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18th March 2013

Introducing Pipe Trouble For iPad And Android Tablets

pop sandboxPipe Trouble takes a clever new spin on an old arcade classic and uses over-the-top satire to explore ongoing real-world issues surrounding the exploitation of natural gas. Tasked with building their own pipeline, players struggle to balance using the least pipe to make the most money against the impact on local environment and neighbouring farms. On the right, a gas company rep oversees budget and pushes to create the most direct economical route in a race against time. Meanwhile, on the left, a volatile farmer gauges impact on the area and community. Lay your pipeline too close to the pastures and risk springing a leak that kills livestock and makes people sick. Build through forest or near residences and incite protesters that block your way. Suffer a leak or otherwise incite local outrage and you risk sabotage that could sink the operation.
Pipe Trouble explores timely issues in an entirely novel way without immediately vilifying industry. It was designed to engage a new audience in the ongoing energy debate and also build awareness for the TVO commissioned documentary film Trouble in the Peace by Six Island Productions. Pipe Trouble features game design by Alex Jansen and Jim Munroe (winner of 2 Games for Change awards and IndieCade’s Grand Jury Award), as well as a musical score by Mike Haliechuk and Jonah Falco of F***ed Up (Spin Magazine Album of the Year winners).

Pipe Trouble had its U.S. debut at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Gaming Expo in Austin, Texas and will be promoted at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco March 25th through 29th. It was developed by Pop Sandbox, the award-winning studio behind the best-selling 300 page journalistic comic book KENK: A Graphic Portrait about “the world’s most prolific bicycle thief” (The New York Times).

In an ongoing outreach campaign, Pipe Trouble will disseminate in specially designed retro-style arcade machines at unconventional high traffic locations including universities, galleries, tourist attractions and urban centres. This campaign starts in the greater Toronto area then expands cross-province and abroad, including SXSW and GDC. Pop Sandbox is running a Facebook contest to win one of these arcade machines or win a specially designed Samsung Galaxy tablet.

Pipe Trouble is available for $1.99 on iPad and select Android tablets, and you can also try the game for free online. A percentage of all proceeds will be donated to the David Suzuki Foundation, in support of their work to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future.

[vimeo:http://vimeo.com/61024880]

Pipe Trouble is a Pop Sandbox Production, produced in collaboration with Six Island Productions and TVO, with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund. It was developed with the support of the Documentary Organization of Canada’s Toronto Chapter.

Trouble In The Peace is a much anticipated documentary film by award-­?winning director Julian T. Pinder. It takes an unflinching look into the world of big oil and gas told through the eyes of artist/cowboy Karl Mattson and his four-­?year-­?old daughter. The film will open theatrically in March across Canada, and releases into the US later this year.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 18th, 2013 at 11:55 am and is filed under Everyone, National News, New Releases, RTS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
  1. Tami Quiring (@VillageGamer)
    4:55 am on March 18th, 2013

    Introducing Pipe Trouble For iPad And Android Tablets http://t.co/XmLylil5qX

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