Urban Tycoon going 3D this December

[TouchSoft]

Urban Tycoon (App Store Link (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=291176027&mt=8)) - Will be going from a 2D isometric game to a full 3D game for the iPhone and Desktop this December. Not only will you build your city in 3D but you will also be able to walk your city streets in 3D. We have decided to use the Unity 3D (http://www.unity3D.com) game engine for Urban Tycoon and future game. Below are some building models that will be in the game.

http://web.me.com/michaelhuntington/images/buildings/4.jpg

http://web.me.com/michaelhuntington/images/buildings/5.jpg

http://web.me.com/michaelhuntington/images/buildings/1.jpg

http://web.me.com/michaelhuntington/images/buildings/7.jpg

http://web.me.com/michaelhuntington/images/buildings/2.jpg

[stevearm]

As long as it's better than the AWFUL 2D urban tycoon, which fully deserves its 1 star average rating on the app store.

[TouchSoft]

As long as it's better than the AWFUL 2D urban tycoon, which fully deserves its 1 star average rating on the app store.

awww, Sorry it didn't live up to your expectations. I did work hard and I did try my best.

[Eric Isaacson]

As long as it's better than the AWFUL 2D urban tycoon, which fully deserves its 1 star average rating on the app store.

Actually it is 3 1/2 stars not 1 and just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is "awful".

I look forward to the 3D version, will this be a free update for those of us that already have a previous version?

[TouchSoft]

Actually it is 3 1/2 stars not 1 and just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is "awful".

I look forward to the 3D version, will this be a free update for those of us that already have a previous version?

Thanks Eric! And yes it will be free for those who already have it now. And the price will stay at $1.99 for new users.

[Rojo]

Looks VERY cool! :D

However, the biggest complaint I've heard about this game so far is not the graphics, but rather the gameplay -- which sounds a bit too simplistic so far. I hope improvements are being made to the game itself too, and not just the way it looks...

[TouchSoft]

Looks VERY cool! :D

However, the biggest complaint I've heard about this game so far is not the graphics, but rather the gameplay -- which sounds a bit too simplistic so far. I hope improvements are being made to the game itself too, and not just the way it looks...

You're right rojo .. the biggest complaint I have heard... is gameplay! And to be honest, I didn't think it would be so difficult to create a game economy that worked... but it was. Also players have been asking for feedback on their city.

So those are things that will be released/fixed in updates over the next week or two. As I mentioned on another site... this whole app-store, gaming thing has been a major learning experience for me.

[Macjames]

Looks really great, when this arrives i will be picking it up.

[spyker3292]

Loving the models!

[Eric Isaacson]

And yes it will be free for those who already have it now. And the price will stay at $1.99 for new users.

Great, I look forward to the updates

Eric

[superstrikertwo]

Looks great keep up the great work I look forward to the update!

[stevearm]

Actually it is 3 1/2 stars not 1 and just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is "awful".

UK store is 1 star average.

I find it awful. Internet message boards would become pretty cluttered if everyone had to post the words "in my opinion" in every single post they ever make.

the biggest complaint I have heard... is gameplay!

The biggest complaint you've received is about "gameplay"? That's a pretty big part of the app wouldn't you say?

I personally find it boring, there's nothing to do and it has NONE of the interest the Sim City games have. Build, refresh, refresh, refresh, build something else, refresh, refresh etc etc...

Sorry not for me, but I hope you made a fair bit of money from it anyway

[TouchSoft]

Sorry not for me, but I hope you made a fair bit of money from it anyway

That's fine.. and yes it is doing very well ... been in the top 100 paid apps in the USA and now within the top 50 paid games.

So yes it's doing well ... sorry you didn't enjoy. :D

[chrisjonny]

Can't wait looks great already love the game can't wait for 2.0 this is just icing on the cake:D

[TouchSoft]

Hey again everyone! Just posted a youtube vid of our FIRST DAY of development for Urban Tycoon 3D .... The 3D engine looks great! I actually lowered the poly count for this video and it still looks great. We are very excited about this project. (Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our developer's diary).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRkWAjh4iXI

[efp1]

I look forward to purchasing this game in the near future when it gets some updates :)

I'm glad you're doing well with the game and that it's so popular! You deserve it, it's not an easy task to create an application and especially a very popular one.

Keep up the good work!

[DoFoT9]

what is this game?? kind of looks like sim city but without the traffic haha

[TIMT57]

The 3D looks awesome... The game is fun we all got in on thr ground floor and are enjoying we also got in because we knew what lay ahead:) Great work!!! Going to subscribe to the Utube updates.

[liptonlover]

I subscribe to the philosophy "graphics don't make a game, gameplay does" or something like that. That being said.... WOW those are amazing graphics! THAT being said...
Your gameplay needs some work. Right now all there seems to be to do is to build buildings that do nothing, and to build buildings that make money. Also the notification windows are kinda laggy when opening/closing. ALSO the 5 turns per minute limit is absolutely stupid unless the game becomes a real-time game which it isn't right now, and it's too limiting even then. But when I read "an update a week" I was given hope, and hopefully it'll become an awesome game. Great work so far and good luck!

[defender]

When I first bought this game I was bitterly disappointed. I just couldn't believe it had been released in that state. But now after reading touchsofts posts that he is learning what we want by releasing it in the current state, I feel much better about it. I suppose its quite a good idea really releasing a game early and then getting feedback, as long as you listen to your customers and improve on it. I really look forward to V2! And thanks Touchsoft for being involved with us, your humble customers!

[liptonlover]

You should probably have been more clear that it's a beta though... I was expecting a full game, whether it was stupid or not. It changes the reviews you get an what people perceive of you and your app.

[efp1]

You should probably have been more clear that it's a beta though... I was expecting a full game, whether it was stupid or not. It changes the reviews you get an what people perceive of you and your app.

I don't think it's a beta.... He's simply just making it better with future updates, that's all.

I think he's doing a great job. He's trying hard to make his app better and is humble enough to come on here and discuss his app with us and try to find out how to make it better. He's giving us sneak peaks at future updates. I think more developers should be like him. :)

[isimon1207]

Please make animated citizens. Its so boring if its not like that. Also you shouldn't hit a button to make money it should be accumulated over time. That would be amazing if there was a day/night cycle in a future update!

[TimothyB]

Please make animated citizens. Its so boring if its not like that. Also you shouldn't hit a button to make money it should be accumulated over time. That would be amazing if there was a day/night cycle in a future update!

I think the dev said one of the new gameplay modes in 2.0 is a sort of realtime mode, no more turns.

I agree about animation. It seems within the iPhone's ability to add that for the 2D version, people and cars, but I hope the switch to 3D doesn't make it impossible.

[TouchSoft]

I think the dev said one of the new gameplay modes in 2.0 is a sort of realtime mode, no more turns.

I agree about animation. It seems within the iPhone's ability to add that for the 2D version, people and cars, but I hope the switch to 3D doesn't make it impossible.

The 3D version will have two views "Bird Eye" and "Street View" ... You will see cars driving around in "Bird Eye"... and people walking around in "Street View".

Because we are making this switch to 3D it gives us more creative freedom. Unlike the current Urban Tycoon... I'm not working on the game play and game logic..... which is a good thing because I suck at it. My focus will be graphics and animation.

[jediistar]

The 3D version will have two views "Bird Eye" and "Street View" ... You will see cars driving around in "Bird Eye"... and people walking around in "Street View".

Because we are making this switch to 3D it gives of more creative freedom. Unlike the current Urban Tycoon... I'm not working on the game play and game logic..... which is a good thing because I suck at it. My focus will be graphics and animation.

Will this 3D version still remain at the 2.99 price you stated for 2.0?

[chrisjonny]

Touchsoft, please check your PMs :)

[Quincy9219]

You're right rojo .. the biggest complaint I have heard... is gameplay! And to be honest, I didn't think it would be so difficult to create a game economy that worked... but it was. Also players have been asking for feedback on their city.

So those are things that will be released/fixed in updates over the next week or two. As I mentioned on another site... this whole app-store, gaming thing has been a major learning experience for me.

Hmm...I read the entire thread on this on FingerGaming however I don't post there so, I'm going to toss my two cents in here. Let me put it this way, pretty screenshots and good looking graphics are not your problem. Releasing Alpha software to the public is not good practice. There is no depth or challenge to your game and nothing to hold interest.

To quote a recently prominent politician, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." Until you fix your gameplay and actually focus on that, and make your current game your priority and not a secondary concern, then your problems and complaints aren't going to go away.

[tylertech]

I was considering to buy this game, and now with the motivation, I'll be sure to :D

[Galley]

Urban Tycoon
http://web.me.com/michaelhuntington/images/buildings/1.jpg


Very nice. I wanna live in a building like that. :)

[liptonlover]

Eyecandy is great, but it's gameplay that makes a game, not graphics. Whether it's easier or not, you NEED to drastically add to/improve your gameplay. It's not that hard to create a fun usable economy, I've written a million little ones for palm apps. It's easier than other tasks because all it is is messing with numbers really.

[TwinCities Dan]

Looks good! Keep it up! :)

[shoelessone]

I don't see what these pictures or the video you posted on youtube has anything to do with the application you developed? I mean, I could render a bunch of images and say, "i'm planning to use 3D models for my new MMORPG I'm making" and maybe I'd use them, but it seems a bit early to really be posting these images/videos as if they were actually on the iPhone.. I'm not saying you're claiming these renders ARE from the iPhone, but until they ARE actually being rendered, real time, on the iPhone, in an application that you wrote, it just seems like more advertising..

[liptonlover]

Mod, please delete this post. Sorry :eek:

[jarofclay73]

Are those actual screeshots? If those are, then it might just be the best-looking iPhone game EVER! :cool:

[superstrikertwo]

Are those actual screeshots? If those are, then it might just be the best-looking iPhone game EVER! :cool:

It's a rendering.

[newkid2020]

Here is basically why I feel I got ripped:

I bought this app a while ago, for 1.99, with promisses from the devs that they were gonna update it WEEKLY. Unfortunately I haven't lived to see any.

To add to my dismay, the devs always spoke about this big wonderful super awsome once in a lifetime UPDATE to 2.0 BEFORE december. December has come and I'm still left with a ****** app rotting on my iphone.

More so is the fact that the devs LOWERED the price to 0.99, a while ago to ENCOURAGE people to buy the the app because there was supposebly gonna be an update the following week. There again...the week has come and gone and my iphone is still as polluted with this app.

Now, the only reason I didn't put a rating of 0 for the app is because it didn't exist, otherwise I would gladly have done so. I have to say though that this was a very creative way to collect donations.

Till I see an update of some sort the 1 star rating is staying. And if you plan on getting a quick review, you better hurry and take it out before SImCity comes out or else your app is gonna be second in my list, and probably second in a couple of other peoples list.

Yours truly,
A very unsatisfied customer.:)

[hogfaninga]

Here is basically why I feel I got ripped:

I bought this app a while ago, for 1.99, with promisses from the devs that they were gonna update it WEEKLY. Unfortunately I haven't lived to see any.

To add to my dismay, the devs always spoke about this big wonderful super awsome once in a lifetime UPDATE to 2.0 BEFORE december. December has come and I'm still left with a ****** app rotting on my iphone.

More so is the fact that the devs LOWERED the price to 0.99, a while ago to ENCOURAGE people to buy the the app because there was supposebly gonna be an update the following week. There again...the week has come and gone and my iphone is still as polluted with this app.

Now, the only reason I didn't put a rating of 0 for the app is because it didn't exist, otherwise I would gladly have done so. I have to say though that this was a very creative way to collect donations.

Till I see an update of some sort the 1 star rating is staying. And if you plan on getting a quick review, you better hurry and take it out before SImCity comes out or else your app is gonna be second in my list, and probably second in a couple of other peoples list.

Yours truly,
A very unsatisfied customer.:)

I agree. Very disappointed. Oh well. I won't ever buy from that developer again. SimCity will hopefully be out soon.

[liptonlover]

I totally agree as well. I haven't deleted it because I don't want to face the fact that I was probably cheated out of $2. I'll believe it was worth it to buy it when I see it.

[hellomoto4]

Agreed, even their website has vanished.

[mavis]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G (white): Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Agreed, even their website has vanished.

Ouch.

Well, he did say the app made quite a bit of money -I'm sure he'll just set up a new dev account and find another way to rip people off.

[spyker3292]

1-Make an app that people want, but don't try too hard.
2-Advertise and guarantee good stuff.
3-Show "renderings" of sweet new graphics.
4-Moneyz
5-Leave....

[Rayfire]

1-Make an app that people want, but don't try too hard.
2-Advertise and guarantee good stuff.
3-Show "renderings" of sweet new graphics.
4-Moneyz
5-Leave....

It's hard to believe but somehow this is becoming the sad reality out there.