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PAX 08: Torpex talks Schizoid, sales, marketing strategies and XNA development
As part of our PAX 2008 coverage, we had a chance to talk all things Schizoid with Torpex Games' founder Bill Dugan and, in the process, we learned a lot. Dugan talked XBLA development, the troubles with marketing Arcade games and the limitations of working with XNA. He also opened up about Schizoid's game sales, their development problems and even an admittance that he wished Schizoid would have sold as well as Braid. It's a rather candid interview and is one that can be read (in its entirety) after the break. Enjoy!
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Golf: Tee It Up! and Schizoid
This is a very special XBLA in Brief ladies and gentlemen. Why? Because this week we take a look at Schizoid, which has a very special achievement in it. The Sploderific achievement, you see, is named after a word coined by our own Dustin Burg! Does that make us biased towards the game? Maybe, but it doesn't hurt that it's actually pretty good. Oh, we also take a look at Golf: Tee It Up!, which is a pretty decent game as well. Watch the latest episode and learn how you too can earn the badge of honor that is the Sploderific achievement.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
XBLA expands with Schizoid and Golf: Tee It Up!
The Xbox Live Arcade just got two games bigger this morning with the addition of "the most co-op game ever" Schizoid and "the most golfy golf game ever" Golf: Tee It Up! And wouldn't you know that both games are available right this very instant for purchase off the XBLA for a middle-range 800 Microsoft points apiece. How perfect! Also, we don't think we have to remind you that, if you purchase Schizoid and go on the prowl for achievements, you'll inevitably unlock the Sploderific achievement. An achievement whose name was birthed from these sacred X3F blogging grounds. Have fun golfing, have fun being cooperative and (in general) have oodles of fun this XBLA Wednesday.%Gallery-14316%%Gallery-23112%
This Wednesday: Schizoid and Golf: Tee It Up! tee off on XBLA
We've been covering Schizoid, the first home-grown XNA game to hit XBLA, since this time last year. Now it's finally blasting bumping its way onto the Marketplace, unique gameplay mechanic in tow. Priced at 800 MS points ($10), the game is entirely co-op centric, tasking players with ramming their ship (or ships, should they feel up to the dual-ship-controlling "Überschizoid" mode's challenge) into enemies of the same color. Play with another Live user or let the CPU control ship two. Super Stardust HD developer Housemarque brings Golf: Tee It Up! to XBLA ... and an incredible likeness to Sony's Hot Shots Golf franchise to mind. Endless rounds of this golf game for beginners and seasoned vets alike (dare we say it's "golf for everyone"?) will set you back 800 MS points ($10). %Gallery-1947% %Gallery-26995%
Video: Schizoid, the most co-op game ever!
With the announcement that Schizoid will be releasing to the XBLA this Wednesday, Torpex just released a set of three new Schizoid gameplay trailers to give future Schizoid enthusiasts a feel for what co-op fun awaits. And with a slogan proclaiming it's the "most co-op game ever", you can expect to rely heavily on your partner's skills or lack there of. You can watch the other two videos after the break including one featuring Razorwire gameplay. Trust, Razorwire is teh hawtness. Some would even go as far as to say it's sploderific.
Schizoid, Soulcalibur pages appear on Xbox.com
Our frenemies at Xbox 360 Fanboy have noticed an interesting trend: Pages appear for games at Xbox.com, then they're the next XBLA games released. Seriously, it's happened twice. If we're in for a repeat performance, you can expect fighting classic Soulcalibur and former XNA title Schizoid to appear on the service next week, as pages for both have been discovered on the site. As developer Torpex has already said Schizoid is due next month, which would lend a little credence to the rumor, though Soulcalibur remains a wild card. The the suspense is all but unbearable, but at least we know it will end Monday when the real additions are revealed. Source -- Schizoid Source -- Soulcalibur %Gallery-1947% Gallery: Soulcalibur (XBLA)
Xbox.com pages appear: Soulcalibur & Schizoid
It happened this week. And a while before that too. Hows about next week? Well if the trend continues as it has next week's XBLA releases will be dictated by this week's newly arrived xbox.com pages. The twin appearances in this case are Soulcalibur and Schizoid, the classic weapons-based fighter and the neon-colored co-op shooter, respectively. While Soulcalibur didn't ever really have much of a rumored release date to help corroborate this thing, Schizoid is set to release sometime in July, so we could definitely see the pattern continue next week. And as always, thar be screenshots! %Gallery-26192% %Gallery-14316% [Source, Soulcalibur] [Source, Schizoid]
Prepare for sploderific Schizoid-phrenia this July
The sploderific XBLA game Schizoid will release in July according to developer Torpex Games. Judging by the latest image in the gallery below, the co-op omni-directional shooter knock-into-er appears to have been cleaned up quite a bit since we last saw videos back in December. Guess we'll just have to wait another month to find out how significant the upgrades are. Gallery: Schizoid (XBLA)
Torpex confirms Schizoid will release this July
Hot on the heels of a fresh batch of screenshots being released, we just got absolute confirmed word straight Torpex Games that the highly anticipated co-op Xbox Live Arcade shooter Schizoid will be releasing to the XBLA sometime this July. W00t! W00t! W00t! That means that Schizoid now has a thirty-one day release window for when we can experience co-operative madness. We can't contain ourselves, so we're saying it again ... W00t! W00t! W00t! Thanks for the confirmation Torpex, we know commitment is hard for you.Oh, and sploderific! (thanks for reminding us Azshros)
New Schizoid screens and still no release date
Coming from our French pals over at JeuxVideo.com are six new Schizoid screenshots that'll make your inner co-op gaming enthusiast sploderific with happiness! And yes, it is an X3F requirement to bring up the sploderific story every time we post Schizoid news. That's just the way it is. You can view all six gorgeous new screenshots in the gallery below (is it just us, or has the game's graphics and overall look been greatly improved?) and begin placing your Vegas bets for when we'll see Schizoid release to the XBLA. Because, as you already know, we still have no official release date ... bad Torpex Games ... bad, bad, bad.%Gallery-14316%
Schizoid's achievements are sploderific!
Waiting patiently for Torpex Games to announce a release date for upcoming XBLA game Schizoid has been no easy task. The game's release date is fast becoming the joke among the inner XBLA circle as we still have no clue when it'll release even though it was promised for 2007. But good news! Thanks to Achieve360Points, we have a complete list and artwork of Schizoid's achievements including the X3F named Sploderific achievement which we exclusively revealed the artwork for this past March. And, we must say, we're loving what Torpex did with the achievement art. It's visually delicious! But ... uhh, now that we have the achievements and all, uhh ... can we have Schizoid?[Thanks, iHomer]
Exclusive: Schizoid's Sploderific artwork unveiled
As the story goes, one day while writing up some impressions of upcoming XBLA game Schizoid, I ended up coining the term "sploderific" to describe the game's crazy amazing explosions. Don't ask me why, but I figured "sploderific" best represented my feelings towards those wormy explosions. Long story short, Schizoid's developers Torpex Games came across my blog, agreed it was the perfect adjective and they ended up naming one of Schizoid's achievements after my made up word. Crazy, huh?After we were informed about the use of sploderific as an achievement, we were promised an exclusive first look at the achievement's artwork since, you know, we helped name it. And today, making good on their word and with their approval, Torpex sent us the finalized and 100% Dustin authorized Sploderific achievement artwork that will appear in final the build of Schizoid when the achievement is unlocked. What are you waiting for? Click towards the break to take in the greatness that is Sploderific's super cool artwork ...
Schizoid isn't dead, we have pics to prove it
Sitting here today, we found ourselves contemplating the existence of the forever delayed and "upcoming" Xbox Live Arcade Schizoid from the crew over at Torpex Games. For whatever reason, we wondered if Schizoid would ever make a release, if 2008 will roll into 2009 without Schizoid just as 2007 went into 2008 Schizoid'less. Then, we came across some recent screenshots that proves Schizoid is alive and well. Alive and well, just not released. So, we threw the new screenshots in their own gallery (after realizing we didn't create one previous, oops) and hope that Torpex will take note. Take note that we care about their co-op XBLA experiment and take note that we're an impatient group who wants a product. Anyway, Schizoid isn't dead ... just so you know.%Gallery-14316%
New Schizoid video is Pac-Man-esque
A new video of the upcoming Schizoid from Torpex Games has surfaced on GameTrailers. The video showcases the game's unique teamwork dynamic, in which players must attack enemies of the same color in order to clear a level. The twist is that running into an enemy of a different color results in death.
Schizoid video is kind of puzzling
You may remember Schizoid as the first game set to officially make the jump from the XNA platform to the Xbox Live Arcade. Now, a snippet of video has emerged to help you put some gameplay to a name, as it were. Just because we've seen the game now though doesn't mean we're any closer to understanding it. It's a puzzle, really. We were all ready to dismiss it as just another multi-directional shooter until we noticed that there's no actual shooting. It appears that red and blue Spider-Man chest emblems are trying to destroy similarly-colored lobsters by tackling them to death. Ah well, thank goodness for demos.
Schizoid has the bestest co-op evers!
Our good friends at The Xbox Domain got a chance to chat with Bill Dugan, president of Torpex Games, creators of Schizoid. Readers may recall that Schizoid will be the first Xbox Live Arcade title built with Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express. Dugan doesn't reveal much about the actual gameplay, though he does boldly claim that Schizoid "is the best co-op multiplayer game on the platform. Or probably anywhere." Could we have another Molyneux in the making? Other subjects covered in the interview include the use of Game Studio Express and Microsoft's initial reception of Schizoid. According to Dugan, two Microsoft reps played co-op for 20 seconds before one claimed, "I've seen enough – I want it."Will Schizoid really be the best co-op evar? We don't know, but Dugan promises that more info will be made available in the coming weeks. Hit the "read" link for the whole interview.
