Joystiq

Xbox Live features Planets Under Attack, big board, card, and puzzle game sale this week

Mike Schramm — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST

Yes, the majority of you will probably be playing Halo 4 or Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on Xbox Live this week. This we know. But just in case you're looking for something else, Major Nelson has a whole list of new content on Xbox Live this week. Perhaps, for example, the new version of Atari's Warlords, available for 800 Microsoft Points. Or one of three new Kinect Sports games, for 240 points each, or an XBLA version of Targem Games' Planets Under Attack, for a full 1200 points.

There's a sale on, too: Carcassone, Catan, Magic: The Gathering, Magic 2012, Super Puzzle Fighter HD, and the two Puzzle Quest titles are all half off, for just 400 Microsoft Points each, and Ubisoft's I Am Alive is 33% off, down to 800 Microsoft Points. A downloadable course pack for Tiger 13 is as 50% off, and that's not all. Later on this week, Major Nelson says Microsoft will be hosting an "Xbox Live is 10" sale, which will include discounts on some content, as well as giveaways to some Xbox Live members "who have been with us the longest."

We mean, sure, it'll mostly be Halo 4 and Black Ops 2. But just in case, there's some good deals there, too.

Xbox Live features Planets Under Attack, big board, card, and puzzle game sale this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Puzzle Quest coming from reborn indie Infinite Interactive

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST

Yesterday's announcement regarding EA's Firemint and IronMonkeys merger actually had a sideplot to it, in that Infinite Interactive, which was "acquired" by Firemint last year, quietly split off this past January to be independent again.

"There was never an actual acquisition of Infinite, it was more of a merger. It was all amicable stuff - as much as it would be fun to have a bit of a scandal. Unfortunately there isn't one," Infinite Interactive's founder and creative lead Steve Fawkner told us. "I think everybody agreed that Infinite does its best work when it's independent, and so we headed back out into the wilderness to work on our own stuff again."

Fawkner explained he couldn't get into the "nitty-gritty" details about intellectual property ownership and that things are "a little more complicated" than before, but that Infinite do still retain the Puzzle Quest and Warlords IP rights.

"While I don't have a specific announcement that I can make at the moment, if you shook a Magic 8-Ball and asked it 'Will Infinite's next game be a Puzzle Quest title?', then it would quite probably say 'All signs point to yes!'," Fawkner explained.

"In the short term, we will continue to build and innovate in the genres and settings that we know and love. That means games that combine fantasy, puzzles, strategy and tactics. It's doubtful we'll ever move too far from those genres, because they are our favorites, and you always do your best work when you're building games that you're passionate about."

[Thanks Aaron S.]

More Puzzle Quest coming from reborn indie Infinite Interactive originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 canceled for PSP

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:40:00 EST

From PSN-only to the void, Puzzle Quest 2 for PSP has met with the ultimate skull chain combo. Steve Fawkner, CEO and president of Infinite Interactive, confirms on his Facebook account that the PSP version has been canceled.

"After Firemint's acquisition of Infinite, and EA's acquisition of Firemint, so many people have moved around, that I find myself without enough manpower to finish it," Fawkner writes. "I would also like to point out that it was nothing to do with EA and/or Firemint that it has been cancelled - they have been excellent in giving me enough time and freedom to get it done... this is just a very unfortunate logistical problem where key people are no longer available to work on it."

Fawkner claims there was "ONE sound bug remaining to be fixed, and it would have been good to go." He won't give up hope entirely, but admits that finishing the project is "unlikely to happen." So, um, anyone with working knowledge of PSP development want to help a brother out?

Puzzle Quest 2 canceled for PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 drops to $10 on XBLA

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST

Puzzle Quest 2 is now 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Arcade. With a sequel that stands up to and surpasses the original in many ways, it's actually a better buy at the same price as original Puzzle Quest.

Meanwhile, Puzzle Quest Galactrix is still 1600 Microsoft Points ($20) on XBLA. Nope, we can't explain it either.

Continue reading Puzzle Quest 2 drops to $10 on XBLA

Puzzle Quest 2 drops to $10 on XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firemint acquires Puzzle Quest dev Infinite Interactive

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

You'd think after selling a billion iPhone games, the Firemint crew, makers of those Flight Control and Real Racing games on your phone, would go buy a boat or something. But, oh no, they had to be "smart" with their money, acquiring Puzzle Quest developer Infinite Interactive to form an even stronger, more independent operation, which "works exclusively on self-published original games." Who do these guys think they are ... PopCap?

It would seem that Firemint starter Rob Murray and Infinite Interactive founder Steve Fawkner, both Aussies, have been casually strategizing for years now. "Steve and I have been talking about working together for a long time, and I remember him showing me an early version of Puzzle Quest," Murray recalled. "This inspired me to make a game during my own holidays two years later, which was Flight Control -- and now, another two years later, we've finally found a way to work together!" (The financial terms of the deal haven't been disclosed.)

Infinite Interactive will merge into Firemint's "recently expanded" (how convenient!) offices in Melbourne and continue work on some kind of infectious game that could endanger world health at a bargain price. And then, they'll all probably buy a fleet of boats and retire into Port Phillip Bay.

[Image credit: Firemint]

Firemint acquires Puzzle Quest dev Infinite Interactive originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2010

Mike Schramm — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Ninja Theory put a heck of a game together here, with some incredible art direction and animation, level design, and the best adventurous duo since Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher. The world traversed by Monkey and Trip is colorfully portrayed and brilliantly built, the gameplay is perfectly formulated to support the characters and the story, and while I admit the game's early levels outdo the somewhat abrupt ending, this was the best original IP I played in 2010.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2010

Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 PSP only available via PSN, lacks multiplayer

David Hinkle — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

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

Yesterday, we reported that Puzzle Quest 2 would make its way to PSP later this year, but we still had questions. Specifically, it was unclear if the game would see a UMD release and whether it'd be as full-featured as the console versions.

Steve Fawkner, CEO and president of Infinite Interactive, confirmed with Joystiq that the PSP game would only be available as a PSN download -- there will not be a UMD version. "Although we've received great support from D3 and Namco for all previous Puzzle Quest releases, PQ2 PSP is the first Puzzle Quest game that Infinite is doing by itself, without a publisher, so we're not really able to handle a full UMD release at this time," Fawkner told us. He went on to say that "it's important to get a PSP version out there for all the people who enjoyed the original PQ on PSP and wanted the second one."

Fawkner offered further insight into why Infinite would be publishing the PSP version itself (given that other versions were published by D3). "The truth is that most publishers really aren't keen to take a risk on PSP these days, which is kind of sad, because it's 'taking risks' that gets great games like Puzzle Quest published in the first place!"

As far as features go, Fawkner also confirmed that Puzzle Quest 2 for PSP would not include multiplayer. The multiplayer mode in the first Puzzle Quest was apparently not so popular among PSP players, so the team decided to focus on implementing Elite Mode (a tougher version of the single-player game that yields better rewards) into the PSP sequel, which it thought would be a better fit for the PSP demographic.

Puzzle Quest 2 PSP only available via PSN, lacks multiplayer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 embarks on a journey to PSP later this year

David Hinkle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:30:00 EST

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

Aww, poor PSP -- it's like you've been sitting out in the rain, looking through the window at all of the other consoles, laughing and having a good time together with Puzzle Quest 2. Well, come on in, buddy! You've finally been invited to the party.

IGN reports that Sony's handheld will indeed receive a port of Puzzle Quest 2, launching "towards the end of 2010." Oddly enough, the IGN piece mentions the game will be available for download via PSN and makes no mention of a UMD release. We've gone ahead and contacted the game's publisher, D3, for clarification.

Along with extreme tardiness, the PSP port brings with it a new game mode called Elite. Here, the difficulty of enemies has been ramped up, naturally yielding better rewards for players and more chances to throw your PSP to the ground in frustration.

Puzzle Quest 2 embarks on a journey to PSP later this year originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solve Puzzle Quest 2 on Steam August 12

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

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

Though we usually elect to enjoy Puzzle Quest 2 during life's natural intermissions -- red lights, bathroom visits, literal intermissions between two acts of a lengthy musical -- we suppose having it on our home computer would be equally convenient. (We spend a lot of time on computers, you know.) We'll all get our chance to grab the game's PC iteration when it lands on Steam next Thursday, August 12.

The puzzle-RPG will be available for the (relatively) bargain price of $19.99 -- but if you'd like to do a bit of damage to that cost, you can save 10 percent by pre-ordering the game on Steam.

Solve Puzzle Quest 2 on Steam August 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBLA in Brief: Ancients of Ooga and Puzzle Quest 2

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:30:00 EST

We've got a spiritual sequel and an actual sequel this week. The former is Ancients of Ooga, a successor of sorts to the ancient XBLA title, Cloning Clyde. The latter is Puzzle Quest 2, which essentially amounts to an apology about that whole Galactrix thing.

Check out XBLA in Brief and see if either game is for you.

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There are new Xbox Live Arcade games released every week. We realize that our readers are busy, attractive people, and may not have time to download and examine each and every new XBLA game. You've got busy, attractive person stuff to do, after all. Not to worry though, because we've done the work for you, downloading every single trial game and giving you a taste of what to expect. Watch XBLA in Brief every week to see which games deserve a closer look. When you have the time, of course.

Continue reading XBLA in Brief: Ancients of Ooga and Puzzle Quest 2

XBLA in Brief: Ancients of Ooga and Puzzle Quest 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Puzzle Quest 2 (DS)

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST

When creating the follow-up to a critically beloved game, it's rare for a developer to lose sight of just about every aspect of what made the original so great. That was the unfortunate case with Puzzle Quest: Galactrix -- a title so disappointing, it led many fans to worry that the franchise's maiden voyage was merely a fluke. A really entertaining, addictive-as-all-get-out fluke, but a fluke nonetheless.

Where Galactrix represented an attempt at innovation by first throwing out baby, bathwater and tub, Puzzle Quest 2 is a love letter to the jilted fans of Challenge of the Warlords. It not only recalls the prodigal formula of the series' first iteration -- it improves on that formula in countless clever ways.

Continue reading Review: Puzzle Quest 2 (DS)

Review: Puzzle Quest 2 (DS) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 and Ancients of Ooga hit XBLA June 30

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:12:00 EST

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

It's pretty much accepted that none of us here at Joystiq are good people. We have to wonder, then, just what we did to deserve a much-desired sequel and a new NinjaBee game in the same week. It's a mystery for sure, but Major Nelson has announced that both Puzzle Quest 2 (as previously dated) and Ancients of Ooga are slated to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade next week.

If you want to dip into some puzzle-fueled role-playing, you'll need 1200 MS Points ($15) for Puzzle Quest 2. Meanwhile, the gastronomic platforming of Ancients of Ooga will run you 800 MSP ($10). Check out a new trailer for Ancients of Ooga after the break.

Continue reading Puzzle Quest 2 and Ancients of Ooga hit XBLA June 30

Puzzle Quest 2 and Ancients of Ooga hit XBLA June 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 drops on XBLA June 30

JC Fletcher — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:40:00 EST

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

Clear your schedule, Xbox 360 owners: you're going to have an ongoing appointment with some gems in the next couple of weeks. D3 Publisher has announced a June 30 release date for the XBLA version of Puzzle Quest 2, at a price of 1200 Microsoft Points. If you're wondering how you'll possibly survive the agonizing nine-day wait, may we suggest the DS version of the same game? It's out ... tomorrow.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest 2 (E3)

Puzzle Quest 2 drops on XBLA June 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Puzzle Quest 2

Mike Schramm — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:30:00 EST

"So would you call this a return to form?" I asked Infinite Interactive's Steve Fawkner right before I picked up the controller to play Puzzle Quest 2. "Yes, very much so," he replied. Fawkner isn't shy about admitting that Puzzle Quest Galactrix deserved a few of the lumps it got from fans ("They didn't like it when minigames blocked progress on the main game"), and so when his team set out to create a full-fledged sequel to the gem-matching, role-playing hit, they wanted a good mix of updated gameplay that didn't stray too far from what made the first title so good.

And from my short play session, it seems that's exactly what they got. A lot has changed from the first Puzzle Quest, and while fans will miss a few things (my beloved Druid class is gone!), most of the changes are in service to, and succeed at, making the game more fun.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest 2 (XBLA)

Continue reading Hands-on: Puzzle Quest 2

Hands-on: Puzzle Quest 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 May 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 footage gets you from point A to point B

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:30:00 EST

Yes, we know you're upset that Puzzle Quest 2's completely addictive gem-swapping sessions will be interrupted by primitive world traversal -- why can't we just bounce from fight to fight on an overworld map like civilized humans? Try not to get your knickers in a twist; based on the trailer above, it doesn't look like traveling between levels will be too taxing of an ordeal. Especially if you just teleport to where you're headed, which may actually reduce the amount of downtime between brawls. Now that's more like it.

Check out the trailer to see Puzzle Quest 2's exploration in action, and to get a quick glimpse of the game that's going to devour our free time next month.

Puzzle Quest 2 footage gets you from point A to point B originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 coming to DS June 22

Justin McElroy — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:20:00 EST

We know there have been plenty of pretenders to the Puzzle Quest throne, many developed/perpetrated by developer Infinite Interactive itself. But do you still remember? Is there a place in your memory for those seemingly countless hours you spent peering into your DS, hoping to line up enough red gems to get off that last fire spell before you were overwhelmed by a giant spider? Do you remember? More importantly: Have the countless clones and wannabes completely dulled your desire for a return to the world of puzzle quest?

You'll have on opportunity to answer that question for yourself as publisher D3 has just announced that the follow-up, Puzzle Quest 2, will arrive in North American shops on June 22 according to Shacknews. Can't wait a month? OK, fine, here. Just don't spoil your dinner.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest 2 (DS)

Puzzle Quest 2 coming to DS June 22 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 'Mage Trainer' demo cast onto Facebook

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST

If you've played the impossibly addictive gem-swapping RPG known as Puzzle Quest, you probably won't find yourself in uncharted waters when you check out the game's upcoming sequel, due out this June. Still, if you need a refresher course, or if you're an untainted newbie, you should check out the Puzzle Quest 2 Mage Trainer game on Facebook.

It serves as a surprisingly comprehensive demonstration of what the series' combat feels like, though it lacks some of Puzzle Quest's RPG trappings. Mercifully enough, it also lacks Puzzle Quest's hyper-repetitive music.

Puzzle Quest 2 'Mage Trainer' demo cast onto Facebook originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 trailer for DS drops in

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:31:00 EST

If the Puzzle Quest 2 XBLA trailer last month wasn't your thing, check out the promo for the portable version of the RPG puzzler. The trailers are almost identical, except that all the XBLA shots are replaced with clips showing almost the exact same scenes on the DS. It's certainly good for comparison.

D3 Publisher has already stated that Puzzle Quest 2 on DS will not be plagued by the loading time issues found in Galactrix so if that's been keeping you up at night, rest easy.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest 2 (DS)

Puzzle Quest 2 trailer for DS drops in originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 trailer is a real gem

JC Fletcher — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST

Infinite Interactive and D3 Publisher would like to remind you that they have claimed your free time this spring. Puzzle Quest 2 is on the way, bringing back the diabolical alchemy of match-three puzzles and fantasy role-playing that turned us all into gem-hoarding monsters the first time.

As the trailer above shows, Puzzle Quest 2 features an entirely new storyline, so we'll get to meet new characters just as memorable as whoever it was we were playing as between rounds of the puzzle game last time.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest 2 (DS)

Gallery: Puzzle Quest 2 (XBLA)

Puzzle Quest 2 trailer is a real gem originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D3 Publisher: Puzzle Quest 2 won't have Galactrix's load time issues

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST

As exciting as the prospect of Puzzle Quest in Space might have been, the excitement offered by Galactrix was completely derailed by the game's outrageously lengthy load times. However, in a recent interview with Kotaku, D3 Publisher's Michael Cerven claimed that the recently announced Puzzle Quest 2 won't be plagued by the frequent intermissions, as developer Infinite Interactive "rebuilt the DS engine from the ground up to be fast and perform smoothly with very quick load times as opposed to retrofitting the lead SKU code for the DS."

If Cerven's claims are true, we suppose this is good news for the impatient puzzle-solvers out there. However, we got so much stuff done during Galactrix's near-constant loading screens. We even learned to speak Esperanto! Ĉi tiu estas rakonto pri videoludoj!

D3 Publisher: Puzzle Quest 2 won't have Galactrix's load time issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest 2 coming to DS, XBLA in Spring 2010

JC Fletcher — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Though we're confident Infinite Interactive's Puzzle Quest 2 will eventually be a mega-multiplatform release like its predecessor, D3Publisher announced that the game's roll-out will start on DS and Xbox Live Arcade. It'll be out in spring 2010, along with every other game you've ever heard of, which means that you'll now have the choice to play all those games or Puzzle Quest. They'll occupy about the same amount of time.

Puzzle Quest 2 will let players match gems as one of four new character classes: War Mage, Inquisitor, Barbarian, or Assassin, using "all-new weapons, spells, and shields." Sorry if you just got over a Puzzle Quest addiction.

Puzzle Quest 2 coming to DS, XBLA in Spring 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle Quest sequel revealed

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

It appears that GamePro will reveal the first details of Puzzle Quest 2 in its next issue. Beyond a single image, the mag doesn't drop any details on its website. After Infinite Interactive went a tad off course with Galactrix -- meanwhile, developing Puzzle Kingdoms, Puzzle Chronicles and Neopets Puzzle Adventure -- it's good to see the team going back to its roots.

From the image, it seems that Puzzle Quest 2 is being developed for Xbox 360, but if it's anything like its predecessor, the game will eventually release on every console, handheld and electronic device known to man. One can also deduce that purple is now a rune for spells instead of XP. But what purpose do the gloves serve? We're sure to learn more very soon.

Puzzle Quest sequel revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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