3GS Specific Version of 'Blue Skies' Now Available
posted August 6th, 2009 11:48 AM EDT by arn in $0.99, Shooter, iPhone 3G S, iPhone games, iPod touch gamesRockingPocketGames has released the 3GS specific of their Blue Skies [$0.99] helicopter shooter that was originally released back in August 2008. The new version is amongst the first few games to offer 3GS specific features:
The 3GS enhanced version makes use of the pixel shaders that are ONLY found in the new iPhone 3GS. It has per pixel bump mapping and amazing dynamic animated water that demonstrates the true power of the new iPhone 3GS!
[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]
Aside from the visual enhancements, the game content remains the same. If you've never played the game, it's was a solid shooter when it was originally released. For a side-by-side comparison, you can download the Lite version of the original [link].
App Store Link: Blue Skies 3GS, $0.99, Blue Skies Lite, Free, Blue Skies, $2.99.
How does this game compare to Crazy Choppers? I remember reading a pretty good review of it but haven't picked it up yet.
Any thoughts?
Tempted by this, just got a 3GS replacement for my 3G. But just bought CoPilot Live GPS for it… expensive day
/ 
Except that this is only $0.99 vs $42.99 for co-pilot…
True. But still, principal
I was kinda thinking it would be a free update for 3GS users. I spent $8 on this game already for my 3G. Now I'm supposed to buy the update for $1? It's not that good of a game to begin with. Pass.
Read the thread. It is not that easy to "update" the entire game's graphics, without having provided a path to do so originally.
Did we really need a better-looking version of a crap game?
is there a noticeable difference?
http://toucharcade.com/2009/07/22/3gs-specific-features-coming-to-blue-skies/
This sucks… I bought the game, waiting for a 3gs update to give me the nice graphics. Instead, I have to buy a new app for it? Screw that. Deleting the old version off my phone. Nice try.
As a fellow developer, I have to say that meaningful direct dialogue with customers is one of the best things about TA.
However, meaningful and direct dialogue requires mutual respect – developers enjoy positive feedback, but we also appreciate negative comments to be delivered constructively.
The App Store has many hobbyist developers to whom making any money at all is an upside, and from that it's easy to forget that there are developers who also work full-time on iPhone games, and as such are dependent on a steady stream of income to pay the rent.
Expecting the professional developers to work for free (in fact, expecting any developer to work for no compensation) makes very little sense. It would be very difficult to stay in business by providing free updates to a game that the existing customers already were satisfied with.
All this comes down to a simple thing: support the developers whose work you enjoy. It doesn't really work any other way.
I want games that adapt to whatever hardware you have, and would hope to achieve that if/when I publish anything.
But most of today's games were made before the 3GS, and couldn't have planned in advance for this to happen. So maybe it's not so easy to have two-in-one. Future games may plan for that, but if a current game really NEEDS to be two versions, then so be it. Better that (which nobody is required to buy) than not having any 3GS version available at all.
Alright, I can see the polish in it. But why have such ugly explosions. 1-2 sec into the Video I see old school clouds as an explosion.
Would have been cool to tune this too, or was there no performance left after the water?
See also Dark Raider S and Dark Raider: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=325440481&mt=8
+
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=315285982&mt=8
Doom: Resurrection is also a 3GS Specific app. I've seen many interviews with id where they've clearly stated that they're tailoring the application to take advantage of whatever hardware its installed for.
There is no 3GS specific place to buy Doom: Resurrection. iTunes recognizes that you're using a 3GS and uploads the correct file to your device.