Fans of Gameloft’s ambitious mobile MMO, Order & Chaos Online, have more reason to celebrate. The game will be getting a massive update later in August. The game will include new features that fans have been asking for, including mounts, a brand new dungeon to explore, player vs player (PvP) combat arenas, and and end to the subscription model.

The new dungeon will be called Salien Pt. 2. The original Salien dungeon was added in update 1.10 in March of this year, 2012. There will be three new arenas for player versus player combat, in combinations of 1 on 1, 2v2, 3v2, or 4v4 players. There will be four new mounts to tear around on through the Arcadian Forests or the Tanned Land.

What’s most interesting, however, is the end of the subscription model. PC and console-based MMO games are suffering huge losses in player subscriptions lately; it makes sense that a mobile game like Order & Chaos would struggle with adding and maintaining an active, paying subscriber base as well. With mobile gaming exploring the free to play model more vigorously than the traditional PC and console gaming space, it’s surprising that Order & Chaos Online lasted as long as it has.

Stay tuned for more details as they arrive.

$6.99

Order & Chaos© Online

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-04-27 :: Category: Games

At Casual Connect 2012 in Seattle this week, Gameloft has announced six new titles that will try to cut a wide swath across the casual gaming spectrum.

The potentially biggest game on the list is the My Little Pony game – the series has a wide cross-generation appeal, being a show written for little girls, yet having found an adult male fanbase known as “bronies.” Creating a game that would have the same appeal seems like a tall order. The game will let players build their own Ponyville and play minigames, all featuring characters from the series.

Other games include UNO and Friends, a new version of the card game with online multiplayer that will let players take their games across phones, tablets, and Facebook. Monster Habitat will let players take care of papercraft monsters and the village they live in. Cosmic Colony will have players managing a colony on a mysterious planet. Kingdoms & Lords will be a simulation and strategy game where barbarians must be fended off, with multiplayer battles. Texas Poker for Prizes is exactly what it says on the tin. These games will begin rolling out before the end of summer.

It’s hard to work up sympathy for one of nature’s most efficient aquatic killing machines (a few species, anyway), but I think it’s do-able. Sharks might not be cuddly, and they have been known to attack and/or kill people, but that’s no reason to hunt them to extinction. Especially for some overpriced soup. Which is why WildAid, The Discovery Channel, and Gameloft have joined forces for Shark Week to raise awareness and do a bit of fund raising through Shark Dash.

For the rest of the month and a few weeks in August, players of both the iOS and ad-supported Google Play versions of Shark Dash will be able to purchase special “limited time only” content – most notably a new skin for Sharky – for a monetary show of support. Proceeds will go toward raising awareness and hopefully reducing the demand for shark fin soup; a luxury dish with rapidly growing demand and a rapidly diminishing source. Over 70 million sharks per year, in fact.

The special content will be available until August 18th, and I urge anyone with the means to do their part. Sharks may not be cute, fuzzy, or huggable (I sure as heck would never go swimming with one, except possibly a whale shark), but they don’t deserve to die out over something like this.

$0.99

Shark Dash

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-19 :: Category: Games

Earlier this year, Gameloft released Ice Age Village, a free-to-play social game based off of the popular Ice Age movie franchise. With the next movie in the series, Continental Drift about to release in theaters, a big update incorporating the movie has been released. Players’ islands have been set adrift on an iceberg, and they must ward off pirates as well, something I’m sure the creatures of the actual ice ages had to deal with. There’s 26 new quests featuring characters from the new movie, with new animals to raise, and new buildings to build like a volleyball court (wooly mammoths were known for their volleyball expertise). Play the game obsessively, reaching the max level? Then good news, the level cap has been raised to 60, and the maximum village size has doubled! Continental Drift doesn’t release until this Friday, June 13th, but the update for the game is available right now.

FREE!

Ice Age Village

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-05 :: Category: Games

Comic book fans are having an awesome year. The Avengers has come and gone, demonstrating just how fantastic Marvel comics are. Next up, we’ve got the darker worlds of The Amazing Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises.

Courtesy of Gameloft, we’ve just been sent a pretty cool trailer for The Dark Knight Rises iOS game in preparation for its release this summer around the same time as the movie.

While we don’t have many details about the game, the trailer is looking pretty neat with a vibe that will be very familiar to players of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City for consoles and PC. Combat seems set to play a major role here and there’s a suggestion of free roaming gameplay, also. Hopefully, there’ll be gadgets aplenty in the full release later this year.

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on all the latest developments but for now, enjoy the trailer!

It should come as absolutely no surprise that Gameloft is releasing a tie-in game for the upcoming movie The Amazing Spider-Man. After all, it is one of the summer’s most-anticipated blockbusters and Spider-Man is still one of the biggest superheroes of all time. With its release date rapidly approaching, now more details are starting are come in.

The game comes courtesy of the same team behind 2010’s Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem. As such, it should be fairly safe to assume that this new title will seek to build on that already proven formula. However, this time players can expect to immerse themselves in the movie’s new, rebooted, Spider-Man universe while completing missions, protecting citizens, honing their skills and powers, and doing whatever else Spider-Man tends to do. Gameloft says players can look forward to a “comprehensive battle system” as well.

The Amazing Spider-Man the movie arrives in theaters on July 3rd. Expect The Amazing Spider-Man the game to arrive on mobile devices everywhere that same day.

Gameloft’s juggernaut of a mobile phone MMO has just hit the 1 year-old mark. While celebrating the occasion with a huge update isn’t exactly out of the ordinary it’s still certainly something worth talking about. Especially because it includes a number of additions as well as one particular feature players have been clamoring for over the past twelve months.

The list of new stuff is fairly extensive. Various bug fixes are to be expected, as well as some new quests. Players will also receive a free gift box, a special Thank You letter, access to new items and pets, and will be able to mess around with the new Lottery system. Those who have been playing for over three months will also get a special Anniversary pet. And it wouldn’t be a proper celebration without some flagrant fashions (i.e. new clothes for NPCs) and fireworks that can be purchased as well as simply viewed in all their explosive glory. Last but certainly not least, Gameloft has given the fans what they want and included 3G support. So now Order and Chaos can be enjoyed pretty much anywhere.

The festivities have already begun, so make sure to get on that downloading. Everyone else who isn’t already playing can download it now for $6.99, which includes a free 3 months of play ($0.99/month after that).

$6.99

Order & Chaos© Online

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-04-27 :: Category: Games

Gameloft’s wave-based hack ‘n slash RPG Dungeon Hunter 3 has at-last gotten a much-requested feature: online multiplayer. The 1.1.1 update adds 4 player online play through their own Gameloft Live servers. The modes include a co-op mode, where players go on the game’s missions with three other players, helping to get higher ranks and collect better rewards from the levels. Player levels are viewable in the menu, so if some newbie jumps in with their level 1 in a level 40 game, then they can be kicked out like the noobs they are. As well, there’s a player vs. player mode where 4 players duke it out in an arena to see who the mightiest warrior is, clashing steel and casting spells until one is left standing. Deathmatch mode is only for bragging rights, there are no coins or treasure to be had for victory here. The update is available now, alongside some other bug fixes and tweaks.

FREE!

Dungeon Hunter 3

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-21 :: Category: Games

No doubt there will be plenty of couples out celebrating this Valentine’s Day. Lots of flowers, candy, romantic dinners and candlelight. No one really stops to think about the less glamorous side of the holiday; namely waiting in long lines to get into a restaurant for said romantic dinner, scrambling to find flowers and candy when at least half of the country is doing the same, and so on. Fortunately there’s a way for iOS users to lessen the irritation and have an easier time enjoying the moments that really matter. In this case, I’m referring to Gameloft’s Valentine’s Day sale.

Of course rescuing a space princess in Earthworm Jim, wreaking havoc in Gangstar Rio: City of Saints or running amok in Rayman 2: The Great Escape won’t substitute for making googly-eyes at each other from across the table. They will, however, make the wait for the table more bearable. And just in case finding “the right words” ends up being an issue, there’s also Gameloft’s Love Declaration Generator. Hey I’m just pointing out that it exists, I didn’t make the thing.

$4.99

Eternal Legacy

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-12-08 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Eternal Legacy HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-12-15 :: Category: Games

$2.99

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-06-03 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-09-16 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-03-01 :: Category: Games

$2.99

Driver™

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-08 :: Category: Games

$4.99

The Settlers

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-11-07 :: Category: Games

$4.99

The Settlers HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-09-02 :: Category: Games

$6.99

Gangstar Rio: City of Saints

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-10 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Earthworm Jim

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-10-21 :: Category: Games

$4.99

The Adventures of Tintin™ - The Game

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-15 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Hero of Sparta II

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-07-29 :: Category: Games

$6.99

Hero of Sparta 2 HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-08-19 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Brain Challenge™

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2008-07-11 :: Category: Games

$4.99

Brain Challenge® HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-06-07 :: Category: Games

$6.99

Warplanes: A History Of Aerial Combat

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-06-30 :: Category: Books

Snowy, Captain Haddock and Tintin. I doubt there’s a more universally recognized trio of adventurers in existence. Georges Rémi’s creations have attained almost legendary status since their original newspaper appearance in 1929, and while they may not possess Jones’ whip or Drake’s sarcasm they’ve still maintained a place in the hearts and minds of a vast portion of the population (200 million plus copies sold and counting). The soon-to-be-released CGI film is almost here, and it’s poised to rekindle the old flame for long time fans as well as welcome a new generation into the fold. If there were to be a video game made with the license, now would be the time for it.

Gameloft knows this, which is why we have them to thank for the recent release of The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn – The Game. Players will take control of each member of the trio (as well as the legendary pirate, Sir Francis Haddock) as they make their way through adaptations of the film’s environments and attempt to find The Unicorn’s lost treasure. But don’t fret, this is a tried and true adventure game. There will be sneaking, flying, sword fights, camel races and more.

The interactive exploits of the world’s most well-known fictional reporter are ours for the having at a respectable $6.99. I’m sadly limited by the storage space on my older machine (846 MB? Yowza!), but that doesn’t mean anyone with a newer device or the die-hard fans can’t enjoy it on my behalf.

$4.99

The Adventures of Tintin™ - The Game

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-15 :: Category: Games

Girls: Don’t feel confined to the likes of Farmville, Cityville or numerous other ‘ville’ type titles. There’s a fantasy based freemium game aimed specifically at the female gender: Fantasy Town.

OK, admittedly there’s nothing to stop girls from playing any game they so choose to (I should know) but Gameloft reckons that Fantasy Town is perfect for girls.

Focusing on a magical world in which players can raise magical plants, build a village and explore mysterious lands, much of the experience is centered around decorating homes and socializing with friends within the game through Facebook Connect. Plenty of creatures can be encountered and players can complete collections of magical items as they progress.

It sounds a little similar to other freemium titles but there’s no denying that it does look pretty cute. Check out the gameplay trailer below. The game is out now and is free to download.

FREE!

Fantasy Town - Enter a Magic Village!

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-08 :: Category: Games

The Oregon Trail has long been both a favorite video game – recently ported by Gameloft to iOS – and an educational tool. The game takes players on a problem-solving adventure across the 2,000-mile historic and dangerous east-west wagon route that spanned the Missouri River.

Now the giant game publishers have released a freemium sequel: The Oregon Trail: American Settler that picks up where the classic leaves off. The journey is over and it’s time to build and manitain a homestead on this new frontier.

Much like Zynga’s FrontierVille, gamers create and customize their own villages, collect resources, keep the villagers safe from everything from weather to predators and for the educational spin, meet up with historical figures. The title has mini-games that stick with the theme challenging gamers with fishing and hunting. As always the goal is survival in a place where the buffalo don’t just roam, they stampede.

FREE!

The Oregon Trail: American Settler

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-17 :: Category: Games

iPads are taking over the world and it looks like our skies too. Gameloft has collaborated with Australian airline Jetstar in order to offer a lineup of 12 pre-loaded games for iPads as part of the in-flight entertainment program for passengers.

From December, five titles will be available encompassing a range of different interests. These titles include Real Football, Shrek Kart, Avatar, UNO and N.O.V.A: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance.

Coming to the airline in the first quarter of 2012 will be the remaining seven titles: GT Racing: Motor Academy, Brain Challenge, Blokus, Iron Man 2, Let’s Golf! 2, The Settlers and Asphalt 5. It’s a varied bunch both in terms of genre and quality but it should be plenty to keep passengers entertained during their flight.

Passengers will be able to rent iPads with such games on them when flying longer than 2 hours for A$10 to A$15 per flight. Not bad at all for a heap of fun.

This week at 148Apps.com, site founder Jeff Scott welcomed the Kindle Fire into the tablet fold with an overview of his impressions of the device. Scott says, “…while the Kindle Fire is around 40 percent the cost of a base level iPad, it’s capabilities are even less. It just so happens that those capabilities match up well with what a typical consumer uses a tablet device for. Because of that, the Kindle Fire will be a strong competitive device to the iPad. When it comes down to it, it’s the cost that matters to a very large portion of the buying public, not the capabilities.”

Read the full review on 148Apps.com.

Meanwhile, our sister site, GiggleApps, took a closer look at a new educational app for children, iLuv Drawing Animals. Reviewer Amy Solomon writes, “iLuv Drawing Animals is a nice choice for kids who are interested in learning the very basics of drawing cartoony animals that are cute and relatively easy to draw. I like how these illustrations are broken down into smaller shapes that kids will easily understand and have had experience with, and the narration is pleasant and easy to follow.”

Read the full review on GiggleApps.

$2.99

iLuv Drawing Animals - Learn how to draw 40 animals step by step.

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-10-10 :: Category: Education

Finally, on AndroidRundown, Carter Dotson announced the public availability of Google Music, an interesting development for all music lovers, no matter the device. Dotson writes, “Most importantly, this means that Google is now in the business of one of the big pillars of media, and it addresses a gaping hole in the Android Market. With videos and books already addressed, now the store is complete with music to go along with apps. Google is directly putting themselves in competition with iTunes, and they are making their operating system much closer in terms of features to iOS devices. This was a necessary move for Google.”

Read more of Dotson’s commentary on AndroidRundown.

As we head into the week of Thanksgiving here in the US, remember that you can still enter to win an iPhone 4S, courtesy of 148Apps and Gameloft. To enter, just become a 148Apps and Gameloft Facebook fan – www.facebook.com/gameloft and www.facebook.com/148apps.

Or you can follow both of us on Twitter as well at www.twitter.com/148apps and www.twitter.com/gameloft. Then, write the following public tweet: “Upgrade to a 4S yet? Follow @Gameloft & @148Apps & RT for a chance to win an iPhone 4S! Gameloft gaming on the 4S: http://glft.co/uIR3Y1″

See you next week, true believers! Start thawing that turkey!