Category Archives: Projects

DexIQ, Spicy Pony

DexIQ Updated!

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DexIQ Ver 1.1 (screen 2)

DexIQ 1.1 Screenshot

While the Spicy Pony team is hard at work on their new concept (Crooked House) they’ve found time to update their first release, DexIQ. The original DexIQ presented a unique challenge among iPhone games: Two games played simultaneously and geared towards challenging both your IQ and your dexterity.

The updated version improves the existing test/games and adds a whole new DexIQ challenge – new games in a new test package. These screenshots I’ve uploaded to my flickr account will show you some of the new games. But you’ve got to try it to ‘get it’ – trust me when I say you’ve never played a challenge game like this.

Hit these links:
DexIQ Home
DexIQ on App Store

DexIQ

How’s Your DexIQ?

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Peter Ha over at App Club has posted a DexIQ challenge:

It’s a relatively simple game that tests both dexterity and IQ – hence the name DexIQ. It’s a fun little game that only costs $0.99. Despite the graphics, the game is challenging as can be. It makes my brain hurt. That, or, I’m still feeling the effects of this past weekend.

I challenge you, Techland reader, to download the game and post your scores. I’ll beat you. I’ll beat all of you. If I don’t then I’ll send you some free stuff (Blu-ray movies, Xbox 360 games, etc.).

Head over to check out the full blurb. And be sure to hit these links:

DexIQ (Website)
DexIQ (iTunes Link)

Grimm, Shanghai, Spicy Horse

Off the Map in China

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Off The Map in China

Off the Map in China

Gamasutra has posted an interview by Christian Nutt with your truly. It begins with…

Famous for his work with id Software and on EA-published cult classic Alice, American McGee set up shop in Shanghai, China, in 2007 with his new studio, Spicy Horse. Though the company’s first game, Grimm, for the GameTap digital service didn’t make a big splash, McGee maintains that developing the game was instrumental in setting up a tightly-run and efficient organization in China, one which has helped him reexamine the very process of developing games.

In fact, McGee suggests that most of what developers know about working in China is wrong. He suggests that process can lead to a crunch-free environment and great quality games — his team is currently working on a sequel to Alice for EA, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Says McGee, “EA has talked about trying to figure out how it is we’re doing what we’re doing, because clearly they’re looking at what we’re doing and they’re seeing us hit all the milestones and come in ahead of time, and come in high quality, and everything that they could ask for from a development team. [But] I don’t know if you could export it.”

Christian and I go on to talk about life and work in China, cultural and development impacts on starting and running a studio in Shanghai, and more. You can read the full article here.

Also, if you’re interested in some of the thinking that originally inspired me to move to China, I suggest you check out “Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic” The book examines how American culture has become obsessed with consumption – and how it’s destroying people’s ability to be happy with themselves and what they have.

DexIQ

Insane in the Brain Game

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Lobotomy Christmas

Insane Children Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Insane Children and Spicy Horse! Ever wonder why the Insane Children are insane? Mad looks, twitchy fingers, exposed brains – all symptoms of playing too much DexIQ!

Dan Kricke over at Appolicious provides details about this challenging new brain game in a recent review:

DexIQ’s hook is that it tests not only your IQ, but your dexterity, by making you play two different games at one time, with the screen split down the middle. It’s the iPhone equivalent to patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time.

Dan goes on to give DexIQ a 5 out of 5 rating and closes by saying:

I can’t stress enough, if you’re interested at all in puzzles and games that activate the brain, you should be putting DexIQ onto your iPhone as we speak. It’s a little short on the available amount of challenges, but for under $1, you absolutely cannot go wrong.

Yoyo over at iPhone Footprint says of DexIQ in a recent review:

I don’t think I’ve had so much fun going through an IQ test, probably because it has the game tag attached to it. So at times I am squashing bugs on one side while running away from a ghost on the other. Or maybe I would be calculating sums while floating through clouds simultaneously.

Our little brain game also scored a 5 out of 5 rating in that review!

News about DexIQ and the launch of Spicy Pony has spread far and wide: Blue’s News, Avault, Buzzapp, Videogame.it and Hybrid (Korea).

The Spicy Pony team is already working on improvements to the original challenge – expect a release sometime after the New Year. In the meantime, be sure to check out the brain game everyone is going insane for.

DexIQ on the app store.
DexIQ homepage.
Spicy Pony homepage.

PS – be sure to comment on things you’d like to see improved in future versions. We’re listening!

DexIQ

Chinese Review of DexIQ

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DexIQ Practice Select Screen

DexIQ Challenge Select Screen

Read my first review of DexIQ in Chinese this morning. Here’s an excerpt (translated by Google Translate):

“DexIQ” is a very innovative game, the iPhone screen split in half, left and right side were a single game, while the right-hand man at the same time the player will need to manipulate both sides of the game. I just started can control, behind the barriers in the brain and responsiveness is really a test fails to the same as the name of the game, DexIQ in the English dictionary, and there is no vocabulary, Dex for the people who used to play the game should be very familiar with yes Dexterity (agility) and abbreviations, while the IQ intelligence that we are familiar with, and the producer is to the two together to create a new property of the individual ability to express the same time, the player the ability to think and operate and had to worship the author’s imagination force.

Spicy Horse Games is one of the few development of next-generation games company, I can count on over to Ubisoft, 2K, EA, on the Spicy Horse in the development of next-generation games. The Spicy Horse CEO American Mcgee is a famous figure in the game industry to participate in “Quake 2 & 3” produced by American Mcgee, has been tremendously popular “Terrorist Alice” is named after him. Because he likes China’s customs and currently lives in China and make contributions to China’s gaming industry. Be able to develop the game of such quality, I believe Spicy Horse can make the game more fun, let the world know that Chinese people can be creative and production capabilities. At present, this game is only available in English, with Unicom’s iPhone sales, the Chinese version should be soon on-line.

You can read the full review HERE.

While the translation job done by Google Translate leaves something to be desired – the point is made. DexIQ is a unique app which presents two separate games simultaneously on one screen. To play you have to “split” your brain between the two modes of action – some games are geared towards mental exercise, while others challenge your dexterity. As far as I know it’s a unique proposition in the iPhone gaming arena. Based on the sales and reviews so far it seems to be one people are attracted to.

We developed the game here in Shanghai at Spicy Horse. And our internal team is now looking to make improvements for the next version of DexIQ (including a Chinese version!), plus starting work on their next iPhone game.

If you’ve got a free moment be sure to check it out: DexIQ on iTunes Store

And if you like it, please write a review and give it some stars!

DexIQ, Featured

DexIQ – Launched!

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DexIQ Poster

DexIQ Poster

Spicy Horse Games has just launched its first iphone app “DexIQ”. Head over to the iPhone App Store now and BUY IT! You can also read more about it on DexIQ.com or take a gander at this informative product description:

Think you’re smart?

Think you have quick reflexes?

Your brain has two halves, shouldn’t your IQ test?

Presenting DexIQ, the first app designed to challenge your dexterity and IQ at the SAME TIME!

Two screens of independent game action unfolding simultaneously

Tests designed to challenge your reflexes paired with ones designed to test your IQ

32 individual mini-games combined into 8 levels of spasm-inducing cognitive battery
Compete against your friends to see just how dumb and slow they really are!

Compete against yourself to see which side of your brain is dominant!

Share your unique DexIQ score and achievements on the Plus+ Network!

So stop wasting time on games that only challenge half your brain. Take the DexIQ challenge NOW!

DOWNLOAD NOW

Just a little back story for those interested: This is actually the 2nd iPhone title built at Spicy Horse, but the first to be released. The concept was created by Ken Wong, our Art Director and built by “Spicy Pony”, our little internal iPhone development team. DexIQ represents our first attempt at becoming a serious iPhone developer of fun games and entertainment apps. We’re hoping our unique location in Shanghai, China will also allow us to build apps specific for China.

If you enjoy DexIQ please take a moment to rank it (5 stars!?) and write something nice about it. If you do it’ll make my day 🙂