|
|
|
|
|
Two great space games, one amazing contest!
|
|
How is it the end of February already? It feels like just yesterday I was hitting send on the last edition of this newsletter and here I am writing a whole new one. I'd be terrified if there wasn't so much cool stuff to talk about — including a Hardspace x Space Engineers art contest that blew my mind, an explosive deepdive into Homeworld 3, and more. Let's get to it!
Oh, and while I have you: Congrats to the winners of the Art of Hardspace: Shipbreaker book from last month! Even if you didn't win, you can still purchase the art book on Steam (which you should because it's awesome).
Be sure to read this newsletter carefully to the end and you could win a very exclusive patch that commemorates last year's reveal of Minecraft Legends.
|
|
🤯 MINDBLOWING FANART 🤯
HARDSPACE: SHIPBREAKER
|
|
Hardspace: Shipbreaker is all about ripping ships to bits and Space Engineers is a multiplayer sandbox sim all about building them. You couldn't write a better love story!
This month, the Space Engineers team challenged their community to submit screenshots that either replicate or are heavily inspired by the iconic hulls of Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Its community is brilliant, however, and they went above and beyond. Here's a sneak peek at some my favorites:
|
|
|
Over 50 players submitted designs and 20 of those were chosen as winners during a special livestream with Hardspace Lead Game Designer Sean Storey. If you missed the livestream, you can watch the VOD here.
|
|
Hardspace: Shipbreaker and Space Engineers are also teaming up for an awesome Steam sale!
Get both games in a bundle for 20% off right now!
|
|
|
💥 THE ART OF BLOWING STUFF UP 💥
HOMEWORLD 3
|
|
|
One thing I love about the original Homeworld is how its battles tell a story. From the debris that litters the field to the ships you take from mission to mission, Homeworld 3 is taking that visual storytelling to a whole new level.
In the latest Homeworld 3 Fig Update, Senior FX Artist Tim O'Connell tours you through the innovative damage systems we're creating to make ship explosions more glorious than ever. You want ship hulls that react differently depending on the weapon type that hits it? Meet Splat Damage (I love this name) — HW3's innovative new technology that'll dynamically alter the surface geometry of a ship based on the level of damage sustained, going from pock marks to full-on hull breaches.
|
|
|
"It lets you witness the destructive fallout of our dynamic battles at a level of detail that wasn't possible before."
- Tim O'Connell, Senior FX Artist
|
|
|
|
Be sure to read the full update for tons of insights into Homeworld 3's new destruction systems and plenty of cool behind-the-scenes screenshots.
|
|
FUN FACT!
Core features of Homeworld 3, like Megaliths and terrain in space, date back 20 years to the original vision of Homeworld 2. The tech of that era couldn't keep up, however, so those ideas were ultimately abandoned until Homeworld 3 resurrected them. Watch this old E3 2001 video to see for yourself!
|
|
|
👀 OUR MOST ANTICIPATED GAMES 👀
STAFF PICKS
|
|
Can't help but look ahead at all the exciting games coming this year? Neither can we. Here are the games that have us counting the days until launch.
Lance Mueller - Game Director, Homeworld 3
"My most anticipated game of 2023 is the recently released Kerbal Space Program 2. I played the first one when it first came out and it was one of the best gaming experiences of my life (next to Homeworld 1). With the addition of multiplayer this makes it a no brainer for me!"
Iain Myers-Smith - Lead Producer, Homeworld 3
"The game I am most looking forward to in 2023 is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. I've been a huge fan of Star Wars games going back to the glory days of TIE Fighter and Dark Forces. I also really enjoyed Jedi: Fallen Order, despite not being great at Souls-like games, and am stoked to see what Respawn does with the next installment in the franchise!"
Tina Benoit - Community Manager
"After being obsessed with Breath of the Wild, I cannot wait to experience the sequel! Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the game I've long been waiting for. I can't get enough of its beautiful music, large immersive environment, and the adorable characters (I am obsessed with Koroks). I will certainly take my time to explore all corners and secrets of the world in TotK! Also, was that really Ganondorf's voice in the latest trailer?! Ahh!! I need to know!"
Sashen Reddy - Audio Director, Minecraft Legends
"It's been over 10 years since the original Alan Wake was released. I thought the original was a fantastic display of using game design, visuals, and audio to create a really compelling narrative experience. The addition of survival style gameplay planned for Alan Wake 2 feels right for that universe. It is a sequel being done after many years so I remain cautiously optimistic, but excited nonetheless."
Jessica Klyne - Executive Producer, Hardspace: Shipbreaker
"Cocoon. The lead gameplay designer from Inside (and Limbo) has been working on this cosmic adventure puzzle game. I’m looking forward to seeing what craziness awaits — did you know that the haunting music from Inside was recorded through a human skull? It’s not the same developer/publisher, but I still have high hopes that Cocoon will be just as weird and mesmerizing."
Kelsey Gottschlich - Senior QA Analyst, Minecraft Legends
"Redfall, for sure — Arkane's worldbuilding, storytelling, and art direction has always set them apart for me. I loved Dishonored and Prey, and I'm confident that Arkane's unconventional take on the apocalypse genre will be a ton of fun. Ultimately, I'm always on the hunt for new horror-aligned multiplayer games to drag my friends into. And also, vampires rule."
|
|
🎵 THE SOUND OF CHAOS 🎵
MINECRAFT LEGENDS
|
|
|
|
Who wouldn't want to watch this dev diary filled with grown men doing their best pig noises?
|
|
What do balloons, bamboo chimes, and a rusty bike wheel all have in common? Isn't it obvious? They were all used to make different sounds in Minecraft Legends!
In our latest dev blog, Legends' audio team takes you behind the scenes to learn how an epic orchestral score and lots of pig noises all come together to make chaos on the battlefield. I particularly love the segments that reveal all the clever foley that was done to give each unit a distinctive sound that'll stand out even amidst the biggest battles.
Oh, and don't forget: Minecraft Legends' full launch is getting closer and closer. April 18!
|
|
DID YOU KNOW…?
One of the main characters you'll spend plenty of time with in Legends is Foresight, one of the enigmatic "Hosts" of the Overworld. Foresight is actually voiced by Pamela Nomvete, who recently played Jezzi, a Daughter of Ferrix, in the incredible Star Wars TV series, Andor!
|
|
|
🎉 UPDATE 1.1 IS OUT NOW 🎉
CROSSFIRE: LEGION
|
|
Ever since Crossfire: Legion launched back in December, we've been working hard to gather and address your feedback. To that end, Update 1.1 dropped at the very end of January and includes some much-requested features like the ability to choose your army's color so you can better identify them on the battlefield. Update 1.1 also features sweeping balance changes to each of the three factions.
Did you also know that Crossfire: Legion has an in-depth map making tool? If you want to create your own battlefields, check out this comprehensive guide!
|
|
🤗 THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES 🤗
HARDSPACE: SHIPBREAKER
|
|
When development on Hardspace: Shipbreaker began to wind down last year, programmer Liam Wilson wanted to do something special to commemorate his time on the project. The result? This awesome tattoo of a Shipbreaker and his beloved Bunny 'D'.
"Shipbreaker was my first job in the industry out of university," Liam told me. "And it was a very challenging but amazing project to work on. But the most amazing part was definitely the team that I got to work with and the love and care they afforded each other, as well as the game. I think the bunny character is emblematic of the project in a lot of ways: It started as a small detail in the background of a piece of concept art, but its potential was obvious, and with time and nurturing it flourished into something really special. My tattoo is a reminder of that, as well as a reminder of all the incredible people who supported me through a formative time and encouraged me to keep learning, be kind, laugh every day, and never stop dreaming big."
|
|
FUN FACT!
BBI now celebrates major milestones like the launch of a game with a commemorative patch that can be sewn onto jackets. So far we have three: Two celebrating our transition to being fully remote during the pandemic and one for the reveal of Minecraft Legends. Hardspace and our other released games will be getting their own very soon!
|
|
|
Want to win one of two "HELLO WORLD" Project Badger patches?
|
|
|
All you need to do is reply to this email and tell me the house number on the home featured in BBI's 2023 holiday card. But Steven, you say, how the hell am I supposed to know that? Well, you might want to read through some of our previous newsletters for the answer. Mwuahaha!
We'll select two winners at random and ship you a Project Badger patch — no restrictions apply!
Thanks for taking the time and energy to read this edition of the BBI Newsletter. If you liked it, it'd mean the world to me if you took the time to share it with your friends.
Until next time!
- Steven & the BBI Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
