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Housemarque knows people are skeptical about 'Stormdivers'
Two days ago, Resogun developer Housemarque released its first proper trailer for Stormdivers. The reaction was mixed. At the time of writing, the official upload on YouTube has 290 thumbs-up and 321 thumbs-down ratings. "I'm going to miss absolutely amazing arcade titles from you guys," one user wrote. "Might as well wait for the inevitable closure announcement," another user remarked underneath.
'Stormdivers' is a battle royale game with superpowers
Back in April, Resogun and Super Stardust HD developer Housemarque teased a mysterious multiplayer project called Stormdivers. The reveal, though, showed little beyond a forest locale, some man-made structures and the promise of "hard flying and heavy hitting gameplay." If you've been waiting for more information, good news -- the indie developer has released a new trailer today showing off the game's battle royale-inspired combat. It reveals a host of weapons, including machetes, assault weapons and rocket launchers, as well as futuristic jetpacks, portable shields, and some fantastical powers including invisibility and lightning-fast dashes.
'Resogun' developer teases multiplayer-centric 'Stormdivers'
Last November, Finnish game developer Housemarque declared that the arcade genre "is dead." The studio's last title, Nex Machina, was warmly received by the press and currently boasts an 88 rating on Metacritic. "Lackluster sales," however, meant the company needed to change direction if it wanted to keep making games. It vowed to make "something completely different" and today, we have our first tease of the team's next project. The game is called Stormdivers and it promises a "multiplayer-centric experience" blended with "hard flying and heavy hitting gameplay." What that means in practice, though, is a mystery.
The best PlayStation 4 games
There's a big reason why the PlayStation 4 is the best-selling console: It has a smattering of games that you can't play anywhere else. Think: blockbusters like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Bloodborne. But even if Indiana Jones simulators and massive open worlds where you hunt down robo-dinosaurs aren't your thing, there are still plenty of exclusives to pick from. Whether it's the best baseball video game franchise, a choose-your-own-adventure horror or an engrossing social simulator/JRPG hybrid, there's a lot to play on Sony's latest console. And then there are games from massive third-party publishers like Activision and Ubisoft, along with quirky indie offerings to round out the selection.
The makers of 'Resogun' are leaving arcade shooters behind
Over the past decade, the name Housemarque has become synonymous with arcade-style games. From the early PSN title Super Stardust HD to the PS4 launch savior Resogun, the Finnish studio has produced many critically acclaimed and commercially successful games. In recent years, though, good reviews haven't been followed by strong sales. Nex Machina, a colorful top-down arcade shooter released earlier this year, is pure Housemarque. Created in partnership with arcade legend Eugene Jarvis, it's fast-paced, devilishly challenging and with tight controls. It received universal praise from reviewers -- a Metacritic average of 88 makes it the eighth-best-reviewed PS4 game of the year. When I visited Housemarque's Helsinki studio last year, I described the game as "a Hail Mary for arcade shooters" -- and it's now clear that the Hail Mary failed. The company confirmed that it's sold less than 100,000 copies of Nex Machina across both PS4 and PC. The studio has roughly 50 employees working on two games at any given moment, and doing some napkin math will quickly reveal that it lost a lot of money on the game, which it released without the help of a publisher. Matterfall, another arcade-inspired title, arrived in August and similarly failed to set the world on fire. As it was published by Sony, it hasn't affected Housemarque in the same way financially, but it clearly intensified the soul-searching.
The follow-up to 'Resogun' is a Hail Mary for arcade shooters
Housemarque, the Finnish developer behind Resogun and Dead Nation, hasn't had the best year. I visited its Helsinki headquarters back in September to see how the studio was following up Resogun, the surprise hit of the PlayStation 4 launch. What I found was a unique company struggling to hold on to the identity it believes in. Housemarque made its name with Stardust. Originally released for the Amiga in the early '90s, the series rose to prominence with the digital release of Super Stardust HD on the PlayStation 3. The studio has since become a specialist in digital-only games, almost all of which can trace their lineage back to the arcade. The isometric shooter Dead Nation was the studio's next big hit, going on to become one of the bestselling digital-only titles for PlayStation 3, while the Ikaruga-meets-Metroid platformer Outland was critically acclaimed. But it was during the launch of the PlayStation 4 that Housemarque would make the biggest impact. Resogun took the basic premise behind the arcade classic Defender and turned it into a modern shooter. With cylindrical stages and a custom voxel-based engine, the game was by far the strongest PlayStation 4 exclusive of its time, and one of scant few highlights of the console's November 2013 launch.
Joystiq Weekly: Street Fighter 5, Captain Toad review, PlayStation's 20th and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Judging by how many uploads of Street Fighter 5's announcement trailer have been pulled, we're thinking Capcom doesn't want us to know about it just yet. Considering it seems to be a PS4 console exclusive, we're wondering if the reveal slipped out ahead of PlayStation Experience, this weekend's gathering in Las Vegas to talk all things PlayStation. We can find out together as the event plays out over the next 48 hours, but PlayStation news isn't the only thing happening this week – The King's Quest series is getting a new entry, we reviewed Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Telltale Games' Game Of Thrones, and Managing Editor Susan Arendt explained the Danganronpa series' remarkable conveyance of how depression works. Those and many more stories are waiting for you after the break!
Resogun Defenders brings two new modes to PS4 next year
While Resogun is firing up its engines to launch on PS3 and Vita later this month, a new expansion for the game is in the works: Resogun Defenders. Priced at $5, the final add-on for the game introduces two new modes: Protector and Commando. It also features new ships and planets for players to "save the last humans" on (we're pretty sure they mean it this time). Resogun Defenders will launch early next year, and will be part of the game's $8 season pass. The season pass includes the "Heroes" DLC, which hit digital shelves in June. Housemarque will also issue a free content update alongside Defenders codenamed "Challengers," which offers new challenges for players across Resogun's existing modes. [Image: SCEE]
Resogun saves the last humans on PS3, Vita this month
Carousel-scrolling shooter Resogun will reach PlayStation 3 and PS Vita on Tuesday, December 23 in North America. The game will launch nearly a week earlier in Europe on Wednesday, December 17. Resogun first arrived as a launch title for Sony's latest home console, PlayStation 4, in November 2013. While originally developed by Housemarque, the PS3 and Vita ports are courtesy of Climax Studios, the developer behind the PS4 and Vita version of Housemarque's Dead Nation. PlayStation Blog notes that the PS3 and Vita versions of Resogun run at 30 frames per second as opposed to the 60 fps seen in the current-gen version of the game. The game will be Cross-Save and Cross-Buy compatible, so those that own the PS4 version will be able to download it on the other two systems for free instead of ponying up $14.99. Resogun on Vita will feature ad-hoc cooperative multiplayer and the ability to customize controls in order to use the system's touch panel options. [Image: SCEE]
Resogun sets course for PS Vita
Arcade-style shooter Resogun will receive a PlayStation Vita version, developer Housemarque confirmed via Twitter today. The Vita port will be handled by Climax Studios, which developed the PS4 and Vita versions of another Housemarque original, Dead Nation. While no release date for the Vita version was given, the developer noted that "more details on the port will soon be released by Sony." Resogun launched alongside the PS4 in November 2013 as a free download for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The game's first major "Heroes" expansion arrived this past June and added new survival and demolition modes to the shooter. The DLC launched shortly after a free update for the game patched in a ship editor and local cooperative multiplayer options. [Image: Housemarque]
Have you been downloading your free PS Plus games?
Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida recently discussed the continued dissonance between the audience's perception and reality of independent games and AAA titles. In particular, he mentioned the download rates of games available for free to PlayStation Plus members. "I hear complaints [about the lack of AAA games]. I do realize that some people are only interested in big-budget AAA games. I don't really understand those people. I don't know if they've tried some of the indie games and decided they're not interested," said Yoshida to GI.biz.
PSA: Resogun 'Heroes' DLC out today
The first major gameplay expansion for Housemarque's PlayStation 4 shoot-'em-up Resogun will hit the PlayStation Store later today, Sony's XDEV Studio Europe announced. The "Heroes" DLC features a Survival mode that pits players against endless waves of enemies in the new Avernus stage. Also launching as part of the DLC is the Demolition mode, an explosive ball-bouncing challenge that XDEV describes as "Resogun meets Arkanoid with a touch of Pinball." Resogun's DLC release follows up on a free update that introduces local co-op gameplay and a ship editor, along with a new collection of unlockable trophies. [Video: Sony]
Resogun's free local co-op, Ship Editor update coming tomorrow
Sunday isn't the typical time to hunker down and download fresh content with consoles, but Resogun will defy societal norms tomorrow with an update that adds local co-op and a Ship Editor. Perhaps you can forgive the abnormal launch date due to the update's lack of a price tag? Come on, it's even a day ahead of its previously-planned June 23 release! According to the PlayStation Blog, the Ship Editor allows for more than just palette-swapping paint jobs – pilots will be able to create their dream human-saving craft, down to the positioning of weaponry, afterburners and setting "attributes to govern the ship's agility, boost and overdrive, and choose either of the standard weapon sets." Non-creative types can just wait for the Resogun community to build the inevitable Nyan Cat-shaped vehicle and download it for themselves, thanks to support for sharing builds online. If the addition of local co-op isn't enough of a reason to play with new (or downloaded) creations, the free update will add a few new trophies to chase. You can always burn time climbing your way back up the leaderboards, too – the related post notes that due to players finding exploits, the update will reset leaderboards in addition to patching a few of those up. As great as free content is, the Heroes expansion for Resogun is still launching on June 24, offering Survival and Demolition modes for $5. [Image: Housemarque]
Housemarque grabs and chucks new DLC at Resogun this month
A new Heroes expansion adds two modes to frenetic shoot-em-up Resogun, and the $5 content is due for the PS4 game on June 24. In addition, dev Housemarque is patching in a ship editor and local co-op for all players, and that lands the day before on June 23. Housemarque's Mikael Haveri said the day/night cycle will stand out in the new Survival mode, while Demolition lives up to its name by adding a wrecking ball weapon to its chaos, along with pinball-esque power-ups like multiball. Heroes won't be the only DLC coming to Resogun, with Housemarque promising more modes and the original soundtrack in future content. If you want in on all of that, a new season pass will be available for $8.
Housemarque might be teasing local multiplayer for Resogun
Developer Housemarque tweeted the above picture yesterday, likely hinting that a DLC co-op mode is in the works for its PlayStation 4 game, Resogun. Available at the PlayStation 4's launch last year, Resogun is a horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up in the vein of the arcade classic Defender, challenging players to rescue human survivors as they blast waves of enemy ships. The game premiered as part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection, emerging as an early favorite for Sony's new platform. Currently, simultaneous co-op play in Resogun is limited to online multiplayer sessions. Housemarque notes that the content featured in the teased image is the "first of many things to come" with regard to future Resogun DLC. [Image: Housemarque]
Resogun DLC in the works
Resogun isn't done saving the last humans. Passively mentioned in the responses to a Facebook page post about the game's nomination for "Action Game of the Year" at this year's DICE Awards, developer Housemarque also indicated it's working to expand the arcade shooter. "At the moment we are working on Resogun DLC and another PS4 project," a company rep wrote. No timeline is mentioned for the downloadable content or the next project. But expect a lot of psychedelic particle effects either way.
Best of the Rest: Thomas' picks of 2013
Team Joystiq is barging into 2014 with a celebration of last year's best games. Keep reading throughout the week to see our assembly of ingenious indies and triple-A triumphs. Pikmin 3 For each day of fruit-harvesting, monster-killing progress I make in Pikmin 3, I burn two or three attempts just mapping out my best possible plan of action on the Gamepad. It's a style of play that I typically move on from pretty quickly, but making off with a hefty batch of resources without more than a few Pikmin dying in the process is so satisfying that it's easy for me to stay with it. It helps that Pikmin 3's world is so interesting to explore, too - guiding Pikmin and their tiny captains through caves, snowy hills and grassy pathways is enjoyable even without discovering new treasures. As inviting as the initial cast is though, crossing paths with the game's creatively stressful brand of wildlife cuts bursts of tension into the task of gathering food. Meeting Pikmin 3's roster of unsettling enemies imposes a sense of vulnerability on me, one I imagine my miniature fleets share while following my lead through larger-than-life environments. Of course, victory feels even better when it involves stomping out populations of nightmarish foes. I've never lasted long when faced with obstacles like those found in Pikmin 3, but its offering of challenge in a creative, intriguing world has kept me invested in daily runs for supplies.
Best of the Rest: Susan's picks of 2013
Team Joystiq is barging into 2014 with a celebration of last year's best games. Keep reading throughout the week to see our assembly of ingenious indies and triple-A triumphs. Puppeteer Come one, come all, to hear the remarkable tale of Kutaro and the magical scissors, Calibrus! Come, see the evil Moon Bear King as he tries to cast the world into nonstop darkness! Come, see his 12 generals steal the power of the Moon Goddess! And see young Kutaro ... basically get mixed up in the whole thing by accident. Wrong place, wrong time, delicious-looking head. You know how it goes. Puppeteer commits to its puppet show aesthetic with gusto, crafting every character, object and bit of scenery out of paper, wood, string, or fabric. The narrator provides the exposition with the nuanced delivery of someone who's attended one too many acting classes, and the cast does their best to remember their lines while the audience murmurs in appreciation. The entire setup is bonkers, keeping its tongue placed firmly in its cheek as you cut down the Moon Stone-hoarding generals one by one and eventually square off against the rotund MBK himself. With sly writing, a spectacular soundtrack and gorgeously detailed locations that include neatly manicured gardens, a Halloweentown, a swamp and outer space, Puppeteer is a gaming experience to savor, rather than rush. Of course, it will take multiple run-throughs to find all of the collectible puppet heads, so you'll have more than enough opportunity to catch every joke and notice every secret. As a PS3 exclusive at the end of that console's cycle, Puppeteer didn't get nearly as much attention as it deserved, but this is a real gem. Hunt it down and play it. Your audience awaits.
PlayStation Blog reveals Game of the Year winners, as chosen by readers
It's that time of year again! No, not when we gather with our loved ones and take a break from working. It's Game of the Year season, meaning we've got a great excuse to look back on games we played in 2013 and tell everyone about our favorite experiences. The PlayStation Blog finished tallying up votes from its readers yesterday, announcing the Platinum through Bronze-worthy victors in a blog post. In regards to their shiny new PS4s, readers most enjoyed their relaxing, sing-along journeys on Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's Caribbean seas. The Last of Us won over the hearts of PS3 users, presumably for the knee-slappers that came out of Ellie's joke book. Vita fans were most enamored with Tearaway, Media Molecule's crafty platformer made out of paper. Lastly, Housemarque's voxel-jumbling shooter Resogun was voted as the year's best digital release. Looking forward to 2014, fans are most anticipating Infamous: Second Son, the smoky super hero story based in Seattle, which you can expect on March 21. If you're curious about more than just the winners, the full post also lists runners up for each category as well as personal picks from the PlayStation Blog staff.
Here is the PS4 launch lineup for Europe, Australia
The PS4 launches in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom on Friday, November 29. In anticipation of the European launch, the PlayStation Blog has posted the full launch lineup, which we've listed past the break. There are a multitude of games and apps that will be available at launch, so don't waste time here: Head on past the break and peruse the full list.
