer here: http://youtu.be/2ZPfrRxQ-k0

 Full List of New PLAY Releases:

 Toy Soldiers (not available on Windows RT)

4 Elements: Special Edition

Hydro Thunder Hurricane

Rocket Riot 3D

Reckless Racing Ultimate

Microsoft Solitaire Collection

Microsoft Mahjong

Microsoft Minesweeper

Taptiles

Adera

Pinball FX2

Wordament

Gunstringer: Dead Man Running

Ilomilo+

Skulls of the Shogun – launches at the end of January

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