News
Feb 2010
AUSSIE GAME WINS TOY OSCAR!
Sort it Out! the US version of the Australian invented board game, Sorts, has been named Game of the Year 2010 in the Toy Of The Year (TOTY) Awards. Well-recognised as the "Oscars" of the US toy industry, the annual TOTYs acknowledge the “best of the best” in the multi-billion dollar toy industry. Hosted by the US Toy Industry Association in New York City, the awards event was the kick-off to the 107th annual American International Toy Fair, one of the biggest toy fairs in the world, with more than 400 executives paying US$350 a ticket just to attend the gala ceremony.
"We are absolutely thrilled with this award – we couldn’t be happier!" said Gerry Crown, Managing Director of the Australian games company, Crown and Andrews that first launched Sorts in Australia two years ago. Speaking from the New York Toy Fair, Crown added, "The TOTYs are judged by a panel of toy industry people — retailers, journalists, inventors and educators — so when your game wins this award, you know it's an excellent game!"
The competition for these awards is intense. Thousands of toys and games are released onto the market every year and despite the GFC this year is no exception. At the New York Toy Fair being held this week there are an estimated 7,900 new toys and games being released. Selected from industry-wide entries Sort it Out! was one of 7 finalists for the converted Game of the Year award, including 4 games from the giants in the industry, Hasbro and Mattel.
“Given the scale of the US toy industry and the calibre of the finalists, I think the fact that the winning game was created by an Australian company is just fantastic!” said Crown. “I’ve just met with Bob Moog, head of University Games who does the game for us in the US to congratulate him. He is over the moon. Bob’s company has been a serious player in the US toy industry for decades but this is his company’s first ever TOTY Game of the Year award. So it’s a great moment for him and for us!”
Actually the recognition and awards are starting to add up for this Australian game and it's international versions. When Sorts was first released by Crown and Andrews here in Australia, it was a finalist for Game of the Year in the 2008 Boardgames Australia awards. This year, the junior version of Sorts, called Sorts for Kids, went one step further, winning the title of 2009 Australian Game of the Year at these awards. And it seems that it’s not just Australians and Americans that like putting things in order — Sort it Out! is also in the UK and was released last year in Germany as Sortivity and will be released in France later this year.
Sorts was created by Australians, Craig Browne and his partner Leonie Cutts in their company Relatively Creative. Together Craig and Leonie have been creating board games for more than 15 years. In fact, this year Crown and Andrews is releasing the 15th Anniversary edition of their first game, Compatibility – also an award-winning international hit. Compatibility was first released in Australia in 2005 and was famously picked up by Mattel for worldwide release the following year. It was translated in 5 languages and has gone on to sell more than 500,000 copies worldwide. Other titles by these two include board game adaptations of TV shows such as: Deal or No Deal, The Price is Right and Bert’s Family Feud.
“It’s a big moment for us. We were really excited just to make the final seven. So when Sort it Out! won we were jumping up and down!” said Craig Browne from his home office in Martinsville, NSW. “Actually the real credit needs to go to Bob Moog and his team at University Games in America. Launching a game into the US market is a mammoth task and they are doing an amazing job” added Browne.
How do you play? Sorts is a fun and fast-paced game that plays on our fascination with listing and comparing things. All kinds of things from the serious to the bizarre! Try this: Sort these things from shortest to tallest: an emu, a double bass, the Queen, a T-Rex and a double decker bus. Or how would you go sorting a list of celebrities by their age, the number of Oscars they’ve won, or the number of husbands they’ve had! Players arrange coloured tiles in their special tile holder to show the order they think is correct to compete for points and race to the finish.
Australians who want to enjoy the award-winning fun should ask for the Australian versions Sorts (for ages 12+) and the Australian board game of the year, Sorts for Kids (ages 7+) in toy stores around Australia. END.
Watch the USA TV commercia!
Jan 2010
14 YEAR OLD BOY SOLVES THE RUBIK'S CUBE IN 8.65 SECONDS TO WIN $1000 AT AUSTRALIAN GAMES EXPO RUBIK'S CHAMPIONSHIP!
What can you do in less than 9 seconds? - Take a few steps, stir your coffee, wind down the car window? Well, if you're 14 year old Feliks Zemdegs, from Armadale Victoria, 9 seconds is al you need to solve the famous Rubik's Cube! That's right, that mind boggling puzzle that most of us have never been able to complete since the very first time we jumbled it up.
Held in Canberra at the 2010 Australian Games Expo, the Rubik's Championship was a very exciting 2 hour event. "We really wanted to give everyone a chance to see people of all ages (the contestants ranged from ages 12 to 47) solving the cube", said the event's organiser, Craig Browne. "And not just the lightning fast kids. Some of our older competitors were keen to participate just for the experience and to get their solve times officially recorded - even if it took them 2 and half minutes."
Each competitor had the opportunity to solve the cube 5 times. The winners were the three competitors with the fastest times. In first place, with the extraordinary time of 8.65 seconds was Feliks Zemdegs. He's been cubing since September 2008 and his father, David Zemdegs, told the excited crowd that "Feliks pretty much always has a cube in his hand."
In second place with 14.44 seconds was 12 year old Richard Zhang from Blacktown, NSW. Third place was Tim Major, aged 13 from Williamstown, VIC, with a solve time of 20.40 seconds. See all the results and watch the winning solve!
During the championship some of the cubers also showed their talents by solving the daunting Rubik's 4x4 and 5x5 cubes also in a few minutes. Felik's also delighted the crowd by solving the Rubik's 3x3 cube in just over 20 seconds BUT IN ONE HAND!
Rubik's products are exclusively distributed in Australia by Crown and Andrews.
PICTURED ABOVE: (clockwise from bottom right) Tim Major - 3rd place, Feliks Zemdegs 1st place, Richard Zhang 2nd place, Tim McMahon official scrambler and judge from www.speedcubing.com.au and event host, Craig Browne.
December 2009
USA VERSION OF SORTS MAKES FINALS FOR GAME OF THE YEAR IN US TOY OSCARS!
Crown and Andrews is proud to announce that Sort it Out! the US version of our board game, Sorts is one of only 7 finalists for the coveted Game of the Year awards in the 2010 TOTYs — the "Oscars" of the US toy industry — the "best of the best" as selected by US industry experts.
"We are very excited by this nomination", said Gerry Crown, Managing Director of Crown and Andrews. "The TOTYs are judged by a panel of toy industry people — retailers, journalists, inventors and educators — so when a game makes it to the finals, you know it's a good game!"
Actually the nominations and awards are starting to add up for this Australian invented game and it's international versions. When Sorts was first released by Crown and Andrews here in Australia, it was a finalist for Game of the Year in the 2008 Boardgames Australia awards. And this year, the junior version of Sorts, called Sorts for Kids went one step further, winning the title of 2009 Australian Game of the Year! at these awards.
"We have a long history of creating solid partnerships with like-minded games companies all over the world", said Crown. "We chose the very well-respected US-based, University Games for Sorts, called Sort it Out! in the US. Actually most of the credit for the TOTY nomination must go to Bob Moog and his team at University Games. Launching a brand new game in the US market is a mammoth task and University Games have not only managed to achieve this nomination, but also to place the game in thousands of stores across America, including all the major department stores. It's a great testament to both the quality of the game and the company!", said Crown. Read Univeristy Games' official press release.
Sort it Out! is not available in Australia. But, Australians who want to experience the game play of Sort it Out! this Christmas should ask for the original games Sorts (for ages 12+) and the award-winning Sorts for Kids (ages 7+) in toy stores around Australia.
November 2009
RUBIK'S CUBE MANIA HITS AUSTRALIA AGAIN!
Not since it's hey day has Rubik's experienced such a boom year in Australia which is now cumulating in the release of the Rubik's TouchCube — a $399 electronic collector edition of the world famous addictive cube puzzle available from Dick Smith and Australian Geographic stores in Australia. The Rubik's TouchCube is the world's first completely electronic, solvable cube. Get all the details!
Gerry Crown from Crown and Andrews has been amazed by the resurgence in interest, partly driven by a mid year fascination from radio giants "Hamish & Andy" at the speed at which the traditional 3x3 cube could be solved by a Melbourne schoolboy in around 12 seconds. With Hamish giving himself the week to beat it. Of course he failed miserably. But it created a mini sales boom for Rubik's Cubes.
"It wasn't just the traditional Rubik's Cube that started booming. Rubik's had been innovating their puzzle offering for years and over the past few years had really created some amazing puzzles that suddenly found a new audience. Especially the all electronic Rubik's Revolution series from last year and the new puzzle this year — the Rubik's 360° Edition. "The 360° involves 6 coloured balls that have to be trapped simultaneously in a sphere shaped contraption which is really addictive and fun," says Gerry Crown.
"The Rubik's Revolution product especially with the Introduction of the "Titanium Edition" went through the roof as a new generation of people discovered the addictiveness of the six electronic puzzles built into the traditional 3x3 cube design. It looked similar to the traditional design but had gone high tech with multi level gaming. The Rubik's 360° is a different story and is really exciting and very challenging." Despite the Rubik's 360° having been launched mid year and there being a $1000 prize for the first person to prove that they have solved the puzzle, no-one has come forward yet to claim the prize. We would love someone to walk in and prove the puzzle has been solved or send in a video taken on a camera phone via e-mail."
"The Rubik's TouchCube is the latest edition and is a strictly limited edition for the collector or the technology obsessed with a cool price tag over $300 at retail. We realize it is not for everyone but it is a premium product and is the perfect product for a Rubik's obsessed fan," Crown adds.
October 2009
SORTS FOR KIDS has been awarded the title of BEST AUSTRALIAN GAME 2009 in Boardgames Australia's annual national awards.
Here is the announcement:
After a tough judging process, Boardgames Australia is very proud to announce the winner of Best Australian Game for 2009.
Sorts for Kids is the younger sibling of Sorts! but the new game is not only simplified for younger players but also even more fun with great zany questions, easy to use paddles to lock in your answer, and a new fun category of questions - the line up! We reckon that Sorts for Kids makes a perfect present for families with children in the 9-15 age range.
Here's what the judges said:
"I've laughed out loud with Sorts for Kids, and it will always get at least a giggle out of me. But it is still also a challenging game which can get you thinking."It is also great at promoting social interaction along the lines of ''...but I've never even read any Harry Potter books!' "
"Sorts for Kids is a great take on trivia. The game always takes about 20 minutes to play, so it's easy to slip in a game (or two) before bed-time. Parents sometimes have not a clue about some of the questions, which is good and a great part of the fun for the kids. I laughed a lot playing Sorts with the silly questions, and 'why do *you* know *that*?', and of course 'Doh!'"
"Good rulebook, good price, good components, kids like it. I like this more than mainstream trivia games like Trivial Pursuit and Wits & Wagers: as a trivia game system it is strong."
"Where Sorts for Kids scores is by allowing everyone to play at once, so that everyone is always engaged and the game cracks along to a conclusion. The basic structure of comparison generates inherently interesting questions: 'are there more peanuts used to make a jar of peanut butter or teeth on an alligator' compared with "name 3 countries that border Bhutan". Certainly one of the best trivia games I have played. The box looks good and is full of stuff, and is good value for money. It is easy to learn and play, while the fun questions promote good discussion and generate a 'let's play again factor'. "
6 July 2009
Six Coloured Balls - Three Transparent Spheres – Only One Solution!
The much anticipated Rubik's 360° is now available in Australia!
It’s from Rubik’s and it is round?!
The 360° is spherical as opposed to cube-shaped, transparent rather than solid, but it’s very, very Rubik’s and it will take a clever mind to solve it.
The 360° has the original 6 Rubik’s colours but it’s more than a logic challenge, you’ve got to develop some skill as well.
When you actually put your hands around the Rubik’s 360 for the first time you can’t let go. You instinctively understand what the game is about and immediately want to start solving it, but first you have to find out how it actually works and how you can defy gravity.
More about the 360° and other Rubik's products.
2 June 2009
Sorts for Kids board game shortlisted for Best Australian Game for 2009.
Sorts for Kids, the junior version of the game of putting things in order, has joined a handful of games that have been shortlisted for the prestigious title of Best Australian Board Game by the Board Games Australia organisation.
More about the Sorts for Kids.
1 May 2009
Sorts board game set for release in the massive US market.
The Sorts board game is about to hit the shelves of all major toy retailers and department stores in the US. Under the slightly different name of Sort It Out!, our game has been licensed to the impressive US-based game company, University Games.
Note: Sort it Out! is not available in Australia.
Jan 2009
Sorts board game released in Europe.
Sorts board game is set for European release in Germany (and other German speaking countries). Known as Sortivity in these markets, our game has been licensed to the large German games company, Piatnik.
Note: Sortivity is not available in Australia.
2008
Sorts board game makes the news!
Our principal game developer, Craig Browne, was tracked down by the NBN news team to talk about board game development and the success of the worldwide interest in the Sorts board game.
Watch the video on Relatively Creative's website.
