New iPod Game: Brain Challenge

[Hemingray]

I'm amused at the irony that for a game calling itself "Brain Challenge", there is a blonde with glasses perched above its title.

Oh, those are glasses? And here I thought it was a unibrow...

 

[Beefeater]

Don't have a iPod, can you play it on iTunes?

 

[a113524c]

Nothing to see here...

Back to playing gpSPhone on my iPod touch.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Those brain training games are for a number of systems, including the Wii and PSP. I've played a couple for the Wii and DS. They're kind of addicting. If it's anything like those $20 games, $5 is worth it.

Brain Age (Brain Training in Japan) and Big Brain Academy are made by Nintendo. Everyone and their brother has been ripping it off since. There are ripoffs for the PSP.

This is just another ripoff.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Nintendo did not create the handheld brain exercise game franchise, though. These games have existed on other mobile devices, Tiger Electronics handheld games, those big TI calculators, and if you wanna get really ancient:

No, but Nintendo started the new fad about it. Ever since Brain Training came out in Japan and sold like nuts, then Brain Age over here, everyone has been making "brain games" using terms like "Train your brain!" You never saw catchphrases like that prior.

 

[tk421]

...I love Nintendo; they've progressed video games in much the same way as Apple has progressed computers, and I'm sure they'll do it again. However, I don't think Nintendo will, or even desires to legally pursue Apple for compensation. As I've said, no one buys an iPod as a gaming system. That's what Nintendo's for. As for the iPod, their games are more of an afterthought, and I think Nintendo is confident in their current position in this market.

I didn't see anyone mention legal action. I certainly didn't. And as others have pointed out, Apple didn't even develop this game, a third party did.

This game might be a lot of fun. I may even buy it myself. Even if you only play it for an hour over the course of its life, it's only $5 - that's worth it for an hour of enjoyment.

But the first thing I thought when I saw the post on MacRumors (even before seeing the gameplay and reading the description on iTunes) was, "Oh. Another Brain Age knockoff."

 

[hayesk]

Brain Age (Brain Training in Japan) and Big Brain Academy are made by Nintendo. Everyone and their brother has been ripping it off since. There are ripoffs for the PSP.

This is just another ripoff.

Brain Age and Big Brain Academy are not made by Nintendo. They are made by Touch Generations.

But I agree with your other point - there have been a lot of copycat titles since then. That will happen whenever a product is successful.

 

[Teddy's]

I'm amused at the irony that for a game calling itself "Brain Challenge", there is a blonde with glasses perched above its title.

One day "a long time apple user" complained that the Genius bar is plagged by girls that look twins of Lindsay Lohan. He said "the Apple customer base has changed from Professionals to Lindsay Lohan look a likes."

Now, I totally, like... don't know Lindsay's IQ. But I personally believe that... a blonde in that logo would attract the Apple iPod's like... customer base or whatever... and they would feel that Apple really like... totally speaks to thEM?

Because they have google maps now!

 

[eastcoastsurfer]

How old are you people? 11?

$5 isn't a big investment and nobody is forcing you to buy it. I went ahead and purchased it because I enjoy the brain games on my DS and Wii and it turned out to be a smart choice. Had it not been, I would have been out $5.

Really, people. It's $5. How much do you blow at Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or, since most of you are 11, the candy store in one visit?

Good one. Personally attack everyone who thinks $5 is generally too much for many of these games they release. By your logic of 'it's $5' you don't have any problem sending me $5/week for the indefinite future?

Everyone is different, but I don't consider these games to be a good value at $5 each. And, if a SDK ever really does come out, there will be free ports of many fun games.

 

[mainstreetmark]

That's a bad strawman. A responding to a complaint that the game costs $5 is not implying that paying for software should be a requirement.

I'm really annoyed at people who think that software should always be free, but that doesn't mean that I don't think developers should release software for free. As you said, it's totally up to the developer. This developer chose to charge money for it

Not one person here implied that software should never be free.

It has been implied, especially during the Apple-Releases-SDK thread a few weeks back, where people were actually HOPING that they could only buy games through iTMS, versus the nice, open platform we (might) have.

Here's the one from this thread.

Exactly.
iPhone apps represent HUGE revenue stream(s) for developers and their efforts will not (nor should not) go uncompensated.
Thus, consumers will pay for their products... possibly via iTS, to help Apple maintain a high level of control.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Good one. Personally attack everyone who thinks $5 is generally too much for many of these games they release. By your logic of 'it's $5' you don't have any problem sending me $5/week for the indefinite future?

Everyone is different, but I don't consider these games to be a good value at $5 each. And, if a SDK ever really does come out, there will be free ports of many fun games.

But it shouldn't be hard for most people to determine whether or not it's worth the $5 before purchasing it. If it turns out that they don't like the game, I doubt many will feel that jilted by squandering the 5, though will be rightly annoyed. All I've ever purchased was Tetris, and with the many times I've played it, I found it to be more than worth it, since I wouldn't require a dedicated handheld to play this simple game, and the software download is cheaper than any cartridge would have been.

As for sending you $5 each week, there's no subscription charges for the games, and you'd have to actually exchange a service or product in return for the money. I mean, he didn't donate the $5 to charity

 

[slicecom]

Brain Age and Big Brain Academy are not made by Nintendo. They are made by Touch Generations.

Yes, and Touch Generations is a Nintendo brand, therefore Brain Age and Big Brain Academy ARE made by Nintendo.