AppTalk: iPad Thoughts From Another Seven iPhone Developers
by Staff Writer
February 5, 2010
I've actually been working on an HD version of my game Smiles, in anticipation of the iPad and similar devices. I posted some details and some iPad resolution shots here: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=43145
In creating the HD version, I made a number of dramatic changes to the core game, some of them I can't back-port to the original iPhone version, at least without breaking the game for existing customers. Specifics you can read about in that thread. The original game also relied on physically rotating the device, which the iPad version does not. You can still rotate it, but there are buttons on screen now. That way, you can comfortably hold it with one hand and tap to play with the other.
As for future stuff, yes I plan to continue to support the iPad and iPhone/iPod. Actually I'm planning to support far more than that, from PCs, Macs, to other mobiles and some consoles too.
Eric Haines - Starscene Software (RealMaze 3D)
I actually designed Realmaze3D to be resolution-independent from the beginning. All the art assets are scaled down for the iPhone/iPod touch version, so I can simply put them back to their original size for the iPad, and nothing is hard-coded for size or screen position. The only actual work involved is probably reconfiguring the controls a little, since I'm not sure if they'd work as-is on a much larger screen.
For future games, for the most part I expect to continue along the same lines. However, I did have one particular design I worked on for a while that I thought would be pretty neat, but it turned out that it just wasn't feasible on the screen size of an iPhone. It would be perfect on the iPad, however, and in fact that's the only kind of device that would ever really be able to play this particular game, due to the controls, which are inherently multi-touch only. So I'd probably like to give that another shot at some point.
Kepa Auwae - Rocket Cat Games (Hook Champ)
We're thinking about having an iPad only mode for Hook Champ. Crisper graphics, larger viewing area, modified control options for the new big screen. We're not sure yet, though.
Sampo Töyssy - 10tons Ltd (Azkend, Boom Brigade, Dragon Portals)
The iPad looks like a great gaming device with a big screen and lots of horse power. So, we're definitely going to create some iPad versions of our latest games - Boom Brigade and Azkend being the first two in line. Boom Brigade should work like a charm on the bigger screen. Azkend has some extraordinarily beautiful graphics which we had to shrink down for the iPhone/iPod version, but with the iPad we can create the best version of Azkend yet. These will brand new iPad tailored versions with full 1024x768 graphics and they should look absolutely gorgeous.
That's our basic todo-list concerning the iPad this spring. We're already doing some testing with the iPad simulator, so we're hoping to have something ready as soon as iPads become available. We're also considering our other games like Dragon Portals or Rope Raider and so on, but we'll start with Boom Brigade and Azkend. Also, we'll make sure that all our current iPhone/iPod games run on the iPad as well. We'll naturally take iPad into account in our future products as well.
Gedeon Maheux - the Iconfactory (Ramp Champ, Frenzic, Twitterrific)
We're all very excited to develop applications for the new iPad. Like the iPhone, the iPad has the potential to change the way users interact with computers for the better. If the device is even 1/2 as successful as the iPhone, Apple will have another winner on its hands and we think that's pretty much a no-brainer.
We're still in the planning stages of what we'll be doing for the iPad. There a big list of prioritization that has to be done before we can start porting our apps to the platform. Which of these apps go first and which one go at all will be the topic of discussion this week internally. That's about the best I can offer right now.
Brian Greenstone - Pangea (Enigmo 1 & 2, Bugdom 2, Nanosaur 2)
It's really just a big iPod Touch, so not much has changed on the development side. A few new API's, but nothing that really applies to games. Games will mostly be taking advantage of the larger screen and increased performance. Our plan is to make iPad versions of all of our apps, and to add some new features to some of them. I'm currently working on Enigmo, and I've added the built-in level editor back into the game, so people will be able to make their own levels on the iPad version.
John Howard - InMotion Software (I Dig It, I Dig It Expeditions)
We intend to create new iPad specific applications and rework one or more of our existing apps. We are still working out the exact details and schedules. I'll know more in a couple of weeks. However, would like to have at least one and possible as many as three apps ready as near to launch date as possible.
***Let us know what you think of the iPad as a gaming platform.
