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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Taito and the Netherlands Embassy in Japan bring Waterways to iPhone!


Taito Corporation (Taito), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., today announced that, with the cooperation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan, action-puzzler Waterways will be on sale at the App Store worldwide and available for the iPhone and iPod Touch on June 11. Waterways, developed by Dutch studio Rough Cookie, was the winning concept of the Netherlands-Japan GameJam 2008 contest, held as part of the “Netherlands in Japan 2008-2009” celebration.

Last year was the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Netherlands, and this year, 2009, marks 400 years of trade between the two nations. Sponsored by the Dutch game organizations NLGD Foundation and the Dutch Game Garden, and also backed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan GameJam 2008 contest was held by Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan as part of the continuing “Netherlands in Japan 2008-2009” celebration.

The Netherlands government invests in the growth of its national creative industry, and for this reason the “Netherlands in Japan 2008-2009” celebration has also featured events focusing on cross-cultural exchange via games. Taito has long taken an active role in promoting the industry and mobile gaming in particular by participating in world-class events such as the International Mobile Gaming Awards. Hoping to make use of this prior experience and eager to contribute to the longstanding friendship between Japan and the Netherlands, Taito participated in the “Netherlands in Japan 2008-2009” celebration by joining the panel of judges for the Netherlands-Japan GameJam 2008 competition and agreeing to publish an extended and adapted version of the winning concept.

GameJam winner Waterways is an action puzzle game designed and developed by Dutch studio Rough Cookie. Players assume the role of a heroic cow named Patch. When the Netherlands’ state-of-the-art water management system “Caretaker 3000” goes haywire, leading to widespread flooding, it’s up to Patch to navigate a series of water-filled mazes and drawbridges in an effort to reach and repair the leaking valves. Waterways makes full use of the iPhone/iPod Touch’s motion sensors, with intuitive controls and instantly appealing game play.

Taito and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan hope to continue to work together for the benefit of both Japan and the Netherlands’ game industries.

WATERWAYS

Publisher: Taito Corporation
  • Platform: iPhone / iPod touch
  • Release Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009
  • Genre: Game (Puzzle / Action)
  • Price: $2.99 / €2.39
  • Region: Worldwide
  • Copyright: Rough Cookie 2009 / Published by Taito