inXile Entertainment, the developer behind 2004's tongue-in-cheek RPG The Bard's Tale, has announced the founding of a new online-focused division called SparkWorkz, with former Microsoft exec David Heeley tapped to call the shots. According to inXile, SparkWorkz will "build an online network and community" for showing off user-generated content.

All of this sounds a bit like inXile is attempting to recapture YouTube's lightning in a bottle, as inXile CEO Brian Fargo notes that the company's goal is to create an "online destination for people to show off their creative talents across a number of different game and non-game media environments." Among other things, players can expect to use the network to create and share content created using the company's upcoming Wii and DS adaptations of Line Rider, giving us another reason to look forward to the cult Flash time waster's launch this summer.

It's been a while since we talked about the cult flash physics game Line Rider. Last we heard, developer InXile Entertainment snatched up the rights to the project, with the intent to release it on DS and Wii. Now, industry newbie Genius Products has announced intentions to publish the game on the DS, Wii, and PC, with all three versions due out this summer.

Genius Products has up to now specialized in the distribution of home entertainment products like DVDs. With Line Rider, the Weinstein Holdings company is moving into the game publishing market, hopefully with a hit product. The retail versions of Line Rider will include a level creator mode with the ability to share creations online, but will also feature a single player puzzle mode with, inconceivably enough, a storyline.

As Bosh -- the "clever and cunning" protagonist -- players must traverse over forty sled-riding puzzles to reclaim their true love Bailey from the hands of the "sled-stealing scumbag" Chaz (seriously). The pre-made Line Rider levels were notably designed by TechDawg, the #1 Line Rider player in the world. Let's hope this big(ger)-budget, plot-driven version of the freeware classic is still, above all else, fun.

[Via DS Fanboy]

Lovingly re-rendered in line form, watch the lone Line Rider (could Mario be in there?) as he traverses world 1 - 1. Complete with sound effects, the theme song, and some flips, this isn't your old school Mario, even though the graphics are ultra-retro.

[Thanks, Kevin]

According to Gamasutra's Simon Carless, the independent scene is facing an uphill battle when developing for consoles, specifically in the realm of digital distribution. Carless argues that the difficulty in bringing a title across all platforms, both for technological and business reasons.

Other than some retro titles (e.g. Joust), a very small number of downloadable title are appearing on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is one of the few exceptions, and Capcom's Christian Svensson said it required "considerable coordination" to get the titles on both consoles, which indicates to us that less established independent houses would have insurmountable difficulty.

Carless notes that Sony's collection, retro games aside, are predominantly first party (though we should note that flOw went to Sony because they actively sought out the independent title). Nintendo has always talked about bringing original games to the Wii, and there have been murmurings of a Game Channel, but so far all the only tangible indication of a non-Virtual Console title is Impossible Mission.

Carless' analogy to the film industry (three separate formats for theatre chains), though admittedly ham-fisted, does not account for industry history. It may be unfair to the independent developer, but there hasn't been a time when gaming was controlled by a single format. Sure, development teams are now much larger and require a bigger budget, but that hasn't stopped smaller teams from succeeding with Geometry Wars, Ragdoll Kung-Fu, and Alien Hominid (pictured). The state of indie games isn't ideal, but it seems to be getting better. We say keep on fighting, Simon.

The unassuming webtoy created by Bostjan Cadez, Line Rider, has inspired thousands of creative gamers to construct unique/crazy/inane tracks for the tiny sledder to skate through. This latest video from YouTube member unconed shows a surprisingly detailed track based on Stargate Atlantis. It's also one of the most impressive theme-based Line Rider worlds we've seen to date. The stage makes extensive use of the background drawing tool while the sledder's path runs smoothly through isometric scenery. We barely have the patience to draw a successful half-pipe, let alone decorate dozens of screens with background art. Check out a more abstract and artistic video after the jump.

Line Rider is a free Flash game anyone can play around with, and publisher inXile recently announced it will bring the game to the Wii and DS systems later this year.

Hoping to capitalize on Line Rider's current buzz, inXile Entertainment has snatched up the rights to the Flash-based "toy," looking to release Wii and DS adaptations of the 'student project turned internet phenomenon' in just a few short months (by spring). This move follows Sony's acquisition (and forthcoming release) of another popular Flash project, flOw.

While Wii and DS hardware both compliment Line Rider's simple just-draw gameplay mechanic, inXile will have to expand its versions beyond what's offered in the original, which should be playable, for free, via Wii's Opera browser. The developer has confirmed that multiplayer will be added; and we'll assume that enhanced visual and audio effects will be considered. inXile must also include the ability to share Line Rider designs with friends, as this feature is what has propelled the Flash application's success (see YouTube).

Play around with Line Rider.