Posted on December 14, 2007, at 9:31 AM .
Games publisher Electronic Arts will be launching a pilot program in AT&T and Rogers stores early next year to install informational kiosks that show all of the stuff BlackBerrys can do for them. Let’s be fair, there’s a lot they can do, and your average consumer won’t really be aware of the possibilities by just looking at the device, and store reps can be hit and miss when it comes to information. It’s going to be set up in a storytelling format, where different users recount their experiences with BlackBerrys and how they use it. So long as they don’t have those irritating radio announcers like in SSX or Burnout, these kiosks might actually have a shot of working out in the long run. Thanks Ronen!
EDIT: Woops. That would be Electronic Art doing the kiosks. Slightly different operation, and makes a bit more sense.
Posted on November 13, 2007, at 10:00 AM .
Trimble has announced today three new programs for GPS users on a GSM network. First up is AllSport GPS which tracks a regular exercise route and calculates how many calories you’re burning, how much time you take, and all sorts of fitness-related info. Next is Geocache Navigator, which is geared towards playing a location-based game. Geocaching is basically a GPS treasure hunt where players plant waterproof containers in isolated locations and post the coordinates in online communities. Finally, they’ve got Trimble Outdoors, which lets you plot outdoor trips as well as upload associated multimedia onto Google Earth. That’s quite the package on the whole, but it’s a bit of a let-down that this is all for GSM users only. Right now they’re all available for month-long trials and should be available for $39.99/year or $5.99/month by the end of November.
Posted on November 8, 2007, at 2:33 PM .
bPlay’s just released a new basketball game, NBA 2-on-2 SLAM by Magmic alongside a new Basketball theme. Anyone serious about their basketball would do well to pick both of these up. I just noticed that they also offer discounted bundles now, so if you grabbed a sports jam ringtone too, you’d be getting 10% off. Not a bad deal at all. It might be easy to say gadget geekery and playing sports are mutually exclusive, but it turns out NBA players love their BlackBerrys too.
Posted on November 7, 2007, at 3:18 PM .
Maybe you’ve heard of Vivendi? The guys who own Blizzard and Sierra? Well, they’re hooking up with BlackBerry games developer, Magmic, to port over some classic titles, like Leisuresuit Larry and Spyro. Tack that on to the growing list of licenses that Magmic can pull on to pump out games.
Posted on October 31, 2007, at 2:00 PM .
While the BlackBerry might still need some work against the iPhone, it’s still kicking tail against other smartphone manufacturers when it comes to keeping enterprise buyers happy. J.D. Power and Associates used a rating system which examined a smartphone’s ease of use, operating system, form factor, audio, battery and utilities, in order of weight. Palm and Samsung tied for second place, with Motorola behind the industry average. Outside of that, the survey also touched on some other trends among smartphone users, such as the 40% who wants GPS versus the mere 26% who want Wi-Fi. The top features folks are looking for in a smartphone are “personal information manager (PIM) functionality (50%), Internet capability (48%), Bluetooth capabilities (46%), general ease of use (44%) and overall design/style (44%).” Funniest thing is that games topped enterprise users’ choice for third-party software – all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, huh?
Posted on October 26, 2007, at 7:31 AM .
We just got word from our buddies at Magmic that two new titles are on their shelves, including the presidential boxing game White House Rumble and the puzzler Miner 2049er Gold Rush. We looked at Magmic’s first go at revitalizing the Miner 2049er franchise, and it’s great to see them still running with it. Hopefully we can count on seeing more Bounty Bob on BlackBerry games – if the titles keep coming, maybe we’ll have a new Mario for mobile. As for White House Rumble, we’re sure there’s more than a few of our southerly neighbours who would like to take a swing at Bush, so here’s your chance!
