wwdc 2009 - Kotaku

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ESRB President Calls For iTunes Game Ratings
iPhone Devs Create Games Seal of Quality
Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
Monday Means iPhone News, Confirmation of Apple's Gaming Push

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Pazu
06/10/09

In reply to ESRB President Calls For iTunes Game Ratings
I'm an iPhone developer, and as someone mentioned above, iPhone OS 3.0 not only supports ratings but requires it. All application submitted to Apple from now on must have a rating of 4+, 9+, 12+ or 17+.

The most important part, however, is that this is retroactive. Existing applications need to be updated, and if they aren't they'll be automatically rated as the most restrictive rating, 17+.

So yeah, problem solved without ESRB. They just want to make cash from the review fees but Apple is eschewing them.

What makes the iPhone/iPod an attractive platform is how easy it is to publish applications for it, and adding ESRB (or any other rating board) to the process would ruin it. I know I wouldn't publish anything if I had to deal with them.
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coolguyface
06/10/09

In reply to ESRB President Calls For iTunes Game Ratings
ESRB wants their slice of the pie
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Kobun
06/10/09

@coolguyface: That's how I see it as well. I do hope Apple ignores the plea as the ratings just aren't effective nor consistent in their claims. The ESRB and MPAA need to die.
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BubbleF**kingBuddy
06/10/09

In reply to ESRB President Calls For iTunes Game Ratings
What little kid dyes her hair and her eyebrows?
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Courteous_Gentleman
06/10/09

In reply to ESRB President Calls For iTunes Game Ratings
OT, but I believe that's one of Gabes ads.
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RyuuzakiBjorn
06/10/09

@Courteous_Gentleman: I was thinking the exact same thing.
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new_age_soldier
06/10/09

In reply to ESRB President Calls For iTunes Game Ratings
So, how many kids own a i-phone???
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IotaVandir
06/10/09

@new_age_soldier: You'd be amazed. I pick up my little brother from elementary almost every day, and nearly everyone in his class is calling someone on their bloody iPhones. I, on the other hand, had to wait until I was 17 for my folks to buy me a normal cell phone.

This generation is so spoiled, god damn.
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Revenge_of_Nekojin
06/10/09

@IotaVandir: It's funny because you said your folks bought you a cellphone.

I had to buy my own.
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Yertle8
06/10/09

@Revenge_of_Nekojin: And when I was 17 cell phones barely existed.
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MrBionic
06/10/09

@Yertle8: When I was 17, cordless phones barely existed.
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SanjiX
06/07/09

In reply to iPhone Devs Create Games Seal of Quality
It's sad when a 3rd party has to do something that Apple should of have probably of done in the beginning. Then again, we know when Nintendo started this, they actually checked the games, then they edit it to a "Seal" instead of a "Seal of Quality" showing that they just look the other way when several of shovelware titles are released week after week, and I know that Apple is doing the same just so they can get the money... just like Nintendo.

Oh, Apple & Nintendo, you guys should seriously team up. You both would make BILLIONS. I'm sure of it.
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MrBionic
06/07/09

@SanjiX: Great, now I have this picture in my head of a Nintendo exec walking into a room with a list of games to put their seal on, and showing it to an actual circus seal, that goes "ORK ORK ORK!" and claps its fins if it likes the name of whatever game is being read to it.

Naturally, the seal pretty much likes everything that is read to it.
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Falsoman
06/07/09

@SanjiX: Er... but the seal of quality never was for "quality games".

It was a seal that garanteed that the game was tested by nintendo and it would play without capping your hardware. And it's the same for any game on any console now, but back in the day of the atari systems you could buy games that didn't even boot.

And that's the same that apple already does with their apps.

And it's kinda funny that anyone asks for this since people have been nagging apple since day 1 for the aprooval process and claiming how bad the censorship has been and now people want them to just put through the quality apps but not censoring anyone.

I do agree that there has to be a better way to sort through the apps to find them... in my case i just do the same as i do with videogames in any system... I read the review sites and articles and if something is interesting and has a lite version i use that one and if i like it i buy the game, or if it's cheap enough and seems fun enough i buy them.

You also can ask for you money back if you don't like something.
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beril
06/07/09

@Falsoman: There is a pretty big difference between console licencing and the applestore.

While nintendo/sony or microsoft doesn't reject everything below tripple A quality, there is quite an extensive list of requirements the game must fulfill and becoming a licensed developer to begin with can be quite a long process. From what I've read about the Iphone it's just a very small fee to become a licenced developer and you can publish pretty much anything.

An open platfrom sounds great for indies in theory, but in practise I just don't see it working. It's next to impossible to get any attention on a platfrom where there are 5 new space invader clones created by 14 year olds released every day. I think a licencing system is really needed to become a serious platfrom for games, especially for digital distribution.

Admittedly I don't own an Iphone so I don't know quite how bad the situation is. But if you download 5 random XBL Community games you'll quickly see just how important the seals of quality are
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Falsoman
06/07/09

@beril: Yes I agree with you, but the point that i was trying to make, however badly expressed, is that half the people want apple NOT to regulate the content because that's just facist, and the other half want them to regulate so it's easier to sort through the mess and the shovelware.

It's no easy situation for apple.

It's like when the "I'm a millionaire" or something app made it through the appstore. People were bitching how apple was so iresponsible for letting some developer charge $1000 for an useless app. Then apple takes it down and people start bitching because how dare they censor an entrepreneur, and that if "people wanted to pay for the app they should let them"... or the whole debacle of the NFSW apps that apple was an evil corporation for not letting them through and now they are an evil corporation because there are too many damn fart apps. =)

Where i'm going with all this is that yes, applestore is very far from being a perfect busines model, but there's also the unrefutable fact that people are whiny bitches over the internet no matter what =D
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MrBionic
06/07/09

In reply to iPhone Devs Create Games Seal of Quality
iPhone as Nintendo handheld killer?

Could it happen?

*raises eyebrow*
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GeluAnimus
06/07/09

@MrBionic: This may of course be a very good Competition for the DS, but the problem of the iphone is the unability to appeal to the younger crowd. I certainly wouldnt buy my 8 year old kid an iphone. May be some parents that would, but the trend is naturally to not do so
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Gossy... Fortune and Glory
06/07/09

@MrBionic: I'm not sure about it going that far (at least not for a while) but I'm postponing getting my Touch from the end of June til September (pending announcements tomorrow).

I can't see it replacing my DS, but I want in on whatever is going on here!
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MrBionic
06/07/09

@GeluAnimus: @Gossy... strictly 4 my ninjas: @DustbinCarbonara: @Fallible.: Oh, I totally agree with y'all. I find it a little amusing that it gets so much hype :)
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mitch_93
06/07/09

@MrBionic: Because a bunc of devs created their own seal of quality to make their games sound good when they will turn out crap and not a seal of quality from apple themselves? Surely!
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MrBionic
06/07/09

@mitch_93: I totally agree with...

wait.

What?
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mitch_93
06/07/09

@MrBionic: the developers made the seal. So for all we know they are putting it on so they can make the games good. The seals were not given or will be given out by apple the company which should be marking the quality of the apps on their store. So how you could possibly think it could kill the DS or any future iteration is beyond my thoughts.
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MrBionic
06/07/09

@mitch_93: It was a tongue-in-cheek response to all the media that the 'iPhone as gaming platform' gets, which this is just an extended part of. That's all.
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Gossy... Fortune and Glory
06/07/09

In reply to iPhone Devs Create Games Seal of Quality
Devs develop their own (self policed and awarded I assume) seal of quality. I may not be investing much trust in this seal.
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Impul5se
06/07/09

@Gossy... strictly 4 my ninjas: Would you trust a seal policed and awarded by the manufacturer any more than this? I for one do not trust the Nintendo seal of quality with anything other than proving that the game will indeed fit into my console
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Gossy... Fortune and Glory
06/07/09

@Impul5se: I wouldn't trust any seal beyond it being a garauntee the product works. Beyond that 'Quality' is to subjective.
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Quicksilver4648
06/07/09

In reply to Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
From Microsoft to Apple. If it isn't a full blown RTS on an iPhone then I wont be impressed.
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Brian Crecente
06/07/09

@Quicksilver4648: I know, right? We need our Advanced Wars.
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Archaotic
06/07/09

In reply to Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
WAIT. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait. The guy who directed Halo Wars also directed the 7th Guest?

Mind = blown.
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Brian Crecente
06/07/09

@Archaotic: He founded trilobyte. It was totally his baby.
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Hyperplasia
06/07/09

In reply to Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
Oh wow...that box shot brings back some memories.

I wish we still had a couple adventure games released these days that were like the adventures games of old... /tear

What was the name of that other original horror game that was set in a haunted house...Started with a 'P' I think...may have had a sequel...?
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dptechblog
06/07/09

@Hyperplasia: PHANTASMAGORIA

:)
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Kobun
06/07/09

@dptechblog: RAPE

:)
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CoatedTrout
06/07/09

In reply to Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
I'm guessing he'll be supervising how the iPhone improves its game support.

PS.Cue halo bashing.
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lolgreg
06/07/09

@CoatedTrout: HALO'S THE WORST IT'S NOT EVEN LEIK GROUNDBREKIN OR NETHING. ALL TEH GAMES R EXACTLY THE SAME AND NTO EVN GOOD.
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Wahrheit
06/07/09

In reply to Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
I remember 7th/11th, they were scary for me when I was a kid..
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OGHowie
06/07/09

@Wahrheit:

Yeah, those games we're pretty cool for their time. Weren't they like 5+ CDs too?
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aeonpulse
06/07/09

@OGHowie: awww i loved these games!!! and yeah, they were like 5 or 6 discs, with all the video and stuff.

remember Phantasmagoria? i still have my copy buried somewhere, that was like 8 or 9 discs!
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winshape
06/07/09

@aeonpulse: Yep. I also remember the ridiculously complicated series of events that had to be done in order at the very end and if you messed up it was truly game over. No restarting. I still don't think i've seen the ending.
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aeonpulse
06/07/09

@winshape: hah yeah, i haven't played it in years, but i recall the ending, being chased by a huge demon or something, and fucking up repeatedly, getting to see my face gruesomely ripped apart using some of the best cheesy b-movie gore. damnit, i gotta see if i can get it to run on vista now.
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ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.
06/07/09

@aeonpulse: That was great. I remember the gore effects in that scene actually being pretty good. (Especially compared the the horrid effects in the rest of the game)

My kingdom for a new sequel.
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tomsamson
06/06/09

In reply to Monday Means iPhone News, Confirmation of Apple's Gaming Push
guys, i like kotaku and all but writing something in the vein of the iphone now getting a 3d chip makes you sound somewhat uninformed, like when yellow press talks about gaming in between.

The iPhone had a 3d gpu since day 1, it just gets a better,newer one now.

Also anyone in this thread who says things in the vein of "blabla iphone will never be a serious contender in the gaming market, yadayada" should read some recent news.

Nintendo and Sony are trying to copy the iPhone with their newer devices and services, not the other way round.
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ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness
06/06/09

@tomsamson: Well Apple HAVE some progressive business-models, that's one of the reasons behind their success.
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ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness
06/06/09

In reply to Monday Means iPhone News, Confirmation of Apple's Gaming Push
Man, cell-phone gaming hasn't appealed to me since I was 12, so I don't feel touched by this at all.

I need my phone for CALLS, so I can't be running around wasting batteries on the umpteenth tower-defense I just bought on my iXpensive cellphone.

Yes, I am well aware these are avaliable on the iPod Touch. I have games on my LG Touch (which didn't cost nearly as much) but I don't use them due to the fact that my MP3 is always playing music when I use it, and when I want to use it I prefer there's battery left instead of it having been drained by playing a fart-app.

Sorry Apple, you never could sway me with your stylish yet over-expensive wares. My MacBook may be a decent computer, but not my system of choice.
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