Back on Towel Day – May 25 – Hothead Games, the studio behind "DeathSpank," announced that they were in development on an interactive "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" for iOS devices. The details were few, but as a "Guide" dork, I'm cautiously optimistic that this could actually turn into a fun little toy for fans of the franchise. Today, Hothead has identified a release window, issued some new screens, and let us know how much we can expect to pay for a neat little replica of the Guide. Hint: it's my favorite price.
This fall, you'll have the opportunity to explore the galaxy, towel and iPhone in hand, without being inconvenienced the awkward sensation of a Babelfish feasting on your brainwaves. The app is a free download, and is meant to turn your iOS device into a replica of the storied Guide. You can learn about the various galactic species and their bizarre traits, which hopefully stay loyal to Douglas Adams' descriptions.
For instance, you might be able to learn about the Hrarf-Hrarf, who are in many ways the outer space equivalent of "Benjamin Button," living their entire lives in reverse. I'm not sure that Hothead are including the Hrarf-Hrarf in their guide, but how could they exclude lifeforms that receive hangovers before they're drunk? I do know that Hothead's guide includes info on Milliways, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, so there's that. It sounds like the studio plans on keeping things nicely canon.
"We really focused on taking existing Guide entries and presenting them in a new, interactive way," said Hothead's Joel DeYoung via press release. "We have so much respect for the original that we had to stay true to the style of Douglas Adams, and deliver an app that feels familiar to fans, but updated for today’s devices."
DeYoung also mentioned to Kotaku that the iOS "Guide" will "continually be expanded," which I'm assuming probably means paid add-ons. I'm completely fine with paying for additional entries, as long as the base app is decent, and the add-ons are appropriate in price and scale.