Joystiq

Xbox Indie Games get new pricing structure, improved update system

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST

Microsoft announced plans yesterday to change a variety of XNA Creators Club features in the coming weeks. First and foremost, the recently renamed Xbox Live Indie Games will get a new pricing structure: games will start at 80 ($1) and cap off at 400 ($5). Second, the renaming of the service will take affect on Xbox Live and at the XNA Creators Club website.

Additionally, games on the Indie Games Channel can now receive automatic updates (a la Xbox Live Arcade and Xbox 360 games). Perhaps the most interesting piece of this update is the inclusion of 50 "tokens" for each creator per game; meaning that developers can now send out review codes of games to press (wink, wink), as well as giveaway copies of the game to fans. Interestingly, this is the same number of free codes that Apple grants its App Store developers. Well played, Microsoft.

[Via Xbox Indies]

Xbox Indie Games get new pricing structure, improved update system originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dishwasher dev defends Xbox Community Games

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST

After Clover developer Binary Tweed made its disappointment in the game's sales clear, it laid a portion of the blame at the feet of Microsoft and its Community Games platform (soon to be renamed Indie Games). James Silva -- head of Dishwasher developer Ska Studios -- has posted something of a rebuttal on his company's blog. His comments aren't directed expressly toward Binary Tweed, but rather toward any developer that thinks the service is an instant goldmine.

Silva points out that, even with its faults, Community Games has many advantages over a Windows release, namely visibility, easy payment processing and piracy protection. Addressing complaints that Microsoft doesn't do enough to market Community Games, Silva notes that many games simply won't fly on the Xbox 360, as there are already better versions available for the platform. Paraphrasing Silva, putting a tower defense game on Community Games is "a step down" from other strategy titles available. Meanwhile, all the music generators and ridiculous massage applications really have no competition from Xbox 360 retail titles, allowing them to address an untapped market.

Of course, none of that matters if a Community Game lacks the most important factor: fun. Silva encourages developers to "make better games," saying, "All of this blaming nonsense just hurts everyone, and tragically generates more blogroll buzz than any yay-XNA articles do."

Dishwasher dev defends Xbox Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clover dev: Indie Games channel has a long way to go

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:27:00 EST

Daniel Jones of Binary Tweed, developer of the Xbox 360 Indie Game Clover, has a few choice things to say about Microsoft's independent games service. Speaking to the UK's X360 Magazine, Jones just doesn't see a big enough audience in Indie Games to justify creating a game for it -- Joystiq readers will recall similar comments after Clover sales failed to set the world on fire.

"We're seeing even the best-selling Indie Games titles sell in the low five-figure numbers," says Jones, laying the blame on "lack of marketing from us developers, Microsoft, and also on the dirge of massage 'games' that dilute the brand's message." (Don't forget fart games!) He notes that the most popular titles on Indie Games are simple applications like music visualizers and digital aquariums, saying, "The marketing message clearly hasn't gotten to the people that want to play games, and so one has to question if there's any point making games for a service that gamers don't buy from."

Jones believes that the upcoming user ratings feature will help "immeasurably," though he adds, "There's still a lot of work to do in educating LIVE users about [what] Indie Games is about."

We're inclined to agree that the Indie Games channel needs a lot of work, especially if Microsoft ever expects it to become more than a Kodu delivery service.

Clover dev: Indie Games channel has a long way to go originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrate July 4th with adorable Kodu fireworks

Dustin Burg — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Today is the day of independence for Joystiq readers in the United States, which also means it's a day full of aerial explosions of light. You know, fireworks. For those not lucky enough to be in an area where one can witness this colorful spectacle, we figured we'd bring the explosive excitement to the internet, for all to share, with the help of the recently released Community Game, Kodu.

Enjoy the show and have a boom-tastic July 4th!

Celebrate July 4th with adorable Kodu fireworks originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video Tour: Kodu, Microsoft's DIY game builder

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST

Microsoft released its Kodu Game Lab yesterday, giving gamers everywhere the opportunity to create their very own games. Just for you, we snapped up the tool and set to work creating the Next BIg Thing in video gaming. Well, either that or we created a dinky little 2D shooter. Still, it's hard not to feel some pride after creating a real, honest-to-goodness, functioning game. And we did it all without laying a finger on a standard keyboard.

Check out our video tour and see what created.

Add the trial version of Kodu Game Lab to your Xbox 360 download queue

Video Tour: Kodu, Microsoft's DIY game builder originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Kodu Game Lab is now live

Justin McElroy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:40:00 EST

Just a quick reminder from your friends at Joystiq, if you wanted to try your hand at the totally cool visual game programming of Kodu Game Lab, the title is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace (though you'll have to navigate over to the Community Games section to find it).

For just 400 MS points ($5) you can build your very own game from the ground up, all the while being reminded that no matter how hard you work at it, Sparrow still owns you. If you manage to make anything cool (though admittedly never as cool as what Sparrow makes) let us know in the comments below.

PSA: Kodu Game Lab is now live originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clover developer disappointed by poor sales

Xav de Matos — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Developer Binary Tweed has admitted sales of its first Xbox Live Community title Clover have not met expectations. Speaking with Digital Spy, Binary Tweed community managing director Daniel Jones said his team "definitely won't recoup costs" from Microsoft's indie games service alone.

Despite strong critical reception for the title, Jones says the Xbox Live Community Games market -- being re-branded 'Indie Games' in July -- is "prohibitively small to be financially viable." According to Jones, Binary Tweed may only use the Community Games market as an "an arena for proving concepts" in the future.

While Clover has failed to capture much attention from gamers, Jones says having a salable product to showcase to publishers (rather than a demo) has helped open doors for the team's future. "Although I can't talk about specifics at the moment, Clover's critical acclaim has opened doors to Binary Tweed." Jones recommends Clover fans keep an eye on the developer's official site for news in the coming weeks. We recommend you stop playing with that XBLCG Fart app and check out Clover.

Gallery: Clover

Clover developer disappointed by poor sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kodu gets creative on Xbox 360 June 30 [update]

David Hinkle — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST

Update: Microsoft got back to us with the following: "We are going through the same peer-review process that every other developer has to go through, so there isn't any way to determine when the game will actually post, but we hope that it will be somewhere near or on June 30." So, everyone is trying their best to make sure Kodu makes the June 30 release, but don't consider that date chiseled in stone.

When the official Kodu blog mentioned that the title would be available this month, it apparently wasn't lying. Xboxic is reporting the game will be available for download on the last day of this month, June 30, for a reasonable 400. Oh, and if you're scratching your head due to Microsoft's penchant for Humpday releases, remember this is an Xbox 360 ~~Community Game~~ Indie Game, and not an Arcade release.

For clarification's sake, we've put in word to Microsoft to confirm and will be sure to get back to you with what we find.

Kodu gets creative on Xbox 360 June 30 [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clover finally hits XBL Community Games

Jem Alexander — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 EST

Clover, Binary Tweed's watercolor masterpiece heavily inspired by the old Dizzy games of yesteryear, is now available to purchase from the Community Games section of Xbox Live. Though it's a little later than anticipated, the game is now finally available in both the US and Europe for 400. A fair price, despite the stigma that's currently attached to the Community Games label. Not convinced? That's what the demo is for. Alternatively, you can check out the gallery below for more stylish, watecolor screenshots.

Gallery: Clover

Clover finally hits XBL Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clover delayed by approval process (but releases new trailer)

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST

Clover developer Binary Tweed has posted an update on the status of the upcoming Community Game. Unfortunately, the game has been delayed for at least another week thanks to a rule in the approval process. The game was submitted for peer review recently, when a small bug was discovered. The bug was quickly fixed by Binary Tweed, but all Community Games are required to wait seven days between peer review submissions. The game will be submitted again this Sunday.

To make the wait a tiny bit more bearable, enjoy a new trailer of the game after the break.

Continue reading Clover delayed by approval process (but releases new trailer)

Clover delayed by approval process (but releases new trailer) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finally: The Xbox Live Community Game Index

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST

File this one under "Absolutely Fantastic Idea." An enterprising netizen by the name of Nick Gravelyn has created the Xbox Live Community Game Index (or XBLCG if you prefer). Seemingly answering our prayers, the site organizes Xbox Live Community Games, details important information for each one and, more importantly, allows users to rate each game. That's right, it took a community developer to implement functionality that Microsoft should have had on day one.

Want to find out which games are worth a look? Easy, just filter your results by games that are rated 70% or better. If you'd like to rate games yourself, all you need to do is sign in with your Windows Live ID -- we take personal pride having lowered Rocket Fart from 15% to 14%. You can also filter results by release date, features and even price. Welcome to the internet, XBLCG, we're sure this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[Via Binary Tweed]

Finally: The Xbox Live Community Game Index originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No, seriously, Clover is coming soon

Jason Dobson — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EST

If you've been holding it in for fear of missing out on Clover's Community Game debut, do us all a favor and take a bathroom break. The artsy platformer's imminent debut was held back recently by what Binary Tweed's Daniel "Deejay" Jones describes as a pair of "performance bugs," one of which saw load times crawl along for nearly a minute and a half. Oy vey!

According to the managing director, the issues have since been fixed, and the team is currently making some "last-minute emergency sound fixes" in the road up to the game's "peer review" on Wednesday. Jones recently told Joystiq of his high hopes for the game, and assuming all goes well players will able to judge for themselves when Clover puzzles the marketplace this Friday.

No, seriously, Clover is coming soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq interview: Halfbrick Studios

David Hinkle — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:21:00 EST

We recently fired off some long-distance questions to Halfbrick Studios, an independent developer located in Brisbane, Australia, about itself and its projects in the pipeline for Xbox 360 -- more specifically, for XBLA and XNA Community Games. Lead artist Matthew Knight generously accepted our assault and blasted back with his answers.

Warning: Stepping into our friendly exchange just might hit you like a ton of (half) bricks ...

Continue reading Joystiq interview: Halfbrick Studios

Joystiq interview: Halfbrick Studios originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Binary Tweed: Clover release imminent

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST

Binary Tweed has announced that its upcoming puzzle platformer, Clover, could arrive on the Xbox 360 Community Games service very soon. Managing director Daniel "Deejay" Jones notes that the game will hopefully be submitted to peer review over the weekend, meaning it could be available on Xbox Live "as early as next week."

Clover garnered some publicity recently when it ran over Microsoft's 150MB size limit for Community Games, forcing the developer to remove features like an unlockable art gallery. In an interview with Joystiq, Jones stated that he hoped Clover would help convince people that there are worthwhile games on the Community Games service. We suspect he's never heard of Rocket Fart.

Gallery: Clover

Binary Tweed: Clover release imminent originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Guide: Community Organizing

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:45:00 EST

Welcome to The Guide, an editorial feature in which former Xbox 360 Fanboy lead Richard Mitchell looks at issues important to Xbox fans. The opinions expressed here belong to the author and don't necessarily reflect those of Joystiq, Weblogs Inc. or its affiliates.

The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai came out this week. It's a very good action game and I'm playing it as much as I can. Over the last year and a half or so, I've had the opportunity to talk with Dishwasher's creator, James Silva. You may remember that Microsoft devoted a hefty chunk of last year's GDC keynote to Silva, touting the fact that he created Dishwasher entirely on his own using XNA. Microsoft used The Dishwasher as an example of what could be accomplished with XNA and, by extension, Community Games. Thus far, we haven't really heard that much about Community Games -- apart from less than impressive sales.

Playing Dishwasher, I started to wonder why. And then I found Rocket Fart.

Continue reading The Guide: Community Organizing

The Guide: Community Organizing originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The brighter side of XNA sales

Justin McElroy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:50:00 EST

We brought you a lot of doom and gloom on the day that XNA Community Sales numbers were initially released, but some more positive accounts have arrived in our inbox, and we thought we'd share them. For instance, we got a note from Zoomaroom developer Four Bros., which said that its game had nabbed 4,700 trial downloads and around 400 purchases, good for a 8.46% conversion rate.

Adam Holmes, the man behind Ocean Scenes, was pleased with his 2629 sales, though they came from around 48,000 trials. And, finally, there was Blue Rose Games of Dr. Popper fame, which wrote it sold 2,200 copies of its game at a 12 percent conversation rate, and that it was "happy" with how the game had done.

Things are looking up for some of you out there, and we're glad to hear it. Of course, it looks like there are still plenty of ways to improve Microsoft's service and pave the way to those XNA riches.

The brighter side of XNA sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pick some fresh Clover screenshots

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST

click to enlarge

Binary Tweed has released some brand new screenshots for its upcoming Community Game, Clover. The new screens feature a redesigned version of lead character Sam, who was altered as a result of community feedback. Also featured in the screenshots is a new, dynamic sky-blending system. According to the Clover website, this system assures that the "player's view of the game world is constantly changing." Regardless of what that means, we're digging the watercolors-meet-South-Park visual style of the game. Check out the screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: Clover (3/30/2009)

Pick some fresh Clover screenshots originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: You're doing it wrong, community game teaches foreplay [Update]

Xav de Matos — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:45:00 EST

Update: Community game, Break One Out, has been pulled from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're doing it wrong. After years of thinking we'd figured out every trick available from books and television, video games have revealed that the easiest method to get someone naked is by playing an Arkanoid clone over their (already naked) body.

How did we discover the answer to one of the world's greatest mysteries? The Xbox Community Game, Break One Out (yeah, that's the name) taught us, of course! The game features Kitty -- we're sure that's her real name -- covered with blocks that must be destroyed by sending balls flying toward her. In hindsight, we probably could have put that in a less "double entendre" kind of way ...

Even though the game doesn't feature any real nudity (naughty bits are covered up by black bars) it's surprising Microsoft wouldn't pull the content for fear of damaging its family friendly image. Thankfully, all Community Games are considered unrated content, which means the game isn't accessible when any of the Xbox 360 Family Settings are adjusted.

Here's the real PSA. Don't buy this game, folks. Not because it's a bad game (and it is), not because it's sad (and oh boy, is it) but because it's 200 ($2.50) ... and the sequel will probably include co-op.

PSA: You're doing it wrong, community game teaches foreplay [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Interview: Binary Tweed talks 'Clover' file size problems, Community Games

Xav de Matos — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

click to Dr. Manhattanize

Indie developer Binary Tweed revealed that it has hit the Community Games size limit ceiling for its upcoming game, Clover. First on the strike list? Unlockable art; however, the developer mentions it may "have to make some compromises on the audio side too." Unlike the murky size-limit waters that surround Xbox Live Arcade titles, Community Games are stuck in a strict 150MB sized pool.

We wondered if this meant Clover's Q1 2009 release would change and where the developer hopes to go once its freshman entry is available to play -- so we asked. Joystiq talked with Binary Tweed's managing director, Daniel "Deejay" Jones, and picked his brain about the recent file size issues, the Community Games platform and how the industry is reacting to the indie game push.

Gallery: Clover

Continue reading Joystiq Interview: Binary Tweed talks 'Clover' file size problems, Community Games

Joystiq Interview: Binary Tweed talks 'Clover' file size problems, Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Maw developer not keen to idea of Community Games

Dustin Burg — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade, Community Games

In a comment made to MTV Multiplayer, CEO and software engineer Michael Wilford of Twisted Pixel Games (the team behind recent XBLA release The Maw) admitted that the Community Games program is less than appealing and that they're happy developing on the XBLA with Microsoft support. Partly due to the fact that the Community Games program is shrouded in mystery.

"I like the looks of the business model, but Community Games face[s] the same problem PC web portals do," said Wilford, "which is an open platform and an overabundance of not-so-stellar games." He continues, "we may develop for Community Games at some point, but XBLA is very successful partly because it is a closed and tightly managed portfolio of games." Adding that, with their relationship with Microsoft, they hope to continue "down the XBLA path."

We tend to agree with Wilford. The new Community Games section is a great opportunity for start ups, offers great potential and is generally a good program for up and comers. But the sheer amount of titles and amount of lower quality games tarnishes the program's goal. What say you?

The Maw developer not keen to idea of Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Community Games devs still in the dark on sales figures

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

If you happen to be a developer for Microsoft's Community Games on the Xbox 360, our heart goes out to you. MTV's Multiplayer is reporting that since the Community Games service launched in November 2008, developers have yet to receive any sales information about their games. Thus far, the only official information available to the developers is the same information that's been released to the public, namely the top ten Community Games lists that Major Nelson compiles every week. As Multiplayer points out, knowing what rank a game is doesn't exactly tell the whole story without sales data: How many copies sold does it take to make number one? Thousands? Hundreds?

In response, Microsoft stated that the sales data will be available to Community Games developers via the XNA Creators Club website by March. Hopefully, Microsoft will see fit to release some information on the overall performance of Community Games in that time frame as well.

Community Games devs still in the dark on sales figures originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 09: Is Kodu really that simple? Answer: Yes!

Dustin Burg — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Community Games

Our homies over at Joystiq got a chance to sit in on a demo of Microsoft's recently announced and supposedly user friendly Community Game Kodu and were able to answer the still lingering question that's on everyone's mind: Is Kodu really that easy to use? Quick answer, yes ... yes it is.

According to Microsoft's Matthew MacLaurin, Kodu was created with kids in mind and describes the game as "programming as a fourth-grade art class." And Joystiq's Justin McElroy agrees that it really is basic and well, simple. Check out the informative (and totally factual) Kodu bullet points listed below:

Will ship with 20 different objects/characters.
20 pre-built (and editable) levels will be included.
Commands given to objects are called "Pages".
Kodu has been tested with kids for over a year.
Releasing this Spring for a yet to be disclosed price.

CES 09: Is Kodu really that simple? Answer: Yes! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kodu is the new Boku: Xbox Live's 'LittleBigPlanet'

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, CES

Microsoft pulled no punches during its CES keynote, shuffling an "actual 12-year-old girl" onstage to demonstrate its newly renamed Xbox Live Community Game "Kodu." Apparently too reminiscent of the failed 80s-era adult juice, the former name, Boku, was dropped in favor of the less associable two-syllabler. But we digress. Kodu is still easily described as a LittleBigPlanet-esque effort, but on a much simpler scale -- and probably far less "brilliant," in the Brits' all-purpose sense of the word.

Sparrow, that 12-year-old we mentioned, apparently did create a "pretty impressive" game using Kodu, described by Engadget as, "Katamari meets light-cycles from Tron. It's totally bizarre -- now her and Robbie [Bach] are using cycles to steal rocks from each other." Actually, sounds brilliant to us.

Kodu was originally designed as a learning tool for kids, but Microsoft promises it's compatible with people ages "seven to 70." Players reportedly create their game worlds in mere minutes using a pool of 200 building blocks designed to drive simple gameplay concepts like vision, hearing and time. Kodu is scheduled for release this spring and has yet to be priced.

Update: Video after the break, and more details here. [Thanks EvilDud!]

Continue reading Kodu is the new Boku: Xbox Live's 'LittleBigPlanet'

Kodu is the new Boku: Xbox Live's 'LittleBigPlanet' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 09: Game making made easy with Kodu

Dustin Burg — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Community Games

On stage, during this year's CES keynote, Microsoft' Robbie Bach announced the new game building playground that's coming to the Community Games channel later this year. It's called Kodu (formerly known as Boku) and allows anyone to pick up a 360 controller and build their own game. It's sorta like Little Big Planet, but more open, free and targeted towards all age groups. With a simplified control scheme, over 200 building block options and possibilities galore, Kodu is an interesting lil project.

Though, from Bach's Kodu on-stage demo, we were quickly overwhelmed by the amount of menu navigation that was going on. It's supposed to be intuitive, but to us, it seems a bit overwhelming. We'll see.

CES 09: Game making made easy with Kodu originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting 2009 with a few popular Community Games

Dustin Burg — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade, Community Games

For those of you have yet to jump into the ever growing library of gaming fun found in the Community Games, we urge that you do. Really, there's a lot of goodness to be found and even though each game is paid content, there are trial versions for each and ever title.

To get you started on your 2009 Community Games test drive, we took the liberty of compiling a list of the top seven most popular games available. All of which are, for the most part, good times (except Fireplace, it's that controversial title that got a Major plug). Go ahead, jump in!

Fireplace - "Enjoy the awesome ambiance of a crackling fireplace in your living room."
Air Legends - "Take to the skies in frenetic WWII dogfighting."
Johnny Platform's Biscuit Romp - "Play as Johnny Platform himself in this retro-styled platformer!"
sin(Surfing) - "Ever wished you could surf inside an oscilloscope?"
Weapon of Choice - "Insane action and humongous aliens tied together by a twisted story."
RPaints - "Do you like to mess with colors, or just doodle? RPaints allows you to do just that!"
Dr. Popper - "Dr. Popper is a bubble breaker game."

Starting 2009 with a few popular Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cozy up to the virtual Xbox 360 fireplace

Dustin Burg — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace

During this time of year, we begin feeling envious of those who are lucky enough to own a fireplace and can snuggle up next to it with a hot cup of cocoa and oversized blanket. For those who are beginning to feel the fireplace envy creep in, we recommend navigating to the Community Games section and downloading the newly released virtual fireplace.

For "only" 400 Microsoft points, you can download Fireplace and own your very own Xbox 360 fireplace. This Fireplace "game" comes complete "realistic smoldering embers and flickering" and requires no skill to ignite. Check out the amazing Fireplace video after the break and wonder exactly why you haven't yet made the purchase.

Continue reading Cozy up to the virtual Xbox 360 fireplace

Cozy up to the virtual Xbox 360 fireplace originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo still rules Xbox Live, community games now included

Dustin Burg — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Halo 3

There's a new top games of Xbox Live list up over at MajorNelson.com and, for the second week in a row, Halo 3 is sitting atop all other Xbox 360 games. That includes Gears 2 and World at War. Funny thing about World at War, this past week it actually beat out Gears 2 for the second most played game on Live. Poor Marcus, he never had a fighting chance ...

This week, Major also brings us a new weekly top ten list of Community Games, which should help you weed through game candidates and give you a weekly list of hot games. You know, hot games like Mr. Silva's ZSX4 Guitarpocalypse which made it into the top five.

Halo still rules Xbox Live, community games now included originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Silva's ZSX4 Guitarpocalypse now on Community Games

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace, Community Games

James Silva is one busy guy. First he creates The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai (which is coming "soon"), then he writes a book about how to make an XNA game, and now he's gone and created another game. To be specific, he's created a new Community Game called (ahem) Zombie Smashers X4 Guitarpocalypse. If you're hoping that we'll be able to explain the title to you, we're sorry to let you down. All we know is that you select a character, pick a guitar, and start smacking the crap out of the other three players. Gather enough energy and you can start banging out a wicked guitar solo (no, seriously) which (again, seriously) unleashes a powerful special attack.

Also, there's a cat that shoots fireballs from its eyes. So, essentially, this is the game design you used to scribble in your spiral during history class. Also, it's only 200 points ($2.50). Check out the trial version. Just try it.

[Thanks, desertpyrate]

James Silva's ZSX4 Guitarpocalypse now on Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MS expands Community Games into new regions

Dustin Burg — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade

Today, Microsoft announced that they've expanded their Community Games initiative into new regions, thus growing the amount of developer participants.

Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have just been added to the list of regions that can produce and participate in the Xbox Live Community Games program and create games like these. On top of the three new region additions, the Community Games program is available in:

United States
Canada
England
France
Italy
Spain
Nordic Regions

MS expands Community Games into new regions originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Check out Live Community Games

Dustin Burg — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace

With all the excitement surrounding the New Xbox Experience, one "feature" we haven't discussed and some haven't explored are the new Community Games. If you weren't aware, the XNA developer community is churning out XBLA-style games that get voted on and the best are pushed onto the Xbox Live Marketplace's Community Games section. And, just like official XBLA games, you can download a trial before you buy.

To get you started on your Community Games game search, we took the liberty to list the seven most popular games that are currently available. Also, don't forget to tell us what your Community Games top choice is.

Seven Most Popular Community Games

Weapon of Choice - (Action & Adventure) by MommysBest
sin(Surfing) - (Sports & Recreation) by Raph
Colosseum - (Fighting) by Shortfuse Games
In The Pit - (Action & Adventure) by luvcraft
Word Soup - (Puzzle & Trivia) by Fuzzy Bug
Funky Punch XL - (Fighting) by SolusG
painball - (Shooter) by radlogicgames

Reminder: Check out Live Community Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 community games: 48 hours from submission to release

Ross Miller — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Online

In its latest developer diary, Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog highlights the NXE Community Games Channel, which we've heard about since February 2008. The separate channel will let theoretically anyone who submits a game and passes peer review to sell their title to other Xbox 360 owners (with Microsoft, unsurprisingly, taking a little bit off the top).

What is surprising to us is that the peer review process there's only 48 hours between the time of submission and release on the channel, a much shorter time frame than Microsoft's weeks-long certification process for Xbox Live Arcade games and title updates. Video embedded after the break; the New Xbox Experience launches November 19.

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Xbox 360 community games: 48 hours from submission to release originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: XNA community games on the NXE

Dustin Burg — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade

Just posted over on Major Nelson's website is a fresh New Xbox Experience video that takes a look at community games and the system that'll be used to bring content to the Marketplace. In the vid, Major sits down with the XNA community team's Kathleen Sanders to discuss the process, who can create games and what we should see heading into November 19th. It looks to be quite the democratic process and one that should bring new experiences and possibilities to the 360.

Video: XNA community games on the NXE originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XNA Community Games pricing, marketing structure detailed

Xav de Matos — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace

Microsoft has revealed the marketing and pricing plans for its Xbox Live Community Games program, which is expected to launch in some public form this holiday season in North America and select European markets.

Microsoft has set three tiers of pricing for XNA developed titles, games may cost 200MS points ($2.50) for titles 50MB or less and 400 ($5) or 800MS points ($10) for titles that weigh in at a maximum of 150MB.

Microsoft is set to share up to 70% of profits from any XNA developed title. Microsoft has also revealed plans to help promote the more successful titles on the service. "If we help you sell an absolute ton of these, it's going to be up towards 30% [more of your total revenue]," Microsoft chief technology officer Chris Satchell told MTV Multiplayer. "If it's not doing so well, down towards 10%."

As Shacknews described, developers who choose to distribute titles via the Xbox Live Marketplace will not be able to opt out of royalty-cutting promotions. Creators must first agree to a common set of terms when adding a game to the service and, According to Microsoft, "the majority of sales and revenue a creator earns will be generated by our promotions."

Unfortunately, XNA Community Games will not include achievements and the service is structured so no game may be released for free, but we assume we'll see demos for each title.

XNA Community Games pricing, marketing structure detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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User-created Xbox Live games to cost as low as $2.50, devs get up to 70% revenue

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:35:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Online, Business

Microsoft confirmed today that the final phase of its XNA initiative would commence later this year when the "Community Games" channel is added to the Xbox Live Marketplace in the US, Canada and select European markets (other regions will be included in 2009 and "beyond"). User-created games will be sold at three price levels: 200 Microsoft Points ($2.50), 400 Microsoft Points ($5) and 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Microsoft has committed to share up to 70% of revenue of an indie game with its developer. (~~In addition, we're presuming that some games will be offered for free.~~ Actually, no games will be free -- read our full Q&A with XNA GM Boyd Multerer right here!)

Microsoft expects that user-created contributions will double the number of downloadable games available on Xbox Live when the Community Games beta launches in the fall as part of the "New Xbox Experience." A peer-review system -- already in operation -- will theoretically keep these titles from coming under the watchful eye of the delisting committee. Though, just in case a few stinkers slip through the cracks, let's keep our fingers crossed for the availability of demo versions.

[Note: Above image is not an accurate depiction of XNA development conditions.]

User-created Xbox Live games to cost as low as $2.50, devs get up to 70% revenue originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Community Games launches beta test

Xav de Matos — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

After being announced at GDC 08 the only questioned that lingered about Microsoft's new Community Games initiative was when the program would officially begin. Today Microsoft inched the program closer to launch by announcing the Beta test for Community Games is available to premium XNA membership owners and the new XNA Creators Club Online community site.

The beta allows creators to submit games for review to the newly formed creators site and once reviewed and approved the game is made available on Xbox Live.

According to Microsoft during GDC, Community Games will land on all Xbox Live connected consoles this holiday season and hopefully the early beta means we can have a healthy catalog of titles to choose from.

Make sure to check out the XNA Community Games tutorial video after the jump.

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Xbox Live Community Games launches beta test originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 May 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XNA community games downloaded 750,000 times

Dustin Burg — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade

Today, as we churned through February's NPD numbers, we came across an interesting number that was included as part of Microsoft's NPD press release. The magic number is 750,000 and it's the number of times the seven free XNA games were downloaded the week after GDC. Microsoft's internal estimates peg the seven XNA games (including gems like Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, JellyCar and Little Gamers) were downloaded around 750,000 times over Xbox Live and, by our internal calculations, that sounds like a lot! Hopefully the exposure these downloads received not only got gamers excited for their release, but excited for the big XNA community games rollout later this Fall. Bring on the free XNA goodness already, bring it!

XNA community games downloaded 750,000 times originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shhh ... Dishwasher: Dead Samurai demo not dead

Xav de Matos — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Xbox Live Arcade

Keep this one on the down-low, we mean don't go putting this on the internets or anything but it looks like someone at Microsoft forgot to hit the "off" switch on the XNA demo for The Dishwasher - Dead Samurai.

Set to expire at midnight on March 9, we found that the demo still booted up and worked correctly today -- March 10. Still having the demo on our hard drive, we attempting to boot the game when a screen told us that the demo had expired, but oddly continued to the main menu of the the game.

The Dishwasher - Dead Samurai, created solely by James Silva, was heralded by Microsoft as their main attraction for the upcoming XNA Community Games feature, set to release this holiday. While we expect Microsoft has already noticed, they can see what you're playing you know, we at least can give the fantastic demo for the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade release a final farewell. Video of the demo going through after the jump.

At this time we haven't been able to confirm if all XNA demos are still functioning, but it seems likely that they will.

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Shhh ... Dishwasher: Dead Samurai demo not dead originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Counting Rupees: Royalty Screwed

Jeff Engel — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks alternate in contributing Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

Gamers were outraged in recent weeks by a rumor that Xbox Live Arcade royalties were being cut in half for developers; in fact, some developers were reportedly considering moving development from XBLA to the PlayStation Network because of the cuts. It was less clear why Microsoft would do something like this: At first glance, it appears to stifle independent game development and reduce the overall quality of XBLA as a platform. Clearly, Microsoft is just being greedy, right?

Perhaps, but it's certainly not as clearcut as it seems at first glance. Although any changes to the royalty structure will mean changes -- and potentially significant ones -- for XBLA, they may still be beneficial in the long run for some people, possibly even increasing indie development.

As is often the case with rumors, there's more to the story than a simple royalty cut. Let's think first about what the costs and benefits of the changes are to both developers and Microsoft, after which we can decide why the action might have been taken in the first place and what it all means to us as gamers. From a developer's perspective, the cost is pretty clear: Up to 35% of the total revenues of a game. Does the developer receive any benefits? Yes, some: As reported, developers will no longer have to pay for features like worldwide ratings or localization, which both reduces costs and potentially provides access to a larger international market. And from Microsoft's standpoint, the costs and benefits are essentially reversed: It no longer has to pay the royalties, but it does need to provide some additional services.

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Counting Rupees: Royalty Screwed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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