FortressCraft

Last updated
FortressCraft
FortressCraft Content Patch 10 Box Art.jpg
Developer(s) ProjectorGames
Publisher(s) ProjectorGames
Designer(s) Adam Sawkins
Artist(s) Andy Roo (3d modelling), Todd DuFore (DMPDesign), Craig Peterson aka Mayoradeath
Composer(s) Arjan Kroes
Mark Knight
Engine XNA Framework
Platform(s) Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
ReleaseXbox 360
  • WW: April 8, 2011
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: April 17, 2021
Genre(s) Sandbox
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

FortressCraft is a video game by British indie developer Projector Games, released on Xbox Live Indie Games on April 8, 2011. FortressCraft cites Minecraft , Infiniminer and Dwarf Fortress as direct inspirations for the design aspect of the game. [1] The game utilizes textured voxels to simulate landscapes, traditionally reminiscent of other titles in the genre.

Contents

FortressCraft makes use of Xbox Live Avatars that are associated with each player's Gamertag. The first and only chapter of FortressCraft has no set parameters, quests, or objectives—players are to forge their own personal worlds block-by-block alone or with friends on Xbox Live.

Gameplay

Upon starting a new game, players spawn on a water-filled tower in a randomly generated world. From this point they may start exploring their world or assembling structures with the various block sets given to them. Conversely they may also choose to dig through the ground, hunting for Relics that give bonuses such as the ability to fly, to jump higher, to place TNT charges and blow up blocks, and more.

There are currently a total of 615 different cubic blocks in the game, each with their own pattern and design, along with 64 custom user-defined blocks. These cubic blocks in conjunction with the custom user-defined blocks can be used to build anything the player wants. The blocks vary from simple color [2] and texture variants to being quite unique—the trampoline block, for example, is a unique block that propels players up in the air higher and higher with each jump.

There are four game modes playable in the latest version of FortressCraft:

The game also features a "Workshop", where the player can place down blocks to make an 8 x 8 x 8 block scale model which is then transformed into a single custom block allowing players to make unique blocks. These blocks can have effects added to them to allow them to rotate, wiggle, emit smoke, and many other actions when placed.

In a recent update new custom block effects were added, one such instance makes custom blocks emit lasers. When these lasers hit a "factory" custom type, the factory emits a "doodad". In its default state the doodad appears as a crate with the ProjectorGames logo, but the appearance can be changed upon placing a custom block on top of the factory. The doodads are affected by gravity and can be moved about on "conveyor" custom blocks or launched from "jumppad" customs.

Ports

In 2012 it was announced that FortressCraft was to be released on the OnLive marketplace. [3] Adam Sawkins stated that he was looking forward to having FortressCraft playable on the multiple platforms that OnLive provides, specifically the mobile versions. [4] It was also announced that FortressCraft would be a part of the OnLive PlayPack subscription service. [5] After Onlive was bought out, communications stopped between Sawkins and Onlive. [6]

FortressCraft was then ported to the Unity game engine as "FortressCraft Evolved", allowing multiple platform support.

The original Xbox 360 version of FortressCraft was ported to PC with development beginning February 2021, and re-released on the Steam platform. [7] The PC version contains unreleased features that were developed for OnLive like the universal avatars, and new features such as multiple world support, and higher limits such as increased view distance. [8] The original release date was aimed towards the 10th anniversary of the game's original release (April 8, 2011), with this version being the anniversary edition.

Reception

FortressCraft was met with favorable sales. Within the first two days of the game's release it was downloaded 40,000 times and purchased around 35,000 times. [9] In August 2011, FortressCraft became the highest-grossing Xbox Live Indie Game title, with over one million dollars in sales. [10] FortressCraft retained this record until May 2012, when Total Miner was announced to have sold 800,000 copies. [11] As of May 1, 2012, the game has sold 750,000 units. [12]

Internet Personality Daniel Keem better known as Keemstar was heavily involved in promoting the game and even made a deal with the developers where he made millions from the game. [13]

Markus Persson, the creator of Minecraft, commented on the game, saying "FortressCraft is an obvious attempt to just take something popular and clone it as closely as possible. I still think it's important that people are allowed and able to do things like that, but it's hardly graceful." [14] Adam Sawkins first responded to the criticism with an open letter to Persson, citing Minecraft as an inspiration, but crediting the differences present in FortressCraft. [15] Sawkins later defended the credibility of FortressCraft in a feature run by IGN, stating, "It might do well on the name alone, but if you want sexy graphics and shaders and the creative aspect, you have FortressCraft. If you want to fight monsters and share stuff with your friends, you have Total Miner. Nobody will pay for Minecraft when they can pay $3.00 for Total Miner or FortressCraft". [16] When asked about Mojang's perception of FortressCraft, the company's business chief Daniel Kaplan stated that they were bored with the video game clones, but that no legal action would be taken against ProjectorGames. [17] Adam Sawkins responded to Kaplan's comments in an interview with Eurogamer, pointing out key differences between the vox games on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Minecraft. He also addressed how he believed the word "clone" was being unfairly used against recent vox games, whereas Minecraft, originally a clone of Infiniminer , did not receive the same treatment. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox Game Studios</span> American video game publisher

Xbox Game Studios is an American video game publisher based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, spun out from an internal Games Group, for the development and publishing of video games for Microsoft Windows. It has since expanded to include games and other interactive entertainment for the namesake Xbox platforms, other desktop operating systems, Windows Mobile and other mobile platforms, web-based portals, and other game consoles.

Xbox Live Indie Games were video games created by individual developers or small teams of developers released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games were developed using Microsoft XNA, and developed by one or more independent developers that are registered with App Hub. Unlike Xbox Live Arcade titles, these were generally only tested within the local creator community, had much lower costs of production, and generally were less expensive to purchase. The service was released to widespread use alongside the New Xbox Experience, and as of November 2014, over 3,300 games had been released on the service, many receiving media attention. All Indie Games currently require the user to be logged into their Xbox Live account to initiate the start-up of each game. Indie Games were not available in Australia due to local classification requirements which were unable to be fulfilled, though there were workarounds which allowed Australian users to download them regardless. The Xbox Live Indie Games program did not continue with the release of the Xbox One, and the marketplace for these games was shuttered on October 7, 2017.

Minecraft is a 2011 sandbox game developed and published by Mojang Studios. Originally created by Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java programming language, the first public test build was released on 17 May 2009. The game would continue to be developed over the span of two years, until its full release on 18 November 2011. Afterwards, Persson left Mojang and gave Jens "Jeb" Bergensten control over the game's development. In the years since its release, it has been ported to several platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and various video game consoles, primarily by 4J Studios. In 2014, Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property were purchased by Microsoft for US$2.5 billion. Minecraft has become the best-selling video game of all-time, with over 300 million copies sold and nearly 140 million monthly active players as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markus Persson</span> Swedish video game programmer (born 1979)

Markus Alexej Persson, also known as "Notch", is a Swedish video game programmer and designer. He is the creator of the video game Minecraft, which since its release has become the best-selling video game in history. He founded the video game development company Mojang Studios in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mojang Studios</span> Swedish video game developer

Mojang Studios is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm. The studio is best known for developing the sandbox and survival game Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachtronics</span> American video game developer

Zachtronics LLC is an American video game developer, best known for engineering-oriented puzzle video games and programming games. Zachtronics was founded by Zach Barth in 2000, who serves as its lead designer. Some of their games include SpaceChem, Infinifactory, TIS-100, and Shenzhen I/O. Infiniminer (2009) inspired the creation of Minecraft.

<i>Terraria</i> 2011 video game

Terraria is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic. The game was first released for Windows and has since been ported to other PC and console platforms. The game features exploration, crafting, building, painting, and combat with a variety of creatures in a procedurally generated 2D world. Terraria is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling 58.7 million copies as of 2024.

<i>CastleMiner</i> 2011 video game

CastleMiner is a 2011 video game developed by American indie studio DigitalDNA Games and released on Xbox Live Indie Games on July 27, 2011. It is a block-building sandbox game that uses Xbox Live Avatars as the player characters. Less than four months after its initial release, a sequel to the game called CastleMiner Z was released on November 9, 2011. A third game, CastleMiner Warfare, was released for Windows PCs in 2013.

<i>0x10<sup>c</sup></i> Cancelled sandbox science fiction video game

0x10c is an unfinished sandbox science fiction video game previously under development by Mojang AB. It was announced on April 3, 2012, by Markus Persson, the game's lead designer. The game was indefinitely postponed because Persson found himself burned out and demotivated after so much early effort were spent into planning and designing the game, up until the point that it "sucked out any fun from the project". Persson then stated he will instead most likely continue to work on smaller projects for the rest of his life, rekindling the reason he loves programming games in the first place. The game was later cancelled.

<i>Minecraft: The Story of Mojang</i> 2012 documentary film

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang is a 2012 documentary film directed by Paul Owens. It is about the history of the company Mojang and its creation, Minecraft. The film features interviews with company personnel such as Markus Persson and Jens Bergensten and insights from people involved in the gaming industry and from players profoundly impacted by the game. The film was produced by 2 Player Productions. The production was funded through a Kickstarter campaign and spanned nearly two years in locations across North America and Europe.

Minecon is an annual interactive livestream and fan convention about the video game Minecraft, hosted by Mojang. The first gathering in 2010 was known as MinecraftCon. The event then went by the Minecon name from 2011 to 2019. The Minecon 2011 convention was held in Las Vegas and celebrated the launch of the game with Minecraft-related discussion panels and gaming areas. The most recent in-person convention, Minecon 2016, held in Anaheim, had 12,000 attendees. An attempt at returning to in-person events was prevented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alpha, alpha, and/or beta, while the developer is able to use those funds to continue further development on the game. Those that pay to participate typically help to debug the game, provide feedback and suggestions, may have access to special materials in the game. The early-access approach is a common way to obtain funding for indie games, and may also be used along with other funding mechanisms, including crowdfunding. Many crowdfunding projects promise to offer access to alpha and/or beta versions of the game as development progresses; however, unlike some of these projects which solicit funds but do not yet have a playable game, all early access games offer an immediately playable version of the unfinished game to players.

<i>Beat Hazard</i> 2009 video game

Beat Hazard is a music-themed video game developed and published by British studio Cold Beam Games on October 28, 2009 for Xbox Live Indie Games.

<i>Minecraft: Story Mode</i> 2015 video game

Minecraft: Story Mode is an episodic point-and-click video game developed and published by Telltale Games, based on Mojang Studios' sandbox video game Minecraft. The first five episodes were released between October 2015 through March 2016 and an additional three episodes were released as downloadable content (DLC) in mid-2016. A second season consisting of five episodes was released in 2017.

<i>Cube Life: Island Survival</i> 2015 indie sandbox video game

Cube Life: Island Survival is an indie open world sandbox survival video game developed and published by Cypronia. It was released for Wii U in June 2015. An HD remake was released for Steam in April 2018, for Android and iOS in August 2018, and for Nintendo Switch in December 2020.

A Minecraft mod is a mod that changes aspects of the sandbox game Minecraft. Minecraft mods can add additional content to the game, make tweaks to specific features, and optimize performance. Thousands of mods for the game have been created, with some mods even generating an income for their authors. While Mojang Studios does not provide an API for modding, community tools exist to help developers create and distribute mods. The popularity of Minecraft mods has been credited for helping Minecraft become one of the best-selling video games of all time.

<i>Survivalcraft</i> Sandbox video game

Survivalcraft is a 2011 open sandbox video game developed by Marcin Igor Kalicinski under the brand Candy Rufus Games. Following early test versions, it was released on 16 November 2011 for the Windows Phone, and is also available for Android, iOS, and Microsoft Windows. The game is set on a deserted island in an open world, where the player collects resources and items that can be made into survival tools. The game has six different game modes: Survival, Challenging, Cruel, Harmless, Adventure, and Creative. The first four involve the player gathering necessary resources to stay alive. The Creative mode gives the player unlimited items and health, and the Adventure mode is used for quest and parkour maps.

<i>Minecraft Dungeons</i> 2020 video game

Minecraft Dungeons is a 2020 dungeon crawler video game developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is a spin-off of the sandbox video game Minecraft and was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2020. It was also adapted into an arcade video game by Raw Thrills. The arcade version released in May 2021. The game would cease development until April 18, 2024, with the release of the Series 3 Collectable Cards for Minecraft Dungeons Arcade.

<i>Hytale</i> Upcoming video game

Hytale is an upcoming sandbox game by Hypixel Studios. Production began in 2015 by developers from the Minecraft multiplayer server Hypixel with funding from Riot Games, who later bought the studio in 2020. It is scheduled to release for Windows and macOS as well as consoles and mobile devices.

Minecraft is a media franchise developed from and centered around the video game of the same name. Primarily developed by Mojang Studios, the franchise consists of five video games, along with various books, merchandise, events, and an upcoming theatrical film. Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios in 2014, alongside the Minecraft franchise and its editions.

References

  1. ↑ Sawkins, Adam (2012-09-24). "FortressCraft Credits". Twitpic. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  2. ↑ "Minecraft Color Text Codes". ColorCodesMinecraft.com. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
  3. ↑ Handler, Maurice (2011). "FortressCraft, Steam Heroes & SkyKids are Reportedly Coming to OnLive". OnLiveFans. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  4. ↑ Sawkins, Adam (2012-02-12). "I am looking forwards to having FortressCraft playable on mobile platforms for Onlive". Twitter. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
  5. ↑ Moran, Ralph (2011). "FortressCraft is Confirmed to be an OnLive PlayPack Title". OnLiveFans. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  6. ↑ Sawkins, Adam (2013). "If Onlive ever responded to my messages it might come out". Twitter. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  7. ↑ "FortressCraft : Chapter 1 on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  8. ↑ FortressCraft : Chapter 1 - Anniversary Edition Trailer , retrieved 2021-04-15
  9. ↑ "FortressCraft Sells 30k Copies". N4G . 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  10. ↑ Albert, Brian (2012-05-01). "FortressCraft sales top 750k on XBLIG". Escapist Magazine . Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  11. ↑ Priestman, Chris (4 May 2012). "Place Your Bets: 'FortressCraft' Sells 750k, 'Total Miner' Surpasses 800k". Indie Game Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  12. ↑ Dutton, Fred (1 May 2012). "FortressCraft sales top 750k on XBLIG". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  13. ↑ "YouTuber Keemstar on Being 'Half-Loved and Half-Hated' and What's Coming Next". Newsweek . 26 March 2020.
  14. ↑ Webster, Andrew (2011-07-27). "Living under a blocky shadow: the world of Minecraft clones". Ars Technica . Retrieved 2011-07-29.
  15. ↑ Sawkins, Adam (2011-07-27). "Open Letter to Notch".
  16. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (2011-09-20). "FortressCraft Creator Talks Minecraft Comparisons". IGN.
  17. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2012-02-14). "Mojang won't sue FortressCraft dev, "bored" by Minecraft clones". Eurogamer.
  18. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2012-02-17). "FortressCraft creator rejects Minecraft-clone-claims". Eurogamer.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.