We have an interesting topic of debate this week instead of my usual "BAH! FREE GAMES! LOOK AT ALL THESE DEALS!" introductions that you've grown to know and love so well. And believe it or not, but this topic has to do with certain games actually going on sale a bit too soon after their initial release. Intrigued? Well read on!It's hard not to notice that three of the biggest game deals going on this weekend over at the App Store are for hot new mobile games like Joe Danger Infinity, Archangel, and Alpha 9, which were all barely released more than a week ago. And for some of these games, the price cuts are pretty dramatic (Archangel in particular went from $4.99 to $1.99 in a manner of days). So the question then becomes: will gamers keep buying Day One mobile releases if the pattern shows they could potentially get the game for far cheaper if they wait a few days?"I could certainly see how something like this could burn loyal gamers who support a developer by buying their new games at full price on the day they come out, so it's definitely an interesting subject to think about. So why don't we all mull that over for a bit while we purchase all of the hotly discounted games appearing in the list below, and don't forget to let us know if there are any others that we may have missed in the comments section!
Remember a few weeks ago when I made a 2014 prediction that more book publishers and big-name authors would be experimenting with mobile gaming? Well not to toot my own horn, but things are looking pretty good on that front so far! And that's because Google's Niantic Labs, the studio behind the incredibly unique and innovative location-based mystery game Ingress, have just announced their next mobile project today: an all-engrossing multimedia experience that's inherently connected with an upcoming trilogy of young adult books by author James Frey (A Million Little Pieces).Frey's new trilogy of books will be titled ENDGAME, with the first installment, ENDGAME: THE CALLING, slated for publication on October 7, 2014 by HarperCollins. Now in addition to the main three books of the core trilogy, the entire ENDGAME experience will also involve fifteen original e-Book novellas, interactive gaming, YouTube videos, and even various social media, Google image search, and map coordinate components. I'll stop typing for a minute to let your heads stop spinning."But now listen to this: the incredibly ambitious project will also be expanding well beyond the books or the games to feature actual real-life events and prizes as well. For instance, for ENDGAME: THE CALLING, a literal block of gold will be put on public display somewhere in the world behind a case of bulletproof glass. When a player manages to solve the intricate system of puzzles in the book and accompanying game, a key will be revealed that will allow them access to the gold: and a video of them opening the case and claiming their reward will be broadcast live on YouTube. Players will be able to unlock these momentous prizes through various clues and interactive puzzles within the actual text of the books themselves!
Calling all mobile game developers on the internet! I know that you're probably knee-deep in working on your newest mobile masterpiece right now, but you only have one day left to register your latest and greatest games for consideration in the 10th annual International Mobile Gaming Awards! The IMGA is recognized as being the longest running award ceremony that has a total focus on mobile gaming. Last year's big winners included The Walking Dead - Season One and The Room.Developers who still want to submit their games for an IMGA will have until midnight tonight (PST), and they can do so by filling out a simple application right over here. Both big-name and indie developers are encouraged to submit their projects for the awards, with the list of nominees being announced on February 10, 2014, before the winners are revealed at The 10th IMGA Ceremony on March 18, 2014."Who doesn't love mobile games? And better yet, who doesn't love receiving awards for making them? So put those last finishing touches on and submit your mobile creations today before it's too late!
There's no denying how popular EA's The Simpsons: Tapped Out has become on the App Store these days, and for very good reason: the game is just an absolute blast, and a pure delight for Simpsons fans everywhere. After all, what's not to love about a game that lets you recreate your very own version of Springfield, complete with all of the wacky friends and neighbors from the TV show that you've gotten to know oh so well?So we thought it'd be a good idea to make a list of some of our favorite games that have also "tapped" into that winning city-building formula of the Simpsons' hit mobile game. The next time you want to take a break from managing Springfield, why not head over to the world of My Little Pony, or spend some time in the forest with the Smurfs? And if you're especially good at holding your breath, why not work towards building up your very own Bikini Bottom!"Now as is often the case with these kinds of lists, there are certainly lots of other great games out there that play a bit like The Simpsons: Tapped Out. So if there are any particularly fun ones that we may have missed, we hope you'll let us off the hook with an apologetic "D'oh!" after you let us know about them in the replies!
Crazy Cricket, the developers behind last year's one-touch platformer, The Tapping Dead, have brought the game's sequel to Kickstarter. Seeking $25,000 from backers, Crazy Cricket has until February 15th in order to make their goal and receive funding. The Tapping Dead 2 is set to function similarly to its predecessor, where players simply tap the screen to cause their character to stop running forward, in order to dodge obstacles. The Tapping Dead 2 is also on-track to be a free-to-play game.To entice backers into supporting a free-to-play game for mobile devices, Crazy Cricket is inciting the rivalry that exists between the two largest user bases (Android users and iOS users) by allowing backers to select one of two similarly-priced funding options. Selecting one $20 tier adds a vote for The Tapping Dead 2 to appear on iOS devices first. Selecting the other $20 option adds a vote for Android getting the initial release."
Mi-Clos Studio is now offering gamers who are anxious to get their hands on Out There the opportunity to do so by pre-ordering the upcoming space exploration game. The Android version of the game is currently available for pre-order on Out There's official website. Pre-ordering for $3.99 gets buyers instant access to the current Beta build, as well as a copy of the game's soundtrack composed by Siddhartha Barnhoorn (Antichamber, The Stanley Parable)."The Android ecosystem gives us the opportunity to distribute our game the way we want," explains Out There creator Michael Peiffert, in a press release. "This is critical for an indie developer that focuses on mobile. Thanks to the Humble Bundle widget, we can provide the active Android gaming community with the same experience that has been yet exclusive to the PC."
The winners for the 28th Ludum Dare game jam and competition were announced earlier in the week. Held from December 13th to the 16th, Ludum Dare 28 tasked developers with creating a game around the theme "You Only Get One". Over two-thousand games were entered into both the competition and the game jam. Developers partaking in the competition had only 48 hours to develop their game and could only work alone. Participants in the jam were allowed to group up, given an extra 24 hours, and could use outside assets, within their final game.The winner of Best Overall Game for the competition was awarded to One Take by Daniël Haazen. In One Take players, must film a sequence for a movie in just one take. After winning, Haazen has announced that he will be developing a post-compo version.As for the game jam, the Best Overall winner is Titan Souls, by Mark Foster, David Fenn, and Andrew Gleeson. In Titan Souls, players must use just one arrow to slay four mighty titans.
Another CES in Las Vegas has come and gone, and I have opted to skip the festivities. Maybe it's because the one year I did CES in Vegas it was so crowded that I had to wait three hours for a monorail (there were no taxis), and even longer for blackjack table. Maybe it's that after staring 10,000 versions of the same flat screen TV, my mind turns to jelly. Or maybe I'm a homebody.Thankfully, the rest of tech press don't mind consumer product overload. Here are five cool game trends or products to come out of CES this year. On the whole, 2014 could be a good year for games.