Opertoon » Press

FWR podcast teases upcoming Ruben & Lullaby update

Erik Loyer — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:45:56 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to chat with Shane Hinton, Shawn Rider and Trevor Dodge of First Wall Rebate about Ruben & Lullaby, music and storytelling in games for an episode of the FWR podcast. Thanks to Shane, Shawn and Trevor for inviting me on the show—I really enjoyed the conversation, which careens from opera to Aerosmith, D-pad to Wii-mote, and hints at the features coming in the 1.1 update to the game. Have a listen…

P.S. A number of times during the podcast, we make reference to a past project of mine called Chroma. Chroma is an unfinished sci-fi web serial I wrote and directed about ten years ago, featuring interactive motion graphics set to original music and narration—you can find it here (Shockwave plug-in required).

O’Reilly thinks Ruben & Lullaby is one of the ‘Best iPhone Apps’

Erik Loyer — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:44:42 +0000

Ruben & Lullaby has made the cut as one of the featured apps in O’Reilly Media’s forthcoming book Best iPhone Apps: A Guide for Discriminating Downloaders, to be released later this month. The book profiles over 200 apps with brief descriptions and usage tips—delighted to see our touch-controlled twosome counted among the most notable offerings in the App Store!

Cover of the forthcoming book from O'Reilly Media.

Ruben & Lullaby makes “Interactive Storytelling Must-Play List”

Erik Loyer — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:08:40 +0000

As a discussion starter, interactive fiction author and critic Emily Short (who writes the great “Homer in Silicon” column at GameSetWatch and also maintains her own blog) recently posted a list of titles she thinks one “must play to understand interactive storytelling,” and happily, Ruben & Lullaby was considered worthy. The list is definitely worth checking out–a lot of my personal favorites are there (Ico, Portal), along with a number of projects I hadn’t heard of before but am excited to take a look at. It’s gratifying to be in such good company!

Scott McCloud on Ruben & Lullaby

Erik Loyer — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:49:54 +0000

Comics theorist Scott McCloud took a moment to mention Ruben & Lullaby on his blog—a wonderful bit of synchronicity, as on the very same day I was talking up Understanding Comics to a group of students at UC Riverside as part of a lecture entitled “Stories as Instruments.” I, like many interactive and game designers, am heavily indebted to Scott for his work, so a mention like this is especially gratifying. Thanks!

A Valentine’s Day podcast for Ruben & Lullaby

Erik Loyer — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:02:42 +0000

First Wall Rebate have dedicated their latest podcast (released on Valentine’s Day, no less—how appropriate for our troubled twosome) to Ruben & Lullaby. Thanks, guys, for the kind words and thoughtful commentary…

MSNBC.com and GameSetWatch on Ruben & Lullaby

Erik Loyer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:16:08 +0000

Ruben & Lullaby are finding their relationship under increasing scrutiny from the press… “Citizen Gamer” on MSNBC.com published an article on indie iPhone game development that features the game, and Emily Short’s “Homer in Silicon” column on GameSetWatch this week serves up a very thoughtful review…