Edge (video game)

Edge
App icon
Developer(s) Mobigame (iOS, Android, PSN)
Two Tribes (PC, Wii U, 3DS)
Cosmigo (3DS)
Publisher(s) Mobigame
Platform(s) Linux, iOS, Android, PlayStation Network, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, OnLive, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
Release Edge
iOS
December 2008 (version 1.0)
October 7, 2009 (re-release)
PlayStation Network
  • EU: December 2, 2010
  • NA: September 20, 2011
Steam
August 11, 2011
Android
February 3, 2012
Wii U
November 21, 2013
Nintendo 3DS
December 26, 2013
Edge Extended
IOS / Android
August 25, 2011
Genre(s) Puzzle, platformer
Mode(s) Single-player

Edge (also known as Edgy or Edge by Mobigame) is a puzzle platformer game developed by Mobigame for the iOS devices. Originally released on the iTunes App Store in December 2008, it has been removed and re-added to the store multiple times due to a trademark dispute with Tim Langdell of Edge Games, concerning the use of the word "Edge" in the title. The game was released on multiple platforms including PlayStation Network, PC on Steam, Android, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS.

Edge had obtain a positive reception and received multiple awards including the Milthon Award for Best Mobile Game, two categories for the 5th International Gaming Award, and nominated for three categories for Independent Games Festival. An expansion titled Edge Extended was released with new levels, new music, and a new 3D engine. This expansion was released separately as an independent app for smartphones, and included in most ports of the original game.

Gameplay

Gameplay of Edge on iOS

In Edge, the objective is to guide a cube in an isometric maze-like levels towards the goal. Levels are made up of various platforms and blocks and are accompanied by a map with a top-down perspective. After completing a level, the player is assigned a rank based on their performance. Rank is affected by how fast the level is completed, how many prisms are obtained, and how many times the cube falls off the map. The player can reduce the time by making the Cube hang on edges and ledges of the map. The player can make the cube climb over steps. By balancing the cube along the edge of a wall or space, the player can hang across certain edges in order to cross large gaps. In addition to dragging across the scene, the game can be controlled by on-screen keys or the iPhone's tilt-sensing accellerometer. Certain areas will cause the cube to shrink, allowing it to fit into smaller gaps and climb up high walls. Collecting all prisms in a level and clearing it quickly earns players an S rank.

There are 48 levels (the three last levels are unlocked by taking all the prisms in the 45 previous levels) collecting coloured prisms by dragging the finger across a touch screen (or using analogue controls on PC and Wii U), taking care not to fall off the paths. If all 48 levels are completed, a new Turbo mode is unlocked which makes levels move at a faster pace. Edge Extended has 48 new levels. Turbo mode is replaced with Ghost mode. In Ghost mode, once all levels are completed, players will be able to race against their previous playthrough in the form of a ghost cube. Edge Extended also adds a new Dark Cube feature. Dark cube is AI controlled and moves around throughout the level including pressing switches.[1][2]

Development

Edge was developed by a two-man team: David Papazian and Matthieu Malot, collectively known as Mobigame. The concept of a game based on a rolling cube was conceived by Malot in 2004. Development began on 2006.[3] Papazian programmed the game and Malot served as the artist and game designer. Music was composed by Romain Gauthier, Simon Périn, Richard Malot, Jérémie Périn, and Malot.[4] The team's initial intention was to develop a game dedicated to mobile platforms. After its initial release, Mobigame contemplated on adding keyboard and joypad controller support. They increased the number of levels from 26 to 46 in a few months with free updates.[3] Shortly after the game returned to the Apple App Store, the game received an update adding Retina Display graphics and universal compatibility for the iPad.[5]

A stand-alone expansion, Edge Extended, was released as a separate application and was intended to be an extension of the original.[6] Unlike the previous version of Edge which uses a sophisticated 2D engine to resemble 3D rendering, Edge Extended uses a new 3D graphic engine optimized for Retina display and multisample anti-aliasing on the iPad 2. Jérémie Torton was hired as a new level designer for the game. In 2013, both Edge and Edge Extended were updated with widescreen support.[7]

Two Tribes developed the Steam, Humble Bundle, Wii U versions and co-developed the Nintendo 3DS version with Cosmigo. Two Tribes converted the original's tilt and touch controls into keyboard and analogue stick controls.[8] In addition, Two Tribes had designed and added bonus levels, new achievements and new leaderboards for every level, including the use of shaders and anti-aliasing allowing players to modify the resolution.[9] Both the Wii U and 3DS versions use anti-aliasing and contain the original levels as well as the levels from Edge Extended and the bonus levels included in the Steam version.[10]

Release

Edge released on December 2008 and re-released on October 7, 2009 on iOS. Edge Extended was released on August 25, 2011 on iOS and Android. The original game was ported to the PlayStation Network as a PlayStation minis in PAL regions on December 2, 2010 and September 20, 2011 in North America.[11] The Steam version was released on August 11, 2011. Android version was released on February 3, 2012, as part of the first Android Humble Indie Bundle.[12] Edge Extended was ported onto Steam as DLC to the first game on August 28, 2011. The Wii U version was released on November 21, 2013 and December 26, 2013 for the 3DS version.[13][14]

An original soundtrack, " Edge - Sweet Music From The Game, was released in March 13, 2009.[15]

Trademark dispute

In May 2009, the game was removed from the App Store concerning a trademark dispute with Tim Langdell of Edge Games. This is one of several disputes Langdell had made over his apparent ownership of the trademark for the word 'edge'. Mobigame head David Papazian failed to come up with any negotiation with Langdell, who insisted on receiving revenue from the game while it was on sale.[16] Mobigame's lawyers disputed that Langdell's trademarks over the word 'edge' were enforceable against them, a comment to which Langdell denied in an open letter.[17] This rebuttal was deemed false by Mobigame's lawyers, who said they are gathering evidence to demonstrate that communications Edge Games claims, in its rebuttal, to have made did not actually occur.[18]

While no agreement or settlement was made between Mobigame and Langdell, on October 7, 2009, the game was placed back onto the App Store, under the title Edge by Mobigame, which was approved by Apple.[19] Speaking with Kotaku, Papazian said, "on the legal side, [Langdell] cannot claim anything against Edge by Mobigame and Apple knows that, so we hope everything will be alright now". However, on November 26, 2009 it was removed again.[20] An unnamed Edge Games representative stated "Adding 'by Mobigame' was determined not to get around infringement".[21] On December 1, 2009, the game returned to the App Store under the name Edgy,[22] but Mobigame soon removed it for fear that Langdell would use the legal precedent in his legal battle against EA.[23] As of January 8, 2010, the game was available only in countries other than the United States and the United Kingdom under the name EDGE. On May 9, 2010, the game returned to the American iTunes Store under the original name.[24]

Reception

Aggregate review scores
Game GameRankings Metacritic
Edge 87.5% (iOS)[25]
85% (PSP)[26]
73.33% (PC)[27]
79.29% (WiiU)[28]		 -
-
74/100 (PC)[29]
79/100 (WiiU)[30]
Edge
Extended		 94.29% (iOS)[31] 91/100 (iOS)[32]

The game was generally well received by critics, albeit to different degrees based on the platform. Gamezebo gave the original iOS version a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars and described the game as "immediately accessible, engaging, challenging in short bursts, and aesthetically complete in presentation and animation."[33] Slide to Play praised the visual presentation and soundtrack, however criticized the control options due to some control schemes working better in certain circumstances and the inability to switch control schemes mid-game.[34] 148Apps gave the game an overall score of 4.5 out of 5 stars and highlighted the levels specifically, describing them as "massive playgrounds, albeit ones where failing to leap onto a swingset could result in your demise."[35] Pocket Gamer rated the game 9 out of 10 and awarded it the PG Gold Award. Pocket Gamer summarized, "Edge is the kind of iPhone title where style and substance unite, creating a block-shifting puzzler that's as maze-y as it is amazing"[36] Kotaku in particular gave high praise to the music in the game, stating "This is the best soundtrack of any iPhone game, period. The electronica mix is pensive, soothing, energetic, mysterious - in short, perfectly matched to the tone of your current soundings."[37]

For Edge Extended expansion, it was also received with high praise. The iOS version received an 91/100 score from review aggregate website Metacritic, based out of 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[32] TouchArcade gave the game a perfect score, praising it for being "an incredibly fun game" and a "brilliant platform game".[38] Pocket Gamer rated the expansion the same rating as the previous title and also awarded it the PG Gold Award stating "Mobigame has managed, once again, to fuse together an enjoyable puzzle game and a perfectly paced platformer. Add to that pitch-perfect execution and a wonderful art style and it's hard to stop pouring praise onto Edge Extended."[39] Apple 'N' Apps rated the game 4.5 out of 5 and praised the new levels, stating, "The gameplay is simply extraordinary as you maneuver through such interesting levels, with multiple obstacles at each turn. The complexity arises from having no limits in level creation because you’re in an open cubed world."[40]

The Wii U release of the game received a 79/100 score from Metacritic, out of 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30] Nintendo World Report generally enjoyed the gameplay as well, calling it "addictive", but had some minor complaints with the game's controls and isometric viewpoint.[41] The PC release received a 74/100 score from Metacritic, based on 12 reviews.[29] GameSpot singled out the game's minimalist graphics for creating a unique atmosphere for the game, and concluded that "the minimalist visuals and retro soundtrack make the experience more atmospheric than a bunch of blocks floating in space has any right to be. Edge is not a complex game--it focuses on movement rather than puzzle-solving and there are times when the controls don't feel as sharp as they should. But the price of entry is relatively cheap at about seven dollars, and the few hours you spend conducting your cube in Edge are pleasant ones."[42]

Outside of game reviews, the game has also received the Milthon Award for Best Mobile Game at The Paris Game Festival in 2008, as well as winning the "Excellence in Gameplay" and "Operator's Choice Award" category at the 5th International Mobile Gaming Awards.[43][44] It was nominated for "IGF Mobile Best Game", "Audio Achievement" and "Best iPhone Game" at the 2009 Independent Games Festival and has been ranked as one of Apple's 30 "Favorite Games" on the App Store's first birthday.[45][46] Edge was featured in the 2010 edition of 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die book.[47] The game was also featured in Edge magazine as one of the top 50 iPhone games.[48]

References

  1. ↑ mobigame.net
  2. ↑ "'Edge Extended' Review - Even Better Than The Original". Touch Arcade. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Interview: Mobigame Talks Cross Fingers, iPhone Game Scene". Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  4. ↑ Mobigame (December 2008). Edge. iOS. Mobigame.
  5. ↑ "'Edge' 1.5 Update Adds Universal Compatibility and Retina Display Graphics". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Edge Extended Review". SlidetoPlay. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Award-winning Puzzlers 'Edge' and 'Edge Extended' Updated with Widescreen Support". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ↑ Two Tribes (August 11, 2011). Edge. PC. Mobigame.
  9. ↑ "EDGE For Dummies". Two Tribes. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  10. ↑ "EDGE Rolls Onto Nintendo Consoles!". Two Tribes. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Edge now unleashed on PSP and PS3". Mobigame.net. December 1, 2010. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Humble Indie Bundle: Now on Android!". PC World. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Edge - Nintendo 3DS". Nintendo. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Edge - Wii U". Nintendo. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Edge - Sweet Music from the Game". Ninomojo.bandcamp.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  16. ↑ Parkin, Simon (August 3, 2009). "The Edge of Reason? Article • Page 1 • Articles • iPhone •". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  17. ↑ "TIGArchive » Tim Langdell and Edge Games: Still at It". TIGSource. July 15, 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Mobigame: 'Edge Games's open letter is false' | Edge news | iPhone". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Gamasutra - Topic: Smartphone/Tablet Games". Fingergaming.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  20. ↑ Dredge, Stuart (November 26, 2009). "iPhone game Edge disappears from App Store (again)". Mobiel Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  21. ↑ Crossley, Rob (November 27, 2009). "Langdell: 'Edge by Mobigame' isn't fair". develop-online.net. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  22. ↑ Crossley, Rob (December 1, 2009). "Edge arrives on App Store for third time". develop-online.net. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  23. ↑ Crossley, Rob (December 4, 2009). "Mobigame to pull Edgy amid EA legal fears". develop-online.net. Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  24. ↑ "'EDGE' Back on App Store After Year of Disputes". 148Apps. May 9, 2010. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Edge for iOS reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Edge for PSP reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Edge for PC reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Edge for Wii U reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  29. 1 2 "Edge for PC reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  30. 1 2 "Edge for WiiU reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Edge Extended for iOS reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  32. 1 2 "EDGE Extended for iOS reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  33. ↑ "EDGE review". Gamezebo. May 17, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  34. ↑ "EDGE review". Slide to Play. May 17, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  35. ↑ "EDGE review". 148apps. March 4, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  36. ↑ "EDGE review". Pocket Gamer. January 28, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Edge Micro-Review: Elegance, Cubed". Kotaku. April 1, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Edge Extended Review - TouchArcade". toucharcade.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Edge Extended review". Pocket Gamer. August 29, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Edge Extended review A Wonderful 3D Experience". Apple 'N' Apps. August 26, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Edge Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  42. ↑ Watters, Chris (August 17, 2011). "Edge Review". Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Festival du jeu vidéo 2008 : Les nominés des Milthon". GamerGen. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Winners & nominees - 5th IMGA". International Mobile Gaming Awards. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  45. ↑ "2009 Independent Games Festival Mobile Finalists By Category". IGF Mobile. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Games for iPhone, iPod, iPad and Digital Platform". Mobigame. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  47. ↑ 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die ISBN 978-0-7893-2090-2
  48. ↑ Rose, Mike (August 11, 2011). "Interview: What's Next For Edge?". Gamasutra. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
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