Closure Message Board

UK-based developer Remode will be closing its doors after seven years in operation as a work-for-hire studio, founders Ella Romanos and Martin Darby announced late last week. Romanaos and Darby started Remode with the intention of creating their own IP, using work with other studios to fund development. According to the news on Remode's website, that's no longer the case, though the duo still plan to develop original projects.

"We sought to build a work-for-hire platform with the ultimate goal of developing our own IP and seven years in we're incredibly proud of what we have achieved," Romanos and Darby wrote. "Making our own games remains our goal, so we have made the decision to close down Remode as a work-for-hire studio and focus on developing new ways to raise resources for IP projects, plans for which will be announced soon." [Image: Remode]

A year ago I raved about Offensive Combat, an old-school, free-to-play, browser-based competitive first-person shooter with a heaping helping of attitude. Today, with very little fanfare, developer U4ia Games closed. Read more...

Have you played magnificently macabre light-manipulating puzzler Closure? No? Well shame on you. It’s exceedingly clever, and how dare you not have time to play literally every good and inventive game that has or will ever come out? Perfectly reasonable demands out of the way, allow me to introduce Bombernauts. It’s Closure creator Tyler Glaiel’s next project, and – by the looks of it – it has precisely zero things in common with its gloomy, brain-haranguing sibling. Instead, it’s a colorful explosion of infinite bombs. No, seriously. You have unlimited bombs (and heaps of Super-Smash-Bros-esque items), and your goal is to send your friends flailing into a surrounding lake of lava. Skillfully arced throws seem to be your best weapon here. Trailer and details below.

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PAX Prime in Seattle is right around the corner and we’re celebrating with great discounts on some of our favorite indie games that were shown at previous PAX Prime shows.  Starting tomorrow, we’re offering deals on some fantastic titles, with discounts of up to 65% off and PlayStation Plus members receiving up to 75% off.

These prices will be available starting tomorrow through September 2nd on PlayStation Store. Check out the full lineup of games:

Game

Regular Price

Sale Price

Plus Price

Penny-Arcade Adventures On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness Ep 1 & 2

$14.99

$7.49

$3.75

Closure

$14.99

$7.49

$3.75

Retro City Rampage (PS3 and PS Vita, Cross-Buy)

$14.99

$4.99

$3.74

Dragon Fantasy Book I (PS3 and PS Vita, Cross-Buy)

$9.99

$4.99

$2.50

Limbo (PS3 and PS Vita, Cross-Buy)

$14.99

$7.49

$5.99

Tokyo Jungle

$14.99

$7.49

$3.75

Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov’s Revenge (PS3 and PS Vita, Cross-Buy)

$9.99

$4.99

$2.50

Journey

$14.99

$7.49

$3.75

Skullgirls

$14.99

$7.49

$3.75

Retro/Grade

$9.99

$4.99

$2.50

Dyad

$14.99

$7.49

$3.75

Be sure to check the PlayStation.Blog later this week for more information on all the PlayStation news coming out of PAX Prime.

Which games are you going to pick up?

Microsoft announced that the Games for Windows Live marketplace will close up shop on August 22, permanently ending the ability to purchase featured content. The Games for Windows Live service itself will remain operational, and purchased games will be unaffected by the closure.

Microsoft notes that Games for Windows Live users will still be able to access previously-purchased content via the GFWL client. Downloadable content for Games for Windows Live-supported games will remain available for purchase after the closure, though future availability "will vary based on the particular game."

"Microsoft continues to support the Games for Windows Live platform," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "You can continue to enjoy previously purchased games and downloadable content in your catalogue by downloading them through the Games for Windows Live client. Although purchase functionality will be discontinued through this marketplace, the Games for Windows Live service will continue to operate as usual."

The closure comes as a result of a forthcoming Xbox 360 update that will convert Microsoft points into local currency. Microsoft urges Games for Windows Live customers to spend their Microsoft point balances before the change, as converted cash will only apply to the Xbox Live Marketplace and the Windows Phone Store.

Sega Studios Australia, the team behind 2009's Stormrise and London 2012 Olympics, will close "later this year," Sega tells Kotaku.

Sega Studios Australia was originally part of The Creative Assembly Australia, responsible for Medieval 2: Total War, but was renamed to work on the Olympics game. In 2012, Sega laid off 37 of 80 total employees at Studios Australia to better transition work on a "multi-product deal focussing across the digital marketplace." Nothing materialized publicly from this deal.

This is the latest in a smattering of studio restructuring, including Disney shutting down LucasArts, Square Enix layoffs in Los Angeles, and Activision's High Moon Studios clearing out the Deadpool team.

Zynga shut down its Baltimore studio, Zynga East, and planned to combine studios in Texas and New York, putting roughly 30 people out of work today. Zynga will consolidate its two studios in Austin, Texas, and relocate the studio in McKinney, Texas, to Dallas. Zynga's New York City offices will merge, transferring staff to the area's mobile studio.

"In an effort to leverage resources as we focus on creating franchises and driving profitability, Zynga has made changes to four of our US offices," Zynga COO David Ko told Joystiq. He concluded: "While these decisions are always difficult, these steps will affect approximately 1 percent of our workforce and enable us to focus our resources on the most significant growth opportunities."

Zynga lost chief game designer and head of Zynga East Brian Reynolds in January, and shut down CityVille 2 development. This continues a trend of financial problems, game closures and executive departures at Zynga.

Welcome to this week’s PlayStation Plus update, where we highlight the latest free games, discounts, and features that PS Plus members can expect in the coming week. Many have already jumped online to play Guardians of Middle Earth, which arrived free for PS Plus members last week, and this week we’re bringing you one of the bright indie stars in gaming with Closure; a PSN-exclusive that turned heads when it debuted last year. Read on and also check out some of the great discounts on amazing titles like Critter Crunch.

Don’t have PlayStation Plus? Go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or PS Vita or click here to get access via the Sony Entertainment Network online store.

February 12th PlayStation Plus Update

Closure (PS3)

Free for PS Plus members

Closure is a unique and stylistic puzzle platformer that takes the concept of light and shadow and twists it up into something never before seen. In Closure’s dark and foreboding universe, the only things that exist are what you can see. An object properly lit up is physically there, yet an object shrouded in darkness ceases to be. Experience this mind-bending puzzler free as a Plus member.

Critter Crunch

80% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $6.99; PS Plus Price: $1.40)

Developed by the geniuses at Capybara games, this award-winning, critically-acclaimed puzzle game asks players to take control of the cuddly Biggs, a loveable jungle creature with an iron-clad stomach. Biggs is in search of the jewel-rich critters that invade his habitat once a season, and using his tongue to pluck them from their vines, stuffs them into the waiting mouths of larger critters. This sets off chain reactions of bursting critters that drop the tasty jewels for Biggs to regurgitate for his hungry family. Sporting an 87 / 100 on Metacritic, with 1up.com giving it an A and praising it for its “”Beautiful visuals and inventive puzzles…worth sinking your teeth into.”, you owe it to yourself to hop on this gem for only $1.40. Plus, it has a ‘Barfing Tutorial’. I mean… c’mon, how can you pass that up?

Alien Breed (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

20% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus Price: $7.99)

This PSN re-release of the original run-and-gun shooter features cross-platform multiplayer between Vita and PS3, as well as ad-hoc/local and online co-op on respective platforms. With new content packing 30 levels of carnage, you’ll find much to love with options for original or enhanced visuals, and leaderboards for the more competitive among us. This launch week discount is exclusive for PS Plus members, so don’t miss out!

Derrick the Deathfin (PS3)

50% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $7.99; PS Plus Price: $4.00)

Another PSN gem hitting a great price for PS Plus members; Derrick the Deathfin is a fast-paced arcade action title set in a unique aquatic world made entirely out of paper & card. Rampage around the globe munching on paper creatures under the guise of avenging the death of his parents. With a unique art style that sets it apart from other games, and great gameplay to boot, check out Derrick the Deathfin for only $4.00 as a PS Plus member. NHL 13 (PS3)

20% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $47.99; PS Plus Price: $38.39)

With the NHL season in full swing, hockey fans may want to take notice on this deal. NHL 13 accurately captures the speed, creativity, and strategy of today’s NHL with revolutionary True Performance Skating. Sync up with friends with the real-world of hockey in GM Connected, the first-ever online multiplayer dynasty mode with cooperative and Online Team Play, or relive the greatest moments from today’s NHL in NHL Moments Live. With core gameplay innovation, connected experiences, and the deepest feature set ever, NHL 13 is the definitive hockey experience. Don’t forget to also check out NHL GameCenter video app which is free to download! What’s your favorite content from this week’s PS Plus update?

What are your thoughts on this week’s update? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to use the poll links to speak your mind about what content you liked the most. If you want to see what the rest of the PlayStation community is talking about, head over to the PlayStation Community Forums in the PS Plus space to continue chatting about PS Plus, or find other great topics to contribute your thoughts to, or start one for yourself. See you in the comments!

As was originally suggested by Zynga CEO Mark Pincus back in October, Zynga Japan will be closing its doors as part of a company wide "Cost Reduction Plan" this January. The decision was made official by an announcement on Zynga Japan CEO Kenji Matsubara's Facebook profile, where he thanked users for playing his company's games.

Three of Zynga Japan's games have already been discontinued: City builder Machitsuku, Scrabble clone Mojitomo and monster training RPG Montopia. Zynga Japan's mobile card battling game Ayakashi (available in the US as Ayakashi: Ghost Guild) will continue to operate beyond the developer's official closure at the end of January, 2013.

Other branches affected by the Cost Reduction Plan include Zynga Austin, which suffered a significant reduction in staff, along with Zynga Boston, which was closed entirely.

#petville I knew it was coming, but I didn't want to believe it was true. As part of the great Zynga Facebook game purge of 2012, which has already claimed Treasure Isle, Fishville and Mafia Wars 2, my little friend here will be terminated come December 30. More »

#openfeint Before Apple had Game Center it had OpenFeint, a gaming network that brought a cohesive online experience to countless iPhone, iPad and eventually Android games. Some of us may have opted to miss out on its fun features, but for many game developers it was a priceless tool. Come December 14, OpenFeint will be no more. More »

PlayStation: The Official Magazine is halting production, and the holiday 2012 issue will be its last, Game Informer reports.

Earlier this year, PlayStation: The Official Magazine publisher Future US announced the shutdown of Nintendo Power. The final issue of Nintendo Power is slated for December, and we compiled a tribute post with memories from across the industry to mark its retirement.

Hey yo hey yo! You may remember me as the designer of Closure, a game I created with artist Jon Schubbe and musician Chris Rhyne that made its debut on PSN earlier this year. Since release, our eerie puzzler has received quite a bit of praise from both fans and press. People love the game, and we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to play this game we spent so long working on. So, as a thank you to all who have played it (and haven’t!), and in the spirit of the season, we’re launching a special Halloween sale this week! Halloween is a perfect holiday to spend checking out Closure, an eerie puzzle platformer that takes place mostly in darkness, where anything not illuminated simply ceases to exist.

The response to Closure has been nothing short of fantastic. Our Metacritic reviews have been universally positive, but as a game designer I’m even more proud to see the video reactions and “let’s plays” of our game. Whether it was Giant Bomb’s quick look of the game, Total Biscuit’s “WTF is?” video, or even the first video walkthrough of the game posted on YouTube, it’s quite awesome being able to see people’s genuine reactions to the game and I did my best to watch every single one.

So thanks for that. You players are the ones who make making games worth it. Closure will be on sale starting tomorrow for $4.99 (a 66% discount!). Happy Halloween and enjoy the game!

Twitter is on fire with messages that Zynga offices in Boston, Austin and Chicago are closing down. We have contacted Zynga and its employees for clarification.

An employee at Zynga Austin tells Joystiq, "So what I know as of now that The Ville and Bingo teams were cut. I don't know anything about Chicago at the moment." Zynga Austin is responsible for The Ville, Zynga Bingo and Slots, meaning this cut leaves just the Slots team. There are about 70 people left at Zynga Austin, the employee says.

Zynga Boston General Manager Fareed Mosavat is tweeting out job offers in the city, writing, "The outpouring of support for us has been incredible. Love this Boston scene."

Zynga Boston is behind Facebook game Adventure World, and comprises employees from Zynga's acquisition of Conduit Labs in 2010. In March 2011 it acquired Floodgate Entertainment, and by September 2011 Zynga Boston had 35 employees, some recruited from MMO developer Turbine.

Update: Zynga CEO Mark Pincus sent out a letter to employees that confirms the closure of its Boston studio and a significant reduction at its Austin studio, resulting in a loss of 5 percent of its full-time employees, among other changes. Read the letter here.

Twitter is on fire with messages that Zynga studios in Boston, Austin and Chicago are closing down. We have contacted Zynga and its employees for clarification.

An employee at Zynga Austin tells Joystiq, "So what I know as of now that The Ville and Bingo teams were cut. I don't know anything about Chicago at the moment." Zynga Austin is responsible for The Ville, Zynga Bingo and Slots, meaning this cut leaves just the Slots team. There are about 70 people left at Zynga Austin, the employee says.

Zynga Boston is behind Facebook game Adventure World, and comprises employees from Zynga's acquisition of Conduit Labs in 2010. In March 2011 it acquired Floodgate Entertainment, and by September 2011 Zynga Boston had 35 employees, some recruited from MMO developer Turbine.

Twitter is on fire with messages that Zynga studios in Boston, Austin and Chicago are closing down. We have contacted Zynga and its employees for clarification.

An employee at Zynga Austin tells Joystiq, "So what I know as of now that the ville and bingo teams were cut. I don't know anything about chicago at the moment." Zynga Austin is responsible for The Ville, Zynga Bingo and Slots, meaning this cut leaves just the Slots team. There are about 70 people left at Zynga Austin, the employee says.

Zynga Boston is behind Facebook game Adventure World, and comprises employees from Zynga's acquisition of Conduit Labs in 2010. In March 2011 it acquired Floodgate Entertainment, and by September 2011 Zynga Boston had 35 employees, some recruited from MMO developer Turbine.

How many lives must be expended to put in a lightbulb? If a tree falls in a forest but there is no light to show its final position, can it bridge the gap across a chasm? These and other philosophical quandaries are answered in Tyler Galiel’s Closure, a platform-puzzler that constitutes a sinister journey comprised of a thousand tricks of the light. Here’s wot I think.

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Closure is now available on Steam! Act now and save 10% during the first week of launch. Offer ends September 14th.

In the dark and mysterious world of Closure, only what you see exists. Manipulate lights to phase objects in and out of reality in this multiple-award-winning puzzle game. Play as a strange spider-like demon who explores the stories of three human characters through beautiful, eerie environments such as a decrepit factory, a murky forest, an abandoned carnival, and the strange, surreal realm that connects them together.

As the headline immediately informed you with a great deal of clarity, Tyler Glaiel’s tricksy puzzler, Closure, is finally coming to PC after its PSN debut, with a Steam release set for September 7th. Originally a free Flash release, Closure’s weirdness is that each part of the monochromatic world only exists when there is a light shining on it. Just as popular digital download services cease to exist when you switch off your monitor, Closure’s platforms and switches have no solidity unless they are illuminated. Trailer and more details below.

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#closure Lots of indie platformers these days are basically Mario with a twist. The quality of the game, then, relies hugely on that twist. Braid was an incredible game because the time-manipulating twist so fundamentally changed the template set forward by Super Mario Bros. that it became its own whole thing. More »

Light is a fundamental part of existence. It pulls forms out of the dark, giving them shape, distance and color. Without light, everything we know would perish, leaving behind a barren, invisible world. Closure takes the fundamental nature of light one step further: where there is no light, there is oblivion.

Patrick and Jeff prove that if you can't see it, then it most certainly isn't there, so don't try to jump on it.

Expletives have been flying from my mouth with regularity over the past couple of days. Whether it's falling into the black abyss that used to be a wall or figuring out how to point three lights to create a walkway, the mind-bending, light-altering puzzles of Closure have been testing my gaming mett...

In this edition of Pulse presented by PlayStation Network, host Christina Lee shines the spotlight on Closure – another very cool indie game coming to PSN later today. Check out this hand-drawn mysterious world that uses light as the primary game mechanic. Closure is this week’s featured Spring Fever title in the PlayStation Store (and for more about the game, check out Sid Shuman’s GDC interview here).

Upcoming 2D fighting game Skullgirls also features impressive hand-drawn art. With eight female characters and three-person teams, this dark deco fighter shows off some impressive moves — of course, Pulse is there for the full story. For PS Vita fans, we lock onto a couple tips with Unit 13‘s multiplayer modes and ask a community question about upcoming mission challenges. Finally, today’s Top 10 is all about PS Vita with the most popular games that you guys are downloading.

Watch this edition right here on PlayStation.Blog. Or, download HD, SD, and PS Vita versions of Pulse from the PlayStation Store after today’s update.

We hope you enjoy this quick look at what’s happening on PSN.

Journey’s much-celebrated launch on PSN this week served as a powerful reminder of the importance of fresh perspectives and bold risk-taking in video game design. But it also begged the question “what’s next?” Enter Closure, the grand-prize winner of the DICE 2012 Indie Game Challenge and the climactic final release in this year’s Spring Fever PSN showcase.

Much like its starkly rendered characters, Closure stands out in an indie game development field dominated by esoteric art styles and quirky gameplay choices. The game merges elements both old and new, fusing puzzle-based platforming with a light-and-dark twist. If you want to learn more about Closure’s gameplay (and why you’ll want to collect as many Silver Moths as possible), read Jeff’s in-depth hands-on report.

During Game Developers Conference last week, I spoke with the lead designer of Closure, Tyler Glaiel, to learn more about the game’s influences, level design, and characters.

Sid Shuman, PlayStation.Blog: Another game that used stark monochromatic visuals to huge effect was Limbo. How is Closure different?
Tyler Glaiel, Lead Designer and Programmer, Closure: I’ve played Limbo for a grand total of about two minutes, years ago at the Independent Games Festival (LINK: http://www.igf.com/), That was on purpose because I didn’t want any influence from Limbo in this game. Limbo is mostly silhouettes, black characters on a brighter greyish noisy background. Closure’s characters are white on a black background, so it’s very high contrast. The graphics are crisp, there’s no blur or noise on top of it. We’ve got a completely distinct visual flavor from Limbo, despite the similar color palette.

PSB: Light and dark is more than an aesthetic in Closure, it’s the core gameplay mechanic. How does it work?
TG: If you can’t see something in the game, it doesn’t exist: you can jump through walls and fall through floors, or push boxes through walls, and a lot of other interesting twists. There are a lot of commonly seen game mechanics that suddenly gain new meaning when interpreted in Closure. Even a locked door here is different because in most games you’d pick up a key and walk over to the door to unlock it. In Closure, you might have to drop the key through floors and walls to get it to the door.

PSB: Where did the idea for Closure come from?
TG: Portal and Braid were my main influences. They’re completely different games, but they follow a similar formula: the developers found one interesting core mechanic and built as many puzzles as they could around it. You don’t want to strip away everything else, but as a designer I wanted to make sure we were heavily focused on our core mechanic: the lighting. We did everything we could to add to that.

PSB: You begin the game by controlling a demonic-looking character — what’s that about?
TG: There’s more than one protagonist. The game begins in this mysterious world made out of “nothingness” that we internally refer to as Purgatory. The opening level is simple so that players can learn the basics of the gameplay, and at the end of the level, the demon character puts on a mask and transforms into a human. Closure ultimately splits into three distinct stories, each with its own story following a different human character and featuring different gameplay mechanics.

PSB: How do the three main level sets differ from one another?
TG: All the levels are eerie, but they all have their own distinct flavor of eerie, and the mechanics and level design philosophy is quite different for each level set. The Factory level set feels very mechanical, with a lot of push-button puzzles, physics, and distinct binary choices….The Forest has a lot of organic-looking levels that don’t feel like they belong in a puzzle game. You have to almost abuse the game mechanics to find your way through, positioning lights to create platforms that allow you to move forward. The puzzles in The Forest are a little less cut-and-dried, there’s more freedom. Then there’s the Carnival, the weirdest set of levels. It has its own distinct feeling that’s tough to describe, and it’s heavy on attitude and atmosphere…and a lot of Easter eggs to uncover.

PSB: Does Closure have a story? How deep does it go?
TG: The story isn’t something I can really explain. You have to play through their level set and explore the levels to find hints and clues as to their story. It’s very open to interpretation.

PSB: What do you hope players take away from Closure when they finish it?
TG: I’m just hoping they enjoy it as a puzzle game. I played a lot of Portal and Braid during development and tried to figure out what I didn’t like, what they could have done better. My problem with Portal was that after it teaches you all the mechanics, it sort of just ends. That’s not the case with Closure, we have a large number of extremely challenging puzzles towards the end of the game…though they’re all pretty fair!

With Closure, I’m hoping people see how puzzle games can be: really challenging, replayable, and fun while at the same time being artistic and interesting to explore.

After coming out on PC in 2009, Eyebrow Interactive's unique puzzle game Closure wasn't quite done making the jump to other platforms. As we revealed last summer, the small studio has been working hard on porting the game to PlayStation Network, and it looks like they're just about done...

A year ago, a headline like that would likely have been about the closure of the service; today, however, it marks unequivocally positive news. Closure, this year's Indie Game Challenge winner, will be released on PSN for PlayStation 3 March 27.

Closure takes place in a monochrome world in where if you can't see something, it doesn't exist. That means you must find a light source in order to even have somewhere to walk. And, in keeping with the concept of visibility, you can make the game real for you by watching this cool new trailer.

Hey! I know we’re all heavily enjoying Journey right now (it’s amazing), but don’t shut off your PS3 when you’re done with it because another awesome game, Closure, is coming out at the end of the month. We just finished our launch trailer, which you can watch below right now!

Just for recap, Closure is a puzzle platformer based around manipulating lights to phase objects in and out of reality. The core gameplay premise is: If you can't see it, it doesn't exist. It's a simple enough concept to understand, but the puzzles are anything but. A team of three (myself, artist Jon Schubbe, musician Christopher Rhyne) have spent three years working on Closure, designing nearly 100 unique and challenging puzzles spread across a variety of dark and eerie settings including a decrepit factory, a murky forest, an abandoned carnival, and a few other locales that I’ll leave as a surprise.

Closure is not just about its setting and atmosphere, though. There is a heavy focus on the puzzles themselves, which start off simple but evolve to become some of the most puzzling challenges you will ever face. As an anecdote, towards the end of development, I decided to play through the entire game and I reached a few puzzles (puzzles I designed, mind you) that I hadn't played in a few months. I had forgotten the solutions and was stumped on them for a relatively long time.

In other exciting news, Closure was selected as the Grand Prize Winner at the DICE 2012 Indie Game Challenge last month. This was the first competition we entered since the 2010 IGF (where Closure was selected as the Audio Excellence award winner) and it was really cool to see people's reactions to the finished product.

Closure will be released in North America on March 27th as part of the Spring Fever promotion and will cost $14.99 (and just $11.99 for PlayStation Plus subscribers). If you have questions about Closure, please leave them in the comments — I’d love to answer some.

#everquest After nine years of operating in a quiet corner away from prying mainstream gaming eyes, the PlayStation 2-based EverQuest Online Adventures will cease to be come March 29, along with Cosmic Rift, Infantry and Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga. Let us read up on these games on Wikipedia and then have a moment of silence in their memory. More »

Closure won the third annual Indie Game Challenge at this year's DICE show in Las Vegas. The clever puzzle platformer, which works off the premise that only illuminated objects exist in the game world, has players manipulating lights to solve challenge rooms. The team will receive $100,000 for taking the top prize, sponsored by The Guildhall at SMU, GameStop and the AIAS. The game will be available soon on PSN.

Other category winners included Symphony for technical achievement, The Bridge for achievements in art direction and gameplay, and Nitronic Rush received the "Gamer's Choice Award." The teams receive $2,500 for each category.

Check out all ten of this year's talented nominees by heading over to the Indie Game Challenge site.