Warp Zoned Presents
Author: Andrew Rainnie - UK Correspondent
Kickstart This! Gigabuster
After several months, Kickstart This! returns refreshed and rejuvenated. Those following this column likely saw that I recently had a rather sour experience with the Pelda Pro, a battery expansion and dock for the Nintendo Switch. It is still sitting in its box and will probably stay there for all eternity.
However, one bad experience in over five years of crowdfunding various projects is a great statistic, and one that I think only serves to illustrate how well this model of funding has been embraced both by creators and consumers. I very nearly bought an automated cat toilet last week, but I narrowly missed all the early bird tiers.
Anyway, I digress. I’ve been eagerly awaiting a video game project I could rally behind after months in the wilderness of non-crowdfunding. I started writing about Omno, a pretty puzzle game from Jonas Manke that has smashed its funding target, but I prefer to shine a light on games that need your funding.
Games like Gigabuster (though Omno is definitely worth checking out). (more…)
Kickstart This! The Cautionary Tale of the Pelda Pro
Regular readers of Warp Zoned will know that I’ve been covering crowdfunded game projects for just over five years now, and through most of it I have had a wholesome, positive outlook on the path that it takes. Someone has an idea, and they have the skill, talent, and (above all else) passion to make their dream a reality, but what they don’t have is money. So people give them money in exchange for the finished product and some other cool extras. Everyone wins. The person can sell their idea-made-whole to the masses, while those who contributed to its creation can bask in the glory of its success knowing that they, in part, made it possible.
But what happens when it goes wrong? (more…)
Kickstart This! Guide to Getting Your Game Funded (Part 4)
Before we even dive into this final chapter of the “Kickstart This! Guide to Getting Your Game Funded,” I would suggest reading the Kickstarter Handbook on rewards, as well as the Kickstarter Blog post detailing 96 ideas for rewards if you are struggling to think of any. (more…)
Posted in Features
Kickstart This! Guide to Getting Your Game Funded (Part 3)
Launching a crowdfunding campaign without a video is like climbing Mount Everest in a mankini. Video helps tell your story to those who would prefer not to read lots of text, and if someone is hooked by the video, then you are halfway to getting them to back you.
Crowdfunding projects that do not feature a video not only appear unprepared, but also untrustworthy. Kickstarter and Indiegogo have not been without their share of crooks trying to shill people out of money. However, industry veterans have also used the platform with lofty goals, only to fail to deliver on what was promised. And because of their position, these fails were heavily publicised. (more…)
Posted in Features
E3 2018 Aftermath: 9 Games That Were Missing In Action
E3 brings developers, journalists, and fans together for a celebration that is like the video game version of Christmas (or at least, it’s the day when we find out what to ask Santa for six months later).
And while there were so many projects announced, revealed, discussed, and dissected, some people still felt let down because the games they were pining to see were a no show. There were no brief teasers, no tiny morsels of information, just nothing. Radio silence from their developers.
So what were the biggest games you were disappointed you didn’t see at E3 2018? Because I have a few of my own… (more…)
Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Xbox One
Tagged Borderlands 3, E3 2018, Final Fantasy VII, Metroid Prime 4, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, The Avengers Project, Yoshi
Daemon X Machina is a heavily stylized mech game for the Switch from the producer of the Armored Core franchise
It’s easy to say that the weekend’s pre-E3 festivities didn’t feature too many surprises.
But that was before Daemon X Machina arrived during Nintendo’s E3 2018 Direct. This spiritual successor to the Armored Core franchise literally came out of nowhere and blew my mind.
Marvelous Entertainment is developing the game with Kenichiro Tsukuda, a Producer best known for his work with the Armored Core franchise. At first, I thought Suda 51 might have been involved with Daemon X Machina, due to its fast and visceral hardcore assault on the senses… and with BIG GIANT ROBOTS fighting EVEN BIGGER GIANT ROBOTS along to some thrash metal.
Nintendo might have spent most of their E3 2018 Direct presentation talking up Super Smash Bros Ultimate, but Daemon X Machina certainly opened it with a bang!
Daemon X Machina will be released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Daemon X Machina, E3 2018
Bethesda blasts off for the unknown with the announcement of Starfield
Bethesda had already had a pretty solid show, teasing sequels to franchises such as Doom, Wolfenstein, and The Elder Scrolls during their E3 Showcase. But the publisher’s most curious announcement, and the one that really grabbed me, was the 69-second trailer for their new sci-fi opus, Starfield.
From the Stargate-style logo to the promise of a true space exploration RPG, Starfield could succeed where many have failed (I’m looking at you Destiny 2. And you No Man’s Sky. And of course you Mass Effect: Andromeda).
There was no gameplay, no date, no platforms… in fact… there was very little shown other than an alien planet and the beautiful little craft that seemed to open a warp field (or star field, if you will).
Butif you watch the trailer closely from 0:16 to 0:19, I think you can see the partial reflection of a word (“Conste” – constellation maybe?) Perhaps it is a clue that someone can use to dig up more information about the game, but for me, I’m ready to go into space.
Even if it doesn’t happen on this generation of consoles.
Ubisoft adds Star Fox to the Switch version of spaceship-builder Starlink: Battle For Atlas
I’ve been curious about Starlink: Battle For Atlas ever since it was announced at last year’s E3. I love collectibles (I have several Amiibo), so the idea of building your own spaceship as a model seemed like all kinds of fun.
But then one of the characters from the game put out a distress call for help in the E3 2018 Trailer… and a familiar sound replied.
No?
NO?
YES!
Star Fox and his team will join the dog fight in the Switch version of Starlink, and players will get to see the Arwing barrel rolling and blasting like it was born to. It’s not a true Star Fox game, but I don’t really care. For me, this was the biggest surprise of E3, and it means that I can now explore a new galaxy with a familiar friend.
If you’re unfamiliar with Starlink, here’s how Ubisoft tried to explain it:
The modular toys and dynamic combat mechanics in Starlink: Battle For Atlas let players explore multiple ways to achieve objectives and approach any obstacle or enemy, driven by their own imagination and creativity. Alongside the innovative new way to play, Starlink: Battle For Atlas offers open-world gameplay, spanning a full star system that players can explore with total freedom.
Built from the ground up in the Snowdrop engine, the game allows seamless travel through and around the exotic alien worlds of the Atlas Star System, teeming with life and unique challenges across seven different planets. Players’ actions and choices will impact their journey and no two player experiences will be alike. Enemies will react and fight back intelligently – taking over the star system if the player does nothing to stop them. The fate of Atlas rests in your hands.
Starlink: Battle For Atlas will be released for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 16. Three new trailers for the game (including one featuring Star Fox) can be found after the break. (more…)