Hasta La Gadget!

Yesterday, Rovio announced that its latest game, Amazing Alex, would finally launch for iOS and Android devices. True to its word, the game is now available on both respective app stores. On iOS, the game costs $0.99 (and £0.69) while a $0.99 and free version is available for Android. The game sees you manipulating physics along with different objects in order to solve puzzles.

Rovio says there are around 100 levels and 35 objects that can be utilized in order to complete the game. It’s not an original game though: the company purchased the intellectual property rights to Casey’s Contraptions back in May, so some of the levels and settings may be familiar to players of the old game. Rovio has added in some new levels and content, however.

The game will also be coming to Windows Phone in the future, but there’s no word on exactly when. If you’re interested in seeing Rovio’s latest effort, then head over to this link to grab the iOS version and go here for the paid Android app. The free version is also available right here.

[via The Next Web]

Rovio launches Amazing Alex for iOS and Android is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Got some great smartphone game ideas and Flash talent, but no budget and little to no programming savvy? Autodesk’s Scaleform for Mobile Platforms could let you launch those ideas from a catapult, cannon or any game weapon of your choice — all you’ll need is Adobe creation tools and $299. That’s the price per platform (iOS, Android or Windows 8,) giving you tools to convert your Flash assets and animations into a full blown Unity game, as well as the engine necessary for the mobile OS. That would let your creation take full advantage of the latest smartphone graphics and multi-processing capabilities, giving users smoother play and sharper looking games — according to the company. The software is heavily based on the console and PC versions of Scaleform, optimized for the small devices and costing thousands less. So, if you think you’ve got the mad Flash skillz to create the next Infinity Blade, check the PR and video after the break to see how to power up.

Continue reading Autodesk Scaleform lets you use Flash to build high-end portable device games for $299 (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablet PCs, Software

Autodesk Scaleform lets you use Flash to build high-end portable device games for $299 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Namco Bandai announced 22 classic arcade games will be brought to Asha Touch devices and will be available to download from the Nokia Store starting today. The games have been optimized for touchscreens on the Nokia Asha 205, Asha 306 and Asha 311, which just recently launched last month. The devices come equipped with the new Nokia Browser that can compress content up to 84 percent in order to reduce data consumption.

The 22 popular classic game titles include Pac-Man, Flight Control, Soulcalibur, Final Fantasy, Ace Combat Northern Wings, Brain Exercise with Dr Kawashima and Ridge Racer Drift, among several others. Nokia’s direct billing agreements will allow mobile gamers from over 52 countries to purchase the games without needing a credit card.

The 22 game titles from Namco Bandai will be available to purchase for a price of between $0.99 and $2.99 from the Nokia Store. The store recently broke 5 billion downloads and more than 411 Nokia developers have built apps that have passed over the one million download mark.

[via Reuters]

Namco Bandai brings 22 classic games to Asha Touch devices is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Epic Games has an interesting little factoid that it wants you to be aware of. Its iPhone/iPad game Infinity Blade is more profitable than Gears of War. That is, of course, if you look at it on a relative scale. Obviously, the company’s total revenue brought in by its blockbuster console titles far outweighs that of any of its mobile endeavors.

But the cost of creating, marketing, and distributing Gears of War, for example, and monstrous. And when you look at a strict scale of dollars spent versus dollars earned, Infinity Blade is at the top. So yes, Epic co-founders Tim Sweeney and Mark Rein have gone on record as calling the iOS title the “most profitable game we’ve ever made.”

Now of course, Epic could not exist if it only made games like Infinity Blade. If you spend $10 to make a game and earn $50 in sales, but another game costs you $1 million to make $3 million, no company in the world is going to choose the former. But it is still a very salient statistic, since many companies still consider the mobile space nothing more than a cash suck. For many, it’s still a platform for testing and research, but Epic is proof that it can be very profitable.

[via Engadget]

Epic Games iOS Infinity Blade is company’s most profitable is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nintendo revealed that it would be releasing an upgraded version of the 3DS last week dubbed the 3DS XL, bringing with it a larger screen and improved battery life. Several French gaming websites have already had a chance to take the new handheld for a spin and serve up some first impressions, with the results mostly being positive. At first many were skeptical of the 3DS XL, believing that a simple boost in size wouldn’t amount to significant differences, but it looks like Nintendo have made several other tweaks that should improve the overall gaming experience.

The first observation is that the 3DS XL naturally has a huge screen, all the better to see your games with. Both displays are said to have undergone improvements though, with the 3D mode looking better to the eyes, and even 2D is said to look better than the normal 3DS. Viewing angles have also been improved.

Meanwhile, ergonomics play an important role, with the larger physical size and rounded corners giving hands more real estate to grasp, resulting in a better grip. The 3DS XL is reportedly lighter than its predecessor, and while the unit appears to be matte, there’s a coating that gives the illusion of a metal chassis.

It seems like the French have been charmed by the larger unit overall, but is it enough to get consumers to splurge all over again? Time will tell. The 3DS XL will be released on August 19th in the United States and cost $200.

[via Kotaku]

Nintendo 3DS XL fondled on video is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.