We know there is a lot of tension out there. Our fans on toucharcade and on our Fishlabs forum have been crying out loud for more ships, weapons, missions and a new story. We are therefore very happy to come forward with information we believe will delight the fans of Galaxy of Fire 2. The very first chapter of the developer diaries on the DLC will give you an introduction to what you may expect in the plump mission pack Valkyrie – Galaxy on Fire 2released 28th April and background on how it came to life.

[full]The work on Galaxy on Fire 2 – Valkyrie is still in antzy progress. We are working on an expansion of rather huge dimensions considering the app space it is launched in. The world formerly threatened by the Voids is being reloaded. New ships, new weapons, new items, new features, new gameplay and a whole new story line might give this DLC the feel of a whole new game. The galaxy is expanded considerably and comes alive with many ideas both the fans and we ourselves wanted to see in the game after it had been released at the end of last year.

Downloadable Content for Galaxy on Fire 2 is virgin soil for Fishlabs. While the console market has already seen successful DLC’s we are actually on a venture in mobile space. We surely hope the main pack as well as the themed packages are welcomed by the community with the same enthusiasm the game has been met with thousands of 4.5 – 5 star ratings in the AppStore. With producing Valkyrie we aim at prolonging the gaming fun for those who have already completed the story line in Galaxy on Fire 2 or are still at it.

If you decide to join our ad-free venture you will find the Void were not the last threat Keith T. Maxwell has to put up with. A female lead character is making up for his troubles and at the same time causes some more. Having the cinematic qualities of the DLC in mind we were looking for a good name and did not go easy on ourselves in the process of finding it. ‘Dark Pearl’ was a CEO favorite but got voted down due to worn out pirate lingo. Yet we all agreed the name should mirror the dark tone and awe-inspiring might of the expanding galaxy. We were looking for something operatic, mysterious, with drama swinging in it, pleasing the ear when you say it having a feminine yet martial touch. Despite this rather long list of conditions our search was rewarded with a beautifully fitting title for our DLC from the realms of Nordic mythology. Valkyrie, the telling name of prominent figures in a many hundreds years old Nordic mythology.

Finally hitting the App Store in March, the full version of Snowboard Hero is ready to fly high. Our devs are humming like working bees waxing the boards and polishing gameplay while your friendly marketing team is hitting the drums for  the title nominated International Best Sports Game by IMGA. In the very first chapter of the SBH dev diaries we proudly present to you: the “DUDE”!

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Those of you writing enthusiastic reviews for the Snowboard Hero Lite version available only in the US know him already. We know this breezy guy from the cold German winter month of development and production. This Californian golden boy was more relaxed and easy going than most of us. But then again, what would you expect from a Golden State citizen practically born on a skateboard? His surfing is excellent, too, but not too good to keep him away from the pistes where the parties are better, anyway. Way beyond his hometown Carlsbad people love this guy for being the pre-eminent boarder talent representing the US. His success with girls and boards alike made him a living legend. While the man has crazy moves rumours claiming he made the move to build his very own secret half pipe somewhere in the Rockies are hard out bollocks. The Dude is an All-rounder, he is easy going and easy to handle. You might want to start your game playing him, if you want to be successful quickly.

Since style isn’t just an attitude our Art Director Marc Nagel was keen to provide the DUDE with awesome outfits. The two know each other since the Java days of the game, where Marc sketched the DUDE from scratch. The basic look of the DUDE remains the same, yet he received some timely updates and new outfits, too. Visual details like the backpack were added.

Fishlabs’ own engine Abyss Engine 3 allowed for much more graphical detail compared to the old days of Java. The increased level of detail meant a lot of detail had be worked into the model at the conceptual level, also. This meant extra work for Marc. Fortunately, this meant the snowboards could be impressively reworked with new detail, also. Those boards aren’t just fancy beautiful pieces of craftsmanship, they have significant impact on the driving behaviour of any character in the game. We couldn’t resist issuing a Fishlabs branded snowboard, giving our hero a head start in the fierce competition ahead.

You may be intimidated by the awe-striking charisma of the DUDE. You may be frustrated to see him charming girls out of your reach. Maybe you are just an admirer like the rest of us. Beyond all doubt, however, this guy is one of the most able athletes out there. He is performing excellently on a constant basis. You better watch out for him. And your girlfriend.

Happy to attend this years Casual Connect we found ourselves joyfully mingling with the other fishes of the gaming ocean. While we can’t share the entire multitude of impressions we made got there, we’d like to share information helping you find safe business waters. Fishlabs CEO Michael Schade delivered a presentation to 250 apparently intruiged listeners, as there was a wave of positive feedback. Since so many people were asking for the presentation we’re glad Michael took the time to give the slides a makeover. The information is now condensed and easily understood without his live explanations. The form the presentation is made available in now will give you a compact view on the Smartphone and Tablet gaming market in 2011, considering sold handset- and tablet units in 2010. It’s tasty food for thought for developers and anyone who could not be there at the event. We hope you find it useful.[full]

And with Nokia’s announcement today, Windows Phone 7 bringing the Xbox brand to Nokia devices this is really great news for mobile gamers!