Trendy Entertainment Creates ‘Defense Council’; Select Community Members to Participate and Advise in Dungeon Defenders II Development
First 500 participants that raise $30 or more for Child’s Play get coveted Council seat
Gainesville, FL – November 11, 2013 – Trendy Entertainment today announced the formation of the “Defense Council” a new advisory council that will allow players with a vested interest in the development of the game to provide early, focused feedback directly to the development team.
“We will be involving the whole community in Dungeon Defenders II‘s development. Right now we’re taking our first steps toward that goal with the Defense Council,” explained Dave Loyd, Studio Director at Trendy Entertainment. “The Council is an opportunity for dedicated fans to play and provide feedback on the game in its earliest state. As time passes their responsibilities will grow, and we’re excited that their first act as Council members will be raising a large amount of money to improve the lives of children in hospitals around the world.”
Devised in conjunction with gaming industry charity funds Humble Bundle and Child’s Play, the initiative is designed to follow through on the company’s commitment to community engagement and interaction throughout the development process. Entry to the Defense Council will be granted starting today, November 11 at 6PM EST, to the first 500 participants that raise $30 or more via the Humble Bundle, with contributions donated to Child’s Play, a service delivering invaluable gaming experiences to hospitalized children worldwide. Trendy Entertainment will also open up more Council seats, including but not limited to auctions for 10 seats on eBay, with the resulting proceeds going directly to Child’s Play.
This project will offer participants the opportunity to influence the evolution of Dungeon Defenders II in an early and meaningful way. Defense Council members will have access to bi-weekly gameplay sessions, with frequent and significant opportunities to deliver feedback directly to the development team as select game systems, mechanics, heroes, maps and more are being created and tested. A dedicated developer blog will provide ongoing insight into behind-the-scenes decision-making. In addition, Council members will be forever immortalized in the game’s world as members of the Sunderguard, a faction in the storyline. Members will maintain their seats for the first term of the Council after the game launches, continuing to influence decisions that shape the war against the Old Ones’ invasion of Etheria.
In Dungeon Defenders II, the land of Etheria has been invaded by the Old Ones and players must rally, alone or with friends, against the invasion. The game features brand new combat and defense placement systems that synchronize the roleplaying, action, and tower defense elements of the franchise for even more strategic gameplay. New defense and ability interactions make for exciting, emergent gameplay and new environmental traps increase variety and strategic planning throughout each level in the game.
Humble Bundle will oversee the application/donation process, and the first 500 people to raise $30 or more for Child’s Play will gain seats on the first Defense Council. For more information, please visit www.DungeonDefenders2.com.
Dungeon Defenders II is currently in development for PC, Mac, and Linux, scheduled for soft launch as a free-to-play title next spring. For updates, visit www.dungeondefenders2.com, like the game on Facebook or follow Trendy Entertainment on Twitter.
About Trendy Entertainment
Trendy Entertainment is an independent video game development studio based in Gainesville, FL. Created by veterans of the video game industry, Trendy Entertainment is focused on developing fun and innovative video games across multiple platforms. The company believes digital distribution deserves the same AAA quality releases as retail. With some of the best Unreal Engine developers in the world and over 40 years of collective experience, the team can’t wait for people to get their hands on these games!
About Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is a digital distribution platform that bundles awesome cross-platform games, movies, music and books and puts the power directly in the hands of the consumers, offering them fully-featured titles at prices they set themselves. Consumers pay what they want, and decide how to allocate their money between developers, charity, and a humble tip. Since the company’s launch in 2010, Humble Bundle has worked with hundreds of independent developers and major publishers and raised $25 million for charity. Humble Bundle is a modest team with a dream, supported by more than 3 million customers.
About Child’s Play
Child’s Play seeks to improve the lives of children in hospitals around the world through the kindness and generosity of the video game industry and the power of play. With a network of over 90 hospital facilities worldwide, gamers make a profound impact on quality of life for sick and injured children. To learn more, visit http://www.childsplaycharity.org
