Jonathan Blow has confirmed that the recently released PC edition of his time-bending platformer Braid contains a level editor, thus opening the door for user-created maps, and easing the suffering of those bummed about Blow's refusal to do a sequel.

Documentation for the editor will be posted "after I get a new version [of the game] out in a few days that fixes the problems some people are having, and when more people have played/finished the game," Blow wrote in a forum post noticed by Destructoid.

Along with the documentation, he plans to release a tool "that lets you take Photoshop files and import them into the game, if you want to put new graphics in your levels."

The editor is accessible by launching the game with the "-editor" parameter, and then pressing F11. The "-universe universe_name" command line then... Read more

After a minor delay, time-twisting puzzle-platformer Braid arrives today on the PC, bearing gifts in the form of the trailer below and a demo available over on FileShack.

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As the trailer boasts, Braid was released on Xbox Live Arcade last year to much acclaim.

Braid costs $15 and is now available for download from Impulse, Greenhouse and Gamersgate, and on Steam with Steamworks achievements.

The PC release of Braid has been delayed until April 10 due to minor problems, according to a blog post by creator Jonathan Blow noticed by Big Download.

Though Blow's post intially gives a new release date of August 10, he later states the delay is only "an extra 10 days"--the original announced release date was March 31.

The time-shifting platformer, originally released on Xbox Live Arcade last August, is slated for release on Steam, Greenhouse, Impulse and GamersGate at $15.

Joining Stardock and its Impulse platform, Valve today announced that the PC release of Jonathan Blow's time-shifting platformer Braid will also hit Steam on March 31.

The Steam release of Braid will pack Steam achievements and community features. As a response to internet whining, the game will sell for $15, the same price as last year's Xbox Live Arcade version, instead of the $20 price point that was originally announced.

"Braid is arguably the strongest example of what can be accomplished by an independent game designer," said Valve business director Jason Holtman. "From GDC to DICE, the title has deservedly collected numerous accolades and, along with World of Goo, Audiosurf and many others, is redefining the way people think about 'Independent Games,'" he added.

Johnathan Blow's acclaimed platformer Braid has been discounted to 800 Microsoft Points ($10) this week on Xbox Live following the return of Microsoft's "Deal of the Week" program.

Gold members can purchase the game for the discounted price over the next week, until a new deal takes over the following Monday.

Braid PC, set for release in March, will run $15 on Impulse and other digital distribution services.

Following the unpopular news yesterday that Braid PC would cost $5 more than the Xbox 360 version of the game, the creator of the title has now reduced the price to the original $15 figure.

"Yesterday, Stardock announced that they would be selling Braid at the end of March for $19.95," wrote Braid developer Jonathan Blow on his blog. "This price has proven to be unpopular in certain areas of the Internets, so I've reduced it to $14.95."

"Some people have asked why I picked the $20 price point," he continued. "The answer is, I just looked at some comparable games on the PC and saw how much they were charging."

Blow cited Crayon Physics Deluxe, World of Goo and Aquaria as examples of PC indie titles priced at $20.

"Ultimately, I would rather have people talking about the game itself, what they like and dislike about it, than about how many American Fiat Currency Dollars it costs," concluded Blow, who noted that two additional distribution platforms for Braid PC will be announced shortly.

Jonathan Blow's critically acclaimed platformer Braid will hit the PC for the first time on March 31, according to distributor Stardock. However, in our comments, Stardock's Mike Crassweller points out that the game could arrive a bit earlier in March.

Stardock today opened up preorders for the title on its digital distribution network Impulse. Braid PC will cost $19.95 on the service, a $5 premium over the Xbox Live Arcade version that arrived last year.

Past comments by Blow indicated that the PC port of the time-bending title would show up on multiple distribution platforms, including Valve's Steam.

"They are interested in putting the game up," said Blow of Valve in a recent Gamasutra interview. "So it's just a matter of me having a PC version ready that I feel is good to go with."

The PC version of Jonathan Blow and Number None's acclaimed time-shifting puzzle-platformer Braid, once slated for release this year, is now expected in early 2009.

The game debuted as a downloadable Xbox 360 game over the summer, carrying a price tag of 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

"At this time, we're looking at a window of February-March 2009 for the PC release," reads the game's official site, as spotted by Kotaku. "Once we slipped into mid-October and all the big Christmas-season blockbusters started coming out, it just seemed like a bad idea to schedule Braid for that time period."

Along with the PC iteration, there is potential for both PlayStation 3 and Mac releases of the game. A Mac version is "in talks" and could hit soon after the PC release.

As for the possibility of the downloadable title coming to PlayStation 3, the developer claims that it "depends on whether Sony is interested in the game."

Braid creator Jonathan Blow is a reluctant gaming celebrity. He's outspoken. He's direct, whether in praise or criticism. He thinks "Space Giraffe is an excellent game ... certainly the best action game on XBLA." It would be easy to shrug him off as an artiste--but in truth, he's more like a Zen master.

To get worldly concerns out of the way, Blow is working on the PC version of his downloadable minimalist Xbox 360 platformer and all but shot down portable versions when speaking to Joystiq. "The game would have to be completely re-created from the ground up [for the Nintendo DS]," he explained, adding, "I won't do that ... and I don't know anyone I would trust to do a high-quality job on that." A PSP version, despite the handheld's functional digital-download marketplace, would face similar problems.

With those issues aside, Blow was able to focus on some deeper issues... Read more

Following the release of Jonathan Blow's independently developed, time-warping puzzle platformer Braid, the developer has revealed that the Xbox Live Arcade certification requirements may have encumbered the title in its crucial polish phases.

"They removed some of the requirements for XBLA games, but there are still a lot of requirements," Blow told Gamasutra. "And I believe that, at least for a single-player game like my game, the vast majority of these requirements are unnecessary."

Blow continued, "I put in a tremendous amount of work meeting all these requirements, when I could have put that work into the actual game, and made it even a little more polished, little bit better."

The developer further noted that while the Xbox Live Arcade certification process is meant to ensure a standard of quality for games appearing on the platform, he believes that the amount of time and energy spent on passing certification has... Read more

Though publisher Microsoft had previously denied a $15 price for Braid, the company confirmed today that Jonathan Blow and Number None's time-shifting puzzler will indeed cost 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) when it is released as a downloadable Xbox 360 title through the Xbox Live Marketplace this Wednesday.

In last week's statement, Microsoft also denied that The Behemoth's downloadable four-player beat'em up Castle Crashers would sell for 1800 Microsoft Points ($22.50) when it arrives on August 27.

Since then, The Behemoth has issued its own response, claiming that the companies "are still working together to figure out a reasonable price point. (not 1800 points)" but that "ultimately, pricing is at the discretion of the distributor (Microsoft)."

Update: Microsoft has informed Shacknews that the reported $22.50 price point for Castle Crashers and $15 Braid price, believed to stem from a now-removed Microsoft Japan listing, are incorrect for both domestic and international markets.

The company further noted that it will officially announce price points for those titles on the Monday preceding Braid and Castle Crashers' respective release dates, or August 4 and 25.

Original Story: Following Microsoft's detailing of August's Xbox Live Arcade releases, Microsoft Japan has revealed price points for most of the downloadable Xbox 360 games, while Capcom has separately confirmed the pricing for... Read more

Several anticipated Xbox Live Arcade titles will be hitting the Xbox 360's downloadable gaming service this coming August, Microsoft announced today. Left, The Behemoth's Castle Crashers. Right, GRIN's Bionic Commando: Rearmed.

Following the release of Bizarre Creations' multi-directional shooter Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 this Wednesday, the month of August will see the debut of:

• Braid (Jonathan Blow), August 6
• Bionic Commando: Rearmed (GRIN), August 13
• Galaga Legions (Namco Bandai), August 20
• Castle Crashers (The Behemoth), August 27

While Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 and Bionic Commando: Rearmed were both previously announced to carry the price of 800 Microsoft Points ($10), no price points for the other titles have been revealed.

Bizarre Creations' multi-directional shooter sequel Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 is now slated to hit Xbox 360 next Wednesday, July 30, the studio has announced.

Revealed last week, the downloadable Xbox Live Arcade exclusive was initially scheduled to debut on August 6, and will carry the price of 800 Microsoft Points ($10). For more on the game, check out our hands-on preview from the E3 show floor.

While Microsoft has yet to detail specific dates for upcoming Xbox Live Arcade releases, the company has informed Shacknews that Castle Crashers, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Galaga Legions and Jonathan Blow's time-shifting platformer Braid are all slated to arrive by September 21.