Zen Garden - @ 20six.co.uk

NEWS: Astraware Revolution

THE MIDLANDS/YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND - July 29th 2005 - Astraware and Revolution Software are excited to announce a new partnership which will see Revolution's classic games brought to PDAs.

Both Revolution and Astraware are active members of Game Republic, an alliance formed to bring together companies within the games industry, so when Revolution first began development for the PDA games market, they sought the expertise of Astraware, the leader in this field.

The first title being developed for handhelds is Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars; the first in the worldwide multi-million selling adventure game series originally released for PC and PlayStation(R) in 1996. The story opens in Paris with an explosion in a cafe, and unfolds as American tourist George Stobbart and photo-journalist Nico Collard set about investigating the explosion and are drawn into a globe-trotting adventure involving conspiracies, cults and murder, all revolving around the Knights Templar. The handheld version is due out in the coming months.

"Broken Sword is ideal for the PDA," commented Charles Cecil, managing director, Revolution Software. "The game retains its unique ability to captivate and enthrall and its loyal fan base still active today is a testament to its enduring power. Our agreement with Astraware will allow the game to reach an even broader audience. With their skills in handheld development, they are a perfect partner for this product."

"We are excited and proud to be working with Revolution Software to publish their highly-acclaimed titles to handheld devices," said Howard Tomlinson, CEO of Astraware. "Their Broken Sword games fill a gap which has long been open - for titles with great stories and fantastic presentation. We believe that Revolution's games will appeal to handheld users around the world, just as their PC games have done."

More details regarding the handheld version of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars will be revealed soon.

3.8.05 07:04

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THOUGHT: I Thought They Knew It!

I've foreseen the future of mobile computing in this thought piece (written more than a year ago). I've also written what the future of Palm will look like in this editorial. I was just fascinated reading what Brighthand Editor-In-Chief Ed Hardy have to say about Palm's future. I thought he knew it all along. Between him and me, supposedly he should be the expert on this (having years of experience running PalmInfocenter in the past).

Its not just him. I've read a variety of articles discussing this piece. It really is starting to bore me if somebody whom I respected in the past came out with such an outdated editorial. Oh well, as you tend to read a lot and develop some parts of your cerebral cortex, you tend to be harder to please.

W

P.S. Better not bore me Kirvin, you're the only one left. -.^

8.8.05 07:52

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THOUGHT: CNET Misses The Original Palm Pilot

There's an article over at CNET entitled "Top 10 tech we miss". One of those technologies that they sorely miss is the original Palm Pilot (circa 1994). The reason?

"Introduced in 1994, the original Pilot was a model of simplicity. It was an excellent pocket calendar and address book, and it synchronized sufficiently well with a desktop computer to make it a solid PC companion. With so many new Palm Pilots shipping today, why do we miss the original? Because the 1.0 Pilot never crashed. Its simplicity was its blessing. You'd think that after 11 years, this is the one feature that we'd keep."

The current Palms doesn't hang as often as WM devices do. Still a good consolation, but I'm a bit nostalgic and want to try the old Pilot one more time (for old time sake).

In addition, they also miss the original commercial PDA - the Apple Newton.

"When Apple gets things right, it's spectacular (think iPod), but when the company messes up, it's a hoot. The first popular pen-based PDA, the Apple Newton, was big, expensive, and too smart for its britches. Early models tried to interpret handwriting with often amusing results, making words out of users' scrawls that often combined into surreal "Newton Poetry." We miss the Newton because what it thought we meant was often far more interesting than what we were really trying to say."

This I say I would really love to try using one! -.^

W

9.8.05 03:19

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GAMES: Super Slyder

THE MIDLANDS, ENGLAND - August 17th, 2005 - Astraware and Sandlot Games, the team that brought you Tradewinds, are delighted to introduce you to Super Slyder(TM) for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(TM) devices. With its truly addictive nature and easy-to-play style, Super Slyder(TM) has impressed critics and fans alike, making it the must-have puzzler for the casual game audience.

Guide Slyder, our adorable, spherical hero, through a world of over 200 increasingly difficult mazes, using strategy and foresight. Along the way meet friends and foes, including the sociable Boffo, the angry Unger, the immobile Reginald, and the explosive Sparky, who will try to help or hinder Slyder?s progress. Your powers of logic are the only thing that will help get Slyder to his destination and on to the next level.

"We are very excited to bring Super Slyder(TM) to the handheld market," said Daniel Bernstein, President and CEO of Sandlot Games. "Partnering with Astraware allows us to introduce the sequel to Slyder, an already well established franchise, to handheld users looking for the most challenging and rewarding game experience available.?

Super Slyder(TM) eases the player into the game with a full tutorial explaining how to play. To advance from level to level, players must guide Slyder through a series of mazes by using the stylus or directional keys. But be careful, once Slyder starts moving he will continue in that direction until he is stopped by an obstacle or the edge of the maze. This colorful, fun puzzle game is easy to start, but so addictive you won't want to stop playing.

Super Slyder(TM) has already proved to be a big hit with Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(TM) for Pocket PC and Smartphone press:

"A cool game that will keep you intrigued. This is the type of game that you just can't put down!" - Jack Cook, Dave's Ipaq

"It's one of those "Oh, I can beat this easily" games which rapidly prove you wrong. This is an exceptional brainteaser which gets better and better as you play it. It's the ultimate in compulsive gaming - you can pick Super Slyder(TM) up and start playing so easily, yet it seems impossible to put down. Top work Astraware." - Leigh Geary, Coolsmartphone.com

Super Slyder(TM) supports multiple resolutions and is available for Palm OS(R), Windows Mobile(TM) for Pocket PC and Smartphone devices. This is the first Astraware release with full screen support for Windows Mobile(TM) for Pocket PC "square screen" handhelds and with QGVA screens on Windows Mobile(TM) for Smartphone devices. Get Super Slyder from the Astraware website: http://www.astraware.com/superslyder, priced $19.95.

18.8.05 03:26

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REVIEW: Super Wild Wild Word

Yee-haw! Welcome to the wild west of word games. This is the game where outlaws (and anything goes) rule. It seem easy to play at one glance, but looks always get deceiving.

This could be a long overdued review, nevertheless a great game deserves some recognition. I could give a thousand and one reasons why it got delayed, but you won't even bother accepting my excuses. To cut the long epic short, this game got me hooked and forgot to write a review about it. Better late than never, let's get into the review.

Once Upon A Time In The Wild West
Super Wild Wild Words is a Western-themed combination of word search and hangman, based on the popular PC and online game from GameHouse.

Super Wild Wild Words has two modes of play: Normal mode where players race against the clock to make as many words as possible before the board fills up; and Bonus mode where extra letters fall onto the play board as you make more words.

Earn Sheriff's badges to guess letters from the hangman puzzle, or even use them to guess the entire puzzle. Additional power pieces include Free Guess Keys and First Aid blocks, which give you back a body piece if you've made a wrong guess.

Word Games On Steroids
If Hangman and Text Twist already bore you, maybe its time for a little fusion with a dash of a Tetris-like kind of fun! A very familiar appeal that tickles every Bejeweled gamer's fancies. The game play of Super Wild Wild Word is a combination of everything (like its an AstraWare Greatest Hits). I must say there's a learning curve inorder to master the tricks of the game, but once you're hooked - you are hooked! Don't just take my word, give it a try now.

W

Note: You can download a free trial here.

23.8.05 11:41

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