The Android Platform Future

Back in October I added MobClix ads into Pac-Ball Lite. The initial reveune compared to the Full version was only a fraction but as the months went by it slowly surpassed the revenue coming in from the Full version which is priced at $2.99. Ads are now generating 1.5 times what the full version makes. With this added revenue the Android platform is definitely a viable system to sustain a business.

We are planning to release two more games over the summer one in June and another in July. I have not decided how each will be released in terms of Lite and Full versions, a.k.a. fremium, or just go with the full game entirely free supplemented with ads. I'm sure the fans would love the game to be entirely free, but I still have some experimenting left to do with Pac-Ball.

I recently released updates for Pac-Ball Lite that unlock more game difficulties, and will soon be unlocking the rest of the game modes in the Lite version. When that is complete I will be able to see if that boosts the replay value and ultimately ad revenue. From those results I'll make a decision as to how the zombie game will be released.

From the looks of the big time devs like Rovio with Angry Birds, they clearly prefer the ad revenue on Android. Soon we will find out if it applies to the small time devs like us here at Corv Studios.

Published May 16, 2011
- By Oscar J. Gomez

Virus Effect - IndieVElopment Pack

So lately I've been trying to decide what to do next. My side venture into Android programming went well. I made Pac-Ball which is a combinations of pac-man and labyrinth, in which you tilt your Android device to control a ball to pick up dots. I decided not to put ads in it and just release a demo version and a full game version. The sales have been decent, although I believe the only way to survive on the Android Market is to release many games. Which is something I will do in the future for now back to VE.

Since we still need to raise money to finish off the wide variety of directions VE can go in, we have created the IndieVElopment Pack.

With the donation of $9.99 players will get all the paid weapons, access to test out everything under development, an unlocked private forum section to help make design decisions, and the latest news before the public. With help from the community we would finally be able to focus more of our time on making VE into a great game.

Some of the things in the development demo include early looks at the new main character design, male and female, new physics engine which include a grappling hook, and soon to be added a gravity gun similar to Half-Life's. More features and additions will be able to be seen first by IndieVElopment pack owners.

One of the next bigger things we will be working on is multiplayer. We want to get this done early on before we start on the story side and missions. That way players can play against each other while they wait on the meat of the game. Can't wait to see what everyone thinks about the current development demos!

Published July 8, 2010
- By Oscar J. Gomez

Android - Why Every Java Developer Should Be On The Bandwagon!

A few months back I bought a Motorola Droid when it came out in November for two reasons. One was to get rid of my old flip phone and shut my brother up about his Iphone, and the other was to develop applications for it. Since releasing my first app, a port of Virus Effect, I have a few things to say to all Java developers out there. Jump on the wave while there is still room.

The Android platform is perfect for any beginning developer that wants to release an application and slowly build upon it. The turnover time for releasing updates depends on how much time you have and how fast you can code. There is no Apple enforced review process you have to worry about. This is great for any developer that wants to try out their skills in the mobile world, especially indies. The development community is also very active, and there are various resources to aid you when developing on the platform.

The main reason everyone should be developing on the platform is because there is still room for independent projects that can get awesome reviews and be successful. The Apple App Store is overly saturated with games and apps that shouldn't have seen the light of day, and being successful on there is a more difficult achievement. On Google's platform you can refine your project then port it over to the Iphone once your successful in the Android Market. The best part is you can make a buck or two while working on it with easy to implement ads or releasing a full version of your app.

Google has been extremely kind to new and dedicated developers. I recently attended one of the Google Developer Labs in Austin and got a free Motorola Droid. So now I have two, and can test out multiplayer when I get to it in the near future. They have also just recently announced that they will be giving out a Nexus One or Droid to any current developer of an Android app that has at least 5,000 downloads and a 3.5 or higher rating. This is a ton of developers, a category in which I don't fall under but I'm not disappointed. VE Android is still in the early stages, and I don't need a third Droid... yet ;)

So if you don't have an Android phone to develop on, focus on getting one or use the emulator. It is perfectly fine to develop an app with, and if you are coding your games correctly you should be able to get decent performance out of it. On the bright side, you will know when on a phone it will perform much smoother. The most rewarding part of the whole experience is seeing the smile players get when playing your game for the first time, or in my case the frustration people have with the controls. :P

Published March 4, 2010
- By Oscar J. Gomez

Passion and Dedication is the Life Blood of an Independent Game

Looking at the Indie Game Community one might wonder: What drives people to create such lousy games? Why do most indie games die? What is the fundamental key to finishing an indie game? All these questions can be answered in one simple way… passion and dedication. To finish an indie game you almost have to be crazy and ignore all the haters, and continue morphing your game into what you have in mind. But you also have to pay attention to the feedback given to you from them as well, whether its good or excruciatingly bad.

There are many factors to why most games go off into dark corners and die, nearly all of them have to do with the dedication by all the developers. The entire time a game is in development it is built off of the drive the developers have to finish the project. Without that drive and/or passion final products never see the light of day.

In the independent world money is usually not the force that drives developers to finish a game, unlike the corporate world. It is almost always the passion and dedication that they have to see the project to its completion. If the developers lose that drive to accomplish the goal the project will be a distant memory before the next project even begins.

Developers can lose the passion in many ways; negative feedback, boring game play, or even getting side tracked by another project. It is actually good that most of these games do not get finished. They would other wise be polishing one of the many games that should have died prematurely. But, most of those games came to be, because of the passion the developers had to complete them.

VE has gone through many trials and tribulations in my mind on whether or not it should be completed, even at this early stage of development. But the community and the still attainable goal of what we want the game to be drives me to take it one step closer to completion. I will probably never stop. The passion will continue to be the heart beat of the game, while the inspiration from the indie community is the oxygen.

Published April 20, 2009
- By Oscar J. Gomez