A lot of people complained about the lack of critters in the ambient world of flOw. We don't really know why -- it's sort of a calming experience no matter what little amoeba-like creature you decide to evolve. Well, an expansion pack for the game is on its way and you can expect a new playable creature, a new enemy, and new types of food. The new creature is another of that circle-type creature you could play as before and the enemy is another variation on the spiky-puffer fish thing. Don't get too close!
Another addition in the expansion is the funky ability to play as two different creatures in multiplayer. Now you don't have to argue about which small tapeworm thing is you. Nobody knows when this expansion pack is getting released, but it seems the most important addition is the ability to choose different characters in multiplayer.
During Sony's press conference at the Leipzig Game Convention, the boss of Sony Europe David Reeve detailed sales numbers on a handful of key PSN titles. Leading the pack was Tekken 5 with 103k sold, followed up by flOw with 47k sold. The really interesting thing though is that Super Rub-a-dub outsold Calling all Cars!, 34k to 31k. It's pretty bad when David Jaffe's baby can't even outsell one of the worst reviewed titles on the PSN.
We contacted David Karraker from SCEA who clarified that these numbers were just for Europe, which makes some sense since Calling all Cars! hasn't been out over there as long as it's been out in America. Still, it's got to be a disappointment for Jaffe that even after all the publicity, attention and (generally) good reviews for Calling all Cars!, it still gets beaten by an over-grown tech demo. Oh well there's always next time!
Sony continues to release a steady flow of Midway arcade classics over the PLAYSTATION Store. As we mentioned yesterday, this week's new downloadable title is Rampage: World Tour. Unfortunately,that's about it for this week. The only other thing is a video of the next Midway arcade release, Joust. Joy. Sony has also temporarily lowered the price on flOw. For a limited time, you can download one of the best PSN titles out there for only $4.99 (normally $7.99).
Not much this time around, it's really a shame Sony didn't load up a bunch of the HD trailers from Gamer's Day. I'd LOVE to see the Uncharted trailer on my big screen.
I'm going to keep this post fairly short. The less said about the following, the better. Here's what we Europeans will see grace our PlayStation Stores today.
Impressed? No, neither am I. Hopefully we'll see something a little more substantial next Friday. Funny, I remember thinking the same thing this time last week. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the Japanese store has been updated to finally include flOw. No bullet list needed. That's all they got.
I guess comparing this to yesterday's American PSN update will just make us feel bad, though it's getting increasingly difficult not to.
With 110,000 downloads and counting, fl0w has managed to be the top selling PlayStation Store game so far. thatgamecompany wanted to create a new kind of game that broke through traditional conventions: considering its success so far, it appears that the experiment is working.
Jenova Chen and the rest of the team don't plan on being content on the incredible success of their downloadable title. The team revealed at GDC that they are working on a new title, one which is guaranteed not to be a sequel to fl0w. Considering the support they've received from Sony, it wouldn't be surprising to see their next title land on the PS3 yet again: maybe they'd like to do a Cell-remake of Cloud?
Jenova Chen, Kellee Santiago and the rest of the thatgamecompany team discussed their latest motion-controlled PS3 title fl0w. The game certainly would have been an incredible addition to the Wii library, considering its use of motion controls, relatively subdued graphics, and non-gamer-friendly gameplay. Santiago revealed that fl0w was pitched to two companies: Nintendo and Sony.
Well, Sony won. Sony's aggressive approach to supporting new developers was what gave PS3 the edge. "They [Nintendo] weren't right for us at the time. Sony kind of came to us with the process of incubation ... They helped us get our studio started."
Sony has proven at GDC that they care about developers through the announcement of Edge and extending their Network offerings to independent developers. This kind of approach has allowed Sony to earn the respect of valuable talent. For example, LittleBigPlanet comes from the developer of Rag Doll Kung-Fu, who was originally interested in making titles for Nintendo. Sony's attractive development options will continue to make the system gain new, interesting and truly innovative, exclusive software for the platform.
Hey guys, it's about time we pulled out another one of these review thingies. This one will be significantly shorter because, well, the game is significantly shorter/smaller/whatever. First up, here's what the critics say about flOw:
IGN: 7.6
Gamespot: 7.1
1UP: 7
So, that's about as above average and below great as you can get. Here's why the game apparently failed to swoon the critic's higher numbers:
No challenge (you can't actually die)
Not a whole lot to do (eat stuff, get bigger, rinse and repeat in a linear fashion)
Co-op play is neat, but really doesn't add anything to the mix
What did the game do right? Well, they say this:
Atmosphere is spot on soothing, presentation is excellent
Getting to see what's next in your evolutionary chain is a huge draw
The SIXAXIS controls feel pretty finely tuned, not tacked on
The sound and graphics are "barely there" in that "good, artsy-fartsy" way
...It's cheap? (that was me)
I don't really have much to add to their reviews. I feel the same way. It's fun as hell, but once you've seen it, the experience doesn't change. It's an absolute blast to watch your friends try to get a hold of the SIXAXIS controls, but then you get mesmerized by what they're doing. It's definitely a chill-out game to play before you take a nap. Or if you're of legal age, after a few brews the game practically becomes a college football game -- people yelling at the TV, saying to go eat that thing, etc. It's got lasting value, but not if you're all by yourself. It's worth the price, though.
Do you have a pair of shoes that are lucky, or get worn only under certain circumstances? We've all got our own personal traditions -- mine is to stop shaving once I begin studying for an exam until it's over. I pretend that the hair on my face is the knowledge of the material hanging off of me and when the test is over, I cut it all away. Shut up! It makes perfect sense! It's important to have these personal traditions, or else... oh, what the hell are we talking about?
Three new items hit the PlayStation Store today: flOw, Q*Bert, and a Ridge Racer 7 demo. Now everyone can go around saying "Riiiiiiidge Racer" all they want since the demo is theirs for the taking. The former two have a price tag ($7.99 and $4.99 respectively), but neither are much to complain about. Ridge Racer 7 is, of course, a free demo. If they aren't at the store now (not near my PS3), they should be around before dinner. Just a guesstimation. Enjoy them, guys!
This is probably going to be the last time we talk about flOw before we toss up a meta-review or whatever. Two days ago we spoke about how it's coming out on the 22nd of February, the features it sports and more. This time we've got a little more pertinent information for you. Yeah, the price of the game. Surprisingly, it's nice and cheap -- on par with the other downloadable titles, if memory serves. The final price is $7.99 for the US PlayStation Store. Not bad!
Reviews have started to crop up around the internet and initial reactions seem very positive. A few key words are found in more than one place: "addictive", "creative", and some form of the phrase "pretty music". We'll give it our time on Thursday and post a review over the weekend, along with a meta-review slash personal review of Virtua Fighter 5.
This isn't news so much as it is a reminder -- the hotly anticipated flOw is due out this week. Hitting the PlayStation store on February 22nd at an as-of-yet undetermined price point (since it's pretty high-profile, we wouldn't be surprised if it was around $10), this musical and biological adventure is bound to be endless fun. For a while. Here's what Sony's official site has to say about the features of the game:
"Full HD at 1080p – Vibrant environments.
Dynamically Adjusting Experience – Customize your game experience.
Multiplayer mode – 1-4 players; same screen
SIXAXIS™ wireless controller – Gamers can use the analog thumb stick or take advantage of the SIXAXIS™ wireless controller motion sensors to glide, flit, and flOw through the abyss."
We weren't aware there was an abyss involved! There are five different creatures for you to choose from and a difficulty that changes depending on your skill level. It's going to be great and, in certain cases, a great musical backdrop for that "chill" party you've been planning.
A recent interview was composed (get it? Like composing music...) with Austin Wintory, creative mind behind the music of flOw. Points of discussion include the design process of flOw, music's integration and atmospheric effect in the title and Austin's deep, dark musical fantasies... er, we'll just give you a list. What was your design process in creating the music for flOw?
"We sought something atmospheric and electronic, but not in the stark, soundscape sort of way. Something warm and organic, as if a symphony of instruments never before played on Earth." He goes on to say, "What resulted was a combination of literally hundreds of small audio files being triggered by the player interactions, and a steady background track." So... it's got the same user-created musical score akin to Rez?
Any emotional or aesthetic goals while creating the music?
"Relaxing was paramount, but each campaign of the game has a very different take on it. Some are more oriented towards being fun and light, others darker, some mysterious, etc."
Did you approach the Flash and PS3 versions of the game differently?
"Well, the Flash version is essentially at this point a playable demo of the PS3 version, giving you a snippet of the first part of the game. So I approached the first campaign almost identically, looking to be faithful to my own work, but make it better and cleaner." Austin also mentions how each campaign of the PS3 version will have a different musical influence -- one jazz oriented, etc.
Whew. Well, you can check out the whole interview if you'd like -- learn more about Austin, his inspirations, his goals and dreams, etc. We just covered the aspects of flOw and you know what? It sounds like a lot of fun. Both literally and... otherwise.
We nearly had an ice storm in Athens. It got very cold, very fast. In fact, some of us living here have windows that aren't built right, so they don't close all the way... making their room incredibly frigid and they're having trouble typing posts with fingers that are as pliable as a crowbar. That aside, no snow. Which is sad, but completely irrelevant to the news at hand.
Yeah, we've also been waiting around the PS-Store, looking for flOw, since we were told it was coming out. Seems we didn't get the memo that the game was delayed another month. Yep, the game is now due out at the end of February. Sony representatives said this about the release: "We'll be posting a trailer at the end of this month [January] / beginning of next. As for the game itself, we'll be releasing near the end of February." So, that's like, what, February 30th? Teehee, teehee... if you thought I was serious, come on. Come. On.
You know you're tired of looking at the same fugly outfit your character in Genji is clad in. You know you're sick of handing off the controller when you die in Blast Factor. So what're you going to do about it? Initiate some microtransactions, that's what! Coming soon to the PlayStation Store are:
Genji: Days of the Blade costume pack
Blast Factor co-op play download pack
flOw game and demo
Granted, flOw might take a litter longer than the rest. Heard rumors of a January release, though, so maybe they'll all hit at once. In any case... gentlemen, start your engines! Ready, set, down...load? Damn. Wanted a clever download phrase/cliche, but alas. Next time, surely.
Hey guys, it's about time we pulled out another one of these review thingies. This one will be significantly shorter because, well, the game is significantly shorter/smaller/whatever. First up, here's what the critics say about flOw:
Do you have a pair of shoes that are lucky, or get worn only under certain circumstances? We've all got our own personal traditions -- mine is to stop shaving once I begin studying for an exam until it's over. I pretend that the hair on my face is the knowledge of the material hanging off of me and when the test is over, I cut it all away. Shut up! It makes perfect sense! It's important to have these personal traditions, or else... oh, what the hell are we talking about? 
This is probably going to be the last time we talk about flOw before we toss up a meta-review or whatever. Two days ago we spoke about how it's coming out on the 22nd of February, the features it sports and more. This time we've got a little more pertinent information for you. Yeah, the price of the game. Surprisingly, it's nice and cheap -- on par with the other downloadable titles, if memory serves. The final price is $7.99 for the US PlayStation Store. Not bad!
A recent interview was composed (get it? Like composing music...) with Austin Wintory, creative mind behind the music of flOw. Points of discussion include the design process of flOw, music's integration and atmospheric effect in the title and Austin's deep, dark musical fantasies... er, we'll just give you a list.
We nearly had an ice storm in Athens. It got very cold, very fast. In fact, some of us living here have windows that aren't built right, so they don't close all the way... making their room incredibly frigid and they're having trouble typing posts with fingers that are as pliable as a crowbar. That aside, no snow. Which is sad, but completely irrelevant to the news at hand.
You know you're tired of looking at the same fugly outfit your character in Genji is clad in. You know you're sick of handing off the controller when you die in Blast Factor. So what're you going to do about it? Initiate some microtransactions, that's what! Coming soon to the PlayStation Store are:
