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Game Center
- Thread starter blacksei
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Angry Birds was shown in the keynote, but it doesn't show up in Game Center on my device. So I guess most (maybe even all) apps still have to be updated to incorporate Game Center.
Adding support for Game Center is a pretty big step for game developers to take.
I'm sure some of them have been working on updates that support Game Center (as well as some new games), but I'm not sure if Apple is accepting App submissions for iOS 4.1 yet.
I'm sure some of them have been working on updates that support Game Center (as well as some new games), but I'm not sure if Apple is accepting App submissions for iOS 4.1 yet.
The sad part is right now there is nothing to do. No chatting. No games. No Achievements. So far it is just a fancy friends list.
Yes, you can send and receive invites/requests.
Added you and totally agree that Game Center needs some kind of messaging system. Needs to be the Xbox Live of the iPhone. I know it has only just been release (not even officialy, only for devs on 4.1 GM) but I would have thought this kind of thing would have been obvious...
hang on, the thing hasn't officially started yet! that's next week, if you notice, in the app it says sandbox, so it's still in testing mode. so how can they be lacking on execution when it's not even up and running properly yet???
hang on, the thing hasn't officially started yet! that's next week, if you notice, in the app it says sandbox, so it's still in testing mode. so how can they be lacking on execution when it's not even up and running properly yet???
What do you expect Apple to change in a week? The code is final (I was puzzled by the Sandbox tags too), Windows Phone 7 is taking features that are incredibly popular on Xbox LIVE and bringing them to the phone.
That product is version 1.0 and only just finished yet it has far more functionality than Game Center.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that messages or a consistent notification system when you unlock an Achievement are features people will be expecting.
To make it easier for Apple and better for everyone, I think Game Center should have been a download from the App Store so that it can be easily updated with things like messaging and whatever else people might want. From the looks of it Apple would have to include any Game Center updates into a firmware update.
I think a good idea for Apple would be to make something similar to BBM but for iDevices...name it iChat maybe? Although I guess it could get confused with the OSX iChat. But anyway...they need a chat service just for iDevices and have it integrate with everything else in iOS. So you could give iTunes for App Store links, add people from Game Center onto it (could substitute having Game Center messaging), share media (pictures, videos, websites, Gmaps locations etc) and then other devs could even change their apps to integrate with it somehow.
EDIT: Also just seen that there is a Friends tab as well as a Request tab... Is there really a need for both?
I think a good idea for Apple would be to make something similar to BBM but for iDevices...name it iChat maybe? Although I guess it could get confused with the OSX iChat. But anyway...they need a chat service just for iDevices and have it integrate with everything else in iOS. So you could give iTunes for App Store links, add people from Game Center onto it (could substitute having Game Center messaging), share media (pictures, videos, websites, Gmaps locations etc) and then other devs could even change their apps to integrate with it somehow.
EDIT: Also just seen that there is a Friends tab as well as a Request tab... Is there really a need for both?
yes, but this isn't officialy 1.0 yet, as it is not officially launched until next week. the sandbox tags aren't confusing, it's basically saying it's not full switched on and it's still technically in testing. the service is not switched on properly yet, ergo this will change in the next week! lol. until it's actually up and running we don't know anything for definite..
Yes we do.
Changing Game Center now isn't an option.
In order to put those features in, Developers would have to be notified.
how do you know that they don't already know? until it is officially activated and up and running, we simply don't know, there's obviously some achievement stuff as there's a section for it on game center, also angry birds already has achievements popping up in it via that crystal thing, so i presume they just transpose that to game center. like i said, until it is properly up and running with 4.1's official release and games get the updates to support game center, we don't know how good or poor the execution has been.
The APIs have been public for ages.
There is no standardized UI overlay when you get an achievement. Nor is there a messaging feature.
When you unlock an achievement, either:
a) you wont see or hear anything on screen
b) the game developer will have added their own overlay/sound
As the only option is for developers to bring their own notification, that means that you're going to get so many different implementations. If Apple were to implement their own pop-up, that would be over any sound/pop-up provided by a developer - that would be such a mess.
In short, these features aren't implemented now and it's going to be difficult for Apple to implement them later.