Category: gaming

New Swedish publisher cites Hybrid Indie with People, Players and Planet as core focus of business model and will be the world’s first LGBTQI certified gaming company

Swedish publisher Kinda Brave, is opening its doors today for the first time as a gaming publisher focused on sustainability. The company will be taking a long-term approach to publishing by working with small studios in a group dynamic where resources and experience are shared – and collaboration encouraged. Kinda Brave, which has already signed three development studios, wants to champion a so-called Hybrid Indie model of a publisher not just focused on commercial aspects, but on the everyday support and growth of studios and the people therein, allowing each studio to pour all time and energy into development of quality indie titles. With its ‘Sustainable Gaming initiative’ as a compass, the group has thus far seen investments of $6.3 million USD (SEK 60 million), and is now set to establish itself internationally, on the lookout for more studios and developers wanting to join in.

Björn Rudolfsson, CEO and co-founder of Kinda Brave said: “Game development is oftentimes characterized by passion. But all too often, this is used as an excuse for unhealthy working conditions and short-term priorities. Kinda Brave wants to change this by investing long-term in smaller, creative and independent teams, believing that the path to the best games is one of good people being given good continuous support. With more room to breathe and by helping each other out, you suddenly find yourself in a position where you can start looking at how you can impact others positively as well, beyond just development and publishing.”

About Kinda Brave

Kinda Brave opens its doors today with three signed studios under its belt, and already working on exciting new development projects. Headed by co-founders CEO Björn Rudolfsson and board chairman Kristofer Westergren, the publisher and its group of studios has grown to over 35 employees and has a management team with impressive credentials that includes previous roles at Mojang, EA, Raw Fury, Zordix and PlayStation. Kinda Brave has dropped traditional publishing deals in favor of acquiring or founding new studios together with skilled developers, making them members of a group invested in an inclusive work environment and fair conditions. Besides financial backing, sales and marketing services, all studios enjoy support from shared resources in the publisher, ranging from HR, recruitment and legal services to a fulltime sustainability manager – priorities that usually only a much larger outfit could justify. By pooling resources together, each studio can stay small and tight-knit, exchanging know-how and inspiration to the benefit of all.

Kinda Brave’s core values and mission; People, Players and Planet:

  • PEOPLE: While People, Players and Planet are all equally important, it all starts with People. Kinda Brave has set a focus on creating healthy and happy places of work, built on foundations of equality and inclusivity. In a collaboration with RFSL, the The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights, Kinda Brave is set to become the world’s first LGBTQI certified gaming company. The group has also announced its sponsorship of DONNA, a local Swedish organization dedicated to getting more women and non-binary people involved in the games industry, in part by encouraging increased enrollment in game development education.
  • PLAYERS: In the same vein of inclusivity and respect, and with more efforts to be unveiled leading up to its first releases, Kinda Brave has set out to become a trusted publisher in the community of players/gamers with disabilities, dedicating additional resources and development time to set a minimum standard of accessibility features for all its indie titles. Each studio will house an Accessibility Champion, with Kinda Brave financing their training and certification by the AbleGamers charity organization.
  • PLANET: Through mindful choices of suppliers and manufacturers where possible, reuse of old electronics and furniture and travel kept at minimum, the whole group kept 2021’s total emissions to 90 tons of CO2, achieving climate neutrality through Gold Standard compensation. To reduce emissions further, the group is exploring ways to power and heat its offices with renewable energy and technology for eco-friendly game settings, targeted at lowering overall power consumption of Players.

In tandem with the launch of the publisher itself, Kinda Brave is spearheading an initiative called Sustainable Gaming (sustainablegaming.com) with the ambition to inspire and engage more players and developers in sustainability issues. The site will be used as a platform to showcase the group’s sustainability work – both achievements and shortcomings. Over time, Kinda Brave hopes to grow the site with educational material and resources for sharing in the indie development community.

The Kinda Brave board also includes Åsa Bredin, Head of Engineering at Mojang, Evelina Anttila, partner at sustainability-focused venture capitalist investors Wellstreet and Wilhelm Pettersson, CEO and owner of Skabholmen Invest. The focus for the group is on continued expansion with another 2-3 studios a year.

Rudolfsson continued: “We’re made up of players and veterans from the games industry who’ve all seen up close how taxing game development can be on people, particularly in the indie scene. There can be a lot of unrealistic expectations on the teams – not just from financiers, but even from the developers themselves. It’s often expected of them to handle everything between heaven and earth alone. We want to take some of that pressure off, providing safe environments for game developers to enjoy creative freedom. And we want to engage in the development of those environments long-term. We got a lot of work ahead of ourselves but sustainability remains our focus from day one.”

VR Bartending heads into Space to Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2

Startenders, developed by Bristol-based Foggy Box Games, is a new VR bartending experience out now on Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2. An immersive arcade-style game with a wacky sci-fi narrative, Startenders puts players behind the bar to mix cocktails for an assortment of weird and wonderful patrons.

As a newly enrolled intern in the Startenders Academy, players will have to shake, slice, cryo blast and serve to level up their skills behind the bar. Startenders has over 100 named recipes utilising over 25 ingredients which can be served at three different temperatures, within three styles of glass and topped off with 13 different garnishes, so there’s plenty to keep on top of as you rise through the bartending ranks. That’s over two million unique combinations of possible drinks – a lot.

Startenders offers ‘Story’, ‘Free Mix’, ‘Pass the Headset’ and ‘Daily Run’ game modes, allowing players to enjoy a hilarious narrative adventure meeting new alien species, experiment with the craziest cocktails imaginable or compare their drinks-making skills with the rest of the world in daily challenges.

“We wanted each player’s Startenders experience to be unique, so we built a system that can provide endless procedurally generated shifts, with different customers and orders each time you play,” says Chris Youles, Creative Director of Foggy Box Games. “We strove to create an experience where the players are not punished for having fun, even if it means going off script. The game doesn’t have fail-states or restarts, we want players to experiment and let their creativity influence their mixology.”

Features

  • Full hand tracking
  • Pass The Headset local social party mode
  • Create your own custom drinks for customers to order
  • Make multiple drinks on time and as requested – the quicker and more accurate your concoction the higher your tips.
  • Upgrade your equipment, purchase different ingredients to discover a wide array of drinks to serve.
  • You get one chance a day compete on the global leader board for the best score in Daily Play
  • Relax or train in-between shifts in your habitat

Startenders features a range of VR specific accessibility options for the comfort of players. Playable seated or standing, the game also allows for teleport node-based locomotion and optional snap turning, seated mode height offsets, in-world subtitles and height adjustment on all surfaces.

Startenders is out now on Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2 priced $14.99 / £11.99 / €14.99. PlayStation and PC VR versions are planned for a later date. Developed by Foggy Box Games and published by Yogscast Games.

Visit joinstartenders.com for more info.

Make your mark on Formula 1 in the officially licensed F1 Manager 2022 from Frontier

Frontier Developments plc have just unveiled F1® Manager 2022, their major new management simulation game coming this summer. Following a licensing agreement signed in early 2020 with F1®, Frontier is creating a major new game franchise to join a successful portfolio which includes Elite Dangerous, Planet Coaster, Jurassic World Evolution 1 & 2 and Planet Zoo. The F1® Manager franchise will be Frontier’s first foray into an annual sports license, as part of a long term, multi-title agreement with F1®. F1® Manager 2022 will launch in summer 2022 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 5, Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, Steam and the Epic Store.

Step into the shoes of a team principal and lead your drivers, engineers and fans to glory in the 2022 FIA Formula 1 ® Drivers’ World Championship and FIA Formula 1 ® Constructors’ World Championship. With unparalleled authenticity and broadcast-quality presentation, F1® Manager 2022 delivers a challenging experience for new and die-hard F1® fans alike, while showcasing the intricacies of the world’s most prestigious racing brand.

Ross Brawn, Managing Director – Motorsports, Formula 1®, said, “It’s great to see F1 Manager 2022 take shape and for people to see this exciting title come to life. I know from personal experience that leading a team can be challenging, but it’s certainly rewarding. The F1 Manager franchise is a great opportunity for fans to put themselves in the shoes of a team principal and experience some of that for themselves. I am confident that with their own successful track record in management gaming, Frontier will deliver an enjoyable and engaging experience for fans.”

The first entry in this exciting series of games will invite players and F1® fans to own every aspect of leading a team to victory, upgrading cars and race facilities, hiring drivers and engineers, balancing budgets and driver demands, all before the race weekend kicks into gear. Once the race gets underway, stay calm under pressure and make critical decisions as you manage your team to victory.

Game Director Andy Fletcher, said, “There’s never been a better time to be a Formula 1 fan, and we’re excited to deliver a new way for F1 fans to immerse themselves in the biggest racing spectacle in the world. F1 Manager 2022 will deliver an experience for both new and long-term fans that is as authentic as it is exciting. Our commitment to the ever-changing world of Formula 1 will build a strong foundation for a long and special series that will evolve over time.”

Frontier CEO and founder, David Braben, said, “We are delighted to partner with the great team at Formula 1. We’ve been working closely with them to deliver a truly authentic experience, and they have provided us with extensive access to all aspects of the sport to enable us to do this. We feel this is the start of something special – we’re looking forward to bringing F1 Manager 2022 to players in summer 2022.”

F1® Manager 2022 will launch in summer 2022 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 5, Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, Steam and Epic Store. The game is available to wishlist on Steam now and on the Epic Game Store, here: https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/f1-manager-2022.

Deliver Us The Moon Preparing for Lift Off on Google Stadia

Indie games publishing label Wired Productions and acclaimed Dutch game studio, KeokeN interactive announced that the epic sci-fi thriller Deliver Us The Moon is launching onto Stadia, Google’s cloud gaming platform that lets you instantly play video games on screens that you already own, in April 2022.

Deliver Us The Moon Google Stadia Announce Trailer:

 

 

 

The Stadia announcement sees the continuation of the stellar voyage by the award-winning title Deliver Us The Moon which was originally released in October 2019. Set in an apocalyptic near future where Earth’s natural resources are depleted, Deliver Us The Moon follows the astronomical journey of a lone astronaut, sent to the moon on a critical mission to save humanity from extinction.

  • Real World Issues: The narrative focuses on topical issues, like climate change and the depletion of the world’s natural resources
  • Multiple Gameplay Styles: Experience sequences of 1st and 3rd person play, as Deliver Us The Moon takes you on a genre busting narrative adventure
  • Be an Astronaut: Launch a rocket from Earth, journey through the WSA space station and explore the open lunar landscape with weightless freedom – by foot, rover or monorail
  • Uncover the Past: Ruins of previous lunar missions have many stories and secrets to tell. Use your Astrotool to uncover the history of the lunar colony.
  • Suit Up with Space Age Tech: With the ASE drone as your sole companion, utilise the greatest technology mankind has to offer from new age space-suits, cutting lasers, rockets and robot arms
  • Survive Hazardous Environments: With oxygen tanks running out and the never-ending void of Space staring you down, staying alive won’t be so easy
  • Crack the Code: Overcome obstacles, dangers blocking your path and uncover the secrets of the past by using various tools and all of your wits to solve intricate puzzles
  • Feel Weightless with a Breathtaking and Atmospheric Soundtrack: Inspired by the greatest works of Sci-Fi in cinema, Deliver Us The Moon has an awe inspiring soundtrack to rival the movies with three hours of original music
  • Powered by Unreal® Engine 4: Deliver Us The Moon uses Unreal® Engine 4 to deliver incredible gameplay and stunning graphics

“We are pleased to continue on our out-of-this-world journey with the team at KeokeN Interactive as we bring Deliver Us The Moon to more players across every platform” Said Neil Broadhead, Head of Marketing at Wired Productions. “We are thrilled to bring this title to Google Stadia ahead of its release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S later this year.”

“Bringing Deliver Us The Moon to the Cloud is only the start of our interstellar adventures this year.” Said Koen Deetman, CEO at KeokeN Interactive. “We are proud to deliver the title to Stadia fans in April, we can’t wait for players to step into our deeply immersive game world once again and feel like an astronaut!”

Deliver Us The Moon is launching on Google Stadia in April 2022

LucidSound Announces Price Drop On Their Flagship LS50X Wireless Gaming Headsets

LucidSound, one of the fastest growing gaming headset brands, is thrilled to announce that its flagship LS50X Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox Series X|S with Bluetooth is getting a £50 price drop down to £199.99. With this reduction, LucidSound aims to make its ultimate Xbox headset accessible to a broader audience.

Offering a premium experience within the LucidSound range, the LS50X Hybrid Wireless and Bluetooth Gaming Headset for Xbox sports a luxurious design. Its gel-cooled, spacious earcups and flexible lightweight frame ensure superior comfort across longer play sessions, made possible thanks to a reliable up to 20 hour battery life. For the more competitive gamer, the LS50X boasts lag-free wireless audio and crystal-clear chat with dual mics enabling effective communications with party members in the heat of action.

Other features of the LS50X:

  • Intuitive controls: Easily control audio and chat without breaking your concentration via on-earcup quick-access controls including game/chat balance control
  • Custom-tuned audio: 50mm drivers with 5 custom-tuned EQ modes deliver high-fidelity stereo and surround sound on Xbox with Windows Sonic.
  • Stream bluetooth simultaneously while you play on Xbox: Connect and use your Bluetooth devices while you play on Xbox. Play your own music in-game, use team chat apps from your PC, and take calls without interrupting your game.
  • Easy setup for lag-free interference-free wireless: The advanced chipset in the LS50X enables a strong and clear wireless signal even in crowded WiFi and mesh network areas. One-step setup gets you gaming on Xbox in no time

Martha Is Dead’ Confirms Launches on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation Today

Indie games publishing label, Wired Productions, and leading Italian studio, LKA, can confirm their highly anticipated psychological thriller Martha Is Dead will launch digitally across PC, PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5 and the Xbox family of devices today.

Developed in Unreal® Engine 4 by LKA, the award-winning studio behind the celebrated psychological adventure The Town of Light, Martha Is Dead is a dark first-person psychological thriller set in 1944 Italy that blurs the lines between reality, superstition and the tragedy of war.

Play opens in the depths of the Italian countryside as Allied and Axis forces turn the nation into a pincered playground. On the shores of the lake lies the body of a young woman; Martha, drowned and desecrated. Now her twin sister must deal with the fallout from her murder whilst the horror of war draws ever closer.

Check out the launch trailer 

“Martha Is Dead was always the natural next step for LKA after The Town of Light,” offers Luca Dalco, Founder & Director, LKA. “The game builds upon our signature style of deep, multi-layered narratives to deliver a story that explores loss, relationships, and psychological distress, all while the mass hysteria that was the latter years of the Second World War plays out in the background. It’s been a long journey for everyone here at LKA – one specifically tied to the countryside around us and the history behind it – but we think it’s been worth it.”

“This is a milestone release for both Wired Productions and LKA,” says Leo Zullo, Managing Director, Wired Productions. “There’s never been a story like this before – one that touches on issues in quite the way Martha Is Dead does. It’s an important tale to tell, and one we think will stay with players long after the credits have rolled.”

The physical version of Martha Is Dead, available on PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5, contains a reversible sleeve, fold out double-sided poster, collectable sticker sheet and a digital download Tarot card pack, and will officially launch on Thursday March 10th, 2022 – please note, stock may be available in some stores in advance of this date. Both the digital and physical versions of the game are priced: £24.99 / €29.99 / $29.99.

The PlayStation 5 exclusive Collector’s Edition, which will be sold in limited quantities, with only 1,000 units set to be produced, is available to pre-order now exclusively via the Wired Productions Store with an SRP of £125.00. Each Collector’s Edition includes a bonus digital copy of Martha Is Dead for the Steam Store.

Fans can also pick up the Martha Is Dead triple Vinyl Soundtrack – which features 33 eclectic tracks, and will be available on triple 12″ white/black marbled vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve and limited to only 500 pressings worldwide – over here.

The Ascent is launching this March on PlayStation!

24 February, 2022 – Publisher Curve Games and Swedish indie development studio Neon Giant are excited to announce that the popular cyberpunk RPG The Ascent is coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 platforms on 24th March 2022.

Pre-orders are now open and players will receive an exclusive RPEG 33 energy-type Rocket Launcher with a unique laser sight in the console’s signature blue when pre-ordering The Ascent on PlayStation.

Co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Arcade Berg said: “We’ve been blown away by how amazing the response to The Ascent has been so far on Xbox and PC, so we are thrilled to be bringing the game to a new audience of PlayStation players. We started making The Ascent because we love making games and we want to share what we’ve made with as many gamers as possible in the hope that people enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Tor Frick, Creative Director and fellow co-founder of Neon Giant added: “ Our wonderful community and their feedback is so important to us and helps us shape the game. It’s amazing to look back and see how far we’ve come even since The Ascent first launched in July last year. We have been able to add new features that players want such as Photo Mode, Transmogrification and now New Game+, as well as the DLC packs. We’re super excited to now be able to bring all of this to players on PlayStation and grow our great community.”

Cyber Warrior DLC Pack

Steam players will also be able to get their hands on the exciting new Cyber Warrior DLC pack available today, which includes 2 new weapons, 1 new tactical, 7 pieces of armour and 3 new weapon skins. The Cyber Warrior DLC Pack is available now on Steam for $4.99 / £3.99 / 4.99€.

Cyber Warrior DLC Trailer:

 

 

New Game+

From today, Steam players will be able to jump into The Ascent’s highly anticipated brutal New Game+ mode, free for all players once they have completed their first playthrough of The Ascent, for a more challenging single player and co-op experience. Unlocking when players complete mission 12 of the base game, hardcore fans can battle tougher enemies with extra abilities and enemy projectiles that are much faster and harder to dodge. Levels are increased to 30 and up and weapons can be upgraded past Mk.10.

Pre-order here today:

PS4 EU: https://store.playstation.com/product/EP4395-CUSA14650_00-THEASCENTPREBUND
PS5 EU: https://store.playstation.com/product/EP4395-PPSA02592_00-THEASCENTPREBUND

 

PS4 US: https://store.playstation.com/product/UP4395-CUSA14683_00-THEASCENTPREBUND
PS5 US: https://store.playstation.com/product/UP4395-PPSA02593_00-THEASCENTPREBUND

 

Retro Racer Moto Roader revs back to the past Classic Speedster makes a return on Xbox/Switch/PS4/5

Indie publisher Ratalaika Games is delighted to announce the digital release of Moto Roader for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch is set for February 25th 2022.

Facts – Not Fiction

The iconic Moto Roader MC was first released in 1992 and its return allows gamers to now test their reactions, skill and bottle! Looks easy – it’s not! Full speed ahead thirty years on, and this beloved title is now poised at the starting line on consoles.

Play head to head against the computer or locally with a friend in multiple modes of futuristic race challenge. Choose from an array of cool cars and drivers, as well as a variety of gameplay modes

Features:

* Classic legacy title

* Choose from multiple cars and drivers

* Numerous race tracks

* Multiple game modes including bumper car challenges

* Up to 4 player (up to 5 on Switch) local coop

Top down action, a fabulous array of scenery where precision, together with luck, is required!

No Place Like Home launches 10th March and there’s a world full of potential, and pollution.

Awaken Realms, a tabletop publisher making its Steam debut with Chicken Launcher, is delighted to announce that No Place Like Home, their green-fingered, post-apocalyptic clean up game will be leaving early access on 10th March 2022. No Place Like Home is a post-apocalyptic-yet-colourful simulation game where the Earth has been stripped of natural resources and left to collapse under mountains of waste as humankind abandons it for a life on Mars. Those who remain must set about clearing up the mess left behind, restoring the natural balance and starting anew. Learn from the mistakes of the past to create a brighter future for your farm, your village and the entire planet.

Clearing, recycling, crafting, cooking, trading and much more are key to transforming wasteland into farmland where people prosper. But this is much bigger than one person. As a village and community evolves from the seeds of civilization, so do the possibilities. There’s freedom in this recovering world to take it in many different directions.

Following a successful spell in Early Access, No Place Like Home will officially launch on Steam on Thursday 10th March, with support for German, French, Russian, Polish, Spanish (European) and Chinese (Simplified).

“No Place Like Home has been a joy to work on and we’re so looking forward to sharing it’s full release with our community and beyond.” commented Adrian Komarski, Co-Founder of publisher Awaken Realms “We’re incredibly proud of No Place Like Home, it’s been a real passion project for our team to make the move into digital publishing as well as shine a light on serious environmental concerns. Starting with a stark look at the damage we’re doing to the environment whilst creating a fun and enjoyable game that literally sees the world become a better place. What more could we ask for?”.

 

Key Features
– Recycle and craft to build your own farm: Turn trash into trade items as you craft with recycled resources to run your own post-apocalyptic farm.

– Produce your food from seed to stew: Scavenge the world for seeds to grow your own produce and create nutritious meals that can be traded for useful items.

– The world is yours to find: Explore, go on adventures and find hidden secrets that will help you run your farm.

– Salvage your village: Restore the environment from the wasteland it has become to rebuild your village, and the world.

– Make some animal friends: Restore wild habitats and domesticate farm animals to help life thrive in and around your village and farm.

– Convert an old house into your cozy home: Rebuild, refurbish and decorate your house, after all there’s no place like home.