Moms and video games. I know there are always exceptions, but, at least for my generation, more often than not the two just don’t mix. I’ve spent over 25 of my 31 years playing them, and my mom has spent almost as much time expressing her distaste for them, specifically, she said, “all that bloody, gory, gooey violence.” I decided to take the time to really talk to her about it; to figure out exactly why she had a tendency to turn up her nose at my hobby-turned-career, why she eventually stopped scrutinizing my pastime, and what iOS games (if any) she could even end up liking. It was interesting, to say the least.
A Bit Of The Old Ultraviolence
As it turns out, my mom’s disinterest/distaste for video games stems from a fairly common issue: violence. Not just the concept behind the acts, but the increasingly realistic depictions. When I was little and playing something on my Nintendo it never really bothered her since she and my dad could simply nix anything they thought was too much for me. Not that it happened often since very little from that era was all that graphic. However, as I got older, I tended to play more violent games. I personally attribute it to the industry increasing its mainstream focus on violence as it grew into itself, along with coincidence. I mean, sure, I played Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but I also played Intelligent Qube and Jet Moto which probably wouldn’t have bothered her at all if she’d ever seen me playing them. This is when it really started to bother her. She was legitimately worried that my constant exposure to video games would alter my personality. As time went on, she realized I was doing just fine, but she still wasn’t too crazy about all the gore.
Even after I graduated college and moved out of the house, video games continued to bother her. As a teacher, she had begun to notice a shift in her students as more and more of them began to make video games a larger part of their lives. “It’s much harder to keep kids’ attention,” she said. Many of them required more and more visual stimuli in order to keep their focus. She also noticed that many of the younger or more impressionable kids started to act out things they saw on TV and in video games. “It seemed like they thought they were invincible,” she told me. One group of boys she’d taught years before went so far as to murder a 25 year old cook as he walked home from work simply out of boredom; an act that some claimed was inspired by a video game. I now realize why my success at getting her to accept the medium has been so difficult.
However, she hasn’t written games off entirely. She’s come to appreciate the technology behind it all, and can definitely appreciate the imaginative visuals found in many of the more offbeat titles. With my increased interest in all things iOS, I’ve managed to have even more success in convincing her that the industry isn’t all headshots and zombies. In fact, I’ve managed to find a few iOS games she’s even curious to try on her own.
Easing Into It
First I asked her to take a look at Triple Town. I figured a turn-based game with no timer and some cute, if oversized, cartoon bears might be okay. I mean it’s a fairly adorable game with some really addictive puzzles, so why not? And I was right for the most part. She didn’t have a problem with it since the only vaguely troubling imagery is “just angry looking bears.” She also thought, “(It) sounds exciting. Build a city. ‘Plot’ against the bears. Looks like something ‘I’ may even be able to handle.”
Next up: Spaceteam. Both because it’s family-friendly fun and because I freaking love it so, so much. Although it can get pretty frantic; I wasn’t sure how well she’d respond to it. “I remember watching you and dad play this one,” she said. “It looks and sounds like a great time.” And really, who wouldn’t like to try and desperately keep a lone starship functioning by shouting commands at their friends while simultaneously trying to follow their own sets of instructions?
After that, I decided to show her Paper Titans. Since my mom has an art background and actually teaches art, I figured there was a good chance that she’d appreciate the visuals. I mean it’s flippin’ gorgeous to begin with but it also does a fantastic job of capturing the look of a paper world with paper inhabitants. I was right again. “LOVE the bold graphic style,” she said. “Looks like my kind of game; fun, colorful, sounds easy (low stress). So far (this is) my fav.”
Getting A Little Retro
I didn’t want to focus entirely on new releases, though. I also thought there might be some worthwhile considerations from the App Store’s past. Hence my next choice: Zen Bound 2. “Very, very appealing,” she said. “[The] graphics look excellent.” It’s the kind of reaction I was hoping for. The entire game is meant to be serene and calming with no timers or real possibility of failure. It’s almost more of a relaxation exercise than a game. “This is my top choice,” she enthused. “I want to wind the rope!”
Moving right along, and in keeping with the visually inoffensive, I brought up Tiny Tower. Nimblebit’s first major iOS success still has quite the following today, and it’s managed to last this long without resorting to any sort of violence. My mom liked it right off, saying, “Everyone looks HAPPY!” This is true: I’ve yet to spot a bitizen who doesn’t look like they’re having the best day of their life at all times. “My kind of game,” said mom. “I would try this one.”
After some thought, I figured I’d also show her Heads Up!. Not because she’s my mom or there’s much of a chance she watches The Ellen Degeneres Show, but because the game itself seems right up her alley. It’s a party game that requires interacting with other people, it’s goofy, and there’s a good chance that several laughs will be had. “Yes! Looks like fun,” she said. “My kind of game.”
Last, but not least, I tested the waters with a slightly more complex game that keeps things cute: Cut the Rope. I wasn’t entirely sure if the more involved gameplay mechanics would be off-putting but I was willing to bet that the adorable mascot would win her over. “Probably wouldn’t keep my interest at all,” she said. Ouch; I was totally wrong on this one.
The Heart Of The Matter
So why go through all this effort? Why try so hard to show my mom examples of iOS games that don’t fall under the rather broad viewpoint she used to view the medium with? For two reasons:
First, video games have been a significant part of my life for close to its entirety. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed immensely, but was never able to truly talk about with her due to her previous experiences. Since I began writing about them professionally they’ve become even more significant in my life, and I wanted to be able to find some way of sharing that with her. I think introducing her to the casual market is a great way to accomplish that and I’ve already found a few titles she’s interested in checking out. Say what you will about casual games, they’re still a great way to introduce non-gamers to the medium.
Second, I don’t want her to keep worrying. I know she understands that I’m an adult and that none of the virtual violence I’ve taken part in over the years has had any sort of negative effect on me, but I also know there’s still a part of her that worries. Both about me and about what the industry may or may not be doing to children. I wanted to help her to understand that, despite all the media attention and tendency of AAA releases to rely on violence, it’s a very diverse field that’s grown immensely ever since I first tried to get Mario past that first walking mushroom.
I suppose in the back of my mind I’ve always been concerned that she had the wrong idea about what I do and what I write about. This was my chance to finally address that concern and I feel like we really made some progress. Granted, I doubt I’ll be excitedly discussing Star Command or Robot Unicorn Attack 2 with her any time soon. Still, I can finally, really, talk to her about one of the major facets of my life for the first time. It’s a great feeling.
Posted by Andrew Stevens on April 18th, 2013 iPad Only App - Designed for iPad
What better time than now to begin your time traveling adventures? Cut The Rope: Time Travel is available in the App Store and follows Om Nom, the candy loving monster, as he discovers and uses a time machine to learn about his roots. ZeptoLab will also be expanding on the Om Now Stories animated series to expand on Om Nom’s travels through time.
Posted by Jeff Scott on February 7th, 2013 iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
Zeptolab has released an update to the favorite Cut the Rope that includes a new series of levels called the Lantern Box. These new levels, demoed below, have been released to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It’s nice to see a game like this still getting updated.
Posted by Rob LeFebvre on January 4th, 2013 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Om Nom, the cute little monster from Zeptolab & Chillingo’s hit game, Cut the Rope, is back and still hungry. Flick treats into his adorable little mouth to watch him animate up in three dimensions. Got two iOS devices? Animate him on one, play on the other. Sweet!
Game features:
· Om Nom in 3D animation
· Augmented Reality game
· Game Center achievements and leaderboards
Insanely popular physics-based puzzler Cut the Rope has received yet another update adding even more levels. It’s been a few months since the last update (December), but the game has been constantly releasing new levels and content since its release back in October of 2010.
With this release, Cut the Rope has added another “box” with 25 more levels to the already insane level count of 250. That puts the total levels up to 275 and total boxes to 11. This box has a DJ theme with vinyl records throughout. In addition to the extra levels added, a new Om Nom drawing has been hidden in the game for players to collect as well as a new leaderboard and achievements.
The game was released with 100 levels. The game has almost tripled in content since its release with no extra charge to players.
They always say that during the holidays it is better to give than to receive. Cut The Rope developer ZeptoLab seems to have taken that to heart. To show their unwavering dedication and appreciation to the fans they just released update version 1.6 to the App Store classic, entitled “Buzz Box,” completely free of charge.
So over a year after this iOS mainstay debuted it is once again, both literally and figuratively, changing the game. Here is what you can expect to find in the newest update:
“The award-winning, physics-based puzzler you can’t get enough of introduces Om Nom to a new box filled with 25 exciting levels. The update also introduces a Busy Bee feature with bees that never stop buzzing as they keep moving and stretching the ropes, bringing a challenging new element to the game…”
Just in case you were curious to see how the new “Busy Bee”s will mix things up, check out the trailer below. For those out there without this installed on every iOS device under the sun, what the heck are you waiting for? We promise that you will not regret it.
When an iOS game has over 1.6 million unique users every single day, it is pretty safe to say that it might be successful. One of the very few apps that can boast that kind of statistic would be the run away success Cut The Rope. Just trying to wrap my brain around the absurdity of that many players in a single day is nigh impossible, so I don’t even bother trying to comprehend the game’s total download count of over 60 million across the iOS and Android platforms.
So with that many people being invested in the plight of poor little Om Nom, you might have wondered where the little critter came from, what exactly it is, and how it came to love sugary treats. ZeptoLab decided that the best way to answer this and many more questions was to launch a new comic, explaining his entire origin story. The series’ companion app just launched yesterday on the App Store, with a completely free first issue.
If the first story strikes your fancy, the rest of the episodes will be available for two dollars. There will also be a full print run of the comic coming next year, so there is a little bit of something for everyone. Give the first issue a read and let us know if you like it in the comments.
With the holidays right around the corner, many developers are releasing holiday-related updates for their apps, not to mention extra content in general. Chillingo is one such company. The publisher contacted us today to inform us about its own holiday gift to its fans.
For fans of Cut the Rope, the studio is releasing Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift, which comes with 25 holiday-themed levels and holiday-themed obstacles. The levels in the game feature holiday-inspired visuals, including scattered Christmas trees and ropes made of lights. Furthermore, some levels feature holiday stockings with special physics effects. Users can drop candy into on stocking and it’ll shoot out of another.
The update also adds a new holiday gift card feature. Here, users can create gift cards by adding the game’s mascot, Om Nom, to pictures in user’s photo library. There are also other holiday related visual effects that users can superimpose over their photos, including Santa hats, bells and more.
The best part about Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift is it’s free.
The publisher is also celebrating the third-year anniversary of Sneezies with a free update for fans. The update adds new levels to play through. The developer chose to make the content available to all users, including those who have not played through the original set.
“Before this update, we hesitated to add new levels to Sneezies, because we know the Classic game mode gets progressively harder, and making it to the end is pretty epic already,” the developer wrote in its blog update. “So, we added a completely new menu option: New Sneezies.”
Both the Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift and Sneezies update are now available on the iTunes App Store.
Why don’t we live in a world where seeing Batman walking down the street is normal? Such a shame.
On This Episode:
Carter recaps the mobile gaming offerings at SDCC 2011.
Carter speaks to Jonathan Hunt of GameSalad about their game programming product, and gets a demo of what can be instantly produced using the software.
Carter speaks to David Hedgecock of Ape Entertainment about the upcoming Cut the Rope comic, and how the franchise will translate into this new medium.
Hugely popular iOS game developers, Chillingo, have today announced that they’re not finished with feeding the cute little creature, Om Nom, just yet. The hit game, Cut the Rope, will be receiving its version 1.4 update in the near future, entitled ‘Toy Box’. With this update will come 25 brand new levels, some new features and even new game mechanics that’ll offer players some different ways to feed the little, green fellow.
New features will include a ‘Star Key’ that allows players to unlock boxes and the ability to choose what type of food is being played with — so it’s the players’ choice whether Om Nom has candy or donuts, but please do try to mix it up and ensure the little guy gets a balanced and varied diet. They’re also putting some hidden drawings into every box which can be unlocked and shared with friends via Facebook, while the final listed feature will allow one to get those friends playing by way of a built in ‘Gift This App’ option.
Finally, seeing as it’s a ‘Toy Box’ update, there had better be some toys, right? Well there is; Chillingo are also launching a range of plush Om Nom toys, pictured below, although there’s no revelation of when or where we’ll be able to buy these from just yet.
Carter speaks to Todd Hamilton of Joypad about their app that turns iPhones and iPod touches into game controllers for PC, Mac, and iPad games, and talks about what could come in the future for games that support Joypad.
Carter speaks to Semyon Voinov of ZeptoLab about the game’s new Android release, and the content that’s been added to the game since its original release.
Next up in the Chillingo gauntlet of awesomeness was a game that was very obviously catering to the kind of audience that would have appreciated the publisher’s prior smash hit, Cut The Rope. No, Roll In The Hole isn’t a sequel or even really a spiritual successor as much as it is borrowing from a very similar graphical art style and simplistic control scheme. That said, not only is the game aesthetically pleasing, but the easy to grasp controls will surely catapult the game to the top of many’s “must own” list.
Players are placed placed in control of a portly panda that is shaped like a giant beachball. This poor misshapen mammal is not only lost, but is in dire need of sustenance of the ice cream variety. Sure, his doctor may be advising against massive lactose consumption, but the overweight heart wants what the heart wants. In order to snag these frozen snacks and reach the end of each of Roll In The Hole’s seventy two levels, the goal is to guide the gentle giant from left to right, using only a simple touch to the left or right side of the screen.
While navigation may be easy, the different terrains make it more difficult for this panda to move. Ice, sand and grass all have different amounts of drag and effect how quickly your bear rotates and gains momentum. Making matters even crazier, the ridiculously and purposefully ludicrous plot-line will take you anywhere from a desert to outer space!
If you couldn’t tell already, this is the kind of game that is not concerned with being taken too seriously. For that very reason, I can’t help but think that it will be a smashing success. Roll In The Hole has a little bit of something for everyone and come on, how could you not want to download the game when you see how adorable it is? It should be rolling onto the App Store later this July.
Chillingo had quite the busy week last week; recent release and iPhone Game of the Week recipient Feed Me Oil hit number one on the iPhone App Store. As well, their published title Cut The Rope, developed by ZeptoLab, won an Apple Design Award. On top of all this, Chillingo announced that their apps have reached 140 million total downloads. In order to help increase that number, they’ve released several new games and updates for their current titles.
Rocket Bunnies is an action platformer where players must navigate an eponymous Rocket Bunny around planets, using their gravity to feed hungry bunnies throughout the game’s 60 levels. Controls are as simple as tapping on a different planet to fly to it, keeping timing of where the Rocket Bunny is in account to launch at the proper angle, with boost bonuses available for launching at certain spots. The game is available now for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-06-07 :: Category: Games
SEED 2 Free is a free version of the second entry in Chillingo and CH Games’ action-RPG franchise for iOS. The game promises over 200 battlefields, 24 villages, and a wide variety of missions, all culminating with multiple endings. This is the same game as the $0.99 full version, just supported by ads on the title screen and in the character status/inventory menus. There are also in-app purchases for SEED points that can be used for in-game upgrades.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-06-09 :: Category: Games
As well as these new releases, Spider Jack, recently discussed on The Portable Podcast, has gotten a new set of 25 levels. The veritcally-scrolling shmup Sky Combat has been updated with a new Arctic Campaign. Finally, the action/puzzle game Collision Effect has gotten a new game type, called “Life Force Mode.” Chillingo have been publishing a lot of games this year, and between these recent releases and updates and other titles previously announced, there’s sure to be more to come.
It is hard to argue that people are not looking for hardcore gaming experiences on their iOS devices. In a world where Angry Birds and Cut the Rope sell millions of copies, it was nice to see a niche hardcore game succeed against all odds. Sure, it didn’t hurt that ChAIR‘s release had the backing of development powerhouse Epic Games, but when Infinity Blade racked up an impressive $1.65 million dollars in sales over the span of a mere five days, skeptics were suddenly silenced.
Ever since then the studio has quietly been churning away on several additional content updates, but nothing that would satiate the yearning of multiplayer junkies that desired to face off head-to-head with human adversaries. This is why yesterday’s announcement of a brand new update to everyone’s favorite medieval Mike Tyson Punch-Out clone is so exciting! The full rundown of Thursday’s upcoming update are as follows:
Enter the Arena: Assuming the role of Titan or Knight, Infinity Blade fans can now challenge their friends to multiplayer matches online via Game Center!
Survivor Mode: Players face off against a legion of Titans to see how far they can go!
New Holiday Helms! A new helm for every season, ready to be played and mastered!
More than two dozen new magic rings, swords, shields, and helmets for players to collect and master.
New Facebook integration allows fans to view their character on their profile and take a screen grab to share with friends.
Much more! New Achievements, additional Leaderboards, and some new surprises!
Just when you thought Infinity Blade was getting a little old and tired, news like this comes along and kicks the game’s fanbase into overdrive. All of those that have been crying out for Game Center multiplayer should be more than pleased, while the developers still haven’t forgotten the hardcore single player supporters that have been patiently grinding away since the last update.
So now the question becomes where can ChAIR go from here? Let us know what you think is coming next in the comment section.
Gaming app behemoth Chillingo has just released details on their Spring lineup and it’s looking pretty strong for pretty much all tastes comprising of a mixture of casual and more complex concepts.
There’s Spider Jack, a game that looks guaranteed to enthrall fans of Cut the Rope. You have to help Jack the hungry spider collect up all the flies in each level. The trailer looks like the perfect combination of cute cartoon graphics with pretty simple yet compelling gameplay.
Continuing the simple yet fun theme, there’s Spoing that has a great looking indie style to it. This time round you have to guide little Spoing, a rather cute little black ball thing, levels while collecting gems and avoiding monsters. It’s looking rather simple in the trailer suggesting you direct the ball around by flinging him up trampolines, hopefully it’ll get a bit harder as the levels progress. The ability to create your own trampolines certainly has a lot of potential.
D.A.R.K promises a mixture of science fiction horror survival RPG elements alongside 3D two stick shooting action. The trailer doesn’t appear to offer any in game footage but the premise certainly sounds intriguing. Screenshots certainly look atmospheric. A possible rival to Dead Space?
Another cryptic title is that of Swords & Soldiers – an iOS conversion of the Wiiware and PC game of the same name. Only one image has been released so far and it makes the game look rather ‘busty’ offering some buxom blonde women in, er, knitted form. Chillingo promises 2D side scrolling strategy action so it’ll be interesting to see how Swords & Soldiers turns out.
Vampire Rush looks a bit more obvious with Torchlight/Gauntlet style gameplay. As the trailer suggests, there’ll be plenty of hack n slashing fun to be had as well as some elements of tower defense too. Hopefully there’ll be plenty of looting to do too.
Dream Track Nation offers slightly mental looking 2D racing action. Physics will play an important role here in order to leap through the numerous obstacles ahead and frantic racing seems to be the order of the day here. It’s also going to include a level designer which should promise some great creations amongst you and your friends.
As always, check back here for the latest on all of these titles as we hear about them. While you wait though, take a look at the selection of screenshots below.
The British Academy of Film and Television offers a select amount of Video Game awards to highlight the best of the video game industry. For the first time ever, an iOS game has won, beating out games on more traditional handheld platforms like the DS and PSP. In addition, Chillingo/Zeptolab, the developers of Cut the Rope, beat out large companies like Sony, Nintendo and Warner Bros. to take home the prize of Best Handheld Game at the award ceremonies on March 16, 2011.
Cut the Rope is a physics based puzzle game that has sold more than six million copies worldwide on the iTunes App Store. No stranger to awards, it had already been given the honor of being listed in Apple’s iTunes Hall of Fame as well as our very own Best Apps Ever Awards. It’s also been noticed by the Game Developer’s Choice Awards for Best Handheld Game and PocketGamer’s Best iPhone Casual/Puzzle Game and Most Innovative iPhone game. The accolades keep pouring in!
One of the most popular games of the year, it’s easy to see why it’s getting such attention. Overall, this is fantastic news for iOS game developers, as they receive more praise from mainstream award and media outlets for their fantastic work. I, for one, hope that this trend continues and that iOS receives more legitimate credit as a capable and robust platform for games, not just as a mobile device, but as a gaming handheld it its own right.
Cut the Rope is available on the iPhone for $0.99; however, there is a ‘lite’ version to test before buying as well as a free Holiday themed ‘gift’ app which was released in December. Cut the Rope HD is also available on the iPad for $1.99. If you haven’t played this game yet, now is the perfect time to catch up on what all the award-wining fuss is about!
Chillingo, a division of Electronic Arts most recognized for its creation of Angry Birds, which sits almost always as the #1 paid application in App Stores across the world, announced today that Cut the Rope will receive a special update for Valentine’s Day, February 14.
“The new Cut the Rope 1.2 update marks the annual celebration of love and affection with adorable Om Nom as cupid in a special Valentine’s Box filled with 25 gorgeous levels. A romantic and fun, “split-candy” gameplay is also introduced to challenge players as they strive to slice the right ropes to feed the insatiable green creature. Brand new artwork and a distinctive Valentine’s icon make Cut the Rope the perfect gift for your special someone” reads the official release.
“This 1.2 update is our gift to you this Valentine’s Day for being the greatest fans out there; we hope players love the new box, levels and features just as much as we enjoyed creating it,” states Efim Voinov, CTO of Zeptolab. “Thank you for the continued support, we are already working closely with Chillingo to enhance the game and think fans will be extremely delighted!”
Such holiday updates are becoming more and more popular, even within Cut the Rope’s own development. In December of last year, 148Apps reviewer Brad Hilderbrand announced the Christmas update of the popular application, which to date has now sold more than six million copies. Conservatively, that means Cut the Rope has generated over $4 million in revenue (after Apple’s 30% commission), not taking into account the price difference between the iPad and iPhone version of the immensely popular game. It stood as the sixth most popular paid-for iPhone game in 2010.
When 148Apps reviewed the game last year, writer Carter Dotson awarded it 4 stars. “Cut the Rope is ingenious, following a similar formula to Angry Birds – charming graphics, simple gameplay that gets complexity steadily layered on top of it in a way that feels natural, almost without even feeling like it’s getting more difficult” he writes. “That is just brilliant game design, and with more levels promised, Cut the Rope has an exciting future, but is still great with even just the core game content.”
Available for $0.99 on iPhone and $1.99 for iPad, a free lite version is also available to download, allowing you to try-before-you-buy. A sneak peak video of the update is available below:
Epic’s Infinity Blade, the action RPG boasting some of the most impressive visuals to date on iOS machines, has shattered sales records and become the fastest-grossing app ever. The game has earned $1.65 million in only five days of availability, handily beating Cut the Rope as the fastest game to a million dollars in sales. when you break down the numbers it all comes out that Infinity Blade managed to shift 271,424 copies in less than a week. Pretty impressive by any stretch.
Of course there are some caveats to this record-setting achievement, not the least of which is the matter of price. Since Infinity Blade retails at $6.99 it only had to sell one-sixth the number of copies Cut the Rope did in order to claim the fastest to a million crown. So while the title has still done very well, its sales haven’t been quite as brisk as those of Om Nom the candy-munching monster. Also, we’ll have to wait and see what sort of longevity the game sees, as only time (and sales) will tell if it’s a true juggernaut of the app store or simply a novelty act that people check out to see if it lives up to the hype and then move on. Word of mouth and long-term sales will be the true barometer of lasting success.
Still, $1.65 million is nothing to sneeze at any way you slice it. Epic and Chair have to be very excited with the early success their game has enjoyed. Reviews have also been mostly positive, so there’s no reason to suspect Infinity Blade won’t continue to be a big deal for a very long time. Could this become the highest-grossing, best-known app of all time? It’s still too early to know for sure, but it’s seeming more and more like a distinct possibility.
As if it weren’t hard enough to walk away from the adorable Om Nom and his insatiable desire for candy, we’ve just learned that Cut the Rope will have its hooks into us a bit longer as Chillingo prepares for the release of Cut the Rope: Holiday Edition. Tis the season to fall in love with the game all over again.
The new title will be a standalone game available free of charge and should show up in the App Store any day now. The game features 25 new stages as well as a new “Christmas Sock” mechanic. Apparently the magical stocking will allow you to teleport candy from one place to another, putting a whole new wrinkle in the experience. All of this will be bundled with new music and achievements, not to mention a generous helping of holiday cheer.
It’s nice to see high-profile games getting in on the holiday spirit, and it seems that games published under the Chillingo banner are leading the way. First we got Angry Birds Halloween, which has now morphed into Angry Birds Seasons and is providing a new level every day throughout the holidays. The only difference was that while that update went for $0.99, the new Cut the Rope content is free, which is an even sweeter deal.
More than current Cut the Rope owners, this promotion seems aimed at the folks who will be getting an iOS device for the holidays and are looking for fun new apps to add. If Chillingo can hook them with a free tinsel-strewn version of an already addictive game, then the odds are very high that those same consumers will go pick up the full version of the standard game practically immediately. It’s a smart strategy indeed, and one from which all us current Cut the Rope owners will also stand to benefit.
As the year winds down and we look ahead to the next decade it’s time for all those wonderful end-of-year lists we all get so excited about. Today we have some exciting news, as Apple has detailed all the top paid and free apps for the iPhone and iPad, as well as the top grossing apps on each platform. Here’s the full rundown, for your edification.
1. Facebook
2. Angry Birds Lite
3. Words With Friends Free
4. Skype
5. Tap Tap Revenge 3
6. The Weather Channel®
7. Paper Toss
8. Bing
9. ROCK BAND FREE
10. Talking Tom Cat
Angry Birds developer Chillingo may cease to be an indie darling in the near future, as EA has bought the company. Reports put an the deal at $20 million cash, but the future of all the studio’s properties are still up in the air.
Chillingo was already a hot commodity after Angry Birds, but the massive success of the recently released Cut the Rope has truly turned the UK developer into a den of rock stars. While companies like Activision, Gameloft and even Intel were vying for the studio, EA was able to close the deal.
“By acquiring Chillingo, EA Mobile is increasing its market leadership on the Apple Platform as well as reaffirming its position as the world’s leading wireless entertainment publisher,” EA’s Holly Rockwood said in a statement.
It sounds like EA wants to keep Chillingo in the mobile space, but we can’t help but wonder if the studio will be asked to dabble in consoles and handhelds as well. EA has dabbled with physics games by publishing Boom Blox on the Wii, but the series has stalled and perhaps the company is looking for a new franchise to bring to non-Apple audiences. There’s also the distinct possibility EA could request a totally new IP from Chillingo, one which could be backed with a big budget and marketed across all platforms.
Where things may get tricky is in regards to ownership rights of games published under the Chillingo banner. Rovio created Angry Birds, while ZeptoLab made Cut the Rope, and, at least according to Rovio, the development studios still own those properties. A Rovio spokesperson says his company “controls the Angry Birds brand and any future products,” so at least that franchise may remain apart from this deal.
At any rate, let us be among the first to congratulate Chillingo and wish them the best of luck under the new ownership. They’ve already proven what talented, dedicated people can do when they put their minds to it so they deserve all the success and wealth they’ve earned. Well done guys, keep up the good work.
Evernote now comes with reminders to ensure that you never forget an important note. You can pin a note to the top of the list and add a due date to receive in-app and email notifications. It will also mark a note as done when you complete your task. Now we shall never forget to [...]
:: JUST AS SWEET
Insanely popular physics-based puzzler Cut the Rope has received yet another update adding even more levels. It’s been a few months since the last update (December), but the game has been constantly releasing new levels and content since its release back in October of 2010.
They always say that during the holidays it is better to give than to receive. Cut The Rope developer 
When an iOS game has over 1.6 million unique users every single day, it is pretty safe to say that it might be successful. One of the very few apps that can boast that kind of statistic would be the run away success 
With the holidays right around the corner, many developers are releasing holiday-related updates for their apps, not to mention extra content in general. Chillingo is one such company. The publisher contacted us today to inform us about its own holiday gift to its fans. 
Why don’t we live in a world where seeing Batman walking down the street is normal? Such a shame.
Next up in the Chillingo gauntlet of awesomeness was a game that was very obviously catering to the kind of audience that would have appreciated the publisher’s prior smash hit, 
While navigation may be easy, the different terrains make it more difficult for this panda to move. Ice, sand and grass all have different amounts of drag and effect how quickly your bear rotates and gains momentum. Making matters even crazier, the ridiculously and purposefully ludicrous plot-line will take you anywhere from a desert to outer space!
Chillingo had quite the busy week last week; recent release and iPhone Game of the Week recipient Feed Me Oil hit number one on the iPhone App Store. As well, their published title Cut The Rope, developed by ZeptoLab, 
It is hard to argue that people are not looking for hardcore gaming experiences on their iOS devices. In a world where 
Enter the Arena: Assuming the role of Titan or Knight, Infinity Blade fans can now challenge their friends to multiplayer matches online via Game Center!
The British Academy of Film and Television offers a select amount of Video Game awards to highlight the best of the video game industry. For the first time ever, an iOS game has won, beating out games on more traditional handheld platforms like the DS and PSP. In addition, Chillingo/Zeptolab, the developers of Cut the Rope, beat out large companies like Sony, Nintendo and Warner Bros. to take home the prize of Best Handheld Game at the award ceremonies on March 16, 2011.
]
