Braid was a great game that had a lot going for it, including a fantastic soundtrack, which is now on sale. Read more…

Braid is now, and has been for a day or so, available for PC users. You can get it from Greenhouse, Steam, Gamersgate, and Impulse. The reason I post, rather than to simply let you know it’s out, is because Jon Blow, the game’s creator, has been posting troubleshooting tips on his blog.

If you have a problem running the game, take a look and see if your problem has been solved there. Blow suggests to new customers that they should try the demo first, to see if it will run on your computer. I’ve had no problems with the game so far, and I’m enjoying it a lot. Some of the puzzles are fantastically designed, so well done to Jon Blow on all fronts today! Braid most certainly gets my seal of approval, and I strongly suggest that you at least try the demo.

Braid’s creator, Jonathan Blow, has posted on his blog that the PC version of the game will be delayed until 10 April, in order to “fix some problems that came up in testing with various versions of Windows.” The game will release on platforms Steam, Greenhouse, Impulse, and GamersGate, as well as any others Blow decides to contact, and there will soon be “a special surprise planned concerning the music in Braid”, too.

Blow’s blog actually states “10 August”, but he later mentions that the game will release “10 days later”- meaning August is likely a typo. No sweat, Jon. Happens to the blust of us.

Starting today, Xbox LIVE is awarding it’s Gold members by offering a number of discounts that range from 25 to 50 percent off Arcade titles, DLC, Xbox Originals and other XBL material.

Now at a 33 percent discount, this week’s deal is the XBL Arcade title, Braid, for 800 Microsoft points, down from it’s original 1200 points. Remember, this deal is good for only one week, but Microsoft is expected to give out discounts to Gold members on Ninja Gaiden II DLC, Project Gotham 4 DLC and the Xbox Original, Fable, later this month. Get it while it’s on the low!

Source: Kotaku

Shacknews reports that Stardock’s distribution platform Impulse has updated with a Braid listing. The date of the game’s release is listed at March 31, but Stardock’s Mike Crassweller has noted in the comments at Shacknews that that is a placeholder date; we could see it at any time in March. The game is listed at $14.95.

Jonathan Blow, the game’s creator, has mentioned that the game may also be coming to Steam- “[Valve] are interested in putting the game up.” The game is likely to cost $19.95 across both platforms. After Soulja Boy’s expertly crafted review of the 360 version, I’m certainly looking forward to this.

Oh, that idiot Soulja Boy is up to his shenanigans again.  After eloquently describing the brilliance of the Xbox Live Arcade game Braid, Soulja Boy is once again broadcasting his videogame superiority via his YouTube channel.  Highlights include “Fuck PlayStation 3… nobody play no goddamn PlayStation” and “You can get an ass-whoopin’ fo’ free on Xbox Live”. I especially like when he says you can tell his game is imported because of the “Japanese signals”.

Check out the full video for proof that evolution is flawed. Read more…

You know, I think I was wrong about you, Soulja Boy. When I first heard your music, I thought you were a talentless punk who got rich from a dance that my two year old cousin could perfect. But, now I see the real you. You’re a thoughtful gamer who’s passionate about the medium. I now know that you can, at a moment’s notice, coherently gather your thoughts to defend it. Why didn’t you tell me you loved Braid, and gaming, so much? Read more…

Who says gamers are cheap and/or tasteless? Despite sizable Internet uproar over its 1,200 Microsoft point asking price, the artsy puzzle-platformer Braid has managed to win the credit card digits of over 27,000 downloaders, earning it a gross of $405,000, according to a recent glance at the game’s leaderboards. That makes it the 2nd best selling XBLA game in its first three days, no small feat for a game like this, especially considering the paltry fate of similar indie-grown titles like N+.

Strong word of mouth, an awesome demo and some extremely positive reviews (the game has a 92.4% on GameRankings) most likely drove the game’s sales. And it’s not hard to imagine that the publicity from the pricing controversy eventually ended up doing more good than bad, as it visibly increased the game’s profile. I’m sure plenty of people went from “WTF is Braid?” to “what the hell could be worth 1200 points” after which they tried the demo, loved it, and bought the game.

Creator and lead designer Jonathan Blow had previously defended the game’s price as a necessity:

“There is a significant possibility that Braid would have been the next Psychonauts or Beyond Good and Evil (critically acclaimed but nobody played it), even at $10. If that happens at $10 then I am in debt and have to get a job and can’t make games any more. If that happens at $15, maybe I can still make games.”

Guess you can make games, and buy a new car, eh Jonathan?