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[Pid dev unveils 'early gameplay footage' of wildlife survivor Shelter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/pid-dev-unveils-early-gameplay-footage-of-wildlife-survivor-sh/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/pid-dev-unveils-early-gameplay-footage-of-wildlife-survivor-sh/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/pid-dev-unveils-early-gameplay-footage-of-wildlife-survivor-sh/#comments
At first glance Shelter looks kind of cuddly; you play a badger mother looking after her cubs in some pleasant looking greenery. Pid developer Might & Delight is billing its next game as anything but. As this early footage shows, you'll have to hunt other animals for food, and avoid becoming prey yourself. That inferno at the end isn't too cuddly either.

Shelter, announced earlier this year, is still foraging on Steam Greenlight. Might & Delight's plans are to release it into the wilds of PC and Mac towards the end of this summer.

JoystiqPid dev unveils 'early gameplay footage' of wildlife survivor Shelter originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macmight-and-delightpcsheltersteam-greenlightThu, 23 May 2013 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Jamsouls]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-jamsouls/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-jamsouls/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-jamsouls/#commentsIt's not that there are too many indie games; it's that there aren't enough hours in a day to play all of them. The Joystiq Indie Pitch curates the best indies to play now and watch out for in the future.

The Joystiq Indie Pitch Jamsouls
What's your game called and what's it about?

Our game is called Jamsouls. We took inspiration from the famous tale of Pandora's Box to create crazy battles between naughty evil creatures in a vivid and colourful arena!

How have sales and visibility been on XBLIG? Is $1 a good price point for Jamsouls?

XBLIG has poor visibility compared to other games featured on the Xbox Marketplace. We feel that the platform is dying slowly, and that Microsoft is not really interested in this indie scene anymore, which is a shame.

We chose the price of $1 because we wanted the game to have maximum exposure. The price of 80 points is very reasonable for anyone wanting to try the game out.

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Jamsouls

JoystiqThe Joystiq Indie Pitch: Jamsouls originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chromatic-dreamgreenlightIndiejamsoulsjoystiq-indie-pitchmicrosoftpcsteam-greenlightxbligxboxWed, 22 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Game Dev Tycoon, Bleed, Riot head up batch of six at Steam Greenlight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/game-dev-tycoon-bleed-riot-head-up-batch-of-six-at-steam-green/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/game-dev-tycoon-bleed-riot-head-up-batch-of-six-at-steam-green/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/game-dev-tycoon-bleed-riot-head-up-batch-of-six-at-steam-green/#comments
Steam revealed today that Game Dev Tycoon, Bleed and other standout titles are featured in the latest batch of games to earn community approval and platform distribution rights through Steam Greenlight.

Green Heart Games' simulation title Game Dev Tycoon earned a devoted following upon its release last month for its clever in-game approach to anti-piracy protection. Bootdisk Revolution's Bleed, a one-man effort that premiered for Windows and the Xbox Live Indie Games service late last year, combines frantically paced platforming with time-bending, quadruple-jumping gameplay mechanics.

Other games to pass through the latest round of Greenlight approvals include ConcernedApe's open-ended RPG Stardew Valley, The Leonard's "playable documentary" Riot, AustinHand's survival horror title The Legend, and Aterdux Entertainment's Kickstarted strategy-RPG Legends of Eisenwald.

JoystiqGame Dev Tycoon, Bleed, Riot head up batch of six at Steam Greenlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bleedgame-dev-tycoongreenlightlegends-of-eisenwaldmacpcriotstardew-valleysteamsteam-greenlightthe-legendwindowsThu, 16 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Forest inspired by Cannibal Holocaust, walking the paid alpha path]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/the-forest-inspired-by-cannibal-holocaust-walking-the-paid-alph/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/the-forest-inspired-by-cannibal-holocaust-walking-the-paid-alph/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/the-forest-inspired-by-cannibal-holocaust-walking-the-paid-alph/#comments Last week, we got our first taste of The Forest, an upcoming first-person survival-horror game for PC and Oculus Rift, set in a mysterious forest where players must scavenge supplies, build and prepare to defend against a nocturnal indigenous society of cannibals. If you read that last sentence aloud in one dizzying breath, then you have a good idea how excited we are for The Forest.

But here's the thing: there isn't much information out there. So we contacted developer Ben Falcone for a tour of The Forest.

Gallery: The Forest

Continue reading The Forest inspired by Cannibal Holocaust, walking the paid alpha path

JoystiqThe Forest inspired by Cannibal Holocaust, walking the paid alpha path originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ben-falconeoculus-riftpcsteamsteam-greenlightsurvival-horrorthe-forestMon, 13 May 2013 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA['The Forest' puts on Oculus Rift, goes exploring]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/the-forest-puts-on-oculus-rift-goes-exploring/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/the-forest-puts-on-oculus-rift-goes-exploring/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/the-forest-puts-on-oculus-rift-goes-exploring/#comments
The Forest is a first-person horror game currently in development for the PC and Oculus Rift. After surviving a plane crash at the outset of the game, players must build and thrive in a mysterious forest, scavenging materials throughout the day and defending against an indigenous enemy by night.

Developer Ben Falcone promises changing weather and tides that shift with the day/night cycle. Players will have to chop down trees to build and make fires, scavenge food or plant seeds to grow, while traps will be necessary to maintain a safe perimeter and defend the home. On the game's about page, the nocturnal ne'er-do-wells are described as "a clan of genetic mutant enemies that have beliefs, families and morals."

The Forest is tentatively scheduled to launch in late 2013, and is now vying for a spot on Steam Greenlight.

Joystiq'The Forest' puts on Oculus Rift, goes exploring originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ben-falconeexplorationoculus-riftopen-worldpcsteamsteam-greenlightsurvival-horrorthe-forestThu, 09 May 2013 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/steam-greenlight-pulls-in-2-million-voters-has-a-chat-with-its/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/steam-greenlight-pulls-in-2-million-voters-has-a-chat-with-its/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/steam-greenlight-pulls-in-2-million-voters-has-a-chat-with-its/#commentsSteam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies Getting accepted through Steam's community-voting service, Greenlight, is an ongoing, complex project for many indie developers - and for Steam itself. Valve hosted a chat with Greenlight developers this week to discuss concerns, suggestions and propose what Greenlight may look like in the future.

Valve is "actively looking into" releasing the Steamworks API so developers can prepare their games prior to being Greenlit, though it has no timeframe to make that public. Currently all games go to the same Greenlight, but Valve said it would discuss the idea of separating the service by "games that are ready to go" and "games that are in development."

On May 1, Valve Greenlit a mini batch of games, and this system will most likely be the new standard, the team said: "Unfortunately, we have limited resources at the moment, so we cannot ship every game that we want. We're working toward having an open platform that Gabe has talked about, but we're not there yet."

Continue reading Steam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies

JoystiqSteam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crowdsourcinggreenlightIndieLinuxmacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightvalveThu, 09 May 2013 20:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Cloudbuilt trailer hits full speed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/cloudbuilt-trailer-hits-full-speed/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/cloudbuilt-trailer-hits-full-speed/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/cloudbuilt-trailer-hits-full-speed/#comments

Cloudbuilt, the futuristic platformer from Coilworks, is still in polishing stages, but it looks better every month. The new trailer shows how that fast-paced action plays out at full speed, including blasts from the main character's ray gun. Cloudbuilt is up for a Steam launch on Greenlight.

JoystiqCloudbuilt trailer hits full speed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 May 2013 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloudbuiltcoilworksgreenlightpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightThu, 02 May 2013 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stonehearth builds a giant tips bucket on Kickstarter [update: goal met]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/stonehearth-builds-a-giant-tips-bucket-on-kickstarter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/stonehearth-builds-a-giant-tips-bucket-on-kickstarter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/stonehearth-builds-a-giant-tips-bucket-on-kickstarter/#comments
Stonehearth, a blocky sandbox strategy game from Radiant Entertainment, has taken to Kickstarter for funding. Set in a fantasy realm, Stonehearth is a Windows PC game in which you nurture the development of a small band of humans.

Stonehearth utilizes procedurally generated terrain and dynamic AI encounters to instill variety into each play session. The game's also been built to be highly moddable; it will ship with tools and guides to help people customize just about everything.

By the time you're reading this, Stonehearth will in all likelihood have met its goal of $120,000, with 28 days left to go. [Update: Just as we thought, Radiant has met its goal of $120,000.] If $200,000 is raised, Mac and Linux ports will be developed. Meanwhile, you can also vote for Stonehearth on Steam Greenlight.

JoystiqStonehearth builds a giant tips bucket on Kickstarter [update: goal met] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 May 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kickstarterpcradiant-entertainmentsteamsteam-greenlightstonehearthThu, 02 May 2013 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight gets a mini round: Edge of Space; Papers, Please]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/steam-greenlight-gets-a-mini-round-edge-of-space-papers-pleas/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/steam-greenlight-gets-a-mini-round-edge-of-space-papers-pleas/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/steam-greenlight-gets-a-mini-round-edge-of-space-papers-pleas/#commentsEdge of Space, three more get Greenlit Steam accepted a mini batch of games and software on Greenlight today, picking up four new, community-voted titles to eventually launch on Steam. The three games are Edge of Space, Venetica and Papers, Please, and the software title is Substance Designer 3, a texturing toolset.

Edge of Space is a 2D terraforming experiment set on a distant, rogue planet; Venetica is an adventure set in historical Venice and starring Scarlett, the daughter of Death; and Papers, Please is an intense immigration checkpoint simulator.

Steam will likely continue Greenlighting games in smaller batches so the entire process can move more quickly, this round's announcement reads.

"These titles were selected on the same criteria we have been using in the past: Votes in Greenlight give us a hugely valuable point of data in gauging community interest along with external factors such as press reviews, crowd-funding successes, performance on other platforms, and awards and contests to help form a more complete picture of community interest in each title," the announcement says.

JoystiqSteam Greenlight gets a mini round: Edge of Space; Papers, Please originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>edge-of-spacegreenlightpapers-pleasepcSTEAMsteam-greenlightveneticaWed, 01 May 2013 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Indie Royale 'Debut 2' bundle features up-and-coming Greenlight games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/indie-royale-debut-2-bundle-features-up-and-coming-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/indie-royale-debut-2-bundle-features-up-and-coming-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/indie-royale-debut-2-bundle-features-up-and-coming-greenlight/#comments
Continuing its tradition of following a theme for its bundles, the next Indie Royale gathers six up-and-coming Steam Greenlight games for consumption.

Croixleur is a hack-and-slash affair from Japanese indie studio Souvenir Circ where players must battle through floors of progressively more difficult enemies; Goodhustle Studios Inc.'s Beast Boxing Turbo has you infiltrating a monster boxing league and punching lots of animals in first-person fashion; Dawnstar is a free-roaming space combat game from Wraith Entertainment where you're charged with bringing order to a sector ravaged by The Future Mob - or becoming the next big crime kingpin yourself; Battlepaths is Key17Games' loot-driven 2D-RPG; Out There Somewhere from Miniboss is a side-scrolling puzzle-platformer; and Diehard Dungeon is a top-down roguelike from Tricktale thrusting players into randomly generated dungeons.

Both Beast Boxing Turbo and Out There Somewhere are tossing in their soundtracks for this latest bundle, and naturally each of these games includes a Steam code if they make it through Greenlight. All games in the Debut 2 bundle are for Windows PC, though Beast Boxing Turbo and Dawnstar are also Mac-compatible.

JoystiqIndie Royale 'Debut 2' bundle features up-and-coming Greenlight games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlepathsbeast-boxing-turbocroixleurdawnstardiehard-dungeonindie-royalemacout-there-somewherepcsteam-greenlightSat, 20 Apr 2013 07:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Surgeon Simulator 2013 transplanted to Steam tomorrow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/surgeon-simulator-2013-transplanted-to-steam-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/surgeon-simulator-2013-transplanted-to-steam-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/surgeon-simulator-2013-transplanted-to-steam-tomorrow/#comments
Surgeon Simulator 2013 will be available for download on Steam tomorrow, April 19. It started out as a cheeky (and wince-inducing) game jam project by four developers made in just two days, and was later approved as a full release by Steam's Greenlight program.

You can still play the original jam result online for free, but the full release includes more surgery scenarios, including an operation in the back of a moving ambulance. The physics have been improved, too, and the developers say it'll work on Windows, Mac or Linux on day one.

Upon its launch on Steam, the game will cost $9.99 - way cheaper and less grueling than years of medical school.

JoystiqSurgeon Simulator 2013 transplanted to Steam tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bossa-studiosgame-jammacpcphysicsreleasesteam-greenlightsurgeon-simulatorsurgeon-simulator-2013Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight round 6: Legend of Dungeon, Shovel Knight, Faceless]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/steam-greenlight-round-6-legend-of-dungeon-shovel-knight-face/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/steam-greenlight-round-6-legend-of-dungeon-shovel-knight-face/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/steam-greenlight-round-6-legend-of-dungeon-shovel-knight-face/#comments Steam Greenlight round 6 Legend of Dungeon, Shovel Knight, FacelessSteam Greenlight has let loose the sixth round of community-chosen projects, with 20 new games and two new software titles. Freshly Greenlit games include Legend of Dungeon, the roguelike crawler from husband and wife development duo Robot Loves Kitty, Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games' successful Kickstarter campaign, and Faceless, the horror game that's been at the top of the Greenlight pile since day one, but ran into legal problems with the Slender Man franchise.

Other games include Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey, Agarest: Generations of War, Pinball Arcade, Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, Death Inc. and more. Check out the entire list below. The two Greenlit software titles are game capture program PlayClaw and strategy planner GamePlan.

Continue reading Steam Greenlight round 6: Legend of Dungeon, Shovel Knight, Faceless

JoystiqSteam Greenlight round 6: Legend of Dungeon, Shovel Knight, Faceless originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facelessIndielegend-of-dungeonmacpcshovel-knightSTEAMsteam-greenlightWed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pid dev badgers Steam Greenlight with new game Shelter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/pid-dev-badgers-steam-greenlight-with-new-game-shelter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/pid-dev-badgers-steam-greenlight-with-new-game-shelter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/pid-dev-badgers-steam-greenlight-with-new-game-shelter/#comments
Pid developer Might & Delight announced Shelter today, a third-person, single-player PC and Mac game that sees you play as a badger mother protecting your cete of cubs from natural dangers. It's an unexpected turn for the Swedish indie studio and its former Grin members (Bionic Commando, Terminator Salvation), but perhaps it's about time we saw more of the monochrome omnivore in the gaming scene. Might & Delight promises an "emotional" game that won't shirk from the "harsh" realities of nature.

"It's our ambition to create an experience of immersion by making you feel exposed and vulnerable in the sometimes unforgiving hands of the wild", said lead level and game designer Andreas Wangler. "We are not saying nature is cruel, however what the mother and her cubs will experience is simply a fact of life. There are no boss fights in this game. No good or evil elements. It's simply about survival and protecting your offspring."

Shelter is slated for late summer 2013. In the meantime, Might & Delight has the game up on Greenlight in the hope the community digs it enough to bring it to Steam.

Gallery: Shelter

Continue reading Pid dev badgers Steam Greenlight with new game Shelter

JoystiqPid dev badgers Steam Greenlight with new game Shelter originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macmight-and-delightpcrelease-datesheltersteamsteam-greenlightMon, 15 Apr 2013 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Ghostlight porting Record of Agarest War to PC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/ghostlight-porting-record-of-agarest-war-to-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/ghostlight-porting-record-of-agarest-war-to-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/ghostlight-porting-record-of-agarest-war-to-pc/#comments Ghostlight porting Agarest to PCEuropean publisher Ghostlight is porting Compile Heart's Xbox/PS3 strategy game Record of Agarest War (known in Europe as Agarest: Generations of War) to PC, and attempting to get the port on Steam via Greenlight. The port is based on the Xbox 360 version, and will use Aksys Games' North American localization.

Agarest combines strategy-RPG gameplay with elements of dating simulation games, with a "Soul Breed" system in which you attempt to build a relationship with one of the heroines of each generation, with your relationship resulting in different playable characters in the next generation.

This is a slightly awkward time for Ghostlight to announce this port, as well as plans to port other console games to PC, as the company's most recent release, Devil Survivor Overclocked, suffers from game-breaking bugs - and that just went from 3DS to 3DS.

Continue reading Ghostlight porting Record of Agarest War to PC

JoystiqGhostlight porting Record of Agarest War to PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agarest-generations-of-warghostlightpcrecord-of-agarest-warsteamsteam-greenlightFri, 05 Apr 2013 18:45:00 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[Divekick takes a leap of faith on Steam Greenlight, due in summer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/divekick-takes-a-leap-of-faith-on-steam-greenlight-due-in-summe/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/divekick-takes-a-leap-of-faith-on-steam-greenlight-due-in-summe/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/divekick-takes-a-leap-of-faith-on-steam-greenlight-due-in-summe/#comments Divekick takes a leap of faith on Steam Greenlight, pushed to summerDivekick, the two-button fighting game from One True Game Studios, is trying its luck on Steam Greenlight with an updated launch window of summer 2013, pushed back from this spring.

Divekick was the subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign in July, but Iron Galaxy canceled that fundraising drive once it secured a publishing deal with Street Fighter 3: Online Edition's Iron Galaxy. Perhaps One True Game is hoping to transfer all that unfinished mojo into a Steam launch.

One True Game Studios and Iron Galaxy have plans to bring Divekick to PC, PS3 and Vita this summer. Divekick began as a parody but is now a rising name in the fighting game circuit; it'll be at PAX East in booth 899, if you're around and down for some serious kicking action.

JoystiqDivekick takes a leap of faith on Steam Greenlight, due in summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>divekickFightingfighting-gamegreenlightiron-galaxy-studiosone-true-game-studiospcSTEAMsteam-greenlightTue, 19 Mar 2013 21:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Incredipede 1.5 swings onto Steam on March 18 with a sweet sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/17/incredipede-1-5-swings-onto-steam-on-march-18-with-a-sweet-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/17/incredipede-1-5-swings-onto-steam-on-march-18-with-a-sweet-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/17/incredipede-1-5-swings-onto-steam-on-march-18-with-a-sweet-sale/#comments

Incredipede hits Steam for PC and Mac on Monday with a sale that knocks $5 off the final price, bringing that bad mama down to $10.

Steam's Incredipede is what developer Colin Northway calls version 1.5, since it adds a plethora of new features: 60 new levels in "normal" difficulty, two new muscles controlled with the right hand (think QWOP with creatures), and real-world achievements that ask players to go outside and play with bugs. Yes, outside.

Incredipede launched via Northway's site on October 25, and while many players enjoyed its wood-cut art style, the gameplay offered a special kind of challenge; the 60 new levels are designed to make the game more accessible. Incredipede has traveled a long, convoluted path to Steam, after Northway initially found fault in Greenlight. Incredipede was later nominated for an IGF award for Excellence in Visual Art, throwing the game on the fast track to Steam distribution. Delve into the details of Incredipede's journey in our recent interview.

JoystiqIncredipede 1.5 swings onto Steam on March 18 with a sweet sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colin-northwaygreenlightincredibleincredipede-1.5IndiemacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightSun, 17 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fractured Soul now on Steam Greenlight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/15/fractured-soul-now-on-steam-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/15/fractured-soul-now-on-steam-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/15/fractured-soul-now-on-steam-greenlight/#comments
Fractured Soul, the delightfully difficult 3DS action game, will soon be available on single screens. Developer Endgame Studios has submitted a PC, Mac, and Linux version to Steam Greenlight, with additions like an optional easy mode, more advanced timers for speedrunning, and video export.

Lacking two discrete screens, Fractured Soul's Steam version uses an unusually skewed splitscreen. It's an interesting effect visible in the above trailer.

Continue reading Fractured Soul now on Steam Greenlight

JoystiqFractured Soul now on Steam Greenlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>endgame-studiosfractured-soulmacpcsteamsteam-greenlightFri, 15 Mar 2013 12:40:00 EST<![CDATA[How indie creature feature Incredipede stumbled onto Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/how-indie-creature-feature-incredipede-stumbled-onto-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/how-indie-creature-feature-incredipede-stumbled-onto-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/how-indie-creature-feature-incredipede-stumbled-onto-steam/#comments Incredipede thingIn October, Incredipede developer Colin Northway introduced us to the Offspring Fling process of submitting an indie game to Steam:

"Apply to Steam, be rejected, release without it, get popular, be noticed by Valve, release on Steam."

Steam has since overhauled its submission process with Greenlight, a crowd-sourced method of voting games onto the service. Now from a developer's perspective, the indie submission system needs a related makeover and a new name. We suggest the Incredipede process:

"Post on Greenlight, be rejected, release without it, get popular, be noticed by the IGF and through an award nomination get a deal to release on Steam without Greenlight at all, haters."

It's a little more complicated and relies on a smidgen more luck, but the Incredipede process is one of many new ways to get an indie game on Steam. No matter the system, the goal remains the same - a Steam launch can propel an indie game from "hobby" to "day job," or change a sales outlook from "disappointing" to "happy."

"More and more Steam is the place to be for indie games," Northway tells me. "If I had $15 for every time I heard the comment, 'I would buy this if it was on Steam,' then I'd be much happier with the sales. Which is why I'm really looking forward to the Steam release."

Through its own convoluted yet successful process, Incredipede is coming to Steam for PC and Mac on March 18.

Continue reading How indie creature feature Incredipede stumbled onto Steam

JoystiqHow indie creature feature Incredipede stumbled onto Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>colin-northwayGDC-2013greenlightigf-2013incredipedemacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightWed, 06 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight fifth set is incisive: Surgeon Simulator 2013, Organ Trail]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/steam-greenlight-fifth-set-is-incisive-surgeon-simulator-2013/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/steam-greenlight-fifth-set-is-incisive-surgeon-simulator-2013/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/steam-greenlight-fifth-set-is-incisive-surgeon-simulator-2013/#comments Steam Greenlight goes internal Surgeon Simulator 2013, Organ TrailSteam Greenlight gave the go-ahead to 10 new games today, two of which are decidedly dicey - as in, they involve slicing people open and/or their exposed, internal goo. Surgeon Simulator 2013, the 2013 Global Game Jam phenomenon, is now ready for Steam distribution, along with Organ Trail: Director's Cut, the retro zombie survival game from The Men Who Wear Many Hats.

Also on tap for a Steam launch is Hunstman: The Orphanage, a creepy survival-horror hit, along with Anodyne, Distance, Evoland, Kingdom Rush, Legends of Dawn, Receiver and War Thunder. Steam also Greenlit two software titles, a painting tool called Black Ink and PC management service Driver Fusion. Check out the details on all the Greenlit goodies here.

Continue reading Steam Greenlight fifth set is incisive: Surgeon Simulator 2013, Organ Trail

JoystiqSteam Greenlight fifth set is incisive: Surgeon Simulator 2013, Organ Trail originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlighthuntsman-the-orphanagemacorgan-trailpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightsurgeon-simulator-2013Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Project Awakened brings super powers to Steam Greenlight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/14/project-awakened-brings-super-powers-to-steam-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/14/project-awakened-brings-super-powers-to-steam-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/14/project-awakened-brings-super-powers-to-steam-greenlight/#comments Project Awakened hits Steam GreenlightProject Awakened, the super-powered action game that Phosphor Games resurrected on Kickstarter, now has a Steam Greenlight page, hoping to eventually sneak onto that service. As Phosphor told us earlier this month, Awakened is a PC, next-gen game heavy on customization and kicking dystopic booty with a myriad of interchangeable powers.

Get a glimpse of some early super-human combinations in the demo video below, and if you're intrigued, check out Awakened on Kickstarter and Greenlight.

Continue reading Project Awakened brings super powers to Steam Greenlight

JoystiqProject Awakened brings super powers to Steam Greenlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightkickstarterpcphosphorphosphor-gamesproject-awakenedsteam-greenlightThu, 14 Feb 2013 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MANOS: The Hands of Fate attempts to please the Master on Greenlight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/09/manos-the-hands-of-fate-attemps-to-please-the-master-on-greenli/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/09/manos-the-hands-of-fate-attemps-to-please-the-master-on-greenli/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/09/manos-the-hands-of-fate-attemps-to-please-the-master-on-greenli/#comments
Torgo's bizarre undulations and wobbly-voiced predictions of the Master's disapproving nature might reach a much wider audience, as Mystery Science Theater 3000 homage MANOS: The Hands of Fate is seeking the communal go-ahead on Steam Greenlight.

Based on the 1966 horror film of the same name, MANOS originally launched on iOS in June of last year, with a PC port arriving on Indievania last December. The Steam port will include a new "Play as Torgo" mode, assuming the game makes it onto the service. No word on Steam pricing as of yet, but the existing iOS and PC versions go for $1.99 and $5.99, respectively.

JoystiqMANOS: The Hands of Fate attempts to please the Master on Greenlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freakzone-gamesgreenlightindiemanosmanos-the-hands-of-fatepcsteamsteam-greenlightSat, 09 Feb 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Take control of an 80s arcade with Arcadecraft, out now on XBLIG]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/03/take-control-of-an-80s-arcade-with-arcadecraft-out-now-on-xblig/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/03/take-control-of-an-80s-arcade-with-arcadecraft-out-now-on-xblig/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/03/take-control-of-an-80s-arcade-with-arcadecraft-out-now-on-xblig/#comments Arcadecraft is out on XBLIGArcadecraft, the 80s arcade management sim from Firebase Industries, is available now on Xbox Live Indie Games for 240 MS Points ($3). In Arcadecraft, players must dig themselves out of debt with the latest craze in entrepreneurship, starting an arcade. As owner and manager, players purchase arcade machines, position them around the space, name their arcade, paint the walls, change the floors, and add graphics and neon wherever they deem necessary.

Arcadecraft has almost 80 arcade machines of different design, each with adjustable difficulty and price settings, and some games will jam, break down and need servicing as customers use and abuse them.

Firebase Industries, the team behind Orbitron: Revolution, has Arcadecraft on Steam Greenlight and is working on a touch-based Windows 8 version.

JoystiqTake control of an 80s arcade with Arcadecraft, out now on XBLIG originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcadecraftFirebase-IndustriesgreenlightIndiemicrosoftmobilepcSTEAMsteam-greenlightwindows-8xbligxboxxbox-live-indie-gamesSun, 03 Feb 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cheap Steam Greenlight games up for grabs in Green Light Bundle]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/cheap-steam-greenlight-games-up-for-grabs-in-green-light-bundle/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/cheap-steam-greenlight-games-up-for-grabs-in-green-light-bundle/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/cheap-steam-greenlight-games-up-for-grabs-in-green-light-bundle/#comments Steam Greenlight games line up in $5 indie bundleThe Green Light Bundle from Stolen Couch Games offers nine indie games attempting to climb the Steam Greenlight charts, giving them some extra exposure and giving you some cheap entertainment, all for $5. Some of the best bundles do more than offer great games at tiny prices: Humble Indie Bundle, for example, has an option to donate to charity when you buy. Now we have another multitasker on our hands.

The nine games in the next Green Light Bundle, launching on February 1, are the following: haunting sim Paranormal, tower-defense game Beware Planet Earth!, tile-dragging puzzler Hairy Tales, casual dungeon crawler Dwarf Quest, spearfishing sim Depth Hunter, 8-bit platformer Potatoman Seeks the Troof, beat-em-up Megabyte Punch, platformer Gear Jack, space strategy game Aeon Command. All of these games, except for Depth Hunter and Beware Planet Earth!, are on Mac as well as PC.

If you buy, don't forget to vote for these games on Steam. It's your civic duty, after all.

JoystiqCheap Steam Greenlight games up for grabs in Green Light Bundle originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bundlegreen-light-bundlegreenlightIndieindie-bundlemacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightstolen-couch-gamesThu, 31 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight adds skip, follow, share options, new dev stats]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/steam-greenlight-adds-skip-follow-share-options-new-dev-stats/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/steam-greenlight-adds-skip-follow-share-options-new-dev-stats/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/steam-greenlight-adds-skip-follow-share-options-new-dev-stats/#comments Steam Greenlight adds skip, follow, share options, new dev statsSteam Greenlight is still finding its place in this wild, mixed-up online world, and Valve is tweaking its systems based on community feedback, which is appropriate for a crowd-sourced service. Steam Greenlight now features an "Ask me again later" option next to the "Yes" and "No" voting buttons. Skipped items will disappear from users' queues for one month, before returning in a blaze of indecisive glory. Users can also view skipped titles in the new "Items to Revisit Later" menu.

Adding to the "favorite" ability, Greenlighters can now "follow" games and receive notifications when the developer posts updates. All previously favorited items are automatically part of users' follow lists right now. It's possible to follow collections as well, and collection owners can post updates that are sent directly to those interested in their bundles.

Developers get in on the action with this update, too, with a new set of detailed statistics showing how many people view their item and vote on it.

JoystiqSteam Greenlight adds skip, follow, share options, new dev stats originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightmacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightvalveWed, 30 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cell: emergence version 1.1 reacts massively on XBLIG, PC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/cell-emergence-version-1-1-reacts-massively-on-xblig-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/cell-emergence-version-1-1-reacts-massively-on-xblig-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/cell-emergence-version-1-1-reacts-massively-on-xblig-pc/#comments Cell emergence version 11 reacts massively on XBLIGIf you're going to play something on Xbox Live Indie Games that doesn't involve mining, it might as well be an organic, massively reactive, cellular strategy game from the principal writer of the original Deus Ex, Sheldon Pacotti. Cell: emergence takes place in the body of a sick child, where players inhabit a nanobot fighting the smart germs of futuristic biowarfare. It's beautiful, for a battlefield.

Cell: emergence 1.1 drops on XBLIG today and is out for PC via Desura, both on sale for $1 through February 4. Version 1.1 addresses the weak tutorial and steep difficulty curve by throwing in visual tutorial screens.

"The difficulty curve remains steep, but for most players it should now be challenging rather than mystifying," Pacotti says. He also wants to see Cell: emergence break out on Steam, and today began a campaign to get it approved through Greenlight.

If you're interested but not sold, check out the free demo on Indie DB.

Continue reading Cell: emergence version 1.1 reacts massively on XBLIG, PC

JoystiqCell: emergence version 1.1 reacts massively on XBLIG, PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cell-emergencedesuraDeus-ExgreenlightmicrosoftpcSheldon-PacottiSTEAMsteam-greenlightxbligxboxTue, 29 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Indie Pitch: No Time To Explain]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-no-time-to-explain/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-no-time-to-explain/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-no-time-to-explain/#comments 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, the team at tinyBuild take the time to describe their rollercoaster of crowdfunding before it was cool and being Greenlit, with No Time To Explain.

The Joystiq Indie Pitch No Time To Explain
What's your game called and what's it about?

It's called No Time To Explain and is about giant enemy crabs, time paradoxes and jetpack guns. We're fans of the whole wacky concept of time travel and wanted to make a game where we can get away with pretty much anything and make that funny.

How did you find out about being Greenlit and how did you react?

I was obsessively refreshing our Greenlight page for a couple of hours until finally the big green sign, "This game has been Greenlit," appeared. I had tears in my eyes at that point. We were losing hope to get onto Steam, and this felt like winning the lottery. You know the moment where you realize something great just happened and you don't entirely believe it? I called Tom, who apparently threw his dog out of happiness (the dog is fine).

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: No Time To Explain

JoystiqThe Joystiq Indie Pitch: No Time To Explain originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightIndiejoystiq-indie-pitchno-time-to-explainpcSTEAMsteam-greenlighttinybuildThu, 17 Jan 2013 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[La-Mulana, Leisure Suit Larry, more Greenlit on Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/la-mulana-leisure-suit-larry-more-greenlit-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/la-mulana-leisure-suit-larry-more-greenlit-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/la-mulana-leisure-suit-larry-more-greenlit-on-steam/#comments Twelve more games have made it through the Steam Greenlight voting process, and will be distributed through the store when they are ready. The games succeeding in this fourth round include Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, which is already aiming for a Jan. 24 release date, the remakes of La-Mulana and Leisure Suit Larry, along with Asylum, DLC Quest, Eador: Masters of the Broken World, MaK, The Age of Decadence, Unepic, and War for the Overworld.

In addition, two non-game software titles, "game design tool" articy:draft and "modeling app" GroBroto, have been Greenlit.

Continue reading La-Mulana, Leisure Suit Larry, more Greenlit on Steam

JoystiqLa-Mulana, Leisure Suit Larry, more Greenlit on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asylumgreenlightla-mulanaleisure-suit-larrypcsteamsteam-greenlightunepicTue, 15 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA['The Greenlight' series kicks off with Steam hopeful Bleed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/06/the-greenlight-series-kicks-off-with-steam-hopeful-bleed/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/06/the-greenlight-series-kicks-off-with-steam-hopeful-bleed/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/06/the-greenlight-series-kicks-off-with-steam-hopeful-bleed/#comments
A new weekly YouTube series called "The Greenlight" recently sprouted up, and spotlights projects that have been submitted to Steam's Greenlight service. This first episode spends nearly a half hour on an action game called Bleed by Bootdisk Revolution.

Joystiq'The Greenlight' series kicks off with Steam hopeful Bleed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bleedbootdisk-revolutionindie-statikpcsteamsteam-greenlightthe-greenlightSun, 06 Jan 2013 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Events 2012: Steam Greenlight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/events-2012-steam-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/events-2012-steam-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/02/events-2012-steam-greenlight/#comments Events 2012 Steam GreenlightIf 38 Studios was a gaming story for the mainstream audience and Kickstarter was the industry insider's dream, Steam Greenlight was the event for the rest of us. At least, that's how Valve presented it, as a fresh, innovative way to directly involve players in the selection of games, crowd-sourced style. In execution, however, it ran into a few problems.

Any service launch has its issues, and online the audience is privy to every blemish and backtrack, including Steam Greenlight's. Greenlight lasted five days in its initial form, allowing anyone at any time to submit a game for crowd consideration, regardless of its validity or morality. Following a slew of Half-Life 3 scams and other games in ill taste, Valve initiated a $100 entrance fee for the program. Today Greenlight has a free Concepts option, hosts non-gaming software and has accepted 32 games, 12 of which have launched on Steam. There are plenty more to come, Valve promises.

With a new system comes new problems - or, at least, a period of adjustment - and Greenlight saw a fair share of frustrations and unexpected legal issues from indie developers during its infancy in 2012.
  • When indie developer Colin Northway expressed his annoyance with Greenlight on Twitter, he noted the main issues in transitioning from a professional game-selection process to a chaotic, public one. And then he told us his story.
  • Faceless attempted to use the popular Slender Man lore, and despite being on top of the voting pile since Greenlight's launch, it's yet to do so because of legal issues.
  • As more indie developers attempt to break onto Steam via Greenlight, it can alter the way they pitch their games and how they think about production.

JoystiqEvents 2012: Steam Greenlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>events-2012greenlightIndieSTEAMsteam-greenlightvalveWed, 02 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Edge of Space]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/30/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-edge-of-space/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/30/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-edge-of-space/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/30/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-edge-of-space/#comments 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, lead game designer at Handyman Studios, Jacob Crane, talks Edge of Space, his space shark exploration game in beta and on Greenlight now.

The Joystiq Indie Pitch Edge of Space
What's your game called and what's it about?

The game we are working on is Edge of Space, and it is a 2D sandbox exploration game. You, one of the ArkCo Recruits, have been dropped into an area where terraforming should never have been attempted. Stranded in an unknown region of space on a busted-up planet where early terraforming protocols have gone horribly wrong, it's now up to you and whoever else you can find to overcome the obstacles ahead.

How is the beta going?

The beta is going very well. It has kept our feet on the ground and really helped us identify issues in the core system early on. Whenever you are developing multiplayer, we think it is key you get it out into the "wild" as soon as you can. We wanted to experiment with a different kind of development style to match our small team. After alpha, we pulled out all but the basic features for beta, and then started adding them back in layers as we found things were stable and the necessary iteration was put in place.

This is very much a bottom-up approach. To ensure our foundations are rock solid is paramount. Even though mod development is not being released right at release day, everything has already been made to support it when we do. This has served us very well. It does come with the drawback of not being able to show everything we want to, but it allows us make the code infinitely more stable.

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Edge of Space

JoystiqThe Joystiq Indie Pitch: Edge of Space originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaedge-of-spacegreenlighthandyman-studiosjoystiq-indie-pitchpcreverb-publishingsteam-greenlightSun, 30 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Next Steam Greenlight batch incoming on January 15]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/next-steam-greenlight-batch-incoming-on-january-15/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/next-steam-greenlight-batch-incoming-on-january-15/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/next-steam-greenlight-batch-incoming-on-january-15/#comments Next Steam Greenlight batch incoming on January 15Steam Greenlight is poised to announce the next round of games to make the community-chosen cut on January 15.

So far Greenlight, which allows players to vote for games they think are worthy of being on Steam, has accepted 32 games and launched 12 of those, including Primordia, Postal 2 Complete, Waking Mars, AirBuccaneers and McPixel. Greenlight also has an arm for non-game software, which has Greenlit one batch of six programs, with one release.

As they say, get out and vote.

JoystiqNext Steam Greenlight batch incoming on January 15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightmacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightThu, 20 Dec 2012 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Dig into Knytt Underground on PSN this week]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/dig-into-knytt-underground-on-psn-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/dig-into-knytt-underground-on-psn-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/17/dig-into-knytt-underground-on-psn-this-week/#comments
Knytt Underground, the latest platformer from Nicklas "Nifflas" Nygren, will be released on PS3 and Vita via PSN tomorrow in North America. Europe will have to wait until December 21, but will have access to it free with PlayStation Plus, which more than makes up for the brief wait. It's also coming to PC, and to Steam if it gets enough Greenlight support.

Knytt Underground consists of more than 1,800 rooms, through which you'll run, jump, grapple, and bounce. The release date announcement also promises "multiple story-driven quests" within these interconnected rooms.

Continue reading Dig into Knytt Underground on PSN this week

JoystiqDig into Knytt Underground on PSN this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>knytt-undergroundnifflaspcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psnrelease-datesteam-greenlightvitaMon, 17 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Waking Mars plants itself on Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/13/waking-mars-plants-itself-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/13/waking-mars-plants-itself-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/13/waking-mars-plants-itself-on-steam/#comments Waking Mars gets up on SteamWaking Mars has now made it all the way through the Steam Greenlight gauntlet, going from community-supported addition to actually available game. Tiger Style's self-described "action gardening" game, about the discovery and subsequent management of a subterranean ecosystem on Mars, was officially chosen as a Greenlight release at the end of November.

The game costs $9.99, and supports SteamPlay on both Mac and PC. For more information about the PC release of Waking Mars, check out our podcast interview with creative director Randy Smith.

JoystiqWaking Mars plants itself on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightlost-marsmacpcsteam-greenlighttiger-stylewaking-marsThu, 13 Dec 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight advances 13 more games, including Dragon's Lair]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/steam-greenlight-advances-13-more-games-including-dragons-lair/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/steam-greenlight-advances-13-more-games-including-dragons-lair/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/steam-greenlight-advances-13-more-games-including-dragons-lair/#comments Steam Greenlight advances 13 more games, including Dragon's LairValve is giving the Steam Greenlight to 13 more games and six non-gaming bits of software, taking the total for software advanced via Greenlight to 50. Moreover, the new batch of greenlit games includes a few recognizable names, including MMORPGs Darkfall: Unholy Wars and Dawn of Fantasy, and, yes, laserdisc classic Dragon's Lair.

Digital Leisure, who only this year brought Dragon's Lair to Xbox Live Arcade, will now deliver the 1983 arcade game on Steam. As with the XBLA release, the Steam port will feature remastered game footage in 720p high definition.

We have the full list of advanced software after the break.

Continue reading Steam Greenlight advances 13 more games, including Dragon's Lair

JoystiqSteam Greenlight advances 13 more games, including Dragon's Lair originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digital-leisuredragons lairDragonsLairgreenlightpcsteamsteam-greenlightvalveFri, 30 Nov 2012 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Faceless: Slender Man stalks, blocks Greenlight's top game from Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/14/faceless-slender-man-stalks-blocks-greenlights-top-game-from/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/14/faceless-slender-man-stalks-blocks-greenlights-top-game-from/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/14/faceless-slender-man-stalks-blocks-greenlights-top-game-from/#comments Faceless Greenlight thing
Faceless has been the No. 1 game on Steam Greenlight since fans voted for the first batch in September, and it was the top game during the second round, which Greenlit 21 games in October. Faceless still holds the spot today, but when Valve announces the next group of Greenlight games, chances are it will be skipped over once again.

Faceless is haunted by the rusty chains of the legal system.

It's a horror game that tells the tale of Slender Man, the elongated, suited phantom notorious for stalking gullible children and teenagers (though mostly just those who own handheld cameras). Victor Surge initiated The Slender Man mythos on the Something Awful forums in 2006, and it migrated to YouTube in 2009 in a series of "lost footage" videos from Marble Hornets. The footage chronicles Slender Man as he haunts a film student, Alex, slowly driving him to paranoia before he is lost to the ether and insanity. The first episode has 2.4 million views and the channel now hosts 64 full entries, last updated in October 2012. Slender Man is a horrific viral hit.

In a sense, Slender Man stalks Faceless developer Justin Ross just as he does Alex - the Slender Man legend is the reason Faceless can't yet be approved on Greenlight.

"We've been the No. 1 game since the service launched and have yet to be Greenlit due to copyright issues with Slender Man, which is a free-to-use entity, and we've even gotten permission from the creator Victor Surge," Faceless developer Justin Ross tells Joystiq. "It's starting to feel like Greenlight games aren't chosen by the community like Valve has stated, and it's instead their choice, not the community's."

Continue reading Faceless: Slender Man stalks, blocks Greenlight's top game from Steam

JoystiqFaceless: Slender Man stalks, blocks Greenlight's top game from Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facelessgreenlightjustin-rosslegalpcslender-manslender-the-arrivalslender-the-eight-pagesslendermansteam-greenlightthe-intruderWed, 14 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Snapshot: Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/snapshot-giana-sisters-twisted-dreams/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/snapshot-giana-sisters-twisted-dreams/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/snapshot-giana-sisters-twisted-dreams/#comments There are so many games out there we couldn't possibly review them all. Welcome to Snapshot, where we highlight games that might fall outside our usual coverage but are still something we think you should know about.
Snapshot Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is older than I am. Ancestrally, at least - The Great Giana Sisters launched in 1987 on Commodore 64, Atari ST, the Amiga and a few other, old platforms. The publisher, Rainbow Arts, was immediately embroiled in scandal for the game's similarity to Super Mario Bros. It was pulled from retail and eventually the IP shifted to Spellbound Entertainment, which released Great Giana Sisters DS in 2009. Spellbound went bankrupt in 2012 and many of its members re-formed as Black Forest Games with the Giana Sisters IP in hand.

On August 31, Black Forest's Kickstarter for "Project Giana" earned $186,000 of a requested $150,000, promising fans a modern, direct "grandchild" of The Great Giana Sisters. Now, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is the second game to launch on Steam through the latest crowd-sourced initiative, Greenlight. After 25 years of refusals, bankruptcies and a shifty legal foundation, the only thing that matters is if the game, in the end, is worth it.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is worth it.

Gallery: Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams

Continue reading Snapshot: Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams

JoystiqSnapshot: Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-forest-gamesgiana-sistersgiana-sisters-twisted-dreamsgreenlightsnapshotsteam-greenlightMon, 12 Nov 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Humans Must Answer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/04/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-humans-must-answer/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/04/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-humans-must-answer/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/04/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-humans-must-answer/#comments 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. This week, former GSC developer and co-founder of Sumom Games, Eugeny Yatsuk, talks space chickens and shmups with Humans Must Answer. The babies are Yatsuk, co-founder Denis Matveenko and artist Olexa, by Olexa.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch Humans Must Answer
What's your game called and what's it about?

Humans Must Answer. It's a shmup, and one most will recognize as having an old-school vibe about it. You play as the pilot of a scout ship called The Golden Eagle, which is manned by chickens - they like to think they're a higher species of bird than they are.

They're on the lookout for something (we're not saying quite yet) and discover it within the solar system that us humans inhabit. As it is set far into the future, humans have expanded to the other planets and set up a number of industries upon them. They also have a huge legion of robots operating for them around space. So the enemies you'll come across consist of robots and humans. Yes, humans are enemies - there are far too many plots about evil aliens when, in fact, humans are most likely more evil than anything we could fictionalize.

The chickens attempt to contact them in a friendly manner but the humans respond by firing at them, which isn't particularly nice. They live to regret it though because we let you, the player, go on an explosive rampage against the aggressors. There is a purpose behind it other than mere carnage though, but that doesn't appear until later in the game's narrative.

How does working on your own indie project compare to working on a larger series such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.?

Very different. Faster decisions and far fewer constraints. It's a very good feeling to be the author and be responsible for all aspects of the game, and not just some cogs as part of a big company.

I know some guys who work on bigger projects and ownership of their creations boils down to things like, "I made that table and chair on Level 25." You start to fear for yourself when hearing this and want to avoid ever being in that situation. When I am 40 years old I'll look at what I have created in my life. I hope to be proud of it.

Gallery: Humans Must Answer

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Humans Must Answer

JoystiqThe Joystiq Indie Pitch: Humans Must Answer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightgscGSC-Game-Worldhumans-must-answerigfigf-2013joystiq-indie-pitchpcsteam-greenlightsumom-gamesukraineSun, 04 Nov 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Postal 2 Complete arrives on Steam via Greenlight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/postal-2-complete-arrives-on-steam-via-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/postal-2-complete-arrives-on-steam-via-greenlight/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/postal-2-complete-arrives-on-steam-via-greenlight/#comments The third game to make it through the Steam Greenlight process is a game whose sequel was already on Steam. Postal 2 Complete, the compilation of the infamous, crude 2003 first-person shooter and its Apocalypse Weekend expansion, is now available on Steam after being voted in by the community.

Through November 9, Postal 2 Complete is discounted ten percent, available for $13.49.

JoystiqPostal 2 Complete arrives on Steam via Greenlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pcpostal-2postal-2-completesteamsteam-greenlightFri, 02 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Next round of Steam Greenlight titles drop November 30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/31/next-round-of-steam-greenlight-titles-drop-november-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/31/next-round-of-steam-greenlight-titles-drop-november-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/31/next-round-of-steam-greenlight-titles-drop-november-30/#comments Next round of Steam Greenlight titles drop Nov 30Valve has revealed it is targeting to announce the next set of Steam titles to earn "greenlit" status from its community-powered submission program on November 30. Since it was first announced, Steam Greenlight has navigated a bumpy road, most recently leading to the addition of a "concepts" category to help developers generate a following for their titles.

The next wave for Greenlight will bring with it at least ten new offerings, the company says.

At least five of those ten will also include the program's first Software (meaning non-game) graduates, a category that Valve added to Greenlight earlier this month. Valve says all of the titles chosen will be offered worldwide distribution agreements, so presuming everyone agrees, you'll be able to buy them right off of Steam no matter where you lay your head.

JoystiqNext round of Steam Greenlight titles drop November 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenlightindiepcprogramreleasessoftwaresteamsteam-greenlighttitlesWed, 31 Oct 2012 21:30:00 EST