We've been pretty quiet this season, so as the year winds down we wanted to give an update on what we've been up to! And show you our festive studio décor.
What we've been up to, simply put, is making Transistor.
After our reveal of Transistor went over as well as it did back in March, our goal became very clear: to keep doing everything we can to make the full game live up to the first impression. We had our second major showing at E3 a couple of months later, where we announced the game is coming to PlayStation 4 and PC. We had one more big showing planned for this year, which happened at PAX Prime. Then after that, we wanted to hunker down and work on the game for the rest of the year. And that's exactly what we've done.
Right now Transistor is in an alpha state where just about all of the content, systems, and features we have in mind are implemented in some fashion, and the game is playable from beginning to end. It's where we wanted to be as we head into 2014.
In the coming weeks, we plan to keep testing, tuning, and iterating on every aspect of the game until we think it's ready to put out there for you to play. We'll talk more specifics as we get closer to that time. Until then, you can always check in with us on Twitter or Facebook. Stay tuned, happy holidays, and keep in touch!
We're back from our big trip to Seattle where we let many hundreds of people get their hands on our latest build of Transistor. Three years ago, we showed Bastion in public for the first time as part of the PAX 10, and this show has been special to us ever since. As we dive back into development, we wanted to share some of the highlights from the show:
Supergiant @ PAX Prime in PhotosHave a look at dozens of photos we snapped from our booth and other related events at the show.
One of the things we love about PAX is it's an opportunity to have our whole team in the same place at the same time. Not only that, the sheer number of people willing to come visit us and wait through a 2-hour line just to play our game is something we still can't get used to.
Latest Media Impressions of Transistor
We showed an updated build at PAX Prime, featuring a number of improvements on what we let people play at PAX East and E3. Here are links to some media impressions of how the game is shaping up!
"Transistor had us all sorts of excited at PAX Prime." -- Destructoid
Video: "Transistor - Sharp Combat and Aesthetics" -- GameSpot
"Whereas Bastion played it relatively safe with its gameplay, Transistor is an entirely new combat experience." -- GamesRadar
"Managed to play it before I said goodbye to PAX 2013. I’m so thankful I did. Blew me away." -- VGRevolution.com
"...in Transistor the player has a very different relationship to the voice-over character." -- Polygon
"A moody, melodic score complements Supergiant’s luscious visuals" -- PlayStation.com
"With a unique story and gameplay, Transistor is something to look forward to." -- ScrewAttack.com
"Transistor oozed charm from the moment I moved Red around the map." -- Indie Game Insider
"Transistor is shaping up to be an atmospheric masterpiece." -- GameRanx.com
"Transistor was basically my game of PAX 2013 and I hope you go and check it out if you get the chance." -- Twinfinite.net
"Transistor is definitely one of the most visually striking and downright fun games coming out soon." -- Pxlbyte.com
"...there is no greater joy in this game than executing a well thought out plan that decimates the enemies on the screen." -- Thriftynerd.com
Audio interview: "Greg Kasavin talks about SuperGiant Games upcoming science fiction title Transistor"
-- IndestructibleArt.com
Let us know if we missed anything!
10 Questions with Supergiant Games Q&A Panel
We had a lovely time at our Q&A panel hosted by the AIAS, and got some great questions. Hundreds of people showed up, and we heard some great feedback afterwards so we hope that those of you in attendance found the Q&A to be worthwhile. For those of you who missed it, while video is not available, the folks at Busy Gamer Nation recorded audio for the entire thing, which you can listen to here.
Darren & Ashley's Live Performance
On Sunday night at the show, Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett performed live acoustic versions of several songs from the Bastion and Transistor original soundtracks. In particular this was the first and thus-far-only time that the full-length version of "We All Become", the song from the Transistor reveal trailer, has ever been heard. Here is one of several recordings of the performance we found online:
We're often asked if or when "We All Become" will be available for download. We expect to include it as part of an official soundtrack release for Transistor around the time of the game's launch early next year. We'll release more details later on.
The Bastion Fan Book
More about this later but one of the most memorable moments of the show for us came after our Q&A panel when a group of Bastion fans presented us with a hand-illustrated, hand-written book of words and artwork inspired by our game. It was created in collaboration by a community of Bastion fans from around the world. It's just stunning, and a testament to the creativity and passion of our players. For now, here's a video of Jen reacting to seeing the book for the first time:
Thank you very much to all those who contributed to this one-of-a-kind artifact.
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That's another PAX on the books! If you had a chance to come to the show, we'd love to get your impressions. And if you couldn't make it, we hope this recap gives a sense of what it was like! As for us, we're all the more amped up to be back to working on the rest of the game. Stay tuned!
In less than a day, all of us from Supergiant will be in Seattle for PAX Prime, where we'll be showing off the latest build of our next game! After the fantastic response we got to our debut at PAX East followed by E3, we're eager to show you all the progress we've made. Here's what's happening with us at PAX:
Supergiant Booth #3010: Come Play Transistor & Say Hi
We're right on the 4th Level of PAX Prime this year, next to our friends at The Behemoth and SpyParty, so come on down during show hours and play our game! Our latest build of Transistor is quite a bit farther along than what we've shown at PAX East and E3.
Keen-eyed players who've kept close tabs on what we've revealed so far should spot a variety of improvements across the board, including new systems for unlocking and installing special plug-ins that modify the Transistor's functions in a variety of ways.
Now Available: Transistor 'Cloudbank' Art Print & 24" x 36" Poster
We're pleased to offer two new Transistor-themed items in our online store, which will make their debut this week at PAX Prime!
First is the Transistor 'Cloudbank' Art Print ($14.99), based on one of the very first concept pieces Jen created for Transistor's protagonist. Second is a full-size Transistor 24" x 36" Poster ($19.99), based on the artwork Jen created for the game's debut earlier this year. As an option, these are available signed by Jen. Check the store descriptions for more details!
Saturday 1pm: 10 Questions with Supergiant Games Q&A Panel
Hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, this Q&A panel will delve into what life is like at Supergiant, everything from our origins to our experiences working on our current project. If you're a PAX attendee, please come by the Serpent theater for some full-on Supergiant navel gazing! The full description of the session is right here.
Saturday 11am: Darren at the Official Harmonix Podcast
Earlier that day our composer and audio director Darren Korb will be among the guests at the Official Harmonix Podcast, live in the Pegasus theater. Check it out if you want to know more about what goes on inside the mind of Mr. Korb.
Sunday 8pm: Sunday Night Concerts
We'll just leave this here, from the official PAX site: "PAX Prime is 4 days long, so that means you get an extra day of concerts. How lucky for you! Sunday features Super Guitar Bros., Adam Warrock, and Supercommuter. Plus a special performance by our friends, Supergiant."
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Hope to see many of you at PAX! For those of you who can't make it we'll post a recap once we come to our senses hopefully sometime next week.
P.S.: Got more questions about Transistor? Have a look at our FAQ.
Update: A great big thank-you to everyone who tuned in for our live stream! We ended up playing through the entire game. The recording is archived on our Twitch.tv channel page.
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Two years ago on July 20, our first game Bastion launched on Xbox LIVE Arcade. We wouldn't be here right now if not for your support and the game's continued success. So, to mark the occasion, we thought we'd try something new: Starting at 10am Pacific this Saturday, we invite you to join us for our Bastion Anniversary Live Stream! (Follow us on Twitch.tv to get a reminder.)
During the event, Amir and I will be playing through Bastion live from Supergiant's HQ while providing the weirdest, most interesting developer commentary we can think of. We'll be reminiscing about the making of the game and the choices we made along the way, and no doubt be spilling lots of never-before-heard trivia and incredible useless facts!
Speaking of weird Internet video of Bastion, we've also just posted our policy on Let's Play videos and other video content based on our games. Please read it in full if it applies to you but the short version is, you're welcome to create Let's Play-style videos of our games and monetize them if you want.
Hope you check out our very first live stream. And happy birthday, Bastion!
Last Updated May 9, 2024
We often get emails from video content creators asking our permission to create and monetize videos about our games. We wanted to provide a clear policy on this to save everyone the trouble of having to ask. Our stance is this:
You're welcome to stream or create Let's Play-style videos of our games, and monetize them if you want. You're welcome to use our music as part of such content.
Supergiant Games permits you to create free or ad-supported videos (including Let's Plays, speed runs, reviews, commentary, and so on) using captured or streamed video from Supergiant Games' video games. You do not need to request written permission to create such content.
Refuting claims: No entity has our permission to 'demonetize' your videos. If a claim is made against your content that does not originate from Supergiant Games, e.g. from TuneCore, please refute the claim citing this policy. (Music usage is covered below.)
Crediting us: Should you decide to post videos containing Supergiant content, we request that you provide a functional link to our site or a product page for any relevant versions of the game used in the making of said content. For example,
· Hades II on Steam
· Hades II on Epic Games Store
· Hades on Steam
· Hades on Nintendo Switch
· Hades on the Epic Games Store
· Hades on Xbox
· Hades on PlayStation
· Pyre on Steam
· Transistor on Steam
· Bastion on Steam
· Supergiant GamesUsing our music: We welcome you to use our music as part of live streams about our games, or videos about our games. You may use it as background music for unmonetized videos such as role-playing sessions or streams, provided you give proper credit in the video description. No other uses of our copyrighted works are explicitly permitted.
Please note we reserve the right to update this policy without notice or liability.
Thank you for reading! Note that our small team generally is not available to evaluate or approve individual inquiries related to video content or music use, which is part of the reason we created this policy. We hope this policy enables many creators to keep making the kinds of inspiring work we've been seeing for years.
We survived our exciting trip to the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo, where we let lots of people get their hands on Transistor for the first time. Turns out a bunch of them liked it! See below for links to what people said about the game, or check our E3 photo gallery on Facebook for a glimpse of our trip. In the meantime, much as we loved basking in the neon light of E3, it feels good to be back to work! We're in the thick of development and look forward to making good progress this summer.
Last Updated Nov. 1, 2018: We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions about Transistor in case there's something you're wondering about the game. If you have additional questions you'd like answered, send us a note!
Can I make and monetize Let's Play videos of Transistor? Short answer is yes, by all means. For more details please read our policy on Let's Play videos.
What is Transistor?
Transistor is a sci-fi themed action RPG that invites players to wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin as they fight through a stunning futuristic city. The game seamlessly integrates thoughtful strategic planning into a fast-paced action experience, melding responsive gameplay and rich atmospheric storytelling. During the course of the adventure, players will piece together the Transistor's mysteries as they pursue its former owners. Have a look at the reveal trailer to get a feel for the game.
Launch Trailer
Reveal Trailer
Is Transistor avaialble? Yes! Transistor first launched on May 20, 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and PC.
What other platforms is Transistor available on? Transistor is also available for Nintendo Switch, Mac, Linux, iPhone, and iPad. The Steam version of the game gives you access to the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions, or you can get the Mac version at the Mac App Store. The iPhone and iPad version is available on the App Store. Transistor is also available for the new Apple TV!
The OST includes an exclusive bonus track, "Signals", created especially for this release.
Also, as a small token of our gratitude for Transistor's success, we're pleased to present Steam, our online store, YouTube, and right here:
This bonus album by our composer and audio director Darren Korb contains more than 80 minutes of alternate music tracks, featuring the amazing vocals of Ashley Barrett and instrumental versions of some key pieces from the soundtrack. We're releasing it as a free update to everyone who picked up the Transistor OST on Steam or our web site, and it's also available for free streaming. We hope you enjoy it!
Will Transistor be available in my country?
Transistor is available worldwide. The game includes English voiceover and text in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese.
Who is the developer of Transistor?
We're Supergiant Games, an independent development studio based in San Francisco, California. Our first game Bastion released in 2011 and proceeded to earn more than 100 industry accolades and sell more than two million copies across all platforms. You can learn more about us on our team page.
Who is the publisher of Transistor?
We are publishing Transistor ourselves. We had a great experience working with Warner Bros. as our distribution partner on Bastion though this time around we wanted to see if we could do it on our own.
Where can I get screenshots and media of Transistor?
You can find all the screenshots and artwork we've released on our Transistor page.
Which formats will the Transistor Original Soundtrack be available in?
The Transistor Original Soundtrack will be offered in MP3 and FLAC formats, and in compact disc format on this web site (which includes the digital version).
Can I order the game and the soundtrack from this web site?
Yes!
Where did you get funding for Transistor?
As with Bastion, we self-funded Transistor, and have not sought or accepted funding from any outside sources. This means we can make the game we want to make on our own terms and timeline. We've re-invested the money we made from Bastion into this game.
Will Transistor ever come to other platforms? We don't know, though we haven't ruled anything out for the future. Bringing Transistor to new platforms is a significant undertaking for our small team so we don't take on those kinds of opportunities lightly, as the quality of our game is the most important thing to us.
How big is the development team?
All seven members of the team that created Bastion are working together again on Transistor, with the help of several key new additions. We got up to 12 people while making the original versions of Transistor, and are looking to stay at around that size, as the small-team dynamic is important to how we operate.
When did Transistor first go into development?
While some of the ideas on the project date back to around the time Bastion was wrapping development, we first started seriously talking about and prototyping concepts for Transistor in the fall of 2011 some months after Bastion shipped. We kept busy supporting Bastion and working on additional versions of the game for the following year so full-time work on Transistor didn't start until around September of 2012.
What engine is the game running on?
Transistor is running on our proprietary 2D engine, an evolution of the tools and technology we created to make Bastion. The engine was originally written in C# using the XNA framework for the first versions of Bastion. Now it uses our fork of MonoGame, which allows us to support more platforms and continue making improvements. Since Bastion, we have implemented a large number of improvements and optimizations to our code base, from a much more powerful scripting language to a new lighting system and more.
How long is the game? Our goal, much like with Bastion, is to create a complete-feeling experience that leaves players satisfied. Thus we want the length to feel "just right". We are committed to making games that respect your time and are not filled with meaningless filler content.
Does the game have multiplayer or co-op?
Transistor is first and foremost a single-player experience. Our narrative goals for the project are best suited to a game you play on your own. At the same time, we wanted to explore some online features we felt could enhance the experience of the game and its atmosphere.
One of the most common questions we get about our next game is, which platforms is it coming to? Today we're excited to have a specific answer for you at last: When Transistor is released sometime early next year, it will be available day one for PlayStation 4, and for PC on Steam. We plan to bring the game to Linux and Mac afterwards, and haven't ruled anything out beyond that.
Supergiant art director Jen Zee created this piece, "Cloudbank", which is being featured in the Into the Pixel exhibition at E3 this year!
It's no coincidence we're making this announcement now during the week of the big Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Sony gave us the opportunity to show our game in their booth this week, where we'll be on hand with an early playable build. After an amazing PAX East, it's going to be great letting a whole new slew of players try the game at E3 -- but back to the topic at hand!
Even before we announced Transistor earlier this year, we'd been giving a lot of thought to which platform or platforms would make the best home for the game. It's a big decision that can influence aspects of the game's design and can ultimately have a lot to do with its overall success. By focusing on the PlayStation 4 and PC as our launch platforms, we think we'll be able to reach many of our existing fans right from the start, while letting us focus on delivering the best game possible at launch.
You may know that our first game, Bastion, is available for more than six different platforms at this point. But it started on just one. We were still working on new versions of Bastion more than a year after the initial launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade. The main reason Bastion ended up in so many places, of course, is because a lot of people liked the game. And the main reason a lot of people liked it is because we were able to create the game we wanted to make in the first place, by not spreading our focus too thin and making sure Bastion ran great on XBLA, then on Steam, and so on. So, in short: Our strategy of focusing on a console/PC launch worked well on Bastion so we're doing it again on Transistor.
If you have more questions, please check our newly minted Transistor FAQ, or contact us on Twitter, Facebook, or right here on our web site! Lastly, if you'd like us to notify you when the game is out, we invite you to join our mailing list:
We're back after a whirlwind couple of weeks following the reveal of our next game, Transistor. The initial response we got to the announcement and reveal trailer was everything we could have hoped for, and the response we got a couple of days later at PAX East was even better. There we let hundreds of people get their hands on the game, as they braved lines much longer than we expected for a chance to try an early build. Now that we're back, our mission is to build the game that will more than live up to the promise all those people saw in it. Your support means everything as we press onward, and we really appreciate all the feedback we got during the show and from all sorts of places on the Internet.
In the mean time, check out photos of our trip, and check out some of the coverage we got from various gaming publications around the world:
Press for Transistor
"...it immediately became one of my most anticipated games after my time with it on the show floor." -- Game Informer
"...I am ecstatic to explore that exotic mystery." -- IGN.com
"Transistor is the sexiest game I played At PAX East." -- Kotaku
"A beautiful, tactical twist on action-RPG." -- Joystiq
"...a worthy follow-up to Bastion." -- Destructoid
"From Bastion to Transistor: Supergiant brings its latest to PAX, sans platform." -- Polygon.com
"It's an intoxicating fusion of all the things we loved about Bastion and something entirely new." -- PC Gamer
"Transistor is fresher, livelier, and more imaginative than it has any right to be." -- Eurogamer.net
"Transistor is shaping up to be just as impressive as its predecessor." -- Games Radar
"...even at this early stage, [Transistor] feels incredibly polished." -- Paste Magazine
"It featured enough of Bastion's genetics to feel familiar, but enough thematic and combat variety to create its own fingerprint." -- New York Post
"Transistor's PAX East demo shows the team is onto something again." -- Sidequesting.com
"Transistor seems like it’s going to be a worthy second effort even in its early state." -- Armless Octopus
"There's a definite flavour to the game that echoes its predecessor's, but remains distinct nonetheless." -- RPGamer.com
"I was very impressed with the quality of the audio, the visuals, and especially the game play." -- Mash Those Buttons
"We think Bastion dev's upcoming adventure Transistor looks perfect for mobile devices." -- PocketGamer
"This early taste of Transistor looked incredibly polished." -- Warpzoned.com
"I had a great time trying out the new, far more engaging combat." -- 2D-X.com
"I didn't think it was possible, but from the short time I spent with Transistor, I felt what I played was an improvement over the already stellar Bastion." -- Pixelitis
"I have come out of PAX East incredibly excited for Transistor." -- GameShampoo.com
"As I put down the controller...I could already feel that emotional connection to the narrative." -- Video Game Writers
"Transistor is set up to be an excellent successor to Bastion." -- 1amGeek.com
"It has everything fans of the developer would expect while also taking some bold steps in new directions." -- The Game Effect
Interview: Bastion's narrator speaks of next role in Transistor. -- GameCritics.com
We are very, very excited to reveal today a new game we've been working on here at Supergiant, a science-fiction-themed action RPG we're calling Transistor. We'll have an early build playable this week at PAX East at our booth #892, and right now, we have our reveal trailer! Check it out and read on.
Transistor invites players to wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin as they explore a stunning futuristic city. We're designing our next game to seamlessly integrate thoughtful strategic planning into a fast-paced action experience, complete with our studio's signature melding of responsive gameplay and rich atmospheric storytelling. All of us from the Bastion development team are working together again on this new project, with the aid of a handful of talented new people who've joined us since Bastion's launch.
In Transistor, players assume the role of a young woman who gains control of a powerful weapon after a mysterious group of assailants nearly kills her with it. Now she must fight from street to street against forces that will stop at nothing to recover the weapon. During the course of the adventure, players will piece together the Transistor's mysteries as they pursue its former owners.
We expect Transistor to be released in early 2014. We have not yet decided on which platform or platforms the game will be available for.
We know you'll have a lot of questions about Transistor, so we'll be putting together a FAQ that addresses them, as well as answering more via Twitter and Facebook -- and in person at PAX East this week! And now that the cat's out of the bag, we'll be keeping you posted on how development is coming along in the weeks and months to come. We can't wait to hear what you think!
