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BioShock lead designer joins Orcs Must Die! studio
A recent blog post written by Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson reveals that Paul Hellquist has left Gearbox Software to join the Orcs Must Die! developer as its new lead designer. Hellquist then confirmed the news in a tweet a few hours later. Along with his work as lead designer on Irrational Games' Randian undersea shooter BioShock, Hellquist later worked at Gearbox as lead designer on that studio's well-liked story-driven shooter, Borderlands 2. What Hellquist will be doing at Robot isn't yet clear, though Hudson's blog entry does say that he expects Hellquist "to have a profound impact on the games we make, starting with Orcs Must Die! Unchained." [Image: Robot Entertainment]
Age of Empires Online now extinct following server shutdown
The servers for freemium real-time strategy game Age of Empires Online shut down this week. Published by Microsoft, the online RTS entered beta in May 2011 before its full launch that August for Games for Windows Live. Gas Powered Games took over the game's development from Robot Entertainment prior to that in February 2011. It arrived on Steam in March 2012, at which point its daily active users spiked by by more than three times. A since-deleted support article for the game in January tipped off a July 1 closure date of Games for Windows Live. Age of Empires Online was let down easy, as its closure was forecasted nearly one month ago. The developer reset the player-vs-player ranking ladder at the beginning of June and hosted a few events for the game, including a Capital City decoration contest and invitational tournament near the end of the month. The developer capped off its Age of Empires Online send-off with an "End of the World" event yesterday, in which it livestreamed the game's final hours of life. [Image: Gas Powered Games]
Orcs Must Die! closed beta begins June 27
Orcs Must Die! Unchained, the free-to-play "fortress siege game" (aka MOBA), will begin its closed beta on June 27. "To celebrate the start of the closed beta, free-to-play hero rotations will be introduced and players will be able to get their hands on one of the new heroes each weekend throughout late June and early July," developer Robot Entertainment announced this morning. Entering the closed beta will require access, which can be obtained by registering at the OrcsMustDie site for a chance to enter. Folks in the alpha will automatically gain access to the closed beta. There's also the option of pre-purchasing the game for $20 if you'd also like to skip the line.
PAX East 2014: The future looks bright for the next generation of MMOs
While last weekend saw a surprising lack of noteworthy announcements at PAX East 2014, one panel gathered several industry veterans to answer a not-so-simple question: How does the future look for the MMO industry as a whole? The panel, titled Next Generation MMO Games: What's Next for Multiplayer Trends?, featured Ian Fisher (Director of Design, Robot Entertainment), Stephen Frost (Game Design Producer, Carbine), Dave Georgeson (Director of Development, SOE), Kjartan Pierre Emilsson (Principal Game Designer, CCP), and Stephen Johnston (President, Guild Launch) in a roundtable discussion about where MMOs have been and where they're headed. While panelists agreed that there is a huge barrier to entry when funding, developing, and launching a new MMO, their outlook was positive overall, and in general they believe there is still plenty of room for growth in the industry.
Orcs Must Die Unchained spins tower defense into 'fortress siege'
Orcs Must Die! is back, but this time the tower-defense action series is a lot more League of Legends. Orcs Must Die Unchained! is a free-to-play, team-based, 5v5 multiplayer game like the MOBAs flooding the market, with elements known to the series, and adding a card collecting element. "We've been calling it a fortress siege game," said Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson to IGN. Now players will not only compete against each other, but will be able to lead AI allies into battle. The first Orcs Must Die! was strictly a single-player experience, with the sequel adding two-player co-op. Now developer Robot Entertainment seems ready to throw in the kitchen sink with Unchained!. The game is expected to launch later this year, with pre-orders already available. Heck, you can play the game now if you pay $150, but there's also a $20 option if you want to wait until beta. Waiting for beta is sooo 2012. Premium buy in-pre-alpha is the new hotness. If you're attending PAX East, you can try before you charge into battle. The game will be playable on the show floor. [Image: Robot Entertainment]
Twenty developers you don't know, but should
Between consoles, PC, mobile and everything in between, there are so many games released today that it's impossible to keep up with everything that's coming out – and it's even harder to keep up with the studios behind them. Even with a gaming public that's grown accustomed to following big developers like Valve and small studios like Double Fine, countless other studios slide under the radar. In the interest of sifting a signal from the noise, the Joystiq crew has selected 20 developers that deserve your attention. These studios are making games you should play, and their future work should be highly anticipated. This list is by no means exhaustive, and we invite you to share your own favorites in the comments!
Hero Academy dev launches new action RPG, Echo Prime
Robot Entertainment's next game, Echo Prime, is now available on iOS and will arrive on Android in the near future. The Orcs Must Die and Hero Academy developer describes Echo Prime as a sci-fi action RPG, and has players participating in turn-based combat and "uncovering the secrets of the multiverse." Echo Prime costs $4.99 (£2.99 for UK players) and features randomly-generated missions and over a hundred pieces of equippable items. Players can also use power-ups provided by alien "Echoes," and will level up as friends make use of their power-up combinations.
Hero Academy out now on Android
Robot Entertainment's deck-building and turn-based strategy game, Hero Academy, is now available on Google Play, expanding its mobile reach for the first time since its launch for iOS platforms in 2012. Available as a free download, Hero Academy features an asynchronous multiplayer component, allowing players to duke it out on the battlefield with friends or online opponents. Hero Academy is also available for PC and Mac via Steam, and items purchased in-game are compatible across all supported platforms.
Orcs Must Die 2 opens the door to Steam Workshop
Orcs Must Die 2 has added Steam Workshop functionality today, allowing war mages to share custom weaponry and traps, modified from existing in-game items, through Steam. Players can also create and share their own custom onslaught levels by modifying creature behavior and sets today. Developer Robot Entertainment also revealed Steam Trading Cards would be added to Orcs Must Die 2 "soon." Orcs Must Die 2, a tower defense game where players must set traps to combat encroaching waves of orcs, launched a year ago on Steam with an emphasis on co-op – the biggest requested feature following the launch of the first game. It's a game our review said is an improvement upon the original in almost every single way.
Robot Entertainment celebrates 4th birthday with catalog sale
Robot Entertainment is celebrating four years of game development with a sale highlighting library of releases: Orcs Must Die, Orcs Must Die 2, and Hero Academy.Purchase of any item from the studio's official store will net you a Steam key to activate the item on Valve's digital distribution platform. Highlights include Orcs Must Die 2 for $3.74 and Hero Academy, with all DLC, for $4.24.Robot Entertainment rose from the ashes of Ensemble Studios, the Halo Wars developer Microsoft shut down back in 2008. When Ensemble was shuttered, the founders went off and formed Robot Entertainment; others would go on to form Bonfire Studios.
Orcs Must Die! franchise on sale for a little while longer
For another four-ish hours the Orcs Must Die franchise is 75 percent off on Steam. Robot Entertainment's original third-person tower defense splattertacular is currently $2.49, while the cooperative sequel is $3.74. Grab the whole franchise and its DLC for $8.74.Although the sequel can be played alone, as we noted in our review, it's best with a buddy. Good times guaranteed.%Gallery-166490%
Hero Academy now enrolling on Mac
Hero Academy, already available on iOS and PC, is now available on Mac via Steam. The addictive turn-based strategy game from Robot Entertainment (Orcs Must Die) pits two teams of various units against one another, tasking players with either destroying the opposing team's crystals, or eliminating all enemy units.The Steam version is $5 and works on both PC and Mac and includes the special Team Fortress 2 team. Furthermore, all purchased teams work across all versions of the game, including iOS.
Orcs Must Die! 2 adds 'Are We There Yeti?' booster pack November 1
Orcs Must Die! 2 is getting a third booster pack this Thursday, November 1 for $4.99. Puntastically titled 'Are We There Yeti?', it introduces three icy levels along with new enemies, costumes, and Endless Mode conversions. An extra trinket, trap, and weapon are also bundled in. %Gallery-169643%
Orcs Must Die! 2 'Family Ties' pack premieres tomorrow
A second booster pack breeches the defenses of Orcs Must Die! 2 tomorrow, releasing on Steam for $4.99. The 'Family Ties' DLC includes three new levels, the new Stone Staff and Teleportation Ring weapons, the Jar of Ghosts trinket, new costumes, a new enemy and bonus skull definition, and Courtney Cox starring as Lauren Miller in Seasons 6 and 7.%Gallery-166490%
Orcs Must Die! 2 gets Fire and Water booster this week
Orcs Must Die! 2 get its first booster pack this week. The Fire & Water DLC will be available this Wednesday on Steam for $5. It includes new levels, enemies, traps, and three more Endless Mode levels.
Hero Academy admits students today on Steam
Robot Entertainment's delayed Steam edition of Hero Academy will be available today. The developer tells us it should be available "around midday Eastern time.""The price for the base game on Steam will be $4.99. For that, players will get the core game without ads – the ios base game is free, but is supported by ads – the Council team, the Team Fortress 2 expansion team, which can then be used on iOS devices also and the Council-inspired Ninja Cowl cosmetic item for TF2," said community manager Justin Korthof of Robot to us about the release.Korthof tells us additional pricing for expansion team packs will be revealed when the game goes live in a few hours.Update: Available now.
Hero Academy delayed on Steam, will launch as soon as possible
Robot Entertainment's Hero Academy for Steam has been delayed, missing yesterday's launch date."We ran into an unexpected issue at the last minute. The issue only seems to affect a small portion of players, but we're not comfortable shipping the game until we've resolved it," Justin Korthof of Robot told Joystiq. "We know it's a nuisance for players who were excited to start playing yesterday, but it's important to us that Hero Academy is at its best when it's released."Steam now lists the game with an August 16 release date, but Korthof tells us that's a placeholder."While it could take that long to release, we're optimistic that it will be out sooner than that," he continued. "We want to release the highest quality game possible, and we're working hard to get this issue resolved quickly. We're hoping to have more info about an updated release date later today or early tomorrow, and we'll continue to keep people updated through our Twitter feed and Facebook page."[Thanks, Will]
Orcs Must Die! 2 review: Co-op and then some
Somehow, they're through. Despite my spike traps, acid sprayers and brimstone, a small contingent of the orc horde is now within hugs-n-kisses range. The blunderbuss shotgun smears some of the frontrunners, but their numbers are simply too great. With my life bar on its last pixel, an orc, axe raised high overhead, prepares for the final strike. Then my smarmy buddy steps in and blasts that sucker into oblivion, because this is Orcs Must Die! 2, and co-op is glorious.Considering the unanimous cry for multiplayer in Orcs Must Die!, Robot Entertainment could have merely added the two-player co-op and a few minor additions, packaged it up, slapped a "2" on the end, and tossed a relative regurgitation to the hungry mob – especially given the small 10-month gap between games. But to the developer's great credit, Orcs Must Die! 2 is more than that. While the changes and additions fall short of revolutionary, nearly everything – save for the meager, repetitive soundtrack – has been enjoyably enhanced and/or refined to the level of sufficient sequel justification.%Gallery-159844%
Orcs Must Die for $2.50 on Steam this weekend, 10 percent off Orcs 2 pre-order
If your hatred of (and resulting need to kill) orcs has historically been outweighed by your commendably responsible fiscal nature in these trying economic times, you may not yet have acquired Robot Entertainment's Orcs Must Die!. You hate orcs, sure, but those $10 could be spent on something practical, like gas.This weekend though, Orcs Must Die! is only $2.50 over on Steam, and when a video game costs less than a gallon of fuel, all financial guilt associated with its purchase is essentially eradicated. Similarly, Orcs Must Die 2 has had 10 percent brutally chopped off its pre-order price -- think of it as an investment in a sustainable future-hatred of orcs. Investing is what grown-ups do.
Hero Academy's Team Fortress 2 team sounds pretty powerful
After announcing that Hero Academy would soon be making its way to Steam, developer Robot Entertainment has now revealed details surrounding the PC version's special Team Fortress 2 team. One thing Hero Academy players will notice right away is that there are a lot of different units. The Team Fortress 2 team has a whopping 9 units, as compared to every other team's 5.All the Team Fortress 2 classes are represented, each with different special abilities. The Spy, for example, is a cloaked unit that can't be targeted at range. Meanwhile the Engineer can upgrade other units' weapons, the Demoman lobs area-of-effect grenades and the Sniper can target any unit in the same row. As if all that weren't enough, the team's bonus allows them to gain an extra action point every time they stomp an enemy unit (remove it from the board).Honestly, it sounds like the team will be pretty powerful, although, in fairness, Robot hasn't announced how many of each unit will be available and the team description makes no mention of consumable items.In other news, the PC version of Hero Academy will include a map based on "Well" from Team Fortress 2. Oh, and of course purchasing other heroic teams will unlock cosmetic items in Team Fortress 2. See some new screens in the gallery below and check out the full team description after the break.%Gallery-160616%
