GDC '08: PixelJunk pollinates Eden

Q Games' Dylan Cuthbert reveals next installment in PSN downloadable series is "coming soon" and will feature unique visual style coupled with platforming gameplay.

SAN FRANCISCO--For Dylan Cuthbert, game design can easily be distilled into four precepts: simplicity, familiarity, originality, and 1080p. Such has been the case for the expatriate veteran designer's Kyoto-based Q Games, which released PixelJunk Racers as a downloadable offering on the PlayStation Network in September, with the tower-defense-style real-time strategy game PixelJunk Monsters arriving in January.

Along with giving a postmortem of the PixelJunk series on the PlayStation Network during the Independent Games Summit at the Game Developers Conference on Monday, Cuthbert gave audience members a first look at the third game to bear the unusual moniker, PixelJunk Eden. Described as a platformer not unlike Mario, Eden drops players into the role of a seed-like ball, and they must traverse levels by leaping and swinging from environments that seem to unfold as the player progresses. Along the way, players attempt to fling their seed at pollination nodes that grow the pseudo-garden.

A marked departure from the top-down RC cars of Racers and the hypercuteness of Monsters, Eden features a trendy, digital techno art style seen in several other recent PSN downloadable releases, such as flOw and Everyday Shooter. According to Cuthbert, the game's unique style was aided by Japanese modern artist Baiyon. Unique visual style or not, PixelJunk Eden will maintain Q Games' standards for the series, offering hand-drawn 2D visuals in full HD with "simple, intuitive controls."

Cuthbert, who plans for Q Games to create in all six games featuring the PixelJunk aesthetic, also mentioned the fourth installment has entered an early stage of development under the working title PixelJunk Dungeons. No other details on the game were revealed. However, during the PixelJunk postmortem, Cuthbert stated that the games are on a short development cycle of about six months each.

21 Comments

  • StuDevo

    Posted Nov 28, 2008 11:00 am PT

    Such an awesome game and only £4. Well worth a download

  • xanderenigma

    Posted Mar 25, 2008 12:19 pm PT

    These games are soooo fun!
    They are so replayable aswel, its just pure fun!

  • Pablo620

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:19 pm PT

    Only SIX PixelJunk games...i was kind of looking for a continuing trend. After all 6 are released they should bundle all 6 on a blu ray and sell it for like $30 or $20. That would be sweet.

  • one_atom12

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 9:37 pm PT

    I took a chance and downloaded PJ Monsters when it was on sale for $7.99 after I tried and loved Everyday Shooter (I know it's by a different developer, but it convinced me that these little games could be good).

    The game is very fun and addictive, and it has got my girlfriend totally hooked. She's never been interested in any other PS3 games, but she's been playing PJ Monsters for the last three days straight whenever she has any free time!

    Eden looks interesting, and the title of "Dungeons" has me intrigued for the next game.

  • hovanPS3

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 2:51 pm PT

    These are the types of games XBLA never gets

  • 4quarters

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 2:38 pm PT

    Monster is AWESOME!!! Don't let the cheesy download video on PSN fool you, this game is addictive as hell and even the girls once they TRY it get hooked, simple to play harder to master..... must get more rainbows.........

  • haesuse

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:52 pm PT

    well i did not liked the racers but with PJM i've been hooked ever since and this has a potential (at least based on the premise), to become another PJM so, bring it on!

  • Stammalamma

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:47 pm PT

    YES!! I freaking love this series!

  • runstalker

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:43 am PT

    Keep adding these quality little games to PSN, especially with Sony rolling out the PS Store cards in the coming weeks at retailers. Kiddies can get around credit cards using these redeemable cards, sure to spike PS Store sales.

  • SemiMaster

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:28 am PT

    Monsters is awesome. Racers sucked.

  • HardCor1981

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:21 am PT

    I haven't bought Monsters yet because I thought it sounded boring, but everyone on here is praising it as fun and addictive. I guess I need to give it a shot.

  • VixDiesel

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:21 am PT

    The video for this is so strange and yet you just want to get yoru hands on it.

  • stikasasn

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:05 am PT

    Monsters kicked ass. I beat it but now all i need to do is get rainbows in all of the levels. The racer demo was ok but I wasn't interested. Eden is a maybe but dungeons (even tho i don't know ANYthing about it) sounds good. lol

  • mad_tyger

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:28 am PT

    This sounds great, I love the PixelJunk series so I'm definitely going to get this.

  • RotaryRX7

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:27 am PT

    lol XBL doesn't get original ideas like these

  • drogaz

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:26 am PT

    Eden looks like the best one yet. I really like the music and visual style and the game looks very intuitive and fun to play.

  • GTA5Addict

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:25 am PT

    PixelJunk Monsters is a great game. I have titles such as Call of Duty 4 sitting around while I am playing PixelJunk Monsters for hours. I can't wait to see what these next games are going to be.

  • Bodboy466

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 9:55 am PT

    "Will it arrive on XBL Arcade" hm? Well, let's look at some crucial details: publisher is SCEA. Ouch. They participate quite regularly on PlayStation.blog. Eek. They have stated nothing about any other consoles. Ay. They might as well be a second-party developer. Don't count on it. I've seen some video of Eden and it looks very unique. I can't wait to see what Dungeons will be- I hope it's an RPG.

    Addendum: Oh, and let's not forget that they were the ones that made that Earth visualizer for Music on the PS3.

  • Trigun1

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 9:54 am PT

    Racers was rubbish. However, Monsters is an amazing game. I am eager to see what else this company makes.

  • dreamcast210

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 9:45 am PT

    will be see this on XBL Arcade? it sounds very interesting.

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