Official PixelJunk Thread - 4/20: PixelJunk 4AM out May 15, Beta for PS+ Begins May 1

Thanks FriskyT' =) DL'ing now & looking forward to online play!

I've played the crap outa PJS & still haven't unlocked the trophy for discovering all hidden areas. I've even YouTubed & not finding where these hidden areas are >.
 
[quote name='ZCG']Thanks FriskyT' =) DL'ing now & looking forward to online play!

I've played the crap outa PJS & still haven't unlocked the trophy for discovering all hidden areas. I've even YouTubed & not finding where these hidden areas are >.
 
Anyone logged into the Japanese PSN store this week since PJS2 came out? I see they have a section for it, but it looks like they have have a demo for it, where the US store does not. I can't tell if it's a demo or just a gameplay video. Can anyone confirm? :)
 
http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6317472/e3-2011-pixeljunk-sidescroller-shipping-out-this-summer?tag=top_stories%3Btitle%3B4

PixelJunk Sidescroller, the newest PixelJunk game, has been announced:
PixelJunkSideScroller_55087_screen.jpg


Today, Sony announced that Q Games will be returning to its PSN-staple PixelJunk series this summer with PixelJunk SideScroller.

Billed as a "retro side-scrolling shooter," PixelJunk SideScroller has been built in the vein of classic arcade shoot-'em-ups, as players traverse levels while avoiding a spray of bullets. The game will also incorporate a number of elements from the PixelJunk Shooter series, including its hazardous fluid mechanic.

PixelJunk SideScroller will also feature a swath of upgrade options for in-game weaponry, in addition to hidden power-ups. Q Games also said that PixelJunk SideScroller will have a number of adjustable difficulty levels, as well as multiplayer action for up to two.

Sony did not offer a price for PixelJunk SideScroller. However, when PixelJunk Shooter 2 arrived to a positive critical reception in March, it carried a sticker price of $10.
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It looks nice, but I'm kind of disappointed that they didn't jump into a completely new genre. That it's coming out this summer seems to suggest that it benefited from being made during PJS2's development. I hope the next game isn't too far behind.
 
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/05/pixeljunk-shooter-2-patch-is-live-now/

A new PixelJunk Shooter 2 patch is live:
  1. There was a bug where some enemies would spawn right on top of you giving you that awesome “insta-death” you really don’t want in a game… well, we fixed it!
  2. The online connectivity has been tuned to allow you to hook up with other players much more easily. Try it out!
  3. If you get matched against a higher ranking player you get a nice large cash bonus (Q space bucks of course) if you win! This gives you a big incentive to challenge yourself more when you get matched up against someone who seems better than you. Hint: stay calm and use strategy, you can definitely take them!
  4. We added an option to the pause screen that lets you take a break in the middle of a stage and come back later to finish it off. So when your mom calls you to the dinner table just choose that option, go eat your dinner *and* be nice to the environment by switching off your PS3!
  5. Even if you kill a few survivors and get a game over screen you can “continue” – your score will be reset, but if you are just exploring and trying to get as far as you can this feature stops you from being thrown back to the start of a stage just because a few puny survivors happen to have gotten in the way of your missiles.
  6. A message on the pause screen lets you know if there are any diamonds still hidden in the current screen. This is very handy when you are searching out that last diamond in order to unlock the awesomely cool secret last stage!
  7. Acid walls aren’t as nasty anymore – we gave the giant alien whose insides you are exploring some antacid and he’s feeling a lot better now
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Wow, less than 24 hours after I posted the above they announced a PLUS discount for PixelJunk Shooter 2 next week.

Back to the Future: The Game - Full Series (Sale price $13.99; Plus price $9.79; Regular price $19.99)
Chime Super Deluxe (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
Dead Space Extraction (Sale price $10.49; Plus price $7.34; Regular price $14.99)
Hard Corps: Uprising (Sale price $10.49; Plus price $7.34; Regular price $14.99)
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
PixelJunk Shooter 2 (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
Risk: Factions (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
Shank (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
Scott Pilgrim (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
Swarm (Sale price $6.99; Plus price $4.89; Regular price $9.99)
Tales from Space: About a Blob (Sale price $10.49; Plus price $7.34; Regular price $14.99)
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http://www.psnstores.com/2011/07/pixeljunk-monsters-coming-to-browsers/

Good News: There's a new PixelJunk Monsters game in the works.
Bad News: It's not coming to the PS3, PSP, or Vita.
I was at Casual Connect today here in rainy, overcast Seattle. The main reason for dragging my butt across Lake Washington to venture into the city was a talk given by Jesse Venbrux, a designer at Q-Games. If you recall early last week, I posted a story about Dylan Cuthbert teasing a new game on Google+. Well it was revealed today, and I was correct in it being a PixelJunk Monsters title.

PixelJunk Monsters is being redesigned for the social network platforms, read Facebook and the like. There are lots of changes being made and I will do my best to give you an overview on this free to play browser game.

​

First off, the game is no longer linear. Now each island is a grid based world. Once you beat a stage you unlock the surrounding grids. These grids then need to be worked, at the cost of a shovel, so that you can turn them into a level. The shovels are given to you over time, much like in many social network games. If you play Tiny Tower on iOS, the shovels are like the bucks. There are also different types of grid tiles, like the tiki shop, ports (used to travel to new islands at the cost of shovels), volcanos and more.

On the gameplay side, things have changed drastically. Monsters now only have a single path to travel and it is drawn on the level for you to see. A new mechanic has also been added, seeds. With these seeds you can plant trees anywhere on the map. I believe they are dropped much like gems and you are given a fair amount at the start of stages. Tikiman will no longer dance automatically on towers, you have to hold the mouse button down. But you can now grab coins with just using your mouse’s cursor. Levels have also been made more bite sized.

There are also social aspects, as you might imagine, that are being worked on. Shown to us today was a crown system. If you have the highest score on a stage amongst your friends, you get a crown on it. This goes in with the more competitive aspect that they are focusing on. At the moment, co-op play has been removed as the developers at Q-Games are trying to figure out how it will work on a space, such as Facebook, where users aren’t always logged in at the same time.

There should be a press release coming out soon, so I will update anything I missed once that comes out. My phone was dying so this is the only photo I managed to grab from the presentation. Ask any questions you have as I am sure I forgot something and I will try to answer them.
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Bumping this up since PixelJunk Sidescroller is out now for $9.99 ($7.99 for PS+). Played through the first two sectors and it's fun so far. It's definitely a challenging game, but casual is a nice starting point and the checkpoints/unlimited continues can help the less-skilled get through the game.
 
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/20/pixeljunk-4am-hits-psn-may-15th-beta-coming-soon/

We’ve been developing PixelJunk 4am for quite some time now. It’s hard to know if you’re done with no other measuring sticks lying around to use as a gauge, however I think we’re almost there! I’ll just leave this here. :)

PixelJunk 4am and the free PixelJunk 4am – Viewer will be released and available for download on the PlayStation Store from May 15th.

Lots of you have been asking for more details regarding the kind of ‘actual’ musical freedom you can look forward to using with your PlayStation Move. So here we go.

We’ve created various different events you can choose from to play live. Different events will present you with different mixes of songs, visualizers and a new mood to go with each one. You then take this event live on PSN and make it your own, crafting and performing it however you want.

Here’s some numbers for everyone. Each song has 4 track instruments you can use: a Drum, Bass, Rhythm and Synth. Each track then has 4 different looping samples and four one-shot sounds in space around you that you can use. All of the loops and samples are different for each song as well, meaning events can have up to (4 loops + 4 one-shots) x 4 tracks x 5 songs = 160 different sound samples to pull from and mix however you like. :)

Then, there are the Effects that you can apply on top of those. Each of the four tracks has unique Effects living on different axes in space around you (like a giant 3D Kaoss pad for those of you into DJing and synths). Using these effects (reverb, low/high pass filter, flanger, ringmod, chorus and more), you can modulate the original sound samples into something completely different. All Effects run independently on each track instrument using the power of the PS3’s SPU hardware, so you could have up to 16 Effects simultaneously modulating all your music!

For people who really want to hack the songs, you can even dub your Move motions into a loop and play that recorded path of motion back through the music. That means any cool sounds or rhythms you make could become the new bass line in a song.

PixelJunk 4am supports up to two PS Move controllers for performing together in an event. So you COULD have your friend over and mix beats side-by-side with them. OR you could rock it dual-wielding a PS Move in each hand… :D Our Live Viewer browser makes it easy as well to spectate the same events as your friends when you’re both online.

Finally, we’ve been getting asked for over a year now if 4am can be used just as a music visualizer on your PS3. The simple answer is, “yes!” PixelJunk 4am can be used as a stand-alone music visualizer to play your favorite music from your PS3. You won’t even need a Move if you just want to fire up and run a playlist to the visuals. All five original 4am visualizers will be available right from the start. To get some of the rarer visualizers, though, you’ll need to unlock them through regular play first. I’ve been running my work-time playlist through the PS3 here at the office lately just to watch the visualizers. Nothing better for ruining productivity. o_O

Very soon we’ll be holding an early access Live Beta for PlayStation Plus members. A limited number of codes will be given to PS Plus members who own a Move, allowing them to get a first taste of performing in 4am. There will also be a 4am Free Viewer beta download available to ALL PlayStation Plus members. During the course of the Live Beta, we’ll host some special live performances from around the world, including DJ Baiyon performing live from Japan. Any PlayStation Plus members with the 4am Free Viewer are of course welcome to spectate. The PixelJunk 4am Live Beta will start from May 1st and run for two weeks, so keep an eye out for further details very soon on how you can get in.

We can’t wait to see what everyone makes once 4am goes live, or what kind of performers will make a name for themselves. Surprise us! :D
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http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012...orrow-san-francisco-community-event-thursday/

Begins 5/8, Ends 5/15:

PixelJunk Eden - $1
PixelJunk Monsters - $1
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe - PSP (Vita on May 15) - $5
PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap - $1
PixelJunk Shooter - $1
PixelJunk Shooter 2 - $5
PixelJunk Sidescroller - $5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFXdVD_Ve-k

Hey everyone, it’s been awhile since I wrote a Blog entry but today I have a really good reason to. In order to celebrate TEN years of Q-Games we decided to set up the ultimate BLOWOUT PixelJunk sale!!

The PixelJunk series has been a huge success for us, so to celebrate Q’s 10th anniversary (and also PixelJunk’s fifth), for a limited time we are slashing the prices of Racers, Monsters, Eden, and Shooter to just ONE DOLLAR. Yes, you heard correctly! On top of this, we are also slashing the prices for PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (PSP), PixelJunk Shooter 2 and PixelJunk SideScroller by HALF! You have no choice but to snap them all up the very moment the sale goes live tomorrow afternoon with the PlayStation Store update! Spread the word and let’s go PixelJunk crazy for a week! Actually, make that TWO weeks because after the sale, PixelJunk 4am will be launched (May 15th) and it is simply an incredibly unique experience.

For those of you anxious to get your hands on PixelJunk 4am, we will be hosting a PlayStation PixelJunk 4am Event open to the community on Thursday, May 10 from 6:00 to 9:00pm at Harlot in San Francisco. The first 75 attendees will receive a free copy of PixelJunk 4am when it is live on the PlayStation Store on Tuesday, May 15. Spread the word, Baiyon and I would love to meet you (psst…you must be 21+ to attend).

In the 10 years since I started Q-Games we’ve made a huge amount of games and technology for the PlayStation family and I’d like to highlight a few key moments in our history. Did you know that we made the PlayStation 3 “ribbon” and “sparkly dust” background on the XMB, as well as parts of the XMB graphical frontend? If you let the “About PS3″ credits roll you will actually see the Q-Games logo! Before that, on PSP, we developed some of the really cool technology demos that were shown at E3 all the way back in 2004. We also developed the PS3′s music visualizers, beginning with the “valley” default and culminating in the awesome “earth” visualizer – which was actually developed initially as a possible boot sequence for the PS3!! Ken Kutaragi envisioned a boot sequence similar to the sequence in Kubrick’s “2001 – A Space Odyssey” where you see a simultaneous moon and sunrise, but changed his mind and it became the even cooler “orchestral tuning” sequence that it is now. However, we continued working on it in secret, adding more resolution and detail until they gave in and let us sneak-release it into a firmware update a few years back.

Five years ago, with the launch of PSN, one of the guys at SCEI (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. in Tokyo) casually suggested I consider making PSN games. I initially dismissed the idea, imagining SD 480i quality games, but once I plugged my brand-new PS3 into a 1080p TV via a HDMI cable and saw the amazing resolution and color reproduction it clicked that perhaps it represented a chance to rejuvenate 2D gaming. So I got to work preparing concepts for games that took some old ideas, added some new ones, and most importantly updated them to use the incredible extra detail and crisp colors of 1080p. Thus PixelJunk was born!

The first game was PixelJunk Racers, a game designed pretty much to only be playable in 1080p and a game that was impossible in SD because of the hundreds of tiny cars racing around the screen – quite often portrayed as a “black sheep” in the PixelJunk stable, Racers is really quite a unique game and is a great party experience, allowing you to play with up to SEVEN players simultaneously – young kids absolutely love it too and we have plenty of diehard fans which is why we updated it to become PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap. Anyway, Racers launched us into self-publishing here in Japan which was also a lot of fun (suddenly we were not just a developer but a publisher too!), and started our arrangement with Santa Monica Studios to release the PixelJunk series in the West.

We developed the PixelJunk games in parallel and a few months after Racers we launched the smash hit PixelJunk Monsters which has been extremely popular over the years (oh, and the “Deluxe” PSP version will even run on your PS Vita as of May 15th!). Also, during the development of Racers I had the good fortune to bump into a Kyoto-based DJ and artist called “Baiyon” at a party held by a mutual friend and he seemed like an interesting guy so I decided to make our third game a little bit more “artsy” and brought him in to collaborate with us on it, giving birth to PixelJunk Eden! Just look at those CMYK colours – HDMI pushed to the extreme!

For our fourth title we had a naming contest which helped us decide on the name for “PixelJunk 1-4″ to be “PixelJunk Shooter” (yes, “PixelJunk Elements” was also popular but sorry folks it didn’t capture the “sci-fi” spirit enough for me – besides the acronym would be PJE and we already had a PJE in the series…). The concept for Shooter was decided right at the start of the PixelJunk project but the fluid technology took a little time to develop and flesh out, and by the time we had got to the point where we were thinking about music I had persuaded my old friend Alex “The Orb” Paterson to work with us on the soundtrack. He had just started an interesting collaboration with Dom Beken in the form of High Frequency Bandwidth (HFB for short) whose style of music is a kind of retro “b movie dub techno” was a perfect fit for the world we were creating in Shooter. This led us to collaborate on the sequel “Shooter 2″ and our very latest release last year “PixelJunk SideScroller” (which is totally awesome by the way).

Which leads us to the upcoming release of PixelJunk 4am which, although it isn’t a “game” per se, is deeply engaging and a fun experience for everyone. Every time you play you are broadcasting live to the world! It’s really really addictive and you’ll find your PlayStation Move is being used in ways you never imagined!

Well that was a long post, but hey I hadn’t posted in a while – now PixelJunkies, go forth and spread the word, the PixelJunk BLOWOUT sale is ON!
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