I've decided it's probably about time I started doing a blog and I've decided to do it here on IndieDB since they seem to have made so darned easy. Now I just need to think of things to say,... errrr.
I guess you're looking at this because you're interested in either of my upcoming games, Adventures of Shuggy, a game published by Valcon and released on XBLA last year which I'll soon be releasing myself through Steam, or Gateways, a brand new game I'm aiming to release on XBLIG and PC on June the 22nd.
So, Shuggy is pretty close to finished. I'm working through the Steam integration stuff at the moment, the achievements are there and I've got the basics of leaderboards working. I can't quite figure out how to test my leaderboards though. I can upload a time using my own Steam account but I'd like to fill the leaderboards with test values so I can check everything works OK. Ho hum, I've emailed Valve so hopefully there's a cunning way to do it.
I decided to drop the online head-to-head mode from the Steam release of Shuggy. I guess mainly because of the effort involved in implementing that stuff but partly because I never felt the head-to-head mode was that great a part of the game. I regard the single player and co-op levels as the important stuff and that'll all be there. If it goes well I'll think about adding the head-to-head mode in an update but I'm more likely to add some new levels I'd hoped to release as DLC for the XBLA version first.
Anyone that enjoyed speed running in Shuggy will be happy to hear that the mozzies will no longer move randomly in the PC version. They will appear to move randomly but they'll move in the same way each time you restart the level allowing you to plan your routes properly. The Shmu will also always start moving in the same direction. Any other suggestion for things that should be changed in the PC version?
Now, Gateways, my 2D Portal-inspired game. It'd be nice to release Gateways through Steam as well, I have submitted it but if it takes as long it did to hear about Shuggy getting on there then it's likely to be a while. I'm hoping to release a beta version of the game very very soon so people will finally get the chance to try out the whole game.
The control system has been changed since I first released the demo since it didn't seem to go down too well. Ed will now aim wherever the mouse is pointing rather than moving his hand up and down as you move the mouse up and down. You can see it working near the beginning of this playthrough video.
Woo hoo, first blog post bagged!
