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PSN releases: Journey, Shoot Many Robots, Warp
Several high-profile downloadable titles hit the PSN this week, with Journey being the can't-miss experience from thatgamecompany. Our Jordan Mallory was smitten by Journey, calling it a "beautiful, evocative and unequivocally transcendental experience." He may have used such words to describe a burrito he once had, but, in fairness, it was a really fabulous burrito.If you're looking for a co-op, run-'n'-gun shooter, it's worth trading a Hamilton for Shoot Many Robots. For something a little more cerebral, stealth action puzzler Warp is also available. Head on over the PS Blog for all the details on this week's PSN update.
Journey developer diary reaches for new heights
Beneath all that beautiful sand and those wide-open skies, Journey is a metaphor for birth.
PSN Spring Fever promo begins tomorrow, it's probably contagious
PSN has a fever, and the only prescription is... well, lots of liquids and rest, probably, and definitely not cowbell. Seriously, have you been near someone playing the cowbell while your head is in a vice grip of feverish pain? It's terrible.PSN has spring fever, and its only symptoms are offering discounts and special deals on a handful of franchises for the next three weeks. PSN Spring Fever begins tomorrow with the launch of Journey for non-PS Plus members (no discount; just the release) and a sale on the Call of Duty franchise, with Black Ops, Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, and Classic full games on sale, and World at War's map packs on discount.Check out this week's sale below, as provided by the PlayStation Blog, and play Journey. We think you'll really enjoy it.
PlayStation Plus in March: Early Journey, free Sly Cooper, more
PlayStation Plus members get a plethora of freebies and early-play opportunities this month, including access to Journey tomorrow, March 6, one week before its official launch. Tomorrow PS Plusers will also get Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus and Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix for super turbo thieving free. Sony will announce all winners of the 2012 PSN Gamers' Choice Awards, which will all be 50 percent off for Plus members for one week.March forth, PS Plusers -- well, actually, March 6, because that's when all the PSN goodness begins. But you get the idea.
thatgamecompany goes behind the Journey
You've heard what we think of Journey. How about the people who made it? In this developer video, the team at thatgamecompany discusses their philosophy of game development, their goals, and what motivates them to keep a small team.
Journey travels to PS Plus members one week early
Reviews for Journey are already sprinkling the vast wasteland of the web, but the full game doesn't officially launch until March 13, giving the hype plenty of time to blow away like sand in the wind. Sony is looking to fix that by launching Journey one week early for PS Plus members, at the standard $15 price point.Journey will be available next week for PS Plus members, along with a bonus dynamic theme. The bonus theme is also available to PS Normal users by pre-ordering Journey from the PlayStation Store.
The Joystiq Show - 027: Journey to Amalur
Thatgamecompany's Journey has been a long time coming, but it is now on the cusp of release, and Jordan starts the show with his thoughts on this "harmoniously joyful expression of love." As usual, Alexander joins the crew for the news, and there is plenty of it; from the Assassin's Creed 3 reveal and release date for BioShock Infinite to rumors of Doom 4's demise and plans for PAX East.In the second segment, Richard is joined by Sean Dunn, General Manager of Big Huge Games, to discuss Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the history of Big Huge Games, and how the studio's open-world RPG came together.Part 1 (1:04) - The newsPart 2 (42:04) - Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning interviewGet the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes[Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator[MP3] Download the MP3 directlyHost: Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM)Guest: Sean Dunn - General Manager, Big Huge GamesProducer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily)Production Coordinator: Richard MitchellMusic: Trash80, Broke for Free and a selection from Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.View the news topics and stream the show after the break.
Journey review: I want to go to there
The word "awesome" gets thrown around a lot, but I think we as a culture have lost track of its real meaning. Originally, the word meant "awe inspiring," and Dictionary.com defines "awe" as "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like." Nowadays, "awesome" functions as a synonym for "cool" or "impressive:" When someone says a game is awesome, they're really saying that it's great, and generally are not implying any existential or emotional significance beyond that.I bring this up, because I don't want to be misconstrued as generic or uninspired when I say that Journey is an awesome game. In the most classical, archaic sense of the word, Journey is a beautiful, evocative and unequivocally transcendental experience.%Gallery-130795%
Jenova Chen: thatgamecompany aiming 'beyond just PlayStation'
Indie studio thatgamecompany will conclude its three-game deal with Sony with the launch of Journey on March 13. Will the group still focus on Sony's hardware or possibly try their hands at PS Vita next? Somebody get Chuck Testa in here so he can respond aptly.Jenova Chen, thatgamecompany co-founder and creative director, told Push Square that the plan is to expand the studio's audience beyond Sony's realm. "Right now we are very much exploring ways to bring our games to a bigger audience, beyond just PlayStation. We are still in the process of negotiating, but I hope that we can announce it [soon]."By the sound of it, thatgamecompany already has its next project lined up. We've been through the ocean, the garden and the desert -- so where to next?
If it looks like an MMO, walks like an MMO, and quacks like an MMO...
Then it might just be an MMO! Indie gaming fans out there are probably already familiar with thatgamecompany, creators of hit PSN titles such as Flower, flOw, and the to-be-released Journey. Journey is going to be the studio's first experience with online interaction between players, but a new job listing from the studio seeking a scalability engineer states that the studio would "like to take it a step further with [its] next game." Taking online interaction a step further, you say? Why, they could be talking about an MMO! The job listing further corroborates this theory as it continues on to state that "while [thatgamecompany is] pretty experienced making games, [the studio has] never built a full scale online service available to hundreds of thousands of users." Hundreds of thousands of users, you say? Why, that sounds even more like an MMO! Of course, this is all pure conjecture at this point, but surely we're not alone in our belief that an MMO from the minds of the folks that brought us Flower and flOw would be pretty groovy. But the fact remains that Journey won't even be released until next month, so this next project -- whatever it may be -- is still far off the horizon, but stay tuned. Hopefully we'll know more about this new project before too long.
Journey dev's next project to take online play one step further
When is thatgamecompany's Journey coming out? March 13, as it turns out. But what's next, you ask? Man, you're so impatient! Anyway, it sounds like the next project from TGC is just as online focused (or more so) than Journey, as a job listing for the indie studio's next game reveals. "With our last game, Journey, we began incorporating online interactions into our projects, and we'd like to take it a step further on our next game," the listing reads."While we're pretty experienced making games, we've never built a full scale online service available to hundreds of thousands of users. We're looking for someone to help us plan and build our online infrastructure in a way that scales," it continues, demanding direct experience "building a scalable online service." More ambiguously, the listing also requires applicants have a "desire to see the medium of games mature and increase in relevancy for people around the world." That sounds more like TGC to us!Also of note, applicants are "more likely to enjoy this job" should they have a "desire to create something not just for core gamers but everyone you respect in your life." So, uh, if you don't respect anyone in your life, probably not an ideal job for you.
Journey ventures to PSN on March 13 for $15 [update: March 14 for EU]
Journey's developers at thatgamecompany refuse to dilly dally when it comes to seasonally tied launch windows, announcing this morning that Journey will arrive on March 13 for $15, effectively kicking off the spring season.According to a PlayStation Blog post revealing the launch date and pricing, no bonuses are currently being offered for PS Plus members regarding the title, but, uh, you can also totally play the game on March 13 as well, unless you choose to hold out for a special offer, of course.The release date announcement is just the beginning of a weeks-long trailer campaign leading up to thelaunch, so keep an eye out for more looks into the game in the near future. Should you need a fix right now, we've dropped a trailer above for you. You're so needy!Update: The EU PlayStation Blog says that the game will arrive on March 14 in Europe.
Journey: Behind the Music
Wondering what goes into crafting Journey's beautiful orchestral soundtrack? Thankfully, it has absolutely nothing to do with the stadium rock band of the same name, and everything to do with the Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra. No joke!
thatgamecompany's Kellee Santiago on Vita, and her ongoing argument with Roger Ebert
With Flow and Flower, Kellee Santiago and Jenova Chen's 12-person dev studio, thatgamecompany, completed two thirds of its three-game contract with Sony. And when Journey arrives some time in 2012, that three-game contract will come to an end, leaving Santiago and co. to an unknown future in the game industry. At a recent Sony press event in New York City, Santiago wouldn't say what the future holds for TGC ("Right now we're really focused on finishing Journey," she told me), but she did speak to her own interest in the PlayStation Vita. "I could definitely see all of thatgamecompany's titles on the Vita," Santiago said. "But, as you said, we're a team of 12, so for us in each title we just try to focus on the specific platform we're distributing on, and then leave the future to the future." The studio's first game, Flow, ended up on Sony's last handheld system, so the idea of Flower and Journey ending up on the Vita isn't exactly a far-fetched one. Given Santiago's apprehension at speaking about TGC after Journey, I instead prodded her about her interactions with famous (infamous?) film critic Roger Ebert. Had anything transpired since her last note? Santiago laughed before telling me, "He seems to have conceded that while he has his opinion, he can't really have it 'cause he doesn't play games anyway." In her last response, Santiago even offered to send Ebert a PlayStation 3 with Flower. "We did send him a PlayStation 3 with Flower," she said. But has he played it? "At least of the last writing on it, he has not played it." Maybe she should've sent an employee to play the game for him as well? [Image credit: TED Blog]
Journey floating to PSN in Spring 2012
After teasing us with gorgeous footage, press demos, and a beta, Flower dev thatgamecompany today announced intentions to launch its next game, Journey, in Spring 2012. As with previous TGC games, Journey will arrive exclusively on the PlayStation 3's digital store. "While there is still a ton of care and polish needed, we can't wait to finally deliver Journey, TGC's take on an online adventure game," creative director Jenova Chen writes on the PlayStation blog. "Like all our games, Journey is an experiment. In the end, it's what you think that matters."
BMW's Ultimate Drive app lets you share your favorite routes, crowdsources day tripping
Are you driving to get somewhere, or are you driving to drive? That's the fundamental question behind BMW's Ultimate Drive -- a new app that allows iPhone and Android users to share and rate their most enjoyable routes. With this arrow in your smartphone's quiver, you can create and upload your favorite paths using Google Maps, while evaluating other user submissions based on traffic, scenery and that ever-elusive thrill factor. As CNET points out, the app won't let you upload maps from your computer, nor does it allow for Yelp-style ratings of locations along the way, though those features may only be an update away. Check out the source links to download the free app and enjoy the journey. Full PR after the break.
Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet?
Are we there yet? Are we? Are we, huh, huh? Certain phrases are so embedded into our culture that few can escape the vivid imagery that comes with hearing them. For some, it rings back to memories of yore -- station wagons and long dusty road trips for the family vacation. For others, it can be simply the walk to the ice cream shop with a toddler. For me? I actually envision gaming in Aion. Gaming? Yup, that's right-- this iconic phrase emphasizes a specific mindset in our culture that permeates everything, including gaming: All that matters is the destination. There are plenty of examples of those who rush to endgame, plowing through and bypassing as much of the "unimportant" stuff as possible. For these folks, the game doesn't even start until max-level. However, there is a yin to that yang; there are also those who actually find the journey to be the experience worth having, folks who don't feel any need to race to endgame at break-neck speed and instead partake of the content along the way. Most gamers adopt one of these two philosophies, their real-life views and personalities often steering towards one side or the other. How do these two philosophies manifest themselves and duke it out in Aion? Rush (or mosey, whatever your preference) past the break to see.
Journey beta preview: Feeling small
During a PlayStation press event last week, I spoke with thatgamecompany executive producer Robin Hunicke, who told me that the team was "really really satisfied" with the feedback on the recently wrapped up Journey beta. "So many people wrote us to say that meeting a stranger online was a satisfying experience," Hunicke said. "It was exactly the kind of feedback we wanted." If that sounds as counterintuitive to you as it did to me, Hunicke explains just how thatgamecompany managed to make meeting strangers online (ick!) a not-awful experience. Over the course of the two-week beta, 10,000 players – 5,000 in the US and 5,000 in Europe, according to thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago – helped the small dev test its networking code. The beta was a good source of positive reinforcement; the game's ideas worked. Not bad for the studio's first multiplayer game. The networking code, on the other hand, had a single bug. "But it was a really big bug," Hunicke said, laughing. It presented itself immediately and was patched just as quickly. For the next two weeks, the team gathered feedback and enjoyed hearing players write in, sharing experiences that matched the game's goals.%Gallery-129118%
Sony unveils San Diego Comic Con lineup, panels, crazy arcade cabinet
Sony's presence at this year's San Diego Comic Con is, like Qwark's chest, large and complex. Beyond bringing major retail releases like Resistance 3 and Twisted Metal for attendees to play, the publisher is showcasing a variety of wares from PSN indies like thatgamecompany's Journey and Minority Games' Papo & Yo. The company is hosting several presentations on a handful of its games -- everything from Starhawk to Uncharted 3 -- along with with the chance to play a variety of unreleased PlayStation titles. If that weren't enough, the construction of a full Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One arcade cabinet specifically for SDCC 2011 should help to get you on board. Take an early peek at the cabinet in working order just below the break.
Sony to invest $20 million into PlayStation Network and Pub Fund over the next three years
Sony believes in its Pub Fund initiative and the PlayStation Network, and is putting up the cash to prove it. Over the course of the next three years, Sony will commit $20 million in seeking out independent developers to create games like Papo & Yo, Okabu and PixelJunk Sidescroller. Brandon Stander, director of marketing for PlayStation Network, describes it as a commitment of faith in the Pub Fund and a goal to bring "innovative, different, unique gameplay" to PSN.
