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Limbo Vita outsourced to LittleBigPlanet dev Double Eleven [Update: 'This year']
Playdead is outsourcing the just announced Vita version of Limbo to Double Eleven, the UK team who co-developed LittleBigPlanet for the Sony portable. Speaking to Joystiq, Playdead CEO Dino Patti said his studio is excited about the monochromatic puzzle-platformer's first "mobile launch," even though outsourcing is an unusual step."This version of the game is for the first time being made externally," Patti told us. "In the way we work there is normally no room for outsourcing, but the talented team at Double Eleven has convinced us that this is the right decision."Patti continued, "Together we are working hard to give the mobile players exactly the same experience the PS3 players have had on the living room TV."Shacknews learned there could be a PS Plus promotion involved. Playdead also told Shacknews that the Vita port won't support cross-play features.Update: Patti expects the Vita port of Limbo to hit "this year," he told Joystiq at last night's PlayStation Indie Arcade. The port won't support any touchscreen gameplay.
Report: Limbo tumbling onto Vita
Dark and dangerous side-scroller Limbo is coming to the Vita, according to IGN. The site offers no details beyond that announcement, so it's unknown when the platform-puzzler is due on the Sony portable. We've reached out to developer Playdead for more details.Initially a Summer of Arcade game which we voted in our Top 10 of 2010, Limbo later made its way onto PSN for PS3, and Steam for Windows and Mac.Meanwhile, Playdead is working on a second game codenamed Project 2, which isn't likely to be released until next year. It may share the ethos of the studio's first game; "we're still working with some of the ideas that didn't make it into Limbo," game director Arnt Jensen teases.
Playdead's Project 2 uses Unity, may share 'ideas' with Limbo
Almost everyone knows about Playdead's Limbo, but the followup to that project, so far known only as "Project 2," is still shrouded in secrecy. Project 2, revealed a little while ago in a Danish grant report and listed as a 2014 release, is being developed in Unity, according to game director Arnt Jensen.Limbo was constructed with its own game engine, but using a third-party engine on Project 2 will both save time, says Jensen, and allow them to release the game to "as many people as possible."The screenshot above is the only part of the game seen thus far is above. According to Jensen, the boy may be one of several similarities between Limbo and the new game. "Many ideas were cut" from the first game, "right up until the very end," Jensen says. With Project 2, "we're still working with some of the ideas that didn't make it into Limbo."
Sony missed Limbo exclusivity by asking for IP rights
Sony Computer Entertainment Executive Producer Pete Smith said the company had issues signing Limbo "because of the IP," during a recent talk at the Develop Conference. Talks with Limbo developer Playdead Studios broke down as Sony wanted to retain intellectual property rights."There are obvious benefits to keeping it, but also to giving it up: you're way more likely to get the deal," Smith said of retaining IP rights during the talk. "A publisher is much more likely to commit to marketing and merchandising if they own the IP." After Sony failed to reach a deal with Playdead Studios, the Danish developer went on to launch Limbo on Xbox Live Arcade in July 2010, one year before it landed on PSN.Smith added, "Sometimes all we want is protection so [developers] don't make a game, finish it then go to one of our rivals. We look at IP on a case by case basis. With a bit of common sense, you can find common ground."
Limbo now available in physical, goodie-filled special edition
While it might be strange to associate Limbo with "goodies," the new special edition is chock-full of them. The boxed Limbo Special Edition includes PC and Mac versions of Limbo (sans DRM), the soundtrack, art cards, a nifty sticker of Limbo's boy, "awesome 3D glasses" and a Steam key for the game. If the inclusion of 3D glasses hasn't tipped you off, the special edition of Limbo also features a new anaglyph 3D mode.The Limbo Special Edition is available right now for $25 on Amazon. If you like Limbo as much as we do, it seems like a pretty nice package.%Gallery-159590%
Details on Playdead's Limbo successor dredged up in Danish grant list
Playdead is perking up, offering some scant details about its follow-up to 2010's Limbo via a listing for Danish interactive grant recipients spotted by superannuation. The game has a working title of "Project 2" and is slated for PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Mac.The game will follow "a boy's struggle against evil forces trying to take over the world through questionable experiments on human bodies," as superannuation translates it. "Project 2" is a 2D platformer in a 3D world and is "in color," though from the screenshot above it looks as if those colors may have been scraped from Limbo's leftovers.Playdead received £1,000,000 from the Danish government to work on "Project 2." It began working on this title in 2010 and set its production time at "three and a half years," superannuation notes, bringing its launch to an estimated 2014.
Humble Indie Bundle V includes Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers, Amnesia, Bastion (as a bonus)
The fifth iteration of the Humble Indie Bundle has gone live, granting donors their choice of Mac, PC or Linux versions of Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, as well as the soundtracks for each game. Anyone that pays above the average price (currently $6.71) will also receive Baston and its soundtrack.Seeing as the Steam release of Sword & Sworcery EP is still only available on PC, this bundle is currently the only way to buy it for OSX. As per usual, patrons can decide how much of their purchase price goes to the developers, to charity, and as a tip to Humble Bundle folks.
Trials Evolution takes a dark turn into the world of Limbo
Either the dude took one too many spills and has a major concussion, or he really needs to be more aware of where he's driving. Trials Evolution transports the masochistic main character to the world of Playdead's Limbo.RedLynx created the track using Trials Evolution's built-in track editor, XBLA Fans reports. Now, instead of only dodging pitfalls and explosions, dirtbike dude can also look forward to dodging giant cogs and saw blades when Arcade NEXT kicks off on April 18 with the launch of Trials Evolution.Also of note: the first batch of screens show no spider, but it's there. Trust us.
Limbo with the lights on
Limbo's austere presentation would absolutely shatter if the game's protagonist found Alan Wake's trusty flashlight and started shining it all around. At least, that's what Dorkly posits in this clip revealing the happy land of Limbo.
PSA: Limbo now available on Mac via Steam
If you've been waiting for the Mac-compatible Steam release of 2010's noir-existential platformer, Limbo, know that your wait is over. Limbo has, of course, been available via the Mac App Store for about three weeks, but the fact that Steam's version of the title includes cross-platform SteamPlay support may have been enough to convince some people to keep their credit cards in their wallets until now. All we need are 3DS and Vita ports and we'll be able to play Limbo on virtually everything we own.
Limbo is in Mac App Store now, damned to Steam in January
Playdead promised you a Mac OS release of its charming (but grim!) indie platformer, Limbo, by "the end of the year," and while we're not quite ready to call it a Christmas miracle the Danish developer has delivered on its promise. Limbo is live in the Mac App Store today, with a $9.99 sticker price accompanying the 83 MB download. Waiting for the Steam release, so you can take advantage of the cross-platform SteamPlay feature? Playdead's Dino Patti tells Joystiq that Limbo will be available on Steam on January 13th, a little over three weeks from today. But if that's too long to wait and/or you don't want to drop cheddar on the Mac App Store release, we think we've got a solution: Patti gave us a handful of codes to share with you all, which we'll be dropping onto Facebook and Twitter sometime today.
Limbo celebrates one million in sales with Mac OS release by 'end of the year'
After a half-price XBLA sale sent the excellent indie Limbo to the top of the best-sellers list last week, developer Playdead has announced that it's sold one million copies of the punishing platformer across three platforms, including PSN and PC. To celebrate that milestone, Playdead is adding an additional platform to the mix: Mac OS. The Mac release is currently "in the works" and "will be released before the end of the year." Playdead CEO and co-founder Dino Patti told Joystiq that the Mac release will support SteamPlay, for those of you who've already purchased the PC release, and will also be released on the Mac App Store, if that's more your speed. The one million milestone also provided Playdead an opportunity to discuss its recent actions to ensure its own independence by "fully acquiring the company from early investors." Patti says, "We are grateful to everyone who supported us over the past few years, and look forward to forging new partnerships that will both let us reach new heights as a studio and give our director, Arnt Jensen, room to grow creatively."
Limbo-inspired short film 'The Tide' could be amazing
Hollywood has a difficult time innovating itself, usually running through film fads in periodic bursts of explosions, war dramas, too-witty children backed by indie-band soundtracks and 3D fantasy. Something truly different, yet just as resonant, is unlikely to be made in the backlot of Paramount Studios, with a huge budget and attention-grabbing actors. For example, a film based on Limbo won't be getting mainstream funding any time soon. That doesn't mean it shouldn't. The Tide is a short-film project inspired by and created in the same art style as Limbo, in production from Samsquanch Films. Unsurprisingly for such a special-effects-loaded movie, it needs funding from some good people who like great games and movies. The Tide's Kickstarter offers goodies for your green, including T-shirts, stickers, associate producer credit, a role in the film and a custom oil painting. Besides, walking on top of monkey bars is hard -- surely these guys deserve a few bucks to help pay for the imminent hospital bill.
Playdead boss says retail model is 'broken,' awaits digital revolution
Dino Patti, boss at Limbo developer Playdead, doesn't like retail. In fact, he's pretty anti-physical media in general. "Driving discs in a big van all over the world is really inefficient," he told Eurogamer in a recent interview. "I don't understand how anyone can make money out of this. Driving a truck to Japan just to get it delivered to people when they can get it from the net? Hopefully the new consoles will embrace the download space even more." Okay, we're picking up what he's throwing down, but what about flying discs all around the world? Surely that's cheaper and more efficient? Joking aside, Patti's also against having to install console games, which he considers strictly PC territory. "It should be more like plug and play. The first consoles were cartridges. When it takes one hour to install Gran Turismo 5? I don't know. Obviously it improves performance, but they should be able to build consoles with better performance from the disc drive." We like watching Solid Snake smoke cigarettes as much as the next blog, but we admit he has a point here. Of course, install times have come a long way since then, but we understand Patti's frustration. While we certainly wouldn't mind an all-digital future, we understand some people just like their physical media; a desire to hold the disc in their hand and smell a fresh instruction booklet. It's just how it is, even if it is a little bit weird.
Limbo surfacing on PSN July 19, Steam August 2 [update]
Playdead is celebrating Limbo's first birthday by giving all of us a present -- a PSN release date for the gruesome yet gorgeous indie darling. Limbo will be creepy-crawling onto PSN July 19 in the United States, July 20 in Europe and at a to-be-announced date in Japan. The Limbo soundtrack, which would be great for overnight, solo camping trips in the middle of Dead Man's Woods, will be released Monday, July 11, due to popular demand. Playdead's Dino Patti finished his announcement on the PlayStation Blog with the promise (or threat) of a "little extra secret we have in store for you..." Update: Limbo will be launching on Steam worldwide August 2, according to an announcement on the official site.
Limbo coming to Steam and PSN, Playdead handling the ports
Yesterday we reported that Limbo may be PSN-bound, if a Korean Game Ratings Board listing sought by Sony Computer Entertainment Korea is any indication. We reached out to developer Playdead for comment and CEO and co-founder Dino Patti got back to us today confirming the news. "This might be the second time around we have been waiting for," Patti said, referencing his quote from last May in which he said, "You won't see a PS3 or PC version this time around." Patti said that "Limbo is in production for Steam and PSN, and is coming very soon." With a release date of "very soon" he predictably said more details would be coming shortly. The small Playdead team is handling both ports itself, while also working on a new IP. "To be honest, we want as many people to play our games as possible," Patti told us last year at the Indiecade festival. "If we end up going exclusive, we may do it for various reasons, but we just want as many people to play the game as possible." Even after a period of exclusivity, there are a lot more gamers who are going to be able to play Limbo "very soon."
Limbo rating sought by Sony in Korea, could be PSN-bound
Shortly before last summer's release of Limbo – that year's top Xbox Live Summer of Arcade title "by a long stretch" – the ESRB erroneously listed the PlayStation 3 and PC platforms in addition to the Xbox 360. Developer Playdead's Dino Patti told us, "We are only launching the title on XBLA. You won't see a PS3 or PC version this time around, sorry." However, like other Summer of Arcade indie exclusives before it including Braid and Castle Crashers, Limbo could make an appearance on Sony's platform after a period of exclusivity ... like, say, a year or so. The Korean Game Ratings Board has a listing for Limbo filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Korea. It so happens that the GRB has a pretty strong track record, outing Xbox Live Arcade titles like Fruit Ninja Kinect and Sega Rally Online Arcade. Before you get your hopes up, we've reached out to Playdead for a comment on the listing.
Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man coming to retail in XBLA triple pack [Update: It's coming on April 19!]
Three of Xbox Live Arcade's most lauded games are getting bundled together in one retail package, it seems. Twisted Pixel CEO and co-founder, Michael Wilford, revealed this Amazon listing on Twitter today, commenting that a bundle of Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man was initially only headed to Japan and now will be available in North America, as well. The Amazon listing suggests a $29.99 price point, which seems a little low -- Limbo is normally $15, while the other two are $10 -- so we've followed up with Microsoft for confirmation and an expected launch date. We'll let you know what we find out. Update: A Microsoft representative has confirmed with Joystiq that the $29.99 price is accurate and that the bundle will be available for purchase on April 19 either through online retailers or on store shelves here in the US. It'll also come with a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial and 160 MS Points.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2010: Limbo
Much like its sparsely populated namesake, Limbo is a game defined by what isn't there. There's no color, no speech, no real prompting to speak of ... heck, the game doesn't even use that many buttons. It asks that you bring something of yourself to the experience, that you supply your own metaphorical color, ensuring that your journey through the bitter, monochrome world will be intensely personal. In an industry that so often chokes itself with overabundance, Limbo separated itself from the pack by saying little, yet speaking volumes.
Limbo creators working on new IP
We caught up with Limbo creators Playdead at the Indiecade festival in Culver City, California this weekend, and while CEO Dino Patti confirmed once again that the best-selling XBLA game is "exclusive for life" to Microsoft's platform, we may see the next Playdead title branching out. Patti says the company is working on "a new IP," and that Limbo fans will enjoy it. "I can't tell much, but I can tell you that if you liked Limbo, it'll definitely be for you," he said. "The gameplay style you'll really like. You'll feel it's the same team who made it, but everything will be changed." The team "used a lot of time and a lot of money" getting Limbo out, and going with Microsoft exclusively was a way to hedge their bets and "get the money back," Patti said. "And it came out fine, because we got our money back, which was really cool." But for this new IP, admittedly still a long ways off, Patti said that "we are open for everything. To be honest, we want as many people to play our games as possible. If we end up going exclusive, we may do it for various reasons, but we just want as many people to play the game as possible."
