The Team Yu project aims to unite gamers around a campaign to revive the most treasured creation of celebrated designer Yu Suzuki.
For well over a decade the pleas of Shenmue fans to greenlight a conclusion to this unfinished magnum opus have fallen on deaf ears at Sega, who own the license and refuse to honor funding of Yu's long-awaited finale without investment from a major console maker. But now with the co-ordinated #SaveShenmue Tweetathon reaching more and more people every month on the 3rd, the continued silence of Sega becomes increasingly inappropriate, and disrespectful towards not only their most passionate fanbase but any potential customer who would consider investing financially and emotionally in a Sega franchise.
We ask you to support Yu Suzuki's ambition to resolve the most notorious cliffhanger in gaming history, and complete the uniquely affecting journey of Ryo Hazuki in this groundbreaking saga. Signing into this site with your Twitter account gives you access to the AutoTweet function, which, once activated, allows your personalized message to be tweeted once a month in unison with your fellow campaigners, applying persistent pressure on those who need to act for Suzuki-san to get his wish.
It's that easy to spread the word and be heard on the 3rd, so you know what to do - Team Yu needs YOU to #SaveShenmue!
In the 24th century, humanity is at war with a hostile alien race. Outnumbered a million to one, mankind’s only hope of survival is the J.U.M.P. Corps. Its mission is to fight to the alien menace hive by hive and planet by planet.
The war with the aliens is on, are you brave enough to make the JUMP?
Hive Jump is one part Spelunky, one part XCOM, and all parts alien ass-kicking. You and your friends assume the role of jumpers, and blast your way through subterranean alien hives in run n’ gun 2D platforming action. Kill aliens, avoid traps, collect resources, and defeat the hive queen lurking at the bottom of the hive to complete the JUMP.
Features
- Action Platforming: Engage in fast-paced run n’ gun combat with swarms of aliens. Avoid traps, survive ambushes, discover treasures, and more.
- Co-op Multiplayer: Play single player, or 2-4 player co-op. (local or online)
- Procedural Levels: Jump into procedurally generated alien hives. Level modifiers like dark levels keep you on your toes and offer new challenges to overcome.
- Unique Permadeath: Keep the transponder backpack in one piece! It is your mobile respawn point and if it is destroyed by the aliens you have no more lives.
- Challenging AI: Intelligent and fierce enemies await in the hive.
- Upgradeable Sci-Fi Weapons: Pulverize aliens with pulse rifles, flamethrowers, and a variety of experimental bombs and weapons.
- Hand-Designed Challenges: Plunder challenge rooms and uncover lost relics to upgrade your arsenal.
- Dynamic Lighting: Experience pixel-perfect dynamic lighting using Sprite Lamp.
- Strategic Campaigns: The results of your jumps directly impact the ongoing galactic war against the aliens. Manage your planetary campaign between jumps in a turn-based strategy mode.
- Gamepad Support: Play Hive Jump using your favorite console controller.
- Platforms: PC / Mac / Linux (via Steam) and WiiU
Check out Episode 5 of our podcast for an exclusive interview with Matt Raithel, Studio Director for Graphite Lab!
The String Arcade is a recording of video game music, arranged for string quartet. This isn't an arbitrary (or novelty) collection of game music, but a well curated collection of music that works together thematically as a completed recording. We also hope to inspire young musicians with this recording by making a connection between video game music and 'classical' instruments such as violin, viola and cello. Inspiration for this recording also came from the soundtrack from Stranger Than Paradise, a soundtrack written for string quartet with an unique mood.
The songs on this recording span a few decades in video game history, from the stand-up arcade classics Galaga and TRON, to 8-bit games (Zelda), to 16 bit (Altered Beast, Sonic and Ecco) to 90's adventure games (Monkey Island, Outlaws), to more recent titles (Portal 2, FTL), indie titles (Minecraft, Scurvy Scallywags) and mobile/social titles (graBLOX, Pettington Park, Ravenshire Castle.)
Hearing the notes of Galaga churn out from the chipset in the arcade is a much different experience than hearing a musician play the same notes in the same sequence. This release hopes to present this music as music to be enjoyed outside of it's context. The arrangements are "loose" and in many instances, the original melody/harmony serve as merely a starting point. Pieces like "Outlaws" which started life as a spaghetti western guitar twang is transformed into a fun klezmer drama. The iconic theme from Plants Vs. Zombies becomes a humorous tango. Fast Than Light's spacey, atmospheric score takes on a new life as an emotional string story.
Be sure to check out Episode 4 of our podcast for an interview with Dren McDonald composer and producer of The String Arcade and Jason Poss who did four of the arrangements on the album.