Luna: Shattered Hearts Gaming In the Raw

Many aspects go into getting a game up and going and KickStarter has seen hundreds of indie developers try to do just that. So what does it take for a successful campaign? Quite a bit actually and a development team is essential. Does it mean because a game didn’t get funded it wasn’t a good game or even a great idea? Not always but that’s where games like Luna fall in.

Luna has the potential to be a great game especially if it was focused towards the mobile platform of Android and iOS. However lack of funding often means the components and software needed don’t make that a possibility. So what is Luna and what does it have going for it? Luna is an RPG fantasy with the basis that the character relies on a light orb and another in-game character to keep him progressing from level to level. It’s a neat idea though the light orb, which is how you can see in the dark, could use some tweaking. It’s uniqueness is in the fact that all the backgrounds are hand drawn by artist and developer Gillis and it fits in the Retro Game Genre which the mobile platforms are excelling in. Hit the break for more.

However what Luna lacks will also probably be its KickStarter demise. Gillis is the design team and that’s it. Along with that he needs development packages and equipment upgrades. So how does he have a successful campaign, well this one probably won’t hit his desired goal but thankfully you get more than one strike with Kickstater and you can always relaunch a new campaign. Gillis needs the tools and could do so by taking a chance on a small loan which could get him his equipment and networking more his other developers. If all works well and he nails down the right components and preps the game past its current infancy stage he could come back with a strong campaign and possibly blow his goal out of the water. We’ll see how it goes for Gillis click the link here to see his current KickStarter campaign. Press release incoming!

For Immediate Release – Brighton, CO – Luna: Shattered Hearts

solo indie developer Daniel Gill, of Gillis LLC out of Brighton, CO is currently making a platform RPG game called 'Luna Shattered Hearts' and is seeking Kickstarter crowd funding capital. Luna is an amazing 2D side scroller that Daniel Gill, the developer has been working on for six years, and the project is nearly complete. The game features an engaging story and has beautifully hand-drawn graphics. All that's left to do is give Luna an awesome soundtrack, dialog, and sound effects to go along with Luna's already amazing art style. Daniel needs to raise eight thousand dollars to complete the project, and release it. He has already raised close to two thousand with 45 backers on Kickstarter. We are asking for your help letting the public know about Luna, and how they can help this project come to fruition. Once you see Luna you'll be incline to help out also. As an added incentive to help fund this game immediate access to the Beta once the project is funded will be given to all backers. Time is running out and the game is still looking for supporters. The Kickstarter campaign ends February 1st.

We'd like to thank a few journalist who have helped us get Luna to the public:

Louis Edwards – www.terminalgamer.com

Kev J – www.electronictheatre.co.uk

Phil & Brad – www.capsulecomputers.com.au

Patrick Hickey – www.reviewfix.com

Elizabeth Burnette – www.vividgamer.com

Khris Golder – www.gamercheeese.com

William Usher – www.cinemablend.com

Julie Wenzel – www.go-critic.com

Thank you for your continued support.

Petition to get GTA V released on PC reaches over 65,000 supporters

With all the crazy mods that are available for GTA IV see above), you’d think that Rockstar would know by now that PC gamers are big fans of Grand Theft Auto. Even so, the company is not planning on releasing the upcoming GTA V on PC.

As a response to Rockstar’s spurning of computer gamers there is now a petition to get GTA V released on the PC. The petition, set up by Mike Julliard, aims to get 100,000 signatures and it’s already over halfway there, with over 65,000 supporters (at the time this post went live). The main reason for the petition is to show Rockstar just how many people want to see GTA V on PC.

Rockstar hasn’t entirely ruled out GTA V getting a PC or Wii U release in the future, in fact Dan Houser, a vice president at Rockstar games, said that everything was up for consideration and a port could be on the cards. PC fans might not be happy with just a port though, as reflected in some of the comments on the petition.

Many people would agree that it doesn’t make sense for Rockstar to skip a PC release — it would make them a lot of money as well as keep fans happy. Plus everyone wants to see what the modders come up with next. Of course the company will have to balance those two factors with the additional development costs, tradeoffs (would this delay DLC on the primary releases?), the quality of the final product (presumably they would need to rush it out the door), and any concerns the might have about piracy.

There’s no official release date for GTA V on PS3/Xbox 360 yet so it’s too early to rule out a PC version, but a petition with a serious amount of backers never did any harm. Once the petition reaches 100,000 signatures it’s going to be pretty tough for Rockstar to ignore it, especially considering that those 100,000 people could be seen as the vocal minority.

Petition at Change.org, via CVG

3DS game Resident Evil: Revelations gets rated for Xbox 360 and PS3

Resident Evil: Revelations only came out on the 3DS at the start of this year, but it seems it could be coming to both Xbox 360 and PS3 soon, too.

The revelation (sorry) comes after the Korean Ratings Board rated the game for both Sony and Microsoft’s consoles – suggesting the game could already be ported over from the 3DS. It’s not unusual for Capcom to re-release and port games from console-to-console, but it’s quite surprising this one is happening so soon.

Revelations is much more of a classic Resident Evil game in terms of gameplay, centred around survival horror rather than the more recent RE games for PS3 and Xbox 360 . Revelations is set between the RE 4 and 5 games, with the story revolving around Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine plus two new characters, Parker and Jessica. The story switches between the different characters and the gameplay focuses on puzzle solving and exploring. As well as the main story there’s also an extra game mode called Raid Mode, which allows you and a friend to battle hoards of zombies together.

Capcom have yet to confirm Revelations is coming to consoles, but it’s more than likely true. It’s a good way for Capcom to fill the gap between the last Resident Evil and the inevitable RE 7, and it’s likely Revelations will be a PSN/Xbox Live download. However, it will need the graphics updated and some of the gameplay mechanics might have to be adjusted – such as the touch screen bits. If anything, Revelations should really be ported over to the PS Vita.

More at the Korean Ratings Board (translated), via Eurogamer

Blizzard’s Black Friday sale: StarCraft II, Diablo III, and WoW gets discounted

Early for Black Friday (or super early for Cyber Monday, depending on how you look at it), Blizzard has brought out the big guns, and put its newest games on sale at large discounts.

Perhaps the most bang for your buck, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, is on sale at $19.99, down from its normal $59.99 price tag. Blizzard is also offering a StarCraft II bundle, which includes Wings of Liberty and a pre-purchase of the followup, Heart of the Swarm, for a total of $59.99. However, Blizzard already announced that HotS will release with a price tag of $39.99, so if you buy WoL today for $19.99, and then wait to buy the standard edition of HotS for $39.99, you actually save a penny. Of course, Wings of Liberty only seems to be discounted for the holiday sale, so the price should go back to normal after.

Along with StarCraft II, Blizzard has put their newest non-expansion release, Diablo III, up for sale at $39.99, down from its usual $59.99. If you work hard enough at it, you can use the Real Money Auction House and consider that $20 discount startup money. Unlike SCII, Diablo III only seems to be discounted for its boxed version, rather than both that and the digital download. We’re not quite sure if that’s intentional or not, as other reports of the sale don’t mention that difference.

Both the StarCraft II and Diablo III sales will last until 11:59pm on November 26th.

Blizzard has also put some retail World of Warcraft items up for sale in honor of Black Friday. The Battle Chest, which includes World of Warcraft and its first two expansions (The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King) is on sale for only $4.99. Cataclysm, the third expansion, is on sale for $9.99, while Mists of Pandaria, the fourth and newest expansion, is down to $19.99. Remember, these sales are only on retail versions of the products, which are only available at GameStop, Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, and Hastings.

Whatever you end up buying, you can thank Blizzard for sucking away all of your holiday time with cheap, super popular games.

Xbox TV could take shape as a set-top-box, not a service

According to “multiple sources” familiar with Microsoft’s plans, the company is gearing up to release Xbox TV late next year. But while previous rumors had pegged Xbox TV as a service that might compete with traditional cable companies or streaming video services such as Hulu or Netflix, it now appears as though Microsoft is working on an actual set-top box.

The device sounds a bit like a very scaled-down Xbox 360, and it’s going to be positioned as a companion to Microsoft’s next-gen gaming console. That should mean the Xbox TV will line up alongside devices like Roku, Western Digital’s TV Live, and Google TV STBs like the Vizio CoStar. It’s a safe assumption that the box would have access to the same entertainment line-up that Xbox 360 users currently enjoy — which now includes HDTV service in some market as well as the traditional music and video offerings.

Xbox TV won’t be just about media, however. Some gaming will be supported too, which could mean access to all the awesome indie and casual games you can access via Xbox Live Arcade. And beyond just building its own STB, Microsoft has reportedly also given consideration to letting television OEMs integrate this new Xbox experience into their own products. Would a Windows OEM partner like Samsung or LG be interested? Absolutely, especially if they thinkg Xbox TV integration would give consumers added incentive to choose their HDTVs over Sony’s.

It certainly makes sense for Microsoft to make a secondary push into the living room. The Xbox and Xbox 360 have been hugely successful, and that brand strength would give a tremendous boost to an Xbox TV device. And while second-gen Google TV hardware has arrived on the scene, it’s still not generating the kind of buzz that it could have. If Microsoft can get Xbox TV to market before consumer interest picks up — and any time next year should be soon enough — it could cement the company’s position as the go-to name in home entertainment devices.

More at The Verge

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City heading to iOS, Android

Back in December last year Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto III on iOS and Android. It was the game’s first appearance on mobile devices and was generally well received even if the controls were a little limiting compared to the original. It joined the previously released GTA: Chinatown Wars which saw a release early in 2010.

This year, Rockstar aims to please mobile gamers again and has announced that GTA: Vice City is also heading to iOS and Android devices soon.

Originally released in October 2002, Vice City is set in the Miami of the 80′s. The re-release for mobile is actually a 10th anniversary celebration, so Rockstar is taking the opportunity to give it a proper update. That includes giving the graphics a HD makeover, releasing a new trailer, and including a load of artwork that has never been seen before from the original development of the game.

If you have already played the game to death, Rockstar may be able to tempt you into purchasing some commemorative merchandise instead. They haven’t announced what that includes yet, but it will all appear on the Rockstar Warehouse online store once the game is available.

The fact Rockstar is promoting Vice City now means the release can’t be too far off. It would be nice to see it appear before the end of October, which means they have until next Wednesday to get it on the App Store and Google Play. As for price, I’m hoping it’s no more than the $4.99 Grand Theft Auto III debuted for last year.

More at Rockstar

You Really Do Have To Be Gamer To Appreciate These Wedding Cake Toppers

This is how Reddit user Pheadlessg will be celebrating his wedding today!

These really do have to be the coolest wedding cake toppers around, unless you have any other ideas!

Source [Kotaku]

Best free simulation games for iPad-GodFinger All-Stars

GodFinger All-Stars is a pleasurable little society control game where you tend to a bit planet rife with villagers. By spinning all over a cross-section perspective, you make for sure they're cheerful and profitable, and check throughout on them hour and hour to collect this gold they generate. Who gold goes toward upgrading their properties which can house more people, which then, in turn, produce greater expense. Of course, you'll have to tend to their demands, like delivering rain as well as sun on your farms, together with altars to worship you from. In order to complete all of this, everyone execute gesture-based like a charm with long clicks and swipes. These miracles use Awe elements, which make over time, and / or can be bought through the app retain. GodFinger All-Stars recently covered a fun smaller endless climber side-game which you could earn quite a few additional precious metal by hurling your followers throughout the heavans. Over time, people complete objectives, gain experience points, and increase the surface location in your country. You can have a lots of fun all over your country by raising not to mention lowering the soil, decorating the space, and flinging your own hapless devotees beyond the horizon. Godfinger All-Stars isn't worldwide, but it has saved all of your log-in information about their own 'network ', and means that you can visit the planet's made by a person's friends, even without the need of Game Center help and support. It doesn't seem to be things are designed for the brand new iPad just yet, nevertheless these guys placed a ton of increased exposure of graphics, and so i expect an upgrade soon.

Best free board games for iPad-BoardBox

BoardBox is a highly-polished collecting classic board games, including chess, checkers, proceed, tic-tac-toe, reversi and backgammon. Theres bunch of helpful variants, which includes some more enticing games including Chinese chess, and a small amount of very beautifully rendered planks and pieces from which to select. There's a practical little sidebar bundled which enable you to save adventures and look up rules through the Wikipedia article. On the downside, there's certainly no AI poker player for those nights that you're exclusively on your own, and when its eventually included, it will be the in-app purchase that will activate. More than all you really have to put up with are small banner ad campaigns at the bottom of this screen, which might be disabled with respect to $5.99 (which will seems like a lot to me). Body fat iPhone variety of BoardBox, so you'll have to accept the whole iPad for you to play on the road. Though there isn't any Game Center service, online multiplayer is available more than e-mail - confusing, but it is working.

Best free racing games for iPad-Road Warrior Racing Free

Road Warrior Racing Free can be described as side-scrolling racing game set in some gritty Mad Max-style potential future. As you race through dry badlands, you try to use your auto's side-mounted miniguns, missile launchers, as well as other assorted tools to take out their competitors, while expecting they don't perform the same to you personally. You don't have to care about acceleration while playing for the reason that game puts all of the foot the bottom for you quickly; all you have to bother about is growing anybody who attempts to pass you and also possibly executing a sweet frontflip when diving out a mesa. You're offered right up a variety of distinctive maps all the time you take up, each one with a distinct level of difficulties and specific rules, like no pistols.You earn in-game money as you have fun, which can be invested in new guns, armor renovations, new case, paint projects, and lots of other items to pimp ones own ride. As expected, you can also buy the in-game cash to hurry up your growth.Right now, Game Centre support is limited to leaderboards, nonetheless developer is definitely promising are located multiplayer soon enough - it truly is already for Android. It does not seem like you will find any fog up saving program even though it is a universal mobile app, but who hardly guides a dent during Road Warrior Racing's badassery.

Best free role-playing games for iPad-Dark Legends

Dark Legends is mostly a free-to-play greatly multi player on line role-playing game that is set in a sophisticated whole world of ghouls, zombies, as well as other great menaces. You'll find it given by identical men powering Pants pocket Legends, yet this valuable new release can be very much more gory. The actual branching objective design is not difficult, and also has a great combined time-based activities utilizing static positive aspects, not to mention fight objectives that one can enjoy through on the internet multiplayer or maybe game play. The actual power method is considered the typical online joystick pattern by using availability in order to creature of the night influence on the one hand, including a one that lets you pounce in an enemy plus depletion these free of moisture once you have upset the right amount of bloodthirst with the melee tools. When you are not really questing, you will discover contributed regions in places you could loaf around plus keep, combined with golfer or poker player arenas where one can test out your mettle.Suffering tasks consumes reduced energy source, of which regenerates after some time, or you can without delay boost when using the high grade silver unit of currency. Yellow metal they can double to consider a lot of very classy-looking counter equipment.While the polygon calculate isn't extremely full off Dark Legends, the actual disposition are run optimization procedures for any brand new iPad. There's really no Game Center guidance, insurance coverage that you're logging relating to via a distinct account if you engage in, you could find and then disappear from in between iPad and then iPhone as you see compliment.

Best free action games for iPad-Cordy Sky

Cordy Sky is a lunging game where you might be an adorable little robot looking to get from the terrain of an noncitizen planet to a new docked spaceship so its possible to continue on ones own intergalactic mission. Smallish bouncy programs aid your own ascension, but take care, otherwise you decrease to the our planet and have get started on all over again. The good thing is, you have a partner robot recognized as Volt which may grab everyone if you tumble too far, but only if you've received the appropriate token while mounting skyward. Your trip is normally split up into some sections, the end of each really being marked by using a fuel mobile phone you need to get that spaceship running again. Control buttons are can be through digital buttons, lean, or swiping. I prefer to implement tap adjustments on the iPad variety rather than point, but the option's pretty much all yours.Along the way, you recover gears, that can buy one-time increases, permanent power-ups, or simply vanity fancy dress costumes. Of course, it is easy to just shop for gears by in-app purchases, nevertheless you can get by simply perfectly clearly on your own. Don't allow the lovable graphics trick you, nevertheless - this specific game has quite a lot of challenge for it.Cordy Sky on the iPad is without a doubt universal, i managed to get the strong but subtle stuff imported from my own iPhone game. A stray forum note said that a game was up-to-date to boost the design for the fresh iPad, but I are not able to find virtually any official affirmation.

Best free physics games for iPad-Fruit Ninja HD Lite

Fruit Ninja is a well-known slice-and-dice game in which you swipe through unique variations of fruit as they sail with the air. You get bonus points for slicing through 4 or more fruit without delay, but you need to make sure to keep clear of the bombs that get tossed in each now and then.For the free version, the user gets Classic form in which you basically get to make three fruit attack the ground. The paid for version,is known for a Zen mode in the places you cut up as considerably fruit as you can within a limited time duration, split-screen multiplayer, plus special fruit similar to the freeze bananas, which slows down the movement of everything on the display screen, making for easy targets.The Fruit Ninja encounter really makes awesome grades on the silver screen, despite not a wide-spread app (and thus very little cloud sync) and photos that have not been updated for the new iPad. The primary gameplay there has to be, and so is certainly Game Center support, which is all you really need to show fruit who's going to be boss.

Best free casual games for iPad-Bejeweled Blitz

Bejeweled Blitz may be a lightweight release of PopCap's renowned gem-matching puzzle game. That you are served together a board of hued jewels, and you can exchange the position from any two that can be next to the other with a touch or a swipe, only if it outlines up about three or more the exact same type. Coordinating sets consequently explode on glitter, offer points, and because the the stones above drop down into place, much more fall inside from the top rated. The catch would be that every game only usually lasts a minute, consequently the pressure will be on to match as many jewels as they can. PopCap keeps you'll coming back for more with a picture at a regularly giveaway, the need for which boosts by how a number of consecutive days or weeks you've trialled.You earn dollars through game play (which can also be bought with in-app purchases), which can be spent on a number of pre-game power-ups and the temporary rare jewel which can supercharge your next game in lots of flashy strategies. Bejeweled Blitz provides graphics that will be optimized to your new iPad's Retina present, is universal, and though there is not any Game Center support, this game ties in very thoroughly with its Zynga counterpart not to mention lets you synchronize up your progress across instruments that way.

Best free shooter games for iPad-Frontline Commando

Frontline Commando is an on-rails third-person shooting about a gung-ho navy man that is disregarded enemy strains. You avoid behind cover with individual taps, as well as pop out to consider aim in addition to eliminate nonspecific middle eastern insurgents. Don't end up being too along with that selection you're concealing behind even if, since it can be destroyed being a firefight drags on, and even grenades can quickly flush you out in the open. After you level up, new weapons can be unlocked to buy, plus you have a few cafes of jewelry, which can be used to buy advanced items. Item upgrades extend to assault weapons, sniper rifles, shotguns, and grenade launchers, each using their own collection of damage, clip size, reload speed, not to mention accuracy elements.You can also maximize survivability with medkit expenditures and body suits upgrades. Once things get hold of too scorching, you can buy airstrikes to eradicate the quick area. Either "war cash" and rare metal can be bought by using in-app purchases.Frontline Commando does great about the new iPad by way of full assist for Game Center, fog up saving to maintain your game synced up with your own iPhone campaign, with just recently refreshed with Retina-optimized photos, a new road, and clean power-ups.