indiePub Announces Mobile Games Competition Winners

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Online independent gaming community indiePub, sponsored by video game publisher Zoo Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZOOG), today announced the winners of its recent Mobile Games Competition. Selected from forty original game entries, SteamBirds was selected as the Grand Prize winner for its overall presentation, mechanics and gameplay. Four Public Recognition winners in categories including Technical Excellence, Best Art, Best Audio and Best Design were also revealed.

“Given the immense popularity of mobile games among consumers and developers alike, it was a natural step for indiePub to introduce a contest dedicated to this space”

“Given the immense popularity of mobile games among consumers and developers alike, it was a natural step for indiePub to introduce a contest dedicated to this space,” said Mark Seremet, Zoo Games CEO. “The variety of submissions we received for iOS, Android and other platforms clearly point to strong developer enthusiasm for great mobile game experiences regardless of the smart phone customers prefer. We congratulate all of the contestants and winners of this year’s inaugural Mobile Games Competition on the originality and creativity of their impressive submissions.”

Due to popular demand from its online community, indiePub launched the Mobile Games Competition to offer mobile developers more chances to showcase their talents. Game developers were invited to create and submit their original titles for mobile platforms from July through November, 2010. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $25,000 cash prize, as well as the option for a publishing deal with the possibility of developing the mobile game for other handheld devices and video game consoles. In addition, four Public Recognition winners were selected to receive a $1,000 prize in each of the following categories:

Winners of indiePub’s Mobile Games Competition

Grand Prize: SteamBirds for Android (Spryfox and Radial Games) - SteamBirds is a game of turn-based aerial combat sustained by its clean presentation, fun mechanics and satisfying gameplay. Commendable features include well planned audio and strong replay value.
Art: PLEXXR for iOS (Tactile Media) - PLEXXR is a stimulating visual puzzle game with an extraterrestrial twist. Designed to challenge and appeal to the senses, it is not about simply solving the puzzles, but figuring out how to solve them. Its consistent presentation and style permeates to the smallest details, from the muted colors to the shapes of the alien runes.
Audio: Spark it Up for Android (sumiguchi) - Spark it Up combines the visual wonders of a fireworks show with musical gameplay, which creates the sense of playing an instrument in an orchestra of light and animation. Even when the gameplay increases in challenge, the audio remains whimsically musical.
Design: SKWER for iOS (Alebrije Studios) – SKWER’s few simple mechanics and complex puzzles gradually emerge and draw the player into this surprisingly deep and addicting puzzle game.
Technical Excellence: Hero Mages for Android (D20Studios) - Hero Mages is an online turn-based strategy game with deep tactical gameplay and interesting team-based combat. Its ability to connect to multiple players on different platforms, along with its full-fledged lobby and matchmaking system, proves its technical feat.

The winners’ games can be played online at: www.indiepubgames.com.

For screen shots of SteamBirds, please visit: http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/product_page.asp?i=1108.

About Zoo Entertainment

Zoo Entertainment is a developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software targeted to family-oriented mass-market consumers. With a strong network of leading national mass market retailers, its casual and value-focused titles span categories including sports, family, racing, game show, strategy and action-adventure, and more. Zoo Entertainment software is developed for all major consoles, handheld gaming devices, PCs, and mobile devices as well as online and download game services.

Zoo’s innovative content creation site, indiePub (http://www.indiepubgames.com), was designed to capitalize on opportunities in the emerging and high growth digital entertainment space. The site fosters the independent gaming community by playing host to independent game developers and players and providing developers with the resources they need to collaborate and create great games. A destination site for gaming enthusiasts and consumers, indiePub Games takes an active role in helping independent developers create innovative entertainment software.

For more information, visit www.zoogamesinc.com.