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Apple Watch Developers Talk Gaming as Apple's Wearable Turns One Year Old

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The Apple Watch turned one year old on Sunday, and Macworld decided to use the device's anniversary as an opportunity to revisit the state of gaming on Apple's first wearable. While the launch of the Apple Watch brought a wave of excitement for users and developers alike, the subsequent months saw a noticeable dive in both buzz-worthy Apple Watch game announcements and user interest, with a few exceptions.

As it was in April 2015, developers still believe that what works best for Apple Watch games are short, "quick-hit experiences" that get users in and out of fun, engaging games before raising their wrist grows tiresome. Everywhere Games CEO Aki Järvilehto, whose company created one of the first popular Apple Watch games, Runeblade [Direct Link], believes that as well as quick bursts of entertainment, wrist-worn games should "grow with the player" over the course of a few days, weeks, and even months.

apple-watch-pong.jpg

The company's viewpoint has netted an enthusiastic fanbase who have created detailed wiki pages and generate an active subreddit on Runeblade. According to Everywhere Games' statistics, active players log into the game about 100 times per day. Runeblade crafted a bite-sized RPG experience that's become a model for other Apple Watch games, but another popular blueprint being followed by developers comes from Three Minute Games' interactive fiction experience Lifeline [Direct Link], which puts players in the shoes of the only person who can communicate with a distant, stranded astronaut.

All the same, some developers simply think gaming and the Apple Watch don't mix at all. Indie developer Jacob Williams said it took him essentially one day with the initial watchOS SDK sent to developers ahead of the device's launch to realize that Apple's new wearable was simply never "going to work for gamers." Williams' beliefs underscore a late 2015 and early 2016 largely bereft of flashy, big title Apple Watch games akin to those found in the iOS App Store. A Tiny Game of Pong [Direct Link] developer Matt Wiechec thinks that Apple could be helping in this regard more than it currently is.
"It's not often that I open the Watch app to check for new apps, and I bet this is the case for a lot of people. There aren't many new Watch apps that Apple showcases, so each week you check, don't find anything new, and you slowly build a habit of checking less often," admits Wiechec. "I think it would be much better if Apple integrated Watch apps directly into the main App Store app; adding a new category for them, adding top charts, but also showcasing them on the Featured page for users who own an Apple Watch."
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Still, most of the developers that spoke with Macworld remain optimistic about the future of gaming on the platform, pointing out that even though it has been a year, that's only one year into the lifespan of an entirely new platform. Nearly all agree that the introduction of native app features in watchOS 2 -- and Apple's upcoming clamp down on any non-native apps -- is perhaps the biggest motivator for high-quality game development on the Apple Watch.

Check out Macworld's full article on Apple Watch gaming, along with a number of developer interviews, right here.

Article Link: Apple Watch Developers Talk Gaming as Apple's Wearable Turns One Year Old
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/26/apple-watch-developers-gaming/
Don't have an AWatch so I can't really comment properly on the ergonomics of gaming on it, but that screen is so small. How can someone have a good experience with regular quick hit games that are popular for the iphone and the ipad? Even something as inane as Candy Crush; the touch points would seem to be nearly impossible.
 
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I only tried a few 'gaming' apps, but gave up soon enough as it took ridiculously long to even load.
But also, holding the arm at an L angle for a while does tend to hurt in a couple of minutes.
Most definitely not an enjoyable experience!
 
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I find the whole watch experience to be way, way too unresponsive to make any sense for gaming. It even precludes these quick hit n run style game designs. They could be okay, but, it often takes 10-15 seconds for any interactions to complete. That's way too tedious for this interface.

I value my watch for providing me information very conveniently and for giving me a super convenient way to activate and utilize Siri. I like contextual immediate responses to certain types of notifications. However, I find that any activity that requires me to poke at my watch for more than a few seconds makes me hate it horribly. It is literally painful due to the awkward position into which this forces my arm. There are some unique circumstances that I will make exceptions for, and I could see more of them appearing if the watch became more independent. However, I don't think gaming will be among them. Particularly, I don't think any existing examples of watch games, nor any conventional gaming approaches are convincing. I think if there was ever going to be anything to convince me otherwise, it would be a new type of game entirely and that just strikes me as very unlikely given the industry's seemingly indestructible effort to be as conservative as possible in game design.

I guess we'll see. But as it goes, I am not hoping for games on the watch and am not disappointed by the lack of them. It's simply not a factor for me. I don't need games on my microwave, oven, fridge, or toaster. I don't need them on my watch. The phone is great for this already.
 
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I'd be much happier if they started talking speed improvements (or Apple for that matter).
 
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A Tiny Game of Pong is one of the better games I've tried and honestly it's still pretty laggy at times with the paddle not responding and the ball seemingly going through the paddle. Also doesn't have any real AI. For something that is supposed to be as powerful as an iPhone 4s it really doesn't seem that way.
 
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Traditional games don't work on the watch, just as a new concept for gaming had to appear on the iPhone for it to be successful, the same is true for games on the wrist.

Angry Birds is a game that could have only been created for a touch screen that is in your pocket and able to be picked up for casual play. Mashing buttons doesn't work on a glass screen and those console style games didn't succeed on that platform. In the same way, a new concept will have to appear for the Watch. Games that require your constant attention, with your wrist raised for long periods of time are of course destined to fail.

Just as the watch's use case is ideal for micro interactions, games will have to be as well. Lifeline is the perfect example of a Watch game. It's as if someone were messaging you and you can make quick choices and put your wrist down waiting for them to get back to you again. Trivia Crack also works well, as it's multiple choice where you can play at your own pace.

Games like Pong as shown in the head image are a terrible example of wrist gaming.
 
Gaming--or any kind of long, continuous app usage--is obviously not a central function of a smartwatch.

That said: ARGs and triva/quiz games I can certainly see! Stuff you'd glance at for a couple seconds when bored.
 
chrismail627 said:
Oh yeah, cause I want to play games on a screen the size of a postage stamp.
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Maybe many of the people who are buying a $500 Watch aren't casual gamers, or at least aren't desperate enough to play games on that device. I could see games like the old Tamagotchi working well on the Watch, but it really needs to be a specific type of game. Plus, since you need your iPhone with you anyway, I suspect most people would just pull that out to play. Once the Watch can run completely independently of the iPhone, its gaming landscape might start to change.
 
Apple Watch is just a small accessory. I think Apple probably make more profit on chargers and leads. Let's please stop talking about watches and straps.
 
IN the picture, the band and watch combination look awful. Maybe it's just me but yuk!

As for gaming on a watch? Maybe as a motion sensor for playing a game on the ATV? but directly playing on the watch would require games that have only the crown as an input device because the screen is too small for touch. As @ipedro mentioned, I doubt anyone wants to keep their hand raised for a long game. I am sure someone will come up with a game that works on the watch and people will enjoy it. For me, however, I have enough with the ATV, iPad and iPhone. really do not need any more platforms -- especially given how little I play.
 
I truly enjoy my Apple Watch and get great value out of it every day. A big reason why I enjoy it so much is that I made choices about what makes sense to do on it, and what does not make sense. I use it for telling time, checking weather checking calendar, handling notifications and messages, setting alarms and timers, sometimes answering a call, making payments, and that's pretty much it. I have a couple of well-optimized, high-quality third party apps tied to complications and glances. I have the stainless with the link bracelet and love how it looks/feels. Beyond that, I do not try to do anything else with it. I have never loaded a game on it. I don't spend time playing with it or asking what cool things I can do on it. It's not a smartphone. It's a connected watch. There wouldn't be so much controversy about the value of the watch if Apple didn't try to do so much with it on Day 1. Thankfully each owner can choose what to/what not to do with it. I'm sure not going to be playing a game on it.
 
This is truly an example of utilization that does not need to occur. If anything, the Apple Watch would be a supplement to a game like a HUD for time-sensitive missions. Focus on your iOS game and make them longer instead games feeling like demo versions.
 
The problem with Apple Watch apps in general is that they just don't do anything. Watch app developers didn't have the Wild West period of discovery they had with iPhone apps. Before the damn watch was even out, developers were already issuing decrees about what a watch app should be.

This has led to a wasteland of apps that show you a tiny bit of information, and just when it looks like you're starting to go somewhere with your interaction, you're told to pull out your iPhone if you want to do anything more.

How about you just let me read the rest of the damn article on my watch, and I'll decide when my wrist is tired, OK? I'll pull out my phone when I feel like it.

These game developers just sounded like they took one look at it and gave up instantly. How do you know what people will play if you don't even try?
 
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This has potential as a Wii or PS stick that lets you hold a sword or a racket and play iOS games on your TV.
 
I've got a couple games I play on my AW -- Rules! and Alien Invasion.

But, no, I don't stand there on the street corner or in line at the proverbial Starbucks playing them. I mostly use them when I'm sitting on the john.

But, hey, they work well enough, I can rinse the watch in the sink if I really need to, and my phone is stowed in my pocket where it stays cleaner.

(you think the app developer named "Three Minute Games" chose their name randomly? ;) )
 
I think gaming cheapens the Watch and takes away from its true capabilities. I feel like this article is for teenagers wasting time playing games on their Apple Watch during Math class.

I am a Professional and treat my Watch as such.
 
Dr.Chroma said:
I think gaming cheapens the Watch and takes away from its true capabilities. I feel like this article is for teenagers wasting time playing games on their Apple Watch during Math class.

I am a Professional and treat my Watch as such.
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Do you also wear a monocle? Were you sipping tea with your pinky out while writing that?
 
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