Most of the browser-based games we see tend to be very simple, aiming to attract casual gamers looking for a quick diversion. The Continuum, a new Flash game that launched last week, is looking to break this trend, featuring an extremely polished interface and deep ranking system that will keep gamers’ attention for hours on end. The game is the first to come from Chicago-based development studio Seven Lights, and has been in production for over 18 months (very long compared to most other Flash games).
The Continuum isn’t meant for casual gamers - rather, it’s aimed at a more hardcore audience, mixing elements from traditional table top card games, RPGs, and turn based strategy. Each player builds up a virtual “deck” of in-game characters, each of which can be customized with various skills and attributes. The game’s monetization model comes from sale of these characters, which are sold in packs (you never know which characters you’ll be getting in each pack). However, company CEO Tim Harris says that buying lots of characters won’t necessarily stack the odds in your favor, it will simply give you more options to choose from when you send your army to battle.
There’s no end to the amount of customization that users can put into the building and fine-tuning of their armies, but this is all just buildup to the game itself, which consists of a turn based one-on-one war. The battle system uses tiles to determine how far each character can move, and each action (be it attack, cast a spell, or any number of special abilities) is activated through an onscreen menu. The graphics are all sprite based (there’s no 3D rendering), and while they don’t hold up well to those found in games like World of Warcraft, they’re more than adequate.
The Continuum certainly isn’t for everyone - the amount of customization, stat-tracking, and strategy involved will alienate a lot of people. But it will have a strong appeal for gamers who’ve enjoyed franchises like Magic: The Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons and are looking for a strategy fix beyond the games they already play. If The Continuum can establish a sizable user base, its combination of addictive gameplay and cheap (but lucrative) virtual goods could well be a recipe for success.
Seven Lights intends to use The Continuum’s engine to produce two more games in the future: A sci-fi wargame aimed at hardcore gamers, and a more laid-back “corporate sendup” for the casual audience. You can watch a trailer for The Continuum here.
holy shit, this article isnt about the iPhone!
But this article sure is!
http://vishtecho.blogspot.com/.....guide.html
I dunno. That’s pretty D&D right there. Some people have jobs and stuff.
“I dunno. That’s pretty D&D right there. Some people have jobs and stuff.”
Shut up, noob!
guys
get yourself a UI-designer
implement a real flow/tutorial
stop poping me up browser windows while i’m the flash interface
…
otherwise your game looks cool
This will be the future of games….. Soon enough the multiplayer social aspect will move outside of the browser to phones and you’ll be able to connect to play with your friends on facekbook/myspace…..
After MyGame and EA’s latest efforts on Simscity,the trends are really turning towards gamers
@Simon, I agree. It took me way to long to find the Play Game option. After finding that I got thrown in to a game where I had no clue what to do. Intuitive is not this game. Tutorial needed….
I fully agree, Prashant. But surprisingly this trend has taken much longer to start for the online games than any other besides being one of the oldest.
Now finally seems that multiplayer games are the new hot thing.
I think this new trend has to do with the fact that new games are based on web 2.0 features and some how are reusing how these services work and implementing that into those games, take a look at Tengaged (http://www.tengaged.com) , an online multiplayer game that is based on Big Brother and is a mix of Digg, Twitter. Housemates evictions, vetoes, etc all is based on voting, messaging, and social skills.
Looks interesting, but I fear it will be like most of these games where the addicts with too much spare time dominate. I also couldn’t beat the captcha system so I couldn’t sign up. Not sure if my browser is being difficult or their site is broken, either way they lose.
18 months for a flash game - crazy!… is this a real time strategy type of game or more of a facebook ap type of game where you take turns every time you log on? Look here…. http://www.gothamtechminute.blogspot.com
Guys,
if you think this is the first hardcode flash game, you should check http://www.dofus.com. This is a full blown MMORPG done in flash by a French game studio (Ankama). It”s been there for years. There are releasing their next one (Wakfu), but this one is part java, part flash.
first _hardcore_ obviously, not hardcode (c:
18 months long….that is a lot of hard work put in.
Hi all,
Google’s lively is out which is cool but very heavy on systems…
i was expecting anything like lively to be made in flash,which is not so difficult thing and would be light weight in comparison with any other animation program in the whole world !
As a gamer myself and someone that works in the games industry, I’m not going to compain, but I gotta ask… why is this story on TechCrunch? Are you just going to write about random videogames, here and there? Or is it just because the game is made wish Flash? Very confused.
a flash based game? wow! i’m sure this will be played around the world!
This is funny.
Has anyone ever thought of dating a mental patient?
http://www.igotdemons.com
curios story … there are dozens of browser-based games with high-quality like a pc games. You only have to google … e.g. Fragoria (http://www.fragoria.com/) from russia, word golf tour (http://www.worldgolftour.com/) or goalunited (www.goalunited.org). Don’t know, what’s so specail on The Continuum. Every day very good browser-based games were released. Maybe you should “dive” deeper :-)!
Like all other applications they’re moving into the browser.
The next update release of Java will enable full production quality 3D in the browser
Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering…
Wow… I almost forgot how dorky most TechCrunch readers must be…
Any followers know a sharp marketing manager ready to join industry leader and strategically guide its upward journey? Very sexy products, cutting edge technology and a FUN place to be. Min of 7 years experience required. beth at stearnsgroup dot com. Thanx
there are much better flash games out there. And unlike this dungeons and dragons crap, they actually have movements etc.
The article written here is right on, as I’ve been playing this game for about 3 months now, and am not bored yet. It is correct to say it is not for the casual gamer, and I honestly have not found a game out there that I enjoy more. There are qualities within this game that you won’t find anywhere else, the level of depth in character advancement and strategic options are simply amazing. There ARE tutorials all over the interface, you click a little camera icon and watch a video in QuickTime which tells you how to set up and play. It does take a little effort to learn like any worthwhile hard core game, but the rewards are endless when you realize what a masterpiece it is. I suggest you at least give it a decent attempt at learning the game before giving up and saying “it sux”.
game is ok for people who like that genre. being flash game is an advantage over games that have to be installed. also, it’s a quite complex for a flash game, tailored to match standards of its equivalent on desktop. not there yet, but promising. should we expect more quality flash games? silverlight based too?
that logo of sevenlights looks just like if not exactly like the logo of a company I drew up for a decade before that company was ever solvent or and idea. I have sent them an email
Im ticked off!
to comment 26 I am referring to sevenlights
lol. They must have seen that logo in your portfolio when you interviewed for them before they existed!
Come to think of it, google stole a logo I designed 52 years ago for Sears and Roebuck!
Now Im really ticked off
Is it better than runescape?
horrible UI, game flow etc - took me about 10 minutes to get frustrated and go back to duels. If your going to spend that much time on development, put a little more towards useability
I think the UI comments are dead on, I really don’t know where to look - just give me a big ‘play now’ button and kill that stupid popup window.
However, dig a little into it, and this thing is quite impressive. There’s a load of depth here and a some very complex game mechanics. This is not duels, this is much much bigger in scope.
I signed up and immediately got lost. I don’t want to have to read a AD&D manual before I play. They definitely need to work on accessibility and usability.
Interesting comments, all.
No the game is not casual. I’m sorry it cannot be summed up with a simple 1 screen interface button, but Flash Game =! simple. As Carl said there are Tutorials, video ones at that, you don’t even necessarily have to read.
But if you feel like you _might_ be able to stand reading for 15 minutes before you get into a game that will literally provides you months of entertainment, seriously give it a try. If you have specific comments about the UI (which has improved drastically over the Beta, I promise) drop by The Bucket after signing up for an account and leave some specific comments. I promise the devs will read it and if not reply, at least think it over. They’re a pretty friendly bunch of guys, and they can admit when they’re wrong too.
PS: While Dofus may be part flash, you still have to download a client. The Continuum requires no such download, only a plug-in required by a bunch of other websites anyway.
very good job, i like it
brian
http://www.themostpowerfulcompany.com
The suggestion for a larger “Play Now” button is a good one. I was a little confused when I first signed up, but once I was in, it was a cinch. There were plenty of people in the chat offering help, and the game play was sweet. I never thought I’d find an online game that could satisfy my strategy fix better than poker, but this might be it.
I find the game quite a challenge. Everyone has different styles of play, different ideas on how to build each character. You can choose to be a casual player, or hardcore. If I want a 15 minute game, I can do that, if I want an epic battle of 200 units that will last hours, I can do that too (and have.) The interface is easy to use, so much so that my neighbor’s 8 year old daughter has played and currently has a winning record with her free units. Being flash based, it takes very little resources. The options are easy to use, and while the tutorials seem to drag a bit, they can and will help you learn everything to play.
Strategy is the key, and everyone has their own, that’s what makes it most interesting. Everything from how to level your units, what skills you give them, to how you form the squads, to how many battle turns, it all becomes important. Great game 7L.
K
Like Carl I have been playing this game for some time now and I have to agree with him. It offers great tactical and strategical fun, and will keep you entertained for months. I really don’t understand that people have difficulty getting into the mechanics of the game. I thought we have all learned to read? and as far as this game being hard-core or casual, depends on what you want out of it. Like Kevin stated, 15 minutes of fun, or 2 hours, it can all be done here.
This flash game is the biggest pile of crap. TechCrunch, you guys surely must know someone at this company and are doing them a big favor.
1)The graphics are terrible… bedroom developers create better graphics.
2)The interface is so bad the first topic in the news column is titled, “Confused?”‘ Also, they are forced to put links to videos describing how to use each UI element ( of which there are way to many).
These guys have managed to completely over complicate a game which used to consist of two 13 year olds and a couple packs of cards….
I’m not so totally impressed about flash gaming and The Continuum itself. It is one of my less loved games. I just don’t know why. Maybe I prefer all-3D games more than this.
Hi there flash gaming is almost histery because western digetal is going too release a 20,000 rpm hard drive thats right 20,000 rpm
hi. There. When. Will there. Be a flashed. Halo. Game. I. Want the next. Xbox. Too. Use. A. Ssd or solid state drive. A flash based console or computer drive. Useing. Flash. Memory. Like. Your. Cellphones