Limbo
Latest
Limbo coming to Steam and PSN, Playdead handling the ports
Yesterday we reported that Limbo may be PSN-bound, if a Korean Game Ratings Board listing sought by Sony Computer Entertainment Korea is any indication. We reached out to developer Playdead for comment and CEO and co-founder Dino Patti got back to us today confirming the news. "This might be the second time around we have been waiting for," Patti said, referencing his quote from last May in which he said, "You won't see a PS3 or PC version this time around." Patti said that "Limbo is in production for Steam and PSN, and is coming very soon." With a release date of "very soon" he predictably said more details would be coming shortly. The small Playdead team is handling both ports itself, while also working on a new IP. "To be honest, we want as many people to play our games as possible," Patti told us last year at the Indiecade festival. "If we end up going exclusive, we may do it for various reasons, but we just want as many people to play the game as possible." Even after a period of exclusivity, there are a lot more gamers who are going to be able to play Limbo "very soon."
Limbo rating sought by Sony in Korea, could be PSN-bound
Shortly before last summer's release of Limbo – that year's top Xbox Live Summer of Arcade title "by a long stretch" – the ESRB erroneously listed the PlayStation 3 and PC platforms in addition to the Xbox 360. Developer Playdead's Dino Patti told us, "We are only launching the title on XBLA. You won't see a PS3 or PC version this time around, sorry." However, like other Summer of Arcade indie exclusives before it including Braid and Castle Crashers, Limbo could make an appearance on Sony's platform after a period of exclusivity ... like, say, a year or so. The Korean Game Ratings Board has a listing for Limbo filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Korea. It so happens that the GRB has a pretty strong track record, outing Xbox Live Arcade titles like Fruit Ninja Kinect and Sega Rally Online Arcade. Before you get your hopes up, we've reached out to Playdead for a comment on the listing.
Faxion Online launching May 26th
Judgment day is coming. No, not that one (or even that one). The fire and brimstone of your typical MMORPG launch is bearing down on the world of Faxion Online thanks to the official announcement of the title's launch date. UTV True Games has issued a press release confirming that the free-to-play fantasy game will debut on May 26th and bring its unique blend of tongue-in-cheek humor and an irreverent take on PvP to players across the globe. Faxion's conflict revolves around the control of war-torn Limbo, the halfway house between heaven and hell that serves as the game's central locale. Players will also fight over the seven deadly sins in a never-ending struggle between light and dark. "We are excited to launch Faxion Online, and based on our burgeoning community's feedback, we have added several new features that will only intensify the combat-driven gameplay experience," says UTV's Frank Lucero. While today's press release doesn't elaborate when it comes to the new features, we'll be bringing you more Faxion-related info as launch day draws near.
One-day XBLA sale: Half-price Monday Night Combat, Limbo, Trials and more
Microsoft is running a one-day sale on some of its best XBLA titles. Today only, you can grab Monday Night Combat, Limbo, Trials HD, Castle Crashers or Shadow Complex for the wallet-friendly price of 600 points ($7.50) each.
Earth Eternal still alive, reborn as Ikimonogatari
Earth Eternal has been in a strange sort of limbo since last summer when Sparkplay Media all but folded. The company closed down both the game and the website and also laid off all but two employees as of August 2010. The first of the year brought a glimmer of hope in the form of the title's acquisition by Sankando as well as a fresh round of fan discussion. Since then, it's been all quiet on the Earth Eternal front, but the silence was broken a few hours ago via the game's Twitter feed. While the amount of information is far from overwhelming (the tweet acknowledges that Earth Eternal has been reborn as Ikimonogatari and links to the new website), it's good to see that the game may yet return in some form or fashion.
Mega64 enters Limbo ... yes, it's as awkward as you imagine
The Mega64 boys bring Limbo to the masses in their own special way. People get scared, someone gets upset (naturally) and we get some chuckles from the abyss of awkwardness.
Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man retail pack in Europe on May 13
The XBLA "Triple Pack" retail bundle, featuring the critically adored trio of Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man, will be available in Europe on May 13. The pack's North American release date was previously announced as being April 19. The North American price had been confirmed at $29.99, but there is currently no official price for Europe and the UK. The European edition will also include a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial and 160 MS Points ($2). That's a decent deal, and it reinforces what we're always saying: Who needs the internet?
Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man coming to retail in XBLA triple pack [Update: It's coming on April 19!]
Three of Xbox Live Arcade's most lauded games are getting bundled together in one retail package, it seems. Twisted Pixel CEO and co-founder, Michael Wilford, revealed this Amazon listing on Twitter today, commenting that a bundle of Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man was initially only headed to Japan and now will be available in North America, as well. The Amazon listing suggests a $29.99 price point, which seems a little low -- Limbo is normally $15, while the other two are $10 -- so we've followed up with Microsoft for confirmation and an expected launch date. We'll let you know what we find out. Update: A Microsoft representative has confirmed with Joystiq that the $29.99 price is accurate and that the bundle will be available for purchase on April 19 either through online retailers or on store shelves here in the US. It'll also come with a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial and 160 MS Points.
Limbo, Inertia! win 2011 Indie Game Challenge at DICE
Limbo and Xbox Indie title Inertia! have won the second annual Indie Game Challenge at DICE. Sponsored by The Guildhall at SMU, GameStop and the AIAS, the winners will each receive $100,000 and an EEDAR DesignMetrics title research assessment valued at $15,000. Limbo, which we felt was one of the best games of 2010, took the grand prize in the "professional" category, along with another prize of $2,500 for achievement in art direction Inertia!, available through Xbox Live Indies for $1, won in the "non-professional" category and also took awards for technical achievement, achievement in gameplay and "gamer's choice," for a total of an extra $15,000 in prize money. The game was created by Team Hermes, an eight person team of now-graduated students from The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University. Three members of the team, Evan Skarin, Michelle Hayden and Brandon Stephens, have started Inertia Studios, while the rest have already taken jobs at established studios. To check out all the talented nominees, head on over to the Indie Game Challenge site and watch the videos.
Starjack Online open beta begins
Sci-fi MMORTS titles are a rare breed, and so it's with keen interest that we note the beginning of Starjack Online's open beta phase. The free-to-play title from Limbo Game Studios has been in testing since August of 2010, and has finally thrown open its doors for the public. If you're unfamiliar with Starjack, Limbo bills it as a "4X, real-time strategy, massively multiplayer game." What exactly is 4X? It stands for explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate, and you'll be able to do all these things in real-time (i.e., no turns) in a constantly changing persistent universe. Starjack is also unique in that nearly everything in the game is player-created, including ships, fleets, troops, colonies, and resources. If it sounds like a lot to digest, don't worry, as Limbo assures us that the game is as accessible as it is deep. To that end, Starjack allows players to automate various empire management tasks, "removing the tedium and the need for micromanagement." You can learn more at the game's official website, where you can also create an account and grab the beta client.
Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010
It's a curious way to organize data, but Microsoft's Major Nelson has posted the top Arcade and Indie games of 2010, based on "full versions purchased" during a game's first seven days of activity. Topping the Arcade list is Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, which definitely owns its place as Capcom's "most dynamic sales weapon" ever. Capcom's other Dead Rising 2 standalone tie-in, Case West, also did some faaaaa-ntastic numbers, taking the seventh spot. Limbo, which was one of our top games of 2010, took the second spot, while the Perfect Dark refresh can be spied in third. Super Meat Boy, prime at five on our best of 2010, hunkered down on this list at spot 17. In the Indie section, Baby Maker Extreme popped up in first place, followed by several games that have "Avatar" in the title. A game called Try Not To Fart also made it into the list. Check out the top 20 Arcade and Indie titles after the break.
Irreverent confession: An interview with Faxion Online's UTV True Games
You're dead -- so sorry, chap! Fortunately, that doesn't mean your gaming adventures are over. On the contrary, according to Faxion Online, they've just begun. In the world of Limbo, players are pulled between the forces of heaven and hell as they fight each other through the physical manifestations of the seven deadly sins. Curious about Faxion Online, we sat down with UTV True Games to discuss the deep issues of beta, religion and epeens. Massively: How's the progress toward closed beta coming along? UTV True Games: It's coming along at an insane pace. The team is focused and beating away at the long list of tasks that loom before us all prior to launching beta as well as the game. We are working on zones, abilities and items, along with wrapping up features and tightening the nuts and bolts of various aspects of the game. The team was able to catch their breath over the holidays a bit, so it's going to allow us to have a good strong kick to the finish.
Red Dead and Limbo lead nominees for 2011 GDC Awards
It's almost time once again for the industry's premier awards show that doesn't feature regular appearances by Jersey Shore cast members: the 11th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The event's organizers have released the mercifully Mountain Dew-based-category-free list of nominees, which includes a number of potential merits for Limbo, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Check out the full list of nominees after the jump and discuss your favorites in the comments! (Oh, that's your pick for Best Visual Arts? Well, we can't say we agree with you, there.)
Explore Faxion Online's seven deadly sins
Does the angel on your right shoulder take a lot of union-approved time off, so much so that you end up listening to the devil on your left shoulder more often than not? Then Faxion Online has a temptation that's right up your alley -- seven sinful zones, each revolving around one of the classic seven deadly sins. Taking heavenly and hellish themes with a strong dose of humor, Faxion Online's world becomes a literal battleground for the soul. By taking each of the deadly sins and turning them into a zone to be fought over and conquered, Faxion has created a unique twist on the genre. If the forces of heaven take over a zone, it turns nicer, and if the forces of evil are triumphant, then there will be hell to pay. UTV True Games' Frank Lucero says that the PvP over these areas will keep players transfixed: "These zones offer all of the competitive combat play that players desire including PVP, innovative territory control and an ability ranking system that will keep players engaged in the timeless struggle of good vs. evil." Hit the jump to read up on Faxion's themed zones and see for yourself what your sins have wrought!
Kill Screen's inaugural 'High Scores' show Limbo and Mass Effect 2 atop 2010 leaderboard
In its first annual "High Scores" ranking, our friends at Kill Screen broke down 2010's releases into two main categories: "Big Games" (including blockbusters, full retail releases and subscription-based MMOs) and "Small Games" (including indies, downloadables, DLC and expansions, mobile, social, free-to-play and completely free titles). Then, a whole gang of critics, Joystiq's Andrew Yoon and myself included, were elected as judges, each allotted 100 points per category and able to award any game 2–40 points. (A judge, for example, could have totally given 1 vs. 100 all 40 points it rightfully deserved!) Scoring in the top spots across the two categories were two titles that also appeared in our own Top 10: Mass Effect 2 (the "big" game) and Limbo (the "small" one). Notably, Minecraft landed in the #3 "Small Games" position, just below Super Meat Boy, showing how much critical love there's been for the just-in-beta world-building game. Also of note: BioShock 2's "Minerva's Den" and Mass Effect 2's "Lair of the Shadow Broker" charted, representing the only DLC to earn a "High Score."
Limbo drops to $10 on Xbox Live today
Act before the strike of midnight tonight, and you'll be able to get a copy of Limbo for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) -- a 33% discount from its original price. Nothing says "happy new year" like running away from a menacing giant spider, while having a slug eating away at your brains. We'd like to think it's in celebration of its esteemed position on the Joystiq Top 10 of 2010 list, but apparently it's just part of Microsoft's "Countdown to 2011" promotion. That means in addition to Limbo, you can download the Kick-Ass movie for 29% off. Like peanut butter and pickles, this pairing makes so much sense.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2010: Limbo
Much like its sparsely populated namesake, Limbo is a game defined by what isn't there. There's no color, no speech, no real prompting to speak of ... heck, the game doesn't even use that many buttons. It asks that you bring something of yourself to the experience, that you supply your own metaphorical color, ensuring that your journey through the bitter, monochrome world will be intensely personal. In an industry that so often chokes itself with overabundance, Limbo separated itself from the pack by saying little, yet speaking volumes.
Alan Wake, Mass Effect 2 and Limbo among Time's best games of 2010
In collating the top ten of everything in 2010 (excluding the top ten recursive jokes about top ten lists), Time has picked some of its favorite video games from the last twelve months. Among the top ten are science fiction stalwarts Halo: Reach and Mass Effect 2, the elegant and creepy Limbo, and iPhone finch fling-em-up, Angry Birds (which just makes it in, having launched at the very end of 2009). Time's top choice is Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake, which is praised by writer Evan Narcisse for its mature craft and metaphoric gameplay. "Its mix of meta-awareness and Hitchcockian suspense make Alan Wake a unique and fun experiment and one of the best games of the year." Alan Wake's devoted fans are likely to agree: Time couldn't have picked a better game, and the game couldn't have picked a worse time.
December XBLA deal: Buy two games, get 400 MS Points free
In yet another Xbox Live Arcade deal, Microsoft is now offering a free batch of 400 MS Points for purchasing two qualifying XBLA games. Don't run off downloading games just yet though, because you'll need to head over to the Xbox Live Events page and download the Arcade Offer gamer picture to register for the giveaway first (the direct link to the gamer picture is currently broken, but it's the first one listed on the events page). Once that's done, snag two of the games listed after the break (including favorites like Limbo, Lara Croft, Monday Night Combat, Super Meat Boy and more). Within four weeks, the free points will be added to registered Live accounts automatically or sent as redemption code via email. If you're planning to pick up any of the eligible games, you might as well get some free points too, right? The promotion ends December 20, so get to it. [Thanks, Grand Kerfuffle]
Limbo creators working on new IP
We caught up with Limbo creators Playdead at the Indiecade festival in Culver City, California this weekend, and while CEO Dino Patti confirmed once again that the best-selling XBLA game is "exclusive for life" to Microsoft's platform, we may see the next Playdead title branching out. Patti says the company is working on "a new IP," and that Limbo fans will enjoy it. "I can't tell much, but I can tell you that if you liked Limbo, it'll definitely be for you," he said. "The gameplay style you'll really like. You'll feel it's the same team who made it, but everything will be changed." The team "used a lot of time and a lot of money" getting Limbo out, and going with Microsoft exclusively was a way to hedge their bets and "get the money back," Patti said. "And it came out fine, because we got our money back, which was really cool." But for this new IP, admittedly still a long ways off, Patti said that "we are open for everything. To be honest, we want as many people to play our games as possible. If we end up going exclusive, we may do it for various reasons, but we just want as many people to play the game as possible."
