iGame Radio

We’re back from vacation, and what do we find in our inbox? Luscious screens from Telltale Games’ Jurassic Park The Game. So, of course, we had to share. Enjoy, and send them to your friends!

 

What’s inside this episode:

• Host Omaha Sternberg and co-host Peter Cohen of The Loop talk about the week’s news in Mac and iOS gaming. First up, is Freemium really the way to go? Omaha and Peter talk about two studies this week that seem to say just that.
• Diablo 3…more WoW than Diablo 2? Omaha and Peter talk about the newest revelations this week about Blizzard’s latest.
• Apple has more cash than the US treasury! Omaha and Peter chuckle through analyst suggestions of who Apple should purchase.
• Some couple in China didn’t understand why they shouldn’t be allowed to sell their offspring for Internet Cafe game cash. Omaha and Peter have a hard time understanding them…
• The Humble Indie Bundle is here again! Number 3 has arrived, and bundled with more than ever.
• Spiderweb Software is rebooting the first Avernum game. Peter talks about why that is ultra cool.
• Omaha and Peter talk about games that they’ve played in the past week.

Music Notes:

• Digital Droo produced our theme music here at iGame Radio.
• Tomas Dvorak for featuring music from Machinarium.
• Rich Carlson for featuring music from Dr. Blob.

G5 Entertainment today launched a new time management game for the Mac, Jack of All Tribes. Previously released for iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad, this time management game takes Jack to the past to become the Redeemer, helping build the tribes with artifacts from the future.

Jack climbs on the “Tunnel of Destiny”, a new attraction at the local amusement park, to find himself suddenly in a long-lost civilization. Jack finds himself declared the redeemer predicted by the Great Shaman. Now Jack must follow the instructions given in the prophecy: find all hidden artifacts and free the tribes from the oppressive domination of the Dumbheads.

Jack of All Tribes also features strategy gameplay and hidden object mini-games as well. The needs and emotions of tribes members helping Jack are necessary to meet and make happier, since happy people move much faster and work more efficiently.

The iOS version of the game has been given the Pocket Gamer Silver Award, and has been in the Top 10 Downloaded games. Jack of All Tribes for the Mac is now available in the Mac App Store for $6.99.

The Humble Indie Bundle 3, the third in Wolfire Games’ popular pay-what-you-want Indie game bundle series, has just gotten bulkier! The bonus game Steel Storm: Burning Retribution has just been added to the mix.

The Humble Indie Bundle 3 was revealed on July 26th with five games in the mix: Crayon Physics Deluxe, Hammerfight, VVVVVV, And Yet It Moves, and Cogs…all games available for Mac, Linux, and Windows. The bundle can be purchased and downloaded for the amount you deem it’s worth. Currently, the highest value is $4,096.00, paid by MtGox.com (a coin-exchange site). As has already been seen, some sites find donating money to the Humble Indie Bundle a valuable advertising method.

Steel Storm: Burning Retribution is an old school top down action shooter with a twist. The game has score oriented competitive gameplay, and is designed for people who like fast paced action, hordes of smart enemies, destructible worlds and ground shaking explosions.

If you are a Minecraft fan, buying the Humble Indie Bundle 3 now will get you free gameplay until August 14th as well.

All games are DRM-free, and have demos available for you to review before you purchase the bundle. And you can designate the amount you pay as you wish to the developers, the two charities that the Bundle supports (EFF and Child’s Play), and/or Wolfire Games.

Currently, over 218,000 bundles have been sold for over $1 million. The HIB3 will run for another seven days.

Valve today announced The International, a tournament of Dota 2 that will be the first public showing of the game. The tournament will take place August 17th-21st at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.

The International features the 16 best Dota teams in the world competing in the Dota 2 Championships through a group stage, double elimination playoff format over the course of Cologne’s five-day trade show. The winning team will receive $1 million. In addition to the cash prizes awarded by Valve, NVidia is providing all hardware for the event.

“The International is the first public Dota 2 event and will give the tens of millions of gamers playing Dota around the world their first look at the new game,” said Gabe Newell, president and founder of Valve. “I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary.”

Dota 2 is the stand-alone sequel that Valve is developing to the popular Warcraft III mod map Defense of the Ancients (popularly known as Dota). The game will tentatively be released for Windows and Mac later this year.

Teams represent countries from across the world, including Denmark, China, Russia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Interestingly enough, there are no teams from the US listed on the site, or indeed from either of the Americas (North or South). The tournament will be broadcast in four languages (Chinese, German, Russian, and English) free of charge. We’ll keep you up to date regarding the tournament as information is released.

Mobigames, in partnership with Two Tribes, is bringing their award-winning iOS game Edge to the Mac and Windows platforms.

This retro-styled platforming game with light puzzle elements allows players take direct control of a cube as it rolls around over forty block-based levels in search of colorful prisms and the fastest routes. Throughout the game’s levels, unique techniques – such as the balancing act called ‘EDGE time’ – are introduced to deepen the experience. To top it all off, EDGE will include all the content of the soon to be released iOS game, EDGE extended, as free post-launch DLC, albeit only for the Steam version.

This is the third Indie game to be redeveloped and taken to other platforms by Two Tribes, after Swords & Soldiers and Frenzic. Two Tribes promises custom bonus levels built by them will be included in the release. Edge will be coming to a Mac near you via Steam and the Mac App Store on August 11th. No price has been set as of this date.

If you listen closely, you might hear the weeping of Tim Langdell.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• Host Omaha Sternberg and co-host Corey Tamas talk about the week’s news in Mac and iOS gaming. First up, Corey talks about his experience updating to Lion, and what impact it had on his gaming.
• Omaha and Corey talk about the Freeverse announcement and their belief that Freeverse is saying goodbye to the Mac gaming community.
• Omaha relates her experience at the Casual Connect game conference last week. Summary, get a bigger room!
• Microsoft is going to open 75 more retail stores to compete with Apple stores. Perhaps they should look a bit different too? Or maybe their going for the China effect?
• Australia finally created an R18+ game rating for adults…complete with a babysitter. Corey replies, “Boobs!”
• Omaha and Corey talk about games that they’ve played in the past week, and Omaha reveals the poll results from last week.

Music Notes:

• Digital Droo produced our theme music here at iGame Radio.
• John Gatti for featuring music from El Ballo; pick up the El Ballo soundtrack
• Zach Young for featuring music from The Great Tree.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• A Casual Connect 2011 Game Chat Series. Philips has introduced a new point and click technology called the uWand…a new way to interact with your technology in your home, including your games. Omaha Sternberg talks with Marc Nieuwhof of Philips about how the uWand can play games on the GameTreeTV smart television with motions that remind you of the actual actions, and the potential of the device.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• A Casual Connect 2011 Game Chat Series. Proper Games was one of many game companies that entered the $50,000 GameTreeTV Developer Competition with Yo Deshi, a cerebral martial arts-themed board game. So it was with shock and delight that John Sinclair of Proper Games came up to the podium at Casual Connect 2011 as the $50,000 winner. Omaha Sternberg sat down with Sinclair afterward to talk about his game, his company, and where he’ll go from here.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• A Casual Connect 2011 Game Chat Series. In the past year, Matt Hulett, president of GameHouse division, has taken this division of Real Networks from a purely casual downloadable property to one that offers social and mobile gaming as well. As many do, Hulett saw social and mobile gaming as the future for casual games. Omaha Sternberg chatted with him regarding how this shift turned out, and what the future of GameHouse has in store.