Big Blue Bubble: Burn The Rope

Big Blue Bubble Inc. announced yesterday that their massive hit game, Burn the Rope, is coming to WiiWare. With over 5 million downloads on the iPhone, Burn the Rope is sure to tear up the scene on Nintendo’s WiiWare download service.

Players can now enjoy the game from the comfort of their couches, and see the rope burn in high resolution graphics.

I recently had the chance to see the game first hand and experience the graphics and the gameplay. The video quality is amazing. Playing with unique controls, adapted into the Wii,the game handles smoothly and plays very well.

Burn the Ropeuses a tricky game play mechanic in that the fire only goes upwards. It is up to the player to move the rope using the nun chuck to keep the flame alive. As you move through the game you will encounter many different kinds of bugs each with their own style of powers. Some change the color of the flame while others shoot out string to aid you in reaching higher levels of the game.

Burn the Rope has the following features:
• Over 100 different levels
• Fun and addictive gameplay
• High resolution graphics
• Easy to jump in and play, yet still allowing he hard-core gamer competition
• Fun for gamers of all backgrounds

Burn the Rope was released in the North America today so download your copy now.

About the author: Vikas Sharma is a video game fanatic, always looking for the next big thing in the gaming industry. A fan of gaming ever since SNES to the next gen consoles, Vikas is a member of the DIG 2011 team. Vikas enjoys different styles of game play and games and is excited by the amount of progress he sees happening in the gaming world. Pin It

The Partnership Between Dark Horse and Bioware

Dark Horse comic book publisher announced that they will be publishing a new book, Mass Effect: Invasion, the latest installment in the comic book series. The graphic novel will be released on October 19. It will tie directly into Mass Effect 3, which will be released on March 6, 2012.

Mass Effect: Invasion is an upcoming four-issue comic mini-series that will follow Aria T'Loak, Pirate Queen of Omega as her station comes under attack from a new threat unleashed by the human-survivalist organization Cerberus.

The series will be written by BioWare lead writer Mac Walters, scripted by John Jackson Miller, and drawn by Omar Francia, with contributions from cover designer Massimo Carnevale. Mass Effect: Invasion will show why the planet of Omega is important, and how it is a large part of the game.

Invasion takes place between Mass Effect 2 and 3, bridging the gap between the two games.

Dark Horse also recently discussed the release of the Old Republic comic series, Lost Suns. This story follows two previously released Old-Republic comic books about a spy from the republic who is the son of a Jedi grandmaster, but not a Jedi himself.

The panel then began discussing the relationship between BioWare and Dark Horse. The two teams discussed how the relationship between them is autonomous yet they both have the ability to collaborate with each other. The panel, which took place at Comic-Con in San Diego, was comprised of Jeremy Atkins, public relations of Dark Horse and Dave Marshall BioWare editor.

Dark Horse said that the partnership has given the gaming community and the graphic novel community a place to join and collaborate together. It has opened more doors for both communities.

Source: Gamespot Pin It

Resistance is taking their Battles to the Web

News from Comic-Con 2011: The developers of Resistance have decided to take their competition-based battles to the web with a strategy based game.

In a panel discussion that involved the developers discussing the past, present, and future of Resistance, the news of the hour was the move to a web based strategy game. In the new web-based game players will be able to choose sides between human and Chimera. The players will use common strategy elements and PVP battles to win a persistent battle online.

According to the team, Global Resistance will utilize a player’s Facebook and PlayStation account. Players will be able to utilize Facebook for friend invites and status updates and their PlayStation account for the actual playing of the game.

With this new implementation of online play, Resistance 3 will be able to reach a larger audience. This is just one way the team has shown how much they have grown from the first Resistance as a PlayStation launch title Pin It

DIG and Digifest Partnership

The DIG team is extremely excited to announce an amazing new partnership with Digifest.

Digifest, much like DIG, is a festival celebrating innovation and digital creativity. Digifest, coming out of Toronto, Ontario, is an annual event where emerging designers, technologists, and artists come together to show off their presentation and outstanding demos.

Digifest is a one stop shop for all your Digital Interactive needs. Digifest shows off everything from gaming, to the newest releases in technology. One of the biggest annual events in Toronto, Digifest has the ability to carry live streams and bring in amazing speakers at the head of their industry.

Offering prizes, challenging competitions, and the newest in technology, Digifest is a must see for all DIG lovers. Pin It

Slash and Burn Management Style not Favourable

Laura Fryer, VP and General Manager of WB games, is saying that “slash and burn” management styles are harming the industry.

Speaking at an industry session, Fryer compared the management styles of creative studios with that of farms. She stated that many studios will hire a team, make them work until they burn out, and then suddenly drop the team.

Fryer instead urged developers to keep their team well maintained and to allow the creative juices to flow freely. To complete the task, she urges developers to allow the team to function by itself, allowing them to work at their own pace. After all, every team is different, and works at its own pace.

Fryer also suggested that game developers hold a post-mortem at the end of a project and at the end of each milestone. This way they can spot problems that come up before the development of the game is complete, giving the designers enough time to fix the problem they have created.

After all of this, Fryer still recommends there be a timeline so that people are held accountable. But remember, the designers are still adults and should not be looked at like children. Management should not be standing over designers’ shoulders at all times.

Source: Gamasutra Pin It

Paper Munchers - Review

Paper Munchers is a casual and very addicting game developed for the iPhone by Big Blue Bubble, based in London Ontario.

The objective of the game is to get the smaller monsters into the mouths of the bigger monsters. In order to complete the task the players must tap the screen which triggers a bomb and moves the monsters around the screen into the mouths of the bigger beasts. The bombs can be used at any time, even while the monsters are in flight. The munchers have a certain colour associated to them and if the player manages to get the same monster into the mouth of the muncher the player is awarded with an extra bomb. This comes in quite handy because each level only begins with three bombs.

There are two types of bombs that a player can use. One is permanent and is refreshed before every level. The player is given three of these. The other is temporary and can be purchased in game via in game credit or with real money.

The design of Paper Munchers is quite pleasing. The style is very playful and silly. The audio for the game is also very good. The munching effects created by the paper munchers always make me chuckle.

In my opinion Paper Munchers is a silly yet very entertaining game. You are sure to put many hours into this addicting game which has 75 levels. If you haven’t already, be sure to get the trial version of the game. Once hooked you will definitely want to purchase the actual game.

About the author: Vikas Sharma is a video game fanatic, always looking for the next big thing in the gaming industry. A fan of gaming ever since SNES to the next gen consoles, Vikas is a member of the DIG 2011 team. Vikas enjoys different styles of game play and games and is excited by the amount of progress he sees happening in the gaming world. Pin It

New Jobs Created in the Gaming Industry

Ontario is helping Gameloft Inc, a “leading international publisher and developer of downloadable video games” (Interactive Ontario), to open a foremost digital arts studio in Toronto. The new facility will be able to employ up to 205 individuals.

With the support of the province the company will be able leap in front of the competition in one of the fastest growing markets. With 300 games already available through Gameloft, the company will continue to create digital games designed specifically for mobile devices.

Partnering with business is a key part of the McGuinty government. The government plans to expand this industry and provide more jobs for Ontario families.

Ontario’s Interactive Digital media tax credit is attracting many game development businesses to Ontario. These tax credits were a major factor inin Gameloft choosing to locate itself in Ontario.

Source: Interactive Ontario Pin It