NPCs have it easy, don't they? All they have to do is mill around, interact with other code-powered individuals, execute miscellaneous actions and generally do very little while players push through the game. Chris Hecker begs to differ.

Well, to be specific, Chris Hecker's SpyParty wants to know precisely how good you are at pretending you're an NPC or, if you're in the position of the sniper, how accurate you are at picking out the real player from the crowd. For those somehow still unfamiliar with the game, this really is the essence of SpyParty. There are two players. One will play as the sniper while the other will play as the spy. The sniper's task is questionably easy: find the real person and shoot him. The spy has a slightly more complex task: pretend you're an NPC while you execute espionage-like chores.

I can tell you from experience this can be a daunting task. You have to be smooth with your motions, careful with your actions and most of all, be as predictable as possible. It isn't easy. Especially not when there's the sniper's telltale red dot floating across your vision.

However, I'm not here today to tell you about SpyParty. Instead, I'm here to inform you that early-access beta has started. It will cost $15 to be a part of the beta but you will, with others, help shape a truly unique game. Chris Hecker says, 'SpyPart is a long way from the finish line' but this is your chance to get into the action or, well, just play it before it launches sometime in the indeterminate future.

Interested? Head down here. (DIYGamer caught it first, I think. So props to them. Thanks guys!)

For those unfamiliar with the series, TechnoBabylon features a dystopian, highly dysfunctional future filled with Internet-addicts, conspiracies, terrorists, embryos being held hostage and a variety of things common to the genre. Mixed in with all that was splendid writing and surprisingly logical puzzles - the two ingredients necessary to any successful adventure game.

Done with the AGS engine, I have nothing but good vibes for the game, enough that I'm introducing it before I've even played it - you're welcome to lynch me if it somehow falls short compared to Technocrat's previous work. There will no doubt be spoilers to the first two games but if you're going to engage in this little adventure without investigating the first two titles then it's going to be inevitable, anyway.

But, enough talking! Here's TechnoBabylon - Part III.

The May 2011 issue of Game Developer magazine, the sister print publication to Gamasutra and the leading U.S. trade publication for the video game industry, has shipped to print subscribers and digital readers and is available from the Game Developer Digital service in both subscription and single-issue formats.

The May issue's exclusive postmortem focuses on five acclaimed Xbox Live Indie Titles, in which the games' creators describe some of their achievements, as well as the hardships they endured working on Microsoft's independent games platform.

Mommy's Best Games' Nathan Fouts, for instance, explains how he ensured his indie shmup Shoot 1UP included support for disabled players.

He writes, "I worked with accessibility organizations Able Gamers and One Switch to hone the menus and controls for the game to support as many options as possible for handicapped and non-handicapped gamers alike."