Welcome to the official blog of My Owl Software, creator of the excellent Apple Jack games!



Saturday 4 May 2013

Seven months later...

Hello!

It's been an absurd amount of time since I posted an update on here, during which not a lot of progress has been made on the PC versions of AJ1&2, or indeed much else programming-wise.

This is mostly due to my poor, abused back, which has spent several years propping up my arms and head while I tap away at the computer, with no back rest to support it. Turns out that this is VERY BAD, and the final stretch Apple Jack 2 pretty much knackered it completely, to the point where I had to lay off the computer work until I could make it stop bloody hurting all the time.

Thankfully, after getting a proper chair and doing stretches for several months it's finally back to normal and I can get on with finishing the conversions. No more testing is required at this stage, but thanks to everyone who has continued to offer help in that area.

Once THAT'S done, I can finally start to work on a new game! There are dozens of ideas ready to go, from the simple to the absurdly ambitious. The one I really want to do is a very peculiar shoot'em up, which would involve hooking up with a decent artist (due to the amount of drawing required), and an actor to play the part of a giant space orange. Brian Blessed would be the perfect man for the job, but he's a bit expensive and there's a lot of dialogue.

Other ideas include a stealth game, a one-button platformer, a 3D platformer, a body-hell beat'em up and a puzzle game. I've also got the set-up and plot of Apple Jack 3 nailed down, but I really want to work on something else first.

Progress should be swift on the PC conversions, so keep your scanners peeled for more updates.



P.S. To Futil1ty in the comments section of the previous entry - there isn't really a trick to completing 5-13, you just have to be good at wall jumping. It was actually even harder when the game was first released, but so many people got stuck I had to patch it. Think yourself lucky!

6 comments:

  1. I would happily voice a dramatic space-citrus for you. Really very much enjoyed AJ1&2 interested in future work. I have some history with voice work and acting, if you would like to contact me my email is Whereisthecrown@me.com

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    1. Thanks for the offer but my heart is set on Brian Blessed. Such a game would sell MILLIONS, I can feel it!

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  2. Ah I meant to hay interested in your future work. Damn touchscreen!

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  3. Glad to hear the PC ports are still going ahead. Hopefully your games will then get the exposure they deserve (plus, I'm selling my 360, and can't stand the thought of not having them available to me!).

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  4. I just finished AJ2 (all on Hardcore, YAY!) and the end credits were hilarious. But, like presumably many others, I felt sad these great games were restricted to XBLIG and I wished aloud that a PC version would come along... and so I visit here to find out lo & behold that is what is happening. Fantastic! I can't wait to re-buy them as both AJs are far too cheap for the enjoyment I've gotten out of them on the XBox.

    Appley thanks to you!

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  5. Mr Prest,

    Not long now! I hope you enjoy them when they're ready.


    Remy,

    Good work - Hardcore is the way to go if you managed to finish the first game, no doubt.

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