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Trials Evolution launch trailer is flippin' explosive
You can do an awful lot in Trials Evolution, but the one thing you can't do is speed up time to make today tomorrow, when the game will actually be available. In the meantime, enjoy this launch trailer. Be warned: the trailer may make time feel like it's going slower.
The secrets of Trials HD's wildly convoluted riddle revealed
Trials HD, the death/patience-defying XBLA motorcycle acrobatics game originally released during 2009's Summer of Arcade, apparently contains a riddle so massively brain-busting that no one has been able to fully divine its true meaning.Perhaps out of pity for its tireless community, or perhaps out of frustration over waiting three years for its awesome riddle to be solved, developer RedLynx has assisted Trials HD veteran FatShady in bringing resolution to the burning questions posed by various clues scattered about the game.As the above deconstruction video demonstrates, RedLynx put a lot of effort into this riddle, so much so that we think they might be in the wrong line of work. Don't get us wrong, Trials HD is great, but with talent like this at the helm, maybe LOST wouldn't have turned out the way it did.
Trials Evolution's track editor taught in seven easy videos
When Trials Evolution launches, we think you'll want to spend every available minute playing it. Better start studying up on the new track editor now!
Trials Evolution takes a dark turn into the world of Limbo
Either the dude took one too many spills and has a major concussion, or he really needs to be more aware of where he's driving. Trials Evolution transports the masochistic main character to the world of Playdead's Limbo.RedLynx created the track using Trials Evolution's built-in track editor, XBLA Fans reports. Now, instead of only dodging pitfalls and explosions, dirtbike dude can also look forward to dodging giant cogs and saw blades when Arcade NEXT kicks off on April 18 with the launch of Trials Evolution.Also of note: the first batch of screens show no spider, but it's there. Trust us.
XBLA 'Arcade NEXT' promo includes Trials Evolution April 18, Minecraft May 9
How does Microsoft fill the space between "House Party" and "Summer of Arcade?" With a new promotion called "Arcade NEXT," loaded with important XBLA games. How important? Minecraft important.The promotion kicks off with Trials Evolution on April 18. Bloodforge follows on April 25; then Fable Heroes on May 2. The promotion culminates in the game that has all the top XBLIG devs terrified: Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition on May 9. Minecraft costs 1600 Microsoft Points, and Fable Heroes is 800; the rest are 1200 ($15). And all of them come with the new 400 Gamerscore ceiling. Find details on each game after the break.%Gallery-151283%
Trials Evolution date spotted on Xbox.com, backflips out of sight
Trials Evolution, the next installment in the addictive time-trial franchise from developer RedLynx, may be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade on April 18, if an Xbox Live Marketplace listing is to be believed.Discovered by the folks at Eurogamer, the listing for Trials Evolution (now pulled, but captured above) originally listed the April release before disintegrating into nothingness -- like our chances of reaching the top of the Trials HD leaderboards. As the leaked date falls on a Wednesday, it would follow Microsoft's typical release schedule for the Xbox Live Arcade.Joystiq has contacted Ubisoft, parent company of the Finnish developer, to find out if they're ready to spill the beans on a release date. We just can't wait to scream at our televisions for fudging up our balance ... again and again.
Trials Evolution now on track for spring 2012 launch
Trials Evolution is creeping one wheelie flip closer to launch with today's announcement of a "spring 2012" launch window. More exciting than an ambiguous window of four months? The latest trailer which reveals said launch, which showcases the game's surprisingly malleable track editor.Beyond making crazy tracks to challenge your best friends (and worst enemies -- it is Trials, after all) through Xbox Live, players will be able to create crazy looking first-person shooters and Spy Hunter-esque top down fare. And while that's all plenty thrilling, we're most interested in having an unlimited supply of crazy racetracks to obsess over. Finally, a reason to never stop playing Trials!%Gallery-146251%
Trials: Evolution leaked (but not by RedLynx this time)
Despite a past precedent for leaking its own upcoming game in the effort of publicity, Trials franchise dev RedLynx has denied claims that it was behind the recent leak of Trials Evolution. "We want to be clear that is not something we did ourselves," RedLynx managing director Tero Virtala told Develop.Virtala also challenged pirates who snagged a copy of the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade exclusive. "Trials Evolution is a game that makes full use of being continuously connected," he pointed out; online-based additions like leaderboards and online multiplayer are unavailable in the leaked version due to Microsoft's monitoring of hacked Xbox 360s.A recent PEGI rating clued us in that Trials Evolution will launch sometime soon, but Virtala also teased a "new trailer coming soon which will give people a much better look into everything the game will hold and when they can expect to see it." We're especially interested in that last part.
Get behind Trials Evolution's multiplayer handlebars, thanks to Inside Xbox
Wondering how Trials Evolution's multiplayer mode plays out? Based on the latest gameplay video from developer RedLynx and publisher Microsoft Studios, it's not the disaster of physics we envisioned.
Trials Evolution rated by PEGI
Europe's PEGI ratings board has classified RedLynx's Trials Evolution, giving rise to the hope of a launch announcement for the tricky motorcycle title that'll launch "when it's done." Trials Evolution would be the second high-profile XBLA game rated by PEGI and noticed by XBLAfans this week, with Fez's classification reported yesterday. Hmmm, Fez, Trials Evolution and Alan Wake's American Nightmare are all stirring at the same time, with two of the titles pegged as early 2012 launches. Could Microsoft have another House Party ("Winter of Arcade") in the works? If so, and if history is any indication, an announcement should occur in the next couple weeks.
Ubisoft acquires RedLynx, developer of Thousand Heroes and DrawRace 2 for iOS
Game developer Ubisoft, publishers of some of the biggest franchises on HD consoles, has picked up developer RedLynx, makers of XBLA's great Trials HD, as well as a few solid iOS titles, including Thousand Heroes and the excellent DrawRace 2. Ubisoft says it will use the purchase to both further RedLynx's properties, including Trials, to more platforms, as well as take advantage of RedLynx's asychronous online gameplay expertise to work on its own titles. Ubisoft does have quite a few iOS apps out and available at the moment, but presumably this acquisition will beef up that library. There isn't any information on how much Ubisoft paid for the purchase, but hopefully this will bring better games from both companies, as they share resources for all of the various platforms they deliver games on. [via Joystiq]
Trials Evolution to launch 'when it's done,' still being published by Microsoft
Trials franchise creator RedLynx may be warming up to its new publisher marriage with Ubisoft, as this morning's acquisition announcement revealed, but it doesn't mean that the Finland-based studio is moving in immediately. "We will still be working directly with Microsoft to bring Trials Evolution to Xbox Live Arcade once it's ready," RedLynx Director of Marketing and PR Jason Bates told me this morning. It doesn't look like that'll be this year, however, as Bates explained that the company is taking a "when it's done" attitude to development and the game's launch date. "What we've been holding to is the 'when it's done' approach," Bates said. "We are going to take the time to polish and test the game to the best of our ability before we release it, to ensure it matches the quality people have come to expect from a Trials game." Trials Evolution will be the last game that RedLynx puts out as an indie studio, as the game is still being published by Microsoft for Xbox Live Arcade, rather than Ubisoft. "We are looking forward to working with Ubisoft to ensure that Trials Evolution does get the attention it deserves when the game arrives," Bates said, though he also admitted that, "Ubisoft will respect the current commitments ... Microsoft is still the publisher of the title." The last Trials entry, Trials HD, has racked up over 2 million sales to date on Xbox Live Arcade -- a franchise Ubisoft is no doubt eyeing for potential future projects at the Finnish studio. Might we suggest TrialsMania? Just a thought!%Gallery-125596%
Trials HD dev acquired by Ubisoft for undisclosed amount
Wildly successful indie developer RedLynx is now a part of French mega-publisher Ubisoft. RedLynx announced the acquisition this morning (evening for the Finland-based outfit) via its forums, where company CEO Rero Virtala explained the decision. "We were attracted by Ubisoft's focus on creativity and quality," he said, also pointing to the publisher's "long-term strategy on both the traditional and digital distribution video game markets." Ubisoft has been pushing quality digital titles hard over the last year, with everything from unique one-offs like Outland and From Dust to re-releases of classics like TMNT, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good & Evil HD. The publisher was no doubt attracted to RedLynx's massively popular Trials series, which is set to receive a sequel in the coming months.
RedLynx on MotoHeroz's ancestry, league play, and prospects
Trials HD developer RedLynx released MotoHeroz on WiiWare in North America last week. As a multiplayer, party-focused iteration on the exacting Trials gameplay -- and as a major WiiWare release in 2011 -- it's an odd game. In the interest of understanding it a bit better, I spoke to lead designer Antti Ilvessuo in an email interview. MotoHeroz is actually the second game in a "Heroz" series. RedLynx released an even weirder game, the foot-racer 1000 Heroz for iOS, this year, and the new WiiWare game ties into it. "Both MotoHeroz and our iOS game 1000 Heroz take place in the same shared universe, the world of Gema," Ilvessuo said. "In this world, differences are settled not with battles but with games, and politicians must get to the top of their Leaderboards to get elected." The characters are purportedly unworthy of the designation "heroes," thus the near-miss appellation "Heroz." You can even collect "Ancestor Spirits" in MotoHeroz who hail from the prehistoric cast of the iPhone game.
Daily iPhone App: DrawRace 2
I got to see DrawRace 2 in action back at GDC this year, and it's a wild one. The title is a racing game at heart, but it plays unlike any racing game you've ever seen: Instead of driving the car around the track, you actually just draw a path around, dictating where the car will go, when it will turn, and how fast it should move. You have to still use the same rules as driving, however, as you push your finger around. Move too fast in the straights, and the car will spin out when you try to go around a curve. Or hit the side of the track accidentally, and you'll lose time in the race. It's a weird concept, but the execution makes it work anyway. The sound is particularly notable -- as you guide your finger around the track, you can hear the tires squeal and the engine growl, so the experience is very much like actual driving. Fortunately, at just US 99 cents, it's not a big risk to download the app and see what it's like. Chillingo is publishing this RedLynx-developed title (RedLynx also worked on the popular Trials HD game on Xbox 360), so there's Game Center support, lots of content and challenges to play through, and plenty of the polish that the publisher is known for. If you like driving or racing games, or just want to try out this crazy interface, definitely give DrawRace 2 a look.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: 1000 Heroz
I first heard about 1000 Heroz, a brand new iOS game available from Trials HD developers RedLynx, a while back, and when I did, it wasn't clear just what it was all about. The game promised new content every day for a full thousand days (almost three years, according to my calculator), but didn't exactly say what that entailed. But now, of course, we know: the game is out on the App Store right now, and it's a platforming/racing game with players running a little man (or woman) along a track and trying to hit the fastest time. It's interesting -- the physics are just a bit floaty, which adds to the difficulty of jumping your character in at just the right moment in order to move as quickly as you can up and down the hills. The real hook here is that there is a new level for the game every single day, and there will be new levels out, for free, for the next few years. That's a pretty solid chunk of content -- there are only a few levels now, but promising new stuff to see every day is a pretty good deal. The game's just 99 cents on the iPhone (and a buck more on the iPad), and while there are a few in-game achievements and rewards to go after for each level, it's also connected up to Game Center for leaderboards. Each level also comes with its own hero and relic, so you're not just getting a new level to race through, but new graphics on that end as well. It's a pretty ambitious plan, and man, when you think of all the content you'll have in a few years, all for just a buck, it's a hard app not to buy.
Trials Evolution revs up for another round on XBLA
Considering the embarrassing regularity and bone-smashing severity with which the riders are ejected from their motorcycles, Trials might as well have been called ExitBike. The tricky test of speed, momentum and balance is set to return to Xbox Live Arcade this year with Trials Evolution, a sequel to two-million seller Trials HD. Finnish developer Redlynx claims that it took its time in "carefully planning and developing" the follow-up before making today's announcement. "We listened carefully to all the feedback we received from the previous game and added it to our own vision of what the ultimate Trials game could be, coming up with a gamer's wish list of must-play features," said creative director Antti Ilvessuo. Judging by the teaser trailer posted after the break, it seems gamers no longer want to be alone in leaning just a little too far over the handle bars. %Gallery-125596%
Trials HD motors past 2 million sales
Trials HD, the XBLA version of the "don't try this at home" motorcycle stunt series, has surpassed 2 million units sold. Developer RedLynx says the figure covers the "digital numbers" and clarified to Joystiq that it does not include the recently released XBLA disc bundle. Trials HD launched 18 months ago and had sold a million units by September last year. RedLynx isn't ready to share what its next HD project is -- though we do know that it currently has "six teams working on six games." %Gallery-64987%
RedLynx announces iPhone/iPad game, 1000 Heroz
After teasing fans of absurdly long iOS games with a brief trailer last week, Trials HD developer RedLynx has properly revealed its upcoming platformer, 1000 Heroz. (That's pronounced "Heroes," not "Huh-raws," which makes the title sound like some kind of fancy wine.) As teased, the game unlocks a new protagonist every day for 1,000 days, each of which must race through a historical environment to collect gold and relics for players to store in their Hall of Records. The game's press release announcement promises "the physics-based timing of Trials with the jumping of a Mario-type game." Keep those two things in mind as you check out the extremely wobbly characters featured in the game's first trailer, posted after the jump. You'll be able to start working through the catalog of Heroz sometime in April for $0.99 on iPhone and $1.99 on iPad.
Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man retail pack in Europe on May 13
The XBLA "Triple Pack" retail bundle, featuring the critically adored trio of Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man, will be available in Europe on May 13. The pack's North American release date was previously announced as being April 19. The North American price had been confirmed at $29.99, but there is currently no official price for Europe and the UK. The European edition will also include a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial and 160 MS Points ($2). That's a decent deal, and it reinforces what we're always saying: Who needs the internet?
