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Humble Indie Bundle 13 features Jazzpunk, OlliOlli
Comedy adventure game Jazzpunk and side-scrolling skateboarding sim OlliOlli headline the latest Humble Indie Bundle, with Shadowrun Returns available as an incentive for buyers who pay $12 or more for the package. All bundle buyers receive copies of OlliOlli, 2D exploration game Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, and twitch FPS Tower of Guns. Beat the average purchase price (currently $6.93) and you'll unlock Jazzpunk, survival horror sequel Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and four giftable copies of the 2D action-roguelike Risk of Rain. Humble Bundle's organizers are also offering up Teleglitch: Die More Edition free of charge for Halloween. The Humble Indie Bundle 13 is up for grabs through November 11. [Video: Humble Bundle]
Indie Capsule Bundle: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Blood of the Werewolf, more for $3.49
The Indie Capsule Bundle is now live, and gives buyers seven games for $3.49. The bundle, slated to end on January 7, is hosted through Bundle Stars and hand-picked by Capsule Computers. Those that pick up the Indie Capsule Bundle will receive Steam keys for the following seven games: side-scrolling adventure/shooter Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, creepy horror game Slender: The Arrival, Blood of the Werewolf, And Yet It Moves, Snuggle Truck, Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time and Plain Sight. Three of the seven games, And Yet It Moves, Doc Clock and Snuggle Truck, are Mac compatible. The savings amount to $55, or 93 percent off the combined retail price of each game. Bundle Stars has a few other money-saving packages that are ending sooner, such as the Plains, Trains and Automobiles Bundle and the Outer Limits Bundle for $4.01 each, as well as the Ultimate Sci-Fi Bundle and the FPS Warriors Bundle for $3.50 each.
PSA: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet PC out now
Officially announced a few weeks ago (but rated by the ESRB back in January), the PC version of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is available now on Steam. The Del Taco-promoted game includes support for the keyboard and mouse set, alongside free "Shadow Hunters" DLC.Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet was one of the highlights of last year's "Summer of Arcade" for XBLA. We said it's "a world that begs to be explored" in our review. So ... go explore it for $15, if you don't want to wait until the inevitable Steam sale makes it less than a mochaccino.%Gallery-125537%
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet coming to PC with all DLC
After being rated by the ESRB back in January, the PC version of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is now official. Speaking on Nintendojo's Airship Travelogues podcast, Michel Gagne and Joe Olson of Shadow Planet Productions revealed that "the PC version is coming very soon."Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet will be available via Steam and will support keyboard and mouse control. Furthermore, the PC version will also include the cooperative "Shadow Hunters" downloadable content for free. The port is apparently "ready to go," but the release date remains in the shadows for now.[Thanks, Andrew]
Yes, there is a Del Taco / Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet crosspromo
Look, sometimes things just happen and there's no explanation, okay? The universe is random and we're all going to have to come to terms with the fact that rhyme and reason are a luxury we're not always afforded. There's an Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet promotion going on at Del Taco right now and that's just the world we live in.For a limited time and at participating locations, every Kid's Meal comes with an Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet sticker board and matching static clings. Why have a promotional tie-in so long after the game's release, you might ask? Because it's Del Taco, and Del Taco is a confusion singularity. Adding seven-month-old gaming merch to the burritos, crinkle fries and chicken strips you're already getting at 4:38 in the morning makes complete sense when your understanding of the universe is Of The Taco.
ESRB rates Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet for PC
PC owners will soon be able to explore the Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, according to the ESRB. The organization has posted a PC rating for the title, which was then noted in an article on ExtraGuy. Said article was subsequently tweeted by the Shadow Planet account with a "hmmmmmm" and a winky-face. A winky-face. Yeah, we'd say Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is definitely headed to PC. We've contacted developer Fuelcell Games just in case.
ITSP DLC sneaks onto XBLA next week, Shadow Complex also on sale
The Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet DLC "Shadow Hunters" was originally set to be released in September, but that didn't happen. It's just shown up on Major Nelson's latest "coming soon" list of XBLA content, scheduled for release on October 12. The schedule also includes some nice sales both this week and next. From today through October 10, you can get Catan, Magic the Gathering 2012, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and Battleship for 50% off in the "Never Be Board Again" sale. Also half off is Bethesda "Games, Add-ons, and Avatars." Next week, the "Saints and Shadows" sale will knock 600 points off the price of Shadow Complex, with Perfect Dark available for half-off as well. Saints Row 2 will be 25% off, with its DLC available at half price. Combined with that ITSP content, that's rather a lot of shadow.
Report: August XBLA sales favor Fruit Ninja, Toy Soldiers
Specific Xbox Live Arcade sales data remains elusive, so we turn to Gamasutra's analysis of leaderboard information to gain a rough idea of how August's new games performed. Diminutive soldiers proved to be the most popular icons, followed by the ingenious pearing of Kinect and ninjas. Tower defense and shooter mash-up Toy Soldiers: Cold War appears to have sold 160,734 units by August's end, earning 115,448 players during its first week at the conclusion of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion. Gamasutra notes that this rate is actually slower than the original game's launch, which was paired with last year's "Block Party" lineup. Fruit Ninja Kinect had 148,507 players for the month -- impressive in the context of Kinect-only downloadable games. And while it might not be as financially lucrative, the game's sure to expand its total player base in September while it's offered as a free bonus to owners of The Gunstringer. From Dust and Bastion continued to do well in August, while Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet registered 48,389 players by the end of the month. Microsoft announced a DLC add-on called "Shadow Hunters" earlier this month, but it appears to have missed its (tentative) release date.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet DLC scheduled for Sept. 13 [update: DLC is MIA]
The latest Xbox Live release schedule portends a return voyage to Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. The stylish, free-floating exploration game is set to receive a new add-on, called "Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet: Shadow Hunters," on September 13. According to comments made earlier by Fuelcell games CEO Joe Olson, the DLC introduces a "co-op experience," presumably boosting the number of simultaneous flying saucers in a single household to impending-divorce levels. Fuelcell has confirmed neither the release date (which is subject to change), nor the listed price of 400 MS Points ($5). We'll let you know as soon as we hear more about the actual "C" in this DLC. Update: The DLC missed Microsoft's proposed release date, and Fuelcell has not responded to our requests for comment.
Summer of Arcade games top XBLA sales
In the first half of the year, whenever you ask an XBLA developer when their game is coming out, you'll almost always get the same answer: "We're shooting for summer." It's not just that downloadable games look great with a base tan. Their creators are hoping to get on board with Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion and all the promotion that goes with it. As the XBLA activity readings (based on purchased versions) for last week demonstrate, it's a profitable plan. The top three titles between August 1st and 8th were the current Summer of Arcade offerings: From Dust, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet and Bastion. We don't have specific numbers, but when you see a high-profile, high-quality July release like Ms. Splosion Man (which wasn't part of the promotion) way down there at #15, it's hard to deny the Summer of Arcade bump.
Insanely Twisted DLC in the works, co-op oriented
Fuelcell Games is currently working on DLC that will deliver a "co-op experience" to Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Eurogamer spoke with studio CEO Joe Olson who confirmed the detail, but said he couldn't talk much about the DLC since Fuelcell is in the early stages of developing it. Olson also mentioned that a PC release is "to be determined at this point" with publisher Microsoft. Olson also discussed the critical reaction to Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, which is currently all over the map. He believes the most polarizing factor was that the game didn't give "cut-and-dried, black-and-white goals." He says that was a conscious decision, to have a game with no words, text or dialogue. As for the game being too short, Olson feels however short or long the experience was, the team wanted the game to be consistent throughout, and that the final product kept things tight. We can understand that -- it certainly left us wanting more.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet review: Black Hole Sun
In some indeterminate galaxy, a giant black mass pulsates. The mass ripples, and a piece of it launches into space, splashing onto a distant sun. In an instant, a dark transformation begins as tendrils erupt from the surface and engulf the star in blackness. In the same instant, fragments of the eruption collide with a nearby planet, setting a similar transmogrification in motion. An alien, observer to all this chaos, leaps into his flying saucer, determined to save his home world and stop those who have turned the sun into a writhing, evil thing. Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet begins stupendously, kicking things off with a visually stunning, orchestral bang. Its first moments are truly captivating, introducing a planet that is both hostile and inviting -- a world that begs to be explored. %Gallery-125537%
XBLA Summer of Arcade releases dated, buy them all for free Crimson Alliance
We knew which games were going to be part of this year's XBLA "Summer of Arcade" -- but not when. Today, Microsoft shared that information, allowing you to plan your season around buying video games. The Summer kicks off with the isometric action-adventure Bastion on July 20, for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15.) Eric Chahi's volcanic god game, From Dust, follows on July 27 for the same price. On August 3, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet will be available, also for 1200 MSP. August 10 brings a refreshing virtual fruit salad in the form of Fruit Ninja Kinect, for 800 Points. Finally, Toy Soldiers: Cold War arrives on August 17 for 1200 Points. Like previous years, there's a bonus for buying all five Summer of Arcade titles, and this year it's a free copy of Crimson Alliance when it's released on September 7 (for 1200 Points). Fruit Ninja Kinect's inclusion in the promotion means that you must have a Kinect in order to take advantage of the free bonus. That's a bummer of Arcade for those who haven't picked up Microsoft's camera yet.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet preview: UFO catcher
I went into Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet with very little background information. I had seen a few trailers -- and it looks just as great in person -- but other than that I started playing knowing virtually nothing about the overall bent of its gameplay. Much to my delight, I was greeted by an expansive world (think Metroid) to explore and some inventive, well-polished mechanics. %Gallery-125537%
Tour the Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet in this new trailer
Remember that childlike sense of wonder you lost? The one that was slowly beaten out of you once grade school ended? Well, we found it. It's cozily tucked away inside this Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet trailer. Give it a watch and start counting the days until July.
Xbox Live Summer of Arcade 2011 kicks off July 20
Can't have summer without hot new Xbox Live games, right? Microsoft has announced its line-up for the warmer months, kicking off July 20 -- strangely, in an email and not, you know, during its E3 2011 press conference. Regardless, a total of five games will be on offer. No exact time table for the games was announced nor prices but, hey, at least we know what's coming. The first game listed is Toy Soldiers: Cold War, a sequel to one of 2010's most lucrative Xbox Live Arcade games. The next game listed is Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Fuelcell's stylish UFO simulator, followed by Fruit Ninja Kinect, a flail-tastic port of Halfbrick's darling mobile (and soon, Facebook!) title. Next we have Bastion, a game we suggest you all should keep an eye on. Finally, rounding out the list of games is From Dust, Eric Chahi's god game. An impressive list, to say the least. It's important to know that this is simply how Microsoft listed the games in its press email and not indicative of when each title will launch throughout the promotion.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet footage wants to eat you
FuelCell Games' XBLA-bound shooter Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet has some surprising features, as demoed in the 10-minute trailer below. For instance, it's got some pretty interesting Metroidvania-esque exploration elements. Also? Everything on the planet wants to devour your ship wholesale.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet coming to Xbox Live Arcade
Sometimes, it's the dead of night and you're just sitting in the dark, eating some cold pizza and crying to yourself. You're waiting for something good to happen. Then you kind of feel this tinge you can't really define -- it's in the bottom of your gut, so you decide to tune into those nets. Well, friend, we're glad you decided to grab your board and surf this information superhighway, because Fuelcell Games' Indie PC title Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is making the jump to Xbox Live Arcade. You can read the announcement over at the official blog, which is sadly light on the details. Up until now, we've only had the trailer above to constantly loop, but eventually we'll get the equivalent of a trailer that we can actually control -- a prospect that is about as good as it gets. %Gallery-70678%
Interview: Joe Olson on Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
After first seeing the trailer back in July, you've no doubt spent every waking minute thinking of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, the Michel Gagné-illustrated UFO simulator from upstart FuelCell Games. We got a hold of Joe Olson at Shadow Planet Productions (a partnership between FuelCell Games and Gagné International) who graciously answered our (mostly obvious) questions. Example: "What platforms is it coming to?" %Gallery-70678% Joystiq: How much of the trailer is actual gameplay as opposed to target renders or animated mockups? Joe Olson: The trailer consists of either gameplay (some prototype) or interstitial animation from ITSP's storyline.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet should be called OMG WANT
Guys, there's a sweet trailer for Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet making the rounds and if you haven't seen it, consider this post an invaluable service. You have to watch it, and we've made sure to tuck it past the break for that purpose. What? No more reading. Go watch it. Now!...Okay, now that you've witnessed its glory, it's only natural to feel a need to fork over some cash. As it turns out, that's exactly what Shadow Planet Productions needs right now, but before you go grabbing that hammer and giving your piggy bank the evil eye, Shadow Planet Productions probably needs more than the $15 you have in there. Good thing Joystiq's biggest demographic is CEOs for investment companies!We've put in some questions to the minds behind this game, and will be sure to post them up as soon as we hear back. While you wait, may we suggest you watch the trailer again?[Thanks, Tiago!]
