Comments on: Astraware Announces Five New Games
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Zap!2016
RE: Zap!2016
PS: Hello Howard! Zap is still one of my faves... thought about Zone Raiders?
RE: Zap!2016
At PalmSource we were demoing the latest additions to the game which use the much-enhanced sound capabilities of the new Sony T615 and T415 machines! We had quite some crowds when we were showing that ;)
The next release will feature those as an option too - and yes, we're working on extra levels too :)
Regards,
Howard. (howard@astraware.com)
Where's the hi-res?
marketing hype
Oh really? CEOs always say this sort of crap no-matter how non-inovative and 3rd rate their product is. Im a Palm developer - so i know that developing software fro this platform isn't easy. But facts are facts: these games do not represent "the online game industry's leading developers" AND certainly are not "the best arcade and online games ". JEEZ. These are just a handful of the same old puzzle type games (there are already a thousand just like them - that you don't have to pay for!!) and a nice/simple arcade game (as the guy above said - no where near as good as Zap! which was originally released over a year ago!!
Lame.
RE: marketing hype
And apparently they HAVE been busy, having just released five new titles, all of which I'm anxious to try out. If you think their games are 3rd rate, don't download. But there are some of us who wish there were more companies like Astraware out there...
RE: marketing hype
RE: marketing hype
RE: marketing hype
as for innovation? paying-for-bills normally kills that. astraware started off great, astroids, zap2k... great titles for the platform, and, at the time, it was a major hobby, and they loved it. their latest titles are not as technically satisfying, but heck - they have to make money. they employ people..
ardiri.com is a hobby for a group of developers sprawled over the earth (sweden, netherlands, usa) and, we dont care so much about $$$$ - for us, its pushing the envelope of the platform that extra step further. writing programs like liberty, lemmings, deity3D has been great.. however, it is not right to compare ardiri.com against astraware - we have different views on what we do...
but, the CEO's statement is normal. not exactly true, however, astraware have been noted in the past for exceptional titles.. but, that doesn't make them the best, being the best is viewed differently depending on who's eyes you are looking at.. its hard to make statements like that without having someone flame you.
i personally congratulate astraware for the new titles - they'll sell well :) bit pricy tho (but, heck, gotta make a living) :P
// az
aaron@ardiri.com
http://www.ardiri.com/
RE: marketing hype
If they can submit their 'product release' copy to PalmInfoCenter to run 'as is' as over-the-top hype, then i too can offer my 'over the top' reaction. At least im not making money from saying things here. Besides: thats what PalmInfoCenter is here for: I get to have my cake and flame it too.
RE: marketing hype
If you're listening Astraware - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE can you produce more games like Zap!2000.
RE: marketing hype
Astraware don't do badly for getting the licenses and producing good games - their Midway stuff I quite liked (why isn't it on the wed site?)
Astraware: I agree - please follow up Zap!2000
Ardiri: If you produced have as much as you should talked, maybe you'd be as sucessful as Astraware.
All: More *good* quality games for the Palm please.
RE: marketing hype
If marketing hype helps sell games, which puts bread on the table of the astraware team - or any other software developer - then so be it. Its much better than producing something which can be used to pirate software, thus taking away sales and increasing the need for hype.
RE: marketing hype
Wasn't Ardiri the one who wrote the liberty virus?
RE: marketing hype
To sum up
Astraware have produced some new games - excellent!
None live up to Zap!2000/2016 - bogus.
If they don't have time to produce a follow up - can we have some more levels?
RE: marketing hype
RE: marketing hype
- When did the game and watch games push the machine or OS? Or was that before you had your wrists slapped from the License holders?
all of us start somewhere, keep in mind astraware also have a game and watch game (Fire!) and, they were too hit with the slapping of wrists from License holders (hence removal of astroids). that is an experience both of us have experienced.
- Astraware don't do badly for getting the licenses and producing good games - their Midway stuff I quite liked (why isn't it on the wed site?)
i liked their implementation of Joust until you started flying through walls (bad collision detection). astraware did these titles for pocket express, and, midway were real tight asses about when they wanted it done and picky about every little detail. astraware had to roll out five games in under three months - it takes a lot longer to write a good arcade game port if you want to do it correctly. it is not their fault the games are not 100% up to par - sure, they could be done better.. everything can be done better with more time.
- Ardiri: If you produced have as much as you should talked, maybe you'd be as sucessful as Astraware.
let me spell it out to you - this our my *hobby*. i have a full time job doing other things and writing games on the palm is purely something all of us at ardiri.com do in our spare time. selling shareware surely doesn't make your rich - and, if we did focus on it full time we'd have to do exactly what astraware does. i think i'd like to spend my time doing fun stuff - not jumping through hoops for clients.
- What give Ardiri the right to comment? I say that they lost that right the minute they stabbed the rest of the Palm developers in the back by producing hackme.
i have just as much right to comment than you do. i am a Palm user myself - and, this is an open discussion website relating to Palm software and hardware. i wasn't negative towards astraware - these games will sell well (re-read my original post). there always has to be boneheads like yourself who have nothing better to do than start irrelevant discussions on these boards and act like total idiots who are afraid to even put their name behind their posts.
as for stabbing developers in the back - this always amuses me, you just always seem to forget what else i do for the developer community (palm-dev-forum, PilRC, sample code etc).. your just peeing in the wind. if you are ignorant, thats your problem - but, maybe you should keep your stupidity to yourself.
// az
aaron@ardiri.com
http://www.ardiri.com/
RE: marketing hype
"developing the games that our customers crave the most"
We've had *hundreds* of emails asking for Nisqually and Big money in the last couple of months! Our puzzle games have certainly been incredibly popular!
"working with the online game industry's leading developers"
By this I'm referring to PopCap and GameHouse - just check zone.msn.com or real.com to see what kind of rankings their games are getting.
"to move the best arcade and online games to the most popular handheld platforms,"
OK - everyone's "best" may differ - but we're all clear on which are the most popular platforms, right?
It makes me chuckle that people think that CEO's are all bull - I'm the lead developer here at Astraware, as well as doing the job of getting our software sold!
(And that sometimes means writing press releases!)
Regards to all,
Howard Tomlinson, lead games programmer (and CEO), Astraware. ( howard@astraware.com )
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
What is it with the Palm platform that makes people think every piece of software ought to be under 10 bones, regardless of how good it is? If it's not worth the money to you, don't frigging buy it.
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
Well, dude man: I hate it when other dudes make stupid comments like this. It's not my job to subsidize mediocre developers with handouts or the dole.
If developers decide to charge what the market can bear with mediocre games then prepare to sell few copies. But if the developers are willing to go the extra mile, dude man, and create an original game instead of a tired rehash of tetris, mahjong, columns, etc.. at a reasonable price, then developers will sells tons of copies.
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
Acting like a jerk doesn't strengthen your arguements. It just makes people think you're a jerk.
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
companies can actually make money on Palms.
One thing people don't realize is that
not all the money go to developers.
Palmgear takes 25%. And Handango takes
30%.
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
Not to be a jerk or anything but you need to learn spelling. Yeah, that subject you failed in.
"arguements [sic]" is spelled arguments.
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
Nope, that's you being a jerk.
RE: 15 bucks? Bah!
They should make Dynomite
Rebecca
RE: They should make Dynomite
---
News Editor
RE: They should make Dynomite
- had dinner one night with the guys from Astraware while at PalmSource. They are thrilled with the possibilities inherent in the switch to ARM-based processors and are looking forward to creating some games that make use of all the new processor power.
with all due respect Ed, why should we wait until bigger faster processors come out before we write better games? careful design and great optimization means you can do the impossible (well, what people believe is impossible) on hardware it wasn't designed for. the challenge is what makes us write games on the palm, not the processing power. you can do a lot with the Palm as it is right now - just imagine what we pull out at ardiri.com on the new ARM machines *g*
// az
aaron@ardiri.com
http://www.ardiri.com/
RE: They should make Dynomite
RE: They should make Dynomite
Your TakTik is still the best looking and fun game I've played ever!
RE: They should make Dynomite
- Your TakTik is still the best looking and fun game I've played ever!
TakTik aint our game, it was done by the same guys who did Ababall (Daniel Morais and Christian Robert) - (www.kickoo.com). great graphics :)
// az
aaron@ardiri.com
http://www.ardiri.com/
RE: They should make Dynomite
I'm sure we'll see a brand spanking new ARM-version of Bejeweled for only $19.95 with new brighter colors and more speed.
RE: They should make Dynomite
Yup - Dynomite is on its way towards development! (Drop me an email if you'd like to be on the beta test squad!)
The question of 320 * 320 screens is certainly one of access to low level hardware - we'll only do it *if* it improves the game overall - would you prefer high res or a high framerate ?
I laugh to think that anyone writing seriously for Palm OS might be a lazy coder - given how much of Astraware's code is in 68000...
Oh - and "Read My Lips - No Price Hikes for Bejeweled Because Of ARM". (Though if you don't believe me, then buy it now :) )
What Astraware will do with ARM are things that couldn't be done right now... but better processors don't make better games - that's what makes games design so important!
Regards,
Howard. ( howard@astraware.com )
RE: They should make Dynomite
Howard, I'm a would-be serious Palm coder. Could you tell me what parts of your games are written in 68000 assembly so that I can model my programming efforts from your example? Who in your group does the assembly programming so that I may praise him. I'm currently trying to code a Tetris-like game. Do you think this type of game would have a sellable market? What kind of price do you think someone could charge for this? $19.95? $29.95? Thanks in advanced for your help.
Best Review Ever!
By the way, the three pilars of Palm use are:
1. Increase Productivity (hence the search for the source of the Astraware comment)
2. Increase Job Satisfaction
3. Increase Profits
The Astraware collection clearly conflicts with the first pilar, but more than makes up for its conflict by increasing "job satisfaction" -- which can be personal "job" or professional "job".
Mike Lohsl
Palm & ACT! Advisor
RE: Best Review Ever!
Better than zap?
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