Back to Space

by Paul Byron on 7th Oct 2012

So, it's back.  The sci-fi comedy show Red Dwarf X hit the air the other day on Dave, the channel that I can't actually get on Freesat (apparently I have Sky to thank for that).

Anyway, the long and short of it is that this new series has hit a good first note with episode 1.  It's not quite up there with the best of them, but it's far better than series 7 or 8 were and it really feels as if the conversational comedy is back in there. 

I guess it helps having a studio audience again, giving it that vibe it missed for so many years (and let's not mention the mini-series), but it also managed to stradle the issues of looking good and still looking like Red Dwarf with a mix of model shots and CGI giving it a bit of a retro feel without sacrificing the quality.

For those that missed it, the show can be seen again for the next few days on Dave's website via their watch again system or by subscribing to the series pass on iTunes.  For others outside the UK who don't even know what I'm going on about, you really need to check out the first 5 series of this show for some fine UK comedy.

Candy Quest

by Paul Byron on 20th Sep 2012

Sometimes I think Games and Candy were made to go together like Morecambe and Wise, so it's only natural that in this digital age there's a digital solution to trying out some of the world's best sweets.

As a self proclaimed lover of chocolate and all things sugary, one of my go to places for world comfort food is Cybercandy.  They deal with sweets from the US, Canada, Japan, Europe and Australia in their online shop. They also have several stores dotted around the UK.  Everything from Twinkies to Scorpion lollies is there.  So I've decided, with their help, to wonder into the strange world of candy.

I know we're slightly too early for Halloween, but it's only just over a month before those kids will come knocking at your door expecting sugary treets.  With the US being the number one destination for Halloween merchandise, there's no shortage of Halloween based foodstuffs to choose from, with Ghostbusters Energy Drinks and Scary Pez dispensers to Spooky Oreos. 

I've choosen Peeps Milk Chocolate Pumpkins, a large chocolate pumpkin filled with gooey marshmallow as an example.  The main problem is that this is much too nice to give to the kids and I'll probably just end up eating them all before October even starts.

So that will be 10 of those for me and some more regular chocolate for the Trick or Treaters, then. Now to go and horde some more candy before the kids come knocking.

The iPhone 5 storm approaches

by Paul Byron on 11th Sep 2012

Every time Apple get ready to launch a new device a storm rages around the internet.  Now I'm not one to get caught up in all this, but I'm sure you've seen all the 'news' about the iPhone 5 and wonder why AppGamer.net doesn't have pages and pages dedicated to the rumours.

It's simple; we don't like to speculate and personally, I'd rather just report on the actual news.  That means we'll be adding news as the Apple Keynote happens and we'll provide the full specs and details when they are announced.

That doesn't mean we'll ignore every piece of news that filters through the noise.  If something is interesting enough or sounds as if it comes from a credible source then we'll post it and, of course, anything games related will still get a look in here.

Of course, if you do see anything you think we should cover, feel free to shoot an email over to me at Paul@AppGamer.net and I'll take a look.

Reviewing Freemium Games

by Paul Byron on 2nd Aug 2012

There's no denying that Freemium games are here to stay, with most major publishers keen to push them out there.  EA and Gameloft are happy with revenues from these games and they're gaining acceptance from the iOS and Android communities (although begrudgingly at times).

But from the perspective of a reviewer there are still issues with the format.  Do we, for instance, review the free game and then allocate a percentage of the score to how well the paid parts are implemented?  Do we review from the perspective of someone who will only play the free part and not pay any more?  Or do we pay for everything, in the cases where games require in-app payments for game-changing content, and review the game in that way?

Of course, developers also find it hard to 'sell' their game to a prospective website if they can't provide the whole game to review and Apple make it harder for them to provide full unlocks to Freemium games so it often falls on the site to pay for any in-app content.  While this shouldn't impact scores and certainly doesn't on AppGamer.net, you just know that some sites will prioritise games without this hurdle above Freemium content.

Cost also comes in to play when deciding on a review score, much more so than with a standard paid app.  If the game is free and the In-app items are required to get the full experience it may push the price up to above the average value of a standard app.  Should this reflect in the review?

It's true to say that there is a right and wrong way to provide Freemium content.  Some of the biggest apps on the App Store and Google Play can be held up as examples of this, from Jetpack Joyride to Temple Run.  These either provide fun additions which are not essential to the game, like costumes or vehicles, or give players real premium content in exchange for their money.  The wrong way to go about Freemium content is to put up a brick wall in your game that can only be traversed with payments, or to provide multiplayer games which are skewed in favour of players who have bought extra content.  This can be paying for levels outright or just paying to increase an energy level, as with Let's Golf 3, which receieve much critisim from the way it handled access to courses and even shots through a Freemium model.

For now, all our reviews for Freemium apps take into account the In-app payments and whether they affect the gameplay or are essential in order to play the game.  We will always keep gamers informed as to whether any further outlay would be required to lay a free game and how good the integration of freemium content is.

Android Incoming

by Paul Byron on 1st Feb 2012

It's all change here at AppGamer.net.  After several years of serving iOS games news and reviews, we've decided that Android owners should really get a look in too. 

That doesn't mean we'll be forgetting our iOS roots, expect the same news, reviews and exclusives from our beloved Apple platform, but now with added Android love.

We'll be gearing up for Android based reviews over the coming weeks, alongside some Android-specific features, so tell all your friends that we're expanding and look out for these exciting changes.

iPhones for all?

by Paul Byron on 6th Aug 2010

Back in my day most girls wouldn't look twice at a console, let alone a handheld machine.  Now things are different.  I can attest to this from my experience with my own kids.

The eldest wanted a DS.  All her friends had a DS and so she wanted one.  A pink one at that. Well, the short of it was that she got one.  But then she started to take an interest in my iPhone.  Now I hadn't paid too much attention to the kids games and apps on the app store, but it made me think about how much wider the audience of iDevices is actually becoming.

There are tons of apps suitable for kids out there, from modern day characters like Oliva and Ben 10 to classics like the animated Dr Suess books.  It's surprising to see so many apps aimed at the 2-10 year old markets becuase when you think about iPhones and even iPod Touch you don't think about giving these sort of machines to a 5 or 6 year old, even to borrow.

But the apps are out there and with the older generation of iPod Touch getting price drops every time a new model comes out, they are now in the same price range as a DSi and far more flexible at that. Yes, the DSi has a camera and buttons but the iPod Touch is pretty user friendly.  My 5 year old (going on 6) is now able to navigate the menus (with parent hovering overhead) and knows how to access youtube.  With a bit of fiddling I'm sure the touch could be made kid-friendly (removing youtube would be a start!) and it also has the benefit of working as a pretty good movie player for those long car journeys, espcially considering all the Digital Copies that come with DVDs and Blu-rays these days.

So maybe, I'm thinking, I made the wrong decision in getting her a DSi?  Maybe I should have invested in an iPod touch?  Well, perhaps not just yet, but it's certainly something Apple should be looking at in the future to further diversify their audience.  Pink iPod Touch anyone?