Triple B Games

Progression Video

2009-10-23T11:20:00.002+01:00

Carlo's put together a video showing the progression of Lacrosse throughout the last 6 months - from Fitba to Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010. It's funny to look back at the game and see it changing. One word of warning - you might want to turn your speakers down a touch, the musics a bit LOUD!

Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010

2009-10-08T00:08:00.002+01:00

Too tired to post properly, but it looks like we're going into peer review tonight, one last multi player test and we're there. Back to watching the slow blue line creep towards release.

New low price!

2009-09-02T21:07:00.001+01:00

I've cut the price of Fitba to a mere 240 points, Fill your boots - go on - you can buy two copies and have change from a Fiver :)

Fitba Patch - Out Now!

2009-06-25T21:44:00.003+01:00

Fitba's been updated with a new version, which has now passed peer review and is available for download. Here's what's new...

Fixed occasional crash in network game when player is sent off.
Added option to alter length of games.
Added option to pause or manually control rotation of player in player editing.
Fixed juddering when the goalkeeper is kicking from hands on client in network game.
Dont allow client to join server if server is running a different version to the client.

Upating to the latest version is currently a bit clunky in the community games channel. You have to manually delete the game from your 360 and download it again. Apparently this is a process that is going to be improved "soon".

Facebook Group

2009-05-14T17:04:00.002+01:00

Another way to stay in touch with Fitba & Triple B Games news is to join our new Facebook group - head to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73010533084 if you would rather keep in touch that way.

XBLCG.info

2009-05-14T16:54:00.002+01:00

Some of the XNA Community Games creators have got together and put a Community Games Review site together. Hopefully if this site is a success it'll shame Microsoft into pulling their finger out and getting user ratings integrated into the dash. The site allows you to give each game your approval and see charts of the highest ranked games.

You can find the site here http://xblcg.info/ and its Fitba page is here http://xblcg.info/game/fitba

All approvals gratefully received :)

I've been noodled!

2009-04-28T22:02:00.002+01:00

Nope nothing about the new disgusting kebab flavoured pot noodles, but I've done a developer Q&A over at Noodlegamer.com check it out here.

Developer Interview for Cranky Gamers UK

2009-04-16T20:49:00.004+01:00

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Fly for Cranky Gamers UK, discussing Fitba, making games with XNA and all the fun and games that's involved in getting your game out on Community Games.

Head over here for the Cranky blog or over to iTunes to listen to the interview.

"Jumpers for goalposts"

2009-03-14T21:40:00.004Z

XnPlay have posted a review of the game, and despite not being a football game fan they've enjoyed the game... "A few minutes into the game pass and I’m having fun. Me? Fun? With a football game? What is this world coming to? I’ve long stopped worrying about what button does what and settled into a nice groove of passing back and forth, sliding tackling a random passer by purely because I’m a child at heart and still find kicking people over funny"

Fitba - the only footy game that allows you to please your inner child by slide tackling the oppositions star striker as they're lining up to kick off :)

Fitba made the News Of The World!

2009-03-08T10:28:00.005Z

The News of the World picked up on Fitba for its Scottish edition in its "What we like on the web this week". I'm dead chuffed to make it into national press coverage, quite a coup for a game that's only out on Community Games. Here's a scan of the article:

Luv and more for Fitba

2009-03-04T22:26:00.003Z

GameLuv's got luv for Fitba "For 400 Microsoft Points it could be one of the Community Games that really takes off in the mainstream. Well, in the European mainstream anyways." It's true there has been more interest in the game from over here, but I've had quite a few e-mails and comments from US players, so it's not like nobody in the US is playing it. The foreign reviews are great entertainment when you run them through babelfish to try and work out whether they like the game or not. Like the translation of this Spanish blog "Fitba... irremediably remembers classic the Sensible Soccer, something that always is a good signal." I think he likes it :)

Another Spanish blog, but this time written in English really likes the game. "Possibly, the best game of Community Games... Indeed, very good game."

Youtube Trailer

2009-03-04T12:53:00.000Z

Some people have reported problems with Soapbox and Chrome, so here's the exact same vid on youtube.

Youtube review

2009-03-02T15:07:00.002Z

SatanicBakedBeanz's James has posted a video review of Fitba, and a couple of other CG games too. He likes the game, prefers it to Sensi and picks up on the Kick Off influence that is definitely there.

For me it is really interesting to see other people playing the game. Nobody seems to get the hang of taking the kick offs which is my fault entirely - for a long while in order to take the kick off you had to run into the ball to kick it and the game would then start. I then added the option so that if you press A or pull the trigger the nearest computer controlled player would then run up and knock it forward thus starting the game. However what seems to happen is the people just run around all over the shop before the kick off, so the opposition are coming in and stealing the ball before the player reacts. I guess I should have just forced the players position to be right there for the kick off. There's not really much to be gained from giving the player the freedom to run around at that point of the game, but I am always loathe to take control away from the player.

The other thing that James seems to do is use the A button for passing a lot. He only seems to be using the kick stick for aftertouch, rather than for actually performing the pass. Pressing A as an option for the pass was a pretty late addition, primarily so my kids, who can't really handle twin stick controls, could play the game, and isn't really how the game is meant to be played. Perhaps I should have introduced it with some kind of tutorial... hmmm.

Still he likes the game which is good, even if he likes Zoomaroom more...

Feedback starting to come in.

2009-03-02T14:02:00.002Z

So Fitba's been out there over the weekend and it's starting to get some reviews & feedback.

The XBLCG team blog liked it... "Fitba, the soccer game for people who love the beautiful game but can't be bothered with the ego of the superstars. This is just pure fun. My next CG purchase for sure."

411 Mania did a review, but didn't seem to find the option to change the camera. They still seemed to like the game, "This game does a lot of things right - including separating passing and kicking by using both analog sticks, which creates a new level of gameplay."

Also had an email from Pete Rankin of Leith FM who loves the game and is going to be giving it a spot today about 4pm. "A great little football game that gives fifa and pes a run for their money... easily the best community game so far."

Fitba also got a load of good and encouraging comments from those who peer reviewed the game. “Fantastic game … I am not a soccer/ football fan, but this is still a blast.”, “Excellent game”, “Game rocks”, “I don't watch or play soccer, but I thought this game was a lot of fun.”

More as I get them.

It really is done this time...

2009-02-27T16:14:00.003Z

It's a wrap, done, finished, finito, completed, gone gold, out, go download it, even better buy it, it's only 400 MS points.

Of course if you don't have a 360 this can be the perfect excuse for you to go and get one.

I'm off to get drunk and watch the Community Games charts filtered by popularity - the only way to get any idea of how it's selling until they come up with some system of sales tracking.

It's done...

2009-02-20T20:54:00.004Z

... well almost. I've had the game being playtested for the last week or so on the Community Games site, and it's now into the Peer Review stage. This is the stage at which other Creator's Club members check it over to make sure it doesn't crash, it doesn't have any dodgy stuff in it etc. So it should be about a week to ten days until it's out on the Community Games channel. That is as long as there aren't any issues found. Then you'll finally be able to fork out your hard earned and see just what I've been beavering away at.

Edit: I should have said, if anybody's a premium Creators Club member and would like to join in the peer review, this is the link. Thanks.

Here's the new vid I've put together as part of the submission, I spent a bit longer on this vid than the last one, hope you like it:

<br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=6b12e448-066f-4fd4-ba72-5b9fca2854db" target="_new" title="Fitba Community Games Trailer">Video: Fitba Community Games Trailer</a>

New Fitba Vid

2008-10-02T21:42:00.002+01:00

As part of the DBP entry I had to put a new vid together, I've put in some previously-unseen footage of the player editing, and some new gameplay. Hope you like it...

<a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=c081a423-8dce-4e3d-b2c8-ae4b371239fc" target="_new" title="Fitba">Video: Fitba</a>

Been a bit quiet...

2008-09-16T22:37:00.002+01:00

I know, I know, nothing since May, but I do have a good reason, I've been contracting, working on the awesome Flock! back at Proper. Busy as the guys there are finishing up the game I've managed to escape for a couple of weeks working on Fitba, getting it polished up and submitted to the Microsoft Dream Build Play XNA competition. I'll update the demo once I've got my entry submitted so you can all see what I've been up to.

Updated Fitba Demo 1.0.1.34

2008-05-06T10:40:00.002+01:00

Big update this time, less under the hood but more in terms of what you see when you're playing the game. First up are headers and overhead kicks - I've put both in & I've put them in without cluttering up the controls any further - what was slide tackle now triggers a header, overhead kick or slide tackle depending on where the ball is in relation to you. Your player will attempt to find his own way to the ball intersection position when attempting to do a header, leaving you free to direct the header where you need it. I was initially loathe to move the player automatically, but I think it feels right, and means that crossing the ball in and getting a header on goal is possible, and very satisfying when it comes off and the ball is nestling in the back of the net.

The other big change is I've added two new camera modes - a side-on more TV style presentation, and a more zoomed out, more tactical view. Nothing too revolutionary, but it does really feel like a different game playing in the different views.

Download the new version on PC or 360 from over on the downloads page.

Enjoy the game.

Updated Fitba Demo 1.0.1.33

2008-04-21T10:33:00.002+01:00

Yay, another new version of the PC Demo. This latest version has added some stat tracking. After a game has finished it'll upload some stats to our server, so that I can see how people are playing the game, and it'll help me to hopefully make the game better. There is of course an option to disable this stat tracking in the options menu, and it shouldn't interfere if you don't have an internet connection. There's also been a latest version check put in, so in the future when I put out a new version, the demo should let you know that a newer version is available for download.

If any of this is causing problems with firewalls etc, you can stop the demo from even attempting to communicate externally by holding down the shift key as it starts up.

Other new stuff in this version includes a lighting fix on the players, tweaks to the mouse control, and scuff marks added to the pitch.

Hope you like it, and as always if you have any problems running the demo, or any feedback on the game please get in touch, fritz [at] triplebgames.com, or add your comments here.

Congratulations to our competition winners!

2008-04-16T09:57:00.004+01:00

Congratulations to Dean Smith, currently of Newcastle & Wayne Buchan of Fraserburgh for winning one of our amazing Triple B T-Shirts, they've both walked off with one of these. Head over to our clothing store to get one for yourself.

Updated Fitba Demo 1.0.1.32

2008-04-10T10:52:00.002+01:00

I've uploaded a new version of the Fitba PC Demo this fixes a missing dependency in the install. You might think that installing the correct versions of DirectX, the XNA framework and the .NET framework would be enough to get an XNA game running on anybody's PC, but no, you also have to ensure that the Visual C++ runtime is installed as well, a step I had missed out. If you've tried the demo in the past and it's failed to run at all this version should fix that.

Also in this version I've added optional mouse control to give those who don't have a 360 pad connected to their PC a better game. You can now move your player with the keyboard and control your players kick direction, slide tackles and change player with the mouse. This allows non-pad players to take shots and make passes in more than the 8 directions allowed by the keyboard. All round I think it's a big improvement for those without a 360 pad.

There are also numerous small changes that have leaked through from the advances that have been going on to the main game. Have fun with it.

Excellent Blender\XNA Tutorial

2008-03-17T21:06:00.002Z

I've just found this excellent walk-through of creating a skinned model in blender and getting it through to your XNA project. I'd been intending to put something like this together to show how to use the fbx exporter that I'd modified, but this covers everything I could have put in and leaves me free to get on with Fitba. Yay!

Stadium Editing

2008-03-13T11:15:00.002Z

One of the really important things for me is that it's easy to create and customise teams in Fitba. Since we don't have any licensed teams, we're going to make sure that it's as simple as possible to create and share custom team definitions. I've been working on putting in Stadium Editing and here's a screenshot of the work in progress.

Updated Demo - 1.0.1.31

2008-03-04T11:17:00.002Z

I've made a small update to the demo, this fixes the bug where a player chasing a ball running away from him would become confused and think he couldn't catch it which resulted in control switching to another player. This is now fixed. If you need to know which version you are running it's displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the title screen.