Vita Clarification
almost 5 years ago
– Tue, Jul 16, 2019 at 08:25:04 PM
Hello everyone,
This is the publisher for Sense, Top Hat Studios, wanting to drop in to clarify a few issues that recently came about regarding the wording in the last post, which referenced a "cut-off", as well as a statement on twitter saying the game may be "among the last on Vita". This seems to have caused a significant amount of confusion, and while SenseDev has already made a statement on twitter, we thought it'd be best to drop in and clear things up as well.
We were recently talking to the developer prior to the last update, and we were discussing the vita port, to which we wanted to just make sure everything would be alright, since understandably a large part of the game's fanbase and success is thanks to the awesome Vita and collector community. While there is not technically a "cut-off" (explicitly) from Sony which we were told or anything, we told the Sense team to be careful about postponing their development too far back into 2020 (although as stated prior, the game should be ready in early 2020, but just in case from a discussion point of view), because given the SIE CEO's past comments on Vita (which referenced a 2020 cut-off date), combined with the fact that Vita system production is over and general support is decreasing now (the transition out of system's lifespan by Sony has been more than apparent), such might lead to possible hazards or roadblocks. We know there is no explicit cut-off date at the moment (and things are still fine in Asian regions as well, to our understanding from what we've received off our production partners who will be printing our physicals in that region), but we wanted to be sure that there would not be any possible issues with development that could prevent us from fulfilling promises to our fans.
We try to think ahead with these things, and want to be ahead of the curve so while there isn't an explicit, officially sanctioned "cut-off" point yet, the totality of the situation - with Sony discontinuing console production, winding down cart production and SIE's CEO stating support will not be beyond 2020 - essentially indicates that for all intents and purposes, there will be a limit and deadline of sorts for the Vita's lifecycle as a whole in 2020. This is what our statement of a "cut-off" referred to, and believed it would be inferred easily from others who closely follow the Vita as a whole.
We apologise for the confusion that's ensued due to the misunderstandings and misinterpretation of our above terminology. However, we promise everything is going well with development, and just wanted fans to know that the port and vita development was all going as intended, and that there wouldn't be any reason to worry about its trajectory, given that we've received questions on this in the past.
#35 - STEAMy summer, demo, and other updates!
almost 5 years ago
– Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 01:46:23 AM
Hello everyone!
First of all and most importantly, sorry for the long gap between updates! We wanted to make sure we had something worthwhile to talk about, and since the last update was regarding our backer only build we had plenty of feedback to go through, consider, and implement. The last 3 months have been a long period of very carefully re-working the engine, bug fixing, and polishing the core game as much as we possibly can. We wanted to get a vertical slice of what to expect from here on out. That leads us to our next point...
Our Steam page launch!
As soon as Valve/Steam approve the page it will be live, we'll make another update (as well as blast our social media pages) with the link. There you will be able to download the new demo (which will be up on other sites the same day, such as itch), join the steam community, and wishlist the final game (for those of you who were unable to back the game - or just want to be notified by another place).
We are extremely excited to make this leap forward, and view it as a gigantic milestone in our development journey so far. From this point forward the rest of the development cycle will be focused on art assets, direct implementation, and the more "busywork" end of things.
NEW DEMO FEATURES!
The new demo has many awesome features and additions that were not included in the previous backer build, and is nearly an entirely different game than the original demo from a year ago. While the locations haven't changed, we feel like the atmosphere, presentation, and gameplay has been brought up to a (nearly) finalized quality. Take a look below!
We have added a lot of new art assets, and polished old ones, INCLUDING all of our cutscenes!
The hiding spot mechanic is now an interactive mini game to add even more stress to those already tense moments - it is a horror game after all!
Our inventory system has been re-hauled, retooled, and polished!
We've also added in the journal menu, so that you can re-check key narrative details, notes, and lore items you have found in your playthrough. Keep an eye out for other secrets that may be waiting to be seen in this function.
A new location has been added to the demo in order to expand the amount of interactions and add more content to each quest chain. I definitely don't want to spoil it for you yet. But how about a preview of a later game location instead?
Finally, and this isn't visual, so we don't have a screenshot for it, but we highly recommend playing with headphones on this time. Some awesome new music from Andi has been added, as well as improved sound mixes and sound effects/ambiences.
Now, onto some other points;
Okay, so how about the release date?
While we don't have an exact date still, we have opted to push the release back to early 2020 in order to make sure that;
A. The game is the most polished and ready for market that we can possibly get it. a few more months allows for more testing and fixing so that the final release is indeed, final.
B. With (A.) in mind, we want to make sure that the game is 100% complete all at once, to avoid needing to release the additional chapters separately and the physical copies at a far later date than the digital. We want everyone to be able to play ENTIRE the game the SAME day.
That said, don't fret, development is going very well, we just want to deliver the best game we can in the best way possible. A few extra months assures that.For those wondering about the vita release, as far as we are aware, everything is still good and set in stone for the release; we may be cutting it close, but we still - according to what we have access to on our dev/publisher dashboard with Sony - are going to make the cut-off. We might be the last game ever released on Vita!
MERCH! (and beginning to fulfill physicals)
Don't worry about those extra few months requiring additional funding or anything. All necessary funds for development have either been used for their intended purposes or are sitting safely in the bank. However, in order for Benjamin/SUZAKU to pay bills more efficiently along the way, we are opening a Merchandise store that will sell t-shirts, prints/posters, pins, and more to help keep things going smoothly.
We have several awesome designs we are excited to show you soon. You can check all of that out HERE.
Similarly, as we launch the store, we're getting ready to start fulfilling some of the physicals from the kickstarter. Within the next one to one and a half month(s), we're going to have a google survey sent out for some of the non-game related physical rewards - this includes;
- Posters - all versions will be available for selection
- Acrylic Standee
We will then be fulfilling the following during early fall (so around September);
- Mei Mousepad
- Bonus Art Goodies
The physical games, CDs, collector's editions, and artbooks will have to wait until the game is done (or at least nearing completion), but we wanted to show everyone that we have been working everything out for the above, so no worries there! We want to get the goods in the hands of all of our backers as fast as we can.
And lastly...
XBOX WON?!
After Microsoft's fantastic showing at E3 this year, and with another key console manufacturer's, err, recent shift in policy we began to talk seriously behind the scenes about an Xbox One (and maybe upcoming Xbox console? Depending on their third party process) release. While we aren't too sure about physicals for the platform, we wanted to announce that we are now officially working towards an Xbox One digital release! While we don't want to promise anything egregious yet, if we get the approval from Microsoft (which we're in the midst of), we'll happily be bringing Sense to the platform!
Consider this a confirmation that we are investigating development stuff now and planning to make it happen, hopefully we have some good news on that front soon!
and actually lastly...
Switch Updates
For those wondering about Switch, we are happy to say we FINALLY have an update on that front. We cannot say much at the moment but we can say that we will have more than likely good news very soon on the topic!
Again, thank you all for sticking with us through the past few quiet months. We hope that today's post has had some really exciting news for you all! We are working hard on the next steps and hopefully will have even more awesome stuff to share with you in a month's time.
P.S. Our publisher, Top Hat Studios, is running a kickstarter for another awesome looking cyberpunk game on their account. The game's looking to be ported to PS4 & Switch too! You can check it out here.
#32 - Demo 3.0 Progress, NPCs, and Neon lights
about 5 years ago
– Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 01:03:19 AM
Hey Everyone!
This month's update Is a bit light on game details while we finish up our demo, so I wanted to pad it out a bit by showing off 2 new NPCs which will be added to some of our new street locations. Warning: One of them is not what they seem!
Of course, there was also our little Chinese New Year image you may have seen on our social media as well. We want to wish you all a Happy 2019 full of both wealth and good health!
Now, for an update on the demo progress.
- DEMO 3.0 UPDATE -
The toolkit necessary to continue our work is still in development, so no major progress on the demo content has been made except for the completion of all the key art assets. So once the toolkit is done, we will be able to re-build all the interactions and add in the new content. I do want to make sure to say that we will intentionally be removing all cutscenes (even the ones you saw in the old demos) for 3.0. Many of these will be reworked entirely anyway, but the new ones I want to be fresh and exciting for you when the game is in your hands later this year! Note that these changes are obviously not final, but we want our backers to be able to play the demo sooner than later, and redoing the cutscenes needed will push back the demo date even further.
A Call to Action
If you are reading this then you most likely have at least some interest in Hong Kong, and recognize the one of a kind beauty of the country. Personally, the neon signs are what showed me the true face of Hong Kong. Not the brand name, ultra up-scale shopping districts like Central, but the quiet hidden and forgotten places where you can get the best yam-cha, or find a rare old anime figure for less than $10. These are the areas that you find the famous signs. Neon Light art was not just pioneered by Hong Kong artisans, but also became a key feature of the country. Since the British relinquished Hong Kong to Chinese rule however, many aspects of Hong Kong's identity have been "adjusted" and washed away for various reasons. The biggest and most obvious of these losses is the mass removal of the iconic neon signs. Areas like Sham Shui Po, Jordan, and many others have seen a huge change in the past few years as businesses have closed due to a weak economy, weather related damage, apartment tenant complaints, and some other more tin-foil-hat level causes. Signs that have lit these streets for more than 50 years have been unceremoniously removed and thrown away over night. At the current rate of removal, Hong Kong's neon lights will be gone without replacement within a few years.
Sad reality stated, there are several groups that have popped up attempting to not just preserve the art of making neon signs, but also purchase, house, and protect the ones that must be removed. The most active one I have found is The Hong Kong Neon Heritage, who has a facebook page you can visit here
https://www.facebook.com/thehongkongneonheritage/
https://www.instagram.com/thehongkongneonheritage/
Another good one is Neon Signs.HK which is more of a gallery of famous signs and inspired art. But they have been chronicling the removals with photos.
I honestly don't know if anything can be done to bring the signs back to the streets at the volume of the 80s and 90s, but groups like the HKNH could definitely use some support and love. If enough Hong Kongers see interest from foreigners for this aspect of their culture and history, perhaps a change can be made, who knows. I'm not asking anyone to donate or anything, just go over to those facebook pages and give them a like and comment. The least I can do is ask you guys to share the love. One of my personal goals is to get SUZAKU's official studio sign made by a Hong Kong master some day, I believe that thanks to you guys we will have enough success to do that and help keep the art alive.
Shout Out!
Finally, I also wanted to shout out Ron Z's latest kickstarter, which looks awesome Samurai of OZ!
I have backed 2 of Ron's other books and was very happy with the books. Both Patriotika and VS had great art and solid writing. I'm a life-long comic book collector and now trust Mount Olympus Comics more than either of the big 2. Samurai of Oz is far closer to my type of book thematically, so i was happy to back it and highly recommend each of you to check it out!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mountolympuscomics/ron-zs-samurai-of-oz
As always thank you all for your support and taking the time read this long message today. I apologize for having a lot less to talk about regarding Sense's development today, but I assure you very soon we will have a HUGE update for you on that front!
