6th
June
2011
XMG’s Style Studio has hit its one millionth design milestone. Since its release in May of 2010, Style
Studio has remained the only app that allows you to create, customize and share your own original fashion designs. A player can choose between colours, prints and styles, and superimpose them onto one of many articles of clothing. If there’s something they want to change, the designer also has the option of making alterations. For anyone hoping to bring style into their life in a fun, portable way, the app is perfect. Now, less than one year after its launch, more than 1 million items have been designed in Style Studio.
“Style Studio has the most extensive customization engine for clothing design ever seen on the iPhone” said Ray Sharma, Founder of XMG Studio. “While there are a few apps out there that allow you to apply colors to pre-set clothing items and mix and match them, Style Studio is the first app that actually allows the designer to choose different materials, make alterations, customize prints and apply add-ons or decorative elements to each piece of clothing.”
Style Studio is available in the iTunes app store for $2.99 for any Apple mobile device running OS 3.0 or higher.
posted in Everyone, Game Dev, Mobile, National News, Simulations By: Tami |
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6th
June
2011
Toronto’s Uken Games has released Crime, Inc. HD to the iTunes App Store. This free to play game of
crime and corruption is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.2 or later. Players of this game will be tasked with building their crime crew, equipping minions with custom weapons and sending them on special assignments designed to fund your crime syndicate.
The goal is to build up your family and destroy your rivals in epic battles as you take down each crime boss one fight at a time, winning bounty to become the ruler of the seedy underside of society. In-game purchases will also help you build your kingdom of crime when you bribe and pay-off others to gain respect. As this game plays in real time, an online connection is required to play the game, which is rated 9+ for the infrequent use of mild realistic violence, and those players with an iPad can play in full screen HD.
Other titles by Uken include Villains, Forces of War, Dark Galaxy, Age of Legends and TowerUp! Plus.
posted in Action Adventure, Everyone 10+, Mobile, National News, New Releases, RPG - MMORPG By: Tami |
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4th
June
2011
Hothead Games has made an exclusive Canadian launch of its latest iPhone title Kard Combat, and the developer is asking for your feedback before the game goes to a global release. Available as a free download, Kard Combat is Open Feint enabled, and offers In-App purchases to expand the game’s play as well as a multi-player mode.
According the game’s official site, The Kard is an elite order of wealthy magi. Collectively, they use their immense power to rule over the Forbidden Kingdom from the Black Tower. However, every thousand years there is a shift and they each vie for control of the Tower in a battle of cards and magic.
Players can choose from either a quick duel or a full campaign in Tower Mode. In Tower Mode, each battle takes place on a successive floor of the Black Tower. It is the player’s goal to ascend the Tower floor by floor, ultimately defeating Master Mage Harkus. Only in his defeat can players realize their destiny and determine the fate of the people for the next millennium.
Tower Mode battles often have unique win conditions and special Kards in play that can drastically alter the strategy that players need to employ to defeat their opponent. The deck is made up of over 100 hand-crafted cards and there are four mage-types, each with their own special powers, from which to choose.
According to the game’s site, Kard Combat has a lot of the depth of a collectable card game but without the
massive time and money investments that they typically require. At its heart, Kard Combat is a strategy game where players learn how to use the Kards they are dealt at the beginning of a duel most effectively.
It’s much more of a game of skill than chance, though. Players will often be able to choose their reward for winning a battle in Tower Mode, including Kards that will then become part of their deck. While not a traditional CCG, there is collection involved. Each mage has their own set of unique Kards for you to collect as you fight your way up each floor of the Tower. These unique Kards open up very different strategies to the player.
Check out the game’s site where you can learn more about Kard Kombat and look at more of the game’s awesome artwork. Kard Kombat is rated 12+ for the following:
- Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
- Frequent/Intense Horror/Fear Themes
- Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later.
posted in Card Games, Mobile, National News, New Releases, Teen By: Tami |
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3rd
June
2011
Florida company tXtBlocker announced today the launch of its distracted driving solution in Ontario and all of Canada’s provinces. The launch coincides with tXtBlocker’s sponsorship of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) annual R.I.D.E. Drive Safe! Campaign. The initiative was launched during Police Week and supports efforts throughout the upcoming year by the Ontario Provincial Police and municipal police services across Ontario to eliminate texting, calling, and other forms of distracted driving on their roadways.
tXtBlocker is the leading technology platform in preventing distracted driving incidents in the United States. The service, which costs as little as $6.99 (Canadian) a month, allows owners to control when, where and how their phones are used. With a simple download, parents, employers and organizations can keep their loved ones and others safe on the road, while limiting distractions at school or the worksite. tXtBlocker was featured in the April 2011 edition of Consumer Reports, which described the technology as the best product available for preventing distracted driving. The service enjoys high customer satisfaction and is currently available through AT&T’s mobile app website and Best Buy stores.
“I’m very encouraged that the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police has taken a leading role in both educating the public and enforcing distracted driving laws. They intend to stop the growing epidemic of motorists using their mobile phone,” said Stan Van Meter, CEO of tXtBlocker. “We are pleased to announce the launch of tXtBlocker in Ontario and the rest of Canada. tXtBlocker is the leading technology solution to distracted driving incidents in the United States and is proud to have been selected as a partner in OACP’s unique outreach campaign in Canada.” Read the rest of this entry »
posted in Digital Products, Everyone, Mobile, National News By: Tami |
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2nd
June
2011
Shape Collage, the popular easy-to-use photo collage software with over 4 million downloads, has officially launched its iPhone application offering free, quick and easy collage creation to iPhone users.
The app allows users to create personal photo collages from dozens of pictures on their iPhones in under 30 seconds by selecting the pics they want, picking a shape, and quickly posting wherever they like to share. The app is ready for downloads on iTunes and is also available for the iPod Touch. iPad and Android versions will be released this summer.
“People are taking more and more pictures with their smartphones, but they don’t always have an effective way to share their photos, so many pics get stranded in phones and never get shared with friends and family,” said Vincent Cheung, CEO & Founder of Shape Collage. “Our app allows users to quickly create unique custom collages with their photos and tell the stories they want to share on the fly directly from their iPhones.”
Users can choose from several shapes, or use text or symbols to create a custom shape from their photos and then easily share on Facebook, Twitter, and Email. They can also save the collage on their iPhone and use it as their wallpaper.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMrSkUzg7ws]
Shape Collage’s desktop software (available for Windows, Mac and Linux) has been downloaded over four million times since its 2009 release. The software automatically creates photo collages in different shapes using patent pending technology. Cheung created the software as a graduate student and was named the 2010 Graduate Student Entrepreneur Global Champion and he has won eight business plan competitions.
The Shape Collage desktop software is available for free at ShapeCollage.com with a pro upgraded version available for $25 USD. A free Facebook application is also available for users to share their collages with their friends on Facebook.
posted in Digital Products, Everyone, Mobile, National News, New Releases By: Tami |
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2nd
June
2011
Big Blue Bubble, Inc. is excited to announce that they are burning their way onto Android and Nokia devices. Their smash hit mobile title Burn the Rope is finally available on Android and you can get it exclusively for one week at GetJar. The good
news doesn’t stop there, because Burn the Rope is also now available now for Symbian platforms on the Nokia Ovi Store.
The critically-acclaimed best selling Burn the Rope is a puzzle adventure where the goal is as simple as it is addictive: burn as much rope as possible. Release your inner arsonist and ignite your way through over 100 delightful levels, with new user generated puzzles every day. Get involved and submit your very own puzzle to be featured in Puzzle of the Day.
A tap is all you need to get your flame burning. Remember fire always burns up, so you must rotate your device to make sure your flame keeps flickering, which is not always as easy as it seems. Packed with exploding bugs, bonus levels, and non-stop pyro action, Burn the Rope will make you think, strategize and try puzzles over and over until you burn every last rope fibre. This challenging and addicting game will keep your fires burning for hours, because while it’s easy to play, it’s not so easy to master.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCj9HorjsG8]
posted in Everyone, Mobile, National News, New Releases, Puzzle By: Tami |
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27th
May
2011
Following the great success of “I Learn With Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD,” Tribal Nova has released the iPhone version of this top ranking educational app. The iPad version has been selected by Apple as “New and Noteworthy” or “Staff favorites” in the U.S and 15 other countries. Users and reviewers have also given the game rave reviews bringing the app to the top position of
the Games-Educational and Games-Kids charts in Australia as well as a top 10 positions in the U.S., Canada and the UK.
I Learn With Poko: Seasons and Weather! is an educational game that lets children 3 to 7 years old learn many key concepts about the weather in various seasons, how to dress and what activities to do depending on the weather… while having tons of fun! Produced by the developers behind the award winning PBS KIDS PLAY! and CBC Wonderworld online learning programs, this app is the first app available on iPhone in the groundbreaking iLearnWith educational program, which is designed to help kids get ready for school, one app at a time.
“Seasons and Weather is one of the most important Science subjects taught to children in Pre-k and Kindergarten, yet there are no games for young children covering the subject in the app store. We are happy to fulfill this need and are committed to developing a comprehensive educational program in which each app will address a specific subject in the curriculum. We have another nine apps currently in development covering various skills in math, literacy, science and foreign languages,” says Pierre Le Lann, co-founder of Tribal Nova.
This app is based on National Standards and has been developed with child developmental psychologists and educators. The game has three levels, increasing in complexity, details and subject covered. Moreover, each level contains a mechanism that adjusts the difficulty based on the child’s success rate. These elements combined enable the game to meet children’s developmental needs regardless if they are 3 or 7 years old.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrMprG-AEYQ]
The game contains many ways for children to learn about seasons and weather: finding certain weather conditions such as clouds or snow to help Beebee find pictures for her photo album; or spotting clothes that do not fit the weather to help Poko take a perfect picture; or guessing what activities Poko did certain days of the week based on the weather and the month of the year.
Educational content, rich graphics and audio, fun game mechanics and a high production budget really set this app apart to deliver both learning and fun to families.
“We have developed over 100 online educational games for young children over the past 5 years. We are very excited to apply our expertise to touch screens, and are confident we can develop some of the best kids apps in the app store with truly educational content and great gameplay,” says Guillaume Aniorte, Tribal Nova’s other co-founder.
posted in Digital Products, Educational, Everyone, Mobile, National News, New Releases By: Tami |
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24th
May
2011
Millions of iPhone and iPad users around the world have unleashed their inner trouble-maker in the feel-good app of the year Office Jerk, the latest game on iPhone and iPad from Fluik Entertainment, continues to exceed expectations and delight audiences around the world. Since its
release less than a month ago, the free app has been downloaded over six million times. It has become the number-one free app in more than 50 countries, as players take revenge on that one guy in the office that makes the rest of us look bad.
Not content with letting players toss pies, eggs, paper, dynamite and more, Fluik is offering an entirely new arsenal of destruction with today’s release of Office Jerk 1.2. The update includes all new items to hurl at that office mate you love to hate:
- Smack him right between the eyes with the Sucker Dart!
- Unleash your inner Tiger and nail him with a golf ball!
- Toss the fan and blow him away!
Also, in response to countless requests from fans, an Android version will released later this week, giving millions more gamers a chance to discover what the rest of the world has already realized – there is always room for a little juvenile behavior in the modern office space.
posted in Casual, Everyone, Mobile, National News By: Tami |
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19th
May
2011
Finnish developer Grey Area has released Shadow Cities, the world’s first mobile global location-based massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) for free on mobile Apple devices in Canada. Shadow Cities uses location based technology to create an augmented reality and a revolutionary global arena for its players to participate in real-time large-scale combat with friends and other gamers. Players will engage each other in epic battles around the world in their very own neighborhoods and cities.
Shadow Cities Features Include:
- Choose your side: Players can choose to fight on the side of the Animators or Architects, two opposing schools of magic locked in a struggle for power and control.
- Definitively Massive: Hundreds of gamers at once will clash and battle with one another across neighborhoods, towns and cities across the world.
- Best in Class RPG Elements: Building upon traditional roleplaying systems and concepts, Shadow Cities offers a deep leveling system that allows players to customize their character by learning spells and developing attributes.
- Draw your Spells: Using the touch screen of the Apple mobile device, players draw magical runes to cast a variety of spells with which to attack foes, heal allies and defend their neighborhoods.
- Transform your Neighborhood: As players move around in the real world, their position in the parallel world of Shadow Cities will also move, revealing both new friendly and enemy players, spirits, traps, neighborhoods and much more.
- Transport Friends: Portals can be opened in cities that allow friends and allies to move between locations and take part in full-scale virtual battles, creating a truly global gameplay experience.
- Speedy Recovery: As mages engage in battles their health and mana will deplete but also refill over time. Players will have the option to purchase potions from the in-game store to refill mana instantaneously.
Shadow Cities is rated Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later.
posted in Digital Products, Everyone 10+, Mobile, National News, New Releases, RPG - MMORPG By: Tami |
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16th
May
2011
Following the April launch of its paid iOS game Web Swinger, Mobile Game Studio has released a lite version of the title so that you can try it before you buy it. This new fun packed game will put you in the mind of a spider. You’ve always known that you could reach incredible heights, defeat your enemies
and be at the top of the world, so you’re got going to let the fact that you’re a spider hold you back.
In the newest in arcade games, Web Swinger will take you to another world, where you become the mightiest of insects, the spider. Tackle your numerous insect enemies as you battle against time on your quest to the bottom of the barn. Click on the down or up arrow to move the spider down or up the web and drag your finger on the screen to swing the spider. Stay alive and beat the clock to reign triumphant over the denizens of the barn. Web Swinger and Web Swinger Lite are rated 4+ and are compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.2 or later.
posted in Casual, Everyone, Mobile, National News, New Releases By: Tami |
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