New Game App: Gemmed!

[jwarrent]

Hi all, let me briefly introduce ourselves. We're a small band of three attempting to put some decent iPhone games together. I broke down and bought my first Mac when I realized (along with a lot of other people) how amazing a platform the iPhone is to make apps for. We're all independent developers who really love making games, and figured we'd toss caution to the wind and dive into this beautiful insanity. :)

Our first title is a little match-3 variant with some fun twists, smooth gameplay, and 50 levels of monsters and power-ups. Here's a little video showing the game in action:
YouTube Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdwcnfXmbUQ)

Links to the full and lite versions are in my signature.

Please check it out, check out the Lite version, let us know what you think! We're really excited about this one, and we are hard at work on lots of new features for it, more depth, greater variety, etc.

[Pgohlke]

I just tried out the lite version and I must say it's fun. This game is a great spin on bejewled so if you like games like that you should try it out.

[icedmocha]

This looks like a fun game. I may try the lite version if I can find it in the ap store. You may want to post a link in your op, and if possible in the youtube description.

[SFC Archer]

This looks like a fun game. I may try the lite version if I can find it in the ap store. You may want to post a link in your op, and if possible in the youtube description.

He did...its posted in his signature as he stated :rolleyes:

Just watched the video and it has some terrific sound and graphic effects. Looks like you guys are well on your way. I do not play games much but my wife likes bejewelled so I will put her on the lite version.

Good Job Guys

[Night Spring]

He did...its posted in his signature as he stated :rolleyes:

Some people have the signatures turned off -- much faster to scroll through the posts that way!

[KRAPPS]

thanks for the info ... will give the lite version a ride ... good luck to you all, love rooting the small developer/developer groups

[jwarrent]

Thanks for all the feedback and support guys! We really appreciate it. Getting noticed is a heck of a challenge without a nice hype machine behind us. :) If anyone gave the Lite (or Full!) version a shot and liked it, we'd really appreciate a positive review.

Also, here are a few promo codes for the full version- feel free to leave any feedback on what you think! We're quite open to what people would like to see or change, etc.

WYMMELJYJ9TM
9XPJJN7T3HHW
9K7XPYFPJWKW
KEPHLFTJF7Y6
JNNKKLW6E3MF

Oh, and here are the links via iTunes in case anyone needs them:
Gemmed! (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=301954348&mt=8)
Gemmed! Lite (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=302004456&mt=8)

Thanks again!

[SFC Archer]

Have used the first...WYMMELJYJ9TM
Will have the wife test it out and give feedback on iTunes.

Thank You very Much!!!

[Bessamy]

I was too late. :(

All the codes have been used up.

[SFC Archer]

I was too late. :(

All the codes have been used up.

Wow! Not one of the other 3 were thankful or even courteous in posting that they used it. What a bunch of greedy jerks :mad:

Thanks again guys for those that are ungrateful...you are doing a great job and its appreciated!!!

[Bessamy]

At least 25% were grateful. Thanks for posting which code you used.

So what do you think of this game? It looks too cute for words.

[SFC Archer]

At least 25% were grateful. Thanks for posting which code you used.

So what do you think of this game? It looks too cute for words.

I personally do not play these games but my wife loves it. I hear her snicker every now and then when the monsters do something new. The monsters are entertaining in addition to playing the regular puzzle. These guys did a really super job and took a bejewelled type game to a whole new level.

She is playing it on a Classic iPhone and has not had any crashes, bugs or errors. Well worth the investment if you like these type of games.

Highly recommend this app based on my wife's enjoyment while playing.

[jwarrent]

Bessamy,

I have a few codes left, if you can shoot me an email, I'll toss one your way.
contact at wastedpixel.com

...but you have to leave a *cough* good *cough* review then... ;)

[iFerd]

Just sent you email, hoping hoping for a code. This looks like a fun game. I'll be glad to provide a review, once I've played it a while and learn it.

[Bessamy]

Thanks Jesse, email is sent.

Smiles,

-Bessamy

[jwarrent]

Our first review appeared in iTune App Reviews: http://www.ituneappreviews.com/category/games

It's a great review!

Many people think, it's yet another match-3 clone, but once they get to play it, they realize that it's much more involved - and it's about the monsters not the gems! :)

For those of you who already got a chance to play it - our first update is ready! we are still testing it out though, and I will give more details about the update once we submit it to Apple, which is very soon!

Thanks for the support!

[irene1975y]

i will like a code.

email sent!:o

[jwarrent]

i will like a code.

email sent!:o

Thanks for your interest! Unfortunately we ran out of promo codes as of this morning :/

You can still get Gemmed Lite to try it out, and to see if you'll like it.

Anyone who got a chance to play it, if you like the game could you please leave reviews on the appstore? Thanks!

[SFC Archer]

Review submitted on iTunes!

One of the first Apps I have ever seen that is maintaining a 5 star rating:D
Sure there are only 21 iTunes responses, but that also means that users are not deleting the game off their iPhones or if they are it is also positive.

Pretty Impressive!

[jwarrent]

Review submitted on iTunes!

Just saw your review on iTunes. It's great! Thank you very much! Hope your wife is still enjoying playing it :)

[iFerd]

I revised my review on iTunes a few minutes ago. When I wrote it to begin with, I didn't really understand how much fun and how interesting this game really is. Fun and funny too. This is the best game addition I've made in a long time. Thanks for the promo code that encouraged me to give it whirl. I don't know if I would have otherwise.

For those who haven't yet tried it, I recommend getting the lite version so you can see what it's like.

[Roadking]

couldn't get the apps on the us store. Itunes said it wasn't available

[imacdaddy]

Very well executed!

I got hooked on the Lite version and thanks for providing enough levels for me to enjoy it and to get a good feel of what to expect on a full game...not like other Lite versions (very limited levels).

I'm buying the full version now! ;)

[jwarrent]

Thanks for the great feedback!

Our first update is submitted and approved by Apple. It doesn't show up on the AppStore yet. I think it will be there in a few hours - hopefully!

We also decided to have a sale until Sunday, Feb 1st. The regular price of $2.99 will be dropped to $0.99 for a limited time. We notice many people just ignore it thinking it's just another match 3 game - so we are hoping more people will try it at the reduced price.

Let me give you the details of the new update:

Gemmed! 1.1 Release Notes:

New Brown monster! He has the ability to completely scramble the board in a unique way. Activating his power-up will cycle through a few iterations before he settles on a layout he likes.
New Dark Green monster! He's an explosive monster. Swapping his power-up with a gem will cause all gems of that color to become explosive! Then huge chunks of the board can be taken out by a single swap!
Wild Rain Power-up! Gathering enough points in a single level creates this power-up. Once activated, clouds of wild rain gems will appear randomly around the board, leaving plenty of gems to munch on for all monsters!
Surprise! This power-up comes in a gift box for a very important reason. We never know what's in it! Activate the Surprise power-up and see what comes out!
Their High Scores now allow you to scroll through the top 50! Scroll anywhere on the screen to see how people around the world are doing, and compare them to your latest scores.
The Pause menu has changed slightly. Music stops playing (Donburns99's suggestion ) and you can now Replay from here in case you think you can get a better time or score in that level. Be careful however! You have limited numbers of Replays available!
Exits on the left and right side can be a real challenge! We've made them a little easier in the early levels by preventing them from appearing towards the lower edge of the screen.
If you're a new player to Gemmed, the default name should now be what you named your device instead of the ever so elaborate "Me" name. Existing players can simply start a new game and delete the name they have in place to see your device's name.
Larger gem matches of 4, 5, or more will be worth more points!
Lots of various bug fixes and tweaks!


What do we have in mind for the future of Gemmed!

More monsters! We have a lot of new monsters planned, each with their own unique power-up. Some will be special and need to be unlocked!
Crazy obstacles that will require new strategy and action to defeat! Pass these obstacles for huge points!
Trophies! You've worked hard to free those monsters, you deserve a trophy for some of those very special achievements!
Monster attributes! These little guys will have more tricks up their sleeves. They want to help you help them help you get them free!
More levels! 50 levels of monster fun just isn't enough. Who knows how far we'll go!
Special game modes! New ways are coming to interact with these little monsters.
Daily and weekly scores, so you can compete against the world more actively.
More monster character. Right now, they're a little shy, but you're going to learn to love them!


We love the feedback - so keep it coming! :)

[dvdhsu]

Seems great, will try it out ASAP!:D

[jwarrent]

Ok! I just tried now and it shows up in the AppStore! Hope you guys try it and enjoy the new update as well!

[jwarrent]

We are getting some reports from players stating that "resuming" their saved games from the original release causes the game to crash. It looks like, if it's available, you can replay a level just fine, but cannot resume.

We sincerely apologize for that, and will be sure it won't be happening with our future updates!! As our first venture into the iPhone world, we're definitely still learning lessons here and there.

Please let us know if there are any other issues, or what you think of the new stuff!

[Acorn]

my mom is obsessed with bejeweled 2. I will have to have her check this out.

[jwarrent]

Gemmed! is now in the "top 100 paid games" list under Puzzle and Arcade categories.

Thanks everyone who supported us!

[imacdaddy]

This is now one of my fav games while commuting.

For your next release would be nice to be able to allow to set a time for tips? Thanks and keep up the excellent work and support.

[darkpaw]

I downloaded the lite version and while it's a good game, I thought the exits for the monsters were a little dark. Could they be made more obvious? Maybe a slight glow, like a semi-circle shining onto the board?

Overall though, good game. Well done guys!

I'd like to know how you get on with the pricing. $2.99 seems too high for most people. They expect to pay $0.99 or nothing for apps. The problem with pricing something at $0.99 is that you can't then have a sale to promote your apps, because you can only go to 'free', which misses the point of having a sale.

It has certainly been my experience that your app has to be something damned special to be able to charge more than a dollar for it.

[jwarrent]

We're planning on updating the look and feel of the gems with the next update, which should help the darker exits stand out more! We really love the color variety, when the whole look changes from board to board based on which random gem combination is chosen. :)

Though we were not as acutely aware of it when we started, apps with a higher price points come down to almost 100% marketing. Obviously if you're a known developer in the market, you have a much better chance with a higher price point. If you're starting out, like we did, with absolutely no name presence, it is a very tough battle to climb with a higher price. We believe there is a lot of quality and depth in Gemmed, and we priced it at $2.99 based on where we felt it stood relative to other titles at that price point.

We do realize though that with our uphill battle (mountain?), we need to be competitive in order to get our name out there, so with a higher price, we can try and provide sales when we release updates, and try to release quality updates as often as possible. (Right now, it's on sale for $0.99 until Feb 1st.) As we add quality updates, and if we can get the game in front of enough people, we may be able to justifiably (to them) keep it at $2.99.

Without a doubt, we're selling more right now at a lower price than we were before, but it's still low on the radar, and there may come a time when the difference in price will be negligible to the numbers. In the end, if Gemmed always does better at $0.99, it will certainly lay the groundwork for our future projects to be accepted exponentially faster. :)

[jwarrent]

BTW, just tried out Linx, and that's quite a fun game! Pretty impressive, you've made drawing lines between blocks quite addicting. :) How has your own experience been with the $0.99 price point?

[jwarrent]

Hey all, I wanted to post a couple screenshots from our next update showing the Trophies you can earn while you play:

http://www.wastedpixel.com/Images/Gemmed/trophy1.jpg http://www.wastedpixel.com/Images/Gemmed/trophy2.jpg

The update will start with 15 trophies you can earn, and we'll increase that number with each update when we add more obstacles, challenges, and ways to earn points. In addition, the world scoreboard will display both the total game time and trophy count of each score.

We're hoping to be done with the update sometime this week!

[Goodeye]

Played the lite version man this game is incredibly addicting

[jwarrent]

Well, Gemmed 1.2 is released! We were hoping it'd get approved in time for the previous weekend, but that didn't happen. :) I've already submitted a minor update 1.25 which will address some miscellaneous bugs and tweaks.

We're almost finished with our next big update, which will focus more on gameplay, adding obstacles and other interesting bits. Hopefully that will be ready soon after 1.25 is approved!

Here are some promo codes in no particular order:
39AFF4ELKK94
LFXXRE7P3EYH
96LAKHMX93M4
KLNN7WYMRKNY
W6RW7JF3YPWM

If anyone has given it a go and enjoys it, please take a minute to submit a decent review to iTunes! It helps us a lot! :)

I'll post more shots of our upcoming gameplay changes once they're a little more final.

[iFerd]

I was playing the new version yesterday, which I do like. I experienced a complete screen freeze on one level. A forced exit worked and I was able to return to the same level again. But there is a lurking bug somewhere.

I have posted a positive review at the App Store. It's a very entertaining game. I am not in full control of how to plan to move the monsters, though, and I've come to believe that there is some luck involved. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. :)

Edit: Another complete screen freeze tonight, this time with chattering sounds from the music. Again I could force quit and return to the same level. I did have to redo the level from the beginning.

[tdmom]

I used KLNN7WYMRKNY
I love Bejeweled 2, so I will test this out and give feedback on iTunes.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! :)

[Strong Bad]

Thanks, I used 96LAKHMX93M4. I can't believe there were still any left after 12 hours.

[jwarrent]

iFerd-

Sorry about the issues you're having. We haven't witnessed any freezing problems, but perhaps our new pending update will take care of your issues. There were a few crash-like-experiences that it will address. :)

I hear from time to time that restarting the iPhone / iPod can clear up some issues like this- perhaps that's worth a try?

[writerevie]

Thanks! I used LFXXRE7P3EYH

Will be posting review shortly, but I had tried out the Lite version and was addicted almost immediately. Great game!

[darkpaw]

BTW, just tried out Linx, and that's quite a fun game! Pretty impressive, you've made drawing lines between blocks quite addicting. :) How has your own experience been with the $0.99 price point?
Sorry, completely missed this one.

Thanks for the comments! Glad you like the game.

My experience with this price point is that it doesn't really help. People don't want to pay for apps. If I price Linx at $1.99 I can go to $0.99 for a sale. Anyone who puts their app at $0.99 to start with cannot promote it by dropping the price. My advice, don't price it at $0.99. Some people have success at $0.99, but that's because they have somehow managed to get their app noticed. Apple putting it as a featured item always helps.

Here's an idea of how many sales I make at $0.99: In the last five days, I've sold three copies of Linx... worldwide. I have it advertised on six websites at the moment. Hundreds of hours put into a game should be worth more than a dollar. Why does no one complain that Xbox 360 games are $70? Why isn't the market demanding such games for $5? The markets are different, but independent developers cannot make demands for a reasonable return on their effort.

[rigodamdiculous]

Used 39AFF4ELKK94 - thanks!
Will leave feedback in app store.

[joseraul]

I got this game when it first came out and played it for a while. Some of the colors were too dark for my taste.
After installing the update with the option to use an alternate theme, I was like :eek:! It was awesome, and made me retake the game once again. I recently finished it and am playing through it again.
Thanks for taking into account the opinions of the buyers in order to make the game even better! :D
I've yet to write a review, but will do so soon.

[WilliamG]

Gah! Keep missing the promo codes! :( :(