A tap of the finger on the iPhone screen powers the ball and sets its path through an imaginary urban environment with towering skyscrapers. As the ball collides with objects different sound samples are triggered, creating a unique remix every time a game is played whilst a global leader board allows you to match your score with other players around the world. Occasionally clouds float across the screen obscuring the ball and making game-play that little bit harder. Our own Game Analytics Engine allows in-game events to be tracked so that future releases can be made more or less difficult to play, depending on the user data that is collected.

The ball is moved around by both tapping the screen and tilting the phone. In testing it’s been really rewarding watching people play as they shake the phone to get rid of the clouds or try tilting it to influence the direction of the ball. The real bonus comes when they trigger a vocal sample which mixes beautifully over the backing track.

Iain Forsyth, head of digital at Mute says: “We firmly believe in investing in and experimenting with new technology and this app continues that tradition. As well as offering fans another touchpoint to engage with the band in the digital space, most importantly Goldfrapp Pinball provides seriously good gameplay.”

Goldfrapp release their brand new single ‘Believer’ on 6th September through Mute. ‘Believer’ is the latest single to be taken from Head First, and follows a string of successful festival dates. Goldfrapp tour the UK in November, for further information go to www.goldfrapp.com
Our previous work with Mute has included virtual world and website development for Richard Hawley.

D/MARC is our revolutionary new software product which allows organisations to securely access any remote internet service through a restricted corporate firewall. Access is metered and can be limited to a single service (eg. Second Life, Youtube, social media) or multiple services can be selected. All data is encrypted and transferred using SSL.

We initially developed the software as a way of deploying Second Life in corporate environments – providing a low cost alternative to Linden Labs Enterprise solution (SLE).  However we quickly realised the wider potential that the software offers and we anticipate that the biggest demand will come from companies who need to access social media (such as facebook and twitter) but currently can’t because of firewall restrictions.

D/MARC is a simple one-click installation and the software is free. Our servers monitor usage and each month users receive a bill for the bandwidth they have used. Our extensive server network provides local points of presence so transfer speeds are always high.

Participation in the closed beta programme is completely free but will be limited to one user account per organisation with a capped data limit of 1gb. If you would like to apply to take part in the programme please register your interest by filling out the form here.

D/MARC will be launching commercially in the Autumn.

To help us make the appointment we received support from Vision+Media’s Regional Attraction Fund scheme. Delivered in partnership with the Northwest Development Agency, the RAF is designed to encourage and promote the development and growth of companies within the TV, film, games, interactive and digital content sectors.

To find out more about what makes Mark tick take a look at his profile on our People pages.

We used David Barnes from Two Sugars to shoot the video which we filmed in a disused warehouse in central Manchester. All post production including editing and graphics were done in-house.

The video will feature on the Bench website, in online banners, in retail stores and on large screens at events, including Creamfields and Park Life, throughout the summer. What’s more Bench were so happy with the end result that they’ve also commissioned a behind-the-scenes ‘making of’ video for online use.

This is our second video project for Bench this year. In January we delivered a promotional video which focused on Bench’s global presence.

You can see the video in The Bench case study here.

It’s great to be working on a major London festival event and a real coup that AEG Live UK has chosen to work with a Manchester-based company. Our long track record of working with major music and entertainment industry clients has obviously stood us in good stead. We hope our design approach will help to deliver a sell-out festival for them and we look forward to being there to witness the stunning line-up.

Our branding for the event was signed off back in March and the website is now live. The press campaign is running from now right up to the event in national media. We’ll also be producing all other campaign marketing collateral between now and August.

www.ledfestival.net

We are designing and managing the Death of Distance, a unique mixed-reality debate exploring how distance should not be a barrier to business communication. The event takes place on Tuesday 27 April, in Manchester’s MediaCityUK. Hosted in a 3D environment and taking place in real-time, a panel of leading business experts from around the world will participate either as avatars, by live video conference link or in person. The event will also be available to watch live online and the conversation can be followed on Twitter using the hashtag #DofD.

We believe this is the first time a mixed-reality debate has taken place in the North West and we’ve got an impressive line-up from the international business community to take part. Professionals from businesses such as IBM and BP will discuss their experiences of how new technologies can enhance collaboration, create new business opportunities, and stimulate the creative and digital supply chain. Our panel of experts will participate from the far corners of the globe including San Francisco, Brisbane and Newcastle.

Guest speakers include Adam Nelson, Executive Director Business, Linden Labs (attending as an avatar from San Francisco, USA), Joe Little, Senior Technology Consultant, BP (attending as an avatar from Sunbury-on-Thames, UK), Neil Katz, Distinguished Engineer, IBM (attending as an avatar from Fort Lauderdale, USA), Stuart Smith, CEO, Woodholmes (attending by video conference from Newcastle, UK), Professor Justin O Connor, Queensland University of Technology (attending as an avatar from Queensland, Australia) and Donna Davidson, BRC Imagination Arts (attending by video conference from Durham, UK)

The panel of experts will be chaired by Phil Jones, sales and marketing director at Brother UK. He says: “In a globalising world that has its foot hard on the accelerator, finding new ways to connect with people have to be explored.  In many cases distance is irrelevant and it is these areas the debate will look to explore. I’m particularly keen to hear about how businesses are using avatars to communicate virtually and how this affects the overall experience when compared with video conferencing. I’m really looking forward to pulling it together on the night.”

There are three ways you can take part in the event. To find out more go to www.virtualnorthernnet.co.uk and register your interest. But hurry – places are limited and are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event is being delivered through a collaboration between ourselves, The White Room and The Hamilton Project.

The ceremony took place in the Whitworth Room of Manchester Business School’s Second Life Island on Thursday 4th March and is the culmination of the year-long Managing Projects programme, delivered by experts from across The University of Manchester. The programme enables BP executives from the UK, USA, Canada, Angola, Indonesia, Alaska and Russia to apply the latest business thinking to practical challenges they are facing in their business life.

Last year’s virtual ceremony proved the real value of using virtual world’s to bring geographically dispersed people together. BP experienced the benefits for themselves, rewarding senior executives for their achievements without the enormous costs and environmental impact of delivering a real life ceremony. It simply made the impossible possible.

There are lots of prototypes in virtual worlds and companies who dip their toe in the water, but this event with BP demonstrates how Second Life is very much alive and well in the corporate world. We’re really looking forward to this year’s ceremony which is on a much larger scale than last year’s.

Alan Johnston Director of Manchester Programmes at BP said: “The innovative use of Second Life by MBS delivers recognition of our worldwide delegates’ achievement in completing the Managing Projects programme while enhancing our community of practice.”

Professor Michael Luger, Director of Manchester Business School said: “MBS is committed to working closely with clients, such as BP, to deliver original executive education programmes that combine real time teaching with the latest e-learning technology. We’re delighted that we can bring the BP cohort together again to celebrate their achievements in this way.”

The creative solution uses the square full stop in the logo to create a digitalised world map with longitude and latitude coordinates representing Bench’s retail outlets and events. The three minute video will be used to communicate its wide global presence.

The video takes the viewer on a journey through Bench’s global empire, celebrating 20 years of heritage from its roots in Manchester’s music scene in the 90s. The project involved selecting and editing two decades worth of videos and imagery, which was then cut to music.

Emily Frazer, international marketing manager at Bench had this to say: “We wanted a video that highlighted our international reach and global presence. The result represents our history and major landmarks, in a cool and distinctive style that is reflective of our brand.”

We’re also selling some of our furniture so it could be the perfect ‘pret a porter’ solution for a company on the up. Email us for details.

Having delivered the Creamfields 2009 campaign this makes us the first agency in the history of the festival to lead the Creamfields campaign two years in a row. This year’s campaign will build on the distinctive graphics we delivered last year and we hope will help deliver another sell-out festival for our clients.

Laura Buckley, Senior Marketing Manager, at The Cream Group said: “We’re all really excited to be working with Corporation Pop again. It’s great to be able to develop an already strong working relationship. Their professional approach, attention to detail, commitment and creativity makes them an absolute pleasure to deal with.”

The campaign will go live in the Spring and run for six months.

Creamfields 2010 takes place across August Bank Holiday Weekend, on 28 and 29 August in Daresbury, Cheshire.

For last years campaign click here.