Interview Roundup!
/With launch coming around the corner on March 31st, The Axiom Verge studio (aka little ole' me) has been busy as of late. Part of that business stems from the sheer number of trade shows and interviews I've had. Here's a few featuring both Dan and Myself.
KindaFunnyGames:
Try as I may I wasn't able to get the twitch player to embed without autoplaying, so here's a link to a separate window:
http://www.twitch.tv/kindafunnygames/v/3859189
GameSpot:
Engadget:
Release Update: Axiom Verge 10% Off For PS+ Subscribers!
/Axiom Verge is being featured as part of Sony's annual Spring Fever promotion, and, as such, will be 10% off for PS+ subscribers when it releases on 3/31 for PS4! (And since it's cross-buy, this will also net you the eventual Vita release, when that's out.)
Gamasutra "Metroidvania" Interview
/Christian Nutt just posted a full interview with me on Gamasutra on my thoughts on "Metroidvania" games. Check it out here:
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/ChristianNutt/20150220/237005/Metroidvania_interview_Tom_Happ.php
This is actually part of an "extended cut" he's making of the individual interviews he did for this article, where he interviews a ton of other devs (including Iga himself) as well:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/236410/The_undying_allure_of_the_Metroidvania.php
PlayStation Blogcast Featuring Axiom Verge!
/Justin Massongill stopped by our house to do an in-depth interview. Starts around 16:15. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays!
/I've been off-grid the past few days, but, before we ring in the new year ...
Playstation Experience 2014
/So, Playstation Experience was overall awesome for Axiom Verge. We got a lot of press. Destructoid even named AV one of the Top 5 Indie Games at the event. And there is still more to come as the journalists get done editing footage and submitting stories.
As you know, I live in Las Vegas, so this was the first time I could go to a convention and sleep in my own bed at night! Though my own bed is probably a bit less swanky than the ones at the Venetian. Most of the pics below were taken by my wife, Chloe, at least if I was in them, which is why you don't see her, but she was with me 90% of the time.
It happens that the delightful Maya Kramer had already booked her room when she discovered that she couldn't get a flight for that day, so she stayed at our house for a couple of nights before the show. It was a lot of fun and also nice to show her the real Las Vegas as most of its residents experience it.
Dan and I did a few interviews, at least one of which should appear on old-timey broadcast television for anyone who gets EP Daily.
But the coolest part of conventions is always meeting other devs and journos in person.
So that about sums it up - a whole bunch of pics. Hope you enjoyed them. See you next show (probably PAX East!)
Screenshot Saturday 12/13/2014
/Here's another 2X screenshot - this one being a made-up pair of chambers I designed just for the purpose. Note that I actually had to make this in the level editor and not Photoshop, though I did make a bunch of screencaps and select the "best of" parts from each since the creatures all move at different rates and sometimes end up all clustered together.
It's been a while since I've posted; mainly due to Sony Experience and the run up to it. I hope to make a post later this weekend about how that went!
The Balance Between Press Demos and Spoilers
/First and foremost, and this is going to sound a little bit cheesy and maybe even a little bit phony, but believe me when I say this is sincere: I feel a tremendous responsibility not to let you down. I feel humbled by you and everyone else who has been looking forward to Axiom Verge and relishing the idea of getting your hands on the game. As you’ve probably heard a few times, I’ve been working on this during evenings and weekends for almost 5 years now. Every time I was tired after work and just wanted to turn my brain off and watch TV or something, I fought the urge and got back to working on the game. When I wanted to unwind on the weekends, I just kept working on the game. And I probably could have kept doing that for another few years if it weren’t for you and others like you who gave me the courage to quit my job and work on this full-time so I can actually finish it and get it out there. I don’t have a ton of savings, and what I do have I’m burning through quickly, but I feel confident I’ll be able to make it to the finish line. I know, indie cliché that you’ve heard a million times, but it’s my current reality. And it’s because of people like you that I feel like this is a risk worth taking.
But here’s another reality – for every person like you, there are probably a thousand other people who have never even heard of Axiom Verge. People who I think would actually really like it if they heard about it. That’s not really due to any lack of trying to get the word out or anything, it’s just the nature of the business and how easy it is to get lost among a sea of new and upcoming indie games. I’m hoping that each time I release a little bit more of the game is another opportunity for people to find out about it. (And any opportunity you have to help spread the word would be very much appreciated!) I think the Axiom Verge universe has enough depth to support a series of games, but for that to happen, the first one needs to do well enough that I can continue working on it as a full time job.
As a die-hard fan of the genre myself, believe me when I say I’m extremely sensitive to the concern that all of the secrets will be spoiled before it’s released. I’m only going to be releasing a little bit more of the game each time, pulling back the curtain ever so gradually between now and launch. By launch time, I’ll probably have revealed about 20-25% of the game. That means even if you watch everything, there will still be another 75-80% of the game that you won’t have seen. And if you’re worried about spoilers and want to go into it fresh, I would encourage you just to avoid watching any of the Let’s Plays. Launch will be coming soon enough, so hopefully it won’t be too hard to avoid!
So again, I really want to thank you for caring so much about Axiom Verge that you want to avoid having the experience spoiled. You’re exactly who I’m making the game for.