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the oil blue (indie PC)- Because Nothing is More Satisfying than Ocean Oil Drilling.™

C

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
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The Oil Blue
Indie Action/Adventure Sim
Players: 1
Available Now at GamersGate and vertigogaming.net (demo available here).

So, I finished my biggest indie game I've ever made, called the Oil Blue. The team was composed of myself, Jonathan Geer (music) and Sara Gross (environmental art/logos). It's a game that was developed back in November and released last night (June 22nd), but boy I couldn't have predicted the kind of environmental mess we'd be in now. Weird how that turns out.

I set out to make something completely original and different, inspired by such games as Ore no Ryouri's frantic do-everything-at-once gameplay. It is NOT a minigame collection, or a hardcore simulation or anything really like that. It's...well, an action indie sim. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it as much as I did making it. :D




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The Oil Blue is an indie action-sim that has you drilling for oil in the world's oceans, selling barrels of oil on the market, and exploring new islands once you completed objectives set by your employer, the United Oil of Oceania company. Set in the ocean in the near future, the world's dependency on oil has grown to an even larger amount. It’s up to you and a crew of men to travel the ocean, find abandoned oil drilling islands, and reclaim them for the United Oil of Oceana company.

Once you land on an island, you have a set amount of days and oil barrels to make during your stay. Fire up those old drilling machines and start making oil underwater, watch the oil barrel market and sell at the highest price, repair machines and do it all within the time you’re given…or the UOO will boot you off the island for a better crew. Sell more barrels to achieve higher ranks and perks, upgrade your machines, and conquer the ocean!

Patch Info: Version 1.040 was released on 6/19 for both the demo and the game. Read more about it here.




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Trailers:





Click on the pics for larger versions:












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Previews:

IndieGames.com- Indie Games did an exclusive preview on the game.

Reviews (updated 6/27):

Jayisgames.com- "The Oil Blue looks great, plays great, and will suck you in for hours at a time."

About.com- "...a rich and rewarding experience that's really unlike any game out there."

Gamezebo.com- "Drill upon the midnight blue, find a game equaled by only a few."


If anyone finds any more reviews, let me know.

Game Sales:

I've always committed to making my indie game sales public, which I've done on a separate forum but will also do here on GAF. They're not meant to be a way of bragging or anything- quite the opposite really, because the last two commercial games I did were hardcore puzzle games and flopped quite hard sales wise. Hopefully I'll fare better this time around. You can read more about my indie game sale experiences here:

(Part 1- ShellBlast) - (Part 2- Spirits of Metropolis) - (Part 3- The Oil Blue)
(Part 4- Six Month Sales of the Oil Blue) (UPDATE 6/27/2011- One Year of Sales of the Oil Blue)





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Download Demo (38.3mb)

Buy Game - via GamersGate or vertigogaming.net, and hopefully more portals will pick up the game! :D

Buy Soundtrack (Pay-what-you-want)- All sales go directly to the composer. It's a great soundtrack and everyone should check it out!


If you'd like to request a review copy, contact me via PM or through my site.

Thanks and enjoy!


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Baaaaad timing bro.
Ok, yeah... possibly the best timing ever if the press gets a hold of it. Maybe somebody should tell CNN. :P
 
To stay on topic, I think the art style is really gorgeous, and I really like it. Hope to check out the game later, my interest is piqued.
 
I have bookmarked to check out the demo at home, but anything DD I just buy through Steam... get it up on Steam and i will support you :)
 
I love the look of it, and I agree that with the current situation, you could position yourself to sell a LOOOOTTTTT more than normal based on potential tv/radio coverage.

I would suggest looking into this...
 
Nice work! (And fortuitous timing) :lol

Cru Jones said:
I have bookmarked to check out the demo at home, but anything DD I just buy through Steam... get it up on Steam and i will support you :)
Click to expand...

Oh jeez...
 
Thanks everyone! I do indeed want it to go up on Steam...I submitted a beta copy to them about three weeks ago but no response. I'll resubmit the game once I get some reviews. (I've also submitted it to Greenhouse, who has never ever responds to one of my emails ever, and Impulse, who are evaluating it).

Here's all the media sites I've contacted so far about the Oil Blue/sent review copies to:

Gametunnel- Submitted review copy 6/22
Gamezebo- Responded that they'll "take a look at it." 6/22
Jay is Games- Submitted review copy 6/22, however the javascript form was giving errors.
Rock Paper Shotgun- Submitted review copy 6/22
Tigsource- I cannot for the life of me figure out how to submit anything to them. :lol
Giantbomb- Submitted review copy 6/22
1up- Submitted review copy 6/22
Destructoid- Queried as to where I should send review copy (6/22)
Wired Game Life- Submitted review copy 6/22
Joystiq- Queried as to where I should send review copy (6/22)
playindiegames.wordpress.com- Submitted review copy 6/22
2Girls1Game/Gamerlimit- Review up this month/podcast mention 6/23
About.com- Submitted review copy 6/18

Still need to submit to:

AV Club (?)
Indie Game Mag
Kotaku
IGN (?)
Gamespot (?)
Various other sites

I know I'm missing a few but that's the tally so far, and I'll send more out this week. I never thought about sending the game to news sites though. I'll have to try that!

If anyone has any recommendations as far as sites go, let me know. :)
 
Looks interesting. Very unique.

Kafel said:
So you posted a new thread about your own game ?
Click to expand...
At least he was up front about it being his. He could have pulled a "hey guys, look at this awesome indie game I found".
 
Kafel said:
So you posted a new thread about your own game ?
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that, this board is very friendly towards developers. (except if you're Denis Dyack) :lol


I will check the demo and YT gameplay clip before buying. Thank you for the tip.
 
Kafel said:
So you posted a new thread about your own game ?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure it's easy to understand that by reading the OP.
Your point being?

I'm going to wait and see if Steam releases your game, if not I'll get it from one of those other sites.
 
What's wrong with him posting about his own game?
Nothing, so shut the fuck up.

This is one of the most appropriately timed games ever so good on that. I'm really interesting in this, but I'll wait for the Steam version. I know you want it all open, but it's just easier to have everything in one library.

It looks very detailed and informative and could sell on that fact alone. Get the word out as much as you can!
 
Well like I said I would love a Steam release...but it's very, very difficult to get on there. I'll resubmit my game once I get some reviews since they haven't responded since I sent them the game June 8th. Maybe email Gabe too. :p

edit: and I just submitted it to CNN, bwahaha.
 
Kafel said:
So you posted a new thread about your own game ?
Click to expand...

And? I think it is fucking awesome and I support Chubigans and his game. I am really digging the presentation, the art and music are great.
 
How long have you been making this game?

I'm sure it's a fun game (it looks fun from the trailers), but the wounds are a bit too ripe right now for me to dive in.
 
Yeah, the music turned out really awesome. Full credit to Jonathan Geer on that one.

I've been working on the game for eight months. The whole Gulf spill put me in a really weird position...I toned down a few elements but I'm still playing the pro-oil angle because, well, you're drilling for oil. How could it not be pro oil. :p

But I understand the feeling.
 
Pylon_Trooper said:
Great work, Chubs. Downloading the demo now. What tools did you use to make this? Looks gorgeous!
Click to expand...
I used GM8 actually. It's such a significant upgrade over previous versions of GM that it's nuts.

YYZ said:
Can you go into detail about stuff you toned down?
Click to expand...
Well, the game was a much more positive look at the main company you work for, the United Oil of Oceania corp (the game is set in 2034). It was a glamorous company, as seen in this art panel that's used in the game:

scrapersdos.png


The game originally pushed the idea that new energy- fusion, wind and so on- was doing horribly and just wasn't working, and dependence on oil was at a record high. After the whole oil spill incident I decided to tone down that part and add a little bit of "our side"- the public's reaction to a company like the UOO. I added graffiti to the kiosk in the introduction (the first screenshot in the OP), as well as added an oil slick effect to the ocean. It's subtle, because I didn't want to push that in the face of players...but no matter where you are in the game, there's oil in the ocean, quite literally.

There's not too much story in the game to begin with, but a little goes a long way.
 
Kafel said:
So you posted a new thread about your own game ?
Click to expand...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a GAFfer advertising their own project in a transparent way. Also, without editorializing, this doesn't look like a basement game, it looks like a solid effort, and GAFfers seem to have shown interest in the premise.
 
When I go to your site to buy it it adds "Turbo Spirit XT - Full Version" to the cart ($9.95). Where does the "GreenTech+" show up in the cart if at all?

Hopefully you can clarify the purchasing stuff. :D
 
Hazaro said:
When I go to your site to buy it it adds "Turbo Spirit XT - Full Version" to the cart ($9.95). Where does the "GreenTech+" show up in the cart if at all?

Hopefully you can clarify the purchasing stuff. :D
Click to expand...
Huh...what likely happened is that you added that game to a BMT Micro cart on some other site at some point in time, because that's not a game I've ever created. GreenTech+ shows up alongside the Oil Blue as one game so it should say "The Oil Blue w/free game Summer Promo (greenTech+)"

I'll fix that cookie bug so it clears your cart upon entering. Try this link: https://secure.bmtmicro.com/servlets/Orders.ShoppingCart?CID=3240&CLR=0&PRODUCTID=32400007
 
Any chance you'll be releasing this on mac? This looks sweet, I'd love to get it.

It also helps that I loved your LBP levels (and your taste in games) so I'm especially interested in checking this out.
 
Thanks! Actually I'm looking into Mac releases now...I just need to make enough money to buy a macbook. But porting over the Oil Blue won't happen for a while; I have two other projects I'm in the middle of and I don't want to push those aside.

Definitely sometime in the future, just not in the near future at the moment.
 
Tried the demo out and was really amazed with the game.

There's a bit to it but the game guides you through easy, and when you come out you just get into these nice multitasking grooves that become oddly relaxing, especially coupled with the music in game. Really recommending others at least check this out.
 
This shit is good shit. Played for an hour. After the tutorial, I didn't want to stop. You've got yourself a winner, Chub :)
 
Thanks! Glad yall are enjoying it. :D

Hopefully I'll get some reviews on the game by early next week. I guess everyone is on vacation after E3 or something. :p
 
chubigans said:
Well like I said I would love a Steam release...but it's very, very difficult to get on there. I'll resubmit my game once I get some reviews since they haven't responded since I sent them the game June 8th. Maybe email Gabe too. :p

edit: and I just submitted it to CNN, bwahaha.
Click to expand...
Really? There's so much garbage though
 
So I'm telling people who have not played it and want to know what it's like is that it's like Bioshock mixed with Diner Dash. I figure that's an easy way to describe it, but the game is really much more than that. Love it! Just one more barrel...
 
Druz said:
Really? There's so much garbage though
Click to expand...
Well they did say to try and supplement a submission with as much press coverage/articles that the game had at that point, which was none at the time. So maybe it'll go better once I resubmit in a week or so.

Sunflower said:
So I'm telling people who have not played it and want to know what it's like is that it's like Bioshock mixed with Diner Dash. I figure that's an easy way to describe it, but the game is really much more than that. Love it! Just one more barrel...
Click to expand...
Whoa, that's a unique way of looking at it. I like it. :D
 
Capped at rank 40., don't know if I can play any more islands past 2nd one, but the game is ace. The graphics are crisp and gorgeous, the gameplay is smart, drilling for oil is satisfying.

Please make next game 2D as well. Great job, really wonderful game.
 
Absolutely beautiful game. Everything about it is pleasant, from the '50s Art Deco look to the quaint audio. I really have to hand it to you for the audio, since it hints at something beautiful about being on the ocean, but there are hints of danger in there as well when the music swells. The mixture of ocean waves colliding with machinery are otherwordly at times.

The visual presentation of the machines adds to the immersion as you manually interact with the buttons littered about on the instrument panels. The outright technical look of the displays themselves look like something an engineer on a rig would actually be using.

The gameplay mechanics, while simple, are just enough to be addicting without pulling the player out of the world you've subtly placed them in. Micromanagement and the stock market minigame blend perfectly within the ~5-minute "day" sessions for a game that could have potential as an iPhone game since it is perfect if you only have those 5 minutes to jump in and drill.

Sale +1
 
Looks pretty cool. I love these indie games. Glad we still have something of an independent gaming industry. Last good indie game I played was Aquaria which was beautiful. I still need to buy Aquaria.
 
So, I played through the first island in the demo, kind of hit a roadblock with the second one though. It's hard to work with the Pumpjack and switch to the Oil Derrick and mark the pockets in time. I can't imagine later levels in this game if I can't handle 3 machines :lol. Excellent game though, the mechanics work well, you really feel as though you're working with oil drilling machines, the menus and other details on them are a nice touch. Love the music and art style. I'll look for it when it hits Steam (or I'll get it somewhere else if that doesn't work out).
 
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