pixeljam
Latest
Four years and $11K: Glorkian Warrior's crippling mistakes
Glorkian Warrior: The Trials of Glork took Pixeljam four years to create, first Kickstarted in 2010 with $11,200 and finally released on iOS in March 2014. An argument could be made that Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann has spent enough time thinking about that little pink alien with the weird name, but he's not done yet. In a post on Tilmann's new personal blog, he outlines the mistakes Pixeljam made during those four years, presented with the perfect vision of hindsight. Before diving into the post itself, Tilmann tells Joystiq that this isn't the happy-ending success story many independent developers may dream about. "Glork hasn't really made much money at all," he says in an email. "None of our games have, actually! We had our best week of sales when we launched Glork on mobile earlier this year, but after the Apple featuring ended, sales went down to pretty much nothing. The Mac / PC release has been much less successful than the mobile version. Pixeljam doesn't actually pay its employees anymore, since it can't support itself based on our existing sales. We make money doing non-Pixeljam-related things these days."
Glorkian Warrior vs Dino Run 2: Crowdfunding before and after Double Fine
Glorkian Warrior: The Trials of Glork is a different game than the one Pixeljam promised in its Kickstarter campaign. It's not unrecognizable – the Saturday-morning-cartoon artwork is still done by graphic novelist James Kochalka and it still stars a three-eyed alien blasting baddies from the sky, but the adventure aspect Pixeljam wanted in Glorkian Warrior didn't make it to the final game. "We really wanted the Glorkian Warrior to have an epic journey, blasting aliens like Galaga, rolling around like Sonic, exploring like Metroid, making the player feel they were inside one of James' comics," Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann tells Joystiq. "How we thought we could get this going with just $10K, I honestly have no idea. Somehow at the time we thought it was possible. It's interesting how the sheer excitement of starting a new project and raising money for it can make you blind to what's actually realistic." Pixeljam's Kickstarter campaign concluded on March 22, 2010, after raising $11,200, and Glorkian Warrior launched on March 13, 2014. That timeframe is relevant for two reasons: Pixeljam took to crowdfunding before Double Fine Adventure broke down the barriers for gaming Kickstarters in 2012, and four years is a long time to keep backers waiting for a game. "A couple of backers have told us that it was worth the wait, which is the best compliment we could possibly receive for the game," Tilmann says. "It reinforces the idea that the backers were simply excited to help us make something with James Kochalka, and were less picky about what the game would actually do. I think that's only the case with niche or small-budget projects, though. If something that raised $100K+ on Kickstarter took four years to deliver and didn't do everything that the original plan entailed, there would be much more of a backlash."
Pixeljam, comics artist Kochalka launch Glorkian Warrior on iOS
Glorkian Warrior: The Trials of Glork, a collaboration between Dino Run studio Pixeljam and comic book artist James Kochalka, hit the iOS App Store today for $3, no in-app purchases in sight. The launch trailer explains it all in Adult Swim-style design, but be warned: That is definitely not what we thought the main, goofy-looking character would sound like. Glorkian Warrior was Kickstarted in 2010 to the tune of $11,200, and it features cartoonish art in a Galaga-inspired endless shooter, with procedurally-generated enemy bullet patterns. If this sounds like your jam (or peanut butter, we're not picky), pick up Glorkian Warrior here. [Images: Pixeljam]
Pixeljam's Glorkian Warrior glorks all over iOS devices this year
Glorkian Warrior: The Trials of Glork was a Kickstarter project before Kickstarter projects were cool, funded with $11,200 in March 2010 – and now it's a full game. Glorkian Warrior is due out in Q1 2014 for iOS devices from Dino Run creator Pixeljam and comic book artist James Kochalka. It's a Saturday morning cartoon kind of game that mixes Galaga-style shoot-em-up mechanics and platforming to create a cheery endless shooter. Glorkian Warrior offers procedurally-generated enemy alien formations, an "arsenal" of weapons and powerups, and no in-app purchases. There's no word on the final price, but Pixeljam promises "just good old-fashioned entertainment like your great grandpa used to enjoy." Happy glorking, everyone.
Dino Run 2 Kickstarter couldn't outrun extinction
Dino Run 2, the sequel to Pixeljam Games' side-scrolling extinction platformer, Dino Run, failed to meet its goal on Kickstarter, raising $83,476 of a requested $175,000. Dino Run 2 was slated to be an upgraded, fresh game for the Dino Run franchise, with randomly generated levels, multiple dino characters to choose from and multiplayer options, set to launch in January for PC, Mac, Linux and Ouya. We spoke with Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann in the hours before his Kickstarter ended, and he said that if the campaign failed, Dino Run 2 might never see the light of day. "Maybe yes and maybe no," he said. "If it is, it will probably take a lot longer than it would if we got funded. We've been doing this for almost eight years though – we've learned the value of patience and careful planning. There are multiple ways to arrive at a goal." As a team, the plan now is to "mourn a little bit, take a deep breath and carry on," Tilmann said. Here's hoping that wherever Pixeljam is carried, it's on the wings of a giant, majestic pterodactyl.
Pixeljam optimistic as Dino Run 2 Kickstarter runs toward extinction
Pixeljam has 30 hours to raise $110,000 on its Kickstarter for Dino Run 2. The page already has 1,550 backers and $65,000 – but its goal is $175,000. Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann knows that getting funded at this point is a long (long) shot, but still, he's optimistic. "The logic centers in my brain say 'Signs Point To No,' but fortunately there's a lot more to the cosmos than the perception of a single person, or even a large group of people," Tilmann says. "Stranger things have certainly happened, and I've seen similar turnarounds in sporting events, telethons and of course Kickstarter campaigns. So, it's not over til it's over. We do not intend to throw in the towel until the very end." Plenty of Kickstarter projects have reached the same point as Pixeljam – just hours left to raise a ridiculous amount of cash – and they end up calling it quits, canceling the project early. Not Dino Run 2, Tilmann says: "I'm not really sure what the advantage is to canceling a project, except for freeing yourself from the obligation to promote it. We've put so much into this campaign, it would be a total disservice to ourselves, fans, backers and supporters to pull the plug. Like I implied before, statistical outliers are inevitable, and we have the same chance of becoming one as anybody else. Possibly more so. We have a pretty large following for the original Dino Run, and it could just be they are all the type of lazybones who doesn't take action until someone is blasting a horn in their face to get up off their butt. The final 48 hours of a campaign tend to be that horn." Make that the final 29 hours.
Extinction escape sim Dino Run 2 announced for PC, mobile
Indie developer Pixeljam officially announced Dino Run 2 this week, and now turns to Kickstarter to fund a PC and mobile follow-up to its landmark endless runner. Released as a Flash game in 2008, Dino Run put players in control of a doomed dinosaur escaping from a world-destroying pyroclastic surge. Dino Run 2 retains the side-scrolling, pixelated look of the original game, but expands on the formula with multiple characters, physics-driven emergent gameplay, and new playable eras, including a destructive trip through a modern-day city. Pixeljam seeks $175,000 to fund the project, and plans to launch Dino Run 2 in January for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Ouya. Ports for iOS and Android are slated to arrive six months after the game's initial PC launch.
Pixeljam Octology bundle is 8 games for whatever amount you want
Pixeljam's Octology bundle got a makeover and is now a pay-what-you-want offer that includes eight games, apps and albums, with special rewards for the top 10 contributors. The Octology includes the following lo-fi games for PC, Mac and Linux: Potatoman Seeks the Troof, Bitku Beta, Dino Run SE, Dino Run: Marathon of Doom and Snowball, along with music albums Pixeljams Volume 1, Planeteri and the Potatoman OST. Snag all of these goodies for $1 or more, or pay $10 or more and grab access to the Treat List, an exclusive website where contributors can download Pixeljam bonuses every month or so. There are also those physical rewards for the top 10 customers, and right now the No. 10 spot is at $15.33. The Octology bundle will be live through July 25, so stock up on Potatoman and Dinos while you can.
Be a pretty unicorn in PixelJam's Retro Unicorn Attack: Challenge Edition
Figuring out new ways to make believe that we're a pretty, pretty unicorn takes up about 80 percent of our day, so we always appreciate it when someone else does the majority of the grunt work for us. Imagine then our appreciative, wistful sigh upon learning of PixelJam's new game with Adult Swim, Retro Unicorn Attack: Challenge Edition.As retro and/or pixelated as its name and developer imply, Retro Unicorn Attack is an endless runner that tasks the player (a beautiful and majestic unicorn, obviously) with collecting fairies and dashing through vortexes, while avoiding obstacles and generally falling to a horrible death. The game is, besides being adorable and addictive, also quite difficult. Players can upload their best scores to a global leaderboard, hence the Challenge Edition subtitle.
Potatoman Seeks the Troof, Pixeljam Octology finds its way to Linux
All of the games in Pixeljam's Octology – Potatoman Seeks the Troof, Bitku Beta, Dino Run SE, Marathon of Doom and Snowball – are now available on Linux, in addition to previous PC and Mac support, for $10. Not to say we're super trendy or anything, but we hear Linux is currently all the rage.The Octology also includes the albums Platneteri, Pixeljams Vol. 1 and the Potatoman soundtrack. Potatoman Seeks the Troof is a platformer that tells the tale of a spud as he leaves the farm and seeks the meaning of life. No, it doesn't make much more sense once you play it, but it sure does make for a wonderful live-action trailer.Potatoman is also on Steam Greenlight, if that's more your style. You fashionista.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Potatoman Seeks the Troof
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 believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann discusses the philosophy behind Potatoman Seeks the Troof, which we learned about through this intense trailer. What's your game called and what's it about?The game is called Potatoman Seeks the Troof. It's about an anthropomorphized potato that decides to leave the comfort of his family farm in search of enlightenment. Although, for some reason, almost everything he meets along his journey is trying to kill or mislead him.What inspired you to make Potatoman?The Potatoman character himself. Rich (Pixeljam's lead artist) had created him as just an animated gif years ago, and it was hard to look at him and not want to give him his own game.Also, in October we had just finished a very long series of games for other companies (Adult Swim, etc.), and were itching to release something of our own. We were working on multiple things at once – Glorkian Warrior, Gamma Bros iOS, Dino Run iOS – but none were anywhere close to completion, and at the time it seemed that we would run out of funds before any of the games could reach a state acceptable to us for release. So we tried something we had always talked about: pour our time and hearts into a very short game and get it done in about two weeks. Several months later, the game was done.
Potatoman Seeks the Troof in the fields of a live-action farming trailer
Potatoman Seeks the Troof isn't a live-action agriculture roleplaying game as its trailer would lead us to believe (unfortunately), but it does look intriguing in its own right (fortunately). Potatoman comes from indie developer Pixeljam, and it's available for PC and Mac now, solo for $3, or in a variety of fresh Pixeljam bundles, spanning the Trilogy, Octology and Holiday Bonus.The Trilogy costs $5 and includes Potatoman, Planeteri and the Bitku beta. The Octology doesn't include any squid-like sea creatures, but it does have all three games in the Trilogy, along with Snowball, Marathon of Doom, the Potatoman soundtrack, Pixeljams Volume 1 album and Dino Run SE. For $15, grab the Holiday Bonus, which includes all of the above goodies, along with the Dino Run text adventure and Beezlebuds alpha.The above cinematic trailer for Potatoman Seeks the Troof, however, is completely free.
Indie Royale launches The Summer Bundle with 8 games and some chiptunes
The latest in a long line of Indie Royale bundles is now live, this time named after the hottest, most miserable season of the year: Summer! The Summer Bundle includes Harvest: Massive Encounter, The Journey Down: Chapter 1, Serious Sam 2, Gundemonium Recollection, GundeadliGne, Hitogata Gappa, Acceleration of Suguri X-Edition and Dino Run SE.Patrons will also receive entrance into the AirMech Steam beta, as well as an Indie Royale in-game pet. Anyone who pays over $8.00 for the bundle will be gifted Pixeljams Volume 1, a chiptune collection of music from Pixeljam's catalogue of work. As with all previous Indie Royale bundles, the price you pay is based on the prices of the transactions that have come before you, so get in there and ruin the bell curve.
Deadmau5 and Pixeljam make beautiful Sound Shapes together
Sound Shapes' levels are presented in an "album" format, with each collection of levels having a distinct look and sound. This video features a demonstration of an "album" whose sounds are provided by Deadmau5, a musician respected enough to get away with having a number in his name, and whose shapes are designed by indie developer Pixeljam.Check out the collaboration above, and start thinking of how you can use those visual and musical elements to make your own levels.
We now understand why everyone loves Cream Wolf
Cream Wolf, the most recent release on the prestigious Adult Swim line of browser-based games, might just be the first surprise smash hit of 2010 so far. It's been sweeping through the gaming press, swooning everyone who comes in contact with it. After spending a half hour with the game, we completely understand why -- and we wager you will too. Seriously, go play it. We're not going to spoil the game by going into too much detail about it, though we will say that you're a werewolf who sells ice cream to kids. That's a good enough jumping off point for your imagination, we think.
