namco posts

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

Namco's iPhone division considering... Tekken?

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Aug 5th, 2009

Actually, I'd play that. Namco recently announced that they were forming an Apple Games division to head up game development for Apple platforms like the iPhone, and in this interview, a producer for them who used to work for Apple says that they're excited to work on bringing great games to the handheld device. Like, for example, Pac-man, Galaga, and... Soulcaliber and Tekken. You heard that right -- fighting games haven't exactly made a splash on the iPhone, as they're primarily a button-based genre, and the iPhone, of course, has no buttons.

But that won't stop Namco's guy from putting the old head gears into motion: "It's just the controls that are a challenge. We are thinking about that." Think away, crazy man -- I'd love to pull out Yoshimitsu for a few rounds while waiting at a bus stop. Obviously, the easiest way to try and port these would be to put overlaid buttons on the screen, but that doesn't leave a lot of room for the fighting (and not having the tactile feedback would probably be a problem as well). Maybe some gesture-based accelerometer movement? Sky's the limit, right?. Your call, Namco -- can't wait to see what you come up with.

[via Joystiq]

Tags: buttons, challenge, controls, design, development, fighting, fighting-games, galaga, game, gaming, iphone, namco, overlay, pac-man, producer, rumor, soulcalibur, tekken

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Developer, App Store

EA, Namco set sights on iPhone development

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Jul 23rd, 2009

Two big gaming companies have made stark moves towards some major iPhone development in the future. Electronic Arts has made what seems to be the strongest move: they've put together a division in the company specifically for making iPhone games, and not just any games. Specifically, the kind that cost 99 cents.

8lb Gorilla is the name of the group they've put together in-house, and apparently it's a bunch of young developers given the task of putting together quick and cheap games about once a month that can sell for 99 cents, keep customers happy, and still bring in a profit for EA. The first title out of the group is a game called Zombies and Me, which appears to be an action game where you blow up zombies with explosives. Who wouldn't pay 99 cents for that one, right?

Namco is also making moves toward the platform, though not that specific (or risky, though EA's gambit could pay off big if the young devs turn out a hit). They've created an "Apple Games" division within their company, designed to make games specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch, and presumably for any other platforms that Apple decides to release games on. We hear the Mac is pretty popular -- does "Apple Games" include those other computers they make? Yet another Pac Man remake is the first title from them, but hopefully more original releases are coming.

Very interesting to see major companies start setting aside resources specifically to target the App Store's unique market. Mac gamers have been fighting for years to get devs to pay attention to their platform, and now it looks like Apple's handheld devices, along with the relatively easy money of the App Store, have finally done it.

Tags: 99-cents, app-store, attention, developers, division, ea, games, iphone, ipod-touch, namco, zombies-and-me

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Dec 15th, 2008

Can't believe we didn't think to ask of this before Namco gave it to us, but here it is -- there is already an official version of I Love Katamari (otherwise known as Katamari Damacy) right there on the App Store and playable on the iPhone. What a perfect game to put on the iPhone -- it's casual, it's easy to pick up but tough to master, and the analog controls, while perfect for a pair of analog sticks, work great on a touchscreen as well.

Unfortunately, it's not quite perfect yet -- the game slows down fast, and quickly becomes unplayable with all the stuff on the screen. But lots of people are hoping for an update from Namco, and while that hope might not quite be justified (is Namco really going to commit to making this game great, or are they just taking advantage of a hot property?), you never know. Pac Man has been a winner for the company for sure, so maybe they will make sure that Katamari plays as well as its console versions. As much as we appreciate original games on the iPhone, there's nothing wrong with quality ports of console gems as well, and if Namco can patch out the bugs to everyone's satisfaction, there's no question that's what this will be.

Tags: app-store, apps, breaking news, BreakingNews, buggy, bugs, damacy, games, i-love-katamari, katamari, katamari-damacy, namco, pac-man

Filed under: Gaming, iPod Family

New iPod game - Pole Position: Remix

by Cory Bohon (RSS feed) on Jan 21st, 2008

Pole Position: Remix was seen floating around the iTunes Store in a couple of banners last week after the Jobs keynote, but wasn't put up for download until today. This is a first for iPod games: it's a 3-D racing game. This looks like a really cool game that could keep you company on your morning/afternoon commute (please note: we do not endorse playing iPod racing games while driving). The game features un-lockable tracks, themes, and player cars.

This game is available now on the iTunes Store for $4.99. This game is compatible with iPod nano (3rd generation), iPod Classic, and iPod with video (5th generation).

Tags: iPod Game, Namco, Pole Position: Remix

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