Ahoy shipmates!

As ye’ may remember, a few weeks ago we told ye’ all how we were working on a whole slew o’ new fun features for BOOTY QUEST. We’re pleased as paint today to unveil the first of those there improvements!

Without much further ado, I present to ye’ the BOOTY QUEST TREASURE MAP!

New Changes

• It Be A Treasure Map - Race across the world of BOOTY QUEST and amass loot and prizes on yer’ pursuit to become top pirate

• Avast Ye - Stake ye’ claim against friends and family alike across 49 challenges every week!

• ‘X’ Marks The Spot - Dig for treasure on the specially designated spots for a chance to unearth secret stashes of GOLD and SILVER coins!

We have even more stuff waiting in the wings so don’t be shy, embark on a brand new BOOTY QUEST today!

Yo Ho!

Ahoy shipmates!

If ye’ be a veteran BOOTY QUEST player ye’ might notice a few changes when ye’ start up the game today. The crew here at Outplay Entertainment are currently working on adding a whole slew of new fun filled features and contraband loaded content for yer’ favourite pirate themed match 3 game.

The first of these changes can be seen right now and more are on the way. So what be these new changes? Let’s take a peek through this here looking glass.

New Changes

• Rapscallion Remix – The tides of change have washed over the BOOTY QUEST board. All the gem matching action has shifted to the right hand side of the screen, making things easier to see and getting everything ship shape for future features.

• Magic Pearl Mischief – Flynn’s Magic Pearl Store now unlocks even faster! It’s never been easier fer’ anyone and everyone to unleash an explosive booty storm on the board. Ye’ll also get a reminder before every game so ye’ll never leave the harbour unprepared.

These are just some of the first changes ye’ can expect to see in BOOTY QUEST over the next few weeks. Keep yer’ eyes peeled for further updates and as always, be sure to let us know what ye’ think below in our comments section!

Yo Ho!

Hello once again Word Trickers,

We have a very special update for you today, one that you helped shape thanks to your wonderful feedback on Twitter, Facebook and our Forums. So with no further ado, I present to you the latest and greatest additions and changes to WORD TRICK!

What’s New?

• Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink – We’ve added a brand new nudging system to WORD TRICK. Is your opponent lollygagging? Are they taking an age to play a move? Give them a quick nudge and get the words flowing again.

• Out With The Old – Is your active game list looking a little too full? Are you having trouble freeing up space for new games? With the new ‘Delete’ and ‘Rematch’ buttons dealing with your old and finished games is a breeze!

• Bug Be Gone! – We’ve squashed even more bugs leaving you with the smoothest, most trouble free game of WORD TRICK yet!

So there you have it folks. What do you think of the changes? Let us know in the comments below!

Alan Lumley

It’s time for the latest Q&A session with another member of the Outplay family. This time we take a few minutes to sit down with IT Manager Alan Lumley.

The following interview was conducted at a road side burger van just outside of Reading, Berkshire.

Who are you?
Hello, I’m Alan Lumley, and I’m the I.T Manager here at Outplay Entertainment.

I’ve spent about a year in the games industry and previously worked in the finance, education, and health sectors.

What makes you so awesome?
I was born awesome, does that count?  No, but honestly I think it’s my thirst for education.  I am addicted to technology and certifications. I like to keep my finger on the pulse of emerging technologies.  I don’t like mistakes; there is no need for them, so I pride myself on keeping infrastructure downtime to an absolute minimum. Generally, if you align your business needs with your IT needs and always remember that you’re providing a service you can’t go wrong.

What drew you to joining Outplay?
I’ve always dreamed of managing the infrastructure of a games studio, so once I learnt about Outplay Entertainment and their ambitions, I jumped at the chance of being a part of the team. After meeting Doug and Richard there was no question, I had to be a part of it, the potential the company had and still has, is jaw dropping.

Who or what are your biggest gaming influences?
I couldn’t pin it down to one developer, or even a team, but as a concept I think well designed core mechanics are my biggest influence. There’s nothing like seeing the happy smiles of gamers when all the pieces come together to form the delicious sandwich that is an entertaining and engaging game.

What are your favourite social games?
Oh, there’s no question that “WordTrick” is top of the list, I’m obsessed really. There’s nothing like logging in, whether it be on Facebook or on IOS, and banging out some high scores.
Second on the list has to be “Booty Quest”, I know that sounds a little biased but there’s just something about that game that has the whole studio vying for first place whenever a new tournament starts. It’s addictive.

Is making games @ Outplay fun? And if so what excites you the most?
Life is fun at Outplay, we have a good team who are always there for each other. The work ethic is second to none and the team really gels.

Morale is kept high at Outplay and every challenge is met with professionalism. You couldn’t ask for a better working environment.

I believe what we’re achieving here at Outplay is nothing short of exceptional.

Ahoy Shipmates!

We’ve made some big changes to the good ship BOOTY QUEST te’ day as ye’ may have seen, if ye’ haven’t however we’ve compiled a fine list fer’ ye’ to take a peak at!

New Changes

• Blazin’ 60 Second Battles – Games of BOOTY QUEST now last fer’ 60 pulse poundin’ seconds! Every tick o’ the clock means more treasure in yer’ galley.

• Amazin’ Multipliers – Multipliers are awarded even faster than before which makes every gem match all the more important!

• More Lives, More Often – You’ll now earn ye’ self a fresh new life every ten minutes!

So there ye’ have it shipmates, what do ye’ think? Let us know down below!

Hello Word Tricksters!

To celebrate the recent release of the Ad FREE version of WORD TRICK for iOS devices we thought we’d sweeten the deal even further by putting it on sale for a whole week! That’s right, for 7 straight days you can save an amazing 50% when purchasing the Ad FREE version of WORD TRICK!

You can find it right HERE on the App Store!

But what is the Ad FREE version of WORD TRICK? I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you…

Great iOS Features

• Ad Free – Word Trick is now ad free! Keep your games moving at the speed of thought and spare yourself from any unwanted distractions!

• Same Great Taste – Word Trick for iOS has all the same amazing features you know and love from Facebook and much, much more!

• Be an Achiever! — Unlock oodles of Achievements and view them in Game Center.

• Bubbly Conversation – Keep the conversation flowing with the in-game chat feature.

• Pass and Play – Play Word Trick face to face! Hand your phone to a friend and let them make their move.

• Stay Informed – Instant Push Notifications let you know as soon as it’s your turn.

• Facebook Friendly – Play with your Facebook friends and random opponents!

So there you have it! It’s just like the WORD TRICK you know and love only in the palm of your hand. Grab is today and save 50% while you can! Just click HERE to open the App Store.

We took a quick break from Outplay’s Games of the Year Awards over the weekend but now we’re back with our day four winners! Today’s prime cuts come courtesy of Nathan.

L.A. Noire

Developed By: Team Bondi / Rockstar Leeds
Available On: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Chosen By: Nathan Kunicki

“I’m not sure what it is about this game that makes me love it above all the other excellent games that were released in 2011. It certainly didn’t have the best gameplay experience, and it’s not the most replayable either. What it has though is a completely engrossing story that kept me engaged for 20 odd hours on the first playthrough, and countless more trying to perfect all the cases by looking for all the clues and carefully watching the characters for tells.

It feels to me like one of the first great triple-A experiments in a long while. Rather than pushing out shooter after shooter, here’s a studio that said “I wonder if we can make a more immersive game”. Rendered in a beautiful 1930′s vision of Los Angeles, the city just bursts with life and serves as the perfect backdrop to the Film Noir crime story told in the game.”

Reckless Getaway

Developed By: Polarbit
Available On: iOS, Android
Chosen By: Nathan Kunicki

“The premise is simple: You’ve just robbed a bank, and you’re on the run from the cops on a cross-state sprint for the border where ever second counts.

The addictiveness comes in to play once you’ve completed all the levels and you set your sights on achieving a four star rank on each stage. You get points for performing various actions such as passing head-on traffic, jumping over cars, ramming into other vehicles, using the scenery as a weapon or making use of one of the many power-ups. When all’s said and done, it’s about causing as much carnage as possible before escaping.

Despite the fact that the game is now several months old, it still manages to draw me back into the fray time after time as I attempt to achieve one more 4 star rating!”

Day Three of the Outplay GOTY Awards is here! It’s our last update before the weekend but rest assured there’s more to come! Today’s choice picks come courtesy of interstellar space ranger David Clarke!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Developed By: Bethesda Softworks
Available On: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Chosen By: David Clarke

“2011 really spoiled us. I feel like I spent the entire year either anticipating something amazing, or playing something amazing. It all kicked off early in the year with Portal 2, which, for a while at least was my uncontested game of the year. Then along came Skyrim.

This game, more than any other this year, truly raised the bar. The sheer scale of the world proved that we as an industry have the technology and creative ability to truly create entire worlds for players.

The way in which everything in the game is presented to the player allows for anyone and everyone to choose their own path, their own experiences and to do things in ways that no other player will.

As a concept that sounds quite trivial, but as a driving force for players it is truly unique. It’s an experience that gives back just as much, if not more, of what you’re willing to put in. ”

Quarrel

Developed By: Denki
Available On: iOS, Xbox Live Arcade
Chosen By: David Clarke

“This was a hard one, there have been so many fantastic social and mobile games released this past year but if push comes to shove I would have to say that ‘Quarrel’ from our friends at Denki wins out.

The Denki team had to go through a series of trials and tribulations to get this game out the door but when it finally dropped it delivered an outstanding experience that you would be hard pressed not to fall in love with. It was the game that catapulted word games back onto my radar (which would prove useful when our own Word Trick came out).

There’s nothing better than pulling out the big word guns and stealing territory from my friends slash foes.”

It’s time for the Day Two winners of the ‘Outplay Games of the Year Awards’ to come out and play! Today’s picks come courtesy of our very own Stephen King. No, not that one…

Gears of War 3

Developed By: Epic Games
Available On: Xbox 360
Chosen By: Stephen King

“In the age of teasers, previews and mass marketing, it can be very difficult for a game to live up to the hype. I’ve lost count of the times I have been excited about the release of what was being described as ‘the next big thing’, only to be sorely disappointed. However, in 2011 there was one game that managed to live up to everything I had dreamed.

Gears of War 3 was without a doubt my favourite game of last year and featured not only an incredible campaign that put a knot in the end of the series but also enough multiplayer content that I am still experiencing new things months after its release. In fact I love it so much that I was compelled (under the guise of charity) to play the game for 48 hours straight! As if all of that weren’t enough, you can get a season pass for the game (albeit at an extra cost) that gives you a year’s worth of metered extra content.

Great characterisation, a well written campaign and the best gameplay of the whole trilogy make Gears of War 3 a really easy choice for my game of the year 2011. Being honest, if the DLC keeps coming out in the quantity and quality that it has done so far, I will be naming Gears 3 my game of 2012 too!”

Cut The Rope

Developed By: ZeptoLab
Available On: iOS, Android, DSiWare
Chosen By: Stephen King

“Mobile games have traditionally been a difficult thing for me to get into as I was never totally sold on the touch screen experience. However, my opinion has been changed over the last 12 months by a flurry of games being made purposefully for the platform.

Cut the Rope is an incredibly addictive puzzle game that I downloaded on a whim. After the first few minutes turned into hours I realised I had not only found something that was addictive, but something incredibly fun. With its cute art style and varied level design, it is a prime example of the kind of games that are excellently suited to the mobile platform. The game is designed to be played in small chunks with levels lasting around 10 seconds each, but the real hook comes from trying to 100% each puzzle.

I would recommend this for anyone in a heartbeat! Cut the Rope is my 2011 Mobile Game of the Year.”