We’re super excited to finally announce the last major feature we’ve been adding to the game these past few months – Skulls Anywhere.

It’s an asynchronous multiplayer mode that let’s players take turns independently of each other (sending turns back and forth whenever they want), playing against players on all the launch platforms (XBLA, Windows Phone 7, & Windows 8).

It’s the first time this kind of gameplay has been on the Xbox. There’s also cloud save support – if you have the game on multiple platforms, you can continue your in progress Skulls Anywhere games, and your campaign progress will be transferred so you can pick up wherever you left off on another device.

(And as shown before the Xbox will also have a full realtime online multiplayer mode, Skulls Online).

We’ve even got an official press release thingy if you’re into that sort of thing:

Seattle-based developer 17-BIT announces cross-platform play for their upcoming game SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN

Seattle, WA, June 21, 2012 — Seattle game developer 17-BIT announced today that its upcoming action-strategy title SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN will feature asynchronous cross-platform play between consoles, PCs, tablets, and phones. For the first time ever, players will be able to challenge their friends, fight their way through online multiplayer battles, and even take their single-player campaign on the road — whether they’re playing on Xbox 360, Windows 8 PC, Windows Phone, or a Windows 8 tablet like Microsoft Surface.

“We call the online mode ‘Skulls Anywhere,’ and we really do mean that,” says Jake Kazdal, CEO of 17-BIT. “The turn-based nature of the game makes for perfect asynchronous play across every platform we’re shipping on. You can start playing a game at home on your Xbox, then head out and play a few turns from the same game on your phone. You might be playing against someone on a PC or a tablet — everyone’s connected via Xbox Live. And regardless of platform, everyone’s having the same great experience, because it’s the exact same game across all those devices.”

SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN supports cross-platform, asynchronous (turn-based) multiplayer for up to 4 players, allowing gamers to invite friends via Xbox Live — no matter what platform they’re on. Notifications alert players to game invites and when it’s their turn to play. Cross-platform play applies to the game’s extensive single-player campaign, too; progress may be saved to the cloud and resumed on any device.

SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN will simultaneously ship on Xbox Live Arcade, the Windows 8 App Store, and Windows Phone. The game will also be fully compatible with Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro tablets, supporting multi-touch, gamepad, and keyboard/mouse interfaces.

About SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN

SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN is an invigorating cocktail of 1960’s-flavored sorcery and strategy. Washing up on the shores of the afterlife, players meet and join forces with vibrant ghost-samurai warriors, magical animal-monks, and mustachioed samurai generals on the way to capture the Skulls of the Shogun. With its roots in classic turn-based strategy gaming, SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN retains depth and adds a smooth, simple interface that makes it accessible and enjoyable even to players new to the genre. Players immerse themselves in battle with fun and unique gameplay features amidst lush, eerie environments. Also featuring 4-player local and networked multiplayer and an original score inspired by classic samurai films and dub, SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN offers simple-yet-deep, refined and offbeat gameplay. In collaboration with Buffalo Vision and Plush Apocalypse, 17-BIT will release Skulls of the Shogun to Xbox Live Arcade, the Windows 8 App Store, and Windows Phone.
SkullsOfTheShogun.com

About 17-BIT (formerly Haunted Temple Studios, Inc)

17-BIT is a boutique independent video game developer specializing in revitalizing classic genres with cutting-edge gaming experiences. Founded in 2009 by game industry veteran Jake Kazdal, 17-BIT aims to deliver iconoclastic games that challenge the expectations of 2D gaming. Including his years at Sega in Tokyo and Electronic Arts in Los Angeles, Kazdal brings decades of experience to the company’s offices in downtown Seattle. With bold, eye-catching art and broad audience appeal, 17-BIT creates fresh game experiences that hearken back to the 16-bit era of consoles, but with the power and high definition of modern hardware.
17-BIT.com

Jake, Ben, & I had a pretty full week at E3, manning our station in the Microsoft booth.

We got two nominations from Destructoid, which was awesome. One was for Best of Xbox 360 (along with some small games you might have heard of called Halo and Gears of War), and the second was for Best Indie Game. Coincidentally, our two neighbors at the booth, Klei Entertainment’s Mark of the Ninja, and Hello Game’s Joe Danger: The Movie got nominated for the same awards! Even admist all the huge AAA games, it kinda felt like we were sitting at the cool kids table, which was nice.

We got some great coverage as well, with new stuff for you.

Windows Phone Central shows some of the first footage of our phone version. It’s pretty much the same game, believe it or not! The source art is smaller because the screen is smaller, and there’s a few other minor graphical tweaks for perfomance, but it is pretty close as you can see:

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Windows Phone Central also dug deeper an interview with Ben and I, including some more gameplay footage.

Gus Mastrapa interviewed Jake & I for the great new site The Gameological Society about going from the industry into indie games, and kinda of the indie explosion that happened because of EA Los Angeles’s layoffs & other problems.

Lastly, here’s some new gameplay footage from the winter season we haven’t shown before, courtesy of GameTrailers:

Last but certainly not least, thanks to Microsoft for having us in the booth (and for the really plush carpet that definitely helped keep us standing), as well as Polygon for having us at their party last Sunday!

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We’re proud to show off Skulls of the Shogun at Microsoft’s E3 booth this year. In celebration, we’ve cut a new trailer, which introduces the basic units and underlying mayhem of the game. If you’re at E3, stop by!