Living LIVE News Report 09.12.01
Posted by Trace Aber on 09.12.2011
News and thoughts on Crysis coming to Xbox 360, Gears of War 3's fan art contest, a study on which Xbox 360 game is the scariest, DLC on the way for Dead Island and Deus Ex: Human Revolution and more!
REPLY POSTED
Welcome everyone to another issue of the Living LIVE News Report, and as always, I'm your host for the evening, Trace Aber. I'd like to apologize for my absence last week, but I ended up taking a spontaneous trip to visit my girlfriend's mother in Tennessee. I had a great Labor Day weekend but now it's time to get back in the groove of college life. I'm teaching a psychology lab this quarter, meaning my schedule is busier than ever. Should be fun though.
Gears of Art 3 Fanart Could Land You 10 Grand
If only I liked Gears of War and had artistic talent! Website deviantART is offering $10,000 in cash to the creator of the best wallpaper for their Gears of War 3 contest.
Whether you're going solo or entering a cooperative piece, the cash doesn't come alone. The winner will also receive a Gears of War 3 limited edition console bundle, a year-long premium membership and other stuff. Second and third place will get $1,000 and $750 respectively, the game, a 4GB Xbox 360, and more.
Anybody thinking of entering the contest should be aware that once you submit your piece it becomes property of Microsoft, as they may use the winner in promotional material. You can check out a full list of rules, and learn how to sign up, by checking out the site here.
Ice-T Unboxes Gears of War 3 Special Edition
This shit like, sexually arouses me
The Missing Link is Found This October
For those of you who can't get enough of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and who could blame you, will be happy to know that you're just a month away from figuring out the missing link in Adam Jensen's story.
During the course of the main storyline in Human Revolution, Jensen disappears for three days. Up until now, we've had no idea what he did or where he went. With The Missing Link, players will be able to figure all that out, and play as Jensen without any powers and be given the chance to re-do their stats.
In the DLC, Jensen gets captured and tortured by Belltower agents and trapped on a freighter going somewhere. You'll get new characters, hopefully new settings and of course, background to those vital three days. David Anfossi, producer, had this to say about the content, releasing in October:
"We are very excited for Deus Ex: Human Revolution fans to be able to further develop Adam's journey in the game with The Missing Link DLC. Gamers will be able to experience a vulnerable side of Adam like never before, which gives the overall game a whole new dimension. The Missing Link propels players into compelling gameplay, beginning with Adam being temporarily stripped of his use of augmentations; new, visually stunning environments; and the continuation of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's conspiracy-rich story."
Psychological Study Determines Scariest Xbox 360 Game
I love psychology. You can research and discover some amazing things with it, and it can help you better understand yourself and those around you. It can also determine what Xbox 360 title is the scariest. Wait…what?
User experience studio Vertical Slice used six gamers to play four different games for roughly 30 minutes. Researchers used a combination of interviews and biometric feedback to evaluate just how scary the four games for, which were Alan Wake, Resident Evil 5, Dead Space 2 and Condemned. Games such as "Left 4 Dead 2, Gears of War 2, Condemned 2, FEAR 1 & 2, Dead Space 1, Silent Hill: Homecoming, Alone in the Dark and Mass Effect 2 were considered, but ultimately disregarded, for use in this research."
The gamers consisted of three "casual" games and three "core" gamers, three females and three males. The full study goes into detail about everybody's reactions, including pictures and graphs. For those less inclined, the results showed that core and casual games react to the games differently, with core players being less scared. This is likely due to the familiarity of game design and know when to expect certain "scares."
The scariest game on the Xbox 360? Turns out that honor goes to Dead Space 2, which I'm sure they'll work into their marketing in the future. The full study is found in the link above.
Crysis Coming to Consoles
The long-time PC benchmark Crysis is finally coming to both the 360 and PS3. It's been four long years since the game's original release, and the consoles have already received the sequel. The title will feature a few new features, such as improved lighting and new effects.
The title will be a download-only, which is an interesting decision. Even more interesting, it will not feature any multiplayer at all. I think they might release the solo campaign to test the waters, and if demand is high enough they'll release a multiplayer add-on. It'll earn extra money and those not interested can save harddrive space. No word on the pricing, but expect anywhere from 800MP to 1200MP.
Dead Island Receiving DLC Soon
Dead Island released last week to mixed reviews, some saying it's horribly disappointing and others saying it's a completely unique and amazing experience. I'm not sure if I feel like spending $60 on the game, so I'll either hold out for a demo or a price drop. Either way, for those of you who bit the bullet and pre-ordered may be wondering when you'll be able to use the little DLC code you got. You may have got "The Ripper" weapon to work, but "Bloodbath Arena" ain't doing much, right?
As luck would have it, that code won't work until it releases for everyone. The arena is a set of four maps that throw zombies at you until you die, and is set for later this month. For those of you who didn't pre-order, you can still pick it up for $10, or 800MP. Unfortunately, you won't receive "The Ripper" with that purchase.
The Digital Downloads Arcade Games
Rock of Ages (800MP)
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (800MP)
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon (800MP)
The Baconing (1200MP)
Crimson Alliance (Free to try; 800MP for 1 character; 1200MP for 3 characters)
BloodRayne: Betrayal (1200MP)
Leedmees [Kinect] (800MP)
SkyDrift (1200MP)
Games on Demand
Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper ($19.99)
SAW ($19.99)
Way of the Samurai 3 ($19.99)
DECA Sports Freedom [Kinect] ($39.99)
Signing Out
That does it for me this week. Be sure to check back next week as we discuss all of the latest Xbox 360 news, including releases, rumors and reviews! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411Mania! And a note to all of the Indie Game developers out there – if you have an upcoming title that's going to be released soon drop me a line at traceaber@gmail.com and let me know. I'll write a full review of your game to be posted on 411Mania.com, which is a great way to get your game promoted!
I'm sure by now that you've heard that Crysis will be selling for 1600pts on Live and $19.99 on PSN. But I didn't know that there is no multiplayer for it! WTF! It's overpriced to start with and if the games successful, you'll get to pay more for multiplayer! EA can go to hell. Well, I'm glad that I already played it on the pc.
Posted By: mogamer (Guest) on September 13, 2011 at 12:29 PM
I guess the scary only comes from harder difficulty because I played on Casual and wasn't scared at all.
Apart from the eye bit - I had a lot of trouble with the eye bit. *shudder*
Posted By: Loki (Guest) on September 14, 2011 at 08:06 AM
There's no multiplayer for Crysis because...there was no multiplayer for Crysis.
Posted By: lol (Guest) on September 14, 2011 at 06:30 PM
"There's no multiplayer for Crysis because...there was no multiplayer for Crysis.
Posted By: lol (Guest) on September 14, 2011 at 06:30 PM"
Er, yes there was.
Posted By: mogamer (Guest) on September 15, 2011 at 12:52 PM
I haven't played Dead Space 2 but if it's similar to 1, then the scary level isn't as great at Alan Wake. Overall I felt AW was very well done, better atmosphere, story, and chills. I enjoyed each game but AW really was original.
Posted By: Wii60 (Guest) on September 15, 2011 at 03:59 PM
"Er, yes there was."
Not that was worth playing, so why bother porting it?
Posted By: lol (Guest) on September 16, 2011 at 02:01 AM
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