Being an independent game developer sure has been a bumpy ride. After making Spider-Man 2, I quit my sweet gig at Activision to see if I could make games my own way, on my own terms. I’ve been through a lot since then! I founded a company with a friend. We built it up, had several employees, health insurance, and everything… only to see it come crashing down.
So now I’m on my own again, starting over from scratch. But maybe things are turning around? By revisiting the coolest thing I’ve ever done — swinging game mechanics — and launching an unorthodox Kickstarter for the game, called Energy Hook, my new company Happion Labs seems to be on an upward trajectory.
And the latest piece of good news: I’m going to be able to bring Energy Hook to PS4 and PS Vita!
So, what’s Energy Hook? Well, imagine a 3D swinging game like Spider-Man 2 had a love child with “points-for-style” game SSX. You swing from rooftop to rooftop, pull off mid-air tricks, run along walls, and rack up points and energy for doing it. Because: it’s the future. And that’s what the extreme sports of the future look like. You have gravity beams and gravity boots and jetpacks and can do awesome stuff.
PS Vita is my favorite handheld. There’s no handheld like it. Nothing else comes with dual sticks, and Energy Hook wants those dual sticks! It’s a very expressive game that wants precision controls. A touchscreen is not enough. I daresay it’s going to be the first, decent, 3D swinging game to hit a handheld.
And I’m also glad to be bringing it to PS4. Mark Cerny has been my hero for years; in fact, we borrowed from his playbook to make Spider-Man 2. So to see him be a frontman for PS4 warms my heart. I can’t wait to see how Energy Hook performs on the new hardware; I’m sure it’s going to be awesome. (I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all that power… but I’ll think of something.)
Energy Hook will be hitting Sony’s consoles before any others. I’m totally stoked. I’m looking forward to getting the game in your hands in 2014, and can’t wait to see what you think.
That looks really cool, are there any videos out there where we can see it in motion? Oh, and you had me at “SSX”. ;)
Love the art style.
Really interested in this. Absolutely love the art style.
Will this game come out before or after the PS4 is able to play music CDs, mp3s, videos and music from usb storage, and work with bluetooth remote controls.
For Kickstarter backers, will we be able to get this on PS4/Vita as crossbuy, or just have to choose one?
You had me at Spiderman 2.
That game really got it right in the swinging department and allowed two handed webbing and that led to all kinds of great ariel maneuvers.
All Spiderman games since seem to forget that its a role playing game, and I want to play the role of spiderman, how can I do that without precision swinging and upgradable acrobatics?
I really like the art style in that first pic, but I wonder why no PS3 version?
I guess there are only 75-80 million of us, why would you want to be a seller in a market that size right?
Cheers.
Loved the Spider-Man 2 game as a kid, so I’m definitely looking forward to checking this out! If this game ends up being cross-buy, it will be an instant purchase for me.
Where is you tube, DLNA, MP3, Sony?
The art style is great!
Seems like a game a lot of people will have fun with :D
Nice to see it’s coming to the Sony platforms. Does it handle well enough on dual-analog? The original kickstarter vid gave the impression you’d want yourself a mouse to do some tight roping shenanigans back when it was going to be a PC-only affair.
Will definitely be picking it up on Vita regardless. There’s a general lack of freestyling/playground/score-chasing games on it, so I hope it does well.
Can’t wait! Games with swinging mechanics are the best! You should try to secure the Attack on Titan license after this project, haha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHlFbDxmvSU
Good luck to the whole team!
Totally awesome. I remember seeing this a while back on Kickstarter. Glad to see it coming to PS4 and Vita.
How about an Android version?
Lots of android phones now natively support the DS3 with a OTG cable.
I play lots of old school emulated games on my Note with the DS3 and its even better then using a VITA as you have real analog sticks and dual triggers and just generally a better form factor more comfortable grip on a DS3 compared to VITA.
I always wondered why they dont make a cable to connect a DS3 to the VITA, then you dont need to stare at your hands while you play!! No gimped neck anymore!!!!!!!
Anyways PS3, version for sure, Android version I will keep my fingers crossed.
graphic seem a tad bit too old for me..if its not looking as good as Ratchet and Clank or Uncharted ..im not playing it..
-__-
Hi Jamie, its bit journal from FB. Its great to see you on the blog making your announcement for Energy Hook. I’ve been watching your updates and videos throughout 2013 and this game appears to just keep getting better and better. Keep up the good work. I will definitely be picking this up on PS4 and now since you are mentioning Vita, I will pick it up on that as well. Good luck on launch day. Energy Hook is turning out to be epic.
(Side note to everyone else reading this: Jamie also developed an awesome little top down shooter on PlayStation Mobile called Sixty Second Shooter. Basically, you have to score the highest amount of points possible within a 60 second timeframe. The game is very addictive since it will make you want to see just how far you can go. You can pick it up on Vita and PlayStation Mobile Supported Devices. Its a great time killer especially during a lunch break or waiting in a doctors office. Also, the dual analog controls on the Vita really make this game sing)
“PS Vita is my favorite handheld. There’s no handheld like it. Nothing else comes with dual sticks, and Energy Hook wants those dual sticks!”
I’m sold, man. The dual sticks are what puts the Vita ahead of any other portable gaming device–and more Vita devs (AAA studio and Indie alike) need to get this. I’m sold on that line alone.
This also looks pretty sweet. Can’t wait to see more.
Full games and indie games should all come with a platinum as all games are deserving of it
I’m really looking forward to this game. Its on the top of my Vita Wishlist this year. Can’t wait to play it.
SOLD. Looks awesome.
Nice, I believe I may be sold already just from checking out the art style and concept. It also helps that Sixty Second Shooter is one of my favorite quickplay games.
Now this is the originality that the PS Vita needs, developers need to keep bringing fresh content to the system.
I really liked Capcom’s Bionic Commando game for PS3. While I only really liked the Ultimate Spider-Man, as I felt the movie tie-ins were extremely short and of poor quality, I can totally get behind the swinging/hook mechanic a la PixelJunk Eden and Bionic Commando.
I really like the art style. Reminds me of early 1990s vector games, but with a few current-gen shader/lighting tricks.
This is cross-buy, I assume?
Any plans for 3D support on PS4?
Any idea how you’ll use the DualShock 4?
Will the PS4 and VIta versions have HD (24-bit/lossless) audio, or at least 320kbps Ogg/AAC?
this looks pretty cool!
it’s will be cool! well, it’s will maybe release in the same mounth like minecraft
This looks great! I looked at the kickstarter video, very neat, I’m glad you got a strong buffer from your kickstarter to make the best product you can, thank you for bringing it to the Vita! and the PS4 to boot :)
Different style to this but very interesting and I will for sure check it out day 1
I’ve been seeing videos of this for the past two weeks, it looks awesome. I really wish more indies would start 3D development and bring their games to Vita/PS3/4, I applaud you sir.
Good stuff! There aren’t enough futuristic sport games being made these days.
RIP Wipeout
Also me and my brother loved Spider-Man 2 so I’ll have to show him this when it comes out.
If you guys like Spiderman so much play Bionic Commando, it has by far the best swinging mechanics I’ve ever seen.
@nYcFrEeWiLL82
lmao
I remember seeing this back when it was being Kickstarted last year. I’ll be sure to buy this on PS4 day one!
Love the idea. hope the mechanics are good
Looks cool!
I’m Interested!
Looks awesome i’ll definitely have to check this out on PS4. good luck on launch day.
looks nice! It makes me remember of Gravity Rush…
Hey guys, try to stay on topic; I really doubt filling every blog entry with feature requests will make it happen any faster (and I want them as much as you do). As far as this title, congratulations on getting there (it wouldn’t be a story about game development if there weren’t numerous hurtles in the way, but you made it through =)., however I really can’t judge it until I see some in-game video.
From these static screenshots it looks like temp. art was used (esp. in the 2nd screenshot; I’m actually a fan of flat cel-shading however the windows and the environment as a whole looks very much like a game in the prototype phase, which may be when the screenshot was taken). The third screenshot is what interests me, as I really love the diffused lighting at night. Best of luck!
I love games with interesting navigation mechanics: Infamous and infamous 2, Gravity Rush, Just Cause 2…
This swinging mechanic definitely has me intrigued, I’ll have to keep an eye on this one.
look interesting, will have to see more infos/video about this game.
Yep this looks terrific , been following since watching beta version players using , now with filled in graphics looks awesome totally new ( to me anyways ) not a lot around like it , btw guys I’m looking for a really really good sci fi game , not necessarily has to be shooter and not too hard , any advice , just seen a trailer for a game that looks an awful lot like alien ( 1st movie ) , the colonial was a real let down for me , I’m looking for something with new ideas and not just blasting away , give me something to use the grey matter on too as well as shooting up some monsters , us girls don’t wanna just kill kill kill ! , all the friggin time lol , so yeah is there a release date for …..energy hook yet confirmed And also guys is the waling dead only for ps3 , pretty well naff if it is , I don’t mind buying games for my ps4 , but give us a chance to purchase great games that we first encountered on ps3 , hope all the talk of back playing our ps3 games is not just that , TALK ! Peace out x
I’m a sucker for a good grappling hook mechanic. Looking forward to it!
Cross buy would be big with this game. This is the kind of game I’d like to play on a console with a 32″-40″ LED and have a choice to take with me on my 5″ OLED Vita. Cross Buy = Me Buy. No Cross Buy = Me probably buy anyway.
will see ^^
Looks like an good game!
I have to admit, when I read “Swinging Mechanics” I thought of Adam Boyes at Capcom.
Looks good, Can’t wait to play it on Vita :)
just because a game looks good, doesn’t it’ll actually be good. it looks interesting.
I’ll be honest, when I first saw the screen shot I wasn’t too interested b/c “Energy Hook” isn’t an IP I’m familiar with. This quickly and radically changed when I actually read the article. Can’t wait!!!!
Bought a ps vita to use with ps 4. My son and I each have psn accounts . Guess what , idiots at Sony don’t want you to use multi accounts with a vita…who ever heard of buying hardware where you can’t use multiple accounts?!!!… We have to each have our own vita (or factory reboot the vita each time one of us uses it with ps4…)… Just stupid. They care less and less about customers, and thinking about customer use cases.
Disappointed,
Dan