Romino Games’s upcoming Awesomenauts port for the PlayStation 4 is probably not going to release this year- its chances of releasing this year were actually described as ‘slim to none’ to Destructoid.

Apparently, the game is still awaiting approval from Sony, who have not given it the go ahead for release yet. Whereas the hold up can be a genuine oversight or error, this runs antithetical to the image of the ‘indie friendly console’ that Sony has tried to project for its PlayStation line since February this year.

Meanwhile, the PC version of Awesomenauts will be getting the Starstorm expansion next week, right around this time, which makes the PlayStation 4 situation look even worse by comparison.

Hopefully, whatever the issues are are sorted out soon. Awesomenauts is, well, awesome, and it would be great on the PlayStation 4.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information about the game and about PS4.

We recently spoke to Ronimo Games co-founder Jasper Koning about the game, including features we can (and can’t expect) with the PS4 version, the advantages of the PlayStation 4’s architecture, the lack of an Xbox One release and much more.

"It's true the PC is going stronger than ever, but that's always the case at the end of a console cycle. The effect might be more pronounced than normal because the cycle lasted a bit longer, but that doesn't mean there's no place for another successful set of consoles."

Jasper Koning: We’re a small team of developers who joined forces when they graduated from their Game Design & Development course in 2007. We released our first commercial game in 2009, called Swords & Soldiers. After that we ported the game to PS3 and PC while we started working on our next title.

This turned into our second game, called Awesomenauts. We first launched the game on Xbox 360 and PS3, later porting the game to PC. Since then we’ve been supporting the PC version, added lots of new characters, features and improvements.

The game itself is a unique blend of 2D action platforming and modern arena battle games. Think Contra/Metal Slug mixed with League of Legends, with an awesome 80’s cartoon theme, complete with kickass intro tune.

"The PlayStation 4 allows us to bring the full experience back to console gaming, published by ourselves without hassle."

Jasper Koning: Well we’ve been very busy on updating Awesomenauts over the last year, leaving little room for making a new game. And we also really wanted to bring these updates back to the TV.

Unfortunately there’s lots of technical, financial and legal trouble with doing that for current gen consoles. Meanwhile the PlayStation 4 allows us to bring the full experience back to console gaming, published by ourselves without hassle.

Actually, we don’t even have time to make the PlayStation version ourselves with all the new Kickstarter content coming up. Fortunately we’ve partnered with a technically strong studio we’ve known for years. They allow us to keep working on improving the Steam version, while also releasing a PlayStation 4 version.

"Going from 1080p/60fps to 720p/30fps can free up an incredible amount of resources depending on how your game is set up so it might still be a viable option"

Jasper Koning: When we decided we wanted a next gen version of Awesomenauts, the PlayStation 4 was open to self-publishing and Xbox One wasn’t. That was the simple reason. Since then Microsoft has changed a lot of policies, so we’ll reevaluate the possibility of making an Xbox One version once the PS4 version is out the door.

GamingBolt: From a gameplay perspective, how are you guys making sure that the PS4 version will be different compared to others?

Jasper Koning: Our goal is not to make the PlayStation version different. In fact, we’re trying to keep the PS4 and Steam versions as close as possible. This should make it technically easier to keep them both on par when it comes to updates.

One big change we’re implementing that’s mostly meant for the PlayStation 4 version is dual stick controls. Originally Awesomenauts could only be controlled using a classic side scrolling shooter scheme, whereby one stick controls both movement and aim direction. We will create a new optional control scheme that allows players to move and aim with the left and right sticks respectively. But because of the way we work, this scheme will become available on the PC version as well.

The other big differentiation lies in playing with a controller, on your couch, with your PSN friends.

"When we decided we wanted a next gen version of Awesomenauts, the PlayStation 4 was open to self-publishing and Xbox One wasn't. That was the simple reason."

Jasper Koning: No, it didn’t anything to the game.

GamingBolt: The PS4 boasts an exotic architecture along with unified CPU and GPU. How did it affect the development of Awesomenauts on the PS4?

Jasper Koning: Very little, as an indie developer we don’t push the hardware so hard that we’d need any architecture specific optimization. Nowadays the underlying architecture only becomes relevant when you want to push it very hard.

GamingBolt: Many developers have compared the PS4 to a high end PC but there are also others who believe that it will become obsolete (compared to a PC) in a few years’ time. What is your take on the same?

Jasper Koning: It’s true the PC is going stronger than ever, but that’s always the case at the end of a console cycle. The effect might be more pronounced than normal because the cycle lasted a bit longer, but that doesn’t mean there’s no place for another successful set of consoles. In fact, the last cycle was bigger than ever in total console sales, and I expect Sony and Microsoft to push even harder this time around. And in the end that’s what’s most important, because they can bring exclusive content to the table that gets people buying their boxes.

GamingBolt: Tell us a bit about how multiplayer will work on the PS4 version. What new features have you added to Awesomenauts’ multiplayer this time around?

Jasper Koning: The game will use the same drop-in drop-out model as all previous versions have. So players can always come and go whenever they like. We will be implementing a couple of features that will promote starting matches together and discourage leaving however. We’ll be talking about those details soon.

"One big change we're implementing that's mostly meant for the PlayStation 4 version is dual stick controls."

Jasper Koning: We don’t really have a set planned. As long as the community is there and the game is doing well, we’ll be building new characters. Thanks to the Kickstarter we’ll be building at least four more that will also be added to the PS4 version, but we have no end planned.

GamingBolt: 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second is something that fans have been demanding for next generation games. Can you please let us know whether Awesomenauts on the PS4 will be running at that golden standard? Furthermore do you think more and more games will run at 1080p/60FPS on the PS4?

Jasper Koning: Of course Awesomenauts will. I can’t speak of other titles though. I mean, it was already possible to in the last generation, but most developers opted to go for adding lots more detail. Going from 1080p/60fps to 720p/30fps can free up an incredible amount of resources depending on how your game is set up so it might still be a viable option.

GamingBolt: How long did it take to get Awesomenauts up and running on the PS4? Warframe developer Digital Extremes reportedly took only three months…

Jasper Koning: Getting the base running only took a few weeks I believe. Solidly tying them into all the Sony services in the backend will take a lot longer though.

"[PS4's 8 GB GDDR5 RAM] means we no longer have to cut corners when it comes to textures."

Jasper Koning: It won’t because we use the back ends of Steam and PlayStation network extensively, and there’s currently no way to tie them available to developers other than Sony and Valve.

GamingBolt: The PS4 has a super-fast memory of 8GB GDDR5 RAM and there is literally a ton of things going on the screen when Awesomenauts is being played. How does that extra memory matters in developing the game?

Jasper Koning: It mostly means we no longer have to cut corners when it comes to textures. For the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions we had a fairly tight texture budget that the art team had to work around.

GamingBolt: When is the game expected to come out on the PS4? Are you guys targeting launch day?

Jasper Koning: We’re indeed aiming to be a launch game! So hopefully everyone can grab a copy when they get their new consoles come November!

We also asked whether Awesomenauts will be at 60 frames per second and in 1080p resolution when it launches on the PlayStation 4, and whether more and more games will be running at the same when they release. Of course Awesomenauts will. I can’t speak of other titles though.

“I mean, it was already possible to in the last generation, but most developers opted to go for adding lots more detail. Going from 1080p/60fps to 720p/30fps can free up an incredible amount of resources depending on how your game is set up so it might still be a viable option.”

While Awesomenauts will release some time next year for the PS4, there are plenty of other games that will be launching with the console on November 15th in North America and November 29th in Europe. What are your thoughts on Koning’s comments? Let us know below.

Awesomenauts is a 2D battle arena game developed by Ronimo Games, a development team based in Netherlands. Awesomenauts is already available on a host of platforms such as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, OSX  and Linux. Given the recent indie push by Sony, it should come as no surprise that Awesomenauts is also coming to the PlayStation 4.

We recently got a chance to speak to Jasper Koning who is the co-founder of Ronimo Games and asked him how long did it took to get Awesomenauts up and running on the PS4, to which he replied:

“Getting the base running only took a few weeks I believe. Solidly tying them into all the Sony services in the backend will take a lot longer though.”

He further added that using the PS4’s super fast memory of 8GB GDDR5 RAM has been beneficial in the game’s development. “It mostly means we no longer have to cut corners when it comes to textures. For the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions we had a fairly tight texture budget that the art team had to work around,” he said.

We also asked him whether Awesomenauts will have crossplay between PC and PS4 players, but unfortunately that won’t be happening.

“It won’t because we use the backends of Steam and PlayStation network extensively, and there’s currently no way to tie them available to developers other than Sony and Valve,” he added.

In addition he also confirmed that they are targeting to launch Awesomenauts alongside the PlayStation 4.

Suit up, it’s time to get awesome! Update 1.5 introduces all-new character skins, which are available on Steam today. Now you can look even better while taking over the galaxy!
The Awesomenauts are GO! After conquering the console-battlefields, the Awesomenauts are now taking over the PC! A Mac version will follow soon.

You can grab the skin for your favorite character at ($2.49 / €2,49 / £1,74). But if you’re like us you probably have multiple favorites, so we made these handy bundles:

– Mean and Green ($5.99/ €5,99 / £4,49): Froggy G (Grandmaster Splash), Gnaw (Bumble Gnaw) and Derpl Zork (Hotrod Derpl)
– Blast from the Past ($5.99/ €5,99 / £4,49): Voltar (Disco Voltar), Leon Chameleon (Mousquetiere Leon) and Yuri (Kosmonaut Yuri)
– Tropical Thunder ($5.99/ €5,99 / £4,49): Lonestar (Officer Lonestar), Coco (Coco Hawaii) and Clunk (Replaceable Clunk)
– Costume Party ($14.99/ €14,99 / £11,99): All nine skins!

About Awesomenauts:

Game Overview:
The Awesomenauts have recruited the most disgusting alien dog/thing in the universe and he is coming to spit you in the face

Publisher:dtp

Developer:Ronimo Games

Platforms:PS3, X360 and PC

Release Date:2/5/2012 (PS3 and X360)
1/8/2012 (online) (PC)

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

Vomitting his way onto the battlefield this little menace will infest whole areas with slimy goo and flesh eating plants. So roll up the windows of your spacecraft and keep your arms and legs within the vehicle, because Gnaw is entering the arena today.

The game is pretty popular too with over 500,000 games played and 1,000,000,000 Solar collected in the first 3 weeks on Steam.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/meet-the-new-awesomenaut-gnaw/feed 0 106286 https://gamingbolt.com/awesomenauts-pc-review https://gamingbolt.com/awesomenauts-pc-review#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:08:48 +0000 http://gamingbolt.com/?p=105723 Awesomenauts is a pretty cool game that was released earlier on the PS3 and Xbox 360, which I also reviewed and gave it a favourable score. Now with the PC version, more people have access to this game and it’s something I believe should have been released simultaneously on the platform along with the console versions.

So how is the quality of the port? Visuals are quite terrific and again that’s mostly due to the fantastic art design that stands out and gives the game its unique charm. The PC version with its added resolution and solid framerate enhances the overall visual fidelity. The game looks quite good on the PC and you don’t even need a high-end PC to enjoy the game in all its glory.

The game belongs to the MOBA genre–Defense of the Ancients–where it is usually a tug of war competition between two teams. It’s sort of a rock, paper, scissors type of gameplay but of course considering it’s an online only game, there will always be some new exploits that causes imbalance and needs to be fixed. I haven’t found any such overpowered exploits online, but it’s always possible.

When a game is released late on any platform, it is usually accompanied by a price drop or extra content, and here, the game has extra characters and some balancing fixes. That’s one of the reasons why I haven’t found any exploits online yet. The objective here is simple: destroy your opponents solar core. You pick a character and stick to him/her and have the capability to level them up as well with the in-depth customization features on offer.

That’s one of my gripes with the game though. You need to have a high level character to properly compete online. When you find a proper opponent, expect games to last a long while because it’s really hard to dominate here. I mentioned this on my console review as well, “If you are matched up with a competent opponent, then expect matches to last very long, and this can single-handedly result in you being burnt out on the game.”

This is a game that depends on teamwork. You aren’t going to win anything if you purely play it like a shooter, gunning down everything in sight. Nope.. teamwork is essential, and it’s imperative you don’t rush like a fool into an enemy group. Just like the console version the netcode here is very good, and there’s no worry about any lag or any other factors like that.

The advice I gave in my console version review still applies here, “There’s no single-player mode in this game, and what you find instead is a tutorial mode that teaches you the basic mechanics of the game. I would advise people to directly jump online and learn the mechanics the hard way; it isn’t that complicated too. Practice makes perfect, and that applies here as well.”

It’s a very good port and considering it has extra content too, PC gamers shouldn’t think twice before buying it. Yes, it was released later but if you have some spare time, Awesomenauts won’t disappoint.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Gnaw is a nasty piece of work, a dirty doglike creature who likes to bite and spit poisonous ooze on his foes. Trained by his Cosmic biker pirate masters, he is a devious little monster. Anyone interested in setting loose a rabid, chitinous menace, should check out this latest Awesomenaut!

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.