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[Blues1990]

From what I have played, the game is equal parts whimsical & charming. Hat Girl is bursting with cuteness, & I want to play more of this.

Spoiler

I was surprised to find a mobster penguin that sounded a lot like Jon Jafari (JonTron Show fame). It makes me wonder if that was his actual voice or a sound alike.

 

[Lijik]

Ive played through all of the main missions in the beta (other than the golden vault one in Mafia Town) and does anyone who has been following this game more closely know what the actual structure is? Mafia Town felt pretty open ended and explorable (theres even an achievement for obtaining a power before the game gives it to you normally), but everything else felt very contained. Are these supposed to be spokes off of a larger world in the final game?

I prefer obstacle course style level design so I enjoyed the other two worlds, but Mafia Town felt like it had a very different vibe.

EDIT-
forgetting to unequip the camera for the hookshot is the most sinking feeling in this game

disaster.

 

[Uncle0wnage]

From what I have played, the game is equal parts whimsical & charming. Hat Girl is bursting with cuteness, & I want to play more of this.

Spoiler

I was surprised to find a mobster penguin that sounded a lot like Jon Jafari (JonTron Show fame). It makes me wonder if that was his actual voice or a sound alike.

@your spoiler
It is.

 

[Grylvak]

From what I have played, the game is equal parts whimsical & charming. Hat Girl is bursting with cuteness, & I want to play more of this.

Spoiler

I was surprised to find a mobster penguin that sounded a lot like Jon Jafari (JonTron Show fame). It makes me wonder if that was his actual voice or a sound alike.

EDIT: Beaten by seconds! You're called "Uncle0wnage" for a reason it seems.

Jon actually recorded lines for the game! It's unknown if he will be doing more though. I just hope Jacques will be there somewhere.

 

[Blues1990]

@your spoiler
It is.

EDIT: Beaten by seconds! You're called "Uncle0wnage" for a reason it seems.

Jon actually recorded lines for the game! It's unknown if he will be doing more though. I just hope Jacques will be there somewhere.

That is actually pretty cool. Who knew his voice could fit so well for a chubby penguin mafia enforcer?

 

[Crayolan]

Ive played through all of the main missions in the beta (other than the golden vault one in Mafia Town) and does anyone who has been following this game more closely know what the actual structure is? Mafia Town felt pretty open ended and explorable (theres even an achievement for obtaining a power before the game gives it to you normally), but everything else felt very contained. Are these supposed to be spokes off of a larger world in the final game?

I prefer obstacle course style level design so I enjoyed the other two worlds, but Mafia Town felt like it had a very different vibe.

EDIT-
forgetting to unequip the camera for the hookshot is the most sinking feeling in this game

disaster.

I think the game is supposed to lean more closely towards the mafia town style of level design but will feature a mix of both, since the games they cite as their inspiration (Banjo Kazooie, Mario 64) are very much in the big open-ended level design camp. Chapter 2 will probably have some of that style in it too in some of the acts not in the beta (1, 3, probably 5+). They showed gameplay of the actual forest part of the subcon forest earlier and its a much bigger open area than the caves or the manor.

As for the structure for going from area to area, I think it will be pretty much SM64 style like in the beta. If you remember, one of the stretch goals was "spaceship hub world", so that's definitely gonna be in the final game.

 

[TDLink]

Just started playing the first few chapters of the beta. I like it a lot so far.

As for the structure for going from area to area, I think it will be pretty much SM64 style like in the beta. If you remember, one of the stretch goals was "spaceship hub world", so that's definitely gonna be in the final game.

The spaceship hub is already in the Beta. Really like the music in it too...feels like a Kirkhope track, don't suppose it is one of them? Really gives me Banjo vibes.

 

[HadesGigas]

Just started playing the first few chapters of the beta. I like it a lot so far.



The spaceship hub is already in the Beta. Really like the music in it too...feels like a Kirkhope track, don't suppose it is one of them? Really gives me Banjo vibes.

Yep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRlMPcL-VZw

 

[Crayolan]

So today they made an update concerning the whole Kirkhope situation. A handful of people were curious/concerned about this so I figured it was worth a bump.

At the start of composing the 3rd track, Grant had raised some concerns about his style of music fitting in with the rest of the game. Seeing as Grant is a veteran composer, we did not take his concern lightly and after discussing the situation we both reached a mutual agreement for him to stop at this point. He pointed out that there were no bad feelings over this decision and he felt Pascal could carry on doing a great job. We don't want anyone to feel any sort of hard feelings towards Grant, as he has done an outstanding job, and we fully respect this decision.

We realize that not many people care about who makes the music as long as the music is of great quality but we also can't ignore the fact that a lot of people are big fans of Grant. To those fans we apologize for only bringing 2 out of the 7 planned tracks performed by him. However, we have no doubt that our lead composer will continue to produce music of amazing quality as he already has in the Beta release.
We have completed the initial stretch goal that was "Grant Kirkhope makes a tune", but have only completed 1/6th of the "additional Grant Kirkhope music" stretch goal. To many of you this is not a big deal but to those that it is we want to make amends.
We would like to ask you, the backer, to let us know where we should put this effort instead. Our team have many ideas but seeing as we have let the backers down in this regard, it is only fair that we ask the backers how to make things right.
Below are some ideas for content that we think could be interesting to put focus on. None of these are mutually exclusive, and we would like to try multiple of them and see what sticks. This is not a guarantee that they may make it into the game, as game development can be unpredictable, and roadblocks can occur with game design ideas.

With that said, here's our list!
Customizing the HUB with your own choice of furniture.
Up to 9 acts in chapters (instead of the current up to 8 acts).
Dream Worlds with multiple sub-levels.
Extra Dream Worlds.
he Hat Kid figurine as a silly secret playable character.
1-2 additional weapons.
Additional hats (each with unique functionality).
Controllable enemies.
??? - Post your own idea in the comments!
Let us know where we should put our effort!

For those who don't know, here are the two tracks Kirkhope already composed, which are also already in the beta:

Hat Kid's Spaceship

The Big Challenge

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

I hope this isn't an irritating question that has been asked to death, but what are the odds that this gets released on the PS4?

 

[Fireblend]

So, any word on a release date? Feels like we've been waiting forever for this

 

[MagnaderAlpha]

I hope this isn't an irritating question that has been asked to death, but what are the odds that this gets released on the PS4?

It doesn't seem like something they are thinking about, at least at the moment. Seems like they are trying to make the computer version as good as they could. Possibly Wii U? More like "impossible on the Wii U"... huh? HUH?!

 

[RootCause]

Looks really rough.

 

[Lijik]

So today they made an update concerning the whole Kirkhope situation. A handful of people were curious/concerned about this so I figured it was worth a bump.



For those who don't know, here are the two tracks Kirkhope already composed, which are also already in the beta:

Hat Kid's Spaceship

The Big Challenge

The dreamworlds are my favorite parts of the game, I hope those win out. Although customizing the hub world would be fun, Im a sucker for decoration

 

[jholmes]

I hope this isn't an irritating question that has been asked to death, but what are the odds that this gets released on the PS4?

Either the UE3 cost issue that's keeping it off Wii U also applies to the PS4 or these devs are pathological liars.

 

[jholmes]

I hate to double post but this Kickstarter update dropped in the middle of the night and I sped over a detail that really needs the proper attention.

As Crayolan quoted, Gears for Breakfast is saying Grant Kirkhope started work on a third track and decided he wouldn't be able to do the rest. However, this contradicts what Gears for Breakfast said in the Kickstarter comments section nearly a year ago, on April 30, 2014:

"The total Kickstarter amount seen on the right ($296,360) does not match the amount we actually ended up receiving, because a lot of backers had their payments fail (either due to incorrect credit card or similar issues). That is why 7 is not the total pieces Grant will be performing."

That answer came after an AMA on April 19 of that year in which Kirkhope said he'd make three tracks.

So first they're lying about the money and claiming backers are dropping pledges, and now they're blaming Kirkhope. There is so much unnecessarily fishy stuff going on with this campaign, from how they're treating the Wii U to the endless pile of lies about Grant Kirkhope, to all the strange, smaller issues. When is this ever going to catch the attention of the enthusiast press? (Probably never.)

 

[Messofanego]

I hate to double post but this Kickstarter update dropped in the middle of the night and I sped over a detail that really needs the proper attention.

As Crayolan quoted, Gears for Breakfast is saying Grant Kirkhope started work on a third track and decided he wouldn't be able to do the rest. However, this contradicts what Gears for Breakfast said in the Kickstarter comments section nearly a year ago, on April 30, 2014:

"The total Kickstarter amount seen on the right ($296,360) does not match the amount we actually ended up receiving, because a lot of backers had their payments fail (either due to incorrect credit card or similar issues). That is why 7 is not the total pieces Grant will be performing."

That answer came after an AMA on April 19 of that year in which Kirkhope said he'd make three tracks.

So first they're lying about the money and claiming backers are dropping pledges, and now they're blaming Kirkhope. There is so much unnecessarily fishy stuff going on with this campaign, from how they're treating the Wii U to the endless pile of lies about Grant Kirkhope, to all the strange, smaller issues. When is this ever going to catch the attention of the enthusiast press? (Probably never.)

Oh man, Kickstarter drama!

 

[Mivey]

I hate to double post but this Kickstarter update dropped in the middle of the night and I sped over a detail that really needs the proper attention.

As Crayolan quoted, Gears for Breakfast is saying Grant Kirkhope started work on a third track and decided he wouldn't be able to do the rest. However, this contradicts what Gears for Breakfast said in the Kickstarter comments section nearly a year ago, on April 30, 2014:

"The total Kickstarter amount seen on the right ($296,360) does not match the amount we actually ended up receiving, because a lot of backers had their payments fail (either due to incorrect credit card or similar issues). That is why 7 is not the total pieces Grant will be performing."

That answer came after an AMA on April 19 of that year in which Kirkhope said he'd make three tracks.

So first they're lying about the money and claiming backers are dropping pledges, and now they're blaming Kirkhope. There is so much unnecessarily fishy stuff going on with this campaign, from how they're treating the Wii U to the endless pile of lies about Grant Kirkhope, to all the strange, smaller issues. When is this ever going to catch the attention of the enthusiast press? (Probably never.)

So, either his music didn't fit in, or he didn't want to make it fit in. The essential point is, that it is not in the game, for which they apologised. They even offered a "free" stretch goal. And people still cry foul?
And correct me if I'm wrong, but they never specifically said they'd come out on WiiU, just teasing the possibility. As long as the game actually does come out, a WiiU port would still be possible later along the line.

 

[jholmes]

So, either his music didn't fit in, or he didn't want to make it fit in. The essential point is, that it is not in the game, for which they apologised. They even offered a "free" stretch goal. And people still cry foul?
And correct me if I'm wrong, but they never specifically said they'd come out on WiiU, just teasing the possibility. As long as the game actually does come out, a WiiU port would still be possible later along the line.

Maybe you didn't read what you're quoting. They said he was doing seven tracks. Then he said publicly he was doing three. At that point they said they got much, much less money than the Kickstarter final total so they could only pay him for three. Now they say he's doing two.

I'm not looking for them to say they're sorry, I just want to know why we keep being lied to. They've seemingly been lying about the Wii U as well, since they're making up UE3 costs, saying the license would cost in the six figures.

 

[Athreous]

I wonder why no ps4/xbone window

 

[jholmes]

So there's a new Kickstarter update, titled Console Support Update. It's not thrilling but it is at least honest, which is a breath of fresh air:

Right now, A Hat in Time is only scheduled for a PC and Mac release ... To start it off, I want to showcase some footage of A Hat in Time's introduction scene running on a development kit for an unspecified console. We don't want to specify the console, as the console itself is irrelevant to what I want to talk about ... As you may have noticed, there are numerous issues.

A Hat in Time is developed using Unreal Engine 3, and Unreal Engine 3 does indeed support most major consoles. However, in most cases this support has not been updated for a long time. The above is not how Unreal Engine 3 supports the console by default, this is after we had applied some major fixes to even get it running in the first place...

I will continue to work on console support going forward, but please understand that I'm just a single person who has to make major modifications to a very complex engine. I am personally very interested in getting A Hat in Time to run on consoles proper, but I'm also very restricted in how I can invest my time, and I'm obviously not as skilled as the entire Unreal development team. With that said, I have made some progress, otherwise the above video wouldn't be possible

This isn't quite as transparent as I'd like it to be (what's the point of the mystery console, really?) but between this and talking about Grant Kirkhope, I'm feeling a lot better about this campaign all of a sudden, if only because it seems like the bizarre web of lies is finally done with.

 

[_machine]

I'm not looking for them to say they're sorry, I just want to know why we keep being lied to. They've seemingly been lying about the Wii U as well, since they're making up UE3 costs, saying the license would cost in the six figures.

As far as I know, that seems like the realistic cost of an UE3 console license. The base license has been around one million with the console licenses briging another hefty price tag on top of that. With UDK you would get the base UE3 (with some differences, especially when it comes to support), but UDK has never included the console licenses or tools.

As far as XBO/PS4 versions are concerned, I doubt that they'll ever happen for reasons posted above. It's very hard for a single developer to go in and modify the whole engine to run for the consoles and brings a plethora of multiplatform development issues that come with those modified branches and a single developer.

 

[munchie64]

That's a shame. I'm happy with PC though.
The Grant Kirkhope thing is a little worrying but not a big deal.

 

[Miff]

Not disappointed at all, Pascal is really talented and from what I've read console support wasn't expected.

I have a gut feeling that it won't be the last dose of bad news; I've suspected for a long time that the "can't show more due to spoilers" statement is being used to hide a lack of progress. Think they might end up scaling their ambitions down to make it a reality. I hope HAT team can prove me wrong.

But at least they're starting to be straight with backers. It's a difficult situation isn't it? Any information they provide increases the rink of backers kicking off / negativity.

 

[Dr. Buni]

The game coming to PC is enough for me, but hopefully there is a way to release it at least for the Wii U as well and the same goes to Yooka-Laylee. The more people can get to play these games, the better.

 

[jholmes]

from what I've read console support wasn't expected.

What you've read is wrong, but I'm also cautiously optimistic they can get there in due time.

 

[JaseC]

Anyone else find that completing the dream world level in the first chapter of game causes a crash? I completed the level twice, so as to rule out coincidence, and both times a crash occurred as soon as I collected the hourglass.

 

[FStubbs]

PSVita port would be nice then.

Wii U owners are way more starved than Vita owners.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Just got in on this via their e website. Hope it comes our soon.

 

[DOWN]

This is visually caustic.

 

[d0g_bear]

the top two threads on neogaf right now are PC 3d platformers. Is this real life?

 

[The M.O.B]

Trying to force a composer to create music is the worst idea ever.

If Grant wasn't feeling it then it is probably for the best.

 

[TheBear]

Just got a kickstarter update. Completely forgot about this game.

How was the beta?

 

[e_i]

Boxart:

 

[maxcriden]

Maybe I'm just not a fan of that art style but I really don't care much for that box art. Looks kinda unprofessional.

Edit: Oh. I put my finger on it. It reminds me of web comics. Very talented and impressive, I just don't think it suits a box cover.

 

[MUnited83]

Dunno, looks great and N64y as fuck.

 

[The Technomancer]

Oh is this coming out soon?

 

[Like the hat?]

Looks great. I am excited to play the game. Really hope the wii u version is still in the works.

 

[dsk1210]

So when is this due to come out?

I remember being quite excited by this a long time ago.

 

[maxcriden]

Dunno, looks great and N64y as fuck.

Happy to agree to disagree. I'm glad you dig it. I love N64 boxart but admittedly I'm not a huge fan of some of the hand-drawn ones that come to mind.

 

[Ultimadrago]

I remember being moderately excited for this Kickstarter and backing it before backing out of it last second. Good to see its development still alive. Perhaps I'll consider the game and look into it more when it releases.

 

[Davey Cakes]

Dunno, looks great and N64y as fuck.

Yeah, once I noticed the red stripe it all came together me.

 

[Crayolan]

Physical reward surveys (asking for your address) were just sent out. Deadline is July 1st.

Release date soon?

 

[Sölf]

Release date soon?

Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date. Please give us a date.

 

[Calm Mind]

Why is the Wii U still in the thread title? I thought that ship had sailed once it was known this was running on UE4.

 

[Mivey]

Why is the Wii U still in the thread title? I thought that ship had sailed once it was known this was running on UE4.

They did? Can you post a source, I couldn't find anything through a cursory web search.

 

[ChryZ]

I'm so looking forward to this.

 

[outunderthestars]

I'm so looking forward to this.

Same here. Can't wait to try it.

 

[Davey Cakes]

Physical reward surveys (asking for your address) were just sent out. Deadline is July 1st.

Release date soon?

That'd be nice. My brother backed this game. Was really excited (he doesn't back many Kickstarters) but man, that feels like ages ago.

 

[Calm Mind]

They did? Can you post a source, I couldn't find anything through a cursory web search.

From this very thread:

Dan Adelman himself told me he spoke to Gears For Breakfast about A Hat in Time. It really takes two to tango.


In no way is anything about the Wii U clearly explained and they are trying to quiet any talk about it at all. Perhaps you like the work these guys are doing and feel compelled to defend them but their behaviour so far as courting Wii U money goes is indefensible.

I understand the situation completely: They started a game in UDK, pulled a number from the sky and decided it would cost them $100,000 to port it to Wii U, didn't follow up and get a real quote, and then got an extra $270,000 to make the game, after which they told everyone to stop asking about the Wii U -- after they got all the money locked up, and after they spent the Kickstarter campaign talking about the Wii U exhaustively.

This doesn't confirm any actual cancellation of the Wii U version but it would put its existence in jeopardy if the necessary funds were not available in time.