News Tower News

[h3]Greetings, future publishers and tycoon enthusiasts!! [/h3]

First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to all the players who've jumped on board for the Closed Beta – your support means the world and we're so excited for you to try News Tower.

Today we are gathered here to share the latest scoop - the dates of the Closed Beta!

We're thrilled to announce that the News Tower Closed Beta is set to unfold from November 28th to December 5th, offering an exclusive sneak peek into the vibrant world of 1930s NYC journalism and newspaper publishing!






[h2]HOW DO I REGISTER?[/h2]

To join in and try to secure your spot, you simply need to register through our store page by clicking on the "Request Access" button:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1649950/News_Tower/

You’ll get informed if you are selected once we’ve started the Closed Beta process, later this month.

Your experience and feedback will play a crucial role in shaping the game, and thus we invite you to join our Discord community to share your thoughts directly with us during this Closed Beta.
Channels and forums will be set up to facilitate the feedback and discussion process :)




[h2]WHAT CONTENT CAN I EXPECT?[/h2]





[h2]FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS[/h2]

[h3]When is the Closed Beta?[/h3]

The News Tower Closed Beta will start on November 28th at 2PM CET and end December 4th at 10 AM CET.

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[h3]What platform can I play the Closed Beta on? [/h3]

The News Tower Closed Beta will be available on PC for Windows.

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[h3]Will everyone get invited? [/h3]

We will select some players first to get invited on November 28th. Depending on the number of players registered, we might invite more to join by December 1st, so you can still register after November 28th.

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[h3]Can I register after Closed Beta starts? [/h3]

You can still register for the Closed Beta, but we might be able to invite other players than those we selected on November 28th.

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[h3]Will there be another Closed Beta? [/h3]

We do not intend on having another Closed Beta before our launch early 2024, so don’t miss out and register right now!

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[h3]How do I know if I have access? / How do I access the Closed Beta?[/h3]

If you’re selected, you will receive a mail from Steam on November 28th when the Closed Beta starts!

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[h3]Am I allowed to share what I see? / Is there a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place? [/h3]

There is no NDA for our Closed Beta, you can share and stream your game.

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[h3]Where and how can I provide feedback during the Closed Beta? [/h3]

Our Discord channel and Steam forums are going to be the place we’re looking for feedback.

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[h3]When is the early access starting? [/h3]

We are targeting an Early Access release for News Tower in early 2024.

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[h3]Will I be able to keep my progress at launch? [/h3]

As we're still in development, significant changes are on the horizon during and after the Closed Beta. Unfortunately, this means progress won't carry over to the full launch.




Keep in mind that the Closed Beta represents a work in progress, providing an early look at the rich content and mechanics that will define News Tower when it launches in Early Access.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm!!!

The journey begins on November 28th – see you in the world of News Tower!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]

[h3]Greetings, aspiring journalists and media moguls![/h3]
 
[h3]As we’re approaching our Closed Beta, we’d like to share more info about one of the key game mechanics.[/h3]

As an influential publisher navigating the bustling streets of 1930s NYC, you will unlock different areas of the city based on reader interest.  
Picture it: you'll be expanding your readership one neighborhood at a time, aiming to claim the coveted title of New York's most influential publisher!   

Now, let's talk about the map layout of the game, a design decision that posed quite the challenge... 

Originally, our vision was to connect all districts, mirroring real-life urbanization. A simple street-crossing would usher you into a different area—simple, right? 

However, reality hit, presenting us with unique challenges: 

• How do we strategically position factions and quest givers early on, ensuring a continuous stream of challenges for you? 
  
• How do we create a smooth progression system that seamlessly unlocks areas in sync with your evolving skills and mastery level?

Enters the reworked version: 

• We've created paths to expedite the unlocking of shops and encountering of quest givers. 
  
• Challenges now align more closely with your skill level at any moment! 
  
• You, as a player, will have greater control over your progression and can focus on elements that better fit with your playstyle. 

[h3]Now, let's take a deep dive into the inner workings of the map in News Tower.  [/h3]







The map is made up of 48 DISTRICTS waiting to be unlocked.

Each week, you get to decide which district to unlock. 
To do so, you just need to align your content with the readers interest. 
Upgrading your production line is key to meeting their increasingly difficult interest. 





[h3]CHOOSE WHICH SHOPS TO UNLOCK FIRST TO BOOST YOUR PRODUCTION[/h3]

Once you’ve reached certain locations, you can unlock specific items with your hardly earned influence points.
The shops are tied to specific ‘Tags’ (Society, Economics, Sports, Entertainment, Crime and Politics) depending on their location – you will unlock the entertainment boost item at the Ritz Theatre of course!
Unlocking these boosts is a game-changer, as it will help to enhance your reporters' skills and, in turn, your production line.
So, choose your path wisely for early unlocks!

Some shops will also unlock new technologies and upgrades for your newspaper.
Getting security items to stop Mobsters coming, advertising production and copy-editing to make better articles will also be unlockable at some shops.





[h3]REACH THE FACTIONS[/h3]



We wanted to give you the opportunity to encounter factions quite early in your journey, adding an extra weekly quest to your plate.
Progressing with the different factions will give you both money and influence points- if you succeed in their weekly quest!

So if you are REALLY good, you can unlock one district and one quest line per week but… It’s not an easy task and you’ll need to have a good combination of tags in the same week.



[h3]Stay tuned as we will work on improving how factions are vying for influence in New-York City during Early Access! [/h3]

[h3]Greetings, aspiring journalists and media moguls,[/h3]

We're here with exciting news - our studio is getting a makeover!
But fear not, it won't affect the release schedule for News Tower.

[h3]Instead, it comes with a charming backstory.[/h3]

Back in late 2018, just before Christmas, Jan-Maarten and Stefan sat down for dinner. During their conversation, Jan-Maarten introduced Stefan to the world of 'News Tower.'
Fuelled by enthusiasm, that very evening, they decided to make this game a reality.

At the time, Jan-Maarten was developing 'Turmoil,' and Stefan was running 'Studio Nul' - that's how 'Studio Nul Games' came to life.

Our team grew with the addition of Bart and Robert, and we faced and overcame many challenges to bring News Tower to life.
Now that the studio stands on its own, and to reflect these changes, we're adopting a new name: "Sparrow Night". Same initials, fresh identity!



Sparrow Night will continue our mission - crafting games where your choices matter.

Stay tuned for exciting adventures together!

[h3]The Sparrow Night Team[/h3]







[h3]Top from left to right[/h3]

[h2]Stefan[/h2]

As head of Studio, Stefan is the driving force behind News Tower and making sure the team can create the best game possible. He's also running a full time Creative Agency called Studio Nul on the side because otherwise, life would just get boring. He began gaming at a young age and continues to share that passion with his children.

[h2]Robert[/h2]

Our developer and programmer Robert is making sure everything is running smoothly. With his degree in game development and being an avid gamer, he provides invaluable insights on how to adapt News Tower to the current gaming habits.

[h2]Bart[/h2]

Lead developer and composer of the game’s music. Studied jazz guitar at the conservatory of Amsterdam. A creator at heart, he found a way to express himself through music and the creation of video games. Bart is a perfectionist and is doing everything he can to make sure you have the best game possible.

[h3]Bottom from left to right [/h3]

[h2]Emilio[/h2]

Emilio contributes significantly to the visual and animation aspects. His natural drawing talent, which led him to win a national comics competition in his youth, infuses News Tower with lots of flavor and a remarkable artistic flair.

[h2]Jan-Maarten[/h2]

Jan-Maarten serves as our Creative and Art Director, drawing from his prior experience on 'Turmoil,' another indie game, which ignited his passion for game development. He's responsible for the captivating art and visuals in our game, crafts the multitude of news items, and thinks about the way the game is supposed to be played. During his free time, he enjoys birdwatching and playing board games.

Greetings, aspiring journalists and media moguls,

As we’re approaching our Closed Beta, we’d like to share more info about one of the key game mechanics.
As an influential publisher in 1930s NYC, you’ll need to send your reporters to find the hottest news.
That’s why we wanted to tell you about our design decisions regarding News Reporting.
 

 

 To give you the best experience of being a publisher we wanted to focus on:

1. Simple storytelling
   
2. Enough choices in how and what news you want to cover
   
3. Understandable in a glimpse as it’s a core gameplay element
   
4. A system that can easily be expanded upon for a richer experience later on.
   

 
[h2]Managing the size of the news: [/h2]

Some news will contain multiple stories to cover. Every additional story you decide to cover will change how big the news will be, but it will also take longer to get.
For example this news have 2 stories to cover, so you can send two reporters at the same time !



As time is your primary resource in News Tower you might rush the news despite missing key elements, and sales, to get it ready for the Sunday press.

[h2]
Managing which type of news, you want to cover: [/h2]

Every week you can challenge yourself to get specific types of news, should it be to unlock new areas of New York city depending on reader interests or fulfill a quest for one of the influential characters you will meet.
Every news article contains at least one Story Tag. Some are basic, others will need extra work from your reporters, which means a longer time where your reporter is away.
Story tags can be the following:

• Politics
  
• Tragic
  
• Educational
  
• Lies
  
• Exclusive
  
• Scandal
  

To do so we implemented, not so long ago, the “News researcher” which allows you to select which types of news you want to focus on.

We believe this lets you be in charge of what you want to print and which type of newspaper you want to run, instead of leaving you in the hands of fate.

Your reporters will come with 3 topics they can cover out of the 6 we have in the game.
You’ll need to choose wisely which reporter you will send as they won’t be available for some time.
Don’t run out of reporters if you don’t want to miss out on key stories.

For example below :
Earl Brown can cover crime, sports and society while Peter Grey can cover economics, entertainement and politics.

[h2]Upgrading the speed of news reporting: [/h2]
There are various elements that can affect your news reporting:
Travel options
Improved reporter skill levels
Buff their working place
Unexpected events

Using those will either take time for your reporter to get experienced or cost you hard earned money, and honestly who really needs to travel by train, when a bus for 12h is comfortable enough.
 

 

[h3]Greetings, aspiring journalists and media moguls, [/h3]

First, we want to thank all the players that have registered for the Closed Beta so far!

Some of you have been with us since 2021 and even had the chance to play the Demo we showcased at Steam Next Fest two years ago.

Since that time, our game has seen remarkable improvements. We've introduced new mechanics, fine-tuned the tutorial, and painstakingly crafted the New York City map to immerse you fully in the life of a burgeoning publisher/publisher on the rise.



As we keep working on completing the content for our Closed Beta, we want to clarify that it's still a work in progress. We are committed to ensuring that the Closed Beta provides a solid representation of what News Tower will look like at the Early Access launch.

Rest assured, you'll have a wealth of content to explore, experiment with and help us fine-tune during this phase.

Your feedback will be invaluable in improving the game's balance and refining/enhancing News Tower further as we march toward the Early 2024 release.


- You can register by clicking on the link below, on our store page:



- Here is the store page to join the closed beta:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1649950/News_Tower/

You will be notified if you are selected once our Closed Beta process begins, expected later in 2023.

Join us on Twitter but also Discord to meet the devs, get all the latest news on the Closed Beta and News Tower.

You will hear from us later in October about more details regarding the Closed Beta dates and content!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]