Monday, February 29, 2016

News::Take a peek at 'Life is Strange' studio's next game, 'Vampyr'

Gaze into the darkness long enough and a reluctant British vampire will gaze back at you. Sure, that's not quite what Nietzsche said, but it's the angle Dontnod is taking with its latest game, Vampyr. Set in London in 1918, Vampyr stars Jonathan Reid, a military doctor who specialized in blood research during World War I. He's also a vampire, though he doesn't enjoy killing; he dedicated his life to healing, after all. The Spanish Flu is ravaging Europe and as Reid stalks London's foggy streets, he must balance his bloodlust with his still-intact moral compass.



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News::'Fallout Shelter' is becoming a bit more like 'Fallout 4'

We still don't have exact timing for the upcoming Fallout 4 add-on packs and survival mode, but perhaps a pretty sizable update to Fallout Shelter is an olive branch of sorts. For the most part, the patch brings a level of parity between the console and mobile game with the addition of armor and weapons crafting, a day-and-night cycle and Vault Dweller customization by way of a new room type (a barbershop). Oh, and because Bethesda doesn't discriminate against non-four-legged creatures in terms of pet ownership, parrots are joining a few new cats and dogs in your underground utopia.

Source: Bethesda



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News::Sony to shutter its native PSP store at the end of March

Sony announced on Monday that it will shutter the PSP's native store on March 31, 2016. Customers will still be able to purchase PSP content from the company's webstore, just not directly through their devices. That said, users will still be able to access their previous purchases from their on-device Download list and can still make in-game purchases directly. This move comes just days after Sony announced that it will no longer sell its PlayStation TV accessory in Japan.

Via: PlayStation (Twitter)

Source: Sony



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News::'Minecraft' update puts items in both hands

It's often the little things that make a big difference. Mojang has released a combat-focused Minecraft update that lets you carry items in both hands, dramatically streamlining how you play. You can carry both a sword and a shield (also new) when you're expecting a rough fight, or place torches while you're digging tunnels with your pickaxe -- no more switching back and forth for some mundane tasks. This may take some time to get used to if you're a veteran, but it promises to make your virtual life considerably easier.

Source: Mojang



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News::Razer reveals the first games for its VR developer kit

Razer and the OSVR alliance have been working on their developer-ready VR headset for a while, but they haven't said much about what you'll play on this early hardware. That's a bit odd for technology that revolves around gaming, don't you think? Never to fear, though, as the first games have arrived for OSVR's Hacker Development Kit. They're mostly what you'd expect for a SteamVR-compatible device: a pair of Valve classics (Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2), a popular spaceflight game (Elite: Dangerous) and a racing title (Live for Speed). About the only outlier is Spermination, a shooter that's about as odd as its name suggests.

Source: Razer



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News::'Rocket League' will get a physical release later this year

The ridiculous but delightful Rocket League -- a game that basically lets you play soccer with rocket-powered cars rather than human beings -- was one of the surprise indie hits for the PS4 and Steam in 2015. Earlier this month, it hit the the Xbox One, and now we're learning that you'll soon be able to buy a physical copy of the game. Rocket League: Collecor's Edition will be released in retail stores around the world in Q3 of this year and will include the three DLC update that have been released thus far as well as some additional retail-only content.



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News::'The Artful Escape' is what happens when rock stars make a game

The Artful Escape of Francis Vendetti is a psychedelic hipster dream disguised as a narrative-driven adventure game. It stars Francis Vendetti, the fictional nephew of the late, great musical icon Johnson Vendetti. In this alternate universe, Johnson was the David Bowie of his time, legendary and untouchable. Francis is a young musician himself, struggling to find his own voice and separate himself from his uncle's legacy. On his quest of self-discovery, Francis connects with a laser artist named Violetta, and he traverses a multidimensional highway packed with neon lights and tentacled aliens.

The Artful Escape presents the kind of world that burgeoning musicians might fantasize about, the ultimate rock star dream of conquering new, exciting dimensions with the power of music alone. It's the kind of dream that the game's creator, Johnny Galvatron, once had -- before he signed a record deal with Warner Bros. right out of college and discovered what the true rock star life was really all about.

"You feel like those sort of record deals will unlock these magical doors to worlds of wonder to explore that you imagine when you're young," Galvatron says. "And then you realize very quickly that's not what it is, and you live in a hotel room with six really smelly dudes. I guess The Artful Escape of Francis Vendetti is informed by my teenage imaginings of what the music industry would be."



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News::You can now pre-order HTC's Vive VR headset for $799

If you passed on the Oculus Rift because you're dead set on owning HTC's Vive VR headset, your time has now come. The company has just opened pre-orders for the $799 bundle (€899 in Europe and £689 in the UK), which includes the Vive headset, two wand controllers, a couple of room scale movement sensors and three VR titles.

Source: HTC Vive



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News::Microsoft's HoloLens is now ready for developers

If you're a developer, today's the day Microsoft is making good on its mixed-reality promise. Pre-orders for HoloLens, the company's augmented-reality Windows 10 headset, are now live. Invites to purchase the $3,000 device will begin to hit the inboxes of those who've already applied, while others can sign up today for a shot at building out HoloLen's ecosystem of apps. And the wait won't be that long either, as Microsoft plans to begin shipping units in the US and Canada beginning March 30th.



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