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Twisted Pixel Games Bundle spins onto XBLA for 800 MSP
Twisted Pixel's XBLA bundle is available for purchase as of this morning, and the price is not bad, not bad at all. At 800 MSP, the collection of 'Splosion Man, Ms. Splosion Man, The Maw, and Comic Jumper comes in at two ninths - or around 22 percent for non-fractionists - of the games' total cost when purchased separately.If you've been waiting to twist on the talented Texas studio's XBLA collection all this time - is The Maw really four years old now? - then we'd say today your luck is in.
Twisted Pixel bundle includes studio's XBLA library, coming 'soon' to Live
Twisted Pixel is packaging all of its XBLA games into one 'Twisted Bundle,' which is making its way onto Xbox Live "soon." We're waiting for the four-in-one compilation, which includes The Maw, 'Splosion Man, Ms. Splosion Man, and Comic Jumper to twist on a price and date.
Get The Maw free with Bastion purchase at Microsoft Store
Maw? Maaaawwww? Where is that little purple guy? Oh, there he is -- as part of a free Summer of Arcade promotion on the Microsoft Store. Those who pick up a copy of Bastion via the Microsoft Store will also receive a free copy of Twisted Pixel's adorable adventure, The Maw. As we mentioned only a few words ago, The Maw is positively adorable and a decent game to boot, making this an attractive deal for those interested in Bastion. Strangely, the site notes that the deal applies to "any" Summer of Arcade purchase, though a footnote claims that the deal is valid solely for Bastion. Considering Bastion is currently the only Summer of Arcade title available, it's possible that the deal will be applied to the rest of the Summer of Arcade lineup as each title is released.
OnLive celebrates Indie-pendence Day with an explosive sale
OnLive is celebrating "Indie-pendence" Day with a massive sale on -- you guessed it -- a random selection of mainstream blockbusters and popular underground games. The sale includes Batman: Arkham Asylum, Darksiders, Just Cause 2, a pre-order deal on Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and of course an inundation of hit indie titles such as Braid, The Maw, Osmos and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. OnLive's "Indie-pendence" Day Sale runs through the completely unrelated day of July 4, so hurry and check out your options after the jump before this thing vanishes like smoke after a firework. Update: OnLive is sending all PlayPack subscribers a free game of their choice this Tuesday, and as long as you sign up for the monthly unlimited-gaming service before midnight Pacific on July 4, you can snag a free game too. Thanks, Silent Killer01!
Xbox Live April schedule: Final Fight, Mega Man 10 DLC
Microsoft has unfurled some of its plans for Xbox Live downloadable content for April, including new additions to Games on Demand and Deals of the Week, as well as the April 14th release of Final Fight: Double Impact. On top of that, look for a half-priced The Maw on the week of April 12 and two add-ons for Mega Man 10 this week: Bass and Special Stage 1. Head past the break for the full list. %Gallery-79231%
Xbox Live deal of the week: The Maw for $5
For $5, you could probably buy a value meal fit for a king -- but you know what you couldn't get? A delightfully charming action platformer starring a purple, omnivorous and gelatinous blob. No, wait! This week -- and this week only -- you can get a delightfully charming action platformer starring a purple, omnivorous and gelatinous blob. The price of Twisted Pixel's The Maw has been slashed from 800 MS Points ($10) to 400 MS Points ($5). And here we thought Christmas was over. Additionally, today's holiday XBLM deal is a Rolling Stones live track pack for Guitar Hero 5. It can be yours for only 360 ($4.50), half the usual 720 ($9) price. Shortcut: Add The Maw to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com] Shortcut: The Rolling Stones Live Track Pack [Via Xbox.com]
XBLM December deals: Cheap Shadow Complex, Maw
Microsoft has announced the Xbox Live Marketplace content schedule for December and it's a real doozy. The Deals of the Week -- usually a haven for long-forgotten or unwanted DLC -- are actually real deals this month. In particular, Shadow Complex will be dropped from 1200 ($15) to 800 ($10) during the week of December 21. The following week, starting December 28, Twisted Pixel's The Maw will fall from 800 ($10) to a miniscule 400 ($5). In addition to the normal Deals of the Week, Microsoft will also be offering daily deals from December 18-31. The company didn't specify what any of those deals will be, though it promises discounts on "games, movies, blockbuster game add-ons, holiday themes, you name it!" Rest assured, we'll be keeping our eye on things once the deals start rolling. In the meantime, check out the XBLM December schedule, including Deals of the Week, Games on Demand and XBLA after the break.
IndieCade 2009: The finalists
IndieCade 2009 was held in Culver City, CA this past weekend, and the local art galleries and restaurants were filled with independent games and their developers from all over the world. The festival billed itself as the "video game Sundance" and lived up to this self-made reputation, putting 29 different indie games on display, both throughout the weekend and during a Thursday night opening ceremony MC'd by Uncharted 2's Richard Lemarchand (shown above with festival founder Stephanie Barish).We've rounded up the festival's finalists in the gallery below. You may be familiar with a few of them, including Twisted Pixel's The Maw and a selection of well-known iPhone titles, but all of these titles deserve your attention -- and a playthrough!%Gallery-74606%
PAX 2009: Twisted Pixel reveals new game: Comic Jumper
It must be fun working at Twisted Pixel, where you have games featuring a hungry, purple blob, a man who travels via combustion and now, an over-muscled hero with a giant smiley face for a head. Twisted Pixel just announced Comic Jumper, its newest downloadable title. The platforms are still unannounced and the game is likely "more than a year away," according to Twisted Pixel Games co-founder Mike Wilford.You play as Captain Smiley, along with his cohort Star -- who is, umm, stuck to the Captain's chest. They're bonded together, but they hate each other! Sounds like the perfect way to expose gamers to sticky situations and witty dialogue, no? The game will have you sending Captain Smiley into different levels within assorted comic books, with the art style (and possibly gameplay) changing with each jump into a new book. "This is something that Josh [Bear, another co-founder, the third being Frank Wilson] has had in his mind since high school," Wilford said. We're wondering what it was doing in there for so long ... and what will happen once it escapes.
Xbox Live Top 10: There can be only 1 (17)
Major Nelson's latest battle report comes as a bit of a surprise as Halo 3 was the most-played retail game of last week. With all of the new Gears of War 2 content, we were sure that game would be at the top, but Epic's title only managed to claw its way to fourth place yet again. It was bested by the usual double dose of Call of Duty action in Call of Duty 4 and Call of Duty: World at War.On the XBLA side, the frenetic tag-based combat of Marvel vs Capcom 2 was too much for the competition. Capcom's brawler enjoyed top placement, finally bumping down Battlefield 1943 to second place. Coming in at third was none other than 'Splosion Man, Twisted Pixel's excellent follow-up to previous Arcade hit, The Maw.
'Splosion Man could detonate on PS3, Wii
Frank Wilson, co-founder and CTO of Twisted Pixel, said his studio's library of recent downloadable titles could potentially see life on other platforms. Just yesterday, Twisted Pixel unleashed the XBLA title 'Splosion Man, blasting the humorous hero and Xbox owners into Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion. In an interview with Endsights, Wilson said the small developer is not tied to any specific platform and the studio would consider a PlayStation Network and WiiWare release of 'Splosion Man and the studio's adorable adventure title, The Maw, if it "found the right arrangement." So, other platforms could be in the cards, but Twisted Pixel is happy with what it's been able to achieve on the Xbox platform, so far. "We're getting pretty skilled with the Xbox 360, so it's definitely easiest for us to stick with it," Wilson said. Wilson's words aren't confirmation that either title will see life on other platforms, but at least we've cleared the air of any existing Microsoft money-hats.
Final 'The Maw' DLC coming next week
The third, and final, "deleted scenes" DLC for the platform-puzzler The Maw will be released next week on the PC and Xbox 360. The final scene, The Speeder Lane, sees Frank and Maw hijack a Bounty Hunter Speeder GTA-style, which eventually leads to an "old school boss fight."The final add-on from developer Twisted Pixel is priced at 100 ($1.25). The Speeder Lane is set for release on the Xbox Live Arcade next Wednesday, April 29, and for PC via Steam, Greenhouse, and Direct2Drive soon after. We'd hope more Maw content was on the horizon but Twisted Pixel is busy trying to 'spode people in preparation of its next (strange) title.
The Maw developer's 'Splosion Man is real, real weird
Two days, two games starring heroes who explode, neither of them jokes. We caught Explodemon! but managed to miss The Maw creator Twisted Pixel's intentionally cheeky announcement of a game called 'Splosion Man amid the April Fools mess. We surely didn't miss the follow-up confirmation that -- bizarre as it sounds -- the game is real.Planned for Xbox Live Arcade, the game is "a 2.5D action/platformer based around the simple concept of 'splosions and the ridiculousness that ensues," according to its developer. Born of an experiment conducted too close to the sun, the titular Man will run through levels destroying everything in his wake, including the scientists trying to capture him. They're reduced to "chunks of ham and ribeyes, the smell of their destruction terrifying, but also a little succulent."From the sound of things, the game will be heavily focused on racking up points based on destruction, but will also feature large-scale boss battles and story sequences integrated into gameplay. Twisted Pixel is planning four-player co-op (yes, there are three other 'splody guys) via local and Live play. Given the dev's success with The Maw, consider our interest sparked.%Gallery-49189%
The Maw dev on the 'negative stigma' of DLC
Speaking to Gamasutra, Twisted Pixel CEO Michael Wilford spoke about the company's recent release The Maw. Specifically, Wilford addresses the game's DLC, two episodes of which are now available. Wilford stated that Microsoft requires Xbox Live Arcade developers to disclose plans for DLC up front and Twisted Pixel decided that extra levels would make sense. He noted further that the company didn't even start development on DLC until the main game had been finished.This point is of particular importance, as the DLC's "Deleted Scene" label has caused some confusion and ire among gamers. Wilford stated that the deleted scene idea made sense to the team, saying, "We thought it would be cool, but I think some people took it to mean that we intentionally stripped out levels that were 100 percent complete only to sell them as DLC, which is not the case." When asked about the risks of creating DLC, Wilford said, "The biggest risk that caught us off guard is the public perception that you're trying to rip them off." He went on to say it's arguable that the concept of DLC has enough "negative stigma" that "it's not even worth attempting." There are examples of successful DLC, according to Wilford, but they are relatively few.[Update: Two episodes -- not just one -- of Maw DLC are currently available.]
Steam rolls out the red carpet for DLC
Valve wants you to know that Steam, its client for PC gamers, now has support for in-game DLC. The first game to feature DLC through Steam is Twisted Pixel's The Maw, which already has two packs available to Xbox 360 owners. These same two packs, Brute Force and River Redirect, are currently on Xbox Live Marketplace and will be available on Steam by the time you're done reading this sentence.
Hothead Games to bring Braid to Mac, The Maw to PC
Xbox Live is a wonderful place. Without it, we would have never discovered diamonds in the rough such as The Maw and Braid. Thankfully, these games are getting the red carpet treatment and rolling out to other platforms, courtesy of Hothead Games.Hothead games will first bring Jonathan Blow's Braid to Mac gamers everywhere. Also, the company is currently working on getting Twisted Pixel's The Maw to "multiple as-of-yet-unannounced digital distribution platforms and services." Steam, anyone? We don't have a date yet as to when Hothead will be offering these titles to their respective platforms, but we'll update as soon as we know.
The Maw takes on Brute Force expansion this Wed.
Twisted Pixel Games just announced that The Maw's Brute Force expansion - the first of three "deleted scenes" - will release to the Xbox Live Marketplace this Wednesday, February 18th.For 100 ($1.25), the Brute Force downloadable content embiggens The Maw experience by adding new puzzles, new cinematics and new characters including the robotic Brute Soldier. We fell in love with the overeating purple blob when it released last month, so it's good to see Twisted Pixel supporting the game with relatively affordable DLC. Inexpensive content is always welcome. Overpriced DLC can continue to stay away.%Gallery-44927%
World at War and The Maw sit atop Xbox Live charts
Major Nelson just released his weekly report on Xbox Live activity for the week of January 26th -- and there really isn't anything out of the ordinary on the list. Call of Duty: World at War reigns supreme on the Live charts, Halo 3 is sitting at a comfortable second, CoD4 at third, Gears 2 at fourth and Left 4 Dead rounds out the top five. As far as XBLA releases go, The Maw and all its purpleness is number one, Castle Crashers number two and (interestingly enough) Worms makes an appearance at the third position.The full list of Xbox Live activity for retail, XBLA, original Xbox and Community Games is viewable after the break.
Three Maw 'deleted scenes' coming to Marketplace
Twisted Pixel has revealed plans to release three new levels in the coming weeks for its recently released Xbox Live Arcade title, The Maw. Each level will act as a "deleted scene" from the original leash-devouring vision and include one new achievement per level, at a price of 100 ($1.25) each.In the level Brute Force, Bounty Hunters have sent in members from their new elite strike force, the Brutes, to stop Frank and Maw. In the River Redirect level, Frank and Maw must change the course of a river to surf past a raging fire. Lastly, in The Speeder Lane level, Frank and Maw are required to hijack a Bounty Hunter Speeder GTA-style and crash it through a blockage to progress. Thankfully, the Brute Force level has nothing to do with reviving an old Xbox "classic." Crisis averted.No release date for the content has been revealed, but Twisted Pixel notes each level will be released on a different day.
Twisted Pixel already has The Maw DLC plans
Twisted Pixel Games' The Maw, featuring everyone' favorite one-eyed purple monster with an enormous appetite, will be expanding in the not so distant future with new downloadable content. According to Kotaku, Twisted Pixel already has three pieces (Brute Force, River Redirect and The Speeder Lane) of DLC planned for release. Each will be a new level, come with a new achievement and cost 100 Microsoft points. Nom, nom, nom.
