Seems like everyone has some big game or app news today, so with today being a rather slow news day anyway, today’s recap is all about apps and games — but we couldn’t help but slip one app-related news story into the mix that should make Instagram fans chuckle. Can you spot it among the rest of the day’s news for Thursday, April 19, 2012?
If you’ve been busy playing Plants vs. Zombies on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad all day, drop what you’re doing and head to the App Store! PopCap Games announced new updates to both the original small-screen version and the iPad-only HD app which delivers “the additional content, action and challenge that Apple smart device users have been anticipating.” The HD version now includes three new game modes, four new mini-games, Game Center leaderboards, 28 new Game Center achievements, mystery sprouts and additional coin packs, while the iPhone/iPod touch model now includes Vasebreaker game mode, four new Game Center achievements and an all-new Game Center leaderboard. The combined updates promise to bring the mobile apps “considerably closer” to the original Mac and PC editions. The updates are free for existing users, but some features require paid in-app purchases.
A new 3-D animated family comedy from Sony Pictures Animation is sailing into theatres on April 27, but iStoryTime is now offering a companion movie storybook app in the App Store for young readers to get a first look at the fun. The Pirates! Band of Misfits Movie Storybook app promises to tug at young readers’ imaginations, complete with a “Piratize Yourself” feature that allows them to utilize the face tracking features of iOS 5 for making themselves look like a pirate in real time. The Pirates! Band of Misfits follows the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain — a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side, and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz to the much coveted “Pirate Of The Year Award.” The Movie Storybook app is available now on the App Store for an introductory price of only 99 cents — but buy it while you can, because the price is going up to .99 soon! The 104MB download is a universal app compatible with iPads, iPhones and iPod touches running iOS 4.2 or later.
Aspyr has announced the launch of Quake 4 for Mac, now available for the first time in digital form. Gamers can choose to purchase the digital version from one of four outlets: Apple’s Mac App Store, GameAgent.com, MacGameStore or Amazon.com, but the .99 price is the same, regardless of where you buy from. In Quake 4, Earth is under siege by the Strogg, a barbaric alien race moving through the universe consuming, recycling and annihilating any civilization in their path. In a desperate attempt to survive, an armada of Earth’s finest warriors is sent to take the battle to the Strogg home planet. You are Matthew Kane, an elite member of Rhino Squad and Earth’s valiant invasion force. Fight alone, with your squad, or in hover tanks and mechanized walkers as you engage in a heroic mission to the heart of the Strogg war machine. Quake 4 Mac includes a strong single-player story along with online cross-platform multiplayer modes. Last but not least, Aspyr’s RAGE: Campaign Edition is seeing a price cut to .99 from the same four digital outlets.
The internet appears divided on the subject of Instagram’s recent Android port — rarely has an app going cross-platform caused such a stir. According to 9to5Mac, one of those choosing to ditch the photo sharing service following the move is none other than Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller, who not only deleted his Instagram account but also told an inquiring Twitter follower than the service “jumped the shark” by going to the Android platform. The move shouldn’t be surprising considering Schiller is the head of Apple’s marketing efforts, but judging from his prior tweets, he’s been an avid fan of Instagram in the past, which was acknowledged most recent with an “App of the Year” award from iTunes. Does Phil know Twitter also has an Android app, we wonder…?
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced that its universal Midway Arcade app is now compatible with iCade, the retro arcade-style cabinet designed for the iPad. As you may recall, this miniature wooden cabinet is perfectly sized for Apple’s tablet and connects via Bluetooth to bring a full-sized joystick and buttons for a genuine arcade experience. The 99-cent Midway Arcade app needs no introduction for retro gamers, offering such legendary titles as Defender, Joust and Rampage (plus seven others) in a virtual showroom which can be expanded with in-app purchases for two other game packs (99 cents each). The update is free for existing users, and you know where to find it.
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There is almost always a plethora of new titles that hit the App Store every week, but this go-round seemed a little sparse. That said, there’s no shortage of games worth checking out–especially if you’re looking for some heavyweights. From blockbuster games to blockbuster movie tie-ins, and a few under-the-radar hits, this week might be light in number of releases but its no slouch in quality.
Because 500 million downloads just isn’t enough, Rovio is sending its Angry Birds franchise to a whole new frontier, and its out of this world. Angry Birds Space (.99, iPad) sends both the birds and the pigs into the depths of the galaxy after being sucked into a vortex. The game comes with coinciding merchandise launches at WalMart, Target and National Geographic. We’re starting to think this isn’t a game but an exploratory venture for Rovio’s space colony.
The first blockbuster movie of the year is upon us, and so is its iOS game tie-in. The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire (Free, Universal) puts players in the shoes of Katniss Everdeen as she attempts to gather necessities for her family while fighting to survive in the dangerous woods outsider her home. This title is sure to please fans of the Hunger Games series as well as indie gamers, as a dream team of designers are behind it.
If you’re looking to pick up a new title that will show off the Retina display on your new iPad, look no further than rComplex (.99, Universal). Its a uniquely beautiful game that uses simple colors and deceivingly detailed imagery to create seven levels of stunning landscapes that you’ll race across to escape the darkness. With narrative story telling and original music compositions, this is one running title that looks like it could go the distance.
What happens when a roller coaster goes off the rails? Usually fiery explosions and untimely deaths, but not in Madcoaster (.99, Universal). Instead, this is one designed for hopping the track to collect coins and switch platforms. The more you do, the better upgrades for your coaster. It looks to be a smooth game, but for the poor avatars trapped behind the safety bar of the roller coaster seats, its going to be a bumpy ride.
In a world where overpopulation has sent colonies to the moon and corporations have gained power through wealth, the only laws are set in contracts. In Hunters 2 (.99, Universal), you’ll play as the leader of a team of mercenaries that are looking to make a mark as bounty hunters–but not without a challenge from a rival group. Turn-based action allows for custom tactics, and a huge arsenal of upgrades brings more depth to this action/strategy title.
It’s no secret that the biggest headline last week in the world of iOS gaming was the release of the new iPad. The new tablet’s technology is exciting those currently developing for iOS, and garnering attention from some of the heaviest hitters in gaming. Below, we’ll highlight those that are making groundbreaking advancements in their work, and those that are just looking to break new ground on the platform.
The OMGPOP-developed hit Draw Something is getting a lot of press recently. The first should excite players that are playing the Pictionary-esque title on the new iPad: The game is getting a Retina display upgrade that will make those scribbled drawings even crisper. But when it comes to making appearances on new screens, it’s not stopping there. According to various reports, OMGPOP is beginning work on a television show based off the popular iOS title (via Gamezebo). Could you be shouting out answers at the TV while playing a round of the same game on your iOS device? The future is weird.
It’s easy to pick up the free version of a game when it’s available because, well, it’s free. But is there really a price to pay for that decision? Yes, according to a Purdue University PhD computer science student Abhinav Pathak (via New Scientist). The results of his study showed that the majority of the battery drain from free games comes from tapping into the GPS location of a player and downloading relevant advertisements. This activity also keeps 3G connections running for 10 seconds longer, consuming extra battery life. Maybe it’s worth that extra .99 for the paid version after all.
Bethesda, the studio behind massive successes like Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is looking to get its feet wet in the iOS pool according to a recent job listing. The post is a call for an iOS programmer, specifically one with “Experience playing Bethesda Game Studios games a plus,” which may hint at the company’s intention of creating an iOS version of an existing title. There’s little other information in regards to Bethesda’s plans at the moment, but the fact that they’re looking to play ball on iOS should be exciting for hardcore gamers who aren’t sold on the platform yet.
Have you ever downloaded a free game on your iPhone and wondered how in the world the developer could possibly be making money with it? As it turns out, the so-called “freemium” business model is actually far more lucrative than charging money, at least for mobile.
The New York Times has an interesting article that throws back the curtain on so-called “freemium” games — the ones you can download free of charge but can ultimately cost users far more in the long run than if they had just paid up front. While free games might come with the stigma “of being low quality or full of annoying ads,” it turns out they’re a great way to hook new users — and keep them coming back.
“When you tell a friend about it and they go to the App Store and it’s free, they download it without thinking about it,” explains Natalia Luckyanova, half of the husband and wife team that created the iOS game Temple Run. “Then there’s stickiness and the addictiveness and people talking about it.”
Luckyanova and husband Keith Shepherd released Temple Run in the App Store last August as a 99-cent game where “players must stay a step ahead of angry apes while avoiding booby traps and collecting coins.” While the first month of sales were decent, it was nothing compared to what happened in September, when Temple Run was offered as a freebie through the Free App a Day website.
Since going free, the app has topped 40 million downloads, and Luckyanova says upwards of 13 million people play Tempe Run at least once every day. Currently perched at Number 14 on Apple’s top-grossing charts, these “freemium” games bait users who might otherwise not spend even 99 cents on a given title — and once they’re hooked, they’ll spend money in “a virtual store to buy new characters, different backdrops and power-ups, or special boosters.”
The concept has proven wildly successful for Zynga, the creators of FarmVille who has expanded beyond their former comfort zone with Facebook and into a billion initial public offering — proving that the drug dealer’s mantra of “the first one’s free” can apply to other types of business as well.
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(Image courtesy of The New York Times)
Last week, amidst the mayhem of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Sega showed off its upcoming releases for iPhone and iPad, giving us a chance to go hands-on with a pair of new releases from existing franchises, plus a notable update to perhaps its biggest iOS release to date.
What impressed us the most in the pack was Total War Battles: Shogun, a spin-off of The Creative Assembly’s long-running real-time strategy PC series. Rather than port the existing experience with potentially clumsy controls, Total War Battles: Shogun looks to capture the essence of the franchise while adapting the interface and mechanics for touch screen devices — and what we saw and played really stood out in terms of scope and production values.
Upon hex-based battlefields, you’ll generate troops and battle it out in medieval Japan, with the single-player campaign comprising 40 core missions for a total of 10+ hours of gameplay, with additional side missions adding to the bulk. And beyond that, the game includes a same-screen multiplayer option on both iPad and iPhone, which lets each player command half of the display with an overhead view portraying the action. The multiplayer worked well on both iPad 2 and iPhone 4 during our demo, and the game will be released to the App Store on April 19.
Also due out this spring is Alexandria Bloodshow, the successor to last year’s free-to-play Samurai Bloodshow for iPhone and iPad. Taking the form of a Plants vs. Zombies-like grid-based tower defense strategy affair, Alexandria Bloodshow serves up fantastical battles between the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Taking the role of either side, you’ll march further towards the enemy base across numerous missions, wherein you’ll place cards on the battlefield to spawn a variety of warriors to help your cause.
Among the pack are fire archers and falconers, along with tools like catapults, traps, and blockades, and you can expand your deck by purchasing cards via in-app purchases, if you’d like. Beyond the campaign, Alexandria Bloodshow also includes online multiplayer and local Bluetooth-enabled play, with the app expected to be universally playable. Sega’s sequel promises more troops and combat variety than the original, while still offering a faux-historical tower defense experience, and looks like another unique (and gory) App Store option.
Finally, we caught a glimpse of the upcoming update to Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing for iOS, which will add a new driver (Knuckles the Echidna) and track when it launches in the near future. But the biggest enhancement is the addition of app mirroring via AirPlay, which lets you experience the game on a large, high-definition television display while using the iPad or iPhone as a controller. It’s a pretty sizable update to a year-old iOS game, and Sega says other content additions may also follow down the line.
