If you are also looking for a superb source of inspiration, far away from alcohol or drugs, do not miss this collection of 235 free indie games (thanks to Pixel Prospector).  If you like a game, simply roll the cursor over the bottom part of the video to check its name and click to watch a longer version.

But first try letting your brain absorb all that indie awesomeness… some moments are truly inspiring!

keyultd iPhoneの「Oddy smog misadventure」というゲームが楽しい！ 見た目と音楽の美しさに惚れました。ゲーム的にもシンプル故に熱中してしまうタイプ。リンク先は海外のレビューです。http://bit.ly/a7Gpbj  59 minutes ago

Is guess it’s Japanese, and it coincides with Oddy Smog being #39 in Games-Arcade in Japan… What does it say? I don’t know. I hope that something nice about Oddy. It would be great. Someone in Japan, the cradle of video games, saying something good about our game…

Right before the next update is sent to the App Store, this weekend. It includes leaderboards, a prisoner counter and a new ability that will allow Oddy to evade a certain death… for a while.

First of all, thank you for your words. Let us remember them: “SERIOUSLY YOU ADDED OPENFEINT? WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU.” You did not reveal your email, so we are unable to answer you properly. But let this letter be both an answer and an announce.

Many players have written us asking for leaderboards, but certainly none of them used such gentlemanly ways. We are unsure whether you are angry because there are no leaderboards or because, as we announced in Twitter, we will be using OpenFeint to implement them. Nevertheless, we truly thank you for your contribution and your overall gentleness.

Other somewhat less rude emails ask for  a solution for the high risk that Oddy takes when he uses a catapult, a rocket or a teleport. Well, when we designed Oddy Smog we talked a lot about that. We thought that, as these three cogs are short cuts, they should not be reliable. Players would be forced to decide if they take the risk in order to climb faster.

But we also understand that it may be somewhat frustrating! So our next update will include two things: OpenFeint (yes, leaderboards!) and a new feature in Oddy’s manouver habilities that will grant him a second opportunity, thrusting him towards a wall in order to avoid a certain death. Once used, only freeing prisoners will activate it again. You will have to use it with care!

We are sure you will enjoy both upgrades.

Thank you for playing!

Medusa.

PS: We use ‘him’ for Oddy, but that does not mean anything at all!

I asked him to prepare a video showing how he deals with the dozens of tracks involved in a composition like Oddy Smog’s main theme.  I also asked him to write a post about the whole process, but he seems to be very shy about his words.  Nah, not really. He’s just been quite busy this days.

So he didn’t write the post, but he prepared this awesome video where he shows how he plays with Cubase along with Vienna Instruments and Analog Factory.

Enjoy! (much better in Youtube HD)

And I am not selling anything here, just giving a good piece of advice: you want to sell more apps?  Then work harder. That’s all.  That’s the trick, which works for everything else in this life.

So stop whining, roll up your sleeves and create new Apps.

I’m talking about visibility. Many App customers consume just what they see, what the App store reveals on the New Apps and Top lists of each category. If your application is not there, it’s  more than probably dying out soon. But the good news are that it will remain in the App Store, waiting for someone else to re-discover it!

And that’s when a new App comes to the rescue. Your new App, when published, will appear in the New Apps list. With a little bit of luck it may even be featured in the ‘New and Noteworthy’ section in iTunes, or someone in a forum may write a post about it… If your applications include a link to your website where your previous products are shown, you have a powerful advertising mechanism that creates a feedback loop with one application bringing potential customers to every other application.

Here are some numbers, nothing really conclusive, but they support this ‘theory’. We released our first title,  Sound Juggler, six months ago. During its first days it was sold a few times, but after some weeks numbers dropped to one or none sales per week. Meh.

This past weekend we released our second title, Oddy Smog’s Misadventure, which was featured by Apple in the ‘New and Noteworthy’ section. And guess what? Sound Juggler also increased its sales! Now it’s in the Top-100 charts of Games-Music in a few countries, including Japan, USA and Canada.

These charts were build, by the way, using MajikRank:

Oddy says: "Thank you, Italy!"

Sound Juggler was certainly not there last week!

So the  feedback loop seems to be working, even with just two games in the App Store. Of course, you will still have to send press releases and show your App wherever you can.  But clearly, the best way to be found in the App Store seems to be… being in the App Store.

Now go, produce!

*Note that we said ‘for free’, not ‘without effort’ : )

He is small, he is ugly… but he is an acclaimed hero! Not many are bold enough to start an uprising against the System, and he is even risking his life and his freedom to free those of us who are still enslaved!

With his escape, he is encouraging others to question everything, and the Smog knows it. Nothing will ever be the same in Smokestack, and some are even talking about organized revolts…

GO, ODDY, GO! Rise high above the Smog and bring a ray of hope to our dark lives! But take care, the System will retaliate with force.

Related news:
Oddy Smog spotted by surveillance cameras! Watch video
You are not alone, Oddy. Read more…

Jump and climb towards freedom!

Help him in his quest for a new life! Climb the entrails of the same machine from which the Smog erupts and free those who are still enslaved. Rumor says that there is a blue sky up there where the Smog is white…

· Combine jumps and wall climbing to make the most out of your journey.
· Freeing prisoners may be risky, but it is worth it!
· Use headphones! You will enjoy a much more intense and immersive gaming experience.