mumbojumbo posts

As promised, Apple has now launched its Mac App Store for owners of Macintosh-based PCs. Much like the App Store works for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad devices, the Mac App Store allows Mac owners to directly purchase and download software programes to their Mac PCs. Developers can also publisher their programs directly through the new Mac App Store and set their own prices.

The Mac App Store launched with over 1,000 software programs and as expected there are a number of games available to purchase and download via the store. For example the casual game publisher MumboJumbo has a number of its games on the store including its popular Luxor arcade title.

Two of the biggest casual game developer/publishers, MumboJumbo and PopCap, have apparently been fighting in court for the last few years. Today MumboJumbo announced it has been awarded a sum of $4.6 million in damages by a Dallas, Texas jury.

MumboJumbo claimed that it entered into an agreement with PopCap in 2006 to "produce, distribute and sell certain PopCap games in North America." However MumboJumbo then claimed that PopCap went behind their back and decided to sell their games on their own. The jury agreed with MumboJumbo that Popcap "committed fraud and tortious interference when it severely damaged the business relationship between MumboJumbo and a key retailer." Big Download contacted PopCap for comment and received this response from their PR head: "PopCap continues to believe that it did nothing wrong in this case, and will vigorously pursue its claims and defend itself through the appeals process."

For their weekend sales dealie, the Steam PC gaming download service has put a ton of games on sale. Let's get to them:

• The racing games Trials 2 and Monster Trucks Nitro have been put in a bundle and are being sold this weekend for just $4.50, an 85 percent cut in their normal price.
• Also for this weekend only all 15 games from casual game developer MumboJumbo are on sale for 50 percent off. In fact you can download Luxor 2 and 7 Wonders II for just 99 cents.
• Flock, the recent Capcom downloadable game, is on sale for 50 percent off this weekend. A new update has also added 12 Steam achievements to the game.
• From now until June 5 you can get Assassins Creed and Splinter Cell: Double Agent for 50 percent off their normal Steam price.
• The classic super hero RPGs Freedom Force and Freedom Force Vs The Third Reich (developed by Irrational Games before they turned into 2K Boston) are now available on Steam. You can buy either game or both in a bundle for 10 percent off their normal price.
• And remember, Unreal Tournament III can be played for free this weekend and the price of the game and of the Unreal game collection are 50 percent off from now until June 7.

This is the official demo for Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch, a casual puzzle adventure game developed by MumboJumbo.

"When Samantha's new benefactor asks her to track down Alexander the Great's Scroll of Wealth, the opportunity seems too be good to be true-searching for the scroll while collecting amazing finds for the Museum of Secrets Lost! Little does she know that a secret brotherhood is watching her every move and that she'll have to do a lot more digging to find the true treasure."

Download Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch Demo (157 MB)

Also check out:
Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena Demo (110 MB)

Valve has allowed its Steam service to publish pretty much any kind of game, from the hardest of the hard core shooters to the most casual of casual games. It's in the latter category that Valve has extended its Steam service to the MumboJumbo library of games. Based in Dallas, MumboJumbo and Valve have a (sort of) previous relationship. MumboJumbo bought Ritual Entertainment in late 2006; Ritual's last game under their previous management was the first (and so far only) chapter for the FPS Sin Episodes, which used Valve's Source engine and was distributed via Steam.

Steam users can now purchase and download eight MumboJumbo games including titles in the classic Luxor arcade puzzle series and the game based on the TV show The Office (with the characters displayed as bobblehead figures). All eight can be bought in a MumboJumbo collection for $39.99. However you can buy each individual game and the collection for 10 percent off their regular price via Steam until June 17.