extremepreneur

Twitter Saved My Life

Well, not exactly ... but for three days solid I used TweetDeck and replied to EVERY message I saw about the Bailout and keep pounding away that Bailout Bonanza (our iPhone game) was delayed, perhaps due to concerns about it's satirical nature. That message was then re-twitted by major bloggers to 10's of 1000's of followers

Well, it just went LIVE in the store. It had been delayed for well over a month.

You can see it on the iPhone App Store.

Sales were generated last night even though you have to type in the name or use my provided link to buy the title. It isn't in the "what's new" in the game categories yet.

Look, what I basically did was to create a wave of public discussion on the approval delay. Our contacts had told us that the title might be looked at next week. This Twit Blitz may have done the trick, I have NO WAY of knowing if it did the trick.

I also resorted to on-camera begging last weekend:

http://www.theappshow.com/2009-03-22-the-app-show-episode-21-no-parking/

Beat the Bailout on your iPhone or Google Android Phone

AN UPDATE:

IT SHIPPED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SENT MESSAGES AND MADE CALLS

Buy it at the iPhone App Store

We've decided to increase our contribution to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to 25% of sales (retail price).

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PlayScreen Battles the “Bailout Bonanza” with a New iPhone Game

Angered by the million dollar bonuses, corporate jets, fancy junkets and other executive perks

funded by the Bank Bailout?  Wish you could stop this “Bailout Bonanza?” A new iPhone game 

will give you the opportunity to do just that, and in the process, provide a REAL helping

hand for people in need.

PlayScreen has created “Bailout Bonanza,” a fast, fun and furious arcade-action game where 

you try to catch bundles of cash being thrown by a greedy executive.  Taking advantage 

of the iPhone’s cool control features, “Bailout Bonanza” gives you the option to play by swiping your 

finger across the screen or by tilting the phone.  Watch out for the occasional shoe toss!  If you 

miss a moneybag or get hit by a shoe you lose one of your baskets and make the greedy 

exec very happy.

PlayScreen is pledging to donate 25% (yes, we have changed this from 5%) of each sale to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

With “Bailout Bonanza” you can channel your frustration over Bailout abuse into helping the people hit hardest by this economic crises.

Now available for the Google Android G1 phone!



Contact Information:

William Volk
[email protected]
(858) 692 1124

Bailout Bonanza, a new iPhone game that takes on the abuses of the bailout

AN UPDATE:

IT SHIPPED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SENT MESSAGES AND MADE CALLS

Buy it at the iPhone App Store

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Motivated by anger over the abuses of the Bailout, PlayScreen is launching a iPhone game called "Bailout Bonanza."

Here is a video trailer for the game:

(There's a high quality viewing option on the lower right of the video).

"Bailout Bonanza" is a classic arcade game where you try to stop the abuses of executives using the Federal Bailout of Banks for their own personal benefit.

Featuring a choice of a Swipe or Tilt interface, "Bailout Bonanza" recreates a classic arcade experience with a theme as timely as today's headlines.

The game will be available on iTunes for a price of 99 cents.

PlayScreen is pledging to donate 5% of each sale to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. With “Bailout Bonanza” you can channel your frustration over Bailout abuse into helping the people hit hardest by this economic crises.

Bigfoot Sighted! On an iPhone.

Just released on iTunes!

The rare and elusive creature known as Bigfoot has been spotted on an iPhone.

In this new strategy game you have to capture Bigfoot before he can escape:

This game features auto save, manual save, and 11 levels that will frustrate you to no end.  Bigfoot likes to laugh when he gets away.  You'll learn to hate that laugh.

Here is a video preview:

I expect this will appear on the App Store sometime next week.

Building a Better Bounce Trap

This is a story about how a good game became GREAT.

I am proud to announce that Bounce Trap Tilt just got released on iTunes and the App Store. 



The original Bounce Trap got some nice reviews on iTunes and in the press. 

... this iPhone puzzle game is fun. It's got the addictiveness part down pat. This is one of the first iPhone games that I'd deem worthy for an actual gamer. - Hands-On, Destructoid.com

Addiction is a cruel mistress. She sneaks up on you, luring you with promise of pleasure. It's a rouse, a trap – one time and you're hooked. Bounce Trap ensnares you with its easy-to-learn gameplay, drawing you back with its subtle strategic depth. ... Bounce Trap provides polished casual play with enough depth to entertain a seasoned gamer. - PocketGamer 

With a mixture of action, strategy, and chance Bounce Trap can get fairly addicting and will provide entertainment for young and old. - AppCraver 

But along with that, there was a legitimate criticism that the game needed more interactivity. You could control where the ball was released, but like Peggle^tm, once the ball was released you didn't have any control over it's trajectory.

Well, Bounce Trap Tilt now allows you to control the ball by .... tilting the iPhone. You can curve your shots, aim for specific bonus holes etc... We also added a new audio driver and shrunk the game from 26MB to 9.3MB with all the music and sound effects of the original. You can even buy the game ($0.99) directly from your iPhone by texting BOUNCE to 74415.

And of course, it is a free update for existing players of Bounce Trap.

Update: Bounce Trap Tilt is featured in "What's Hot" on iTunes!

iPhone Reviews blog reviews Mystic Jewels

Wednesday's Review: Mystic Jewels

Mystic Jewels is a very clever strategy game. While it does look like another matching game, it is far from it. The aim of the game is to remove all jewels from the board. This is done by upgrading the Jewels until the are destroyed and sent out waves which start a chain reaction, earning you more points. It sounds simple but if you don't make big chain reactions, the number of moves which you get will get be down dramatically, causing you to lose the game. This is very addictive and a great game to play.
....

This is a very addicting game with a lot of replay value as you try and master the game and beat your high scores. Very polished game that was well thought out. Anyone who enjoys puzzle games would enjoy this, definitely consider buying this for its sale price, well worth it.

Support P.O.P., People against the Overfeeding of Pigs

Please support this worthy cause:


Pigs a' Pop'n - Save the Pigs video from tedb on Vimeo.

Thank you.

Sony to Sony Ericsson, DROP DEAD!

I don't see anyway to sugarcoat this.

With massive layoffs at Sony, coupled with Sony Ericsson losses of US$346 million having just been announced, there's never been a better time to branch out with a potentially lucrative and under used brands – like the PSP [PlayStation Portable)]. But according to MobileToday, Sony has refused the use of the PSP brand, stating that:

"In the past, we have been keen that our product proposition lives up to brand promise, and we feel at the moment the technical specs are not high enough to put such a prestigious brand on a phone."

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/news.asp?c=0445241201&pk=33430117

They have literally denied Sony Ericsson the tools needed to turnabout their sales picture and in fact have hurt the PSP platform itself. The iPhone/iPod touch are already taking share away from the PSP, which badly needs a OTA distribution system.

This ranks with some of the all-time bad business decisions ever made.

How to market a product: GEICO

I am constantly amazed at GEICO's marketing genius.  They have the caveman.  They have the gecko.

Most companies would stop there, but GEICO keeps trying new and different campaigns.  The latest is a stack of money with two eyes on top ... "The Money You Would Save" or something.

They have done many others.  The 'spokesperson' ads.  The "silly things on the internet" ads.  

Makes me think that you have to iterate.  Never be satisfied with what you have.

SUPER PIG OUT! A new contest for Pigs a Pop'n

Ok, so we ran a contest and in a few hours, one lucky player (Eric, you were AWESOME) beat our best scores and managed to get to level 25.   I never got past level 14 so I was impressed.

So this time we're making the challenge more interesting.  

In honor of the Super Bowl we're awarding $200 (via Paypal) to the highest score submitted by Super Bowl day (Feb. 1st).  

Just email a screen grab of a game screen (better than Level 25, we know you can do that) to:

[email protected] 

Here's some information on capturing a screen.

How to Capture a Screen

Here's the link to the game: http://tinyurl.com/5mgk6z

Or simply text Pigs to 74415.

We will keep everyone informed of the current high score on this blog, on Twitter, and on the touchArcade forum.

Super Oink Oink!

SYGG wins the contest!