PRESS RELEASE | For Immediate Release

London, UK – 24^th January 2012 – Steel Media is delighted to announce that Kristan Reed has joined its editorial ranks in the company’s continued mission to provide world-class portable gaming coverage.

A veteran in the gaming industry, having held the editorship at both trade publication CTW and leading consumer site Eurogamer, Kristan is a firmly established and hugely respected figure within the sector.

As Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief, Kristan brings his vast knowledge and experience to bear in steering the continued evolution of Europe’s leading mobile and handheld gaming site, as well as casting an eye over PG’s b2b sister offering, PocketGamer.biz.

“Joining one of the most respected, authoritative teams around is an honour, and it’s the kind of challenge that doesn’t come around very often,” said Kristan Reed. “The creative energy and ambition within the handheld gaming sector makes it an exciting place to be, and I’m looking forward to helping the team to take the Pocket Gamer sites to the next level.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome someone of Kristan’s stature and experience to boost what is an already strong team,” added Chris James, Steel Media’s MD. “This latest hire, coupled with that of What Mobile editor Jonathan Morris and the return of ex-Develop editor Owain Bennallack underlines both our ambition and our commitment to editorial excellence across consumer and b2b sites in the mobile games market. We have a lot more planned for 2012, too, so definitely watch this space!”

CONTACT

For more information please contact:

Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

Ends

Notes to editors

About Steel Media

Steel Media is a leading mobile consumer technology publisher based in the UK. With a team boasting over 90 years of experience in consumer and contract publishing, the company currently publishes Europe’s biggest mobile and handheld gaming website PocketGamer.co.uk, the leading mobile games industry portal PocketGamer.biz, consumer friendly mobile entertainment site PocketPicks.co.uk, and respected iPhone gaming portal AppSpy.

Steel Media also runs iPhone Quality Index and Free App Alliance, as well as the iPhone Alliance and Smartphone Alliance advertising networks, syndicates content to mobile operators and handset manufacturers, and provides a range of editorial, design and other contract publishing services to a number of leading blue chip brands.

For further information the Pocket Gamer network or Steel Media, contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE | For Immediate Release

London, UK – 20^th January 2012 – After four months of furious and impassioned coding, the tension reaches boiling point as the inaugural bada Student Developer Challenge 2011 draws to a successful and climactic close. The remaining 12 teams of budding bada developers will now head to London to fight for supremacy one last time at the Grand Final, held at the BAFTA headquarters, on Monday 23rd January.

Promoted by consumer electronics giant Samsung in partnership with event organiser and leading mobile consumer technology publisher, Steel Media, the bada Student Developer Challenge is a UK tour of universities, with each establishment hosting its own 24-hour bada codeathon during which teams of bright, young developers battle to create the finest app their minds can conjure up.

With some of the UK’s finest computing departments at leading higher education institutions signed up for 2011 – including the University of Oxford, King’s College London, University of St Andrews, Trinity College Dublin, Brunel University, University of York, University of Nottingham, Imperial College London, and University of Abertay Dundee – the competition has been a huge success while delivering on its promise to be of the highest calibre.

For the remaining 12 teams, months of effort now come down to one last session where competitors get a chance to present their app to the judging panel before final deliberation takes place. At stake is a £15,000 prize fund and the promise of something infinitely more valuable: free promotion on the Samsung Apps store for the winning app.

The conclusion of the bada Student Developer Challenge 2011 marks the end of a challenging but rewarding journey that kicked off on 16^th September last year, when Samsung’s bada team began visiting the competing universities to provide a series of introductory lectures attended by over 350 students. This was followed by the codeathon stage – all 216 hours of it in total – involving 80 teams made up of 121 enthusiastic coders whose consumption of pizza and energy drinks must have seen profits in those respective sectors undergo significant spikes. Then came a preliminary judging round and the shortlisted teams got a further four to six weeks to polish their app for submission to the Grand Final stage.

Details of this, the 12 finalists and everything you could possibly want to know about the bada Student Developer Challenge 2011 so far – news, university details, schedules, tips, videos, resources and more – can be found on the official site (created and maintained by Steel Media):

www.badastudentdeveloperchallenge.com

CONTACT

For more information please contact:

Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

Ends

Notes to editors

About Steel Media

Steel Media is a leading mobile consumer technology publisher based in the UK. With a team boasting over 60 years of experience in consumer and contract publishing, the company currently publishes Europe’s biggest mobile and handheld gaming website PocketGamer.co.uk, the leading mobile games industry portal PocketGamer.biz, consumer friendly mobile entertainment site PocketPicks.co.uk, and respected iPhone gaming portal AppSpy.

Steel Media also runs iPhone Quality Index, as well as the iPhone Alliance and Smartphone Alliance advertising networks, syndicates content to mobile operators and handset manufacturers, and provides a range of editorial, design and other contract publishing services to a number of leading blue chip brands.

For further information the Pocket Gamer network or Steel Media, contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

2011 was another smashing year for iPhone gaming, with quite literally thousands of titles released on the App Store. Some of them were brilliant. Some of them weren’t.

This annual round-up is here to highlight the former and shun (in the nicest possible way) the latter.

While Jetpack Joyride sparked an outbreak of high score fever in 2011, and Infinity Blade II easily lived up to its “most anticipated iOS sequel ever” billing, which were the best-reviewed games?

To answer that very question and the similarly themed ‘Which were the best reviewed apps?’, here’s the Quality Index (Qi) round-up for 2011.

Aggregating the reviews from the world’s best websites, such as 148Apps, Pocket Gamer, and Gamezebo, the Quality Index uses a unique metric to create a single definitive score for each iPhone title.

Without further ado, here are the best of the best, the cream of the crop that made it into the Quality Index of 2011…

Qi Top 10 iPhone games of 2011

Qi Top 10 iPhone apps of 2011

In Chillingo’s twist on the popular tower-defence template Anomaly Warzone Earth, you play as the attackers for once, outmanoeuvring and outsmarting the enemies. On that subject, Anomaly Warzone Earth has managed to strategically triumph over all of the other games on the App Store to take first place on Qi’s Top 10 iPhone games of 2011 list.

World of Goo has also made it onto our prestigious podium, as 2D Boy’s charming indie puzzler got the iOS port it was so patently crying out for. With its offbeat humour, unique art design, and physics-driven puzzling, World of Goo is always, err, jolly Goo-d fun. Sorry.

Halfbrick’s endless-flyer Jetpack Joyride was one of the most widely acclaimed iPhone games last year, proving a big hit among critics thanks to its compelling structure and simple high score gameplay. Many bitter Jetpack Joyride rivalries continue to this day, I can tell you, and there are probably more starting up right this second across the planet.

In the world of iPhone apps, meanwhile, Apple’s GarageBand has ruled the roost over the past 12 months. This sophisticated bit of software allows you to create your own songs with virtual instruments. Much more likely, however, you’ll discover that writing songs is harder than you thought and you close the app in a sulk.

Another high-tech application to feature on our top ten chart is GPS Kit, which occupies the very creditable fourth position. Designed for hikers, mountain bikers, and some other things that rhyme, this top-notch GPS system let you track your routes, and even track the routes of other people.

Lurking in tenthplace on our end-of-year rundown is a monster. Don’t be frightened, though, for AppZilla 2 – 100 in 1! is only here to help. Fossil Software’s comprehensive app contains a wealth of features much too long to reproduce here. We’ll simply say this: if you need a lyrics search, dictionary, translator, and unit calculator but only have space on your Home screen for one more icon, AppZilla 2 – 100 in 1! is your man. Your monster. You get it.

We’ll continue to provide an updated listing each and every month, together with a round-up at the end of 2012. For all the up-to-date information on which games, apps, and publishers are reviewing best, head on over to the Quality Index now.

Know of a great reviews site that should be included?
If you own or know a reputable apps review site that should be added to the Quality Index, simply pop along to our instructions for getting listed.

CONTACT

For more information please contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

If you were wondering what the best reviewed iPhone games and apps on the web last month were, here’s the Quality Index (Qi) round-up for November to fill you in.

Qualityindex.com boasts over 110,000 scores from the world’s best websites such as 148Apps, Pocket Gamer, and AppGamer, and then uses a unique metric to create a single definitive score for each iPhone title.

Here are November 2011′s top selections…

Qi Top 10 iPhone games November 2011

Qi Top 10 iPhone apps November 2011

(N.B. The monthly games chart is based on titles released and reviewed in the last month. The apps chart is based on titles released and reviewed over the last three months. Hence, this is not a cumulative chart and earlier released titles may have higher scores.)

Architectural blueprint rotation might not seem like the most likely formula for iPhone gaming fun, but this offbeat combination of concepts has propelled Blueprint 3D right to the top of the Qi leaderboard this month. It narrowly beats Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion to pole position in November 2011, with Witching Hour Studios’s original and fantastical turn-based strategy game proving a big hit with iPhone reviewers across the planet. Demonstrating that the appeal of mashing zombies remains as strong as ever, meanwhile, is Chillingo’s top-down shooter Extraction: Project Outbreak, which sees you going flesh-coloured head to flesh-eating head. Great controls and a robust upgrade system drive this one up to fourth place on the Qi games chart, in the process fending off some – ahem – stiff competition from Bulkypix’s Corpse Granny.

In a month that saw Vatican exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth warning against the evils of Harry Potter and yoga (again), we can only imagine the reaction of the Catholic Church to Qi’s top iPhone applications of the month list given how highly ranked Yoga2go, from Buenavista Studio, is. Elsewhere on our apps hit parade, a couple of favourable critical responses to Cinegenix’s movie-making tool FiLMiC Pro have shot this full-featured video capture software / editing suite up into eighth position. Just be careful not to point your camera in the direction of any bespectacled boy wizards – else you’ll have Father Gabriele to answer to.

We’ll continue to provide an updated listing each and every month, together with a round-up of the year. For all the up-to-date information on which games, apps, and publishers are reviewing best, head on over to the Quality Index now.

Know of a great reviews site that should be included?
If you own or know a reputable apps review site that should be added to the Quality Index, simply pop along to our instructions for getting listed.

CONTACT

For more information please contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

Steel Media is happy to announce the publication of the second issue of the Official Windows Phone Magazine.

Originally launched to coincide with the arrival of the Windows Phone and featuring 32 pages crammed to the edges with nothing but Windows Phone goodness, this Microsoft-commissioned magazine is an essential guide for all WP7 users wishing to enrich their knowledge of their fancy WP mobile.

The second issue is again lovingly crafted to reflect Microsoft’s distinct WP brand values and aims to encapsulate all elements of Windows Phone ownership by offering a thorough introduction to the Windows Phone’s many features, highlighting the very latest developments, covering key elements such as personalisation, giving the lowdown on Marketplace, and squeezing in coverage of over 100 apps and games spanning all categories and tastes.

“As my first project since joining the company, I was very excited to work with our talented team of writers and designers on a publication that demonstrated how Steel Media can work to stringent guidelines laid down by the client,” said SM senior editor Jonathan Morris.

“The end result was a publication, in both the print and online space, that met all of its expectations and received excellent feedback from Microsoft. Work is now underway to repeat this success with our third edition in the spring.”

The Official Windows Phone Magazine is the latest launch from Steel Media’s long line of customer magazines. Our talented staff include several contract publishing veterans, so it’s no surprise we’ve also created customer magazines in conjunction with the likes of Samsung, Nokia, T-mobile, 3, Zeemote, and O2.

Steel Media boasts award-winning editorial and design credentials and we have an impressive track record on the commercial side, with experience in providing a full range of editorial, design and other contract publishing services – everything from targeted marketing campaigns to full customer communications solutions – to a number of leading blue chip companies.

Our editorial experience in the technology and entertainment sector is of the very highest calibre. In the mobile content market especially, we believe we are second to none.

Christmas is just around the corner but there’s no time to shopping for presents yet. Instead, the Pocket Gamer team has been busy putting the latest issue of its Pocket Gamer to Mobile Games and Apps magazine together, which is now available from T-Mobile stores across the UK (and can also be viewed online).

The result of their efforts? Page after page of must-have content for your smartphone – games or apps, it’s all in there. From the massively multiplayer online adventuring of Order & Chaos Online currently wowing T-Mobile customers to heroically helpful  apps to alleviate the stress during the pre-festive season, there’s enough in here to keep any Android owner occupied.

Still got a Java phone? No shame in that, and the mag once again hones in on the latest and greatest offerings for your mobile – when you witness something like Asphalt 6: Adrenaline in action you realist there’s plenty of life left in Java games.

If you do want a smartphone, though, there’s a killer competition in this issue for you. Answer a simple question and you’ll be in with a chance to win a brand new Samsung Galaxy S II White – one of the handiest handsets currently available…

Steel Media boasts award-winning editorial and design credentials and we have a spiffing track record on the commercial side, with experience in providing a full range of editorial, design and other contract publishing services – everything from targeted marketing campaigns to full customer communications solutions – to a number of leading blue chip companies.

If you were wondering what the best reviewed iPhone games and apps on the web last month were, here’s the Quality Index (Qi) round-up for August to fill you in.

Qualityindex.com boasts over 100,000 scores from the world’s best websites such as 148Apps, Pocket Gamer, and Tapscape, and then uses a unique metric to create a single definitive score for each iPhone title.

Here are September 2011′s top selections…

Qi Top 10 iPhone games September 2011

Qi Top 10 iPhone apps September 2011

(N.B. The monthly games chart is based on titles released and reviewed in the last month. The apps chart is based on titles released and reviewed over the last three months. Hence, this is not a cumulative chart and earlier released titles may have higher scores.)

For anyone who doubted whether Aussie studio Halfbrick could reproduce the immense success it enjoyed with Fruit Ninja on the App Store, look no further than Jetpack Joyride‘s position on the Qi rankings for September. That’s not to suggest the rocket-propelled Barry Steakfries had it all his own way this month – RedLynx and Chillingo’s highly polished line-drawing sim DrawRace 2 almost pipped Jetpack Joyride on the final bend, while the fearfully addictive Grand Prix Story couldn’t quite complete a fairytale F1 finish for its Japanese constructor. Proof once more that good things come in small packages on iPhone, meanwhile, as Tiny Invaders‘s and Tiny Heroes‘s ‘miniscule’ names belie their big ambitions.

Picture the scene: you’re the coach of a junior football team and you want to share the key in-game moments from a league match with the parents of your players as they unfold. With Timelines’s Photogram app, you can circulate these pivotal passages of play to multiple people with one click, and choose from dozens of themes and backgrounds. Speaking of children, the seventh-placed Kid Apps: 13 in 1 helps moms and dads educate their offspring in the comfort of their own home via a series of interactive games, puzzles, and exercises. Did I mention it’s free? Yep, there you go.

We’ll continue to provide an updated listing each and every month, together with a round-up of the year. For all the up-to-date information on which games, apps, and publishers are reviewing best, head on over to the Quality Index now.

Know of a great reviews site that should be included?
If you own or know a reputable apps review site that should be added to the Quality Index, simply pop along to our instructions for getting listed.

CONTACT

For more information please contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

The Pocket Gamer team has published the latest issue of its Pocket Gamer to Mobile Games and Apps magazine, which is now available from T-Mobile stores across the UK and can also be viewed online.

It’s 22 pages crammed with the finest content for your beloved mobile. And continuing the publication’s increased focus on Android, owners of mobiles faithful to Google’s operating system will also find a wealth of entertainment, as well as a handpicked selection of essential apps to smartphones to the very limits of smartphonism.

Not got a smartphone? You’ve come to the right place. This issue features the brand new Samsung Galaxy S II White – one of the most capable handsets currently available – and gives you the chance to win it. The only thing you need to do is answer a quick and simple question.

Oh, and cross your fingers. Good luck.

Steel Media boasts award-winning editorial and design credentials and we have a spiffing track record on the commercial side, with experience in providing a full range of editorial, design and other contract publishing services – everything from targeted marketing campaigns to full customer communications solutions – to a number of leading blue chip companies.

If you were wondering what the best reviewed iPhone games and apps on the web last month were, here’s the Quality Index (Qi) round-up for August to fill you in.

Qualityindex.com boasts over 100,000 scores from the world’s best websites such as 148Apps, Pocket Gamer, and Macworld, and then uses a unique metric to create a single definitive score for each iPhone title.

Here are August 2011′s top selections…

Qi Top 10 iPhone games August 2011

Qi Top 10 iPhone apps August 2011

(N.B. The monthly games chart is based on titles released and reviewed in the last month. The apps chart is based on titles released and reviewed over the last three months. Hence, this is not a cumulative chart and earlier released titles may have higher scores.)

Given that the Mac OS X version of Chillingo’s visually stunning Anomaly Warzone Earth walked off with a prestigious Apple Design Award, it’s little surprise to see the iPhone adaptation of this novel tower OFFENCE game soaring to such heights in August. The prolific Macclesfield publisher repeated the trick this month on the Qi games chart, its eighth-placed physics-puzzler-cum-platformer Contre Jour HD enchanting all who spent time in its dark, quirky company. With the home console community, meanwhile, continuing to complain about the dearth of new IP to stir the loins, the opposite is true in the iOS universe, where sequels such as Edge Extended, iBlast Moki 2, and Cut the Rope: Experiments have received widespread adulation.

After recent high-profile cyberattacks against Sony, Bethesda, and News Corporation, consumers and businesses are having to become increasingly vigilant about protecting their online privacy. One easy way to fortify your defences is to avoid using a single password across your personal accounts. Ilium Software’s eWallet Go! stores all of your various logins, usernames, and PINs in one ultra-secure place, making them available to you anywhere, any time. And should you need to set a reminder to change your Apple ID yesterday, the #5-ranked Alarmed app can alert you via a pop-up message with just a couple of quick taps.

We’ll continue to provide an updated listing each and every month, together with a round-up of the year. For all the up-to-date information on which games, apps, and publishers are reviewing best, head on over to the Quality Index now.

Know of a great reviews site that should be included?
If you own or know a reputable apps review site that should be added to the Quality Index, simply pop along to our instructions for getting listed.

CONTACT

For more information please contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE | For Immediate Release

London, UK – 7^th September 2011 – Steel Media is delighted to welcome Jonathan Morris into its fold. One of the most respected figures within the mobile space thanks to almost two decades’ worth of mobile technology knowledge crammed into his head, Jonathan joins the SM network having relinquished the What Mobile editorship.

Working alongside the existing SM teams, Jonathan’s involvement will span a number of titles from Steel Media’s portfolio, including leading portable gaming portal Pocket Gamer, sister-site Pocket Picks and contract publishing activities for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and others. His role will see him capitalise on his expertise in order to boost hardware and accessory review coverage, while also working on new, currently unannounced projects.

“I am really looking forward to bringing my years of experience reviewing mobile devices to a company that is already leading the way in the mobile gaming space,” said Jonathan Morris. “As more and more consumers in developed markets upgrade from dumb phones to smartphones, content is becoming an increasingly important consideration for anyone buying a new mobile phone. It’s no longer as simple as choosing a platform, but choosing the individual device that offers the best experience and performance.”

“I’m absolutely delighted to add someone of Jonathan’s calibre to our team,” added Chris James, Steel Media’s MD. “His knowledge in the mobile hardware market is second to none and nicely complements our experience in the apps and games space as we seek to continue our growth. We’ve got a number of exciting plans in the pipeline, so expect to hear more about those and some new hires in the months ahead.”

CONTACT

For more information please contact:

Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk

Ends

Notes to editors

About Steel Media

Steel Media is a leading mobile consumer technology publisher based in the UK. With a team boasting over 60 years of experience in consumer and contract publishing, the company currently publishes Europe’s biggest mobile and handheld gaming website PocketGamer.co.uk, the leading mobile games industry portal PocketGamer.biz, consumer friendly mobile entertainment site PocketPicks.co.uk, and respected iPhone gaming portal AppSpy.

Steel Media also runs iPhone Quality Index, as well as the iPhone Alliance and Smartphone Alliance advertising networks, syndicates content to mobile operators and handset manufacturers, and provides a range of editorial, design and other contract publishing services to a number of leading blue chip brands.

For further information the Pocket Gamer network or Steel Media, contact Chris James: chris [at] steelmedia.co.uk