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Jan 31, 2012

Humble Indie Bundle heads to Android

World of Goo

The long-running Humble Indie Bundle initiative has finally made the leap to smartphones.

The latest pack includes Android-compatible indie gems Osmos, Edge and Anomaly: Warzone Earth. What's more, you'll also get versions for Mac OSX, Windows or GNU/Linux.

As is traditional, you decide how much you pay, and what proportion of your donation goes to the developers, to charity (choose Child's Play Charity or the Electronic Frontier Foundation) and to the Humble Indie Bundle organisers.

If your payment is above the current average ($5.29 at the time of writing), you'll also get World of Goo thrown in.

The pack has got off to a solid start, with over 24,000 sales so far and revenue of $131,000.

Jan 11, 2012

VVVVVV Review

VVVVVV

Terry Cavanagh's VVVVVV is a game in love with being a game. The sci-fi tale of six space-dwelling scientists (whose names all begin with the letter V) getting displaced in another dimension is silly, but the bare-bones premise is fitting for the 8-bit retro aesthetic. This nostalgic presentation allows Cavanagh to look at common conventions with a deadpan sense of wide-eyed wonder.

When it's discovered that walking to one end of the screen causes you to emerge out the other side it's explained as "inter-dimensional interference". The first time a scientist sees a checkpoint he suggests it be brought back to the ship to be analysed. Where Atari games like Asteroids and Centipede seemed embarrassed by their stories, Cavanagh builds one to complement the medium's preposterous designs. These analytic musings and low-fi visuals brings to mind classic sci-fi yarns like The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits, from an era when computers were the size of apartments and even the most basic video games were the stuff of dreams.

VVVVVV is sharper and more modern than its inspirations, sidestepping the archaic trappings of actual games from the eighties. The design vaguely resembles Metroid, but where Samus' debut presented players with an open world to explore, it was really only somewhat open, with a series of barriers blocking off much of its real estate until the proper piece of equipment was found.

VVVVVV doesn't bother with upgrades. You only have one ability throughout the entire game. By tapping a button you can flip gravity, effectively transforming ceilings into floors and vice versa. Where most games today lead players by the nose or place locked gates indicating they should be revisited later, VVVVVV's condensed maze is entirely accessible after a brief tutorial. This lack of guidance means you're literally lost in space, but the manageable scale and a bevy of warp point alleviates needless backtracking while you boldly go where no one has gone before.

Whichever way you go, you'll be greeted with fiendishly difficult platforming challenges. Much like Super Meat Boy, nearly every jump requires precision and one wrong move will see your space captain's pixelated body reincarnated at the most recent checkpoint. Thankfully, these are mercifully frequent, cropping up in almost every single screen. It's not unusual to fail dozens of times on a single jump, but the penalty for dying is so minor that it seldom frustrates.

Each area is distinct too, with new ideas offering neat twists on the one-button gravity play. In one section the edges of the screen lead to its opposite end until the correct exit is found, while another offers an escort mission where your charge will run towards you when you're on the ground but ignore your presence entirely when you're on the ceiling (clearly they come from the Arkham Asylum school of observation). Another level places you on a vertical scrolling elevator lined with spikes.

Amusingly, the more hazard-prone screens come with their own witty title written by QWOP creator Bennett Foddy. A screen following a dive off a cliff is called "I Changed My Mind, Thelma" and possibly the game's hardest optional challenge is a multi-screen spike-filled corridor entitled "Veni", "Vidi", and "Vici".

VVVVVV premiered on PC in 2010, and this 3DS port is a mostly solid conversion. Having the map simultaneously in view on the bottom screen is a major boon in a game about charting the unknown. Other additions include a selection of user-created levels, some of which are by notable indie designers like Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson. 10 of these were already available on PC, but eight are new to this edition.

Regrettably, there's no level editor (though Nicalis, the publisher of this port, has stated that it would like to add this) and the 3D is underwhelming in a game with primarily black backgrounds. Between that and the pillar-boxed top screen, VVVVVV takes so little advantage of the system's unique capabilities that it's a little troubling it wasn't released on DSiWare for those who've not taken the plunge on Nintendo's latest handheld.

Elsewhere, at the time of writing Flip Mode, which is supposed to mirror the world vertically, is busted and presents the player with a blank screen. This is a well-known glitch that will hopefully be fixed prior to the European release, which is scheduled for this month.

Despite these niggles, this is a fine port of a splendid platformer. Switching effortlessly between sadistic punishment and boundless freedom, VVVVVV provides more moment to moment pleasure in its scant two or three hour campaign than most games do at four times the length. While not flashy, long, or for the faint of heart, those with an affinity for old-school difficulty and newfangled mollycoddling checkpoints will find Cavanagh's tribute to the past could teach its high-definition contemporaries a thing or two.

8
/
10

Jan 10, 2012

World of Goo hits 1 million App Store downloads

World of Goo

Acclaimed physics puzzler World of Goo has been downloaded one million times from the iOS and Mac App Store in the 13 months since launch.

According to Gamasutra, 29 per cent of those sales were for iPhone or iPod Touch, while 69 per cent were for the iPad. Mac App Store downloads only contributed two per cent, though a separate Mac version has been on sale since 2008 when the game first launched on PC and WiiWare.

iPhone/iPod sales made up 17 per cent of all revenue, whereas the more expensive iPad version constituted 79 per cent.

The Android version, which only launched in November 2011, has racked up 70,000 sales, although a free demo has been downloaded 450,000 times. The game sold 180,000 downloads over the same period of time following the iOS launch one year previous.

Life-to-date sales figures for the original PC and WiiWare versions have not been made public.

Not played the 2D Boy-developed gem yet? You really should give it a whirl - Eurogamer's Kristan Reed attempted to award it 11/10 in his World of Goo review.

Oct 6, 2011

VVVVVV announced for 3DS

VVVVVV

Revered, rock hard indie platformer VVVVVV is on its way to the 3DS eShop, publisher Nicalis has announced.

The handheld version of the PC original (trailered below) adds 3D visuals, six unique levels and a level map on the 3DS's bottom screen. Future content updates are also promised.

The game is due for release in late 2011, with no price set as of yet.

Originally released back in 2010 on the PC, Terry Cavanagh's retro-fabulous jumper picked up a glowing 8/10 endorsement from Eurogamer's Oli Welsh. Peruse his VVVVVV review for details.

Video:

Oct 5, 2011

Xbox Live Arcade hasn't peaked - analysts

World of Goo

Has Xbox Live Arcade really peaked, as World of Goo creator Ron Carmel yesterday argued? No, analysts have told Eurogamer.

"But Microsoft should take a look at Ron Carmel's piece," declared Billy Pidgeon of M2 Research, "which eloquently makes the case (and backs it up with data) that XBLA has peaked for a specific group of independent developers who are responsible for high quality games that outsell the average XBLA game.

"Sony is acquiring more unique content for PSN, and in many cases it's exclusive content, which will cost Sony more but will clearly differentiate their online games store from XBLA and other competition."

"In terms of digital games delivered through a home console, Microsoft will continue to be the market leaders," stated Jesse Divnich of EEDAR.

"I am not disagreeing with Mr. Carmel, I believe some of his points are valid and any digital service provider has its own restrictions and hurdles. Not every game is the right fit for every service.

"We certainly are seeing some fracturing among developers, and Xbox Live and PSN are no longer the only option for game distribution."

"That doesn't sound right to me," said Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan, responding to Carmel's claim. "If anything, there are more titles than ever, but we haven't had a Braid or Limbo so far this year.

"As the 360 price comes down and the installed base continues to grow, there should be a significantly larger addressable market for XBLA games, so I think it continues to grow."

Ron Carmel surveyed 200 independent developers. His results, which he admitted weren't sacrosanct, showed dwindling support for Xbox Live Arcade. Part of this is due to laborious XBLA constraints. The other part can be attributed to the rise of PC, Mac, iOS and Android gaming. Billy Pidgeon said that "viable alternative marketplaces" are "good news for developers and gamers both". Whereas Xbox Live Arcade and PSN are "predictable", he said, other markets can be "risky".

"Indie games are like indie songs: most of them suck, but the ones that don't are unique and deserve to be bought, played, talked about, discovered and awarded."

Billy Pidgeon, analyst, M2 Research

Divnich said the investment in social and mobile gaming "is not necessarily at the cost of XBLA and PSN titles". There's greater flexibility there, but "the recipe for success is not as established".

"Of all the online games markets," added Pidgeon, "I think Steam may have the best offering for gaming enthusiasts so far. The PC is the ideal platform with the most reach, Steam's timed specials help games sell more but hedge price erosion, and it's a great experience for gamers who use it.

"Nintendo's online shops are getting better, but still have a long way to go. The App Store has got great reach, but the best games get lost in the crap and rapid price erosion is a given. Android download stores are the worst, with all the downsides of the App Store and none of the upside due to fragmentation."

Apple has made iOS an easy platform to develop and publish for. One of Ron Carmel's suggestions was for Microsoft to make every Xbox 360 a dev kit, and relax the submission process so that more content can get through. Xbox Live Indie Games already does this, to a degree.

"The Xbox Live Indie Games market seems a waste of a good opportunity," Pidgeon went on to say. "What should be a showcase for indie games is more like a swap meet.

"It's worthwhile to let anybody make a game with XNA, but there should be a 'top shelf' for the best independent games. Indie games are like indie songs: most of them suck, but the ones that don't are unique and deserve to be bought, played, talked about, discovered and awarded."

Nicholas Lovell from Gamesbrief, in a lengthy dissection of Ron Carmel's piece, accused Microsoft of "artificially trying to restrict consumers to a limited number of choices, similar to a retail store". Whereas Carmel had hope Microsoft could turn it around, Lovell isn't so sure.

"Ron is relatively upbeat about the future, if Microsoft adopts some of his ten-point plan. I am less so," Lovell wrote. "I think that the company is stuck trying to recreate the limitations of the physical distribution market, rather than embracing the opportunities created by the digital market.

"I was going to say that I hope that I am wrong, but I'm not sure that's entirely true. The sooner the world becomes more open, the better."

Oct 4, 2011

XBLA has "peaked" says World of Goo dev

World of Goo

World of Goo developer 2D Boy believes Xbox Live Arcade "peaked" last year (2010) and that "Microsoft is not yet aware of this".

Studio co-founder Ron Carmel surveyed 200 independent game makers, some of which are responsible for significant - but undisclosed - XBLA titles.

He discovered that more developers want to make PSN games now than titles for XBLA. He also found PSN and XBLA seventh and eighth in a list of target platforms for 2011. The most popular was Windows, followed closely by Mac, iOS, Linux, Flash/browser and Android platforms.

Nearly three quarters of the developers surveyed said ease of working with a platform holder was paramount - followed by installed base and platform suitability.

When asked about specific platform holders, the majority deemed Steam, Facebook and Apple "very easy" to work with. Sony's PSN majority, like Google's Android, was "so-so". Most people found WiiWare "difficult", whereas Microsoft's XBLA was "excruciating".

"Given that ease of working with the platform owner was voted the most important factor in choice of platforms, it becomes perfectly clear why XBLA, despite being a very strong channel with a large audience and huge earning potential, is dropping in popularity among these developers," observed Carmel.

"But if things keep going the way they are, and XBLA keeps losing talented developers, I believe the diversity of games available on XBLA will diminish, quality will suffer, and revenue numbers will drop as players start to move away from an unremarkable portfolio of games. We will see a lot more 'genrefication' and big publisher franchises."

"XBLA is no longer the king it used to be. Microsoft is no longer in a position to demand exclusivity now that PSN has more developers and is growing."

Ron Carmel, co-founder, 2D Boy

"Once players start to leave in large numbers it will be too late to turn things around," he added. "Given that it takes at least a year or two to make an XBLA game, no developer would want to start working on one knowing that XBLA is declining in popularity and could be significantly weaker by the time the game is ready.

Carmel believes full-scale gamer "migration" away from XBLA is "a few years away", which allows "more than enough time for XBLA to change course".

To this end, Carmel shared "10 Things Microsoft Can Do To Improve XBLA".

Create a fair contract that doesn't require negotiation. "It's the most exploitative, one-sided distribution contract I've seen. We each waste months of our time and Microsoft's time negotiating the same stuff out of the contract, over, and over again."
Solve the content discovery problem. "The platform owner needs to make it super easy for their users to buy software."
Stop requiring independent developers to publish through MGS. "Every other distribution channel allows independent developers to self publish, without a producer, and I see no evidence that having a producer on a game makes it better."
Drop the TCRs, make updating easy. "TCRs add months to a game's development time that could be better used polishing the game."
Get rid of the exclusivity requirement for independent developers. "XBLA is no longer the king it used to be. Microsoft is no longer in a position to demand exclusivity now that PSN has more developers and is growing."
Drop the greenlight process and open up development to everyone. "Players judge the quality of a platform by the quality and quantity of the best games available on it, not by the average quality of all games."
Make every console a dev kit. "It may require a lot of work, but there is nothing stopping Microsoft from doing this as well. This is actually one of the reasons Microsoft is the console maker best-poised to undergo this transformation."
Automate everything. "With the App Store, everything is automated and a developer can release a game without ever talking to a human."
Drop the ESRB in favor of a self administered rating system. "It takes weeks, and thousands of dollars, to get a game rated by all the domestic and international ratings agencies needed to launch a game globally. The ESRB in particular is a nightmare to deal with."
Make avatar related requirements optional. "I don't know a single developer who wants to make toys for avatars. It's not fun and it inflates the game's budget."

"XBLA played a pivotal role in the popularisation of independent games," concluded Carmel, name-checking N+, Castle Crashers, Braid, Limbo and Super Meat Boy.

"Microsoft proved that indie games can be million sellers on consoles, and then sat on its laurels for half a decade as more nimble and innovative companies like Valve and Apple took the lead.

"I would love to see Microsoft rise to the challenge of adapting to new digital distribution landscapes," he wrote. "More healthy platforms means more interesting, creative games that push the limits of our medium."

Video: World of Goo.

Jul 27, 2011

Cheap This Week - 27/07/11

Eurogamer

It's Wednesday, and that can only mean one thing: I'm back with yet another selection of the finest discount gaming offers to tempt your wallet with. Throughout the week you can keep your finger on the pulse of cut price gaming by checking SavyGamer.co.uk. Read on to find out what's cheap this week.

Here are this week's deals:

Batman: Arkham Asylum - £3.75

Cracking price for what I reckon is The Batman's finest hour in the field of games. Don't just take my word for it; Dan granted it a a highly sought after Eurogamer 9/10:

"Most of the gameplay concerns are minor when taken in the context of how much Arkham Asylum gets so gloriously right. Rarely does a game do a character justice in such a satisfying way. Arkham Asylum finds room for every major aspect of Batman's enduring appeal, and it does so in a game compelling enough to work even without its masked star. Fans of the caped crusader really shouldn't hesitate - this isn't just the best grown-up Batman game, it's the best superhero game, bar none."

The sequel is looking good too.

Video: It's pretty clear that Bruce Wayne would be a PC gamer.

Duke Nukem Forever, Xbox 360 - £14.13 delivered

This is the Asian version, but it is in English, and totally region free. You probably won't be able to trade it in, but it's a saving of nearly £6 compared to the next best price.

The only real problem is that it's not very good. Dan dissected it in detail in his scathing 3/10 review:

"In the end, you feel every year of Duke Nukem Forever's ridiculous, fractured development seeping out of each unsatisfying frame. With four studios sharing title space in the opening animation, and end credits which run for almost 10 minutes, the weight of so many false starts, dead ends and endlessly revised design documents proves too much. For all his muscle and bravado, Duke Nukem is actually a fragile creature. His legacy is based on a specific combination of time and technology and a mercurial element of fun that simply doesn't lend itself to repetition, especially after so long in limbo."

But maybe you want to see this car crash for yourself. This is certainly better than paying full price for it.

Star Wars: The Old Republic, PC - £27.29 delivered

EA is having a laugh with its price of £45 for this from Origin. The retail price represents a saving of 40% compared to buying it direct from EA, so if you are dead set on jumping into BioWare's Old Republic MMO on day one, I'd suggest getting your order in now.

John previewed this back in May:

"Once again, we've been treated to an awfully generous slice of this long-awaited online world. But inevitably, and with so much potential on show, we find ourselves asking the nagging question that lingers after every preview of The Old Republic. Where exactly is the long-term MMO in this most epic and infamously costly of MMOs?"

Where indeed. Stick with Eurogamer for the latest on The Old Republic, and you can always cancel your preorder if it looks naff.

Mount & Blade Complete, PC - £8.74

Here you get all three entries in the wonderful, but messy, Mount & Blade series.

Here's Tim on the latest entry, With Fire & Sword, which he scored at 6/10:

"The worst accusation I can hurl at With Fire & Sword is also the kindest compliment I can pay it. Despite the new setting, infernal weaponry and bespoke story quests, most of the time the game plays just like Warband or the original Mount & Blade. The majority of the bread-and-butter activities are nigh identical, as is the pace and pattern of play. Once the novelty of gunpowder has worn off, series veterans may find themselves wandering back to familiar pastures - or wondering whether one of the tastier Caravanserai offerings (some of which also supply musket action) wouldn't have provided as much pleasure."

Dan covered the first one here.

Deal of the week

Crayon Physics Deluxe, Cogs, VVVVVV, Hammerfight, And Yet It Moves, PC/Mac/Linux Pay what you want

Video: That seems like a good thing.

It's the Humble Indie Bundle 3, and it's an excellent selection of some of the best games from the last few years.

John gave Crayon Physics Deluxe a loving 7/10 review, saying it was "well worth the USD 20". Cogs got an 8/10 from Kristan. Oli gave VVVVVV a solid 8/10 - and that was before it had mod tools, an updated engine, and bonus levels from Notch and others. Kristan reviewed the WiiWare version of And Yet It Moves here, but you're on your own for Hammerfight. Sorry.

All these games are DRM free, cross platform on PC, Mac and Linux, come with a code for activation on Steam and/or Desura, and all at the price of your choosing. It's a must have deal.

Also of note this week...

Hard Lines, iPhone/iPad Free

Visit SavyGamer.co.uk for your gaming bargain needs throughout the week, and hassle me on Twitter if you ever want a particular game for cheap.

Jul 26, 2011

New Humble Indie Bundle out now

Eurogamer

The third Humble Indie Bundle is available now, offering five cracking titles for PC and Mac: Crayon Physics Deluxe, Cogs, VVVVVV, Hammerfight, and And Yet It Moves.

The pack is worth around £30 in total but, as is standard HIB practice, you decide how much you pay. Your donation gets you DRM-free downloads that you can install on as many machines as you desire. All five games are Linux, Mac OS X and Windows compatible.

According to the official site, the average purchase currently comes in at a rather pitiful $4.38, though Minecraft man Notch is doing his bit, handing over $2000, while Braid creator Jonathon Blow has stumped up $2718.28.

Your money will be split between the developers, the Humble Bundle organisers and two charities: the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Child's Play Charity. You get to decide who gets what proportion of your donation.

Jun 29, 2011

Sega hosting EG Expo Indie Arcade

VVVVVV

We're delighted to announce the return of Eurogamer Expo's Indie Arcade, which this year will be presented by publishing giant Sega and in association with Rock Paper Shotgun.

The Arcade hosts more than a dozen of the finest independently developed games - showcased for the Expo's tens of thousands of gamers.

Now entering its fourth year, submissions for 2011's Indie Arcade are now open.

The Eurogamer Expo Indie Arcade is the biggest and longest established public showing of independently developed games in the UK.

Previous years have seen the public debuts of Joe Danger and Hohokum, as well as cult favourites Nidhogg, B.U.T.T.O.N. and VVVVVV.

Submissions are open until 19th August, after which the full selection of games will be finalised and announced. It costs nothing for game developers to submit or to exhibit if selected.

For further information and submission guidelines, please visit the Expo FAQ.

This year's Eurogamer Expo takes place at London's Earls Court between 22nd and 25th September. It's the UK's biggest video games event - set to attract 30,000 gamers with titles such as Battlefield, Ninja Gaiden 3, FIFA 12 and Star Wars: The Old Republic playable on the show floor.

Tickets are selling fast - nab yours now from eurogamerexpo.com!

Video: Hello Games' Joe Danger.

Apr 4, 2011

World of Goo gets iPhone release

World of Goo

Acclaimed indie physics puzzler World of Goo is slithering onto the iPhone soon, developer 2D Boy has announced.

The smartphone version of the game is all done and has been submitted to Apple for approval so should be available "soonish", according to a post on the developer's website.

It'll cost £1.79 but early birds can pick it up for just 59p during its first 24 hours on sale. It will be a universal app, so if you've already got the iPad version you're essentially getting it for free on your phone.

Anyone clinging onto a 3G model is out of luck you'll need a 3GS, iPhone 4 or third generation iPod Touch to run it.

For those yet to get acquainted with 2D Boy's genius creation, the game launched on PC and WiiWare back in 2009 to stellar reviews.

It then landed on Apple's tablet late last year. "If a better game ever comes to the iPad, you might well spontaneously combust," wrote Eurogamer's Kristan Read in his 10/10 endorsement.

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