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

The Walking Dead: Episode 2 Having Issues on PSN

Today, The Walking Dead: Episode 2 launched on PlayStation Network. But unfortunately for many players trying to get into the experience, they’re unable to. IGN users rhoadesclark informed us of a thread on Telltale Games’ message boards chronicling the issue. As of the time of this story’s publish, the thread spans 14 pages.

The problem is associated with trying to launch the game. From dozens of accounts on Telltale’s message boards, when the game is downloaded, installed and launched, the game refuses to load and kicks gamers back to the CrossMediaBar (XMB). So the problem isn’t somehow in-game; the problem literally doesn’t let people play the game at all.

Telltale Games employees are trying to get to the bottom of the problem by asking users on the message boards questions, including if the game was deleted and then reinstalled and by which method the game was purchased (either individually or as part of the season pass). But there’s still no word on a fix, or when it might be forthcoming.

The problem isn’t only concentrated on Telltale’s forums. I put out a Tweet asking if any of my followers were having issues. They are. We’ve reached out to Telltale Games for official comment and, hopefully, a word on when these issues may be fixed. We’ll update when we hear back. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you're having issues with The Walking Dead Episode 2 on PSN, and what the nature of your particular problems are, if any.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

Source : ign[dot]com

Report: Final Fantasy VII Coming to Steam?

A new version of Final Fantasy VII containing a wealth of additional features could soon be available on Steam.

The users over at the GOG Forum spotted that Square Enix registered the domain FinalFantasyVIIPC.com on June 15th.  Though the site has since been taken down, it can still be viewed in Google's cache.

According to the information gleaned before the site was culled, this new version will include 36 achievements, cloud saving functionality, and also online profiles so you can compare progress with your friends.  The digital download was slated to cost £7.99/€9.99.

While the company hasn't spoken out to confirm the existence of the PC version, character designer Tetsuya Nomura recently suggested that new titles would "take precedence" over a remake of the much-loved classic. Desire for a remastering has remained high since a tech demo for the PlayStation 3 showed Cloud, Aerith and the bustling streets of Midgar in High Definition.

Source : ign[dot]com