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PBS Game/Show asks 'Are Angry Fanboys Bad for Games?'
PBS' Game/Show is back again, and this time we're going to sit and talk about our feelings, m'kay? Specifically, host Jamin Warren wonders if our feelings of anger and disapproval toward games we don't like are harming the industry. Warren points out how negative attitudes toward creators have propagated thanks to the internet, and cites the departure of several high-level industry personnel as evidence that something in our lines of communication is broken. We all get angry, frustrated or disappointed with our games every now and again, but are we expressing that properly? "We should support our favorite creators for how they create, not always for what they create," Warren argues in the video. "In film, you might be a fan of Kathryn Bigelow or Quentin Tarantino, but that doesn't mean that you expect them to make 10 sequels to Point Break or Pulp Fiction. ... It's important that we give game designers the exact same latitude." Check out the episode, consider the behavior being talked about, and tell us what you think in the comments. [Image: PBS]
I Am Street Fighter filmmakers creating documentary series Outerlands
Area 5's newest project is a documentary-style series called Outerlands. The group of filmmakers are taking to Kickstarter to fund the first six-episode season of the show, requesting $210,000 by February 15 to produce it. The team has already raised over $25,000 towards its goal. While Outerlands is vaguely about the "people and culture of videogames," the project's Kickstarter pitch video hints at the numerous topics Area 5 plans to cover, such as game preservation and e-sports. The team has stretch goals that start at $300,000 and reach $1 million, some of which will provide funding for additional freelance artists and musicians like Fez creators and composers Phil Fish and Disasterpeace as well as Sound Shapes composer Jim Guthrie. Formed in 2009, Area 5 comprises five former 1Up Show staffers, who created the I Am Street Fighter and Grounded: Making The Last of Us documentaries.
Phil Fish cancels Fez II, tells haters 'you win'
The game that helped to take indie development mainstream, while also proving how tortured and twisted the process can be, will not be getting a sequel. As you may have heard over the weekend, Fez's creator, Phil Fish, wrote a typically short and emotional fragment of explanatory text on Polytron's official website, saying that he's "getting out of games" and that he's killed the Fez II project that was announced last month and had been destined for the PC: "FEZ II is cancelled. i am done. i take the money and i run. this is as much as i can stomach. this is isn't the result of any one thing, but the end of a long, bloody campaign. you win." The "bloody campaign" in question likely consists of numerous hate messages that have been sent to Fish, sometimes in relation to his outspoken comments about other games and gamers, sometimes connected to things he did / didn't say about Microsoft, and other times simply due to the fact that Fez was so financially successful. We're not going to provide any specific examples, since gamer feuds are never worth the stress, but if you have a tougher skin and you want to know more, feel free to sully yourself at the links below.
Fez 2 canceled [Update]
Development on Fez 2 has ceased. The announcement was made earlier today by a tweet on the official Polytron account, which we then corroborated and verified with creator Phil Fish. "It's true," Fish told Joystiq in an email. Fez 2 was originally announced during last month's E3-concurrent Horizon conference, where it was the surprise, show-ending reveal of the event, following a cavalcade of other new indie developments from different developers. Beyond the fact that it existed, however, and that Fez composer Disasterpiece was also involved in production, nothing specific was known about the project. Update: The official Polytron Corporation website has been updated with a short, candid message reiterating the game's cancellation.
Special Edition of Indie Game: The Movie spooled up for July 24
A new version of Indie Game: The Movie, the 2012 documentary chronicling the lives of indie video game developers chasing their dreams, will be released on July 24. This special edition will include 300+ minutes of footage, including over 100 minutes of never-before-seen film that will include epilogues for some of the developers featured in the film. The Team Meat fellers, prominently featured in the film, also provide some new commentary tracks, as do directors James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot. The special Indie Game: The Movie will be available through Steam and the official site for $15, or for $5 if you already own the first version. If you pre-order now, a DVD boxed set is available for $59 (regularly $69), while the Blu-ray version is down to $69 from $89. Boxed sets won't ship until August, at which point they'll revert to their full prices. Both DVD and Blu-ray special editions will be signed by the directors, include exclusive artwork from Edmund McMillen, and offer a code for the digital special edition. Indie Game: The Movie is currently available for streaming on Netflix Instant, as a rental or purchase on YouTube and, until July 22, a $2.99 purchase on Steam, thanks to the Steam Summer Sale.
Steam Summer Sale snapshot: Fez sells 105K units in two days
Fez launched on Steam on May 1, following one year as an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive. On July 12, Fez joined the Steam Summer Sale, knocking half off of its price – bringing it to $5 – alongside an avalanche of hotly anticipated discounts. In its two days as part of the Steam Summer Getaway Sale, Fez sold 105,000 units, which is more than it sold in its first month on XBLA. In the first discounted day alone, Fez racked up more sales than it had in its previous three months on Steam. On Twitter, Fez creator Phil Fish described the numbers as "BANANERS" and "fuckin' NUTSO," which sounds accurate, especially when looking at the sales graph he included. We asked Fish if he's a fan of Steam sales, considering his game was half-off when it got those mad hits. "Yeah I'm a fan!" he said. "Even I can't find a way to complain about it." That's the most solid endorsement of the Steam Summer Sale we've ever heard – go check it out.
Fez getting all patched up on XBLA
Fez will get a new patch on Xbox Live Arcade, Polytron founder and Fez creator Phil Fish says in a tweet. Fez has been in need of an update on XBLA since June 2012 – Polytron actually released a patch that month that fixed a number of issues in the game, including infinite death loops, but that update caused some save files to read as corrupted. Polytron later re-released the patch without fixing the issue that caused corrupted save files, citing costs from Microsoft running into "tens of thousands of dollars" to issue that first patch. Latest reports indicate that Microsoft has dropped the fee for Xbox 360 developers to patch their games. Fish says the fresh update will take "a few months," but it's on its way. The problems with the first patch affect less than 1 percent of players, Polytron says, but it's a risk that most people would probably rather not take. Fez 2 is in development, but it's not coming to Xbox One or 360, Fish says.
Fez 2 is heading to 'not Xbox'
Fez fans won't be able to continue the dimension-twisting adventure on Microsoft's consoles. When Polygon recently inquired about potential release platforms for Fez 2, creator Phil Fish's response was, "Not Xbox." Fish's relationship with Microsoft soured in the months following Fez's Xbox Live Arcade release. A problematic patch was pulled and then subsequently reissued without addressing a save deletion bug affecting a small number of players. Fish claimed that the prohibitive cost involved in re-certifying the game effectively blocked the release of a new patch on the Xbox 360. A Windows version was later released via Steam and other services. Fish hasn't yet revealed which platforms he has in mind for Fez 2, but notes that the PlayStation 4 is a tempting prospect, due to its indie-friendly approach to publishing. "PS4 seems to be doing everything right," Fish said. "It's too early to tell how everything is going to unfold but their heart definitely seems to be in the right place." Fish continued: "Whether or not I would develop for it comes down to how the platform holder treats me. With Microsoft they've made it painfully clear they don't want my ilk on their platform. I can't even self-publish there. Whereas on PS4, I can. It's that simple. Microsoft won't let me develop for their console. But Sony will."
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.
Fez fan art takes that spreadsheet joke to a whole new coordinate
In 2011, Fez developer Phil Fish said, "PCs are for spreadsheets." When he announced Fez would hit PC, fans and haters jumped on the "spreadsheet machine" dig. After Fez's successful XBLA and PC launches, this fan art by Steam user McKack is a good stopping point for the joke. All the jokes, even.
PSA: Fez flips platforms, lands on PC today
One year after its high-profile launch on XBLA, Fez is available on PC via Steam, the Humble Store and GOG today for $10. For $5 more on Steam, grab the game and its super-cool original soundtrack by Disasterpeace, or grab the soundtrack by itself for $7. Steam: Giving you all the options to spend your money. By April 13, Fez sold 200,000 copies on XBLA and we thought it was positively joyful. Creator Phil Fish suggests hopeful PC players purchase Fez via the Humble Store, since he gets 95 percent of that revenue, compared to 70 percent from Steam and GOG. If Fish insulted your grandmother and you really want to get back at him, go ahead and buy Fez through Steam or GOG and have a wonderful time playing it. That'll show him.
PSA: Fez dons its pre-order cap today on Steam, GOG
Xbox Live Arcade indie darling Fez has entered its pre-order phase on both Steam and GOG today, offering a buck off the $9.99 asking price for early commitment. Fez will launch for Windows PC across both digital distribution platforms on May 1.The PC launch is the first action in a plan by creator Phil Fish to port Fez to "pretty much everything." PSN and PS Vita, Mac, iOS, Linux and Ouya ports are all in various stages of development and planning, Fish has said. In little over a year, Fez has sold more than 200,000 copies on Xbox Live Arcade.
Fez PC pre-orders turn the tables on Steam, GOG on April 22
For all you patient PC players itching to get your mitts on XBLA indie hit Fez, mark your calendars (probably take off those mitts first): Fez pre-orders open on April 22 via Steam and GOG, and the game will be 10 percent off – $9 – until it launches on May 1."No more waiting for a thing to actually be out before you can buy it! No more keeping all that pesky money to yourself! With our patented pre-order technology, we take your money today and give you something later!" Polytron's official pre-order announcement evangelizes. "Spend money and save money! At the same time!" Now that's a deal.We found 2012's XBLA version of Fez to be joyful, challenging and deeply satisfying as a puzzle platformer. That edition has sold 200,000 copies to date, and eventually, the game should be out on "pretty much everything," including Mac, Linux, Vita, Ouya and iOS.
Fez sold 200,000 copies on XBLA to date
Fez, Polytron Corporation's cute platforming game that made it into Joystiq's Top Ten of 2012 list, has sold over 200,000 copies on XBLA to date. The game crossed the 100,000 copies mark in late May 2012.The figures come from creator Phil Fish, who took to Polytron's blog today to discuss the one year anniversary of Fez's release. Fish recently noted during a Reddit AMA that the game "should eventually be out on pretty much everything." Fez will arrive on PC on May 1.
Phil Fish: Fez 'should be out on pretty much everything,' eventually
Fez has found its way to Steam, hitting PCs on May 1 – but that's not all developer Phil Fish has up his tiny, red hat. Fish hosted a Reddit AMA today, where he revealed Mac, Linux, Vita, Ouya and iOS versions of Fez are all in various stages of planning and development.Mac and Ouya ports are definitely on the way, while Linux is part of some "vague plans, but plans nonetheless. Fez should eventually be out on pretty much everything," Fish said. For Vita and PSN, Fish said he's working with Sony "to figure something out." An iOS launch is "highly probable."Fish also says "thanks for all the spreadsheet jokes." And you all thought you were so original.Check out all of the Fez information you never knew you wanted right here, and make sure to see the Fez Fish Gaijin Games created for Runner 2 (Warning: It's a fish in tightie whities, and we do mean tight).
Fez coming to other platforms in 2013
In a sweet "State of the Polytron" post, Fez designer and sole Polytron employee Phil Fish revealed plans to port his cryptographic adventure game to platforms beyond XBLA in 2013, potentially platforms with friendlier policies toward updates. "Yes, i've heard you, dozens of people emailing me everyday telling me how much of an idiot i am for not porting FEZ to everything," noted Fish. He also teased future developments relating to Disasterpeace's soundtrack for the game (which you can buy here) and "something about a US branch" of Polytron.Fish also reaffirmed plans for two more games, and expressed interest in designing non-game projects. "I want to design everything," he said. "Maybe not a videogame? Maybe something else entirely. I JUST DON'T KNOW."
Fez going half-off on XBLA for one day only
Phil Fish's mysterious, beautiful puzzle platformer, Fez, will be available for half off on Xbox Live tomorrow, for one day only.That means it's down from the usual 800 Microsoft point price to 400 Microsoft points, or $5. At that price, you'd be crazy to pass up the game we said "burns with a brilliant, red-hot, yellow-tasseled flame."
Microsoft responds to Polytron's Fez patch claims
Developer Polytron issued a statement two days ago, saying that a save issue affecting a small number of Fez players would no longer be resolved with an additional patch. Microsoft, who Polytron laid the brunt of fault on for demanding an expensive fee to certify and issue the new patch, has now shared its side with Giant Bomb."Polytron and their investor, Trapdoor, made the decision not to work on an additional title update for Fez," the statement starts. "Microsoft Studios chose to support this decision based on the belief that Polytron/Trapdoor were in the best position to determine what the acceptable quality level is for their game. While we do not disclose the cost of Title Updates, we did offer to work with Trapdoor to make sure that wasn't a blocking issue. We remain huge fans of Fez."That last part is perhaps the most interesting, since Polytron claimed Microsoft's price for a new title update was $10,000 – this statement makes it sound like Microsoft may have been willing to negotiate on the price.In the meantime, you can keep playing an improved post-patch Fez, in the hopes that your save makes it through the whole adventure. Polytron says less than one percent of players have succumbed to the bug.
Fez creator Phil Fish working on two new games
Phil Fish, the man behind the mutton-chops and this awesome indie game you probably haven't heard of, Fez, has some new projects in the works.Fish is currently developing two new games with some friends, he said at Gamelab 2012 (as reported by Eurogamer Spain). Fish began working on one of these projects during the development of Fez, but he was forced to stop in order to finish his own game in a semi-timely manner. Fish has been involved with Super Hypercube, a game in development for Kinect from Kokoromi and Polytron, Fish's own studio. The last we heard from Super Hypercube was December, when Fish said it was "a bit early" to talk details.Fish spent five years of his life developing Fez, and now that it has been released into the wild of Xbox Live Arcade, sold 100,000 copies, and suffered its first patch malfunction, Fish is "learning to live again" without the constant strain of high-profile indie development. Fish said Fez's development has left him "exhausted and traumatised," but he will continue making games.Launching a game on Xbox Live Arcade added to Fish's stress; he began development at a time of rapid change in the indie community, and what worked four years ago on Xbox Live now makes more sense on Steam, he said. Fish hasn't announced details about the two titles he's involved in, but he will choose his focus wisely since "it can be something that consumes many years of your life," he said.
PSA: Watch Indie Game: The Movie now on Steam, other places
Indie Game: The Movie has come full circle, first covering games as they limped their way to their first platform launches, only to end up on one of those very platforms itself. Indie Game: The Movie is available on Steam for $10 as the first feature-length film to ever be hosted on Valve's service.The full documentary is also now available via iTunes and on its official site.
