Hercules Blog: Game Balancing - Why won’t she die?

Whether your fighting the Scorpion King, Medusa or a lowly undead berserker it is important to choose the right weapon. Everyone knows this. As a game developer it is the challenge of balancing difficulty, skill, ease of understanding and the all important fun quotient. Does it makes sense and seem fair that a single swipe of the scorpion king takes half your life? These are the questions we ask our selves on a daily basis.

You can read all about it from the horse's mouth, so to speak, on the Herc log as the main programmer talks about balancing Hercules.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Side note: as a game dev try recording yourself talk about your game and the listening to it later in another environment. It is difficult to take yourself seriously. My favorite me quote is this sphere: "Ninjas are way too mature for this game". 

Cellphone in New Role: Loyalty Card

Loyalty cards — those little paper cards that promise a free sandwich or coffee after 10 purchases, but instead get lost or forgotten — are going mobile. And merchants are looking for ways to marry the concept to games that customers can play to earn more free items and, it is hoped, spend more money.

We love this article. It fits in with our mantra that everything is a game. Loyalty programs have always had game-like properties a game, so it makes sense that these be structured around digital and real world play. Don't be surprised if you are playing games while in the check out line of your favorite grocery store sometime soon. In some ways what we're seeing is simply a defined rule set which allows measured competition for activities that have always been played like a game.

Check out teh article and let us know what you think.

Searching With Google On Your Mobile? Expect To See Apps In Your Results

Google is working hard to be the best search engine on the go, and today is tweaking their algorithms to include applications in their mobile results. If you use an iPhone or Android device, for certain search terms Google will now offer you an application to download along with your regular search results.

One of the greatest drawbacks for developers and users to the Google market place, all Android AppStores, and the iTunes Appstore presently is the  lack of visibility for apps. Users can't find quality apps that are relevant to them easily.
Curation, up till now was based on apps that are most popular or are those that are curated by the Appstore gatekeepers. This new innovation by Google has the potential to change the face of the smart phone app market. We're very excited about it. Check out the full article to learn more.

Microsoft is getting destroyed in smartphone race

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-gains-more-subscriber-share-2010-4?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Internet+Analyst+-+April+5+

Here's February's data compared to the three month period before:

* RIM is at 42.1% for December to February period, compared to 40.8% for the September to November period.

* Apple is at 25.4%, compared to 25.5%.

* Microsoft is at 15.1% compared to 19.1%.

* Android is at 9%, compared to 3.8%.

* Palm is at 5.4% compared to 7.2%.

Getting Hopeful About Zune

Here's something you rarely hear us (or anyone else) mention, Zune. Well, we're going to break that dry spell now and tell you that we've come upon an article via Ars Technica that actually calls the new batch of Zune HD games for the beleaguered MP3 player(/gaming handheld?) "fun". Fancy that.

According to the piece, the fun is actually an important aspect of the new 3D/HD products as the previous set of games boasted painfully slow loading times, simple 2D graphics, and a lacking in captivating plot-points/action. 

The more state-of-the-art concepts load a lot quicker (thanks to a firmware update), have sensually pleasing graphics (and we mean that in the way that they appeal to your senses), and actually have some "replay value".

In reviewing the newest releases, Ars actually called Checkers for Zune "beautiful", citing that its outdoor setting and simplicity made it surprisingly captivating, and even went so far as to pay the "Wii compliment" to Lucky Lanes Bowling, comparing the mobile app to the visual experience of playing on the console.

We really are hoping in our heart of hearts that this isn't the last we'll be mentioning of Zune gaming for a while. With iPhone/iPod Touch carving a new nieche for casual gamers in the market, if Microsoft really steps up the content of their gaming products they could genuinely reap the benefits of what Apple started.

A Case For Mobile Gaming

As we had previously mentioned, the iPhone is more surely the biggest driving forces in mobile gaming at the moment. It's sales at the designated point of purchase location, iTunes, trump sales of any other mobile gaming retailer, bar none. But, did you know that the collected mass of Apple mobile gaming venturing may be having a positive impact on traditional console concepts?

We caught an interesting bit via GameDaily today, that was begun as a cautionary tale of the adverse affects mobile gaming may be having on the console/computer gaming market. The piece was eventually concluded with the realization that mobile gaming in fact, boosts interests of the casual/passive game player and make individuals who are not particularly passionate about gaming as entertainment that much more involved in all aspect of it, not just in mobile gaming alone.

Ask about the potential disinterest in console gaming mobile applications may cause, VP of Marketing at GameStop, Tony Bartel, had this to say:

“I really see a lot of growth in both of those areas...they appeal to two different audiences... I've been looking at Madden and Assassin's Creed on my iPhone, and while they're fun to play, they're far from the experience I can get on a console or even on a handheld. So I think in some cases they could lead people over into that (console) area."

Well said, we think and as Bartel himself says:

 "I really see the [iPhone market] as more complementary than competitive at this point.” 

And so do we. Check out our newest mobile gaming entry (Decades) for iPhone/iTunes right here.

N-o More N-Gage

Although some in the mobile gaming market are launching new bids for dominance and some already seem to have it, Nokia has announced yesterday that it will cease production of new gaming content for its N-Gage platform and cut off sales for the existing games in late 2010.

The shuttering of the platform does not, however, mean that Nokia gamers will not be able to get their fix via their mobile handset period. Instead, all sales and new mobile gaming product will become available via the company's Ovi applications store. In order to throw a bit of a positive spin on the forthcoming changes Nokia issued the following comment: 

"It's much more convenient to have one place to get all your mobile games, and this it what Ovi Store provides."

"Mobile gaming is one of the most popular activities in the Ovi Store, with games being the second most downloaded category for premium content." 

With competition stiffening up in the mobile market at large, and Nokia being a long-time mobile device industry leader (one well ahead of Samsung and LG), it's hard to believe that the switch to Ovi will be a permanent solution for their customers mobile gaming needs. How the company will re-brand it's gaming division, however, remains to be seen.

Full article via BBC News.

As iTunes Leads, Mobile Gaming Sales Could Reach Billions by 2014

Coming off this article via Game Daily, we're really happy to read what swift progress mobile/portable applications are making in the gaming world.

According to a series of new reports from DFC Intelligence(an idepedent field research group), the "mobile" (we'll just call it that for brevity's sake) gaming market could reach sales of up to $11.4 billion by 2014. This doesn't mean "the end" for console gaming, those systems are expected to continue to reign, but, mobile gaming, lead by what is predicted to be a 24% market share for iPhone/iPod Touch, has grown to the point where a whopping 54% of DFC's surveyed U.S. residents had played a mobile game on their phone in the past year. In Europe the number was at 69% of surveyed mobile users.

The news is a boost for the moral of the industry for sure, and just another milestone in the evolution of gaming we all knew would happen.  

To check out some our most recent mobile games for yourself see: Red Wire Blue Wire, Tic Tac Paddy Whack, and Decades.

Samsung Makes Bid For Stake in Mobile Gaming

According to this week's Develop Online post, Samsung has openly initiated a bid for the mobile gaming market by offering a quarter of a million dollars to game development companies or individuals that can produce a winning mobile game idea.

 

According to Handmark's senior VP of Global Sales, Chris Barnett:

"This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone, including big brands, mobile developers or any individual with a unique, creative idea to make it a reality"

A.k.a. (or as Joystiq commented last night), because the company has "lost a sizable chunk of the mobile consumer base to iTunes, Samsung is now reaching into its pockets to ensure the company's slip in market share doesn't turn into a complete mudslide". We agree, but, are also simultaneously excited by the prospect of the mobile market opening up to a myriad of platforms, and see this as a step in that direction.

Decades Android is here!

Attention all Android mobile users! "The greatest game in history" is out now on the Android Marketplace! Decades is part action puzzle game, and part trivia game! A cross between Tetris and Wheel of Fortune, the game redefines the match-three and trivia genres by challenging you to match cubes to help you fill in and solve the trivia puzzles!
Decades has over 20 hours of play with dazzling animations, challenging trivia, and addictive game play that uses the touch and keyboard features of the Android phone.

Features:
* Simple controls: touch and swipe falling cubes to rotate and match
* 10 decades-themed levels
* 5 unlockable bonus levels
* 1200 trivia puzzles to solve
* Special powerups and obstacles
* Earn trophies as you play!
* Unlock Hard Mode for super challenging play that will engage even the most veteran game players

Download Decades Lite and try it out, or purchase the Premium version for just $2.99! Check out the game's home page for more info. Decades is coming to your friendly neighborhood iPhone and Facebook page soon!

New RWBW Levels

Jesse James: Red Wire Blue Wire has just been updated .
• Added 35 new levels
• Reduced memory footprint and load times
• Removed memory related crashing
• Improved controls for 3 of the game types

http://tinyurl.com/mr4r4e

You can become a Facebook fan here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home&__a=1#/pages/Jesse-James-is-a-Dead-Man-Red-Wire-Blue-Wire/89634739213?ref=s

Joy in Momsville

The moms review is digging Paddywhack.

From young to old, this is a fun app for the whole family! My 5 year old
loves playing this game, and especially loves it when I play against him…but better yet, my 9 year old and my 10 year old love it too!

Ok, and I’ll admit that even I have fun picking it up and having a go.
This isn’t your ordinary Tic Tac Toe game though! Nope, the graphics are the first obvious difference. So cute! You choose to be either the kids or the animals.

Click to read the review

Tic Tac Paddywhack on the iPhone is ultimate fun for children

iphonefootprint love for Tic Tac Paddywhack!

Remember the tic tac toe game, which you played in school to kill time or when two of you friends were waiting for a third one? Good news is the game is now available for the iPhone. And very apt for this generation of children, who can never think of anything other than gadgets free from pen and papers. I don't have to tell you how to play a tic tac toe game, may be that is the reason why there are no instructions in the game. The most significant and interesting feature in tic tac paddywhack! is that the game

Click to read the review

Red Wire Blue Wire

iTunes just released our awesome new bomb diffusing app for Spike TV's "Jesse James is a Dead Man!" Red Wire Blue Wire challenges you to disarm a series of bombs rigged to the vehicles in Jesse's shop.

Face 5 different puzzles types in increasing difficulty and complexity until you meet the ultimate challenge - a live nuke!!

It's fun, challenging, and here's the best part - it's free! Download for iphone and ipod touch today!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftwa
re?id=319067875&mt=8

Tic Tac Paddywhack! Lite

Freemium Anyone? Play the new FREE verison of Tic Tac Paddywhack.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=318165908&mt=8e?id=318165908&mt=8

More Love for Tic Tac Paddywhack!

Endorsement from "An Island Review" for our iPhone game Tic Tac Paddywhack!

Read the review here:

The cool thing is that there are no boring X’s and O’s. In this version
it’s kids versus pets. My girls loved the cartoon images and it made playing the
game a lot more fun and interesting for them. Even my 3 year old got the hang of
it in no time. The touch screen of the iPhone made it this game very kid
friendly and interactive.

Five for Friday: iPhones, Kindles and internet safety programs for kids

Hey there-

Momcentral.com just recommended PaddyWhack!

"If this is something you do, check out the iPhone app Tic Tac Paddywhack, a cute take on the classic tic tac toe game for kids. Made with families in mind, you need two players so a child and their parent, friend or sibling can play together."

http://technology.momcentral.com/2009/05/five-for-friday-iphone-kindle-internet-safety-for-kids.html

Tic Tac Paddywhack review!

If you needed any more reason to download our new iphone game, the iPhoneMom.com has posted a glowing review of Tic Tac Paddywhack! Take a gander and read for yourself

http://www.theiphonemom.com/tic-tac-paddywhack

A Paddywhack LITE version will be on itunes soon!

Drumroll please....we're up on the App store!

"Tic Tac Paddywhack!" is up on iTunes! Download today to play this fun update of the classic Tic-Tac-Toe game. Play single player or challenge a friend! Unlock super-cute bonus games and buddies each time you win! Great for kids and kids of all-ages.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=313241855

G1 Android Application Developer

So if you google "g1 android application developer" no companies come up that actually do this. Seems crazy to me that that's the case. So I'd just like to put it out there. SMERC is a G1 Android Application Developer...... how's that SEO marketing for ya?