Photics.com

Tigerfish are real fish. But in the iPhone / iPod Touch game, the Tigerfish has eyebrows. Tigerfish, by Marcos Riffel, is a cute and cartoony game, probably most ideal for preadolescent boys. Floating around and eating the weak, while shooting at the strong, might appeal to that audience. As for me, I actually felt bad for the little fish. They make these scared sounds when you get too close. But if you want to fight against the bigger fish, you’ll need to eat the weaker ones.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bumps is an iPhone / iPod Touch puzzle game that is overwhelmingly cute. It’s adorable. It sweet. It’s so sweet that I forgot to eat lunch. I just sat in my chair, tapping away at my iPod Touch, trying to release the little Bumps from the alien aggressors. I played straight through the game. I completed all 54 levels. Along the way, I took some notes. There are some minor issues with Bumps. But overall, it’s one of the best games in its class.

Read the rest of this entry »

For The Unofficial GameSalad Textbook, I contacted industry professionals about expert interviews. The book isn’t just some collection of knowledge to be memorized and forgotten. There are life lessons embedded in the pages. That’s why I felt it was important to contact those that have experienced the journey, those that have found success. Patricia Heard-Greene shared her digital imaging story.

Read the rest of this entry »

With the iPad launch less than a week away, I’ve been pretty busy. Apple sent me an email about the grand opening of the iPad App Store. If I wanted my iPad App to be listed on the launch day, I had to meet the March 27 (8 PM EST) deadline. I made it… with about 30 minutes to spare. It was tough, but I’m pleased with the results. Actually, that’s not quite right… I’m actually amazed. I think Photics: Fireball is a fun game, but it also represents a dramatic shift in my life. Up until this point, I used to get excited about game console release dates. I would often be part of the “I gotta have it” crowd. But now I’m on the other side of the picture – as a game developer – with a launch date title ready to go.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wow, what speed. For about two years, the “Course Correction” project sat on the back-burner. But in a little over two weeks since I started using GameSalad, my game is on the App store. I’m impressed with the quality of this App. This is one of my best projects ever. The game has good graphics, great sound and the presentation is professional. Apple seems to have picked up their game too. I submitted my App on Friday. By Monday my game was available for sale. For only 99¢  you can download this game to your iPhone or iPod Touch. If you don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch, a browser version should be available in the future. This is the start of a new era for this website and I’m really excited about it!

Read the rest of this entry »

Ever see those big-shot game developers showing off their Concept artwork? As a gamer, I enjoyed seeing previews from the next big game. But as a independent developer, I don’t have the pressure to impress the venture capitalists or hype the community. I somehow doubt that a screenshot is really going to make a difference in future sales… but do I know that for sure? No, so maybe I should try it. Do you want to see what I’ve been working on this week? I do admit, this makes me nervous. Will you like it? Will you steal my ideas? It’s a wonder why game developers even bother talking to gamers until the game is done. Maybe it’s because they like to show off their best work… I know I do!

Read the rest of this entry »