GamesRadar - flOw - PS3 Network

Flow Trophies Available Now (News)

Oct 10, 2009

The PlayStation TEAM twitter reports that the trophies for flow are available now.

'Games need more grown-up content' (News)

Jul 15, 2009

In a wide ranging talk at the Develop Conference today that looked at the founding of his company and the making of its games flOw and Flower, thatgamecompany's Jenova Chen devoted some time to rant about a topic close to his heart.

Namely, that games just aren't trying hard enough to emotionally engage with players and that their content aren't mature enough.

Thatgamecompany's PlayStation Network games have been widely praised for their short, subtle and emotive content.

Despite being a gamer all his life - and a games development student no less - Chen said that the content of these games came about from his eventual dissatisfaction with mainstream games.

"I never see that sense of thrill any more in today's games," he said.

iPhone Developer Steals flOw (News)

Jun 24, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes:
"If you go to the Apps Store on your iPhone or iPod Touch, a certain game titled Aquatica may catch your attention for several reasons, one of which is the fact that it looks and plays identically to thatgamecompany's PC/PS3 title, flOw."

Follow up to Flower will be 'larger', 'more challenging' (News)

Jun 16, 2009

Nick @ PS3Center writes:

Flower floored the gaming community earlier this year, taking gamers on an emotional ride that few games ever do. So what's next for ThatGameCompany, the Santa Monica-based studio behind the innovative PSN title? The developer's creative designer, the 27 year old Jenova Chen, recently dropped some hints to what their next game just may be.

flOw Getting Trophies (News)

Jun 4, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes, "ThatGameCompany's debut game for the PlayStation Network maybe seen by some as being "long in the tooth". Not according to Sony."

Interview With thatgamecompany (News)

May 15, 2009

PlayStation LifeStyle writes:
"In an exclusive interview, PlayStation LifeStyle goes one-on-one with thatgamecompany's John Edwards, lead programmer for the hit titles Flower and flOw."

ThatGameCompany's Jenova Chen teases new game (News)

May 1, 2009

The third of ThatGameCompany's contractual PS3's developments is clearly in the very early stages of development, as Jenova Chen teases the first playtest of their new title.

ThatGameCompany have created flOw and Flower thus far, both being received very well.

We may hear more at E3, but it's clearly very early.

The art lover's guide to downloadable games (Feature)

Feb 10, 2009

Whether you think games are art -- a nebulous, easily dead-ended debate -- or not, there's no denying that a helluva lot of art goes into making games, at the very least. But with so many governing channels to go through in the creative process, many bigger-budget games become more researched and focus-tested in their appeal, shorn of any greater risks they might have once taken -- aesthetic or otherwise -- along the way. ...

European PS Store updates for 6th March (News)

Mar 6, 2008

The flOw expansion pack makes its way to Europe, as does some additional Guitar Hero III DLC.

In addition, there are a stack of videos this week plus a new theme for the PS3 XMB.

PlayStation Network PAL Releases (News)

Mar 4, 2008

Akayuki writes:

"Sony has confirmed the release dates of a couple of games that were announced last year at E3.

Elefunk and Echochrome are probably the most exciting ones, but there is also Fl0W for the PlayStation Portable, if that interests you. Also, Pain is set to release on the European PSN store this month, along with bonus characters and an expansion.

Hit the jump for a press release."

GDC08: The Top 10 PSN downloads since launch (News)

Feb 21, 2008

PS3 Fanboy writes: Ever wanted to know what the best selling PSN games are? Well, here it is. The top 10 PSN purchases since the system's launch.

* flOw
* Mortal Kombat II
* Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection
* PAIN
* Warhawk
* High Velocity Bowling
* Super Stardust HD
* Calling All Cars
* Aquatopia
* Everyday Shooter

SCEE Reveals Portable fl0w (News)

Jan 30, 2008

Sony's UK PlayStation site has revealed the first details of a PSP version of thatgamecompany's cult title fl0w to be soon made available for download through its PlayStation Store during its regular Thursday update.

It's not yet clear precisely how much of the original PS3 version's content will be released for the PSP, nor its exact release date, but given that Sony has it slated for a January release, it's likely to be released for UK customers during the company's Thursday January 31st update.

Kotaku's 2007 Games of the Year and Overall Game of the Year (News)

Dec 29, 2007

Kotaku's Brian Crecente writes:

"Our first-ever Game of the Year awards was a pretty straight forward deal. I asked all of the writers to submit a list of three games for each category and the three that showed up most in each category made it as a finalist. Once we had the list of finalists I asked each writer to go through and order the finalists and then tallied the vote. The one with the most points was named Game of the Year, the runner-up was named Not Quite Game of the Year. The game with the most votes for Worst Game of the Year received that dubious honor."

Super Mario Galaxy won Kotaku's Overall Game of the Year award. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune came as second, it won the Not Quite Game of the Year award. (Kotaku posted the overall results as a separate post, see the link at the Alternative Sources below for more details.)

Holiday Download Guide (Feature)

Dec 21, 2007

Dec 21, 2007 December is the month of giving and, better yet, receiving. December is the month when sugarplum visions of $400 consoles and $60 games dance through your head. And, of course, December is the month when your loved ones usually just cheap out and buy you a gift card instead. So long as that gift card is an online points card from Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo, however, you'll be alright. With so much downloadable content available for so little money, you could stretch a few ...

2007 - The best gaming year ever (Feature)

Dec 20, 2007

20th Dec, 2007 Gaming is an up and down experience. Some years cram top quality titles into our every orifice until were bursting with videogame joy and have excess polygons dripping messily out of our ears, while some other years… Well, some other years are 1983. In 2007 though, weve had a very good year indeed. A scarily good year in fact. One which has provided us so much brilliance on every format that its a genuine worry that the laws of karmic balance will soon bring us a plague ...

FlOw dev discusses blossoming new project for PSN (News)

Nov 29, 2007

If the Tokyo Game Show trailer was any indication, flOw developer Thatgamecompany is not shying away from abstract projects. Speaking at the Montreal International Games Summit (via Gamasutra), TGC President Kellee Santiago explained how music played an important role in the the initial development phases of Flower. Two musical pieces were commissioned to set the tone of the project, according to Santiago, to "get everyone on the same page... doing sample audio tracks to evoke the emotion [will] keep everyone's work consistent."

PSN Titles Discounted This Week (News)

Nov 20, 2007

Loot Ninja just got a media alert from Sony letting them know that starting today and running through November 29th, you can grab four PlayStation Network Games for $4.99 each.

Calling All Cars and Everyday Shooter are originally $9.99, with fl0w originally $7.99 and PixelJunk Racers originally $6.99.

EU PSN Store Update: 04/10/07 (News)

Oct 4, 2007

The European Playstation Network Store has been updated and is Live right now. The update includes:

Clive Barker's Jericho Demo
Stuntman: Ignition Demo
Bladestorm Demo
Skate Demo

Snakeball Trailer
GRAW 2 Trailers (Launch Trailer, Moves/Control/Aiming Trailers)
Haze Gameplay Trailer

Blast Factor Wallpapers (Red and Lab)
FlOw Wallpaper

H&G: Santiago Talks Fl0w's Digital Distribution Success (News)

Jun 27, 2007

In another panel at today's Hollywood & Games summit in Los Angeles, Thatgamecompany's Kellee Santiago discussed digital distribution and her firm's PlayStation 3 downloadable game Fl0w, revealing a goal of "a game per year" for the developer.

flOw Now For Those With Less Cash Flow (News)

May 15, 2007

On this past Thursday's PlayStation Store update, an item update was missed in the excitement of Calling All Cars! That is the new limited time price of flOw.

It is normally $8.00, ThatGameCompany has reduced the price to $5.00 for a limtited time. You can get the game for that price until May 23, 2007.

Flow Creator: Game Creativity "Limited" (News)

Apr 20, 2007

Having taken advantage of the openings made available by user generated content, a number of talented young developers are turning their backs on mainstream gaming in a bid to broaden the scope of the industry.

Flow co-creator Jenova Chen believes that games need to offer an emotional outlet often lacking in popular genres such as shooters and racing games.

"Right now video games are focused on releasing anger and stress...that's really limited. If you want a deeper understanding of life, you aren't going to get it from a video game."

Issue 2 of free PlayStaion 3 magazine (News)

Apr 19, 2007

The second issue of P3Zine is now out with reviews of Oblivion, FEAR, Splinter Cell and Untold Legends, as well as PSN games. It also includes an exclusive interview with the developer of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and a roundup on GTA IV. There's a preview of Fatal Inertia, Blu Ray reviews and much more. As usual, the magazine is written by professional games journalists and the digital magazine is available for free download.

Sony to improve PlayStation Network (News)

Apr 17, 2007

Susan Nourai, the senior director of the PlayStation Network, has been speaking about the future of the PSN and how the company plans to improve the experience over time. "We look at PSN as an emergent entertainment network. Our goal is to take a consumer-centric approach in both user experience, and just as important, to provide the type of content that consumers expect from PlayStation. This is evident in the types of games we offer on the PlayStation Store, like flOw, Calling All Cars and ...

Calling all rebels! Video game market opens wide (News)

Mar 15, 2007

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "A deceptively simple video game called "flOw", in which players control the feeding and evolution of an aquatic organism, is making waves in the $30 billion market better known for fictional blood and bullets.

The game forsakes typical testosterone-fueled activities of killing, racing and blowing stuff up. Inspired by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory, which holds that people are happy and fulfilled when they are fully immersed in what they are doing, "flOw" is pure Zen."

fl0w top selling Network game; no sequel planned (News)

Mar 12, 2007

With 110,000 downloads and counting, fl0w has managed to be the top selling PlayStation Store game so far. thatgamecompany wanted to create a new kind of game that broke through traditional conventions: considering its success so far, it appears that the experiment is working.

Jenova Chen and the rest of the team don't plan on being content on the incredible success of their downloadable title. The team revealed at GDC that they are working on a new title, one which is guaranteed not to be a sequel to fl0w.

flOw - GDC 07 Jelly 2 - 03-07-07 (Video)

Mar 7, 2007

Just like any work of truly accessible art, flOw can be enjoyed by anyone, at any pace.

flOw - GDC 07 Jelly 1 - 03-07-07 (Video)

Mar 7, 2007

Just like any work of truly accessible art, flOw can be enjoyed by anyone, at any pace.

flOw (Review)

Feb 20, 2007

We would say that flOw makes a good case for the "video games as art" discussion, but it's tough to quantify it as a game to begin with. Originally an MFA thesis by USC School of Cinematic Arts game design graduate Jenova Chen, flOw has appropriately evolved from a simple, accessible design philosophy into a popular Flash title, and has now made its way onto Sony's Playstation Store as a downloadable title. It has been retooled and reworked to add depth and take advantage of the PS3's 1080p, ...

flOw - PS3 Network (Screenshots)

Feb 20, 2007

U.S. Release Date Revision (02.12.07) (News)

Feb 12, 2007

Updated US Release Chart from IGN. Tekken 5:DR date confirmed and College Hoops 2K7 delayed.

Flow Gameplay Video (News)

Feb 8, 2007

A casual-interest PS3 game designed for download release over SCE's online network. In this free-floating, free-flowing game, you dive deep into the space, eating and evolving, collecting up tiny morsels to help your creature become bigger and more complex. There's a now new trailer for the game on Game Videos, so take a look.

PLAYSTATION 3 Upcoming Releases Updated (News)

Feb 7, 2007

IGN has updated their chart of big releases for the PS3 in 2007.

flOw Gets Solid Release Date (News)

Feb 7, 2007

The PlayStation 3's downloadable high-def zen title gets an official site and a release date. flOw is scheduled to hit the PlayStation Store on February 22nd, 2007.

"Soothing and seductive, flOw draws gamers into the evolution of a simple aquatic creature journeying through the surreal abyss. With an embedded design of DDA (dynamic difficulty adjustment), players with differing skill levels can intuitively adjust their game experience and enjoy playing at their own pace. Initially a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) thesis, flOw is a game about piloting an aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere where players consume other organisms, evolve, and advance their organisms into the abyss."

2007 Heaven - PS3 Day one (Feature)

Jan 31, 2007

Yeah, we know: you dropped unholy coin on a new PS3, but you can only play so much Resistance before you start lusting over your buddy's 360 or Wii. Be patient, grasshopper - 2007 will make your purchase worthwile. Here's proof: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Kojima Productions - PS3 - ETA 2007 The latest chapter in the series is a dizzying mess of questions and expectations. The OctoCam camouflage suit - enabling players to blend in with the colour and texture of the background - ...

flOw in Feb (News)

Jan 19, 2007

"What's the deal with flOw and its release date?" is one of the most asked questions they get here at IGN PS3.

IGN called up representatives at Sony Computer Entertainment America and asked them for the official word. Luckily, they got it, and flOw's mysterious street date was finally made public:

"We'll be posting a trailer at the end of this month [January] / beginning of next," clarified our Sony contact. "As for the game itself, we'll be releasing near the end of February."

Lemmings and Sudoku added to PS3 Store (News)

Dec 11, 2006

Lemmings features 40 puzzles presented with newly created high definition graphics, and is available for £5.99. There's also a demo which you can get for free before you buy.

Also available is Go! Sudoku, which, as you would imagine, lets you play Sudoku on your PS3. The game is available for free, but you'll have to pay $2.99 for each additional puzzle pack: Easy (516 puzzles), Mild (376 puzzles), Difficult (198 puzzles) and Fiendish (98 puzzles).

Already available are shooters Blast Factor and Cash Guns Chaos, with flOw announced for release on December 19.

USC Students to Deliver a Trio of Downloadable Games (News)

Nov 29, 2006

The inventive flOw is just the beginning.

Originally expected the first week of December, flOw has been pushed back to December 19. The release of the downloadable game marks the first title from the USC School of Cinematic Arts ever released by a major publisher. The PS3 game, developed by thatgamecompany, impressed Sony so much that the studio has been signed to a three-game deal. Sony also gave thatgamecompany space on the Sony lot in Santa Monica, California.

"This is a watershed moment in the history of the school," Dean Elizabeth M. Daley said. "It builds on our tradition of expanding relationships with the professional community, and opens the door for our students and graduates to showcase their creative talents in an incredibly dynamic market."

"[Creator] Jenova [Chen] and I are thrilled to be working with SCEA," said flOw producer Kellee Santiago. "Because we're working within Sony, we not only have access to their internal resources, but we also get to work alongside some of the best pros in the industry."

Sony funding 'about 40' download titles for PS3 - Harrison (News)

Nov 1, 2006

Sony's Phil Harrison says the company is already working with developers on "about 40" exclusive titles that fit into its e-Distribution Initiative (EDI) - the PlayStation 3 equivalent of Xbox Live Arcade.

Speaking to Eurogamer's Rob Fahey as part of an interview being serialised on semi-official Sony blog Three Speech, Harrison said that EDI had been "a call to action to the development community to encourage them to create games specifically for us, that we would fund, that we would publish, in the online sense of the word, and distribute online".

"We're developing about 40 products that fit that strategy right now," he added. They showed off flOw at the Tokyo Game Show, of course, with others like Calling All Cars (David Jaffe's title, formerly known as Criminal Crackdown) also generating a lot of interest.

flOw - trailer 10-20-06 (Video)

Oct 23, 2006

Just like any work of truly accessible art, flOw can be enjoyed by anyone, at any pace.

Swim through flOw footage (News)

Oct 20, 2006

Following earlier news of the PlayStation Network from Sony, here's footage from its most striking downloadable title, flOw. Originally a student-developed freeware Flash game (you can play it here ), the creators moved in to Sony's Santa Monica studios to work on an upgraded PS3 version - boasting spacier sound, richer visuals and effects, and tilt-sensitive Sixaxis ...

PS3 E-Titles, Screenshots Leaked (News)

Oct 17, 2006

Some wily NeoGAF forumers somehow managed to get their hands on screenshots and info of games coming to the PS3's online service, inadvertently leaked before they were set to be revealed at the San Francisco Press Day on Thursday. The games include:

Â¿ Blast Factor
Â¿ Flow
Â¿ Go! Sudoku
Â¿ Lemmings 2
Â¿ Swizzleblocks

Blast Factor, Flow and Lemmings 2 look particularly snazzy.

PlayStation 3 gets an Intercooler (News)

Oct 4, 2006

Nyko Technologies, a premier peripherals manufacturer, announced that they will be releasing the Intercooler for Sony's PlayStation3 computer entertainment system this holiday season. This device easily connects to the PlayStation 3 using patent-pending technology that works with the systems power port and vent system. Once attached, the high-efficiency external fan placement dramatically increases internal air flow and allows the console to run at optimal temperature levels. The Intercooler for the PlayStation 3 will be available between $19.99 and $29.99 at major retailers.

[PS3] The Ultimate PS3 Games List - 160 Titles! (News)

Sep 25, 2006

German game site www.gameguide.nl posted today the ultimate list of 160 game tittles in production for the ps3.
Within the 160 tittles ,95 of them will be ps3 exclusive .

(TBA = To Be Announced )

List of ps3 games in development:

2K Games/Take-Two/Rockstar
- College Hoops 2K7 ~Visual Concepts, TBA~
- The Darkness ~Starbreeze, 2007~
- Grand Theft Auto 4 ~Rockstar North, Q4 2007~
- NHL 2K7 ~Visual Concepts, TBA~
- NBA 2K7 ~Visual Concepts, TBA~
- Red Dead Revolver 2 ~Rockstar North, TBA~

Activision
- Call of Duty 3 ~Infinity Ward, Launch~
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance ~Raven, Launch~
- Spider-Man 3 ~Treyarch, Q2 2007~
- Tony Hawk's Project 8 ~Neversoft, Launch~

Atari
- Alone in the Dark 5 ~Eden Studios, TBA~

Atlus
- Shin Megami Tensei 4 ~Atlus R&D1, TBA~

Beuna Vista
- Turok ~Propaganda, TBA~

Capcom
- Devil May Cry 4 ~Capcom Studio 1, Q4 2007~
- Monster Hunter 3 ~Capcom Studio 1, 2008~
- Resident Evil 5 ~Capcom Studio 4, Q4 2007~
~
- Untitled ~Action~ ~TBD, TBA~

Codemasters
- DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road ~In-house, 2007~

D3 Publisher
- Dark Sector ~Digital Extremes, TBA~

Eidos
- Untitled ~Action~ ~TBD, TBA~

Electronic Arts
- Army of Two ~EA Montreal, TBA~
- Battlefield: Bad Company ~DICE, 2007~
- Def Jam 3 ~EA Chicago, 2007~
- Fight Night Round 3 ~EA Chicago, Q4 2006~
- Half Life 2: Complete Pack ~Valve/EA, Q1 2007~
- Lord of the Rings: The White Council ~EA Redwood Shores, Q4 2007~
- Madden NFL 07 ~Tiburon, Q4 2006~
- Medal of Honor: Airborne ~EALA, 2007~
- NBA Live 07 ~EA Canada, Q4 2006~
- NBA Street Vol. 4 ~EA Canada, 2007~
- Need for Speed: Carbon ~EA Black Box, Q4 2006~
- Skate ~EA Black Box, 2007~
- Tiger Woo...

flOw First Impressions (News)

Sep 24, 2006

Apparently devised by the winner of last year's GDC indie games competition, flOw offers no explanation to the player - not that the non-English speaking Sony rep manning the lone demo pod could either - but luckily that doesn't matter in the slightest thanks to its delightfully intuitive design. In simple terms, it plays a bit like Snake. You control what appears to be a cell-based life form, swimming around the inky blue looking for things to eat. As you come across strange-looking single-cell organisms, you line up your pincer like jaws and attempt to grow your form. As you weave your way around, the more you consume, the longer and more complex your segments become, and so it goes on

Metro 2033 : The Last Refuge shows screens (News)

Aug 18, 2006

Subway 2033 is a Novel by the author Dmitriy Glukhovsky. Currently in works for the PS3 and PC. The team behind this game plans to show it for the first time in public at the upcoming German games show this month.

PS3 Gets Downloadable Games (News)

May 30, 2006

According to a job posting on CraigsList today That Game Company is looking for "a superstar engineer with a strong graphics background to develop an unannounced downloadable title for the PlayStation 3 launch in November." IGN contacted That Game Company's developer and president Kellee Santiago who revealed that the game is for a service which will offer downloadable casual games, likely similar to Xbox Live Arcade, and will be available for download on the PlayStation 3's launch day. She went on to say the game would be a port of That Game Company's admittedly addictive, bright blue, and currently free web game flOw.