The-Long-Dark
Latest
Survival RPG 'The Long Dark' adds story in time for August launch
After years of development as a crowdfunded project and, later, a pre-alpha build on Xbox One and Steam, wilderness survival RPG The Long Dark from Hinterland Studios finally has a release date of August 1st. Better yet, the studio announced on Wednesday that the game will be be making the jump to PS4 on that date and all three platforms will gain access to the first two chapters of a new five-part story mode dubbed "Wintermute".
The Long Dark welcomes 250K survivors, January update to nearly double size of wilderness
The Long Dark, Hinterland Studios' Northern woods survival simulator that's currently in Early Access, has surpassed 250,000 sales since launching on Steam's service on September 22. Unfortunately, the life expectancy for its inhabitants isn't very lengthy – an infograph coordinated with the sales announcement notes that only 24 percent of players have persevered for more than five days, with only 1.4 percent of players demonstrating the wit needed to last 50 days. While a dedicated story mode is still on the way, an update planned for later this month will nearly double The Long Dark's stretch of wilderness, adding fresh locales and threats amongst the game's snowy pines. We look forward to learning whether that helps or hinders the probability of its playerbase lasting more than a week. If you've yet to brave The Long Dark's chill, PC and Mac users can endure the elements for $19.99 on Early Access. [Image: Hinterland Studios]
The Long Dark ventures to Steam Early Access
Hinterland Studio launched its first-person exploration game The Long Dark on Steam Early Access this week, making the in-development survival simulator available for PC and Mac users for $20. Set in the pacific northwest, the game forces players to scavenge for resources and survive the threat of starvation, wolves and more. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston joined the developer earlier this month. Rolston adds to a well-credited crew at Hinterland, which includes Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Raphael van Lierop. The Long Dark's journey took off with its success on Kickstarter in October 2013, at which point the developer earned $248,899. Those that want a taste of the game should revisit Joystiq Streams' archive from July, in which Hinterland took us through the dark woods for an hour. [Image: Hinterland Studio]
Elder Scrolls designer ventures into The Long Dark
Ken Rolston, lead designer of Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind and ES4: Oblivion, has partnered with Hinterland Games for The Long Dark, the studio's first-person, apocalyptic survival simulator. Rolston's high-profile credentials add to Hinterland's portfolio of experience, which includes Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Raphael van Lierop, lead writer for the PS3 God of War trilogy, Marianne Krawczyk, and Sascha Dikiciyan, who scored Mass Effect 3 and Borderlands 2. Regarding whether Rolston will remain with Turbine, the team he joined one year ago as its director of design, Turbine has shared a statement with our friends at Massively: "We don't normally comment on personnel issues, and we definitely can't comment on work Ken is doing for other studios, but I can confirm that he continues to consult for us." Fans won't have to wait much longer to test their aptitude at surviving the frozen wilderness – The Long Dark's Sandbox mode will welcome Early Access patrons into the cold on September 22, though beta members began reducing themselves to snowy corpses a few weeks ago. [Image: Hinterland Games]
The Long Dark's Early Access sandbox opens September 22
It can be fun to wonder whether you could survive being stranded in the wilderness using solely your wits, but actually testing that theory isn't particularly advisable. The Long Dark is probably a safer way to get your answer, and developer Hinterland Studio has announced Early Access patrons can scavenge for supplies in its Sandbox mode on September 22, with access already available to beta members. Though The Long Dark's episodic Story Mode will follow William Mackenzie's post-plane crash exploration, Sandbox Mode is what you're likely thinking: a do-what-you-want fight for survival in The Long Dark's take on northern wilderness. Hinterland estimates survivors will get "dozens of hours" out of learning how to fend for themselves in the unforgiving cold. Hinterland launched a Kickstarter for The Long Dark in September 2013, scavenging $256,217 CAD ($248,000) from the land, as well as the talents of Jennifer Hale and David Hayter. According to a FAQ, The Long Dark's full release is due to make contact "later in 2014." [Image: Hinterland Studio]
Joystiq Streams: The Long Dark boards the Mid-Summer Terror Train [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
A strange thing happens when you're in real, honest-to-goodness wilderness. When the sun goes down and there's no artificial light, one of two things happens: either you go to sleep, or you're shocked wide awake after realizing how very dark, how very quiet, and how very big the world is. The Long Dark by Hinterland Studio is a new post-apocalyptic survival game in a land of many, but it distinguishes itself by tapping into that vein of instinctual unease. It's a game about when the world gets dark and quiet. Day two of the Mid-Summer Terror Train starts at 4PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch with The Long Dark. Hinterland's Raphael van Lierop will be on hand to talk about the game with Anthony John Agnello and Richard Mitchell. Joystiq Streams broadcasts live every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. [Images: Hinterland Studio]
Perfect Ten: Why we need more post-apocalyptic MMOs
With the recent re-release of the 1988 classic RPG Wasteland and the development progress of Wasteland 2, my mind's swimming in post-apocalyptic wonderment these days. Aside from those titles and the insanely popular Fallout series, post-apoc hasn't proven to be as popular a setting for games as it is in, say, film, TV, and novels. And when it comes to MMOs, the only major effort that's been made to produce a similar title has been limited to Fallen Earth (and in a lesser sense, Defiance and Xsyon). Now, I love me some Fallen Earth, especially as of late, but every time I log in it makes me think of just how rich and fertile this setting is for MMO studios. Considering just how rampant fantasy titles are, I feel strongly that devs need to be exploring outside this well-trod path to other genres, and the post-apocalypse is a perfect place to start. Here are my reasons that we need more post-apoc MMOs, and no, I'm not going to list "rampant prostitution and drug use" because that would also apply to a Los Angeles MMO.
Crowdfund Bookie, October 2013: Two is greater than 58
The Crowdfund Bookie crunches data from select successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns that ended during the week and produces pretty charts for you to look at. The month of October saw 172,360 people pledge $7,361,713 towards 42 successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo video game projects. To put that in perspective, that's 4,833 more project backers than the past three months combined. As discussed in our September quarterly report, some high-earning games serve as extreme samples in a month's data set. October was no different, as Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9 lured in $3,845,170 thanks to 67,226 backers. What's more, both Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and Hyper Light Drifter combined to account for 42,708 backers, which means these three projects had enough backers to match the number of funders in August and September combined, a two-month period that saw 58 successful projects. All three games fit into the action genre this month as well, which accounts for that category's high numbers. Without those three projects, the other four action games would have combined for only $113,876. October also saw some of the first Canada-based developers take advantage of Kickstarter's expansion to the country, which began in September. Eight projects came from Canadian developers, three of which were among the top six earning games for the month: RimWorld, The Long Dark and River City Ransom: Underground. The eight games accounted for 11.16 percent of the overall picture for the month ($821,411), so it'll be interesting to watch for the impact Kickstarter's expansion has on our crowdfunding trends. The funding platform will open up to Australia and New Zealand-based creators on November 13, as well. Head past the break for the month's breakdown by genre as well as the list of October's top five earners.
Crowdfund Bookie: 'The Long Dark' path to $248K
The Crowdfund Bookie crunches data from select successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns that ended during the week and produces pretty charts for you to look at. It was a busy week in crowdfunding, as the Kickstarter projects for The Long Dark, Contagion, Steam Squad, King Randall's Party, The Ballads of Reemus 2, Slip, Emerald, SC2VN, Destiny Fails Us and Worlds Quest as well as the Indiegogo projects for Lords of Zulima and TurfBattles concluded. The Long Dark, a first-person survival simulator coming from triple-A veterans Hinterland Studio earned the most money this week, hauling in $256,217 CAD ($248,899). The game also had the highest number of backers of the group, with 6,966 people funding the project. King Randall's Party, a "side-scrolling fortress defense game," had the highest per-person pledge amount of the week ($184.23). Head past the break to check out the week's results along with some pretty charts.
The Long Dark successfully moves one step closer to seeing daylight
Hinterland Studio's The Long Dark's Kickstarter concluded today, gathering $256,217 of a $200,000 CAD goal. The campaign reached two of its stretch goals, adding a downloadable graphic novel to the game's production and doubling the original soundtrack planned for the game. "It feels great. It's been a really emotional experience for the entire team. Exhausting. But it feels great," Creative Head of Hinterland Studios Raphael van Lierop told us about reaching the end of this long, dark month of fundraising. "We did what we set out to do." Hinterland Studio, a collection of triple-A industry vets, plans to launch the first-person survival simulation emphasizing exploration in a stark, post-disaster setting on PC, Mac and Linux in the fall of 2014.
Old Snake David Hayter prepares for The Long Dark
David Hayter will lend his voice to Hinterland's upcoming survival sim, The Long Dark. Hayter, worked as writer on films such as X-Men, X2, The Scorpion King and Watchmen, had a 15-year run playing Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series. The addition of David Hayter to the voice cast follows last week's announcement that another recognizable voice, Jennifer Hale, has also signed on for The Long Dark. Hale's character, as with Hayter's, has yet to be revealed. The Long Dark, which has less than 48 hours left to go on its Kickstarter run, exceeded its funding goal of $200,000 CAD yesterday. In the game, players assume the role of bush pilot William Mackenzie, whose plane mysteriously malfunctions following a supernatural event. While stranded in the wilderness, Mackenzie must battle the elements and predators of his newfound icy forest environment.
The Long Dark hits goal three days before fundraising lights go out
Hinterland's survival sim The Long Dark has reached the $200,000 fundraising light at the end of the metaphorical Kickstarter tunnel, with three days left in its campaign. The game is expected to ship for PC, Mac and Linux in October 2014, and will feature native support for the Oculus Rift. "When things were looking a little grim for the campaign and we had people reaching out to us to say... 'You should quit, 'cause I've seen enough of these to know you're not going to make it.', we said -- no," an update on the game's Kickstarter page reads. While the base goal has been met, there are still several strech goals which could potentially be reached: at $225,000 funding, a downloadable graphic novel will be added to all reward tiers, and at $250,000 funding, the game will feature an extended soundtrack.
Jennifer Hale to play 'pivotal role' in The Long Dark
Noted video game voice actress Jennifer Hale has signed on to lend her pipes to The Long Dark, Hinterland's survival sim currently chasing funding through Kickstarter. Hinterland hasn't announced exactly who Hale will play in The Long Dark, but promises it's a "pivotal role." Hale, one of the more well-known voice actresses in video games and animation today, has contributed her voice to over 130 video games. She has voiced characters in Mass Effect, Diablo 3, Metal Gear Solid, BioShock Infinite and many more. The Long Dark is four days away from concluding its Kickstarter pledge drive and has raised $180,000 CAD so far. The game, which tasks players with surviving in a cold and harsh wilderness after a bush pilot's plane malfunctions and crashes, will launch on PC, Mac and Linux.
The Long Dark shows the harshness of night
In Hinterland Studio's first game, The Long Dark, players attempt to survive while stranded in the cold, harsh wilderness. Survival means not only ensuring you have enough calories stored to survive the day's grueling activity schedule, but also defending yourself from lurking predators. Running as opposed to walking will tire you out and deplete those precious calories more quickly. Hunger, fatigue, temperature, health and thirst also affect the survival simulation and bring you closer to death. The Long Dark currently seeking funds through Kickstarter in its early stages of development. The Kickstarter campaign has a little over a week left and is about $80,000 CAD away from meeting its funding goal.
The Long Dark shines light on Kickstarter
The Long Dark is now on Kickstarter, seeking $200,000 CAD from this pre-apocalyptic world. If it ever sees the light, the game will be the debut of Hinterland Studio, which was announced last week and is being lead by Raphael van Lierop, who was director on Relic's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and narrative director on Far Cry 3. "The Long Dark is a thoughtful, first-person survival simulation that emphasizes quiet exploration in a stark, yet hauntingly beautiful, post-disaster setting. The breathtakingly picturesque Pacific Northwest frames the backdrop for the drama of The Long Dark," notes the game's Kickstarter page, which also mentions an episodic nature to the content. Hinterland isn't just one man, though, it includes vets from Volition Inc., BioWare and Riot. The Long Dark is also being supported by the Canada Media Fund. If all goes according to the plan, The Long Dark is scheduled to descend us into lonely survival in late 2014.
Hinterland Studio announced, reveals first game 'The Long Dark'
The Long Dark, the first game from newly founded Hinterland Studio, was announced this morning. The studio is being headed by Raphael van Lierop, whose credits include being director on Relic's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and narrative director at Ubisoft Montreal on Far Cry 3. Van Lierop was also brought in to put Enemy Front back on track for a Spring 2014 launch. The Long Dark is described as a "more realistic, mature" take on the post-disaster survival simulation. Following a "geomagnetic disaster that has taken the technology grid offline," players take on the role of a bush pilot stranded in the northern wilderness. It'll be a survival story, with "no zombies!" The independent studio also includes veterans from Volition Inc. (Saints Row, Red Faction), BioWare (Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), Sony Santa Monica (God of War). The Long Dark is being supported by the Canada Media Fund, and a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter is planned for September 16.
