(editor note: GodFinger is not available in the US App Store yet, but ngmoco:) says that it is coming soon!)

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of playing Bolt Creative’s Pocket God, you’ll probably understand how much fun it can be acting as ‘God’ over a group of (admittedly adorable) virtual characters. Within the game, players get to control almost every aspect of every day life for the islands small inhabitants, the pygmies. While good in its own right, Pocket God only focuses its attention on one small, virtually insignificant island. Released today, GodFinger by ngmoco takes this genius concept and multiples its size by … a lot.

In GodFinger, you don’t just get to control an island … you get to control a planet. Your planet. To do with whatever you please. Your planets inhabitants are called denizens and you get control them in any which way that you please! In order to play the game you’ll first need a Plus+ account. If you’re not familar with the service, Plus+ is ngmoco:)’s own social network which allows you to interact with other players of certain ngmoco-owned games, store achievements and game progress. If you already have an account, simply login and you’re ready to roll!

Starting out the game will take you on an interactive tutorial in which you complete a number of task to make you familiar with the game and its working. As you act as God, most of the in-game elements are “power” related. For example one of your first tasks is to find and guide your followers to your shrine. Your shrine is the global source of your godly power. Having your followers worship you around this totem-like statute will generate Mana. There are three types of currency you will come into contact with and use in GodFinger. These include; Mana, Awe and Gold. Mana is the “currency” of your powers, and while you have Mana you can perform various different wonders. Wonders are events like triggering a rain shower from a cloud, commanding lightening bolts, or lighting up your planet with sunshine. Your Mana regenerates over time, but you can speed this up by forcing your followers to worship you. If you need a quick fix of Mana you can trade Awe for Mana in the Awe store.
Continue reading GodFinger »

As you probably already know, GDC or the Game Developers Conference in San Fransisco is an annual conference at which game developer get together to share development, tools, tips and technologies. This year, independent development companies Semi Secret and Backflip Studios were quick to share just how successful their dive into the App Store has been. Between the two of them, they have 8 paid applications on the store.

Yesterday, co-founder of Semi Secret, Eric Johnson revealed to Pocket Biz that the company had sold 115,000 copies of their popular side-scroller adventure Canabalt. Whats interesting though is these download statistics he said were based upon Canabalt selling at the $2.99 price point over 5 months. He was also quick to estimate the ball-park piracy rate of Canabalt, which he put at 20 percent over those 5 months.

Similarly, Backflip Studio revealed it had generated $2.5 Million in around nine and a half months of being on the store. The company stated these figure were based on enjoying a staggering 22 Million downloads overall, revealing 17 Million of those came from just one of their App Store titles – Paper Toss. On a side note Backflip also announced mobile advertising is making them a substantial $1 Million in just six months and $379,000 in December last year, alone.

One for the game developers now. Since the iPhone’s launch and the App Store’s debut, we’ve seen a slurry of companies take it upon themselves to create a “social” medium or space in which gamers of all ages and skill levels can communicate and interact with each other on a device to device basis. But so far, supposedly due to the limitations of the iPhone SDK, this has been restricted to three methods of gameplay for us here gamers; iPhone to iPhone. iPhone to iPod touch or iPod touch to iPod touch.

Namco, most famous for its worldwide Pac-Man franchise, have announced at GDC yesterday that they have been working on a new, different method. Unite is a cross-platform gaming technology that will allow users to play against gamers using different types of devices and machines and challenge each other in the same game. Acting very much like a social network, Unites aim is to unite gamers the world over, no matter which device they choose to play on.

“For example, an iPhone gamer could play a game against a PC player in Pool Pro Online 3. Unite will have a single login across all platforms supported by the platform. Gamers have a profile fronted by an avatar and a score, boosted by the accumulation of achievements in Unite-powered games.And having a central web site (and soon, an iPhone app) where you can manage your account should also make it an attractive alternative to developers looking for a social solution for their games.”

Continue reading Namco Unveil Unite SDK .. iPhone-to-iPhone Gaming is so 2009. »

Origin8 have today announced that a major update to their hit iPhone and iPod touch tower defense sequel “Sentinel 2: Earth Defense,” Version 1.4 is now in submission. The new update will enable players to have access to a bunch of downloadable content, as well as providing free enhancements to the base game. Expansion Pack One, priced at $0.99 or regional equivalent, will be available as an in-app purchase upon approval.

Here’s just some of what you can expect from this new update:

Free content features:
- One menacing new enemy unit, integrated into all existing campaign maps.
- A new Sentinel ship weapon, the ION bomb, providing a spectacular explosion and damage over time.
- Two new missions based on existing campaign maps.
- New OpenFeint achievements.
- Bug fixes and balance tweaks for existing missions.

Expansion Pack One features:
- Two new maps, Barracks and Overpass, with unique mechanics and challenging layouts.
- A tough new enemy present on DLC maps only.
- Three new missions based on DLC maps.
- OpenFeint leaderboards and achievements for the new maps and missions.

Look out for this update hitting very soon!

$0.99

Sentinel 2: Earth Defense

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-06-26 :: Category: Games

If you’re like me and have been spending your mornings hoping to see that little yellow sticky note appear on Apple’s website .. this one is for you. In an official press release published by the Cupertino firm on Friday morning, Apple has announced that its latest tablet invention, the iPad, will be available in the US on April 3rd. The device will start at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models however will only be available in late April, starting at $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for the 64GB model. The device will be available to pre-order from Apple.com and Apple resellers from March 12th, and Apple noted it will be offering an in-store collection option.

Alongside the announcement, Apple also revealed its future plans for an international launch, announcing that the iPad Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Its worth noting that this announcement didn’t seem to bring with it any hint of international pricing, something which has evaded Apple product pages since the original announcement. Apple states international pricing will be announced in April. For any countries not mentioned in this initial press announcement, it’s bad news I’m afraid. iPad will ship to those countries later this year.

One other interesting tidbit to come from this announcement though is the US-only launch of iBooks. While Apple.com has stated since the device’s introduction that its iBooks application will be US-centric at launch, we didn’t yet know for sure if iBooks would be available internationally at a later date. According to the press release today, the UK and other countries can expect iBooks “later this year”.

Will iBooks make the UK iPad launch in late April? .. Who knows!

Sure .. we’ve seen rally-type games before, but what you probably haven’t seen is one that just looks this good. Below is the first teaser trailer from Pixelbite Games of their debut App Store application, Deliverace. Imagine a classic top-down racing game like Neo Drift Out .. and then times it by ten!

I have to say, if this teaser video does depict anywhere close to what we can expect from Deliverace’s actual gameplay quality, I’m pretty excited. I think this one could be a pretty big hit.

With no word on pricing yet, it’s hard to tell just how much of a hit this will be on its debut. But, with 3D graphics like the above .. I think we’re in for quite a visual treat. According to the studio Deliverace is set to hit our iPhone screens ‘Early 2010′ – and considering its the start of March already, I can’t see the release being too far away, can you?

Are you in performing arts? All those scripts for all those different individual scenes can get messy and hard to keep organized, right? Today, we got a tip off from from one such developer Rip Tide Games, who over the last few months have been working with a bunch of big Hollywood names, including Heroes actor and long-standing techie David H Lawrence XVII, on developing an application to solve the problem of managing and rehearsing scripts for theatrical and film production.

Released yesterday, Rehearsal allows users to import industry standard script files, in both Microsoft Word and .PDF formats, and then treat them just as they would on their PC or Mac. Once you have a script open you can manipulate it, highlight it and completely block out lines which aren’t in your current part. As well as this, the app offers options to add comments, photos and audio clips to your script, meaning you can get your scene just right. Once you think you’ve got the hang of it, the app allows you to record the part, and allow you to play it back to yourself, while the script scrolls automatically for you.

Continue reading Rehearsal – The App For Learning Your Lines »

We all love PopCap Games and their latest critically claimed tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies. You may remember that we reviewed the game recently, and we knew it was going to be popular. Exactly how popular in as far as sales though remained a mystery … until today. The company has announced that within the first 9 days of the game being available on the App Store, Plants vs. Zombies saw a staggering 300,000 downloads, placing the title right up there with Bejeweled® 2, another of PopCap’s well-loved smash hit iPhone games.

What’s even more staggering though, is the amount the company have managed to gross from the iPhone flavor of the game. In an official press release issued today, the company announced Plants vs Zombies for iPhone (and iPod touch) had already grossed above 1 Million US dollars. Alongside this announcement, PopCap was also quick to reveal that its flagship product Bejeweled® 2, adored by Facebook users and iPhone lovers across the world, is officially now the first ever paid application to have reached 3 Million unit downloads on the App Store.

It also notes that despite huge success of its other App Store titles, this hasn’t affected sales of its other apps, stating Bookworm™ and Chuzzle™ two other PopCap branded titles, consistently remaining in the top 100 paid applications on the store.

Time to open that champers PopCap, eh?

$0.99

Plants vs. Zombies

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-02-15 :: Category: Games

Just days after purging the App Store of all applications which contained ‘sexual content,’ Cult of Mac is reporting that an unnamed developer is claiming that Apple has introduced an ‘Explicit’ category for applications submitted through iTunes Connect. The new category reportedly appears alongside the usual suspects of games, business, reference, utilities and more.

It’s no secret that over the past week, Apple has received huge backlash from both developers and users about the decision to clean up the store. Not surprisingly, most of these developers have apps which contain the ‘sexual content’ in question. Its still unclear if Apple is about to make a complete u-turn on its recent decision, but due to the reaction they’ve received so far, I’d say its not entirely out of the realm of possibly that Apple could be gearing to re-approve all previously purged apps again if developers re-submitted them under this new found category. If Apple does introduce this category in the future, it will likely house apps which contain or endorse age 17+ content.

While not confirmed, personally I think this move could be a step in the right direction for the store. While we all know Apple can be a little strict when it comes down to general App Store policy, at least potentially segregating this adult content which is deemed explicit into its own category, could dramatically improve the current App Store navigation experience for users of all ages.

From the same people that brought you the well-loved frantic shooter MiniSquadron, MrFungFung has today announced their next title – Fox vs. Duck. From the teaser trailer released below (the only piece of info currently available on the game), it seems we might be in for a tap, drag and avoid game here.

Described as poetic with addictive and hypnotic gameplay, the game focuses on the two main contrasted factors of life. Prey and Predator .. Life and Death. Quite obviously at this point, the game has two characters, a fox and a duck. It seems to me that the aim of this game will be to play as duck and ultimately avoid being killed by fox, by dragging duck around the virtual pond.

“It’s an experience that is like nothing else in the App Store. Expect the same high levels of quality, polish and intuitive controls that we used in MiniSquadron, for an unrivaled experience in gaming.”

The official site for Fox vs Duck is FoxVsDuck.com and according to the studio, the game is set to hit our screens sometime this March. Exact pricing is yet to be announced.

With valentines day fast approaching us this coming Sunday, iPhone game publisher i-Play have announced that their latest title, Dream Wedding Day, will be going on sale this weekend only.

Although, using this as a sort of excuse to have a full-blown app sale, the studio has also announced that two of their hugely popular titles, Paradise Quest and Fast & Furious The Game will also be going on sale at the same time. Each of the games are set to drop to $0.99 from their original price, through to Monday, February 15th.

Continue reading Paradise Quest, Fast & Furious The Game, and Dream Wedding Day On Sale This Weekend Only! »

Beginning later this month, and as part of its ongoing mobility strategy, RadioShack have announced that they will be offering both the Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a limited number company-owned stores across the US. The stores carrying the device will include stores located in both the Dallas-Fort Worth and New York City metropolitan areas. The company says that it expects to introduce the iPhone into all of its stores in the US, nationwide by the end of the year.

RadioShack is a chain of electronics retail stores, and as of 2008, it had 4,653 company-owned stores, 688 kiosks, 8 service centers, and 1,408 dealer outlets. RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 Billion.

Ever played one of those fantasy-based board games? If so, you’ll probably like this. It’s not often you come across a truly unique concept for an iPhone app, but these digitally interactive RPG books from Big Blue Bubble definitely caught my eye today. Starting off with Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, and announcing today the release of the second in the series, Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon, Big Blue Bubble have launched an interactive book-like experience which is sure to delight fans of the modern fantasy genre.

Described by the studio as part book part game, and based on the 1982 fictional genius of Steve Jackson (and later Ian Livingstone), this interactive series takes the player down in the dark twisting labyrinth of Fang, where unknown horrors await you. Devised by the devilish mind of Baron Sukumvit, the labyrinth is riddled with fiendish traps and bloodthirsty monsters, which will test your skills almost beyond the limit of endurance. Countless adventurers before you have taken up the challenge of the Trial of Champions and walked through the carved mouth of the labyrinth, never to be seen again. Should you come out of the labyrinth alive, you will be wealthy beyond your dreams.

The game’s features are listed as follows:

• Tap the on screen buttons to flip pages (No papercuts!)
• Shake to roll the 3D dice using the accelerometer
• Inventory items selectable via touch-screen
• Game-save feature allows you to retrace your steps
• Includes both original illustrations by Ian McCaig and digitally re-mastered versions
• Integrated iPod music library access

There are three more books to come in the series. These include; Citadel of Chaos, Creatue of Havok and City of Thieves, although no release date has been disclosed yet.

Continue reading Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon. The Second In A Series Of Interactive Book Offerings from Big Blue Bubble »

Popcap Games is known all over the world for a wide array of flash-based games. From the incredibly successful colorful match-em’ Bejeweled, to the marble-smashing Zuma, Rocket Mania and Bookworm. Their portfolio of games is, all in all, quite impressive. Today though, Popcap Games announced via their Twitter stream that their well-loved plant-munching, zombie-infested tower defense title Plants Vs Zombies, which is available for both PC and Mac, is coming to iPhone February 15th.

The game involves using a variety of plants including potato mines, peashooters, cattails and hypno-shrooms (to name just a few), to repel an army of zombies led by “Doctor Zomboss”, a giant machine with zombie commanding it. The homeowner, along with a neighbor (called Crazy Dave), must defend the homeowner’s house during day or night, in the front yard, the backyard, and even on the roof!

“Several plants are nocturnal, like mushrooms, having a lower sunlight cost and are ideal for nighttime levels, but will remain asleep during daytime levels unless startled by a coffee bean. In the “back yard” levels that includes a swimming pool, seeds must be planted atop lily pads on water spaces, while on the roof levels, all seeds must be planted in clay pots. The various plant abilities range from firing projectiles at zombies, turning zombies against each other, quickly exploding and wiping out an area of zombies, and slowing down zombies through a high defensive value. Certain plants are highly effective against specific types of zombies, such as a magnet-shroom that can remove a bucket or another obstacle being used for defense from a zombie’s head.”

Continue reading PopCap Games Announces Plants Vs Zombies for iPhone. Hits February 15th. »