XBLA Delisting - Developer Response Part 1 - Metanet Software

Over the past couple of weeks light has been shed on some new policies that Microsoft has begun to enforce upon the current Xbox Live Arcade marketplace - that if a game falls within a certain criteria, they will be eligible to be removed from the Live Arcade store.

While I've been quite adamant that this is not the correct direction to go with the live arcade service, I got in contact with as many different developers as possible, and see what they had to say about the new policies. I've been able to get several responses, and over the next week we'll be able to get a bit of insight into the developer mindset!

Mare Sheppard, one half of Metanet software

"Wow, that seems so extreme! It seems very unfair that the offending titles would be pulled entirely, regardless of their sales. Sure, they may be rated/reviewed poorly, but isn't that, realistically, entirely subjective? And, a conversion rate of 6% is still admirable, isn't it?"

Raigan Burns, the other half of Metanet Software

"It really doesn't make any sense that they wouldn't just bump them to a lower-profile category.. deleting them outright is INSANE. Amazon stocks books with single-digit annual sales, and they have to deal with physical inventory! You'd think digital would be even cheaper to manage.."

"We both believe that a rating system would be a better solution to this problem. The system implemented on the Wii is working very well, for example, especially since it requires players to have played the game for a certain amount of time before they get to rate it. It's fair, and such an important feature. Cutting down the catalog is not an effective way to manage complexity; user ratings are."

Tune in during the week for more thoughts from Xbox Live Arcade developers, and how we can help the XBLA to reach its full potential.

Thanks to both Mare and Reigan for taking the time to respond to my query.

Vigilate 8 Arcade nearing completion!

Vigilante 8 Arcade is nearing completion, so says the official website. Though with a slight delay, as they explain below:

We were gunning for April and the game is is pretty much finished — we’re currently tuning, working out bugs, and making sure the game runs well online and complies with a zillion little Microsoft requirements.

Though it’s an extremely painstaking and frustrating process at times, it ultimately ensures that the game runs well and takes advantage of all the cool Xbox 360 functionality, like friend invites, rich presence, and so on. With V8 being a full-on multiplayer title, this process gets even more involved, due to all the online-related functionality. (But the game sure rocks online!)

We’ve just finished our pre-certification version for Microsoft, so we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Should be no more than 2-4 weeks now. Then, it’s up to Activision & Microsoft to find us a release slot. Our best guess is early June, but we’ll keep you all updated.

They've also just done a bunch of HD captures of the game, so hopefully we'll see some videos very soon. Though the game may be done in 4 weeks, that doesn't mean it'll be released within that time. There are plenty of games that are filling up the pipe line, plus if the N+ developers have anything to go by, games can get bumped around on a regular basis.

Still, it needs to come out sooner than later! Release those videos ASAP!

Source: V8Arcade.com - Dev Update #1

X-Power: Interview with N+ creators Metanet!

Dutch website X-Power has had a great interview with Metanet software. After several angry interviews with other websites, the people at Metanet have had a nice, slightly calmer interview here.

Some excerpts:

XP: Can you confirm to us that a patch is in development in order to fix some of the more drastic bugs, like the supposed save game glitch? Other bugs vary from the infinite sound loop of a rocket if you leave the replay too soon to some graphical errors, among other things.

MNS: We are planning on releasing a title update, however we’re not sure what it will include, and since it needs to be approved we can’t say for sure that it will be released.

The save “bug” is unfortunately not a bug; there are hundreds of rules detailing what your game can and can’t do. One of these, unfortunately, is a rule regarding saving – limiting the frequency of saves to once per X minutes (not sure if the actual number is NDA). As a result, we weren’t able to save after each episode, since you can beat an episode in less than X minutes. Instead, progress is saved when you return to the main menu – a bit awkward, and most damaging was the fact that this was a last-minute problem which caught us off guard, and thus we didn’t have time to get any sort of menu or screen to notify players about this!

If our request for a waiver is successful, we’ll be able to fix this “bug”, along with several dozens of other lesser items (like the sound loop).

XP: For that matter, do you remember who was responsible for the infamous 14-4 level? Be prepared to receive hatemail if you reveal to the Internet who imagined it, though!

MNS: In hindsight, the placement of this level was a mistake. We’re notoriously bad at judging the difficulty of levels, especially with those homing rockets – they’re not really a big deal once you learn how to deal with them, however we didn’t give players enough experience to develop this skill beforehand!

XP: I’ve heard that you’ve shown a vague sneak peak of your next game during the Games Developer Conference this year; I think an article of Gamasutra brought this up… Are you willing to reveal whether or not you’ll change genre with this one, and whether you’ll maintain the simplistic approach?

MNS: Hmm… We don’t remember this. Robotology is going to be a 2D physics-based platformer, but the physics will be much more involved (with grappling hooks and articulated/simulated robots walking around), and the graphics will be more complex.

It's a long and great interview. Hopefully Robotology will eventually make it to XBLA (Currently set for PC, other platforms will be dealt with later on) but until then we'll have to wait.

Source: X-Power Interview with Metanat (Part 1 - Part 2 at the bottom)

New N+ content coming soon - first details!

N+ co-creator Mare Sheppard has announced that their game will be receiving new downloadable level packs over the coming months. IGN have got the scoop:

Metanet plans to release three downloadable expansion packs, each containing about 200 levels, in the months ahead. The first pack will likely contain some easier levels and some co-op multiplayer levels and could hit Xbox Live Marketplace as early as three weeks from now. The second and third packs would follow soon after.

Two of the packs are expected to be 200 Microsoft Points each [a point per level] which can include new maps, new Multiplayer maps and classic N levels. One of the packs will end up being free. Purely speculation but if the free one ends being purely Custom made levels from other players that'd be fantastic, and a way to get around Microsoft's stone fist on the subject of user created levels.

Speaking of - the article also mentions that Metanet are hard at work on breaking Microsoft and getting them to allow level sharing like they originally intended. Let's hope they succeed.

Source: IGN - New N+ Content Coming

XBLAH BLAH BLAH: N+

What is XBLAH BLAH BLAH?

One thing missing from this blog is my own thoughts on XBLA games. I hadn't really been thinking about it - I post links to other reviews anyway, what else could I possibly add to that?

Instead, I'll do something different - a feedback or a critical analysis of sorts. A list of what I thought were really great, and some either bad or even just nitpicky - to help the developers on the little things. Instead of an arbitrary score I'll post my final thoughts on the overall product.

What's good about N+?

- N+ is really packed with a lot of features - 400 levels across the different play styles is a LOT of stuff, and the Leaderboards for each set of levels works very well.

- N+ as been described as "Digital Crack" - just want to play that little longer. Setting the levels in 'chapters' works really well, and being able to play those chapters in sets of 5 makes it a lot easier for casual players to play more without being completely frustrated by some of the hardest levels.

- Cooperative levels are great. Much like the levels in Switchball which had similar split paths requiring players to work together to reach the goal, except this is Local AND online!

How could N+ have improved?

- I don't like Survival mode - it currently throws all the players into a horribly difficult room and has players get thrown around almost instantly. It's fun in that sort of "What the hell is going on" kind of way, but doesn't really keep the player interested.

Suggestion: A mode which could have been cool would be similar to Nintendo's Pac-Man Vs. Have 3 players control Rockets around the level with 1 Ninja flying around trying to get as much gold as possible before dying.

- I realize N+ lives in it's bleak world of yellows and grays, but it would have been nice to see some sort of different graphical styles - different colours to work with on objects and the like. I would have made a Green Hill Zone looking level.

- The Ninja's Headband seems to get caught on a lot of objects, and stretches out across the screen. It's small so you can barely see it, but really should have been an easily solved problem.

Final Thoughts

N+ is a fantastic game and will really get you hooked, and despite the 'simplistic graphics' has more than enough entertainment value to keep you going for at the very least 5 hours, and that's if you're stupidly good. Trying to get all the gold and get higher in the Leaderboards is key to enjoying the game - keep at it, it's a ton of fun.

N+ is out!

Developer: Slick Entertainment Inc.
Publisher: Metanet Software Inc.
Genre: Action
Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Xbox.com Splash Page
Official NeoGAF Thread

Source: Major Nelson

GDC '08 - N+ Postmortem and video interview!

The guys and gals over at Metanet Software are giddy awaiting the release of their games in just a few hours - they've done their own panel at GDC discussing the things they were able to accomplish with the Xbox Live Arcade version. An overview of the session has been written by Gamasutra:

As for how the game is funded, the Canadian duo managed to get Government funding from Telefilm for the game, with the duo explaining that it's a loan that's repaid out of profit. Sheppard then showed a full breakdown of N+'s costs - with $214,000 in total development dollars for the game.

She particularly noted that, even taking the programming in-house, it costs about a minimum of $125,000 to develop an Xbox Live Arcade title, including many of the compulsory or necessary payments for localization, testing, and so on. She did note: "Pay yourself as much as you can" with regard to salaries - in case of title delays.

Read the entire Postmortem here.

Along with this article the website 360sync has also had a video interview with the main N developers. Included in this interview is the answer to N+'s secret achievement!



Source: 360Sync, Gamasutra.

N+ is your game of the week!

Become a gold-thirsty ninja battling homicidal robots with “N+” as it lands on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, February 20 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (1:00 a.m. PST).

In the enhanced version of the original game “N,” players take on the persona of a ninja who must use deft acrobatic actions to battle robots in the futuristic world of “N+.” Play as a lone ninja or destroy the robots with a friend in Cooperative, Survival or Race modes using local or Internet co-op via Xbox LIVE. “N+” boasts 2-D Ragdoll physics with incredibly styled next-generation graphics for an intense visual experience. With unlimited lives, over 300 levels to master and a built-in level editor for when you crave more, the gold-searching and robot-smashing adventures are seemingly endless!

“N+” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points.

Click here for release screenshots of N+. Over 50 of them!
Click here for the official Xbox.com web page.

Metanet also posted a blog about the upcoming release. They're clearly very excited (It is their first piece of software for sale!) which included some interesting facts about the policies of the XBLA and upcoming DLC:

There are also a couple sets of really cool gamerpics and themes in the LIVE Marketplace — we would have liked to put them up for free, but this is apparently against policy. It *is* a bit frustrating: it seems silly to us that gamers have to pay for something entirely superficial and not even part of the game! In any case, we’ll try to have preview pics up on Wednesday, so at least you can see what you’ll be getting. There will also be one or two level packs coming in the future, though we don’t really know the timing for that yet.. but we figure 450 levels should keep everyone busy for a while.

Source: Metanet Software's Blog.

Metanet answer your questions on N+

The guys and gals over at Metanet Software have updated their IGN blog with a whole slew of mailbag Q&A, including notes on their XBLA, DS and PSP releases.

"Both versions of N+ feature different modes of multiplayer, a built-in level editor and all new levels. The version for Xbox360 LIVE! Arcade was developed by Slick Entertainment. We produced/published it ourselves (and made all the non-SUBLiME levels, including the incredible multiplayer levels), and our main goal was to make it feel very true to the original N in terms of gameplay and intensity. Anyone who was really into the original will definitely not be disappointed by this version; we spent a lot of time making sure it felt just right. The injection of nuanced, next-gen upgrades to physics, graphics, and sound, and a whole whack of intense bug-fixes really add the plus.

N+ for DS/PSP was developed by Silverbirch Entertainment, and produced/published by Atari. We did the single-player level design and “consulted” – basically reviewing each build and writing down all of our suggestions/comments. This version differs slightly from the original -- it’s very similar, however there are differences in terms of aesthetic and the feel of the physics. For instance the lowered screen resolution meant that the player couldn’t be expected to make super-fine-grain adjustments to their position, so there were adjustments made to account for that.

Both versions can be said to be interpretations of two common themes: “N” and “awesome.” "

Check out the whole article for their views on the different versions, and how they intend to distribute their next ideas.

Source: N+ - Mailbag @ IGN