bloghttp://hermitgames.com/blog/en-US2010-09-03T03:02:06ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.5 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Leave Home Resolution Fixhttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/8/10/leave-home-resolution-fix.htmlMatt2010-08-10T18:51:38ZUpdated Leave Home to version 003, game now scans your machine to see what resolutions it can support. Still only $3. Buyers should already have been emailed with an update, if not just drop me a mail "matt @ hermitgames . com".

]]>Leave Home Salehttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/8/8/leave-home-sale.htmlMatt2010-08-08T12:01:12ZI have reduced Leave Home to 80 MS Points (normally 240) on XBLIG for the next three months, click here to queue/buy/rate it. Getting the game back into the top rated lists would really help with downloads so if you like it please rate it, anyone can do this on the marketplace web page you don't have to have bought it.

I have also reduced the PC version to $3 for the same period (normally $5).

]]>Game On 2.0http://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/7/7/game-on-20.htmlMatt2010-07-07T17:35:21ZAs far as I know Leave Home is now featured in version two of the Game On Exhibition. The original exhibition featured an old Yaroze game of mine called Robot Ron (which I think is still in v2). It runs at Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston in Tasmania, Australia and will open on the 3rd July and run to 3rd October. Would appreciate info of sightings or photos from anyone going to the show.

]]>Leave Home Updatehttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/5/2/leave-home-update.htmlMatt2010-05-02T12:37:26ZNew version of Leave Home is live now, demo here:
http://hermitgames.com/storage/leavehome_demo002.zip

This adds:
- 16:10 screen ratio support
- POV hat joystick input (360 dpad and some sticks)
- 1280x800 and 1440x900 resolution support

People who have already bought the game should recieve an email with the update. If not just let me know: matt @ hermitgames . com

Also: hermitgames on facebook

]]>Why Port Leave Home to DirectX on PC?http://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/4/18/why-port-leave-home-to-directx-on-pc.htmlMatt2010-04-18T17:30:34ZI've had a few people ask me why I ported Leave Home to C++ DirectX8 on PC rather than release the XNA version on PC. The common perception seems to be that a releasable PC version comes for "free" when working with XNA.

Compatability

The test version and promo PC versions (built with XNA) had a high proportion of people say it didn't work on their machine, even after installing the correct .net and XNA. Possibly user error but this wouldn't be a problem for a DirectX8 app which would work out of the box.

Installer

XNA games require an up to date version of .net and the XNA game libraries to be installed. An installer with these things included was ~230MB. An installer that Visual Studio built for me (clickonce) that would download these things if the user didn't have them was ~50MB. The clickonce installer was also multiple files and so would have required another installer to pack the clickonce installer into one file. Alternatively pretty much everyone these days has DirectX8 (standard since windows98), the DirectX8 version I built was 7MB packaged in a zip: one exe (ready to run the game) and one dll (fmod audio).

Settings

I already had a good system for allowing the user to setup their window, resolution, aspect and input that I wrote for fren-ze (a before launch windows dialog). This annoying code would have had to be rewritten for the XNA version if I released that.

]]>HGX:002 - 'troid - £freehttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/4/10/hgx002-troid-free.htmlMatt2010-04-10T13:05:08ZI've made my second hermitgames release, 'troid, free.

'troid was originally released in 2004 after about a years development. The first prototype of the chaining mechanic was from a GBA game I did in 2003 called sheeparoids. The idea of chaining three types of like sized rock for a score bonus worked really well against the implicit penalty of doing this in asteroids: that you end up with lots more small rocks. The slow fire rate and high difficulty make the score optimisation puzzles tricky until you master the base gameplay.

]]>Leave Home PChttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/3/13/leave-home-pc.htmlMatt2010-03-13T17:04:17ZPC version of Leave Home now online. Ported completely to DirectX8 in C++ so it should run on a lot more machines. First 20 buyers I'll email a full copy of fren-ze too.

Demo: http://hermitgames.com/storage/leavehome_demo001.zip

Full: https://sites.fastspring.com/hermitgames/instant/leavehome

Cheers to anyone who has bought the Xbox or PC version. Here's an interview I did recently. Back to work on the next game.

]]>Leave Home - Test Version 1 (prototype)http://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/2/26/leave-home-test-version-1-prototype.htmlMatt2010-02-26T20:13:01ZHere is a video of the test version from April 2009. Barely functional gfx and sfx, the split shot mechanic and the bosses hadn't been added. Testers sent back recordings to aid development.

]]>more presshttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/1/29/more-press.htmlMatt2010-01-29T17:05:16ZA few more:

Ars Technica interview. A mention on the RebelFM Podcast. BoingBoing on the merits of the XBLIG service. JeanSnow nice design mention. The Guardian gamesblog on britsoft indie.

]]>promo and presshttp://hermitgames.com/blog/2010/1/11/promo-and-press.htmlMatt2010-01-11T11:30:41ZLeave Home has got some excellent press around the web. Getting mentioned on a website makes a massive difference to the number of people trying the game, essential for a small indie title like LH. Thanks to anyone who worked to promote the game. A selection of journo heroes:

Great review from Rob over on XNPlay and XNPlay Screenshots. Unprecedented Edge [8/10] review and a mention on the Friday game feature. Joystiq's Xbox channel writeup. Gamerbytes writeup. Tim W discovered the trailer on youtube early. Bill over at the2bears writeup. Swedish indie blog Ludus Obscura writeup. PENNY ARCADE! Gay Gamer review. Eurogamer mention in a Borderlands article thanks to Chris Donlan. RaxDakkar blog. Indie monolith TIGSource review thanks to Anosou.

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