dic142011

Google Updates Web Version of Android Market

By laurensalad on 12/14/2011

Google has updated the web version of the Android Market with new advanced abilities to filter reviews.

Once signed into your account, users can now filter reviews by device models. For developers, this is a huge move toward better understanding whether titles runs smoothly and behave similarly across all devices.

Additional filter options also include being able to filter by app version and by individual ratings.

Mashable reports that, “the Android Market was quite limited in its options at its inception, but lately Google has been listening to users and adding features that make it easier to find the apps you need. These new options, however, are currently only available in the web version of the Android Market – you cannot access them from your smartphone.”

Review for Facebook App on a Samsung Galaxy S

How do you see these advanced filtering options helping you as Android app developer? Weigh in and leave us your comments below.

Source: Mashable

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dic132011

Apple’s Mac Store Hits 100 Million Downloads

By laurensalad on 12/13/2011

Apple revealed on Monday that they have achieved 100 million downloads on the Mac App Store in less than one year of operation.

“In just three years the App Store changed how people get mobile apps, and now the Mac App Store is changing the traditional PC software industry,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With more than 100 million downloads in less than a year, the Mac App Store is the largest and fastest growing PC software store in the world.”

Combined App Stores for iOS and Mac have more than 500,000 applications available for download and have seen more than 18 billion downloads total.

Source: AppleInsider

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dic132011

GameSalad & Popular Mechanics Present Be the Spark

By laurensalad on 12/13/2011

Created in collaboration with GameSalad’s own Game Team One, Popular Mechanics has just released “Be The Spark”. Be the Spark, is a simple mechanics game that challenges the player to keep an engine running by triggering the spark plug at the right moment during the four-stroke cycle. The free app is available for download on the iTunes App Store.

The “delightfully geeky” app first appeared within the monthly iPad subscription of Popular Mechanics. The app was initially conceptualized as a partnership between GameSalad and Popular Mechanics to showcase the prospects of DIY game creation, specifically with GameSalad software. Stating that, “anyone with creativity and some doggedness can use GameSalad’s software to build a game without doing any programming.”

Popular Mechanics also featured GameSalad in a previous article on game creation by John Herrman. Herrman stated that, “using GameSalad feels more like editing a PowerPoint presentation than developing a mobile application. Two hours after opening the program, I had my own side-scrolling space shooter in the can. It wasn’t quite ready for the App Store—my “spaceship” was a crude cutout of my head, and my “laser battles” took place against a photo background of my living room—but nonetheless, it was a game. A few more days of practice could have netted something presentable. It’s easy to let your imagination run away with GameSalad, which is probably the point.”

GameSalad is proud to announce that in the coming week we will be releasing a free game template and art asset pack from the Be the Spark game. The items will be available for free download on GameSalad Marketplace. We encourage aspiring game makers to use these materials and explore the world of DIY game development for yourself.

Source: Popular Mechanics

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dic122011

GameSalad Users in the News: Justin Towell

By laurensalad on 12/12/2011

Squeak’s Dreams is an iPhone game coming to the US and UK App Store on December 12, 2011. It’s the first game from three-times videogame Guinness World Record-holder and gaming journalist Justin Towell, who woke up on New Year’s Day this year with the sudden thought: “I’m going to make an iPhone game”. Not knowing a line of programming code, he bought an iMac (working extra to pay it off) and used GameSalad to bring his cheesy dream to life. Almost a whole year later, here it is, available for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod Touch 3rd Generation and later. 

Squeak’s Dreams plays like classic 2D side-scrollers of the 1990s, only with touch-screen direction pad and jump button. The control method is simple enough that anyone can pick it up, although controlling Squeak as he bounces on ripening blackberries and ivy leaves will test even the most hardcore gaming fanatic. 

Squeak’s Dreams contains an original soundtrack, composed and performed entirely by Towell, from the rock song ‘Pirate Queen’ playing on the radio in the kitchen to the beautiful and haunting piano piece that plays as you bounce through the clouds. Likewise with the sound effects – the noise Squeak makes when he jumps is voiced by Justin Towell, as are the hoverflies and the sound of the dragonfly’s wings. As the credit says: Game Engine by GameSalad™, everything else by Justin Towell. Yes, that goes for the quacks too.

Celebrating the game’s release, Towell has also written a post for Gamesradar.com entitled “10 Things I Learnt While Making a Video Game (by a Games Journalist).” This is an essential read for gaming enthusiasts that are looking to break into game development via GameSalad. Lessons learned include: You Don’t Need Coding Knowledge, Bugs are a Pain in the Ass, Optimization is a BIG deal, and many more.

Official Game Trailer:

My personal favorite…the Musical/Animated Trailer:

Squeak’s Dreams Game Features:
- Three beautiful naturalistic areas to explore – the garden, the river and the house
- Peaceful, violence-free gameplay. The worst that happens to Squeak is a 5 Cheese penalty for touching a mouse trap.
- Stunning graphics with multi-layered parallax scrolling and even into-the-screen pseudo 3D!
- Photographic imagery for backgrounds mixed with hand-drawn artwork
- A custom soundtrack full of real electric guitar as well as synthesized instruments
- Several gameplay variations – Run about on foot, ride a dragonfly, bounce on balloons and follow a UFO through space. Only in your wildest cheese dreams!
- Replay value – Can you get all three Big Cheeses from Squeak’s Dreams to truly finish the game?
- Ducks that quack when you bounce on them.

Purchase Squeak’s Dream on the App Store for 99 cents here.

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dic092011

Games Are Hottest Category in the Android Market

By laurensalad on 12/09/2011

Google reports that the Android market has seen Game downloads reach 2.56 billion out of the 10 billion total downloads within the past 38 months. The Game specific category is the top category at 25.6 percent. Games are followed in popularity by Entertainment, Tools, and Communication categorized applications.

Within the Games category, Arcade & Action games were the most popular with 39.25 percent of all game downloads. Other popular game categories include Brain & Puzzle, Casual, Cards, and Racing & Sports.

[A]ListDaily reports that, “South Korea has seen the most Android Market downloads, followed by the U.S., Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.”

Source: [A]ListDaily

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