Monday, 17 October 2016 00:00

OPN DevLounge Monthly - October 2016

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Every month, the independent scene releases over a hundred games on Valve's distribution platform, Steam, and every month, the folks at OpNoobs look at each closely, to make a selection of what they believe are the 10 most significant releases.

OPN's DevLounge Monthly brings together industry professionals for a lively conversation on Twitch, to reflect upon the highlighted games of the month and bring insight on their significance for the indie gaming movement as a whole.

The OpNoobs organizers present each title and the studio behind them to a panel of game developers, after which they open the floor to commentaries. The conversation has a free form format, therefore allowing for flexibility in topics approached, whether the focus lies on the game itself, its genre, competitors and predecessors, or the studio, its creators and developers.

THE PANEL

MARK GREGORY
Founder, Freesphere Entertainment

Game Website: http://tethergame.com
Studio Website: http://freesphere-entertainment.co.uk/

Mark Gregory got into games development around 6 years ago after working in the games media as hobbyist writer, reviewer, video editor for some small to mid-tier outlets. He previously worked with Pulsetense Games on the Solarix franchise and been part of various alpha/beta closed testing programs most notably on Soma. Mark started up his own studio earlier this year as he wanted to strike out on his own and do things his own way. He has since been working on Tether with a small dedicated team and another unannounced project.

JOS HOEBE
Founder, Blackmill Games
Game Website: http://www.blackmillgames.com/
Studio Website: http://www.verdungame.com/

Jos is a Dutch global software engineering student who founded Blackmill Games in 2013. He has 10+ years of experience developing games and mods such as MokMok (2007), The Great Trench War (2004), Trench Rats (2003), Battlefield 1918/2 (2007). Blackmill Games’ affinity with authentic historical games can be seen in their first game; Verdun. Blackmill's philosophy is creating meaningful and immersive experiences for gamers and makes sure this is the driving force behind all of the design decisions. In 2015, its game Verdun won the Dutch Game Awards "Industry Award" and "Best Economic Achievement" and is among the top bestselling "ex-early access" games on Steam.

CHRISTOPHER NATSUUME
Creative Director and co-founder of Boomzap Entertainment
Boomzap Entertainment: http://www.boomzap.com/

Producer of the original Far Cry, Chris Natsuume has been actively working as a designer, producer, and director in the game industry since 1992, with credits on almost 50 games. Currently, Chris is the Creative Director of Boomzap Entertainment, a studio that engages 73 people in 14 countries, and one of the pioneers of the virtual studio environment (100% home-based and pants optional).

MARK NG
Co-Founder, Clapfoot Games
Game Website: http://www.foxholegame.com/
Studio Website: http://www.clapfootgames.com/

Mark Ng is the co-founder of Clapfoot, an independent studio from Toronto that is now focused on developing unique multiplayer games for PC and Console. Before founding the studio six years ago, he worked in the gaming and graphics industry for over five years. Earlier this year, Clapfoot launched Fortified, a co-op action strategy game for the Xbox One and Steam. The studio is now working on an ambitious massively multiplayer game called Foxhole.

JASON WEEKS
Lead Programmer, W3 Studios
Game Website: http://www.abatrongame.com/
Studio Website: http://www.w3studios.net/

With several decades of programming experience, Jason has worked in a wide range of projects in the technology industry.  Since joining W3 Studios, Jason codes by day and creates Visual FX content for UE4 by night.  He has been rooted in modding, game development, & tecnical art for as long as he can remember.  His current project Abatron is a mix between strategy and shooter.

OPN TEAM

Frederic Brizzi, OpNoobs President
Shane Gamez, OpNoobs Executive Producer

GAME COUNTDOWN, IN YOUTUBE ORDER

#10 – Farabel

RELEASE DATE: 10/14/16 | STEAM PAGE

THE GAME
Farabel is a turn based strategy game that starts out at the end. You start out at the end of the conclusion of the story. But that’s not all. In Farabel, the whole gaming experience is turned around. You start out the adventure with a hero at maximum power, but your hero will lose power with each battle. You won’t be choosing which skill you want to reinforce. Instead, you’ll have to decide which one to diminish. You’re not going to develop your character. You’re going to develop your own gaming abilities, including your cleverness, strategic prowess, inventive capabilities, and your knowledge of the game.

THE STUDIO
Launched in Reims France during 2005, Frogames is in the capable hands of three motivated and fun-loving people who are environmentally aware. We're Indie Game Developers. Because our skills and ideas are not subject to the pressures of outside financers, our projects are self-founded, self-published, and limited only by our imagination. 

#9 - End of the Mine

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 2016 – TBA | STEAM PAGE 

THE GAME
End of the Mine is a 2D sidescrolling platformer that features a unique art style and draws inspiration from the horror and sci-fi genres. Tempered by an abundance of slapstick humor, monstrous enemies and bosses, and lovable characters, End of the Mine is sure to offer a one of a kind experience. You are a miner on a distant planet excavating valuable resources. After a night of drinking with your fellow miners, you awake to find them gone and the colony you call home deserted. With only your faithful companion Camm-E to help, you must venture into the mines of this now deserted planet in search of your friends -- and answers. But even as you look down into the darkness of the mine, you can't help but wonder -- do you have what it takes to reach the End of the Mine? 

THE STUDIO
Skirmish Entertainment has always been committed to hard work and creativity. We strive to bring an exciting and memorable gaming experience to our audience. Our goal is to make the best game possible for as many people around the world as possible. Here at Skirmish Entertainment we forge and sharpen each other’s skills, working hard together to bring our creativity to the market. Honest feedback helps to strengthen our products and increase their quality so that players can enjoy only the best that we have to offer. We would rather be remembered for a great game than a subpar one any day of the week. 

#8 - Gears of War 4

RELEASE DATE: 10/11/16 | WEBPAGE

THE GAME
A new saga begins for one of the most acclaimed video game franchises in history. After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends, Kait and Del, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy. Xbox Play Anywhere: Pre-order the digital game, and it’s yours to play on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. This does not apply for physical disc copies.

ABOUT THE STUDIO
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Games for Windows, Steam, Windows Store, and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the already released Xbox, before being re-branded in 2011. The subsidiary had also been known as Microsoft Game Division and simply Microsoft Games before 2002. Microsoft Studios develops and publishes games in conjunction with first and third party development studios under their publishing label.

#7- ARAGAMI

RELEASE DATE: 10/04/2016 | STEAM PAGE 

THE GAME
You are Aragami, a vengeful spirit with the power to control the shadows. You’ve been summoned by Yamiko, a girl imprisoned in the city fortress of Kyuryu. Embark on a dark journey full of blood and secrets to discover the truth about aragami. Infiltrate the occupied city of Kyuryu with your supernatural powers and fight Light with Shadow. Uncover a story about twin souls bound together by destiny that surpasses time and memory. 

THE STUDIO

Lince Works aims to create high quality games with heart and soul, designed by a team of people who love games and the creation of interactive experiences. 

#6 - WRC 6 FIA World Rally Championship

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 2016 - TBA | STEAM PAGE 

THE GAME
On a race track, it's the car that makes all the difference. In a rally, it's the driver. WRC 6 puts you to the test: fog, mud, punctures, night racing, engine breakdowns... you have to deal with it all. WRC 6 also includes: all of the official 2016 content, including Rally China, 11 Super Special Stages on a 1:1 scale, local split-screen multiplayer, worldwide leaderboards and new online challenges every week, all the designated cars and courses in very high definition, two brand new modes, even more spectacular game cameras and free access to the entire 2017 eSports WRC! 

THE STUDIO
Kyloyonn Games is a French video game developer company, located in Paris, France. It was founded in 2002 by Roman Vincent and Yann Tambellini. The company is most notable for developing Bet on Soldier and its expansions.

#5 – Shadow Warrior 2

RELEASE DATE: 10/13/16 | STEAM PAGE

THE GAME
Shadow Warrior 2 is the stunning evolution of Flying Wild Hog’s offbeat first-person shooter following the further misadventures of former corporate shogun Lo Wang. Now surviving as a reclusive mercenary on the edge of a corrupted world, the formidable warrior must again wield a devastating combination of guns, blades, magic and wit to strike down the demonic legions overwhelming the world. Battle alongside allies online in four-player co-op or go it alone in spectacular procedurally-generated landscapes to complete daring missions and collect powerful new weapons, armor, and arcane relics of legend. 

THE STUDIO
Flying Wild Hog Sp. z o.o. is an independent Polish video game developer founded in April 2009 by Tomek Baran, Michał Szustak and Klaudiusz Zych. Based in Warsaw, Poland, the company is best known for its 2013 reboot of Shadow Warrior, and its 2016 sequel, Shadow Warrior 2.

#4 - Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location

RELEASE DATE: 10/07/2016 | STEAM PAGE 

THE GAME
Welcome to Circus Baby's Pizza World, where family fun and interactivity go beyond anything you've seen at those *other* pizza places! With cutting-edge animatronic entertainers that will knock your kids' socks off, as well as customized pizza catering, no party is complete without Circus Baby and the gang! Now hiring: Late night technician. Must enjoy cramped spaces and be comfortable around active machinery. Not responsible for death or dismemberment.

THE DEVELOPER
Scott Cawthon (born July 26, 1971) is an American independent video game developer, animator, and writer, best known for his creation of the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise Cawthon has also created other games and animations, such as Chipper & Son's Lumber Co., "Rage Quit", and There is No Pause Button. 

#3 - Mafia III

RELEASE DATE: 10/07/2016 | STEAM PAGE 

THE GAME
It’s 1968 and after years of combat in Vietnam, Lincoln Clay knows this truth: family isn’t who you’re born with, it’s who you die for. Now back home in New Bordeaux, Lincoln is set on escaping a criminal past. But when his surrogate family, the black mob, is betrayed and wiped out by the Italian Mafia, Lincoln builds a new family on the ashes of the old and blazes a path of military-grade revenge through those responsible. Intense gun fights, visceral hand-to-hand combat, white knuckle driving and street smarts will all be needed. But with the right crew, tough decisions and some dirty hands, it’s possible to make it to the top of the city's underworld. 

THE STUDIO
2K is an American developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of video games. Notable titles include BorderlandsCivilizationThe DarknessBioShockNBA 2K and WWE 2K.[1] 2K Games is a publishing division of Take-Two Interactive

#2 – Battlefield 1

RELEASE DATE: 10/21/16 | WEBPAGE 

THE GAME
Battlefield 1 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. Despite its name, it is the fourteenth installment in the Battlefield franchise, the first main entry in the series since Battlefield 4 (2013), and the first World War I video game published by Electronic Arts since Wings of Glory in 1994. The game is scheduled to be released on Microsoft Windows worldwide on October 21, 2016. 

THE STUDIO
EA DICE is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm. The company was founded in 1992 and has been a subsidiary of Electronic Arts since 2006. Its releases include the Battlefield series, Mirror's Edge, and Star Wars Battlefront. 

#1 – Titanfall 2

RELEASE DATE: 10/28/16 | WEBPAGE 

THE GAME
Titanfall 2 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. Similar to its predecessor, the game is a first-person shooter in which players can control both the pilot, and the Titans, mech-style exoskeletons. The pilot has an arsenal of abilities which enhance their efficiency. 

THE STUDIO
Respawn Entertainment is an American video game development studio founded by Jason West and Vince Zampella, who created and were responsible for the development of the Call of Duty franchise at Infinity Ward before 2010.

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Fred Brizzi

Fred is our loyal but certainly most undeserving Founder, President, & CEO (he’s just a big jerk). He started gaming with Alex Kidd on the Sega Master System and was brought by ID Software to the PC back in 1993, that glorious day DOOM hit the shelves. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and handsome boys, playing international relations by day but games by night. His aspirations, you ask? To leave the elephants and the donkeys at their zoo, strap himself down for the magic carpet ride, and ride the bustling escapade that is PC gaming 100% of the time. In fact, when he's not working for OpNoobs, he's apologizing to his wife for OpNoobs. Fred also coined the expression “Consoles? Glorified Netflix players.” He really wanted us to put that in too. He’s like very proud of that.

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