Porkerpillar Wins!

Porkerpillar has won 2nd place in an international game development competition!

The babies cheer wildly!

Judging
The "5 Button competition", held recently through December and January and run by Experimental Gameplay Project and 02L, tasked game developers to make a game that

• Uses only 5 buttons, and
• Is fun to play in a party setting with multiple people at once.

There were a total of 48 games entered into the contest with ideas ranging from controlling individual parts of a man swimming to finding out that a triangle really does love a square.

Games were judged initially before the show, with a contest team selecting a group of finalist games and runners-up.  The idea being that the finalists would be offered to be played at the party, and if there was time, more games from the runners-up would be shown as well. The games were judged in the following manner:

• 20% of the public voting
• 30% of the average of the STATTMEDIA crew's votes 
• 50% of the average of the blue ribbon jury votes: Pete Angstadt (EA, Havoc, Turtle-Sandbox), Thorsten Wiedemann (AMAZE festival)

Players standing on the custom buttons at the event. (Image by Pete Angstadt)

 The actual event was held in a super-hip, re-purposed swimming center-turned-art gallery (of course!)
 One of the jury members took pictures and wrote about the event here: http://experimentalgameplay.com/blog/2012/02/5-button-winners/

Gamers playing Porkerpillar. (Image by Pete Angstadt)

Winners
The first place winner was a game called Rakete which sounds really neat: each button (and thus player) controls a thruster on a spaceship and players try to guide the ship to a destination together. Here's some footage of the game being played.

The third player winner sounds neat as well, Re-evolution, which appears to be an interesting racing game (though I couldn't get it to work on my computer because of the keyboard ghosting issues).

Our game Porkerpillar asks players to help babies get back to their mom by riding a strange caterpillar+pig creature. I promise he's friendly! You can check out more screens of the game and play it here: Porkerpillar.

Here's some video as well:


The Future
Now that Porkerpillar was proven to be a crowd favorite we may act on some more ideas we had for expanding the game universe, including new, trippy environments, and more puzzly obstacles. Plus a real game platform on which to play it! Probably rhymes with "my tone" or "bye dad".

Porkerpillar

Help the BABIES get back to their MOM! Ride the Porkerpillar and gobble up the tasty treats, but watch out for trouble! 

Click for original-size

The Porkerpillar is sort of like a caterpillar crossed a pig. A very happy pig.

As the stork flies by, a baby falls from a rip in the cloth sack, waking the Porkerpillar. It's time to wave and undulate his body to move the precious baby around, helping them eat yummies but also dodge danger while making your way to his mom.

Donuts are good for you, right?

This project was specifically made for the Experimental Gameplay Project which tasked designers to make a game that only uses 5 buttons. Traditional console games use directional pads (which alone use 4 or more buttons) or analog sticks, plus other face buttons and triggers.

This contest was special in that the finalists would be shown in a public party setting, with 5 large, pressure-sensitive buttons used to control the chosen games. 

And the great news is, Porkerpillar is one of the finalists! The contest+party is being held this Friday, wish us luck!

And if you'd like to try the game out, here's the link. Be warned though, some PC keyboards will not properly allow all keys 1 through 5 to be held down at once, which compromises the experience considerably. (My desktop keyboard doesn't work with 5 keys at once, but my laptop pleasantly does, so it may in fact work for you.) Here's a handy test for your keyboard.

http://www.fchiase.com/porkerpillar.html

Triple-baby mayhem!

There is only one level currently. We may pursue developing the game further for touch-devices. It was a fun, and different project to make, enjoy! And it was our first non-violent game--crazy!

Shoot 1UP Phonorama

Shoot 1UP for Windows Phone 7 is in it's final stages of testing at Microsoft (it's nearly finished with 'pre-certification'). It's getting close to release!

I recently finished up some art that will hopefully get used as panorama promotion on the phone. Enjoy!

That weird, green, dog-faced thing is a new mini-boss in the phone game. And the player ships in the lower left, firing the Plasma Auger up at the mini-boss are new to the phone as well. They can pivot in any direction!

Here are various resolutions for wallpaper usage:

Shoot 1UP Panorama 1600x1200

Shoot 1UP Panorama 1280x1024

Shoot 1UP Panorama 1152x864

Shoot 1UP Panorama 1024x768

Shoot 1UP Panorama 800x600

Get those touch-screen fingers limber, intense phalanx phun is coming soon!

Game Type Updated

Game Type has been updated with a slew of small and large improvements! Most of these improvements are in the shoot'em up portion of the game.

The biggest changes come to the gameplay in the form of the weapons and point system.
Before, Cash Drops only gave the player extra points. Now they still give you score bonuses, but additionally they fill a meter shown in the HUD. This meter powers your Kick Beam and the new Time Pulse.

In addition to the normal and beam weapons, you can use a new action called  "Time Pulse". This slows down time dramatically for just a moment, giving you a chance to dodge out of the way.

Using Time Pulse takes 51% of your cash meter (which is marked by a yellow star letting you know Time Pulse is ready). You'll have to grab more cash drops to use it again.
But that should be easy since now shooting enemy bullets with your Kick Beam, while in the slowed-down mode, turns into Cash Drops! That's right, shooting enemy bullets turns them to cash!

Use the Kick Beam during the time slow-down and change enemy shots to Cash Drops!

The new player basic shot can attack top, bottom, and forward!

In addition to the gameplay and art changes the online High Scores Tables are fixed and will now share properly for all scores!

Take 2 players into the madness!

Here's the full change list:

• High scores properly share now for scores past loop 3. 
• Weapons system changes: Normal shot now has up/down shots plus forward firing, and is stronger. Kick Beam is now powered by Cash drops. Also, new attack added via the Right Trigger called "Time Pulse" which slows time and lets the Kick Beam turn normal enemy bullets into cash.  Add action buttons are remappable.
• New 'How to Play' screens (2), these are now shown via menu option during gameplay as well. 
• New Score Multiplier system which works by increasing for every cash drop you grab, but drops if you don't get them fast enough. 
• Warning arrows are shown for enemy groups beginning to approach off screen. 
• Players can "log in and log out" on the shmup sub-menu screen. Find the Game Type menu with box art showing (the menu in which you're about to play the shoot'em up). Players can press A to join or press Y to log out. If two players are playing, and one needs to quit use this to get the second player to log out.  
• Graphical touch-ups: green theme used on beam attacks and bullets. Background art touched up with more detail and highlights. 
• Gameplay tips are now shown during loop starts.  
• The wave spawning for enemies have been rebalanced for more consistent, interesting attacks. 
• The 'hint arrow' in the fake dashboard now starts on by default (to make it easier to find the shmup game). 
• There is a quick-start option now, just press Y to launch shmup game, if you've already found it and played it once. 
• Pressing B repeatedly on the fake dashboard will eventually take you back to the exit menu.

Mmm.. delicious enemy attacks

Here's a Xbox 360 marketplace link to the update: Link.
Game Type is 80 MS Points which allows for the ability to share your high scores online. The game was originally released December 21st. This is the first update for the game.

Parkour!

Convince the ESA to Drop SOPA Support

UPDATE: 
Epic Games withdraws support for SOPA
Trion Worlds does not support of SOPA
38 Studios says SOPA needs restructuring


Hi, so I've put together a simple post pleading with developers and gamers to focus their internet super powers on getting the ESA to drop SOPA support. If They can get the Ocean Marketing guy fired forever, I'm sure They can blow this up as well. I feel like because the ESA is one step removed from direct consumerism, it's not getting the heat like it should be.

Yet, when Congress looks as the SOPA support list and sees the ESA, "Yes, there's the game industry, right there."

Fellow gamers developers,
If you work for any of the companies that are ESA members, please talk to your higher ups about contacting the ESA to have them withdraw SOPA support. In effect, your company is supporting the SOPA bill.  There are over 30 really great companies that have made amazing games that are effectively supporting the SOPA bill.
So if you work for

•     SEGA of America, Inc.
•     Konami Digital Entertainment
•     Capcom USA, Inc.
•     Epic Games, Inc.
•     Sony Computer Entertainment America (Yes, I realize they dropped formal support, but are still ESA members and support SOPA by proxy)
•     Sony Online Entertainment, Inc.
•     Electronic Arts (Yes, I realize they dropped formal support, but are still ESA members and support SOPA by proxy)
•     Microsoft Corporation
•     Nintendo of America Inc. (Yes, I realize they dropped formal support, but are still ESA members and support SOPA by proxy)
•     Square Enix, Inc.
•     Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
•     Ubisoft Entertainment, Inc.
•     Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
•     THQ, Inc.
•     XSEED Games
•     505 Games
•     Deep Silver
•     Disney Interactive Studios, Inc.
•     Eidos Interactive
•     Her Interactive, Inc.
•     Ignition Entertainment
•     345 Games
•     LEVEL-5 Inc.
•     Natsume Inc.
•     Nexon America, Inc.
•     Nival
•     NVIDIA
•     O-Games, Inc.
•     Perfect World Entertainment
•     Slang
•     38 Studios
•     Tecmo Koei America Corporation
•     Trion Worlds, Inc. (From what I can tell Trion opposes SOPA, but hopefully are talking to the ESA)
•     Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc.

...your company is supporting the SOPA bill because the ESA is representing it in Congress.

Lots of people work for these companies! If you work at one of these companies talk to your boss and get them talking to the ESA! Ask what your company's stance is!

From what I can tell, my company lost plenty of potential sales of our recent game Serious Sam Double D to online piracy. But SOPA is not the answer to fixing piracy problems! You may be saying "Yes, you're not telling me something I don't already know" but have you done anything about it? Have you written to the ESA or supporting companies?  (If you have, good on you!)

Fellow gamers,
If you love those companies, get on your favorite company's forums and complain that they are letting the ESA support SOPA by proxy! And consider writing the actual ESA as well (see below).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shew... okay... 

Let me back up then...

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has done a lot of good for the video games industry, including facilitating the landmark Supreme Court ruling that games should be protected by the First Amendment like books and movies, and promoting STEM to further games and learning.

Unfortunately the ESA is still shown on the SOPA support list. The "Stop Online Piracy Act" bill will be voted on some time this year (probably soon). The proposed bill will likely stifle innovation and self-expression on the internet, and grant corporations plenty of power to abuse, given the broad manner in which the bill is written. If you're wondering what the fuss is all about, here's a detailed explanation as to why constitutional scholars believe the bill infringes on the First Amendment, and a general overview of what the bill is about.

Recently Sony Electronics, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts have stopped their direct support of SOPA. But as long as the ESA is still listed, the game industry as a whole is supporting SOPA.

I know The Internet has written and complained about SOPA so it feels like someone else is handling this--but this is gaming. Gamers are being represented by the ESA saying we *support* SOPA.

If you don't agree with this then please write the Entertainment Software Association, whether you're a gamer or game developer, and ask that they withdraw their support for SOPA as soon as possible.

ESA contact page

Generic email:
esa@theesa.com


The current president of the ESA is Mike Gallagher, and while it's not listed, his email is likely
mgallagher@theesa.com
Please send him your email as well (I've sent one there and it's not bounced at least).

In addition, here are all current companies listed as ESA members. They will have further ability to convince the ESA to drop SOPA support, so please write them as well.

 If you need a kick in the pants, here's my simple email I've already sent to the ESA. Please use it as a starting point, or even better, write something better from scratch!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello, I'm a gamer and game developer.

I want to thank the Entertainment Software Association for their brave work over the years, such as getting video games recognized by the Supreme Court as important forms of entertainment protected by free speech. The ESA is certainly a powerful force within our government working for the video game industry. 

But one area of the ESA's work that is very troubling is your association's support of the Stop Online Piracy Act. The proposed SOPA bill is an overreaching, broadly worded bill that will surely give too much power to some groups and result in excessive, stifling internet censorship. I agree internet piracy is an issue but this bill is not the answer. Many, many political and technology experts have come out opposing the bill, yet the ESA remains in support of SOPA.

The ESA represents the video game industry, including companies such as Sony Entertainment and Nintendo which have dropped support for SOPA. This bill is bad for the internet and bad for the video game industry. Please show the world that the game industry does not support SOPA, and please have the ESA withdraw support for SOPA.

Thank you for your time

Happy Holidays!

From the card:
* Serious Sam Double D in the Steam Holiday Sale: http://store.steampowered.com/app/111600
50% off, only $3.99!

* Check out Xbox dashboard satire Game Type!

Xbox Dashboard Helps Indie Game

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 21, 2011 (Louisville, KY) – Shoot 'em up "Game Type" launches on the Xbox 360 after Microsoft reserved a special tile on the dashboard for the game since the new Fall update.

Mommy's Best Games, creators of Shoot 1UP, present a new, coop shoot 'em up in which you pilot the iconic Hoodie Girl to battle the evil MediaBall.

"Game Type" box art

Think you have what it takes to explode angry cats and raging SUVs into showers of cash? Show the world with the shared, online high scores table. Game Type is a "score attack"-style game in which you zoom your way through bizarre enemies, going for the high score, all while the game-speed continues to climb. Bring in a friend and fire your Kick Beams for extra power--PARKOUR!

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update, Game Marketplace (note Game Type tile in upper right--Sweet!)

"I've been thrilled Microsoft created the special dashboard tile just for our game. It's such a terrible name which I created as a placeholder while starting the project." reveals lead designer Nathan Fouts. "With the incongruous stock photo of a woman in a hoodie doing a jump-kick, and the forgettable 'Game Type' title, it's good to know Microsoft was advertising our poorly-named game, and not trying to label the console's entire digital game storefront. Otherwise, it'd be a horrible match that would simply make no sense and generally lead fewer gamers to find the store and browse on their own terms."

Check out "Game Type" on Xbox Live Indie Games. Find it in the Xbox 360 Games Marketplace. Or just do a search on it. Otherwise, you'll probably get lost in the dashboard, stuck watching advertisement for TV shows.

Game Type marketplace link

Game Type screens, click to zoom:

Will you be able to find "Game Type" on the MediaBall dashboard? It's in there somewhere!

Hoodie Girl slaps some sense into these flying nasties!

Award-winning shows like "Fat Guy and Pretty Girl" now streamable on your console!

Hut-hut-hut! Watch out Hoodie Girl!

Deliver swift justice with the Kick Beam in 2-player mode. PARKOUR!

Gameplay footage:

About Mommy’s Best Games:
 Mommy's Best Games, Inc. is a boutique game developer founded in 2007. We strive to deliver games that push the edges of the medium through gameplay, art, satire, and pie. Our first game, Weapon of Choice, is an award-winning, side-scrolling, action game now available Xbox LIVE Indie Games. And our newest, critically acclaimed games Shoot 1UP, Explosionade, and Serious Sam Double D are available on XBLIG and PC. Follow MBG on Twitter to find out more!