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"The whole crew is back as we deliver our last new gaming impressions of the year. Pat talks about Limbo and the brand new Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam, David talks about his brand new PC, Civilization V, and the epiphany of playing Half Life 2 for the first time, Andy puts the bow on Enslaved, and Nick tortures himself by getting all the achievements in Alone in the Dark.
We also go over the mother lode of news from the VGAs, and we answer a user email decisively."
"I always laugh when I hear a gamer say, “I don’t watch TV.” While those people clearly don’t understand that the best non-interactive content is on television, game developers most certainly do.
For several years now, television has had a growing influence on the game industry, which has begun to realize that the Nielsen leaders should be considered more than fodder for licensed gaming. The Lost, 24, Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Files and Prison Break video games were, if nothing else,..."
Last year, Yahtzee reviewed one of the more disappointing horror titles of this generation: Alone in the Dark. But while he calls it "one of the few games I can think of that fails at every turn," Yahtzee can't help but have a "strange affection" for it. So what is the tragedy of Alone in the Dark? Go to the source to find out.
Ever thought about a game series and how they should've just quit before it became embarrassing? Well here's an article that points out many games that should've just stayed down and out the first time rather than attempting a comeback. From horror to fighting, fighting to erotic Japanese games, this list comprises a diverse set of games that should never have been continued for the shelves.
"The release of Project Natal prior to the year’s end was once again confirmed, along with the fact that it will work with all existing Xbox 360 consoles. Further discussing new ideas, an interesting proposition was mentioned in the fact that Microsoft is considering allowing gamers to purchase a game on Xbox 360, and play it on their PC. Would this fantastic suggestion ever come to light in the retail space, however, Electronic Theatre would be very surprised indeed."
"In gaming today, stories are a huge part of the experience, and the ending means a lot after your hours of effort to reach your final goal. However, sometimes your graft is not worth the results. Koku Gamer brings you the ‘Top Ten Worst Endings in the Last 5 Years’, to celebrate (or commiserate) the most recent disappointments in gaming. Remember, this is about endings, so expect spoilers!"
"Like an abundance of women in the real world who rub us the wrong way (myself not included!), there are female characters who grind my gears excessively. Whether it’s because of their idiotic comments, abrasive personalities, or overall uselessness, I can’t stand these girls. Bear in mind you won’t see Princess Peach or Navi on this list — it’s a well-established fact that they’re some pretty obnoxious broads."
"Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen Spielberg. Each of these men changed cinema in their own way. Welles showed us what a masterpiece truly is. Kubrick showed us that space could actually be boring, and Spielberg showed us how to destroy a franchise and a reputation in one fell swoop. If there is one man whom deserves to join these three directors in the annals of history, it is indeed Germany’s own Uwe Boll."
"Video games allow us to enter worlds and scenarios in which we couldn’t possibly take part in in the real world. You may battle aliens on a distant planet. Or you may fight the Reich in a WWII shooter. The possibilities are endless, because what can be done in the realm of imagination is endless. So why do we continue to return to the same enemies that we’ve killed thousands of times before? The straightforward answer? Because they’re safe."
"A look back at some of the scariest games ever made. I find classics are usually more well thought out than the new scary games. The only thing I can really say better about the new releases are better graphics but otherwise, classics have always been able to give me the chills. Below is a list of the 10 scariest game that Ive played.
See source for full list."
"Lets talk about the very brief history of the new Alone in the Dark video game. Publishers, Atari launch the title in June 2008 for the Playstation 2, Wii and the Xbox 360. The initial reception of the game was horrific, critics dubbing it as a next-gen disaster, due to shoddy camera controls, canned free-roam ability, God awful control scheme and combat."
"ATARI UK are running a January Sale of their own, suggested by a brief visit to the online ATARI store. Available now til 10th February, 2009, any purchases with a total value exceeding £9.99 will be eligible for a £3 discount equivalent to a 30% reduction on many titles!"
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"Its Tuesday, 30th December 2008 the sixth day of Christmas. And that, of course, means its time for the sixth instalment in The Twelve Games of Christmas. A feature series running on each of the twelve days of Christmas here at Electronic Theatre, The Twelve Games of Christmas aims to highlight some of the industrys top achievers of 2008, running through one months worth of disc-based releases everyday. Today, we look at June 2008, and give you the top-picks for those January sale barga..."
Jim Sterling of destructoid.com types about how the evolution of survival horror games has run them into the ground. This isn't the only speculation of recent times about the genre, with What happened to survival horror? and Survival Horror - Does it even exist anymore?. This blog is just one more look into how the genre is dying off.
Read on to see how the generations have been adding to the dragging down of the survival horror genre.
"Does "Rock Band" mastermind Alex Rigopulos see a cascade of colored lights in his sleep?
Does "Gears of War" creator Cliff Bleszinski hear snoring that makes him dream hes wielding a Lancer chainsaw?
Does "Burnout" architect Alex Ward dream that his car has flipped?
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Patrick and I asked a few game developers how their work in the gaming industry affects their dreams. We heard back from creators behind "Fable II," "Mirror's Edge" and "Alone In The..."
Despite the PS3 version of Alone in the Dark spending a few extra months having it's bugs fixed before release, reviewers still weren't too happy with the final result. While the "fixed" PS3 version hasn't been as heavily critisised as the Xbox 360 and PC versions, the re-dubbed Alone in the Dark: Inferno still recieved average scores, with many reviewers still unhappy with the tepid gameplay and terrible plot.
If you're looking for a good survival-horror title to tide you over, you might ...
"One of this year's most innovative videogames will get a blazing rework for its PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system debut this November as ATARI ignites Alone in the Dark: Inferno. Development studio Eden Games has responded to the feedback of media and gamers and has turned up the heat to deliver an even more entertaining, immersive and action-packed blockbuster experience for PLAYSTATION3. The hosts of sizzling gameplay enhancements, red-hot content and the hellish storyline have ins..."
"There's something special about being on the edge of your seat, realising you need to change your underwear for the second time in an hour and trying to remind yourself (unconvincingly) that it's just a game. I mean, what kind of sissy would be scared of a game?
As it turns out, a lot of us. And more to the point we like it. The horror genre, more specifically survival horror, has delivered an array of classic titles and, like a fine wine, has matured to near perfection. With the upcomin..."
With the advent of the apocalyptic scenario caused by 'the Fissure' in Alone in the Dark, we are going to take a quick look at the characters that you may encounter within the backdrop of the ruins of the New York City skyline.
Edward Carnby has been a main protagonist of the series for a few of the installments and as such, it's no surprise to see him reappear again, however why does he look the same as he previously did? Read on to find out...
"Full 360 camera control: enhanced camera controls allows complete freedom of the camera and better handling of first person view camera movement for even more immersive gameplay;
Fine-tuned controls: quicker and smoother reactivity of the hero's movements in third person view make for more rapid movements in nail-biting situations;
Inventory system more accessible: more logical jacket inventory system with the ability to combine objects using only the D-pad, and more fluid hero movement..."
An in depth preview of the upcoming PS3 horror title "Alone in the Dark", developed by Eden Games, and boy does it look good. Eurogamer detail the key improvements that the PS3 version has undergone and why the final result is worth buying.
Included are a few screen shots, courtesy of IGN, boasting the PlayStation 3's graphical capabilities. Right now this is summing up to be what looks like one of the PS3's strongest upcoming titles.
Expect Alone in the Dark to hit North American shelves...
Yet another satirical review by Yahtzee depicting the controversial upcoming game, Alone in the Dark. With a tagline that reads: "Yahtzee reviews Alone in the Dark while surprisingly neither alone nor in the dark."
""Sadly, there is a disappointing air about the whole experience; behind all the poor mechanics there is a fantastic game trying to keep itself afloat. Alone in the Dark never rises to the surface, but it also never sinks completely. Eden Games' long and laborious effort to reboot an old and sagging franchise is a meandering example of variety, creativity and sheer ambition. The experience is always engaging and sweeping but also incredibly frustrating at every poorly conceived moment. They ce..."
Atari's latest offering is probably best left alone on the shelves this summer, as there's more to hate than love from the survival horror revival. Hit the link for the full lowdown on why you'll probably be best keeping your wallet tightly closed for this one.
Gaming verdict gives its unique weekly slant on the releases of the week, and lets you know frankly what's worth your time and money, and what's really, really not...
Providing an honest and entertaining weekly spot informing you how best to give your 360 a treat over the weekend, Richie Harkness's Week in the life of the Xbox 360 is essential friday afternoon reading.
Rumors are spreading around the 'net that illegal copies of Alone in the Dark have recently been leaked. Many European game sites have already got their hands on copies of the game, and have been rather harsh with their review scores, most of which range from 3/10 to 6/10.
Atari hasn't taken too kindly to this, and are threatening legal action against these sites for having pirated copies of the game. However it seems only game sites who have given Alone in the Dark negative reviews have rep...
Eden Games announced today that they have finished development for the upcoming title Alone in the Dark.
Alone in the Dark is a survival horror game developed by Infogrames. The game has spawned several sequels, as part of the Alone in the Dark series, and was one of the first survival horror games, after the 1989 Capcom game, Sweet Home. Alone in the Dark set the standard for later survival horror games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill. It has been a long time coming, but its recent ...
"We are just now getting midway into 2008, and look at all the Wii games we have already enjoyed. Its hard to imagine how 2008 could get any better for the Nintendo Wii. But Im a true to heart optimist, so lets take a look at some of the great titles still to come in 2008.
World Of Goo
Ok, I promise that #s 4-1 will all have actual titles accompanying them. Unless you keep track of independent game release, then you may not of heard of World of Goo. It was a finalist in the 2008 Indepe..."
"Alone in the Dark invented the survival horror genre. Hell, the original Alone in the Dark was arguably the first to introduce fear itself into the gaming experience. You wouldn't believe how terrified we were of a couple of shadowy strategically placed polygon blocks back in 1994...
Now imagine what the franchise can do with cutting edge graphics, surround sound, real world physics and cinematic storytelling. More importantly, after nearly fifteen years of practice, imagine what kind of g..."
According to mtv.com the Wii version of Alone in the Dark is a "hit and miss".
While the 360, PS3 and PC versions are great, the Wii's limitations meant that the game had to cut back on a fair few things. Level designs, locations, story points, even the game's main innovative feature - 'dynamic fire' - all had to either be downplayed or completely removed.
The difference between the Wii version and other versions are quite noticeable. Apparently the Wii game just doesn't stack-up to it's...
"In an interview with Eurogamer the storied game executive said that the solo-only Alone in the Dark, an upcoming horror game from Infogrames-owned Atari, is part of a dying breed.
I don't think the industry is going to make many more [single-player adventure games], said Harrison in the interview. I just don't think consumers want to be playing games that don't have some kind of network connectivity to them, or some kind of community embedded in them, or some kind of extension available..."
Well it was only a few days ago we were given a set of screens but now we have even more screens. These screens show us how our inventory is going to be working out and from what we can see everything is stored within pockets in Edwards' jacket. It always shows us that instead of having a health bar Edward will manually heal his own wounds. That is something different.
"Eurogamer: Alone in the Dark has been in development for four years now. Has it been worth the wait?
Phil Harrison: I think so. The first time I was exposed to the game I was blown away with what Eden created, the level of attention to detail and the passion they have for the integrity of the story. I hope they feel proud of it; they should do.
Eurogamer: Can you explain a bit more about the episodic structure?
Phil Harrison: Each episode has a start, a middle and an end. Each episod..."
"Poor old Edward Carnby, the lead character of Alone in the Dark, must have smashed a fair few mirrors in a past life and walked under more than just a few ladders in his time...
When he's not creeping gently through collapsing buildings, or fighting off fires engulfing the walls around him, he's dodging crashing helicopters or hanging by his fingertips off the edge of high-rise buildings. All because the lady loves Milk Tray.
He needs to calm down and have a Kit-Kat though, but that w..."
"Following the news of how Atari will be bringing a special limited edition of Alone in the Dark to Europe in June, a new video has been released of the Wii version of the highly anticipated update of the classic franchise.
Speaking recently with IGNs Wii channel, Maxime Loppin, the Producer of Alone in the Dark Wii at Atari, put any fears of the Wii version being a poor-mans PlayStation 2 port to rest by stating,"
"In whats looking like being one of the darkest, creepiest videogames to be heading to the videogaming world in 2008, Atari has unveiled a fresh set of images for the so-called apocalyptic action blockbuster, originally planned for launch in May, but now currently penned down for release on June 20 and June 24 in Europe and North America respectively."
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If you're afraid of the dark don't worry - the monsters will keep you company.
"Well, not necessarily, but the game does have an interesting little feature for those who find themselves too lazy or too frustrated to play the game properly. With the introduction of a DVD-style menu, Alone In The Dark 5 will let players skip sections of the game. Here are the details from OXM UKs interview with Nour Polloni, producer: (Go to source for interview and more info)"
"When it comes to the likes of Uwe Boll or Paul W.S. Anderson, a sound case can be argued for incompetence and a distinct lack of nounce after weighing up the terrible twosomes respective movie portfolios, but writer Nicole LaPorte offers that videogame narratives are simply unable to sustain successful movie spin offs.
Comparing videogame movie adapatations against Hollywood creations reliant on the comic book world, LaPorte says that the "weak narratives" often found in videogames are un..."
Looks like the 'Games for Windows' program is getting nine new titles for the year. This released just today from Microsoft.
The nine titles are:
· Alone in the Dark (Atari)
· Bionic Commando (Capcom)
· Conflict: Denied Ops (Eidos Interactive)
· Empire: Total War (SEGA)
· LEGO Indiana Jones (LucasArts)
· Microsoft Train Simulator 2 (Microsoft Game Studios)
· Sins of a Solar Empire (Stardock)
· Space Siege (SEGA)
· Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos Interactive)
"Atari puts at our disposal some new screenshots of its horror & survival videogame Alone In The Dark 5 from an undedetermined version, either PC, Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. We learned today that Nintendo Wii and Playstation 2 users will also be able to enjoy this title, without knowing the official release date."
The father of survival-horror is back! And what better day to release the brand new trailer than on Halloween? Fitting, yes?
Although not much is revealed in the new trailer, we get a glimpse of a scarred/deformed couple sitting on a dilapidated bench in Central Park ... Could they possibly be enemies in the game?
Something has happened here, and it's definitely creepy.
Here's hoping this series enters a new era of scariness!
![Box shot of Alone in the Dark [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUGxheXN0YXRpb25fMi9BY3Rpb24vQWR2ZW50dXJl/alone_in_the_dark_frontcover_small_S2gjhGpn9y15BFY.jpg)