Welcome to our special 2-month long run of contests brought to you by Transolar Games and Himalaya Studios!
Contest #1: Cosplay Contest
The rules are pretty simple! You just have to dress up as one of our game characters, take a photo, and submit! Characters can be from our recent games or from our past games. To submit, email entries to: presstransolargames@gmail.com. This contest will run starting today and will end May 1st, so people have time to make costumes and give us entries.
One lucky winner will win the prizes shown: - Signed Quest for Glory 2 Poster - Mage's Initiation Pewter Pendant
Winner will be decided by the team and announced after the contest is over.
Can't wait to see what you guys come up with! Have fun everyone and good luck to you all!!
xoxo
#TeamColes #TeamHimalaya
Basic Rules for All Contests:
All are welcome to participate, so long as you've purchased our games or donated to Kickstarters!
Most contests will run Monday-Monday, except the cosplay contest, which will run starting today and will end May 1st, allowing time for people to either post or send in their photos.
A few contests (which will be announced in FB) will only be through our Twitters and Instagram! So if you haven't followed us and would like to participate, look us up: @transolargames, @himalayastudios
Folk that enter will need to be comfortable giving us your address so that we can ship you your prizes. Everything offered is a physical prize! And yes, international people are eligible and shipping is free.
Winners will be announced immediately following the end of each contest, but prizes will ship out after our campaign is over.
Rules for playing/entering will be posted per contest. They are all different
A new build of Mage's Initiation has been rolled out.
Version 1.1 addresses the majority of bugs and issues that have been reported since launch. This build won't break your existing save-games and will allow you to continue playing from where you left off. However, to get the optimal experience, starting a new game is recommended.
The main feature addition to this patch is the inclusion of a "no combat" mode, which allows you to disable random combat encounters (in the forest and wastelands) completely. Only boss battles will be mandatory, but they, too will be much easier. This feature is intended to allow people to play through the game more like a pure adventure game if they don't want to deal heavily with the combat or RPG elements.
To use "no combat" mode, simply drag the Combat Difficulty slider all the way to the left. You'll see a textual indication saying that combat is disabled in the lower text window.
Some experimental code has also been added, which attempts to unhook the player, should they get stuck on scenery objects (i.e. bushes, rocks, trees, logs etc.) and unable to run during combat. A full list of further additions and bug-fixes is listed below.
The new v.1.1 build is now available on Steam, GOG, and the Humble Store for Windows, Linux, and MacOs. Steam and GOG Galaxy clients should download and update the game automatically. However, people who purchased the game via Humble will need to uninstall v1.0 and then install v1.1 (Save-game files and other settings will not be lost when uninstalling).
You asked for it and we're happy to deliver! Yes, we're pleased to announce that Mage's Initiation will be launching on both GOG.com and the Humble store on January 30th.
After a decade of hard work, Mage's Initiation finally has a release date! Set your calendars for January 30th, 2019.
We also have a new preview teaser video to whet your appetite for what's to come.
The game now has a page on Steam and you can start wish-listing it. So be sure to do that and help us spread the word! We're also in talks with GOG.com about releasing on their platform.
Last but not least, we are currently working on native Mac OSX and Linux ports and hope to have them ready for release day. Fingers crossed.
Thanks to everyone for your patience. The long wait is almost over!
Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine was first released on September 5th 2006! To celebrate the 10-Year-Anniversary, the game is 90% off (that's 99 cents) for the next week on Steam!
You can also get both a DRM-Free version and a Steam key from the Humble Widget at the Himalaya Store.
So what are you waiting for? Strap on those boots, pack on those pounds, and head off on a fantastic journey filled with sun, surf, and sand. (Well, two out of three ain't bad.)
After a very long process spanning 3 years and several setbacks, Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine has finally been ported to iPad, iPhone, and iPad touch, and is now available in the App Store! The iOS version features a new verb-coin style interface with large icons for touch-screen devices, and is optimized for single finger taps. Text size has also been increased for easier readability on smaller screens.
As this is our first title on the App Store, reviews, likes, and ratings would be greatly appreciated.
We'd also like to say thanks to Janet Gilbert for her extensive work on making the AGS port compatible with iOS8, and to Tiny Red Studio for their assistance with porting the game and helping with its release.
Thanks, everyone, and we hope you enjoy having Al Emmo in your pocket (or handbag, backpack, and wherever else you can fit him.)
-The Himalaya Team
Please note that Apple doesn't permit us to distribute free game copies to existing owners of the PC version. You would need to purchase it again if you wish to play the iOS version.
Please help us get "Postcards from Anozira" greenlit on Steam by voting "Yes". If you have Steam installed, clicking the first link below will open the vote page directly in your Steam client for your convenience, allowing you to bypass the web login & Steamguard. Thanks!
The Steam Summer Sale has commenced and will run until July 1st, 2014.
For the next two weeks, you can get Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine 60% off. That's 9 full Acts of Wild Western adventure few only a few bucks! Check it out on Steam here.
Al Emmo is currently strutting his stuff on the Groupees Retro bundle 2. Pay what you want for Al and 7 other games! Plus, get the Al Emmo Soundtrack once 2,500 bundles get sold.
All purchasers will get a Steam key once the game is Greenlit.
Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine version 4.0 has been released! This new version has several major improvements based on player feedback we've received over the years. If you've never played the game before, now is the perfect opportunity to give this enhanced edition a try!
SCREENSHOTS
KEY FEATURES * A new Al Emmo (protagonist) voice actor * Improved 2D Cutscene movies * Scoring system with 500 points * Achievement system with 20 achievements * Tooltip bar that shows mouse-over hotspots * Much more! (See full list at bottom of post)
AVAILABILITY ON STEAM The game is still in Greenlight, but is moving up. If you have a Steam account, we'd really appreciate your "Yes" vote. And if you leave a comment too, you'll automatically go into our prize draw to win some free Steam games once greenlit! Also, all owners of the game will get a Steam key.
UPGRADING TO v4.0 Upgrading to version 4.0 is free for customers who purchased the game directly from Himalaya Studios. If you purchased the Digital Download version, simply uninstall your old version, then re-install version 4.0. The same serial key number you were allocated will work.
If you bought the game from another portal/webstore, the new version will be rolled out sometime in December.
CHANGES TO VERSION 4.0 A full list of additions, features, improvements, and bug fixes is below. WARNING: GAME SPOILERS AHEAD [spoiler=Full Changelog]- Added: New voice actor for Al Emmo - Added: New voice actor for Everette the Exterminator - Added: Improved 2D, hand-animated cutscenes to replace older 3D versions - Added: New Himalaya Studios logo animation - Added: New scoring system with a total of 500 points - Added: Achievements system with 20 achievements to unlock - Added: Tooltip GUI which shows mouse-over hotspot names - Added: The [ and ] keys will cycle backwards and forwards through inventory items - Added: Back-end functionality for touch-screen devices - Added: Some newly recorded speech for Rita - Added: Animated light glints to several small, obtainable objects to make them more visible - Added: Max Nearest Neighbour filter to the setup program - Fixed: Music and audio stuttering bug - Fixed: Pressing Enter on Quit & Restart GUIs now acts like clicking the "yes" button - Fixed: Esc key will now cancel the map of Anozira - Fixed: Esc will no longer skip the entire tequila sequence in the saloon - Fixed: Al can now run inside Koko's store - Fixed: Improved Al's mule dismounting animation at Rita's house - Fixed: Improved Bubba's flag animation - Fixed: Updated the PDF manual with the latest graphics and information - Fixed: Koko's greeting to Al in Act 6 if Al already visited him since the raid - Fixed: Made it so you must talk to Everette before you can give him the termites - Fixed: More legible font is used in the journals - Fixed: Moved the mine cart's starting position further right on the tracks - Fixed: Bug where the same desert music could play twice in succession - Fixed: Bug where the top left and right menus would not animate in the mine cliff screen - Fixed: Bug where you could burn the gallows ropes with the matchbook more than once - Fixed: several minor spelling/grammar errors - Fixed: other small glitches and bugs - Changed: Interface improvements (such as tweening GUIs) - Changed: Made many items and objects easier to click on to reduce pixel-hunting - Changed: Rita's speaking portrait - Changed: Rita's song cutscene has been replaced with a new in-game scene - Changed: Increased the odds of seeing the fishing Easter Eggs at the oasis - Changed: Improved the visual appearance of Kevin's fire extinguisher spray - Changed: Retouched several characters' dialog portraits - Changed: The half-map rubbing inventory item now includes a piece of charcoal - Changed: Al now looks at the half-map rubbing after acquiring it (close-up) - Changed: Made it easier to walk off the screen edges when leaving a room - Changed: Various dialogue and text tweaks - Changed: Tweaked the way save/replace game GUIs are handled[/spoiler]
2) Click the "Favorite" and "Follow" buttons (under the screenshots).
3) Leave a comment (This step is necessary so that we can choose winners from the list of usernames assigned to the comments).
And that's it! Three entries will be randomly chosen when Mage's Initiation gets greenlit and this contest will remain open until that time. Comments/votes that existed before the contest was announced will also be eligible to win.
Second Prize: Two runners-up will each be gifted one game of their choice (of any value) to their Steam account.
First Prize: One lucky winner will receive all if the items below:
4 Game boxes (Fire, Earth, Air, and Water) containing game and soundtrack CDs
1 Standard DVD Case/copy of the "Mages Initiation" game
4 D'arc Polyresin figures - Fire, Earth, Air, and Water (4" x 3" x 3")
3 Digital Copies of the "Mage's Initiation" game
1 Digital Copy of the "Al Emmo & the Lost Dutchman's Mine" game
1 Digital "Al Emmo & the Lost Dutchman's Mine" soundtrack (53 Tracks)
1 "Mage's Initiation" Poster (18" x 24")
1 "Mage's Initiation" 50-page Hardcover Art book
2 Bronze "Severed Circle" Pendants
3 Complete sets of character trading cards (15 foil packs, 120 cards total)
1 Art Lithograph, Signed by JP Selwood (8.5" x 11")
It is with great joy that we announce our Kickstarter campaign for Mage's Initiation was a monumental success! We blew past our goal and ended with a resounding 192%; over $125,000. We are beyond amazed by the incredible outpouring of support from our fans, both old and new, and can't wait to give back an epic game and top-notch collectibles in return!
We have also received over $2,600 in PayPal pledges at the time of writing, a big thank you to our PayPal backers as well! While PayPal pledgers couldn't participate in the comment section, you'll still be able to participate in both our public forums, and the private backer forums coming soon!
We're thrilled to say that we blazed past most of our stretch goals, and we'll get to greatly expand the game with class-specific side-quests and open up a new explorable wasteland area, plus add additional 2D cutscenes and old school "close up" artwork to punctuate key game scenes, both of which will greatly flesh out the rich narrative. We'll also be adding some new monsters to Iginor's forests for all your target practice needs!
Once again, from the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU. The past month has been an incredible journey! And if you missed the Kickstarter, we're currently running a "slacker backer" campaign via PayPal here, to see if we can meet the rest of our stretch goals!
Excellent news for folks who wanted to back our project but had issues with Amazon Payments on Kickstarter: now that we have blitzed past our initial goal, we are able to take pledges through PayPal. If you fall into this group, simply click the PayPal logo below and it will take you to the PayPal Plegdes page:
WE DID IT! Thanks to our wonderful magi, sorceresses, elementalists, and all those in between, Mage's Initiation has been fully funded. You've made our dream come true, and we can't wait to reward you with a monumentally epic game true to the old school adventure spirit, *and* with top-notch collectibles that we'll be sending your way!
We now hope to hit many of our stretch goals. Should we do so, there will be more areas to explore and additional quests for each class so that the game gets even bigger and more epic! Better yet, each stretch goal level unlocks extra rewards for our current $100+ backers! Take at our Kickstarter page to see the grand stretch goals that await!
Here you can reserve a copy of the game, as well as other cool collectible items such as posters, cloth maps, T-shirts, pendants, and even a polyresin figure of D'arc himself (the protagonist)!
We've decided to run a giveaway to help promote the enhanced version of Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine.
For the chance to win ANY three (3) Steam games of your choice, follow these simple steps:
1) Visit the Al Emmo Greenlight page. Log in to your Steam account and click the "Yes" button to up-vote the game. 2) Click the "Favorite" button (located just above the "Yes" button, under the screenshots). 3) Leave a comment relevant to the Enhanced Edition of Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine. (This step is necessary so that we can choose a winner from the list of usernames assigned to the comments).
Three (3) entries will be randomly chosen when Al Emmo gets greenlit. The contest will stay open until that time. Comments/votes that existed before this announcement will also be eligible.
First Prize: Any three (3) games (of any value), chosen by the winner, will be gifted to the their Steam account.
Second Prize: Two runners-up will be gifted one (1) game of their choice (of any value) to their Steam account.
Note: Entrants must have a valid Steam account to enter. Prizes are not redeemable for cash.
This is an upcoming enhanced edition of Al Emmo. The major changes will be completely new Al Emmo character vocals (by new voice actor) and 2D animated cutscenes to replace the original 3D ones. There are also a plethora of other tweaks and improvements!
The way Greenlight works, is that the community votes for games they would like to see on Valve's Steam platform. This removes the sole decision-making from their shoulders and provides a more accurate representation of which titles the gaming community at large wants to see on Steam.
So, we could use your help! If you have a Steam account, please log-in and vote "Yes" to help us get the upcoming Al Emmo build onto the Steam platform.
Thank you!
If Al Emmo gets onto Steam, current owners of the game will be given a free Steam code for the Enhanced Edition.
Adventure Classic Gaming likes Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine quite a bit, apparently. In fact, they like it so much their review has been 6 years in the making. Take a look!
Applications for the programming positions have now closed. Thanks to everyone who applied! We are pleased to welcome Steve Poulton and Jason Mearls to the Mage's Initiation development team. They will assist in scripting the game's remaining puzzles and refining the underlying framework.
We're also thrilled to bring the talented Jessica Beebe on board as our 2D cut-scene animator. Her Disney-esque skills will be put to good use in creating the intermissions scenes for the game.
We're looking for an AGS scripter to expedite progress on our upcoming game, Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements. The person will also help with programming Hidden Object Games created with the AGS engine. Applicants must have the following qualities:
1) Self-motivated.
2) Experienced with AGS scripting.
3) Passion for RPG/Adventure games and very familiar with how both genres work. (Bonus points: clever puzzle design ideas & creative solutions)
If interested, please send an e-mail to contact@himalayastudios.com with the subject line "AGS Programmer" and let us know your skills, what AGS games you've worked on, and what you think you can bring to this project. Thanks!
Please note that this is a commercial paid project. A contract will be arranged with the successful applicant. If you think you fit the bill, please send an application/resume.
We are very pleased to announce our newest project, Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements.
The game will be an Adventure/RPG hybrid game, similar in style to Sierra's Quest for Glory series. It is currently in the early development stages and is projected for a late 2012 release. More information about the game can be read here.
To celebrate the holiday season, Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine version 3.0 has been reduced to $4.99 USD for the next 2 weeks!
Now is the perfect time to experience this classic Sierra-style, point & click Wild Western adventure at an all-time low price. The offer is available until January 1st, 2011. Click here to buy it now!
Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine version 3.0 has been released, offering support for hi-res modes plus many of other features! A full list of changes is listed here.
For a change of pace, we developed a Hidden Object Game with the AGS engine, based on Al Emmo. Postcards from Anozira features 5 Playable characters, 29 levels, and 145 postcards to collect in total! Help the mayor drive tourists to the town as you explore the desert land and use your Hidden Object finding skills!
Also, just a quick update to mention that the last of the free Quest for Glory II posters have been shipped and we're now out of stock. Congratulations to everybody who obtained one of these rare Limited Edition Collector's Items!
Our new website has been launched! We've added a new Games Store with a selection of hand-picked, classic-style adventure games for your entertainment, while you wait for our upcoming project. Be sure to check back regularly for newly added titles.
We are also offering "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine" at an all-time low price ($9.99 USD for the Digital Download/Standard Edition and, $14.99 USD for the Collector's Edition). There has never been a better time to get lost in the Wild-Wild West.
We're embarking on the development of an exciting new adventure game project. But to start, you may be wondering what we've been up to over the past few years. And to end, you'll probably want to know more about this project in development!
Well, I actually was hired by the Phoenix Police Department and attended the Police Academy, "Police Quest" style. But after the release of "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine", we were approached by publishers, and I left to reunite with the team to concentrate further on adventure game development.
Also, as many of you may know, we spent considerable time making good on our promise over at AGDInteractive.com. We released the highly anticipated remake of "Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire" on August 24th, and released updated versions of our first two titles, "King's Quest I" and "King's Quest II". If you don't have the newest versions, be sure to download them-the visual enhancements, thanks to the Selwood's and Johan Botes, are worth the download alone!
I even had the chance to go on an incredible real life adventure, riding my bicycle from my front doorstep in Phoenix, Arizona all the way down to Panama City, Panama. This involved being an honorary firefighter in Arizona; riding through the drug cartel territory of Mexico and going on a ride along with the Federali; being invited by the Mayor of Tequila to celebrate the last night of their annual festival; visiting the Mayan pyramids; living with a family in Guatemala; eating papusas in El Salvador; braving the scorching deserts of Honduras; white water rafting and nearly dying in a kayak accident off the coast of the Bay Islands; cycling by steaming volcanoes in Nicaragua; battling the stalwart winds and rains of Costa Rica and meeting our first three-toed sloth; watching enormous cargo ships squeeze through the Panama Canal; sleeping in hammocks on deserted Caribbean Islands, and snorkling by shipwrecks in the azul waters, while sailing in a Spanish sailboat to South America; galloping on trusty steeds through the Colombian coffee country; being interviewed by the news in the home city of Pablo Escobar; visiting Cartagena of "Romancing the Stones" fame; swimming with seals, penguins and hammerhead sharks off the coast of the Galapaos Islands; visiting the piranha infested waters of the Amazon River Basin and the towering Andes of Ecuador. We even learned Spanish. The six month adventure was as grand as the Sierra classics that we remember so fondly, and was even entitled "Hero's Quest" after the beloved "Quest for Glory" series. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to check out our blog detailing the journey (which includes pictures for those with short attention spans):
While adventuring about South America, I began reading a design proposal from our talented game designer, Daniel Stacey. I realized, it was time to return home and start our next adventure-a classic style adventure game that NEEDED to be made.
It just so happened, merely a day after returning back to the States, Chris would have a stopover flight in Los Angeles on his way back to Australia from Canada. He would have precisely 12 hours before boarding a plane home. Being merely 6 hours away by car, and clearly seeing the stars were aligned in our favor, I made my way out to the LAX airport to pick Chris up and take him to a very special place. I arrived at the curb, straight from Phoenix, right as Chris was walking out of the airport - perfect timing as usual!
Battling Los Angeles traffic, we made our way to the most pivotal location in Himalaya Studios history... Disneyland. It was there that I had made the decision years earlier to follow my dream: start Himalaya Studios and move to Australia to work side by side with Chris on our first original game: "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine". This would be Chris' first trip to the park, and it was here, at the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, that Chris and I recommitted to adventure game development and the future of Himalaya Studios.
Following our plan, a few months later, Chris made a proper return visit from Australia. We were approached by the Department of Homeland Security in regards to a computer game development contract, and were asked to present our ideas - but our sights were still set on our original game idea. It was past its incubation period and HAD to be born. It was time to return to our passion of classic style adventure game development!
We pondered what we could do to provide inspiration for this next project, and decided a road-trip across America would do the trick... and perhaps even a meet-up with a Sierra design legend on the opposite end of the country.
In 11 days, we managed to go on a whirlwind tour of America, visiting no less than 23 States. This adventure started in the Wild West of Arizona-in fact, the Anoziran setting of our first title, "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine".
Little did we know when commencing this journey, our adventure would include a jaunt up the Rocky Balboa stairs in Philly and a tour (which we had no tickets for) of Independence Hall; a romp through the fields behind Abe Lincoln's childhood home in the backwoods of Kentucky, as well as a visit to an authentic Kentucky Fried Chicken; a stopover at the White House on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; an outing to Bill Clinton's home in Hope, Arkansas; a visit to the Jack Daniel's distillery in the boondocks of Tennessee to obtain an inventory item requested from a friend; a perusal of the lighthouses of Maine, which ended in a very Carmen Sandiego-esque search for toothpicks; indulgence in a Spaghettio dinner at the creepiest Walmart (ever) in Rhode Island; a tour of the Big Apple (in which we got lost, much like Kevin McCallister from "Home Alone: Lost in New York") and more.
But of course, the highlight of our trip was visiting one Josh Mandel, legendary Sierra designer who has worked on such games as "Freddy Pharkus Frontier Pharmacist", "King's Quest", "Leisure Suit Larry", "Space Quest"...(you get the idea-a game developing God)... at his home in upstate New York.
We were on several days without sleep, as we had a LOT of ground to cover in far too few days, and wondered if it would be wise to visit a design legend in such a weary state. But it HAD to be done. Phone contact was made, and King Graham of "King's Quest" fame answered. I pondered how I could be so obtuse as to ask, "is this Josh?"-of course it was him! After all, how often does King Graham answer the phone?
Merely minutes later, we were making in-person greetings and entering the home of the hospitable Josh and his wife, Laura. What a joy it was! Josh was an eloquent speaker, and told us tales of the glory days working at Sierra, and provided updates on the lives of all of our favorite game developers of yesteryear. We sipped piping hot black tea as we listened with great enchantment. At one point, we were even offered the opportunity to extensively examine the annals of authentic Sierra art and design work! We sifted through dozens of detailed pieces of artwork, from character portraits to backgrounds, from the "Freddy Pharkus" game. It was quite spellbinding observing the sheer perfection and amount of detail in each piece.
In addition to being a talented game developer, Josh is also a gifted chef, and we had the opportunity to sample such delicacies as homemade blueberry muffins and ice cream. Josh's adoreable daughter was quite scared of the guests (us), but warmed up quickly, declaring her love for the "man with the funny accent" (Chris).
As the night wore on, we realized we'd need to find accommodation soon. Yet literally unable to drive to a hotel due to exhaustion caused by a lack of sleep and overabundance of adventure (as well as a busted headlight and our fear of Motel 6's after being accosted by an unusual and forceful character, smelling strongly of booze, by the name of Oliver C. Byrd, who claimed himself to be a Secret Agent and "a little too black, a little too white, a little too white collar, a little too blue collar, with no membership", days before in Philadelphia), we requested we be able to sleep in our vehicle parked in the driveway. Josh and Laura would have no such thing-like accommodating Kattas from the Katta Tail Inn, we were subsequently invited to sleep in their very home, upon the most comfortable mattress and couch Chris and I have ever had the joy of experiencing (although after sleeping in a car for most of the week, or not sleeping at all, just about anything would feel overwhelmingly comfortable!).
We were very careful to return all artwork before retiring for the night, lest a piece go missing, and Josh think we took it as a souvenir and never be invited back again.
The following morning, we awoke well rested, and realized we perhaps had JUST enough time to drive straight to Arizona and arrive at the airport to get Chris on a 20 hour flight back home. And drive we did! We accidentally ended up in line to enter Canada at one point, and made a stop over at Niagra Falls. From there, it was a race across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The states became larger and larger the farther west we went, and it seemed we would NEVER make it in time! Friends and family chomped at their fingernails in anxious anticipation, as if watching an episode of "The Amazing Race", wondering if we'd ever make it in time. But true to form, we met our goal and arrived at the airport-straight from Albany to Phoenix--exactly one hour before Chris' domestic departure to California, and ultimately a flight back to Victoria, Australia.
Previous game development promises met; several inspiring real life adventures under our belt; a visit with a renowned Sierra designer; we are now excited to embark on our next great journey-the development of our most exciting project to date. We will keep you updated every step of the way. Join us! Return often. Be part of our next great adventure.
