Miner Wars 2081

Prague, Czech Republic, 7 December 2010

Good stuff this week from Keen Software House! The Miner Wars 2081 Official Sound-Track gets its first update! Plus, you may not know it, but Keen is totally into the whole event-driven music thing. A tour of the new tracks follows. Also, check out the new refund policy, and join hands in celebration as the team announces being in the top 100 at indiedb.com!

UPDATE SUMMARY

*Release: The first official update to the Miner Wars Official Sound-Track

*Feature: Event-driven music? Nice!

*Return Policy

*Top 100 at Indiedb.com! Next round of voting begins

*Reminders

-Public meetings with members of the team on saturdays

-Catchphrase feedback/ideas

-Vote for Miner Wars 2081 on indiedb!

*Store: 70% discount

RELEASE:

Keen Software House is proud to announce the first update to the game’s official sound track. These tracks begin to unveil collaborative efforts by 4 different composers, Dan Wentz, Artimus Bena, Slobodan Stevic and Jeromie Esterline.

Dan Wentz/Artimus Bena:

- “No Man’s Space” (Parts I, II, III)

This collaborative effort between Dan Wentz and Artimus Bena spans over 13 minutes and counting. This work will be the first event-driven game progression implemented into Miner Wars and serves as an example of how similar pieces will be broken down and integrated into the game as an immersing element.

To get the song into final form, the base parts were laid out in a sequencer, slowly redone and built upon note by note with midi-triggered orchestral, choral, and percussive backdrops. Bass, guitar and keyboard parts were also recorded live to help give it an organic feel. The goal was to have an interactive score that had multiple keys, meters, tempos and dynamically building crescendos present throughout, allowing multiple variations in possible start/resume points while maintaining a sense of overall continuity.

Slobodan Stevic:

“Leftovers”

“Miner's Revenge”

“Powersource Abandoned”

“I Fight For What I Deserve”

-Leftovers

“The track 'Leftovers' is based on the feeling that comes from looking at the scarred asteroids, something innocent being ruined forever. A miner who's job was to drill hundreds of asteroids over his lifetime, turning back over his shoulder and saying "What have I done?"

-Miner's Revenge

" 'Miner Revenge' is meant as a tribute to those pissed off miners sick of the regime their are forced to follow. The rebellion rises, syndicate fleet flies toward the government station.”

-Powersource Abandoned

“ 'Powersource Abandoned' depicts a huge mysterious station system that seems like it served as a power station in the unknown past. Looks like it still produces power but it is abandoned, and you are absolutely alone here. Or are you?

-I Fight For What I Deserve

“The piece 'I Fight For What I Deserve' is the story of the Miner Wars people. They fight every day with worst nightmares of this rotten world, only to get what they deserve, what they were always supposed to have. But, will they ever get it?”

Jeremie Esterline:

“Space Thoughts”

“I have been playing keys for about 34 years, and my favorite thing to do is just sit and noodle spacey stuff along the lines of Isao Tomita on my synths. For the ambient stuff I just thought back to the days of science fiction movies when most of the sound effects were done on a synth, and played some mellow spacey sounds using a couple patches I created on the Novation KS4, which have a distinct retro sound to them. I thought of outer space as I played, floating through it and seeing all the cosmic wonder.”

Keen Software House says:

“It's important to remember that if you buy any of the soundtrack releases, access to the rest of them is absolutely free of charge! If you haven't gotten the OST yet, check the Miner Wars Store to add it to your cart and support the game!”

RETURN POLICY

Recently, Keen Software House decided to come up with a simple, plain-English refund policy in order to keep things clear for future customers. They have used both professional and indie examples as a model:

A refund will be given:

- Only if the customer is having technical difficulties installing or launching the game

- Only 3 days after purchase

- And the company may reject a refund request on any grounds deemed reasonable by the team, or based on evidence against a customer's claims.

They stress that refunds are not necessarily a legal obligation!

INDIEDB

Says Nick Miller, Marketing Director for Keen:

"...I would like to thank all of you for your votes! Without you we would never have made it this far.

But now we are in the next round of voting so we need every one to re-vote. With your help we can get Miner Wars the 'Best Upcoming Indie'!"

http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=1451

REMINDERS

*Every Saturday, members of the Miner Wars 2081 development hold meetings for live feedback from the community.

Details here: http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=1221

*Keen Software House is looking for feedback on a new "catchphrase" for the game.

Details here: http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=1274

*Vote for Miner Wars 2081 at indiedb.com.

Directions here: http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=1451

STORE

The game is still available for a 70% discount. This package includes free access to the current build, and free updates to the engine until the final stages of production.

To take advantage of this offer while it's still hot, visit the Miner Wars store: http://www.minerwars.com/Store/

Don't forget, if you're strapped for cash, there are plenty of ways to earn a free copy of the game:

http://www.minerwars.com/Contests.aspx

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ABOUT MINER WARS

Miner Wars is a 6DOF interior and space shooter played in a fully destructible environment featuring single player, co-op, and standard multi-player modes, with an MMOG in the planning stages.

As a player, you operate an advanced mining ship in an open world asteroid belt area.

You dig kilometers of tunnels, harvest the ore, travel the solar system, fight your enemies and discover mysterious alien secrets.

Game play is led by an epic story and is a combination of a single/multi-player game, cooperative, or you against everyone.

The story will introduce you to many types of missions: rescue, exploration, revenge, base defense, theft, transportation, stealth, search and destroy, pure harvesting, racing or just flying around and destroying everything you see.

World release: TBA

Platform: Windows, Xbox 360 Live Arcade, iPhone (pocket version)

ABOUT KEEN SOFTWARE HOUSE:

Keen Software House s. r. o. is an independent software development company focused on creating innovative video games. We are passionate gamers who love developing games and we want to make games that people like to play.

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NOTE TO EDITORS:

Game page: http://www.MinerWars.com/

(Feel free to use pictures, videos and texts from this site to preview or review the Miner Wars game).

Press contact: keenswh@keenswh.com

Company web-site: http://www.KeenSWH.com/