This blog is about games and their place in popular culture written by a former educator who has gone back to school to retrain into a different field.
You will find articles surrounding a gaming community called Geezers in Arms from www.geezersinarms.com, film reviews, game reviews, comic reviews, book reviews, and a personal journal.
Dallas based developers, the Fun Pimps, sent out 22,000 keys after working overtime over the weekend. The company faced growing pains after a successful $500,000 Kickstarter campaign that has put them on the national spotlight.
"We apologize if you have not gotten your key or all of your keys, " representative from the Fun Pimps said "we will work to get those to you as fast as we can."
Hey Survivalist'
We have sent out over 22 thousand keys processing everyone we had access to on PayPal and Amazon who purchased the Alpha Game. We apologize if you have not gotten your key or all of your keys and will work to get those too you as fast as we can. If you haven’t received your key or all of your keys it’s for one of the following reasons below. Note these keys will have to be manually entered into the database and will take additional time.
You’re an Amazon buyer and did not fill out the Kickstarter Survey on or before August 17th therefore we have to reimport you late survey guys data. This will take some additional time.
You’re an Amazon buyer and transaction was on hold and the money did not go through yet therefore we cannot process your order until it does go through.
You’re an Amazon buyer and did not fill out the survey information correctly giving us the wrong email or a misspelled email. This will be a manual database correction and will take some time.
You made a multiple item purchase on PayPal or Amazon on a single transaction that was not part of the ALPHA BUDDIES or THE ALPHA CLAN packages which have gotten their keys now.
And for those of you who have asked our PayPal Buy page will be back up today or tomorrow and stay up after Alpha release for everyone to still buy the pledges they want including Alpha. http://7daystodie.com/buy/
You stay cool
The Fun Pimps
I finally received my key late Sunday night. I've been streaming the game experience. If you're interested in viewing the game play visit http://www.twitch.tv/theurbanwatcher .
12,000 keys have been sent out over the weekend. The Fun Pimps continue to process data from Kickstarter, Amazon, and PayPal. Backers are receiving their keys and experiencing slow downs in downloads due to heavy traffic from the Fun Pimps servers
To deal with the strain this small indie company has been working over night to add servers for handling the additional load (two Saturday night). The Dallas based company is being flooded with support requests. It seems that in the rush to get these keys out backers are facing database errors, account verification issues, and general questions about setting up and playing the game.
The Pimps' roll out strategy seems to be a three phase plan. First, they are rushing to get everyone their keys in the most efficient manner possible. Those who bought multiple keys or require manual support by the staff are going to have to wait until the bulk of the keys are released. Finally, the guys plan to focus on general support for 7 Days to Die.
Here is a Sunday released e-mail about the released keys.
We’re still bringing data into our system and sending out keys and as of this post have delivered over 12,000 keys but we still have more work to do. Last night we increased our download capacity with 2 more servers. We will continue to send out keys until every customer who has purchased the Alpha package or greater has the game.
Our customer support has been flooded with emails and we are way behind on this. We will be sending out every Key before we can come back to you folks who have problems that require manual database corrections, changes to your account, account verifications or general support. Simply put we don't have the staff to answer every email at this volume.
People who bought more than 1 key on Kickstarter through any package other than the THE ALPHA BUDDIES or THE ALPHA CLAN packages orders may take longer as theses multiple orders need to be entered into our system by hand.
People who bought more than 1 key on PayPal in single transaction will get there additional keys but it may take longer as theses multiple orders need to be entered into our system by hand.
We appreciate your patience in this and rest assured will get all of you keys as soon as possible. We've been working overtime on this and will continue to do so until all keys are delivered.
And for those of you who have asked our PayPal Buy page will be back up tomorrow or Monday and stay up after Alpha release for everyone to still buy the pledges they want including Alpha. http://7daystodie.com/buy/
Stay cool and stay calm you'll get your game
The Fun Pimps
There's been no mention at this stage for how to officially report bugs or be better play-testers. However, localized communities are organizing to collect data (photos, conditions, video, bug, threat level etc). It is a good idea to join these groups that wish to improve the game. In "The Science of Playtesting," GameStop gives an overview on how to be a better play-tester.
Those that are only interested in playing the game, please try not to plug up the communication channels with complaints or destructive criticism as this game is in alpha. Many folks have high hopes for this game.
UPDATE: (Still no key)
I plan on hosting a twitch session to show off the game footage. If you want to view the feed or chat in the TeamSpeak channel go to www.twitch.tv/theurbanwatcher. We will be using TeamSpeak for any live questions (63.210.145.16:9155). I hope to host this session sometime this weekend or as soon as my download e-mail arrives. Check back here for daily updates, news, and video playthroughs!
7 Days to Die, an open world voxel-based sandbox, is working through the weekend to process the hundreds of thousands of Kickstarter, PayPal, and Amazon backers. Their unique approach to open world zombie survival has gained support from the gaming community. This unique mash up of First Person Shooter, Survival Horror, Tower Defense and Role Playing Games fills a need in the genre started by the Arma II mod Day Z. The appeal of combining combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth brings excitement after disappointing experiences with the now infamous Hammerpoint's War Z now titled Infestation: Survivor Stories. The Fun Pimps, Dallas based developers of 7 Days to Die, are feeling the strain of being indie hopefuls. They continue to plead with their newly acquired fan base to not clog up their e-mail system with questions regarding the 7 Days to Die alpha roll out. As expected in a recent update, these developers are struggling to meet big company demand with small start up resources.
Here is a recent e-mail notice given to backers of the project. I will update this blog on a daily basis with news, review, play through footage, first impressions, and recommendations.
E-Mail #22
Hey Survivalist’
We've rolled out nearly 7,000 keys and will continue to keep getting more out today and the rest of the weekend until we a fulfilled all purchases. We've added additional download servers to alleviate the stress for more people to authenticate and download. This is the price we pay for being a small company and growing so fast.
If you haven't gotten one yet don't worry you're in our database. And for you Kickstarter backers who completed the survey we won't be waiting on a percentage to get you going. I would urge all who haven't done the survey to do it asap as extracting the customer data a 2nd time will not be our highest priority. We thank you for your patience, and understanding as it has been very tough on all of us working around the clock to widen our server capabilities to accommodate our new found huge fan base.
We ask you to be patient a little longer as we get you the game in the coming hours or days!
And for those of you who have asked our PayPal Buy page will be back up today or tomorrow and stay up after Alpha release for everyone to still buy the pledges they want including Alpha. http://7daystodie.com/buy/ You stay cool!
The Fun Pimps
E-Mail #23
Heads up Survivalist'
We're very happy to announce that the first 500 keys have been rolled out to Kickstarter Backers of $35 or higher!
We appreciate your patience in this and rest assured will get all of you you keys as soon as possible. We've been working overtime on this and will continue to do so until all keys are delivered.
And for those of you who have asked our PayPal Buy page will be back up tomorrow or Monday and stay up after Alpha release for everyone to still buy the pledges they want including Alpha. http://7daystodie.com/buy/
You guys rock and remember we love you!
The Fun Pimps
UPDATE:
I plan on hosting a twitch session to show off the game footage. If you want to view the feed or chat in the TeamSpeak channel go to www.twitch.tv/theurbanwatcher. We will be using TeamSpeak for any live questions (63.210.145.16:9155). I hope to host this session sometime this weekend or as soon as my download e-mail arrives. Check back here for daily updates, news, and video playthroughs!
Today we're going to discuss a new platformer called Guacamelee! Gold Edition. This game is awesome! That's it. That says it all. No? More? No problem....
Guacamelee! is an artsy, fun platformer that lives in the borderlands of gaming. Everything about this game has a dual name and double meaning. I recently did a First Impression video and was blown away.
Your character adopts a save the princess scenario as a diving board into a larger world filled with Latino cultural references and allusions to the 8-bit days of gaming. (See another duality).
Guacamelee! shines from its beautiful art style, controls, music, and light hearted approach to a classic genre. It enters into the new generation with co-op game play that reminds me of a Mexican Double Dragon or Streets of Rage.
From playing the opening 15 minutes of the game, we've decided to do a "Dos Amigos Play: Guacamelee!" playthrough series for this game. My fellow Geezer, also the founder, Kazuya and I will be playing through the co-op campaign to discuss the Hispanic history, art, and cultural nods while kicking back a few drinks and having a good time. Stay tuned for more footage in future updates.
Check back here for daily updates, news, and video playthroughs!
Here are some updates on the Alpha Release of 7 Days to Die pre-release. It looks like Dallas based "the Fun Pimps" are having a hard time processing Kickstarter, Amazon, and PayPal alpha backers. Their last two e-mails an attempt to communicate with the public.
This is the mark of true indie game developers. These guys have done everything they've can to get this project off the ground (Kickstarter goal reach $500,000). Now these developers have some organizational development issues to deal with to process and fulfill promises. This is easier said than done especially for game developers who are trying to wear too many hats.
Backers need to give these guys time to sort it out. Indie funding will give them time to put some love into this project and make the game we all want it to be. From their e-mails, I get the sense that they are treading water. I would love to be playing the game right now, however, I can understand if it will take a while. Those interested may read more below.
Later on I will e-mail the Fun Pimp developers a short interview. In the meantime, create an account on their forums and join a clan or community. People are beginning to team up for some multiplayer action. Here is one thread to look at.
E-mail #21
Amazon Payment Kickstarter Backers - We apologize as made an error in the last post and have discovered that we can in fact get your survey data anytime. So now we will wait until at least 90% of you Alpha or greater Amazon backers have completed the survey and begin collecting and bringing your data into our system and then sending out emails with a registration key and instructions on how to register and download the game.
We are processing a lot of data and will get you all up and running as soon as possible! And for now we ask that you please do not email us as answering thousands of additional emails will prevent us from getting you the game. We ask you to be patient a little longer as we get you the game in the coming hours or days!
You stay cool! The Fun Pimps
E-mail #20
Hey Survivalist’
There has been a lot of confusion how and when you Alpha Pledge Backers will get the game so here’s the skinny on it.
Amazon Payment Kickstarter Backers - Everyone who backed the game by Amazon payments with an Alpha pledge of $35 or more should have received a survey email last night. If not look in your spam or make sure you know what email is tied to your Kickstarter account. We sent them out and have received responses by about 60% of you on every pledge tier. Our understanding of the this is that all of the surveys must be completed and turned into the good folks of Kickstarter before they can give us your information. That said please fill out your survey promptly, thoroughly and accurately as a simple email typo, wrong name or address can prevent us from getting you the game. And if you bought one of the Alpha packs please know your friend’s emails and names as this can prevent us from getting you the game.
Paypal Payment Backers - Everyone who backed the game by Paypal with an original Pre-Order purchase or an Alpha pledge of $35 or more will receive in the coming hours or days an email with a registration key and instructions on how to register and download the game. We have not sent these out yet so don't think you've missed it.
Emailing US - We apologize for any confusion on this and assure you that getting the Alpha download to all of you is our top priority! We are processing a lot of data and will get you all up and running as soon as possible!
And for now we ask that you please do not email us as answering thousands of additional emails will prevent us from getting you the game. We ask you to be patient a little longer as we get you the game in the coming hours or days!
Paypal Buy Page - And for those of you who have asked our PayPal Buy page will be back up today or tomorrow and stay up after Alpha release for everyone to still buy the pledges they want including Alpha. http://7daystodie.com/buy/ You stay cool!
The Fun Pimps
Check back here for daily updates, news, and video playthroughs!
I wanted to release a newsletter to give site information updates. Welcome to the newsletter. We have added quite a bit of content to the blog this week. Right now, you'll find articles, game journals, how to guides, game play footage, movie reviews, game reviews, and future forcasts.
We have added two new contributors to the group. I'd like to introduce Doug_g and Zack. You may recognize them from some of the game night videos. Doug is coming on board as an editor. Zack will be helping put together walkthroughs and instructional material for the site.
We are trying to add entries to the blog as much as possible. We really want to establish a loyal fan base because we feel it is the other half that brings the blog alive. We want to have our fans drive our entries and be able to interact with their ideas and opinions as much as possible. Please keep informed by subscribing by using the e-mail link on the right side of the page.
UPDATE:
We are currently working on the following things to improve the site.
In the works
Adding Twitch videos
Adding YouTube support channel
Generating instructional how to play game videos for Payday 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Adding more game night footage that show off mods in Left 4 Dead 2
More articles that give readers a future forecast of games
Compiling a walkthrough for Payday 2
Planned 7 Days to Die alpha launch and game footage
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified game day launch review and game footage
MMO Invitation (game not decided)
Distant Future
The Walking Dead season 4 discussions
Please check out our videos on twitch and youtube. We have some material that hasn't been linked here yet.
In this walkthrough, we will will cover where to find the following Easter Eggs: QR codes, Half Life 2 logo, Teddy bear drill from Payday, developer credits/shout outs, and the Joker reference to the Dark Knight.
1# Half Life Logo
Location: Industrial Washing Machine
Easter Egg: Washing Machine Door
Comments: Some argue that the shape of the door and the style of the phrase "the cleaner" is a reference to Half Life 2. Here is a logo for comparison. I don't know to what to think about it but it does share an odd shape not known in most washing machines.
2# QR CODES
Location: Moving boxes found throughout the apartment
Easter Egg: QR Code
Comments: If you scan it with your cell phone it will say, "I LOVE SECRETS." This is an indication to look around for other easter eggs.
3# Teddy Bear Drill from Payday
Location: Teddy bear on couch
Easter Egg: Pink Teddy Bear has a hidden drill in it.
Comments: This is a reference to the mission No Mercy in the original payday.
4# The Dark Knight's the Joker
Location: Center of room that guards the secret entrance to the lower part of the safe house.
Easter Egg: Dark Knight Joker's Smile
Comments: Someone finally merged the two works together. The Joker smile is painted on the face of Lady Justice. In the original Payday, the guys rob banks using clown masks. In the beginning of "The Dark Knight" the joker robs a bank with a crew using a complicated elimination plan.
5# Developer Fan Credits and Shouts
Location: Back alley behind garage
Easter Egg: Several tags are fan references
Comments: The developers included a special thanks to several members of the gaming community that promoted the game through youtube and gaming articles. These guys have a special place in their hearts and minds. Pretty cool.
6# Answer the Phone
Location: Back Alley
Easter Egg: Answer the phone! Tag
Comments: Anyone trying to complete the missions on stealth will tell you just how important this is to doing so. This is more like advice than an easter egg. Though it can be found in the first payday.
Here is a really bad walkthrough video we attempted to make. Enjoy!
