Monty Speaks: Best of Show
Dear Readers,
2004 began like any other year for us: We had an exhibit at Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, which was four days of Mac-happy excitement. We showcased BumperCar, our new web browser for kids, and ToySight, our camera-controlled game software to the crowds of onlookers. We also had Active Lancer on display at the Apple Games Theater.
But 2004 changed in a big way for us on the third day of the show, when editors of Macworld dropped by our booth with a Best of Show award placard. Ian briefly pondered whether ToySight or BumperCar had won. That's when he was informed that both had been awarded the prize. BumperCar for Best Educational Software, and ToySight for Best Game. In fact, Freeverse led the way among exhibitors, as one of only two companies to score two Best of Show awards.
And I missed it! It's too bad monkeys aren't allowed on the show floor. Apparently Ian and Colin's argument that I was a seeing-eye monkey wasn't good enough to get me past the crack security team at the Moscone Center. It's OK, though. I found a good street corner to hustle a bit of 3-card Monty, Manhattan style!
Here is one of Dennis Slade's photos of the booth crew.
Sometimes looking at a photo is the next best thing.
See you next time,
Monty Zuma
Official Spokesmonkey
Freeverse Software
ToySight Shipping
ToySight, our collection of games and toys you play by moving in front of your Mac, is now shipping. This is the game that won Best of Show at Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco this month!
ToySight features a dozen interactive games and toys for one or two players. Instead of using a joystick, mouse, or keyboard, you maneuver in front of an iSight or other FireWire camera (such as a DV camcorder) to control the action. See yourself on the game screen, and use your arms to play.
If you're interested in seeing more about this award-winning collection of games, visit Apple's Trailer Site for a glimpse of how cool it is.
This groundbreaking title is available at Apple resellers and at the Freeverse Store at a suggested retail price of US $34.95. Find out what the editors of Macworld are raving about! Get your copy today!
Official Toysight Page:
http://www.toysight.com/
Burning Monkey Casino Demo Posted
The demo for Burning Monkey Casino, the only game that lets you wager with pretend money or pretend bananas, is rocking download charts all over the Internet.
The demo lets you play (five times per launch) these five addictive games:
Blackjack - Play with one to eight decks, and try to tie or beat the dealer in this traditional casino game.
Poker - Eighteen variations of this five-card video game provide hours of enjoyment.
Slots - Pass the time with 3-slot, 4-slot, and 5-slot games, with up to two holds. Big payouts are just a pull away!
Scratch n' Win - Players can savor the experience of scratching lottery tickets, without all of the gummy residue to clean up. Pick from two instant win games, and use six different scratchers... including a Taco!
3-card Monty - The classic street game of finding the Queen is brought to life in vivid color. Keep your eye on the queen!
*Imaginary banana wagers available only in Video Poker and Slots. All other wagers are in imaginary U.S. dollars only. You may imagine that the dollars are from Canada or Hong Kong, but an imaginary agent of a state gaming commission and some imaginary guys that go by the names of "Solly" and "Fatso" will make sure you imagine otherwise.
You can get this for US $19.95 at your favorite Mac software retailer, or from the Freeverse Store. (It sure beats quitting and relaunching the program every few minutes!)
Official Burning Monkey Casino Page:
http://www.freeverse.com/casino.mgi
New Games from e.p.i.c. interactive
At Macworld Conference & Expo, we announced a North American distribution deal with German publisher e.p.i.c. interactive. We're handling sales for two of their games on our continent.
Northland is the sequel to Cultures 2 - The Gates of Asgard, and continues the story of Hatschi, Sigurd, Bjami, and Crya, the four heroes who defeated the Midgard Serpent and saved the world. Loki seeks revenge for the slaying of the serpent, and his subsequent banishment from Asgard, so he decides to torment the four heores in hopes of sneaking back in. The realtime strategy game received the PC Action Gold Award and the PC Extreme Silver rating in Europe, and was called "the cutest buildup game to ever grace the Macintosh" in the November 2003 issue of the German magazine, Mac Life.
Divine Divinity is the story of the chosen one, who must save the legendary land of Rovellon from the clutches of the Lord of Chaos. Players can affect gameplay by choosing to play as a wizard, a warrior, or a survivor. IGN awarded the game "Editors Choice", "Surprise of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Music" in 2003, and prompted rpgdot.com to say "How can you not like a game that gives you quests to wash dishes, blow up supply trains, solve murder mysteries and poison wells?"
Northland should be available later this month. Divine Divinity is coming sometime later.
Official Divine Divinity Page (by CDV Software Entertainment AG):
http://www.divinedivinity.com/
Official Northland Page (by GMX Media):
http://www.northland-game.com/
e.p.i.c. interactive website:
http://www.epic-interactive.com/
Backgammon Deluxe Released
We've added another game to our collection of board games with Backgammon Deluxe. You can play this game online against another opponents, and it's totally free!
If you're wondering where the solo-play version is, that's version 2.0, and it'll have a registration fee associated with it because of all the work that goes into developing a computer opponent. In the meantime, you can get your backgammon kicks online with other GameSmith users for free!
Download Backgammon Deluxe 1.0: http://download.freeverse.com/index.php?game=backgammon&platform=mac
Wingnuts II and AirBurst Extreme Screenshots
Here are some screenshots of games that we're working on. Right now the games are in very early alpha status, which means that lots of things will change between now and the time the games are released, including what the games look like. We know most of you enjoy looking at early development screenshots, so enjoy!
Wingnuts 2 is coming this summer! This action game developed by Mark Andersson (Wingnuts, Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab, Casino) is the sequel to Wingnuts, with a new and revamped OpenGL engine for enemy-blasting action!
Mark and the Freeverse team have been working on this game feverishly since Burning Monkey Casino shipped. Among the newer developments are different ways of controlling the plane, as well as newer weapons and newer planes.
Look for Wingnuts II on a store shelf sometime in mid-2004.
To wrap up, here's a screenshot of a game of Airburst Extreme in progress. With ToySight out of the way, the Fothergill brothers are once again working on their sequel to the smash hit Airburst. With an all-new story mode, innovative new game types, crazy special moves and techniques, beautiful new effects graphics, more characters and locations...there aren't enough adjectives to describe this game, and this is still an early alpha! Airburst Extreme should also be shipping this summer.
What's Jen Cookin'?
Hi
again!
The theme for this month is noodles. Not just any noodles. Instant noodles. Ramen noodles are a great snack, but what about if you want a meal? Well, you can add an egg for protein and cholesterol (you do need some cholesterol in your diet.
So here's how to make what I call Ramen with egg drops and hot sauce:
Ramen with egg drops and hot sauce
| Qty | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 | package of instant Ramen noodles |
| 1 | egg |
| some | hot sauce |
| 1 | multivitamin tablet |
Prepare the ramen noodles as directed. While the noodles are boiling, crack the egg in a bowl and beat it with a fork. (By beating the egg, we mean to mix the yolk and the white, not to abuse it!) When the noodles are ready, slowly pour the egg into the soup over the fork, as you shake the fork from side to side, creating little drops of egg. Add some hot sauce (we used The Cheech Garlic Habanero for ours.
I put a multivitamin into the recipe because Ramen noodles are basically oil and fat with no nutrition, but the problem with adding the vitamin is that unless you have a mortar and pestle, it's hard to crush one of those into a good powder. So you could just eat it before you eat the noodles, if that's your preference.
Like this recipe? Forward it to a friend!
Freeverse Tip: ToySight
Two toysight tips in this issue!
Tip number one: Your FireWire camera doesn't need to be a webcam! Lots of people think that an iSight is required, but really any old camera (including any DV camcorder with FireWire) will work. Some people with camcorders find that they have problems keeping the camera on for an extended play session, because these video cameras put themselves to sleep if no tape is rolling. If you have that problem, pop in a blank tape and hit record.
Tip number two: If you're having problems navigating in Freefall, remember that the lower your arms are on the controls, the faster (and further forward) your skydiver will fall. You can also take your arms off of the controls by moving them inward, and the skydiver will continue at the most recently selected control options.
Monkey Chuckles
It was October and the monkeys in the jungle asked their new King, Monty, whether the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since Monty was King in a modern society he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told his jungle animals that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.
But being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold" the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So Monty went back to his jungle-dwelling animals and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter." Monty again went back to the jungle and ordered the animals to collect every scrap of firewood they could find. Two weeks later Monty called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever." "How can you be so sure?" Monty asked. The weatherman replied, "The monkeys in the jungle are collecting firewood like crazy."
Monty went to the library to get a book. A few days later, he returns and says to the librarian at the counter, "This book was very boring. It had too many names and too many numbers, and not enough pictures, so i would like to return it."
The librarian says to the other librarian, "So here is the person who took our phone book!"
Monty finished a jigsaw puzzle, and he rejoiced, running into the street, and chanting, "3 months! 3 months!"
The newspaper seller on the corner gets curious and walks over to him and asks, "Why are you chanting 3 months?"
Monty answers, "Because the box said 3 to 6 years!"