Channel 4 have today announced the launch of their brand new mobile game; The Snowman & The Snowdog which will be available globally from Thursday 5th December 2013 for iPhone, iPad & Android Phones & Tablets.
The free to download app is a gentle ‘endless runner’ game where the aim is to navigate The Snowman and The Snowdog to the North Pole. On their journey the characters encounter UK landmarks including Stonehenge, the Angel of the North, Edinburgh Castle and Channel 4’s own London HQ as players collect snowflakes whilst trying to avoid crashing along the way. This new game launch follows the success of the original iTunes chart topping and award-winning game released last Christmas to mark the 30th anniversary of The Snowman and saw over one million downloads in December in the UK alone.
The new game is built on a freemium model which allows players to pay in app for shortcuts and customisations – a business model Channel 4 Online have recently introduced to monetise online content bringing together both the public and commercial value of Channel 4’s TV brands as its games portfolio grows. Players can still access all parts of the game for free if they wish.
A new costume customisation feature allows players to dress their own snowman in an array of accessories including replacing facial features and adding hats and scarves amongst other items using the game’s snowflake currency. Players can buy boosts, upgrades and increase their snowflake reserve through the in-app purchase options to fast track The Snowman and The Snowdog’s journey to the North Pole. To avoid bill shock, spend is capped at a maximum of £20 per player.
The game is set in the distinctive hand-drawn environment of The Snowman and The Snowdog film – and music from the film, penned and recorded by award-winning British composer Ilan Eshkeri and singer/songwriter Andy Burrows (formerly of Razorlight and We Are Scientists), plays throughout. The Snowman and The Snowdog game was commissioned by Channel 4’s Games Commissioner Colin Macdonald and created by Brighton-based games developers, Big Bit.
Colin Macdonald said: “We’re really proud of this new worldwide version of The Snowman and The Snowdog game which builds upon Channel 4 Online’s previous successes in innovative and interactive multi-platform viewer experiences. I was stunned to see last year’s version of the game saw some players play for over 80 hours in total – we hope this exciting new game will bring more The Snowman and The Snowdog magic to this Christmas and have players hooked once again.”
Big Bit’s CEO Nick Baynes said: “All of us at Big Bit are incredibly proud to be involved with bringing the Snowman to life on mobile devices this Christmas. Recreating the magic of the animated films as an interactive experience for all the family has been an artistic dream for the team here and we’re sure that fans will appreciate and enjoy the results.”
As mentioned above, The Snowman & The Snowdog the game will be available from today on iPhone, iPad & Android Phones & Tablets.
So will you be picking this up? What do you think about micro transactions? Be sure to let me know in the comments section below and be sure to stay tuned to UGNN for all your gaming news and reviews.
Article by Matthew McNamee