Tampere, Finland – July 1, 2010 – 10tons Ltd announced today a brand new game called Heroes of Kalevala. Heroes of Kalevala is a village-building match-3 game. The game world is inspired by Finnish national epic Kalevala. The game will feature state of the art match-3 mechanics, an extensive village building meta game, and several hero characters from Kalevala for the player to meet.
“We’ve always loved match-3 games that are original and provide polished playability. We created a tiny match-3 game called Ice Breaker way back in 2004 and now we wanted to revisit this classic genre.”, said Sampo Töyssy of 10tons. “Our goal was to create a modern match-3 game with all the best parts from existing games seasoned with some new twists. We also have an original meta game that interacts heavily with the match-3 game. Since the whole team is from Finland, it’s been fun and interesting to create a game that draws inspiration from Kalevala.”
Heroes of Kalevala will be available for iPhone and iPod touch around August 2010. More platforms will be announced later. Heroes of Kalevala is developed with the support of the MEDIA programme of the European Union.
So Konami is licensing the Unreal Engine from my neighbors, Epic Games… for a horror game based on the Saw films. Does this seem weird to anyone else? Ok… I guess I associate Konami with Lost in Blue and DDR, not bloody gory games.
CARY, N.C., June 24, 2010 – Epic Games, Inc. announced today that Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has licensed its Unreal Engine 3 for “Saw II: The Game,” an upcoming third-person survivor horror sequel developed by Zombie Studios for Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
Based on the fictional universe of the “Saw” movie series, “Saw II” takes place between the first two films and introduces a new twist on Jigsaw’s sinister traps and puzzles in the most intense look into the “Saw” universe ever. “Saw II” features a new combat system, clever ways to fight off enemies using the environment, and highly realistic graphics powered by the latest Unreal Engine 3 technology.
“Licensing Unreal Engine 3 was an easy decision for us,” said Careen Yapp, vice president of acquisitions and franchise development at Konami. “The engine’s new and improved features, time-saving tools and exceptional support system make it the best choice for the ‘Saw’ property.”
“I’ve used other game engines, I’ve written my own, I’ve used middleware and I’ve shipped sequels for franchises using other studios’ tech set, and I prefer Unreal Engine 3 over all of them,” said Mark Long, chief executive officer of Zombie Studios. “The quickest way to reduce risk is to use a known, proven toolset. With Unreal Engine 3, I can promise publishers what I can deliver, and I deliver on time. Every time.”
“Saw II” will be Zombie Studios’ ninth title and fourth franchise shipped with the Unreal Engine.
“It’s always rewarding to support repeat customers with our engine technology,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “Konami is a fantastic publisher, and Zombie has great success shipping Unreal-powered games, so we’re eager to see how the new ‘Saw’ game unfolds.”
“Saw II: The Game” is scheduled to be released globally in fall 2010 to coincide with the release of the film, “Saw VII.” To download “Saw II: The Game” screenshots, the logo or trailer, visit http://www.konami.com/GamersNight/.
TERA already won my love with their gorgeous concept art. (A larger version of the picture above is my laptop’s wallpaper — and that’s saying something, considering I get new game assets in the mail every day) I’m really excited to see their new MMO at E3
En Masse Entertainment, a new breed of game publisher focused on delivering highly anticipated online video games to Western audiences, announced today that it will present the first hands-on demo of its flagship Action MMO title, TERA™, at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 in Los Angeles. The hands-on demo will focus on TERA’s groundbreaking action combat system, which allows players to step into a world where their actions, teamwork, and combat expertise—not statistics—give them a chance to become true heroes in the face of danger.
“At E3, people will have the chance to experience firsthand what makes TERA‘s gameplay so exciting,” said En Masse CEO Dr. Jae-Heon Yang. “Select media will form a party with varied roles and venture forth to experience their first battle using our innovativeaction/adventure style combat system. During the show, players will see how TERA is changing the rules of MMO combat.”
TERA is an innovative Action MMORPG with rich graphics and animations where players fully control their characters through the game’s dynamic battle system. Player actions in TERA can change the balance of power in a world threatened by dark powers as six allied races work together to protect their world. The game, which is currently in development for PC, will launch in North America and Europe in 2011.
Just released at E3. iGUGU‘s new Gamecore systems promises to bring3.5D gaming into homes with an affordable wireless controller:
LOS ANGELES – June 14, 2010 – iGUGU®, a global manufacturer of innovative entertainment technology products for consumers and business, will introduce the arrival of 3.5D gaming enabled by its innovative iGUGU Gamecore system at E3 Expo 2010 .
Featuring an innovative compact wireless controller that incorporates a trackball, direction pad, joystick, programmable action buttons, and a full QWERTY keyboard, iGUGU Gamecore enables users to play PC-based games on a large screen television without the need to use a computer keyboard and mouse. The controller is equipped with six accelerometers, enabling users to intuitively play games using natural motions to do activities such as steer a race care or fly an aircraft.
iGUGU Gamecore, which enables gamers to access and play virtually any of the more than 27,000 game titles available for the PC and through the Internet on a television, greatly enhances the experience of playing PC games by allowing gamers to control their games through natural, intuitive body movements.
When using iGUGU Gamecore to play games on a 3D television, the gamers’ experience is taken beyond 3D as a new level of realism is added by intuitive game control providing gamers with the sense of actually driving a race car, flying a fighter jet or going on patrol in a war game. iGUGU calls this extraordinary virtual experience, 3.5D.
According to Isaac Calderon, president of iGUGU, Gamecore will forever change the way that people experience computer gaming. “With the extensive processing, memory and storage characteristics of even the most basic computer systems, the PC is truly the most powerful videogame console available on the market today, but until now computer gaming has been limited to relatively small desktop or laptop screens. With iGUGU Gamecore, gamers can have the best of both worlds with the ability to enjoy their PC-based games on a large screen television in the home theater. With our wireless controller, the experience is further enhanced because not only can gamers search for and access games stored on their computer or on the Internet, but they play these games using intuitive body motions to add a new level of realism.”
City of Industry, Calif.—June 7, 2010—InterWorks Unlimited Inc., the
fastest-growing distributor of innovative gaming peripherals, today
announced they have extended their official license deal with leading
worldwide developer and publisher of video games Capcom Entertainment,
Inc. to develop Resident Evil® Darkside Chronicles and Resident Evil®
Umbrella Chronicles and other Capcom® game-branded peripherals for use
with this generation’s gaming consoles.
“Resident Evil® is one of the most successful franchises in video game
history,” said Michael Kidakarn, Executive Creative Director of
InterWorks. “Our products must achieve the design and technical
sophistication that gamers expect from the Resident Evil universe. We know
fans will be proud of the final product along with future inventions we
have in the works for popular Capcom brands.
“InterWorks has come up with some innovative ideas that will enhance the
gameplay experience for Capcom gamers,” said Seon King, Senior Director or
Licensing at Capcom. “We are excited about the new products and looking
forward to hearing the response from gamers.”
The next products to launch will be the Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles
and Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles Magnum and Knife Kit, continuing
upon the success of the Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles and Resident
Evil Umbrella Chronicles Shot Blaster for the Nintendo Wii™. Both will be
featured at the InterWorks booth at the upcoming Entertainment Expo in Los
Angeles, June 15-17, 2010.
Chinese iPhone devs Mo-Star release Princess Fury:
Inventive developers Mo-Star today announced the release of their new fantasy battle game for iPhone, Princess Fury. This gorgeously illustrated action game boasts a combination of classic arcade action style and a creative, real-time strategic battle system.
As Princess Fury, players strike down enemies with the combined power of servants and soldiers. With stunning swordplay and magic, players can combat over 100 enemies at once in epic battles that rely on collaboration with friendly forces as much as one’s own competence and courage.
“Most of our developers grew up playing arcade and console games, so our goal with Princess Fury was to provide a console quality gaming experience, suited to the mobile player,” said Qin Yi, general manager at Mo-Star. “We spent lots of time making the controls sharp, the battles fun and exciting, and fine-tuning the sound and graphics effects; and now we have created a game that we enjoy playing, and we hope fans will enjoy it too.”
A princess-y RTP with Chinese characteristics? Sounds great to me. Can’t wait to check it out!
I’ve posted about Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box and about The Game Composer’s Blog before, and today’s post over at the Game Composer’s Blog was just awesome. Sayre’s latest post transcribes a podcast he did about Tiger Eye, with an alien, Bigfoot and Frankenstein’s monster.
ALIEN: Welcome back, humans. One of your kind is now with us. Behold Matt Sayre!
MATT: Thank you, Alien. I’m happy to be here.
BIGFOOT: (English accent) Welcome, Mr. Sayre.
FRANKENSTEIN: Urrrgh!!
MATT: Hi, Bigfoot and Frankenstein’s monster.
BIGFOOT: Oh, go ahead and call him “Frankenstein”. He’s grown accustomed to that particular appellation.
MATT: Great. I will, thanks.
FRANKENSTEIN: Gyee.
ALIEN: Begin this interrogation by giving us the history of your project and the human faction that has created it.
MATT: Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box is a new hidden object puzzle adventure game based on the paranormal romance novel Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu. The game basically covers the first half of the book. You play as Dela Reese, a young woman traveling in China. She finds a mysterious riddle box and once she opens it she discovers an ancient warrior, Hari, who has been trapped within for centuries. He is cursed to serve as a slave to whomever possesses the box. You try to rid him of the curse and deal with the Magi, the antagonist who is responsible for the curse and who wants his riddle box back.
Our team, PassionFruit Games, was formed specifically to make this game and, we hope, all its sequels. Tiger Eye is the first in the Dirk & Steele (the psychic detective group Dela belongs to) series of books and it’s an exciting series, perfect for video games. The members of PassionFruit Games previously worked at Her Interactive (I did contract work for them, the rest were full-time), where they worked on the Nancy Drew Dossier series. Unfortunately, the Dossier series did not pan out (even though Resorting to Danger won Yahoo’s 2009 Hidden Object Game of the Year award) so the team was laid off. The day after being laid off, however, we were already planning this new venture. And last month we shipped TE: CotRB!
I kind of want to quote the whole thing, actually. And also I want to subscribe to the Alien, Bigfoot and Frankenstein podcast.
The guys at Ranker have come up with the top 10 Most Infuriating Death Screens In Video Game History. (Quick warning: Site describes, um, exactly what the opposing team is emoting to your sad corpse in most multiplayer games. In case you weren’t sure.) Do you agree? What do you think was the worst death ever?
Ok, maybe not smarter exactly, but a new study shows it does increase brain function.
SEATTLE, Washington – May 26th, 2010 — PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual video games, today announced that preliminary results of a new study being conducted by East Carolina University’s Psychophysiology Lab have identified improvements in cognitive function through the playing of “casual” video games such as Bejeweled and Peggle. (PopCap Games, maker of the aforementioned games used in the study, did not underwrite the study.) The study, which has been underway for nearly six months and will be completed later this year, involves dozens of U.S. consumers age 50 and older, and explores the effects of the games on subjects’ short term cognitive acuity. In each instance, sizable improvements were identified in the performance of the experimental group as compared to the control group.
Dr. Carmen Russoniello, Director of the Psychophysiology Lab and Biofeedback Clinic at ECU, is presenting initial data and analysis from the study today at the 6th annual Games for Health Conference in Boston. Full study results will be submitted this fall for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
“The initial results of the study are very intriguing, in that they suggest that the ‘active participation’ required while playing a casual video game like Bejeweled provides an opportunity for mental exercise that more passive activities, like watching television, do not,” said Russoniello. “Future applications could include prescriptive applications using casual video games to potentially stave off Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-type disorders.”
More than 40 test subjects have participated in the study so far, with dozens more being included by the study’s completion. Measurements were achieved through tracking of Electroencephalography (EEG) brain waves as well as subjects’ participation in the standardized Trail Making Test™ parts A and B. Both cognitive response time (the speed with which a subject completes a task) and executive function (the frequency of correctly completing parts of the task) were tracked. Those subjects who played Bejeweled or Peggle for short (30 minute) periods showed an 87% improvement in cognitive response time and a 215% increase in executive functioning when compared to a control group. According to ECU, these improvements in overall cognitive acuity are comparable to changes recorded after other types of cognitive interventions such as mindfulness based cognitive therapy and cognitive remediation therapy.
“Video games with more complex rules and controls, and more sophisticated or detailed imagery – so-called ‘hardcore’ video games – might provide similar cognitive benefits for many people,” said Russoniello. “But those games take significantly longer to learn to play and appeal to a considerably narrower subset of the overall population, especially older consumers. In our experience, ‘casual’ video games are ideal both in terms of their accessibility and ease of understanding and because they appeal to nearly everyone.”
Will Sony be launching a new premium service for PSN? I can’t find anything to confirm this from Sony, but it seems like every gaming site or mag has heard this rumor.
VG247 has learnt that Sony is to reveal plans for PSN’s premium services at E3.
According to a highly-placed source, Sony will announce a large-scale monetizing scheme for PSN at the LA show, but we’re assured nothing planned will impact the service’s current free aspects.
A string of features will be revealed, apparently costing “less than £50 per year”.
Sony will confirm plans to give all subscribers one free PSN game per month, from a choice of “two to four” every month.
“If you work it out, PSN games cost an average of £6-9 each, so over a year you’re basically going to be breaking even,” said our source.
Facebook and Zynga have just signed a new 5-year agreement. Rumor had it, there’d been some tension about Facebook microtransactions, but I guess there’s enough money in Farmville to go around:
There’s been much talk about social games leader Zynga diversifying itself away from Facebook, and Zynga and other social developers didn’t seem too pleased when Facebook announced it would be taking a 30% cut of revenues from Facebook Credits transactions, but now it would appear Zynga and Facebook have patched up their relationship.
The two companies today announced a five-year “strategic” partnership, which “increases their shared commitment to social gaming on Facebook and expands use of Facebook Credits in Zynga’s games. The agreement provides a solid foundation for both companies to continue to work together to provide millions of people with a compelling user experience for social games.”
I usually don’t like posts about why X is going to be the Greatest and Most Important Thing Ever (Cicero ruined me for overuse of the superlative) but this piece from Industry Gamers on the importance of this year’s E3 in terms of current trends is worth reading and sharing.
The traditional video game market, comprising of home consoles and handhelds, has been under considerable pressure for the last 16 months. This pressure is mostly attributed to declining sales among traditional games, and a rise from emerging markets such as mobile and social gaming. The decline in sales and the rise of other cheaper alternatives for interactive entertainment has raised serious concerns among investors and industry professionals about the long-term viability of the traditional console market. Additionally, the elongation of the current cycle and lack of visibility for the next set of hardware only reinforces the negative sentiment in the industry.
With so much negativity in the air, the entire industry will be on watch during this year’s E3 convention taking place in Los Angeles, CA.
Previous E3s have been focused on games that will drive our industry for the next 6 -12 months; however, this year the primary focus will be on new technologies that are supposed to drive industry sales back into the black over the next three years. Natal, Move, 3D gaming, and the 3DS are just some of the more important technologies that will be on display at E3 2010.
Think you’re good at trivia? Are you confident in your own knowledge to bet on whether or not you will know the answer against other players? Step into the Open Beta of The Big Bluff, a new game developed by himojo, an entertainment company and social games developer for the Facebook platform, and experience the thrill of online multiplayer trivia that integrates the mechanics of Texas Hold ’Em Poker. Playable within Facebook and on TheBigBluff.com via Facebook Platform, the free-to-play online trivia game stands ready to pit your knowledge against others unlike any other trivia experience to date.
Upon logging in to your account, you will be given a purse of in-game currency to spend on virtual items for your avatar and at the tables. Step into a room and pull up a seat, where games of up to five players will already be in progress, 24/7.
Similar to Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, a dealer will display three cards in the community hand – the first displaying the question category, followed by two hints at the answer. Players will then have the option to match the pot to continue playing based on the cards shown. The fourth card displays another hint, while the fifth and final card displays the question that players must correctly answer. Fold at any point in the game if you’re not confident in the final question and answer, or bluff your way to the end and force your competitor’s hand. Call your opponent’s bluff and win bonus currency if they don’t know the answer.
“We’ve spent months experimenting with ways to combine the best aspects of trivia and Texas Hold ‘Em Poker into one game and are pleased to finally offer early access to the Open Beta of The Big Bluff,” said Eric Arlt, Chief Executive Officer, himojo. “The game offers an online trivia experience through Facebook unlike anything else out there. Poker and Trivia are two huge activities that are beloved around the world and we look forward to everyone experiencing this new hybrid of the two games in a competitive, free-to-play and social environment.”
The Big Bluff Features:
• Facebook Platform – Play the game by logging into your Facebook account on either Facebook.com or on TheBigBluff.com
• Real-time Online Multiplayer – Step into a room for five and watch opponents and friends play you live from across the table
• Chat System – Real-time chat during the game, allowing players to put on their poker face and play their bluff
• Customization – Access the dressing room and customize your avatar from head to toe with publicly available and exclusive items
• Virtual Currency – Earn in-game currency by winning a hand, daily check-ins and by purchasing with real-world money
• Global Leaderboard – Win rounds, build up your purse, unlock high-roller rooms and gain stardom by making it onto a central leaderboard
To start testing your trivia knowledge and betting big on your skill, visit the official The Big Bluff website at www.thebigbluff.com and log in using your Facebook information. Be sure to connect with us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebigbluff and follow us on Twitter @thebigbluff for daily trivia and giveaways.
A new, closed beta for Heroes of Might and Magic Online is beginning — this is specifically an Asian beta, but sign up here and you can play when it gets to your area!
Hull, UK / TQ Digital have confirmed that their anticipated MMO, Heroes of Might and Magic Online, licensed by renowned publishers Ubisoft, will be entering it’s Asia area closed beta on May 7th.
Fans of Heroes of Might & Magic, one of the most loved PC-franchises of the last 15 years, can finally take their adventure to the MMO space on May 7th with Heroes of Might and Magic Online, developed under the careful study of established china-based online games developer, TQ Digital.
With millions of players already habiting their other titles, including such well known names as Eudemons Online and Conqueror Online, TQ Digital have had a wealth of expertise to call on while crafting a playing experience based around the wants and needs of the series’ loyal fans.
Licensed by Ubisoft – who boast a host of mega-franchises, including The Settlers and Assassins Creed – Heroes of Might and Magic (HoMM) Online will take players back to the classic gameplay elements of HoMM III, mixing it with the stunning updated graphics of HoMM V in a 2.5D turn-based massively multiplayer environment.
Though Ubisoft introduced a new universe to the series for HoMM V, their first title after acquiring the franchise from 3DO Company, TQ Digital are finally bringing the popular fantasy setting of Erathia back, which debuted in 1999 releases, HoMM III and Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor.
Gameplay in Heroes of Might and Magic Online is as varied as it is beautiful, with gorgeous graphics complementing your epic quest to prove your valiant leadership.
Chose from a variety of 8 unique factions, develop elaborate castles that dominate the skyline of bustling metropolis Harmondale – epicenter of trade in the sweeping Antagarichean continent – plunder resources in exhilarating missions and fortify your armies against the inevitable wars of domination that lie ahead as you carve out your own legacy like the legions of plucky adventurers before you.
Experience magic based on an innovative in-game star system. Cast a new spell to increase your proficiency or perfect spells through a dynamic online training center.
Randomly generated combat maps, designed with strategic gameplay in mind, ensure you will need to think studiously about unit formations and tactics, while the hundreds of unique campaigns, each with deep storylines and goals, including 10 chapters of battlefield missions, are guaranteed to keep play refreshing throughout.
Develop towns of different races with the unique Town Prestige System, form guilds, gather resources, and prove your worth in the bloody-thirsty Challenging Arena. TQ Digital will be hosting a slew of PK events with HoMM Online: Team PK and Extreme PK are only the tip of the iceberg, with these events providing opportunities to gain priceless honor points and increase faction reputation.
Summary of HoMM Online game features:
• First Persistent World Turn-Based Strategy MMO
• 8 towns, 16 classes and 56 creatures
• Hundreds of campaigns with epic storylines
• Unique Anima and Dragon Scale Forge System
• Glorious Guild Building & Exciting Guild Wars
• Challenging Arena and PK Tournaments
• Heroes can build towns of different factions
The Asia area closed beta for HoMM Online launches on May 7th. For more information on the game and a chance to register for beta access, visit the game’s official website today: http://homm.91.com/
I wrote about Fatfoogoo about a year about in a post about the free-to-play model. A new post on Venture Beat says that Fatfoogoo, a company that deals in handling virtual goods, has been purchased by Digital River. From the post:
Digital River said today it has acquired European virtual-goods company Fatfoogoo for about $10 million.
Minneapolis-based Digital River is a publicly traded e-commerce company. Fatfoogoo, based in Vienna, Austria, provides a platform for game developers to implement virtual currency and virtual goods, digital representations of real-world objects popularly used in online games. Virtual goods is expected to become a $1.6 billion market, in 2010 according to Inside Network.
Via VentureBeat (See? this is totally real news, and not just because I like saying Fatfoogoo!)
A press release for Evony landed in my mailbox today. My previous experience with Evony involves wondering why there are bra advertisements on gaming sites. I put on my magic BS-reducing journalist glasses to read it, and here’s what it said:
Evony, the free-to-play gaming sensation, today announced its official one year anniversary, inviting the 19 million people who clicked the boobie ads looking for softcore to join in the celebration. First launched in May 2009 with Evony: Age I, Evony has enjoyed a warm reception from its growing fan base, especially those who haven’t got girlfriends or live in areas without Victoria’s Secret catalogs. The game’s unexplainable success is expected to continue with the April launch of Evony: Age II, the expansion that boasts a suite of new features and enhancements, and even more intrusive boobie advertising on all your favorite gaming sites.
In May of 2009, what started with only two servers and a clever vision to create a browser game designed to be played secretly while pretending to work, has evolved into a MMO phenomenon that’s anything but subtle.
“This is an amazing moment for the Evony team, all made possible by a community of game sites and games bloggers running Google Adsense, and a community of potential game players who are easily distracted by boobs,” said the Vice President of Operations at Regan Mercantile, LLC. “Our goal with the Evony franchise is to make sure we don’t accidentally attract any female players or mature adults by mistake.”
The recently launched Evony: Age II features new quests involving historical heroes and cities, a redesigned graphical interface and innovative panty photos for the upcoming advertising campaign.
Here’s a list to help you get all the My Tribe trophies. These in-game achievements can also be found under “Trophies” in your in-game menu.
Easy:
Dustbunny - Collect 5 Stardust Crate Collector – Open 10 crates Socialite - Visit your friend’s islands 20 times Good Host – Have your island visited 100 times by friends (You don’t have to have 20 or 100 friends for these two trophies. You’ll have the same result with one friends and lot of patience.) Mystery Magnate – Solve any two 2 mysterious objects Growing Tribe – Increase your tribe’s population to 10 Expert Skills – Have a tribe member reach level 10 in any skill Pooper Scooper – Collect 20 bird guano. Eww.
Medium:
Dressed to the Nines – Dress a tribesperson with a rare top and a rare bottom. (They only need to wear this for a moment, so don’t worry if it doesn’t match and looks ridiculous.) Centenarian - Keep a tribesperson alive until they are 500 years old. You can use moonstone, or the fountain of youth for this. Top of the Line – Have fully upgraded Wood, Rock, and Food Storehouses, and Science Station. Proud Parent - Have one of your tribeswomen give birth to 5 or more children Eldest Elder – Produce a level 7 tribal elder Traveler - Build an ark and sail to a new island Dyed in the Cloth – Craft 100 dyes in total Jewelry - Have a tribesperson wear four gems at once. They’ll need to be wearing a top, bottom, hat, shoes for this to work. Like Dressed To The Nines, though, they’ll only need to wear this for a moment. Feather in Cap – Collect 20 stork feathers in a single play session Green Thumb – Harvest 1000 farms Poop Disturber – Click on 100 sea gulls Mystery Mastermind - Solve 4 mysterious objects Powerful Tribe – Increase your tribe’s population to 20 Masterful Skills - Have a tribemember reach level 20 in any skill Guru Skills – Have a tribe member reach level 30 in any skill
Hard:
Geologist - Find 100 golden relics Moonstruck - Collect 200 moondust No Farm Harm - Harvest 100 crops in a row, with no wilted crops Unparalleled Skills – Have a tribe member reach level 100 in any skill Collector’s Items – Collect 30 rare items from crates Mycologist - Collect 1000 mushrooms Shell Shocked – Collect 10,000 shells Very Berry – Harvest 500 berries Master of Mystery – Solve 8 mysterious objects Tremendous Tribe - Increase your tribe’s population to 30
Hardest:
Johnny Appleseed - Plant 1000 trees Dressed to the Tens – Dress a tribesperson with a legendary top and a legendary bottom World Traveler - Have your tribe sail to 20 different islands Craftastic - Craft 1000 different items Power Player – Reach player level 50 Methuselah - Keep a tribesperson alive until they are 969 years old. (This was also a trophy in the old version!) Nobel Prize – Research 25 different technologies Superhero - Have one tribe member reach 100 in both Physical Strength and Mental Strength
The game is available on Passionfruit’s website, at three different price points. A $6.99 version is just the game download, $9.99 includes the game, strategy guide, Tiger Eye wallpaper and a seven-minute song from the game, and a $12.99 platinum collector’s edition includes all of that, plus more music and the sheet music for the Tiger Eye theme.
So I heard a bit of a rumor that Merscom was changing their focus, moving away from hidden object games (like Shutter Island, Wisegal and National Geographic’s Mystery of Cleopatra) and into social games. I didn’t realize that meant they’d soon be acquired by Playdom.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 26 /PRNewswire/ — Playdom, a leading social gaming company, announced today the continuation of its roll-up of talented social gaming development teams with the acquisition of Merscom, LLC. Privately held Merscom develops online and social games for third parties with nationally recognized brands. Merscom is currently developing games for Sea World, Purina, National Geographic and NBC Universal. Merscom is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Playdom plans to leverage Mercom’s expertise in working with IP owners as Playdom moves to develop partnerships with powerful global brands. Playdom also plans to use the acquisition to leverage the talented North Carolina game development community. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
It’s interesting to see Merscom described as a social and online games company, since I associate them with hidden object games and HO/adventure games.
Just a quick post to mention that ThumbGods will be hosting the Indie Games blog carnival at the end of May. Send in your indie games posts or articles!
Sign up before May17th to get into the Land of Chaos beta! From the press release:
burda:ic, a leading publisher of online games worldwide, today announced the start of registration for the Closed Beta Test of strategic action MMO LOCO – Land of Chaos Online. Interested players have until Monday, May 17 to sign up for their chance to participate in the CBT, and full registration details can be found at: www.loco.alaplaya.net/closedbeta
The Closed Beta Test will feature 12 heroes from LOCO’s 30-character roster, including Octavian, Atin, Foxlady, RandyRozz, and more. Three maps will be available for use in both the Annihilation and Battle Modes: the “Forest of Chaos,” the “Crimson Plains,” and the “Lair of the Ancient Dragons.” The CBT will also feature a first look at LOCO’s Guild and Enchantment systems, so sign up today if you want to be one of the first players to explore the Land of Chaos!
To leaf through the Book of Heroes and learn more about the warriors from LOCO’s two factions, the Army of Hell and the Forces of Nature, visit http://loco.alaplaya.net/chronicles
For more information about Land of Chaos Online and the upcoming Closed Beta Test, head to http://www.loco.alaplaya.net
Just saw the announcement from Majesco (the people behind Cooking Mama, Gardening Mama, and Crafting Mama) that they’ll be working on a new Martha Stewart game. I really like the Martha Stewart cookbooks (what’s not to like about easy recipes and gorgeous food photography?), but I thought the related TV show and magazine were pretty disappointing. I don’t have high hopes for the game, I expect it to be more of the underwhelming-spinoff variety, but I’m ready to be proved wrong!
And even if it’s not the greatest game ever, the fact that there’s a Martha Stewart game at all says something good about breaking the stereotype that all games are slobs living in their mom’s basement.
From the press release:
NEW YORK, NY and EDISON, NJ, April 20, 2010 -Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) and Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced a strategic partnership to develop and produce interactive electronic games based on MSLO’s expansive portfolio of award-winning lifestyle content. Under the terms of the partnership, Majesco receives the exclusive worldwide rights to publish these games.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Martha Stewart brand to bring sensibility to the video game market,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco Entertainment. “Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia offers a vast wealth of content and has a passionate following. Branching into the interactive entertainment space is a natural next step, and Majesco Entertainment is proud to be the exclusive partner.”
“Majesco Entertainment is well respected for bringing consumer-friendly titles to the mass market and has a proven track record of tapping the interests of family and non-traditional video game players,” said Martha Stewart, Founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. “Women are increasingly engaged in social gaming. We feel confident that this new offering will delight loyal customers who are active in the space while introducing a new generation to the brand.”
The game is available online here. (Is anyone else having trouble getting Chrome and Unity to play nicely together? Just me? Kelvin’s Space Ranch runs smoothly in Firefox, though.) Here’s the trailer:
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 16, 2010) – Casual games developer and publisher Legacy Interactive announced today the release of Max and the Magic Marker, an award-winning physics platformer that challenges players to draw their way through 15 innovative and challenging levels. It is now available for PC/Mac on Legacy Games at www.legacygames.com.
Max and the Magic Marker, developed by Play Press, gives players complete control as they draw out solutions and face innumerable traps, monsters and tricky puzzles. Limited only by the imagination of the player, every obstacle has an endless number of solutions. Since its inception, it has been widely acclaimed, with its development team winning the Independent Games Festival 2010 D2D Vision Award, EIGA 2009 Innovative Game Design Award, Best Overall 2009 Unity Award, and DGA 2010 Talent of the Year.
“Fun gameplay, innovative ideas and loads of options make you replay levels over and over again.” – GamingXP
“Max & the Magic Marker is a charming puzzle platformer with pleasant visuals and a simple soundtrack. Part of the fun is noticing the details, like how the little monsters can pull out bright yellow construction hats to protect them from your pen.” – Gamespot
“The physics and drawing are spot on and it has a great art style. One of the most enjoyable games with a little boy with a giant orange mohawk as the protagonist that I have ever played!” – 411 Mania
Featuring three lovingly designed game worlds based on children’s drawings, adults and children of all ages will be immediately drawn into the 2D world of Max and the Magic Marker!
Max and the Magic Marker is available for PC/Mac on Legacy Games at www.legacygames.com and in leading retail stores, and will be appearing on popular digital distribution portals.
Island Paradise for Facebook, reviewed on the new blog community Share Your Expertise:
Island Paradise is a Facebook game from Meteor Games, the company who also created Little
Rock Pool and Ranch Town. Players are shipwrecked on a tiny tropical
island, and they need to find and grow crops, find and maintain animals,
cook food, and later, decorate their island home.
Cute flavortext. The description of a chicken on mouseover is
“They’re going cheap!” which almost made up for the serious flaws in
this game.
Why I didn’t:FarmVille gets the ratio of playing and waiting
right. You can optionally water your friends’ gardens. Or not. Island
Paradise was constantly asking me to bother my friends for help.
