Arcen Games Explained

Arcen Games
Type:LLC
Foundation:2009
Location:United States
Industry:Video games
Products:
Tidalis
A Valley Without Wind 1&2
Shattered Haven
Skyward Collapse
Bionic Dues
The Last Federation
Stars Beyond Reach
Starward Rogue
In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor
AI War 2
Homepage:www.arcengames.com

Arcen Games is a small video game company founded in 2009 by Chris McElligott Park.[1] The company launched their first product, , in mid 2009 for Windows PCs.[2]

The company became one of the early notable examples of heavy procedural generation in almost all their games.[3] They are also known for taking unusual gameplay ideas in an idiosyncratic range of genres,[4] and exploring to the extreme ends of each idea.[5] Most of Arcen's titles include some form of overarching goals with a lot of freedom as to how the player goes about reaching said goals.[6] The company founder has a stated aversion to being stuck into any one genre.[7]

Arcen Games is best known for its real time strategy game ,[8] which had six DLC expansions released between 2010 and 2014.[9] Arcen released the puzzle game Tidalis in July 2010,[10] [11] 2D side scrolling game A Valley Without Wind in April 2012,[12] its divergent sequel A Valley Without Wind 2 in February 2013,[13] environmental puzzle game Shattered Haven in March 2013,[14] turn-based god game Skyward Collapse in May 2013[15] with an expansion called Nihon no Mura later that year,[16] and tactical mech game Bionic Dues in October 2013.[17]

In April 2014, Arcen released The Last Federation, a space-themed strategy/simulation game.[18] [19] [20] This title did well enough to get two expansions by the end of 2015.[21] The Last Federation put the company in a "relatively cash-rich position," after which a major project by the name of Stars Beyond Reach was undertaken.[22] In October 2016, after an 18-month development cycle with the company's largest-yet team of staff and contractors, and with funds dwindling as long-term sales from other titles tapered, Stars Beyond Reach was put on indefinite hold.[23]

Arcen then rapidly developed and released the shoot 'em up roguelite Starward Rogue for January 2016,[24] but the title was a commercial failure that led to the layoff of all but three of their staff.[25] In August 2016, they released and then pulled from sale a 3D dino-vs-robots game, In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor due to overwhelmingly poor sales.[26] In January 2018, a mostly-independent group of former contractors dubbed the "Extended Team"[27] finished their work on a "labor of love" expansion for Starward Rogue, which was also well-received without generating much income.[28]

After one failed kickstarter in late 2016, a followup successful kickstarter the next month,[29] and then an extended period of early access starting in October 2018,[30] Arcen Games released AI War 2 in October 2019[31] to positive reviews.[32] The first expansion for AI War 2 was released in February 2020.[33]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: v2.012 Released! "Populous" . March 26, 2020 . April 13, 2020.
  2. Web site: Interview with Christopher Park - AI War Lead Designer . Jason . Love . Co-Optimus . 2009 . April 13, 2020.
  3. Web site: "The Process"-Footnotes: An interview with Chris Park of Arcen Games . Rainer . Sigl . Video Game Tourism . 2012 . April 13, 2020.
  4. Web site: Win The Space Race: The Last Federation's Out Soon . Craig . Pearson . . April 12, 2014 . April 17, 2020.
  5. Web site: First Person Podcast Interviews Chris Park . Rob . Parker . . February 17, 2016 . April 17, 2020.
  6. Web site: The Last Federation Review . Scott . Ellison II . . April 25, 2014 . April 17, 2020.
  7. Web site: Arcen Games Talk A Valley Without Wind . Phill . Cameron . . February 8, 2011 . April 17, 2020.
  8. Web site: Rush, Boom, Turtle: And Now for Something Completely Different . Tom . Chick . . August 13, 2009 . August 5, 2012.
  9. Web site: Downloadable Cunning: AI War - Destroyer Of Worlds . Adam . Smith . . August 8, 2014 . April 17, 2020.
  10. Web site: Tidalis Review (PC, Mac) . Christophor . Rick . Gamers Daily News . August 5, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120817103856/http://www.gamersdailynews.com/article-2510-Tidalis-Review-PC-Mac.html . August 17, 2012 .
  11. Web site: Download Games Roundup . Kristan . Reed . . August 13, 2010 . April 17, 2020.
  12. Web site: A Valley Without Wind Still Managed to Blow Me Away . Kate . Cox . . April 25, 2012 . August 5, 2012.
  13. Web site: Valley Without Wind 2 transformed by the winds of change . Tom . Chick. . February 19, 2013 . April 17, 2020.
  14. Web site: Shattered Haven Review - Danger lurks everywhere . Matt . Porter . Hooked Gamers . March 25, 2013 . April 17, 2020.
  15. Web site: Skyward Collapse truly reinvents the god game (review) . Rob . Savillo. . May 29, 2013 . April 17, 2020.
  16. Web site: Skyward Collapse to get first expansion, Nihon no Mura . Phil . Savage . . August 9, 2013 . April 17, 2020.
  17. Web site: Bionic Dues Review . Paul . Tamburro . . October 10, 2013 . April 17, 2020.
  18. Web site: WTF Is... - The Last Federation? . John . Bain . . Apr 21, 2014 . April 17, 2020.
  19. Web site: The Co-Optional Podcast Animated: The Biscuit Federation Pt. 1 . John . Bain . . June 3, 2014 . April 17, 2020.
  20. Web site: The Co-Optional Podcast Animated: Biscuit Federation Pt. 2 . John . Bain . . June 17, 2014 . April 17, 2020.
  21. Web site: Review: The Last Federation 3.0 + The Lost Technologies DLC . Happy . Wulf . . December 9, 2015 . April 17, 2020.
  22. Web site: Stars Beyond Reach – Interview with Arcen Games. Edward . Varfalvy . Space Sector. June 18, 2015. April 17, 2020.
  23. Web site: Arcen Games cuts staff following sales slump . James . Grant . . January 29, 2016 . April 13, 2020.
  24. Web site: Review: Starward Rogue . James . Cunningham . Hardcore Gamer . February 15, 2016 . April 17, 2020.
  25. Web site: Arcen lays off nearly all staff despite successful Starward Rogue launch. Andy. Chalk. PC Gamer. January 29, 2016. January 29, 2016.
  26. Web site: In Case Of Emergency, Release Raptor Pulled From Sale. Graham. Smith. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. August 30, 2016. April 13, 2020.
  27. Web site: Starward Rogue's Augmented expansion buffs up the shmuppy roguelike. Dominic . Tarason . Rock, Paper, Shotgun. January 28, 2018. April 17, 2020.
  28. Web site: Starward Rogue AuGMENTED Review – A Roguelite to Really RogueLIKE. M. Charles . Barnhart . BagoGames. January 25, 2018. April 17, 2020.
  29. Web site: AI War 2 aims for Oct 2017 after Kickstarter success. Alice. O'Connor. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. December 20, 2016. April 13, 2020.
  30. Web site: AI War 2 Early Access Release and Why Arcen Are a Model Indie Dev . Stephen . Haselden . . October 18, 2018 . April 17, 2020.
  31. Web site: AI WAR 2 REVIEW. 2019-10-22. Alexander. Williams. Strategy Gamer. April 13, 2020. 2020-08-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20200808161843/https://www.strategygamer.com/reviews/ai-war-2/. dead.
  32. Web site: AI War 2 For PC Reviews. Metacritic . April 13, 2020.
  33. Web site: AI War 2: The Spire Rises Review. Alexander . Williams . StrategyGamer. March 11, 2020. April 17, 2020.

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