Karenji
Check out the exclusive story http://www.youtube.com/
Linda, and her sister Helen, a seasoned Sudoku player, refined the game rules and Karenji had its first incarnation as a hardcopy board game made from an old jigsaw puzzle box. After two years collecting dust, Linda, Helen and a third sister, Janis, joined forces to establish the foundation company Kodus Pty Ltd, registered a patent for Karenji and worked on bringing the game into the modern world as a software application (app).
The three sisters formed a relationship with the app development company iApps Pty Ltd, an International Mobile Developer and Digital Agency with Head Office on the Sunshine Coast. Today, they are launching Karenji.
iApps built Karenji as a software program allowing it to be downloaded and played as a multiplayer challenge on multiple mobile devices (initially on Apple devices). The design also allows for a 'solo verses the clock' mode with results of all challenges appearing in Apple’s Game Centre. Dr Glassop stated “the name karenji is derived from two Japanese words (in the tradition of Sudoku), yakara meaning 'group of people', and charenji, meaning 'challenge'. So Karenji means ‘group challenge’.
Karenji is ground breaking because it is a true board game and group challenge” Dr Glassop said, “not only do you have to use your skill, but because of a unique scoring system, you also have to overcome the odds of chance!! Unlike other Sudoku games, Karenji is based on skill and luck.”
Dr Glassop vividly recalls the Karenji concept beginning in December 2009 as her decision to invent a board game came about whilst sick in bed with whooping cough. “It was not the best way to spend a summer holiday", but Dr Glassop developed a fondness for Sudoku after her sister Helen gave her a book to help keep her amused whilst ill.
"I thought to myself, why does Sudoku have to be an individual game? We need a version that allows multiple people to play the same game together, she said”.
So Linda and her sister Helen (a seasoned Sudoku player) invented a set of rules that allows a group of people to play the classic game simultaneously. The first game was played between Linda and Helen to refine the rules, and the first real game was played between Linda, Helen, Janis and David (Helen's husband). Naturally, Helen won the first game!
In April 2011, Linda decided to relocate from her home in Melbourne to Buderim so that she could “hang out with her sisters”. “Both Helen and Janis have dealt with personal tragedies over the previous year, Helen has been recovering from breast cancer, and Janis has been dealing with the loss of her daughter.” “It was time for the three of us to band together and work on something fun” Linda said.
“Whilst it all started out as a fun thing to do, we soon realized that we were establishing a business, dealing with budgets, banks, patent attorneys, trademark attorneys, legal agreements, lawyers and accountants.”
CEO of iApps, Mr. Rick Hoy, said " Working with Linda, Helen and Janis has been an experience in itself, their attention to detail and keen eye for design made the development process one to remember. We've really enjoyed working with them, and look forward to witnessing KARENJI™ become an international success in the iTunes app store”.
"We are really proud that our Company’s Head office in Mooloolaba was chosen as the base for this app which truly has worldwide appeal. Our company is at the forefront of promoting creative industries on the Sunshine Coast. Our local economy is in desperate need of diversification, and by investing in research and development to prompt the acceleration of creative industries, we believe it will kick start growth in the region", said Mr. Hoy.
“The Sunshine Coast has enormous potential to become the high tech, sustainability and creative industries hub of the country, complimented by the explosive growth of the University of the Sunshine Coast together with other ICT companies with a Sunshine Coast base, which are making a world wide impact.
Dr Glassop exclaimed, “the beachfront environment where iApps is located, and their innovative working environment (tech obsessed new age guys and girls in jeans), has made it a real pleasure to work with. iApps professional approach and dedication to our app’s development process has been fantastic”.
Over 100 million people in more than thirty countries play Sudoku. There are international Sudoku competitions held annually. Australia is sending a team to Hungary in November 2011. John Eales, former Australian rugby captain, is part of that team.
-Ends-
For more information, please visit: http://www.karenji.com/
# # #
More information:
About iApps: iApps, a member of the Apple Developer community, is an Australian based company specializing in the design of applications for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch and other Mobile Device technologies.
Our customers include individual consumers, corporate, SME's and industry clients. Our teams of innovative and experienced industry professionals combine their technical skills with their innate ability to 'think outside the square' to deliver high quality, effective and user-friendly applications.
IApps work in partnership with recognized leading industry experts to develop software that meets the needs of the business and achieve greater profits by increasing the productivity and efficiency of employees, whilst reducing costs.
For more information on iApps, please contact:
Lucas Jeffery Thompson
Marketing & Media @ iApps
lucas@iapps.net.au
Tel: +61 1300 665 900
Fax: +61 07 3056 3161
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
