Press Release:
Rip Curl has announced that it will release a high-end 3D surfing game to the iPhone market this September. Titled Live The Search: The Ultimate Surfing Game, the application is being project-managed by Rip Curl International and developed in Australia by Sydney-based creative agency LOMAH Studios.
Driven by Rip Curl’s “Search” philosophy, the game will allow players to travel the world as Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore or a self-created surfer, chasing swells and surfing some of the most secret waves in our oceans.
The player advances through the game by completing goals, unlocking trips and completing other objectives. There are no contest rash vests in this game either – it’s all about travel, adventure and living the Search.
“I can’t wait to play the finished product – I’m a big iPhone and iPad geek so it’s going to be good to have a surfing app. It will be the perfect game to kill down time,” says 2 x ASP World Champion Mick Fanning. “The Search concept is such a big part of Rip Curl’s culture and I’m glad we decided to focus on this for the game – traveling the world in search of perfect waves is what surfing is all about…”
“I can’t wait to surf like Mick,” jokes 3 x ASP World Champion Stephanie Gilmore. “It’s really cool that Mick and I are characters in the game – we’ve both been with Rip Curl for over 10 years and we grew up reading about and watching videos of Rip Curl’s first ever Search trips with Tom Curren and co, back in the ’80s. I’m going to play it all the time!”
Rip Curl originally planned to release the game in April during the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, but delayed its unveiling to better tie in with its global ‘Live The Search’ marketing campaign in the second part of the year. The brand has some major ‘Search’ projects unfolding right now and the September release couldn’t have been timed better for Neil Ridgway. Rip Curl Group Marketing & Advertising Chairman:
“We really wanted this game to be a true reflection of the brand’s spirit. The ‘Search’ is what makes Rip Curl the ultimate surfing company, so it was a no brainer that this would be the concept for this game as well.”
“The gaming market has been starved of a high-end surfing game for several years now and there has been a lot of noise about this lately,” continued Ridgway. “We’re really excited to get this game available on the iTunes Store and feed the hungry!”
The Live The Search game is a revolutionary iPhone application release for LOMAH Studios too, who have dedicated over six months to the development project.
“Ground breaking new graphic technology had to be developed for Live The Search, but it all came together perfectly in the end,” said Stephen Molloy, Creative Director of LOMAH Studios. “The more we played the game and refined it, the more we became hooked on it ourselves!”
“There are a lot of subtleties to the mechanics and the experience of surfing that make all the difference. We went back to the drawing board and created everything from scratch for Live The Search; the end result is really beautiful to play,” said Dain Hedgpeth, Technical Director of LOMAH Studios.
Live The Search: The Ultimate Surfing Game is currently being reviewed by Apple and will be available via the iTunes Store later this month.
Keep your eyes peeled for our next media release announcing the game’s availability.
