secret plan developer tasked with creating the first full - fledge games for the iPod faced the challenge of developing for a new platform while dealing with Apple ’s desire to keep every detail tight under wraps . But it ’s a challenge the game makers were unable to resist , give the popularity of Apple ’s hand-held music player .
“ We opine iPod gaming is a big opportunity , ” order Dave Roberts , CEO of PopCap Games , whose Bejeweled and Zuma are among the nine iPod games available for sale at the iTunes Store . Other iPod game harbinger by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during his September 12 display to the press let in Tetris , mahjong , and mingolf game from Electronic Arts ; Fresh Games ’s block - based puzzler game Cubis 2 ; the colonnade classic Pac - Man from Namco Networks ; and a Texas Hold’em poker game and brickbashing title called Vortex developed internally at Apple . All nine games betray for $ 4.99 each at theiTunes Store .
PopCap ’s Bejeweled and Zuma have appeared on many other platforms , including OS X. So why bring them to the iPod ?
“ For us , that ’s the stop . We want to make it possible for mass to play our games wherever they need , on whatever gadget they want , ” Roberts said .
Behind the curtain
harmonize to Roberts , PopCap has been work with Apple for more than a year to play its games to the Macintosh in a project that , in typical Apple fashion , demanded absolute secrecy . “ We coordinated with Apple engineering , ” he said . “ The first sentence I was able to play the secret plan on the iPod was at the Apple event . ”
Fresh Games President Steve Smith relay a similar story . “ There were certain limitations on what we were allowed to have or see , ” said Smith , touch to the evolution shaft ask to dispatch the plot .
Smith said that originally , Fresh Games approach Apple about iPod secret plan development ; the iPod maker eventually get hold of Fresh Games to follow up on the proposal of marriage .
Development challenges
Reaching an agreement with Apple was only the first obstacle toward iPod game exploitation . Dennis Ryan , PopCap ’s executive frailty president of business developing , explained that creating iPod versions of Bejeweled and Zuma required some finessing , but nothing beyond the acquirement layer of PopCap ’s engineering team . PopCap also act upon with Astraware , a popular developer of games for Palm OS - based organiser and other handheld devices .
“ It was unlike in terms of using the click wheel as an comment gadget rather than a dialpad , ” said Ryan . “ In terms of technical challenge , it ’s things we ’ve address with before , like a small screen size of it and dissimilar storage prerequisite . It ’s a different platform , but it ’s what we do . ”
For Fresh Games ’ Smith , iPod game developing add up quite naturally .
“ We intend immediately that Cubis 2 was just utterly design for the iPod . You ’re swinging from left to right . All game mechanic do n’t work this mode , but for Cubis 2 , it ’s great , ” Smith said .
At Namco Networks , the priority was on make indisputable that an iPod version of the colonnade authoritative Pac - Man played as close to the original as possible , aver Scott Rubin , frailty president of sale and marketing for the game Creator . And Namco ’s oeuvre on Pac - Man offers a select example of how each developer used unlike approaches to getting the iPod ’s penetrate roulette wheel to work out as a gaming stimulant twist . Some game count on the click rack ’s splay part , but Pac - Man rather uses it as a virtual joystick of sorts — quick tap on the click steering wheel ’s cardinal points make Pac - Man move in that focus .
Future gaming plans
None of the company interviewed for this article could say unequivocally that they have pot for next iPod games , though some are sanguine about the possibility .
“ We ’re do work on a newfangled game that will be released presently , ” said Fresh Games ’ Smith . “ And we ’ve seen some interest in it for the iPod , so we ’ll see . ”
PopCap ’s Roberts is also observe his carte unaired to his singlet . “ We will certainly do other game for the iPod , but when and what all depend on the normal confluence of events , ” he said . “ But I think it ’s passably discernible from Apple ’s intro that this is going to be an important factor for the iPod going ahead . ”
