Aegis Wing
Encyclopedia
Aegis Wing is an Xbox Live Arcade
game developed by three Microsoft
intern
s and Carbonated Games
. It was released on May 16, 2007. The title is available free to all Xbox Live
members in North America.
at the end of some stages, requiring numerous shots to defeat.
While the ship has only a single non-upgradeable main weapon, the player can collect one of four power-up
s to grant access to a super weapon with a limited number of uses. Only a single super weapon can be carried at once
The title supports up to four players playing cooperatively, either on the same console or via Xbox Live
. If more than one player is playing, players can choose to temporarily attach their ship to that of their allies. When this occurs, one player pilots the combined ship, while the remaining player(s) are able to fire in a 360-degree arc. The super weapons become more powerful with each ship added to the formation. In co-op, when a player dies, destroyed enemies sometimes leave behind a "back ship" power-up; the surviving players can pick this up to resurrect one of their dead teammates.
developer's spotlight, the game was created when Microsoft's J Allard
proposed a summer internship focused on game design. In response, three Microsoft interns, Scott Brodie, Danny Dyer and Matt Monson, created Aegis Wing in the summer of 2006. Dyer and Monson had been active members of the Texas Aggie Game Developers, a student organization at Texas A&M University
that encourages video game development among students. The three did all of the initial development work within their small team, although with artwork and audio support from other sources. The game was later brought to Xbox Live Arcade with assistance from Carbonated Games
.
As the Microsoft XNA
toolkit was not yet ready when the team began work, the team was required to create several of their own tools. Due to the limited time period available (i.e., just 3 months), they were also forced to remove certain features in order to maintain their schedule. For example, a planned ability to allow players to merge their ships in multiple configurations was scaled back to a more-manageable single configuration. Nonetheless, the interns were able to finish their work on Aegis Wing by the end of the summer, handing the game off to Carbonated Games
for final polish before release.
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
game developed by three Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
s and Carbonated Games
Carbonated Games
Carbonated Games was the first-party game developer studio for Microsoft Casual Games in Microsoft Game Studios. It was founded and run by Joshua Howard, and was active from 2004 until its disbanding on March 27, 2008. Carbonated Games developers were located in Redmond, WA; Hyderabad, India; and...
. It was released on May 16, 2007. The title is available free to all Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
members in North America.
Plot
The game takes place in 2105 where the Earth's environment is devastated and humankind travels through space in search of a new home world. Upon finding and settling upon the planet Europa, the human colonists are attacked by the space military of an alien colony-people known as the Araxians. After studying downed Araxian fighter technology, the humans develop a powerful space ship capable of using great firepower to be used against the Araxia in the war for Europa.Gameplay
Aegis Wing is a side-view scrolling shooter, where the player controls a small ship pitted against countless foes. While the scrolling backgrounds in the game are strictly non-interactive, the player must also avoid stationary mines positioned at certain points. There is a bossBoss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
at the end of some stages, requiring numerous shots to defeat.
While the ship has only a single non-upgradeable main weapon, the player can collect one of four power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s to grant access to a super weapon with a limited number of uses. Only a single super weapon can be carried at once
The title supports up to four players playing cooperatively, either on the same console or via Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. If more than one player is playing, players can choose to temporarily attach their ship to that of their allies. When this occurs, one player pilots the combined ship, while the remaining player(s) are able to fire in a 360-degree arc. The super weapons become more powerful with each ship added to the formation. In co-op, when a player dies, destroyed enemies sometimes leave behind a "back ship" power-up; the surviving players can pick this up to resurrect one of their dead teammates.
Development history
According to an IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
developer's spotlight, the game was created when Microsoft's J Allard
J Allard
J Allard was "Chief Experience Officer" and Chief Technology Officer for the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft...
proposed a summer internship focused on game design. In response, three Microsoft interns, Scott Brodie, Danny Dyer and Matt Monson, created Aegis Wing in the summer of 2006. Dyer and Monson had been active members of the Texas Aggie Game Developers, a student organization at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
that encourages video game development among students. The three did all of the initial development work within their small team, although with artwork and audio support from other sources. The game was later brought to Xbox Live Arcade with assistance from Carbonated Games
Carbonated Games
Carbonated Games was the first-party game developer studio for Microsoft Casual Games in Microsoft Game Studios. It was founded and run by Joshua Howard, and was active from 2004 until its disbanding on March 27, 2008. Carbonated Games developers were located in Redmond, WA; Hyderabad, India; and...
.
As the Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA is a set of tools with a managed runtime environment provided by Microsoft that facilitates video game development and management. XNA attempts to free game developers from writing "repetitive boilerplate code" and to bring different aspects of game production into a single system...
toolkit was not yet ready when the team began work, the team was required to create several of their own tools. Due to the limited time period available (i.e., just 3 months), they were also forced to remove certain features in order to maintain their schedule. For example, a planned ability to allow players to merge their ships in multiple configurations was scaled back to a more-manageable single configuration. Nonetheless, the interns were able to finish their work on Aegis Wing by the end of the summer, handing the game off to Carbonated Games
Carbonated Games
Carbonated Games was the first-party game developer studio for Microsoft Casual Games in Microsoft Game Studios. It was founded and run by Joshua Howard, and was active from 2004 until its disbanding on March 27, 2008. Carbonated Games developers were located in Redmond, WA; Hyderabad, India; and...
for final polish before release.