iGame Radio

Valve has released new information about the impending release of Portal 2 for PS3, and contained within were some goodies for the PC and Mac communities. Marking the debut of Steam functioning on any next gen console, the features shipping in the PS3 version of Portal 2 include cross platform play (PC/Mac vs. PS3) for multiplayer games and cross platform chat (PC/Mac and PS3).

Valve reports that PS3 gamers will be able to start up Portal 2, link to their Steam account from within the game, and connect with their Steam friends on PC and Mac for online chats and game invites for multiplayer play.

In addition, those who purchase Portal 2 for the PS3 may unlock a Steam Play (PC/Mac) copy of Portal 2 at no additional cost by linking their PSN and Steam accounts. However, because of the nature of the design (that gameplay is initiated through a Blue-ray disc) the opposite seems not to be true, and PC/Mac players who purchase a copy of Portal 2 will not also get a free copy of the PS3 version.

PS3 players will also gain persistent cloud-based storage of PS3 saved games, meaning that they can take their disc with them and access their saved games from any location with a PS3.

Portal 2′s release has been slated for April 18th. You can get more information and speculation from the Portal website.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• A review of Scarlett and the Spark of Life, by Launching Pad Games. While a bit short, Scarlett and the Spark of Life is wonderfully funny and snarky with fun puzzles to lighten your day.
  
• Also, a review of Big Bad Flower, by Big Bad Brush. It’s a great way to spend a little time punishing the guys who dig up your flowerbeds with quick finger action.
• Plus, a review of Flick Winter Carnival, by Freeverse. This game probably won’t appeal to those looking for more than a quick diversion from a boring line stand, especially with the issues with the Ring Toss and Bottle Smash game. More for the young than the young at heart.
  

• Scarlett and the Spark of Life: Scarlett Adventures Episode 1
• BIG BAD Flower
• Flick Winter Carnival

In November, game developer Lazy Peon Games released a game called League of Heroes to the App Store. This rogue-like game for the iPhone was a hit for the beta testers, and studio head Eric Farraro hoped would be so on the App Store. The only problem? It was a clone of IGF finalist Desktop Dungeons QCF Designs.

The saga regarding this controversy is recorded in detail elsewhere, but the summary is that when QCF Designs learned of the game, they contacted Ferraro, asking him not to release the game. They talked with him about making changes that would be positive to the game and yet not violate their copyright. Ferraro made excuses about his game, claiming that it was different enough, and released it. In the end, Ferraro had to remove the game in response to a C&D order through Apple from QCF Designs.

Sounds simple enough, until you read how many people are responding negatively towards QCF Designs for this action. Apparently, Ferraro was within his rights to clone their game and develop it for the iPhone platform without their permission. So many excuse this because to them cloning seems to have a history in the game industry for innovation. Ferraro had made it clear from the beginning that the game was a clone…that makes it right!

If you look at the comments (18 pages long) in the Touch Arcade thread regarding the release of League of Heroes, despite the fact that some of the beta testers had played Desktop Dungeons, none saw a problem with Ferraro cloning the game down to the core gameplay, ruleset, etc. In effect, he stole the game, then changed a couple of things to claim it as his own, and everyone thought this was fine.

This view is echoed in the comments made on the post that QCF Design made regarding the fallout of this issue. Again, many considered QCF to be in the wrong, that Ferraro was within his rights to clone Desktop Dungeons without permission, develop it in parallel, get it out on the App Store before QCF Design did, and make the profit from the idea before they did.

And yet, when Cooks Source editor/owner Judith Griggs was found to be lifting images and entire articles for her magazine for profit, the entirety of the Internet’s wrath came down upon her in vengeance for her actions, considered wrong to the writers and photographers.

How is that any different than cloning a game in development without permission and finishing it before the other team? Because I frankly don’t see it. Perhaps the game community is so worried about innovation that they have forgotten the right of someone who has a great idea to create a great game from that idea for the world to experience.

Want a special edition package of Bejeweled 3? Think you know when the Mac App Store countdown will turn over to 10 billion? Then you might be just the person to enter the Mac App Store 10 Billion Countdown Contest! All you have to do is decide when you think that countdown will turn over, then post your guess on the iGame Radio Facebook page. The person whose guess is closest to the actual time will be the winner! All decisions by iGame Radio are final, so there. ;)

Penny Arcade has announced the return of the successful line-up of gaming music to PAX East in Boston in March. Held March 11 – 13, the lineup includes artists highlighting a wide range of music from hip hop to orchestral performances.

The full list of acts includes:

• Jonathan Coulton
• MC Frontalot
• Metroid Metal
• Paul and Storm
• The Protomen
• The Video Game Orchestra

The PAX East festival includes a wide range of gaming including pen-and-paper, tabletop, CCG, PC and console video games. Fans will attend panel discussions, concerts, tournaments and see the latest and future titles in a huge exhibition hall. PAX East launched in 2010 and brought in more than 50,000 attendees.

The pre-registration cost is $55 for three-day and $35 for single day passes. The passes are all-access for events, concerts, parties, panels and freeplay areas.

Alawar has released an iPad version of their Treasures of Mystery Island iPhone game. Inspired by the television series Lost, this hidden object game has you collecting pieces of tools and other items that you will be using throughout the game. With the non-linear plot, the game description reminds me of Snark Busters. You can get the game for $4.99, and do a trial run with a lite version.

G5 Entertainment has also released a treasure seeking game as well, with Treasure Seekers 2. Available for both iPhone and iPad, players will help Nelly find her brother Tom as she searches through six different locations. The trailer showed an interesting gameplay technique…finding hidden objects based not on a list, but on what you think that the target is looking for. Not sure how that will play out in the game itself, but it looks intriguing. The game is $4.99 for the iPhone version, $6.99 for the iPad version.

Virtual Programming has released Monster Kingdom, the final expansion pack to the unusual RTS game Majesty 2. Bringing to a close the adventures of the crown of Ardania, Monster Kingdom introduces monsters to the ranks of allies helping the king.

The King believes himself to be sole ruler, but the priests and nobles disagree. The priests have stolen his crown, and are using it to summon the Spirit of the Kings and proclaim it the righteous ruler. The King must find unusual allies to take back the crown and his throne.

The expansion pack includes 10 new missions, the monster race available in multiplayer mode, and the new monster kingdom including new buildings, heroes, and citizens. Monster Kingdom requires Majesty 2 to play, and is available from the Virtual Programming site for $14.95 | £9.95 | €14.95.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• Host Omaha Sternberg and co-host Corey Tamas of MacGamer talk about the week’s news in Mac and iOS gaming. The Mac App Store launched with over 1000 apps, the majority of them games. Omaha and Corey talk about the launch and the store itself, and what they like and don’t like about the store. Also, does Microsoft really think that the phrase “App Store” is in the common domain?
• Doodlegate is come and gone…or is it. Omaha and Corey talk about the trademark dispute between Lima Sky and Acceleroto over the word “Doodle”, what it means for iOS game developers, and the response from the community. Also, Omaha talks a little about the basics on trademarks based on her own experience with them.
• EA and Gameloft have been trading barbs regarding EA’s $0.99 holiday sale on the iTunes Store. But does it really mean that EA “stifles innovation” as Gameloft claims?
• Omaha summarizes the IGF finalists this year.
• Omaha talks about the iGame Radio poll, and Omaha and Corey talk about games they’ve played and games that have been released.

Music Notes:

• Digital Droo produced our theme music here at iGame Radio.
• Digital Droo featured music from Active Lancer; pick up the Active Lancer soundtrack
• John Gatti for featuring music from El Ballo; pick up the El Ballo soundtrack

Pixelammo, a company started by a veteran of Com2uS, is releasing their first iOS game FluOrama. This puzzle arcade game is an interesting take on the geometric puzzle play, only there’s no cutting involved. Instead, there are tons of microbes that you have to trap in a particular location by moving squares around. As the game proceeds, more microbes end up with stronger powers, making it more difficult to trap them all. The game has been released for iPhone for $0.99.

Social Sudoku takes the classic game and mashes it with Game Center for a social experience. Developed by Cluemaster, this game allows two people to access the same board at the same time so players can challenge their friends and play live head-to-head challenges. It contains a number of variations of the game as well. It’s a universal app for the iPhone and iPad and has been released for $1.99.

Bit Barons has announced Astroslugs, a puzzle game for Windows and Mac that will be released January 27th. The game takes the idea of puzzle piece matching to the drawing phase.

In Astroslugs, the slugs have are trying to jumpstart their spacecraft to get to the stars and start conquering. Their only problem is that they don’t have any energy. Your job is to find that energy, which you do by creating matches in the puzzles. But rather than moving pieces around, or twisting/turning pieces as they fall, you have to draw your matches.

There will be 44 levels to play with hand-drawn graphics and custom music for the game by Filippo Beck Peccoz, et al. The system requirements include:

• Mac OSX 10.5/10.6
• 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 or faster
• 128 MB VRAM w/ memory Shader Model 2.0 support
• 1 GB RAM
• 700 MB harddrive space

Astroslugs will release on January 27th for 13.99 USD | 9.99 EUR | 8.99 GBP. Check out the trailer below for a better idea of gameplay.