publisher
Latest
Paradox Interactive to publish Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian Entertainment announced a partnership with Paradox Interactive to launch Pillars of Eternity. Paradox will handle the marketing and distribution of the PC game, which is slated to launch by this winter. Formerly known as Project Eternity, the game earned $3.9 million on Kickstarter in October 2012. The game was originally expected to land this spring before suffering delays. Obsidian launched South Park: The Stick of Truth earlier this month, following Paradox's announcement of Hearts of Iron 4 and Norse mythology-inspired RPG Runemaster in January. [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
Indie sky-runner and shooter, Cloudbuilt, lands on Steam this year
Cloudbuilt allows players to freerun-and-gun in a futuristic sky world, and it's coming to PC this year from publisher Rising Star Games. We got a first look at Cloudbuilt in October 2012, when developer Coilworks described it as "a challenging, high-speed action-platformer in 3D with its roots in 16-bit jump-and-shoot games." Since then, Cloudbuilt has been Greenlit and is on its way to Steam. "Steam's Greenlight is a great indicator of what people want to play and Cloudbuilt breezed through this process due to its refreshing take on the platform genre," Martin Defries, COO of Rising Star Games, says in a press release. "As a community-driven publisher we are delighted to release a title with such great feedback and we're confident that Cloudbuilt will further enhance our growing Steam library. The hardworking team at Coilworks has produced a fantastic game and we can't wait to see which routes players take for the fastest times." The final PC version of Cloudbuilt will include more than 20 levels, four endings, branching level selection and a "retro-inspired soundtrack," Coilworks says. Listening to the game's most recent trailer, we'd call the soundtrack 80s techno-punk with a modern twist.
Japanese Walking Dead, Witcher publisher Cyber Front dissolves
Cyber Front, the Japanese publisher of Telltale's The Walking Dead, Valve's Portal series and CD Projekt's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has been dissolved by parent company Kaga Electronics. According to a Gamasutra translation of a statement posted by the company on its website, Cyber Front was subject to a change in management in March of this year. Since that time, the company struggled to rebuild, and on December 19, the decision was made to close shop. Cyber Front recently also published Lab Zero's Skullgirls, which has had a string of bad luck lately, though it will be re-emerging on XBLA and the PSN in January as Skullgirls Encore.
EA Partners veteran David DeMartini now head of Oculus VR publishing arm
Former EA Senior Vice President David DeMartini has joined Oculus VR as head of worldwide publishing, the newly-formed branch of the Oculus Rift manufacturer that aims to help developers create games that are compatible with the company's headset. In a statement to Gamasutra, DeMartini described the position as "not particularly different from what I did for seven years" as part of the EA Partners program. "I'm figuring out how to partner effectively with big developers, small developers, all the way down to the individual who just wants to make something great for the Rift," he said. Whether the publishing division will provide financial backing to projects in order to make them Rift-compatible is unknown, though the company did just receive $75 million in funding from Netscape founder Marc Andreessen's venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
Worms developer to publish stealthy PC game Light
Stealthy indie game Light will be published by Worms developers Team17, the publisher recently announced. Currently in development for PC, Mac and Linux by Just a Pixel, Light is a top-down 2D game in which players guide a square icon through a maze of doors and rooms, hacking terminals and avoiding guards along the way. This is Team17's first foray into publishing for almost two decades, as it once funded games like Super Stardust and Alien Breed on Amiga, but has since focused on games in the Worms series, including Worms: Clan Wars and Worms 2: Armageddon. The prototype video of the game above shows off its simple style and basic mechanics, which players can expect to see firsthand sometime in 2014. Light is currently seeking community approval via Greenlight to achieve distribution on Steam.
Judge orders Apple to stop making special pacts with e-book publishers
After plenty of tussling over the DoJ's proposed injunction against Apple, preventing it from striking untoward pricing deals with e-book publishers, a judge at the Southern District Court of New York has today laid down the law. The final injunction prevents Apple from setting prices with any of its partners for terms of between two and four years, with the exact term depending on which publisher it's working with and how long they originally took to settle with the DoJ -- which means Apple's relationship with Macmillan faces the harshest restriction. Crucially, Apple also won't be able to make "most favored nation" pacts, in which e-book prices and discounts are set across a range of publishers or retailers. This particular bit of the injunction will last for five years -- a lengthy period of time in this industry, and one that can be extended by the court if it sees fit, but hardly the ten-year term that Apple's lawyers initially feared. Finally, another key clause prevents Apple from doing business with publishers behind closed doors. For the next two years, Cupertino will have to bring in an independent third party to serve as an "Antitrust compliance officer" in all deals. Sounds humiliating, perhaps, but again, given the relatively short duration, it could have been a lot worse.
EU regulator accepts Penguin offer to end dodgy e-book deals with Apple
After the European Commission accepted offers from Apple and four publishers to free up e-book pricing restrictions in December 2012, it's now accepted Penguin's commitment to do the same. Much like Penguin's vow to the US DOJ, it will end its agency agreements with Apple and other retailers, and "most-favored nation" clauses will be absent from any new deals struck over the next five years. Most importantly, e-book retailers will now be able to control prices and discounts of Penguin's catalog for two years. This legally binding pledge essentially brings an end to EC's "competitive concerns," as all involved in the original price-fixing investigation have now settled up.
EA bringing FIFA Online 3 to China, TenCent publishing
EA will bring FIFA Online 3 to China with TenCent as its publisher, EA announced in its Q1 2014 financial results report. The online soccer game was published in Korea by Nexon, where it found some success; EA reported that digital net revenue from the game grew 88 percent in the first quarter (April 2013 through June 2013) compared to the likes of FIFA Online 2 on a non-GAAP basis. The earnings report notes that details of the publishing partnership between TenCent and EA will be announced in the future. TenCent also published NBA 2K Online in China in September 2012.
G.rev's Mamorukun Curse! shoot-em-up arrives on PSN July 16
Japanese developer G.rev (probably best known as the co-developer of Ikaruga with Treasure) has announced that it will be bringing its cartoony shoot-em-up Mamorukun Curse! to North America, courtesy of publisher UFO Interactive Games. As you can see in the trailer, there's some serious bullet-hell action, with the big innovation being that scrolling up the screen is manual rather than automatic. This version will also include the Japanese DLC, which means two new maps, two new characters, and full Trophy support. Mamorukun Curse! showed up in Japan back in 2008 as Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta!, but it'll finally arrive in the US on July 16, at a price of $19.99.
Star Citizen funding eclipses $9 million
Star Citizen has reached over $9 million in funding, thanks to its almost 170,000 contributors. The space exploration MMO, spearheaded by Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts, began with a successful $2 million run on Kickstarter, and has since raised almost $7 million on its own website. The original goal was "just" $500,000, but Star Citizen has topped every stretch goal it set and then some. As part of its stretch goals, Star Citizen's launch plans include a tablet companion app, celebrity voice acting, a free mission pack for every player, and over 100 star systems to explore while playing. Developer Cloud Imperium Games has just opened offices in Santa Monica, and the game's website is proclaiming a victory for post-publisher game development. Players will get a chance to explore the world of Star Citizen in an alpha release, scheduled for sometime this winter.
Digital comic publisher threatened by Apple over adult content
Digital comics publisher Izneo has pulled much of its content from its App Store app, after being cautioned by Apple about selling adult content on the iPad. Izneo has been on the App Store since 2010, but Apple only recently reached out to the company, saying that it had just 30 hours to remove all "adult" comics. Apple didn't identify the offending titles, so Izneo first pulled over half of its content, and then restored some of the (apparently) less-explicit content later. Still, about 1,500 titles are still absent. Prohibiting pornography on the App Store is reasonable, but Izneo has been selling comics (mostly French and Belgian titles) for years there now. Obviously that content was only part of a much larger collection. It's a little disturbing that Apple elected to censor content that's clearly labeled as being for adults (the app is marked for ages 17+) in such a vague, arbitrary fashion. Izneo is obviously working to stay on the App Store rather than challenge Apple in its own domain, but this seems like this could have been handled differently. [via TechDirt]
Knights of Pen and Paper gets a +1 edition, courtesy of Paradox Interactive
I've written here about Knights of Pen and Paper before -- it's a really great little role-playing game that portrays not just a party of fantasy adventurers fighting monsters, but the actual tabletop players behind those characters. It turns out I'm not the only one that really enjoys Knights of Pen and Paper, because Swedish publisher Paradox Interactive has picked up the game (which is developed by a company from Brazil named Behold Studios), and re-publishing it as Knights of Pen and Paper: +1 Edition. The new version of the game will play essentially like the old version, though a rep from Behold told us at GDC this week that it will have lots more of everything: more monsters, more skills, more dungeons and towns, and more quests, encounters, and everything else. There will be some new systems in the game as well, including a dungeon system where you can delve into a series of rooms trying to find a key and reaching random encounters, and a tavern system, which will allow you to change out new characters at the table right in the middle of your adventure. There's also a new equipment system, which will allow for things like elemental damage, so you might be able to build a mage with fire damage, or protect against specific types of attacks. The new version of game looks great, and besides a release on iOS, Paradox is also helping Behold to bring the game to other platforms, too. It's releasing on iOS as the new version, but also the PC, Mac and Linux on Steam, and on the Android platform as well. Behold says that Paradox has been a great partner for them, and they've even got proof: When both the Behold and Paradox teams sat down separately to make lists of suggestions for the game's new version, it turned out that a lot of the ideas from both teams were exactly the same, so that shows they're very much on the same page. I think the partnership should be great for both parties -- this is a great game already, and Paradox is helping to make it even better. Knights of Pen and Paper: +1 Edition is due out sometime later on this summer.
Black Desert shopping for Western publisher, shares more details about its game world
Black Desert, a soon-to-be-released sandbox MMO in Korea, is shopping around for publishers to bring the title to the U.S. and Europe. MMO Culture spoke with Pearl Abyss' Director of Business Development Brian Oh about the progress of the game's development and all of those pesky details that we MMO players like to know when checking out a new title. While the interview took place last September, it's only now being posted. Oh spoke on several topics relating to Black Desert's development, such as why the team decided to create its own game engine instead of licensing an existing one. "We aspired to create an entirely different game from typical MMORPGs available today," Oh said, "including the rendering of art and graphics. So with an abundance of in-house experience in developing game engines gained through previous projects, we made our own." Details about Black Desert's world were shared over the course of the interview, including the news that all classes are available to both genders and can engage in mounted combat. Oh pontificated on the castle siege system, the limited player housing market, and backstory and setting for the game.
Robert Bowling producing Breach and Clear, coming to iOS
Robert Bowling is the former "creative strategist" at Infinity Ward, the developer studio that original created the enormously popular Call of Duty series over on the major consoles. A little while ago, he left that company (after some turmoil between the founders and publisher Activision) to start up his own endeavor, called Robotoki, which is working on a game set to arrive on mobile platforms like iOS called Human Element. But apparently that's not all Bowling's up to: He's also working with a publisher named Gun on an upcoming iOS game called Breach and Clear. We don't know a lot about this one yet, but it does look very impressive: It's a tactical, Special Operations shooter that's set to be free to play and feature a lot of customization and even real world gear. The game is set up a series of scenarios, where you'll be able to pick a loadout and team, and then go in and tactically take an opposing team of terrorists down. Sounds fun. Bowling is apparently producing this one, though it doesn't seem to be associated with his Robotoki studio. At any rate, we shouldn't have long to wait for this one: Breach and Clear is due out sometime later on this spring. As soon as we get to see some gameplay (or an exact release date), we'll let you know.
Another World: Anniversary Edition comes to BlackBerry 10
Classic games publisher Dotemu has announced a port of the Anniversary Edition of Another World for the BlackBerry 10 OS, which means you can play the game on the new Z10 or BlackBerry's Playbook. This is the same version that appeared on iOS systems a little while ago..The Anniversary Edition of the game includes the ability to switch between old-school and updated graphics with just a swipe of your fingers, as well as both original and remastered soundtracks, controls made just for the touchscreen, and three different difficulty modes. Fans can pick up the game for $4.99 on BlackBerry's AppWorld ecosystem right now.
Wakfu changes North American publishing away from Square Enix
North American fans of the sandbox MMO Wakfu may be interested to hear that the game will be switching publishers in the West as announced in a press release earlier today. Square Enix will be handing full responsibility and control of the game in North American markets over to the game's developer, Ankama Games, starting March 1, 2013. This control includes community management, customer support, promotion, sales, marketing, and all other live operation duties. All characters and progress will not be affected by the transition. Our own Beau Hindman gave Wakfu his "The Bestest Ever" award for 2012 and the game has earned respect among many sandbox fans for its unique gameplay and mechanics. But recent layoffs at Square Enix had us all wondering how its MMO division would be affected. Despite claims to to the contrary less than a month ago, this is now a thing that is happening. Be sure to read through the updated FAQ on Wakfu's website for more information. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Mac Game of the Week: Borderlands 2 gets exclusive content for the Mac
Borderlands was sort of a surprise from Gearbox when it released a few years ago: It's an action RPG game, in the vein of popular titles like Diablo, but instead of the form that genre usually takes, an isometric fantasy RPG, Borderlands successfully placed loot grinding and RPG progression into an open-world first-person shooter. That first game was a bit unexpected for everyone (including the developers), but Gearbox was ready for the acclaim with Borderlands 2. The sequel is better, bigger, shinier and even more fun. And now Borderlands 2 has made its way over to the Mac App Store, courtesy of ubiquitous Mac publisher Aspyr. The biggest drawback with this release is that multiplayer isn't in yet -- this is a singleplayer version, so apparently Aspyr wanted to get it out before the holiday without nailing down the multiplayer code. That's a bummer, especially because Borderlands is most fun with friends. But Aspyr has made up for that bit of lateness in the code with lots of goodies. The first DLC for Borderlands 2 is also available right away on day one, and you can buy it separately or pick up a Borderlands season pass, which will eventually give you all of the DLC together in one package. And I'm glad to see that this version also includes some exclusive content: Some extra "Fired Up" skins come for free, and there's a Contraband Sky Rocket grenade mod included as well. So that's good to see. Plus, the game is 25 percent off throughout the holidays, for just US$44.99. Cheers to Aspyr for bringing us a Mac port like this -- it's not often that we see a port ready to go on the same year as the PC release, not to mention with some extra content. That lack of multiplayer isn't great, but it's forgivable. If you need a really fun shooter to explore over the holiday weekend (and of course have a Mac capable of running it), be sure to take a trip back to Pandora in Borderlands 2.
Penguin joins publishers settling with the DOJ over e-book prices
The US Department of Justice may have only reached settlements with three of the five major publishers it had sued for allegedly fixing e-book prices, but it's improving its track record through a new deal with Penguin. Like its peers, the firm has agreed to end any pacts that prevent it from lowering e-book prices, whether the arrangements are with Apple or any other store operator. While Penguin hasn't immediately commented on its change of heart, a company spokesperson made clear to The Guardian that an EU settlement was for "clearing the decks" ahead of a joint venture with Random House -- Penguin didn't want government scrutiny looming over its union. The truce leaves Macmillan as the last book giant still slated to go to court in the US, and it may not get much support when Apple was part of the European agreement.
Chillingo explains why devs need them
Chillingo COO Ed Rumley had a chat with GamesIndustry, and said that the iOS publisher (which is owned by EA) is more needed than ever by developers. Yes, he admits it's easier than ever for anyone to make and publish a game on the App Store, but the hard part comes after that. "We always remind people there is a huge difference between self-publishing a game and self-distribution," said Rumley. "The role of a publisher like Chillingo is to do far more than just upload a game onto an App Store. Today's market is extremely competitive, there are dozens or hundreds of games launching every day whether it's on iOS or Android or Windows. Our role is to help navigate this minefield." Rumley also said that more indie devs are coming to Chillingo than ever to get that help polishing and marketing their games, and I can attest, as a player, that it's been working for them. There is definitely a consistent level of quality in the games Chillingo's putting out, partly because of who they're choosing to work with, and partly because their experience on the App Store is so substantial at this point (don't forget, this is the company that published both Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, so they kind of know what they're doing by now). While obviously every game is different, Rumley did say that Chillingo is still getting heavily involved in app development, probably more so than a lot of traditional publishers out there. "Half of our role is getting a game ready for market. By that I mean making sure the balance is there, making sure the game is fun and making sure the monetization is correctly implemented. If you don't get that right, you're not going to have success acquiring consumers in the first place." Rumley added that the future of Chillingo isn't necessarily in publishing more games, it's in publishing on more platforms. The company has been making a push on Android recently, and Rumley says that the quality of iOS games as compared to the last few years has been getting better and better. But he also added that means the bar is raising higher and higher, even as he recommends that indie developers put an extra month of polish into their titles, then another month (and maybe more) on top of that. "It's a ruthless platform," said Rumley, "and there's just no room for anything except perfection."
Microsoft launches four-year, $80 Office 365 University subscription for students
Microsoft's given Xbox love to PC-buying students recently, and it's just announced that it'll carry on that tradition with Office 365 University, by offering a special four-year, $80 subscription to higher-education students. For that sum, you'll get four years of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access if you're seeking a sheepskin scroll, which Redmond says works out to $1.67 per month. Also included are 60 Skype world minutes per month and 27GB of Premium SkyDrive storage, along with free upgrades and the ability to install on two separate computers, to boot. That should take some of the sting out of those scholarly expenses if you need a copy, so check the source to see how to grab it.
