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Q-Games' Cuthbert: PixelJunk Monsters on PSP most likely not happening
In a portion of an interview with PS3 Fanboy, Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert explains why we probably won't be seeing PixelJunk Monsters making a transition onto the PSP. Cuthbert told PS3 Fanboy that he doesn't "see a market for it just yet." He stated that the biggest problem is in selling the game at a proper price point, and he doesn't see consumers shelling out extra cash for a more expensive UMD version.However, UMD has never been the only option; when it was mentioned that the PSP now supports downloaded content from the PlayStation Store, Cuthbert replied that the idea for a downloaded PSP version was not feasible because the service was not popular in Japan. He was saying that it's difficult to get excited about making a game for a service very few use. His reasoning then turned from being unappealing to Japan into not wanting to get "pigeonholed into working [solely] for the US market." Further more, when faced with the example of echochrome going on UMD, Cuthbert still wasn't convinced that PixelJunk Monsters would find a home on the portable system. Well, we guess we'll just have to stick to Remote Play for our portable PixelJunk needs.
PS3 Fanboy interview: Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert
Dylan Cuthbert should be a name familiar to any real PS3 fan. Responsible for Q-Games, and their PixelJunk series of PSN games, the team has been hard at work at delivering unique experiences exclusively for the PLAYSTATION Network. Not only has the team delivered one truly stellar game (PixelJunk Monsters), it has worked on a few other technologies for Sony. Did you know that they're responsible for the Earth music visualization? We chatted with Cuthbert at GDC, and we're proud to present our interview.I wanted to start with a topic that I'm sure no one has asked you about yet. Q-Games is responsible for the Earth visualizer, yes? Where did that come from?Well, we've always had a close relationship with Sony. They came to us and asked us to make an intro for the PS3 before it came out. For the OS and everything. They had these ideas that were like the earth, and the PS3 logo were in a bubble. So we said instead of making a fake earth, we should make a proper rendering. We showed a prototype to them, but ultimately Sony wanted to go for a more simpler style. The intro became much simpler, orchestral. So we had a very well rendered earth and we didn't know what to do with it.
PSN Thursday: Demo that one you bought a few weeks back
You bought the game! Now play the demo. PixelJunk Monsters: THE DEMO arrives today, just 28 days after the full game. Brilliant. In other news, now that the PS Store's catalog of Jet Moto games is finally complete, maybe next week Sony will let us revisit something other than x-treme hoverbiking.Check out the complete list of content after the break, including PC Store additions -- or head over to PS3 Fanboy for European update details.
PixelJunk Monsters expansion pack coming soon
PixelJunk Monsters is probably the cutest game on the PS3 not named LittleBigPlanet, but the game's cuteness isn't the extent to its awesomeness. It's actually a pretty damn fun game, and that's why we're so happy to hear that Q-Games is currently developing an expansion.Tim R., a gamer who shares our love with the game, emailed Q-Games expressing his need for some more PixelJunk Monsters, and was told "There should be some news about an expansion pack over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled."So if you haven't had enough of defending your tiny villagers from the rampaging monsters, you'll apparently have some new content to satisfy you very soon.
PS3 Fanboy review: PixelJunk Monsters
The tower defense genre is one that's very familiar to PC gamers. However, console gamers have rarely experienced the simple, and addictive nature of this offshot of the strategy genre. PixelJunk Monsters, the second downloadable title from Q Games, brings its unique style and meshes it with a time-tested gameplay formula. The combination is an overwhelming success, and adds even more depth to the ever-growing PSN library.Although the presentation is decidedly simple, the execution is anything but. Hidden underneath the cute exterior is a game that's incredible difficult, and emasuclating at times. As easy as the controls and the concept are, this is easily one of the most hardcore games available on the PSN. PixelJunk Monsters will strain the minds of even the most cunning. Ultimately, its difficulty is a double-edge sword: it makes each level addictive and satisfying to complete, but also inspires a painful level of crushing frustration.%Gallery-7756%
PSN Thursday: PixelJunk Monsters with a touch of Devil May Cry 4
The PlayStation Store gets another heap of PixelJunk today, as Monsters replace Racers in Q-Games sophomore effort, offered for a mere $7.99 ... for a limited time. The update is rounded out by a pair of demos (this one and that one) and a lonely PS1 game, in addition to a smorgasbord of DLC – nope, not the new Guitar Hero tunes.Check out the complete list of content after the break, including PC Store additions – or head over to PS3 Fanboy for European update details.
European PSN updates for January 24th
Here we were, resting on our virtual laurels, when SCEE goes and surprises us with an early PSN update. Not an awful one either. We're sad that the DMC4 demo is missing, but also pleased that Europe has received PixelJunk Monsters, technically, before America. What a strange mixture of feelings. Here's the full release list: PixelJunk Monsters full game (£3.49/???4.99) Judge Dredd PS1 game (£3.49/???4.99) CIV Revolution trailer (free) Call of Duty 4 PS3 theme (free) 5 Call of Duty 4 wallpapers (free) As we continue to say, it's always nice to see PS1 games being released, but is Judge Dredd really a PS1 classic? With Vib Ribbon and Klonoa hopefully on the way soon, things seemed to be looking up for the quality of PS1 games. But Judge Dredd? We'll reserve judgment until we try it.
Want to try PixelJunk Monsters before Thursday? You can!
Imagine our surprise when we wake up to find an English demo of PixelJunk Monsters, of all things, on the Japanese PSN Store. The game is due to release on the US Store this coming Thursday, so this is a perfect opportunity for people to try it out before you buy. Monsters is the second game in the PixelJunk series. The first of which, PixelJunk Racers didn't manage to really inspire us. PixelJunk Monsters seems to be a nicely designed little Tower Defense style game, with a much more pleasing aesthetic than PixelJunk Racers had (and, we're hoping, much less annoying voices). The kicker? It works via Remote Play. So if you've just woken up and are checking PS3 Fanboy on your phone or via some other wireless device (as we're sure most of you are!), you won't even need to get out of bed to try it. [Thanks M3wThr33!]
PixelJunk Monsters to invade PSN on Jan. 24
We recently discovered that we've been playing tower defense real-time strategy games completely wrong all along. It's not entirely our fault, mind you, as the genre's name misled us to believe we had to, you know, defend the towers as opposed to using them to protect an utterly hapless village. We'll improve our understanding when PixelJunk Monsters erects itself on the PlayStation Network next Thursday, January 24th, and encourages us to throw in the tower as often as possible.Developed by Q Games and illustrated with hand-drawn 2D artwork, PixelJunk Monsters sees players constructing all manner of defensive towers in a bid to wipe out marauding monsters. Destroying a lush forest provides the material and the gold and gems looted from fanged corpses provide the financial power to your gauntlet of startlingly efficient death. Really, it's just the sort of cute game Japan needs to overcome its weird PSN phobia. %Gallery-14037%
PixelJunk Monsters hitting PSN next week
You know you can't wait for the castle defense strategy game known as PixelJunk Monsters. The game looks like an image straight out of some classic like Where The Wild Things Are, but less menacing and more cuddly. Perhaps our childhoods were just riddled with fear. Either way. Dylan Cuthbert, executive producer over at Q-Games confirmed the game will appear next week as a part of the weekly update -- not this update, but next week's. Want to see what it's about? Watch the above video for a quick demonstration of what to expect.[via 1UP]
PixelJunk Monsters draws closer ...
The upcoming PSN game PixelJunk Monsters is just around the corner, and GameVideos has new footage of the game's early sections. This defense game is filled with charm, and may be able to suck away countless hours of your life when it releases soon. Check out the video, and then images in our updated gallery below.%Gallery-7756%
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: PixelJunk Monsters
Just like its predecessor, we have an irksome feeling PixelJunk Monsters will have trouble finding an audience. It's quirky presentation won't help it resonate with the general populace -- a shame, considering how much fun we had with it.You're set in the role of a village chief that must protect his people from an ever-increasingly powerful and deadly assortment of monsters. As they come rushing forward, you must set up defenses by constructing a variety of weapons at key points in each level. Cannons are slow, but powerful. Arrow launchers are much faster, but much less powerful. Anti-air towers are necessary to have a fighting chance against any of the flying enemies. These are but a small sampling of the towers available to the player.Careful positioning is crucial to victory. At first, swarms may seem quite easy to handle. However, without taking advantage of choke points and cross-fire locations within each level, faster enemies will be able to sneak on by and feast on your delicious villagers. Constant construction is required as the level becomes more challenging. Thankfully, you can upgrade your arsenal throughout the game. Enemies will drop coins and gems when defeated, which can be used to upgrade or purchase new towers. You can also stand in a tower and do a magic upgrade dance, which will upgrade the towers for free. Each level-up a tower receives increases its range and firing capabilities, so choosing which tower to upgrade is part of the strategery involved in the game.The careful progression of enemies gives the game the charming appeal of classic puzzlers. As faster and stronger enemies pour into the level, one can't help but feel their pulse increase. Will the game have enough depth to warrant a PSN purchase? Well, that depends on both the amount of content included in the game and the price. We'll know for sure when the game comes out early next year.%Gallery-7756%
PixelJunk Monsters easier than Racers, third game coming
We last checked in with PixelJunk honcho Dylan Cuthbert when he spoke about PJ Monsters -- now we're going to talk a little more about that but also delve into his next project, dubbed PixelJunk 1-3. As far as the hardcore audience not adopting to the PJ image, Cuthbert replies "by keeping the development cost down, and keeping the number of games we produce high, for each game, we can go with the style that we want to play with at that time and give people a much larger range of visual styles than they are used to at the moment." That really is a good thing -- it's nice to experiment with a wide array of styles. Each one will suit at least some consumers, you know? It's a great opportunity the PSN has offered Cuthbert and Crew, letting them tinker with any style they'd like.The team at Q-Games have learned a lesson from PixelJunk Racers -- they tuned that game to their own skill set and as a result, it was perceived as too hard for many players. Monsters will have a much more manageable difficulty curve so more people will be able to get into it and enjoy it.PixelJunk 1-3 is already up and in progress. They've enlisted a DJ to assist in the music whose rhythm creates "life" of some sort -- the title isn't going to be a rhythm game, but from what Cuthbert says, music is going to play a significant role. It's a "complete experiment" so expect something a bit outlandish, yet accessible. We'll keep you tuned into more Cuthbert and PixelJunk news as it surfaces.
PixelJunk Monsters joins the Remote Play line-up
Currently available only in Japan, the upcoming PSN game PixelJunk Monsters, will support Remote Play. This will allow players to play the game on their PSPs from anywhere with a wi-fi signal. According to Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert, it is one of the best titles on Remote Play, thanks to its ability to play with low bandwidth. "We also support PSP remote play and it is probably one of the first games that supports this really well - ie. it is totally playable through your PSP, even at low bandwidths."We're glad that more developers are adding this oft-forgotten feature to their PS3 games. With Remote Play and new downloadable titles reaching the PLAYSTATION Store, it's clear that PSP fans are getting more and more ways of getting games on their system.[Thanks, Nick C.! Via PlayStation Boards] Update: Video provided by PSP GadgetZ.
Q-Games founder: PSN games haven't caught on in Japan
Speaking to Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, Q-Games founder Dylan Cuthbert has discussed some of the challenges facing PixelJunk Monsters, a real-time tower defense title for the PlayStation Network. Cuthbert, who has contributed to everything from Ape Escape to Starfox, noted that beyond the usual control and balancing issues, the real difficulty involves getting Japanese gamers to purchase bite-sized games online. "So far, it really hasn't caught on in the same way it has in the West--the problem in Japan is a traditional aversion to using credit cards, as opposed to the West where it is second nature," he explained. "A lot of restaurants over here don't accept any credit card at all, and when you order things online to be delivered the majority of people pay on delivery or even by online bank transfer as opposed to using a credit card. Pre-paid cards are definitely the way to go forward to solve these problems, but they only rolled out recently, so we'll just have to wait and see."It's odd to see the game (which arrives on our PSN in January) facing this external obstacle, especially since it was designed with Japanese sensibilities in mind -- those folks aren't too keen on real-time strategy either, it seems. Perhaps PixelJunk Monsters will find success on our shores, preying on our habit of whipping out the plastic whenever instant gratification is in view.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Have PSN games taken off in Japan? No.
American gamers have wholeheartedly embraced the incredible selection from the PS3's online store. Games like fl0w, Everyday Shooter and Calling All Cars simply wouldn't have been possible through retail outlets, and their success on the PSN is ushering a new era of simple downloadable titles. Too bad the concept hasn't resonated well amongst Japanese gamers, at least according to an interview with Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert."So far, it really hasn't caught on in the same way it has in the West--the problem in Japan is a traditional aversion to using credit cards, as opposed to the West where it is second nature." In America, we love to collect debt. Therefore, online shopping with credit cards comes as second nature. However, using plastic in Japan just isn't very socially acceptable. "A lot of restaurants over here don't accept any credit card at all, and when you order things online to be delivered the majority of people pay on delivery or even by online bank transfer as opposed to using a credit card." Thankfully, there's a solution. "Pre-paid cards are definitely the way to go forward to solve these problems, but they only rolled out recently, so we'll just have to wait and see."The Q-Games PixelJunk titles are meant to appeal to Japanese sensibilities. Will they succeed with today's release of PixelJunk Monsters on the Japanese Store? Only time will tell. Read the complete interview on Level Up to find out more about this quirky PSN game.
PixelJunk Monsters to stalk PSN in January
Those who venture onto the PlayStation Network in January may be surprised to find the place overrun with monsters, and even more surprised to learn that dispatching them doesn't require a shotgun, nor a first-person perspective. Posting on the official PlayStation blog, Q-Games President Dylan Cuthbert calls "PixelJunk Monsters" a real-time strategy game wrapped "in a completely different style and mode of gameplay that the Japanese public (and hopefully the West too, of course!) would really get into."He hopes that you'll get into the game's hand-drawn 2D artwork, as well as the fact that a cheeky little monster replaces the floating (and enormously bossy) cursor typically found in the RTS genre. You'll control the "defender-of-the-forests type chap" as he collects money and sets up defensive towers throughout 20 stages, each of which has undergone a rigorous testing and balancing procedure. We're also told that -- if you're not too busy fending off adorable monsters -- a tower's defenses are mysteriously improved by doing a jig in front of it. (Guttural clarification: There are no creatures called "jigs" in the game. We checked.)[Via PS3 Fanboy]
PixelJunk Monsters -- an RTS with a cuddly monster overlord
The official PlayStation Blog has updated and you know what we found? Monsters! Monsters with silly pig noses that we want transformed into stuffed animals right this moment. From the makers of PixelJunk Racers comes the aptly titled PixelJunk Monsters -- Q-Games has given up a few pieces of concept art and some details on the game, which we'll spill to you below.PJ Monsters is basically an RTS game with some additional elements set alongside the mining, research, and building bits we've all come to understand through the years. There's no mouse cursor for you to play God with -- you play as a cuddly monster creature that runs around and collects the materials you need to research and build stuff. Enemy monsters can drop gems, used to research more advanced defenses and buildings and such. These can also be upgraded by doing a dance in front of each respective tower. Neat.There are online leaderboards for co-op and single player campaigns. Apparently the game supports voice chat, unless co-op is restricted to you and a physical buddy next to you. What's super cool: girls like the game, too. Girlfriend tired of watching you play Uncharted or finds no fun in Call of Duty 4? You two should enjoy this one together, so says Dylan Cuthbert. Expect the game to have more fantastic hand-drawn 2D art, hitting the PS Store in January.
TGS07: PixelJunk Monsters unearthed
Hidden away in a list of upcoming PSN releases at Tokyo Game Show was PixelJunk Monsters. There isn't much known about the title, but if it's anything like the newly-released PixelJunk Racers, it should bring back new retro 2D gameplay to PS3 audiences everywhere. We have to wonder if you play as the monster, or are are trying to defend yourself from the monster in these new pics -- let the speculation begin.%Gallery-7756%
