Dear SyndicateX Readers,

I really appreciate all of you that have stuck with me through the ups and downs of posting frequency, site redesigns and other identity crises this site has faced since I launched it in 2006. Today, I want to talk about a special project I’ve been working on (that might explain my lackluster update schedule). I call this project Whirlygig.

First some background: some time ago, Microsoft released a solution for independent development studios, a development platform, called the XNA framework. The XNA framework allows small, dedicated teams to create their own games for Windows and the Xbox360. The original version was pretty rough in a lot of ways but Microsoft has continually worked to make it accessible and low-cost for entry level developers. To sweeten the deal, they run an annual competition called Dream Build Play where small developers can develop their own game and potentially win prizes or even a publishing contract.

Here at SyndicateX, I have never been a dollar-chaser (or this site would have ceased to exist long ago) but the contest helped me set a hard deadline to have a game finished. The competition deadline happens in early August and the game is entering the final stages before I submit it for judging. Because the competition deadline came so fast, the competitive version of the game does not have the polish that I would like the game to have when I release it on Xbox Live. So, once I submit it, I will be working on adding the little touches that make a game memorable. In addition, the final product must go through a system of reviews before it will hit Live Arcade. I hope to have the game released early in the fourth quarter of this year, 2009.

About Whirlygig

I love the early days of consoles where you got together with a buddy on a couch, not online, and either fought it out with them (think Street Fighter) or worked together to defeat the evil CPU (think Contra). I built my game, Whirlygig, with the early days of the console in mind. It is a game that you play with a friend or three on the couch.

Whirlygig is a two-dimensional helicopter battle game. Each player has a whirlygig equipped with steerable rockets. Players hover down between buildings to hide or fly wildly around, dodging missiles and picking up powerups. Powerups can do things like repair your ship, increase your damage or allow you to fire through buildings so they are worth collecting, even if they leave you vulnerable in the open air.

Whirlygig features a retro, 50’s art flair with an old film feel to it. Background buildings are stylized take-offs of well-known architecture.

By the time I launch on Live, I hope to have a single-player mode (currently not even begun), more powerups and a bigger variety of art the reinforces the theme and atmosphere.

If this sounds interesting, subscribe to my RSS or keep an eye on the blog. I’ll be posting updates as I move from beta to a final release candidate. Along the way, I will try to share videos and will consider reader opinions. In the meantime, below is a very early build of the game that I did a few months ago. It is missing a ton of things that I have added and doesn’t demonstrate much in the way of gameplay but it will give you an idea of the visual style that I am working with.

Thanks for your continued visits,

-SyndicateX