I hate making “business decisions.” When the guys from Atomix originally approached us, the idea seemed like mana from heaven. Here was an iPad app that could finally allow us to directly charge for the creation of our content. Unless you’re the size of IGN or Gamespot, making a decent income from advertising dollars alone is an increasingly difficult prospect and, quite frankly, the almighty ad-dollar isn’t an arena we’re interested in competing in. While we knew Atomix was a risk for us financially, the potential outcome—producing video about videogames, our first love—was enough of an attractor to get us on board.
The Atomix team down in Mexico City are a fantastic bunch of dudes. We love those guys and we’re happy to report that Atomix magazine has lined up an editorial staff so that the magazine will continue right on schedule with monthly releases in both English and Spanish. In fact, the next issue is going to be free! Our time producing content for the magazine might be over, but I know that Atomix magazine will continue to get some issue sales every month from the members of this little startup in San Francisco, and we hope you’ll continue to support them as well. All of us at AREA 5 sincerely wish them all the success in the world and the two companies have left the possibility open that we could work together again in the future. After all, this wasn’t some stupid tiff over editorial or a relationship gone sour, this was AREA 5 doing what it needed to do to prosper as a business. For now, that means building up enough cash-on-hand in our company bank account that we can take some really big risks in the future, and we hope you’ll jump back on board with us when the time is right.
But, in spite of this news, we’re actually in a very good place as a company. The deals we’ve got pending, if all goes according to plan, could mean real growth for AREA 5 as a company—the kind that could mean new employees, interns to abuse, that sort of thing—and THAT’S when it’ll be (the aforementioned) right time.
It’s important to us to get some of our content out there to people that don’t have iPads and yet still want to experience some of what we’re working so hard on. We can’t give it all away for free, obviously, but by putting out some of the videos and articles for free, we’re hoping to, first, give something back to those of you that have given us such support over the years and, secondly, to attract more iPad owners to the magazine. Personally, I’m amazed with Ryan’s work on our S&S:EP cover story in issue 02 of Atomix and it deserves to exist, at least in part, as available to as many people as possible!
On Friday, March 4 2011, following the final day of the Game Developers Conference, the creators of the then soon-to-be-released iOS sensation Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP joined AREA 5, Atomix editors, and mutual friends in the middle of San Francisco’s Golden Gate park for a conversation on a log. Cameras were on-hand, and the highlights of the encounter were documented in four video segments. This is the first of them. To get the rest, download the Atomix app from the App Store. The app is free, and each issue is only 99¢
You’ll notice that it’s in 4:3. This was important with covering this game because the iPad itself is 4:3 and the Sword & Sworcery gameplay footage is so beautiful that we wanted to show it in full glory when someone is watching these videos in full screen on their iPad.
First, watch this video. Then download the free app from the App Store. The first issue is available now at only 99¢. It takes a few hours for in-app purchases to show up, but at least you can get your iPad all sycned up and ready to go!
I LOVE IT! How can I subscribe?
Yes, there will be subscription options available soon, but Apple’s announcement for in-app periodical subscriptions came too late for us and instead of delaying the magazine until that part of our app was ready, we just wanted to get it out there. For now you just have to buy each issue. 99¢ ain’t so bad, is it?
What if I don’t own an iPad? Will any of your content be available online?
Yes! Our Facebook page, this blog and the Atomix Tumblr blog will all have content that either didn’t make it into the monthly issues, or that extends what is in the issues, or that we just want to put online for free because we love you.
Do you only cover iOS games?
No. A sampling of what’s in this first issue alone:
- LA Noire is the cover story
- Killzone 3 and Marvel Vs. Capcom3 are reviewed
- Journey helps our “indie cred”
- We tell you how to make your classic consoles look awesome on modern HDTVs.
Will Atomix be available on Android tablets and phones, iPhone, etc. etc. etc. etc. (times infinity)?
The app right was created straight up for the iPad. Obviously we want to be anywhere and everywhere we can, but as any game developer will tell you: it’s better to take a piece of the pie and savor it rather than trying to shove the whole thing in your mouth and choking. That metaphor actually played a lot better in my head… Anyway, it’s a business decision. The quicker Atomix becomes a success, the quicker we can spend money on creating apps for other platforms. If you want Atomix elsewhere, help us spread the word. Like our Facebook page, follow our Twitter and re-tweet our stuff, run down the street naked with our URLs tattooed across your flesh.
So you’re in English and Spanish? What about Italian, German, Finnish, Klingon? Atomix is intended as a global product. We have an enormous advantage over print publications in this regard and we intend to exploit it. As soon as we can expand to other languages we will. We are polytheists when it comes to gaming platforms and we are likewise unattached to a single language or region. Our biggest dream is that Atomix becomes successful enough to let us hire translators, editors, and freelance writers for as many other languages as makes financial sense, so tell your friends around the world to get Atomix. Qapla!
So is this what you guys have been up to these past months?
Well, yes and no. AREA 5 has always been a video production company, and we needed to make some pretty critical business-ish type decisions. And, as one might expect, that means how to bring in more money so that we could, in fact, take on another risky project. Videogame editorial has always been our first and best love, but even the big guys out there will tell you that it generally pays like shit—at least under the old formulas. Advertising-based media delivery is old-world thinking, and while it can work if your volumes are large enough to overcome the every-increasing squeamishness of potential advertisers for verifiable metrics, it’s nearly impossible to make a go of it if advertising-based content production is the only pillar of your business. Fortunately, AREA 5 has never been a content-only company. We provide video production services and it has been those services which have kept us viable. Serendipitously, when Atomix approached us about building the majority of the content for their soon-to-be-ready iPad magazine, we were comfortable enough to jump in.
What if I want to advertise in Atomix?
If someone wants to advertise in Atomix, they’ll have ample opportunity. We didn’t bother with advertisers for this first issue since we figured a working proof-of-concept would be a lot more attractive then what might be. If you’re interested in getting a custom, interactive ad in one of our upcoming issues, email: sales (at) atomixmag.com
How else can I get in touch with Atomix? info (at) atomixmag.com or feedback (at) atomixmag.com
Ümloud is a charity even that happens every christmas season benefiting Child’s Play. It’s a fake concert of fake bands benefiting a real charity. We’ve been. It’s an incredibly good time! You should come, too! It’s a night that combines a few of our favorite things: Rock Band, drinking, charity auctions, and drinking.
The “bands” bid literal money to be on stage. All the proceeds go to charity and part of the prize package for the highest-bidding, “headliner” band for 2010 was a Behind the Music-style video telling the band’s story. Ümloud asked us to do said video (for free—it is for charity after all!) and how could we resist?
Ümloud also has a charity auction and raffle that goes all night long and has a ton of amazing gamer-related collectibles that you can win. Just more enticements to spend your hard-earned cash for a good cause!
We were invited to the Crysis 2’s multiplayer event at PAX this year. Yes, they’re paying us to produce these episodes, but it’s actually pretty bad ass. It makes sense because, as executive producer Nathan Camarillo explains, they have an entire, 70-man team working exclusively on the multiplayer.
On the days of September third through September fifth, in the year of our lord two thousand and ten, a congregation of nerddom so powerful as to eclipse the essence of description itself, descended upon the huddled, humbled peasantry of Seattle. Known as the PAX, we could not look away. (Apologies for the quality, these were all shot on my last-gen iPhone. We’ll have more—and much better quality—stuff from PAX up soon!)
We looked down upon the morass from our ivory tower.
I actually can’t believe how good of a deal we got on these hotel rooms!
Other creatures afflicted our senses, their truth of what is real scant overwrought by our own.
Bizarre rituals ocurred. People feasting while wiggling sticks-and-balls and dancing in wholly impractical attire.
A dopplegänger known only as Eric of Sapp attempted theft of Ryan’s soul.
At a scarce and oft-challenged watering hole, some dutiful journeymen and women of the nation of BioWare approached us and our companions to share with us rings of power they had absconded with—through games of chance, so the story was told—from the lair of the mighty drake-beast Gameworks.
Forced into a den of debauchery by our need to acquire the services of others on the Ninth Quest of the Dragon, we were dismayed that layabouts are encouraged by floors bathed in giant cushionry. Our talismans were stacked ever higher in attempts to unite in cause and duty.
Guess which one belongs to Jeff Green.
Surfaces of strange runes and sigils filled the darkened corners of halls and of our minds. The masters of these domains seldom even glanced our way so enthralled were they in their dark arts.
We fled via tunnels beneath the besieged city, the fear palpable in our eyes.
Fare you well, Seattle.
Our quest is not at an end. There is yet more to tell…
Turns out there’s an emergency, super-last-minute panel going on that the AREA 5 team has been invited to! It’s a giant, ex-1UP love-and-get-drunk-a-thon thrown by none other than the super-mega-hyper-awesome Kathleen Sanders. Pretty much anybody that you knew and loved from all the 1UP podcasts (1UP Yours, Four Guys 1UP, GFW, etc.etc.), The 1UP show, and so forth are going to be in attendance.
We ordered some T-Shirts and had them shipped to our hotel. They’re supposed to arrive today, but no guarantees as to when. If you see us, ask us about them and hopefully we’ll have some to sell. Yes, sell. Sorry that we can’t just give them away, but we’re trying to raise money for new projects. They’ll be a flat $20 each since we won’t really have the ability to make change on the spot. Super underground, super indie, super limited-edish. As in we have just over 100 of them and when they’re gone they’re not going to be made again.
Speaking of limited, find us and collect all of our business cards! If you can get one from each member of AREA 5, then just like Voltron you can make a MEGACARD that form our sweet-ass logo. Of course as soon as AREA 5 has 6 people instead of the five that we do now, we’ll never be able to do this again so we’ve only printed a limited run of these cards for PAX. Not the most awesome give-away ever, but we like games so we thought it might be fun to make our cards a sort of game. A lame game, but a game all the same. Here’s what it looks like:
Finally, we’er gonna be at a few places hanging out after the show floor closes tonight and tomorrow. Tonight, come hang with us at The Blarney Stone from 7:30pm until about 8:30 or 9:00. We didn’t reserve a room or pay for an open bar or anything, this is just where we’re gonna be and we’d love it if you could come hang with us! Here’s where it be at:
Finally, Saturday night we’re going to be hanging out at the SEGA party at the Gameworks across the street from the convention center. The doors open to the public at 8:00pm and there are going to be, like, five megatons of people there so it might be hard to find us in the melange of peeps, but we’ll probably be near a bar ;p.
If we don’t see you at PAX, have boatloads of fun this weekend and just email us or comment in this thread and tell us what you loved most about the show. I’m sure we’ll have all kinds of insane stories to tell ourselves. Most of them will probably involve a sentance like this: “Dude, Jason was so drunk that…”
We followed the team to E3 and hid in the audience as Crysis 2’s immersive 3D gameplay was revealed for the first time to the waiting world. The Crysis 2 team then elaborates more on their unique approach to 3D as well as the intense AI that’s been gifted the game’s enemies.
What did you think of this episode? Comment on this blog post and let us (and Crytek) know what you’d like to see in the future and then make sure to go and comment on this episode in the Crysis YouTube Channel so that they know you’re watching!
Crytek hired us to develop, shoot, and produce a new series leading up to the release of Crysis 2. In this first episode we get the first look anywhere of full 1080p video of Crysis 2 gameplay, some insider info about the game’s development philosophy and a quick tour of Crytek’s offices in Frankfurt, Germany.
Let us know what you think about this new series, here, and then make sure to go and comment on the Crysis YouTube Channel so they know you want to see more!
matt chandronait;)
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