Strangers sometimes walk up to me on the street and ask, “What does the Indie Game Collective look like, anyway?” Here’s a quick tour, someday to be replaced by a better tour.

- Ichiro

“The first thing that strikes you about this game is its extreme similarities to A Reckless Disregard for Gravity, which isn’t that surprising since both titles are from developer Dejobaan Games. Drop The Beat Like an Ugly Baby improves the concept of that first-person base jumping simulator in a number of ways. For one, the levels are now generated from MP3 files, Audiosurf-style, so the pillars and platforms you’re dodging fly by in time with the beat of the music you’re listening to. For another, the interface has been improved to show you just how close you are to the nearby objects that give you points.

The game is currently controlled with a mouse, which provides a much finer experience than the WASD controls. But the developers tell Ars that more control options may be in the final version. As long as I can plug in Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’ super-ironically, the controls can work however they want.”

—Kyle Orland

“Developer Erik Asmussen isn’t shy about his elevator pitch: to make a game that plays just like the cheesy hacking sequences from ’90s cyberpunk films. PWN drips with the style you’d expect from films like Hackers and Sneakers, from neon backgrounds and phony-looking “cyberspace” settings to big-beat techno and doofy-looking avatar art.

PWN sets two hackers against each other to capture every connected node, and its levels range from simple 2D grids of boxes to intense, criss-crossing arrays that must be spun around in 3D. Tap to control a node, then use a variety of “hacks”—like firewalls, trojan horses, and viruses—to corrupt your opponent’s progress and take over. What could easily devolve into a simple tap-fest does well with a nice balance of superpowers and grid-placement strategy, not to mention a pretty decent campaign full of cheesy ’90s-film writing. It earns its $2 price on the App Store and then some.”

—Sam Machkovech

Read the full article here.

Joe Martino put together a micro-documentary about the IGC. We hope you enjoy it!

Our titles include:

• Drop that Beat like an Ugly Baby (Dejobaan, HybridMind, Zapdot)
• Drunken Robot Pornography (Dejobaan)
• Girls Like Robots (Popcannibal)
• Jungle Rumble (Disco Pixel)
• Monster Loves You (Dejobaan, Radial Games)
• PWN (82 Apps)
• SpinSpell HD (VTDA)

After that, most of us are heading out to San Francisco to the annual Game Developers Conference. See everyone in a week!

The newest game from 82 Apps’ Erik Asmussen is now live in the App Store - PWN: Combat Hacking!

This fast-paced strategy game is inspired by ridiculously over-the-top hacking scenes in action movies, where maladjusted heroes and idolized villains engage in digital kung-fu as they launch cyberattacks at each other in 3D virtual reality.

By combining this electrifying pseudo-hacking style with skillful, strategic, and quick-reflex action, PWN: Combat Hacking delivers an intense and challenging experience that will leave your pulse racing.   

Download now in the App Store

Councillor Cheung took some time today to get to know the companies within the Collective and learn a bit about the local game industry. We spoke about the state of the industry and the challenges that small companies and entrepreneurs face in the current economic and consumer climate, and how that compares to other established hubs of the industry.

If you’re interested in having lunch with the Collective, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

The Game Challenge, a pitch contest, helps indie and student game development entrepreneurs hone their ideas and products for launch. Forty-four teams consisting of indie game developers and student teams from around New England competed in a sold-out event from March 1-2 at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center showcasing the rapidly expanding game industry cluster in the region. A panel of videogame industry veterans served as judges for the competition.

A press release at Gamasutra details the event.

Read more at Boston.com/State of Play.

So what is it about our local independent studios that creates such concentrated success? I’d venture to say that it’s the camaraderie and support between local studios that can result in initiatives like the Indie Game Collective, a group of nine studios that work together in Intrepid Labs, a Cambridge co-working space.

Read it here.