Fix: Buildbox activation issues on load

Buildbox is a wonderful game authoring tool (that spans the whole nocode-code continuum, including the low-code aspect). It now has a free version too with nice templates and tutorials included.

I had an issue with the Windows version (it also has an indentical MacOS-X version since it’s a Qt-based app) where it was complaining about activation issue at startup and couldn’t proceed.

To solve that you can remove activation info (which won’t be removed if you just do uinstall and reinstall) by deleteing the com.eightcell.buildbox subfolder at:

C:\Users\YOUR_PROFILE_NAME_HERE\AppData\Local\eightcell\Buildbox\

Next time you run Buildbox.exe it will show activation dialog and you can enter your registration key (even the free version has one that you can download from your free account at http://buildbox.com)

With the latest Buildbox 3 there seems to exist an extra com.eightcell.buildbox3 subfolder that you could delete or just rename the main.iblicense files in there to main._iblicense. The launch Buidlbox again to see the activation dialog.

There probably exists some bug in Buildbox that causes one to repeat this action often.
So you could add a RESET_BUILDBOX_LICENSE.BAT file to your desktop with the following commands to delete the license file:

del "%AppData%\..\Local\eightcell\Buildbox\com.eightcell.buildbox3\main.iblicense"
@pause

Free game of the week by Sandlot Games

Sandlot Games has started a free game of the week program, starting each Monday and lasting for a week each time. The free game for this week is Westward I.

Get Wallace & Gromit 3rd game episode (Muzzled!) free till November 9th from TellTale Games

It has been two decades since the release of the very first Aardman‘s Wallace & Gromit short film, "A Grand Day Out". TellTale Games has launched a bunch of special deals and other cool stuff on their website in honor of Wallace & Gromit’s 20th anniversary. PC games should definitely checkout this one before it expires:

Get "Muzzled!", the critically-acclaimed third episode of Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures FREE through November 9th!

Microsoft Popfly game engine opensourced

Microsoft Popfly was a nice web mashup engine with an easy Silverlight game authoring tool. However Microsoft finally decided to pull the plug off Popfly during some of their restructuring.

Luckily recently the Popfly game engine has been opensourced at CodePlex, so game datafiles backed up using the Popfly Game Downloader tool can be now be launched and played using the opensource engine.

25% off for Sandlot Games PC game titles (coupon) till October 25th (2009)

Sandlot Games, my favorite casual games company is celebrating the launch of their new website, and are offering an additional 25% off ALL PC GAMES till Sunday, October 25th (2009) by entering the coupon code “NEWSITE” at shopping cart checkout.

If you register a game like Super Granny (offer doesn’t include the original [first] Super Granny game btw), make sure to also download the free levels available for several of their games (e.g. Super Granny in Paradise, Super Granny 3 and Super Granny 4 all have lots of extra levels there – also note the level editor and community sharing feature the recent Super Granny games include).

Πάζλ – βρες τα ονόματα 14 πουλιών

Ένα ωραίο πάζλ από όταν ήμουνα "Λυκόπουλο" πίσω στις αρχές τις δεκαετίας του ’80:

Δεκατέσσερα πουλιά είναι κλεισμένα σε τούτο το κλουβί. Μπορείς να τα βρείς; (Είναι γραμμένα οριζόντια, κάθετα και διαγώνια).

Π Θ Σ Π Ο Υ Ρ Γ Ι Τ Ι Φ Γ Φ Λ Ω Ρ Ο Σ Β Α Ε Μ Ο Π Ε Ε Φ Ο Σ Ο Α Ι Π Ο Τ Κ Ο Ρ Α Κ Ι Υ Γ Λ Α Δ Σ Α Κ Ι Ζ Θ Υ Σ Ι Ε Π Ρ Α Ρ Α Μ Δ Σ Τ Ο Ρ Θ Α Ε Λ Δ Κ Ο Υ Κ Ο Υ Β Α Γ Ι Α Ε Χ Π Κ Ο Υ Ρ Ι Σ Α Γ Π Ρ Α Ε Ε Ρ Ο Α Δ Ι Λ Ε Ε Ι Φ Ρ Λ Α Ρ Δ Ω Α Ο Ρ Τ Ν Α Ι Δ Ι Τ Α Ρ Τ Σ Α Ε Α Ν Σ Α Η Δ Ο Ν Ι Α Κ Ι Τ Ι Τ Ι Ε Σ Ο Α Χ Ν Ι Ν Ι Ρ Ε Ε Υ Τ Χ Ν Τ Ρ Α Ο Κ Ο Ρ Ι Κ Σ Ο Ν Ι Ε Ο Σ Α Δ Ι Γ Ρ Ι Φ Σ Τ Ρ Ι Σ

Free 1st episode of Tales of Monkey Island pirate game for just one day

For only one day, at "Play like a Pirate" webpage from Telltale Games you can register to download for free the first episode of the new "Tales of Monkey Island" game sequel. Available through midnight (PST) September 19th only so hurry up if you’re a fan of pirate adventure games.

My favorite cat rescuing game on the PC

Super Granny from Sandlot Games is a series of 2D platform games I really love. You control a granny cartoon-like character, trying to collect various stray cats and lead them to a safe place, while avoiding or fighting (or trapping into holes you dig with your shovel) various vicious opponents. You can play a version of it online in Flash, but I prefer running the downloadable version in fullscreen.

Make sure to also download the free levels available for the most recent Super Granny games (e.g. Super Granny in Paradise, Super Granny 3 and Super Granny 4 all have lots of extra levels there – also note the level editor and community sharing feature the recent Super Granny games include).

PopFly shutting down – free tool to bulk download public PopFly games and play offline

More bad news from Microsoft:

On August 24, 2009, the Popfly service will be discontinued and all sites, references, and resources will be taken down. After August 24^th, access to one’s Popfly account, including any games and mashups they’ve created, will be discontinued.

Luckily, there’s an utility called Popfly Game Downloader available (from Microsoft’s Coding4Fun website) that will enable one to bulk download (while the PopFly service is still up) and run publicly released PopFly games locally. So if you had authored PopFly games or there are any PopFly games you like, hurry up and grab them before they’re gone…

Microsoft Research Kodu Game Lab (formerly called Boku)

Kodu from Microsoft Research is a new visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. The programming environment runs on the XBox, allowing rapid design iteration using only a game controller for input.