Zombies, Run!

Manual distance input for ZombieLink and updates to both apps

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:33:15 +0100

Since the launch of Zombies, Run! 2, we’ve been continuing to update the app on both iOS and Android platforms, as well as the online ZombieLink service.

This week, we’ve added a much requested feature to your ZombieLink account: you can now manually update your distance for any run log, and it’s particularly useful for all of our players who play on treadmills. It’s also a solution for players who experience issues with GPS tracking.

To manually enter your run distances, simply follow these steps:

If you are logged in and looking at their own profile page.
An edit button (replaces hidden cog) now appears on each month set
Click on the edit button to toggle editing mode
Edit runs as appropriate
Runs will save automatically once a field has been changed
A save spinner and finally a green tick will indicate when the run has finished saving
Upon save the calorie count will be recalculated using the weight of the user when they synced the run
Click “Finished Editing” button to return to normal view

Next up, we’ve released version 2.1.2 of Zombies, Run! for iPhone and iPod Touch. This update fixes a bunch of bugs, as well as adding a handy dialogue box when you complete a mission so that you know which buildings can be built and upgraded with your new supplies. We’ve also fixed an issue that prevented ZombieLink Codex entries from updating. Version 2.1.2 is available right now and we’re already working on the next update, which will include some pretty neat new features!

As for Android, our most recent 2.0.5 update for Android brought radio mode back! You’ll be prompted to download the Radio content on the news page, and this is necessary to start hearing both Season 1 and Season 2 Radio after completed missions. This update also rewards those of you who completed Season 1 missions with materials to spend on your base.

If you haven’t been keeping an eye on the in-game news feed, you may not have noticed that we’ve been releasing new episodes on a weekly basis. So far we’ve released twelve new missions since the game has launched. You can get access to all of these (plus the dozens we have left to go in Season 2) by grabbing the Season Pass in the store section of the Zombies, Run! app.

We’ll continue to update the apps and ZombieLink and, as soon as news on these updates and features is available, we’ll be sharing it with you here at the Zombies, Run! blog.

We Want You (To Join Our Team)!

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:43:00 +0100

Six to Start is growing! We’re looking for an Android Developer, a Javascript Developer, an Artist, and a Production Assistant to join our team to make Zombies, Run! even better, and to help develop brand new games that will be just as innovative, fun, and good for people as Zombies, Run!

We’re also experimenting with new game concepts that use smartphones, tablets, and other wearable devices and computers in novel ways, and we’d like more people to be part of that.

We get emails every day from people whose lives we’ve improved with our games – people who’ve lost weight, become healthier, and gained confidence. There’s nothing like knowing that your work is valued by hundreds of thousands and is doing good in the world.

Note: Most of the positions require that you’re based in or near London, but some (like the artist) are not.

ANDROID DEVELOPER (London)

The simultaneous release of Zombies, Run! 2 on Android and iOS shows that we take the Android platform extremely seriously, and we’re incredibly excited about taking advantage of the latest Android services and tech in ZR and in our new game. If that sounds like a fun challenge, then Six to Start is for you.

The Highlights

We require 1+ year experience of professional Android development.
We need you to show us something you have coded. It doesn’t need to be a game, it doesn’t need to have graphics, it doesn’t even have to have zombies, it just needs to be interesting.
You’re able to work from our office in Gospel Oak, London (nearest tubes: Kentish Town/Tufnell Park)
Salary is competitive, and dependent on experience.

See full details on the job posting, including how to apply

Some of our intrepid developers!

JAVASCRIPT DEVELOPER (London)

We want an enthusiastic and agile Javascript developer who can help us develop games for the web, and compelling online experiences for our mobile games. And we want someone who can help us think up and create entirely new game concepts, branching out on to exciting new platforms and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the web on mobile devices.

The Highlights

1+ years experience of professional Javascript development, and/or an excellent portfolio of your own work.
A working knowledge of server-side development (in any language).
Experience with and a strong interest in mobile web development.
You’re able to work from our office in Gospel Oak (nearest tubes: Kentish Town/Tufnell Park)
Salary is competitive, and dependent on experience.

See full details on the job posting, including how to apply

It’s a small farm, but it’s a start!

ARTIST (Remote or London)

Our new game will be much more visual than Zombies, Run! (which itself is more visual than the Season 1), so we’re looking to expand our team. Specifically, we want someone who can create illustrated-yet-realistic landscapes in 2D, along with the types of isometric 2D buildings we have in the Zombies, Run! Season 2 base.

The Highlights

This can either be a remote contract position, or a part-time on-site position (with the potential to turn into a full-time job).

We require familiarity with how art is processed during game development (e.g. working to code specs, making sure assets fit in, how they need to look on different devices, etc.)
You can mimic the painting style we currently use in Zombies, Run!
You have deep experience in Photoshop.
Salary is competitive, and dependent on experience.

See full details on the job posting, including how to apply

Margaret Atwood visiting is pretty rare, but our soundbooth is still pretty magical

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (London)

We’re currently looking for a part or full-time Production Assistant who can assist in the production and maintenance of our games (including Zombies, Run! and new games). This is a job with real potential for advancement within the company and the industry, providing that you’re smart and can work hard.

The Highlights

You’ll be providing general assistance to the production team, including copywriting, editing game data, organising recording sessions, and auditioning new actors.
You’ll also be assisting with online customer support.
You’re highly computer literate and experience with Microsoft Office and Google Docs.
You have very good written and spoken English skills.
Salary is competitive, and dependent on experience.

See full details on the job posting, including how to apply.

Collecting materials in Zombies, Run!

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:03:00 +0100

Following extensive feedback from our players, today we’ve made a change to the way you collect materials when you play Zombies, Run! - you can now earn one material for each Season One mission that you complete.

When you upgrade, we’ll automatically add on materials for every Season One mission that you’ve already completed.

You need two things to develop your base in Zombies, Run! 2 - “supplies” (which we show with a satchel icon) and “materials” (which we show with a spanner icon).

As in Season One, you collect supplies randomly as you run. The more you run, the more supplies you collect - it’s that simple.

Materials, however, are only awarded when you complete missions, and if you play the mission a second time, the reward will be smaller. We want your base to steadily grow as Season 2 progresses, so this is our mechanism for preventing players from playing the first Season 2 mission a bajillion times and building an impenetrable uber-base before they’ve even reached the mid-season (when things may get more challenging for the citizens of Abel Township…)

However, many of our new players got in touch with us to tell us that this system seemed unfair - they had 23 Season One missions to catch up on, and with no new materials, couldn’t develop their base. We agree that this sucks for new players, so we’ve made it possible to get materials for completing Season One missions too.

As of iOS 2.1.1 and Android 2.0.5, both released today, the material rewards are as follows:

First time you complete a Season Two mission: 3 MATERIALS
Second time: 2 MATERIALS
Third time: 1 MATERIAL
Thereafter: No more materials! Play more missions!

First time you complete a Season One mission: 1 MATERIAL
Thereafter: No more materials! Play more missions!

Already played a bunch of Season One missions?

No problem, we’ve got your back. When you upgrade to Android 2.0.5 or iOS 2.1.1, we’ll give you a bonus material for every Season One mission you’ve already completed - just check into the base builder and get building.

We hope this improves your Zombies, Run! experience. Thanks for playing with us!

What’s next for Zombies, Run! 2?

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:26:53 +0100

Since the launch of Zombies, Run! 2, we at Six to Start have continued to work hard on the game. We’re producing bug fixes, feature updates and more for not only the iOS and Android versions of the game, but ZombieLink too.

To start off, we’ve released ZombieLink Mission pages today. This is a huge update to ZombieLink, which allows you to track which missions you’ve completed and view detailed information for each one. On each mission page you’ll not only see your related run logs and a description of each individual story clip, but you’ll be able to listen back to them, too. And by default, we’re hiding spoilers so you won’t see details from missions you haven’t played.

We’re really pleased to deliver such a regularly requested feature. Be aware, though - you can only hear clips from missions you’ve previously completed.

Visit the Missions pages (you need to be logged in)

We’ve also released an update for the Android version of Zombies, Run! 2 today. This includes a bunch of bug fixes, as well as the highly anticipated re-introduction of Radio Mode. So if you’ve already rushed through all the story missions and sidequests which have been released so far, you can jump straight to Radio Mode on your next run. Next on the list are Race Missions, which we’ll be adding to the Android version of the game as soon as we can.

We’re not going to run out of new stuff to add to either the iOS or Android versions of Zombies, Run! 2 anytime soon. As well as bug fixes and tweaks, we’ve got plans to improve the base builder even further, plus some other secret stuff which we can’t discuss quite yet. We’ll also be adding supply missions and the codex back to the game, so look out for all that in the coming months!

The first Zombies, Run! 2 mission pack is out now!

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:13:12 +0100

We can’t believe it’s already been two weeks since Zombies, Run! 2 was launched - which means it’s time to release the first Season 2 mission pack. Two new story missions are now available along with a new sidequest!

We’re not going to spoil the story missions, but we thought you’d be excited to know that this new sidequest features legendary Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Yes, it’s really her!

Not only did she come to the Six to Start offices to record her part in the mission, but she also co-wrote it with our lead writer, Naomi Alderman. Look! Here’s a photo of Margaret Atwood with Naomi and our director, Matt Wieteska, in our recording sound booth:

In order to get hold of these new missions, you’ll need to grab a Season Pass. Only want the Margaret Atwood side mission? Grab the Sidequest Pass. Want all three? You’ll need to purchase the Season Pass Plus. These will let you download some or all of the new missions released every Wednesday.

Speaking of which, we’re finalising our release schedule and wanted to let you know that there will be a 4-6 week mid-season break after the release of Story Mission 20, around the end of June. This is due to the way we have written and recorded the missions. We know we’re asking a lot of you by releasing three new missions a week (that’s a lot of running!), so this should also give people a chance to catch up.

Note: If you can’t see the new missions, you may need to force-close and re-open the app, or restart your device.

Zombies, Run! Fan Competition results

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:52:43 +0100

We’re ready to reveal the winners of the Zombies, Run! Fan Competition. There were loads of great entries for all the categories and we’re thrilled and incredibly impressed that the Zombies, Run! community so passionate and talented! Choosing winners was a tough job. So much so that we’ve awarded a third place award for all categories, which we’ll be arranging prizes for in the near future.

So head on over to our Competition Winners page and check out who’s won. A huge thanks to everyone who took part and congratulations to all of our winners. We hope to see you all again when the next competition rolls around!

Winners: We will be in touch with you next week regarding prizes and more!

Some Zombies, Run! 2 clarifications

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:56:00 +0100

We’re seeing some questions about a few of the features and changes that have come with Zombies, Run! 2, so we’ve come bearing advice which should hopefully clear up any problems you’re having.

Season 1 Base

We’ve heard from some players who are upset about losing their base progress when upgrading the app. Unfortunately, it seems we haven’t made it clear enough that the Season 2 base builder replaces and upgrades the Season 1 base. There are a few reasons that we’ve done this, not least of which being the fact that it fits with what we’re doing with the game’s story. It’s also allowed us to really improve the entire base builder, making it far more fun and involving. This means that Season 1 bases will no longer be accessible or upgradeable from the app once you’ve updated to Zombies, Run! 2.

You can revisit your Season 1 base on ZombieLink, by heading to your Base tab and clicking “View Season One Base” in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Season 1 Missions

All of the original Season 1 story missions are still in Zombies, Run! 2 and have been unlocked so they’re playable at any time on both platforms.

On iOS, you can find Season 1 by swiping left or right on the Missions screen.. Check the top of the mission list screen to see which category of missions you are currently exploring.

On Android, you can find Season 1 by viewing the Missions screen, tapping on the top left button saying “Season 2” (it has a little triangle in the bottom right corner) and choosing “Season 1” from the drop down menu.

Season 1 Progress

On loading Zombies, Run! 2 on iOS, it may appear that your Season 1 mission progress has been lost. Unfortunately, this is due to a bug in the current version - we’re very sorry about it and it will be fixed in the very next update.

However, your run logs still exist, and you can find them in the “Run Logs” section of the “More” screen as well as on ZombieLink. We know that your data is precious and we’ve made sure that none of your run stats have been lost between Zombies, Run! and Zombies, Run! 2 (this applies to iOS and Android).

Radio Mode and Supply Missions

Some of you have noticed that Radio Mode runs and Supply Missions have been removed from Zombies, Run! 2. This was necessary in order to accelerate development, but we plan on adding these back into the game as soon as we can.

Android Bugs

We will be releasing a hotfix for Android within the next 24 hours that will address a number of bugs and crashing issues - please sit tight. We’re sorry about the crashes - we tested the game on a large number of Android devices before launch, but there are many more out there that would could not test on.

ZombieLink and Syncing Issues

Due to the extremely heavy demand caused by everyone upgrading at the same time, our servers were unacceptably slow yesterday. We’ve been improving their performance today and we’ve also provisioned a new server that should speed up loading times. Finally, we have fixed a server bug that caused crashes on some devices.

We are working hard on fixing bugs and adding in features (new and old) over the coming weeks. So expect to see regular app updates in the near future as we strive to get Zombies, Run! 2 up to the level of perfection that you deserve.

Zombies, Run! 2 is out now!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:28:03 +0100

That’s it. Time’s up. Pencils down. We’ve handed our paper to the invigilator. Zombies, Run! 2 is now finished and has been delivered to both Apple and Google for release. You can now (yes, this very second) head on over to the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store and get your hands on the follow-up to last year’s best selling narrative fitness game.

If you already own Zombies, Run! then you just need to head to the appropriate digital store and update to the newest version. Goodbye old logo, goodbye old Abel. It’s on to a brave(r) new(er) world from here. Seven brand new missions await you.

To celebrate the launch of Zombies, Run! 2, Season Passes will be available at half price for this week. These give you access to all the forthcoming missions we have planned for Season 2 as and when they become available and come in three flavours.

Season Pass (includes all Season 2 Story Missions) - $1.99 (usually $3.99)
Season Pass Plus (includes all Season 2 Story Missions and Sidequests) - $4.99 (usually $7.99)
Sidequest Pass (includes all Season 2 Sidequests) - $2.99 (usually $5.99)

We eagerly await your feedback, so please get in touch and let us know what you think. We hope you’ll enjoy all the improvements we’ve made to the game in Zombies, Run! 2. It doesn’t end there, though; we’ll be making further improvements and updates in the coming months. Not to mention the dozens of new missions we’ll be releasing on a weekly basis from the week beginning April 29th.

So check out our awesome launch trailer at the top of this post and head out for a run or two to find out what really happened after the zombie attack on Abel. Just make sure you stay safe out there. The stakes have never been higher.

Accessibility Update

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:41:00 +0100

Hello, Alex from the dev team here again.

We are almost beside ourselves with excitement to be launching Season 2 with all-new iOS and Android apps tomorrow.

But first I’ve got bad news for people looking forward to the full VoiceOver support that we promised on iOS for Zombies, Run! 2 - it will not be available in tomorrow’s update. Instead, we will be making good on our commitment for full VoiceOver support in version 2.1, which we will release AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after April 16th. If you depend on VoiceOver to play the game, you should hold off on updating until 2.1 is out, when we will have made the game fully accessible.

Here are some of the questions you may have about this, answered:

Why?

I am genuinely sorry! In brief, the reasons are: we are a very small development team, and we had some unexpected late challenges in making the app fully accessible. The “schematic view” base builder was all but complete at the time that we wrote about our VoiceOver plans, however, we then discovered that our mission list was inaccessible in VoiceOver mode because of the way the new interface handles swipe and tap gestures.

The remainder is just a matter of the brutal realities of software development. Apple review every app that goes into the iOS App Store by hand, and this process can take many days. If your app fails review, you must fix the app and then submit it for review again. To be sure that the app would be ready for April 16th, we submitted it over a month ago. This meant we didn’t have time to fix the new VoiceOver issues we’d discovered.

Why couldn’t you have told us sooner?

Because there was a chance that, if the app failed its first review, we might have been able to add the VoiceOver support in a follow-up submission.

So what have you been doing this past month?

Finishing the Android application! It is looking great, and I’m really pleased with how many features we have packed into 2.0. What’s more, because we can publish new versions of the Android app as fast as we can write them, we have a slew of new features coming out in updates over the next few weeks.

Also, I’m thrilled to announce that the development team is now one developer larger. Mohsen joined us two weeks ago and hit the ground … running … if you’ll excuse the pun. His first contributions to the project were to fix those outstanding VoiceOver problems.

You can’t submit a new version of an app to Apple while a version is waiting to be released. Therefore we will be submitting version 2.1 to Apple the moment 2.0 is out of the gate.

Why can’t you give us an exact date for version 2.1?

Because of the App Store review process. However, the good news is that, with ZR2.0 coming out tomorrow, we can put 2.1 into the review process right away. We will not be messing around here.

What about accessibility in the future?

We are not shying away from this commitment. With our expanding developer team and our fast-improving knowledge and experience with VoiceOver technology, we intend to ensure that every part of Zombies, Run! continues to be accessible to as many people as possible.

Launch day is almost upon us! ...But then what?

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:07:00 +0100

The wait is almost over! Zombies, Run! 2 is just a matter of days away. Hours, really. Yes, we’re still on track to release on both iOS and Android on April 16th. We promised to keep you updated if anything changes and, thankfully, nothing has.

In case you didn’t see our previous post on the subject, Zombies, Run! 2 will be an update to your current Zombies, Run! app. Which means that if you already own Zombies, Run! you won’t have to purchase Zombies, Run! 2; you already have it!

This update includes seven missions from Season 2 - four story missions and three side missions. We know that some of you will blast through these quite quickly, but don’t worry. There’s plenty more where that came from!

The week of April 29th will mark the start of our weekly mission releases. We have over sixty missions in development right now which we’ll be making available at a rate of three a week. That’s two story missions and one side mission every week. All brand new. Buying a season pass will give you access to these as and when they become available.

Don’t worry, there’s no pressure to play them all as soon as they’re released. Once they’re out, they’re yours to play whenever you want.

So prepare yourselves, because if you thought Zombies, Run! Season One was intense, you ain’t seen nothing yet…

How a fan fiction writer joined the Zombies, Run! 2 writing team

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:03:32 +0100

This is a guest post by Naomi Alderman, lead writer on Zombies, Run!

The launch of Zombies, Run! 2 is just around the corner, which seems a great time to announce a new member of the writing time: Andrea, better known on Tumblr as thischarmingand has joined us for the writing of Season 2. Yes, Andrea writes Zombies, Run! fanfic. Yes, that’s how we found her and fell in love with her work. No, I don’t really understand why more shows/games/zombie-based-fitness apps don’t do this.

I’ve been a fan fiction enthusiast for a long time. In the (fairly) distant past, I wrote fanfic myself, and last year I made a documentary about fanfic for BBC Radio 4. Unlike some authors, I’ve always felt fanfic was a massive compliment rather than someone trying to steal my characters.

Since we launched last February, there’s been a steady stream of Zombies, Run! fan fiction. Jack and Eugene – the gorgeous creations of Matt Wieteska, the Zombies, Run! sound director – are firm favourites, and Runner 8, Maxine and cough Runner Five/Sam slash fiction crop up often. On long nights making the game, the love for Zombies, Run! on Tumblr has kept me motivated.

Last summer, Matt and I were chatting about the various fanfic writers out there. “There’s one whose work is incredible,” said I. “Yup,” said Matt, “thischarmingand.” I’d especially loved this piece – in which Andrea’s grasp of the characters’ voices was so pitch-perfect I felt like I’d written it myself. Except I’m not that funny.

Adrian and I agreed that Season 2 would be more than twice as long as Season 1 so it was clear that I needed more writers. And that someone who knew and loved the game and was incidentally able to write all the characters with perfect voices. I spent a couple of weeks wondering if I was allowed to offer Andrea a job, until I realised that, duh, I’m the lead writer and I get to decide what’s allowed.

So we emailed Andrea – known around the office as Fandrea, to distinguish her from friend-of-Six-to-Start-and-Naomi-Alderman Andrea Phillips. And after we managed to convince her that it wasn’t a practical joke, we got writing.

One question that occurred early on – would we have to stop Andrea from writing fanfic if we told her all the juicy plot developments in Season 2? In the end, we decided that we’d erect a Wall of Silence – and as long as Andrea was writing side missions not main-arc missions she could happily write away without knowing much about the tragic/hilarious/romantic/running-based Season 2 plot. This approach seems to have worked surprisingly well – it’s brought a different feel to Andrea’s missions, which makes them a nice mix with the main storyline.

I asked Andrea herself to answer a few questions about the process, so we could hear how it went from her perspective.

How did you first hear about ZR?

My best friend, who was a much earlier Tumblr adopter than I was, heard about the game when the original Kickstarter was getting passed around that site but had already been funded. She bought the game when it came out and pretty much immediately and started bugging me to buy Zombies, Run! so we could commiserate about it.

I ended up pulling the trigger on it when I moved cities last summer for work (long, boring story) and started roller skating on outdoor trails more often. Listening to music while skating wasn’t cutting it, especially since my music player at the time only held about a gig of stuff and was no longer syncing with my computer. Trust me when I say that an exercise playlist made up of, like, three upbeat David Bowie
songs gets old fast.

What was your first piece of fanfic and what made you decide to write it?

Aaah, I went and looked it up and it’s kind of embarrassing how quickly I wrote fic. Within a week of starting the game, I knew I needed to write about the Radio Boyfriends (Jack and Eugene, to those of you who don’t hang out on Tumblr.) So that’s what the first one was about: wanderin’ around in the zombie wilds pre-Abel and talking about music. Typical Jack and Eugene stuff.

I really don’t know what it is about Radio Mode that grabbed me immediately. Maybe the banter? I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue. Oh, and that I’m obsessed with epic road trip stories, and those two are the perfect opportunity to write one of those (or, like 12. I’m probably up to 12 now).

Mostly, I just wanted to read more about these characters so, so badly, and no one was writing what I wanted. So, be the change you want to see, right?

Definitely. That’s part of why I write in general – to make the stuff I wish existed. What was it like getting that “we’d like you to write for the game” email?

Well, “write for the game Tumblr ask” you mean. Which freaked me right out, when I pulled it up on my phone over a lunch break one day at work. I’m not even that used to getting Tumblr asks, period, never mind offers of writing work from the creator of one of my favourite games.

I was so surprised, actually, that I accidentally threw my phone at the guy sitting at the desk in front of me. (Luckily, he was an intern, so he was too scared of everyone to get mad.) Then I went outside and fell down in the parking lot several times while hissing “eeeeeee.” So. That probably says everything you need to know.

Hee. I have to say, it was a pretty exciting moment getting in touch with you. I imagined how I’d have felt if Joss Whedon emailed me to say he wanted me to write for Buffy. And then I couldn’t imagine that anymore because my head was going to explode. So, other than falling down in parking lots, what’s been the best part of the writing-for-the-game process and what the most challenging?

I have a shortlist of things I cannot believe I got to do while writing for the game, but they’re all spoilers. Let’s just say the creative freedom you allowed me, as a random person you found on the internet, was phenomenal. Also, I really liked it that you laughed at nearly all of my jokes. Thanks for that, Naomi.

The most challenging thing is probably best summed up by something you said to me a month or two ago, which was that in an audio-based game “no one can see you point.” Also, god, Runner Five. Why have you got to be running all the time? Why can’t the game sometimes be Zombies, Sit Down and Take a Break for a Minute?

Yes, I’ve often thought that myself. I am constantly annoyed with myself for not having come up with some idea early on which would involve Runner Five not running from time to time… And is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I’d like to say that Zombies, Run has about the best fandom I’ve ever wandered into. Your fans are a group of funny, creative, awesome people and one of the best things about buying this game was getting to internet-meet a bunch of them. Much as I love the game, without them I can’t imagine I would have gotten so crazily invested or written nearly as much fic. So this whole gig is probably their faults, at least a little.

And that being the case, we thank our fans too!

In all, there are ten Fandrea-written missions in Season 2 – they have her trademark wit and exciting plotlines, they fit into the Zombies, Run! universe like a (n undead) hand in a (biohazard) glove and I’m incredibly proud of them. I’m proud of the whole thing, actually. I think you’re going to love it. Oh, and Sam says hi. In a shy way. Because he can’t tell you how he really feels.

Win a ticket to the Zombies, Run! 2 launch party

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:19:14 +0000

The release of Zombies, Run! 2 is so close we can almost taste it. Development is continuing on track for our April 16 release date on both iOS and Android platforms. As a result, we’re already finalising arrangements for the Zombies, Run! 2 launch party. The best part? We want you guys to join us!

We are giving away six tickets to our Zombies, Run! 2 launch party on April 17 in north London. Three will be given out here on Tumblr, with another three available on Twitter (you’ll need to be following @zombiesrungame). Each ticket includes a +1, so you can bring a friend. You can come along, meet the developers, chat with the writers, schmooze the actors and generally enjoy a night out with Six to Start and our friends from the London games industry. There’ll even be some money behind the bar for free drinks throughout the night.

Entrants must be aged 18+ and must be ready, willing and Abel (see what we did there?) to get to north London on Wednesday, April 17. Simply reblog this Tumblr post and we’ll pick winners at random and be in touch shortly.

Speaking of competitions, if you’ve entered our Fan Competition and are waiting for us to announce the winners, don’t worry - we haven’t forgotten! We’ve been inundated with great entries for all categories and are still wading through them in order to find our favourites. We will be announcing winners before the launch of Zombies, Run! 2, so keep an eye out for that. We’re sorry for the wait!

Zombies, Run! fever is spreading

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:15:49 +0000

Like some kind of zombie plague, Zombies, Run! has been popping up all over the place recently. Between our panel at SXSW, Tomb Raider/Grey’s Anatomy actress Camilla Luddington name dropping us on Conan, and other appearances across the internet, wherever you turn, we’re there. Just in case you missed any, here’s a round-up of everything that’s happened recently:

SXSW Panel

If you weren’t able to make it to our SXSW panel in Austin, Teaxs, we’ve got the full audio of the talk available to download. While you’ll miss out on seeing their lovely faces, you’ll still be able to enjoy hearing CEO Adrian Hon, Director Matt Wieteska, Lead Developer Alex Macmillan and Lead Writer and Co-Creator Naomi Alderman talk about what makes the game so successful and how immersive storytelling is the future of fitness games.

(and if you fancy going for the full meta-experience, why not listen while playing Zombies, Run!? You can grab the audio track right here from Soundcloud)

Conan O’Brien

The first of two shout outs given by Camilla Luddington, the voice actress for Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider game. Clearly she’s a pretty big fan of Zombies, Run! as she talked about us on Conan recently. It just so happens, we’re pretty big fans of her’s (and Tomb Raider’s), too. Abel has never had an archaeologist visitor before, but we’re certainly open to the idea…

Nerdist podcast

Again, Camilla Luddington mentions us in an interview on the Nerdist podcast. We’ve not even asked her to do this, we swear! Check out the full interview over at the Nerdist website.

Loading Bar

Remember the London-based Loading Bar crowd-funding campaign? They’ve found a potential venue in the heart of Soho and organised an open day to test the waters. A few Six to Starters were in attendance to check out the unique game-influenced cocktails and play a few rounds of Micro Machines on the SNES. The best part? The resident artist, Cosmic Images, was filling the walls with game-related artwork throughout the day.

Including, as you may have already spotted, the Zombies, Run! logo. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Link, Batman and Lara Croft(‘s scary, toothy sister).

HackCollege’s Gamification of Fitness

We were included in HackCollege’s Gamification of Fitness round up video. Worth checking out, over at the HackCollege website.

Zombies, Run! 2 status

Development on Zombies, Run! 2 is going really well. We’ve just started another batch of voice recording and we’re well on track for our April 16th release date on both iOS and Android devices. Even despite half the team gallivanting off to Austin to attend SXSW!

ZombieLink downtime

In order to prepare ZombieLink for Zombies, Run! 2 we’ll be taking the servers offline for hopefully no more than a couple of hours, starting at 11am GMT on Thursday, 21st March.

During this time, you won’t be able to upload or download any run data or base data to or from your device. Don’t worry though - once our servers are back up, any runs performed during this time will sync with no problems.

The ZombieLink website will also be down, so you will be unable to login or view any run records online. We’ll be tweeting live updates during the process, so keep an eye on @zombiesrungame to know exactly when the website will be up or down.

April 16th is Zombies, Run! 2 day

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:28:00 +0000

“When is Zombies, Run! 2 coming out?”, we hear you cry. “Spring! It’ll be out in the spring!”, we yell back. “What does that even mean?”, you retort. And also “but I live in Australia!”, from some of you.

Today we’re going to do away with all confusion: Zombies, Run! 2 has a firm release date and it is April 16th. As announced yesterday, this date is for both iOS and Android.

Don’t forget, Zombies, Run! 2 will be a free upgrade for current players of Zombies, Run! Along with all of Season 1, the game will come with seven free missions to begin with, including four Season 2 missions and three sidequests. We’ll begin releasing three additional missions every week starting from late April/early May, and as soon as we’ve nailed down the details for this, we’ll let you know!

So, if you’re looking to replay (or finish!) Zombies, Run! before the release of Zombies, Run! 2, now’s a great time to start. You have 47 days!

iOS users: Zombies, Run! 2 will require iOS 6+. In practice, this won’t affect anyone except for iPod Touch 3rd gen users - everyone else who’s already playing ZR will be fine!

Android users: Zombies, Run! 2 will require Android 4.0+

Zombies, Run! 2 on Android

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:03:17 +0000

Fear not, Android fans! We promised you an update on the development of the Android version of Zombies, Run! 2 and here it is:

We are right on track to deliver both the Android and iOS versions of Zombies, Run! 2 on the same day. That’s right - no more waiting!

This also means that weekly mission releases will also be available simultaneously across both platforms, so no matter what device you have, you’ll never be behind on the story. We’re also planning on both versions having core feature parity, unlike with the original Zombies, Run! In other words, Android and iOS players will have the same gameplay experience.

Screenshots shown in this post are from an early development build of Zombies, Run! 2 for Android devices. Just to prove that we’re not lying - it really is in development and is taking shape!

Back when we developed the first version of Zombies, Run!, we released on iOS first with the Android version coming a few months later. This was mainly because we had far more backers and pre-sales from people on iOS than on Android. Like most games companies, we only had a limited number of developers so we had to pick one platform to launch on first, so it was a straightforward decision to make.

For Zombies, Run! 2, however, it’s very important to us that we treat Android the same as iOS. We really appreciate the support we’ve had from our Android players and from the Google Play Store team, and we’re confident that Android sales of Zombies, Run! will continue to catch up with iOS.

Currently, we’re developing for Android 4.0+ devices only. This not only allows us to develop the game much faster but it also means we can reach a higher level of polish and performance - something that we couldn’t do if we supported older versions.

We know this will disappoint some of you, but our user stats show that only a small percentage of our Android players are still running versions earlier than 4.0. It’s possible we will be able to back-port the game for Android 2.3, but this will not be possible for launch.

It’s worth saying that the nature of game development means that it’s always possible that problems may crop up that will prevent a simultaneous release, but whatever happens, we want the wait between the iOS and Android releases to be as short as possible.

So, as soon as we have a concrete release date (singular!) or anything changes in this area, we’ll be sure to let you guys know!

First screenshots of Zombies, Run! 2

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Zombies, Run! 2 is really starting to take shape now, so we want to present you with our very first look at the game’s new interface.

Please note, these screens show an app that is still very much in development; you will see placeholder text and graphics that will be different in the final version of the game.

This is the Zombies, Run! 2 Home Screen. We’ll keep you notified of any in-game updates, along with any newly released missions, via this screen. That welcome banner may or may not make it into the final game, but we are definitely planning on implementing a user system so you can have multiple players on a single device.

As you can see, the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen is similar to that found in the original Zombies, Run!, except that it looks much cooler. However, because we’re fitting so much new stuff into this game, the button furthest on the right will open a new screen which houses the Codex, Run Logs, Settings and a bunch of other miscellany. No screenshot of that, because it’s largely a list of words, which isn’t very exciting to look at.

Instead, let’s take a look at the Missions Screen.

This too has been revamped and, we hope you’ll agree, looks much prettier. These ‘mission cards’ will expand when touched to show more information along with a download button and your normal mission options. Swiping across the screen will change the page, so that you can access Season 2 missions, Radio missions and more… (we’re showing you a list of Season 1 missions because we don’t want to reveal the titles of Season 2 missions just yet!)

Next, let’s take a look at the Base Builder. This is the real meat of the Zombies, Run! 2 visual interface and is the area in which we’ve made the biggest and most visible improvements.

So, here it is! This is Abel Township. Or, at least, this is my Abel Township. Yours will probably look very different, thanks to the ability to place your own buildings wherever you like within the Township walls. Running out of space? Spend some supplies on expanding your walls outwards.

At the top of the screen you can see a bar containing your base’s stats. From left to right, you can see current population/max population, defence level, morale level and the number of collected supplies and materials you currently own.

Want to add a new building? Just press the New Building button. Pretty sure we couldn’t have made this stuff any easier. You’ll be confronted with the following screen, but probably with a few additional buildings and amenities thrown in for good measure. This is just a basic list to show give you an idea of what it will look like. Don’t be surprised if any requirements and/or costs are different in the final game.

Placing your new building in your base is simply a case of dragging and dropping it into the world.

Clicking on a building will show you more detailed information. Again, I must reiterate that there is a lot of placeholder content in the game right now. That flavour text? That definitely won’t be in the final game.

It’s here that you’ll be able to upgrade your buildings. Each building has a set of requirements that need to be met before you can go ahead and upgrade. You can also demolish the building to regain some supplies, or invest in add-ons. We’ll be talking more about add-ons at a later date.

Yes, these are iOS screens, but don’t worry Android users! We’re working hard on the Android version and it’s looking great. We’ll have more information on this very soon.

We hope you like what you see in these first screenshots of Zombies, Run! 2! We’ve a little way to go before we’re finished, but hopefully this has got you a little more hyped for the game’s release in the Spring.

Making Zombies, Run! 2 accessible

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:55:17 +0000

Hello, Alex Macmillan* from the development team here. Babu, Luis, George and I are currently working full pelt to bring you Zombies, Run! 2 on both iOS and Android as close to one-another as possible. (We’ll have more information about the Android version of Zombies, Run! 2 very soon!)

*There are two Alexs at Six to Start now, Alex Primavesi joined us recently to work on a new project with the support of the UK Department of Health.

One thing we’re particularly excited to share about Zombies, Run! 2 is that we are making the game 100% VoiceOver enabled and thus fully accessible for as many players as possible on iOS.

VoiceOver is Apple’s screen-reader technology for iOS. When you turn VoiceOver on it describes whatever your finger is touching using a computer-generated voice. If your finger is over a button, you can double-tap to activate the button. To scroll a list, you use two fingers.

Our sight-impaired players

We were surprised when we found out how many blind and sight-impaired people had bought and become fans of Zombies, Run! Many contacted us with the same particular problem — that while our players had no trouble playing through the missions (after all, it’s all audio!) — there was no way for our VoiceOver-using players to upgrade Abel Township. This is something we wanted to fix for Zombies, Run! 2 as a matter of priority.

Here comes the technical bit. If you can feel your eyes glazing over faster than a car windscreen in freezing fog, I won’t be offended if you skip the next section.

The technical bit!

To display Abel Township in all of it’s high resolution glory and to enable the visual effects (which we have many of more in ZR2! than the original game), we needed a graphics engine. We chose the most popular engine available for iPhone, cocos2d. The engine does the hard work of loading Abel Township’s buildings into the phone’s graphics memory and then rendering them onto the screen of the phone in under sixteen milliseconds (so that we can do it sixty times a second for a butter-smooth experience).

However, the gotcha is that Apple’s VoiceOver technology can only describe parts of the interface that are made from Apple’s user interface components - things like text labels, buttons, lists and alerts.

Because we’re using a game engine, VoiceOver has no way of describing what’s on screen. Additionally, because VoiceOver changes the way touching and dragging works it’s impossible to pick up and allocate supplies, or pan and zoom the base.

How we’re addressing accessibility in ZR2

In Zombies, Run! 2 on iOS we have built two separate interfaces for managing your base — one uses the same tech as ZR1 but is optimised so that we can show more buildings, a detailed environment, and many more visual effects. We’ve got much better at optimising graphics in ZR2 — the game starts faster, and we’re seeing smooth performance on the iPhone 3GS, right up to the iPhone 5, and on Android with LibGDX as well.

The second interface — the “schematic view” — shows your base using only Apple’s user interface components. It’s like a top-down strategic view of your base. And because it’s made using only “native” UI components, it works perfectly with VoiceOver.

All players can access both interfaces.

There are a couple of things that I’m proud of with our approach.

1) Aiming to make the game VoiceOver compatible allowed us to start testing earlier. Managing the base in Zombies, Run! 2 is a complicated affair - you have to make sure your base can support it’s growing population, and keep people happy at the same time as managing your base’s defences. We want this to be fun and rewarding, and we wanted to start refining these mechanics as soon as possible.

Prototyping with the “schematic view” meant Adrian (our CEO) could start managing bases and balancing the gameplay without programming a 2D game engine, or waiting for first drafts of the building artwork from our graphic artists Estée and Michael.

2) Regardless of whether you use the graphics view or the schematic view, you’re playing the same game. Initially we thought that the accessible version of the base builder might simply show a list of buildings in your base, rather than a map.

But that created a problem - how do we convey to the user that they can’t build a building because they’ve run out of space? And even if there is enough space, how do we explain that the building is the wrong shape for it? We considered throwing out the “space management” aspect of the accessible base builder entirely.

Ultimately we realised this was stupid. Why should we make the game simpler just because the interface needs to be accessible? Why should we deprive people the fun of cramming their buildings together into the most efficient possible layout? We discarded the list idea and implemented a proper map instead.

A game for everybody

Given that Zombies, Run! is at its heart an aural experience, it is one of our highest priorities to make the game fully accessible to all of our players, be they sighted or visually impaired. We are delighted that this will be possible on iOS from day one, and are working hard to bring the same accessibility to Android as soon as possible.

Did you enjoy this closer look at the development process for Zombies, Run! 2? Would you like to know more? Let me know what you think at alex@sixtostart.com.

Inside the Sound Booth

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:50:00 +0000

We’re back with another look behind the scenes of Zombies, Run! 2. This time we’re focused on the actors and what exactly goes on inside that new sound booth of ours. It’s hard to show voice actors at their finest without, you know, hearing their voices, so we’ve put together a few videos showing just a snippet of the recording sessions from before Christmas.

We’ve tried to make sure that these videos are as spoiler-free as possible. There are no large plot spoilers, but obviously watching them will result in hearing portions of dialogue (and a touch of singing) ahead of the game’s release. You’ve been warned!

First up, we have a scene featuring Archie (who you should recognise from the New Canton Race Missions) and Nadia, the New Canton radio operator. That weird guy hiding in the corner is our director, Matt Wieteska. If he looks tired in any of these videos, it’s because he spent almost a full month practically living in this tiny dark room in order to bring you the very best performances our actors could give us.

Next up, a scene featuring everyone’s favourite radio operator, Sam Yao. Archie’s back, along with Doctor Maxine Myers and new character Jamie. There may or may not be a puppy involved… and this one does have an actual spoiler for a (little) part of the plot so if you’re concerned about remaining pristinely unspoiled, stay away.

Now something a little special. What happens when Sam Yao, Janine and Jody (Runner 4) are asked to wrap a tune around a set of song lyrics? Watch and find out…

And here’s the final scene featuring your new (least) favourite song - Text Me Up. Annoyingly catchy, isn’t it?

Finally, here’s a video of Richard, our Sound Engineer, creating some foley (sound effects) for hungry zombies chewing at human flesh. Spoiler: Zombies, Run! 2 will have zombies in it! This one is not for the faint hearted, or sentient oranges.

That’s all for now, but we hope you’ve enjoyed this peek behind the scenes. The actors will be back to record the second half of Zombies, Run! Season 2 in the next few months, so we’ll be sure to take a bunch more footage for you, if it’s something that you’d like to see. Let us know!

Base Builder 2.0

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:12:00 +0000

We continue our Zombies, Run! 2 announcements with a look at the new Base Builder. As with almost everything in Zombies, Run! 2, the Base Builder has been completely redesigned from scratch. We’ve also added a bunch of new features, which will really allow you to personalise your base and make it your own.

In Zombies, Run! the base was pretty much fully built by the time Runner 5 arrives. Supplies collected in missions were just used to upgrade each building in order to increase the population of Abel Township. In Zombies, Run! 2 we wanted to take it further. Make it more fun. We’re giving you the power to design your own base by buying and placing new buildings however you like within the confines of the base walls.

To build these new structures, you’ll need the normal supplies you’re already familiar with, as well as a new type of collectible called materials. Unlike regular supplies, there will only be a set number to collect in each mission so, with every mission you play, you will be increasing the maximum potential of your base.

Run out of space in your base? Extend those walls! The walls of your base can be expanded outwards, reclaiming the zombie infested wilderness and making more space on which to build farms, hospitals and comms shacks. With all these new, happy people joining the Abel family, they’re going to need somewhere to live. There are only so many people you can pack into Janine’s farmhouse before she starts getting a bit miffed, after all. Especially when someone uses her loofah without asking.

Buildings can be improved in a couple of ways in Zombies, Run! 2. Supplies and materials can be spent to upgrade them, or to develop “add-ons”, which will increase their abilities and stats. This includes things like increased defence, morale, population, etc. We’re not quite ready to talk about what exactly defence and morale ratings will do yet, but keep an eye out here on the Zombies, Run! Blog for the full details when we have them.

Amenities are small extras that can be placed around your base, such as a library and a kennel. Not only do they make Abel look prettier, but they also increase morale. Both buildings and amenities are unlocked as you progress through the game, with most of the latter being available only after you’ve completed certain side quests. You will be able to have only one of each amenity in your base, so place wisely!

What this all means is that your Abel can truly be yours. Want a base full of nothing but farms? Go for it. Fancy boxing Janine’s farmhouse in with playgrounds? She may not love that idea, but sure. Fill your boots. Twenty comms shacks? Sadly they don’t each come with their own clone of Sam Yao, but nice try!

We’ll be back soon with more to reveal, along with the first screenshots from the game! Did you miss our explanation of the episodic mission release schedule? Make sure you check it out!

Zombies, Run! Fan Competition

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:05:00 +0000

The Zombies, Run! community has produced some incredible content over the past year. We’ve seen artwork, fan-made missions, stories set within the Zombies, Run! universe, cosplay and even a short film. All born of nothing else than a love for Zombies, Run!

Well, we wanted to give something back to the fans. So we’re offering you the chance to win real life cash money, plus a bunch of other prizes (including possible inclusion in future episodes of the game) simply by making something for us; we’ve got categories to cover everyone, whatever your favourite medium.

Please note that all submissions should be kept to a PG-13 rating. Any nudity/swearing will be first ogled, then discarded.

Send your entries to fancompetition@zombiesrungame.com. Where possible, do not include any file attachments above 2MB in size - instead, share a link to the file on Dropbox, Google Drive, or your file store of choice. You get extra imaginary points if you do this!

The deadline for submissions is Monday the 4th of March. Anything sent in after that date will be immediately disqualified. We will announce the winners in March here on the Zombies, Run! Blog.

Click here for the full terms and conditions.

Category 1: Art (General)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your artwork will be featured on the Zombies, Run! website

2nd Prize:

A signed Zombies, Run! poster, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

What is art? That’s not for us to say. Use whatever methods you deem necessary to create something artistic that is based on Zombies, Run! We’re not art critics, so we’ll be judging this based on what jumps out at us the most. Our favourite pieces. Go nuts and show us what you can do!

Please submit your artwork as a JPG or PNG under 2MB in size, though please also retain your raw files as well.

Category 2: Art (Poster)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your poster will be created and may become a piece of official Zombies, Run! merchandise

2nd Prize:

A signed Zombies, Run! poster, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

Here we’re looking for something a little more specific. Your poster should be suitable for printing on A2 sized paper (594 x 420 mm). It can be portrait or landscape, and we don’t mind if it’s black and white or colour.

Please submit your artwork as a JPG or PNG under 2MB in size, though please also retain your raw files as well. If we do create your poster, we will need it at 300dpi.

Category 3: Audio (Missions)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your mission may be used in the game (at our discretion)

2nd Prize:

Your mission will be published on the Zombies, Run! website, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

Create your own side mission for Zombies, Run! 2. In order to be used in the game, your mission will need to be very high quality - this includes the audio quality, voice acting and the script.

Please invent your own characters. Do not try to impersonate our actors; we’ve tried it ourselves and it doesn’t work. Your mission should have six or seven scenes, each ranging from one to two minutes in length. The story can take place at any time after Runner 5’s arrival in Abel Township. This includes after the final episode of Season One. Your mission should be a self contained episode with no cliffhangers.

Please submit your missions in 128kbps .mp3 format, though please also retain your raw uncompressed .wav files in case you win.

Category 4: Audio (Radio)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your mission may be used in the game (at our discretion)

2nd Prize:

Your mission will be published on the Zombies, Run! website, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

Create your own radio section for Zombies, Run! 2. In order to be used in the game, your work will need to be very high quality - this includes the audio quality, voice acting and the script. Please invent your own characters. Do not try to impersonate our actors; we keep on trying it, but the actors just look at us with pity in their eyes. Your radio clips can take place at any time after Runner 5’s arrival in Abel Township. This includes after the final episode of Season One. Your submission should include a three-clip episode, with each clip ranging from one to two minutes, and three standalone clips, each no longer than one minute.

Please submit your missions in 128kbps .mp3 format, though please also retain your raw uncompressed .wav files in case you win.

Category 5: Writing (Script)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your mission will be recorded and may be used in the game (at our discretion)

2nd Prize:

Your mission will be recorded by the Zombies, Run! cast

Write us a side mission for Zombies, Run! 2. Your script should be written in Final Draft (free demo here) and should be seven to nine pages long and include six to seven scenes in total. A sample script can be found here and a script template here. You may use the following characters, as well as up to two characters of your own creation: Sam, the Doctor, Janine, Runner 4, Jack, Eugene, Ed, Molly. Your mission should be a self contained episode, with no cliffhangers. It can take place at any time after Runner 5’s arrival in Abel Township. This includes after the final episode of Season One.

Category 6: Writing (Prose)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your writing will be read aloud by a member of the Zombies, Run! cast and published on the official website

2nd Prize:

Your writing will be read aloud by a member of the Zombies, Run! cast and published on the official website

Write a story set in the Zombies, Run! universe. There are no limits in terms of format (graphic novel/comic scripts are as welcome as full prose - though try to keep poetry to a minimum) or length, though we will have a hard time judging your 50,000 word novel about Jack and Eugene’s mountain adventures. As much as we would love to read it. It’s worth reiterating that entries should be kept to a PG-13 rating, or they will be immediately stolen and read by Naomi, our lead writer, before being disqualified.

Please send your prose in plain text in the email itself, or as a PDF. We don’t like Word documents.