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Xbox LIVE Indie Games - The April 2011 Thread

AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
I have 240 points and have never played or followed Xbox Live indies. Can anyone recommend what games I should get if my main purpose is to play the most "essential" must-have games on the service?
 
V

Ventron

Member
FortressCraft update going through some pain. The game initially passed quickly but with some serious bugs, so the update is in peer review. But now that more people are looking at it they're finding more bugs and failing the update, thus stopping it from being released!

Kids, this is why you never try to treat peer review as a rubber stamp.
 
H

HadesGigas

Member
Ventron said:
FortressCraft update going through some pain. The game initially passed quickly but with some serious bugs, so the update is in peer review. But now that more people are looking at it they're finding more bugs and failing the update, thus stopping it from being released!

Kids, this is why you never try to treat peer review as a rubber stamp.
Click to expand...

And Keemstar is so mature about it too, lol.

@DJKEEMSTAR
DJ KEEMSTAR
If i Find Out we were unjustly Failed I wiLL never Stop Attacking those who swung First! ( You Will Regret the Day you Crossed ME!)
Click to expand...
http://twitter.com/DJKEEMSTAR/statuses/62169434625802241
 
I

Intruder_qc

Neo Member
HadesGigas said:
And Keemstar is so mature about it too, lol.


http://twitter.com/DJKEEMSTAR/statuses/62169434625802241
Click to expand...

Here we go again...

This will definitely not end well for the FortressCraft developer, just put more oil on burning fire...

And the devs already reported that the game has been officially FAIL (in about 3h from what he said, faster then 1st review that took a mere 8h to go to marketplace).

It seems we will have to wait another week to see what will happen next time. But I have a feeling that with the above tweet it wont be easy next time either. People are probably going to dig deeper in the game to see if they can find some obscure bugs.
 
T

toythatkills

Member
Intruder_qc said:
It seems we will have to wait another week to see what will happen next time. But I have a feeling that with the above tweet it wont be easy next time either. People are probably going to dig deeper in the game to see if they can find some obscure bugs.
Click to expand...
lol

The dev is moaning because even though this version is a fail, it's less of a fail than the version on the Marketplace is. That's his fault, and the fault of anyone that didn't peer review it well enough in the first place, and rightly shouldn't have anything to do with this version.

Presumably if he was that worried, he could just pull it from sale. He seems happy enough to let people carry on buying it.
 
I

Intruder_qc

Neo Member
@toythatkills

LOL, it seems you saw what I did there ;-).

As for pulling the game... well considering that he said he already made up 100k in 4 days (and still continue to make a lot of sales), don't see this happening. As he would loose his spot on the new release list and who knows how long it's going to take to get the new "fix" version out (considering each time it fail he need to wait another week).
 
H

HadesGigas

Member
Wonder what Keemstar would do if enough people reported to Microsoft through Xbox.com report abuse, "Code Defects - Crashes Make Content Unplayable"...
 
F

Feep

Banned
Ventron said:
You can stop shaking, I peer reviewed it.
In return I want your media contacts so I can help promote my next game when it's released. <.<
Click to expand...
WAY TO FIND DAT BUG = (

I had to pull it 'cuz Ventron found a weird bug that I just totally fixed. However, there's a seven-day lockout, which means Toy is going to hate me, because it will not be out before May now. = (

;; ;;; ; ; ; ; ;
 
F

Feep

Banned
Kafel said:
Feep did you contact a mod to know if you or someone else can make a thread once it's out?

You've made a GAF reference somewhere in your game iirc so it should help.
Click to expand...
*I* can't make an OT, but, you know, someone else can.

(I think it's taken care of, actually)
 
M

Miutsu

Member
Feep said:
WAY TO FIND DAT BUG = (

I had to pull it 'cuz Ventron found a weird bug that I just totally fixed. However, there's a seven-day lockout, which means Toy is going to hate me, because it will not be out before May now. = (

;; ;;; ; ; ; ; ;
Click to expand...

That sucks :/ I mean good for finding the bug but a week more of waiting must feel like a lot at this point for you
 
T

toythatkills

Member
Feep said:
WAY TO FIND DAT BUG = (

I had to pull it 'cuz Ventron found a weird bug that I just totally fixed. However, there's a seven-day lockout, which means Toy is going to hate me, because it will not be out before May now. = (

;; ;;; ; ; ; ; ;
Click to expand...
MY LIFE IS RUINED.
 
F

Feep

Banned
Miutsu said:
That sucks :/ I mean good for finding the bug but a week more of waiting must feel like a lot at this point for you
Click to expand...
It's horrible...

I'm okay with one delay, but a second would absolutely kill me, as it would mean my game wouldn't be released in time for my release party, and that...that would be awkward. = (
 
O

OnPoint

Member
Feep said:
It's horrible...

I'm okay with one delay, but a second would absolutely kill me, as it would mean my game wouldn't be released in time for my release party, and that...that would be awkward. = (
Click to expand...

Can't people just play your submitted version at the party? Defeats the term "release party" but eh, it wouldn't be totally ruined that way haha
 
M

Miutsu

Member
qupe1975 said:
Armless Octopus have the 2nd part of their how to promote your XBLIG on their site.

http://www.armlessoctopus.com/2011/04/20/how-to-market-your-game-xblig-style-part-2/
Click to expand...

Thanks :) we are right now working on the initial build to test the implementation of our gameplay elements within the game and this kind of information is/will be useful when we decide to start marketing the game/our group

OnPoint said:
Can't people just play your submitted version at the party? Defeats the term "release party" but eh, it wouldn't be totally ruined that way haha
Click to expand...

Well if the game doesn't release in time... He can always release the hoes so it will be a release party everyone will enjoy ;)
 
F

Feep

Banned
OnPoint said:
Can't people just play your submitted version at the party? Defeats the term "release party" but eh, it wouldn't be totally ruined that way haha
Click to expand...
Actually, that might be difficult. XBLIG's require a constant internet connection, and I don't think the lounge/bar thing has Wi-Fi? I could theoretically bring my PC, but, um, bringing my $1500 rig to downtown Los Angeles to a bar doesn't...doesn't sound like a good idea. = (

I may just bring a cheap laptop with some video footage on loop or something...

BTW, that was a good article on Armless.

Edit: I *really* said Download Los Angeles again, wow
 
T

the_dannobot

Member
Feep said:
Actually, that might be difficult. XBLIG's require a constant internet connection, and I don't think the lounge/bar thing has Wi-Fi? I could theoretically bring my PC, but, um, bringing my $1500 rig to download Los Angeles to a bar doesn't...doesn't sound like a good idea. = (

I may just bring a cheap laptop with some video footage on loop or something...

BTW, that was a good article on Armless.
Click to expand...
Im pretty sure that it only requires internet connection when the game is starting. Both XBLIG and Creators Club Content require it though, it'd be the same thing.

Throwing a huge party is a great networking and marketing tool... but good luck trying to explain to a bunch of drunk people how to buy an XBLIG hahaha ;)
 
H

HadesGigas

Member
Microsoft altering the way Top Downloads is done:

To our Xbox LIVE Indie Games Community:

We have recently made changes to the way games are chosen and sorted in the Xbox LIVE Indie Games top downloads channel on the Xbox 360 Dashboard.

Previously games were selected and ordered based on the previous day’s sales information. This caused an illusion of the channel being frozen if sales data was delayed as well as exposing an instability in the channel due to occasional daily spikes.

To improve this experience, we have changed the time interval from daily to rolling weekly. What this means is that the top downloads channel will show games based on the previous week’s data each day. Though it will be slightly more difficult to get on the list in the first place, the top downloads channel will be more reliable and less likely to be affected by daily delays or issues.

We believe this change will make for a more stable and correct top downloads channel for Xbox LIVE Indie Games providing users with a better view of the top downloaded titles and developers with a better opportunity to maintain their spot on the top downloaded channel. Visit the Top Downloads forums thread to discuss this change with the community!
Click to expand...

So basically...

Problem: Sales data doesn't come in on time so the top download list looks out of date often.
Solution: Oh well, only update it once a week then.

Wouldn't "make the sales data come in on time" be the proper solution?
 
T

toythatkills

Member
Hilariously, this change has made the overall "Top Downloads" list on xbox.com overrun with Indie Games. They've never had so much exposure.

It's because all the Indie Games have a week of downloads based on XBLA/DLC still having just a day, so now they look massively popular.
 
K

Kafel

Banned
So ... it's good ?

Less hit and run crap, while streamlined data might not be perfect it seems like a sort-of-good fix.


The final chapter of Decay is out. I think I've tried the demo of the first one. There are fans ?
 
P

PepsimanVsJoe

Member
Neon Prime isn't horrid (although I thought my 360 controller or something was horribly broken when I first started) but it is incredibly bland and dull.
 
T

toythatkills

Member
In "vaguely linked to XBLIGs" news, if you've got a Windows Phone 7 (or whatever they're called) you can get a new version of Hypership Out of Control for it.

And it's free!
 
T

toythatkills

Member
Kinetic Kube S. Wow. What an absolute mess this trial is. If you try to play a mode you're not allowed to play (and how would you know?) you have to sit through a 30 second video until you can do anything again. This video also plays when you exit the game. Thanks for the waste of my time. The game itself is every single kind of game in history, all at the same time. Seriously. The tutorial makes it seem like there's four different games, but then when it starts you realise that actually, you're playing them all at once. You need as many hands as that suggests you'd need. I had literally no fun with this at all. You just can't keep track of everything you need to keep track of without being three different people at the same time.

Neon Prime is so, so plain. It's a million times too hard to see enemy fire. How does this not get noticed when people are building games?

Oh, hi Bombies. Welcome to my table. So, I see you're a twin stick shooter, what is it that you're bringing to the table? Oh, the same old shit?

oOberidiot is an odd one. It's kinda like a runner but into the screen instead of horizontally. So you have to move left and right to avoid walls and jump to avoid pitfalls. There's only one course by the looks of things, so this will be over VERY QUICKLY. It also has really janky collision detection, though not nearly as bad as

We Come In Peace, which is Hypership Out of Control, if that game was horizontal, shit, slow, had stuff to collect that looks the same as stuff that killed you, and had utterly horrendous collision detection. And shit.

Little Kingdom might be a nice little strategy game, but the trial isn't long enough to work out how taking over territory and stuff works. You can build a bit, but I've no idea what the actual game is.

Maze Game is just, well, it's a maze game. It's alright if that's what you're looking for, but it won't excite you.
 
T

toythatkills

Member
Okay, Lasercat has just come out. Buy it if you ever loved Jet Set Willy, and buy it if you didn't. It's a 2D platformer with 225 rooms, all linked. You have to find a bunch of keys and then rescue your friend. It's really, really good, and hilarious in places if you pay attention to the names of rooms and stuff like that.

A good game!

Thank fuck for that. Next month's thread is NOT looking good.
 
P

Princess Skittles

Prince's's 'Skittle's
toythatkills said:
Okay, Lasercat has just come out. Buy it if you ever loved Jet Set Willy, and buy it if you didn't. It's a 2D platformer with 225 rooms, all linked. You have to find a bunch of keys and then rescue your friend. It's really, really good, and hilarious in places if you pay attention to the names of rooms and stuff like that.

A good game!

Thank fuck for that. Next month's thread is NOT looking good.
Click to expand...
I don't see it yet, the newest.. game.. I see is.. Prank Calls. *smh*

wwm0nkey said:
found this while searching for some XBLIG's

Lootfest

Its pretty much 3D dot game heroes.
Click to expand...
Holy hell that music is awful. And that looks like it plays/controls like garbage. That's one thing a lot of indie games do, is they get the look of a game down but botch the controls and feeling of a game badly with really loose controls and physics. It doesn't seem like anything has any weight to it in that trailer.

A shame because, rip off or not (not like 3D Dot Heroes was.. original), it would be probably still be fun if done properly.
 
D

desu

Member
Princess Skittles said:
That's one thing a lot of indie games do, is they get the look of a game down but botch the controls and feeling of a game badly with really loose controls and physics.
Click to expand...

I usually can live with bad physics but bad controls are really a shame. And yes it looked like it possibly will control really bad.
 
P

Princess Skittles

Prince's's 'Skittle's
desu said:
I usually can live with bad physics but bad controls are really a shame. And yes it looked like it possibly will control really bad.
Click to expand...
Physics, in this regard, doesn't mean like Havok/PyhsX crap, but just the "feeling" of the game and its world. When you play a Mario game, it feels good to control Mario, it's strong and consistent. A lot of garage games control really loosely and while pressing left moves you left and pressing the button makes you jump, there's a feeling of not being in total control of things, the game's code is just taking the input and outputting it without regard to what else is happening with your character.
 
S

SmallCaveGames

Neo Member
I agree Lasercat is tons of awesome. I also like that the dev took playtesting very seriously and the game started off solid, and got great.
 
P

PepsimanVsJoe

Member
Lootfest looks interesting but the entire game also looks like it takes place on ice.

And that framerate...what is that? It looks more like the author took a bunch of screenshots and animated them together like a flipbook.
Still...I guess I'm interested.

Thank God for XBLA kicking ass this month(as usual), I'd otherwise go insane from all this shit.
 
H

HadesGigas

Member
I'm not sure I'd want to tempt fate playing this game very long...

xboxboxart.jpg
 
F

Feep

Banned
Kafel said:
the May thread will be depressing unless someone saves us at the last minute
Click to expand...
Blame Ventron for finding a bug in Sequence! = (

I playtested Lootfest, and it's more of a tech demo at this point. The look is impressive, but there's very little actual game at the moment; he has a long way to go.
 
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