Official The Ballad of Gay Tony Multiplayer Session with Rockstar this Saturday Nov 14, 2-5 PM Eastern
Want a piece of us??
Join us for a bit of Saturday afternoon mayhem on Xbox LIVEthis week for an official The Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer session with members of Rockstar. We’ll be on there playing Deathmatch, Free Mode, and Race modes from 2 to 5 PM Eastern this coming Saturday, November 14th.
Just add Gamertags listed below, keep a lookout for us, and we will try to get you in on a match. The tags are:
Here’s a treat for all you Ace Attorney fans out there (and for people who may have never tried out the series): Gamespot currently has a en exclusive flash demo of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth that gives you a good taste of what to expect from the game when it launches next February.
As mentioned before, if you’re new to the entire franchise, please be sure to check it out to see what everyone is talking about. After all, it’s free!
Tell us what you think in the comments and forum.
Personally this is a great idea. As its mostly impossible to try out Nintendo DS games in Demo form. As there are really no means to do it. But with this great idea of FLASH style demo’s hopefully we can see more and play more Nintendo DS Games before they come out in the future.
MasterAbbott from Capsule Computers. Had the complete pleasure to sit down and ask the Mother Flocker himself Robby Zinchak Producer of the 2009 Scotish BAFTA “GAME OF THE YEAR” : Capcom’s FLOCK!!
Robby Zinchak (on the right) was very kind enough to answer the hard questions about FLOCK and also shed a little light into what’s the real truth with Sheep Abduction these days.
Sit back, and put your reading glasses one and enjoy the interview.
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Capsule Computers Question 1 : Tell everyone out there who Robby Zinchak is, Tell us a little bit about yourself. How long you have been at Capcom, where were you before Capcom, and what you have done and worked on in the past before FLOCK.
Robby Zinchak : I have been at Capcom for around a year and a half, working on a wide range of things – everything from Flock to the MotoGP series to Age of Booty. Previously I was at Midway working on Blacksite and an unannounced title.
Capsule Computers Question 2 : How many dedicated men and women were involved in creating FLOCK.
Robby Zinchak : Lots! Not only did we have at least a dozen people on the core internal dev team at Proper Games, but we also had people across the world working on music, level design, QA, localization, marketing, public relations, min spec pc, map sharing, server operations, and many many others who helped create the game. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we were able to create an amazing, award-winning game.
Capsule Computers Question 3 : What’s were the biggest challenges encountered by the development team in creating FLOCK.
Robby Zinchak : One of our biggest hurdles was creating a game that was accessible to everyone right away. To that end, we did a lot of tuning with the level progression to ensure users wouldn’t get overwhelmed early on, but we had to make sure that a lot of new interesting things unlock to keep the player engaged. We also spent a lot of time tuning the controls to make them as intuitive as possible. We wanted to ensure the game was technically accessible to as many players as possible so we had an entire team devoted to making the game run on lower speced PCs. From all that effort, I believe we achieved our goal of making the game easy to pick up and enjoy.
Capsule Computers Question 4 : Who’s idea/inspiration was it to create a game such a cute and cuddly game like FLOCK ?
Robby Zinchak : Geoff Gunning (on the left photo above), the creative director over at Proper, came up with the original concept. The game draws a lot of inspiration from the Scottish countryside, where nearly all the elements of the game can be seen (except the UFOs… I think!)
Capsule Computers Question 5 : What was the development process like in creating FLOCK ? What sort of research, storyboard design, concept art and testing were involved.
Robby Zinchak : The team at Proper Games produced quite a bit of research & documentation to prepare them for the production process – GDD, TDD, concept art, schedules, etc. From there, it was a matter of creating a prototype, a vertical slice, continuing building out the game through production, reaching alpha and performing lots of game polish, then closing out the bugs for beta and submission.
Capsule Computers Question 6 : How long did it take to develop FLOCK ? Were there any strict deadlines/Timeframe that needed to be taken to get FLOCK out to the WORLD !
Robby Zinchak :Very much so — but every project faces deadlines. It’s actually a good thing, that helps you keep focused on your core game and ensures you put all your attention on what’s important.
Capsule Computers Question 7 : For anyone that has no idea. What type of game is FLOCK ? What can players expect when playing this game.
Robby Zinchak : FLOCK is a action-puzzle game – basically players control a UFO (‘the Flocker’) which is trying to abduct animals. In order to win, you have to herd the animals into your mothership (‘the Motherflocker’). Along the way, you’ll have to learn the best ways to herd the animals (each one moves differently) and also figure out how to navigate the hazardous world.
Capsule Computers Question 8 : How complicated is FLOCK to play ? Can anyone enjoy it, or is it for the more veteran gamer ?
Robby Zinchak : It’s designed to be very accessible – anyone can pick it up and enjoy it, including those new to gaming, and veterans as well.
Capsule Computers Question 9 : There is there multiplayer in FLOCK ? Was it considered and what benefits does FLOCK have without it.
Robby Zinchak : There is multiplayer actually – it has local co-op multiplayer. We could have developed online co-op multiplayer, but we needed to spend that time making the core game great.
Capsule Computers Question 10 : How many kind of game modes are there in FLOCK. And how many levels are associated to each mode
Robby Zinchak : Several, there’s the massive single player campaign (50+ levels!), the co-op campaign, a level editor to make your own levels, and level sharing to check out and share the best user created levels.
Capsule Computers Question 11 : What other games inspired you to make a game like FLOCK ?
Robby Zinchak : Obviously we played our predecessors in the herding genre (ie ‘Sheep’ and many others) to get a good idea of what had been done before and where we could innovate, but we also checked out many other games to see what worked well and what didn’t. For instance, Little Big Planet was a great example of level sharing working very well in a game. Ultimately, while we drew inspiration from these games, I think we created something new and very different.
Capsule Computers Question 12: What kind of tips can you suggest to players to bear in mind when playing FLOCK that can help them become superstars in UFO Sheep abduction 😉
Robby Zinchak : One of the key things to learn early is to not always herd at full-throttle. Great example are the cows – you can get them to stampede if you start pushing them slowly and ramp up speed. You can also change directions easier at lower speeds. If you learn when to go slow, and when to go fast, you’ll be able to herd like a pro!
Capsule Computers Question 13: On what platforms is FLOCK available on ? How can consumers get FLOCK as quickly and easily as possible ?
Robby Zinchak : XBLA, PSN, and PC. All three platforms provide great experiences and are easy to get from their respective online stores (Xbox Live, Playstation Network, and your favorite PC digital retailers respectively). Flock on over to MotherFlocker.com for more information!
Capsule Computers Question 14: Talking Xbox 360 Achievements for FLOCK, how hard are they to obtain. Can players get an easy 200/200 or will there be a lot of work involved.
Robby Zinchak : There’s a pretty good balance I think – about one third are easy to get, another third will require a little work, and the last third will require some hunting. That way they’re pretty well spread out. Very few players have gotten all the achievements, so if you get 100% you’ll be among a handful of the best players in the world!
Capsule Computers Question 15: What design/physics engine did you use in developing FLOCK ?
Robby Zinchak : We leveraged some off the shelf solutions for some things (for example, Gamespy powered our map sharing under the hood on PS3 & PC), but for the most part the code was written by the team.
Capsule Computers Question 16: What can fans expect in the future for FLOCK ? Are there any plans for any new Downloadable Content ? And if you are able to advise what It could be.
Robby Zinchak : At this point the team has moved onto the next big project (keep your eyes tuned at the end of the month…! ;)) but we were very happy to be able to release three updates for Flock on PC with new features and improvements.
Capsule Computers Question 17: What do you think makes FLOCK such a great game and why should consumers go out there and purchase a copy of the game ?
Robby Zinchak : FLOCK! is an original and creative game with a lot of personality. It includes a ton of content and fun gameplay for less than the price of a pizza. That’s hard to beat!
Capsule Computers Question 18 : Have you ever been adducted by aliens yourself 😉
Robby Zinchak : That was pretty much my experience of getting into the industry 😛
Capsule Computers Question 19 : If the poor little farm animals in the game could talk, what do you think they would tell us about these pesky UFO’s and the Mother FLOCKER ??
Robby Zinchak : An interesting question – I think they like the UFO, as long as it doesn’t get too up close and personal. But I think the more interesting question is what the UFO is thinking – why exactly is it abducting all these animals? Early on we planned to answer this question via some cutscenes… but we came to the realization the game is more interesting when the player is left to answer the question for themselves.
Capsule Computers Question 20 : Finally .. what do you love most about working at Capcom ?
Robby Zinchak : Capcom is a fantastic company to work for because of all the great, highly talented people who work there, and the many high quality projects that are produced!
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There ya have it, FLOCK out of the FLOCKING WAY. Capsule Computers would like to thank Robby once again for spending the time to answer all these questions. If you don’t already have FLOCK. WHAT ARE YOU FLOCKING DOING !!! Get out there and grab yourself a copy !! As Robby said its available on nearly every platform, XBOX, PS3 and PC. Head on over to http://www.motherflocker.com/ for everything you need to get up and FLOCKING in no time.
Let us know what you thought of this interview here or in the forums.
We have GREAT NEWS !! The Twistex Pixel Games online store is now open for trading.. And look at what you can buy ..
Ohhh how cute !!
You too can own one of these cute n cuddly MAW Plushie dolls. All you have to do is make your way over to the Twisted Pixel Online Store and simply click on the order button and PRESTO .. The MAW will be shipped over to you and you give him a big big hug. (just becareful he doesnt bite your head off, baby MAW’s need to eat too you know)
I can’t get over how cute he looks. I’m gonna get one. And I urge you all to get yourselves one too. At a low price of only $12 USD plus shipping and handling its a STEAL !! Don’t delay buy a MAW TODAY !!
Last night Microsoft hosted the last leg of their Australian Tour for the Xbox Live Insider Tour, which was hosted at Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour Sydney.
Event kicked off at 7pm, food & drinks flowed from the bar all night long and everyone got the chance to play some of the cool games that will be coming out very soon on Xbox 360. Ashley “Jinx” Jenkins ran through the new Xbox 360 dashboard update which consisted of Twitter, Facebook and movies in HD. If you were part of the Xbox 360 preview program you might already have the new dashboard but if you haven’t seen it yet check out my video review of it here.
Microsoft also presented a few videos showcasing titles that will be coming to the Xbox 360 this year and early next. And also a preview of Project Natal. The fans were given a sneak peak at Ubisoft’s masterpiece Splinter Cell Conviction and got to see BAD ASS Sam Fishing in action. DJ Hero was also Demoed to the fans along with Lips.
Fans were also entertained with a catwalk show featuring models dressed up in the latest game inspired clothing, and some dancing and the finale an appearance by the only and only MC HAMMER !! HAMMER, hammered out three of his classic songs ending with “You Can’t Touch This” MC Hammer also spoke a little about the new Xbox features coming soon, such as twitter and facebook. And if you want to follow MC Hammer as he said its a no bainer his twitter account is http://www.twitter.com/McHammer.
I wont blabber on for too much. As I have a 3 videos from the night. First is the Xbox 360 games coming out soon, along with Project Natal, and then Ashley going through some of the new features coming soon to the Xbox 360 dashboard, and then a bit of runway action and dancing. Check it out below :
Well done to Microsoft for organizing this event. Lets hope we get to see and be a part of more of these events in the future. We need more of these events here in Australia. The Xbox Community in Australia is starting to grow more and more everyday.
Check out some of the photos from the night below and the rest HERE
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Let us know what you think, leave a comment here or in the forums.
Sydney XBOX FANS who were able to get tickets (shown below) the XBOX LIVE INSIDER TOUR will be able to experience all the fun and excitement tonight. MasterAbbott will be attending and will report back all the cool stuff, that happens. Rumors that MC HAMMER will be at the event !!!
Updates to this event will be up hopefully tomorrow sometime. Stay tuned, and anyone else going let us know.
Ea has announced that more than 1500 staff will be made redundant by April 2010.
Electronic Arts has announced plans to make more than 1500 staff redundant by April 2010, as well as the cancellation of at least 12 games that are currently in development. At the same time, the publisher has just bought out PlayFish, developer of popular social networking games for around $300 million USD.
EA hopes to save $100 million USD annually as a result of the lay-offs and cancellations, with the redundancies spread across all devisions. 900 developers, 500 publishing staff and 100 corporate suits are set to go, according to reports.
The studios which will be most heavily affected are EA Redwood, Tiburon, Mythic and EA Black Box.
The news follows on from EA’s recently published financial reports, which revealed a net loss of $391 million across the July – September period, an increase of 26 percent compared to the same period in 2008.
“Laying off employees and closing facilities is never pleasant,” said EA Chief John Riccitiello. “We have a lot of compassion for those impacted but these cuts are essential for transforming our company.”
“Electronic Arts has a core slate of games label and sports franchises that we will iterate on a either annual or bi-annual basis. And I think you know what those major titles are – all of them are selling or have sold in their most recent edition 2 million units or more,” he continued.
“After that, we’ve got The Sims and Hasbro, and frankly anything that doesn’t measure up to looking like it can pencil out to be in very high profit contributor and high unit seller got cut from our title slate from this point going forward.“
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Sad to hear, being made redundant is not a nice feeling and to anyone from EA that has been made redundant, Capsule Computers hopes you land on your feet and find something very soon.
Modern Warfare 2 is breaking records left right and centre at the moment .. Ok lets start with this juicy piece of info
The launch of Modern Warfare was absolutely huge, there were people all over the world lining up some for over 8 hours to get themselves a copy of possibly the GAME of THE YEAR , and If you thought that the launch of Modern Warfare 2 was over and the game will die down, think again.
Sources advise that Activision has shipped some 3 MILLION copies of the game into the UK to satisfy the huge level of demand. It’s an unprecedented first-day ship number, and is enough to fully stock the thousands of stores open for midnight launch and beyond. Industry insiders believe that the launch will break all sales records, beating GTAIV’s five day UK record of over 900,000 units sold. It’s expected the remaining 1.5m units will keep the game highly-placed in stores in the run up to Christmas.
ALSO more pieces of information that will prove that Modern Warfare 2 is not JOKE !!
AMAZON.com also reported that Modern Warfare 2 by Infinity Ward was the “biggest selling pre-order video game of all time” it even surpassed total order for WOW’s Wrath of the Lich King.
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Reviews for Modern Warfare 2 have also been very positive. The game currently has a Metacritic score of 96 from approx 40 critic reviews. It still has a fair bit to go (probably another 40 more reviews’ lets hope it gets pushed up 1 or 2 extra % to make it as good as GTA IV)
Capsule Computers (MasterAbbott) had the pleasure to speak to CEO of Twisted Pixed Games Michael Wilford about their smash hit SPLOSION MAN for the Xbox 360. We have a total of 18 questions that Michael was very kind enough to answer. Capsule Computers would like to thank Michael for his time and we hope you enjoy the interview.
Capsule Computers : Thank you for taking the time to answer a few short questions about Twisted Pixel Games and Splosion Man. Your time and answers are greatly appreciated.
Michael Wilford : Anytime! Thanks for the interview.
Capsule Computers Question 1 : When was the Twisted Pixel Games Studio founded ? And what is the history behind the name Twisted Pixel Games ?
Michael Wilford : The company was founded in March of 2006 by Josh Bear, Frank Wilson and myself with the goal of making the best downloadable console games. We chose the name “Twisted Pixel” because it was better than “Metal Guitars” which was our second favorite.
Capsule Computers Question 2 : How many dedicated men and women were involved in creating Splosion Man ?
Michael Wilford : The core Splosion Man team was 8 full time developers, plus a bunch of outsourcing for art, network programming, sound, music, QA, translations, etc.
Capsule Computers Question 3 : What’s were the biggest challenges encountered by the development team in creating Splosion Man ?
Michael Wilford : Honestly, our biggest challenge was just trying to get the game done in time. We had to make 100 levels, 4 player co-op local and online, three big boss battles, free content like themes and avatar accessory awards, and everything else in just 6 months. And we released three DLC packs for The Maw during that time too. So it was a pretty busy time for Twisted Pixel.
Capsule Computers Question 4 : Who’s idea/inspiration was it to create a character as whacky but so lovable as Splosion Man ? And what was the most fun part in this process ?
Michael Wilford : The idea for Splosion Man was a team effort, but I think it was our Lead Designer Sean Riley that initially got the ball rolling on making a game about a 2 hour old lab experiment gone wrong that only wants to have fun and hug people, but they splode into hunks of meats. Everyone kept adding onto the concept until it was pretty insane, but thankfully Microsoft believed in our vision and let us make it. The most fun part was probably once 4 player multiplayer started coming together. Splosion Man was our first multiplayer game, so it was a big worry point for us, but when we first saw it working and could splode around the levels with each other, it was a huge relief to see how fun it could be.
Capsule Computers Question 5 : What was the development process like in creating a game such as Splosion Man ? What sort of research was done in designing the amazing platform puzzles, story lines, characters and bosses .
Michael Wilford : We always do research before starting development on a new game – we play lots of old games for reference, we throw around ideas, bring up cheesy 80’s action movies, etc. Splosion Man drew inspiration from the early Sonic games, and Earthworm Jim for just being so memorable and funny. For the level design, there really wasn’t a lot of time for research. Our amazing level designers just took it upon themselves to do what makes sense for the type of game it is. At times, they had to crank out a level a day, so they had to get things right on the first try. They did an outstanding job.
Capsule Computers Question 6 : How long did it take to develop Splosion Man ? Were there any strict deadlines/Timeframe that needed to be taken to get Splosion Man to the Xbox Live Arcade.
Michael Wilford : We had a self-imposed deadline of 6 months. We wanted to get it done early enough so that if Microsoft wanted to include it in the 2009 Summer of Arcade we’d be ready. When we started development, we had no idea they’d be doing another Summer of Arcade, but it was worth it to us to assume they would be and it worked out.
Capsule Computers Question 7 : What type of game is Splosion Man ? What can players expect when playing this game ?
Michael Wilford : Splosion Man is an action-platformer. We won some Best of E3 awards, including best downloadable title and best platformer. The game was built to be simple to play – all the face buttons do the same thing: splode. And sploding is just like jumping, except you blow up everything around you. You can splode three times in the air before you need to land and recharge. By sploding off of walls you need to traverse each level as fast as you can, earning bonus points for causing as much destruction as possible. It doesn’t take long before you’re tearing through levels pretty quickly with the feeling of those old Sonic games. With 4 players, you actually have to work together by sploding off of each other to propel each other up to platforms and ledges. It’s pretty crazy.
Capsule Computers Question 8 : How complicated is Splosion Man to play ? Can anyone enjoy it, or is it for the more veteran gamer ?
Michael Wilford : We went out of our way to make Splosion Man as accessible as possible. You only need to move the stick and press one of the face buttons to play. You can even earn the “Master of Controls” achievement by going into the controls settings and changing the controller mapping for one of the buttons from “splode” to “splode”. We also put in “Way of the Coward” as a way for players to skip a level that is too challenging for them so that they’re not stuck forever. This way, everyone should be able to get to the end and see the crazy ending that we made for everyone to see.
Capsule Computers Question 9 : Explain to the readers what features are included in Splosion Man multiplayer, how many players can play together and what style of gameplay modes are there available.
Michael Wilford : We have a single player campaign with 50 levels and three boss fights, plus a separate multiplayer campaign with 50 co-op levels and three boss fights. You can play multiplayer locally or online, and it gets pretty intense. Splosion Man is also the first Xbox 360 game to support avatar accessory awards, which we give to players for free, as well as free gamerpics and a premium dashboard theme. Right now Xbox is running an Omaha Sweepsteaks where winners will have Splosion Man send them top cut filets from Omaha Steaks.
Capsule Computers Question 10 : How many levels are associated with both story mode and multiplayer mode ? Are they the same on both modes ? And roughly how many hours of gameplay is in each mode (Story & Multi-player).
Michael Wilford : There are 50 levels for single player and 50 levels for multiplayer. They are separate because the gameplay in multiplayer requires you to work together and splode off of each other. I would say the average first-time player will find roughly 6 hours of single player and 9 hours of multiplayer gameplay.
Capsule Computers Question 11 : What can the players expect from Splosion Man on the Xbox Live Arcade, will there be any Downloadable Content in the future ?
Michael Wilford : The game definitely supports DLC, but we haven’t made any announcements yet.
Capsule Computers Question 12: For the casual and also hardcore gamer playing Splosion man for the first time. What kind of tips can you suggest to players to keep in mind when playing the game.
Michael Wilford : There are a lot of tricks for the hardcore player to learn. For instance, if you’re really good you can walk off a ledge, flick the controller towards the ledge and back again while you press splode so that you are actually sploding off the wall below the ledge, which will propel you much farther than you could otherwise. This trick can be used especially in multiplayer to get significantly faster times.
Capsule Computers Question 13: What the story with Splosion man’s obsession with cake ? Please explain 🙂
Michael Wilford : Since Splosion Man is only a few hours old, he likes celebrating his birthday. So in each level you’ll find a secret birthday cake that you must find. Doesn’t everyone like birthday cake?
Capsule Computers Question 14: Talking Xbox 360 Achievements for Splosion Man, tell us a little bit about how hard are they to obtain ? Can players get an easy 200/200 or will there be a lot of work involved. What do you believe is the easiest and the hardest achievements to unlock.
Michael Wilford : We tried to make it balanced so that some achievements are easy and some are more challenging. Certainly our easiest one is the one you get for breaking your first pane of glass, which nets you a free avatar accessory. Our most challenging one is probably beating the game on Hardcore mode.
Capsule Computers Question 15: Also what can players expect in terms of unlockable rewards from Splosion Man. What must players do to receive the cool stuff locked away in the game ? And once unlocked how do they find and use it ?
Michael Wilford : We have two male avatar awards, two female avatar awards, a premium dashboard theme, and several gamerpics. We make it clear to you when these things are unlocked, and you can install them instantly.
Capsule Computers Question 16:What design/physics engine did you use in developing Splosion Man ?
Michael Wilford : We have our own internal engine and toolset called BEARD+RAZOR.
Capsule Computers Question 17: Twisted Pixel Games have developed a number of successful titles over the years. Which one do you believe has been the most successful and why ?
Michael Wilford : We try to make each game better than the last, and I think that has been reflected in the response we’ve gotten from our games so far. Splosion Man is our last game and it seems to have generated the most response. I think our new game, Comic Jumper, will be even bigger because of how much more we’re putting into it.
Capsule Computers Question 18: What can fans expect in the future from Twisted Pixel Games ? What game(s) are next in development ? Give us a sneak peak .. come on we have Cake 😉
Michael Wilford : Comic Jumper is our next game which we announced at PAX. We’re going to take longer than 6 months with this one, so it’s going to be really amazing. We’ll have more details coming very soon.
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There you have it. Thank you once again to Micahel for taking the time from his busy schedule to sit down and talk to us and share all this great information on Splosion Man and also keep an eye out for Comic Jumper. Check out our article on Comic Jumper here. We might have some more information on Comic Jumper soon. So make sure you check back regularly here at Capsule Computers.
For now Thank you once again to Michael and we hope you all enjoyed the interview. Let us know what you thought of it. All comments are appreciated.
King Arthur is BACK .. and he’s brough a friend along with him this time.
GHOSTS ‘N GOBLINS is back and this its back for the Apple iPHONE !!
Return to the Ghoul Realm as the legendary Arthur or impetuous Lancelot in Ghosts’N GoblinsTM: Gold Knights for the iPhone and iPod touch. Explore six stages of peril as you attempt to recover the missing maidens and learn the secret of the demons’ return. Battle with sword, lance, arrow and axe against swarms of demons, monsters and undead minions in one of the most exciting platformers on iPhone.
Key features
• Brilliant 3D graphics and classic platform action!• For the first time, play as twodifferent heroes each with a unique play style.
• Master six different weapons per character and power up each weapon with magic.
• Destroy treasure chests to uncover weapons and more powerful suits of armor.
• Further customize your Ghosts ‘N Goblins experience with DLC.
Download your copy now via the Apple iTunes Store for a SPECIAL PRICE of only $2.99 .. but only till November the 23rd !!
