Surprisingly based on overlapping demographics, video games have not featured widely in Super Bowl commercials in years past – maybe because the big franchises launch in late summer through the fall, maybe they were unwilling to spend the big money on the ad space, or something? But this year three ‘freemium’ mobile games spent big – but was it worth it?
!['The World Ends With You' Broken on iOS 8, No Update Coming [UPDATED]](https://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The-World-Ends-With-You.jpg "'The World Ends With You' Broken on iOS 8, No Update Coming [UPDATED] 2")
One of the best, most original and unique games for the Nintendo DS was “The World Ends With You”. Square Enix delivered excellent single-player iPhone and iPad versions called ‘Solo Remix’ in summer 2012 for an audience-limiting $17.99/$19.99. Now a game-killing iOS 8 bug has been identified, and it isn’t clear if it will be fixed.
Much of the big noise from the recent NAMM show was about bringing back the classic analog synths of the 60s and 70s. But what about the workhorses of the digital era? Those tools for those of us starving for polyphony on a budget? Roland is answering this with the introduction of the Sound Canvas module for iOS.
While I am constantly amazed at the long-term support iOS game developers put into supporting their customers, I also know that it cannot last forever – revenues for old games diminish, and new projects need the time and resources. So while it is sad that Spacetime Studios is dropping some older games, it isn’t surprising – or even bad!
Yesterday we invited everyone to join us on the Outlook Mobile App Challenge, which seemed like a fun way to put this new ‘universal inbox’ app to the test. Since then some significant security concerns have been identified that makes this an app that we cannot recommend using right now. As a result, we’re stopping the challenge immediately.
Yesterday I wrote about the new Outlook app for iOS/Android, calling it a truly universal inbox that aggregates emails from all of the popular webmail services – Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Outlook – into a single unified Inbox. I am settled in my dual Mail/Mailbox routine, so Wayne challenged me to try Microsoft Outlook only for a week. Are you in?
Last week I reviewed ‘Satellina’, the puzzle in motion game I called a rare ‘simple to learn but constantly challenging’ experience that is well worth the $1.99 cost. This week as promised Moon Kid has released the game for Android on the Google Play store, and has also unleashed a free download from the game’s unique soundtrack! Check it out!
The quest for a truly ‘universal’ inbox for iOS is something many of us have been on since the beginning – we already had accounts on iCloud, Hotmail, Yahoo and of course Gmail … but there have always been limitations around notifications, account handling and more. Based on Accompli, the new Outlook app seeks to become your truly universal Inbox.
Last fall G5 Entertainment released G5 Jackpot Casino: Free Vegas Slots for the iPad, a free-to-play casino game with plenty of in-app purchase options. While slot machines and gambling games really aren’t my thing, the quest-based gameplay was engaging and offered loads of incentives to keep playing. What was missing was an iPhone version – which arrives now!
If you use the Internet even sparingly, you’re bound to know that smart wallets are the next big change in the way that we make purchases. Swyp is the latest product that wants to combine all of your credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, and loyalty cards into one credit card-sized package. Swyp is now up for preorder for $49.
Don’t let “Deflategate” take the wind out of your Super Bowl XLIX (49) fun! Fans can get great experiences from various media, apps and more to celebrate the National Football League’s deciding game. Take a look at more “super” options and ways to get authentic gear.
Nearly four years ago, Adobe introduced Forms Central, an online service that let you easily distribute, collect and analyze data using web or PDF forms and surveys. Last week they announced they were killing off the product, and final retirement was July 28, 2015. For users of the service this means finding a new home, such as FormStack.
After not subscribing for a while, my family has been thoroughly enjoying a renewed Spotify subscription these last few months. The constant stream of improvements since they first launched has made the service more valuable than ever. Now they have introduced a new feature – Touch Preview – that lets you quickly check out new songs without leaving your playlist.
One of the best and most successful movies of the last year was The LEGO Movie. The quality and broad appeal surprised many viewers, and the video games were also quite enjoyable and high quality and popular with gamers of all ages. Now The LEGO Movie Video game has launched for iOS devices for just $4.99 – check it out!
Over the last several years card-based role-playing games have matured and branched out beyond just a few archetypes. While doing so they have also wrapped fully immersive games around the card-battle mechanic, making it easy to forget that there is even a card battle there! Honorbound has been a successful genre game, and is now expanding! Check it out!
I remember when MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) launched in the late 1990s, allowing us to jump back to the joy of the games we loved in the early 1980s arcades. MAME has provided nostalgic fun for millions of gamers over the last two decades, but even better is games like Spirefall that recapture those feelings in a new experience!
This weekend in football, we have conference championships that will decide who goes to the Super Bowl. These are all popular teams – New England, Indianapolis, Seattle and Green Bay – so you can be sure there’ll be plenty of gatherings either at bars or in people’s homes. If you’re planning a party – the Homegating app has you covered!
Mobile and tablet email application CloudMagic today introduces CloudMagic Pro for $4.99/mo or $44.99/year. For the money, you’ll expand the number of email accounts supported from 5 (free version) to unlimited. The pro version also offers extra options and email configuration sync across all your devices including tablets.
2014 was another strange year of simultaneously explosive growth and entrenched maturation; where most of the biggest apps solidified control in their areas, yet tons of new apps appeared and a few were hugely successful. It is a reminder that fast moving trends dominate all of the app stores, and how maturity is now more about equal choices amongst stores.
Puzzle games are like art or jokes in some ways – you either get it or you don’t, if you do it is addictive and if you don’t there is no sense trying to explain. Indie developer Moon Kid is preparing to launch Satellina, a simple color matching game that is anything but simple because it is a ‘puzzle in motion’.
I wrote about Wellograph when it was first announced in September, and have had one since they were first available. The rate of improvements has been incredible, so when I heard about the new stuff announced at CES, I thought ‘of course’, without surprise. The new functionality is definitely worth noting if you have considered buying a Wellograph.