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REMASTERED concepts
Mon, 2010-07-26 17:07 — HerInteractiveFor Nancy Drew's 80th anniversary, we're remastering the very first game we created - Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill. It took us two years to create it, centered around a murder, and required a lot of disc switching! A lot has changed since then, especially the technology, so since we had to go into the code to make it compatible on Vista/Windows 7 and Mac, we thought the fans would love it if we were to update the game with new graphics, 3D characters, new puzzles, and a whole slew of other features!
Along with the updated game, we also had to update the packaging. We love the original packaging and that's where our first concept for the remastered version game from. It highlights the 80th anniversary and pays homage to the original art. The eyes still stare out from the box, calling you to search library of the school for more clues.
Our second concept for the packaging focused on the characters themselves and tried to tell a story about the suspects. They are all suspicious of each other and wondering if they'll be the next person killed to keep the secret safe. This particular concept would give the person looking at the box a much better feel for the updated characters. Keep in mind that this is just concept art.
And finally for our third concept, we wanted to try something completely different than anything else we've ever done to really make it stand out from the rest of our games. As you can see, we got rid of the characters completely and focused more on integrating the title into the packaging. It's still mysterious with the threats on the locker and the obscured character makes the reader think that it might be them solving the mystery. That's the beauty of this package - it really puts the fan into the shoes of Nancy Drew.
So which one is your favorite? Check back for updates on this mystery video game for PC/Mac, and you'll get to see which one we picked in the coming weeks and how the package evolved!
Getting (everyone) into the Game
Mon, 2010-07-19 22:11 — HerInteractiveWe were scheduled to blog about the character designs from Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister, but we had a lot more interesting discussions that came up over the past few days that we were wondering if our fans could help us understand. You guys think the Nancy Drew games are awesome and love playing them, but what happens when you try to get other people to play them? Some of your friends and family end up addicted to the games too, but other people don't like them. We want to know why!
What have you heard as reasons why your friends and family didn't like the Nancy Drew games? Did they think they were too hard? Did they think they were boring? Did they get lost and didn't know what to do? Or were they just into other types of games? Is there anything we could do to make them more interested in playing the games?
It's hard for us to know the answers to these questions since most everyone we talk to likes playing our games. We design games first and foremost for our fans who love our games, but we're also looking for ways to get your friends hooked on the game too. This way everyone can play together and talk about - it makes for a great twice a year tradition! So let us know in the comments section or post on the message board in the blog board, why don't your friends or family play our games?
Interviewing the Twister
Mon, 2010-07-12 16:00 — HerInteractiveYou've played Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister and now you're obsessed with it! You keep replaying the game over and over again to see what little things you missed, pick out all the references we made to our previous games, and ponder of each reference we made on our blog and facebook posts. Yes, you - you are a hardcore fan and we love you for scrutinizing each part of our game! Here's some more fire to feed your obsession! We sit down with the game designer, Cathy, today and discuss how she came up with the idea for the game and a few things we bet you never knew.
In addition to the main villain, we wanted to pit Nancy against a new kind of danger, one that she had no control over: nature. Tornadoes were the perfect fit (what’s scarier than a raging twister?) and Oklahoma an ideal setting. As for inspiration, the design phase coincided with the first year of VORTEX2, the largest tornado research project undertaken to date. Following the research teams online was a great way to get the feel of a real chase team (during both chase days and down days) and learn more about the science of meteorology. People really do put their lives on the line trying to find ways to keep the rest of us safe. I’m glad someone’s brave enough to do it!
The weather. The team (art, production, sound effects) did an amazing job of bringing the storms to life and essentially created a sixth character in the game. When the storm starts to roll in out at the antennas, I really felt like I should be high-tailing it out of there.
Crash often. Seriously. It’s a lot of fun to cause pileups, especially in the base truck, where you can hit more cars before yours is damaged beyond repair.
We had an office competition to expand the popular Koko Kringle candy line that you see in Pa’s store. Coworkers submitted their ideas (candy name and basic description) and then the entire office voted for their favorites. We had 52 options to choose from, but only the top nine made it into TOT. Runner-ups included Fudgy Pudgy Pig (dark chocolate fudge shaped like a pig), Fowl Kissers (tangy chewy candies in the shapes of lips on a chicken beak) and Llama Spit (gooey pistachio and chocolate blend).
- How did you come up with the idea for Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister? Where did you get your inspiration from?
- What is your favorite part of the game?
- A lot of players have been getting stuck on driving. Do you have any tips for driving?
- What is one factoid you bet our fans didn’t know about Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister?
- Who is your favorite character in Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister?
Pa. Though Frosty was close (I loved his enthusiasm), Pa’s practice run of his Grange performance pushed him to the top for me.
Critics on the Trail of the Twister
Tue, 2010-07-06 10:13 — HerInteractiveNancy Drew: Trail of the Twister is officially launched and we hope you found some time over your busy weekend to play the game! What did you think of it? We want to hear your honest opinion so we can make our games better, so leave your thoughts in the comments sections.
To see what other fans are saying, head over to our Message Board. There's also hints and tips on the board as well if you're stuck in a certain part of the game. Our fans are very knowledgable and quite helpful!!!
Of course with all games, come the professional reviews as well. These are respected critics in the gaming industry writing reviews to help other gamers make an informed decision about purchasing games. Here's what they've been saying about Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister so far:
"In short, Trail of the Twister is a worthy successor to the previous twenty-one adventures which have sold a total of more than eight million copies. But, in the best tradition of detective stories, Her Interactive has one more trick up its sleeve. Trail of the Twister is the first Nancy Drew game to support the Mac OS.
So, if you’re a Nancy Drew fan, a mystery fan, or just a fan of a good adventure Trail of the Twister is well worth the $19.99 price tag."
~Tech Talk for Families, full review
"In conclusion, this would be an ideal game for anyone not overly concerned with storyline but with a yen for some thoughtful puzzling and good-humoured fun. Grade: B"
~GameBoomers, full review
Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister is now available at Target and Walmart and for download EXCLUSIVELY at www.HerInteractive.com.
Trail of the Twister - Touching Down in Stores Today!
Mon, 2010-06-28 16:57 — HerInteractiveAfter nine very long months of waiting, Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister is finally here!!! I know a lot of our fans preordered the game and received it last week, but there are also quite a few who ordered the digital download or are waiting to pick it up at their local retailer.
If you preordered the game, you can download it here. Please note that there is a page for the Mac version and a page for the PC version. The boxed game only has a single hybrid version, so it's not an issue there, but please be careful which platform you're downloading Trail of the Twister for.
In stores - the game will be at Target and Walmart today. Best Buy will get it, but we're not sure when. It's a good idea to call before you go to Walmart - the game is only available at select stores, so if you call ahead of time, you'll save yourself a possible extra trip. If you don't see it on the shelves, please ask an associate or speak to the manager of the store. Let them know that you're disappointed that they're not carrying the game!
And finally, once you've got Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister in your hands, PLAY IT!!! We've heard of fans that stay up all night playing it (and taking the next day off from work) and others who have tried to savor their time with the next game by only playing an hour or so a day. How do you play your game? In one epic session or in constant increments throughout the week?
Also, Pete's blog is wrapping up today. :( Make sure you read the conclusion of his blog or catch up on entries you might have missed. Check out the comments section too - Pete has had a lot of fun responding to fans and lot of fun writing the blog.
Catching a Twister
Mon, 2010-06-21 17:41 — HerInteractiveHere is one of the first reviews from messsage board member NancyDetective9.
Plot:
Although it doesn't seem like a huge plot, it unravels into a great mystery! The plot was well thought out and followed through the whole game. You are playing undercover as an intern. You get all sorts of tasks and puzzles, which are very fun!
PLOT: 9.5/10
Setting:
The settings are very fun! (I say settings with an "S" because you can go other places in the game besides the farmhouse.) They seem very realistic and also appropriate for the time of year! (: I especially liked Ma and Pa's store!
SETTING: 9.5/10
Graphics:
HeR did an excellent job with graphics. The characters are realistic and have great personalities. You can even relate with the characters, too.
GRAPHICS: 10/10
Puzzles:
The puzzles were awesome! They were just the right difficulty. They kept you interested while you were solving them, and they were not overly frustrating. None of them were too hard, and none of them were very easy, either; making them just the right complexity! They were fun, too.
PUZZLES: 9.5/10
Movement:
The movement was perfect. I never found myself stuck where I couldn't progress to the next part of the game. There was always something for you to do, which was fun!
MOVEMENT: 10/10
Characters:
The characters were very realistic. I liked their personalities!
Scott Varnell: Scott is the leader of the group of tornado chasers. He is a bit touchy, but is a good leader.
Debbie Kircum: Debbie is very dedicated to her work. She does most of the work; you are basically her assistant. She is very nice and always tells you to "have fun!"
Chase Relerford: Chase is the one who is always doing the fixing (besides you, of course.) He is also nice, and you get to do a few fun tasks for him.
Pa: Pa runs the Ma and Pa's store. He is my favorite character. Pa is a friendly man, and always has something to say. Surprisingly enough, he likes the theater.
Frosty Harlow: Frosty is a very kind person. He is the photographer in the group and you can take pictures for him, which turns out to be quite fun!
CHARACTERS: 10/10
Overall:
I loved the game! (: Definetly one of my favorites. It was so fun!! :D I'm not sure what else to say, I just really liked the game! I'm trying not to give too much away, so if I was a little vague...sorry!
Anyway. Here's the rating!!
OVERALL: 9.5/10 !!
Head over to our message board to get hints and tips on the game and see what other fans are saying about Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister: http://community.herintera
The Storm that Launched 100,000 Games
Mon, 2010-06-14 15:37 — HerInteractiveTOUCHDOWN!!! Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister will be touching down this week as we move from preorders to shipping games. The last day to preorder and get the Special Edition version of the game is Tuesday 6/15. The Special Edition includes extra Pa Pennies, outtakes, and awards. You won't be able to purchase a boxed copy of the Special Edition once we start shipping.
We will start shipping the games after June 16th, so look for your game to arrive in the following week. Not all of the games will ship on June 16, so please be patient. Remember, Standard Shipping is 5-7 business days, so weekends do not count, neither does the day that the game is sent to UPS for pickup. However, you should receive your game before June 29, the day the game is available at all major retailers. This is also the same day that you'll be able to download the game from the digital store (this includes preorders).
Some fans have asked why do we have this hairbrained method of releasing our games. Well, we try to make sure that the fans who order boxed physical games and pay extra for shipping get it before the ones who download it instantly without paying for shipping. Afterall, if you paid $26 for overnight shipping, we want to make sure that it's worth the extra cost!
So what are you looking forward to the most in Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister now that it's almost here?
Anatomy of a Twister (title)
Mon, 2010-06-07 16:14 — HerInteractiveWith Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister Special Edition currently in preorders through June 16, we wanted to go back and give you a little background on how we named this game.
Here is the overview that design sent over:
A new assignment sends Nancy undercover as part of a Storm Chasers team in Oklahoma to investigate competitive rivalries that may have gone too far in the heart of Tornado Alley. In a hotly contested race to win the $100,000,000 grant at stake, the leading team has only to find one perfect twister to test their new system and win the grand prize, not to mention meteorological renown in the scientific community. But the team’s equipment and findings are turning up in pieces, jeopardizing their safety in the midst of a major tornado outbreak, and Nancy must race against the clock to discover the culprit before it is too late. When Nancy finds herself directly in the tornado's path of a raging storm, can she catch the villain and save the study, and her life, before the tornado blows it all away?
We then had a brain storming session where we made a list of all the words that are related to the game:
Tornado Hunt Tornado Alley Sabotage Cyclone Oklahoma Twister Weather Forecasting Terror Flight Escape Wrath Nature Storm chasers Race Threat Warning Watch Chase Whirlwind Fury Trouble Path Treachery Danger Looming Doom Impending Fields
Skies Cloud Storm Spotting Stormy Darkness
Tempest Prairie Competition Desolation Dust Bowl Destruction Wind Cataclysm Chaos Peril “Okie” Howl Plains Thunder Roar Billowing Funnel Alarms
Siren Wail Rush Traitor Saboteur Imminent Core punch Twisterville Signs
As you can tell, we chose words related to danger, mystery, Oklahoma, weather, and storms. We then took these words and combined them into a bunch of phrases to try to describe the game. Some of them made sense and some of them didn't.
Escape from Twisted Gables Threat of the Tempest
Traitor of the Tornado Escape from Twister Prairie
Trailing the Tornado Tornado Hunters
In Nature’s Wrath Treachery in the Tempest
Terror from the Skies Siren of the Storm
Signs of Sabotage Skies of Destruction
Flight of the Storm chasers Path of Peril
Fraught with Sabotage Twister Sabotage
Tornado Trouble/Treachery/Terror The Trouble with Tornados
Fields/Funnels of Fury Chase the Cyclone
Sabotage of the Storm chasers Whirlwind of Danger/Sabotage
Wrath/Wail of the Whirlwind Eyes on the Tornado
Sabotage in the Sky/Storm Racing the Tornado’s Roar
Funnel of Fear Tornadoing the Competition
Storms/Skies of Sabotage To Watch the Weather’s Wrath
Hunt/Terror of the Wailing Whirlwind
And then marketing narrowed it down to the top 5 titles and everyone voted on which one they liked best and that's how we ended up with Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister.
Are there any titles on this list that you like or word that you would string together to create a title? Leave us a comment and let us know. We'd love to hear your creative ideas!
Dare to Track the Twister
Fri, 2010-05-28 18:50 — HerInteractiveYou've been waiting 9 long months for this and now it's almost here - Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister is available for preorder starting today!
Preorder now to get your Trail of the Twister Special Edition game, which includes hidden Pa Pennies, more Sassy Detective Awards, and 2 extra outtakes if the you get all the awards! Preorders end on 6/16, so don't wait or you won't be able to get this special edition.
Preorder the boxed game - shipping on the week of 6/16
Preorder the digital download - download available on 6/29
And if you haven't played it yet, make sure you download the demo (243MB, PC only). Strategically place warning sirens, catch mice, and prepare a disaster kit as training for the real case!
Finally, head over to the Storm Chaser Pete blog to see how Pete the intern is doing in his (mis) adventures in Tornado Alley.
Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister Special Edition Game
Mon, 2010-05-24 22:00 — HerInteractiveWe're trying something new for Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister that we hope our fans will like - a Special Edition version for fans who preorder the game! In order get this Special Edition, you must preorder the game by 6/16 on www.HerInteractive.com - it can be either a digital download or a boxed game.
In the Special Edition you'll receive:
- More Pa Pennies that you'll be able to find around the homestead to purchase candy from the local store which has new candy from the makers for KoKo Kringles. This is similar to the coin system in the the Phantom of Venice. In the normal version, you will only be able to get more Pa Pennies by playing Land Rush (get some more practice playing the free minigame on our website if you don't plan on preordering) or fixing circuit boards.
- Extra Sassy Detective award - there will be 13 stars on the badge instead of the usual 12.
- Extra outtakes - if you achieve all 13 Sassy Detective awards, there are 2 extra outtakes at the end of the game.
Remember:
- you must preorder by 6/16 on www.HerInteractive.com
- it can be either the digital download or the boxed game
- there is no additional cost
- the Special Edition will be available for both PC and Mac platforms
- the Special Edition cannot be purchased in stores.
Don't forget to check out www.TrailOfTheTwister.com and follow Storm Chaser Pete's blog daily!
Are you excited for this Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister Special Edition game and do you plan on preordering your game from us?
