Big Leap Games

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/14/japans-aftershocks---and-how-to-help.html

Japan's Aftershocks - And How to Help

Sword and Sworcery LP coming next week

Source:

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/09/28/update-to-avatar-proportions-in-xna-game-studio-4-0.aspx

Update to Avatar Proportions in XNA Game Studio 4.0

With the launch of the next Xbox dashboard update will come a slight change to the proportions of the Avatars. These changes were made to allow better mapping between players with using Kinect to control their avatars. Existing avatar clothing and other assets have been updated to work properly with these new proportions.

For games that include support for Avatars, read the following thread in our Forums to understand how these changes affect games made with XNA Game Studio 3.1 and 4.0, and the changes that you can expect when XNA Game Studio Connect for 4.0 goes final.

Forums: Update to Avatar Proportions in XNA Game Studio 4.0

We encourage you to post any questions you may have directly to the thread; we want to make sure this change goes smoothly for everyone's games.

A glimpse into the terrain design process.

This is an experiment in writing up a blog post for a development task while I actually perform the task! �So right now, as I start writing this, I don’t know how it will end!

I was talking to David Hellman about the game the other day, and he was asking when the island was going [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=784

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/54wFfez07Nk/back-to-future-episode-3-citizen-brown.html

Back to the Future Episode 3: Citizen Brown behind-the-scenes trailer

Episode 3 is out next week for PC, in the meantime you can see how Jennifer returns to the series...

PC Game Reviews and News

Why aren?t video games satisfying?

Why can’t video games give me a powerful, high-density experience, so that after 3 hours I am satisfied, I feel like I have had enough? Wouldn’t that be cool?
A movie can give you a satisfying experience in 2 hours.
A painting or a sculpture can give you a satisfying experience in 10 minutes.
A song can [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=438

A glimpse into the terrain design process.

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=784

Concept Art

In order to begin discussing the game, it seemed more appropriate to show some concept art, because the game is very visual.
Click for full-sized versions.� The gallery seems to hang some versions of Google Chrome.� Sorry about that.� It works fine in Firefox and Internet Explorer.
These concepts (and many more) were all done by Eric [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=9

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/guardians_of_magic_amandas_awakening.php

Jay Is Games: Guardians of Magic: Amanda's Awakening

Platform: Download (Windows) —

New from Hitpoint Studios comes Guardians of Magic: Amanda's Awakening, a casual adventure game that focuses on inventory puzzles, exploration, and a lush fantasy setting. You take on the role of Amanda, a young girl who discovers some secrets about her late grandfather's life, including his feud with her mentor, Dr. Magus. It's technology versus magic in this well-spun game, and you'll get to explore a heap of scenes as you search for items to help you solve puzzles. Tagged as: adventure, affiliate, demo, download, game, hitpointstudios, pointandclick, rating-y, windows

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/ux9MoQUc3PI/new-hardware-launch-geforce-gtx-590.html

New Hardware Launch: The GeForce GTX 590

nVidia are excited to introduce our new flagship dual-GPU graphics card ? GeForce GTX 590. With 1024 CUDA cores, 6 billion transistors, 3GB of GDDR5 memory, and over 2200 individual components all packed into an 11 inch dual slot PCB, GTX 590 is nothing short of an engineering marvel. Designed to deliver not only the world?s fastest DirectX 11 performance, but also the world?s quietest acoustics for a dual chip graphics card, the GTX 590 offers 50% faster performance than GTX 580 while nearly matching its little brother?s award winning acoustics.

To see a live video of the GTX 590, an interactive product demo, and the latest performance data and reviews, head to GeForce.com.

PC Game Reviews and News

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

Grey Alien Games: My Berry Blast Minigame is on Facebook

During my last month at Big Fish Games, I made a mini-game called Berry Blast in Action Script 3. It’s one of those “bubble shooter”-type games. The mini-game was added to Big Fish’s My Tribe game on Facebook as a collectible decoration that you can play every day to compete with friends for the best score in one minute (Bejewelled Blitz style).

If you want to play it, you’ll have to start playing My Tribe (which I also worked on as part of a team) and collect a few crates until you get the Berry Blast mini-game decoration. It’s a common item so shouldn’t take too long to find. Also there are 3 other great mini-games made by other team members: a match-3, a pachinko-style game, and a spot the difference game (one of many design ideas I came up with that a co-worker did a really great job of).

Berry Blast was good fun to make, and had lots of little complexities that I tried to get right to ensure that it played well, and I think I did a good job because it’s fun and rewarding to play. I actually left just before the game was finished. It was functionally complete when I left, with placeholder 8-bit sounds (made with SFXR) and a few pieces of final art. Then a co-worker plugged in the final graphics and sounds and hooked it up to the My Tribe mini-game framework that handles all the competitive scoring and Facebook sharing etc. I think he even fixed a couple of small bugs, ahem

It may only be a mini-game, but I was proud of it because I coded it from scratch in AS3 and learned a lot about the language along the way, and even made a neat little AS3 game framework (Big Fish owns the code, so I can’t share it, sorry).

If you manage to find Berry Blast in a crate and play it, please let me know what you thought!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GreyAlienGames/~3/5oN_-1afm_0/

Jay Is Games: Insectonator

Platform: Flash —

Bugs and I have an uneasy friendship. On the one hand I can appreciate the beauty of creation in their skeletons, the elegance of their societies, and the important role they play in our ecosystem. On the other hand, should one drop down the back of my shirt, talks are going to break down pretty quickly. It is to the latter part of my psyche that Insectonator, the new shooter from SonarGames, is aimed. It might not be too nice to all things great and small, but if you have a hankerin' for some arthropod blastin', it'll be sure to catch you in its web. Tagged as: achievements, akukushkin, arcade, browser, bugs, dkukushkin, flash, free, game, jkukushkin, macwinlinux, online, rating-o, shooter, topdown

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/insectonator.php

Graphics Tech: Shadow Maps (part 1)

The Witness contains a mixture of indoor and outdoor scenes, but much of the game takes place outdoors with a very long view distance (you can see the entire island at once if you have a good vantage point). �So I wanted to implement a shadow system that would work robustly, provide high visual quality, [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=77

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/09/23/regarding-the-visual-basic-ctp-for-windows-phone-developer-tools.aspx

Regarding the Visual Basic CTP for Windows Phone Developer Tools

You may have seen the announcement earlier today about the upcoming Visual Basic CTP for the Windows Phone Developer Tools. This Community Technical Preview is an opportunity for developers to get an early preview of the Silverlight app-building experience for Windows Phone 7 using Visual Basic.

To clarify, this Visual Basic CTP is for Silverlight only - it is not compatible with XNA Game Studio.

If you would like to take this CTP for a spin and try your hand at Silverlight app development on Windows Phone 7 with Visual Basic, please note that you'll need Visual Studio 2010 Professional or higher (a free trial is available) - not the Express edition - and have the latest Windows Phone Developer Tools installed.

At this time, we are not announcing any future plans for Visual Basic support in XNA Game Studio. As always, if we have news to report, we'll share it with you on the XNA Creators Club Online website at http://creators.xna.com.

The Indie Fund submissions process is now open?

… and the web site is updated. �See it here: http://indie-fund.com/
Earlier this year, some friends and I, all successful independent game developers, put together the Indie Fund in order to help support newer folks with good ideas. �All the hoops involved in setting up such an organization have been passed through, and we are now [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=375

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Jay Is Games: Shuffle Putt

Platform: Flash —

A snazzy little physics puzzle game with birds singing, little flowers blooming from the walls, and a golf ball careening off a land mine on the golf course. Your ultimate goal is to get the ball into the hole and move onto the next level, and for bragging purposes, you want to take as few shots as possible to do so and collect as many hearts as possible along the way. Tagged as: browser, flash, free, game, golf, jjwallace, macwinlinux, physics, puzzle, rating-g, skill, sports

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/shuffle_putt.php

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/09/24/announcing-two-day-windows-phone-7-developer-training-for-apps-and-games.aspx

Announcing Two-Day Windows Phone 7 Developer Training for Apps and Games!

Attention Creators! If you're interested in building games (or apps) on Windows Phone 7, there's a brand-new opportunity to get two days of hands-on training for free, including the opportunity to deploy and test on real Windows Phone 7 devices! Direct from the MSDN Events team:

Experience two days of fast-paced learning and create high-demand applications with Windows Phone 7. First, you’ll go under the hood of Windows Phone 7. The next day, attend a hands-on app building workshop. Bring your best ideas and prepare to upload into the full-service Marketplace. www.msdnevents.com/wp7

These events are happening all over the United States, but attendance is limited, so be sure to sign up now!

Hey, who is making this game?

Some people have been asking me about the team working on the game. If you click up there on the About link at the top of the page, you’ll now find a short description of everyone working on The Witness, which I’ll paste below for your convenience:

The Witness is an exploration-puzzle game, to be [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=408

Professor Layton, the Best 3DS Game You Aren?t Playing

The biggest Nintendo 3DS game of the Japanese launch won’t be available in America for a long time.
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, the latest in the popular line of puzzle-solving adventure games set in old London, has so far sold over 220,000 copies, far more than any of Nintendo’s own 3DS games. With [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/03/professor-layton-3ds-preview/

Jay Is Games: Link Dump Friday

Games featured this week: Space is Key; Particle Wars Extreme; Robosockets; Milk Quest; Infinite Tower RPG; Angry Birds Flash — What-ho, brave weekday wayfarer! The weekend is nearly in sight, and your quest for awesome is at hand! Help bring about a fowl end to a reign of piglets, energize a group of worn-out robots, see how long you can hold out against an endless horde of monsters, and more. Tagged as: blog, browser, linkdump

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/link_dump_friday_207.php

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Destructoid shirts will protect your torso from sun rays!

Source:

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/11/08/xblig-4-0-submission-now-open-on-app-hub.aspx

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Is Mobile Learning A Reality Now?

Is mobile learning becoming a reality rather than a prediction? And has this led to new generation of players emerging in the learning market place?
Over the last three years there have been various predictions, ranging from pessimistic to optimistic about the role that mobile learning will play in the world of learning. The range and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/VkrYJLDVaNM/

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XBLIG: 4.0 Submission Now Open on App Hub!

The Xbox LIVE Indie Games Submission pipeline on App Hub is now open for Xbox 360 games made using XNA Game Studio 4.0. You can submit your XNA Game Studio 4.0 games for Xbox 360 to the Peer Review process on App Hub right away.

For XNA Game Studio 3.1 games still in development, you have a limited window of 90 days - starting from today - to continue to submit games made in XNA Game Studio 3.1. We will be posting reminders as we get closer to the 90-day deadline. XNA Game Studio 3.1 games submitted during this time will continue to work after the 90-day period.

The last day to submit XNA Game Studio 3.1 Games: Monday, February 7th, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST

Today’s update also means changes to XNA Game Studio Connect, which you can use for deploying and debugging your XNA Game Studio projects in progress. Read on to find out how these changes may affect you.

If you have a XNA Game Studio 3.0 or 3.1 game currently on Xbox LIVE Indie Games, it will continue to work. This release does not affect the ability to purchase or play any game currently on Xbox LIVE Indie Games.

If you are developing a game for...	Using...	The impact is...
Xbox LIVE Indie Games	XNA Game Studio 4.0	You can submit your game to the Peer Review process right now.
Xbox LIVE Indie Games	XNA Game Studio 3.1	You will have 90 days starting from today to submit the game to the Peer Review process on App Hub as an XNA Game Studio 3.1 game. The last day to submit will be Monday, February 7th, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST. If you upgrade your game to use XNA Game Studio 4.0, this deadline does not apply. You will still be able to deploy and debug your game in XNA Game Studio Connect 4.0, even if your game is using XNA Game Studio 3.1. The deadline is only for submissions, not for 3.1 games that are on Xbox LIVE Indie Games. Therefore, if you successfully submit your XNA Game Studio 3.1 game to Xbox LIVE Indie Games before the deadline, it will continue to be available to customers on Xbox LIVE Indie Games after the deadline.
Xbox 360	XNA Game Studio 2.0 or 3.0	You will be unable to debug or deploy to XNA Game Studio Connect starting today. We encourage you to upgrade your project to XNA Game Studio 4.0 if you wish to continue work on it using XNA Game Studio Connect.
Windows	XNA Game Studio 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 4.0	You can continue as normal – this update does not affect Windows development using any version of XNA Game Studio.

Jay Is Games: PuppetShow: Lost Town

Platform: Download (Windows) —

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye... or their daughter. When a little girl runs afoul of a mechanical monstrosity inside the newly excavated caves outside a remote town, you find yourself called in to rescue her in this stunning continuation of the popular hidden-object adventure series of PuppetShow titles. Tagged as: adventure, affiliate, demo, download, ersgstudio, game, hiddenobject, horror, mystery, puppetshow, rating-y, windows

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/puppetshow_lost_town.php

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/14/japans-aftershocks---and-how-to-help.html

Japan's Aftershocks - And How to Help

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9 Top Learning, Technology & Media Links: Weekly Digest ? 19

We have said this before and are saying it again; informal learning is the new ?learning?. This is not to say that informal learning would act as a replacement to the formal mode of learning, but it is the synergy between these both that produces effective growth. Based on this premise, we have debunked some [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/p5iyDxwruCQ/

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/10/04/xna-creators-club-online-will-be-down-for-maintenance.aspx

XNA Creators Club Online Will be Down for Maintenance

CCO Downtime

Under construction! We need to make some required updates to the CCO site, so XNA Creators Club Online will be inaccessible beginning Thursday, October 7 through Sunday, October 10. We know this is a pain, but appreciate your patience while we make some improvements!

Want to Change Your Creator Name?

Due in part to these updates, our ability to change your Creator name is going away. If you've been thinking about changing your Creator name, this will be your last chance! Please email your request to creators@microsoft.com from the email account that is associated with the XNA Creators Club Online account that you wish to change.

Please include your current Creator name, and the name you wish to have.

You have until Wednesday, October 6 at 9:00 AM PDT to send in your name change request. After this time, you may not be able to change your Creator name.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IndependentGaming/~3/_aPuBHfmnCY/amanita_design_reveals_next_th.html

Amanita Design Reveals Next Three Games, Machinarium Coming to PS3

Point-and-click adventure master Amanita Design has revealed what its currently working on - and it turns out that the guys are rather busy. In an interview with the lovely people at PC Gamer, details regarding three new games are divulged.

Osada is an interactive music video that is looking rather psychedelic, and will be landing in your web browser in the next couple of weeks for free. Next up is Botanicula, a more traditional point-and-clicker featuring five creatures who set out to save their home land from evil. That's due out by the end of the year.

But here's the big one - Samorost 3 is also on the way, and is promised to be bigger and more polished than the previous releases. There are no screenshots or release date as of yet, although it's believed that the game is at least two whole years away from release. Yikes.

The final chunk of Amanita Design news is regarding 2009's robot adventure game Machinarium. The devs have confirmed that the game is currently being ported over to PlayStation 3, after originally being rejected by Microsoft for Xbox 360. Read up on our review to see why you should care.

Jump below the cut for screenshots from Osada and Botanicula.

Osada:

Botanicula:

14 Top Learning, Technology & Media Links: Weekly Digest ? 18

This time we decided to do our homework, pack our bags and take a trip down the school days. Yes, we have covered it all from QR codes in education to replacing smartboards with iPads. And if you are still caught in the traditional school approach, know why integrating technology in classrooms is not just [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/C3nBZSZfxxU/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/Wu7RMugldgU/hmv-voucher-code-extended.html

HMV Voucher Code Extended

HMV's current voucher - �5 off when you spend �40 or over is now valid until midnight 31st March.

The code to use is 5offhmv40

PC Game Reviews and News

Poseidon, first go

I got Poseidon from my Secret Santa. The box promises 90-120 minutes playtime, which fits in my weekly game sessions, where I have 2.5 hours of time. Sounds good so far. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first box to lie. We managed the game in less than two hours. Four players, including rules explanation, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mikkosgameblog/~3/xAr7CxLMiHM/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IndependentGaming/~3/GbffXF9w3Fo/roundup_gamasutra_network_jobs_106.html

Round-Up: Gamasutra Network Jobs, Week Of March 25

In a busy week for new job postings, Gamasutra's jobs board plays host to roles across the world and in every major discipline, including opportunities at Square Enix, High Moon Studios, Capcom, and more.

Each position posted by employers will appear on the main Gamasutra job board, and appear in the site's daily and weekly newsletters, reaching our readers directly.

It will also be cross-posted for free across its network of submarket sites, which includes content sites focused on online worlds, cellphone games, 'serious games', independent games and more.

Some of the notable jobs posted this week include:

- Square Enix: Producer (Contractor):

"Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses Square Enix, Eidos and Taito branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: Final Fantasy, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide; Dragon Quest, which has sold over 54 million units worldwide; Tomb Raider, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary Space Invaders."

- High Moon Studios: Concept Artist:

"High Moon Studios is an Activision developer located in Carlsbad, CA, a seaside city in San Diego County. We are focused on making highly successful AAA titles for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Our challenging work environment inspires creativity, innovation and teamwork. If you're ready to be challenged and be part of an amazing team, apply now!"

- Capcom: Art Director:
"Capcom Game Studio Vancouver is the newest member of the Capcom family and is a multi-project and multi-platform developer located in beautiful Vancouver, BC. Formerly known as Blue Castle Games, our studio has developed 5 games in 5 years since it opened its doors in 2005. We have 2 new AAA titles currently in development. Contact us now to see what all the excitement is about!"

- Terminal Reality: Senior Character Rigger:
"TRI has joined forces with Microsoft and Lucas Arts to create a new Star Wars game for the revolutionary Kinect system. We're searching for top-drawer talent and superstars to join our alliance. We are looking for an outstanding senior rigger. If you have what it takes and you want to learn more about our company, please visit our website."

- THQ Digital Studios Phoenix: Programmer:
"Formerly Rainbow Studios, THQ Digital Studios Phoenix is one of THQ?s emerging technology development hubs. With a history of developing AAA hit titles, our studio is also focused on the digital marketplace putting us at the forefront of the industry. We are centrally located to some of Phoenix?s finest restaurants, shopping centers, spas and golf courses and it?s a short trip to Arizona?s most beautiful destinations such as the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Kartchner Caverns and the White Mountains."

To browse hundreds of similar jobs, and for more information on searching, responding to, or posting game industry-relevant jobs to the top source for jobs in the business, please visit Gamasutra's job board now.

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/09/20/xna-game-studio-connect-beta-for-4-0-released.aspx

Monday, 28 March 2011

XNA Game Studio Connect Beta for 4.0 Released

A new Beta version of XNA Game Studio Connect is available today, and it works with XNA Game Studio 4.0, 3.1, 3.0 and 2.0.

To get started using the XNA Game Studio Connect Beta, you will need to delete the old version of XNA Game Studio Connect (if you have it on your console) and download the new one. If you need some help, simply follow the instructions below.

To delete the old version of XNA Game Studio Connect:

Go to My Xbox and Select Game Library
Go to Collections and Select Indie Games
Select XNA Game Studio Connect
Select Delete Game

To download the new XNA Game Studio Connect Beta for XNA Game Studio 4.0 development:

Go to Game Marketplace and Explore Game Content
Select All Games and Browse
Browse down to X and Select
Browse down to XNA Creators Club and Select
Select All Downloads
Select XNA Game Studio Connect [Beta] and Confirm Download

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/18/best-in-blogs-connecting-and-helping-as-japan-reels.html

Best in Blogs: Connecting and Helping as Japan Reels

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Jay Is Games: Weekend Download

Platform: Download (Windows) —

Games featured this week: Brutally Unfair Knytt; John Cube; heART — If you were to play one kind of game for the rest of your life, what would it be? Puzzle? Platform? Racing? If you said "awesome", you win the prize! The same prize everybody who said anything but awesome gets! Free games to play! Tagged as: blog, download, weekenddownload, windows

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/weekend_download_178.php

Source: http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2011/03/16/the-french-national-character/

The French National Character

What this is about, including full list. In spite of all that France has given the world, few nations are as heartily disliked in the English speaking world. French has become synonymous with snobbish, pretentious, rude and cowardly. This is a twentieth century opinion of course; in the 19th century France was full of overly [...]

Call of Juarez: The Cartel to ?definitely? sport a demo

A demo is always best when it’s for a game that sounds interesting, like Call of Juarez: The Cartel, which takes a wild west-based shooter series to modern day. That little taste can suggest if their big risk has paid off. So good news: in a recent interview, developer Techland’s Blazej Krakowiak confirmed one is [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/2Ag4X8-T4wQ/

Bloons 2 Christmas Pack!

Come and play Bloons 2 Christmas Pack – a special pack of brand new festive themed Bloons 2 levels. We added a bunch of new graphics to fit the theme, monkey with a Santa hat etc, as well as some cheery Christmas tunes to whistle along to as you pop your way up the levels. [...]

Source: http://ninjakiwi.com/blog/bloons-2-christmas-pack/

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/22/internet-sensation-rebecca-black-is-raking-it-in.html

Internet 'Sensation' Rebecca Black Is Raking It In

Ek Koshish (An Attempt To)

Was tipped off about this interesting video on YouTube. A quick film/image montage give a glimpse of what students of XLRI which offers courses in social entrepreneurship experienced in several districts in the Indian state of Jharkhand.

The images are very telling about the state of primary and secondary education in India. The image of closed [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/xpOn0xF5ZYk/

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/17/nyts-new-paywall-and-how-to-get-around-it.html

NYT's New Paywall (and How to Get Around It)

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Square Enix Doubles Down on Mobile Game Biz

Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix has set up a studio for mobile game development, the company said Wednesday.
Hippos Lab, launched earlier this month in Japan, will be dedicated to cranking out “high-quality” games for smartphones. The company did not reveal any of Hippos Lab’s current projects, but said more information would be available soon.
Square Enix [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/03/square-enix-mobile-game-development/

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New XNA Game Studio 4.0 Developer Education Content Available!

Today over at the XNA Creators Club Online, there's a brand-new set of ten educational samples, articles, and training kits as part of the "Create Games for Windows Phone 7" series.

It's all available for free, and compatible with XNA Game Studio 4.0 and the Windows Phone Developer Tools. Some of them are cross-platform as well, so they are compatible with Windows and Xbox 360!

You'll find everything in the Educational Roadmap:

3D Accelerometer Game Lab (Marble Maze)
Catapult Wars Extensions Training Kit
Platformer Starter Kit
3D Graphics Sample
Microphone Echo Sample
Push Notifications Sample
Rim Lighting Sample
3D Asset Types Article
Dynamic Audio Article
Intro to Game Loop Article

Go grab these samples today at the Education Roadmap on the XNA Creators Club Online!

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/09/29/new-xna-game-studio-4-0-developer-education-content-available.aspx

Sunday, 27 March 2011

SOLID Principles For Game Developers

The SOLID principles are a set of 5 software development principles coined by ?Uncle Bob? (Robert C. Martin).� They are a set of guidelines for Object Oriented Design (OOD), specifically for class design.� They are widely used by agile business programmers however they are generally unknown amongst game developers.� This article describes the principles and [...]

Source: http://www.doolwind.com/blog/solid-principles-for-game-developers/

Did you get your 3DS? Tell us what you think!

Source:

Source: http://makeitbigingames.com/2009/10/garagegames-name-joins-torque-game-engine-in-retirement/

GarageGames Name Joins Torque Game Engine In Retirement

OK, I get to be all sentimental again. A month or so ago, GarageGames pulled the original Torque Game Engine off the market. Now, they are pulling the name GarageGames itself off the market, and replacing it with Torque Technologies. I can’t disagree with the decision Brett Seylor, TT VP of Tech [...]

A glimpse into the terrain design process.

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=784

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Back to the Future: Episode 2 Hits PSN (North America) On March 29

The wait is almost over for Back to the Future - Episode 2: Get Tannen! on the North American PlayStation Network - it releases on Tuesday, March 29!

You'll be able to download the second of five episodes featuring Hill Valley's time-traveling duo when the PlayStation Network updates that day. We'll have a release date for European PlayStation owners and iPad toting folks soon.

Will you re-play Episode 1 before Get Tannen! launches?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TelltaleBlog/~3/_qRJGjtP4Ss/id-777

Review: Pilotwings Resort for 3DS Runs Out of Fuel Fast

Pilotwings has always been the game Nintendo suckers you into buying when there’s hardly anything else to play on your spanking new machine.
When the company launched the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 consoles, the casual flight simulator was one of the few games on shelves. If you wanted to take a break from pouring hours [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/03/pilotwings-resort-3ds-review/

Get Ready for NetFlix Original TV

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/16/get-ready-for-netflix-original-tv.html

Source: http://www.blogs.com/2011/03/11/earthquake-in-japan-photos-and-how-to-help.html

Earthquake in Japan: Photos, How to Help

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Ubisoft looking for someone to write Assassin?s Creed encyclopedia

It’s hard keeping up with Desmond and his family. Assassin’s Creed hasn’t been around all that long but there’s already a sprawling universe filled with spin-offs for fans to get involved with. That’s why Ubisoft are looking for help in writing an Assassin’s Creed encyclopedia. The publisher has put up a job listing for a [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/k82T85iG4vM/

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2011/01/24/14-days-left-to-submit-xna-gs-3-1-games-on-app-hub.aspx

14 Days Left to Submit XNA GS 3.1 Games on App Hub

Until 11:59 PM PST on February 7th, 2011, developers creating games for Xbox LIVE Indie Games can continue to submit their games made in XNA Game Studio 3.1 to peer review on App Hub.

Beginning at 12:00 AM PST on February 8th, 2011, only games made in XNA Game Studio 4.0 will be accepted to peer review; any games submitted that are made in XNA Game Studio 3.1 or any earlier version will not be accepted by the system.

When the restriction goes into effect, games already in the peer review process will not be affected. However, developers who expect to enter peer review near the deadline should use caution: the restriction applies to all games entering the peer review process – regardless of whether they are being submitted for the first time, resubmitted after failing peer review, or are updates to games already on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

For instance – submitting an XNA Game Studio 3.1 game to peer review on 11:58 PM PST on February 7th is allowed, and while in peer review, the game will not be removed or changed in any way by the restriction. If the game passes peer review, it will enter Xbox LIVE Marketplace. If the game fails after the restriction is in effect, the developer must upgrade the title to XNA Game Studio 4.0 before resubmitting.

Submissions of updates to existing games in Xbox LIVE Marketplace are also subject to the restriction; any updates to existing games after the deadline must be made in XNA Game Studio 4.0, even if the existing game was made in XNA Game Studio 3.1.

If you are developing a game in XNA Game Studio 3.1, you will still be able to deploy and debug the game on your Xbox 360 console using XNA Game Studio Connect after the deadline, but you will be unable to submit it for playtest or peer review unless you upgrade the game project to XNA Game Studio 4.0.

We showed The Witness secretly at PAX? in plain sight.

Chris Hecker, the developer of SpyParty, and Andy Schatz, the developer of Monaco, have been writing about their preparations for a joint exhibit at PAX. �They were keeping a secret, though: there was a secret 3rd partner in the exhibit, and that was The Witness.
For all three days of PAX 2010, The Witness was publicly [...]

Source: http://the-witness.net/news/?p=471

Saturday, 26 March 2011

Jay Is Games: Babylon Sticks: No Problem

No job is too big or too small! Tagged as: babylonsticks, comic, humor

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/babylon_sticks_no_problem.php

Source: http://makeitbigingames.com/2009/10/pushbutton-labs-acquires-rights-to-the-incredible-machine/

PushButton Labs Acquires Rights To The Incredible Machine

As announced today at PushButton Labs, we have acquired the full rights to The Incredible Machine! Although this happened several months ago, we waited on announcing it until the guys at Good Old Games could get it ready for sale, where they have a bundle Mega pack that includes four versions of TIM for $9.99.
Hit [...]

Machinarium is coming to PSN

Source:

Source: http://feeds.wolfire.com/~r/WolfireGames/~3/-Tb69vSIgt8/Sound-effects-Making-of-teaser

Sound effects "Making of" teaser

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/N23noeToJw4/pc-game-review-adams-venture-episode-2.html

PC Game Review - Adam's Venture Episode 2: Solomon's Secret

First of all it's probably worth pointing out that while this game may be advertised as an adventure game, it's more accurate to say that it's a casual game that combines simple elements of the 3D platform, adventure and puzzle genres. It's hardly likely to win over hardcore fans of any of those genres, but put together it makes an enjoyable, though mainly very undemanding, gaming experience.

Though I haven't played the first game, it was evidently about an attempt to find the Garden of Eden, and from the intro to this game it seems that this venture failed, the professor leading the expedition died, and that the company backing the venture, the Clairvaux Corporation, are very shady indeed. Now they're after something on the site of Solomon's temple... and it doesn't seem to be spiritual enlightenment! The game's main protagonists, Adam Venture and Evelyn Appleby, have to stop them - but first of all, they need to escape...

The gameplay takes place in a convincing 3D environment with some excellent graphics; it's a really impressive game visually. The music is really nice too, while the voice acting is somewhat variable, but mostly manages to hold things together. The ambient sound effects are well used and build up atmosphere, too. There were one or two small graphical bugs in the press release, but I expect these will have been ironed out for the public release of the game.

You can walk, run, jump, crouch, and move certain objects around; it's simple stuff but nicely put together, and it does help that the visuals are so good. You can interact with certain objects and pick them or / use them (though using objects is automatic - if you have the appropriate item in your inventory when you try an interaction, the game uses the object), and can talk to people in a limited way - thus the simple adventure game element. Finally you will have puzzles to complete at various stages; mostly logic puzzles - again this are mostly simple and easy, though there are a few more challenging ones here and there.

Adam's Venture 2 isn't a bad game, it just isn't a very challenging game. I found that the plot was developed well enough for me to be interested in what happens next, and while the puzzles were mostly easy etc, the game actually flowed rather nicely. It's a more a relaxing interactive experience than a game, and certainly people looking for something like another Broken Sword will be disappointed, but if you're more of a casual player then you'll enjoy it.

Adam's Venture 2 is available from Iceberg Interactive.

PC Game Reviews and News

Battlefield 3 multiplayer maps downsizing on consoles

Slated to hit shelves later this year, Battlefield 3 has been a topic of much conversation as of late. From our very over first impressions of the game to DICE calling out the competition for being “lazy,” we get excited about any bit of information on the shooter. This news out of the Chicago Comic [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/befhuEegCJY/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/qEVBonuWl34/plextor-announce-pricing-availability.html

Plextor Announce Pricing & Availability for new MS2 Series SSDs

March 17th, 2011 ? Plextor, a leading brand of high-performance storage and digital media solutions, introduced their exciting new M2S Series SSD range last month, and are now pleased to reveal the UK availability and pricing for the anticipated component.

Available now in the UK from Scan (www.scan.co.uk), the recommended pricing for each model will be:

* PX-256M2S (256GB) ? �489 rrp

* PX-128M2S (128GB) ? �249 rrp

* PX-64M2S (64GB) ? �139 rrp

Available in 3 capacities (64GB, 128GB and 256GB), the perfectly engineered 2.5? internal M2S Series SSD is one of the first of its kind to support the new SATA III 6B/s interface and boasts exclusive technologies to increase speed, stability and lifespan ? offering up to 10 years of performance which doesn?t degrade over time as other SSDs might. With read speeds of up to 480MB/s, write speeds of up to 330MB/s and performing significantly highly in benchmark tests, the M2S is currently the fastest SSD available on the market.

The M2S Series is a must-have device for tech-savvy home or business users who demand consistently high quality, unbeatable speeds, stability and a long product life through day to day use.

Key Features:

* One of the first SSDs to support SATA III 6Gb/s - read speed of up to 480MB/s

* 2.5? Internal SSD in three capacities: 64GB, 128GB and 256GB

* Features the world?s most advanced control chip for high performance

* Exclusive ?Instant Restore Technology? for stability

* Generous 128MB DDR3 cache to improve data transfer speeds

* Dynamic Wear Levelling system improves data allocation for longevity

* Latest Windows 7 TRIM command for data-wiping efficiency

* Bundled with Acronis True Image software for easy migration

* Unrivalled 3 year on-site warranty and service support

More information can be found at:

www.plextor.com

PC Game Reviews and News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IndependentGaming/~3/3kMQiZa7Cog/sales_of_pvz_soundtrack_bit_sh.html

Sales of PvZ Soundtrack & Bit Shifter Tribute to Benefit Charity

The designer of PC role-playing game Melolune is hosting a soundtrack sale for her music from Plants vs Zombies. The game's soundtrack album can be downloaded for a reduced price at Laura Shigihara's Bandcamp page through March 27th, with all of the proceeds benefiting relief efforts in Japan, via MercyCorps. Donations will go toward providing food and shelter for quake survivors.

Also announced earlier today, chip music community 8bitpeoples has added a 23-track compilation of Bit Shifter arrangements to their online store. Titled "Reformat: A Tribute To Bit Shifter's Information Chase," the compilation was organized by Michael Lerman back in October. All profits from sales of the CD will go to Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami relief via the American Red Cross.

Bit Shifter's music is featured on Gaijin Games' soundtracks for Bit.Trip Beat and Bit.Trip Flux, while the Reformat compilation includes arrangements by Coova, litte-scale, Glomag, Random, Bud Melvin, IAYD and Magic Hammer, among other artists.

New Resident Evil game coming, radical departure?

What would happen if you took the team behind SOCOM and asked them to make a Resident Evil game? If your answer was “I bet that would be like SOCOM, but with zombies” you might not be far off. According to a source-of-a-source at stickskills, the next issue of Offical Xbox Magazine reveals that Slant [...]

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Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/03/21/game-maker-8-1-official-feature-list/

Game Maker 8.1 Official Feature List

YoYo Games has announced that Game Maker 8.1 is now “almost ready” for release. Alongside previously known improvements such as an overhauled room editor, enhanced script editor, built in updater and executable file encryption, details have been posted of a number of other changes that will be made to the software. The Softwrap DRM system [...]

Game Maker 8.1 Official Feature List is taken from: GameMaker Blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/5mxWmlSk8l0/pc-adventure-game-review-back-to-future.html

PC Adventure Game Review - Back to the Future Season One Episode Two - "Get Tannen"

Episode two of TellTale's Back to the Future game kicks off in traditional BttF fashion - solving something in the past has in fact created a different problem in the future (present?), and thus you have to go back to the past to correct that (and in doing so, create yet further problems). In this case Marty has to save his grandfather, who the newspapers show was beaten to death for handing in evidence against Kid Tanner - and as a result, Marty is beginning to disappear. It's back to the past again to fix things up...

Summing up this game is as simple as you like:

The graphics are nice, voice acting and music music are good
The storyline's very good, quite clever in the way it weaves different elements together
There's a lot of humour in the game
Talking to the characters in the game is often fun in itself

On the other hand...

The interface, despite being simple, still manages to be unnecessarily fussy (especially when accessing your inventory)
The game lacks challenge to all but perhaps adventure game novices
It's rather short

Overall, much like Episode One, though I enjoyed this a bit more. Basically it's more realistic to view this as a mildly interactive movie than an adventure game; I still enjoyed it because the story and humour were spot-on, but as an adventure game it definitely disappoints. The highlight for many adventure gamers will be the Monkey Island 2 pastiche in the puzzle to get the speakeasy door open.

TellTale are perhaps pandering to the casual gaming audience too much with the Back to the Future games, at least from the point of view of adventure gamers. Whether this ends up being a long-term strategy will, one suspects, depend on how this tactic affects sales - which is something we shall have to find out as time goes by. For now it's not a great game, but certainly is still an enjoyable diversion. There's a built-in hint mode but I seriously doubt you'll need to use it.

A short review for a short game - if you liked Episode One then you'll like this, and vice versa. Nothing more to say really, except that I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the plot next episode!

PC Game Reviews and News

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Jay Is Games: Mad Planet

Platform: Flash —

You might think that the combination of Boys' Life, the monthly Boy scouting magazine for ages 6-18, and retro-action-meister Hamumu make for an unexpected pairing. Heck, I was a cub scout and even I find it a little strange. However, I do know that when the creator of the Robot Wants series releases a pixel platformer based around a trio of differently-abilitied characters fighting their way through an alien landscape: I'm there. That game is Mad Planet, and it's got quality worthy of a merit badge. Tagged as: action, boyslife, browser, flash, flixel, free, game, hamumu, macwinlinux, pixel, platform, rating-g, retro, shooter, space

Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/03/mad_planet.php

Friday, 25 March 2011

Buyer Beware: Rating Nintendo 3DS Launch Games

Having played the majority of games available for the Nintendo 3DS, we can say one thing for sure: The glasses-free 3-D handheld, which hits U.S. stores Sunday, will be stuck in the launch doldrums for a while. Developers clearly cut corners on this first wave of $40 titles. Here are Wired.com's hands-on impressions.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/03/3ds-games-buyers-guide/

14 Top Learning, Technology & Media Links: Weekly Digest ? 18

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/C3nBZSZfxxU/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/5OIPWvezG1c/mortier-it-consulting-announces-king-of.html

Mortier IT Consulting announces "The King of Fire" - Puzzle & Games Software

Enter the fantasy world of Vulcan who invaded your land, find back your gear and head up to the Vulcan's lair to defeat him!

Play over 240 unique puzzles and conquer 8 bosses by solving slide, binary, memory and Sudoku puzzles. Play it at your custom difficulty level, and unlock all achievements!

Boutersem/Belgium -- 1st March, 2011 -- MITC releases its new puzzle game, 'The King of Fire'.

An amazing puzzle game in a fantasy world ruled by elements. Packed with 240 by hand selected puzzles varying from Sudoku?s, binary, slide and memory puzzles. Binary puzzles are the newest revelation in puzzle land and are a treat for gamers who like Sudoku?s. Thanks to the unique artwork by Rainer Petter, a Brazilian illustrator of Glass House Graphics Inc. and Jimmy Gelhaar who is an American film composer, it?s bound to please even the most selective gamers.

The full version of "The King of Fire" is available for WinXP and Vista and is a casual puzzle game with a little fantasy twist.

It is more than a classic Sudoku or binary puzzle game. The player has to collect artifacts, collect powers to be used during the levels, play against the time and enable the iconic mode for the die hard fans. Strategy is required to tackle the various different puzzles such as memory, binary, Sudoku and slide puzzles. Challenge and defeat all eight elemental bosses and defeat Vulcan the fire elemental.

Mortier Andries, MITC's managing director and publisher, said: "Finally a new puzzle on the horizon that puzzle gamers may not have come across before, binary puzzels are a revelation in puzzle land and are a treat for gamers who like Sudoku?s?

Pricing and Availability:

The King of Fire is a Java based game and packaged for WinXP/Vista and costs ?3.99 (EUR/excl TAX).

Users don't need to install any Java software. Licensed users are entitled to the fully-functional copy of the product.

The King of Fire can be ordered directly from http://www.tkof.be/web/dsp_buy.cfm . The program comes with an installer and uninstaller for easy handling.

The user interface is available in different languages (English, French and Dutch).

About Mortier IT Consulting:

Mortier IT Consulting is a Belgian company in Leuven, Boutersem and has been for years specialized in internet-based development and consulting. As a specialist in the creation and implementation of IT solutions, MITC provides dynamic results-oriented implementations of the required custom development. For further information about MITC go to http://www.mortier-it-consulting.be

PC Game Reviews and News