the-gunstringer
Latest
The Gunstringer rated T for puppet bestiality
The Gunstringer is breaking all sorts of barriers this week. First, the title made the jump from Xbox Live Arcade to a full retail product. Now, the seemingly family-friendly adventure has been branded "T for Teen" according to Twisted Pixel's Dan Teasdale. So, what makes a game seemingly ripe for an "E for Everyone" garner a T rating? Find out after the break.
The Gunstringer saddles up for retail, fires off some new screens
Forget that Xbox Live Arcade business, pardner! According to comments made by Twisted Pixel's Dan Teasdale, the once Xbox Live Arcade-bound game is headed for the greener (more expensive?) pastures of retail this fall. Twisted Pixel isn't talking price right now, but considering most Kinect games go for $50, we'd say that's a safe bet. %Gallery-125562%
The Gunstringer gets level commentary (a la Mystery Science Theater)
Twisted Pixel is taking a page from the script of TV's Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- and its web heir, Rifftrax -- for some of the bonus content in its upcoming Kinect shooter, The Gunstringer. Designer Dan Teasdale dropped the news on the developer's blog, saying that the team was inspired to create "full commentary for the entire game" by the spirited online riffing given to Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). "It's not just us talking about making the game," Teasdale says of the commentary. "Much like how some of the best Rifftrax are the ones that have special guests, we've asked some special friends of ours to comment on specific plays in the game." The identities of the guests may be a secret, but we already know one possible candidate: Troma's Lloyd Kaufman, who's already been signed to play the role of a reporter in the game's live-action sequences. Of course, the developer could go all out and get the master of riffing, MST3K and Rifftrax's Michael J. Nelson, to contribute -- something sure to get fans of his work all MSTy-eyed. Whoever's involved in them, the commentary tracks will be unlocked using in-game currency, after which, Teasdale says, "you'll be given the option to turn on the soothing voices of either us, or (more likely) our awesome special guests!" [Note: not an actual gameplay image]
Microsoft: 'Kinect games portfolio will triple by the end of the year'
If you were anything like us, several days of non-stop Dance Central-ing was the extent of your Kinect love affair. Now, six months into the relationship, things have gotten a bit ... cold. While Microsoft's motion-sensing doodad launched with an impressive 17 games in its November 2010 lineup, things have been quiet on the Kinect front since then. But Microsoft says it's getting ready to ramp up on Kinect games. "And in anticipation of another record year in 2011," a press release trumpeting the console maker's strong NPD showings said, "Microsoft announced the size of the Kinect games portfolio will triple by the end of the year." Wikipedia lists 26 current Kinect releases with 26 more in development. A tripling would indicate there are 26 additional games not yet known. "We've seen some of the media start to ask the question, 'When are we going to see more Kinect games coming?'," Microsoft product manager David Dennis told Joystiq this evening. "As we sat there and looked at it we realized we've got a lot of games coming and we're going to show a lot of them at E3." But Kinect games won't be the only things Microsoft shares at E3. When asked if the relatively anemic first-party "core" lineup from Microsoft Game Studios this year – especially relative to the aggressive rollout of Kinect games – represented a deprioritization of that audience late in the Xbox 360's lifecycle, Dennis insisted that wasn't the case. "We know that the core what took Xbox and made it the home for core games, whether they're first-party games or third-party games. We would certainly never leave that audience behind," Dennis said. "So for us and for Phil [Spencer] and the folks over at MGS, it's not about deprioritizing one or the other. It's about how we go big on any and all: Go big on Kinect games; go big on core games." When asked if there would be additional core game announcements beyond Gears 3, Forza 4, Codename: Kingdoms, and the totally-a-secret Halo: Combat Evolved remake, Dennis said, "We certainly expect to have a big E3 and we're saving a lot of our cards until then." We know a good percentage of that deck includes Kinect games; we'll have to wait until Microsoft's E3 press conference to find out how deep its core plans go.
Toxic Avenger creator Lloyd Kaufman joins The Gunstringer cast
Twisted Pixel Games enlisted the cooperation of a bunch of random Austin residents for The Gunstringer's crowd sequences, which show FMV scenes of applause between each level. For the role of the "distinguished journalist," though, Twisted Pixel brought in an unexpected ringer: Lloyd Kaufman, co-founder of Troma Entertainment and creator of that film company's most famous character, the Toxic Avenger. "I really only had three pieces to work with," game director Bill Muehl said on the company's blog."Me being a fan, our company being an indie developer making games on our own terms, much like Troma, and the general concept that his participation would be a great fit for the game." He hoped the appeal of working with an indie kindred spirit would be stronger than the appeal of money. The pitch worked, and Kaufman is now on board as an actor. "I figured, well it's been two decades since I gave the world The Toxic Crusaders, the best video game of the 20th century," he said, calling The Gunstringer "a true indie production with a crazy amount of personality."
Juegos Rancheros present The Gunstringer in Austin on May 1
If you live in or near Austin, Texas, and would like to see Twisted Pixel's The Gunstringer for the first time, you'll have the opportunity this Sunday, May 1 from 4:00 to 6:30PM. The newly minted indie game collective Juegos Rancheros (!) is hosting its first monthly meetup at The Highball, featuring a public demo of The Gunstringer. This monthly event is intended as a continuation of the Fantastic Arcade festival, which last year featured a selection of indie games in custom-built arcade cabinets. Other games will be on display, as well, including the just-released DSiWare app Inchworm Animation.
Meet The Gunstringer's dastardly, mustachioed Oil Baron
Every good Western has a nefarious villain upon whom revenge must be brutally exacted -- and Twisted Pixel has revealed the rotund, wacky-armed foe who will fill that archetype in its upcoming, Kinect-based shooter, The Gunstringer. His name is The Oil Baron, and ... well, just look at him! With those beady eyes, and porcine frame, and clefted chin, and devilishly corkscrewed mustache, he is clearly an absolute vision of purest evil. The Baron is one of the four-strong party responsible for the Gunstringer's skeletonification, and uses his cashflow to purchase thick walls of power and influence to protect himself from his due payback. He sounds like a pretty interesting character -- as do most of the names on this early list of possible villains drawn up by Twisted Pixel, also revealed today. We mean, "Voodoo Dave?" That sounds just right.
Indies react: PAX East as a showcase for small studios
Like so many PAX shows before it, this year's PAX East showcased a ton of indie games -- the gaming equivalent of a Williamsburg dubstep show, if you will. In our experience at this year's event, larger industry players like EA and Bethesda showed off their titles with hired hands and private theater viewings, choosing to exhibit older demos rather than new content. The indies and smaller studios, on the other hand, were out in force. Beyond bringing playable versions of their games to the show -- even Fez was playable, for the first time in several years of development -- the indie studios brought themselves. They continued the tradition of directly engaging with attendees and, often, solicited game-testing feedback on the fly. "I approached PAX East as a three-day playtest session. I learned so much about what works and what doesn't just from standing in the back and observing how people played the game," Fez co-developer Phil Fish told Joystiq. "It's also an amazing morale boost to be told by so many people that your game is great."
Fifteen minutes of The Gunstringer's gunslinging gameplay
You read about it yesterday, now see Twisted Pixel's latest game (its first for Kinect) in action ... all its puppet-filled, wavy arm guy action. Oh yeah: the video contains 15 minutes of gameplay footage. Just move your hands around and make gun shooting motions to get a feel for the real thing.
The Gunstringer preview: Kinect goes 'hardcore'
I just played the first "hardcore" Kinect game. Sitting down, even. Even in its incomplete state, Twisted Pixel's The Gunstringer is the best evidence that Microsoft's motion sensing tech can make possible a (so far) really fun game that already plays great and responds to subtle, natural movements with high precision. It's a game where you control a marionette with one hand and shoot with the other, and I can't imagine the experience feeling more authentic.%Gallery-117538%
The Gunstringer confirmed as Kinect XBLA title
Alongside releasing a batch of new, explosion-filled screens, Twisted Pixel announced that its first Kinect game, The Gunstringer, will be heading to Xbox Live Arcade, rather than brick-and-mortar stores. This confirms what we suspected when the game was listed on Xbox.com with "Xbox Live Arcade" as its publisher -- a detail that was quickly removed by Microsoft. As promised, below you'll find a herd of new screens, and we're told a new trailer will be coming shortly.%Gallery-117538%
The Gunstringer branded an Xbox Live Arcade title on Xbox.com
Twisted Pixel has yet to confirm the distribution method for its forthcoming puppeteer Western for Kinect, The Gunstringer, but the title's Xbox.com listing (pictured) indicates that the game is bound for Xbox Live Arcade. If accurate, this would make The Gunstringer the first American-developed Kinect title confirmed for XBLA (don't forget about those planned XBLA Kinect games from Japan); though it wouldn't be a huge surprise, given that all of TP's games have either been released on or are in development for XBLA. Twisted Pixel has declined to comment on the listing, leaving a little suspense in the air.
Twisted Pixel on The Gunstringer's Kinect aiming (and shooting!) mechanics
Curious how Twisted Pixel's Kinect-powered undead cowboy marionette sim The Gunstringer works? Well, narratively, isn't it obvious? It's a western about undead puppets. As for the you-are-the-controller part, Twisted Pixel designer Dan Teasdale offers up a lengthy explanation on the studio's dev blog. "From the start of development on The Gunstringer, we've focused on getting across the feel of puppeteering as well as the feel of being an awesome kickass undead cowboy," Teasdale says. "It's really only something we could do with the Kinect sensor for two big reasons: pure analog actions and full skeletal data." Teasdale goes into some specifics on what he means by "pure analog actions" and, mostly, he means not waggle. "Gesture libraries and waggle are the designer's way to fit a square binary peg into a round analog hole," he says. In contrast, there's Kinect. Instead of the usual analog null points, The Gunstringer will actually use your body's position (see: skeletal data) to determine a null point. "'Your hand is stationary next to your hip' is incredibly more useful than 'this dot of information isn't moving,'" Teasdale relates. But seriously, how does the game control? Instead of the "move left, move left, no move right, okay stop" input you'd find with an analog stick, The Gunstringer lets you move the marionette "anywhere along the screen just by moving your hand to that location." That's movement, but what about shooting dudes? "Since we know how your entire arm from your hand to your shoulder is moving, we can accurately extrapolate what you're aiming at with your hands, and place the reticle exactly where you're pointing," he says. And the "fire action involves literally firing your six shooter as if you just felt recoil in your arm." Alright, even with all this detail we're still having a hard time picturing how it all comes together – it sounds a lot like Rez or Child of Eden ... but with undead cowboy marionettes. Luckily we'll all have a chance to try it out, together, at PAX East next month.
Twisted Pixel reveals 'The Gunstringer' for Kinect, coming in 2011
Twisted Pixel has unveiled The Gunstringer, the studio's fifth game -- but its first to star a marionette bent on revenge. The announcement trailer (after the break) depicts a western setting with a cartoon flair, blending 2D and 3D elements. In terms of how the game actually plays, the trailer depicts gesture-based actions, with each of the game's scenarios featuring a live audience reacting in the background. TP hasn't announced whether The Gunstringer will be a retail game or one of the first Western-developed XBLA games for Kinect. If you weren't lucky enough to make an appearance at Twisted Pixel's video shoot for the game last week, there'll be another chance to fraternize with the Texas-based devs at March's PAX East in Boston, where both Ms. Splosion Man and The Gunstringer will be playable. Update: The Gunstringer's official website has opened and lead designer Dan Teasdale added some details on the forthcoming Kinect title, writing in a post, "As you may have already gathered, The Gunstringer is unlike any Kinect game you may have played previously. There are no minigames, forced gestures, or end of level photos of you in your underwear here. You can play it sitting down, which is great if you just want to play and relax rather than burn crazy calories. Most importantly, you can aim and move with precision not seen in any of the Kinect launch titles, and with a speed and feel that's just not possible with a traditional controller." Teasdale additionally says, "From the start of this project, we've focused on getting across the feel of marionetting a puppet's movement through a 3D world, then mixing that with the fun and mayhem of targeting-focused shooters like Rez. One minute you'll be navigating the Gunstringer over tricky ravines or towards secret paths, the next you'll be ducking behind cover to take out a half-dozen clockwork alligators with your six shooter."
