Gamesplanet Lab Combines Kickstarter and Steam

Following the massive number of users on Steam and the success of Kickstarter campaigns in recent months, indie game distributor Gamesplanet has teamed up with crowdfunding site Ulele to join digital distribution with user-generated funding in the form of Gamesplanet Lab.

Gamesplanet Lab will allow developers to seek funding for potential projects, but will also provide tools and support for actual development. Once a game is completed, it can be sold through Gamesplanet Lab, and backers can have their pre-orders fulfilled directly, without the need for an additional distribution platform. Backers will also be able to check in on a game’s progress while it’s in active development.

All games will be checked by Gamesplanet Lab to verify that they’re up to expected standards and that “reward fulfillment, community communication and more is conducted professionally and honestly.” Devs will also have to agree to a 10-point charter, including providing clear information, maintaining a clear timetable, guaranteeing the delivery of rewards, prioritizing customer experience for DRM and more.

Gamesplanet stresses that all developers will retain control of their creations, saying in a statement that “This is not a publishing house. No matter what support Gamesplanet Lab offers, developers retain full control and copyright over their ideas. Gamesplanet Lab is also committed to putting the gaming experience first, by demanding not only good results but a gamer friendly approach to the issue of DRM.”

The first two Gamesplanet Lab projects are Day One, an adventure game featuring dark comedy by developer Pendulo, and first-person shooter Magrunner: Dark Pulse from developer 3AM Games. More information about both projects, as well as more details about Gamesplanet Lab itself, are available on the Gamesplanet Lab official site.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Momentum Shows Off Lawless and More at Kapow!

Indie distributor Momentum shared a wealth of clips from upcoming films at Kapow! today.

Rick McCallum, George Lucas' long-time collaborator, took to the stage with actor David Oyelowo and director Gareth Evans to highlight what moviegoers have to look forward to.

The showcase kicked off with Red Tails, which MacCullum produced and Oyelowo starred in alongside big names including Cuba Gooding Junior, Elijah Kelley and Ne-Yo.  The film, due out June 6th in Europe and already on release in America, follows the first African American fighter squadron in the Second World War, and is packed with tense dogfights.

MacCullum said of the pilots, “they were the rockstars of their time.  It was incredible stuff that these kids had to go through – and they were kids, only 18 and 19.”

Western crime film Lawless was shown next, which stars Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce. Set during the prohibition in Virginia, three brothers get on the wrong side of the wrong guys and there’s action that invokes Al Capone style mobs, with Guy Pearce in particular set to make a terrifying impression.

For horror aficionados, The House at the End of the Street is out at the end of September and looks distressingly gritty.  Jennifer Lawrence is in the film, alongside a terrifying little girl who wouldn’t look out of place in The Ring, judging by the footage.  In a similar vein, Red Lights sees Robert de Niro play a very dangerous psychic using his powers on victims Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver.

We weren’t shown any footage for the last two films, but the information we got was exciting nevertheless.  First we heard about Seven Psychopaths, the new film from the creators of In Bruges.  Due out in September, Colin Farrell will be appearing as the long suffering best mate of a man who steals the dog belonging to a crime lord, with capers ensuing.

Momentum then told us about Ender’s Game, the highly awaited film adaptation of the novel of the same name.  Due out in October 2013, it’s a dark sci-fi film starring Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley and Hailee Steinfeld where humans are locked in battle with alien insectoids for the Earth.

To wrap up, we were shown a climactic fight scene from The Raid which released yesterday, while director Gareth Evans answered questions.  If you want to know more about that, check out our coverage from earlier in the day.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/19/momentum-shows-off-lawless-and-more-at-kapow