Time keeps moving forward, and now only 2 days are left until Jack Move PC release – we hope you’re as excited about it as we are (and we are indeed excited)! As usual, here goes a reminder to wishlist the game if you haven’t done it yet – we know this request might seem a bit repetitive, but it’s important, really.
As a tiny bonus, we’ll share some insider Jack Move tech stats with you, which are always fun to look at (at least in our humble opinion). So, Jack Move features:
85,482 Lines of code
3,700 Animations
892 Sound Effects
72 Battle Effects
46 Types of software
35 Hardware items
And that’s it for today – see you in Bright Town on September 8!
3 days to go + Bundle with CrossCode
Hey guys!
We just wanted to remind you that Jack Move PC release is only 3 days away (it’s September 8, in case you have trouble with maths or calendars). So hurry up and wishlist the game if you still haven’t had a chance to do it. Why? Well, a) this way you definitely won’t miss the game’s launch, b) Steam will show the game to more people, so more people will learn about it, c) you’ll make us happy. Profit!
Also, good news for all retro RPG lovers – we’re collaborating with the guys from Radical Fish Games, so Jack Move will be part of a bundle with CrossCode, a fast-paced retro-inspired 2D Action RPG set in the distant future. You’ll be able to grab both games with an extra 15% discount. And don’t worry if you already have CrossCode in your Steam library – you’re still getting your extra 15% off Jack Move! Quite a bargain, isn’t it?
Charge your cyber decks, and get ready to plunge into the cyberspace of Jack Move on September 8!
1 Week Left until PC Release – Inspirations behind Jack Move
Hi there!
We've got two goals today: to remind you that Jack Move will be out on Steam in a week, i.e. on September 8, and to tell you about the stuff Jack Move has been inspired by – we believe it's a great opportunity to learn about some of the iconic works and plunge even more deeply into the world of cyberpunk by the release of the game. Having accomplished the first goal, let's promptly move to the second one.
But, before that, make sure to add Jack Move to your wishlist if you haven't done it already. By the way, the game's international price will be 20 USD – better start saving up!
An English poet John Donne once said that no man is an island, meaning that no one is self-sufficient. Well, no game is an island either! In the postmodern world of ours (or metamodern, but let’s leave this debate to the academics), full of influences, references, and allusions, everything we make is born from the extensive cultural heritage of humanity, or, to be precise, its part we interact with. Some might say that nothing we make can be truly new or unique then, but we prefer to think about it in a more positive way: good stuff multiplies itself! And, come on, isn’t it always fascinating to catch some smart reference or realise how one thing affected another one?
Edd Parris, the creator of Jack Move, didn’t get born with the concept of the game in mind, nor did he live in isolation: he read books, watched films, and played games, that eventually inspired him to start developing Jack Move. What kind of books, films, and games? That’s what we asked Edd, and what we’re going to share with you now.
Since Jack Move is a) a game, b) a cyberpunk game, this text is divided into two sections: game influences, and cyberpunk influences. Let’s go!
Games
Final Fantasy VII
FFVII was the first JRPG Edd ever played, around 1999, when he was in college. He and his best friend played it together, trading the controller back and forth. They loved it so much, they'd ride home from college during their lunch break to play it. The lunch break was an hour, and it took 15 mins each way, so they’d only get to play about half an hour.
“I loved the wide ranging story that was both goofy and deadly serious in equal measure, the cast of cool characters, and, perhaps most importantly, the turn based battles.” Edd says, “I'd never played anything like it before and it instantly got me hooked!”
When he first started thinking about about making a JRPG, it was his fond memories of FFVII that inspired him. Moral of the story: our first games indeed matter!
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X turns out to have Edd’s favourite battle system. He really enjoyed its chess like aspects, and having to pair up the correct party members against your enemies in order to defeat them as efficiently as possible. This was helped by the visible battle timeline that could help you plan your attacks. So don’t get surprised when you come across something similar in Jack Move: this was a huge influence on its battle system after all.
Golden Sun
A massive triumph in a tiny package. Golden Sun for the Game Boy Advance was a perfect JRPG for the handheld system. The battle screen also had an awesome pseudo 3D look that used a lot of parallax to give the battles depth. Jack Move's behind-the-player view is directly influenced by this!
Cyberpunk
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Neuromancer is the first cyberpunk book Edd ever read. He was instantly transported in to that world through William Gibson’s prose that leaves so much up to the imagination. “I had never read anything like it, with it’s flawed characters and dystopian setting, all help together with this incredible description of a future internet.” he says, “At a time when the internet was just becoming available to normal people, it was truly awe inspiring.”
Neuromancer gave him a thirst for other cyberpunk literature, and he quickly got in to other authors such as Walter Jon Williams, John Shirley, and George Alec Effinger.
These early science fiction pioneers helped inspire the setting and story of Jack Move.
Ghost in the Shell
“I think Ghost in the Shell was the first Anime film I saw, around the time I was 16 or 17.” Edd says, “I had seen it in the video store, and amongst the all the other cassettes, it looked like the coolest thing ever.”
It’s another source of inspiration for the story of Jack Move, asking questions about what it means to be human.
Hackers
In Edd’s opinion, Hackers is one of the greatest films of all time. A peak time in 90’s culture with a mash up of sweet sweet computers, cool rave music, the goofiest dialogue and a classic story of rebels taking on some bad guys.
Hackers has vibes for days, and Jack Move loves it!
Strange Days
Strange Days is Edd’s favourite cyberpunk film with the grounded setting and neo-noir detective story. The film covers themes that are still relevant today: technological addiction, racism, police brutality, voyeurism, reality vs the virtual.
Strange Days is kinda depressing in a lot of places. The world is falling in to despair, there are riots, murders, weird VR snuff tapes etc, but at the core of the film is a message about people choosing to do the right thing.
One of Edd’s favourite things about the film is how chunky and real the technology that it presents feels. Everything runs off a Minidisk (it’s no coincidence Jack Move’s Data icons look very similar), and all the computers are chunky and clunky. This was a big part of how he wanted Jack Move to feel. We have previously described it as “VHS-era”, futuristic but still retaining the analogue feel, like technology at the cusp of the millennium.
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So, these were the main sources of inspiration for different aspects of Jack Move. Some of them might be quite obvious, some of them might be not, yet another thing is important here: everything that you read, watch, or play could be a source of inspiration for something you make in the future. And the best we can hope for is that someday Jack Move will become such source for you.
See you in the cyberspace of Jack Move!
Jack Move launches September 8. Watch new trailer!
Hey, everybody!
It’s time for some great news: we’re super excited to announce that Jack Move is coming to Steam on September 8! The game will cost 19.99 USD (please note that regional prices may vary). And, in case you’d like to grab a copy of Jack Move for your console, you’ll have to wait a tiny bit more: the console launch will take place on September 20.
Meanwhile, check out the brand new animated Jack Move trailer we’ve been working on for more than half a year!
We’ll be dropping more updates and other interesting stuff closer to the release, so make sure to follow the game, and, of course, add it to your wishlist!
We are very excited to share with you the first chapter of Noa's adventures in JACK MOVE I.C.E Breaker. You can download it on Steam right now. It is made for those who have missed the sneak peek during the Steam Winter Fest.
We hope you love it!
Watch Jack Move Steam Festival Live Stream With Developer!
Jack Move, a beautiful JRPG with tactical battles and gritty cyberpunk story will be livestreamed during Steam Fest. We are happy to announce that the first live stream with developer will happen on Tuesday, Feb 24 at 8am PT
Watch Jack Move Steam Festival Live Stream With Developer!
Jack Move, a beautiful JRPG with tactical battles and gritty cyberpunk story will be livestreamed during Steam Fest. We are happy to announce that the first live stream with developer will happen on Tuesday, Feb 22 at 10am PT
Jack Move wins the International award at BitSummit!
Jack Move took part in BitSummit last month. Whilst the event was held physically in Kyoto, we attended remotely via Steam and Discord. A great time was had by all!
We were lucky enough to be nominated for both the International Award (for games originating outside of Japan) and the Excellence in Sound Design Award. The competition was fierce in both categories, so congratulations to all nominees!
We are super humbled to have been selected for the International Award! We love BitSummit, and were lucky enough to attend as visitors in 2019 so it really is a great honor!
We're also amongst esteemed company, Boyfriend Dungeon won the International Award in 2018 and Mørkredd won in 2019.
Jack Move is once again taking part in the excellent Japanese indie game expo BitSummit this year, and we're lucky enough to have been nominated in two of their award categories: Best International Game and Excellence in Sound Design. We're super happy to have been nominated, so wish us luck!
Be sure to check out https://bitsummit.org/en/ and join in some of the live streaming and coverage of the event that will be going on over the next couple of days.
There is also a BitSummit Steam event happeneing for the next week with a bunch of rad demos available (including Jack Move) as well as discounts and more streams! So be sure to check that out too 🎉
http://store.steampowered.com/app/1099640
Jack Move + Yogscast = Tiny Teams!
Hey folks!
We're super excited to be taking part in the Yogscast Tiny Teams this coming August 7! It's a whole week of cool streams, sweet game promos, demos and treats.
The Yogscast folks will be hosting a whole week of streams featuring all kinds of BIG GAMES made by tiny teams. There will also be a BIG SALE of some awesome games during the week too, so prep yourself for BIG SAVINGS!
We'll be making the demo for Jack Move available for the whole week (recently updated with some much needed bug fixes and QoL improvements), so make sure to give it a whirl and give us a lovely wishlist if you've not already!
