Game development is a tough business, and it's one where the models are always changing. For example, the old model of "delay a game to get it right" can only work for so long until your costs drastically start to outstrip your earnings potential. Such was the case for Toki Tori 2.Originally slated for a Spring 2012 release, the game didn't see the light of day for another year; first on the Wii U in April 2013, and then on Steam in July. This delay, combined with lackluster sales, has forced Two Tribes to close shop on its existing development company, Two Tribes B.V."When Toki Tori 2 ended up taking way longer than expected and not achieving the sales we needed, it basically took the company down with it," reads a blog post on the company's website. "There's a lot to learn from what went wrong and what we could have done better."
Have you stepped outside today? GOOD GOD, WHY?!?! It's terribly cold outside, and there are plenty of things you could be doing to pass the time indoors. For example: play video games that remind you of just how bitterly cold it is out there.Grab a cup of hot cocoa, run some hot water so your pipes don't freeze, and grab a controller. Nothing beats the bad weather quite like a handful of great video games.
The 16th annual Independent Games Festival has unveiled their complete list of Main Competition finalists for their 2014 showcase, and oh are there finalists! SO. MANY. FINALISTS. This year they have dozens of finalists and honorable mentions from the following six main categories: Excellence in Visual Art; Excellence in Narrative; Excellence in Design; Excellence in Audio; the Nuovo Award; and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.A quick glance at the list will show you that Simogo's Device 6 took the nominations completely by storm, literally landing a finalist spot or honorable mention in every single one of the big awards categories (heck, it was even Gamezebo's own #2 game of 2013, so you know it's a good one). Other finalists include some other fan favorites over the last year, like The Yawhg, Don't Starve, The Stanley Parable, and Papers, Please."The actual voting for the finalists will begin on February 18, with the winners being announced a month later on March 19 at the San Francisco Moscone Convention Center in the middle of GDC 2014. You can keep scrolling down to see the full list of finalists and honorable mentions in each of the six Main Competition categories.Do you agree with all of the IGF nominations this year? Who do you think will take home the top accolades in 2014? Be sure to sound off in the replies!
Huge, HUGE news at Sony's CES keynote today: and it's actually something that can affect us mobile gamers in a sense! Earlier this afternoon, Sony announced a brand new streaming service called PlayStation Now that's set to debut in the summer of 2014, which is said to allow gamers full streaming access to Sony's entire game catalogue on "Internet-connected consumer electronics devices they use every day." Translation: we'll likely be able to stream games like The Last of Us on our smartphone or tablet one day soon.In fact, The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls are confirmed to be two of the first games to receive PS Now support once the subscription-based service launches in full this coming summer (a beta version is also planned to roll out sometime this month). It's also interesting to note that Beyond: Two Souls had experimented a little bit with this kind of thing around its release, with users given the option to control the entire game via a mobile device. Sony also gives the example of a user playing a PS4 game in their living room, and then picking up the action via PS Now on their PS3 system in the bedroom."So there you have it: the full streaming of PS4 games on any number of other non-PS4 devices. While the only confirmed hardware so far to be supporting PS Now includes Sony's own PS4, PS3, and PS Vita systems, in addition to certain models of BRAVIA TV, given the wording of the announcement, I think it's also safe to assume that certain smartphones and tablets will join those ranks in the very near future.
Like most anyone in their thirties, I have a considerable weakness for Asteroids. When games that try to recapture its spirit come along, I can't help but stand up and take notice. Games like Space Miner Blast and even Atari's own Asteroids Gunner were great at scratching that itch - but in 2014, Astroids might just take the cake.Giving their game the rather humble title of Astroids: Space Game of the Year, Industry Entertainment has set the bar pretty high for themselves. Still, if this teaser trailer is anything to go by, it might not be that tough to reach. The asteroids appear beautifully modelled as they float in space, and the whole thing has a very hyperkinetic feel to it, almost like Super Stardust HD and Resogun, the space shooters of Housemarque. Though whether or not the vibe of the game matches that of the trailer is anybody's guess at this point.Industry Entertainment is planning to launch Astroids to PC gamers through Steam and their own website by the end of 2014.
Okay well this is a little embarrassing: we were so caught up in writing all of our "Best of" lists at the end of 2013, that we almost forgot to recognize all of the very best games that came out in December! Well it's a good thing we finally remembered, because December 2013 had a few amazing games in store for us to help end the year on a real high note, and to keep us gaming strong well into the New Year.It seems that a lot of December's best games were all about location, location, location: from a pixelated brewery that you get to manage; to an underground mineshaft that's filled with just as many hidden abilities as addictive gameplay; to an enigmatic "room" that's been known to contain the occasional puzzle or two. And of course, let's not forget the zombie-filled apocalyptic world of our very top pick for last month…"So what games had you glued to a screen this past December? Do you agree with our picks? Are there any other hidden gems that you thought should have made the cut? Then be sure to hit the comments section and guarantee that the last month in gaming will truly be a December to remember (even if it might have taken us a few more days than usual).
It's a brand new year, so that means brand new information on Valve's innovative Steam Machines! We've known that the "Steam boxes" have been coming for a little while now, specifically designed to bring the popular computer-based gaming service directly to your living room. But until this very moment, all we had to go on was a few pieces of ominous concept art that showcased different-shaped boxes at the heart of various entertainment centers.Well today Valve has announced over a dozen different Steam Machines that gamers will be able to pick up at some point in 2014. The upcoming "first generation" of Steam Machines is being produced by 14 of today's biggest hardware manufacturers, including Alienware, Origin PC, and Falcon NW. What's great about this is that gamers will have a wide range of choices when determining which Steam Machine is the best fit for their own playing style, and taking into consideration things like hardware specifications and pricing points."For instance, certain models of the Steam Machine will be starting out as low as $499, like those from iBuyPower or CyberPower PC. But if you're really into building powerful gaming machines and have the money to spend, then a Falcon NW model can cost you anywhere from $1,799 to $6,000. The interesting thing is that each different Steam Machine looks vastly different in appearance, depending on the manufacturer, and each one will come packaged with Valve's groundbreaking SteamOS controller.You can find out more information on the upcoming first generation of Steam Machines by visiting the official Steam website, and you can download a full product sheet complete with images and specifications of the first line of hardware by clicking right over here.
When I put together my Top 10 Predictions for 2014 last week, I actually dropped an 11th prediction -- that bitcoin would start to make inroads as a currency for games. Which is a bummer, because had I kept it in there, I would already have proven myself to be an able prognosticator.The Verge is reporting that Zynga has quietly announced it has added Bitcoin support for seven of its web games.Starting today you can buy items on Zynga.com in FarmVille 2, CityVille, ChefVille, CoasterVille, CastleVille, Hidden Chronicles and Hidden Shadows with Bitcoins via a test partnership with Bitpay. Per Zynga's post on Reddit, they are making this move because they say that Bitcoin is getting too big a payment method to ignore. Surely the other reason is that it's a good bit of publicity to start the new year with, and that it positions Zynga as a leader amongst game developers (where it is usually accused of being a follower).