If you’re a fan of Robert Kirkman‘s The Walking Dead franchise then you should be both happy and unsurprised that Telltale Games’ first episode of their episodic The Walking Dead series has sold well over one million copies across the PC, Mac, PlayStation Network, and Xbox LIVE Arcade. According to a recent press release, this is the fastest-selling game series to have ever come out of Telltale Games’ talented studio.
The very first episode, entitled A New Day, was at the top of the sales charts for both the PlayStation Network and Steam’s digital distribution service. It was also the #1 best-selling title for Xbox LIVE Arcade for two weeks straight. The second entry into the series, called Starved for Help, is set to come out on all the aforementioned platforms some time in June. Not figured into the one million sales count is the iOS version which will be coming out in the summer.
More zombies!
Dan Connors, CEO of Telltale Games, had something to say regarding the series’ popularity:
Premiering The Walking Dead game series to record numbers across so many diverse platforms is a tremendous achievement that shows the value of bringing strong storytelling and game play together. The tailored narrative design puts gamers in control of their own story within the universe of The Walking Dead in a way that appeals equally to hardcore gamers and to more casual gamers who are fans of the franchise. The most exciting aspect of getting off to such a great start is that this is just the beginning of the five episode series. The Walking Dead fans are going to experience some really great moments in the months ahead that are uniquely influenced by the choices they make throughout the season.
Like you guys, we are chomping at the bit for the next episode to come out. Until then, check out this accolades video released for the first episode.
Considering the quality of the game we aren’t surprised that this guy has sold well. Our own Christine Melgarejo wrote a stellar review for the first episode of The Walking Dead (link here). Be sure to stay tuned here for more gaming news with bite!
Okay, so everyone knows with an online multiplayer you’re going to have some issues logging in when the server is busy. On launch day it’s going to be even more exaggerated a frustration. Hence we get one more bit of game news: Diablo III’s launch left trouble for many trying to access the game. Being immensely popular (its predecessors triumphed as fan favorites by Blizzard), it makes sense the servers would overload.
What fans got was a login screen error claiming, “Error. The servers are busy at this time. Please try again later. (Error 37),” at which point you were supposed to clock the ginormous “OK” button and wait patiently. The armies of international and domestic gamers waiting to play this game then turned focus on tweeting @BlizzardCS and @Diablo to see if the problem would be resolved. They were met with simply these messages:
According to Blizzard, the 200,000 UK players trying to login within the first 30 minutes was still less than the beta opening. Regardless, the servers did not bode well and with the US servers opening, the problem only persisted. In the end, Blizzard took down all websites and forums in an effort to allow users to access the online video game through the free resources. There is yet no plan of action should you be having login trouble, but the customer support lines are willing to here out any gripes 24/7 as well as on their members site, Battle.net. Lesson to be learned: patience is a virtue, fellow gamers.
Microsoft has confirmed that they will be selling a $99 version of the Xbox 360, thus proving last week’s video game console rumors to be true. The system bundle will contain 4GB of memory and Kinect motion sensor bar. For a two-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold, the owner can pay the additional $14.99 a month.
The resounding question is that with the Xbox 720 on the horizon, why is Microsoft making this move now? Unlike Sony’s move to release the slim PlayStation 2 models, Microsoft’s timing suggests a different intention. PlayStation 2 had a cult following even after the release of PlayStation 3, especially because they cut the backwards compatibility on the newer system to lower the cost for consumers. Those who did not jump on the Xbox 360 bandwagon (casual gamers and competitor loyalists) will have an opportunity to try out the system with a minimal financial commitment. The bundle with subscription model may be considered a jumpstart to getting this particular audience involved and actively interested prior to the new system’s launch, and a way to boost the slightly decreasing sales of the 360 in the last half-year.
With six years comfortably under its belt, the 360 still has two more to go before the 720 is expected to drop in 2014. It will be interesting to see how this affects video game and console sales numbers in the following year.
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A few weeks ago, people were speculating on what the first DLC for Skyrim would be, based on files that appeared in the latest update which caused people to wonder what was next for the game (including the ideas of crossbows and snow elves based on file names). Well, wonder no more, because the Dawnguard DLC has been officially announced by Bethesda today and is slated to be released this summer for Xbox 360. According to Bethesda’s latest tweet, more details will come at E3, which is just over a month away.
Yes, only 360 was mentioned which means it’s probably a timed exclusive. Sorry, PC and PS3 players, seems you guys may have to wait for your chance to play it, but you know how Bethesda does it.
I’m hoping we’ll get just a bit more detail before hand, but if not, I’m sure we’ll get a trailer and maybe even some gameplay, come E3.
Well folks, it looks like we’re already getting the information we’ve been waiting for with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, although the official reveal is set for later today during the basketball playoffs on TNT. You will have to check your local listings for times. This first trailer should set the tone for November, when the game is expected to be released. What we know thus far is that it will supposedly “break boundaries of what fans have come to expect” from the series and that it takes place in the near future in a 21st century “Cold War.” Black Ops makes yet another addition to a record-breaking and solid video game franchise.
Depending on your local area, you may be getting different released material on the game’s homepage. The U.S. site features several vague screenshots of equipment, a few “Classified” sound bits and video or two of “Tacitus” showcasing prototype weaponry. As for the UK site, it looks like they’re getting different screenshots of helicopters soaring through cities. It’s not very much at the moment but it should pique your interest for the time being. Have fun playing around with these until the countdown hits zero. More things are being released on the site as the time draws near.
So, hold on to your video game peripherals and get ready for some high-impact entertainment post debut. It’s almost time to get your game on.
Yesterday was finally the release of the first episode of Telltale’s The Walking Dead game. After being delayed from the end of 2011, the new game has been much anticipated for zombie fans and comic book aficionados alike. The new episode has been released on Playstation Network, PC and Mac and will see a release soon on XBLA.
Along with the release comes a new story trailer, taking us into the world of Lee Everett, a convict who finds himself free once he has a run-in with the zombies that have taken over. Check it out:
The game is an extension of the universe created by Robert Kirkman and players will run into familiar characters they know from the comic books and television series. The entire game will be 5 episodes long, each one going for 400 MS points on XBLA, $4.99 on PSN, or $24.99 for the season pass on PC and Mac.
Personally, I’m excited about the game due to my love of all things horror, especially zombies. Some might argue that zombies have been a little over done lately, but I think this game can promise a new angle on this particular end of the world scenario. I also love that the game is true to the comic book art style throughout; it’s definitely visually appealing. And honestly, killing zombies just never gets old.
Microsoft, the software gargantuan, seems to have temporarily hit a wall in its sales of its video game console, XBox 360. The company, which has a strong quarterly report regardless, seems to have fallen slightly in the numbers due to the lack of sales in its Entertainment & Devices sector. According to the records, sales of Xbox 360 were down by 48%.
Microsoft claims the issue to be due to a “soft gaming console market,” but it cannot be argued that sales have a tendency to decrease when a console has been in the market for some time. But all-in-all this has not affected the company’s leadership in the video game console market with a share of 42%.
And with the tablet-friendly version of Windows on the horizon with a release expected later this year, the company is expected to bounce back and give Google and Apple some competition around the holiday season. Overall, this has been a good quarter for Microsoft.
Film student Tim Hijlkema has put together a glorious short film animation of video games if they had their own planets. Slightly reminiscent of Mario Galaxy in concept (and if I could play a game with planets like these, Id buy it day one), it’s a neat test of your video game knowledge. See if you can name all 20 of the planets. The complete list is in the original description of the video.
Nothing better than a bit of nostalgia in a new medium. Which planet was your favorite and which games were left out that you think could have made for some great planetary recreations?
It just goes to show you that gamers around the world CAN rally behind a cause that doesn’t involve whining about the ending(s) of a space opera.
It was officially announced yesterday that Dark Souls, the infamously difficult RPG, will arrive on PC on August 24, 2012. The game was initially released for the consoles only in fall of last year, but after a fervent online movement involving thousands signing a petition, sadistic PC gamers everywhere will finally get their wish.
The announcement doesn’t come as a surprise. After months of mere speculation, the prospect of Dark Souls coming to the PC had gained significant traction over the last month or two. There were several leaks of ads for Dark Souls on several PC gaming magazines, and soon afterwards the Dark Souls Facebook page announced that it would be announcing something once enough people liked an app on their page (personally I’m getting tired of these viral ads, despite my liking the app myself…)
The PC release, dubbed the “Prepare to Die Edition”, will feature content not seen in the console versions:
New Bosses – Including Artorias of Abyss and the Chimera of Tomb
PVP Online Matchmaking System
New Areas – Including Oolacile Tomb and Old Ruins
New Enemies – Including Abyss Guard, Chained Prisoner
New NPC’s – Including Hawkeye Gough
New Weapons and Armor
After seeing the trailer, it’s now my turn to boil in jealousy (I own a Mac… Damn you Steve Jobs). Dark Souls is easily my favorite game of 2011, and there is no doubt in my mind it was simply the best game (Skyrim… pfftt, that’s child’s play). Here’s hoping they release the new content as DLC for the consoles; fighting that manticore beast, which I’m guessing is the Chimera of Tomb, and dying over and over again is going to be an absolute fun time.
I know, it may be hard to believe that EA would give anything away for free, but they are doing it. Bioware has confirmed that an extended ending for Mass Effect 3 will be available for download in the summer and will be free until 2014. The epilogue is meant to expand on what exactly happened, in more detail, and hopefully get fans to find some peace.
Founder Ray Muzyka commented on the new DLC, saying ”With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.”
My only issue is, for a ending that was demanded, how many people really will be satisfied? Because to me, the real ending is the one that shipped in the original game. Just because people ask for a change or more explanation doesn’t mean it won’t feel tacked on and doesn’t mean people will suddenly go “la di dah, all fixed, we can let it go now.” People have reacted a little too strongly for a DLC to end the controversy.
We’ll have to see exactly what these explanations are this summer. Hopefully a specific release date will be announced soon.
By Heinreich T. Sioson
