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[Legend of Dungeon devs' secret to saving money: Live in a tree]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/legend-of-dungeon-devs-secret-to-saving-money-live-in-a-tree/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/legend-of-dungeon-devs-secret-to-saving-money-live-in-a-tree/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/legend-of-dungeon-devs-secret-to-saving-money-live-in-a-tree/#comments Legend of Dungeon devs' secret to saving money Live in a treeAs a husband and wife development team, Alix Stolzer and Calvin Goble worked out a system that saw them through the first few years of crafting games: Calvin made their first two titles, Tiny Plumbers and IGF nominee Neverdaunt: 8Bit, while Alix worked a 9-5 job and provided input in her spare time. The situation was satisfactory, but eventually, Alix wanted more.

"While money was coming in from our games, it really wasn't enough to pay the bills," Alix told me. "We decided we'd rather reduce living costs and rough it, instead of one of us working a 'real' job. The opportunity came quickly."

A friend offered them the opportunity to be his "mountain neighbor" in Vermont - meaning they would live in a mountainside forest, in a home they'd craft themselves out of trees and tarp. There, they could survive on $150 a month, plus food. Alix and Calvin seized the moment.

"We sold our house and used as little money as possible to build a small house-tent thing eight feet off the ground, on a platform our friend had made out of four trees," Alix said. "We spent maybe $1,000 on it, really using thrifty things like greenhouse plastic, and making our own solar panels, etc. It's an awesome adventure, but the downside is it slows down game development."

The mountain, miraculously, hosted a strong cellular internet signal, and on sunny days Alix and Calvin were able to charge their laptops, one at a time, using the homemade solar panels. Cafes and the college campus in town, a half hour walk away, provided power and internet on cloudy days. Everything - food, heat, power, water - took extra time in the mountain home, Alix said, including video game programming and design.

But the tree house didn't stop their game development. As the studio Robot Loves Kitty, Calvin (the Robot) and Alix (Kitty) brought their latest game, Legend of Dungeon, to PAX East, using not a lot of money and earning wild success.

Continue reading Legend of Dungeon devs' secret to saving money: Live in a tree

JoystiqLegend of Dungeon devs' secret to saving money: Live in a tree originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbudgetindielegend-of-dungeonmacmobilemoneyouyaPAXpax-eastPAX-East-2013pcrobot-loves-kittySavingstreetree-houseTue, 09 Apr 2013 16:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Tim Keenan's paper prototypes invade the PAX East tabletop summit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/tim-keenans-paper-prototypes-invade-the-pax-east-tabletop-summi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/tim-keenans-paper-prototypes-invade-the-pax-east-tabletop-summi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/tim-keenans-paper-prototypes-invade-the-pax-east-tabletop-summi/#comments Tim Keenan invades tabletop games at PAX East with paper prototypesA Virus Named Tom developer Tim Keenan stepped out of his comfort zone during PAX East - literally - to set up shop in the tabletop gaming summit, with two paper prototypes of ideas for his next big project. At the end of a long row, in the heart of tabletop territory, Keenan demonstrated the mechanics behind Scavenger, a top-down, rolling tower defense game set in space, and Chess the Gathering, which played exactly how it sounds and definitely won't have that name if it enters official development.

Chess the Gathering featured an iPad showing off the game's digital prototype, including a level editor. The gameplay is a spatial representation of Magic the Gathering, on a chessboard and with a myriad of creatures and "twins." For a rundown of Chess the Gathering, check out Keenan's YouTube playlist, and sign up to get an early (digital) prototype here.

Keenan convinced a pair of Magic fans to play Chess the Gathering, and as we talked, they remained riveted on the rudimentary gameboard, cards and characters. When they finished, they concluded that they loved it. "If this were a board game, I would buy it," one of them said.

Scavenger tells the story of a Han Solo-esque character as he travels the galaxies looting spaceships, attempting to pay off his debt to vicious collectors. It's a top-down, tower defense game where the protagonist sits in his spacecraft and sends out drones to infiltrate the victim ships. The player defends his own ship from enemies, while directing drones throughout the other ships, in search of money. See the Scavenger playlist here.

Keenan has a third game in the works, an action title that he said wouldn't work well as a paper prototype. He and his wife, Holly, plan to ask the community which project sounds best, and then launch a Kickstarter to develop that game under their studio, Misfits Attic. Currently, the Misfits are working on the Vita port of A Virus Named Tom.

Check out the paper prototypes for Scavenger and Chess the Gathering in the gallery below.

Gallery: Tim Keenan (PAX East 2013)

JoystiqTim Keenan's paper prototypes invade the PAX East tabletop summit originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-virus-named-tomchess-the-gatheringMisfits-Atticpaper-prototypepaper-prototypesPAXpax-eastPAX-East-2013pcplaystationplaystation-vitaprototypescavengertabletoptabletop-gamingvitaTue, 02 Apr 2013 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Divekick preview: The two-button brawler]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/divekick-preview-the-two-button-brawler/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/divekick-preview-the-two-button-brawler/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/divekick-preview-the-two-button-brawler/#comments Divekick preview The twobutton brawlerIron Galaxy Studios' Divekick, which started out as a purely independent Kickstarter success story, pokes fun at the aspects of the fighting genre that people both love and loathe. It competes well in the genre it trivializes, and it does so with both hands in its pockets.

The build I played at PAX East used a fight stick with two buttons slightly larger than the palms of my hands. That underscores the key ingredient to Divekick: it introduces an appropriate level of depth for a fighter that only uses two forms of input. Smacking one button down would tell my character to jump in the air, while the other had them hopping backwards. Combinations of these buttons resulted in jumping in the air and kicking downward at an angle, or activating a character-specific ability when the "kick meter" filled up. Successfully kicking my opponent just once in the cat-and-mouse fighter won a round, with the match going to the first character to win five rounds.

Instead of memorizing button combinations, the playing field is leveled for all combatants, as timing is everything in this game. I found myself adopting familiar fighting game strategies, attempting to lure my opponent in before nailing them with a quick hop and kick. Other times, I would close the gap between us with a high vertical jump and kick, a risky proposition given the amount of time available for my enemy to counter. Kicking my opponent in the head wasn't just satisfying, it was a tactic that carried over to the next round, as the player suffering the blow began the first four seconds of the round in a daze. The daze slowed their movements, giving me a clear, but not absolute advantage.

Gallery: Divekick (3/27/13)

Continue reading Divekick preview: The two-button brawler

JoystiqDivekick preview: The two-button brawler originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>divekickFightingiron-galaxyiron-galaxy-studiospax-eastPAX-East-2013pcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3vitaThu, 28 Mar 2013 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gemini Rue gets adventurous on iOS April 11]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/gemini-rue-gets-adventurous-on-ios-april-11/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/gemini-rue-gets-adventurous-on-ios-april-11/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/gemini-rue-gets-adventurous-on-ios-april-11/#comments Gemini Rue, a gritty point-and-click adventure game that launched on PC in 2011, will come to iOS on April 11 for $4.99. For the first few weeks of release on the new platform, Gemini Rue will be available for the discounted price of $3.99.

Wadjet Eye Games co-designer and CTO Janet Gilbert spent eight months adapting the open-source Adventure Game Studio engine to iOS in order to make the game as "touch-screen friendly as possible," studio founder Dave Gilbert told Joystiq at PAX East. Being a point-and-click adventure game, Janet expanded the hot-spots for select items in the game to make the experience less frustrating for iPhone users.

Gemini Rue is the publisher's first game on iOS, and will serve as a test as to whether it will port more of the studio's titles to the platform. "If people buy this, then we could justify porting everything else," Dave said. "If it does badly then there's really no point, because this is our best-selling game on the best-selling platform, so that's the best way to gauge to see if it's worth doing."

He added, "So if you want to see Resonance on iOS, buy Gemini Rue."

JoystiqGemini Rue gets adventurous on iOS April 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dave-gilbertgemini-rueiosipadiphonejanet-gilbertmobilepax-eastpax-east-2013wadjet-eye-gamesMon, 25 Mar 2013 23:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Charlie Murder preview: Anarchy in the XBLA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/charlie-murder-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/charlie-murder-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/charlie-murder-preview/#comments Charlie Murder preivew Anarchy in the XBLAFor the second year in a row, I spent far too much time playing Charlie Murder at PAX East. As part of the Indie Megabooth, Ska Studios' exhibit belonged to a larger group, one of dozens of in-development, independent games, and this year it was directly across from Supergiant's high-profile premiere, Transistor. Still, Charlie Murder stood out. Its gritty punk rock style caught my eye - again - and the co-op, beat-em-up gameplay was so gripping that it almost made me late for a following appointment.

Charlie Murder is a punk game from conception to execution, with a soundtrack composed and performed by James and Michelle Silva, the duo of Ska Studios. No, it's not a ska soundtrack.

Charlie Murder is a side-scrolling beat-em-up with heavy RPG elements, including character customization, loot and unique ability upgrades. It stars five playable characters, each with disparate strengths and powers, and all of them making up the in-game band Charlie Murder.

Gallery: Charlie Murder (PAX East 2013)

Continue reading Charlie Murder preview: Anarchy in the XBLA

JoystiqCharlie Murder preview: Anarchy in the XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charlie-murdermicrosoftpax-eastPAX-East-2013ska-studiosxboxMon, 25 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare Edmonton and producer Casey Hudson working on 'a whole new fictional universe']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/bioware-edmonton-and-producer-casey-hudson-working-on-a-whole-n/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/bioware-edmonton-and-producer-casey-hudson-working-on-a-whole-n/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/bioware-edmonton-and-producer-casey-hudson-working-on-a-whole-n/#comments BioWare Edmonton and Casey Hudson working on new IPDuring a panel this weekend at PAX East, Mass Effect producer Casey Hudson revealed that his team at BioWare Edmonton has started work on "a whole new fictional universe." Other details weren't shared, except that Hudson said that he and BioWare's Senior Creative Director Preston Watamaniuk are going to be "building something new" together.

Hudson oversaw Mass Effect 3 as an executive producer, and he says he'll still serve that role on the next Mass Effect title. But that game is being developed at BioWare Montreal, so Hudson's team at BioWare Edmonton has moved on to something completely new. Hopefully we'll hear more about it soon.

JoystiqBioWare Edmonton and producer Casey Hudson working on 'a whole new fictional universe' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioware-edmontonbioware-montrealcasey-hudsonmass-effectmass-effect-3newnew-ipnew-titlepax-eastpax-east-2013pcpreston-watamaniukuniverseSun, 24 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Seen@PAX East: PopCap plays tricks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/seen-pax-east-popcap-plays-tricks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/seen-pax-east-popcap-plays-tricks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/seen-pax-east-popcap-plays-tricks/#comments
PopCap's PAX East booth was carnival-themed this year, and featured a magician that decided to attempt a "social experiment" Saturday. Stepping down from the small stage, he instructed the crowd to gather closely around the Plants vs Zombies developer's booth, then stood among them. After a brief explanation, he incited a loud, manufactured applause from the crowd before taking the stage and starting his short, but charming routine.

The magician believed that by kicking off the presentation with a cheering crowd, those passing by would naturally stop and join the audience. He was right; the video above shows a few folks gathering near our spot on the left side of the stage, but the total crowd gathering around the booth might have doubled in size from the time before the enigmatic performer began his instructions.

JoystiqSeen@PAX East: PopCap plays tricks originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>magicianpax-eastpax-east-2013popcapSun, 24 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Borderlands 2 getting new class, level cap raise in the next few months]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/borderlands-2-getting-new-class-level-cap-raise-in-the-next-few/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/borderlands-2-getting-new-class-level-cap-raise-in-the-next-few/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/borderlands-2-getting-new-class-level-cap-raise-in-the-next-few/#comments

The new Vault Hunter for Borderlands 2, teased at SXSW, has been revealed at PAX East. Krieg the Psycho will be the game's sixth playable class, and you can see a quick teaser of what he looks and plays like in the video above.

He's primarily a melee character, but has a few ranged abilities and can skill up in the Bloodlust tree (focused on combat bonuses), go insane with the Mania tree, or break out fire-based attacks with the Hellborn tree. Krieg is part of the Psycho Pack, which will be available in May for $9.99, or 800 Microsoft points.

On April 2, Borderlands 2 will get the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade pack ($5, or 400 MSP), which will raise the game's level cap from 50 up to 61. Unlike the Psycho Pack, it will be part of the game's Season Pass content and unlock a third playthrough in the "Ultimate Vault Hunter mode."

Finally, Gearbox teased the game's last piece of campaign DLC at its panel, which it simply said was due out sometime in June.

Gallery: Borderlands 2 - Krieg the Psycho

Continue reading Borderlands 2 getting new class, level cap raise in the next few months

JoystiqBorderlands 2 getting new class, level cap raise in the next few months originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>borderlands-2gearboxkrieg-the-psycholevel-caplevel-cap-increaselevel-cap-raisemicrosoftpax-eastpax-east-2013pcplayable-classplaystationps3ultimate-vault-hunter-modexboxSun, 24 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Here's that Mega Man 25th anniversary statue]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/heres-that-mega-man-25th-anniversary-statue/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/heres-that-mega-man-25th-anniversary-statue/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/heres-that-mega-man-25th-anniversary-statue/#comments Here's that Mega Man 25th anniversary statueIt may not be a new game, but Capcom is celebrating Mega Man's 25th anniversary with a collectible statue, which it announced during its PAX East panel this weekend. Capcom offered a few photos and details about the statue, which you can view in the gallery below.

The collectible character stands at 10 inches tall, and is made by Multiverse Studios. It features USB-powered LED lights on the statue's base as well as Mega Man's helmet and arm cannon. Capcom hasn't said exactly how many will be produced, but there will be under 2,000 of them made. It will go on sale exclusively at San Diego Comic Con in July.

Gallery: Mega Man (25th Anniversary Statue)

JoystiqHere's that Mega Man 25th anniversary statue originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcommega-manmega-man-25th-anniversarymultiverse-studiospax-eastPAX-East-2013statueSun, 24 Mar 2013 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Contrast preview: Shadow puppet theater]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/contrast-preview-shadow-puppet-theater/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/contrast-preview-shadow-puppet-theater/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/contrast-preview-shadow-puppet-theater/#comments Contrast preview Once upon a time there was a young girl with a troubled home life who took solace in the imaginary universe she dreamed up when she was alone. We've heard this story before, told in variant forms by Guillermo del Toro, Lewis Carroll and Zack Snyder, but Compulsion Studios puts a new twist on the tale with Contrast.

Didi, an inquisitive 9-year-old living with her mother in a 1920s noir world, manufactures a landscape of shadows populated by her lone, best friend, Dawn. Dawn is a young woman, more mature and powerful than Didi, and has the ability to shift between the real and shadow worlds. In Didi's reality, Dawn can climb shadows as if they were solid ground, allowing her to scale areas unreachable by flesh characters. She interacts with few real-world objects, and people, aside from Didi, are invisible to her -- only their silhouettes exist.

Contrast is a puzzle platformer, starring Dawn as she shifts between shade and density, helping Didi as she follows her mother through the dark city streets. The game is infused with jazz and tainted innocence: Didi's mom, the cabaret singer; her dad, absent; and a decrepit circus, just rolling into town.

Gallery: Contrast

Continue reading Contrast preview: Shadow puppet theater

JoystiqContrast preview: Shadow puppet theater originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>compulsion-studioscontrastpax-eastpax-east-2013pcSTEAMsteam-greenlightSun, 24 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Seen@PAX East: 'Super Poor Indie Area']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/seen-pax-east-super-poor-indie-area/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/seen-pax-east-super-poor-indie-area/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/seen-pax-east-super-poor-indie-area/#comments Image
Engineer Thomas Macrina set up an anarchic indie booth along one wall of the PAX East showfloor, behind a row of exhibits and under a pair of escalators, with three very hand-made signs. Still, he attracted our attention and a small crowd of curious players: Each person took turns holding Macrina's iPhone 5 as if snapping a MySpace profile photo, made a gun with one hand, held it to one cheek and went to town, snapping that thumb and rotating the phone around the room.

Macrina called it Pig Hunt, an augmented reality game for iOS devices. Think Duck Hunt, with your hand as the zapper and the world as your playground. Try not to smile.

JoystiqSeen@PAX East: 'Super Poor Indie Area' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iosipadiphonemobilepax-eastPAX-East-2013pig-huntSun, 24 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't Starve coming April 24, six months of additional content to follow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/dont-starve-coming-april-24-six-months-of-additional-content-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/dont-starve-coming-april-24-six-months-of-additional-content-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/dont-starve-coming-april-24-six-months-of-additional-content-t/#comments Don't Starve, Klei Entertainment's upcoming survival PC game, is slated to launch on April 24 for $15 on Steam, the Mark of the Ninja developer told Joystiq at PAX East today. Don't Starve drops players into a procedurally-generated world in which they guide their character through an island on a quest to survive the elements.

The game operates on the notion that in order to survive, players must balance three gauges: health, hunger and sanity. As the character loses his or her sanity, they will begin to see creatures that exist only in their heads, which also gradually become more real and more hostile.

"You can entirely lose all of your sanity, and then come back from that," Sound designer Matthew Marteinsson said. "There's lots of things you can do to keep up your sanity: you wear dapper clothing, you pick flowers, you do civilized things, and then your sanity comes back." The game offers an advantage to those that lose their sanity, as some items can only be collected when players are severely unstable.

The game won't just feature its main character, Wilson, but will include other unlockable characters with their own special abilities. One example shown at PAX East was Willow, a girl that lights her own fires when the screen goes pitch black during the game's night cycle.

Klei Entertainment is promising six months of free content to come after the game's full release in April. Don't Starve is currently in closed beta, during which Marteinsson says the team has released additional content every two weeks.

JoystiqDon't Starve coming April 24, six months of additional content to follow originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dont-starveklei-entertainmentpax-eastPAX-East-2013pcrelease-dateSat, 23 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Supergiant may break free of publisher model with Transistor]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/supergiant-may-break-free-of-publisher-model-with-transistor/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/supergiant-may-break-free-of-publisher-model-with-transistor/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/supergiant-may-break-free-of-publisher-model-with-transistor/#comments Supergiant doesn't have a publisher for its next game, Transistor - but more importantly, it doesn't need one. Supergiant worked with Warner Bros. to publish Bastion, and since its launch in 2011, it's sold 1.7 million copies across PC, Mac, Linux, XBLA and iOS.

"It did well everywhere," Supergiant Lead Designer Amir Rao tells Joystiq at PAX East. Supergiant is now in a position to publish its own games, and Transistor might be the ideal candidate.

"We're showing it to the world for the first time," Rao says. "We don't have deals with anyone. This is the first time anybody has seen this game. It's really way too early for us to say if we'll have a publisher or what platforms it will be on."

For what it's worth, Bastion moved the most units on Steam, Rao says. Supergiant may not seek a publisher at all, but anything's possible, Rao says. If it did want to snag a publisher, Transistor faces an issue recently vocalized by Epic Games and Dontnod. It features a female lead, and apparently that can make it a tough sell to publishers. Internally, it's not an issue for Supergiant.

"We put characters in our games that are representative of the worlds they're in," Rao says. "We don't think of her as a female character. She's just our character."

JoystiqSupergiant may break free of publisher model with Transistor originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pax-eastpax-east-2013supergiant-gamestransistorSat, 23 Mar 2013 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Ronimo Games considering crowdfunding for Awesomenauts content]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/ronimo-games-considering-crowdfounding-for-awesomenauts-content/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/ronimo-games-considering-crowdfounding-for-awesomenauts-content/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/ronimo-games-considering-crowdfounding-for-awesomenauts-content/#comments Awesomenauts developer Ronimo Games is considering a crowdfunding approach to make its next project a reality. The developer self-published Awesomenauts on Steam in August 2012, and has since offered a number of updates and extra content for the PC version of the game.

Though the developer's next project is "not Awesomenauts 2," it does have ambitions to expand on Awesomenauts. "There are some bigger features that we want to try to do, but we don't have the capacity to really do that right now," Ronimo Games co-founder Jasper Koning told Joystiq during PAX East.

Crowdfunding extra content has lead to success before, most recently in the case of a successful Indiegogo campaign to bring new characters to Skullgirls. The campaign reached its $150,000 goal in less than 24 hours.

As seen with Lab Zero Games, the costs for creating new content for its fighting game made the goal a reasonable one to obtain. Likewise, Ronimo Games has added four characters and a number of maps to Awesomenauts in the game's lifetime, and has offered that content to Steam players for free.

Not every piece of additional Awesomenauts content is free, as the developer sells character skins. Without revealing any specific numbers, Koning told Joystiq the "skins do very well, we're not getting really rich off of it, but well enough for us."

JoystiqRonimo Games considering crowdfunding for Awesomenauts content originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awesomenautscrowdfundingindiegogoJasper-Koningkickstarterpax-eastpax-east-2013pcronimo-gamessteamSat, 23 Mar 2013 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Two new Awesomenauts on the way, latest map in two weeks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/two-new-awesomenauts-on-the-way-latest-map-in-two-weeks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/two-new-awesomenauts-on-the-way-latest-map-in-two-weeks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/two-new-awesomenauts-on-the-way-latest-map-in-two-weeks/#comments Two new Awesomenauts on the way, latest map in two weeksRonimo Games is demoing a new level for Awesomenauts called Aiguillon at PAX East. The level takes inspiration from the game's character Leon, as it features a power-up that grants Leon's stealth ability to whoever grabs it first. Ronimo tells Joystiq that the map will undergo a closed beta phase before being released in two weeks on Steam.

Awesomenauts will also receive two new characters, one of which is currently in production. The other character will be the result of a community survey on Facebook, which gives fans a chance to see their character designs in the game.

JoystiqTwo new Awesomenauts on the way, latest map in two weeks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awesomenautspax-eastPAX-East-2013pcronimo-gamessteamFri, 22 Mar 2013 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Transistor preview: A beautiful, tactical twist on action-RPG]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/transistor-preview-a-beautiful-tactical-twist-on-action-rpg/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/transistor-preview-a-beautiful-tactical-twist-on-action-rpg/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/transistor-preview-a-beautiful-tactical-twist-on-action-rpg/#comments Red is a fallen star, beautiful and talented yet broken and nearly defeated - until she finds the Transistor. In Supergiant Games' demo of Transistor, Red stumbles upon this giant, pulsating sword immediately, embedded in the gut of a corpse. The Transistor speaks with the voice of that dead man, urging her to take it and run. She does, with little hesitation; Red may have known this dead man once, as suggested by the stream of apologies and compassion overlaid on the gameplay.

Transistor is gorgeous, seemingly hand-painted in muted neons backlit by futuristic skylines, similar in style to Supergiant's first game, Bastion. It plays, at first, with similar mechanics, as Red uses her initial two attacks to take down two robotic members of The Process, the main enemies of Transistor. In Red's world, more than 100 people have gone missing in the past year, and the imprints of the dead litter the streets, lorded over by floating white robots with glaring red sensors.

Gallery: Transistor

Continue reading Transistor preview: A beautiful, tactical twist on action-RPG

JoystiqTransistor preview: A beautiful, tactical twist on action-RPG originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pax-eastPAX-East-2013supergiant-gamestransistorFri, 22 Mar 2013 12:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Ms. Splosion Man bringing power-ups to iOS by the end of March]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/ms-splosion-man-bringing-power-ups-to-ios-by-the-end-of-march/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/ms-splosion-man-bringing-power-ups-to-ios-by-the-end-of-march/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/ms-splosion-man-bringing-power-ups-to-ios-by-the-end-of-march/#comments Ms. 'Splosion Man will launch on iOS by the end of March, Twisted Pixel told Joystiq at PAX East. The game introduces power-ups, which will be specific to the iOS version of the game. Power-ups include "nuclear 'splode," a bullet-time item and a option to cheat on the game, skipping a level entirely.

The "cheat" power-up isn't new to the series, as Ms. 'Splosion Man originally gave players the option to move past a level should they fail a little too much. In this case, the iOS version offers that choice via power-ups in the in-game power-up store. The game is also coming to Steam and Windows Phone.

JoystiqMs. Splosion Man bringing power-ups to iOS by the end of March originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iosipadiphonemobilems-splosion-manpax-eastPAX-East-2013twisted-pixelFri, 22 Mar 2013 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Dean Hall: DayZ standalone alpha won't launch until at least June]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/dean-hall-dayz-standalone-alpha-wont-launch-until-at-least-jun/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/dean-hall-dayz-standalone-alpha-wont-launch-until-at-least-jun/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/dean-hall-dayz-standalone-alpha-wont-launch-until-at-least-jun/#comments DayZ, the standalone zombie survival game spawned from the popular Arma 2 mod, will enter official review in June, with plans for a widespread alpha sometime after then, creator Dean Hall tells Joystiq.

"We're going to review the situation in June," Hall says. "So there'll be no release between now and June. And we're quite hopeful that we'll go then. I know that people get really frustrated because they want to play, but I just think this is the best option."

DayZ is basically ready for an alpha run, but Hall and his team are waiting to perfect the client-server architecture. Hall currently has 25 people in a small pre-alpha, and he hopes to get a few hundred playing DayZ before opening the alpha. DayZ alpha keys will go live in batches, possibly 50,000 at a time, and Hall is looking at a possible Kickstarter-inspired distribution model, where players would pay certain amounts to opt into the alpha and snag other goodies, in tiers.

"We want to release the keys in chunks of what we have servers available," Hall says. "The idea is to very, very quickly try to release something out there, because that allows us to start capacity testing. We've got one final thing we're waiting for with the release date, which is the completion of our client-server architecture. It's basically making the game into an MMO, and pretty much the moment that's done, we'll release."

JoystiqDean Hall: DayZ standalone alpha won't launch until at least June originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bohemia-interactiveday-zdean-hallpax-eastPAX-East-2013pcFri, 22 Mar 2013 10:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers summoned this summer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/21/magic-2014-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-gets-summoned-on-most-pla/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/21/magic-2014-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-gets-summoned-on-most-pla/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/21/magic-2014-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-gets-summoned-on-most-pla/#comments
Wizards of the Coast has announced that Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers is coming to PC, Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, iOS, and (for the first time) Android devices this year. The new game will contain all of the cards from the Magic 2014 Core Set, as well as a new storyline teaming the player up with Planeswalker Chandra Nalaar.

Neither the press release or the short teaser trailer for the game (seen below and above) mentions developer Stainless Games, but Wizards of the Coast has confirmed to Joystiq that the same team that made Duels of the Planeswalkers versions is indeed on the job again. Wizards has a demo planned at PAX East this weekend. and Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers will see release later on this summer.

Gallery: Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers (PAX East 2013)

Continue reading Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers summoned this summer

JoystiqMagic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers summoned this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonemagic-2014magic-2014-duels-of-the-planeswalkersmicrosoftmobilepax-eastpax-east-2013pcplaystationps3releasestainless-gameswizards-of-the-coastxboxThu, 21 Mar 2013 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Keflings dev NinjaBee to debut 'Nutjitsu' at PAX East]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/world-of-keflings-dev-ninjabee-to-debut-nutjitsu-at-pax-east/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/world-of-keflings-dev-ninjabee-to-debut-nutjitsu-at-pax-east/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/world-of-keflings-dev-ninjabee-to-debut-nutjitsu-at-pax-east/#comments World of Keflings dev NinjaBee promises a new game called Nutjitsu at PAX EastDeveloper NinjaBee (makers of XBLA hits like Cloning Clyde, A Band of Bugs and A World of Keflings) is revealing a brand new game at this weekend's PAX East show, titled Nutjitsu. That title is all we have so far; NinjaBee says it'll be playable at the show (booth #599, if you're going), but doesn't say anything else about what it is. It's kung-fu fighting squirrels, right? Can it be kung-fu fighting squirrels?

In addition to the new game, NinjaBee is also showing off A World of Keflings for Wii U and the recently released version for Windows 8. It's also giving away prizes, including a free copy of Kingdom of Keflings for PC to anyone who plays any of the demos, and 1600 Microsoft points to the high scorer on Nutjitsu every day. If you can't be at the show, don't worry, because we will. Stay tuned for coverage this weekend.

JoystiqWorld of Keflings dev NinjaBee to debut 'Nutjitsu' at PAX East originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloning-clydedevelopershigh-scoresmicrosoftninjabeenintendonutjitsupax-eastpax-east-2013revealwii-uworld-of-keflingsWed, 20 Mar 2013 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2013 live stream schedule]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/pax-east-2013-live-stream-schedule/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/pax-east-2013-live-stream-schedule/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/pax-east-2013-live-stream-schedule/#comments PAX East 2013 streaming scheduleWe're shipping up to Boston for PAX East 2013, which runs Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24, but you may not be so fortunate. Or maybe you just didn't snag tickets in time, or you couldn't find someone to watch your cats this weekend. Whatever the reason you can't come out to PAX East, Twitch has you covered with live streams of main stage panels, concerts and the Omegathon tournament.

Check out the PAX channel on Twitch this weekend for live streams such as Storytime with Cliff Bleszinski on Friday, Indie Studios Founded by 38 Studios Alumni on Saturday and You Game Like a Girl: Tales of Trolls and White Knights on Sunday. The full schedule is below. If Twitch shows any footage of the show floor, be on the lookout for your favorite Joystiq staff: We'll be the ones grinning maniacally and/or teetering on the edge of a claustrophobic breakdown.

Continue reading PAX East 2013 live stream schedule

JoystiqPAX East 2013 live stream schedule originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>live-streampax-eastPAX-East-2013streamingtwitchWed, 20 Mar 2013 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tiny Brains is first project from former Assassin's Creed, Dead Space devs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/tiny-brains-is-first-project-from-former-assassins-creed-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/tiny-brains-is-first-project-from-former-assassins-creed-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/tiny-brains-is-first-project-from-former-assassins-creed-dead/#comments

Tiny Brains is the first game coming from a new Montreal-based developer called Spearhead Games, made up of developers from popular franchises like Assassin's Creed, Dead Space, and Army of Two.

Developers Simon Darveau (who served as design director on Assassin's Creed 3), Malik Boukhira, and Atul Mehra are starting their company together with this co-op puzzle game in which four players, in the guise of test animals, escape a lab and defeat the scientists who have captured you.

Platforms for the game are still unannounced, but Spearhead tells us it will be playable this weekend at PAX East. Given the pedigree, we look forward to seeing exactly what these guys have made.

Gallery: Tiny Brains

JoystiqTiny Brains is first project from former Assassin's Creed, Dead Space devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atul-mehraco-opfour-player-co-opmalik-boukhirapax-eastpuzzlepuzzle-platformersimon-darveauspearhead-gamestiny-brainsTue, 19 Mar 2013 21:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark of the Ninja 'Special Edition' DLC adds flashback level, new play style]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/mark-of-the-ninja-special-edition-dlc-adds-flashback-level-ne/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/mark-of-the-ninja-special-edition-dlc-adds-flashback-level-ne/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/mark-of-the-ninja-special-edition-dlc-adds-flashback-level-ne/#comments
Klei Entertainment is adding to its delightful 2D stealth game Mark of the Ninja with a "Special Edition" DLC meant to evoke a "Criterion Collection" release of the original. The DLC, due this summer for a mysteriously invisible price, adds a flashback level starring the tattoo artist Dosan, a new equippable play style including a "nonlethal takedown ability," a new stealth-focused item, and a "more direct" new item.

As a "Criterion Collection" addition, Klei also recorded developer commentary, which can be accessed at "commentary nodes" throughout the game, in six different languages.

If you successfully infiltrate PAX East, you'll be able to get a sneaking peek at the Special Edition at Klei's booth. It will be released on both Steam and XBLA.

Continue reading Mark of the Ninja 'Special Edition' DLC adds flashback level, new play style

JoystiqMark of the Ninja 'Special Edition' DLC adds flashback level, new play style originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcklei-entertainmentmark-of-the-ninjamicrosoftpax-eastspecial-editionxboxTue, 19 Mar 2013 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom bringing two new projects to PAX East, full schedule up now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/capcom-bringing-two-new-projects-to-pax-east-full-schedule-up-n/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/capcom-bringing-two-new-projects-to-pax-east-full-schedule-up-n/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/capcom-bringing-two-new-projects-to-pax-east-full-schedule-up-n/#comments PAX East full schedule up, Capcom announcing 2 new gamesPAX East 2013 takes over Boston from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24, and those days are jam-packed with top-tier panels (and all those other talks that people sit through to get to the good ones). Check out the entire PAX East schedule on the official site.

Notable in the lineup is confirmation that Capcom will announce two new "products" during its World of Capcom panel at noon on March 22. Capcom will discuss Remember Me, Lost Planet 3, Resident Evil Revelations, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen and the two new projects, the panel description reads. There are 16 other events at the same time as World of Capcom, including a Magic: The Gathering 4 Booster Sealed Deck tabletop tournament, a discussion with Crystal Dynamics about the new Tomb Raider and a Persona 4 Arena tournament.

We suggest starting to schedule now.

JoystiqCapcom bringing two new projects to PAX East, full schedule up now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Capcompax-eastPAX-East-2013Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final warning: PAX East 2013 almost totally sold out [update: all gone]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/final-warning-pax-east-2013-almost-totally-sold-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/final-warning-pax-east-2013-almost-totally-sold-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/27/final-warning-pax-east-2013-almost-totally-sold-out/#comments
The official PAX twitter account notes that PAX East is "down to the last 500" tickets for Sunday, March 24. Three-day passes sold out last year and tickets for Friday and Saturday have been sold out for a while.

Take this as your final warning if you have any intention of attending the Boston event, being held March 22-24. Grab a Sunday ticket here. Tickets aren't likely to last the next 24 hours.

Update: And it's sold out!

JoystiqFinal warning: PAX East 2013 almost totally sold out [update: all gone] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pax-eastPAX-East-2013Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The death of Fallen Frontier and Moonshot's mobile resurrection]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/the-death-of-fallen-frontier-and-moonshots-mobile-resurrection/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/the-death-of-fallen-frontier-and-moonshots-mobile-resurrection/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/the-death-of-fallen-frontier-and-moonshots-mobile-resurrection/#comments Fallen FrontierDownloadable console games were all the rage in 2009, the year that Damián Isla, Rob Stokes and Michel Bastien left Bungie and founded Moonshot Games. Stepping away from the AAA development halo, the trio envisioned a digital game for XBLA and PSN, and in 2010 they received two publishing deals for Fallen Frontier, a co-op platforming shooter with a wicked split-screen mechanic.

By 2011, both of these publishing deals were dead.

"Here's the problem with that situation: When your game gets funded, you start spending a lot of time doing stuff that helps you make the game - lots of infrastructural stuff on the engineering side, lots of tool-building, lots of deep story and design work on the design side - but doesn't necessarily do a lot to help you sell the game," Isla told Joystiq. "So each time a development deal fell apart, it was a whole lot of time lost."

Moonshot took Fallen Frontier to PAX East 2011 without a publisher, and players were "really receptive," Isla said. The money, however, had moved on.

"I would say that our main mistake was one of timing," Isla said. "We arrived at the XBLA/PSN space a year or two too late. If we had been showing the game at PAX 2009 rather than 2011, we would be telling a different story right now. But by 2011 the publishers' appetite for development funding in the console downloadable space had evaporated - probably for pretty good reason - and the only deals we were hearing them sign were distribution deals."

Continue reading The death of Fallen Frontier and Moonshot's mobile resurrection

JoystiqThe death of Fallen Frontier and Moonshot's mobile resurrection originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fallen-frontierIndieindie-showcaseiosipadmicrosoftmobilemoonshot-gamespax-eastPAX-East-2013playstationps3third-eye-crimexboxTue, 12 Feb 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East Indie Showcase to include Spaceteam, Saturday Morning RPG]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/26/pax-east-indie-showcase-to-include-spaceteam-saturday-morning-r/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/26/pax-east-indie-showcase-to-include-spaceteam-saturday-morning-r/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/26/pax-east-indie-showcase-to-include-spaceteam-saturday-morning-r/#comments The indie games featured in this year's PAX East Indie Showcase have been revealed. Seven games will be showcased at the event this year, which highlights excellence in mobile games we've never heard of.

The full list includes Sleeping Beast Games' iOS party game Spaceteam, Little Chomp by ClutchPlay Games, PagodaWest's Major Magnet, Trinket Studios' puzzler Orion's Forge, Saturday Morning RPG from Mighty Rabbit Studios, Time Surfer by Kumobious and Third Eye Crime by Moonshot Games.

JoystiqPAX East Indie Showcase to include Spaceteam, Saturday Morning RPG originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidclutchplay-gamesiosipadiphonekumobiouslittle-chompmajor-magnetmighty-rabbit-studiosmobilemoonshot-gamesorions-forgepagoda-westpax-eastPAX-East-2013pax-east-indie-showcasesaturday-morning-rpgsleeping-beast-gamesspaceteamthird-eye-crimetime-surferSat, 26 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East Saturday passes are 'low,' stop procrastinating and get some]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/pax-east-saturday-passes-are-low-stop-procrastinating-and-get/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/pax-east-saturday-passes-are-low-stop-procrastinating-and-get/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/pax-east-saturday-passes-are-low-stop-procrastinating-and-get/#comments PAX East has a habit of selling out pretty quickly, as we keep telling you, and passes for Saturday are now "low." Saturday is the final day still available, so if you haven't purchased tickets yet, this might be your last chance.

The official PAX East Twitter says Saturday passes "probably will be sold out before the end of the night," so get your booties in motion.

JoystiqPAX East Saturday passes are 'low,' stop procrastinating and get some originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pax-eastPAX-East-2013ticketsThu, 29 Nov 2012 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2013 three-day passes 'low']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/pax-east-2013-three-day-passes-low/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/pax-east-2013-three-day-passes-low/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/pax-east-2013-three-day-passes-low/#comments PAX East 2013 tickets now availableThree-day badges for PAX East 2013 are now "low" on the show's official site. We warned yesterday that PAX tickets have a nasty habit of selling out quick, so consider this the final warning if you want a three-day pass. Tickets for the expo started going on sale yesterday.

"They are very low. They will probably sell out in the next day," Penny Arcade Inc. president Robert Khoo tells us.

PAX East is planned for March 22-24, 2013. Hotel deals are also available now through the PAX site. Although, those are starting to sell out too. Time to make decisions if you're on the fence.

JoystiqPAX East 2013 three-day passes 'low' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pax-eastpax-east-2013Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East 2013 tickets, hotel registration now available]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/pax-east-2013-tickets-hotel-registration-now-available/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/pax-east-2013-tickets-hotel-registration-now-available/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/pax-east-2013-tickets-hotel-registration-now-available/#comments PAX East 2013 tickets now availableTickets for PAX East 2013 are available for purchase right now. That wasn't a statement of fact as much as a warning to do so before the choice tickets are sold out. It can happen very quickly, so we stress grabbing them now if you're planning on attending.

PAX East, which will take place in Boston until 2023, is set for March 22-24, 2013. Hotel deals are also available now through the PAX site.

JoystiqPAX East 2013 tickets, hotel registration now available originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Pax-EastPAX-East-2013Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Penny Arcade 3 shaves pennies for PAX, down to $3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/penny-arcade-3-shaves-pennies-for-pax-down-to-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/penny-arcade-3-shaves-pennies-for-pax-down-to-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/penny-arcade-3-shaves-pennies-for-pax-down-to-3/#comments In celebration of PAX, which is taking place this weekend, the price of Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 has been knocked down to $3 this week, two bucks off the usual price. You can grab it now on Steam.

In other Rain-Slick news, the mobile version will be shown at PAX in space S4 of the South Lobby. The mobile version is headed to both iOS and Android this October. The Mac version is slated for October as well.

Continue reading Penny Arcade 3 shaves pennies for PAX, down to $3

JoystiqPenny Arcade 3 shaves pennies for PAX, down to $3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonemacmobilepax-eastpax-prime-2011pcpenny-arcade-adventures-3Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA['War of the Roses' and 'Chivalry' wage war without all the nonsense]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/war-of-the-roses-and-chivalry-wage-war-without-all-the-nonse/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/war-of-the-roses-and-chivalry-wage-war-without-all-the-nonse/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/war-of-the-roses-and-chivalry-wage-war-without-all-the-nonse/#comments ImageOf all the games I played this year at PAX East, two unlikely contenders stood out. They weren't indie darlings or supported by the donations of Kickstarter enthusiasts. And they weren't first-person shooters, nor character action games set against historic backdrops. Both games - Fatshark's War of the Roses and Torn Banner's Chivalry: Medieval Warfare - are about as far from my usual radar as games go. That was until I played them, of course.

Both Chivalry and WotR are set in (you guessed it) medieval times, though neither employs its setting much beyond a backdrop. The games are multiplayer-focused affairs; neither has any sort of single-player campaign. Given the backdrop, you might assume multiplayer to be of the Mount & Blade variety. You'd be wrong.

Both games are vicious, fast, and, most importantly, accessible. These are not the sim medieval combat affairs of many Paradox Interactive-published games. These are arcade-style medieval combat games, presented in first- and third-person perspectives, and they're like nothing else I've played in the past few years.

Continue reading 'War of the Roses' and 'Chivalry' wage war without all the nonsense

Joystiq'War of the Roses' and 'Chivalry' wage war without all the nonsense originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chivalry-medieval-warfarefat-sharkfatsharkgordon-van-dykeparadoxparadox-interactivepax-eastpax-east-2012pctorn-bannertorn-banner-studioswar-of-the-rosesWed, 25 Apr 2012 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Irrational's Levine, BioWare's Gaider, and Obsidian's Avellone on why story matters in games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/irrationals-levine-biowares-gaiter-and-obsidians-avellone-o/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/irrationals-levine-biowares-gaiter-and-obsidians-avellone-o/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/irrationals-levine-biowares-gaiter-and-obsidians-avellone-o/#comments
I grew up reading and loving fiction. As I've aged and taken up a profession in journalism, I've erred on the side of nonfiction. And these days, most of my storytelling experiences come from film, television, and video games. But I'd be lying if I said that many of those story experiences - especially in the gaming medium - left the same impression on me as the works of Marquez or Vonnegut.

In late summer 2007, I played BioShock, and my tune began to change. Six months later, I played Mass Effect, and my stance on games as storytelling devices was altered even further. Somewhere along the line, between Jill sandwiches and lost princesses, game devs started implementing stories that I actually cared about.

Fast-forward to 2011, and the concept of games as storytelling devices is more accepted than ever. But games haven't changed - they're still mechanically driven constructs, and they still allow player agency to run all over what the game dev set out for you to experience. I found myself having conversations with Kotaku's Jason Schreier over the course of the past year about this seeming duality within games. We felt it was time for a proper discussion.

Enter: "Plot vs. Play: The Duality of Modern Game Design," the panel Schreier and I hosted at PAX East. Our idea was to gather several game developers who've tackled this duality head on, and have them discuss their individual approaches to navigating that issue. Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine, Obsidian Entertainment creative director Chris Avellone, and BioWare lead writer David Gaider were our first team of game devs to take up the challenge - something we hope to continue at future PAXes - and they did a great job.

In our rush to prepare for both the panel and that weekend's coverage plans at our respective outlets, neither Jason nor myself thought to set up a video camera to catch the event on tape. Thankfully, Mash Those Buttons captured the whole hour and put it up on YouTube, which I've dropped above.

Let us know what you think, and please suggest any devs you'd like to see play a part in future versions of "Plot vs Play." We're open to ideas!

JoystiqIrrational's Levine, BioWare's Gaider, and Obsidian's Avellone on why story matters in games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebioware-austinchris-avellonedavid-gaiderdavid-gaiterirrationalirrational-gamesken-levineobisidianobsidian-entertainmentpax-eastpax-east-2012plot-vs-playplot-vs-play-2012plot-vs-play-the-duality-of-modern-game-designMon, 23 Apr 2012 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX East(er) largest show to date, no more PAX attendance figures]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/pax-east-er-largest-show-to-date-no-more-pax-attendance-figure/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/pax-east-er-largest-show-to-date-no-more-pax-attendance-figure/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/pax-east-er-largest-show-to-date-no-more-pax-attendance-figure/#comments Image"Did...did we ever find out what the PAX East attendance was over the Easter weekend?"

"No, did they even release those?"

Turns out, PAX East organizers didn't.

"Yeah, we no longer do the full attendance count anymore - trying to track down all the numbers with exhibitors, media, speakers etc. was just a pain," Penny Arcade business guru Robert Khoo told Joystiq. "We know it was the largest PAX ever, even with the holiday weekend, so we're super happy with how everything turned out."

Last year's PAX Prime hit 70,000 attendees. We think Khoo and company are just trying to prevent further one-upmanship between the sibling shows.

JoystiqPAX East(er) largest show to date, no more PAX attendance figures originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pax-eastpax-east-2012Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Joystiq vs. PAX East 2012]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/video-joystiq-vs-pax-east-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/video-joystiq-vs-pax-east-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/video-joystiq-vs-pax-east-2012/#comments Image
With PAX East all wrapped up, it's time for the Joystiq crew to take a few moments to relax before E3 (it's only seven weeks away!). We'll be squeezing out the remainder of our PAX East coverage over the next couple of days. In the meantime, relive the adventure (or experience it vicariously for the first time) with the video above.

[Music: Trash80 - "Missing You"]

JoystiqVideo: Joystiq vs. PAX East 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-vsjoystiq-vs-pax-east-2012pax-eastpax-east-2012Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Co-opinion: Slaughtering Skags in Borderlands 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/co-opinion-slaughtering-skags-in-borderlands-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/co-opinion-slaughtering-skags-in-borderlands-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/co-opinion-slaughtering-skags-in-borderlands-2/#comments Image
David Hinkle: So, Borderlands 2. How fitting I would play as the slender female and you the hulking giant mohawk guy, eh?
Jessica Conditt: To be fair, Salvador is supposed to be a tiny, muscled man, not the hulking behemoth that I felt like while playing him. Double shotguns will do that to a man.
Agreed. And even though you were carrying every single gun in the universe, we ran into a few bottlenecks. I certainly tried to play Maya as a tank, but I don't think that was a very good idea. Skags, man. Skags.
And that new, juicy element. Slag, right? We took more damage when they flung it on us, which was an annoying experience. But the phaselock health dump was a saving grace there. You kept me alive on quite a few occasions with that. Slag, man. Slag.

Gallery: Borderlands 2 (PAX East 2012)

Continue reading Co-opinion: Slaughtering Skags in Borderlands 2

JoystiqCo-opinion: Slaughtering Skags in Borderlands 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Borderlandsborderlands-2co-opGearboxGearbox-Softwaremicrosoftpax-eastpax-east-2012pcplaystationps3xboxMon, 09 Apr 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[An Irrational fear of monsters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/an-irrational-fear-of-monsters/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/an-irrational-fear-of-monsters/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/an-irrational-fear-of-monsters/#comments Image"A good monster is a monster you can imagine in repose."

That was the advice acclaimed horror writer and director Guillermo del Toro gave Ken Levine, the creator of the BioShock franchise, during a conversation on the Irrational Games podcast. Levine takes those words to heart in his own creative direction, and before building any terrifying monsters, he makes sure Irrational develops a rich, empathetic backstory that places each of the deformed, viciously homicidal creatures in routine settings, where they perform the most base of actions: contributing to society, petting a dog, relaxing, mourning.

Four Irrational members - Levine, art director Nate Wells, lead artist Shawn Robertson, and sound man Pat Balthrop - gave the PAX audience a glimpse into the secret lives and creation of five major BioShock Infinite villains: the Motorized Patriot, Handyman, Siren, Boys of Silence and Songbird.

Continue reading An Irrational fear of monsters

JoystiqAn Irrational fear of monsters originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesbioshock-infiniteguillermo-del-toroHeavy-HittersirrationalIrrational-GamesKen-Levinemicrosoftmonstersnate-wellspat-balthroppax-eastpax-east-2012pcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3rob-watersshawn-robertsontake-twotake-two-interactivevitaxboxMon, 09 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How Arkedo learned to love downloadable games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/how-arkedo-learned-to-love-downloadable-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/how-arkedo-learned-to-love-downloadable-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/how-arkedo-learned-to-love-downloadable-games/#comments ImageHell Yeah! is the first full-scale digital release by French studio Arkedo, after two boxed DS games and a few tentative (XBLIG) digital experiments. The transition to downloadable games was not an easy decision for a company that, according to founder Camille Guermonprez, loved packaged games. But it was a necessary one.

"I started Arkedo because I wanted to make a game with boxes," he told Joystiq at PAX East. "My first company was a digital game company, in 1999, for mobile games. That was a big company. I raised the money and it was lots of fun."

Arkedo was a reaction to that previous work. "We wanted to be able to buy our game in a garage sale in 20 years, to be able to sell it for scrap, to give it as a gift," he explained. "You know, you can't give a gift with a digital title. Even if it's the same amount of money as a box, you look cheap. It's a shame."

Continue reading How Arkedo learned to love downloadable games

JoystiqHow Arkedo learned to love downloadable games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arkedoarkedo-studiocamille-guermonprezhell-yeahmicrosoftnice-guyspax-eastpax-east-2012playstationproject-hell-yeahps3psnxblaxboxMon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Borderlands 2 conjures up Mechromancer class, adds character customization options]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/borderlands-2-conjures-up-mechromancer-class-adds-character-cus/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/borderlands-2-conjures-up-mechromancer-class-adds-character-cus/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/borderlands-2-conjures-up-mechromancer-class-adds-character-cus/#comments ImageOn the final day of PAX East, members of Gearbox detailed plans for Borderlands 2, which is set to drop on September 18. The biggest news nuggest is the Mechromancer, a class that will be added to the game as DLC after launch and free to those who pre-order. The Mechromancer is a female human/machine hybrid, which is totally great because we wrote all of this erotic Claptrap fan-fiction that would totally explain -- ahem, sorry. She will also have a friend: a giant robot called D374-TP (Deathtrap).

Game Informer was at the panel - all of us were too busy scurrying back to our respective journalizing holes to attend today - and says that in addition to the Mechromancer, there will be options to customize the look of your character. Costumes and custom gear will be earned when players complete missions and challenges.

Finally, there will be a special edition of Borderlands 2 that will retail for $149.99. It's packaged in a big plastic loot box replete with a Marcus Kincaid bobblehead and, obviously, a copy of Borderlands 2.

JoystiqBorderlands 2 conjures up Mechromancer class, adds character customization options originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>borderlands-2gearboxgearbox-softwaremechromancermicrosoftpax-eastpax-east-2012pcplaystationps3special-editionxboxMon, 09 Apr 2012 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Antichamber and Indie Fund: A match made in M.C. Escher's basement]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/#comments ImageAntichamber mastermind Alexander Bruce enjoys screwing with people's perceptions of reality, on the screen and on the show floor of PAX East. As part of the Indie Megabooth, Bruce had full reign to make attendees perform a mystery challenge as part of the Megabooth's signature rally. Bruce gave every hopeful participant that approached Antichamber a simple command: "I need you to stand on your hands."

A few people removed jackets and dropped their bags in preparation for the inevitable fall they'd suffer trying to perform a handstand in the middle of a crowded Indie Megabooth; one young man guessed he would probably kill someone with his gymnastics. Before anyone attempted the actual handstand though, it hit them -- this was Alex Bruce, and he wanted them to stand on their hands. So they stepped on their fingers and Bruce signed their punch cards, grinning the entire time, every time.

Continue reading Antichamber and Indie Fund: A match made in M.C. Escher's basement

JoystiqAntichamber and Indie Fund: A match made in M.C. Escher's basement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexander-bruceantichamberhandstandsIndieIndie-fundpax-eastpax-east-2012pcMon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EST