One Day v The Inbetweeners Movie: a clear victor at the UK box office

One Day v The Inbetweeners Movie: a clear victor at the UK box office

'Dead Island': Preview

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a332576/dead-island-preview.html

As a game a few dozen hours in length, there are also a bunch of other elements that were barely touched upon, especially in combat. For one, there's a Rage mode that gives you powerful weapons such as Uzis or a samurai sword dependant on your character, and although it lasts for a limited period, is something that can help out in a spot of bother.Experience from missions and killing zombies helps you unlock new abilities through skill trees, while workbenches allow you to use spare components to create powerful weapon upgrades. There are even more powerful enemy types to square against - such as a beefed-up, towering zombie that'll send you flying with a single punch - that'll keep you on your toes.

Hurricane Irene – Official US Rainfall Totals

Hurricane Irene – Official US Rainfall Totals

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Dead Island: Slice and Dice in Paradise

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/118/1185181p1.html

Objects you find can be combined at workbenches to create more powerful weaponry, but this isn't Dead Rising and you won't be strapping chainsaws to an umbrella to create a twirling device of zombie death. Instead the modifications are far more realistic and practical, such as hammering a nine inch nail through a bat in order to make each swing more lethal.

Deep Silver Reveal Dead Island Social Networking App

http://electronictheatre.co.uk/index.php/articles/8879-deep-silver-reveal-dead-island-social-networking-app

Future apps include ‘Zombify Your Profile' where Dead Island fans can choose to have their Facebook profile taken over by game themes based around new content for the game and ‘The Dead Good' app grabs fans attention by giving them the chance to win a selection of branded and rare prizes by correctly answering a themed set of questions, with Deep Silver running the competition across five different territories in localised languages to truly immerse their global following.

'Dead Island': Preview

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a332576/dead-island-preview.html

Another key factor to combat and progression is that weapons degrade over time, and break within a handful of attacks, requiring you to constantly pick up new blunt objects - from boat oars to iron piping and hammers - to keep in your possession in case you run short, something which happened several times during our short playthrough. While it sounds frustrating having to constantly be on the look out for new weaponry (and could well do over the course of the game) it made for a more tense and involving experience, providing little choice but to sprint past a pack of zombies in the desperate hope I'd find something to fend them off with just round the next corner. In that regard, at times Dead Island feels far more survival-oriented than many of its zombie-filled contemporaries.

Deep Silver Reveal Dead Island Social Networking App

http://electronictheatre.co.uk/index.php/articles/8879-deep-silver-reveal-dead-island-social-networking-app

Facebook is at the heart of the global campaign to create buzz around new action zombie videogame Dead Island from publisher Deep Silver, set to be released in early September. A series of bespoke apps have been commissioned by the game's creators, Deep Silver, to engage their over 200,000 strong (and still growing) community with fans being offered the opportunity to be a zombie star.

'Dead Island': Preview

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a332576/dead-island-preview.html

Back in the hut, a mysterious voice over the radio suggests that everyone make their way to a lifeguard building located further down the beach, and it's at this point that Dead Island begins proper. While your first quest is to retrieve a security card from a nearby apartment, you're free to explore the resort area at your own leisure, pillaging items and cracking zombie skulls. The beach directly outside is open, spacious and fairly safe, but the resort's layout becomes more complex and niche-ridden as you make your way further inland amongst the apartments, making the chances of a surprise zombie attack more likely. Dead Island offers a good contrast between bright, open outdoor areas to the dark and claustrophobic indoors that require a far more careful approach when exploring, as well as the chance to discover more more cash, weapon components and audio logs.

'Dead Island': Preview

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a332576/dead-island-preview.html Once awake, you pick up a weapon and help a fellow survivor clear a pack of zombies outside, acting as a quick tutorial to Dead Island's combat. Attacks are almost entirely melee-focused, which is perfect for the slow-paced foes you're up against. While a single swing for the head can down a zombie, combat's much more involving than that, since attacks and sprinting are governed by a stamina bar, requiring you to steady your actions. Not only do zombies rarely appear alone, they're also surprisingly quiet, requiring a constant sense of spatial awareness in both exploration and in battle to avoid being overwhelmed. Certain zombies will also charge towards you at a quick pace, but can be picked off quickly by targeting their heads and throwing your weapon, instantly stopping them in their tracks.

'Dead Island': Preview

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a332576/dead-island-preview.html

From the off, you're free to rummage through anything with a handle, such as drawers to cupboards, to collect cash and items that can be used in weapon creation later on. Gradually making your way through the hotel floor by floor to the ground level, down elevator shafts and along lengthy corridors, you only catch the occasional glimpse of the undead menace before passing out and being carried to a survivor-packed beach hut.

Is Dead Island The Next Great Zombie Game?

http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/221494/is-dead-island-the-next-great-zombie-game/ Open-world Zombie Outbreak The experience could unfairly be hacked down to merely "Dead Rising in first-person," but it's actually a lot deeper than that. Dropping players in a tropical paradise infested with the undead, Dead Island weaves elements of other games and genres into the experience, too.

'Dead Island': Preview

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a332576/dead-island-preview.html

Dead Island's opening cinematic is nothing at all like the emotional teaser trailer released earlier this year. Set in a noisy nightclub populated with holidaygoers enjoying themselves, its story begins with those on the paradise island mostly unaware of the zombie apocalypse unfolding around them. It sees an intoxicated, first-person viewpoint bouncing around the venue, bumping into each of the four playable cast members - from a washed-up rap star performing to the crowd to a receptionist tending to a suspiciously unwell woman lying on the floor of the female toilets - before raucously pushing past friendly hotel attendants and passing out in a room.

Dead Island: Slice and Dice in Paradise

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/118/1185181p1.html

The opening of Dead Island sees you lurching through throngs of blissed-out partygoers, pawing at them desperately and mumbling incoherently as neon lights blur and swirl around the edges of your vision. But this isn't some unique narrative twist in which you begin the game from the perspective of an infected zombie. The explanation is far less sinister: you're drunk.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Dead Island Preview (Xbox360)

http://www.strategyinformer.com/xbox360/deadisland/612/preview.html

There's plenty left that we haven't explored - the skill tree system for example, and properly getting into the various 'classes' and who can handle what kind of weapons. The interface isn't very good at feedback in that instance, and there's a lot of weapon stats thrown at you. RPG-veterans shouldn't have a problem adapting to this, but more casual players may be put off. Hopefully they'll be plenty of information available in some form to help the player out.

Dead Island's Infestation Spreads to PlayStation Home

http://kotaku.com/5824422/dead-islands-infestation-spreads-to-playstation-home/gallery/ The key element to take away here is that the PlayStation Home Dead Island experience will lead directly to in-game exclusives that can't be found anywhere else. That's a rather aggressive way to get folks to give Sony's virtual playground a try.

Deep Silver's Dead Island takes over PlayStation®Home

http://terminalgamer.com/2011/07/25/deep-silver’s-dead-island-takes-over-playstation-home/ A Dead Island themed mini game will be available to PlayStation Home visitors in which players must prove their skills in crafting items and pit their abilities against attacks from a rampaging zombie horde. Just like the co-op mode in Dead Island this mini game can be played with up to 4 players in different play styles. In all, there are 10 mini-game challenges associated with the game users completing all 10 will be awarded with an exclusive in-game weapon "Exploding Meat".

Dead Island Preview (Xbox360)

http://www.strategyinformer.com/xbox360/deadisland/612/preview.html

Communication is key, as it's quite easy to lose your team mates and find yourself alone with several people trying to eat your brains.Team-mates can heal each other if they have med-packs, especially if they've been knocked to the ground, but again that's dependant on you being well stocked and finding enough supplies. It's also key as, even though there's no official friendly fire mechanic, explosions can affect everyone. Chuck an explosive at an enemy and if you're friends are too close, they die as well, so be careful.

Deep Silver's Dead Island takes over PlayStation®Home

http://terminalgamer.com/2011/07/25/deep-silver’s-dead-island-takes-over-playstation-home/

Deep Silver announced today that shortly before its release at the beginning of September, the zombie outbreak from the highly anticipated game Dead Island™ will also spread to PlayStation®Home, offering players aged 17 and up an exclusive opportunity to further deepen their Dead Island experience through PlayStation Home's Total Game Integration campaign.

Dead Island roundtable scares up some details

http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Dead-Island-roundtable-scares-up-some-details/Item23471.aspx

The Dead Island experience for solo players will differ from the co-op experience in that the number of enemies will be adjusted along with the zombie "levels". Co-op games will have more zombies to face and they will naturally be tougher to dispatch.

Dead Island's Infestation Spreads to PlayStation Home

http://kotaku.com/5824422/dead-islands-infestation-spreads-to-playstation-home/gallery/

The zombie strain that strikes the vacationers on Dead Island is so virulent that even advertising the game results in a full-on undead plague, as European PlayStation Home users will discover shortly before the game launches in September.

Dead Island roundtable scares up some details

http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Dead-Island-roundtable-scares-up-some-details/Item23471.aspx Early on in the planning stages of Dead Island, it was to be a zombie-focused RPG. As development progressed, however, the game has become something different. RPG elements will remain, but several other game mechanics will be prominent as well. The game changed several times in the process, going from RPG to strict co-op before settling on the product that we'll see in September.

Hands-on With Toshiba Qosmio F755 Glasses-free 3D Notebook; Available Aug. 16 ...

Hands-on With Toshiba Qosmio F755 Glasses-free 3D Notebook; Available Aug.16...

Monday, August 1, 2011

Dead Island roundtable scares up some details

http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Dead-Island-roundtable-scares-up-some-details/Item23471.aspx

Character interactions won't affect the overall ending of the game, but they certainly add to the overall story. One particular situation has a man pleading with you to kill his wife, who has been turned. This seems to be a moral dilemma, but is only one of many kinds of interactions to be expected during the course of the game.

Dead Island roundtable scares up some details

http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Dead-Island-roundtable-scares-up-some-details/Item23471.aspx

Zombies will have several standard hit zones when struck during melee combat, including the head, arms, and legs. There will also be damage modifiers based on weapon type. Impact to limbs with a sharp weapon may result in the severing of that limb, while blunt weapons may break or shatter the limb.

Deep Silver Presents "The Science of Zombies" at Comic Con 2011

http://games.ign.com/articles/118/1182002p1.html Dead Island is the upcoming gruesome zombie action game with RPG elements developed by renowned developer Techland and combines first-person action with a heavy focus on melee combat, character development and customization of a vast array of weapons. All of these gameplay features are presented in a dark story inspired by classic zombie movies with a gritty and engrossing campaign that can be played with up to four players in co-op mode.

Deep Silver Presents "The Science of Zombies" at Comic Con 2011

http://games.ign.com/articles/118/1182002p1.html

"We're excited to bring some of the world's great medical minds together for what promises to be an intriguing discussion about the human body and its capabilities," said Deep Silver Chief Operating Officer Geoff Mulligan, quickly hiding a plastic bin filled with suspiciously grey and squishy looking unidentified objects under his desk . "I have an ongoing belief that brains are a vastly underrated source of vitamin B12 and thus will base my potential intake of human brains on this panel's ultimate decision on whether or not this is a solid nutritional strategy. I look forward to this discussion at Comic Con 2011."

Deep Silver Presents "The Science of Zombies" at Comic Con 2011

http://games.ign.com/articles/118/1182002p1.html

The panel features the creative talent behind the acclaimed and highly anticipated Dead Island (www.deadisland.com) game, the world's foremost zombie enthusiasts, esteemed interactive entertainment industry journalists and the nation's leading medical professionals in the field of brain research and brain disease. Scheduled participants include:

Max Brooks, universal zombie expert and author of The Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks

Haris Orkin, writer of the anticipated video game, Dead Island

Steve Schlozman, M.D., author of The Zombie Autopsies and assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Bradley Voytek, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Fellow: Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco

Andrew Groen, freelance journalist and editor of GamePro Magazine's "Real Science" column

Bruce Geryk, M.D., Resident Physician, Department of Neurosurgery, University of North Carolina Hospitals

Dead Island Trailer Wins Gold Award At Cannes

http://www.ripten.com/2011/06/29/dead-island-trailer-wins-gold-award-at-cannes/ Richard Scott, executive producer of Axis Animation (creators of the trailer), had this to say about the award: "We are overwhelmed to see the Dead Island trailer pick up an award at an event as prestigious as the Cannes Lions, it goes to prove that the dedication shown by director Stuart Aitken and all of the Axis team has really paid off. I also want to give great credit to all the Deep Silver team because without their daring strategy and belief in what we could do, this project could have been so different."