A new zombie game which is currently in development - "Contagion" is set to change the standards of other zombie/horror games.

There is some nice info and artwork here: http://www.monochrome-games.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111

Also, be sure to check out their forums! http://www.monochrome-games.com/forums/index.php

Here is some more info from a QNA with Brian Comer where he is asked some interesting questions from Gameployment.com

The main ones are here:


Hotdog) How do you intend to set Contagion apart from other zombie shooters?

Brian) Well for one thing, story. It's just not present in today's zombie shooters. Though I do have to say that They Hunger mod for HL1 was quite inspirational for the creation of ZP, ZPS, and Contagion. Of course, story isn't the only difference but we're keeping tight lipped for now on the many feature, assets, and method of telling the story that will truly set us apart.



Hotdog) What are your hopes for Contagion, and do you have a release date set yet?

Brian) We're hoping that Contagion will be well received by the public and that we can continue to support the game with added content and can afford to release future titles out of Monochrome LLC. Release Date: TBD but development goes well and we hope to have more information on that soon.

Apart from the fact that Hotdogs name made me hungry! This does sound like it's going to be a great game!

Full QNA: http://www.gameployment.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140:interview-with-contagions-brian-comer&catid=45:hotdogs-mod-blog&Itemid=90

You can find more info from the links below:



Contagion Teaser Reveal Trailer :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yEtCKUco5w


Youtube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MonochromeLLC


Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/MonochromeLLC

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/MonochromeLLC

Official Site:
http://www.contagion-game.com/

Here’s some science of the new decade for you: how about draining pigs of their blood, making them clinically dead, and then bringing them back to life?

Naturally, this is a military project, and those always end well. The theory goes, if you drain a pig (which has a physiology similar to humans) of blood and replace it with a cocktail of hydrogen sulfide, you will extend the “golden period” where life saving surgery and medical treatment are possible. Basically, you shut down the brain and heart, placing the patient in suspended animation, and bring them back later.

Dr Matthew Miller working on the project states: “Everybody’s talking about the military use of this, and that’s our focus now.” He continues, “but really, this could be much, much bigger than that.”

the_human_zombie_pig_by_marmoto
This will surely save lives on the battlefield if perfected, but at what cost? Where does mental deterioration and unstable psychosis set in? Agreed, this could be a stretch, but this reanimation research continues.

With a 15-person team working exclusively on this project, successful results are expected within 18 months. “Darpa wants this to happen yesterday, because it was needed yesterday,” Dr. Miller said. Once the team comes up with the right elixir, it’ll undergo federally mandated safety testing. After that, the vaccine will be sent to the battlefield for application to live humans.

One may call it suspended animation, life extension or a zombie vaccine, but the science and research into extended life after death continues.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re already familiar with it. The 2012 thing refers to the conveniently predicted end-of-the-world or great change coming December 21st, 2012. Many apocalypse theories are vague and dark, leaving many details rough, ambiguous and open to interpretation. The 2012 eschaton comes from several cultures and gives us a very certain date to prepare not necessarily for the end of existence or the world, but “the end of the world as we know it” – TEOTWAWKI.

The date of 12/21/12 is derived from the end of a 5,125 year cycle for the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, most notably used by the Maya civilization. The calendar completes its 13th cycle from its starting point. Correlating the Mayan date to our Gregorian calendar yields several different dates ranging from the 21st through the 23rd, but the 21st seems likely, as it coincides with the winter solstice, and though astrology has little to do with our daily affairs, astronomically the Earth is said to be aligned facing the center of the Milky Way behind the Sun on the 21st. This interesting termination of the calendar in our immediate lifetimes is what brings many to reckon the date will bring about great global change or cataclysm.

The Sign IIProphecies aside, how does 2012 relate to a zombie apocalypse? Certainly our world could be forever changed on this date by an unnoticed eschatological asteroid, disease or terrible quaking of the earth. The walking dead? Also plausible. Current scientific research into disease, reanimation and cellular re-genesis is progressing as rapidly as other scientific disciplines. Particularly terrifying is the reanimation of the 1918 Spanish influenza virus, responsible for a pandemic that killed an estimated 20 million people. Scientists have gathered important new clues to why the virus spread quickly and killed efficiently (though its use as a bio-weapon has not been confirmed). The viral resurrection is brought about for research and a vaccine against itself – which of course has already been eradicated – and the virus is being harvested from corpses, notably the body of a woman buried in the Alaskan permafrost. Unchecked adaptive and opportunistic pathogens claim a definite component of our eschaton, and an escaped weaponized version will most certainly wreak havoc against an unprepared and innocent populace. There’s no guarantee the new vaccine will work well on humans, a problem because nobody born after 1930 is immune to the 1918 strain.

The Sign IIIThe physical walking dead demand a certain suspense of disbelief of course. Assuming a plausible 20% of the worlds population has been infected by a terminal pathogen, our fragile infrastructure and socioeconomic systems will begin to break down as well. Weakened immune systems will render humans more susceptible to the likes of Trypanosoma brucei, a parasite that carries nightmarish qualities, reducing many of its victims to a zombie-like state before they slip into a coma and die. Toxoplasma gondii can alter brain functions in rats, leading them to the jaws of cats – and in humans can change brain patterns to induce neuroses, paranoia and schizophrenia. Left with a rotting brain and primitive fight-or-flight instincts, an entire populace can be reduced to weakened lumbering shadows of humans, stumbling around for food. Not actually dead or undead, these stupefied humans will be harbingers of disease, parasites, bacteria and infectious rot, whose saliva and blood will be rich with zombifying toxins.

Five years is a fine timeframe for viruses to be developed and mutate as well as science achieving groundbreaking results in reanimation. “Where will I be in five years?” Loading shotguns and pistols seems like a nice course of action, but they’re more for your protection against opportunistic looters, crazies and deranged survivors rather than walking corpses. In five years I will be watching the news with cautious eyes – and stocking up like I would for any emergency.

Guns and beer.

In any conflict, one thing is key: your weapon. An uprising of the walking plague, legions of the undead, or hordes of zombies is no different. The well prepared and well armed survivor will have serveral weapons at his or her disposal: a trusty sidearm, a sturdy and damaging melee weapon, and a primary offensive weapon.

The most common primary weapon will probably be rifles, as machine guns and sub-machine guns are currently hard to come by for the general public. After the fall of military and policing units, they may be easier to acquire. Also common and equally as important, if not more destructive, is the shotgun. Current civilian shotguns are ususally limited to 2 or 5 rounds, or in the case of police issue Benellis a chamber of 8. This can be quite limiting when faced with large quantities of the undead. You need the rapid reload, fire and ammunition capacity of a sub-machine gun while harnessing the destructive power of the 12-gauge shotgun. The answer lies in a devestating new weapon being developed: the AA-12 Automatic Assault 12-gauge shotgun.

AA-12 Automatic Shotgun in ActionThe reliability and usability of shotguns during a zombie outbreak is a hotly contested issue. On one hand, their ruggedness and stopping power are not to be underestimated. On the other hand, they take considerable time to reload and their muzzle climb and recoil negatively affect accuracy and successful headshot capability. The AA-12 seeks to eradicate these problems.

Carrying a 10, 20 or 32 round clip, firing a devastating 300 rounds per minute and having almost no muzzle climb or recoil, the AA-12 is the ultimate weapon for a zombie invasion. The only potential setback is such a weapon is not legal for a civilian to own as it has no legal sporting purpose. Durable, relaiable, strong and machined to withstand various climates, weather, water and grime, the AA-12 will maintain itself as a steadfast and deadly weapon for repelling undead hordes. Videos after the jump.

Now, the people over at "Zombies Are Coming" have complied reasons as to why a shotgun does not make for a good weapon in a zombie outbreak. Five bullet points are presented, and the AA-12 fires every one.

* 1 – Ammo Capacity: Even the Benelli Super-90 only holds eight rounds, and as evidenced by a panicked Ving Rhames in “Dawn of the Dead”, 8 is not enough. The AA-12 holds a minimum 10 rounds in a quick loading box, or 20 or greater in a fast firing (and easy to load) drum.
* 2 – Reloading Ability: No longer is the shotgun operator stuck opening the breech or sliding in shell after shell – just drop and replace a clip or drum with the AA-12.
* 3 – Rate of Fire: No contest here. The AA-12 Automatic Shotgun produces an incredible 300 rounds per minute – thats 5 rounds per second you’re pumping into zombie heads, always on target. You can even mount it on a vehicle.
* 4 – Range and Power: You certainly don’t need to worry about range and power when your grouping and accuracy is so tight. Not to mention you can fire grenade rounds 175 yards – more later.
* 5 – Ease of Use: It may be heavy, but it’s rugged and reliable, and incredibly easy to use; even a 100 pound woman can fire the weapon one-handed. Point and shoot – it doesn’t get any easier.

As if the capabilites listed aren’t proof enough that this is the ultimate offensive weapon, special rounds have been developed for the AA-12. In addition to standard shot, there also exist door breaching rounds, slugs, and devastating grenade rounds called the FRAG-12. The FRAG-12 comes in at least three flavors: High Explosive, Fragmentation and Armor Piercing. The grenade is a fin-stabilized warhead that can launch up to 175 meters, and produces a blast radius of 9 feet. Just imagine what nine feet of exploding shrapnel will do to some undead heads. Incredible.

Zombies are like a cancer on mankind. They simply don’t stop their horrendous task of eating and destroying and not dying. If you’re not consumed, you become one of the undead. A plague upon the earth, forever replicating and never dying. Of course, such a thing must eventually break down and wear out because it must follow certain rules – all cells, even undead, will eventually breakdown through wear, age, or break down over the centuries through erosion.

This assumes zombie cells are not immortal. There exists a certain type of cell that doesn’t break down. In fact, it’s IMMORTAL. They can copy and reproduce without mutation or error and can split indefinitely, causing no breakdown of the original, in theory consuming everything they can and replicating to the point of infinity. These immortal cells exist and for now have been a gift upon science – we can experiment and develop vaccines. Left unchecked, the cells become a plague upon cultures and taint results. This particular immortal cell is called “Helacyton gartleri”, and it comes from a dead woman. In fact, there are more cells of this cancer than there ever were in this woman. A part of this woman lives forever, continuing to eat and replicate. Like a zombie.

These peculiar, though not undead, cells are from an average woman named Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1951. The same cells pulled from her cervical cancer (from HPV) are still alive. These cells, called HeLa, are common in biological research and are still being grown in an unbroken lineage from the original cells over 50 years ago. They’re used in cancer research, vaccination development, and can reproduce faster than other cancerous cells. They consume, excrete, and will be here a thousand years from now still alive, along with the original culture from 1951. That’s right – for all intents and purposes, her cancer cells are zombies.

HeLa cells can even be classified as a new species - Helacyton gartleri – spontaneously arisen from Lacks. The exhibit the following factors:

* The chromosomal incompatibility of HeLa cells with humans.
* The ecological niche of HeLa cells.
* Their ability to persist and expand well beyond the desires of human cultivators.

Zombies are also incompatible with humans, this is an obvious point. The undead also have their own ecological niche – the ability to survive in most any clime, and the ability to consume most any flesh to add to their own hideously decaying cell structure. And the third point is also obvious – zombies are quite uncontrollable beyond human expectations.

Thus HeLa cells may have a cousin – that of the immortal zombie. If your brain tissue and brain stem become like HeLa, they will also live forever continuing those basic functions of motor skills and eating indefinitely – which is why I again stress that severing the base of the head and neck is most important. Brain cells are grown through neurogensis from brain stem cells, and if these cells take on the qualities of HeLa cells – well, you get the idea. A person is dead, but their brain will keep living – and feeding.

All we need next are scientists to experiment with manually regrowing dead brain cells.