Braid PC Release
A lot of people are writing in asking about the release date for the Braid PC version.
I had originally announced the release date for the end of 2008, but for various reasons, this hasn’t happened. 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, as it seems likely it’d get released and then disappear.
At this time, we’re looking at a window of February-March 2009 for the PC release. I know this isn’t good news for those of you who have been waiting a long time for the game, but there sure are lots of games out there for you to play in the meantime.
I am also in talks with someone to do a Mac version (native code). The release date for this would be hopefully not long after the PC version.
There are no plans for other platforms in the near future, though as I’ve mentioned before, a PS3 version a little later on remains a possibility (though again, this depends on whether Sony is interested in the game).
Thanks, and have a good New Year.
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:35 am
Ooh, a Mac version! I know I’d end up buying that, just so I can have Braid with me wherever I go.
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:41 am
Lots of other games out there, sure, but there aren’t many Braid-likes among them. Still, it’s not a horribly long wait.
Anyway, have you worked out a price point for the PC version yet? I don’t suppose it’d go much higher than 20$, as that seems to be a fairly standard choice for indies, but you never know.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:05 am
I agree, it’s a long wait, but I’m willing to suffer through it. If the mac version comes not long after, I’d even wait for that.
Thanks!
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 am
THANKS for the update….
I hope BRAID will be on STEAM for the release date.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:20 am
This is the only game on my list for a while, now I can’t have a Merry Christmas
Are there big PC releases this holiday that compete with Braid? Would seem like the perfect Christmas gift to me.
Either way, thanks for letting us know at least.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:35 am
I have both a PC and a PS3. But I’d rather love to play discover Braid on the PS3 so it would be used for something…
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:36 am
Any date is better than none at all. I definately don’t mind the wait.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Jonathan: I guess you thought about a WiiWare version? That would be nice too. Especially since you don’t need to get Nintendo “interested” in the game to release it on WiiWare, as opposed to Sony.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Thanks!
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:03 am
Pity, I’d love a native linux version… (I think there are pretty stable libraries that allow one to publish native versions for Mac OS X, Linux and Windows, SDL/OpenGL for example, like Gish)
But a Steam/PC-Version would do, too, if you can make sure it’ll work on Wine/Cedega
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:22 am
I would definitely buy the Mac version. I was planning on playing Braid on Windows through bootcamp, but I’d prefer to do it right in Leopard.
Thanks for the update!
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 am
The news of a Mac version being planned is great! Hopefully you will work things out like the World of Goo guys did — people who buy the Windows version can also download the Mac version at no extra charge.
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:31 am
Thanks for posting this Jonathan — we’d all been wondering what the status of the PC version was. Can’t wait for February/March.
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:43 am
I wanted to offer this game to my PC friends for Christmas but they’ll have to wait. It’s alright I’ll offer them anyway.
Thanks for the update ^^
December 22nd, 2008 at 10:12 am
Good to hear an update on this finally. I was watching this, thinking “okay, since Braid’s gonna get released in 2008, it’s gonna be out in the next two weeks!”
Ah well, I’m a big Valve Fanboy, so I’m used to delays.
Speaking of which, this is to FuKuy, who’s wondering if Braid’ll come to Steam: I don’t have a source to this, but there was a thread about this in the forums. It didn’t seem that Jonathan Blow and Valve could work a deal out for the game’s release on Steam, unfortunately. So unless things have changed, I don’t think it’s coming.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I’m new here, but have been checking this blog for any news on the PC version since Braid was released, so this is great news! I’ve been restraining myself from telling my brother in the military about this game, as I wanted to just send him a brand new PC boxed copy. There will be boxed copies, yeah? Merry Christmas all!
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
The ironic part is, when Spring rolls around, there’ll be less demand for the game, not more. Devoted fans will still be waiting, but everyone else will have forgotten it and moved on.
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
So, the only reason for the delay is marketing? How long as the PC version been finished?
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
The PC version is not finished yet. I wouldn’t hold something back just for marketing purposes. However, there has been a lot of attention on non-programming kinds of things lately (one example out of many: talking to retail publishers about potential boxed copies of the game; nothing has been decided there yet but there is some interest).
ninomojo, there is unlikely to be a WiiWare version of the game since the WiiWare size limit is way too small. If there’s publisher interest, maybe we could do a boxed version of the game but it would be a bit more-involved of a development (we would have to re-do a bunch of the graphics and all the text formatting, etc).
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I know there’s a good chance Braid maybe a windows live exclusive release but i hope you take some time to look at other distribution channels such as STEAM before then. 15 million gamers cant be wrong!
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
How do you feel about piracy?; and What do you think about DRM?;
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Sweet, I got (and love) the Xbox 360 version, I’m glad to hear that there may/will be a Mac version. I know I’ll pick it up if/when it’s done.
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
chibixleon: We have no plans to release a Windows Live version. It doesn’t seem like the right thing to do, and besides, I would guess that Microsoft is focusing on “system-seller” kinds of games for Windows Live right now. If they are even planning future releases (I haven’t heard of any?)
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Oh, and about Steam: Originally they did not seem very interested in Braid, but now that it’s a successful game they seem to have changed their mind. I haven’t signed a contract with them, but they seem interested, so the biggest factor now is just me finishing the PC version and giving it to them.
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:58 pm
This game looks amazing, and I’ll def buy the Mac version as I don’t have xbox live …
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Aren’t you worried that the PC version would only damage sales for the MAC and PS3 version? You know the “P” thing that’s affected World of Goo developers and high profile games like Assassin’s Creed?
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I know in the past you said you might bring Braid to the PSP but you would want it to be a download game. Now that PSP allows game to be bought off of PSN. Would this be some thing you would still like to do. Plus if so if there is a PS3 version too is there any chance they could work together.
I think Braid would be a great game to buy for the PSP and I would gladly give you my money for that game. If I could buy it for the PSP.
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
A bit disappointing to hear, but of course, that’s a compliment. I own it for 360, but I am really looking forward to having it on STEAM. I think this will do very well on PC Jonathon. As primarily a PC Gamer, this is the perfect game for my lappy. As I’m sure you know, Impulse would be another great digital distro platform on PC to release from…They support lots of indie titles..
Happy Holidays
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
i cant wait the release, why you dont release a demo of the first level?
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Please the game on Steam please, I will not buy if the game will be released by stupid Games for Windows – LIVE marketplace.
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Steam baby….
Its all about Steam.
December 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 pm
And what about the Linux version? Are there any chances for that?
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:21 am
How about a Linux release? I’m sure a lot of users from the Linux community would be more then willing to purchase this game if it was available for Linux. Specially because this is the type of games Linux users like.
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:23 am
Yes, that was a good idea not to release Braid PC before Christmas. Look at top PC games at amazon.com to see what is the position of boxed Word of Goo
. Despite anyone can take this DRM-free game from torrent.
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:36 am
It’s a pity there will be no native Linux version. I heard of a program called winelib, you can use it to compile your software against wine’s libraries. Maybe you can take a look at it. You could also send a beta-version of braid to one of the Wine-developers. I am quite sure they will make Wine ready to run Braid.
Will there be any additional features or levels (maybe a level editor) in the PC-version?
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 am
If Sony’s not interested, then you should know that 3 of us here in San Diego are willing to pick it up! Braid is one of the best games of 2008 and rocked our expectations with it’s unique narrative. Keep up the work!
December 23rd, 2008 at 4:12 am
If you do release a retail boxed copy, can you pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaase bring out a collectors edition with the soundtrack, artbook and things like that. If you do reserve me a copy >_> and make sure they work in PAL regions as well.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:09 am
Is there a Linux version in the works? I remember reading on your blog a while ago that you’ve switched your primary OS to Ubuntu and will be designing a native Linux version of Braid, but I see no other news here; Any input?
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:19 am
My brother is a Mac user. He’d buy a copy. Or I’d buy one for him!
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:21 am
After dealing with the Linux dev tools for a while, and being sad about the general lack of game support, I am less motivated to do a Linux version. It may happen still, but I am more likely to just pay someone to do it instead of do it myself.
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:29 am
Just saying what has been said before, but sometimes it’s important to ‘second the motion’:
I’d really like Braid to be released on Steam, as I feel that I will keep my Steam account for a long time, and I love the idea that my games will move along with me to every new computer.
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:52 am
hey everyone!!!
Happy Holidays!
i have Braid as the #1 present on my boyfriends Christmakuh wishlist! The Jan/Feb release date is cool (good valentines present) but what game should i get him in the meantime…. SPORE got good reviews…i know its for younger kids but he likes games that make you think/innovate/imagine.
Any other good “braid”-like games for PC???
Thanks a bunch!
Christine
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:04 am
Heh, oh well. I’d only 100% surely buy a Linux version, though I’d probably buy it for PS3 or Wii if there is no chance of that happening. Looks like I’m not going to be lucky anytime soon, then.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Jon, you don’t celebrate Christmas?
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
As has been said several times before: I hope the PC release is available via Steam. It’s good to see that they are interested in Braid. hopefully you all can make it happen
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Awsome can’t what to play Braid! I decided to wait in tell the PC version because I remember you stating either on 1up FM or the 1up show that there was going to be something special in the PC version. Is that still happening?
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Put it on Steam, and you’ll have my money
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I’d definitely buy it if it was released on the PlayStation Store! Which reminds me, when are Sony going to hurry up and release PSN Cards in Europe?!
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I hope it won’t be released exclusively on steam, that would be even worse than the cancellation of the linux version…
IMHO i think that the way 2dboy did with theirs world of goo is quite sensible: if you want to buy through steam (?) you can do it, if you want to buy directly from them you can do it either…
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Mr. Blow,
If you put out a PS3 version on the PSN, I can assure you that I and likely 2-3 million others would give you good money for it.
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I would love for a PS3 version to come out! or a Mac OS version.
December 24th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Thanks for the response! That’s great news about the game likely being available on steam. Hoping for the best arrangement between you and valve, merry christmas!
December 24th, 2008 at 4:50 am
I just wanted to add my interest in a linux version. I would definitely buy this, full price. Looks like a great game…
December 24th, 2008 at 4:55 am
Jonathan if you don’t mind, can you write with dev tools you used on linux and what you mean by ‘general lack of game support’ ?
I’m linux user and for me it’s interesting to know how game developers see this platform.
Thank you.
December 24th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Heh… Linux tools might be a bit daunting at first, but in general, if you know your ins and outs of the platform, it’s not much different than Windows for development. If you’d like, Johnathan, I could be convinced to help port the Linux version. It’s something that I’ve gotten two titles, one already published, one about to be, and I’m no stranger to the process.
December 24th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Guys, there was a whole giant thread about Linux development on this blog (actually two), so I don’t want to bring it up again. I will just refer you to that thread. Frank, “daunting” is not the issue; some of my first serious programming environments 20 years ago were unix systems. The thing is, that was 20 years ago, but current Linux development uses basically the same paradigm. The tools I can use on other operating systems make me much more productive.
December 24th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Two words: LEVEL EDITOR
December 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Jonathan, will the PC version of the game be available as a download? Or only retail? If you will have a download available, I would LOVE to get it on my site.
Have you contacted GameTap and Big Fish Games? From my own experience, the conversion rates with these companies are excellent. I think Braid would do wonderfully on them.
December 24th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Jonathan, I’m glad to hear that there’s going to be a PC release. To be honest, I think that there’s a lack of interesting and original games so this will be a major blessing.
I hope that Valve is open minded about it and you will be able to release it on Steam. I bet that if you started a formal petition then people will sign up for it.
December 24th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
At least initially, I want to focus on just one or two web sites for distribution of Braid, because that way with my limited attention (being one guy) I can make sure that the launch goes smoothly and any problems get fixed (if there is a bug that needs to be patched quickly, and there are versions out with like 10 different sites, that becomes a lot harder).
But if the initial launch goes well I don’t see any problem with releasing the game on a wide variety of sites.
About GameTap / Big Fish, I am not opposed to them but my understanding is that they offer fairly poor revenue splits, so that’s a little unappealing. Also, Braid does pretty much require a gaming-class PC right now (it fills a *lot* of pixels!) and Big Fish especially seems more oriented toward a casual-gaming audience.
December 24th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Sorry if this is beating a dead horse, but I’d be happy with a Wine-friendly PC version. Winelib is actualy not any different from a Windows .exe: “winelib” is just a term for cross-compiling Windows apps using mingw on Linux.
The reason that Wine exists, after all, is to provide the Windows APIs on Linux for those who prefer them!
December 24th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Oh, and by “Wine-friendly PC version” I mean “a Windows version that works reasonably well with Wine, or at least filing bugs with the upstream Wine devs”.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
YEAH!!
i’ve read a lot of good comments about Braid, and since i have no XBOX 360, i couldn’t play it.
Then i knew a PC version was on the works, and i was EAGER to have it!!, I was hoping to get it before this years end, (as expected), but well, at least now i know it still is on the works, though i’ll have to wait several months now =(
i can’t wait to play it!!!
December 25th, 2008 at 6:30 am
depending on wine is rather unreliable and it hurts the linux/osx game market imho
using a wrapper library like SDL is the better way and will cause much less headaches. with a little self-discipline it is possible to use one codebase for almost all non-console platforms.
December 25th, 2008 at 7:02 am
I’m super happy that it’s coming to PC as the only way I’d purchase an xbox is if Microsoft paid me to do so.
Huzzah for the Braid-keep!
December 25th, 2008 at 7:40 am
I really want this game for Linux.
December 25th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Great! I’m happy that you are going to publish a Mac version!
I’ve bought Braid on XBLA, but i’m surely going to buy it also on Mac!
December 25th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
tanks..
December 25th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I was wondering, are there any rough estimates of the hardware requirements for Braid on the PC?
December 25th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I haven’t done these tests yet. To run Braid at full resolution you need a relatively okay graphics card, because it fills a lot of pixels. I may implement the ability for the game to run at half-resolution (640×360) but even then it will still be drawing a lot of pixels.
CPU requirements are a bit lighter.
But yeah, I have no solid numbers for you.
December 26th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Just to be clear here, does the Mac version “native code” mean powerpc, since 360 uses also powerpc? That would really be awesome for us last ppc users out there
December 26th, 2008 at 6:50 am
So, an estimate then?
Like, can a PC that can run Oblivion, for instance, suffice?
December 26th, 2008 at 6:50 am
*will
December 26th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I second bringing it to steam
December 27th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Linux Game Publishing (linuxgamepublishing.com) might be interested in doing the linux version for you
December 27th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Awaiting the PS3 version. Or a Linux release.
December 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Two months to go right? Reallly looking forward to the PC release, I will buy one more for my little brother~
December 28th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I would love to buy it when it comes out on the Mac. I’ve been digging this game for awhile but I don’t have any game consoles.. in fact, it would be the first game I’ve bought in about 3 years and the first I’ve anticipated so excitedly in ages.
Unfortunately, it almost undoubtedly won’t work on my MacBook
.
December 29th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Jonathan,I have a question,
will the PC version will includs achievements?
thx.
December 29th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
As braidfan said above will the game have achievements? you could implement it through steam as many indie games have done. That would be really cool to have! Love your work and cant wait for the pc version.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Waiting, hoping, waiting, hoping.
Just make sure that there are no bugs.
Damn, I’m glad it’s finally coming to the PC
December 31st, 2008 at 9:52 am
Dear Jonathan,
I recently bought this game as a birthday gift for my Xbox360 owning brother. I must say it is one of the most enthralling games I’ve played in a long time (I would put it on a par with “Exile†on the Amiga). We both enjoyed playing through the game very much. There are a few things we have not managed to solve but we will resist the urge to look at any walkthroughs as the reward of finding things out for ourselves is, for us, the best part of the game.
Thank you so much for making this game, I will certainly be buying the game for myself when it is released on PC
Even if it takes a while, I would rather it be done right and have to wait a little longer.
Best regards,
Paul
December 31st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
@Caleb Sawtell:
How about Runesoft? They publish for a lot of operating systems, including Mac OS and Linux. So it could be a good idea to let Runesoft publish the game, because they can publish the game for Mac OS and they can also port the game to Linux and release the game for Linux.
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:45 am
sounds great! as a PS3 owner I really hope that Sony shows some interest to this wounderful game!
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 am
Sorry to hear I’d need a gaming computer.
Was looking forward to this, but I’m sure I’ll get to play it on my next cheap computer in a few years.
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Hopefully it will be on Steam, it seems games get pirated less if they are on Steam.
It would be a shame to see this game pirated to hell and back like most other PC games.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:31 am
I will buy Braid if you release a Mac version
In the mean time I will just have to keep myself happy with World of Goo!
January 5th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Runesofts Quality control is less than ideal on linux I wouldnt recommend them to do the port
January 6th, 2009 at 3:07 am
+1 for the Mac version.
Lord knows I’m dying to play this but i’ll never own a 360.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:53 am
I’ll be getting this!
Will there be a pc demo available before march?
Also can we just buy the game direct without any DRM crap like steam?
January 6th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Hey Jonathan! Please integrate Xbox 360 Controller Support for PC , that would be really good cause 2d games aren’t exactly the best to play on PC games if you know what I mean, also the little rumbles are a great addition to the game
Please don’t leave that out!
and will the game ONLY be available on Steam or also on a different Medium like CD/dvd?
i don’t mind the wait, I’ll buy it for sure if it has Xbox controller Support
January 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Still, can you give us an estimate on sys requirements?
January 9th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Whooo! Braid for PC! Surely would be awesome. The only thing that i would love the most is that the game supports South American Retail Stores. I’m writing from Chile, and i don’t have a Xbox 360, so this will be the chance of my life! Also, this is coming in pc-dvd format? Or it will be Steam-ed? If this comes in pc-dvd format, you will use the SecuRom feature? Thanks, and i’ll wait patientially for the grand PC release.
January 11th, 2009 at 4:10 am
A PS3 Version would be so cool! plz Sony you know you want it!
January 11th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
yes a ps3 version would be a treat, i’d pay double! but seriously I’d love to see it, I’ve played the xbox version alot and think it would also make a great portable game on the psp. but I’d be happy enough with a ps3 release (damn xbox owners moving out!)
January 12th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I also want a PS3 version !!!
January 12th, 2009 at 8:23 am
I would love to see a PS3 version of Braid. I do not own a 360, but having heard all of the praise for Braid I am very interested in playing it.
I would rather play the game on my PS3, but if it does not happen then I will certainly buy the PC version when it is released.
January 12th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I really hope that Sony will be interested in your game, because I really think there is an audience for it on the PSN. I would gladly buy it there.
I would gladly buy it on Linux too, but that seem less likely to happen somehow
January 13th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Hi Jonathan,
It will be wonderful if you have the PS3 version of Braid. We are definately interested in getting it as well. Really appreciate if we can discuss further.
Looking forward to your reply.
Thank you.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
So far, what is in your mind on the release date? If I was not a broke college student I would buy a Xbox 360 just for this game and the other indie/low-key titles on the system. I know you’re are planning Feb/March but I pray for early or at least midway through Feb. I haven’t payed attention to the other games released for the PC lately (except Mirror’s Edge-released today) but if there are big titles being released then I get where you are coming from.
The last game I was really anticipating was Fallout 3 and it just felt too….Oblivion and the “same old stuff”, as it were. In the mean time, I’ve been digging up some nice indie games. Spelunky, N, Knytt Story, Cave Story, Crayon Physics Deluxe (one of the best purchases I’ve made in awhile)..I need moar platformers.
Irregardless whenever you do release I hope it is the right time and hopefully it will be a success. I don’t know how you feel about DRM but it does help..on the Crayon Physic Delux forums there were posts (the day it was released) about it being shared due to no DRM. I HATE DRM but temp DRM is not bad..at all. If you release it on Steam it would help on Day Zero bootlegging. Maybe a key code, at least for a week to keep the pirates at bay. I’m sure if people want the game really bad they would rather pay than bootleg.
I wish I could do that contest, few of my friends have Xbox Live on their 360′s, but I only know a few. And the deadline does seem like when you are thinking of releasing the PC version..speculation that is. If you reply and give news that it will be the end of Feb or March I’ll just buy it on my friends Xbox..then I’ll wait for the PC version.
Whatever happens I hope I can “gift” the PC version, as in buy a copy for some of my friends for them to play. Is that in the cards? I know Steam allows you to Gift games, but I don’t know what kind of method of distribution you are going to do.
Either way, hope you make another game soon. But only if you release it on PC, and along with Xbox of course. Or even PS3.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Very glad to hear that there may be a Mac version.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
JESUS RELEASE THE GAME GOOOOOOOOOD
January 27th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Will it run in wine? (linux) The problem is that most xbox translations don’t run in wine, for some reason. I don’t know why.
I really hope it does, like crayon physics and world of goo. Both run perfectly on linux. I don’t have windows, so I can only play if it runs in wine.
Xorlium
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 am
Jonathan, your work is truly inspiring. I am one of the many waiting patiently to buy your game. Along with your great game I am impressed with your honesty and openess with your fan base. It is people like you that give me hope for my beloved hobby.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:41 am
I Would buy a Linux version too !
Indeed, I wouldn’t recommend Runesoft to make the port…
February 4th, 2009 at 1:02 am
To start off I’d like to thank you for this amazing game with superb puzzling ideas and mind blowing soundtracks
Few questions though. Will the PC version be different than the 360 arcade version? By that I mean added contents like more puzzles and stages and soundtracks.
I know the PC version is around the corner but I think as someone mentioned before that, a level editor would add great replay value to this game. It would attract new players to the game as more stages and puzzles are being created.
*custom backgrounds for levels creation
*platform pieces
*new creatures and interactions
*new puzzles
etc…
Even if it releases you could have downloadable contents for future adds
Nonetheless it would still be a great game without those implements and I can’t wait for the PC version. For some reason everyone wants to buy this game for a friend and I’m no exception.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Braid has been the game that has be tipping me backwards and forwards of whether to buy a Xbox 360 or not..
But i’m so happy there’s a PC release, can’t wait! Although I would prefer a physical copy (box art, manual etc) rather than a steam version.
Keep up the good work!
February 11th, 2009 at 8:37 am
I was wondering if there is a confirmed release date for the PC version yet? Also where will it be available?
Thank you.
February 11th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Still aiming for the first quarter of 2008, which means by the end of March.
Haven’t announced where it will be available yet, but, via a few different online download services.
February 11th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Still waiting…
Crazy hunger for it!
February 12th, 2009 at 8:37 am
hey Jonathan, happy to hear it’s coming out soon
will it support the xbox controller?
I’d be so happy if it would
February 12th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Yes, the PC version supports the xbox controller. You can plug it in at any time and it just works.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:07 am
this game is so bought
and if anyone dares to download this game i hope he’ll burn in hell
February 13th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
The PC release of Braid is the release I’m most looking forward to, even though I already own the game on the 360. I can’t wait for all my friends who are Xbox-less to see what I’ve been so enthusiastic about.
February 13th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Thank you!
February 13th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I can’t wait for this game on PC. I don’t own a 360, and am a huge PC gamer, and am always looking for great new games with completely new concepts such as Braid.
February 14th, 2009 at 9:10 am
YES, bring the mac version, platform games are perfect for laptops
February 15th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Hey,
I’ve been very hyped about this game for many months now and am really looking forward to playing it when it comes out on the PC next month. (I don’t have a 360)
However I do not have a “gaming PC”. The latest game I can play on high settings is Max Payne 2 and that’s a several year old game now. I use a laptop to be clear.
Me and many others I’m sure would truly appreciate the ability to play Braid with lower requirements (resolution, whatnot). Being that it is a 2D game with relatively few things going on screen I was confident I would be able to play this game at launch but some of your comments here have me worried that my laptop (not a gaming laptop) may not be able to handle the game.
I really don’t know how much of a workload it would be to add in a lower resolution setting, etc, but if the work is not too large I know many of us would really really appreciate the ability to play the game on a medium to lower end rig.
Do you think you could give a ballpark estimate as to what Ram, video card and CPU requirements will be necessary?
BTW, I think it is awesome that you are so approachable and open with fans and posters on your blog and elsewhere online. It’s truly re freshening.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
It’s unfortunate, but your laptop probably won’t be able to run Braid. Mine won’t.
I am looking at supporting a lower-resolution setting (640×360), and it may happen for the final PC build, but that setting is *still* too resource-intensive to run on my laptop, for example. (And I say it “may happen” because I might choose not to fully support it… see below).
Even though it might appear from screenshots that there isn’t a lot happening on-screen, in reality, huge numbers of pixels are being drawn every frame, and the game runs at 60 frames per second. I have thought about, say, offering a “low detail” mode that gets rid of most of the background objects, or of making the game run at 30 frames per second (which might be a significant amount of work).
I don’t like these options, though, because Braid is presenting a specific, carefully-tailored experience to the player. That’s one important reason why people like the game. The more random and un-cared-for your player experience is, the less it’s the case that what you’re playing is really Braid.
For example, to do 640×360 properly, we would have to go through the game and retouch all the sprites by hand. This would be a lot of work, and if I spend time managing that activity / making sure it ends up well in the game, that is time I am not working on my next project. (I could see it making more sense if I release a WiiWare version of the game, which would have to be 640 anyway, and contract the activity to another developer whose job is to sweat over small details like that).
With regard to the backgrounds and foregrounds, if we cut down the number of elements in those, we are not going to be able to spend as much care on making the result look good as we did with the original game. The player will feel this in the end… it won’t feel any more like they are playing through an area where careful attention was given to every detail, because hey, it wasn’t.
Similarly, in dropping from 60Hz to 30Hz, the game won’t play as smoothly, and may be a lot harder to deal with in some of the tricky areas where you’re rewinding a lot.
So it may be that, initially, fewer people can play than I would like. That’s unfortunate, but at the same time, I made Braid for the long term, not the short term. It’s not just a game for people to play in the winter of 2008 and the spring of 2009. It’s a game for people to play, and find interesting, 20 years from now. If you look forward even 5 years, most peoples’ low-end computers are going to run Braid just fine.
In an ideal world, Braid would run perfectly on everyone’s computer right now. But the game we ended up making is far too resource-hungry for that.
On the bright side, I don’t expect RAM or CPU to be a problem for people. (The game runs fine on the Xbox 360 with 512MB of RAM; on Windows it might require more, because of Windows, but that still gives you an idea). CPU probably just isn’t a concern at all. It’s only the graphics processor that is the problem. I haven’t done any testing yet to determine which graphics processors are fast enough. (I am not even sure about the comment I posted above, about the 6800 being fast enough. I think I may be remembering that wrong.)
February 15th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Update: My development system has a GeForce 8800GTS, and that is definitely fast enough. The true minimum requirement is going to be lower than that, but I’m not sure what yet. Maybe something in the GeForce 7000 series?
February 15th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
First off, wow, I really wasn’t expecting a reply for days, if then even! I really appreciate the (amazingly quick) reply.
I understand, and you’re right that the game won’t be going anywhere and will be available in the years to come. I wouldn’t want to play a graphically butchered version with various elements diluted, because the wonderful art style is an essential component to what you have done with the game. I’d rather wait until I get a PC capable of running Braid.
I’ve watched pretty much all your video’s, audio’s that I could get a hold of because I found your presentations at conferences and interviews very fascinating.
A bit of rant here: A few years ago I found myself playing less and less video games,and taking away far less enjoyment from what has been my favorite hobby throughout my lifetime. I realized that while I have matured, the games I was playing haven’t matured along with me, and the typical big budget games were lacking any sort of relevance to where I was in life. They were fun for sure, but I reached a point where I was looking toward my environment to challenge and inspire me, for different hobbies, pass times to have some sort of mental relevance to m and my life.
I began searching for lesser known video games to provide that something missing to reignite my hobby. Games such as Planescape Torment and Immortal Defense really opened my eyes as to what the medium can achieve. The past year I’ve been playing through ao many indie games and low key console games I may have missed out on. Video games have become a relevant hobby to me again and I look at the medium now from a different angle and expectations than I had in the past. I look for something more in my games now than just “fun” (though that is a very good aspect
Though I haven’t played any of your games, your speeches and interviews have been very relevant to me this past year and I appreciate the effort you have put into your work and keeping in touch with your fans as well. I hope more developers in the future pursue some of your suggestions to progress the maturation of video games.
What games have inspired your work or changed your perception about the possibilities of the medium the most? Any console games at all? Silly question, but I’d be interested in your opinions of Planescape Torment and Immortal Defense as well, which are two cornerstone games in my collection.
Some of the things you have said (regarding injecting meaning, ambiguity, relevance into your games) remind me of things Hideo Kojima (creator of Metal Gear Solid series) has said in the past, yet both of you go about it in such radically different ways (and I know you would’nt approve of Kojima’s methods due to their cutscene heavy nature). Yet I appreciate having both of you be part of the industry because the more people that create legitimate dialogue about video games as “art” (though such a highly subjective and abstract term) or more personally, about video games as a relevant medium for self expression and mind expansion the better it will be for all of us with a passion for games.
Oh, and one more question, what is your opinion on what the Wii is doing right now? Many say that by making video games so mainstream/acceptable to all demographics (such as film and music has in the past) it is opening the floodgates to a more varied and greater number of talented/passionate developers as well. By doing so, some believe that Nintendo is creating an ecosystem where, as with film and music in the past, video games are more likely to mature and to be accepted by the general public as a relevant art form. What’s your take on the Wii and it’s breakneck expansion?
Sorry for the MASSIVE post, but your presentations have really hit home with me in the past and the fact that you are so approachable to the “public” gave me an opportunity to share some of my thoughts that maybe you would find relevant as well. Thank you for the reply and dialogue!
February 16th, 2009 at 6:50 am
waiting for this game for so long, seems almost like an eternity,but an xbox is just a no-no for me.
hope the pc version polishes the stunning visuals for it even further..
have to say the ending is the most spectacular that i can think of…
February 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this.
I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about Braid, while spoiling as little as possible.
In the meantime – I’ll check out those 10 games you mentioned in your “guess the game” competition a while ago.
Should soak up the time until March 2009.
Godspeed.
–Phil
February 16th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
When it comes to graphics cards, I’ve been told it’s not the first number that matters as much as the second number. An 8800 would be better than a 9200, generally.
I’m sure there probably won’t be any additional features in the PC version vs. the xbox version, although I’ll probably buy it anyway because my laptop (gaming-grade) has a better resolution monitor compared to my TV.
Also, have you and/or Brett considered merchandising? I would definitely buy a nice sized poster of some of this game’s amazing art.
February 17th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Hey Jonathan, I truely hate it when people e.g on Youtube ask people if my rig blabalblba can play that game
but may you answer this question for me?
I have a Pentium D 805
2,5 Gb ddr 2 Ram
1950 gt 512 mb Graphics Card
and Windows 7 beta on my PC
I can well play CoD 4 Multiplayer flawlessly withuot any really bad lagging,
so do you guess it would be able to handle braid at a consistend framerate ? talking about like 40-60 frames?
Sorry people like me are annoying you and distracting you from your work
Cheers
February 17th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I haven’t done any graphics-card testing yet, but my guess is that your machine will run the game fine.
The biggest wildcard is that you’re running Windows 7. At some point before release I will set up a Windows 7 machine and see how the game runs on it.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Basically I must say Windows 7 is better than XP and Vista, runs faster and better, and as I’ve read from various sites it’s practically the same core as Vista, so programs which run with Vista will do with Windows 7 too, but I’m not a pro in those technical stuff
And another question : Does / Will Braid support like high resolutions ( 1680×1050) , would be perfect cause I own a 22″ monitor
Love and Peace
February 17th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
The wait is killing me…….
Any news on a distribution method?
February 17th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I’ve signed the game with 3 different online distributors. One of them, Impulse, has already announced. The other two haven’t put out their press releases yet, so I don’t want to jump the gun saying who it is.
So far the official release date is March 31. That could change in either direction!
February 18th, 2009 at 1:45 am
HURRAH!
Just heard about the release over at Rock Paper Shotgun:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/02/18/braid-coming-to-impulse/
I played the first hour and half on a friend’s Xbox and it was the most joyous gaming experience of last year. I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into the game, and testing out how you put into practice all the great stuff you have to say.
So, congratulations for getting the game out. This news has really made my day
February 18th, 2009 at 7:25 am
cool, hope it does come out by march 31.
also I would say that take as much time but please don’t do what rockstar did with GTA4, completely sending a buggy port for the pc from a spectacular game from other consoles..
nice to know it will run nicely with my 8800GTS
February 18th, 2009 at 7:36 am
So what’s the justification for the higher price tag?
February 18th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Hey Jonathan,
Being a gamer for a bunch of time, lemme tell you how great is to see an “oldschool” kinda game like Braid getting real market recognition, in a gaming market where puzzling is understood as visual confusion to the end-user, instead of making them/us think on a problem, and many so called IA engines are optimized for smashing buttons and finger training
I have had the opportunity to play braid on a friend’s console i have to say that even the story and game design remind me of a mix of 2d puzzles and techniques, based on very old ingenious tricks, i have to say that the timing factor implementation is just something completely original on a game like this.
Well enought of good comments bout braid!
i have a problem! My main issue is that since i have played braid already i dont wanna wait til March for the PC release, and my 360 is not connected to Live marketplace$$, so the silly question goes, is there any way to get/buy a copy of braid for the xbox, on media DVD or alternative download method???
Well thanks in advance for your answer and keep on rolling
we all hope for more of this stuff or the kept secret on a Blow’s rpg 
BRegards,
N4
February 18th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Unfortunately there’s no way to get the Xbox version of Braid on a physical disc, that I know of. I wish there were.
Thanks for the positive comments on a day when everyone just seems to be grumpy!
February 18th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Jeren: I’ll make a post about it a little later.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
You have no plans or interest to sell it on stores then, meaning a boxed/packaged/dvd version? You should talk to M$ !!
is good to hear the news about the pc release tho
February 20th, 2009 at 3:55 am
Bizarre how many people come here asking for a linux version…
Makes me feel a bit guilty coming here to just ask the same thing :-\
Ah well.
On linux or wine -> I’d buy it
On steam -> I might buy it
On Windows Live -> I wouldn’t buy it
March 5th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
WoooHoooo. Braid on March 31st.
And the count down begins….
kakkoii.
March 8th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Wow, every day i check this site and hope that something new will be announced, I can’t wait any longer!!
How’s work doin and will there be any chance of releasing braid before the 31st?
March 18th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Yo , finally … It’s coming pretty soon
… (Jonathan , man , you’re a real one !!! We’re a bunch (creators , artists) of believers and we’re all with you , so thank you again and again *****)…!
March 31st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
oh, it is further delayed to april 10?
http://www.impulsedriven.com/braid
the wait is killing me…
April 1st, 2009 at 1:40 am
Delayed?!?!
No… No… Please Johnathan. Say it aint so. Say it aint so.
I really thought there were honest people in this world… It seems I’ve been proven wrong… AGAIN!!!
April 6th, 2009 at 12:51 am
I just have one question : will we have a level editor with the game ?
May 15th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Can i use a Logitech USBgamepad with analoge joysticks with Braid on the PC version?
maybe a silly question but i need to know before i get this nice game for my daughter who can not use a standard keyboard because of her disablility.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
You can use a gamepad like that, but you would then want to use xpadder to map it to keyboard keys.
In general, Braid doesn’t use analog information for player motion… on the xbox 360, it just checks to see if the joystick is pushed far enough, and treats that as “moving”, otherwise “not moving”.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of those longing for a mac release of braid. Any new info on a possible release date? I could get the PC version, but I have this lovely new mac laptop…
May 16th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
The game runs at 20 fps without postprocessing on this rig:
Athlon 4200+
2 GB PC2-6400 RAM
ATI X1200 onboard graphics
Vista Business 32bit
I think the bottleneck is the integrated graphics.
Also, when power saving is enabled for the CPU (a.k.a. Cool&Quiet for AMD, Speedstep for Intel), the game begins to stutter after a few seconds and turns off postprocessing effect but this doesn’t help it to reach 60 fps always. No problem when the CPU works at full speed. (I’ve experienced this on a AMD rig with Dual Core Optimizer 1.14 installed, don’t know the Intel part)
May 16th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I would expect to see a Mac release “very soon”. I don’t have an exact date for you.
About the power saving CPU thing: if the CPU decides to run slowly (or drop the graphics processor into a slower mode), then it will often not be possible to reach 60fps, so what the game will do is recalibrate to running at 30fps or 20fps or whatever the computer is going to let it do.
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
Jonathan:
I bought Braid on Steam and played through the game (on my laptop) in full screen mode not knowing I could alt-enter into windowed mode. I had a horrible framerate (15-20fps) in full screen mode especially on world 5. Even the sprite shading under the street lights at the beginning choked my computer. But in windowed mode it’s smooth as butter, a crisp 40-50fps even on world 5. I didn’t know if you were aware of this; maybe if windowed mode handles things differently you can adapt that to the fullscreen mode?
Anyway here are my specs:
2.16ghz Core Duo (Yonah)
Mobility Radeon x1400
2GB memory
TinyXP
May 27th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I Would buy a Linux version too !
Indeed, I wouldn’t recommend Runesoft to make the port…
July 4th, 2009 at 5:01 am
Can i use a Logitech USBgamepad with analoge joysticks with Braid on the PC version?
maybe a silly question but i need to know before i get this nice game for my daughter who can not use a standard keyboard because of her disablility.
July 4th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Unfortunately, at this time the only supported gamepad in Windows is the Xbox 360 controller.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:14 am
Experiencing some graphic bugs on Braid for Mac.
I’m on OS X 10.6.2, iMac 27″ Corei7 with 4Gb of RAM and ATI Radeon HD 4850 with 512 Mb of VRAM.
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Wow. After playing the demo version of this for the Mac, I am really just waiting for a mobile version for the iPhone and iPod touch. I think it would make you guys a lot of money because the iPhone is becoming a pretty sweet gaming platform and people like to see their favorite computer and console games available on their mobile devices. Really, if you did make it for iPhone, I would cry, because Braid is such an amazing game, and you’d be able to buy in-app level packs for more Braid adventures! I really think this game would make a perfect fit on the iPhone!!! Please make it!!
February 14th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Just built a newish PC, very strange, get horrible slowdown in some parts when playing in full screen mode, v sync on and post processing, but none in windowed mode. Windowed mode is a solid 60fps at 1680×1050, but in full screen even if it’s set at a much lower res still the same slowdown (most noticeable on the right to left clouds in the first level and running past the books in the first room, drops to 40fps).
I’m running an Intel i5 750, and an ATI Radeon 5850 with 4 gig of Ram…
Thanks for the great game btw, have played it so many times
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:08 am
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