News
3 CommentsSound Shapes goes electronic with '80s and dubstep sound packs this week
By Samit Sarkar on May 14, 2013 05.14.13
Queasy Games will add new sounds this week to Sound Shapes, its well-received musical platformer, with sound packs for '80s and dubstep music, publisher Sony Computer Entertainment announced today. The '80s Sound Pack highlights the dance-oriented pop tunes of the decade with synthesizer samples and drum pad beats. Players looking for more modern sounds can pick up the Dubstep Sound Pack, which contains the heavy drops and wub-wub noises we've come to associate with every other video game trailer. Each pack features new notes and loops, along with five new PlayStation Network Trophies and five additional Beat School levels. Each of the two packs will cost $0.99, just like previous sound packs. The new packs will be released today in North America, tomorrow in Europe and Asia and...
Culture
5 CommentsSuperbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP composer releases solo album Takes Time
By Jenna Pitcher on May 07, 2013 05.07.13
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP composer Jim Guthrie released his first solo album in ten years titled Takes Time, according to an interview with The Verge. Guthrie tells The Verge that Takes Time was recorded in 2007 before he began working on video game soundtracks. Featuring some new techniques Guthrie picked up from doing soundtracks, he explained that if he settled on Takes Time's music and released the album in 2008 "it would've been not as good of a record" and that it "benefited from the time capsule" he put it in. He said that after working on video games, TV and film, he realized how much more time he could spend creating music, rather than doing the "indie rock thing," which consisted of time-intensive travel, soundchecks and only one hour of playing on stage. "Sword...
News
2 CommentsSound Shapes DLC queued for May 14 release
By Dave Tach on May 03, 2013 05.03.13
The next downloadable content pack for Queasy Games' rhythmic platformer Sound Shapes is set for May 14 in North America, according to a tweet on the game's official Twitter account yesterday. A reply to the original tweet revealed that the unnamed DLC would be headed to each territory worldwide "on their regular release day that week," pegging a European release for May 15. A tweet from the Sound Shapes account on April 11 mentioned upcoming "80's & Dubstep"packs. Apparently leaked trophies for the game on PS3trophies.org list both the 80s Sound Pack and the Dubstep Sound Pack with five trophies each. A tweet from March 25 said that they were "coming soon," while a tweet from April 18 said that there "will be a Dubstep Note Pack in the next release." For more on Sound Shapes and...
News
4 CommentsBest of PlayStation Network Vol. 1 rated by ESRB, including Tokyo Jungle, Sound Shapes
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Apr 01, 2013 04.01.13
PlayStation 3 players may be getting a Best of PlayStation Network bundle soon, according to a listing on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. The collection, titled Best of PlayStation Network Vol. 1, is said to include four games: action real-time strategy title Fat Princess, in which players try to save a princess while simultaneously feeding her to make it difficult for enemies to capture her; Tokyo Jungle, a survival game centered around animals living in abandoned Tokyo; side-scrolling musical platformer Sound Shapes; and action title When Vikings Attack. The ESRB has given it a T rating for "blood, lyrics, suggestive themes, violence" and the inclusion of some online features. Polygon has reached out to Sony for more information and will update this story with details as...
Culture
1 CommentSound Shapes, Super Hexagon and Dyad musicians to perform at Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol party at GDC
By Tracey Lien on Mar 11, 2013 03.11.13
The Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol party — an event held during the week of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco — will feature performances by the musicians who worked on Sound Shapes, Super Hexagon, Dyad and Proteus. The party will host "video game fun times, indie games, DJs, drinking, etcetera" and will showcase indie games like Panoramical Soundself, Super Space, Samurai Gunn and a new game by Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi. The musicians behind some of last year's most critically-acclaimed indie games will also be performing at the party, including David Kanaga (Dyad and Proteus), Chipzel (Super Hexagon), I Am Robot And Proud (Sound Shapes) and Kozilek (Luftrausers, Gun Godz, Wasteland Kings). Information about the event's lineup can be viewed here. Tickets...
Deals
6 CommentsSony reveals PSN Gamers' Choice Awards 2013 winners, heavily discounts titles
By Jenna Pitcher on Feb 27, 2013 02.27.13
Sony announced the winners for the PSN Gamers' Choice Awards 2013 today, where thatgamecompany's Journey won two of its three nominations, including Best PSN Exclusive Game and Best Indie Game. All winning titles are discounted up to 50 percent off in the PlayStation Store and up to 60 percent off for PlayStation Plus members until March 4. The full list of winners and respective markdowns are listed in full below. In addition to the sale, Sony are running a promotion until April 1 where consumers are rewarded with a $10 credit for every $50 spent in the PlayStation Store or the PlayStation Web Sore. Winners were decided when Sony invited PSN users to vote on their favorite PSN games for 2012 from a preselected list. Voting took place on the PlayStation Store and the Sony Network...
News
4 CommentsSound Shapes DLC to be released March 12
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 23, 2013 02.23.13
Downloadable content for Queasy Games' side-scrolling musical platformer, SoundShapes, will be available March 12, the company announced via the game's official Twitter account. Like previous DLC, the content will be a cross-buy over PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3. Details on the pack itself were not given, though the tweet promised "details soon." Another tweet from the account added "this one brings a new way to play." A post on the game's Facebook page says that the DLC will include new beats as well. Previous DLC packs have introduced holiday music levels, Indie Rock drum loops, instruments and more. Sound Shapes released via PlayStation Network in August 2012. The game is available on both PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3.
News
3 CommentsVoting open online for the Game Developers Choice Award
By Dave Tach on Feb 19, 2013 02.19.13
The virtual ballet box is open for the Game Developers Choice Audience Award and accepting nominations today through 5 p.m. ET March 1, according to the official website. Voters need to select a game from a list provided and enter an email address, from which you'll be prompted to confirm your vote. The list of nominated games includes: Assassin's Creed 3 Borderlands 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Dishonored Dust: An Elysian Tail Far Cry 3 Fez FTL: Faster Than Light Gravity Rush Halo 4 Hero Academy Hotline Miami Journey Kid Icarus: Uprising Mark of the Ninja Mass Effect 3 PlanetSide 2 The Room Sound Shapes Spelunky Spec Ops: The Line Trials Evolution The Unfinished Swan Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward The Walking Dead XCOM: Enemy Unknown ZombiU In late...
News
11 CommentsJourney and The Walking Dead win big at the 16th annual DICE awards
By Jenna Pitcher on Feb 08, 2013 02.08.13
At tonight's 16th annual DICE Awards, PlayStation exclusive Journey won eight of its eleven category nominations, including Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction and Outstanding Innovation in Gaming. The Walking Dead won four of its eight nominations, including Adventure Game of the Year, Downloadable Game of the Year and Outstanding Character Performance of protagonist Lee Everett (voiced by Dave Fennoy). Halo 4 won two of six nominated categories, including Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity and Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering. The Academy's Peer Panels evaluated more than 100 games, a peer panel for each category, with 63 nominated for awards. Voting for the awards was online and anonymous. "For the past 16 years, the D.I.C.E. Awards have...
News
1 CommentSound Shapes DLC incorporates indie drum loops from The Loop Loft
By Dave Tach on Dec 13, 2012 12.13.12
Drum loops from The Loop Loft's Indie Rock Drums Vol. 1 collection are available today for Sound Shapes, according to a press release from the musical loop developer. Each loop for Queasy Games' rhythm platformer comes from "organic, accurate captures of living, breathing drummers." The Boston-area sample shop's loops are available on in packs on PlayStation 3 and Vita from the Sound Shapes Music Shop for $0.99 each. Earlier this month, Sound Shapes received a collection of 8-bit, acoustic and drum sounds in three $0.99 packs of their own. You can listen to a sample of the indie-styled grooves from Indie Rock Drums Vol. 1 on The Loop Loft's website. For more on Sound Shapes and some animated GIFs, be sure to read our review, which called the game an "excellent example of the wonders...
