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Strict visa rules are still keeping game devs out of the US
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundation awards scholarships each year to up-and-coming artists, writers and programmers from around the world. The scholarships offer passes to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, plus a travel stipend, exclusive networking opportunities, tours of local studios, help with resumes and portfolios and one-on-one mentorships with industry veterans. For a developer trying to break into video games, it's a fantastic prize.
‘John Wick Hex’ is strategic, ultra-violent bliss
"John, is a man of focus. Commitment. Sheer will." In the movies, John Wick is portrayed as a force or nature. A terrifying assassin with unrivalled stamina and frightening proficiency with every known firearm. He has brains to match the brawn, too: his vast experience working for the fictional Tarasov family has turned him into a brilliant tactician that's aware of every sight line and incoming threat. Watching the bombastic set pieces, I often found myself wondering: how does Wick avoid being mobbed by 10 people at once? He can't dodge 10 bullets simultaneously, surely? That question is answered by John Wick Hex, the latest game from Thomas Was Alone, Volume and Subsurface Circular developer Bithell Games. The top-down strategy title turns the films into a hyper-violent fusion of chess and Dungeons & Dungeons. Every level is filled with nodes -- denoted by white dots -- enemies and environmental cover. Your mission is to reach the end point and dispatch any lurking mini boss without being turned into a bullet-riddled pinata.
'Return of the Obra Dinn' comes to consoles on October 18th
Roughly twelve months ago, Return of the Obra Dinn stunned Mac and PC players with its time-travelling detective work. We shouldn't have been surprised -- the monochromatic adventure was developed by Lucas Pope, the creative mind behind the award-winning Papers, Please. If you're a console player that's yet to explore the 19th-century ship, good news: the game is coming to PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on October 18th. As far as we know, the console and PC versions are identical. (Fingers crossed you can still change the filter to emulate your favorite retro hardware!)
Apple Arcade will cost $4.99 per month and launch September 19th
Apple is almost ready to launch its video game subscription service. Today, the company announced that Apple Arcade, its long-awaited "Netflix for games," will arrive on September 19th and cost $4.99 per month. It will offer a library of over 100 games -- some of which will be exclusive to the platform -- that you can play across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. And if you're still on the fence, there will be a one-month free trial at launch. During a "Special Event" in the Steve Jobs Theater, the company gave a few more details about how the service will work. A spokesperson confirmed that Apple Arcade will have its own icon and tab in the App Store, for instance, packed with curated picks, game guides and sneak-peek trailers.
Popular indie game 'Dear Esther' is coming to iOS
Journey made a surprise debut on iOS this week and you'll soon be able to play another indie darling on the go. The Chinese Room says its exploration-focused Dear Esther will be available for iPhone and iPad later this year.
Black-and-white adventure 'Minit' lands on iOS and Android
Indie adventure game Minit caught the attention of many when it landed on consoles and PC last year, through a combination of its monochrome pixelated art style and bite-sized gameplay. As of today, mobile gamers can check out Minit too, as it's available on iOS and Android for $5.
Ocean adventure 'Abzû' gets a glow-in-the-dark vinyl soundtrack
After the recent announcement that soothing underwater adventure Abzû will be heading to Xbox One, fans will soon be able to own its soundtrack too. Composed by Austin Wintory, the man who wrote the music for Journey and The Banner Saga, Abzû's entrancing score will be available to order as a double LP, exclusively through iam8bit.
Nintendo@PAX: Wii U gets 'F-Zero'-style racer, 'Kerbal' and more
Nintendo helped kick off Seattle's annual PAX Prime gaming convention with a focus on the indie scene. The Nindies@Night event at the EMP Museum gave fans a chance to check out 19 indie games on the Wii U and 3DS -- and interact with the developers themselves. Among the highlights: Developer Shin'en showed off two-player split-screen support in its very F-Zero-esque Fast Racing Neo; Squad talked about bringing Wii U-specific features to Kerbal Space Program; and Yacht Club Games unveiled a certain shovel-wielding Amiibo figure.
'GameLoading' documentary charts the rise of indie gaming stars
The indie game community has exploded in the last few years, especially as development tools and digital distribution channels have become more accessible. StudioBento filmmakers Lester Francois and Anna Brady wanted to document the movement and, in 2013, raised almost $58,000 on Kickstarter to make a new movie. Now, almost two years later (and a second Kickstarter) GameLoading: Rise of the Indies has finally arrived. It was filmed over three years and features prolific developers such as Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable), Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) and Zoe Quinn (Depression Quest). You can grab it now through the GameLoading site, as well as iTunes, Steam, PSN and Xbox Video.
Channel 4 creates its own video game publishing arm
Channel 4 is gearing up to launch its own video game publisher. The UK broadcaster has commissioned mobile games before, but they've often been specific projects that relate to its most popular programming. Now, it wants to offer additional support to the indie developer community. Channel 4 will continue to fund a smattering of games, but its new "All 4 Games" brand will offer broader games development, marketing and promotional support. So even if Channel 4 isn't funding the title, the idea is that its guidance and experience will justify a small cut of developers' revenues. That includes publishing games on all of the major app stores, as well as promoting them through its new All 4 video streaming service. What's not clear, however, is the exact cut Channel 4 will be taking from the games. The mobile space is brutal, especially now that the free-to-play model is so prevalent, so the broadcaster will need to prove its services represent good value.
This art dealer wants to hang an indie game on your wall
Dutch art dealership and gallery Cook & Becker has been selling fine art prints from video games for a few years now. Thanks to partnerships with companies like Capcom, Naughty Dog, DICE and BioWare, it's offered artwork from critically acclaimed titles like The Last of Us, Mass Effect, Okami, and Mirror's Edge. Now, it's wooing indie developers into its ranks with a new initiative called the Cook & Becker Indie Program. The first fruits from the effort came last month with the release of artwork from Ronimo Games' Awesomenauts, and it's signed deals with both Vlambeer and The Astronauts -- Ridiculous Fishing and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter prints are coming soon.
Worms Battlegrounds and Nutjitsu are the first self-published games on Xbox One
Microsoft caught everyone's attention back when it introduced ID@Xbox. Now, nearly six months after the indie developer program was revealed, we're finally seeing the first titles to come out of it: Worms Battlegrounds and Nutjitsu. At this point, there are no specific details on when either game will be available on Xbox One -- all we know is that they'll land sometime in 2014. However, Joystiq does point out that ID@Xbox is expected to launch in Q1 of this year, which means the games' debut on Xbox One probably isn't far off. Oh, and don't fret if you're a PlayStation 4 owner, because Worms Battlegrounds is also headed your way.
New York celebrates a decade of independent design
The definition of "Indie Game" has changed over the last decade. The term originally referred to games created by developers and distributed independently, without the aid of a publishing partner. In the old days that meant game makers were responsible for pressing CDs, printing manuals, and pushing product to retailers. Over the last ten years, that process has changed drastically; digital distribution, crowdfunding and social media allow "indie" games to have multi-million dollar budgets and pre-sell to customers who never need to set foot in a store. Indie games have come a long way, but have humble beginnings. At New York's Museum of The Moving Image, that humble spirit is on display at a new exhibit: Indie Essential – 25 Must-Play Games.
Xsyon reaches the top 100 in Steam Greenlight
It's not surprising that a title as odd as Xsyon has had a hard time receiving much funding. The game has a dedicated community, but it launched a Kickstarter campaign last year that failed rather thoroughly. But the team at Notorious Games is still swinging for the fences, this time by putting together a pitch for Steam Greenlight in the hopes of getting on Valve's popular digital retail client. And as of this writing, that's going pretty well. Greenlight is Steam's process for vetting smaller games in the community, allowing new developers to submit a game and the community as a whole to vote it up or down based on whether or not they want to play it. Xsyon has made it into the top 100, ranked at #83 of over 1,000 games currently looking for approval. Players and fans who want to see the game succeed can head over to Steam and vote for the game now.
GOG.com launches indie game portal that could compete with the Mac App Store
If you're an indie game developer and want to see your wares distributed on Mac, you're probably going to target either the Mac App Store or Steam. While both of these marketplaces are vibrant, GOG.com thinks it might be able to do things even better. The digital game distribution outlet -- which originally launched to focus strictly on vintage titles -- is launching a new indie developer portal for both Mac and Windows titles. Perhaps the most interesting thing about GOG's new venture is that it could very well become a direct competitor to Apple's own Mac App Store. GOG's userbase has been steadily growing for several years thanks to well-timed sales and a vast catalog of older content for both Mac and Windows, and the company is offering a couple of options with regards to revenue splits. Developers can opt for the same 70/30 (Developer/GOG) split as Apple offers on its digital store, or -- and this could be a big deal for many -- GOG will offer an advance on the royalties from future sales. That advance is then repaid to GOG through a 60/40 (Developer/GOG) split until the amount is repaid, at which point royalties default back to 70/30. This novel approach to royalties can help fledgling developers score some much needed cash once a project has been finished, and may well lure some game makers away from other distribution options. On top of this, GOG promotes all of the games it sells via well-trafficked social media channels as well as the site's front page. These perks may or may not fully equal the foot traffic advantage that the Mac App Store will likely always hold, but it's definitely worth the consideration of budding game creators. [via Develop]
Made in Phoenix: Indie Game Demo Night starts the party on Saturday
Phoenicians can get down with some independent games, a live DJ, food and drinks this Saturday with Made in Phoenix: Indie Game Demo Night, from 7PM - 10PM PT at the Game CoLab headquarters. Game CoLab is a collaborative (get it?) workspace for indie developers in Phoenix, and founders Joseph Darnell and Ben Reichert just opened its doors on May 1. Indie Game Demo Night is Game CoLab's opportunity to introduce local game developers to the public, while providing feedback to the game creators and having a bit of fun, Darnell tells Joystiq. Game CoLab so far has 20 members, 12 of whom work out of the space downtown, and it's closely aligned with the local IGDA chapter, Darnell says. "They want to see the CoLab succeed, since the idea behind it is to provide a more constant support for the game dev community here in the Valley," he says. Indie Game Demo Night will feature music by Adventureface, and it's open for RSVPs on Meetup. The party and Game CoLab offer fresh examples of an expanding, public indie scene across the nation, joining established groups in Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, to name a few. [Image credit: Sam Mort]
The Soapbox: How to run a successful Kickstarter campaign
The past few years have seen an absolute revolution in the games industry, with an explosion of studios securing funding through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter. In a time when banks worldwide are tightening their belts, Kickstarter represents a lifeline for indie developers and a way for the bigger studios to work on their own projects free from the need for outside investors or publishers. But with the growing number of projects seeking funding each year, developers are facing stiff competition and the rising challenge of running a successful campaign. Most developers don't release all of their stats or write up advice and insights following a successful crowdfunding campaign, and those who do are often lost on obscure blogs that don't appear when you Google for advice. But I'm in the unusual position of both being a games journalist and having successfully Kickstarted a small game project (unrelated to MMOs and my work on Massively). Six months ago, I ran a campaign for my new sci-fi 4X game Predestination, and in the process I learned some valuable lessons on what works and doesn't work on Kickstarter. We've since published the campaign stats and gone on to help a few other campaigns hit their goals. In this article, I run down the lessons I learned the hard way during the Predestination Kickstarter campaign and give some advice for developers hoping to get funded.
Journey producer Robin Hunicke to speak at Boston Festival of Indie Games
The Boston Festival of Indie Games has announced that its keynote speaker will be Robin Hunicke, former executive producer of Journey. Hunicke's talk, Finding Meaning in Gameplay, will "focus on how developers can create games that inspire new feelings, by looking inward and examining the everyday experiences of their own lives," according to the festival's site. Hunicke left thatgamecompany in late March 2012 for Tiny Speck, before co-founding indie studio Funomena in September 2012 with former thatgamecompany programmer Martin Middleton. The Boston Festival of Indie Games, which is in its second year of existence, will be held on September 14. Its planners are raising funds on Kickstarter to improve the event, and are currently $2,414 shy of their $15,000 goal with 11 days left in the funding campaign. Incentive for those pledging $25 or more (aside from a warm, charitable feeling) is a PC bundle that includes Fieldrunners and Go Home Dinosaurs.
Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 details emerge
Details on the fourth game in Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series were revealed in a recent IGN interview with Zeboyd Games' Robert Boyd and Bill Stiernberg. For starters, Rain-Slick 4 will be less linear compared to the third game, as Boyd said the team has "added more optional areas" and have "tried to add more secrets and secondary routes to the main dungeons." The overworld will be "freely explorable" as well. Zeboyd's involvement as developers grew from its experiences with the third game, as Boyd noted they "had a lot more creative control over how the game and the story turned out with this one." Boyd said the two-man team plans to work on a "sci-fi/spy RPG" that involves a "distant future setting, female protagonist, on-map battles, more animated sprites" and a "cool level-up system" after Rain-Slick 4 is completed. Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 will launch this Spring on PC for $4.99 and the Xbox Indie Game channel for 400 MS points. %Gallery-177329%
Gloria Victis forecasts realistic weather system
If you need a reason to check out and possibly support indie MMO Gloria Victis, Black Eye Games hopes to tempt you with realistic weather. Actually, it's more than that; the team dubs it the Seasons system. The idea behind this system is that the game will change seasons, lighting, and weather on a regular basis, and these conditions will affect combat and strategic planning. Movement will be hampered by rain, for instance, and visibility by fog and blizzards. In addition, some NPCs will change their activities based on the weather, and some mobs will only come out in the daytime or nighttime. The team also reports that it's completed a "major overhaul" of its animations. Gloria Victis is still seeking crowdsourcing capital and is nearing pre-alpha stats. [Source: Black Eye Games press release]
