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Nokia’s shrewd move with the Nokia X undermines Google, bolsters Microsoft

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Barcelona – Early this morning, Nokia held their highly anticipated press conference here at Mobile World Congress 2014. Anticipated is the word used because while two new and admirable low-end entry phones were introduced – the Asha 230 and Nokia 220 – all eyes were focused on ‘X’.

Yes, Nokia has gone Android. But if you think that’s all there is to the story, you may be missing the point. We sat down with Jo Harlow, Executive Vice President, Smart Devices at Nokia, for some answers to our eager questions.

If you watched the live stream of Nokia’s presentation on the Nokia X, X+ and XL devices, you may have noticed that their message was crafted perfectly. Yes, the words ‘Android’ and ‘Google’ were used, but Stephen Elop was purposeful in focusing on Microsoft’s services and Nokia’s Lumia line. It was as if they knew that one wrong word could be misconstrued as “Nokia has doubts about Windows Phone” or that this new device series was an admission of failure.

It’s not though. In fact, the Nokia X and what it represents, is an extremely bold and shrewd move. To wit, Nokia is the first and only major phone manufacturer to spurn Google’s Open Handset Alliance (OHA), instead going rogue with the open-sourced Android. It’s kind of a big deal as once you leave the OHA, you don’t get back in. You also lose all of Google’s services. That’s okay though as Nokia and Microsoft have enough of their own services to make up for it. At least, that’s the plan.

“This isn’t just about price”

Windows Phone users though have one question: With the Lumia 520, why does Nokia have to release an Android phone? Is the cost difference that great when the Lumia 520 can often be found under $80?

According to Harlow, the answer is much more… devious. We mean that in a good way, as Nokia have a clear strategy to lure low-cost Android customers onto the Lumia X series. Sure, keeping the price below that of the Lumia line is a goal, but it’s not the driving reason behind the X series. It’s simply to go after a specific market. Owners of dumbphones, Symbian, low-cost Android, etc. are all the target demographic.

Think of the ‘X’ as a transition device to jump from Android to Windows Phone, minus the jarring experience. It’s also, as Harlow notes, a “reaction to the marketplace”, which has changed rapidly in 2013.

By wooing customers with low-cost Android devices to the Lumia X, Nokia hopes that the phone will serve as a gateway to the Lumia line of Windows Phones. That’s their exact intent. You start off with a good Nokia X experience, you finish up with a Lumia one. There’s a specific reason why Nokia made the X look like Lumia, even down to the Tiles that can change sizes and be moved around.

If there was ever a Trojan horse at Nokia, it would be the Nokia X. It runs open source Android 4.1, spurns all of Google’s APIs, and introduces potentially millions to Microsoft’s services. All in the guise of a low-cost Android device. You want a more powerful phone? Here’s a Lumia and look, it has a similar user experience.

It should be clear that Nokia making the Nokia X is not about embracing Android. It’s not about losing faith in Windows Phone. Heck, it’s not even about price (Windows Phone, with new support for the Snapdragon 200 and 400 series will guarantee that).

No, this is about putting a Nokia Lumia in the disguise of Android. It sneaks across the enemy lines and delivers most of the goods in a brave effort to lure deserters.

What’s in a name?

The name ‘X’ was certainly chosen for specific reasons. One of those it being a bit more ‘hip’ for the younger crowd. You have to admit, ‘Nokia X’ does have a ring to it. But the irony is not lost on us seeing a green X phone that is not focused on Xbox, nor from Microsoft.

Will Microsoft kill off X? And what about the future of its name? At this point, you can’t help but wonder if Microsoft did not all but sign off on the strategy. If they didn’t, Nokia sure seemed to appease them. Heck, Skype was even present on stage boasting about the opportunity. And because ‘X’ can’t be trademarked – it’s too generic – transferring the property Microsoft along with Lumia and Asha has no legal work.

That means that yes, the Nokia X will become a Microsoft property and no, we don’t expect them to kill off this project (though they of course could, once they take the reins).

Why buy a Nokia X over a standard Android phone?

Nokia is clearly banking on their name and reputation with the Nokia X. In fairness, the brand Nokia does mean a lot in countries like India and other emerging markets. Combined with the durability of their devices, bright colors and unique UI elements (like Fast Track), Nokia thinks that their differentiated experience will be leaps and bounds better than your run of the mill Android phone.

Indeed, playing with the Nokia X and you would think it was just another Lumia variant. Throw in brand loyalty, some free Skype minutes and access to multiple Android stores (Nokia claims that 75% of all Android apps will run on it without modification) and you have the makings of an interesting device. If the Lumia 520 can sell well running Windows Phone, why not something similar that runs Android apps?

Bringing it all together

While many in Western markets won’t make too much of the Nokia X, as a long-term strategy it’s extremely interesting. It’s audacious. It’s clever. And Nokia worded things just right so as to keep the detractors off kilter during the Q&A period this morning. The Lumia line is and will be Nokia’s primary smartphone platform. No, there won’t be a ‘flagship’ Nokia X device with high end specs.

This is a purposeful move to go after Android users, not to appease them, but to convert them. Will it pay off in the long run? It’s too early to tell, but the ‘next billion users’ are often cited as the only real growth market in mobile these days, and Nokia seems to be betting on that idea.

The Nokia X, a Windows Phone in disguise.


Nokia's Jonne Harju talks about the design of the Lumia 930

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If you’ve been itching to learn more about the recently-announced Lumia 930, Nokia’s Conversations blog has posted an interview with one of their chief designers, Jonne Harju, on the device. Harju notes that the lack of a camera bump eases the way for wireless charging. The outer aluminum frame is a single solid piece, which keeps down manufacturing costs. Harju emphasized the human qualities of the design, namely the shared focus on simplicity in both Nokia and Microsoft designs.

As for the future, Harju’s looking forward to designing around changing expectations in biometrics, ergonomics, and usage habits (how often do we want to get notifications, anyway?). Be sure to read the full interview to get a peek behind the scenes at the creation of the Lumia 930.

Source: Conversations

We interview Vivino's CEO about their new Wine Scanner app for Windows Phone

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Vivino for Windows Phone 8

A few days ago, Vivino Wine Scanner made a triumphant return to Windows Phone. Although an app for Vivino had come out a few years ago, it hadn't been updated in a long time, and the company wanted to start from the ground up. The new app is designed for Windows Phone 8 and beyond, bringing with it a highly polished UI and enhanced user experience.

If you're not familiar with Vivino, they're the largest service for finding and logging your wine collection, including ratings. Their cool scanner device though is the real attraction, as all you have to do is scan a bottle's label and let the service fetch all the necessary data through its image-recognition technology. It makes logging your wine a whole lot of fun.

With the recent launch, Mobile Nations writer John Callaham had an opportunity to ask Vivino CEO Heini Zachariassen a few questions about their service and the new app.

First, for people who may not be familiar with Vivino, can you give us a quick history of the company and the app?

"Vivino started in 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. I love wine, but was frustrated about how hard it was to find simple information on the wine I was drinking. This triggered the first plan: to build a wine database similar to that of the movie database IMDB. I was joined by Theis Søndergaard and in true entrepreneurial spirit, we decided to go bigger and not only build a database, but a tool to help everyday wine drinkers track, discover and share wines. And that is Vivino."

"In 2011 the beta version of Vivino was out, and in April 2012, the real app hit the market."

Vivino released an app for Windows Phone 7 a few years ago, but the company didn't update it. Why was that decision made?

"We had a limited number of resources and our ability to update the previous Windows Phone app was delayed enough times that we simply decided to do it right starting with Windows Phone 8 and 8.1."

Why has Vivino made the move to launch a new app for Windows Phone 8 and 8.1?

"The constant outreach from the WP community to add a WP app, plus the growth WP is seeing in key regions (Brazil) really pushed us towards this launch."

Vivino for Windows Phone 8

What are some of the features that Windows Phone users can expect to access when the app is released?

"We've greatly improved the accuracy and speed at which we return matched results from wine label photos. The quality of the data for wines, wineries, and grapes has been improved significantly. Another feature that can't be overlooked is the 4.5 million users who are contributing reviews and ratings that will help shape your wine experiences."

How hard was it to develop an app and did Microsoft provide any assistance?

"Developing the application had it's own quirks and challenges, but nothing out of the ordinary or that gave our team great fits. Microsoft provided assistance all along the way covering most areas of development and design."

How does Vivino feel about the Windows Phone ecosystem in general? Is there room for a third mobile platform to compete with Android and iOS?

"In general we feel like the ecosystem is coming together, and showing promise. As more users pick up WP devices and that user base grows, developers like ourselves take notice and start to support those devices. Because we have a large international footprint, the WP ecosystem looks even better. We believe there is room for a third platform and the competition is just heating up."

Does Vivino plan to update the new Windows Phone app after it is released with new features around the same time as its iOS and Android counterparts?

"Yes, our current plan is to update the WP app soon after iOS and Android updates have gone out."

Is it possible that the company will release a Windows 8.1 version of the app and make it a universal app with its Windows Phone version?

"Yes, that is something we are definitely looking into. We built the app knowing that we might make the transition, so if the platform takes off we will be there."

Finally is there anything else you wish to say about the Vivino app release?

"We're excited to bring Vivino to the Windows Phone community, please give our application a try and let us know what you think."

Our thanks to Heini Zachariassen and the Vivino team for the interview and their new app for Windows Phone.

Don't have the Vivino app yet? Go get it now as it's completely free and just in time for summer! Let us know in comments what you think of it!

QR: vivino

Xbox Music for Windows Phone and the challenge of starting over

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Xbox Music

Let us not beat around the bush: Xbox Music on Windows Phone 8.1 has been a rough ride. Ever since the separation of the app from the OS, criticism for being behind not only the competition but behind Windows Phone 8.0 hangs around the proverbial neck of the Xbox Music team.

Earlier this week, we spoke with Jerry Johnson, Group Program Manager and Gurpratap Virdi, Director of Engineering, both of OSG Entertainment Apps about Xbox Music, including where it is heading and why it had such a rough start.

The answers may surprise you.

Remind me again, why you did this?

The question on many people's minds is why Microsoft even extracted the app from the OS in the first place. Clearly, this is a complicated task as opposed to just making a good, native player and sticking with it.

In speaking with Johnson and Virdi, the answer is a bit more nuanced as it comes down to future services that Xbox Music is likely to support. The problem is, Microsoft as a company is pivoting, and there are many things coming down the road, features that are not ready for integration into Xbox Music. The Xbox Music team says they need an app to be an "extension" of their services, and not just an endpoint. They want the flexibility of being able to update dynamically when the other half of Microsoft comes around, and not to have to shoehorn everything into a more complicated OS update.

Case in point is the rumored usage of OneDrive as a "cloud locker" for music files. Although Johnson and Virdi would not commit to that feature coming, they did note that such an extension of Xbox Music is "critical," which should tell you something. OneDrive though is undergoing numerous changes itself and those two teams need to meet at some point down the road. Xbox Music as an app can rise to meet that challenge; Xbox Music built into the OS would need to wait.

This future integration is but one example, and apparently, Microsoft – and the Xbox Music team – have plans for the service. Keeping the built-in app would severely hinder the ability to get those features to users. You do not have to look far for the rage when a Microsoft app on iOS or Android gets features that Windows Phone lacks. Compounding this issue was Xbox Music being un-updatable, hence the shift in strategy.

Xbox Music on 8.1 should have been a beta

The problem with the aforementioned reasoning is the current user experience. Since the Windows Phone 8.1 Preview just over two months ago, Xbox Music on Windows Phone 8.1 has had seven updates, with a significant release coming tomorrow and another in two weeks.

The update tomorrow should bring with it two critical improvements:

  • Recents playlist (revealed on the Windows Phone blog earlier this week)
  • Up to 50% performance improvement for launching the app and scrolling within

Once Microsoft's recently announced Update 1 Preview goes live, another substantial update is coming. That update brings with it a new Live Tile and Kid's Corner, both of which depend on underlying changes to the OS found in Update 1.

Regardless of the cadence of updates, it is evident that many users still find it all underwhelming. Johnson and Virdi are under no impression otherwise, and in fact were quite honest about where they were, where they are now, and where they want to be going forward. Indeed, they now admit that the Xbox Music app when it came out with the Preview for Developers should have had a 'beta' label as a signal to users that this is far from the final product. Although a minor name change, it probably could have done a lot to fend off some of the more vociferous criticisms tossed out against the app and the team behind it (even if Windows Phone users are suffering lately from 'beta fatigue').

In my 30-minute conversation though with Virdi and Johnson, they never once tried to mask the inadequacies found with Xbox Music though they are confident that it is getting better, and it will continue to do so with more updates. The improvements are tangible, especially after the last update, but issues like doubling in the playlist still hound them as they go forward.

Part of the problem is untying – and rebuilding – the app from scratch. The other is a shift in the underlying coding language from the 8.0 app to the one 8.1. As a result, the degraded performance is significant when compared to previous releases. Even after tomorrow's update, the app will not be as fast as when it was built in, but the Xbox Music team says they are certain that they can change this in future versions, and tomorrow's update goes a long way in getting there.

Your criticism is valuable. Do more yelling (okay maybe not yelling)

One curious aspect about Microsoft that I have known about for some time, but many in our audience may not, is Microsoft's renewed attention to consumer outreach. We mention UserVoice numerous times in our past Xbox Music reporting, and it is a tool that Microsoft values. Bringing attention to the voting-board and suggestion site is evidently having a significant impact. Jerry Johnson tells us that their Xbox Music UserVoice (xboxmusic.uservoice.com) jumped from a "few hundred" visits up to 45K after our coverage– and they love it. Subsequently, they have registered more than 800 suggestions and 14K votes by the community, with five of the top 13 suggestions already completed by his team.

And yes, they read your comments here too – all of them.

Considering some of the vitriol hurled at the Xbox Music team, wading in our comments section seems like a trial by fire, but Gurpratap Virdi and Jerry Johnson say it is necessary; moreover, they enjoy the passion by the community. After all, many of you express your sentiments – even if profane – only because you want Xbox Music to be praiseworthy. They get that.

The effort by Microsoft to engage with the Windows Phone community (even in our forums, where they have reached out to some of you privately) is a relatively new approach and a rare one by a company of Microsoft's size. One could argue though that enterprises like Apple do not need to 'crowd source' their apps and services – they dictate; Microsoft's actions imply the failure to understand what customers want. There is certainly some truth in that, after all many companies do not resort to such means to make successful products. Instead, they have gurus, visionaries, and team leaders that forge a path with nary a glance to what customers are demanding.

Microsoft's methodology – if unorthodox – is at least democratic, and democracy can be messy. I still find it humbling to see Microsoft asking people what they want, letting them vote on ideas, and then prioritizing those for development. Customers having a real voice in 2014 is refreshing. Nevertheless, like all participatory systems, it is only as good as those ideas suggested and if people are voting.

Will they please add "X" feature?

Finally, many of you are possibly wondering what is the real scoop, what is in store for Xbox Music next? Virdi and Johnson would not of course share with me their feature roadmap, which is in large part decided by your top-voted suggestions, but they did give drop a few hints. Things like gapless playback, improved performance, social sharing (already part of the web version), cloud storage and more are all on their radar as registering as being relevant to users. To be sure, gapless playback, recently played, and a Live Tile are all top-voted suggestions; at least two of those get addressed in the next updates. Without committing to those remaining features, both Johnson and Virdi strongly implied those things were likely to come at some point. The question is, with Windows Phone 8.1 and Update 1 devices nearing release, is it too little too late?

That is up to you and your votes.

Alienware talks to us about their upcoming Windows living room PC, the Alpha

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alienware alpha

Our interview with Alienware's General Manager discussing the Alpha

While game consoles like Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox One have found their way into hundreds of millions of homes to be connected to televisions, it's been a challenge for the PC industry to offer a product that's designed to connect to a big screen TV and be used in a living room setting. A year ago, Valve announced a plan to launch its own Linux-based operating system, SteamOS, that was designed to be used in small living room PCs to play native Linux games and to stream PC games from their Steam service.

While Valve announced earlier this year plans to team up with a number of third party PC OEMS for a SteamOS hardware launch later in 2014, the company later revealed those plans have been pushed back to sometime in 2015. However, one of those SteamOS partners, Alienware, decided to go ahead and launch their SteamOS machine this year as a Windows 8.1 PC, the Alienware Alpha. While it may use Microsoft's latest operating system, the team at Alienware (which Dell acquired in 2006) are also developing their own UI that will allow owners to use the Alpha as a gaming PC with an included Xbox 360 controller, with no requirement to use the Windows 8.1 desktop.

To learn more about the upcoming Alienware Alpha, which is currently available for pre-order for shipment in November, we got Alienware's General Manager Frank Azor to take some of our questions. He also offered us some thoughts on the PC gaming industry in general, tells us if Alienware will ever launch a gaming-themed tablet, and more.

First, It's been a year since Dell became a private company once again. How has this change affected the Alienware division, if there have been any effects at all?

"It's been great. It is ironic coming from a private company at Alienware, being acquired by a large multi-national public company (at the time) Dell and now going back to being a private company. Dell has been executing the quickest that I have ever seen since my time here, we are becoming more and more agile every day and I dare say more Alienware-like :). It's a really exciting time to be part of this company."

The Alienware Alpha began as one of the PCs made to run Valve's SteamOS but will now be released as a Windows 8.1-based PC with your own UI. Why did you think it was important to release the PC now and not wait for SteamOS and its controller to officially launch?

"We have been working closely with Valve to help define and build our vision for enabling gamers to play their PC games in the living room. Alienware has actually been building solutions for the living room for years with some of our previous HTPC products and then recently with the Alienware X51. Valve decided that their best course of action was to hold off on SteamOS and the Steam Gamepad until it provided their intended experience. We commend them for their decision and continue to work closely with them on the readying of Steam OS and the Steam Gamepad.

The Alienware Alpha was ready and our customers told us that they wanted a purpose-built solution to play their favorite PC titles in their living room. We couldn't think of a good reason not to deliver, so we did. All of the main elements were ready; we have a great product in the Alpha that was purpose-built for the living room, we have plenty of content on Steam including over 3,500 games, 500 gamepad supported games and over 250 local multiplayer games, we have a great Living room GUI in Steam Big Picture and we have a very popular and successful gamepad with the Xbox 360 wireless gamepad. What was left for us to solve was making Windows 8.1 a console-like experience which we showed for the first time a few weeks ago referred to as the Alpha UI."

alienware

Do you still believe that Valve is making a good move in launching the Linux-based SteamOS and its own controller in a bid to launch living room gaming PCs?

"Absolutely. The two pieces that have been really missing for PC gamers who want to play their titles in the living room are an operating system that is designed for a 10-foot experience and a controller that is compatible with games that may have been originally designed for a keyboard and mouse. Valve is solving both of these issues and that is incredibly difficult to accomplish. In the meantime, customers that have been begging for the perfect gaming capable PC for their TV will find a solution in the Alienware Alpha being offered today.

The Alpha UI was designed to give gamers the option to choose what platform they want to play their games on and enable a user to have a great living room experience. If users want to use their Alpha system as a standard Windows desktop PC with a keyboard and mouse they can elect to do so easily from the Alpha UI, if they want to use it as a console and only play gamepad games with it then can easily do that as well. Keyboard and mouse are optional with the Alpha, no other gaming PC is delivering that.

Users can choose to install SteamOS on their Alienware Alpha when it's released and some users may even decide that they want to install the SteamOS beta and we say more power to them. We want gamers to game the way they want to. The Alpha is all about giving our customers the choices they want to make."

The living room is a place where many companies, including Dell and Alienware, have tried to develop and released PCs with limited success. Why do you believe the Alienware Alpha will succeed when the others have not been as successful?

"Our customers have been asking us for a better solution to play their PC games in the living room for years. We've seen great success with the Alienware X51, which provides gamers with high-performance gaming for any room in the house and ultimate upgradeability. We took the lessons learned from the X51 and past systems, along with our customers feedback and put it to use when we began developing the Alpha. The technology has reached a point where we could provide the sweet spot in performance, design, form-factor, acoustics, thermals and price for the perfect gaming device to connect to your TV. Thanks to Steam and game developers the quantity and quality of titles available through Steam has grown exponentially, making it easier than ever to get great titles instantly on your PC. Steam's library of Gamepad supported and local multiplayer supported games has also exploded making the desire for a product like the Alpha more evident than ever. Our investments with the Alpha UI in making the Alpha experience fully navigable without the need for a keyboard and mouse coupled with Steam Big Picture mode will finally provide the solution gamers need."

Is it important for the PC industry to get devices like the Alienware Alpha into the living room in general and if so why?

"It is incredibly important, especially for all of the indie game developers out there who now have the resources and opportunity to share their amazing titles with an audience like they never have before. That's one of the main reasons we designed the Alpha, console gamers don't currently have the opportunity to experience a whole catalog of amazing titles developed by the independent developer community. Valve has made amazing progress with programs like Greenlight that highlight and give these developers the means and platform to be discovered and the Alpha is the perfect system for gamers to experience these games in their living room."

alpha UI

The Alienware Alpha will still use Valve's Big Picture mode on Steam combined with its own UI. How will this work for the owner of the PC and will he or she never have to see the Windows 8.1 Start screen or desktop while using the Alpha?

"The Alienware Alpha is designed to be configured and controlled using nothing but the bundled Xbox 360 gamepad without seeing the Windows desktop. Gamers will be able to set the basic configuration for common settings like audio sources or resolution and then jump into Steam Big Picture Mode to access their games. Once initially configured, the Alpha can even be set to boot directly into Steam Big Picture Mode if the user prefers. At the same time if users want to access the Windows environment and use Alpha as a standard desktop PC they will be given the option to do so by simply connecting a keyboard and mouse. The Alpha is basically a 2 in 1 product, you get a great desktop gaming PC and an amazing gaming console all in one.

We will not stop any user from using their Alienware Alpha in "Windows mode." We're all about choice and there are some awesome new peripherals like Roccat's Sova lapboard that users may want to use in their living rooms. Gamers can also play any games that aren't distributed through Steam. In which case, they would need to install and launch the game just as they would on any Windows PC. They can even set those titles to launch through Steam if they want to access them without entering into the Windows environment in the future.

Our team and Valve has been working through and testing thousands of titles to ensure that there are no surprises when accessing them through the Alpha. We're working hard to identify and work with the game developers and Valve to resolve any issues we uncover."

alpha ui

Alienware is also still launching more conventional gaming PCs such as the upcoming Alienware 13 laptop, but we have yet to see a gaming tablet from the division. Is a gaming PC tablet something that Alienware would like to release at some point in the future?

"Some websites have been testing games on Dell's current tablets with surprising results. We don't have any plans to launch a gaming tablet at this time but we would definitely consider it if it is something that our customers ask us for."

Let's talk about the gaming PC industry in general. Now that the Wii U, Xbox One and PS4 are out, where do you and Alienware see the industry moving in the future in terms of PC hardware and software services and will they be able to compete with those consoles in terms of pricing and features?

"It's important to note that the Alienware Alpha wasn't designed to compete with the traditional consoles. Gamers already have great solutions to play games like Call of Duty or Battlefield in their living rooms. The Alienware Alpha was designed to offer PC gamers the choice to play their collection of titles including their entire back catalog on Steam and enjoy them with their friends and family in the living room. Few of us want to play great games like Gauntlet, BroForce and Knight Squad with 3 other people on a 24" monitor, those games and about 250 others like it on Steam are best played on a big screen TV with friends. The Alpha was also designed to give gamers the opportunity to play the huge catalog of amazing indie titles that they don't have access to with the other consoles. The PC based indie game developers are thrilled, they finally have a PC console to design to.

The price point of Alpha is a little misleading on the surface. Alpha starts at $549 and comes bundled with an Xbox 360 gamepad. While that seems like a more expensive product than an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 there are a lot of factors to consider:

  • Steam games are much less expensive on average than traditional console games
  • The library of games is exponentially larger on Steam and you can play your back catalog of games you've previously purchased
  • There are no subscription costs to access the Steam network and play games online
  • The Alpha comes bundled with 9 games, 3 of which have already been announced, traditional consoles don't come with any at their entry price points
  • You can use your existing Xbox 360 gamepads rather than having to buy a whole new set of gamepads
  • You can upgrade several components in it yourself including the hard drive, memory, CPU and WiFi card
  • Ohh and it's also a fully featured Windows based PC if you chose to use it as such basically giving you 2 products for the price of 1"

alpha UI

Microsoft has announced DirectX 12, but it may not launch for a while. Based on your knowledge, will it be a huge step up for PC game graphics when it is fully released?

"The demos during Siggraph look good but the rest I'm sworn to secrecy on therefore I have to direct you to Microsoft :). Sorry."

In your opinion, will a cloud-based streaming game service ever really take off and offer as good of an experience compared to playing PC games on a local hard drive?

"Only time will tell. Right now, the infrastructure isn't in place for a majority of gamers and it will take a while for the performance and latency to meet the expectations of enthusiast, hardcore and competitive gamers. In a competitive Counter Strike, LoL, DOTA2, WOT match, milliseconds mean life and death."

Finally, is there anything else you wish to say about Alienware Alpha and its upcoming launch?

"We are taking preorders now for our initial production build of the Alpha and units will begin shipping to customers in November. We have a very limited number of units we are going to be able to deliver before the end of this year so if you're interested put your pre-order in now at www.alienware.com. I've never been more proud of a product from Alienware as I am of the Alpha. It's an amazing piece of hardware and software, you're going to love it!"

We would like to thank Frank for taking the time to answer our questions!

Smoking Gun Interactive talks to us about Age of Empires: Castle Siege

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Our interview with Smoking Gun Interactive's co-founder about the upcoming Age of Empires game made for touchscreens

Microsoft will offer Windows Phone owners not one but two new games based on their Age of Empires strategy franchise this fall. In addition to the previously announced Age of Empires: World Domination game from developer KLab, the company announced last week plans to release Age of Empires: Castle Siege for Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 sometime in September.

As the title implies, this game concentrates on offering players a way to build a castle, complete with defenses that will be made to keep it from falling to enemies. Developed by Vancouver-based Smoking Gun Interactive, Age of Empires: Castle Siege will offer a way to link up with friends on Xbox Live for alliances as well as support for online leaderboards. We got a chance to chat with John Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of Smoking Gun Interactive, to find out more about Age of Empires: Castle Siege, including how the free-to-play game will handle in-game purchases and more.

age of empires Castle siege

First, how did Smoking Gun Interactive get the gig from Microsoft to develop Age of Empires: Castle Siege?

"We had a great relationship with Microsoft having worked on many projects and many teams with them over the last few years. We were very excited to pitch for AoE: Castle Siege As our founders and many employees have extensive RTS experience and that gave us a bit of an edge."

Many people might be wondering how Castle Siege ties into the Age of Empires franchise besides just the name. What elements in the game make it a true Age of Empires title?

"AoE: Castle Siege brings AoE gameplay to touch devices. We've kept a lot of what made the original AoE so popular: We're grounded in history, you can play one of 6 civilizations and each have 3 unique heroes and 1 unique troop type. You can directly control all the units during combat just like other RTS titles. We have a tech tree to advance through as well as many ages to advance through that all gain better weapons, units, defenses and other structures. And as with AoE, the game is primarily about advancement and combat."

What sort of castles and defenses can players make in the game?

"Players can arrange their castles in any way they choose with lots of different tactical layouts that can work. There are a variety of defensive towers such as Archer towers, Crossbow towers, and ballista towers and, at higher levels there are more powerful towers like the flame tower that shoots Greek fire. In addition, there are emplacements which are more fragile than towers, but have a longer range. Walls protect your buildings and defenses and you can place troops on walls to defend them. In addition, Patrol points let you assign 1-2 squads of troops (of your choice) to defend your castle and Guard Houses will constantly spawn defensive troops until the guard house is destroyed so these are best placed in protected areas. There are a variety of traps players can hide such as caltrops, fire traps and engineer traps."

What kinds of units can the player access to lay siege to the castles?

"Players can access Infantry, Spear Infantry, Raiders, Ladder Invaders, Archers, Crossbow Men, Cavalry, Battering Rams, Siege Towers, Catapults and Ballistas. Some come in later ages and all troop types can be upgraded over time. Each civilization also has its own unique unit: Briton – Longbowman, Franc – Knight Templar, Tuetons – Tuetonic Knight, Byzantine – Cheirosiphon, Keivan Rus – Raiders of Muscovy, Saracen – Mamluk. Units have specific roles there are better at in combat and directing units in battle will maximize its role effectively. That is a key skill players will pick up as they advance through the ages."

What gameplay modes will be available in Castle Siege?

"AoE: Castle Siege is really all about building and combat. You build up your castle to defend yourself and protect you loot and your keep. You then build armies and attack other player's castles to try to destroy as much of their castles as you can. There are 10 historical missions you play as well."

What other features will make Age of Empires: Castle Siege stand out from the many mobile strategy games currently available?

"In the mobile arena we feel our touch based direct control sets us apart and really gives an RTS sensibility to the title. Each troop type has a specific combat role and players will have to master ordering their troops to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Hero special abilities can really turn the tide of the battle and are a lot of fun to use. Players can also do research on both an economic and military tech tree. We feel we've given the player lots of flexibility to lay out their castle with many tactical options available. The combat is truly a skill based game, which will take time to master but still accessible enough for the casual user."

How easy or hard was it to make the game work in Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 and will it be a universal app with cross platform support?

"There are challenges with any platform, especially with the range of devices available. We also had challenges making the game support both touch and keyboard/mouse input for desk top users. In the end we landed with something that really worked well for touch and PC. Yes the game is compatible on all platforms so you can attack players on PC from your mobile device and vice versa. You can log into the same account from multiple devices as well. So do some attacks from home, continue on your mobile device and when you get to work log in and continue from there."

The game will have some in-game app purchases. Can you talk about what these elements will be like and if they will be needed to successfully play the game?

"It takes time to build everything in the game. Players can skip the wait buy purchasing and spending gold (you can also acquire gold by attacking other players or setting up trade routes). There are no power ups or other consumables for purchase so even if you accelerate your castle's progression, you will still have to develop your combat skills to be successful. Everything is available in game without having to purchase, so you don't have to spend a dime, if you don't want to."

age of empires castle siege

What can you tell us about the art design and the graphics for Castle Siege?

"We wanted to make sure the game read well on smaller phone displays. We also had to support a wide range of devices with different resolutions and abilities while still allowing the player to be able to discern gameplay elements. It is a departure from the original AoE, but we were going for a balance between the original more realistic style and yet still appeal to a mobile audience and have art that was instantly recognizable on smaller devices. It's a fine line, but we fell we struck a balance that works well for both PC and mobile. There are lots of little touches in the game from collapsing wall animations to smoke and fire effects that give a real visual punch."

If the game is successful, could we see it on iOS or Android devices at some point?

"For now the game is being released for Windows 8 PC and Windows Phone 8."

Any plans for additional content to be added to the game after it is released?

"Yes. We do have plans for additional content."

Finally, is there anything else you wish to say about Age of Empires: Castle Siege?

"We're very excited to see the game get released. We worked very hard to make a game that, hopefully, appeals to both casual players and fans of the franchise. We are hoping to bring in a whole new audience to the Age franchise. We're especially pleased at the level of player control and tactical gameplay depth we've been able to add to a mobile strategy title and we hope people like it."

We would like to thank John for taking the time to answer our questions!

Xbox One developer interview with Woolfe: the Red Hood Diaries creators GriN

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Xbox One developer interview – Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries

Microsoft announced a big batch of upcoming ID@Xbox games for Xbox One at E3 earlier this summer. One of the more interesting titles from that announcement is Woolfe: the Red Hood Diaries from Belgian game developer GriN. Woolfe is a 3D action-platformer starring Little Red Riding Hood. The game intertwines her tale with several other fairy tales, creating a dark and unique fantasy world.

GriNrecently launched a successful Kickstarter campaign (with just over a day left to contribute as of this writing) to help finance Woolfe's development. We reached out to Wim Wouters at GriN to find out more about the studio's plans for the game, as well as their experiences with the ID@Xbox program and Kickstarter. Continue reading for our first Xbox One developer interview!

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

Hi Wim! Please tell me a little about yourself outside of the world of gaming.

My name is Wim Wouters. [Besides making games for a living] I am fortunate enough to spend most of my time playing games. Sometimes for entertainment, sometimes a little more serious. With two young kids (a three-year old daughter and 11-month old son), there is always some kind of gamification in progress, be it trying to make eating vegetables fun or finding distraction during diaper changes.

Although I am blessed with being able to work together with my wife (writer of the Woolfe story) and spend quite a lot of time with her, we also try to flee from this wonderful world of games sometimes, with the occasional wining and dining together or with friends.

Forgive me for asking, but this burns on my mind. I understand your studio is located in Belgium. Have you ever had the chance to meet Jean-Claude Van Damme?

Jean-Who? Ha ha, no. :)

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

What a shame! Getting back to business, how did you end up at GriN?

It seems like such a long time ago already. Before I founded GriN, I was self-employed, making 3D animations and Flash websites as a freelance subcontractor for advertising agencies. In my spare time, I created quite a few little Flash games that occasionally got a lot of attention. It was in 2002 that Director (a software tool from Macromedia) got an update that allowed the creation of online 3D games. This was a revelation. It allowed me to combine the two things I loved doing most: creating 3D worlds and programming.

With two friends also into programming and 3D we believed we could conquer the world via our online 3D games. We started the company GriN and launched a website to showcase our creations ( www.underdog.be quite abandoned now). In a way, it worked… in the glory days our web games attracted more than 300,000 players per day!

Unfortunately, online advertising (or paying for online content, for that matter) didn't have the popularity it has today (Google ads didn't even exist). The only advertisers were online casinos and porn sites, [things to which] we did not want to subject our young players. So, we earned very little. So little, in fact, we had to find a new business plan. This turned out to be the old business plan, working as a subcontractor again. Soon after, my partners left the company and I was on my own again.

I continued making games after-hours. The company grew and downsized several times over the years, following the tides of the internet bubbles and my attempts to gain independence as a game development company. Today we are at a peak again, with a team of six full-time employees and almost three full-time freelancers, all working on Woolfe.

GriN shares the same name as a defunct Swedish game studio. Have you considered any measures to make the two company names more distinguishable?

The Swedish Grin was founded one year before us, in 2001. At the time we both were not so well-known. We didn't even know of their existence until we met them at a convention in The Netherlands. They were very friendly and we laughed about having the same company name. They were focusing on big titles already while we were struggling to survive, so they didn't really see us as a threat, I think.

Now that we are also starting to roam the seas of entertainment gaming, this question of what to do with our company name has also become an issue in our minds. How we're going to deal with that at this point is not decided yet. Perhaps we start a new company, or we might change our name, or we do nothing and see what happens.

Woolfe

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

Woolfe will be your studio's first console game. What inspired you to move into console development?

Actually, it was not our ambition to move to consoles in the first place. When we were nominated for "Best Selected Project 2014" at Game Connection (which took place alongside GDC) in San Francisco, one of the prizes was approval from Sony and a Playstation 4 devkit.

Our deal with Microsoft started at Game Connection too. They saw our presentation and found it quite interesting. While we did not fit in their portfolio as a game they would like to publish, three weeks before E3 they contacted us and asked if we would like to be part of their E3 ID@XBOX presentation. Naturally, we were quite honored.

One issue is that we're still working with Unreal Engine 3. This engine does not officially support PS4 & Xbox One. We're very lucky Epic is such a great company to work with, and they are really helping us quite a lot with… well, everything.

We had no idea these huge companies were so indie-friendly.

Woolfe is a dark, fairytale-themed action platformer. What are some of your inspirations for the game?

Old fairy tale books were the main sources of inspiration for character development. As for the environment, we love Tim Burton (from Batman to Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scisscorhands to Alice in Wonderland and many more), but Dutch painter Anton Pieck was an even greater influence in developing the Woolfe universe.

Gameplay that influenced us can be found in the original Prince of Persia, Crash Bandicoot, Batman, Darksiders, Limbo, Abe's Oddysee, and many many more.

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

How much story content will Woolfe have? Will there be moments of levity in the narrative, or does it remain serious throughout?

There's quite a lot of story to be told, so we've chosen to integrate the main part into the game through voice-overs, allowing Red to narrate her own history, the city's history and the events which occurred in her family. Additional story content (character backgrounds, fairy tale references, etc.) will be accessible as unlockables and secrets.

The overall story line is quite serious and tragic, but humor and sarcasm will definitely be present too, as Red faces challenges and opponents. We're aiming for a smile and a tear, so to speak.

Woolfe meshes characters and elements from multiple fairy tales. Will any of those characters from other stories be good instead of evil?

We are indeed integrating several characters from other fairy tales. Most of the characters encountered will not be so friendly to our protagonist. But that does not mean they have always been evil or are evil by nature. B.B. Woolfe, our main antagonist, has a very powerful grip on his environment and many have become victim to his reign. All the side-characters have their own back stories as well, which will probably be unlockable secrets or achievements.

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

Tell us a little about Woolfe's combat. It looks like Red Riding Hood swings a mean axe!

We're trying to create a really smooth hack-and-slash combat style that feels easy, but has a hidden layer of sophistication that will allow the user to execute wild combos and finishers. At the moment we're re-writing the whole combat system.

How much blood and gore will the game have?

It's not really such a bloody game at the moment. Our Gamescom rating was actually 12+, which is really sweet [given] that the German age rating is quite strict. Red Riding Hood only fights fantasy characters and when she dies you get an instant re-spawn – no gruesome death animations.

We saw some green items hidden out of the way in the current alpha build. What do these items do?

I see [you found] some secrets. Those green Ws unlock special content. This can be character trophies, background stories, concept art, and original fairy tales – things like that. [The bonus content] will give curious players a better understanding of the world we are creating.

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

Will the levels in Woolfe be more open or linear in design?

Actually our city level originally had a very open design, giving the player the freedom to roam and explore, but we noticed people started feeling lost, not knowing how to proceed with the current objective. Our environment design is filled with so much detail that it tends to be a bit overwhelming when we give the player too much freedom. We have made the game design more linear since then, although we have some surprises there too.

What are some of the bosses we'll encounter in Woolfe? Are they all characters from fairy tales?

The first boss Red Riding Hood will encounter is the Pied Piper. He fits really well in the story. You just don't know if you're chasing him, or if he is luring you. We'll also meet Sleeping, or rather, Creeping Beauty, as we call her. Pinocchio is all grown up by the time you fight him. He's one of the bigger bosses, more towards the end.

The others I cannot talk about yet. We want to keep it exciting for the players, but yes, most of them do come from popular fairy tales.

Xbox One and beyond

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

Woolfe is coming to Xbox One in 2015. Will you be releasing it on Xbox 360 as well?

No, we can't focus on the old-gen consoles anymore as we would need to do too much optimization, which is very time consuming for a team of only six people. Previous consoles are almost 10 years old by now. By the time we launch for consoles (planned for June 2015), we know more people will already own a new console.

Microsoft announced Woolfe as part of the ID@Xbox program during E3 this year. Can you tell us about your experience with the application and approval process?

It was a breeze. We had no idea communication with Microsoft would be so direct. We already talked to someone from Microsoft at Game Connection where we were nominated. All [of the subsequent] communications were very personal and straightforward.

Woolfe, the Red Hood Diaries - alpha gameplay

Have you actually started working with an Xbox One development kit yet? Any challenges there?

We have, although we're not playing Woolfe on the system yet. It takes some time to get everything up and running.

Our biggest problem at the moment is that Unreal Engine 3 does not officially support Xbox One. So we're trying to "hack" our game on the system. Epic is giving us good support with the experience they have, but we're not there yet.

Finally, what has theKickstarterexperience been like for Woolfe? If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?

We reached our goal, which is awesome! We're over the moon with joy! With the experience we have now, we would change a few things. We tried to go in prepared for everything, but with a limited team it's always hard to manage time. We had hoped to reach our goal a little faster so most of the updates we prepared were focused on stretch goals and extra rewards.

Of course, just like most Kickstarters, after a great start and reaching 50% in three days things started going slower. We needed to reach new audiences and that proves to be quite hard. We're getting quite a lot of attention in Europe, but the US market doesn't know us that well yet. It could be a cultural thing, or just Europeans being proud that not every game is made in the US.

More Woolfe to come

There's still time to contribute to the successful Woolfe Kickstarter. You can follow GriN and Woolfe on Twitter at @GriN_be and @WoolfeGame.

Stardock's CEO talks to us about ShadowFX, his thoughts on Windows 9 and more

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shadowfx

Stardock CEO Brad Wardell gives us his opinion on various Windows subjects

Stardock was already a well known developer of Windows utilities and games before the launch of Start8 in 2012, a desktop Start menu for Windows 8 to take the place of the one that Microsoft decided to remove from the OS. While Start8 is not the only Start menu replacement for Windows 8, it turned out to be a massive success for Stardock. Since then the company has released a number of other utilities for Windows 8, including ModernMix, which allows Modern UI apps to run in windowed form on the desktop. Both the Start menu and the ability to run Modern apps on the desktop are slated to be added to the next official version of Windows by Microsoft, code name Threshold.

Stardock's newest Windows8 program, ShadowFX, which adds shadows to desktop windows, launched earlier this week. We got Stardock CEO Brad Wardell to answer a few questions via email about ShadowFX, along with his thoughts on the upcoming Windows 9-Threshold and more.

First, in 2012 Stardock launched the Windows 8 desktop start menu program Start8 and in 2013 the company released ModernMix, which lets Modern UI apps run on the desktop in a window.How successful have those programs been for Stardock?

They've been immensely successful. Start8 is the type of program that really only happens once in a career. We stopped counting downloads at around 30 million earlier this year.

Microsoft has since announced plans to offer a Start menu and a way to run Modern apps on the desktop in the next version of Windows. Do you and Stardock feel validated about Microsoft adding both of the features that the company offers in its third party programs?

Definitely. It just means Microsoft is listening to its customers.

For those folks who may not have heard of the new program. can you give us a general idea of what ShadowFX is all about?

My desktop has 3 monitors with lots and lots of windows. On Windows 8, it gets really fatiguing picking out the active window. That's because Windows 8, unlike Windows 7, doesn't have shadows. It's one of my biggest pet peeves with Windows 8 visually. This wasn't a problem with Windows 7 because each window had its own drop shadow which changed based on what was the active window. As a result, at a glance, you could pick out the active window.

Why do you think Windows 8 users will enjoy downloading and using ShadowFX?

Once you use it, its benefits become really obvious. Even as we're communicating right now, it is just so much nicer having my active window "pop" out of the screen a bit.

Does Stardock have plans to release any Modern UI apps for the Windows Store at some point?

Maybe. It's not compelling enough yet. I want to see what happens with Windows 9.

Microsoft is rumored to launch a public preview of Threshold very soon. Based on your experience, will this new version of Windows be enough of an improvement to help Microsoft end the poor reputation of Windows 8?

I think so. What I'd like to see in Threshold is something like this:

  • Gimme the Start menu back
  • Make modern apps behave similarly to regular Windows apps
  • Get rid of the Charms bar
  • Let me have something like full screen sessions ala the Mac.
  • Gimme DirectX 12

Gimme those 4 things and I'm a happy camper.

The PC industry is now seen to be in a better place than it was a couple of years ago, due to the slow down in tablet sales. Do you feel the PC industry will start growing back again and where do you see Windows evolving to keep up with the current trend?

I don't think we'll ever see the desktop return to the dominance it once had. We're in a multi-polar world, so to speak, where the desktop is just one of the platforms available to users.

Finally, is there anything else Stardock is working on that you would like to plug?

Heh. We're on the verge of a major switch in how we do Object Desktop (our suite of desktop enhancements). We're going to make it available soon as a subscription model ala Office 365. With Windows 9 on the horizon, we think there will be a terrific opportunity for users who want to always be able to enhance their Windows experience now that it's pretty obvious that Stardock tends to be ahead of the curve on where Windows is going.

We would like to thank Brad for answering our questions

Editor's note: The interviewer was previously employed by Neowin, which is 40 percent owned by Stardock.


Interview – WayForward deep-dishes on 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze'

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Interview – WayForward on TMNT: Danger of the Ooze for Xbox

Earlier this month, Activision announced a new Ninja Turtles game for Xbox 360 and other consoles called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze. The game will be a single-player exploration-based action platformer, and comes from fan favorite developer WayForward Technologies.

As a lifelong Turtles fan, I was thrilled to see the license paired up with a skilled developer like Wayforward. We promised some special coverage of the game would be forthcoming, so here it is: our exclusive interview with Tomm Hulett of WayForward and Director of Danger of the Ooze. Read on to learn how the game will play, what Turtles touches it will feature, and lots more!

Tomm and WayForward

Tomm Hulett WayForward Interview

Hey Tomm! Please tell us a little about what you do when you're not making games.

When I'm not making games I'm probably playing them. Otherwise I'm watching movies with my family, playing with pets, or reading. I should probably get out more. I really like hiking but don't have many opportunities to do it. I'm also at Disneyland a lot but I'd classify that as playing games; you can learn a lot about game design by exploring Disneyland.

How did you end up at WayForward?

I made friends with WayForward while working at Konami, where I Produced Contra 4! We kept in touch throughout the years and I worked with them again on Silent Hill: Book of Memories. Working together several times, it became clear that my Design approach was in line with WayForward's ideals. So when they had a Director position open, it made sense to join forces and become a super team!

Licensed games on the whole tend to be low-quality, selling primarily to consumers who don't know any better. Yet WayForward has turned out some memorable games based on shows and movies, such as Ducktales and Batman: the Brave and the Bold. How do you manage to maintain quality despite the development challenges of licensed games?

The short answer is that we at WayForward approach licensed games from the specific idea that every game is somebody's first game. So we aren't just ambassadors of TMNT, we're also ambassadors of video games as a medium. We take that mission seriously and strive to put as much passion and care into our licensed games as we would into our original creations.

As far as the more detailed answer, I think a lot of it comes down to proper scoping. There's a real temptation to design as much content as humanly possible, and then you get halfway through your schedule and you realize it's impossible to finish – so the end product is rushed and kind of haphazardly assembled.

At WayForward, we're pretty good at realizing how big a game we can make, designing to fit that, and then executing it efficiently so things come together relatively smoothly. That makes a big difference, since most licensed games have to hit a movie release window, the start of a TV season, etc. Every second counts in a schedule like that.

Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero

WayForward also creates original titles like the upcoming Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for Xbox One, 360, and other platforms. But the vast majority of your original games are unavailable on Xbox consoles. With the advent of the ID@Xbox program, might we start seeing more fresh WayForward games on the Xbox One?

We'd love to expand to other platforms. Obviously Half-Genie Hero is our first title on the newest consoles, but we're always interested in spreading the WayForward love to new audiences if the right opportunity arises.

The Ninja Turtles and their show

Now about those Turtles. Do you have any personal history with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

I was a huuuuuge TMNT fan growing up, and I guess that never really goes away. Like every human being my age, I was obsessed with the eighties cartoon series and the toys. I also somehow snowed my parents into buying me an Eastman and Laird's TMNT omnibus that they didn't think to examine for content at the time. I even had a pet rat named Splinter!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES game

What I remember most fondly about the franchise, though, is Konami's first two videogames. The NES Turtles game was probably the first licensed game most of us played. Maybe it wasn't the best, but we loved it so much despite that.

Of course, the arcade game was amazing. My friends and I spent so much time talking about (and playing) those two games… I'd be thrilled if modern kids talked about our new game in a similar fashion. Fingers crossed.

But! To read between the lines and answer your implied question: Raphael is my favorite. (That was the first question we asked people as they joined the team. Mikey emerged as the winner by quite a margin.)

Nick Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Mikey is my favorite too, but Raph is no slouch. Anyway, the current Nickelodeon TV series on which Danger of the Ooze is based has inspired enthusiasm among not just kids but also older viewers as well. What do you think makes Nick's incarnation of the Turtles so special?

Because it's so good!

The current show reminds me of Batman: The Animated Series in the way it collects years and years of history, across many different incarnations, and boils it down to the essence of the property. They really capture the "fun" of TMNT without sacrificing the cool ninja stuff, or how scary Shredder can be… but then you still have a mutant fly man.

Honestly the entire team was skeptical because we hadn't seen the new show when the project started – but we all fell in love with it immediately. We'd get together each week to watch new episodes, then work overtime to add in references to keep the game current and exciting.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze logo

Danger of the Ooze bridges the gap between seasons 2 and 3 of the Nick show. Are you connecting specific story points between those seasons, or is the bridge more that the game takes place with the characters in the same state as when season 2 ends?

I'd say it's closer to the latter. The game's not really a "missing link" per se – but if you've seen all the episodes you'll understand where we fit in. It's something that happened off camera.

Works for me. And how much story content will be in the game? Will there be any voice acting, in or out of the story sequences?

There is so much voice acting! It was great being able to work with amazing actors like Rob Paulsen (Donatello in Nick's cartoon and Raphael in the original show) and Mae Whitman (April O'Neil in Nick's show)…

As for story – we really wanted to preserve some of the genre feel, where the story unfolds contextually as you play the game. But TMNT has a ton of great, colorful characters and that's a really important part of the brand too… so most of our story unfolds when you encounter a boss or an NPC. Those moments let us have a lot of fun with characters that fans love. However, when you're actively exploring the city and immersed in gameplay, we won't be interrupting you with radio calls or anything.

That said, the Turtles love to wisecrack as they fight in the show (and comics) and that is an element we've kept as well. There's plenty of banter as you fight!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze

Danger of the Ooze is a single-player game in which players can swap between the four Turtles, not unlike the original NES game. Can you give us an example of how one Turtle's abilities differ from another's? And do the inactive Turtles recover life when not in use?

I thought it was really important to let players use their favorite Turtle exclusively (if they want), so you'll never encounter, say, a pit that you need Donnie to vault over. However, every Turtle has his own unique rhythm. Raph and Mikey have 3-strike combos while Leo and Donnie only have two, but the former pair has much shorter range. Each turtle also has his own specialty just to keep things interesting. Mikey can jump higher, Raph throws Shuriken faster, Donnie can block more easily, and Leo's counterattacks are the best.

Something that always frustrated me about the NES game was that Donnie was clearly the best—it was no contest. Best range AND best damage? Come on. This might just be jealousy because Raph was clearly the worst in that game, but I didn't want kids today to have the same experience. If I love Leo in the show, I want to love him in the game too. So we spent a lot of time trying to get it right. They all have their advantages.

Inactive Turtles don't regenerate health, but we do have a cool mechanic for when a Turtle is defeated. When this occurs, that Turtle is Captured, and taken out of the active roster. But, if you can locate where in the city he's been stashed and rescue him, he'll be back on the team and ready for action again. This means you essentially have unlimited lives, but if you aren't careful your favorite Turtle could be out of commission for a while. There's an upgrade that allows you to hone in on captured Turtles, so players will definitely want to track that down.

Nick Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

You mentioned Mae Whitman earlier. I take it the Turtles' allies April O'Neil and Casey Jones appear in the game? What role do they play?

Yes, [they are two of the] several NPC characters you'll encounter throughout the game. They primarily serve to teach the Turtles new techniques or impart different abilities. They may even have different messages depending on which Turtle you're controlling when you encounter them.

Can you go into a little detail about the game's combat mechanics?

One of my favorite parts of the Batman Arkham franchise is how you really feel like Batman when you play. In combat you don't need to "earn" your Batman-ness. You just feel Batmannish when you play. I wanted to accomplish that with TMNT – so the player really gets into the shell of their Turtle. Combat is a crucial part of that.

So every Turtle has his melee combo which is controlled by a single button. If they hold it down at the end of their combo, the Turtle will spin his weapons (a flourish seen frequently in the show). At this point, the player can perform a Shell Kicker by pressing one of the four cardinal directions. The four Shell Kickers each do something different – for example, forward SKs will knock enemies forward into other enemies. Downward SKs hit really hard and can break through an enemy's guard.

The player gains XP by defeating enemies, and this can be used to level up Shell Kickers so they're even more impressive and have additional effects. But there might be advantages to sneaking around your enemies too… if you defeat one without being noticed, it has a higher chance of dropping pickups.

In addition to the main attacks and Shell Kickers, the Turtles will find/learn various attacks, from Shuriken to Special Moves and navigational abilities.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze

Danger of the Ooze will feature an "interconnected non-linear game world." Does that mean it plays like what we think of as a Metroidvania game?

That's right, TMNT:DotO is an exploration-based action platformer. I've always wanted to create a game in this genre set in a modern city, so when Activision told us they were thinking about going this direction for TMNT, I felt incredibly fortunate. A great genre, in a setting I've wanted to explore, with a franchise I grew up with? Where do I sign? We certainly strove to do the concept justice.

We really tried to stick with the approach where most of your power-ups increase both your offensive capabilities and your navigation options. A good example of this is the Smoke Bomb. Not only will it teleport you instantly out of harm's way and stun nearby enemies, but it can also be used to reach higher areas or bypass laser barriers.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze

Do you plan to extend the game's playtime with collectibles, or will all of the items the Turtles collect be functional in nature?

There is one very well-hidden collectible, but for the most part anything you collect will be functional. We keep track of your completion percentage, which factors in items found and how much of the map you've traveled, so completionists will need to cover a lot of ground.

Obviously the game is grounded in the Nick series universe, but will there be any elements borrowed from other incarnations of the Turtles?

Shhhhh! Those are secret!

One game, three consoles

Danger of the Ooze is coming to Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo 3DS. Did you always conceive of the game as both a home console and portable release, or did that decision come later in development?

It was always discussed as a possibility, so we planned for the ports ahead of time.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze

Will there be any major differences between the big-screen and small-screen versions of the game?

We really wanted players to get the same experience regardless of their platform choice, so the only differences are the ones you'd expect: 3DS has stereoscopic 3D, whereas consoles have improved graphics and music, as well as Achievements/Trophies.

Finally, can you tell us about the Xbox Live Achievements players will be able to unlock in Danger of the Ooze?

My philosophy on Achievements goes hand in hand with WayForward's approach to licensed games – since this could be the player's first game (or certainly first Metroidvania), I want Achievements that reward them for progress, but also sort of hint at alternative ways to play.

When experienced gamers sit down in front of this game, they're going to be curious about speed runs, etc. But new players won't have that same frame of reference, so by having Achievements that reward fast completion times, it should goad them into attempting it. I try to have a good mix of both novice and expert Achievements.

Activision logo

This pizza's still in the oven

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze will arrive on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo 3DS this fall. Please leave a comment to let us know you've enjoyed our latest Xbox developer interview! And tell us your favorite Turtle.

This is how Cortana's Concert Watch feature works on Windows Phone

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A few weeks ago, the Cortana team introduced a new concert-tracking feature listed under Interests. By enabling Concert Watch, Cortana can show you when your favorite artists are playing in your area and how to get tickets. It is an ingenious addition to the personal assistant as keeping track of your favorite artists is getting more and more difficult with our increasingly complex lives.

As cool as the concert-tracking feature is, we had a few questions about how it all worked. Luckily, we were able to ask Limor Lahiani, Principal Development Lead and Hadas Bitran, Principal Program Management Lead at Microsoft about how Cortana does what she does.

How does Cortana pick your favorite artists? I assume it is tied into Xbox Music, but even there is it based on your collection or something more sophisticated?

"Cortana gets smarter over time and learns about the user preferences based on usage and user feedback. The algorithm may take a variety of signals/inputs under account including music-related searches, music played, social network signals, etc."

How far out does it notify the user that a concert is coming up e.g. two weeks, two days, 24 hours, etc.?

"Cortana notifies the user when a concert has tickets available. Could be even 6 months in advance, when the concert is announced."

"This is something that should be learned over time, and may depend on the user patterns as well as the popularity and attributes of the event, for example how quickly ticks get sold out for the artist or how small is the venue."

Will there be a way to add manually artists to this Interest?

"From the product perspective, user control is a key aspect of Cortana and the Notebook reflects that."

"Today we allow the users to hide a specific artist concerts in case they are not interested in them. We are considering ways to enable adding artists via the Cortana Notebook."

Any thoughts about letting users pin it to their Start screen?

"From the product perspective, we are considering multiple ways to evolve Cortana and make her more useful, including floating experiences in the live tile."

Is it possible to expand it to just genres? This way the user can explore new artists in their area that may overlaps with their musical tastes.

"Technically, it's possible and quite straight forward to support genres as well. We have considered that when we planned the Concert Watch, but experience-wise, we decided to start with specific artists as people tend to spend their time and money on concerts of their favorite artists and less on concerts by artists they are less (if at all) familiar with. The favorite genre is more suitable to exploration scenarios, in which the user learns about new artists she might like based on her favorite genres and favorite artists. This can be a great way to discover new music and albums."

I know you probably can't talk roadmaps, but just want to throw it out there a top request, which is also somewhat logical: Let Cortana scan your Xbox Music collection and have Cortana tell you when a new album or single is out. There is already a nice universal app called 'Album Releases' that does this, but obviously, it would be super cool for Cortana to do it natively.

"From the product perspective, we are considering additional features. Indeed, we cannot talk roadmaps, but Cortana is evolving, and more cool stuff is coming."


Concert Watch is certainly one of the more innovative uses of Cortana so far and it is great to have some light shed on how it all works. For those using Cortana today, have any of you used Concert Watch yet?

Special thanks to Sandeep Paruchuri at Microsoft for facilitating this article and to Limor Lahiani and Hadas Bitran for taking the time to answer our questions!

The Story of Straw, the polling engine for your pocket

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Straw

Straw is a new Windows Phone app that aims to help you get instant feedback from your friends and followers on social networks. Recently, we covered the polling app and its public beta on Windows Phone. Since our initial coverage, the app has received numerous updates fixing bugs and addressing feedback from a growing user base. We figured it was as good a time as ever to talk with Straw co-founder Ben Rudolph about the founding of the app and its future.

Straw Team

How Straw was born

Ben Rudolph, Craig Kitterman, Nate Gunderson and Jason Wilmot are the founders behind Straw. By day, the four of them work at Microsoft in various roles, but by night they're working on an app to help you easily poll friends and followers whenever you want.

Straw

The idea for Straw came to the team last year at a New Years Eve party. There, the soon-to-be Straw team was discussing upcoming college football games with the usual smack talk. While debating which teams would win this and that bowl game, they soon realized there was no good way to get that feedback on social networks.

Early Straw

Ask a question on Twitter (like, "which team will win a game?") and you can quickly get a lot of quick responses. The same thing happens on Facebook and other networks. A ton of responses, but no way to easily digest and process feedback. People can get off-topic or might not fully understand the results you're looking for. The Straw team wondered if it would be easier just to poll your friends? That's the idea behind Straw, to make polling across social networks easy and fun.

The Straw of today

The four began working on Straw in earnest a few months ago. Right now, Straw is available for Windows Phone, with Android and iPhone versions coming in the near future. The app allows you to create quickly and share a poll. Straw works with and can share to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and SMS.

Straw

To quickly create a poll that works with the social networks you frequently use is an important feature for Straw. Right now the focus is on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and SMS, but we wouldn't be surprised to see other options added based on community feedback.

When your friends and followers want to participate in a survey they just click the link generated by Straw. This link will take them to a web page where they can cast their vote. Users don't need to sign up to participate, so this helps to remove the friction of collecting data from your friends. You also don't have to worry too much about anyone rigging the results if they try to take a poll in the same browser. Anyone trying that are met with a dialogue box informing them the extra vote won't count.

The team at Straw has been receiving a lot of constructive feedback since launching their Windows Phone app. They've been impressed with the enthusiasm that has sprung up with those using Straw. The surprise to the team has been the quality of the feedback they're receiving so early in development. Instead of asking for WhatsApp and Straw integration, users are explaining how they want to see the WhatsApp integration. That extra depth of information when providing feedback to Straw has impressed the team in these early days of development.

How's it being used?

Just scan the #PollWithStraw hashtag on Twitter, and you'll quickly get an idea of how people are using Straw. Variants of "Which team will win this game?" are some of the more obvious questions users are asking with Straw. Sports will undoubtedly be popular with the service, but it's the personal recommendation angle that's interesting. Asking your friends questions like "What suit looks better on me?" or "What movie I should watch tonight?" are where Straw gets fun.

Straw

The Straw team has been surprised by the number of people using the SMS option with Straw. Dinner plans are now being made with Straw where everyone can vote for where to eat. Just make a poll and send it to your friends. They select from some options and it helps to speed up the decision-making process.

The Straw of tomorrow

Straw has some big plans for the future. The ultimate goal is to make mobile polling fun, quick and easy. The team hopes to accomplish this with apps on all major platforms.

Users on Android and iPhone can look forward to Straw coming soon. There's no ETA on those apps; the team just wants to release them when they're ready and functional. Users on Android and iPhone have already expressed their eagerness to the Straw team for the app.

A year from now the Straw team hopes to become the premier polling tool on mobile. That's the main idea behind Straw: to put a powerful polling engine in your pocket. To make polling fun, engaging and lower the barrier for users to make data-driven decisions.

Download Straw for Windows Phone

Straw is available as a public beta on Windows Phone, and you can download it today for free. Don't forget to send any feedback to hello@pollwithstraw.com and follow Straw on Twitter (@pollwithstraw)

512MB RAM devices supported

QR: Straw

Never Alone developer interview – Secrets of the folklore-based platformer for Xbox One

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Never Alone developer interview – Behind the scenes of the folklore-based platformer for Xbox One

Never Alone is a cooperative platformer for Xbox One that stars a young girl named Nuna and her mystical Fox companion. The pair must traverse the frozen climes of Alaska as they seek a way to stop the endless blizzard that plagues Nuna's village. Never Alone is a unique and beautiful window into the folklore and culture of the Native Alaskan Iñupiat people, and also an entertaining game in its own right.

First announced back in May, Never Alone now available on Xbox One and Steam. Before you grab the game (or after!), be sure to read our in-depth interview with Grant Roberts, Lead Game Designer from E-Line Media, the publisher of Never Alone. We've got lots of behind-the-scenes details, concept art, and an exclusive gameplay video that highlight just what an uncommon game Never Alone really is.

Hi! Please tell us about some of your interests outside of video games.

Lately, I haven't had much time for interests outside of work — we've been working long hours here at the studio to put the final finishing touches on Never Alone as we get ready to launch worldwide.

When I'm not playing or making games, I really enjoy singing terrible 90s songs at karaoke bars, nitpicking scripted television shows so much that I ruin them for everyone else, and taking impromptu road trips with my wife around the Pacific Northwest.

What are some of your favorite games, both current and from the past?

My answer changes every day, but you'll usually find System Shock 2, Final Fantasy VI, Star Control II, Super Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in some order at the top of the list. The tricky part for me is reconciling games that have come out in the last 15 years with those. Journey, Limbo, Gone Home, Cave Story, Brothers... you all might make it up there someday.

I've also recently had the chance to finally check out some of our peers in the puzzle platformer space while at my desk, usually while waiting for builds to finish. So I've really been enjoying The Swapper, The Fall, Schein, and especially Teslagrad.

Grant RobertsGrant Roberts

Say, Star Control II is one of my old favorites as well. How did you go from playing games to making them?

I've been playing games as long as I can remember, well before one of my first memories of my father standing me up on a milk crate so I could reach the Galaga controls at a 7-Eleven.

I got my first computer for free in 1982, thanks to my mother receiving it as a gift for attending an all-day real estate event — she had no interest in buying into a timeshare, but a lot of interest in helping her son start programming. That computer (a Timex Sinclair 1000) had a staggering 2KB of memory and used cassette tapes for storage.

So yeah, I've been doing this for a while. After all, back in those days, if you wanted to make games for a living, you had to know how to code. So I took classes in and out of school to learn how to program in BASIC, Logo, PASCAL, and many others… until I realized in college that my destiny was to be found elsewhere.

A few years later, I was hired as an Editor at Next Generation Magazine. Two years after that, I got my foot in the game development door as a QA Engineer. Fifteen years after that, I'm leading the design team here at E-Line Media.

Never Alone concept art

Please tell us about the creation of Upper One Games. Did the studio exist before embarking on the development of Never Alone?

The Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) approached E-Line Media back in 2012. CITC wanted to explore ways to tell their stories and share their culture with modern audiences, so [the two groups] began a collaborative process that has been unlike anything I've ever been a part of. Upper One Games is the company formed by CITC to develop Never Alone with E-Line Media.

CITC and Upper One Games are located in Alaska. E-Line Media is headquartered in New York, but the Never Alone development team operates out of Seattle.

Minnie Gray (left) and Sean Vesce, Creative Director at E-Line Media (right)

What are some games that influenced you during the Never Alone development process?

The platformer is one of the most well-known genres in the history of games, so I've been influenced by decades of them. From the first non-Super Mario Bros. all the way to Super Mario 3D World and everything in between, I've been influenced by every one of them I've played along the way, good or bad.

But some of our more contemporary peers have been an even stronger influence for me. Some of my favorite games of the last few years are Braid, FEZ, Limbo, Journey, Rayman Origins and Legends, and Brothers, so you'll probably see their influence in the final gameplay experience.

Never Alone for Xbox OneIntroductory cinematic

Never Alone is built around the stories of the Native Alaskan Iñupiat people. Is the game entirely folklore based, or does it incorporate real-life elements as well?

We worked closely with Ishmael Angaluuk Hope to immerse ourselves in the rich stories of the Iñupiaq people and look for inspiration in the game we wanted to make. We eventually settled on the story of Kunuuksaayuka, which tells the tale of a man whose village is plagued by an eternal blizzard, and his journey to find its source.

Once we realized that was the perfect framework for the game, we licensed the story of Kunuuksaayuka as told by Robert Nasruk Cleveland, and gained permission from his daughter, Minnie Aliitchak Gray. So while the framework of the game follows the story of Kunuuksaayuka, Nuna and Fox have plenty of other adventures featuring well-known characters from Iñupiat stories along the way.

The game does feature real-life elements as well, of course — we worked closely with the community to make sure that everything you see in the game reflects what you would see in real villages and other environments.

Never Alone for Xbox OneXbox One gameplay

What are some of the themes of the story?

There are many things that the Iñupiat people consider to be core values, but the three that we chose to focus on in Never Alone are resilience, interdependence, and intergenerational exchange.

Resilience is obvious: life in the Arctic is incredibly difficult in the best of times, and when you add the fiercest blizzard in history to the mix, only the most resilient of people will be able to survive. The blizzard is the main antagonist in Never Alone, so Nuna and Fox have to take shelter from it whenever they can.

Interdependence isn't just about Nuna and Fox relying on each other to make progress in their journey, although that's definitely the most common example of it in the game. But interdependence also means relying on other members of the community around you to live your life. It means having respect for the world around you, from your fellow person to nature and the spirits that are everywhere.

Intergenerational exchange, however, is not as immediately obvious as the others. The story of Nuna and Fox is voiced in spoken Iñupiaq (another first in games!) by an elder. But intergenerational exchange is just as important to us outside the game as it is inside. Part of that is playing through the game side-by-side with a friend or family member, which provides an experience that's unquestionably different from playing with someone in another room far away. We wanted that personal touch to come through in the game itself as well as the experience of playing it, so we chose to focus on local co-op.

Never Alone concept art

The game stars a young girl named Nuna and a fox she meets early on. Can you tell us about the relationship these protagonists share?

By the time the player meets Nuna and Fox, they have already known each other for a while. Fox is not Nuna's pet — the two are companions whether they're on an adventure or not. Nuna and her people believe that Siḷa is all around us, from the earth to the stars, whether it's visible or not. Fox allows Nuna to see the world of the Helping Spirits herself.

Will Nuna encounter other human characters over the course of the game?

She will, but just because a character is human doesn't mean that they will help Nuna in her journey.

How do the two protagonists deal with enemies? Do they have any attacks?

Early in the game, Nuna acquires a special bola that has been passed down to people in her village for generations, but she mostly uses it to solve puzzles and clear obstacles.

Enemies in the Arctic are so fierce and dangerous that Nuna and Fox's best option to deal with them is usually to run. When confrontation does happen, the companions will usually have to use their wits to survive rather than attacks.

Never Alone for Xbox OneXbox One gameplay

Early on, Nuna must avoid a rampaging polar bear. Will there be actual boss battles later in the game?

As James Nageak, our Iñupiaq narrator, says during the game: "Kaakami nanuq nikatchalaitchuq." A hungry bear will not give up easily!

It's not just polar bears that Nuna has to worry about, though. She and Fox will encounter many challenges and enemies along the way.

Never Alone can be played alone or with a friend in local co-op. What are the cooperative elements of the gameplay?

If you play through the game in single-player mode, you can switch between Nuna and Fox at any time with one button press. It's a lot of fun to switch back and forth in the middle of puzzles (and more exciting times) so each character can use their own unique abilities.

In addition to her aforementioned bola, Nuna can climb ladders and ropes, and move heavy objects. Fox can scramble up sheer walls and jump from them to reach great heights. Plus, he's small and can fit through small spaces.

Over the course of the game, the two companions will have to use every trick up their sleeve to stop the blizzard.

Never Alone for Xbox One

Players can unlock informational videos about Native Alaskans as they progress through the game. Are there any hidden or missable videos?

You unlock those Cultural Insight videos (as we call them) by finding owls in the environments you visit. Not all of them can be found on a normal playthrough, though — some of them are hidden in difficult-to-reach places. After you finish each chapter, you can replay it at any time and try to find the hidden owls.

The game takes place in a snowy region of Alaska, which means a lot of white in the visuals. Did you find ways to incorporate more colors into the game's palette as well?

I asked Dima Veryovka, the Art Director here at E-Line, for his response to this question. Here's what he said:

"The goal was to create this game with a very atmospheric, soft looking feel that captures Arctic beauty. This is why it was rendered using a lot of pastels and desaturated colors, which helped us to create very moody, dreamlike visuals while still portraying an authentic and believable Arctic world.

At the same time, the ghostly green Aurora lights, crystal blue glow of the ice, and beautiful Arctic sunsets added much-needed saturation to the visual style — and helped to create contrast and punctuation throughout the experience."

Never Alone concept art

What type of soundtrack did you choose to match Never Alone's unique setting?

Brendan Hogan, our composer from Impossible Acoustic, wrote the music. The landscape and environment depicted in the game served as the jumping-off point for both the mood of the music and the timbre of the sounds used. In addition to using traditional instruments like the piano, he created a palette of unique sounds using recordings of ice and snow and even processed bird and animal sounds.

Also from Impossible Acoustic, Jamie Hunsdale took a "hunter/gatherer" approach to the sound design and foley for the game. Sound elements were hunted down during field recording trips deep into the snowy mountains and forests, and later extracted and manipulated to create a custom reality for every jump, every landing and every footstep that Nuna and Fox take on their great adventure.

Heavy fabrics and natural materials were gathered to create the movement of the characters, while chunks of tree bark, shards of ice, tons of snowballs, three party pizzas and a frozen stream were used to create the texture of the surrounding harsh environment. Jamie has said that "I want people to feel like they need to wear a sweater when they play this game."

The two of them worked very closely with one of our ridiculously talented engineers, Chris Eng, over the course of many months to implement and tweak the audio until it was as much of a character in the game as Nuna and Fox.

Never Alone has just launched simultaneously on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Steam. Did the Xbox One version present any unique challenges compared to the others?

Each of the three platforms presented their own unique challenges along the way, but the main difficulties we've run into with new hardware is simply the short timeframe we've had to get the game up and running on each system.

We got our development hardware a little later than we would have liked based on the schedule of our project, so it's been pretty amazing to watch the Engineering team work their magic. We went from not even having the dev kits in house to the game running beautifully on all three platforms in a matter of months.

Never Alone concept art

How did the game become part of the ID@Xbox program? What was it like dealing with Microsoft throughout the process?

Our producer Matt Swanson has been the one to handle our relationships with the console manufacturers, so I'll let him answer that. Funny story, though: I got my start in the video game business back in 1997 when I was an Editor for Next Generation Magazine. My boss at the time was Chris Charla, who is now the Director of ID@Xbox. Small world.

Anyway, here's Matt:

"We joined the ID@Xbox Program the day that the announcement went out that they were seeking enrollees. It took a while to hear back, as I'm sure they were inundated by applicants, but once we received confirmation from them everything was a breeze from the publishing end.

The documentation they provided was very clear and readable, and the tools they provided for preparing the metadata and publishing was incredibly easy. Everything was in one place, with lots of instruction and a clear pipeline for going through the certification process — a very welcome relief for a first-time publisher working on a new platform. Our reps were great to work with and answered all of our questions promptly.

I'd heard horror stories of "the old days" of trying to publish games on some of the previous generation of consoles, but this was a snap in comparison."

Never Alone for Xbox OneXbox One gameplay

Finally, if things go well, would you like to make a sequel? Would it be a direct sequel or something based on a different culture?

That depends on how successful we are with Never Alone! I can say that over the course of this project, people from all over the world have taken notice of what we're doing. The feedback from the press has been overwhelming. The response from gamers at all the trade shows we've attended has been phenomenal.

We've even been approached by representatives from other cultures who've seen how much we care about telling stories through this inclusive development process, and want to work together with us to tell stories from THEIR culture through this new genre of games we're creating.

But we've also grown pretty attached to Nuna and Fox, so I don't think anyone has heard the last of them!

  • Never Alone – Xbox One – 2.9 GB – $14.99 – Xbox Link

#IDARB for Xbox One developer exposes the game's crazy origins in our exclusive interview

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#IDARB or It Draws a Red Box Is easily my most anticipated ID@Xbox game of the year. Developer 'Other Ocean' describes the game as a "chaotic 8-player eSport jumping jetpack future arena ball game that is as inspired by Bomberman, Smash Bros., and NBA Jam." That said, the game is constantly changing and evolving as Other Ocean crowd-sources ideas from passionate users.

Xbox One owners will be able to download #IDARB sometime before the end of the year. In the meantime, we interviewed Mike Mika, game designer at Other Ocean. Mike spills the beans about a new #IDARB feature, the history about Other Ocean, and even shares some moving words about the recent Atari dig that he attended.

Mike, it's a pleasure to meet you. Can you tell us a little about your background and what you do when you're not making games?

I've been making games professionally now since 1994. My first games were created in the 80s on an Apple II and the Commodore 64. I really can't think of a time that I wasn't making games or fantasizing about it. By third grade, I had these "design documents" (Stacks of drawings) of games I wanted to make.

I would send them to every game company I could find an address for. Atari and Activision were the only people who would engage, and both so differently. Activision would send me design notes and information on what I needed to learn to become a programmer and all kinds of encouragement, and Atari would send me order forms for their games in appreciation and suggest I become an arcade game distributor and work with the "Atari Team." And to be honest, I wanted to do that, too.

When I'm not making games, I do family things. My kids give me an excuse to bring out all my old toys and watch cartoons.

Tell us about Other Ocean and how you ended up there.

Other Ocean is a distant relative to a company called Digital Eclipse, which was started, I believe, in 1991. Digital Eclipse made its mark as the creators of the first commercial emulation of classic games, with Defender, Robotron, and Joust for the Macintosh. They came in these really cool cardboard arcade-game-shaped boxes that now fetch a pretty penny on-line.

I joined just before the release of the Game Boy Color, in, I think, 1998. I was moonlighting with Andrew Ayre (CEO Other Ocean and previously of Digital Eclipse) on a few Game Boy games while still working at Next Generation game magazine. Finally, I pulled up anchor and moved over to Digital Eclipse full time and worked on a bevy of Game Boy games, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation, etc. We were known for original game designs based on movie and television properties and our experience in bringing classic games to modern platforms. Those were some pretty crazy times!

We eventually became Backbone Entertainment after a merger with a company called ImaginEngine. And not too long after that, we formed Foundation 9, a large collective of great game studios around the world. I left that company for a brief stint to help launch a mobile studio after Steve Jobs eloquently painted the picture of what the App Store would be on the iPhone.

That company, NGMoco, was amazing – we were in a position to create a lot of firsts for mobile and I loved it, but it was also a startup and very grueling at a time that my wife and I were expecting our daughter. So that holiday I ran into Andrew, and we were like "Let's get the band back together!" He had arranged to take one of the Backbone studios with him when he left Foundation 9, and I joined Other Ocean and that's sort of how it all came together. In many ways, Other Ocean is Digital Eclipse. We have a lot of the same people and the same inspirations.

How did #IDARB come about?

Way back in January of this year (2014), I started doodling with the game engine we used in a previous game. I wanted to get back to programming, and I hadn't done it for a while, and I also wanted to work on something that I could share. Most of the games we work on need to be shrouded in secrecy and coordinated with a marketing team, etc. I also was missing the old school way I used to make games with my friends. So I started by doing what I've always done and created a box that I could control. It was red, and I had it standing and jumping on some platforms.

I posted an image of it and basically said "It draws a red box" and asked what I should do with it. I hoped maybe a couple of my friends would chime in or I'd get a few weird ideas, but I didn't expect the engagement to be so rich and fascinating. The sheer volume of response since that tweet was insane. I decided pretty much that night that I was going to try and put in every idea that I could and use it as a way to find what the game was going to be.

What's the story of you guys joining ID@Xbox?

I've known and worked with Chris Charla for a long time. He's always been a huge advocate of independent games, way before there was even a term for it. We'd worked on games together, and he's always envisioned the day that small studios and teams could produce games and go straight to market on a console.

He called me around the same time that I was posting the progress of our game and was like:

"Did you sign the NDA I sent?""No.""YOU HAVE TO SIGN IT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING."

He filled me in on what they were planning to do with the Xbox One, and asked me a lot of questions, and then asked if I'd be interested in bringing the game over. In fact, I think it was Chris who actually first used the acronym #IDARB. At this point, I was still just doing this for fun at night, but once he sent over the hardware, we were pretty excited just to see if we could get it up on the Xbox.

It took about a week, and we reported our progress, and the now christened ID@XBOX team offered an incredible opportunity to feature the game at GDC in two prominent locations. We suddenly saw the effect of a marketing and publishing titan strap on the rockets and the game, now only really a few weeks old, was standing toe-to-toe with Titanfall on the show floor. That was pretty surreal.

Other Ocean has developed a lot of licensed games, plus a few unique ones like Duty Calls and Dark Void Zero. What's it like to collaborate with fans on #IDARB and receive so much praise from the press?

I've only experienced this once before in my career, and it was for a game called Death, Jr. that we made for the PSP. It's incredibly rewarding. The fact that we can talk about the game during development, and make changes without having to go to a small committee who often times has its hands tied and is limited by the constraints of a license or IP. You can really see the difference.

Everyone in the studio has contributed to #IDARB and their motivation comes from a place of true excitement to be working on it. We have a lot of fun with the game, and we still, after all these months, love to play the game. It really is a simple game, and I feel really fortunate to be working on it. I hope the fun we are having shows through, because I really do believe that your attitude during the development of a game inevitably affects the mood and enjoyment [potential] of the game itself.

Speaking of the collaborative process, have you received any particularly weird suggestions from fans?

Surprisingly, most suggestions were very thoughtful. Some throwaways like "Put in Leland Yee selling rocket launchers to children" would show up, and we'd actually take a stab at some of those ideas. (For the record, we had to remove Leland Yee for legal reasons, but he was in there for some time!)

The last time the public saw #IDARB was back at Gamescom. What are some things that have changed or have been added since then?

We added a lot since then. We have a song editor now that enables players to create victory songs for their teams, and a logo editor to create logos. We have over a dozen recipes to unlock via achievements. Real world food recipes. They were contributed to use my some awesome game industry folks like Jeremy Hoffmann and Abbie Heppe. Also, Caitlin Oliver gave us this amazing teriyaki chicken recipe. She's the world record holder for arcade Splatterhouse.

How does it feel to have industry veterans like Tim Schafer and the staff of Giant Bomb not only support your team, but even agree to be featured in the game?

It feels like collusion? It's actually really awesome that we have an "industry" that is still small enough to be filled with all of your friends and that those people can support you when you are small and don't have the means to get the word out.

We will never be Activision or any of these larger companies, and we will never be able to out-market those guys. But when people like Tim, Brad, Jeff and the rest of the crew give you some of their valuable time to help promote you, it's a bit humbling and amazing.

What are you most proud of with #IDARB?

That something I got to make and play with all my friends turned out so damn fun.

You participated in the recent Atari dig. How did you enjoy that experience and discovering the truth behind the urban myth?

When I was just out of college, I created one of the first "homebrew" Game Boy games. I reproduced my favorite game as a kid, Yars Revenge. (It later was officially released). While I was hacking away at the game, a friend of mine said he saw Howard posting on some forum, and he nabbed his e-mail address. This was still early internet days.

On a whim, I emailed him and told him what I was up to. He wrote back! And he said he was actually going to be in the town next to mine in the next week. We arranged to meet up and he told me the whole story, from the early days of his career, where and what he was doing then, and he gave me so many insights into the development of Yars and ET. He was such a nice guy and he encouraged me to finish the game, gave me some critique, and then told me that the best games he's ever worked on built "complexity from simplicity." I would write him every once in a while, and he would write back with advice and words of encouragement.

When I moved to California, I looked him up and featured him often in Next Generation magazine. He was always hilarious and upbeat. But I could also sense a little bit of regret. He never outright said it, but you could always tell that the burden of being blamed for ruining something he really cared about and loved, the game industry, haunted him. He'd joke about how he would work with Tod Frye, the creator of Pac-Man for Atari (Another game often blamed for the demise of the game industry), at other companies after Atari and they'd tell people, jokingly, that they were the two people who could destroy the game industry again.

To me, the idea and notion that ET destroyed a game industry was just lazy. I had the game as a kid, and so did a lot of my friends, and we all played the hell out of it. So when the documentary came around, I had no idea what the story was going to be, or what other people were going to say, but when it came time to discuss the quality of ET and the talent of its creator, my pent up instinct kicked in.

I remember later thinking about how I might be the only guy in the documentary who felt that way, and I might seem crazy. But I really believed it, and it was exciting to see my friend Ernie Cline also come onboard, who I knew felt the same way, and then Seamus Blackley, and all these people I've worked with come to Howard's defense.

Then to hang out with Howard at the dig site – it was pretty emotional. Here's this guy who was an amazing mentor to me, and supporter of my career, and now it was his moment. He was surrounded by fans, family, and friends when that bucket came up. And to see him finally let out that pain as people cheered. I think the demon was exorcised at that moment.

Other Ocean recently hosted a launch party for #IDARB coinciding with the premiere of the Atari: Game Over documentary. How did that go?

It was a nice cap on a really busy year. The best part was that it felt like a reunion of all of my old Backbone coworkers and partners and all my friends. It was weird too because there were people like Lorne Lanning there supporting us. HOW THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? He my hero! My Daughter's kindergarten teacher even showed up!

Does the launch party mean the game has "gone gold"? If so, what's the expected release date?

I think we are literally days away from a big announcement if all goes well. I wish I could say more! I think everyone will be happy.

We chat with the co-founder of Lucid Games about Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

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Geometry Wars 3

It started out as a mini-game inside Project Gotham Racing 2 for the original Xbox but Geometry Wars has grown since then to become a well known stand alone game franchise on its own. This week, the arcade shooter series gets a new installment, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, from UK-based Lucid Games. It's being published by Activision as the first game under their revitalized Sierra brand, which will be dedicated to launching smaller, downloadable titles.

Geometry Wars 3's biggest feature is that it uses 3D grids for the first time, as players control their ship and combat a variety of enemies with different power ups in its unique retro art style. The game is out this week for the PC, Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms, among others. We got a chance to ask some questions, via email, to Lucid Games co-founder Craig Howard about their work on Geometry Wars 3.

First, how did Lucid Games come to be formed?

Lucid Games is an independent studio formed by a group of ex Bizarre Creations employees who wanted to create great games with AAA production values. We now have a great mix of guys and girls who have worked on a wide range of games from PGR to Wipeout and obviously Geometry Wars.

How did the idea come about to develop Geometry Wars 3?

There have been a lot of idea's knocking about for a while within the team, as we started getting them together with various prototypes we felt that we had something that would prove to be an exciting new installment in the Geometry Wars franchise.

The first two games in the series are really incredible arcade shooters. How hard was it to bring that same experience to a new generation of hardware?

Yes the previous games were fantastic, and we have been really meticulous in bringing the core elements over to the new machines to ensure they capture that magic of the 360 originals. All the nuances of the controls and enemy behaviours have been accurately moved over to ensure that fans of the originals will be able to pick up the pad on their new machine and will feel at home.

Geometry Wars 3

How does the 3D grid element change the gameplay compared to the first two Geometry Wars games?

The 3D grids bring in some interesting new tactics to the player, for example an enemy may be chasing you and you can fly to a narrow part of a shape to outrun them and take them out, or you can use more precise analogue ship movement to slow down at times when moving around a sharp corner. We feel that these add depth and a different range of tactics for players to use when in some battles. We also have a range of 2D shapes, ensuring we have a large amount of variety in the challenges for the player.

What can you tell us about some of the power ups in Geometry Wars 3?

The power ups are triggered by destroying a swarm of special enemies (Called Super states) that appear in different formations for a brief period of time. Depending on their shape you trigger the appropriate power-up, including Homing missiles, Quad bullets, Shield, spreadfire and more.

What are some of the opponents like in the game?

Lots of the old adversaries are back, including Weavers who dart out of the way of your bullets, and spinners that charge at you quickly and split into two when shot, however over the 50 new levels there are a range of new enemies to encounter such as gobblers who actually pick up Geoms to hinder your score,

What can you tell us about the gameplay modes in Geometry Wars 3?

We have a range of gameplay modes for the player, including evolved levels where you have to score as much as possible before you lose your life, pacifism modes where you have to score by using tactics other than shooting, painter levels where you have to stop the grid being coloured in by painter enemies and much more.

What other gameplay elements do you think are important?

There are a lot of elements in Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, one big addition over retro evolved are the drones, these act like a wingman and have different personalities and attacking traits. You can level them up and also assign them a range of special abilities that you can trigger when in the heat of a battle.

Geometry Wars 3

Are there any plans to add new levels and content to the game after its release?

We hope to bring more content in the future as there is a lot of things that we want to explore further with the game, and we love working on it.

Finally, is there anything else you wish to say about Geometry Wars 3?

It's great pick up and play fun, and even better with friends as you can challenge them on every one of the 50 levels as the game has individual leaderboards and a rival notification system. You can also play Co-Operatively with up 3 friends around the same machine in a special 10 level adventure and you can also battle online with 8 player competitive multiplayer.

We would like to thank Craig for answering our questions. Geometry Wars 3 Dimensions is out now for PC, via Steam, and will be released for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on Wednesday.

We attended the Tales from the Borderlands premiere and lived to Tell the Tale

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Tales from the Borderlands premiere Randy Pitchford

Tales from the Borderlands is a brand-new episodic adventure game set within the Borderlands universe. A collaboration between Telltale Games and Gearbox Software, Tales is the most story-driven Borderlands game yet. Players can grab the episodes individually as they are released, or opt for a season pass to get all five episodes for a little cheaper. The first episode is already available on Xbox One and Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and 4, and PC and Mac, with the Android and iOS versions sometime thereafter.

To celebrate the launch of Tales from the Borderlands, Telltale Games recently held a premiere event at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Richardson (Dallas), TX. This marks the first time a game has debuted at the renowned movie theater chain, and we were lucky enough to attend. Read on for my impressions of the Tales from the Borderlands Episode 1: Zero Sum reveal event and the game itself!

A different kind of premiere

For those who are not lucky enough to live near an Alamo Drafthouse, the theater is unique in that it combines movies, food, and alcoholic beverages in one awesome location. Walk into the lobby and you'll see a bar at one side, with the lobby and hallways filled with movie memorabilia and interesting décor. The theater that Telltale had reserved was filled with aisles of seats spaced graciously apart, a long table in front of each aisle for viewers' food and drinks.

Tickets to the premiere were free with a $4 food voucher purchase. They sold out within three hours, so the event was packed on event night. The aforementioned voucher could be put to use on several special Borderlands-themed drinks in addition to the Alamo's regular selection. I ordered the Tiny Tina's Sexopants GO! Cocktail, which consisted of Gin, Lime, Strega, and Ginger Beer.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere cosplayersCosplayers: Gaige and Psycho from Borderlands

Looking around at the audience, you'd see a great many members clothed in Borderlands t-shirts and even cosplay. All told, a total of ten people dressed as Borderlands characters. One lady even cosplayed as Fiona, the all-new female lead in Tales from the Borderlands. Telltale and Gearbox were so impressed, they treated her like a member of the family throughout the event.

Also in attendance were a who's-who of Borderlands and Telltale bigwigs. We caught sight of Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford in the front row, along with Anthony Burch (Borderlands writer), Matthew Armstrong (Borderlands franchise director), Mark Darin (Creative Director at Telltale), and many more.

Randy kicked things off with a magic trick in which a girl from the audience chose between five cards at random. Whatever the card said on the other side, Randy had to do. She pulled a "Hug" card, so that's what she got. As she returned to her seat, Randy revealed that the other cards all said "kill." Guess she lucked out!

Tales from the Borderlands premiere gameplay Rhys

Meet Rhys and his crew

After the opening concluded, a member of the Telltale staff began to play the game on the theater's 60-foot screen. It started out with a traditional animated Borderlands intro narrated by the accented arms dealer Marcus Kincaid. The Tales story follows the death of the notorious dictator Handsome Jack, the primary antagonist of Borderlands 2.

To start with, we see the game's all-new male protagonist Rhys wandering around a desolate location named Prosperity Junction. He calls for Fiona, but quickly gets knocked out by a masked marauder. The assailant demands that Rhys tell him about "the Gortys Project," which he begins to do. Thus begins a lengthy flashback that reveals how Rhys came to Pandora, the dangerous world where the Borderlands games take place.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere Pandy Pitchford, Mark Darin, and Job StaufferRandy Pitchford, Mark Darin, and Job Stauffer

Rhys is an up-and-comer at the Hyperion Corporation, an arms manufacturer and one of the many factions engaged in the exploitation of Pandora and its citizens. Along with his friends Vaughn from Accounting and Yvette, Rhys wants nothing more than to move up in the company and the universe at large.

Unfortunately for the blue collar trio, Rhys' boss Henderson has just been replaced by the ruthless Hugo Vasquez (voiced by Patrick Warburton). Vasquez wastes no time in demoting poor Rhys. But before that happens, our protagonist overhears a phone call between Vasquez and someone on Pandora. The bad boss man wants to buy a Vault Key (an artifact that can open a cache of alien riches) from the Pandoran dealer, but he'll need time to gather the money first.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere gameplay Fiona

Fiona and friends welcome Rhys to Pandora

Soon we descend to the planet and witness Rhys and Vaughn attempting to purchase the Vault Key with stolen Hyperion funds. If they can get it back to the company before Vasquez, they'll be heroes. But even reaching the meeting proves exceedingly difficult, as the town of Prosperity Junction is teaming with bandits and ne'er-do-wells.

Once Rhys and pal meet with August and his lady friend to broker the deal, things seem to be going smoothly enough. But we return to the present and discover that both Rhys and Fiona are being held captive by the same masked man. Each of our protagonists blames the other for the failure of the Vault Key deal as well as their inadvertent involvement with the mysterious Gortys Project.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere cosplayersCosplayers: Fiona and Lilith from Borderlands

Fiona starts telling her side of the story, and we flash back into the past again. Now we meet Fiona's sister Sasha, who looks very familiar. Perhaps she played a role in Rhys's story. Both Fiona and Sasha have been raised into a life of crime by Felix, an elderly con artist.

Soon Fiona's story revisits the Vault Key deal, only from her perspective. Things do indeed go sour, with the locked briefcase full of money stolen by a team of psycho bandits. Fiona, Sasha, Rhys, and Vaughn will have to team up and rip off the psychos if they ever want to get their money back. Lots of fighting, double-crossing, and even a little bonding takes place throughout the remainder of the episode.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere cosplayers

The game itself

Tales from the Borderlands is another in a long-line of adventure games from Telltale, makers of The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us. This new game has a markedly lighter tone than either of those titles. It basically plays out like a caper movie, with equal parts comedy and intrigue throughout the narrative.

While the story and setting will immediately appeal to Borderlands players, the actual gameplay differs greatly from Gearbox's Borderlands titles. Telltale games are about 80 percent story, twenty percent interaction, after all. Players will navigate 3D environments from a third-person perspective, looking for objects to scan (which always reveals a humorous description) and things to interact with.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere cosplayers

The combat and action sequences don't play much like Borderlands either. Rhys and Fiona will get into lots of trouble with bandits and other enemies, but the sequences play out via quicktime events (QTEs) instead of first-person shooting. Players will need to swipe in various directions or tap the correct button or icon in order to attack foes and avoid all manner of exaggerated peril. The action is very exciting, and you don't even need to be a hardcore gamer to survive.

Telltale Games are famous for allowing players to have a say in the outcome of character interactions and the overall story. Throughout the first episode of Tales, our presenter frequently had to stop and choose between dialogue responses and actions for the characters to take. These parts were a blast during the premiere, as the audience shouted and cheered their preferred responses.

Tales from the Borderlands premiere Paul Acevedo, Fiona, Job Stauffer, and Matthew ArmstrongPaul Acevedo, Fiona cosplayer, Job Stauffer, and Matthew Armstrong

Tales from the Borderlands Episode 1: Zero Sum is filled with fun references to the Borderlands games and universe. You'll meet a certain Vault Hunter, choose authentic Borderlands equipment for a talking mech, and get a tease of another fan favorite character that will show up in future episodes.

Even after seeing the complete episode play out on the big screen, I couldn't wait for the game to launch so I could play it for myself and make different choices. Whether you're a Borderlands or a Telltale fan, Tales from the Borderlands is a must-play adventure game.

'Zero Sum' is available now on Xbox One and Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and 4 in the US, Steam, and Mac OS X. The European Playstation versions launch next week. iOS and Android versions will follow, but don't have specific release dates yet.

Stay tuned for our full interview with Telltale and Gearbox!

  • Tales from the Borderlands (base game) – Xbox One – $4.99 – Xbox.com Link
  • Tales from the Borderlands (base game) – Xbox 360 – $4.99 – Xbox.com Link
  • Tales from the Borderlands Season Pass (requires base game) – Xbox 360 – $14.99 – Xbox.com Link
  • Tales from the Borderlands – PC or Mac – $24.99 – Steam Link

Learn the secrets of 'Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom' for Xbox 360 and Steam

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Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom interview

Adventure Time is a comedic animated fantasy show that seems perfect for videogame adaptations. Last year, fan-favorite developer WayForward created an Xbox 360 game called Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know! Despite the company's track record with quality licensed games, Explore the Dungeon didn't set the world on fire.

This year, WayForward and publisher Little Orbit are back with another entry for Xbox 360, PC, and other platforms that improves on its predecessor in every conceivable way. In fact, Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom is the closest thing to a Zelda game that you can get on Xbox 360.

Adventure Time and Zelda fans, don't miss our latest Xbox developer interview with the game's producer, Ryan Rucinski of Little Orbit, complete with gameplay video!

Hi there, Ryan. Please tell us about what you do when you're not playing or making videogames.

A vast majority of my time is doing exactly those two things. I suppose you could throw sleeping in there somewhere. However, I do like to go to the movies and enjoy some fine dining establishments and that good food has inspired me to actually learn how to cook myself.

Do you get to the movies much? What was your favorite film this summer?

Surprisingly, I go to movies less and less. But there are certain films I have to see on the big screen, or I feel like I am missing out. My favorite film this year (and the first one I ever watched in 3D) was Guardians of the Galaxy. That was a really fun run and basically was the Marvel version of Star Wars (which I can't wait to see when it comes out in 2015).

Well, here we are, me writing about games, you making games. How did you get into the gaming biz?

It was kind of a fluke, actually. I was visiting a friend who worked at Virgin Interactive. On the way back home, I passed by Interplay, which happened to be on the same street. I had just been laid off from Pace (basically the Costco of the nineties) and I figured that I would just drop off an application.

They called two days later and I had an interview set up. I showed up in a suit and tie. After they finished mocking me and I answered all the technical and Monty Python questions, they hired me. I was literally out of work for three days, and have been in the gaming industry since.

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

Before we talk about your new Adventure Time game, what's your take on the show? Does it give adults much to latch onto?

I love the show. I think that any adult that played AD&D as a kid (or still does) can watch the show and relate to it. To me it feels a lot like the adventures that I thought up with my buddies when we would have a sleep over and play games all night.

Of course, the later seasons are getting more structured than the early seasons. Much like myself as a "Killer DM"– I was all over the place. Only as I got a bit older did I get structured.

Last year's Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know! for Xbox 360 and other platforms received a tepid reception from critics. Did you guys take that criticism into account when making Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom?

I actually talked about this a lot with the folks at WayForward. But I only know things secondhand, so I can't really comment on the exact issues.

What I do know is that there were some concerns on our end because we have this awesome license and we didn't know if we wanted to use the same developer [on Secret of the Nameless Kingdom]. Without being jerks about it, we asked WayForward honestly what would keep the game from going down that road again. Man, those guys are harder on themselves than we ever could be. They owned up to the issues and straight-up said that they would never allow that [negative reaction] to happen again. They were so passionate about trying to get to do another game with the license that we felt that they should get another shot.

You have to give WayForward credit. With a super strict timeline for Explore the Dungeon, they did get a game out that was solid. We also didn't have a lot of time to get Secret of the Nameless Kingdom out [by the end of] the calendar year, but they had all these assets [from the previous game] that were already approved by Cartoon Network and a now polished engine. They basically got to spend more time on game design and programming, and worry less about art.

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

I understand that Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward acts as a creative consultant on the Adventure Time games. Can you elaborate on his involvement?

Pen told us the type of game he would like to have made, and also partook of our voice over sessions. Yes, that is the real Lumpy Space Princess in the game. (Ward voices the character in the show as well. – ed.)

We also had a ton of additional help from Cartoon Network. They gave us access to their writers, animators, upcoming story lines, unaired episodes, and concept art.

In the end, [everything in the game] has to be approved by Cartoon Network and Pendleton. Having the creators of the show involved with the development made the process pretty painless.

The show mixes comedy and adventure with dark and melancholy elements. Will any of those darker themes and ideas appear in The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom?

The game does have lying, betrayal, manipulation, lots of combat, and fart jokes, but nothing too bad. Also, [the game has multiple endings] and one of them is surprisingly dark.

The game features fully-voiced dialogue. Were you able to use all of the established characters' actual voice actors from the show?

Not all, but we certainly got some important ones. As I mentioned, Pendleton Ward made himself available for a few of the characters. I didn't know he was the voice of Shelby the worm until we started casting!

We also had Jeremy Shada (Finn), John DiMaggio (Jake), and Tom Kenny (Ice King), as well as a bunch of talented folks whose names you will see in the credits that are not just from the Adventure Time shows.

The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom looks to have been influenced by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. What led to that choice of game design?

It is funny you should mention this. When we had our kickoff call with Pen he said, "I want a Zelda game." Done!

We wanted to [capture] that adventure game feel with some new characters in a new land. The guys from WayForward really rocked it.

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

Series protagonists Finn and Jake will visit The Nameless Kingdom in this game. What is their overall goal in this new land?

Right off the bat, Princess Bubblegum gives Finn and Jake an important mission. Of course the two weren't paying attention, so they have to figure it out as they go along. Something about Princesses or something.

Finn is the main character in the game. How does Jake the dog fit into the actual game play?

Jake is used mostly as a tool. He can be Finn's shield, [help him] across chasms, and [sometimes he's even] playable. He is mainly used for two-part puzzles and story elements, though.

Zelda-style games traditionally feature new items and abilities that players can use to solve puzzles and unlock secrets in previous areas. What are some of the items and abilities that Finn and Jake will acquire as they traverse the Nameless Kingdom?

There are a few items that you will come across as you explore the world. Early in the game you can buy a Bananarang that will help stun bad guys so that you can either run away from or safely beat them up. Imagine a boomerang [like Zelda's] but much yellower. Eventually you will need to light some fires so you may turn to Flambo (a fire elemental from the show), who can also be thrown at the baddies for damage.

All the items can be upgraded as well. Later in the game you will be throwing multiple Banarangs, Jake the Shield [will gain the ability to] block magical attacks, etc.

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

What sort of Adventure Time touches can we expect from the designs of the enemies and bosses that Finn and Jake encounter?

All the enemies in the game have been seen in one of the episodes or a previous Adventure Time game. As for the bosses, there will be some familiar faces early in the game, but as you get further along, they will be brand new.

Each of the boss fights is very different [from the others]. There are some where you have to time your defenses then use a special move to retaliate. Others are puzzles. Some require you to split up Finn and Jake. And of course, there is the multi-phase run/dodge/defend type. They are all pretty unique in how they play out.

Which artists did you choose for The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom's soundtrack? Will the game incorporate any music from the show?

We didn't use music from the show. The game's music was composed by a number of big names in the video game music world, brought together by Brave Wave Productions. These include Eirik Suhrke (Spelunky), Chipzel (Super Hexagon), Keiji Yamagishi (Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo Bowl), and Ian Stocker (Escape Goat).

I hear the Xbox 360 version has one really tough Achievement. Can we blame you for that?

The one where you have to beat the game without getting a single upgrade was NOT my idea, I swear! The QA tester for that particular achievement wanted to slash my tires because he had to verify that it unlocked. Sorry Corey!

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom recently launched on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, 3DS, Vita, and PC. Why not release it on Xbox One and Playstation 4 as well?

[When we started development], the new Xbox and Playstation had yet to be released. We weren't sure how [well either console would sell]. It didn't help that we didn't have any dev kits [at that time], either.

That makes sense, but… Can we please get a Zelda-style game for Xbox One from you guys someday?

Hey, listen! So far every Adventure Time game has been [part of] a different genre. The first (Hey Ice King! for 3DS) was a platformer, the second was a dungeon-crawler, and this one is [a Zelda-style] adventure game. Hmmm... Maybe, but no promises!

Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe in 2015

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Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe

One year after launch, the Xbox One has a single massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) called Onigiri. Based on Japanese mythology, Onigiri has a beautiful fantasy world to explore and lots of content for role-players to enjoy. And it's even free! The only downside is it's entirely in Japanese.

We've already published a helpful guide to downloading Onigiri and understanding its menus, making it fairly easy to enjoy for non-Japanese speakers. But nobody can deny that a true English version would still be more convenient and immersive for gamers living outside of Japan. And yet no English Xbox One version had been announced… Until now.

Windows Central is proud to break the news that the Xbox One version of Onigiri is coming to North America and Europe in early 2015, right alongside the Playstation 4 version. Learn about the English release, whether or not characters can be transferred between versions, and more in our exclusive interview with Onigiri developer Cyberstep!


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With the Xbox One's poor sales situation in Japan, what made Cyberstep choose to launch Onigiri on Xbox One there? Was bringing the game to markets in which the Xbox One has sold better the primary motivation?

We here at Cyberstep are always looking at bringing our games to the global market. Though the Xbox One may not have sold very impressively in Japan, it has sold more than five million [consoles] overseas in general, which is quite a large amount overall. Thanks to support bases in North America and Taiwan, we are able to fully support localization and steady update schedules for Onigiri on this platform as well as others simultaneously.

Do you expect the North American release of Onigiri for Xbox One to launch simultaneously with the already announced Playstation 4 version, or on a different date?

We plan on releasing both as soon as we can, but the release dates may not match up precisely.

Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe

Will Onigiri for Xbox One and Playstation 4 also be available in Europe?

Yes, we do plan on releasing Onigiri on both systems in Europe as well.

Are the console versions of Onigiri identical in content to the PC game? If not, how many updates behind are the console versions?

In terms of playable content, the console versions will be nearly identical to their PC counterpart. Some items found in seasonal events will most likely not show up until the appropriate events happen during those seasons, though.

Finally, there may be a month or so delay between the latest PC update and that of the console versions contents due to the [certification procedures required by Microsoft and Sony when we add] new content.

Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe

Can players who already have a character in the PC version use the same character in the Xbox One version?

Unfortunately cross-version characters and servers will not be available in Onigiri Online.

If a player begins to play the Japanese Xbox One version of the game, will that player be able to retain the same character and progress in the North American version? And will the North American Xbox One version of Onigiri share servers with the Japanese version?

Unfortunately [character transfer and shared servers between regions] will not be available. All characters on different language versions of the game will be on separate servers.

Let's focus on the game itself. How is Onigiri monetized? Can you go into detail about the in-app purchases?

We are always putting in monetized options for players that involve a realistic approach to what the players will want for their characters in the game.

For example, as Onigiri Online is an action RPG game, it is important to players that they defeat the enemy in the brink of time, but also important to heal and support your friends and other players. As such, we have a variety of healing and resurrection items that will be available in game, as well as for sale in the cash shop. (One example is that you only get ten free resurrections per day. –ed.)

There is also a large variety of specially designed weapons and armor. Just as humans have changed from ancient clubs made of bones to the intricate steel sword, so too will the specially trained warriors in Onigiri Online move up in class and quality of weapon throughout their play.

Just like real life, players who make mistakes with their weapons will have them degrade and become worse with use. But unlike real life, the player characters live in a magical world, where with coin they can get a charm to bring new life to tired, used weapons.

That kind of "charm" can be purchased or ignored as players wish. It is up to them.

Also included with those [in-app purchase] options there is also a raffle-like system called the "Nyankoropon" where players can get a chance to win rare items and outfits!

How many characters can a player have by default? Are extra character slots available for purchase?

Any player can have up to three characters per account. There are no extra character slots for purchase yet, though they could be added in a future update.

Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe

Finally, do you have any additional information to share about the console versions of Onigiri and your plans for them?

The console market used to be a very difficult area for game companies that developed PC games, but it's a very widely spreading and compelling market in general. Entering this market is a very daunting and large challenge, but also quite exciting for us.

To make sure that Onigiri is successful in that new market we are taking precautions to start our service in a way that eases in the new players from the console markets who are new to free to play games and MMORPGs so that they can enjoy the atmosphere and world building experience with things like real-time and seasonal events, and continual updates, which are less common in games of other genres.

We are sorry we couldn't give out more information at this time, but please look forward to future updates!

Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe

Our take on the news

Cyberstep's plans for Onigiri are mostly great news, although a few specific details might not make some players happy.

A fair number of English speakers have already downloaded the Japanese Xbox One game and started playing it. The download process is not hard to do, and the game is plenty of fun even when its story is told in Japanese. Plus you can earn exotic Achievements and unlock some beautiful Achievement artwork for use as your Xbox One dashboard background.

When the game is released in North America and Europe, we'll be able to enjoy the same great gameplay and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanics and story. The downside is we can't transfer our Japanese characters to the English version. If a player spends dozens of hours in the Japanese game, it might be hard to part with that character in favor of starting the game anew in English.

Exclusive: Onigiri, the Xbox One's first MMO coming to North America and Europe

Still, we all benefit by knowing that Onigiri will come to Xbox One and Playstation 4 in English sometime next year. Some players who were interested in starting the Japanese game might want to hold out for the English version now. Achievement hunters might want to play both, because each version's Achievements will be separate (and thus stackable).

Personally, I'm going to keep playing the Japanese version of Onigiri until the English version comes along. I'm having a lot of fun with the game right now, and I'll have even more fun once it officially comes to the US.

In the meantime, we're planning a viewer participation Twitch stream later this month in which any of our readers and viewers who have downloaded the Japanese game can join us for multiplayer during the stream. If that sounds like fun, hurry up, download the game, and start questing!

Thanks to Cyberstep for answering our questions and releasing a highly enjoyable MMORPG on Xbox One!

Gunhouse dev explains journey from PlayStation Vita to Windows Phone in our interview

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Gunhouse

Last week we took notice of a new offering on the Windows Phone Store called Gunhouse that takes elements from puzzle and tower defense games. This is the first time I've seen this style and Necrosoft, the developers of the game, mixed the elements perfectly. Surprisingly, this beautiful and unique title is not available on iOS or Android. The only other system you'll find it on is the PlayStation Vita, another underdog platform.

The guys over at Necrosoft enjoyed our previous coverage so much, they offered to share their inside story with us. This week we had the pleasure of chatting with Brandon Sheffield, Director of Necrosoft Games and former editor-in-chief of Game Developer Magazine. A true industry veteran, he has also contributed to Dragon's Crown, Sine Mora, and Baynard Blast: Swine of the Night.

Brandon Sheffield

Tell us about yourself, Brandon. What do you do when you aren't developing games?

"I live in Oakland, California, and am a Bay Area native. When not working on games, I spend a lot of time listening to weird music from around the world - I've got a pretty size-able collection of sixties and seventies rock music from around the globe."

"Some of it is real weird! Here's something I picked up in Krakow, though the band is from Hungary. Pretty good! Or this thing I picked up in Saigon:Pretty different from our rock music of the era."

"I also go to noise music shows at local DIY venues, bake bread, and basically try to figure out how to live as cheaply as possible. It's tough in the Bay Area, but I was born here, and I'm not gonna let people with money push me out!"

"Oh, and I have a pretty big collection of retro games for most consoles. I love the PC Engine/TurboGrafx, and have about 300 games for the console. I've got about 200 Saturn games, so... I like the underdog, I guess."

"But Gunhouse wasn't made just by me of course! We also had Jim Crawford who did Frog Fractions coding the original game (he also helped with some design stuff), a guy named Takashi who did the WP port, Juan Ramirez's unique artwork, Jack Menhorn's SFX, and of course Rich Vreeland on music duty. Juan's art is the real star of this thing. I just did design and production stuff; it was really all the team that made it happen!"

Gunhouse first launched on PlayStation. How did that go?

"The game was actually launched on the PlayStation Mobile platform, which now is Vita exclusive, but when it launched was also on Sony smartphones. They killed that part of the program a few months ago, unfortunately. It was a fine platform, but the store was too hard to find (and still is!), so not as many people got to play it as I would have liked."

Why did you guys choose Windows Phone as the first proper mobile platform for Gunhouse?

"Technically WP was the second mobile OS, since it was briefly on Xperia smartphones, but we decided to come to WP because Microsoft asked us! They had this great program called AppCampus, which is now unfortunately over. AppCampus granted developers a budget to bring good games to Windows Phone."

"We were part of that program, and that's a big part of why we chose Windows Phone! Having development costs for the port funded was a big deal for us. It was also a good opportunity to port the game to Unity from the original PlayStation Mobile SDK. Now the game is more versatile and future proof!"

What made you guys decide to launch Gunhouse as a free game?

"We decided to make it free since Microsoft paid for development, basically. We felt that the best thing would just be to get the game in the hands of players, since our financial needs for the port were met. We're not greedy! As long as we have enough money to live, we just want people to play our games."

Where did your motto, "Stupid games for jerks like us" come from? Gunhouse seems to embody that wacky ethos.

"Brandon: Hmmm, the motto came from me basically liking really specific weird stuff, pretty much. I like very specific kinds of games - lots of strange, imperfect older Japanese games, like the Valis series on TurboGrafx and SNES, Ghost in the Shell for the original PlayStation, or Puyo Puyo~n on Dreamcast. I like games that try something new, even if they fail."

"Even if they're not perfect, if they try to make me feel or think or wonder, I appreciate that. The whole point of Necrosoft Games is to make the kinds of games that I'm not seeing out there anymore. I don't know if Gunhouse is the best example of that, but I think you'll see more of that from us going forward."

Where did the idea of Gunhouse come from? What games inspired it?

"Gunhouse actually came from a game jam! I don't know if you heard about the Molyjam, but it was a game jam based on the tweets of the Peter Molyneux parody account, @petermolydeux. I was one of the organizers of the jam, and it was super popular in its two year run, with thousands of participants across dozens of cities."

"So the game came from the parody account's tweet: "You live in a little house made of guns. You need many guns to fight invaders but also need to keep a roof on top of your many children."

"We used that original tweet and made something that has absolutely nothing to do with how the game turned out. The original game took place inside the house, in fact! It was originally called Orphanage Arsenal. I've got an image of that for you, here."

Orphanage Arsenla

"When we decided to make this thing, we made some tweaks, then some more, and then some more, and then, little by little, it turned into the game you see here. It's a huge story how we got from there to here... I'll tell it some day!"

"In terms of games that inspired it, well… I think it was inspired more by genres than specific games. Tower defense and puzzle were the main ones, of course - at one point we had a mechanic that was inspired by the equip screen in Solatorobo for the Nintendo DS, but we scrapped that!"

Your team recruited the composer of Fez's music for Gunhouse's soundtrack. How did that happen?

"Well, Rich (aka Disasterpeace) lives near me and comes to our game dev meetups. I just showed him the art and told him about the game, and he said okay! He used a totally different approach for this game than for his others, using loops and sequences rather than composing from start to finish. He would create smaller chunks of music, and then mix and match them around for maximum effect."

"In terms of workflow, basically he'd send me a track, and I'd tell him what I thought, ask for some tweaks, or some different instruments here or there, and he'd come back with something different. For one track, I asked for him to take inspiration from the Balinese monkey chant and some gamelan here:) and gamelan music. If you play the game, you can pretty much tell which one that is!"

Gunhouse has a vividly unique art style that reminds me of a mixture of graffiti and comic books. How did the art style come about?

"So the art is pretty much just a natural style that Juan Ramirez has fallen into. I met him on a message board back in the late 90s, and watched his art progress over time, and eventually started hiring him to do illustrations for Game Developer magazine, back when I was editor in chief. Over the years, he sort of learned what I liked, and developed his style even further."

"He has a pretty unique way of doing art, compared to most folks doing game work. He actually draws everything by hand, on actual paper! He then scans it and cleans it up, but everything you're seeing in the game is actually physically hand drawn on paper before anything else. It's pretty cool! We should exhibit some of this stuff somewhere."

Do you plan on adding more levels to the game in the future?

"Right now, we're just bug-hunting. Unless we get more funding for a new version, we can't afford to put more new content in the game since we decided not to monetize it. We'd really like to, though! Cross your fingers that we find a publisher to sponsor new content!"

You have more projects in the works, such as Oh Deer! and Gunsport. Do you plan on bringing those to Windows Phone?

"Gunsport would unfortunately not work on any mobile device, but Oh, Deer! - that's another story! It's a driving game that could work well with tilt control... If the demand is strong enough, we would definitely consider it, but we would need to know that the market is there, since it would be a significant cost to port. Right now we're targeting consoles only, but you never know what the future may bring!"

512MB RAM devices supported

QR: Gunhouse

Hands on with State of Decay for Xbox One at PAX South

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State of Decay Xbox One

The Penny Arcade Expo, also known as PAX, is a videogame and board game-themed fan convention that takes place in a variety of regions across the US and even Australia. The first ever PAX South is currently taking place throughout the weekend in San Antonio, TX at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. Your man in Texas, Paul Acevedo is right there hunting for choice gaming scoops and interviews.

Microsoft itself has a relatively low key presence at PAX South, but they have teamed up with Undead Labs to offer an early taste of State of Decay: Year One Survivor Edition to the masses. Newly upgraded for Xbox One, State of Decay looks and plays better than ever. Read on for my full impressions and video interview with Jeff Strain of Undead Labs!

State of Decay

State of Decay was originally released as an XBLA game in June 2013, where it went on to become one of the best-selling XBLA games of all time. If you haven't played the game, prepare for a fairly realistic depiction of human life after a zombie apocalypse. We're talking about a third-person action game with RPG and strategy elements, a combination which makes for a deep and challenging experience.

Step outside into State of Decay's world and you'll find that hordes of zombies roam the streets. You'll have to evade and/or kill them as you work to gather supplies and rescue fellow survivors. These survivors will join your crew and either help you going out scavenging or stay at home and defend your base.

State of Decay Xbox One

As the player, you'll have to carefully choose how much time you spend outside of the base and how much time you spend at home, fortifying against the countless zombies plaguing the area. Spend too much time away and your base not be strong enough to keep its inhabitants safe. But if you don't go out and look for supplies, you'll run short of food, medicine, ammo, and other materials necessary for survival.

Meanwhile, the team you take out scavenging can fall prey to zombies all too easily. You might enter a house looking for food and find that one of your partners has gotten overwhelmed. You'll want to help them develop their skills as fighters, but don't get too attached. Once the zombies kill a member of your team, that person is gone forever. Luckily you can switch to another survivor when your previous one dies or simply needs to rest, continuing to fortify your base and battle against the undead.

PAX South State of Decay booth

Hands on at PAX South

My first Xbox One play session with State of Decay took place within 'Breakdown' one of the two extra modes that were originally released as paid DLC on Xbox 360.

'Breakdown' is the game's sandbox mode. Rather than playing through a story, players simply choose from a vast assortment of characters and then try to survive the zombie apocalypse for as long as they can. Initially you're all on your own, so the first thing you'll want to do is discover a survivor camp and ask to join it. From there, your focus will shift to fortifying the base and hunting for supplies.

Eventually you'll need to repair an RV and escape with five fellow survivors… But the next town you settle in will have even more zombies to deal with. The struggle for survival will grow greater and greater each time you're forced to relocate.

From what I've seen, State of Decay has received a fair visual upgrade for Xbox One. The game now runs at 1080p resolution at a fixed 30 fps frame rate. The Xbox 360 version couldn't maintain 30 fps, so this version is certainly a lot smoother. I wouldn't mind seeing a game with this level of graphical detail run at 60 fps, but it's perfectly playable as-is.

State of Decay Xbox One

Besides a more fluid frame rate, the key upgrade this new version brings is a much improved draw distance. I climbed a tower in order to survey the city and I could see much farther than before. This helps a lot with identifying new buildings to forage from or packs of zombies to avoid. State of Decay has a lot of driving too, which is only improved from being able to see farther down the road.

State of Decay: Year One Survivor Edition arrives on Xbox One on April 28. Undead Labs is hard at work refining the new version and squashing any (zombie) bugs that pop up between now and then. The Xbox One version will cost $29.99, but owners of the Xbox 360 version can snag it for $19.99. Previous owners also get a bonus character, an Indian-American named Gurabani.

Are you guys looking forward to the fight to survive the zombie hordes when State of Decay comes to Xbox One?

Stardock's CEO talks to us about the company's new Windows 10 Start menu, Start10

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Start10 for Windows 10

Windows 10 won't officially be launched until sometime later in 2015, but software developers are already working on applications that will expand on the features in Microsoft's next operating system. One of the most well known third party Windows app makers, Stardock, has just launched their first Windows 10 program, Start10. The app offers users a way to bring the classic Windows 7-based Start menu to Windows 10, along with a number of other features.

Microsoft decided to add a Start menu in Windows 10 after it received a number of complaints about the company's decison to remove that feature in Windows 8. Stardock was one of many company that released a Start menu replacement for that OS and it turned into a massive hit for the company. So why would Stardock launch a menu program for Windows 10? We got the company's founder and CEO Brad Wardell to answer these and other questions about Start10, including his own feelings on Windows 10 as a whole and some hints about what the company has planned for the future.

Firstly, how many paid Start8 licences has Stardock sold since it launched three years ago?

I can't tell you the exact number but the number is in the millions.

Did the success of Start8 surprise you and do you think its success helped the Microsoft Windows team to realize adding a real start menu to Windows 10 was a good idea?

Absolutely. When the first beta of Windows 8 came out, we assumed they would add the Start menu back in a later build. But it was driving us nuts in the meantime so we put together "Start8". When they didn't put it back, we polished it up and made it available to the general public.

Start10 for Windows 10 Modern UI

Some people might question the need for Start10 since Windows 10 will have a Start menu on the desktop. Why do you think people will need Start10 for Windows 10?

I was one of those people until I started using Windows 10 a lot.

The basic problem Microsoft faces is that they want their Start menu to be usable by both desktop users via a mouse as well as via touch. As a result, they give up a lot of the usability for people who are trying to do serious desktop work.

For example, the Windows 10 start menu items lack menus. So I can't just go to a file location. The search bar doesn't allow me to pin things to the start menu, I can't organize it the way I'd like (or standardize it for an enterprise customer). There's no jump list support, there's no realistic way to integrate multiple cloud document providers together because their Start menu is launch centric and not document centric like it's traditionally been.

Moreover, there's the issue succinctness. I don't benefit from having a bunch of large blocks thrown in my face when I just want to check what type of monitor a user has on their machine via "Documents and Printers" (which isn't even accessible from the Windows 10 start menu). The "All apps" link still doesn't support a real folder concept. The list goes on and on.

Mind you, it's better than having no Start menu at all. But it's important to remember that there are decades of user experience and refinement with the traditional Start menu.

What are the biggest features in Start10?

In the first build, it's really just an evolution of Start8. But as we go forward, we want to integrate a superset of what is in Windows 10 so that it can appeal to casual users, enterprise users and power users via various customization options.

Start10 configuration screen

What will the price be like for the program?

It'll be $4.99 on its own or part of Object Desktop which is $49.99 for our entire suite of desktop enhancements (Fences, Multiplicity, Start8, Launch8, Tiles, etc.)

Does Stardock have any more plans for Windows 10 specific applications and if so can you give us any hints about them?

We do. One of the most promising features of Windows 10 is its "multitasking" feature (I wish they weren't calling it that). Basically, it's an advanced form of virtual desktops. There's a lot of interesting things you can do with that. Another example is more people are getting High DPI displays. We're working on cool stuff to make sure users can make the most of that on Windows 10.

And of course, there's all the DirectX 12 stuff we've got going but that's another story.

What do you think of Windows 10 in terms of features and has Microsoft done a better job with developing the OS compared to Windows 8?

I think Microsoft has done a remarkable job on learning from the mistakes of Windows 8. There's a lot of important under the hood work that's gone into Windows 10 that I wish Microsoft would push more. For example, Windows 10 is much better at utilizing your CPU cores than previous versions of Windows. This matters not just because of raw performance but can have a significant impact on power usage. You are actually better off using 4 cores slightly than using 1 core strongly from a power and performance perspective.

What's going to be ironic is that for a lot of users, Windows 10 will "magically" allow your devices to have much better battery life and sadly, based on the marketing I've seen from Redmond, there will be little PR in explaining why this is.

Start10 Windows 7 Menu

Does Stardock have plans to release any programs directly from the Windows Store in Modern UI format in the future?

Only if the market makes that case really. I've seen the sales numbers for a lot of "popular" iOS apps some for Windows store apps and they're not very encouraging.

What I think is going to help a lot is a single version of Windows you will see the Store app and the desktop app APIs continue to integrate further. There are good things in WinRT. But I would like to see more features from WPF and .NET integrated into it and less emphasis on Javascript or other attempts to webify Windows apps.

Finally, what else can you tell us about Stardock's plans for Windows 10?

Our biggest endeavor for Windows 10 is going to be trying to create a single experience between Modern apps and Win32 apps. Users shouldn't care what underlying API is used. There should be a single look, feel, and functionality between them. I see our mission is to unify that experience so that the user never has to care what "type" of app it is. While power users, like your readers, can look at the title bar and behavior and go "Oh, that's a Windows store app", there shouldn't be trade offs for them, consumers, or enterprise users in what type of Windows app they use.

We would like to thank Brad for answering our questions. You can purchase and download the first version of Start10 at Stardock's website.

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