Novy News - Spring 2016 (Vol 3 No 1)

Novy News | Spring 2016 | Vol 3 No 1 | Novy Unlimited

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Welcome to the 7th edition of Novy News!

This is the newest update from your groovy friends at Novy. As always, this newsletter allows us to . . .

provide more background on who we are and what we do (and why you're reading this)
brag (ad nauseam) about recent projects from our clients
let you in on a few game industry secrets
share some brutally honest advice
update you on what's been going on over here during the past few months -- and give you a preview (or just a whiff!) of what's on the horizon

This issue features: Novy team news, clients and projects -- and blog posts from most of our team members!

[Note: If your email program does not display images or clips/truncates message content, don't miss out! Click on "display images below" at the beginning of this message or "view entire message" at the very bottom. If you're still not getting the full Novy News experience, request a link to the entire newsletter here!]

Hope you enjoy the news!

- Jeannie Novak & Luis Levy (Co-Conspirators)
. . . and the Novy team

≈ BEHIND THE SCENES ≈

Going Supernovy!
Novy continues to expand! We've also made some changes to our web site -- including our home page and client pages. Links to blog posts appear throughout this newsletter. Check them out!

We have four distinct service divisions: PR, Marketing, Creative Services, and Consulting/Production. To learn more about what we do, feel free to request a meeting or fill out our contact form.

New Arrivals
Since our last newsletter, we've had some brand new additions to our growing team:

Brie Wendt (Research Coordinator) has helped us tremendously with media research and site updates. She has been a gamer for as long as she can remember and explores her obsession with space by playing (and replaying) titles such as Mass Effect, FTL, and Kerbal Space Program. Brie hopes to make it to Mars some day and is living her life’s passion by pursuing an Aeronautical Engineering degree in Northern California.

Sarah Hume has been providing her copy editing expertise on playthroughs and related documentation. After receiving a BA in Journalism from Indiana State University, Sarah went on to work with both print and digital publications with content ranging from the military to video games -- including contributing editor and managing editor at EventsforGamers.com and Gamersinfo.net, respectively. Although she can imagine other lines of work, she loves copy editing and hopes the rest of the world remembers that grammar and spelling are important :)

Erich Schuler has been drafting posts and tweets for Novy networks and working on marketing documentation and outreach. Erich has been playing games since 1991 -- thanks to an Italian plumber named Mario and a dinosaur-like creature called Yoshi. An active member of the IGDA and one of the coordinators for the IGDA Scholars program -- where he serves as a liaison to studio partners and runs the program at events such as GDC and E3. During his time in Japan, Erich established himself as a freelance writer for publications such as IGN.

Josh Green has been working with us on some of our consulting projects -- and has lent his AAA expertise to our playthrough team. An experienced project manager with extensive experience in game production and QA, Josh has worked at Electronic Arts, Activision, Bluefish Media, and Asvathaa, The Workshop, and Spark Unlimited on projects such Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z and Armored Warfare. Josh is Vice Chair of IGDA Los Angeles -- and he holds a BS in Computer Science from California State University Northridge and an MFA in Interactive Media from the University of Southern California.

Team Updates
Several team members who joined us in 2015 now have "official" titles:

Marcos Montanez (Playthrough Coordinator) has continued to be an enthusiastic member of the playthrough team, and he has also been working behind the scenes on our new video playthrough service! Marcos also did an amazing job helping demo YO-KAI WATCH Wibble Wobble in the LEVEL-5 Abby booth at GDC :)

Kyle Gaddo (Community Management Coordinator) has not only provided community outreach and fielding questions/comments from client communities, he also moderates the /r/gamepr subreddit. Be sure to see our Reddit summary, which is posted to Novy's social networks every Friday! Kyle also participated in MAGFest and PAX East -- and shares his experiences in the Novy blog. (Scroll down to the end of this issue for more info!)

Julie Morley (Social Media Coordinator) has been posting and tweeting for Novy's social media marketing clients -- and she has created some very cool viral content, such as very creative and fun "meme" gifs (where client game elements are incorporated into pre-existing live action gifs)! Julie has also been working on creative services and marketing documentation. The best news of all? She got married in April <3

Here are a few updates from our team members:

Blane Humphries and Molly Proffitt organized the Game Studio Smackdown -- IGDA Atlanta's video game tournament for developers -- at SIEGE. More than 500 attendees watched the remaining competitors battle it out for victory. After the dust settled, team Spray n’ Pray championed over team Hi-Rez Studios in Halo 2 and Orion Cherry took the crown against Justin Sheets in Hearthstone.

Erich Schuler has joined Blane on IGDA Atlanta's executive board and has already started planning the next Game Studio Smackdown. Blane and Erich are also attending MomoCon in Atlanta at the end of May.

Cat Wendt ran a women in games roundtable discussion at GDC for the fifth year in a row for more than 80 attendees. Cat was also the keynote speaker at the IGDA Sacramento Indie Gaming Arcade Expo. Her talk on Inclusivity in Games was deemed "eye-opening" by Marshall Garvey of Last Token Gaming.

We're proud to announce that Cat has been promoted from Marketing & Creative Coordinator to Account Manager. Cat joins Blane in this role -- which means she's also at our beck and call on a full-time basis ;)

Here's a shout out to trusty team members Grace Lim (PR Coordinator) and Aaron Goldman (QA Coordinator) -- who provided invaluable assistance at GDC and continue to be core members of our playthrough team. These multi-talented team members have also been applying their art and design skills to marketing and creative services!

As always, we'd like to acknowledge "friends of Novy" Emmy Jonassen, Pete Markiewicz, Adam Godoi, Drew Utterback, Jay Egger, Jake Scherzer, Jessey Nettey, Stephen Vulpitta, Alan Katana -- and our newest friends: Charlie Skinner (motion graphics), M. Joshua Cauller (video production), and Aaron "Heatbox" Heaton (audio production)!

For more info on our team, see the Meet the Team section on our site!

≈ KICKSTARTER SPOTLIGHT ≈

Work Together or Die Alone
The vast, frozen wilderness of Alaska is the setting for The Wild Eight — the cooperative survival experience from 8 Points, a team from one of the coldest places on Earth where they “eat bears for breakfast, develop games for lunch, and gather firewood for dinner.” We set out into the Internet badlands of Kickstarter to make the dreams of The Wild Eight a reality. The game was recently greenlit on Steam, and the Kickstarter campaign will end this Friday. We're excited to report that the project has exceeded its $50,000 goal.... [read more]

≈ CUTE CHARACTERS & UNLIKELY HEROES ≈

A Pawesome Adventure
Super Phantom Cat is a retro-inspired 2D platformer created by China's Veewo Games. The joy and love that was put into this game is clear with every element — which is probably why it has already been featured in the App Store three times!... (read more)

"What's a Hero to Do When All the Demons Are Gone?"
We couldn't resist restating that gem of a tagline :) Singapore’s Touch Dimensions began as a two-person passion project in a basement; after launching the successful mobile strategy franchise, Autumn Dynasty, the team decided to go in a "quirkier" direction with the fantasy trading adventure, Wizards & Wagons.... (read more)

Wib Wob Whirlwind
We were thrilled to work with LEVEL-5 Abby (US office of Japan's LEVEL-5) on the adorable YO-KAI WATCH Wibble Wobble. In addition to launching the game, we promoted two in-game events and provided booth support at GDC.... (read more)

Catch the Copycat!
In Sherlock Holmes: Lost Detective (SHLD), a strange masked man appears in London and recreates Sherlock Holmes’ greatest cases down to the last bloody detail. Developed by Argentina’s The Other Guys, SHLD features a hunt for clues and an attempt to put the pieces together in a thrilling adventure set in present day.... (read more)

Onward & Upward
Slovakian studio Triple Hill Interactive's Clumzee feaures a furball who is cruelly nicknamed "Clumzee" by his so-called friends. Tired of the name-calling, he sets off on a dangerous journey to prove himself and confront his fears.... (read more)

Betting on Betty
We were delighted by the mix of luck and skill involved in Kash Karnival — developed by Australia’s Royal Wins. Kash Karnival features several mini-games — each with its own story to tell. In “Up & Away,” for example, players meet Betty, who has been invited to the grand banquet — but sadly, her invitation has been swept away by the wind!... (read more)

≈ GENRE SPOTLIGHT: DIGITAL BOARDGAMES ≈

From the Mind of Uwe Rosenberg
Working with German developer Digidiced has been a real treat for us! Since several of us are board game fanatics, the studio's focus on creating digital versions of Uwe Rosenberg's popular board games is a perfect fit :)

Le Havre - The Inland Port
Digidiced's beautiful remake of Uwe Rosenberg’s popular board game was a pleasure to launch. Players have just 12 "days" to build the richest port in the French commune of Le Havre and defeat a rival harbormaster using resources to build structures and earn the most Francs..... (read more)

Patchwork
We were thrilled to work with Digidiced again when the German studio brought the strategic tile placement and hand-stitched aesthetic of Uwe Rosenberg’s award-winning board game to mobile devices. The game was featured in the App Store ("Best New Games")..... (read more )

≈ STEAM ROUNDUP: LAUNCHES, EARLY ACCESS
& GREENLIGHT CAMPAIGNS ≈

Lost Cities
We were immediately struck by the mysterious and beautiful visuals of The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human. Inspired by The Planet of the Apes and Super Metroid, this underwater gem invites players to explore a world thriving with sometimes monstrous sea life — unveiling the story of humanity’s last days.... (read more)

Breakneck Beauty
The gorgeously illustrated Sprinter stands as a work of art — and in this top-down action game by the UK’s Light Step Games, players immerse themselves in the heartbreaking tale of a family’s effort to escape tragedy by dashing through heavily-guarded hallways and sneaking past cameras as quickly as possible.... (read more)

Cerebral & Spacey
We’re absolutely fascinated by space exploration and adventure — and Uncaged Studios’ procedurally-generated space simulation game, The Sentient, takes this to another level. Hailing from Maryland, solo African American developer Sharif Gaines has created a highly ambitious game that’s perfect for “space gamers.” (read more)

Undead Pest Control
We could tell this wasn’t your average zombie game! Maya Gameworks’ Zombie Hunter, Inc. focuses on the game’s multiplayer Survival mode. Unlike traditional zombie horde modes where players buy weapons and ammo between waves, groups of up to four players choose the perfect loadout at the start of every seven-minute round.... (read more)

Cloudy With a Chance of Combat
We were stunned by the beautiful art of Zems and even more happy to partner with Tulsa, Oklahoma developer Yang Pulse of Impulse Unlimited and Emmy Jonassen to help bring this exquisite card game to the public eye. Players master the weather and maneuver their troops in this online strategy card game.... (read more)

Mad Dash
We were excited to work with the team at Cupertino, California’s Crunchy Games on the Steam Greenlight announcement for StarBreak, a browser-based MMO take on the long-standing Metroidvania formula. StarBreak rewards players for skill and cooperation rather than having them grind for levels.... (read more)

≈ PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT ≈

Britain's Finest
We've had the pleasure of working with All 4 Games -- Channel 4's game division -- on four mobile releases:

Fire Fu
UK developer Retrofist created a Fruit Ninja-style action arcade game for mobile devices. Instead of slicing up a delicious fruit salad, players banish waves of devilish creatures using fire trails (from their fingertips!) to create incredible combos and secure a spot high on the leaderboards – all in a gorgeous, hand-painted world.... [r ead more]

Super Arc Light
Scotland-based studio No Code joined forces with All 4 Games to bring Super Arc Light to mobile devices – combining retro radial shooter gameplay with a modern and vibrant minimalist art style. In this action arcade game, players must rely on one-touch controls to take down waves of geometric enemies, hike up their high score — and unlock powerful, new weapons.... [read more]

Gogglebox: The Game
Developed by Studio Lambert, Gogglebox is a clever Match-3 puzzle game based on the British television series (known as The People’s Couch in the US and Canada). With more than 100 levels to unlock as well as six exciting game modes, the game has plenty to keep players on the edge of their seats.... [read more]

Apestorm: Full Bananas

When you’re sick of humanity, there’s only one thing to do: bomb them into oblivion! Finnish developer Snowhound has players take to the skies in a combat-ready zeppelin of doom for the sake of Apekind.... [read more]

≈ WARS WITH FRIENDS ≈

"Trust Me, I'm Human!"
(Another amazing tagline we couldn't resist!) Developed by United Arab Emirates studio Hybrid Humans, Who Lurks challenges players to identify the Alien disguised as a crew member aboard the AE Hybrid spaceship.... (read more)

Gangs of San Francisco
San Francisco is the setting for Tribe Domination — a Risk-style game created by entrepreneur Alexandre Delbarre in which players gather troops and challenge friends as they invade and defend adjacent territories.... (read more)

Cute Combat!
We’ve been cooperating with China’s Proficient City on several projects – including the mobile MMO, DDTank. In a cartoon-like world, players must rely on real-time combat in various battle modes – fighting alongside or against friends.... (read more)

≈ PLAYING IN STYLE ... AND PLAYING TO LEARN ≈

Making the Rounds
What sorts of adventures can a tiny traveler named Orbit have in the deepest reaches of space? Find out in Orbit’s Odyssey! From San Francisco’s paperkyte, this daring puzzle game is packed with 90 challenging levels across six planets in unknown areas of space.... [read more]

A Jazzy Good Time
Music has a special place in our hearts, so promoting this game was a treat: In Bebop Puzzle Beat, players join Bosco, Miles, Hot and Jelly on a mission to rescue the band’s lead singer, Mila — who has been kidnapped by an evil shape-shifting wizard.... (read more)

An Ingenious Adventure
Developed by Austrian studio Noizoo Games, Dungenious employs both learning and level crawling to have players explore a massive dungeon. After all the world’s books have stripped blank by a rogue guardian of knowledge, it’s up to players to get it back. By facing down powerful monsters and menacing bosses, the player becomes a hero... (read more)

Wild Creatures & New Features
Chipper the Chipmunk and scores of other animals abound in the endearing adventure, Piiig Forest Explorer. In this mobile game from China’s Piiig, Inc. (“What’s a pig with three eyes?!”), learning is interactive and fun. Each of the puzzles in Piiig Forest Explorer unlocks unique facts about the animals players encounter along the way.... (read more)

≈ BLOG: TALES FROM THE TEAM TRENCHES ≈

Event Reports: SIEGE | PSX | VRLA | MAGFest | GDC | PAX East
Since the last installment of Novy News, several Novy team members managed to attend a variety of conferences -- and they've blogged about their experiences. The majority of the team went to GDC 2016 -- where they provided support at the YO-KAI WATCH Wibble Wobble booth and participated in our annual "feast" -- er, team dinner -- among other escapades.

Here are a few more highlights:

* Blane helped organize the Game Studio Smackdown at SIEGE
* Cat, Brie and Aaron were in console heaven at PSX.
* Grace, Aaron and Marcos immersed themselves in cyberspace at VRLA
* Kyle chronicled the festivities at MAGFest and PAX East

Check out the Novy blog for these and other tasty treats!

What's Next? We've got some exciting social media and community management campaigns; product launches; corporate announcements; Steam Greenlight and Kickstarter campaigns; and some new services on the horizon. Brace yourself for more juicy news from Novy. Enjoy the rest of spring . . . and we'll see you again in a few months :)

Novy Unlimited, Inc. and its divisions (including Novy PR) is a product of jeannie NOvak and luis leVY, its co-conspirators. Launched in 2011, Novy is the first marketing and public relations firm to focus on indie games. Thanks for reading :)

Oh -- and in case you missed it: Our Fall 2015 issue (featuring Sproggiwood, Caves of Qud, Nova Blitz, Overfall, Templar Battleforce, Bob Was Hungry, Bow Hunter, M4 Tank Brigade, WarBirds, Alien Robot Monsters, Moon Tower Attack, Judgment, Scraps, ShellShock Live, Regicide, AGRAV, Voxel Blast, ToyQuest, Jack Nimble, and Zems) is available for your perusal!

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