Necrobarista Launches on Apple Arcade: 'Death, Coffee, and Feelings'

[Azrael9]

I did. I’m a dad with small kids and play games casually to entertain them (the 6yr old sometimes plays too). Apple Arcade has a few games that are winners in this regard. Lego Brawls, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Tangle Tower, Sponge Bob, Sonic Racing, Legend of the Skyfish, and Hogwash are the go-to favorites these days. Using a playstation controller with the Apple TV 4k.

Good post.

You're Apple's target market.

And there are lots of you.

Sega. Lego. Sayonara. Sponge Bob. etc. Lots of hi-vis brands with mass appeal there.

I think Apple's well under way with this service.

If I had an Apple TV. I'd probably give it a whirl.

I'd prefer if they had a 'pay' once option. Or pay per game option.

Azrael.
[automerge]1595086906[/automerge]

I don’t know about that @Trusteft . This is very much an indie title from a developer I’ve never heard of before. It’s possibly their first game.

I’m keen to check it out because I like original and artistic story-driven games.

I like the original/story based approach of many of the Apple Arcade games. Innovative and Story driven? As good a twin pillar as you might expect for the service.

Sure, it's not big F gun PC style...but not everyone likes Madame Tusades wax work dummies wandering around with guns...and jumping around...

Azrael.
[automerge]1595086978[/automerge]

Flash was dying long before Apple did anything to it.
Flash was hated by all but developers using Flash.
Flash was crap. Flash was resource hog. Most "good looking" Flash games looked the same.
There were only two good things about Flash .
1. Flash Gordon, comic, movie and song.
2. Flash the DC Comics superhero. And that's debatable.

Brutal.

But true.

Especially points 1 and 2.

Got to love that Alex Raymond artwork...or Infantino's Flash.

Azrael.
[automerge]1595087203[/automerge]

But, but, it’s Melbourne coffee!

Says the Melbourne People.
[automerge]1595025386[/automerge]

Sure. Thing is though that is not the path to Apple Arcade greatness. Without a few killer games that gamers actually are desperate to play, it will be an also ran. Just as TV+ is.
but watch what you say Azreal, or you will be in nonpersonned, cancelled, deplatformed. Not that it is 1984 or anything.

Greatness comes with time. Early days. (I'm still shocked apple actually has a games service...It will take a while to get over...)

How many 'killer' games are there out there. There was always alot of dross...even in my beloved C64 days. (But I do remember the 'killer' games from that era...)

Well yes. Having opinions these days...

1984...I'm beginning to think we're well past that...

Azrael.
[automerge]1595087422[/automerge]

It looks like the jump off x86 is already attracting major game developers and awesome games. Let's hope the future Apple "gpu" will be able to handle the workload.

x86 gaming. Much of a muchness to me. And pricey too.

Been playing Last of Us on the PS3. Very impressed by it. They're still pushing that hardware. Though I find the 'wander around' thing tests my patience to shorter sessions. And lots of saving...

If I was going buy anything for gaming? I'd get the pending PS5 which looks incredible for relative 'little' coin.

And pick up an ATV for casual gaming for my 'traditional' gaming fix.

Azrael.

 

[clebin]

1. Flash Gordon, comic, movie and song.
2. Flash the DC Comics superhero. And that's debatable.

3. Hey Duggee.

I know it's fashionable to slag off Flash and certainly it has long outlived its usefulness, but people forget just how important it was once upon a time. For every annoying Flash site, there's a YouTube, and I'm afraid you can't take one without the other. But don't worry, we can still take the piss out of Silverlight!

 

[DeepIn2U]

I've spent the past month developing a simple game with WebGL/javascript. I've been testing and verifying it works on every device I own with a web browser - Mac laptops, Window laptops, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, iOS... I assume Android but I don't own one, plus my Tesla.

I'll support it with ads + have the option to pay to remove them.

I can't figure out - why aren't more people doing this? Flash used to be the way that most non-AAA games were done, then Apple annihilated that by not permitting Flash on the iPhone, but now WebGL has existed and been available on every browser for 5+ years, and there's virtually nobody using it.

I'm not sure why specifically coders are not making games using WebGL or HTML5 and such. I haven't explored gaming in a browser beyond simplistic and instant gratification fun side scrollers to be honest.

Since we're talking about a game living inside a browser I have a few questions:

1. can the quality of games in a browser be as equal to say this game presented here in this article (Necrobarista)?
Art, design layout, game world, controls, etc.

2. Can a game in a browser that originally supports freemium (ads based play) be done where paying for the ads to be removed continue to be removed if
a) browser cache and history is deleted,
b) browser completely reset, uninstalled, re-installed or upgraded?
c) game is purchased in privacy mode will translate into normal mode in any browser?
d) purchase is transferable to other device browsers and platforms (e.g. Mac to Android browser, to Tesla browser to Honda browser)?
>> How would you begin to troubleshoot validated purchases against failed removal of ads?
>> What would be your stance if no troubleshooting is resolved?
>> Are you preparing for technological changes in the browser? such as ads being pop-up based being blocked killing the game?

3. Controls : How will you go about supporting controllers from say an iPad Safari browser to Tesla car browser? (I don't own one so I have no idea how this would work)? How would you code safety for the game NOT to be played during a person driving the Tesla, if the controller is the cars real steering wheel?

I wish you luck with your game ... and please, don't take my questions as any deterring from your goal. I'm just heavily uninformed in browser gaming experiences and coding in general.

Cheers!

 

[ericwn]

I've spent the past month developing a simple game with WebGL/javascript. I've been testing and verifying it works on every device I own with a web browser - Mac laptops, Window laptops, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, iOS... I assume Android but I don't own one, plus my Tesla.

I'll support it with ads + have the option to pay to remove them.

I can't figure out - why aren't more people doing this? Flash used to be the way that most non-AAA games were done, then Apple annihilated that by not permitting Flash on the iPhone, but now WebGL has existed and been available on every browser for 5+ years, and there's virtually nobody using it.

How is this relating to the article?

 

[Trusteft]

3. Hey Duggee.

I know it's fashionable to slag off Flash and certainly it has long outlived its usefulness, but people forget just how important it was once upon a time. For every annoying Flash site, there's a YouTube, and I'm afraid you can't take one without the other. But don't worry, we can still take the piss out of Silverlight!

Hey Methuselah, I was there. I don't know about being fashionable to slag off Flash, I know we hated it since its early days. Way before Youtube existed.
[automerge]1595144331[/automerge]

I don’t know about that @Trusteft . This is very much an indie title from a developer I’ve never heard of before. It’s possibly their first game.

I’m keen to check it out because I like original and artistic story-driven games.

I was being sarcastic.

 

[wubsylol]

This game is great, it's like the perfect fantasy of stuff I'm not able to do:
- Necromancy
- Make coffee
- Go outside because I live in Melbourne

 

[the8thark]

As much as I detest unsolicited game advertising on the MacRumours home page (ie this topic), the game actually looks pretty good. I'll certainly be checking it out.

 

[Azrael9]

I like the fact that they're trying to do something different. As flawed as that might be.

Wait until AS is deployed on Macs and the more powerful AS14/A14x is deployed...with write once and deploy. Sooner or later the gravitational pull will bring better games. Rising tide for all boats.

Azrael.

 

[ericwn]

I like the fact that they're trying to do something different. As flawed as that might be.

Wait until AS is deployed on Macs and the more powerful AS14/A14x is deployed...with write once and deploy. Sooner or later the gravitational pull will bring better games. Rising tide for all boats.

Azrael.

Is AS your short form for Apple Silicone?
As great as that may be I think these games need to scale rather than have the latest and the greatest. That would at least be my approach when catering to the masses. High end gaming is a niche.

 

[Azrael9]

Yes. Apple Silicon.

AS: great for marketing...look at the AS on that Mac ARM!

Sexy AS etc.

I think Apple are doing the right thing getting Sega, Sponge Bob and Lego...on there. There rest will come. Gaming is mainstream now. Girls. Boys. Manchilds. Young and old alike play them. The days of it being a nerdy weirdo passtime re; C64 and 8 bit computers are in the past. So the approach is 'broader.' To suit all tastes. Some may equate that with 'meh.' But I like the traditional outlook of games on the iOS store...and I like the narrative of Apple Arcade offerings and the more distinct styles than the Wax Work lifeless humans wandering around with big guns on PC Games. So called 'Realism' all the time can seem lifeless and sterile to me...and lacking character.

PC Game MOAR is very niche by comparison. The revenue is clearly going mobile £££.

And so is the POW-UR! See: PS5 SoC. See AS SoC.

We don't need a computer the size of a room to send man to the moon anymore...(allegedly...)

Azrael.

 

[psac]

Omg. This game is SO bad! You just click through endless never ending dialogue. It’s so boring ! It may appeal to 12 year old girls - possibly ? I mean I have no idea who the target is. It doesn’t even seem to be a game. It’s like an awfully scripted child’s picture book. No more Apple Arcade for me.

thank you for an actual review!

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I'm not sure why specifically coders are not making games using WebGL or HTML5 and such. I haven't explored gaming in a browser beyond simplistic and instant gratification fun side scrollers to be honest.

Since we're talking about a game living inside a browser I have a few questions:

1. can the quality of games in a browser be as equal to say this game presented here in this article (Necrobarista)?
Art, design layout, game world, controls, etc.

As this is something I threw together in my free time in the past month (less than 100 hours on the project), it's a simple game. It's a technical proof of concept before I try to do something more ambitious.

2. Can a game in a browser that originally supports freemium (ads based play) be done where paying for the ads to be removed continue to be removed if

Records of the purchases are kept server side, not client side, just like on iOS In-App Purchases. Just like with iOS In-App Purchases, there'd be a requirement that you somehow login to make a purchase, and login to prove that a purchase has been made. (When you purchase something on iOS, you authenticate with your Apple ID. If you get a new device, your purchases transfer by again authenticating with your Apple ID.)

3. Controls : How will you go about supporting controllers from say an iPad Safari browser to Tesla car browser? (I don't own one so I have no idea how this would work)? How would you code safety for the game NOT to be played during a person driving the Tesla, if the controller is the cars real steering wheel?

My game is controlled via keyboard, touchscreen, or mouse. I have no plan of supporting controllers or steering wheels, and I'm not sure whether it'd be doable. I figure most people don't have accessories like that though, so my main focus is on having the touchscreen controls work. I included keyboard controls because that's easier to playtest from a computer with, and mouse controls... IDK, just to see how much work it would take. The answer is not much.

As for safety, that's not my concern. They could be playing on their phone while behind the wheel, but really I expect people to have self-control and not be stupid, and for cops to notice them and suspend their license if they are being dumb.