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12 01, 2016

The Banner Saga Now Available on Xbox One and PlayStation®4

By |January 12th, 2016|Releases|Comments Off on The Banner Saga Now Available on Xbox One and PlayStation®4|

 

Stoic, an independent game development company, and Versus Evil, one of the leading independent video game publishers, today announced that the epic Viking RPG strategy game The Banner Saga launches on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and to the Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program today for a SRP of $19.99 / €19.99 /£15.99.

The Banner Saga, which launched to much critical acclaim on both PC and mobile devices has received several awards and nominations, including winner of the 2014 Geekie Awards for “Best Video Game,” winner of 2014 Game Developers Choice: “Best Debut” award, finalist placement for “Excellence in Visual Arts” category at the Independent Game Festival, 3 BAFTA Award Nominations, and winner of Pocket Gamer’s 2015 Best Adventure/RPG Game and Best Android Game of the Year.

“Merging the story and gameplay of Banner Saga with a refined controller interface makes it a very enjoyable console gaming experience. Despite the technical challenges we initially faced in porting the game, we’re extremely happy with the end result of many months of hard work to deliver a worthy console version,” said John Watson, founder and technical director at Stoic.

The Banner Saga is a single player driven Viking saga, where a player’s choice in travel, conversation and combat determines the outcome of their own personal story as well as the survival of an entire civilization. The game also features stunning 2D animation and art, a unique tactical combat system and a cast of unforgettable characters, all of which drive this epic journey forward. Players will enjoy a beautiful and haunting original score by Grammy nominated, two-time BAFTA winning composer Austin Wintory conducting The Dallas Winds orchestra, as well as a powerhouse trio of acclaimed YouTube sensations: Peter Hollens, Malukah and [...]

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16 12, 2015

The Banner Saga Coming to Consoles January 12th

By |December 16th, 2015|News, Releases|Comments Off on The Banner Saga Coming to Consoles January 12th|

AUSTIN, TX – December 16, 2015 – Stoic, an independent game development company and Versus Evil, one of the leading independent video game publishers, today announced that the epic Viking RPG strategy game The Banner Saga is coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and to the Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program on Tuesday, January 12th, 2016.

The Banner Saga, which launched to much critical acclaim on both PC and mobile devices has received several awards and nominations, including winner of the 2014 Geekie Awards for “Best Video Game”, winner of 2014 Game Developers Choice: “Best Debut” award, finalist placement for “Excellence in Visual Arts” category at the Independent Game Festival, 3 BAFTA Award Nominations, and winner of Pocket Gamer’s 2015 Best Adventure/RPG Game and Best Android Game of the Year.

“We have been working on porting Banner Saga to consoles for some time” said John Watson, founder and technical director at Stoic. “Porting the game certainly presented technical challenges that we needed to overcome, and gave us an opportunity to redesign the user experience for console controllers. We have managed to merge the story and gameplay from Banner Saga with a refined controller interface to make it a very enjoyable console gaming experience.”

The Banner Saga is a single player driven Viking saga, where a player’s choice in travel, conversation and combat determines the outcome of their own personal story as well as the survival of an entire civilization. The game also features stunning 2D animation and art, a unique tactical combat system and a cast of unforgettable characters, all of which drive this epic journey forward. Players will enjoy a beautiful and haunting original score by Grammy nominated, two-time BAFTA winning [...]

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15 12, 2015

Folka Part 4

By |December 15th, 2015|Lore|Comments Off on Folka Part 4|

The finale of this short story series about Folka from Nika Harper. And be sure to follow her on Twitter!

 

Folka heard the yox’s long moan outside and sighed. It had a tendency to free itself from the barn and yowl, trapped in the cold. Yox are not intelligent, and this one was nearly as old a family member as herself. Her boots were conveniently by the door and she trudged into the dim night.

Though, it was not as it seemed. Immediately Folka was aware that she was weaponless as she watched her yox get dragged through the crunchy snow. There must have been three thieves, their shadows barely visible in the night, and sounds from the barn suggested more. Folka had nothing with which to attack, but that’s never stopped a lumberer from fighting. Though the preference was strategy, she had learned to be resourceful. This would not be the first time it saved her.

Without even a grunt, she ran toward the stolen animal, eyes searching for something to grab and swing. The figures had stopped shuffling away and stood ready, when—

An enormous bulk dashed into them first, bowling into the mass and leaving deep gashes in the ice-crusted snow. It was impossible to tell the ruckus from itself, all screams and growls and the yox’s wails. Folka did not slow her pace, but leapt into the fray, twisting the first arm she saw and releasing leathery reins from its grip. It was mayhem and the yox reared back, the yoke catching a brigand in the gut and Folka in the face. Her blood joined the others in the moonlight, splattering on a sword she wrenched away from the wielder, hearing the pop of his wrist breaking [...]

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10 11, 2015

Folka Part 3

By |November 10th, 2015|Lore|Comments Off on Folka Part 3|

Part 3 of this exciting short story from Nika Harper is now live! And be sure to follow her on Twitter!

 

The bear within Bolverk had awoken and he lumbered through the cold forest, hands and feet digging into the icy soil. The rites spoke of primal living, of natural existence, and shouldering the cruelty of desperation. Living at all costs was what mattered. Bears were built to withstand the harshest and worst winters, to flourish in the verdant summers. They could sleep through the cold months if the land had been kindly, but Bolverk shared the winter nights and days with the less fortunate and more hardened kind. His kind.

The rites of the berserk were strict and secret. Every few years, or any time as desired, they reconnected with the ursine spirit within them through trial and distance. Bolverk was wrong to keep any thoughts in his mind, wrong to use words in any capacity, but ever so rarely they crept back in.

The Ravens were temporarily absent of their captain. To what would Bolverk return?

Back to the woods, if all was gone. The Ravens were motley and not of his creed, nor of his capability. A finer bunch he could never find, but no fellowship among them. Bolverk was not the man to create it. He did not nurture, he enforced. The wind bit at his shoulder, an aching twinge from the scabbed arrow wound, making the cold feel deeper. That foolish girl. He broke the rites when he spoke to her. He should have chased her where she stood. That was the true way.

More land passed beneath his legs. Walk on until varl instincts were left behind.

Brigands held no interest to him, their presence [...]

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23 08, 2015

Tech Blog #8 — Mobile Porting

By |August 23rd, 2015|News|Comments Off on Tech Blog #8 — Mobile Porting|

John has just posted tech blog #8 this time it’s focused on the work required for the mobile port of The Banner Saga. Click here to head to the post. 

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17 08, 2015

Tech Blog #7 — Localization

By |August 17th, 2015|News|Comments Off on Tech Blog #7 — Localization|

John has just posted a new tech blog — check it out now!
Click here for a link to Tech Blog #7
“My opinion is that if you’re taking on all the considerable effort and cost of making a game, it’s a waste to not go the extra step and make it available in as many languages as possible. Especially a text-heavy game like Banner Saga. So the first thing we tackled post-launch is localization.”

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11 08, 2015

Folka Part 2

By |August 11th, 2015|Lore|Comments Off on Folka Part 2|

Enjoy part 2 of this 4 part mini-series from the very talented Nika Harper! And be sure to follow her on Twitter or check out her site!

 

Bolverk knew this sensation. It seared and held on tight, digging as deeply as it could, and he roared in unexpected pain.

The little arrow wasn’t so buried in his shoulder after all; Bolverk sat upright and nearly dislodged it from its place. He shrugged the thin frost off his bare arms, covering them in his bearskin cloak and growled, expecting a fight.

Finding a girl.

Her feet were solid in the deep snow, and her face showed no signs of intimidation. A bear would retaliate against the attack, Bolverk knew, but her bow faced the ground and she made no further effort to draw. In this ice-quiet place, sounds muffled by peaceful snow, Bolverk was at a loss for how to respond. He grasped the arrow, tearing it out of his skin.

“Your arrows are weak.”

“My aim is worse,” she said back, rigid as any tree in the clearing. “I’m not cut out for hunting. Thought I’d give it a try.”

“A bear,” his unused voice growled, “would have eaten you.”

“No,” she stated, “but it’s unlikely I would be eating bear. Hopefully there are other creatures to hunt in the forest that I am more accustomed to.”

She wasn’t as young as she seemed, with her hair tucked back with ribbon and her arms wrapped in thick leathers. The girl, though a woman after all, shrugged at him. “You’re not a bear.”

“You know so little, girl. I’m more bear than varl. And you’re no hunter. A tiny human has no hope of hunting either.”

“Clearly.” Her gaze dropped to the pack slung across her shoulder and rustled around to [...]

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30 07, 2015

The Banner Saga: Warbands

By |July 30th, 2015|News|Comments Off on The Banner Saga: Warbands|

Austin, TX – July 30, 2015 – A trio of like-minded independent companies, video game developer Stoic, miniatures board game creator MegaCon Games, and video game publisher Versus Evil today announced The Banner Saga: Warbands, a miniatures board game based on the successful and critically acclaimed video game franchise The Banner Saga. With production already underway, a Kickstarter campaign will also be announced soon.

While no details about the miniatures board game have been released yet, an interest list is now forming and the MegaCon Games team, who are currently attending GenCon in Indianapolis this weekend at booth 1449, are soliciting fan interest for the forthcoming release. A website has been set up at www.bannersagawarbands.com for fans to receive more information as it becomes available.

 

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7 07, 2015

Status Update

By |July 7th, 2015|News|Comments Off on Status Update|

Hello All!

 It’s been awhile since we’ve given you a proper status update with information regarding what we’re doing and what’s keeping us busy.

First off, let’s talk a bit about The Banner Saga 2. We’re including a lot of improvements this time around based directly off feedback from the first game and so far it’s shaping up quite nicely. We hope the additions of destructibles, new objectives during battle and brand new characters and classes helps add some variety to combat. The story continues and picks up right where things ended in The Banner Saga and if you beat the first game you can import your saved game (choices, characters, stats and items) straight into The Banner Saga 2 to pick up exactly where you left off.

Secondly, The Banner Saga is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. This is taking a lot longer than we anticipated so we apologize. We’re wanting to give you the best possible experience on consoles and Vita so we want to make sure we get everything just right. When is all this happening? Well, we’re still not sure on an exact date yet. We have plenty of work left to do, but we’re making great progress.

Third, we’re working on a lot of other Banner Saga related projects that we think you will really enjoy. We can’t share many details on it just yet but we’re excited to see the world of The Banner Saga continue to grow and expand.

Finally, thanks so much for all of your kind words, your support and your continued understanding as we work on the game. We are eager to get The Banner Saga 2 in your hands so you can continue your [...]

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2 07, 2015

Folka Part 1

By |July 2nd, 2015|Lore|Comments Off on Folka Part 1|

Huge thanks to Nika Harper for writing this 4 part story about Folka. We’ll be releasing the following parts over the coming weeks, so please follow her on Twitter for more great stories!

 

 

He hadn’t even left a letter. There was merely an absence where he was, a hollow where he and their marriage vows might have been. She had heard it from other people, and eventually from her father. If the story was true, it was improbable.

“He had broken his nose, you see, and they say he was weak and prone when the menace found him…”

Folka did not see how a broken nose could be so debilitating as to cause an end of life. If he had run away from this town and their future together, he should have been able to run from the brigands just as easily.

Either way, he was not coming back, and the story seemed to hurt more than the reality of it all. She forgot all but the parts that stung, and kept those inside and quiet. There was work to do.

Father was not so old, but years of cold hardship had weathered him like the trees he cut down. Folka, being of sturdier build, was accustomed to her share of the work, whether it was felling or transport of the lumber, or the things in the house that needed to be done. They ate the same food almost every night, because it was easy enough to acquire and prepare, and neither of them had much in the ways of cooking. Her calloused hands held the wooden utensils, the caricatures of better-crafted cutlery made with the limited skill of a family who had rarely encountered any. She wondered if [...]

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