“For 200 Nintendo points ($2 USD) on the DSi Store, this is a fantastic application for children using the Nintendo DSi.”

“As a parent who sees the benefit of encouraging children to learn using today’s technology, I highly recommend this application, Did it Myself ABC123! It’s cheap, it’s simple to use, and I really hope that Nintendo offers more titles like this in the future.”

Click on the excerpt to read the whole review!

From www.gamerpops.com:

“If you have a DSi, and you have a child between the ages of 2-5, spend the 200 points to download this game for them. You’ll be rewarded with a fun and educational game that may easily represent the best and most family-friendly $2 you will ever spend on a video game.”

From www.nintendolife.com

“The presentation is spectacular, with bright, attractive colours and a smooth, charming style of illustration similar to that of a children’s book.” and it’s “…the next best thing to Sesame Street that you can get for 200 DSi Points.”

Finally, we received an email from Candice, Mother of Giovanni age 3 and Aria age 1 who said: “Thank you so much for this ABC123 game:) it’s perfect and well needed… Giovanni will be 3 in November and is really getting the hang of things fast and Aria loves the xylophone and to draw.”

(Emphasis added.)

Only available on the Nintendo DSiWare(TM) Service!  Check out the official link at Nintendo.com for more information.  And/or check out our Did It Myself ABC123 website!

Got a Pre-K kid and a DSi?  We’ve got the activity-toy-game-thing for you!

We’ve just announced our next original game: “Did It Myself ABC123″ for Nintendo DSiWare.  It will be available for download on Monday, August 9th for 200 Nintendo DSi Points.

On a personal note, the whole process of building a game with my son has been an amazing experience.  If we had better PR, we’d be talking about the crossroads of technology and curiosity and all that.  Hopefully I’ll think of something eventually.

We tried to cover all the edu-game bases of letters, colors, counting (cardinality!), music, and art.  (You can even save your doodles to your Nintendo DSi Album and share them with friends.)

Check out the rest of the post for the official press release.  And, check out the official website for more screenshots.

For Immediate Release

Did It Myself: ABC123 Available Monday on the Nintendo DSiWare Service for 200 Nintendo DSi Points.

New York, NY– August 6th, 2010

In a desperate but successful attempt to rescue his smartphone from his son, Powerhead Games’ Jason Schreiber built Did It Myself ABC123, with a little help from family and co-workers.

“As I watched my son drain my phone’s battery, I realized there really should be a downloadable Toddler Game for the Nintendo DSi™,”  said Jason.  “So I “did it myself” and made this activity-toy-game-thing for my kid and yours.  I think we’ve succeeded in creating a fun playground on the Nintendo DSi that echoes my family’s “learn by doing” educational philosophy.  Plus, I have don’t have to negotiate with my son to answer a phone call.”

When Jason says he did it himself, he’s using the “royal myself.”  Powerhead Games Artist Chris Makris worked with Jason to create what Chris calls, “a simple and modern children’s game.”  Also, the voice heard counting numbers and cheerfully saying all the words in the game belongs to Jason’s son.  “Those were some brutal recording sessions,” remembers Jason.  “Trying to keep a 2 year old on script is a challenge.  On the bright side, he literally works for peanuts.  Also, hugs and broccoli.”

Five customizeable actvities to stimulate your young child’s brain and/or keep them occupied.

Did It Myself ABC123 has a selection of colorful and easy to play actvities featuring letters, colors, counting, a watercolor-like drawing area, and a virtual xylophone with easy to follow songs.

Jason adds: “The target age range is around 2 to 3 but we’ve watched kids younger and even older enjoy playing.  We made sure to add options for parents to adjust the counting range, the amount of games to play in “shuffle” mode, and the overall game speed. We recommend using slow and medium for younger kids, while older kids may enjoy fast and ridiculous.”

Did It Myself ABC123 is available for download on the Nintendo DSiWare™ Service starting Monday, August 9th, 2010 for 200 Nintendo DSi Points™.  It is the first game on the Nintendo DSiWare service rated “EC” for “Early Childhood” by the ESRB.

Nintendo trademarks used under license. DSiWare is available only through the Nintendo DSi system.

We will see you at GDC!

(All the details from the IGF.)

(Pretty much the same text as the previous post.  Just replace “nominated for” with “wins“.)

Glow Artisan was named a finalist for the Independent Games Festival Best Mobile Game Design award!  Woohoo!

On behalf of the Glow Artisan team, thank you IGF!  It’s an honor to be nominated!

Check out the IGF and the other nominees here.

“Some of the notable titles nominated for this year’s IGF Mobile Awards include iPhone games such as double nominee, Tiger Style’s Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor, downloadable games for Nintendo’s DSi including Powerhead Games’ Glow Artisan, and promising titles from a host of worldwide indie developers…”

(The IGF finalist logo needs some exclamation points!)

Powerhead’s first self-published game, “Glow Artisan“, will be available in the DSiWare Shop for 500 Nintendo Points one week from today!  (Monday, December 28th!)

Details follow!

Rely on your wits and ingenuity to solve over 100 puzzles and earn over 300 medals. Play Time Trial, Randomizer, and Multiplayer modes for an endless supply of new challenges!  Create new puzzles with the built-in editor or use the DSi Camera to turn your photos into puzzles.

PLAY!

• Over 100 pre-built levels!
• Endless user-created and randomly-generated puzzles!
• Earn Trophies and Medals!
• Unlock Time Trial and Randomizer modes!
• Stumped? No problem! The Auto Solver will help you!

CREATE

• Build your own puzzles from scratch with the Puzzle Creator!
• Turn your world into Glow Puzzles by transforming DSi photos into colorful challenges!
• Use stored photos or take new pictures from within the game!

CONNECT

• Challenge other players in Handoff, a fun and competitive wireless battle of wits!
• Wirelessly swap puzzles you’ve created with friends!

For more information visit: www.glowartisan.com.

Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSiWare are trademarks of Nintendo.  (c) 2009 Nintendo.

We had a few minutes of free time before the end of the show for some photo-ops. (Thanks to Gary for his blocking and crowd control.)

• Previous essay with many references for getting a job in the game industry
• PHG Job Page

We are looking for developers and interns of all shapes and sizes.  Do apply.