By at July 2, 2012.

Sony President Reaffirms Commitment to Indie Games and the Vita

Sony has yet to forge a service as prolific or accessible as Microsoft’s Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace, but it appears that the company sees great value in the indie gaming scene. This belief was expressed by Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida to Gamasutra reference to the Playstation Vita’s genesis.

“The whole development process of Vita was us watching the smartphone and the tablet market grow and blossom,” Yoshida said. “We’ve seen lots of small games sold digitally through the app stores of each device, and that’s something we thought is a great addition to the whole offering of video games to the consumers.”

This news doesn’t come a complete surprise, with Sony already having invested time and money into the PubFund. The upcoming Playstation Network game Guacamelee is the latest title to benefit from this project, while standouts like Journey and Pixeljunk Shooter have in the past as well.

Yoshida also endorsed the Vita and the idea of dedicated handhelds in general, despite the ever-growing belief that smartphones are conquering the marketplace.

“We do not necessarily see the smartphone replacing the portable console market. It’s true that many casual people already own smartphones, and spending a dollar for a game is a very easy thing to do. People who really like games want more immersive, deeper games. In addition, they also enjoy short-form, small games.”

Source: Indie Games

Chomp on Apple Jack 2 this Thursday

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Mike Wall in News, xblig, XBLIG News | 1 Comment

Apple Jack 2 is arriving on ~~grocery store shelves~~ the Xbox Live Indie Marketplace this Thursday for $1. The sequel is packed with 60 levels to help you get a nutritious start to your day. Let me recap the excellent first game in case you missed out: It’s kind of like Super Mario Bros. 2, but you can fire the enemies in any direction. And it’s packed with fruit. And pandas. And washing machines.

Smudged Cat Games Giving Away Copies of The Adventure of Shuggy

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Mike Wall in Contests, PC, PC News | Leave a comment

Smudged Cat Games is celebrating this week’s Steam release of The Adventures of Shuggy by giving away copies of the game and other Shuggy-related “goodies.” All you have to do to win is follow Smudged Cat on Twitter and tweet “Adventures of Shuggy now available on Steam. RT for chance to win Shuggy goodies” or like the link on Facebook. A winner will be picked at random each day this week.

One lucky person will win a T-shirt, bag, comic and copy of the game, and four others will win the game. But seriously, if you don’t win a T-shirt with a purple bat, does it even count as winning? If you don’t score a free copy, you can still pick up the game on sale for $8.

Source: Smudged Cat Games

Tex Murphy Kickstarter successfully funded, he lives to sleuth another day

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Dave Voyles in News, PC, PC News | Leave a comment

Tex Murphy has had a bit of a tumultuous career, to say the least. His sarcastic wit has gotten him into some tight binds over the years, including far too many hits to the head, in addition to his multiple kidnappings. Fortunately he’s survived even the most difficult situations, such as the quick decline in popularity of FMV (and adventure) games after the 90s.

The goal of the Project Fedora Kickstarter was to raise the lofty sum of $450,000, which will be supplemented by an additional $300,000 from developer Big Finish Games. They’ve met their goal as of today. Production is set to begin two-to-four weeks after the campaign closes next week. If you still want to get in on his adventures, you’ve got eight days left to toss your money at the screen, as the funding ends Saturday June 16.

You can also catch Tex himself (Chris Jones) and series writer Aaron Conners on Reddit today, as they’ll be doing an IAmA at 10 PM EST.

Tex’s sleuthing will resume later this year when he hits Chandler Avenue again via the PC again in his upcoming adventure, Project Fedora.

Source: Project Fedora Kickstarter

Watch the Space Quest Developers Play through the Entire Series

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Mike Wall in News, PC, PC News | 1 Comment

A long, long time ago, on some old-ass computers, space-doo-doo-mopper Roger Wilco ventured across the galaxy for “truth, justice, and really clean floors” in the Space Quest hexalogy. The Space Quest games were known for ridiculous puns, parodies, and being occasionally cryptic and unforgivable. The creators of the game, Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe, have revisited their digital babies and recorded commentaries as they play through all six games. You can check out the videos on their website. Perhaps the duo was looking for inspiration for their upcoming Space Venture game that was recently Kickstarted.

Sound Shapes now coming to PS3, release date revealed

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Anthony Swinnich in News, PSN, PSN News | Leave a comment

One of the most anticipated titles for the Playstation Vita is Sound Shapes, the newest work from Everyday Shooter maestro Jonathan Mak. It’s time for Playstation 3 owners to look forward to the game as well now that Sony has revealed the game will be available on both systems.

The best part of this news is that you won’t have to buy separate versions of the game. One $14.99 purchase will net you a universal copy of the game that plays on both systems. The game will land on August 7.

Source: Playstation Blog

Ascend: New Gods debuts at E3 2012

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Anthony Swinnich in News, XBLA, XBLA News | Leave a comment

While Signal Studios may be best known for their work with Toy Soldiers, their next project involves something a bit bigger. Literally.

Ascend: New Gods made its debut during Microsoft’s E3 2012 press conference with an impressive CG teaser video that evokes thoughts of a bloodier take on Sony’s Shadow of the Colossus, though further research reveals a story more closely inspired by Greek mythology.

The world in Ascend is ruled by titans, who treat villages like a buffet. Humanity’s prayers for salvation are heard by three gods that wish to rule in their stead. As a member of the Caos tribe, a race of oversized warriors, you’ll pledge loyalty to one of the deities and wage war on the current ruling class.

Signal Studios is promising upgradable weapons and armor that affect both your statistics and appearance. The equipment and abilities you gain access to over the course of your adventure should help you overthrow the titans.

The multiplayer component seems slightly unorthodox. It sounds a bit like Demon’s Souls, with the ghostly apparitions of other players currently on their own adventures appearing in your game. You’ll be able to send them a blessing, should you be in a benevolent mood, or a curse if you’re feeling particularly persnickety that day.

There is also mobile functionality through Microsoft’s upcoming SmartGlass application. Entering a dungeon may bring up a minimap, while encountering a boss will list its statistics.

Unfortunately we don’t know a lot about how the game actually plays, though it looks like it will be third person based on the screenshots included below. As is par for the course on reveals like this, no price or release details have been revealed yet.

Screens:

Source: Ascend Official Website, SmartGlass details found at Game Informer

Summer of Arcade 2012 lineup revealed

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Anthony Swinnich in News, XBLA, XBLA News | 3 Comments

If you’ve owned an Xbox 360 over the last couple years then you already know that thanks to Microsoft, you don’t have to spend those warm, summer months outside, or in a pool. This year is no different: the games that will be included in 2012′s Summer of Arcade promotion have been revealed.