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xOrbic v1.0 released! (English, ESD)
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The demo version of xOrbic can be downloaded here.
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General update - 20 November 2008 |
xOrbic, our Puzzle/RPG game, is now in the Release Candidate stage. The Russian version of our game is set to hit the shelves
in December 2008. We will probably release an English version at the same time. The english version will be distributed online.
Over the next month or two, we are still spending time and effort to secure more regional publishers.
Based on some rather negative feedback on the WHG screenshots and small video clips, we decided to take them down for now.
These screens were dated, and they did not accurately represent the new direction we're taking WHG in. And by new direction,
I don't mean that it will look like Doom 4. As a small independent developer, we never stood a realistic chance in hell to
create a game that looks like the latest blockbuster from a well funded developer. If all works out well, we will first create
a new version of xOrbic, essentially xOrbic 2, which will build and improve on the current foundation, and include collaboration
with some of the Sonata guys. xOrbic 2 will sit roughly halfway between xOrbic 1 and WHG in terms of looks and features. Then,
we finally plan to complete WHG by removing the puzzle aspects from xOrbic 2, and replacing them with 3D overhead exploration and action.
(The three games are not linked in terms of setting, story, style, etc.) WHG will attempt to target both the casual games market and the
hardcore market. Essentially, it will be a game that attempts to be a perfect fit for XBox Live Arcade.
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xOrbic news update - September 2008 |
After a long stretch of steady progress, xOrbic is on the brink of completion! The quality of the product has been greatly
influenced by constructive and critical feedback from testers (mainly people keeping an eye out for WHG, I'm sure) over the past
few months. We are now working closely with some regional publishers to finalize things and to get the game translated into various
languages.
BTW, if anyone is interested in helping to create a Finnish tranlation, let me know. You would have to be quite a serious
RPG fan (to make sure all the 100s of words and phrases are translated correctly within context), and you would of course need to
be fluent in Finnish and English. The bad news is, there will be no great upfront payment for this, so I don't really expect
100s of people rushing in to do this :) - but nevertheless, if you are keen, let me know, and we can work something out.
(marius[at]zeliangames.com)
More good news: it is very likely that a Sonata mod will be done for xOrbic. I really can't promise anything, but all indications
are that there will be a modified version of the game, and it will include original music. Release date... my guess is, no sooner
than January. IF the status of this development changes, I will report it here immediately.
Then back to WHG - if we take into account all the various underlying systems created for xOrbic, and also the fact that the game
is completely data driven and therefore modifiable in almost every way - then it is safe to say that WHG has passed the halfway
mark of its development phase. This does not mean that xOrbic is an indication of what WHG would be like, because
there will be no puzzle battles in WHG, and the whole style of the game (universe, characters, UI graphics, story, items, etc)
will be completely different. Nevertheless, there is faint light at the end of the tunnel for this horribly delayed game.
I will report back here soon - so keep an eye on this page!
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Coming soon - xOrbic |
I know it's been a long time since we posted any updates regarding the development of Winterheart's Guild, and I apologise for that. Here is the whole story...
Over a period of a few years, we've pumped vast amounts of time and effort, and a moderate amount of cash, into the development of Winterheart's Guild and the development of our in-house engine.
Then, some time last year, we changed tactics in order to rescue the game from development hell and lack of funding, which would have led to its demise had we continued on that path.
In a way, we tackled a bit more than we could realistically finish in a reasonable amount of time - and the last thing we need is for this development to drag out for 10 years.
What we did instead, was divert our effort into the development of a game targeted at the casual gamer, as much as the hardcore RPG fan: xOrbic - a puzzle RPG hybrid. The trick, and
how this all relates to WHG, is that this game, once completed, will form the foundation of Winterheart's Guild... the RPG system and a lot of the gameplay mechanisms will
go straight into WHG, and we will expand it from there to include the 3D worlds that the player can explore. xOrbic is now nearing the end of its development - I suspect around two months
of work is needed before we have an alpha version that will include most features. As soon as this game is done, I will report back here. In the mean time, if anybody is interested in
playtesting our pre alpha versions of xOrbic - just send an email to marius[at]zeliangames.com. Please include your system's hardware specs.
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