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Real Racing 2 announces wireless iPad to TV streaming, waves at Wii U
Real Racing 2-dev (and recent EA acquisition) Firemint took the opportunity at WWDC today to announce AirPlay support for its latest iOS racer. When the just-announced iOS 5 is released later this year, it will enable AirPlay video mirroring support, which Firemint will be using to do a lot more than just mirroring; the iPad 2 will be able to wirelessly send an HD signal to your Apple TV while using the iPad 2 to handle real-time racing telemetry and tilt-based steering. Of course, this is the reverse of Nintendo's just-announced Wii U functionality, which sends a wireless signal from a console to the WiiPad. Notable differences between the two platforms include the fact that the iPad is a standalone portable device that can be used without a TV and this will be available sometime in the next four months, as opposed to late next year.
Real Racing 2 HD beats Wii U to the wireless, dual-screen gaming punch
Hey, guess what? That Real Racing 2 HD update that combined your iPad and TV for dual-screen gaming action will soon be able to ditch the wires and use AirPlay to beam every turn and crash to your flatscreen. You'll need an Apple TV or other Mac device hooked up to your set, and the feature won't be unlocked until iOS 5 hits, but it should satisfy your curiosity for what playing a Wii U might be like until the new Nintendo console lands next year. If you're set hardware-wise and your interest is piqued, you can download the game for $12.99 from the app store -- now you've just gotta hold tight for that OS update in the fall.
Real Racing 2 HD brings console quality racing to the iPad
The words "console quality" have been bandied about quite a bit recently in relation to games written for Apple's iOS-powered devices. One of the games that kicked it all off was Firemint's Real Racing, which originally pushed the envelope of what the iPhone was capable of. Of course when the iPad launched, Real Racing HD was released to take advantage of the larger screen and increased horsepower. Fast forward to last December when Firemint released Real Racing 2, which also showed off what the iPhone 4 could do. Since then, Apple has released the iPad 2 and soon after Firemint unleashed Real Racing 2 HD, but how does the latest and greatest installment match up? Read on to find out. %Gallery-125650%
EA iOS revenues up 100%, Firemint mentioned
EA held a conference call yesterday to talk about the past year's revenues, and it's no surprise that the mobile division is doing great. The mobile revenue total was $70 million for the last quarter, up 27 percent from the same period last year. It doesn't sound like things were quite as busy as the holiday season that set records recently, but iOS and its mobile counterparts are definitely a moneymaker for the big traditional gaming company. iOS specifically, says EA, is up "over 100 percent" in revenues from the previous year. And that even compares favorably to the more traditional handheld consoles -- the DS brought in $28 million, and PSP picked up $16 million, both sizable numbers, but lower than the mobile total for sure. The recent Firemint acquisition was also mentioned during the call, but only tangentially. Eric Brown didn't mention the actual purchase price, but he did say that "overall on price, it's less than $25 million." He also called the deal "a great pick up, and we're super excited to have that talented team join EA." EA is definitely building quite the mobile powerhouse.
EA buys Firemint, makers of Flight Control and Real Racing
Here's yet another big iOS developer picked up by a traditional gaming giant: EA has acquired Firemint, the maker of iOS hits Flight Control and the Real Racing series. This is a pretty big purchase, but not a big surprise; Firemint has done work for EA in the past, including a few ports of popular EA titles, and as it has just merged with Infinite Interactive and has a big new title on the way called Agent Squeek, Firemint seemed primed for a connection with a larger company. The last time I talked with Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Fawkner back at GDC this year, they obviously didn't mention any plans to join up with EA, but they did hint to me that Firemint's future included more traditional console titles -- either versions of their current games for systems like Xbox and PlayStation, or new games entirely. Those plans may be put on hold, however -- EA's press release connects the Firemint acquisition with another purchase of a company called Mobile Post Production, which specializes in porting games across smartphone devices, and says it will use MPP's technical abilities and Firemint's creative skills to kick out high quality mobile games.
EA agrees to buy Firemint, devs behind iOS hits Flight Control, Real Racing
Electronic Arts continues to chase the mobile market, today announcing an agreement to purchase Firemint, the Australia-based developer behind iOS hits like Flight Control, Real Racing and, notably, "an attractive future slate of games." Flight Racing, anyone? While it may be true love, EA and Firemint aren't ones to kiss-and-tell; the purchase price isn't being disclosed. EA isn't just buying Firemint, however. The developer recently purchased fellow Australians Infinite Interactive, the devs behind the popular Puzzle Quest series. For its part, EA recently purchased a company called MPP, a "leader in high quality cross-platform development and porting of games for smartphones." We don't know about you, but we detect a faint whiff of synergy. Oh, here it is: "The added technical expertise of MPP, combined with the creative talent of Firemint and our EAi studio teams, fuels EA's leadership in delivering top selling, high quality games across mobile phones and smartphones, tablets and future digital interactive entertainment platforms," EA Interactive's Barry Cottle said in a press release. This courtship has ostensibly been going on for some time. Before it struck it rich on the App Store, Firemint labored in the EA Mobile mines working on the Madden NFL 3D series, a 2006 mobile release of Need for Speed Most Wanted, and something called The Sims DJ. You can't say Firemint hasn't paid its dues.
Real Racing 2 HD to support 1080p video out
Newer models of the iOS device line have offered excellent-quality video out for some time using Apple's VGA connector cable. Now, Apple's 30-pin to HDMI adapter pushes quality even further. Today, FireMint Games announced its updated Real Racing 2 HD will support full 1080p output with (breathless cut-and-paste-from-press-release-excitement!) "rock-solid frame rates, with an unbeatable hands-on, precision control method that'll have your console green with envy." Sounds pretty cool? We think so too. Real Racing 2 has already won bunches of awards and this new update makes us want to get racing. Click "read more" to see a video of it in action. Hat tip, Federico over at MacStories
Real Racing 2 HD update might just make you get an AV adapter for your iPad 2
Apple's demonstrations may not have exactly made its Digital AV Adapter seem like a must-have accessory for the iPad 2, but the folks from Firemint may well change your mind with their upcoming update for Real Racing 2 HD. Not only will it let you output full 1080p video instead of just mirroring the iPad 2's display (and aspect ratio) on your TV, but it will even let you use your iPad 2 as a secondary display -- in this case, to display a map of the track. Unfortunately, there's no word on a release date for the update, but you can get a pretty good taste of what's in store in the video above.
Lots of iPad games go on sale this weekend, likely more to come
iOS developers have realized that there will probably be a whole lot of iPad 2 apps sold this weekend (since there will be so many new iPad 2s wandering around), so they've dropped prices on quite a few iPhone apps. AppAdvice has a good list up -- EA's apps are in there, including Mirror's Edge and the recently released Dead Space, and Firemint's Flight Control HD is down to a buck this weekend. Minigore HD is also on sale for a dollar, definitely worth a purchase if you haven't grabbed it yet. Bulkypix is also putting most of its iPad games on sale, though that sale doesn't start until tomorrow morning. I doubt this is the last we'll see of these sales -- there's going to be a pretty big rush for the top apps lists in iTunes this weekend, as developers try to take advantage of the incoming flood of iPad 2 owners. The good news is that you, as an iPad 1 owner or someone lucky enough to get a shiny new iPad 2, will get to grab some great apps for cheap.
GDC 2011: Firemint's Agent Squeek
Australia's Firemint is perhaps one of the most popular developers on the iPhone. Firemint's games, Flight Control, Real Racing and Real Racing 2, can be found in any Apple Store, and likely on most iPhones, too. The company's founder, Rob Murry, and his new acquisition, Infinite Interactive's Steve Faulkner, were in San Francisco last week to show off the third original IP that Firemint is creating for iOS, another line drawing game called Agent Squeek. In Agent Squeek, you control a mouse on the screen by drawing a line for him to follow, and the goal of each level is to collect various cheeses while trying to avoid hungry cats. But while the game starts out easy, the complexity quickly ramps up, and you can do things like psyche cats into chasing you before dodging the other way, or you can even build gadgets from blueprints that you find.
Firemint announces Real Racing 2 HD, enhanced graphics for iPad 2
Expect to see a rash of new and/or improved games for the shiny new iPad 2 in the near future. One of the first publishers out of the gate is Firemint, announcing enhanced graphics for Real Racing 2 HD. Firemint says that although it had no detailed advance knowledge of exactly what iPad 2 would bring, the actual announcement has turned out to suit what they've been developing very well, i.e., gyroscopic controls, faster graphics and a lighter form factor that will be easier on gamers' hands when holding the device. "Real Racing 2 HD has been significantly enhanced beyond what could work on existing devices, and our efforts have definitely given us a head start on iPad 2," Firemint says. "All these attributes combined with our enhancements to Real Racing 2 HD will create the most precise and intuitive car racing experience on any device. The 1080p HDMI output also opens up some great possibilities." Sounds like those enhanced graphics are going to be really enhanced. [via MacStories]
Real Racing 2, Grand Theft Auto, others on sale this weekend
A whole slew of apps are going on sale this weekend, including Firemint's Real Racing 2 (which has dropped down to half price at US$4.99) and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (also $4.99, down by the same discount). Adult Swim's hilarious little Robot Unicorn Attack running game is only 99 cents, on sale for both iPad and iPhone. In fact, all of the Adult Swim titles are on sale for just 99 cents, so you can look through those to see what you like. I'm not sure what the impetus is behind this sale, but it's best not to ask questions. If you need a few new games to play this weekend (and honestly, I'm not sure you do, given all of the great titles on the App Store lately -- I'm still loving Battleheart), there you go.
Firemint sells 3 million copies of Flight Control
Firemint has shared some sales figures about Flight Control over on its blog. The now classic line-drawing game was recently listed in the top paid apps of all time on the App Store, and so Firemint decided to reveal a little bit about how many copies it's sold and when. The grand total is exactly 3,881,634 copies as of their posting. The game currently sells for 99 cents, but that doesn't mean Firemint pulled in $3.8 million as Apple takes its 30 percent share as well. Firemint has also posted the chart above, showing when the most copies sold. Interesting to see that the Game Center patch gave them the biggest spike in sales, though don't forget that Flight Control was one of the first games on the service as it went live, something that certainly encouraged extra downloads. The new maps and the Retina Display support patches also gave big bumps. iOS developers, take note: big feature updates sell apps. Christmas boosts sales as well, as we've discussed here in the past. What's most interesting about those bumps, I think, is that they're basically the same size -- Christmas is turning into a pretty predictable spike in iOS sales for developers. We saw a lot of "planned" releases and discounts last holiday, and I bet we'll see even more as time goes on. Of course this is only one app on the store, but it's one of the biggest apps of all time, and probably a good representation of a lot of bestselling apps. Thanks to Firemint for sharing!
Interview: Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Faulkner of Infinite Interactive
Firemint and Infinite Interactive surprised us all the other day with the news that the one company was buying the other, but Firemint's Rob Murray and Infinite's Steve Fawkner weren't surprised themselves. "We've actually been talking about this for years, going back to 2006," Murray told TUAW today. Fawkner actually showed Murray a prototype of his company's Puzzle Quest game back in the day, and that reportedly encouraged Murray to start a game of his own that eventually became Flight Control, which itself spawned the Firemint company. "It's always been in the back of our minds, sometimes we've talked about it. It's only now that we've been able to make it possible." So the first question is: why now? It turns out that the two companies may have more in common than we think. "The studios have evolved with similar kinds of ideas and similar kinds of things," says Fawkner. "We've wanted to get into digital distribution for a long time, and Rob's already headed down that path, so it really made sense to go ahead and bring the studios together and go along that path together."
Firemint acquires Puzzle Quest dev Infinite Interactive
You'd think after selling a billion iPhone games, the Firemint crew, makers of those Flight Control and Real Racing games on your phone, would go buy a boat or something. But, oh no, they had to be "smart" with their money, acquiring Puzzle Quest developer Infinite Interactive to form an even stronger, more independent operation, which "works exclusively on self-published original games." Who do these guys think they are ... PopCap? It would seem that Firemint starter Rob Murray and Infinite Interactive founder Steve Fawkner, both Aussies, have been casually strategizing for years now. "Steve and I have been talking about working together for a long time, and I remember him showing me an early version of Puzzle Quest," Murray recalled. "This inspired me to make a game during my own holidays two years later, which was Flight Control -- and now, another two years later, we've finally found a way to work together!" (The financial terms of the deal haven't been disclosed.) Infinite Interactive will merge into Firemint's "recently expanded" (how convenient!) offices in Melbourne and continue work on some kind of infectious game that could endanger world health at a bargain price. And then, they'll all probably buy a fleet of boats and retire into Port Phillip Bay. [Image credit: Firemint]
iPhone developer Firemint buys Infinite Interactive, makers of Puzzle Quest
Wow. Color me surprised on this one -- I've been joking around lately about iPhone company acquisitions and buyouts, but here are two companies that never occurred to me. Firemint, creators of the popular Flight Control and Real Racing 2 games on iOS, has outright purchased Infinite Interactive, the company behind a bevy of console and handheld console titles, including the very popular (and personal favorite of mine) Puzzle Quest series. Game designer Steve Fawkner founded Infinite Interactive and first met Firemint's Rob Murray in 2003, and according to the press release, he even got Murray's feedback on the first Puzzle Quest title. Fawkner will go to work for Firemint, presumably making his own games as well as helping to adapt Firemint's popular games for other platforms. What a deal. All we have so far is the official press release (both companies are based in Australia, so this news arrived on their time), but we'll look at contacting Firemint later on this week to ask about the reasoning and timing behind the deal. Infinite Interactive isn't a huge company, but the fact that Firemint straight up acquired them is just as impressive as the possibilities for these two more and more experienced developers to be working together. This could have interesting consequences for Firemint's games both on and off of the iOS platform.
Firemint releases free, ad-supported Flight Control to App Store
Firemint confirmed today that it is launching a free, ad-supported version of its popular Flight Control game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app has received the rubber stamp of approval from Apple and should appear on the App Store in the upcoming days. The free version has the same gameplay as the paid version but limits several salient features. Multiple maps are not available in the free version, but you can play on the original map without any time or score limits. Multiplayer, both local and online, are missing from the free version as well. The free version does support the iOS Game Center leaderboard and includes a limited number of achievements. If you choose not to use Game Center or are running an earlier version of iOS without Game Center, you can still post your achievements to Firemint's leaderboard. In the end, the free version is a nice alternative for those who want to try the game before they hand a dollar over to Apple and Firemint for the full version. It is also a chance for Firemint to compare two revenue models -- paid and ad-supported -- to see which generates the most cash.
Real Racing 2 coming to iOS December 16th
After a few weeks of teasing and hints, Firemint has finally revealed all about its upcoming Real Racing 2 game for iOS, and it looks extremely impressive. The first game in the series is still one of the most popular and well done racing games in the App Store, and Firemint is upping the ante high for the second go-round. Real Racing 2 will feature 30 licensed cars from brands like Ford, Jaguar, Volkswagen and McLaren, and will pit those vehicles against each other in a 16-car grid both online and offline. There will be five game modes to play through, including a full-featured career mode, and forty miles of track to race across 15 different locations. The game will also offer Game Center integration, and a number of different control options to drive however you want. Firemint was kind enough to send out an early copy of the game, so we'll be kicking the tires and running a few laps to see how it plays before release. Meanwhile if you're interested in what seems destined to be one of the best iOS racing games so far, stay tuned -- the game will be out on December 16, available in the App Store for $9.99 for iPhone and iPod touch.
Review: Flight Control HD for Mac
Firemint's Flight Control has long been one of my favorite iPhone games; it was one of the first apps I bought. When I first heard the game was being ported to the Mac, I wondered how well the game's control scheme would work. Flight Control's gameplay seemed tailor-made for the touchscreens on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and I wasn't sure the game would translate well to a more traditional point-and-click interface. Flight Control HD for Mac came out on Steam last week, and since then, I've been putting the game through its paces. Many hundreds of crashed aircraft later, I can say that while the gameplay suffers a bit in translation to a non-touchscreen platform, overall the experience is still worth the US$4.99 asking price. Click "Read More" for the full review.
Firemint's Flight Control HD coming to Mac App Store
The dust hasn't even settled in the wake of Apple's announcement of the Mac App Store, but one well-known developer is already on board. Firemint, creator of Flight Control for the iPhone/iPod touch and Flight Control HD for the iPad, has announced it will bring Flight Control HD to the Mac via the Mac App Store. As a matter of fact, according to Firemint, Flight Control HD is already running on the Mac. Firemint may be the first company to publicly announce support for the Mac App Store, but it's unlikely to be the last. As Erica noted earlier, a centralized hub for app distribution on Mac OS X is something many developers will find very attractive, in spite of the more restrictive environment as compared to the free-for-all market that exists now. Many developers won't find the Mac App Store to be a good fit for them and will stick with traditional distribution channels, but developers like Firemint may find their apps reaching a much larger audience than before. [via Mac Rumors]
