PixelJunk-Eden
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Q-Games' income reportedly doubled by Steam Holiday Sale
PixelJunk Eden developer Q Games has had a very happy holiday, thanks to the ongoing Steam Holiday Sale allegedly doubling the studio's income to date. During one of the periodic community vote events, the PC iteration of PixelJunk Eden was chosen by users to receive a 90 percent discount. At only 99 cents the game began to sell very quickly. Once the dust had settled, PixelJunk Eden had sold "phenomenally well," according to designer Dylan Cuthbert. "[W]e just made our income to date, again, in just 8 hours," Cuthbert later tweeted. "[I]t was a huge success." A success that becomes even more impressive when you consider that the "8 hours" Cuthbert mentioned were in reference to the period of time in which community vote discounts are active. In other words, Q Games saw its income jump by 100 percent in roughly the same amount of time it takes to fly from New York to London. We've attempted to contact Cuthbert for further details on just how successful this sale was, and what this success might mean for the future of Q Games. We have yet to hear back.
Indie Royale June Bug Bundle now live, as is a system for managing previous bundle purchases
The latest bundle of indie-gaming confectionery from the Indie Royale folks is now live over at the usual place, this time championing PixelJunk Eden, Escape Goat, Noitu Love 2: Devolution and Auditorium. Throwing down seven clams or more will also earn you 8 Bit Weapon's new chiptune album, Bits with Byte.By our rough guesstimation, the June Bug Bundle is the 400 trillionth Indie Royale bundle released to date, which means that longtime patrons of the service probably have a rather large notepad file somewhere to keep track of all their bundle business. Thankfully, a new service (the Indie Royale Collection) has launched that not only helps manage your previously purchased bundles, but also lets you track your progress towards earning new rewards, which are applied retroactively (where applicable) upon registering.
PixelJunk series goes on sale today, many for $1
The PixelJunk collection goes on deep discount today later today on PSN, with some games on sale for a mere dollar. If you don't already have Racers, Monsters, Eden and Shooter, you absolutely should pick them up for a buck each.PixelJunk Shooter 2 and SideScroller are both half-off for $5. The sale will conclude on May 15, when PixelJunk 4am will launch in a swirl of sounds and we can all taste the purple.Those who live in the San Francisco area can attend the PixelJunk 4am Event this Thursday, May 10, at the Harlot. The first 75 attendees will receive a code for the game that they can activate when it goes live next week.%Gallery-153666%
PixelJunk Eden leaps to Steam with Encore included
The prominent PlayStation PixelJunk franchise went to Facebook with PixelJunk Monsters Online, and now the series' acrobatic trip-tastic platformer, PixelJunk Eden, is coming to Steam.Available next week, on February 2, the main game will include the "Encore" DLC expansion, and the full chemically augmented soundtrack by Baiyon will be sold separately [Ed. note: Finally!]. The regular price will be $10 for the game and $6 for the (17 song) soundtrack, but both items will be discounted 20 percent for a limited time after launch."Lots of stuff is new – the main cool feature is that your Grimp (the little character you control) now has the ability to warp back to his last resting position!" Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert said of added features in the Steam version. "It uses a little bit of your energy but if you're careful you no longer have to worry about missing an important jump – fall too far, just hit space and warp back.""Also, rather than having to collect all the Spectra (these are the objects that let you grow your main garden) repeatedly we now save your progress in each garden, so you can just start from the last Spectra you grabbed when you go back in."Hurray for Eden taking away its buzzkill elements! It's all about the flow, man.%Gallery-145799%
PixelJunk Eden's Baiyon creating music visualizer for PS3
Q-Games is teaming up with Japanese artist Baiyon once again for another PSN collaboration. Baiyon, who created the visuals and sound for PixelJunk Eden and Encore, is directing an interactive music visualizer for the PS3, to be distributed via the PlayStation Network. Unlike Q-Games' Earth visualizer, this upcoming project will not be built into the PS3 operating system. Instead, this will be a standalone application, akin to .deTuned. This is terrific news for Trophy hunters, as they should be familiar with how easy it is to get PSN XP with these standalone art applications.
Best of the Rest: Ben's Picks of 2009
Red Faction: Guerrilla Arriving approximately seven months late to the party, I didn't play RFG until earlier this month when I desperately cobbled together 2009's game releases for a massive pre-GOTY playstravaganza. That marathon came to a long pause while I smashed through the many structures of Mars with my trusty sledgehammer, constantly hearing "Space A$&%*#&" playing along the way in my mind. Sure, RFG was a bit rough around the edges, but what it lacked in mechanical prowess was more than made up for by the sheer amount of childlike joy I experienced while demolishing everything in my path.
Show off your PixelJunk with boring, expensive tees
Let's be honest: this shirt isn't all too cool. That's a shame, considering we love our PixelJunk, and would love to wear some tees showing off our fandom. This rather uninspired shirt is from premium t-shirt maker The King of Games, and will cost a premium price: 3800円 (about $40). Considering the stylish look of all the PixelJunk games so far, we have to admit we're disappointed by this offering. Thankfully, an equally priced PixelJunk Eden Encore t-shirt is a bit more eye catching.[Via Destructoid]
Spoiler alert! PixelJunk Eden Encore's secret mode revealed
Did you know that completely beating PixelJunk Eden and its newly released Encore pack will unlock something super-special? Well, now you do. PixelJunk Monsters Encore hid a special random level generator, but Eden's bonus may be more spectacular. This video will showcase a game-changing way of playing the game. For fans of Eden, this is a must-watch.Check it out after the break.[Thanks, Tim R.!]
PixelJunk Eden Encore coming this week [Update]
Update: A new trailer has been released! Check it out after the break.The Encore expansion pack to PixelJunk Eden is coming this week. The upcoming DLC will add 5 new stages to the game, new Trophies, and will cost $5.99. According to the official site, this is a worldwide release, so everyone will be able to enjoy the game at the same time.%Gallery-48237%[Thanks, iddy!]
PixelJunk Eden Encore adds 11 new Trophies
The upcoming Encore expansion to PixelJunk Eden looks to be quite massive ... and quite fun. The Trophy list has been updated for the upcoming add-on, and the 11 new Trophies reveal some new details about the devilish new levels being added to the game. One Trophy requires a death-defying jump to get two Spectra in one go, while another asks players to open ten seeds without ever touching a plant. Ouch! We can't wait to see the new content later this month.See the additional Trophies after the break.[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
PixelJunk Eden Encore gets five new levels for $5.99
The upcoming Encore expansion for PixelJunk Eden will feature 5 brand new levels for fans to explore. These additional levels feature brand new gameplay mechanics, like an item that enables zero-G flotation. Another level features two "mirror" levels that you can teleport between and that will undoubtedly hide some devilish puzzles.The expansion will be available in just a few weeks and will cost $5.99 on the PlayStation Store. Deal? We think so.%Gallery-48237%
GDC09: PixelJunk Eden profitable after one day of sales
Publishers looking for a quick buck don't need to focus their efforts solely on the iPhone. Sony's Susan Panico touted the values of PSN development by providing a case study on PixelJunk Eden, Q-Games' third PSN-exclusive title. Panico told the GamesBeat audience that "PixelJunk Eden made its return on investment within 24 hours." Sales after that period become pure profit.Of course, the success of Eden is a little unsurprising, considering the popularity of PixelJunk Monsters. Regardless, it's impressive that a small independent studio was able to create a trusted franchise exclusively through the PlayStation Network. With so much green made off of Eden, it's no wonder Q-Games is working on an expansion for the game. Eden Encore will be available in April.%Gallery-48237%
PixelJunk Eden Encore coming in April
Are you ready for more Eden? The upcoming PixelJunk expansion is expected to release in April, and will include even more of the gravity-defying levels we've come to love. "Get ready for zero gravity, mirror worlds," Dylan Cuthbert explains on the PlayStation.Blog. In addition, Eden will feature "something extra special at the end which is a Big Secret(tm) and is a present to all the fans."No new details on the next new PixelJunk game were released, but we're certain another trip to Eden will keep us occupied for quite some time.%Gallery-48237%
PixelJunk Eden Encore to be revealed, playable at GDC [update]
One of the PS3 highlights of last year's GDC for PS3 was the unveiling of the third PixelJunk title, PixelJunk Eden, during Dylan Cuthbert's post-mortem of the first two games in the series. This year Cuthbert is set to return and unveil the latest PixelJunk project, according to a press invitation to the PlayStation Blog Lounge. Not only that but there will be hands-on time for those who attend.We know that the fourth game in the series won't be PixelJunk Dungeons, which was also vaguely mentioned back at GDC 2008, as it requires more development time. At this point we really have no idea what PixelJunk 4 could be but, after our experiences with Monsters and Eden, we can't wait to find out next Thursday.[UPDATE] Dylan Cuthbert has let the cat out of the bag via his Twitter feed. PixelJunk 4 will not be shown at GDC next week, instead we'll get the first look on the expansion for the third game in the series, PixelJunk Eden Encore.
PixelJunk packed 3-in-1 trunk for Asia
The PSN PixelJunk series will be bundled in the PixelJunk 3in1 Pack for the Asian market, reports Siliconera. The bundle will include Racers, Monsters and Eden. All games have English or Japanese language options, but there's no word yet if the disc includes the Monsters expansion or the Eden soundtrack.Although we've yet to hear back from Sony Europe, Sony America let us know that it has no "official announcements at this time about the PixelJunk series." If the region didn't deserve a hard copy for Siren: Blood Curse's 9 gigglebytes, what chance does PixelJunk have? Ending on a good note: at least PS3 games aren't region locked.[Update: Q Games president Dylan Cuthbert confirmed to Joystiq that this PixelJunk pack is Asia-only. "Right now, this special bundle is for Asia only."]
Independent Games Festival audience award polls now open
Were you completely enraptured by a number of 2008's independent gaming offerings? Perhaps you were infatuated with Q-Games' PixelJunk Eden, or bowled over by the bizarre meiosis exhibited in Coil, or, much like us, you were strangely obsessed with the brilliantly minimalistic You Have to Burn the Rope. If you want to show that appreciation in a worthwhile manner, you might want to cast your vote in the recently opened polls of the Audience Award category for the 2009 Independent Games Festival, which will be held in conjunction with the Game Developers Conference later this month.Even if your favorite independent titles didn't make the list (or if your gaming habits stuck explicitly to big-budget blockbusters), most of the 15 finalists in the category are accompanied by their download links. Come for the exercise in democracy, stay for the free games!
PixelJunk Eden wimp patch finally hits Europe this week
Despite being originally planned for release in Europe and Japan simultaneously, the PixelJunk Eden "wah, it's too hard" patch is still not out in PAL regions. The official PixelJunk website has now been updated to reflect the fact that, finally, the patch will see release in Europe on January 29. The patch adds various features to the game which makes it a little bit less challenging, such as an entirely new control system, more time and a continue system. There's also a much-improved multiplayer camera, making playing with friends far less frustrating. Barring accidents, Europeans will be able to give it a try themselves tomorrow. We'll let you know once it's live.[Thanks, Gerard@]
PSP version of PixelJunk Monsters features 50% more content
People just can't get enough PixelJunk Monsters. PS3 fans fell in love with this charming tower defense game, leading to the release of the Encore expansion pack and subsequent Trophy patch. PSP owners are in for a treat as they'll be receiving their own version of the game later this year.What will Monsters PSP feature? We're expecting the same content featured in the PS3 games, but Dylan Cuthbert promises there will be even more stuff in the PSP game. In an interview with Core Gamers, he reveals the team is currently "adding 50% more content or more" to the game. Those that have played both Monsters and Encore know well that this is a massive amount of content. How will we possibly get rainbows on all of these levels?When asked if PixelJunk Eden, the third of Q-Games' downloadable games on PS3, would also receive PSP treatment, Cuthbert seemed doubtful. Eden is a far more complex, processor-intense game. "Never say never of course, but it would be quite a challenge and a number of things might have to be changed."%Gallery-7756%
PixelJunk Eden patch on Jan. 15, 'Encore' expansion announced
A PixelJunk Eden patch will be ready to pollinate PSN this Thursday, January 15th, according to PlayStation Blog. The patch will add a number of user-requested tweaks, including a new (optional) control scheme, an improved multiplayer camera, a continue system, more time on the clock -- and, if that's not enough, the game's large crystals will now replenish a full one-half of the oscillator meter instead of just a third, Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert recently confirmed. Essentially, the patch fixes the major qualms frustrated Grimps had with the game. The developer also took the opportunity to announce an "Encore" expansion for Eden, but details will be forthcoming over "the next couple of months."Despite Eden's charm and "casual" appearance, much like PixelJunk Monsters, the difficulty ramped up like a sheer cliff in later levels (yeah, looking at you Garden 7) -- especially when playing with a non-gamer partner. The patch should make the game friendlier (read: easier), and, personally, we're most curious to try out the new control system. We've asked Sony if the new scheme alters having to shake the controller to "insta-drop," because that could definitely be a blessing.
PixelJunk Eden's easy patch coming this week to US [Update: Encore announced]
While available in Japan and Asia since December, American gamers will be able to get their hands on a new PixelJunk Eden patch this Thursday. The patch adds new features requested by fans. Firstly, a lot more time has been added on the clock. If that's not enough, there's a new continue system in place for those that just can't make it to that last Spectra. A new control scheme and adjusted camera system should be a pleasant addition for those that don't necessarily want an easier game.Europe still doesn't have a concrete release date beyond "Coming soon."Update: A PlayStation.blog post also reveals that an "Encore" expansion pack will be released for Eden in the coming months. Dylan Cuthbert also adds that Trophies can't be collected if you die and choose to use a Continue. The added time should help, though.[Thanks, LemonJim!]
