February 2012
1 post
2 tags
4kg: Prototype passes 1500 users on the Chrome Web...
First 1000 users: 262 days
Next 500 users: 45 days
4kg: Prototype’s performance on the Chrome Web Store is accelerating! I am incredibly humbled and delighted with its performance.
Needless to say this news has really stirred a fire in my heart. There’s so little left to do, but yet so much. I will not release a game I’m unhappy with, but I grow happier with 4kg by the day....
January 2012
2 posts
1 tag
4kg: Prototype 2 provisions
The links for 4kg: Prototype 2 have been sent out. Here’s the down-low:
It has three levels; two from Submerged Powerplant and one from Hovertrain Depot
Last level does not have death for falling in place
Fall-through platforms still need work
Swimming animation is not implemented
Many items are not implemented
The second level is really only the last half of that particular level
...
3 tags
4kg: Prototype passes 1000 users on the Chrome Web...
I am ecstatic to announce that 4kg: Prototype has more than 1000 active users on the Chrome Web Store! I was excited when it got 100 users!
4kg: Prototype 2 is still on track to be released this Wednesday, and because of today’s news I will also release it on the Chrome Web Store later this month.
This year is off to a great start! Hope you all had a great New Years. -Andrex
December 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Bad news and good news
I hate posts like these.
Bad News The bad news is that 4kg will not make it out in 2011, making it broken promise #293029.
Good News The good news is that I am sick of not having anything to show for my work. So I’m creating 4kg: Prototype 2 in order for you guys to get a further taste of 4kg, and hopefully get some more feedback.
However, Prototype 2 will not be a public release like the...
Break Point
I know it may seem like I’ve forgotten this blog, and by extension 4kg, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A lot of the things I’m working on can’t be shown before the game releases, or isn’t in a state I’m comfortable showing.
This is December, the last month of 2011. And I promise to you, 4kg will finally be released this month. 100%, full stop....
November 2011
1 post
2 tags
4kg: Prototype's Performance in Chrome 15+
Update- This problem seems to be resolved as of November 16. Yay! Original post as follows:
It seems like the newer versions of Chrome have serious trouble running the first two levels of 4kg: Prototype. If you can make it to the third level, that one has no problems.
I’ve filed a bug report (please star it, it will get noticed and fixed quicker!) and alerted the necessary people, but who...
October 2011
1 post
2 tags
Interview by Steph K.
A few days ago Stephanie K. posted her interview with me on Destructoid, you should check it out!
Some parts some people here may be interested in:
How has it been trying to handle a project by yourself? It’s really tough to stay motivated. It’s easy to say, “Well I had a busy day, so I’ll work on it tomorrow instead.” If I had worked on 4kg every day it would be...
September 2011
1 post
1 tag
November
Just a short update, 4kg will be released in November. Even if I have to trim some things, it’s coming out.
Believe it.
-Andrex
August 2011
1 post
2 tags
Year One: Done!
It’s been a year since this blog’s first post! Woot!
And of course, 4kg still isn’t out yet. But it’s really close! (About 15% left, to be exact!) I can’t wait until I’m ready to share the conclusive, final release date with you all. I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as me.
Thank you to everyone who has joined my journey over the past year, I...
July 2011
7 posts
2 tags
4kg Completion Update
Since the last completion update on July 15:
Programming has increased by 3%
Art has increased by 14%
Sounds has increased by 48%
Overall completion has increased by 13%
Wow, over 80%! I am almost completely floored by that. However, it may be a bit deceptive. Completion was about 74.4% before I finished off Sounds, which in all actuality was pretty easy but I was still putting it off...
2 tags
Backpedaling (Poll)
4kg has been targeting the Chrome Web Store exclusively since it was relaunched last December.
This is important: There will always be a packaged app version of 4kg available on the Chrome Web Store. And Chrome is still the only browser I’m working against.
However, I’ve been giving more thought to the decision to make it available exclusively on that service. Mostly, it was done in...
2 tags
Screenshot Time (Again)!
My loyal followers (all four of you!) have waited long enough! It’s time for a set of another three screenshots (omfg)!
World 3: Submerged Powerplant: Level 1
Virtual World: Demo Level
World 4: Hovertrain Depot: Level 1
They look better in full res, btw. So click on those screens!
I think you can understand from these screens how much I put into making each world completely visually...
2 tags
4kg Dev - Night 14
It’s amazing what being without internet for a bit can do for your concentration. :P
So yeah, as mentioned in the last completion update, I have the tilesets and backgrounds for the first three worlds done (barring some tweaking), and since then I finished the (admittedly simple) tileset and background for the Virtual World. So that’s 4 out of 6 worlds done. Bam!
Besides that, today...
2 tags
The Level Editor
I am pleased to announce that 4kg will come with its own level editor and a way to save and load level data. So if you’re unhappy with the small amount or possible low quality of the 15 included levels, you can roll your own, or even share them with friends!
The actual editor itself is an improved version of the AkibaKa editor that is an “extra” in downloads of Akihabara. I will...
2 tags
4kg Completion Update
Since the last completion update on May 25:
Level Designs has increased by 2%
Programming has increased by 16%
Art has increased by 13%
Sounds has increased by 12%
Overall completion has increased by 8.6%
It’s apparent here that in the past eight-ish weeks I’ve touched on every aspect of development (except for music, which was already completed.) It is so close to every aspect...
3 tags
Back to the Grind(stone)
I took a break after releasing 4kg: Prototype because I wanted to see how it would do if I wasn’t propping it up with blog posts here, and also because I had some other things I wanted to take care of first. Then, I got re-addicted to MapleStory, and then Google+ came out. So that was basically two extra weeks.
But now I’m back on the wagon. Yesterday I finally started work on the...
June 2011
1 post
4 tags
4kg: Prototype enhancements and a rant on the...
This is just a notice to say that I am going to be supporting and enhancing the 4kg demo/beta, 4kg: Prototype, going forward. In addition to a couple small patches, usually of the 1.0.x variety, I will be pushing a large “2.0” update in the near-future. It will contain the following enhancements:
Ladder fixes (aka “ladder locking.”)
Percentages on the main menu actually...
May 2011
14 posts
3 tags
5 tags
4kg: Prototype
I am pleased to announce that a beta version of 4kg, which I call 4kg: Prototype, is now available in the Chrome Web Store. Install it from here.
4kg: Prototype consists of the first world of 4kg, the Machine Complex, which means it is three levels long. It has all the accompanying music and art which will make it into the final version of those levels. However, it lacks a key part of the final...
4 tags
Results of the Scanline Survey
A week ago I ran a survey asking for suggestions of the default filter behavior for 4kg. You see, the engine 4kg uses includes two extra filters, but they have to be manually set by the user to use them. I’ve taken quite a fondness for one of the filters, the scanline effect, and wanted to use it for the game. However, I figured I’d also ask you guys what you wanted.
The results are:
...
5 tags
4kg Dev - Night 13
Got so much done these past few days that I have to do this in bullet form.
Got the pause screen mostly working. Only lacking muted audio and the ability to return to the main menu.
Smoothed out most of the bugginess dealing with the double-line platforms (the ones you can pass through going up.) I also got it somewhat working that pressing down lets you pass back through them.
Entered the...
4 tags
The Save System
Since the original Legend of Zelda (circa 1986… jeeze, has it been that long?), save systems in games have become ubiquitous to the point of being a requirement. So obviously, 4kg will have a well-rounded saving system. I want to point this out because there are several HTML5 games I have tried which do not take saving into account, which is almost completely unacceptable unless you’re...
6 tags
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4kg Completion Update
Since the last completion update on April 20:
Programming has increased by 11%.
Art has increased by 10%.
Overall completion has increased by 4.2%.
Things may seem like they’re crawling forward, but in actuality what I’ve accomplished since the last update has been some of the hardest stuff. Before now I’ve been basically picking the low-hanging fruit. Speaking of, I...
3 tags
4kg Dev - Night 12
I only worked on just a bit tonight, just one system: walljumping. I was able to get it working at about 50% or so. But it’s a little buggy and doesn’t always kick in when you want.
Besides that, it doesn’t send you in an arc into the other direction just yet, you just do a normal jump up. Even still, I think this is a big breakthrough. I can actually get to the end of the first...
Scanlines by Default?
So for the past few posts I’ve mentioned that I’m experimenting with a scanline filter for 4kg. I think it looks great, but I’m also curious as to what others think. So, compare the two screenshots below, and then vote on what you prefer. To be truthful, both options (scanlines and non-scanlines) will be included in the options, so what you’re voting on is the default...
2 tags
Website Upgrade
This is just to let everyone know I updated the official 4kg website. It has a newer screenshot, the dev video I posted yesterday, links to my older posts for more insight into 4kg, and some other links to people in the HTML5 gaming movement.
Oh and a new favicon. So what are you waiting for? 4kg.co, go now! -Andrex
6 tags
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4kg Dev - Night 11
Man… “Night 11.” That doesn’t seem like that much… but I feel like I’ve poured months into this game!
Anyways, just ate a little bit of the work away. Most all of tonight was spent overhauling the main menu you see when the game starts up. You know, plugging in file selection and that stuff.
Now, this screenshot has scanlines (click to enlarge and see them);...
5 tags
Monetizing 4kg Using Google In-App Payments
I am pleased to announce that 4kg will use Google’s new In-App Payments service.
Before, I was considering making two separate versions of 4kg available on the Chrome Web Store: normal and donate, as I had seen done in mobile app stores. However, this carries a slew of problems: ratings and app installs are not consistent between the versions, and of course it’s always harder to...
3 tags
Suggest Achievements!
One of the features I’m most proud of with 4kg is its achievement system which uses HTML5 desktop notifications. I’ve come up with a dozen or so achievements, but I thought, why do work when you can make your fans do it why not take this opportunity to engage the community a little? So I would like to have some ideas for some achievements you would like to see in 4kg. If I like them,...
April 2011
9 posts
6 tags
Game Plug: Private Joe
We interrupt your regularly scheduled dev blog to present something somewhat related!
Private Joe is a free, 2D HTML5 platformer (sound familiar?) made by Bazooka Ben with ImpactJS. You can find it on the Chrome Web Store here and on its own website.
It’s a fun little run-and-shoot game with eight levels and its own achievement system. (Achievements, you say? Well, they’re not...
5 tags
4kg's Official Site
I thought you all would be interested to know I set up an “official site” for 4kg at 4kg.co. It’s a short and simple URL just like the name. :)
The new site is hosted using GitHub Pages (free hosting = awesome, using Git = more awesome) and uses HTML5Boilerplate as a base. It also uses some HTML5 features like the new doctype, semantic elements, and CSS3 gradients and box...
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Screenshot Time!
My loyal followers (all two of you!) have waited long enough! It’s time for an official 4kg screenshot (omfg!)
So. Here it is. Worth it? Let me know in the comments. ;)
This is the first level of the game and it is… 99% finalized. Well, what’s in this screenshot anyways. I have some other things to work out, but that’s game development, eh?
I’m pretty close to...
4 tags
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4kg Completion Update
Soooo close to 60%. I’ve commenced work on the first background (Art category), and I’ll be doing the second pretty soon afterwards. I’ll also be coding a couple of important mechanics over the next few days too (Programming category.) Gotta keep chugging along!
2 tags
4kg Dev - Night 10
Another dev night! Let’s get back on track, eh?
A lot of today and tonight was spent tweaking the finer parts of the game. Here’s some screenshots:
The new loading screen. Note that since it’s a packed Chrome app, it loads in less than three seconds. 40 MB… in three seconds! I like it because it’s nice and simple, and kind of Tron-ish.
Here’s the new...
2 tags
The Player Robot
I’m sure you’ve seen this little guy before. (His head is the icon for this Tumblr blog, if you couldn’t guess.)
I call him the “player robot.” It’s not a particularly clever name, I mean I could have called him “Model 2b-4x” or something like that. The previous names I had for him never really stuck, so I called him the player robot as mostly as...
5 tags
Press Start to Continue
Just a short post to say I’m resuming development full-time. Key facts:
It’s still targeting Chrome and the Chrome Web Store.
It’s still using the Akihabara Engine and HTML5.
…actually, pretty much nothing has changed since the hiatus.
It’s time to knock this one out of the park! Wish me luck.
No promises on media or a release date because I don’t want to...
December 2010
8 posts
4 tags
Fear and Self Loathing in Tumblr
I hate myself.
I hate myself.
I hate myself.
Now that that’s out of the way, I think I can take you hating me too.
At the rate things are going, 4kg should be about 80% done by the time December is over. I absolutely hate myself for not making good on my promises. I also dislike how I think you all care enough about the game to hate me for delaying it. Unwarranted self importance in the...
10 tags
4kg Dev - Night 9
Whoah, how long has it been since one of these? Almost three whole months! Hard to believe I’m that unreliable. Well, not really.
Anyways I took a couple jabs at the game tonight on a couple different fronts. I started out by spending an hour or two trying to add support for 4kg’s custom object types. In the demo I’m basing my game on, there are really only two: the player and...
2 tags
Shout Out
I wanted to take a bit of time to say that if you enjoy platformers, I would love it if you would follow my platformer-focused blog Jump Button. It mostly focuses on retro platformers, with an indie game thrown in every now and then. I do try to cover as much as possible.
Same time, same place! -Andrex
3 tags
4kg Completion Update
Just over half done! Time to put the pedal to the metal!!
Tomorrow: the return of development nightlies! Count on it!
-Andrex
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4kg Revealed!
I am very excited to say that 4kg will launch later this month on the Chrome Web Store! Me being the known Google fanboy I am, I couldn’t resist. It’s pretty funny how 4kg was originally for Android and is now for Chrome, both starting and ending up on Google platforms.
First thing I want to address is cross-browser compatibility. When I started developing websites (my byline is...
Excite!
Even though I moved 4kg to its fourth official platform merely a couple days ago, here are the list of things that are done so far:
Keyboard input
Collision detection
Menus
Music
Content loading and rendering
Basic platformer physics
This is mostly because I’m piggybacking on a very capable engine and demo game. I feel really crappy not doing it from scratch, but I promised to finish...
1 tag
I've come to a decision
From now on, whenever I announce I’m making a game, I’m going to keep the platform a secret until the day before I release it. To put it bluntly, I can’t keep still and thrust myself at a different technology depending on the month. I’m a techno-ho.
Yeah, 4kg has probably changed platforms again, and if you know me at all you can probably guess what it is. Of course,...
1 tag
Resurgence
Development has officially restarted and I hope to share some more selected art assets very shortly. Game Maker 8 is the name of the game now. Even though I wanted to prove my game programming skills, finishing the game takes priority over everything. Full steam ahead!
October 2010
4 posts
2 tags
Delay
Yup, one of those posts. Obviously, 4kg won’t make it out in October. This makes me the saddest of anyone interested in the game, believe me.
Basically the deal is that I’ve got this gaming website I run called Project Gforum, and the next version of it has been in the works for over a year, with development restarting using entirely new designs about three times. So that needs to...
3 tags
The Importance of a Design Doc
4kg isn’t the first game I’ve attempted to make. (It is, however, the first I’ve gotten this far into making.)
There have been more than 20 others, I’d say. Maybe even a lot more than that, but it depends on your definition of actually developing a game. Some game ideas, I just did some basic plot and game design work for. Others I’d go in so excited, set up whatever...