Well, this is nice. Even as Sony are tempting PC indies over to their new console with trinkets like comprehensive QA support and the funds needed to finish development, one modest publisher is working to pull them back the other way. Curve Studios – developers of ace insta-death platformer Stealth Bastards – have ported PSN exclusive Velocity Ultra to the PC.
It’s the first time original devs FuturLab have ever had a game on our fair platform, and the first time Curve have transposed a PSN exclusive for PC, rather than the other way around. And they’d quite like to do it again.
Velocity Ultra is a vertical space shoot-em-up which incorporates something like Dishonored’s blink ability as a key mechanic. You’ll pilot the world’s first quantum teleport craft, capable of hopping between onscreen locations in a moment and solving what Curve intriguingly term “action puzzles”.
“Bringing Velocity Ultra to the PC is a project we’re really proud to be involved with,” said Curve’s managing director, Jason Perkins. “Vertical shooters are a genre that has traditionally been under-served on the PC – despite a huge demand for interesting, unique shooters on the platform – and Velocity is one of the best ever made.”
Velocity’s PS Vita version, Ultra, was released in May are now stands as one of the top ten highest-rated games on the dinky platform, according to opinion-robot Metacritic. Curve hope to recreate that level of acclaim in bringing the game to PC.
“We’re not new to PC development, having released Stealth Bastard Deluxe to critical acclaim last year,” pointed out Perkins. “We’re paying special attention to the little details that make a PC version great, including fully customisable controls and excellent HD graphics running at a smooth 60 FPS.”
We asked Curve whether we can expect to see the indie publisher port more console exclusives to PC in the wake of Velocity.
“We’re certainly on the lookout for any developers who have had console exclusives in the past that would like to move across to PC,” affirmed PR man Rob Clarke. “One of the unique things about Curve as a publisher is that we were a developer first and still have a large development team that are very good at conversions.”
What’s more, Curve intend to help out native PC developers looking to circumvent Steam’s iffy Greenlight process and find a publisher “with an indie background that understands the requirements of indie developers”.
“Obviously every relationship we have is different, but we hope to be publishing a lot more PC indie games in the future!,” Clarke added.
Excellent. Velocity Ultra will be on Steam by Christmas.What’s at the top of your list of console exclusives you’d like to see relocated to your desktop?