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Minimalist iOS game Hundreds sells 100,000 copies

Hundreds sold its 100,000th copy
Hundreds, the minimalist mobile game from Canabalt's Adam Saltsman and Gasketball's Greg Wohlwend, sold its 100,000th copy on Sunday, sending Saltsman into fits of sentimental, blog-based joy.

"I don't want to downplay, for us, the financial importance of this success; we basically went broke making Hundreds so it's a pretty big deal that it didn't flop," Saltsman writes. "That said, even if it was the kind of money where we could go buy sports cars or whatever (and it's not!), there is this other, at least for me, way more important thing going on, which is less about finances and more about, 'Holy crap, 100,000 people have played Hundreds.'"

Hundreds has a simple premise and interface: Players tap various circles, turning them red and increasing their size and numerical value, in an attempt to accrue 100 points on-screen. If a red circle hits another object, it's game over. Hundreds is $5 on the iTunes App Store, optimized for iPhone 5, and for iPad and iPod Touch in iOS 5.0 or later.

"Folks who haven't played a game since Tetris are trying out Hundreds and liking it," Saltsman writes. "And we're getting this response for a minimalist game that we made utterly without compromise. Every value we had going into this project we carried all the way through to the end, and in spite of that, or, I am tempted to think, because of that, Hundreds is resonating with more people than we ever allowed ourselves to imagine.

"So that feels really good. Thank you, everybody, for trying out our game and diving into our puzzles and giving us your time. Thank you so much!"

Indie company teamPixel crowdfunds to buy THQ's Homeworld IP


With a separate process slated to happen in the coming weeks that would see THQ's back catalog landing in the hands of bidders, indie studio teamPixel took to Indiegogo to crowdsource the funds to bid on one of the forlorn properties: Homeworld. The team's goal is to bring Homeworld to GoG and Steam, launch a mobile version of the spacefaring RTS called Homeworld Touch and develop Homeworld 3. To be clear, teamPixel already began work on its own space RTS that is inspired by the Homeworld brand, so Homeworld Touch would become an "official version" of sorts, should the company manage to buy the IP.

The studio's lofty aspirations start with a significant crowd-funding goal: teamPixel hopes to raise $50,000 by Thursday, February 7 in order to acquire the property. Former Homeworld developer Relic were purchased by Sega during THQ's auction process. Relic teased the development of Homeworld 3 in November 2008, though nothing came to fruition.

Ex-Bungie devs at Moonshot cancel Fallen Frontier, intro Third Eye Crime

ExBungie devs at Moonshot cancel Fallen Frontier, feature Third Eye Crime
Yesterday we mentioned the PAX East Indie Showcase lineup includes Third Eye Crime from Moonshot Games, an indie studio composed of former Bungie developers. As we know, with each new game announcement comes an equal and opposite game cancellation, and Moonshot's PAX East 2011 Indie Showcase game, Fallen Frontier, is dead and gone.

"I'll be writing a post on FF in the coming weeks, but the short answer is, FF is not going to happen," Moonshot co-founder Damián Isla wrote in response to comments on the Third Eye Crime announcement. "We're pretty bummed, of course. We'll tell as much of that story as we can at some point."

Fallen Frontier was a co-op, 2D romp with grappling hooks that Moonshot was pretty excited about in 2011. We thought it warranted attention, as well. We've contacted Moonshot for more information on Fallen Frontier's cancellation.

Third Eye Crime, Moonshot's new, stealth-puzzle game, is scheduled to launch on iPad in the spring. Third Eye Crime tells the tale of an art thief with telepathic abilities, set in a noir enviornment, and it will be featured in the PAX East 2013 Indie Showcase from March 22 - 24 in Boston.

PAX East Indie Showcase to include Spaceteam, Saturday Morning RPG

The indie games featured in this year's PAX East Indie Showcase have been revealed. Seven games will be showcased at the event this year, which highlights excellence in mobile games we've never heard of.

The full list includes Sleeping Beast Games' iOS party game Spaceteam, Little Chomp by ClutchPlay Games, PagodaWest's Major Magnet, Trinket Studios' puzzler Orion's Forge, Saturday Morning RPG from Mighty Rabbit Studios, Time Surfer by Kumobious and Third Eye Crime by Moonshot Games.

Ghostbusters game from Capcom's Beeline available now

Ghostbusters game
Capcom's Beeline Interactive has launched its freemium Ghostbusters game on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Unlike Beeline's Smurfs' Village and Snoopy Street Fair, which were similar town-management games, Ghostbusters is more of a tycoon game. Players build their Ghostbusters franchise up and out from the iconic firehouse headquarters.

Players can either earn their way toward franchise expansion, or, you know, since this is a freemium game, an unmarked little envelope of cash under the virtual bathroom stall never hurt either.

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The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Gunslugs

Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Pascal Bestebroer of OrangePixel talks mobile development as a career and the draw of Ouya with Android and iOS action game Gunslugs.

The Joystiq Indie Pitch Gunslugs
What's your game called and what's it about?

The game is called Gunslugs, and it's all about over-the-top action, very much like the old action movies of the 80s. One man or woman taking down a complete army.

Gunslugs has a unique co-op system. Describe that and how important it was to have in the game.

The co-op is really like the good old days when you both grabbed a joystick and played together on a single computer. Or even worse, shared a keyboard in an uncomfortable way.

I also designed and added it to the game knowing the Ouya, an Android-based console, was coming. I figured it would be awesome to have Gunslugs on that console, playing it on your TV together with a friend. And since I'm a big supporter of another gadget, the iOS Game Dock, I made sure the iOS version of Gunslugs has the same two-player mode built in.

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DmC prequel comic 'The Chronicles of Vergil' unleashes first digital issue

DmC prequel comic 'The Vergil Chronicles' unleashes first issue
The first issue of Titan Comics' DmC: Devil May Cry prequel, The Chronicles of Vergil, is now available for download through comiXology. You can purchase either through a computer browser or through the comiXology app on iOS, Android and Kindle Fire.

This first issue of the proposed two-book run, written by Guillaume Dorison (AKA Izu) and illustrated by Robin Recht and Patrick Pion, leads up to the events of Ninja Theory's DmC game. The print version drops on May 15, and the follow-up issue hits comic store shelves on June 19.

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Walking Dead Episode 5 stats broken down

Image It's impossible to talk about this Walking Dead Episode 5 stat breakdown video without spoiling the story, but we're going to try. Remember when you had to make that choice? To make Lee do that thing? And it was terrible/awesome? Turns out that's what most other players did too. ... Continue Reading

Audojo is a twin-stick iPad case on Kickstarter


Audojo is the latest hopeful in the burgeoning "aftermarket physical interfaces for touchscreen devices" sector of the gaming world, adding two analog sticks, two triggers and a pair of external speakers to any iPad model 2 or newer. Or at least, it will, provided that its $240,000 Kickstarter goal is reached in time.

Rather than interfacing with the iPad via Bluetooth, Audojo plugs directly into the headphone jack and communicates that way, with a second headphone jack provided on its own backside for private listening. Battery life, when used with headphones, is said to be in the weeks, though it's worth noting that the Audojo does nothing to charge the iPad itself.

Games will need to be made compatible with the Audojo, though integration is "super simple" thanks to the device's foundation in Unity, according to its Kickstarter video. Meanwhile, an Objective C SDK is already available for developers.

If it hits retail, the device is expected to cost around $100, though 200 Kickstarter supporters can receive one by pledging $55. Once those are gone, however, pre-orders can still be placed for $80.

Update: Audojo co-founder Matt Tullis contacted us to clarify that the device is not founded on Unity, but rather that a Unity package is available to ease integration for developers that work in that environment.

Tekken Card Tournament shows its hand: free online game, premium physical cards

A new trading card game based on Tekken is making its way to the arena. Tekken Card Tournament is a cross-media TCG being rolled out in two phases: a free-to-play online card battle game for mobile devices and browsers, followed by physical booster packs available for purchase in-store.

The free-to-play game is coming "in the next few weeks," while the physical card follow-ups will strike a battle pose on store shelves some time later this year. The two will work together – the standalone cards can be played on their own or entered into the online game through QR code scanning, which will either upgrade the appropriate fighter in your online stable or add him/her/a panda bear to your online roster.

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Temple Run 2 downloaded 20 million times over weekend



Temple Run 2, the sequel to infinite runner Temple Run, was downloaded in excess of 20 million times over the four days since launch. The free app was chased down six million times on its release date alone.

"We are thrilled players want more of the Temple Run universe, and we hope to grow and expand the game over the coming months," said Keith Shepherd, co-founder of developer Imangi.

The original Temple Run has been downloaded over 170 million times across various mobile platforms. The sequel is available on iOS devices at the moment, with an Android version scheduled for later this week.

Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake might be the cutest game on Kickstarter


Arguably the world's most adorable Kickstarter project sprouted up this week in Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake. As a PC/Mac & iOS dungeon-style puzzle game akin to Zelda games of old, Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake will have players controlling a boy named Niko whose birthday cake was definitely eaten by monsters.

The "environmental puzzler" takes on a "16-bit aesthetic, without relying on pixel art," but is instead inspired by Japanese pop art. The game's soundtrack is being composed by Disasterpeace, the artist behind the tunes from games such as Fez and Shoot Many Robots. Developer SleepNinja is seeking $15,000 in funding by February 16 in order to pay for the game's Unity engine and licensing costs. Should the project reach its $20,000 stretch goal mark, the game will also come to Android.

[Thanks, Broc!]

Temple Run 2 out now on iOS, Android targeted for next week


You can slide, jump, and cart your way through Temple Run 2 from today, as the game is now available on the App Store for free. As for Android, developer Imangi Studios told Polygon it's aiming to bring the sequel there sometime next week.

Unsurprisingly, Temple Run 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel that spun the original to over 170 million downloads. There is a noticeable bump in visual quality, minus the occasional pop-up which thankfully doesn't incur slowdown. In addition to expected increases in obstacles, power-ups, achievements and so on, there are also mine cart and zip line sequences to mix up all that endless running a smidge.

Also out today is Final Fantasy All The Bravest, Square Enix's frenzied iOS take on Active Time Battle. It's available on the App Store, priced at $3.99.

Boston Festival of Indie Games returns in September

Boston Festival of Indie Games returns
The Boston Festival of Indie Games is back for round two this year, taking place on September 14 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the MIT campus. The Boston Festival of Indie Games is a free event, open to the public, and last year included 36 showcase games, such as Resonance, Cognition, Snapshot, Fieldrunners 2 and Go Home Dinosaurs. Look at how much fun all of the attendees had in this photo album.

Last year, Festival had attendees voted on their favorite showcase games and handed out prizes in five categories. Games don't have to be from the Boston area, but can come from anywhere as long as developers attend the show to demo it (and, from the look of those pictures, drink if they're of age). Categories include digital, board and card games, and the festival is live-action roleplay friendly. It doesn't appear that game registration for this year has opened yet, but when it does it will be at the Boston Festival of Indie Games site.

Temple Run 2 launches tonight in US, UK [update: it's out now!]



Update: Temple Run 2 launched worldwide, and is now available on the App Store.

Temple Run 2, a sequel to the mobile infinite runner Temple Run, is scheduled to hit the US App Store late tonight, Touch Arcade reports. The game hit the New Zealand App Store for free today and is set to launch on iOS devices in the US at 11 p.m. EST, according to Touch Arcade. The original Temple Run has been downloaded 170 million times and is available for Android devices, too.

The above video shows off Temple Run 2's gameplay, including all a generous amount of swipes, double taps and tilts to run through some fresh levels. Members of the Touch Arcade forums note that the sequel will hit the UK at midnight tonight, as well, so people worldwide limber up those tapping fingers.

Final Fantasy All The Bravest hits iOS tomorrow


Final Fantasy All The Bravest is a chaotic, combat-focused RPG coming to iOS tomorrow, January 17, priced at $3.99. The New Zealand App Store description describes continuous fights with enemies based on the series' Active Time Battle staple, and as the trailer above shows these fights involve character-stuffed parties, with as many as 40 party members taking on enemies at once. It's a good thing attacking is simply done via taps or drags across multiple characters. Another twist comes via 'Fever,' an event that occurs once every three hours and, when activated, lets you attack without waiting for ATB gauges to fill.

All The Bravest features 20 progress-unlockable characters, all based on series jobs like Thief, Blue Mage, and Knight. There are a further 35 'Premium' series characters such as Cloud from FF7 available via in-app purchases, priced $0.99 each. In a cheeky move, each purchase provides you with a new character at random, meaning it might take more than a few goes if you're after a specific one. You can also purchase additional stages based on areas from Final Fantasy 7, 10, and 13, available as 'World Tickets' for $3.99.

All The Bravest features 30 songs from the series, most of which unsurprisingly are battle themes, as well as leaderboards and social networking options. We've reached out to Square Enix for further details on the game and its release in other regions.

Former RedLynx devs' Badland makes good in March, multiplayer showcased


Picturesque iOS side-scroller Badland has a confirmed release window of March. The game, the first from former RedLynx developers Johannes Vuorinen and Juhana Myllys as new studio Frogmind, caught our attention last year with its vivid look, complemented by simplistic tap controls and some unusual mechanics.

Frogmind released a new trailer today showing how those simplistic controls translate to four-way multiplayer on the iPad, with each player allotted a corner of the device. As the final scores show, winning is not just about outlasting everyone else.

Portabliss: Noble Nutlings (iOS)

This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go.


Take the character designs and look of Angry Birds, and put them in a game with the physics-based driving of a Trials or Motoheroz game, and the result is Noble Nutlings, the most Finnish game ever made.

The Angry Birds resemblance is no coincidence. Noble Nutlings is the first game from Boomlagoon, a developer founded by Rovio's former lead artist, server designer, and web programmer. Your protagonists are still a trio of spheroid critters, each a primary color. However, instead of birds in a slingshot, the Nutlings are chubby lil' squirrels in a wagon.

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Minecraft purchased over 15 million times across 2012

Last year saw a total of more than 15 million purchases of Minecraft across all platforms, with Pocket Edition the leader at just under 5.9 million across iOS and Android. As if we needed any more proof of the blocky sandbox's success, Mojang published concrete figures for last year's sales, demonstrating just how prolific 2012 was for its franchise.

In addition to Pocket Edition, there were just under 4.2 million purchases of Minecraft on PC and Mac in 2012, and just over 5 million on Xbox Live Arcade. This is only speculation since it assumes all purchases were made at particular prices, but based on the games' current North American prices our supercomputer reckons Mojang's figures translate into a whopping $254 million of revenue, just from sales of the games alone.

Even if those figures are a little off, this video link feels entirely justified.

Far Cry 3 erects free Outpost app for mobile multiplayer decoding

A free, legitimately useful Far Cry 3 app just washed up on the shores of iOS and Android, allowing violent vacationers an opportunity to monitor their multiplayer progress and customize loadouts when away from the game. The "Far Cry The Outpost" app decodes your in-game encrypted data for immediate rewards through a smartphone or tablet, unlocking weapon mods that can be kept, given away or sold for additional experience points.

On top of the decoding stuff, The Outpost also provides a landmark for weapon loadout customization, cataloguing tweaks for the next time you play. Other dedicated sections allow tech-savvy vacationers to keep an eye on their own progress on the daily and weekly challenges lists, plus leaderboards and light map editor tracking. Not included: suggestions for how to handle a bad mushroom trip on an island full of deranged murderers.

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