What does it mean when you win the Independent Games Festival? Our own Brian Ashcraft looked at the issue earlier this year, checking out a list of IGF 2008 finalists topped by Petri Purho's Crayon Physics Deluxe, a game in which you crayon-sketch objects and use their physics to solve puzzles.

Apparently, one of the things that happens is that your ideas seem to influence future commercial titles, as Majesco today announced Marker Man Adventures, developed by Glyphic Entertainment and slated for Nintendo DS come the holidays. It's based, said Majesco, on drawing and physics challenges to help stick figure Marker Man find his lost pal, Doodle Dog.

In Marker Man Adventures, players use the stylus and touch screen to "draw geometric shapes-including lines, circles, boxes, triangles and pivot points-to create simple machines that help Marker Man advance through levels from point A to point B". Though Purho's game had no pivot points, and Majesco's version is adding power-ups, hidden areas and "unique surprises" (surprises, yes!), the basic concept sounds enough like Crayon Physics to make me a bit optimistic at the degree to which indie invention often appears to infuse the commercial market.

Gamasutra's Brandon Boyer has a less-obvious but more likely suggestion regarding Marker Man Adventures' inspiration - PC downloadable Marker World, maybe? Full announcement follows the jump.

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES
'MARKER MAN ADVENTURES' FOR NINTENDO DS™

Help Marker Man Find His Lost Doodle Dog This Holiday

EDISON, N.J., July 2nd, 2008 - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Marker Man Adventures for Nintendo DS™. Developed by Glyphic Entertainment, this unique game based on drawing and physics challenges players to manoeuvre the charming stick figure, Marker Man, through 150 scrolling world puzzles in his attempt to find his best friend, Doodle Dog.

Players use the Touch Screen and stylus to draw geometric shapes-including lines, circles, boxes, triangles and pivot points-to create simple machines that help Marker Man advance through levels from point A to point B. Gamers use logic and can collect power-ups to help solve intricate themed puzzles set in underwater, outer space and ice environments, among others. Three difficulty modes and hidden areas within each level present unique surprises throughout Marker Man's quest to reunite with Doodle Dog.

Marker Man Adventures for Nintendo DS™ is expected to release this holiday. For additional information about Majesco's exciting line of products, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com.

About Majesco Entertainment Company
Majesco Entertainment Company is a provider of video games for the mass market. Building on 20 years of operating history, the company is focused on developing and publishing a wide range of casual and family oriented video games on leading console and portable systems. Product highlights include Nancy Drew™, Cooking Mama™ and Cake Mania® 2 for Nintendo DS™ and Cooking Mama: Cook Off for Wii™. The company's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: COOL. Majesco is headquartered in Edison, NJ and has an international office in Bristol, UK. More information about Majesco can be found online at www.majescoentertainment.com.

Tags: ds | indie | majesco | marker man adventures