Players Enjoy Non-Stop Puzzle Action with a Beat-Fueled Twist to Spin and Shred Their Own Music Along with Original Soundtrack from Award-Winning Producer Neil Voss, Featuring Remixes of Hit Rockers ‘Ok Go’ and Others…

New York – August 25, 2011 – Glow Play (www.glowplay.com) and Alinear Studio, leading purveyors of digital entertainment and next-generation gaming, today announced the release of the first addictive arcade puzzler that interacts with players’ own music on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Radballs® takes classic puzzle action to a new level with over-the-top visual style and a deep connection to music where the game not only moves to the beat but also transforms, scratches, stutters and filters the soundtrack based on play.

“This is far from your typical ‘line up some gems’ puzzler,” stated Ted Kacandes of Glow Play. “What we’ve created is a game like never before, a stylized action-puzzle game where the music becomes a big part of the experience. Players can use the original included soundtrack or their own favorite songs from iTunes. This gives fans of various games – from Bejeweled to Tetris to DJ Hero – an entirely new, next-level outlet in mobile gaming and fans of music a new avenue to enjoy their tracks in a playful new way.”

The objective of the game is to use fluid, touch-based controls to move and match colored Radballs into groups that are destroyed in time with the beat. This classic puzzle mechanic is amplified by a deep connection to the music, where players can scratch and control the beat by interacting with the “beat wave” – a visual indicator of musical time – that affects both the music and timing of the game. Throughout the uniquely styled levels – all visually influenced by 1980’s poster and vintage graphic design – players can scratch the beat like a DJ for extra energy while mastering chain reactions and special power-ups for a higher score. With full support for Apple’s Game Center and Facebook Connect, players can easily share their achievements and challenge their friends to see who can claim the most Radness!

“The way music both complements and becomes part of the fabric of the game is unprecedented,” added Neil Voss, president of Alinear Studio. “It’s not as if you have to button-mash to the beat or that the music stands in the way of the play. Rather, it adds a compelling sense of rhythm and flow to the otherwise addictive and unblinking puzzle action and rewards players with crazy transformations of their music based on what they do.”

The original soundtrack for Radballs® was produced by Neil Voss (of Nintendo’s Tetrisphere and New Tetris fame) and features original electro jams, remixes of OK Go’s hits “White Knuckles” and “End Love,” as well as guest tracks from emerging artists Com Truise (Ghostly International), MisfitChris and Daze. And since players can easily use the songs from their own music libraries, the music literally never stops!

Radballs is available in the Apple AppStore, here, as a hybrid app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch for an introductory price of $2.99.

Media Resources:
• AppStore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radballs/id436204338?mt=8
• Video Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/RadBallsTheGame
• Screenshots: http://radballsthegame.com/press-kit/index.html
• Website: http://radballsthegame.com/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/radballsthegame
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/radballsthegame

ABOUT GLOW PLAY:
Glow Play is the gaming division of NYC-based, award-winning digital marketing and creative agency, Glow Interactive. Glow Play has also produced exclusive intellectual game property for
USA Network, US Bank, Wendy’s, Bravo, A&E, Turner Networks and others. For more information about Glow Play and Glow Interactive, please visit www.glowinteractive.com.

ABOUT ALINEAR STUDIO:
Alinear Studio is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary creative studio founded by video game and music pioneer Neil Voss, dedicated to bringing to life next-generation digital game, entertainment and information experiences.

© 2011 Glow Play and Alinear Studio – all rights reserved. Radballs® is a registered trademark of Alinear Studio.

Apple®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod®, iPod touch® and iTunes® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Retina™ is a trademark of Apple Inc.
App Store℠ is a service mark of Apple Inc. iTunes Store® is a registered service mark of Apple Inc.

Press Contact:
Jamie Larson
Intersect Communications for Glow Interactive
PH: 512-296-9611
jamie@intersectcom.com

GAME INFO:

“Run Run Dash” is a fun casual game of survival and achievements developed for touch-play on iOS devices (iPhone, iPod, iPad). How long can you survive the desert onslaught?? Dodge waves of diving bluebirds hell-bent on attacking! Tap left or right to run, double tab to dash out of the way in your quest to remain. Collect power-ups, and unlock a cache of hidden achievements! Why are there bluebirds attacking you in the desert, you ask? We’ll let you know when we find out!

COST: Free

FEATURES:

• 50+ Game Center™ achievements to attain
• Powerful power-ups help you survive
• Classic 8-bit graphics & hypnotic music
• Super-addictive gameplay action
• FREE Universal app for iPhone™, iPod™ & iPad™

WHERE:

• Available for download in the Apple App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/run-run-dash/id431717211?mt=8&ls=1
• For more information, visit www.runrundash.com

No longer was our window into the great cloud of information pursued through the guise of a browser, but rather through our mobile devices and applications. We’d begun to experience the web, link to link, rather than browsing site to site.

This post does not seek to explore the nuances that define our web browsing experience. Rather we’re here to discuss games and the death of the console, as we know it.

Gaming, a term whose connotations once conjured the mental images of a scrawny 13 year old nerdy boy, socially sequestered to his room, surrounded by Star Wars figurines, is now a multi-billion dollar industry, whose participants average-in at 45 years of age.

Gaming has grown from an 8-bit experience on low-powered consoles to graphically rich computer experiences, only to return to low quality (near 8-bit) experiences, by way of casual gaming online.

Gaming, as it were called, has found refuge in not just our home entertainment systems and computers, but our advertisements, websites and social networks. Gaming and “game mechanics” have permeated and serve as a driving force in our (ad agencies + media dev companies) most successful efforts, whether they be advertisements, location based check-ins (Super Swam Badge you’re mine) or simple mobile applications.

Gaming has shed the stereotypes of its past and now welcomes women of all ages and people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The advent of new devices such as iPads, iPhones and Androids have opened gaming to new generations, while reacquainting individuals pulled away by the forces of life.

To say the gaming industry has grown substantially in the past 30 years would be a bit of an understatement. It’s expected that the gaming industry will pull in revenues somewhere around $35 – $45 billion in the next few years. That’s more than twice the size of the music business at the height of CD sales.

When we consider that causal/social games are expected to account for nearly $11 billion of this growth by 2014, it’s important to take pause and consider what affect this has on the current gaming establishment.

The numbers paint a bleak story for traditional console gaming. Big publishing houses are spending movie size budgets ($50, $100 and even $150 million dollars) only to find the margins shrink and sales decline on these blockbuster games. Juxtapose that with a game like Angry Birds, where development costs were $140,000 and revenues have surpassed $70,000,000.

Nintendo, for the first time in 7 years posted a first half-year loss. Last year in the US, video game software, hardware and accessory sales were down 8%. Meanwhile, social gaming champions Zynga earned a valuation around $5.5 billion (just under Electronic Arts).

So what’s going on here? Well, it’s the medium and the message.

As technology improves the console gaming experience is being replicated on our mobile devices. Look no further than games like Dead Space and Infinity Blade; 38% of mobile gamers are established console gamers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXriafAKH3M&hd=1

Yet, as the medium shifts, so has the message. Games like Farmville, CityVille and ZyngaPoker collectively have approached 300 million active monthly users.  Gaming is no longer isolated to the guys. Women account for nearly 60% of causal and social gaming, all of which are finding homes on our computers and mobile devices.

To suggest the gaming industry isn’t aware of this shift would be an extremely naïve position. EA has spent nearly $400 million acquiring independent game publishers who are masters in this field.

However, what this signifies for brands, companies and anyone with a message, is that becoming a contributing member of the game development community is not something completely out of reach. Social, mobile and casual games are inexpensive yet effective means of distributing branded content and messaging.

Equally, individuals with a great idea and the will to execute will find soft and fertile ground to grow. When industries go through cataclysmic shifts such as this, the barrier to entry drops and the market becomes rife with opportunity. The question for brand managers and agencies is: Are you taking advantage of this growing opportunity and, perhaps more importantly, exposing it to your clients?

The other presenters were all excellent, and we really enjoyed hearing about some of the games and platforms that will be coming to market in the near future.  But I will freely admit that we were really amped to showcase Radballs.  As Neil, Jan and Andy took to the podium to begin the presentation, I heard Neil start to explain the inspiration for our music-driven action puzzle game and I observed the audience.  When Andy started playing the game I watched as the onlookers started bobbing their heads along with the music, smiling and remarking to one another.  The game looked and sounded amazing, and we weren’t the only ones who noticed.

When the Q&A portion began, there were a number of compliments paid to the game, people interested in talking with the developers afterwards and excitement about a unique and fun game being released for iOS.  The promotional buttons we handed out were also a big hit, with some people even coming back to make sure they collected all of the Radballs.  However, our favorite moment of the night came when an audience member asked if players were limited to the songs that came with the game.  When Neil informed her that players are able to import music from their iTunes library, she followed up by asking if imported music can really be affected by the game play and scratched by the player.  Neil assured her that this was the case, to which she replied, “That’s awesome.”

Actually, it’s Rad.

NEW YORK, NY — 12/09/10 — Glow Interactive (www.glowinteractive.com), a leading New York-based interactive marketing, advertising and creative agency, today announced it has developed and launched a new game for USA Network’s CHARACTER ARCADE (www.characterarcade.com). Unlike so many game properties in the crowded world of casual games, “Strange Attraction” (http://www.characterarcade.com/games/strange-attraction) bridges the gap between hardcore and casual gaming. The episodic adventure does so by integrating elements from hardcore gaming — including skill, developed characters, episodic plots and action to provide a richer experience — into a game that users can play, pause and return to anytime, which is key for casual gamers with less time to invest.

“‘Strange Attraction’ was developed to mirror the approach the network has when developing hit series — original characters and strong story arcs,” said Jesse Redniss, vice president of digital, USA Network. “This game gives us the ability to introduce new audiences to USA’s style, but also provides a new gaming experience to our loyal and returning fans. ‘Strange Attraction’ is a first in that it takes the best styles from more hardcore and casual gaming structures to offer something completely new.”

To create story arc that captures a unique character-focused creative approach synergistic with USA Network and its audience, Glow Interactive worked to develop an unsuspecting, likable hero named Gus and crafted a mysterious plot that unfolds as players advance throughout 24 levels and three different worlds. The game begins with a comic book, episodic story that introduces the player to the hero of the game as well as the plot (which involves the villagers being captured by a strange machine) and goals (for Gus to save his friends). The adventure begins by “training” for the first phase of game play to become familiar with the controls and most importantly the “gravity switch,” a major component to master in order to rotate the environments within the game to solve and complete puzzles required to advance to the next levels. Collecting coins, achieving points and defeating villains will occur throughout the game, and completing the game means not only solving all levels in the game, but it also means completing the story and seeing how Gus will fare in his quest.

“While we developed and designed ‘Strange Attraction,’ the goal was to appeal to the largest percentage of users and appeal to their skill level,” explained Ted Kacandes, co-founder of Glow Interactive. “We’ve found that while many casual players enjoy old school games like Mario Brothers, they often don’t have the time investment to ‘beat’ the game. ‘Strange Attraction’ is a type of game that players can leave and return to whenever they’d like. In these types of games, if your character dies, you are basically respawned and start right where you left off. That also allows players to come and go to the game as they please and as their schedule allows, yet gives them the eventual satisfaction of completing the game in their own time.”

The game was developed under the GlowPlay brand, a subsidiary of Glow Interactive that focuses on developing casual, mobile and social games for clients, as well as independent releases.

Additionally, the game is wrapped around a sweepstakes where the grand prize is the all-new Ford Taurus Limited.  Players must complete all seven weeks to be eligible to win the grand prize.

Can you catch The White Shadow? Play now!

Have what it takes to stop the Bugs Gone Wild or Alien Invaders?  If you like old school games give them a play. Bugs Gone Wild. Attack on Mother Earth.