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Tech's biggest misfires of 2013
You can't win 'em all. The adage certainly holds in the fast-paced world of technology, where one small slip can put a damper on your entire year. Every year, among all of the celebrations of top gadgets and big news stories, we like to take a moment to acknowledge the other side of things. This time out, it's a pretty diverse list, from flubbed Kickstarter launches to massive governmental privacy breaches and yet another really lousy year for one smartphone manufacturer. But don't worry everyone; the year 2013 is nearly over.
Back to Bed sleeping in, will miss Christmas launch window
Bedtime Gaming's successfully Kickstarted puzzle game Back to Bed has gone to rest its weary head before it stumps us all with some brainteasers. In less metaphorical terms relating to beds, the game has been pushed back from its planned Christmas launch window. "We know the estimated launch date for Back to Bed is delayed again," reads an update on the game's Kickstarter page. "But we can't put a product on the street that isn't done. This would kill the game! We just gonna have to live with the fact that the game is not going to launch before it's completely done." The update cites a "restructuring" of Bedtime Games as the reason for the delay, and assured backers that they would not be disappointed. A new release date was not given.
Ouya now $59.99 for a limited time
If you're itching to join the Ouya revolution but haven't pulled the trigger at the Android microconsole's $99.99 price point, a coupon code issued today drops the unit's price to $59.99 with free shipping, marking its lowest price to date. Use the coupon code "calamity" after adding the $99 console to your cart at shop.ouya.tv and you'll get a $40 discount on a new Ouya, with free shipping. Note that if you plan to pay using PayPal, you'll first need to log in and reach the store's final confirmation screen before you're given the option to input the code. The Ouya earned over $8.5 million during its crowdfunding campaign last year, and now hosts a catalog of more than 500 free-to-try games. The discount code commemorates this week's launch of Killing Floor: Calamity, an Ouya-exclusive top-down shooter created by indie developer Tripwire Interactive.
Queer-friendly cyberpunk adventure game Read Only Memories reaches funding goal in final 48 hours
Read Only Memories, a cyberpunk adventure game from the founders of the GaymerX convention, has successfully hacked its way into people's hearts as well as their wallets. The game reached its Kickstarter goal of $62,064 on December 11, and closed funding yesterday with a total of $64,378. The actual final funding tally is closer to $126,000 though, as Ouya will match the initial $62,064 goal with their own money in exchange for a period of exclusivity on the system, thanks to Read Only Memories participating in the Free the Games Fund. Read Only Memories is advertised as featuring "queer-friendly characters," according to the game's Kickstarter page, and also includes non-gender-binary options for players. In one released screenshot, a robot assistant - who also happens to be the mascot for GaymerX - asks which pronoun the player would like to be referred to with, and there's more than just "he" and "she" to choose from. The game is expected to ship for PC, Mac and Ouya in fall of next year, with Android and iOS versions planned to release six months thereafter. In the meantime, it's also up for voting on Steam Greenlight.
Watch Wil Wheaton as a choppin' chap in Broken Age
Wil Wheaton joins a list of celebrity cameos for Broken Age that includes Jack Black, Elijah Wood and even Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos. Wheaton's character is Curtis, a lumberjack under duress at the hands of sentient trees unhappy with his chop-happy ways.
Dino Run 2 Kickstarter couldn't outrun extinction
Dino Run 2, the sequel to Pixeljam Games' side-scrolling extinction platformer, Dino Run, failed to meet its goal on Kickstarter, raising $83,476 of a requested $175,000. Dino Run 2 was slated to be an upgraded, fresh game for the Dino Run franchise, with randomly generated levels, multiple dino characters to choose from and multiplayer options, set to launch in January for PC, Mac, Linux and Ouya. We spoke with Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann in the hours before his Kickstarter ended, and he said that if the campaign failed, Dino Run 2 might never see the light of day. "Maybe yes and maybe no," he said. "If it is, it will probably take a lot longer than it would if we got funded. We've been doing this for almost eight years though – we've learned the value of patience and careful planning. There are multiple ways to arrive at a goal." As a team, the plan now is to "mourn a little bit, take a deep breath and carry on," Tilmann said. Here's hoping that wherever Pixeljam is carried, it's on the wings of a giant, majestic pterodactyl.
Ouya now accepting bitcoin payments for system purchases
"Consoles? Please. I only play indie games on my Ouya. I bet you still use government-issued money, like all the plebes do. Meow." If you loathe fiat currency and love independently produced games, you're in luck. Ouya is now accepting bitcoin payments for its Android-powered microconsole, making it easier to support indie developers without using a credit card. A sense of superiority over your fellow humans is optional, but recommended. Currently, bitcoins are only accepted for the Ouya unit itself -- the platform's online storefront only allows players to buy games with a credit card. Company co-founder and CEO Julie Uhrman notes that PayPal support for store purchases is coming soon.
Pixeljam optimistic as Dino Run 2 Kickstarter runs toward extinction
Pixeljam has 30 hours to raise $110,000 on its Kickstarter for Dino Run 2. The page already has 1,550 backers and $65,000 – but its goal is $175,000. Pixeljam co-founder Miles Tilmann knows that getting funded at this point is a long (long) shot, but still, he's optimistic. "The logic centers in my brain say 'Signs Point To No,' but fortunately there's a lot more to the cosmos than the perception of a single person, or even a large group of people," Tilmann says. "Stranger things have certainly happened, and I've seen similar turnarounds in sporting events, telethons and of course Kickstarter campaigns. So, it's not over til it's over. We do not intend to throw in the towel until the very end." Plenty of Kickstarter projects have reached the same point as Pixeljam – just hours left to raise a ridiculous amount of cash – and they end up calling it quits, canceling the project early. Not Dino Run 2, Tilmann says: "I'm not really sure what the advantage is to canceling a project, except for freeing yourself from the obligation to promote it. We've put so much into this campaign, it would be a total disservice to ourselves, fans, backers and supporters to pull the plug. Like I implied before, statistical outliers are inevitable, and we have the same chance of becoming one as anybody else. Possibly more so. We have a pretty large following for the original Dino Run, and it could just be they are all the type of lazybones who doesn't take action until someone is blasting a horn in their face to get up off their butt. The final 48 hours of a campaign tend to be that horn." Make that the final 29 hours.
The Cave hops onto Ouya
Double Fine's spelunking adventure game, The Cave, is now available on Ouya, joining counterparts on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, Mac, Linux and iOS. We gave The Cave a go on XBLA and found it to be "the cruelest of Double Fine's games, and perhaps the most sharply written." Ouya received an update in November granting it a fresh UI and a beta for external storage. Ouya launched pre-orders for a white, limited edition console with double the internal storage, 16GB, for $130. That's $30 more than the standard console. Pre-orders before December 8 should arrive in time for the holidays, Ouya says.
The Legend of Lobodestroyo is a game inspired by Banjo-Kazooie, yo
The Legend of Lobodestroyo Vs. La Liga De Los Villanos may take place in a world full of anthropomorphic animals like bandito chihuahuas, pirate parrots and wolf luchadores, but it's the real world, circa 1998 that developer Lefthanded Games wants to take you to - or at least, if not literally the place and time, they want to take you to the feeling you had that year when Banjo-Kazooie was released for the N64. Lobodestroyo is a 3D platformer inspired by such games, and is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. Players will take on the role of Mutt, a runt of the wolf pack that follows Lobodestroyo, protector and guardian of Costa Lucha. When Mutt awakens to find Lobo and the rest of his pack missing and La Liga de Los Villanos escaped, he takes up the pack's magical belt and begins a quest to avenge his brothers and dropkick the 10 villains of Los Villanos into submission. The campaign for Lobodestroyo has a little more than a week left, and at the time of writing, is sitting at about $12,000. The team's initial goal is $35,000, which will allow the game to release on PC, Mac, Linux, Ouya and Wii U. Lefthanded Games is participating in Ouya's Free The Games Fund, which means that Ouya will match the donated amount of money in exchange for a period of exclusivity on the system. At $39,000, the game will be ported to the PS4, and at $42,000, the game will come to nest on the Xbox One.
Paradise Lost makes contact with double its requested funding
Paradise Lost: First Contact has breached the hull of Kickstarter's funding carrier and made off with $144,960, more than double its initially requested amount of $70,000. The funding campaign for the adventure game, which follows an alien lifeform's escape from a lab after being harvested from an asteroid, was concluded by developer Asthree Works today at 4:41 p.m. EST. Of the proposed stretch goals, three were met - the final version will now include achievements, additional language translations beyond the base English and Spanish scripts, and a chapter called "Lost Memories" that will explore the events preceding the alien's capture. Paradise Lost has also been greenlit for release on Steam, which an update to the game's Kickstarter page reminds us will result in free Steam keys for backers. If you'd rather not use Steam, Paradise Lost is planned for release on December 2014 as a DRM-free game for PC, Mac and Linux. The stretch goal for a simultaneous launch of the Wii U version was not met, so the release of that version will presumably follow the launch of the others. The Ouya version will also launch sometime after the game's initial release.
OUYA's revamped interface now available through 'Abominable Snowman' update
OUYA owners who've been eager for the console's big interface upgrade can relax, as it's reaching systems today. Now known as "Abominable Snowman," the update gives the Android device a much more visual control scheme that simplifies finding new games. The beauty is more than just skin-deep, though: there's also beta support for USB storage, the ability to queue downloads from the web and quicker access to the system menu. Gamers just have to check for an update to give their OUYA its much-appreciated makeover.
Limited edition white Ouya doubles down on storage
Ouya is offering a limited edition console for the holidays in North America. The white Ouya changes up the program by offering double (16GB) the internal storage space for $130, which is $30 more than the standard Ouya console. The console is up for pre-order through Ouya right now. All orders received prior to December 8 will guarantee the console arrives "in time for gifting." A new update, planned for later this month, will unlock external USB storage on all Ouya consoles. This new update also presents many changes to the UI and how games are listed in the "Discover" area. The next iteration of the Ouya hardware is planned for 2014.
Ouya's new all-white console comes with double the storage
With the PlayStation 4 now on sale and the Xbox One hitting stores this week, news of Ouya's latest console refresh comes at a busy time for gamers. With holidays closing in, it's unveiled a new limited edition all-white case for its Android-powered console, also doubling the system's internal storage to 16GB to store more games and important media. Ouya has already opened pre-orders with a $129.99 price tag ($30 more than the 8GB model), and if you order before December 8th, you should have it by Christmas. While the white model, with its expanded storage, is only available in North America, all is not lost -- Ouya's latest software update will bring support for USB storage (and many other new features) to older consoles when it arrives later this month.
Pier Solar HD to launch by March 2014, coming to PS3, PS4
Pier Solar HD, the Kickstarted remake of the Sega Genesis RPG Pier Solar, will be coming to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Watermelon Games President Tulio Goncalves announced in a Kickstarter update. This is in addition to the previously planned PC, Xbox 360, Wii U, Mac, Android, Linux, Ouya and Dreamcast versions. The initial release of Pier Solar HD has also been delayed and is now planned to launch by March 2014. In the initial update, Goncalves explained that repeated applications for the consideration of Pier Solar HD on the Xbox 360's Marketplace were not met with a response. After hearing about Microsoft's self-publishing program for the Xbox One, ID@Xbox, Goncalves applied for the program several times. Although the video update states Microsoft had not responded beyond a request for more information about the project, Watermelon Games has since commented on the post to confirm that Microsoft has contacted them. While it's not an outright confirmation that Pier Solar HD will reach either the Xbox 360 or Xbox One, the comment states that it "looks like good news will be coming along!"
Cyberpunk adventure 'Read Only Memories' from GaymerX founders
Read Only Memories plays out in 2064 Neo-San Francisco, when all forms of personal electronics have been replaced by little robot buddies called ROMs. As a young journalist, the main character must uncover the mystery of a vanished friend while surviving the feral streets of this future city. Read Only Memories takes inspiration from 90s adventure games, and one in particular: Snatcher, the cyberpunk adventure created by Hideo Kojima. Read Only Memories comes from Midboss Games, a newly established studio from the founders of GaymerX, a convention focused on queer issues in gaming. GaymerX was funded via Kickstarter in September 2012, and Midboss is looking for the same success with Read Only Memories. The team needs $62,064 by December 13 on Kickstarter, and it's part of Ouya's Free the Games Fund, meaning Ouya will match all pledges up to $62,000 if it all works out. The game is slated for PC, Mac, Ouya, iOS and Android, and Midboss wants to have a playable build ready for GaymerX2 in July. Read Only Memories has queer characters, but it isn't "a gay game," GaymerX founder Matt Conn says: "A lot of queer characters can be presented on an equal level with their straight counterparts. It's really important that we create more games that have queer characters in them, but the point is also not to shoehorn them in."
Ouya user interface getting facelift this month
Ouya will receive an update sometime in the next few weeks that will improve the system's user interface, Engadget reported. Upon installing the update, the Android-based micro-console's UI will more prominently feature cover art for games in sections like the "Discover" page. Additionally, double-tapping on games will pull up a new menu that offers game recommendations and allows users to purchase and "like" games. The update will also add support for external USB storage and the ability to add games to your Ouya queue via the console's web store. This month's system update will automatically add BombSquad and Amazing Frog: The Hopping Dead to players' download queues as well, though they'll need to purchase either game to play them to completion.
Daily Roundup: Hydrogen fuel cell USB charger, Tegra Note 7 review, Vine for Windows Phone and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
OUYA's streamlined new user interface arrives later this month
The OUYA user interface isn't what we'd call "ideal." The folks behind OUYA apparently realize that too, and today we've got the first look at some big updates that will be coming to the Android-based $100 game console sometime this month. A company spokesperson says a new designer was brought in to overhaul the UI so that it's easier to discover new games (and so that it's more pleasant to look at from 10 feet away). Additionally, the update includes some honest-to-goodness new features, including support for USB storage and the ability to queue games from the web (and OUYA's newsletters) so that when you go fire up the console they'll already be downloaded. Throughout, you'll notice a bigger emphasis on cover art -- in the "Discover" section, for instance, the menu headers have actually been made smaller to make room for larger game thumbnails. OUYA also made some subtle tweaks like showing all the game titles on the "Discover" page and going with a more consistent icon style. Not rocket science, exactly, but they're details that should add up to a cleaner browsing experience. Additionally, double-tapping will bring up the redesigned system menu, where you can purchase and like games. Here, you'll also find custom game recommendations -- not unlike what Microsoft has begun doing in the Windows Store.
Max Gentlemen, extreme manners hat-stacking sim, gets funded
Max Gentlemen, a game inspired by a spam email of the same name sent to Organ Trail developers The Men Who Wear Many Hats, has greatly surpassed its funding goal on Kickstarter. The game was seeking a mere $500 but ended up grossing over $12,000. At its core, Max Gentlemen is an arcade-style game about Victorian-era gentlemen seeing who can stack their hats the highest. Players must stack hats while avoiding obstacles across different venues, including the bar room brawl seen above. The original pitch video also reveals a stage coach level. Max Gentlemen will be a free download on iOS, Android, Ouya, PC, Mac and Linux. The game will feature several different modes, levels, hats, gentlemen and hat-stacking duels against other human players through cross-platform multiplayer. In addition to receiving the game, all Kickstarter backers get a fan-game from Brine Software called Boxing Simulator 1898.
