Saturnalian wrote:
Bamba wrote:
How about a 22 inch tablet?
It'd have to be a suppository.
"Apple pulls one more thing out of Jobs's ass"
Interesting call to move manufacturing to the US...
kalmar wrote:
Interesting call to move manufacturing to the US...
Some of the iMacs are apparently stamped 'made in USA', and various bits of the machines were already there anyway. There's speculation whatever the Mac Pro becomes will be made in the US, because its insane price-tag will be able to absorb the extra costs. Frankly, though, I bet if all manufacturing went to the US, and Apple prices shot through the roof, most of those people banging on about such things would happily start buying cheaper rival devices manufactured overseas.
CraigGrannell wrote:
kalmar wrote:
Interesting call to move manufacturing to the US...
Some of the iMacs are apparently stamped 'made in USA', and various bits of the machines were already there anyway. There's speculation whatever the Mac Pro becomes will be made in the US, because its insane price-tag will be able to absorb the extra costs. Frankly, though, I bet if all manufacturing went to the US, and Apple prices shot through the roof, most of those people banging on about such things would happily start buying cheaper rival devices manufactured overseas.
The thing is, most rivals are already cheaper, substantially in some cases.. Moving manufacturing to the US is actually a reasonable further justification for the premium that they already charge for the perceived quality and design ethic.
The prices can't stand to "go through the roof" though, I agree.
My iMac is now without an optical drive, but with an SSD 
Very nice it is too, everything is just a lot snappier.
The install would have been extremely simple if one of the screws holding in the LCD hadn't been rounded off when I opened it up! My iMac was bought from the refurb store and I can only imagine it happened when they were fixing whatever it was that caused it to be a refurb in the first place. Shoddy work mr Apple fixer.
Drilling out a screw right next to the LCD is not for the faint hearted!
Very nice it is too, everything is just a lot snappier.The install would have been extremely simple if one of the screws holding in the LCD hadn't been rounded off when I opened it up! My iMac was bought from the refurb store and I can only imagine it happened when they were fixing whatever it was that caused it to be a refurb in the first place. Shoddy work mr Apple fixer.
Drilling out a screw right next to the LCD is not for the faint hearted!
kalmar wrote:
Interesting call to move manufacturing to the US...
I assume we're talking assembly and not actual manufacturing? Will be interesting to see how much they do. Most probably just token assembly.
There was an import duty on VCR's into some European countries in the 1980's. Amstrad got around this by assembling the VCR's in Europe. They basically just came in kit form and were knocked together in a industrial unit somewhere. Got around the problem and meant they had a made in the UK/France/Wherever sticker on them.
The nasty bits (ie the components) will still be made in China I reckon due to not only cost but the pollution. Whole boards will probably arrive at the US factory ready to go.
The Commodore (MOS Technology) factory was one of the most polluting industrial sites in the whole of the USA and was eventually shut down by the USA Environmental Agency. That kind of stuff is messy and I reckon will still be done in China.
Phew, Mrs Z's iPad Mini turned up today. Now I don't have to run around like a dickhead thinking of a different prezzie.
Zardoz wrote:
Now I don't have to run around like a dickhead thinking of a different prezzie.
At least the prezzie part is sorted.
Had enough of the truly shit Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. A year of ownership and it barely gets used other than for demos. Horrible delay on input, clumsy iOS rip off of an OS and a fucking mess of an app store (or rather several app stores).
Was in Tesco and happened to ask if they had any of the new iPads in stock. They did so I purchased one.
Time will tell if I use it more than the Galaxy. However at least iOS has the software available. Totally fed up with downloading buggy Android shit that crashes or doesn't work properly on a big screen. That is after wading through all the nude screensaver apps on their app store.
Was in Tesco and happened to ask if they had any of the new iPads in stock. They did so I purchased one.
Time will tell if I use it more than the Galaxy. However at least iOS has the software available. Totally fed up with downloading buggy Android shit that crashes or doesn't work properly on a big screen. That is after wading through all the nude screensaver apps on their app store.
Yell if you want any app suggestions, obv.
CraigGrannell wrote:
Yell if you want any app suggestions, obv.
I've had an iPhone for nearly 4 years so my first port of call will be my old favourites.
Long term I know there is an auto-cue app I need to get hold of. Also will need a decent and easy to navigate video player as I demo videos to clients using my Galaxy tab. Think the one I use on there is called MoboPlayer and its dead quick to use.
Christ only knows what you did to it, and Chinny. I've got a pair of them for work and can't really fault them.
Given that you always hate hardware built post 1990 if it doesn't have an Apple logo on, why in God's name did you buy it in the first place?
Given that you always hate hardware built post 1990 if it doesn't have an Apple logo on, why in God's name did you buy it in the first place?
chinnyhill10 wrote:
a fucking mess of an app store (or rather several app stores).
Yeah, I hate choice. Much better to be locked into the whims of one store.
Grim... wrote:
Christ only knows what you did to it, and Chinny. I've got a pair of them for work and can't really fault them.
You put them side by side (which I have) the difference is obvious. The Galaxy touch screen just feels laggy. The new ones I tried in the shop the other day felt better but still not quite as snappy as the iPad.
But that's liveable with. The terrible app situation isn't. Umpteen app stores all full of shit. Android fans keep on sticking their fingers in their ears about this but its a major issue. You simply often cannot find what you need and even if you do it will probably be a phone only version or won't work properly.
I downloaded an app from a client and found it crashed. Their answer was that it was impossible to test software on every last piece of hardware on the platform. It's not just their app that crashes or doesn't work. One of the appeals of getting Android was having emulators but getting anything to work reliably was a chore.
Another thing that hacked me off was just how long it took to get the official OS updates. It was about 6 months between everyone getting Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsung pulling their fingers out. No I didn't want to hack my expensive device to put an unofficial OS on there. Buy Apple and you'd have the new OS the same day as everyone else.
Perhaps the situation will improve but to be honest while you have such a wide variety of hardware available (from the stuff Ashens reviews through to the so called top end Samsungs) but I doubt it. Don't see the App store situation improving unless Google buck their ideas up either.
Did I mention that one of the reasons I bought it was to play video off it onto a larger screen (an advertised feature)? Great for demoing my work on projectors I thought. When I got the cable to do this I found out the bloody thing didn't work. Once researched I discovered that it had to be on external power before it would do this. What a joke! Just shows the shoddy ill thought out engineering that went into this genius piece of hardware.
I've had it a year and used it most weekdays for the first six months but have stopped using it as much of late. It's shit. I realise this will bitterly annoy Android fans but these are the facts people. The Galaxy is a Tesco Value knock-off of the iPad at nearly the same price, the software is shit and the entire experience feels shoddy and cheap as a result. Any platform is only as good as the software (that works reliably) on it. Wish I'd never clapped eyes on it.
482 Bananas
Mr Dave wrote:
chinnyhill10 wrote:
a fucking mess of an app store (or rather several app stores).
Yeah, I hate choice. Much better to be locked into the whims of one store.
Indeed! Why go to Selfridges when you could be rummaging around the bargain bins at multiple branches of Aldi desperately trying to find something that works!
The entire Android app store experience is tatty, grubby and does a disservice to what is basically a great OS.
TBH, I think I've only got an Android app direct from the supplier, rather than through a store. There is much (philosophically) wrong with Apples App Store, but at least it works most of the time, instead of just some of the time.
Well, I'm glad I continue to be astoundingly lucky on that front, then. I'm looking forward to finding all the new app stores on the Galaxy, though.
The only thing that's ever annoyed me about the Android app store is the fact that there are quite a few apps that are OS/hardware specific, so what you might be looking for just isn't there.
The direct install is for me very valuble. I woldnt want to imagine a general purpose device where I am beholden to one highly locked source.
Mr Dave wrote:
The direct install is for me very valuble. I woldnt want to imagine a general purpose device where I am beholden to one highly locked source.
Android fans wail about this but in 4 years of iPhone ownership and a year of Android ownership, I have had a far better experience with Steve's walled garden than I have with Android.
+ iOS has Magnetic Billiards along with the superb I Sent My Monkey To The Moon which although is only a prototype is still the 2nd best game on the platform after Magnetic Billiards. The Pickfords fucking rule!
chinnyhill10 wrote:
Mr Dave wrote:
The direct install is for me very valuble. I woldnt want to imagine a general purpose device where I am beholden to one highly locked source.
Android fans wail about this but in 4 years of iPhone ownership and a year of Android ownership, I have had a far better experience with Steve's walled garden than I have with Android.
So, I want to play any number of emulated games on iOS*. Without jailbreaking, can I?
Most of the iOS software I'd want to buy if I had such a device I wouldn't be allowed to buy, so where's the attraction?
STRAY ASTERISK
Mr Dave wrote:
chinnyhill10 wrote:
Mr Dave wrote:
The direct install is for me very valuble. I woldnt want to imagine a general purpose device where I am beholden to one highly locked source.
Android fans wail about this but in 4 years of iPhone ownership and a year of Android ownership, I have had a far better experience with Steve's walled garden than I have with Android.
So, I want to play any number of emulated games on iOS*. Without jailbreaking, can I?
No. But I didn't buy it for that. I bought it for work. Demoing videos for example (something the Samsung is fundamentally broken out of the box to do if I want to use an external display). Or autocue software (the available Android software was so woeful I kept using my Macbook under Bootcamp for this task instead).
Of course I played with the Samsung and saw emulators were available. However few worked in anycase. From memory:
Amiga - Repeatedly crashed.
C64 - Major control issues with the in software keyboard.
Spectrum - Nasty controls confounded by a similar keyboard issue to the C64 emulator. Another emulator wouldn't even start.
Mame - Don't get me started.
I do have the Elite Speccy compilation for the iPhone and I quickly learnt that the kind of games I love are horrid on a touch screen. So quickly forgot about playing old games to pass the time.
chinnyhill10 wrote:
I do have the Elite Speccy compilation for the iPhone and I quickly learnt that the kind of games I love are horrid on a touch screen. So quickly forgot about playing old games to pass the time.
Like you, I've found the majority of emulators to be pretty horrible on the iPad (although, naturally, rather good if you've an iCade knocking about). That said, I've found in recent years that when I end up playing emulators, it's because the host platform has run out of things to offer me. This happened with my Dreamcast, Xbox, GBA and DS, to name but four platforms. By contrast, I don't get bored on iOS, but I do also play a lot of retro-oriented games that are designed specifically for touch: Bit Pilot, Forget Me Not, Gridrunner, Space Junk, AirAttack, ElectroMaster, FiveADay, Minotron, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, and so on. You'll see a handful of such first-rate titles on Android, but the selection is much greater on iOS, making it a great platform for retro-heads, if you can get excited by new 'versions' of old games, rather than having access to the actual old games in illegal-o-fashion.
CraigGrannell wrote:
chinnyhill10 wrote:
I do have the Elite Speccy compilation for the iPhone and I quickly learnt that the kind of games I love are horrid on a touch screen. So quickly forgot about playing old games to pass the time.
Like you, I've found the majority of emulators to be pretty horrible on the iPad (although, naturally, rather good if you've an iCade knocking about). That said, I've found in recent years that when I end up playing emulators, it's because the host platform has run out of things to offer me. This happened with my Dreamcast, Xbox, GBA and DS, to name but four platforms. By contrast, I don't get bored on iOS, but I do also play a lot of retro-oriented games that are designed specifically for touch: Bit Pilot, Forget Me Not, Gridrunner, Space Junk, AirAttack, ElectroMaster, FiveADay, Minotron, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, and so on. You'll see a handful of such first-rate titles on Android, but the selection is much greater on iOS, making it a great platform for retro-heads, if you can get excited by new 'versions' of old games, rather than having access to the actual old games in illegal-o-fashion.
+ iOS has the Pickford Brothers. And frankly we should be carving their images out of stone and worshiping them as minor deities.
Anyone who doesn't have Magnetic Billiards on their iThing should be banned from the forum for life. It's superb. Really excellent. And as I said before, the prototype game available to skeleton key owners has this old Zub fan squealing with girlish glee.
Zardoz wrote:
STRAY ASTERISK
Yeah, it was to point out that I don't really actually want to*, more that it was an example of the 'benefits' of having someone vetting what was allowed - having entire areas off limits (Emulators such as these being only a subset of data interpreters, after all I don't see unofficial translations of games (or other software for that matter) being at all likely.).
* - aha, a stray asterisk. Except not: It's not that surprising as my thoughts on games on mobile phones aren't exactly unknown, mainly that I don't find them particularly diverting and I have extraordinarily little time for them after being subjected to such award winning shite as the "endlessly twat birds at plankathon" suitably lucky bounce game Angry birds, the "less exciting than watching paint dry 'Better than Magnetic Billiards'" Tiny Tower, One of the best games of all time tedious waste of time that is Fruit Ninja and the challengeless grind that was Game Dev Story.
Indeed, mainly challengeless or luck based would pretty much sum up most (not all) of the mobile games I've played. I can see why that's the case, but it doesn't appeal to me.
Although by far the most fun I had with it was a gba emulator + Fire Emblem 封印の剣. Go figure.
CraigGrannell wrote:
By contrast, I don't get bored on iOS, but I do also play a lot of retro-oriented games that are designed specifically for touch: Bit Pilot, Forget Me Not, Gridrunner, Space Junk, AirAttack, ElectroMaster, FiveADay, Minotron, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, and so on. You'll see a handful of such first-rate titles on Android, but the selection is much greater on iOS, making it a great platform for retro-heads, if you can get excited by new 'versions' of old games, rather than having access to the actual old games in illegal-o-fashion.
Heh! I've just searched for some of these on Android and I'm yoinking them. Any that aren't there, I'll bang on my iPhone.
Could I have dev names for these please? Some, like Space Junk and AirAttack I think are duplicated. Ta!
Mr Dave wrote:
Zardoz wrote:
STRAY ASTERISK
Yeah, it was to point out that I don't really actually want to*, more that it was an example of the 'benefits' of having someone vetting what was allowed - having entire areas off limits (Emulators such as these being only a subset of data interpreters, after all I don't see unofficial translations of games (or other software for that matter) being at all likely.).
* - aha, a stray asterisk. Except not: It's not that surprising as my thoughts on games on mobile phones aren't exactly unknown, mainly that I don't find them particularly diverting and I have extraordinarily little time for them after being subjected to such award winning shite as the "endlessly twat birds at plankathon" suitably lucky bounce game Angry birds, the "less exciting than watching paint dry 'Better than Magnetic Billiards'" Tiny Tower, One of the best games of all time tedious waste of time that is Fruit Ninja and the challengeless grind that was Game Dev Story.
Indeed, mainly challengeless or luck based would pretty much sum up most (not all) of the mobile games I've played. I can see why that's the case, but it doesn't appeal to me.
Although by far the most fun I had with it was a gba emulator + Fire Emblem 封印の剣. Go figure.
You've listed some pretty shite games, to be fair!
Bit Pilot: Zach Gage
Forget Me Not: Nyarlu Labs,
Gridrunner, FiveADay, Minotron: Llamasoft (Jeff's converting some games for Android at the moment)
Space Junk: Upside Down Games
AirAttack: Art In Games (Android link)
ElectroMaster: xionchannel
Space Invaders Infinity Gene: Taito (Android link)
Probably worth noting that those were just the games lurking in my favourites on the iPad. There are dozens of other fantastic retro-style games I've played on iOS. chinnyhill10 also happens to be spot-on about Magnetic Billiards. (Naked War's also on the way for iOS.)
(Also, it's not like I only play retro fare on the device. Recent games I've enjoyed include Super Hexagon, Letterpress, Ticket to Ride, The Room, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, MicroMiners, Shardlands, getting reacquainted with Osmos HD… such a great gaming platform.)
Forget Me Not: Nyarlu Labs,
Gridrunner, FiveADay, Minotron: Llamasoft (Jeff's converting some games for Android at the moment)
Space Junk: Upside Down Games
AirAttack: Art In Games (Android link)
ElectroMaster: xionchannel
Space Invaders Infinity Gene: Taito (Android link)
Probably worth noting that those were just the games lurking in my favourites on the iPad. There are dozens of other fantastic retro-style games I've played on iOS. chinnyhill10 also happens to be spot-on about Magnetic Billiards. (Naked War's also on the way for iOS.)
(Also, it's not like I only play retro fare on the device. Recent games I've enjoyed include Super Hexagon, Letterpress, Ticket to Ride, The Room, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, MicroMiners, Shardlands, getting reacquainted with Osmos HD… such a great gaming platform.)
WTB wrote:
You've listed some pretty shite games, to be fair!
I know! They are shite, but as noted, they appear quite frequently in the top 10 iOS game lists in the thread I linked to - which to my mind doesn't bode well for the others.
I think it would be very tough indeed to claim that Android was a better mobile gaming platform than iOS right now, unless emulators are all you're looking for.
Still, having just made the leap from iOS to Android, I'm pleased to hear that Minter is porting some of his games over - I absolutely love Minotaur Rescue and Minotron!
Still, having just made the leap from iOS to Android, I'm pleased to hear that Minter is porting some of his games over - I absolutely love Minotaur Rescue and Minotron!
Zio wrote:
I think it would be very tough indeed to claim that Android was a better mobile gaming platform than iOS right now, unless emulators are all you're looking for.
Still, having just made the leap from iOS to Android, I'm pleased to hear that Minter is porting some of his games over - I absolutely love Minotaur Rescue and Minotron!
Still, having just made the leap from iOS to Android, I'm pleased to hear that Minter is porting some of his games over - I absolutely love Minotaur Rescue and Minotron!
He's not, though, he's saying that phone games are mostly a bit shit.
markg wrote:
Zio wrote:
I think it would be very tough indeed to claim that Android was a better mobile gaming platform than iOS right now, unless emulators are all you're looking for.
Still, having just made the leap from iOS to Android, I'm pleased to hear that Minter is porting some of his games over - I absolutely love Minotaur Rescue and Minotron!
Still, having just made the leap from iOS to Android, I'm pleased to hear that Minter is porting some of his games over - I absolutely love Minotaur Rescue and Minotron!
He's not, though, he's saying that phone games are mostly a bit shit.
Indeed. Or rather most of the ones Ive plsyed on recomendation have been less fun than not playing them.
That and expressing dislike for putting limitations on a genersl purpose device in a way that would certainly affect me and which makes me sad for the future.
Mr Dave wrote:
WTB wrote:
I know! They are shite, but as noted, they appear quite frequently in the top 10 iOS game lists in the thread I linked to - which to my mind doesn't bode well for the others.
See also: all media. Best music charts are usually full of shit. Best movie charts are usually full of shit. iOS game charts aren't any different. (I looked at the top-whatevers even from the big iOS gaming sites this year with an increasing sense of bafflement at some of their choices. One chose dull grindathon CSR Racing as a 'best game', for example.)
markg wrote:
He's not, though, he's saying that phone games are mostly a bit shit.
My default response to that is that people making that claim are playing the 'wrong games'. There are shortcomings on mobile, not least if you're totally wedded to very specific games that don't translate well to touch (such as complex FPS games or Mario-style twitch platformers). However, some conversations make more sense on the touchscreen (Osmos and World of Goo being two examples that spring immediately to mind), and after years of relative tedium in gaming occasionally punctuated by Nintendo innovation, iOS feels much more like the Wild West of gaming that existed in the 1980s. You do get professional productions, but also tons of indie hits, made by one- or two-people entities, without having to deal with focus groups and the like, and having to think differently for new input mechanisms.
When the iPhone App Store first arrived, I happily dismissed it as an also-ran. I simply couldn't see how it in any way threatened the DS or even the PSP. Today, I wouldn't be without iOS when it comes to gaming—there are simply too many varied and exciting games to play.
I don't think handheld gaming is 'great'. It is a distraction, at best, but ultimately lacks the depth of 'proper' gaming. but for 69p a pop so be it.
MaliA wrote:
I don't think handheld gaming is 'great'. It is a distraction, at best, but ultimately lacks the depth of 'proper' gaming. but for 69p a pop so be it.
Define "proper" gaming? Presumably this requires a PC, a World Of Warcraft account, fear of washing and a massive inferiority complex.
I'd point out that Magnetic Billiards has consumed over 60 hours of my time in the iPhone alone? I've played video games with no depth and trust me, they don't last the hour.
chinnyhill10 wrote:
MaliA wrote:
I don't think handheld gaming is 'great'. It is a distraction, at best, but ultimately lacks the depth of 'proper' gaming. but for 69p a pop so be it.
Define "proper" gaming? Presumably this requires a PC, a World Of Warcraft account, fear of washing and a massive inferiority complex.
I'd point out that Magnetic Billiards has consumed over 60 hours of my time in the iPhone alone? I've played video games with no depth and trust me, they don't last the hour.
<Generally speaking>
It's quite a hard one, hence my putting it in inverted commas. The mobile games I have played (on my phone at the moment there is Pocket League Story which has had the most playtime, on the iPod Touch, I think it was probably Game Dev Story, or Dungeon Raid) most seem to be very shallow. And one seems to just grind towards the next thing, rather than have much of a headscratching challenge (Plants vs Zombies, Game Dev Story, Tiny Tower).
'Proper' gaming I suppose would have a series of structured challenges that you can't romp through in one go. Mobile gaming seems to me to be even more of a skinner box than WoW (to use your example) with the model more geared toward additional payments to get shinier, quicker. The skill level of the games are toned down so people buy more or pay to get a different colored suit (Jetpack Joyride)
I think that as a dsitraction they are fine, as a gmaing experience, I think not so much, as they lack the longevity of other formats. That, and 99% of them are shit.
Aside from the games themselves I just don't think the experience is even remotely comparable, hunched over, prodding away at a shitty little screen vs sitting back on the sofa in front of the telly. It's just not something I'd ever want to spend much time doing. I dunno perhaps if I had to spend half my life trapped on some awful bus or train carriage it might seem like a more worthwhile distraction.
markg wrote:
Aside from the games themselves I just don't think the experience is even remotely comparable, hunched over, prodding away at a shitty little screen vs sitting back on the sofa in front of the telly. It's just not something I'd ever want to spend much time doing. I dunno perhaps if I had to spend half my life trapped on some awful bus or train carriage it might seem like a more worthwhile distraction.
MaliA wrote:
I think that as a dsitraction they are fine, as a gmaing experience, I think not so much, as they lack the longevity of other formats. That, and 99% of them are shit.
A game for a mobile device is exactly the same as the games you used to buy for £1.99 and £2.99 from Mastertronic or Codemasters. I mean when we had genuine budget games not constant re-releases or formulaic re-cycled tat from the Codies that came later. The golden era of '86 to '88 before re-releases killed the original content.
Small compact games that can be picked up and played easily. Some may be simple and disposable, others may be far better than the crowd of just average games.
Which is why the Pickfords "get it". They were knocking out games in the mid eighties for a couple of quid that I still play today. No they aren't "deep", but they are fun and enjoyable. I love 180 and Zub as much as I did the day I first played them. I may well feel the same way about Magnetic Billiards in 25 years time.
And I don't think many of the good iOS games do try and fleece you for cash. Yes Magnetic Billiards does have a pricing structure but as I have often said on Twitter, allowing for inflation the price of the Skeleton Key is LESS than Zub or 180 cost in 1986.
You do have to search around for games that suit though. The Chinny list of games that I play is short but I was more than happy to pay for all of them and all of them have enough "depth" to ensure you can't romp though them in one go. Namely:
Magnetic Billiards
Qwak
Retro Racing
I also have 3 of the Minter games but, Hover Bover aside, I've always found his stuff a bit meh. His goat/sheep/llama obsession is a bit tedious these days.
markg wrote:
Aside from the games themselves I just don't think the experience is even remotely comparable, hunched over, prodding away at a shitty little screen vs sitting back on the sofa in front of the telly. It's just not something I'd ever want to spend much time doing. I dunno perhaps if I had to spend half my life trapped on some awful bus or train carriage it might seem like a more worthwhile distraction.
It's a portable games console in your pocket not a primary gaming device. You can use it anywhere. My Atari Lynx was never my primary gaming device, just something to lug around if I had the money for a fuckton of batteries.
+ the iPad is a hell of alot nicer to use as well. But it depends on the controls. Magnetic Billiards gets it so right. Qwak really needs a joystick but still works well enough.
CraigGrannell wrote:
Bit Pilot: Zach Gage
Forget Me Not: Nyarlu Labs,
Gridrunner, FiveADay, Minotron: Llamasoft (Jeff's converting some games for Android at the moment)
Space Junk: Upside Down Games
AirAttack: Art In Games (Android link)
ElectroMaster: xionchannel
Space Invaders Infinity Gene: Taito (Android link)
Forget Me Not: Nyarlu Labs,
Gridrunner, FiveADay, Minotron: Llamasoft (Jeff's converting some games for Android at the moment)
Space Junk: Upside Down Games
AirAttack: Art In Games (Android link)
ElectroMaster: xionchannel
Space Invaders Infinity Gene: Taito (Android link)
Much obliged!
I grabbed Space Invaders there and then. Eerie and Kraftwerkian! I approve.
I got *a* Space Junk, but it's by Tuko games. No idea.
The people bemoaning the overall quality of mobile phone games are playing the equivalent of shite run of the mill pop music. That's why, as seasoned gaming veterans, you're not impressed. Stop playing games that shitmunchers buy in their droves. Since when were they ever right?!
For example, GameDevStory. That was nothing more than an amusing, very shallow distraction. The people who talked it up on here were already playing the genuinely good games and accepted that as given, so as when a pop song happens to be great, they shouted about this incredibly addictive (basically shit) game from the rooftops, so amazed were they that something so simple could be so addictive. For a bit.
So when someone comes along who is relatively new to iOS gaming or has only dipped their toe in, they play something like that based on countless recommendations and think "what a load of shite, why all the fuss?" when the reality is, there is no fuss and everyone else has fucked off back to playing, er, Minotaur Rescue.
So when someone comes along who is relatively new to iOS gaming or has only dipped their toe in, they play something like that based on countless recommendations and think "what a load of shite, why all the fuss?" when the reality is, there is no fuss and everyone else has fucked off back to playing, er, Minotaur Rescue.
What the fuck am I on about?
WTB wrote:
The people bemoaning the overall quality of mobile phone games are playing the equivalent of shite run of the mill pop music. That's why, as seasoned gaming veterans, you're not impressed. Stop playing games that shitmunchers buy in their droves. Since when were they ever right?!
Which is why I have so few games. But the ones I do have are good (well the ones I pay for are, obv I'll take a chance on a freebie and delete it pronto if its crap).
MaliA wrote:
'Proper' gaming I suppose would have a series of structured challenges that you can't romp through in one go.
Incidentally, that means, for example, the following don't count as 'proper' gaming: Robotron, Defender, Pac-Man, Tetris, Battlezone, Missile Command, Wizard of Wor, Joust, etc.
Quote:
The skill level of the games are toned down so people buy more or pay to get a different colored suit (Jetpack Joyride)
Depends on the game. MicroMiners nearly caused me to throw my iPhone at the wall a number of times while playing it. Tough little bugger.
Quote:
That, and 99% of them are shit.
99% of anything is shit.
As for mobile games in general, the best of them remind me of those old classics. Like chinnyhill10, I've found dozens of mobile games that have taken dozens of hours of my time. They might not have some linear quest that is designed to last precisely 87 hours, but they are hugely repeatable and skill-based offerings. In the same way you could play Defender for a decade and still get better, the same's true of the likes of Magnetic Billiards. (On Game Dev Story, I've no idea why everyone went nuts over it either. It's basically Software Star for the modern age. I had fun playing it precisely once. I tried it again, because I was reviewing it, and then I never had a third go. But then some reviewers are mental when it comes to iOS, hence CSR Racing getting any reviews at all that rated it above 2/10.)
WTB wrote:
The people bemoaning the overall quality of mobile phone games are playing the equivalent of shite run of the mill pop music. That's why, as seasoned gaming veterans, you're not impressed. Stop playing games that shitmunchers buy in their droves. Since when were they ever right?!
No, I'm playing the stuff that all you jazzy bummers keep wittering on about.
markg wrote:
WTB wrote:
The people bemoaning the overall quality of mobile phone games are playing the equivalent of shite run of the mill pop music. That's why, as seasoned gaming veterans, you're not impressed. Stop playing games that shitmunchers buy in their droves. Since when were they ever right?!
No, I'm playing the stuff that all you jazzy bummers keep wittering on about.
Poor Jazzy!
I like mobile gaming. It's excellent for puzzle games (like Puzzle Quest, Dungeon Raid, Bravesmart), board/card game conversions (Dominion, Nightfall, Neuroshima Hex, etc), logic games (Sudoku, Str8s, Logic Square) and the odd short-lived 'pop' arcade craze of cheap, disposable, simple games that are fun for a short while (Jetpack Joyride, Aaaaaaaaaa! etc).
I probably spend more time playing iOS games than on my 360 or PC (though that's more a reflection of when and where I get my free time, tbf).