Joystiq

Benjamin Rivers' 'Home' arrives June 1, pre-orders start today

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:15:00 EST

Home, the pixel-art horror/adventure game that first caught our frightened little eyes last October will be available for the PC on June 1, in your choice of "Regular" and "Old-School Collector's" editions.

Home's Regular Edition rings up at $2.00 and entitles you to a DRM-free download of the game, whereas the Old-School Collector's Edition has been created specifically for "players who love classic packaging and think physical media is more than just a delivery method." At $20.00 (plus shipping and handling), the Collector's Edition includes a "classic-style" manual, "exclusive game-universe artifacts," a town map plus "mapping tools to help you find your way" and "maybe some other delicious secrets."

Pre-orders go live today, and everyone that pre-orders either version will receive a set of wallpapers as a bonus tchotchke. Take a look at the Collector's Edition and some shiny new screenshots in the gallery below, if you dare.

Gallery: Home (Release Date/Collector's Set reveal)

Continue reading Benjamin Rivers' 'Home' arrives June 1, pre-orders start today

Benjamin Rivers' 'Home' arrives June 1, pre-orders start today originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST

The A MAZE. Indie Games Award 2012, held during the Deutsche Gamestage in Berlin from April 26 to 27, is now taking submissions and will award one single indie game the "Most Amazing Indie Game" title, which would be a pretty awesome thing to put on your resume. The winner is selected by a "high-profile international jury" to be revealed in March, and will receive €5000 ($6,599) and a suitably "amazing trophy."

Submissions are open to anyone and everyone, for a fee of €45 ($59) through March 30, with finalists announced in mid-April. This is just a hunch, but now might be the time to build that rat-maze game you were thinking of at 2 a.m. that one night -- the one with the makeup-testing and cancer-treatment levels. Again, just a hunch.

'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie devs launching XBLIG app for WP7 because MS hasn't

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST

The Indie Games section of Xbox Live has been a point of contention for indie developers since its launch, in part because the app was hard to find and confusing to navigate. Microsoft has since made improvements -- with the most recent dashboard update, even -- but a group of indie devs and industry enthusiasts are speeding up the process with a new app for Windows Phone, tentatively called the XBLIG Companion.

The XBLIG Companion scrapes the RSS feeds of XboxIndies.com and gathers the XML and CSV data for every applicable game, updating the app's listings as the games are updated themselves. XBLIG Companion will offer easy browsing of Xbox Indie Games' selection and will allow users to purchase games for their consoles directly from their phones.

Created by Casey Young and organized by Dave Voyles, XBLIG Companion is currently in beta testing -- anyone with a Windows Phone 7 can check out the prototype now by contacting Dave [at] ArmlessOctopus [dot] com, and leaving feedback right here. Now that wasn't so difficult, was it, Microsoft?

Indie devs launching XBLIG app for WP7 because MS hasn't originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Nyan Cat Adventure

David Hinkle — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:15:00 EST

Crowded as it is with farting massage simulators, it can be hard to find worthwhile titles on Xbox Live Indie Games. That's why we sift through all that rough to unearth a few gems. That way, you get the skinny on quality games and we get to indulge our secret passion for fart machines. This week, we try out Nyan Cat Adventure, a platformer from 21st Street Games.

Indie developer 21st Street Games has found a niche: bizarre platformers. Its previous offering, Techno Kitten Adventure, was a visual assault backed by a simple gameplay mechanic, and the studio's latest is no different. The Xbox Live Indie game Nyan Cat Adventure takes the popular internet meme into the realm of single-button arcade gameplay.

But the most surprising thing about Nyan Cat Adventure is the variety I found in such a simple experience. True, the game only uses one button, but what that button does constantly changes throughout the game's main mode of play, dubbed 'Party.'

Continue reading Xbox Live Indie Gems: Nyan Cat Adventure

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Nyan Cat Adventure originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You should get The Cat That Got The Milk

David Hinkle — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST

One of our goals here at Joystiq is to notify you as soon as we possibly can about awesome things. It's something we've been doing for quite some time and now we've got something new and neat to inform you about: The Cat That Got The Milk.

No, we're not talking about that junkyard cat you're certain stole that half gallon of milk from your fridge (how would it carry the container?) but a new indie game that lasts around 10 to 15 minutes. And the best part is it's free -- all you have to do is go over to the website and download it for OSX or Windows.

As you can see in the video above, it's all quite simple: you use the up and down arrows to navigate a beautiful and abstract world that's meant to show us what cats see every day. Also, cats are apparently, like, high all of the damn time. Catnip must be a helluva drug!

You should get The Cat That Got The Milk originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Games get increased file size, reduced minimum prices

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

It's been something of a rocky road for Xbox Live Indie Game developers, often confronted with less than ideal exposure and competing with not only huge retail games, but also incredibly cheap titles on mobile platforms like iOS. Microsoft has today addressed a handful of concerns that XBLIG devs face, notably the issues of game size and pricing.

First, the size of projects has been greatly increased, from 150 megabytes to the new maximum of 500 megabytes. Second, and perhaps most important, Microsoft has removed one of the major restrictions on price. Before, all games that exceeded 50MB in size we required to be priced at either $3 or $5, making them hard to position against both XBLA titles and mobile titles on other platforms. The minimum price has now been reduced to $1 (80 MS Points), making XBL Indies more competitive and (potentially) more lucrative.

Finally, Microsoft has raised the cap on the number of titles any developer is allowed to host on the Indie Games service. Previously topping out at 10, developers may now have a total of 20 games available at any given time. Of course, you know what this means: Moar Gaems with Z0mb1ES in Th3m and a larger assortment of choice weapons.

Xbox Live Indie Games get increased file size, reduced minimum prices originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Xbox Dashboard features leave Indie Games in the lurch

David Hinkle — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:05:00 EST

Now that the new Xbox 360 Dashboard is out there, many are finding the new features don't extend to Indie Games. Sure, Indies haven't supported Achievements for a while, and there's always been a price ceiling, but it looks like Beacons don't work with them, cloud storage isn't supported, and new releases don't appear under, well, new releases.

It's all in the video above, provided by GameMarx. Even that new Xbox iOS app doesn't list Indies. Why is nobody thinking of the little guys?

New Xbox Dashboard features leave Indie Games in the lurch originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IGF 2012 entrants have a crack at winning the first ever 'XBLA Prize'

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

Independent Games Festival entrants aren't just charming, attractive, and creative -- they're also potential XBLA developers. At least they are now, after today's announcement of the first "XBLA Prize" by Microsoft and Game Developers Conference administrators UBM, which gives IGF entrants a crack at being fast-tracked on Xbox Live Arcade for publishing by Microsoft.

According to the prize sponsors, a "standalone jury of independent game creators" will apparently collaborate with Microsoft to "identify a shortlist" -- a list which will then be considered for the XBLA prize. If the winner so chooses, his/her project will then be offered funding for development across Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7, and Windows, as well as given the opportunity to employ Microsoft's bevy of testing, marketing, and usability support.

Alongside today's prize announcement, Microsoft head of first-party publishing Ted Woolsey also revealed that Microsoft invests upward of $20 million annually on XBLA titles, and offered support for the multi-year partnership with the IGF. "The independent development scene wouldn't be nearly as robust as it is today without the exposure provided by the IGF. We look forward to working with the IGF and having a window into to the huge array of independent games that are submitted every year so that we can continue to find the best games to share with our customers."

IGF 2012 entrants have a crack at winning the first ever 'XBLA Prize' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie Game: The Movie making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST

Good news, everyone! Indie Game: The Movie -- which you may have helped fund at some point or another during the last year and a half -- will finally make its debut in late January 2012. We know, we know; you're worried about how that's going to conflict with your scheduled attendance of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. There's no need to worry, silly goose: That's exactly where it's making its debut. Crazy, right?

The crowdsource-funded film's official blog announced that the movie had earned an official selection in the World Documentary Category of the festival. If you can't make the trip to Utah, don't worry: You can also request a screening of the film in your hometown, or wait until the movie hits DVDs following its initial screening tour. Us? We don't have to see it, Dottie. We lived it.

Indie Game: The Movie making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft discounts Super Meat Boy, other content across its platforms

David Hinkle — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:00:00 EST

This week, Microsoft is offering discounts across Xbox Live, Windows PC and its mobile platforms. It's being billed as a fan appreciation sale and we're sure Microsoft would appreciate if its fans spent money. It's kinda how these things go.

Highlights include Super Meat Boy for $5, a few discounted add-ons for Left 4 Dead 2 and Homefront, half-off Indie Games titles Flotilla and Weapon of Choice, and a few PC and mobile joints for good measure. If you want to spend, there's a good chance you can find something to spend money on here. The only thing we'd suggest is that perhaps you hold off on the five different premium Xbox 360 themes available. There's no word on whether or not they'll be compatible with your new Dashboard next month.

Microsoft discounts Super Meat Boy, other content across its platforms originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to make the best indie game ever: Lessons from J-Force Games

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST

When J-Force Games released Avatar Massage Online in 2010, they were clear about their intentions -- they wanted to make money. Avatar Massage wasn't a genre-shattering revelation of graphics or gameplay; it was a mindless yet entertaining time-waster, or a clever way to buy a vibrator without worrying your mom would come over and find your secret stash. The J-Force team had dreams of developing the "best indie game ever," and to do that they needed money. What better way to fund an indie game, than with an indie game?

"We just saw a bunch of mini-games and little apps in the top-sellers on XBLIG and said hey, we could do that too," Jeremy Eden of J-Force said. "Since we needed money it was a no-brainer."

The 16,000 people who bought Avatar Massage seemed to agree with this sentiment. But a slew of other people did not -- many argued that releasing a "crappy" game to make quick money and fund a more ambitious project was "immoral" on a deep level, according to the (very secret) Rules of Gaming Ethics and Morality.

J-Force didn't expect a violent backlash, but they were prepared with a response regardless.

"The nutshell argument is this: There's no difference in making a game for the money versus working any other job for the money -- most people hate their jobs, but they put up with them just for that paycheck," Eden said. "People then argue, 'But you're releasing crap for money!' And by 'crap' they mean basically any type of game that doesn't suit their superior taste. If Avatar Massage Online was crap, why have 16,000 people bought it?"

Continue reading How to make the best indie game ever: Lessons from J-Force Games

How to make the best indie game ever: Lessons from J-Force Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiecade 2011 preview: Ten games to watch for

Mike Schramm — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST

IndieCade 2011 kicks off this weekend in Los Angeles' Culver City, shining a spotlight on some of the biggest and best games the indie gaming community has to offer. The full list of finalists was announced a while ago, and all of those developers are expected to be live in person during the event, with demo units of each game available for the public to play all weekend long.

The event really gets into gear this evening at the IndieCade awards, where developers and their games will be chosen for a series of categories like Fun/Compelling, and the Jury and Audience Choice awards. We'll have more on the results of those later on this evening, but before the festival begins, here's a look at ten of the biggest finalists, including some you can load up and play right now.

Continue reading Indiecade 2011 preview: Ten games to watch for

Indiecade 2011 preview: Ten games to watch for originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie Games Summer Uprising gets new trailer, community voting begins

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:00:00 EST

So, those eight games chosen to headline the Xbox Live Indie Games Summer Uprising, would you like to see some footage? No? How about footage set to the tune of Mega Man 2's first Dr. stage? Yes! We knew you would come around.

Since you're here, you should also know that community voting for the final two games has begun. Check out the entries page on the Summer Uprising website and then head over to the Facebook page to cast your vote. We'd love to strong-arm our readers into voting for The Jump Hero, but what sort of example would that set for other responsible websites?

The Summer Uprising officially begins later this month on August 22.

Continue reading Indie Games Summer Uprising gets new trailer, community voting begins

Indie Games Summer Uprising gets new trailer, community voting begins originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Joystiq Show - 004: The Toys of Summer

Jonathan Downin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts

It's summer, and that means a wasteland of retail releases, but never fear, there are plenty of great smaller titles on the way. XBLA has turned the Summer drought into a veritable smorgasbord of great downloadable releases, and the indie scene is looking to bring their goods as well.

Twisted Pixel delivered Ms. Splosion Man last week, and Richard talks with Twisted Pixel's Frank Wilson about the follow-up to 2009's XBLA hit. Indie games are also getting their due with an interview about the Indie Games Summer Uprising on XBL. Supergiant Games's freshman effort and Summer of Arcade 2011 opener, Bastion, gets an audio review from Ludwig and a review roundtable featuring MTV Games's Russ Frushtick.

Part 1 (1:27) - Twisted Pixel interview

Part 2 (10:56) - XBLA Indie Games Summer Uprising interview

Part 3 (30:58) - Bastion audio review and roundtable

Thanks to Chris for the hot new Joystiq Show artwork.

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Host: Richard Mitchell (@S enseiRAM)
Guests: Frank Wilson, Dave Voyles (@DaveVoyles), Kris Steele (@kriswd40), Russ Frushtick (@RussFrushtick)
Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily)
Production Coordinator: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM)
Music: Trash80 and Broke For Free.

See the full guest list, and stream the show, after the break.

Continue reading The Joystiq Show - 004: The Toys of Summer

The Joystiq Show - 004: The Toys of Summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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8 headlining games chosen for Indie Games Summer Uprising

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:40:00 EST

Much like the outdoor temperature, the Indie Games Summer Uprising is heating up. Eight of the promotion's headlining titles, as chosen by Indie Game developers, have been revealed. The titles run the gamut of fighting, platforming, role-playing and train simulator (no really!) games.

This August, voting will begin for two more titles to be chosen by the community itself. Voting will start on Monday, August 1, and will run until August 14 on the Indie Games Summer Uprising Facebook page. See the full list of developer-chosen games (including links to descriptions and trailers) after the break.

Continue reading 8 headlining games chosen for Indie Games Summer Uprising

8 headlining games chosen for Indie Games Summer Uprising originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve Potato Sack bundle hides possible Portal 2 ARG

David Hinkle — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:04:00 EST

It would appear that Valve's "potato sack" bundle is hiding something beneath the surface, much like the hidden ARG found in Portal after Valve updated it. A wiki page chronicles all of the discovered changes so far, which include some hidden glyphs and, if Razer equipment is detected, a message that reads "1...2...3...Drop That Beat (Like An Ugly Baby)." That odd phrase, of course, translates to "Secret Message."

Common speculation is that this has something to do with Portal 2 (the Razer tie-in lends credence to that). Nothing has been confirmed yet, and folks are still finding stuff -- if you discover more interesting info, feel free to contact us!

[Thanks, Arslan]

Valve Potato Sack bundle hides possible Portal 2 ARG originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clover: A Curious Tale gets permanent price drop

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:00:00 EST

Binary Tweed's Deejay has announced that his game, Clover: A Curious Tale, has received a permanent price cut on Xbox Live Indie Games. Originally 400 MS Points ($5), the title has been discounted to 240 points ($3).

Having recently been featured as part of a special St. Patrick's Day deal of the week, it's time for Clover to be sent "to roost," Deejay wrote on the Binary Tweed website. "It's never going to do more sales, it's not going to contribute a huge wedge to my income," he noted, "so I might as well make it as cheap as possible so as many players get to experience it." He added that he'd lower the price further, but 240 is the lowest price that can be offered by Indie Games over 50MB in size.

Deejay hopes to lower the price of the PC version as well, though the logistics of dealing with various download distributors "could be a bit tricky."

Clover: A Curious Tale gets permanent price drop originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Aban Hawkins & the 1000 Spikes

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:10:00 EST

Crowded as it is with farting massage simulators, it can be hard to find worthwhile titles on Xbox Live Indie Games. That's why we sift through all that rough to unearth a few gems. That way, you get the skinny on quality games and we get to indulge our secret passion for fart machines. This week, we go exploring with 8bits Fanatics' Aban Hawkins & the 1000 Spikes.

We play games for different reasons. Generally, most of us do it for fun. Others, by some alien logic that I don't understand but am all too comfortable with, are in it for the punishment. Aban Hawkins & the Thousand Spikes is their game.

In the words of its Japanese developer, 8bits Fanatics, Aban Hawkins is an "8-bit retro style Hardest Extremest Craziest Platform Action Puzzle Adventure." It might not be the most eloquent of descriptions, but it's certainly accurate.

Continue reading Xbox Live Indie Gems: Aban Hawkins & the 1000 Spikes

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Aban Hawkins & the 1000 Spikes originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Squid

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST

Crowded as it is with farting massage simulators, it can be hard to find worthwhile titles on Xbox Live Indie Games. That's why we sift through all that rough to unearth a few gems. That way, you get the skinny on quality games and we get to indulge our secret passion for fart machines. This week, we take a look at Salmon Steve Productions' passive shooter, Squid.

There are plenty of shooters available on the Xbox Live Indie Games channel. More than a few of them pack in neon graphics, pulse-pounding music and lots of eye-catching explosions. In this respect, Salmon Steve Productions Squid is no different. What does make it different from most shooters out there is pretty simple: You can't shoot.

Continue reading Xbox Live Indie Gems: Squid

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Squid originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Antipole

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST

Crowded as it is with farting massage simulators, it can be hard to find worthwhile titles on Xbox Live Indie Games. That's why we sift through all that rough to unearth a few gems. That way, you get the skinny on quality games and we get to indulge our secret passion for fart machines. This week, we try out the gravity-altering platformer, Antipole, from Saturnine Games.

There's a an oft-used formula used by game developers. First, come up with an interesting gameplay mechanic. Second, build an entire game centered around that mechanic. The central mechanic of Antipole is easy to explain: Pull the trigger to reverse gravity. It's a very simple mechanic -- and not necessarily one that's never been used before -- but the way in which Antipole uses gravity is what sets it apart. As Saturnine Games' Edward Di Geronimo Jr. puts it, "Our gravity ability isn't just a replacement for a jump, but rather a core part of the game world."

Continue reading Xbox Live Indie Gems: Antipole

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Antipole originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

It's a curious way to organize data, but Microsoft's Major Nelson has posted the top Arcade and Indie games of 2010, based on "full versions purchased" during a game's first seven days of activity.

Topping the Arcade list is Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, which definitely owns its place as Capcom's "most dynamic sales weapon" ever. Capcom's other Dead Rising 2 standalone tie-in, Case West, also did some faaaaa-ntastic numbers, taking the seventh spot. Limbo, which was one of our top games of 2010, took the second spot, while the Perfect Dark refresh can be spied in third. Super Meat Boy, prime at five on our best of 2010, hunkered down on this list at spot 17.

In the Indie section, Baby Maker Extreme popped up in first place, followed by several games that have "Avatar" in the title. A game called Try Not To Fart also made it into the list. Check out the top 20 Arcade and Indie titles after the break.

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Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Vorpal

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST

Crowded as it is with farting massage simulators, it can be hard to find worthwhile titles on Xbox Live Indie Games. That's why we sift through all that rough to unearth a few gems. That way, you get the skinny on quality games and we get to indulge our secret passion for fart machines. This week, we take a look at Red Wolf's bullet hell shoot-em-up, Vorpal.

Upon first trying Vorpal, I wasn't sure I'd be able to beat the very first level. Inspired by Touhou, Vorpal is a bullet hell shoot-em-up, and true to the genre, success is as dependent on dodging bullets as it is on defeating enemies. It's important for smaller, independent games to have a quick, recognizable hook, be it enjoyable gameplay mechanics, catchy music or simply a unique look. Vorpal, it turns out, has all three.

Gallery: Vorpal (Xbox Live Indie Games)

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Vorpal originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Gems: Cthulhu Saves the World

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Crowded as Xbox Live Indie Games is with farting massage simulators, it can be hard to find worthwhile titles. That's why we sift through all that rough to unearth a few gems. That way, you get the skinny on quality games and we get to indulge our secret passion for fart machines. This week, we take a look at the Zeboyd Games retro RPG romp, Cthulhu Saves the World.

Let's just start with the premise of Cthulhu Saves the World: You take control of Cthulhu, the squid-faced, winged god created by H.P. Lovecraft. Cthulhu emerges from the sea after centuries of slumber only to find his dark powers immediately sealed away by a mysterious holy wizard. A narrator then informs the player that the only way to break the curse is to become a true hero. Quickly breaking the fourth wall, Cthulhu informs the narrator that he was eavesdropping and now knows how to break the curse.

Thus begins his quest to become a true hero, but only so he can restore his world-rending powers and wash the earth in a tide of insanity and despair. Oh, it's also an RPG inspired by the 16-bit adventures of yore.

Gallery: Cthulhu Saves the World (12/29/10)

Continue reading Xbox Live Indie Gems: Cthulhu Saves the World

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Cthulhu Saves the World originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IGF China honors indie games from Asia and Australia

Mike Schramm — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:30:00 EST

The Chinese arm of the Independent Games Festival has announced its award winners for the year, and you can see all of them on its official blog. 2D platformer Sugar Cube (not to be confused with The Crying Sugar Cube Leprechaun game) walked away with the Best Game award and iOS App Store puzzler Train Conductor 2: USA won Best Mobile Game. Best Student Game went to a sandbox-style tower defense title called The White Laboratory, available in demo form on Google Code.

The IGF China awards honor games from both Asia and Australia, and are awarded every year at GDC China. Winners picked up a cash prize and will be shown off in Shanghai during the conference itself.

IGF China honors indie games from Asia and Australia originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie Games Winter Uprising kicks off today with 'Epic Dungeon'

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST

The Xbox Live Indie Game development community's attempt to separate the platform's wheat from its chaff, aggressively named "Indie Games Winter Uprising," begins today and will run throughout the first week of December. To showcase the 14 titles which will either be released or discounted during the promotion, the official Uprising website has released a trailer showing off a few quick gameplay clips from each.

It seems like the promotion's organizer's couldn't wait to get things off the ground, as the first Winter Uprising title, a roguelike RPG titled Epic Dungeon, is due to arrive on the platform today. Keep an eye on the official Winter Uprising site to stay abreast of the other games' arrivals.

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Indie Games Winter Uprising kicks off today with 'Epic Dungeon' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Games store now falls under Games & Demos section

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:15:00 EST

In a remarkably quick 180 (for the 360), Microsoft has moved its Xbox Live Indie Games channel back into the "Games & Demos" section of Xbox Live Marketplace. When the fall Dashboard update hit Xbox 360 last week, the Indie Games channel was swept into the "Specialty Shops" section, alongside Avatar clothing items rather than other video games.

The folks most affected by the change -- Xbox Live Indie Game developers -- have taken to the Microsoft forums to celebrate the change, saying, "Microsoft ARE LISTENING! Indie Games are back in the games section! We ARE having an effect. The new placement isnt PERFECT - but its a huge step in the right direction. The icon feels very out of place being such a different style -- and in searches etc. it doesnt look like indie games are included - but we ARE in the games section." The original complaint forum thread has even been changed from "xbligs are not 'games' any longer" to "mourning is over!", giving an indication of just how important the re-categorization was to the XBLIG development community.

Xbox Live Indie Games store now falls under Games & Demos section originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Indie Games moved to 'Specialty Shops' on new Dashboard, devs not happy

Mike Schramm — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST

The new Xbox 360 Dashboard Update makes the whole interface look smoother and cleaner, but it has rubbed one part of the community the wrong way. Xbox Live Indie Game creators are bummed over on the Microsoft Developer Network forums, as their creations have been relegated to the "Specialty Shops" section of the new Dashboard, hidden behind the Avatar Marketplace and away from most of the game and demo traffic.

Most developers actually sound resigned to their fate, admitting that, while there are a few indie game breakouts, the category in general wasn't a big moneymaker for Microsoft, so it's not surprising it didn't get the spotlight when the update came around. But other devs say it's a chicken-and-the-egg problem, that indie games won't get the sales without the exposure, and hiding them away only dooms them to more failure.

That said, there's no sales data yet off of the new Dashboard; we'll just have to wait and see what effect this new placement has.

[Thanks, Richard!]

Xbox Live Indie Games moved to 'Specialty Shops' on new Dashboard, devs not happy originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's XNA Creator's Club is now 'App Hub'

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If you fancy yourself an Xbox Live Indie Games developer, you might have noticed a change to the XNA Creators Club today. In conjunction with the unveiling of Windows Phone 7, it appears that Microsoft has quietly changed the Creators Club to the much more generalized "App Hub." The site purports to offer resources for developers to create applications for both Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360, though the site currently seems to favor the former.

In fact, the Education Roadmap section -- which introduces would-be programmers to XNA Game Studio -- only offers tutorials for Windows Phone 7. Of course, it's understandable that Microsoft would want to recruit as many programmers as possible for its new baby. There are still examples and code snippets for Windows and Xbox 360 programming, but hopefully we'll see some more robust introductory tutorials in the future.

[Thanks, Niko]

Microsoft's XNA Creator's Club is now 'App Hub' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect-enabled XBL Indie Games still up in the air

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Would-be Kinect Indie Game developers out there should prepare for some bad news. Speaking to Digital Spy, a Microsoft spokesman stated that currently "only developers with established contracts with Microsoft" are allowed to develop projects for Kinect. Only those developers that Microsoft has "partnered with for the launch" will release Kinect games at first.

That's not to say that budding XNA developers will never get their hands on the Kinect. The spokesman acknowledged that Microsoft would "consider" the possibility for the future, though he added that "no plans can be confirmed at this time."

Here's hoping Indie devs get Kinect support sooner rather than later. The creative possibilities are definitely there and, besides, where else would we get Kinect-enabled fart simulators now that support for Fable 3 has been delayed?

Kinect-enabled XBL Indie Games still up in the air originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They Need To Be Fed jumping to PSP this summer

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

Jesse Venbrux must be quite proud of his indie platformer, They Need To Be Fed. Not only did he recently win the top prize of the YoYo Games competition, he's earned a $1,000 cash prize, and a deal to port the game over to PSP.

The platformer can be best described as a 2D version of Super Mario Galaxy, with players navigating the unique gravity of each platform to reach their goal: to be eaten. If that doesn't make much sense, you can wait for the PSP version, planned for release this summer, so you can see for yourself. Or, you can download the PC game here. (Or, you can just watch the video we placed after the break.)

[Via Pocket Gamer]

Continue reading They Need To Be Fed jumping to PSP this summer

They Need To Be Fed jumping to PSP this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Humble Indie Bundle: Pay what you want for World of Goo and four others

Mike Schramm — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:30:00 EST

You've commented on Joystiq posts about oppressive DRM many times before. You dutifully wear your Target-purchased indie game t-shirt every week without fail. And you read every Joystiq Indie Pitch we post. But if you want to put some money towards supporting indie games, you won't find a better way to do it than this. Wolfire Games and a few other indie developers have put together the "Humble Indie Bundle" sale, offering five terrific award-winning indie games (World of Goo, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru and Penumbra Overture) for the low, low price of ... whatever you want.

That's right -- they're asking you to pay what you feel is right for these bundled, non-DRM, developer-owned Mac, Linux or PC games. And that's not all: You can even specify part or all of your donation to go to a charity, either Child's Play or the Electronic Frontier Foundation. That's about as selfless as it gets in gaming -- pay what you think it's worth, to charity or the people who made it.

The average donation so far is about $8.00, but individuals have donated as much as $500 to the effort. You get lots of chances to say you support indie gaming, but fewer great chances like this to put your money where your mouth is. And walking away with five great indie titles to play doesn't hurt, either.

Humble Indie Bundle: Pay what you want for World of Goo and four others originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gameloft treads on XBL Indie games with Tank Battles

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Xbox Live Arcade was once thought to be a bastion of independent game development, destined to help independent studios get their projects to the game-playing masses. While that's still true to a certain extent -- Ska Studios and Polytron say hi -- there's no denying that an increasingly large number of XBLA games are being created by major publishers and development houses. And now it seems as if Xbox Live Indie Games -- quite literally a bastion of independent game development -- might suffer the same fate.

Unstoppable mobile game publisher Gameloft (a subsidiary of Ubisoft) is officially entering the Indie Games space with Tank Battles. As the title implies, the game features tanks doing battle from a third-person perspective. If the title sounds familiar, it's because the game was already released on PSN last year as Battle Tanks. The game offers up to 4-players (locally or online) to duke it out and, truth be told, it looks pretty fun. Check out a trailer after the break.

[Via GamerBytes]

Continue reading Gameloft treads on XBL Indie games with Tank Battles

Gameloft treads on XBL Indie games with Tank Battles originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Sleep Is Death

Justin McElroy — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:40:00 EST

A lot of game critics you talk to will tell you that, after making a career of playing games, it takes a lot to impress them. But that's not exactly the truth.

Perhaps I shouldn't speak for them, but I know for me that all it really takes for a game to knock my socks off is that smallest yet boldest of features: A single great, new idea. I'm not talking about squishing together the dual-stick shooting of Geometry Wars and RPG elements and hoping for the best. I'm talking about an innovation that takes a single step back from the whole idea of what video games are and reapproaches it in a way that feels utterly fresh.

Sleep Is Death is just such an idea.

Continue reading Hands-on: Sleep Is Death

Hands-on: Sleep Is Death originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBL Indie 'Weapon of Choice' chosen by Blitz for PC release

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST

The debut Xbox Live Indie Game from former Insomniac designer Nathan Fouts, Weapon of Choice, is headed to the PC by way of Blitz Games Studios and its Blitz 1UP label. It's not the first Indie picked up by the publisher; Binary Tweed's Clover: A Curious Tale was released for Windows via a number of different digital distribution services earlier this year.

Blitz doesn't have a launch date yet for the port of WOC, but creator Fouts has made a strong case for PC players to be excited. "With the help of Blitz 1UP, we hope to relieve your monitors from constantly displaying games in browns and grays," he stated in today's announcement, adding, "It's time to vomit up some vibrant color with trip-inducing visuals of alien viscera!" Kevin Butler, watch your back.

You can try (and, if you like, buy) the second XBL Indie release from Mommy's Best Games, Shoot 1UP, right now from the Xbox Live Marketplace. [Handy-dandy Marketplace link!]

XBL Indie 'Weapon of Choice' chosen by Blitz for PC release originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1 sold 200,000 copies

David Hinkle — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:45:00 EST

It would seem that, if you make it cheap enough, they will buy it. Last year 's top Indie Games title, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1, has managed to sell 200,000 copies, developer Ska Studios reveals. In fact, 40,000 copies have been sold so far this year (based on this data of its performance last year), indicating the game is still pretty darn popular on Xbox Live.

We would say that the game's success lies in its titular undead enemies, but the undead hordes have managed to claw and bite their way into everything nowadays. Instead, we'll point to the game's low price of a buck as being the primary factor for its strong sales. Well, that and its awesome soundtrack.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1 sold 200,000 copies originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBL Indie Game cover parodies ICO cover

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:16:00 EST

[Siliconera]

Who doesn't like cover art inspired by Giorgio de Chirico and, more directly, Ico? Monsters, that's who. That'd be like saying you don't like playing games that require the combining of three objects in various patterns to earn points, especially when said games use Japanese food items. 'Cause it's those two things that Yaruhara no Omochi meshes on the Japanese Xbox Live Indie Game channel, mesmerizing Siliconera as it does us.

As if the idea of playing an XBL Indie Game with the premise of stacking "mochi (sticky rice cakes), fish, and seals" in a match-three-style game weren't enticing enough, it would appear from these screens that the game is gaijin-safe (read: in English). Time to fire up that dusty Japanese Silver account you've got sitting around, eh?

XBL Indie Game cover parodies ICO cover originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kotick announces Activision's half-million dollar indie games competition [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:46:00 EST

[Elisabeth Caren]

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, dressed in a zipper pullover and jeans, announced at DICE that his company will sponsor an independent video game competition. Details were practically nonexistent, and he seemed to make it sound like the idea was a whim he had on the drive from the airport, but there's apparently "up to $500,000" up for grabs.

We're currently following up with Activision and will get out the details out as soon as we know more.

Update: Activision has posted a short announcement document (copied after the break) on its consumer site.

Continue reading Kotick announces Activision's half-million dollar indie games competition [update]

Kotick announces Activision's half-million dollar indie games competition [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie games bundled on the cheap for V-Day

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

So what if Sophie/Samuel didn't return your request for a weekend getaway to that little bed and breakfast in New Hampshire? Wouldn't you rather spend your weekend falling in love with a handful of indie games -- And Yet it Moves, Auditorium, Aztaka, Eufloria, Machinarium, and Osmos -- from an all-star list of developers? We knew you'd see our point! Besides, it's only $20 -- that's way less than the price of two nights for two people at The Buttonwood Inn, not to mention a steal considering each game individually purchased would add up to 85 buckaroos. And hey, now you can spoil yourself with an extra large box of tissues and a matching ice cream tub.

Indie games bundled on the cheap for V-Day originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dream-Build-Play puzzler Rotor'scope now on Xbox Live Indie Games

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:20:00 EST

We got to check out Rotor'scope: The Secret of the Endless Energy at PAX last year, and it nearly broke our minds. Of course, our minds were quite fragile at that point, weakened by long nights of tireless writing and frequent coffee binges -- still, the fact remains that Rotor'scope was one of the most original concepts for a puzzle game we'd played in a good long time. Fortunately, we now have the chance to give the game another go -- it was recently added to the Xbox Live Indie Games platform for 400 ($5).

Check out the Rotor'scope trailer after the jump to see the game's cog-flipping puzzle mechanics in action and to get a sense of the title's overarching story. With create-a-level modes, hand-drawn graphics and even some Facebook integration, it looks like you'll be getting a lot of bang for your buck. Or five bucks, as the case may be.

Shortcut: Add Rotor'scope (trial / full game) to your Xbox 360 download queue [via Xbox.com]

Continue reading Dream-Build-Play puzzler Rotor'scope now on Xbox Live Indie Games

Dream-Build-Play puzzler Rotor'scope now on Xbox Live Indie Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your Doodles Are Bugged! arrives on XBLA's Indie marketplace

Mike Schramm — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST

German developer Johannes Huber sent us word that his game, Your Doodles are Bugged!, is out now on Xbox Live's Indie Games Marketplace for the low, low price of 80 (or about a buck). You can see a gameplay trailer over on YouTube right now (which we've placed along with a silly teaser trailer after the break). The game looks a little bit like Lemmings but with custom paths rather than tools -- various doodles drawn by a master doodler are infected with little jumping cartoon bugs, and your job is to draw lines that lead the bugs to various points in the illustrated environment.

The game offers "lots of levels," and they seem like complicated affairs, though you can zoom in and out to chart your own path to exodus for the little bugs. There's also unlockable content and both friends and global leaderboards. Both the game and its trial are available on your Xbox right now.

Download the trial version of Your Doodles are Bugged! to your Xbox 360

Continue reading Your Doodles Are Bugged! arrives on XBLA's Indie marketplace

Your Doodles Are Bugged! arrives on XBLA's Indie marketplace originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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