Humble Indie Bundle 8

Quick post since I'm getting in on the tale end of this but if you haven't already, but if you haven't already be sure to check out the Humble Indie Bundle 8.  Here's the lineup:

• Little Inferno
• Awesomenauts
• Capsized
• Thomas Was Alone
• Dear Esther
• Hotline Miami
• Proteus
• Tiny and Big in Grandpa's Leftovers
• Intrusion 2
• English Country Tune
• Oil Rush

That's a ton of stuff, right?  Right.  (The last six are for those who pay above the average, but it's like six bucks.  You can do it.  I believe in you.)  You also get a bunch of soundtracks and, of course, it's DRM-free, pay what you want, multiplatform, and you can give a little to charity.  All good stuff.

I'd be upset that I just bought Little Inferno and Thomas Was Alone separately not too long ago if those games weren't so amazing.  Look for reviews for both of them soon, and preoccupy yourself with the latest bundle in the meantime.

https://www.humblebundle.com/

fun. Release "One Foot" Lyric Video

Not content to let megahit album Some Nights drop from the pop culture radar just yet, fun. have released a lyric video for "One Foot."  If you're a fan of booming horns, you should definitely check it out.

I, for one, am a huge fan of this video.  Lyric videos are pretty cool and have grown in prominence over the past few years as it's become increasingly simple to throw one together, but that's been part of the problem with them: they're so easy that more often than not the quality leaves something to be desired. There's only so many times I can see bold-faced lyrics that are randomly zoomed in/out on and occasionally rotated ninety degrees.  Luckily fun. and Fueled by Ramen have put a little more imagination into this.  It's creatively (if a little dizzyingly) displayed and has more originality than most.  Check it out above.

Review: 'Color Sheep' by Trinket Studios

Let's face it: a lot of video games are weird.  Not so much nowadays, with plenty of games being military shooters, or sci-fi shooters, or manly action games of the Dudebro variety.  But back in the day, where you had to save a girl from a gorilla just because, where you jousted on ostriches, when people just kind of accepted that sure, this blue, fast thing was a hedgehog, creativity bordered on the absurd.  While games such as that might be the exception rather than the rule, but with indie developers stepping up their game (zing!) we’ve seen that weirdness come back, and there might not be anything that personifies that more than Trinket Studios’ Color Sheep.

The premise of Color Sheep is pretty straightforward.  You play as Woolson, the titular sheep, and brightly colored wolves make their way across the screen.  Using a combination of RGB (red, green, blue) and light/dark buttons, you must color Woolson accordingly and shoot lasers from your mouth (because why not?) to wipe out your attackers.  It sounds simple, but once you get into different shades and combining colors as a wider variety of wolves set down upon you you’ll find yourself with your back against the ropes more than once.  You’ll get occasional power-ups to help you out but for the most part you’re on your own.

Color Sheep looks great.  As you might expect from a game with this title, everything is vibrant and expressive.  There’s a cartoony aesthetic that fits in well with the theme, from the adorable Woolson to the menacing wolves.  Wolves explode into skeletons when dealt with and even that looks cute.  Animations are clean and fluid and the backgrounds are colorful and add a lot to the levels without taking away from the main action.  The music is bouncy and fun, and between old school sound effects like lasers and “worries” Woolson you’ll find yourself enjoying their contribution to the gameplay.

Make no mistake: this game is tough.  Like, really tough.  Like, too tough for its own good sometimes.  One death and you’re done for, and that means going back to the beginning of the game.  The sense that you’ve accomplished something can be minimal, which is a shame since that saps some of the fun from the game and replaces it with frustration.  Since the release of Color Sheep, though, Trinket has addressed some of these problems: items carry over between stages, and selectable difficulty levels means you can play without ripping your hair out.  These have done wonders to strike a balance between deep gameplay and “pick up and play” sessions, and it’s nice to see a studio tweak a game after listening to their customers.

Despite any faults it might have, Color Sheep is definitely a unique, worthwhile endeavor that you should check out.  It has a balance of cerebral-but-quick-thinking gameplay and charm not often found in games these days.  Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a casual one, the solid base and subsequent improvements put in place by Trinket Studios makes Color Sheep shine.

www.trinketstudios.com/

Zom-coms: How Will Your Favorite (Cancelled) Show Come Back to Life?

TV shows are a funny thing.  On the one hand, people become very invested in them.  You spend your time with them every week for a good part of the year, and you become invested in the characters and storylines.  They often aren’t a one-off indulgence like films, and by the time they go off the air, you feel like you’re saying goodbye to an old friend.  It’s corny but true.  When a show gets unceremoniously cancelled well before its time, it can be downright heart wrenching.

These days, it seems even worse.  With television and watching habits constantly in flux – are you tuning in every week?  Recording shows with your DVR?  Checking them out on-demand?  Watching them online?  Buying episodes on iTunes or Amazon?  Illegally torrenting them? – it seems that television networks are using old standards – things like Nielsen ratings – when they really don’t apply and shows are being cancelled left and right.  Because the cord could be yanked at any moment, fans don’t get as invested, which leads to people not watching, and soon enough you find yourself in a terrible cycle of reality shows and cancelled critical darlings.

But don’t worry: if you’re one of the lucky shows, technology is coming to the rescue.

We’ve seen cancelled shows be resurrected through traditional means: Bill Lawrence-created shows Scrubs and Cougar Town found new life, however temporary, when they moved from NBC and ABC to ABC and TBS, respectively.  There’s a new way of doing things, though.  Netflix is taking control of the long (long, long) awaited return of Arrested Development.  More recently, the folks behind Veronica Mars thought they might be able to use Kickstarter to scrounge up enough money for a film…and reached their goal in a day.  Good for them, right?

So now the inevitable question is raised: which show is next?  Joss Whedon’s space Western Firefly, famously dicked around by the network before being cancelled after a single season, got something of a swansong with the theatrical followup Serenity, but diehard fans have constantly clamored for more.  Whedon has already denied claims of bring back Firefly – he’s busy with a little franchise called The Avengers, amongst others – but never say never.  Chuck limped through its final few seasons and seems like the kind of niche show that could squeeze out a movie or wrap up season.

More important than what?, though, might be how?  Webseries are always a possibility, as seen by the recent Battlestar Galactica prequel Blood & Chrome.  Original series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, TheBook Club, and House of Cards found life through non-traditional channels.  Will other shows be picked up by the likes of Netflix, Amazon, or even someone like Apple?  What about Hulu?  Shows on the lower end of the budget spectrum could make do ad-supported on YouTube while also selling episodes.  And, of course, there’s always crowdfunding; not every show will find the level of support that Veronica Mars did, but then not every show needs that much money.

Regardless, it will be interesting to say the least.  TV isn’t just on TV anymore: game systems, computers, tablets, and smartphones are the new televisions.  Families rarely gather around at a designated time like they used to.  Networks and creative have to start thinking about how to reach people and maybe start moving those goalposts.  One thing is for sure, though, and that’s that reports of your favorite show’s demise might have been greatly exaggerated.  As quoted from one show that might need this Lazarus treatment soon, “six seasons and a movie!”  Where you’ll get these seasons and films from is anyone’s guess.

Humble Bundle with Android 5

There’s a new Humble Bundle available, so all is right in the world.  Like the passing of seasons we’ve come to expect Humble Bundles regularly, and Humble Bundle with Android 5 doesn’t disappoint.  Pay what you want, DRM-free, supporting charity, cross-platform, soundtracks – like an old friend coming to visit, this Humble Bundle is comforting and familiar and brings us back to happier, care free times.  But enough with the analogies!  What’s in this Bundle?

• Beat Hazard Ultra, where your songs are converted into weaponry for an epic arcade space shooter
• Top-down adventure game Dynamite Jack
• Solar 2, which allows you to become one with the universe with gameplay that I’m sure is much more philosophical than I’m giving it credit for.
• Physics puzzler NightSky
• Psychadelic action game Super Hexagon
• Tower defense game Dungeon Defenders, complete with DLC

As if that wasn't enough, Splice, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP have been added to the mix.

Take a moment to let all of that sink in.  I’ll wait.

Good?  Good.  You don’t really have an excuse to not get this Humble Bundle – I mean, you never have a good excuse, but this time around…what else could you possibly want?  You’ve got genres, gameplay, and aesthetics all covered with this group.  Bright colors, moody atmosphere, 3-D, 2-D, it’s all here.  So head on over, get a bunch of good games at whatever price you want, and get ready to waste a whole lot of time.

https://www.humblebundle.com/

Console Wars: What is the Future of Crowdfunded Video Game Consoles?

Last week, Game Consoles Worldwide (GCW) successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign for their open source handheld video game system, the GCW Zero.  The campaign is over, but that's fine, because it isn't really what I want to talk about.  While the campaign was good, with some nice backer rewards - t-shirts, the device itself, a special developer level - the story isn't really that it got funded, but that it's only the latest in a series of open consoles taking the video game (and, specifically, crowdfunding) scene by storm.  OUYA was the darling of Kickstarter last year, earning 904% of its stated goal; GameStick, a portable USB console, is 590% funded with a little over a day left in its campaign; and the Zero finished 183% funded.  These consoles might not be the next big thing - from the looks of it, they're the current big thing.

For years we've seen entertainment become more and more of a grassroots effort.  Music can be recorded with increasingly professional equipment and programs and distributed through iTunes or Basecamp.  YouTube has become a platform for an entire generation of filmmakers and actors - and not just homemade videos, but animation and CGI as well.  Crowdfunding sites have made it easier than ever to make money.  Video games, then, have seemed to be the black sheep here.  Indie games have been around forever, but have mostly been relegated to programs playable on computers and have rarely penetrated the home console market, even as models like the Humble Bundle have taken off.  That's changed a little in recent years with things like the Xbox Live Arcade and mobile gaming, but this is the first time that we're seeing actual consoles spring up.

So what does this mean for the industry as a whole?  Right now, probably not too much.  You won't see OUYAs bumping Xboxes for shelf space, and I don't think Zeroes are on the verge of replacing Nintendo's latest handheld offering.  There are a few reasons for this.  First is simply scope, both physical and cultural.  Established systems dominate the market, and people will flock to known properties like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.  That's not to say that won't change - it almost certainly will as new competition enters the market - but not quite yet.  It's also a matter of if these two camps are even trying to reach the same audience.  None of these Kickstarted systems will meet the technical specs of what's already available, and they don't have the benefit of known series like Zelda or Halo.  It might be like trying to market an indie film to someone who only likes summer blockbuster movies: there may be some overlap but it could largely be two separate camps.  We might not ever see an OUYA on the same stage as a Playstation.  As the old saying goes, it's not bad, just different.

The biggest shift could be in the games that are made.  There will still be those triple-A titles, sure, but the success of games like Angry Birds has highlighted the real focus of games that can't be ignored: they should be fun, and they should be good.  No amount of fancy graphics and celebrity endorsement can cover up a bad game for long.  And while there are a lot of bad indie games - just like there are a lot of bad mainstream games - you also have your Angry Birds and Minecrafts and Cave Storys and Canabalts that get to the root of fun, addictive gameplay, engaging stories, clever hooks, and, yes, good graphics (that being as subjective as it is).  Many have crossed into the mainstream and are available to a wider audience.  As they become more readily available on consoles like the OUYA and Zero, for a fraction of the $60 cost of regular console games, the landscape of the video game industry could change drastically.

This, of course, is still some time away.  The crowdfunded systems aren't even available yet, and their impact will take even longer to show.  Still, it's something to think about.  The music and movie industries have gone through their own turmoil in the past thanks to similar scenarios, and they still live comfortably - if not as comfortably - with a burgeoning indie scene that's seeing itself lose many of the stigmas of amateurism and low-quality of the past.  At the very least something will happen, and it's fun to see it paly out from the very beginning.

Game on.

Review: 'Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore' by Robin Sloan

Technology is, almost by definition, disruptive.  This is great for most people - it makes things quicker, easier, safer, and so on - unless you're the one who is being disrupted.  Speaking in terms of entertainment, we've seen this represented primarily through the woes music labels, movie studios, and, increasingly, book publishers have experienced with the onset of digital distribution and availability, as well as the basic fact that people now have more entertainment options than ever at their fingertips and purchasing and consumption habits have changed.  It's nice, then, when the old and the new can play together, which is exactly what happens in Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.  It might be a work of fiction, but what a work it is.

If the title sounds familiar, it might be because it was a short story written by Sloan several years back.  The novels is bigger (duh) and delves into the ideas only hinted at previously.  If you've read at all Sloan's website, Twitter feed, short stories, or subscribe to his mailing list (all recommended) the substance of Mr. Penumbra's won't surprise you.  He embraces technology and new ways of doing things while still being in love with what came before.  That's what we get in the novel - a clandestine cult, Google, volumes upon volumes of old tomes, more Google, the printing press, and also Google.  Twitter's thrown in there, along with Amazon; there are references to video games and movies, and obscure-to-some authors get mentioned.  Weaving the new and the old, the modern and the classic, seamlessly is Sloan's real strength, which is good, because it happens throughout the novel.

Of course, there's also a story to be had - you know, the plot and characters and whatnot - and that works out, too.  Main character Clay is the ultimate everyman: skilled but perhaps a bit aimless, questioning things while simultaneously going along for the ride.  He's the perfect point of view, discovering a brave new world just as the reader is.  His host of friends and acquaintances work well, giving voice and perspective to the different points that Sloan is trying to make.  They're clever and funny and frustrating and individually unique.  The story moves along at a quick clip, providing enough twists and mysteries to keep things interesting while not being tedious or overly complicated.  Really, it's just fun.  It's exciting.  It's the Raiders of the Lost Ark of tech novels.  The combination of plot, characters, and familiar techno-talk make for an entertaining read that you can get through with a smile the whole time.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (the novel) has been out for a few months.  I just got around the purchasing it (with my Amazon giftcard, a fact that seems to fit rather snugly with the novel) and in the interim have had the opportunity to read some reviews - not to sway my opinion, as I've already decided I like Sloan and his writing, but just for fun - and a oft-written criticism is that the references in the novel will date it in no time as technology continues to change everyday.  I think that's somewhat missing the point.  Technology changes rapidly; I think Sloan knows that and indeed embraces it.  It's exciting and challenging.  It speaks to the larger theme of the novel, about how some things are fleeting and others are more permanent and how you recognize which is which and what that means to you.  While I understand the comments - Facebook might fall off like Friendster and make the references moot - to me it's just another layer of the novel and, when no one knows what Gchat is in a decade, it will make the novel resonate that much more.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is the very definition of a contemporary novel - contemporary as in today, right this moment.  Don't let this deter you as you worry about the novel's future, though.  Enjoy it in the moment, revel in the details that you experience in your everyday life, and go along for a fun, clever ride.  There's no reason to not read it.  The only choice you'll have to make is: hardcover or eBook?  (The hardcover glows in the dark.  Just sayin'.)

http://www.robinsloan.com