Grab It founder launches new children’s book series on mobile and tablets.
Chris Stead, founder of Grab It Magazine and ex-editor of Game Informer, GamePro and Gameplayer, has launched an exciting new property for iOS and, shortly, Android, through his parent company Old Mate Media. The Little Green Boat is the first entry in The Wild Imagination of Willy Nilly series, an interactive run of digital books for children.
Willy Nilly is a young boy whose everyday activities spiral into crazy adventures as the real world and the world created by his imagination merge into one. The adventures are inspired by the many games Chris has played over the years, and the visual style is inspired by a mix of bright colourful Western platformers, and anime adventures.
In The Little Green Boat, a trip to the beach takes an interesting turn when Willy Nilly finds a little green boat. Upon jumping in, a giant wave takes him out to sea. Stranded, he enlists the help of some dolphins, who carry him to a secret island where he finds a treasure map leading to a great prize. If only he can brave the many dangers on the way.
If you have a child, or a young relative – or would just like to check it out – your support in spreading the word and getting some positive reviews on iBooks would be much appreciated. You can grab the book here.
We’re counting down the sleeps to this year’s huge PAX AUS event in Melbourne, Australia, with a smorgasbord of indie gems from last year.
This time last year, the entire Grab It team was focused - 15-hours a day - on a keyboard. We were conducting interviews, playing games and designing the biggest indie video games magazine ever made. Grab It was lucky enough to work with PAX on the show guide for all things indie, which became Episode 8 of our award winning interactive iPad magazine. In all we showcased everyone of the 68 developers who were on display at PAX AUS 2014.
When we say showcased, we mean full write-ups on the gaming experience, in-depth making of interviews with each of the 68 developers, exclusive art, video content and more. It was an astounding amount of games reading, and we’re extremely proud of the end result - which received a fantastic response from attendees.
If you’re getting amped for PAX AUS 2015, why not get an insight into just how big the indie gaming booth was last year. We guarantee you’ll discover a number of Australian made gems across all formats that you never knew existed, too. Click here to grab Episode 8 for iPad now.
What a week it has been! Not only have we released our biggest ever episode of Grab It – jammed with 68 indie game features and interviews (grab it here) – but we also just got word we’ve been selected as a finalist in the Digital Magazine Awards. We're quite excited; we only launched 10 months ago and we're an indie production in a world filled with some big publishers.
As you can see from the image above, we’ve got some stiff competition, but it’s great to know our unique take on what a digital magazine can be has some fans out there. We built Grab It from the ground-up to exist in a digital space, and that focus has enabled us to do some special things with the use of video, audio and even animations.
The awards are going down on November 25 in London – wish us luck!
Have you collected every Episode? - Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue*) - Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn - Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley - Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua - Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz - Grab It Episodes 2-5 Bundle - Episode 6 - Includes The Making of Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers - Episode 7 - Includes The Making of Tiny Troopers Alliance and Midnight Star - Episode 8 - The PAX MEGA Edition - Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection
Above you will find a trailer we've put together to help those of you umming and ahhing about picking up our latest Episode of Grab It be convinced it is wise move. Episode 8 is the PAX AUS edition, detailing 68 indie games from this week's big event, with stacks of world exclusives, amazing insights, video and sound and more. If you like the trailer, then I suggest you jump in now and pick it up while it is free!
We have some very exciting news to share with you all today. Over the last few months, we have been working with the organisers of the upcoming Australian Penny Arcade Expo – which runs from October 31 to November 2 – on a special edition of Grab It that ties into the big show. Episode 8 of Grab It – our digital magazine for iPad - offers a full, comprehensive guide to the indie games that will be showcased at the expo.
Whether you plan on attending and want to get a heads up on the must-play games, or are watching on from afar and want to keep on top of what you’re missing, there is no better destination. This could very well be the single best piece of indie games focused media every created.
We’ve been playing early builds, chatting to the developers and organising assets for 66 games across all available formats, many of which have yet to be announced. In tune with our previous episodes, this means full discussion pieces from our writers, exclusives making of interviews, music, video, animated content and more, all built native for the touchscreen with an interactive interface. We have in excess of 60 interviews alongside all our preview impressions - it’s tens of hours of entertainment.
Now here is the very cool bit! We have made Grab It Episode 8 – The PAX AUS Edition FREE during the week and weekend of the event. It won’t last long, so if you want to pounce on that opportunity, download it right now.
Also, watch our social feeds (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) and sign up to our newsletter. Over the course of the next week, leading up to the release of Episode 8, we’ll be providing daily announcements about the indie developers and the games showcased in the app, and on the show floor. It’s a stunning line-up of pure quality.
Whether they’re on iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Steam, Mac, Linux, PC, Windows Phone and – of course – Oculus Rift, we've given them the full Grab It treatment. Imagine “playing” a magazine like it is a game, and you’ll have the right idea. Of course you don’t have to wait – we have seven episodes already released plus a Classics Collection on Nihilumbra; find them on the links below.
Have you collected every Episode? - Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue*) - Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn - Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley - Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua - Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz - Grab It Episodes 2-5 Bundle - Episode 6 - Includes The Making of Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers - Episode 7 - Includes The Making of Tiny Troopers Alliance and Midnight Star - Episode 8 - PAX AUS Edition - Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection
In early 2014 I sparked a conversation with indie developer BeautiFun Games about the idea of doing a Making Of feature app on Nihilumbra, a 2012 platformer that had become something of a cult hit. I was ecstatic to find the team enthusiastic and generous with both its time and assets. We were a few episodes into the main Grab It experience at that point, and it felt like this would be a good way to experiment with new design ideas and coverage concepts. What I love about the indie gaming scene is that nearly every game has a relatable human tale behind its creation - a tale worth telling. So, as it turned out, was the case with Nihilumbra.
Nihilumbra is a magical little platformer that manages to be simple, yet compellingly deep at the same time. Its wonderfully conceived aesthetic, pinpoint controls and meaningful discussions into self-worth and a sense of place stuck with me. While its super challenging Void Mode tested my long-sharpened gaming skills rewardingly. It’s not the greatest game every made, no. But it is a great game.
We've done a stack of Making Of features in the main Grab It series proper (see the list below), but with this special edition being focused solely on Nihilumbra, we were able to really experiment and push the boundaries of digital magazine design by creating interactive interface elements that match those of the source material. Using video, sound and animation, we were able to put the editorial into an experience just like the game world we're talking about. Where you can physically play the magazine. The goal is full immersion, and what we learned creating this app we have now carried into subsequent episodes of the core Grab It experience.
Here are some examples of what I mean: note, we create Grab It using indesign.
In this image, you can see that we have recreated the menu system from the game in the magazine, so that you can tap the colour to change the whole backdrop - a mechanic from Nihilumbra.
In this pic, we have created an interactive element that recreates the gameplay element where the character is shunted upwards by a gust of air.
Here, the lava moves up and down on the screen just as it does in the game world, all while the music from the stage plays in the background.
On this screen, you can use touch to move the player character - the black blob Born - and recreate the moment when he transforms into a humanoid being
In the game, monsters can leap from beneath the surface to gobble you up, an experience recreated here if you interact with the right spot.
I hope you enjoy this journey into the development of Nihilumbra, a narrative-driven platformer from BeautiFun Games, and into what we believe is an exciting evolution of games coverage in a digital form. Be sure to check out our regular episodic coverage of the indie iPad gaming scene with Grab It – Episode 1 is free so you can sample it with no obligation – and drop by our social networks or sign up to our newsletter to stay connected and to keep informed with all the goings on during this new golden age of gaming.
Have you collected every episode of Grab It? - Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue) - Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn - Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley (trailer below) - Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua - Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz (trailer below) - Episode 6 - Includes The Making of Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers (trailer below) - Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection
It’s with great excitement that we announce the release of Episode 6 of Grab It – The Game Discovery App. It’s out right now and you can grab it here. It’s jam-packed with hours upon hours of exclusive insights into the world of indie gaming on iPad.
Our cover feature is on Magic 2015 and the Magic: The Gathering brand as a whole. We spoke directly with Wizards of the Coast on the 21-year history of the series that started the Collectable Card Game craze - now one of the most popular genres on the App Store. Find out how the tabletop experience has become a digital sensation and influenced an entire genre. Magic: The Gathering tournament judge Matt Baird also shares his tips to improve your card battling ability.
We also have detailed feature on Tin Man Games, with the Australian developer spilling the beans on how it has almost singlehandedly reinvented the Gamebook for a modern generation, compliments of its excellent work on original material and remakes of famous titles like Fighting Fantasy. We even detail the Top 10 Gamebooks on iPad, so you can dive right in and get playing.
Our third big feature comes in the form of an exclusive interview with Mark McDonald, CEO of Appster, one of the fastest growing app development companies on the planet. He offers some extraordinary insights into the mechanics of IAPs and app monetisation, as well as some essential advice on how to set-up an indie studio and release an indie game in a manner that will be successful.
We also have episode 3 of our exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the development of 2015 feature film Rise of the Indies by the great documentarians at GameLoading, led by Lester Francois.
This is just the start of what this blockbuster issue holds. There are 12 showcased games in all, 9 exclusive interviews, reviews, previews, news, opinion, videos, soundtracks and plenty more. Get amongst it, and grab it now.
Have you collected every episode of Grab It? - Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue) - Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn - Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley - Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua - Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz - Episode 6 - Includes The Making of Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers - Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection
Episode 5 of Grab It - The Game Discovery App is out best yet. It's got three huge features (including a world exclusive World of Tanks Blitz making of), 15 showcased games, nine exclusive interviews, news, opinions, soundtracks, videos and way more than we could hope to list here. So we decided to make a trailer to show off the sheer amount of content you get for your US$2 investment, and an idea of the type of cool games you will discover within its richly interactive pages. You can see it below, and you grab Episode 5 here.
Have You Collected All The Grab It Episodes? - Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue) - Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn - Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley - Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua - Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz - Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection
Episode 5 of Grab It for iPad is available on the App Store right now, and it showcases 15 indie iOS games, includes nine exclusive interviews and contains three big features. One of those big features is called Revisiting Real Racing 3 – One Year On With Firemonkeys’ Controversial Racer. It includes an interview with Australian developer Firemonkeys, where they discuss the controversial F2P shift, the team’s approach to new content, what the future holds and more. Filled with video footage and sound, it’s a rich media experience every fan should check out.
As a taster of what to expect, here is a snippet from the article:
"Producer Kynan Woodman still dreams of adding more vehicles and has a couple in particular he is targeting – “At the top end of the spectrum the LaFerrari is an amazing car we don’t have in the game and the Toyota 86 is a cool looking vehicle when you see it driving around” – but has no plans to go as outlandish as something like the lunar buggy seen in Gran Turismo 6."
Tell the boss you're sick, lock the front door and tell the dishes to do themselves; Grab It Episode 5 has just hit the App Store for iPad and we're pretty proud of it. In fact, we'll go on file to declare it our best episode yet, richly layered, jammed with interactive media content and with all kinds of awesome exclusives.
Our cover star is World of Tanks Blitz, the mobile debut of the blockbuster PC and Xbox experience from Wargaming.Net. We have a world exclusive making of, with behind-the-scenes images, videos and quotes direct from the developer.
We also revisit Real Racing 3 one year on, talking to developer Firemonkeys about the past, present and future of this legendary racer. We also chat to Guerilla Tea who, in conjunction with Cancer Research UK, has created a space shooter that actually helps scientists fight cancer - for real.
These join 15 showcased games, nine exclusive interviews, videos, soundtracks, news, opinions and more in a stellar episode. Grab your copy now - we guarantee you have never had a reading experience like Grab It before!
Have You Collected All The Grab It Episodes? - Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue) - Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn - Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley - Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua - Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz - Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection