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46 CommentsIndie developers sound off on next-gen consoles and the importance of self-publishing
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jun 07, 2013 06.07.13
Following the PlayStation 4 unveiling in February, Sony is making the effort to be indie friendly and to woo developers. PlayStation 4 game developers will not only be able to self-publish for the system, but also self-price their games. Perhaps even more telling was the presence of Braid creator Jonathan Blow during Sony's event, where he presented his upcoming title The Witness alongside games such as Destiny, Watch Dogs and Killzone: Shadow Fall. Microsoft's next-gen policies, however, haven't shown as much change on the indie front. After Xbox one's reveal, Microsoft said that it would not allow independent developers to self-publish — a similar policy to that of the Xbox 360. Polygon spoke with several developers, many of whom agreed that the news did not surprise them. In...
News
8 CommentsSony adds indie games category to PlayStation Store, offers discounts
By Samit Sarkar on May 07, 2013 05.07.13
Sony Computer Entertainment's reputation for publishing acclaimed indie games is well-earned, and the PlayStation Store will now highlight those titles in their own category, the company announced today. "This category builds on the support that PlayStation has offered independent developers in the effort to highlight some of the most unique gaming experiences on PlayStation platforms," said Pierre Gravereau, senior manager for digital distribution at Sony Network Entertainment America, on the PlayStation Blog. The new category will feature indie games past, present and future, and Sony is marking the category's arrival with discounts on three titles from the past year. Vblank Entertaiment's Retro City Rampage, regularly $14.99, will be available at half price for all PlayStation...
Deals
0 CommentsDust: An Elysian Tail, Mark of the Ninja and more XBLA titles marked down
By Griffin McElroy on Apr 02, 2013 04.02.13
Dust: An Elysian Tail, Mark of the Ninja, Trials HD and a handful of other Xbox Live Arcade titles have been marked down today, though you'll need to be an Xbox Live Gold subscriber to access most of the deals. The following titles are all available at half-price, and do not require you to be a Gold member to purchase them at a discount: Trials HD — 400 Microsoft Points ($5) Mark of the Ninja — 600 Microsoft Points ($7.50) Dust: An Elysian Tail — 600 Microsoft Points ($7.50) Deadlight — 600 Microsoft Points ($7.50) A World of Keflings — 400 Microsoft Points ($5) These titles are all half-off as well, but require you to be a Gold member to see the lower prices: Quarrel — 200 Microsoft Points ($2.50) Mercury — 200 Microsoft Points ($2.50) Swarm — 200 Microsoft...
Deals
13 CommentsSpec Ops: The Line, Joe Danger 2 and more free this month for PlayStation Plus members
By Tracey Lien on Mar 04, 2013 03.04.13
PlayStation Plus is introducing five new games to its Instant Game Collection and discounting many more for the month of March, according to the PlayStation Blog. For this month, PlayStation Plus members will be able to download the following games for free: Spec Ops: The Line, Joe Danger 2, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention, The Cave and Tekken 6. A number of PlayStation Vita games will also be discounted as part of week two of the Vita anniversary sale for all PSN users. Among the discounted titles are Army Corps of Hell, Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend, Dokuro, Knytt Underground, Lego Lord of the Rings. Sine Mora, Retro City Rampage and more. The full list of games on sale this week on PSN can be viewed here. The following games are leaving PlayStation Plus this month: Guardians...
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16 CommentsRetro City Rampage developer doesn't expect to profit from WiiWare sales
By Emily Gera on Mar 04, 2013 03.04.13
Retro City Rampage developer Brian Provinciano doesn't expect to profit from bringing the throw-back fighting game to Nintendo's WiiWare service due to the costs associated with porting the title; however, he tells Nintendo Life, this is fine with him. Prior to being given access to Nintendo's development kit, Provinciano was required by the WiiWare company to have legitimate office space from which to work from. As an independent developer this wasn't something that was necessary for him in typical development, but he invested in an office for Nintendo's sake. Another mountain to climb was the issue of needing to sell a particular number of units before Nintendo finally begins paying the developer their share in profits. With the relatively recent appearance of Wii U consoles, as well...
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41 CommentsRetro City Rampage creator says indie devs should 'jump onto' Vita after strong PSN sales
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
Following the success of Vblank Entertainment's Retro City Rampage on PlayStation Network, developer Brian Provinciano encouraged other indie developers to embrace the PlayStation Vita. The game's creator took to Twitter recently to discuss the difference in release platforms. Retro City Rampage is available through Steam, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, with a WiiWare release hitting tomorrow. Provinciano said that Sony "promoted the game incredibly well," and that Vita players "are hungry for games." Indies should definitely jump onto the PS Vita. RCR's sold much more on PSN than XBLA and more on PS Vita than even PS3. — Brian Provinciano (@BriProv) February 26, 2013 @psnstores This doesn't include PS Plus. It's _SOLD_ far more on PSN than XBLA. With PS Plus,...
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2 CommentsRetro City Rampage coming to WiiWare on Feb. 28, prototype minigame to Wii and Steam versions
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 21, 2013 02.21.13
Open-world action parody Retro City Rampage is coming to WiiWare on Feb. 28 along with a prototype version as a playable minigame in both the Wii and Steam versions, developer Vblank Entertainment announced today. The title will be available on the Nintendo Wii for 1000 Wii Points ($10) and supports play with the Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro, GameCube controller and Wii Remote, with optional motion controls for picking up and throwing objects available for the later. The game is playable on Wii U through the Wii eShop in Wii Mode. A prototype version of the game, ROM City Rampage, will also be available on Feb. 28 for the WiiWare and Steam ports. ROM City Rampage is playable in Retro City's in-game arcade. Steam players will receive the minigame in an automatic update,...
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0 CommentsRetro City Rampage hits PSN in Europe for £8.99
By Emily Gera on Jan 21, 2013 01.21.13
Retro City Rampage is now available through PlayStation Network for users across Europe, it was announced on PlayStation Blog EU. The title, which first released to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in the U.S. last October, is now available outside of North America for £8.99 (or €11.25). The game launched on Xbox Live Arcade in North America earlier in the month, while a WiiWare version is expected to release sometime this January. Retro City Rampage received a six out of 10 from Polygon, in a review that states: "Nostalgia is the driving force of most of its fun, but I can't be nostalgic for nostalgia. Retro City Rampage is like a trifle, one sugary layer upon layer upon layer. It's incredibly sweet and delicious, but the longer time you spend with the thing, the more the sugary...
News
3 CommentsRetro City Rampage coming to Xbox Live Arcade Jan. 2
By Griffin McElroy on Dec 28, 2012 12.28.12
Retro City Rampage, Vblank Entertainment's old school parody of the open-world crime genre, is coming to Xbox Live Arcade on Jan. 2, the developer announced in a press release today. The game, which is being published by D3Publisher for Xbox Live Arcade only, was self-published and released earlier this year in North America on PlayStation 3, PS Vita and PC. The press release also announces that the WiiWare version of the game will launch in January in all regions, and that the PS3 and PS Vita versions will launch in European and Asian regions in the same month. The press release states that the Xbox 360 version of the game received an extra month of development, adding "polish, tuning and improvements from the first version." It will cost 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) when it launches...
Deals
3 CommentsRetro City Rampage marked down to $7.44 for Steam sale, free on PS Plus
By Griffin McElroy on Dec 26, 2012 12.26.12
Retro City Rampage has had its price halved for the Steam Holiday Sale, and reduced to nothing for PlayStation Plus subscribers, developer Brian Provinciano announced in a press release today. The Steam sale reduces the game's standard $14.99 price tag to $7.44, but being a Flash sale, it won't be around for long. If you're interested in picking up Retro City Rampage for PC, its discounted price will only be available until 5 p.m. ET today. Retro City Rampage is also on sale for PlayStation Network shoppers for $9.99, a $5 discount from the game's normal price. PlayStation Plus subscribers, however, will be able to grab the game for free from their Instant Game Collections starting this week.
