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Ninja Theory partners with Chillingo to publish Fightback
Ninja Theory is an excellent game developer based in the UK that's produced Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and the recent Devil May Cry reboot. Now, Ninja Theory is releasing its first iOS title, Fightback, which EA studio Chillingo will publish. Fightback, as you can see above, looks like a fairly gritty arcade-style beat-em-up, and it boasts some AAA grade production values, as well as some interesting touch-based combat. Fightback is set for previews at E3, so we'll see more of the game in action then. It's set to launch on iOS later this summer. Chillingo is a very high-quality studio that's been doing plenty of good work lately, and with its ties to EA, it's no surprise that Ninja Theory gave it the go-ahead on publishing duties. Ninja Theory is a great studio, and we'll look forward to seeing how this one turns out. Show full PR text Chillingo Partners with Ninja Theory Ltd. to Publish Fightback on Mobile and Tablet Ninja Theory's Mobile Debut Playable at E3 MACCLESFIELD, U.K., May 24, 2013 - Chillingo, leading independent mobile games publisher and division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), today announced that they are partnering with prominent Cambridge, UK-based independent video game developer Ninja Theory Ltd. to publish the studio's first mobile game, Fightback for the App Store and Google Play™. From the award-winning studio behind Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and DmC: Devil May Cry, Ninja Theory's Fightback is a thrilling free-to-play action game with a striking 80s action movie vibe and a revolutionary touch-based combat system. "Chillingo is very excited to collaborate with such a talented, critically-acclaimed studio to help shape their first title for the mobile market," states Ed Rumley, COO, Chillingo. "Our team is working closely with Ninja Theory to ensure Fightback delivers a phenomenal experience for mobile and tablet devices." "Mobile and tablet gaming is a phenomenon that we just couldn't ignore as a studio and we're very proud to be working with one of the industry's heavy-weights on bringing Fightback to market. Ninja Theory has always strived for the highest production values and that absolutely remains the case in this exciting new space," said Dominic Matthews, Product Manager, Ninja Theory Ltd. Fightback is slated to launch this summer. Hands-on previews will be shared with press at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Additional details and information will be available at www.chillingo.com in the coming months.
Adult Swim's Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe hitting Steam soon
Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe, a crazy mix of Tetris and Mega Man created by developer Andrew Morrish and published by Adult Swim, comes to Steam later today. The project started as a Flash game (playable for free) in which you shoot groups of blocks that fall from above. The "Deluxe" part is new, with the game having evolved to include eight different characters, six worlds, and local head-to-head multiplayer. Full controller support is also included, so you can play SPPD through Steam's Big Picture mode. Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe is regularly priced at $7.99, though it'll be 25 percent off at launch. To celebrate, Adult Swim's also having a half-off sale on its first Steam release, Super House of Dead Ninjas, next Tuesday, May 28.
Warhammer 40K Armageddon gets details, coming in 2014
There are a couple of Warhammer-related titles on their way to iOS soon, but this is the most interesting yet. Developer Slitherine has revealed that it's working on a title called Warhammer 40K: Armageddon, a turn-based, hex-tiled strategy game coming to PC and iOS next year. The game will set Space Marines against Orks across 35 different scenarios, and feature over 100 units with upgradeable stats and attributes, along with a modding system and a separate set of maps balanced out for multiplayer. Armageddon joins a number of other Warhammer games in progress, including Warhammer Quest and the upcoming Space Hulk adaptation. This is an extremely popular game franchise, and iOS is quickly becoming the home of choice for its games. Unfortunately, we won't get to see Armageddon in action until next year at least, but we'll look forward to seeing it then. Show full PR text Armageddon™ invasion starts in 2014 Warhammer® 40,000® turn-based strategy videogame details are disclosed Slitherine and Games Workshop® are pleased to announce Warhammer® 40,000®: Armageddon™. Having announced an exciting partnership with Games Workshop a few weeks ago, Slitherine are delighted to release further details. Slitherine have acquired the exclusive rights to Games Workshop's "Battle for Armageddon" setting in order to create a series of amazing multiplatform, turn-based, hex-based games. Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon will make full use of Slitherine's expertise in creating compelling and challenging strategy gaming experiences. The initial game is set during the Second War of Armageddon and players will lead the Imperial forces of the Armageddon Steel Legion and Space Marines® from the Ultramarines, Blood Angels and Salamanders Chapters against Ghazghkull Thraka's massive Ork Waaagh! invasion through over 30 scenarios, on the hostile terrain of the planet and its gigantic Hive Cities. "It is very exciting to see a game like this come alive - I just can't wait to play it!", said Iain McNeil, Development Director of the Slitherine Group. "It's been almost 15 years since a turn-based strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe has been released and we think it is now time to deliver that experience to all fans around the world". "The Battle for Armageddon is a classic event in the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, having been detailed in games, models and novels over the past 20 years." said Jon Gillard, Head of Licensing at Games Workshop. "Slitherine's masterful use of their classic digital wargame style applied to this seminal setting will delight fans of both." The game is currently in development for PC and iOS and will release in the first quarter of 2014. Main features of the game include: The game portrays the Second War for Armageddon™ in great detail, from the initial Ork landings to the final liberation of the planet; It contains a large branching campaign with 30 major scenarios, plus additional 5 tutorial scenarios that explore the story in detail; A complex plot, which can develop during a mission, right in the middle of battle, creating an engaging story line with unexpected twists; Players lead Imperial troops of the Armageddon™ Steel Legion, with supporting assets from a number of Space Marine chapters against the ferocious Orks; Fight alongside Commissar Yarrik and Commander Dante against the cunning Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka; Carry over battle-hardened veterans from scenario to scenario, using their experience and upgrading their equipment; Detailed combat model with terrain, weather and morale effects; Extensive modding options delivered through a powerful and easy-to-use game editor. Some numbers: Over 35 scenarios; Over 100 unit types, with unique roles, stats and special abilities; 20 different units stats; A separate set of maps are designed and balanced specifically for multiplayer via Slitherine's PBEM++ system.
Daily iPhone App: Las Vegas! brings Ravensburger's dice game to the iPad
Las Vegas! is a popular dice game that Ravensburger put together last year. It's not exactly the most complicated board game on the block (you roll dice, and then can place them into certain numbered slots that represent stakes in money-making casinos), but it's fun for families especially, and provides a nice relatively casual mix of luck and skill. Perhaps because the game is so approachable, the German company Ravensburger has elected to bring an iOS version out to iPhone and iPad, and you can now pick it up on the App Store for US$2.99. Just like the real-world game, the iOS version is fun but simple -- you select your players (or you can play online via Game Center), you roll the dice and then you try to lay them out in casinos wherever you think they'll earn you the most money. Play goes on like this for four rounds, at which point the player with the most money wins. There's also a more complicated variant where you get a number of neutral dice that you can use to block other players, and Ravensburger has smartly included that option here, which provides some extra replayability, especially for gamers seeking some more challenging strategy. The game's well-presented (I did have one small bug when starting a game, but a quick reset of the app fixed it anyway), with plenty of Vegas-style sounds and some nice casino architecture. There's also the ability to earn money from game-to-game, though I'm not sure what that's used for just yet -- maybe Ravensburger plans to put in more themes and casinos as time goes on. Currently, there are no in-app purchases at all, and I appreciate that. What you see for your $2.99 is what you get, and the game that's there is worth the price if you're interested.
Battlefield 4 launching on October 29, both it and Destiny coming to Xbox One
Battlefield 4 has announced via its Facebook page that the game will launch on October 29 of this year. In addition to versions on the PC, Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation 4, the team has also confirmed the game will be coming to Microsoft's newly announced Xbox One console. The Xbox One doesn't have a confirmed launch date just yet, so it's possible that version will arrive later. Additionally, EA's announced Battlefield 4's first expansion pack, called China Rising. The pack will contain four extra maps, along with extra vehicles and weapons. It will be available at launch, and come free with any pre-order of the game. And speaking of confirmed Xbox One titles, Bungie has also made it clear that Destiny is due out on Xbox One as well. Stay tuned for more confirmations on next-gen titles for Microsoft's new console.
EVE Online creator CCP revving up for mobile release
Touch Arcade recently had a chat with CCP, the Icelandic developer behind the popular MMO EVE Online, and while there aren't any announcements yet, it certainly sounds like they're gearing up for some iOS apps, or even maybe a client for the game itself. EVE's been on the Mac for a while now, and there have been some third-party attempts at bringing parts of the game to iOS. But CCP has just released a companion game called Dust 514 on the PS3, and that means it's probably time they start thinking about tying in iOS and other popular mobile platforms as well. There's an app called Neocom coming from CCP to the PS Vita, and Executive Producer John Lander calls that app a "tracer bullet" to see if the community's interested in more mobile offerings. Neocom allows players to customize their weapons and buy and sell virtual goods for the game, and that seems like an excellent set of functionality to bring over to iOS as well. Lander says that there are lots and lots of possibilities, and that CCP is planning on stepping up development this year, hopefully moving towards lots of little projects with quicker turnarounds. At any rate, there's something coming from CCP for sure. "This time next year, you will have EVE Mobile in your hand," Lander told assembled fans at a recent company gathering.
The Swapper switches it up on May 30
The Swapper – the Indie Fund-ed, clay model-animated, puzzle platformer put together by a few Finnish university students – has been set to hit Steam on May 30. The game has a lone space explorer wandering an alien cave, with a "weapon" that allows him to create clones of himself to solve puzzles and move around. Facepalm has released a brand new trailer showing that gameplay and the title's excellent graphics, which were created by animating photos of actual clay. The initial release will be for PC, with Mac and Linux coming later, and "maybe something else" after that.
Finger Tied Jr. coming next week
Finger Tied is an iPad app that arrived late last year. It's put together by developer Owen Goss, and he says that a lot of users have asked him to create an iPhone version of the app, but given that it's a game that uses the iPad's big screen for lots of finger-swiping space, he didn't want to make it until he was sure he could do it justice. Apparently he found a way, because he's delivering the iPhone version next week, with a game called Finger Tied, Jr. There's a short post up on his blog talking about the game, and as you can see from the picture above, it's more compact than the full iPad title. But that could be fun anyway. Finger Tied, Jr. is due out next week, May 23. Stay tuned for a full look at the app sometime after that.
Newbie tips to surviving the DUST 514 experience
It's DUST 514's launch day, and if you've hit dirt with your face more than your combat boots, then you might need a helping hand with CCP's MMO shooter. PlayStation Universe has posted a pair of guides to help new players get off to a strong start, and since Massively cares about each and every one of you, we wanted to pass them along so that you don't end up a shallow grave on an alien world. The first guide is a hodge-podge of beginner's tips, and the second has to do with earning much-needed skill points. "In the early days, we think it's wise to hoard ISK and SP until a time when you're ready to decide on your specialization," the author writes. "Until then, the Militia Gear is good enough." Good luck, soldiers! If you have any DUST 514 tips or tricks that you'd like to pass along to other Massively readers, please do so in the comments.
Heroes and Castles updated to version 3.0
Foursaken Media's Heroes and Castles has been updated yet again, with lots of new content to play. The game, which allows you to level up a hero by defending a town and its various resources against an army of invading minions, has been popular for Foursaken already, and the team told me during GDC that they were planning on adding plenty of extras to the game this year. They've reached version 3.0 now, and the latest update adds three new heroes: an Assassin, a Barbarian, and a Druid, each with their own abilities and weapons. There's also a brand new campaign for the game that must be unlocked to play, with new maps to fight over, and new allied units to join you in battle. You can upgrade buildings and units even further, the graphics now boast real-time shadows, and the game's performance has been upgraded overall. Finally, there are new achievements to earn in the game, which the best players can go after for Game Center glory. That's a sizable update that adds even more value to this excellent $1.99 game. Heroes and Castles can be downloaded right now. [via Touch Arcade]
Road Not Taken is coming soon from Triple Town's creators
Triple Town is one of my favorite games on iOS over the past few years -- it's a puzzle game with a simple ruleset and a whole lot of complexity. The creator of that game, called Spry Fox, has announced a new title in development called Road Not Taken, and you can now see some concept art from it over on the official blog. The game is sort of roguelike, according to the developers, and as you can see above, it has some similarities to the grid-based Triple Town. But instead of building up a world, it's more about finding a path through the world, and avoiding or confronting various dangers on the way. As you can tell from the title, which refers to the famous Robert Frost poem, the game will offer various paths, and it seems like most of the strategy will come from choosing your own way. Sounds interesting. Road Not Taken isn't coming too soon -- Spry Fox says it probably won't be ready until the end of the year. But we' hope to see it on the App Store when it finally is ready to go.
Carmageddon free, The Incident and more on sale
Just in time for the weekend, here's a few apps that have dropped their (already cheap) prices even lower, meaning that you've got plenty to play here for just a few bucks' worth (all prices USD). The PC classic turned iOS port Carmageddon has gone completely free for today only. The Incident is on sale for 99 cents. The Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders flight-simulation title has dropped down to just a buck. Just a few weeks after release, Sega's dropped The House of the Dead: Overkill to just $2.99. The game's not fantastic, but it does have a really innovative shooting mechanic built for iOS. Crazy Taxi is also on sale for 99 cents. Zach Gage's Halcyon is currently completely free to download. Chillingo has dropped Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops down to free as well. Velocispider is on sale for 99 cents. NetherRealm's impressive Batman: Arkham City Lockdown is just under a dollar, too. Excellent price to try that one out at if you haven't. Cavern is a roguelike RPG with some good buzz that's on sale for $1.99. Big Fish Games' cute and polished point-and-click adventure title Fetch is only $2.99. That's just a buck off the usual price, but the game's well worth it. Finally, the retro arcade space shooter Plasma Sky is also available for free right now. Personally, I'm still enjoying Firaxis' free Haunted Hollow, but I'm loading up a few of these on my iPad as well. Enjoy!
Pixbits announces Junk Jack X, coming later this year
There are quite a few "sandbox" games available on iOS, including the uber-popular Minecraft, and Majic Jungle's great Blockheads. But my favorite so far is Junk Jack, a 2D sandbox title put together by Pixbits. It's excellent -- its little square tiles are perfect for the iPhone's interface, and almost everything you can craft in the game is useful and interesting. There has been murmuring that Pixbits was going to create a "Junk Jack 2" release soon, but instead, the company has announced a game called Junk Jack X, a brand-new installment of the series with multiplayer, character customization, worlds support, a deeper crafting system and of course upgraded graphics. You can see what the game looks like in the announcement post, and it's definitely very impressive. Liquids will now flow through the game realistically, you can equip and upgrade various items in a few different slots and the game will also have other planets (!) and themes to explore. Junk Jack is a great game, and Junk Jack X looks like it improves on almost every feature. Pixbits says work is going well, but given the vast scope of the title, we probably won't see it on the App Store until Q3 or Q4 of this year. We'll be waiting.
Apple's two-step ID now rolling out to a worldwide release
Apple recently introduced two-step verification for your Apple ID in certain countries, and the process is now being expanded to the rest of the world. The feature, which requires two different codes for verifying your Apple ID (if you want to be extra safe) was initially only available in the US, UK, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. But Apple has now included Canada in on the feature, as well as users in Argentina, Pakistan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Austria, Brazil, Belgium and Portugal. In other words, two-step authentication is now rolling out to a more or less worldwide release. The authentication process is still optional -- if you don't think you need it, you can still stick with just your Apple ID password as a login. The process does help security, though it's still not a perfect solution. Apple only implemented this procedure earlier this year due to some security concerns on behalf of users. But it will help against some attacks, and it should work as another step to keep unwanted invaders out of your Apple ID account.
Final Fantasy XIV coming this summer, next beta phase starting in June
Executive Producer Naoki Yoshida has a couple of significant announcements concerning the testing and release of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. He's excited to announce that the relaunch of the title will be happening in "summer 2013," with a more specific date to be announced by the end of May. He also said that details and pre-orders for the collector's edition will be coming this month as well. "The whole team has been working at full throttle to ensure the game will be ready for a summer release," Yoshida said. "It won't be long before you can mark your calendars and begin the final countdown!" Before the launch happens, however, phase 3 of beta testing needs to happen. This will start at the beginning of June, according to Yoshida. Phase 3 is notable in that it will be the first time that the PlayStation 3 version of FFXIV will be included in the beta testing.
Defiance team plans five DLC releases, first adds the Castithan race and more
Now that the MMO-slash-TV show Defiance has been launched, says executive producer Nathan Richardsson, things are about to really get good, in the form of five DLC releases later this year. He admits that fan response to the game has it pegged as "about as deep as a bag of chips but great fun," but adds that he'd "like to get to the two-bag of chip depth category or at least, add some salsas for various textures." Most of those spices will come in the form of DLC, and Richardsson has outlined what the game's first addon, tentatively titled "Enter the Castithan," will look like. There will be three elements to it: Those who buy the downloadable content for $10 will get access to the Castithan playable race, along with a new outfit and vehicle, and a new story mission line and game mode. There will also be free content, including new weapons, a new PvP map called Military Academy, and some other game improvements. And then there will be new items in the store, including weapon mods, more vehicle versions, and the ability to change your character's customizations. Richardsson says all future add-ons will have these paid, free, and store components, and the team's goal is to keep the updates and content flowing and focused on what players want. The first DLC release is expected to hit the game after a patch later on this month.
Mutant Mudds Deluxe for Wii U almost ready to be submitted
Developer Jools Watsham has tweeted that Mutant Mudds Deluxe, which was set to come to the Wii U this spring, has reached the final stage of development. Watsham says the game is currently being polished, and that it should be submitted to Nintendo for release later on this week. The Deluxe version of the retro platformer will be playable directly on the Wii U's tablet controller, and will feature both the add-on content from the main game and new levels to play. If the game is submitted this week as planned, it should appear on the eShop soon after.
Daily iPad App: Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy is a great board game adaptation
Eclipse is one of the most popular board games around right now -- it's a vast, involving epic "4X" game, where those four Xs stand for eXploration, eXpansion, eXploitation (as in mining crops and resources from various planets) and eXtermination (as in finishing off your alien opponents). It was recently announced that Big Daddy's Creations would be adapting the game for iPad, and the iOS version has now arrived on the App Store, available for US$6.99. As a board game, I think Eclipse is terrific -- it's very well-balanced, and all of the various things you can do offer plenty of different strategies to play with. There are three resources (money, science and material) that you can use to exert your influence on various areas of a galaxy, research new technologies for starships or your empire or build up those ships and other various structures to combat your enemies. The game's almost endlessly flexible, in that you can try to win over the game's nine turns in any number of ways. The drawback here, however, is that all of that flexibility and complexity make the game, well, complicated. This is not a casual game by any means, and while the iOS version's interface is fairly good at converting all of the information you need into a visible, touchable form, it's not very good at actually explaining what all of that information is. So when you're confronted by 30-50 icons on screen at the same time and asked to choose one, the game can be overwhelming to say the least. Still, if you like great board games and are up for a challenge, Eclipse is excellent. And if you're already familiar with the board game, then this might end up becoming one of your favorite games on the App Store. My only other complaint is that there's no real "metagame" to it -- winning or losing the various games you play doesn't matter much in the larger picture at all. Still, Eclipse is an incredible adaptation of a brilliant board game, and it comes highly recommended. Even at the price of $6.99, it's one of the best board game apps out there.
Ronimo celebrates a year of Awesomenauts, with more on the way
Ronimo Games has shared this video on the first anniversary of its latest title Awesomenauts, featuring a look at all of the game's iterations over its history. From early alpha builds to the release version and then the various skins and updates, you can watch the awesomeness increase in front of your eyes. Ronimo promises more is coming to the world of Awesomenauts. Update 1.18 is currently in testing, and it will add a balance overhaul and a Leon Pirate skin into the game that will replace all of that character's audio. Admiral Swiggins, the winning character from the "Design Your Own Awesomenaut" contest, is also set to release soon.
Wonderputt creator Reece Millidge talks about the upcoming, beautiful Icycle: On Thin Ice
I saw the upcoming iOS game Icycle: On Thin Ice back at GDC, and I think it was the best game (out of maybe fifty or more) that I saw that week. Reece Millidge is an animator and game developer based in Britain, and I first came across his work while playing the Flash version of an abstract putting game he made called Wonderputt. Millidge has a wild sense of design and pacing, and both of those skills make Icycle: On Thin Ice one of my most anticipated iOS games of the year in 2013. Just recently, Millidge kindly responded to a few questions from TUAW, talking both about his history on iOS so far, and what to expect in his upcoming release. Wonderputt arrived on the App Store last year, and Millidge says it was quite successful. He'd "heard from publishers that mini golf games on mobile were not popular like they were on the browser. So from that kind of feedback I never expected it to go far." But it reached #1 paid app on the UK charts, and has since not only matched the Flash version in financial success, but has seen over 100,000 paid downloads. That kind of success has obviously encouraged Millidge to release another iOS app, and Icycle: On Thin Ice is a game based on another Flash title he did, simply called Icycle. But On Thin Ice is not only designed for a touchscreen, but it has lots of new content as well. "Icycle, the Flash version, and Icycle: On Thin Ice are two completely different games," Millidge tells us. The title will have a new story, new levels, and new power-ups to play with, with lots of new abilities for the game's hero (a naked man on a bicycle named Dennis). "The only thing that has remained from Icycle, really," says Milidge, "is Dennis himself." On Thin Ice will also be made into a Flash version of the game, but Millidge says the iOS version will have "extra content, levels, and in-app updates." Icycle's basic story sends Dennis exploring through a post-apocalyptic ice age, and while the original game simply played around with various icy landscapes, On Thin Ice has a much wider scope. The game begins with a fantastically animated James Bond-esque title sequence, and early on, Dennis is clunked over the head and has to make his way through an abstract art-inspired dreamland, exploring paintings like Magritte's Son of Man and other works. Millidge says his influences come from all over the place. "I've mainly taken inspiration from illustrators who work in vector art, but also from some of the masters in minimalist print and poster work such as Charley Harper," he says. "Russian propaganda and Art Deco travel posters are also a favourite." He says English cartoons like Monty Python and Yellow Submarine are a big influence as well. The bicycle mechanic was inspired by an old BBC Micro game, according to Millidge, called Dare Devil Dennis, and there are some other fun references in Icycle that refer to that old retro title. But the idea of making the guy on the bike naked while wandering through a freezing landscape is all just about "maximising empathy," Millidge says. "That and a cruel sense of humour, of course." I was so impressed with the short time I had with Icycle: On Thin Ice at GDC, and I can't wait to see the finished game. Chillingo is publishing, and Icycle: On Thin Ice should be out and available on the App Store soon.
