It’s just been two weeks since I actually started this blog and I’m up to 80 hits already. Thanks to those that check back occasionally. As I continue writing and reporting on my sports teams and video game news I find intriguing, I try to find games that may not be getting the worthwhile attention they deserve and games I think are enjoyable.

I just recently bought my iPad 3 online. It’s a surprise if you know me, because I actually truly hate Apple. Each Apple product I have ever bought has always had a problem one way or another. Between an iPod (4th, 5th, and 6th editions) and a Macbook Pro 4, I have become fed up with Apple and the amount of lemons I have bought from them. However regardless of my feelings for them at the moment, I have opted to try the Apple iPad 3 in hopes that this time maybe it’ll be different. Since purchasing my iPad 3 and as I await for its arrival, I am constantly searching for games exclusively (unfortunately since I’m a PC gamer) for iOS. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Recollections and Cipher Prime’s Pulse are a couple games I’m excited about trying (though I have enjoyed AC Recollections on my friend’s iPhone) on my new iPad 3. Through my extreme Kickstarter exploration the past few weeks, after finding pages for Auditorium 2: Duet and The Banner Saga, I am very pleased to find a new little obsession in the form of an iOS touchscreen-based game by Camouflaj and Logan called République.

First a bit about the developers. Camouflaj is a group of innovative developers, veteran developers at that, who have worked on projects like Halo, Infamous, F.E.A.R. and Metal Gear Solid. Camouflaj is based in Seattle, Washington. Logan is a small independent production house that is headed by Alexei Tylevich. The company is best known for its Apple iPod ads and television spot for Skyrim.

Onto the game: République highlights a young woman named Hope, who is stuck in a totalitarian state. The trailer details the protagonist contacting you using a stolen phone. She asks for your help against the totalitarian state that has taken her captive.

Camouflaj and Logan’s ideas for this game wish to change the way people view their phones and provide another depth into the gaming world. Not only do they want to push the graphics on mobile devices to the best of their ability, they wish to develop a game that focuses on a thrilling game that does not center around killing your opponents. Instead you’re thrown into a highly scrutinized world with a female lead that for once is not sexualized in order to grab your attention of the game. No, this game is much more than those mainstream attention-claiming tactics. République takes elements from the dystopian novel by George Orwell, 1984. Each scene you hold Hope’s life in your hands, trying to help her escape by perhaps turning off lights or summoning an elevator with a tap of your finger.

The main goals for the project are:

• 4-6 hour campaign
• “Stealth Survival” hybrid genre
• Metroidvania exploration & 3D map mode
• Branching, gripping, pull-no-punches story
• Full voiceovers
• Real-time cinematics

However, with 100% or more funding from Kickstarter, the prospect of building a bigger game with even expanded features would come to fruition. I actually found this project a few weeks ago, before I even thought to buy the iPad 3. Even with it being only for iOS, as an Android and Windows user, I thoroughly would and have supported this project so it could come become another reality gamers can deeply immerse themselves in. With just the few screenshots and the trailer, I’m already hooked and enthusiastic with the implementation of such innovative ideas to mobile devices even if it may not port to Android.

Please check out their Kickstarter page. The rewards are also pretty amazing. Below you’ll find some screenshots of the collector’s edition which completely reeled me in (I have soft spot of leather bound journals very similar to the one shown in the images – I got to write my creative thoughts somewhere). Besides who doesn’t love the idea of a book hollowed out in order to hold valuables. But seriously, this game looks and sounds like a hidden gem. If this interests you (fund or no fund), please tweet, link, anything to give the company and its game some advertisement. They have at least a solid 1760 backers already from Kickstarter, but only $71,594 out of their $500,000 fund goal with only 24 days left.

According to Ryan Payton, “We estimate that République will cost north of $1 million to complete. After months of meetings and due diligence, we believe that we can raise the necessary additional funds to complete République from potential outside investors, but there is some risk that our efforts will be unsuccessful. Before we enter into any financial agreements, we want to prove through Kickstarter that there is a market for a serious AAA mobile game. While we may eventually have to share future profits from the game in order to finance development costs, we have no intention of sacrificing quality, creative control or IP ownership.

In the very happy event that we exceed our $500,000 Kickstarter goal, this will grant us more financial freedom and will allow us to build an even better game. We will also consider the idea of developing République for other platforms, however this is not a decision we take lightly, as we firmly believe in developing our games to the strengths of each platform.”

I have retained very little about my knowledge of vikings. In fact, I only remember Leif Erickson and his father Erik the Red from elementary school days. Besides that, my most recent memory of vikings is from sadly One Tree Hill‘s series finale last week on Wednesday, April 4th. The finale did the series justice by incorporating many old familiar elements from the earliest seasons, including the “Burning Boat Festival”. The idea of the Burning Boat Festival was to set alight a viking boat filled with peoples’ memories as a way to start anew. Centuries ago, vikings would participate in ship burials that placed the deceased in a boat, along with all their earthly possessions and offerings, and set it afire for the sea engulf the remains. With that being said I have no clue if that one idea I have about vikings is placed in the Stoic Studio‘s turn-based strategy game about vikings.

Alex Thomas, Arnie Jorgensen and John Watson teamed up to create their adventure mini-series game called The Banner Saga after spending half a decade working on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Quite frankly this game looks wicked good, so great in fact that it has surpassed its Kickstarter goal for $100,000 five times! Apparently, people really want a turn-based strategy game with role-playing elements about vikings. It seems Kickstarter has been robbing me of my money with all these fantastic indie games (Auditorium 2: Duet and Double Fine Adventure to name a couple) looking to develop into something truly wonderful. The game will provide beautiful cinematics and stunning landscapes viewable DRM-free on PC and Mac. Also if you haven’t heard much about The Banner Saga, then maybe you have heard of the game Journey perhaps? Notable composer Austin Wintory of the PSN game, Journey, is going to create the music for The Banner Saga due to the extra money the Kickstarter fund raised.  If you are unfamiliar with Kickstarter, it’s a wonderful website that allows people to set up “backer rewards” in order to establish funds for their project. These rewards are available when you donate a certain amount of money such as if you donate $25 you’ll receive an rewards mentioned for $25 and below plus specific items (such as soundtracks, wallpapers, etc) that is entitled when you give $25. It could be sold out because of the limits of it, but if you donate a huge chunk of money to a project you’ll receive pretty amazing rewards, such as donating $5000 or more to The Banner Saga will let you get animate into Stoic Studio’s game (pretty awesome right? – but sorry it’s sold out already). Anyway, check out the trailer below, if the above ramblings haven’t already peaked your interest in this gorgeously designed game.

The Banner Saga Announcement Trailer

Being indie ain’t easy. Without the safety blanket of a publisher or the wallet of an angel investor, many indie devs rely on personal loans, credit cards, and scrape by on the meager profits of their last game month-to-month. Cipher Prime is one such developer, and has provided an infographic to illustrate where $15,000 goes each month.

Cipher Prime’s debut Flash game, Auditorium, was critically acclaimed upon its release in mid-2008, and while the team of four has continued to rack up accolades since then, the Scrooge McDuck-esque vaults of money have not been quite as forthcoming. Now, Cipher Prime is looking to Kickstarter to fund Auditorium 2: Duet, for a sizable $60,000 (less than four months’ worth of operating costs, according to this graphic).

Are there any indie developers out there? Does this information ring true for you as well?

Garage band image via DavidandJennilyn.com