[New Game] Meltdown On Mars Sets Up A Colony On The Android Market, Pits You Against Invading Alien Hordes, Ripley-Style

Thumbstar Games, whose previous work appears to be an Android version of that game they played in Hackers, has launched its new shooter/tower defense game for Android, Meltdown on Mars. The game is reminiscent of Gun Bros., with some tower defense elements adding an extra layer of strategy to the game.

The game utilizes a dual-virtual-joystick system to move and shoot. You can also create and upgrade towers to help you defeat the incoming invasion. The game is a nice blend of action and strategy. Straight tower defense games are fun, but can get a little tedious once you've settled into a strategy and wait for the automated enemies to come flooding in. Meltdown on Mars adds some more excitement to the game by putting you in the middle of the firefight.

Perhaps one of the best features of this game is its price tag: $3.99. The end. No in-game purchases, no horrible tokens. It's a little sad that this is becoming more of an exception than the norm, but given that this game relies on upgrades and accumulating features, it would've been easy to let users pay for upgraded weapons. Good on Thumbstar for taking the less-shady route.

The game is currently only available on tablets packing Tegra processors. The company says that Tegra phones will be supported in the future. In the mean time, if you've got a tablet with an NVIDIA-borne chip inside, you can head over to either the Market via the widget below or to the Tegra Zone app to get started defending your last patch of the red planet.

Via AndroidPolice

Sony to bring original content to Playstation Suite, not just ports

If there is something Sony is strong at, it is their gaming platforms. This is something that didn’t take off immediately on the Android platform, after the release PlayStation Suite. The selection of games is limited, and they are all Playstation 1 ports. But according to Sony Mobile’s chief marketing officer Steve Walker, this is all about to change.

Sony is making some huge changes as we speak, now that it is in full charge of its mobile division. Great devices like the Sony Xperia U and Sony Xperia P have been announced at MWC. But we know Sony is not stopping there, and one of the things they will improve is the selection of games within the Playstation Suite platform.

Walker mentions that “Sony Computer Entertainment has a vision for PlayStation Suite and they will be leveraging their powerful developer relationships to bring original content through the PlayStation Suite initiative.” Said games will include “content which has been newly created for the PlayStation Suite and PlayStation Store.”

We have been dreaming of devices with powerful gaming experience. Smartphones like the Xperia Play are great gaming devices, but they are not specialized for such use. It is basically an improved Android gaming experience, as opposed to being a gaming platform, like the PSP or PS Vita.

This is a great step towards creating a much more immersive gaming experience. And it is sure to lure the hard core gamer within us. As for me, I am still dreaming of an Xperia device with PS Vita games and performance. Maybe that day is not very far off.

Via Phandroid

NVIDIA announces 5 new titles for Tegra Zone

This week at Mobile World Congress NVIDIA’s partners announced a ton of new Tegra 3 devices, but the big focus was on mobile games and other experiences that Tegra delivers. Last night we had the opportunity to attend an NVIDIA party where we got some hands-on time with several upcoming games headed to Tegra Zone.

NVIDIA had set up several classic consoles including Xbox, PlayStation 2, Atari, and Dreamcast, which were placed next to Tegra devices running similar games. It was a night filled with nostalgia, but it was also cool to see how these devices that fit in our pockets are now replacing dedicated game consoles. Read on to check out which games are coming to Tegra Zone.

Sonic 4: Episode II

Growing up I was a Nintendo fan so Mario was always my favorite character, but I had several friends who preferred Sega and their blue-haired hedgehog. This week NVIDIA announced they had partnered with Sega to bring Sonic 4: Episode II to Android devices. The latest episode in the historic franchise features 17 all-new levels, co-op mode with Sonic’s old sidekick Tails, and real-time water effects and dynamic backgrounds in 720p HD. Hopefully this is the start of a long-term relationship with NVIDIA that will see Sega’s other franchises find their way to Android devices.

Eden to GREEEEN THD

Eden to Greeeen comes from popular Japanese developer iNiS. This turn-based strategy game is a mix of tower offense and plants vs alien machines. I had the chance to play through a couple levels at an NVIDIA event, and it was one of my favorite mobile games at the show. The graphics were powered by Unreal Engine, which we wished more Android developers used. Look for the game to be available for free on Tegra Zone later in 2012.

Dark Kingdom THD

Dark Kingdom is a classic role-playing game that has now gone mobile. This version optimized for Tegra devices features higher-polygon models, dynamic shadows, dynamic lighting, and even rag-doll physics.

Hamilton’s Great Adventure THD

Hamilton’s Great Adventure is another epic PC puzzle game that has gone mobile. The developer Bitsquid has ported their DirectX 11 engine to Android with Tegra 3 optimizations and quad-core scaling.

Golden Arrow THD

I didn’t get to play Golden Arrow THD, but this hack-and-slash game looks pretty awesome. The version optimized for Tegra devices will feature higher-resolution textures, high dynamic range lighting, soft shadows, lens flares, explosions and fires galore.

Via Android and me

Temple Run for Android delayed till March at least

So, Temple Run. Easily one of the most-anticipated Android games in the world right now. Android owners have been waiting patiently (though judging by the comments on our previous stories, not too patiently) for months. And according to the game’s official Facebook page, they’re going to have to wait a little longer. The deveoper posted that the game is taking longer than expected to complete, though it’s still coming along. The post says that it’ll give Facebook followers at least a week’s notice before the game is released – which means that if the notice came later today, Temple Run still wouldn’t be coming until March 3rd. At the absolute earliest.

For the uninitiated, Temple Run is an iOS game by developer Imangi Studios. In a nod to the original Indiana Jones, the player must control an adventurer fleeing from a temple, pursued by hoards of demonic monkeys. Various touch gestures allow you to manipulate your character, jumping, dodging, turning or ducking as necessary. It’s a bit like a 3D version of Bit Trip Runner. The developers announced back in November that the game was headed to Android, but as development draws to a close eager fans have been disappointed time and again with vague delays.

Imangi takes care to note that any game pretending to be Temple Run on the Android Market or elsewhere is a fake, until their full app is released. That’s not without precedent: like many popular iOS converts, copies and fakes have been appearing in the Market with depressing regularity. The game is in the final Beta stages and should be wrapping up soon – but not before next Saturday.

Via AndroidCommunity

'Game of Thrones' Trailer? HBO's Got an App for That

The interminable wait for season two of HBO's Game of Thrones is finally nearing an end and the premium cable network announced Thursday that fans can soon view an all-new trailer ahead of the April 1 premiere online or via the HBO GO app.

Viewers got their last dose of Arya Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and all the assorted rogues, warriors, and courtesans of author George R.R. Martin's sprawling fantasy world way back on June 19, 2011. And here we thought the eight-month wait between seasons five and six of Lost was an ordeal!

The trailer can be watched Friday at hbogo.com or by way of the app, which can be downloaded on Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, smartphones running Google's Android mobile operating system, Samsung's Smart TV products, and Roku digital media products, according to the network.

It's also going to be broadcast to HBO subscribers, naturally.

The first episode of season two is titled ""The North Remembers." It's directed by Alan Taylor, who was at the helm for the final two episodes of season one, and members of the Emmy-nominated series' ensemble who are returning for season two include Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark), Lena Headey (Cersei Baratheon), and Kit Harington (Jon Snow).

Sadly, Sean Bean won't be back unless the Game of Thrones producers have some sort of Obi-Wan-Kenobi's-ghost surprise up their sleeves (and let's really hope not). His character, Ned Stark, was beheaded as a result of crossing wits with the Lannisters in season one—although not before he got his own Internet meme, so there's that.

Via PCmag

Tata Docomo offers unlimited premium Android games for a monthly charge

Tata Docomo customers can now play unlimited premium Android games for a monthly charge.

Tata Docomo has partnered with Exent, which provides a subscription based gaming service under the brand name 'GameTanium', to offer game subscription services to its subscribers in India.

The new service, called Let's Play, provides Tata Docomo customers unlimited access to full-version games with no advertising. The service will offer the Android games like Zenonia, Wave Blazer and Edge.

GameTanium catalog will also offer editorial features such as ratings, reviews and an extensive collection of game trailers. The service can also be played even while offline.

Tata Docomo customers can subscribe to 'Let's Play' service for a low monthly fee by sending the keyword 'Play' as an SMS to 53333 from Android mobile devices. A free three-day trial of the service is also available.

"The emergence of sophisticated mobile devices at affordable prices and wider range of smartphones along with greater wireless mobile broadband penetration has led our customers to expect much more from their service beyond calling and texting. Android is believed to have a rich user interface that adds functionality to the device and increases the overall mobile experience, especially gaming," said Sharad Arora, head mobility, wireless solutions, Tata Teleservices.

Via Themobileindian

Shogun Rise Of The Renegades Brings "Bullet Hell" To Android With Hours Of Flying Bullets, Sheer Chaos

The developers at int13.net introduced Shogun Rise of the Renegades to the Android Market today, bringing "bullet hell" gameplay reminiscent of Japanese arcade games from the 1990s to the palm of your hand.

For those not in the know, the Japanese sometimes call "bullet hell" style games "danmaku," referring to insane shooters in which players can generally expect most of the screen to be filled with flying bullets.
Shogun definitely delivers on this reputation, providing a continuous stream of chaotic scrolling shooter action. One of Shogun's claims to fame is its dynamic, addictive gameplay - it's easy to get hooked on the manic action and crisp, retro environments offered by Rise of the Renegades, and  the game keeps things interesting with hours of entertainment.

While the full version of Shogun will run you about $2.49 in the Android Market, int13.net suggests trying the free demo version first to avoid compatibility issues. Just click through either of the links below to grab the download and start blasting through enemy spacecraft.

Via Androidpolice

Order & Chaos' new update fixes connectivity issue, Double XP weekend and more

About a week ago we talked about an Order & Chaos update that ended up causing a lot of problems, mostly regarding actually connecting to the game itself. This means the game was unplayable for a lot of Android players who nabbed the update.

According to a tweet from Gameloft and some comments left on here, a new update has been pushed out though that has fixed the issue. Once you download the update, you should not have any problems connecting to the servers and being able to play.

As a token of thanks for everyone's patience, Gameloft will be making this weekend a Double XP one where all XP is doubled. Also, when you receive the update, you will be treated to 25 free runes as well. So if you haven't updated to the new version yet, now is a good time to do it

Via Droidgamers

GetJar launches virtual currency for games across Android's app stores

GetJar has launched a new virtual currency that works for games released across Android's various app stores, including its own free app store, Android Market, and Amazon's Appstore.

The company claims the currency and its linking to global advertisements solve two problems similar platforms have previously faced: low free-to-paid conversions due to complicated user experiences, and the lack of access to global markets.

Consumers earn GetJar Gold by downloading a free, GetJar-powered game from any Android Store. They can then spend that virtual currency on microtransactions or on upgrades to purchase premium versions of free games.

Developers then collect the virtual currency that users spend in their games, and exchange it with GetJar for real money. They can sign up for the program and download the GetJar Gold software development kit at the company's site.

GetJar claims that early results from its virtual currency have significantly grown revenues and conversions for developers, and it expects that participants in the program will eventually see those numbers increase by as much as 10x.

The new virtual currency increases the visibility of Silicon Valley-based GetJar, which operates a mobile app store that serves 350,000 free games and apps for devices running Android, Java, Symbian, and other platforms. The company allows developers to upload their games for free, and bid for ads to promote their titles on the service.

Meganoid developer OrangePixel brings old skool side-scrolling shooter Neoteria to Android

The developer of Pocket Gamer Bronze Award-winning platformer Meganoid, OrangePixel, has just released an old skool side-scrolling shooter for Android called Neoteria.

The app, which boast three unique worlds to explore, sees you gun down enemies, discover secret pathways, defeat huge bosses, and attempt to survive each of the game's stages.

You can take to the skies and unlock new pilots using your device's touchscreen, a hardware keyboard, or a Wii Remote. Neoteria is even optimised for Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play.

Social gaming network OpenFeint is baked right in, so you can unlock achievements as you go.

Opposing forces

Neoteria is also set to make its way to Apple's iPhone and iPad, complete with support for the Cupertino-based company's Game Center service.

OrangePixel will add new worlds, game modes, and pilots to the game as soon as it hits 20,000 downloads across both platforms.

Android market link: [download],

Via Pocket Gamer

Classic arcade game WWE WrestleFest will be heading to Android soon

Dig the idea of big burly men that are half-naked wearing tights wrestling it out in a ring? In other words are you a fan of professional wrestling? If so then you are in luck as the classic arcade game from Technos, WWE WrestleFest, will be heading to Android soon.

Having been released onto iOS yesterday, THQ has announced that is also plans to bring this arcade game over to plenty of other platforms such as XBLA, PSN, PC and of course, Android. While this is a port of the classic arcade game with smoother graphis, it will come with an update roster as well so mixed in with some of the more famous old school wrestlers, like Macho Man Randy Savage, will be some of the new popular ones as well, like John Cena.

Another interesting feature is something THQ has stated is that the game has been modernized with "an extensive downloadable content program." What exactly this means we can only speculate but we are guessing more wrestlers and locations to be added in the future. WWE WrestleFest will also come with Road to WrestleMania® progression play and multiplayer functionality.

If the game follows the iOS pricing then it will clock in at around $2.99 for the paid version while a free lite version will be available to try out. No exact release date has been given as to when Android will receive WWE WrestleFest.

Via Droidgamer

IwGame Engine – Free open source mark-up driven rapid game development engine for smart phones

UK based game developer Pocketeers Limited releases its free open source cross platform game development engine to the development community.

The IwGame engine is a mark-up driven game engine that uses an XML based language called XOML (similar in design to Microsoft's XAML and Adobes MXML), allowing rapid production of complex game layouts, front-ends, very complex multi-part key frame animations, actors, scenes, events actions, resources etc..

Pocketeers Limited's first game title created using the IwGame engine called cOnnecticOns has just gone live on the Android Market and will soon also be available for iPhone, iPad, iPod, Samsung Bada and Blackberry Playbook. This game was created simultaneously for iOS, Android, Bada and Playbook in just 3 days. The game code is over 90% mark-up based!

The full source to cOnnecticOns will be released this weekend on http://www.drmop.com

For more information about cOnnecticOns please visit http://appliter.com/apps/connecticons/connecticons.aspx

The game can be downloaded directly from the Android Market at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.pocketeers.connecticons

The IwGame Engine's feature set is quite extensive including:

• Native and cross platform

• Free and open source

• Fully documented

• Support for multiple platforms (iPhone, iPad, Android, Bada, BBX, Symbian, Windows Mobile, mobile Linux, LG-TV, Windows and Mac OS)

• Layered sprites / sprite management (CIwGameSprite) including 3D depth with centre of projection

• Support for text and fonts. Also support for text based sprites and text based game actors

• Extensible actor / scene / camera system for organising game and game objects. Also supports multi-part actors with independent animation time lines per part and automatic hit testing.

• Box2D integration into the scene and actor system as well as XOML. Physical objects, materials and shapes can be defined declaratively.

• Advanced extensible animation system based on time lines with smooth key frame interpolation, easing (linear, quadratic, cubic and quartic in and out), delta / absolute animations. Also supports start, end and repeat events and actions

• Multi-channel audio and music playback

• Touch and multi-touch support

• Button, keyboard, accelerometer and compass support

• Powerful extensible XML based mark-up system (XOML) – Enables definition of IwGame objects from XML script such as Scenes, Actors, Images, Animations, Timelines, Shapes, Physical materials, ResourceGroups, Cameras, Actions, Events, Variables, Styles and Templates.

• Queued POST / GET http communications

• Global and scene local resources, including automated clean-up

• Support for resource groups

• Support for particle system actors

• Auto handles resizing to any size / aspect ratio display using virtual canvasses

• Auto handles frame rate variations to produce smooth animation

• IwGameAd engine which mediates ad collection, display and click processing across multiple ad providers (12 providers supported to date). Ad system uses an animation system that is producing 3%-8% CTR

• Support for streamed IO style access to memory

• Support for simple, fast and memory efficient XML serialisation using memory pooling

• On demand GIF, PNG and JPEG image loading over HTTP

• PNG image format saving

• String builder support reducing memory fragmentation when dealing with strings

• Platform agnostic File I/O

• Timers and other utilities

• Supports ultra smooth animation via sub-pixel rendering

• Supports batch rendering for optimised image rendering

The IwGame Engine has been in development for over 6 months and has gone through 10 iterations. The engine is also updated regularly with new and interesting features. The next update will feature support for Facebook integration and conditional XOML actions. Future releases will include support for in-app purchasing, analytics, video playback, camera access and 3D gaming.

The IwGame engine also features the IwGameAds SDK, which is a unified cross platform ad collection, display and processing SDK using eye catching animation to increase CTR (currently 3% - 8%, varying by platform). Direct and indirect support for Inner-active, AdFonic, Vserv, InMobi, BuzzCity, JumpTap, ZestAdz / Komli Mobile, Mojiva, Millennial Media, AdMob, Amobee and AdModa a networks. IwGameAds uses a priority based automated ad collection system that will collect ads from lower priority providers if ads are unavailable from higher priority providers. IwGameAds is available as part of the IwGame engine or as a separate SDK.

The IwGame engine is built atop the Marmalade SDK ( http://www.madewithmarmalade.com), an amazing cross platform development SDK. Full source to the IwGame engine is provided however, so developers can freely re-target the code base to whichever platform / SDK they choose, or simply pick parts of the code that they need.

IwGame is currently being used by nearly 200 developers.

Via Gamasutra

Play more Android games using a PS3 controller

To regular readers, this topic should sound familar – we've previously shown you how to use a PS3 controller to play Android games. As a quick refresher, many smartphone games rely on on-screen buttons, which is a bit problematic since touching the screen invariably obscures the view. As such, modders have found a way to map those emulated buttons to the Sixaxis controller of Sony's PlayStation 3.

But wait... mapping... that sounds pretty complicated, right? In fact, it is, because for this mod to work, you have to create a special profile for every game, since every game has a different button layout. So, to keep your gaming needs satisfied, here's an update that adds three more games to the supported list.

In addition to GTA III, Asphalt 6, Modern Combat 3, Real Football 2011, and Real Reacing 2, you can now enjoy Shadowgun, Street Fighter 4 HD and Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 with a real hardware controller. Here's how:

First, download Sixaxis Controller from the Android Market. After setting it up following this tutorial, import those special profiles for each game – here are the downloads for Shadowgun and for Street Fighter and Pro Evolution Soccer, respectively – and you're done.

Via Mobot.net

New Galcon style game called Little Stars 2 arrives on Android

There is a new Galcon style RTS game available on the Android Market called Little Stars for Little Wars 2. Developed by Maxim Karpenko, this is a space RTS game that has you trying to dominate all the planets in a stage against your opponents.

You opponent(s) are also trying to do the same thing by taking over all of your planets. Planets you control produce units that you will fight with and send to other planets either as defense against attacks or offense in trying to take over an opponent's planet. Production speeds seem to vary depending on the planet which means you will have to carefully manage your fleet and what you send out for attack.


Little Stars for Little Wars 2 Features:

- Multitouch: pinch to zoom, tap to control.
- 54 levels. And more new levels in the future!
- Auto-paths: auto-paths system for quick and easy control over the battlefield.
- Upgrades: specialize your star systems to fortify their defensive capabilities, or, advance their ship production.
- Color Customization: don't like the default colors? Tune to your liking!

While the concept may be a lot like that of Galcon and other similar titles, it does vary in a few ways. You can upgrade your planet's defenses and ship production. The biggest difference though is that you have set paths you can take. It isn't free with which direction and planet your ship can go to. This means you will have to take flight paths into consideration when planning an attack or even just sending ships to defend a planet you control.

Via DroidGamers

DeNA mobile gaming platform sets sights on 10 million Korean consumers

All 38 million users of Daum's online portal, which boasts 15 billion monthly page views across PC and mobile versions, can sign up for Daum Mobage to enjoy Korean-language games including Ninja Royale, We Rule, and Happy Ocean, as well as avatars, status updates, and the ability to buy Moba-coins, a virtual currency. The platform and gaming apps are available through Android Market. The company has yet to release iOS apps.

"Currently our priority for Daum Mobage is to launch mobile social games and acquire users, and we believe marketing and advertising comes later," a DeNA spokesperson told Campaign. "Mobage in Japan, which already has 35 million users, is used as an ad platform as well. If the Korean service grows to a certain extent we may consider introducing marketing features to the platform."

For its part, Daum operates AD@m, billed as the largest mobile advertising platform in Korea.

DeNA just reported revenue of $448 million for the quarter ended 31 December. The company, which also recently bought a Japanese baseball team for marketing purposes, describes its user base in Japan as 40 per cent female and "increasingly financially able", with 44 per cent of users aged 30 or above. The average user spends $12 per month in the platform, primarily on virtual items purchased with Moba-coins, according to the company.

Freemium town-building game The Simpsons: Tapped Out heading to iOS and Android soon

EA Mobile is on a bit of a freemium stampede at the moment.

Having already dabbled with this business model through Theme Park, Fantasy Safari, and the recent Monopoly Hotels, the publishing giant is now preparing to bring a freemium The Simpsons tie-in to iOS later in the year.

As reported on CNET, The Simpsons: Tapped Out takes everyone's favourite dysfunctional cartoon family and pops them into a game that revolves around rebuilding Springfield after the Nuclear Power Plant goes haywire.

Strangely, despite the low chances of anyone surviving a nuclear meltdown at a plant just across the way from the town centre, the cartoon's familiar cast make an appearance unscathed, i.e. not hideously deformed and/or dead.

I don't feel so good

Playing as Homer, you have to put the pieces back together again using - yes, you guessed - paid-for doughnuts and in-game cash. We also expect Springfield's reconstruction to involve waiting for stuff to become available, as in most freemium titles.

There's no solid release date for the game just yet, but we'd expect it to pop up on the App Store in the coming months, with an Android version following a little later.

Via Pocketgamer

[NEW GAME] Death Rally: Guns, Cars and Explosions

There is a new racing game out on the Android Market from Remedy Entertainment which has apparently been played on other platforms a total of 60 million times by over 5 million gamers. This game is Death Rally and it comes with all the goods.

Death Rally is a combat racing game that has cars, guns and explosions all over the place. It is a top-down perspective like other racing games you may be used to like Reckless Racing. The cars are bigger though as is everything else. Does the name Remedy Entertainment sound familiar? It should considering they are the developers of Max Payne and Alan Wake.

This is an all out combat game where you will have a variety of cars to choose from, plenty of weapons to upgrade and lots of opponents to destroy and humiliate in glorious combat. You can also improve the overall stats of your vehicle such as speed, handling and its armor. Graphically the game looks pretty sweet too which is a bonus but then again it should considering who made it.

Death Rally is free and is supposed with in-game purchases of extra bonuses and modifiers. These can also be earned through TapJoy as well but there are plenty of those that you can get without having to buy them. Currently this game is available in Canada only right now with a global release coming in March so you won't have to wait long to play if you don't live in Canada. Of course you can always use Market Enabler to grab it now.

Android Market link

Via Droidgamers

[FREE GAME] Baseball Superstars 2012 HD: Collect superstars and even customize your entire team

All you Baseball fans will be happy to know the popular game developers Gamevil have just released the latest edition of their extremely popular Baseball Superstars series. Available today in full HD is Superstars 2012. Following their recent release of Zenonia 4 is this awesome Baseball game that has seen over 30 million downloads throughout the multiple versions.

The cartoon characters might be cheesy to some but this game is extremely fun and addicting to many. With Superstars 2011 getting millions of downloads (while being $0.99) the new HD 2012 edition should be even better and is completely free. What can you expect of the latest fro Gamevil? Crystal clear HD graphics with support for all the latest high-res screens on Android phones and tablets both. Highly improved smart controls, options, and the AI is better than ever.
With PvP you can play against others using a network connection. Collect superstars and even customize your entire team. You can choose jersey, players, stadium, colors, logo and more. Gamevil has also added new gameplay, batter, and pitcher modes to enhance players and dominate that “Superstar” status. Enjoy the screenshots and video below then hit the Android Market link and get Baseball Superstars 2012 HD today — completely free.

[UPCOMING GAME] Double Fine Adventure headed to Android

If you’ve been following the gaming world for the last few weeks, no doubt you’ve heard about Double Fine Adventure, the new point-and-click project from beloved indie developers Double Fine. What’s notable about the project is that they’re skipping the publisher model all together and getting funding directly from fans, with the help of KickStarter. There was so much money donated that they blew past their $400,000 goal almost immediately, and are currently sitting on almost two million dollars for the project. That being the case, they’ve decided to expand the game to both Android and iOS platforms.

They received so much funding via Kickstarter that they had to find ways to add value to justify their now massive budget. First on the docket is mobile versions: Schaefer said in a YouTube update that they’d be supporting select Android models in the final game. Voice acting will also be added, though whether or not it will make it into the final Android version is a mystery. Backers will get free access to a closed beta. As an additional treat, you can follow along with the developers as they create the new game via a constantly updated video blog. Considering the fact that other classics are already making their way to Android (including point-and-click sleazefest Leisure Suit Larry) we can’t wait to see what Double Fine comes up with.

Via Android Community

Rubberbandits – the video game – coming to iOS and Android

The antics of Limerick hip-hop duo Rubberbandits – including Blindboy Boat Club and Mr Chrome – are to be immortalised in a video game that will demo at the forthcoming Games Fleadh and will be released on the Apple App Store and Android Market this summer.

The game - titled The Revenge of Steven Forward - will feature various levels, including scenes from Limerick streets and estates. Rubberbandits, famed for their enigmatic songs, such as Horse Outside and I Want to Fight Your Father, are understood to have written dialogue especially for the game, which will also include the band's music.

The game is being built by award-winning Limerick games studio Open Emotion, which develops games for the iOS, Android, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable platforms.

Open Emotion is the company behind award-winning games like Mad Blocker Alpha, which has sold 30,000 copies.

Open Emotion's Paddy Murphy told the Games Ireland Gathering 2012 (gig2012) that the Rubberbandits game was originally written for the Xbox 360 but the band insisted it go out as an iPhone app and Android app.

“It will demo at the Games Fleadh in March and will be available on the App Store by mid-2012," Murphy said.

Via Siliconrepublic

The Sims Freeplay is now available to play on Android phones and tablets: free of charge.

The Sims franchise is something of a phenomenon, with over 150 million copies worldwide since the original game's release in 2000. If you're one of the many Simlish faithful, prepare to rejoice: the series is coming to Android, free of charge.

The Sims Freeplay is a complete Sims game that can be downloaded and played without spending a single simoleon (that's Simlish for money, incidentally). Originally launching on iPad and iPhone last year, the title is now available on Android devices.

Developed by the same team responsible for The Sims 3, the new game comes with a host of familar features, including extensive Sim customisation, the ability to buy, build, furnish and remodel homes, career/life goal progression and a variety of pets to adopt. This time around, you can also choose to play the game in real-time, instead of having sped-up day-and-night cycles.

Despite the zero dollar asking price, it doesn't feel like a cut-down product (you can control up to 16 Sims at once, for example) and doesn't have any intrusive in-game advertising - a big plus. The Android version comes with all the most recent updates to the game, including new Valentine’s Day items and additional careers.

You can download The Sims Freeplay by visiting the Android Market.
Via PCauthority

HTC up next to offer Playstation certified devices and gaming

New reports are coming in stating that HTC will be the first manufacturer outside of Sony to offer Playstation certified devices to their customers. Bringing awesome games and titles like Crash Bandicoot to HTC phones and tablets. This will be a great move for Sony and allow more customers access to their apps than the smaller group of current Sony Ericsson devices such as the Xperia Play.

Late last year Sony announced that the official Playstation Suite of certified games and applications would be headed to other manufactures and devices come 2012 and it appears that things are right on track. According to trusted sources from Pocket-Lint HTC will be the first to be certified and we could be seeing an announcement as soon as late this month, possibly at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Spain.

Sony’s Playstation Suite is now a full cross-platform system with games available to the PS VITA, and many Android devices from Sony. With HTC on board they will expand even further. We might even see some official gaming smartphones from HTC in the future with slide-out game controls similar to the Xperia Play but that is unlikely. Most likely gaming will be completed with on-screen controls but anything is possible.
Interesting news and once either party confirms or shares more details we will update accordingly.

Via Android Community

Android’s App Development Enthusiasm Falling Behind OS Market Share

Android may have the largest smartphone OS market share, but that doesn’t seem to be translating to enthusiasm in app developers. Apple’s iOS still has more apps available than the Android platform and the pace of Android app development seems to be falling behind, according to data from Flurry Analytics.

Bloomberg Businessweek reported on the data gathered by Flurry, a company dealing in mobile application development, analytics and advertising. That data indicated that developers made approximately one new Android app for every three iOS apps during January.

That’s down from last year, when there were two Android apps created for every three iOS apps. And while this data comes from developers (55,000+) using Flurry’s own tools, it is backed up by other research that indicates interest in developing for Android has dropped off while it has remained steady for the iOS platform.

“Developers can make more money on iOS,” said Peter Farago, vice president of marketing at Flurry. Apps can be developed more quickly for iOS and it’s simpler to market and sell them through Apple’s App Store.

Apple currently has more than 550,000 apps in the App Store, while there are 400,000 in the Google Android Market. There are as many as 90 places where Android apps are sold compared to the single App Store.

The sheer number of Android devices and versions of the operating system itself has become difficult for developers to manage, as well. They are not able to test their apps on every device and often devices have different specs for things such as accelerometers, responsiveness, and pre-installed apps. A single device can mean months of work in adapting an app to work on it, and it seems that Android owners are less inclined to purchase apps than their iOS counterparts.

However, Android market share can not be ignored and the number of Android apps has increased tremendously over the past year. As Ken Murphy, vice president of GameHouse, maker of apps such as Doodle Jump and NCIS the Game, put it, “in the short term, there’s a lot of money in iOS. In the long term, we are very bullish on Android.”

iCade 8-Bitty: an analog controller for your smartphone and tablet games

Remember the iCade? It's the iPad gaming cabinet that started out as an April Fools' joke, and then evolved into a real product.

Neat, but at US$99.99, it's not exactly an impulse buy — and it leaves Android, iPhone and iPod Touch gamers out of the fun.

Enter ThinkGeek's latest retro-gaming accessory, the iCade 8-Bitty. It's a handheld analog controller that closely resembles the old Nintendo NES controller — minus the cord. The 8-Bitty works wirelessly (via Bluetooth, we're guessing, although ThinkGeek doesn't specify).

It works with nearly all Android and iOS phones and tablets, although Android support is just a promise at this point: "Because the 8-Bitty uses a completely open-interface system, any app developer can easily add game support — even to Android devices." Translation: no Android games support the device — yet.

As you can see in the photo, the 8-Bitty has a four-way D-pad, four red game buttons, two shoulder buttons and Start/Select buttons. The whole thing is wrapped in wood paneling to complete the retro look.

The 8-Bitty will cost you US$24.95 when it goes on sale "later this year". The question is, will you want one?

We ask because we found the original iCade rather disappointing. Not because the hardware wasn't cool — it was — but because the games we wanted to play didn't support it. Asteroids, yes. But Frogger, Galaga, Donkey Kong and countless other arcade classics, no.

Admittedly, there's a fairly substantial list of arcade-compatible games, and the arrival of the 8-Bitty might lead to more. But there aren't many mainstream titles on that list — no Madden Football, Dead Space, Need for Speed or other games that would benefit greatly from an analog controller.

That's a shame, because a lot of the retro arcade stuff just isn't that fun anymore.

Of course, that's just our inner curmudgeon talking. If the 8-Bitty worked with the games we wanted to play, we'd be all over it — especially for US$25, which seems like a reasonable price for an accessory like this. What do you think?

Via cnet

MiniClip's popular game Fragger now available on the Android Market

A couple of weeks ago we reported on one of MiniClip's more popular games coming to Android called Fragger. This game was launched as a GetJar exclusive where people could head over and pick it up for free from GetJar. Well that exclusivity has now ended and Fragger is available on the Android Market. For those of you unfamiliar with Fragger. it is a game where you will be throwing grenades at your enemies, hopefully blowing them up. You only get a certain amount of grenades each stage to use when killing your enemies.

There are also destructible objects in each stage and you can knock over enemies in the hopes they group up before your grenade explodes, killing multiple ones with a single grenade.
Fragger Features:
 - 340 levels across 11 different worlds
- Achievements to earn
- Good physics-based gameplay
- Control the angle and power of your grenade throws Fragger has a huge amount of levels to work your way through across 11 different worlds, each with their own theme.

It features Angry Birds game mechanics in that you control the angle and strength of your grenade tosses and some of the environment is destructible. If you play a lot of physics-based puzzle games like Angry Birds then you should have no problem just jumping right into this game.

Via Droidgamer

Hit Bollywood movie based game, Don 2, gets its full version released

Back near the end of December 2011 we reported on the hit Bollywood movie, Don 2, getting an Android game. The initial release of the game was actually more of a demo than anything else. The developers, Gameshastra, have finally released the full version of the game.

Don 2 is a Grand Theft Auto type of game where you will play as Don, who has already conquered the Asian underworld and is now heading to Europe to do the same thing. You will be going up against both the current bosses of the underworld in Europe as well as having to deal with the authorities.

Graphically the game is actually quite good and if you have played titles like Grand Theft Auto then you should have no problem jumping into this one. For those of you unfamiliar with what type of game this is, basically it is a third-person shooter/action game where you will run around, completing missions and taking over the criminal underworld in Europe one boss at a time. There is a total of six ' chapters' in the game so it isn't as long as other similar titles.

You can still nab the lite demo version to try the game out for free before jumping right into the full game which will run you about $1.99. You can also check out the official trailer for Don 2 in the video above.

Want to crowdfund some Android games?

Crowdfunding has become rather popular recently and for developers can be quite successful. A prime example of this is the recent news regarding Double Take's Kickstarter project which, as of right now, is sitting at around $1.6million dollars. So we decided to take a look at some of the bigger crowdfunding sites out there and see what is being offered up for funding regarding Android games.

We checked out three of the bigger crowdfunding sites although there are more than that you can check out. We took a look at Kickstarter, Appbackr, and IndieGoGo. Two of the sites are similar in that you get perks or rewards for funding while Appbackr lets you pull in monetary profit from your funding instead.

Sifting through all three sites netted us some great looking games that are trying to get funding for different reasons. It doesn't always have to be about development. Some games are already finished and are looking for additional funding for marketing purposes. While we didn't include every game we found, considering that would be a big list, we did find some gems that you might want to get in on in regards to funding them.

We won't go into detail about each game since if you are interested in funding one or more of them we highly suggest taking a look over their official funding pages for all the details. So here is a list of games to check out, broken down into what site they are on and how much time is left.

Kickstarter

- Pixel Sand by Super Game Programmer 3: With 5 days to go to reach a goal of $9000 in funding, they currently have $5990 of it.
- Island of Diamonds by  Happymonitor Games: 17 days left to go to reach their goal of $3500. Currently sitting at $750.
- Hexaxis XXI by HonestJacket: 29 days to go to reach their $2500 goal. It's a pretty new Kickstarter project so it is currently only at $57.00 right now.

IndieGoGo

- Indye Game Project by Alex Studios Software: A new funding project with 30 days to go to reach their goal of $1500.
- Ninja PvP by The Ninja PvP Team: Another new funding project with 59 days left to reach a goal of $10,000.
- Paranoid 2 by Teemu Jappinen: Yet another new project with 61 days left to reach a goal of $35,000.

AppBackr
All games that were available have finished their funding cycles but more are added every week so you just might want to keep an eye on Appbackr once in awhile.

Each week we will take a look at these sites at more and highlight some of the gems we find on there that are looking for funding. For now though, check out those six games above as they are pretty promising. If you are a game developer and have a crowdfunding project going, let us know about it as well!

Via Droidgamers

[NEW GAME] One Epic Game: Run non-stop through zombie outbreaks, nuclear wastelands, and alien invasions

Following its iOS debut last month, Grip Games and Chillingo's run 'n' gun title One Epic Game has been released for free on the Android Marketplace. In One Epic Game, you run non-stop through zombie outbreaks, nuclear wastelands, and alien invasions with all of your guns blazing.

 n addition to five different worlds and seven challenges, the Android flavour of One Epic Game boasts a Perk system unique to the platform that allows you to kit out your character with weapons and power-up. While the PSP Minis version failed to satisfy our epic expectations, the more recently released iOS edition fared much better, earning itself a Pocket Gamer Bronze Award.

Real Soccer 2012 comes to Android‎ for FREE

Do you love watching soccer, I mean football? I’ve never been a huge fan, but I’ll always tune into the World Cup. Earlier today I said that Gameloft had not release an Android game in awhile, but I was quickly corrected when someone told me that Real Soccer 2012 just launched.

The game is available for free and Gameloft is supporting a wide variety of devices, including the new Galaxy Nexus. Real Soccer 2012 allows you to replay the game you just watched on TV with Hypergame technology, create your own custom team jerseys, get the latest soccer news thanks to official RSS feeds from goal.com, and access many different game modes including Exhibition, League and various International Cup modes, or practice your skills in Training mode.

Gameloft has the official FIFPro license which includes thousands of real players’ names, 350 teams and 14 league championships to play including England, Spain, France, Germany and South America.

Sounds like a football lover’s dream, right? Just be warned that this free game eats up 483 MB of space after it’s fully installed. Check out the official trailer and conversation with the developers below to see if you might be interested in this Android game.

Via Androidandme

IndiaNIC Relaunched Android Site With a Whole New Android Games Development

IndiaNIC, which is an experienced most Android apps development outsourcing company, relaunched it's site, for a better browsing experience. This new strategic website offer ease towards finding any Android apps development solution. With the new site, users will find ease in choosing any hiring options of Android apps programmers through different packages. IndiaNIC is unveiling a whole new HD gaming experience by offering incredible, engaging, thrilling, high quality, and vastly conceptualize Android games.

More than 100 vastly skilled experienced Android games developers exploring new gaming experience for users. At IndiaNIC, development process of any Android game undergo strategically four different steps, which results into impeccable and vastly engaging games.

Strategic Android apps development services at IndiaNIC follows four stepwise development process:

Idea- Any useful idea can be converted into incredible Android games for an amazingly marvelous gaming experience with your Android smart-phones. Discuss your idea with the expert's team and get your game for a fabulous gaming experience.

Architecture- IndiaNIC's Android games architectures team visualize and carved structure of the game. Experience and vast skill of the Android games experts results into astonishing games.

Design- Designers team at IndiaNIC presents the classic yet sensational game designs, which attract any gaming freak for a whole new gaming experience.

Development- Finally when design process get completed, expert programmers team of Android sets the game with functionality and features.

Outsourcing of experts from android games development India is most prominent for getting incredible games at most economical rates. Anyone, who wants to get incredible games for Android can contact experts at IndiaNIC, for a magnificent and incredible Android games development at most affordable cost. IndiaNIC's custom Android games development service offer desirable games for gaming freaks as accordingly their choice. Get the best idea, and get it shared with Android gaming experts and experience magnificent yet most engaging smart-phones games.

Get most stupendous and higher degree of customization with easy hiring process by opting best hiring experts packages at: http://www.indianic.com/android-games-development.html

Via Sbwire

[NEW GAME] Dragons vs. Unicorns

Dragons vs. Unicorns’ single player mode is an action defensive mode where players take charge of the Unicorn and defend the adorable baby unicornlings hatched from the nests. The goal is to protect the unicorn eggs and nests from the Dragon Minions as waves and waves of Dragon Minions approach in each successive level!  Players will earn points for hatching unicorns and gold for killing minions.

Protecting the precious unicorn eggs aren’t the only task players are charged with, they must also protect the cute and cuddly bunnies that hop from the opposite side of the field to sit on top of the unicornling eggs for incubation.  Since the unicorn has made a pact with all things cute, players have the advantage of sending the cuddly hedgehog -- who bows to the unicorns every move - flying across the field like a boomerang mowing down anything in its path! 

In this action-packed game, players can collect ability orbs from enemy kills to command powerful elements; like the Happy Sun Beam that fries multiple enemies on the screen all at once.  Master the high score leaderboards, and earn gold and cupcakes to spend in the Dragons vs. Unicorns store for defensive and offensive upgrades and new abilities!

Minecraft Pocket Edition updated. Include: tons of new blocks, flying in Creative mode

Great news Minecraft players on mobile devices, the long-awaited Survival mode for the game is finally here! Mojang has just pushed out a new update for Minecraft – Pocket Edition that introduces a host of brand new features, bringing it one step closer to the desktop version of the game. The most notable addition is Survival mode that introduces other sheep and zombies into the game. Users now get to hunt for food and flee or fight zombies in the game instead of just building structures aimlessly, expect more creatures to be introduced in the future.

 Other new features include: tons of new blocks, flying in Creative mode, day and night in Survival mode (monsters come at night), the ability to gather resources from nature, and tools for different purposes (digging, attacking, shearing). Minecraft just got a lot more exciting. The update is currently available for Android devices, while the iOS version is awaiting App Store approval.

Mass Effect Infiltrator preview

Mass Effect Infiltrator is yet another part of the growing transmedia portfolio for BioWare's space IP. Don't write off Infiltrator as a simple cash-in on EA's part, however. The upcoming third-person shooter for iOS and Android devices offers much more than a gimmicky connection to Mass Effect 3. In fact, it might serve as a blueprint for future third-person shooters on touch platforms.

 Why are we so optimistic about Infiltrator's potential? It's being developed by IronMonkey Studios, the same team that helmed the official iPad Game of the Year--Dead Space. Mass Effect Infiltrator replicates the highly regarded controls of the mobile adaptation of Dead Space. Instead of having to focus your fingers on a specific spot on the touch screen, each half of the screen can be used as an "analog stick." Infiltrator expands upon this system by adding a streamlined cover mechanic to the mix.

Add in the ability to switch weapons and use various biotic abilities, Infiltrator certainly looks like a Mass Effect game, making it a far more ambitious project than Mass Effect's previous iOS spin-off, Mass Effect Galaxy. Players take control of Randall Esno, a scarred Cerberus operative that acts as an "infiltrator" for the shadowy organization.

This standalone adventure doesn't tie into Shepard's story, but as in Mass Effect 2, he'll find out that Cerberus "isn't doing all the good things they say they are doing." Along his adventure, he'll encounter "intel," which can be uploaded to your Mass Effect 3 save. This is just one way to increase your "Galactic Readiness" level--and offers a way for you to work your way towards the best ending, even when you're away from your console.

 This connection to Mass Effect 3 is likely the key reason why fans will drop cash to buy the app. But, the game does appear to hold up on its own merits. We weren't able to get hands-on time, but a lengthy presentation showed off more "arcadey" battles, thanks to an emphasis on combos and battling "stylishly." Taking down an enemy will activate a brief slow-mo period, which will let you try and take down another enemy for a combo. You're encouraged to switch weapons and use different biotic attacks to increase a style meter.

For example, you might want to levitate an enemy, shoot him down with an assault rifle, switch to a sniper rifle and headshot a far enemy, and then run and take cover and blast someone with a shotgun. Via Shacknews

Spacetime's Legends MMO franchise clocks up 100 million sessions

Spacetime Studios is still hard at work on its upcoming horror-themed Dark Legends, the third entry in the legends franchise. That doesn't mean it's too busy to take the time to spread word of the series' current success, with the two previous titles having amassed over 100 million plays.

In fact, Spacetime tells us that players of its games spend twice as much time on mobile MMOs Pocket Legends and Star Legends: The Blackstar Chronicles than the average gamer spends spends on all mobile titles each month. MMOre and more According to research from Nielsen, the average iPhone gamer spends 14.7 hours playing games monthly. Android users, meanwhile, play around 9.3 hours per month.

The average Spacetime player clocks up just over 25 hours a month. "MMO games by their nature are more engaging and involved than most genres, but making that work in the mobile world is very delicate balancing act," said Cinco Barnes, Spacetime Studios' chief vision officer and co-founder. "With each launch of a Legends title we make it our mission to innovate and it has become the largest, most successful mobile MMO franchise in the world." Via PocketGamer

Pac-Man reborn into a match-3 game from Namco Bandai called Pac-Chomp!

Our dot eating overload Pac-Man has been reborn by Namco Bandai into a new game now available on the Android Market called Pac-Chomp!. This particular game is actually a match-3 puzzle title where you need to match three or more of the same colored ghost to eliminate them. That isn't all though. While Pac-Chomp! at its core is a match-3 puzzle game, Namco Bandai did include some of the Pac-Man game mechanics into it to make a bit of a hybrid puzzle game.

You can rotate the playing field to help match up three or more of the same ghosts as well as moving Pac-Man around the board. He can also eat various power up pellets like the Power Pellet which will turn all the ghosts blue just like in the actual Pac-Man games.
Features:
- NORMAL MODE: In NORMAL mode eliminate pesky GHOSTS to fill up the time gauge and clear each level.
- HARD CORE MODE: In HARD CORE mode the gauge empties faster than NORMAL mode, resulting in an action-packed race against time.
- SCRAMBLE MODE: In SCRAMBLE mode rush frantically to build up your score as high as possible within the time limit!
- Match 3 or more GHOSTS of the same color to make them disappear. - Match 4 GHOSTS to make an item appear, or 5 GHOSTS to make a POWER PELLET appear.
- A bonus stage is triggered when PAC-MAN gobbles up a POWER PELLET.
- Eliminate several sets of GHOSTS in a row to score combos.
- You can use the ROTATE button at the bottom of the screen to rotate a 5 x 5 area 90 degrees to the right.
This game is an interesting puzzle game since it combines some of the classic Pac-Man mechanics and ideas into a match-3 puzzle game.
For those of you who are Pac-Man fans, this might be a welcomed addition to the franchise while people who enjoy match-3 puzzle games have another titles to work their way through.

 Via Droidgamers

Humble Bundle gets a bonus game added to it called Toki Tori‎

Those who have already bought the bundle can download the new game at no extra cost. Puzzle platformer Toko Tori has been added to the already excellent Humble Bundle for Android. The game will be available to new purchasers of the bundle and those who have already handed over their cash. Toki Tori joins Anomaly: Warzone Earth, Osmos, EDGE, and World of Goo! All games in bundle also work on Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. With Toki Tori's announcement also comes news of an Android updater app, designed to deliver game updates to those who bought Android games through the bundle.

[UPCOMING GAME] Dungeon Hunter 3 Coming to Android Next Month

While Dungeon Hunter 3 has been available for iOS for quite a bit, Android hasn’t seen much love at all. We won’t have to wait long for the third installment into this mobile RPG series. Gameloft has tweeted that Dungeon Hunter 3 will be coming to Android sometime next month. It seems a bit far away since we’re still in the earlier parts of February but it’ll be no time before it’s in the market.

The game will feature 16 dungeons to start with all of the features you’d expect from the first two. We might even get multiplayer when it launches as the iOS version is due to get an upgrade for that next month, as well. If that isn’t available at launch we have no reason to be it won’t be available shortly after.

The Pinball Arcade Launches on Android

Created by FarSight Studios, this title will provide users with two new pinball tables every month, which would then be added to the lineup. Furthermore, players will be allowed to sample free versions of each release. All tables come with their individual in depth tutorials for teaching players the important rules and skills needed to achieve excellence in the game. Although users can play casually, they could even compete to qualify for an online Pinball tournament.

The game is designed to be a rewarding experience for players of all skills. Play sessions can scale from playing a few minutes to competing for a week to qualify for and win an online tournament. The FarSight tournament ladder rankings mean everyone will have a chance to win.  There is also a deep unlockable system of challenging goals that requires many hours to master and complete. An in-depth tutorial is included for each table which teaches players the most important rules and skills needed to beat all the goals and become a Pinball Wizard.