Tagged: bioshock

Awesomeness overload: Blood Dragon movie trailer and BioShock student film teaser

There’s this truly awesome guy called Mike Diva out there who has gone and whipped up a trailer for a Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon: The Movie. We’re all blessed for this amazing creation.

The ‘trailer’ stars Detective Rex “Power” Colt, who is ridding the streets of “cyber shit”. The video is filled with ‘80s gaudiness. There’s nudity, gratuitous violence, insane dialog (“This isn’t part of the prophecy.” “I AM prophecy!”), and a flying cyber shark, of all things.

Meanwhile, The Brothers Rapture is a more serious, somber affair from a group of Vancouver film students. They’ve released a teaser that shows off Plasmids, audio diaries, and the eternal ‘rapture’ between competing schools of thought. The group promises to release the full film on May 13, but if this teaser is any indication, it’s going to be good.

BioShock PS3 DLC Priced, Dated

The promised downloadable content for the PS3 version of BioShock will be released on November 20 on the PlayStation Network, 2K Games announced today. The add-on content will be available for 6.29 GBP in the UK and $9.99 in the US.

It will consist of three challenge room environments, featuring new locations, objectives and artwork not seen in the original game. Here’s the deal:

A Shocking Turn of Events – A Little Sister is trapped atop a Ferris wheel in an undisclosed location in Rapture. Using only the tools and environment around them, players must use their wits to create electricity to power the Ferris wheel and bring the Little Sister to safety.

The I in Team – Using limited resources, and an even more limited arsenal, players must negotiate traps and find a way to defeat a Big Daddy using their wits instead of raw firepower.

Worlds of Hurt – Step up and take on the most grueling challenge offered in the world of Rapture. Players must battle through eight rooms of Big Daddies, Splicers and the worst that Rapture has to offer. Accumulate Adam, build an arsenal of Plasmids, Tonics and Weaponry, and fight through to rescue the Little Sister.

The DLC is exclusive to the PS3 version; PC and Xbox 360 versions won’t get any love. Below are three screenshots.

bsps3dlc_1  bsps3dlc_2  bsps3dlc_3

BioShock PS3 Confirmed

Confirming a long-standing rumor, 1UP reports that a PS3 version of BioShock is in development for release this Holiday season. It will most likely feature graphical improvements and maybe some new content, though details are unknown at the moment. Previously, rumors had suggested a release period of Fall.

According to the site, BioShock artist Jordan Thomas, who also designed Thief: Deadly Shadows, has replaced creator Ken Levine as creative director of the franchise. A sequel is said to be in the works; Levine is attached to the project, but his specific role hasn’t been revealed.

BioShock Sequels Coming, LA Noire Delayed

Controversial games publisher Take-Two revealed that its Q3 2007 fiscal results has seen a 14% year-over-year drop in revenue, following first and second quarter losses with a $58.5 million net loss, though its far less than that of last year.

However, the company had good news for itself: BioShock is popular. The obvious fact was made more obvious as they revealed that the Xbox 360 demo was the faster to hit 1 million downloads on Xbox Live Marketplace and that the company has shipped 1.5 million units of the game worldwide. Though they wouldn’t provide exact sales numbers, the company believes that BioShock is “one of the fastest selling games in video game history.”

Take-Two plans to capitalize on the success of the game by hoping to make it into an ongoing franchise. Company chairman Strauss Zelnick stated that a “two-year schedule would be optimal” for the game, comparing it to that of GTA. “I’d expect we’d apply roughly the same strategy to BioShock because [it] is shaping up to be a very important franchise.”

In other news, the call revealed that PS3 action game L.A. Noire and PSP music game Beaterator have both been delayed. They are now expected to ship sometime in Take-Two fiscal year 2009, which begins in November 2008.

Valve Programmers Devoid of BioShock

Poor programmers at Valve are facing tough times: no BioShock for them. The company’s head honcho Gabe Newell explained to CVG that a ban on the excellent shooter has been imposed in the offices because of the work required to get Half-Life 2: Episode Two out the door. Apparently, getting their own game out will get everyone in the company a copy of BioShock as a reward. Weird indeed! However, Newell then admitted that he is looking forward to playing it.

BioShock Losing DRM; No PS3 to be Shocked

BioShock‘s release has seen quite a few controversies raised on the use of online activation, as well as the installation of a rootkit used with the DRM. To quell fears, Ken Levine, the game’s creative director, spoke to Joystiq, stating that the SecuROM copyright protection will be eventually removed.

“At some point we’ll move back from online activation,” he said. “If people want to play BioShock ten years from now, they’ll be able to play it.”

He also went on to dispel the PS3 rumor – NO BIOSHOCK FOR PS3. “I promise you, there is no secret plan about the PS3 that we’re keeping from people,” he stated. “There’s no PS3 development going on that we’re hiding.”

Levine then reminds gamers about their exclusive deal with Microsoft regarding the game, implying that it is nigh impossible to see the game being released on PS3.

BioShock Problems Being Addressed

Following outrage from fans over the aspect ratio and the twice-install issues in BioShock, The Cult of Rapture carries word that these problems are being addressed. First up, they are increasing the number of activations allowed by the SecuROM software from two to five. They are also creating a revocation tool to deactivate a BioShock installation and have given SecuROM more leeway to direct assist customers with activation issues.

They are also working on a patch to address the widescreen issues. The Xbox 360 will also receive a similar update, according to the story. No release date was offered for the update.

BioShock Shocks Thompson

Everybody’s favorite madman is at it again, this time attacking another of Take Two’s offering: BioShock. The game – which has been released to retail today – has attracted attention from Jack Thompson because of its TV ads which were shown off during a teen-heavy television program.

Take-Two… is aggressively marketing its newest Mature-rated video game to kids less than 17 years of age… On this Friday’s night’s 8 pm Eastern time airing of WWE’s wrestling program “Smackdown,” there were repeated ads for Take-Two/Rockstar Game’s Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock…

A check of the demographics of the audience of that program reveals that teens under 17 years of age watch that program in huge numbers…

Remarkably, the video game industry is running ads for games like BioShock on teen-intensive television programs while at the same time its industry-captured “watchdog,” the ESRB, is running a self-congratulatory ad campaign to assure parents that the video game ratings system is working and that the industry can be trusted not to target their kids with these Mature-rated games. It is all a lie, as the BioShock ads prove.

This rampant fraudulent trade practice is precisely what “Big Tobacco” did with its “Joe Camel” and other teen-targeting ads, while at the same time lying to Congress that it was not marketing its adult product to kids.

Yes, BioShock has effectively shocked Jack Thompson, if anybody cares.