Jonathan Blow
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Braid PC has hidden bonus: a level editor
Jonathan Blow has revealed that message board rumblings of a hidden level editor within the PC version of his award-winning independent title, Braid, are true. Replying to chatter on the Steam forum [Via Destructoid], Blow revealed documentation for the editor would be released following an update to the game (which went live late yesterday) and "when more people have played/finished the game." In the meantime, initial editor information has been posted by Blow on the official Braid blog to help gamers get started.The Braid PC level editor will allow gamers to extend the life of the puzzle title, with the potential to add "up to [another] full game," Blow wrote. The developer/survivalist also revealed future plans to add image importing from Photoshop into the game, allowing aspiring Braid designers to put their own graphics into their creations. %Gallery-5074% [Via ShackNews]
PC version of Braid travels ten days into the future
Bad news for PC-owning wannabe time benders: the PC release of Braid has been delayed past its original March 31 date, according to a post on the official Braid blog. Fortunately, a typo in the announcement lets you experience a mysterious temporal puzzle right now!Creator Jonathan Blow said that he is "delaying it slightly, til August 10th." But a delay of over four months isn't "slight!" What is going on here? He goes on to apologize for making people "wait an extra 10 days." But ... August 10 isn't ten days away from March 31! What a crazy puzzle!%Gallery-5074%SPOILER: He meant April 10.
GDC09: Braid, the $200,000 idea
Things GDC 2009 taught us: Indie games aren't always cheap. During the "Braving the Stormy Waters of XBLA and PSN: Smaller is NOT Easier" panel, Jonathan Blow revealed that his critical hit, Braid, cost $200,000 to develop. Blow admits that development cost cuts could have been made, but his spending was to ensure a quality product. To maintain a high level of quality, Blow hired an actual artist instead of attempting to draw himself. Another large chunk of the budget? Survival. "A lot of that money was spent because I didn't want to live in a shack somewhere," Blow told the audience. According to the creator, development only requires a few essentials: "a PC, a dev kit and enough money to live on for the time it takes to develop. "If you can live for three years at your Mom's house, you can make a game for free," Blow joked. Wait... what'dja you say about our Mama?!
GDC09: Downloadable titles should avoid Q4 release
In a session for developers hoping to have their downloadable titles noticed on XBLA and PSN, the panel, which included Capcom, Hothead Games, Backbone and Jonathan Blow, agreed that these games should avoid releasing during the holidays. With strong competition from major titles at retail during the holiday season, the group agreed that downloadable games are best served avoiding the rush.Age of Booty was used as an example of a solid game that was crushed under the tidal wave of the holiday releases. Downloadable games apparently see a dramatic drop in sales between late September until December. Although developers don't really have control over when Microsoft or Sony release their games, Blow noted that they'd want "March or June or August" as a release date and for downloadable games to "stay away from Christmas."
PC Braid also launching on Steam March 31
We were jazzed to hear that Jonathan Blow's introspective chrono-manipulative platformer Braid would be making its way onto PCs via Stardock's digital distribution service Impulse -- though we wondered why Blow hadn't set up a wider launch platform for the computerfied adaptation of his XBLA indie hit. Hothead's agreement to bring the title to Macs was a step in the right direction, but we've just received word of a huge movement to further propagate the plight of Mr. Tim -- a Valve presser just confirmed that Braid is on its way to Steam.It'll be hitting the popular digital distribution platform on March 31 (the same day as Impulse's Braid launch) at a price point of $14.99. That's a whole four cents more expensive than the title's cost on Impulse. Man, isn't that just like Valve? Always trying to nickel and dime penny and four-penny the little man.
Hothead Games to bring Braid to Mac, The Maw to PC
Xbox Live is a wonderful place. Without it, we would have never discovered diamonds in the rough such as The Maw and Braid. Thankfully, these games are getting the red carpet treatment and rolling out to other platforms, courtesy of Hothead Games.Hothead games will first bring Jonathan Blow's Braid to Mac gamers everywhere. Also, the company is currently working on getting Twisted Pixel's The Maw to "multiple as-of-yet-unannounced digital distribution platforms and services." Steam, anyone? We don't have a date yet as to when Hothead will be offering these titles to their respective platforms, but we'll update as soon as we know.
Discounted Braid re-launches XBLM's Deal of the Week program [update]
Update: Major just posted official information regarding the Deal of the Week program. Click here to get informed.Major Nelson just revealed that the Xbox Live Marketplace Deal of the Week program will be coming back this Monday, February 23.The announcement was made during Major's latest podcast (at around 62 minutes in), where we were also informed that Jonathan Blow's Braid will be discounted to 800, which is $5 cheaper than the upcoming PC version. The value-priced Braid will be available for purchase off the XBLM this Monday and will remain 800 until Sunday, March 1.Microsoft plans on releasing new Deal of the Week content each and every week for the foreseeable future, including content from Ninja Gaiden II and PGR4 as well as the Xbox Original of Fable. Note that all Deal of the Week offers will only be available to Xbox Live gold members. Silver members pay full price.
Braid PC price rewound to $15
Jonathan Blow has cast his reign on your Braid: The PC version of his acclaimed puzzle slash poem game will now cost $14.95, a full five cents cheaper than the Xbox Live Arcade edition. Initially priced at $20 by Stardock's Impulse distribution platform, Braid PC is due for release on March 31st. All pre-orders will reflect the new price. Writing on his blog, Blow winds some of the controversy down, candidly explaining that the $20 tag seemed reasonable compared to similarly priced PC games, such as World of Goo and Crayon Physics Deluxe. Since the XBLA release was "nicely profitable," however, the designer has decided to shrug off the higher price -- which has proven to be "unpopular in certain areas of the Internets." We feel kind of bad about sending those death threats now.
XBLA darling Braid lands on PC March 31st [update]
Earlier this afternoon, PC game publisher Stardock revealed plans for the March 31st release of the acclaimed puzzle-platformer, Braid, on its Impulse digital distribution platform. Pre-orders start today and come with a 33% price increase, bringing the game to a (not so) nice and round $20. Last summer, the 1200 XBLA release of Braid drew criticism from thrifty gamers the world over for its notably high price point at the time (how far we've come!). At the height of the criticism, developer Jonathan Blow explained the reasoning behind the controversial price as a means to assure that he broke even, writing on his blog, "I had to guard against the Space Giraffe problem," referring to Jeff Minter's critically acclaimed XBLA title that released for 400 and sold "only 19k copies." He further expounded on his point to 1UP last year, stating, "If those are the only people who like the game [a niche group], then I'd basically be bankrupt."However, considering the enormous success of Braid (both critically and commercially) on XBLA over the last eight months, we're left wondering why the price tag has been upped and if the game's outspoken creator has something to say about it. We've asked Mr. Blow for comment.Update: The price has now been lowered to $14.95.
Braid's Jonathan Blow working on a 2D RPG
If you enjoyed the older Final Fantasy games but always wished they included more navel-gazing reflections on love, loss and (possibly) the atomic bomb, brace yourself for stellar news: Jonathan Blow, the mind behind last year's surreptitious hit chronoplatformer Braid, recently mentioned in a Gamasutra interview that he's currently working on a new 2D role-playing game. He revealed few details, but did mention that dialogue is "very closely related to the core mechanic" of the game. Consider us intrigued.However, don't get your hopes up quite yet -- by Blow's own concession, the guy's got the attention span of a fruit fly. He explained that he's worked on several projects since wrapping up Braid, teasing, "you never know. Next month, it could be a Pac-Man clone or something." Ah, yes -- a Pac-Man clone, in which the circular, titular hero takes copious amounts of drugs and is chased by the ghosts of his past in a futile attempt to reclaim the affections of his female, bow-headed counterpart. Hey, we're down with that too.[Via X3F]
Braid creator Jonathan Blow working on RPG
In a lengthy (and interesting) interview with Gamasutra, Braid creator Jonathan Blow revealed that he's currently working on a new 2D RPG. Blow divulged few details about the project, though he mentioned making the dialog system closely tie in with the core mechanic of the game, saying, "what goes on in those dialogs is actually very closely related to the core mechanic that you do in the RPG." Exactly what that means and what the core mechanic is, Blow isn't saying. Don't get too attached to the idea of a Jonathan Blow developed RPG though, as he said that he's toyed with several ideas since finishing Braid, noting, "You never know. Next month, it could be a Pac-Man clone or something."
Blow wanted new Braid theme to be free
Whoever said "the best things in life are free," apparently didn't know any Xbox Live content managers. Indie developer Jonathan Blow of Braid fame says he wanted the newly released premium theme for his critically acclaimed title to be free. The content is priced at the standard 250 ($3.12 USD) rate. "We want to make it free, but Microsoft doesn't like giving things out for free," Blow wrote on the Braid blog. Those who decide to purchase the theme may take solace in the fact that the entire package is comprised wholly of artwork from the game and not text. "You can be secure in the knowledge that you own one of the few Premium Themes that is not an advertisement," Blow wrote. According to Blow, his original idea was to give away codes for the theme to celebrate its release but Microsoft voted against it. Instead, Blow has 20 codes for Braid itself and is currently holding a Name That Game contest on the Braid blog to select winners.[via 1UP]
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2008: Braid
<< BACK (6) COMMENT NEXT (4) >> People exhibit different reactions upon playing Braid. Some, like Soulja Boy, show a child-like appreciation for the unique implementations of time manipulation in the game. It's hard not to smile, or let out a laugh, when your character gets hit by a demented Goomba and you rewind -- only to repeat the same mistake. The gameplay is incredibly accessible, and does a great job of teaching players new tricks as they progress forward. Slight alterations of the time mechanic make Braid feel consistently new and fresh.There are others, though, that delve much deeper into the tale that Braid weaves. There are numerous interpretations on various forums, all with different answers to some of the game's most challenging questions: What is the princess running away from? What is the main character's fatal mistake? What is the true meaning of the princess?
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]
Braid coming to PC in Q1 2009
The official Braid blog reveals that a PC version of the XBLA darling should be released between February and March of 2009. Braid on PC was originally planned for mid-October, but a decision was made to hold off due to all the blockbusters being released at the end of the year.There is also talk of a "native code" Mac version to be released soon after the PC, and a PS3 version later if "Sony is interested in the game." It sounds like the code for Braid's PC debut is done and is just being held off for marketing purposes. We've placed developer Jonathan Blow's address after the break for PC owners who want to stop by his place and ask for it personally.
Blow says XBLA's Braid is 'feasible' on PSP
If you've got an Xbox 360, you've most likely have 1) heard of Braid and just how amazing it is or 2) already have it and enjoying it as we write this. Needless to say, those without the green-lit box have been sidelined and left curious like a child peering into a toystore window. However, Braid's main man Jonathan Blow gives the starry-eyed child in all of us a brief glint of hope as he says a portable version of the game would be most feasible on the PSP if ever there were to be a mobile version.In a recent interview conducted by Joystiq, Blow was asked about making a handheld version of the game. He responded saying that a DS version would be out of the question and that there would be no way to control the game on an iPhone. While the answers were mostly negative for those devices, Blow had more positive things to say about a PSP version; he cited that a direct-to-download model would work smoothly as the "music streaming stuff in Braid would not work off a UMD." He did, however, say that the market for downloadable titles is still not there on the PSP -- though we'd like to differ as direct downloadable games are appearing every week. Perhaps Mr. Blow would change his mind if the downloadable services for PSP picked up steam.
Joystiq interviews Blow in a post-Braid world
Unless you haven't figured it out, we're pretty big fans of Braid on the Xbox Live Arcade. Braid's creator, Jonathan Blow, has become a household name for gamers and fellow fans at Joystiq decided to shoot a whole mess of questions his way post-release. The interview covers everything from why Blow isn't a big fan of most games to his admiration of the XBLA title Space Giraffe. Check it out.
Joystiq interview: Blow unravels Braid in postmortem
With the release of Braid, Jonathan Blow became not only the creator of one of the highest-rated Xbox 360 games of all time, but a household name, at least among gamers. Infatuated as we are with his game, we sent Blow a stack of questions that he was kind enough to answer -- everything from why there aren't many games he enjoys these days to why Space Giraffe is the best action game on XBLA. Read on.It seems like such a personal game and personal story, I'm curious how you felt the day before the game released to the public. Terrified? Excited? I was interested to see how the game would be received, but I can't say that I was super-emotional about anything. In terms of public reception -- if that turned out badly, well, I thought that it was a pretty good game for my own tastes, so that would just mean that my tastes differ pretty widely from the market's. Which isn't necessarily so bad if your goal is not to make money. (At the same time, I am pretty glad that the critical reception was highly positive, much better than I could have expected). I was definitely relieved that the game was done and was finally getting out there to an audience, though. I had been working on it for a long time.
Soulja Boy tells 'em about Braid
When worlds collide it's often awesome, producing something greater than the sum of two parts. But sometimes it makes something absolutely cringe worthy. Sadly, when rapper Soulja Boy discovered Braid and gave his considerate, well-reasoned and utterly profane critique (which you can watch right after the break, if you're not at work), it was one of the latter situations.Oh, and while you watch, try to decide which is more entertaining: watching Soulja Boy mistake Braid for bong time fodder or reading comments from people who are so angry at him for not "getting it."[Thanks, Kat]
Counting Rupees: Sustainable Indies
Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming: Braid was released just over two weeks ago to critical raves and a few complaints regarding its slightly higher than "standard" price of $15. Despite Jonathan Blow, the creator of the game, having to defend the price for essentially a full week bracketing its release, Blow has now confirmed via his blog that his Braid will probably make back enough money to allow him to work on his next game. This is certainly great news, as Braid is one of the best games to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, or if you use Metacritic, the 8th best game to be released so far on the Xbox 360. Jonathan Blow certainly deserves the chance to follow up his brilliant effort, but something about his post regarding the success of his game actually revealed a warning sign to me for indie games overall.
