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Project Spark dreams up October release date
Microsoft's robust game creation tool Project Spark is slated to launch in October, the publisher announced today. The final version of the game maker will arrive on October 7 in the Americas, October 9 in Asia-Pacific countries and October 10 in Europe. The developer, Team Dakota, opened Project Spark's beta up to Xbox One owners in March following its closed beta for PC players in December. During its beta phases, Project Spark went through a few changes, namely in the removal of its "Spark Time" microtransactions. The $40 "Starter Pack" for the Xbox One version of Project Spark will include a host of add-on content, such as the Galaxies: First Contact sci-fi pack, Sir Haakon "Hawk" the Knight, the first episode of the Champions Quest campaign as well as "immediate access" to "paid content, features and add-ons in a single package." Microsoft says the disc-based Starter Pack content will also be available digitally to Xbox One and PC players when Project Spark launches. [Image: Microsoft]
Linkin Park's 'remixable' music video created in Project Spark
Musical group Linkin Park is now one step closer to the world of video games thanks to Project Spark developer Team Dakota. The developer created a "remixable" music video for Linkin Park's "Guilty All The Same" in Project Spark, which includes an audio remix station so players can build anything they want in the level. Project Spark is a robust game creation tool currently in beta for PC and Xbox One. The "Guilty All The Same" level isn't the first time an interactive game experience was built around an existing piece of music. Just last month, Radiohead launched an experimental iOS and Android app called PolyFauna for imagery and sounds from its song, "Bloom." Microsoft opened Project Spark's beta version to all Xbox One owners this month and also removed the game's Spark Time microtransactions. [Image: Linkin Park]
Project Spark loses Spark Time microtransactions, introduces Spark Premium
In previous versions of Project Spark, players were allotted 40 minutes of free Spark Time every day. Spark Time, despite its perky name, was limiting: you could only play user-made levels built with paid content you hadn't purchased or features unlocked above your current level for 40 minutes each day. If you wanted to play more, you could use in-game credits or pay real world cash for tokens to buy more Spark Time. Purchased Spark Time came with bonus XP and bonus credits, but those would-be customer loyalty perks still rankled players that felt that they were blocked from content for insidious reasons. No more. Eager to respond to negative feedback, Microsoft announced changes to the game on Tuesday that should mollify fans upset with pay gates in the upcoming Xbox One and PC video game builder. Just as the Xbox One Project Spark beta opened up to all players, developer Team Dakota completely removed Spark Time from the game. Other microtransactions were transformed rather than excised. Spark Power remains on sale in Project Spark, though it's now called Spark Premium. Spark Power allowed you to play levels with DLC or level-blocked content indefinitely with no need to worry about Spark Time, and it granted a 200 percent boost to experience and credits earned. As Spark Premium, players just get the experience and credit boosts, making it easing to unlock new content in the game. Microsoft's added 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month Spark Premium purchase options to the existing 1-day and 1-month options, making Project Spark into a more subscription-centric experience rather than one defined by piecemeal purchases. [Images: Microsoft]
Project Spark Xbox One beta opens up to all
All Xbox One owners can try out the game-crafting playground of Project Spark, after Team Dakota opened up the platform's beta this week. A closed beta began earlier in the month, but now players won't need a beta key to jump into the sandbox. One of the biggest strengths of Project Spark looks to be the sheer variety of things you can create in it, and just how flexible its tools are. We've seen in the hands of the developer everything from visually authentic recreations of Limbo to fully working synthesizers, while an Xbox One beta montage trailer shows users are displaying their creative finesse too. [Image: Microsoft]
Project Spark launches Xbox One beta today
Microsoft is inviting Xbox One players to give Project Spark and its game-crafting tools a test run in a new beta that launches today. The beta is global, and requires players to sign up to receive an invite - those who've been on the Windows 8.1 closed beta automatically get access to the Xbox One beta. On Xbox One, players can use Kinect to animate characters using motion capture as well as give them triggered vocals, and Team Dakota's Sax Persson previously said the studio is also considering implementing gameplay control via Kinect. "Part of the reason why we're in beta is to hear what people want to make," Persson told us last year. "If everybody tells us that we need to make it so I can play my Kinect games, then that's the next thing we do." [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One beta for Project Spark pushed back to next month
The Project Spark Xbox One beta starts in February, meaning system owners have to wait a bit longer than expected to check out the game-making game for themselves. The beta was due this month, but Microsoft Game Studios confirmed the new ETA via Facebook today. The news comes after Microsoft sent out a whole new batch of invites to the Windows 8 beta, which has been running since December. If those beta players want to take things to the betamax, the good news is they'll also be receiving an invite to the Xbox One phase. Project Spark looked strong in demos we saw last year, albeit in the hands of Team Dakota. At Gamescom we saw Dakota devs effortlessly create and customize beautifully rendered game worlds in a host of impressive ways, such as using Kinect motion capture to animate characters with a distinctly personal touch. It'll certainly be interesting to how well Joe Public takes to next month's Xbox One beta, and to the full game whenever it eventually arrives on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC.
