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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!

General, Grimm

“Girl Without Hands” Review

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Hun King

Hun Warrior King

Steven Wong over at Big Download has written another positive Grimm review. In the review Steven says:

We were also very pleased to find Grimm taking stronger liberties with the story, changing it from a deranged story about fate into a revenge tale. Justifications are provided to help fill in some of the glaring plot holes and leaps of logic. In the end, the daughter gains retribution against her father. It’s not a happy ending, but it’s certainly a satisfying one. As an added bonus, Grimm’s intervention transforms everything into a dark, bloody and truly wicked world. Characters are portrayed with boxy marionettes, but it’s still great to see their heads on pikes while blood rains down.

American McGee’s Grimm is headed in a good direction with its episode-by-episode gameplay adjustments. Even with the added difficulty, the entire game can still be completed in less than thirty minutes.

What I appreciate about Steven’s reviews is that he’s clearly someone who enjoys the game as it was designed and isn’t down on it for not being something different. This is directly opposite the approach of eternally put-upon reviewer Jimmy Thang over at IGN, who approaches weekly reviews of Grimm in hopes that between episodes the engine, genre, play style, graphics, and general “hard-coreness” of the game have been completely overhauled and/or replaced.

He’s yet to realize this is akin to looking for a goat in a bicycle shop.

This contrast in response is one I’m seeing in players and reviewers alike. And I’ve thought about it quite a bit. I think about it because we designed Grimm’s presentation and mechanics to be gradually evolved over the course of episode releases. Listening to user response and feedback is critical to informing the decisions we make about how the game evolves.

Feedback of the “this is great, I love it” sort is nice, but as useless as the “the graphics engine is still the same” type. Neither is quantifiable, objective, or realistic enough for us to utilize in developing future episodes. Still, Jimmy’s approach to review and final judgment suggest a reader should skip a particular episode until it reaches a certain acceptability level in terms of platform gaming, graphics engine sophistication, and power-up distribution. He ignores the fact that the game is a FREE invitation for the audience to be involved in the feedback loop and evolution of the game.

Ultimately, this rigid application of static critique to a medium that is dynamic – interactive! – indicates a lack of awareness about the innovations in our industry, its products, and its audience.

Then again, some people are fond of goats. Bleat.

Grimm

First Grimm Episode Trailer

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Butcher Prize

“Bloody good prize.”

Over on gametrailers.com you can check out the very first “Episode Trailer” for Grimm. This trailer promotes Episode 1 of the game, which is set to be released on the 31st of July – only a few hours away!

And you might also check out the first review of Grimm, Episode 1. This comes from Game Rankings, where Grimm Episode 1 was given an 80% review score. Check it out here: Grimm Episode 1 Review