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In 'John Wick Hex,' time is the most precious commodity
"John always double-taps." Mike Bithell, the creator of John Wick Hex, is showing off the game for the first time at E3 2019, in a mirrored room at the Hotel Figueroa that feels ripped right out of The Continental. In his game, every time a player chooses to shoot, the miniature version of John Wick fires two rounds, because, after all, John always double-taps in the movies.
John Wick is suiting up for a strategy game on consoles, PC and Mac
The next installment in the John Wick movie series will hit theaters next week, but that won't be the end of the line for the Keanu Reeves action franchise. A "fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game" based on the series is in the works.
'Volume' is a Robin Hood origin story for modern gaming
"Honestly? Volume is my inner 12-year-old," gushes Mike Bithell one evening. The game in question is a futuristic stealth-puzzler; a non-violent Metal Gear Solid played to the rhythms of Hotline Miami. Its protagonist is a man named Robert Locksley who, after stumbling over a military training program, decides to televise simulated robberies against Britain's most well-to-do -- an audacious move that soon garners the attention of a powerful enemy. If all this sounds a little familiar, it's because folklore had Robin Hood doing the same for 800 years already.
Mike Bithell's Volume finally looks like an actual game
The last time we saw Volume, it wasn't a proper game so much as a mass of half-formed yet intriguing ideas involving stealth mechanics and neon walls highlighted by the involvement of Gollum actor Andy Serkis. In the new "Enemy Reveal" trailer, however, developer Mike Bithell's stealth game begins to take shape. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Thomas Was Alone on Xbox One, then he wasn't
Thomas Was Alone, Mike Bithell's geometric platformer full of personality, is out on Xbox One today, courtesy of ID@Xbox and port developer Curve Studios. The folks at Xbox call Thomas Was Alone an "indie classic," and after winning a BAFTA and launching on PC, iOS, Android, PS3, Vita, and now Xbox One – with a PS4 launch incoming – that seems accurate. Or, as Curve Studios puts it: Now @mikeBithell has set sights on Xbox on his quest for world domination - Thomas Was Alone is out now on Xbox One! pic.twitter.com/Z9GxJtgCxQ - Curve Digital (@curvestudios) November 21, 2014 Also on Xbox One this week via ID@Xbox is The Jackbox Party Pack, Never Alone, Pier Solar and the Great Architects, and Pinball Arcade. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Robin Hood stealth game Volume stars actor Andy Serkis
Volume, the stealthy follow-up to Mike Bithell's Thomas Was Alone, stars famed character actor Andy Serkis as the main antagonist – the powerful and dastardly CEO, Guy Gisborne. Serkis is best known for portraying Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films, though he also starred in The Prestige and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, among many other films. Bithell announced Serkis' involvement on Twitter and he released a short audio clip of Serkis on the job. Hear the audio sample after the break. So, yeah, the role of Guy Gisborne in Volume will be played by the awesome Andy Serkis. Yes. That one. - Mike Bithell (@mikeBithell) October 31, 2014
Thomas Was Alone making the leap to PS4 this year
Brave rectangle Thomas and his geometric pals will soon journey to the PlayStation 4, publisher Curve Studios announced at Sony's PlayStation Blog today. Thomas Was Alone is a minimalist platformer starring a gang of four-sided heroes that all boast their own unique traversal abilities. After launching for PC platforms, Thomas Was Alone premiered for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, and was later featured as a free PlayStation Plus title. Players who own the PS3 or Vita versions of Thomas Was Alone will get the PlayStation 4 edition for free when it premieres later this year. Creator Mike Bithell revealed that the "Benjamin's Flight" DLC will also transfer across all Sony platforms with a single purchase. [Image: Curve Studios]
Thomas Was Alone rated in Germany for Xbox One, Wii U
Platformer from the block Thomas Was Alone looks to be headed to Xbox One and Wii U courtesy of Curve Studios, going by new ratings published by German software regulatory board USK. Developer Mike Bithell's yet to announce any new platforms for his minimalist puzzle-platformer, but after launching it on Steam in 2012 he's since brought it to PS3, Vita, iOS and Android. To date the game's shifted more than a million copies. If the ratings prove accurate, we'd imagine a PS4 version would likely be on the way too. For one, Thomas Was Alone is already on other PlayStation platforms. Also Volume, Bithell's next game which provides a modern stealthy take on the Robin Hood fable, is already confirmed for PS4 as well as Vita, Windows PC and Mac, so it'd be odd to see Thomas Was Alone come to rival platforms and not PS4. In any case, we've reached out to Bithell to find out more. [Image taken from USK site]
NIS America to pay agreed pledge for GaymerX2 [Update]
Just yesterday, NIS America stepped away from its $3,000 pledge to cover costs for the GaymerX2 convention held in San Francisco on July 11 through July 13. According to the LGBTQ-focused event's founder Matt Conn, the situation between both parties is currently being resolved, and will result in NIS America agreeing to pay the full amount it promised to the event holders. "After talking with their team, [NIS America] have apologized for the misunderstanding and offered to make right and pay the full amount that they agreed upon," Conn told Joystiq via email. "We have apologized for escalating it to a public level so quickly and we are pleased with how quickly they offered to resolve the situation and make right on their promise, and we harbor no ill will towards them."
Benjamin's Flight comes to Thomas Was Alone on Steam
Was this the end? That was what Thomas wondered when "Benjamin's Flight" landed on Steam, completing the free add-on content's journey across platforms. Jetpacks make for lovely levels, Thomas couldn't argue with that. Or "free," he couldn't argue with that either. Now that Benjamin's Flight was on PC, creator Mike Bithell would focus on his upcoming stealth game, Volume. What did that mean for Thomas? No more extra development? No more attention? No more love? Finally, really and truly, Thomas Was Alone. Except he had sold more than one million copies across all platforms, and that was before the recently released iPad port. So, not really, then. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Thomas Was Alone updated for iPad with new friends, jetpack
Minimalistic, story-driven platformer Thomas Was Alone received an update on iPad today that brings the Benjamin's Flight content to the device for free. The DLC previously launched on PlayStation systems, and includes three new characters and 20 levels. Creator Mike Bithell told Joystiq the DLC will arrive on desktop systems "very, very soon." The new levels give players additional puzzles to solve using the jetpack attached to Benjamin, a young square in search of the Fountain of Youth. Benjamin's Flight offers a "new story about hope and the wild impetuosity of youth," but honestly, we were already sold on the jetpacks part. Bossa Studios is offering Thomas Was Alone at a discount to celebrate the free update for a limited time; it is currently $5.99 (£3.99), down from $9 (£6/8 euros) when it launched on iPad in May. [Image: Bossa Studios]
Thomas was Alone wasn't on iPad, but now it is
The rectangle platformer is on the rectangle system, and the world can rest in appropriate harmony. Mike Bithell's Thomas was Alone and its cast of personality-infused polygons are available now on iPad, courtesy of Surgeon Simulator 2013 dev Bossa Studios. If you want to provide some company, it'll set you back $9 in North America, or £6/8 euros in Europe. Thomas was Alone started life on PC and Mac before leaping and rolling onto PS3, Vita and Linux last year. While it may have a minimalist look, its sales have been maximal with over one million copies sold across all platforms. Bithell showed us his latest creation, Volume, at GDC in March. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Thomas Was Alone moves one million copies
Developer Mike Bithell revealed today that his narrative-driven puzzle-platformer Thomas Was Alone has sold over one million copies to date across all available platforms. Debuting for Windows and Mac in 2012, Thomas Was Alone was later ported to the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, serving a stint in Sony's PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection. Thomas Was Alone won critical acclaim for its minimalist style and clever puzzling driven by quadrilateral characters that each boast their own unique abilities. The game currently stars in Humble Bundle's ongoing weekly sale. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Pumping up the 'Volume' with Mike Bithell
Mike Bithell, creator of Thomas Was Alone, is always up for a fun chat. A lot of what we discussed while checking out his new game Volume at GDC was left on the digital cutting room floor, including a chat about his dream of doing a musical game (like, West End/Broadway), but we do touch on it briefly without breaking out into song. We may have to go back and release the b-side version of this interview, but what we've got for now is a closer look at Volume and Bithell's vision for the streamlined stealth game, which should hopefully be available by year's end. However, Bithell is clear to emphasize, it'll be done when it's done.
Thomas Was Alone, Unit 13 free on PlayStation Plus this week
Sony expands its Instant Game Collection this week with Thomas Was Alone and Unit 13, which will be released as free downloads for PlayStation Plus subscribers starting tomorrow. Mike Bithell's Thomas Was Alone, available for both the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, takes a gang of quadrilateral shapes through a series of puzzle-platforming levels bridged by clever narration. The PlayStation Vita-exclusive Unit 13 serves up tactical third-person shooter action, debuting in 2012 as SOCOM series developer Zipper Interactive's swan song. Both games will be released as free downloads for Plus members after the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow evening. Thomas Was Alone is a Cross-Buy release, and Plus subscribers will receive both the PS3 and Vita versions with tomorrow's update. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Volume blends Doctor Who, Hotline Miami into techno Robin Hood
"It's been hell," Volume creator Mike Bithell says about working with his friend, concept artist Daz Watford, over the past six years. "You love it," Watford replies, laughing. It's clear that they both enjoy working together, even though they admit to having disparate views on minimalism, concept art details and caricature styles. Bithell calls it "fun fighting," when he and Watford go back on forth on a character or set design, until one of them gives in and admits the other was right all along. Watford describes the art of Volume as reminiscent of classic American artist Norman Rockwell, realistic yet with details exaggerated in a cartoonish way. Bithell, on the other hand, notes the game's call-back to British heritage, with a skinny, smart protagonist instead of a hulking meat box, done up in monochromatic tones against a colorful environment. They both agree on the geometric roots of Volume's art – diamonds. Even the rivets in the metal beams of Volume's world are shaped as diamonds, rather than circles, Watford points out. Bithell has an affinity for geometry, it seems, since his first game, Thomas Was Alone, revolves around shapes as characters. Volume is a different beast, with all of these diamond ideas incorporated into a vast, top-down, stealth universe with a distinct Robin Hood twist.
Thomas Was Alone narrator stars in Volume as military version of Clippy
Thomas Was Alone narrator and super-successful author, filmmaker, and actor Danny Wallace returns in indie dev Mike Bithell's next game, Volume. Wallace stars in the stealth game as a companion AI, or as Bithell directed it "the Microsoft Office paperclip as a military training program." Wallace's character is the sidekick to the protagonist, a thief by the name of Robert Locksley who has plans on becoming a modern-day Robin Hood. In an event held today at the ridiculously apt setting of Nottingham Castle, Bithell also unveiled online personality Charlie McDonnell as the voice of Locksley. McDonnell has 2 million subscribers on YouTube, making him an interesting choice for a Robin Hood-like criminal who wants to broadcast simulations of robberies against the rich to show to the poor. The game's third cast member, playing the main antagonist, has yet to be revealed.
Thomas Was Alone dev on stealth, ditching sequels and being loud on social media
"Every business-minded mate I have just took me to one side at some point and said, 'Just make Thomas Was Alone 2. Just make another platformer, improve the graphics if you want to, polish it up a bit, get Danny [Wallace] back in the studio, record a bunch more voice-overs, but just make Thomas Was Alone 2." There's a self-deprecating air to Thomas Was Alone creator Mike Bithell, a humble British smileyness that perhaps partly comes from the securities of today's successes, but was likely always there keeping him grounded. Despite how he put it as we chatted at the Eurogamer Expo, I doubt he didn't know just how lucrative Thomas 2 would be. "At this point if I did Thomas Was Alone 2," Bithell continued, "I've got lots of people who would actually now buy that game at launch, and I would make a lot of money. But it's boring. And it's a decision and promise I made myself. I'm not going to use this opportunity I've been given to do that. I don't think Thomas needs a sequel right now." "if something comes to me one day I might go back to it. Or if I make a couple of flops I might go back to that well," he giggled in jest. "I'll regret that quote down the line."
Developers react to Ouya's defense of Free the Games Fund
Yesterday, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman voiced her support for the company's Free the Games Fund, noting that nothing about the program would be altered. Since then, indie developers have expressed their displeasure over Uhrman's statements. Sophie Houlden, who launched Rose and Time on Ouya in July, announced that she will be pulling the game from the Ouya store. Houlden said that after reading Uhrman's response, "it became very apparent to me that the company does not support indie developers who need the support most, and that they are incapable of ever correcting their mistakes. I'm simply no longer comfortable supporting the company." Free the Games Fund was first announced in July with the intention of encouraging Ouya development by rewarding successful Kickstarter project creators with extra funding in exchange for at least six months of Ouya exclusivity. Two eligible games came under scrutiny as they met their funding goals in late August: Elementary, My Dear Holmes and Gridiron Thunder. While Elementary was recently suspended due to suspicions over Kickstarter accounts that backed the game, Gridiron Thunder was successfully funded, bringing in $171,009 from only 183 total backers. Houlden isn't the only developer backing away from the platform. Kairo developer Richard Perrin noted via Twitter that he "had an Ouya on my desk since launch. Nearly finished porting Kairo to it. Gonna pack that away until a time when they become credible again." In the comments of Uhrman's response to the growing concerns over the program, 100 Rogues Ouya developer Wes Paugh said that "the campaigns that aren't setting off red flags are failing tragically, and that is a real shame, because some of those ideas are ones gaming would greatly benefit from." Thomas Was Alone developer Mike Bithell also criticized Ouya's response in the post's comments, saying it "isn't an acceptance of criticism, or an explanation of how clearly dodgy as hell schemes are being supported by [Ouya] publicly," but that it "reads like a press release from a console company locked into a foolish policy and using aspirational language to shift the blame, weirdly, onto its critics."
Volume blowout: PS4 & Vita first, PC & Mac a month later
Mike Bithell's stealth-craft game Volume maximizes onto PlayStation platforms first when it arrives next year. As announced at Sony's Gamescom press conference, the next game from Thomas Was Alone creator Bithell comes to PS4 and Vita- Bithtell told Joystiq it should extend onto PC and Mac a month later. Volume features another Bithell-authored script, but swaps out platforming rectangles for a top-down Metal Gear Solid-like. The story revolves around a criminal with a penchant for theft, but not for murder - like an evil Batman with a slither of his ethical roots. The other half of the game is the level editor, which allows players to tinker with Volume's levels to create their own terrains for theft. Bithell will be hoping Volume carries on the building blocks success of Thomas Was Alone, the PS3, Vita, PC, Mac, and Linux game shifting over 700,000 copies to date.
