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Take a look at the Journey: Collector's Edition mini-games
Journey: Collector's Edition is out today. The collection bundles together thatgamecompany's Flow, Flower and, of course, Journey into a single package – but that's not all. It also includes three never-before-seen mini-games from internal "24hr Game Jams." We put together a short video showcasing all three of these new games: Gravediggers, Duke War and Nostril Shot.If that isn't enough to entice you, know that there are cat ninjas at one point.
Journey unearths retro head-hunting in CE minigame, 'Gravediggers'
One of the three minigames included in the Journey Collector's Edition is Gravediggers, a title (un)borne from thatgamecompany's first 24-hour game jam in 2008, though it looks more like it comes out of 1980. The static visuals belie a complex multiplayer game, wherein up to six players have to shoot the heads off of zombies and other players alike, and deposit them in crypts, with the first player to 50 heads winning the round. Polygon reports that zombies can kill you, as can other players, and opponent's heads are worth five points rather than the one point for each zombie cranium. Watch (or mostly listen to) the action above and prepare to pack your pistols come August 28.
Journey: Collector's Edition won't make the trip to Europe
European fans hoping to pick up the upcoming collector's edition of Journey may be waiting a long time, possibly forever. It appears that the special boxed edition of Journey won't be available in Europe at all, according to thatgamecompany's Twitter account. "We wish Europeans could get it, but there's nothing we can do," reads a TGC tweet, adding further that perturbed fans should make their complaints known to the PlayStation EU Twitter account.Journey: Collector's Edition was fully revealed over the weekend, and features lots of goodies for the discerning thatgamecompany devotee. In addition to copies of Journey, Flower and Flow, the disc also includes a 30-minute documentary on Journey, commentary, art, screens, soundtracks and three additional mini-games: Grave Digger, Duke War!! and Nostril Shot.
'Journey: Collector's Edition' gets 'exclusive minigames,' all three soundtracks on Aug. 28 for $30
Journey Collector's Edition's contents got a lot clearer this morning, as thatgamecompany revealed the box art and more details on its website. The collection comprises all three thatgamecompany PSN games – Flow, Flower, and Journey – and also includes a one-month PS Plus membership, "exclusive mini games," creator commentary audio tracks, soundtracks for all three games, and a variety of other bonuses (the full list is below the break).The re-release launches on August 28 for $30 in North America ("info for additional territories to be announced soon"), and the minigames are described as "three exclusive mini-games born out of a thatgamecompany tradition: the 24hr Game Jam." The three games, "Gravediggers," "Nostril Shot," and "Duke War!!," were each created by TGC "start to finish in 24 hours," and their release with this collection marks the first time the trio can be played (except for those who played the games while visiting TGC).There's also reversible cover art on the box – TGC's first physical release – which excites us greatly. Remember that sweet Ico/Shadow of the Colossus reversible cover art? That was pretty much the best. We're hoping this woos us even more.
Journey, Flower and Flow PS3 bundle listed for late summer
thatgamecompany confirmed early this morning that a disc-based Journey collector's edition, which will include Flow and Flower, is a thing for PlayStation 3, but "can't say anything more."That's okay, we'll let retailers do a little more of the talking: both GameFly and Play-Asia list the compilation with an August release date. There is no speculation on price at this time.None of thatgamecompany's PlayStation Network PS3 titles were previously available on disc, but Flow was available on PSP. The most excellent Journey concluded the developer's three-game deal with Sony and now thatgamecompany is moving toward unknown horizons in self-publishing.Update: Added full statement from company after the break.
The Walking Dead tops May PSN downloads
Despite being quite the success on PSN, Journey didn't take the top spot on the PSN and PS3 download charts for May. No, that honor goes to The Walking Dead – the first episode in Telltale's newest game managed to topple last month's top dog I Am Alive, and was followed by Journey and PixelJunk Shooter (thanks to a sale) in May, respectively. On the PS Vita side, Mortal Kombat managed to best all comers, unseating Escape Plan, which fell to third place. Taking second was Table Top Tanks, the AR tank battle game that debuted in late May.
Video Games Live at E3: Journey, Skyrim, Diablo 3, Earthworm Jim and more
During the week of E3, on June 6, Video Games Live will take over the Nokia Theater L.A. Live arena. Being E3 and all, and L.A. being one of the most frequently played venues for Tommy Tallarico's live video game concert, this year he wanted to add some special scores – like Austin Wintory's Journey score, conducted by Wintory himself.It's just one of the more recent audio accompaniments added for the June 6 show. There are also select tunes from Skyrim, which will be handled by a secret guest conductor; composer Russell Bower will conduct some Diablo 3 tunes. Donkey Kong Country, Star Fox and even a Street Fighter segment – to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Capcom's fighter – are planned. Akira Yamaoka will also play guitar at some point.Finally, there's Earthworm Jim to consider, a game that Tallarico himself worked on. Apparently folks have been asking him to add it to Video Games Live for quite some time now, which we're totally in favor of – as long as we get that thrash metal remix of "Use Your Head" we've been waiting our entire lives for.
Player's real-life journey honored in Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars player Kelly Wells became inspired to go on a real-life adventure due to her explorations of Tyria and an encouraging TED talk -- and so she did it. Starting from Maine, Wells and her faithful dog crossed America to California by foot, ending the trip with a visit to ArenaNet in Seattle. The developers were so impressed by Wells' journey that they decided to make her part of Guild Wars 2. In a new ArenaNet blog post, Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson shares how bowled over the devs were when they met Wells and why her epic journey had to become part of Guild Wars 2. "If we all took that perspective on life, deciding to make positive changes and refusing to let anything get in our way, it'd be amazing to see how much we'd all be able to accomplish," Johanson said. The team then collaborated to come up with a similar figure for its upcoming title. Thus was born Ameranth, a Sylvari explorer who traverses the width of Tyria with her trusty dog, Anna. When players encounter her, Ameranth is known to say, "Ever since emerging from the Pale Tree, I've had the itch to see what the world has to offer. And what better way than with my own two feet?"
I Am Alive tops April 2012 PSN downloads; Escape Plan still atop PS Vita list
The full PlayStation downloads list for April – as opposed to the sneak peek we got thanks to Pulse earlier this month, where the list is not segregated by platform – has been released and Ubisoft's I Am Alive was indeed the top download. On the PS3 and PSN list, thatgamecompany's Journey followed Ubisoft's long-awaited title. Reverge Labs' debut Skullgirls managed to snag the third spot.On the PS Vita side, Escape Plan continued to dominate – no surprise since there's not much else for the PS Vita right now, though that changes today. Modern Warfare 3's Content Collection #1 drop on PSN also did well, topping out the PS3 add-on category. Finally, Final Fantasy VII was the top PSOne Classic, but then again you already knew that because it's always Final Fantasy VII.
Six years in, Journey studio rewards itself with two new hires
Did you know that today is thatgamecompany's sixth birthday? It's true! In those six years, the team of approximately a dozen people created Flow, Flower, and, most recently, Journey, all the while cementing their place as heads of the art games movement. The company recently completed its contract with Sony for three exclusive titles, but that doesn't mean it's resting on past successes. For instance, TGC is already in talks with publishers for whatever's next.Alongside its success, some big names at the studio recently moved on – co-founder Kellee Santiago and executive producer Robin Hunicke both exited in the past few months, following the launch of Journey this past March. Today, TGC adds two new employees.In light of its big sixth birthday, thatgamecompany is announcing the appointment of two new stars: former director of marketing and business development of PowerMMO Games, Sunni Pavlovic, becomes studio manager, and taking up the new position of audio director is Cloud and Flower contributor Vincent Diamante.In a prepared statement from TGC, Diamante said, "I'm very excited to be a part of thatgamecompany, joining forces with both friends from past projects as well as new faces. The last time around, I worked with TGC mostly as a music contractor. Things this time around will be a bit different, as I'll be dealing with all sound and music issues on their upcoming game."Diamante related his first several weeks at TGC as akin to "tight-rope walking with chainsaws," which is, like, the exact opposite of what we imagine working at TGC to be like. Isn't it all floaty stuff and soft music? Quit ruining our illusions, Diamante! You've only just started!
I Am Alive tops April PSN downloads, just one Vita game charts
Ubisoft's post-apocalypse third-person-survivor I Am Alive apparently struck a chord with PlayStation 3 owners last month, topping the PlayStation Network's download charts for April 2012, even edging out March's big PSN release, Journey.The Walking Dead's game adaptation from Telltale managed more than a shambling start as well, taking up two spots on the top 10 with the season pass and first episode in third and fifth place, respectively. Just one Vita title landed on the list, Escape Plan, in the number 10 spot. All of this information – and more! – can be found in the latest PlayStation "Pulse" video, which we've dropped just below the break.
Journey Without Words
You're reading Reaction Time, a new weekly column that claims to examine recent events, games and trends in the industry, but is really just looking for an excuse to use the word "zeitgeist." It debuts on Fridays in Engadget's digital magazine, Distro. I'm not sure I've seen anyone describe Journey as a well written game. It's praised as an earnest, emotionally stirring masterpiece, and a subtle success that nearly denigrates other games just by existing alongside them. But the topic of writing in games is often confined to scripts, spectacle and whatever is said in a cutscene, and Journey doesn't have any of that. If you completed it, you'll probably agree: There are no words.As I wandered through an orange-hued desert, coming dangerously close to outright frolicking, I noticed a figure striding into distant view. Here I met another nameless nomad, and one that shared my appreciation of tasteful, unfettered fabrics. A friend? Another traveler compelled to reach the mysterious obelisk at the center of the world? "Would u like 2 work 2gether," he said in a text bubble. "I know how 2 get 2 the mountain and beat the game."
Distro Issue 38: a peek at the Navy's Robotics Laboratory and an interview with MSI's Jeans Huang
Ah, yes. The end of the week is upon us. Of course, this means that the latest installment of our tablet publication has arrived. Stepping up to the plate this time around, Brian Heater takes a look inside LASR, the Navy's Robotics Lab, and Richard Lai chats with MSI co-founder Jeans Huang. After a strong debut last week, Ludwig Kietzmann is back with Reaction Time and his take on Journey. Our brand spankin' new hands-on section looks back at Spotify's Android preview, Alexandre Herchovitch's HP Pavilion DM1, MIT's Arduino-powered DrumTop and Google Drive. We spend some quality time with the T-Mobile HTC One S, LG Viper, ASUS TF300 and MSI GT70 while Switched On tackles Kickstarter project funding. Looking for something more? IRL reveals our personal gadget stash, the Stat takes a look at tech jobs, Tapbots co-creator Mark Jardine handles the Q&A and Box Brown offers the Last Word on Facebook's recent purchase. Go ahead and hit your favorite link below to snag your copy of this week's e-magazine. Distro Issue 38 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (For sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Seen@PAX East: Journey between halls
Joystiq: Oh, hello! We love your costume. What's the secret to effective, truly evocative cosplay?
Robin Hunicke leaves thatgamecompany for Tiny Speck
Robin Hunicke, thatgamecompany's "Producer Extraordinaire" since 2009, has left the Journey developer to join Tiny Speck, the Canadian studio responsible for Glitch. Hunicke will be "providing leadership in game design" for Tiny Speck and Glitch specifically from Tiny Speck's San Francisco offices, according to an announcement at the Glitch Blog."When they told me they had an office in San Francisco, where folks were joining up to imagine new fun for Glitch... well, I must admit I swooned," Hunicke said in an update on her personal blog.Hunicke's departure from thatgamecompany comes hot on the heels of Kellee Santiago's similar announcement earlier this morning. It was also heralded by an anonymous source speaking to Gamasutra, who warned of further "key staff departures" following in Santiago's footsteps.
Journey is fastest-selling PSN game ever, soundtrack coming April 10
We thought Journey was a very good game, as you may recall, and apparently we weren't the only ones looking forward to its release, as Journey is now the fastest-selling SCEA-region PSN game in all of recorded history. Previously, that honor was held by Sucker Punch's Infamous 2: Festival of Blood."We thank you so much for your support, for spending time and money to play our game and for spreading the word about Journey to your dear friends and family," said thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen in a post on the PlayStation Blog. "We have received more letters from fans in the two weeks since Journey's launch than we did for Flower over the past three years!"Chen also announced that Journey's brilliant score (composed by Austin Wintory) will be available on the PS Store and iTunes come April 10, with a "limited" CD release to follow shortly after.
Kellee Santiago leaves thatgamecompany, nextcompany unknown
Kellee Santiago, co-founder of thatgamecompany, left the Journey developer today. "Thanks so much for the kind words today, I feel so much love and gratitude," she Tweeted. "It's time to hit the 'Start New Journey' button!" She has yet to announce her destination.Santiago told Gamasutra that she hopes to take what she's learned from making thatgamecompany's three PSN games, "and go forth and take it into new arenas." She said she saw her role at thatgamecompany as supporting Jenova Chen's visions for game design. "... I felt like I have done everything I needed to do there, and that he's in a great place now to go on and continue with some of the other people at Thatgamecompany, to take that to a whole new height." Gama also cites anonymous sources who warn of other "key staff departures."A thatgamecompany representative told Joystiq, "Obviously, Kellee has been a huge part of thatgamecompany over the past six years. Even though it's sad to see her leave, we are very excited to see what she does in the future."
Journey costumes class up LittleBigPlanet next month
Next month, you'll be able to take a chubby, adorable version of your Journey character through somewhat less sweeping, and more sweded, landscapes. The PlayStation Blog announced plans to release a Journey costume for LittleBigPlanet next month, commemorating the news with a wallpaper image.If you can't wait to give your Sackboy an otherworldly mystique, you can dress it like a creature of the deep with the new "Deep Sea Adventures Costume Pack," which came out this month for $2.99.
Indie documentary Us and the Game Industry raises $20,000 to finish film
Us and the Game Industry's common dreams ltd squeaked by its deadline with $20,256 of its $20,000 Kickstarter goal -- not that raising tens of thousands of dollars from 373 people is exactly "squeaking by." Us and the Game Industry will officially be able to continue production, complete shooting and edit its footage of successful indie developers into a complete movie, its Kickstarter page reads.Us and the Game Industry began filming in March 2009, so this isn't a bandwagon response to the success of Indie Game: The Movie; it's merely a different approach. Where Indie Game featured a host of relatively (and previously) unknown developers working on unreleased titles, Us follows more established powerhouses, including thatgamecompany as it builds Journey over three years, Johann Sebastian Joust's Douglas Wilson of Die Gut Fabrik, Jason Rohrer of Inside a Star-Filled Sky and "more," common dreams promises.
The Joystiq Show - 028: Street Fighter X Jenova
Richard, Alexander and Jordan are back in the first segment this week, and while it is technically the "news segment," you might not know it with 30 minutes of Street Fighter X Tekken talk up front. After Jordan says his piece, it really is on to the news.Classics are being resurrected with Diablo 3 finally getting a release date, and Baldur's Gate (I and II) are coming back in enhanced editions. Battlefield 3 is finally getting some more content, XBLA achievements are getting rejiggered, and Richard talks about his thoughts on Silent Hill: Downpour.Part 2 is another interview this week as Richard and Jordan sit down with thatgamecompany's Jenova Chen to discuss Journey, his studio, and much more.Part 1 (1:02) - Street Fighter X Tekken review and the newsPart 2 (59:30) - Journey interviewGet 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: Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM)Guest: Jenova Chen (@JenovaChen) - Co-founder, thatgamecompanyProducer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily)Production Coordinator: Richard MitchellMusic: Trash80, Broke for Free and a selection from Silent Hill 2.View the news topics and stream the show after the break.
