After several months in the making and countless misspent hours playing testing we are delighted to announce the launch of ‘Goldfrapp Pinball’ – a 3D pinball game for the iPhone, which uses Goldfrapp samples (from their latest album, ‘Head First’) to create a unique gaming experience. The app was commissioned by Goldfrapp’s record label Mute (a subsidiary of EMI) and was built using Maya and Unity 3d.

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.

Its an exciting day for us today as we invite companies and institutions to take part in the closed beta of D/MARC.

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.

After an almost year-long search we’re delighted to anounce that we have appointed a ‘Head of Digital’. For some this will be old news as Mark Curtis has been with us for nearly a month now, and has already made a big impact. Previously project leader at The Gate Films, he brings with him more than 10 years of expertise in software development and engineering having worked for NCR Corporation, Flame Digital and Incline Media. Mark will be driving forward several exciting new product developments, particularly in the field of virtual worlds (watch this space), as well as growing our overall digital offering.

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.

Our latest video project for Bench, the omnipresent urban fashion brand, celebrates their new high summer clothing range called ‘Power and Glory’, which hits the high streets later this month.Our brief was to create a summery feel but reflect the edginess of the range, which is more trend driven and fashion focused than the main Bench lines. The challenge was to display both the men’s and women’s ranges, both very different from each other, in the same video.

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.