Company Profile… skip

It’s been a very long time since our first Company Profile, so here’s a long-overdue second. this time around, we’re taking a look at skip, who are, in my opinion, the most important developer to spring from the womb of Lovedelic.

Get moving

Less of a news update and more of a friendly reminder, from one blog to another, today.

Dearest Eegra, isn’t it about time you posted Pt.2 of your famous Kenichi Nishi interview?

That is all.

Problems at skip?

skip have a made a number of minor updates to their website. One was to remove a number of people from their list of staff, mostly from the 24th Division. Kenichi Nishi’s name has finally disappeared, as has that of Hikarin, the woman who did the art for both Chibi-Robo and ArchimeDS.

Where has Hikarin gone? I’m not sure but she did just update her blog, after a 6 month silence, to say that there’ll be more content soon.

skip have also updated the profile for their 1st Division, saying that they were unsuccessful in finding a publisher for the last game they prototyped but, as of July, have started on something new. Considering that the division is currently recruiting more staff, this is quite promising but I’m sad to hear of the previous unreleased project. I wonder what it could have been.

In the house

If you’re interested… there’ll be a review of Bakushow in gamesTM Issue 72, which should be on sale around the 10th of July.

If you’re not interested, soak up this amazing photograph anyway. The blurriness loves you.

Get your art in Project O!

I forgot to tell you all… Project O is being released in both the US and UK this year under the title The Little King’s Story. Awesome news.

Also: The US publisher, Xseed, is running a contest in which you can have your art featured in the final game. One lucky winner will see their design turned into an actual in-game character while 99 runner-ups will have their illustration installed in an in-game gallery.

See kotaku for more details.

LOL is now on sale

Following a brief delay, LOL (the US version of ArchimeDS) is now available to buy from Agetec’s website. Due to the multiplayer only nature of the game, it is only available to buy online but it is retailing quite cheaply, at the price of $19.99.

Although I already own ArchimeDS, I’ll be picking up a copy of LOL just to support Route24 and to see if Agetec have made any changes to the game. I’ll let you know, if so.

EDIT: I just tried to order the game but it seems you cannot do so unless you have a US address. I’ll contact Agetec to see if there’s a workaround but I strongly suspect I may have to rely on a friend in the states or eBay.

Work for Skip!

It’s been so long since skip’s website was last updated - nearly 7 months - that I was starting to fear the worst. The developer’s long silence was finally broken today, however, with the announcement that they’re hiring new staff. This is great news as it obviously means that at least one new game is on the way.

The ad is actually for skip’s 1st Division, the team behind the Bit Generations games on GBA, and the ad tells applicants to refer to that software when applying. Does that mean they’re collaborating with Nintendo on another handheld project? I certainly hope so.

So, what are you waiting for? If I could speak Japanese, and if I had any real talent, I would have emailed my CV in by now. Let me know if you do the same, and if you’re successful, please make sure to tip me off about the new game.

If you can’t meet em, join em.

I should have reported this ages ago but I’ve been super busy with work all week.

If you happen to be in Tokyo this weekend then get yourself over to the Tokyo Big Site where the Design Festa convention is taking place. Kenichi Nishi will be there once again demoing ArchimeDS and selling copies at a discount price.

This is a great opportunity to meet the designer of Moon, Lack Of Love and Chibi-Robo! And if I was in Tokyo I’d probably go to the convention on both days of the weekend.

If you can’t make the show then try using the web-chat at Nishi’s blog. I can’t get the cam to work, though that may have something to do with the time differences between the UK and Japan. Or maybe I’m just stupid.

Project Oooooh!

Gamasutra has posted a brief but informative interview with Yoshiro Kimura about his work on Punchline’s kissing RPG Chulip and his upcoming RTS/adventure Project O. Check out the interview for proof that it’s not just Kenichi Nishi who’s keeping the Lovedelic spirit alive.

I’ve been doing it wrong!

Just when you think you know everything about a game, along comes some clever clogs to make you realise you’re just like all the other clueless idiots. This is exactly what happened today when I learned that I’ve been pronouncing ArchimeDS wrong.

I’ve always referred to it as “Arch Immy DS” but it’s actually pronounced “Archimedes”, you know, like the Greek mathematician. Now the name makes a lot more sense! Thanks to Issue 22 of the lovely N.Revolution magazine for pointing out what should have been obvious.

P.S. - I promise that I will post about something other than ArchimeDS/LOL/Bakushow one of these days. Just gimme a chance.