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‘Towerborne’ is an action-RPG brawler from the makers of The Banner Saga
Stoic Studio, makers of the tactical-RPG Banner Saga franchise, announced a new game today at the Summer Game Fest Xbox Showcase. Towerborne is an action-RPG brawler that appears to be a contrast to the studio’s previous work.
'Banner Saga 2' gets bigger and badder with Survival Mode
The Banner Saga 2 builds upon Stoic's brilliant Viking-fantasy universe, and it's about to get a little bit bigger. Survival Mode is available today as a free update to Banner Saga 2, allowing players to assemble teams from a large swath of existing heroes and then pit them against enemies in 40 back-to-back, turn-based strategy matches. Once a hero dies, he or she is gone for good, but each victory grants players a form of in-game currency called Renown, allowing them to add fresh fighters to their teams. Items drop during combat and there's a 30-second timer keeping the matches moving quickly.
'The Banner Saga 2' comes to PC and Mac on April 19th
The long-awaited sequel to The Banner Saga, Stoic's beloved role-playing game, is finally coming soon to PC and Mac. Although The Banner Saga 2 won't be available for download until April 19th, pre-orders are open starting today on Steam. Judging from screenshots, The Banner Saga 2 appears to have the same aesthetics as the original title, which isn't a bad thing. We know what matters to you is having legendary Viking fights in 2D, but now you'll have new characters and clans to choose from.
Sony will ensure 'The Banner Saga' comes to PS Vita
Now that Sony has more or less given up on first-party support for the Vita, indie games have become the portable system's lifeblood. It should come as no surprise, then, that when The Banner Saga developer Stoic announced it was putting its Vita port "on the back burner" due to budgetary concerns, Sony took note. It's partnering with indie publisher Versus Evil to continue work on the Vita port, and assumedly absorbing some of the cost (and potential profit). The news comes from Sony's Gio Corsi, who handles third-party developer relations for the company.
'The Banner Saga' pillages its way to PS4 and Xbox One soon
The Banner Saga's road to a console release has been a bit rocky, but the development team at Stoic has some good news: the excellent viking epic lands on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this coming January 12th. That's pretty soon! In fact, the team's efforts to make sure this isn't just a quick and dirty console port are what's caused the sequel's delay from its originally promised 2015 launch. And actually, this porting process has worked to get the developers familiar with console hardware for future projects.
The Banner Saga 2 confirms trek to PS4, Xbox One, PC
The Banner Saga 2 further unraveled today to reveal PS4, Xbox One (via ID@Xbox) and PC as its platforms, along with a 2015 release window. Following its succinct reveal at last week's Game Awards there's not much more to go on than that, we're afraid. More details are due in early 2015, publisher Versus Evil says, but for now you can watch the trailer below the break. Meanwhile, true to its name, the first Banner Saga continues to make news with the recent announcement of a Vita port. That's in addition to the previously confirmed voyage to PS4, which itself is due in early 2015. [Update: According to an ESRB rating published last week, The Banner Saga is also on the way to Xbox One]
The Banner Saga 2 exists
The Banner Saga developer Stoic Studio is developing The Banner Saga 2, the studio announced during tonight's The Game Awards in Las Vegas. No other details were announced, but this is indeed a welcome surprise – in our review of The Banner Saga, we said, "The Banner Saga is a human story told with inhuman flair, and that somehow makes it all the more relatable. [...] I'm a warrior now, and a leader, and I feel empowered." [Image: Stoic Studio]
The Banner Saga victorious at The Geekie Awards
The Banner Saga added another trophy to its haul this month by collecting the The Geekie Award for Best Indie Video Game. Stoic's turn-based strategy RPG was up against tough competition from the likes of Outlast, Don't Starve, Axle and Octodad: The Dadliest Catch. But a winner had to be chosen and there was only one man for the task. Yes, one Richard Mitchell of Joystiq Reviews Content Director fame - and other judges, we gather - deemed The Banner Saga this year's worthy winner. "We are honored by the outpouring of love from fans for The Banner Saga and know that this award is due to their support", said Stoic Technical Director John Watson. "This comes just as we are about to launch the game on tablet, and we are excited about the prospect of offering The Banner Saga to a new medium of gamers."
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The Banner Saga Collectors Edition trudging to Europe and Australia [update: More territories!]
Update: Sold Out has clarified that The Banner Saga Collectors Edition will be available in all of Europe and Australia as well. More vikings to go around! Like the vikings whose tale it tells, The Banner Saga will soon be marching across the land ... into UK retail stores. Okay, so the analogy isn't perfect, but the point is that Sold Out is bringing a boxed Collectors Edition of the turn-based strategy game to the UK. The Collectors Edition is slated to include the game, the original soundtrack composed by Austin Wintory and the "Insane Viking Pack," which was previously available only as an exclusive pre-order bonus. The retail edition is available only in the UK "at this time," according to developer Stoic Studio's Twitter. Interested UK fans can dredge up a copy on July 24 for £19.99. [Image: Stoic Studio]
The Banner Saga review: Needles and pins
I never learned how to play chess. Every time I remind my dad of this fact, he's surprised – he adores chess and swears he taught me how to play, at least once, and he probably did. That doesn't mean I learned anything. Chess involves a lineup of pieces with individual rules, boundaries and strengths, and learning each of their moves and how they all dance together is still a daunting task to me. I like simplicity in my strategy. Checkers is nice. I still don't fully understand The Banner Saga, much in the way I don't fully understand chess. The turn-based strategy aspect of The Banner Saga runs deep, starring warriors with complex abilities, and it's paired with a different lineup of comrades for each battle, if you wish. The story that threads through these battles is similarly complicated, layered with alliances, deaths, epic backstories and fantasy, and the rigorous task of leading groups of half-giants and men across the vast, wintry landscape of ancient Viking legend. I know that I'm missing the finer details that comprise The Banner Saga. There are story elements I've glossed over in pursuit of battles, and battles I've passed by while chasing the intricate story, but still I'm swept up in the icy, epic fantasy of developer Stoic's universe. Just as I respect chess for its complexity, I admire The Banner Saga for everything that I do – and don't – see in it.
Candy Crush Saga dev won't oppose The Banner Saga's name
Stand down, everyone: Candy Crush Saga developer King won't attempt to enforce a trademark on the word "saga" against Stoic's The Banner Saga. GI.biz reports that King claimed in December The Banner Saga was "confusingly and deceptively similar to [King's] previously used Saga marks" but King has issued a statement to make it clear it's not trying to take out the RPG: "King has not and is not trying to stop Banner Saga from using its name. We do not have any concerns that Banner Saga is trying build on our brand or our content." Although King is doing exactly what it's supposed to do from a business standpoint to protect its product names, trying to trademark words like "saga" and "candy" is a bit laughable to the outside world. King doesn't officially hold these trademarks yet, and is moving to protecting its interests in this preliminary phase. If you need a recent example of two games that clashed over the use of a common word, you need look no further than the lawsuit between Bethesda Softworks and Minecraft creator Mojang over The Elder Scrolls and Scrolls, respectively. If Bethesda didn't protect "scrolls," it could have lost the trademark. That story also ended amicably with lawyers getting paid and Scrolls retaining its name through a license. In less litigious news, it seems The Banner Saga will soon be coming to an iPad near you. "We are definitely bringing [The Banner Saga] game to tablets, I believe our first port will be iOS, but obviously nothing is set in stone as of yet," Alex Thomas of Stoic Studios told PocketGamer.
BioWare vets' Banner Saga Kickstarter a massive success, one day left to support
"This Kickstarter has renewed my faith in humanity," Stoic Games' John Watson said in the upstart game company's latest video update, addressing the successful funding of Stoic's project, "The Banner Saga." His company just raised well over its original goal, and he's understandably elated. Stoic Games is comprised of three self-described game industry vets (their latest digs were BioWare's Austin studio), though the studio is hiring a few more positions in light of its recent Kickstarter success.The project, which aimed to raise $100K, now has over $620K banked with another 32 hours to go (as of this writing). All that extra money means that the Stoic Games trio can give The Banner Saga a fully orchestrated soundtrack composed by Journey songsmith Austin Wintory.As one last push, Stoic is offering Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network ports of the game should the team reach $650K. If the Kickstarter reaches $700K, Stoic promises to include a feature it had to cut from the game: player-run, upgradeable cities. Are you way into being a virtual mayor? Now is the time to donate, then!Wondering what you're getting into? The project's pitch video is available just below the break.
SWTOR devs leaving BioWare to make indie game
What's next for BioWare's Arnie Jorgensen, Alex Thomas, and John Watson? A new RPG/RTS hybrid called The Banner Saga, according to Kotaku. The trio spent the past half decade slaving away on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and now they're striking out on their own to make an indie title described as "roleplaying meets turn-based strategy, wrapped into an adventure miniseries about vikings." Watson was SWTOR's lead combat programmer, while Thomas and Jorgensen filled the senior environment artist and lead concept artist roles, respectively. The trio has formed an indie studio called Stoic, and the company's maiden offering is apparently "coming soon."
