machinarium
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Adobe promises console quality games on iOS with new Air 3
Adobe has announced version 3 of its Air cross-platform development runtime is out now, and the company says it will allow developers to use Flash, Actionscript, JavaScript, and other technologies to create what are essentially console-quality 2D and 3D games for the web, and even iOS. While Flash doesn't yet work on iOS, Adobe Air works on iOS, Mac, Windows, and a few other compatible platforms. The new version of the development kit, in addition with Flash 11, will be able to build out some pretty good-looking games, and run rather powerful applications. I use TweetDeck on my Mac, which is built with Adobe Air, and even the popular iPad game Machinarium was created with the Air technology. Traditionalists may scoff (and, of course, the reason Flash isn't on the iPad or iPhone is because performance still isn't where it needs to be), but truthfully, the more options developers have for making great apps on Apple's platform, the better for us users.
Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all
While we've had access to Adobe's Flash Player 11 in beta form for months, the company announced it will finally get official, along with Air 3, next month. Among the many new features included are support for accelerated 2D and 3D graphics with a claimed 1,000 times faster performance than Flash Player 10 and Air 2. That's enough to enable "console-quality" gaming on both computers and connected TVs and on mobile devices (Android, iOS, Playbook) with a pre-release version of Flash 11 (a production release you can take on the go is expected in "the near future"). Other new options include allowing developers to package Air 3 along with their apps in a single install, HD video quality on multiple platforms including iOS, DRM for video rentals, 64-bit support and more. Check out Adobe's pitch to developers with a press release and demo videos after the break, including a look at the hit iPad game Machinarium which was built with its tools.
Daily iPad App: Machinarium
Machinarium is a charming game with an arresting and engaging art style; it debuted on the Mac and PC platforms a couple years ago. It's very similar to the point-and-click adventure games that saw much popularity in the late 80s to early 90s. You must guide a robot character through a rusted, run-down cityscape populated entirely with robotic characters and cybernetic animal life, solving puzzles along the way in order to advance the story. The art style and music, both of which are among the best I've seen in any game from any genre, combine with an eccentric storytelling method (told entirely without words) to deliver a unique and unforgettable experience. Machinarium was incredibly fun (and challenging) when I played it on the Mac last year, and at the time I thought to myself that the game would be a perfect fit for the iPad. Fortunately, Amanita Design thought the same thing, and Machinarium is now available for the iPad 2. I specifically mention the iPad 2 for a reason; that's the only iOS device that has enough horsepower to run Machinarium. Playing through Machinarium on the iPad 2, you might wonder why a 2D adventure game like this will only run on Apple's most powerful iOS device while heavy-duty 3D games like Infinity Blade or Rage will run on the original iPad and iPhone 4 just fine. As it turns out, Machinarium was originally built entirely in Flash for desktop platforms, and it's been ported to the iPad 2 via Adobe AIR. This enabled the developers to deliver mostly the same experience as the desktop version, but it also meant that the iPad 2 was the only device able to run the game to their satisfaction. "The memory limitations of iPad 1 (which are somewhere around 115 MB RAM per app) are just quite challenging," the developers said in response to complaints about the app not being available for the original iPad. "You have to have it running around 80-90 to keep it stable and the app has tons of timeline animations, the sources are 1 GB, all compiled into one single SWF file + some assets. The app was originally made for PC and upgraded for tablet devices. When you start creating tablet apps from scratch it's a whole different story. The game is now made with 'no compromises' compared to the desktop version and that keeps it unique." Having played all the way through Machinarium on both the Mac and iPad 2, I'll say that the iPad version does come fairly close to the developer's "no compromises" claim. I compared screens from the iPad version and Mac version side by side. Apart from minor differences in some UI elements and a lack of multi-layer, faux-3D "foreground" elements on the iPad version (something I didn't even notice on the Mac version until comparing them), Machinarium on iPad 2 is in nearly every respect identical to the desktop version. The game's art style is a perfect fit for the iPad, and you'll almost certainly find yourself entirely absorbed into the game as you hold it in your hands. However, while Machinarium on the iPad 2 runs very well and delivers an experience that's definitely worth the price tag, the app does demonstrate a few of the perils associated with porting Flash-based games onto a touchscreen device. Machinarium's Flash-based desktop iteration consumes around 70 percent of CPU resources on my MacBook Pro, a device with approximately 4.5 times the overall computing power of my iPad 2, so it's no surprise that only Apple's most powerful mobile hardware can handle the game even after porting it. Porting the game into a more iOS-friendly format made it so Machinarium could run (and run well, without a hint of lag) on the iPad 2. However, the game is still very demanding on battery life; my iPad lost over a third of its charge after two hours of play, about the same amount of battery charge a turbo-3D game like Infinity Blade would consume. Perhaps more frustrating is some interface elements for Machinarium's desktop version have been lost in translation on the touchpad interface -- another common caveat about porting Flash games to iOS. Controls in the desktop version of Machinarium were largely context-based; hovering the mouse pointer over certain areas of the screen would give users clues about what elements they could interact with and how they could interact with them. That context-sensitive interface is almost entirely gone from the iPad version of Machinarium, meaning that at some points the only way to progress is by tapping blindly on the screen and hoping something happens. Additionally, the game can sometimes be confused about which action you're trying to take. One particularly frustrating example of this was on a screen where you have a choice between pushing a crate or climbing on top of it. Several times in a row the game thought I wanted to push the crate instead of climbing on it, and each time this resulted in a solid minute of animation from pushing the crate to the next screen over and back again. On the Mac version, with its context-sensitive and mouse-based controls, this was never an issue. As another example of how the desktop interface was somewhat lost in translation on the iPad, the game's built-in hint system relies on a minigame that was easy enough on a Mac with keyboard controls, but the same controls on a touchscreen made it frustratingly difficult. None of these issues are knocks against Machinarium itself or its developers, but rather something to keep in mind when playing (or developing) any game that wasn't initially designed with a touchscreen interface in mind. One more thing worth noting: while the art style may make it seem as though the game would be perfect for younger children, unless your kids are packing some serious brainpower it's likely they'll become frustrated by the game's challenging and sometimes elliptical puzzles. Heck, the same goes for adults; if you don't find yourself hurling four-letter words at the game during at least one of Machinarium's many puzzles, then submit your application to Mensa right now, brainiac. Those complaints aside, Machinarium on the iPad 2 is definitely worth your time and your five dollars, especially if you never played the Mac version. Though the interface isn't a perfect translation to the iPad, the game's art, music, and charming story are each worth the price of admission on their own. When they're put together, five bucks feels like a bargain. Don't just take my word for it; as of this writing, Machinarium is the top-selling iPad app.
Machinarium available on iPad 2 today
You know what, buster? It might be true that Amanita Design's wonderful little adventure game Machinarium is almost two years old. But you know what else? We don't care. As long as there are people walking this big blue globe who haven't helped little Josef on his journey to find the robot girl of his dreams, we're going to keep telling you when the game comes to new platforms. Today, we bring word that Machinarium has appeared on iPad 2 for $4.99. If you have not played it, then you should buy it, because it is great. We'll see you here again in this same space when Machinarium finally makes it to N-Gage.
Machinarium 'should' be coming to iPad 2 on Sept. 8
The platform specificity in the headline should already impart the bad news: Machinarium is not suited for the original iPad. According to a brief post on Amanita Design's blog, the melancholy 'bot adventure "needs quite a lot of memory and fast CPU so it works well only on iPad 2." Owners of Apple's latest tablet "should" be able to download Machinarium from the App Store on September 8th. Amanita offers an apology to iPad 1 owners, and we suggest you load up the Unreal-powered Infinity Blade to quell any creeping thoughts of technological inadequacy. Machinarium is available on PC and Mac, and is en route to PlayStation Network (this fall), Playbook and "capable" Android tablets. Should we start worrying about the WiiWare version?
Machinarium is 75 percent off on Steam today
Don't you look away. No, you look that adorable little robot straight in the eye. All Josef wants to do is find his robot girlfriend, and to help him you just have to buy Machinarium for two dollars and 50 crummy cents on Steam. You're gonna deny him? Fine, but you tell him. We don't have the heart.
Machinarium 'hopefully' coming to iPad next month
Amanita Design's lovely little automated adventure title Machinarium seems like a natural fit for the iPad, which is in many respects also a tiny, helpful robot. The game hasn't made its way to the tablet due to its Apple-unfriendly Flash programming; however, Amanita founder Jakub Dvorsky recently told Pocket Gamer that the title's iPad iteration "should be ready during the next month ... hopefully." We suppose we can excuse the ambiguity, considering how difficult it must be to rebuild a Flash-based game on a non-Flash-based platform. We only ask for one thing in return: Extra robots. We don't care who they are or what they do, we just need them to be adorable.
Machinarium headed to PS3 and undecided tablets this year
Developer Amanita Design seems to have its hands full, with a sequel to its adventure game Samorost and two other projects in progress. According to statements from founder Jakub Dvorsky at GameCityNights, the developer is still making time to get Machinarium onto PSN and as-yet-undecided tablets this year. Amanita publicly turned its attention to PS3 last year after Microsoft passed on the point-and-click adventure. There was no word on the previously announced WiiWare version. Though the iPad seems like the obvious choice of tablet, CasualGaming.biz reports that Amanita is instead "exploring" the Blackberry Playbook, which will be released in North America next month. If only we were privy to an animated thought bubble explaining the process behind that decision.
Machinarium developer reveals three upcoming projects
We don't usually fall as hard or fast in love with games as we did with Amanita Design's robotic adventure title Machinarium. Ever since our infatuation developed in 2009, we've been starving for more projects from the studio to admire; luckily, in a recent interview with PC Gamer, founder Jakub Dvorsky revealed the team's three upcoming opuses: Osada, an interactive music video featuring "Czech psychedelic country music," due out on Amanita's website within the next few weeks. Botanicula, a "simple, but quite large" point-and-click adventure game starring five tiny, arboreal creatures who are attempting to save their treehouse from invading parasites. It's slated to be released sometime before the end of the year. Samorost 3, the next installment in Amanita's beautifully crafted adventure game series, the first part of which is available to play for free online. It's Amanita's biggest project at the moment, and though it doesn't have a release window, the team hopes to bring it to PC, consoles and various and sundry e-tablets.
Humble Bundle 2 closes, earns over $1.8 million
The Humble Indie Bundle 2 -- which added last year's bundle during its promotion -- has raised over $1.8 million. The name-your-own-price, DRM-free set included indie darlings like Braid, Machinarium and Osmos, along with several others. Purchasers could decide whether their years of saved pennies went to developers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation or the Child's Play Charity. They could also provide a "humble tip" for the bundle's organizers. Humble Bundle organizers plan on releasing more detailed statistics later but, beyond the final sum, we know that there were 232,849 purchases, with an average payment for the 12-game bundle of $7.83. Windows operating systems made up a majority of the purchases, but Linux users offered up the most support with an average purchase of $13.76. If you're all good little boys and girls, the Humble Bundle might return next year with a new set of indie greats.
Humble Indie Bundle 2 grosses over $500K in day-one purchases, led by Minecraft's Persson
"Humble Bundle" no longer seems like an appropriate name. In less than 24 hours upon release, the pay-what-you-want indie game collection Humble Bundle #2 earned over $500,000 in revenue and appears to be well on its way to beating the first bundle's seven-figure returns. The Humble Bundle website offers an interesting look into purchasing trends by providing real-time stats. As of writing, over 70,000 people have purchased the pack, including Minecraft creator Markus Persson, who paid an extraordinary $2,000, and Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling, who went with a generous $500 payment. The average selling price for the bundle is currently $7 and change. The Humble Bundle #2 includes five celebrated indie titles: Braid, Cortex Command, Machinarium, Osmos and Revenge of the Titans. Purchasers can divide their payments between the developers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Child's Play Charity as they see fit.
Humble Indie Bundle 2 offers more Mac gaming deals
The Humble Indie Bundle is back for round two, which means that you've got another deal with some terrific indie games to run on your Mac, completely DRM-free. This time, you get Jonathan Blow's excellent time-shifting platformer Braid, quality puzzle game Machinarium, iOS favorite Osmos, and Cortex Command and Revenge of the Titans, two titles still under development. Just like last time, you can pay any price you want. While the games by themselves would cost you $85, people have paid up to $1000 just to promote and support independent game development -- and just like last time, all of the games are playable on Mac, Windows and Linux as you choose. You can also give any or all of the money donated to charity, so really this is about as awesome as a game deal gets. Pay whatever you want to someone worthy of the money, and you get five games to do with as you please. Last time around, the bundle raised upwards of a million dollars, and Linux users, we're told, were twice as generous as Windows users. That seems to be the case this time as well (with Mac users only a little better than Windows), so let's head on over and represent, since it's definitely true that Mac users are willing to pay a quality price for quality software. I can tell you outright that Braid and Osmos are worth a $20 donation on their own, so head on over, give some money, and support some more than generous independent game developers.
Humble Indie Bundle 2 revealed, name your price for Braid, Machinarium and more
Looks like the organizers of the second annual Humble Indie Bundle are busting out the big guns for this year's charity drive -- the name-your-own-price, DRM-free package includes Jonathan Blow's time-twisting platformer Braid, the infinitely charming adventure game Machinarium, the side-scrolling shooter Cortex Command, the super soothing (and equally pretty) Osmos and the tower defense-meets-RTS gem Revenge of the Titans. That's a whole lot of bang for your buck, or nickel, or thousand bucks. This year, purchasers can choose how much of their donation goes to four possible recipients: The games' developers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Child's Play Charity or the Humble Indie Bundle organizers. Yes, you can not only customize how much altruism you're going to exhibit with your purchase, you can also customize where that altruism goes! Unless, of course, you pirate it, sending out no altruism to nowhere. You monster.
Steam offering Machinarium, Torchlight and Indie pack for $5 each
Steam's "Give and Get" sale continues today, with yesterday's tempting one-day discounts giving way to an even better batch. You'll be able to buy the gorgeous Machinarium or Runic's dungeon jaunt, Torchlight, for $5 each. And if you're smart, you'll consider spending that same amount on the "Indie Clever Pack," which comprises World of Goo, VVVVVV, Eufloria, Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time and Iron Grip: Warlord. At the time of publishing (3PM EST), you have 22 hours left on the following options: Machinarium -- $5 Torchlight -- $5 Indie Clever Pack -- $4.99 Blur -- $14.99 Tropico 3: Gold Edition -- $7.50 Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box -- $14.99 Empire: Total War -- $14.99 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 Gold Edition -- $13.60 ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead -- $19.99 Steam's gift packs for today include a Portal six-pack for $14.99 and ten copies of Irrational's Freedom Force for a patently silly $7.49.
Super Meat Boy PC adds Machinarium's robot to roster
The impending PC release of Super Meat Boy continues to amass an all-star team of indie game heroes, as Team Meat has revealed the identity of the PC version's third "exclusive" character to Big Download: Josef, the charming robot lead from Amanita Design's Machinarium.
XGen Studios bringing the adorable Machinarium to WiiWare
After being passed over by Microsoft, because they're like stupid or something, the WiiWare platform will soon get its hands on Amanita Design's infinitely charming adventure title Machinarium. The game will be ported to the console by XGen Studios, whose previous WiiWare titles include the fairly successful port of Defend Your Castle. No release date or pricing information accompanied the port's announcement. While we worry the game might be truncated in some manner to make it under the WiiWare platform's 50MB cap, we're thrilled to see it spread its delightful influence. We'd like it on every platform possible, please. We don't think we'll be happy until we're playing this bad boy on our R-Zone.
Machinarium marked down to $5 for 'Pirate Amnesty' sale
We're normally pretty down on video game software piracy, especially when the games being plundered are totally DRM-free indie darlings. However, thanks to Machinarium's outrageously high piracy rate -- Amanita Design's Jakub Dvorsky estimates only 5 to 15 percent of players actually paid for the game -- the developer is holding a "Pirate Amnesty" sale for the point-and-click adventure game, temporarily marking its price down from $20 to $5. So, because a ton of people obtained the game through illicit channels, we can grab it legitimately for 75 percent cheaper than usual? We're happy for the bargain, but that's setting an awfully bizarre precedent, guys.
Machinarium dev moves on to Sony after Microsoft passes on publishing its critical darling
A report late last week on XBLAFans.com claimed that Czech game studio Amanita Design had been "refused" a publishing deal to bring the critically-acclaimed Machinarium to Xbox Live Arcade, because the game was not an Xbox exclusive. While the quotes in the article were incendiary, they echoed information Joystiq received from developer Golgoth Studio earlier this year, when it too was denied a publishing deal from Microsoft for Toki HD. (Microsoft decided Toki HD didn't fit with its current portfolio.) The key is that neither game has been refused space on the platform -- Microsoft has simply decided not to publish the games itself. Microsoft requires all XBLA titles be attached with a publishing partner, meaning neither Amanita Design and Golgoth Studio can self-publish the games on the XBLA platform. Sony and Nintendo do not have the same policy for the PlayStation Network and WiiWare, respectively. Joystiq contacted Amanita Design founder Jakub Dvorský for to clarify the situation. "They told us, 'It's not Microsoft-exclusive, we don't want it.' They didn't cite the Mac and Linux versions [as reasons for the refusal] but it's quite clear that's the reason," Dvorský told Joystiq via email. As it did with Toki HD, Microsoft recommended Amanita Design pursue other publishers, an idea the team doesn't appear intent on exploring. "It means if we want to release the game on XBLA we must throw, probably, most of the profit out of the window -- to the publisher. Just because we created Mac and Linux versions." Microsoft's official stance -- and policy, according to Dvorský -- is the company does not publish games that are not exclusive to its platforms. During the year-long process of waiting for a response from Microsoft, Amanita Design never expressed interest in submitting Machinarium to Sony's PlayStation Network. Now that Microsoft has decided against publishing the game, Amanita is exploring Sony's platform. "We submitted the game to Sony after Microsoft refused it," Dvorský said.
Indie games bundled on the cheap for V-Day
So what if Sophie/Samuel didn't return your request for a weekend getaway to that little bed and breakfast in New Hampshire? Wouldn't you rather spend your weekend falling in love with a handful of indie games -- And Yet it Moves, Auditorium, Aztaka, Eufloria, Machinarium, and Osmos -- from an all-star list of developers? We knew you'd see our point! Besides, it's only $20 -- that's way less than the price of two nights for two people at The Buttonwood Inn, not to mention a steal considering each game individually purchased would add up to 85 buckaroos. And hey, now you can spoil yourself with an extra large box of tissues and a matching ice cream tub.
Retail version of Machinarium comes with some extra goodies
If you haven't already been point-and-clicking away at Amanita Design's gorgeous adventure game Machinarium over the past few months since its digital release, you're gonna have even less of a chance to avoid it when it hits retail (in a box!) on March 5. Lace Mamba Global announced the re-release this morning, noting that the retail version comes packed with some extra bonuses -- a 54-page "concept art document" (seen below), a poster, a printed walkthrough and the game's soundtrack (standalone disc). If you needed any more reason to grab the $20 title, we have to imagine this bag full of goodies certainly can't hurt. %Gallery-83953%
