Hey all,
I just wanted to announce I've released a new app on the Android Market. It's called Game Rankings. The basic idea is it allows you to keep track of wins and losses of various games with your buddies and develop a leaderboard to show how well everyone has been doing. It uses the ELO ranking system made popular by chess tournaments, and it works for any one-v-one or team-v-team game or sport. We've been using an earlier build of this at my work to keep track of our ping-pong games, and it's been working well enough that I decided to release it publicly.
Right now it's completely free and open source. In the future I'll be adding a server-side component to allow users to use the same groups across multiple devices. Unfortunately I'll have to charge for that feature to cover server costs, but off-line groups will remain free. It will just be an in-app purchase to convert an off-line group into an online group.
The current version supports Android 2.1 and above, and is also optimized for tablets and GoogleTV (when v2 goes public). Online groups, when implemented, will require 2.2+ (for C2DM).
Market Link: here
I'd love to hear some of your feedback. Either comment here or put an issue on the Google Code page.
Thanks
Hello,
I have had this idea for quite some time now, and seeing I have 0 knowledge when it comes to mobile app development, I decided to give it away.
I DO NOT want any amount of money from anyone, I am just giving you the idea so that I can play it (because as I imagine it, it should be kickass).
First off, I want to make some points clear:
- There are no games on the market that utilize the same idea that I am about give.
- After having searched Google's Marketplace (now dubbed Play Store) and Apple's App Store, I couldn't find a game with similar demands.
- The developer should have a solid background of good graphical games before taking this request.
- The game should be given the graphics it deserves ( I am not asking for a game with graphics like Asphalt 6, just with good graphics.)
- Numerous levels and a Survival Mode with varying difficulties are necessary.
- I don't want the game to be exclusive to me [of course], you can go ahead and put it on the Play Store, and even implement it on iOS and WP.
Sneak Peak of the IDEA:
- The idea uses the accelerometer in a way that hasn't been (fully) used before.
- No on-screen controls
- Accelerometer will be almost abused
- 2 or 3 axes gameplay ( initial idea covers 2, plus 3rd axe easily addable) based on the idea.
- There have been "similar" good games that use the accelerometer (like Speedx 3D), and I believe [with the correct development] this game can achieve the same level of awesomeness.
(I said "similar", because even though it's the same "big picture", the movements would be quite different, which result in different user experience)
Important notices:
- I am not saying this game will be revolutionary, unique(maybe?), game changing, or that it will sell/be downloaded more than Angry Birds, but it's a good idea.
- If it wasn't given the graphics it deserves, it will be just "another game in the market"
- The idea is of course an important part of the Game creation process, but is nonetheless a small part, and the one that demands the least amount of work. The developers will have to do most of the work.
How to get your hands on the idea:
- In order not to have it open for the public eye, and lose it's appeal and exclusiveness for developers, I will only send out the game upon request.
- Only 3 requests at a time will be permitted. (to insure exclusiveness for the developers)
- With the requests, you should send your Company name*
- Upon receiving the request, I will verify that the developer has made at least one quality game (from graphics and smoothness' PoV). The number of downloads does not matter.
- If the developer had indeed quality games, the idea + game implementation will be sent.
- Upon receiving the idea, the developer can decide to keep it, and work of it, or desert it.
- If he deserts it, the request will be sent to another person who's on the waiting list.
*: State your company's name along with the games you think would give off a good impression.
If not found in your account, proof might be needed to connect you with your company (to prevent identity theft) [usually a post in the beta or games section of your game/companies' name would suffice]
Am I a source you can "trust":
- I don't know why that'd matter, but I have been giving feedback/ new ideas to big companies for the past 2 years.
- I occasionally get positive replies.
- I [think I] have caused a couple of changes in Google +
- I am ready to support you during the development process, regarding ideas you might need, or further implementations.
I will give out the idea, plus two potential implementations of the game (how it would work and what it should look like, you are free to follow them or do as you wish).
Waiting for your PMs.
Sincerely,
GM
Hello,
I'm a designer, so I've got little to no programming experience, but I'm tired of waiting for a game that I like so I'd want to make it myself.
I'm looking for a simple way to develop android games, such as very simple text based RPG or a simple tower defense ( example: robot defense ).
I am now testing the waters with processing.org and I like it, but it's uses a trial and error process for the interface where I code and then test my changes on the phone after about 2 minutes while it builds and uploads.
What I am looking for
a free solution
powerful enough to do compicated stuff later on ( example: dweller beta rpg )
an assets centric interface ( way to drag an drop & manage a list of assets )
wysiwyg window where you drag and position buttons around and see changes as you do them with no need to build out what you have to preview the interface
rather well documented and supported by a community, popular ( ways to find books or youtube videos on making games )
(nice to have) export apk or even better a signed apk with my .keystore file
(optional) cross platform to ios with the same code
offline tool for windows so that I can develop anywhere with no internet
What I want do avoid
stupid limitations such as enforced splash screens stating it's using a free version, max number of assets, etc
Close but no cigar
http://explore.appinventor.mit.edu - unfortunately it's online and I don't know how powerful is it
unity - like it but it has some big limitations in the free version and it feels like a sluggish environment
http://coronalabs.com/pricing/ - like it but even the basic version asks for money and it has some limitations
http://www.spritebuilder.com/getting-started/ - free has no in-app purchases or social media & analytics modules
That being said, I'm open to suggestions. Thank you in advance.
Any pointers are welcomed.
nemuro said:
Hello,
I'm a designer, so I've got little to no programming experience, but I'm tired of waiting for a game that I like so I'd want to make it myself.
I'm looking for a simple way to develop android games, such as very simple text based RPG or a simple tower defense ( example: robot defense ).
I am now testing the waters with processing.org and I like it, but it's uses a trial and error process for the interface where I code and then test my changes on the phone after about 2 minutes while it builds and uploads.
What I am looking for
a free solution
powerful enough to do compicated stuff later on ( example: dweller beta rpg )
an assets centric interface ( way to drag an drop & manage a list of assets )
wysiwyg window where you drag and position buttons around and see changes as you do them with no need to build out what you have to preview the interface
rather well documented and supported by a community, popular ( ways to find books or youtube videos on making games )
(nice to have) export apk or even better a signed apk with my .keystore file
(optional) cross platform to ios with the same code
offline tool for windows so that I can develop anywhere with no internet
What I want do avoid
stupid limitations such as enforced splash screens stating it's using a free version, max number of assets, etc
Close but no cigar
http://explore.appinventor.mit.edu - unfortunately it's online and I don't know how powerful is it
unity - like it but it has some big limitations in the free version and it feels like a sluggish environment
http://coronalabs.com/pricing/ - like it but even the basic version asks for money and it has some limitations
http://www.spritebuilder.com/getting-started/ - free has no in-app purchases or social media & analytics modules
That being said, I'm open to suggestions. Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would recommend unity 3d, its free but the paid version (expensive...) is pretty great too, check out android studio as well, it might come in handy building the ui.
Test your IQ with the bests.
OVERVIEW
Do you think you can beat the bests from best?
Ok, let's see. Try to play this IQ test that contains very similar questions, that you can find on the official Mensa test.
CONTROLS
First half question are base on the common logic, math riddles and letters/numbers puzzles. You need just to type your answer (smallcase or UPPERCASE).
In the next half question you just need to select missed or following shapes/image.
GAME CONTAINS
- easy or hard mode
- many riddles
- achievements and leaderboards
- 12 localization language
- clean design
- don't forget to submit your IQ to challenge with the others
Enjoy, have a fun and bye.
Google Play Link
Download link mirror 1
Download link mirror 2
Official web
Cool IQ test, I really like that you have some variety of question types rather than only one kind of question And it's great that there is an easy AND hard mode!
As Mensa is a registered trademark/servicemark around the world of Mensa, the high IQ society, what exactly is your affiliation and/or operating agreement with them in order to not be yanked out of the Play Store with one trademark/copyright infringement report over the name Mensa and use of their logo?
Also what happened to the old version of this that was promoted here that had the same name and a Play link with several reviews (which this one doesn't have)
I already change the icon and also the name of the app to avoid problems with the copyright.
I also didn't know, that there is somebody, who already developed the app with this idea. But you asked me for the differences:
- more riddles
- leaderboards implemented
- clean UI (at least for me)
- also compatible for tablets also (I tried that similar app and test it)
- and maybe even more... (don't know)
Hi everyone! I’d like to tell you the story about the creation and release of our first game. I will tell you a little about our company’s background and the difficulties that we encountered during the development. I hope our story might be useful to you too.
It all started a few years ago when my brother built up a team of like-minded people who were eager to create, and this was then expressed in the creation of animation and computer graphics for various projects. The team eventually grew, as well as the number of orders from clients. Then there was a point when we decided to create our own game project. Thus, we began a long preparation process. Unfortunately, our existing knowledge base was not enough to start the project. New volunteers joined the team, the learning process started, and the project began to acquire its first outlines. The result was a prototype of Crocks Hunter, a 2D platformer.
The plot of the game was as follows: Crocodile-aliens arrive on Earth to steal the Moon from earthmen. The main characters of the game (a boy or a girl, depending on player’s choice) must go through six different locations (desert, jungle, lava, water world, ice jungle, and fairy forest), and catch — not kill, the game is absolutely violence-free and child-friendly — all the Crocodiles into boxes which are used sometimes for some puzzles, and then defeat the final boss. One of the graphics features of the game is that 3D character models were rendered into 2D to make more complex, natural and fancy animations and to keep the high quality of the overall picture, along with a light-weight installation file.
Initially, the project was planned to be released for mobile platforms, but as the development progressed, it was decided to release it for PC, and then for Nintendo Switch. This was due to several reasons. Firstly, mobile game publishers are into the free2play game model, for which platform games are not quite suitable, although we figured out how to monetize the game, and to draw the player’s interest to micro-transactions. Secondly, in order to enhance the visuals of the game with various effects, we would have to sacrifice the performance. Therefore, it was more interesting to release the game on PC and consoles but at a set price. One of the publishers suggested that we release an update with six levels and two bosses once a month. Thus, it would be possible to retain the player for a long time, but so far we have not tried this model. Although, who knows, maybe you will?
We temporarily froze the Crocks Hunter project but did not abandon it. We are writing new documentation, and designing new levels. We are open to cooperation with investors and publishers to make a global bestseller together.
Currently, we are working without an office, so the whole team works remotely. In order to complete the project and make it at a high level, we would need to gather all the team members in one place, and this requires funding. So we started looking for investors. Many publishers appreciated the great potential of the game but would invest in the project after it being fully fledged and ready for release. As it turned out, Russian investors are afraid of the gaming industry, and they are completely unready to invest in it. Perhaps, this is due to their not understanding the potential and the specifics of the industry. Many foreign investors simply don’t work with Russia. At some point in our search for investors, we were stumped. The team could no longer work on pure enthusiasm. Some team members quit. Some began to slow down the main process, saying that they’d prefer to take orders as before than “work for the fairies and unicorns”. But some determined team members still believed in the project and continued to create it. So this is how the PUSHINGAMES company was created.
Unfortunately, there is no “book for dummies” on how to achieve success from the beginning to end in video games industry. The information you may find on the Internet is very superficial. Therefore, look for according courses, literature, or even better, find some competent mentor who will guide you. Our mentor was a game designer Konstantin Savochkin
One evening, when we were discussing some details, we decided to create a little something to distract ourselves, and came up with the “Quick Week” project. The main goal of which was to create and release one mini-game within a week. It took a couple of days to write game design documents and calculate P & L. Meanwhile, our artists already made the first sketches and prototypes.
We really like the examples of the Nintendo and Marvel universes when the story of one character is woven into the story of another, thereby creating fascinating endless worlds. Maintaining the heritage of the “Crocks Hunter”, we chose the main character to be a crocodile. The result was Jumping Crock: Jellyfish Attack, an arcade retro jumper for mobile platforms, designed in the style of space comic books of the 80’s .
Download link on GooglePlay: Jumping Crock Jellyfish Attack
In total, we spent around $600 to create the game, excluding licenses and developer accounts. We spent most of the budget on localizing the game and its description in 12 languages, including Russian.
To do the translation job, we chose a small but very responsible team — Locnloader a pool of freelance video game translators with 8 years of experience and voice over actors collected in one place. They specialize in indie-games and such small teams as ours, and that affects the price in a good way. For a reasonable price, they did us translations within 2 days. Moreover, they helped us with the ASO description text and edited it to sound a little more adequate, which is sometimes hard when it comes to repeating many same keywords in one small text. What I personally liked is that their team manager had some understanding in game design (and even took a course in it), and a little in ASO. That’s what I call speaking the same language!
We are very proud of the music in our arcade in particular. We love rock! There is 8-bit Space Rock music in the game. It was written by a wonderful musician, composer, and our cousin Yevgeny Protopopov. The music takes you back to the past, especially if you played Battle Toads and Tanks as a child.
Since we created the project with our own money, the payment to our specialists for the work done was extremely symbolic and incommensurable with the level of their professionalism. Therefore we are immensely grateful to our team and believe that without them we wouldn’t succeed.
In order for the project to be successful, it is very important for the team to have a Team Lead, who could drive this train, per aspera ad astra. In our team, that would be my brother Nikita.
Many companies could have achieved well-deserved success, but they never reached it, stopping halfway through. The history of the company with the fruit on the logo is the lodestar for us on how to do things.
Of course, you always want to do something unique and ambitious like Crash Bandicoot. You might want to make the game more complex by adding many different features and mechanics, but it’s better not to do so. Make it easy! The process of creativity absorbs you. You always want to add something else, when almost everything is ready. It’s best to concentrate on the main idea and actually bring it to life, and after the release, just make an update. By making game updates after the release, you maintain players’ interest and make your app appear at the top of the search results in application stores. In the long-term development of your project, it’s very important to take a detached view. Do beta and alpha testing. Of course, this is a bit like parent-teacher nights at school, when they scold your beloved child, and it can be painful, but it will be good for you.
We made our game free-to-play. We were looking for ads SDK for a long time, and we stopped at the companies:
● Appodeal
● AdMod
As the saying goes, “Creativity is great, but sometimes hunger takes over”. The most important thing is to remember who we are doing this for. We believe that a player should stay immersed in the game as long as possible, without being disturbed by ads in the heat of the moment. And of course, you can’t go without them at all. Use all available services of GooglePlay and AppStore, in-app ads, Achievements, and Leaderboards.
After we published our game in stores, the hardest part began — promotion. Promoting the project itself is also very important. You can create a masterpiece, but in order for it to become a bestseller, you got to try your best. How can you do it when there is no budget? To accumulate link mass, you can write articles in the media and various forums. But as practice has shown, there is nothing better than word of mouth. Bloggers, YouTube and streamers are such goodwill ambassadors. Each of them makes game reviews in their particular style. Find the one you like and persuade them to do a review for free. However, you are unlikely to have luck on this one (we haven’t). Russian bloggers ask for two to three times more money than their foreign counterparts, by the way.
Before releasing your game, create your info channels and use cross-references between them. It works! We use:
● Facebook
● Twitter
● Youtube
● Instagram
● Yunoia
● Bridget Loker
● Telegram channels and chats.
Now let’s get to the final part — working with app stores and how we published our game.
Google — everything is quick and easy. The main thing is to make an agreement with your conscience and not to sign Coppa.
AppStore —an application is being checked for a long time. It feels like an eternity. But in fact, it takes a week for them to check it, despite them saying 24 to 48 hours.
Amazon — quick and easy.
AppScater — as soon as you publish on the main stores, you can start invading Greater China. Appscater is there to help you.
So it goes.
P.S.
Once again I want to say thank you to my team. And please, don’t forget to try and play our game
The author of this article and chief marketing officer, one of the brothers, Artem Pushin.
Love your journey from starting to till today. Thanks for your post. :good:
Сongratulations on the release! I would like to read about promotion steps, if you did any, except social networks cross-references..
Love it!