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Zynga releases Running With Friends, developed with Eat Sleep Play
Zynga has released a new game in the 'With Friends' series (which started back when the company acquired Words with Friends, a very popular Scrabble-like iOS game). Running With Friends is, as you can see above, not a fitness app, though that does sound fun. Instead, it's an endless running game, based on the Running of the Bulls, where you compete with friends to earn points and distance. The game has you running, jumping and dodging obstacles, all while trying to earn as many points as possible. As you might expect, the title is freemium, so it's free to download, and there are in-app purchases available if you'd like extra currency. Most of the games in the "With Friends" series have been super casual so far (mostly word games and simple social titles), so it's interesting to see that Zynga is upping the ante on the gameplay just a bit. Plus, this title is developed by was developed in collaboration with (see update) Eat Sleep Play, a company founded by David Jaffe that previously worked on the Twisted Metal games. "With Friends" hasn't seen a lot of action lately (though it's still a fairly big brand for Zynga), so this may be an attempt to revitalize the offerings. Update: Zynga got in touch to point out that the game wasn't developed by Eat Sleep Play directly, but that company did collaborate on some of the gameplay elements. So there's that.
Twisted Metal series on sale this week on PSN
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Twisted Metal on the PS3, the entire series is discounted on PSN for the next week. It all starts with the PS3 entry, which has had its price shot, run over and exploded down to a manageable $29.99 for the next week.PS One Classics Twisted Metal and Twisted Metal 2 are both on sale for $4.99 each; Twisted Metal Black, the PS2 entry in the series, is on sale for $7.99 – you may recall it was included in first edition copies of 2012's Twisted Metal gratis. If purchasing piecemeal isn't your idea of a good deal, you can get everything together in the Twisted Birthday Bundle for $39.99.Last year's Twisted Metal made its PSN debut in October for $40 – if you missed out on Eat Sleep Play's entry in the long-running series, be sure to read our review.
Twisted Metal coming to PSN October 30 for $40
Twisted Metal is heading to PSN October 30, as announced in a recent PlayStation blog podcast. The game will also see a drop in price, as it will be available on the service for $40.Creative Director David Jaffe said the game was "not a dud, not a hit" back in August. Jaffe left Twisted Metal developer Eat Sleep Play after the game's launch in March. If $40 still has you feeling uncertain, our review of the game might help you decide where to put your wallet.
Twisted Metal sold 'fine,' was 'not a dud,' says Jaffe
Last year's Twisted Metal reboot "sold fine," says creative director David Jaffe. "Not a dud, not a hit," he adds. "It was not a mega blockbuster or even a big hit (was it even a 'hit'?...not sure what is in between 'dud' and 'hit' but I think TM PS3 falls into that category)." He stops short of offering any specific sales numbers, but notes, "I hope Sony will be satisfied that it made a decent investment in the game and in us."It's unclear how large of a financial investment Sony made in the Twisted Metal reboot, but it apparently wasn't enough to keep Jaffe's Eat Sleep Play studio from facing cuts following the launch last year. Jaffe himself also left the company; he is now pursuing free-to-play games.Jaffe also outlines eerily specific plans for another Twisted Metal franchise entry, saying it'd be digital-only and aggressively truncated. "But again, this is just me pie in the sky thinking out loud," he notes. "None of this is planned." Mmmmhmmmm, Mr. Jaffe. We've heard that song before.
A look into Twisted Metal's 'greenlight' process, with cut content
David Jaffe posted a video made for a "green light" meeting – an early Twisted Metal clip put together to demonstrate modes that were being considered for the final game. Some of the content in this video never made it into the retail game!For example, in early versions of the game, Sweet Tooth was not a clown, but a librarian. A sexy librarian. Are we kidding? You'll have to watch the video to be sure!
Jaffe walks through the Twisted Metal car customizer web app
You've had Twisted Metal for a few days now, and you're already sick of Sweet Tooth's vanilla-style ice cream truck. Frankly, you want a cheetah print one. And series creator David Jaffe is happy to walk you through just how you'll be able to do that in a yet-to-be-released web application, as seen above.
Twisted Metal review: On cruise control
We all have guilty pleasures, those things we enjoy but are afraid to tell others about, because deep down we know how terrible we are for enjoying them. The Twisted Metal series has always been that way for me. As my prepubescent self might have exclaimed at the series' introduction so many years ago, "A clown with a perpetually flaming head drives around in an ice cream truck killing people? That is so cool."Imagine my stifled pleasure when a new installment of Twisted Metal was announced for the PS3. I envisioned how much the old arcade gameplay might benefit from some modern influence, and how much technology could augment the formula and push the series into exciting new territories.Too bad that isn't the case here. Instead, Twisted Metal does little to shake things up and takes the safe, careful approach with its PS3 debut.
Jaffe outlines plans post-Eat Sleep Play; no Twisted Metal DLC or sequel planned
As we learned earlier this week, Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe will be leaving Eat Sleep Play sometime after the series relaunch of Twisted Metal hits store shelves. Jaffe sat down with our own Alexander Sliwinski during this week's DICE summit for a segment on The Joystiq Show, during which he elaborated on his waning presence at Eat Sleep Play and his plans for creating a new studio based out of San Diego."I will be with Eat Sleep Play until we finish what's called the 'maintenance contract' we have and have been working on with Sony. That will allow us, post-launch, to stay and address issues that there's no way we can know of. Cleaning things up in terms of balance, bugs, tuning, tweaks." This maintenance contract expires at the end of March, at which point Jaffe plans on cultivating new ideas, as well as a new team, for his fledgling studio."There's no corporate filings, there's no official company name yet; 99 percent of my day is Twisted Metal right now. There's four games I would love to do, the one I do really depends on the team I can put together and the money that I can find to make it." His ideas for new titles include both console and browser-based offerings, with a "guerilla-style" survival-horror thrown in for good measure: "There's a survival-horror genre in there, a real low-budget survival horror, kinda guerilla film making style. Not in terms of the look, but in terms of that kind of financing and that kind of production."Jaffe recently told Game Informer that there are no sequel or DLC plans for Twisted Metal, although that doesn't mean he's left the series for good. "You never know what the future holds, I'd love to make another Twisted down the road with these guys one day, if that opportunity presents itself." For now, though, Jaffe's focus is on building new experiences with new IPs.
The Joystiq Show - DICE 2012: David Jaffe and Kevin Dent
The annual industry-focused trade show. DICE, kicked off last night with a keynote from Bethesda Game Studios' Todd Howard, but he's not the only industry veteran at the conference with insight into the inner workings of game development and publishing.In this special DICE edition of The Joystiq Show, Alexander Sliwinski talks with Eat Sleep Play's David Jaffe about the imminent launch of Twisted Metal, his current status with the company, and his plans to move into next-gen and browser game development.The second interview features IGDA Mobile SIG's Kevin Dent, the man responsible for shining the spotlight on THQ's business practices and potentially disastrous financial predicament several weeks ago. Dent joins Alexander to delve into the details of his public statements and motivations for why he spoke out.Part 1 (0:13) - Interview: David JaffePart 2 (13:31) - Interview: Kevin DentGet the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes[Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator[MP3] Download the MP3 directlyHost: Alexander Sliwinski (@XanderSliwinski)Guests: David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) and Kevin Dent (@TheKevinDent)Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily)Music: "Bust This Bust That" by Professor KliqView the full guest list, related stories, and stream the show after the break.
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update]
Eat Sleep Play, which will shortly ship Twisted Metal, has reportedly laid off eight employees. The Salt Lake City Tribune also reports that co-founder David Jaffe is out and expected to pursue "casual games." Jaffe responded to the "rumor" of him making casual games after Twisted Metal as "highly exaggerated."Eat Sleep Play now has a staff of 26 and will transition to iPhone and iPad development. "It's a platform that is in our pockets almost 24/7. It's kind of the size and types of games we're playing," said other co-founder Scott Campbell to the Salt Lake Trib. "You can certainly reach a lot more people. That's pretty exciting for us."Campbell confirmed Jaffe's departure and said that the company and Jaffe are "going down two separate paths." Twisted Metal is Eat Sleep Play's second project, following the disappointing reception and sales of Calling all Cars. We've contacted Jaffe for clarification of his current status.Update: David Jaffe has confirmed that following the release of Twisted Metal (along with sticking around for balancing and bug fixing), he will step away from Eat Sleep Play. Jaffe also confirmed an undisclosed number of layoffs. ESP's office is located in Utah, while co-founder David Jaffe currently resides in California. Jaffe cited issues with directing a big game from a distance and a fondness for internal game development as reasons behind his decision to leave.The Twisted Metal director plans to open a new studio in San Diego and says he is "talking2peeps" for his new company to tackle some "big, huge next gen game ideas" or even "stuff in the browser space" that he labeled as "gamer centric."
Twisted Metal hits Europe on March 7
After the European launch of Twisted Metal was stalled last week, a new date has been announced by creator David Jaffe. The European release has been pushed back to March 7, according to Jaffe's Twitter account, thanks to localization issues and cuts that had to be made in cutscenes.Last week, Jaffe assured players that Twisted Metal's story -- surely its most integral component -- would remain intact despite the alterations.
Twisted Metal launch stalled in Europe, pushed back to March
Localization issues are holding up the launch of Twisted Metal in Europe, David Jaffe confirmed in a NeoGAF post today. Though he couldn't say exactly when the title would launch in March, it seems the whole month is in play -- it could pull into retail as early as March 1 or at the end of the month. Twisted Metal is still on board for a Valentine's Day launch on February 14 in North America.In addition to the delay, the European version will be modified. Jaffe says SCEE censored certain portions of cutscenes and minor gameplay elements have been tweaked. "99 percent of the cuts were in the movies and the movies are still intact and I sat with the editor -- who was the same editor of the American movies -- and we went thru and addressed the notes from Europe and made sure the stories still worked," Jaffe wrote in his post. As for the gameplay edits, Jaffe only spoke of one minor change: the guy laying on the gurney from Meat Wagon is now a cadaver rather than a live, screaming corpse. Yep, we're furious too.Oh well, at least you've got that demo to keep you company in the meanwhile.
Twisted Metal demo shoots up PSN on January 31
During this week's PlayStation Blogcast, on which our own Ludwig Kietzmann is a "special guest," PlayStation Sr. Social Media Specialist Sid Shuman (yay, alliteration!) confirmed the planned multiplayer demo for Twisted Metal would hit PSN next week, on January 31. If you like your manslaughter a bit less vehicular, you may want to check out a demo for another February-bound title, EA's rebooted Syndicate. It will also be a multiplayer demo, focusing on the game's co-op side, but you already knew that. Who needs expensive implants and cool tech for remembering things? Not you, buddy!
Report: Twisted Metal to include PSN Pass
It looks like Twisted Metal may include a PSN Pass after all, despite the hopes of director David Jaffe. According to The Gamers Hub, QA lead Justin Trease responded with a succinct "yes" during CES when asked about the inclusion of a pass. No other details as to what the pass will entail were mentioned, though typically the online pass model is used to restrict online content -- multiplayer, etc. -- to those who purchase new copies of a given title.We've contacted Sony for confirmation. The publisher has more or less stated that all of its titles going forward will implement PSN Pass.[Thanks, Cian.]
Twisted Metal blows up Europe on February 17
According to MCV, David Jaffe's Twisted Metal reboot will launch in Europe a few days after its North American cousin launches on Valentine's Day. European drivers will be able to get behind the wheel of Jaffe's latest on February 17. Early adopters receive a free voucher to download the 2001 PS2 title Twisted Metal Black, included in the first pressing of Twisted Metal.
Twisted Metal includes Twisted Metal: Black download code
Over on the PlayStation Blog, David Jaffe reveals that early adopters of Sony's upcoming Twisted Metal reboot will get a bonus game free of charge. Each "Limited Edition" copy of Twisted Metal will be bundled with a download code for Twisted Metal: Black, the 2001 PS2 title, as "a thank you to our hardcore fans," Jaffe notes. The download voucher will only be included in the first pressing of the game – similar examples of recent memory include Battlefield 3 and Bulletstorm, both of which included bonuses in their first pressings – though Jaffe didn't say how many "Limited Edition" copies would be sent out to retail. Twisted Metal launches in North America on February 14, 2012.
Twisted Metal trailer introduces The Brothers Grimm
In Twisted Metal, having a vehicle outfitted with rockets and guns and other destructive things may get you far, but it may not do much against The Brothers Grimm. They drive trucks that are bigger than mansions.
Twisted Metal trailer depicts the morbid consequences of divine effacement
Alternate headline: A lady's face gets totally smashed, and then a CG chainsaw comes right at you. This is Twisted Metal.
Twisted Metal now arriving on Valentine's Day, massacre your loved ones
Following the "let's turn an ice cream truck into a murderous death wagon" school of marketing, the recently delayed Twisted Metal reboot has been given a new date and it's ... Valentine's Day. While the greeting card industry has turned the day into a maudlin (and expensive) show of love, let's not forget what it ostensibly celebrates: The death of a guy named Valentine. "It's so exciting because, with this extra time we've been just pouring, and tuning and tweaking and polishing the game and it's totally paying off," Eat Sleep Play's David Jaffe said. "Thank you for your understanding about our extension. We so hated that we had to do it but we're grateful for your understanding." And we're grateful that we have Valentine's Day plans that don't (exclusively) involve crying.
Twisted Metal pushed to 'early 2012' worldwide
Once pinned to an October launch date, the reboot of Twisted Metal apparently won't arrive until "early 2012." Eat Sleep Play head David Jaffe took to the PlayStation Blog (in all territories) to announce the delay, citing "extra time needed to polish our demented baby" for the delay. If you, like us, are wondering what exactly that means, he goes on to channel Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto: "A late game is only late until it ships. A bad game is bad until the end of time." He also assured fans, "If we shipped Twisted Metal tomorrow -- going off the response from folks who have played it -- I assure you, it would never be a bad game." Jaffe promises a big showing at both of this summer's game industry shows, Gamescom and PAX Prime, so we'll be sure to find out specifically what's being done with the extra development time.
