If you follow the news, you probably know that since the release of a new firmware, the whole iPhone/iPod Touch community expected it to bring a lot of apps previously rejected from distribution in the AppStore. Yet we are still unsure if it helps Underworld to get its original setting back, but we promised to take our chances anyway.

Yes, we have re-submitted the gray-trade version of the game, called ‘Underworld: Traffic’. It is rated ‘17+’ for Frequent/Intense Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References and Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive themes.

Underworld: Traffic will bring players into the same world as SweetDeal, with a difference in available commodities and dealer ranks.

Now we wait for the news from Apple and will let you know as soon as we get an update. Stay tuned!

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Update [July 10]: Hey, we’ve  got an update from Apple. Not a very fruitful one though:

‘Your application, Underworld: Traffic 1.0, is requiring unexpected additional time for review. <…>’

Sounds like bad news to us, considering that a previous response like that led to two and a half months of waiting and then to a reject.

Well, fingers crossed, we let you know the minute something new comes up. Meanwhile, we are still working hard on the planned game improvements. Stay with us

Please welcome two new packs: 350 UW points & 750 UW points. Available in iTunes AppStore now!

These are probably going to be the last packs we publish in an old-fashioned 2.0-style. New version supporting in-app purchases is on the way, to be submitted soon. As a bonus, push notification support will be squeezed into this version as well Stay tuned!

Another update of Underworld, 1.2 is ready and waiting for you in the AppStore.

We have submitted this version long before the 3.0 came out, so the 1.2 doesn’t have any of those bells & whistles of 3.0 iPhone firmware yet. Still it’s worth checking out.

Messages from dealers and other characters (Joey, Max, etc) now appear right over the offers screen, so you can read and answer to them without going deep into the Profile screen. The same has happened with sales notifications — check out the screenshots.

We have also improved the tutorial at the start of the game — hoping it’s going to be a lot easier for the newcomers to catch up with the rules now.

Many small bugs and glitches have been fixed in the game, thanks for the bug reports we get from the community.

Ok, now just go get the new version and let us know what you think. While you are enjoying it, we are almost ready with some 3.0-rich stuff. Stay tuned for updates

We have just added one more trick to the Underworld that you can use in exchange for UW points. It is a temporary +30% boost to your maximum Carry Space. This means that your current «carry space» value increased by 30% and this lasts for 4 hours!

One thing to clarify: if your carry space boost is over but you still have the amount of goods exceed your normal space limit, you don’t lose the goods anyway.

Visit Underworld to check out the new item!

Everyone will probably agree that these are exciting times both for the iPhone game developers and for the players. The long and highly anticipated 3.0 firmware is finally coming out tomorrow!

We would like to take a minute and summarize what does this new firmware mean for the Underworld and other MMO & location based games.

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By popular demand, we have created a new pack of 50 UW points.

Get it from the AppStore now!

Seems like the shortest post on our blog, evah!

30 UW Point Pack has just been published in the AppStore. The best part about it is that the point pack is completely free!

Get it now until it’s out there!

Re-Equipment pack works the same way as if you buy it in exchange for 75 UW points in Underworld, but it will only cost you $1.99 (U.S. iTunes Store).

For those who are unfamiliar with the whole re-equipment concept: the idea is that you get a full refund for your currently purchased upgrades. This allows you to re-arrange equipment for better game performance.

Another popular use is that sometimes you are getting second thoughts about upgrading too soon. Refunding equipment makes it possible to rethink what you have done

The same as with point packs, you can purchase Re-Equipment pack only once. Be wise.

Get it from the AppStore now!

In exchange for Underworld points, you can now get detailed info about supply & demand in your area.

For 10 UW points, a local cartel member will tell you what labs & addicts exist on your current tile and what are their prices. He also knows when the situation will change.

Visit Underworld to check it out.

I’m sure you have noticed something new going on in Underworld lately. Many of you didn’t like the changes big time ;)

What has really happened is that the game now gives the advantage to dealers who interact with one another or move from place to place often. Here is how it works.

Back then, you were able to find a lab, pack yourself full with cheap stuff and then just wait until the demand refreshes in the area and addicts will buy your overpriced sweets. This ‘sit and wait’ strategy doesn’t work anymore.

A selection of commodities available in supply & demand on each tile is changing less often now. Moreover, you won’t find the whole variety of sweets on one tile. Some of them you will have to bring from other areas.

When there’s a lab on the map next to you, your best choices are:

• to buy the stuff and price it fair, so that dealers from other areas would purchase it
• take the produced sweets, move to another tile and find the demand in there

Same thing with demand. With an addict located on your tile, you can either purchase merchandize from the dealers in other places or take a walk to another tile.

Basically, this means dealers must interact with each other and share profit. Moreover, the tile refresh time is enough for the traffickers to negotiate over the price and setup stable supply chains.

Underworld economy statistics reports a huge increase of dealer’s profits for the last three days. Bad times are in the past indeed