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iPhone is dominating independent gaming
Our friends at Joystiq make a very insightful and very telling discovery: the iPhone more or less owns the finalist list for the 2009 Independent Games Festival Mobile category. 11 of the 14 contestants aren't on the Nintendo DS or PSP -- they're built and played on the iPhone and the iPod touch. The popular Fieldrunners and Igloo Games' Dizzy Bee are standouts, but even innovative games like Galcon and the pseudogame experience Ruben and Lullaby are being honored with nods.Very, very telling -- the relatively low cost of entry into the App Store and the versatility of Apple's SDK makes the iPhone/iPod touch a dream platform for independent game developers, and clearly, even with less than a year of development time, Apple's handheld is making a big splash in the industry. Sure, there's still a few pricing hiccups that need to be worked out to get bigger developers on board in a big way, but for smaller and single person independent game developers, there's never been a better platform on which to make and market your games.
HDFEST schedule revealed, indie films hit Dolby Labs in December
It's been a while since we checked in with HDFEST, but the all-HD independent film festival, now in it's 9th year, is still going strong. Due to kick off at Dolby Laboratories in Burbank on December 7, highlights this year include a focus on animation and several innovative stop motion projects, a HD music video showcase and seven full length feature films. Hit up the website for more information and a schedule of the $10/per screenings, hopefully some of these flicks find away home to the rest of us on any of the number of distribution routes now available.
Eskil Steenberg interviewed about his one-man MMO project "Love"
Have you ever wondered what it would take for a single person to create an MMO? Is a task this monumental even possible? Apparently it is, given what we've seen and read of Love, an MMO being developed by a single man -- Eskil Steenberg. Love isn't being created by a team of devs, nor does it have a multi-million dollar development and marketing budget. It's just one man with a vision, building the best game he can and showing it off on his laptop. Rock, Paper, Shotgun recently got an exclusive first look at the Love trailer and Jim Rossignol from RPS followed that up with an interview with Eskil Steenberg. They discuss how Love's unique visual style evolved into what we see today and talk about the game's trinity of activities -- exploration, combat, and building -- namely the system of city building. It's a very interesting talk with Steenberg, and really is a must-read if you're enthusiastic about Love and the ambition of its creator.
Indie MMO Game Developer Conference coming to Vegas in April
Just as this year's gaming conference season is beginning to wind down, we start to receive news of next year's events already. Last Straw Productions has just announced the third annual Independent MMO Game Developers Conference will be held in Las Vegas, NV on April 17th through the 19th, 2009.This conference will feature more presentations and vendors than the previous years, plus new demo stations where the Indie developers can show off their latest projects. In addition, the imgdc.com website has been completely revamped with a new logo, layout, adviser and speaker blogs. Check out the website for more information on the upcoming event.
EA Chicago exes take up with Activision, form Robomodo!
A handful of folks left jobless in the wake of EA Chicago's closure last November have banded together to form their own independent development studio, Robomodo. The company was actually -- and quiet stealthily we might add -- formed in January 2008 by a number of EA Chicago vets, including Robomodo president and director Josh Tsui, who revealed to GameDaily that the fledgling studio has already been tapped by Actiblizzard to create a new title based on one of the publisher's IP. As for what exactly Tsui and company are up to, the team isn't talking specifics, saying only that it is a "high-profile extreme sports title," familiar territory for developers who worked on such franchises as Fight Night, Mortal Kombat and Def Jam. Given the group's experience with these sorts of titles, coupled with Tsui's admission in a separate Gamasutra interview that a "good chunk" of those working on the project also helped create Fight Night Round 3 for EA, we wouldn't be at all surprised if Robomodo's plans include trying to go toe-to-toe with their former employers in the ring. Stay tuned tomorrow for an interview with Robomodo's Tsui and Michicich.
Entertainment Studios to launch six HD networks on Verizon's FiOS TV
Be still our hearts! Out of nowhere, in flies word that six all new high-definition channels are emerging here in the United States. Entertainment Studios, an independent producer and distributor of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations, has just announced that it will launch six "targeted" HD networks: Cars.TV, Pets.TV, Comedy.TV, MyDestination.TV, ES.TV and Recipe.TV. All six stations do a decent job of explaining themselves, and at least initially, they'll be viewable on Verizon's FiOS TV service. Regrettably, there's no telling when the half dozen will go live on FiOS TV, and even worse, there's absolutely no way to know whether your own programming provider will pick 'em up or not. Here's hoping, huh?
Joystiq hands-on: IndieCade games galore
One of the things we made sure to do at E3 this year was to spend a significant amount of time with the IndieCade folks. Then we sat on that info long enough for some of these games to get picked up, have a successful release, come out with sequels, spawn movies, novels, comic books, become part of the general pop culture bloodstream, and then fade into nostalgia, and for that we apologize. Actually, I'll apologize, I did it.But in all seriousness, a lot of the more fun and innovative stuff we saw at E3 wasn't actually being churned out by big studios and publishers, but being worked on by small groups with tiny budgets and just a love of gaming. Read on to find out all about the IndieCade games that we saw on display, and why you'll want to be playing them now.%Gallery-28162%
Blue Ray Technologies opening America's largest Blu-ray Disc mastering facility
Blue Ray Technologies was expecting business to boom shortly after the format war concluded, and apparently the shock is in full effect. According to founder and chairman Erick Hansen, America's "first indie Blu-ray disc manufacturing plant is now becoming the largest indie [and Profile 2.0-friendly] Blue-ray Disc mastering facility in the US." When all is said done, the facility will be "the only indie that can handle rewritable disc mastering and will provide pre-mastering as well," not to mention being the only one that can make a rewriting stamper. Granted, most of this stuff amounts to a huge pat on the back, but the expansion of independent films on BD is certainly healthy for the industry at large. Now, if only the hardware to watch these films on were more affordable, we'd really have a match made in heaven.
Independent television networks band together to protest "program tying"
We'll admit, a bunch of the whining piped to the FCC is quite petty, but we can't help but agree with the message being brought forth by the National Association of Independent Networks. Said group has banded together in order to approach the FCC in protest of "program tying," a process in which "large media companies require cable operators to carry less desired channels in order to receive more popular networks." NAIN is hoping to "create a more competitive television programming arena, leading to lower prices and more choices for consumers." If program tying was addressed (read: nixed), more bandwidth could be opened up for channels that people actually care about (at least in theory). Imagine a world where SciFi HD was everywhere and QVC HD was nowhere -- 'tis a lovely thought, no?
Blue Underground goes Blu-ray, announces initial slate of releases
Fitting, isn't it? Blue Underground, a well-respected distributor of cult / horror films, has decided to start releasing projects on Blu-ray Discs. Additionally, we now know the first half dozen flicks that it plans on releasing: The Final Countdown, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Stendhal Syndrome, Maniac, Vigilante and Fire and Ice, though we're sure hits like Uncle Sam, Dead and Buried and Two Evil Eyes won't be far behind. Each disc will boast 1080p transfers, 7.1 DTS-HD / Dolby TrueHD audio tracks, D-Box Motion Code (on select titles) and a plethora of extras. We're still curious to see how the transfers turn out, but this is certainly good news for underground horror fanatics.[Via DVDTalk, thanks Don]
Kino International going Blu-ray exclusive
A little late, sure, but Kino International has finally decided to join everyone else and go Blu-ray exclusive. Reportedly, the foreign film distributor has become the latest indie to bid HD DVD a fond farewell and focus its future support on BD. We haven't seen a definitive launch date for its first Blu-ray title (which is likely to be Wong Kar Wai's Fallen Angels), but word on the street has it launching sometime this fall. We're also told that Kino has "a number of [other] Blu-ray releases in the works," but it seems that we'll have to wait things out before discovering which titles it's referencing.
Indies see, seize HD opportunities
With all the attention given to major studios, it's easy to forget that there's a wealth of smaller indie operations with great content as well. The format war effectively kept these players out of the game -- just like consumers, choosing the "wrong" format was just too risky. In the new, Blu world, however, some of these studios are making very successful moves to HD. Try this on for size: Tartan Video is seeing higher sales of "Oldboy" on Blu-ray than any other title in its library, including DVD releases! The film is no delicate, highbrow, foreign art film, either; we'd file it under foreign, gritty action. This really underscores what we think is the value of HDM -- properly done, it gets you closer to the director's vision. And that's something any cinephile can love, whether the feature is a CGI-laden blockbuster or not. Our recommendation? Try putting some indie HD content in your diet.[Image courtesy MovieCritic]
Penny Arcade Expo 2008 to showcase indie games
The annual Penny Arcade Expo has quickly evolved from being simply a gathering of video game enthusiasts to becoming one of our most anticipated gaming conferences each year. We never know what we're going to see there first hand, from fresh rhymes to Metroid attacks, and this year's event, taking place from August 29-31, looks to up the ante with a showcase of independent games called PAX 10.Event organizers are currently seeking indie talent to show off during the event, and devs can submit their creations online for consideration from now until May 7, after which a panel of 50 "industry experts," including PA's own Gabe and Tycho, will decide which ten submissions represent the crème of the crop based on gameplay and that all important "fun factor." The home-grown games will each be shown as part of the event's PAX 10 exhibit, and attendees will be able to vote on which one tickles their fancy, with the one garnering the most votes being lifted up following the expo on the Penny Arcade website as the Audience Choice Award winner. But with just a touch over two months remaining, time is running short -- if you're a would-be developer you've already wasted precious minutes reading this post! Get cracking!
GameSetWatch breaks down XBLA royalties cut
With the news that the 70 percent royalties cut for independent developers of Xbox Live Arcade titles had been cut in half, the indie gaming community was irrevocably up in arms, with some XBLA devs even threatening to switch platforms. However, the reasoning behind the cut is not as cut-and-dry as "M$ jus wants moar money" -- according to a recent GameSetWatch report, a number of factors led to the royalty shrinkage. After a bit of Michael Clayton-esque fact finding, they discovered that the cut only affects first-party indie developers (that is, devs that publish their games directly through Microsoft's XBLA department), and while the returns from their product will indeed be half their original value, Microsoft will now cover many of the fees that the developer must address before their product can be sold -- such as ESRB certification, and localization. Ultimately, this means that their games will cost less to produce, but make less after retail -- slightly better than a flat-out cut, but not much consolation to the Ramen-fueled indie developer.
Indie Phoenix Entertainment bringing The Lawless to HD DVD
While we've seen independent filmmakers side with both camps in the past, it looks like Phoenix Entertainment will be going red when it brings The Lawless to HD DVD next February. The indie distributor will be launching the direct-to-video crime caper just in time for Valentine's Day, and while you're off getting cozy with your SO, Phoenix Entertainment Group will be celebrating its debut on a high-definition format. Currently, it looks as if the flick won't feature any extras, but the suggested retail price is kept (relatively) low at $19.98 to compensate. Oh, and if you're already scouring the 'net in an attempt to pre-order this, Amazon has it listed with a January 15th release date, but we wouldn't count on that being fulfilled.[Via TGDaily]
Aquaria blog discusses creatures, giant crabs included
Bit Blot, the indie studio behind Aquaria, recently posted a short development feature about underwater fauna players will find in its upcoming exploration game. After all, what's the point of swimming around if there's nothing to try and bite you? Expect a battery of crustaceans to give chase under the sea, including a giant crab or two, as well as the not-so-friendly sea dragon. Players will also be able to ride seahorses as shown above.Early in Aquaria's development, we were promised a thriving ecosystem of underwater creatures to interact with in the game. This is just an early taste. The team drew inspiration from the strange critters that swim Earth's seas. A thread on Bit Blot's forums is packed with images of strange and surreal animals.%Gallery-3627%
Knytt Stories expansion pack ... for free?!
According to a recent forum post, Nifflas, the creator of Knytt and Within a Deep Forest, may release the expansion to his upcoming Knytt Stories for free. At first Nifflas was considering releasing the pack for a modest fee, but after considering the extra work required to charge players (not to mention the fact that the taxman will take notice if he turns a reasonable profit), he's now leaning toward releasing it for free or as donationware.Knytt Stories continues the atmospheric, exploration-based gameplay that Knytt brought to our attention, though this time there are more areas to discover and a few power-ups to find. Both the game and the editor have already been announced as free. Look for Knytt Stories at the end of August.%Gallery-3719%
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]
Rose & Camellia: Slap your way to gaming bliss
Slapping. The fighting style of choice for people wearing mittens, women, small children, and now, gamers. Rose & Camellia is a Japanese-made Flash game where you play a woman named Reiko who married into a noble family only to have her husband die shortly afterwards. The women of the house don't respect her, so its your job to slap some good old fashioned sense into them. Fights are turn-based and you only have a few seconds to act. When it's your turn, click the "attack" button and swipe the mouse in an arc to slap the other woman. When she's on the offensive, click "evade" and make a mirrored arc to avoid the attack. Successfully dodge and you're ready for a counter-slap!
Joystiq impressions: Braid
While E3's Kentia Hall may be long gone, the small Independent Game Summit area of the Barker Hangar made sure the little guy wasn't completely ignored. One of the most interesting games from the summit this year was an unassuming little 2D platform-puzzler featuring a guy in a business suit.One of the core ideas behind Braid, according to creator Jonathan Blow, is that the players time is more precious than his life. Indeed, any time your portly, suit-clad avatar dies, you can simply rewind the action a la Prince of Persia to go back to a safer portion of the level. Unlike PoP, though, there's no limit to the length or availability of your rewinds in Braid, meaning the only thing you lose if you make a mistake is a little bit of time spent rewinding.%Gallery-5074%
