Xbox Game Pass Hitting Android

On the 11th of August Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to start playing a number of Game Pass games via their phones as part of a new xCloud beta streaming service.

“We’re entering a limited beta period to ensure a smooth transition of the cloud gaming experience to the Xbox Game Pass app on Android,” a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge in a statement. 

The beta will allow gamers who are subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate to use the service’s existing Android app to stream a few titles to their phones. Regretfully Apple have a ban on streaming game services, so iOS users cannot partake in this experience.

Indie Dev Interview with Lauri Paakinaho

Indie games have a special place in my heart. I started my gaming journey on the Game Boy Colour and cheap titles on my laptop at the time. Being an indie developer is no easy task, most struggle to make a profit and releases can be very hit and miss. Yet if you take the time to turn away from the eye candy of the triple A titles the games industry has to offer, you can be entertained by countless little gems. 

Today we have an interview with Lauri Paakinaho, the one man army that is Woblyware. Due to my love of Devious Dungeon I felt the need to interview him on his experiences and inspirations. 

Many in the VP community seek to work their way into some avenue of the games industry so I hope this interview is as helpful and inspiring as I found it.  


Q: Having created a range of indie titles what would you say has beenyour favourite project that you have worked on so far and why?
A: I'd have to say Omega Strike is my personal favorite. It's the
biggest game I ever made and put the most effort into. To me it feels
like the most complete game I've made.

Omega Strike

Q: I loved the character and level design across all of your games. Whatinspires you to create such vibrantly cute worlds?
A: It's just a style I like a lot. From all the inspiration I've took
from other artist, this kind of style always looked great in my opinion
and eventually my own art style developed in the same direction.

Q: In your time as both a gamer and a creator is there any other Indietitles that have inspired you?
A: Yes, several games have inspired me along the way such as Spelunky,
Mercenary Kings and many many smaller games like old flash games.

Spelunky by Derek Yu

Mercenary Kings by Tribute Games

Q: What were the biggest obstacles you faced being an indie developer and how did you overcome them?
A: I work mostly alone, so the biggest problem is making games that are
good enough to stand among all the other games that are coming out. It's
really hard to make a living as an indie dev and you never know if your
project will be profitable. But somehow after 10 years I'm still doing
this for a living so maybe I'm just extra lucky hehe.

Q: Do you have any advice for budding games designers out there?

A: Start small and try to finish projects. It's fairly easy to get your
game released on the App Store or Steam these days and even though the
game may not make much money, it will look good on your resume if you're
looking for a job in the games industry.

Q: And finally do we have a new game on the horizon to look forward to?

A: I've been working on a game called Royal Frontier which is a turn
based roguelite. It should be coming out later this year or maybe next
year.

Cyber Punk 2077 Xbox One X

I am not normally sold on exclusive and limited edition versions of consoles. I also don't want to appear to look like a Cyberpunk 2077 fangirl. Yet this new Xbox One X limited console is a work of art. It even glows in the dark!

July's Xbox Gold Games

As per usual next months PS Now games have not been announced, but as the  the Tenth Anniversary of the subscription’s launch next week, PS4 owners could be in for a treat.

Sony hasn’t confirmed celebrating the milestone, but they rarely confirm anything ahead of the official announcement. 

Meanwhile Xbox Gold users can snap up these games on their system in July:

Xbox One
WRC 8 FIA World Rally Championship (July 1-31)
Dunk Lords (July 16-August 15)

Xbox 360 
Saints Row 2 (July 1-15)
Juju (July 16-31)