Penny Arcade
Latest
Hothead sheds more light on the death of Penny Arcade Adventures
Back when the discontinuation of the Penny Arcade Adventures series was first announced, Team PA explained that the decision was made due to the team's concern about developer Hothead being forced to split attention between PAA and then-recently-announced DeathSpank. As PA writer Jerry Holkins told it: "I think they could've made DeathSpank and Episode 3 but I think Episode 3 would've suffered. I mean, I know it would have suffered. So we'd rather not do it than do it half-assed and so we're going to finish that story but it's going to be on our website."Today, in an interview with Eurogamer, Hothead director of technology Joel DeYoung laid a little more blame at the feet of Holkins, implying that Tycho's alter ego had trouble keeping up with the workload required. "I think he really struggled to get the volume of text written for Episode 1, and then with Episode 2 coming out so quickly thereafter - it was five-and-a-half months," DeYoung said. "That was not worked on in parallel, and getting him to deliver that text was, er, frankly quite a struggle."This revelation comes a few days after Hothead erroneously teased that Episode 3 would be produced if the first two sold well on the Mac App Store, a notion that PA artist Mike Krahulik quickly batted down on Twitter.Though we may never know the real cause behind Episode 3's termination, whether it's Penny Arcade or Hothead that had too much on its plate, we'd imagine the truth, as is usually the case in situations like these, hovers somewhere in between.
Penny Arcade Adventures tearing up Mac App Store charts, Ep. 3 still unlikely
Just four days after the launch of the Mac App Store, some developers are finding unexpected success. The first two episodes of Hothead Games' truncated Penny Arcade Adventures trilogy are currently ranking high in the bestselling apps chart at number 21 and 56, respectively (and certainly boosted by their $4 sale prices). This prompted the developer to tweet, "We're thrilled that Precipice of Darkness has been doing well on the Mac App Store!"While that was heartening, it was the now-pulled followup tweet (screen-capped above) that raised eyebrows: "For those of you that want PA Episode 3, all you need to do is get 100,000 of your friends to buy 1&2. Seriously. Do that and we'll make it," a Hothead staffer wrote. Turns out that's not quite the case."That's certainly news to me!" Penny Arcade biz dude Robert Khoo told Joystiq, adding, "there's nothing new to say about future [episodes]." Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik responded to Hothead's tweet, stating simply, "that's actually not true."
Child's Play breaks annual record with over $2 million raised
Child's Play has become the ubiquitous ur-charity for the gaming community. Founded by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade fame, it's grown into a multinational event for gamers the world over to help out needy children. It's also made a tradition out of breaking records for overall donations every year, and this year is no exception, with the total amount raised coming out to over $2 million for the year and nearly $9 million over its lifetime. The record-breaking effort has always been helped by enterprising fundraisers from the community, and the MMO community is no exception; notable fundraising efforts this year include the Lord of the Rings Online-inspired fundraiser from A Casual Stroll to Mordor and Sony Online Entertainment's donations for the purchase of in-game pets, together with other non-MMO events such as the infamous Desert Bus for Hope marathon and the Humble Indie Bundle. The entire gaming community, online or off, can take pride in another record-breaking year for Child's Play.
Child's Play raised over $2 million in 2010
The Child's Play charity announced today that it brought in a grand (grand) total of $2,294,317.53 in donations for 2010, a new annual record for the organization. Reflecting on the figure at the bottom of a Penny Arcade news post primarily about a repellent fruit sludge you squeeze into your mouth, Jerry "Tycho Brahe" Holkins said that the lifetime total for Child's Play donations is now over nine million dollars, noting to contributors, "If it is possible to Win Charity, you have done so." He also pointed out that not all of last year's donations are likely to have been accounted for yet. Gamasutra reports that some of the larger donations came from charity drives like the Humble Indie Bundle, which contributed $300,000 during its second-year initiative in late December, and the "Desert Bus for Hope" marathon, which raised $207,000, in addition to the Gears of War 3 "Fate of Carmine" fundraiser, which accounted for $150,000 in donations and might have killed a virtual guy. Another high-profile fundraiser, the Indie iPhone sale, brought in around $25,000 to the charity.
Child's Play nearing $2 million in donations
Donations from charitable gamers like you have pushed the Child's Play 2010 donation total to an all-time high of $1.85 million -- all of which will go towards purchasing toys and games for children's hospitals across the globe. That's a bit higher than last year's total of $1.78 million. It's also dangerously close to $2 million, which just looks like a gargantuan sum of money, doesn't it? If you haven't already donated to this worthy, worthy cause -- or even if you have! -- why not give a little something something to bring this total over the $2 mil mark? You could even get some incredible games for doing so, which is the very definition of a win-win transaction.
SOE and players pitch in to support Child's Play
It is better to give than receive, as it's been said, unless you're giving yourself a present that prompts a major corporation to give to a charity in turn. Then everyone wins! OK, that may sound a bit convoluted, but SOE is actually making it really easy for players to help out with a great charity this holiday season. The studio is supporting Child's Play, a charity started up by the Penny Arcade folks to supply hospitals with video games and toys for kids. SOE has pledged to donate $10 for every purchase of one of four in-game items. These items include a P3-NUT droid pet in Clone Wars Adventures, a penguin pet in Free Realms, an EverQuest II Cloak of Falling Snow, and a neat EverQuest ornamentation that turns any weapon into a cardboard tube (visually, not statistically). This charity drive will go through the end of the month (December 31st), and SOE will honor up to $50,000 of donations based on player purchases. You can read more about this promotion over at EverQuest II, or head over to Child's Play to see what this charity is about.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Middle-up
It's the last Sunday before Christmas, but whether you celebrate it or not, we'll have a treat for you next week on the 26th! Several comic artists are collaborating on a Secret Santa (or Greatfather Winter?) swap. They each have the name of another comic but do not necessarily know who all is participating and don't know who will be drawing their comic. This should be a blast! Incidentally, if you emailed me and entered as a participant but did not receive my reply email, email me again or check your spam folders. Enough business; here is the list! It even features several new comics: Jinylee. *New! WoW, eh?: A Hot Side of Beef Away From Reality: There's No Aggro Like Snow Aggro Penny-Arcade: A Priori. Also: Wolf of the Year Dork Tower. Also check out the one previous. *Never previously featured! Out of World: Beneath the Shadow part 4 and part 5 Disciplinary Action: Episode 17 Chainsawsuit: Wow What a Difference. Also: Wow This Is Great! *Not previously featured! Beyond the Tree: Quest Complete and Dear Edwin Teh Gladiators: Gun vs. Cannon: Round 1 Complex Actions: A Moment with Silk's New Rogue and Or Your Azerothian Destination of Choice Tales from the Crossroads: Into the Fire Safe Passage Coffin Comics: Just a Bad Dream Coffin Minis: Buddum Chh What's Shakin': Page 15 Torment of the Week: Long Story Short GU Comics: Whassat? and Shave and a Haircut and Intervention Dark Legacy Comics: Battle Fourth Wall: Simple Like That Lorgrokni's Travels: Goblin Loan 1 and Goblin Loan 2 and Lovable Oaf Blood and Thunder: On Procrastination The Daily Blink: Yes, I'm Aware, I'll Get Letters and Poster #3: Mekkatorque and A Flyer in the Auction House Arena-Inside: Indeed He Does! and Indeed He's Not... and THIS ... IS ... CHRISTMAS! Travels with Tenthunders: Neither an Alliance, nor a Horde. Discuss LFG #417 and #418 The Warcraft Hero in: How to Fight Your Dragon NPC: The Future of Shopping Is Now and The Couple That Wows Together... Guilded Age %Gallery-98595%
Child's Play 2010 passes $1 million in donations
The gaming community's collective back is in desperate need of a thorough patting -- with recent donations raked in by events like the Desert Bus for Hope marathon and the Penny Arcade auction dinner, the total for Child's Play donations has reached 1.2 million American dollars.
Poker Night at the Inventory review: A bad beat
Telltale Games has a difficult tightrope to walk, balancing as it does between narrative and gameplay. The studio counts on you being immersed in the universes it creates, but also has to keep all that character from getting in the way of the game it has crafted. Poker Night at the Inventory seems to be drenched in the studio's typical humor and likable characters. But it quickly becomes clear that the repetitive dialog is muddying a poker game that was already weak to begin with. In short: Telltale has fallen off the rope entirely. At least in Sam & Max there's always the chance of redemption in the next narrative-led mission. In Poker Night ... well, there's just the next oddly timed "sandvich" joke. %Gallery-107880%
Child's Play 2010 site now live, accepting donations
While you read up on Black Friday deals and pour over reviews from this year's holiday game releases, might we suggest taking a time out to donate? Each year, Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity collects donations from gamers of all walks of life -- be they Desert Bus marathon runners, major game developers, or anyone in between -- in an effort to provide "donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children's hospitals across North America and the world." Last year, CP raised over $1.7 million, and the charity's expansion in 2010 will certainly help to best that milestone and allow over 70 hospitals to be chosen and donated to directly. Head over to the Child's Play website for specifics on how to give, or text "GAMERS" to 50555 and donate $5. You totally just did it, didn't you? You're the best!
PAX East Indie Showcase now taking applications
Do you work at a small, Boston-area game company? Would you like thousands and thousands of people to see your game? If so, sign up for PAX East's Boston Indie Showcase. Penny Arcade is accepting applications today through January 11. Not only will people at the show see your game, but it'll be announced on the site. Last year's Showcase ... showcased six games, including Slam Bolt Scrappers and AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! A Reckless Disregard for Gravity. We encourage you to enter, especially if your game's title is easier to remember and/or type than those.
NES signed by gaming industry superstars auctioning off for charity
We can't help but notice that there's something wrong with your Nintendo Entertainment System. No, it's not that its connector pins are totally jacked after two decades of rough cartridge insertion -- it's that it isn't covered, toe to tip, in the autographs of some of the gaming, tech and general nerd industry's most prominent figures. You can rectify that problem by bidding on this NES, which has been signed by folks like Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, Wil Wheaton, MC Frontalot, Jonathan Coulton and many, many more. All the proceeds from the auction go to the Baystate Children's Hospital in Springfield, Mass. -- as do the proceeds from eBay user DanMckela's other auctions. Go take a look at his altruistic wares! [Thanks, Dao Jones!]
Penny Arcade made a comic with the iPad
Most people seem to agree the iPad is a pretty great device for reading (although perhaps not the best, eh Amazon?). However, the debate still rages on about how suitable it is for making stuff. When it was first announced, there was plenty of snark from bloggers like Paul Thurrott, who wrote: "When you go out and about with just an iPad, you're sending a message that you're not going to contribute. You're just there to consume." Obviously, we beg to disagree, and not because we're a pro-Apple site. It's probably fair to say that, despite comprehensive tools like iWork, a variety of just-give-me-my-text editors like myTexts, and even folding portable keyboards, the list of people writing novels on the iPad is probably fairly small. But I use my iPad for making notes and drafting blog posts more often than I use any other single computer. It's small, neat, has great battery life, and does a superb job of not interrupting or distracting me. But text entry, which is admittedly compromised by the iPad's touchscreen keyboard, is only part of the story. The iOS App Store sports a dizzying array of music apps, for example; there's even a complete multi-instrument, iPad-only recreation of "Eye of the Tiger." And there is a wide range of graphics apps too, which have been used to create things like these stunning pieces of artwork and a New Yorker cover that was made with an iPhone. All of these things do have a slight proof of concept air about them, though; there's just a little whiff of "I made this with the iPad because I could." That's why I was impressed in a different way when I read yesterday's strip by popular gaming webcomic Penny Arcade and the accompanying text article by artist Mike Krahulik: "So I am home sick today and that's why the strip looks a little strange. I was trying to figure out a way to draw the comic from home what with all my stuff being at the office. I remembered that I had downloaded the Sketchbook Pro app on my iPad. So today's comic was drawn entirely with my pointer finger. Kiko was kind enough to drop my finger paintings into the panels and add the text for me." What impressed me was that this wasn't art made for the sake of making art with an iPad; this was the iPad being used more routinely to make art that wasn't, in any obvious way, different from the artist's usual style. This is iOS content creation becoming normal rather than extraordinary. And that feels really exciting to me.
Helpful hobbits see fundraising as Child's Play
Hobbits -- is there anything they can't do? First they're taking the One Ring into the heart of Mordor to save Middle-earth from Sauron's grip, and now they're out on another journey, this time to bring relief to hospitalized children in our world. You may be quite familiar with Child's Play, a charity started by Penny Arcade's creators and designed to raise money to buy video games and systems for children's hospitals. This year, MMO gamers are getting in on the action, as A Casual Stroll to Mordor, a LotRO blog and podcast, is attempting to raise $5,000 for Child's Play by presenting the fundraising as steps along Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin's famous journey from the Shire to Rivendell. Dubbing it "The Fellowship Walk," each milestone toward the $5,000 goal is represented by a different stage of the Fellowship's journey on their site. The Lonely Mountain Band, The Guild and other individuals are donating special items to be given away over the next month in an effort to attract more donors. Merric, one of the founders of the blog, found himself hospitalized as a child, and found out first-hand how helpful video games are in distracting kids from the pain. You can learn more about their effort -- and perhaps chip in a few bucks yourself -- by heading over to A Casual Stroll to Mordor! Oh, and happy birthday to Frodo and Bilbo!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Lions and tigers and dragons
Comic news: Fyreuni announced that "Daily Quests is on hold while I work on Emergency Kindergarten Lesson 2!" I am definitely a little disappointed, but I think the project will be worth it. Tokkar was also kind enough to point out that Shawn Tommelleo of Coffin Comics has a new project called What's Shakin' that Tommelleo (aka Coffinshaker) described as not set in "WoWland," but it does feature the same characters. Sorry I missed it; the end of August and beginning of September were very hectic! To answer tr_rrr, Cru the Dwarf and other comics that do not update very often will not necessarily show up on the list as soon as they update, because I don't have the time to check every comic that ever posts something WoW-related each week. I rely on tips and comments and my own whims to learn about them. This is also why Kuo was only added again last week, for example. Thanks for tipping me off that it has updated, though!
PAX Prime 2010 had over 67k attendees; international show teased
67,600. That's the number of nerds and gaming fans that rushed Seattle's PAX Prime show this year. It's easily the largest gaming event in the US open to the public, and it shows no sign of losing momentum. This year's show made headlines, too, with the surprise reveal of a fully playable Duke Nukem Forever. Speaking with Gamasutra, the Penny Arcade duo noted that the establishment of PAX not only serves gamers, but publishers as well. "[Publishers] need a place like PAX to promote [their products]," the team said. This year's show gave fans (and journalists!) an additional opportunity to check out games like Epic Mickey, Swarm, and Outland before release. PAX's timing, the Penny Arcade duo argue, allow for games to be spread more evenly throughout the year. "Before, if a game didn't make its Christmas launch it was a nightmare. This year was much more distributed as far as big releases." Penny Arcade Expo will return to Boston next year for PAX East 2011, which will undoubtedly also turn up big numbers. But, PAX may have its eyes set on an international show. "A third PAX would likely take place in a different country," the Gamasutra report states. "Preferably somewhere the duo want to visit." PAX South Africa, perhaps? Cause we've got that covered!
UW's Jeffrey Lin awarded Penny Arcade scholarship
Little brightens our day more than hearing about developers working to make games accessible for those of us with color blindness (blast you, Super Puzzle Fighter!). That's why we're so happy to write about this year's Penny Arcade scholarship winner, University of Washington PhD student Jeffrey Lin, who wooed the award committee with his "research into applying vision science to solve practical problems in game design." One such problem? How color-dependent games work with color blind players. Specifically, Lin believes, "Vision scientists have the tools and skills to help developers tackle problems from how to reduce motion sickness some experience in FPS titles to how to make games more accessible for the color blind." Lin predicts that vision scientists will begin to play an important, ongoing role for development teams in the future. And hey, if that means making those tasty, tasty puzzle games of the past comprehensible for the color blind, then we're all for it!
Best Buy and Target announce video game trade-in programs, clearly don't read webcomics
For some reason the used-video-games-as-controversy stars have aligned, and Best Buy and Target picked now of all times to announce new used game trade-in programs. Target is going to offer in store credit for all sorts of electronics trade-ins, including games and DVDs, with just a few stores for now, but expanding to 850 stores by the end of the year. Target isn't making any mention of reselling that stuff just yet, but Best Buy plans to start selling used games "soon," on top of the 600 stores it's launching it own trade-in program in this week. What's so special about all this? Well, THQ CEO Cory Ledesma just made headlines for a bit of a rant about the topic ("We hope people understand that when the game's bought used we get cheated"), and then Penny Arcade weighed in with a comic, as is their wont, which kicked off a bit of a gamer vs. publisher vs. retailer internet battle of the words. Which is our favorite kind. With online distribution, one time unlock codes, and DLC all warring to make used games obsolete, this debate might be moot in a few years time, but for now there's no shortage of opinions on the subject, and we'd love to hear yours in the comments!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Quest complete
Happy one year, Torment of the Week! To see how far the comic has come, check out this week's entry: It's Been a Year. Then, take a look back at their first: Fail House. Fourth Wall: How to Make Gold. Tales From the Crossroads: Ooo... shiny! Slash AFK: Slurpee > LFG. Also: Mur-lock-ME and RL Pet, Please. Travels with Tenthunders: Does Anyone Speak Dwarf? Coffin Comics Minis: Nothing Happened. World of Warcraft, eh? (WoW, eh?): Time After Time. Yay, it's back! Coffin Comics: Caverns of Time... Machine. Dark Legacy Comics (DLC): Woes of a Raid Leader. Beyond the Tree: Exit Stage Theft. Also: Cloaking Devious and Blinding Wit. LFG: #381 and #382. Teh Gladiators: Runnn, You Mothers!! Don't forget to click next! The Warcraft Hero in: The House of Sorrows. Penny-Arcade: The Sixth Slave. This applies to MMO's in general, but I know you guys can relate! You might also want to read the follow-up comic, Breaking it Down. Judging by the response that the comic got, some might consider it NSFW. Away From Reality (AFR): Unintended Consequences. Byron, the Tauren Rogue. Guilded Age. By Way of Booty Bay: Mrs. Arugal (kinda NSFW). Also: Tinkerbottom (slightly less NSFW). And now, for some super fun bonus material! Enjoy: Bonus! NPC: Three-Eyelid Alien Scum. Click next twice to see the other two! They're not WoW-related this week, but we love them all the same. Double Bonus! Daily Quests puts out lore posts pretty often, and you should check them out! Additional Bonus! GU Comics: That's All He Needed. This is technically in reference to Starcraft II, but it so totally works. %Gallery-98595%
Sunday Morning Funnies: Welcome to the gallery guide (updated)
The time has finally arrived - the Sunday Morning Funnies gallery guide to WoW-related comics has finally been posted. Whether you're looking to break into a new WoW-themed web comic, or you would just like to learn more about your favorites, this guide has you covered. In addition to displaying custom artwork and comic previews, you will learn about the authors and artists as well as the comics themselves, from art style to inspiration and more. It will even track when each comic updates so you don't have to! Also, Complex Actions is back up and running! Check out Stress Therapy and The State of the PUG-Conomy, as well as Little Prejudices. In other comic news, WoW, eh? resumes on Monday, August 9th. Awkward Zombie: Ignorance. Out of World: At the ball part 9. (Slightly NSFW) Away From Reality: Very Common Ground. NPC: 8578. Also: Many Minis and Magnetic Fields. Travels with Tenthunders: I'm All Ears. K's Grab Bag: I Can Be Fair.... Daily Quests: Stick Around. LFG #377 and #378 and #379 and #380. NoObz: Tomorrow is Another Day. Dark Legacy Comics: The Hike. Teh Gladiators: A Human Incognito. The Warcraft Hero in: A Happy Ending. Coffin Comics Mini: Unless. Coffin Comics: Leveling is Boarring. Torment of the Week: This Again. Beyond the Tree: Preposterous Propositions. Also: Stage Presence. Byron, the Tauren Rogue. Slash AFK: Hey Herb. Guilded Age. Penny-Arcade: Planting a Flag. Update: From Fourth Wall, check out The Light and How to Swing it, as well as Old World, Old Grudges. Sorry for missing it! Also: Tales from the Crossroads: Second-Hand News. Sorry for missing that too. It must have been "that sorta week." %Gallery-98595%
