Pixel Press Floors

Draw Your Own Video Game

 

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“It feels a bit like magic”

– Andrew Webster (The Verge)

 

Introducing Pixel Press Floors: Draw Your Own Video Game Today!

 

ST. LOUIS – April 30, 2014 – Pixel Press is proud to announce the first in a series of draw-your-own-game apps: Pixel Press Floors—which allows users to create side-scrolling platformers complete with coins, fire pits, spikes . . . and of course, platforms! Budding game designers from all over the world can download Floors for free from the App Store today.

Floors allows anyone to draw and share their games with other users—with no coding required. The Pixel Press sketch guide, a pencil, and the Floors app are all that is needed to unlock the creative potential of game enthusiasts of all ages. Unique games are created and played through a simple four-step process: draw, capture & test, design, play & share. Not only can the app turn the drawings from paper into playable, shareable video games—but creators can also start building games right away using the Draw-In-App feature.

Floors was created by Pixel Press, a startup based in St. Louis, Missouri that was successfully funded thanks to more than 2,250 Kickstarter backers–raising $109,000 last June in order to build the Pixel Press ecosystem.

“This is the first step in the Pixel Press journey,” says Robin Rath, co-founder of Pixel Press. “With Floors, we are delivering on the Kickstarter promise of drawing your own platformer. Whether you grew up on classic platformer games and dreamt of one day creating your own, or are interested in a completely new mobile gaming experience, you can now download Floors and get to work on your first hand-drawn video game.”

 

How Pixel Press Works
Users begin by downloading the free sketch guide from the company’s website. The guide details the different shapes (“glyphs”) that can be translated into game elements. For example, a coin is drawn as a plus sign, simple boxes are terrain, and an equal sign can mark where the player will start in the level. Once the game is drawn, the user holds the iPad parallel to the sheet of paper so that Floors can capture the drawing; as soon as it recognizes the grid paper, it automatically takes the picture and turns it into a playable video game level. From there, the user can customize the design/gameplay of the game and playtest it before submitting it to the Pixel Press community (the Arcade).

It is also possible to download the app and just enjoy playing levels uploaded by other users. The Pixel Press Arcade allows everyone to “like” levels, and it also displays the number of times a level has been played.

“The Arcade is one of the most exciting elements of Floors,” says Josh Stevens, Pixel Press Community Manager. “As a player, I can scroll through and may see a level created by users I know—or I may see a level that looks challenging from a player who is in a completely different country. As a creator, I can share my level and see how many times others have played it, which is an incredibly exciting experience.”

 

Pixel Press + Education
The Pixel Press team has been working alongside the GCAA Makerspace (Grand Center Arts Academy) for the past few months on a weekly basis. The idea was to incorporate Floors into the curriculum, which was built around Stanford’s Design Thinking Process:

“Pixel Press is a very promising and radical educational development – and I’m incredibly excited to see its first release, Floors,” says Andrew Goodin, Makerspace Teacher at Grand Center Arts Academy. “At Makerspace, we believe that if students are able to put themselves in the shoes of the players, then they will be able to design better games. Pixel Press is instrumental in this iterative, constantly evolving model of education. Once our students create their levels in Floors, for example, they write down the feedback they receive from each other and also from the Pixel Press team. Being able to make different design choices on the go, and without any programming, is priceless.”

Pixel Press is a powerful educational tool–one that can effectively promote game development and digital inclusion to users all over the world. The company strongly believes that projects such as the one from GCAA Marketplace are just the beginning.

Download Pixel Press Floors for free from the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixel-press-floors/id847758409?ls=1&mt=8

To learn more about Pixel Press, please visit http://projectpixelpress.com/ 

 

Assets
What is Pixel Press Floors? (intro video)
http://vimeo.com/90266089

Pixel Press Floors Trailer (animation)
http://vimeo.com/90145923

Pixel Press Quest Teaser (animation)
http://vimeo.com/90145827

Pixel Press Tracks Teaser (animation)
http://vimeo.com/90145744

Press kit
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/18cs9ks84qh8vr8/iW9HL06TGx

 

About Pixel Press
In March 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri, Robin Rath and Josh Stevens created a video showcasing the idea of drawing video games on paper—which was inspired by their memories of drawing video game ideas together as children. Flash forward one year later, and that idea has become Pixel Press: a revolutionary platform that makes it easy for anyone to draw their own video game levels and share them with others–without any programming required! The Pixel Press Floors app is designed for parents and kids, teachers, artists, gamers or anyone interested in drawing their very own video game. Learn more about Pixel Press by visiting http://projectpixelpress.com/

 

Pixel Press Announces Revised Goals for Funding Android Version

Kickstarter campaign for ground-breaking “draw-your-own-game” app lowers the stretch goals for Android users

 

St. Louis – May 20, 2013 – The recently-launched Kickstarter campaign for Pixel Press, an upcoming mobile app that allows users to draw, design and publish their own video games with no coding required, today announced modified stretch goals for the Android version – from $350,000 to $125,000.

The Pixel Press Kickstarter campaign, launched on May 7, 2013, asks for $100,000 of funding to support the development of its iOS app, which would require only a shorthand writing system, grid paper and an iOS device for users to design, play and share their own video games. Pixel Press will now make both the Android and iOS versions available by December 2013 if the Kickstarter campaign reaches $125,000 in funding.

The campaign is also announcing that all Pixel Press users will be able to play as the Android robot as a token of gratitude to Android users worldwide. Assuming Google is OK with it, of course 🙂

“We want Pixel Press as a platform to be about games, not devices. Soon after our launch, we realized that it was important to support a wider audience of mobile gamers from the start,” said Robin Rath, creator of Pixel Press. “Initially, the cost of developing Pixel Press for a much broader platform was our rationale for the higher price point, but after an outpouring of Pixel Press enthusiasm from Android users, it became clear that this was an investment worth making. We want to make Android a big part of the Pixel Press story and we need your help to make it happen.”

Rath also cites that an earlier build of the Android version will make for an easier expansion into other platforms, including Windows Phone, PC desktop and Mac, and will be more accessible for the younger generation of tablet users.

Committed to making Pixel Press for Android a reality regardless of stretch goals, Rath also states that the Android version will be made available by June 2014 if the Kickstarter campaign only reaches its $100,000 goal. Pixel Press for iOS will continue to maintain its December 2013 release deadline if $100,000 is raised.

After less than two weeks on Kickstarter, Pixel Press has raised X% of its $100,000 goal. The Kickstarter campaign ends on June 13, 2013.

For more information on Pixel Press, visit www.pixelpressgame.com or the Pixel Press Kickstarter page.

 

About Pixel Press
Pixel Press is an iOS app that lets you draw your own video game (no code required) and share it with others. Unique games are created and played through a simple four-step process – draw, upload & test, design, play & share. The Pixel Press app is the creation of Robin Rath and is designed for parents and kids, teachers, artists, gamers and kids at heart. Pixel Press is currently being developed with further funding being raised through Kickstarter. Learn more about Pixel Press by visiting www.pixelpressgame.com.

 

Draw-Your-Own-Game App “Pixel Press” Releases Playable Prototype

Proof of concept demonstrates the viability of Pixel Press and offers a taste of things to come

 

St. Louis – June 13, 2013 – The Pixel Press Kickstarter campaign – now fully funded – is proud to announce its first playable prototype, which will allow both backers and non-backers to draw, design, and publish their own video games with grid paper, pencil, and a mobile device. The prototype will be available for iPad devices only; Pixel Press will be released across most Apple and Android devices in the near future.

To gain access to the prototype, users will simply need to visit http://pixelpressgame.com/beta/ and enter their email addresses. Invites will be initially distributed on a limited basis. Once accepted to the beta program, an invite will arrive with further instructions—including a quick “how-to” for TestFlight, the delivery mechanism chosen by the Pixel Press team.

Pixel Press reached $100,000 Friday, June 7 2013. So far, backers have pledged $106,465 – $6,465 beyond the original goal. The campaign, launched on May 7th, has attracted the attention of press and gamers alike—thanks to its groundbreaking concept and the promise of an easier path to game development. Visit the Praise page to see what the biggest and best publications think of Pixel Press.

“The childhood dream of drawing your own games is now more real than ever,” says Robin Rath, creator of Pixel Press. “Releasing a prototype in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign was certainly ambitious—but our team is thrilled to be able to show people that the app actually works.”

Leading educational institutions agree on Pixel Press’ potential as an educational tool. According to Erin Shaw, a K-12 STEM Outreach Specialist with the University of Southern California, “Pixel Press could be very useful in educational classes where students learn computational thinking through game-making.”

Pixel Press is also on Steam Greenlight. Those interested in Mac, Windows, and Linux versions should visit http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=148818112.

Attending E3? You can set up a meeting with Robin Rath for a live demo. The Pixel Press team will also be demoing their prototype from the Ouya Park on Thursday morning.

Today is the final day of the Pixel Press Kickstarter campaign. If the project reaches the $125,000 stretch goal, an Android version will be released day-and-date with iOS in December 2013. To make a pledge, please visit www.pixelpressgame.com or the Pixel Press Kickstarter page. If you’d like to write about Pixel Press, feel free to download the official press kit at http://www.pixelpressgame.com/assets/presskit/PixelPress_PressKit.zip.

 

About Pixel Press
Pixel Press is an iOS and Android app that lets you draw your own video game (no code required) and share it with others. Unique games are created and played through a simple four-step process: draw, upload & test, design, play & share. The Pixel Press app is designed for parents and kids, teachers, artists, gamers—and kids at heart! Pixel Press is currently in development. Learn more about Pixel Press by visiting www.pixelpressgame.com.

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