Sega's Virtual-On Set for Re-release on XBLA

The popular Sega arcade mech fighter series is finally set to release on current-gen consoles in the form of an Xbox Live Arcade re-lease of the arcade/Dreamcast hit, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram. The last game in the series, Virtual-On Marz, was released on the PS2 in 2003 with very poor reviews. However, Oratorio Tangram is considered one of the best in the series and probably the reason it was chosen for release over its predecessor.

I have not had a chance to play Oratorio Tangram, but the original Virtual-On on the Sega Saturn was a pure blast to play. I am not generally a fan of mech games, but the arcade feel and overall gameplay was really fun. I have played other series like Armored Core, but it felt more technical and sim-like. In Virtual-On, you take control of a mech called a Virtuaroid, with different models featuring different special attacks, abilities, modes, weapons, and other differences. Gameplay mechanics are similar to other mech fighting games, with the ability to dash, crouch, side-step, and other techniques available.

Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram will release on Xbox 360 "exclusively" this Spring, with the high-def re-release bringing online multiplayer for one-on-one matches, a single player mode, and a score attack mode with 14 stages.


Source: Kotaku

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Rock Band Statistics Breakdown

Harmonix has successfully managed to transform Rock Band into a great music platform, with just about 600 songs already available across all games, track packs, and downloadable content. While Activision is choosing to spam the Guitar Hero name by saturating the market with incremental releases, Harmonix has been diligent in weekly song releases and making disc-based track packs available as an alternative.

Pwn or Die has a great article featuring graphs that break down where songs come from, dominant genres, difficulty levels, and much more. It's interesting to analyze the data and look for trends or patterns in how Harmonix chooses the type of songs to release. I certainly don't mind the difficulty imbalance, but I hope they start to even out genre and decade song distribution in the future.

Whatever they're doing, I hope they keep doing it because it's working. Only Harmonix could make Snoop Dogg, the Dixie Chicks, and the Beatles make sense all under one roof.

Source: Pwn or Die

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New Dragon Ball Kai Brings Remastered 'Director's Cut' of DBZ

Since Dragon Ball Z first became popular in the US around the late '90s, the series has been constantly teased for its numerous fights, drawn-out battle scenes, and endless filler episodes that did very little to contribute to the story. Toei Animation is changing all of this with an original cut edition called Dragon Ball Kai that more closely follows Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's original manga story. Due to both the DBZ manga and anime being serialized simultaneously in monthly versus weekly installments, the anime added additional story arcs and stretched out battles to follow the same schedule. Dragon Ball Kai will instead more closely follow the manga and feature a more succinct story pace.

Dragon Ball Kai will also feature a new HD remasterng from the original film source as well as renewed soundtracks, sound effects, and new dialogue recorded by the majority of the original Japanese voice actors. While FUNimation released a remastered version of DBZ on DVD, this will be the most definitive version of the series yet. There was a lot of filler that really bogged the series down, so this new edition should please plenty.

Both critics and fans alike should find a lot to like in DBK when it starts airing in Japan starting April 5. No word yet about US licensing for DVD distribution or TV airings.


Source: Anime News Network

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Activision Doesn't Need A Hero

Activision simply doesn't understand. Rather than follow in the footsteps of Harmonix's great work, they instead choose to saturate the market with new games that feature little improvement or changes besides a new track list. Outside of the previously announced Guitar Hero Metallica set for release this month, Activision has already announced Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits for a June 2009 release. GH: GH is a collection of 48 tracks from their previous four titles retooled for band play. Another sequel to their Guitar Hero DS series is set to also release in June called Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits. This is also nothing more than another game with a new setlist of 25 songs.

Besides officially releasing three GH titles this year, Eurogamer reports Activision's plans for a handful of more new "Hero" titles set to release this year. Hard Rock Van Halen (August), Guitar Hero 5 (possibly a working title - September), DJ Hero (October), Band Hero (November), as well as another title in their GH DS series is rumored to be in production. DJ Hero has been unofficially confirmed, but the others are still up in the air. There are also reports of Activision registering Sing Hero as a trademark.

I just hope more people continue to realize the exploitative tactics and inferior products Activision is putting out versus Harmonix's Rock Band platform. With The Beatles: Rock Band set to come out in September, I'm more excited about that than any of the Guitar Hero games. I think their cash cow is going to run dry before they're done milking it.


Source: Eurogamer

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Batman: Arkham Asylum Captures the Essence of the Mythos

There have been a lot of terrible Batman games over the years. Last year's LEGO Batman was actually one of the few ray of lights for the series, but Rocksteady Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive seek to change that with Batman: Arkham Asylum. Unrelated to the graphic novel of the same name, the game features some well-known figures in the Batman universe, including long-time comic book writer Paul Dini handling the story. Voice actors Kevin Conroy (Batman), Mark Hamill (Joker), and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn) will be providing voice over for the game, whom have become the definitive voices for the characters from the '90s cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series. Arkham Asylum takes place in the insane asylum of the same name, in which Batman has to regain control of the facility after Joker escapes and wreaks havoc by releasing all of the prisoners.

Stylistically, the designs aren't based off of any specific Batman time period and the game will utilize Unreal Engine 3. The gameplay is one of the most exciting things about the game. Rocksteady sought out to make this game truly stand on its own by providing fun gameplay regardless of the property it's based upon. You will utilize all of Batman's skills such as detective work for puzzles, stealth, melee combat with an RPG-like progression system, and using various gadgets to facilitate any of your needs. I'm definitely excited about this game, as no other Batman title has managed to truly capture the feel and spirit of Batman or Gotham City. Having figures like Paul Dini and Kevin Conroy will insure the presentation's quality while hopefully Rocksteady can deliver in the gameplay department.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is set to release on June 9, 2009 on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows. Check out MTV's exclusive new trailer after the break.

MTV Shows

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Atlus Online Announces MMORPG Neo Steam

Atlus is well-known for great Japanese RPG games like the Shin Megami Tensei series, but their new focus on uniting their community has led to the creation of a new online division and web portal. The first title announced under this division is the free-to-play MMORPG, Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent. While another MMORPG, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, has previously been released in conjunction with Aeria Games & Entertainment and currently in open beta, Neo Steam is the first title to be primarily handled by Atlus and looks to possibly be a true competitor in the genre.

Neo Steam is one of the few free MMOs to try and provide a high-quality alternative to World of Warcraft. It is set to feature full 3D graphics, a steampunk-inspired theme and story, extensive customization, a pet system, and robust PVP combat between rivaling nations, the technological Rogwel and the magical Elerd. I have tried other free MMOs, but this one sounds most promising. Most games tend to play it safe with typical fantasy trappings, but steampunk has rarely been touched. If Neo Steam can pull off a game with a similar polish and gameplay feature set as WoW, then it could be enough to lure others to at least try it. With many subscription-based competitors such as Warhammer Online and Age of Conan failing to dethrone Blizzard's juggernaut, free-to-play MMOs may become the new trend in North America.

No official release date has been announced, but you can currently pre-register for beta access at the link below.

Source: Atlus Online

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The Beatles: Rock Band Official Details

The collaboration between Harmonix, MTV Games, and Apple Corps. to produce a Beatles game was announced last October with very few details except that it wasn't going to be apart of the Rock Band franchise. Instead, it was going to be a unique experience and journey through the many phases of their famed career. The game is still going to provide that experience, but instead will now feature Rock Band branding and a better idea of how gameplay will specifically work. The Beatles: Rock Band looks to still use core Rock Band mechanics but build upon that for a more varied and band-specific title.

I am glad the game at least has a more defined gameplay system. I was worried about how the game would interact with other games in the RB franchise, although there still isn't any word yet about DLC and song importing interoperability. I just hope they do more than what Guitar Hero has done for Aerosmith and Metallica, although the latter does seem to provide a good metal experience. I'm hoping for a true story mode or something that is more than Rock Band with a setlist of Beatles songs. Given by how strongly the developers and even Sir Paul McCartney has been promoting the game, I have a little more confidence that it will turn out better than expected.

The Beatles: Rock Band will officially launch on September 9, 2009 on all major consoles. There will be a Limited Edition Premium bundle on sale for $250, featuring instruments modeled after ones used by The Beatles. Standalone guitars will also sell for $100 and individual game discs for $60. No word yet about standalone drums, mics, or a separate bass guitar.

Source: Official Site and Joystiq

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From PaRappa to Rock Band: A Music Game Journey

The music/rhythm genre has always been one of my favorites. While some gamers really got into first-person shooters, real-time strategy games, or sports games like Madden, I was a big supporter of the music/rhythm genre since it was still considered niche. Ars Technica features a great overview of where music games started and what the future possibly holds. Way before Guitar Hero and Rock Band, there were some great titles that were seen in both America and Japan.

Although Ars cites Dance Aerobics on the NES as one of the first music games, the one that I and many others remember is the incredible PaRappa the Rapper on the original PlayStation, seen above. First released in 1996, creator Masaya Matsuura helped pioneer the genre and started the huge explosion in Japan that saw hugely influential titles like Dance Dance Revolution, beatmania, GuitarFreaks, DrumMania, and many others. Since Harmonix opened up the genre in America, you can see how those titles had a hand in creating the upcoming Scratch: The Ultimate DJ and mainstream hits like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. But PaRappa proved that the genre could be just as fun with a standard controller. Niche titles like Gitaroo Man, Rez, and Space Channel 5 helped shape the genre in the US, but it wasn't until Harmonix came along that things really took off.

Harmonix laid down the groundwork for Guitar Hero with the cult titles, Frequency and Amplitude. The latter shares a very similar interface to current GH/RB games, and will definitely have a hand in shaping the upcoming Rock Band Unplugged for the PSP. Their work on the Karaoke Revolution series became a huge hit way before games like SingStar or Lips came along. And as Rock Band became a culmination of their hard work, they are looking ahead with the Beatles Game set to release later this year.

There are so many great things happening in the genre, and it really is an exciting time at least for me, personally. So many good games are coming down the pipeline with Scratch: The Ultimate DJ and Activision's DJ Hero set to try and emulate beatmania's success. Check the full article at the link below.

Source: Ars Technica

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PSP Set For Big Year With Major Franchises

Sony's little engine that could is possibly set to be the must-have handheld this year. After constant complaints about the lack of good games for the system, Sony announced a truckload of major titles at their Destination PlayStation event today. Hot on the heels of Rock Band Unplugged, the official announcement of LittleBigPlanet for the PSP was confirmed to be in development. No real details have been revealed, though the game is set to include similar gameplay and features with its PS3 counterpart. Interactivity between the two games has not been confirmed.

A new game in the Assassin's Creed franchise is also set to debut on the handheld alongside a new PSP bundle. The original game released on the Xbox 360 and PS3, with a sequel confirmed to be in development. A prequel was released on the DS and ported to Symbian Mobile platforms, with a sequel to this series also in development. No details were released about the new PSP game, but it should be similar to previous titles.

Another PSP bundle set to release this year is the Hannah Montana PSP Entertainment Pack. Obviously aimed at young girls, it includes a lilac-colored PSP, the Hannah Montana music/rhythm game, episodes of the TV series on UMD, and stickers. In support of this new demographic, Ubisoft is also releasing games from their Petz line.

MotorStorm is also finally set to debut on both the PS2 and PSP this year with MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. Developed by BigBig Studios, the ones behind the Pursuit Force games, it will take the series in the new icy terrains of Alaska. Add all that up together, and you get a very impressive list of games for the PSP. Add to that anticipated titles like Dissidia Final Fantasy, Resistance: Retribution, and a remake of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, and there's now a reason to play games on the PSP again. This may be what the PSP needed in order to get past this slump and achieve its untapped potential.

You can check out the trailer for MotorStorm: Arctic Edge past the break.


Sources: PR Newswire and Joystiq

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Rock Band Unplugged Announced For PSP

Sony is on their way in revitalizing the slumping handheld, and one of the brand new games announced for the PSP is a portable version of the successful Harmonix/EA franchise, entitled Rock Band Unplugged. The game is set to utilize the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities via a full in-game store for downloadable content in both North America and Europe, though other markets were not mentioned. Primotech has an exclusive on the title with a bevy of new details. Gameplay will be similar to the portable's DJ Max series as well as Harmonix's Frequency/Amplitude games on the PS2, using the Left, Up, Triangle, and Circle buttons for input rather than a peripheral like the Guitar Hero DS games. Like in Amplitude, gameplay will be broken up into phrases, and you will be able to switch between all four instruments via the L and R buttons. However, vocals will utilize button presses rather than physical singing. Perfect phrases will build up a multiplier and Overdrive will be included as well.

The visual style of Rock Band will be maintained, although there will be no multiplayer mode. Artists set to be in the game include Blink 182, Boston, AFI, Kansas, Lit, and The Police. With Backbone Entertainment (Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix) developing the title in conjunction with EA and Harmonix, I have complete faith that the Rock Band experience will be maintained without the plastic instruments. Frequency and Amplitude laid down the original groundwork for the Guitar Hero franchise, and it showed how successful and fun a music/rhythm game can be using a standard controller. I was not very impressed with the DS versions of Guitar Hero, but this looks to have amazing potential.

This game can possibly tap into the huge possibilities of the genre, and I'm glad to see Harmonix return to their roots here. No release date has been confirmed, but it's speculated to hit stores before the end of the year.

Sources: PR Newswire and Primotech

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Video Game Renaissance Is Now

According to thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen, he believes we are currently in a renaissance of video games. Citing the growing budget costs for retail games and the success of digital distribution methods on both console and PC, Chen says this is the perfect time for new developers to step into the field. I would have to agree with him. As it becomes increasingly harder to develop and innovate in boxed retail games without risking the company's bottom line and sales, the potential for development on digital services such as Steam, Xbox Live, WiiWare, and the PlayStation Network is limitless.

thatgamecompany developed the PSN titles, flOw and Flower, with both acclaimed for providing a unique gaming experience and giving good evidence for the 'video games as art' argument. I can personally vouch for Flower, as the game is a relaxing yet fun experience as you control the wind to bloom flowers in a variety of environments. Check out the full quote below and look for a review on Flower in the near future.

“I feel it’s a time where a lot of people who study games start to graduate and come into this field. It’s a really good time for all these people to really push the boundaries of what games can be. With digital distribution — PSN, Xbox Live, WiiWare, Steam — all those [avenues]…Before, everything sold through retail. You can’t even make a game that’s below a million dollar budget. I think right now — in the future, when people look back, I think it’s the renaissance of video games.”

Jenova Chen - cofounder of thatgamecompany

Source: MTV Multiplayer

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Fan Made PS3 Ads That Work

The PS3 has been lagging behind the Wii and Xbox 360 in terms of sales for various reasons, but one major is flaw is their poor marketing campaign. Many consumers aren't aware of the system's features or exclusive games, and s1gfrid from VGChartz seems to understand the problem pretty well. His ad campaign highlights major categories such as the mature games seen above to more family-friendly fare.

With most third-party developers going multi-platform, many people are choosing the Xbox 360 over the PS3 because of its cheaper price. At least these magazine-style ads will let people know what sort of exclusive games Sony's console offers. Check out all of the ads at the link below.

Source: VGChartz

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You Are Not a Warrior; You're a Beginner!

The Street Fighter series has been known for some classic victory quotes, and perhaps Sagat's quote above is most appropriate. Since Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Street Fighter IV released and went back to more of the core game mechanics, there has been a resurgence of both new and old players returning to the series. While both games have been streamlined, there is still a lot to learn or re-learn.

MTV Multiplayer has some great tips and advice to get people started throwing fireballs and dragon punches in no time. Although Street Fighter IV introduces many new game mechanics such as focus attacks and new power meters, these tips are universal for many games in the series.

Besides knowing character move sets, it is important to think strategically and know when and where to do each one. Reading your opponent is an important part of the game, which will help you learn when to block, throw, or close the gap. As a Ken fighter since the SFII days, these tips helped me brush up on my know-how.

Source: MTV Multiplayer

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Activision's Guitar Hero Metallica Features "Lynyrd Skynrd"

This is one of those things where you just have to shake your head in disbelief and disappointment. The cover for Guitar Hero Metallica features the names of great bands featured in the game. Unfortunately, they somehow managed to misspell one of the biggest bands in the list, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their song, "Tuesday's Gone", is one of twenty-one in the game not by Metallica.

Activision has since fixed the boxart to show the correct spelling, but this is something they will never live down. Guitar Hero Metallica features full-band instrumentation and is set to release on PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 29 and Q2 2009 for PS2 and Wii.

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The Dragonball Movie Syndrome

With the American live-action film, Dragonball: Evolution only weeks away from its premiere, Anime News Nina creator Robin Sevakis provides her take on the situation.

I have to say, I almost want to see this happen for the "train-wreck" factor. If anybody can pull off a Hollywood version of Ash Ketchum, it's Shia Labeouf.


Source: Anime News Network

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Scratch: The Ultimate DJ Snags Big Name Artists

With Scratch: The Ultimate DJ and Activision's unofficially announced DJ Hero game currently in development, turntable controllers are destined to become the new plastic guitar. Bemani attempted to popularize a similar Japanese title in America called Beatmania on the PS2, but it failed to catch on. Due to unforgiving gameplay and a mixed bag of songs, the US version of the game didn't strike a chord with many. Scratch looks to incorporate a similar controller/gameplay style similar to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, which looks promising compared to the difficulty of previous DJ games.

The game is set to release during Q2 2009 on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Check out the promising list of confirmed artists below.

• "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys
• "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West
  
• "Let's Get it Started" by The Black Eyed Peas
  
• "Slacker" by Tech N9ne
  
• "Don't Sweat the Technique" by Eric B. and Rakim
• Other Songs From: Run DMC, The Gorillaz, Nelly and Deltron 3030

Source: Joystiq

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Why Can't We Be Friends?

Unfortunately, there was no author or website labeled on this webcomic. But this shows that, just perhaps, all gaming platforms will one day live in harmony without petty fanboy squabbling.

One day.

You can check out more past the break along with the link to the rest of the comics.

Source: IGN via Kotaku

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Welcome to the Jungle (or the new media spec)

This is officially the new media spec.

Originally a blog encompassing a variety of media types such as music, animation, and web culture, there is now a renewed focus on video games. The team has expanded beyond just myself and includes passionate gamers and media connoisseurs that will cover console, PC, Mac, and mobile gaming. You will still see other media articles from time to time, but media spec will be the place for getting your video game fix both current and classic.

Expect some growing pains along the way as we work out all the kinks, but look forward to some exciting times ahead. Expect to see some introductory posts from the other media spec members sometime soon as we get this ball rolling.

Cheers.

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media spec Relaunch Coming Soon

You may have noticed a lack of posts in the last month or so. I have been re-evaluating the blog and my overall intentions and goals for it. In attempts to get media spec more focused, content will shift towards video game content and away from other topics. All previous posts in music, animation, or other general topics will still be available, but video games will be the main theme. Topics will cover both PC and console gaming, including all major consoles and handhelds. The current layout is a temporary transitional look until the blog is fully relaunched.

If you want to contribute to the blog with your general ideas, improved layout, or become a contributing writer, e-mail me at redskyy@mediaspecblog.com vocalizing your interest and what you can bring to the site. I hope to have the new media spec up by the new year, so keep a look out.

Cheers,
Redskyy

UPDATE (12/13/08): The relaunch of media spec is still on target for January 2009 with a new expanded writing team and tons of exciting new content. Please pardon our dust as the layout is getting ironed out in preparation. Watch this space for more details!

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First Early "Review" of Live Action Dragonball Movie

The release of Dragonball is still about five months away, but the hype and criticism continues to mount. After the promotional trailer was leaked, it was received with mixed reviews. The highly touted special effects have yet to be added to the trailer or movie, but it looks like they are already scheduling for additional filming. They have been scouting for males between the ages of 20-70 and fluent in Nepalese or Tibetan. The official trailer has been delayed to December 12th, 2008, possibly to coincide with The Day The Earth Stood Still. The movie is still slated to hit Japan on March 13, 2009 with a North American release soon to follow on April 10. The above footage shows a short teaser clip from a Japanese TV program called NHK, briefly displaying the dragonball and Goku's gi.

Ain't It Cool News reader Don reports having supposedly viewed an early release of the movie before special effects and score. His writing style and lack of sources doesn't lend him much credibility, but they are interesting looks into what the movie could turn out. You can click the link for the full story, but here are some interesting tidbits. Just as a warning, there is a bit of cursing present.

Action - I wasn't expecting the action scenes to be as awesome as they were. Simply put the best thing about this movie. The last action scene of Goku vs. Picollo are simply amazing and when picollo takes out his huge fucking ass sword with weird rectangle shape tablet attached it at the tip of sword and slamming it on goku was fucking awesome. Lot of blowing shit up, super cool flying scenes, awesome ki blasts. This fight scene was around 13-15 minutes long. There are other small action scenes that are fun and entertaining with slo mo but nowhere as good as the picollo vs. goku scene.

Justin Chatwin as Goku. This guy surprised me a lot. I really didn't like him when they casted him as goku but he did a damn good job in the acting department and he nailed the KAMEHAMEHA line.

Story - Dragonball fans will be dissapointed with some of the changes they have made with stories and characters etc. Krillin isn't in the movie, Tien isn't in the movie too. High school setting for the first 22-23 minutes was so not needed but ah well typical hollywood garbage of adding bullshit like that.

Chow Yun Fat as Master Roshi - I was dissapointed with this. I wanted the fucking perverted roshi who fucking grabs breasts and asses like in the anime but alas all of that is fucking gone. Also he acted like Mr. Kesuke Miyagi. You know what I mean. The lines he spoke were fine but I felt he was uncomfortable in the movie. Very dissapointed.

Full Review...

It's hard to discern if this review is authentic or not, as many of these points could be easily made up. It sounds like they're trying to keep the spirit of Dragonball while modernizing the story and keeping it relevant to Hollywood standards. A big focus seems to be on the action, so hopefully it will maintain that high energy while still feeling like a DB fight. Some of the things he points out sounds a bit superficial, but he does seem to be a Dragonball fan.

Overall, it's still too early to tell how the movie will turn out. It hasn't exactly been receiving positive press, but maybe this review is an indication that it won't be a complete disaster. The reception the film receives both Japan and North America should be very interesting to see.

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