Auf der Shortlist zu sein ist ja schon toll, dass wir einen Award holen ist aber auf jeden Fall eine tolle Belohnung. Wir wollte mit Sternenflug 2 eine Referenz für Werbespiele auf Mobile schaffen und haben dafür auch viel Herzblut gegeben. Wir hoffen das Spiel macht euch genauso viel Spass wie uns.
Sternenflug 2 ist für iPhone und iPhone 5 sowie iPad erhältlich und kann hier heruntergeladen werden.
Mar
11
bitforge an der GDC 2013
Nach dem Erfolgreichen Besuch in 2011 bereisen wir auch dieses Jahr wieder die Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Dank unserer Arbeit beim Branchenverband SGDA konnten wir eine grosse schweizer Delegation zusammenbringen. Swissnex organisiert das Swiss Game Developers Breakfast welches von Investoren und Publishern besucht wird. Wir freuen uns auf eine spannende Messe und bringen sicherlich neue Inspirationen und Technologien mit.
Die GDC ist die weltweit grösste Spielentwicklermesse und richtet sich vor allem an Fachbesucher. Mehr Informationen auf der Homepage der GDC.
Feb
07
coop sternenflug 2 auf bosw shortlist
Ein bisschen stolz sind wir schon - Sternenflug 2 hat's in der neu geschaffenen Kategorie Mobile auf die Shortlist der best of swiss web geschafft. Jetzt sind wir gespannt auf die Award night.
Sternenflug 2 ist für iPhone und iPhone 5 sowie iPad erhältlich und kann hier heruntergeladen werden.
Nov
19
coop starflight 2 is here!
The first snow has sent his greetings this year and gave us a small glimpse of Christmas. This time we not only look forward for cookies, presents and Christmas trees but as well something else which returns this year. And it returns to hit your iPhone. Starflight 2 – the Christmas game for the whole family is back in a new package.
The game of Coop delivers you not only the old and known features as the daily offers and a contest but as well some fresh gameplay. The game of 2011 has been enhanced in many ways. The look has changed, the design has changed and the gameplay got some awesome upgrades with which the player is able to improve his skills with every round. Of course there is still the secret star constellation to be completed by the player to participate in the contest and the daily information about Christmas offers in Coop.
Starflight 2 is now available for iPhone, iPhone 5 and the ipad and can be downloaded here. For free of course! Bitforge and coop wish you a very pleasant Christmas time!
Sep
20
xmedialab in Basel
From the 14th until the 16th of september Basel was the center of cultural expertise. Artists, futurists and specialists from all over the world gathered for the xmedialab Conference at the Kunstmuseum in Basel to discuss art, technology and future projects. During the weekend on Saturday and Sunday bitforge had the special possibility to join the lab teams and discuss future business strategies together with the speakers of the conference. This allowed the company to get connected to specialists from all over the world.
Among the mentors where futurists, writers, artists, creative thinkers and game designers. That’s why bitforge not only had the opportunity to get important inputs but as well build up an impressive network with specialists from all over the world.
Aug
30
bitforge an der Suisse EMEX 2012
This years Suisse EMEX took place in Zurich from the 21st until the 23rd of august and of course bitforge was part of it as well. Same as last year we presented our work within our green both - with the suitable green shoes. COO Reto Senn was as well Speaker and talked about apps and games as part of marketing campaigns.
The Suisse EMEX is one of the leading trade shows in Switzerland and many companies presented themselves in four halls. bitforge presented it's latest apps and games.
You find the presentation of Reto Senn here for free. Our just click through it down below.
Jul
17
the swiss games are available
The Olympics are up ahead! Switzerland will present itself not only as a great sports nation but as well as a country of innovation, technology and fun. bitforge had the great oportunity to develop the "Swiss Games" for the Federal Departement of Foreign Affairs and Presence Switzerland. The application contains three different games: a traditional coin-rolling "Swiss Twist", the funny jump-and-run "Heidi on the Move" and "Swiss Shots", a game based on Augmented Reality which can only be played at the House of Switzerland in London during the Olympic Games 2012.
Download the App here for iOS and Android. For more information about Switzerland and the Olympic Games 2012 visit the official page of the House of Switzerland.
May
22
The perfect BBQ party
Your iPhone is getting delicious now. The latest app of Coop brings you fun, BBQ and lots of recipes for your perfect garden party. bitforge developed this application after the successful "Coop Starflight" app. "Coop Grill" is now available for iPhone and iPad and includes the game "Chame das grille", recipes and weekly offers as well as a contest.
Show your BBQ skills in this game and show the world if you are worthy to be called a BBQ-Master. Do you now what can be barbecued and what should stay off the heat? Your aim is to cut all the products and to prepare them for the hot iron and ignore those which are not suitable for your BBQ party - such as a shoe for example. All those products have been re-modelled in 3D and are exactly the one's you'll find in the shelfs of your nearest Coop store. To show off your skills and your talent you can connect "Coop Grill" to GameCenter and challenge your friends to beat you. If you're worthy to be called a BBQ-Master you will be allowed to join the competition and win great prizes.
The press release in german is here to find. Download the app for iOS.
Apr
25
today it's world malaria day
Today it's world malaria day. And it's time to admit that this desease is still very present in some parts of the world. And it's time to smash some mosquitos! In this game of World Vision in cooperation with bitforge Malaria can be defeated. Knock out as many of those little fellows with your finger. Of course there are some great prices to win - and you'll have the opportunity to sponsor a life saving mosquito net right out from the application. So download, play and make a difference!!
The 4th Microsoft SHAPE Conference in Zurich was a great success. Over 300 developers attended this year and enjoyed several speeches about subjects such as Competitive & Windows 8 Games, Windows 8 Core and Phone & Cloud. A whole day dedicated to Windows 8 and modern mobile technologies. Among the speakers was Reto Senn, COO of bitforge with his speech about the porting of iPad games to Windows 8.
If you missed it you have now the possibility to download the presentation as pdf or watch the video here. And trust us, the presentation is really good – the audience gave Reto Senn great grades… don’t miss it!
Apr
13
mosquito squashing for a good purpose
Mosquitos are annoying. But in countries of the third world they mean a lot more. They are the main reason for malaria - a most deadly disease. Therefore bitforge developed “ByeByeMosquito” – another game for the help organization World Vision. The aim of the game is quite simple. Just squash as many Mosquitos as possible and try to avoid the ladybugs.
“ByeByeMosquito” has been developed for WorldVision on the occasion of the world malaria day at the 25th of april 2012. “With bitforge it is possible for us to reach people in a playful way and make them recognize subjects of development aid”, says Giovanni Miraglia of World Vision. And as well as in “Amanzivision” also in “ByeByeMosquito” help stands to the fore. But now World Vision takes one step more according to Jean-Daniel Roth, teamleader digital media at World Vision. “Wells have been sponsored by companies [in Amanzivision] and now we include the community into this process. The users get the possibility to sponsor a mosquito net after successfully beaten the game so they are able to save the life of a child for real.”
We're very happy about makeofuse.com featured us in their arcticle about three games you can play whith a friend. Orbital is mentioned and presented there and gets some really good scores. Just click on the icon below to read the whole article.
And thanks to Erez for mentioning us in your article.
Mar
27
part one of the tele top emission about amanzivision
Swiss local news television Tele Top and Rimuss are currently collecting for a new well in Mosambique - with the bitforge game Amanzivision. Now the first part of the emission is online and shows the location for the planned well which should be built within the next weeks.
Everyone can help! Just download the app Amanzivision, play and be part of something great.
The office of bitforge has hosted the recent IGDA Chapter Switzerland Meeting. Nearly the whole game developer scene of Switzerland attended last friday to present their games. Not without reason! As a guest we welcomed Matt Rusnika from NIVIDA who was looking for interesting games and projects for a port to the neu Tegra Tablets. Nothing to miss as a game developper though.
NIVIDIA is supporting and financing officially ports for the new tablet to provide a high-standard content on its release. At the so calles IGDA Pitch Mixer developers from all over Switzerland got the chance to present their project or product to NVIDIA. We'll see what success stories we can gather in a few weeks!
Mar
22
speech at the Pocket PC event
Last monday Pocket PC invited to an event about game development for windows phone. Among the speakers of the night was bitforge COO Reto Senn who gave interesting insight in the development of windows phone apps. As one of the first companies in Switzerland which programmed successfully for Windows Phone 7 in 2011 he could give deeper information about the Microsoft Marketplace and background to Xbox LIVE as well as the porting in different languages.
Reto Senn will as well attend the Microsoft SHAPE conference on 2nd of april 2012 as a speaker. Here you'll find further information about this event.
Mar
22
bitforge attends the Swiss App Awards
Unfortunately, there was no award for us yesterday at the first Swiss App Award night in Zurich. But no need to cry because we had a special honor! Our app Anna's Best has been presented as a favourite app of one of the jury members and was the only app appart from the nominees and Angry Birds which has been shown on big screen that night. So we're kind of proud anyways.
Congrats to all the winners for their great efforts! It was great to see how mucht creativity and ideas as well as know-how has developped in Switzerland in the last few years. We surely are excited to see what's going to come next year.
Mar
22
bitforge on air
bitforge on air on swiss radio channel drs3! In its latest edition of "Echo der Zeit" apps stood in center. As a development company bitforge was asked to talk about their projects and the importance of applications in everyday life. Andreas Hüppi, CEO of bitforge was featured in an interview and even some scenes out of daily development business were broadcasted. This is by now the second appearence in national media within a few days.
The broadcast in German is here to listen. And the teaser here.
Feb
24
bitforge on swiss national television
bitforge has been a part of the news broadcast show 10vor10 on Swiss National Television on 23th of february 2012. In the field of computer games and companies there have been quite some changes in recent years. The revolution of mobile games pushed the existing companies like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo from their leading positions. As an example for a Swiss company which takes part in this "revolution" bitforge was mentioned and CEO Andreas Hüppi interviewed.
Orbital has been nominated for the Pocket Gamer Award 2012 for Best Windows Phone Game of the Year. Pocket Gamer is a very famous site for games on portable devices. Mobile phones and handheld consoles. In 2009 Orbital already won the Silver Award for Best iPhone Game of the Year and we hope that we achieve gold this year.
The winners will be announced at this year’s Game Developer Conference in March 2012. So put your Orbital-trained thumbs up for our possible victory!
Amanzivision is still very successful. The World Vision game is now available for nearly one and a half years and still the users collect virtual water to support WorldVision in building wells in Africa. Now the Swi ss TV channel Tele TOP and RIMUSS step in too. Together they motivate the audience to play the game online and to collect water. As soon as enough water is collected, RIMUSS will sponsor a well in Mozambique. A well which provdes fresh water to a whole village.
Tele TOP will cover the daily work of World Vision in Mozambique in March. So long six wells have been built with World Vision and the help of all players of Amanzivision. Now the seventh well is going to be financed by RIMUSS. The game from bitforge is available for iPhone and Android and as well playable online.
Jan
03
gesundheit für die hosentasche
Frisch fürs neue Jahr gibt es die App für die persönliche Gesundheit. MobilMed ist – wie der Name schon sagt, ein medizinischer Ratgeber und Helfer für unterwegs. Gemeinsam mit dem Unternehmen Pro Medicus GmbH erarbeitete und entwickelte bitforge die MobilMed App, die allen Usern Zugang zu Informationen rund um Fachärzte, Medikamente und verschiedenen Gesundheitsthemen bietet. MobilMed wurde mit den Frameworks Monotouch entwickelt, was ein einfaches Portieren auf andere Plattformen ermöglicht. Ausserdem hat diese Technologie den Vorteil, dass die Bedienung und das User Interface den Plattformstandards entsprechen, was wiederum eine flüssigere Bedienung der App garantiert. Bitforge ist eines der ersten Unternehmen, welche diese Technologie bereits mehrfach erfolgreich eingesetzt hat.
Die Applikation besteht aus verschiedenen Teilen, die dem User allesamt verschiedene Vorteile im Umgang mit dem Gesundheitswesen der Schweiz oder persönlichen Informationen zu Medikamenten und Hausärzten bieten. Die Sparte News liefert Interessantes zum Thema Gesundheit, Gesundheitswesen oder allgemein wichtige Neuigkeiten für Patientinnen und Patienten oder Gesundheitsinteressierten. Kernstück der App bieten die Features der Arztsuche und der Medikation. Mit Hilfe der Suche kann der User direkt nach verschiedenen Ärzten aus den verschiedensten Fachrichtungen suchen. Direkt nach Name oder Ortschaft oder aber nach Sparte und Themenbereich. Mittels der Ortserkennung ist es praktischerweise auch gleich möglich, alle ärztlichen Institutionen in der nahen Umgebung anzeigen lassen. Medikamente gibt es viele. Oftmals verliert die Patientin oder der Patient da schnell mal den Überblick. Oder der User hat ein Medikament zu Hause, weiss aber nicht mehr, wozu das eigentlich gut war, weil die Packungsbeilage und die Schachtel schon lange fehlen. Mit dem Medikamentenverzeichnis der MobilMed App ist das auch kein Problem mehr.
Gesundheit immer in der Hosentasche mit dabei! - Mit der MobilMed App.
Orbital was once again mentioned in a series of apps worth for download! The swiss online newspaper 20Minuten mentioned it among their recommendations for iPhone games. And we're of course happy about that. Jay!
It’s getting colder outside but there is
no snow yet. Nevertheless Christmas is coming and the decorations are already
in position. And Christmas is as well already here for your Smartphone. The Christmas game of Coop is now in stores –
developed and created by bitforge. And it gets even better: In only one day the
game has climbed the top of the AppStore charts and ranked 1! Aim of the game?
To help the Christmas angel Fabia to collect as many stars as possible in the
wintery sky.
Starflight is the Christmas game for the
whole family which was developed from bitforge for Coop. Within a few weeks the
whole app has been planed and developed including the game as well as all side
features. In close co-work with Coop the result was a game, which raises the
bar of quality, gameplay and graphics. Everything at the game has been planed
and developed in-house! Bitforge already has high experience in making great
games in 3D and could proof this knowledge once again – with a stunning result.
What other explanation do you need except that our whole crew has stopped
working and is beating each others highscore?
These are the features of Starflight
- The game
- Information about the daily offer at Coop
- A contest
- beautiful 3D graphics
- Christmas sound
- Facebook connection
- Available in German, French, Italian and English
Nov
16
joiz goes mobile
The Swiss TV channel joiz has now it’s
own app. From now on you’ll find your favorite broadcast and news about stars
all around the world not only on TV and on the Website but as well on your
Smartphone. The joiz app brings you news and videos to all their broadcasts,
live information and everything there is to know about the world of lifestyle
and music. With the video collection you are able to watch single parts of a
broadcasts or videoclips just on the go everywhere you like.
Interactivity is a big thing at joiz. So
there is much stuff in the app which suits that concept. Of course there’s
Facebook connection. “Like” broadcasts and information directly via app and
participate at live votings during emissions just with one click – respectively
one tap with your finger.
Nov
07
vision ville - learn how help works
Today the update of the World Vision
Application MyWorldVision is ready for download. Not only small changes have
been made – no – a whole new game has been implemented as well! It’s name is
VisionVille and helps everyone to understand the complex and difficult world of
development aid. The player is animated to help a village to build a better
future and he has to decide wisely which steps he wants to take to provide
water, food, education and health to all the inhabitants. During the game there
is lot to be learned. The game gives useful and detailed information about all
facts of development aid and all the complex areas and problems which World
Vision has to face every day.
MyWorldVision it the application of
World Vision – a swiss relief organization – and provides information, news and
background about the subject of children and development aid. Sponsors of a
child of WorldVision are as well invited subscribe in with their personal login
and receive even more information and detailed news according their child, the
country in which it lives, the weather there and of course the latest pictures.
With VisionVille bitforge now developed
two games for WorldVision. The first game – Amanzivision – was published a year
ago and was a huge success. Even now players are collecting water within this game
to finance a real well in Mosambique.
As the first Swiss game Orbital will be released today for WIndows Phone 7 - with connection to the online platform of Microsoft, Xbox LIVE. The game is 100% Swiss made and continues now its success on the third big platform next to iOS and Android.
The team of Swiss developer bitforge worked close together with Microsoft to not only bring Orbital onto the new platform but also to optimize the connection to Xbox LIVE. "The work with Microsoft was very professional. We could count on great support in technical and marketing issues", says Reto Senn, COO of bitforge. "Despite the hard testing process the cooperation was very easy." Orbital passed the final certification on the first submission - an achievement which is rare to get in game business.
As additional features in the WP7 version there is the possibility to gain gamescore and collect Achievements on Xbox LIVE. That means that Orbital is the first Swiss mobile Game which is officially featured by Microsoft and has been approved for the Microsoft Marketplace. "We are very proud that we as a small Swiss company got this chance", so Reto Senn. Switzerland provides therefore a huge potential according the development of games and software and is very capable of establishing itself in the international game industry.
Orbital is available for iOS since two years and has celebrated some huge success in the past. At the Keynote of the iPad Orbital was pre-installed on all demo devices and even the New York times mentioned the game twice in its articles. Since shortly Orbital is also available for Android and has there as well gained a big fan base. With the release for Windows Phone 7 bitforge has now successfully taken over the third big platform.
Oct
20
orbital has passed the final certification of microsoft
The Windows Phone 7 version of Orbital has
successfully passed the final certification of Microsoft. So it will only take
about two weeks from now until it will be released! Orbital passed the final
certification on the first submission, which is rare in game business. So we’re
very proud that Orbital will soon hitting the WP7 with Xbox LIVE.
After the game has been successful on iOS
for two years now and has recently been released for Android it’s a big deal
that it’s coming for WP7 so soon.
Sep
26
We moved!
bitforge has a new home! We're very happy with our now location at he Hohlstrasse 192 in the heart of Zurich. Rapperswil was a beautiful town but with our office in Zurich we stay closer to everything and of course we're faster everywhere. We feel very comfortable even if there is still a lot of free space in our new office - but for sure we'll find ways and stuff to fill it.
There's also a lot of work for us to do - so our interiour design hobby has to wait a bit. After the release of Orbital for Android and the presentation of our new game project called "pop" there are a lot of new projects which demand our attendance.
Aug
16
orbital for windows phone 7
At this moment the world's biggest games convention takes place in Cologne, Germany. And in the middle of it you'll find Orbital, the hit-game of bitforge. At the Microsoft press event earlier this afternoon Orbital has been announced for Windows Phone 7. We're of course pretty excited about that!
Orbital for Windows Phone 7 will hit the Windows Marketplace in October. If you are at Gamescom, don't forget to walk by the Microsoft booth to take a first look on Orbital for WP7!
The International Fantastic Film Festival welcomes numerous guests every year. During this festival, the seminar Imagine the Future took place, in which speakers talked about games and in particular Swiss Game Productions.
Orbital has of course been presented there too during the exibition of Swiss Games. But not only as a poster! The game could also be played by the visitors on the iPad. Until now, Orbital has been downloaded over 70'000 times and has won several prices all over the world. Also Orbital has been mentioned in the New York Times online edition as one of eight apps "worth downloading". We are therefore very proud that Orbital is presented also in Switzerland at the International Fantastic Film Festival.
Imagine the Future has not only been an event vor interested visitors, but was also a small Meet&Greet of the Game-Developers of Switzerland. Nearly all developers and designers have met there and presented their work during the exibition and in speeches. Of course we took a lot of inspiration with us from the event and we are excited about the results that are awaiting us in near future.
Jun
10
orbital in der new york times
And we couldn't be more proud. Orbital has been mentioned in an arcitle of the New York Times among a list of those eight Smartphone-Games which are worth downloading. The author Seth Schiesel writes about the different advantages of different mobile devices and in a slide show attached to the article Orbital is mentioned as well as one of the eight games he considers games "worth downloading". "Orbital is one of those games that sneak up on you and gradually insinuate themselves into your psyche", he writes. And: "Like most inventive puzzle games it (the Gameplay) sounds daft until you get the hang of it. Next thing you know an hour has gone by."
The article of the New York times you'll find here.
May
26
Be a cook with Anna's Best
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a cook? Now you can be one with the new Anna's Best-App for iPhone and Android. And it's so easy. Just download the app, upload a picture, scale it and have fun. It's so easy to make a pizza like a pro, present your healthy salad or create a fabulous oriental Menu.
The mobile application has been developed and programmed by bitforge and are available at the AppStore and the Android Market since the 26th of May 2011. The movies and the web page application have been produced by Serranetga, the bitforge was responsible for the implementation of the mobile devices. The result is a funny app which is very much fun to use among friends!
Together with various TV spots the Application forms a complete marketing package. "In every spot another person get's surprised by something good to eat or drink", says Rebecca Krausse, from the advertising agency SFLB. As in the app the customer can become a cook, in the TV spots people from all over Switzerland get surprised by products of Anna's Best. And of course the app users get their part. If someone sends to you a video of himself through the app, you'll get a gift coupon for your next purchase at Migros. What stands behind that explains Remo Prinz of the digital agency Serranetga: "The brand becomes an experience and through that, people will talk about it."
The download for iPhone you'll find here. The download for Android you'll find here.
May
02
bitforge at mobile monday
It's not such a long time ago where Digital Companies made millions of dollars of revenues with selling ringtones and wallpapers. Now, most of those companies have disappeared and new content for mobile phones have appeared on the market such as music downloads and mobile apps. Even though there are more smartphone users as ever those old products have disappeared even if they were very successful. The question is: Could this also be the fate of the now existing and successful companies? Or can apps and music downloads exist for a longer period of time?
Join the discussion at the mobile Monday on May 9th 2011 at the Technopark in Zurich. Also among the speakers will be Reto Senn from bitforge. He will talk about the evolution of mobile application since 2004 and give some insight about a market, which is growing and developing fast.
More information about the discussion you'll find here.
Apr
27
pfister garden app
The Atelier Pfister App is in store for quite a while. Now, there's also the possibility for you to create your own garden of dreams with the new Pfister GardenApp which is now available in the AppStore. With this app you'll be able to place the furniture out of the garden collection of Möbel Pfister and place it into your own garden to get a glimpse of how your garden could look like with the furniture of Möbel Pfister. Over 60 pieces are implemented in 3D and will help you to find your perfect furniture. Social Communities are as well integrated in the app as the store finder, with which you'll find the next Pfister Store right away.
The GardenApp has been developed by Vanija; bitforge was a competent partner which delivered the basic technologies with Unity Plugins. The Pfister GardenApp enhances the portfolio of Möbel Pfister and shows as well, that bitforge can be a successful "enabler" in the production of applications.
Information about your godchild and all projects of World Vision are now also available for your pocket. With the new MyWorldVision-App you'll have now easy access to World Vision. Same as the successful game Amanzivision, also the App has been designed and programmed by bitforge and is now available at the AppStore.
The World Vision-App brings to you useful information about projects of World Vision all around the globe. You'll find not only information about main projects but also typical recipes for different countries. As a godfather or donator you'll also have special access with your Login to get even more detailed information about your godchild. Pictures, background information of the country and regional development projects will bring you closer to the world of WorldVision.
Mar
09
amanzivision nominated for the DM-award
Amanzivision has been nominated for the Dialogue Marketing Award 2011 and is by now – together with 14 other projects – ready to be voted for the public price 2011. The voting takes place on Facebook and will and on the 20th of March 2011.
Everyone can vote right here. So click and vote for Amanzivision!
The Swiss Dialogue Marketing Award is given away since 1999 and honors the best projects in Dialogue Marketing. The submitted projects are presented at an exhibit andthe winners of the public price are evaluated through the public voting.
Feb
25
bitforge at the game developers conference 2011
This year, bitforge will be participating at the GDC 2011 in San Francisco. From 28th February until the 4th of March we will have our booth at the conference. But of course we're not the only Swiss company at the GDC. Many other successful Swiss companies as Gbanga, Nothing, Crown ADAM or IGDA Switzerland will have their booth at the Moscone center.
We're especially looking forward to the Swiss game reception party, organized by the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco. There we all will have the possibility to show the innovative products created by the Swiss Game Industry.
The Game Developers Conference 2011 will take place for the 25th time by now and expects over 18'000 visitors. Programmers, artists, producers, game-designers, sound-designers and decision makers out of the industry from all over the world will attend the conference. During the GDC over 400 speeches, tutorials and round tables will be held around the subject of game development. A few years ago, the GDC focused only on computer games. By now, the field has increased to different platforms as consoles, handheld, mobile games, online games and of course computer games.
Feb
21
bitforge member of the forum nokia pro
Since shortly bitforge is a member of the Forum Nokia PRO, the business program of Nokia. The access to the forum is only possible by invitation and for those companies which have worked for Nokia and / or have already published and App at the Ovi Store. The invitation from Nokia is an appreciation to our former achievements for Nokia. We are very happy about this membership!
Feb
04
the second well will be built
The players of Amanzivision have collected enough water to build the second well in Mozambique. The well is financed by Interim AG and is located in Muecante, not far away of Namilepa where the first well is in progress.
The collection for the third well has started by now and it will be sponsored by Canon (Schweiz) AG. If you want to help and collect water for Mozambique you can do so for iPhone and Android.
Feb
02
The Atelier Pfister App wins a silver medal
The Art Directors Club Switzerland has assigned the silver medal for the category "Digital" to the Atelier Pfister App. The application was developed and designed in cooperation with vanija and Alain Leclerc. Bitforge was responsible for the implementation and programming. It is the first time that an application has been considered for the medals.
With the atelier Pfister App it's possible to place the different furniture directly into a previous pictured room. So the customer is able to see how the furniture looks in his own apartment before he buys it. The Art Directors Club Switzerland assigns every year the medals for products in commercial and design.
Jan
28
President of the management board of bitforge at the eZurich
Michael Kägi, president of the management board of bitforge Ltd, was a participant at the eZurich, which took place from the 20th January – 22th January 2011. Leading spokespersons of the Swiss IT-industry discussed about successful ways to turn Zurich into a leading IT-region.
The idea of Michael Kägi and the bitforge to support the industry with the promotion of young talents was widely accepted.
All in all, the participants concluded, that more Start-ups are needed, as well as more employees – also from abroad and the promotion of young Swiss talents. Here you'll find the statement of Michael Kägi (in German)
More information about the workshop eZurich you'll find here.
Jan
28
global game jam this weekend
Biforge will join the Global Game Jam this year at the Rote Fabrik in Zurich. We will be there to support all participants and of course the event. The Global Game Jam is the perfect opportunity to get an insight into the Swiss Game-development Scene – and this Scene is growing year by year.
Don't miss the chance and create your own game at the Global Game Jam. In a team with pro-developpers and amateurs you'll have the chance to create your own game. If it's a computer game, a card game or a board game – your ideas have no boarder. Except for one: You'll only have 48 hours to finish your project.
The start of the Global Game Jam starts today for all those who want to participate and of course for those just curious about the event. There will be drinks and fun from 17pm until 24pm tonight. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Here you'll find more information about the event.
Jan
21
orbital at the night of museum in basel
Today, the night of the museum takes place in basel. And at the participating House of Electronic Arts the game ORBITAL will be playable on the iPad.
The House of Electronic Arts shows innovative digital contributions in the field of computer games. Every one of them of course produced in Switzerland. For visitors under 25 years, the ticket for the night of the museum is free and permits not only access to the House of Electronic Arts, but to all participating museums.
Jan
20
bitforge for your pocket
Finally it's done! After the relaunch of the bitforge website, the page has now been implemented for the mobile internet. With the formatted page it's even easier to access the latest news and information about bitforge while you are away from a computer.
Of course we are also on Social Communities such as Twitter and Facebook. As our fan our follower you will be also provided with our latest news and info. So join us!
By now it's not only the privilege of iPhone-users to help, but also Android users. The bitforge game Amanzivision is now available for all Android mobile phones. Within a short period it was possible to implement the game – which was originally developed for iPhone – to Android.
Amanzivision is the free mobile game of World Vision, with which the player can actually help to support a village in Africa. To build a well, the player has to carry as much water as possible into the village, so the necessary amount of bricks can be produced. If all players together have collected enough water in the game, a real well will be built in Africa. By now, the first well has been realized with the help of all users. The water is now collected to build a second one.
The game is free and can be downloaded at the Android Market.
Jan
13
lecture at the zhdk
Last Wednesday, 12th of January 2011, bitforges Reto Senn held a lecture at the zhdk in Zurich. The Game Design students of the 3 year heard about game business in Switzerland and about the job possibilities after their studies. It also gave them some insight in the daily life of a Game Developer in Switzerland and what is necessary to build up a company.
Bitforge is one of Switzerlands few Game Development Studios. According to the small possibilities of working as a Game Designer in Switzerland, Swiss Students are often forced to work abroad after their studies. Especially Germany and America are well known for their Game-Studios. So it is important for Swiss Game Design Students to know about their options in Switzerland and how they could be able to build up an own company to support the growth of Switzerland as a Game Development country.
Dec
15
first well will be built
Amazing! In less than one week the players of Amanzivision have collected enough water to build the first well in Mozambique. The next well will be sponsored by Interim AG Personalvermittlung.
World Vision Amanzivision-Game – it can be that easy to help!
With the new Amanzivision-Game for World Vision it is easy to help. Everything you'll have to do is to bring as much water back to the small village to produce enough bricks to build a well. If all bricks have been made, a real well will be built in Africa.
With your in-game result you support a real village and you help to protect the inhabitants from dangerous diseases, which can occur due to contaminated drinking water. Also you assure that children who would have to carry water can go to school instead.
Amanzivision brings you closer to the hard daily life of African families. Download now and help!
The game industry has developed well and is now the top-selling sector in the cultural industry. In Switzerland, the sales have quadruplicated since 2004. To explain this successful sector, the cultural foundation Pro Helvetia invite to their event "GameCulture", in cowork with the Business aid of Zürich and the Zürich location promotion.
wednesday november 17th - 19.00 until 21.00 at the Cabaret Voltaire, Spiegelgasse 1, in Zürich
Pius Knüsel, director of Pro Helvetia will present this discussion with:
* Martina Groeschel, Project Manager Interactive Media / Creative Industries, MFG Baden-Württemberg * Thomas Frey, Art Director GIANTS Software, Zürich * Reto Senn, COO bitforge AG, Rapperswil
Zurich wants to become an international place for ICT-services and infrastructure. To achieve this goal, strategies and projects will be developed in co-production with business and science. Around 50 high positioned employees of different companies like Swisscom, Google, Noser Engeneering as well as various start up's like bitforge are invited. The starting event will be on November the 4th at the Technopark Zürich.
bitforge @ aberla seminar «games for mobile phones and pads»
Have you ever thought about developing mobile games? Do you want to know more about the possibilities and requirements? Aberla organizes an event with the subject: Games for mobile phones and pads on November the 25th.
Bitforge COO Reto Senn will explain how the development process of games takes place and how you are able to launch a successful game. Don't miss the chance.
The Hit-Game Orbital is now also available for Palm Pre and Palm Pre Plus. "Thanks to the support of Palm and the good codebase of Orbital we were able to implement a Palm-Version in no time", so CTO Adrian Nägeli. The game comes with the same amount of features as the iPhone version and marks the beginning of a row of more implementations on other platforms. According to CEO Andreas Hüppi, bitforge is able to develop software for all platforms. "Orbital for Palm Pre underlines that competence." The game can be acquired at the Palm Pre Store.
The Atelier Pfister app is now also available for iPad. New features include now an adjusted design as well as the possibility to transfer already existing pictures on the iPhone onto the iPad. "The application shows its true advantage on the iPad and is able to present the furniture in a more adequate way", says bitforge COO Reto Senn. The application has been published as Universal Binary, so customers who are in possession of an iPhone and an iPad aren't obliged to download the app again for the iPad.
Swisscom has invited to its B2B customer event at the Dialogue Arena in Zurich. In the center of this event was the knowledge transfer between all customers with the credo: "In exchange with the best". Part of the event was the Inno Arena, in which interesting and new subjects have been discussed, among also the subject Mobile Web & Applications. With Reto Senn we were able to provide a competent speaker.
The Atelier Pfister App for iPhone and iPod Touch is now available. The app has been developed in close co-production with bitforge, vanija and visualcontext.
The result of this co-production is a user-friendly application with which you are able to take look at your flat equipped with Atelier Pfister products – in 3D! At the center of the application are the 70 items. All those items are in 3D and can be turned around or scaled. With this feature you can take a picture of – for example – your living room and place a certain item in your flat. So you get a first glimpse of how your flat could look like with the selected furniture. All you have left to do is to go to a Pfister store and buy the item. And by the way, with the app you'll find the next Pfister store in no time. Also you'll find detailed information about the designers and of course you can show everything to your friends with the connection to Social Communities.
FDG entertainment and bitforge are proudly announcing Beach Bowling 3D for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. This is no dream! Bowling at the beach by day and by night – that's only possible with Beach Bowling 3D.
Prove your skills in five difficulty levels and enjoy phantastic 3D graphics and realistic physics simulation. If you want to belong to the best, you'll have to achieve a certain amount of points.
Today the first series of our free Radio App has been uploaded to the Ovi Store. In the following months more radio stations will be added. The application has been developed for the Nokia Touch devices – the Symbian 5th edition and the Symbian 3 devices from Nokia, as for example the Nokia N8 or N97. "With this Nokia App we are able to underline our multiplatform-competence. With the new technology Widget Runtime we have realized an easy to handle and interesting application", says CTO Adrian Nägeli. The app comes with a live radio streaming, a sleep timer and live program information.
The app has been developed by bitforge for Publicitas and the download is free.
What a surprise. Our Hit –Game Orbital was installed on all presentation devices at the Apple press conference today. Also on the demo device on stage! Steve Jobs himself held our game in his hands - a big honor for us.
