How many of us have had that “just one more” experience from a game? Just about any loot drop game sorta drives those feelings, finding yourself up at ungodly hours just trying to find that one piece to complete your gear. This game hits that button very hard, as you make your way though the single player levels you’ll find you just end up blowing though level after level, wanting to finish the next tick in the box, to reach the next test or unlock the next tier of races. Until you slam into the wall of skill that the game needs from you.Read More
April 24, 2012
Dungeonland’s first Developer Diary Released
Posted on April 24, 2012 by Daniel Shannon
Paradox Interactive has just released the first developer’s diary for Dungeonland, Critical Studios’s upcoming game about sheep tossing and the exploits of adventurers trapped in a deadly medieval theme park.
According to the diary, the developers’ goal was to create a dungeon crawler where players would actually play together. When they say play together, they don’t mean a game where the players can go through their typical roles (e.g. player A tanks, player B heals, and player C throws sheep) simultaneously without actually talking to each other.
Instead, the Brazilian developers wanted the players “to collaborate in a meaningful way, to constantly talk, shout, laugh and curse at each other as they play.”
After a few prototypes, including one where different colored balls fight to survive 12 waves of monsters, Critical Studios came to the conclusion that, if they wanted people playing “together” rather than “simultaneously,” they would have to make the game play out differently each time. They’d also have to make it pretty hard, forcing players to make the best possible use of each others’ skills.
You may read how the developers hope to do this, in their own words, after the trailer.
[youtube id=”YGqEir3BasM” width=”600″ height=”350″]
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Awesomenauts invade May 1st (or 2nd)
Posted on April 24, 2012 by Andrew Minott
Awesomenauts, a 2D 3-vs-3 side-scrolling MOBA variant, is set to launch on PSN on May 1 and XBLA on May 2. Developed by Ronimo Games, this downloadable title charges players with the task of assaulting their enemy’s Core while defending their own. Standing in their way, though, are three cartoon murderers (each possessing unique offensive and defensive abilities) and machine gun turrets ready to chew them to pieces.Read More
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Skype Comes To PS Vita With Video Conference Support
Posted on April 24, 2012 by Rae Michelle Richards
The PlayStation Vita will be receiving its own version of Skype, the popular voice/video chat software, in the latest PlayStation Store update. Skype will be available on both the 3G and Wifi models and will also support Video chat using the system’s front facing VGA camera.
If you’ve been looking for a way to replicate late 90s video conferences complete with muddy image quality and stray pixels the PS Vitas camera might be your best choice. Seriously Sony, only 640×480 on those bad boys? I know the Vita has been out for months but even cell phones from 2006 had better image quality!
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40% of Free 2 Play Players Spend Real World Cash
Posted on April 24, 2012 by Rae Michelle Richards
The free to play model has exploded in recent years with established games like Lord of the Rings Online and Team Fortress 2 adopting the model after being released at retail. Newer games like Phantasy Star Online 2 and Tribes Ascend have adopted the model in favor of a retail release all together. These games offer players a good portion of gameplay for free with additional items, add-ons and experiences available for a nominal fee.
Just how many players of these games spend their hard earned money on in-game items? According to the NPD group approximately 40% players report that they have spent real world money within Free to Play games. In the Freeium Games Market Report the NPD estimates that 40% of the United States population have played some form of Free To Play entertainment.
Do you spend any of your gaming time with Free to Play titles? One of my most anticipated games Phantasy Star Online 2 will be releasing under the model sometime later this year. Time will tell if larger games like World of Warcraf also adopt this model.
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Rayman Origins 2 Spotted In Online Survey
Posted on April 24, 2012 by Rae Michelle Richards
A sequel to last Novembers critical success Rayman Origins may be in the work over at Ubisoft. We know about this potential sequel well before a possible E3 2012 reveal thanks to an online survey the publisher may have commissioned.
Arkenford, an online marketing firm, included a few different screenshots of the rumored Rayman sequel alongside some details surrounding Rayman Origin 2‘s gameplay. The game will supposedly include all of what made the original game great (excellent 2D art and 4 play co-op) as well as new settlings featuring vampires, dragons and gods.
We’ve got three of the screenshots from Ubisoft’s marketing survey after the jump. Hopefully Ubisoft will reveal the game before E3. The original Rayman Origins was a big part of their 2011 press conference.
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