[gameprogrammer] Re: Carmack on Java phone games
- From: "Stephan-Frank Henry" <Frank.Henry@xxxxxxx>
- To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 10:46:27 +0200 (MEST)
> I don't think he was trying to trash anyone, not sure where you got
> that from.
Maybe I am just to defensive from the other countless pc-game-pros that have
come and trashed mobile games.
> Aside from that, he did mention the problem with every
> single phone having a different hardware arch and commerical games
> having to compile for 100+ different phone types.
Luckily it is not that bad but the numbers are even worse since we have to
package the languages as well.
> I think he was just
> doing some wishing about where the state of the hardware and os
> support could be, and realizing its not going to happen, at least not
> in the near future. Seems like you would like for the same things to
> happen that he indicates. I do agree about a phone not having a direct
> competiton with the likes of the DS or PSP, the phones primary usage
> is communication, with the games a bonus.
Oh, I was not critizing that. But like he says himself, the mobile comps
don't really care about what we want, they only care about selling mobile
phones.
Last years mobile phone boom is a perfect example. Among the few different
phone types on the market you had the good phones(good hw but poor design)
and the cool phones (poor hw but was a clamshell with camera).
The cool phones sold unbelievably well... and all phone comps are jumping on
board.
And now we have the 3d boom. Every friggn phone has to have 3d. SOFTWARE 3d!
The devices suck but it has to be 3d.
> He also seems to be getting into the mobile game dev business, I think
> you should encourage that. Not laugh at him or anyone else trying to
> break into the development on mobiles. Carmack is a big name, and big
> names get things done faster than pretty much anything, aside from a
> mountain of cash, and he has both. If mobile phone companies know that
> they can hawk their phones with a game made by John Carmack, thats a
> marketing goldmine, not so much a goldmine if its a game made by Joe
> Bob from Kansas.
Problem here is the mobile game industry is not the pc games industry.
There are no real publishers and distribution is totally different.
There have been other pc game comps that tried their luck in the mobile
sector and have failed.
Like I said in my other mail I think John making mobile games would be
REALLY cool because he is not dependent of sales. He can make games that are
not mainstream.
Though no doubt John's name can open doors I honestly doubt it will do much
in the mobile phone industry. (doubt anyone ever heard of him! honest!) Most
mobile phones are not bought because of the games and most of the mobile
game buyers are casual gamers.
(the "cool, solitaire!" faction)
Also mobile comps and distributors are NOT gamers, heck they don't even play
the games.(saddest part)
My last project was 'to complicated' becaus it was an isometric 3d game
(very simple actually).
For them one button is one to many.
BTW: John Romero also did a mobile game and iirc he is currently doing
something else now.
(I had helped him a little on his Red Faction game)
Maybe I just read the whole thing wrong and seemed it came over very
condescendingly.(sp?)
We mobile game devs are constantly treated like the outcast of the gaming
world. (John's remarks about java were exactly like the others we had heard)
All game devs from back when will surly know what I am talking about.
I do look forward to hearing more from John's adventures in the mobile game
world.
cya
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