Parks and Recreation Creator on Bringing the Final Season into the Future
Parks and Recreation returned this past week, as it kicked off its seventh and final season. On the heels of that premiere, and right after the Parks and Rec panel at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour this past week, I sat down with the co-creator and showrunner of Parks and Rec, Michael Schur, to discuss the approach to Season 7.
Chris Pratt on Why He Never Considered Leaving Parks and Rec
State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition Release Date Announced
Microsoft and Undead Labs have announced that State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition will be available via disc or download on April 28 for $29.99. Those who own State of Decay for Xbox 360 will receive a 33% discount, making Year One Survival Edition $19.99 for them. Existing State of Decay owners also get an exclusive playable character.
The Xbox One version of the game bundles in the Breakdown and Lifeline expansions as well as every patch. It also features a handful of new vehicles, weapons, mission types, and various graphical touch-ups.
In case you don't remember State of Decay or missed it in 2013, see our video review above or our written review. Hint: we really, really liked it.
Ori and the Blind Forest Will Bend Your Brain…or Break It
Little time remains between now and the March 11th release of Moon Studios’ platformer, Ori and the Blind Forest. But even after Microsoft allowed the press to explore a new area last week, much of its details are still shrouded in mystery. Information on the story is still particularly thin; basic questions still linger about Ori’s identity, the history of the forest he’s exploring, and why his fate is intertwined with it.
I wasn’t able to obtain any further answers to those questions after wandering through The Forlorn Ruins, an area players will encounter about halfway through the game. (By the developers’ estimate, it’s about 5-6 hours in.) No story tidbits cropped up beyond a reference to an older race, the Gumon, and their inventions – one of which Ori must shoulder at start of the level and return to its rightful place.
Screamride is 2 Parts RollerCoaster Tycoon, 1 Part Burnout Crash Mode
In very rare moments, failure can be fun. Screamride managed to make one of the most penalizing moments in a game not a burden, but a chance for awesome destruction. So instead of trying to complete the difficult time bonus challenges in Screamrider mode, I looked for opportune moments where I could derail my exploding car and crash into buildings.
Screamride takes place in futuristic roller coaster testing facility, so there are tons of cool tools for players to construct, test, and destroy coasters in the sandbox mode and in campaign. The campaign features three jobs — Screamrider, Demolition Expert, and Engineer — so there’s a nice mix of simulation, puzzles, and action.
$400 Next-Gen Borderlands Pack Comes with Remote-Controlled Claptrap
Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel are coming to Xbox One and PS4 in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.
The pack, which covers Handsome Jack's story line, includes both games listed above and all of their DLC for £50 / $60 USD. Yes, that includes all the extra character customization packs, in addition to the larger campaign add-ons.
DLC is still on the way for The Pre-Sequel, so The Handsome Collection includes a season pass. As new DLC rolls out, you'll have access to it.
Additionally, a special "Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition" for The Handsome Collection is on the way. It costs £270 / $400 and comes with a remote-controlled Claptrap. It looks and sounds like Claptrap, and it rolls around on one wheel. Check it out in the gallery below.
Researchers are Teaching Super Mario to Think and Feel
German researchers are creating a sentient Mario capable of learning, independent thought and self-control.
The team of cognitive modelling researchers at the University of Tübingen in Germany have put together a video showcasing Mario in action titled ‘Mario Lives! An Adaptive Learning AI Approach for Generating a Living and Conversing Mario Agent.’ The video itself shows Mario answering simple questions, performing tasks, and learning based on what he observes.
Towards the end of the video, Mario is asked what he knows about Goombas, to which he replies “I do not know anything about it.” Then, Mario is told to kill the enemy on screen, which happens to be a Goomba. Following that Mario says “Okay, I’ll look for an enemy,” before going off on his own – without any outside input– and jumping on the Goomba. Mario is then asked the same question again, only this time his answer is “If I jump on Goomba, then maybe it dies.”
Nintendo Discontinuing Club Nintendo This Year
Nintendo will begin phasing out its customer loyalty program, Club Nintendo, worldwide in April to prepare for a new membership program, according to announcements on respective regional Nintendo websites.
“We’re working hard to create a new membership programme, which we plan to launch later this year,” the announcement reads. “As a special offer, users who sign up to the new programme during the launch period will be able to download Flipnote Studio 3D to a Nintendo 3DS system for free.”
According to the announcements, Club Nintendo’s discontinuation will begin in April 1 with the phase out of product registration cards and the service will finally terminate on September 30:
The Witcher Battle Arena Gets a Release Date
CD Projekt Red has announced free-to-play MOBA The Witcher Battle Arena will launch on Android and iOS on January 22.
Co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fuero Games, The Witcher Battle Arena is a “mobile-focused” game in which players participate in fast paced 3-on-3 battles. The game features familiar characters in the Witcher universe such as Assassin of Kings Letho Gulet, the sorceress Philippa Eilhart, and Dwarven adventurer Zoltan Chivay. However, series protagonist Geralt of Rivia is not included as a playable character, according to The Witcher Battle Arena website.
The developers placed an emphasis on making a free-to-play game that is “a paragon of fairness in mobile gaming.” The Witcher Battle Arena features in-app purchases, but anything purchasable can be unlocked for free by playing the game.
Pneuma: Breath of Life Coming Soon to Xbox One
First-person puzzle game Pneuma: Breath of Life is coming to Xbox One as a timed exclusive on February 27, co-developers Deco Digital and Bevel Studios announced.
Pneuma’s exclusivity is limited to just 30 days, but it is live on Steam Greenlight with a PC release coming “as soon as possible” the developers said in a statement. The developers also revealed plans for Pneuma to include Oculus Rift DK2 support with the Steam release.
In Pneuma: Breath of Life you will be challenged with difficult puzzles as you progress through a story of a god’s self-discovery and his contemplation of the nature of reality. You’ll lift bridges, rotate platforms, and move entire rooms with "your mind."
Check Out What’s Coming in Dragon Age: Inquisition Patch 3 for PC
Dragon Age: Inquisition Patch 3 on PC focuses on fixing bugs that block progression, party banter silence, addresses multiplayer issues and more, according to the BioWare developer blog.
Dragon Age: Inquisition 1.03 tweaks the banter system "to be less random in order to prevent extra-long periods of silence" and fixes quest blockers in the personal quests of Dorian and Sera.
Several multiplayer fixes addresses a problem that causes keys to not drop, issues with the Reaver’s rampage ability, along with balance changes, and tweaks to the Demon Commander and the Strength of Spirits ability.