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Quantum Conundrum show enters heavy dimension, is still awkward
It's Sunday, and you know what that means: We watched the Quantum Conundrum YouTube show and we now want to share our confusion with you. The Super Dimensional Quantum Learning's Problems and Solutions Gametime Spectacular!! features the heavy dimension this week. And a Kevin Pereira in a wig.
The Quantum Conundrum show is heavy on fluff, frenzy
The premiere episode of The Super Dimensional Quantum Learning's Problems and Solutions Gametime Spectacular!! is live, and that's all we're going to say about that. We're not going to mention how former G4 host Kevin Pereira makes for an overly emphatic, quirked-out presenter, how it seems developers Airtight Games really want Quantum Conundrum to go viral, or how we honestly couldn't watch the entire thing because it hurts us, precious. Why does it hurts us?The Super Dimensional Quantum Learning's Problems and Solutions Gametime Spectacular!! is produced by iam8bit, and this is the first episode in a series that will show off each dimension of physics-puzzler Quantum Conundrum: fluffy, heavy, slow-mo and reverse gravity.For a less manic take on Quantum Conundrum, check out our review, a recorded live stream of us playing the first bit of the game, and our discussion of its finer points on the Super Joystiq Podcast, as part of the Joystiq Research Institute.
Quantum Conundrum confuses PSN on July 10, XBLA on July 11
Those without the requisite hardware to run Quantum Conundrum on the PC will have to wait until July. Quantum Conundrum will come to PSN on July 10 for $14.99, and XBLA on July 11 for 1200 MS Points ($15).If you prefer to pick up Quantum Conundrum through Steam, it's now available on the PC for $14.99. Putting down $19.99 for a Steam pass will also earn you the soundtrack and two future DLC puzzle packs.
Quantum Conundrum review: First rule of physics, don't talk about physics
Back in February, Airtight Games creative director Kim Swift told us that she wanted Quantum Conundrum to play like a Saturday-morning cartoon – lighthearted with a slapstick edge, similar to Looney Tunes or Cartoon Network programming. This may be why I found it so unnerving that Quantum Conundrum reminded me more of Fight Club than any kid-friendly cartoons.The standard-edition DVD of 2002's Fight Club has a looping menu that plays a round of light, elevator-style percussion music while the screen flickers invitingly on the Play button; this lasts just long enough to lull the passive listener into a false sense of tranquility, before it smashes into a measure of jarring electrical guitar and pulsating images for a few terrible seconds. Then the screen clears, and the torture repeats.One night in my wayward youth, I fell asleep watching this Fight Club DVD. For hours after the movie had finished and returned to the menu, I would be jolted awake just enough to know nothing about what was going on, only to immediately fall back asleep once the soothing interlude picked up again. For hours. It was disorienting, sinister and, looking back on it, kind of hilarious.Quantum Conundrum's soundtrack may be similar to Fight Club's menu screen's, but the game itself rides those same waves of frustration, persistence and disjointed comedy – the game is lovely, but the story is jarring. Some of its story elements are almost funny, some of the narrative almost make sense, all of it almost reaches a realm of lucid clarity. And yes, it does this for hours.%Gallery-158844%
Quantum Conundrum coming to PC June 21
Square Enix has finally laid down a launch date for Quantum Conundrum: The game will arrive on Windows via Steam on June 21. You can preorder the game right now either as a standard edition, or as a "season pass," with three exclusive Team Fortress 2 items, a downloadable soundtrack, and all of the future puzzle packs.Preordering the game also earns you 10 percent off, and you'll be entered into a sweepstakes to win the opportunity to have your portrait hung up in the in-game world. Snazzy! Quantum Conundrum will also arrive on Microsoft's XBLA and PSN, though Square is only sticking with "summer" as a date for those versions so far.
Quantum Conundrum trailer gives us a cute creature to coo over
Not since the Ewok have we been so immediately in love with a short chubby hairy thing. Sorry, John De Lancie – this little guy is now our favorite Quantum Conundrum character.
Quantum Conundrum's latest trailer blows the doors off time, our minds
Quantum Conundrum's more than just fluffy pillows and super heavy stuff. It's also all about ripping apart space and time itself at your whim, with the helpful aid of a glove-enabled "shift device," as demonstrated in the trailer above.
Quantum Conundrum gets an extra Q
Square Enix is moving away from the paltry world of dimension-based reveals, announcing actor John De Lancie as one of Quantum Conundrum's main actors. De Lancie is, of course, known for his part as "Q" in the James Bond series, aiding Bond in his interstellar travels of exploration and diplomacy. Or he was a popular Star Trek character -- one of the two.Anyway, De Lancie is playing the part of Professor Fitz Quadrangle, advising the main character on gameplay and ushering story points forward (he is, after all, stuck in an alternate dimension, anxiously awaiting your help). De Lancie details his role and offers a taste of his voice work in the latest teaser, seen above.
Let Kim Swift walk you through some Quantum Conundrum gameplay
Hit the play button on this video and have ex-Portal lead Kim Swift walk you through some of her new downloadable game, Quantum Conundrum. If you want a few more details, read through our preview.
Airtight Games' Kim Swift discusses Portal comparisons and the democratic origin of Quantum Conundrum
"All I care about is, 'Is the game fun? Are players gonna pick it up and have a good time?' That, first and foremost, is my job," ex-Valve developer (Portal, Left 4 Dead) and current Airtight Games creative lead Kim Swift declared to me in a pre-NY Comic Con interview last week. She was referring to her current project, Quantum Conundrum, and its similarity to her past work on Portal. I was wondering if she worried that her first big game might color perceptions about her latest, similarly-sized game -- is it just more of the same? "Making first-person puzzle games is what I like to do," Swift said. "And there aren't a whole lot of games ... there's Portal, and that's about it. So, to me, this is the kind of game that I want to play myself." She told me that the idea for QC had come about before arriving at Airtight, and when the opportunity came to head up a team as creative lead, she jumped at the chance. But she also didn't want to be a totalitarian monster. "Once I had gotten my team together, I didn't just wanna say, 'Hey, we're making this game, dammit! It's gonna be the way I say it's gonna be!'" Swift explained. Rather, the team members created individual "one-sheets" which would then be voted on by the whole group. As it turns out, Quantum Conundrum won out. "It just happens that this one came out on top just because it was really easy to implement right away and test," she added. The game's room-based puzzles and play on dimensional mechanics make it "modular" -- as in, individual components can be easily swapped out for others and quickly tested. This kind of development structure allows for quick iteration, a value prized among game developers. It also makes things like DLC all the more possible, which already makes sense for a game like Quantum Conundrum. Whether gamers will be demanding more after the game ships "early" next year remains to be seen, but what I saw had a lot of promise. %Gallery-131812%
Kim Swift fills us in on Airtight Games' silent 2010
After Airtight Games' last project, Dark Void, failed to succeed with critics and at retail, the studio crept back into relative quiet for the majority of 2010. Aside from a job listing popping up late in the year for "several AAA titles," and the high-profile hire of Portal lead Kim Swift just before Dark Void's launch, the studio kept mum all the way until this past summer. Just before PAX, however, Japanese publisher Square Enix teased a big reveal for Swift's promised game. Days later, Quantum Conundrum was announced -- another first-person puzzler -- leaving us to wonder what else the studio might be working on. "There are currently two projects at Airtight: ours, and another unannounced project," Swift told me during a pre-New York Comic Con preview for Square's titles. "I can't speak to what the game is," she added (unsurprisingly). The Airtight Games site offers only a bit more assistance in divining the studio's other project, calling it, "another ambitious AAA title in a genre that is both unique and refreshingly unexplored," and teasing the image above. Swift did tell me that 16 folks at Airtight out of approximately 50 are currently head-down on Quantum Conundrum, leaving a sizable team for other things. And those 35 or so people have had plenty of time to get started, if development of the studio's other, "mid-sized" project is any indication. "We've technically been working on [Quantum Conundrum] for a year, but we didn't really go into production until maybe like, six, seven months ago. Not long," Swift explained with a laugh. "You'd be surprised at how many things 16 folks can make." AG's official site also promises "more news and announcements in the near future," so perhaps the studio is ready to fully awake from its year-long silence.
Let's play the blame game: Inafune on what went wrong with Capcom's original IP push
In the latter half of 2009 and early 2010, Capcom released two major retail games in collaboration with prominent Western devs: Crimson Skies dev Airtight Games created Dark Void, and gun-for-hire Grin rebooted Bionic Commando. Those two games, however, were prominent sales flops. One even contributed to the eventual closure of Swedish dev Grin. For its part, Capcom promptly returned to its tried and true franchises, with a lineup today featuring many more sequels than back in 2009. At the time, Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune was overseeing production on Capcom's retail titles, and when I spoke with him this past week at the Tokyo Game Show, I wanted to know what went wrong. Beyond sales, neither game was particularly loved by critics, especially Dark Void. "[It's] very, very simple: The publisher was Japanese and the developer was foreign. Even inside Japan, when you work in two different companies, they always blame each other for any small mistakes, so that's pretty much what happened in those two games -- blaming each other," Inafune explained. He went on to compare those development experiences with that of Dead Rising -- a game that has since become a major franchise for Capcom, not to mention a commercial success.
Quantum Conundrum preview: Inter-dimensional charm
Recent Airtight Games convert Kim Swift's new downloadable title, Quantum Conundrum, is just about as charming as charming can be. You probably could have guessed that based on Swift's notably Portal-infused background, not to mention the pitch-perfect, cartoonish design aesthetic that pervades the manor home in which the game is set. But you really have to see its dimension shifting in action to fully understand it. The pitch is this: Using an "Inter-dimensional Shift Device," a young boy must traverse the sprawling mansion of his mad scientist uncle, Dr. Fitz Quadwrangle, to discover said relative's whereabouts. The device in question allows the user to shift each of the puzzle-filled rooms between four dimensions to achieve goals, changing the properties of each of the objects contained therein. It's a lot less complicated once you see it in action, until it gets a whole lot more complicated. %Gallery-131812%
Quantum Conundrum is Portal lead Kim Swift's new downloadable game
Quantum Conundrum, a new first-person puzzle game in which you gracefully shift between different dimensions and alter the physical properties of the environment, was inspired when the designer took a "stroll to the local bakery." Apparently, Kim Swift has not only moved from Valve to Airtight Games, but from America to Amsterdam. What exactly are they baking in there? Due to launch on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam in 2012, Quantum Conundrum sees you exploring the enormous manor (and eccentric manner) of your uncle, Professor Fitz Quadwrangle. Using an "interdimensional shift device," you can activate different dimensions that influence the house in unusual ways. One flips the gravity, another envelopes the world in a bubble of slow-motion (perfect for tossing items to yourself), and another renders heavy, serious safes as lightweight plush toys. That would be the "fluffy dimension," according to Gamespot's preview. Give that a look (there's a video too!) and learn how dimensional hopping helps you solve Quantum Conundrum.
Portal lead Kim Swift to debut downloadable game at PAX
After 2010's disappointing Dark Void, we'd nearly forgotten that Airtight Games had hired Portal Creative Director Kim Swift to lead development on a "new, unnamed project." Square Enix has rekindled our interest, announcing that it's picked up publishing rights to the game and will reveal the "top-secret joint project" at PAX this Saturday (7pm in the Pegasus Room for those of you in attendance). The only information we can glean from the announcement is that it's "downloadable" and "an incredibly fascinating and quirky game" so ... take that for what it's worth. Airtight Games' site says that while it's working on another "ambitious AAA title" it's also working on "a new mid-sized game with all kinds of physical possibilities." Physical possibilities, eh? That sounds like the one!
Capcom 'Flash Sale' on limited edition Dark Void statue, Phoenix Wright
If you're looking for Capcom-branded goods on the cheap, the Capcom store is having a limited-time Flash sale. For the next few hours, you can get the custom light-up Dark Void statue seen above or a copy of Phoenix Wright for the DS at a discounted price. The Dark Void statue was limited to a run of 1,000 made specifically for Capcom fan events. Normally it'd retail for $90, but it's only $30 right now; Phoenix Wright is half-off at $15.
Airtight Games working on multiplatform Unreal-based game, plus others
Dark Void and Crimson Skies developer Airtight Games is nose down on "several new AAA titles for a variety of markets," and a job listing on Gamasutra indicates that at least one is headed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The developer is seeking "an experienced Senior Environment Artist" for work on the unannounced title, with an "excellent understanding of art production for next-gen games" and is "highly skilled in Maya and/or XSI, Photoshop, Mudbox, and the Unreal 3 Engine." Otherwise, the listing provides little in the way of hints as to what the unannounced game could be. With ex-Portal lead Kim Swift on board, though, we're expecting greatness. But no pressure!
Dark Void $10 through Games for Windows Live this weekend
Dark Void may have met with a cool reaction critically, but it's been temporarily granted a new feature that might improve people's impressions: costing ten dollars. Through June 1, the PC version of Airtight Games' jetpack-packed action game is available for just $9.99 on Games for Windows Live. A price like that skirts the boundaries between "rental" and "purchase" -- it's cheap enough that you can basically get it just to screw around with the jetpack and not feel bad. It's almost cheap enough that you can get it solely for the purpose of "completing your Dark Void collection" should you already have Dark Void Zero. [Via Capcom-Unity] %Gallery-24248%
Dark Void Zero landing on iPhone and PC April 12 [update]
Above: the initial trailer for Dark Void Zero on DSiWare The reception for Dark Void may have been lukewarm at best, but the "8-bit" spin-off/marketing endeavor, Dark Void Zero, was enjoyed by most who played it. Realizing that such an experience shouldn't be exclusive to one platform, Capcom has announced iPhone and PC users can download the game starting April 12. Pricing has not been announced yet, so we're following up with Capcom on that. [Update: Capcom has confirmed it'll cost $2.99 on iPhone and $5 on PC.] And if you're holding out for Xbox Live and PSN, know that Capcom currently has no plans for those platforms. However, back during CES, a Capcom producer told Joystiq that they'd "love to do it."
GDC 2010: From student game to success
Believe it or not, many of the best games start out as student development projects. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, flOw and even Portal all began life as student projects. Speaking at a GDC panel, the developers of the games listed above gave their advice on how budding student game designers can see their own projects become a success. The panel included Kim Swift, designer of Portal and currently of Airtight Games, Matt Korba and Paul Bellezza of The Odd Gentlemen (P.B. Winterbottom), and Kellee Santiago of thatgamecompany (flOw). The advice was wide-ranging, though all the panelists agreed that the best way to get a game noticed is to submit it to as many competitions and festivals as possible. Swift specifically noted that it's a good idea to literally drag people to come and play your game at festivals and shows like GDC. The game itself should "grab" players as well, with Korba saying that a festival showing of a game should be get players involved within five minutes.
