endloop blog

It’s been quite a while since we’ve updated this blog with anything NON-iMockups related so I thought I’d take the time to give an update on what we’ve been up to and what is in store for the future of Endloop.

First off, WOW. We’ve been on this rocket ship since iMockups (and the iPad) have launched and we’ve had our heads down, pounding the keyboards trying to get updates out. We just submitted v1.0.8 yesterday so that’s 8 versions/updates in about 3.5 months. Pretty crazy!

We’ve also grown our team - two new amazing people, Dirk (@dirkheikoop) and Linda (@lindatran30) have joined the Endloop ranks and will be helping us continue to make awesome apps. We knew that in order to keep this going, we couldn’t do it just by ourselves any longer. We’re super excited to have them on board!

So what’s next for us?

iMockups
Well, we’re already working on iMockups 1.1, which for us, will be the biggest update since launch! While iMockups 1.0.8 brings us much closer to the product we envisioned from the beginning, iMockups 1.1 will deliver on what we believe to be the COMPLETE version of iMockups - incorporating almost ALL the features we could think of and requested by you, our users, since we first started.

Have no doubt, we are dedicated to keeping iMockups as THE premier wireframing app for the iPad.

Our Next App
Development has also begun on our next app and while we can’t let the cat out of the bag yet, we’re really stoked about it and can’t wait to show you all! What I can say though is that it’s another productivity app, one that doesn’t really exist yet and something we’ve been wishing DID exist for a long time.

What about games?
And finally, don’t worry, we haven’t abandoned the game scene for productivity apps - we’ve just been in love with our iPads and see so much potential for great apps there that we can’t help ourselves. But we also have something HUGE for our return to the Indie game scene. We’ve got the concept ironed out and we’ll be starting development very soon.

In fact, we’re going to start dedicating Fridays PURELY for our upcoming game. So if you see #TCFridays in our Twitter stream, you’ll know what we’re talking about (Yes, the working title of our game is TC, an acronym for the top secret title we’re working on).

Anyway, that’s about it - as you can see, lots of work ahead for us but it’s amazingly exciting. Thanks for all your support and, as always, we’d love to hear from you, good or bad.

We just got back from 360iDev in San Jose and had an awesome time! Great to see old friends and meet new developers. If you’re an iPhone developer and haven’t gone to a 360iDev yet, you’re definitely missing out. It truly is one of the best, friendliest and most fun of all the conferences we go to.

And one of the best things about it this year was the Touch Arcade Game Jam. So many awesome developers, game dev veterans and novices, showed up and created some amazing concepts and games. This time, we teamed up with the awesome guys at Retro Dreamer and in a little over 9 hours, we managed to crank out Cake Defence!

Basically, you are a giant wedding cake and you have to defend yourself against the hungry masses. You do this by dishing out slices of cake (using tilt controls to aim) to appease and eventually defeat them. As you send out the cake though, you get smaller which means you have less cake to dish out - fortunately, this replenishes over time though. We even managed to include some powerups like Power Cake, Multi-Cake and even Infinite Cake.

We hope to have a video up soon, but in the mean time, here are some delicious screenshots.

We’ve just released Bankshot Ad-Free, which is essentially the same game as Bankshot but, well, without ads! We didn’t think ads bothered anyone (they don’t bother us), but you spoke and we listened, so now we’ve made an ad-free option available. It’s available on the App Store now!

Also, if you’re still not convinced it’s fun, check out these reviews:
TUAW.com

Bankshot delivers a quick hit of fun.
It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s the perfect kind of game to just pull up and play when you only need a few minutes of distraction.
If you want a quick arcade hit to play during your next few iPhone breaks, definitely pick it up.

iPhoneFreak.com

Like TRON, Paper Toss or Air Hockey? Check out the Bankshot game, its fun and free!
From time to time I sit and waste some time playing games on my iPhone, but given that I am far from a gamer the games I play are simple. I prefer the ones that you can pick up and put down with ease such as Bejewled, Peggle, TapTap, LED Football and Flight Control. I am also pretty cheap when it comes to purchasing games.
Given that I was happy to discover a new game called Bankshot. And it hit me right from the description…

Yes, that’s right, we’re looking to expand! Check out the job posting below and if you fit the bill, we’d love to talk to you!

————————————-
Endloop is a boutique iPhone App and Games development shop based in Toronto, Ontario that started in 2009. In a short period of time, we’ve developed some pretty cool apps and games and started to build a growing client base.

We are looking for a junior, rockstar developer (preferably a recent grad, looking to learn), who wants to develop and create awesome iPhone apps/games – plain and simple. You will be involved in anything and everything related to iPhone and game development.

Obviously, you should also love Apple, Macs, iPhones, iPods and, yes, even the iPad, despite its name (but we’ll forgive you if you don’t like Apple TV – neither do we).

The ideal candidate will have some or all of the following skills:

Objective-C
Xcode w/ iPhone SDK (and Instruments)
Core Animation, Quartz 2D, Open GL-ES
Cocos2D, Unity3D, Torque
Box2D / Chipmunk

You should also be:

- Brilliant. Like ridiculously smart and can learn and soak up knowledge like a sponge.
- Passionate about something (preferably iPhone or game development)
- Code master (OOP a must, game dev would be awesome)
- Gamer and gadget freak

Have your own apps/games on the App store or in the approval process? Show us your apps for BIG bonus points.

No recruiters, please.

Email: jobs [at] endloop.ca
Website: http://www.endloop.ca

Yay! It’s great to be recognized for our hard work but it’s even better when it’s the fans that voted for us! Thanks for all your support, Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers was awarded 3rd Best Card Game of 2009 in the Best App Ever Awards!

We’re stoked about this because although, it wasn’t 1st place, we are in great company with Apple just ahead of us and then the biggest iPhone game developer on the planet, Gameloft, in 1st place. As in Indie Dev, it’s humbling to just be mentioned with those two!

Again, thanks for all the support and encouragement. 2010 is going to be an even better year!

A few more glowing reviews for Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers have popped up!

SlideToPlay

Solitaire is something mere mortals are helpless against. Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is no exception. Early on, its clean graphics, gentle sounds, and smooth animation lull you into a state of euphoria. Then the simplicity of the gameplay– tapping on cards one higher or lower than the one in play– binds your animal brain so that you can hardly think.

Your global ranking is tracked in real time in the corner of the screen, and you can watch it soar ever higher as you play, pumping happy chemicals into your brain. The end of each round leads into the beginning of the next, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

But you wouldn’t want to– you’re hooked. Our advice? Buy it. Love it. Surrender to it.

Casual Gameplay

One of the smoothest implementations of TriTowers on the App Store, this one not only looks great, it plays well and has some unlockables to boot!

And for anyone that can read German, I *think* this was a good review.

TapToPlay - 5/5 stars
Here’s the original German:

Gelungene Bedienung, Darstellung und Suchtpotential - TriTowers überzeugt und ist mit 79 Cent ein wahres Schnäppchen.

And the Google translated English:

Convinced Successful operation, presentation and addictive - TriTowers and is 79 cents a true bargain.

And the great reviews keep on pouring in!

AppAddict.net - 5/5 stars

Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers from Endloop Systems is one seriously addictive game and is easly our top choice for solitaire on the platform. Frankly we cannot believe we are THIS excited about a solitaire game, but the guys at Endloop obviously put a lot of time and thought into crafting a well balanced game, requiring a nice blend of both strategy and luck.

AppGirlReviews.com - 10/10 stars

If you’ve ever had even a small amount of fun playing Solitaire, you owe it to yourself to give Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers a try. I’ve never been a huge fan of card-based games, and yet I’ve spent many hours playing this little treasure. For the introductory price of 99 cents, this game is a no-brainer; however, it’d be a bargain at four times the price. Here’s the bottom line: the only thing wrong with Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is the fact that your boss probably won’t accept it as an excuse for being late to work.

AppAdvice.com - 3.5/5 stars

Arcade Solitaire: Tri Towers is the best version of Tri Towers in the App Store … The scoring system, time constraints, flair, and online high scores present solitaire in a whole new way.

Another great review of Arcade Solitaire:TriTowers, this time from TouchGen.net!

Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is one of the most addictive games I have encountered for the iPhone. Basically what developer Endloop Systems Inc. managed to do is to merge solitaire with arcade action.

The game looks bright, and sparkly with some really snazzy effects when you clear a lot of cards in a row.

There are no less than 30 decks and backgrounds to unlock, and you can combine them however you want to. The sound consists of chirpy sound effects, and you can play your own music alongside them.

Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is a great time waster that takes the already addictive solitaire into arcade territory. At the introductory price of $0.99 it is an absolute steal, and even at $2.99 it will be easy for me to recommend.

4/5 Stars

You can read the full review here: TouchGen.net Reviews Arcade Solitaire:TriTowers

Yay, the first official review of Arcade Solitaire:TriTowers has just been published!

If you enjoy playing cards and specifically Solitaire, then you will like Tri-Towers, as it is one of the most addicting and amusing solitaire games on the App Store.

The game includes 30 unlockable card deck skins and background skins, which are a nice incentive for those players who need one. Personally, I found the addicting and fun game play enough inventive to continue playing, but the extras are a nice perk.

The game offers good visuals with very easy to see and read cards. I like that the cards and background skins can be changed, which adds a custom element to the game.

To go along with these visual graphics are awesome sound jingles! Exciting little sounds are played as combos are gained and objectives completed and once the level is finished, a brief sound jingle is played that is surprisingly fun to listen to.

Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is scored a 4 out of 5

You can check out the full review here: iPhoneInCanada Reviews Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers

This is just the first of many positive reviews coming! We’ve been in touch with lots of sites and they all LOVE the game! Wooo! If you’ve got a site and would like a promo code for Arcade Solitaire:TriTowers, let us know ASAP as we don’t have many left!

Thanks and see you on the leaderboards!

We’re extremely excited to announce our first game which is called Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers! Our mission was to take the old, stuffy Solitaire and add great graphics, addictive and fast-paced gameplay, in-game leaderboards and just great arcadey goodness! We set out to bring Solitaire to the 21st century and believe we’ve made the most addictive, best Solitaire game yet!

It’s fully integrated with OpenFeint 2.2 and has almost 50 achievements. We’ve packed it with over 30 unlockable skins and decks! It’s got everything you’d expect from an Endloop product!

Here’s what some of our beta testers have been saying:

“Arcade Solitaire is an intense and challenging game that has caused many missed bus stops, late appointments, and arguments with loved ones.” - Jon Lim, MustTap.com

“The only downside to this game is that you’ve created digital CRACK!” - Neil Warner, Beta Tester

Here’s the trailer for Arcade Solitaire - TriTowers :

And here are some screenshots:
Read more…