January 23rd, 2012 | By Chris Priestman
Tagged in: alpha | beta | free game | joyride labs | nikki and the robots | pay what you want | PC Game | Platformer
Joyride Labs have revealed that their upcoming platformer, Nikki and the Robots, is about to enter in to its paid beta stage and have further announced that the game will be adopting a unique variation on the pay-what-you-want model that entices customers to buy early.
Nikki and the Robots has been an anticipated game of ours for quite some time. It may be of the fairly typical ‘platformer with pixel art’ type of indie game but there is evidence of a lot of work going into it and to a great looking result. Nikki, the girl in the catsuit, is nothing special herself but she can hack the various robots around the levels and bring them under her control, each of which have a unique ability.
A free alpha version of the game has been available for some time now so we’re surprised if you haven’t already given the game a whirl. Nikki and the Robots is about to step things up a notch though as the first episode of the Story Mode is now ready to be released, which will also mark the game’s transferral into beta. This will not be a free beta either, it will be paid-for but if you want to make a big saving you need to get in early!
For the first week of Nikki and and the Robots Episode 1′s release, the game will be available in a pay-what-you-want form with no minimum price whatsoever. Once you have bought the game for whatever price you will then receive the rest of the episodes and updates for free. After the first week of the initial release has passed, a fixed minimum price will be set. With each new episode of the game being released, that fixed minimum price will go up and so the sooner you fork out the cash, the cheaper you can get the whole game.
Joyride say they were inspired by the Humble Bundle and Minecraft when coming up with their inventive pay-what-you-want model. The former influence can certainly be seen in the payment page as previewed by the developers.
At the current moment in time, the developers say they are still working on the game and anticipate a release in mid-February. You can find out more information about Nikki and the Robots on the official website.
Chris Priestman (1271 posts)
Valuing gameplay and innovation over everything, Chris has a keen eye for the most obscure titles unknown to man and gets a buzz from finding fantastic games that are not getting enough love. Chris Priestman, Editor-in-Chief of IGM Email: chrispriestman@indiegamemag.com Twitter: @CPriestmanThere is currently no description for this author...