“The teaser shows how the Psycho Squad might acquire a new member. The Psycho Squad specializes in combating “psychos” – individuals who overuse implants and substances that boost or otherwise alter the human body. There comes a point when they overdose on these innovations, and their bodies start to rebel against their biological body parts as well as against all things organic around them. Simply put, they start killing people, who they now derisively call 'meatbags.'Continue here to read the full story.
Gamasutra - How retail figures may point to a coming disruption.
These new developers and publishers can make a living, even thrive, selling games at $1 or $2 per unit on platforms like iOS and Android. They are inheriting those consumers who no longer buy traditional game systems and physical game software, reeling them in with inexpensive or even free-to-play software with in-app purchases. These games simply cannot deliver the experience that Call of Duty can on a console, but they don't have to. They just have to be good enough and priced low enough for consumers to buy them.
Path of Exile is a PC online action role-playing game set in a dark fantasy world. Featuring ethical microtransactions, the game is free-to-play, but not pay-to-win. Playing as one of six character classes, players find themselves banished for their past misdeeds to the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. There, they will encounter hundreds of species of opponents laden with loot and mysterious artifacts as they explore the abandoned continent.Continue here to read the full story.
Key features of Path of Exile:
The game will take place in a procedurally generated Milky Way hosting over 100 billion stars (including our own, and by extension, the planet Earth), each with anything up to one hundred bodies in them. A "truly giant galaxy of vast numbers" as Braben puts it.On a related note, Gamasutra offers a video from GDC 2011 where Braben discusses the development of the original Elite.
Some other info-nugs the developer was happy to divulge: the game will begin some 50 years after Frontier: First Encounters, around the year 3300. And Thargoids, Elite's insectoid, warlike alien race, will definitely make their return (though in what capacity, Braben wouldn't reveal). In case you've forgotten what those bastards look like, here's one. If you're not legitimately terrified, congratulations, you are under the age of 30.
After the 3D effect of the Oculus Rift, the head tracking provided the most sense of immersion. I didn't just see objects with depth, I saw them as if I was looking at them with my own eyes. The Oculus Rift tracked every movement of my head as I looked around, tilting and shifting the picture appropriately. I found myself watching a snowflake fall from the sky and moving my head to follow it. I looked from high above my head down to the ground as the snowflake fell. I couldn't see my feet or any other part of my body, but, again, this is a software issue. The effect was still incredible.
The Citadel demo was the most detailed, but it wasn't interactive. That's why Oculus VR prepared another demo that put me in the action. I played a modified version of Unreal Tournament 3 that incorporated the Oculus Rift's head-tracking into the gameplay. The effect was incredibly immersive, making me aim with both my thumbs and my head to get bots in my non-existent sights. There were no displays in the game, which meant no reticle or health information. Again, this was just a proof of concept demo, and while I learned to aim with my head quickly, real games for the Oculus Rift will have to balance aiming and head-tracking and incorporate a reticle in the display.
Proud Links: | Thanks Ant and Acleacius. |
Play: | Wake Up the Box 5. |
Links: | We are raising a generation of deluded narcissists. |
Stories: |
Brandon Sanderson Completes Wheel of Time Fantasy Series. Thanks nin. Boston declares health emergency amid U.S. flu outbreak. Wireless mesh networks at 65MPH—linking cars to prevent crashes. |
Science: |
A simple biotechnology that could prove once and for all whether fracking is safe. Thanks nin. US spots $120M for lab to tackle rare earth shortages. |
Media: |
Celebrities Read Mean Tweets #3. Thanks nin. Most Insane Halo 4 Killstreak Ever. |
The Funnies: | Savage Chickens. |