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TUAW's Daily App: Shibuya
We're finishing up our week of minimal game experiences with an app that's probably the "most game" of the lot. Shibuya is actually a puzzle game, but it's also pretty trippy. The idea is that you must organize colors into stripes as they drop down the screen, and whenever two stripes of the same color touch, they get cleared off the board. The difficulty is that you aren't given the colors in the same order, so as the spikes drop, it's up to you to lay them all out correctly so that two like colors actually touch. It's a little tough to explain, but just playing it will allow you to figure it out. You basically have to think ahead about how you lay the colors out before they drop down to match themselves up. It's really fun, and the music is a nice bonus -- it's very well done. There are two gameplay modes to play around with, and there are tons of achievements to earn with Game Center integration, as well as leaderboards to compete on. The game is US$1.99 on the App Store, and those two bucks will give you plenty to do as you try to master this fun and eclectic title.
TUAW's Daily App: Strange Rain
We've been doing a week of experimental indie games in this space, and here comes Strange Rain today, from the creator of previous iOS indie title Ruben & Lullaby. Like the other games featured, Strange Rain is really more of an experimental art piece than an actual game. Rain falls on your iDevice's screen as the app plays, and it's really just an opportunity to sit, relax and experience things as they happen. There are some extras and secrets to go through -- a mode called Whispers Mode adds some words to the mix, and a Story Mode actually tells a story as you interact with the screen. What's fascinating about the app is that while it starts out as a rain simulation, following through with the experience turns things a bit, well...strange, and it's up to you, the player, to discover and find what meaning you want. Like the other experimental games, this means that the experience is a little more open-ended than just earning points (though there is Game Center integration in this one -- that's a fun bit). It's up to you to figure out how you'll react to a "game" like this, and for some players, that can end up being very fun as well. Strange Rain is US$1.99 for the universal version on the App Store.
TUAW's Daily App: Today I Die Again
I seem to have started off the week with some quality experimental gaming on the iPhone, so let's continue that trend with this great title called Today I Die Again from indie developer Daniel Benmergui. I met Daniel at IndieCade 2009 in Culver City, CA, and this is one of a few "games" he's brought to life. I put quotes around "games" because they're more like interactive stories. Benmergui's apps combine sometimes absurd graphics with words and sounds to create vignettes of experience, sometimes uplifting and witty, and sometimes sad and thoughtful. As of this writing the app is a free download, though I'm not sure how long it will stay that way given that it's being featured as a Free App a Day. But even if the price has gone back up, you can play through the game in its entirety for free online, then go buy the app if you want to support Benmergui and his terrific work. Make sure to play some of his other titles, too. I especially like I Wish I Were the Moon and Storyteller, but they're all good. Benmergui was doing his work even before Apple's platform was publicly available, but the App Store has been and continues to be a great breeding ground for very independent developers. Maybe we'll do a whole week here of interesting experimental games like these.
TUAW's Daily App: Hunters' Moon
Hunters' Moon is more of an experience than anything. It's a very beautiful app in a lot of ways, and it does have some game elements, but really it's a chance to sit and enjoy a piece of software that evokes a mood and an atmosphere. It was more or less inspired by a talk given by Brandon Boyer at last year's IndieCade conference; I did go to that show, but I didn't see Boyer's talk, unfortunately. Hunters' Moon is a great example of how personal and how simply beautiful video games can be. As the app's description says, it's "an interactive illustration and a drawing that shares an idea through game mechanics. It is best heard with headphones and played patiently." We get so caught up in the give and take of the business of software and the functionality of what we download and use that sometimes we neglect to see how powerful just sitting and enjoying these games can be. Give Hunters' Moon a try if that sounds intriguing. This iPad-only game is US$1.99 on the App Store.
Uncharted 2 tests experimental MP playlists this weekend
In an attempt to keep that fresh, new game smell on Uncharted 2, developer Naughty Dog will be implementing some "experimental" changes to the game's online multiplayer modes this weekend. First, a new playlist comprised solely of Plunder matches will be introduced into the mix -- a filter that the community has been requesting since the game first launched. Second, for this weekend only, all players' health will be reduced to 65 percent. It's a side effect from the game's "Crushing" difficulty setting, which the developer thinks could ramp up the speed and intensity of multiplayer firefights. Naughty Dog is asking for feedback on these temporary changes, so if you're not a fan (or, alternatively, if you're a superfan) of the new playlist or diminished health capacity, drop a comment on the studio's blog.
Science makes Air Guitar Hero a reality
University of Washington Ph.D. student Scott Saponas demonstrated his muscle-movement interface for computer systems, by using it to control a familiar application: Guitar Hero. The system appears to guess finger movements by reading the signals from muscles in the forearm. The result: a true air guitar experience. In the custom Guitar Hero setup, the player can hold frets simply by touching a finger with his thumb, and strum by, well, strumming the air. See it in action after the break!This is just a demonstration of some experimental technology. It's not specifically a game controller, and Activision won't be shipping electrodes to stores any time soon. This is a presentation for the Association for Computer Machinery's Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology -- the Guitar Hero thing just makes for an impressive show.[Via Kotaku]
Microsoft unveils Barrelfish multi-core optimized OS
With current operating systems, as the number of cores increases efficiency decreases. Microsoft Research has just announced an experimental OS, called Barrelfish, that they're developing in conjunction with ETH Zurich, in the hopes that they'll learn how to buck that trend -- both with current and future hardware. Building upon lessons learned with projects including Midori and Singularity, Barrelfish eschews share memory schemes in favor of message passing and a kind of database that shuttles information between cores. Heady stuff, for sure -- but just the kind of thing that sets off our Geek Alarms. If you can't wait to check this one out for yourself, hit the read link for the first release snapshot, in all its Open Source glory. The rest of us will probably remain content waiting to see how this new-found knowledge will trickle down to Windows 7 users in the future. [Via DailyTech]
Indie designers: Experimental Gameplay 2009 accepting submissions
Budding indie designers with far-out ideas: Braid creator Jonathan Blow brings word via his blog that submissions for the Experimental Gameplay 2009 sessions at GDC are now being accepted. Having provided a launching pad for indie hits such as Braid, flOw, and Everyday Shooter, the Experimental Gameplay gathering is a chance for brilliant gameplay-driven concepts to get attention, in the form of 10-15 minute presentations by their creators. Braid (shown) was first presented during the 2006 sessions, well before David Hellman provided its distinctive art style. It epitomizes one fundemental the session organizers are looking for: novel game mechanics. Others include emergent gameplay, interactive storytelling, and innovative UI. Submission guidelines are available at the Experimental Gameplay site. The deadline for entries is February 16, 2009. [Via Braid-Game.com]
New screens from the art-house MMO called Love
MMOs don't have to all be about orcs, elves, and level-grinding. Case in point: Eskil Steenberg's Love, an art-house MMO that defies every conceivable expectation of what the genre is about. There's been a lot of talk lately about how there isn't enough innovation anymore. Quiet down, folks; Love is what you seek.When Steenberg showed the game to us at GDC this year, we were excited and alarmed at the same time -- excited because it was different and gorgeous, alarmed because we had to step outside of our comfort zone. The exploration-driven gameplay allows users to alter the painting-like world to match their dreams, but the world is all they'll be changing, as the game features no character creation or customization. Users don't even to pick their own names. So yes, it's challenging, but God, we miss being challenged. If only there were more projects like this for us to write about. For now, though, let's just swoon over Love. Steenberg released three new images from the game on his blog yesterday, and we have them here so you can soak in the impressionistic atmosphere. Be sure to check out our GDC gallery as well.[Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]%Gallery-26414%
Human Brain Cloud "proves" we think about sex more than money
Kyle Gabler, founder of the Experimental Gameplay Project and indie game studio 2D Boy, recently posted a few stats from his side project, Human Brain Cloud. The online "game" shows you a word or phrase and all you have to do is type in the first thing that comes to mind. The answers players give are amassed into a huge network of connected blobs viewable from the website. Nearly 800,000 associations have been submitted so far, connecting over 100,000 unique words and phrases. What's the most commonly submitted word? "Sex", of course. The second most common is "me", while the third is "money". Good to know the collective consciousness of the human race has its priorities straight. Human Brain Cloud lets you sit and submit as many associations as you want, and we spent more time than we'd like to admit adding our two cents to the project.[Via Independent Gaming]
Indie devs huddle in the dark for three days at TO Jam
Three days, 62 programmers, and we can assume at least three dozen cases of Jolt Cola. The second Toronto Indie Game Development Jam (T.O. Jam ... get it?!) has come and gone, leaving in its wake nearly two dozen games created by programmers from across the continent. T.O. Jam is aimed at stirring creativity and helping game developers get the most out of their coding time. It isn't a competition, it isn't a seminar, it's just a bunch of geeks writing code for three days. Only seven of the 20 games have been released, but already a few gems have surfaced. Especially worth checking out is Xiq, a clever combination of Qix and Vectrex.
Ted and Gadget weep as MAST tether project fails to deploy
While a number of recent space-based experiments have proven quite successful, it must not have been Ted nor Gadget's day. The daring duo that made up the MAST project was supposed to "test the survivability of a thin, braided tether in space," but due to a glitch in the restraint system that "kept Ted from pushing away hard enough to keep unreeling the tether from its spool," the once hopeful mission has come to an ill-fated close. Rather than reaching a full kilometer, the tether was only able to reach a few meters before coming to a stop, but the team at Tethers Unlimited aren't calling it quits just yet. They did admit to not knowing precisely what caused the costly mishap, but the crew also suggested that they'll try to use the small amount of data they did gather to analyze "how a short tether behaves in microgravity." Don't worry fellas, there's always next time.
DigiPen student games released
DigiPen Institute of Technology has unveiled most of the student games created for the 2007 academic year. Nearly two dozen projects will available by the end of the month covering a wide range of styles -- from space shooters, to puzzlers and the popular "riding a motorcycle in medieval times" genre.Unfortunately the most interesting games are still unavailable, but with just a few days left in the month, the wait will be short: Bossinabox - a fast-paced arcade-style shooter based on the idea that boss fights are awesome. Your goal is to annihilate the boss as he splits into an army of minibosses. Empyreal Nocturne - a third-person aerial action game in which you combat enormous flying monsters by commanding a legion of birds. Gigoon - a 3D, third-person action game in which the player takes control of a giant monster rampaging through the tropical city of Rio De Janeiro PHLOP - a 3D physics-based puzzle game that asks the player to manipulate simple objects to create complex device in order to complete the puzzle. RydenStryke - a third person action game set in medieval times where the player gets to control a character from the future on a motorcycle. A well-respected school with game developers, DigiPen's student projects have turned more than a few heads over the years. The team behind Narbacular Drop was snatched up by Valve, and the group behind the block-tossing Toblo have gained a lot of attention for their project.
Lost Garden's game design challenge supplies the graphics, you supply the game
Being a talented programmer and an accomplished artist can be two separate skills. Just because you can string lines of code together doesn't mean you can make pretty pictures people want to look at while playing your game. Enter Danc of Lost Garden and his new design challenge that gives you everything you need to make a game -- except the programming muscle.Danc provides the graphics, including character sprites, items, and backgrounds. He also has a gameplay outline that is constantly being refined. The game, SpaceCute, should be a single player golf title with a strong focus on physics. Because programmers don't have to be concerned with graphics or basic gameplay mechanics, they're free to experiment and make the game as crazy as their imaginations can conjure.The challenge is well underway (a few prototypes have already been released), but if you've got the skills and the game idea sparks your interest, it's never too late to jump in.[Via Independent Gaming]
Rod Humble spills his thoughts on 'The Marriage'
Rod Humble's art-meets-game title The Marriage is only a few weeks old, but the critical response from both gaming and non-gaming communities has been enormous. Arthouse Games caught up with Rod to dissect his thoughts on the reception of his "game". The interview touched on future projects and also brought up the question we all wanted to hear: What does Rod's wife think of The Marriage?Including an explanation of the game's meaning has been one of the most criticized aspects of The Marriage. Art doesn't come with an instruction manual, games do, and Rod specifically labeled The Marriage as the former. He stands by his decision, however, and is proud to have seen the game affect such a wide audience. Relationship websites even featured his work, fueling the fire that The Marriage is more than just a game.While you're in the matrimonial mood, check out Kloonigames' April Fools parody of The Marriage aptly titled The Divorce.[Via Arthouse Games]
A platform game with real platforms
Experimental gaming these days is all about playing with reality. From virtual reality and alternate reality to augmented reality, more and more people are trying to merge video games and real life in interesting ways. Sebastien Schmieg's art project/game Roy Block adds another term to this growing list: mixed reality. Roy Block uses real life, handheld wooden building blocks as the platforms for an on-screen avatar. A hidden camera detects the blocks as they're pressed against the tracing paper projection screen, translating their position and alignment to in-game data.The "gameplay" in the project is pretty basic -- just guide the periodically jumping Roy from one end of the screen to the other while avoiding floating enemies -- but Schmieg sees the potential for more complex play by assigning different functions to each side of the blocks. Schmieg also has an idea for a version "as big as a wall ... with blocks so big that you need both hands to hold one." Would that be mixed reality exergaming? More buzzwords, stat!Continue reading for video of the project in action.
The Marriage unties the 'games as art' argument
Rod Humble, former Sony Online Entertainment employee currently working for EA, has just released an experimental artgame called The Marriage. There's no sound, no music, and the graphics could have been drawn in MS Paint in less than two minutes. But all of that doesn't matter. What really counts is you, the player, and how you interpret the relationships within the game.It may sound pretentious (Rod is the first one to admit it), but it works extremely well. The best way to understand the game is to download it (Windows only) and start playing. You'll be confused at first, possibly even bored, and some may experience extreme fits of rage. But keep experimenting and try to pry into the game's mechanics. After you get a feel for it, go back to Rod's website and read his explanation. Everything will become clear and you'll understand why The Marriage grabbed your attention in the first place.Like any good movie or book, half the fun is discussing it with your friends afterwards. After we played it, The Marriage spawned a number of interesting conversations about interactivity, games, art, and even one or two discussions about corn on the cob.
The challenges and philosophies of Crush
At yesterday's Experimental Game Design lecture, Alex Butterfield discussed his latest project, the mind-bending PSP title Crush, billed as a "revolution twist on the puzzle platform." Butterfield's presentation focus on the challenges of making a game that seemingly transitions from 2D to 3D without effort. Crush is designed so that your character, who is under hypnosis to cure insomnia and forced to find a way through 40 dream sequence levels, can only "crush" (transform 3-dimensional space into 2-dimensional platformer) horizontally and top-down. Of the challenges discussed, Butterfield talked about the shortcut challenge, whereas the clever player would be able to use the crushing ability to move from the beginning of the level to the end without effort. Thus, the team devised three different blocks whose behavior differed when crushed: ghost block (insubstantial), solid blocks (impassible) and hollow blocks hollow block (somewhere in between). Other issues include disorientation, which Butterfield tried to fix by way of camera work and the placement of prominent landmarks to help the player. There were two design flaws that the dev team worked to solve. The creation of cut-zones let the developers section off part of the level so that one does not accidentally crush themselves next to a horrid enemy without prior knowledge. A safety feature was also implemented so that a crush process does not cause the character to fall helplessly to their doom; "an explanation as to why you failed the puzzle" will be shown instead. Many of these problems were also solved, of course, through countless QA and debugging. Following the talk of problems and problem solving, Butterfield moved into the realm of conjecture, philosophy and other higher-order thought. What if you were allowed to crush at any angle? What if you could crush outward into four dimensions (with time being the 4th candidate); i.e. a block could become a bridge, a cockroach would crush into a centipede, etc. How about multiplayer? Butterfield suggested separate realities for each character, whereby only you control the crushing in your reality and only your movement would be reported to the other player's screens. There's no clean-cut solution, but some of these problems give us an idea of the far future of platform puzzlers. Crush is looking good and the game's twist well-executed. The game is slated for release later this year on the PSP.
Student Postmortem with DigiPen's Toblo
Walking the fine line between simple and just plain boring gameplay is a delicate issue, especially with independent game makers. How do you make a game appealing without stripping it of the elements that keep players coming back for more? GameCareerGuide's postmortem with the Toblo design answers just those questions, discussing the high and low points in the development process. "Light-hearted" and "easy to play" were two key phrases in the design of Toblo, a simple capture the flag game created by a group of DigiPen students. Played in a world of colored blocks, your only goal is to capture the other team's flag. Your weapons are the very blocks that surround you, simply walk up to anything and tear it down to load up on ammo, then dash into the enemy's fort and let 'em fly. Although Toblo isn't a full-fledged game, it's proof that a concept doesn't need to be elaborate to be interesting.
Cash card taps into virtual funds
The MMORPG Project Entropia is known for its economic experiments, with pieces of virtual land being bought for high real-world prices. This latest news breaks the barrier between real and virtual money even further, however; a new cash card will let owners withdraw from their ingame balances using real ATMs.Some MMOs entirely shun the idea of converting money earned online to real money, but Project Entropia is taking this to the other extreme. The game's economy is built around real-money transfer, so a move like this simply adds a logical ending to the cashflow pipeline, with developer MindArk sitting in the middle profiting from the whole process.[Thanks, pandlcg]
