Time to shut up shop and take a break.
Thanks so much to everyone who’s stopped by over the last 12 months.
The Apple TV Gaming Blog, ATVG, will be back in 2018 with more of what you’ve enjoyed over the last 12 months.
Happy Gaming, and Happy Holidays to all.
Wow, that time of year again huh? It seems like only yesterday that I posted this message introducing ATVG to the world, and then, before I knew it, I was celebrating it’s first birthday. Had fun, time flew.
Gaming is the great escape that truly offers something for everyone. A flavour for all tastes. And for those of you who’ve acquired a taste for the somewhat obscure little parallel universe that is gaming on Apple TV, you’ve come to the right place.
A lot has happened in the world of Apple TV gaming between the bookends of that first post and this one. Missives from the Bunker have been issued, new salutations have been coined (safe planes and good whisky), we’ve Frankensteined, and even shot Zombirds. Someone had to, they weren’t going to shoot themselves.
More recently, Apple TV even landed itself a platform exclusive – an anime-inspired sci-fi FPS titled VAST. ATVG interviewed its maker Xander Davis, and the result was a deep, fascinating dive. We highly recommend you read Parts One and Two.
If you’ve just discovered the site and you’re wanting a quick introduction, or a regular in need of a recap, a great place to start is right here: ATVG’s Top Ten most-clicked articles of 2017. This time of year everyone tries to make sense of what the hell just happened, and that article coupled with the one you’re reading right now is ATVG’s efforts to put 2017 into some sort of focus.
A Best of list is always an opinion, and yours may vary. If it does, hit ATVG up on the social feeds found in the banner on top of your screen, and share yours. And speaking of social feeds, if you’re digging what ATVG is doing, feel welcome to spread the word. Like, Share, RT, post links on Reddit, hire skywriters, you know the deal. In short, tell your friends.
Right then, let’s do this. Here is a link to last years Best of list to get you primed.
When you’re good and ready, hit the page 2 button below to check out this year’s.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Welcome to Part Two of our interview with independent studio Astrogun’s head honcho – Xander Davis.
If you missed Part One, well you should definitely get on top of that by clicking right here. Once you’re all caught up, then mash the page 2 button below for the second instalment, in which Davis talks all things VAST, the power of the Apple TV 4K, hopes for its future, and the games that float his boat.
For those of you playing catch-up, last week was a big week for Apple TV gaming. Independent studio Astrogun released Apple TV’s first platform exclusive – an anime-inspired sci-fi FPS, titled VAST.
Astrogun’s fearless leader – Xander Davis – was kind enough to set aside time for an interview, with the result being a fascinating, deep dive into his journey from work on Triple A games, to independence with Astrogun, and the pros and cons of working with consumer tech giant Apple.
If, like me, you enjoy glimpses behind the curtain at the machinations of game development, and the stories of artists and auteurs exploring their craft, then I’m certain you’ll find this a satisfying read.
Hit the page 2 button below for Part One of our interview with Xander Davis, with Part Two to be posted in 24 hours time. Enjoy.
I’ve always enjoyed these articles on other sites. It’s like holding up a mirror to the Internet hive-mind, providing that strange and relatively young beast an opportunity to catch a glimpse of at least a small part of itself.
And of course, on a much more mundane level, it simply offers up a bunch of pieces readers new to the site may have missed, providing a quick, one-stop catch-up. An introduction perhaps. Or speed-dating for websites.
I’ve put them in reverse order, from the tenth most-clicked of 2017, counting down from there to the number one spot. Enjoy.
Mash the page 2 button below for more.
Well I was wondering when this would happen. And it finally has. Finally. A developer has rolled the dice and gone all in on the Apple TV platform, releasing its debut game as an exclusive this week. You won’t find VAST – Cosmic Treasure Hunters anywhere else right now, other than on Apple TV.
And this developer has some cred. As have many others, Xander Davis jumped from the Triple A ship of games development a few years back to form his own studio, Astrogun, having previously worked on some very well received titles such as Darksiders 2 (which coincidentally is in this month’s PlayStation Plus lineup), and Transformers: War for Cybertron.
But what is VAST?
Hit the page 2 button below for more. (and thanks to our friends at Siniscope Gaming for the tip-off!)
Playdead’s games are perfect examples of the less-is-more approach done right.
The Danish studio came to worldwide attention in 2010 with the success of Limbo – a 2D platform game with minimal colour, minimal sound, and minimal story, all coming together to result in maximum impact.
The follow-up to Limbo – titled Inside, and released in 2016 – was highly anticipated, as of course any studio’s game will be when following a hugely successful debut. It seems then that Playdead are onto a winning formula, as Inside quickly garnered a raft of glowing praise, perfect review scores, and a pile of awards.
It was with great happiness yesterday that I opened up the iOS App Store to find Playdead’s second indie hit had released with universal Apple TV compatibility.
Hit the page 2 button below for more.
Breaking news: the free bonus mission teased at the end of the recently released Ava Storyline DLC for Space Marshals 2 is now available for Apple TV.
Happy days.
Hit the page 2 button below for more.
Apple has announced its picks for game of the year across iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, and Loveshack Entertainment’s Framed 2 has taken out the Apple TV category.
ATVG really dug the Australian studio’s noir puzzle game, and you can read our review right here. We summed by saying, “Framed 2 provides a satisfying sequel experience that builds on the strengths of the original, producing a tighter, more logical puzzle experience, while also managing to tie the story neatly together between the first game and the second.”
Look out for ATVG’s own Best Apple TV Games of 2017 list, which I’ll be posting sometime between now and Christmas. In the meantime, you can check our best picks from the Apple TV platform’s first year of existence.
Congratulations to Loveshack Entertainment!
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday ATVG,
Happy Birthday to me
365 days ago, I posted this, welcoming anyone who happened to wander by my little corner of the Internet. At the time, I thought I’d probably reach more people by simply walking out onto the nearest street corner and talking about Apple TV games to passers-by.
One year, 133 posts, and well into five figures worth of views later, here I sit, celebrating with cheap Scotch and a warm Mac, punching out post number 134.
It’s been a blast. Thank you so much for reading my words on your screens.
Here’s mud in your eye, whatever the hell that means.
Look out year number two.
The Apple TV Gaming Blog 