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Torchlight 2 is finally coming to Mac next week
Torchlight 2 for Mac hits Steam on Monday, February 2, just over 28 months to the day Runic said a Mac version would take a "couple of months at least." Why has it taken so dang long? Last we heard, the answer was "unexpected complexities." - that was back in August 2013. As for details... well, Mac owners, you've waited 861 days so far for Runic's action-RPG sequel. Apparently you have to wait a little bit longer for more info. Runic is not unaware that this development is somewhat surreal. Check out how the studio announced the news below the break.
Let there be Torchlight for free
If you've yet to try it, Torchlight is a decent way to while away the holiday hours this week. A frequent flyer in our 2009 Best of the Rests, Runic's loot-heavy action-RPG is free until Sunday, November 30 on Perfect World's Arc client, and that's for keeps. If you don't have Arc then it's another PC client to clutter up your desktop, but on the flipside... free game. While you're at it, keep the Torchlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul. In other, less obscurely referential words, you can also get the deeper, multiplayer-enhanced Torchlight 2 at a cut-down price. It's reduced from $20 to $5 on Arc, again until November 30. [Image: Runic Games]
Runic co-founders leave Torchlight dev to form Double Damage Games
Runic Games co-founders Travis Baldree and Erich Schaefer are leaving the Torchlight studio to start Double Damage Games. "I should say from the outset that this is an amicable departure, that I consider the amazing team at Runic my friends and family, and that it is a privilege that they've let me get away with running the place for this long," wrote Baldree, who served as the studio president and lead engineer, in his goodbye post on the company forum. The new studio will focus on smaller-scale development. Baldree says, "Working within the boundaries of limited means and resources is the best fun I've ever had, and that sort of work satisfies me in a fundamental way - I can't wait to be working that way again." Runic CEO Max Schaefer (brother of Erich) reiterated the parting was amicable and that the studio will continue working on its "completely secret project."
Founders leave Torchlight developer Runic
Runic Games co-founders Travis Baldtree and Erich Schaefer have departed the studio responsible for Torchlight and its sequel. Baldtree announced the decision on the Runic forums, and wrote that he's "super-stoked" to return to indie development and the ability to wear many hats at once. "I should say from the outset that this is an amicable departure, that I consider the amazing team at Runic my friends and family, and that it is a privilege that they've let me get away with running the place for this long," he explained. VG247 reports that Erich Schaefer's brother Max, a fellow Blizzard North alum, is staying on as Runic's CEO.
Second Wind Roundtable: Torchlight II
Welcome to the first ever installment of this "roundtable" edition of Second Wind, where the best and brightest (or barring that, whoever's available) here at Massively get together for an evening to act stupid in video games and then talk about it. For our first trip down the rabbit hole, Bree, Eliot, Lis, and I decided to give our mouse-clickin'-fingers a workout by way of Runic Games' Torchlight II. Our intrepid party of fearless adventurers was made up of Viase the Engineer (played by Eliot), ZERKIN the Berserker (played by Bree, and yes the caps are necessary), and a pair of Embermages played by Lis and me because it was the only class neither of us had played yet. We spent a few hours hacking and slashing our way through the first couple of zones of TL2's campaign, and much hilarity ensued. Click on past the cut for our full, insanity-fueled conversation on the ups and downs of our joint Torchlight II experience.
Torchlight 2 has sold more than a million copies
If you're the proud (or maybe humble; that's OK too) owner of a copy of Torchlight 2, you're far from alone; Runic Games recently announced that over a million copies of the game have been sold. If you're not the proud (or maybe humble) owner of a copy of Torchlight 2 but have been toying with the possibility, this is a pretty good time to pick it up. Steam, known for its annual wallet-eating sales, has marked the game down to $9.99 (or 50% off). You can also pick up Torchlight for a measly $3.74 if you're the kind who likes to test out the original.
PAX Prime 2012: Up close and personal with Torchlight II
Torchlight II is marching toward its September 20th launch date. Actually, it's probably skipping joyously with a little ferret or adorable puppy trailing along behind it. Is your clicking-finger ready? We took some time at PAX to dabble our toes in the game and splash around a bit. Now we have damp toes and a hands-on experience with Torchlight II.
Torchlight II launches on September 20th
The hoped-for dukeroo between Diablo III and Torchlight II never quite materialized, mainly because Runic didn't manage to ship its dungeon-crawler in time to compete with the Blizzard behemoth's launch. Torchlight II is still coming, though, and according to a new post on the game's official site, it's coming on September 20th. Runic CEO Max Schaefer provides us with the requisite PR soundbyte. "We worked incredibly hard to make sure we could release Torchlight II before summer's official end. Development will continue right up until we ship, and we couldn't be happier to be putting the finishing touches on a great game. We want to get it to the fans as quickly as possible. Honestly, we can't wait."
Chinese MMO developer accused of plagiarizing Torchlight backs down
Faced with ongoing allegations that it stole assets from Torchlight, Chinese developer EGLS has now agreed to modify "some parts" of its mobile MMO, Armed Heroes Online. Our sister site Joystiq reports that while the mobile company continues to deny any wrongdoing, it will alter the game "rather than go on arguing." In a formal statement, EGLS said: "We did great efforts to do each modeling, mapping, bone construction and action by our own on our self-developed 3D engine . . . We want to make clear, if necessary, that we would like to submit the documents, files, and other materials related to the game developing to Apple to prove the originalities of the game and the efforts we devoted into the game developing." Torchlight developer Runic Games appears mollified by the outcome though not convinced of EGLS's innocence. "We're really just trying to get the thing pulled down from the App Store and to have them use their own assets," studio president Travis Baldree told Joystiq. (Apple has apparently removed the game already.) In happier news, Runic announced that oft-delayed Torchlight II is still slated for a summer launch, though Baldree joked, "The end of summer is September 25th or something like that, right?"
Torchlight 2 devs still planning summer launch
Runic Games' Torchlight 2 is still planned for launch at some point this summer, Runic president Travis Baldree tells us. "The end of summer is September 25th or something like that, right?" he asked. "We're still trying to get it done for summer. It's a big game and we've still got some polish to go."A recent blog post from Baldree on his company's site was meant to allay the concerns of fans who pre-ordered the game many months ago – fans who have yet to get a solid release date from Runic. "People asked us to make pre-orders available. So, people were just interested in what was going on. There was some concern in the forums that we had gone off and were just twiddling our thumbs," he said. "We have a point in development where we'll say, 'Okay, we're ready to announce a date,' but we're just not there yet."As of today, that gives Runic approximately two months to announce a release date and, uh, actually release its game. Fingers crossed!
EGLS to 'modify some parts' of its iOS MMO in wake of Torchlight asset theft accusations
Chinese developer Entertainment Game Labs will remove "some parts" of its game, Armed Heroes Online, the company tells Joystiq. Those "parts," it sounds like, are the ones that Runic Games is saying were stolen from its Torchlight franchise. "Players always come first," EGLS said in a statement. "There, we prefer to modify some parts of Armed Heroes Online where have caused those disputes rather than go on arguing. As long as this carves out a way out of angry disputes, it will be definitely worth our efforts," the statement reads.Despite the alterations coming to AHO, its developer sticks by the game, remaining defiant that any of Runic's Torchlight assets were used in the creation of its iOS MMO. "We want to make clear, if necessary, that we would like to submit the documents, files, and other materials related to the game developing to Apple to prove the originalities of the game and the efforts we devoted into the game developing," the statement says.Runic Games president Travis Baldree contends that he's already looked through AHO's files, however, and that they're far more damning that EGLS wants to admit. "I also downloaded the app, and you can just unzip them and look at any iPhone app. And there was a sound manifest that listed all the sound files in the game, and they were verbatim all of our sound files, including our own misspellings," Baldree told us in an interview yesterday. "Our technical artist Adam Perin did voices for a sword called 'The Sword of Adam.' And it had goofy little things that he would say when you swung the sword. And those were in there [Armed Heroes Online], even in one of their videos," he said.For Runic, this solution – should it actually play out – is exactly what Baldree was hoping would happen. "We're really just trying to get the thing pulled down from the App Store and to have them use their own assets. We were a little baffled by their initial response, and we'd be more than happy to talk to them and see what's up," he said. As of right now, Armed Heroes Online isn't available via the iTunes App Store, and it's seemingly been pulled by Apple following Runic's takedown request.See the full statement from EGLS after the break.
Torchlight art found in iOS MMO; MMO dev denies theft against strong evidence
Art assets from Runic Games' Torchlight franchise bear more than a passing resemblance to those used in iOS MMO Armed Heroes Online, from Chinese developer Entertainment Game Labs ("EGLS"). And Runic Games head Travis Baldree is calling foul, taking to Twitter this week to say, "So, wow - this game is releasing on the app store. They wholesale stole most of the assets from Torchlight," and linking to the EGLS game website.Baldree made the image seen above as well, comparing the two games' art assets from source material he found in YouTube clips of Armed Heroes Online with those of his company's game. Beyond talking, Baldree tells us that Runic "have contacted Apple with a takedown request but haven't heard back yet." The company's goal at the moment is "simply to get the game removed from the App Store until it no longer infringes upon our copyright." It's unclear if representatives from Runic's parent company, Chinese MMO company Perfect World, have been in contact with EGLS separately.Baldree says Runic "have been unable to directly contact the company," but a rep from EGLS posted on Touch Arcade's forums with a lengthy public statement today. "We can hardly agree with Mr. Travis Baldree who judged that EGLS 'wholesale stole most of the assets from Torchlight!' only based on the similarity between several small monsters. The judgment is simply untenable," the post reads.It goes on to say that some EGLS employees "are both crazy game fans and ecstatic movie lovers," alleging that the comparisons drawn are nothing more than an accident at best. Bizarrely, the statement then compares Torchlight to WildTangent's PC RPG Fate, as well as Diablo 2 – both games that Runic employees were instrumental in developing.Armed Heroes Online remains available via iTunes for now, but we don't expect it'll be there for much longer. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases (read: microtransactions). An EGLS rep didn't respond to request for comment as of publishing.
Runic not ready for Torchlight MMO anytime soon
So when's that Torchlight MMO coming out? When it's ready, and when Runic can muster the money and resources needed to properly handle the long-term commitment that an MMO represents, according to CEO Max Schaefer. "An MMO is a hell of a commitment," Schaefer tells Rock, Paper Shotgun. "It means we're gonna be doing that for a few years at least prior to release and then committing years of support for it afterward. So it's a decision we take very, very seriously." RPS says that a Torchlight MMO has always been Runic's end goal, but given the fact that the 30-man company is still fiddling with Torchlight II, we suspect the massively multiplayer version remains a ways off.
Torchlight 2's Berserker goes ... well, you know
If you've got some anger issues over Torchlight 2's expected time of arrival, you might find some common ground with the guy showcased in this new trailer.
Torchlight 2 distracts with pets trailer, screens
Torchlight 2 developer Runic Games is diverting attention from the game's lack of launch date with some assets featuring the upcoming dungeon crawler's pets. Although we're partial to the bulldog, there's something about the panther rolling over for belly rubs that's too cute to deny.With Diablo 3's May launch just around the corner, we don't hold out too much hope that Torchlight 2 will launch with significant breathing room between it and Blizzard's behemoth. Guess that gives the team at Runic, which has put on a strong face in light of recent events, time to develop a few more pets.%Gallery-152149%
Max Schaefer talks Torchlight II development, potential MMO plans
There are a lot of people eagerly anticipating Diablo III, but there are also several people looking forward to Torchlight II, the followup to the hugely successful spiritual sequel to Diablo. A recent interview with Max Schaefer, co-founder and CEO of Runic Games, discusses the development of the sequel including some of the contrasting points between it and Diablo III -- including the lack of any sort of virtual item shop. As Schaefer puts it, the team wants to put together a good game that stands on its own, and if it's successful the developers will look in the direction of an expansion rather than a straightforward shop. Schaefer also discusses a potential MMO coming out of the studio, something that's long been among the studio's plans -- one of the big reasons that Runic partnered with Perfect World Entertainment was due to its expertise with running an MMO. He claims that it's definitely still on the table, but it would be a big change for the studio, since the company has focused on staying small and launching an MMO is a very long-term commitment. Somewhat sad news for those hoping that Torchlight II's launch would spearhead MMO development directly, but the possibility certainly remains.
Runic Games stands against SOPA
Runic Games, developer of the Torchlight series, has come out against the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) and "PROTECT IP Act" (PIPA). "It is clear that the scope of the proposed legislation would give unnecessarily broaden power to large corporations while reducing the rights of individual citizens -- and it won't even stop software piracy," the company stated on its forums. "We at Runic Games oppose the SOPA/PIPA legislation and we encourage you to do the same." Runic then listed several resources for use in opposing the legislation, noting: "We can still make a difference." Yesterday, League of Legends studio Riot Games came out against the legislation. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the political arm of the video game industry, which represents most major publishers, is in support of SOPA. [Thanks, Jashua B]
Diablo III and Torchlight II compared via infographic
Diablo III? Or Torchlight II? If you can't decide which 2012 action RPG will reign supreme on your desktop, perhaps it's because you haven't compared each game's features side by side. GameArena has made that task quite a bit easier thanks to a comprehensive new infographic that appeared earlier this week. Whether you need a quick glance at the games' classes, a breakdown of the various single- and multiplayer options, or a look at intangibles like the modability and offline play of Torchlight II, the infographic has you covered. There's even a section on pets and a mini-bestiary!
Torchlight MMO still on schedule, depending on success of Torchlight II
Fans who are eagerly awaiting news on the status of the Torchlight MMO were offered a brief update during Runic CEO Max Schaefer's interview with Eurogamer; unfortunately for fans, it appears that completion and release of the MMO are quite a ways away. While Schaefer assures players that it is still planned and that they "have a lot of good ideas for the MMO," he also admits that they currently have other priorities -- namely the release of the forthcoming Torchlight II. He is clear that they "just aren't committing to any kind of schedule yet." Looks like fans will have to bide their time a while longer.
Explore Torchlight for $5.08 from Direct2Drive
If some cosmically improbable chain of events has kept you from playing Torchlight, today just might be the day to rectify it. Direct2Drive is currently selling the dungeon crawler for the tantalizingly low price of $5.08. It should be just the thing to tide you over until Torchlight 2.
