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'Why not' release Planetary Annihilation Early Access at retail, says dev
Early Access is in something of a delicate situation right now; a pickle, if you will. A dill, kosher, crunchy pickle, with some people excited over the pickle and some people disgusted. Either way, pickle juice is leaking out of the digital world and getting stores shelves just a little bit sticky; a copy of Planetary Annihilation, the successfully-Kickstarted game by Uber Entertainment, was spotted at a retail outlet and posted on Reddit today, igniting a debate about where, when and how games should be sold. Game Informer reached out to Uber, and asked why they would sell an unfinished game at retail. "The real question is, why not?" asked Jon Mavor, one of the game's directors. "After all, they are getting the same game, just earlier. It's a changing world and we hope to continue trying out new and innovative ways to make games." Planetary Annihilation currently exists in "gamma" state, a post-beta-but-not-quite-full-release stage not often used to describe a game's development. Of course, you could always wait until the game is complete and makes a full launch, which Uber says will happen "when it's done." [Image: kamauaf / Reddit]
H1Z1 working hard on Steam early access prep
SOE Technical Director Tom Schenck penned the first dev blog for H1Z1 yesterday, saying that the team is in overdrive preparing the title for its debut on Steam Early Access. However, in regard to a specific date as to when H1Z1 will be publicly available, Schenck wasn't sharing. Schenck said that the team is strongly focusing on getting the antagonists to look and play the part: "High priority on our Early Access feature list is polishing group behavior and tuning Emergent AI systems to the entire ecosystem. Our AI team is going nuts regulating interactions for all of the NPC characters in the game including zombies, deer, wolves, and more." Other stated priorities for the team right now include fine tuning melee combat, maxing out performance, and bug hunting.
Entropy discounts Founder's Packs for Steam Sale
The Steam Summer Sale is that glorious time of year when we drop money on games that we subsequently won't remember purchasing until months later, leaving us collectively scratching our heads and asking when we bought these titles. So how'd you like to add an early access MMO to that pile of games you won't remember you have? All three of the Entropy Founder's Packs are now available at a 33% discount until the end of the Summer Sale on June 30th. The sale coincides with a recent update to the game introducing the gladiatorial combat sport known as NOVA, a free-for-all brawl where five people enter and only one leaves. The smallest package available gives players access to two character slots as well as full game access, with higher tiers including a variety of extra ships, more character slots, and bonus character creator options. If it sounds like it's right at your speed, jump in on the deal before the end of the month. We've included the latest video interview with the devs after the break.
Black Gold opens up character creation before open beta
Are you looking to start playing Black Gold Online's open beta? The servers open up completely on June 20th, but veteran players will be able to access the character creator starting today at 5:00 p.m. EDT. That means that you can just jump right in on the 20th, and you can earn a few extra prizes along the way for starting early. All players who make a character early will have access to a special gift pack to help jump-start their adventures in the game. They can also take part in a contest to create the most attractive character, the best likeness of a celebrity or other real individual, and the most hideously ugly character possible. Everyone who's not a veteran will have to wait until the 20th and won't be eligible for these special rewards; if you've been involved in the game's testing up until now, you'd best get in and start creating today.
Secret Ponchos now slapping iron on Steam Early Access
Strap on your six-shooters and sharpen your spurs: Secret Ponchos has officially made its Steam Early Access debut. Officially described as a blend of fighting game character diversity and the more intuitive action of an arena shooter, Secret Ponchos pits a handful of Old West stereotypes against one another in a quest to see who is the baddest hombre this side of the Rio Grande. Sublimely-named developer Switchblade Monkeys is apparently feeling generous, as along with the game's Early Access arrival, the studio has served up a new trailer, as well as a 25 percent discount on the game itself. You'll find that trailer above, and as you can see from the game's Steam listing, those who purchase Secret Ponchos prior to June 20 will pay $11.24, instead of the game's normal $15 price. Those of you with perfectly reasonable doubts about buying a game before it's actually complete, or who simply prefer to gun down hoople-headed varmints via home console can forego this Early Access offering for the game's imminent PlayStation 4 appearance. Originally slated for release in April, the game has been delayed, though we've yet to receive a new release date. [Image: Switchblade Monkeys]
Derek Smart justifies Line of Defense's early access fee, new playable female characters
3000AD announced last week that its MMOFPS Line of Defense will arrive on Steam's early access platform in July, sporting a hefty $99 buy-in. In response to gamer rumblings over the status of the early release and the price, studio president and lead developer Derek Smart posted on Twitlonger to explain that the game is fully funded already but can't afford to let "freeloaders" in: "The $99 EA price tag - which has a LOT of perks - ensures that only serious people who can provide meaningful feedback through their commitment, need apply. And for that they get a lot more than they would if they waited for the final game release. We're simply not interested in letting freeloaders gain early access to the game, not provide meaningful - if any - feedback, while we foot the bill for the backend services, servers, bandwidth etc. We're a SMALL independent game dev making a MASSIVE game in a genre dominated and monopolized by SOE and their popular @planetside2 series. [...] And unlike those other guys, we don't take your money, then plonk you in useless assets (how do you like that hanger now?), a largely unfinished product or a product that may not even see the light of day." Smart also alerts potential players to the fact that the studio has altered its original plans to omit female characters from the game: "My decision to now fund and add two bad-ass female characters comes from the fact that, well, we as an industry need to start making a concerted effort to cater to our female players because good faith can only get you so far."
Line of Defense heads to early access in July
3000AD has today announced that Line of Defense will head into exclusive early access on Steam in July. The MMOFPS made noise about a beta test as far back as December of last year, but the studio has decided to combine the public beta with an early access program. The press release explains, The first phase of Early Access will feature the Heatwave planetary starbase and the GCV-Starguard carrier in orbit around the Lyrius planet. New features and areas will frequently unlock as the testing phase progresses, including new levels, new vehicles, and new weapons leading up to the game's official release later this fall. [...] This staggered release allows the team to focus on each aspect of the game during the public Beta testing. Meaningful feedback from the public will enable the team to address issues, concerns and gameplay suggestions in a timely fashion as each aspect of the game is unlocked and extensively tested. Early access purchasers will pay $99.99, which covers the game, an item kit valued at $69.99, special early access commander perks, and a copy of Line of Defense Tactics. The full release of the game is expected before the end of the year.
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's headstart (launch) is here!
Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen. We've been waiting for it for a very long time, but you can indeed play the game now. WildStar is no longer a vague promise of what might be in the future, it has well and truly launched, and it's inherited all of the launch issues that come along with every single MMO launch, along with an assortment of people certain that we've never seen anything like this before. Hey, guess what I'll be talking about with today's column. I haven't had nearly as much time in the headstart as I would have liked at this point, largely due to the dread specter of Real Life minimizing my free time between launch on Saturday and when this column is being written (which is not five minutes prior to posting, if you were curious). But I've got some impressions just the same, and whilst I don't think they really qualify for first impression status, you came here to read about WildStar's launch, and that's just what I want to talk about.
Dead Island: Epidemic now spreading on Steam Early Access
Deep Silver's in-progress MOBA Dead Island: Epidemic is now available via Steam Early Access, giving players an early look at a closed beta version ahead of its public launch. Dead Island: Epidemic is an online cooperative action game in which teams of players employ crafted weapons and character skills to fend off zombie hordes. Early Access players will get exclusive weapons and upgrades not available in the final release, due later this year. While the final version of Epidemic will be free-to-play, access to the closed beta requires purchasing either the Patient Zero Pack ($16.99) or the Deadicated Pack ($39.99). Players can also opt for the Contagion Pack ($44.99), which includes all content from the Patient Zero and Dedicated packs, along with three additional copies of the game to share with friends. [Image: Deep Silver]
Atari's item-crafting MOBA Minimum makes Early Access debut
Atari and Human Head's stylized third-person shooter Minimum is out now on Steam Early Access, giving players an early look at the project's current state as development progresses over the coming months. Created by the now-shuttered TimeGate Studios, Minimum was picked up by Atari last month, with Prey studio Human Head taking over development duties. Minimum features five-on-five strategic gameplay bolstered by a blueprint crafting system that allows players to build and customize their own unique armor and weapon loadouts. The Early Access version of Minimum is priced at $19.99. [Video: Atari]
It takes two thumbsticks to Tango Fiesta, a shooter inspired by your favorite '80s movies
Grab your boomstick, die hard terminators. Tango Fiesta, a game that invites players to blast their way through the "true stories" behind some of the biggest '80s action films, is coming your way. Featuring characters parodying Commando, Predator, Army of Darkness, Robocop and more, the game is a top-down, twin-stick shooter from developer Spilt Milk Studios and publisher Mastertronic. Up to four players can attempt to out-Rambo one another as they tear through enemies with various lethal weapons; an associated press release boasts assault rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers and "sonic electronic ball breakers" among the game's instruments of destruction. Provided the CIA hasn't got you pushing too many pencils, we're sure you'll be able to handle them well. Tango Fiesta will make big trouble in little screens (or whatever size screen you've got your computer hooked up to) via Steam Early Access on June 4. Stick around. [Image: Mastertronic]
SOE's Jimmy Whisenhunt on the paranoia and potential of H1Z1
What's more dangerous to your survival after the apocalypse: undead abominations or your fellow humans? OK, that's certainly not a new question in the zombie gaming genre, although it's not going to stop H1Z1 from asking it. In fact, there's a haze of extreme familiarity that's settled around this title, even though it's the first full MMO on this scale to tackle a zombie survival sandbox. Is it almost too familiar for its own good? Will that familiarity be an asset or a drawback? Is SOE merely trying to cash in on the DayZ craze without trying much new? Or are these assumptions blinding us to the grander plan? To get a better feel for H1Z1, we got on the phone with Senior Designer Jimmy Whisenhunt. To start off, Whisenhunt gave us a quick summary of the game for those who aren't clued in to the whole. H1Z1 is a post-apocalyptic survival MMO that's more focused on physicality than stats. So instead of needing to level up, you'll find your initial challenges will be things like foraging for food, finding a shelter, building a campfire, and getting your hands on a weapon because everything wants to kill you. And when Whisenhunt says "everything," he means not just zombies but the environment, infection, weather, wildlife, and even other players.
The Stomping Land's dinosaur survival MMO is coming to Steam this month
The Stomping Land, a survival MMO with a generous heaping of dinosaurs, is set to arrive on Steam Early Access on May 23rd for backers and May 30th for everyone else. The cost will be $24.99 for non-backers. The MMO was successfully funded through Kickstarter last year and is being developed by Alex Fundora. The Stomping Land challenges players to survive as a human in harsh environments that include rather ravenous dinos. Hunger and thirst are issues that must be dealt with, and these are made all the more challenging by a lack of internal inventory (everything must be carried in hand or stored on the map). The game encourages players to form tribes for survival and allows them to capture, tame, and even ride dinosaurs. The Early Access version will launch with one island, and you can check out the trailer for the release after the break.
DayZ's Dean Hall says Steam removes the need for publishers
Steam's ubiquitous nature as a digital distribution platform has really changed the landscape of PC gaming. It's changed it so much that according to DayZ creator Dean Hall, companies don't really need to worry about a publisher any longer. Hall went on the record recently saying that the Early Access service offered via Steam essentially lets players take over the role of publisher, paying to finish development and providing marketing via word-of-mouth. The strategy has obviously worked quite well for DayZ, which has sold an impressive number of copies even in its very early and unfinished state. Hall also pontificates that it remains up to publishers to see where they fit into the new paradigm, since Early Access gives smaller studios an option that they wouldn't have otherwise.
Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5
It's time to get skilled in Shroud of the Avatar's combat system. That is, it's time to actually have access to the skills that will eventually be in the game. Release 5 is now open to the game's backers, and it brings with it 35 of the 171 skills that will eventually be in the full game. Some skill lines are more fleshed out than others; while the Death line has access to death in both touch and ray form, Water is currently limited to Ice Fist and nothing else. But that will change. Aside from this major addition, the new release will also see the first wave of potential backers admitted into testing with keys that have been given out via an Alienware Arena promotion. There's also a new lighting model in place and a variety of functionality updates. Whether you're in the early access period or just want to keep an eye on the development, check out the full list of Release 5 notes for more details.
Wasteland 2 gains Linux support on Steam Early Access
The beta version of Wasteland 2 is now available on Linux via Steam's Early Access program, developer InXile Entertainment announced. The sequel to the 1988 Interplay-created RPG first launched in alpha form in December. The project found success on Kickstarter in April 2012, raising $2.9 million to fund the turn-based, isometric strategy game. InXile also recently added "roughly 400" changes to Wasteland 2's beta, including another large portion of Arizona in the game. The update notes mention reduced loading times, a redesigned vendor screen and added tutorials among all the bug fixes and balance corrections in the patch. The Early Access price for the game is $60, though it includes a copy of the first game, two digital novellas from the Wasteland universe, and a digital art book and sound track. [Image: InXile Entertainment]
Hands-on with Windborne's early access
The breakout success of Minecraft has inspired a slew of creative sandbox games since its release in 2011, and the trend has shown no signs of dying down given the ever-increasing number of sandbox titles hitting the market. Hidden Path Entertainment's in-development title Windborne is certainly one such game, and at first glance one might be tempted to write it off as a clone of Mojang's golden child, but that would be more than a little disingenuous. The folks at Hidden Path were generous enough to provide me with a key to get some hands-on experience with Windborne, but I'd like to make special mention of the fact that the game is currently part of Steam's Early Release program, which of course means that it's still unfinished and under constant development. With that in mind, I dived into Windborne's world of mystical floating islands, and I've got more than a few thoughts about the game, where it's going, and where it needs to be.
Reprogram your surroundings in Glitchspace, now on Early Access
First-person puzzler Glitchspace is now available through Steam's Early Access service for PC, Mac and Linux. The alpha version of the game from developer Space Budgie is available for $6.99 on Early Access and $6.49 through the game's official site. Described as a "first-person programming" game, Glitchspace has players navigating a cyberspace-style world to locate a place that is a "by-product of cyberspace and its various glitches" known, appropriately enough, as Glitchspace. Space Budgie focused on emergent mechanics for the game, as players can identify glitches in the game and "exploit them in various different ways." Objects in the game are both programmable and non-programmable thanks to the "Null" programming system in the game created by the developer. Programmable objects include a "canvas" in which players can add functions to affect them, such as forces to move them, scale them, duplicate them and a myriad of other possibilities. The game includes a sandbox mode for players to toy around with as well as Oculus Rift support for those that want to immerse themselves in the matrix-like world. Space Budgie expects to launch the full version of Glitchspace in Q2 2014. [Image: Space Budgie]
PAX East 2014: The Repopulation's Josh Hall on the future of the game
If you're looking for Kickstarter success stories, The Repopulation definitely qualifies. While the game hasn't yet been released, it's managed to run not one but two successful campaigns looking to fans for funding, and it's managed its development carefully to keep itself on track for release. The game feels like a well-managed professional affair. And it's been a bit more quiet, but that comes down largely to the focus on getting the game out of its current alpha state and into its first beta. At this year's PAX East, I sat down to talk with Josh Hall, one of the core team members on the project, about where the game is in development and what it's heading for in the next few months. While the final alpha stage has taken slightly longer than originally planned, the team is on track for launching the first beta phase at some point over the summer, and it's eyeing further release plans.
Double Fine's Hack 'n' Slash gearing up for Early Access soon
Double Fine's Hack 'n' Slash, the developer's code-breaking puzzler, is "just weeks away" from its release on Steam Early Access, the Broken Age and Psychonauts developer announced. The game is in development for PC, Mac and Linux and will cost $14.99. The developer also issued a funky new trailer that shows some of the game's hacking options. First announced in December, Hack 'n' Slash has players guiding a young elf and modifying the game by toggling options in its menus, affecting the environment to their benefit to advance the story. The game came about during one of Double Fine's internal game jams, Amnesia Fortnight, and was funded thanks to a collaborative effort between a slew of parties, including Indie Fund and Humble Bundle. [Image: Double Fine]
