New Games |
- New Max Payne 3 video puts the submachine guns on display
- New cinematic-centric Witcher 2 dev diary released
- The DTOID Show: Dust 514, GTA V, and Adventure Time DS!
- Salem beta starts in April so let's burn a witch
- Next Mass Effect 3 patch to address face import issue
- Weekend PC download deals: Atari, Square Enix, Origin
- Get a tattoo or mohawk from Ubisoft at PAX East
- Live show: Exclusive early look at Depth on Mash Tactics
- EVE Online getting new launchers and missile effects
- This weekend on Twtich TV: 321Go Effect
- NES JAMS is a half-and-half blend of piano and chiptune
- Smithsonian's 'Art of Video Games' exhibit examined
- Friday Night Fights: Join us for an Xbox LIVE Playdate!
- Gettysburg: Armored Warfare comes to Steam on March 27
- Indie Royale bundles a selection of NinjaBee games
- First look at Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition for iPad
- Hot canoeing action in these Assassin's Creed III screens
- Nyan Cat Adventure nyans onto the App Store
- Silent Hill designer unimpressed by Silent Hill HD
| New Max Payne 3 video puts the submachine guns on display Posted: 23 Mar 2012 04:00 PM PDT
Like guns? Good, because Max Payne 3 has a ton of them. But you already knew that. Now, what sort of guns you ask? Well, good thing you asked because Rockstar has you covered. Today, they released a new trailer that shows off all the submachine guns you'll be using in Max's latest outing. The Micro 9mm, SAF .40, MPK, M972, and M10 each seem like tempting choices in their own right. I think I would personally have to go with the MPK because the trailer describes it as "damn reliable," and any claim like that has to be true, right? Not only that, but the MPK is the only SMG Rockstar featured as an interactive 3D render over on their site. What do you guys think? |
| New cinematic-centric Witcher 2 dev diary released Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PDT
CD Projekt is gearing up for the console release of The Witcher 2, and as a result, a series of development videos are being cast about the internet. The key focus of this week's flavor is the game's cinematics -- which includes a reminder that there's a new intro for the console version. |
| The DTOID Show: Dust 514, GTA V, and Adventure Time DS! Posted: 23 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT
Hey there! If you didn't catch today's Destructoid Show, Revision3's resident videogame hipster Anthony Carboni filled in for me alongside Max, while I was stuck at home sick. I'm disappointed I couldn't be there (especially when things got weird in the second half), but I can't exactly complain about getting to stay in and play Sine Mora all day. Anyway, female host or not, today's show was still chock full of good news. The boys showed off some of Assassin's Creed III's hot canoeing action and Dust 514's epic space shootouts, after which they gave a first look at Baldur's Gate on iPad and discussed the new Adventure Time game for DS. Also, Capcom seems to think Resident Evil 6 wouldn't sell as a survival horror, and GTA V may not be making it to GameStop this year.
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| Salem beta starts in April so let's burn a witch Posted: 23 Mar 2012 02:00 PM PDT
Free-to-play MMOs are a dime a dozen these days, so I wouldn't blame you if Salem had escaped your notice. It's a shame if it has, though. Set in a bizarre version of pilgrim-infested New England, this cute, gothic MMO gives players the task of etching out a living in the harsh wilderness of the New World. You can craft, farm and build using a system inspired by 17th century alchemy as well as fight all manner of beasties based on the folklore of the time. Paradox Interactive and the developer, Seatribe, have announced the Beta for the end of April. You can sign up now for a chance to take an early look. There's already been a bunch of videos and developer diaries which should give you a good idea what to expect, the latest one -- dealing with the wilderness -- went up today. While the presentation certainly makes it stand out, I'm more interested in the permadeath mechanics; something that has gone out of fashion in recent years, as pandering to player power fantasies has pushed survival and challenge out of the way. Although you can kill other players and even steal their gear from their yet to be cold corpses, there are repercussions for such actions. After spending far too many hours playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, I'm looking forward to trying something entirely different. |
| Next Mass Effect 3 patch to address face import issue Posted: 23 Mar 2012 01:00 PM PDT The known issue with importing a custom Commander Shepard into Mass Effect 3 from the prior installments is going to be addressed in the next patch for the game. BioWare isn't entirely sure when said fix will arrive, since the patch needs to go through certification first and that takes time. This is good news for latecomers to the series who won't have to go through a lengthy process when they finally make it to ME3, I suppose. Better late than never. Mass Effect 3 face import bug will be fixed in next patch [Joystiq] |
| Weekend PC download deals: Atari, Square Enix, Origin Posted: 23 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PDT So as Brett mentioned yesterday, Square Enix is having a sale on all its titles on Steam, with the Tomb Raider franchise as today's daily deal receiving a 75% discount. Jim Sterling has been overjoyed at the news that one of his favorite titles, Blood is half price along with a wealth of other Atari games at Good Old Games. Looking further afield, Origin is having a big 50% off spring sale on some of EA's big games and more; Battlefield 3, The Sims 3, Crysis 2 and NFS: The Run are all reduced to half price. Also included in the sale are some non-EA properties, like Batman: Arkham City, Gotham City Imposters, and Saints Row: The Third. Elsewhere, PC World has Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Saints Row: The Third reduced to £7.50 and £10, respectively. GamersGate is continuing its THQ sale with Darksiders reduced to £5 in today's daily deal. Once again, props to Simon Julian for his tireless work finding the bargains and if you've found a great deal on videogames online, pop it in the comments. The more the merrier! |
| Get a tattoo or mohawk from Ubisoft at PAX East Posted: 23 Mar 2012 11:00 AM PDT To promote Far Cry 3 at PAX East, Ubisoft is giving fans the opportunity to get a (totally real) tattoo or mohawk. As Hamza would say, this is happening "because videogames!" Suze from The Hourglass Tattoo Parlor will be at the show on Friday, April 6 to do designs based on the tribal tattoos in the game. Mohawks, on the other hand, are being offered throughout Saturday and Sunday. Those who sign up for either of these stunts will get a free tank top. I know you're waiting for me to say this is all a joke, but it's really not. Expect to see attendees getting haircuts on the show floor, and be sure to stare at them awkwardly. If you were just hoping to try out Far Cry 3, the multiplayer will be playable. |
| Live show: Exclusive early look at Depth on Mash Tactics Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:30 AM PDT We have a special edition Mash Tactics of shark punching proportions in store for you today. Alex Quick, who recently came by to play his game Killing Floor with King Foom and the viewers, is returning with his current project Depth. This ambitious, oceanic PvP game will pit treasure-hunting divers against sharks, with players taking control of both roles. Yes, really. You will be able to play as a damn flesh-chomping shark in this game. Mr. Quick will be giving the first ever public demonstration of real time gameplay from Depth live on Mash Tactics, which is remarkable considering that the game is still only in the pre-alpha phase. Foom will be playing the multiplayer with Mr. Quick and some of the other developers throughout the show, so don't miss the chance for this exclusive look at a truly unique title. Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4p.m. Pacific on Destructoid's Twitch TV channel. Watch King Foom play a variety of games, each day with its own theme. With a heavy focus on community and viewer interaction, you can be as much a part of the show as anything else.
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| EVE Online getting new launchers and missile effects Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PDT
The EVE Online team at the annual Fanfest event revealed today that spaceships will be getting all new launcher models and missile effects. This trailer debuted at the very end of the EVE keynote, and the fans loved it so much that they demanded it to be replayed immediately. The new effects look great, but I have to say how the Icelandic heavy metal song made the video just ten times more epic. I even think the metal song is saying "missile" as part of the theme. Anyway, EVE players can expect this new update very soon. We'll be bringing you more from Fanfest 2012 this weekend, including a extensive preview and videos on DUST 514. |
| This weekend on Twtich TV: 321Go Effect Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:45 AM PDT It's Friday again, which means it's time for me to break down for you the coming weekend of entertainment on Destructoid's Twitch.TV channel. I'm leaving Mash Tactics out of this one, as you can read all about the awesomeness occurring on today's show over here. Aside from that, we've got everything from Star Wars, to Joe & Mac, to Lethal Weapon coming at you over the next few days. Just in case you haven't had enough of the walking dead lately, we've got hordes to slaughter. Chill with Phil is finishing up Resident Evil 3 and then filling in the gaps with Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Following that, Substituted Reality is carrying the torch into some Left 4 Dead 2. And not to be outdone, Rad Show is going right back into Operation Raccoon City. You can calm your zombie-slaying nerves with conversational goodness between Sup Holmes with Canabalt creator Adam Atomic, and 321Go Cast spoiling the hell out of Mass Effect 3 with vixen Dtoider, Maya Kramer. Substituted Reality is Destructoid's only PC exclusive gaming show, hosted by lovably offbeat caster Awdamn and airing every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8p.m. Pacific. Tonight after Mash Tactics, Awdamn is dropping in to Star Wars: Republic Commando for old times' sake. Saturday will be enough Left 4 Dead 2 to make your Boomer blow. And Sunday is another trip into the role of Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Saturday Morning Hangover with Conrad Zimmerman and Jordan Devore airs from 10a.m. to 12p.m. PST. Come watch as they play the latest Xbox Live Indie Games demos for your enjoyment, and revel in the beauty of Conrad's mustache! This week, Conrad and Jordan will be dipping their toes into the retro pool with Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics. Hang out with Destructoid Contributors Brett Zeidler and Caitlin Cooke every Saturday at 12p.m. PST as they play through entire games with a focus on co-op. It’s a safe bet that Cait is probably going to get mad at Brett for everything at some point. This week, Brett and Cait hope to conquer the rest of Portal 2 co-op, including the Peer Review DLC. Should they succeed, they will be jumping into some Minecraft and probably grief each other to no end. Chill with Phil airs this and every Saturday at 4p.m. PST. Host Philanthr0py is continuing his full series playthrough of the Resident Evil franchise. This week, Phil is completing his therapy to cope with his fear of Nemesis by finishing Resident Evil 3. After that, Phil has decided to live out the experiences of Umbrella's Wolfpack team in Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City before leaving the old town in the dust forever. Sup Holmes is live talk show starring Destructoid editor Jonathan Holmes, airing every Sunday at 1p.m. PST. Every week, Sup Holmes features gaming industry professionals discussing the issues, and answering viewer questions. This Sunday, Holmes is joined by Adam Saltsman (Adam Atomic), creator of Canabalt, Gravity Hook, and FATHOM, to name just a few. 321Go Cast is Destructoid's live-recording community podcast about nothing, airing at 2p.m. PST and starring JohnnyViral, Pangloss, and Ryu89. This week, the guys are joined by old-school Dtoider, the sultry Maya Kramer, to talk in-depth about Mass Effect 3. They've done their best to hold out for a few weeks, but now the cast of 321Go is ready to go into the nitty gritty of the latest Mass Effect chapter. Be warned: there will be tons of SPOILERS! Super Fantastic Videogame Rad Show: Get There! starring Johnny Luchador and Bill Zoeker airs every Sunday at 4p.m. PST. Rad Show takes a light-hearted approach to gaming, with the guys usually focusing more on breaking games for ridiculous results than completing feats of skill. This week the guys are jumping on the meatwagon and playing Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Retroactive centers around the games of yesteryear. Every Sunday at 6p.m. PST, and Monday at 8p.m. PST, its host Crux adventures through nostalgic games on the consoles of his childhood. This Sunday, Crux isn't getting too old for old sh*t like Lethal Weapon on the SNES. But, just in case, Crux will be cleansing his palate Monday night with Jackal for NES. Catch all of Destructoid's live programming by following our channel on Twitch TV! |
| NES JAMS is a half-and-half blend of piano and chiptune Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:30 AM PDT You got chocolate in my peanut butter! Well, you got peanut butter in my chocolate! And this guy put piano arrangements in my NES music! Is nothing sacred anymore!? For the magical price of "whatever," you can grab a copy of Shnabubula's NES JAMS, a piano arrangement of NES tracks with chip sounds layered on top. Or is it a chiptune remix album with piano accompaniment? I can't decide! All I know is that it's 11 tracks of nostalgia-infused goodness that taps Mega Man, Contra, Little Nemo, and more. Just try to repress the memories of electric seaweed and ticking time bombs when you listen to Shnabubula's rendition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Underwater theme. NES JAMS [Bandcamp] (Thanks again, Paul!)
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| Smithsonian's 'Art of Video Games' exhibit examined Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PDT [Editor's note: Community member Jonathan Chang (Changston on the site!) visited the recent opening of the Smithsonian's new exhibit: The Art of Video Games. Here is his great write-up on the experience. -Chad] Games as art. It’s one of those sayings that gets tossed around so much that it’s lost its meaning, like truly immersive experience or one-to-one motion controls. Sure, there’s stuff out there that can breathe some life into the cliché, but more often than not, reading that phrase is more likely to make your eyeballs roll into the back of your head than focus them forward in rapt attention. However, on March 16, those three words rang true in Washington, DC, as the American Art Museum of the Smithsonian Institute unveiled “The Art of Video Games,” the first museum exhibit dedicated to treating video games as an art form. The debut kicked off with GameFest!, a weekend-long affair including panel discussions, distinguished guest speakers, and musical performances. I may have only been able to attend on Friday, but that day alone satisfied my videogame cravings. The opening room is the most traditional part of the exhibit, containing character sketches and stage designs of some of gaming’s most prominent characters and settings. Jim Sterling can find solace in knowing that vintage Sonic is well represented among the artwork. Also included in this room is one of my favorite parts of the exhibit: a three-panel video display that rotates through clips of different types of people playing all types of games. You never actually see the games themselves, but you can sometimes guess what they’re playing by how they move and react to the TV. Each person’s idiosyncrasies are captivating to watch, whether it’s a kid actively moving back and forth along with the controller, or a teenager suddenly shifting from an idle haze to a state of keen alertness. Moving on, you enter the interactive portion of the exhibit. Five different systems, each from a different era of video game history, are connected to their own projectors. This section is geared mostly towards gaming newcomers, as it includes titles that many gamers have stashed somewhere in their library: Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower. Seasoned veterans won’t get much enjoyment beyond the novelty of playing any of these games on a big screen, but they’ll probably smile to themselves when they see an eight-year-old kid eat his first 8-bit mushroom or yell in frustration that it was totally the arcade stick’s fault he got killed by Blinky. The exhibit’s last room is the star of the show: a comprehensive look at videogames dating back to the Atari 2600 and Colecovision. Hundreds of thousands of fans cast millions of votes to select the 80 games on display. Accompanying every entry is a brief narration explaining the game’s historical context, as well as how it contributed toward advancing the art form. Each of the 20 consoles lists four different titles belonging to one of four genres: action, target, adventure, and tactics. The exhibit aims to guide visitors in tracing the evolution of games by sticking with one of these fields and following it through the past 30-odd years. Is this exhibit going to give you some epiphany that changes the way you look at your favorite games? Probably not, and that’s a good thing. Chris Melissinos, the exhibit’s head curator, took a creative approach to videogame taxonomy, so I’m sure there will be nitpickers who bristle at seeing Portal labeled as an action game. But that’s okay. If he aimed to try and impress those of us who have been playing games since Clinton was president (and earlier), we’d end up with an insular and indecipherable mess of an exhibit. It would alienate the majority of the museum’s visitors and run counter to the Smithsonian’s mission statement: the increase and diffusion of knowledge. I saw a teenager and his mother standing in front of the Flower kiosk. Even though she was intimidated by the controller in her hands, she followed her son’s guidance, tilting the controller around, harnessing the wind, and gathering petals. I spoke with her a little bit after she finished playing, and she said that she was drawn to the game simply because she liked gardening. Sure, she could have followed the museum’s directions and figured out the game on her own, but her son took the time to show her how to play. In one of Friday’s panels, Kellee Santiago from thatgamecompany (which, coincidentally, made Flower) repeatedly said that she wants videogames to foster dialog. In the museum, you see teenagers enlightening their parents as to why they “waste their time” in virtual playgrounds. You see parents sharing childhood memories with their sons and daughters, showing them that games don’t need a glossy paint job or lifelike sound to be enjoyed. That kind of mutual understanding is the best result that Santiago could ask for. |
| Friday Night Fights: Join us for an Xbox LIVE Playdate! Posted: 23 Mar 2012 08:30 AM PDT In case you missed my announcement yesterday, Destructoid will be hosting a Community Playdate on Xbox LIVE on April 13! Conor Elsea, Abel Girmay, Brett Zeidler and myself will be representing the Dtoid staff for three hours of Battlefield 3 action, and we're looking for four community members to join us! To win a spot on Team Dtoid, simply join us for one of the Battlefield 3 matches being hosted tonight and show us what you got! My minions and I will be monitoring your scores, playstyles, and preferred classes throughout the night in an effort to pick the best of the best, so don't f*ck around! Hit the jump for more info! New to FNF? Read this! Each week, a bunch of us Dtoiders get together to play videogames online! It's a 100% community-run event, so feel free to join in or even host something yourself! The planning for FNF starts in the forums, where community members volunteer to host matches and post their pertinent details (game, time, Gamertag, etc.). Then, every Friday, reminder posts go up in the community blogs followed by a recap post here on the front page for last-minute planning. To join in, simply send a friend request to the match host! (Don't forget to say you're from Dtoid!) If you'd rather host something yourself, sound off in the comments section below! We hope to see you online! Tonight's Games:
Hit up Steamtoid to see if there's anything going on! Tonight's Games:
Check out the 360 FNF blog for more info! Tonight's Games:
Check out the PS3 FNF blog for more info! Tonight's Games:
Check out the FNF thread in our forums for more info! Tonight's Games:
Check out the FNF thread in our forums for more info! Tonight's Games:
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| Gettysburg: Armored Warfare comes to Steam on March 27 Posted: 23 Mar 2012 08:00 AM PDT It says something about Gettysburg: Armored Warfare that while I'll probably never play it myself, I can get enjoyment from the game simply knowing that such a thing exists. This alternate-reality take on the Civil War is full of zeppelins and dudes with miniguns; I'd be dead on the inside if that didn't make me happy. The premise is set against a real-time strategy backdrop in which you can jump down to the troop level for third-person shooter gameplay. Knowing this and that servers handle up to 64 players and 1,000 controllable units has me eager to see highlights on YouTube. Paradox says Gettysburg will be available on Steam and elsewhere for PCs on March 27. There's also a website to check out for the time being. |
| Indie Royale bundles a selection of NinjaBee games Posted: 23 Mar 2012 07:30 AM PDT Xbox Live Arcade sure has grown immensely. If you were into it shortly after the Xbox 360 launched, you'll likely recognize NinjaBee as a familiar face. Cloning Clyde and Outpost Kaloki were some of the first games I remember putting on my hard drive -- right up there with Hexic HD. All these years later, you now have the opportunity to get many of the studio's titles in a PC bundle for practically nothing. For less than $4, the Ninja Lighting Pack includes Ancients of Ooga, Cloning Clyde, A Kingdom for Keflings, Outpost Kaloki, and Band of Bugs. |
| First look at Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition for iPad Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:30 AM PDT When it was announced that Baldur's Gate was getting an enhanced edition courtesy of Overhaul Games, we broke out the champagne and didn't look back. We're a rather excitable bunch, after all. The news of this expanded version coming to iPad slipped by undetected until now, but rest assured, we've got confetti. The blog post detailing this doesn't offer much insight outside of a vague description of what's included -- the "Tales of the Sword Coast" expansion and never-before-seen content (a new adventure and party member) -- but there are a handful of images. Take a look and try not to pump yourself up too much, if at all possible; the game isn't coming to the App Store until this summer. |
| Hot canoeing action in these Assassin's Creed III screens Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT It wasn't until plot details for Assassin's Creed III started appearing that it hit me how much I need to kick the series out of my backlog with a week-long marathon session. All Games Beta has come across even more screenshots of the game and they have me completely sold on the concept of lurking around in the woods. How does the cityscape look to you? Some concern was voiced initially about how vertical the towns would be given the time period. Seems to me like there will still be plenty of opportunities for mayhem. |
| Nyan Cat Adventure nyans onto the App Store Posted: 23 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PDT Xbox Live Indie title Nyan Cat Adventure is now available for iOS. A free version gives you the basic "Party" mode and the traditional Nyan Cat to play with, while the $0.99 version gives you more Nyans and more modes. I gave it a spin to see what has changed from 21st Street Games' XBLIG version, and to see whether or not it still induces seizures on the smaller screen real estate.
Nyan Cat Adventure is best described as an endless runner meets Techno Kitten Adventure meets acid. Like 21st Street Games' other cat game, you try to survive for as long as possible while guiding your character though a horizontal stretch filled with enough background craziness to instantly lead to an attention deficit. The main attraction, gameplay-wise, is Party mode, which changes the gameplay as you progress. Sometimes you just tap to jump over obstacles, sometimes you tap to change your Nyan's gravity a la Jetpack Joyride's Gravity Boots, and at other times you'll either tap and hold to fly or tap to boost from toaster to toaster. In the full version, you can choose these different individual types of play by selecting their respective modes. Being a high score game, you can collect points and multipliers throughout the one level on offer if you care to. Health pickups can replenish hearts you might lose when you hit spikes, while invincibility works as advertized. As an endless runner type of game, Nyan Cat Adventure doesn't really do anything new when it comes to its core gameplay, but that's not really the appeal of the game. The real appeal comes from the drug-fueled pills which create effects to bombard your eyes with enough flash to either make you stare at the screen, fall on the ground foaming at the mouth, or go "Whoa" in a Keanu Reeves fashion -- depending on your drug of choice. The screen can start to flicker, grow larger and smaller like the Rise of the Triads shroom effect, feature a seizure-inducing background, or shake twitchingly as you try to keep track of your Nyan. Suffice it to say, you'll need a good dose of "mental state enhancers" to experience it to its fullest (I played it sober for what it's worth). The main difference between the iOS and XBLIG versions are the amount of Nyans you can play with. Afro Nyan, Taco Dog Nyan, Game Boy Nyan; there is no shortage of Nyans to be sure. Their appeal is aesthetic and they don't change the gameplay, so if you already own the XBLIG version, there's little incentive to buy the full iOS version. Having said that, the smaller screen doesn't impact the effects at all; your eyes will still be glued to the screen as you feel parts of your brain's higher functions slowly being sucked into the game. Nyan Cat Adventure is a cute and imperfect little game which you'll whip out after a night of clubbing, just to observe the face of whoever you hand it to, or whenever Netflix is buffering your stoner movie of choice. |
| Silent Hill designer unimpressed by Silent Hill HD Posted: 23 Mar 2012 05:00 AM PDT Silent Hill HD Collection has left fans highly unsatisfied, riddled as it is with bugs and shoddy visual updates. One man in particular seems to have a low opinion of the graphical "improvements" to the games, and his opinion is worth noting -- he's Masahiro Ito, the art director for the first three Silent Hill games. Ito was shown some comparison shots of the old and new games on Twitter, and he was pretty unimpressed. You can see the screens in the attached gallery, where the notable lack of fog reveals unfinished portions of the environment. "Left side is HD, isn't it? It's poor," he stated. "... It's really a released version? Really?" When informed that the screenshot was indeed from the final retail copy, his reaction was pretty self-explanatory. He simply exclaimed, "OMG!!!!" He would then go on to say that Konami did not have to release a version in that condition, further expressing his surprise at the port job. I beat Silent Hill 2 last night and had more audio flubs, not to mention the graphics during the boat ride sequence are borderline disgusting. I've only just started Silent Hill 3, and I'm dreading what I might find. What truly sucks is that the games themselves are still utterly wonderful experiences. Konami just totally dropped the ball, as it seems to have been doing consistently for the past few years. [Thanks, Levit0!] |
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