Good Morning Gato #14 – Blerg!
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3 Comments May 7, 2010
Posts filed under: XBLA
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Charlie Murder Takes The Big Stage With Release On Xbox LIVE Arcade
The punk rock adventure of Charlie Murder is in development for an Xbox LIVE Arcade release in 2012.
Schenectady, NY – May 5, 2010 – Ska Studios cleared up some confusion surrounding the release of their arcade title Charlie Murder by officially announcing that the game is being developed with the band’s input and will be released by Microsoft exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade sometime in 2012, along with the purported end of the world.
After initially being announced as an Xbox LIVE Indie Games title, developer Ska Studios decided that the Charlie Murder story was worthy of a bigger stage. After intense negotiations with the band and some bribery, Ska Studios was able to convince the Charlie Murder crew to sell out yet again, and commit to bringing their band’s punk rock story to Xbox LIVE Arcade. As part of the agreement terms, the entire band will complete a one year counseling program at Happy Times Recovery Center in Atlantic City, NJ. Their treatment will focus on mending the strife that has kept Charlie Murder on hiatus for nearly a decade as well as addressing, among other things, bassist Tommy Homicide’s recent hoarding tendencies and guitarist Lester Deth’s addiction to other addictions. After the program’s successful completion, the entire crew will join Ska Studios as “Creative Consultants” to make sure the game stays true to the band’s epic story.
“Yeah, the band is in a tough spot, but we’re signed up for that trendy rehab stuff so we can get paid,” said lead singer Charlie Murder. “We sold out and we’ll do our time in counseling. Just know that we are no longer indie, we are Xbox Live Arcade legit and in 2012 we will have the achievements to prove it.”
For the latest on Charlie Murder, please visit us online at www.ska-studios.com, follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/skastudios or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/skastudios.
3 Comments May 5, 2010
The Dishwasher Lives!
Fitting heading for a game about a dead samurai, eh?
I just put the flash site up at thedishwasherdeadsamurai.com. Try to find the secret Neko video (no, not the age gate fail Neko video. Hint: Sandra Bullock in The Net).
I think there was a bit of a marketing mishap leading into this: several months ago, gamerscoreblog wanted some previously unheard of Dishwasher facts for a post, so I told them about the killer solo minigames and hidden phantom guitar and shadow co-op features. They posted on this, and somewhere in the shuffle, the secret features became selling points.
So, if you bought The Dishwasher just for killer solos or phantom guitar co-op, you may be disappointed because:
- there are only 3 killer solo tracks and
- phantom guitar is not a selling point. It’s alright, but, well, there’s really only so much you can do with a guitar controller in an action game.
However, the rest of the game’s not that bad, right? Well…
- TeamXbox liked it: “The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is an amazing game, even if you don’t have any idea of how it came about or about the size of the studio that made it.”
- OXM liked it: “From how Dishwasher bleeds details with its goth-y antihero cleaving chumps in two to how its meaty, crunchy jabs and slashes feel, it’s all incredibly well done.”
- IGN thought it was ok: “The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is an enjoyable button masher and a commendable effort considering it’s the work of one person.”
- Teletext Game Central (???) hated it: “It may be a matter of taste but we didn’t like the murky, indistinct graphics, whose endless spurts of blood fail to really titillate.”
What the heck is Teletext Game Central?
Anyway, love it or hate it, it’s here! Deal with it!
Now, if you are wondering about those special modes:
- The phantom guitar is enabled by finding the Amulet of Phantom Rock. This is hidden near the start of Ivy Trail.
- The Dishwasher’s shadow is enabled by finding the Amulet of Shadow Skull. This is near the Killer Solo Amp in St. Crux Cemetery.
- There are 3 Killer Solo Amps spread out in the main game. There are an additional 3 Amps in Samurai difficulty. If an Amp has a spotlight glowing on it, that means winning the solo will earn you a Psycho Pick.
Really though, they’re not selling points. They’re fun features, but they’re ancillary. Awesomely ancillary.
Now for the ugly: (more…)
20 Comments April 3, 2009
April 1st is Dishwasher Day!
The press release went out, so I can finally open my big mouth!
April 1st is Dishwasher Day! (no joke)
From the release:
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is a 2-D stylistic action platformer for Xbox LIVE® Arcade showcasing fast action, deep gameplay, and a unique visual style. An undead samurai dishwasher in a dystopian universe is on a quest for revenge against the evil cyborg army. To dispatch hordes of zombies, cyborgs, and robots, the Dishwasher has at his fingertips a devastating array of attacks using ancient blades, disturbing machinery, and screen-obliterating Dish Magic. Compete with the rest of the world in a variety of speed run and high score challenges to become the most formidable Dishwasher yet!
- Fresh take on gameplay: Gameplay in The Dishwasher is a fresh take on popular stylistic action combat, taking combo- and timing-intensive combat into a 2-D, blood-soaked environment emphasizing speed, vertical movement, and maneuverability, and player-driven pacing to create a truly unique, fluid and visceral experience, with an appealingly psychotic art style.
- New game modes with guitar peripheral: The Dishwasher has arcade co-op, drop-in solo campaign co-op, and drop-in solo phantom guitar co-op using the guitar peripheral. Phantom guitar players can unload electric death by playing wicked solos, perform basic movement, and use the guitar’s motion control to rip through enemies with a razor-sharp headstock.
- The power of XNA: The Dishwasher is a testament to the power of XNA. The game was created by one guy with no professional game development experience (and a self-described lousy programmer) in about a year and a half.
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai releases for the Xbox LIVE Arcade on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 for 800 MS Points. Check out the video trailer by clicking here
Discounted Alien Hominid too! Not a bad week…
Update: xbox.joystiq.com put in a kind word. Love you guys!
25 Comments March 30, 2009
We passed!
We did it! We passed cert!
Here’s some random (rough) statistics:
- Total development time: 2+ years
- Active bugs closed: 500+
- Builds submitted: 50
- Pre-cert milestone builds passed: 5
- Pre-cert milestone builds failed: Probably 5!
- Cups of coffee consumed: 2200
- Times thought project was doomed: 81020
- Times decided to have faith project would succeed against terrible odds: 81020
- Dev kits red ringed: 1
Amazing!
I don’t know when it will go live (and thanks for asking, all!) and when I do I’ll still have to keep mum, but now that we’re officially through certification, I’m sure your guess will be as good as mine.
9 Comments February 27, 2009
Dishwasher goes into cert!
Well, I know it’s been a tad quiet on this front for awhile, but we’re here! We just entered cert, so I can finally relax, play a few rounds of COD4, and hope that everyone hasn’t forgotten about this little operation!
Of course, the game now has to pass cert, so I’ll be doing a bit of praying over the next few weeks.
And if we hit any snags, well, it’s not the end of the world. I’d rather have a clean, delayed final product than a buggy, rushed production (who’s with me on this?)
8 Comments February 5, 2009
