Marvel Card Battler Hits iOS and Android

Marvel: Wars of Heroes from DeNA and Marvel Entertainment is now available on the iOS App Store and Android Google Play Marketplace. The card battler, powered by DeNA's Mobage mobile social game platform, lets gamers assemble a team of Marvel heroes with each represented by a unique player card.

“Marvel: War of Heroes is an incredibly unique handcrafted card-battle game that we’re excited to share with consumers,” said Clive Downie, Vice President of Studios at DeNA’s U.S. subsidiary ngmoco, LLC. “Marvel’s breadth of iconic characters and creative storyline offers players a truly engaging and fun gameplay experience.”

The title follows the same basic premise as DeNA's hugely successful social card battler Rage of Bahamut. Players collect and level-up Marvel heroes for their deck. Unwanted or duplicate cards can be "fused" together to create a single more powerful hero.

Like DeNA's other card battlers, Marvel: War of Heroes is a freemium release. Gamers can download and enjoy the App free-of-charge, but can progress faster or boost their heroes by spending premium currency or getting more of their friends playing.

Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing cell phone games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter at @ErrorJustin and on IGN at JDavisIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Galaxy S3 and Other Samsung Devices Finally Getting Jelly Bean

At last, our favorite Android phone is getting the newest version of Android. It took them long enough, but Samsung is finally beginning to roll out Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) updates for over a dozen of its phones and tablets.

The update is available first in Poland, for some reason, and The Verge reports that when you'll get it depends on where you live and which carrier you're with. If this post at TechHive is any indication, US customers - particularly those of us on Verizon - are last in line.

With enhancements like Project Butter and Google Now, updating to Jelly Bean means upgrading your phone. And with Google's improved voice search and Samsung's "blocking mode" filling in for Siri and "Do Not Disturb," the Jelly Bean update should help the Galaxy S3 compete with the iPhone 5.

We'll save a full-on OS face-off for another time, but consider this: Apple released iOS 6 a week ago, and over 100 million devices have already installed it (about 25%). Google announced Jelly Bean over two months ago, and its share of the Android user-base hasn't yet reached 2%.

No one cares how good the new version of Android is if it won't work on their phone. Let's hope Samsung can make the updates available fast, and that HTC and Motorola follow suit.

Eagerly awaiting the Jelly Bean update? (Or still waiting in vain for Ice Cream Sandwich?) Tell us about it in the comments.

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Rayman: Jungle Run Announced for iOS, Android

Ubisoft has announced Rayman: Jungle Run for iOS and Android. Jungle Run is built on the same UbiArt framework engine that powered Rayman Origins on consoles and features new worlds, new unlockable powers and new controls enhanced for touch screens.

On iOS, Jungle Run will support multiple cloud saves and GameCenter leaderboards, as well as graphics enhanced for the Retina Display. Players will also be able to unlock exclusive wallpapers.

Jungle Run is set to hit iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android on September 20th.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

ngmoco Reveals Transformers Card Battler

Mobile game studio ngmoco has lifted the lid on Transformers Mobile, a new card battler due out for iOS and Android later this fall. The new title follows the success of ngmoco parent company DeNA’s original smash-hit card battler Rage of Bahamut, which at one point occupied both the iOS and Android top game slots.

For now Transformers Mobile gameplay details are scarce, but it seems likely that the title will build on Rage of Bahamut’s core gameplay mechanics, including a strong quest system, card upgrading and frequent live events. The game will be powered by DeNA’s Mobage mobile social game platform.

Players will be able to play through unique Autobot and Decepticon campaigns to explore a new Transformers storyline. Like the studio’s other socially-infused games, Transformers Mobile will largely revolve around battling friends and checking in on a daily basis to take advantage of the steady stream of planned episodes and promotions.

IGN will have more on Transformers mobile as it nears release. Until then, gamers can ogle the game’s early artwork, inspired by the classic Transformers look from the 1980s.

Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing cell phone games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Dead Trigger On Android Faces Rampant Piracy, Now Free

It's been said many times that Android developers find it hard to make money on Google's mobile platform, and this sad tale is further proof of that.

Developer Madfinger Games announced via Facebook on Monday that it's making its zombie first-person shooter Dead Trigger free on the Android platform, down from the lowly price of only 99 cents. 

But it's not a new "freemium" model that drove Madfinger's decision: It's what they refer to as the "unbelievably high" piracy rate on Android.

"At first we intend to make this game available for as many people as possible -- that's why it was for as little as buck," the developer explained on Facebook. "However, even for one buck, the piracy rate is soooo giant, that we finally decided to provide DEAD TRIGGER for free.

"Anyway, DEAD TRIGGER is not FREEMIUM, it always was and still remains FREE-TO-PLAY, that means, all players are able to play it without IAP (in-app purchase)!" the statement concludes.

While recent hacks have compromised in-app purchases on iOS, such a move would still be almost laughable on Apple's mobile platforms, where the App Store enjoys a much higher level of security for all but a select few jailbreakers. But it's a sad statement on the Android platform, when users aren't willing to part with even a buck to indulge in a quality game.

Meanwhile, Madfinger still offers Dead Trigger for 99 cents on Apple's mobile platform, and apparently has no plans to change its pricing scheme there.

Source : ign[dot]com