Tintash

The Legen-wait for it-dary Tintash Cupcakes

2011-11-15T00:54:00.000-08:00

We had a special surprise for Tintash employees just this last week. Everyone was welcomed to work with these scrumptious cupcakes designed in the Tintash spirit.
Can't be easy to manually design all these octopuses! We must give credit to the local ChunkyMunky Factory whose talented baker made it all happen. You can find their facebook group here.
Must say the frosting on those cupcakes was some of the best I've had on baked goods. The pictures have been a big hit on Facebook with many outsiders curious how the design was developed.
Sugar remains an important part of the diet of a happy employee, so I'm sure we'll have more such delights to come.

You're Brilliant, and Tintash is Hiring!

2011-05-14T01:37:00.000-07:00

Tintash (www.tintash.com) is an exciting startup working on innovative games and applications for mobile platforms through its development studio in Shadman, Lahore. Tintash is experiencing tremendous growth in domains like casual games, enterprise and education and looking to hire some sharp and enthusiastic young software engineers to join the team.

There are vacancies for those with basic experience on the Android or iOS platforms. The ideal candidate will have strong fundamentals in graphics, object oriented programming, algorithms, physics and artificial intelligence. Knowledge of web service technologies and scalable web service applications is a plus.

Tintash is a great choice for you if you:

Would like to work with brand name clients around the world
Have a passion for design and user interfaces
Would like to get your hands on the sleekest new mobile devices on the market
Appreciate a demanding but flexible work environment
Want to join a team of bright young people who collaborate for regular training and review sessions
Like the instant gratification of seeing your work distributed to consumers around the world
Love table tennis and have an insatiable appetite for home cooked food and ice-cream

Apply in confidence by sending a resume to careers@tintash.com. Interviews will be arranged right away.

Stick Cricket HD Launched for iPad

2011-05-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Stick Cricket HD for iPad is finally on iTunes. It's been several months of effort for the Tintash team to bring this Stick Sports classic to the convenience of your iPad. Here are some of the features of this version:

2 Player (Wi-fi and Bluetooth)
Detailed Statistics
Game Center and Open Feint integration
14 levels of world domination
3 forms of All Star Slog

The press has been giving rave reviews to the iPhone/iPad ports of Stick Cricket.

The Sunday Times says: "This simple little app will bring you hours of pleasure, even if you are not a fan of cricket. For a game with only two buttons, it is surprisingly engaging and subtle."

Recap of TEDxKinnaird

2011-02-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hundreds converged at the local Kinnaird College this past week for TEDxKinnaird, Pakistan's first university styled TEDx event. The theme for this second edition of the event was "Rethinking Us" and the stage was set for some very intriguing presentations:

Natasha Noorani on Snapistan and how she was bringing together photographers across Pakistan to challenge stereotypes through their work. Taking and displaying a snap of the live audience and the line "Change your lens" are quite memorable
Sonya Rehman described the growing movement of citizen journalism. She highlighted SeenReport and introduced us to an awesome young man Galib Khalil who spearheaded flood relief work in Pakistan and blogs here
Faisal Mahmood of GIKI talked about his groundbreaking research in medical electronics. This creative tinkerer already has three patents and is an inspiration for other Pakistanis looking to make a career out of research
Younas Chowdry acted out an original skit as part of Laal Theater group. It was a great idea related to how what started as a school project could leave a lasting impact.
Elaine Alam shared her personal tale of briding religious divides in Pakistan
Zubair Khan's self-deprecating humor was a huge hit. He's the ethical hacker of Pakistan.
Popular blogger and doodler Mehreen Kasana uses doodles to encourage kids to learn in innovative ways. This was my favorite talk since the slides of her doodles were so attractive and made me think of Doodle Jump.
I discussed the role of games in education, using some of my learnings from Tintash projects with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and BBC.

The audience was also shown two of the most entertaining TED videos around, here and here. There was a well thought out networking session involving a scavenger hunt and plenty of mingling.

Special thanks to the sponsors Canon for providing the speakers with free printers! (Mine is probably going to Tintash, I can't imagine having to take care of it at home)

And special thanks to our lovely and enthusiastic hosts who managed the event so smoothly.

I was only introduced to the concept of TED last year, but I've become a huge fan. Since returning to Pakistan, I've been struck by how entrepreneurship and innovation have become the cool thing to do. I notice how people get together at coffee houses like Gloria Jean's not just for casual banter, but to bounce off ideas for new ventures. And I notice how everyone is so excited about TED conferences as they continue to mushroom around the country and bring together like-minded people looking to try something new. At this conference alone, I learned about The Guardians, TNS Beaconhouse and Dreamfactory though networking with the audience, all of which are innovative contributions to our society. These conferences are becoming the melting pots where the intellectuals of our society are sharing and conceiving the next great ideas.

Game Developers Conference 2011 Kicking Off

2011-02-26T00:06:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Gamers, designers, marketers, entertainers and general enthusiasts are converging on San Francisco for the annual Game Developers Conference kicking off this Monday, 28th February. It promises to be a week full of networking and envisioning the role of games in our future.

As always, Tintash will be present at the conference and sharing its products and services. Contact us at bd@tintash.com to set up a meeting and discuss possible collaboration.

This year's event is special since it is the first time that Pakistan is being represented by a whole delegation comprised of representatives from the major game design companies. The Pakistan Software Export Board has been generous enough to support the effort in recognition of the country's going reputation as a hub for game design.

In another first, Pakistani gaming companies will headline another networking session under the banner of OPEN Silicon Valley on March 5th. This is a wonderful chance for Pakistanis in the United States to learn more about the role of game design in Pakistani entrepreneurship and promises to raise opportunities for investment and collaboration. This could truly be a landmark year for Pakistani game companies.

Stick Cricket is Numero Uno on iTunes in Australia, India and Pakistan

2010-12-24T02:35:00.001-08:00

The Stick Cricket title continues to be one of the biggest hits on iTunes this holiday season. The game already has a successful fan following on PC and few have been let down by the iPhone/iPad incarnation.

The most downloads, no surprise, are in the cricket mad nations of India, Pakistan, Australia and England. Stick Cricket is the number one free download in the first three. Among top grossing games, Stick Cricket is number 2 in Australia and top 10 in UK.

Be sure to let us know what you like about the game, what features and modes you'd like added. This could be just the beginning of the Stick Cricket revolution on mobiles.

Tintash Releases The Nitwit Test on iTunes

2010-12-16T22:31:00.000-08:00

We're giddy excited about the launch of our newest product on the App Store. Try out The Nitwit Test right here

The Nitwit Test is not your typical quiz game. It's a chance to solve some of the most surreal puzzles available on a mobile device. Prove that you're not the dunce of the class and compare progress with your friends through Facebook. It's a perfect party game, watch you friends try to prove they're more than a nitwit. Guaranteed to have you doubling over in laughter!

Stick Cricket Launched on iTunes

2010-12-16T03:35:00.000-08:00

After weeks of designing, developing and debugging, the popular Stick Cricket title has made its way to the iTunes app store. Check it out here.

I remember playing Stick Cricket for the first time while still in college. It was a popular dorm room exercise (even in an American university!) to see who could hit the most sixes. Stick Cricket has correctly judged that most of the fun in cricket comes from the crash boom bang format of attempting to launch every ball into the stands.

The game has been a huge hit in our cricket-crazy office. We were excited to work on the project and contribute our suggestions to making the port to the iPhone and iPad just right.

The game is free to download and has an enticing in-app purchase option. Check it out!

Bam Bam Dash gets Rave Review on applicationiphone.com

2010-12-10T04:08:00.000-08:00

Ok so you won't get much out of this review unless you read French but just check out how many stars the game got in the ratings! Thanks Elina for the review and we're happy to see the surge of downloads of this game among French iPhone users.

Here's one line that I definitely understand:

Le gameplay de Bam Bam Dash est excellent

Tintash in Singapore

2010-10-26T04:00:00.001-07:00

We have a key team member traveling in Singapore over the next week and he is in a position to meet up with game and application development companies to discuss opportunities for collaboration on products. For companies interested, please do ping us at bd@tintash and we will be in touch!

Doodle Fall Down is the OpenFeint Free Game of the Day

2010-10-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Starting at 5 am Pacific Standard Time on October 18th, our title Doodle Fall Down will be free for 48 hours as part of the OpenFeint Free Game of the Day scheme. So if you haven't got your hands on this addictive title that gives you a chance to prove that you can zip down your iPhone screen faster than anyone else, this is your best chance to get it for free! This is what people on iTunes are saying about Doodle Fall Down:

"Nice game, great graphics..fun power ups...nice free surprises..thank you"

"I'm a big fan of these fall down games!"

Fishing Frenzy Deluxe updated with In-App Purchases

2010-10-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

Fishing Frenzy was developed through partnership with Mindstorm Studios and was the first Tintash hit on iTunes with well over a million downloads and a top 10 position on the charts. It's been a flagship product for the company and Fishing Frenzy Deluxe is the spiritual successor. It offers more locations, more fish and more lazy fun in a fishing boat. The newest version that went live today on iTunes includes in-app purchases that allow you to turbo-charge your progress by purchasing all kinds of power-ups like bulbs that light up the darkest oceans and time multipliers that earn you precious extra seconds to catch more critters. Here's what people are saying about Fishing Frenzy Deluxe:

"No matter what else I play, I wind up coming back to this one each time"
"The controls work well and it is a pretty cool concept"
"The graphics r great"

What are you waiting for? Pick it up and make sure you try out all those power-ups! You can't argue with a concept that over a million have tried and approved.

Fish Soccer Shootout FREE on iTunes!

2010-10-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

The free version of Fish Soccer Shootout went live on iTunes today. It has managed several hundred downloads in its first few hours on the store. No surprise given the addictive gameplay that allows you to play soccer with fish, crabs, tortoises and starfish. It has some of the best 3D graphics you will see on the iPhone and high replay value given the number of trophies that can be won.

And if you want the same without any advertisements, you can get it here for under a dollar. Here's what people are saying about the game on iTunes:

"Ya gotta try this one! Very different. Adorable and hard to put down"

"A must have for any fan"

I personally never tire of battling all 10 opponents and by now have managed to beat all of them 5-0 in under 3 minutes each. Can you match that?

Tintash Team Lunch at BBQ Tonight

2010-09-27T04:00:00.001-07:00

The team has been working harder than ever and the resulting output has been top notch. We had been planning a team lunch for the longest time and finally got our chance just this past week. Fortunately, the entire team could make it and so we besieged one of the longest tables at BBQ Tonight - Pakistani food is the best choice for family style servings for a large group. Kudos to Mannan for a well planned menu that included everything from delectable keemay walay naan as appetizers to succulent ribs and karahi in the main course . But the proverbial icing on the cake was the dessert which included a mix of kulfa and meethi roti. Of course following this regal feast no one was in a mood to get back to work, but we are all resigned to the fact that there's really no such thing as a free lunch. This has definitely raised the bar for food consumed in office hours and hopefully we'll be able to live up to it regularly. I hear rumours of a stupendous breakfast coming up...

Ode to a Talented Tintash Employee

2010-09-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

We always knew that Qasim was a whiz at everything from composing music to singing to jamming to making kickass iPhone games. Well he just won the Dell Competition to compose a jingle to market the brand. Along with bragging rights he earned a cool Rs. 50,000 cheque at an awards ceremony. He has been lugging it around the office for the day leading to some great photo opportunities. We're all still waiting for his treat :)

You can find out more about the competition on the Dell Pakistan page on Facebook. His interview and profile should be uploaded soon. Also check out the winning entry on YouTube here. I only heard it once but I can't get it out of my head. I know what my next Laptop purchase is going to be...

A Gift From the Tintash Engineers

2010-09-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to the Tintash engineers who presented us with this awesome gift upon the completion of a new section of our building. We look forward to having more meeting and conference space in the near future as the enterprise continues to expand. This gift will continue to hold a special place in the company. Tintash is fortunate to have so many thoughtful and considerate people.

Tintash at Casual Connect

2010-07-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

It's late July in Seattle and that means it's time for Casual Connect! This conference is the premier meeting of great minds and budding entrepreneurs with a zeal for the space of casual gaming. In keeping with our tradition of participating in these sessions, Tintash will be on site to attend the presentations and meet up with potential partners. Keep an eye out for us!

Flubby Physics - Free Game of the Day - Download it while it's hot!

2010-07-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

Flubby Physics is a delightful puzzle game where you must carefully tap on sequences of trapped ghosts to free them. The levels gradually get harder and the later puzzles will leave you tearing your hair out of your head. The best part is the surreal art and spooky tunes.
You have no excuse to try downloading it today. It's available for free through OpenFeint free game of the day right here.
And lo and behold it has surged into the top 100 within hours of this revelation. A top 100 app for free? This is your lucky day!

Tintash in Codeweek

2010-05-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

Tintash was recently featured in Codeweek, a magazine for Pakistani software professionals that has been doing a great job in creating awareness around the various startups in the country. There is an interview with Murad in which he shares details about why we are called Tintash, our successes and our future plans. Check it out here!

Tintash at FAST Career Fair 2010

2010-05-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Tintash was representing at the FAST Career Fair. It was great to see so many Pakistani companies with their bubbly recruiters decked out in matching shirts. There was certainly a massive presence of startups and companies dealing in everything from renewable energy to cell phone technologies. Most of the main players in the iPhone space were present including some we haven't heard much about. It's great to see a whole ecosystem of games and applications companies in the city. We picked up dozens of resumes and will be looking at them carefully over the next few weeks to see who might be a good fit for Tintash.

There's an iPad in the House!

2010-04-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

We finally got our paws on an iPad and there's been plenty of oohing and aahing as it gets passed around. How can you go back to playing on our credit-card sized devices after beholding this? We're so excited we haven't yet taken off the plastic covering. In addition to all the pretty HD graphics it allows us to display, it's also opened up all sort of possibilities with new controls systems. Check out what Fish Frenzy looks like up close and personal.

Impromptu Fun at Tintash

2010-04-09T03:58:00.000-07:00

Our employees' sense of innovation extends beyond what they design on computers. Some of our most enterprising employees managed to cobble together this makeshift ping pong table in a neighboring construction area. Needless to say, every time there's a break, they make a beeline for the table and the games have been as fast and furious as their Counter Strike operations.

Pirate Jump Beta Launched on Facebook

2010-04-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

We've launched the Beta version of Pirate Jump on Facebook. You can play it right here. It's inspired by successful series of jump games making the rounds on iPhone but we've added our own quirks. My personal favorites:
a) The way the pirate's expressions change while he is flitting about the screen is a riot
b) Love leaping through the sea amid a backdrop of rising bubbles
c) The feeling of the 'flip' when the pirate trampolines off into the heavens is definitely one of the smoothest animations around on Facebook

The best part about jump games is that they are so pulsating and dynamic. Take a break from watching your crops grow and join us in jumping through the high seas! Can you beat my personal high score of 44063?

Oh, and remember that this is a Beta so there's room for improvement. Waiting for your feedback!

Are You a Good Fit for Tintash?

2010-03-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

Swamped as I am with resumes, I thought it was time to pen a post on our hiring process. We do carefully consider every resume that is forwarded to us and invite most applicants for an on-site interview. This includes programmers, artists and designers all of whom are vital to our ecosystem. The on-site interview often has a technical component but it's also a chance for you to see our work environment, chat with potential colleagues and judge whether you would be a good fit for us. Here are some of the qualities that tend to be a good fit for Tintash:

Our employees love games in all shapes and forms. You can see them uploading their highest scores off the iPhone to Facebook through the course of our work day. All employees regularly play games to develop a better intuition for what makes a game fun. They are all involved in testing and brainstorming new game ideas.
Our employees are versatile. The engineers aren't just programmers, they are actively involved in the design aspects of games and have an appreciation for the art and music that renders them life. Both artists and engineers are ready to move on to fresh platforms and learn new skill sets when needed.
Our employees thrive in startup environments. It brings privileges like flexible timings and responsibilities such as contributing to the building of a culture. Startups are not for the souls that are looking to hide in cubicles from 9 to 5 and in some ways, they are among the most exciting options available to young graduates who dare to do something different.

Sounds like you? careers@tintash.com beckons

Siri - the Virtual Personal Assistant

2010-03-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

We'd also like to use our blog to highlight some of the neat technologies emerging on the horizon. Siri is definitely an application to watch out for, the New York Times proclaims, "In terms of long term predictions, Siri is actually an easy bet".

As the functionality of our phones multiplies, incessant tapping and searching seems like a chore. Siri allows you to communicate verbally with your phone to extract information, book tables and tickets, and tweet your latest thoughts. It's a testament to how far speech recognition technology has come and spawns a whole new web of possibilities in both the social and mobile realms.

Do any of you have first hand experience with Siri? How do you think games might be able to take advantage of such a service?

If not yet convinced that all iPhone users should download this free app, check out this promotional video.

Tintash at GDC

2010-03-10T01:49:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again: the Game Developers Conference 2010 is being held at San Francisco. Our CEO Murad is representing Tintash at the Conference and will be meeting with more publishers and developers as we look to expand our collaborations. Ping us at bd@tintash.com or by commenting on this post if you are present at GDC and eager to have an in-person meeting!

New Website | Tintash in 2009

2009-12-19T14:04:00.000-08:00

Our new website is finally up! And we have also decided to finally start the Tintash Blog. We will be writing here about all the exciting stuff that happens in the Tintash world. We intend the information here to be useful for all our clients, partners, and team members :)

2009 has been quite a year for us. Our team size went from 6 to 20+. We worked for many new companies which included Digital Chocolate, iWin, and Sandlot Games. As a result many games hit the market including BabySitter2Go, Cafe5Pack, and SuperSlyder. And very importantly we partnered with HDN to bring Seven Wonders: Quest for Koh-i-Noor to life; our first hidden objects game.

We are working on some more games presently and they should be on the store within January 2010. And hopefully their launch would only be the start of 2010!