Necrophone Games Brings Jazzpunk To PlayStation 4

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Toronto developer Necrophone Games took to the PlayStation blog to announced their Cold War era cyberpunk adventure game, Jazzpunk, will be making its way to PlayStation 4.

Jazzpunk is largely an exploration/adventure game, but with a heavy focus on absurdist and surreal humor and a sleek mid-century modern aesthetic. We spent a lot of time creating a lush 1960’s world, then tried to stuff it like a pizza crust with as much joke-cheese as possible. I’ve been told the results are gooey and delicious.

You can check out the full story for the game over at the PlayStation Blog, including the development of the game, and the new multiplayer mode for the PlayStation 4 version.  A big shout out to Twitter follower OmlagusGarfungiloops for giving me the heads up. 

Benjamin Rivers Answers Questions About Alone With You

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Indie developer Benjamin Rivers recently took to the PlayStation Blog to announce Alone With You's release date.  He then returned to do a little Q&A for his upcoming adventure story game.

Is this just a point-and-click adventure?
I actually get asked this quite a lot — Alone With You is definitely an adventure game, but not a 90’s-style one. It’s designed for controllers in mind, where moving around the environment feels fluid and fun. There are no complicated menus or inventory screens to manage (just like Home, which was also designed with minimalism in mind).
So then how does the gameplay work?
You accept missions from your AI companion, and as you reach your mission area, you explore — you don’t have a complex HUD, markers or anything getting in your way. If you stumble across something you can use, take or scan, the game prompts you. Unlike a lot of adventure games, you feel like you’re moving through a world, instead of pushing a cursor around.

You can check out the full Q&A on the PlayStation Blog. If you're going to be at the PlayStation Experience event, then make sure to check Ben out at Booth 1158, as well as other Toronto developers.

Far Cry Primal Trailer Shown At The Game Awards

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Having been announced a few months ago, Far Cry Primal was featured last night at The Game Awards 2015.  Far Cry Primal is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal, with some help from Ubisoft Toronto.  You can check out the full trailer below:

The world premiere of Far Cry Primal from the 2015 Game Awards. For more videos, news, previews and reviews, go to http://kotaku.com

Far Cry Primal takes you way, way back. Back to a time when man was an insignificant blip on nature’s radar and beasts were larger (and meaner) than those we know today. Back to a time when the simple ability to make a fire meant the difference between life and death. Back to the Stone Age. And today, during The Game Awards, Ubisoft announced the special Far Cry Primal Deluxe Edition, packed with bonus goodies and additional content. 

You can check out the full details of the Deluxe Edition on Ubisoft's blog.  Far Cry Primal will be out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 23rd, 2016.

New Trailer For Servered From DrinkBox Studios

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Ahead of the PlayStation Event in San Francisco this week, Toronto developer DrinkBox Studios released a new trailer for their touch-based Vita RPG.  

In Severed you play as a one-armed warrior named Sasha, who wakes up in a surreal new world after a catastrophic event. After obtaining a living sword from a mysterious cloaked creature, Sasha sets off on an epic journey in search of her missing family.
Combat is done primarily using the touchscreen, but Severed is definitely not a casual game. In fact, we think that using the touchscreen for sword combat has allowed us to make the game a much more deep and complex experience than button-based sword fighting ever could have been.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/severed-psvita/ Take control of a one-armed heroine named Sasha, wielding a living sword on her journey through a nightmarish world in search of her family. Swipe-based touch controls will let you solve puzzles, find secrets, and do battle with a host of disturbing monsters.

Severed will be at the PlayStation Experience this week, originally scheduled for 2015, Severed was delayed until next year.

Horrible Unicorn Game Studios Releases New Trailer For Legacy of the Copper Skies

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After having a successful Square Enix Collective campaign, and changing the users perspective of the game, indie developer Horrible Unicorn Game Studios has released the first trailer for their debut game Legacy of the Copper Skies.

You can check out the trailer as well as the press release below. Make sure to follow the developer on Twitter as well.  Legacy of the Copper Skies is currently slated for a a 2017 release.

Legacy of the Copper Skies is a journey stretching across multiple worlds, two vastly disparate people must put aside their differences and co-operate if they are to stop the mysterious destruction plaguing their worlds.

London, ON –
December 2nd, 2015 Indie game developer Horrible Unicorn Game Studios (HUGS) has released its first full gameplay trailer for Legacy of the Copper Skies the first game from this new studio formed by AAA creators from Relic Entertainment, WB Montreal, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft.
Legacy of the Copper Skies has already passed through the Square Enix Collective approval process with an 83% rating from game fans eager to play the proposed title. Since then the team of industry veterans have been hard at work building the game and are excited to show off this first in-depth look at the game.
“The Square Enix Collective provided us access to a braintrust of some of the most passionate gaming fans around. The feedback that we’ve received was invaluable for helping to shape the progress of Legacy of the Copper Skies,” said Eric Foster HUGS’ founder and CEO. Having been a producer on Relic’s Warhammer 40:000 – Space Marine and level designer on WB’s Batman: Arkham Origins Foster brings years of experience to the table.
“It told us that Legacy of the Copper Skies is a game that gamers were as excited to play, as we were to make,” he said.
The game features two unique heroes, Tir and Isen, who must work together to save their worlds all of reality is threatened. Facing challenging puzzles and an assortment of enemies the heroes each wield their own unique abilities to meet the dangers that face them.
Legacy of the Copper Skies is a pixel art adventure game that combines the classic genre with modern design and game development techniques. It is being designed for the Playstation 4, XBox One, PC and Mac platforms.
For more information on Legacy of the Copper Skies visit Horrible Unicorn Game Studios’ website at www.horribleunicorn.com, follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
For additional media information or to arrange interviews contact Jeffery Simpson.

Vote For Robo's World: The Zarnok Fortress On Steam Greenlight

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The Toronto developed Robo's World: The Zarnok Fortress from Bluish-Green Productions, and Throw Away Games is looking for votes to put the game on Steam.  You can vote for the game on their Steam page here. Make sure to also check out the description and video below!

"Robo’s World: The Zarnok Fortress is an Open World 2D Tactical Action Platformer. Take on the massive, interconnected Zarnok Fortress, and sabotage its crucial systems to halt its advance on your world. Your foe remains ever vigilant, learning from its mistakes and actively repairing sabotaged zones. Play as Robo, who’s about the most nimble machine you’ve ever seen sporting tank treads, and the acting guardian of the planet Saphirium. Master your abilities to take the Fortress offline, dynamically affecting every other zone as you work towards your goal of dealing the finishing blow to cripple the Fortress beyond repair and put an end to the dark reign of the Zarnok."

Vote for us on Steam Greenlight!: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=561953066 Robo's World: The Zarnok Fortress is an Open World 2D Tactical Action Platformer. Take on the massive, interconnected Zarnok Fortress, and sabotage its crucial systems to halt its advance on your world. Your foe remains ever vigilant, learning from its mistakes and actively repairing sabotaged zones.

Make sure to follow the developers on Twitter here and here.  

Dash Quest Now Out On Android, Plus Big 1.2 Patch

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Apologies, as I'm a little late on this one, but I wanted to let post about Dash Quest, the RPG Endless Runner from Tiny Titan Studios, is now out on Android, as well as getting a free update with new features.  Version 1.2 contains:

  • NEW FEATURE: Epic Shop, spend your epic coins here!
  • NEW FEATURE: Hero Mode, unlock a new game mode where you can earn Epic Coins to buy special items and gear!
  • NEW FEATURE: Pet System, you can acquire pets that can be leveled up and accessorized to help you in battle!

There are more items, and fixes which you can read here.  You can download the game for free on Android, or iOS.

Progress Update For Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander

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Indie developer Massive Damage took to their Kickstarter to give some updates on Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander, as well as providing some new gameplay footage.

First, they do mention there has been a delay:

"I guess what we're saying is: "uh... we're not going to have a public build ready this week." Now, things aren’t bad, by any means! The work is, fingers crossed, pretty much done, and it’s not as though it’s held up much of the design team, but it did hold up some of the implementation of ground combat."

http://playhalcyon6.com Our lead designer and game producer, Peter, dives deeper into the new Halcyon 6 combat mechanics including combos!

They also go into written detail about some of the different ship types, which you can check out here.  Make sure to follow the developer on Twitter. 

Snowman Teams Up With The Game Band For Special Project

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Toronto developer Snowman has announced they'll be teaming up with The Game Band, a new studio over in LA for a special project.

"When I first showed Sam Alto’s Adventure back in December, 2013, he shared a project he had been working on with me. That very project is the project we’re working on together now. And so it really has been a long time in the making. But good comes easily. Great takes longer."

Nothing has been shared about the upcoming project yet, but we'll have it on TorontoGameDevs.com when Snowman and The Game Band are ready. In the meantime Snowman is also working on an Android port for Alto's Adventure.

PlayStation Experience: Play Severed, Win Guacamelee - Plus New Screenshots

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Toronto developer DrinkBox Studios took to their blog to announced that they'll be at PlayStation Experience 2015 (along with Benjamin Rivers, and Ubisoft) and be giving away Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition.  All you need to do is hit up their booth (#2042) and have to complete a challenge.  They also released two new screenshots:

You can check out the full post here, but also make sure to follow DrinkBox Studios on Twitter.

Chivalry: Medieval Warfare Coming To PS4 And Xbox One

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Toronto developer Torn Banner Studios announced today that their middle-ages multiplayer action game Chivalry: Medieval Warefare will be making its way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

This updated version of Chivalry, published by Activision with development by Hardsuit Labs, has support for up to 24 players online, and multiplayer gameplay is supported by dedicated servers – just like the Steam version of Chivalry. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 version of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare also includes Horde Mode, which was previously unavailable on Xbox 360 and PS3. Battle monsters and survive waves of new enemies in this fantasy co-op showdown.

Besiege castles and raid villages in this 24 player online experience. Trade in your guns and grenades to test your mettle against cold hard steel on the medieval battlefield. Now coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4™ System with over 25 battlefields, up to 24 player online multiplayer, and an all new Horde Mode.

You'll be able to pre-order the game on Xbox One on November 24th. PlayStaiton 4 users can get the game on release, which is December 1st.  The game will cost $19.99, but there is a $29.99 Gold Edition which comes with cosmetic weapon, armor and character skins.  Make sure to follow the studio on Twitter.

Sago Mini Announces 'Sago Mini Superhero'

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Sago Mini announced today their newsest app coming to the iOS story Sago Mini Superhero.

KAPOW! Jack the rabbit bursts into the sky as the Sago Mini Superhero! Fly with Jack as he lifts impossible weights, powers up on carrots and makes things right in the city. Whether he is helping ducks cross the street or sharing ice cream with an octopus, Jack is here to save the day! “Kids love to play superhero. Grab your cape and let’s save the city!”

Coming Soon!

You can check out the letter to parents as well which goes over how to play the game designed for 2-5 year olds.  The game is planned for release on November 26th for iOS.

Pocket Tactics Previews Forbidden Desert On iOS

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The developers behind the iOS version of the board game Forbidden Island, Toronto based Button Mash Games, are working away at the next installment Forbidden Desert.  The gang over at Pocket Tactics previewed the game and is worth a read if you enjoy playing board games on your phone/tablet.

Forbidden Desert puts you in charge of a team of adventurers scouring the desert for pieces of a legendary flying machine. Pieces are not hidden on the board, but are uncovered as you find clues in the desert. Where two clues intersect, the flying machine detritus will be found. Of course, it’s not that easy. There’s a brutal sandstorm that threatens to bury everything even deeper under the desert sand. Like all good cooperative games, there are several ways to lose and only one way to win. Here, you can lose if any adventurer dies of thirst, if the sand gets too deep, or if the clues get swept away by the sandstorm itself. To win, you must find all the pieces of the flying machine and use it to fly to more temperate climes.

The game is expected to hit the App Store 'soon', and while online multiplayer won't be available at launch it will come as a free update.  You can buy Forbidden Island on iOS right now by clicking here, and can check out the full preview of Forbidden Desert here.

2015 Canadian Videogame Awards - Toronto Well Represented As The Finalists Have Been Announced

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The Canadian Videogame Awards have announced their 2015 finalists, with a lot of developers from Toronto getting nods.  I've summarized the local developers below, but you can check out the full list here.

Game of the Year (local developers only)

Best Downloadable Game (local developers only)

Best iOS Game (local developers only)

  • Alto's Adventure (Snowman)

Best Animation (local developers only)

  • Apotheon (Alientrap)

Best Audio (local developers only)

  • Apotheon (Alientrap)

Best Indie Game (local developers only)

Best Original Music (local developers only)

  • King of the Gods, Apotheon (Alientrap)
  • The Castle Game Theme, The Castle Game (Neptune Interactive)

Best Writing (local developers only)

  • Apotheon (Alientrap)

Fans’ Choice Award: Best Canadian-Made Game (local developers only)

  • Apotheon (Alientrap)
  • N++ (Metanet Software)

Congratulations to all the finalists and best of luck!

Interesting Read: Capybara Games Chats To Gamesindustry.biz About Developing Games For 10 Years

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I'm starting a new segment here on TorontoGameDevs.com - introducing Interesting Read. A section where I share interesting articles about Toronto game developers as written by other journalists.

Enter in this article from gamesindustry.biz.  Cofounder and president of Capybara Games, Nathan Vella, chipped in about Capy's 10th birthday, and the early days of their studio:

"I think we started in the industry when PS3, 360 and Wii was starting to happen and we started out doing cellphone games before there were smartphones. We made games for flip phones that had like two colours. We were literally making videogames that had to fit in 64KB of memory. Now we're making games on virtually every platform that exists," he laughs."

It's a solid read, and an interesting tale about one of Toronto must successful studios. Check out the article here, and give Capybara a follow on Twitter.