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Κυριακή 17 Απριλίου 2011

Swarm (2011 video game)


Swarm is a action-platform video game developed by Hothead Games and published by Ignition Entertainment. It was released March 22, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network and March 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The game revolves around a flock of 50 blue bipedal creatures, dubbed swarmites, and their quest to collect DNA in order to save their race. The player controls the swarmites as a collective, but each swarmite has individual intelligence meaning interaction between the player and the swarm is always dynamic.
Contents [hide]
1 Synopsis
2 Gameplay
3 Development and marketing
4 Reception
5 References
6 External links
[edit]Synopsis

The game begins by showing a pulsing blue blob arriving on a mysteriously war-torn and devastated planet. It plants itself into the ground and extends a wriggling tentacle. Out of the tentacle emerge 50 swarmites — small, blue, bipedal creatures who always move together in a pack, or swarm. The swarmites go in search of DNA, which the swarmites feed back into the blob to help it grow. The blob eventually transforms into a humongous swarmite referred to by the other swarmites as "momma".[1]
[edit]Gameplay



In Swarm the player controls a group of swarmites which work as a collective to achieve goals.
Swarm is an action-platform game in which the player controls up to 50 characters known as swarmites who operate as a collective to achieve their goals. The objective is to reach the end of the level with at least one swarmite remaining.[2] Throughout the levels are health packs which will restore the swarmites' numbers to 50. The levels also contain checkpoints which serve as the point where players will resume play if they lose all 50 swarmites.[3]
Points are earned by collecting strands of DNA found throughout the level. Some strands can only be collected by having several swarmites and using them collectively to retrieve the strand. The swarmites can huddle together for strength and speed boosts, stack on top of one another to reach high obstacles, and jump as a group to reach certain areas.[3] All of the swarmites are controlled both individually as well as in a collective; each swarmite has their own unique AI that interacts with other swarmites and the commands given by the player. Swarmites will dynamically walk around objects and obstacles, each choosing their own path based on player commands.[4]
[edit]Development and marketing

Swarm began life as a submission to the Great Canadian Video Game Competition held by Telefilm Canada. The game was chosen as one of four finalists, and Hothead Games received $300,000 in order to fund further production on the game.[5] It sprang from AI research by Dr. Mike Hayward, who was doing PhD research on how artificial life would interact one with another when given a task. "We were trying to enter an indie developer contest back in 2006, and Mike pitched this idea forward" stated producer Joel DeYoung.[6] Lead Designer Pete Low stated that one of the biggest challenges was designing the camera controls to be able to accommodate all 50 swarmites.[6] Each swarmite in the swarm is controlled by individual AI.[4] The group does not have a leader, but instead interact with each other dynamically. "The idea is it's supposed to feel like controlling a flock of fish" stated Dr. Mike Hayward, who designed the AI.[4] The game features leaderboards and in addition the PlayStation 3 version includes a live tally of the sum of all swarmites killed by players.[7]
On June 17, 2010 Ignition Entertainment announced they would publish the title.[5] The platforms for the game were announced November 18, 2010; the game would come to the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network and to the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade.[8] The game was completed in January 2011 and entered the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network submission process.[2] It was later announced the developers were looking for a March 2011 release date.[9] Swarm was released March 22, 2011 on the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network and March 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade.
To promote the game developer Hothead Games released several YouTube videos which discussed the gameplay and advertised the game. Four videos belong to a series entitled Ask Dr. Mike, in which Dr. Mike Hayward, designer of the AI, explains the dynamics of the game.[10] Hayward and different co-hosts discuss how the swarmites interact with one another and their environment, how players can complete tasks within the game, and how players can reach high scores.[10] Two viral videos were also released. The first was to promote the game's launch in Europe and depicts a young girl coloring pictures of swarmites. The girl soon turns violent on her drawings and the video shifts to show gameplay of the destruction of swarmites.[11] The second depicted a fictional situation regarding workplace diversity and a recent hire of a swarmite.[12] Avatar awards were also announced in March 2011 and consist of a swarmite pet and a swarmite hat for the player's avatar.[13]
[edit]Reception

[hide] Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 71.56% (PS3)[14]
71.94% (X360)[15]
Metacritic 72/100 (PS3)[16]
72/100 (X360)[17]
Review scores
Publication Score
Edge 6/10[18]
Game Informer 7.25/10[19]
IGN 8.5/10[20]
Official PlayStation Magazine (US) 7/10[21]
Official Xbox Magazine 7.5/10[22]
Total Video Games 8/10[23]
Upon its release Swarm was received moderately well by critics. The game currently holds a score of 71.56% on the PlayStation 3 and 71.94% for the Xbox 360 at GameRankings.[14][15] Fellow aggregate website reports similar scores, with the PlayStation 3 version holding at 72/100 and the Xbox 360 a 72/100.[16][17]

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