We recently received this message from Spinfast General Manager, Robert Spencer:

Our latest release is Spinfast Snowboard, featuring ESPN X-Games announcer Sal Masekela and available now for iPhone & iPad. There is more information and screenshots on the Website if you would like to read more about what we’re doing and please visit iTunes if you would like to download it right away.

Spinfast Snowboard is the third iPhone (and now iPad) sports title from this local developer (following Spinfast Cricket and Spinfast Baseball), and we’re expecting to see more from them in future.

Congratulations Spinfast!

We’ve just added three more games to our games directory:

• Surf Prodigy by DrewFX
• Cellblock Squadrons by Super Furious Software
• Space Crash by RocketHands

Thanks to the game developers for submitting profiles… although we’re still after profiles from more developers! (And for more than a few games!)

As a reminder, you can submit developer and game profiles by completing the corresponding surveys that have been running since April.

Here’s a description from the product page:

Halogen is a fun, fast paced action game which pits you and your pucks against hordes of enemies in a battle to clear a drifting space dreadnought of crazed droids. Deflect your pucks and smash the droids where it hurts! Mow down the enemy onslaught en masse to rack up insane scores! Activate the coloured reactors on each level and liberate enough Halogen elements to shut down each section of the ship, until all that remains is a final inexorable confrontation! In SPAAACE!

Their first endorsement is effusively positive:

First class time killer, you really knocked it out of the park. Easily one of the best games I own. You must be very proud of your game…would you mind terribly making all games from now on? – Cranberry Juice

Congratulations Brad and Rockethands!

Here’s a blurb from the press release:

Star Hammer Tactics is an easy-to-learn game of tactical battles. Deploy your forces, engage your enemy and outwit them to achieve victory by blasting them to pieces! Along with the single-player campaign, Star Hammer Tactics features a choice of skirmish modes – single player against a devious AI, or the local multi-player mode in which gamers will compete for glory and bragging rights!

It’s fantastic to see a locally developed game readily available for download on a major console. Although, it’s a shame that it’s not readily available in Australia as Xbox LIVE Indie Games is yet to launch here!

Congratulations Paul!

Note: How does a local developer go about making games for the Xbox360? Why can’t we buy Xbox LIVE Indie Games here? Answers to all these questions and more when Paul Turbett talks about his experiences at our next Let’s Make Games technical session in August (or September).

http://survey.letsmakegames.org

If you are involved in any way with the games development community of Perth, please take a few minutes to answer the community survey. Collected information will be used to produce a report like this one from last year (only better!)

We’re also asking developers (individuals and organisations) to invest a bit more time (answering some more in-depth questions) to let us know all about themselves and their games. We’re keen to produce a community and industry directory and to also document the history of games development in Perth.

For all of this we need your help!, as evidenced by this poster:

More information is available on the survey website, but please feel free to reply here or contact us if you have any questions.

Update: Some people are reporting problems submitting multiple responses to the surveys (eg. one developer submitting responses for multiple games). If you encounter this problem, please try using a different browser or clearing your browser cache of cookies for the domain survey.letsmakegames.org.

Thanks to everyone who reported this issue. We will be patching the server within the next few days, but there should be no interruption in availability of the survey. So please don’t hold out on responding!

Here are a few snippets from the official announcement:

Incredible Graphical Upgrades! We’ve remodelled the players and environment, added new animations and an umpire. Improved all game textures and added an “Advanced graphics” mode.

Use a unique gesture-based bowling system that allows you to control line, length, spin (left/right/top/back) and swing, all with a single gesture!

And here are some images (more on their website):

Congratulations Spinfast!

Perth iPhone developers Sandbox Software have just released their first iPhone game: Adrenaline Snowboarding!

Here’s a gameplay video showing off some hot 3D graphics:

Here’s the pitch from the developers’ Touch Arcade forum thread:

Sandbox Software is pleased to announce Adrenaline Snowboarding, our first title for iPhone!

Get it from the App Store now: Adrenaline Snowboarding

Take on the role of an extreme snowboarder and shred down the slopes, grind rails and bust out huge aerial tricks. Score big to compete against your friends, or others from around the world.

Features:

* Multiple courses
* Variety of characters including a gnarly looking robot!
* Massive jumps
* Rail grinds
* Mid air grabs and tricks
* Intuitive tilt and touch screen controls
* Online high scores with custom leaderboards
* Adrenaline pumping soundtrack
* Listen to your iTunes music while you play
* Much more coming really soon!

And here are some screenshots:

I guess the only thing left to say is: Congratulations Sandbox Software on the release of your first iPhone game!

Turn-out was a less than normal (just over 20 people – maybe people were intimidated by the music-game-ed-ness of it all), but it didn’t matter one iota.

I’m not sure that any words written here could do it justice, so I’ll just leave it to videos (on our brand new YouTube channel!) and photos.

Here’s a compilation video of how the evening progressed:

And here’s the complete encore performance of the competition winners, Rainbow Stance:

Finally, here are the photos (I was very conscientious to take a lot of photos this time!):

Note: Know of any other local games community/industry videos/groups on YouTube? Let us know so that we can add them to our favourites list!

Let’s Make Games events are fun social get-togethers for local game developers and gamers. It’s great to catch up with the local scene and see what people they have been working on, and there’s always a friendly atmosphere for curious newcomers.

The original event announcement has all key information, but here are a few new highlights…

GameTraders (Carillon City and Carousel) will be bringing along two PSPs for a pre-release demonstration of Dissidia: Final Fantasy. One PSP will be connected to a projector for general viewing. Dissidia: Final Fantasy is scheduled for local release in September.

A number of local games companies will be demonstrating their latest iPhone games. This includes Surf Prodigy by DrewFX and RocketFuse by RocketHands. Also attending (and possibly demonstrating) will be game developers from Istpika, Spinfast, Staring Man, Subversive Games, Black Lab Games, Interzone Entertainment, Sandbox Software, and Kruger Heavy Industries.

Crewjo are looking for local mobile game developers and may make a brief announcement. Finally, GO3 will be announcing a special opportunity for local developers to showcase their work and to network with other companies at the upcoming GO3 Electronic & Entertainment Expo in October.

We hope to see you there!

We apologise if we missed mentioning any developers who plan to demonstrate and have RSVP’d. Feel free to bring along short promo videos (on a USB stick) for our video loop.

Update: Anthony will be bringing Bomberman for multi-player wireless DS gaming tonight!