Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA['Dying for Daylight' features story by True Blood author]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/dying-for-daylight-features-story-by-true-blood-author/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/dying-for-daylight-features-story-by-true-blood-author/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/dying-for-daylight-features-story-by-true-blood-author/#commentsAuthor Charlaine Harris writes the "Southern Vampire Mysteries" novels that provide the source material for HBO's True Blood. Oberon Media's casual game label I-play announced today that Harris is writing the story for its upcoming vampire-centric PC release, Dying for Daylight. The first episode will be out in January.

The game will star Dahlia, a vampire who has appeared in some of Harris's novels. Neither the plot nor the gameplay mechanics were revealed, so we're just going to guess it's a hidden object game, except instead of "objects," you're searching for places to get it on with a vampire or other supernatural monster.

Continue reading 'Dying for Daylight' features story by True Blood author

Joystiq'Dying for Daylight' features story by True Blood author originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualcharlaine-harrisdying-for-daylighti-playoberon-mediapcvampiresTue, 09 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Game-related startups raise $600 million in 2009, down 36%]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/game-related-startups-raise-600-million-in-2009-down-36/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/game-related-startups-raise-600-million-in-2009-down-36/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/game-related-startups-raise-600-million-in-2009-down-36/#comments Game-related startup companies raised $600 million throughout 2009, according to GamesBeat's analysis. And while $600 million is a lot of money if you're, say, trying to sell a shooter based on the art of modern warfare, it's not quite that much when you're an up-and-coming game developer. Total investments in the field were actually down by 36% since last year. That's not a bubble bursting, but it does mean that startup investors might be a little more careful with their money in the year to come.

The biggest winners in the scene include Zynga, makers of Mafia Wars and a few other popular Facebook titles, who nabbed a big $180 million investment from a Russian technology company, and Playdom. You may not have played Sorority Life, the company's MySpace hit, but Lightspeed Venture Partners must have, because it invested $43 million in the company. If there's a theme here, it's social networking and online games: PopCap is probably the highest traditional game developer on the list, but even its $22.5 million investment was marked for putting its games on the web, mobile platforms, and social networks. Of course, that pull doesn't include the buck we gave them for Peggle.

JoystiqGame-related startups raise $600 million in 2009, down 36% originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dean-takahashifacebookgamesbeatinvestmentmafia-warsmoneymyspacepeggleplaydompopcappopcap-gamesscramblescramble-livesocial-networkingsorority-lifestartupvampireszyngaTue, 22 Dec 2009 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Second season of Xbox Live's 1 vs. 100 starts Nov. 19]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/second-season-of-xbox-lives-1-vs-100-starts-nov-19/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/second-season-of-xbox-lives-1-vs-100-starts-nov-19/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/09/second-season-of-xbox-lives-1-vs-100-starts-nov-19/#comments If you've been missing your trivia fix on Xbox Live, you should be happy to learn that Microsoft has dated the second season of its Xbox Live quiz-'em-up, 1 vs. 100. Expect the game to return on November 19 at 5:00 PDT, where it'll dish out another 14 weeks' worth of questions -- and this time around, your chance to be The One or a part of The Mob will be determined by one thing: score.

Multiple-choice maniacs will be able to play the new season of 1 vs. 100 on a daily basis through themed Extended Play sessions every night, including "Finish the Lyrics," "80's" night and -- yes, we're totally serious -- "Vampires." Finally, a theme night your 12-year-old sister can get behind!

JoystiqSecond season of Xbox Live's 1 vs. 100 starts Nov. 19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1-vs-10080sextended-playfinish-the-lyricsMicrosofttriviavampiresXbox-360xbox-liveMon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Scene It? Twilight' dazzles Wii this autumn, DS in 2010]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/scene-it-twilight-dazzles-wii-this-autumn-ds-in-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/scene-it-twilight-dazzles-wii-this-autumn-ds-in-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/scene-it-twilight-dazzles-wii-this-autumn-ds-in-2010/#comments Oh my gawd, oh my gawd, the twinkly blood-suckers of Twilight are coming to Wii in a Scene It? game this fall! Yes, the vampire franchise -- with only one released movie under its coffin -- will be the subject of an entire multimedia-based trivia game for Wii, featuring some 500 multiple-choice questions based on clips, music and audio from the film.

There are no details about the DS version of the game, which will release sometime next year. (There's also no mention of an Xbox 360 or PS3 version.) We'd call this the "shovelware cash-in of trivia games," but we'd be afraid that in doing so, pale, starving actors covered in glitter would come and suck our blood -- accompanied by throngs of enraged tweens and housewives that would rip our lifeless bodies to shreds. So ... we'll just call it not the game for us.

Joystiq'Scene It? Twilight' dazzles Wii this autumn, DS in 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>konamiNintendoscene-itscene-it-twilighttwilightvampiresWiiThu, 24 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST<![CDATA[New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens are bloody, awesome]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/19/new-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-screens-are-bloody-awesome/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/19/new-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-screens-are-bloody-awesome/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/19/new-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-screens-are-bloody-awesome/#comments
Holy crap! We've been connoisseurs of vampire-centric media for quite some time now (thankfully, we've managed to avoid those dreadful books), but we never knew that vampires were made entirely out of blood. At least, that's the conclusion we've drawn from the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screenshot you see above -- one of a handful of pieces of media we just got our hands on. You can see the whole batch in the gallery below.

None of the others feature this bizarre phenomenon -- however, we suppose it's equally amazing that the vestments of Gabriel (the game's protagonist) remain so hemoglobin-free while he's running around, popping dudes like bloated mosquitoes.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (GamesCom 2009)

cv_los_gamescom_1-1250691595cv_los_gamescom_2-1250691596cv_los_gamescom_3-1250691597cv_los_gamescom_4-1250691598cv_los_gamescom_6-1250691599

JoystiqNew Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens are bloody, awesome originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castlevaniacastlevania-lords-of-shadowdraculagallerygamescom-2009kojima-productionskonamimercurysteamMicrosoftscreenshotsvampiresXbox-360Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:03:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone It In: iDracula]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/16/iphone-it-in-idracula/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/16/iphone-it-in-idracula/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/16/iphone-it-in-idracula/#comments
I'll be the very first to admit that iDracula is a really, really bad name for a game. It's bad in a fun way that makes me laugh to myself when I turn it on, but still, bad. It would require a Herculean effort of diversion to get me to recommend a game with a name like "iDracula," and that's exactly what you're going to find here.

iDracula is a twin stick shooter, or maybe "twin dial" would be more appropriate. By rotating the left dial with your thumb, you're able to turn and move in that direction -- ditto for the right dial and shooting. I know, I know, it sounds insane, but it works better than it has any right to.

Gallery: iDracula (iPhone)

Continue reading iPhone It In: iDracula

JoystiqiPhone It In: iDracula originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chillingodraculaidraculaiphoneiphone-it-invampiresMon, 16 Mar 2009 14:22:00 EST<![CDATA[505 Games sinks its teeth into new DS Buffy game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/505-games-sinks-its-teeth-into-new-ds-buffy-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/505-games-sinks-its-teeth-into-new-ds-buffy-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/505-games-sinks-its-teeth-into-new-ds-buffy-game/#commentsFiled under: ,

Like a vampire that refuses to stay dusted, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise continues to chug on after the TV show's 2003 cancellation. New comics, toys and even a magazine have kept the cult favorite series alive long than the First Evil. The undead march continues with 505 Games' announcement today of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sacrifice for the DS.

The "action-packed 3D survival horror game," as the press release describe it, will follow everyone's favorite slayer and the usual gang as they try to re-close the re-opened Hellmouth sometime after the events of the seventh season. Development will be handled by Romanian developer Beast and the story will be penned by Buffy TV scribe Rob Deshotel.

Sacrifice doesn't have much of a gaming pedigree to live up to -- the two THQ-published Game Boy Advance Buffy games scored 39% and 50%, respectively, in the GameRankings averages. With review scores like that, maybe this is a gaming franchise that should learn when to stay dead.

Gallery: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sacrifice

Joystiq505 Games sinks its teeth into new DS Buffy game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>505 Games505Gamesbuffybuffy-the-vampire-slayerDSTVvampiresFri, 11 Jul 2008 12:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Vampire Rain downpours July 3rd]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/vampire-rain-downpours-july-3rd/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/vampire-rain-downpours-july-3rd/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/vampire-rain-downpours-july-3rd/#commentsFiled under:


Well, if you're a little pissy about not getting the demo in your area, at least you won't have to wait long for the retail to be released. Microsoft just sent out a release stating that Vampire Rain will be shipping July 3rd for $59.99. Not only that, but a Fan Site Kit can be downloaded at the www.vampirerain.com. So, does the idea of merging Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell series interest you, or does it run a little dry?

JoystiqVampire Rain downpours July 3rd originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AQ InteractiveAqInteractiveArtoonSam FisherSamFisherSplinter CellSplinterCellVampireVampire RainVampireRainVampiresThu, 07 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin anime intro video]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/30/castlevania-portrait-of-ruin-anime-intro-video-working/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/30/castlevania-portrait-of-ruin-anime-intro-video-working/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/30/castlevania-portrait-of-ruin-anime-intro-video-working/#commentsFiled under: ,

We aren't experts in the fine art that is speaking Japanese, if you hadn't already noticed. On top of that, translated pages aren't exactly the best place to get info either. If you've ever doubted that a sentence in English could not make sense, spend five minutes trying to read one of Google's translated pages. They could make Winnie The Pooh look like a perverted old bear.

From what we gathered, this is the intro to Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. There's lots of ass kicking and no monster gets spared. We were surprised to not hear any voice acting but we are hoping to see that get worked on in the extra months Konami has taken to improve the game.

As always, the video is after the break unless you want to wait and see the intro for yourself when the game is released like a sissy. Enjoy!

[Via QJ Net]

Continue reading Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin anime intro video

JoystiqCastlevania: Portrait of Ruin anime intro video originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>belmontcastlevaniacastlevania portrait of ruinCastlevaniaPortraitOfRuinportrait of ruinPortraitOfRuinvampiresMon, 30 Oct 2006 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Lunar Knights take to the skies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/30/lunar-knights-take-to-the-skies/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/30/lunar-knights-take-to-the-skies/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/30/lunar-knights-take-to-the-skies/#commentsFiled under:



The protagonists of Lunar Knights will hunt vampires wherever, whenever -- even if it means taking the fight to the depths of the final frontier. To fight vampires.

Space vampires. Indeed.

There's a second video as well which features Aaron and Lucian keeping their feet (mostly) on the ground in the fight against the undead. Check it out.

JoystiqLunar Knights take to the skies originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>KonamiLunar KnightsLunarKnightsparaSOLvampiresvideoweatherWed, 30 Aug 2006 07:49:00 EST<![CDATA[Kojima's DS game touts vampirism and meteorology]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/10/kojimas-ds-game-touts-vampirism-and-meteorology/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/10/kojimas-ds-game-touts-vampirism-and-meteorology/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/10/kojimas-ds-game-touts-vampirism-and-meteorology/#commentsFiled under:


If you spend a good deal of your time watching classic Dracula movies or, uh, the Weather Channel, you would no doubt be interested in Hideo Kojima's new DS game, Lunar Knights. Featuring loads of snarling vampires and weather effects, Gamespot notes that the game follows the adventures of two warriors looking to spill the blood of some blood-suckers. The stylus is used for plenty of actions in the game, just as you'd expect, but the interesting part comes in with the use of the DS' top screen. As your characters traverse the bottom screen, the weather above them (so to speak) will change and affect their abilities to successfully fend off the vampires plaguing the planet. If the thought of umbrella-wielding heroes slaying in the rain doesn't appeal to you, you are most likely dead inside.

JoystiqKojima's DS game touts vampirism and meteorology originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 May 2006 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Action adventureActionAdventureHideo KojimaHideoKojimaplatformingvampiresweatherWed, 10 May 2006 04:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Kojima's DS game touts vampirism and meteorology]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/10/kojimas-ds-game-touts-vampirism-and-meteorology/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/10/kojimas-ds-game-touts-vampirism-and-meteorology/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/10/kojimas-ds-game-touts-vampirism-and-meteorology/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you spend a good deal of your time watching classic Dracula movies or, uh, the Weather Channel, you would no doubt be interested in Hideo Kojima's new DS game, Lunar Knights. Featuring loads of snarling vampires and weather effects, Gamespot notes that the game follows the adventures of two warriors looking to spill the blood of some blood-suckers. The stylus is used for plenty of actions in the game, just as you'd expect, but the interesting part comes in with the use of the DS' top screen. As your characters traverse the bottom screen, the weather above them (so to speak) will change and affect their abilities to successfully fend off the vampires plaguing the planet. If the thought of umbrella-wielding heroes slaying in the rain doesn't appeal to you, you are most likely dead inside.

JoystiqKojima's DS game touts vampirism and meteorology originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 May 2006 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSE3E32006Hideo KojimaHideoKojimaKonamiVampiresWed, 10 May 2006 04:45:00 EST