Joe-Danger
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Sony to invest $20 million into PlayStation Network and Pub Fund over the next three years
Sony believes in its Pub Fund initiative and the PlayStation Network, and is putting up the cash to prove it. Over the course of the next three years, Sony will commit $20 million in seeking out independent developers to create games like Papo & Yo, Okabu and PixelJunk Sidescroller. Brandon Stander, director of marketing for PlayStation Network, describes it as a commitment of faith in the Pub Fund and a goal to bring "innovative, different, unique gameplay" to PSN.
Joe Danger devs working on new game, hiring
Live in the UK and looking to work somewhere with an adorable logo? Nope, we're not talking about Cadbury -- Joe Danger dev house Hello Games is looking for a new tester, and this new tester will spend all of his or her time making sure the studio's next, unannounced title is up to snuff. The Hello Games blog asks that said tester "loves gaming, is hard working, ambitious and enjoys learning," though it doesn't necessarily require all applicants to be super experienced. "You'll be testing our latest games day-to-day, but you'll also be exposed to things that will astound you ... think of it as a gateway drug for the games industry," it reads. We have to imagine, if Hello Games is the "gateway drug," presumably AAA, 3D, and motion titles are soon to follow -- a dark path indeed!
RedLynx's MotoHeroz has music from Alan Wake composer, hear it in this trailer
Ever since Trials HD for XBLA took out a multi-year lease in our hearts, RedLynx has held a bit of a trump card with us. The developer's newest game, MotoHeroz, looks to extend that lease, bringing four-wheelers to the world of 2D racing. Gameplay-wise, MotoHeroz is a mix of Joe Danger's platforming gameplay and Motocross Maniacs' nitro-boosted, loop-based 2D -- as stated in the game's initial announcement, new online maps will be added daily to the WiiWare title. In addition to today's first gameplay trailer, RedLynx announced that Alan Wake music composer Petri Alanko is handling compositions for MotoHeroz. The first track from Alanko can be heard in the trailer we've dropped after the break, and if you find yourself dancing along, a free download is available right here.
Joe Danger joined by new downloadable characters
With an impeccable, topsy-turvy career of stunt racing behind him, Joe Danger's certainly no chicken -- we've heard that his middle name is "Danger," despite the obvious redundancy. Still, if you insist that Joe "Danger" Danger make a fool out of himself and don a costume of the poultry persuasion, you'll be pleased to learn that Hello Games is introducing "Chicken Joe," along with several new characters, to the PSN's bike bounce-'em-up. You'll be able to download four new characters, who all have access to unique collectables, bikes and stunts, from the PlayStation Store following today's update (and tomorrow's in Europe). "We actually asked the community for suggestions for characters, which has been eye-opening," said Hello Games MD Sean Murray in an announcement. "Apparently monkeys really are as popular as you might think, but zombies are on the wane, which is long overdue ..." Aside from Chicken Joe, the community has conjured up undead knight Sir Bonehead, Geronim-Joe ("We're from the UK," said Hello, "so Indians eating turkey is as far as our understanding of Thanksgiving goes") and, by popular demand, a monkey. If we're not mistaken, the desire to put a monkey on a motorcycle and send it through a cartoonish obstacle course is what prompted Harold Video to invent the Video game in 1987. Joe Danger will be discounted to $7.49 from today's update until next Tuesday's update in the PSN Fall sale. While Hello Games did not confirm whether the new DLC characters will be free, we'll know soon enough. Update: It's $0.99 per costume pack. %Gallery-108126%
PSN Fall Sale kicks off tomorrow; DeathSpank, Peace Walker and more half price
If you've still got a few bills or coins tucked betwixt the cushions of your couch that have managed to go unspent in this deal-heavy season, you might want to hold them tight until tomorrow, when Sony kicks off the PSN Fall Sale. The week-long promotion will cut the prices of select downloadable PS3, PSP and Mini titles in half, bringing games like DeathSpank, Joe Danger, Dissidia: Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker into the magical realm of affordability. Check out the full list of offers, which will go live in conjunction with tomorrow's PlayStation Store update, just past the jump.
Joe Danger gets more levels, YouTube support in free 'People's Patch'
You want more Joe Danger levels, right? Why not get some more multiplayer levels, too? And level editing props? How about support for replays and uploading them to YouTube? You want custom soundtracks? Costumes? Level sharing? Okay, you're getting all of that ... right now. Hello Games has released the "People's Patch" for its PSN game, which adds all of these features and more. Best of all, all you have to do is launch the game to download the patch. However, this is just the beginning of future updates for Joe Danger. Hello Games' Sean Murray teases on the PlayStation.Blog that "we're also working on much larger packs with new props and game modes. So keep an eye out for those."
European PSN releases for August 25
Clear your Wednesday schedules, our European colleagues -- this week's PSN update's a beefy one. There are new games in the forms of Joe Danger, Shank, PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap and MotorStorm 3D Rift, a demo for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, and a new persistent beta server for MAG that allows players to test out some new, potentially upcoming features at no cost. Get to it! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Hello Games: 10% of Joe Danger players have actually finished it
Usually, when we purchase a game, we intend to experience as much of it as we can. Call us crazy, but isn't that the point? According to a blog entry over on Edge from Hello Games' Sean Murray, his studio's recent PSN release, Joe Danger, only had a 10 percent completion rate. "Only about 10 percent of people who bought Joe Danger have completed it (their average play time is well over 20 hours)," he relayed. "Most journalists didn't get past the halfway mark. Was it a wasted effort to add those last few levels that most people don't see though? Is it valueless?" It's a hot topic in the games community -- how long does a game need to be? How much of a game's value is specifically tied to how long it takes to complete it? Then you add in Trophies and Achievements and you've got a whole new layer complicating the argument. It's a good read, so hit up this link and give Murray's essay a gander.
Joe Danger demo due on PSN tomorrow
If you're the kind of person who loves high-flying, risky stunts, but doesn't like the risk of buying downloadable games without checking them out first, Sony has something just for your oddly contradictory interests. A demo of Hello Games' PSN-exclusive stunt game, Joe Danger, will be available tomorrow on the North American PlayStation store. A demo of this stunt game may not just be for those hesitant to drop e-dollars: perhaps you like motorcycle stunts, but have a heart condition that requires you to experience thrills in tiny, bite-sized portions. Perfect! Hello Games has you covered.
Joe Danger dev explains why publishers don't get downloadable games
Hello Games' Sean Murray learned a lot when looking for a third-party publisher for his company's recent PSN critical and sales success Joe Danger. But the final takeaway from all those lessons seems to boil down to the same thing: most of the big publishers do not know what they're doing in the downloadable games market. Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton today, Murray presented much of the personal research and anecdotes that convinced him and the three friends that make up his tiny company to self-publish on PSN rather than attach themselves to an established third-party publisher. Chief among those reasons was the fact that digital downloads from big publishers don't tend to sell very well on the download services. Excepting established franchise re-releases like Galaga and Street Fighter 2, which skew the data, Murray's research found that an overwhelming majority (77 percent) of original IP from third-party publishers sold a paltry 25,000 copies or less on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. These weren't underappreciated critical gems either -- 68 percent of original IP third-party downloadable games earned a 65 percent or lower average on Metacritic, Murray said.
European PSN releases for June 9
The critically acclaimed Joe Danger leaps over three flaming tractor-trailers and makes a perfect landing on the European PSN today. If you prefer your downloadable games to be a bit more portable, a large chunk of the PSP Essentials Collection has been discounted, bringing titles like Daxter, LocoRoco and Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters into the "dirt cheap" price range. Also, Guitar Hero 5 continues a string of puzzling DLC additions, adding a free pack of various National Anthems. No, not this National Anthem. These National Anthems. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
PSN's Joe Danger launching (from a ramp) on June 8
The "late May or early June" release date for Hello Games' PSN stunt game Joe Danger has been clarified -- and not just by the fact that there's no "late May" left. The PlayStation Blog has passed along the thrilling news that Joe Danger will be available on PSN on June 8. What better way to kick off summer than by devising the deadliest trap-filled obstacle courses possible, and then racing against your friends on them in several different game modes? It's probably the most fun you'll have falling off of a motorcycle repeatedly, sometimes into fire or spikes.
Joe Danger level editor caught on video
Hello Games' Joe Danger is nearing its PSN release. Just in case you had forgotten about the charming platform-racer, a few videos have sprung up on YouTube, showing the game's extensive level editor in action. For PS3 owners, the interface will draw up instant comparisons to LittleBigPlanet, with objects selected from a Toolbox and placed on one of the game's three layers. In this video (placed after the break), we see a devious creator placing some rather dastardly death traps for poor ol' Joe. You will see him get killed by running into spikes, exploded by some bombs, bounced into spikes, and backflipping off a conveyor belt of doom. Thankfully for Joe, though, there's a happy ending to this trial of misery. [Via IndieGames.com]%Gallery-74382%
Joe Danger speeding towards late May/early June release
We're quite smitten with Hello Games' Joe Danger -- you only need read our latest hands-on impressions to glean as much -- so you can imagine we're anxious to take the final product for a few laps around the track. According to recent statements from Hello Games' co-founder Sean Murray (via Eurogamer), it may be available for download as soon as late May or early June. Murray said that his team has their "fingers crossed" they'll be able to meet the proposed release window. "We're in 100 percent full-on crunch at the moment trying to put that layer of finishing touches on," he added. We can't imagine how bumpy that road to release is for developers, but we can certainly imagine doing some backflips on our dirtbike off those bumps. Does that make us selfish? ... maybe a little.
ESRB: Joe Danger popping wheelies on the PC
Hello Games always planned to release Joe Danger on all digital distribution channels (Xbox 360, PSN and PC) but, as of right now, the game is only confirmed for release on PSN. However, according to an ESRB certification, the time for Joe to shine on the PC could be nigh -- a move we endorse entirely. Based on our time with the title back at GDC, we think the game should be on every platform imaginable (y'know, because it's fun), but the ESRB listing makes no mention of an Xbox 360 release. We've reached out to Hello Games for clarification on which platforms Joe will light up with that million dollar smile of his. We'll keep you posted.
GDC Hands-on: Joe Danger (PSN)
Hey PS3 owners, have you been waiting for the PSN equivalent of Trials HD? Well, Joe Danger's for you. Have you been waiting for a new side-scrolling Sonic the Hedgehog game? Then, Joe Danger is also for you. How about an HD version of Canabalt? Yep, Joe Danger is your game. Or, have you been missing those split-screen multiplayer racing games of old? It should be obvious by now: Joe Danger is the game you're looking for. The little we've seen of Joe Danger up to now has been a bit misleading. It has come off as a simple, cartoony motocross-style racer. During my GDC demo, however, developer Hello Games name-dropped an intriguing, if not seemingly random list of celebrated inspirations for the game -- ranging from Tony Hawk to Super Monkey Ball. After a few moments of play, the shutouts made sense. While it may appear to be a simple racing game, Joe Danger hides a surprising level of depth and complexity in its stunt system, while not being unapproachable. Tricks are very easy to perform: simply press L1 or R1. There's no need for complex button inputs or tricky stick twirls. %Gallery-74382%
Joe Danger stirs up trouble on PSN, doesn't rule out other platforms
Click image to make a smooth landing into our gallery IGF-nominated indie start-up Hello Games just dished out a press release stating its upcoming title, Joe Danger, is headed to PSN. Of course, we thought it would, but it's just nice to finally have that official confirmation, you know? You really can't put a price on piece of mind. You also can't put a price on this game -- at least, for right now. Joe Danger will be available for download this spring, initially exclusive to PSN as part of Pub Fund. But, that "doesn't mean we won't ever come to any other platforms," a Hello Games spokesperson told Joystiq. The rep also added that "coming to console is really hard sometimes and until recently it looked like Joe Danger might never get a console release. Since we announced, and especially since the IGF, a whole bunch of people have helped us and Sony was definitely one of them." %Gallery-87485%
Direct2Drive indie award finalists named, threatened with Chobot lick
Aside from a spot on Sony's The Tester, we can't imagine a contest in the game industry with a much more ominous prize than Direct2Drive's Vision Award winner. Aside from the $10,000 bounty, apparently the trophy will be presented onstage at the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival by IGN's one and only lick-happy reporter, Jessica Chobot. We've listed all five of the games up for the Vision Award after the break -- a list that includes Hello Games' Joe Danger and Edmund McMillen's Super Meat Boy. The awards presentation will be held during GDC 2010, specifically taking place on Thursday, March 11. We here at Joystiq would like to wish all the contestants luck. Also, you might wanna bring a towel. Just in case, ya know?
See PSN-bound Joe Danger in action
Hello Games could be pulling a fast one on us all, but the first trailer for the studio's upcoming digitally distributed Joe Danger features PlayStation 3 button commands on screen during the map creation showcase (as pictured above). As such, we're totally breaking out the jump to conclusions mat and getting our hop on -- the game is clearly coming to PS3 (via the PlayStation Network)! Alright, alright, it helps that during the game's preview on the latest GameTrailers TV, it gets a "PSN" tagged lower third. And yes, we've followed up with the developers to see if it's heading to Xbox Live and Steam as well. We've also embedded the whole trailer after the break and we suggest you give it a peek. Mr. Danger's introductory role looks to be quite intriguing; the gameplay appears to be a mélange of Motocross Maniacs and Trials HD, with a bit of LittleBigPlanet lite thrown in for good measure. If it's even half as awesome as what that sounds like, we're ready to give it a try. %Gallery-74382%
Independent Games Festival 2010 finalists announced
The contenders for the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival awards have been announced today -- you can find the full list of finalists after the jump. In addition to the Seamus McNally Grand Prize (nominees for which include Joe Danger and Super Meat Boy), there are specialized categories recognizing excellence in art, design, audio, and technical achievement. There's also the Nuovo Award, which honors "abstract, shortform, and unconventional game development." Previous winners of the Nuovo include N+ co-creator Mare Sheppard and Passage developer Jason Rohrer. We find ourselves particularly invested in this year's awards show, as -- deep breath now -- AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard For Gravity was nominated for Excellence in Design. We've got, like, a million jokes we still want to make about that game title, but we're running out of opportunities to do so.
