Ben-Kane
Latest
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is local bomb-defusing fun
Three developers at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada recently offered a novel multiplayer bomb-diffusing game for this past weekend's Global Game Jam. Dubbed Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, the game has one Oculus Rift-wearing, Razer Hydra-holding player lifting and examining a ticking time bomb while at least one other player holds the manual with instructions to disarm the virtual destructive device. The accompanying video for the game shows three fellows hovering over a spread of papers, shouting instructions (and not always the correct ones) at the bomb's diffuser with choice quotes like "Oh fuck," and "How much time is on the bomb, Owen?" Developed by the team of Allen Pestaluky, Ben Kane and Brian Fetter with dramatic music by Liam Sauve, the Windows-only game is freely available for players to check out on the Global Game Jam website. Kane works with Going Loud Studios, developers of the satirical platformer DLC Quest. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes requires the Oculus Rift and Razer Hydra devices, so the rest of us will have no choice but to pray others will snip the correct wires.
Microsoft's message to indies with Xbox One: 'It was sort of weird'
Microsoft's reveal of its next-gen console, the Xbox One, was high on broad entertainment apps such as Skype, interactive programming, media management and Kinect-powered features. Games saw a smaller showing, with two new announcements and a trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts. Indie games got an even smaller nod – that is, none at all. E3 is right around the corner, with the Microsoft conference on June 10. Maybe that's where all of the Xbox One games are hiding, along with the console's indie plan. We asked a handful of indie developers what Microsoft's presentation today said to them specifically, and what they want to see at E3. Below we have responses from Rami Ismail of Ridiculous Fishing fame, Octodad's Philip Tibitoski, DLC Quest's Ben Kane, Charlie Murder's James Silva, Retro City Rampage's Brian Provinciano and Fez's Phil Fish.
DLC Quest takes satirical platforming to Steam with a launch sale
DLC Quest is now available on Steam for PC and Mac, cashing in on its Greenlight success with a 20 percent-off sale, making the entire game just $2.40. DLC Quest on Steam includes the original platformer and new Live Freemium or Die campaign, and of course more than 30 DLC packs, all providing commentary concerning microtransactions and the pared-out state of gaming.But don't fret: All DLC, no matter how essential to the actual gameplay, is purchased with in-game coins. The DLC Quest launch sale runs through March 25 at 10 a.m. PDT, when the game is bumped back up to its regular, super-inflated price of $3.
DLC Quest modestly proposes new content in Greenlight bid
DLC Quest, the satirical platformer that has players pay (with in-game currency) for necessary assets such as moving to the left, has a fresh batch of DLC coming its way, titled "Live Freemium or Die." This content brings a new campaign, world and enemies, along with buckets of new DLC to purchase, set to launch in Q4 2012 for PC, Mac and Xbox 360.DLC Quest is on Steam Greenlight, hanging in at number 23. Developer Going Loud Studios would like to see DLC Quest in the top 10, and Live Freemium or Die will be included in the Steam version in an attempt to sweeten that deal. Check out DLC Quest in our Indie Pitch, interview with creator Ben Kane, or directly on Greenlight.
Indie Chatter: DLC Quest's Ben Kane pulls an indie vlog out of his hat
Ben Kane is a "fixer." When he sees a discrepancy in the daily minutiae of the gaming community, he does something about it, something other than signing online petitions or leaving nasty comments under clever pseudonyms on developers' blogs. He actively attempts to fix the problem.For example, at the height of the DLC outrage, when publishers first began blatantly shipping extra content behind transparent pay walls, Kane formulated his indignation into a modern-day Modest Proposal. He made DLC Quest, a satirical platformer that has players pay, with in-game currency, for essential aspects such as animations and moving to the left.The game generated attention for its message, but also its engaging gameplay, and after launching on XBLIG it was included in the Indie Royale St. Patrick's Day Bundle. The bundle alone sold more than 33,000 copies. Kane may not have single-handedly fixed The DLC Problem, but he did turn it into a source of entertainment for others, and exposure for himself.Again, when Kane noticed that there were no vlogs where developers discussed the day-to-day issues of building their games, he fixed it. He started Indie Chatter, a simple video platform where he can talk through the development process behind DLC Quest and any other titles, problems, conventions or happenings that he faced as an indie developer."Game development videos really only cover a small part of what is involved in indie development -- specifically, they show off part of a game," Kane told Joystiq. "But that only works when there's something interesting to show off. What about when you're coming up with the concept for a game? Or when you're adding polish and fixing bugs? What do you show when you're planning your release and thinking of how to market your game?"
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: DLC Quest
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 at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Ben Kane of Going Loud Studios shows us the satirical side of indie gaming with DLC Quest. Bet you can't guess what it's making fun of. What's your game called and what's it about?It's called DLC Quest, and it's about a quest for DLC. No, really! It's a satirical look at what happens when DLC goes too far, forcing the player to "buy" DLC (using in-game coins) to unlock core features like animation, pausing and moving to the left.What inspired you to make DLC Quest?DLC practices throughout the gaming industry have been rubbing consumers the wrong way for a while now and seem to be getting worse. I wanted to make a dig at some of the worst offenders but by the time I got around to it, there was enough material to make a whole game about the topic.
