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Platform Wii U Publisher Ubisoft Developer Ubisoft Montpellier Release Date 11/18/2012

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8.0

ZombiU review: once bitten

By Arthur Gies on Nov 18, 2012 11.18.12

Death is everywhere in ZombiU ZombiU takes place in the chronologically nebulous aftermath of an apocalyptic outbreak of disease in London. In case the name didn't give it away, this isn't your standard flu — a sort of super rabies-cum-bubonic plague has turned the afflicted into ravenous death machines, all while a mysterious secret society attempts to unravel the prophecy that predicted it hundreds of years before. Death is everywhere in ZombiU. It's not just in the carcass of a burning, plague-riddled London, or in the bodies of dead victims of the new black death. Death is your companion as player, as you search the streets and markets and old buildings of the city in search of weapons, food and an answer to the nightmare that's taken hold of the city, and for all you know, the...

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ZombiU'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...

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Voting 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...

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Wii 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...

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ZombiU 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...

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Mature 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...

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Ubisoft Uplay app now available for download on Wii U

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Dec 01, 2012 12.01.12

Ubisoft's Uplay app, which grants exclusive awards and benefits, is now available for Wii U as a free download in the Nintendo eShop. Once the app is downloaded, users must either login to or create a Uplay account. Through the account, the app automatically retrieves user information; users can then view news, rewards, achievements and more. Another option on the Uplay website, "Uplay TV, Friends & Shop" is labeled as "coming soon." No other details are given.

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Nintendo announces eShop-exclusive games for European Wii U launch, system update required

By Dave Tach on Nov 29, 2012 11.29.12

When the Wii U launches in Europe tomorrow, Nov. 30, the Nintendo eShop will offer several games for download, according to a press release from the company. The titles available exclusively through the eShop will include: Trine 2: Directors Cut for €13.49 (£10.99) Puddle for €7.99 (£7.19) Nano Assault Neo for €9.99 (£8.99) Little Inferno for €14.99 (£12.99) Chasing Aurora for €11.99 (£10.79) Nintendo will also offer demos for games like FIFA 13 in addition to full game downloads for retail titles like New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, ZombiU and FIFA 13. Before European Wii U owners can access the content, they'll need to perform a system update that provides access to the Nintendo eShop, as well as Miiverse, Wii U Chat and the system's web browser....

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ZombiU's London setting chosen for its blend of modern and medieval, says development team

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Nov 27, 2012 11.27.12

Ubisoft chose London as the setting for survival-horror Wii U launch title ZombiU due to recent attention on the city, including this past summer's Olympic Games, as well as its harmonic blend of modern and medieval elements, the development team told Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in a recent interview. "With the Olympics being in London and the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations this year, London was in the centre of the world's attention and a city that everyone felt a connection with," said producer Guillaume Brunier. "But a more fundamental reason was that London is a city with a history of horrific things, like Jack the Ripper. We figured it was a suitable setting for the dark world of this game," he added. According to Brunier, though the zombie genre originated in the US,...

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ZombiU iOS app will turn you into a zombie

By Emily Gera on Nov 20, 2012 11.20.12

The ZombiU app is now out for iPhone and iPad devices, letting users identity signs of zombie infection and leave recorded messages for friends that can later be shared online. The app's infection simulator offers information about the virus behind ZombiU, including details on physical symptoms and behavior patterns. App users can also see what happens once they are bitten by a zombie, using the game's transformation tool that turns a regular image of the user into a zombie. Images can then be shared via email, Twitter or Facebook. ZombiU for Wii U received an 8 out of 10 from Polygon, stating it "deftly juggles genre conventions to do the unexpected." ZombiU is currently available in North America.

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ZombiU downloadable content not planned but may be 'a possibility,' says Ubisoft

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Nov 19, 2012 11.19.12

Ubisoft currently has no plans to release additional downloadable content for its zombie-survival Wii U title ZombiU, though it may be a possibility in the future, according to an interview in the latest issue of Official Nintendo Magazine UK, via NintendoLife. In the interview, ZombiU multiplayer director Bogdan Bridinel said the team at Ubisoft Montpellier was able to include all the features they wanted in the game's initial release, and that add-on content is currently not on the table. He also noted that some features and ideas were left out of ZombiU at release not because of a demanding development schedule, but because the team thought they simply weren't a good fit. "A few things that we tried during production ended up on the cutting room floor, but this was because they...

ZombiU Releases
North America
  • Wii U
    • Released 11/18/2012
    • Publisher Ubisoft
    • Developer Ubisoft Montpellier
    • Score 8
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