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Skullgirls Encore to include 'The Typing of the Skullgirls Encore'
Skullgirls Encore, the re-release of Skullgirls to address the parting of ways between Lab Zero Games and Konami, will include a new mode called "The Typing of the Skullgirls Encore." While demonstrating it on EightySix's Twitch account, Skullgirls Design Director Mike Zaimont explained that the mode is planned for Xbox 360, PS3 and the PC release of Skullgirls Encore. In "Typing of the Skullgirls," each player's gauge for super moves fills automatically. Once a player uses a super, a timed typing exercise appears, which awards damage based on a player's typing accuracy and swiftness. Zaimont explained that perfectly typed words do 1.5x damage, "right but not perfect" phrases award standard damage, and totally botched attempts cut dealt damage to 10 percent. The totals are reversed when an AI opponent uses a super move on a player, meaning that players are spared damage according to their ability to type phrases associated with incoming attacks. "Typing of the Skullgirls" will be available in Story, Arcade and Versus modes, but not in Tournament or Online modes.
Konami requests Skullgirls takedown from XBLA, PSN
Following Skullgirls publisher Autumn Games' announced plans to knock out their business deal with Konami, Konami has requested the removal of Skullgirls from the PlayStation Network by December 17 and from Xbox Live Arcade by December 31. After likening the move to Final Fantasy 6's Magic Master casting Ultima before he dies, Skullgirls Design Director Mike Zaimont announced the impending delisting on the Skullgirls Weekly Stream channel. During the broadcast, Zaimont explained that Konami submitted the request to Sony without telling Autumn Games, leaving Sony to deliver the bad news. Zaimont explained that if the team finishes the new, self-published build of Skullgirls before Sony's QA team goes home for the winter break, Squigly and the improvements from the PC update's beta will be available "pretty immediately soon." If the deadline is not made, then Skullgirls will be removed from every regional PSN store other than Japan's, since that version was not published by Konami. Zaimont's requests to push back Konami's delisting date for the PSN until December 31 have been unsuccessful. Zaimont also explained that the new Xbox Live version of Skullgirls will be published by Marvelous AQL. However, since ownership of the property won't transfer from Konami to Marvelous until December 31, the same day as Konami's delisting deadline, Zaimont doesn't "know if Marvelous can submit a build before that or not, but I'm making one on the off chance that they'll be able to." If the new submissions to PSN and XBLA don't make it through each store's respective certification process before the winter break, Skullgirls may disappear from digial storefronts until the QA teams return and clear the builds. Zaimont also noted that it was unclear whether those who have purchased the Konami-published version of Skullgirls will be able to play online after that version is delisted. On a positive note, Zaimont said that that the PC beta for the new update is "going well" and the involved changes will be put into the retail version "right after [the North Eastern Championships]."
PSA: Skullgirls pre-orders open on Steam, include color palette options
Skullgirls is now available for pre-order on Steam for $14.99. Pre-orders for the fighting game grant players access to the beta, slated to launch on August 22. By pre-ordering the game on Steam, players will also receive the game's color palette DLC, which offers more colorful costume options for Skullgirls' fighters. The flashy fighting game first launched in April 2012 on XBLA and PSN.
Skullgirls PC debut scheduled for August 22
The Marvelous AQL-published PC port of Skullgirls will be available through Steam on August 22, with pre-orders starting on August 1. The announcement was made on-stream earlier today between matches of Super Street Fighter 4 at EVO 2013 in Las Vegas. If you can't wait that long, $36 will still buy entrance into the game's ongoing closed beta, which also grants access to the finished product when it's released at the end of August. The PC version of the game is said to include improved multiplayer functionality and will eventually be the home of Skullgirls' four new DLC characters.
Skullgirls' fourth new character is Beowolf
The results are in, and fans have voted to make Beowolf the fourth new character in Lab Zero Games' little fighter that could, Skullgirls. An ex pro wrestler, Beowolf and his trusty folding chair (named The Hurting, naturally) have come out of retirement in order to test the true limits of his strength. Being a wrestler and everything, Beowolf's playstyle has been influence by Street Fighter's Rainbow Mika and El Fuerte, as well as Tekken's King. Beowolf is the fourth new character to be funded by Lab Zero's wildly successful Indiegogo campaign, which raised over $800,000 for DLC production back in March. Three other characters, Eliza, Squigly and Big Band, are also currently in development. Squigly is expected to be the first released, dropping alongside the PC version of the game sometime this summer.
Skullgirls drive ends at $830K, five DLC characters funded [update]
The Skullgirls Indiegogo fundraiser concluded this week at the neat figure of $829,829, beating its $150,000 goal by some five and a half times. The whirlwind drive means five new characters will come to the 2D fighter as downloadable content, including two "mystery" ones as chosen by a fan poll.Developer Lab Zero Game's Indiegogo campaign took just 22 hours to raise the $150K required to fund the first DLC character, Squigly. Surpassed stretch goals unlocked the game's first male combatant, Big Band, along with Robo-Fortune and the two mystery characters. Each new fighter, with the exception of the second mystery one, is getting a new stage and storyline. That exception would've been unlocked at $850K, although it took a mammoth surge across the final day to take the fundraiser to its final figure.Lab Zero says each piece of content developed thanks to the funds will be, for a limited time, free on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.Update: Lab Zero has since announced, due to unexpected additional funds, the second mystery character will get a stage and storyline. Lab Zero CEO Peter Bartholow posted an explanation on NeoGAF: "Non-disclosure agreements with the powers that be prevent me from getting too specific, but in the last week one of our character development line items has evaporated. This means we've got an additional $40,000 to play with now. Naturally we'll be using this money to give the 2nd fan-selected Mysterious Character a stage and story mode."
Skullgirls pencils in Linux port, Squigly to be voiced by Lauren Landa
Mike Zaimont, the creator of the fighting engine powering Skullgirls, has revealed that a Linux port is currently in the works. Word came via Zaimont's Salty Cupcakes tournament series, which he's been hosting on a weekly basis in Los Angeles and streaming through Twitch.Skullgirls is currently seeking donations through Indiegogo, having already successfully funded the DLC characters Squigly and Big Band. During his weekly stream, Zaimont also revealed that Squigly will be voiced by Lauren Landa, the voice actress perhaps best known for her voice work as Kasumi from Dead or Alive. Squigly's sidekick Leviathan will be voiced by Liam O'Brien, who has belted out lines as Rig in Dead or Alive 5 and himself every other time he says anything.
Skullgirls' $150,000 Indiegogo goal met in less than 24 hours
Skullgirls developer Lab Zero Games has not only succeeded in raising the $150,000 required to design, develop and implement the game's first DLC character, but in doing so has also delivered crowd-funding platform Indiegogo's fastest and most-funded gaming project to date.The fundraiser met its goal after 22 hours, and is sitting just above $184,000 as of press time, with 29 days of funding still left to go. This means that the project's first stretch goal, a new level and story mode campaign for Squigly, the new character, has also been completely funded. If the fundraiser reaches $375,000 before its completion, Skullgirls' first male character, Big Band, will also be created.Once completed, Squigly will be made available at no cost on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Skullgirls dev wants $150,000 in crowdfunding for new character
Mike Zaimont and Peter Bartholow of Lab Zero Games recently unveiled plans during a Twitch.tv stream to crowdfund a new character for Skullgirls, Shoryuken reported. Zaimont and Bartholow's goal is to raise $150,000 starting February 25 to develop the "Squigly" character, her story and stage, in addition to stretch goals for two other characters."I know that $150k sounds like a ton of money, and it's only that cheap because we're taking huge paycuts to try and make it happen at all," Bartholow told Shoryuken. "A full cost breakdown will be provided so that people can see how their money will be spent."Once the Squigly character is completed, she will be available free for three months on all platforms, regardless if players have contributed to the developer's crowdfunding efforts.
Skullgirls PC moving forward through new deal with Marvelous AQL
Development of the long-awaited PC version of indie fighter Skullgirls is set to begin in "the coming weeks," thanks to a funding/publishing deal between existing publisher Autumn Games and Japanese publisher Marvelous AQL.The agreement, which is in its "final stages" according to Peter Bartholow, CEO of developer Lab Zero Games, will allow Skullgirls to be ported to the PC with "expanded multiplayer functionality" as compared to the console version. Bartholow expects the porting process to take "around four months" to complete, with more information regarding the port's new features, as well as details on a public beta, to follow as development progresses.Meanwhile, Skullgirls' quest to raise the most money for breast cancer research (and therefore become the eighth official EVO 2013 selection) continues. Limited edition posters (left) are now available for pre-order, with 50 percent of all sales going directly to the fundraiser.
Skullgirls XBLA patch in limbo due to file size
Despite landing on the PlayStation 3 back in late November, Skullgirls' Slightly Different Edition update has yet to make its way to Microsoft's console. The delay is due to the file size of the update itself, according to XBLA Fan's translation of a tweet from the official Japanese Skullgirls account.While Microsoft limits XBLA updates to just four megs, the fighter's Slightly Different Edition patch weighs in at 590 megabytes. Being granted an exception to the rule is apparently possible, though subsequently time consuming. No announcements have been made regarding an expected completion date for the whole deal.Though dubbed Slightly Different, the patch changes an impressive number of details for each character in Skullgirls, in addition to adding further modes and UI improvements. It's also supposed to decrease load times, though the patch itself seems to be suffering from quite a long one.Update: We were contacted by Lab Zero Games' Peter Bartholow, who clarified the situation a bit further. "We've been working with MS developer support and have managed to reduce the size of the update significantly," Bartholow said. He went on to inform us that the size of the update itself is "still in flux," but that Lab Zero is "hopeful that the size reduction will help speed up the submission process."
Konami and Autumn Games sued for fraud over $15 million Def Jam Rapstar loan
City National Bank has sued Konami and Autumn Games for millions over allegations of fraud. Courthouse News reports the bank hasn't received any return on a $15 million line of credit it approved to the defendants, and in court documents claims the financial conditions of Autumn and Konami "were false at the time they were made and that defendants never had any intention of repaying the loan as promised.""Rather than paying game-related proceeds directly to CNB as agreed, defendant have kept all game-related proceeds for themselves and have refused to remit any such proceeds to CNB."City National Bank is seeking over $8.9 million in damages for "fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, money had and received, unjust enrichment, recovery of personal property, and punitive damages."This isn't the first lawsuit the game has spawned. In March, EMI Music Group filed suit against Def Jam Rapstar creators 4mm Games and Terminal Reality, claiming the game contains unlicensed tracks by several artists.
Skullgirls boppin' to PC digital distribution later this year
Reverge Labs' debut fighter Skullgirls is coming to major digital distribution channels later this year. The Windows PC port will be available on Steam, Origin, GameFly, GamersGate and GameStop PC Downloads.The PC version will ship with several updates built in – updates that will eventually be patched into the console versions. These include "in-game movelists, additional tutorials, retuned single player AI, enhanced leaderboards, in-game name display for online matches, and additional multi-player regions."
Skullgirls review: Close, but no cigar
Despite the fresh renaissance the fighting game genre has grown into over the last couple of years, the medium is still dominated by the superpowers that brought it to its knees during the late twentieth century: Capcom, Namco Bandai, SNK Playmore, etc. Now, however, a new challenger comes.Skullgirls, the debut title from Reverge Labs, is unique in that it's one of the very few original IP fighting games to come out since the genre regained its popularity. What's more, its also an anime-style 2D fighter from an American development studio, which is crazy. I've been following Skullgirls' production since it was announced last year, and as much as I wish it were the paradigm-shifting indie darling the fighting game scene so desperately needs, that is sadly not the case.%Gallery-153133%
PSA: Skullgirls heads to PSN today, XBLA tomorrow
In honor of Skullgirls' impending release, Reverge Labs released this trailer of Double, reminding us that there's a character who morphs into disgusting versions of the other characters through a process that looks kind of like turning inside out.If you want to pick up the only fighting game this year with a Gradius-inspired moai transformation, Skullgirls is out in North America today on the PS3's PlayStation Network, with XBLA following tomorrow, for $15.
Skullgirls hits PSN on April 10
Skullgirls' previously undetermined PSN release date has been totally determined, with the game now set to launch at $14.99 in the Americas on Tuesday, April 10 – one day ahead of the XBLA release. The game's PSN launch dates in Europe, Australia and New Zealand are unfortunately still a mystery, although Wednesday's XBLA release does include those territories.Skullgirls is also knee-deep in the tournament fighting scene and will be making appearances at several major tournaments around the country -- appropriate, considering that it's been designed specifically with serious competitive fighting in mind. This will be helpful for people who are curious about Reverge Labs' debut title, but are also strangely adverse to downloading trial versions of things. Finally, a way to support your local fighting game community and indulge your bizarre eccentricities simultaneously.
Skullgirls offers a terrifying Valentine
You know, despite the name, and the timing of this trailer's release, we don't really see anything romantic about this Skullgirls character.Maybe in a few years, someone out there will be able to tell the sweet love story of the special person who helped them get over the crippling fear of medical professionals caused by this character. Then she'll be a romantic character. Indirectly.%Gallery-147461%
Skullgirls reimagines anatomy in its story mode
This trailer introduces the story mode for the downloadable fighter Skullgirls -- and introduces some striking pieces of poster artwork at the same time. Each of the combatants has been cursed by the "Skull Heart," a wish-granting artifact. We're now left wondering if this is a heart shaped like a skull, or a heart that resides inside a skull, or just, like, the middle of a skull.A dev diary on the PlayStation Blog lays out this and the other modes found within the game, and also teases the inclusion of four exclusive Trophies in the PS3 version.
EA adds CD Projekt RED, Paradox, and nine other publishers to Origin
When Valve introduced the hat system to Team Fortress 2, you swore off Steam forever. You're a die hard PC Battlefield player, and simply won't play it anywhere else. You refuse to use standalone clients for launching your favorite PC games. Do these things describe you? Then you're probably a big fan of EA's Origin game service, which will be getting content from 11 publishers "in the coming months," according to a press release issued by EA this morning.The first game to be added is the aforementioned Rift from Trion Worlds, with games from Robot Entertainment, CD Projekt RED, Freebird Games, Recoil Games, Autumn Games, 1C Company, Inxile Entertainment, Paradox Interactive, Core Learning, and N3V Games joining Rift's ranks soon. EA says that more specific information on pricing and release dates will be offered in the near future via Origin, so keep an eye out while you're remaining steadfast in your stance against that other major digital retailer.
Meet Valentine, Skullgirls' phlebotomist femme fatale
Somewhere, someone once thought this exact thought: "I love going to the hospital to have my blood work done, but I wish the procedure could be performed by a ninjutsu-trained assassin wearing an extremely revealing outfit instead of Ethel Mertz's retired understudy." The result of that thought is Valentine, the seventh playable character to be announced for Reverge Labs' upcoming fighter Skullgirls. Both a ninja and a nurse, Valentine's arsenal includes bonesaws, defibrillators and dead human bodies. Previously part of an Anti-Skullgirl Labs group called "Last Hope" and partially responsible for the creation of cast compatriot Painwheel, Valentine now uses her martial/medical skills in service of the Skullgirl. She, along with seven other fighters, will be fighting for control of the Skull Heart some time in early 2012.%Gallery-140320%
