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Filed under: Apple Corporate, Gaming, Software, Apple History

John Carmack: Working with Apple not always easy

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Nov 9th, 2009

Folklore.org is a tremendous repository of Apple history and lore. Check it out if you haven't; you'll find some entertaining and incredible stories.

I'm reminded of Folklore whenever a story emerges describing Apple from behind the scenes, like this interview with id Software's co-founder John Carmack. Speaking with Kotaku, John describes the ups and downs of working with Apple:

"I'll be invited up on stage for a keynote one month and then I'll say something they don't like and I can be blacklisted for six months."

We suspect such a public revelation won't get you back on stage anytime soon, John. Or maybe not, as he's now got "a man on the inside." Former id coworker Graeme Devine now works at Apple's iPhone Game Technologies division. However, the most interesting part of this interview confirms, in a small way, what I've always suspected: Apple begrudgingly promotes the iPod touch and iPhone as gaming platforms.

"At the highest level of Apple, in their heart of hearts," Carmack said, "they're not proud of the iPhone being a game machine, they wish it was something else." I have no way of backing this up, but I've long suspected that Steve Jobs in particular has no interest in the world of gaming. They're certainly pushing the iPod touch as a gaming device, but I'm sure it's through tightly-clenched teeth.

Tags: apple history, AppleHistory, carmack, games, gaming, id, iphone, lore, software

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Eliminate now available on the App Store

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Nov 3rd, 2009


Ngmoco's Eliminate has been building up buzz ever since it was announced, and now the first-person shooter is out on the App Store to try for yourself. As you can see above, it offers some relatively basic FPS gameplay when compared to shooters on other platforms (I've been having a lot of fun with Borderlands lately), but given that this is the iPhone we're talking about, this kind of twitch 3D gameplay is actually pretty impressive. You can play online over 3G or Wi-Fi, and as you play, you can earn credits and level up, which gives you access to more weapons and better gear. The game itself is free, but it's all based around a microtransaction system where you buy "energy" which allows you to earn those aforementioned resources. You get a certain amount of energy per day on your own, and if you use it up, you can't progress any further unless you get out the wallet or wait another day. And the game uses ngmoco's own Plus+ social interface to track leaderboards and accounts. Interesting plan, and we'll have to see if players vibe with it or not. Some have already voiced strong concerns about the in-game pay-to-play microtransaction system.

If that doesn't vibe with you, and you'd rather play some old-school (and old business model) FPS gameplay instead, id's Doom Classic also got released on the App Store last weekend. That game comes at a cost of $6.99, but then again, with old-school Doom, you know exactly what you're getting into. And you won't have to buy any extra energy to charge your BFG and slay any demons you happen to come across.

Tags: 3g, app-store, cost, doom, doom-classic, eliminate, first-person-shooter, fps, games, gaming, id, microtransactions, ngmoco, old-school, plus, social-interface, wifi

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Gaming, iPhone, iPod touch

Report: iPod, iPhone to take over growing handheld gaming

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Oct 23rd, 2009

In a bold report released this week, DFC Intelligence states that if current sales and development trends continue, the iPhone and iPod could surpass both Sony and Nintendo in the fast-growing handheld gaming market in as little as five years.

Now, DFC isn't describing the number of units sold. They expect the Japanese companies to retain that lead. Instead, they expect the iPhone/iPod's growth rate to expand while PSP and DSi sales have plateaued. In other words, DFC predicts that the iPhone and iPod touch will be the only portable gaming devices still seeing significant growth by 2014.

It's interesting because Apple has never paid much attention to gaming... until the most recent press event where they went overboard to promote the iPod touch as a gaming platform. I play games on my iPhone and my original PSP and while it's a different experience, they're both enjoyable.

Of the apps you own, how many are games? If you own either a PSP or a DS plus an iPhone/iPod touch, how would you compare the three platforms?

[Via Electronista]

Tags: gaming, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, nintendo, sony

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed "VSL"

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 20th, 2009


Aurora Feint was one of the iPhone's first big games, way back in the early days of the App Store. Since then, the company behind that first hit has added on a few different games in the same universe, each with their own separate features and focus, but all in the same vein of puzzle-based RPG. Today, Aurora Feint, Inc. has pulled back the curtain just slightly to reveal their very first original effort since that initial App Store release. The game is only codenamed so far -- they're calling it "VSL" -- but the developers at Aurora Feint plan to turn it into a "showcase" of what's possible with Apple's new policy of allowing free apps to provide content on demand.

Above is the very first screenshot of the yet-to-be revealed game, and TUAW got a chance to talk exclusively with both Peter Relan and Jason Citron of Aurora Feint about the new game, what it'll be like, and how it'll integrate with their growing social gaming platform, OpenFeint. Click the link below to read on.

Continue reading “TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed "VSL"”

Tags: apple, aurora-feint, chat, codename, content, exclusive, gaming, in-app-purchases, interview, iphone, ipod-touch, jason-citron, microtransactions, openfeint, peter-relan, puzzle-based-rpg, social-gaming, tuaw, virtual-goods, vsl

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Hardware, Software, Apple, iPhone, Holidays, iPod touch

Pachter: iPod touch is "dangerous" for game publishers

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 17th, 2009

It's been just over a year since we officially noticed that Apple was pushing towards gaming on the iPod touch, and while their advertising hasn't stopped pushing, the actual push hasn't quite gotten to a shove. If you look at this holiday season, certainly the iPod touch is a popular device, butt kids are still asking for the PSP Go and the Nintendo DSi, handheld units meant specifically for gaming. If Apple wants to trounce gaming the same way they've trounced the smartphone market with the iPhone, they've got a long road to travel.

But don't count them out yet, says analyst Michael Pachter -- he says the iPod touch is the "most dangerous thing that ever happened to the [major video game] publishers, ever." Apple's main handheld gaming device is $200 this Christmas, but he says next year it'll be $149, and the year after that, maybe $129. When, in the future, you can put down $99 and walk away with an iPod touch, says Pachter, then "every nine year old kid is going to have one of those instead of a DS or a PSP, and if you train kids that this is the game that you want to play... How about Tetris? Why would you pay USD 20 for Tetris when you can get it for USD 6.99 or USD 3.99 on iPod touch?"

Interesting point. It's true that console manufacturers have been hesitant to lower prices on their products (in fact, Sony's latest version of the PSP actually had a price increase), while Apple seems committed to pushing the prices on iPods ever cheaper. And yes, as long as companies keep releasing the same games on both devices for $30 on the DS and less than $10 on the App Store (and why shouldn't they -- no packaging, no distribution costs), people will go for the cheaper one. I don't expect to see the iPod touch as a huge winner this year (as a gaming competitor, I mean -- of course it'll sell by the truckloads), but Pachter seems right: wait until the prices drop, and the iPod touch might have traditional gaming devices shaking in their D-pads.

Tags: app-store, apple, competition, gamers, gaming, iphone, ipod-touch, nintendo, sony

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, Music

Rock Band coming to the iPhone

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 9th, 2009


It's true -- as leaked earlier this week and confirmed yesterday, EA is bringing Harmonix's Rock Band to the iPhone, and it's about what you'd expect: notes come down the screen set to popular music, you tap in certain places in time to the beat, and get a score based on how well you do. Truthfully, I'm a huge Rock Band (and Harmonix) fan in general, but this doesn't excite me much -- the big draw of Rock Band is actually playing with those instruments, and while yes they're plastic and tiny, when you get four people in the same room together playing them, it actually feels like you're jamming in a band.

Fortunately, the iPhone version will have both online and bluetooth multiplayer, so you will be able to jam with people, but the gameplay is simply reminiscent of Tap Tap Revenge, which you probably already know about and/or have. It looks like they've gotten most of their songs from the actual Rock Band game; twenty songs with the purchase (no price yet), and then there will be 99 cent packs of two songs each coming out soon. The app's been submitted and it should be out in the store next week.

Tags: content, ea, gaming, harmonix, in-app-purchases, instruments, iphone, multiplayer, music, notes, packs, rock-band, tap-tap-revenge

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Features, iTunes, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, Music

TUAW Interview: Andrew Lacy of Tapulous on Tap Tap Revenge 3

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 6th, 2009

By the time you read this, Tap Tap Revenge 3 should have made its way to the App Store. The latest version of the rhythm game/music platform for the iPhone and iPod touch is a huge release for Tapulous -- from the series' humble beginnings as a pre-App Store bit of code to the more recent incarnations of artist-specific music collections, Tapulous has taken Tap Tap a long way in the still short history of this gaming platform. And now they're trying to go even farther: they've introduced in-app purchases to the game (you can find a full list of songs available now as in-app purchases inside the interview below), and they've added in social features, from customizable avatars to in-game chat and score sharing.

Tapulous COO Andrew Lacy sat down to talk with us just before the release of the software, both about how he thinks consumers will react to the new business model, and what's next for Tapulous and this series that has come so far already. Tap Tap Revenge 3 should be in the App Store very soon -- it's available for 99 cents, with extra music packs at six songs for $2.99, or two songs for 99 cents.

Gallery: Tap Tap Revenge 3

Continue reading “TUAW Interview: Andrew Lacy of Tapulous on Tap Tap Revenge 3”

Tags: andrew-lacy, app-store, gallery, gaming, interview, iphone, music-packs, music-system, release, tap-tap-revenge-3, tuaw

Filed under: Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

Ramp Champ adds to ramps, challenges

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Oct 5th, 2009

Red paper tickets are the currency of childhood.

On the shore of Oneida Lake, New York is Sylvan Beach, a small-town resort and amusement complex not unlike thousands of others that dot the country. To a parent, it's a fun day out. Just put the kids in the car and after a short drive set them loose on the beach, rides and sugary snacks.

To a kid, It's Xanadu.

My sisters and I were lucky enough to spend two weeks every summer in Oneida, and Sylvan Beach was the pinnacle of fun. Our grandparents fought toddler-induced exhaustion and a tight budget to host us for fourteen days, and by the time we hit Sylvan, they must have been dragging. Still, they never flinched as we requested money for rides. And sno-cones. And most importantly, for Skee Ball, so we could get tickets.

Oh, the tickets.

Nothing was more satisfying than the tick-tick-tick-clack! of the Skee Ball machine dispensing those heavy, cardboard tickets. The more you got the better you did, and we'd measure them against the length of our arms, our legs and each other. Of course, the best part was handing them to the shady carnie sitting behind a glass display case of cheap crap in trade. It was like shopping without money in a world of brightly-colored plastic. Nothing could be better.

Thirty years later I haven't hefted a wooden ball in a long time, but Ramp Champ for the iPhone and iPod touch offers a killer virtual version. If your unfamiliar, it's a carnival Skee-Ball type game that's wonderfully fun. In fact, the guys at The Iconfactory went all out, treating every detail with TLC: It's visually stunning, the sounds are immersive and dead-on (wear headphones) and game play is challenging, just like real Skee Ball. For more details, check out our first look and full review.

Continue reading “Ramp Champ adds to ramps, challenges”

Tags: app review, AppReview, gaming, iconfactory, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, ramp champ, RampChamp

Filed under: Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Galcon Labs in the App Store now

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 3rd, 2009

Galcon (App Store link) was one of the most popular games of last year -- it presented a fascinating mix of strategy and real-time arcade gameplay onto the iPhone just as it was starting out, and along with games like Fieldrunners and Flight Control, really cemented a place for the platform in the gamer's arsenal. It's been described as "real-time Risk in space." The basic premise is that you can drag little ships around from planet to planet, conquering planets of various sizes and thus producing more and more ships to take over with.

And now it's back. Galcon Labs is available now on the App Store, and it's pretty much exactly what you want in a sequel to a game you love: updated graphics and sound, more game modes, more online multiplayer, and just generally more of the same great gameplay, in a nice new package.

So yes, odds are that if you sunk quite a few hours into Galcon, Galcon Labs is a no-brainer. Just in case you don't want to make any financial commitment at all, there is a trial available for the original game, but given that Labs is just 99 cents right now, if you have any interest at all in dragging little ships around to fight wars between planets, it's probably worth the buck.

Tags: buck, fieldrunners, flight-control, galcon, galcon-labs, gameplay, gaming, multiplayer, real-time, risk, ships, space-battles

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Game on! Apple highlights sports games in new ad

by Sang Tang (RSS feed) on Oct 1st, 2009

Continuing its creative interactive blitz on high profile websites, Apple has begun placement of a new iPod touch ad on ESPN.com. Like the ad on IGN, which fellow TUAW-er Josh Carr recently featured, the ad on ESPN.com showcases a variety of games that interact with and shake up the site's menu. Unlike previous iPod touch ads on ESPN.com, which featured a mix of both sports and non-sports games, this campaign is sports oriented: for example, Madden 10 (US$9.99) [iTunes link] and Homerun Battle 3D (US$4.99) iTunes link] are shown as the ad passes through the NFL and MLB sections of the site. Game on!

Tags: ad, advertising, espn, gaming, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, sports

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Apple, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

FIFA 10 coming to iPhone this Friday

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Sep 29th, 2009


What's it going to take for us to get developers to release games for Apple products earlier than two years after the fact? The iPhone, apparently -- EA has announced that their soccer flagship FIFA 10 will be available for the iPhone this Friday, which is the same day the console game shows up in stores as well. The game will have everything the full versions have, including real teams and leagues, a licensed soundtrack, and all of the usual soccer standbys. One thing missing: online multiplayer, though local wifi multiplayer will be available.

Sounds good to us, especially if you're a fan of the sport all those crazy Europeans call football. The app should be $9.99, befitting of a premium EA sports app, though there will probably be a sale on it sooner or later. Now, about that actual Mac version...

Tags: console, ea, ea-mobile, fifa-10, gaming, iphone, leagues, release-date, soccer, soundtrack

Filed under: Gaming, Video

Still doubt Apple's desire for portable gaming clout? Here's proof...

by Josh Carr (RSS feed) on Sep 28th, 2009



This afternoon, we received a tip from one of our readers about an awesome ad on the IGN.com website. We chased the bait and decided to check it out. We're really glad we did. What we found was the ad above. We preserved it via screencast so all of our readers could enjoy it. The video above shows exactly what you will find on IGN just in case the current ad stops running soon. It reminds us of a similar ad on Yahoo a while back.

I have been pretty skeptical about Apple's desire to take over the portable gaming market, but I can't doubt it any more. This ad is running on one of the most popular gaming sites... obviously targeting those who wouldn't really think about the iPod touch as a gaming platform. The use of the website's design is definitely something that will catch the eye of the reader... so clever, in fact, that it's nearly impossible to press the stop button. You can press it, but why would you?

Thanks to Swaghi for the tip.

Tags: ad, gaming, ign, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch

Filed under: Gaming, Humor, Software, Odds and ends, Developer

Bioshock for Mac on October 7th

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Sep 24th, 2009


I can personally attest to Bioshock being a terrific game, but the problem is that probably, many of you can as well. Let's be honest -- it actually came out for PC and consoles a full two years ago. At this point, a Mac port is probably useless, but it's coming out anyway. Feral Interactive has announced that they'll be releasing the port on October 7th of this year, so those of you Mac diehards who refuse to play games on any other platforms can finally get your fix. The game will be released for $49.95 in the US, and can be preordered on Feral's store right now. Or, you know, you can run out to Best Buy, pick up a copy for $20 and run it in Boot Camp, it's up to you.

If you are going for the Mac version, however, you should know that the game doesn't support the Intel GMA integrated video cards, so you'll need a dedicated video card in your Mac to play it. Bioshock is a great game, as I've said, and if you really stretch it out, it might give you a good six months of free time entertainment -- just in time for you to pick up the Mac port of Hellgate: London, a game released in December of 2007. Oh wait.

Tags: bioshock, boot-camp, consoles, false, feral-interactive, games, gaming, hellgate-london, humor, integrated-video, intel-gma, late, mac, mac-diehards, pc, porting, two-years, videogames

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Eleven iPhone games I won't delete

by Victor Agreda, Jr. (RSS feed) on Sep 8th, 2009

This won't be a detailed review of eleven games. This is a quick list of games that I've found impossible to remove from my iPhone -- some for fun, some for kid entertainment and some just because they are cool to show off. Several are free, some I caught on sale, but ones like Fieldrunners and Sway I'd buy at any price.

Cro-Mag Rally [iTunes link] -- I used to play this on the older PPC-based iMacs and it was also an early entrant to the store. Cro-Mag is cute but it also plays exceedingly well. If you want something like Mario Kart on your iPhone, this is about as close as I've found. For a quick racing game that nearly anyone can enjoy, Cro-Mag is a true iPhone "classic."

MotionX Dice [iTunes link] -- You never know when you're doing to need some dice. Plus, MotionX gives this app away, and it's a beautiful example of what can be done on the iPhone. When someone wants to "see something" on my iPhone, often I'll show them how the shadows cast by the dice change as I move the iPhone. Then we'll play some dice games.

Flick Bowling [iTunes link] -- There are faster, cheaper versions of bowling on the iPhone. I find Flick provides just enough eye candy and immersion to suit my taste. Plus, it loads pretty fast and you can get to bowling without a lot of setup. It's a casual game that looks bigger than it is.

Dizzy Bee [iTunes link] -- One of the big, early hits for the iPhone, in no small part because the super cute free version moved a lot of units. Dizzy Bee is the app everyone seemed to give to the kids to play with, but the challenges get pretty tough. Like any great game: simple to learn, hard to master. Plus, there's now a sequel.

Keep reading for some games that are a little more under the radar and some genuine iPhone essentials...

Continue reading “Eleven iPhone games I won't delete”

Tags: games, gaming, list, videogame

Filed under: Gaming, Freeware, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

OpenFeint introduces multiplayer, Flick Fishing goes Plus+

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Sep 3rd, 2009

The battle of the social gaming services on the iPhone continues. OpenFeint's latest weapon is multiplayer -- they're working on a way for games developers on the iPhone to quickly include multiplayer (it doesn't actually say real-time, so we'll assume it's the mix of ghosting and turn-based multiplayer that they talked about in their interview with us) in their games. They're asking interested developers to sign up to the open beta program, and they'll start rolling out the functionality soon. Even though it seems early in the process, it's a pretty cool idea, and it could definitely serve to set OpenFeint apart even more from the other services trying to attract developers to their social and multiplayer features.

Speaking of social features, Freeverse told us a little while ago that they were going to use ngmoco's Plus+ for their games, and apparently they've now integrated the popular Flick Fishing with the service. The additions allow for leaderboards, in-game achievements, and multiple profiles and saves on one iPhone, so you can compete with your friends on other iPhones or right there on your own. Flick Fishing was already an excellent game, and with the added social functionality of Plus+, it's worth heading back out onto the water to compete and compare your games with your friends.

As I've said before, having multiple companies competing for these social functions is turning out to be a real boon for consumers and developers alike. All of these services are able to bring out a lot of cross-game features that developers by themselves would have taken much longer to put together on their own.

Tags: achievements, features, flick-fishing, freeverse, gaming, iphone, leaderboards, ngmoco, openfeint, plus, social

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