ustwo
Latest
‘Desta: The Memories Between’ comes to Switch and PC later this month
Desta: The Memories Between’ is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch and PC on April 26th. This ends the game’s exclusivity to the Netflix platform. ‘Desta’ was created by ustwo, the developer behind ‘Monument Valley’.
Netflix plans to add roughly 40 more titles to its mobile game library this year
Netflix has revealed some its gaming plans for the rest of the year and beyond.
'Monument Valley' studio's next game is a Netflix mobile exclusive
The creators of 'Monument Valley' have revealed that their next game is exclusive to Netflix.
'Monument Valley' studio returns with a cerebral and sporty roguelike, 'Desta'
It's ustwo's most ambitious project to date.
'Monument Valley' studio reveals 'Alba: a Wildlife Adventure'
The independent studio, best known for the M. C. Escher-inspired Monument Valley puzzlers, is hard at work on a nature-focused title called Alba: a Wildlife Adventure. The virtual camera then passes over a sheet of paper titled 'Island clean up Initiative,' a bird-spotting book and DSLR, some photographs and, finally, a newspaper with the headline 'Girls start a wildlife league.'
'Go Go Bots' is a Facebook Gaming exclusive from Ustwo
Ustwo has released a fun new mobile game on Facebook.
Apple Arcade standout ‘Assemble With Care’ is now on Steam
If you're looking for new games to play while you stay at home amid the pandemic, you may be in luck. Today, two Apple Arcade exclusives hit other platforms. As promised, Assemble With Care, one of our favorite Apple Arcade games, is now available for PC. And Capcom's Shinsekai Into the Depths arrived on Switch.
'Assemble with Care' sets the standard for Apple Arcade exclusives
I've never been much of a tinkerer. I look after my favorite gadgets -- new and old -- wiping them down, swaddling them in cases and backing up whatever personal data they might hold. But I've never been part of the 'maker movement' and rarely use a screwdriver to pry them open and make more than simplistic repairs. If, like me, you have unrealized dreams of becoming an electrician or antique restorer, you should check out Assemble with Care. The latest title from Ustwo Games, the London-based studio behind Monument Valley and Land's End, is all about fixing sentimental items. Throughout its roughly two-hour adventure, you'll repair a dozen-or-so objects including a cassette deck, film camera and handheld game console. A few of the items aren't electrical -- there's an old camping stove, for instance, and an analog watch -- but the most memorable and challenging involve some buttons and colorful circuitry.
Ustwo confirms there will be a ‘Monument Valley 3’
Fans of the meditative, mobile puzzle game Monument Valley will soon have more obstacles to tackle. British game developer Ustwo confirmed on Twitter today [via a job posting] that there will be a Monument Valley 3. It's still early days, so there are no details on a release date or what exactly the new entry to the series of M.C. Escher-style puzzlers will involve. The studio is currently hunting for a new game director, who will likely shape the course of the new game. "We'd also love a new Game Director to bring their own spin to this world, giving them freedom to explore while keeping just enough elements of Monument Valley 1 and 2 to stay true to our fans," an Ustwo spokesperson told Engadget over email.
A cloud service for mobile gaming isn't as dumb as it sounds
We're reached a point where cloud gaming finally makes sense. The technology that exists now is beyond what was available to famous failures like OnLive and many others you could say were ahead of their time. Servers, the consoles and computers we have in our homes, and the speedy internet connections that feed them are now capable of mimicking the experience of playing a game stored on your local machine. Big companies like Sony and NVIDIA have gotten involved over the past few years for just this reason, and one upstart believes it's spotted an unfilled niche in the market. What Spotify has done for music and Netflix for TV, Hatch wants to do for mobile gaming.
'Monument Valley 2' comes to Android on November 6th
Monument Valley 2, the follow-up to UsTwo's beautiful and head-turning puzzler from 2014, is almost ready for Android phones and tablets. The London studio announced today that the game will arrive in the Play Store on November 6th, five months after its debut on iOS. The title, if you need a refresher, follows a mother and her child as they traverse a world filled with crisp and colorful M. C. Escher-inspired architecture. Like the first game, your success is dependent on figuring out the different pathways that unlock as you tap, slide and rotate various parts of the environment.
Pre-register for 'Monument Valley 2' on Google Play (updated)
The sequel to the mind-bending, gorgeous puzzler Monument Valley has been available for iOS since June; it was announced at Apple's developer conference, WWDC. Now Android users get to experience the MC Escher-inspired mobile game. Well, almost. Monument Valley 2 is available for pre-registration on the Google Play Store.
Sway is a slick meditation app that makes sure you relax
Sway is a smartphone-based meditation (kind of) game, that comes from Ustwo, the company behind acclaimed mobile hit Monument Valley. No, this isn't a dreamily designed puzzler, but the same gentle aesthetics and attention to detail are definitely found in this app's DNA. I got to test Sway a few times earlier this week, and it's a cleverly distracting way to get into mindfulness — something I've been wrestling with over the last few months.
VR headset attachment promises to manage stress and sleep
Some VR experiences could be relaxing on their own, but there's a VR accessory that was designed to make sure you get some well-deserved R&R. That accessory, which attaches to a VR headset's strap, is called Kortex created by medical device maker Fisher Wallace. The company says it stimulates your brain into producing more endorphins, serotonin for mood balance and melatonin for healthy sleep, while also lowering the stress hormone cortisol.
Wayfindr gets Google grant to solve navigation for the blind
Wayfindr, the vision-impaired navigation solution originally conceived by multidisciplinary design studio Ustwo, is a step closer to becoming reality. After a pair of small-scale trials, the audio-based system is headed to London's busy Euston station, which averages around 3.4 million visits per month. The pilot scheme uses Bluetooth beacons paired with regular smartphones to guide visually-impaired travellers around Euston's complex web of interconnecting tunnels. But as exciting as the trial is for those involved, it's a tiny fraction of what Wayfindr wants to achieve.
The 'Monument Valley' team has created a dream of a VR game
It's a tough act to follow, selling over 2 million copies of a game in a single year. That's the task that Ustwo, the British developer behind the award-winning Monument Valley, was facing as it started work on its latest effort Land's End, a virtual reality adventure game created exclusively for Samsung's Gear VR headset. Going from building a game for mobile to one that will only run on a specific accessory for a handful of Samsung phones is a bold move. And as the studio's lead designer and technical director explain, it wasn't even their initial plan.
Amazon wants to give paid apps away for free
Downloads from Amazon's Appstore almost assuredly aren't the raging success that the company's ventures like Prime are, but the retail juggernaut isn't giving up on it yet. In fact, the former looks like it's getting an injection of the latter's DNA with something called Unlocked. According to a leak obtained by TechCrunch, Bezos and Co. are experimenting with the idea of offering paid apps and in-app purchases free of charge. It apparently isn't limited to games either, as Monument Valley and Sonic Dash sit alongside productivity apps like OfficeSuite 8 + PDF Converter.
Bluetooth beacons are helping the blind navigate London's Tube
London's Underground network can feel like a maze for even the most seasoned traveller, especially at rush hour when you're packed in with hordes of disgruntled commuters. The problem is only amplified for blind and partially sighted people, but a combination of Bluetooth beacons and smartphone app could make the experience less stressful. Wayfindr has been developed by Ustwo (yep, the folks behind the video game Monument Valley) and the Royal London Society for Blind People's (RLSB) Youth Forum to offer travellers audio-based directions and advice. A month-long trial at Pimlico station is now underway with 16 beacons tracking users' smartphones and activating descriptive notes. The information is basic, but could offer valuable guidance and, hopefully, confidence to blind and partially sighted people navigating the Underground independently.
The creators of 'Monument Valley' are redesigning your car dash
The developer of Monument Valley, Ustwo, isn't just content with designing beautiful puzzle games and tablet software -- it wants to rethink your car's dashboard, too. The company has partnered with Car Design Research to build a prototype for an instrument cluster display that tosses out much of what you know today. Instead of fixed gauges, it uses an adaptive screen that shows what you need when you need it. When you're stopped, it tells you whether or not you have enough fuel or electricity to reach your destination. Hit the accelerator and it shifts focus to speed and gears, while reversing automatically brings up the rear-view camera. It's even aware enough to notify you about slippery roads, school zones and other situations where you may need to drive with caution.
Monument Valley made $5.8 million, over 80 percent on iOS
Monument Valley developer Ustwo earned $5,858,625 from sales for the game as of this past Monday, as highlighted in a fancy infographic breaking down the puzzle game's earnings. Of that revenue, 81.7 percent was earned on iOS, compared to 13.9 percent on Android (where it was released about a month later) and 4.3 percent on Amazon. Ustwo says Monument Valley was installed on over 10 million unique devices, though its profits come from 2,440,076 official sales. The original game took $852,000 to develop while its eight-level Forgotten Shores update cost the developer $549,000. It first arrived on iOS in April 2014 and recouped its development costed in its first week; Ustwo has now clarified that its launch day on the App Store amounted to $145,530 in revenue. [Image: Ustwo]
