Yes, we are happy to announce that SQUIDS has won this year’s Art Direction Award at the European Indie Game Days. We are especially proud as the competition was tough with many very talented teams and great games. And it was pretty nice to receive the prize on « le vieux port » in Marseille, while the sun was setting down on the mediterranean sea. You should see more coverage in the press (especially French) very soon. Official press release below. – – – Independent French studio The Game Bakers is proud to announce that their mobile RPG, SQUIDS, has won this year’s Art Direction Award at the European Indie Game Days, which took place July 2-3 in Marseille (http://www.eigd.org). Competing against a hundred of strong contenders produced by indie teams all over Europe, SQUIDS’ colorful graphical style, comical Squid heroes, and visually-rich underwater locations caught the attention of a jury made up of game industry greats (including Jeff Minter and Heather Kelley) to bring home the prize! In SQUIDS, players lead a team of stretchy heroes into epic battles against shellfish that have been infected by a terrible black ooze that threatens the Squids’ lush underwater kingdom. Thanks to its combination of role-playing and tactical gameplay, SQUIDS has won over players by offering a much richer experience than the usual mobile fare. With more than one million downloads so far, SQUIDS was the surprise hit of 2011 and has become a must-have game on iOS platforms. This award comes at the perfect time, because the art style that wowed players, critics, and the EIGD jury has just resurfaced in the latest installment of this epic saga, SQUIDS Wild West! Under the art direction of Jerome Renéaume, The Game Bakers have expanded the imaginative SQUIDS world to include new « old West » locations, new playable Squid characters, and exciting new gameplay. Just one week after its release for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, SQUIDS Wild West is climbing the App Store charts worldwide and is poised to follow in the footsteps of the popular original. SQUIDS and SQUIDS Wild West can be found on the App Store at the following links: SQUIDS: http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids/id467904350 SQUIDS Wild West: http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids-wild-west/id522145076

We are happy to announce that the Squids are back: bigger and better! The epic adventure continues as our band of stretchy heroes explore the underwater Wild West to recruit new heroes for their army and search for master Winnick. We have spent a lot of time listening to you, SQUIDS fans, to improve the game and the result is here: SQUIDS Wild West is packed with twice as many missions as the first game, 4 new heroes, seahorses to ride into battle, new enemies, new gameplay ingredients, without mentioning a collection of new helmets… And also some handy new functionalities as the games saves synchronization via iCloud, a screen to compare your Squids, or the possibility to share your team on Facebook or Twitter. Get your copy today while it’s 50% off at 0.99$ here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids-wild-west/id522145076 Happy tentacles stretching! Below the full press release. – – – – – – – –

Saddle Up, Cephalopods! SQUIDS Wild West Launches Today on the App Store

The Game Bakers’ new RPG for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch improves on the original SQUIDS in every way

PARIS – June 27, 2012 – Fresh from the oven, The Game Bakers’ latest delicacy, SQUIDS Wild West, is now on the App Store! This turn-based RPG continues the story that started in last year’s chart-topping SQUIDS while offering exciting new gameplay challenges and improvements, ensuring that SQUIDS Wild West will be a hit with returning fans and new players alike. The game can be downloaded today for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch: http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids-wild-west/id522145076 In SQUIDS Wild West, a team of springy heroes continues their epic adventure across the seven seas to put a stop to the black ooze sliming up their idyllic kingdom. Set in Seawood, the hometown of gunslinger Clint, SQUIDS Wild West features six new locations creatively constructed from items that have fallen into the ocean from the human world above. While exploring this aquatic frontier players will meet up with four new playable Squids, including feisty cowgirl Calamary Jane and the mysterious Chief Ronimo. Plus the group will encounter a bevy of new enemies, environmental obstacles, stat-boosting helmets, and wild seahorses that can be captured and ridden into battle. The colorful cartoon artwork, humorous storytelling, and catchy music fans loved in the original SQUIDS are back in the sequel, along with a number of new features and gameplay improvements. Notably, this Universal App includes iCloud syncing, so players can access saved games and continue the adventure on any iOS device. Other online capabilities include GameCenter leaderboards, achievements, and the ability to post Squid teams on Facebook and Twitter. And user interface enhancements make it easier for players to customize their party, adjust a mission’s difficulty level, and unlock in-game items. “One of the biggest perks of being an indie studio has been our ability to build a direct relationship with our fans,” says Emeric Thoa, The Game Bakers’ creative director. “We’ve received hundreds of emails from players telling us what they liked and didn’t like about SQUIDS and asking for new features. We have paid close attention to this feedback and even enlisted our biggest fans to beta test SQUIDS Wild West, to make sure we were on the right track. So we’re confident that players will have even more fun with SQUIDS Wild West than the first game.” SQUIDS Wild West sells for USD $1.99 on the App Store, and is currently only USD $0.99 during a limited-time launch promotion. Learn more about SQUIDS Wild West or join the fan community on the official website (http://www.squidsthegame.com), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/squidsthegame), and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/squidsthegame).   About The Game Bakers The Game Bakers is an independent video game studio based in Paris and Montpellier, France. Founded and staffed by industry veterans whose credits include numerous AAA console games, The Game Bakers focuses on creative projects that combine traditional gaming values with the best of the mobile experience. Their first game, SQUIDS, has had more than one million downloads and can be enjoyed on iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. To learn more, visit the company’s website at https://www.thegamebakers.com. The Game Bakers are also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/thegamebakers) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/thegamebakers).    

It’s finally here, and it’s splendid: SQUIDS can be download on the Mac App Store and enjoyed on a 27″ iMac! As the first version of SQUIDS for desktop computers, the Mac version has intuitive mouse controls and enhanced graphics optimized for screen resolutions up to 1900×1200. SQUIDS for Mac incorporates much of the bonus content released for iOS over the past five months, such as additional missions and stat-boosting helmets—all with no in-app purchase required. We all really hope that this deluxe version will provide you a great game experience, and that with your support, the calamar-wave-of-love will rise!   – – – – – – Here is the official Press Release – – – – – – The Game Bakers’ Undersea RPG, Squids, Swims Onto Mac Paris, France – March 1st 2012 Independent developer The Game Bakers today is announcing that their popular tactical RPG, Squids, is now available for Mac. Squids has already had great success on iPhone and iPad, where it ranked as the App Store’s #1 RPG in 34 countries and spent a week as the #1 paid app overall in France. Squids for Mac can be downloaded for USD $9.99 from the Mac App Store and other digital stores, including the game’s official website. Set in a colorful underwater kingdom, Squids is a creative RPG with a humorous storyline, gorgeous cartoon artwork, and turn-based battles that pit a team of scrappy Squid heroes against hordes of ooze-infected crabs and shrimp. An accessible game easily enjoyed by casual gamers, Squids also has impressive gameplay depth and production values that will appeal to a hardcore audience, thanks to the developers’ previous experience working on AAA computer and console games. As the first version of Squids for desktop computers, the Mac version has intuitive mouse controls and enhanced graphics optimized for screen resolutions up to 1900×1200. Squids for Mac incorporates much of the bonus content released for iOS over the past five months, such as additional missions and stat-boosting helmets – all with no in-app purchase required. The game is localized into five languages: English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. « From the very beginning, we wanted to bring Squids to players of all platforms, so we developed it with a much deeper scope than most mobile games. Then we put a lot of effort into making sure the game plays great on the Mac, » says Emeric Thoa, The Game Bakers’ Creative Director. « This Mac release is a big milestone for us, and just the first of a series of releases on ‘larger’ platforms alongside the mobile versions of Squids. » Supported Languages: * US English, French, German, Italian and Spanish System Requirements: * Mac OS X 10.6 or later * 64-bit processor * 710 MB Pricing and Availability: Squids 1.0 is $9.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Games category. Squids is also available from the game’s official website. Links: To learn more about SQUIDS and see a full list of download options, visit the official website at http://www.squidsthegame.com. To take part in the SQUIDS community, visit http://www.facebook.com/squidsthegame and http://www.twitter.com/squidsthegame. High-res SQUIDS assets can be downloaded from https://www.thegamebakers.com/vip    

SQUIDS is available on the Android Market! Come on SQUIDS players, we need you to support the game, everyone matters! If you want more SQUIDS, tell your friends to take it on iOS or Android! Long live the SQUIDS! Download SQUIDS on the Android Market place   – – – – – – Here is the official press release – – – – – – The Game Bakers’ Undersea RPG, SQUIDS, Swims Onto New Platforms This Week Quirky game available today for Android, coming March 1 to Mac PARIS – February 28, 2012 – Independent developer The Game Bakers is bringing their popular tactical RPG, SQUIDS, to Android and Mac this week. These releases represent the first new platforms for a game that has already had great success on iPhone and iPad, where it ranked as the App Store’s #1 RPG in 34 countries and spent a week as the #1 paid app overall in France. Set in a colorful underwater kingdom, SQUIDS is a creative RPG with a humorous storyline, gorgeous cartoon artwork, and turn-based battles that pit a team of scrappy Squid heroes against hordes of ooze-infected crabs and shrimp. An accessible game easily enjoyed by casual gamers, SQUIDS also has impressive gameplay depth and production values that will appeal to a hardcore audience, thanks to the developers’ previous experience working on AAA computer and console games. Both the Android and Mac versions are localized into five languages: English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. The Android version of SQUIDS, which uses the same hands-on touch controls as the iOS original, has been rebalanced as a free-to-play adventure with a new selection of in-app purchases. A joint project with Tapjoy that utilized the publisher’s $5M Android Fund, SQUIDS for Android can now be downloaded from Android Market, Amazon’s Appstore, GetJar, and other Android stores. Next up is the Mac version, which will release on the Mac App Store and other digital stores on March 1. As the first version of SQUIDS for desktop computers, the Mac version has intuitive mouse controls and enhanced graphics optimized for screen resolutions up to 1900×1200. SQUIDS for Mac incorporates much of the bonus content released for iOS over the past five months, such as additional missions and stat-boosting helmets—all with no in-app purchase required. “From the very beginning, we wanted to bring SQUIDS to players of all platforms, so we developed it with a much deeper scope than most mobile games. Then we put a lot of effort into making sure the game plays great on the Mac,” says Emeric Thoa, The Game Bakers’ Creative Director. “This Mac release is a big milestone for us, and just the first of a series of releases on ‘larger’ platforms alongside the mobile versions of SQUIDS.” To learn more about SQUIDS and see a full list of download options, visit the official website at http://www.squidsthegame.com. To take part in the SQUIDS community, visit http://www.facebook.com/squidsthegame and http://www.twitter.com/squidsthegame. High-res SQUIDS assets can be downloaded from https://www.thegamebakers.com/vip. About The Game Bakers The Game Bakers is an independent video game studio based in Paris and Montpellier, France. Founded and staffed by industry veterans whose credits include numerous AAA console games, The Game Bakers focuses on creative projects that combine traditional gaming values with the emerging opportunities afforded by touch devices and the mobile market. Their first game, SQUIDS, is available now for iOS, Android, and Mac, and is coming soon to PC. To learn more, visit the company’s website at https://www.thegamebakers.com. The Game Bakers are also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/thegamebakers) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/thegamebakers).

The Game Bakers have just released a massive update to their tentacle-stretching, cephalopod-flinging RPG, SQUIDS. The biggest news is that the game is now optimized for the iPad, meaning it looks just as gorgeous on the iPad’s big screen as it does on iPhone and iPod touch! Here are some of the great features now included:

• Universal App: The original SQUIDS is now a Universal App. Play it on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch (or all three!) for the same low price of $1.99.
• Horror in 3D: A 3D anaglyph version of the recent Halloween map. Go old school with your red/blue glasses to see the Squid heroes and their cranky crustacean rivals in all three dimensions. Crazy.
• New localizations: Japanese, simplified Chinese, and Russian languages join the game’s pre-existing English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish localizations.
• Music support: Listen to your own music while playing.
• Screen rotation: Turn your device and the game screen turns with it!
• Plus various and sundry bug fixes and interface tweaks to make playing SQUIDS even more enjoyable. 🙂

Today’s update is free for those who already bought the game. New players can pick it up on the App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids/id467904350  

Earlier this month, The Game Bakers’ SQUIDS (http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids/id467904350) launched to great success—reviewers loved it, fans loved it, and the game hit #1 on the App Store’s RPG chart in 34 countries (North America included) and was #1 overall in France!

To celebrate, the developers have cooked up a Halloween treat for SQUIDS fans! (Chocolate-encrusted calamari? Um, no.) The game is newly updated on the App Store with eight Halloween-themed helmets and an additional map that includes two new missions. The new map will be automatically unlocked and does not tie into the main story, so all players will be able to check it out even if you haven’t finished the game yet.

Feast your eyes on the new helmets in these lovely screenshots and desktop wallpaper: https://www.thegamebakers.com/files/squids_halloween.zip

We also want to spread the word that the 50% off launch sale will end soon, so players who haven’t yet managed to dig $0.99 out of the couch cushions should get on it. When the sale ends, the game’s regular price will be $1.99.

Les poulpes jettent l’ancre à la première place de l’App Store français PARIS – Le 18 octobre 2011 – The Game Bakers, studio français indépendant de création de jeux vidéo créé par des vétérans de l’industrie, annonce un départ canon pour son jeu SQUIDS sorti mardi 11 octobre sur iPhone. Véritable phénomène depuis son lancement, le jeu caracole en tête de l’App Store et les retours des joueurs comme de la presse sont unanimes ! Vous pouvez télécharger SQUIDS dès maintenant sur l’App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/squids/id467904350 SQUIDS arrive aussi prochainement sur iPad, mais aussi sur Android, PC et Mac. Pour en savoir plus sur SQUIDS, rendez vous sur le site http://squidsthegame.com ou sur facebook : http://www.facebook.com/SquidsTheGame.

PARIS – October 11, 2011 – The Game Bakers, an independent video game studio founded by industry veterans, is pleased to announce the release of their debut game, SQUIDS. Now available for iPhone and iPod touch, SQUIDS sells for $0.99 on the App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/squids/id467904350 Developed by a team that has years of experience working on AAA console games, SQUIDS combines RPG elements and tactical gameplay with convenient touch controls, gorgeous graphics, and an epic adventure storyline. An infectious black ooze is threatening the Squids’ lush underwater world, turning ordinary crustaceans into dangerous monsters. Now it’s up to a ragtag team of Squid heroes to fend off the corrupted hordes and protect their peaceful homeland from certain destruction. The game’s heroes may be stretchy and springy, cute and colorful, but there’s also plenty of gameplay behind this fun façade. Choose your heroes among four classes, each with unique abilities and attacks, to build the perfect party. Then lead your team into turn-based battles against the infected crabs and shrimp. Use each Squid’s strengths, the environment, and enemies’ weaknesses to devise strategic attacks. Level up your Squids and customize your party with skill-boosting helmets. The game’s touch controls are easy to master: simply grab a Squid by the tentacles and fling it across the battlefield! “After years of working on best-selling console games, we formed our own studio so we could bring our expertise of AAA games development to iPhone gaming and make the best of the two worlds meet,” says Emeric Thoa, The Game Bakers’ CCO and co-founder. “SQUIDS has the depth hardcore gamers are looking for, along with the accessibility casual gamers expect on the iPhone or iPod touch. From the funny characters to the adventurous story to all of the tactical possibilities, SQUIDS offers something for all types of players.” SQUIDS is also coming soon to iPad (HD), Android, PC, and Mac. To learn more about SQUIDS, visit the website at http://squidsthegame.com or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SquidsTheGame. ###