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Ska Studios teases new Dishwasher with ... dish soap
click for full size cleaning power! It makes sense, really, that Ska Studios would tease something to do with The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai using dish soap. After all, he is a dishwasher. The studio -- currently working on XBLA Indie Game Charlie Murder -- recently sent Joystiq a package containing the yellow liquid with a card claiming that it has partnered with a Japanese soap supplier to make the Dishwasher its mascot. The soap, incidentally, sports "nearly toxic cleaning power" and a "100% non-organic, overly chemical smelling lemon aroma". A quick jaunt over to the "supplier's" website reveals the same image seen on the soap bottle and a countdown set to expire Wednesday, February 24. It's worth pointing out that Microsoft hasn't announced the Xbox Live Arcade release for that week, so it's possible we might be seeing the all-but-confirmed Dishwasher sequel. While that seems just a tad unlikely given the promotion surrounding the first game, it certainly seems like we'll be hearing something about a new Dishwasher game. Well, either that or this whole spiel about a random Japanese soap firm sponsoring a random XBLA game is actually real, in which case we're assuming a new brand of soap will be revealed. We can only hope it's pomegranate scented.
Dishwasher dev announces Charlie Murder for Xbox Live Indie Games, coming 'March 2010'
Between Ska Studios' The Dishwasher last year, this year's I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1, and the recent announcement of Charlie Murder for Xbox Live Indie Games, the nascent developer has certainly been establishing a name for itself. The game's Facebook page offers us a first look at the characters and a bit of the gameplay (which seems to be an arcade beat-em' up with punk rockers/zombies), as well as a glimpse into the fictional band's history. The game's announcement tells us that Charlie Murder follows the eponymous punk rock band on a side-scrolling journey to find the lead singer's girlfriend, Skelekitten, murdering everything in its path along the way. Ska Studios will be heading to PAX East and we've been told there's a "good chance" the game will be there, though a release window of "March 2010" means we might even be playing from the comfort of our couches before that. %Gallery-83449%
Rumor: Screens of Dishwasher: Dead Samurai 2 leaked; Ska Studios responds
Or, if you prefer: "Tom Morello strikes again; joined by Rebecca Romijn and Zach Braff." Screenshots of what may be a sequel to the XBLA game The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai have landed on 1UP, allegedly supplied by the same saboteur that leaked those supposed Halo: Reach images. The shots certainly jive with the original game's art style and do feature some new enemies, backgrounds and objects. There are a number of new weapons shown, including a minigun, some kind of halberd, something that appears to be a giant syringe and -- our favorite -- a humongous pair of scissors. When reached for comment, Dishwasher creator James Silva said, "Ska Studios does not comment on rumor and speculation," and then added, "I'm never inviting Tom Morello, Rebecca Romijn and Zach Braff over again."
Joyswag: The Dishwasher Dead Samurai [update]
Update: The entry period has closed. Congrats to our winners Wesley, Odog4ever and pibs.We're certain there are a few Xbox Live Arcade enthusiasts out there who really want to purchase this week's release of The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, but just can't afford it. (Thanks, crappy economy.) Knowing that and being privileged enough to have industry connections, we put together this Joyswag giveaway to award three readers a copy of The Dishwasher. What can we say? We're cool like that.To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment on this post sharing your tip for getting dirty dishes sparkling clean You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 11:00 pm ET on Friday, April 3 We'll randomly choose 3 winners at that time to receive a redemption code for The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai (ARV: $10). Please check your email! Also, be sure to to look out for the entire Dishwasher dev team (read: James Silva) playing on Xbox Live this Saturday as part of the Game with Developers program.
X3F TV -- Unlock Dishwasher's Joystiq-inspired 'Peter Moore Achievement'
Now that The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is out on Xbox Live Arcade, you can finally unlock the Joystiq-inspired 'Peter Moore Achievement.' Grabbing the achievement is pretty simple. All you have to do is hit the Guide button during one of the game's guitar sections. In this episode of X3F TV, we show you the easiest way to do that. Just follow the video's instructions for a quick (and awesome) 8 Gamerpoints.To all the developers out there: Feel free to ask us to come up with your achievements. We're really good at it.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
Action fans, rejoice! The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai has officially landed on Xbox Live Arcade. Taking a few pages from the Ninja Gaiden and God of War handbooks, Dishwasher offers some sweet, combo-tastic action. Check out the latest episode of XBLA in Brief and see if it's worth your time (hint: it is).Download the trial version of The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
This Wednesday: Bust up fools in 'The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai' on XBLA
Announced via Major Nelson's podcast last night, this Wednesday's "Days of Arcade" XBLA game will be the 2D, side-scrolling, three-player co-op beat 'em up (breath), The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Coming in at 800 ($10), you might remember Dishwasher from GDC 2008 when, among other XNA titles, it was featured as a free download, showcasing the XNA development tools. Be sure to keep a lookout for the X3F Podcast-born achievement that pays homage to Peter Moore's fake guitar playing prowess! And if you're like us and can't spare the extra spacebucks just yet, feel free to window shop in our gallery below.%Gallery-15513%[Thanks Menno!]
Dishwasher: Dead Samurai features Joystiq-inspired 'Peter Moore Achievement'
When upcoming XBLA title The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai releases later this year, it'll come packaged with the sweet gaming aroma of X3F Joystiq. That's because one of The Dishwasher's Achievements, "The Peter Moore Achievement", was actually inspired by team Joystiq.As the story goes, back during episode 044 of the Xbox 360 Fancast, we got the opportunity to interview Dishwasher (and recently released ZP2K9) developer James Silva. During our conversation, we recommended adding a Peter Moore Achievement based on Dishwasher's guitar riff gameplay, an idea that paid respect to Mr. Moore's notoriously botched E307 Rock Band performance (when he accidentally pressed the 360's guide button while rocking out). Well, it looks like Silva took us up on our achievement idea, which means we have another award to add to our "Achievements Named by Joystiq - Trophy Case of Success."Fancy Achievement artwork, name and description can be viewed after the break.%Gallery-46223%
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai coming soon
Let's face it, the food service industry does something to people. The pure inanity of it all will drive ordinary people to lash out at the innocent and do obscene things to their food. And, in rare cases, it can send someone on a blood-fueled spree of undead vengeance. At least, that's the general understanding we have of The Dishwashwer: Dead Samurai. Gamescore Blog has announced that the XBLA game is "coming soon" (that's the news in this post, lest the first few sentences threw you off). Also announced was a new mode called "Phantom Guitar," which allows a second player to plug in either a Rock Band or Guitar Hero guitar and play as, ahem, a phantom guitar which can aid the Dishwasher by damaging and killing enemies.There is no specific date announced for the game, though the article does use the phrase "in the months to come," so we're hopeful that the game will release before the year is out.
Silva reviews Dishwasher, falls short of expectations
We're being told that there's this a new shift in our industry for how video game reviews are being done. With old iron side, Peter Molyneux leading the movement, gone are the days where game reviews are done by those who haven't worked on the game, and in are game reviews actually done by the developers themselves. And following in Molyneux's footsteps is James Silva, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai creator who figured he'd do his own review of his own game. But before you scream "bias!", understand that most every developer is an honest soul (it's true). This developer honesty can be seen in Silva's review of The Dishwasher, where he gives his own game 1 out of 10, calling it "a mess" admitting that "not only are 2D graphics completely inadequate at capturing our imaginations, but 2D–by definition–is not HD." No truer words have been spoken. Make the jump to read creator James Silva's review of his own game and learn how truly bad it is. Any game that doesn't have a reasonably sized manskirt or nudity is "basically broken."
Deadly fresh Dishwasher: Dead Samurai screens
Mr. James Silva, wearer of all the development hats for upcoming XBLA game The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, just sent us ten, you heard right, ten fresh screenshots from The Dishwasher. And again, we have to admit, we're extremely impressed! The art style sells us instantly and the not so subtle touches of gory violence makes us get a tingly feeling in our stomachs. Yup, it's Dishwasher and it better release soon before our patience wears thin and we're forced to partake in our own real life samurai-style killing spree. Admittedly though, new screenshots like these do take the edge off those urges.%Gallery-15513%
All of Dishwasher's crazy modes and 3 player co-op
Mr. James Silva updated his The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai developer blog a bit ago (yeah, it has been a week, sue us!) and has revealed all the game modes that are going to be included in the game. Confirmed for inclusion in Dishwasher are game modes Dish Challenge (a wave after wave, kill, kill, kill type mode), Story Mode and Arcade. And Arcade is rather interesting, featuring various challenges comprised of different modes including Insta Kill, Vampire and the slow motion Bullet Time. Make your way over to the dev blog to read all the game mode details.Also, for whatever reason, we didn't actually acknowledge the fact that The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is confirmed to sport three player online story mode co-op! Huzzah! That's like, one more player than we expected. Thanks for that Silva.
The Dishwasher is still samurai killings its bugs
In a "Status Update!" over at Ska Studios' little corner of webspace, Mr. James Silva finally posted update news regarding the development of XBLA title The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. In his update, Silva tells us that Dishwasher has a "million, billion bugs" that are in the process of being squashed and that he has locked in Dishwasher to a super solid 60 frames per second. That isn't all, Dishwasher will be native 1280x720 resolution, will include a new (and hellza difficult) ranked story mode and showcase some newly prettified blood staining effects. Jump over to the Ska Studios blog to get your "dishwasheriffic" The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai game update.
XNA community games downloaded 750,000 times
Today, as we churned through February's NPD numbers, we came across an interesting number that was included as part of Microsoft's NPD press release. The magic number is 750,000 and it's the number of times the seven free XNA games were downloaded the week after GDC. Microsoft's internal estimates peg the seven XNA games (including gems like Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, JellyCar and Little Gamers) were downloaded around 750,000 times over Xbox Live and, by our internal calculations, that sounds like a lot! Hopefully the exposure these downloads received not only got gamers excited for their release, but excited for the big XNA community games rollout later this Fall. Bring on the free XNA goodness already, bring it!
GDC08: Dishwasher - Dead Samurai impressions
Rounding out our extensive GDC08 coverage we end up where we began, talking about James Silva's Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Eager to promote their upcoming Community Games feature slated to hit this holiday season, Microsoft released a number of demos made from their XNA development platform for free via Xbox Live Marketplace. One of the demos, Dishwasher, is one of four top prizes awarded by Microsoft for an XBLA release contract made by one extremely creative and passionate guy. After spending the better part of a week "chopping dudes up," we've finally been able to put the controller down and tell you exactly how Dishwasher stacks up as a future, full-fledged, XBLA title. %Gallery-15513%
X3F interviews James Silva, creator of Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
The annual Game Developer's Conference played host to something of a Cinderella story this year, plunging a once unknown game developer into the limelight. We're talking, of course, about James Silva, creator of Dishwasher: Dead Samurai and Microsoft's new poster child for XNA Community Games. We managed to catch up with James during the conference and ask him how things have changed since the last time we spoke. We also discussed just how James feels about Peter Molyneux and whether or not he's still considering the "Pulling a Peter Moore" achievement for Dishwasher's guitar segments (see 360 Fancast 044 at around 1:05:00). Find the interview after the break. The audio version of the interview is also available in our latest Fancast.
GDC08: The man behind The Dishwasher
From what we can tell post XNA demo release, the buzz surrounding James Silva's The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai has been overwhelmingly positive. And rightfully so.After our Fancast chat with James a few months back, we knew he was onto something and were confident that trusty Silva wouldn't let us down. During that same Fancast we learned a little bit about The Dishwasher's history, where the idea came from and how he got involved with XNA development. Though, sadly, we felt that we never got a chance to know the real James Silva. But now we feel we have a better understanding of the man behind The Dishwasher thanks to a "James Silva - A Life" documentary video that was shown during Microsoft's GDC keynote. And after giving it a watch, we're much more spiritually connected to James and The Dishwasher, so much that we're thinking about leaving our cushy blogging job just to become dishwashers ourselves. Go ahead, give Silva's story a watch but be warned that it's a very touching tale. So touching that it may make you (or at least Major Nelson) shed a tear.
GDC08: How to download free XNA game previews
The mysterious XNA curtain has been pulled back revealing not only a new community friendly XNA / Xbox Live service, but also seven XNA game demos for everyone to enjoy. But you don't have to be on the GDC show floor to try out these little XNA gems, no sir. All you need to do is hop onto Xbox Live and get your download on. Though, the process for downloading XNA games is a bit different, so let us break it down for you.First, you'll have to download the XNA Game Launcher off the XBLM. You can find the this little doodad by going to New Releases > Game Content > XNA Creators Club. Once that 7MB file downloads, make your way to your XNA Game Launcher by heading to your Games blade > Games Library > My Games > XNA Creators Club. Here you'll be able to press "Y" and download all seven XNA trial games for free. Once you find a game and download it, you'll then be able to launch your demo from the same location. That's it, all done. And to get you started, we've posted a description of all seven downloadable XNA game demos after the break. Find something that appeals to you and give 'er a download. Oh, and have some fun too.
GDC08: Microsoft brings XNA together with Live
Microsoft just announced plans to bridge the gap between the XNA development community with the Xbox Live community by allowing XNA games to be tested, tried and shared over Xbox Live. This new service will be rolled out "soon" and will allow Live members to access, rate, review and play new community created XNA Arcade games which will greatly increase the XBLA's current library. And, as a sampling of what's to come when the service debuts, Microsoft has just placed seven beta versions of XNA created games onto the XBLA so that the developers can get important feedback about their projects. Games including JellyCar, Little Gamers, TriLinea, RocketBall, ProximityHD, Culture and our personal love, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Now THIS is what we call user created content. Bravo!
Bloody good Dishwasher: Dead Samurai screens
While taking a stroll through the dirty, dank and dark streets of the intertubes we came across Fancast alum James Silva's development blog and some rather new Dishwasher: Dead Samurai screenshots. We do admit that they are a few weeks old, but in the grand scheme of an entire development cycle, these images are only lightly browned bananas of screenshot nourishment. High in potassium and hella' delicious. We say good job to you Mr. (XNA all-star) Silva, Dead Samurai looks amazing and the extreme amount of blood and blurring effects makes our eyes water with happiness. We say, bring on the dish washing!%Gallery-15513%
