Subscribe via RSS Feed

PokerListings.com has your Poker Links

If you like to play poker and have a mac it can be kinda frustrating when you have to revert back to windows just to use a poker app. Well all that can now change, we can recommend you take a look at pokerlistings.com mac poker page for all your online card game needs,not only do they have info about all the best poker rooms that are mac friendly, but they also have useful strategy guides and tournament updates for all your gaming needs.

Category: Articles

Apple Quietly Increases 3G Download Size Limits

Apple Quietly Increases 3G Download Size Limits

Apparently Apple has increased the download cap for applications over 3G from the previous puny 10mb’s to a whopping 20mb today without any fanfare or press releases. For those keeping record at home that’s a 100% size increase. We received several emails and subsequently tested this ourselves and have noticed that applications that once required wifi connectivity to update or download are now able to be received over standard 3G connections.

Hopefully this is just one of the more positive sign’s of  things to come from Apple and AT&T’s  love/hate partnership. Or it may be a compromise AT&T offered to Apple to keep the iPhone exclusive to AT&T as well. Now if we could just get legal teetering we might all feel better about AT&T!

02/18/2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Could Augmented Reality games be a game changers for Apple?

Could Augmented Reality Games Be A Game Changer For Apple?

There’s something intriguing about being able to physically control a game by using your bodies movements.  It seems to have become the latest trend now with the Wii spearheading the console revolution and putting movement into our collective conciseness. With Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sony’s wand also set to debut in 2010 it’s pretty easy to say that 2010 will be the year of motion controlled games like it or not.

Could Augmented Reality games be a game changers for Apple?

Could 2011 become the year of augmented reality games? Sure the PS2 & PS3 as well as the Xbox 360 all have camera’s that would allow for some augmented games, but Both Sony and Microsoft have failed miserable in supporting said devices.  The problem is they are an add-on and no one makes games for add-ons period.

Apple however could surpass what Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have done for gaming with the iPhone 3GS and possible future versions of the iPad with camera’s and GPS built in.

Augmented Reality games could spark  a massive change in the gaming community, which seems to be dying with blatantly rehashing and copying of the same core games over and over.

Imagine games that actually required you to physically move not slightly but entire rooms to avoid virtual GPS based attacks in a multiplayer real time strategy game?

With the recent release of Sky Siege (US$3) gamers can get a glimpse of the possible future of gaming right now.  The game (which resembles more like a glorified tech demo than a real game) requires users to dodge bullets and missiles by actually moving away from incoming objects while turning left and right to follow and lock on to aircraft.

We have included a video to show you what the gameplay looks like, and we wonder if could see yourself  playing these types of games on the iPhone and iPad or would these types of games be better suited for the consoles?

02/09/2010 | 3 comments | View Post
Will Apples new device usher in higher priced apps?

Will Apples new device usher in higher priced apps?

With all the wild speculation on hardware specs, features, and contract costs floating around the web on the rumored tablet device, I thought it might be a good time to bring back another highly speculated rumor from last year. On that pertained to subject matter that did actually happen last year but never was implemented. Those discussions were based around the idea of a “Premium” application pricing structure.

Exactly one year ago, the entire iPhone blogosphere as well as commercial websites were predicting that Apple was set to release a “Premium” iPhone and iTouch section on the appstore. This was done in an effort to lure larger developers to create full featured games more in line with the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable, and in turn give developers a larger profit margin on sales. I have been assured those pricing discussions did happen, but eventually those plans fell through. I was told this by some of the larger developers I deal with on a constant basis here at appVersity.com

Gizmodo's rendition of the tablet sure looks sexy

Richard Teversham, previously the senior director of business, insights, and strategy for the European division of Xbox was hired and brought into the iPhone side of the business with speculation that he was to help position the iPhone and iTouch devices into a commercially viable gaming system. However, if you think about it- the iPhone specifications, design and vision was already created by that time. So….what exactly was he brought in for?

Apple’s gaming ambitions have been a case of Dr. Jekyll and M Hyde. It seems that every Apple event for the last few years would see Mr. Jobs bringing out some developers who praised the newest version of OSX and committed that they and other developers would be bringing the world of gaming to an Apple near you. Months, even years would pass with maybe three or four titles from last’s years PC hits would be released and the cycle would repeat itself.

Fast forward a few years to the iPhones launch when no one expected that the iPhone and iTouch would establish itself as a major factor in hand held gaming. It was literally a crap shoot seeing that mobile gaming had not proven to be a run away commercial success previously.

In retrospect, Apple’s smartest move was to not restrict the pricing scheme of applications and opened the doors to anyone with a hundred dollar bill and some time on their hands. Today the appstore is teaming with thousands of great applications along with hundreds of thousands of “shovel-ware” titles as well.

This alone has allowed the pricing structure of applications to flux. No games have released for over $9.99 and most offer huge discounts for the first few weeks trying to garner the attention and placement of their application in a crowded appstore and amongst the hardcore impulse consumers. With the daily deluge of applications consumers are the benefactor as developers are forced to reduce prices to nothing in order to generate sales.

Fast forward to today where we are on the verge of a possible revolutionary moment for Apple. The introduction of a new multimedia device that could potentially alter the way we think about entertainment once again. We are hearing rumors that Steve Job’s himself has been personally involved with the new device and don’t forget Richard Teversham. He brings immense talent and knowledge; and I am sure he has played a role in helping design and position this new product to entice an ever larger portion of the multi billion dollar gaming community to drink Apple’s Kool-Aid.

Without knowing the final specifications of the new device, it’s fairly easy to guess that it will have a much faster processor (and most likely multiple processors) as well as additional memory and a larger screen resolution making it a real threat to traditional consoles today. Oh, and did I mention it’s portable?

Sure it's ugly but you get the point. Larger buttons equal better controls.

Sure developers can and most likely will initially upscale current applications to take advantage of some of these features. However, give them some time and developers are going to be creating much deeper and feature complete games for a larger screen- alleviating many of the problems iPhone games face today.

Gamers will have larger surface aiding in better controlled finger movements,  additional spacing for buttons, menus, and finger gestures.  This will open up different types of games that can be made and ported from the PC while allowing them not to suffer control issues from the substitution of a mouse with finger movements.

Developers will need to spend additional time and resources to create more immersive gaming experiences over the more casual experiences on the iPhone and iTouch. Surely, these same developers would expect higher returns for their investment which leads us back to last year.

No one is saying it, and we won’t be sure until we have the final products in our hands, but if I was a betting man I would bet my house on the fact that the new applications designed specifically for the new device will have a different pricing structure that we are used to currently.

Quick and more casual gaming will remain on the iPhone, iTouch, and tablet in it’s current pricing structure with more expensive, and console like gaming being sold at higher price points.  Yes this will fracture the install base some, but we currently see that Apple isn’t afraid to force upgrades on users. How consumers will react to that as well as higher application prices is the biggest question.

Apple was able to get it’s foot in the door with the iPhone and iTouch. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are well aware of how the little boy has grown up so quickly. With the release of the new tablet device, I expect them to not only open that door, but bust it right off the hinges and claim the biggest table for themselves.

01/22/2010 | 7 comments | View Post
Apple’s New Year’s Resolution Must Include Tim Langdell

Apple’s New Year’s Resolution Must Include Tim Langdell

Two words show Apple are their own worst enemy…Tim Langdell.

The saga began months ago with the popular iTunes game Edge developed by Mobigames and since then has continued to spiral into an ever-growing pile of nonsense that threatens not only the livelihood of developers, but impacts the foundation of the iTunes store.  As founder of Edge Games back in 1990, Mr. Langdell started off on the right path because he wanted to create entertaining and creative games.  And, his experience even earned him a seat on the board of directors for the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).

Unfortunately for him, he will likely be remembered in the annals of video game history as a villain for his legal shenanigans against other developers. The Edge saga that began with Mobigames has turned Mr. Langdell into an equal opportunity cease-and-desister going after PuzzleKing’s Killer Edge Racing and even behemoth EA in recent weeks.

Whatever side of the iTunes fence you fall on, Mr. Langdell has used the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to defend his ownership and global trademark of the word “EDGE.” At the least, it has directly impacted a handful of gaming companies and indie developers.  But, the far-reaching implications are much more detrimental for the gaming industry as a whole.  The most obvious is the use of the word “EDGE” which has become a scarlet letter if you will in the iPhone/iPod Touch gaming community.

Ask Mobigames who has seen their game Edge removed from the store, whose popularity ironically set Mr. Langdell’s sights on it.  PuzzleKings’ Killer Edge Racing is another that joins Edge on the “Not Available” list.  Just a few weeks ago, several indie developers joined together in solidarity against Mr. Langdell’s trademark tactics by renaming their games to include “EDGE”.  No doubt the Langdell legal team is already chalking up billable hours drafting the next set of legal briefs.

For months, Apple has come under scrutiny for its nebulous application review process.  However, the larger and more significant implication involves trademark and copyright issues, highlighting the increasing need beyond simply removing an app.   Not only has Apple’s approach of sweeping the issue under the rug been sorely deficient, it points to the iTunes store’s lacking approval process and arbitration guidelines.

For whatever reason, Apple’s  review process has always been more closely guarded than Area 51 with apps taking weeks or months for approval or rejection.  Yet, when a dispute arises, apps are removed almost immediately with or without valid reasons.  On the flip side, how many times have you seen apps that have looked remarkably similar to each other?  While that’s bound to happen in a store with more than 100,000 apps, it still points to two major issues that need to be addressed.

First is the need for a thorough background check during the review process.  This means checking trademarks, licenses and game concepts among others.  It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to see that background checks are not consistently implemented if at all.

In the more immediate timeframe, Apple needs an arbitration process prior to removing an application.  Developers should have an opportunity to defend themselves.  While it’s had no problem with taking a cut of earnings from developer sales, what’s been illustrated with the Langdell/EDGE situation is Apple repeatedly giving developers little or no recourse.

Of course, the consequence of all this is the impact on customers.  Incorporating a thorough background check in the reviews process will undoubtedly delay the approval process for new games.   But, then again, quality means a lot more than quantity as many can attest to when looking at the bulk of the apps in the iTunes store.

The question remains “Will Apple change?”  Right now, it certainly has the power to set its own rules, but with more incidents such as EDGE, that power is slipping away.  And, one day, changes may happen under someone else’s directive.  One thing is for sure, Mr. Langdell’s presence will continue to affect the gaming industry, and Apple may have no choice but to act.

It would be interesting to see who’s side you sympathize with. Let us know in the comments below.

12/10/2009 | 2 comments | View Post
Settlers: an RTS for the masses

Settlers: an RTS for the masses

Real Time Strategy (RTS) games have been trying to find a hand hold in the App Store for a while now, but so far it’s been a tough sell. Sure we have had some good games out there, but they are often too difficult or just too frustrating, often finding you begging for the full mouse and keyboard interface that is needed.

Overview:

“Settlers” from Gameloft may be the bridge that brings the RTS genre to the masses. Based on a series that’s been around for a long time, Settlers is your basic game of “build up your colony, create an army and expand your territory”. Yes, it’s a little like playing God, but in a full blown way, not like flicking pygmies into a volcano.

The problem with this genre is that there is always too much management involved. You find yourself worrying too much about all the little things that are going on and zooming all over maps to really sit back and just enjoy the fact that you’re playing a game, and not doing this for real. And I think that is where Settlers really hits the mark.

I’ve played the computer games a little bit (mostly watched), and didn’t really get into them. But in playing this game on my iPhone, I’ve seen that there is plenty of time to just enjoy all the game has to offer. And there is a lot to watch here. The visuals are amazing and I’m amazed at the detail that went into this game. I’ve paid much more for “real hand held” games in the past and didn’t get any where near this level!

settlers2

The entire presentation is wonderful… well, almost. While I loved all the little sound effects throughout the game, it didn’t take long to hear the same background music cycling through again. It’s not a big deal, but one I wish had been worked through a little.

The game is set up with several mission-based campaigns. You can pick one of the four “tribes” (Viking, Mayan, Roman and Dark Tribe) and work through the individual missions with each. This gives you a great deal of game play, though it is sad to note that there is no “free play” with the game. A big omission, but one ‘m not feeling too much yet because I’ve still got many missions to complete as it is.

And not only do you have a lot of missions, you’ve got a boatload (or warship in the case of the Vikings) of different people types to work with. I was pretty impressed that with all the stuff happing on screen that not only was I able to tell them apart, but that they had different animations to help separate them as well. Great detail.

Controls:

Really this game is about building up structures and sending your tribe-mates around the map. The control scheme for this is actually pretty easy. It’s simple to tap where you want to build something and also just as easy to move groups. You can tap a group or put them in a square and then tap where you want them to end up and they’ll head off.

The term “control” might be a little misleading for some who are long time RTS gamers. Sure you can move people, but that doesn’t always mean that you “control” them. There are plenty who only do certain things, and many who just do whatever they were doing before you moved them after you’ve placed them in a new location. This set up will be great for newcomers to the genre, but might be a little frustrating to old hands.

settlers1

And, of course, there are battles to be fought and won. This can be a lot of fun (I hate saying that about war), especially when you throw in the different types of weapons that each of the tribes bring to the front. I’m a big fan of the catapults courtesy of the Romans.

Interestingly enough there are Priests that can be very useful in battle. Oh, sure their main job is to help the tribe and even get you more food, but in battle they can cast spells against the other side. Take that all you “turn the other cheek” types!

Quite simply… there’s a lot going on in the game and it’s hard to describe it all here. Just to give you an idea, the help section is more involved than some games I’ve bought. And you’ll want to go through all of it, and the tutorials, before jumping into a game… trust me.

Likes:

Involved & Deep Gameplay + Very Impressive Graphically + Hours & Hours (And Hours) Of Game Play + Mission Based Play + Plenty Of Help  + Good Use of Tutorials + Plenty Of Save Slots

Great Value For The Money

Dislikes:

Might Put Off  “True Settlers Fans” – No “Free Play” – Music Got Annoying Quickly (But You Can Use Your Own – And Should) – Some slight Control Issues

Verdict:

Settlers is a very interesting game. At first I was planning on a very intensive game where I had to keep an eye on everything, but then realized that this is a lot more about laying out the strategy then keeping track of the little things. Then I started to enjoy it a lot more. By the end I saw that this might be the perfect RTS for those working their way into the genre. This is a game that would sell for much more on typical handheld devices, just be thankful you’ve got it here and pick it up now.

buy

11/13/2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Apple Of Troy

Apple Of Troy

I have given a lot of thought to this subject since the iPhone was announced and finally released. I’ve spent countless hours debating on forums with people I never met over the pro’s and con’s of Apple entering the gaming market with the iPhone and iTouch, but none of us could have predicted the overwhelming success of the Application store and how Apple is single handily changing the gaming industry.

Apple has never been know for gaming, the gave that up after their failed attempt at a gaming console with the PiP PiN some years back, and since than they seemed to have abandoned gaming as a whole even as the Macintosh OS X operating system is generally accept as the best platform Movie, Music, and Graphics Arts development.

Sadly the video game industry which requires heavenly on all of these features has largely ignored Apple as a serious gaming platform. While there are many reason for this it seems Apple has not focused or cared and has pushed gamers away.

So with the arrival of gaming on the iPod we saw some pretty basic gaming nothing to worry any of the big three console manufactures, and now Apple releases the iPhone without marketing it as a true gaming platform. Everyone was expecting the devices to be delegated to simple puzzle and indie game development, but something changed.

Being a gamer myself for the last 30+ years Ive owned countless game consoles, and handhelds. So if there is one thing I’ve learned is that regardless of the technical prowess of the device there are only two simple formulas for serious success in the gaming industry and those are a wide variety of games and price point.

In less than 6 months since Apples Application store has opened more than 10,000 titles have appeared over 100 Million downloads and countless success stories of small developers making huge profits off weeks of work have changed gaming forever.

Major companies have taken notice of these profits, and the sheer number of sales behind the iPhone and Touch devices. Electronic Arts, Sega, Konami, UBI-SOFT, Activision, Square Soft, and even Microsoft have full time development teams working on projects for the devices. There are also countless numbers of individuals who are making fantastic games and applications from their bedrooms that revival many commercial console and  hand held gaming experiences.

Such games as Rolando and Dizzy Bee whose art style and cuteness is up there with Nintendo,  Gamelofts Hero of Sparta a God Of War clone which is close to PSP quality and countless other games which can only be found on Apple’s devices.

Apples unique interface allows developers the creative freedom to design one of a kind experiences, that even your grandmother could play.

While hardcore gamers might snub there noses at the iDevices it’s going to be hard to do that for much longer. With a plethora of titles such as SimCity, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Tiger Woods, Need for Speed and hundreds more smashing into the App Store on a daily basis and none of these costing more than $9.99 each it’s safe to say Apple has single handily changed the entire gaming market and forcing casual and hardcore gamers to take notice.

Casual and Semi Hardcore gamers are the next big thing. Smaller and medium size development studios are no longer going to spend millions of dollars in development only to sell 200,000 to 300,000 copies.

Casual gamers and impulse buys are going to drive the next revolution in gaming. Not Million Dollar blockbusters. Now im not predicting the end of high end console gaming, as I don’t believe this will happen anytime soon, but spending $5.99 on a whim vs 59.99 is a no brainier!

Another benefit is you no longer  have to preorder, travel to the store or wait in long lines to get that title you’re been waiting for. Upon release you simply download it from anywhere and within 10 minutes your gaming!

Developers love it,  as third party companies such as Gamestop are no longer able to make a profit off used sales of  the developers hard work. No more ultra expensive development kits or 2 year development cycles. Combine that with a fair profit margin from Apple and with the iPhone closing in on 14 Million unit this year it’s easy to understand the appeal.

Nintendo is releasing a new hand held called the DSI which has an embedded memory capacity, and rumors are abound that the PSP2 is on the way as well that will allow you to download games from their online services but its safe to say that you won’t be getting the quantity, quality or diversity from Nintendo’s online service that Apple is able to provide. Sure you will get an old NES game for $5.99 or a new Indie game for $10.00, but your not going to see Major franchise titles appearing on the service or hand held for anything under 19.99, and in an economy that plan stinks where individuals are fighting to pay the electric bills expendable income is hard to come by.

I mean would you rather pay $20.00 for two major franchise titles like Sim City and Metal Gear Solid on the iPhone or pay $30.00 for Prince of Persia on the DS or PSP?

Nintendo and Sony initially blew off any comparison of the DS or PSP to the iPhone, but now are absolutely feeling the pressure placed directly on their shoulders from Apple.

No longer are gamers forced to buy overpriced, marginal software. Even is Sony and Nintendo opened an online store today it would be almost impossible for them to set the price point for titles in line with Apple due to their current business model, nor would they open the development floodgates allowing anyone to make titles like Apple has.

With the future of gaming turning to digital distribution Apple’s Appstore is heads and shoulders above the rest. Do you think Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft are going to allow you to buy a game and install it on more than one device in the household? I can answer that with a resounding HELL NO, but with the AppStore I can install a game I bought on any Iphone or Itouch devices attached to my Itunes Database.

This single feature is a game changer! So wait Little Jimmy and Tommy can both play the complete full Metal Gear Touch game on separate devices for a one time $9.99 price!??  GAME OVER.

How much faith do I have in this business model you might ask?  A ton and im putting my money where my mouth is. My eldest son is just getting into gaming and for Christmas he’s not getting a DS, or PSP. He’s getting  his own iTouch device, and while it cost me $250.00 up front I will easy save hundreds if not thousands of dollars with the device over the next year few years!

Not only can he play games, but he can watch his TV shows on the road, and it saves me the embarrassment of playing the Jonas brothers on my car stereo!

So you see with the release of the iPhone and iTouch devices Apple has has slipped a Trojan Horse the size of Mt. Everest into the heart of the gaming industry.

I welcome your comments and feedback on this article..

12/17/2008 | 5 comments | View Post
Page 1 of 11