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Humble Android Bundle 4 adds Canabalt, Cogs, Swords & Soldiers HD and more
In typical Humble Bundle fashion, the initial lineup of great games included in Humble Android Bundle 4 has had even more great games piled on top of it. Five more games are now included to previous purchasers and those who pledge more than $6.25 from here on out – Canabalt, Cogs, Swords & Soldiers HD, Zen Bound 2 and Avadon: The Black Fortress.Avadon: The Black Fortress is a tablet-only, class-based tactical RPG from Spiderweb Software; Cogs is the acclaimed 3D puzzle game from Lazy 8 Studios where players must move pieces around on a 3D cube. Swords & Soldiers HD is Ronimo Games' casual-friendly side-scrolling strategy game where you manage unit spawning and steamroll everything in your path.Zen Bound 2 is an artistic 3D puzzler where players are tasked with wrapping as little twine as possible around wooden objects to complete beautiful, simple sculptures. Finally, Canabalt is Adam Saltsman's excellent free-runner about standing up to the government and hating boxes. Oh man does that game make you hate boxes.And as with the original lineup, each of these new games also include their respective soundtracks.
Humble Bundle for Android #2 brings Canabalt to Android
If you have an Android phone, you've probably been eagerly awaiting this day: the day when Semi Secret Software's auto-runner Canabalt jumps through a window and lands on Android. Not only is it out today, it's part of a new Android-focused Humble Bundle.Other games in today's pay-what-you-want charity collection include Zen Bound 2, Cogs, and Spiderweb's Avadon: The Black Fortress. Those who pay over the average also get Swords & Soldiers.Though it's an Android bundle, buying it gets you access to all the games across PC, Mac, and Linux as well, plus soundtracks for everything but Avadon. And, of course, you get the positive feeling of contributing to charity or whatever.
The enduring web of indie veteran Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software is one of the oldest independent development studios in existence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Vogel, Spiderweb has been developing RPG gems for close to 18 years, beginning with the Exile series, and more recently launching the first of its new Avadon trilogy, titled The Black Fortress.Today the indie industry is regarded as a true form of gaming and art, producing superstars, millionares and rabid fanbases, all within a cool bubble of hipster trendiness. As Vogel tells Joystiq, it didn't start out that way."When I started, there was no indie culture," Vogel says. "We were writing what was called 'shareware' and everyone thought that we were losers. The whole thing about indie developers being respectable and able to make real money on Steam and iTunes is a very new development. And it still makes my head spin."Vogel is lucky -- he found a loyal, niche market in the indie RPG genre -- but he's also displayed a lot of dedication to have survived on his own for almost two decades, longer than many in the latest wave of indie developers have been alive."I'm proud of survival," Vogel says. "I've been doing this for seventeen years, working for the same company and making the same genre of game in the same way. The list of people who have done that is very short."
OnLive is putting six new indie games online this fall
OnLive is feeling the indie love at Indiecade 2011 this weekend with the announcement of six new indie titles landing in its library this fall: Orcs Must Die Limbo Magicka Bastion Space Chem Avadon: The Black Fortress OnLive already offers popular-indie games such as Braid, Trine, World of Goo and The Maw. OnLive veep of games and media John Spinale said, "OnLive has long been a supporter of independent publishers. Simply put, they're making some really great, innovative games these days," because that's true, and the more exposure for the talented underdarlings, the better, at least in our book. Er, website.
