Firemint today issued a warning to App Store shoppers. Early reports indicate that the company’s new game, Flight Control, may be highly addictive. Firemint recommends small doses to be taken as part of a balanced lifestyle.

Within a few days of release, the game has entered the top 10 charts in many countries, including #1 paid game in the Netherlands, #3 in Finland, #4 in Taiwan and rising rapidly in other regions. Purchasers are generous with their praise, and the game currently has an average worldwide review score of 4.63 out of 5 stars.

The game delights with broad appeal and quirky humour. Its polished graphics and music evoke the golden era of aviation. “We’ve been really pleased by the wide adoption of the game. People love the simplicity and style, and are on Twitter confessing to their addiction. We’re even hearing stories about married couples competing against each other to get the higher score” said Alexandra Peters, Firemint’s Community Liaison for the game.

Gameplay is easy to learn - just touch and drag planes to their runways - but difficult to master, as more and more aircraft appear and the player is challenged to redirect them to avoid mid-air collisions. The unique control method is only possible on the iPhone and iPod Touch, with the player drawing flight paths directly on the screen. Aircraft can fly in a straight line, an elegant curve or more complex patterns. Players have even been observed performing intricate skywriting manoeuvres. Flight Control is ideal for two minutes or two hours, with extremely fast “two-taps-to-play” startup and "just one more go" gameplay.

"The game is something I refer to as ultra-casual. It is quick to play but extremely addictive," said Robert Murray, CEO of Firemint and the game’s designer. "Games that are typically called casual have become surprisingly complex. I think they have lost their way".

In the spirit of an emerging App Store trend, Murray has promised to announce the first month’s sales figures and document the company’s experience with the App Store. "The App Store is an amazing new opportunity for so many smaller developers, but it is difficult to forecast sales and even harder to launch an effective marketing campaign. We hope that sharing our experiences will help, and the more developers do it, the more will follow. I think that will create a stronger ecosystem for everyone".

Flight Control is available now, worldwide, exclusively for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The game is on sale at US$ 0.99 for a limited time, before rising to the full price of US$ 2.99.

Price: US$ 0.99
Release Date: 6 March 2009
Developer/Publisher: Firemint

Website: http://www.firemint.com/flightcontrol