Report
18 CommentsToo many cooks in the kitchen: Video game writers discuss frustrations, techniques and authority
By Dave Tach on Mar 29, 2013 03.29.13
At a roundtable event at GDC 2013, a roomful of video game writers shared the tips and techniques that have helped them navigate some of the more precarious positions in their careers. Richard Dansky, the roundtable's moderator, who writes for the Tom Clancy series at Ubisoft, began the roundtable saying that he hoped that the writers could talk about their craft "and hopefully come away a little better." Throughout the panel, the writers spoke of a common misconception that many perceived: What they do is easy enough to be done by anyone. As a result, well-intentioned designers, producers and others on the product team often tell them how to do their jobs. Antony Johnston, who wrote ZombiU and Binary Domain, characterized the situation as a perceived "lack of authority" on behalf...
News
2 CommentsZombiU's permadeath mechanic built to move narrative forward, says writer
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Mar 25, 2013 03.25.13
ZombiU's core mechanics, notably its permadeath feature, are tailored to keep the narrative moving forward even when a controlled character is killed, according to story design director Gabrielle Shrager. Speaking in a panel at the 2013 Game Developers Conference today, Shrager said that the game's infection mechanic inspired "one of the creepiest thing you will do in a game this year": killing your former self. After a character is bitten, players in ZombiU will leave that character behind to become a zombie and start with a new character. In order to get back all the gear and items the old character carried, you have to hunt down your former character and kill them. "Permadeath has huge consequences for gameplay, and big consequences for narrative." "The daring design choice was...
Deals
4 CommentsZombiU, Assassin's Creed 3 and other Ubisoft games 30 percent off in Wii U eShop
By Michael McWhertor on Feb 22, 2013 02.22.13
Six Ubisoft titles for Wii U — Assassin's Creed 3, ZombiU, Rabbids Land, Just Dance 4, ESPN Sports Connection and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013 — are now 30 percent off their regular price through Nintendo's eShop. The promotion, which is exclusive to Nintendo's online store, runs until Tuesday, Feb. 26, Nintendo said in an email. Other Wii U games on sale through the eShop include Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition and Trine 2: Director's Cut. Wii U owners can also get another game on the cheap for a limited time through Nintendo's eShop: classic SNES racing game F-Zero. The Virtual Console title is currently $0.30.
News
3 CommentsVoting open online for the Game Developers Choice Award
By Dave Tach on Feb 19, 2013 02.19.13
The virtual ballet box is open for the Game Developers Choice Audience Award and accepting nominations today through 5 p.m. ET March 1, according to the official website. Voters need to select a game from a list provided and enter an email address, from which you'll be prompted to confirm your vote. The list of nominated games includes: Assassin's Creed 3 Borderlands 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Dishonored Dust: An Elysian Tail Far Cry 3 Fez FTL: Faster Than Light Gravity Rush Halo 4 Hero Academy Hotline Miami Journey Kid Icarus: Uprising Mark of the Ninja Mass Effect 3 PlanetSide 2 The Room Sound Shapes Spelunky Spec Ops: The Line Trials Evolution The Unfinished Swan Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward The Walking Dead XCOM: Enemy Unknown ZombiU In late...
News
8 CommentsWii U bundle featuring ZombiU launching Feb. 17 for $389.99
By Samit Sarkar on Feb 08, 2013 02.08.13
Nintendo is bundling Ubisoft's ZombiU with the Wii U in a package that launches Feb. 17 for $389.99, Nintendo announced today. It will be the first time a game aside from Nintendo Land, a pack-in, has been bundled with the console in North America. The bundle has been available in the U.K. since the Wii U's launch there on Nov. 30. The Wii U ZombiU Deluxe Set includes a non-standard Deluxe Set — all the contents of a typical Deluxe Set are there, including a black 32 GB Wii U and GamePad, but the included copy of Nintendo Land is a downloadable game instead of a disc title — as well as a copy of ZombiU and a Wii U Pro Controller. A book featuring ZombiU artwork and "never-before-seen developer commentary," according to a press release from Nintendo, also comes in the bundle. And...
News
6 CommentsZombiU servers contain 300K zombified players, could be used for future content
By Dave Tach on Jan 17, 2013 01.17.13
Ubisoft's ZombiU servers contain more than 300,000 zombified ex-players that the developer could use for future content, according to an interview with producer Guillaume Brunier published in Nintendo World Report. Character death is permanent in ZombiU. When players meet their end, they continue the campaign as a new character who inevitably runs into the zombie version of the recently departed. Encounters can also include characters from other players' games, which are stored on Ubisoft's servers. Those undead assets could serve as a beacon for additions to the game, according to Brunier. "We're having a lot of fun doing this," he said. "And we have many ideas to get this ball rolling. One in particular is about our 300,000-plus zombified friends stored on our servers. Who knows...
Deals
1 CommentBest Buy and Amazon slash prices on Wii U games like ZombiU, Assassin's Creed 3 and more
By Tracey Lien on Jan 07, 2013 01.07.13
Best Buy and Amazon are taking $10-25 off recently released Wii U games like ZombiU, Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition and Wipeout 3 in a price-matching game sale. Dealzon spotted the following deals, all for the Wii U, which are available both at Best Buy and Amazon. Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition — $49.99 (normally $60) ZombiU — $44.99 (normally $60) Assassin's Creed 3 — $44.99 (normally $60) Wipeout 3 — $39.99 (normally $50) Transformers Prime — $39.99 (normally $50) Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (for Wii U, Xbox 360 and PS3) — $34.99 (normally $60) Just Dance 4 — $34.99 (normally $50) ESPN Sports Connection — $34.99 (normally $50) Rise of the Guardians: Video Game — $29.99 (normally $40) Ben 10: Omniverse — $29.99 (normally...
News
41 CommentsMature games and content on European Wii U eShop only accessible at night
By Samit Sarkar on Dec 07, 2012 12.07.12
The European Wii U eShop prohibits all users from accessing mature-rated games and content during the daytime, reports Eurogamer. The restriction applies to content for games that carry the PEGI 18 label in Europe, which is roughly equivalent to the U.S. ESRB's Mature rating. Eurogamer attempted to access information for ZombiU and Assassin's Creed 3, two 18-rated titles. Attempting to check out those games on the eShop during the daytime — even just to see text, screenshots or trailers, let alone buy the titles — generates the following message: "You cannot view this content. The times during which this content can be viewed have been restricted." No such restriction exists in North America. As seen in the photograph below, which was taken shortly before 1 p.m. ET, we were able...
Japan Review Check: Wii U launch edition
By Kevin Gifford on Dec 05, 2012 12.05.12
The Wii U finally launches on Nintendo's home turf of Japan Dec. 8, and this week's issue of Famitsu magazine reviews the entire launch lineup. All except for Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U. Why the omission? Who knows — Nintendo occasionally refuses to give advance copies of their big-name titles to the Japanese media for review, for reasons that are clear only to them. Still, the rest of the lineup is reviewed scored. Here are some of the juicier highlights: - Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (9/9/8/9, 35 points out of 40): "The biggest selling point is being able to enjoy the hunt in full-on HD, and I have to admit, the larger monsters really have a presence now. The interface and sound packages have also been improved, and the Wii U GamePad controls work well and make...
Here are all of the game modes and extras you can unlock with Uplay on Wii U
By Brian Crecente on Dec 03, 2012 12.03.12
Ubisoft's free Uplay app for Nintendo's Wii U doesn't just add-on an achievement system for the publisher's games, it also offers up some neat freebies for their titles. Once registered, players can browse through Ubisoft's (currently tiny) library and check out the actions and rewards for each game. Actions are essentially point-awarding achievements, while the rewards include things like new costumes, perks and even modes for the games. Players unlock these bonus items by spending Uplay points. So far you can unlock all of a game's freebies by completing all of a game's actions. Here's the full break down by game: Assassin's Creed 3 Actions Mystery Guest (10 Uplay points): Complete sequence 1 & 2. Tea is for Englishmen (20 Uplay points): Complete sequence 6. The Sum of...
