Monthly Archives: January 2016
Fragments of Him Examines the Effect of Losing Someone You Love
Fragments of Him is a deeply personal game about a man named Will. We follow his tragic death, which has a ripple effect throughout his life and the lives of the people he loved. Anyone that’s ever had to cope with the loss of a loved one at some point in their life knows how terribly crippling the feelings of death and loss can be.
The final version will be split into several different sections, each of which shows events from a different character’s perspective. The preview I played only covers the introductory moments leading up to Will’s death. You’ll explore the life of not only Will, but also his partner, Harry, ex-girlfriend, Sarah, and grandmother, Mary.
The developers made sure to emphasize that while Fragments of Him has many of the tenets of branching narrative games – different characters, impactful events, personal struggles, and more – it’s not a choose-your-own-adventure game such as Heavy Rain or Until Dawn by any means. This story is already in motion – you can’t save Will. There are no puzzles, or collectibles, or boss fights muddying up the story.
Movie Based on London’s Hatton Garden Jewel Heist in the Works
Metrodome is among backers of a feature film based on the Hatton Garden heist that took place in London last year.
According to Screen Daily, The Hatton Garden Job is the film's working title, and it will be produced by Mark Harris and Ben Jacques with a script from Simon Cluett. It is hoped that filming will begin in the spring.
Image credit: Getty Images
The Division Won’t Have Player-to-Player Trading at Launch
Ubisoft has cut player-to-player trading in Tom Clancy's The Division. This feature would have allowed players to buy and sell items between each other in-game.
Speaking to GamesRadar, associate creative director Julian Gerighty said "priority of different features" took precedence over trading. "It's the reality of production. Some features make it, some features don't," he said.
Last week, creative director of Ubisoft Massive Magnus Jansen announced that Tom Clancy's The Division would have free updates and paid post-launch DLC. This is where, presumably, player-to-player trading could "make an appearance in the future," Gerighty said, mentioning that it's "something that obviously some people are very passionate about."
Telltale’s Minecraft: Story Mode Coming to Wii U This Week
Telltale Games announced today that Minecraft: Story Mode, one of the studio's ongoing adventure game series, is coming to Wii U on January 21.
The Wii U version of Minecraft: Story Mode will have platform-specific features, like off-TV play and mirroring, as well as touchscreen controls on the GamePad.
The first episode, "Order of the Stone," will launch on the Nintendo eShop for $5 USD. Episodes two through five will be added in the coming weeks as they release, with a Season Pass available for $20 USD.
If you'd like to see thoughts on Telltale's block-based story, check out IGN's review of the recently released fourth episode of Minecraft: Story Mode.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Renewed for Season 3
Netflix has renewed Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Season 3. The renewal comes before Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Season 2 premiere, which debuts on Netflix on April 15.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was scooped up by by Netflix with an initial two-season order, after NBC, who initially ordered and produced Season 1, decided it wasn't for them. Season 2 is the first season of the show produced with he knowledge it's being made for Netflix, which will change things a bit.
Co-Creator Tina Fey said at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour that the biggest difference moving forward is that viewers will "get more show." Broadcasting limits on NBC restrict a half-hour comedy to 21 minutes and 15 seconds of screen time (to accommodate commercials), but with Netflix, all episodes are "slightly different lengths," with an average of around 27 minutes. Fey says having the extra time is "delightful for storytelling," giving "a little breathing room around jokes and stuff."
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution Announced for PS4, Vita
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution has been announced for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita.
One of the big changes coming in the sequel is the addition of an all-new co-op mode. Series creator Sian Yue Tan says his biggest issue with the first game was that once you killed everything and solved all the puzzles, that’s it.
“My gut told me that we should build on Co-op mode and have customisable Budgie Commando characters with lots and lots of guns and items to collect,” says Yue Tan on the PS Blog.
Netflix: NBC’s Netflix Viewership Numbers are “Remarkably Inaccurate”
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour Sunday that the recent stats given by NBC Universal -- claiming to reveal Netflix's never-released and much sought-after viewership numbers -- consist of "remarkably inaccurate data."
Last week, NBC Universal's president of research of media development, Alan Wurtzel, spent a considerable amount of time refuting Netflix's dominance, implying that the streaming giant's numbers are lower than those of NBC's biggest hit shows and other network successes.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Coming to PC
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is making its way to Steam in February, Spike Chunsoft has announced.
The studio confirmed the game's impending PC release with an announcement trailer. See it below.
According to Trigger Happy Havoc's Steam listing, those who purchase the game early will receive its original soundtrack as a bonus.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the first entry in Spike Chunsoft's murder mystery adventure series, released exclusively for PS Vita in North America in February 2014. A sequel followed shortly thereafter, as well as a third-person spinoff. A third proper installment was announced for Vita and PS4 last year, and is set to launch sometime in 2016.
The Witness Rated for Xbox One
Already announced for PlayStation 4 and PC, it looks the The Witness will also be coming to Xbox One. The Entertainment Software Rating Board has posted a rating for creator Jonathan Blow's anticipated game, listing Xbox One as an expected platform.
According to The Witness's website, the game will be released on PC and PlayStation 4 at the end of January. The game will also come to iOS "some months after that," and to other platforms "a bit later."
With voice acting on The Witness complete, developer Thekla Inc. has revealed that the four-person cast includes Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in The Last of Us and Gortys in Tales from the Borderlands; Phil LaMarr of Pulp Fiction and Shadow of Mordor; Matthew Waterson from The Order: 1886 and Fallout 4; and musician Terra Deva.
An Iron Maiden RPG Is in Development
Roadhouse Interactive and 50cc Games have teamed up with metal band Iron Maiden to announce Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast.
According to the announcement, it's "an action packed, free-to-play RPG steeped in Iron Maiden mythology." Legacy of the Beast will be out this summer for iOS and Android.
Players will take on the role of Eddie, Iron Maiden's mascot. Eddie has multiple forms, each with unique abilities, and he'll be exploring new worlds, travelling through time, and battling characters drawn from Maiden's albums and art.
The soundtrack will of course feature songs from throughout the band's career, including previously unheard live recordings adapted for Legacy of the Beast by engineer Tony Newton with help from bassist Steve Harris.