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. . . '“ *v*‘-**“ 6VERL0RD Dad the L'ne R'der V' ' (Codemastersl 0000

/ 0Q~W>I FE Back to basics

Dave Cook Checks out emerging talent in the world of Flash Gaming

lash gaming is a limit} beast. [or \ome it is a mere distraetion uhile others see it as a l'ormidahle l'oree in the gaming llltilhll'} despite the odd ‘had \xehsite de\oted to \ tilgar eartoons and eontroxers}. 'l‘he eoding language allous \\oti|d~he artists to get their ereations otit \\ ilhotit a ptthlishing giant \llL‘il as Son} or .\liermolt. \\e\ e all seen 'le/r/x and l’ung elones on l‘lash \\eh\ile\ httt del\e deeper and )titi \\ i|| eneotmter lree games more deserxing ol )Ulll‘ 40 quid. l’tihlixherx ha\ e spotted a perleet gap in the market and are t1o\\ reertiiting some oi this untapped talent. lake the dounloadahle PS} title /l()n‘. l‘or instanee. 'l'he hugel} addiethe motion sensor \iiake-elone started We as a l'lash lllil\L‘l'\il) projeet: nou it is the reeipienl ol' man} aeeolades in the gaming press. : "z ('hrix Keenan is the .‘\\\oeiate l’rodtieer ol‘ ln.\i|e ( iamex. the team hehind .1. ; : .: : ' l'ortheoming erime game Heixl. Keenan‘s eompan} al\o prodtteex a nilt} Hash game ealled line It’ll/er. originth ereated h} a Slownian l'ni\er\it_\ : ;" student named Boxtjan (‘ade/. ‘He made the game as a \ehool proieet and lint it tip on l)e\ iant.-\rt.eomf reealls Keenan. ‘l-‘rom there it generated htw ' -. z . . : and gathered a ettlt liolloning.‘ Nintendo has mm snapped tip the game l'or de\e|opment on Wii and l).\'. It is just one ol man} reeent \llt‘L‘t‘\\ stories. .' z‘ ' t . . 2 Behemoth. the team hehind .-l/ien Hominid. a run‘n‘gtin title that hegan lile as a small chlt proieet on Ne“gl'tttltlti\.L'Ulll. are no“ de\eloping ('ml/e ‘1 (‘HM/H'I'S l'til' \ho\ l.i\e :\l'L‘;ltiL‘. :'- z 2. .1 " ' : 2' ! Keenan praises the mu online marketplaee. ‘l'm a huge lan ol' .\ho\ l.i\ e ' . ' :' .'\reade. I eotildn't hegin to tell _\oti ho\\ mueh mone_\ he spent on these . .' ' :' ' ".1 1:"- ganies. ’l’he tighter \eope ol I‘laxh games lends itsell~ \\ ell to these smaller : : :‘ t_\pe\ UititM nloadx. .\'intendo\ next \_\ \[L‘Iil \Vii \Vare \\ ill help independent dexelopers break into the market h} making games \\ ith small htidgetsf

()ne aspeet ol' line Kit/er that relates to the ethos ol I‘laxh gaming is that it :w " . .- 2 1' is not hound h} rules a eharaeterixtie that estahlixhed dexelopers eould --: ' - t, -4 :' v : learn l'rom. .>\n injeetion ol lresh home-groun talent is _lll\l “hat the z'.:'.' illdtlxll'} llL‘t‘ti\ [0 enter llL‘\\ IC\C|\ 0i. t‘l’L‘;tli\ ll}. ' 2' " I *

While it ma} not reaeh the di//_\ing heights oli(ie¢1/‘\ of HM and its triple- :\ hrethren. line Kit/(T \\il| \ttrel} stand ottt l'rom the eroud this war. Should more I'laxh games make the leap lrom online time “aster to tally fledged eommereial title the gaming \\ot'|d \\ ill he a mueh more interesting :--: " plaee. l’tihlixherx. the hall is no“ in _\our eottrt. For the official Line Rider game visit www.0fficial- |inerider.com/play.html. For InXile Games see www.inxile- entertainment.com

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:'\{‘ttit 5‘11 "‘tz'fi'W'” . www.boxhead.seantcooper.com www.indestructotank.com

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