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World of Midgard opens up Kickstarter campaign
All right, so you've probably seen your fair share of Kickstarters for MMORPGs by now. Including ones aiming at being an old-school revival. And you've seen a lot of them offering to let you play on both mobile devices and on your desktop... Wait, that part is kind of new. And if it appeals to you, you should probably take a look at World of Midgard's new Kickstarter project. The game is currently running in a beta state, but the development team wants to move forward and complete the game in a suitable fashion. That means a need for money, and that's why the game is opening the doors to crowdsourcing. The project offers an exclusive mount for players who donate just up to the $15 level, with increasingly extravagant rewards for those who offer more. If it sounds like your cup of tea, take a look at the project and consider sending a few dollars along to help development.
Journey dev goes fully independent, self-publishing next game
Having completed its three-game contractual stint with Sony Computer Entertainment America, the team behind Flow, Flower, and Journey is breaking free with a $5.5 million infusion of capital from Benchmark Capital's Mitch Lasky. "Today I am pleased to announce thatgamecompany has raised funding to develop and release our games independently," company co-founder Jenova Chen wrote on the TGC blog."This enables us to bring our games to more platforms and provide our players the highest quality experience at every point of contact," Chen added. TGC's first three games are owned by Sony, so don't expect to see them going multiplatform anytime soon. The company's next project, however, could end up on any number of platforms. He stopped short of revealing what TGC's next big project is, but said the team is "very excited about our new adventure" and will offer more news about it "soon."thatgamecompany celebrated its sixth year in operation this past May with two new hires, and said goodbye to several employees earlier in the year. Chen said in May that TGC was courting publishers for its next game, but today pointed out that the company will be self-publishing instead.Update: thatgamecompany issued Joystiq the following statement: "We are extremely excited to be partnering with Benchmark Capital, as now we are going to be self-publishing our next games. We haven't announced if our next game will be multiplatform, but we are trying to reach a larger audience than that of the PS3."
Gameloft developing 4 multiplatform, Unreal Engine games for iOS, Android, PSN and set-top boxes
Gameloft's getting cozy with Unreal Engine 3, as the company has made known its plans to develop four new, unannounced games (well, we guess they're kinda announced now) powered by Epic's development suite. It's all part of a "long-term" deal between Epic and Gameloft, spanning multiple platforms. Two of these proposed titles will be available this year, while the other two are planned to drop in 2012. "Gameloft is very pleased to partner with Epic, especially with their ability to stay ahead of the curve and continually place the best game engine technology in developers' hands at any given point in time," said Julien Fournials, Gameloft VP of production, in what we could only assume was one long, long breath. "Using Unreal Engine 3 allows us to push game visuals with remarkable lighting and high-fidelity environments. We are confident that players will enjoy the games powered by Unreal Engine 3." Gameloft will release these games on "multiple mobile and downloadable" platforms, including iOS, Android, PlayStation Network and "set-top boxes."
Android versus iPhone live multiplayer gaming made possible in SGN's Skies of Glory
Shocking as this might sound, there are no only a few games in which iPhone and Android users can go at each other in live multiplayer mode. Exploiting this vast void is Social Gaming Network, whose Skies of Glory aerial dogfighting title has been ported to Android (2.0 and above) while retaining the ability to communicate with iOS devices over WiFi, 3G or Bluetooth connections. Frankly, we can't think of a better game to get the cross-platform multiplayer movement going: fAndroids and iPhoneys gunning each other down while talking smack to themselves should prove therapeutic for both parties. On a more serious note, given the tireless growth that both platforms are showing, this kind of thing should hopefully tend toward being the rule rather than the exception. Update: Our readers have sagely reminded us that Raging Thunder 2 and Homerun Battle 3D have done the cross-platform dance already. The more the merrier, we say.
Hands-on with PressOK Entertainment: Finger Physics, Fantasy Date, Spin it
While in Seattle this past weekend, I got a chance to sit down with developer Alex Koloskov of PressOK Entertainment. As a company, they've been through a few mergers, but Koloskov and his team have been working on mobile apps for years, and iPhone apps since the early days of the App Store. Their biggest game is the very popular Finger Physics, but they've also recently released a huge update to their version of Gin Rummy. Koloskov also showed me a few other unreleased titles, including a game that will likely turn some heads and a very early version of the Finger Physics sequel. Read on for early hands-on impressions of the titles that I saw and a little behind-the-scenes information about the company.
L.A. Noire no longer PS3 exclusive, also on Xbox 360, Game Informer says
At long last, the never-ending mystery of whether Rockstar's "gritty detective tale," L.A. Noire, will be a multiplatform release has ... well, ended. And in a pretty unspectacular way, to boot -- in the comments section of a Game Informer post teasing the magazine's in-depth print preview of L.A. Noire, editor Matthew Kato explained, "It's not a PS3-exclusive," later adding, "it was at one point, but it's coming out for the PS3 and 360." (We've contacted Rockstar to verify this apparent reveal.) Now, we won't know whether this news is worth getting excited about until Game Informer's preview hits newsstands. We're getting tentatively pumped, though -- but that's only because of our pure, unswerving love of fedoras. Seriously, we can't get enough of 'em.
Dev resume hints at Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIV
According to a purported Square Enix employee résumé, Final Fantasy XIV could follow the multiplatform trajectory of its older MMO sibling, Final Fantasy XI. Before being removed mere hours ago (following the proliferation of the apparent reveal within), the supposed LinkedIn profile of lighting designer Yuuki Akama referenced work on Final Fantasy XIV for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Only the PC and PS3 platforms have been officially confirmed for the company's upcoming online RPG. While a "Yuuki Akama" has been credited with previous Square Enix work, specifically, lighting work for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, we can't currently confirm whether or not the pulled profile was authentic. We've contacted Square Enix for an explanation as to why the Akama profile was pulled (and not simply "adjusted") and for comment on the possible Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIV.
CryEngine 3 released; box of tissues not included
If Crytek's, like, next next-gen-ready CryEngine 3 performs even half as well as advertised, then the tears are gonna flow -- tears of joy. Imagine an engine through which a developer, using a single editor and dev PC, can create and test a game for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 ... at the same time. (You don't even have to imagine it, actually; there's a video after the break!) That's the picture Crytek's painting as it today releases its third iteration of the CryEngine for license to third-party developers.As promised in the press release: CryEngine 3 features real-time conversion and optimization of assets and cross-platform changes that "significantly" reduce the risk (and headache) of multiplatform development. So, in layman's terms, it renders really good graphix -- even if you have no idea how to develop on PS3."With its scalable graphics and computation it is next-gen-ready and with new features like CryEngine 3 Live Create the best choice for game developers and companies developing serious games applications alike," trumpets Crytek boss Cevat Yerli. "It is the only game engine solution that enables real-time development and can ensure teams are able to maximize their own creativity, save budget and create greater gaming experiences."Okay. So what's it cost?%Gallery-75586%
Metal Gear Solid Rising getting re-done graphics engine
Like a case of bad allergies, Metal Gear Solid 4's graphics left us rubbing our eyes. That said, when it comes to developing the recently unveiled Metal Gear Solid Rising, the latest sequel's eye candy is not nearly sweet enough. According to Kojima Productions assistant producer Sean Eyestone, the team is remaking Rising's engine "from scratch" to make it look better than MGS4. Speaking during a recent Kojima Productions podcast, Eyestone describes the multiplatform project as "a big project like Metal Gear Solid 4," adding that the team "team is serious about making it look as good as possible on every platform." Let's just hope our meager eyes can take it.[Via 1UP]
EA, Crytek announce Crysis 2 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Crytek isn't waiting around for the next wave of consoles to hit before melting eyeballs in the living room. In fact, publisher Electronic Arts announced that the German developer is already prepping a follow up to Crysis, this time for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as well as the PC. Creatively titled Crysis 2, the title is the first built using the studio's new console-ready middleware, CryENGINE 3. Nothing else is known, though with E3 kicking off this week we've opened up a new box of tissues just in case we hear more.
Ready At Dawn's next game is an 'Xbox 360 / PS3 original title' [Update: Didier responds!]
John Enricco, a lighting artist at Ready At Dawn, has updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect the fact that the company is now working on an original title for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Yeah, multiplatform. Many were expecting Ready At Dawn's first current-generation title to be a PS3 exclusive, considering its relationship with Sony during PSP development. According to Ready At Dawn's website, this is just one of two projects currently being worked on.The fact that it's an "original title" also indicates that this is a new IP, marking the first time the studio has designed its own game from scratch. Judging from the quality of Ready At Dawn's PSP titles (Daxter, God of War: Chains of Olympus), we're expecting technically great things from this new project. As for whether the game's premise is any good, we have nothing to base our expectations on. One thing's for sure, though; we can't wait to sink our teeth into more details.[Update: We reached out to Didier Malenfant, co-founder of Ready At Dawn, who told us: "We are working on two projects at this time, codenamed R6 and R8, but haven't officially announced platforms, genres or publishers for that matter. The third version of our engine is up and running on all current-gen platforms and looks awesome while version 2.0 is still arguably the best tech around on PSP so we've got all our bases covered. Oh and by the way, we're hiring :) ][Thanks David, Via PlayStationLifestyle.net]
Wii Warm Up: Port central
While the title of today's Wii Warm Up focuses on ports, we want to discuss all multiplatform Wii games, whether or not they were tweaked specifically (or well) for their Wii release. Which games have you preferred on the Nintendo console over their other releases? Is it the motion controls, other content, or something else? Which have you preferred on their original or other systems?
Capcom does away with exclusives, goes multiplatform
Even before Dead Rising: Chop 'Til You Drop hits shelves, Capcom has informed of its intent to go the way of multiplatform, doing away with console exclusives in an attempt to get more money, stating that as "a measure to counter the soaring costs of software development for the next-generation consoles, which has been a cause for concern, we have shifted our focus to the multiplatform strategy." That's what it's all about, after all, and in the end this move will likely benefit the industry as a whole. Although we haven't gotten a chance to play the Dead Rising port yet, we'd like to see the Wii get some Capcom love on other upcoming titles, namely Street Fighter IV. Until that is announced, we'll just have to wait and see what they give us. Don't start holding your breath for that Resident Evil 5 port yet, though.[Via Joystiq]
Capcom: 'all major titles' will be multiplatform going forward
And it's gonna take a lot of 0s on the end of that check to convince Capcom otherwise. The company has reaffirmed its multiplatform development strategy to shareholders in its annual report released today. "As a measure to counter the soaring costs of software development for the next-generation consoles, which has been a cause for concern, we have shifted our focus to the multiplatform strategy," the report states. "Furthermore, in order to make this shift possible, we have implemented the company-wide use of our own base technology for software development tool, 'MT Framework.'" If that message isn't clear enough for you, Capcom restates its commitment to spreading its seeds far and wide in the "Outlook for the Future" section of the report: "all major titles launched during the next fiscal year or thereafter will be developed as multiplatform games." Sounds like Wii owners can take this one of two ways: 1) Capcom is done giving Wii "major title" support; or 2) Bionic Commando, Street Fighter IV and Resident Evil 5 confirmed for Wii! (Don't hold your breath for the latter.)[Via Shacknews]
Splash Damage hires four industry vets for multiplatform mystery
After getting all BFF with fellow developer Bethesda, Quake Wars dev, Splash Damage, has begun to ramp up for its "genre defining" multi-platform project, announcing the appointment of four industry vets to its team. Among the company's new hires are Rainbow Six: Vegas' Olivier Leonardi as art director; Burnout Paradise's Chris Sweetman as audio director; Mass Effect's Tim Appleby as the project's lead character artist; and Driver: Parallel Lines' Chris Dawson as producer. The company still plans to double the size of its current team to more than 60 staff as a result of the project, which to this point remains a mystery. However, with Sweetman and creative director Paul Wedgwood both taking to the stage next week at Develop 2008, perhaps it won't be long before we find out just what these folks are up to.
Wii Warm Up: Unleashing the fun
With the latest on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, it sounds like the fine folks at Lucasarts have managed to do something no other developer has done: create a Wii port of a multiplatform title that actually sounds like it could be better than the other versions available. Come on, ripping off turrets and using them to fire at people with your mind while you cut down countless enemies with your lightsaber? That sounds awesome.What do you all think? Does Star Wars: The Force Unleashed sound like fun to you? Do you think the game will be as endearing as some of the better Star Wars games of the past?
Confirmed: Street Fighter IV hits consoles, PC
A few days ago we reported a rumor that cited Street Fighter IV as an upcoming Xbox 360, PS3 and PC release--well they are rumors-no-more. Last night Capcom confirmed [via IGN] that the 2/3D fighter hybrid will land on next generation consoles as well as Windows-based PCs, continuing the company's recent support of the platform (as in Devil May Cry 4 and Lost Planet PC releases). More details regarding the title is expected at the upcoming Captivate08 event in Las Vegas. Press email after the jump.[via Joystiq]
Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness releases
Yes, that is the title. Penny Arcade's game has been released, and is now available for sale or demo over on the Greenhouse site. What's perhaps most amazing about this game is that on Tuesday, developers Hothead Games released the thing simultaneously on as many platforms as they could, including PC, OS X, Linux, and even the Xbox Live Arcade. That in itself is almost admirable enough to pick it up on principle alone.But is it any good? Reviews have been middling, though word on the street says that if you're a fan of the webcomic, you'll probably enjoy the game. Jerry Holkins, writer of both the comic and the game, spoke with our sister site Joystiq about the grueling process of putting it together, and gameplay is basically a mix of old-school RPG, Call of Cthulu, and Sam & Max. Play, in other words, at your own risk.Or just try the demo. The game itself is only $20, but it's the first of four episodes, all priced that way, so it might be pretty costly by the end. Still, especially if you're a Penny Arcade fan, it's worth a look. And any developer that goes multi-platform including OS X on day one, complete with demos, gets a TUAW salute from us.
Splash Damage growing, confirms new multi-platform project
London-based Splash Damage has been noticeably quiet since the release of last year's tactical shooter Quake Wars, though we've been at this gig long enough to know that no news does not necessarily mean the code monkeys are all on sabbatical. As it turns out, the company plans to do its best mitosis impression this year by doubling in size as it ramps up for a new mysterious project, and it's seeking new blood to help out in areas such as art, programming, and design. Your guess is as good as ours as to what Splash Damage is up to, though the company confirms that the project is a multi-platform title and -- wait for it -- "genre defining." As Quake Wars left many of us cold, we'll be sure not to get too excited until there is reason to do so, though the studio will be on hand at this month's GDC, and company owner and design guru Paul Wedgwood will be waxing poetic about his company is a panel titled "From Amateur to Triple-A in Five Years," so perhaps we'll be able to glean more information from him without having to slip the exec a mickey. We'll keep that as plan 'B,' you know, just in case.
Dead Space dev wants PS3, 360 versions dead even
Toaster-headed space horror news now, with EA outlining its intentions to get Dead Space running equally well on both of its intended console platforms. When asked if the PlayStation 3 version would suffer any Madden-ing technical shortcomings (as we've sadly come to expect from certain publishers), executive producer Glen Schofield told Videogamer.com, "The plan has to be, and it will be, on parity with the 360."EA Redwood Shores is currently developing the sci-fi screamfest with the Xbox 360 as lead platform, with a shift to the PS3 following in the next few months. "That is so that you're not downgrading the PS3 later," said Schofield. "We're putting all our engineering muscle into making the PS3 great, and then we'll know that the 360 will be great."Great news, especially if Dead Space turns out ... great.
