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4 CommentsSkulls of the Shogun gets new, reduced pricing on XBLA, Windows PC and Surface
By Tracey Lien on Mar 01, 2013 03.01.13
Indie developer 17-Bit announced today that its asynchronous strategy game for Microsoft gaming systems, Skulls of the Shogun, is receiving a price drop.
On Xbox Live Arcade, the game is now priced at 800 Microsoft Points, down from its previous 1,200 Microsoft Points. The game will be sold at $6.99 for the Microsoft Surface, previously priced at $9.99, while the Windows Phone version will remain at $4.99.
Polygon's review of Skills of the Shogun can be read here.
News
2 CommentsSuper Stickman Golf 2 launching in March, trailer released
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 01, 2013 03.01.13
Super Stickman Golf 2, the sequel to Noodlecake Studios' physics-based golf game, will be available this month, the company announced alongside the release of the game's first trailer yesterday.
Noodlecake announced Super Stickman Golf 2 last July and originally planned to launch it in 2012.
The sequel will feature 16 new courses and 4 redone versions of courses from the original game — Noodlecake says it built Super Stickman Golf 2 from the ground up to support dynamic objects like the windmill in the trailer. The studio also revamped the existing Race Mode to support eight players in local multiplayer; the first game's Race Mode, which works with two to four players, can be played online.
As previously announced, a new asynchronous online multiplayer mode is the major addition to...
News
4 CommentsStudent game developers to present anti-obesity game at Washington DC summit
By Dave Tach on Mar 01, 2013 03.01.13
JiveHealth, a game development team made up of university students, will present its game Jungo at the Building a Healthier Future Summit in Washington D.C. on March 3, according to a press release from Tribeca Flashpoint Academy.
The smartphone game is designed to combat childhood obesity by teaching healthy eating habits. Jungo has two components: a shooter that uses slingshot loaded up with healthy snacks, as well as upgradable characters. Children can upgrade their character by taking pictures of healthy foods in the real world.
JiveHealth designer Nathan Wangler and artist Hailey Schmidt hail from Tribeca Flashpoint Academy, while founder Dennis Ai is a student at Northwestern University. The trio entered the game in the End Childhood Obesity Innovation Challenge, which is part...
Video
7 CommentsSee twin-stick shooter Burn Zombie Burn! running on Nvidia's Project Shield
By Michael McWhertor on Feb 28, 2013 02.28.13
In a new video posted by Nvidia, the company shows its Tegra 4-powered Android gaming device, Project Shield, playing Burn Zombie Burn!, the twin-stick shooter previously released on PlayStation 3 and PC.
Nvidia's blog says the Project Shield port will feature "the same graphics and fast-paced action" of the PS3 version, as well as feature Tegra 4-specific enhancements, including light bloom and improved fire effects.
The Android port and Project Shield-tailored versions of Burn Zombie Burn! are being developed by Tick Tock Games.
Project Shield was announced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show and is expected to ship sometime in Q2 2013. Check out our Project Shield hands-on impressions for more.
Video
0 CommentsAVP: Evolution launch trailer reveals a portable sci-fi mashup
By Dave Tach on Feb 28, 2013 02.28.13
A trailer released today for Alien vs. Predator: Evolution celebrates its launch on iOS and Android.
Check out the trailer above to see the aliens and predators in Angry Mob Games' third-person shooter. You'll also learn a bit about character progression, abilities and the narrative that justifies the sci-fi mashup. AVP: Evolution is available now for $4.99 in the iOS App store and on Google Play.
News
33 CommentsOuya ships to backers March 28
By Samit Sarkar on Feb 28, 2013 02.28.13
Ouya units will begin to go out to Kickstarter backers March 28, CEO Julie Uhrman announced today.
Today's update also included details on games coming to Ouya in the future, the results of the Create game jam and the team's hiring of thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago.
Uhrman noted that the units "might take a few weeks to get to everyone," since "we have a lot of Ouyas to ship!" A total of 63,416 people backed the Kickstarter campaign last year, to the tune of nearly $8.6 million. The retail launch is still set for June, Uhrman confirmed.
Kickstarter backers will "get to watch Ouya evolve over the coming weeks and months," said Uhrman. "We'll continue to add new features, refine our user experience, and bring on more games."
Uhrman went on to list some of the games coming...
News
2 CommentsQWOP is awkwardly running to Android devices in the coming months
By Emily Gera on Feb 28, 2013 02.28.13
QWOP, the brilliantly awkward one-man racing game created by designer Ben Foddy, is currently being ported by developer Noodle Cake Games for Android devices, it was announced on Foddy's personal Twitter account.
The ragdoll-based Flash game was first developed in 2008 for browsers, in fact you can still check it out here. Players take control of the limbs of an athlete called Qwop to make it as far through an Olympic 100-meter sprint using only the Q,W,O and P keys on their keyboard.
Developer Noodle Cake Games revealed the upcoming port will launch in the coming months. A more specific date has yet to be announced.
News
15 CommentsElectronic Arts will allow gamers to use one identity across multiple platforms
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
A new software engineering project from Electronic Arts will allow gamers to use the same identity across multiple game platforms, such as PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Origin and more, GamesBeat reports.
The publication spoke with EA's chief technology officer, Rajat Taneja, about the project's goal and function. With the new system in place, the company can better track gamer's activities with any EA title, whether its on a console, PC, Facebook or iPhone.
"Our strategic vision at EA is to create a single backend system so that we can truly embrace the secular trends in our industry that are creating massive growth for games," Taneja told GamesBeat. "And we will be able to embrace all of the new business models that come with that."
A singular identity will allow players to find...
News
1 CommentDeath Inc. developer unveils iPad and multiplayer prototypes
By Dave Tach on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
Death Inc., the strategy game about the bubonic plague, may include iPad support and multiplayer as stretch goals, according to a recent update and video on the game's Kickstarter blog.
Check out the video above, in which the developers at Ambient Studios show the game running on an iPad, a result of about three days of work. They then take the game to two Windows PCs, team up and divide their forces in cooperative battle.
"We think both of those could be fantastic stretch goals," designer Mike Green says in the video. "We know that we still have a long way to go, but it's great to be able to see some of the potential for Death Inc."
As of this writing, nearly 3,000 backers have pledged 77,893 pounds of the 300,000 goal. The Death Inc. Kickstarter campaign has seven days...
News
2 CommentsGameHouse launches free-to-play social casino titles on Facebook and iOS
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
Casual games developer and distributor GameHouse announced today the launch of two free-to-play social casino titles: GameHouse Casino on Facebook and GameHouse Slots for iOS.
GameHouse Casino includes a variety of casino games including three- and six-hand blackjack, American and European-style roulette and slots. Its video poker section contains six unique machines that play up to 25 hands at a time and allow players to place side bets, go for double-or nothing wins or switch between high and low plays to tweak the odds in their favor.
The title includes a lobby where players can virtually join other users at slot machines and poker tables. GameHouse Casino also features a Party Play feature that will display what others are playing as well as a Mystery Friend Multiplier, which...
News
1 CommentChillingo and Samsung partner for program to nurture mobile indie developers
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
Electronic Arts' mobile division Chillingo is partnering with technology manufacturer Samsung to run "100% Indie," a program aiming to inspire and nurture indie mobile developers, EA announced today.
Headed by Chillingo co-founders Chris Byatte and Joe Wee and set to launch on March 4, "100% Indie" offers developers a pre-negotiated revenue share for games and apps published to Samsung devices. Participants will receive 100 percent of revenue in the first six months after their game launches, 90 percent during the six months after that, and 80 percent in the following six-month period until March 4, 2015, after which developers will continue to receive 70 percent of all revenue.
Interested indie developers can submit their titles for consideration through the program's website. Games...
News
0 CommentsPlayfish co-founder leaves EA to return to the world of start-ups
By Emily Gera on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
Playfish co-founder Kristian Segerstrale is leaving EA to return to the world of start-up development, it was revealed in an internal memo from CEO John Riccitiello that later was released to the public.
Following Segerstrale's departure, EA COO Peter Moore will take on his responsibilities and will lead the digital publishing, marketing and Origin groups that make up EA Digital.
"With the move of the EA Digital teams under Peter's direction, he will now have responsibility for all of EA's revenues globally: packaged goods and digital," writes Riccitiello. "Aligning the EA Digital groups in Peter's organization, which already includes Global Publishing, EA Global Media Solutions, Worldwide Customer Experience and Mobile and Social Publishing, gives us greater focus on how we can use...
News
3 CommentsAngry Birds cartoon series coming March 16 and 17
By Tracey Lien on Feb 26, 2013 02.26.13
Rovio will premier a new cartoon series based on Angry Birds on March 16-17 called Angry Birds Toons, according to a promotional trailer released today.
A new episode from the animated series will be available online each week starting from the weekend of March 16-17. The blurb for Angry Birds Toons suggests that the animated series will tell the backstory of the popular game, and answer questions like: "What makes Bomb Bird so angry? Why is the King Pig the King Pig? And are those mischievous piggies ever going to get hold of the eggs?"
Updates are expected on the Angry Birds website.
News
8 CommentsCryamore Kickstarter ends with quadruple asking amount, all stretch goals achieved
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 26, 2013 02.26.13
NostalgiCO's campaign for action role-playing game Cryamore ended funding today with at $242,309, more than four times the amount asked for and within range of all 12 stretch goals.
Cryamore, a blend of "obsolete steampunk with Zelda, Secret of Mana and Mega Man," launched on Jan. 26 with a goal of $60,000. The game stars a young woman named Esmyrelda Maximus who searches for Cryamore, a mineral that replaces steam-powered technology. Cryamore features real-time combat, 81 elemental abilities, summon assists and more.
With its achieved stretch goals, the game will feature voice acting, additional locations and weapons, and support for Ouya and mobile platforms. PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 joined the roster as well in the final stretch goal. More than 5,900 backers contributed to...
Report
3 CommentsFormer Zynga Boston developers launch new studio to go after 'core tablet market'
By Tracey Lien on Feb 26, 2013 02.26.13
In October 2012 social game developer Zynga unexpectedly shuttered Zynga Boston. Four months on, developers from the now-defunct studio are launching their first game as a new independent studio, Proletariat.
Speaking to Polygon, Proletariat CEO Seth Sivak said the team of veteran game designers who have worked at companies like Insomniac Games, Turbine and Harmonix have decided to stay in the mobile and tablet game development space for the same reason they moved into social games to begin with: they want to make games that people will talk about for all the right reasons.
"That was the appeal for us," says Sivak, who was working at Conduit Labs with Proletariat's founders before Zynga acquired the studio in 2010. "It was all about making really, really big games that could have tons...
News
4 CommentsAt the Gates coming to iOS, Mac and Linux.
By Jenna Pitcher on Feb 26, 2013 02.26.13
At the Gates, developed by Conifer Games, will be available on iOS, Mac and Linux.
Mac and Linux versions will launch alongside the Window PC release. As the iOS version requires more work than the other platforms, the studio could not provide a solid launch date or what iOS devices it will support.
"... (trying to get AtG to fit on a phone screen might be tricky!), but if you have a recent iPad you should be safe," the studio wrote on its Kickstarter page.
Conifer Games won't release At the Gates on Android in the near future due to time constraints, even though it would like to.
Contributors who pledged the $25 tier or above will receive a copy of the game on Windows PC, Linux and Mac. The Conifer Games will not be able to do the same with iOS version as Apple restricts the number...
News
3 CommentsApple settles 'bait apps' class action suit with iTunes credit, cash refunds
By Tracey Lien on Feb 25, 2013 02.25.13
Apple proposed a settlement to a class action lawsuit that would see it offering $5 in iTunes credit to those who claim that a minor bought in-game items without their knowledge or permission.
The settlement, which comes in response to a lawsuit over "bait-apps" — apps and games that can be downloaded for free but then charge real-world money for in-game currency and items — offers all Settlement Class Members $5 in iTunes store credit as relief. In the case where minors have spent more than $5 through "bait apps", Apple proposes to offer credit for that amount. If more than $30 was spent, Apple will offer a cash refund.
Those seeking relief must file a valid electronic claim form and provide their name, address and Apple ID. The claimant must also attest that a minor made game...
News
3 CommentsNexon makes 'strategic investment' in Human Element studio Robotoki
By Samit Sarkar on Feb 25, 2013 02.25.13
Nexon, a Korean publisher of online games, has made a "strategic investment" in Human Element developer Robotoki, the publisher announced today.
Nexon did not disclose the amount of the investment, but said, "This investment will be a step in the direction of coordinating efforts in developing future games based on Robotoki's development of multi-screen, cross-platform gameplay."
Robotoki was founded last April by Robert Bowling, former creative strategist at Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward. The Los Angeles-based studio is working on Human Element, a first-person survival game that takes place 35 years after a zombie apocalypse. Players will be able to determine their role in the post-apocalypse society and enjoy the game across Windows PC, Ouya and next-generation consoles, as...
News
10 CommentsTelltale teases more Walking Dead content before season two launches
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 25, 2013 02.25.13
Telltale Games is currently developing more content for The Walking Dead unrelated to its previously-announced second season, reports IGN.
Speaking during a recent episode of Up At Noon, The Walking Dead writer Gary Whitta teased upcoming content that isn't part of season two but also offers no hints on any relation to season one.
"You won't have to wait for season two to play more Walking Dead," he said.
Whitta affirmed that season two is still a long way off, and there is no new information to announce regarding its launch. However, popular fan demand for The Walking Dead content has brought Telltale back to the drawing board, and something "that will make the wait for season two slightly less agonizing" is in the works.
"Knowing that it's a way off, and knowing that people are...
News
22 CommentsVBA8 emulator stores and plays GameBoy Advance titles on Windows Phone
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 25, 2013 02.25.13
The VBA8 emulator, released over the weekend for Windows Phone 8, allows users to run GameBoy Advance titles on their mobile device.
According to the app's listing on the Windows Phone store, VBA8 allows players to store and run GameBoy Advance titles directly on their phone. The app is available for $2.99, and for those who are skeptical there is a free demo available for download as well.
VBA8 is compatible with Windows Phone 8 only and requires data services and specific screen resolution to run correctly. Publisher "m.k." has also recently released an update for free Windows 8 Super Nintendo emulator Snes8x, improving the emulator's stability when importing and exporting saved games and tweaking timing issues in PAL region games.
Recently a fully-functional version of the...
News
2 CommentsAlien vs. Predator: Evolution hits iOS and Android on Feb. 28
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 22, 2013 02.22.13
Alien vs. Predator: Evolution is coming to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets on Feb. 28, developer Angry Mob Games and Fox Digital Entertainment announced today.
The title combines third-person shooter and melee combat elements in the melded sci-fi worlds of the Alien and Predator franchises. Players will become a member of either species, upgrade and equip weapons and enter the fray against members of the opposing race. You begin the game as a Young Blood or Facehugger and stalk down your prey, evolving into the terrors both series are known for.
Alien vs. Predator: Evolution was announced last month and will be available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play. The title borrows from the combined Alien vs. Predator universe, based on the 2004 and 2007 films Alien vs. Predator...
News
7 CommentsUsagi Yojimbo: Way of the Ronin now available on iOS, coming soon to Android and PC
By Samit Sarkar on Feb 22, 2013 02.22.13
Usagi Yojimbo: Way of the Ronin, a 2D beat-'em-up based on Stan Sakai's renowned comic book series, launched yesterday on iOS for $1.99 and is coming soon to Android devices and Windows PC, book publisher Dark Horse Comics announced today.
The hack-and-slash title was developed by HappyGiant Media and stars the titular rabbit ronin. Players control Usagi and his sword, Grasscutter, as he takes down all kinds of enemies through 13 levels of side-scrolling action. HappyGiant told Polygon in an interview during New York Comic Con 2012 that the design was inspired by Castle Crashers, the co-op beat-'em-up from indie studio The Behemoth.
Way of the Ronin is the first Usagi Yojimbo video game since the 1988 Commodore 64 title Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo. Check out Way of...
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