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“What is love?” I sometimes ask myself while sipping priceless wine from a priceless chalice made of reasonably priced recyclable goods and chuckling condescendingly at the metaphysical works of Plato and Aristotle. Of course, I already know the answer: Slavish devotion to someone’s most specific desires without any compromise whatsoever. Ergo, by that utterly flawless logic, developer Arcane Kids loves me. Its debut, a two-month student project that goes by the name Zineth, looks like a mix between Jet Set Radio‘s rocket-powered rollerblading, Crackdown‘s Death-provoking acrobatics, and Antichamber‘s off-kilter sense of style. So basically, everything I’ve ever cared about. Obviously, such a short development period means the end result will probably be pretty simple, but I can’t help but like what I’m seeing here. Jet grind past the break to check it out for yourself.

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I’m really beginning to dig this emerging rapid fire point-and-click adventure mini-genre. McPixel and Balloon both managed to delight in  unique ways, and now Round World‘s blazing its own stylish trail with a mix of relaxing simplicity and hilariously abrupt insta-death. Your adorable avian avatar instantly restarts right at the scene of its own death, however, so frustration’s more or less a non-factor. So basically, Round World’s an incredibly brief bout of click-everything-to-make-things-happen silliness, but there are plenty of chuckles to be had for the duration. Also, you get to wallop a shark with a giant hammer. Somewhat regrettably, however, it’s not a hammerhead shark, so no poetically apt battles between man and nature. Then again, you’re a bird, so I guess it’d be nature vs nature. But with hammers. Thanks, Free Indie Games.

The situation faced by troubled MMO developer 38 Studios is not improving. According to Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, the company has not received any new investment. In a sudden press conference late today, he said the studio had not received any outside investment nor any of the new tax credits it has applied for. NBC10 reports that, when asked if 38 Studios would be closing, Chafee said he would do what he could to prevent it.

WPRI reported today that CEO Jennifer MacLean removed the title of chief executive from her LinkedIn profile and listed her departure as having occurred in March. John Blakely, senior vice president of product development, also revised his LinkedIn profile to show that he left the company this month. Joystiq has also been informed of continuing layoffs at the company, and that health insurance has run out.

The value of 38 Studios' Amalur intellectual property is estimated to be in the range of $20 million, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. 38 Studios put up the IP as collateral against its $75 million loan, which could end up costing RI taxpayers $112 million if 38 Studios shutters.

The Game Bakers' mobile, PC and Mac RPG title Squids is getting a rough 'n rowdy update this summer with a new chapter: the Wild West.

To prepare players for the Wild West, Game Bakers launched a free update on the App Store today, featuring three western-ized levels in Seawood, a new Squid hero named Cleef and a new enemy, the Buffalo Shrimp. The update also brings a higher level cap, a new Game Center achievement and improved social media functionality.

We hope it also demonstrates how tumbleweeds blow across a dry dirt street in a fully underwater environment.

38 Studios employees have not been paid since May 1 and their health care will end Thursday at midnight, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Joystiq. Employees are normally paid on the first and 15th of each month.

When asked if the studio would be shutting down this week, the source could only say, "Unknown at this time. Outlook is not good."

We're informed that 38 Studios' MMO, "Project Copernicus," announced by Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee as launching in June 2013, did have that date as its internal target. However, "Whether this is realistic or not is up for debate."

Gov. Chafee said in a press conference today that he would do what he could to prevent the studio from shutting down. Will the studio still exist within a month? "I have no idea," our source replied.

Eerie Canal‘s Dreadline grabbed our attention last week. An RPG/RTS hybrid, from a five-person indie team made of former Irrational/Harmonix developers. That’s rather appealing. Even more so when you learn the game is about playing as a group of monsters who travel through time, killing humans during famous disasters. Wanting to find out more, and how they came to be working together, I spoke to three of the number, Bryn Bennett, Aaron DeMuth and Arthur Inasi, as well as prising out of them a couple of completely exclusive screenshots. Note that both are pre-alpha, and the UI is obviously temporary.

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Promising-looking persistent World War II shooter Heroes & Generals – which offers a hybrid of FPS action and strategic play – is now taking sign ups for its closed beta. It’s an ambitious-looking title, not least because of the way the strategy side of the game is being handled as an over-arching meta-game – there’s even going to be a mobile app that will allow generals to move their resources around in the persistent map part of the game while on the move. It’s a bold concept, one step beyond what we’ve seen from this kind of hybrid previously. Have a gander at the video below for some elucidation on that count.(more…)

Isn’t this just like Marvel? DC puts the weight of an entire movie on one hero, and Marvel fires back with six (seven, if you count Hulk twice – which you should). Then DC shows off an excellent-looking Lego beat ‘em up with 50 heroes, and Marvel rains on its superpowered parade with 8,000 of its own. That’s Marvel Heroes in a nutshell. Actually, no it’s not. Marvel Heroes in a nutshell is “Diablo II – not Diablo III – slipping into spandex and fighting crime after being bitten by a radioactive MMO.” Also, you’re not playing as some lawsuit-baiting Wolverine wannabe. Rather, you can swap between big names and lesser-known defenders of, er, whatever Squirrel Girl defends on the fly. Get it? Fly. That’s a thing superheroes do.

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I must admit to having never owned any of the Lego games, but goodness, this Lego Batman 2 trailer makes a persuasive argument – and not in the traditional Batmanner of hurling me off a two story building and breaking my legs, either. Score! Among other things, it touts a rather astounding 500 square mile open-world city, which looks suitably drenched in rain and atmosphere, given the subject matter. But then a man gets hit with a pie, allowing me to handily sum up everything these games stand for in two sentences. Also on display: Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and the greatest hero of all: spoken words. Also, Superman. Traverse significantly less than 500 square miles to reach the shockingly enticing trailer after the break.

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Acony Games, a German developer, has been working on an online first-person shooter called Hedone, about contestants fighting to win a deadly reality show. Sony Online Entertainment today announced that it is publishing a game by Acony called Bullet Run, and as far as we can tell it's Hedone with a new title.

There's no mention of Hedone on the official website or in the press release, but the free-to-play shooter now called Bullet Run boasts the same reality show premise as Acony's project, and it certainly looks the same as the old game (not to mention that hedone.tv now redirects to Sony's official Bullet Run site).

Some of Acony's developers previously worked on MMO flops APB and BattleForge, so the track record here isn't the greatest. But SOE apparently sees something in the title and is already trying to work some rebranding magic. Beta signups for Bullet Run are going on now, and the game is set to go live later this summer.

The free to play FPS formerly known as Hedone is now the free to play FPS known as Bullet Run, or at least that seems to be the case. Either that or Acony have made two identical games with separate names and convinced Sony to put their logo at the beginning of one of them. It’s a shooty shooty gameshow which means I’m contractually obliged to mention SMASH TV and you can sign up for the beta now if that’s the sort of thing you think you might enjoy. This trailer may help make up your mind one way or the other.

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Here's the perfect way to keep your excitement going while you wait to get into the Diablo 3 server. The 23-track Diablo 3 soundtrack is now available for download on iTunes for $11.99 - a soundtrack that was acclaimed by iTunes reviewer BigJeff71 as "Surprisingly good and not too scary."

If you're still waiting to play after those 23 tracks elapse, you can also buy "The Music of Diablo 1996-2011," a $12 anthology of classic tracks, and the Diablo 2 soundtrack.

Very little bodes quite as ill as an attempt to make something boring ‘fun’. Learning. Taxes. Opera. It doesn’t really matter. At best, it adds an increasingly ignored diversion to an unwelcome task. At worst, the added glitz makes it even more irritating.

In unrelated news, Are You A Human is attempting to make CAPTCHAs fun.

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As the current trend to Kickstart every adventure series I loved in the 90s continues, I jumped upon the opportunity to speak to Tex Murphy himself, Chris Jones. With the new FMV-driven noir science fiction adventure already well over halfway to its half-million goal, there’s cause to be optimistic for Big Finish Games’ project, Project Fedora, going ahead. And as Jones reveals, his team are putting in quarter of a million of their own money too. We talk about bringing Tex back, updating the genre for a modern audience, and why Jones believes FMV characters can connect to players in a way CG ones never can.

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It’s been ages since I assumed the elements-juggling, reality-bending powers of a cosmic deity prone to accidentally lighting his own fire-ant-sized followers on fire. And in the game. Reprisal – which Adam first discovered last year – has officially launched, and it hits many of the beats recent attempts on the god game throne like From Dust couldn’t quite wrap their giant disembodied hands around. As the benevolent sky lord of a tiny tribal society, you shift and shape land en route to making space for everything from patchy tents to Japanese-style castles that spawn pixelated knights in shining (read: also pixelated) armor. Totem powers, meanwhile, round out your arsenal, allowing you to do things like rain fire from the heavens. Each level builds up nicely, though – from humble handful of shacks to war-ready empire. It’s quick and simple, yet impressively deep once you get into the thick of things. So pint-sized Populous, more or less. Play it here.

Yes, its full name is “DmC Devil May Cry” – so, in essence, the game’s actual name is Devil May Cry Devil May Cry. I can’t claim to navigate the labyrinthine cognitive corridors that led to this not-so-dynamic duo of a name, but oh well. I’m playing a game called The Exiled Realm of Arborea right now and am eagerly anticipating a dark, gritty noir drama unabashedly titled Max Payne 3. Names have never exactly been this industry’s strong suit. Stupid, silly amazo-action, however, is right up our alley full of conspicuously placed explosive barrels, and few deliver it better than the Devil May Cry franchise. Basically, I’m in love with Dante’s dumb demon-slayer-who’s-basically-a-Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle antics, so this has me pretty excited. That said, DmC is the first series entry that hasn’t been developed internally at Capcom, so I’m still exercising caution.

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The Blizzard forums are bursting with stories of Diablo 3 players' gold and items magically disappearing from their accounts, and while we bemoan the losses they're not entirely surprising.

"Historically, the release of a new game -- such as a World of Warcraft expansion -- will result in an increase in reports of individual account compromises, and that's exactly what we're seeing now with Diablo 3," Blizzards told Joystiq this evening. "We know how frustrating it can be to become the victim of account theft, and as always, we're dedicated to doing everything we can to help our players keep their Battle.net accounts safe -- and we appreciate everyone who's doing their part to help protect their accounts as well."

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has confirmed layoffs at 38 Studios. The governor made the statement this evening following a scheduled meeting of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), where about as little happened to resolve 38 Studios' troubled situation as at last Wednesday's "emergency meeting."

On Friday Gov. Chafee held a surprise press conference about 38 Studios, in which he said the government was done providing easy money for the developer, and gave "Project Copernicus" a launch window of June 2013.

WPRI reporter Ted Nesi told Joystiq that Gov. Chafee confirmed the layoffs, but was ambiguous about whether employees at the studio were being paid.

38 Studios continues to remain silent and has not made any official statement about anything since this whole mess started early last week. According to the AP, 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling brushed past reporters on his way out of the meeting this evening, saying there was "misinformation" he couldn't clear up in a sound bite.

Not at all coincidental, Warner Bros. owned Boston-area MMO developer Turbine will hold a recruitment event at the Hotel Providence tomorrow night from 5-9PM. The studio currently has over 50 open positions.

We continue to leave the line open if 38 Studios or any employees wish to clear up what's really going on at the developer.

The first true god game for PC, Peter Molyneux's Populous, unleashed its fury in 1989. Today, that omniscient rage has been remapped, revamped and softened in designer John Caplin's first title, Reprisal, an homage offering to the deity that is Populous.

Reprisal is browser-based and free, playable right here. So far Reprisal has snagged more than 1 million players, going by the game's Universe Population counter. Maybe give your fingers a good stretch first -- we hear playing god isn't so easy a task.

Former AGS adventure, The Journey Down, has now had its first (and so far only) chapter remade and re-released as a commercial product. How does it do going from retro-pixel adventure to something more modern, voiced and priced? Here’s Wot I Think.

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Hack-and-slash action RPGs, pioneered by Blizzard's Diablo, are essentially slot machines. You click the mouse, and every time you do there's a chance you'll get the loot you want . Yes, the trappings of role-playing and combat mechanics are there, weaker in some cases and stronger in others, but in terms of brain chemistry you're playing for the jackpot.

As anyone who's been to Vegas will tell you, there are different kinds of slot machines. There's the rickety old unit sitting in the gas station near the airport. And there's the junky Jokers Wild machines blinking and chirping in that one casino downtown, where the air smells too much like your grandmother's bathroom.

And then there are the machines in that one room in the Bellagio, where velvet seats wait underneath crystal chandeliers. That's where the shahs from Dubai come to play with thousand dollar tokens, where pretty ladies serve you drinks as you play, and where a private concierge will happily help you order up a steak, buy a Brooks Brothers suit, or get you anything else you might want. Blizzard's Diablo 3 is that Bellagio room, high stakes and luxurious and ready to cater to your every dungeon crawler need.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP will make its Japanese debut on June 21, in both iOS and PC iterations. Localization firm 8-4 is partnering with Capy and Superbrothers, to handle localization of the idiosyncratic dialogue along with promotion.

Even if you're not personally interested in playing Sworcery in Japanese, you can reap the benefits of this new collaboration. Concurrent with the game's release, a new remix album will be available online, featuring interpretations of Jim Guthrie's Sworcery soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka, Michiru Yamane, Baiyon, and more.

Tiny Troopers, which had previously been announced as a cleverphone game, will be bringing its Cannon Fodder inspired japes to PC and Mac later in the year. From Finnish studio Kukouri, the game adds mid-mission upgrades, inventory drops and specialists to the core of its spiritual forefather, which was, in the developers’ words: “commanding little soldiers that die easily on the battlefield and get promoted if they survive. That’s it.” Sounds about right to me. Hopefully the control system will be tailored to a non-touch interface and there will be a giant graveyard to contain all the Tiny Troopers who die under my command. As there’s no trailer for Tiny Troopers yet, below you shall find Cannon Fodder’s music video.

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Ludum Dare is the gift that keeps on giving, the jam that keeps on jamming. The latest jar full of sweet goodness to spread all over your monitor is Gravity, picked out by the observant folk over at IndieGames. A tiny island floats above lava, which is rather silly of it, and blocks slowly fall from above. If they hit the island, all life ceases to exist immediately and the final score is tallied, which is what happens when you die. A leaderboard appears. At least here the objective is clear; survive as long as possible. This is achieved by shooting the blocks and either deflecting them into the lava with your bullets, or shoving them off the island once they crash. They’re heavy, you see, and they’ll drag you down if you’re not careful. Play in your browser now.

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The fancy remake of AGS point and clicker The Journey Down: Over the Edge is now available. It’s certainly a looker, with a style very much its own, and John proclaimed that the original was “a point-and-clicker that really understood the genre”. The story of gas station owner Bwana and his attempts to escape debt and explore a forbidden region known as The Edge also seemed to please John, so much so that he’s been sitting on top of a copy of the extended and beautified first chapter and growling at anyone who tries to play it before him. Expect to read his thoughts on the game later today. In the meantime, look upon this launch trailer.

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Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Kevin Murphy of Trinosis unveils the neon beauty of Zytron II, a game that's firmly in the "If you like Geometry Wars..." category, and proud of it.


What's your game called and what's it about?

Zytron II is a neon glow, twin-stick, multiplayer, scrolling shoot-em-up for Windows PCs. I like to describe it as a scrolling version of Geometry Wars.

What's with the "II" in the Zytron title? Is this game a sequel?

Yes it is. Zytron II is the sequel to my original 1990 C64 game Zytron Megablast, Sold though the classic Commodore 64 magazine of the time, Zzap64.

Video games aren't neuroscience, unless they're helping stroke victims recover physical function in a scientific, medical capacity: then they're totally neuroscience. The above video shows off Circus Challenge, an action game from Newcastle University and Limbs Alive Ltd designed to help stroke patients regain motor control of their weakened hands and arms.

Circus Challenge uses "next-gen" motion controllers - not the Wii, as other rehab systems have - to have patients fling pies at clowns, juggle, dive and perform other Big Top-inspired feats, with the difficulty progressing as motor skills improve. Newcastle received £1.5 million from the Health Innovation Challenge Fund for its project, and hopes to use the funds to provide remotely monitored, at-home therapy for stroke patients.

Aside from all the philanthropy and innovation in the Circus Challenge project, we think the game design is pretty pretty as well. Check it out for yourself up top.

A new Grand Theft Auto IV mod has surfaced, and features quite an angry little robot. Created by YouTube user jmoorfoot4, the mod gives players the ability to roam the streets of Liberty City as R2-D2.

As the video above demonstrates, R2-D2 is just as pushy and capable of destruction as Niko Bellic ever was. Watch it for a good laugh, though we're not sure it tops the removal of wheel friction in the game.

The rumored Tex Murphy Kickstarter has been confirmed, to the tune of $216,000 (out of $450k as of this writing). That's how much creators Chris Jones and Aaron Conners have put together already to make the long-awaited "Project Fedora," the next in the cult classic series of full motion video sci-fi noir titles.

You can get a copy of the (eventual) game just by backing at the price of $15, and there are lots of other rewards for higher payments, including a collector's edition, new commentary for the old Tex Murphy games, and even the chance to beta test and be in the game itself. The creators say that the game will have full-motion video, but it will also include a 3D game world, with branching paths of story to follow. As Tex says in the wild Kickstarter video, "it's hat-in-hand time," so go over and give if you want to get in early.

Ronimo Games, the team behind Awesomenauts, recently announced "Super Saucy Sausage Fest" downloadable content for Swords & Soldiers on the Steam platform. First released on Steam in December 2010, the side-scrolling strategy game is receiving a fresh single-player campaign this week in the form of ten levels for two dollars.

Players control Chief Meat on his quest to the annual Super Saucy Sausage Fest, while utilizing new units and spells. The content pack also includes a bonus challenge mode called "Boulder XL."