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Bundle in a Box is DRM-free in Deep Space, with DRM (Death Ray Manta)
Bundle in a Box offers pay-what-you-want pricing, starting at $0.99, on a digital box full of DRM-free games – except for that one DRM game in the current Deep Space bundle.Death Ray Manta is available exclusively via the Bundle in a Box right now, alongside Space Giraffe, The Wreckless, Dark Scavenger and Armalyte, and special content for Droidscape: Basilica when that drops in the final quarter of 2012 for iOS and Android. Paying more than the average ($4.59 as of this writing) gets you Sol: Exodus, Miner Wars Arena, RobotRiot and Armalyte Extras. As the total number of sales increases, more goodies for everyone are unlocked as well.So far Deep Space has sold more than 1,500 bundles, with 11 days left to buy. Sales benefit the Hellenic Centre for Mental Health and Treatment of Child and Family and the Indie Dev Grant.
Minter: Microsoft 'sitting on' next Llamasoft title
In an interview with Eurogamer, Llamasoft head and Space Giraffe developer Jeff Minter explained that he is ready to release the next iteration of Gridrunner to the Xbox Live Arcade, but that Microsoft is "sitting on" the game. "We sent it off to [Microsoft] months ago, but they've just not said anything" admitted Minter, adding "they're just sitting on the demo we sent them three or four months ago." And it sounds like Minter's patience is wearing thin, because he also makes it clear that if he doesn't hear from Microsoft soon that he'll just carry on with the PC version of Gridrunner+++. Sounds to us like a bad case of communication and a touch of hesitation to release the title, possibly because of Space Giraffes' less than stellar sales success. Hopefully Minter can get things straightened out and hopefully Gridrunner+++ can end up selling more than Frogger.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Space Giraffe on PC next week
Great news, game fans: You'll have yet another chance to ignore Space Giraffe when it arrives on PCs for digital download next week. But get this: When you ignore it this time, you'll be even more justified because it's going to cost $20, according to Giant Bomb. No, really!Admittedly, this will be a remixed version, with some new content and visual tweaks, but yeesh, $20? Just do us a favor, tell Jeff Minter not to come crying to us when 10 times as many people play this.
Joystiq interviews Blow in a post-Braid world
Unless you haven't figured it out, we're pretty big fans of Braid on the Xbox Live Arcade. Braid's creator, Jonathan Blow, has become a household name for gamers and fellow fans at Joystiq decided to shoot a whole mess of questions his way post-release. The interview covers everything from why Blow isn't a big fan of most games to his admiration of the XBLA title Space Giraffe. Check it out.
This Wednesday: Sensible World of Soccer, Tempest come to XBLA
We know what you're thinking: "This isn't news! I've known about the release of Sensible World of Soccer and Tempest on XBLA for weeks!" Well, you're right and you're wrong. As for the well-regarded soccer game Sensible, you hit the nail on the head as we reported last month it would arrive on the 19th for 800 points. So no big surprises there.And as for Tempest, we're pretty sure that you're confusing it with Space Giraffe. Don't feel bad though, it happens to everybody. While "a tarted up, 400-point HD version of Tempest" would be an accurate way to describe both, this one has a way better title.
No more dev blogging for Jeff Minter
Following last week's sour rant about the poor sales of Space Giraffe, and more importantly after the response to said rant, Jeff Minter has announced that he will no longer use his LiveJournal blog to chronicle game development. Minter has a new set of harsh words for those that felt the need to disagree with his rant, while he has words of gratitude for those that encouraged him. He also reassures the masses that he is not giving up game development, and is in fact halfway through his next project. Furthermore, Minter notes that there are "a couple of reasonably quick games" in the works, which he believes is "the way to make it work out" for Llamasoft.So there you have it folks, the world hasn't heard the last of Jeff Minter. Frankly, we're glad to hear it.[Image (minus the caption) via Gamasutra]
Minter's pissed, Frogger outsells Space Giraffe
Jeff Minter, the outspoken, llama loving creator of Space Giraffe is pissed. Not in the European sense either. No, he's angry. Why? Specifically, it's because Space Giraffe was outsold by Frogger ten to one on Xbox Live Arcade in one week. The dejected creator implied on his blog that he was considering abandoning game development all together. Minter had some harsh words against Frogger and the gaming population in general: "OK, we get the message. All you want on that channel is remakes of old, shite arcade games and crap you vaguely remember playing on your Amiga."However, given the XBLA top purchased games, his logic isn't really born out. The XBLA top ten is consistently filled with more original titles than retro titles. Still, we understand Minter's frustration, despite our fond memories of Frogger. While Space Giraffe may have failed to strike a chord on XBLA, hopefully Minter won't give up entirely. We like his style.[Via Joystiq]
Poor sales of Space Giraffe make Jeff Minter sad
Jeff Minter, head of Llamasoft, is apparently a bit upset about the sales of his Xbox Live Arcade title Space Giraffe. Upset enough, in fact, to post a disparaging message to his Livejournal blog, insinuating that he means to stop making games altogether. Prompting this reaction were apparent Live Arcade statistics, revealing that in one week Frogger on XBLA outsold Space Giraffe. Minter is clearly taking the lack of his game's success a bit hard, but we hope that he doesn't let the sheer popularity of retro titles push him away from any future development. Minter's angry ranting was posted at 1:45 am, his time. In the event that he sobers up and removes the post, we've copied his frothy words for your perusal. Check out all the anti-retro spite after the break. [Via CVG]
Space Giraffe to be cleansed with title update
Sometime this week the psychedelic XBLA game Space Giraffe will be starting fresh with a new title update and a leaderboards reset too. The title update is set to fix two gameplay elements and will now restrict players from indefinitely holding the power zone at its maximum or allow for the ability to indefinitely juggle enemies. We're sure these two indefinite exploits caused some crazy large Space Giraffe high scores, so we guess it's only fitting the leaderboards get a recent too. Watch for the title update to roll out in the next few days and please be safe when playing, because seizures are real kids ... seizures are real.
Minter's next XBLA project: Gridrunner++
Space Giraffe, Jeff Minter's psychedelic 3D shooting jumble of a game that some ended up falling in love with while others, well, don't love at all. And so after his Giraffe antics Minter is heading back into the XBLA arena for round two with a remake of the space shooter Gridrunner++. According to Minter's personal blog, he's back to work on a Gridrunner++ port for the XBLA, updating the graphics and formatting it for a widescreen display. Here's to hoping Gridrunner++ on the 360 features trippy visuals, confusing graphics and nauseating gameplay. Oh joy![Via IGN]
Space Giraffe and Street Trace release
Fresh for the picking and ready for download off the XBLA are two new gems; the psychedelic Space Giraffe and the hovering Street Trace: NYC. Space Giraffe is available for 400 Microsoft points and includes 100 levels of lsd visuals with Street Trace being a little more spendy around 800 Microsoft points and featuring eight player hoverboard racing. As always, trial games are free, so be adventurous and give them a try. Read - Space Giraffe Read - Street Trace: NYC
This Wednesday: Space Giraffe and Street Trace light up XBLA
As proof that Jeff Minter is no longer tweaking, Space Giraffe is set for release on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday, August 22nd, for 400 MS Points ($5). If the term "tunnel shooter" doesn't help you visualize Llamasoft's unhinged experiment in visual excess, picturing a Tempest of rainbows vomiting on your screen should get you halfway there. And that's not even considering the steady stream of mixed up gaming memes it spouts at you -- we just found out our giraffe is in another castle. Also releasing this week is Street Trace: NYC, a futuristic hoverboard racer where your board's "emissions" can grant speed boosts to competing players. Mid-air jostling, upgradeable vehicles and online multiplayer all add up to 800 MS Points ($10) and a stirring memory of the Dreamcast's TrickStyle. %Gallery-6129% %Gallery-6128%
Space Giraffe And Street Trace: NYC on XBLA twofer [update 1]
Hot off the wire is that this week is that we're in for another Xbox Live Arcade twofer this Wednesday, with the release of Space Giraffe, as well as Street Trace: NYC. The former of the titles is from Llamasoft, and designer Jeff Minter, featuring 100 levels of gameplay, and completing them unlocks a new game mode (as long as you have a high enough anal score). On the Street Trace side of things, you get get your fill of arena battles and racing across the futuristic wastelands of New York City, Marty McFly style. You have your choice of up to 8 player multiplayer over Live or 4 player splitscreen locally across the four arena stages. Space Giraffe will run you 400 MP and Street Trace clocks in at 800 Microsoft Points, and will be available 9:00 AM GMT or 2:00 AM PT and 5:00 AM ET. Update: Fixed price point for Space Giraffe.
Jeff Minter vents about the XBLA cert process
It wasn't that long ago that Xbox Live Arcade releases were few and far between. Oftentimes, delays to our favorite titles were blamed on Microsoft's certification process. Unfortunately, that's really all we ever heard about it. Jeff Minter, creator of Tempest 2000 and the upcoming Space Giraffe for XBLA, has solved that problem by venting about the certification process on his personal blog. In doing so, Minter has also given us the most detailed explanation of the cert process that we've seen. It seems that Microsoft's certification process is a long and drawn out affair. According to Minter, he now considers the Microsoft certification process to be the most stressful thing he's ever done in the game industry: "I used to tell how final test on T2K for Atari was the most stressful thing I'd ever done in the biz. I now wholeheartedly rescind that. Final test at Atari was a holiday, it was a finite process with an end that occurred in just a few weeks." Suffice it to say, Minter has few kind words for the cert process. He does have plenty of curse words though. Here's hoping Space Giraffe hits its mark and Minter can regain some of his sanity.
Rumor: Space Giraffe nears release
Our pals over at Game Stooge are reporting that Xbox Live Arcade game Space Giraffe is done and will be released in the coming weeks. According to their anonymous tipster, Space Giraffe is done, has been handed off to Microsoft's certification team, and should be releasing in a few weeks. True or false, we already know Space Giraffe will be hitting the Arcade sometime this year and are very interested in seeing what it has to offer. Heck, at the very least one has to be excited about the game's "anal score". Yeah ... don't ask.
Space Giraffe finished, Minter still tweaking
What better way to celebrate April 20 than with belated news of Space Giraffe's completion? Earlier this week, eccentric game developer Jeff Minter dragged himself from the meadow and logged into his LiveJournal page to write, "Well the game's finished". Minter's still tweaking the final code, most recently implementing a results graph so that players can compare gameplay sessions to their overall high scores and a predetermined "good" score, but expect the psychedelic shooter to be shipping off to Microsoft for certification any day now. Let's hope it makes it through the pipeline and onto Xbox Live Arcade faster than other high-profile titles... Anyways, congrats Jeff -- can't wait to light one up and play! Of course, we'd ask you to join us for a celebratory cigar ... but we hear you're off the nicotine. How about a carrot instead?
Space Giraffe is done, now with more graphs!
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, Space Giraffe is finished. Space Giraffe, the super hippy trippy shooter experience from Jeff Minter, is now complete. Not only that, but on his personal blog he reveals one of the last features to be implemented into the game. The feature is fairly simple actually: a graph to chart your progress throughout the levels. The green line represents your recorded high scores for a given level, the yellow line represents what the game considers a "good" score, and the orange bit at the bottom represents the score you just accrued. So, according to this graph of Level 8, the overall score is below a "good" score, and well below the highest recorded score. The graph can also be manipulated to show multiple levels. Overall, it's a handy feature for those looking to improve themselves. So there you have it, Space Giraffe is done. Now all we need is a release date.
Jeff Minter: artist, developer, friend of sheep
Gamasutra interviews eccentric Welsh developer Jeff Minter, who created such retro-inspired classics as Tempest 2000, Llamatron, and Attack of the Mutant Camels. Now under contract with Microsoft, Minter spills the psychedelic beans on his forthcoming Space Giraffe for Xbox Live Arcade, reveals whether he'll ever develop for anyone other than Bill Gates again, and cuddles a sheep for the camera. (See above.)
Space Giraffe is in Microsoft's hands now
According to the latest blog post on Jeff Minter's personal blog, Space Giraffe, the uber trippy Live Arcade shooter, is heading off to Microsoft, where its ultimate fate will be decided. As Minter puts it, "The release to MS is a little bit scary because we effectively get the go/no go for the whole thing on this submission, but damn me if it doesn't look gorgeous and I think it plays really nicely so I would be very surprised if we have any problems there." We'd have to agree that the game is pretty (check out this video), though perhaps a little to psychedelic for its own good. Minter repeats that the game has reached a very playable stage, currently has 32 levels complete, and he has plenty of time to tweak the game. There are plans to add more levels and create even more enemy types. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Live Arcade has tons of shooters as it is, but Space Giraffe looks to bring something new to the service, and we're definitely looking forward to it. [Via Joystiq]
Microsoft to soon decide fate of Space Giraffe, alpha build shipping out
Jeff Minter's latest Space Giraffe update exposes the designer's undulating emotions, as he prepares to ship an alpha build of the Xbox Live Arcade hopeful off to Microsoft tomorrow. While his confidence grows -- "I have 32 levels in now and I'm getting happy with it" -- Minter knows that everything is riding on Microsoft's reception of the early submission. "The release to MS is a little bit scary because we effectively get the go/no go for the whole thing," writes Minter. Still, as Minter seems to conclude, it's unlikely that Microsoft will pull the plug on Space Giraffe. It's an indie shooter, after all -- a shoo-in for Xbox Live Arcade. [Via 1UP] See also: Trippy Space Giraffe video is "giraffetastic!" Minter talks Space Giraffe, cuddles sheep
