"No retina display, no sale!"

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by tsharpfilm, Oct 7, 2010.

  1. tsharpfilm

    tsharpfilm Well-Known Member

    Sep 14, 2009
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    Simply saying that my arguments are "nonsense" doesn't make it true... Can ANY OF YOU explain what's nonsense about being patient with developers, and not insisting they overwork and underpay themselves just to cater to 4 or 5 different iDevice types?
     
  2. donner

    donner Well-Known Member

    Stop whining and just make the games with retina display and there wouldnt be any problems.

    I dont think the makers of doodle jump or angry birds are complaining about their games being $.99.

    In the end those who make games tht are creative, fun and well executed end up winning, no matter what the size of your company is.
     
  3. weehoo

    weehoo Well-Known Member

    Apr 12, 2010
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    the stars

    1. First off, we're not talking about Bob the basement developer. It's RockStar Games. Do you guys think that these companies sell 500 copies of these games. Try 500,000 copies in a month. "Global Sales" ring a bell.

    2. Second, those one-star ratings keep developers on their toes, which encourages improvements. If people didn't complain, we would all be playing version 1.0 of every app. I have read 1-star reviews that specify what the issue is, and if that issue doesn't apply to me, then I still buy it. A developer will work hard to get rid of the 1-star complainers, and that's a good thing.

    3. Third, the Android market is catching up in # of apps available. However, everyone on this forum knows that Android gaming is about 1-2 years behind. Read reviews of gameloft games on Android. They are inferior to the iphone versions by far. Let's not forget that recent surveys show that iphone users are much more willing to buy apps. Most Android users do not have App-addictions. It's pretty obvious that game developers are favoring apple when it comes to mobile gaming. Apparently the #'s and figures that you don't know about are influencing their decision.
     
  4. ChezDoodles

    ChezDoodles Well-Known Member

    Developer question

    As a developer I do have a question for this thread:

    The thing is that the iPhone4 GPU is not really scaled for handling the Retina display. In a game I am currently developing, the GPU fillrate is a big issue, since there is a lot of per-pixel calculations going on (light, reflection, bumpmapping, texture blending, etc).

    So ... on the iPhone4, I currently get 25 FPS at 960x640 at 100% GPU utilization.
    But on the 3GS, I get a solid 60 FPS and the GPU still have some time to spare, so anti-aliasing can be included.

    So ... do you prefer 60 FPS @ 480x320 (with anti-aliasing) ... or 25 FPS at full 960x640...?

    Regards,
    Sven
     
  5. cherdman

    cherdman Well-Known Member

    Sep 11, 2010
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    I never said I would prefer crappy games with Retina graphics over good games without Retina. I want good games with Retina graphics. The End.

    And Sonic 4 was developed by Sega. I think they could afford to put out a Retina-enhanced update (and they very well might.) If small and independent developers can put out Retina updates, why can't the big guys?
     
  6. tsharpfilm

    tsharpfilm Well-Known Member

    Sep 14, 2009
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    "just make the games with retina display" :D

    That's like saying "just turn my house into a mansion!"

    It's easier said than done...

    Of course they're not because they're top sellers. A million copies sold of a $.99 game = $1,000,000.

    Like I've said before, they probably didn't think it would be worth the investment to start over just for 1 screen type. Or they weren't able to make Sonic perform well at such a high resolution.

    There's also a nice way to encourage improvement... Balanced reviews and direct feedback through email helps.

    I agree. But we shouldn't make it easy for them to catch up. We have to be careful.

    60fps @ 480x320 with anti-aliasing can look really nice if done well.

    I vote for that one.

    Many gamers don't realize the balancing act you guys/gals have to do just to make a game run well. Compromises have to be made, especially when you're dealing with limited resources.
     
  7. headcaseGames

    headcaseGames Well-Known Member

    Jun 26, 2009
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    I would love to put retina display into our game, and I am more than willing to spend the time creating the assets, but unfortunately the programmer hasn't the time to put the work in on his end for the moment. Because of the engine we used and the way the app is coded, it's quite a time-sink to implement this. I'd rather have my app out there (and seek the casual base of customers who have no idea what "retina display" is) and still look good and be fun to play for the more serious gamers as well.

    So for those of you in our audience who are seeking to "punish" us smaller devs who haven't yet included RD (or some other trendy feature) please be aware that there are often plenty of reasons that it's not yet included, although at some point it may get in there. If you want a satisfying core game experience, which still looks and plays great, that's my #1 priority to deliver.
     
  8. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
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    well cut the rope has no retina gfx and i think the gfx looks gorgeous.

    maybee it would look better, but i don't need retina gfx on all games.

    if it still looks as good as "cut the rope" no game needs retina gfx for me.

    but it may be to the comic nature of the game.

    at the end i think low resolution games do not automatically look ugly on

    iphone4, especialy 2d games.

    it all depends on the game... its the same with old classic pc games.. some

    aged very well and still look good today, some don't , the same is true to

    retina or not. its case based and can't be generalized
     
  9. Outkast1

    Outkast1 Well-Known Member

    Jul 23, 2009
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    Well said, qft.
     
  10. cherdman

    cherdman Well-Known Member

    Sep 11, 2010
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    Keep in mind, adding Retina support might be a way to breathe life into your game and generate sales. I definitely have sympathy for the smaller/indie devs out there. It's the bigger devs/pubs that drive me nuts.
     
  11. The Bat Outta Hell

    The Bat Outta Hell Moderator
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    #91 The Bat Outta Hell, Oct 9, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2010
    This thread is so goddamn hypocritical.

    Clearly the OP believes he has superior knowledge of the business world, and thinks that $.99 app developers get every single penny from sales.
     
  12. tsharpfilm

    tsharpfilm Well-Known Member

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    I'd appreciate it if you didn't use the Lord's name in vain! :mad:
     
  13. zhengwei

    zhengwei New Member

    Oct 9, 2010
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    So for those of you in our audience who are seeking to "punish" us smaller devs who haven't yet included RD (or some other trendy feature) please be aware that there are often plenty of reasons that it's not yet included, although at some point it may get in there. If you want a satisfying core game experience, which still looks and plays great, that's my #1 priority to deliver.
     
  14. The Bat Outta Hell

    The Bat Outta Hell Moderator
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    #94 The Bat Outta Hell, Oct 9, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2010
    Since your original response to me asked
    "And where did I say that? :rolleyes:", I'll tell you anyway.

    By the way, don't pull the whole goddamn religious card on me.
     
  15. wootbean

    wootbean Well-Known Member

    Feb 8, 2009
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    the next whiskey bar
    canabalt looks amazing on retina
     
  16. The Bat Outta Hell

    The Bat Outta Hell Moderator
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    still not worth three #%*@ing dollers!!!!!
     
  17. tsharpfilm

    tsharpfilm Well-Known Member

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    And did I say the developers get ALL of that money? No.

    A lot of us do appreciate the hard work you guys put into your games. As a digital artist (and hobbyist programmer) I understand the struggle that goes into making something as complex as a game look and play well. I just wish everyone else could also understand this.

    LOL! I knew that was coming... :D
     
  18. The Bat Outta Hell

    The Bat Outta Hell Moderator
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    You sure as hell implied it by putting down $1,000,000.
     
  19. Hmar9333

    Hmar9333 Well-Known Member

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    I'd appreciate it if you'd shut up, doesn't mean it's going to happen.
     
  20. tsharpfilm

    tsharpfilm Well-Known Member

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    #100 tsharpfilm, Oct 9, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2010
    tsharpfilm: "I think we should be more patient with developers when it comes to retina disiplay..."
    Young iPhone Gamer: "YOU'RE A TROLL!! :mad:"

    tsharpfilm: "Not all games can perform well at retina display resolutions..."
    Young iPhone Gamer: "WHY DO YOU CARE?! :mad:"

    tsharpfilm: "Your temper tantrums and 1 star ratings could be hurting the app store..."
    Young iPhone Gamer: "SHUT UP!! :mad:"
     

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