In a recent interview with Gamasutra, Wideload Games president Alexander Seropian discussed his company, Stubbs the Zombie, the future of gaming, and the joy of working with Aspyr Media.

Seropian had nothing but kind things to say about Stubbs’ publisher, Aspyr. “I love working with those guys. I really like doing business with people that have the same goals as I do. And by that I mean, Aspyr is a small publisher. Stubbs was a really big project to them. So Stubbs' importance to Aspyr was parallel to Stubbs' importance to us. Which is great.”

“Everyone there cared so much about the game,” he says, “wanted the best for the game, wanted it to do really well. So there really was a common pole in the ground for us to rally around. It wasn’t like being one of fifty titles coming out from some giant publisher who was going to tell us we had to be done by some fiscal quarter... Aspyr has some really good people; fun to work with, honest, and easy to talk to. I could just go on and on. They were a great partner for us.”

Seropian says the biggest contribution that Aspyr made to the game was its soundtrack. “We didn’t have a huge marketing budget, obviously, but they spent a lot of time and a lot of money on putting that soundtrack together. I think that got a lot of press for the game. It was mentioned in pretty much every review, right along all the other aspects of the game, taken really seriously, and I think a lot of people really liked it.”

“Here’s something cryptic,” interjects Seropian. “I’ve always been in the business of making games for me.” He proceeds to outline his next title, with impressionistic detail: “I’ve discovered recently that I’ve gotten older. And I’ve got kids at home. And a family. And all the friends I have now are parents of kids my kid’s age.”

“And they don’t play videogames,” he continues to build. “So I discovered there’s a lot of people like me -- who need to have something that doesn’t necessarily have headshots -- but something that’s fun to play socially. So we’re working on something like that.”

Gamasutra: Alexander Seropian Interview

Aspyr Media

Wideload

Stubbs the Zombie

Buy Stubbs the Zombie

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Today IMG released the twenty-sixth edition of the Inside Mac Games Podcast, the official podcast of Mac gaming. Each week we'll be covering all the news in Mac gaming in one tight package. This week features Blake Buck, commander of cookies, William Miller, a Harmonix goon, and Justin Ficarrotta, of Kill Monty Fame.

On the show this week's show:

It's our first ever live show! This week Blake Buck, William Miller, and Justin Ficarrotta tackle the rowdy chat room head on, get a glimpse of The Cougar, discuss the merits of lobsters, and start a new camouflage fashion trend.

Weekly News

• Atari Explains End of Support for NWN
  
• Animamundi Comes to Macs
  
• Glenda Adams Discusses Mac Gaming
  
• Civilization IV Trailer, The Sims 2 Patches Released
  
• MacBooks and Gaming
  
• Peter Tamte Discusses Boot Camp
  
• AMD to Buy ATI?
  
• Apple Posts 3rd-Party Game Engine Look
  
• Cars: The Videogame Demo Released
  
• Ambrosia's Redline Inches Towards Release
  
• Unity 1.5 Released
  
• Civilization IV at GM, Shipping Monday
  
• Some World of Warcraft Junk

Weekly Features

• Listener Emails
  
• Contest
  
• Roundtable: Priacy
  
• Listener Line
  
• Stump Buck

IMG Podcast Episode 26

After a few planning obstacles and false cancellation rumors, QuakeCon is upon us once again. Hosted by id Software, QuakeCon 2006 will be a tad smaller than previous events, but offer the same competition and fun, plus a chance to try id Software's latest title, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars..

We know you all have been waiting to find out about QuakeCon 2006, and we want to thank you for your patience. We’ve had some unexpected issues locking in the dates and location, but don’t worry, we’re still bringing you another kick-ass QuakeCon event, and it’s already right around the corner - August 3 – 6 in Dallas, TX at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in their Trinity Exhibition Center.

With about 1,800 BYOC spots, QuakeCon 2006 will be a bit more exclusive than it has been the last couple of years, but we hope people will enjoy the more personal touch this year. QuakeCon 2006 will of course include all the great activities that it’s known for, including high-stakes tournaments, workshops, exhibitors, the BYOC Area, parties, and the public’s first chance to play Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

QuakeCon

Macsimumnews has posted an interview with Ambrosia's John Champlin. In this interview, they discuss how a developer can earn a living in a Mac market and future developments.

Alf: Slava Karpenko wrote some time ago an article dubbed “Shareware is dead”. But you still use the shareware business model. Is it still performing well?

Champlin: In the age of Bit Torrent, P2P transfers and high speed Internet I don’t see how it could be thought of as “dead.” It seems to be the true spirit of the web itself, and the society that has grown up using it. We, as shareware publishers, encourage users to copy the products and give them to their friends! Asking that they pay only if they decide to keep the product. I don’t believe that shareware will ever die, because ultimately, you (the end users) decide whether shareware authors will continue to distribute low-cost, high-quality software as shareware.

Macsimumnews - Ambrosia Interview

Ambrosia Software

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Fragland has posted a review of the recently released PC version of Heroes of Might and Magic V. The latest game in the HoMM series, HoMM V introduces 3D environments and an all new world. The game received a score of 90.8% from Fragland.

From the review:

The gaming experience is being strengthened by the fantastic amount of detail, especially in combat. When there's water around, you'll see it splashing against the rocks or you'll see the wave rolling onto the shore. Every creature has its own way of dying (angels ascend back to heaven) and they all have their own habits. For instance, some creatures like to defy their opponents. The camera sometimes zooms in on a certain action or follows a projectile, and this happens not too often or too little. All this serves to involve you more in the game and especially to make the whole more lively and to create a nice atmosphere. Successfully!

Fragland: HoMM V Review

Freeverse

Ubisoft

Heroes of Might & Magic V

Buy Heroes of Might & Magic V

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