Mobile Gaming: iPhone, Android, iPad, Windows Phone, App Reviews, Previews and More

Google Unveils Google Play Game Services

davidmarkowitz — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:40:47 +0000

iOS players have long had their own multiplayer matching and achievement tracking service, GameCenter, but until this week, Android players have been out in the cold as far as a native system goes. There are 3rd party systems such as Mobage and Gree, but these require users to sign up for separate accounts. Well on May 15, that all changed when Google announced Google Play Game Services at their annual developer conference, Google I/O.

Like GameCenter, Google’s service will offer leader boards, achievements, cloud saving, and multiplayer matching and hosting. Where Game Services differs however is in its cross-platform support. Mobile Android gamers will be able to play with iOS and web based gamers, making the service all the more appealing to both developers and players alike. In addition, the Google cloud service will also be cross-platform compatible, so for example, players will be able to start a game on an Android device and then continue it on an iOS device.

Of course another benefit for users of Google’s service is the use of Google+ accounts. Players will no longer need to sign up for multiple 3rd party accounts to take advantage of these popular features. Using a single Google+ account, a player will be able to seamlessly play on multiple devices across multiple games and share their progress, achievements, and interests with their Google+ circles.

Google+ Play Game Services is live, and the following games have already been updated or are working to include the service: Eternity Warriors 2, World of Goo, Kingdom Rush, Beach Buggy Blitz, and Osmos. Developers can find out more and download the SDK on the Google Developer site.

It remains to be seen how widely accepted this new service will be, especially on the iOS side, given that Apple’s GameCenter already has 150 million user accounts. However, the cross-platform capabilities and Google+ account integration will no doubt be very appealing to both players and developers alike.

Finally, as a result of the launch of Google’s new service, Google+ Games will be shutting down on June 30 according to the Google+ Games support page.

Diversity In Mobile Games – Where Is It?

Christian Leed — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:51:42 +0000

http://www.planetivy.com

It’s likely that anyone who plays mobile games at least reasonably often will have begun to notice a significant trend in what kinds of games are being released, both on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. While there’s certainly a large number of mobile games on the market, there is a also a strong tendency to lean towards certain genres. Every time a genre experiences that surge in demand, other genres tend to get pushed aside in favour of the flavour of the month. After all, why would an indie developer with little time and money risk it all on an unproven game genre when it’s clear that Action/Adventure titles are raking in the big bucks at the moment. It’s a fair choice, but it is beginning to lead to some rather worrying repercussion.

If an mobile developer knows they can make a quick buck off a cheap knockoff of Minecraft – Pocket Edition or Fruit Ninja, then it’s likely that that’s exactly what they’re going to do. Unfortunately, this means that most mobile games are very similar, all falling into the most popular categories such a Physics Puzzle, Action/Adventure, or Sports/Racing, while truly original mobile games in other genres are few and far between. This trend isn’t limited to the mobile industry, of course: there are plenty of franchises which churn out near identical games every year only to have them eagerly snapped up by consumers, but it is more prevalent here, due to the relative simplicity of developing a mobile game, and the comparative ease of getting it out on the market.

http://www.metawinginfotech.com

We touched on this topic in an article a few weeks ago, but it bares exploring further: this sort of situation can be rather damaging for the mobile gaming industry. Having a few, extremely popular genres means that developers are less likely to produce games in less popular genres, leading to over-saturation in certain genres, and a complete lack of variety in others. Of course, this isn’t entirely the fault of the developers. Not all genres work well on all platforms, for example. While racing, platforming and action games all tend to work quite well on smart phones, a realistic flight simulator probably wouldn’t. The same is true for certain other genres, of course; fighting games, shooters and MMOs are often hard to translate to a mobile platform, and poorly executed when they finally are attempted (the exceptions are few and far between).

This doesn’t mean that such things shouldn’t be attempted, however. Certainly, attempting to create a brand new online, turn-based cake simulator has its risks; but so does all innovation. The danger of failing a task is what spurs people on towards even greater achievements. If no-one ever took any risks in the gaming industry, then classics such as Shadow of the Colossus and Journey would never have been made. Sure, there’s a chance that your game will be a flop. But there’s also a chance that people will love it, thus opening up a whole new world of turn-based cake simulators.

To be fair though, there are benefits to genre saturation. With so many similar games available, it all but ensures that only the truly outstanding will rise above the rest. The majority of people don’t want the same thing over and over again with only a different colour of paint, which means that anyone wishing to truly succeed will have to have at least some original ideas if they want their game to stand out. Repetition also leads to refinement; the more developers there are working on one genre of games, the more the genre itself will improve. Mechanics will get tightened, gameplay will be polished, and the all-around experience will improve.

So, head over to the forums and tell us what you think. Is genre saturation beneficial or detrimental to mobile gaming? Should developers continue to put out games as fast as possible for a wider variety of choices in each genre, or take their time and wait until they have something truly unique to show off? Let us know what you think either in the comments below, or over on our forums.

‘Tug of Gore!’ Enlists Four Player Madness

Meg Stivison — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:48:10 +0000

Indie devs Stefander, Vuurig, Sasj and Creative Heroes have released a four-player on one iPad game entitled Tug of Gore.

In Tug of Gore, players take on the role of hungry DuDus, alien monsters trying to chow down on a Gore. Players each put one hand on the iPad itself and must tap their DuDu to tug on the Gore in order to eat it.

The hand that’s NOT being used for DuDu feeding can be used in any other way, as long as it doesn’t touch the game screen. Want to tickle another player? Shout distractions? Block the iPad from view? Sure! It’s all part of the game. In fact, the game offers suggestions, like stealing the iPad away, for any Tug of Gore players who might need some encouragement to try these evil tactics. I’m a huge fan of goofy and creative one-button games like B.U.T.T.O.N. and of hilarious multiplayer games like Space Team, so Tug of Gore sounds like a perfect party game.

Tug of Gore was originally created and developed as part of the 2013 Global Game Jam, just like Bossa Studio’s 100% Scientifically Accurate Surgeon Simulator, The Unseen Evil, and many other creative indies. Tug of Gore was developed in 48 hours, and ended up taking third prize at the Hilversum meetup of the Global Game Jam.

Tug of Gore is now available as a free download from the App Store. If you’re reading at work, and don’t have three friends to be recruited to play RIGHT NOW, you can check out the video of Tug of Gore in action here:

The Clone Saga – Another Issue Indie Devs Must Be Aware Of

Mark Isaacson — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:58 +0000

I mentioned not too long ago the five things indie developers need to take a closer look at when it comes to creating their next mobile game. This time, I’m going to take a look at one specific issue I raised within that article that’s just gaining some extra momentum in the news of late, thanks partly to the words of one Jonathan Blow.

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, it should. Jonathan’s 2008 hit Braid placed him on a rather high and worthy pedestal upon its release, along with his appearance in the successful film Indie Game: The Movie. Never one to pass away the chance to speak his mind, Blow has now criticised the indie industry for simply copying other ideas in a recent interview on Gamasutra, in a very similar way to the AAA console/PC race.

“Some indie developers innovate, but strictly speaking by quantity, most indie developers are just copying other peoples’ games with minor changes, just like mainstream developers do,” says Blow, “Look at all those iPhone games! The difference is just that you notice the indie games that are innovative because they make bigger splashes than the copies.”

It’s a very valid point, something I hinted on myself previously. The ‘cashing in’ phase is becoming an increasingly worrying trend, one that sees at least a handful of new games released each week on mobile platforms that mimic or outright steal ideas from other more successful releases, in order to catch the attention of the growing user base.

Cloning has been around for as long as games have existed. No doubt you’ve played some kind of weird hybrid of Pac-Man or Space Invaders that feels like the real thing but looks or sounds just that little bit different. But the problem here is the excessive use of cloning that’s trying to cash in on a younger audience or parents trying to keep said kids happy over a long car ride. It’s exploitation in it’s purest form and, sadly, it will only get worse before it gets better.

But outside of re-using game mechanics or visual ideas, for me what’s worse are developers who specifically name their title very similarly to the big hits. Names and brands are important, they always have been, but the trend lately has more to do with search results than trying to stick out from the crowd. Tell you what, go ahead and search for Angry on the app store for a moment. Go on, I’ll wait…

…

See the results? Yes, Angry Birds takes top billing and rightly so, but take a closer look at some of the apps that appear within that result. Angry Gran, Angry World War 2, Angry Hippo, even Angry Fruit! I’ll bet you whatever you have in your wallet that most of those games are either forgetful or just plain poorly developed (though there will always be an exception to that rule, of course).

Now search for Jetpack. Again, a similar set of results occur with Jetpack Joyride the first result and then followed by a number of similarly titled games.

If you’re a talented developer looking to get your name out there, I implore you to use your wits instead of cloning your easy way to profit. Oh, and for God’s sake, don’t go turbo.

‘Fish Out Of Water’ Review – A Simple Splash Of Style

Mark Isaacson — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:10:50 +0000

It’s getting to the point that everything Halfbrick touches turns to instant gold. Whether it’s a twin stick shooter, a runner or a fruit slicer, the Aussie studio is seemingly unstoppable. But what about it’s latest effort, Fish Out Of Water? Let’s check the basics first.

The most important aspect of any Halfbrick title is presentation, combining an elegant visual quality with an easy, pick up and play control mechanic. Yup, it’s got that.

The evolution of their products have added an extra layer of ‘incentive’ programming, creating an addictive reason to continue playing the game for many moons to come. Certainly has that.

And finally every Halfbrick game is, pure and simply, fun. Tick.

So Fish Out Of Water passes all three criteria rather easily, but it has to be said that Halfbrick has clearly targeted its latest towards a younger, perhaps less experienced audience than previous efforts. You can argue that they’ve done this all along, but given how easy the controls are here, it’s even more obvious than before.

Simply put, you must fling three fish across the ocean as best as possible, taking into account both distance and the amount of skips they make across the water, in order to attain as high an overall score as possible. There’s five fish to choose from, each with slightly different statistics that can alter your overall result. You also have to take into account the different weather conditions, which change every real time hour. From there, it’s a mix of chance and timing, with a boost meter that can be activated at any time to increase your little dude’s speed, though only if you collect tokens which litter the play field.

I say chance since you don’t really have much control beyond the initial fling. If you get your angle and speed right, your fish will fly some way before skipping to a halt. If you do time it right, you can boost your fish further forward. Time it wrong and he’ll go flying high into the air, but probably straight up and down without going much further or skipping at all.

There’s a number of collectible items and unlocks to be had. In a similar vein to Jetpack Joyride, if you complete various tasks during play you’ll increase your overall level and unlock gems which can be used to improve your result among other stat improvements. There’s also plenty of stats to keep an eye on, along with competitive ladders and social involvement over Facebook and Twitter so you can bloat about your success.

For the price you pay, Fish Out Of Water is a fair package. It all comes down to how much time you put into it, really. Once you start to figure out the different abilities of each fish and combine them with the right weather conditions, you’ll eventually score rather highly more often than not. Safe to say, if you like having your name at the top of the leader board, this one will keep you going for a while.

Whilst Fish Out Of Water may not reach the same incredible heights of its predecessors (though that remains to be seen), it’s certainly set to continue the high standard that Halfbrick has set itself. The presentation is clean, colourful and fun, something kids will no doubt love. The adults, both male and female, aren’t left behind either thanks to its addictive nature. That’s the perfect kind of balance every game should be aiming for, especially on the mobile platform.

It might be considered too easy for some, but Fish Out Of Water is a fun and worthwhile distraction.

Pros:

Colourful presentation, Easy 'pick up and play' mechanics, entirely addictive

Cons:

Might be considered a little too easy for some

Rating:

88%

The Indie Prize Showcase Hits Asia This Month

Mark Isaacson — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:52:25 +0000

A number of mobile titles will be competing in the Indie Prize Showcase this month in Singapore for a number of top prizes.

66 development teams will be showing off their wares across mobile, online and console based platforms, with the chance to compete for cash prizes, game promotions and an opportunity to have their game ported to the Blackberry 10 by Blackberry themselves.

You might recognise some of the contestants too, with the likes of Pixel People and Puzzle Retreat amongst the crop of chosen titles, with developers hailing from all corners of the world including Australia, China, Sweden and Singapore itself.

Indie Prize is a scholarship based program that provides for a number of indie studios the world over, organising workshops and funding where possible, with financial support provided by industry sponsors, conferences and volunteers. You may not have heard of the organisation before, but I’m sure you’ve heard of some of the previous winners of the showcase, including Devil’s Attorney.

The Indie Prize Showcase will be venturing to the upcoming Casual Connect Asia this May 21-23, a long running event for the casual asian gaming industry. There’s also still time to submit for future showcases as well if you’re keen, which will be held at San Francisco, Kyiv and Amsterdam over the course of the next year. If you want to know more, be sure to visit the official website.

Save The Day In ‘Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians’

Christian Leed — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:57:21 +0000

With so many similar sports simulators, physics puzzlers and adventure games being released for mobile recently, it’s rather unusual for a game to be released that doesn’t fit cleanly into the typical range of genres. Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians by Honey Tribe Studios is one such game.

Perhaps best described as a physics puzzle-shooter game, Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians has you flicking different coloured berries at flowers, allowing the flowers to grow and the Lifelings to make their way to safety. If you miss, however, the Lifelings remain stranded, doomed to be snatched away by the dastardly Darklings when the sun sets.

Things aren’t quite as simple as they seem, however. Your character is constantly moving across the level, meaning you’ll need a quick eye and a quicker finger to make sure you can hit all of your targets in time. There are also numerous obstacles in your way: colour-changing portals, blockades and even the Darklings themselves are all there to make things more difficult.

Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians is due for release today, Thursday 9th of May for iOS and Android devices for only $0.99. For more information on Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians, or any of Honey Tribe Studios’ other games, you can head over to the Honey Tribe Studios website, Twitter or Facebook pages.

‘Let’s Skate’ Available For Free On iOS

Christian Leed — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:07:12 +0000

Skateboarding has always been popular albeit uncommon topic for video games, with series ranging from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to the aptly named Skate. Continuing in this fine tradition of appropriately-named skateboarding games comes Let’s Skate, side-scrolling racing game by Immanitas Entertainment for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

In Let’s Skate, you must ride, jump and flip your way through 40 levels of high-speed skateboarding action. Constantly on the run from the police, you need to make your way to the next skate shop without getting caught to progress to the next level. During your escape from The Man, you’ll be doing cool tricks, sky-high jumps and collecting coins to spend on various boosts and power-ups. Not only that, but there are five different skaters for you to choose from, with an additional five unlockable via in-app purchases.

Let Skate‘s Classic mode rewards players for fast runs and spectacular stunts. With controls that are easy to pick up and difficult to master, stylish cartoon graphics and a harmonious soundtrack all for the low, low price of nothing, there’s definitely a lot here to love.

To get Let’s Skate for yourself, simply head over to the Apple App Store to pick up either the standard or HD version. To find out more information, you can also head over to the Let’s Skate Facebook page.

Robots Don’t Like It When You Take Their Nukes Away

Sarah Bishop — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:50 +0000

The decision to discontinue the production of nuclear weapons may be a great thing for the population of Earth. But what happens to the unfortunate robots whose job it was to build the bombs? Golden Tricycle, a newborn indie studio, is currently working on producing a game that may show us the answer. Set in the future where Earth has set up factories for the production of their weapons of mass destruction on Mars, a project named CLARK is underway.

CLARK himself is a clumsy robot who is in charge of some of the more menial tasks around the facility. The game follows his adventure as he stages a rebellion against the deweaponization and destruction of the deadly facility he calls a home. If this intriguing setup has you interested, fear not– the game is intended to come out on a slew of devices, including the iOS, Android, PC, Mac, OUYA and GameStick systems. So if you’re capable of reading this post, you should be capable of playing the game when it comes out sometime this summer.

CLARK is still under construction, but Golden Tricycle has been kind enough to put together some previews for us while we wait. The game is going to be a puzzle-adventure game, combining elements of both genres to tell a story while it tests your brain and reaction time. A quick montage of some gameplay from the first few levels can be seen below.

We do not yet have a definite release date for CLARK, but we’ll keep you posted as the game progresses. In the meantime, you can keep your eyes on the studio’s YouTube Channel as they continue to upload more game-related content for you to sneak peaks at before the eventual release this summer. You can also check out the game’s IndieDB page for more information on the game’s development process, including some amusing graphics and comparisons. It seems the developers have an excellent sense of humor, which bodes well for the adventure and storytelling aspects of the game.

New Release Round-Up April 29 – May 5

Mark Isaacson — Sun, 05 May 2013 14:49:34 +0000

Miss anything this week or looking for something new to play? Then here’s a quick round-up of what you may (or may not) have missed:

Thomas Was Alone (PSVita) by Mike Bithell and Curve Studios

Star Command (iOS) by Warballoon

Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! (iOS) by Inkle Studios

Oh My Heroes! (iOS) by Triniti Interactive Ltd.

Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte (iOS) by High Voltage Software