Back when Supermono released EpicWin [$2.99], its to-do list RPG, we spent some time contemplating whether adding game mechanics to productivity apps would really help people be more productive. That's the question that rests at the heart of all discussions about "gamification"—do carefully tuned game mechanics drive us to perform tasks we might otherwise ignore? Has Farmville claimed so many man-hours because it's fun, or because it's designed to feed on impulses that could be better used for good? Don't count it as a blow against gamification, but, personally, EpicWin never quite clicked. I found the experience bars and loot rewards intriguing, but the work I had to put into maintaining my tasks outweighed the benefits. More recently I've found myself back in the world of gamified productivity with the help of a to-do app that doesn't look game-like on the surface at all: Realmac Software's [$1.99]. Beneath all its lovely Read More

...been doing my chores and just scored a Polished Crystal Skull - Epic Win! http://t.co/RGJ64lf3... Read More

...been doing my chores and just scored a The To-do List - Epic Win! http://t.co/RGJ64lf3... Read More

...been doing my chores and just scored a Warped Paperclip Of Holding - Epic Win! http://t.co/vHlwvwVw... Read More

...been doing my chores and just scored a Popular Tunic of Ye Designer Shoppe - Epic Win! http://t.co/1LMpdabs... Read More

Forever Drive (kostenlos; universal; App Store-Link), aus den britischen Supermono Studios, ist einer dieser Indie-Games-Titel, der ohne iOS-Plattform ein düsteres Leben in PC-Download-Portalen geführt hätte. Dank ‘AirPlay Mirroring‘ landen die von Tron angehauchten Leucht-Metropolen nun nicht nur auf iPhone und iPad sondern sogar auf dem großen Fernseher. Tak Fung und seine fünf (Teilzeit-)Kollegen hatten mit EpicWin (2.39 €; App Store-Link) und MiniSquadron (2.39 €; App Store-Link) bereits ihre kleinen App-Store-Sternstunden. Dieses futuristische Rennspiel ist allerdings mehr Experiment als ausgebuffter Racer. Trotzdem sitzt der Kniff: Die Spieler erstellen über den eingebauten Editor Rennabschnitte für die ewigen Rundkurse – eine neue Asphaltpiste ist in wenigen Minuten gezeichnet und hochgeladen. Während der flüchtigen Ladezeit zwischen den einzelnen Rennpassagen bewerten alle aktiven Fahrer das gerade absolvierte Teilstück. Damit trennen sich die guten von den schlechten Konstruktionen. Die besten Modelle sortiert der Algorithmus für mehr Aufmerksamkeit nach vorne. Read More

Supermono Studio, the same studio who achievement-ized standard non-game tasks like chores and scrubbing behind your ears in the stupendous Epic Win [$2.99], are close to releasing its next game, Forever Drive. Forever Drive, if you didn't know, is a futuristic racing game, complete with track building and neat customization elements, sorta like . The coolest element, on paper at least, is its online, perpetual city. Supermono describes the game as “Outrun-meets-SimCity-in-the-future-online,” if you need some analogues. Of course, it also dropped some screenshots. There’s probably a great word for this kind of art style, but because my brain doesn't work so great all the time, I’ll just say it looks great (in a TRON kind of way) and let you tell me my business in the comments. If you’re familiar with this project, you might be wondering why it’s now called Forever Drive instead of "Drive Forever." According to Supermono, Read More

...been doing my chores and just scored a Wax On Wax Off - Epic Win! http://bit.ly/ao6xRS... Read More

Many of you should be familiar with SuperMono Studios from their wildly popular MiniSquadron [99¢/Lite] games and most recently from their RPG experience bar-laden to-do app EpicWin [$2.99]. We liked EpicWin when it was released, but that was way back in August of 2010, and you may be wondering what the two man SuperMono development team comprised of Tak Fung and Dave Ferner have been up to since then. Well, basically they have a couple of new games in the works, but for the past 7+ months they have been carefully crafting themselves a high end engine to use for these games. There is all sorts of technical wizardry going on in this built-from-the-ground-up engine, but in terms that even a laymen like myself can understand, and in SuperMono’s very own words, it “makes everything look completely rad”. Have a look at the trailer for the tech demo that shows off Read More

by This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Quick Pitch: Streak.ly helps you stay motivated to knock out daily tasks. Genius Idea: Famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A good intention clothes itself with power.” Some would argue that the real power is actually following through on those intentions. Unfortunately, intentions are just as intangible as fleeting resolutions, but private beta startup Streak.ly hopes to change this by helping us follow through on our daily good intentions. Streak.ly is a motivational tool that you can use to jot down daily tasks you want or need to do. It’s not really meant to be a task manager for individual to-dos like grocery shopping or work projects. Instead, it Read More

Alright. I’ve tried to be nice to Epic Win ($2.99). I’ve tried not to take the whole thing too seriously and just have fun with it, but I’m still getting frustrated with this cute little app. Complaint, the First The first bit I’ve been hesitant to complain about has been the RPG wrapping. I called it a light RPG element when I first posted on it, but it’s really more of a wrapper, and the loot is really more like a set of random achievements. The avatar artwork and animation is top-notch, and I really do like how you “beat up” your tasks instead of actually ticking them off. Unfortunately, that’s about as epic as things seem to get. You can’t equip any of the cool loot you find, and the only way to make your character look more epic is to level up by completing tasks — but leveling has Read More

Browsing the App Store this weekend?  Here are fifteen new or updated apps for the iPhone and iPad worth taking a closer look at if you are: This is a choose your own adventure book, where you’re provided with a series of options at a particular point, and your decision affects the outcome of the story.  $3.99.  US-Only. Access 20,000 music videos from Vevo’s own catalogue from 7000 different artists, watch them on your iPhone and share them over Facebook or Twitter.  Discover new material, create playlists and read trivia too!  Free. US-Only. Another line drawing game, but here you must help swimmers out of the water in order to avoid become a snack for Jaws!  There are 10 levels and since this is an official app, the famous theme tune too!  $2.99/£1.79. A new variation on the tower defense game, this time with viruses instead of aliens/vikings/grandfather clocks.  You’ve got Read More

As with any classic role-playing-style game, EpicWin ($2.99) gives you experience points in a number of categories that help your character gain skills and move through a mystical world. The difference in this game? You have to complete your own real tasks to advance your character. While task management and to-do lists are nothing new on the iPhone (see OmniFocus or Things), EpicWin puts a new spin on how you treat your responsibilities that may just cause you to get more done. With so many games geared toward farming computer crops, creating made-up mobs, or killing virtual vampires, EpicWin turns your to-do list into a game with real rewards (and some fun fake ones, too). Setting up your EpicWin world is pretty easy. In fact, it's the first few tasks (renamed "quests" for this game) you must complete on your list the day you install the App. Those tutorial quests set Read More

I have yet to decide whether or not Epic Win ($2.99) is really worthwhile as a task manager, but I do know Rexbox and SuperMono have done an absolutely fantastic job of marketing the concept, and I ended up buying the app the moment it hit the Canadian App Store last night. I’ve completed only a few tasks thus far (I cheated a bit and added and insta-completed a few tasks I’d already finished in 2D0), but the interface seems to be quite slick. This isn’t a powerhouse task manager — you won’t find categories or tags, for example — but there are enough basic features to keep things manageable. I could go on a bit more and talk about the light RPG elements and whether or not they’re cool or just gimmicky, but I’ll opt to simply shutup until I gain more experience and level up some more. I also Read More

...@viticci: EpicWin is available! http://bit.ly/9nCFWu... Read More

...Lord of AWESOMENESS / Epic Win is in the AppStore and it is SUPERB http://ow.ly/1qNORc http://ow.ly/i/3hMz... Read More

...está disponible la aplicación para iphone/iphone EPICWIN, un must have. http://itunes.apple.com/mx/app/epicwin/id372927221?mt=8... Read More

...epicwin для ифона http://itunes.apple.com/ru/app/epicwin/id372927221?mt=8 . пока что нихуя непонятно... Read More