Developer G5 Entertainment has announced that they will be releasing a series of business strategy simulations called Fix-It-Up for iOS devices. The first installment, Fix-It-Up: Kate’s Adventure, will be available for iPhone and iPad starting September 22, 2011. The game had originally been released on PC, where it enjoyed significant popularity, being in the top ten best selling charts of nearly all major casual games portals for two months.

In Fix-It-Up: Kate’s Adventure, gamers play as auto repair workshop owner Kate, who is tasked to run a profitable business. Part of that job is cleverly balancing resources while making the right business decisions at the right time.

When Kate returns home after the college, she finds her father’s auto repair workshop in financial trouble. Kate decides to revive family enterprise but she needs your help – so roll up your sleeves and get to work! Apply your business skills to make this work: fix broken cars, construct and operate a tuning shop, a bodyshop, a disassemble pit, and more! Explore six exciting locations as you expand the franchise from arid Nevada to glamorous Hollywood.

The game features 70 achievements which can be shared on Facebook and Apple Game Center friends. When the player completes the game and achieves expert’s status throughout, two additional modes become unlocked: “money challenge” and “time challenge”. In addition, players are rewarded with a bonus level. These additional levels will task players with fixing up a harvester, police trucks, buggies, taxi cabs and even a helicopter.

The series is interesting in being aimed at female users with a woman in the non-traditional industry of auto repair. It’ll be interesting to see how the game scores on iOS towards the younger female market.

The game will be released on iTunes for iPhone and iPad in two weeks, check out the official page here.

Electronic Arts has announced The Sims Social, which will allow players to create their own Sims on Facebook and interact with friends in real-life, as well as do all the Sims-y things like furnishing houses and designing floorplans.

Check out the launch trailer in the video below.

My Country is  a nation building simulation game for Android. The game has a realistic management system, which is suppose to set it apart from the other games in this category. My Country is available on Facebook, as well, and has had good success.

Players have to create their own country. They start by constructing buildings and move on from there. The buildings are pretty straight forward, but there is a unique ecology control system monitors how much overall pollution your city creates. Players have to balance the pollution. Players will face all of the same challenges in real life.

“We are excited to follow-up on the enormous success of Paradise Island on Android with My Country,” said Darya Trushkina, Vice President of Business Development for Game Insight.  “My Country lets players experience the complex systems and management issues of constructing a nation and adds real-life challenges to give the game an unmatched realism.”

If you like simulation games, check out My Country on the Android Market Place. The game is free to download, so there is nothing to lose.

Read the rest of this entry »

Storm8 has announced three new “fremium” MMO games that play off your Android mobile device, using Google’s mobile OS. The MMOs are simple simulation and role-playing games — City Story, Fashion Story and Zoo Story. The games were quietly launched in the past few weeks on Android, but Storm8 is officially announcing them now.

City Story allows you can create a virtual city with all types of businesses, residences, and decor you can purchase and place anywhere you choose. You earn money from factory contracts, cleaning buildings and gifts from your neighbors – who are either AI or real-life Facebook friends. Fashion Story has the player running a clothing boutique, where they choose and stock the very latest fashions and designs, then layout the store and changing rooms before preparing for the shopping rush. Players can visit friends’ boutiques, and “like” items and give gifts. Finally, Zoo Story has players raising animals like snow leopards, tigers, koalas, zebras, crocodiles, ostriches and pandas, breeding and raising baby animals, and building crops to feed said animals.

All of the games are free MMOs, but supported by microtransaction content purchases. Previous “Story” games include Bakery Story and Restaurant Story.

You can download each game free from Android:

* City Story
* Fashion Story
* Zoo Story

(Thanks, Venture Beat.)

Zattikka has announced a new type of game for Facebook, Wheelers and Dealers. Wheelers and Dealers challenges Facebook players to go from rags to riches. The game is touted to be a cross between an interactive soap opera, an adventure and a trading game.

The goal of the game is to make a quick buck. Players can attempt to make a quick buck anyway they can. They can steal, cheat, beg or borrow to try to make money. Players will buy and sell goods. The goods can be normal consumer type goods or strangely bizarre goods like souls in a jar.

“The current slate of Facebook games are governed by predictable play mechanics that are often repeated with varying degrees of difficulty,” said Joel Breton, Executive Vice President of North American Operations.  “Wheelers and Dealers moves well beyond this as its advanced game engine allows for individual character personalities, player’s personal reputation and actual trading behavior to adapt  the storyline and level of game predictability.  That appears to be a significant plus as early player feedback indicates that the game is much more involved and addictive than other Facebook games.”

If you think you have what it takes to go from rags to riches, check out Wheelers and Dealers on Facebook.

Read the rest of this entry »