On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade

Seattle, Washington (August 25, 2007) – Hothead Games today announced that its highly anticipated Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness episodic game series will debut on Xbox LIVE® Arcade — the premier destination for digitally distributed, high definition original and classic games — in early 2008.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One is the first title in the downloadable series for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. Hothead is working with the Penny Arcade creators and adventure game pioneer Ron Gilbert in an intense collaborative development process.

"We're very excited to be bringing our game series to Xbox LIVE Arcade," said Vlad Ceraldi, Hothead's President. "We love Xbox LIVE Arcade's ability to deliver great content directly to gamers. Digital distribution lets indie game developers innovate and experiment with new gameplay concepts."

About Hothead Games

Hothead Games (www.hotheadgames.com) is an independent game development studio based in Vancouver, Canada and staffed entirely by industry veterans. The company is committed to creating top quality games for the experienced gamer. Hothead is best known for its upcoming RPG-adventure game series, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, based on the widely popular online Penny Arcade comic strip. Hothead self-publishes its titles with a focus on offering accessible game play and episodic content through digital distribution.

About Penny Arcade

Equal parts online comic and commentary, Penny Arcade (www.pennyarcade.com) covers video games in a way that is genuine, insightful and respected by the gaming community. What started as a hobby for Jerry "Tycho" Holkins and Mike "Gabe" Krahulik has, over 8 years grown into an online phenomenon that serves 55 million page views a month to millions of readers worldwide. In addition to the comic strip and PAX, Penny Arcade also manages Child's Play (www.childsplaycharity.org), a gamer-driven charity for sick kids in Children's Hospitals across the world.

Source:

Press Release

MC Frontalot to Record Original Song for Penny Arcade Adventures

Vancouver, British Columbia—Oct. 17, 2007— Hothead Games today announced that its highly anticipated game, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, will include an original song by nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot.

“Penny Arcade and MC Frontalot have a longstanding friendship,” said Vlad Ceraldi, Hothead's president. “Frontalot’s ‘Penny Arcade Theme’ has become a nerdcore classic, and we’re sure his new song will be an awesome addition to ‘On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness.’”

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One is the first title in the downloadable Penny Arcade Adventures series for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and the Xbox 360(tm) video game and entertainment system. Hothead is working with the Penny Arcade creators and adventure game pioneer Ron Gilbert in an intense collaborative development process.

About MC Frontalot

MC Frontalot is the stage name of Damian Hess, a musician and author currently based in Brooklyn. He studied English and electronic music at Wesleyan University, graduating in 1996. From 1993 to 2003, Damian rapped, sang, and acted onstage with the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere rock opera company, Emerald Rain Productions. He moved to the east coast in 2004 when his pop/rock musical Young Zombies in Love (co-authored with Frontalot keyboardist Gaby Alter) was featured at the New York International Fringe Festival (top songwriting award '04). In late 1999, Damian pioneered the subgenre of rap music called Nerdcore Hiphop, a once harmless movement that has metastasized into an internet phenomenon. Nerdcore's live-audience draw grows yearly, with acts such as Frontalot, MC Chris, MC Lars, and Optimus Rhyme filling increasingly larger venues on national tours. Damian's independently produced MC Frontalot tracks have earned a devoted audience and his two retail albums Nerdcore Rising (Aug 2005) and Secrets From The Future (Apr 2007) are in their fourth and third printings respectively. He is the official rapper of Penny Arcade (net’s most popular comic with 3.5 million daily readers) and headlines at their annual convention to an audience of over 5,000.

About Hothead Games

Hothead Games (www.hotheadgames.com) is an independent game development studio based in Vancouver, Canada and staffed entirely by industry veterans. The company is committed to creating top quality games for the experienced gamer. Hothead is best known for its upcoming RPG-adventure game series, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, based on the widely popular online Penny Arcade comic strip. Hothead self-publishes its titles with a focus on offering accessible game play and episodic content through digital distribution.

About Penny Arcade

Equal parts online comic and commentary, Penny Arcade (http://www.pennyarcade.com) covers videogames in a way that is genuine, insightful and respected by the gaming community. What started as a hobby for Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik has, over 8 years grown into an online phenomenon that serves 55 million page views a month to millions of readers worldwide. In addition to the comic strip and PAX, Penny Arcade also manages Child’s Play (www.childsplaycharity.org), a gamer-driven charity for sick kids in Children’s Hospitals across the world.

Source:

Press release

PENNY ARCADE GAME GOES GOLD, ROGUE KITCHEN APPLIANCES REJOICE

Windows, Mac and Linux Versions of Episode One Reach Gold Master

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – May 1, 2008 – Hothead Games is thrilled to announce that the Windows®, Mac®, and Linux® versions of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One have reached gold master status and are planned for worldwide download via the new digital download service Greenhouse at www.playgreenhouse.com later this quarter. In celebration, Hothead gave some infamous Penny Arcade characters a new look and let them loose on the unsuspecting websites www.rainslick.com, www.hotheadgames.com, and www.playgreenhouse.com for the public to enjoy.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is an RPG-adventure game set in the comic-book-meets-pulp-horror-meets-H.P. Lovecraft deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The game is the result of close collaboration between Hothead Games and Penny Arcade, featuring distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Mike “Gabe” Krahulik, story and dialogue by Jerry “Tycho” Holkins, and both brought to life by the Hothead team.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is priced at $19.95 for the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions and at 1600 Microsoft points via Xbox LIVE® Arcade, with a rating of “M” for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for all platforms.

Source:

Press release

PENNY ARCADE GAME LAUNCH DATE CONFIRMED

Worldwide Digital Launch on Wednesday, May 21

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - May 13, 2008 - Hothead Games today announced that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One will be available worldwide both via Xbox Live® Arcade (except Korea) and via the Greenhouse digital distribution platform (www.playgreenhouse.com) for the Windows®, Mac®, and Linux® versions next Wednesday, May 21.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is an RPG-Adventure game set in the deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The game is the result of close collaboration between Hothead Games and Penny Arcade, featuring distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, story and dialogue by Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, both brought to life by the Hothead team.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is expected to offer players six to ten hours of gameplay, and is priced at $19.95 for the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions and at 1600 Microsoft points via Xbox Live® Arcade. The game has been rated "M" for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for all platforms.

Source:

Press release

PENNY ARCADE ADVENTURES: ON THE RAIN-SLICK PRECIPICE OF DARKNESS, EPISODE ONE IS AVAILABLE ON DIRECT2DRIVE

Hothead Games' First Episodic Adventure Immediately Smashes Record For Longest Game Title on Direct2Drive

BRISBANE, Calif. - June 4, 2008 - Direct2Drive, IGN Entertainment's digital retail store, today announced that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is now available for digital download on Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com). Along with this first installment, Direct2Drive will offer the entire episodic series for digital download in conjuction with the titles' release dates from independent developer and publisher Hothead Games.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is an RPG-Adventure game set in the deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. Episode One introduces players to this new world created by Penny Arcade's Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, brought to life by the Hothead team.

"Due to the miracle of digital distribution, Direct2Drive is able to offer the world's leading videogame titles, regardless of egregious title length," said Sutton Trout, VP of digital content for IGN Entertainment. "Gabe, Tycho, and the Penny Arcade comics are wildly popular with our passionate gaming audience, and the On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness episodic series of games are a natural fit with digital distribution on Direct2Drive."

"At Hothead, we believe gamers should be able to freely choose their platform when playing our games and we are working hard to ensure that happens. Although I am sad to report we had to recently cut the Amiga version," said Vlad Ceraldi, President of Hothead Games, "we are very excited to add Direct2Drive to the growing list of methods for gamers to join us on the Precipice and experience the first game in an exciting new series."

Since the site's launch in October 2004, more than one million games have been downloaded on Direct2Drive, and the site enables gamers to conveniently purchase and download the latest premium games and expansion packs from the world's top publishers. Consumers can download Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One today at www.direct2drive.com.

Source:

Press release

PENNY ARCADE GAME AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM

Bellevue, Wash. - June 11, 2008 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life® and Counter-Strike®) and leading technologies (such as Steam® and Source®), and independent developer and publisher Hothead Games today announced that the Windows® version of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is now available via Steam (www.steamgames.com). In addition to this first installment, Steam will also offer future episodes in the series as they are released by Hothead; in celebration, Episode One has been enhanced with achievements for Steam purchasers.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is an RPG-Adventure game set in the comic-book-meets-pulp-horror-meets-H.P. Lovecraft deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The game is the result of close collaboration between Hothead Games and Penny Arcade, featuring distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, story and dialogue by Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, and both brought to life by the Hothead team.

"Valve is a pioneer and a leader in digital content distribution, and we are thrilled to offer Steam fans our game series, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness," said Vlad Ceraldi, president of Hothead Games. "Hothead believes in the gamers' right to the platform of their choice to play our games and this launch is another example of that commitment."

"Many at Valve are huge fans of Penny Arcade - the comics, the site and now the game," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "As such, we're delighted Hothead Games chose to use the Steamworks system of achievements and create a special PC version of On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness for the millions of gamers on Steam."

Source:

Press release

PENNY ARCADE GAME AVAILABLE ON STARDOCK'S IMPULSE PLATFORM

Hothead Game's First Episodic Adventure Helps Put New Digital Distribution Platform Over the Precipice of Launch

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - June 17, 2008 - Independent developer and publisher Hothead Games announced today that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is now available to gamers via Stardock's next generation digital distribution platform, Impulse (http://www.impulsedriven.com). Along with this first installment, Impulse will offer the entire On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness game series from Hothead for download.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is an RPG-Adventure game set in the deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. Episode One introduces players to this new world created by Penny Arcade's Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins and brought to life by the Hothead team.

Impulse is a cohesive, integrated virtual platform for consumers and developers that is designed to simplify buying, supporting and developing PC games and applications. "We love Penny Arcade and are excited to have Hothead's game on Impulse," said Brad Wardell, CEO and president of Stardock. "We're thrilled to see On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness make the leap to our digital distribution platform. We look forward to delivering their further titles."

"Hothead shares Stardock's vision and passion of making great games and closing the distance between the developers that create these experiences and the gamers that love them," said Vlad Ceraldi, president of Hothead Games. "More digital distribution choices for gamers and developers ensure an environment that will foster more innovation, creativity and risk with game design and story -- a combination the games industry sorely needs."

Source:

Press release

The wonderfully strange and hilarious minds of Penny Arcade creators Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins have joined with legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and veteran producers Hothead Games to bring you the insanity that is Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One. This first installment of the episodic role-playing adventure game series is set in the highly stylized 1920s universe of New Arcadia filled with bizarre characters, outrageous combat, and adult humor.

• Create-A-Player system: Create and develop your very own character to participate in the adventure.
• Episodic content: Penny Arcade Adventures keeps the fun going with new material released regularly, with pick up and play capabilities from any episode, and the ability to carry over your character's appearance, stats, and inventory from episode to episode.
• Dynamic combat: The turn-based combat system features over-the-top animations and team-up moves during enemy battles.
• Role-playing adventure: The classic adventure-style gameplay combines with RPG elements for a mysterious and puzzling good time.
• Twisted goodness: The crazed geniuses behind Penny Arcade promise a thrilling and wild ride, with story and dialogue written by written by Jerry "Tycho" Holkins and art by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik. Working with Gabe and Tycho of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, it will be your job to resolve the chaos and solve the mysteries of New Arcadia.

Source:

www.xbox.com

Первая часть детективного игрового сериала от создателей комиксов Penny Arcade.

Двадцатые годы XX века. В мрачноватом городке Новая Аркадия творится что-то неладное — ужасное и крайне таинственное. Самое время начинать расследование, каждый эпизод которого будет полон невероятных интриг и чёрного-пречёрного юмора.

• Забавное приключение, в котором удачно пародируются черты классической аркады, ролевой игры и головоломки, а также фильма ужасов и остросюжетного детектива.
• Анимационные ролики и заставки, стилизованные под страницы комикса, разбитого на отдельные «кадры».
• Пошаговые битвы, в которых каждый участник оперативно реагирует на действия неприятеля.
• Герои и сюжеты популярных комиксов, созданные авторами Penny Arcade – Майком Крауликом и Джерри Холкинсом.

Source:

games.1c.ru (Publisher's website)

HD (High Definition). Want more crazy dialogue and outrageous enemies? Upgrade to the full version of On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One to see the mystery unfold and Gabe and Tycho banter in classic Penny Arcade style. Plus, there are leaderboard rankings and achievements to earn, so get started now! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Source:

www.xbox.com