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Welcome to the very first edition of Novy News!
Consider this the first of many quarterly updates from your groovy friends at Novy. This little newsletter will provide us with an opportunity to . . .
- give you more background on who we are and what we do (and why you're reading this)
- brag (again) about recent projects we've helped our clients launch
- 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 three months -- and give you a preview (or just a whiff) of what's on the horizon
Hope you enjoy the news!
- Jeannie Novak & Luis Levy (Co-Conspirators)
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Novy Has Landed!
Thanks to the superhuman efforts of Marketing Coordinator and WordPress Guru, Drew Utterback, we now have a pretty cool looking site! Take a look at the first incarnation of the Novy PR showcase at http://novypr.com More updates coming soon -- including additional client-specific pages, extensive company descriptions and bios, and eventually some fun backend thrills for our clients. (Note: Throughout this newsletter, we've included links to pages on our new site when appropriate. Check them out!) Our new Novy Unlimited and Novy PR logos, which are prominently featured on the site, were designed by the amazingly talented Cat Wendt. Meow! (In other news, we've also posted a handy powerpoint presentation to SlideShare -- also accessible from our site for your perusal here.)
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Quantum Leap
The new year started out with a "bang" as the quantum physics-themed Atomic Fusion: Particle Collider became our first launch of 2014! Austin-based ByteSized Studios made quite an impact with Atomic Fusion's alchemic mix of frantic arcade gameplay, a thumping trance soundtrack, vibrant colors, and . . . SCIENCE. Players (in this case, Physicists) even have the opportunity to name elements and secure bragging rights on global leaderboards. Released on iOS and Android, Atomic Fusion: Particle Collider amassed mounds of coverage (including a feature on the local news) -- garnering a 5-star review from Cult of Mac, an 8.1 out of 10 from AppsZoom and even being awarded the Silver Award from Pocket Gamer! Read more about ByteSized Studios and Atomic Fusion (iOS/Android) here.
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The Little Aviator That Could . . .
Our second launch was for the endless flyer, Kid Aviator, created by Mattia Fortunati Games -- an Italian development studio consisting of two people. Pretty incredible :) Like a Fellini film set in a circus, "Kid" meets a motley group of wacky characters (including piñatas, chainsaws, and the occasional duck) as he flies through the air after being shot out of a cannon. In an enlightening and inspiring postmortem in Game Sauce, Mattia Fortunati gave us a pat on the back: "Novy replied in a professional, yet passionate way. They listened to us and were interested in our project as a whole. They were also affordable for our small, self-funded studio." With 4-star and 5-star reviews from Cult of Mac and Mac Sources, respectively, Mattia Fortunati Game's first effort is clearly just the beginning -- and we're looking forward to seeing (and playing) the next installment! Read more about Mattia Fortunati Games and Kid Aviator (iOS/Android) here.
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Astrominers, Unite!
We moved from a Martian invasion to Wally, a lonely but adorable astrominer who works in various faraway locales: Moon, Mars, and even Europa. What makes Astro Mined: Galactic Bombsquad unique is its mashup of two puzzle gameplay styles inspired by Sokoban and Minesweeper -- allowing for both puzzle cart pushing and startling blowups. Created by ex-Googler Aleksander Fedorynski and his brother Jacek, Astro Mined was the winning entry in MakeGamesWithUs' 2013 iOS Game Competition and garnered a 5-star review from Mac Sources. Read more about the Fedorynski brothers, MakeGamesWithUs and Astro Mined (iOS) here.
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The Martians Are Coming!
We soon found ourselves transitioning from endless flyer to endless runner! Secret Location's The Great Martian War was developed in cooperation with HISTORY (the Canadian and UK version of The History Channel), which aired an alternate history mockumentary in the vein of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. The game created quite a stir -- with plenty of 4-star and 5-star reviews from the likes of Android Police, Cult of Mac and Mac Sources and some fun YouTube Let's Plays. The trailer alone will get you in the mood for a Martian smackdown. According to Technology Tell, our press release headline summed it up nicely: "It’s rare that I get a press release with a subject line I don’t want to change, but not that one; it remains fully intact." Oh -- and here's the subject line: "War is hell, especially if you're fighting martians." Read more about Secret Location and The Great Martian War (iOS/Android) here.
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A New Way to Play
Another ingenious hybrid was unveiled -- this time combining the best of both worlds: wordplay and cardplay. During the first two days after its launch, Words & Cards was featured in the App Store (thanks to Ayopa) and received two 5-star reviews! It's still in mid-launch, so there may be more to report in our next newsletter. Kudos to Jesse Lindsley of Thrust Interactive and Molly Proffitt for their amazing efforts during the development phase. For now, read more about Royal Palm Games/Ayopa Games and Words & Cards (iOS) here. Since it's our newest launch, we're also currently featuring the game on the home page of the Novy PR site :)
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