Microsoft and Creative England has been running an initiative called the Greenshoots Programme for the last couple of years, and it is returning in 2016. The project sees the collaboration seek to tap into game developers located outside the hub of Greater London (essentially the rest of the UK).
The games release through the Greenshoots Programme are launched through Microsoft’s ID@Xbox program, which is the independent developer program for Xbox One. This year there are some interesting games being released through the project. Requirements for Greenshoots developers include creating a fresh “innovative” idea to get funding.
Here are some of the games being released through the Greenshoots Programme and ID@Xbox this year:
The Other 99
The Other 99 is launching in August on Steam and then landing on the Xbox One in early 2017.
It is a first-person shooter with survival aspects where the gamer must escape an island occupied by The Other 99. Players can do this with blunt force (i.e. killing them all), or by stealthily searching for a way to escape the enemy.
QUBE 2
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2v9n3s_qube-2-teaser-trailer_videogames
The original QUBE was a fairly successful and popular title back in 2011 and now it is getting a sequel through Microsoft ID@Xbox. The game is heavily influenced by puzzlers like Portal, offering games a first person game in which they must solve puzzles. Not much is known about QUBE 2, but the first title is probably a good pointer as to what we can expect.
The Last Word
The Last Word comes to the Greenshoots Programme with a reputation already gained. The title has already won awards at Intel Buzz and Game Connection and has been around since 2015 in one form or another. The Last Word is a platformer that sees the gamer play within the diary written by a little girl.
Fugitive
A bit more of a classic gaming experience, Fugitive is a top down scroller that has been developer by Fallen Tree. The UK developer is already well known amongst gamers as the creator of the Quell series. Fugitive is still a bit under wraps at the moment, but it is due to be released at some point in 2017.
