While the first day offered a variety of sessions on venture capital, project-funding, value of analytics, lean start-up models, and exit strategies, there was a single and consistant message to game studios:

Regardless of whether you are trying  to attract investors, pitch to funders, entice buyouts, or build a market share, success is driven by one thing: Know your audience and serve their needs, not your wants.

Albert Lai, serial entrepreneur, currently of Big Viking Games, kicked off the event by explaining how “you’d be an idiot to not start a games company in Canada” with the technological changes to the games industry, coupled with access to talent and financial opportunities.  Lai notes that with the advances in gaming mechanisms, particularly with mobile and social platforms, a studio now “doesn’t need to be about distribution if you can get the consumer to do it for you virally.”

This theme was echoed by Jason Della Rocca from Perimeter Partners in his talk about how to strive for success in an uncertain environment.  In Della Rocca’s experience, “developers spend too much time on awesome ninjas over validated learning.”  Through the use of validated learning, a studio can be more reactive to market opportunities. Citing the example of a fictional knitting game for grannies, he recommends testing out the concept before jumping into production.  While many gaming professionals are familiar with the concept of MVP (minimally viable product), Della Rocca recommends implementing validated learning processes even prior to a prototype as validation of concept and simply gauging interest in a knitting game for grannies.  Proof of concept can be as simple as purchasing relevant Google AdWords directing to a landing page where users can enter their email address for further information. If there is an interest in the concept, you can then track how many people see the ads to clicking the ad to signing up for the newsletter.

The presenting representatives of various funders and venture capitalists further expanded on the ideas of knowing what your B2B audience wants.

Bram Sugarman from OMERS Ventures left the door open to pitches from content companies, but they won’t take pitches from any game studio, supporting only “selective cases”.  Said “selective cases” are groups with team members who have a “rounded skill set of what a user wants”, who “have done it (achieving past success) before…even if not as an entrepreneur,” looking for groups who understand the importance of testing and validating ideas.  Also of importance to venture capitalists are teams who, in addition to strong technical skills, additionally have the involvement of people with business skills who know how to manage process, and marketing skills who understand how to implement SEO and SEM strategies for self-published titles.

Reaffirming Sugarman’s points, Anne Marie Aduri from Maduri Laird Partners Inc. presented a list of factors that investors look at when considering a company to invest in or buy out.  Beyond your company’s product and process, investors are also looking at the team, the company’s strategic plans, growth opportunities, business models and revenue drivers, a clean balance sheet, clear cash flow, and how it has been financed to date.  Pitching an investor solely on an idea is not enough to woo them – it is about a well-rounded plan and vision with the right tools to execute.

Aduri also emphasized to the audience that a studio’s value is based on “how attractive you are to the buyer.”  You might be most proud of product X, but if the buyer only wants component Y, focus your efforts not on upselling X, but on the elements of Y that are meaningful to the buyer.

Francesca Accinelli from Telefilm Canada (CMF Program Administrator) and Howard Rosen from the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund both highlighted the importance of responding to what investors need when applying for project-related funding.  Every moment that an analyst has to stop and ask questions about a file, the applicant loses points in the assessment.  The more clearly an applicant responds to the questions/deliverables asked for by the Fund, the easier it is on the analyst and more confident the Fund feels about contributing to the project.  Rosen suggests that studios spend more time on proposal writing to ensure clarity and consistency in the communication of the proposed concept.

A companion to the thread of ‘know your audience and serve their needs’ was the value of data.  To investors, data is not only is competitive intelligence to the studio (thus, giving it value), but also the key to responding to users’ needs.

Further to Lai’s earlier statement about encouraging distribution via consumers, he additionally notes that “engineering virality” is about using metrics.  “The best companies have built technology into content” to track metrics. Content is fast becoming engineered: data-driven with the ability to track and test multiple paths.

Chris Wright from GamesAnalytics took the attendees through the steps of assessing metrics and their value in shaping game design – noting that “games that adapt to the player is the future”, and that the first step in this process is to know your players.  By focusing your efforts on the player and player-centric analysis over content use analysis, you can deliver a product that engages users and resonates with them.  Examples of player-centric analytics include player progresses, items bought/sold/gifted by users, their preferred browser/device of access, etc.  He also noted the importance of not treating all players the same – that segmenting them by behaviour can help in the adaptation of their experience to their needs/wants.

A final thought echoed by many of the day’s speakers was to get help where you need it.  Greg McElheran from Export Development Canada recommends looking to people in the industry for coaching.  Accinelli emphasized the importance in engaging someone who knows the business side to lead proposals and manage business development to meet the needs of funders.

Many studios are afraid of involving too many people in the early stages of R&D and concepting, concerned that their ideas might be stolen.  Della Rocca feels that the worst thing a developer can do is not ask for help in the early stages.  Without searching for validity a studio may be overlooking opportunities. “People won’t steal your ideas,” he said flatly.

GameON: Finance concludes after Day Two.

About Interactive Ontario

Interactive Ontario (IO) is a not-for-profit industry trade organization committed to the growth of the Ontario interactive digital content industry. To this end IO is an industry advocate within Ontario and nationally as a founding member of the Canadian Interactive Alliance /Alliance interactive canadienne (CIAIC).

IO represents over 290 interactive digital media companies covering a range of sectors including: e-Learning, video/online games, mobile, television, and social media. IO also works with many interactive digital media stakeholders including those working in marketing, law, accounting services, research and academia.

Sasha Boersma is an independent business analyst & consulting producer for the Canadian interactive, convergent, and games industries. She is active on twitter (@sashaboersma) sharing general insights and news about and relevant to Canadian IDM, and blogs on the business of the Canadian interactive digital media sector at www.bewareoftheleopard.ca.

Catch the Princess is rated 4+ and is available on iPhone and iPod Touch for 99 cents USD and iPad for $1.99 USD.  This game requires iOS 4.0 or later.

Catch the Princess HD includes:

• Over 60+ Levels of physics-based princess rescue (and more on the way)
• Hours of gameplay with no loading time
• Beautiful Retina HD graphics
• Over 200 Crystals to collect
• The Advanced Princess-In-Cage-Of-Weeping-Death Physics Engine
• A host of GameCenter Achievements to brag about
• Haunting audio by the renowned Steve Sim, former sound designer at BioWare

“Zwonks is a new kind of social game,” said Palle Hoffstein, Producer at Rude Boy Games. “There’s a layer of social play where you help your friends advance in the game, and another layer that’s about expressing and sharing.”

Rude Boy Games recently partnered with Kik Messenger for the launch of the Kik API. When Kik Messenger launched in October 2010, it saw amazing viral growth, hitting over two million users in just three weeks.

“Part of what has made Kik Messenger such a success has been connecting people anywhere while keeping the app experience very fast and easy to use,” said Ted Livingston, CEO of Kik Interactive. “The launch of the API and the addition of the Apps That Kik discovery service provide an insanely simple solution to drive app adoption for developers.”

The Zwonks game, a featured platform app for the Kik Messenger API, is now available as a free download on iTunes. Zwonks is rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or later.

Newly updated to improve overall operation, shorten game loading times, and make the game compatible with the iPad, Nukes is now better than ever. A whimsically addicting mobile shootout, Nukes is currently available on the Apple App Store for $0.99 in the Games category.

The game is simple yet deceptively engaging and addicting. Gamers choose a side – either the Yankees or the Reds – and man their battle stations. Game play is simple, just shoot as many ballistic missiles at the enemy as possible to overwhelm them. The first play who scores three direct hits wins. That means it’s time to tap the launch button, and FAST. There’s no time to blink, little room for error, and as always getting and shooting off as many nukes as possible is always the best way to go!

With its unique head-to-head playing structure Nukes is perfectly suited for both classic single player action as well as intense online gaming action. The game’s central campaign consists of 16 unique sequentially more challenging levels. Here players will face one enemy after another, each with more fire power and quickness than the last! It’s the perfect proving ground to decide who the ultimate nuclear blasting warrior is! Nukes proves that a simple, well executed mobile arcade experience is a hard thing to top in terms of entertainment value as well as all out fun!

Priced at 99 cents USD, Nukes 1.2 is rated 9+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.1 or later.

In addition to the bug fixes and social media integration, Gupta goes on to mention that since the games launch fans have overwhelmingly asked for a few features which have been added to version 1.1. “With the 1.1 update, we also added two in app purchases (IAP’s) which the fans have been asking for.  The first is what we call ‘Grenade Power’ which allows players to add one grenade to any and all levels at any time.  No restrictions, anytime they have trouble with a level, they could push pause and add a grenade.  The second IAP we added was a level skip.  The player will receive three level skips which automatically re-generate every week.  The game is very challenging so for some of our players this will allow them to gain a bit of an edge.”

Drawing comparisons to games such as Angry Birds, Gupta states “We are happy to be compared to such games as ours is definitely in the genre.  Once people play they see significant differences in gameplay such as strategic weapon selection, a greater challenge as well as overall different physics.  The environment we’ve created allows for fans of the projectile destruction type of game to easily migrate to Troll Blaster and quickly start playing in a familiar setting.  Additionally, a much more subtle feature people really enjoy is the complete lack of load times in the game after the initial game load.”

Troll Blasters Features:

• 64 levels
• Strategic weapon selection and gameplay
• Physics engine
• Option to skip levels. Three level skips that regenerate weekly (IAP)
• Option to unlock extra grenade per level for all levels (IAP)
• Easy controls
• Trolls have power metres
• 27 achievements for you to unlock
• GameCentre support
• Retina display graphics

Can you stop the evil Trolls from taking over the world? Troll Blaster is a projectile destruction physics game in which you have to destroy structures holding the evil Trolls. Launch projectiles with your weapons and crush the structures. To progress to the next level, you have to destroy all the trolls in each level.

Each level is a new puzzle challenge in which you need to figure out what combination of weapons to use and in what order. Select strategically from one of the weapons available. Each weapon has a different effect on the different structure elements which you will have to figure out.

Troll Blaster is rated 9+ for Infrequent – Mild Horror – Fear Themes and Infrequent Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. Troll Blaster is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

Bullet Physics provides physics simulation that recreates the speed and challenge of real table hockey, featuring a puck that has a life of its own. Used extensively on next generation consoles, Bullet Physics provides a unique gameplay experience for iOS and Android devices.

For just 99 cents USD, you can challenge a friend to a game of table hockey over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Improve your skills with a selection of fun and simple mini-games, competing against other players worldwide to see who has the best skills using OpenFeint and Game Center Leaderboards. Track your table hockey career stats and earn achievements for your milestones.

Team Canada Table Hockey is rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1 or later.

Catch the Princess will be released for iPhone and iPod Touch – alongside Catch the Princess HD for iPad – tomorrow, December 21st.

Catch the Princess includes:

- Over 60+ Levels of physics-based princess rescue (and more on the way)
- Hours of gameplay with no loading time
- Beautiful Retina HD graphics
- Over 200 Crystals to collect
- The Advanced Princess-In-Cage-Of-Weeping-Death Physics Engine
- A host of GameCenter Achievements to brag about
- Haunting audio by the renowned Steve Sim, former sound director at BioWare

Mike V: Skateboard Party is the only HD skateboarding game available on the market. Developed by Ratrod Studio Inc., this new universal title is now available on the AppStore for only $1.99. Mike V: Skateboard Party features next generation 3D graphics specially optimized for your mobile hardware to provide you with the best skateboarding experience.

Play with your friends using the multiplayer mode, complete achievements, gain experience and upgrade your skaters. Customize your outfits, shoes, board, trucks, wheels and bearings. Challenge skaters from all over the world using Game Center leaderboards.

“Since all titles currently available in the same genre were outdated, we felt like it was time for skateboard fans to finally have a game utilizing the full performance of their recent phone or tablet. We aimed to bring something new, easy to play and well adapted for both casual and advanced players.” says Ratrod Studio’s President Pat Toulouse.

Play the career mode to complete over 25 achievements while unlocking new items and locations. Gain experience to upgrade your favorite skater’s attributes to perform better and achieve higher scores. Practice and improve your skateboarding skills without any constraints using the free skate mode.

Challenge your friends to a skateboard duel using the multiplayer mode. Share and brag your results with your friends on Facebook or Twitter using the built-in social media sharing feature.

Select between 8 characters and customize each of them to your preference. From outfits to shoes, choose your favorite gear. A massive collection of outfits, shoes, boards, trucks, wheels and bearings are available including items from iconic brands such as Airwalk, Powell & Peralta, Bones Wheels, Bones Bearings, Tork Trux and Iron Fist Clothing.

Learn over 40 unique tricks and hundreds of combinations. Follow the tutorial to get started and progress as you go. Execute the craziest combos and trick sequences to rack up some impressive high scores, gain experience and make a name for yourself on the global online leaderboards.

Mike V: Skateboard Party includes a new fully customizable control system allowing you to configure your own button layout. Use the right or left handed control mode, select a control preset or create your own. Use the analog stick or accelerometer option to suit your riding style and adjust your truck tightness to change your steering sensitivity.

The game soundtrack features music by Conditions (Good Fight Music) and Revolution Mother. Players also have the option to listen to their own music library. Mike V: Skateboard Party is rated 9+ for infrequent or mild realistic violence.

With the mobile gaming field constantly expanding, Ratrod Studio just announced that they have already reached over 9 million users for their games across all platforms. Several projects are in development including a long awaited sequel to their popular Drift Mania Championship title.

Denison originally had the idea of publishing the story as a book but soon wondered if the online world wasn’t the better way to go. This led Denison to hire Forsefield to design a powerful online world for his fictional characters to inhabit, with downloadable apps, video games, and personalized content that reaches out to the new generation of readers.

There isn’t a contemporary idea that isn’t open for discussion, and every day the team comes up with new and interesting ways to bring the book’s story and characters to the public. For a great example see Occam’s Lazer, a free game available from itunes featuring characters from the book. The game, which is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.2 or later, is rated 9+ for:

• Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

This striving for innovation led Denison to one of the project’s most innovative aspects. Denison has put out an open call for artists to sign-up to the site (it’s free) and upload their illustrations of his story for possible inclusion in the final published title. It is a worldwide invitation using the unique technology and crowdsourcing philosophy of the Internet in order to expand his book beyond the text.

And contributions are not limited to illustrations either. Denison stresses that artists are encouraged to upload their music, videos, games, etc., just as long as they contribute to the growing Occam’s Razor universe. Anything, really, that adds to the story will be welcome. He is also looking for budding audio book readers to record their readings of the book to be released as an Occam’s Razor audio book.

Artists can read the chapters 5 days in advance of their release to the public. It is a short deadline, but the whole experience is meant to be fun, exciting and creative for everyone involved.

And as there are a whopping 120 chapters in total the Open Call and project will be spread over 4 months, each day featuring more and more content for participants and readers to view. The site will also function as a sort of hub where those working on the book can exchange ideas and illustrations.

Denison hopes to get at least 10 pieces of artwork for every chapter. After all is said and done he will pick the best art and print a hard copy. Eventually the book will also be available as an ebook and through Print on demand. Denison also sees this part of the project as an opportunity for innovation. With so much material coming in, and so many folks involved, there is room for customization and personalization that is not possible with traditional publishing.

Plans are afoot to find a way for customers to customize each purchase. Buyers will be able to choose which of the illustrations they would like illustrating the text of their book. Contributing artists can also make a book featuring their art alone, sort of a calling card advertising their abilities as illustrators.

EA Sports FIFA Football on PS Vita delivers the first true next generation football experience in the palm of your hands. Enjoy the award-winning FIFA console gameplay, HD graphics, and the largest feature set ever created by EA Sports for a handheld device. The same physics-based, data driven technology that powers FIFA gameplay on PlayStation3 drives FIFA Football on the Vita across eight different game modes, including:

• Authentic 11 versus 11 – Compete with over 500 officially licensed clubs in 11 v 11 matches in authentic stadiums from around the world
• Be A Pro – Create yourself in game and become the next football legend. Build your reputation, and develop your skills to ultimately compete for your favourite club and national side
• Tournament Mode – Compete in over 50 real-world tournaments from around the world. Play with/against friends in leagues ranging from the Barclays Premiership to the Bundesliga
• Full in-depth Career Mode – Play or manage your way to glory through an authentic experience that mimics the real-world game. Begin as a real player or created player and evolve into a player-manager and manager-or just begin at the top-and enjoy a 15-season career. Enjoy authentic tournament structures and results, a Calendar system featuring simultaneous simulations that accelerate game flow, Team Management system for player comparisons, and Friends Leaderboards to compare stats and earnings.
• Head-to-Head Online – Play head-to-head online against a friend in authentic 11 v 11 matches
• Training Mode – Master Touch Screen controls, perfect set pieces and practice moves before playing games
• Be A Goalkeeper – Experience the thrill of the one-on-one battle, diving to make a save from a free kick, punching balls safely out of danger, and the pressure of keeping a clean sheet. Learn the position, track stats, complete achievements and test yourself against the best players in the virtual world
• 360° Fight For Possession – True freedom in man-to-man interactions, transforming physical play from individual lateral jostling to full 360° collisions involving multiple players

Innovations that utilize front and back multitouch screens create an intelligent and unique gameplay experience. Touch Screen Shooting delivers pin-point accuracy and removes the element of “hit and hope” from shooting, Touch Screen Passing opens up the field of play for more creative, precision passing, and Touch Screen Free Kick Control enables players to swipe a finger to aim and curl the shot around the wall. Plus, compete with over 500 officially licensed clubs in 11 v 11 matches in authentic stadiums from around the world.

Key Features

• Award-winning FIFA gameplay – Experience the same authentic, responsive and intelligent gameplay as the console game
• HD Graphics – Stunning player models, graphics and animations in High Definition
• Touch Screen Shooting - Enjoy complete control over shooting—the most rewarding part of football—by removing the element of “hit and hope.” Pick a spot precisely from the back touch screen and then finesse a shot with pin-point accuracy
• Touch Screen Passing – A more intelligent and creative way to play and distribute the ball. Make decisive passes with precision and ease utilizing the front touch screen
• Touch Screen Free Kick Control - Enjoy creative new ways to take free kicks and score utilizing optional touch screen controls on set pieces. Swipe your finger to aim and curl a shot around the wall for the match-winning goal that lifts your club to victory
• Touch Screen Defending - Take control of a specific defender simply by tapping on the player using the front touch screen, taking all the guess work out of auto switching

Dark Incursion is a game that takes place in an alternate reality in the late 1800′s, amidst an industrial revolution and a world war. Play as Anya, one of the few who knows about a secret bunker where scientists have been attempting to bio-engineer their own soldiers, hoping to turn the tide in war.

In Dark Incursion, players have a multitude of bio-engineered weapons at their disposal with which to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapon and ability upgrades will get more powerful the deeper players get and the more advanced the monsters become.

Can Anya complete her mission before the allied forces enter the city and mistakenly allow these creatures to escape?

Features:

• Stereoscopic 3D using classic Red/Blue 3D glasses
• Countless enemies from super soldiers to monstrous creatures
• Customizable bio weaponry with hundreds of deadly combination
• Intriguing story
• Fantastic Steam Punk art style

“It feels great to play Holiday Bonus on a touchscreen whilst sitting in a cozy chair by the fireplace,” said Jake Birkett, Director of Grey Alien Games. “This is our first venture into iOS and Android games, which we expect to be the first of many.”

The standard version for iPhone and Android has smaller levels suitable for phones, while the HD version for iPad and Android tablets has larger levels for tablet devices.

I have the Xbox Live Indie Game version (80 MS Points) of the game already, and will be grabbing the Android versions. Scott has the iPhone version and will be sharing his thoughts on the new Holiday Bonus as well. We also have the PC version of Spring Bonus, a companion game to Holiday Bonus, available for PC and Mac. I can say without reservation that Grey Alien makes quality casual games for all ages, and Holiday Bonus will provide hours of entertainment during the holiday season and beyond.

Highlighted App Features:

•Innovative ride-and-explore technology
•Engaging, high-quality animation
•Irresistible tap-and-play interactivity
•Special “It’s a Small World” sing-along activity
•Plus, learn to say “Hello!” in sixteen languages

It’s A Small World is Rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad devices running iOS 4.2 or later.

There is a new holiday-themed game to play each day in the Kids’ Countdown Village or watch the videos captured during last year’s trip. If the holiday season has you on the go, Elf Toss is available on the NORAD Santa App, and is a great game that lets players help Santa deliver all of those presents.  The App, which is available as free download for both iOS devices and Android smartphones counts down to Christmas Eve and will also provide Santa tracking.

Although he hasn’t yet filed his flight plan with Nav Canada, Santa can also be tracked via Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and of course with Google Earth and Google Maps. NORAD’s 47 sensor North Warning System will know as soon as Santa and his reindeer take off from the North Pole to begin visiting girls and boys around the world. Once Santa’s sleigh reaches cruise level NORAD’s satellite network will pick up his trail from their orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth’s surface. According to the NORAD team, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows the satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa as they zig zag from house to house.

NORAD’s top secret Santa Cams are strategically placed to capture video of the toy-laden sleigh and its captain weaving through the air between high-rises and over mountains. The videos are then streamed online so that children know for certain that Santa is on his way. Members of NORAD’s Santa are also charged with keeping Santa safe – flying at such a high rate of speed means that the sleigh’s flight path must be kept clear, and Canadian NORAD CF-18 fighter pilots will welcome Santa to North America and escort him while in Canadian air space. The Canadian pilots will hand off their escort duties to American fighter pilots when Santa visits our neighbours to the south.

The Price Is Right Decades retains all of the treasured game play elements found in previous The Price Is Right apps, including classics such as ‘Plinko,’ ‘The Big Wheel’ and the popular ‘Showcase,’ but will also feature never-seen before pricing games. Additionally, a new twist awaits all players: they will have to guess the non-adjusted pricing of randomly selected items from different decades.

“Players are invited to ‘Come On Down!’ for their shot at Contestant’s Row in a new game experience filled with amazing visual effects based on the iconic The Price Is Right game show, a franchise that is now intrinsically part of Ludia’s DNA!” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “The Price Is Right Decades is a multi-player game that guarantees hours of fun for the whole family and will definitely strike a nostalgic chord with the fans of the show!”

“Celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, The Price Is Right continues to excite audiences beyond television allowing fans to experience the brand across multiple platforms,” said Nicholas Dale, Manager of Interactive, FremantleMedia Enterprises, licensor for The Price Is Right. “The Price Is Right Decades App is sure to bring fans at home an all new interactive game show experience for their mobile devices.”

The Price Is Right Decades features:

• Favourite pricing games in 3D, plus the classic games reflecting the selected decade
• Authentic stages, sounds, The Big Wheel, and other game elements modeled after all four decades of the TV game show
• Stunning visual effects and tons of new prizes
• Fully customizable player avatars: choose hairstyles, clothing, accessories and more
• Single and multiplayer (iPad only) game modes

The Price Is Right Decades is available now for $0.99 (iPhone and iPod Touch) and $2.99 (iPad) from the App Store. This game is rated 4+ and is compatible with iOS devices running iOS 4.0 or later.

Each game has all or most of these features (or a variation – see each game’s purchase info for full lists):

•Lightning-fast game play
•Exciting sounds during game play
•No repeat questions until you’ve cycled through all other questions
•Correct answer and additional trivia shown for every question
•High score memory
•Multiple styles of game play:

*Regular Play – Multiple-choice questions with 15 seconds to answer each one (all questions)
*Countdown – 3 minutes to answer as many questions as possible
*Sudden Death – The game ends as soon as you get 3 questions wrong
*Head-to-Head via bluetooth

Canucks Trivia features more than 500 questions. the full iOS game version and the Android version are 99 cents each, with a free iOS version available so you can try it before buying.

Canadian Hockey Trivia, priced at $2.99 comes with over 1000 questions and is built for iOS devices. You pick which teams you want to play: Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators or the Winnipeg Jets. Play with as many (or as few) teams as you like.

Grey Cup Trivia  is free and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 4.3 or later. In Grey Cup Trivia, your knowledge of  Grey Cup history is challenged. Play solo or take on a friend in 2 Player Mode as you answer a series of over 100 skill-testing questions about the players and teams who have won the CFL’s most coveted trophy.

Other trivia games available for 99 cents are:

• New York Rangers full version and lite version for iOS or full version on Android
• Minnesota Wild for iOS or Android
• New Jersey Devils full version and free version for iOS or full version on Android
• Edmonton Oilers for Android
• Calgary Flames  full version and lite version for iOS or full version on Android
• Toronto Maple Leafs for iOS and Android
• Montreal Canadiens for Android

For hockey coaches there is the $2.99 iHockey Manager, which was released on December 3rd to the iTunes Store. With this app, you can turn your iPad into an interactive playbook preloaded with proven plays, helpful drills and tools for creating your own custom strategies.

iHockey Manager lets you:

• View and share drills and plays anytime anywhere
• Create and save custom drills and plays
• Review animated drills and plays
• Gain a competitive and strategic edge

Perfect for players and coaches alike, iHockey Manager makes creating exciting new drills and plays easier than ever with an intuitive sketch tool that allows you to position players and dictate movement.

Saving drills and plays for later lets you build an entire season worth of strategies that are ready to view at the drop of a puck.

Those short on time that want to see Commander Jefferson at his most lethal can purchase the full suite of available upgrades for only $4.99 – 50% off the original price. Individual upgrades are also available for 99 cents each.

The update is coming soon to iOS (Download from the iOS AppStore) and the Xperia platform.

The Kidscape app, which is available in three different versions – city, farm and space – is unlike other apps available on the market. It allows users to connect with the kids that drew the pictures, with the game play experience taking you inside a child’s imagination.

“Kidscape is a modern day lemonade stand, providing a fun and wonderful way to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada, and support the families and children staying at a House,” says Cathy Loblaw, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada. “The app takes place in a happy and imaginative virtual world that engages people of all ages to play a game while making a difference.”

Developed by Trajectory Sales Enablement, Kidscape was created using aggregated drawings from kids staying at Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada and turning them into a fully animated game with fun sound effects. The game also features a special gallery of the original drawings provided by the House kids.

“This is the first time we developed an app without knowing what the end product would look like before we started. The children staying at the Ronald McDonald Houses led the way, and we went where their drawings took us,” says Bennett Pearl, President, Trajectory Sales Enablement. “It was great to be part of a process where the kids were taking charge to make a difference. They were an incredible inspiration to work for.”

Kidscape is available for purchase on iTunes and will help give the gift of family to sick children whose families are staying at a Ronald McDonald House® while their children are being treated at a nearby hospital. The three different versions of the app are:

• Kidscape City for $0.99
• Kidscape Farm for $4.99
• Kidscape Space for $19.99

A sneak peak of the Kidscape game play experience is available online. The kidscape apps are rated 4+ and are compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1 or later.

Players can expect an eight to ten-hour narrative experience with 20 story missions, which takes players on an intriguing journey from Barcelona to Constantinople. For those who want to take the experience online, they can challenge their friends and other players from around the world in intense real-time battles with Game Center, where their strategies and abilities will truly be put to the test.

• Assemble A Virtual Gallery – Assassin’s Creed is renowned for the accurate representation of various historical locations around the world and for the high level of quality and fidelity in character design. It is now possible to go behind the scenes to amass and enjoy the artwork created by the talented artists who worked on all Assassin’s Creed games.
• Tactical Depth – The war between the Templar and the Assassins is now invading the iPad in this real-time board game. Players will be able to engage in deep tactical gameplay in order to outsmart their enemies in challenging political battles.
• Prepare Your Memory Sequence -With over 280 different Memories to discover, reconnect with some of the famous characters from Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.
• Story Mode – Explore an 8 to 10-hour narrative experience with 20 story mode missions, which will take players on an intriguing journey from Barcelona to Constantinople.
• Multiplayer – Challenge your friends and other players from around the world in intense real-time battles, where your strategies and abilities will truly be put to the test.
• Game Centre Support – Track your achievements, challenge your friends and play against other players by using the Game Center platform.

Upon downloading the app, users will receive a free digital copy of the animated short film Assassin’s Creed Embers™, the final chapter in the saga of master assassin Ezio Auditore.  The Assassin’s Creed Recollection App is available for $2.99 and is rated 4+.

The ‘Things’ are incredibly adorable little creatures with suction cups for mouths that cling on to platforms and suck in bubbles as they go. With 7 different characters and 3 different worlds, the player can unlock upgrades to help them achieve a higher score.

Just like the iPhone version, Fling a Thing HD is appropriate for any age, the controls are so simple even a three year old can play, yet it’s still challenging for any age. Now on a larger screen, Fling a Thing HD is something you just have to try out for yourself!

Features:

• Breathtakingly imaginative graphics!
• Easy-to-play, innovative slingshot mechanic!
• 7 adorably different ‘Things’!
• 3 exciting worlds to explore!
• Upgradable power-ups!
• A hit for the whole family!

Forerunner is a fast-paced platform game for the iPhone, and is available as of today on the iTunes store for 99 cents. The player must guide a lone runner across five diverse environments, running, jumping, and sliding past the many obstacles that lie in the path. The character is always moving forward. It’s up to the player’s quick reflexes to survive each level.The game comes with 6 levels and an endless “run-forever” mode for free.

It is the end of an age, and the world is in decline. Only the revitalizing power of the phoenix can make it new again. A lone runner is sent on a holy mission; to light the fires of 25 sacred shrines littered across the five lands. Only when all the fires are lit can the phoenix be summoned and the world remade.

“It’s like Aladdin meets the Olympics,” said one playtester.

Features:

• Five Unique, Colorful Environments
• 25 Challenging Levels
• Endless Run-Forever Mode
• 5 Original Songs
• Story
• Pick-up-and-Play game that is easy to learn, but difficult to master

Controls:

• Jump – Tap
• Long Jump – Hold
• Air Jump – Tap while in the air
• Slide – Swipe
• Air Dive – Swipe while in the air

Assassin’s Creed Rearmed requires iOS 4.3 or later and is available as a free download on the iTunes App Store. The game is rated 12+ for Frequent/Intense Realistic Violence and is compatible with:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 4S
• iPod touch -2nd, 3rd and 4th generation models
• iPad

Super Nimbus is an action-arcade game in which the player takes on the role of the title character: a raincloud named Super Nimbus. A long drought has made life difficult for the farmers near Super Nimbus’ home. The player must end the drought by raining on as many farms as possible while avoiding the weddings. Super Nimbus’s job is made more difficult by the hot-air balloons, jets and factories that appear throughout the game.

Super Nimbus features cute, kid-friendly graphics and surprisingly deep gameplay with emergent strategies. “It’s more fun than Angry Birds!” claims a completely non-biased friend of the founders, Steve Hamm. “It’s very cute!” says another long-time friend of the family, also completely without bias.

Highlights:

* Simple & intuitive touch controls
* Looping, soaring action
* 4 types of upgrade clouds
* Time of day brings new challenges
* Easy to learn, difficult to master
* Compete worldwide for high scores on GameCenter
* Retina Display & Universal support

Additional new features include:

• A new ‘Pass and Play’ multiplayer mode for playing against friends on a single device
• Three new powerful cards that can be obtained by referring friends

o Baphomet – Increases the damage from all the owners spell cards by 50%
o Vassal of Water – Heals 10 life to owner when summoned. Water mana growth +1. Attack equals water mana
o Traitor – Destroys targeted opponent’s card

• Option to auto-complete all of the mage sets for players who purchase the full unlocked game
• Improved art and animation throughout the game

“We are excited to announce support for iOS 5 and introduce multiplayer functionality into Kard Combat. With this social-focused update,” said Hothead producer Hamish Millar. “Nnow everyone can enjoy playing strategic card battles against their Game Center friends.”

In Dark Incursion, players have a multitude of bio-engineered weapons at their disposal with which to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapon and ability upgrades will get more powerful the deeper players get and the more advanced the monsters become.

Can Anya complete her mission before the allied forces enter the city and mistakenly allow these creatures to escape?

Dark Incursion is available for $1.99 and is rated 9+ for the following:

• Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
• Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
• Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence

Features:

• Universal app with support for iPad and iPhone retina screen
• Stereoscopic 3D using classic Red/Blue 3D glasses
• Countless enemies from super soldiers to monstrous creatures
• Customizable bio weaponry with hundreds of deadly combination
• Intriguing story
• Fantastic Steam Punk art style

Do you remember the boring ol’ days when you had to feed your hamsters by hand like a sucker? Then you’d sit all day with your face pressed against the glass, waiting for them to wake up? Finally, at 3 a.m. you wake to the sound of their stupid, squeaky wheel?! Well… not our hamsters! We’re taking control and feeding our hamsters in the only way that makes sense… by shooting them out of CANNONS!

But, I guess our hamsters aren’t exactly run of the mill, off the shelf-type hamsters. Here at Hamster Cannon, all of our hamsters have undergone stringent testing and thorough top-to-bottom inspections, which allow us to feel confident that only the finest hamsters will be shot from your cannon in search of Golden Noms. Rest assured that while they bounce off walls, smash through stone, and are set on fire, most of our esteemed hamsters don protective headgear such as stunt helmets and surprisingly safe hats made of TNT.

You can experience the amazing hamster-istry when you play, Hamster Cannon. Where else can you enjoy a physics-based puzzle game, in which the user combines and launches various hamsters out of cannons to collect Golden Noms? Each hamster is armed with their own special skills so it is up to you to navigate the levels with a myriad of different surfaces and contraptions that can react differently depending on which hamster is being used. After you have collected enough Noms you can trade them in the In-Game Store to unlock different, new and exciting upgrades.

Hamster Cannon is available for $0.99 and is rated 9+ for infrequent use of mild cartoon or fantasy violence

Features:

• Over 70 intricately designed cages to blast your hamsters around
• Clever physics puzzles
• An overabundance of wildly attractive headgear
• Amazing set of power ups
• Fun for the whole family

From beneath the ocean surface, boomer submarines from the six nuclear nations are preparing to launch their radioactive payload. In Con Sonar! your goal is to sink more enemy submarines than the other players, while making sure your own subs survive. Con Sonar! is an exciting, quick and chaotic card game filled with twists and turns. It is the first to use Exequor Studios’ bgX technology. Using your smartphone and the associated bgX app, you can enhance the base game experience with the addition of the experimental sonar.

Exequor Studios is very excited to bring forth this new line of products that merge the classic table-top experience with modern-day smartphone technology. The Board Game eXtension, or bgX, creates a never-before seen official link between these two forms of entertainment. Players can still purchase only the board game and get a complete experience, but by adding the smartphone app, they get a better, sometimes much different game.

The ‘Things’ are incredibly adorable little creatures with suction cups for mouths that cling on to platforms and suck in bubbles as they go. With 5 different characters and 3 different worlds, the player can unlock upgrades to help them achieve a higher score. Fling a Thing is appropriate for any age, the controls are so simple even a three year old can play, yet it’s still challenging for any age. Fling a Thing will also be available soon in Android Marketplace.

Features:

• Breathtakingly imaginative graphics
• Easy-to-play, innovative slingshot mechanic
• 5 adorably different ‘Things’
• 3 exciting worlds to explore
• Upgradable power-ups
• A hit for the whole family

Fling a Thing is priced at  $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Rated 4+, Fling a Thing is compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch devices running iOS 3.0 and up.

Dragons Rage offers bright, graphic visuals that enhance the imagination and in turn, allow the user to get lost in fast-paced game play. The simple controls and catchy music make this game appealing to children and adults of all ages. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.2 or later, Dragons Rage rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence.

Fling a Thing is a simple game where you shoot your Thing in the air and collect all the bubbles.  The player advances onto the next level when all the bubbles are collected.  The player has a limited amount of shots and when they run out, the round ends.  The Thing is shot in the air by touching and pulling it back like a slingshot.

Hamster Cannon is a physics-based puzzle game in which the player combines and launches various hamsters out of cannons to collect Golden Noms.  The player will select three different hamsters out of a possible eight – each with their own special skills.  The player will use angles and bouncing to navigate the levels with a myriad of different surfaces that can react differently depending on which Hamster is being used.

Yip, it’s finally happy hour and Giggle Water with its proprietary “blot-o-meter” and curiously intoxicating beverages will have players excitedly swinging, swilling, swaying and swaggering with their iPhones and iPads until last call.

In Giggle Water the fun comes from trying to quench Alfie’s thirst! It’s a humorous, tilt-based, universal iOS game and in fine “Roaring 20′s” style, the 2D-cutout characters get quite wobbly at the local speakeasy while players work to help them pour a decent drink. The game’s slapstick humor is great for a quick laugh that you’ll want to share with friends.

The game’s main character Alfie is a distinguished gentleman in a fancy fedora. Exotic spirits flow generously through the taps at his favorite gin joint, while lively ragtime tunes play in the background. However, after just a few drinks this dapper chap quickly turns into one tipsy fellow.

The app is super simple to use. All you have to do is get a glass of hooch into Alfie’s mouth without spilling it. However, there’s a catch: The more you drink, the more fun he becomes to control! This amusing, martini-swilling character responds to your iPhone or iPad’s tilts and with each drink becomes slightly more inebriated and uncoordinated.

“We really worked hard to deliver a good-natured, entertaining app that takes full advantage of the iPhone’s accelerometer in a humorous way,” said Binary Dawn President and lead developer Roddie Kieley, “We developed a fun physics-based control system and we really hope users will be in high spirits after playing a few rounds!”

Giggle Water is optimized for Retina Display and it is a universal app for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1.3 or later. The game is rated 12+ for Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes and Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References.

Try out some special moves and collect Puffle O’s as you unlock Time Trial, Turbo and Slo-Mo Modes.  and earn tons of virtual coins to transfer them to your account on Club Penguin. Priced at 99 cents USD, Puffle Launch is rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or later

Burn the Rope: Worlds lights up your iPhone all over again with 100 brand-new levels, four different themed worlds including Jungle, Mechanical, Fantasy and Space; and an exciting brand new mini-game called Endless Burn.

Like the original Burn the Rope, the goal is to burn as much rope as possible without letting the flames burn out. Flames only burn upwards and the phone must be rotated in order to keep the flames going.  Along the way different types of bugs crawling along the rope can help or hinder players as they try to solve each puzzle.

Burn the Rope: Worlds’ Endless Burn is a brand new mini-game where the player tries to collect as many bugs as possible — the catch is that as the player collects bugs their flame trail gets longer, and if they run into the flame trail the round is over! Endless Burn features 3 different levels of difficulty and can be played using different types flames so players of all skill levels can share in the fun.

Features:

•    100 brand new levels
•    Four new worlds
•    Incredibly fun new mini-game Endless Burn
•    New Puzzles updated daily
•    Casual mode for a more relaxed session

Burn The Rope Worlds is priced at $.099 USD and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad devices running iOS 3.0 and later.

For students attending game development and business entrepreneurship courses, Elusive Ninja features over 100 pages of behind-the-scenes documentation about the game’s development, the business side of starting up a game studio, a Post-Mortem analysis, the original Game Design Document with commentary, and more.

“School has just begun again, and with everyone getting settled in and no immediate exams to worry about there’s a lot of downtime for the first month of classes,” reminisces Bulletproof Outlaws founder Jeff Hangartner.  “I remember being bored silly and doodling in my notebooks, glancing up at the clock every 5 minutes mourning the recent loss of my summer freedom.  We didn’t have phones capable of playing games back then, but if we did you can bet I would’ve been fighting ninjas and flying spaceships instead of reading through dull course summary handouts.  So with that torture in mind, I’m dropping Elusive Ninja’s price by 50% for a week!  I’d give it away for Free, but I need to make enough money to pay my rent since I didn’t pay attention in school.  See what I did there?”

As the Elusive Ninja you’ll have to rely on your reflexes, timing, and agility to survive the onslaught of razor
sharp Throwing-Stars, blazing Fire Arrows, and exploding Dynamite! Collect Riceballs and Sushi to restore your health and learn to use your Deflection Magic to make it through the chaos alive.

Game Features:

- Epic full-screen visuals with flashy anime art
- Bonus Features with hundreds of pages of behind-the-scenes information on the development of Elusive Ninja and the creation of indie studio Bulletproof Outlaws – Everything from a post-mortem to the original Game Design Document with commentary.
- OpenFeint and Apple Game Center Leaderboard support so you can compete with the whole world or stick to one-upping your closest friends.
- OpenFeint and Apple Game Center Achievements to give you some extra challenges to shoot for when you’ve got your skills rockin’.
- Super tight controls and a difficulty curve that’s challenging but not impossible. The enemies get smarter and start guessing your next moves the longer you survive.

Starcatcher, like JPK Games’ previous title Flew The Coop, is a high score based game played on a single level. The level gets progressively harder the farther your ship travels. Starcatcher is Game Centre compatible, posting high scores and maintaining a leaderboard. Players can also post their progress to Twitter provided they have the Twitter API installed on their devices.

School 26 is a social mastery game that balances high school drama with cute cartoon artwork, lively characters, and an engaging storyline. Playing as Kate, the new girl in school, you must build relationships, defuse tensions, and navigate high school’s sticky social situations. From first crushes to troubled friendships to sexual confusion, the game explores real issues its teen audience can relate to.

Set in a typical North American high school, School 26 gives Japanese players a unique opportunity to experience North American teen culture in their native language, without having to travel abroad. In addition, Japanese players get free access to the English version, making School 26 a useful tool for players who wish to practice their English skills.

“Japan is the home of the video game, and we’re honored to share School 26 with this rich culture,” says Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, Silicon Sisters’ CEO. “Plus, Japanese girls are great gamers! We’re excited to attend the Tokyo Game Show where we can meet Japanese teens in person and see what they think of School 26.”

Starting September 15, Tokyo Game Show attendees can take a look at the localized game at booth 5-C25 in the Mobile & Social Game area. Press who would like to arrange a hands-on demo and English language interview with a Silicon Sisters representative should email pr@siliconsisters.ca to secure an appointment. School 26 will also be shown to the public during the show’s all access days.

This new and improved version of “Dog Pile” features 12 brand new levels in a unique Pirates Theme called “Pirates Challenge”, much harder than previous stages, and primarily aimed at more experienced players. The update also includes two new objects, Cannons and Breakable Crates with the dogs uttering things like “Walk the plank you scurvy Dog”!

“Dog Pile” is a hilarious and cute match-3 spinoff, featuring the best gameplay components from all genres. Throughout a series of ingenious and brilliantly designed levels, your fat puppy falls from the top of the screen into what can best be described as a pinball-style environment! Incorporating realistic physics you must “touch, swipe and tilt” to aid your furry little friend match up with his buddies at the bottom of the screen before time runs out. The sound effects and music add so much to the game you just feel like cranking up the volume full blast, and the cutesy and adorable graphics begs you for just “one-more-go” like a dog begging for a bone. As you become better at the game, and you rank up points and dog bone biscuits, you have the option to go shopping, upgrading your dog pack to feature awesome accessories such as cool eye wear and hats!

“Dog Pile” is ideal to anyone, regardless of age, and its multiple stages with plenty of levels will keep you snapping at anyone trying to stop you from completing the game!

Stylish Girl is a multifunctional fashion app focusing on three major fashion elements:

1. users’ virtual closets where they can create numerous outfits

2. Shopping by allowing users to combine items from the online fashion stores with their own and shop from their phone directly

3. fashion news on style and tips from professional stylist The social element anchors the fun by the allowing users to post links and pictures of items and outfits with comments to twitter and Facebook

Stylish Girl was presented by Apple on New York Fashion Week as a successful symbiosis of mobile technology and fashion and later included in their well-known campaign for the app store”There’s an app for that.”

“We’re excited to see our next round of amazing original IP be released simultaneously and across multiple platforms.  The range of genres covered will further cement our standing as Canada’s top gaming company.” said Bryan Davis, Director of Business Development of Big Blue Bubble.

Burn The Rope: WORLDS, the sequel to one of Big Blue Bubble’s most successful games, brings totally new and unique gameplay mechanics combined with the well-known gameplay and visual style.  Burn The Rope: Worlds is a challenging game where players try to burn as much rope as possible in each level, but there’s a catch – naturally. The fire only burns upwards, leaving the player to tilt and turn the phone to keep the flame alive.

As the player progresses through the levels, he will encounter bugs crawling along the rope. Different bugs have different reactions to the flame. For example, burning the ant changes the color of the flame so rope of the same color can be burned, and burning the spider shoots out a web bridge so the player can access parts of the level that were inaccessible before. Burn The Rope Worlds will launch in September 2011 for iOS, Android, PC and Mac.

Fling a Thing is a simple game where you shoot your Thing in the air and collect all the bubbles.  The player advances onto the next level when all the bubbles are collected.  The player has a limited amount of shots and when they run out, the round ends.  The Thing is shot in the air by touching and pulling it back like a slingshot.

Once released it bounces around the screen collecting bubbles and power-ups. The goal is to collect as many bubbles as possible and beat your last high score. The player needs to pay attention to the Suckies’ Hunger Meter because when it’s empty they can head on over to the “Feeding Ground”. As the player taps the bubbles, the Suckie jumps up and collects them, filling their Hunger Meter. Fling a Thing will launch in September 2011 for iOS and Android devices, PC, Mac and Facebook.

Dark Incursion is a side scrolling hack and slash game that gives the player a full stereoscopic 3D experience. It takes place in an alternate reality in the late 1800’s, amidst an industrial revolution and a world war.  The player is the character, Anya, who is one of the few who know about a secret military laboratory developing biological weaponry that could devastate the entire planet if it got out of control.

The player has a multitude of melee and ranged weapons at their disposal to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapons and attributes are upgradable to best suit their play style. The deeper they get into the secret bunker the more advanced and powerful these monsters become. To top all of this off, the player must complete their mission before the government gives the order to send these bio-soldiers on to the battlefield where there will be no stopping them. With a vivid steam punk art style using new 3D technologies, the creatures will literally jump off the screen. Dark Incursion will be released in September 2011 for iOS and Android devices, and will be available for PC and Mac in October 2011.

Hamster Cannon is a physics-based puzzle game in which the player combines and launches various hamsters out of cannons to collect Golden Noms.  The player will select three different hamsters out of a possible eight – each with their own special skills.  The player will use angles and bouncing to navigate the levels with a myriad of different surfaces that can react differently depending on which Hamster is being used.

The points awarded for collecting Noms can be traded in the In-Game Store to unlock different upgrades. Hamsters are fired out of the cannon at a high velocity, and the player has the ability to adjust the angle of the cannon to maximize the special skills of each hamster. Hamster Cannon will be available for iOS and Android devices, PC and Mac in September 2011

iOracle is one of the most unique trivia games out there! It has players predicting actual real world events, in order to earn the admiration of their fickle followers, who come and go based on the accuracy of the player’s predictions.  The more questions they get right, the more followers they will earn. There will be new questions asked every day, with answers being supplied on the following day.

Players will have their own temple which they can decorate to attract different types of followers. Each follower type asks a different variety of questions – sports, movies, weather, etc. In-app purchasing will also be available to help players get past tougher questions, decorate their temple, or customize their avatar. This will all contribute to the players goal of accumulating more followers.  iOracle will launch in October 2011 for iOS and Android devices as well as Facebook.

Launched for iOS in February 2011, “Cows vs. Aliens” has enjoyed huge success on the Apple App Store, with many players instantly falling for this easy to pick up but hard to put down game. “Cows vs. Aliens” introduces a new way of interacting with your game, using a pushing gesture to move the cows and aliens around the screen. Unlike other games, which rely on line drawing or touch and drag gestures, the pushing mechanic is a much more organic and lifelike interaction.

Like it’s iOS counterpart, “Cows vs. Aliens” for Android appeals to both to casual and serious gamers by keeping the mechanism simple and intuitive, but making it more and more challenging, when moving up the levels. The Android version also allows you to compete with other players and unlock special achievements and awards using OpenFeint’s leaderboard and achievements.

“This game launch includes another significant development for XMG,” says Ray Sharma, founder and CEO of XMG Studio Inc. “We are responding to popular request for our hit games to be available on Android. We have modified our Kanban Agile game development process to be able to more efficiently address this important community. Its important for the tens of millions of XMG users to know this is just the beginning of our Android efforts. To that end we wish Android touch screen users all the best and we hope you enjoy our free game promotion as our way of getting things started!”

“We wanted to create a fun experience for all ages,” states IUGO’s CEO Hong-Yee Wong.  “Animal Academy is very easy to pick up, and the friendly and intuitive activities will keep you delighted for hours.”  The game launches with 20 cheery classroom themes and 23 endearing animal characters, with more being added with regular updates.

Animal Academy Description

• Customize your school – Build classrooms that will delight the students of Animal Academy. Reading, writing and arithmetic are the basics, but this ultra-fun school can also teach subjects such as paleontology, robotics, fashion and football to name but a few.
• Attract adorable animals – Each new classroom unlocks a new animal species! Cats, dogs, penguins, foxes, robo-mice and more.
• Play with friends – Pitch your students up against rival schools in friendly competitions or help out by supervising a friend’s classroom! Playing with friends earns you daily in-game rewards.
• Play the role of Principal – Build and maintain the greatest school in the land. The students at Animal Academy have been known to reward beloved Principals with heart-felt, home-made gifts.
• Expect tons of future content – IUGO is committed to keeping Animal Academy fresh with frequent and continuous updates. Check back often for new classrooms, animal species, game features and more.

The iPhone and iPad enhanced game is available now in the Apple Appstore and is today’s free download thanks to @FreeAppADay. Animal Academy is rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

In order to give the Red Nova a chance to escape and warn the rest of the fleet you have volunteered to attack the aliens head-on. With a choice of any of the fighters on deck, you have to use your wits, guns, and ample supply of homing missiles to survive the alien onslaught for as long as possible.

In Episode Two: Mercy, the ESC has been receiving reports that a massive alien mothership has begun an assault on the shipyards at Gamma Crucis, a mere 88 light years from Earth. It has disabled the fleet there and without your help the crew of those ships will perish.

While the Red Nova occupies the mothership you must use your skill to pilot your heavy transport ship, the Raven, against the alien’s fighter onslaught launched from the mothership. Battle through the waves of enemy ships and rescue the stranded citizens at the shipyard before it’s too late.

Episode Two is a free update for those who already own Episode One – if you haven’t yet purchased this challenging game for your iOS mobile device, you can get it in the iTunes App Store for only 99 cents (USD) – a very good value for such a polished title.

New features added in Episode Two include an added “Gun Pod” power-up which, when activated, will orbit your ship, targeting the nearest enemy and firing at a rapid rate. Gun Pod is backwards compatible with Episode 1. Another new feature is the anti-capital-ship explosive enemy type, which is only featured in Episode 2. This feature offers lots of hit points and will only attack capital ships.

Fixes included with the Episode 2 Update:

• Optimized rendering engine, should improve performance
• Changed pause button to make it easier to see the radar
• Radar markers now change size based on distance to target
• Fixed a pause/resume bug that would occur when the game entered the background during “Game Over”
• Increased the range at which energy orbs will become attracted to the ship
• Improved loading time from optimized data files
• Improved menu navigation

Red Nova is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1.3 or later and is Rated 9+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. For even more insight into the Red Nova story, check out the short story Test Pilot by game creator Colin Walsh.

“Summer is the perfect time to travel, explore and reconnect with the things and people we care about most. Being creative and having the ability to easily share and relive holiday moments is at the heart of Corel’s Summer Appventure,” said Prescott Lee, VP and GM, Light Apps at Corel. “With the release of our four new mobile apps, we want to give travelers a range of options to make the most of their summer adventures, offering them a collection of apps that are creative and fun and that help them make the most of their valuable time.”

• Beep Beep: Convert your iPad into the perfect digital coloring book for a no-mess, creative distraction while you’re on the road or flying through the air. Rather than zoning out with a DVD, kids can explore their creativity and create vibrant, fridge or Facebook-ready masterpieces with an array of colors and sample images to choose from. Corel Beep Beep for iPad (iOS 3.2 or higher) is available as a free English app.

• Slingshot™: Capture those once in a lifetime moments on your iPhone and automatically share them in real-time with customized groups of family and friends, or send them straight to a selected Facebook album. All of your photos are automatically backed up to a private Facebook photo album so you’ll always have peace of mind. Corel Slingshot for iPhone (3G, 3GS, 4 and iPod touch 4^th generation users running iOS 4.3.3 or higher) is available as a free English app

• Postcard: Forget crowded tourist shops and searching for postage stamps. With Corel® Postcard, it’s easy to create and send personalized postcards using your iPhone. Snap that perfect moment, add your greeting, and automatically send your printed postcard anywhere in the world for just $0.99 (USD). There’s no faster, easier or more personal way to say “Wish you were here!” Corel Postcard for iPhone (3G, 3GS, 4 and iPod touch 4^th generation users running iOS 4 or higher) is available as a free English app in selected Apple App Stores worldwide. The sender’s credit card will be charged USD $0.99 per card to anywhere in the world (includes printing, postage, and handling). Postcard also runs on the iPad (iOS 3.2 or higher).

• QuickSort: Quickly sort your top holiday photos and select your favourites with this free app. With QuickSort, it’s faster than ever to reduce the hundreds, if not thousands, of digital images you captured on the road and isolate your very best shots. Using QuickSort for Mac or Windows, you can rapidly sort your photos into “good” and “best” folders with the tap of a keystroke. Not only will QuickSort save you valuable time, you may even free up some hard drive space!

Travelers can join the Corel Summer Appventure and share favourite vacation photos, videos, and holiday anecdotes. From memorable landmarks, to funny encounters, to beautiful landscapes, Corel wants to hear your stories. You can also follow the Corel Summer Appventure action by connecting with them on Facebook and following along on Twitter using the hashtag #corelappventure for your chance to win prizes such as Corel photo editing or video editing software.

Drag Racer: Pro Tuner, a reinvention of the classic flash game Drag Racer, this game will appeal to those of you who enjoy burning up the race track and saving $2.00 at the same time. Drag Racer: Pro Tuner offers new features, more customization and new racing modes, as well as the ability to share your car designs with your friends on social media.

Each car can have its own unique look, with custom paint jobs and over 70 decals to choose from. If you want even more customization, you can create your own decals from photos or images on your device for a truly one of a kind car.

Once you’ve created your dream car it’s time to race. Drag Racer: Pro Tuner lets you race head to head in more than 20 challenges, including a new Street Race mode which puts you bumper to bumper with some of the toughest drag racers on the street. Fans of Drag Racer: Online will be happy to hear that Nitrous Oxide, gear tuning, and other performance options have been included in Drag Racer: Pro Tuner as well as the ability to race against your friends over BlueTooth or Wi-Fi.

If designing the next greatest fashion look is more your thing, Style Studio is also on sale for $2.00 off the regular price. Style Studio: Fashion Designer allows users to create a full line of men’s and women’s clothing from dresses to tops, outerwear, pants and skirts.

The easy-to-use interface is simple enough for the younger user, but provides options to keep even the most experienced designer entertained. Users can choose one of the basic product designs, and alter it to fit their style. Then they can choose from thousands of materials, prints, belts, buttons, zippers, bows, pockets and accessories to further customize their design. Clothing can be tried out on any of the models included within the application, or designers can upload a photo of themselves or friends to try on the new fashions.

Once clothes have been designed, they can be showcased on fashion magazine mockups or turned into an entire fashion show. Designs can be shared with friends through Facebook, Twitter and Email integration into the app. Additional styles, materials and accessories can be purchased through the in-app store with more content being added all the time.

Style Studio: Fashion Designer has the most extensive customization engine for clothing design ever seen on the iPhone. It takes XMG’s powerhouse customization engine and applies it to the world of fashion, making this App for more compelling then the many dress-up-doll types of applications found in the App Store.

Style Studio: Fashion Designer is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch in both a free version and the full version, as well as for the iPad. Style Studio has been featured by Apple in their Fashion Week roundups and in the App Store’s “What’s Hot” sections.

You may well ask why do these youngsters put up with this, and where are Child Protective Services? Well, in the classic cliche of overbearing mothers, Kickin Momma’s children will do anything to make her happy, including being kicked into fire, ice and explosive pegs and being booted around 36 fun-filled levels to find all the gems in the game’s 3 dynamic worlds, all because Momma wants a shiny new necklace.

Players can also earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold medals upon completion of each level, as well as unlock fashionable accessory items to dress up Momma. Momma can be pimped out with costume items such as kicking boots, a mustache, a crown, and even a monocle while questing for Momma’s most-wanted prize piece: a gem-encrusted necklace.

Game Center encourages masterful Mommas to compete with their friends for achievements or bragging rights to the highest place on the leader board. Prepare to kick the kids, collect the shiny gems and wear the necklace as everyone’s favourite Kickin Momma.

Features:

- Simple intuitive controls with an original gameplay experience
- Using your spider tongue, tap to stick and swing your way through the challenges
- 51 Platform puzzle levels to overcome
- 5 Beautifully illustrated worlds to explore
- Many out of this world princesses to save within each level
- Collect roses and earn gold trophies
- Many obstacles such as fireballs, moving walls, switches and more
- Available on iPhone, iPod and iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or higher

In School 26: Summer of Secrets, the gossip is flying faster than ever as high schooler Kate and her friends get ready for the hottest concert of the summer. (Road trip!) Use emotional intelligence and social savvy to draw out your friends’ secrets — then tactfully share what you’ve learned. If you succeed, you’ll help sparring friends make peace, establish love connections, and get the whole crew psyched for the big Battle of the Bands competition. Dish the dirt with the wrong people and you might gain a rep as the school blabbermouth.

“Our first School 26 game was about fitting in at a new school. Now that Kate has a network of friends, Summer of Secrets is more about being yourself and seeing the impact of your choices,” says Silicon Sisters co-founder Kirsten Forbes. “As you play, the game tracks your decisions and presents you with a personality profile based on your playing style. So while you’re helping Kate sort out all of these secrets, you’ll also learn something about yourself.”

To learn more about the School 26 games and become part of the growing fan community, visit School 26 on Facebook or follow along on Twitter.

While other developers usually rely on one specific type of feature, Sarbakan offers the unique blend of sophisticated combo moves, true-to-life rag doll physics, and powerful finger-swipe controls for continuously fresh, rich, and deep gameplay experiences.  Sarbakan compacts more technology, more compelling designs, and more complete 3D animations within Android- and iOS-based mobile devices than any “traditional” games currently found on the Android Market or App Store.

Sarbakan’s newest release, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is available now on iTunes for $4.99 and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or later. The game is rated 9+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence.

“Working with Spin Master on this has been really exciting”, says Ray Sharma, Founder and CEO of XMG Studio. “It’s a great opportunity to really expand the expectations of what people consider to be traditional mobile gaming.”

This partnership marks a major strategic alliance of these leaders in their respective industries. The concept of combining an out-of-game experience with an in-game effect and using an interactive, real world object is extremely cutting-edge. The App Blaster will revolutionize the way future first person shooter games for mobile devices are played – less button mashing, more strategic aiming. Now, with the innovative toy-making and consumer expertise of Spin Master, coupled with the mobile gaming savvy of XMG Studio, sniper-fans everywhere can have something incredible to look forward to with a far more intense game-play experience, bringing them closer than ever to the skill and precision of the real thing.

“What we have here with App Blaster is very cool and very innovative,” says Dave Colebrook, VP Marketing at Spin Master.  “Gamers haven’t yet seen this type of gaming, so we’re glad to be working with such a company as XMG to bring this to concept to life.  This is just the beginning of this kind of interactive gaming.”

In addition to some awesome updates to one my favourite game titles, Cow vs Aliens, XMG Studio has also recently two great new games in Apple’s App Store that you might be interested in checking out.

Degrassi: A story-driven game based on the hit TV series, it has already reached a #1 ranking in the App Store’s “Role Playing” category. As their first days of school unfold, players make important decisions, engage in meaningful conversations and play their way through classes, all in the ever-familiar locations of Degrassi. The player is free to forge his or her own pathway through the game, ultimately resulting in a different ending depending on which choices were made. Degrassi is the most watched drama on MuchMusic in Canada, and highly rated on TeenNick in the U.S. It’s an interactive role playing game that allows the user to build and maintain relationships with familiar characters from the popular TV series.

Louisville Slugger Homerun Challenge: There are plenty of baseball games, and even some home run derby apps, but Louisville Slugger distinguishes itself in a few ways in that it’s extremely accessible with simple, responsive swipe controls. The game has crisp hand-drawn artwork, multiple game modes, stadiums, and Louisville Slugger bats modeled after original Louisville Slugger models. (published by our partner mLamb Productions)