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Microsoft's message to indies with Xbox One: 'It was sort of weird'
Microsoft's reveal of its next-gen console, the Xbox One, was high on broad entertainment apps such as Skype, interactive programming, media management and Kinect-powered features. Games saw a smaller showing, with two new announcements and a trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts. Indie games got an even smaller nod – that is, none at all. E3 is right around the corner, with the Microsoft conference on June 10. Maybe that's where all of the Xbox One games are hiding, along with the console's indie plan. We asked a handful of indie developers what Microsoft's presentation today said to them specifically, and what they want to see at E3. Below we have responses from Rami Ismail of Ridiculous Fishing fame, Octodad's Philip Tibitoski, DLC Quest's Ben Kane, Charlie Murder's James Silva, Retro City Rampage's Brian Provinciano and Fez's Phil Fish.
DLC Quest takes satirical platforming to Steam with a launch sale
DLC Quest is now available on Steam for PC and Mac, cashing in on its Greenlight success with a 20 percent-off sale, making the entire game just $2.40. DLC Quest on Steam includes the original platformer and new Live Freemium or Die campaign, and of course more than 30 DLC packs, all providing commentary concerning microtransactions and the pared-out state of gaming.But don't fret: All DLC, no matter how essential to the actual gameplay, is purchased with in-game coins. The DLC Quest launch sale runs through March 25 at 10 a.m. PDT, when the game is bumped back up to its regular, super-inflated price of $3.
Chosen Bundle chooses Hard Reset, DLC Quest
The latest Indie Royale bundle went live earlier this week, and includes five games at the dynamic "pay the minimum" price, currently just under $5. The Chosen Bundle features DLC Quest and Lair of the Evildoer by Going Loud Studios, Hard Reset by Flying Wild Hog, Brog's Vertex Dispenser and Jolly Rover by Brawsome. All games in the bundle are for PC and Mac via Steam and Desura.By paying at least $8 for the pack of games, players will receive Daniel Capo's chiptune album O.S.T: Original Soundtrack. The Chosen Bundle is available for purchase through Wednesday, February 27.
DLC Quest modestly proposes new content in Greenlight bid
DLC Quest, the satirical platformer that has players pay (with in-game currency) for necessary assets such as moving to the left, has a fresh batch of DLC coming its way, titled "Live Freemium or Die." This content brings a new campaign, world and enemies, along with buckets of new DLC to purchase, set to launch in Q4 2012 for PC, Mac and Xbox 360.DLC Quest is on Steam Greenlight, hanging in at number 23. Developer Going Loud Studios would like to see DLC Quest in the top 10, and Live Freemium or Die will be included in the Steam version in an attempt to sweeten that deal. Check out DLC Quest in our Indie Pitch, interview with creator Ben Kane, or directly on Greenlight.
DLC Quest now on Mac App Store
Going Loud Studios' uniquely endearing commentary on the current state of our industry's fetish for all things microtransactional is now available on the Mac App Store for $0.99, a whole dollar less than its original price on Desura.In case you somehow missed our Indie Pitch or the subsequent interview with the game's creator, DLC Quest examines what happens when "DLC goes too far," requiring players to collect coins to purchase basic gameplay functionality such as "animation" and "walking to the left."
Indie Chatter: DLC Quest's Ben Kane pulls an indie vlog out of his hat
Ben Kane is a "fixer." When he sees a discrepancy in the daily minutiae of the gaming community, he does something about it, something other than signing online petitions or leaving nasty comments under clever pseudonyms on developers' blogs. He actively attempts to fix the problem.For example, at the height of the DLC outrage, when publishers first began blatantly shipping extra content behind transparent pay walls, Kane formulated his indignation into a modern-day Modest Proposal. He made DLC Quest, a satirical platformer that has players pay, with in-game currency, for essential aspects such as animations and moving to the left.The game generated attention for its message, but also its engaging gameplay, and after launching on XBLIG it was included in the Indie Royale St. Patrick's Day Bundle. The bundle alone sold more than 33,000 copies. Kane may not have single-handedly fixed The DLC Problem, but he did turn it into a source of entertainment for others, and exposure for himself.Again, when Kane noticed that there were no vlogs where developers discussed the day-to-day issues of building their games, he fixed it. He started Indie Chatter, a simple video platform where he can talk through the development process behind DLC Quest and any other titles, problems, conventions or happenings that he faced as an indie developer."Game development videos really only cover a small part of what is involved in indie development -- specifically, they show off part of a game," Kane told Joystiq. "But that only works when there's something interesting to show off. What about when you're coming up with the concept for a game? Or when you're adding polish and fixing bugs? What do you show when you're planning your release and thinking of how to market your game?"
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: DLC Quest
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 at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Ben Kane of Going Loud Studios shows us the satirical side of indie gaming with DLC Quest. Bet you can't guess what it's making fun of. What's your game called and what's it about?It's called DLC Quest, and it's about a quest for DLC. No, really! It's a satirical look at what happens when DLC goes too far, forcing the player to "buy" DLC (using in-game coins) to unlock core features like animation, pausing and moving to the left.What inspired you to make DLC Quest?DLC practices throughout the gaming industry have been rubbing consumers the wrong way for a while now and seem to be getting worse. I wanted to make a dig at some of the worst offenders but by the time I got around to it, there was enough material to make a whole game about the topic.
