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Girls Make Games winners dig into The Hole Story
Top-down RPG The Hole Story landed on Kickstarter this week as the result of the Girls Make Games development camp and competition. The game stars Wendy, an archaeologist that digs into a portal in her backyard and warps through time to an ancient world and must save a princess to find a way back home, all the while armed with her wits and a trusty shovel. The Hole Story is in development by San Jose, California-based independent developer and creators of the Girls Make Games summer camp program, LearnDistrict. The game was concocted by a team of seven young girls aged 10 to 16 known as The Negatives. The young designers won the inaugural Girls Make Games Demo Day hosted in Mountain View, California this past weekend following a three-week camp that included workshops, game jams and teaching sessions geared toward the cultivating the growth of aspiring female game designers.
That Dragon, Cancer tackles Ouya in 2014
That Dragon, Cancer will debut on Ouya in 2014, showcasing an intense, emotional game on the big screen, in living rooms and just as developers Ryan Green and Josh Larson intended. That Dragon, Cancer tells a raw story of Green's real life – his 4-year-old son, Joel, has cancer and is fighting his eighth tumor, and the game chronicles his family's struggles, mimicking events and emotions that Green is experiencing himself. It's a breathtaking, interactive poem disguised as a low-poly point-and-click adventure. "Part of the reason we're creating this game is to create a safe space to talk about hard things," Green told Joystiq. "We want people to share their own experiences about life and death and hope and grace with each other .... It's an experience that we're designing for players that have an hour or two to spend with us. And while it's certainly a personal experience, my hope is that it will be a shared experience." Green and Larson will self-publish That Dragon, Cancer through their studios, Media Greenhouse and God at Play, with an investment from Ouya. Kellee Santiago, head of developer relations at Ouya, said that investment was "enough so Ryan and Josh and their team [could] make this game a reality without the added burden of struggling financially to do so." After crafting the ideal living room experience, the developers will "eventually" bring the game to other platforms.
Two new Double Fine projects being funded by Indie Fund
Indie Fund is funding two original projects with Double Fine. The news was announced during the Horizon conference by Indie Fund's Kellee Santiago and Double Fine producer Greg Rice. Santiago didn't offer any additional details, saying only that there would be more revealed in "the coming months." Double Fine is currently very busy, working on two Kickstarted games – Broken Age and Massive Chalice – the music game DropChord and now two more games with Indie Fund.
Ouya booth to be open to the public in a parking lot outside of E3
Ouya's E3 presence will be open to the public, as it plans to show off games for its console in a parking lot down the street from the Los Angeles Convention Center where E3 will be held in June. The information comes from an email to registered Ouya developers from head of developer relations, Kellee Santiago. Santiago says Ouya will provide developers with "everything you'll need to put on a killer game demo," such as an Ouya console, controllers and TV, during the convention's entire three-day stretch from June 11 to June 13. Registered developers, of which there are over 10,000, have until May 28 to submit a form declaring their intent to show off their game at the Ouya lot, with hourly time slots available for each of the three days.
Kellee Santiago on Ouya, wrangling developers, dubstep
Apart from patching up software and hardware issues, the Ouya's biggest hurdle is the same one that every new console faces: Games. That's where Kellee Santiago comes in. Santiago made a name for herself with thatgamecompany, the studio behind Flow, Flower and Journey. After departing thatgamecompany in 2012, she joined Ouya earlier this year as its head of developer relations. That makes it her job to both work with Ouya's current developers, reach out to new ones and, perhaps most importantly, help curate the content on the Ouya store."One of the, I would say, main goals for the console is to create an ecosystem in which any developer can find the right audience for their game through Ouya." That means creating a system that is "naturally diverse" to begin with, she says, and "taking a look at what are our early developers naturally gravitating to. What is [the] content we want to get onto the platform in order to increase the diversity of our portfolio."That also means avoiding "the trap that many new distribution channels can fall into, which is sort of feeding into the early successes of the games that were accepted by the initial audience of the platform." That's easier said than done, and Ouya has a handful of battles to fight.
Ouya passes 10,000 registered developers
The Ouya has surpassed 10,000 registered developers. The news comes courtesy of Ouya's head of developer relations, Kellee Santiago, who told Joystiq that the tiny console just passed the significant milestone. Santiago didn't divulge any of the studios that might be on the list, but noted there should be some announcements in the "upcoming few weeks."Some of the high-profile names we've already heard include Double Fine, Polytron, Airtight Games and Minority Media. We spoke to Santiago regarding her role at Ouya and how she plans to expand its library and attract developers. Expect more on that conversation next week.
Ouya opens app store to devs, producing mini documentary series
Ouya has announced its digital storefront is now accessible to developers ahead of the console's planned shipments to Kickstarter backers on March 28. Developers uploading games to Ouya's servers from today onward will find their wares in front of Ouya backers on launch day.They will also be eligible for a free promotion in which Ouya will choose the top three games, according to time played over six weeks following the console launch, and feature them in an upcoming series of short documentaries. "We will rely heavily on these documentaries to tell people about OUYA, and we'll share them far and wide as part of our launch marketing in June leading up to the holidays," the Ouya blog post from recent hire Kellee Santiago reads.The blog post also discusses how Ouya's recently established approval process works. Those who have already submitted for approval during the test phase will have to re-submit.If you didn't back the Ouya Kickstarter campaign and all goes according to the manufacturing plan, you'll able to purchase an Ouya console for $99 in June, either online or through various retailers.
Ouya ships to Kickstarter backers March 28, Kellee Santiago joins company
If you bought an Ouya console from the Kickstarter drive, you will actually get the thing you bought soon. The consoles will begin shipping out on March 28, the company announced today. The retail launch is still set for June.Ouya will be supported by games, including an exclusive title by Kim Swift and Airtight Games (Quantum Conundrum) and a new project by Minority Media (Papo & Yo). And to attract even more talent to the diminutive console, thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago also announced that she's joined the company as head of developer relations.
'Indie Speed Run' online game jam judged by Kellee Santiago, Ron Gilbert, Notch, et al
Indie Speed Run, despite the name, is surprisingly not what we call the Friday nights we spend practicing our no-death VVVVVV runs. It is, however, the name of a new online game jam, one which runs from now until January 6.The way it works is pretty straight-forward: Developers visit the official website and register as a participant. Once enrolled, each contender (and/or team of contenders) has 48 hours to create a game using two secret elements given only to them, and while those 48 hours must be consecutive, they can occur anytime between now and when the event ends in January.Once the event does end, every game created during its span will be made freely available on the official site. Meanwhile, a star-studded panel of judges (Kellee Santiago, Ron Gilbert, Notch, Dino Patti, Trent Oster, Jason Rohrer and Vander Caballero) will determine which team is most deserving of Indie Speed Run's $2,500 grand prize and will announce a winner February 5.
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!
thatgamecompany courting publishers, next game announced 'hopefully within this year' [update]
Update: Chen contacted us to clarify his statements regarding Hunicke and Santiago: "Both Kellee and Robin made huge contributions to our games. My comments about their roles were made to address, particularly, the creative development process of our next game. By no means would I make those statements by themselves, otherwise it would feel like I'm downplaying my partners' roles."Now that Journey is out and thatgamecompany has been loosed from the bonds of its three game exclusivity deal with Sony, company co-founder Jenova Chen is on the prowl for a new publishing parter. "It takes us a little bit of time to basically readjust after the three game deal," Chen said during an interview with VG247. "We're very close in figuring out what the next deal is. We're negotiating with various partners."Obviously, thatgamecompany wouldn't need a new publisher unless it was working on a new game, but the acquisition of a new publication pal won't necessarily translate into any information about Chen's next project. "In terms of when you'll know about the next game, I think we intentionally announce our games very early. We announced Flower half a year after we launched Flow. We announced Journey half a year after we launched Flower. So hopefully within this year, you'll hear from us about our next game."Chen also put to bed fears that the departures of producer Robin Hunicke and co-founder Kellee Santiago would hamper thatgamecompany's ability to create its next title. "I wouldn't say they have any direct impact when it comes to developing the game. Kellee is mostly working on the business end and PR for TGC, so she represents the company, but she's not a developer in terms of engineer or artist or designer on this game."Robin was the producer. She's more like a manager type. But we still have the lead engineer, lead designer and artists from Journey, so it doesn't really matter in terms of our ability to make games."
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.
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."
thatgamecompany's Kellee Santiago on Vita, and her ongoing argument with Roger Ebert
With Flow and Flower, Kellee Santiago and Jenova Chen's 12-person dev studio, thatgamecompany, completed two thirds of its three-game contract with Sony. And when Journey arrives some time in 2012, that three-game contract will come to an end, leaving Santiago and co. to an unknown future in the game industry. At a recent Sony press event in New York City, Santiago wouldn't say what the future holds for TGC ("Right now we're really focused on finishing Journey," she told me), but she did speak to her own interest in the PlayStation Vita. "I could definitely see all of thatgamecompany's titles on the Vita," Santiago said. "But, as you said, we're a team of 12, so for us in each title we just try to focus on the specific platform we're distributing on, and then leave the future to the future." The studio's first game, Flow, ended up on Sony's last handheld system, so the idea of Flower and Journey ending up on the Vita isn't exactly a far-fetched one. Given Santiago's apprehension at speaking about TGC after Journey, I instead prodded her about her interactions with famous (infamous?) film critic Roger Ebert. Had anything transpired since her last note? Santiago laughed before telling me, "He seems to have conceded that while he has his opinion, he can't really have it 'cause he doesn't play games anyway." In her last response, Santiago even offered to send Ebert a PlayStation 3 with Flower. "We did send him a PlayStation 3 with Flower," she said. But has he played it? "At least of the last writing on it, he has not played it." Maybe she should've sent an employee to play the game for him as well? [Image credit: TED Blog]
NYC: Come watch thatgamecompany's Kellee Santiago speak at NYU's Game Center
We've told you about New York University's Game Center in the past -- remember that time when Chris Hecker brought SpyParty and talked about all sorts of stuff? -- and we're here to do just that once more. Tomorrow evening, we're hoping you'll join us and several hundred friends in Room 6 of NYU's lower level, where thatgamecompany co-founder and president Kellee Santiago will be speaking to the "Challenges In Evoking Unique Emotions In Video Games." Maybe she'll even talk a bit about her company's new game, Journey? We certainly hope so! Beyond her lecture, a discussion will be moderated by interim director (and Zynga New York creative director) Frank Lantz, with questions from the crowd also being solicited. The discussion begins at 7:00PM EST sharp, and we've dropped pertinent details after the break. Don't be late! Update: NYU has updated its blog with a note about attendance, stating, "Thanks to your enthusiastic response, we have reached capacity for this RSVP-only event. There will be very limited extra seating opened up on a first come, first serve basis starting at 7PM. We encourage you to join our mailing list, follow us, or friend us for updates on future lectures and events. Thank you for your understanding!" So, uh, take that as you will! We're still going!
Indie Fund assists with Monaco, Qube, and Shadow Physics
One year in, the Indie Fund is currently providing money for the development of three games. Nathan Vella, Ron Carmel, and Kellee Santiago of the Indie Fund – all established indies themselves – and fundees Andy Schatz (Monaco), Steve Swink (Shadow Physics), and Daniel Da Rocha (Qube) gathered in a panel to discuss the successes and failures of the alternate funding method, which is designed to "put itself out of business as soon as possible," as Vella put it, to promote self-sufficient indies.
Journey preview: Souls searching
I laughed when I first saw the scarf worn by Journey's main character. I couldn't help it -- the flair it adds to the enigmatic avatar renders the figure distinctly more charming than spooky. The scarf serves a more functional purpose, too: It's a gameplay meter, measuring your character's ability to fly. The scarf depletes as you fly; fill it back up -- and even lengthen it -- by completing puzzles and discovering secrets, among other things. There's actually a variety of scarves to be collected and equipped throughout the gameworld. Scarves, however, are not the focus on thatgamecompany's third PSN-exclusive, Journey. The focus, creative lead Jenova Chen told me at a recent press event, is to enable unique online experiences. "Everyone's on a journey towards a goal, and everybody travels through a similar landscape," he said of the game. "And at some point, their paths cross each other, and then they could be playing together." %Gallery-110295%
Journey's latest trailer keeps us believing
Journey isn't a game about transforming a landscape with the power of wind, or experiencing aquatic evolution, but about guiding your cloaked, scarf-wearing avatar through a world -- either alone or with another, unknown person -- and forever pushing towards the mountain in the distance. The game's latest trailer encapsulates a lonely tone and showcases Journey's gorgeous environments. thatgamecompany president Kellee Santiago characterized the PSN-exclusive Journey as "a social experiment" in a recent interview with GTTV (much like her studio's previous two games have been), while creative lead Jenova Chen says he's hoping to evoke the feeling of awe and wonder that people experience while on a hike. Neither explains what the deal is with the scarves, though.%Gallery-110295%
Roger Ebert's latest column posits 'games can never be art'
In the "Games as art" debate that seems to never end, the number one opponent of our industry's medium of choice being considered art (at least "high art") has been renowned film critic Roger Ebert. Since he made his initial declaratory statements about video games many years ago, folks have piped up on both sides of the argument. Ebert's latest volley in the long-running discussion is a piece published on the Chicago Sun-Times website in response to thatgamecompany prez Kellee Santiago's TED talk at USC last summer. While he allows Santiago many pleasantries and compliments throughout the piece, he argues that, regardless of her various points, games "can never be art." At the very least, he says, "No video gamer now living will survive long enough to experience the medium as an art form." He contests that games consist of "rules, points, objectives, and an outcome," which stands in contrast to his somewhat ambiguous definition of what, exactly, art is. In a moment of seeming clarity at the end of his piece, he asks: "Why are gamers so intensely concerned, anyway, that games be defined as art? Bobby Fischer, Michael Jordan and Dick Butkus never said they thought their games were an art form." And while we might not agree with all of Mr. Ebert's points, we can certainly find common ground with his wondering why the debate over games as art is still such a topic of concern among gamers (ourselves included). [Thanks, Salvatore]
GDC 2010: From student game to success
Believe it or not, many of the best games start out as student development projects. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, flOw and even Portal all began life as student projects. Speaking at a GDC panel, the developers of the games listed above gave their advice on how budding student game designers can see their own projects become a success. The panel included Kim Swift, designer of Portal and currently of Airtight Games, Matt Korba and Paul Bellezza of The Odd Gentlemen (P.B. Winterbottom), and Kellee Santiago of thatgamecompany (flOw). The advice was wide-ranging, though all the panelists agreed that the best way to get a game noticed is to submit it to as many competitions and festivals as possible. Swift specifically noted that it's a good idea to literally drag people to come and play your game at festivals and shows like GDC. The game itself should "grab" players as well, with Korba saying that a festival showing of a game should be get players involved within five minutes.
