Sound Shapes, a music video game developed by Toronto-based Queasy Games, has announced more DLC (downloadable content) with PSNStores confirming the news on the third week of May, adding that the DLC will contain two sound packs: one featuring ’80s music and the one sporting dubstep. But before the new DLC hypnotizes us again, let us look back at the history of the title.

Among the first to put up a good review of the Queasy Games product was the French division of Pocket Gamer. On March 2011, the site’s branch in France reported the arrival of Sound Shapes to the local market, saying (in French) that it will be “fun and as entertaining.” The site was particularly delighted that the game featured over 30 levels.

Playstation Blog France was another website covering Sound Shapes’ development. In August of last year, Mathew Kumar introduced a new Trophy Mode, beat school, that is perfect for those who doesn’t only want to play the game but also want create music. He also revealed that the game has different levels that feature different pairs of artists, such as Deadmau5 with Pixeljam, and Pyramid Attack with Beck.

A factor that helped Sound Shapes evolve is poker. In an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine, creator Jonathan Mak revealed that he was inspired by Tetris’ shapes and formations, aspects which came to be critical in Sound Shapes. When the poker craze hit in the early 2000s in European countries like the UK, France and Germany, Mak was inspired: he said even “if you’re given crap, you can rearrange it in a way that’s fruitful, grab onto an opportunity. So it was all about probability and playing the odds.” Mak may have found the right recipe for his games. Just like Sound Shapes, the card game is a game of odds too: whether on land-based casinos or virtual poker tables on sites like Partypoker.fr/, some players don’t make urgent decisions. They always make sure that their next action won’t weaken their chances on the table, and the same thing goes for Sound Shapes. You need to be able to find the right tune and compose good music by mixing sounds of different musical instruments in various levels.

These are among the things that helped shape the game’s unexpected success even in the face of criticism. Now, Sound Shapes is a multi-award winner, as Game Critic Awards’ Best Mobile and Best Casual game and with awards from the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards.

The post A Look Back at How Sound Shapes Fared in the Eyes of Top Critics appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

Link (Blu-Ray review)

The post Tron: Legacy / Exclaim! appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

So a slightly odd way of doing things, but if you’ve got this issue, I wrote the full previews for Milo and Kate, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, APB, Halo: ODST and Red Steel 2.

Meanwhile, I wrote just the hands-on boxes for Forza Motorsport 3, Blur, Split/Second, Gran Turismo PSP, Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Mini Ninjas, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Heavy Rain and Splinter Cell: Conviction.

It’s all tip-top content, though!

The post Archive: E3 2009 Previews / GamesMaster appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

You see, I did a really great interview with Titmouse Games – the new game development arm of Titmouse Animation – and sent it into Edge and since then they haven’t got back to me about it. In fact, I realize I haven’t even invoiced them for it (something I’m trying to sort out.) However, Titmouse Games state on their site “Check out our interview in the July edition of EDGE magazine!” so I assume it got in. And hey, this one is the July issue, so I guess it’s this one!

Anyway, not to boast but the best thing at E3 was the party at Titmouse’s offices, because it was catered by Kogi BBQ. If you are ever in LA you have to hunt down one of their Korean taco trucks. it’s worth the effort.

The post Archive: Titmouse Games Interview / Edge appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

http://edgepei.futurenet.com/

In a lovely e-zine format that is just like reading a magazine, but on your computer using a mouse and keyboard rather than, uh, on paper using your fingers. But you still use your eyes and brain to read in either case, so it’s fine.

Anyway, I know exactly what people think of these Region Specific articles, and that’s that they’re rubbish filler that no-one reads. That is, of course, wrong. At least when I write them. Mine are captivating and educational! Where else are you going to learn about a Nintendo DS game about puffins within the context of Canadian content, eh?

The post Archive: Region Specific: Prince Edward Island, Canada / Edge appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

An article in which I get supremely annoyed at Canadian cable companies and invite people to complain. Proper journalism! Sort of.

The post Rogers, The Local Programming Improvement Fund, and Passing the Buck to the Consumer / Future Shop Tech Blog appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

The post Film Friday: “Kill All Hippies” / Torontoist appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

This article has nothing to do with Street Fighter IV though – it’s actually some coverage of the indie games that had warmed my heart across the cold winter – specifically Super Hypercube and the all conquering Spelunky.

PDF link

The post Archive: February 2009: At Være Sneet Helt Inde / Game Reactor appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

The post Film Friday: “Glorious Bastard” / Torontoist appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.

I should really have remembered writing this one, at the very least to let Jim Munroe and Jim McGinley know that I got some coverage of the Artsy Game Incubator/TOJam Artcade some coverage in Denmark. And probably to let Benjamin Rivers know there’s a whacking great picture of him in the article.

Oh well. I guess I can let them know now!

PDF Link

The post Archive: December 2008: Anderledes Spiludvikling / Game Reactor appeared first on Mathew Kumar's Workblog.