Games

Steam Link finally arrives on the iOS App Store

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From the App Store writeup:

The Steam Link app brings desktop gaming to your iPhone or iPad. Just pair an MFI or Steam controller to your device, connect to a computer running Steam on the same local network, and start playing your existing Steam games.

Requirements: – iPhone or iPad using iOS 10 or higher – Computer running Steam – Windows, Mac, or Linux – iOS device must be on the same local network as the computer running Steam

This will definitely change the way I look at gaming. If the controls of a game translate to the flat glass of an iPad, I’ll definitely add it to my game roster.

Will this have any impact on subscriptions to Apple Arcade? Will Apple Arcade games, designed from the ground up for iOS, be significantly more pleasurable to play than Steam games?

Apple introduces Apple Arcade — the world’s first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room

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Apple:

Apple today announced Apple Arcade, a game subscription service that will feature over 100 new and exclusive games, including original releases from renowned creators Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Wong, Will Wright and dozens more. Apple Arcade games will redefine games and be curated based on originality, quality, creativity, fun and their appeal to players of all ages. Apple Arcade will give customers the freedom to try any game from its handpicked collection of titles that are all-you-can-play, have no ads, ad tracking or additional purchases, and respect user privacy.

The App Store is the world’s most successful and vibrant gaming platform with nearly 300,000 free and paid games. Free games, supported by advertising or in-app purchases, are enjoyed by hundreds of millions of players around the world. Paid games are often critically acclaimed and beloved by the people who play them, but competing with free is hard, so even the best of these games have only reached a smaller audience. With the simplicity of a single subscription, Apple Arcade will bring games like these to the App Store’s more than 1 billion gaming customers. Apple Arcade is the perfect complement to the already enormously popular catalog of free games on the App Store, making iOS the premier gaming platform for players of all ages.

Apple is not just handpicking the games in Apple Arcade, but also contributing to the development costs and working closely with creators to bring the games to life. Made by some of the most critically acclaimed game developers in the world, Apple Arcade games will entertain customers with incredibly fun gameplay and immersive stories, while capturing imaginations with original art and music. The service will feature games from Annapurna Interactive, Bossa Studios, Cartoon Network, Finji, Giant Squid, Klei Entertainment, Konami, LEGO, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Snowman, ustwo games and dozens more.

You’ll access Apple Arcade (great name, by the way) via the App Store, under the Games tab. 100+ games, unlimited play. All games will run on iOS, tvOS, and on your Mac. That’s a big deal.

All games available offline. No net connection required.

Pricing to come.

Apple and a potential game subscription service

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Lots of rumors flying around this weekend about the possibility of Apple announcing a game subscription service today. In reading up on possibilities for today’s event, thought I’d share a few links driving this conversation:

The service would function like Netflix for games, allowing users who pay a subscription fee to access a bundled list of titles. Apple ($AAPL) began privately discussing a subscription service with game developers in the second half of 2018, said the people, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss unannounced plans.

It’s unclear how much the subscription will cost or what kind of games Apple will offer. The service is still in the early stages of development, and Apple could ultimately decide to abandon it.

Apple is also working on a premium games subscription for its App Store and discussing it with potential partners, according to people with knowledge of the plans. This service won’t take on new cloud-based streaming offerings like Google Stadia. Instead, it will focus on iPhones and iPads and bundle together paid games from different developers that consumers can access for a monthly fee. Cheddar previously reported that Apple was working on a gaming-related subscription service.

The company would collect these monthly fees, then divide up the revenue between developers based on how much time users spend playing their games, one of the people said. Apple is likely considering popular paid titles on the App Store and would exclude titles that are free to download but generate revenue via in-app purchases.

Apple could discuss the service as soon as Monday, or it may choose to detail the offering at its conference for developers later this year. Some of the most popular paid games on the App Store include Microsoft-owned Minecraft and franchises like NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto.

  • And finally, there’s this post from John Gruber titled, simply, Apple Games.

What I would do if I were Apple is get in touch with the best indie game makers for iOS and sign them up to make new games, exclusively for a new subscription service. Apple is going to pay news publishers by engagement — the more time subscribers spend reading a publication’s stories, the more that publication will get paid. No money for clickbait headlines — Apple is looking for nourishing news and opinion pieces. I would pay game makers the same way — the more time people spend playing, the more the game maker gets paid. No in-app purchases — you pay a monthly fee to subscribe to Apple Games and that is it, you get it all. You spend time playing a game, the game’s maker gets paid.

There’s been some pushback, on the developer side, on this payment model. The concern is that it rewards bigger, deeper games, that the big content games which pull you in will collect the lions share of the money. I can see that argument, but I can tell you that I spend far more time playing casual/indie games than those from the big studios.

That said, it will be interesting to see if Apple does roll out something game related today. Just a few more hours until the reveal.

Google’s huge new bet on the future of gaming

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Gizmodo:

In a keynote at Game Developers Conference in San Francisco today Google announced a new service, Stadia, that will allow gamers to play the biggest games on any Android or Chrome-based device (including any device with a Chrome browser).

And:

Google’s Stadia service works on any device that supports the Chromecast protocol, which means iOS, Android, Chrome OS, macOS, Windows, and even the Chromecast dongle. They all speak to one of Google’s 7,500 data center nodes (which span the globe) and recognize your specific account, allowing you to move from one device to the other without a bunch of messy handoffs between systems, because the actual game is running at the data center.

This is no small thing. First we had cartridges and disks, physical media, that meant you had to wait for a game to ship to you, then connect and install. Then we had downloadable content, which made things faster, catered to the impulse buyer who wanted their games right now.

But Stadia is a whole different spin on this model. Your games run on Google’s servers. Startup is pretty much instantaneous, with Google controlling everything.

A few obvious concerns: You’ll be running games under Google’s auspices, using a Google account. And then there’s latency and bandwidth.

But there have been two big problems with this: Latency, which might make games needing finesse, like shooter and fighting games, unplayable, and internet throughput. Streaming a game eats up a lot of data and even the Google Stream beta required about 25Mbps in order to stream anything remotely playable and attractive. Google has not yet disclosed the speed requirements for Stadia.

One solution it’s presented for handling latency is a new controller that connects directly to Google’s servers instead of to the device you’re playing on. That should, theoretically, reduce the amount of input lag.

All this is still a big bag of unknowns, an announcement and not a shipping product. But that controller looks real enough and Stadia does seem like it will see the light of day.

One thing I loved, was that old school gamer Easter egg on the underside of the controller.

Infinity Blade trilogy says goodbye to the iOS App Store

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Epic Games:

The three Infinity Blade games are no longer available for purchase as of today, 12/10/18. This groundbreaking trilogy took mobile gaming to new heights and pushed Epic Games in new, innovative directions. Along with the three Infinity Blade games, all in-app purchase options have been removed. Current owners will continue to be able to play these games, and download* them to their devices from an account that owns them, for the foreseeable future.

The Infinity Blade games really showed off the iPhone’s graphics engine. But the franchise is getting a bit long in the tooth. Infinity Blade III was released in 2013.

I think this says more about the massive success of Fortnite. Epic knows where their bread is buttered.

HQ Trivia expands beyond mobile with new Apple TV app

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Variety:

HQ Trivia is taking a leap to bigger screens: The mobile quiz show startup has launched an app for Apple TV. The company announced the new app on Twitter Tuesday.

The new app makes it possible to both watch the daily quiz show as well as vote with the help of the Apple TV’s remote control.

HQ Trivia is a clever idea, a game show that comes to your iPhone, replete with entertaining hosts and witty patter. It’s got a social component and works well with a group of people.

Porting it to Apple TV is a good idea, but it could be even better. As is, it is simply one more device on which you can play. Instead of playing on your phone, you play on your TV. That’s fine.

But I’d love a version that brings the banter off-line, like the excellent Jackbox Party Pack games. If you’ve got a group of friends coming over, I’d suggest giving these a try. Fun will be had.

Monopoly, cheaters edition

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New version of Monopoly that offers much shorter game time (about 45 minutes) and is all about cheating. This looks like fun.

MousePoint

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This is a complete waste of time. But I loved every minute of it.

The idea of this game is a game minimalist’s dream. Click and roll your mouse to generate points. Get enough points, wheel over and grab a multiplier or other bonus thingy. All to increase the points you gather with your mad mouse skills.

Eventually, you will win. Works on iOS Safari, but not nearly as free wheeling.

Steve Jobs anecdotes from pioneering game dev John Carmack

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First things first, from John Carmack’s Wikipedia page:

Carmack was the lead programmer of the id video games Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake, Rage and their sequels. Carmack is best known for his innovations in 3D graphics, such as his Carmack’s Reverse algorithm for shadow volumes. In August 2013, Carmack took the position of CTO at Oculus VR.

And:

Carmack and Kang married on January 1, 2000 and planned a ceremony in Hawaii. Steve Jobs requested that they postpone the ceremony so Carmack could attend the MacWorld Expo on January 5, 2000. Both declined and made a video instead.

Carmack had a rollercoaster of a relationship with Steve. Follow the headline link and just dive in. I found it a fascinating read.

Building real-world games with Google Maps

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[VIDEO] Google Maps blog:

We’ve brought the richness of Google Maps to the Unity game engine. We turn buildings, roads, and parks into GameObjects in Unity, where developers can then add texture, style, and customization to match the look and feel of your game. This means that they can focus on building rich, immersive gameplay without the overhead of scaffolding a global-scale game world.

This is fascinating. Google has taken their real world maps data and offered it up to game developers. No need to invent a world for your game, just use the real one.

To truly get this, watch the video embedded in the main Loop post. Is this a potential path for Apple and Augmented Reality?

The tragic story behind the man who helped create Tetris

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Damien McFerran, Nintendo Life:

Chances are, you know the name Alexey Pajitnov. Arguably the most famous game designer to come out of Russia, he gave the world Tetris, which is regularly referred to as one of the greatest video games of all time.

However, the name Vladimir Pokhilko might be less familiar – despite the fact that he is often credited as co-creating the game alongside Pajitnov, and would later work with him on other video games. While Pajitnov continues to live off the fame of his most famous creation, Pokhilko has faded into history.

A quick read, well worth your time if you are interested in the history of video games. Tragic indeed.

Fake videogame records invalidated after 35 years

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This is both arcane and fascinating. I stumbled into this rabbit hole via this Jason Snell post. His enthusiasm for the story made me dig in, then it was off to the races.

If you have any love for the history of video games, take a few minutes to immerse yourself (don’t miss the video, which might be my favorite part).

Google teasing I/O 2018 with series of encrypted puzzles

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Google has a long history of using puzzles to tease and communicate. Their latest puzzle sequence tells you about this years Google I/O conference.

It all started with this tweet:

https://www.twitter.com/googledevs/status/956074091676688384

If you are interested in solving this, start by deciphering the image in the tweet above. If you get stuck, or just want to read through the sequence of solve steps, follow the headline link to a sequence of clues.

Nintendo Switch adds ability to move (not copy) save files

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If you own a Switch, you’ve no doubt wondered about the lack of save file portability. For example, if my Switch breaks, how do I recover my game progress? If my Switch is stolen, is there a recovery option? Or if I’m visiting a friend with a Switch, is there a way I can play my games on their Switch?

With other systems, I can back up my data and bring it with me. Not so with the Switch.

Until now. Sort of. Read the article. Baby steps.

Can you guess the rock band logo from just one letter?

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Kottke:

Dorothy has designed a pair of posters of alphabets fashioned from rock band logos: one for classic rock and one for alternative rock. How many of the band names do you know? Me? Fewer than I would like.

This was both fun and incredibly difficult. Pick the genre you know best and give it a try.

The 30 best Mac games of 2017 (so far)

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I’m a fan of Mac gaming, look forward to the updates to the MacGamerHQ top lists. This is not a competitive list (which game is #1, etc.) but more a curated list that you can browse to see which games appeal to you.

Me? I’ve got my eye on Obduction and The Witness.

What do 50 million drawings look like?

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Google:

Over 15 million players have contributed millions of drawings playing Quick, Draw! These doodles are a unique data set that can help developers train new neural networks, help researchers see patterns in how people around the world draw, and help artists create things we haven’t begun to think of. That’s why we’re open-sourcing them, for anyone to play with.

Load the Quick, Draw! data page and click on a drawing to see a ton of sketches of that same subject. The data underlying Google’s Quick, Draw! game is fascinating and it is now open sourced.

Nintendo comments on pulling the plug on the Nintendo Classic

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Time:

According to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé, the total global sell-in for Nintendo’s pint-sized version of its 1980s Nintendo Entertainment System is 2.3 million.

Astonishing sales figures. Why pull the plug?

“We had originally planned for this to be a product for last holiday,” Fils-Aimé told TIME. “We just didn’t anticipate how incredible the response would be. Once we saw that response, we added shipments and extended the product for as long as we could to meet more of that consumer demand.”

But Fils-Aime did suggest the reason why the company pulled the brakes on a system amidst unprecedented demand. “Even with that extraordinary level of performance, we understand that people are frustrated about not being able to find the system, and for that we really do apologize,” he said. “But from our perspective, it’s important to recognize where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive. We’ve got a lot going on right now and we don’t have unlimited resources.”

As I’ve speculated before, I do think we’ll see the NES Classic games re-emerge in a purchasable, downloadable version with better margins than the just cancelled NES Classic, all with close to zero cost of manufacturing, all of them playable on the Switch.

“Like using a lunchbox to make lunch”

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Ars Technica story about Masahiro Sakurai the creator of 1992’s Kirby’s Dream Land:

Sakurai recalled how HAL Laboratory was using a Twin Famicom as a development kit at the time. Trying to program on the hardware, which combined a cartridge-based Famicom and the disk-based Famicom Disk System, was “like using a lunchbox to make lunch,” Sakurai said.

As if the limited power wasn’t bad enough, Sakurai revealed that the Twin Famicom testbed they were using “didn’t even have keyboard support, meaning values had to be input using a trackball and an on-screen keyboard.”

Amazing story. Be sure to follow the link to the full story, complete with pictures.

Why Nintendo killed the NES Classic Edition

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Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition is a fascinating case study in marketing. Since Nintendo announced the console in November, they’ve sold almost a million of them in North America, all while maintaining a constant shortage, creating a demand frenzy. Given the simplicity of the product itself (it’s a retro product, no cutting edge parts), I’ve always seen that shortage as artificial.

As we reported Friday, Nintendo has now pulled the plug on the NES Classic, announcing that the last run will ship in April. Nintendo has a successful product, was basically printing money, and they walked away from that particular business.

The question is, why?

[Read on in the main Loop post for the logic…]

Cabel Sasser hilariously roasts Firewatch rip-off

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Firewatch is an excellent game. If you’ve never played it, consider carving out some time. It’s US$19.99 and available on Xbox One, PS4, and on Mac/Linux/PC via Steam. Here’s a link to the website.

If you are familiar to the game, you’ll appreciate this tweet from Cabel Sasser, co-founder of Panic, the folks who published Firewatch, upon encountering an iOS game called New Firewatch:

https://www.twitter.com/undefined/status/849319016418209793

Watch the video. This sort of thing is like weeds in a garden. If there’s no attempt to get rid of them, they overtake and destroy the garden.

The MIT Dropouts Who Created Ms. Pac-Man

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I found the whole article fascinating, but this part in particular grabbed my attention:

Macrae and Curran’s arcade route – a series of machines they owned and operated both for their own profit and for the benefit of students – quickly expanded to three dorms, but they soon had trouble with declining revenues as people began to master the games. As arcade operators themselves, they had a direct financial stake in making the games more interesting. So they did what any clever MIT student would do in that situation: confront the problem with mathematical precision.

And:

At this point in the video game world there were these kits called speed-up kits or enhancement kits that were being sold directly to arcade owners. The first really successful one was for Asteroids because people learned how to beat Asteroids, and they could play forever on a quarter. So somebody game up with a little circuit that you could clip on, and wow, it made the game much more difficult.

I had no idea that was a thing. Amazing little nugget of video arcade history.

The very first arcade Easter egg and the quest to track it down

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Fascinating post by Ed Fries, who led the team that created the original Xbox for Microsoft, on hearing the legend of the very first arcade Easter egg and his quest to track it down.

Great, great read with lots of detail and pictures.

iOS gets 2nd rev of Super Mario Run while Android finally gets their 1st

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Chance Miller, 9to5Mac:

Following its release on Android today, Nintendo has also updated Super Mario Run on iOS. The update adds a host of new features and bug fixes and brings the app to version 2.0. The update comes months after the app’s initial release.

Headlining the update are new playable characters. Nintendo says the update adds different color versions of Yoshi. If you play with a certain color of Yoshi during Toad Rally, you can unlock more toads of that color.

Additionally, the update makes more of the game available for free. Nintendo says that by completing one of Bowser’s challenges, you can unlock the previously locked courses 1-4 and battle with Bowser. Furthermore, Nintendo says that if you “clear course 1-4,” you’ll get new courses to play in Toad Rally.

If you love the game, there’s just more to love. Me, I find the interface a bit of a mess. Lots to love, lots of frustrating design to go along with it.

On a side note, Android users finally got their first taste of Mario yesterday afternoon:

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/844663256614649858

The initial release, back on December 15th, 2016, was an iOS exclusive. I suspect this refresh was to revive the wave, give Android folks a reason to buy.

Myke Hurley’s excellent Nintendo Switch review

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[VIDEO] Myke Hurley did a fantastic job pulling together this video walkthrough of the Nintendo Switch. It’s informative in the best possible way, conveying lots of detail while still being watchable and interesting.

If you are interested in the Switch, this is absolutely worth your time. As always, the video is embedded in the main Loop post.