Indie Links Round-Up: Progress Report

“Reports surfaced earlier today that Microsoft would make Xbox One publishing more like that of the iOS App Store by, for example, removing costs that Xbox 360 developers incur to release software updates, setting their own prices and allowing retail Xbox One units to serve as debug kits.”
“I covered Contract Work’s close-run Kickstarter finish in back in April and now the game is ready for release.

Highlights from today’s Indie Linksinclude developer reaction to Microsoft’s new self-publishing policy, along with a diverse platter of games.

Indie devs say Xbox One self-publishing is ‘a move in the right direction’(Polygon)

This Volatile Dystopia: Contract Work(RPS)
“I covered Contract Work’s close-run Kickstarter finish in back in April and now the game is ready for release. Well, it’s ready for early release, which means you can play it right now and pay $2.99 to unlock the current version should you so desire. The plot and setting led me to expect a side-scrolling Deus Ex but Contract Work is much more like a side-scrolling Syndicate. Despite upgrade elements that allow for stealthier or more violent approaches, it’s a game about being a gun for hire and the gun is the central tool. Well, guns, to be precise. You are guns for hire. The action is fast, as waves of enemies spawn at the map’s edge and head for their objectives. Sometimes you are the infiltrator, sometimes the defender, but either way there is a great deal of robot-smashing to be done.”

Swanning About: Zwan(RPS)
“A seagull on the roof screeched and gave me an irretrievable sense of self-loathing this morning, and I opened up Zwan, a game designed for the Bosch Art Game competition, and bellowed my whole disquiet with the world into it like some anguished moose that has just been shot by Todd Palin. I have never been so unsettled by a game, and it reminded me of what an effect mood can have on our experience of games, of music, of anything really.”

Outlast spooks PCs in September(Joystiq)
“Indie horror Outlast opens its nightmarish doors to PC players on September 4, admission price $20. Red Barrels’ debut game, set in an abandoned asylum and seen through the lens of a reporter’s digital camera, is also coming to the PS4, but when that may be remains TBA.”

Tips For Playing The Cube World Alpha(Kotaku)
“If you’ve taken a chance on the Cube World alpha, you might’ve noticed one thing. Aside from the beautiful voxels and the open-world landscape, I mean. At the moment, the game doesn’t really tell you how things work.”

Kerbal Space Program 0.21(TIGSource)
“The 0.21 update to Kerbal Space Program has arrived, bringing with it a slew of new parts for building rockets and planes.”

New PlayStation Indie Channel Games for week ending July 24, 2013(IndiePub)
“The theme this week on Indie Channel is puzzlers! Sit down on your couch, relax, and take your mind off of life as you play games like Doodle God, Coconut Dodge Revitalised, and Quell Memento.”

Second Game Released from the 2013 Life. Love. Game Design Challenge(GamePolitics)
“Jennifer Ann’s Group has released the third-place winning video game from the 2013 Life. Love. Game Design Challenge. The 2013 Life. Love. Game Design Challenge asked developers to create games that raised awareness about the dangers of Teen dating violence. Jennifer Ann’s Group is a charity dedicated to the cause and named after Jennifer Ann Crecente, who was murdered by an ex-boyfriend.”