Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Vanishing of Ethan Carter will be combat-free, focus on exploration]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter-will-be-combat-free-focus-on-expl/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter-will-be-combat-free-focus-on-expl/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter-will-be-combat-free-focus-on-expl/#comments The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has no combatThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter is the recently announced (and kind of creepy) new game from creative lead Adrian Chmielarz, formerly of People Can Fly, where he worked on violence-ridden games like Bulletstorm and Gears of War: Judgement. But while those games celebrated a proliferation of firearms, Chmielarz says his new title will be quite the opposite: There won't be any shooting at all.

There will be some death, however. "Take Dear Esther, add gameplay, murder and corpses," Chmielarz said to Eurogamer this week. "That's the closest to what The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is." Dear Esther was a first person exploration game more than anything, but Chmielarz added to expect slightly more interactivity in the new title. Players will play as a detective (presumably researching the titular mystery), and will find clues as the game goes on. Chmielarz said that "the focus is not on mind bending puzzles, but on unsettling discoveries."

He also said he was considering supporting the Oculus Rift, and other 3D displays and devices. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is set to launch on the PC later this year.

JoystiqThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter will be combat-free, focus on exploration originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Adrian-Chmielarzastronautsbulletstormcombatdear-estherexplorationpcthe-astronautsthe-vanishing-of-ethan-cartervanishing-of-ethan-carterFri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Summer Sale, Day 5: Metro 2033, RAGE, Assassin's Creed: Revelations and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/16/steam-summer-sale-day-5-metro-2033-rage-assassins-creed-re/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/16/steam-summer-sale-day-5-metro-2033-rage-assassins-creed-re/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/16/steam-summer-sale-day-5-metro-2033-rage-assassins-creed-re/#comments Steam Summer Sale, Day 5 Metro 2033, RAGE, Assassin's Creed Revelations and moreIf you made it this far into the Steam Summer Sale, plan on not buying that pizza you wanted for dinner tonight. Day five of the platform's annual deal-stravaganza features sales on Age of Empires III for $9.99, Metro 2033 for $4.99, RAGE for $9.99, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations for $13.59. Those four games add up to the cost of four large, one-topping pizzas alone.

Today's sale includes both Dear Esther and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for a reasonable price of $2.49 each, around the cost of one of those personal pan pizzas. Let's be honest, those don't fill anyone up anyway.

JoystiqSteam Summer Sale, Day 5: Metro 2033, RAGE, Assassin's Creed: Revelations and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Age-of-Empires-3age-of-empires-iiiassassins-creed-revelationsdear-estherindie-bundleindie-bundle-viron-front-liberation-1944kotormen-of-war-vietnammetro-2033pcRAGEstar-wars-knights-of-the-old-republicSTEAMsteam-summer-salesteam-summer-sale-2012Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dear Esther sales crash against 100,000]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/dear-esther-sales-crash-against-100-000/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/dear-esther-sales-crash-against-100-000/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/dear-esther-sales-crash-against-100-000/#comments ImageDear Esther, the atmospheric indie title from thechineseroom, has sold more than 100,000 copies, shortly following the title's launch for Mac on Steam. Developer Robert Briscoe shared the news on Dear Esther's official site:

"I have to admit I was a little unsure as to what to expect from sales of Dear Esther once we went to retail, we all were - there was no real benchmark to go by at the time, so I'm extremely pleased to see so many people enjoying the game, and most importantly, proving that gamers are open and eager to new ideas and experiences outside of the boundaries of 'traditional' gameplay. Thanks to everyone who has supported us through this journey, and who will hopefully continue to support us in the future!"

Dear Esther is half off through Thursday, May 17 in Steam's Midweek Madness sale, running just $5.

JoystiqDear Esther sales crash against 100,000 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100000dear-esthermacpcsalesSTEAMthechineseroomThu, 17 May 2012 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dear Esther comes to Mac on Steam, is half off through Thursday]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/dear-esther-comes-to-mac-on-steam-is-half-off-through-thursday/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/dear-esther-comes-to-mac-on-steam-is-half-off-through-thursday/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/dear-esther-comes-to-mac-on-steam-is-half-off-through-thursday/#comments ImageDear Esther has finally wandered across the barren PC wasteland to end up on Mac as part of the larger Steam island system. Dear Esther, developed by current Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs team thechineseroom, now supports SteamPlay and is half off for Midweek Madness, through May 17.

JoystiqDear Esther comes to Mac on Steam, is half off through Thursday originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dear-esthermacpcSTEAMSteamPlaythechineseroomTue, 15 May 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dear Esther turned a profit in just 5 hours, 30 minutes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/#comments Last year Indie Fund voted to support Dear Esther, a rebuild of the popular Half-Life 2 mod, and it gave developer thechineseroom $55,000 in one lump sum. Indie Fund had its reservations: In an email to thechineseroom's Dan Pinchbeck before handing over the money, Indie Fund said the Steam audience may not understand Dear Esther and it proposed a release on PSN instead. This didn't happen, and thankfully so.

Dear Esther recouped Indie Fund's $55,000 investment yesterday in just 5 hours and 30 minutes, selling 16,000 copies and becoming the top-selling title on Steam for the entire day. This means all the sales now are going directly to thechineseroom, whether to fund another game, add to this one or take a team-building sky-diving trip, we'll have to wait and see.

JoystiqDear Esther turned a profit in just 5 hours, 30 minutes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dan-pinchbeckdear-estherIndie-fundInvestmentpcprofitSTEAMthechineseroomtop-sellingWed, 15 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: Dear Esther has wandered onto Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/psa-dear-esther-has-wandered-onto-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/psa-dear-esther-has-wandered-onto-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/psa-dear-esther-has-wandered-onto-steam/#comments Moving away from de rigueur violence, we're excited to hear about the re-release of Dear Esther, a moody game and former mod that is -- last we checked -- in no way about explosions and wars.

Dear Esther is available for $9.99 right now on Steam. It's an adventure game for the Windows PC where, as a lost man, you explore a massive and beautiful island. Go ahead and thank Valve's Source engine, which powered Portal 2, for the "beautiful" part.

JoystiqPSA: Dear Esther has wandered onto Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventuredear-estherindiepcsteamthechineseroomvalveTue, 14 Feb 2012 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Dear Esther is looking especially sharp after being put through the Portal 2 engine]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/dear-esther-is-looking-especially-sharp-after-being-put-through/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/dear-esther-is-looking-especially-sharp-after-being-put-through/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/dear-esther-is-looking-especially-sharp-after-being-put-through/#comments
We forgive you if you don't remember what Dear Esther is -- it's the Half-Life 2 mod turned commercial game set for release this Valentine's Day. What a perfect day for launch, as we're told the game is quite easy to fall in love with.

JoystiqDear Esther is looking especially sharp after being put through the Portal 2 engine originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dear-esthergameplaypcrobert-briscoesteamthe-chinese-roomWed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dear Esther coming to Steam on Valentine's Day for $10]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/dear-esther-coming-to-steam-on-valentines-day-for-10/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/dear-esther-coming-to-steam-on-valentines-day-for-10/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/dear-esther-coming-to-steam-on-valentines-day-for-10/#comments The broad, early 2012 launch window of the pretty little Half-Life 2 mod-turned-full Steam game Dear Esther has been narrowed down to a sleek, streamlined release date. The game's official website just announced the title will arrive on Steam February 14 -- that's Valentine's Day, lovers -- for a cool $10. Or a hot $10, or any other temperature bill you feel like forking over.

The site also posted a handful of new screens, such as the one above. See, it's got candles! That just screams "romantic Valentine's Day plans" to us.

JoystiqDear Esther coming to Steam on Valentine's Day for $10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dear-estherhalf-life-2pcrelease-datesteamvalentines-dayFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Dear Esther' now launching in early 2012, moved over to Portal 2 engine]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/26/dear-esther-now-launching-in-early-2012-moved-over-to-portal/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/26/dear-esther-now-launching-in-early-2012-moved-over-to-portal/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/26/dear-esther-now-launching-in-early-2012-moved-over-to-portal/#comments It's strange, isn't it? The day after we're supposed to give thanks for all the special things in life, we subject ourselves to unknown abuse all in the name of saving a buck. Let's instead give thanks for indie game projects that you won't ever find under the heel of a particularly ill-tempered Walmart shopper on this or any other Black Friday. Like Dear Esther for example, the promising Half Life 2 mod turned real boy, coming to Steam ... when exactly?

The more calendrically challenged amongst you may not have realized this, but Dear Esther has already missed its proposed summer 2011 release window so you'll be glad to know it hasn't been summarily forgotten. Developer Dan Pinchbeck says the project has been successfully ported to the Portal 2 engine, and discussions with Valve indicate a release "very likely to be either the end of January or the beginning of February next year." Right alongside Episode 3, right guys?

Guys?

Gallery: Dear Esther

Joystiq'Dear Esther' now launching in early 2012, moved over to Portal 2 engine originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dan-pinchbeckdear-esthermicrosoftmodpcrobert-briscoesource-enginethechineseroomSat, 26 Nov 2011 06:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Dear Esther HL2 mod remake to be commercially released this summer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/12/dear-esther-hl2-mod-remake-to-be-commercially-released-this-summ/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/12/dear-esther-hl2-mod-remake-to-be-commercially-released-this-summ/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/12/dear-esther-hl2-mod-remake-to-be-commercially-released-this-summ/#comments Selected in December as Mod DB's annual "Best Upcoming Mod," Dear Esther is actually a remake of a 2008 Half-Life 2 Source-engine mod by the same name. The original mod was developed by indie studio thechineseroom (at the University of Portsmouth, UK) and was "stumbled across" by Robert Briscoe, a former level designer at DICE who had worked on Mirror's Edge. While "far from perfect," Dear Esther had both intrigued and inspired Briscoe, he wrote in May 2009, describing it as "an interactive painting or story, told through the eyes of a dying man on a journey to try and make peace with his tormented mind."

"The whole thing is enveloped in deep mystery and hidden meanings," he continued, "I had the idea of taking the groundwork for the mod and develop [sic] it into a fully fledged, production-quality product." Briscoe took his idea to the original creative director Dan Pinchbeck, who "was very enthusiastic about it, giving me his full support on the project."

21 months of steady development later and the Dear Esther remake is on track for a commercial release this summer on Steam. That's right -- Pinchbeck and Briscoe approached Valve, which was "impressed enough to grant a Source license for a full independent release," recounts today's announcement (oddly dated July 30, 2010) on the just launched dear-esther.com. "Rob was creating something so extraordinary," Pinchbeck told PC Gamer UK in the new issue (via Beefjack), "[that] it deserved a wider audience than we could give it as a mod."

You can get a glimpse of Briscoe's recreation in the June 2010 test footage postead after the break.

[Pictured: work-in-progress screenshot; source: Robert Briscoe's Devblog]

Continue reading Dear Esther HL2 mod remake to be commercially released this summer

JoystiqDear Esther HL2 mod remake to be commercially released this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dan-pinchbeckdear-estherhalf-life-2modpcrobert-briscoesource-enginesteamthechineseroomvalveSat, 12 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IndieCade 2009: The finalists]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/indiecade-2009-the-finalists/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/indiecade-2009-the-finalists/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/indiecade-2009-the-finalists/#comments
IndieCade 2009 was held in Culver City, CA this past weekend, and the local art galleries and restaurants were filled with independent games and their developers from all over the world. The festival billed itself as the "video game Sundance" and lived up to this self-made reputation, putting 29 different indie games on display, both throughout the weekend and during a Thursday night opening ceremony MC'd by Uncharted 2's Richard Lemarchand (shown above with festival founder Stephanie Barish).

We've rounded up the festival's finalists in the gallery below. You may be familiar with a few of them, including Twisted Pixel's The Maw and a selection of well-known iPhone titles, but all of these titles deserve your attention -- and a playthrough!

Gallery: IndieCade 2009 Finalists

Dear EstherModal KombatYou Get MeTuningTrain

JoystiqIndieCade 2009: The finalists originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aetherakrasiaAppleclassicnightclosurecogsdear-estherdeep-sleep-initiativeelisseverybody-diesfestivalgalleryglobal-conflictsgrayindieindie-gamesindiecadeindiecade-2009iPodMicrosoftmightiermodal-kombatNintendoosmospapermintplaythroughradio-flarerichard-lemarchandruben-and-lullabyshadow-physicssowlarspectrethe-mawthe-pathtraintuningWiiXbox-360you-get-meMon, 05 Oct 2009 10:26:00 EST