Try to survive a sadistic circus in ‘Penarium’ for PC and consoles
Humans make for more complex strategy than code can. Take Penarium designer and producer Rick van Ginkel’s story for example: His studio, Self Made Miracle, once tried to develop a strategy game that relied on complicated spreadsheets and algorithms. It “failed horribly,” he says. “I was doing spreadsheet balancing all the time and couldn’t get it right. That is why we decided to go for an action game where I could do game design based more on ‘feeling’ rather than mathematics.” That new, feeling-based game is Penarium, a twitchy, bloody, pixelated romp about a man attempting to survive a violent circus attraction in the late 19th century. Instead of forcing strategy into the code or controls, Penarium puts the complexity in players’ hands.Slideshow-322298
Penarium requires a mix of timing, luck and that sudden, instinctual urge that prompts players to jump in a certain direction at a specific time. It’s a gut-feeling kind of game. Penarium has just two basic controls — run and jump — and it throws all manner of explosives, rotating blades, spiked walls, fiery beams, giant metal balls and other lethal obstacles at Willy, the silly protagonist. It’s basically assured that Willy will die in Penarium. In fact, that’s part of the fun. But, with each life lost, players learn more efficient ways of surviving each level.
In that way, it’s almost like Super Meat Boy, though van Ginkel and fellow designer Teun Westenenk say they don’t consider that game among Penarium‘s influences.
“Super Meat Boy gets brought up a lot (and I understand why) but was never really a game we looked to a lot during development,” van Ginkel says. “We did take a good look at the original arcade version of Super Mario Brothers as well as Super Smash Bros and Super Crate Box. Perhaps we should have called our game Super Penarium as well to fit in nicely.”
Penarium differs from Super Meat Boy in another major way: It features local multiplayer alongside the solo campaign modes. This applies to all versions of the game (PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC via Steam).
During development, van Ginkel and Westenenk received help from other independent studios in the Dutch Game Garden, a federally funded game-making incubator in the Netherlands that’s spawned successes such as Vlambeer‘s Ridiculous Fishing and Nuclear Throne, Abbey Games‘ Renowned Explorers, and Ronimo‘s Awesomenauts. The Dutch Game Garden encourages developers to work together and support each other, and it provides a staff dedicated to helping out individual projects. This team helped Self Made Miracle negotiate a publishing contract with Worms studio Team17.
“The Dutch Game Garden helped us grow as a company really fast,” Westenenk says. “Before we moved into the DGG, we knew how to make games, but we had no network whatsoever and didn’t know how to do things like marketing and business. This is where a place like the DGG is perfect.”
Now, after two years of work and contracts, Penarium is due to hit PS4, Xbox One and PC this week. Oddly enough, though, it started out as a Mac game.
“We actually made the original version of the game for Mac,” van Ginkel says. “We are all used to working on Macs ourselves, so we started building it for that and than ported it over to Windows. We had to buy Windows machines as we didn’t have any in the office.”
Westenenk and van Ginkel are nervous, yet hopeful, about Penarium‘s launch this week — September 22nd on Steam and PS4, and September 23rd on Xbox One. In the end, they hope players learn that simple controls can make for a surprisingly complex, entertaining game.
But, even if Penarium doesn’t convince players of the merits of simple controls, Westenenk hopes the game’s true moral comes across: “Never, ever go to a circus.”
So yeah.. the game we have been working on for almost 2 years is coming out tomorrow.. that’s not scary at all..
— Self Made Miracle (@SelfMadeNL) September 21, 2015
[Images: Self Made Miracle/Team17]
Deezer needs more cash to fight Apple and Spotify
According to various sources, music streaming service Deezer is preparing to float itself on the Paris stock market in the hope of raising some much-needed cash. The company has found itself struggling in comparison with richer rivals like Apple or Spotify, while Tidal can count on Jay-Z’s cash and industry connections. As such, the firm is going to try and sell off chunks of its business, currently valued at $1 billion, in order to build a bigger war chest to take on its three nearest rivals.
In some ways, Deezer’s situation paints it more as a bridesmaid than bride, despite being one of the largest paid-for streaming services worldwide. The majority of its 6.3 million paying subscribers do so via their subscription plan, like offering discounted access to Cricket users when it purchased Muve Music. Others, meanwhile, pick up deals with the company alongside audio hardware, like its deal with Bose to supply tunes to the firm’s high-end gear. That’s in stark contrast with Spotify which claims to have 20 million paid users and has been able to raise plenty of private equity cash from investors who see it as more of a certain bet.
Reuters suggests that Deezer is deliberately trying to avoid getting into a straight-up fist-fight with Spotify, the implication being that it would always lose. Instead, the firm has expanded to countries where the other players have shown less interest in the hope of getting there first. There’s no guarantee that the strategy will work, although it reminds us of how Nokia was planning to capture emerging markets with a slew of low-cost Lumias. Which, uh, in retrospect, might not have been the most successful idea ever.
[Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty]
HTC to launch updated One M9+ and Butterfly 3 at Sept. 29th event
If you were disappointed to hear that the promising HTC A9 (Aero) will end up being a modest midranger rather than beastly flagship, you may like today’s news a little better. It seems that HTC has a couple more smartphones up its sleeves for the Sept. 29th event.
The tip comes from an HTC-focused ROM developer on Twitter, @LlabTooFeR. Not much is shared, only that we should expect updates to two well-known HTC flagships: the Butterfly 3 and HTC One M9+.
The Butterfly 3 launched earlier in the year, as the HTC J Butterfly HTV31 in Japan. So this could simply be market expansion for the device. But regarding the One M9+, the tweet says that it will be updated.
Recalling the One M9 launch, many were upset that the One M9+ outdid it so quickly (larger screen, QHD resolution, and fingerprint scanner) and wasn’t offered in their market. We can only hope that HTC has it together now and will widely release a top-end contender with this update.
Because of the fact that HTC’s Sept. 29th event is taking place in Japan, I wouldn’t hold your breathe if you’re in a non-asian market. But this isn’t a good time for HTC to ignore the rest of the world.
It’s a week away, so stay tuned.
The post HTC to launch updated One M9+ and Butterfly 3 at Sept. 29th event appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE ZMAX 2 arrives at AT&T with an affordable price
The 4th largest smartphone supplier in the USA, ZTE, revealed that the ZMAX 2 entry ranger is now available from
AT&T, and will be part of their GoPhone line.
With a 5.5-inch HD display, large battery and decent processor, the ZMAX 2 a worthy successor to the original ZMAX, and is up for $149.99, sans contract obligations. The phone also features Android 5.1, 2GB RAM and a 8MP shooter coupled with a quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400
“The original ZTE ZMAX set the stage for the phablet market as it was the first large screen Android device with high-end features at an affordable price. With the ZMAX 2, we will continue deliver the best low-cost Android phones in the U.S. that people actually enjoy using. Together with AT&T, advanced phone technology and design is now affordable for more U.S. consumers.“
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It can be purchased from either a selected AT&T outlet or from att.com, and with a good selling price we could expect them to fly off the shelves.
The post ZTE ZMAX 2 arrives at AT&T with an affordable price appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Fitbit Surge update delivers running alerts and improves battery life
During his time with the Fitbit Surge, our own Terrence O’Brien was quite pleased with the wearable’s tracking abilities. Thanks to a software update, the device aims to get even better. Fitbit is giving Surge users running alerts that’ll keep you informed of time and distance marks, helping with pacing and overall training goals. The company has also improved battery life, so you can go a bit longer between charges when keeping tabs on running, hiking, biking and more. There’s also a new timer/stopwatch tool when workouts require carefully timed intervals. Even with the new features, the Surge is still a tough sell at $250, especially in a space that’s crowded with GPS-packing entries from Garmin, TomTom and others.
The Polar Loop 2 gets updated with notifications for Android
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As the wearable industry matures, devices that were originally designed to do only one thing well are having to bring something else to the table. For the fitness-focused Polar Loop 2, that’s notifications – although iOS has had this functionality for awhile, Polar has just announced that its smart notifications are now available on Android, offering vibration and scrolling notification text on the device’s LED display.
To take advantage of the update, Polar Loop 2 owners will have to sync up with the Polar Flowsync app where you’ll need to configure your Android device to push its notifications to the Loop 2. This is a nifty add-on feature, giving the Loop 2 a whole new dimension beyond being just used for workouts and tracking your daily steps. To best display your notifications, the Polar Loop 2 has 85 LED lights embedded in its band, allowing for relatively useful information to be displayed on your wrist, and isn’t too expensive given what it offers at $119.95 USD – available in pink, white, or the recently released black version. If any of these interest you, you can find out more on Polar.com.
What do you think about this Polar Loop 2 update for Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post The Polar Loop 2 gets updated with notifications for Android appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
OnePlus is giving away 3,000 invites at its upcoming ‘Invite Carnival’
OnePlus is giving away 3,000 invites in India at what it’s calling an ‘Invite Carnival’. That’s right, 3,000 invites!
As most of you know, an invite from OnePlus allows you to purchase the company’s all-new OnePlus 2 handset. The event is taking place in India at Noon Indian time tomorrow. The company is referring to the invites as “Golden tickets.” In order to win an invite, all you have to do is play games, do puzzles and answer trivia questions. However, there are a few rules.
Participants can enter as many events as they so choose, but are only permitted one entry per contest. Invites will come on a first come, first serve basis according to OnePlus.
OnePlus has been experiencing delays with its invite system recently, but states it’s working on it and more will be made available soon.
Source: OnePlus
Come comment on this article: OnePlus is giving away 3,000 invites at its upcoming ‘Invite Carnival’
Toshiba announces a refreshed Chromebook 2, one of its most powerful units yet
Toshiba today unveiled the all-new Chromebook 2, bringing with it a lot of updates that make it the optimal laptop for anyone on the go. The most notable changes being 5th generation Intel i3 processor support and a backlit keyboard to keep the work flowing during the wee hours of the night.
It also sports a 13.3-inch 1080p HD display, Skullycandy speaker, a whopping eight and a half hours of battery life, built-in dual array microphones (perfect for Hangout video sessions), and the standard ports–audio jack, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an SD card reader, and HDMI port, and the power plug-in.
As for the processing unit, you can choose between two Chromebook 2 variants–the Celeron or Intel i3 model. Both come with the backlit keyboard and 4GB of RAM, giving you optimal processing power no matter which model you choose. However, the Intel i3 CPU will no doubt give you that extra boost.
The Toshiba Chromebook 2 isn’t available just yet, as it’s slated for an October 2015 release. Not too far way, but still a bit of wait for those that want to get their hands on this new Chromebook from Toshiba. Pricing for the new Chromebook 2 starts at $329.99 at participating retailers, and of course, Toshiba’s own online store.
Anyone plan on picking one up?
IRVINE, Calif. – Sept. 22, 2015 – Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the successor to its award-winning Chromebook 2. Now available with a 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i3 or Celeron™ processor and up to 4GB of RAM[i], these two new models deliver better performance for loading content-rich webpages quickly, providing brilliant video playback and effortless multitasking. Both models come with an all-new LED backlit keyboard for a more seamless experience when web browsing, watching movies, listening to music and getting work done, even in low light environments.
“As more people use Chromebooks for productivity and rely more often on the web for content creation and entertainment, devices need to be better equipped for these higher processing demands and built with hardware features that optimize Chrome OS,” said Philip Osako, senior director of product marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “With the launch of our latest Chromebook 2 models, Toshiba delivers brilliant performance for an outstanding experience on and off the web with entertainment-inspired hardware features that make the most of Chrome OS and enable customers to get things done faster wherever their Chromebook 2 takes them.”
The Toshiba Chromebook 2 features a brilliant 13.3-inch diagonal Full HD (1920 x 1080) display[ii] with IPS technology that delivers sharpened color reproduction and accuracy, plus wider, more accurate viewing capabilities. Engineered to fit a 13.3-inch display in a 12-inch body and lightweight at just 2.9 pounds, the new Chromebook 2 comes packed with features without sacrificing portability or design. In addition, the device delivers a superior entertainment experience with strategically placed front-facing stereo speakers tuned to bring quality and attitude by the audio experts at Skullcandy®, a leading audio headphone provider and lifestyle brand. On-board dual array microphones and an HD webcam are also included to enable rich video chats.
With an 8.5-hour battery life rating[iii] on both models, customers will be able to do more multitasking throughout the day, whether they are in the classroom, at the office or at home. These devices also come equipped with ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi® and a range of ports, including one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI® output, SD Card slot and a security lock slot. Plus, customers can enjoy 100GB of Google Drive™ Storage[iv], 90-days of free unlimited music streaming on Google Play™, 12 in-air passes for Gogo® Internet and more – all included with the device.
Pricing and Availability
The new Toshiba Chromebook 2 will be available for purchase starting in October 2015 at major retailers, e-tailers and on toshiba.com/us, for $329.99 MSRP[v] for Intel Celeron model and $429.99 MSRP for the Intel Core i3 model.
Come comment on this article: Toshiba announces a refreshed Chromebook 2, one of its most powerful units yet
Toshiba Chromebook 2 refresh includes Broadwell-based Intel chips and other improvements
In 2014 Toshiba brought us two Chromebooks, aptly named the Toshiba Chromebook and the Toshiba Chromebook 2. Here in 2015, we’ve yet to see refresh, until now. Interestingly enough, the latest Toshiba Chromebook doesn’t get a new number designation attached and is simply a “refreshed” Chromebook 2.
While the original Chromebook 2 offered up a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, the 2015 refresh includes the option of a Celeron, Core i3, or Core i5 chip, all based on the Intel 5th-gen “Broadwell” architecture. All configurations will offer 1080p 13.3-inch IPS displays and come with up to 4GB RAM, though the i3 and i5 variants have the distinction of offering up a LED backlit keyboard.
Some of the other main features of the refreshed Chromebook 2 series include both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI output, an SD card reader, 802.11 ac WiFi, front-facing stereo speakers, and dual-array microphones. All these features are found in a design that weighs just a little shy of 3 pounds.
The new Toshiba Chromebook 2 series will arrive in October at select retailers and via Toshiba’s website, with pricing beginning at just $330. What do you think of Toshiba’s latest members of the Chromebook family? For those unimpressed, what would it take to make you consider a Chromebook?
“As more people use Chromebooks for productivity and rely more often on the web for content creation and entertainment, devices need to be better equipped for these higher processing demands and built with hardware features that optimize Chrome OS,” said Philip Osako, senior director of product marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “With the launch of our latest Chromebook 2 models, Toshiba delivers brilliant performance for an outstanding experience on and off the web with entertainment-inspired hardware features that make the most of Chrome OS and enable customers to get things done faster wherever their Chromebook 2 takes them.”
The Toshiba Chromebook 2 features a brilliant 13.3-inch diagonal Full HD (1920 x 1080) display[ii] with IPS technology that delivers sharpened color reproduction and accuracy, plus wider, more accurate viewing capabilities. Engineered to fit a 13.3-inch display in a 12-inch body and lightweight at just 2.9 pounds, the new Chromebook 2 comes packed with features without sacrificing portability or design. In addition, the device delivers a superior entertainment experience with strategically placed front-facing stereo speakers tuned to bring quality and attitude by the audio experts at Skullcandy®, a leading audio headphone provider and lifestyle brand. On-board dual array microphones and an HD webcam are also included to enable rich video chats.
With an 8.5-hour battery life rating[iii] on both models, customers will be able to do more multitasking throughout the day, whether they are in the classroom, at the office or at home. These devices also come equipped with ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi® and a range of ports, including one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI® output, SD Card slot and a security lock slot. Plus, customers can enjoy 100GB of Google Drive™ Storage[iv], 90-days of free unlimited music streaming on Google Play™, 12 in-air passes for Gogo® Internet and more – all included with the device.
Pricing and Availability
The new Toshiba Chromebook 2 will be available for purchase starting in October 2015 at major retailers, e-tailers and on toshiba.com/us, for $329.99 MSRP[v] for Intel Celeron model and $429.99 MSRP for the Intel Core i3 model.
I’m excited about the BlackBerry Venice, are you?
With so many leaks of upcoming products, it’s hard to get excited about new devices, especially as most are seen and talked about a long time before they become anything near a physical device.
The BlackBerry Venice, however, is different. Although it’s been leaked a few months ahead of its upcoming release, the handset has been received as a shock. No one had predicted that BlackBerry would create a Galaxy S6 Edge-style handset, running Android, with a slide-out physical keyboard.
We’ve already been treated to renders, a leak of the physical handset and our own hands on video and the BlackBerry Venice is certainly interesting. But for me, the Venice is more than just interesting. It’s exciting! Here are five reasons why!
The design
Until recently, the Galaxy S6 Edge was my daily driver and the BlackBerry Venice brings that same dual-edged design that is so unique on Samsung’s curved device. While Samsung didn’t do too much with the edge screen, I’m hoping that BlackBerry (or other developers), will find a way to use that screen to its full potential.
The curved edge will also make the handset easier to hold in the hand, which when considering it will have a slide out keyboard, is certainly a welcome improvement. The design will also stand out amongst a crowd of otherwise mostly-uninspiring smartphone designs.
That keyboard
There’s nothing quite like a physical keyboard and BlackBerry pretty much has one of the best keyboards in the smartphone market. That’s not saying much when you think about the lack of devices with physical devices, but I am still happy to see BlackBerry bringing the thing that is best known for to the Android world.
Having used a BlackBerry Passport (albeit briefly), the keyboard was certainly unique and the BlackBerry Venice has a similar keyboard. The Passport – which ran on BlackBerry’s own BB10 operating system – is widely accepted as offering an excellent typing experience and the Venice should hopefully offer the same.
As revealed in our hands-on, the keyboard comes with a touch-sensitive layer that supports gestures, such as being able to scroll up or down a page with a swipe on the keypad. It’s unknown if there’s anything further it can do but the possibilities are (hopefully) endless: as discussed in the podcast, imagine being able to simply swipe across the physical keys to draw out a word, in a similar way to the Swype/Flow feature found in on-screen keyboards.
BlackBerry Hub
If there’s one thing I do miss about my days of using BlackBerry devices and the BB10 OS, it’s BlackBerry Hub; the hub acts as a single notification centre and lets you view notifications from email, calendars, instant messengers, social apps and a lot more in one single place.
From viewing a timeline of notifications (even after you’ve already read them) to replying from a single screen and even publishing new emails or tweets, BlackBerry Hub is by far the best notification centre across any mobile device. A key part of the BlackBerry experience, I can’t wait to see it running on the BlackBerry Venice.
Forcing innovation
It’s fair to say that innovation in mobile generally comes in cycles, and this year has been very slow
For BlackBerry, bringing back the keyboard could be an experiment that has the potential to pay off. But a successful Venice could have a positive effect on an industry that desperately needs differentiation. If the handset does gain significant demand and exposure, it’s likely we’ll see other companies thinking about innovating with moving parts in their devices and this can only be a good thing.
Look back to the last decade and there’s one thing that’s certainly clear: manufacturers were a lot more imaginative back in the day. Currently, OEMs can innovate with design but handsets are all candy-bar devices with large touch screens (and very little else). Imagine what introducing moving parts, unique designs and physical aspects, with today’s level of reliability and quality, could do to the industry as a whole.
A possible BlackBerry comeback
Think back to your first mobile phone and chances are, it was made by either Nokia, Motorola or Research in Motion (RIM), which renamed itself to BlackBerry in 2013. While the first two companies have met with darker ends, BlackBerry is still alive and kicking (just).
I profess to being a fan of the BlackBerry keyboard in the past but issues delivering BlackBerry 10 was pretty much the final straw in an otherwise problematic relationship. That being said, far too many companies are producing smartphones that are soulless and almost identical to other devices and I’d love to see someone create unique smartphones again.
Related: BlackBerry Venice rumor roundup
Just because we’re now in a smart era doesn’t mean that innovation has to die and while there’s still a lot of questions surrounding things like the camera, battery life and software, I’m excited about the BlackBerry Venice. Are you? Vote in the poll and let us know your views in the comments below guys!
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