Dyson
Independent Games Festival finalist to be published commercially under a new name chosen by its fans.
24th September 2009
Indie game “Dyson,” a 2009 Independent Games Festival finalist and the festival’s Grand Prize and Direct2Drive Vision Award nominee, is to be published as a full commercial title under a new name to be chosen by the public via a contest sponsored by IGN’s Direct2Drive.com.
The game’s original name was inspired by the work of theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson, which was suitable whilst it was a freeware exploration of procedural gameplay. The game has since adopted a commercial dimension, which made the developers, Rudolf Kremers and Alex May, feel that the name was no longer appropriate.
To reflect the new status of the project and to honour the loyal fans of the game, the developers have teamed up with Direct2Drive, IGN’s digital download store, to invite fans and other members of the public to come up with a new name for the game.
The competition will launch on Wednesday 23rd September, and the rules are simple:
Find a new name for Dyson ( www.dyson-game.com) that best encompasses the mood and themes of the game. For those that haven’t yet played it, a demo is available at FilePlanet ( http://www.fileplanet.com/196692/190000/fileinfo/Dyson-Demo). Name ideas will be submitted directly to the developers, who will pick and announce the best name by Tuesday 29th September.
Direct2Drive will offer prizes for the winning entry: a copy of the as-yet-to-be-renamed Dyson, as well as any two digital PC games available on D2D. Contest details can be found at http://www.direct2drive.com/staticpage.aspx?topic=dyson_contest and name suggestions can be emailed directly to namechange@dyson-game.com. A pre-order of the game is currently available, with 25% discount, on Direct2Drive, until the game is released. The Game Formerly Known as Dyson is slated for release approximately 20th October 2009 and will host a large number of improvements and new content.
The game’s commercial version features:
• A single player campaign boasting over 20 levels
• A skirmish mode against AI opponents with highly procedural (and replayable) original levels
• Integrated LUA Scripting allowing for enormous modding potential
• A unique soundtrack of over two hours of music created by Brian Grainger, AKA Milieu ( www.milieu-music.com)
• New unit types that expand on the game’s unique aesthetics and gameplay
• A massive improvement in AI
• An improved and almost completely mouse-based interface
• Many visual improvements
Original inspiration for the game can be found here: http://www.dyson-game.com/blog/?p=17
For further questions contact Rudolf Kremers at: rudolf@dyson-game.com