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IndieGames.com is presented by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, which runs the Independent Games Festival & Summit every year at Game Developers Conference. The company (producer of the Game Developers Conference series, Gamasutra.com and Game Developer magazine) established the Independent Games Festival in 1998 to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers.

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Get a job: Rockstar, LucasArts, others hiring now on the Gamasutra jobs board

January 27, 2012 11:00 PM | Eric Caoili

In the latest postings over the last seven days, Gamasutra's jobs board plays host to roles in every major discipline, including opportunities at Rockstar, LucasArts, Blizzard Entertainment, and others.

Each position posted by employers will appear on the main Gamasutra job board, and appear in the site's daily and weekly newsletters, reaching our readers directly.

It will also be cross-posted for free across Gamasutra's network of submarket sites, which includes content sites focused on independent games and more.

Some of the notable jobs posted this week include:

Magic Pixel Games Generalist Programmer: Tools Focus:
"Magic Pixel Games was founded in 2010 by the core members that developed the award-winning Steven Spielberg's Boom Blox. Much of our team has worked together for almost a decade, and we've now struck out on our own to continue our tradition of creating extraordinary games. Our first product was launched in 2011: Carnival Island, developed with Sony Santa Monica Studio.

We're now building a team as we ramp up for our second project, which again, strives to break new ground - but is significantly different from our first in all ways - tone, target audience and style...we're excited!"

Blizzard Entertainment: Professions Designer:
"Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes thirteen #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players."

Browser Game Pick - RPG Shooter: Starwish

January 27, 2012 9:00 PM | Danny Cowan

Developer xdanond successfully merges two disparate genres in Starwish, a horizontally scrolling "RPG shooter" playable for free at Kongregate.

Starwish's power-up mechanics and level design exude a strong Gradius vibe, while the RPG elements put a fun spin on the formula; each destroyed enemy awards the player with money and experience points, and new weapons and ship parts can be purchased between levels. Interestingly, weapons can be switched on the fly via a mouse-driven menu during gameplay -- an unusual design choice that works better than expected thanks to autofire being an option.

The game also features a strong narrative element (even going so far as to resemble a dating sim at times), and probes the player with a barrage of personal questions before gameplay begins. These sequences can be skipped, however, for those who prefer to jump straight into the action.

The game's catchy soundtrack is available for free streaming via a YouTube playlist.

Browser Game Pick: Arcadia (Jonas Kyratzes)

January 27, 2012 6:00 PM | Cassandra Khaw

arcadia.jpg

If Kyratzes ever gets out of the business of making games, he'll probably be able to make a killing as a novelist. In case you're wondering why the name seems to be ringing a bell, Jonas Kyratzes is the chap responsible for Alphaland and The Book of Living Magic. And much like in his previous games, Arcadia's a narrative delight. In the press release that he sent us, he described Arcadia as something that is not a race but a stroll, a game without puzzles or challenges, a game devoted solely to the choices you make and the things that you see. It's pretty accurate. Arcadia is exactly that: a simple, text-based game constructed in Twine that is centered around a shepherd, his sheep and his journey home.

I know. It doesn't sound like much but it's one of those things that you need to play to understand. The best I can do is compare it to a text-based Proteus. As a bonus, there's also enough material here to provoke at least a second playthrough. If you're in the mood for an idyllic moment (and enjoy reading), check this one out.

Pixeljunk Eden PC Bound

January 27, 2012 5:00 PM | Lewie Procter

PixelJunk_1_3_03.jpg Q-Games's Dylan Cuthbert has announced that their beautiful ambient platformer is going to be making the leap from PSN to PC, courtesy of Steam. It's due out on the the 2nd of February at an rrp of $9.99, but will launch at an introductory offer of $7.99.

The PC version will include the Encore DLC pack, had re-jigged controls to suit mouse input, a refined save system and support for resolutions beyond 1920x1080.

Dylan had this to say about Steam:

"Steam has always been a great platform for indie games and I have admired the way they have supported non-traditional game development with titles such as Terraria, Bastion, World of Goo, etc. We like PSN a lot but Baiyon and I also simply want to allow more people to experience Eden as it is a truly unique game, even now almost 4 years on it is still fresh and new. We had a blast revisiting it to prepare it for Steam."

No sign of a preorder page on Steam yet, but keep an eye out for it appearing some time next week.

Interview: Edmund McMillen Spills The Beans on The Wrath Of The Lamb & More

January 27, 2012 4:00 PM | Lewie Procter

binding of isaac.jpg Prolific indie game designer Edmund McMillen is currently busy working away on an expansion for his twisted roguelike-like The Binding Of Isaac. He took time out of his busy schedule coming up with new ways to make children cry for a chat about the expansion, and the other stuff he's up to.

Read on to find out what to expect from The Wrath Of The Lamb, which is going to set you back $3, and is due out "when it's done".

3DSWare Review: Mutant Mudds (Renegade Kid)

January 27, 2012 3:00 PM | John Polson


Renegade Kid's 2D action platformer Mutant Mudds, the company's first self-published title, is the next eShop hit. Kudos to Nicalis for helping out with the QA, as the game felt tight overall from beginning to end.

Players assume the role of Max, armed with a heavy-duty water cannon, a water-powered jet pack, and the intention to clean up the invading Mutant Mudd army. With his standard equipment, Max can blast most of his opposition, collect most of the 100 golden diamonds scattered in each of the 20 stages, and traverse over most hazards.

However, each level has some challenges and secret areas that require Max to power up. Thank goodness for Grannie's attic! The grubby Grannie is willing to part with some power-ups in exchange for golden diamonds. These power-ups add mechanics such as a huge vertical boost (the most thrilling for me), an extended hover, and a power-shot, which shoots faster and further and opens up gates to secret levels.

Players will have to determine which power-up is needed to reach the 20 hidden stages (which almost double the game's length). I won't totally spoil the NES-talgia that these hidden areas evoke, but let's just say the V- and G-Land have very appropriate color palettes. The five worlds that each contain 4 regular stages embody typical platform themes: a gentle introductory forest, slippery ice, fiery lava, fluffy clouds, and outer space.

Trailer: Pineapple Smash Crew (Rich Edwards)

January 27, 2012 1:00 PM | Michael Rose


So this looks a bit good. Last time we saw Pineapple Smash Crew, it was part of the Indie Games Arcade, and was picked as Rock Paper Shotgun's game of the show. Most likely because it has far more explosions than is healthy.

With the release of the above trailer, developer Rich Edwards has also revealed that the game is due to be released on the 2nd of February - that's next week! For your purchase, you're getting the most insane grenades ever conceived - machine-gun grenades, laser beam grenades, suction grenades... if it can be packed into a grenade, this game has it.

The game itself involves plastering your way through randomly generated levels, grabbing loot and destroying enemies. And that music makes my fingers want to dance on my keyboard. Keep this one on your radar, and grab it from Steam next week when it launches.

Unigine Corp Releases RTS/Tower Defense Hybrid Oil Rush

January 27, 2012 12:00 PM | Danny Cowan

Russian middleware developer Unigine Corp has released Oil Rush, its first independently produced game title for PC, Mac, and Linux platforms.

Unigine describes the game as "a real-time naval strategy game that combines the strategic challenge of a classic RTS with the sheer fun of Tower Defence." It's also quite pretty -- the game's detailed visuals are powered by Unigine's own graphics engine. Included with the game are 16 single-player campaign missions and 15 multiplayer maps.

Oil Rush is priced at $19.99, and includes activation keys for Steam and Desura. A PlayStation 3 edition is set for release later this year.

Trailer: Pugs Luv Beats (Lucky Frame)

January 27, 2012 10:04 AM | Cassandra Khaw



Personally, I'm more of a cat person but there's something oddly irresistible about Lucky Frame's kennel of musically-inclined space-faring pugs. More of a music toy than a game, Pugs Luv Beats is one of those titles that will either leave you scratching your head or cooing in adoration. It's one or the other. Take your pick.

The premise here is simple. You're in charge of assisting the interstellar canines in their quest to colonize new planets (they sort of accidentally blew up theirs). To do so, you're going to have to help them harvest little radish-like Beats. This, of course, is also where all the magic happens. Each step that your pugs take is another beat, each type of terrain a new sound. All the music in Pugs Luv Beats is procedurally generated and when composed right, things can sound pretty darn awesome.

Official site here.

Devolver Digital to attract indie talent with a moving bus

January 27, 2012 8:00 AM | John Polson

kaplan.jpgSerious Sam 3: BFE publisher Devolver Digital has announced a new program to attract indie game talent -- and this program involves a moving bus.

At the 2012 Game Developers Conference this March, Devolver Digital will launch the "Pitch Fork Parker" project, in which the company will drive a bus around the Moscone center in San Francisco, giving independent developers a chance to hop on board to pitch their game to the publisher's CFO (and the program's namesake), Fork Parker.

Selected indie developers will earn funding and a publishing deal from Devolver Digital. Ultimately, the publisher hopes to use these partnerships to develop a series of games based on an unannounced new IP, using a model similar to its recent Serious Sam Indie Series.

For this recent series, Devolver Digital partnered with Serious Sam: BFE developer CroTeam to fund a series of indie games based on the Serious Sam franchise. Indie developers featured in the series included Mommy's Best Games, Vlambeer, and Be-Rad Entertainment.

"Devolver has done quite well in it's first two years with the Serious Sam franchise -- including the Serious Sam Indie Series -- and we're ready to spread our wings a bit and work with more of this generation of super-indies," said Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson. "It's a great time to be small!"

Devolver Digital's upcoming "Pitch Fork Parker" project will take place March 5 through March 9 at GDC 2012, an event owned and operated by Gamasutra parent company UBM TechWeb.

[This article originally appeared on Gamasutra and was written by Tom Curtis.]

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