Joystiq

Jetpack Joyride ascends to two million downloads on PSN

David Hinkle — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST

Speaking to Joystiq at GDC today, Halfbrick Chief Marketing Officer Phil Larsen confirmed with that Jetpack Joyride has amassed two million downloads on PSN.

Halfbrick unleashed Jetpack Joyride on Sony's network in November 2012, initially as a $3.99 download. In December, the game became free on PSN, quickly rising to its first million downloads by February of this year.

Jetpack Joyride ascends to two million downloads on PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luxembourg software company suing EA, Square Enix, several others over patent infringement

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST

What do Notch, John Riccitiello, Yoichi Wada, and Phil Larsen all have in common? A likely lacking fondness for Luxembourg-based software company Uniloc, who filed lawsuits against Notch's Mojang, Riccitiello's EA, Wada's Square Enix, and Larsen's Halfbrick recently (among others), contending that all the companies infringe on a networking patent held by Uniloc.

The patent, US patent number 6,857,067, says that Uniloc has rights to a "system and method for preventing unauthorized access to electronic data," and Uniloc contends that the aforementioned corporations are infringing on that patent via Android-based games. In the case of EA, it's Bejeweled 2, and in the case of Square Enix, it's Final Fantasy III that's cited - if the game at any time communicates with a centrally owned server to legitimize its license, Uniloc contends that it violates the patent.

Uniloc has a history of patent litigation over software. The company sued Microsoft in 2003, eventually winning. It has since filed suit against many, many other software manufacturers for other alleged patent violations.

Luxembourg software company suing EA, Square Enix, several others over patent infringement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halfbrick to debut new IP in 2012

David Hinkle — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:11:00 EST

During a meeting with Halfbrick's Phil Larsen, the iOS juggernaut's marketing man couldn't really give us much on what the studio was up to next despite our relentless inquiry. Following Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride is no small task, but at least Larsen could tell us the company will debut a new iOS title this year.

"You'll see updates for all of our games and a new IP this year," Larsen promised following a demo of the 1.3 update for Jetpack Joyride here at GDC. Jetpack Joyride 1.3 adds 15 new gadgets to The Stash.

Halfbrick to debut new IP in 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fruit Ninja Kinect sells a half-million copies; Jetpack Joyride reaches 14 million downloads

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

Australian developer Halfbrick is flying high on the success of its Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride franchises. Chief Marketing Officer Phil Larsen told us at the DICE conference in Las Vegas today that Fruit Ninja Kinect has reached a half-million sales and has been a very successful console experiment for the company. The company also plans to continue supporting Fruit Ninja on iOS with more updates rather than cannibalize its momentum with a sequel.

As for Jetpack Joyride, which went free to play in mid-December, Larsen notes the game has seen significant growth since the change.

"There's an update coming in the next month," Larsen said about Jetpack Joyride. "It's the biggest one we've done so far."

He told us the previously $1 app reached about 1 million paid sales before going free and has since seen 13 million downloads as a free product. He estimates about 5-10 percent of customers will spend at least a dollar on the app through its in-game store, so revenue has been higher since the game went "free."

Fruit Ninja Kinect sells a half-million copies; Jetpack Joyride reaches 14 million downloads originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots is a thing, really; coming to iOS on Oct. 20

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST

As if the fruit on your phone, iPod, tablet, Android, and Kinect weren't already sliced thoroughly enough, Halfbrick is burdening yet more fruit with potential murder in the upcoming movie tie-in Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots. As you've likely surmised, the game is a Puss in Boots-themed Fruit Ninja release, which imagines the titular Puss slicing up fruit with his dutiful foil.

In addition to introducing a well-timed theme into the mix, FN: PIB adds the "all-new Bandito mode," which tasks players with surviving progressively more difficult levels with unique challenges, and the "Desperado" mode, which updates the first game's "Classic" mode. "We wanted to create something new and different for our fans while keeping the magic of Fruit Ninja intact, and we think Bandito Mode will keep even the most practiced players on their toes," Jetpack Joyride playable character and Halfbrick chief marketing man Phil Larsen notes in the announcement.

Oh, and tomatoes? Totally in there, definitively proving once and for all that they're fruit. Take that, science! Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots arrives on the iOS App Store on October 20 for $0.99 on iPhone and $1.99 on iPad.

Gallery: Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots

Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots is a thing, really; coming to iOS on Oct. 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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