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Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Kickstarter adding features to for-sure release
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is going to happen. Whether you've finished the tale's first portion or not, the point-and-click adventure will continue in the beginning of 2015 on PC, Mac and Linux. However, KING Art Games has launched a Kickstarter for fans interested in making the project a bigger, more expansive venture than it already is, and this campaign has surpassed its first two funding goals. At the time of this writing, the $108,011 that KING Art has gathered will allow the studio to implement projection-mapping in Unwritten Tales 2. The Kickstarter page explains that the result will be better-looking environments and dynamic camera movements, neither of which will crank up the system requirements. Side quests will also be added, rewarding players that take on optional puzzles with equippable garments. KING Art will also produce "Kickstarter-Edition" copies of Unwritten Tales 2, which will come with an artbook, soundtrack and plushies or sock puppets. With 34 days to go, KING Art is still aiming for additional funding tiers, with extra animations, facial expressions and an orchestra-recorded soundtrack included in the $235,000 Director's Cut goal. If you need more of an incentive beyond extra game features, pledging $25 or more will reward you with a chapter-by-chapter Steam Early Access release of Unwritten Tales 2 in the fall of 2014. [Image: KING Art Games]
Battle Worlds: Kronos initiates advance wars November 4
Battle Worlds: Kronos, the hexy turn-based strategy game funded through a successful Kickstarter, will begin November 4 taking deployment orders to PC, Mac and Linux (Steam and GOG). Updating release windows developer KING Art provided to us at Gamescom, the mobile and tablet versions are now planned for early 2014. The studio previously told us mid-2014. "We're giving the customers a good large game for their money. We provide free cross-platform multiplayer, a league and – early next year – the free DLC 'Trains,' which contains a new campaign and introduces a whole new unit class," said KING Art CEO Jan Theysen. The $29.99 game will also launch DRM free. Theysen continued, "If enough players support us by buying the game legally instead of pirating it, we'll adopt a no-DRM policy as a company policy."
Battle Worlds: Kronos out in November, open beta in late October
Battle Worlds: Kronos, the turn-based strategy game by developer KING Art, which took in over double its $120k Kickstarter goal with $260,235, will launch in mid-November. The game will initially be available on PC, Mac and Linux, making its way to mobile and tablets by mid-2014. The hex-based, Advanced Wars-esque game will also begin an open beta several weeks before launch. The game, which has already passed Steam's Greenlight process, will be available through that digital distribution network, along with GOG.com and KING Arts' website. The studio hasn't decided on a tactical price yet for the game, but the strategy is to keep it under $30. The German developer isn't used to their games being on an international stage, nor having so many sales through digital distribution networks, since Germany still has a very robust retail PC business. "80 percent of our Kickstarter was internationally supported," KING Art studio head Jan Theysen told us today at Gamescom. "Also, 80 percent of our sales will be digital versus boxed." A boxed version is planned for Germany and the studio is having meetings about boxed versions for other territories. Battle Worlds: Kronos will also add free downloadable content after launch to all players. Theysen tells us depending on sales, the company will discuss making a Kronos sequel or move on to create another game. Either way, Theysen says the studio has enjoyed the freedom the Kickstarter model gave them in bringing Battle Worlds: Kronos to the public.
'Battle Worlds: Kronos' Kickstarter concludes at $260K
Battle Worlds: Kronos recently concluded its Kickstarter funding round with 7,564 backers pledging $260,235. Under development by KING Art, Kronos surpassed its goal of $120,000 early on in the drive with 22 days to spare. Battle Worlds: Kronos is intended as a streamlined tactics game á la Advanced Wars. "45 days ago we were not sure if we could collect $120,000. We're a small studio, we hadn't had a well-known IP and we're German – so we got a fair amount of 'angst,'" KING Art studio head Jan Theysen told us. "We see ourselves on the way to become a 'Kickstarter company.' Making games together with a community of gamers and funded by that community... what could be better?" KING Art previously found success (mostly in Europe) with the point and click adventure game The Book of Unwritten Tales. Battle Worlds: Kronos is scheduled to enter closed beta in the third quarter for backers and go full open beta shortly after. The game is planned to launch in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Battle Worlds: Kronos receives Steam greenlight, makes really big map
Battle Worlds: Kronos, under development at German studio KING Art, has received the green light from the Steam community, meaning the game will be available on the service when it launches later this year. The Kronos Kickstarter is still in process, with the Bremen-based studio up to $206,000 in pledges, with eight days to go."When our backers started asking us about the size of maps that could be generated, we decided to experiment ourselves and pay tribute to their generosity. We created a screenshot that can show how big it's possible to go in turn-based strategy – let this be a tribute to all our backers and excellent friends at Steam," said Jan Theysen, project lead at KING Art. The company posted a map 200,000 hex-fields large representing the money it's raised, with 5,800 units in the image for the 5,800 backers. The company posted a higher resolution version of the image above on its Kickstarter page.
Battle Worlds: Kronos reaches Kickstarter goal, out this year
Developer KING Art's Kickstarter campaign for Battle Worlds: Kronos has surpassed its goal of $120,000, with another 22 days of fundraising to go. As of this writing, the game has $160K in donations.So, who are these folks? Founded in Bremen, Germany, back in 2000, KING Art's biggest claim to fame so far is the point and click adventure game The Book of Unwritten Tales. The critical and commercial success of that game (mostly in Europe) is what's allowed them to focus on Battle Worlds: Kronos, a passion project for the team.A prototype for Battle Worlds, a game that's clearly inspired by the streamlined approach to tactics á la Advanced Wars or a German board game, was floated by the developer in 2007, but publishers told them it was too niche.Now, six years later and with the option of community funding from Kickstarter, KING Art is working to prove them wrong. The game will enter its alpha stage sometime in the next couple months, enter closed beta in the third quarter for backers and go into open beta shortly after. KING Art tells us the game will make its fourth quarter launch and we'll have the opportunity to check Battle Worlds: Kronos out at Gamescom in August.
Get a glimpse of The Raven, from Unwritten Tales developer King ART
King ART, developer of The Book of Unwritten Tales, has a new adventure game in the works called The Raven. The game is set in 1960s Europe and has players on the hunt to find a thief known as The Raven, who has stolen an emerald called the "Eye of the Sphinx." The Raven is in development for PC, Mac and as-yet-unannounced consoles. Put on your favorite detective hat and check out the trailer (above) and gallery for the game from Gamescom. %Gallery-163318%
Book of Unwritten Tales available in North America right now
King Art's Book of Unwritten Tales adventure game is now available in North America after launching in the UK late last year. The critically acclaimed point-and-click saga has a brand new re-launch trailer above, detailing the basic tropes found in the adventure genre – for those of you crazy enough to have skipped some of the classics.While BoUT, as it's called for short by fans, might borrow the trappings of yesteryear are decidedly in the vein of the current generation. You can grab the game for $19.99 at a digital or physical retailer near you.%Gallery-161485%
