CK Status Report, November
Calum Spring
Hey there! It's about time we update you all on what we've been up to over the last couple of months.
AIE Post-Incubator Development Grant
In June, after a multi-stage selection process and a lot of paperwork, we were fortunate enough to receive grant money from the Academy of Interactive Entertainment's Post-Incubator Development Grant program. In the months since this has enabled our team to dedicate even more time and energy to making games, with less stress and worry surrounding both personal and company financials. We'd like to thank the AIE for the opportunity and for selecting us. You can read more about it on Kotaku: http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/06/aie-launches-brand-new-games-development-grant/
Incorporation
Since we last blogged Cardboard Keep PTY LTD has been incorporated as a real company! We have a business number and everything. This is a big step to take and means both less legal hurdles in the future and hopefully a greater chance that we'll be around well into the future.
PAX Australia Post-mortem
At the end of October Cardboard Keep bunkered down in Melbourne for a week of conferences and expos, starting with the inaugural Unite Australia and GCAP 2014 developer conferences, and ending the week with PAX Australia. The response we got at PAX Aus was phenomenal. Well over 2,000 people played Warden across the three days, including many of Penny Arcade's staff and other industry heavyweights. Through this we also met new friends and took a sizable swing at our Greenlight campaign, speaking of which...
Warden Greenlit
If you haven't heard, Warden: Melody of the Undergrowth has successfully made it through Greenlight and is approved for sale on Steam! We'll be launching in 2015 on Steam among other platforms, stay tuned for more news on that front.
iFest Canberra
Just yesterday CK attended local indie games festival iFest here in the nation's capital, and not only did we get a great response to people playing Warden, but Warden was selected as the iFest Canberra 2014 Indie Games Showcase winner! I also gave a talk to iFest attendees titled "How To Start Making Games Right Now". It should be online in the next few weeks so if you're someone who wants to get into making games but doesn't know where to start, keep an eye out for that.
Friends of Cardboard Keep Shoutouts
Finally here's just a few of the things our friends in game development have been up to. Echidna Studios launched their hex strategy game Merchants & Mercenaries onto Greenlight along side PAX Aus. I'm personally really looking forward to this one, you can check out their Greenlight page and give them some love here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/comments/330534057Whale Hammer Games have premiered a new trailer for their upcoming game Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire. The art and animations in Tahira are incredible, give it a watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nq0LFoe6Ps
That's it for now! Stay tuned for more announcements as Warden creeps closer and closer to release. Until next time, Calum