Eternal You, a new documentary premiering at Sundance about the nauseating new world of digital afterlife technology, opens on a woman, Christi Angel, staring into a computer screen. She’s messaging with a dead loved one and tears are streaming down her face.
“This experience… It was creepy,” she says. “There were things that scared me. And a lot of stuff I didn’t want to hear [and] I wasn’t prepared to hear.”
We soon learn that Angel — quite the name, given this otherworldly endeavor — is a New Yorker who...
“This experience… It was creepy,” she says. “There were things that scared me. And a lot of stuff I didn’t want to hear [and] I wasn’t prepared to hear.”
We soon learn that Angel — quite the name, given this otherworldly endeavor — is a New Yorker who...
- 1/21/2024
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
by Matt Hawkins
The Indie Speed Run is a game jam in which participants have 48 hours to create a fully playable game from start to finish. The contest will take place globally, across 15 live locations to be exact.
On the surface, it sounds like many other game jams, but there are a few key differences. First, there's a theme along with an element, both of which must be incorporated in the game, which is par for the course in such things. But when the clock starts, there's the option to roll the "Danger Dice" and get new parameters.
But it's mentioned how these replacement criteria will more than likely be wackier, and trickier to implement, though it's also implied that they'll be a lot more fun. And the second key distinction of the Indie Speed Run are the panel of judges. Which again is fairly standard, but wait till you...
The Indie Speed Run is a game jam in which participants have 48 hours to create a fully playable game from start to finish. The contest will take place globally, across 15 live locations to be exact.
On the surface, it sounds like many other game jams, but there are a few key differences. First, there's a theme along with an element, both of which must be incorporated in the game, which is par for the course in such things. But when the clock starts, there's the option to roll the "Danger Dice" and get new parameters.
But it's mentioned how these replacement criteria will more than likely be wackier, and trickier to implement, though it's also implied that they'll be a lot more fun. And the second key distinction of the Indie Speed Run are the panel of judges. Which again is fairly standard, but wait till you...
- 8/2/2013
- by MTV Video Games
- MTV Multiplayer
Over the last few years Cave Story has become one of those rare indie games that has permeated mainstream gaming with resounding success. The once unapproachable Japanese PC game has been adapted and released (and re-released, and re-re-released) so many times that most gamers no longer have to wonder what was the big deal with Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya's retro-inspired platformer. However, little is known about the game that was released just before Cave Story, but set in its universe, that is, until now. Ikachan, another of Pixel's freeware PC games has finally been ported to the 3Ds so that gamers can discover what makes this little game so special.
Ikachan puts players in the role of a squid, who wakes up in a mysterious underwater cave, with has no recollection of how he got there, or how to get out. After a bit of exploring, it becomes apparent that this...
Ikachan puts players in the role of a squid, who wakes up in a mysterious underwater cave, with has no recollection of how he got there, or how to get out. After a bit of exploring, it becomes apparent that this...
- 2/1/2013
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
By Joseph Leray
Tale of Tales, the controversial team behind digital curios like The Path and The Graveyard, are developing a new game called Bientôt l’été.
There’s not much concrete information about the Bientôt l’été, but it’s a dreamlike, abstract game about love (and beaches, cigarettes, and chess, apparently). It might best described as exploration game. The team’s development blog makes it clear that the project owes a lot to New Wave filmmaker Marguerite Duras, and much of the voice acting is in French as well.According to the game’s website, a single-player simulation will be available, but Rock, Paper, Shotgun makes it clear that an internet connection will be needed to get the most of out of the game’s two-player conversation systems. This isn’t the first project to use multiplayer narrative mechanics – I’m reminded of Jason Rohrer’s Sleep is Death,...
Tale of Tales, the controversial team behind digital curios like The Path and The Graveyard, are developing a new game called Bientôt l’été.
There’s not much concrete information about the Bientôt l’été, but it’s a dreamlike, abstract game about love (and beaches, cigarettes, and chess, apparently). It might best described as exploration game. The team’s development blog makes it clear that the project owes a lot to New Wave filmmaker Marguerite Duras, and much of the voice acting is in French as well.According to the game’s website, a single-player simulation will be available, but Rock, Paper, Shotgun makes it clear that an internet connection will be needed to get the most of out of the game’s two-player conversation systems. This isn’t the first project to use multiplayer narrative mechanics – I’m reminded of Jason Rohrer’s Sleep is Death,...
- 12/4/2012
- by MTV Video Games
- MTV Multiplayer
Not all games are created equal. Some games have a massive staff of hundreds of people behind them, with multimillion-dollar marketing budgets. Other games have one guy, and Kickstarter. Diamond Trust of London is a demonstration of the latter, and has finally completed its three-year journey to be released, helmed by indie darling Jason Rohrer. While much has been said about the story of the game's development and release, there hasn't been much talk of the game itself. This could leave some people to wonder whether or not the interesting part of Diamond Trust of London is everything that it went through to come out, and not the game itself. Fear not, there is something interesting, and worth playing inside that box.
Designed to take advantage of the two-player wireless connectivity of the DS, Diamond Trust of London isn't your average gaming fare. Culling more inspiration from board games more than anything else,...
Designed to take advantage of the two-player wireless connectivity of the DS, Diamond Trust of London isn't your average gaming fare. Culling more inspiration from board games more than anything else,...
- 9/6/2012
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
New gaming platforms don't come along every day, so when they do they're always worth taking a look at. In 2011 years ago a small tech company, Sifteo Inc., headed up by David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi - two products of the MIT Media Lab, released an innovative gaming product, the Sifteo Cubes. They were a collection if small, 1.7 inch blocks with clickable LCD screens that communicated wirelessly with one another, allowing for responsive information to be passed between them, creating a system of tangible interactive objects. While they were pioneering, they we not without their limitations (requiring a computer to transmit data, a limited number of applications, hardware restrictions, etc.), but served as a great introduction of the concept for consumers and developers alike. Today Sifteo announced an updated, second generation of the Sifteo Cubes to build on the solid ground of the first generation by improving the platform in just about every way.
- 8/30/2012
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
Since it was released in 2006, the Wii has had a less than stellar showing of role-playing games throughout its lifecycle. Competing in the modern day RPG market on a console with technical limitations is a tricky proposition for most developers. Attempting to create a game with the same scale and complexity that other consoles offer, without discounting the overall experience is next to impossible. This is why all good RPG games that have been released on the Wii have always come with a console qualifier. Xenoblade Chronicles is a great RPG... for the Wii. Little King's Story is a solid RPG experience... for the Wii. Super Paper Mario is a must play RPG... on the Wii. In short, the Wii isn’t a great console for RPGs, but one game is hoping to change history as the system enters its twilight. The Last Story is the latest release from RPG...
- 8/30/2012
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
[ video unavailable on this device ]
Besides worrying about aliens popping out of the dark (and trying to pop your head off), one of the most memorable features of the original Xcom was the ability to research those sinister Greys and develop new weapons and tech. Well, you'll be able to cut right into the invaders and discover all of their secrets on the operating room table in October's Xcom: Enemy UnKnown when the Firaxis remake hits the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
I recently spoke with Firaxis Designer and Programmer Jacob Solomon about bringing alien dissection back and what it means for the new game's single player campaign. Plus, we have new screenshots of some of the alien invaders reimagined for the new game.
"It's one of those things that makes Xcom different," Solomon explains to me when I ask why gamers will be interested in going "Alien Autopsy" on Xcom's invaders. For Solomon, it's an...
Besides worrying about aliens popping out of the dark (and trying to pop your head off), one of the most memorable features of the original Xcom was the ability to research those sinister Greys and develop new weapons and tech. Well, you'll be able to cut right into the invaders and discover all of their secrets on the operating room table in October's Xcom: Enemy UnKnown when the Firaxis remake hits the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
I recently spoke with Firaxis Designer and Programmer Jacob Solomon about bringing alien dissection back and what it means for the new game's single player campaign. Plus, we have new screenshots of some of the alien invaders reimagined for the new game.
"It's one of those things that makes Xcom different," Solomon explains to me when I ask why gamers will be interested in going "Alien Autopsy" on Xcom's invaders. For Solomon, it's an...
- 8/29/2012
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
Only moments after posting my last story about the long, hard road that Diamond Trust of London had to travel to finally be released, my copy of the game ended its journey on my doorstep. As a Kickstarter supporter I opted for the Limited Edition package, as I was sold on it being signed and numbered as well as having "special inclusions inside the package." Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued, and I have been wondering about just what exactly might show up since then. Today I found out just what my unique package contained.
Inside of an unassuming manila envelope that's numbered, categorized as miscellaneous, and marked to be destroyed after Dec 31 2010, were quite a bit of goodies.
First, and foremost was the aforementioned signed and numbered copy of the game – mine is number 443. Both designer Jason Rohrer and composer Tom Bailey have placed their autographs on the...
Inside of an unassuming manila envelope that's numbered, categorized as miscellaneous, and marked to be destroyed after Dec 31 2010, were quite a bit of goodies.
First, and foremost was the aforementioned signed and numbered copy of the game – mine is number 443. Both designer Jason Rohrer and composer Tom Bailey have placed their autographs on the...
- 8/29/2012
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
This week marks a monumental accomplishment for one indie game developer in California - Jason Rohrer, is the end of a three year long process to release his DS game, Diamond Trust of London. After multiple redesigns, publishers, and various other setbacks, the two-player diamond smuggling strategy game is finally on its way into the hands of consumers as of yesterday when Rohrer shipped out 861 Us-bound packages. Thanks to his final push of support via Kickstarter, the journey of the first player-funded Nintendo DS game is finally beginning to come to an end.
For someone who is used to creating games experimental indie games on his own, Rohrer's first foray into dealing with a publisher and creating a game for the Nintendo DS didn't go as smoothly as he expected. When asked about the high points and low points of the development of Diamond Trust of London Rohrer called out...
For someone who is used to creating games experimental indie games on his own, Rohrer's first foray into dealing with a publisher and creating a game for the Nintendo DS didn't go as smoothly as he expected. When asked about the high points and low points of the development of Diamond Trust of London Rohrer called out...
- 8/29/2012
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
Last week, thatgamecompany, the developer behind PS3 exclusives flOw, Flower and the bestselling Journey announced that they'd raised $5 million from Benchmark Captial, thus allowing the nine-person developer to go completely independent now that their three game contract with Sony has ended. Keep in mind, this deal doesn't mean you'll be seeing Journey on your iPad, but it does open up the possibility for thatgamecompany to work on other platforms for future releases.
Now, the company is at a crossroads—with all of that money, what kind of shape will their next game take? Will they be going multiplatform? What's the mood like inside of thatgamecompany?
While the team isn't talking too much about what's next (contrary to some reports, they have nothing to announce about what platform their next project will appear although going multiplatform is an option), Social Media Director answered a few questions by e-mail about what this funding means for thatgamecompany.
Now, the company is at a crossroads—with all of that money, what kind of shape will their next game take? Will they be going multiplatform? What's the mood like inside of thatgamecompany?
While the team isn't talking too much about what's next (contrary to some reports, they have nothing to announce about what platform their next project will appear although going multiplatform is an option), Social Media Director answered a few questions by e-mail about what this funding means for thatgamecompany.
- 6/18/2012
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
Set for release this winter, the documentary film Us and the Game Industry promises to explore the motivations of indie developers like thatgamecompany. Filmmaker Stephanie Beth tells us what she learned from a new era of rebellious entertainment
Something important is happening with games at the moment. It has nothing to do with the blockbusting mainstream success of Modern Warfare 3. It isn't about the increasing convergence of Hollywood movies and Triple Aaa interactive entertainment. It is about a quiet revolution in the indie sector, where small studios and even lone developers create offbeat subjective titles rather than noisy mega-bucks shoot-'em-ups.
Because, just as in movies, it is the game design outliers who are producing the most interesting work, and who speak about the future of the medium. Last week saw the release of Journey, a beautiful, elusive adventure game by the small La studio thatgamecompany. Set on a dying desert world,...
Something important is happening with games at the moment. It has nothing to do with the blockbusting mainstream success of Modern Warfare 3. It isn't about the increasing convergence of Hollywood movies and Triple Aaa interactive entertainment. It is about a quiet revolution in the indie sector, where small studios and even lone developers create offbeat subjective titles rather than noisy mega-bucks shoot-'em-ups.
Because, just as in movies, it is the game design outliers who are producing the most interesting work, and who speak about the future of the medium. Last week saw the release of Journey, a beautiful, elusive adventure game by the small La studio thatgamecompany. Set on a dying desert world,...
- 3/13/2012
- by Keith Stuart
- The Guardian - Film News
Steven Spielberg's Lmno was killed off by poor leadership, a former employee has said. The Electronic Arts collaboration, which was designed to be an emotional adventure, lacked a strong, decisive direction, according to Edge. "[Meetings] just seemed strange and ineffective, the way they would get these big groups of people together," said Jason Rohrer, who was a consultant on the project. "Even to design an important, core part of the game, they would have all these people kind of tossing [ideas around]... I was in one of those sessions. "Low-level producers, lead creative directors and everybody else in between would be in the room, batting ideas back and forth, and it was like, where's the cohesive creative vision, the person who says, 'No, it's gotta be this way'? They didn't really have that. "Even the (more)...
- 11/4/2011
- by By Matthew Reynolds
- Digital Spy
If you know the Doom or Quake series, you know American McGee. Eleven years after American McGee's Alice was unleashed on PCs and Macs across the world, McGee's company, Spicy Horse, and EA have teamed up once again (with Unreal Engine 3 this time) for the long awaited sequel, Alice: Madness Returns.
Also set eleven years later, Alice finds herself questioning her repressed memories of her parents' death and wondering if it really Was an accident. As time goes on, frequent and severe hallucinations force her to return to Wonderland; but it's not the same place she remembered.
Meet American McGee - Tester, Level Designer, Sound Designer, Tools Programmer, Co-Producer, Co-Writer, Producer, Creative Director, Developer, Founder/Owner ... coolest motherfucker on the planet.
CrixLee: Is it harder to build a game around well-known source material as opposed to starting a game's storyline from scratch, so to speak?
American McGee: The...
Also set eleven years later, Alice finds herself questioning her repressed memories of her parents' death and wondering if it really Was an accident. As time goes on, frequent and severe hallucinations force her to return to Wonderland; but it's not the same place she remembered.
Meet American McGee - Tester, Level Designer, Sound Designer, Tools Programmer, Co-Producer, Co-Writer, Producer, Creative Director, Developer, Founder/Owner ... coolest motherfucker on the planet.
CrixLee: Is it harder to build a game around well-known source material as opposed to starting a game's storyline from scratch, so to speak?
American McGee: The...
- 5/26/2011
- by CrixLee
- DreadCentral.com
What follows is an interview with Jason Rohrer, an independent game developer with whom I chatted a couple of days after the Game Developers' Conference in early March. Publication got delayed a bit due to some technical issues, but I'm happy to share it with you now. I wanted to note that in the time since I wrote this, a fair amount of controversy arose regarding Rohrer's game Chain-World; you can read a solid breakdown of the whole thing here. Thanks to Jason for taking the time to speak with me....
- 4/29/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
The annual Game Developer's Conference honors those who make the games that we collectively sink millions of dollars into buying each year. The week-long trade show is filled with events and activities that nod to this fact, such as the Game Design Challenge. This year, noted creatives Jason Rohrer ("Passage"), John Romero ("Doom") and Jenova Chen ("Flower") faced off in a competition to see who could create a game that is also a religion. Rohrer emerged victorious with his unique mod of Mojang's "Minecraft."
The core of Rohrer's idea is a game that can only be played by a single person at a time, based on the concept that spirituality grows out of chains of meaning. The idea is for the single-playthrough experience to be passed on through a series of players, eventually taking on the designation of a sort of holy relic.
Rohrer's mod is a single "Minecraft" world...
The core of Rohrer's idea is a game that can only be played by a single person at a time, based on the concept that spirituality grows out of chains of meaning. The idea is for the single-playthrough experience to be passed on through a series of players, eventually taking on the designation of a sort of holy relic.
Rohrer's mod is a single "Minecraft" world...
- 3/7/2011
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Multiplayer
Earlier this week a curious title became available as a download for the DSi. With a name like "Alt-Play: Jason Rohrer Anthology" the game, actually a compilation of games by developer Jason Rohrer, showcases three of the most notable pieces of interactive entertainment to be released over the last four years.
What It Is
Released by Latin American developer Sabarasa, "Alt-Play" is home to 2007's "Passage," and 2008's "Gravitation" and "Between." Each game is composed of elements that are traditionally found in games, but they are less competitive and more works of art. It's hard to elaborate on each game, particularly when it comes to the "art" part, which is why you need to experience them on your own, and, much like more traditional works of art, interpret their meanings for yourself.
Why It's Important
In 2009, the Independent Games Festival awarded the most traditional "game" in the anthology, "Between," its Innovation Award.
What It Is
Released by Latin American developer Sabarasa, "Alt-Play" is home to 2007's "Passage," and 2008's "Gravitation" and "Between." Each game is composed of elements that are traditionally found in games, but they are less competitive and more works of art. It's hard to elaborate on each game, particularly when it comes to the "art" part, which is why you need to experience them on your own, and, much like more traditional works of art, interpret their meanings for yourself.
Why It's Important
In 2009, the Independent Games Festival awarded the most traditional "game" in the anthology, "Between," its Innovation Award.
- 1/5/2011
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
Earlier this week ago, news broke that EA acquired Chillingo, the software publisher that brought the hit physics game "Angry Birds" to Apple's iOS devices. The acquisition price has been rumored to be anywhere from $20 to 80 million. All of this comes after "Angry Birds" just landed triumphantly on Android devices, becoming the #1 downloaded app on Android Marketplace with 2 million units moved in less than a week.
Even though it's not an innovator say the way that, say, Jason Rohrer's "Primrose" is, "Angry Birds" is an example of the kind game that brings together both hardcore and casual gamers. Its easy-to-learn, tough-to-master mechanics and loopy presentation powered it to more than 6 million sold on the App Store. Despite its dominance on the Aaa big-budget games, EA struggled to gain a foothold in the mobile space and the Chillingo acquisition gives them another weapon in their arsenal.
But "Angry Birds" developer...
Even though it's not an innovator say the way that, say, Jason Rohrer's "Primrose" is, "Angry Birds" is an example of the kind game that brings together both hardcore and casual gamers. Its easy-to-learn, tough-to-master mechanics and loopy presentation powered it to more than 6 million sold on the App Store. Despite its dominance on the Aaa big-budget games, EA struggled to gain a foothold in the mobile space and the Chillingo acquisition gives them another weapon in their arsenal.
But "Angry Birds" developer...
- 10/22/2010
- by Evan Narcisse
- ifc.com
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