Nerd Rating

Category: News

  • Dead Island Riptide UK Collector’s Set Causing Controversy (UPDATED: Deep Silver Offers Apology)

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    And with one announcement, Deep Silver appears to be in deep sh**.

    This morning, the developers announced the Dead Island Riptide Zombie Bait Edition, a collector’s set that would only be made available in the UK and Australia. And as soon as this picture was released the internet was set on fire with a host of head scratching and disgust towards the main attraction, a mutilated torso wearing a Union Jack bikini.

    Instead of posting random tweets I think it would be easier just to suggest going on Twitter and search #deadisland.

    I understand the knee jerk reaction to this “piece” and it did catch me a bit off guard when I first saw it this morning. I first thought it had to be a mock up by some fan since there has already been a Collector’s Edition announced a few days ago. Some may see nothing wrong with it, but there are plenty out there who are now refusing to buy the game because of this, so I would not be surprised if Deep Silver does a 180 and does not release this.

    As we have seen with [amazon_link id=”B007MS5B6Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Walking Dead Season 2 set[/amazon_link] there is a way to market the zombie craze without alienating a portion of your fans.

    UPDATED:

    Deep Silver has heard the fan outcry today and released an official statement and apology:

    “We deeply apologize for any offense caused by the Dead Island Riptide “Zombie Bait Edition”, the collector’s edition announced for Europe and Australia. Like many gaming companies, Deep Silver has many offices in different countries, which is why sometimes different versions of Collector’s Editions come into being for North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

    For the limited run of the Zombie Bait Edition for Europe and Australia, a decision was made to include a gruesome statue of a zombie torso, which was cut up like many of our fans had done to the undead enemies in the original Dead Island.

    We sincerely regret this choice. We are collecting feedback continuously from the Dead Island community, as well as the international gaming community at large, for ongoing internal meetings with Deep Silver’s entire international team today. For now, we want to reiterate to the community, fans and industry how deeply sorry we are, and that we are committed to making sure this will never happen again.”

    Good idea for the guys at Deep Silver to post an apology quickly and not let the internet fire get out of control. The statement does not say if the special edition is being put on hold or not. You would assume that could be read in with the apology but there is no way to know until they have officially said.

  • Injustice: Gods Among Us Gets A Second Collector’s Set, Release Date Revealed

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    [amazon_link id=”B0088I7L76″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Injustice: Gods Among Us[/amazon_link], the new fighting game from Mortal Kombat producers NetherRealm and starring characters from DC Comics will be released on April 16th. Along with that news, WB Game unveiled a second collector’s set for the game to go along with the one announced last year which you can see below. This new set is called the ‘Battle Edition’ and will ship with the game, three special character skins for in-game use from DC’s New 52 and a custom fight stick with game artwork.

    The ‘Battle Edition’ will cost you a cool $149.99 and the Collector’s Edition will be $99.99 (and features Batman having Wonder Woman in a choke hold, so worth the price).

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  • Dust 514 Open Beta Set For January 22

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    CCP Games has been hard at work for years on Dust 514, a first-person shooter set in their massive multiplayer online game, Eve Online. It is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken in gaming history by taking the already established universe and the very real in-game economy that has thrived on PC for years and create a shooter in the same universe that will have an effect on gameplay and economy for the Playstation 3.

    Now the company is ready to begin the open beta process on January 22nd. The closed beta took place during the summer of last year and CCP is now in the process of merging their servers to have both games be part of the same universe. As a reward for closed beta members, if anyone plays a match before the January 22nd open beta they will be awarded with an extra 100,000 skill points for equipment upgrades.

    No release date has been given for Dust 514 but the biggest seeling point for the title is that it will be free to play when it launches on the PS3.

  • The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Release Date Announced

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    Well let’s add another game to the huge tsunami of games coming out this spring. Activision’s [amazon_link id=”B008J16ARY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct[/amazon_link] , the first person survival shooter based on the AMC show (not the comics) is jumping head first into the deep end of the video game pool by releasing on the same day as Bioshock Infinite.

    The game will follow brother Merle and Daryl (voiced by show actors, Michael Rooker and Norman Reedus) as they make their way through Atlanta in events that pre-date the show. Activision is playing up the survival aspect of the game saying that supplies will be few and far between so conservation and smart play will be necessary.

    The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct will release on March 26th.

  • Fire Emblem: Awakening Gets The Special 3DS Treatment (UPDATED)

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    The long awaited sequel, [amazon_link id=”B00AKIPBNS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fire Emblem: Awakening[/amazon_link], is almost here and Nintendo has decided to bring the special edition 3DS that has been available in Japan since last April stateside.

    The system is cobalt blue and comes with a Fire Emblem branding on the top. Now take note that is you are going to pick up this system that is is the normal 3DS not the XL. Fire Emblem: Awakening will come pre-loaded on the system. No price point or release date has been given as of yet but the game will release on February 4th.

    UPDATE:

    It has been announced that the Fire Emblem: Awakening bundle will release on February 4th and cost $199.99.

  • Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Is Here To Change The Perception Of Video Games

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    Months ago images were leaked of Microsoft’s plans for the ability to transform your entire living room into a massive screen where the gaming experience would be stretched beyond the television and plastered onto the walls that surround you. Many speculated that this could be the next generation of Kinect and no one really knew how far off this technology was.

    It seems like the wait will not be too long.

    At the Samsung keynote during CES yesterday, Microsoft showed off a proof-of-concept video that showed some ways that this new experience would change how you game. It is called IllumiRoom and Microsoft said that the video was done in real-time with no after effects added. While some may surely cry the easy word of “gimmick”, I say it is far less of a gimmick than the Kinect was. This is not a needed technology, but I will admit that I am excited about trying it out and more than that, excited about what developers can do with it.

    The video shows an Xbox 360 on the shelf but I am going to go out on a very thick, sturdy limb here and say that IllumiRoom will be one of the selling points for the next Xbox. Maybe it will be a feature than will come with a new Kinect when the system releases. Right now we are all throwing our hats in the rumor mill ring but I will say that if IllumiRoom can meet the expectations set by the concept video then Microsoft may have something special and game changing on their hands.

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  • Tomb Raider Exclusive Xbox 360 Controller Is Simple In Design, Great To Look At

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    Special edition controllers are a regular sight. I am currently still using my [amazon_link id=”B002I0H79C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Gears of War 3[/amazon_link] [amazon_link id=”B0050SYTJK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]controller[/amazon_link] but I have not been tempted to buy another until now.

    This is the special edition Xbox 360 controller for the upcoming reboot of [amazon_link id=”B004FSE52C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tomb Raider[/amazon_link]. It comes with a damaged, used look complete with pre-etched scratches, fingerprints and bandages. Now some may look at this and wonder why in the world would anyone want this but I look at it and think it works because of how well it connects with the game that it is designed for. It is dirty, damaged looking and bandaged up just like Lara will be during the game. It would have been easy to slap a picture of Lara’s face on a controller and sell it but I am glad someone thought outside the box.

    Purchase of the controller will also give gamers access to a special character skin in Tomb Raider’s multiplayer. The controller will cost $59.99.

    [amazon_link id=”B004FS8LYK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tomb Raider[/amazon_link] releases on March 5th.

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  • CD Projeckt RED Shows Off New Game Cyberpunk 2077

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    CD Projekt RED, developers of [amazon_link id=”B006GHA8EE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Witcher[/amazon_link] series has released a teaser trailer for their newest game, Cyberpunk 2077. Despite having the most early 90’s title since….well, the early 90’s, the video is stunningly beautiful.

    Details about the game are that in the future people begin to abuse the use of cybernetic implants to the point that they are driven mad and begin to murder innocents. They are called “psychos” and whenever one of them goes on a rampage a special task force known as The Psycho Squad are called in to handle the situation. And if CD Projekt RED keeps true to previous games Cyberpunk 2077 should be fun and frustratingly hard at times.

    Cyberpunk 2077 has no release date as you can see in the video that promises a release “when it’s ready”.

  • Dead Island Riptide Rigor Mortis Edition Unveiled

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    Continuing the tradition of “if it’s a game, it must have a collector’s edition”, Deep Silver revealed the Dead Island Riptide Rigor Mortis Edition. Housed in a handy replica suitcase complete with travel stickers from around the world, the collector’s edition will come with the game (duh), a zombie hula bobble figurine, key with Dead Island keychain, and bottle opener that looks like a severed zombie arm.

    All of this will cost you $79.99, so be very sure of how much you love bobble figures and fake keys that open nothing before you spend the extra 20 bucks.

    [amazon_link id=”B00886WO7A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Island Riptide[/amazon_link] releases on April 23rd.

     

  • Aliens: Colonial Marines Alien Hive Video

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    Gearbox has released another video in their ‘Concept to Game’ series for [amazon_link id=”B005THAX6K” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Aliens: Colonial Marines[/amazon_link]. This short video shows off the art for the alien hive which is located in the engineering room of the U.S.S. Sulaco. The art then transforms into the final in-game product giving off the very creepy vibe that this game needs.

    Aliens: Colonial Marines releases on February 12th on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC with a Wii U release coming later in the year.