In Metanet game terms it's "a single-player action/puzzle/simulation game in which players assume control of a yeti who works in an office." A fascinating concept, but it sounds like we're missing the important point. Fortunately!

"The important point is that you're a tiny little character in a tiny little simulated office building full of even tinier characters and objects, all of which are going about their business more or less oblivious to the fact that you are, to put it bluntly, non-human," Metanet writes on its official blog.

For better descriptions of what Office Yeti will ultimately be in far more obscure gaming terms, we'd suggest directing yourself to the developer's official blog.

Blogathon Part 2: Deep Space 9 [Metanet via Offworld]

For a measly 200 MS Points, players can guide their agile stick figure avatars around 150 single player levels, 50 multiplayer 'race' levels and 25 'survival' multiplayer maps. Add to this the July DLC update (150 single player, 50 multiplayer) then throw in the built in level editor and N+ probably has enough levels.

Also out this week are 200 points worth of new boards for Buku Sudoku at something like one sixth of a point per puzzle - that's pretty much a metric plethora.

N+ and Buku Sudoku DLC release this Wed [Xbox 360 Fanboy]

3:55 PM, the LA Convention Center. Everyone is tired, and you can see the media room starting to slow down — people wander by with exhausted expressions on their faces, looking at their watches and lighting up when they realize there's not much left in the day. Even Crecente has passed the point of being totally with it, pausing in the middle of sentences to stare off into space. I shuffle off to check out Atari's E3 offerings, and am met with a surprisingly cheerful staff who point me in the direction of caffeine. I am not caffeinated enough to face a spiel on Deer Hunter Tournament, so I'm sat down to await a demonstration of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. I hear something about transport options from the person enthusiastically imbibing what the Deer Hunter guy is saying — 'Oh cool, so you're planning on having like, ATVs and stuff?' — and am glad I'm parked in front of The Witcher instead of one screen over. More impressions and details after the jump:

So, The Witcher isn't new, but the whole presentation focused on the improvements made to the game. After apologizing for already having given the presentation five times in a row, Tomasz Gop enthusiastically explained what the 'expanded edition' really expanded upon (and kept coming back to 'fan suggestions'). The expanded edition features over 5,000 lines of totally rewritten and rerecorded script, as well as a whole new German script created from scratch (was it that bad?). In addition to the script itself, a slew of new dialogue animations were added to make characters look less like wooden blocks and more like dynamic people. Monsters and NPCs are still based on the same character models, but have gotten randomly generated clothes and colors to shake things up a bit. Further, the inventory system has been improved and makes for easier storage and sorting; there is also an easier system for collecting loot after battles. Importantly, load times have been significantly reduced. Another nice feature is the ability to play with any combination of the available subtitles and voice tracks; we watched a scene with a Polish voiceover and Chinese subtitles.

The boxed edition will feature two new adventures, the adventure editor, the official soundtrack CD, a CD of music inspired by The Witcher, a game guide, "The Witcher" short story by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, a map of the Witcher world, and a 'making of' DVD. Already bought the game? Don't want to shell out again? Never fear — everything will be available for download if you purchased the original version. The enhanced version is expected out in September of this year.

I was then shunted over to take a look at the PSP and DS versions of N+. The handheld versions will feature 350 levels and 150 coop and versus multiplayer levels. Players will be able to create their own 'playlist' of levels, as well as get lots of unlockables. The level editor will enable people to design and share their own levels — the download and upload process is fully integrated, and by utilizing a 'purgatory server,' the DS friend's code hell will be bypassed (this was a point that was mentioned very excitedly). N+ will be coming to PSPs and DSs next month

From one DS game on to another — I thankfully didn't have far to go to look at What's Cooking? with Jamie Oliver, and by this point was wondering exactly how these Atari people were remaining so chipper and upbeat. This is a reasonably detailed cooking simulator (unsurprisingly); I didn't spend too much time with the actual gameplay, but the guy demonstrating did allow me to try my hand after he scorched some prawns. It's ... a cooking game. A detailed cooking game with really complicated recipes.

However, the 'special feature' that was apparently most exciting was the inclusion of lots of real Jamie Oliver recipes, the ability to create shopping lists based on those recipes, and using the DS as an ultra-portable cookbook/list maker. Now, I like to cook, but I'm not sure I'd pop my DS on the counter — sounds like a recipe for electronic disaster when DS meets boiling liquid or something. Still, the fact that the game comes with a book's worth of (actual) recipes is kind of cool. It will be out in December in time for a Christmas '08 release.

Finally, I headed over to look at the second expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2, Storm of Zehir. The first feature noted was the expanded party editor, now featuring full party customization of up to four party members. There has also been several new classes added, though the only one mentioned in any depth was the "swashbuckler." The party conversation system was demonstrated, with answers and questions being based on intelligence, sills, class and so on. A new, detailed overland map has been added that is a walking map — no more zooming from place to place. The maps are completely moddable, and also feature traps and other surprises that players can interact with via skills.

A mercantile aspect has been added, and trading and quests can help improve your merchant empire in the world — as well as make an impact elsewhere. New monsters will be popping up (the ones I saw looked very nice, even though the game hasn't been entirely 'cleaned up' yet and looked a bit dank in places). The message I was left with was "Lots of new stuff! New races, classes, feats, spells, enemies ... did I forget anything? Yeah, lots of new stuff!". The expansion is due out in the fourth quarter of 2008.

There will be a total of three hundred and fifty levels exclusive to each platform: two hundred single player, one hundred "co-op" and fifty "versus." Players will be able to download new levels from the N server as well as show off their design prowess with a level editor. In a rare treat on the DS, player designed levels will be able to be shared with friends free from the ties of the cumbersome Nintendo friend code system. Levels will also be able to be previewed before download so you know what you're getting yourself into. Due to space limitations, the DS version will only be able to hold up to eight downloaded levels at a time, but the PSP version will be able to hold as many as your memory stick will allow. There are plenty of unlockables available to access during the game as well such as game skins, level packs, new gold goals and special music tracks. Speaking of music, all the soundtrack for the game has been created by "chip tune" artists using old consoles to orchestrate the tunes.

One of the more interesting and fun multiplayer modes is a new "tag" mode. Two players chase each other about various levels, one trying to tag the other. Being tagged makes you "it" and you lose a few points in the process. Running into obstacles also knocks points off and the game ends when one player loses all their life points. I tried this mode out with fellow journalist Travis Moses from Gamepro and it was a blast. Being an N expert, he trounced me roundly, but no hard feelings, Travis. Just pray I don't see you on the streets...

Look for N+ to stealth it's way to your DS and/or PSP on August 12th.

We don't have animation properly "sussed" yet, otherwise we'd be able to better explain what the various aspects of the problem are.. all we can say for sure is that once you eschew sprites, it gets tricky ;) Of course, this is the whole point — if you want to avoid the limitations of a sprite-based system, you're necessarily going to have to deal with all of the problems that using sprites lets you avoid.

Robotology: Back To The Drawing Board [metablog, via GameSetWatch]

Their honesty about the majority of XBLA titles being crap—and they are—is something, it seems, everyone but the fanboys can agree upon.

The Metanet guys explain further "As gamers it was unbelievably depressing for us to try literally 80 games and enjoy less than 8 of them", writing that with Arcade's gems few and far between, we're "back in retail-land" where crap outnumbers quality. Compound that with the frustration of having your clever little multiplayer racer shrugged off and "shit" starts to make sense.

It's a very sound argument, one that can't be done justice with pullquotes and headlines. Read it. However, despite how reasonable their argument is, I would hope that people pay more attention to their gut reaction, instead of one that's planned and edited, because they're right and refreshingly honest. Yes, I know we're dealing with The Internet and its people, but we should be encouraging open talk and frank opinions like these.

Wait a second. Just read that they think Super Stardust HD is "pretty crap." Fuck these guys and their stupid jumping game!

In Defense of the Apparant Shitstorm [Metanet]

N creator Raigan Burns says "When we started out, we were excited, just like with N. There were 30 games on Live Arcade. If N was one of them, it would stand out. Now there's like a hundred games, and they're all shit." Harsh? Maybe not, considering the existence of offerings like Yaris, Street Trace: NYC and Word Puzzle, according to the N+ crew.

One has to wonder, though, if the alternatives, given the time to age like Live Arcade has, will be any better.

N+: Beyond The Postmortem [Gamasutra]

Well, not the entire thing. That would be madness. While we fully expect some group of nutjobs to pick up the slack, recreating the entirety of the original Legend of Zelda in two-tone gray, the current N+ user created stab at Zelda-nostalgia is a perfect sampling of glorious obsession. Kudos for making it difficult-looking to boot. Via GameSetWatch.

I've also been meaning to catch up on some of the titles that walked away with Independent Game Festival awards, plus proper time with the Xbox Live Arcade version of N+. Let us all know what your gaming plans are this weekend!

A Lone Ninja
The single player game is exactly what you would expect - stage after stage of increasingly complicated obstacles separating you from your door. At first you might simply have to jump from column to column, but soon you'll be introduced to homing missiles, rotating lasers, roaming electric sentry balls, and a whole host of diabolical little devices trying to keep you from escaping. Each of the game's levels is split up into five stages, with a timer counting down that can be refilled by collecting the gold in each stage.

The only real problem I had with the single player game was that the difficulty is all over the board. There really doesn't seem to be a steady build in difficulty, with some of the most difficult stages followed by the simplest. I suppose it's nice to take a break from the grind now and then, but it can tend to put you off your guard as you progress.

As you play you're sure to find a level that completely kicks your ass. I found quite a few as I progressed through single player, and while I was frustrated I wasn't discouraged. The small stages really lend themselves to repeated attempts, keeping the frustration level at a dull roar. I personally spent two hours retrying one level that was particularly tricky without even realizing the time had passed. That's a very rare occurrence for me, and a testament to N+'s brilliant design.

Team Ninja
Single player is great and all, but the game really transforms itself in multiplayer mode. I'm not talking about the Survival Mode or the Race Mode here, but the four-player co-op. Teaming up with three other (good) players completely changes the experience. Playing over the same levels in single player mode the teams I have gotten with have come up with some truly innovative and entertaining ways to use our numbers to our advantage. Common tactics include sacrificing yourself to take out a batch of mines, allowing your teammates safer passage through tough areas, or having one player keep a homing missile busy by moving in circles while the others pass safely. All in all, N+ might be the most fun I've had in a multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade title.

For the most part, co-op multiplayer runs smoothly, though I've noticed some particularly nasty lag at times that can completely screw up a well-orchestrated plan of attack. Still, overall I haven't had too many problems finding a match to show off my utter lack of skill in.

Choose Your Own Ninja Adventure
N+ includes a level editor, and while I've not spent too much time with it, I can see where creating your own challenges could be a blast, especially when tailored to your own particular strengths so that you can let your skills shine. My experience with the editor is limited to seeing how many homing missiles I can avoid at one time. Answer? Not many. I hate homing missiles.

Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!
N+ might not look like much, but it doesn't have to. The game is a triumph of substance over style, delivering raw gameplay without worrying about any of the bells and whistles game publishers feel are so necessary in today's high-end titles.

N+ on XBLA this Wednesday (the 20th)!! YES!!!!!!! [Metanet Blog - Thanks Michael!]

N+ for the Playstation Portable is every bit as fun, fluid and frustrating as the original, a game that could quite easily become the one title I carry around with me whenever I take long trips, if it weren't for its ability to make me shout out, every time I play the game, a mix of vulgarities so shockingly diverse it even surprises me.

What's good about N+, a Silverbirch Studios port of Metanet Software's original title, is everything that is good about the original. Instead of trying to fix what wasn't broken, the team set their sights on recreating what I've always considered a classic of Flash play.

The character art for N is still little more than a stick figure, rendered so fluidly as to seem alive, and the levels remain a throw back to the days of Lode Runner and Soldat, which is deliberate and works. The ninja isn't quite a sticky as he is in the PC version, now you have to press against the wall to stick, but it's not a huge change from the original, and certainly not enough to distract.

For those of you who have never played the free flash game N, the side-scroller is essentially Lode Runner with a Ninja, a realistic physics engine and lots of exploding deaths.

In it you have to unlock and make your way to an exit while collecting gold. The problem is that the levels are packed with mines, lasers, turrets and guards. You also have your own clumsiness to worry about. Hit a wall, floor or ceiling going too fast and you're dead.

The game's diabolic levels can really test your patience at times, especially with little end game messages like "dirt nap" or "psyche", but the fluid play, the catchy music will keep you coming back for more.

N+ also includes a map editor, community for checking out high scores and custom levels (I assume, I couldn't check it out with my build) and a multiplayer which was also not playable on my build. I can't wait to see the final build of this, but as of now I'd say it's shaping up to be a must buy from Atari.

N+ may ultimately lead to my PSP being smashed against the wall in frustration, but that can't stop the frothing demand I feel when I see the former Flash game in action. It may have been a bit too gussied up during the conversion, but N+ will definitely find its way into my PlayStation Portable and my Xbox 360 whenever Atari gets around to releasing it.

Microsoft also gives us a look at what's on deck for XBLA in "the coming weeks", including N+, Switchball and Undertow. More information at the official media alert.

Get Your Freak On With Xbox LIVE Arcade This Week [Gamerscore Blog]

Using tools found at their website, you can create and submit level designs for all three versions of the game. You could win N+ swag for simply entering, and the best designs could be feature in the respective retail releases, garnering you a design credit as well as a free copy of the game.

You've got until June 18th to get your submissions into the event and earn your place in ninja history. Michael Fahey

SUBLIME - Submit Unique and Brilliant Levels in to Metanet Event [Contest Info, Design Tips]

If you have a computer and have not played this, go here now.

The handheld versions will feature all the acrobatic puzzle-action gameplay of the original, along with community leaderboards and a built-in level editor, meaning tons of user-created levels will likely extend the fun of N+ indefinitely. This is going to be the ninja event of the year when it drops this November, so you might want to find a hiding place now. Just sayin'. Michael Fahey

EDIT - Along with the handhelds it is indeed also coming to Xbox Live!

Atari Announces Popular Flash Game N+ for Handhelds

Cult Hit "N" Being Updated for Nintendo DS and PSP System

NEW YORK, June 4: Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today announced the development of N+, the successor to the award-winning and beloved flash ninja game N. Created by Metanet and developed by SilverBirch Studios, N+ will leap onto the Nintendo DS and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system in November 2007.

Adding to the successful formula that made N a hit online, N+ will offer equal parts platformer and action gameplay with incredibly fluid animation, fast action, amazing acrobatics and instant playability. N+ embodies the same brisk pick-up-and-play style that has endeared gamers worldwide and improves on the adored flash game with downloadable content, multiplayer components and a built-in level editor.

"N+ takes all the great elements of the flash game, from the amazing acrobatics to the simple-but-fast gameplay, and adds an impressive set of new features," said Stephen Baer, senior global product manager, Atari, Inc. "With full support for wireless multiplayer, cartridge sharing ability, downloadable content and community leader boards, gamers will be able to settle, once and for all, who is the greatest ninja."

New features like cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes and level sharing over the ad-hoc PSP system and wireless Nintendo DS connections will expand upon the gameplay possibilities that have made original flash game a sensation. Complimenting the game's 'old-school' feel, the control layout uses directional buttons and one of the face buttons to jump and move. With the built-in level editor, players can use the stylus to design maps and share them with friends or the world and downloadable content will continue to add exciting elements long after the game's initial release.