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Relentless Software launches Digital Division, more titles coming soon
Relentless Software is the UK company behind Blue Toad Murder Files for the PSN and Quiz Climber for iOS, and it recently announced that it is opening up a new "Digital Division" to expand its various releases through digital distribution. The Digital Division is separate from the console department inside the company, and going forward, Executive Director Andrew Eades says that it will "steer" original IP from the company in both social and mobile spaces. Relentless has also hired a former EA producer named James Wright, and he says that opening the division will "bring more fun, accessible and ground-breaking titles across several platforms for non-gamers." Up next for Relentless, the company plans a version of Quiz Climber called Rivals, the console side of the company will continue to grow the Buzz! quiz game franchise for Sony, and Relentless says it has lots of other unannounced projects in progress at this time.
Buzz! developer lays off 20 in rebuilding phase; ex-staff form Full Moon studio
Within in the past two weeks, approximately 20 employees of Relentless Software -- makers of quiz game franchise Buzz! and charming puzzler The Blue Toad Murder Files -- were let go. The developer announced as much this week, with director and co-founder Andrew Eades telling GamesIndustry.biz, "We have recently restructured the company to work on a variety of different projects and different platforms." According to Eades, the layoffs are part of the studio's previously revealed plans to reshape itself into a multiplatform developer. In fact, Relentless is actually hiring new staff as part of its rebuilding effort. "Our real strategy going forward is to change the company from a disc-based, console games company only -- which is what we were; we were only PlayStation 3; we were only console; we were only quiz, in fact. We wanted to change the company to have much more breadth and embrace the new digital platforms we saw coming in," Eades reiterated. Thankfully, just as quickly as the layoffs took place, a new studio was born out of the bad news: Full Moon. Representative Kalvin Lyle told GI.biz that "no animosity" is felt towards Relentless, and that some of the Full Moon staff are even looking forward to working with their old coworkers in the future. "I can't speak for everyone, but I think we're trying to make the best of it," Lyle said. Full Moon will focus on "casual gaming and digital distribution," though no projects are in the works just yet. Beyond news of the restructuring, Relentless announced its next project, an iPhone quiz title (shock!) named Quiz Climber. The game has players answering questions in order to advance up friends' leaderboards, represented by a tree in the game. EA-owned Chillingo will publish the title and says the game will arrive sometime this spring. [Image credit: jaygooby]
'Buzz' dev Relentless expands digital strategy as PlayStation exclusivity deal ends
Relentless Software, the UK-based creator of the Buzz! trivia games for PlayStation platforms, is now free from an exclusivity deal with Sony and looking to pursue a digital distribution strategy that would bring its games to a wide range of internet-connected devices. "That's my aim," co-founder Andrew Eades told GamesIndustry.biz, "to make games for anyone who has a TV." "The whole retail market is becoming very much about pillar titles for a hardcore audience," said Eades, citing Activision's perennial standout Call of Duty and its difficult to match, multimillion dollar budget as good reason to move away form the disc-based business, "so we have to find a new way to get to our audience, and that is digital, episodic, various different platforms, including PlayStation -- that remains our main platform." The platform-exclusivity deal with Sony ended on good terms last year, and Relentless will continue to look to PlayStation Network for long-term revenue in its new, fremium-based Buzz!: Quiz Player iteration, along with ongoing sales of its self-published episodic mystery game, Blue Toad Murder Files, which debuted on PSN in late 2009. (It was released for PC in November.) "The interesting thing we've found out with Blue Toad is that, almost a year after its first launch, we're still selling it in different ways," Eades explained. "We've had a sixty percent uplift in sales through the Advent Calendar Theme Bundle pack. You can't do this on disc." This realization appears to be the guiding light in the studio's new focus to expand its digital distribution efforts to more platforms. Relentless is at work on a new game for next year, to be followed by the launch of a new IP. "PlayStations and Xboxes have a place under many people's TVs, but there's also satellite boxes, Apple TVs, Google TVs, internet-connected TVs," Eades observed. "They all have more and more computational power, and that's all we need -- that processor power to deliver our games and the internet connection to distribute them -- and we're in the living room just as any broadcast TV is." [Image source: Relentless]
Blue Toad Murder Files adding PlayStation Move support
Relentless' PSN murder mystery puzzle game joins the ever-growing list of games to support the PlayStation Move motion controller. Available now in Europe, and coming soon to America, a new patch will add pointer support to the Blue Toad Murder Files. Sorry, there's no "waggle" support. To coincide with the holidays and the newly released patch, Relentless is offering a price break on the entire season pass. Episodes 1-6 can be purchased in one bundle for £9.99 / €12.99 / $14.99. That's a pretty good per-episode value, we reckon.
Blue Toad Murder Files organized on PC this November
We know, we know -- you're really into solving murder mysteries, but you still don't own a PlayStation 3. You'll be glad to hear that Blue Toad Murder Files is finally heading to the PC, having completed its episodic launch on the PlayStation Network. All six episodes of the relentlessly British puzzle game (from the creators of Buzz!) will be available as of November 24 from "online games distribution sites," in addition to the game's official website, for $19.99 (£14.99). Oh, you don't have a PC either? Look, maybe it's time we had a talk. We're just ... worried, that's all.
Finish the Blue Toad Murder Files this week
Have you been working your way through Relentless Software's PSN whodunnit mystery game? While it took over three months for the first three episodes to cross the Atlantic to the US, we're glad to report that the final three episodes are coming much sooner. In fact, you can expect the second half of the Blue Toad Murder Files on the North American PlayStation Store this week: specifically, April 29th, according to a recently-posted tweet. For those not in the know, Blue Toad Murder Files is a puzzle game enveloped in a wonderfully-acted murder mystery. Imagine a more British version of Professor Layton, if you will. Relentless confirmed the pricing for these three episodes: $7.49 for each individual episode, and a $14.99 discounted bundle for the final trio. You can also get the entire series for only $29.98. %Gallery-91975%
Blue Toad Murder Files coming March 25 to North American PSN
Just because a game exclusively features powerful British accents doesn't mean said game can't be released outside of Europe. The episodic PSN mystery series Blue Toad Murder Files will make its way to North America on March 25. Episodes One, Two and Three can be purchased as a single bundle for $14.99, or separately for $7.49 apiece. If you've got a hankering for some Layton-esque brainteasers wrapped in an overarching, cartoonish story, Blue Toad will probably scratch that itch. If you just want to hear a manly-voiced gentleman bellow the word "maaaahdaaaaahhh" over and over again, it should satisfy that desire too.
Blue Toad Murder Files: Episode 3 to be free in February
Relentless Software's episodic PSN murder whodunit, Blue Toad Murder Files, continues next month. Best of all, it'll be available for the low price of free. Episode 3 will release in Europe on February 25th and will be free for one month. The free DLC will require Episode 1 to be installed which -- as you've deduced if your detective skills are sharp enough -- isn't free. Episodes 1 and 2 are currently available together for £9.99 (€12.99). The remaining three episodes (4-6) of the Blue Toad Murder Files will then release on April 8th in a bundle for £9.99 (€12.99). Unfortunately for the rest of us, an American release has yet to be announced. Too bad, because this charming Professor Layton-esque game is a perfect family-friendly addition to the PSN. %Gallery-74684%
Blue Toad Murder Files teaser has the best accent ever
If you happen to pass us on the street within the next few days, you're probably going to hear us exclaim "maaaaahhdaaaaah" at seemingly random intervals. There's a good reason for that -- the latest teaser for the episodic, co-op mystery series Blue Toad Murder Files features the single greatest narrator ever featured in any trailer, ever. There's something strangely poetic to his cadence, and, of course, to his impassioned dialect every time he utters the third word in the game's title: "Maaaahhdaaaah." Absolutely brilliant. Check out the trailer above, and make sure you stick around until the very end. That's when the narrator really hits his stride.
Blue Toad Murder Files first trailer warns of big mystery in Little Riddle
In addition to the LucasArts adventure game renaissance and Telltale Games' continued efforts in the genre, Relentless Software is bringing a new episodic adventure series to the PlayStation 3's digital distribution service this December titled Blue Toad Murder Files. Aside from the handful of screenshots we got with the game's December 17 release date announcement last month, we had yet to see it in video form until the Euro PS Blog put up a video earlier today. The game's developer promises two more trailers before it releases in a few weeks, but we suggest you head after the break and check out this one right now. Beyond getting a look at the game's art style in action, it features a British narrator repeatedly saying "Muuurder." How could you go wrong? %Gallery-74684% Congratulations to Andrew on being the first to comment. You've been emailed a free Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta code. Click here, for more information on this giveaway. Official rules apply.
Buzz! developer says PlayStation Home is starting to realize its potential
Andrew Eades, executive director of Buzz! developer Relentless Software, recently had a few nonplussed things to say to VideoGamer.com about Sony's virtual social hub, PlayStation Home. Specifically, he remarked, "Home doesn't appeal to me personally that much," adding that he doesn't know why the experience appeals to people. Though he might not be its biggest fan, Eades later added that Home still has room to grow, and that only now is it "realizing its potential." Eades suggested that Sony focus on "[building] the tools to allow people to create content for it," mentioning that his studio has plans for "a game we're considering doing which only could work in Home." It's just a wild guess, but we're picturing a multiplayer trivia title with heavy crossdressing elements.
Blue Toad Murder files for December 17 release
Relentless Software is prepping the first episode of its PSN adventure game, Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle, for a December 17 release. The studio's first self-published game is inspired by classic murder mysteries of yesteryear, with players having to figure out "whodunnit." The first screenshots of the game showcase interrogations and puzzles, making good on our wish for a game "like Professor Layton meets ... uh, murder."Unique to the Blue Toad Murder Files is the promise of "one to four player co-operative gameplay." Our interest is certainly piqued by that feature, and we're hoping it'll amount to something a bit more significant than one person holding the controller while three other people yell in their ear.%Gallery-74684%
PSN guarded by 'velvet rope,' Relentless dev says
Creative director David Amor of Relentless Software (Buzz! and the newly announced Blue Toad Murder Files) didn't have a bad word to say about Sony or PSN during his and development director Andrew Eades' interview with GamesIndustry.biz. "We're really happy with our relationship with Sony. So when starting this self publishing project we wanted to see their blessing on it and we're glad they've been supportive. I wouldn't want to do something that jeopardizes a good thing," Amor said. As a result, the company has "no immediate plans" to start developing for other devices. Having said that, however, Amor feels that the iPhone is a "very interesting platform," but lacks the level of quality control standards that PSN adheres to. "There's something of a velvet rope around PlayStation Network that I think keeps the quality level high." While we agree for the most part (there are exceptions), we're intrigued to see whether Sony can maintain this quality level while simultaneously expanding the PSN developer base -- particularly when it comes to PSP Go.
Relentless Software penning the Blue Toad Murder Files for PSN
Murder! Frogs! Relentless Software, most famous for its work on the Buzz! games, is branching off into quite a different project. Appearing exclusively on the PlayStation Network, the Blue Toad Murder Files is an episodic murder mystery adventure. Details are slim, but the game's official site promises that "mysteries" will be "revealed" in September.This is Relentless' first self-published game, and the team is clearly excited to work on a non-trivia project. Executive Director, David Amor, told us, "We're really excited to be self publishing this. The murder mystery genre has been a staple in TV, books and movies for years and we think we've come up with a great videogame interpretation." If it's like Professor Layton meets ... uh, murder, we're game.
Buzz! Quiz TV getting 'Prehistoric Thumb' pack, Buzz PSN game coming tomorrow
Quiz show fans get some downloadable goodness tomorrow, as PSN will feature two specific items pertaining to Buzz!. First up, Buzz! Quiz TV is getting some DLC in the 'Prehistoric Thumb' pack, which will add 500 new questions that test your knowledge on things such as the formation of the Earth and the fossils of its early inhabitants.Also arriving on PSN tomorrow is Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party, a title made up of 5 fast-paced mini-games. Available for $4.99, Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party is a title geared towards the younger crowd and allows you to use your Buzz! controller to play through the variety of local multiplayer modes on offer.
Buzz! developer's new game will be a social, PSN title
Relentless Software lives up to its name by releasing even more Buzz! games than necessary, but this latest one from the British studio, which was just teased the other day, is hinted to be something different. It's also said to be a PSN title. According to producer Darren Tuckey, who recently spoke with VG247, the game will be "a PS3 PSN title in the social game genre."Tuckey says that the company plans "to release more info when [it gets] back from GDC." Perhaps that means we'll hear something in April, as GDC runs until the 27th of March. Until then folks, keep those fingers on the buzzer.
For 250 points: What is Buzz! developer Relentless working on next?
Actual, obscured screenshots Look, if the above question ever comes up, the answer's almost always going to be more Buzz! games. If you want to impress the audience with your esoteric trivia prowess, however, you might elect to answer, "Why, a new, unannounced project, of course!" You'll point out that quiz game developer Relentless Software recently updated its website, noting an ongoing hiring process not only for future Buzz! titles, but a secret, self-published project."Sony keep us very busy with our Buzz projects but there's something bubbling under at Relentless Towers," reads the site, referencing its agreement with Sony to pump out family-friendly knowledge-em-ups and shockingly omitting the exclamation mark in the game's title. "We've taken everything we've learned about making social games and the result is what, for the time being, is known as Secret Project #1."For the time being? Don't be silly, Relentless. Who wouldn't buy a game called Secret Project #1?[Via Eurogamer]
Buzz! Brain of the UK coming to PS3, PSP and PS2 in March
Buzz! is coming to the UK and he's taking no prisoners. Whether you're a PS3, PSP or PS2 owner, you'll be able to get your hands on the latest Buzz! title, Buzz! Brain of the UK. Due out in March, Brain of the UK's questions will focus on UK culture, including "bands, cities, sports personalities, television favourites, wildlife, food and more."The PS3 version will feature over 4000 questions and, just like Buzz! Quiz TV, a national leaderboard as well as MyBuzzQuiz.com and premium question pack support. The PSP version will feature 6-player multiplayer on a single console as well as a single player mode with collectible medals and awards. The PS2 version will support "thousands" of questions, which is apparently enough to keep you "buzzing for hours."No word on the price or exact release date for any version of Brain of the UK yet, but we should hear something more concrete before its release in March. We've contacted Sony to ask whether the PS3 version will support currently available Buzz! question packs.[UPDATE] Sony has confirmed that Buzz! quiz packs will work with "every iteration on the PS3."%Gallery-43477%
Free Buzz! patch adds new characters, costumes and features
Fancy some more Buzz! Quiz TV content? You've got it. Simply load up the game and you'll be prompted to update to version 1.10. This free update weighs in at 345MB and adds a number of new features to the game. There are now four new characters to choose from and new costumes for all the original characters found on the disc. There are also new buzzer noises to select from. Not only that, but you can now completely customize your question categories in the options menu. Specific question types within each category can be removed completely and you can organize and download question packs from within the game. Finally, Buzz! will now take photos while you play the game using the PlayStation Eye. These photos are then placed in albums for you to view later. Phew. That's a lot of content for a free update. Will this make the long slog towards the "Lonesome And Loving It Gold" trophy that little bit easier for you?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Buzz! fans disappointed in PS3 outing
Ignore the already disheartening news that Buzz! Quiz TV will need a patch in order to activate trophies within the game, despite press releases announcing firmware 2.40 failing to mention it. Buzz! fans are now also up in arms about the evolution (or rather devolution) of one of their favorite franchises. Despite the official trailer showing off "Sofa-vs-Sofa" gameplay, allowing two people on one PS3 to play against another two people online, this feature is not actually available within the game. Playing online is restricted to one-person per console.Not only that, but online play is considered very short and many game modes and customization features are now missing, having been removed since earlier Buzz! titles on the PS3. Also, despite MyBuzzQuiz.com being a potentially awesome method of creating and playing free user-generated DLC, questions from the service are not playable in the main-game and must be used separately. The forums are abuzz (pardon the pun) with criticisms and people are very much looking forward to a response from Relentless.[Thanks Zed]
