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Monument Valley recovered development investment in one week
Monument Valley is one of the best games I've ever played on an iOS device -- if you don't believe me, read the review -- but the fact that it didn't conform to the free-to-play trend meant that it wasn't a guaranteed success. It's absurd, but the game's US$3.99 price tag is considered a "premium" pricing model these days. Thanks to the game's huge word of mouth appeal, it managed to make back its development investment after its first week on the market. Speaking at GDC Europe, Lead Designer Ken Wong explained that the game has found a way to appeal to non-gamers despite being a paid download. "For many of them, this is the first game they've ever finished," he said. Wong went on to mention how the game's extensive play testing led to big changes in how the world appeared to the player. When it became clear that the majority of players ignored interactive objects in the world in favor of focusing on their own character, the team changed the visual cues to emphasize those elements so they would not be overlooked. At last count, Monument Valley had passed one million sales after four months of availability. That money is being used to fund the team's next project, though that title has yet to be revealed, or even hinted at.
Award-winning Monument Valley recouped costs in one week
Monument Valley, winner of an Apple Design Award and an all-around beautiful brain-buster, made back its development costs after just one week on the App Store, Lead Designer Ken Wong said during a presentation at GDC Europe. Even though it's a $4 app and it launched alongside other premium games, including Hitman: Go, FTL and Leo's Fortune, Monument Valley crested 1 million sales within four months. "Now, that doesn't make us rich by any measure, but we made our money back and it means that the team can stay together and make another creative, crazy project with complete creative freedom," Wong said. "This is all we ever really wanted, not to get rich, but to be sustainable."
Bend your brain for 2 bucks with Monument Valley
Monument Valley, the physics-bending and fantastical puzzle game, is on sale for $2 on Google Play, down from its normal price of $4. This is the game's first sale on Android. Monument Valley took home an Apple Design Award (and a lot of players' hearts) this year, and it recently passed 1 million in sales. Developer ustwo plans to release "lost scenes" for the game that should double its current playtime of 90 minutes or so. The scenes are due out in the fall, though whether they'll be paid or free is still up in the fresh monument air. [Image: ustwo]
Monument Valley beats free-to-play trend, sells 1 million copies
Monument Valley is a fantastic game -- no, seriously, read our review -- but the fact that it's not free-to-play makes it a bit of a rarity these days. At US$3.99, the game had its work cut out for it from the day it launched, which is why it's so great to see that the game has sold a cool million units since its debut in April. Developer ustwo got a bit of help on its way to App Store domination thanks to promotions from Apple as well as an Apple Design Award, both of which brought a lot of attention to the title. Speaking with TechCrunch, Monument Valley's producer Dan Gray noted that although the game is available on Android, its premium price tag has led to more sales on iOS. That's not surprising, given that the App Store has long dominated Google Play in terms of revenue, despite trailing in overall download figures.
More than 1 million sales are comin' round Monument Valley
Monument Valley, an Apple Design Award-winning game that twists player perspective like an MC Escher painting twists stairs, has surpassed more than one million sales. We're not sure what that number means to a game that cares nothing for the laws of physics, but developer ustwo seems pleased enough to start planning for post-release content. Producer Dan Gray told TechCrunch that the team plans to double the average gameplay time of 90 minutes with additional "lost scenes" for the game. Gray wasn't sure if these scenes would be sold or free to download, but either way they'll take place outside of the main story. Ustwo is aiming to release the extra levels sometime in the fall. If you're not sure what all the fuss is about, Monument Valley - along with its fellow Design Award winners - is on sale in the iTunes store. [Image: ustwo]
Apple Design Award sale discounts Threes, Monument Valley, and more
The iTunes App Store is hosting an unannounced sale on several Apple Design Award-winning apps, giving frugal players the opportunity to check out some of the best games to hit iOS devices this year. Featured games are Asher Vollmer's sliding number-cruncher Threes (99 cents), ustwo's perspective-shifting adventure game Monument Valley ($1.99), and Denis Mikan's touchscreen puzzler Blek (99 cents). Other award-nominated sale highlights include Tengami ($1.99), Eliss Infinity (99 cents), and Lost Toys ($1.99). There's no word as to when these app discounts will expire, so grab 'em while you can. [Image: ustwo]
Hit List Q&A: Monument Valley designer Ken Wong
In the "Hit List" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the video game industry's top talents describe their current gaming addictions, their most anticipated releases and more. This week: Ken Wong, lead designer of Monument Valley. Ken Wong served as lead designer on ustwo's recent mobile hit Monument Valley. An Australian living in London, his previous work also includes the art direction of Alice: Madness Returns at Spicy Horse and his solo indie project, Hackycat. Wong will be presenting at the upcoming D.I.C.E. Europe conference in a session titled, "Games without gamers." He will discuss how core gamers have supported the games industry and pushed it into new territory for decades, but fresh opportunities and challenges await if designers try to attract new audiences. In creating Monument Valley ustwo sought to create a meaningful, rich experience for audiences beyond the 'gamer' by replacing tropes and overused patterns with a focus on user experience.
Threes, Device 6 take home Apple Design Awards
Apple doled out its Design Awards earlier today, giving its stylish, pearl white nod to several games. Alongside lifestyle apps like Cinemagraph Pro and Sky Guide, Apple recognized Threes, Device 6, Blek, Monument Valley and Leo's Fortune for combining design and technology in "creative, compelling, and powerful ways." Apple praised each of the games, calling Threes "intuitive, charming, broadly appealing, and bewitchingly addictive." Device 6 was labeled "mesmerizing and immersive," Blek was said to engage both left and right hemispheres of the brain, and Monument Valley was compared to experiencing a museum. Finally, Leo's Fortune was hailed as "intricate and nuanced." Works for us. We just love having good games to play. [Image:Simogo]
Illusory puzzler Monument Valley out now on Android
Ustwo's playable optical illusion Monument Valley is now available for Android devices, following up on a successful launch last month in the iTunes App Store. Monument Valley challenges players to explore fantasy worlds filled with unlikely architecture, sussing out illusory patterns as they solve puzzles and traverse tricky level geometry. Developer Ustwo recently revealed that the game earned over 500,000 downloads following its iOS debut in April. Monument Valley is priced at $3.99. [Image: Ustwo]
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for April 3, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Monument Valley is proof that games can be art
If you have a dog in the never-ending "Are games art?" debate, you know that there are good arguments to be made on both sides. I firmly believe that games can be art, and to anyone who disagrees, I would eagerly point you in the direction of Monument Valley, a new puzzler from developer Ustwo. In Monument Valley you are tasked with guiding a faceless princess named Ida through various structures. But these buildings are not like anything you'd encounter in the real world; They're all impossible, relying on 2D visual trickery and MC Escher-like illusions to add a confusing but enjoyable layer of complexity to even the most trivial tasks. Finding your way to the end of each level often means manually spinning platforms to connect paths in a way that defies logic, but in the end makes perfect sense. This mechanic is made even more challenging once path-blocking "Crow People" are added a few levels into the adventure, adding an aspect of timing to each puzzle solution. There's no real timer to speak of, and the game actively encourages you to think out each move rather than rushing blindly along any paths that might be available. And while some levels might seem hideously daunting at first become manageable through a little bit of trial and error. Monument Valley is gorgeous in is design, with colorful shades and hard lines that emphasize the geometry while at the same time giving you the impression that you're interacting with a priceless painting. There's even a camera feature built-in so you can take snapshots of any level you choose, and every one of them would make for a gorgeous wallpaper on your iPad or iPhone. To top it all off, the relaxing music reacts to every move you make, and even the troublesome crows, that squawk in your face while blocking the way, come off as more charming than annoying. Monument Valley is a game that will suck you in with its gorgeous aesthetics, and then bend your brain while you search for each puzzle solution, but you'll have a smile on your face the entire time. If you're even remotely interested in puzzle games, this US$3.99 gem is money well spent.
Monument Valley debuts two trailers to tide you over until launch
Monument Valley developer ustwo has revealed that the colorful indie adventure will make its iOS debut on Friday, April 4. To celebrate the announcement, ustwo has also issued two trailers for the game. The first, which you can see above, stands as Monument Valley's first official gameplay trailer, though with that near-term release date, it doubles as a launch trailer. As you can see, Monument Valley's stages are optically challenging tributes to the mind-bending work of M.C. Escher. The game's protagonist, the adorably angular Princess Ida, is tasked with navigating each of these geometrically impossible levels in her ongoing search for forgiveness. The second clip, which can be found past the break, offers a polished behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Monument Valley, which translates to just over four minutes of indie developers explaining their motivation for creating the attractive, off-kilter adventure. Unfortunately lacking from ustwo's announcement is a price point for Monument Valley. [Image: ustwo]
Monument Valley finds beauty in impossibility, beta sign ups now
Monument Valley is an optical illusion presented as a game – or a game presented as an optical illusion – starring Princess Ida as she travels alone, seeking forgiveness for a past misdeed. The levels twist and turn to create impossible pathways and shapes, allowing Ida to travel where she needs to go. It's due out on mobile devices "soon" from indie developer ustwo, and beta registration is live now directly through the studio. Ustwo's past work includes mobile game Whale Trail and a handheld game with a murky history called Papa Quash. Ustwo pulled Papa Quash from the App Store last year following a cloning controversy – the game was commissioned by a third party to play like JS Joust, but it wasn't sanctioned by that game's creator, Die Gute Fabrik. The air was cleared in May and Die Gute Fabrik Lead Designer Douglas Wilson said he didn't harbor any ill will toward Ustwo. Monument Valley takes cues from the mind-melting art of MC Escher, with gameplay influences from Zelda and Myst. That sounds like the right kind of inspiration to us.
Best iPhone Photos: Monument Valley with Pro HDR
It's a landscape burned into the American historical consciousness. Utah's surreal and beautiful Monument Valley has served as a backdrop for countless Hollywood westerns. Now, our roving reporter and avid photographer Mel Martin has captured the vista right before sunset using his iPhone 4 and the Pro HDR application from EyeApps. Click the image for the full-res version. This is a perfect example of the great work iPhone photographers are doing in the field, and it certainly passes the jawdrop test: anyone seeing it is likely to exclaim, "Wait, you took that picture with a cell phone?" (By the way, Mel notes that this particular shot was taken without a tripod.) Read on for another image of "The Mittens," iconic stone features of the desert, and a dawn landscape.
