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Indie RPG 'Indivisible' won't get any more updates after studio closure
After a Nintendo Switch patch starts rolling out on October 13th, Indivisible won't get any future updates following the dissolution of Lab Zero Games.
Hand-drawn RPG 'Indivisible' finally arrives October 8th
Cuphead isn't the only hand-drawn game to have a years-long birthing process. Lab Zero and 505 Games have announced that their action RPG Indivisible will reach PCs (via Steam), the PS4 and Xbox One on October 8th. The Switch version is "coming soon," the team added. Whichever version you play, you'll get the same meticulously animated visuals and elaborate backgrounds, plus a fast-paced action RPG mechanic that involves absorbing "Incarnations" that can fight alongside you.
PS4, Vita versions of Skullgirls delayed to 2015
The PlayStation 4 and PS Vita versions of indie 2D fighter Skullgirls have been delayed to 2015, developer Lab Zero Games announced this week. Lab Zero's Peter Bartholow notes that the delay comes as a result of the ports' newly expanded scope, which will introduce several new features not found in the game's initial PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC releases. "Unfortunately, these awesome new additions have necessitated a delay until early 2015, but I'm confident that everyone will find the additions worthwhile," Bartholow said. The announcement follows up on this week's launch of Eliza, a new character funded by Lab Zero's successful Indiegogo campaign. Eliza is currently available as a free download for all Skullgirls players, and will be released as paid DLC starting next year. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Skullgirls animator taking pre-orders on limited sketchbook
Mariel Cartwright, lead animator for Lab Zero Games' hand-drawn fighter Skullgirls, is taking pre-orders (link possibly NSFW) from anyone who would like to place her sketchbook among their library. Previously available to fans who made the journey to Anime Expo, the sketchbook will only be available for pre-order online until July 31. If you don't put your name on the list before then, you'll have to voyage to Anime Expo 2015 to get your mitts on it. The book features 80 pages of black-and-white sketches of Cartwright's art, and will cost $20. If you're hard up for cash, you can always appreciate her work on Tumblr (some art NSFW). [Image: Mariel Cartwright]
Put your hands together for Skullgirls Encore on PS4, Vita
Lab Zero revealed Skullgirls Encore is set to make another encore, this time on PS4 and PS Vita. The reborn edition of the 2D fighter is due to arrive later this year, with all Indiegogo-funded DLC characters, stages and story content included. Additionally, the Vita version works on PlayStation TV with local multiplayer support for two DualShock 3/4 controllers. Lab Zero said it'll have more info on features and pricing info closer to launch - that includes if the PlayStation ports have cross-buy and/or cross-save support. In the interim, players on the game's current platforms can look forward to receiving the third free DLC character, Eliza, later this summer. For an early look at the imperious Egyptian, check out Lab Zero's work-in-progress video below the break.
Skullgirls player accidentally admits piracy to creators
Well, this is embarrassing. Twitter user "Dan Hibiki" recently asked Lab Zero Games about a curious message they received while playing the PC version of all-female 2D fighter Skullgirls ... only to be informed by its creators that the text only appears for people who pirated the game. Whoops. Both sides took the situation in stride, however. Hibiki (whose haplessness is totally in-character) claimed to already own the PS3 version of the game, vowing to buy the PC edition after evaluating it. Lab Zero, meanwhile, responded in good humor and even answered a series of questions after the call-out. The back-and-forth is indicative of Lab Zero's involvement with its own community; the developer earned over $800,000 from devoted fans last year for a crowdfunded content update. It also serves as a valuable lesson – if you pirate someone's game, maybe don't ask customer support questions in a public forum. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Skullgirls Encore takes a bow on PlayStation Plus this week
Skullgirls Encore is this week's featured addition to the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection, giving subscribers free access to the PlayStation 3 version of Lab Zero Games' recently upgraded 2D fighter. Skullgirls has seen a number of gameplay tweaks and improvements since its launch in 2012, and the recently issued Encore edition features a roster of 13 playable characters. Developer Lab Zero continues to update the game with new content, following up a successful crowdfunding campaign with the addition of Big Band as a playable character. PlayStation Plus subscribers also have access to discounted in-game currency and add-on content for Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, Dust 514, Blacklight Retribution, Warframe, and other featured free-to-play games throughout the week. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Big Band, Skullgirls' first male character, joins the fight next week
Though Skullgirls Encore has always been defined by its distaff roster of pugilists, the 2D fighter is about to get a shot of gender equality in the form of Big Band. As his name makes plainly clear, Big Band is an oversized character who relies on musical instruments to beat down his opponents. Developer Lab Zero Games describes Big Band as a "high risk, high reward" character capable of dealing out massive damage, just as long as his attacks don't miss. Alternately, if you prefer a defensive playstyle, Big Band is the first Skullgirls character with the ability to parry incoming attacks. Most notably, Big Band's Blockbuster attack allows players to perform wildly damaging custom trumpet solos, such as the surprisingly well-orchestrated tune in the above video. As Big Band's development was funded by the massively successful Skullgirls Kickstarter, the character will debut at the attractive price of "totally free." Simply download the addition once it appears on your platform of choice and Big Band's musical fisticuffs are yours to command. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Indie fighter Skullsgirls Encore re-debuts on PSN come February 11
Having finally sorted its issues with original Skullgirls publisher Konami, developer Lab Zero Games has revealed the date the game will return to the PlayStation Network: February 11. Instead of simply re-releasing the fighter, Lab Zero is offering players an upgraded version of the game dubbed Skullgirls Encore. While very similar to its predecessor, Skullgirls Encore technically qualifies as an entirely new game. As a result, none of the DLC released to date for the original Skullgirls will be compatible with Encore, according to Lab Zero Games. To offset this inconvenience, Skullgirls Encore brings a host of gameplay tweaks as well as a new character, a meek opera singer named Squigly who attacks foes via an erudite, dragon-like parasite. Further, Lab Zero is offering Skullgirls Encore at no charge to those who previously purchased the original incarnation of Skullgirls on PSN. So far there is no word on when Skullgirls Encore will see an Xbox Live Marketplace release, but Lab Zero has issued two trailers for the fighter. You'll find a launch trailer above, while below the break lies footage focused on newcomer Squigly. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Skullgirls Encore to include 'The Typing of the Skullgirls Encore'
Skullgirls Encore, the re-release of Skullgirls to address the parting of ways between Lab Zero Games and Konami, will include a new mode called "The Typing of the Skullgirls Encore." While demonstrating it on EightySix's Twitch account, Skullgirls Design Director Mike Zaimont explained that the mode is planned for Xbox 360, PS3 and the PC release of Skullgirls Encore. In "Typing of the Skullgirls," each player's gauge for super moves fills automatically. Once a player uses a super, a timed typing exercise appears, which awards damage based on a player's typing accuracy and swiftness. Zaimont explained that perfectly typed words do 1.5x damage, "right but not perfect" phrases award standard damage, and totally botched attempts cut dealt damage to 10 percent. The totals are reversed when an AI opponent uses a super move on a player, meaning that players are spared damage according to their ability to type phrases associated with incoming attacks. "Typing of the Skullgirls" will be available in Story, Arcade and Versus modes, but not in Tournament or Online modes.
Skullgirls patches held up by 'deep business dealings'
Skullgirls publishing partners Autumn Games and Konami have ended their business relationship, but we can't confirm that the two don't go off for a cuddle every so often. Skullgirls patches for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have apparently been held up due to some behind-the-scenes complications between the two companies, but that will no longer be a problem. "Things have not always been hunky-dory between Autumn Games and Konami. Around the time of the last update, it became clear that it would not be possible to proceed with the new patches as long as Konami was involved with Skullgirls," wrote Peter Bartholow of Skullgirls developer Lab Zero Games in a company update. "So, as of today, Autumn and Konami have terminated their business relationship, allowing us to move forward with the PS3 and Xbox 360 patch in a more timely and cost-effective manner." Bartholow notes the testing of the patches is "nearly complete," but now the team has to go through the digital paperwork shuffle of moving the game over to a new publisher. Autumn Games will be the game's PSN publisher, but because "Microsoft doesn't support purely digital publishers," Autumn is partnering with MarvelousAQL for Xbox Live, otherwise "Microsoft would simply delist the game from the Marketplace." "We apologize that these deep business dealings have come between you and the first character your collective efforts have funded, but we're confident that subsequent patches will go more smoothly with this all of this behind us," Bartholow concluded.
PSA: Skullgirls pre-orders open on Steam, include color palette options
Skullgirls is now available for pre-order on Steam for $14.99. Pre-orders for the fighting game grant players access to the beta, slated to launch on August 22. By pre-ordering the game on Steam, players will also receive the game's color palette DLC, which offers more colorful costume options for Skullgirls' fighters. The flashy fighting game first launched in April 2012 on XBLA and PSN.
Indie developers cautiously optimistic about self-publishing on Xbox One
Microsoft's reversal of its publishing philosophy for the Xbox One has obvious and wide-reaching implications for the indie development community. While the original plan mandated that developers release games through a third-party publisher or broker a deal with Microsoft itself, indies will now be able to self-publish. Furthermore, retail Xbox One SKUs will function as development units, which historically are more expensive and more difficult to acquire than off-the-shelf models. "Ideally, this news could have been broadcast more proudly and loudly months ago, giving indies more time to prepare strategies for upcoming games," Minicore Studios founder and CEO John Warren told us, "but I suppose they don't owe anyone that courtesy. We know now, so now we can prepare for life with a Microsoft console, which is something I wouldn't have said yesterday." Warren and his team at Minicore are in the process of Kickstarting PC, Mac and Xbox 360 versions of their latest project, Laika Believes: The Sun at Night. "I think releasing on Xbox One without a publisher is a big step forward, of course, but the fact that (eventually) I'll be able to use my retail console as our dev kit is huge," he added. "My secondary (maybe flailing and futile) hope is that the fees for publishing won't be insane. It's one thing to only have to shell out $600 for a dev kit, but quite another if we have to spend another $10k on publishing fees. My hope is they'll be content with 30 percent of revenue and be done with it." Cautious optimism was a consistent theme among most of the indie developers we reached out to, though some had greater reservations over Microsoft's inner machinations than others.
Skullgirls PC debut scheduled for August 22
The Marvelous AQL-published PC port of Skullgirls will be available through Steam on August 22, with pre-orders starting on August 1. The announcement was made on-stream earlier today between matches of Super Street Fighter 4 at EVO 2013 in Las Vegas. If you can't wait that long, $36 will still buy entrance into the game's ongoing closed beta, which also grants access to the finished product when it's released at the end of August. The PC version of the game is said to include improved multiplayer functionality and will eventually be the home of Skullgirls' four new DLC characters.
Skullgirls PC beta available now for Indiegogo backers, slowpokes with $36
If some of your skrilla is mixed in with the $828,768 Lab Zero Games raised during its Indiegogo campaign to expand Skullgirls, good news: A Steam beta access key is waiting for you on your Humble Bundle page, provided you dropped $36 or more when contributing to the fundraiser. Meanwhile, people who didn't/couldn't contribute to the Indiegogo campaign can still buy into the beta (and future full PC release) by dropping 36 dolla-dolla bills into the official website, which offers some of the same reward tiers as the original fundraiser. Lab Zero points out in its Twitter feed that the game's lobby system won't be implemented until "next week or so." Bugs encountered during play should be sent to bugreport at labzerogames dot com.
Skullgirls to beat down Japanese arcades
Skullgirls, the little fighting game that could, just keeps on chugging. The magazine image above was discovered by NeoGAF, showing Skullgirls listed for release in Japanese arcades (7th from the bottom). That's a very big deal for an independently developed American fighting game. Developer Lab Zero Games acknowledged as much on NeoGAF, with studio head Peter "Ravidrath" Bartholow confirming the news saying, "We are stupidly excited for this, just because I can't think of a single other non-Japanese dev that can say they have a game out in Japanese arcades." He added that a Japanese company is handling the port. Furthermore, the game will be out "as soon as possible," and the recently crowd-funded DLC characters will be added in future updates.
Skullgirls' fourth new character is Beowolf
The results are in, and fans have voted to make Beowolf the fourth new character in Lab Zero Games' little fighter that could, Skullgirls. An ex pro wrestler, Beowolf and his trusty folding chair (named The Hurting, naturally) have come out of retirement in order to test the true limits of his strength. Being a wrestler and everything, Beowolf's playstyle has been influence by Street Fighter's Rainbow Mika and El Fuerte, as well as Tekken's King. Beowolf is the fourth new character to be funded by Lab Zero's wildly successful Indiegogo campaign, which raised over $800,000 for DLC production back in March. Three other characters, Eliza, Squigly and Big Band, are also currently in development. Squigly is expected to be the first released, dropping alongside the PC version of the game sometime this summer.
Skullgirls character color packs hit PSN, balance patch out on XBLA
Lab Zero Games released a PlayStation Network-exclusive batch of new DLC for its 2D fighter Skullgirls, giving the game's cast a wider variety of colorful wardrobe options. Skullgirls' eight color packs grant access to five additional color schemes per character, and are priced at $0.99 each. Players can also grab all 40 alternate outfits by purchasing a $5 bundle. Owners of the Xbox Live Arcade edition will have to wait until a later date to explore this new world of color coordination. Starting today, however, XBLA players now have access to a long-delayed balance patch. The newly released "required compatibility update," which is available as a hefty 273 MB download, fixes regional online play and improves GGPO performance, among many other character-specific tweaks. A full list of changes is here.%Gallery-188334%
Skullgirls funding temporarily blocked by Paypal [update: XBLA patch on the way]
Paypal froze Lab Zero Games' account briefly today, due to risk that a significant number of Skullgirls crowdfunding pledges would be revoked. Lab Zero allowed backers to vote on new DLC characters, leading to the theory that if their chosen character didn't make it into the game, some fans would pull their "vote." "Basically, they are terrified of chargebacks," CEO Peter Bartholow told Venturebeat. "If we spend all the money and don't deliver and everyone [requests] chargebacks, PayPal is concerned they will be on the line for [the money]. So, they are effectively treating it as a loan."After discussions with PayPal, the company has "unrestricted" Lab Zero's account, but continues to hold around $35,000, which Lab Zero CEO Peter Bartholow had planned to use for payroll. "They've only got $35k of our money frozen, so we're not in any real danger," Bartholow said on NeoGAF. "It's just an inconvenience at the moment."Update: In other Skullgirls news, Bartholow tells XBLAFans the "Slightly Different" patch should arrive in the next two weeks on Xbox.
Skullgirls drive ends at $830K, five DLC characters funded [update]
The Skullgirls Indiegogo fundraiser concluded this week at the neat figure of $829,829, beating its $150,000 goal by some five and a half times. The whirlwind drive means five new characters will come to the 2D fighter as downloadable content, including two "mystery" ones as chosen by a fan poll.Developer Lab Zero Game's Indiegogo campaign took just 22 hours to raise the $150K required to fund the first DLC character, Squigly. Surpassed stretch goals unlocked the game's first male combatant, Big Band, along with Robo-Fortune and the two mystery characters. Each new fighter, with the exception of the second mystery one, is getting a new stage and storyline. That exception would've been unlocked at $850K, although it took a mammoth surge across the final day to take the fundraiser to its final figure.Lab Zero says each piece of content developed thanks to the funds will be, for a limited time, free on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.Update: Lab Zero has since announced, due to unexpected additional funds, the second mystery character will get a stage and storyline. Lab Zero CEO Peter Bartholow posted an explanation on NeoGAF: "Non-disclosure agreements with the powers that be prevent me from getting too specific, but in the last week one of our character development line items has evaporated. This means we've got an additional $40,000 to play with now. Naturally we'll be using this money to give the 2nd fan-selected Mysterious Character a stage and story mode."
