Oxford/San Francisco, 18 April 2011. NaturalMotion Games, a digital publisher of high-end socially connected games, and Ideaworks Game Studio, a leader in the development of connected games for digital platforms, today announced that the Backbreaker: Tackle Alley app for iOS gained more than one million new users during the extended Super Bowl XLV weekend.

Ideaworks Game Studio developed Backbreaker: Tackle Alley for NaturalMotion Games. Utilizing its own Airplay SDK, Ideaworks took the publisher’s original console mini-game and turned it into a full, high-performance game for the iOS platform. It has been a strong performer on the Apple iPhone App Store since its release more than a year ago, winning multiple awards and widespread critical acclaim.

Usually priced between 99c and $2.99, Backbreaker: Tackle Alley was offered free of charge for a short period to celebrate Super Bowl XLV. The campaign was made possible through a worldwide sponsorship deal with KFC, managed by 4Info, and was executed via Free-App-A-Day.

“We’re thrilled by the user numbers we’ve been able to drive during the Super Bowl weekend,” said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. “It’s a testament to the reach of Apple’s App Store, and an eye opener for how quickly we can generate millions of impressions for global brands on the App Store. We’re delighted to have worked together with Ideaworks Game Studio, who added value to our original game design and developed an iPhone app that continues to captivate an ever-growing audience.”

The short-burst Super Bowl campaign more than doubled subsequent sales of Backbreaker: Tackle Alley. In addition, through cross-promotion, the campaign tripled sales of Backbreaker 2: Vengeance, also developed by Ideaworks Game Studio. It is on track to surpass revenues of the original Backbreaker game. To date, both Backbreaker titles on iOS have scored a total of 5 million downloads.

About NaturalMotion Games

NaturalMotion Games is a digital publisher of high-end, accessible games for connected new platforms, combining advanced technology and graphics with accessible, social gameplay. The company’s acclaimed iPhone franchise, Backbreaker, unites the visual fidelity of a console sports game with truly accessible gameplay, creating a new breed of interactive entertainment on a handheld device. For more information on NaturalMotion Games, visit naturalmotion.

About Ideaworks Game Studio

Ideaworks Game Studio is a developer of accessible connected games for digital distribution platforms. The Studio was founded in 2004 with a heritage in developing high-end native mobile games, and is proud to have a passion and commitment to create great games that people will love to play wherever they are.  Ideaworks Game Studio has delivered multiple top-grossing games in Apple’s App Store, including Activision’s Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies and NaturalMotion’s Backbreaker Football.

Backbreaker: Tackle Alley and Backbreaker 2: Vengeance were developed on Ideaworks Labs Airplay SDK. Airplay SDK utilized by Ideaworks Game Studio provides a development toolset that enables developers to build applications with a single codebase and then deploy natively to multiple platforms and device types. To learn more, please visit airplaysdk.com.

Media contacts

NaturalMotion Games
Chris Edwards
chris.edwards@naturalmotion.com
+44 1865 250 575

Ideaworks
Brigida Bergkamp
brigida@sparkpr.com
+1 415 269 8298

Job purpose:

The purpose of the role of Submissions Managers is lead a group of testers to ensure that all products developed by Ideaworks Game Studio are of the highest quality and meet certification requirements across a number of mobile phone platforms.

Ideaworks3D is the world’s leading developer of advanced mobile games and enabling technologies for cross-platform mobile game development.

Responsibilities:

• Standardize & govern the QA checking method, procedures and processes.
• Oversee the QA workload is performed smoothly according to the daily delivery schedule.
• Communicate with other departments to ensure QA processes meet their requirements.
• Ensure test certification information is up to date.
• Create, populate and maintain all mobile project test databases.
• Develop test plans and test cases.
• Recommend and implement process improvements and testing tools & technologies.
• Challenging and growing QA team members to benefit the entire studio.
• Schedule weekly mobile QA updates with entire team.

Required Skills/Personal Requirements:

• 4+ years experience in mobile QA testing for games.
• 1+ years experience leading or managing a team of testers.
• Experience in the mobile games industry and in particular the submission requirements for all North American and European iOS and Android channels.
• A background in rigorous video game quality assurance.
• Apply affective methodologies and best practices to help ensure the highest possible quality with maximum efficiency.
• Identify improvements in the test process and determine appropriate test strategies.
• Develop internal QA teams and methodologies for evaluating game quality.
• Report status to producers and senior managers and identify risks in a structural manner in terms of quality and project deadlines.
• Make and execute test plans.
• Contribute directly to performance evaluation of individuals and teams, compiling objective feedback that is channelled towards both personal and process improvement.
• Experience managing a very technical quality assurance team.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

“Square Enix gave us the significant challenge of translating this highly acclaimed and much loved console game to iOS, and we are very excited with what we delivered in the final game in terms of graphics fidelity and gameplay, we believe we’ve been able to stay true to the original game and fans will really enjoy the title on iOS,” said Rob Hendry, Head of Studio, Ideaworks Game Studio. “The development of this game mirrors the best aspects of the console game, with near-identical level layouts and gameplay. We have worked with Square Enix before on other major titles, and were delighted to have been their development partner on this project,” added Rob.

‘Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light’ is a new title in the Tomb Raider franchise. The game offers a co-op action-adventure game featuring Lara Croft in fast-paced gameplay and breathtaking visuals. Players can team up with a friend or go-it-alone as they traverse and solve deadly traps, fight hordes of undead enemies, and collect over 60 artifacts and relics. 

Experience the thrill of the first Tomb Raider title from Square Enix available on iOS.

Key features of the game include:

• A classic formula of puzzles, combat, exploration, and breathtaking visuals put through the lens of an isometric fast-paced gaming experience.
• Fight your way across huge environments and unbelievable vertical gameplay through tombs reaching deep into the Earth.
  10 levels, 20 weapons, and a huge number of enemies, artifacts and relics provide hours of fast-paced gameplay and great replayability.
• Singleplayer gameplay, and both local and over-the-air cooperative multiplayer including the ability to drop into on-going multiplayer games!
• Play co-operative multiplayer games with friends over Bluetooth, WiFi and via Game Center.
• Integrates with Apple’s Game Center, including unlockable achievements, leaderboard integration, and multiplayer voicechat.
• Special multiplayer-only puzzles.
• A special iPad version, with higher resolution graphics and fully-animated destruction.

About Ideaworks Game Studio

Ideaworks Game Studio is a developer of accessible connected games for digital distribution platforms. The Studio was founded in 2004 with a heritage in developing high-end native mobile games, and is proud to have a passion and commitment to create great games that people will love to play wherever they are.  Ideaworks Game Studio has delivered multiple top-grossing games in Apple’s App Store, including Activision’s Call of Duty: World At War: Zombies and NaturalMotion’s Backbreaker Football.

“We’re delighted to have worked again with Ideaworks Game Studio to bring an exciting and much anticipated sequel to fans of the game with Backbreaker 2: Vengeance for iOS,” said Torsten Reil, CEO, NaturalMotion Games. “Our goal was to build on the success of the original game with high-end graphics, and a highly addictive, casual gameplay. Ideaworks Game Studio has delivered on all fronts.”

Expanding on the original’s heart-thumping action and graphics, Backbreaker 2 features new, even-more engaging additions. They include Vengeance mode, which enables players to tackle the ball carrier and foil the offense, and 100 new levels distributed across Vengeance and Tackle Alley modes. The experience is even more immersive with Backbreaker 2’s console-quality lighting, full Retina display resolution and dynamic shadows.

“It has been a great experience working with NaturalMotion Games again on the Backbreaker sequel,” said Rob Hendry, Head of Studio, Ideaworks Game Studio. “Backbreaker 2 is an amazingly fun and captivating game, and reflects our joint desire to create great game experiences in this space.”

About Ideaworks Game Studio

Ideaworks Game Studio is a developer of accessible connected games for digital distribution platforms. The Studio was founded in 2004 with a heritage in developing high-end native mobile games, and is proud to have a passion and commitment to create great games that people will love to play wherever they are.  Ideaworks Game Studio has delivered multiple top-grossing games in Apple’s App Store, including Activision’s Call of Duty: World At War: Zombies and NaturalMotion’s Backbreaker Football.

Backbreaker 2: Vengeance was developed on Ideaworks Labs Airplay SDK. Airplay SDK utilized by Ideaworks Game Studio provides a development toolset that enables developers to build applications with a single codebase and then deploy natively to multiple platforms and device types.

Do you have the following experience:

• Experience of Q.A. procedures on at least 4 game titles
• Demonstrable knowledge of:
• Video game development life cycle
• Mobile gaming platforms and distribution models
• Excellent interpersonal & conflict resolution skills
• Experience of running test plans and test cycles
• Have excellent communication skills (both verbally and written) to communicate with technical and non-technical people
• Excellent Knowledge of Microsoft Office Tools, Excel & Word
• Excellent Knowledge of bug tracking software and maintenance of
• Technical knowledge of mobile games and hardware – An advantage

This mobile version of the hit gameplay mode from Treyarch’s blockbuster title Call of Duty: World at War delivers upon the experience of one of the most popular and most played, online games of 2009. Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies offers both single player and the game’s highly-addictive co-op gameplay experience in full 3-D, allowing up to four players to join a game via Wi-Fi, locally or across the Internet, and up to two players via Bluetooth, all on the go!

Buy Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies at the iTunes Appstore

Pocket Gamer Review 9/10

The company also noted that the game’s measured piracy rates is around 1%, far below general industry estimates for iPhone games.

Featuring cutting edge graphics, advanced animation and intuitive accelerometer control, Backbreaker has won multiple accolades, including being listed in the Apple® Rewind 2009 best-of round-up.

“Backbreaker Football has been a phenomenal success on iPhone and iPod touch, with sales wildly exceeding our initial forecasts”, said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. “We’ve been extremely pleased with how people have taken to the title and look forward to making more game announcements in the near future.”

Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley is the iPhone version of the upcoming Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game Backbreaker. It is driven by NaturalMotion’s popular animation engine morpheme, with all tackles generated with its Dynamics Motion Synthesis product endorphin.

The game has been developed by Ideaworks Game Studios, built using Airplay SDK. Backbreaker is published by NaturalMotion.

The main focus of the talk, which is to take place on the 9th of March, is to gain an understanding of how Ideaworks brought the AAA title to the iPhone, including, franchise integrity, platform considerations, graphical issues and connected features. The session will describe how our studio team pushed the boundaries of what is possible on iPhone, especially in the area of performance, interaction design and multiplayer.

Having brought several major franchises such as Metal Gear Solid, Need for Speed and Final Fantasy to mobile, as well as creating #1 App store games, the studio has a proven track record as specialists in this area.

GDC iPhone Session Details:

9th of March, 2010
4:15pm – 5:15pm
Room 306, South Hall

17 Feb 2010, London UK: Ideaworks Game Studio today announced that Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES first DLC map ‘Verrückt’ for iPhone is now available on the Apple App Store. Based on Treyarch’s blockbuster title Call of Duty®: World at War, the game first released in October 2009 on the US and UK iTunes App Stores, is the third product developed by the leading digital-download game studio to take a #1 App Store spot since July 2009.

London-based Ideaworks Game Studio is the premier developer of choice for the worlds leading publishers launching premium titles for iPhone, smartphone and other digital-download platforms, having created multiple award-winning titles for major publishers worldwide.

Ideaworks Games Studio worked directly with the Call of Duty: World at War team at Treyarch to faithfully deliver the fully authentic Zombies iPhone experience, and was recognized by Apple as one of their ‘Best Games of 2009′.

Ideaworks Games Studio head, Rob Hendry said; ‘The production team of the world’s leading franchise has been intimately involved in every step of production with Ideaworks. The authenticity of Zombies has set the bar for iPhone titles to come. Console quality gaming has arrived on the iPhone’.

Julian Jones, Ideaworks VP Business Development went on: ‘It has been an exhilarating experience for the teams here at Ideaworks Game Studio, to work directly with the team at Treyarch, bringing one of the world’s best-selling franchises and most popular game modes faithfully to the iPhone. We have a long established relationship with Activision and it’s great to see that continue.’

‘Ideaworks has done an excellent job at translating the Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES experience to the iPhone,’ said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. ‘The quality of the app is a testament to Ideaworks dedication and commitment, and Treyarch looks forward to working with them on future releases.’

Ideaworks Game Studio builds all its iPhone and smartphone content using the cross-platform Airplay SDK, available for licensing from airplaysdk.com. Ideaworks Game Studio has developed its own tools allowing games to be further deployed across handheld and console digital-distribution channels, including Sony PSPgo, Nintendo DSi, Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade, Sony PS3 Network, and Nintendo WiiWare. A video demonstration of this capability is available at ideaworksgamestudio.com.

About Ideaworks Game Studio

Founded in 1998, Ideaworks3D was established with a highly creative technical team to develop high-end, native, cross platform technology and games software.

In 2005 a dedicated game studio team was established with a core team of games industry professionals from PC and console backgrounds, to develop AAA native C++ based mobile games. The team has brought numerous award-winning, innovative, and highly-optimised games to the global mobile gaming market, including original and franchise-based games for world leading publishers.

In mid 2009, Ideaworks3D was restructured into two distinct operations, with Ideaworks Game Studio continuing to develop for iPhone and Smartphone but with a remit to focus on a broader range of cross platform, download capable, handheld and console platforms. Ideaworks Labs continues to focus on its world leading cross platform technology development, with its Airplay SDK now available commercially.

This mobile version of the hit gameplay mode from Treyarch’s blockbuster title Call of Duty: World at War delivers upon the experience of one of the most popular and most played, online games of 2009. Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies offers both single player and the game’s highly-addictive co-op gameplay experience in full 3-D, allowing up to four players to join a game via Wi-Fi, locally or across the Internet, and up to two players via Bluetooth, all on the go!

Buy Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies at the iTunes Appstore

Pocket Gamer Review 9/10