iGame Radio

If you weren’t aware of it, tickets for the 2013 PAX Prime went on sale yesterday. And if you weren’t aware then you are out of luck…just as the thousands of other folks that also tried to get tickets and didn’t. Because those tickets got sold in the blink of an eye.

There’s no question that PAX Prime, the grandaddy of the PAXes, is THE place for gamer nerds to be on Labor Day weekend. And the fact that Gabe and Tycho, the founders of PAX and Penny Arcade, have put a cap on the convention attendance because they have specified no intention of moving from its current location at the Washington State Convention Center means that there will only EVER be a certain number of tickets available, while the number of potential attendees will go up.

But is that the real problem for why those tickets sold so fast this time? Or is PAX suffering from scalper-itis?

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Omaha Sternberg talks with Finn Morgan of Puppy Punch Productions about his physics-based puzzler Colour Bind.

After weeks of poor health, I’m finally getting back in the groove. And that includes getting back to all of those PAX12 interviews I’ve got stored away! First up, Finn Morgan’s Colour Bind, an intriguing physics-based puzzler that requires you to know which way is up. The graphics might not be pretty, but you’ve gotta put your thinking cap on to figure out how to manipulate gravity using color to open up various barriers and get past various obstacles. And if your color blind don’t worry…Finn has taken care of that too! I talked with Finn at PAX12 in Seattle about how he came up with the game, the development, and where he’s headed next.

NOTE: The Mac version did not launch with the Windows version and there’s no time frame for its release at this time. However, it is in development.

Techtonic Games is all set to release their high-octane 3D runner, Bust-N-Rush, tomorrow, September 14. Barring any hiccups, the devs are shooting for a simultaneous PC/Mac release, so look for the game on the Mac App Store and the Techtonic site. There will also be an exclusive bundle on EA’s Origin, but we won’t see the Mac version there for some time. In this interview, I talk with Jeromy Maligie and Leif Dahl about the two modes in Bust-N-Rush, the unique lane running the game employs, and how the game makes sure you’re never bored.

Hosts Omaha Sternberg and Rob Benson talk about Omaha’s trip to PAX Prime 2012. This is part 1…stay tuned for part 2 next week!
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Another Zombie game? But you know if it made it into the PAX 10 it isn’t. Containment: The Zombie Puzzler is our latest entry in the PAX 10 Showcase, available for PC, Mac, and iPad.

Containment: The Zombie Puzzler

Developer: Bootsnake Games
Publisher: Bootsnake Games
Release Date: Already released
Platforms: Mac, PC, iPad
Details: Containment: The Zombie Puzzler is the puzzle game that fights back. The town of Franklin needs your help to fight off the undead hordes. Throughout the game you will use your wits, items you pick up along the way, and even the town around you to survive the zombie outbreak. Think Bejeweled meets the undead invasion. The description doesn’t do the game justice…watch the trailer for the full impact.

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If you are headed to PAX Prime this Friday, you might want to take note that two new panels have been added to the panel lineup. Both will take place in the nearby Grand Hyatt Hotel in the Eliza Anderson Amphitheatre, located at 721 Pine Street in Seattle, and seating is on a first come, first served basis.

“Elements of Storytelling: Storytelling Themes and Creative Processes in Science Fiction and Videogames” explores the creative fabric of science fiction and video games. Discussion topics will include the ownership of creative works, video games as an art form, game design in science fiction and dystopian tropes in fiction and games. The panel takes place at 12pm PST on Saturday, September 1st.

“Fresh Corpses: Not Your Average Zombie Games” looks at the current proliferation of zombies in videogames and culture, and the approach by different game makers to this genre. Panelists will explore the most illustrious properties in the zombie realm, why audiences are obsessed with these animated cadavers, and why game makers are dying to satisfy their appetites. This panel will take place on Friday, August 31st at 4pm PDT.

Check out this page for more information about each panel.

If you’re headed to PAX Prime this weekend, one booth you will want to hit is Indie game dev BitFlip Games. They’ll be showing off their debut title, Minion Masters, which they’ve billed as a digital boardgame. BitFlip has revealed a full slate of goodies for interested gamers, both who attend PAX and even those not so lucky, which include pre-order discounts, giveaways, and a contest.

The BitFlip Games booth hosts six stations of multiplayer Minion Master matches. Gamers can train with new in-game tutorials, challenge friends to matches, build customized decks, and dabble to their heart’s desire with the Level Editor. You’ll even get a chance to interrogate ask questions of the developers to get tips and tricks of the game.

BitFlip is also giving away limited edition Minion Master trading cards to everyone who comes by the booth. The cards feature the art of Raul Arbolea Santos and is the first ever collectible material available from the game. You can also pre-order the game at a 25% discount. The pre-order gets you into the closed beta running right now, as well as exclusive access to ‘Play with a Developer’ events, where you can join in weekly multiplayer matches with the BitFlip Games dev team.

Finally, BitFlip is running a Twitter hashtag contest that everyone is invited to participate in. Anyone who tweets with the #MinionMaster tag during PAX (Friday, August 31st at 9AM through Sunday, September 2nd at 6PM) will be entered to win. The Grand Prize winner will become immortalized as an in-game Minion. Two first prize Minion Master Founder’s Accounts are available and include the Minion Master game, instant access to the closed beta, and will receive every expansion released for the lifetime of the game. Finally, fifteen second prize winners will receive the complete set of Limited Edition Minion Master Trading Cards.

If you’re not familiar with Minion Masters, in this digital board game that merges collectible card game tactics with miniature war gaming strategies on a digital screen, players control armies of figurines on a hex-based board and summon their Minions using a custom built deck of cards. Minion Master will boast a Deck Builder, 6 player co-op and versus multiplayer, a Level Editor, and a constantly expanding universe of Minions to control.

BitFlip Games will be hosting a booth on the 6th floor, space #6011, open to all PAX attendees. And we’ll be interviewing them, so watch out for that podcast episode!

Our latest PAX 10 Showcase game is posted! Catch-22 forces you to encounter yourself in arcade action in this Indie arcade puzzler.

Catch-22

EDIT: updates to system requirements and launch dates

Developer: Mango Down!
Publisher: Mango Down!
Release Date: TBA
System Requirements: Mac/PC, iOS, Facebook
Details: Catch-22 is a very relaxing and frustrating one-button game in which you play against yourself. You control one of two orbs that circle around a planet in an attempt to get a new high-score. Your goal each turn you control one of the two orbs is to get all the white balls, and to avoid your previous you (your ghost). When you get all the white balls your control will be switched to the other you, and you now have to avoid all the jumps you made in the previous turn.

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Our next PAX 10 Showcase game is posted! Check out this impossible puzzle game that has made the finalist rung of no less than five different Indie game competitions.

The Bridge

Developer: Ty Taylor, Mario Castaneda
Publisher: TBA
Release Date: TBA
System Requirements: TBA (originally listed as XNA/Xbox Live for the Indie Game Challenge, but the developer states that the game will be playable by anyone)
Details: The Bridge is a 2D logic puzzle game that forces the player to reevaluate their preconceptions of physics and perspective. It is Isaac Newton meets M. C. Escher. Manipulate gravity to redefine the ceiling as the floor while venturing through impossible architectures. The game is set in a lithographically drawn world based on M. C. Escher’s work.

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We’ve started our first PAX 10 Showcase, bringing to your screen the details of all of the great games that made it into the PAX 10 that will also be playable on at least one of your Apple devices…Mac and/or iOS. We’ll be posting a full writeup about each of these games every few days, so keep an eye out for them. To start, here’s Splice, Cipher Prime’s most recent contribution to your summer happiness…click on the link at the bottom to get it all!

Splice

Developer: Cipher Prime
Publisher: Cipher Prime
Release Date: June 13, 2012
Details: Splice is an experimental and artistic puzzler. Every level (“strand”) consists of a number of cells that you will need to rearrange into a target structure in several moves (“splices”). Exploration and experimentation are key in determining how the curious little cells react to each other. Predict the sequence of splices you’ll have to make in order to successfully arrange each strand. Re-sequence, mutate, and splice your way through this unique puzzle experience, and you’ll exercise your ability to visualize sequential series of shapes over time. Solve your way to the final strands and you’ll be left with a heady sense of mental accomplishment!

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