Joystiq

Finnish composer Pulkkinen working on 'unannounced PS4 game'

Sinan Kubba — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:30:00 EST

Composer Ari Pulkkinen, known for his work with Finnish developers Housemarque, Rovio and Frozenbyte, is providing the soundtrack and sound design for an "unannounced PS4 game," according to his LinkedIn profile. Under his 'Experience' tab, Pulkkinen says he's also providing soundtracks for an iPad game and PSN game, both also unannounced.

While Pulkkinen's experience is diverse - he's composed soundtracks for several entries in the Angry Birds and Trine series - the majority of his PlayStation-based work has been for Housemarque. Pulkkinen provided the soundtracks for Super Stardust HD, Outland, Dead Nation, and Super Stardust Delta.

Earlier this month, Housemarque responded to a leak of concept art that included Dead Nation 2, as well as tie-ins to Superman and Walking Dead games. In an official statement, the studio said, "As for the artworks on display, they belong to a discarded batch and are not representative of projects we might or might not be working on."

Continue reading Finnish composer Pulkkinen working on 'unannounced PS4 game'

Finnish composer Pulkkinen working on 'unannounced PS4 game' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rovio employing a growing percentage of Finland

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:30:00 EST

Out of the variety of numbers included in this morning's Rovio 2011 financial report, one line stuck out to us as particularly insane: the employee count. Rovio wasn't a very large company before Angry Birds exploded in late 2009, having only produced a couple dozen under-the-radar mobile titles. But by 2011, the need for expansion was clearly there.

Resultantly, employee numbers similarly exploded - from just 28 employees in early 2011 to a whopping 224 at year's end. In case that isn't a dramatic enough statement unto itself, Valve Software employs 293 people, and Valve has quite a few more things to manage. Our biggest fear - a fear that many Rovio employees likely echo - is that the massive upscaling of jobs will result in a massive downscaling should the Angry Birds franchise lose its foothold as king of mobile distractions. Not exactly a new business model in the game industry, unfortunately.

For now at least, Rovio's employing a ton of Finnish devs to craft its bird flingers and related products. Someone's gotta think of these clever marketing vices, you know!

Continue reading Rovio employing a growing percentage of Finland

Rovio employing a growing percentage of Finland originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Angry Birds earned Rovio quite a bit of chicken scratch in 2011

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:05:00 EST

The Angry Birds are quite a catch, it seems. Franchise creator Rovio announced this morning that earnings in 2011 topped $100 million, which it owes solely to sales of the Angry Birds franchise. "The heavy investments made in 2011 to all business areas will be seen in future products," Rovio CEO Mikael Hed noted in the press release. "To ensure continuous success we need to be creative and stay focused on entertaining our millions of fans by continuously developing new and innovative products and services." The company earned approximately $67.6 million in pre-tax profit in 2011, or about 64 percent of total revenue.

Hed doesn't necessarily mean branching out from his company's most popular franchise, of course. Especially not after such a big year for merchandising surrounding the Angry Birds - Rovio's "consumer products" unit took in "about 30 percent" of 2011's total earnings (approximately $31.9 million). That's a lot of Angry Birds gummy snacks!

Rovio's $106.3 million in revenue (not profit, mind you, but revenue) is owed primarily to growth in the Finnish company's Angry Birds games catalog, which expanded by just one game in 2011: a movie tie-in named "Angry Birds Rio." The games have been downloaded approximately 648 million times across all platforms as of Dec. 31, 2011, and have a monthly user base of approximately 200 million.

[Image credit: Flickr user 'Nearsoft']

Continue reading The Angry Birds earned Rovio quite a bit of chicken scratch in 2011

The Angry Birds earned Rovio quite a bit of chicken scratch in 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 May 2012 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Two Angry Birds devs start new studio to make 'the next Angry Birds'

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST

Antti Stén and Tuomas Erikoinen have broken free of Angry Birds developer Rovio to start their own studio, Boomlagoon. Stén, Rovio's former lead server architect, and Erikoinen, former lead artist, want to make "convivial and intriguing games," according to Boomlagoon's motto. We bet they were tempted to throw "non-fowl-related" in there, too, but figured it was unnecessary.

Stén is chief executive officer while Erikoinen is chief creative officer; they refer to themselves as "Mr. Plan" and "Mr. Action," respectively. They plan to make games for web and mobile platforms, starting with HTML 5 titles.

"If we play our cards right, we just might end up with the next Angry Birds," Stén told Venture Beat.

Two Angry Birds devs start new studio to make 'the next Angry Birds' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rovio buys fellow Finns Futuremark Games Studio

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:30:00 EST

Rovio, the team responsible for Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space (and parts of this), has acquired Futuremark Games Studio, creator of Unstoppable Gorg and Shattered Horizon, among other titles. Futuremark Games was founded in 2008 and is based in Finland alongside Rovio, which may explain why Rovio chose to acquire this particular smaller studio over your own basement operation in Florida. Maybe.

"They are an incredibly talented and experienced team, and we are thrilled to have them on board," Rovio Entertainment CEO Mikael Hed said. "Rovio's success is founded on the excellence of our team, and Futuremark Games Studio is going to be a superb addition."

That might also be why Rovio chose Futuremark Games, but if it helps just keep telling yourself that this is a classic case of nationalism.

Continue reading Rovio buys fellow Finns Futuremark Games Studio

Rovio buys fellow Finns Futuremark Games Studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Remedy seeking AI help on unannounced 'AAA console project'

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST

Have you been waiting for the chance to move to the greater Helsinki, Finland area and want to work on a "groundbreaking AAA console project" with the folks behind the Max Payne and Alan Wake franchises? That's what Remedy Games is offering, outing work on another new game from the studio beyond the upcoming Alan Wake-goes-lumberjacking XBLA entry.

Specifically, Remedy is seeking a "Gameplay/AI Programmer" to help work on the project, which will apparently use "the next iteration of Remedy's in-house engine," an engine that previously powered both Alan Wake games. If the chance to assist in the project isn't enough to win you over, experienced AI programmer, Remedy also promises a competitive compensation package, including "a good old Finnish sauna!" And now here we are, picturing a Finnish sauna full of game developers. There goes the day!

Remedy seeking AI help on unannounced 'AAA console project' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

IndieCade 2011: Molding The Swapper out of clay

Mike Schramm — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:20:00 EST

The Swapper is one of IndieCade's most fascinating finalists this year. While the trailer will definitely pique your interest about the title (it features some really interesting "create-a-clone" gameplay -- more on that in a bit), what's most incredible about this one isn't how it looks or plays. It's how it was made.

The Swapper was created by Facepalm Games, which is actually two teenagers named Otto Hantula and Olli Harjola (along with a sound designer) from Helsinki, Finland. They've created a few games, "but nothing as big as this one," they told me. You may think, given the amazing textures and bump-mapping on the game, that they used some kind of high-end engine to create it. Unreal Engine 3? CryEngine, maybe? Nope.

"They're actually made of clay and some other stuff," said Harjola. As in, actual physical clay, which he modeled, photographed, and then put into the game with lots of dynamic lighting. "I probed a lot of different graphic styles," he says. "I don't really like 3D modeling, but I really like doing stuff with my hands, and this is what I came up with."

Continue reading IndieCade 2011: Molding The Swapper out of clay

IndieCade 2011: Molding The Swapper out of clay originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ex-Marvel Studios head becomes 'special advisor' at Angry Birds studio

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST

The man responsible for the sale of Marvel Entertainment to Disney, as well as for producing a string of Hollywood blockbusters based on Marvel properties, is now a "special advisor" for Angry Birds creator Rovio. David Maisel left his successful position as the chairman of Marvel Studios after just two years on the job to work with Rovio on building "the company's entertainment strategy." He'll be helping the Finnish studio expand into "new areas in the entertainment business," and will also head up any future Angry Birds films as executive producer, in part reprising his role at Marvel Studios.

"I'm very honored and excited to join Rovio ... and the franchise potential of Angry Birds give Rovio the most exciting prospects I have seen in the entertainment business since Marvel in 2003," Maisel overextends in the press release announcing his job appointment. "We welcome his experience and vision as we continue broadening our entertainment production scope at Rovio," CEO Mikael Hed adds, returning the back scratching.

Corporate steam blowing aside, we can't help but wonder how Maisel can compare Rovio's one (admittedly very, very popular) property -- Angry Birds -- with Marvel's decades old stable of properties, but then we're also not special advisors to Rovio.

Ex-Marvel Studios head becomes 'special advisor' at Angry Birds studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Xbox Live Video Marketplace coming to 10 more countries 'this fall'

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

As far as we know, the kind of laziness which prevents you from visiting the nearest Blockbuster Video is a worldwide phenomenon. According to a press release (.doc link) dropped just in time for CES, Microsoft is catering to this global lethargy by opening up the Xbox Live Video Marketplace to ten more countries this fall: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Australia and New Zealand.

Basically, if the Xbox Live Video Marketplace was playing Risk, it'd have a kickass lock on the Eastern Hemisphere.

Xbox Live Video Marketplace coming to 10 more countries 'this fall' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumor: New Alan Wake trailer to debut before Max Payne -- in Finland

Randy Nelson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure

Remedy is making Alan Wake; Remedy made Max Payne; Remedy is Finnish. The website Pelaajalehti is - along with being nigh-impossible to pronounce - also Finnish, and reports that a new trailer for the long lost Xbox 360 adventure of Mr. Wake will debut before a special preview screening of the Max Payne feature film in - you guessed it - Finland on October 15.

Last we heard, Remedy was apologizing for Alan Wake's tardiness, no-show status at E3, and general air of vaporware. Now, we can understand wanting to play to your home crowd, but how about a little love for those of us who don't exactly fancy ice swimming and Karjalanpiirakka?

[Via X3F]

Rumor: New Alan Wake trailer to debut before Max Payne -- in Finland originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The DS not big enough for Tetris? How about a dorm building?

Candace Savino — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video

The Russians may have done it first (definitively proving that they have won the Tetris arms race), but that doesn't make this accomplishment by some Finnish students any less impressive. The goal behind the project known as MIKONTALOLIGHTS (Mikontalo being the name of the dorm building that was used) was to make the largest colored graphics platform in the world. It all took place in a public event that was held on December 4th.

While we're absolutely blown away by the awesomeness of the project, we have to say that a tripod and some Tetris-themed background music would have really gone a long way.

[Via Geekologie]

The DS not big enough for Tetris? How about a dorm building? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Splinter Cell conViction featured in Finnish gaming mag

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

See what they've done with the "V"? Clever ... sorta. Finnish gaming mag Pelaaja ("Player") has the scoop on Xbox 360's console-exclusive, Splinter Cell V -- er, Splinter Cell Conviction (the title remains unchanged since it was leaked last September).

GamersReports has compiled the first Conviction gameplay details, allegedly translated from the Pelaaja article. Apparently, dear old Sam will be forced out into daylight and, taking a cue from his Ubi-cousin Altaïr, will stick to the crowd instead of the shadows. An internal threat within Third Echelon has supposedly forced Sam to defect from the agency (like, for realz this time) as he attempts to save coworker Anna Grímsdóttir. Two HUD gimmicks will form the backbone of the gameplay: the "hero instinct" gives Sam the ability to track his enemies Predator-style (in infrared); while the "danger meter" acts sorta like Spidey-sense, minus the tingle (then again, Ubisoft could utilize rumble).

Close quarters combat is said to be a lot more "Bourne" this time around, as Sam has apparently shaken off his stiffness through yoga (Downward Dog FTW!), in addition to the training he's received from the alien peacekeeper and pesky webslinger. Coupled with an upgraded physics engine that lets Sam use numerous environmental objects (not just soda cans) to his advantage, Fisher oughtta make short work of that "dynamic" AI. No mention of what's in store for multiplayer -- but we sorta have this hunch...

Splinter Cell conViction featured in Finnish gaming mag originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 May 2007 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments