Hi Nitromians,
We have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage update is ready for submission on iOS and Android. Now here's the bad news. Although the game is ready, due to events not being in our control this is not going to happen just yet. We want to be as open about this as possible so that hopefully you will understand this final delay.
The problem is to do with iOS not Android, but before everyone says 'just launch it on Android', we have been working for a very long time and we stand the best chance to make a splash with this update to go live across all formats at the same time.
Not many of you probably noticed but Icebreaker HD (the iPad version) is now on the Nitrome account rather than the Rovio Stars one on the App Store. The decision to transfer Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage from Rovio Stars to Nitrome was mutual. At this point of the game’s life cycle it made financial sense for both Rovio and Nitrome to transfer the future updates and upkeep of the game to Nitrome. The decision was a mutual win-win.
The iPhone version should at this point also be on our account but it's not.
On trying to transfer the game file using Apples official method one of the in-app-purchase ids conflicted with an in-app-purchase id of the same name on Nitrome's account and caused it to fail. We tried many things to solve it but none worked and we now need Apple's help in order to fix this. If we uploaded a new build of the game to our account, current owners would not get the upcoming free update. I'm sure you would agree is unacceptable. We have been in communication directly with Apple about the issue for around a week and a half and are waiting for one of their engineers to review the situation. Once that happens they hopefully will provide a fix but they might not.
We have a sort of "Plan B" if all this fails, which we're working on for the worst case scenario but it's not as straight forward and certainly not perfect but would mean that current users still get the update, which is the most important thing.
So we are waiting at the moment and can't even submit the update until this is resolved. This could be a few days or it could be weeks, we just can't tell. Hopefully it will be the former and you will see the game pretty soon. In the meantime we will still be running some more teasers while we sort this all out. We'll keep you all updated on how this progresses.
Two final things that need mentioning. In-app-purchases are currently not working in the iPhone build of the game (the none HD version). This is to do with us trying to transfer the game and will be fixed as soon as we do transfer it. We are sorry to anyone who wanted to buy God Powers in the meantime. On a more positive note, we have made the HD version universal so now iPad users can also play Icebreaker on their iPhone and iPods... nice!
We know this is a bit of a long read, we just wanted to be totally transparent on the situation because we want this update out as much as you do! We will update you on the latest news as and when it happens.
:0)
Hi Nitromians,
Today's Pixel Love game is Spiderling by Martin Pertini. This game is really beautifully crafted, both in terms of the visuals and the game play.
You play as a spiderling which uses a string like web to move around the levels. The web mechanic really makes for some clever puzzles and level design ideas.
In this game you'll encounter different creatures, which are all wonderfully animated. You can also interact with them in interesting ways. For example, centipedes can be used like "trams" that can transport you across otherwise impassable drops. Snails can become stepping stones to climb higher in the level.
We hope you all enjoy this great game, we'll bring you another Pixel Love next Monday.
Have fun!
Hey Nitromains,
It’s time to reveal another glimpse into our HUGE free upcoming Icebreaker update.
The Glorious Gloves.
Some experienced Icebreaker veterans may recognise this “handy” tool from our web release. We always wanted to include them in the initial launch but never got around to it. However we are really pleased to say that they’re back and better than ever before.
For those who have missed it in our previous post. The plan is to have the Android release arrive alongside this update. So Android users can finally be in sync with the latest Icebreaker build.
Oh... and did we forget to say that the ‘iPad’ version is going Universal! And not only that, the universal build should finally have cloud saving alongside this big update. So (fingers and toes crossed) both of your devices will at-last be in sync.
You can help spread the news by sharing the Trailer: http://youtu.be/OcqUM1ARcN8
Please stay tuned for more Icebreaker news. =)
Our Pixel Love game choice for today is Lost Yeti by Neutronized!
This game is now also available to buy on both iOS and Android devices!
In this demo version of Lost Yeti, there is a simple premise. You must guide the yeti to the chequered flag on each of the levels by moving the ice blocks whilst avoiding enemies and collecting the treats along the way.
Lost Yeti boasts the same high level of graphical polish and quality pixel art that we have come to expect from Neutronized. It has a really bouncy soundtrack and lively sound effects too.
This is a real joy to play, we hope you all enjoy this one as much as us!
Have fun everyone, we'll bring you another Pixel Love next week!
Hi Nitromians,
We have just seen some awesome fanart made by Shuey187 over on Youtube. The video is taken from a Tetris game where the Cuboy Icon slowly materializes from the lines of tetronimoes. We are really impressed with the idea, thanks for the effort in doing this piece!
If you have any fan art you have made about Nitrome please do send it in! We love everything we get sent especially if it is our work applied to something we have never seen before.
Hi Nitromians!
Today's Pixel Love game is A Ghostly Journey by Daniel Haslop.
This game has got some great artwork, music and interesting game play elements. You take on the role of a ghost that has to avoid light sources and disappearing forever.
The fun really starts when you begin possessing people to further your journey. The game difficulty isn't too steep and makes for a forgiving and enjoyable play session.
A quick word of warning, there are a few pixelated blood splats here and there in this game, so we thought we'd warn you in advance!
Have fun everyone, we'll bring another pixel love game next Monday!
Hi Nitromians,
Today we have made a couple of tweaks to the mobile visualisation on our site. More specifically the 'iPhone' tab now reads 'Mobile' with the phone screen adjusted to contain an Android and Apple logo.
We have also updated the 'iTrome' category in the blog to instead read 'Mobile'. Both of these have been adjusted to reflect the fact that, with the upcoming launch of Icebreaker to Android, we are focused on both the major mobile platforms.
With future mobile games we plan to launch to both iOS and Android at the same time so it made sense to make this change.
Today's Pixel Love game is a Ludum Dare 19 entry called Grand Mystic Quest of Discovery by Hulahulahest.
Firstly we need to mention the controls:
Arrow Keys: left/right = walk left/right
Arrow Keys: up/down = climb ladders, read scrolls, enter doors
Z = jump / close scrolls
Q = use spell #1 (once you have it)
W = use spell #2 (once you have it)
(Hold) A = use spell #3 (once you have it)
S = use spell #4 (once you have it)
Ctrl+F2 = restart
We have added the controls onto the game page too.
This game very accurately emulates the C64 graphic style and colour palette. It has very solid gameplay, the elements/spells all work great together to create a set of clever puzzles for you to solve.
Have fun everyone, we'll highlight another great pixel love game next week!
Hi Nitromians,
Further to our previous Icebreaker update we realised there is one new feature that we forgot to mention! (Sorry there was a lot already so we missed it). Since launch people have been asking for Icebreaker avatars and were happy to say that come the update you will (if you own the game) be able to use 8 different Avatars based on the mobile Icebreaker universe!
The Avatars will be available from all versions of the game be it the upcoming Android version or iOS. Martin did a really good job on them so I think you will like them when you see them :)
Have a great weekend everyone!
This week's pixel love is a philosophical game titled The Company of Myself by Eli Piilonen.
The game makes great use of the passage of time as a mechanic to solve the puzzles. There are some brilliant ideas that have been explored in this game and that is why it is our Pixel Love choice. The puzzles are very cleverly laid out. The game gets even more entertaining as you start to encounter the levers to open gates.
The storyline is quite deep and makes you think almost as much as the puzzles themselves.
Have fun Nitromians. We'll bring you another Pixel Love next week!
