Joystiq

Sanctum 2 jumps into the fray on May 15 [Update: PC too, PSN soon after]

David Hinkle — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:00:00 EST

Coffee Stain Studios' Sanctum 2 will launch for the Xbox 360 on May 15, Major Nelson has announced. We've followed up with publisher Reverb to see if this is the launch date for PSN and PC, as well.

Sanctum 2 is the sequel to Coffee Stain Studio's hybrid first-person shooter and tower defense game. Coffee Stain Studios was founded in 2010 by local Swedish students, and its first game was I Love Strawberries on iOS.

Update: Reverb got back to us and confirmed the May 15 is the launch date on PC as well as Xbox 360. We're told the PSN version "will launch soon thereafter."

Sanctum 2 jumps into the fray on May 15 [Update: PC too, PSN soon after] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shoot a glance at these Sanctum 2 screens and trailer

Mike Suszek — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST

These screens and trailer for Coffee Stain Studios' Sanctum 2 show off the action-packed shooting in the game. Sanctum 2 is slated to launch on PC, Xbox Live and PSN sometime in 2013.

Continue reading Shoot a glance at these Sanctum 2 screens and trailer

Shoot a glance at these Sanctum 2 screens and trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Ravaged

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, 2 Dawn Games' Carsten Boserup talks crowdfunding and indie publishing with his Steam game (now on sale!), Ravaged.

What's your game called and what's it about?

Our game is Ravaged and it's a multiplayer-only first-person shooter focusing on vehicle combat and car chases in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max environment.

Why develop independently, rather than work for an established company?

Working with a publisher tends to mean that you are giving away parts of your game's creativity and control. We wanted to create a game exactly the way we wanted and imagined. Going independent also meant that our marketing capabilities were limited, which is why we created a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign was a success and we almost tripled the amount we asked for to help with marketing.

Our roots are with modding, as the core team created the popular Battlefield 1942 mod, Desert Combat, so we decided very early on to be 100 percent community-based. This means that we take feedback and ideas from the community and do our best to add it to the game. We also engage a lot with our community by hosting events and opening up our TeamSpeak virtual office to the fans, which is where we spent most of our time.

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Ravaged

The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Ravaged originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Pid lights up XBLA, PS3 and PC today

David Hinkle — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:30:00 EST

Pid, the puzzle-platformer from ex-Grin folks at Might and Delight, is now available on PC, PS3 and Xbox Live Arcade for $10 (800 MS Points). But you don't have to spend a dime to watch this launch trailer - well, okay, you pay for internet but you know what we mean. Yeah, you get it.

PSA: Pid lights up XBLA, PS3 and PC today originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beatbuddy bustin' moves on digital platforms, thanks to Reverb

David Hinkle — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST

Beatbuddy, a quirky rhythm-based action-adventure game from indie studio Threaks, already has a cozy game page on Steam - in fact, you can download a demo right now. Soon it will be available through more digital distribution channels. Reverb has announced it will publish Beatbuddy, though no exact platforms beyond Steam have been mentioned.

Developer Threaks, a small German outfit, has been working on Beatbuddy since 2009. The team said it plans on bringing Beatbuddy to "a wide variety of platforms," and when those exact platforms are announced, we'll be sure to relay the info.

Continue reading Beatbuddy bustin' moves on digital platforms, thanks to Reverb

Beatbuddy bustin' moves on digital platforms, thanks to Reverb originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sanctum 2 defends PC, consoles in 2013

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

Sanctum 2, the sequel to Coffee Stain Studios' hybrid tower defense and first-person co-op shooter, is expected to launch sometime next year Joystiq can exclusively reveal. The first Sanctum, which has sold over 300,000 units on Steam, was a PC-exclusive title. The sequel is planned for PC and "digital console platforms," with Xbox Live and PSN specifically mentioned.

"Sanctum has been a huge success on Steam for Coffee Stain Studios, and bringing the next version to console players as well as the PC market is a great next step to share this unique experience," said Ted Lange, executive producer for Reverb Publishing. "We all have logged quite a few hours with Sanctum and can definitively say that what Coffee Stain has in store for Sanctum 2 will blow the minds of Sanctum fans and new gamers alike."

Beyond revealing the title to us, along with a release year, details are still tight on Sanctum 2. Doug Kennedy, CEO of Reverb Publishing, told us, "The team is diligently working to get the title ready."

Update: After receiving updated information, altered 2012 launch window to 2013.

Update 2: Sanctum is $3.39 on Steam today.

Sanctum 2 defends PC, consoles in 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former RedOctane employees legally lose their rhythm

Ross Miller — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:24:00 EST

Filed under: Rhythm, Business

Two former RedOctane employees, Guitar Hero II executive producer John Tam and brand manager Corey Fong, have settled with Activision regarding a lawsuit the publisher filed against the duo, GameSpot reports. The other parties involved -- PR firm Reverb Communications, peripheral manufacturer The Ant Commandos and former RedOctane employee Jamie Yang -- have not currently settled.

Activision claims that Tam and Fong had used their knowledge of its rhythm games improperly in creating and showcasing a demo that aimed at getting funding for a new development house, Lodestone Entertainment (formerly Hourglass Interactive), that intended to develop rhythm titles. Tam and Fong have consented to the judge's permanent injunction that bars the duo from the following:

Using the demo they created, which is said to have incorporated elements of Guitar Hero and StepMania, in any way
Disclosing or act upon any Activision trade secrets
Developing drum-, guitar-, or synthesizer-based games for the next year
Working on any Guitar Hero II controllers for the Xbox 360 until six months after the game's release this week
Developing any sort of competition for unspecified peripheral devices (effects pedals, perhaps?) found on a confidential list held by Activision until six months after they are released

Additionally, Tom and Fong are to turn over "all documents, files, or materials they might have relating to the publisher's proprietary information, Lodestone Interactive, or communications with Reverb and The Ant Commandos" to Activision, according to the report.

Former RedOctane employees legally lose their rhythm originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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