Top Ten Again!

Just saw the updated xbox.com popular Xbox Community Games list, and we hit the top ten again!  ZP2K9 is #5!

That’s right, we just barely beat those two awful massage games.

A new version with bug fixes is up for peer review now; hopefully it will settle a lot of the 1.0 silliness.

Particularly notable fixes will include:

• Shows what gamer is talking
• Show gamer names under players
• Numerous CTF bug fixes
• On-the-fly server bot count + game type changes
• Team DM spawns random (like vanilla DM)
• 3 second respawn invulnerability
• Bat ceiling hang bonuses switched to invisibility
• Renamed/reskinned Cheetah Suit to Cyborg Suit

Unfortunately, XBCG games don’t force you to update, so it’s a good idea to check the XBCG New Arrivals queue for updates.  When ZP2K9 1.0.1 arrives, it’ll be up there.  And once most everyone has moved over to 1.0.1, I can start adding more content (maps, suits, etc).  Also, from version 1.0.1 and up, ZP2K9 will be a bit smart about notifying you about updates.  Workarounds, FTW!

Thanks to everyone who helped make ZP2K9 a sudden success!

How Not to Promote ZP2K9

This is too funny…

So, ZP2K9 is on the Community Games marketplace.  It’s a side scrolling multiplayer online shooter.  It’s 200 points.  It’s fun.  I like it.  Some random people like it.  Some people like it so much, they saw fit to promote it!  Harmless, no?

Well, one of my XBL buddies thought he’d spread the cheer to the folks at some Soldat forum, using a highly inflammatory topic name of “Soldat vs ZP2K9” and naively postulating that ZP2K9 was better!  I guess the Soldat folks are not keen on fighting words!

Here are some gems:

• “Your walking all the time = Ur opponents will face you from the same hight = no aim skills required = Soldat is better.”
• “Whatever it is, that game can’t be compared to Soldat – Soldat is way superior.”
• “Not even close to soldat LOL”
• “seems like they are desperate to get soldat on them, even if its just a crappy copy of it”
• “Just judging from the video I don’t think there’s any contest-soldat blows it out of the water in my opinion.”
• “anyone realized that the thing when he goes up is actually pretty same as the prince of perisa climbing?”

Heh.

(Ahem… for the record, I played Soldat like once years ago and wasn’t blown away.  I loved Abuse though!  And RuneQuake!  Yeah, I’m a dork!  So what!?)

(Also, this is the video that is used to gauge how terrible ZP2K9 is; compared to Soldat, can we say they both look a little bit like crap?)

Anyway, I’ve learned two things from this:

1. Never get involved in a land war in Asia.
2. Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

Is there hope?  Or is this game doomed because it is not like a game that I never intended it to be like?

Well, it’s not all bad!  XNA Roundup liked it a lot, particularly the flamethrower, Chameleon suit sword trick (I might wanna cut this one), and controls.   Video review after the break:

ZP2K9 on XBCG!

Well, when it rains, it pours.  While waiting for The Dishwasher to pass cert, I finished up this happy-go-deathmatchy platformer called ZP2K9 and submitted it for Xbox Community Games.  It went up Saturday or so, and just about every time I’ve checked there have been a couple of games going on on Live.  Also, it’s only 200 points, so you’ve got pretty much no excuse not to play it!

Here are some screenies:

Awesome: ZSX4 is #5!

According to Major Nelson, ZSX4: Guitarpocalypse is now #5 on Xbox  Community Games!  I have no idea what this means in terms of sales (after all, Swords and Monsters is #10), but I’m still pretty excited!  (Check it out if you haven’t yet)

In Dishwasher news, we’re in the final stretch before cert.  Thanks to all of you who keep asking about the release date, it’s great to know that The Dishwasher’s got fans!  Hang tight, peoples, we’ll get there, and, as I keep saying, I don’t think anyone’s more anxious for the game’s release than I am.

ZSX4 is Live!

Queue it up!

Right now it’s… well… not the least popular game, but its still getting pummeled in the popularity contest by Garrett the Slug. You don’t have to buy it (though it costs the same as 5 64×64 images), but at least give it a download.  My image is on the line.

Also, xnPlay is all over it.

If anything, I guess this should go to show how easy it is to get a game on XBCG.

It’s as complicated as:

• Make a game that doesn’t crash (bonus: make a game that doesn’t suck!  For pointers, buy my book!)
• Make a box art image, take 4 screenshots, make a thumbnail, make a movie (optional)
• Upload the game
• Wait for it to pass review (as long as it doesn’t crash and doesn’t contain colons, racism, or Nazis, this should be painless)
• Wait for it to go LIVE!

Granted, the first step is the most time consuming, but traditionally in the PC gaming world, the other steps are the biggest hassle (submitting to random portals, setting up payment processing services, etc).  This means that hobbyist game development, a hobby which is traditionally 90% fun, is now 98% fun and console-deployable.  Amazing.  Go nuts!

ZSX4 passes peer review, will be live soon!

Sweet!

Well, the first iteration was causing errors because the game title contained a colon, so now it’s up as “ZSX4 Guitarpocalypse.”  Kind of loses something, doesn’t it?  Anyway, I got this form email from the XNA team:

Dear Jamezila,

The XNA team is delighted to tell you that your community game has been approved by your fellow Creators. You should see the game appear within 48 hours of the time of this message on the community games area of Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

…

Since you are now a successful game author, you might consider sharing your tips and tricks on forums.xna.com, celebrating, or just bragging a little.

Thanks again for making our community great!

The XNA Team

Oh yes, there will be bragging…

Anyway, for a good party game (and only $2.50–I mean come on!), you can check out ZSX4: Guitarpocalypse.  If it’s not up yet, I’m guessing it will be by Turkey Day.  Gravy, stuffing, turkey, zombies, ninjas, and Neko: it’s like a party of overflowing pleasantness!

Let’s see how this Peer Review thing works anyway…

When XNA 1.0 beta came out, I started off by working on a game called Zombie Smashers X4: Guitarpocalypse.  It’s a knock-your-enemies-off-the-platform arena game (I shall not be mentioning any successful Nintendo franchises here) with a pretty crazy Guitarpocalyptic Power Chord mechanic worked into it–knock guys off the world (or break boxes, kill zombies, etc) to get red orbs, then play guitar solos to turn red orb energy into Guitarpocalyptic charge, then release devastating Guitarpocalyptic Power Chords.  Also, Neko’s in it.

Anyway, as The Dishwasher is entering another bit of testing, I took a few free hours and brought ZSX4 up to 3.0 speed and tried putting it up for Peer Review on XBCG.  I honestly have no clue how it’ll pan out–the game hasn’t crashed in like forever, but then I haven’t really touched it in forever, so who knows if it’s all sorts of secretly buggy.  If it passes, everyone will be able to pull it off XBCG for the modest price of 200 points (that’s the minimum I can charge).  Hopefully I can get a much-need cash infusion (I survive on a lot of ramen) while The Dishwasher plods toward Cert.  If it fails, well… back to the drawing board.

Of course, if ZSX4 becomes some crazy cult hit, I might end up trying to move my focus to XBCG–or at least trying to keep some sort of little XBCG project in the pipeline when possible.  It would be cool to make a smaller-scope street brawling ZSX5 or something or a Zombies and Pterodactyls remix.

Anyway, I’ll keep updating on ZSX4’s progress.