Joystiq

EA Indie Bundle challenges your definitions, is live on Steam now

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:30:00 EST

The EA Indie Bundle (yes, we assure you, it is barely-100-percent-mostly-ish possible for EA to have an indie bundle) is live on Steam, offering 70 percent off a package of six titles from four indie developers, or half off each individual game.

Included in the sale is Warp, Shank, Shank 2, DeathSpank, DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue and Gatling Gears. The DeathSpank titles are $7.50 individually and are available on PC and Mac through Steamplay, while the rest of EA's indies cost $5 and are PC only.

Indie Game Magazine first spotted the bundle in the super-secret Steam registry files this morning. The sale is now officially on, set to disappear from Steam in one week on May 9.

EA Indie Bundle challenges your definitions, is live on Steam now originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Failure Workshop: How four studios built success from defeat

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST

Succeeding in the indie game industry often takes years of patience, personal sacrifice and Ramen, a lifestyle often not discussed in popular stories of underground triumph and million-unit sales. The Failure Workshop at GDC aims to highlight the failures of otherwise successful studios, this year from Supergiant Games, Klei Entertainment, Enemy Airship and Northway Games.

We've listed the lessons from each below:

Jamie Cheng, Klei Entertainment (Shank, Eets)

After Eets and before Shank, in 2006, Klei began working on Sugar Rush, a second game in the Eets universe. It was greenlit by Nexon America, but was dropped two weeks before it was set to launch. Klei then tried to pitch it to consoles, but that fell through as well. During this process, Sugar Rush went through five art changes, three closed betas and a name change -- Scrappers -- transforming from a marshmallow-inspired character design, to tween, to adult, to mature and finally to cool, and all of it canceled for good in 2010.

Sugar Rush's failure stemmed from Klei's lack of conviction with the title, studio co-founder Jamie Cheng said. Klei didn't know exactly what it wanted Sugar Rush to be, meaning feedback from every beta tester and publishing partner affected its development dramatically. However, success did come from Sugar Rush's failure.

"Shank never would have happened without this," Cheng said.

Continue reading The Failure Workshop: How four studios built success from defeat

The Failure Workshop: How four studios built success from defeat originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Klei Entertainment chowing down on new Eets title

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST

Klei Entertainment, creator of the Shank series, is working on a second installment of its other original franchise, Eets, studio co-founder Jamie Cheng said at GDC today. Cheng presented at the Failure Workshop, showing off the many iterations and doomed decisions of Eets: Sugar Rush, a title Klei worked on for four years before it was canceled for good.

Cheng said Klei was burnt out on Sugar Rush (later renamed Scrappers), so the new Eets title will probably have more to do with healthful eating habits and complete objects than anything else. We'll have more details on the failures of Klei, Supergiant Games, Enemy Airship and Northway Games in a separate story later today.

Klei Entertainment chowing down on new Eets title originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Big discounts on EA games, DLC on Xbox Live this week

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:01:00 EST

Xbox Live is hosting some decent deals on Electronic Arts content this week. Notable games include Risk: Factions for $5, Shank for $7.50 or Dragon Age: Origins for $15.

Plenty of DLC is up for grabs as well, including Dead Space 2 "Severed" or Mass Effect 2 "Arrival" DLC for $3 each, or Dragon Age's "Witch Hunt" DLC for $4. You can check out the full selection of sale items - oddly split into two different lists - here and here.

Big discounts on EA games, DLC on Xbox Live this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Humble Indie Bundle 4 adds free soundtracks for every game

David Hinkle — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:50:00 EST

Er, not every game ever -- that'd be impossible, you guys. We're talking soundtracks for every game in the fourth Humble Indie Bundle: Gratuitous Space Battles, Cave Story+, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, Super Meat Boy, Shank and Nightsky HD.

The soundtracks are free to anyone who pays above the current average for the Bundle and, as usual, to anyone who's already purchased the bundle. You can snag them in mp3 format or, in the case of Super Meat Boy and Nightsky HD, also in FLAC.

Humble Indie Bundle 4 adds free soundtracks for every game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank 2: Back for more

Mike Schramm — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST

Klei Entertainment's Shank was a lovable, uncomplicated indie b eat-em-up. The game's protagonist went on a murderous rampage using whatever he had lying around, including guns, a big knife, a chainsaw, and a few other items. It's probably no surprise that the recently announced Shank 2 is more of that kind of thing.

The backgrounds are nicer and more colorful, Shank's enemies are more varied, and the controls are refined. It's a better, cleaner Shank experience. The indie charm is still there, and the whole game is more polished.

Oh, and there's one big feature that will probably make the game for fans of the series: An endless online co-op survival mode.

Continue reading Shank 2: Back for more

Shank 2: Back for more originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PSN Summer Sale drops prices on Scott Pilgrim, Pac-Man CE DX, and more next week

JC Fletcher — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:55:00 EST

If your PlayStation Plus membership is still active next week, you'll be privy to some deep, deep discounts between July 12 and July 19 thanks to Sony's PSN Summer Sale. If your membership has lapsed, you'll still get discounts, but only one "deep" worth.

Sony announced the 11 games that will form the basis of the sale, including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Shank, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Chime Super Deluxe, the Move-enhanced port of Dead Space: Extraction, and more. Plus members will save 50% off the normal price, while everyone else will grab a nice 30% discount.

Check out the full list after the break. If you see anything you like, we suggest going and purchasing a PSN card to pay for it, on account of ... recent events.

Continue reading PSN Summer Sale drops prices on Scott Pilgrim, Pac-Man CE DX, and more next week

PSN Summer Sale drops prices on Scott Pilgrim, Pac-Man CE DX, and more next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Klei Entertainment on 'The Journey to Creating Shank'

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Klei Entertainment was pushed to the verge of bankruptcy during the development of its ultra-violent, Desperado-inspired action game, Shank. Studio founder Jamie Cheng described some of the more tumultuous periods in the game's development at a GDC panel on Tuesday morning, admitting that stress even managed to crack his normally calm demeanor.

In order to remain afloat and complete Shank, Klei introduced temporary (and optional) employee wage reductions with interest, and Cheng himself took out a bank loan against his house in January 2010. The studio was offered a lifeline from an unnamed publisher, but it declined the offer and opted for a fairer, less constrictive deal with EA Partners. "We kept the IP, we kept the creative freedom; it was the good stuff," Cheng said.

Continue reading Klei Entertainment on 'The Journey to Creating Shank'

Klei Entertainment on 'The Journey to Creating Shank' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pre-order PC Bulletstorm from EA Store, get Shank for free

JC Fletcher — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:45:00 EST

Every, um, cloud in a Bulletstorm has a silver lining, because it's full of steel Shanks. Okay, that belabored metaphor is supposed to refer to the fact that if you pre-order the PC download version of Bulletstorm from EA's store, you'll get a free download of Klei Entertainment's side-scrolling action game Shank.

We just wanted to say it in a more poetic way than "buy this one game about committing thousands of bloody murders, and get another game about bloody murders for free," okay? The deal is good only with purchases of the $60 Bulletstorm Limited Edition, through Feb. 21.

Pre-order PC Bulletstorm from EA Store, get Shank for free originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Get Shank'd in the Xbox Live Deal of the Week

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST

Shank is a lot of fun because it lets you murder a lot of different people in a lot of different ways, and I think you should buy it.

-Justin McElroy, Joystiq.com

Had you taken our recommendation several months ago, you would likely have vented your most murderous fantasies -- many of which you never knew you had -- many times over by now; in which case, you should probably, peacefully move on to our next post. Had you, on the other hand, not been called to action by our priase of Shank, then perhaps this is the opportunity you've been waiting for: The Xbox Live Arcade version of the game has been discounted to 800 Microsoft Points ($10) -- down from $15 -- this week (through Sunday) for Xbox Live Gold members.

If not the original price, then perhaps your apprehension was fixated on those icky bugs that had crawled out of the XBLA release. Well, those have been taken care of, too. Still not interested? Ohh, we get it now. All right, sit tight -- next week's Marketplace deal is the one for you.

Get Shank'd in the Xbox Live Deal of the Week originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank and 'Spank now available on PC

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST

Shank and DeathSpank are ready for action now on Steam for $15 apiece. Shank doles out death in what the movie advertisements will refer to as a roaring rampage of revenge, while DeathSpank delivers demise at the end of a punch ... line.

We enjoyed both titles when they were first released over the summer on consoles. We found Shank to be a "cure for murder" (but please consult your physician before taking Shank) and said DeathSpank was "built on a solid foundation of time-tested gameplay and bacon."

Shank and 'Spank now available on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank takes a stab at Steam on October 26

David Hinkle — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:20:00 EST

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

Klei Entertainment's stylish murder-em-up, Shank, has been dated for Steam, according to the latest trailer issued by EA. On October 26, anxious arterial-spray aficionados can work their craft via Valve's Steam service -- as seen in the image above, pre-ordering the game also knocks off 10% of its $14.99 asking price, bringing it down to $13.49.

Oh, you don't believe us? Really? We thought we got past your trust issues, Reginald? Well, head past the break and check out the trailer for yourself, then feel super guilty for ever doubting us.

Continue reading Shank takes a stab at Steam on October 26

Shank takes a stab at Steam on October 26 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank devs looking into busted 360 Achievements and chugging cinematics

Christopher Grant — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:35:00 EST

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

Recently released kill-em-up Shank has split critics - 1UP says it's the "freshest, most unequivocally rewarding beat-em-up game to come along in almost a decade" while Gamespot claims "style can't quite overcome the lack of substance in this fun though shallow brawler" - but surprisingly it's also caused a fissure in the console world. So while the PS3 version continues along, with no problems in sight, the Xbox 360 release suffers two issues on certain systems.

First, users who played the Xbox Live trial and then - eager to continue their kill-a-thon - purchased the title to start earning some of those sweet Achievements ... well, we've got bad news. Klei's Jamie Chang writes on the game's site that "if you unlock the Trial on the 360, there's a chance that the first two achievements are not unlocked." The good news: the team at Klei has "already got a fix for this" so you'll get your 'cheevos just as soon as that's rolled out.

The other, and less significant, issue: chugging cinematics. Cheng notes that "older Xbox 360's have slower disc access rates, so the opening cinematic chugs, and loading between levels takes longer." This never came up in testing and doesn't actually affect the gameplay in any way, but that's got to be doubly annoying. Slow load times off a hard drive?

The good news is, we're hearing about this is on Klei's site very soon after complaints started appearing on message boards, and Cheng and Co have already pledged to address the issues. And, as a sort of strange, machete-themed penance, they're offering the above image in wallpaper format. We imagine it's metaphorical: Shank is Cheng, and each machete is for one of the aforementioned bugs ... or it's just a picture of Shank. You could interpret it either way, really.

Shank devs looking into busted 360 Achievements and chugging cinematics originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

European PSN releases for August 25

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST

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

Clear your Wednesday schedules, our European colleagues -- this week's PSN update's a beefy one. There are new games in the forms of Joe Danger, Shank, PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap and MotorStorm 3D Rift, a demo for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, and a new persistent beta server for MAG that allows players to test out some new, potentially upcoming features at no cost. Get to it!

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continue reading European PSN releases for August 25

European PSN releases for August 25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank review: Always Be Murdering

Justin McElroy — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST

You've probably noticed that critics often employ flowery language when they're trying to describe hyper-violence, whether it's a "bullet ballet" or a "symphony of destruction." Never one to use my evolved human intellect to mask primal urges, I'm going to try to explain the appeal of Klei's side-scrolling kill-'em-up Shank in the most basic, honest terms possible. If the game's not employing the slightest bit of nuance, I don't see why I should have to.

Shank is a lot of fun because it lets you murder a lot of different people in a lot of different ways, and I think you should buy it.

Gallery: Shank

Continue reading Shank review: Always Be Murdering

Shank review: Always Be Murdering originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PSN Tuesday: Shank, PixelJunk Racers 2, Press Your Luck

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:49:00 EST

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

Guns, cars and pressing one's luck is what this week's new PSN titles are all about. Shank, PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap, Press Your Luck and Motorstorm 3D Rift are all added to the PSN. The audio of these games will involve a log of banging, vrooming and hollering of "BIG MONEY, NO WHAMMIES!"

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continue reading PSN Tuesday: Shank, PixelJunk Racers 2, Press Your Luck

PSN Tuesday: Shank, PixelJunk Racers 2, Press Your Luck originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

This Wednesday: Shank and Scott Pilgrim beat up XBLA

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST

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

It's a great week for Xbox 360 owners who possess a great deal of pent-up aggression, as the two-week PSN exclusivity of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World comes to a halt this Wednesday, August 25. The highly stylized, chiptune-enhanced beat 'em up will run you 800 Microsoft Points ($10), which is roughly equivalent to the price of a Scott Pilgrim movie ticket -- an item apparently covered in some kind of fatal, diffusive poison.

If you're looking for a beat-'em-up with more ... well, stabbing, you'll also be able to pick up Klei Entertainment's Shank for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). That's a little bit more than the entry fee to Scott Pilgrim, but we're sure that's only because of discrepancies in the Canadian/American currency exchange rate.

Gallery: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (PS3, Xbox 360)

This Wednesday: Shank and Scott Pilgrim beat up XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Download the Shank soundtrack, watch the launch trailer

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:40:00 EST

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

Your hands won't be able to play Shank until this week's PSN Tuesday/XBLA Wednesday update goes live, but your ears will be able to listen to the entire game's soundtrack. Big Download has the 13-track OST available for download, without any messy DRM to worry about.

If that's not enough for you, your eyes will be able to watch the game's bloody launch trailer. Be warned, though. If you get queasy from violence, your stomach might also partake in the festivities.

Download the Official Shank Soundtrack (46 MB)

Continue reading Download the Shank soundtrack, watch the launch trailer

Download the Shank soundtrack, watch the launch trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hear some of Shank's tracks, and see Shank's tracksuit

JC Fletcher — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:00:00 EST

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

It may seem strange to receive an update on Klei Entertainment's XBLA/PC/PSN action game Shank that doesn't have anything to do with brutal gun, knife, or gun/knife/knife/gun/chainsaw violence, but you'll like this anyway. In advance of next week's release (August 24 on PSN, August 25 on XBLA, "Fall" on PC), Klei has posted six songs from the game's soundtrack.

In addition, the company revealed a few of the unlockable costumes in which you'll be able to clothe Shank, including a Bruce Lee-inspired yellow jumpsuit (no Kareem Abdul-Jabbar footprint, though) and a shirtless "Red Ninja" getup.

Hear some of Shank's tracks, and see Shank's tracksuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Xbox Live Marketplace releases for rest of August scheduled

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:00:00 EST

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

Though the Summer of Arcade promotion has drawn to a close, there's still plenty of upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace releases to be psyched over. Well, assuming you're a fan of side-scrolling beat-em-ups, that is. Major Nelson's blog recently released the XBLM schedule for the remainder of August (posted after the jump), a period which will see the release of Scott Pilgrim and Shank, discounts on Zeno Clash and some BioShock 2 DLC, and the arrival of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Avatar items. You know, something casual for your Avatar to wear around the house.

Continue reading Xbox Live Marketplace releases for rest of August scheduled

Xbox Live Marketplace releases for rest of August scheduled originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank video cuts together some combo footage

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:20:00 EST

Klei Entertainment and EA shot some footage, chopped it up and tossed it like a grenade onto the internets to give a better idea of Shank's combo system. Get a feel for the XBLA and PSN title's stylishbutton mashing after the break.

Continue reading Shank video cuts together some combo footage

Shank video cuts together some combo footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank concept art digs into our hearts

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:15:00 EST

In two weeks time, you'll be viciously ripping through enemy after enemy with ... well ... shanks, but in the meantime we've got a handful of concept art for the game Shank. While we're looking forward to playing it as much as you likely are, this art sure is purty to look at. It'll do ... for now.

Gallery: Shank (Concept Art)

Shank concept art digs into our hearts originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shank dated for late August, priced at $15; adds co-op mission [update: new screens, video]

Christopher Grant — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:55:00 EST

One half of EA Partners' downloadable duo has already been released -- DeathSpank came out last week and was greeted by Joystiq with open arms-- and now we know when the second half will be released. Klei Entertainment's slick arcade brawler Shank will be released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on August 24 and 25, respectively, for $15.

In addition to those pesky details, a press release also reveals a new gameplay mode: "a special co-operative mission, designed to be played with a friend locally [...] This prequel mission allows players to play as Shank or his partner-in-crime Falcone, with deadly double-team moves and gameplay that encourages teamwork."

It sounds like the co-op is limited to a single, "prequel" mission, which is a bummer; however, Shank's charm has always been its good looks, and you can enjoy that all by yourself.

Update: By way of Shack, it looks like the official Shank site has added some details about the co-op campaign, which they say has levels and bosses really designed around cooperative play. The official site also dates the PC release as "fall 2010" so, that's something, right PC gamers? Check out some co-op screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: Shank (co-op)

Continue reading Shank dated for late August, priced at $15; adds co-op mission [update: new screens, video]

Shank dated for late August, priced at $15; adds co-op mission [update: new screens, video] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BAFTA-winning God of War writer working on Shank

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 EST

While you wouldn't think a game with a title as brutally simple as Shank would need a heavyweight in the whole "writing" department, Electronic Arts recently announced that Marianne Krawczyk, who won a BAFTA award for her work on the God of War franchise, will contribute to Klei Entertainment's action-platformer.

In a recent EA press release, Krawczyk said, "we are creating a story that will allow gamers to explore a world where values like integrity and loyalty take on their own twisted meanings." We assume said story will be related between opportunities to stab things using two knives simultaneously -- a genre which is quickly becoming Krawczyk's literary bread-and-butter.

BAFTA-winning God of War writer working on Shank originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hands-on: Shank

Justin McElroy — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST

We are, and I don't think I'm being premature about this, in the thrall of a full-on 2D renaissance courtesy of digital distribution platforms like XBLA and PSN. Developers are realizing that modern technology plus a less technically demanding perspective can lead to a really beautiful end product.

That's the case with Shank, a fluid, violent brawler that artfully combines a sort of 2D Devil May Cry blend of sword- and gunplay with a Saturday morning animation style to create the coolest cartoon your mom would have never let you watch.

Gallery: Shank (PAX East)

Continue reading Hands-on: Shank

Hands-on: Shank originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

See a cut of Shank gameplay

JC Fletcher — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST

With Shank now being published by EA, Klei Entertainment is putting the increased development budget to good use -- with a trailer! Well, it's likely there would be a trailer this week anyway, as this week also marks the hyper-violent XBLA/PSN/PC brawler's appearance at the Independent Games Festival.

The brutal violence may dominate the trailer, but our eyes were immediately drawn to the acrobatics. There's so much somersaulting, swinging, hanging, and other exciting-looking methods of movement that they even manage to distract us from the usually thrilling shoot-stab-saw combos on display.

See a cut of Shank gameplay originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA publishing 'DeathSpank' and 'Shank' on PSN, XBLA

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST

EA Partners, a division of Electronics Arts, has announced an exclusive publishing agreement with two upcoming indie games -- Hothead's DeathSpank and Klei Entertainment's Shank -- which will allow a much wider (and ostensibly easier) path to distribution for both games. EA claims Shank will be available on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC this summer, while DeathSpank will be available on Xbox Live and PSN with no date yet announced.

"Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games," said EA Partners' outreach director Jamil Moledina. "DeathSpank is engrossingly fun and hysterically funny ... and Shank is an amazing experience."

The EA Partners program has had some heavy hitters onboard, like Rock Band, Left 4 Dead 2, and Brütal Legend, but this marks the first time that smaller, downloadable indie games have been brought into the fold. We've toured through DeathSpank before (with Ron Gilbert himself!), and Shank was just named a finalist at the Independent Games Festival, taking place during GDC next week in San Francisco.

It's interesting to see EA move into the indie arena, much like 2K Games has done with 2K Play (think: The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and Axel and Pixel), but we'll have to see how it plays out. Hopefully they'll offer both in a Spank 'n Shank special bundle. We spoke with EA's Moledina and both developers, so stay tuned for more info shortly.

EA publishing 'DeathSpank' and 'Shank' on PSN, XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Independent Games Festival 2010 finalists announced

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:28:00 EST

The contenders for the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival awards have been announced today -- you can find the full list of finalists after the jump. In addition to the Seamus McNally Grand Prize (nominees for which include Joe Danger and Super Meat Boy), there are specialized categories recognizing excellence in art, design, audio, and technical achievement. There's also the Nuovo Award, which honors "abstract, shortform, and unconventional game development." Previous winners of the Nuovo include N+ co-creator Mare Sheppard and Passage developer Jason Rohrer.

We find ourselves particularly invested in this year's awards show, as -- deep breath now -- AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard For Gravity was nominated for Excellence in Design. We've got, like, a million jokes we still want to make about that game title, but we're running out of opportunities to do so.

Continue reading Independent Games Festival 2010 finalists announced

Independent Games Festival 2010 finalists announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eets developer working on Shank, possibly a new XBLA title

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:30:00 EST

Footage from an early build of Eets developer Klei Entertainment's next project has been circulating the nets recently. The stylish brawler/platformer, titled Shank (monosyllabic titles seem to be Klei's specialty), has been wowing viewers with it's brutal gameplay and stylish, Venture Bros-esque visuals -- though many are wondering what the release platform of the title will be. An Xbox control scheme shown at the beginning of the video led many to assume the title would be coming to XBLA -- however, this isn't exactly confirmed.

In an email, Klei Entertainment's Jamie Cheng explained, "The platform is currently not set in stone, but I suppose you could make an educated guess based on past experience. Even I honestly don't know 100%." Our guess, which is alarmingly educated, is that it will land on both XBLA and PC. While we wait to find out, we highly suggest checking out the aforementioned Shank footage, which we've posted after the break.

[Via GamerBytes]

Continue reading Eets developer working on Shank, possibly a new XBLA title

Eets developer working on Shank, possibly a new XBLA title originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 May 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Home made Assassin's Creed wrist blade [update]

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

[Update: Based on community response, we have decided to remove the video displaying an actual knife. We'd like to point out that it was never our intention to endorse the creation or use of such a device, but rather to point out an interesting bit of gaming culture. We have replaced the video with the LEGO version, which, nerds that we are, we found much more interesting anyway.]

We really have no idea how we missed this. It seems some enterprising Assassin's Creed fan created his own hidden knife similar to the one used in the game. It was created way back in July though, so those of you allergic to old news had best look away. The rest of you can marvel at the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the thing. The creator, known as sandman_seven, detailed the construction of the device on the Ubisoft forums (and apparently attempted to sell them as well).

Now, while we can't deny the inherent coolness of such a device, it also creeps us out just a bit. So, we urge you to enjoy the coolness, but don't try this at home. If you must make a shank, may we suggest you make one out of LEGOs. To see what that looks like, you need only watch another video embedded after the break.

[Thanks, OBM]

Home made Assassin's Creed wrist blade [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments