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New Sound Shapes DLC hits PSN today
Developer Queasy Games will launch two new DLC packs for its synesthetic platformer Sound Shapes on the PlayStation 4, PS3, and PS Vita in North America later today. The Brass Sound Pack premieres today, adding jazzy horn effects for player-created levels and introducing a collection of new Beat School levels and five unlockable silver trophies. Level designers may also opt for the Nature Art Pack, which features a series of fauna-themed backdrops and level surfaces. Players in Europe got an early look at the new packs last week, and the user-created level above showcases how elements from both can combine to form unique level layouts. The new packs are priced at 99 cents each. [Video: Queasy Games / Kelly Callebaut]
Sound Shapes celebrates PS4 launch with new levels, DLC
Commemorating last week's launch of Sound Shapes for the PlayStation 4, developer Queasy Games has released a series of new community Milkcrate levels, Sound Packs, and Art Packs compatible across all versions of the game. Priced at 99 cents each, the Vocoder Sound Pack and Old School Sound Pack add electro funk and jazzy bass options to user-made tracks, while the City Art Pack lets players customize levels with buildings, bridges, and other construction-themed decorations. The new community-sourced Milkcrate levels are free, and are included as part of Sound Shapes' latest patch. Sound Shapes is available as a Cross-Buy release that bundles the PlayStation 3, PS4, and PS Vita versions of the game together in a buy-one-get-three package. PlayStation 4 owners who previously purchased the PS3 or Vita versions of Sound Shapes can download the new PS4 edition free of charge.
Flower, flOw, Sound Shapes, Escape Plan coming to PlayStation 4 in November
Sony announced today that upgraded PlayStation 4 versions of Flower, flOw, Sound Shapes, and Escape Plan will hit the PlayStation Network shortly after the console launches at retail next month. The PlayStation 4 version of thatgamecompany's Flower will run at 60 frames-per-second and in 1080p when it premieres alongside an updated version of Queasy Games' rhythm-platformer Sound Shapes on November 15. On November 29, Sony will launch PS4 ports of thatgamecompany's flOw and Fun Bits Interactive's PS Vita puzzler Escape Plan, both of which feature reworked controls optimized for the DualShock 4. All four games are Cross-Buy titles, and will be available as free downloads for players who purchased previously-released editions for the PlayStation 3 or PS Vita. Sony additionally revealed that the PS Vita version of Flower will feature Cross-Buy support when it hits PSN on November 15.
Sound Shapes celebrates first birthday with sale, free DLC
Tomorrow will mark one full year of existence for Sound Shapes and to celebrate this milestone, the game and all its DLC will be half-off until August 13. If you already own the cross-buy enabled PS3 and PS Vita game, you can grab some free DLC – the Car Mini-Album and Entity Pack – by posting in this special thread. Sound Shapes is a quirky platformer with a distinct musical hook, where players can create and share their own custom levels online. It's a game we absolutely enjoyed, an experience a few of us found to be among the best of 2012.
Sound Shapes lays down more DLC on May 14 in NA, May 15 EU
Sound Shapes, Queasy Games's synesthetic platformer, gets another batch of DLC on May 14 in North America, May 15 in Europe. While Queasy's announcement was coy, PSNStores says it's confirmed the DLC comprises two sound packs: one 1980s-themed, one dubstep. As PSNStores notes, the two DLCs packs accidentally appeared in a PS Store update for Asia back in March, and their trophies are listed too. The 80s are back in style and dubstep isn't going away anytime soon, so the timing looks metronomic for some new beats.
Sound Shapes DLC throws down cars, campaigns, obstacles, more
Sound Shapes wants to pump up the volume today with a few downloadable additions, first with the Car Mini-Album and Creator Pack, which runs $2 and adds two new vehicles, new levels, a Sound Pack, new editing options, Beat School lessons and trophies.The Community Milkcrate includes six new albums and a total of 35 levels created by players just like you (but probably with more dedication to Sound Shapes level creation), hand-picked by the developers at Queasy Games. The Community Milkcrate is a free update, and so is the addition of offline play – sync levels while connected to the Sound Shapes servers, and then play those levels whether on- or offline.Queasy teased this massive DLC and update back in February, noting that it is Cross Buy enabled, and kept successfully silent until now. For a game called Sound Shapes, that's no easy feat.
Sound Shapes DLC landing March 12
Queasy Games has announced that a new bundle of Sound Shapes DLC has had its debut performance scheduled for Wednesday, March 12, and that said DLC will indeed be Cross-Buy enabled. It's sort of like when you buy a modern album on vinyl, but it also comes with a code for a digital copy.Unfortunately, Queasy neglected to mention what the DLC actually is, and instead only revealed its release date, saying that more information will be forthcoming. Personally, we're hoping for an "all MIDI dog sounds" pack.
Sound Shapes Music Shop launches with 3 sound packs, terrain pack
Sound Shapes is expanding today with the launch of an in-game music shop. Up for grabs are three new sound packs, the Acoustic Sound Pack, Drum Kits Sound Pack and 8-Bit Sound Pack. The packs will be available for $0.99 each, and all feature five new instruments, their own Beat School Levels and Trophies. Also available today will be the free Curved Terrain Pack.Furthemore, Sony has revealed a new feature set to debut later this month called the Community Milkcrate. The Milkcrate will showcase curated albums of user-created levels, each centered around a specific theme. Next year will see the release of special Milkcrate albums curated by "entertainment industry luminaries including game developers, music composers and other notable fans of the game." New vehicles will be introduced next year as well.Check out the trailer above for a peek at the new sound packs.
Sound Shapes review: A live concept album
Sound Shapes is definitely a music game, but it doesn't fit into any existing music game framework. Your movements aren't judged by their adherence to the rhythm of the in-game music, nor do your movements create the music.Instead, the world is literally made of music.%Gallery-162054%
PSN Tuesday: Sound Shapes, The Walking Dead
It's a great week for PlayStation Plus subscribers, who can grab the first two episodes of Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure game for free on the PlayStation Store today. As we noted earlier, Sound Shapes ($15) also launched today, and those that buy the PS3 version of the game get the Vita version for free. Oh, and PS Plus subscribers also get that game 20% off.Joining Sound Shapes are Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 ($50) and The King of Fighters XIII ($30). Payday: The Heist's Wolfpack DLC is out this week for $10 as well, and can be purchased with the game in a bundle for $20. Sound Shapes launches as part of the PSN Play promotion, which includes a bonus theme for those that pre-order Papo & Yo ($15), next week's PSN Play game. What's more, PS Plus members can do just that for 20% off.
You must watch Jon Mak build this super hot Sound Shapes jam
Could you refer to Jon Mak's on-the-fly Sound Shapes level as a "club banger?" Why yes, yes you could. We'd even go so far as to say you should refer to it that way, but you may just call it "that really impressive thing that convinced me to buy Sound Shapes."
New Beck songs get visualized, inspire musical platforming
Beck's latest album won't debut on the shelves of your local brick-and-mortar retailer. Instead, Cities, as its called, will roll out on Sound Shapes for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. The platformer's song-inspired stages transform the record's three tunes, Cities, Touch the People and Spiral Staircase, into interactive music videos, with original art and lyrics inserted into the environment. If traipsing through the included soundscapes -- not all of which are Beck-centric -- isn't enough to please, the developers are gifting gamers with the tools needed to build levels of their own. As a cross-play game, the $14.99 price tag nets both the console and portable versions of the downloadable title. Sound Shape won't hit digital shelves until August 7th, but you can catch a sneak peak (and a quick listen) after the break.
Odelay! Beck conributing three new tracks to Sound Shapes
The synaesthetic platforming of Sound Shapes is getting bolstered by three tracks from pseudo country/hip-hop/folk/whatever artist Beck, Billboard reports. "Cities," "Spiral Staircases," and "Touch the People" will apparently each get their own levels in this August's PlayStation 3/Vita game. All three tracks are brand new for Sound Shapes, rather than from Beck's lengthy discography.Beck joins co-developer I Am Robot and Proud (Shaw-Han Liem), Sworcery composer Jim Guthrie, and notoriously game-centric DJ Deadmau5 on the game's soundtrack, which, like, it's gonna be a super good soundtrack, right? We totally agree.When the Deadmau5 collaboration was announced, Queasy Games told us that his tracks weren't just implemented into game levels, but also part of the game's level editor, allowing players to break apart the track and use it to create a soundscape behind the platforming. It stands to reason that Beck's tracks will also get this functionality, making this news all the more thrilling.[Image credit: Flickr user 'lizzk']%Gallery-160640%
Superbrothers and Jim Guthrie make Sound Shapes' 'Corporeal'
The next artist and musician pair to create a Sound Shapes album has worked together before: Superbrothers and Jim Guthrie famously collaborated on Sword & Sworcery EP, and now they've made "Corporeal," a series of levels for Queasy Games' Vita platformer."After some initial discussion with Queasy," Craig "Superbrothers" Adams said on the PlayStation Blog, "we chose to explore some of the concepts in prior Superbrothers films including Children of the Clone and Dot Matrix Revolution, so our levels are populated by computers, mainframes, office workers and water coolers." The level design is modeled on "something like Impossible Mission for C-64 & Spectrum," though still within the mechanics of Sound Shapes.Adams didn't offer a specific release date for Sound Shapes, but he did say it'll be playable at Sony's E3 booth. Good news ... for us!
Deadmau5 and Pixeljam make beautiful Sound Shapes together
Sound Shapes' levels are presented in an "album" format, with each collection of levels having a distinct look and sound. This video features a demonstration of an "album" whose sounds are provided by Deadmau5, a musician respected enough to get away with having a number in his name, and whose shapes are designed by indie developer Pixeljam.Check out the collaboration above, and start thinking of how you can use those visual and musical elements to make your own levels.
Sound Shapes getting pre-release demo, still looks fantastic
Here's something you shouldn't be surprised at all by: Queasy Games' upcoming PlayStation Vita music-driven platformer, Sound Shapes, still looks absolutely delightful. As demonstrated in the above video to the PlayStation Blog by Jason deGroot, the game's art style has evolved more naturalistic looking environments which help all the more to showcase the game's synaesthetic approach.Beyond the new footage, Queasy confirmed a pre-launch demo of its new game, though the indie studio and its publisher remain mum on a solid release date.
Shuhei Yoshida expects a focus on new IP for Vita
Sony president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has expressed his love for Queasy Games' Sound Shapes over the rest of the PlayStation Vita's lineup, and offered a couple hints as to the future of the new handheld's software lineup. "When we introduce new hardware with unique interfaces and network options, it is almost easier to work on something completely new," Yoshida said in a recent interview with Sony's EU PlayStation blog. "Take rear touch on PS Vita – we'd rather be thinking about how we can make fresh games using that feature than figuring out ways to add it to something that already exists." This concept is already reflected by games like the aforementioned Sound Shapes, as well as Escape Plan and Gravity Daze, while the opposite is reflected in entries like Uncharted, Resistance, and Killzone. That said, Sony's plans extend at least a few years into the future. "Generally we look three years ahead when we work on games. We have a fairly firm plan right up to 2013," Yoshida told the blog. He also admitted that, with PSP, the company's attention shifted dramatically to the PS3 when it launched, leaving the portable handheld somewhat in the dark -- something he promises won't happen with the Vita. "In the past we launched PSP and then shifted our attention to PS3 when that came on the horizon, which we now concede was a mistake. So with PS Vita we are working on this huge range titles and planning ahead for a constant supply of excellent games." Fingers crossed, folks!
Made in Toronto: Deadmau5 collaborating with Queasy on Sound Shapes
When electronica artist Deadmau5 isn't busy hanging out with famed game developer Shigeru Miyamoto, or tricking tweeters into thinking he lost an early retail PlayStation Vita, he's teaming up with Queasy Games to handcraft tracks for upcoming Vita game Sound Shapes. He likely does other things, sure, but we're not privy to that. An announcement this morning revealed the partnership -- apt given the studio's Toronto roots alongside Deadmau5. As if the collaboration couldn't be more serendipitous, Queasy Games head Jonathan Mak has been building Sound Shapes alongside Shaw-Han Liem, otherwise known as "I Am Robot and Proud," a Toronto-based electronic music artist. When asked about the collaboration, Liem was modest, telling Joystiq, "There is no special history between myself and Deadmau5, other than the fact that we both come from the Toronto/Canadian electronic music scene, which is quite small!" He related the collaboration to Queasy's work with Capy Games, the indie studio responsible for Critter Crunch and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, among other things. "We know that he plays games, and indie games in particular - he's a fan of 'Sword & Sworcery'," Liem told us. It's not clear how many tracks from Deadmau5 will end up in the title, but we'll find out in the not-too-distant future as Sound Shapes launches some time in 2012 for the PlayStation Vita. It also sounds like players will have a chance to cut up said tracks for level creation, as Liem concluded, "We've always had the goal of making the musical 'toolset' something that is flexible and that people can use to make different kinds of music. Adding Deadmau5 to the mix gives people a whole new set of musical tools to work with, which is totally exciting to us." [Image credit: Facebook]
Groove to the beat of this new Sound Shapes trailer
Here at Joystiq, it's our job to know what you want. We've heard your cries for more trailers featuring attractive 20-somethings playing Sound Shapes, so here you go.
Sound Shapes preview: Run, jump, dance
Do you own any of the following? A. Very flexible, DJ-quality headphones B. A messenger bag sized specifically for vinyl records C. A modded Game Boy/Game Boy Color/etc. for creating music D. The freshest styles and moves, straight from Planet Funketron If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, and you also share my love for precision platforming in video games like N+ and Super Meat Boy, then Sound Shapes is gonna be your jam.%Gallery-125607%
