Thursday, December 15, 2016

News:: Indie RPG Rakuen is nearing release

Laura Shigihara is a composer, singer, and pianist, a triple threat best known for her work on the ending song from Plants Vs. Zombies. She not only wrote the song, she performed as the lead vocalist, providing the voice of the Sunflower. She's worked on several other games and has provided music and voice work for titles like World of Warcraft and To the Moon. If you've seen any of her other videos though, it's pretty clear she associates most with the Sunflower.

Her most recent project has been working on an indie role playing game called Rakuen, and it's been in development for about four years. There are two interconnected plot threads. The main story follows a young boy confined to a hospital bed who finds escape through the fantasy stories his mother reads to him. He learns more about the other people in the hospital as the game progresses. The second lets the boy explore his favorite story, which tells of a tribe who sailed to a paradise called Rakuen, leaving behind one of their own.

Shigihara composed over 50 new tracks for the game, but this time she's also doing design, story, programming, and pixel characters. She's assisted by Emmy Toyonaga and Matt Holmberg, who's worked on games like Peggle and Chrono Trigger. It's been in development for a long time, but it appears it'll be out sooner rather than later.

Everything about Rakuen looks ridiculously cute, though it appears that the story may take a dark turn or two along the way. The gameplay sounds like it takes cues from adventure games, and the Rakuen website says that you'll focus on solving puzzles and mysteries rather than combat. It's hard to say, but this one might end up being popular with the same group that made Undertale such a success last year.

Rakuen just got a Steam page and should be released in early 2017. The soundtrack is finished and will be available January 22.

Indie RPG Rakuen is nearing release screenshot

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News:: New game from fan-made Resident Evil 2 remake team looks pretty dull

Some of you may remember Resident Evil 2: Reborn, a fan remake of Resident Evil 2 developed for Unreal Engine 4 by indie outfit Invader Studios. The project was shut down after Capcom announced an official Resident Evil 2 remake, which is likely the best possible ending to that story.

Invader Studios disagrees. Recently, the company announced Daymare: 1998, a Resident Evil 2-inspired survival horror game. It looks like a more polished version of its RE2 trailer, but that might be the only notch in its favor. There's no denying that it makes full use of the UE4 engine, with its deep shadows and vibrant lighting, so on that count you're getting exactly what it says on the tin. If this was an audition for the developers to get jobs at larger studios, then it would be a slam dunk.

But this proof of concept gameplay trailer looks pretty weak, promising toothless jump scares and an unkillable enemy that looks more like a generically nasty creature from that remake of The Thing rather than an iconic foe in the vein of Nemesis or Pyramid Head. There are fuses, keycards, strangely clean apocalypse graffiti, a pre-mortem diary page with a bunch of helpful Tipz 'n' Trickz for dealing with the zombies for "whoever finds this note" -- so far, it looks like Daymare has everything you expect but nothing you might want.

(Also, just an aside while we're on the topic of the diary page -- the zombies are weak to water?? The game is set in the Pacific Northwest -- as anybody who's been to a PAX West will gladly tell you, that part of the United States is wet as hell. Even when it's not actively raining, there's a constant mist in the air. Will the game have Bizarro Dying Light sequences, where it rains and the zombies get really weak? Hell, people are 70% water, are we basically walking kryptonite?)

The press release mentions something about a Kickstarter -- if you're absolutely dying for a game like this and the official Resident Evil 2 remake is too far away, I guess this could work out for you. From where I stand, I know I don't want to spend my limited time on Earth luring a big monster from one end of a map to another so I can grab a keycard.

New game from fan-made Resident Evil 2 remake team looks pretty dull screenshot



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News:: Battlezone is going old-school with Classic mode

With its too-high price out of the gate, Battlezone has become something of an underappreciated gem in the PlayStation VR lineup. It doesn't help that you really need three players if not a full four-person group to get the most out it. But if you can manage that, it's exhilarating and tense as hell.

Rebellion is about to add a "Classic" mode with the wireframe vector aesthetic and optional old-school tank controls as a way to get more eyes on this game. Hope it works! The update lands on December 20, for free, and the studio is also "adding new missions, levels, and a game codex."

If you're wondering why the tank's interior was left detailed and modern looking, that decision was presumably made out of necessity. The cockpit has a lot of critical information built into its design (it acts as your HUD), so screwing with that too much would have turned out badly.

According to Rebellion, "you can drive towards the volcano for as long as you like, but you'll still never get any closer... or will you?" Sly nod to the original arcade game.

Battlezone is going old-school with Classic mode screenshot

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News:: Tabletop RPG based on Simon Stalenhag's work gets Kickstarted

Last night, the Kickstarter for a physical version of the upcoming Tales from the Loop tabletop RPG blew past its funding goal and every one of its stretch goals, earning just under $400,000 USD. Tales from the Loop is based on the universe of the same name from artist Simon Stålenhag. The Loop world, as depicted in Stålenhag's paintings, is best described as Norman Rockwell meets the lived-in-near-future of the film Looper.

Although the RPG was funded as a stretch goal for an earlier Stålenhag-centric Kickstarter, this campaign's primary goal was a physical Tales from the Loop book, with your usual stretch goals. Each stretch goal was met, unlocking additional content for the core book, Tales from the Loop-themed dice, an expansion based on Stålenhag's Tales from the Flood follow-up, and an included ambient soundtrack composed by Simon Stålenhag.

Tales from the Loop will be based on Mutant: Year Zero, the previous tabletop game from Free League Publishing. Like Year Zero, players will have to roll three six-sided dice and add the respective bonus -- one for gear, one for skills, one for attributes -- with at least one six required for success. 

The Kickstarter page cites Stranger Things as an inspiration (because it's 2016 and everyone's heard of that show, right?), setting the game in the suburbs of an alternate-universe 1980s, where teens will solve mysteries while also trying to live normal lives as schoolchildren. Although the game's standard campaign is set in Sweden (Free League is an international offshoot of a Swedish book and game publisher and Stålenhag's work is set in the Mälaröarna Islands), there will be a US-based setting if American players want to set their campaign a little closer to home.

[Full disclosure: I backed this Kickstarter so we could have access to the beta PDF and the forthcoming printed books. Also, I got a poster because my walls are bare aside from these worthless pieces of soundproof foam. It will literally never affect my coverage of the game because I'm an adult, but transparency never hurts.]

Tabletop RPG based on Simon Stalenhag's work gets Kickstarted screenshot



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News:: Subnautica's new update awakens ancient alien technology

With a name like "Precursors," you should know not to trifle with them. But this is Subnautica, a game about poking around an alien ocean and generally not minding your own business. If there's dormant deep-sea technology to disturb and wild mysteries to uncover, rest assured, you're on the case.

Unknown Worlds' latest update for the game, available now on Steam, is "chock full of new secrets to unravel. Previously, you may have noticed strange, high-tech cubes – or bases – placed throughout the world. Now, these unusual objects come to life as someone (or something) flips the switch. Dive deep into the story of Subnautica and discover more answers and more questions."

Subnautica's new update awakens ancient alien technology screenshot

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News:: Night in the Woods sure knows how to put a trailer together

Night in the Woods, the character-centric adventure from Infinite Fall, shows superbly in trailers. Those color choices alone (0:47)! Man. It's been a good long while since I've had a video to pore over, so this one -- potentially the last, in light of the title's impending January 10 release -- is a treat.

"This thing is jam packed but isn't even anywhere close to everything in the game," noted the creators in a Kickstarter update. "We made a big game. ENJOY."

Night in the Woods sure knows how to put a trailer together screenshot



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News:: 'Battlezone' Classic Mode fulfills the promise of '80s VR

It's been 36 years since Atari released Battlezone and effectively created the first-person shooter in the process. The game's immersive periscope viewer and vector graphics influenced decades of game design and provided arcade goers with an early glimpse of what a virtual reality world could look like. While we've argued here that Battlezone's PSVR reboot is the ultimate fan service and a great first leap into VR gaming, it was still missing one key thing: the old-school, glowing green cathode-ray tube vibe of the original. That'll change next week, when Rebellion Studios adds a free Classic Mode update as their "faithful homage" to the title that arguably started it all.

Source: PlayStation Blog



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News:: BioShock 1 and 2 are a bit smoother using backward compatibility

Backward compatibility on Xbox One often turns out to be the best way to experience 360 titles. Any form of screen tearing is removed and framerates tend to be more consistent throughout. There are definitely some notable exceptions to that (Halo: Reach required a patch before running correctly), but the improved playability in most titles is a nice bonus for anyone with older discs laying around.

Since the BioShock trilogy was made available through backward compatibility this week, naturally tests were going to be run to see how much better the performance would be over the original hardware.

BioShock 1 and 2 are a bit smoother using backward compatibility screenshot

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News:: Planet Coaster has a big free winter update

Winter levels are some of my favorite themed levels in video games. Don't get me wrong, I could go the rest of my life without ever setting foot in snow again, and that'd be a life well lived. But in games? The sights and sounds are whimsical, and the snow remains permanently white. It's fantastic!

Having that sentiment is probably for the best this time of year. Between Overwatch, and Hitman, and a dozen other games I'm blanking on right now, the holiday cheer is in full effect.

Frontier Developments is catching up with the season this week in Planet Coaster. There's a free winter update out now, and it's much more than just some nice-looking decorations to spruce up the place.

Planet Coaster has a big free winter update screenshot

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News:: Toukiden 2 settles on a spring 2017 release in the West

Oni hunter Toukiden 2 will come to North America and Europe in spring 2017. This is good!

Curiously, though, Koei Tecmo isn't specifying which platforms it's targeting for the Western release. This is less good! Realistically, PlayStation 4 has to be a sure bet here. The Japanese release of Toukiden 2 also saw PS3 and PS Vita versions, but you know how these situations can go for the Vita (not well).

Toukiden 2 settles on a spring 2017 release in the West screenshot

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News:: Catch up on Snack World, Level-5's latest attempt at world domination

Level-5 is once again trying its hand in a "cross-media" series, where they attempt to corner as many markets as possible to get people interested in something. They did that with Yo-Kai Watch, which enjoyed a hefty amount of sales in Japan on 3DS, as well as the mobile, toy, and television industry.

Snack World is next up on the docket, and after weeks of radio silence about it, we now have a new trailer and re-confirmation of its "Jara" toys, which will add things like weapons into the game. It's still slated for an April release on mobile and July target on 3DS.

Catch up on Snack World, Level-5's latest attempt at world domination screenshot

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News:: Then and now: Dragon Quest

[LaTerry thinks back on what Dragon Quest used to be and how it's grown to be one of his most enduring favorites. It doesn't generate as much buzz in the West as Final Fantasy but damn is it not just a stalwart franchise of JRPGs. Want to see yourself up here? Try your hand at this month's bloggers wanted prompt, special little places! ~Strider]

It should come as no surprise to anyone reading that I kind of like dragons a bit. Just a little. It's a mild obsession that I have. I'm not sure which came first, my love for dragons, or my love for Dragon Quest. The two seem to feed off of each other in an upward spiral. I love the Dragon Quest series; it is my favorite group of video games out there.

Then and now: Dragon Quest screenshot

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News:: Fallout themed level, costumes coming to Minecraft

Mojang has just revealed the latest mash-up that's coming to Minecraft, following the China pack -- Fallout. Like all mash-ups it'll feature new textures, costumes, and most importantly -- a pre-build sandbox with loose objectives to complete, like a mini-campaign.

You can see all sorts of landmarks in the below trailer, including Tenpenny Tower and Nuketown. Given the recent move of Fallout into more creative territory with settlements, this feels like a natural fit. It'll drop "soon," on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Wii U for $5.99.

Fallout Mash-Up Pack [Minecraft]

Fallout themed level, costumes coming to Minecraft screenshot

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News:: School Girl Zombie Hunter English trailer suggests localization, but is absolutely NSFW

The only thing that irritates me more than changing iconic hats is when in zombie-related media people refuse to refer to them as just "zombies." No, they have to try ever so hard to avoid the term, preferring phrases like "those...those...things!" or "creatures." Rather than the desired effect of immersing us into the world more, this dedicated eschewal of the term conversely takes me out of the story completely. We all know what zombies are; it's too ingrained in our society, so it's just ridiculous to see people in media based on the real world pretend to not know what's happening. That's one problem we won't have to roll our eyes over in the lewd School Girl Zombie Hunter thankfully.

Not only do the girls call the zombies what they are, but they have even given them a cute nickname: zom-zoms. Add that to the official list of walking dead nicknames, right next to zombugs, zombos, and Pokémon GO players.

School Girl Zombie Hunter English trailer suggests localization, but is absolutely NSFW screenshot

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News:: Did you miss any of those free Ubisoft games? They're all available through the weekend

Throughout the year Ubisoft has been running a celebration of sorts, where you can pick up any combination of seven games -- Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Rayman Origins, The Crew, Beyond Good and Evil, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, and Assassin's Creed III.

The catch? You need to sign up and go through Uplay to get them. If you're willing to tough it out (the interface isn't the issue, it's when it doesn't let you into your games that it starts to get annoying), you can actually get all of the above for free starting today.

Just log in and claim the bundle -- that's it. You have until December 18 to click a button.

Ubisoft 30 [Ubisoft]

Did you miss any of those free Ubisoft games? They're all available through the weekend screenshot



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News:: Nintendo: Quit cranking it to Super Mario Run and buy some other Marios too

The very first hint for Nintendo's new cell phone game, Super Mario Run, is that you can play one-handed. It's been a major part of the marketing, too. Here's Shigeru Miyamoto playing Super Mario Run while eating a large cake, from last week.

And while the slogan is surely meant to communicate the ease of use and appeal to average mobile game players, folks of the online are liable to do more than eat cake while Super Mario Run-ing, unless by "eat cake" you mean "crank your genitals," which I do, always. As Marie Antoinette famously did not say: "Let them pull pud."

Anyways, Nintendo of America wants you to know that once you, uh, finish with Super Mario Run, you may go download -- two-handedly -- other, older Mario games, which are currently being sold at a discount.

Presumably you are NOT allowed to jack off to these Mario games.

Nintendo: Quit cranking it to Super Mario Run and buy some other Marios too screenshot



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News:: Ashley Burch, Toby Fox and Mike Z join the Profound Waste of Time team

[Undertale art by Gigi D.G.]

A Profound Waste of Time is fully funded, with less than 48 hours left on Kickstarter, but instead of announcing stretch goals, campaign runner and long time Dtoid community member Caz has elected to add all new writers to the magazine free of charge! First up is Toby Fox, who will be collaborating with EarthBound Localization Director Marcus Lindblom in some mysterious capacity. The notoriously enigmatic Undertale creator is a rare sight indeed. No one knows what he'll come up with, especially Toby! 

Next is Mike Zaimont (AKA Mike Z) designer at Lab Zero (Skullgirls, Indivisible) and legendary Super Metroid speedrunner. If he applies the same meticulous care to his prose that he exercises in analyzing and crafting games with amazing underlying mechanics and systems, then we're sure to have a barn burner on our hands. 

Last but not least is the one and only Ashly Burch. Ash got her start here on Destructoid writing and starring in Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin', before going on to lend her voice to Borderlands 2, Attack on TitanAdventure Time, and many other things. She's also a writer on Adventure Time, in both TV and comic book form. Seeing her name alongside Toby, Mike, and all previously reported A Profound Waste of Time contributors feels awfully great, but they make a tough act to follow should Caz and his team ever get together for a second issue. 

Ashley Burch, Toby Fox and Mike Z join the Profound Waste of Time team screenshot



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News:: Pokemon Go was the most searched term on Google this year

Odds are, you know someone who has played Pokemon Go. I mean, you might not have partaken in the craze, but you probably caught a co-worker who doesn't know their Pichu from Pikachu playing it, trying to make sense of it all.

Google backs up the phenomenon claim, as it was the top overall global search this year, above the iPhone 7, Donald Trump, Prince, and Powerball. Google even has a weird depressing video to showcase 2016, and reminds us that 2017 can't come soon enough.

It was kind of the perfect storm for Pokemon this year, with an anniversary and mainline 3DS game in addition to Go. It may never be topped!

Google's Year in Search [Google]

Pokemon Go was the most searched term on Google this year screenshot

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News:: Nintendo Switch patent filing hints at potential for VR

Nintendo might have some big surprises in store when it sheds more light on the Switch game console in January. NeoGAF forum member Rösti has noticed a slew of just-published patent applications for the hybrid system, and one of them hints that the Switch might have virtual reality support. Effectively, it would turn the Switch into a larger-than-usual Daydream View or Gear VR -- you'd slot it into a headset and use the console's detachable controllers to play. Suddenly, Nintendo's misgivings over VR seem like temporary roadblocks.

Via: NeoGAF

Source: USPTO



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News:: Watch Kiryu and Majima rough up some thugs in this Yakuza 0 trailer

I'm in love with the Yakuza series; I don't think that can be stated enough. If you'd like to know one of the reasons why, just watch the new trailer for Yakuza 0.

Along with being awesome, the trailer showcases the different fighting styles that main characters Kiryu Kazuma and Majima Goro have at their disposal. Oddly enough, not many of the series' signature "heat" actions are shown off. I'm guessing that would spoil some of the fun, seeing as how the games have gotten progressively more ridiculous with how over the top the violence is.

My favorite "heat" action has to be from Yakuza 5 where the heavyweight character, Saejima Taiga, turns an enemy into a snowman.

Watch Kiryu and Majima rough up some thugs in this Yakuza 0 trailer screenshot

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News:: Final Fantasy Awakening is available in China

Final Fantasy Awakening is nearly out...in China. Yep, it's another one of Square Enix's hair-brained mobile schemes. This one is based off of Final Fantasy Type-0, which seemed to do well enough for itself to warrant a main entry, a remake, and now this spinoff, even if it doesn't use the "Type-0" name.

It's set in the same world, and features online multiplayer components and naturally, microtransactions. If you're keen on trying out the beta on iOS and have access to a Chinese account, you can do so now. An Android version is also available on the Google Play storefront.

Final Fantasy Awakening [iOS]

Final Fantasy Awakening is available in China screenshot

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News:: ARK's newest experience foregoes survival for a Jurassic Park petting zoo

Dinosaurs seem like they can be a ferocious lot, all teeth and claws and roars. We have the luxury of not really having to prevent them from, you know, killing us. If dinosaurs start roaming the earth again, we probably have to worry about dinosaurs but we also have to worry about something even more important that caused them to come back. Our attention, for the time being, is better focused on more plausible concerns.

But, we can still share a digital space with dinosaurs. People have been doing that for a year-and-a-half now in ARK: Survival Evolved. A new experience takes the danger out of those up-close encounters.

ARK Park is a Jurassic Park-esque virtual reality petting zoo. It's coming to Oculus Rift, Vive, and PlayStation VR sometime in 2017. ARK Park is being developed by Snail Games with ARK-proper developer Studio Wildcard acting as a creative consultant.

Check out the above-embedded trailer for a glimpse at exactly what ARK Park is going to be; check out the below-embedded video for what I think about every single time news about ARK pops up.

ARK's newest experience foregoes survival for a Jurassic Park petting zoo screenshot

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News:: Nominees for Destructoid's Best 3DS Game of 2016

Big budget console role-playing games can take forever to release and be huge events; take Final Fantasy XV's ten-year development as an example. But on the humble 3DS, great RPGs show up every few months. Of our nine favorite 3DS games this year, no less than five are epic tales about making numbers pop out of monsters' heads.

That's not all the 3DS had to offer in 2016. We've got a hack and slash, a platformer, an adventure game, and a rhythm game thrown into the mix as well. Though it might be winding down soon with the Nintendo Switch incoming, the 3DS had a heck of a year.

Here are Destructoid's nominees for Best 3DS Game of 2016...

Nominees for Destructoid's Best 3DS Game of 2016 screenshot

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News:: Final Fantasy XV's first paid DLC will feature Gilgamesh

As a very minor spoiler, remember when Gladio goes off for a hot second to do his own thing in Final Fantasy XV, then promptly returns? That's the basis for the first DLC.

As we already knew Gladio is the focus, and each DLC will in turn focus on the other party members, but according to a special edition book that was given out post-release, it will in fact deal with his time apart from the main crew, and will run concurrently with the campaign. It'll also feature new areas, and although he hasn't been confirmed as a boss fight, Gilgamesh is in.

As long as the pandering is light, and there's a somewhat new take on the character, I'm in. The idea of having wildly different character-centric DLCs reminds me of something out of BioWare's book.

Final Fantasy 15’s first story DLC will bring back a classic FF villain, feature all new areas [VG24/7]

Final Fantasy XV's first paid DLC will feature Gilgamesh screenshot

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News:: The mysterious existential dread of Krillbite's 'Mosaic'

Adrian Husby and Martin Kvale have been working together since 2011, when they were finishing up their bachelor degrees in Norway. That's when they began conceptualizing Among the Sleep, a surreal first-person horror game that puts players in the shoes of a toddler, waddling around a suburban house at night as stranger and stranger things creep through the floorboards. With their studio, Krillbite, they released Among the Sleep in 2014. It was a hit, selling well across PC and consoles, and garnering a handful of awards.

Today, Husby and Kvale are hard at work on their new project, Mosaic. It's a mysterious, atmospheric game that retains Krillbite's trademark creepy vibe. They only want to tease Mosaic for now; they don't want to give too much away before its expected release on PC and PlayStation 4 in late 2017. As they attempt to describe Mosaic while maintaining its mystery, Husby and Kvale play off of each other as old friends do.



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News:: Cast aside your anime prejudice, Blue Reflection looks crazy fun

Have you ever worried about games not being localized or not featuring enough women? Gust has you covered; nearly every Gust title has been localized in the West and they all feature a mostly female cast. The Atelier series is Gust's bread and butter miso soup and rice, which are basically role-playing games about cute girls doing cute things including magic and alchemy. However, Gust's newest magical anime girl RPG conjures a different vibe.

Blue Reflection: Sword of the Girl Who Dances in Illusions (unofficial translation) is a "heroic RPG" set to release in Japan on March 30, 2017 for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. Similar to the Persona series, you will attend Hoshinomiya Girls High School and form relationships with not only your party members but also with 12 female classmates. The interaction between the students is the focus of the game as the narrative is themed on social connections and "human essence." As such, the story will take on a more serious, even dramatic, tone when compared with the lighthearted adventures of the Atelier girls.

Cast aside your anime prejudice, Blue Reflection looks crazy fun screenshot

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