Gamertell

Last week Publisher X announced a partnership with four international developers and will be focusing mainly on downloadable programs.

Publisher X currently has six new games already available for the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPod touch including Zen Pinball, Critter Crunch and Reel Deal Slots. Click through to find out more about each game…

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A new flash mini-game has been added to the Eyezmaze site and, like MEET IN ver.0 and GROW, it is both artistic and entertaining. Applicate ver.0 stars some eerie looking anthropomorphic apples. Each minimalist stage has various challenges, and it is up to the player to guide the apple to the exit.

Applicate ver.0 is a bit vague when you first begin. There aren’t any instructions mentioned - you’re just thrown in. A white moving arrow and field cycles through certain areas of the stage, and a variety of apples are there. Double clicking on a whole apple or the eyeball apple will turn it to an apple with a bite out of it, and cause another, fresh apple to drop where the white arrow is pointing. If a fresh, whole apple drops onto another fresh, whole apple, it creates an anthropomorphic, one-eyed apple that will wander off to its right. If it hits a barrier, it will turn and start walking in the opposite direction. So far there are only five levels to the game.

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In response to my Gamook post from last month (February 14, 2008), one of the company reps responded to my post and offered a bit more information about how to monitor revenue.

Gamook creates (or purchases) Flash-based games that webmasters embed into their sites. The site then accrues earnings based on how often a game is played and the the advertising placed in and around the games. The rep previously indicated that an affiliate earns 30% of the ad revenue generated by each game.

Click through for her email…

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Titanstrike online is proud to host this year’s Miss Video Game 2008 (MVG 2008) online tournament.

I recently caught up with Francisco Diaz the co-founder of TitanStrike to find out what it is about all about.

“Titanstrike, a platform for gamers that seeks to blend the best of social networking with cutting edge gaming services including a tournament engine that allows sponsors to create and manage events,” Diaz explained. “The Titanstrike platform also has flash forums, gamer profiles and instant chat to power interaction within the community. The goal of Titanstrike is to provide an ideal environment for online competitions so the Miss Video Game event was a natural fit…

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Saving Grace, a popular TV show on TNT, will soon feature its own online game titled Badgeball. The game is being created by graphic communication professor Sean Gleeson who got the idea for the game from the game a href="http://www.pizmogames.com/games/load.php?g=happypill" title="Happy Pill”Happy Pill after TNT contacted Gleeson.

“The game was created to reward people who come to the website with something fun to do, and also it promotes the show,” Gleeson told Pioneer Online, a Oklahoma City Community College newspaper. “Every game conforms to the highest standards of artwork, animation, music and sound effects.”

Badgeball is still in development and, even when it is finished, TNT would still have to approve it. Gleeson learned animation and programing while working for an ad agency, creating his first online game in 2004. According to Pioneer Online, his game Witchita Faro, originally designed for his personal website, got the attention of museums and universities statewide.

This isn’t the first game Gleeson has created for the media. He has quite a portfolio that includes educational and training games for corporation, puzzles and even a poker game for TBS. I guess we have to wait to play Badgeball.

Read [After Dawn] Site [Sean Gleeson’s Website] Play [Witchita Faro]

Ty, the company responsible for the Beanie Baby fad in the 1990s, is trying to steal 15 more minutes of fame. It has recently released new Beanie Baby 2.0 dolls and an accompanying online environment to compete with Ganz’s Webkinz dolls and game. Like Webkinz, each Beanie Baby 2.0 toy comes with a secret code which allows the owner to go online and play with the virtual pet in a virtual, flash-based world. 

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Remember when you couldn’t wait to get into high school? It was the place of learning all those subjects and educational keys to really start molding your future and setting your sites on the career of your choice. But after you enter, the classes became harder and though you excelled at one subject you moan as another flopped. It was no longer fun, challenging and at times you feel disconnected.

For Steve Waddell, CEO and Lead Developer of I Support Learning, remembers that all too well and had developed a way to engage students through videogame design.

“The videogame design curriculum is about making learning relevant to the learner by showing them how math, science and language are used in the real world. The big benefit is engagement,” Waddell told Gamertell. “If a student isn’t engaged, as I found myself in school, then it becomes very tough to learn. This is pretty much common sense. If your audience isn’t listening to you they won’t get the message. We’re also excited that universities around the country are starting to give students…

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The Apprentice is now a free, flash video game on Facebook thanks to Legacy Interactive. The new game, also called The Apprentice, has very little to do with the actual show aside from the name and constant, stoic caricature of Donald Trump. The Apprentice (the Facebook game, not the show) is actually more like a Diner Dash rip-off than a strategic effort to gain employment through wit and backstabbing.

In The Apprentice game, players work in a sushi restaurant. They have to hand out menus, serve tea and cakes, bring soy sauce, deliver sushi, get umbrellas and pass out balloons. This may beg the question as to how it all relates to the tv show. It doesn’t. The closest it comes is when you end your game, your high score is added to all the others on Facebook and the highest score is “hired.” Also after each level the Trump image will mock or praise you.

I’ve tried the game, and let me say it isn’t worth it. If you want the same experience, go play Diner Dash, as it is far better and even more pleasing to the eyes. No one really needs another box cluttering up their Facebook profile. Plus the image of Trump in game is enough to give you nightmares - his soul-less eyes are always watching and judging you.

Read [The Gamers’ Temple] Site [The Apprentice on Facebook]

I remember standing in front of the television with my co-workers September 11, 2001, watching in non-belief that such a thing would even happen on American soil.

So when I read the story on Fox News 29 Philadelphia that a new online game called New York Defender II featured images of that day caused an outrage, I can truly understand why. It was the pouring of salt into the wounds of all those who were still shocked by the events of 9/11.

Out of curiosity I found the website, Uzinagaz to check it out for myself. In New York Defender II, you play a small fighter jet patrolling the area and when one airplane changes its route or passes the airport and heads for downtown you shoot it down. Your progress board is in the shape of one of the two towers. If it’s completely filled in with red you lose. It didn’t bother me as much as New York Defender did, where almost instantly you see the twin towers and the airplanes speeding towards and crashing into the towers. You have to shoot them down before they hit the towers.

What was intended to be entertaining brought up memories of that day. I must say I agree with the…

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Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. has revealed its upcoming 2007 holiday lineup, all fresh with tons of PS3, PS2 and PSP games and hardware bundles to keep anyone entertained during this festive season. Much of the lineup includes first- and third-party products.

“This holiday season we are offering our largest line up of quality software and hardware products to meet every taste, lifestyle and budget,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. “Triple-A masterpieces such as Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and bundles such as the Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack and the SingStar PlayStation 2 Pack.”

Already released are this year’s PS3 heavy hitters including Heavenly Sword, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Ratchet & ClankFuture: Tools of Destruction and the more recent trading card based game The Eye of Judgement to name a few.

For the PSP, there will be several bundles available to include a newly-designed PSP system that include the Daxter and the limited edition Star Wars Battlefront PSP entertainment pack designed to show off the multi-functionality of the newly design PSP.

For those gamers who are fan of party games, a limited edition ceramic white SingStar Pop hardware for the PS2 at a holiday price of $149.99 launches later this month (November 2007). For the casual gamer more titles releasing for the existing PS2 system.

Here is Sony’s complete lineup for the holidays for the PlayStation 3:

First-Party Games

• THE EYE OF JUDGMENT
• Heavenly Sword
• NBA 08
• Lair
• Folklore
• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
• Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
• Warhawk

Third-Party Games

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Activision
• Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Activision
• Jericho, Codemasters
• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Eidos
• FIFA 08, EA
• Medal of Honor Airborne, EA
• Rock Band, EA
• The Orange Box, EA
• The Simpsons Game, EA
• Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War, Koei
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Lucas Arts
• BlackSite: AREA 51, Midway
• John Woo Presents Stranglehold Collector’s Edition, Midway
• Unreal Tournament 3, Midway
• Time Crisis 4, NAMCO BANDAI
• SEGA Rally Revo, Sega
• College Hoops 2K8, Take 2 Interactive
• WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, THQ
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, THQ
• MX vs. ATV Untamed, THQ
• Assassin’s Creed, UbiSoft
• Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII, UbiSoft
• Haze, UbiSoft
• TimeShift, Vivendi
• Elder Scrolls IV: OBLIVION - Game of the Year Edition, Zenimax

For the PlayStation Network, gamers can enjoy the following games and download packs:

• High Velocity Bowling
• PAIN
• Everyday Shooter
• Go! Sports Ski
• Go! Sports Skydiving
• Mesmerize 1
• Trials of Topoq
• MotorStorm Christmas Livery
• Toy Home
• Twisted Metal 2 (PS One)
• MotorStorm Premium Pack 2
• Resistance: Fall of Man: Map Pack 2
• Operation Creature Feature
• Aquatopia
• Snakeball
• flOw Download Pack
• MotorStorm Vehicle and Livery Pack
• PixelJunk Monsters
• Folklore Download Packs 1 and 2

Holiday line-up for the PlayStation Portable:

First-Party Games:

• Jeanne d’Arc
• NBA ‘08
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs
• Tactical Strike
• Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow

Third-Party Games:

• Spider-Man 3, Activision
• Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Activision
• Atari Classics Evolved, Atari
• Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Capcom
• Ben 10: Protector of Earth, D3
• FIFA 08, EA
• The Sims 2 Castaway, EA
• The Simpsons Game, EA
• Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, Konami
• Silent Hill Origins, Konami
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, Konami
• Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, Lucas Arts
• Sonic Rivals 2, Sega
• The Golden Compass, Sega
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, Square-Enix
• WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, THQ
• MX vs. ATV Untamed, THQ
• Beowulf, Ubisoft
• SWAT: Target Liberty, Vivendi
• Aliens vs. Predator Requiem, Vivendi

Holiday line-up for the PlayStation 2:

First-Party Games:

• Buzz! The Mega Quiz
• Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party
• Hot Shots Tennis
• NBA ‘08
• SingStar: Amped
• SingStar: 80’s
• Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

Third-Party Games:

• Cabela’s Monster Bass, Activision
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Activision
• Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Activision
• Dragon Ball(R) Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Atari
• High School Musical: Sing It, Disney
• Need for Speed ProStreet, EA
• Rock Band, EA
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am, Midway
• .hack//G.U. Vol. 3: Redemption, Namco Bandai
• PopCap Hits! Vol. 1, Popcap
• Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus, Sega
• Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 2, SNK
• Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess, Square-Enix
• College Hoops 2K8, Take 2
• Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Burning Earth, THQ
• SpongeBob’s Atlantis SquarePants, THQ
• MX vs. ATV Untamed, THQ
• Crash of the Titans, Vivendi
• The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, Vivendi
• Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, Warner Bros.

Read [Game Career Guide] Site [Playstation] Also Read [Game Shark]