Video Games
‘H1Z1’ Livestream Shows Off Combat, Environments
Sony wants a slice of the survival game pie that’s currently being gorged upon by games like DayZ and Rust, and H1Z1 is their attempt to take it. It’s very similar to its competitors, and they know this. But that isn’t stopping them from making the best zombie apocalypse themed survival sandbox they can.
I’m not much into games like these, mostly because they tend to turn people into gargantuan dicks, but I’m sure there are plenty of fans who are foaming at the mouth for another game like this. If you count yourself among them, it sounds like you might not have to wait long.
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) recently held a H1Z1 livestream where they showed more of the game in action. You can check that out below.
Skip to 1:50 for the beginning of the livestream.
Watch live video from h1z1 on TwitchTV
If you’ve played DayZ and enjoyed it, you’re going to like H1Z1. SOE’s John Smedley took to the game’s subreddit to answer additional questions about the game.
We will have first and third person. Third person will not give you LOS over obstacles. We intend to make it more of a preference. I find myself switching to it occasionally but I love combat in first person. To those who say we can’t serve two masters – play the game before you judge.
2) Vehicles will be in third person only. Could this change? Maybe but that’s what we’re putting in for now.
3) Why was there so much stuff around 15 years later – we wanted to show you how the mechanics worked. Simple as that. We intend to make surviving a lot about catching your food. Longer term about growing it and protecting it.
4) How is this different from Day Z? – saw this a lot. Not going to give some politically correct dodgy b.s. answer. It is a survival in a Zombie Apocalypse game. So is Day Z. They have made a brilliant game (first I might add). They have a great vision for it and can count myself and most of the people on our team as fans and contributors.
We’re making the game we’re making. Long term we plan on making this about a persistent world with a big landscape with thousands of players. The way we would like to see this roll out is much more like players building small enclaves or pockets of territory and hold out against a legitimate zombie threat that’s ever present while others go it alone taking their chances.. These player built structures, forts and towns are one of the ways the players try to carve out some small space in a dangerous world.
We also want to make sure we have a deep in-game economy that is heavily dependent on crafting. Players will be able to become manufacturers.. sell bullets, arrows.. etc. The in-game economy will be entirely player driven.”
Anyone interested in this, or are you too busy playing something similar?
Video Games
Bloody Body Horror Revealed in ‘Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’, Currently in Development [Trailer]
Shift Up has shifted things dramatically from 2024’s action-adventure game Stellar Blade, offering up a body horror bonanza in the newly announced sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. The sequel is currently early in development, but if the trailer is any indication, players will be in for plenty of body horror.
Continuing the story from the original Stellar Blade, Blood Rain will star a new protagonist named Eve. Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of humanity has fled to a Colony in outer space.
Shift Up had mentioned during a Q&A following its latest earnings presentation last month that development on Blood Rain (which was still unannounced at the time) was progressing smoothly, and was on track to meet their targeted quality standards.
Shift Up stated that with this new title it would be transitioning to a first-party service model, effectively moving away from the restrictions the game experienced with original publisher Sony, which had the game under an exclusivity agreement for the PlayStation 5. “This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively.”
Whether this means that Xbox Players will finally be able to play the original game (or its sequel) is still not clear. Meanwhile, Stellar Blade is reportedly being ported to the Nintendo Switch 2, but no official confirmation has been made.