Sony Xperia Play

[nightwlf]

If anyone actually ever picked one of these up, Battlefield 2 Bad Company, Dead Space, NFS Shift and NFS Hot Pursuit are FREE until Jan 15 2012 I think, go and grab them if that's your bag.

[accidental]

Good for free! But if they're anything like the iOS and Android versions then they suck.

EA has been sucking pretty bad with most of their mobile games.

[nightwlf]

Yeah the Xperia Play runs Android 2.3.

These aren't even Xperia Play optimized versions. These are just regular. BLAH.

[accidental]

They look cool, but that's about it. All fun has been stripped away. Dead Space is good though, and will like be even better with the XP physical controls.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by accidental

Every developer has been sucking pretty bad with most of their mobile games.

Fixed that for you

[accidental]

Ha! The reason EA is sucking so bad is because they've got no idea how to play to the strengths of the platform. Instead they're shoehorning console experiences and they're not working.

Sales seem to be strong though so they aren't sucking business-wise, just quality-wise.

[Newsboy]

I'm glad EA are TRYING something other than one mechanic casual garbage.

[Mc Fadge]

While I haven't played EA's games, if they are, this^

[accidental]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

I'm glad EA are TRYING something other than one mechanic casual garbage.

There are more than the following two options for mobile games: watered down console port with on-screen traditional controls, single mechanic casual game.

EA simply can't think differently for a new platform.

[Newsboy]

That's a bit broad. I can't think of a single iPhone dev that is "thinking differently". They're all thinking "how can I make more money than I spend making this". I would much rather a watered down console port like Dead Space than another Angry Birds or Cut the Rope. I might actually start using my iPhone for gaming if this happened.

[accidental]

Yeah, that's what they're all thinking. If there's a quality and polished product, you can be sure it's not a cash in and the developers care about being creative and making something great in an of itself.

Angry Birds, no. It was originally a game on Nokia phones.

Cut the Rope, yes. It has very clever use of multitouch.

Examples of games that play to the strength of the platform without being 'single mechanic garbage':

Anomaly Warzone: Earth
World of Goo
Conte Jour
Gesundheit
Tactical Soldier
Death Rally
Sword and Sworcery EP
Battleheart
Carcassonne
Plants vs Zombies
Peggle
Infinity Blade
Helsing's Fire
Dungeon Raid
Hook Worlds
Osmos
Eliss

You could argue that all these games are based on one mechanic, but aren't most games? They're all brilliant, most aren't casual, some are ports, but they all take advantage of the platform's strengths.

I can completely understand that you're not jazzed by the kinds of games that suit mobile platforms, that's fine. For someone in the game development community (and having worked on several games that you're chiding) I don't understand why you're painting all mobile game developers by the same brush.

[Newsboy]

I can't speak for all of them, but the ones on that list that I have played I have either played on another platform or wished it was on another platform.

In fact, Eliss is the only one on that list (from the ones I have played) that couldn't be done on any other platform.

If there's a quality and polished product, you can be sure it's not a cash in and the developers care about being creative and making something great in an of itself.

So naive. I would love some examples of developers caring about making their iPhone game without wanting to make more than they spent on it.

[accidental]

It seems I'm being misunderstood. There's a difference between a 'cash-in' game and a game developed, with care and love, for profit.

It's possible, on any platform, to make a great game by thinking creatively about the strengths and constraints of a platform. I think there are plenty of developers doing that on iOS—it just so happens that the results are games that don't suit your tastes.

Whatever naiveté I might be illustrating, you're countering with cynicism. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

[Newsboy]

Oh I am DEFINITELY cynical. Working in the industry makes it hard not to be.

[Tel Prydain]

Have to say that the very existence of the 'playstation certified' phones pisses me off no end.
There is nothing special about the hardware, any android could run the games, but exclusivity deals are keeping the games from other handsets. It's galling that Sony didn't set up a Playstation store and sell their games to all phone owners rather than trying to get their name on the hardware. They aren't adding any value here.

Nevermind, I'll enjoy Crash, Spyro and Final Fantasy on my Galaxy S2 on the Playstation emulator. If they don't want my money it's no skin off my nose.

EDIT: The slide out controller is neat. I wonder how long it will be before there is a USB snap on controller for the S2?