iPhone Firmware » App Store http://www.iphonefirmware.com Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 GDC 2010: From rags to riches on the App Store http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-from-rags-to-riches-on-the-app-store/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-from-rags-to-riches-on-the-app-store/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-from-rags-to-riches-on-the-app-store/ Filed under: , ,

While we weren't able to stay the whole time (the life of a TUAW blogger at a covention is varied and hectic), the iPhone Game Developers' Luncheon at GDC 2010 was a pretty enlightening experience. After a little varied networking among guests, hosts PlayHaven, Cooley Godward Kronish (a law firm that specializes in startup companies), and MplayIt started up the panel discussion. The iPhone developers in attendance were Igor Pusenjak of Lima Sky (the creators of the very popular Doodle Jump) and Bryan Mitchell, a solo developer who created a game called Geared that's risen to the top of the App Store charts.

The most interesting thing we learned at the luncheon (in among a lot of legal talk about forming corporations and copyright law) was where these two developers came from. Mitchell was a filmmaker who had to work construction "after film work dried up in Las Vegas," and decided to jump in on the app business to make extra money. His game only made a few bucks a day at first, but after spending a little on advertising, Apple featured his game in "What's Hot." After that, he was off to the races.

Continue reading GDC 2010: From rags to riches on the App Store

GDC 2010: From rags to riches on the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: From rags to riches on the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-from-rags-to-riches-on-the-app-store/feed/ 0 iPad Now Available for Pre-Order http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/ipad-now-available-for-pre-order/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/ipad-now-available-for-pre-order/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:05:38 +0000 Taimur Asad http://www.redmondpie.com/?p=9916 http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/ipad-now-available-for-pre-order/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Hands-on with Faraway http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-hands-on-with-faraway/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-hands-on-with-faraway/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-hands-on-with-faraway/ Filed under: , , , , ,

Steph Thirion's first iPhone game was Eliss, a touchscreen-based arcade game that had you combining and maneuvering planets around one another, and trying to size-match them up with black holes to earn points. As he told us (stay tuned for an exclusive interview with the indie developer), it was pretty hard -- even more so than he actually intended it to be. So, for his second iPhone game, Faraway, he's gone much simpler. Inspired by the iPhone game Canabalt, Thirion has created a one-button game in which the goal is nothing less than to explore the universe. He has it running on a Mac at the show (so he can project the video onto a bigger screen), and we got to have some hands-on time with the new game.

You control a comet that flies around an inky black void speckled with dots and circles; the pixelated space aesthetic from Eliss is back. This time, however, there's only one control, and it's a tap anywhere on the screen. Doing so will cause your comet to gravitate towards the nearest static dot, which will then slingshot you around the star until you let go, and the comet flings off in a new direction. There's an arrow pointing off of the screen, and by timing slingshots correctly, you will face the comet in the direction of the arrow.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Hands-on with Faraway

GDC 2010: Hands-on with Faraway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Hands-on with Faraway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/gdc-2010-hands-on-with-faraway/feed/ 0 iPhone Game Battle of Puppets adds Unlockable Content and Lower Price http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/iphone-game-battle-of-puppets-adds-unlockable-content-and-lower-price/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/iphone-game-battle-of-puppets-adds-unlockable-content-and-lower-price/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:50:00 +0000 admin http://iphonenews.desinformado.com/2010/03/iphone-game-battle-of-puppets-adds-unlockable-content-and-lower-price/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/iphone-game-battle-of-puppets-adds-unlockable-content-and-lower-price/feed/ 0 iBrr Bluetooth Receiver & Remote for iPhone – New P2P Remote http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/ibrr-bluetooth-receiver-remote-for-iphone-%e2%80%93-new-p2p-remote/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/ibrr-bluetooth-receiver-remote-for-iphone-%e2%80%93-new-p2p-remote/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000 admin http://iphonenews.desinformado.com/2010/03/ibrr-bluetooth-receiver-remote-for-iphone-new-p2p-remote/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/12/ibrr-bluetooth-receiver-remote-for-iphone-%e2%80%93-new-p2p-remote/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: The secret to App Store success http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-the-secret-to-app-store-success-2/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-the-secret-to-app-store-success-2/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:30:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-the-secret-to-app-store-success/ Filed under: , , , ,

For the last panel of GDC 2010 day two, David Whatley of Critical Thought took the stage to talk about the App Store success he found with his games geoDefense and geoDefense Swarm, and almost dared other iPhone developers to follow his "guaranteed plan" to go from "zero to Time Magazine." He's got quite a background in the trenches of coding and game development, having designed and run online mulitplayer games for over a decade with his "day job" at a company called Simutronics, but he decided to take to the iPhone in his spare time both to learn the platform and see what he could do with it.

First things first, he said, to make an iPhone game, you've got to figure out your goals as a business. He talked about the potential on the iPhone in terms of millions of dollars, but of course, since "99.9% of businesses on the App Store make no money," it's much more likely that if something goes wrong during development or something doesn't click right, the money will drop down to just "a few bucks." It's a balance of costs (which he relabeled as "risks") vs. revenue -- it's very easy, he said, to make money on the App Store, but the issue most developers have is that they let costs get away from them by having too big a team or by investing too much development time, and that comes straight out of their bottom line.

Continue reading GDC 2010: The secret to App Store success

GDC 2010: The secret to App Store success originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: The secret to App Store success originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-the-secret-to-app-store-success-2/feed/ 0 iPad Presale Starts Friday, March 12th, 5:30am PST http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/ipad-presale-starts-friday-march-12th-530am-pst/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/ipad-presale-starts-friday-march-12th-530am-pst/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:38:04 +0000 Mike McKinnon http://www.redmondpie.com/?p=9903 http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/ipad-presale-starts-friday-march-12th-530am-pst/feed/ 0 Leaked Memo Reveals Verizon’s Plan To Promote MiFi To iPad Customers http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/leaked-memo-reveals-verizons-plan-to-promote-mifi-to-ipad-customers/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/leaked-memo-reveals-verizons-plan-to-promote-mifi-to-ipad-customers/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:29:09 +0000 Andy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83534e7f169e201310f8d014d970c http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/leaked-memo-reveals-verizons-plan-to-promote-mifi-to-ipad-customers/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Backflip Studios’ year in the App Store http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-backflip-studios-year-in-the-app-store/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-backflip-studios-year-in-the-app-store/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:30:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-backflip-studios-year-in-the-app-store/ Filed under: , , ,

Julian Farrior hosted a panel here on day two of the 2010 Game Developers' Conference here in San Francisco, and he told a room of press and developers about his last year in the App Store. He had attended last year's conference with a partner while considering starting up an iPhone company, and that idea became Backflip Studios. Since the company was founded in April of 2009, they've gotten five apps in the top five, and made (Farrior said he'd be honest, because it was more interesting) $2.5 million in revenue so far.

tweetmeme_url = "http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-backflip-studios-year-in-the-app-store/" tweetmeme_source = "tuaw"
He revealed that a full $1m in that actually came straight from ad sales -- he's made deals with AdMob and other companies to put ads in his popular Paper Toss app, and he uses those ads both for straight revenue, as well as to promote his own games (more on that later in the talk). Farrior offered up a frank and honest look at what it was like to run an iPhone app company for a year.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Backflip Studios' year in the App Store

GDC 2010: Backflip Studios' year in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Backflip Studios' year in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-backflip-studios-year-in-the-app-store/feed/ 0 Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/review-knights-of-charlemagne-card-game-is-simply-simple-and-we-like-it-like-that/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/review-knights-of-charlemagne-card-game-is-simply-simple-and-we-like-it-like-that/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Sebastian Blanco http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/review-knights-of-charlemagne-card-game-is-simply-simple-and-w/ Filed under: , ,


The clever 2006 card game Knights of Charlemagne has made it to the iPhone and iPod touch as a simple little number placing app [$1.99, iTunes link]. We don't mean simple in that it's easy to beat or uninteresting. We mean that the game is clearly designed and plays quickly. While the beginner level (the Squire) is really only worth playing through once or twice with the tutorial minstrel on to learn the rules, getting to and beating the AI at Knight, and then the King level (which is supposed to be Charlemagne himself) is a good challenge and provides plenty of game for two bucks.

There's a whole lot of math and bluffing in the game. That is something which is better experienced in person and using real cards, but board games on the iPhone are their own experience. So, when you want some light brain-burning with a medieval theme, look no further than this simple app. Read on to find out more.

Gallery: Knights of Charlemagne game app

Continue reading Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that

Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/review-knights-of-charlemagne-card-game-is-simply-simple-and-we-like-it-like-that/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Canabalt postmortem http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-canabalt-postmortem/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-canabalt-postmortem/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-canabalt-postmortem/ Filed under: , , , ,

"What kinds of games do you like?" Adam "Atomic" Saltsman asked of his panel audience at the Canabalt postmortem during the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. "Role-playing" was yelled out, as was "puzzler," and eventually Saltsman picked "platformer" as the genre. Without another word, he quietly went to work on a laptop. Then, his partner at Semi Secret Software, Eric Johnson, took the podium to tell us all about what it was like to make one of the App Store's most popular games.

He started by saying that the game was originally developed in just "five very long days," and was created for the Experimental Gameplay Project and based around simplicity -- it only uses six colors and, obviously, the one button. For a game that's so simple, it actually had a lot of complex influences. It drew from older games, like Another World and Flashback, as well as modern works, like Half-Life 2 and District 9.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Canabalt postmortem

GDC 2010: Canabalt postmortem originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Canabalt postmortem originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-canabalt-postmortem/feed/ 0 Poynt for iPhone is a mixed bag http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/poynt-for-iphone-is-a-mixed-bag/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/poynt-for-iphone-is-a-mixed-bag/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000 Mel Martin http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/poynt-for-iphone-is-a-mixed-bag/ Filed under: , , ,

Poynt has come to the iPhone, after having been a very popular free app on BlackBerry phones. Poynt provides local searches of individuals and businesses. It also shares a database with Open Table, so you can use it to make reservations at restaurants. Unlike the BlackBerry app, it has augmented reality, but is missing some features beloved by the Blackberry crowd.

Like some of the other iPhone search apps, you can enter the name of a business, and get a phone number, links to a website (if there is one), a mapped location, or directions. If you use the theater search, you'll find nearby movie houses. You can also search by movie genres, or get a list of the top 10 box office films. You can't buy tickets, but you can stream trailers.

When you search for restaurants, you get similar results to those of the business search. Results include phone numbers, restaurant websites, maps, and directions. You can also narrow your search by cuisine, or by distance.

Continue reading Poynt for iPhone is a mixed bag

Poynt for iPhone is a mixed bag originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Poynt for iPhone is a mixed bag originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/poynt-for-iphone-is-a-mixed-bag/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: How to develop an app with EA Mobile http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-how-to-develop-an-app-with-ea-mobile/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-how-to-develop-an-app-with-ea-mobile/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-how-to-develop-an-app-with-ea-mobile/ Filed under: , , ,

For the first panel of day two here at the 2010 Game Developers Conference's iPhone gaming track, Oliver Miao of Centerscore Studios took the stage to talk about working on Surviving High School for the iPhone as a part of Electronic Arts' Mobile division. As Miao made clear early on, he's an "insider outsider" at EA: his company was started with a few friends, purchased by Vivendi in 2006, created a hit mobile game called Surviving High School in 2007, and was bought by EA in 2008. Last year, they were commissioned to recreate their game for the iPhone. In one of the most interesting iPhone panels at the conference yet, he talked about the ins and outs of working with EA on an iPhone title, and explained both, what it was like to work with the company, and his own philosophies on game design, especially concerning in-app purchases and microtransactions.

Most users seem to believe that microtransactions and episodic content are, at the very least, a pain to deal with (and are, at worst, a scam), but Miao is convinced that they're actually necessary to having a successful game -- he said that every developer, going forward, "will need to have them." Read on to find out why.

Continue reading GDC 2010: How to develop an app with EA Mobile

GDC 2010: How to develop an app with EA Mobile originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: How to develop an app with EA Mobile originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/11/gdc-2010-how-to-develop-an-app-with-ea-mobile/feed/ 0 Count The Beats: Inspiration… two apps for the musician on the move http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/count-the-beats-inspiration-two-apps-for-the-musician-on-the-move/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/count-the-beats-inspiration-two-apps-for-the-musician-on-the-move/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0000 Matt Tinsley http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/count-the-beats-inspiration/ Filed under: , , , ,

Recently I've been preparing to move home and finally did last weekend. Naturally I had to pack up all my musical gear, equipment and of course, my Mac. In the week leading up to the move, I've had my iPhone and nothing else. With no creative outlet and the pressure of looming project deadlines, I found myself scouting the app store for a fix to help me start fleshing out a few creative ideas.

This is what I found that worked well for me.

1. TonePad and TonePad Pro

The iTunes Store describes TonePad Pro as "...the easiest way to make music. Discover the inner musician in you. Create songs by simply touching." And this is exactly what I found. With a 16 x 16 matrix, and an easy-to-use user interface (literally start tapping your fingers and music is made), I found myself coming up with little melodies and tunes immediately. Although you only have the 16 x 16 matrix, to me, what initially seemed quite limiting soon became a boundary for creative focus.

You can save an unlimited number of tunes to listen back to, and upload them to a shared server where your buddies can check out what you've been musing. With the paid version, you can save your melodies into a ringtone that will sync back to your iPhone, too.

2. Flourish

Flourish is something a bit more immersive. While having a steeper learning curve, there's loads more to explore here. The user interface is really fresh and unique (especially for the iPhone), and presents a creative challenge in focusing your composition whilst giving you the space to try different approaches to what you are creating.

Basically Flourish represents musical phrases as physical loops:

-Record loops with expressive multi-touch keyboards.
-Generate percussive and melodic sequences.
-Build arrangements by ear or by eye.
-Select from a consonant collection of instruments.
-Sequence loops by connecting them in chain.

Check out the Flourish website for a few demo clips.

Let us know in the comments below what other apps for the iPhone / iPod Touch, or the Mac, that are inspiring you to make music.

Count The Beats: Inspiration... two apps for the musician on the move originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Count The Beats: Inspiration... two apps for the musician on the move originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/count-the-beats-inspiration-two-apps-for-the-musician-on-the-move/feed/ 1 GDC 2010: Call of Duty: World at War Zombies postmortem http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-postmortem/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-postmortem/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-postmortem/ Filed under: , , , , ,

Russell Clarke of Ideaworks Game Studio hosted a post-mortem report near the end of the first day of GDC 2010 about Call of Duty: World at War Zombies for the iPhone. The game was one of the first big brand hits on the App Store -- it successfully brought a game mode from one of Activision's Call of Duty console games (originally developed by Treyarch) to Apple's handheld device. After a quick joke about how a "post-mortem" was an appropriate exercise for a game about zombies, Clarke got into the nuts and bolts of how Ideaworks went about adapting the game for the iPhone.

The most major feature of the game's development, he said, was the decision last year around this time to sit down and work on prototyping for about six weeks. Nowadays, there are a few successful first person shooters around the App Store, but last year, FPSes were still a new genre for the iPhone, so the team decided to really brainstorm how one would work on a touchscreen.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Call of Duty: World at War Zombies postmortem

GDC 2010: Call of Duty: World at War Zombies postmortem originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Call of Duty: World at War Zombies postmortem originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-postmortem/feed/ 0 PixelMags – 100+ Magazine Apps for iPad http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/pixelmags-%e2%80%93-100-magazine-apps-for-ipad/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/pixelmags-%e2%80%93-100-magazine-apps-for-ipad/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:50:00 +0000 admin http://iphonenews.desinformado.com/2010/03/pixelmags-100-magazine-apps-for-ipad/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/pixelmags-%e2%80%93-100-magazine-apps-for-ipad/feed/ 1 GDC 2010: Interview with Street Fighter IV producer Takeshi Tazuka http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-interview-with-street-fighter-iv-producer-takeshi-tazuka/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-interview-with-street-fighter-iv-producer-takeshi-tazuka/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-interview-with-street-fighter-iv-producer-takeshi-tazu/ Filed under: , , , ,

We stopped by the Capcom Fight Club party here at GDC 2010 last night, and in addition to playing the new game, we also got to talk to producer Takeshi Tazuka. Actually, we got to talk to his translator -- Tazuka only speaks Japanese, and I only speak English, so the interview was done with a middleman in between.

But even with the language barrier, we did get some good chat in about the new game, Capcom's future plans for the iPhone, and what Tazuka thinks about making a game like this for the iPad. Read on for more.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Interview with Street Fighter IV producer Takeshi Tazuka

GDC 2010: Interview with Street Fighter IV producer Takeshi Tazuka originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Interview with Street Fighter IV producer Takeshi Tazuka originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-interview-with-street-fighter-iv-producer-takeshi-tazuka/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Ngmoco justifies the freemium model http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/ Filed under: , , , ,

As popular as Ngmoco and its games are, whenever we seem to post about them, the subject of their business model seems to rise to the top again. While they have emerged as one of the iPhone's top original developers, they've also lost a lot of fans by sticking with a model they call "freemium," even to the detriment of some of their most popular games. They release games for free, and then monetize the games by using microtransactions, selling both virtual items and virtual currency for real money.

tweetmeme_url = "http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/" tweetmeme_source = "tuaw"
We have a lot of questions for the company, and we'll be asking even more of them coming later this week. But first things first: we cornered Ngmoco producer Allen Ma here in their suite at GDC 2010 and asked him to try and tell us why Ngmoco is so insistent on "freemium," and how they feel about some of the adverse customer reactions to their model. Read on to hear why free-to-play, pay-to-play-more is the model that they're betting their business on.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Ngmoco justifies the freemium model

GDC 2010: Ngmoco justifies the freemium model originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Ngmoco justifies the freemium model originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-justifies-the-freemium-model/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Ngmoco previews We Rule and GodFinger http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-previews-we-rule-and-godfinger/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-previews-we-rule-and-godfinger/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-previews-we-rule-and-godfinger/ Filed under: , , ,

We stopped by Ngmoco's suite at GDC 2010 on the afternoon of the first day of the show, and got a chance to preview two upcoming titles they're working on testing and releasing soon. Both of the games follow Ngmoco's popular (and yet much-maligned) "freemium" model, in which you download the game for free with the option to buy in-game items or currency that can change up or speed your gameplay. Still, while the model might turn some players off, the games we saw were the kinds of games Ngmoco is slowly becoming known for: polished casual experiences that bring an established genre squarely into their business model.

The first game we saw was called We Rule -- it's currently "beta testing" in the Canadian App Store and will be available to users in other App Stores soon. It was described to us as "Farmville meets Age of Empires," but what we saw was much more like Farmville rather than the more combat-based RTS title. The game opens on a screen full of "realms," each one developed and grown by one of your Ngmoco Plus+ friends, and you can zoom into your own to start building it up.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Ngmoco previews We Rule and GodFinger

GDC 2010: Ngmoco previews We Rule and GodFinger originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Ngmoco previews We Rule and GodFinger originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-ngmoco-previews-we-rule-and-godfinger/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Real Racing and Flight Control on the iPad with Firemint http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-real-racing-and-flight-control-on-the-ipad-with-firemint/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-real-racing-and-flight-control-on-the-ipad-with-firemint/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-real-racing-and-flight-control-on-the-ipad-with-firemi/ Filed under: , , , ,

We got to sit down with Australian developer Firemint here at the Game Developers Conference 2010 in San Francisco -- it's a mobile game developer who hit it big last year with the very popular iPhone game Flight Control, and while it used to make mobile games for just a handful of larger game publishers like EA, the company is now trying to cement a reputation for making a smaller stable of high quality App Store games. "We like to joke that we went from ten customers to ten million," community manager Alexandra Peters told us.

She also showed us their second game, Real Racing, which has been winning all kinds of awards even in the crowded accelerometer racing game genre, and talked with us both about Flight Control HD (their upcoming "soon after launch" title for the iPad) as well as what's next for the company.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Real Racing and Flight Control on the iPad with Firemint

GDC 2010: Real Racing and Flight Control on the iPad with Firemint originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Real Racing and Flight Control on the iPad with Firemint originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-real-racing-and-flight-control-on-the-ipad-with-firemint/feed/ 0 GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-street-fighter-iv-for-the-iphone-out-now-2/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-street-fighter-iv-for-the-iphone-out-now-2/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:30:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-street-fighter-iv-for-the-iphone-out-now/ Filed under: , , ,

Tonight at GDC 2010, I went out and stopped by the Capcom Fight Club party here in San Francisco, and while there, Capcom projected the actual App Store interface for sending their Street Fighter IV app to the App Store on various screens around the room. We actually got to see them press the button on the release live and in person, and sure enough, the game is in the App Store right now for $9.99.

Before you go press buy, though, I'll also tell you that I got a chance to play the game, and while it is about as faithful a Street Fighter IV game as you can get on the iPhone, playing a fighting game without actual buttons is not really an ideal experience. While I was able to pull off a Hadoken and almost all of the other old moves after a few tries, the highest levels of competition in a fighting game require precision and subtlety, and this control scheme has neither of those. If you just want to play Street Fighter on an iPhone, sure -- be an early adopter, pick up the game, and enjoy a few rounds of Guile vs. Ryu. But if you're looking for the kind of in-depth fighting experience that Street Fighter IV on consoles and in the arcades offered, you probably won't find it here -- the controls are a little too inconsistent to really dig into the deep counter and powerup systems on display.

Continue reading GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now

GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)GDC 2010: Street Fighter IV for the iPhone out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/10/gdc-2010-street-fighter-iv-for-the-iphone-out-now-2/feed/ 1 eBooks outnumber games in the App Store http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/ebooks-outnumber-games-in-the-app-store/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/ebooks-outnumber-games-in-the-app-store/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000 David Winograd http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/09/ebooks-outnumber-games-in-the-app-store/ Filed under: ,

The number of eBooks in the App Store has surpassed the number of games for the first time, and the spread is widening. Mobclix, a mobile device advertising agency, reports that as of last month, there were over 27,000 eBook apps while games were relegated to the runner-up position of 25,400 apps. Over the last reported month, new introductions of eBook apps more than doubled that of games (158 eBook versus 71 game apps).

There are a number of reasons being kicked around to explain this phenomenon. It's easier to churn out an eBook than a game app. There are more free eBook than gaming apps, since many of the eBooks are out-of-copyright classics or collections of free content; this lowers the cost of development. Once an eBook engine is built it's fairly trivial to use the framework for another book. Currently there are over 10 times more free eBook apps than paid ones. It's different in gaming where paid apps outstrip free ones by over 2 to 1.

These eBook apps will, of course, work on an iPad, but the Apple idea is to have you use one eBook reader and that would be iBooks. Jason Kincaid of Techcrunch, admittedly with no background evidence, posits that there may be an eBook purge coming. It would be very un-Apple to have an iPad owner searching for a copy of Treasure Island, and letting them find over 25 apps with differing interfaces and many of them free.

This could be confusing for new iPad owners, and more to the point, Apple can't monetize it. It doesn't sound unreasonable that Apple will do whatever it takes to make iBooks the eReader of choice at the expense of the plethora of current eBook apps. They will be doing it in the name of providing a simpler and more enjoyable user experience, but of course you can't pocket what you can't sell.

It will be fascinating to watch the eBook market about two months from now, after the first iPads have been delivered, and to see what Apple has planned.

[via The Guardian]

eBooks outnumber games in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)eBooks outnumber games in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/ebooks-outnumber-games-in-the-app-store/feed/ 0 No Dashboard Widget On iPad – Missing iPhone Apps Scrapped Due To Design Issues? http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/no-dashboard-widget-on-ipad-missing-iphone-apps-scrapped-due-to-design-issues/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/no-dashboard-widget-on-ipad-missing-iphone-apps-scrapped-due-to-design-issues/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:42:58 +0000 Andy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83534e7f169e201310f812f08970c http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/no-dashboard-widget-on-ipad-missing-iphone-apps-scrapped-due-to-design-issues/feed/ 0 Slate comes to the iPhone, along with a lot of advertising http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/slate-comes-to-the-iphone-along-with-a-lot-of-advertising/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/slate-comes-to-the-iphone-along-with-a-lot-of-advertising/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:30:00 +0000 Mel Martin http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/09/slate-comes-to-the-iphone/ Filed under: , , , ,

I've always liked Slate Magazine on the web. It's sometimes sassy and irreverent, but always interesting -- an eclectic mix of politics, culture and tech news.

Now, Slate has come to the iPhone in a US$1.99 app that features all the articles from the site, as well as the blog posts, staff tweets and streaming video from the Slate podcasts. Once content is downloaded you can read it off-line, which is a worthwhile feature. Access to Slate on the web is free, and you can read Slate from any mobile browser by going to mobile.slate.com.

So why the charge for the iPhone app? Slate says it cost something to develop it, and it gives you a much richer experience in a portable form. I can't argue with that, but I can argue with the ads that appear absolutely everywhere. Even the splash screen popped up with an ad. I think that's a bit much after I've paid for the app, but I'm beginning to see a lot of this in other apps as well.

I do like the app a lot, and it is a better experience for me than reading Slate stories in Safari on the iPhone. I even prefer the app to reading the site on my desktop or laptop. I just think the constant intrusive ads are a turn-off that will keep some people from pulling the trigger on what is an otherwise laudable effort.

Slate works on any iPhone or iPod touch with OS 3.0 or greater. I expect we'll see an iPad version as well.

Full disclosure: In the dim, distant past I worked at the Washington Post Company, which owns Slate.

Take a gander at some screen shots below:

Slate comes to the iPhone, along with a lot of advertising originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Slate comes to the iPhone, along with a lot of advertising originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/slate-comes-to-the-iphone-along-with-a-lot-of-advertising/feed/ 1 Tekken bound for the iPhone http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/tekken-bound-for-the-iphone/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/tekken-bound-for-the-iphone/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000 Megan Lavey http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/09/tekken-bound-for-the-iphone/ Filed under: , ,

Namco is bringing the popular Tekken franchise to the iPhone. It's not confirmed whether it's a port of the original game -- released back in 1994 in arcades, then on the PlayStation -- or the current Tekken 6.

This comes a few weeks after Capcom announced the release of Street Fighter IV for the iPhone, leading to an eventual fighter game showdown in the App Store. While both games on the iPhone is pretty awesome, I'm waiting to see how they will look and play on the iPad. I also wouldn't mind seeing even more Namco titles on the iPhone - especially selections from the Tales RPG franchise.

Namco has a number of games in the store, including classics like Galaga, which was "remixed" for the iPhone, Burger Time Deluxe, which graced arcades way back in 1982!

Here's hoping for old-school Tekken.

[Via Gizmodo]

Tekken bound for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Tekken bound for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/tekken-bound-for-the-iphone/feed/ 0 Adobe Demos Flash On HP’s Upcoming ‘Slate Device’; Takes A Dig At Apple http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/adobe-demos-flash-on-hps-upcoming-slate-device-takes-a-dig-at-apple/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/adobe-demos-flash-on-hps-upcoming-slate-device-takes-a-dig-at-apple/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:54:47 +0000 Andy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83534e7f169e20120a91a6c51970b http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/adobe-demos-flash-on-hps-upcoming-slate-device-takes-a-dig-at-apple/feed/ 151 iPad will lack some standard iPhone apps at launch http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/ipad-will-lack-some-standard-iphone-apps-at-launch/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/ipad-will-lack-some-standard-iphone-apps-at-launch/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000 Dave Caolo http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/09/ipad-will-lack-some-standard-iphone-apps-at-launch/ Filed under: , , ,

Wired's Brian X. Chen noticed that Apple's iPad press release touts "12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad." Take a look at the screenshot at right and you'll see twelve apps: Videos, iPod, Maps, Photos, Mail, Safari, App Store, iTunes, YouTube, Contacts, Calendar and Notes. That means a few apps that ship with the iPhone -- Stocks, Calculator, Clock, Weather and Voice Memos -- are missing.

Thus, the mystery begins. Where are The Final Five? Chen suggests that they'll be released as free apps in the App Store. John Gruber believes that design problems caused the team (specifically, Steve Jobs) to withhold the apps. I agree with John and Brian.

Consider the calculator app. It looks great on the iPhone, as the iPhone is about the size of a pocket calculator. If it were simply "blown up" to accommodate the iPad's screen, it would resemble one of those dollar store calculators with the enormous buttons for older folks. Definitely not what Apple is after. Also, the press release says, "... designed especially for the iPad" (emphasis mine). The five missing apps haven't yet received that loving attention, at least to Steve's satisfaction.

As for getting them on the iPad, I bet they'll be a part of the next OS release and in the App Store from then on. That way, Apple won't be tied to the OS whenever they want to update those apps, and they'll have time between now and then to get them just right.

iPad will lack some standard iPhone apps at launch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)iPad will lack some standard iPhone apps at launch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/ipad-will-lack-some-standard-iphone-apps-at-launch/feed/ 1 Can iPad’s Richer Gaming Platform Outdo iPhone’s Success? http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/can-ipads-richer-gaming-platform-outdo-iphones-success/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/can-ipads-richer-gaming-platform-outdo-iphones-success/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:44:46 +0000 Andy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83534e7f169e20120a919bdf6970b http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/can-ipads-richer-gaming-platform-outdo-iphones-success/feed/ 0 CBS Sports March Madness app will stream your games live http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/cbs-sports-march-madness-app-will-stream-your-games-live/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/cbs-sports-march-madness-app-will-stream-your-games-live/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/09/cbs-sports-march-madness-app-will-stream-your-games-live/ Filed under: , , , , ,

I'm much more of a baseball fan (go Cubs!), but of course it is now March, and that means college basketball is about to heat up. CBS Sports has now released an official March Madness On Demand app, and just like the great MLB iPhone app, this one also offers streaming video on demand of 63 March Madness games. Video even comes over 3G and EDGE, so no matter where you are, you'll be able to keep up to date on what's happening in the big tournament. The app also offers scores and bracket updates (so you can see how your picks are playing out), as well as connections to Facebook and Twitter, so you can do a little trash-talking, too.

There is a lite version that offers up just scores and news, but the US$9.99 premium version gives you live video of all the games, and/or audio broadcasts as they happen from Westwood One (and the press release says CBS worked in conjunction with MLB Advanced Media, so I'd guess the quality is pretty good). If you're planning on watching the tournament at all, and think you might spend at least a game or two away from the television, the app will probably be worth it. It's up for download right now on the App Store -- play ball! No wait. What do they say for basketball? Tip off?

CBS Sports March Madness app will stream your games live originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)CBS Sports March Madness app will stream your games live originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/09/cbs-sports-march-madness-app-will-stream-your-games-live/feed/ 0 Steph Tirion, creator of Eliss, annouces Faraway http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/08/steph-tirion-creator-of-eliss-annouces-faraway/ http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/08/steph-tirion-creator-of-eliss-annouces-faraway/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000 Mike Schramm http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/08/steph-tirion-creator-of-eliss-annouces-faraway/ Filed under: , , , , ,

Steph Tirion is an excellent game designer who I've had the good fortune to meet a few times. He first released a great game called Eliss on the App Store and he's now announced the second game he's been working on, called Faraway. Eliss was a terrific little arcade game that made great use of the iPhone's touchscreen, and Tirion says that while his first game dealt with "planets and space management in sectors, Faraway will be about constellations and infinite space travel." Sounds exciting. The game will be playable at GDC this week, so I'll definitely make time to run by and check it out.

Tirion has also announced a new company to represent and sell his iPhone games, and he's calling it LITTLE--EYES. It's really great to see a very smart, independent developer come into his own like on a platform like the iPhone -- there's really no other mainstream gaming platform out there that lets developers really jump in headfirst and release experimental games like these to a a mainstream market. We'll keep an eye out at GDC this week for all kinds of indie developers making it big. While it's cool that Valve and other larger companies are finally coming around, we have to be sure not to forget developers like this either.

Steph Tirion, creator of Eliss, annouces Faraway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Steph Tirion, creator of Eliss, annouces Faraway originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]> http://www.iphonefirmware.com/2010/03/08/steph-tirion-creator-of-eliss-annouces-faraway/feed/ 0