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Microsoft Studios buys 'Fallout: New Vegas' house Obsidian
With the next generation of gaming consoles on the horizon, Microsoft Studios has been gobbling up high-profile developers, and it's continuing that trend today with the acquisition of Fallout: New Vegas studio Obsidian Entertainment and Wasteland 2 company inXile Entertainment.
Wasteland 2 review: The toxic adventure
It looks like mankind finally did it. After decades of nuclear-armed nation states flaunting their atomic might, somebody took things a step too far, pressed the big red button and the entire world was reduced to cinders in an apocalyptic hail of ballistic missiles. After the dust settled and the gloom of the nuclear tundra set in, tiny pockets of survivors clamored up from the rubble and banded together like dirty, irradiated meerkats. Most were just in it for the chance to eke out some kind of existence under the new status quo, but those kind souls were constantly harried by bands of raiders, cannibals, mutants and jerks who somehow thought the apocalypse would be an appropriate time to shout, "Blaster Master rules Bartertown!" at every opportunity. All of this is a pretty big bummer for humanity, but for players of Wasteland 2, the end of the world as we know it is just the beginning of a role-playing game that, through a combination of clever writing, daunting attention to detail and phenomenal post-apocalyptic world building, legitimately earns the oft-hyperbolic descriptor of "epic." It's just too bad that these strengths are so often overshadowed by technical problems.
Torment: Tides of Numenera pushed back to Q4 2015
InXile will release Torment: Tides of Numenera a year later than originally planned, after the studio moved the RPG's release window from early 2015 to the fourth quarter of the year. The Planescape: Torment spiritual successor was first targeted for December 2014 before Inxile pushed it into 2015 towards the end of its Kickstarter campaign. That said, the news isn't a huge surprise. InXile is also working on fellow fundraised game Wasteland 2, which the studio recently revealed will launch in August. As Torment Project Lead Kevin Saunders noted in an extensive post, the second game's schedule was always in flux while until the Wasteland 2 plans were set in stone.
Wasteland 2 gains Linux support on Steam Early Access
The beta version of Wasteland 2 is now available on Linux via Steam's Early Access program, developer InXile Entertainment announced. The sequel to the 1988 Interplay-created RPG first launched in alpha form in December. The project found success on Kickstarter in April 2012, raising $2.9 million to fund the turn-based, isometric strategy game. InXile also recently added "roughly 400" changes to Wasteland 2's beta, including another large portion of Arizona in the game. The update notes mention reduced loading times, a redesigned vendor screen and added tutorials among all the bug fixes and balance corrections in the patch. The Early Access price for the game is $60, though it includes a copy of the first game, two digital novellas from the Wasteland universe, and a digital art book and sound track. [Image: InXile Entertainment]
Wasteland 2 hits Steam Early Access with Butchers of Arizona trailer
Wasteland 2 is available on Steam Early Access for $60, a fee that grants players Wasteland 2, the original Wasteland, the Mark Morgan soundtrack, and Wasteland digital novellas and art book. InXile's Wasteland 2 was funded via Kickstarter in 2012, raising $2.9 million from 61,000 backers. Those who contributed $55 or more got access to the beta yesterday. InXile shows off some Wasteland 2 gameplay in the gritty "Butchers of Arizona" trailer. Relatedly, it's a temperate 70-ish degrees in Phoenix right now. You gotta take the good with the bad.
MMO Burnout: Wasteland 2's early beta
The grandfather of the dynamic RPG is releasing a sequel next year, and those of us old enough to remember the original are throwing out our hips with joy. Twenty five years is a long time to wait for a rightful heir to the throne, even though we've been treated kindly with spiritual successors along the way in the form of the Fallout franchise. Still, nothing compares to the original Wasteland and how it changed the RPG genre, and Wasteland 2 has already begun to redefine gaming with one of the largest crowdfunding drives to date. For those who pledged $55 or more to Wasteland 2 during its Kickstarter campaign, a shiny new early access beta key was waiting for them earlier this week. This Steam key allowed early-access players into this very early beta build to kick the tires a bit and see how this game works. Read on for my impressions of Wasteland 2 from the perspective of both an original Wasteland fan and a modern gamer.
Original Wasteland heading to GOG and Steam
The original Wasteland will see a separate release on GOG.com and Steam, Wasteland 2 developer inXile announced in an update on its Kickstarter page. The game was slated to be packed in with copies of Wasteland 2 thanks to the assistance of EA, publishers of the first game. Now inXile can release the original post-apocalyptic RPG separately, thanks to a new agreement with the publisher. Wasteland 2 earned a whopping $2,933,252 on Kickstarter in April 2012, and its beta program was recently delayed to October, its initial launch date. Wasteland will still be free for all Wasteland 2 Kickstarter backers, and inXile has not named a price for the stand-alone version of the game.
Wasteland 2 delayed due to increased scope
A recent update to inXile Entertainment's Kickstarter page for Wasteland 2 revealed that the game's initial October release will instead mark the beginning of its beta testing. The delay stems from the game's Kickstarter gathering $2 million more than the requested funds. "This feature complete playable is about 6 weeks behind where I had wanted it to be but I can't be too surprised considering the increased scope," the statement reads. "We have been able to accomplish so much in so little time by our experience, fantastic team and tools." The next month will be spent implementing all basic gameplay mechanics, including the combat system, world map travel and AI functionality for all the characters you're inevitably going to slaughter in cold blood. Interplay and inXile founder Brian Fargo co-designed the original Wasteland in 1988 and is leading development for Wasteland 2. Fallout 1 and 2 composer Mark Morgan, Wasteland co-creator Michael Stackpole, and Fallout co-creator Jason Anderson are all involved with Wasteland 2. Those who donated $55 or more to Wasteland 2's Kickstarter campaign will gain access to the barren, desolate wasteland in October.
Torment: Tides of Numenera gets its first screenshot
This is your first screenshot of Torment: Tides of Numenera, the Planescape: Torment-inspired RPG which is already up to $3.2 million in Kickstarter funding with four days left to go. What you're looking at, project lead Kevin Saunders tells us, is an environment called The Bloom, which also happens to very much be a living creature. Yes, it's both a bustling commercial hub and a "semi-sentient predator" - sounds like Manhattan to us.The Torment Kickstarter washed past its $900,000 goal, amassing $1 million in just 8 hours. The campaign for the PC, Mac, and Linux game has broken more than a few stretch goals since then, unlocking everything from new areas, character companions, and novellas to developer inXile bringing in a live orchestra for the music. The traditional late Kickstarter surge should see the fundraiser past the $3.5 million stretch goal, at which point Obsidian's Chris Avellone, who was the lead designer of Planescape: Torment, will join Torment's design team.Click here for a larger look at Torment's first screenshot.
Torment is Kickstarter's fastest ever to $1M, clears $1.7M in first day
The Torment: Tides of Numenera Kickstarter is the fastest ever to reach $1 million, doing so in under 8 hours - Ouya reached the milestone in 8 hours and 22 minutes. Just 24 hours after its launch, the campaign for the Planescape: Torment-inspired RPG has been backed by over 30,000 people and has raised over $1.7 million, nearly doubling its $900,000 goal with 29 days left to go. So yeah, it's not doing too badly.Developer inXile laid out some early stretch goals yesterday, with two already eclipsed at $1.2 million and $1.5 million. That means players will be able to choose their characters' gender, with "appropriate reactivity" from non-player characters built in, and that writers Murs Lafferty and Tony Evans will join the team. Lafferty was nominated for last year's John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction or Fantasy, while Evans can boast the likes of BioWare and Obsidian on his CV.If When the campaign reaches $2 million, which at this rate it'll have done by the time you're reading this, inXile will enlist Monte Cook, the creator of the Numenera tabletop RPG, to add his talents to Torment's writing team. That stretch goal also means inXile brings in a live orchestra as well as further compositions on the musical side of things, and on the gameplay side a fifth player companion described as a "changing ball of goo."
First early gameplay video for Wasteland 2 surfaces
Wasteland 2, in development by inXile after the studio raised over $3 million on Kickstarter for the project in April 2012, recently got its first gameplay video. The update post for the project lists off a number of elements not seen in this early trailer.Still, Development Director Chris Keenan's guide to the agricultural area of the game is a lengthy one, as he detailed topics such as the game's customizable UI and turn-based combat. Watch the full video above for a run-down on the game's progress.
OUYA console pre-order now available for non-backers starting at $109, slated to ship in April
Miss out on your chance to snag the Android-based gaming console during OUYA's Kickstarter tour-de-force? Worry not, friends. The outfit has opened up pre-orders it promised for those who didn't take the plunge initially via on its website. While you will have to wait another month to get your mitts on a kit of your very own, the second round of advance purchasing will set you back $109 for US customers and $119 for those abroad. Included in the aforementioned price tag is the console, a single controller and the requisite shipping costs. Hit up the source link below to part with your funds and begin the waiting period.
OUYA's Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.59 million raised, starts shipping in March
It's a wrap! Suffice it to say, it's a been a relatively short, yet astoundingly fruitful -- and initially record-breaking -- funding run for OUYA, the hackable, Android-based gaming console. With just 29 days to work with since being announced, the Yves Behar-designed system has raked in over $8.58 million thanks to just under 63,300 backers on Kickstarter as of its official 1AM ET funding deadline today (You'll find the final tally below). Those who opted for developer editions will be able to start tinkering with their own units around December, while the majority of backers should receive the console as early as March 2013. Missed the Kickstarter bandwagon? Don't fret, because OUYA plans to take pre-orders from the general public over the web soon, expecting those units to arrive at doorsteps near April. The numbers are only part of the picture, of course. If you'll recall, OUYA swiftly acquired a slew of partnerships from companies like OnLive, Square Enix, XBMC, Vevo, and Robotoki -- and as if that wasn't enough, just yesterday Namco Bandai and Plex officially joined the content-providing party as well. What's more, we now know that each console will support up to four of those touchpad-equipped controllers for local multiplayer action. Even with all that, this story is far from over, as Joystiq points out that Julie Uhrman and company "promise" to have more updates before its official launch. Naturally, it still remains to be seen how OUYA's (literally) tiny, Tegra 3-powered footprint will fare against the big three in gaming, but we're cautiously optimistic. So, while the final, mass-produced product is still months away, in the meantime you'll find a recap of all the highlights from OUYA in the nifty saga module below. You can also hit up our friends at Joystiq here for extra insight from the company about its successes so far. Update (1:15AM): Despite the timer hitting zero, it appears that pledges are still being accepted past the 1AM deadline -- better be quick! We'll be sure to update the numbers again as soon pledging is officially halted. Update 2 (7:30AM): It took a bit of time, but OUYA's Kickstarter is officially not accepting any more pledges. The final numbers? 63,416 backers helped to raise a final sum of $8,596,475.
First Wasteland 2 screenshot is only the beginning of development
The screenshot above is your very first look at the Kickstarter-funded Wasteland 2, presenting some environment and character art from the game as it's being worked on. The project hit its goal of $900k easily on the nearly ubiquitous crowdfunding service, and ended up with nearly $2.9 million. Over on the official blog, the developers say they're releasing this early shot for feedback, and that they're also almost done with the game's main site, which is where backers will be able to update their support if they'd like to do so. The props found above are largely part of Unity's own database of in-game items, customized for the Wasteland world. As the team members learn to use the Unity engine, they're hoping this is only the beginning of the way the game looks. Presumably, they'll will have some help: Obsidian Entertainment promised to pitch in if the Kickstarter reached at least $2.1 million.
OUYA's Android-based, hackable game console now official: we chat with designer Yves Behar (update: funded)
A handful of details briefly slipped out about the project earlier, but now it's here: the OUYA, an attempt not just to delve into the cutthroat world of TV game consoles but to try and shift the goal posts. At its heart, the design sounds more like a smartphone than a gaming rig with a quad-core Tegra 3 and 8GB of storage running Android 4.0. The upscale, RF wireless gamepad's standout is a built-in trackpad for playing mobile games alongside the familiar sticks and buttons -- clever, though not entirely new. But with completely open hardware and software, an emphasis on free-to-play gaming and an all-important $99 price, the system is a gamble by a handful of game industry luminaries that at least a subset of players are frustrated with the status quo enough to want a real break. Read on for the full details, including a Kickstarter project as well as added details from our chat with OUYA (and Jambox) designer Yves Behar.
Wasteland 2 Kickstarter exceeds goal (and is still going)
That Wasteland sequel you've been waiting for is about to go into production, as the game's Kickstarter crested its goal of $900K while we slept last night. The Kickstarter has started to pick up some momentum, it seems, as the total currently sits at just over $967K, with another 32 days to go.As stated on the project's site, the goal is actually to raise $1 million, but inXile head Brian Fargo had agreed to put $100K of his own scratch on the line -- it's looking like that won't be necessary any more. Which isn't to say there aren't plans should the team raise even more money. If they reach $1.25 million, the extra dough will go to "making the world bigger, adding more maps, more divergent stories and even more music."If the fundraiser reaches $1.5 million, that depth goes further, with, "more adventures to play, more challenges to deal with, and a greater level of complexity to the entire storyline. We'll add more environments, story elements, and characters to make the rich world come alive even more." Oh, also, it'll come to OS X. So, hey, how about we get things to $1.5 million so your buds at Joystiq can play the game on their writing machines? That'd be just capital.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Choplifter HD
Being a giant, beloved video game site has its downsides. For example, we sometimes neglect to give independent developers our coverage love (or loverage, if you will) as we get caught up in AAA, AAAA or the rare quintuple-A titles. To remedy that, we're giving indies the chance to create their own loverage and sell you, the fans, on their studios and products. This week we talk with inXile president Brian Fargo about his company's reboot of a familiar franchise, Choplifter HD. What's your game called, and what's it about? Our big project for 2011 is Choplifter HD for PSN, XBLA and PC. We are taking a fresh approach to the classic helicopter rescue game Choplifter that was a huge hits in the '80s. People in the industry have really fond memories of the game and we intended to do it justice. In fact I brought the original creator Dan Gorlin on as a consultant he said it looks like the best adaption he had seen yet. It will be a very entertaining game.%Gallery-126541%
Choplifter HD also headed to XBLA, features zombie mode
Choplifter HD, which is more than a basic HD-ification of the classic '80s game, will also be available on Xbox Live Arcade -- the game was previously announced only for PSN and PC. Destructoid has a video showing off lots of gameplay, the zombie mode and a totally random appearance by Super Meat Boy. The deeper look at the gameplay reveals that even after 20-something years some things in Choplifter just don't change. Like, squashing hostages, something that is sure to drive a whole new generation of the gaming population absolutely nuts! Also, when you aren't squashing hostages, it appears you'll still be waiting on them to get their butts in the choppa. Oh, how we long for a "move out of the landing zone and run to the chopper like your life depends on it" button. %Gallery-119870%
Choplifter HD airlifting nostalgia to PSN and PC this fall
If the idea of putting together burgers in HD wasn't weird enough for you, how about revisiting your old airlifting days on the Apple II via PSN? InXile Entertainment plans on doing just that with Choplifter HD, a project that will supposedly "redefine the helicopter rescue mission for the modern era." And just when we were thinking no one was bold enough to redefine such a mission! We were also at the point where we thought InXile had given up on the title -- the company filed a trademark for a new Choplifter title back in 2009. It seems that the developer has spent those two years filling the game with content, such as a "variety" of helis to control and "more than 20" mission types. Choplifter HD's announcement also details the new, highly unnecessary story. "Players take on the role of an up and coming rescue pilot asked to join the elite, international helicopter rescue team C.H.O.P.R. (Coordinated Helicopter Operations, Preservation and Rescue)," it reads, continuing in the long held gaming tradition of shoehorning ridiculous acronyms into plot lines. We can only hope that the C.H.O.P.R. team is getting some backup from the first encounter assault recon folks.%Gallery-119870%
Hunted: The Demon's Forge preview: Through thick and thin
Hunted: The Demon's Forge has a major problem. It's a Gears of War clone, but it also wants to be a deep, character-driven RPG. The issue is that it far too often relies on the gameplay mechanics of the former and doesn't offer the exploration elements of the latter. During a recent San Francisco event, I was able to sample not only the introduction of the game, but a later mission in co-op mode. The game opens with a dream sequence, where the brawny and more burly of the two protagonists, Caddoc, is having a nightmare. Within, he catches a glimpse of a buxom, pale-skinned sorceress named Seraphine (voiced by Lucy Lawless) who'll play an integral role in his adventure.%Gallery-99360%
