The director of the Zero Escape series, which are some of the best visual novelsyou can play, has a new game in the works called AI: The Somnium Files, and it’ll arrive on PC on July 25, developer Spike Chunsoft has announced.
Director Kotaro Uchikoshi told Gematsu this week that the game will have less cutscenes than what we’re used to from Zero Escape, and is made “mainly for adventure game fans”, suggesting a focus on puzzles. You play detective Kaname Date, who is on the hunt for a serial killer in Tokyo after a women is found dead on a merry-go-round, her eye gouged out. You’ll have a prime suspect straightaway: a girl found nearby with a bloody ice pick in her hand, but all is not as it seems.
It sounds utterly surreal. As well as real-world investigation, Date can enter people’s dreams thanks to an artificial eye, hence why the trailer above shows a polar bear about to saw a woman in half. She’ll also have an AI assistant called Aiba, and the cast includes a light novel author and a teen internet pop star.
The Steam page is live here, if you want to give it a look. Katharine’s 90/100 review of Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is here, in case you want to know what all the fuss is about.
Minecraft players have turned the hub area of a once-popular server into a tribute to the server’s founder, who recently lost his battle with cancer.
Players have left tribute signs all over the hub of the Emenbee Minecraft server to Bryan, known in-game as Pendar2, who started the server back in 2011. At its peak, Emenbee contained 10 separate servers and had more than 1,500 concurrent players. More than one million players logged on during its lifespan. Pendar2 shut most of the server down—save for the hub—in October of last year.
“You built bonds that will last a lifetime, and there’s no way to repay or express…how much you’ve done for us,” reads one tribute at the hub. “Your server gave me memories I won’t forget…rest in peace,” says another. The image above was posted on Reddit by user remydesp.
In a post on the official Emenbee website, friend Mod_masta paid their own tribute to Pendar 2, who “influenced more people than most others have throughout their lifetime”.
“For years, he dedicated his life to creating a Minecraft server that many of us called our home for a while. It started out as a survival server, and eventually grew to have up to over 10 different servers and 1,500 concurrent players. For the last couple years of the server’s life, Bryan was not very active and many of you thought he had given up. The truth is that he was diagnosed with cancer. He endured chemo and surgery for several months, and eventually we thought he had been cured. But towards the end of last year, it unexpectedly came back. Recently, Bryan passed away,” Mod_masta said.
“To me Bryan was a partner, a friend, and an amazing server owner. Working with him for several years, I learned how much of a genius he truly was, in both his knowledge that allowed Emenbee to become so popular and in how he excelled at developing with so little experience. Our time spent together on Emenbee together were some of the best years of my life. It was truly an honor to have a friend like him. He did so much more for the server than most players thought he did. I could not have done anything without him.
“Without Bryan there would never have been an Emenbee, and so many of us would have been deprived of so many fun and exciting experiences. Bryan will be remembered as a genius, a compassionate person, and our hero.”
Minecraft players have left tributes at an in-game memorial for a popular server’s creator after he died of cancer.
The touching community-created memorial includes hundreds of messages written on signs placed around the server’s hub.
Bryan, otherwise known as Pendar2, created the Emenbee Minecraft server back in 2011, and at its peak it hit 1531 concurrent players. Over the course of its seven-year life, Emenbee saw over one million unique players. But in October 2018, Pendar2 shut down the server after struggling to maintain it.
Image credit reddit user remydesp.
In a touching note on the Emenbee website, friend “Mod_masta” said goodbye to “a genius, a compassionate person, and our hero”.
“For the last couple years of the server’s life, Bryan was not very active and many of you thought he had given up. The truth is that he was diagnosed with cancer. He endured chemo and surgery for several months, and eventually we thought he had been cured. But towards the end of last year, it unexpectedly came back. Recently, Bryan passed away.
“To me Bryan was a partner, a friend, and an amazing server owner. Working with him for several years, I learned how much of a genius he truly was, in both his knowledge that allowed Emenbee to become so popular and in how he excelled at developing with so little experience. Our time spent together on Emenbee together were some of the best years of my life. It was truly an honour to have a friend like him. He did so much more for the server than most players thought he did. I could not have done anything without him.
“Without Bryan there would never have been an Emenbee, and so many of us would have been deprived of so many fun and exciting experiences. Bryan will be remembered as a genius, a compassionate person, and our hero. He accomplished so much in so little time and influenced more people than most others have throughout their lifetime.”
In-game, ex-Emenbee players came together to leave tributes to Pendar2, turning the server’s hub into a memorial.View image on Twitter
This image, posted to reddit by user remydesp, shows over a hundred messages written on boards in the hub.
“I played on this server since its birth, I’m saddened by its shutdown. The friends and memories I made are priceless. Thank you all for the time of my life,” reads one message.
“In its prime, this was the best part of my day,” reads another message. “Thank you for making EM the best place to be. I will never forget all that you’ve done for me as a person.”
“Emenbee was a definition of my early teen years,” said another. “Thank you.”
It’s one of the more impressive virtual memorials I’ve seen in a video game – and evidence Minecraft’s community can certainly be a wonderful one.
Mod_masta pointed those who would like to support Pendar2’s family to consider donating to Cancer Research.
What’s the point of buying a brand new gaming console without any games to play? In our opinion, console bundles are the way to go — and the best bang for your buck. More often than not, gaming console bundles come along with some of the hottest titles on the market, so it’s always a good idea to keep a keen eye out for these deals. As a matter of fact, we found a really great bundle just for you.
This Xbox One S bundle is a great starting point for those just jumping in, and it comes with the cult-favorite Minecraft as well as a bonus game of your choice (from the three that Walmart is currently offering). For a total of $248.89 and $60 in savings, you’re truly getting your money’s worth from this kit.
Coming with a hefty 1TB of storage, the Xbox One S can support games and stream entertainment in glorious 4K resolution and HDR. With a library containing upwards of 1,300 games from the current and last generation, you’ll never run out of things to play on your system. Not only do you get one of the best consoles on the market in this bundle, but you also get the opportunity to experience some of today’s most popular titles in gaming.
Included with the base bundle is Minecraft, a cult-favorite sandbox game that allows players to build anything their minds can conjure up with 3D blocks in a procedurally generated world. In addition to Minecraft, those who purchase the bundle will also get to choose a bonus game from a list of three titles: Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Anthem, or Kingdom Hearts 3.
The Division 2 will see you taking back a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. from the corrupted powers that be, Anthem will put players in the shoes of high-powered Freelancers and their Javelin exosuits to bring balance to a world of diverse threats, and Kingdom Hearts 3 will take players on a thrilling Disney-themed adventure through the long awaited third installment in this cult-classic series.
There’s plenty of variety here for all types of gamers — the choice is totally yours. Check out the Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Bundle with your choice of a bonus game for $60 off at Walmart.
Here at Destructoid, we routinely host contests for various gaming prizes. Things like free copies of upcoming games to plush penises from Devolver Digital: Dtoid has given back to the community in small ways over the years. Those giveaways have brought some of you closer to us, for which I will always be grateful, but I was completely blown away by the story of one of our contest winners.
In November of last year, Mark Barnes Jr. entered our contest for some Pokémon-themed gear. After becoming the lucky winner, he got in touch with Wes about where to send the goodies and Wes noticed something quite peculiar. In the e-mail signature, Mark’s job description curiously read “Minecraft Consultant, UN-Habitat.” What in the world was that about?
Wes got a quick explanation about the project and passed the info onto us. Here was a guy using video games in a way that was actively helping the world out. This was an incredible story that needed to be told to a larger audience. Finding Mark’s tale fascinating, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to speak with him about the work he’s done with Mojang’s monster of a title.
First, some background. Mark Barnes Jr. was born in Tennessee in 1982. When he was two years old, his parents became Christian missionaries and moved his family to Papua New Guinea. His family was housed in a small compound smack in the middle of a mountain valley surrounded by rain forests. Along with Mark’s family, around 400 others were stationed at the compound, all filling in various roles for missionary work.
Mark’s parents were teachers at the local school there, which Mark told me was a weird way to grow up. For him, the best aspect was having many friends from different backgrounds that all had the freedom to be outside and go where they want. Some of Mark’s friends came from Australia, England, Ireland, India, South America, Belgium, and New Zealand. Due to the school being small, everyone knew each other and was relatively close-knit.
Living at a missionary compound, Mark’s childhood was rarely boring. At five years old, he got to watch a tribal battle commence across a ravine from the base. When the police had come to break up that fight and deployed tear gas, it actually blew into the compound and gassed the entire place. Mark recalls other bizarre things that happened to him, but states, “When I try to explain them to other people, they’re utterly baffled.” For him, it was normal – that was all he had ever known.
Having lived at that compound until he graduated high school, Mark was surrounded by people who wanted to help the outside world. This fueled his desire to find a career that would allow him to do the same. As he puts it, “I was brought up by people who took their toddler and baby to the other side of the globe to help people.” His mother’s parents did the exact same thing. To him, the only course of action was to enter a field that would let him give back to others.
To that end, Mark became a teacher. His Minecraft consulting days weren’t something he originally envisioned happening. For the most part, he had entered teaching to let others excel in the world. “I feel really good,” Mark states, “when I give people the tools they need to succeed at something. To me, that’s always been more motivating than a financial reward.” It was a chance opportunity that his friend introduced Mark to a role which would get him involved with Minecraft.
While studying for her master’s degree in urban planning, Mark’s friend brought his attention to a position at the United Nations related to her field. It was titled the Block-by-Block Program. This program involved a branch of the UN that focused on using models constructed in Minecraft to improve living conditions for people around the world. Their core focus was dealing with concerns around housing, access to drinking water, security, sanitation, and other problems plaguing impoverished countries. Since Mark had been a big fan of Minecraft since around 2008, his friend urged him to apply.
The Block-by-Block Program began in 2012 with the goal of integrating Minecraft into the public space to get community members more involved. With Minecraft‘s ease of use, members of communities that were often ignored would be able to have their voices heard with regards to public reformation. It was also a cost-effective way to visualize changes in a three-dimensional space and allowed for rapid sharing of ideas. It’s far easier to build and destroy something in Minecraft than real life.
The initial job was situated in The Solomon Islands, which was a perfect fit for Mark. Since he had grown up not far from there, it was only natural that Mark would be inclined to put his name in. Despite not thinking he had a chance, Mark was accepted for the job and would soon begin his life of helping people through Minecraft.
Mark came into the program in 2014 as a consultant. For each job, his task would begin after a project was planned out and initiated. The UN-Habitat would send him and an urban planner to different communities and begin teaching the inhabitants how to play Minecraft. Mark would also give some feedback about the various models they were making while the workshop was underway. After the workshops were finished, Mark would generate a final model of the town and write out a report explaining the outcome so that architects and urban planners could draw out blueprints. From there, these blueprints were then used to construct actual buildings, a bit that blows Mark’s mind.
As Mark told me, “Because Minecraft is so easy to learn, even people who have never used a computer can complete a model in just a few days. It levels the playing field and allows everyone to have a part in the design process without being talked over or ignored.” One of the biggest concerns for various reconstruction efforts is getting feedback from women and children at a public forum. Various communities discourage them from voicing their opinions, but Block-by-Block allows these people to be heard without getting ignored or talked over.
Over the course of the last four years, Mark has conducted workshops in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and the Solomon Islands. Mark recounted a particularly powerful moment that happened during his visit to Bangladesh. “I saw an older lady who had never used a computer in her life learn to play Minecraft. I hope I never forget the look on her face – joy, amazement, and pride all at once.” As he said, that is an accurate description of how it made him feel.
Another story he shared with me from Bangladesh was about a group of individuals from the slums. These were people that had virtually nothing to call their own. One man even had a leg injury and needed a cane just to walk. Each individual showed up on time every day to collaborate at the workshop and improve their community. “That’s powerful,” Mark said, “and it’s really inspiring to watch and help in whatever small way I can.”
When traveling to other countries, Mark tries to learn basic phrases so he can communicate better. He typically starts with thank you in an effort to congratulate these people for making the effort. During his trip to Bangladesh, Mark’s workshop partner explained that in Bangladeshi culture, it’s not customary for people to express gratitude unless someone does something incredibly important to them. At the end of each workshop, the various participants would approach Mark to shake his hand and thank him. As Mark told me, “I was fighting back tears the whole time.”
As well as being overwhelmed from how thankful these citizens were, Mark could be conjuring up his past experiences with video games. As any kid of the ’90s will tell you, growing up playing video games usually resulted in someone shouting “They’ll rot your brain,” or, “You’re wasting your time!” It’s even hard not to think that with modern titles, some of which seem positioned to drain your wallet more than stimulate any part of your brain. “Growing up, I always felt this twinge of guilt over how much I loved video games,” Mark told me.
When finishing off his English degree and starting work as a teacher, Mark began to see the power that this medium holds. “I started to realize that games had a lot of power for education and communication. Games are incredibly powerful tools, and I think that those of us who love games understand that on a fundamental level.” Seeing Minecraft shape and improve communities around the world hammered that notion home for Mark. Taking that 3D, abstract model and bringing it to life is something that, as Mark puts it, “is indescribably cool.”
While the Block-by-Block Program is unlikely to shift away from Minecraft and use other games, Mark has seen other instances where gaming has had an impact on real-world cities. “One guy I talked to works for a youth climate change activism group,” Mark explains, “and they use SimCity to model local pollution and get kids to look for ways to solve pollution problems. Gamers are creative people and I think that we’re only scratching the surface of ways that games can be used to make a positive difference in the world.”
That positive force doesn’t seem to be running out of steam, either. Mark explained how the response to Block-by-Block has been fairly positive. Since the UN-Habitat doesn’t come to other countries uninvited, communities need to make a formal request to have consultants like Mark come and visit their area. Because of making that request, there typically is very little (if any) pushback from local governments. A change in regime or stuck-up leadership might occasionally cause some conflicts, but most of the citizens are overjoyed to have the chance at fixing their residence.
At present, Mark’s contract with the UN has expired. This means that until he is needed by the UN-Habitat again, he is no longer involved with the Block-by-Block Program. He hasn’t forgotten about his time there and even has a blog dedicated to chronicling his workshops in different countries. While there was an absence of updates due to Mark pursuing a graduate degree, he is looking to leave his teaching job in the spring and resume updating the blog with stories left untold.
Mark might not have had an average upbringing, but his passion for helping others has led to one of the most unbelievable stories involving gaming I’ve ever heard. He may never return to Block-by-Block, but the good he has done with it is likely to stay with him forever. To Mark and everyone at the UN-Habitat, I salute you for being such a force of goodwill in this world. Hopefully, your remarkable story will inspire others to stick with this hobby, since it does truly matter.
