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Mina

BG Newsletter #16

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Unfortunately due to being on vacation I was unable to make any fine tune changes on this newsletter. Data was used just before I left. Have a great new year everyone!

BG Member Of The Week: Ryko

Q. How long have you been a part of BG?
A. I joined BG in 2005 after months of lurking and a year+ of harassing Dragoons on the GameFAQs FFXI forum.

Q. What is your favorite video game and why is it your favorite?
A. This one took some thought but I think the answer is Dungeon Fighter Online. I'm a big fan of gameplay that allows the player to pick their own pace, and Dungeon Fighter has an interesting functionality that allows you to input manual commands for moves instead of sticking to macros or hotkeys like a typical online RPG. The benefit of inputting your moves manually is lowered MP cost and cooldown, so it incentivizes the player to maintain a solid level of tech skill. Combine that with the brawler gameplay and the DMC style combo gauge and it's probably the most fun I've personally had with a game.

Q. Let's face it, while BG is a lot of things, it is pretty well known for Final Fantasy. Do you have a favorite Final Fantasy character?
A. I am the ultimate Final Fantasy Fraud. I've played exactly Zero Final Fantasy games aside from 11, though I have watched 7, 10, and 10-2 played to completion...

Shit, I should have just said Barret or something.

Q. What's something you find interesting about yourself?
A. Gaming was once a pretty detrimental hobby of mine. In fact, a number of regular posters are probably familiar with the fact that obsessive FFXI and Smash Bros. play combined with some really bad priorities caused me to straight up lose my home give years ago. Since then, I've gotten my life relatively straight and now that I'm one project away from graduating with my Bachelor's in Game Design, I'd attribute a good portion of the analytical and design skill that got me through the program to the time spent playing those games. Arguing on BG can't typically be said to be a good use of anyone's time, but it actually did help me develop a keen eye for why gameplay decisions work or don't, so I guess there's an upside to it.

Q. What is something that has you excited for next year?
A. It's a tie between Uncharted 4 and Arkham Knight. Arkham Origins would have bee a complete waste of time if it weren't for Troy Baker's performance and an otherwise interesting story, so having Rocksteady back to close out the story is absolutely thrilling. As far as Uncharted, it's incredible to see what a combination of new hardware and lessons in close combat from The Last of Us is going to do for one of the most entertaining franchises in video game history. That gameplay segment that they showed at Playstation Experience practically sold me a PS4 by itself.


Weekly Trivia Question 1: The Time Square New Year's Eve Ball tradition started in 1907 and has been held annually since then except for what year(s) if any?
Weekly Trivia Question 2: What was the first Valve game SOLD on steam? Bonus: What was the first non-Valve sold on steam?

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the trivia answer.

Major Game Releases Arriving This Week:
Nothing! Absolutely nothing! But that's not a very fun way to end the year. Instead of taking about game releases for this week, we'll talk about games that are scheduled to release in 2015!

Games Scheduled For 2015 (One per month)
January
Dying Light
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...737bf2ae67.jpg
Release Date: 1/27/2015
PS4 Xbox One PC

Mina: Watched twenty four minutes of the campaign mission one and it was alright. Dying Light is an *clears throat* action-adventure survival horror video game and if you are like whoa Mina that's a lot of words to describe a game, well yeah... it kinda is. The game is being developed by Techland, AKA 'Those guys who made Dead Island and Call of Juarez'. It plays from a first person perspective and it looks awfully pretty. The game has a premise of 'collect things during the day' and 'survive the night'. If this game can accomplish what it sets out to do, I think this will be a pretty interesting game. The game promises 60 fps and even a co-op mode.
Sonomaa: Is this a freerunning zombie game ala left 4 dead? The trailer didnt tell me much except that dude didnt stay with his friends. Oh well, Ill watch a lets play.
(BGer of the Week) Ryko: Honestly I'm not a big fan of first person platforming or first person melee so the whole gameplay premise is pretty much flat to me. Watching some gameplay, it's got a number of melee weapons plus mods so I'm guessing anyone with a dead rising kick might have a fun time. Not really my deal.

February
Evolve
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...e6e16e1ed2.jpg
Release Date: 2/10/2015
PS4 Xbox One PC

There is a thread for Evolve:
http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/119...-Left-4-Dead)/

Mina: I am really interested in seeing how this game is received on release. Watching people coordinate as well as a single player trying to work to beat the teamwork is exciting. If nothing else, I hope that this game becomes a "thing" that I can spectate.
Sonomaa: Evolve is a game Ive been hype for except for last years E3 barrage which was wayyyy too many stupid commercials for it. I played in the beta which was great and absolutely going to pick this up early and co-op with my bffs. Left 4 Dead with kaiju, sigh me the fuck up.
(BGer of the Week) Ryko: That game looks like an absolute blast, though that entirely depends on the competence of the monster more than the rest of the players. Val the medic is like twelve types of busted in terms of utility, right behind Daisy (the Trapper's pet). I really enjoy games I can sit back and watch while getting work done and I can see Evolve being that type of game.

March
Final Fantasy Type-0
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...8b0408eb99.png
Release Date: 3/17/2015
PS4 Xbox One

Of course we have a thread for this...:
http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/104...4-HD!-XBONE-HD!

Mina: Buy it. Just buy it. If you own a PS4 or Xbox One, just... just buy it. And if you aren't convinced, allow me to apply more peer pressure.
Sonomaa: I went through the trouble of converting a rom over to english and prepared myself for this gem then the NA release was announced so Im going to pick that up shortly after unless it gets horrible reviews. The CE looks so nice though.. I couldnt even play it and I want it.
(BGer of the Week) Ryko: If any title is going to get me into the Final Fantasy Series, this one would be it. Action-based combat with variable party composition and multiple characters to control. If I can get myself to care about the story, I might enjoy this one.

April
Mortal Kombat X
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...ad4f24a793.png
Release Date: 4/14/2015
PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One PC

Mina: Good thing someone informed on fighting games was picked for this because I'm not into non-anime fighters. It's Mortal Kombat and I have a feeling that if you already like Mortal Kombat, you'll end up getting this. And if you don't. Probably you won't.
Sonomaa: Ive never been a huge Mortal Kombat fan but the graphics look phenominal on this one. I might get it when it gets cheaper to fool around with, just because of the prettys.
(BGer of the Week) Ryko: They had this at the playstation experience and it's really just the logical next step for the series. Taking elements from injustice like stage interactions and utilization, then bringing them back to MKX was kind of a gimme. I mean the gameplay looks solid, the characters look better than ever, and I'm sure the fatalities are going to be as eye-catching as always, but I'm always gonna find myself watching Street Fighter more than it's bloodier counterpart.

May
The Witcher III
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...60cd19875b.jpg
Release Date: 5/19/2015
PS4 Xbox One PC

Our BG Thread for this game is right this way!:
http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/114...-May-19th-2015

Mina: I never really played the first or the second Witcher, though I do own them. The series is lauded for being spectacular and memorable for some for the sexual content. I can't imagine the third installment failing to live up to the expectations of the first/second based on what has been shown. While I'm not looking forward to it as much as some, I think it will probably end up being a solid game for 2015. Good job!
Sonomaa: Witcher III looks fantastic, the first two were great, especially their re-releases and CD Project Red is awesome for its stance on DLC and DRM. I will absolutely be buying this game, maybe not at release but shortly after for the adventure of a lifetime.
(BGer of the Week) Ryko: Bigger than skyrim with permanent consequences affecting how the rest of the game plays out? I'm the type of player who would have two saves just in case I didn't like how one path went down, but that eventually turns into like 8 save states. It sounds impressive, and these massive landscapes and game worlds are all the rave these days with you kids and your next-gen games. It's gotta be the most anticipated game of 2015 for a reason.

Of course there are many other games we're looking forward to in 2015 but this newsletter would never end. Plus I have to save stuff for those newsletters!

Random Comic:
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...1fce63e6cd.jpg
8-Bit Theater. Having artistic ability is something I do appreciate with webcomics but what I do appreciate more than that is probably the writing. 8-Bit Theater is a finished webcomic series worth everyone's time if by some chance you've never heard of it. It's coupled with swings at the series we know well at and nerd/geek culture. Much like the other previous two comics I have pointed out this is a webcomic that paved the way for a lot of webcomics we read today. Inspirations and even cameos of these characters have appeared in many webcomics. It has a story and it carries it out with hijinks and jokes all along the way. One of the best completed comics on the web. Goes with my highest recommendations.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2001/03/...e-going-where/

Threads of Interest:

Brag about your gifts here! Received or given!
Holiday Presents 2014: http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/124...-Presents-2014

I am totally out this week so I cannot comment what threads were hot this week.

Weekly Trivia Answer:
Spoiler: show
1. 1942 and 1943. It was in observance of wartime blackouts. Clever newsletter followers probably figured this out!
2. Counter Strike: Condition Zero was the first Valve game sold on steam. The non-Valve game was Rag Doll Kung Fu.

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