doodle-jump
Latest
Doodle Jump dev and Apple warn other 'doodle' apps
In what's sure to be the killing blow for Joystiq Publishing's upcoming Doodle Doodle: The Doodlin' Doodle Game, Doodle Jump dev Lima Sky and Apple have begun providing trademark warnings to developers of iOS with "doodle" in the title. As Pocket Gamer reports, the teams behind Doodle Monster and Doodle Hockey have received the missives, but there are almost certainly others on the way. Lima Sky, it should be noted, does not have the rights to the word "doodle," but rather just trademarks for the full title "Doodle Jump" and its central character's design. Bryan Duke of Acceleroto (Doodle Hockey) is attempting to rally other doodlin' devs not to kowtow to Apple and Lima Sky, saying "If we all stand together on this, the little guy won't be so little. I'm fighting this. You should too." You'd have to be pretty naive to think many of these devs aren't trying to piggyback off of Doodle Jump's success, but it's a tricky legal area with such a common word as "doodle." Our advice? Next time, stick a "Q" in there somewhere.
Doodle Jump updated to Doodlestein Halloween edition
I know I'm extremely late to the game, but I only just downloaded and started playing Doodle Jump two weeks ago. Since then, I've become addicted to it, both on my iPhone and iPad. Doodle Jump has been updated to version 1.24, which introduces a new Halloween theme: Doodlestein! The update includes new monsters (zombies, vampires, and witches among them) in the Halloween theme, plus broken bone platforms and a broompack (a jetpack made from a witch's broom). Doodle Jump developer Lima Sky also announced that the next version of Doodle Jump will support Game Center. Now the only thing I'm waiting for is an iPad version of the app. Version 1.24 of Doodle Jump is free to those who have already purchased the app; for everyone else, Doodle Jump is US$0.99 in the App Store.
148Apps creates an App Hall of Fame
Jeff Scott of 148Apps has finally revealed his App Hall of Fame project -- he started it up about a month ago, and asked a number of personalities around the iPhone/iPad app scene (including yours truly) to nominate and then vote on a few App Store apps, with the eventual goal of inducting them into a Hall of Fame. We made our nominations and voted a little while ago, and the first inductees into the store are now listed on the site: Angry Birds, Flight Control, Doodle Jump, Shazam, Evernote, Plants vs. Zombies, Pandora, Simplenote, the official Twitter app, Instapaper, Homerun Battle 3D, and Fieldrunners. You've probably heard of all of those already, but that's the point: the Hall of Fame aims to honor "the very best mobile applications and games." There will be 12 inductees honored every month going forward, so the collection should grow bigger pretty fast. The nomination process is all done by the selection committee (not the public), but if you want to follow along, you can sign up on the mailing list (and have a chance to win some of the nominees for free every month). It's a fun project -- the App Store has been around long enough now that some super popular apps have risen to the top, and this is a good way to keep track of the absolute cream of the crop over the App Store's whole life. At the same time, I'm sure we'll see some interesting decisions in the months to come, so stay tuned for that.
Doodle Jump gets a Retina Display update
Doodle Jump has released a free update, available now, that not only brings out that underwater content that Igor Pusenjak promised us in that interview a little while back, but also updates the graphics on the app to take full advantage of the iPhone 4's Retina Display, so you can see the little doodle jumping up those platforms clearer and sharper than ever. Only three stages have been updated with Retina Display graphics so far, but Pusenjak says that "the rest of the Retina Display graphics is almost done and we'll be releasing it soon!" The update is of course free for the game's owners, or you can pick up the "Insanely Addictive" title for just 99 cents. Pusenjak also told us that after the water-related content was done and out, the iPad version of the app would be next up for development, so we'll keep an eye out for news on that soon. Good to see that just because this little game is so popular, its developers aren't taking success lying down.
Capcom and Bioware disappointed in iPhone app performance
We've heard a lot of interesting things from big companies on the App Store -- some of them have released games and apps with not a lot of success compared to more high-profile indie groups, while some seem to have nailed down a little bit of profit from Apple's platform. Capcom is apparently finding itself in that first group -- the company's latest financial reports state that it is fairly disappointed in the performance of its App Store titles. Resident Evil 4 sales have "increased gradually," while even more anticipated apps like Street Fighter IV and Phoenix Wright have only "achieved their projected sales." Which may be good news, but it's not exactly a glowing result for Capcom's App Store efforts. Meanwhile, EA's partner Bioware is licking its wounds from its first iPhone effort. Greg Zeschuk says that Mass Effect on the iPhone "wasn't even a mistake as much as we took a guess, our guess was wrong, and we learned something in the process -- that the fundamental tactile gameplay is actually the key thing on the platform." He sounds really disappointed with sales -- he says that the company originally believed a strong story could keep players interested even through fairly generic gameplay, but it turns out that iPhone gamers are more interested in the experience than the text that backs it up (not hard to see -- look at Doodle Jump, Angry Birds, or any other huge iPhone games with barely any backstory at all). It's interesting to see big companies dealing with the App Store platform, and struggling to figure out how to implement iPhone apps. I think we'll see even more experimenting on this front from even major software studios.
Interview with Doodle Jump's Igor Pusenjak, part 2
In part one of our interview with Lima Sky's Igor Pusenjak, we talked about how his Doodle Jump game became so successful, and how other game designers might be able to replicate its success. In this part, however, we get a little more concrete -- Pusenjak discusses current and future updates to the game (there will be an underwater content pack out this summer), as well as the long-awaited iPad version and how it will be different from the iPhone game. Bad news: it won't be universal, so if you want to play it on the iPad, you'll have to buy it again. But Pusenjak explains why, and according to him, it'll be a very different experience anyway. Read on for part 2 of our interview.
Interview with Doodle Jump's Igor Pusenjak, part 1
There are a lot of successful apps in the App Store, but perhaps there are none more successful than Doodle Jump. Igor Pusenjak and his brother have propelled their simple game about a doodle flinging himself into the sky, platform by platform, all the way up into the top of the App Store charts. They've stayed there longer than any other app, pulling in almost as many sales as there are iPhones to go around. Now, in addition to all of their monetary success, Pusenjak and his brother have also picked up an Apple Design Award; this simple little game is now critically acclaimed as well as being one of the top-grossing iOS titles of all time. I sat down with Pusenjak last week in Los Angeles (just a few miles away from where the traditional game industry was holding their E3 expo) to talk about the past and future of Doodle Jump and how they've found such great success. This is part one of the interview, and it talks about the business of the App Store and how Lima Sky has done what they've done. Part two will be posted on the site later today, and will explore future updates to the game and the long-awaited Doodle Jump for iPad.
Apple Design Awards go to popular iPhone and iPad apps
There were no Mac apps in this year's Apple Design Awards, but Apple did recognize some popular iPhone and iPad apps in this year's winners. The list is as follows: Doodle Jump Financial Times Brushes for iPhone TabToolkit for iPad Articles 20 Minute Meals Star Walk for iPad Real Racing Pinball HD Most of those are actually pretty popular (and quite a few of them have been featured by Apple before). 20 Minute Meals and TabToolkit are probably the most obscure picks of the bunch, though when you actually look at them, it's not surprising at all that they were chosen. All of these are really terrific apps, but Apple definitely didn't dig too deep to find really out-of-the-way titles. Then again, when you're choosing fewer than 10 titles out of the larger App Store, you should probably go with what works. We'll be chatting with a few of the winners this week here at TUAW -- stay tuned for interviews and updates from a few ADA winners and lots of other developers, live from San Francisco at WWDC 2010.
TUAW's Daily App: Bird Strike
If you're not one of the many who have discovered Bird Strike yet, then you're in luck. The game just got a solid update, with new levels, new power-ups, and OpenFeint integration. The game is almost like Doodle Jump but I actually enjoyed it a little more. You play a bird that is constantly trying to fly higher and higher with the help of rockets and various tools. The graphics are clean and fun, and it's actually a little more forgiving than some of the Doodle Jump-style games that I've played. The game was free for a little while and is now back up to US$0.99. Even at that price, though, it's an easy buy. Lots and lots of people have already gotten a chance to play the game, because it's hit nearly every spot on the charts already. However, if you've waited to check it out, now's the time to do it.
TUAW's Daily App: Above
Our tipsters have been raving about Above, which is sort of a cross between Doodle Jump and Canabalt. It appeared in the App Store a little while ago. Odds are, after that description, you probably went looking for it already. Just in case you're still here, though, I'll tell you that it does offer up a few new tricks. Just like Canabalt, it's still a one-button-to-jump affair, but in Above, you actually hold down a finger to "charge" a jump, which adds a little more strategy to it. As in Doodle Jump, you're trying to constantly climb up a series of platforms using "powerfuls" (a feature of the game) and avoiding obstacles, but Above's unique art style and much more forgiving structure make for a different experience. It's a very stylistic experience, from the great backgrounds and graphics to the trippy music. I'm not sure that it really offers anything new to this "climbing platformer" phenomena that seems to be taking over the App Store, but it is polished to a shine. Achievements and multiple stages add some replayability and make the game more than worth the US$1.99 purchase price. If you want a Doodle Jump that's a little less casual and fleeting, here it is. If you're addicted to the one-button gameplay of Canabalt, Above offers more. Our tipsters are right: Above is certainly worth a purchase.
Nintendo: Apple isn't a viable gaming platform
When asked about the impact that the iPhone and iPod touch have had on Nintendo's stranglehold on portable gaming, and whether or not there is any concern about the iPad, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said that Apple "is not having an impact on Nintendo when you look at our business, our volume, our hardware, our software." Fils-Aime elaborated on this by highlighting the app store ecosystem and gaming experience. For him, the existence of free games makes it "[clear that] it doesn't look like their platform is a viable profit platform." The iPhone platform also serves up games that aren't even a "mouthful," when compared to the in "between snacks of entertainment and full meals" that Nintendo's portable experience provides. While the availability of lower priced substitutes, and free ones at that, will invariably have an impact on the sales of other goods, many a developer has made hearty revenues from the app store. They range from the large and more-established like Electronic Arts, to the smaller Lima Sky, makers of the the popular game Doodle Jump. As a result, it's no surprise that many developers made a push to get iPad apps ready for launch day, as well as racing out to buy iPads during launch day in order to test out their apps on the device (as opposed to the simulator). Then there's Fils-Aime's take that the platform's gaming experience leaves much to be desired. Here, a snack would be something akin to Brain Age, while a game like World of Warcraft would be like going to Hometown Buffet. While there is many a game on the iPhone that leaves much to be desired, the platform features a diverse library to whet the gaming appetites of many. The iPhone's success as a gaming platform is an offshoot of its wide ranging appeal and versatility, born from the convenience of the app store and multitouch differentiation. However, unlike the iPhone, the iPad isn't something that will always be on the physical person of its owners. One of the distinct exceptions, however, are students. If the iPad makes inroads in the education market and becomes as ubiquitous as textbooks, then it can have a substantial impact on gaming. What better way to pass the time away while waiting for mom to pick you up or when you're in between classes than to use your iPad -- which also happens to house all 5 of your textbooks -- to play some games. This is something that has the potential to impact Nintendo's portable gaming. Picking sides in a Nintendo-Apple fight is no fun, as both are companies that share much in common and have many shared fans. It's like picking between Shaq and Kobe. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that brought me the joy of The Legend of Zelda and Metroid -- as well as the joy of having to blow on the games for 10 minutes before they'd work -- shared the same room with my original Macintosh. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out. via [Kotaku]
GDC 2010: From rags to riches on the App Store
While we weren't able to stay the whole time (the life of a TUAW blogger at a covention is varied and hectic), the iPhone Game Developers' Luncheon at GDC 2010 was a pretty enlightening experience. After a little varied networking among guests, hosts PlayHaven, Cooley Godward Kronish (a law firm that specializes in startup companies), and MplayIt started up the panel discussion. The iPhone developers in attendance were Igor Pusenjak of Lima Sky (the creators of the very popular Doodle Jump) and Bryan Mitchell, a solo developer who created a game called Geared that's risen to the top of the App Store charts. The most interesting thing we learned at the luncheon (in among a lot of legal talk about forming corporations and copyright law) was where these two developers came from. Mitchell was a filmmaker who had to work construction "after film work dried up in Las Vegas," and decided to jump in on the app business to make extra money. His game only made a few bucks a day at first, but after spending a little on advertising, Apple featured his game in "What's Hot." After that, he was off to the races.
Millions of app store downloads everywhere
Last year was a big one for mobile downloads, according to a number of sources. A Quantcast mobile trends report says that mobile web activity grew 110% in the US throughout 2009, and of course Apple was responsible for most of that, with a 65% market share, 41% from the iPhone and the rest from the iPod touch. Apple's market share slightly dropped in 2009 (due to increasing competition), but it's still head and shoulders above everyone else. App downloads are huge as well. Not only did Apple announce that three billion downloads, but Gameloft says they've reached 10 million paid downloads of apps by themselves, and developer Lima Sky (makers of Doodle Jump, one of our favorite games of 2009), says downloads skyrocketed after Christmas, with over 500,000 downloads of their app in December of 2009 alone. The App Store is doing big business lately -- it's probably a safe bet to say that 2009 kicked off a golden age of mobile web activity. And all indications are that 2010 will be even more interesting.
Our favorite iPhone games of 2009
The first full year of the App Store is coming to a close, and so let's take a look back at our favorite games of 2009. Note that these aren't best-selling, most important, or even the best games of the year -- we'll leave those lists to other sites. But these are our favorite games -- the games we played this year that we feel stand out as our favorite experiences on the App Store. The list begins after the read more link below, and be sure to agree, disagree, or share your own favorite games as usual in the comments.
