touchgrind posts

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Illusion Labs goes to the big screen

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Apr 7th, 2009

This is only slightly Mac-related but it is really cool. We've posted about two of Illusion Labs' popular iPhone games here on the site: Touchgrind is a 3D simulation of a touchboard, and Sway is a really fun little platformer-esque swingathon that has you swinging from side-to-side using the touchscreen. Both games are pretty original in how they use multitouch controls, and so when Illusion Labs got their hands on a big tabletop touchscreen, there was only one thing to do: blow the games up and play them in a big way.

You can see how it looks above -- seems like a lot of fun. And it makes you think, too -- multitouch seems to be where its at for the future of user interfaces, and the iPhone is really a breeding ground for testing out the technology and coming up with new ways to use it. It may be a long time before we all have huge multitouch screens like this in our kitches and living rooms, but considering how ubiquitous the iPhone already is (and the fact that almost anyone with some time, $100, and an idea can publish an app on the App Store), we can start seeing the kinds of applications that will live on those screens right now.

Tags: big-screen, developer, illusion-labs, iphone, multitouch, sway, titles, touchgrind, touchscreen

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iTunes, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Illusion Labs wants you to Sway with them

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Jan 19th, 2009

Illusion Labs is probably best known for their first app, iPint, but have been making splashes since then with interesting apps that make great use of the iPhone's features and touchscreen. I tried out their Touchgrind app, and while it was a fascinating demo of how to combine an in-game physics system with the sensitive touchscreen controls, it was a little too tough for me to use (you have to really be a skateboarder, since the app really is a fingerboard, basically).

But Sway looks much more casual, and still puts the touchscreen and tilt abilities to great use. Like Rolando, it's a cartoony, physics-based platformer, but unlike Rolando, the mechanic here isn't rolling, but swinging. You swing the little characters around, and then use the touchscreen to grab onto various parts of the environment while exploring it.

Very intriguing. Like Touchgrind, the controls might be a little too sophisticated to appeal to all players (it looks tough coordinating which hand is which and exactly when to grab and let go), but we'll have to see how it works out -- if it starts out in an accessible way, Sway might be really impressive. Illusion Labs didn't tell us a price yet (their two other paid games are $5 and $7), but the game is set to hit the App Store soon.

Tags: app-store, apps, design, iphone, ipod-touch, labyrinth, multitouch, prices, rolando, sway, touchgrind

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

Touchgrind in the App Store

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Nov 27th, 2008

I remain a complete non-fan of "fingerboarding," or skateboarding on a miniature skateboard with your fingers, but on the other hand (so to speak), I'm a huge fan of physics, especially on a touchscreen, so I'm torn about the release of Touchgrind, which has now made its way into the App Store for $4.99. Playing with a tiny skateboard in real-life seems kind of silly. But playing with a virtual skateboard that responds realistically to your fingers flipping and tapping on a multitouch screen could be really, really awesome -- like a skating game with the best controls ever.

Unfortunately, there's no free demos here -- either you jump in for $5 or you don't. But if you do, there's actually a lot on offer -- 3 game modes, 12 different boards each with their own abilities, and a set of tutorials to get you started. I'm intrigued: I'm not quite sure a mini skateboard will keep my attention for all that long, but it might be worth $5 just to see the physics in action.

Tags: app-store, boards, fingerboarding, gaming, illusion-labs, iphone, ipod-touch, miniature, skateboard, touchgrind

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store

Touchgrind: Multitouch fingerboarding for the iPhone

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Sep 9th, 2008

I really never got the idea of fingerboarding (though I never really got the idea of skateboarding either -- as much as I played Tony Hawk on the Playstation, the actual thing never appealed to me), but this little app is still fascinating to me, if only as a test of how precise the multitouch controls can be in 3D gaming. A company called Illusion Labs (same folks behind iPint, apparently) sent us a note about their new iPhone game, Touchgrind. As you can see above, it's all about using the two-finger multitouch to flip and switch a virtual skateboard from the top down.

Pretty interesting, even if you're not up for doing something as silly as pushing a tiny skateboard around with your fingers. It looks kind of fun, actually -- flip your finger out at a certain angle with a certain speed, and the little board responds. I'm curious to see, however, if it's an actual physics engine (which would be awesome), or if it's just responding to certain gestures and then running prerecorded flips. The game's set to come out in October. We asked Illusion Labs about a price, but they said they hadn't figured it out yet.

Tags: apple, gaming, illusion-labs, iphone, multitouch, touchgrind

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