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Suggestions: Taking Game Center from GOOD to GREAT

Swampthing

Swampthing

Suspended
Original poster
Mar 5, 2004
651
575
Okay so I've added a multitude of friends, and tried a couple games. Right now I think there are a few things missing that should be added, but I'm interested in hearing what you think as well. (The Good to Great reference is from Jim Collins bestseller on how businesses become better.)

- See what other friends are playing REALTIME
- See others achievements if you don't own that game
- See others friends profiles - much deeper including interests
- See the friends of your friends similar to Facebook
- Get an alert notification that one of your friends is playing a game you have
- Add a user changeable picture icon to your profile
- "Find Game Center games" should list the titles INSIDE the app
- Allow you to see FRIEND ratings of Game Center games
- Facebook integration
- Instant messaging inside/outside games (have a central lobby)
 
It's literally day 2 of Game Center. Apple will obviously improve the experience over time. I recommend you submit this list to Apple via their feedback page where someone who really could do something to improve GC will see it.
 
I agree with one of the points made, I would like it similar to PlayStation Network where it shows each user and what they are playing now. Gives a better idea of who's online at the time.
 
iphone1 said:
It's literally day 2 of Game Center. Apple will obviously improve the experience over time. I recommend you submit this list to Apple via their feedback page where someone who really could do something to improve GC will see it.
Click to expand...

Already did that. :p
 
Swampthing said:
Okay so I've added a multitude of friends, and tried a couple games. Right now I think there are a few things missing that should be added, but I'm interested in hearing what you think as well. (The Good to Great reference is from Jim Collins bestseller on how businesses become better.)

- See what others are playing REALTIME
- See others achievements
- See others profiles
- See others friends, like a friends of friends deal
- Get a notification that one of your friends is playing a game you have
- Add a user changeable picture icon to your profile
- Find Game Center games should list the titles INSIDE the app
- Allow you to see FRIEND ratings of Game Center games
- Instant messaging inside/outside games
Click to expand...

you already can see others achievements and profiles.

you can instant message your friends outside games if you have an IM app, that's if they're your real friends and not randoms you added from here... lol
 
andythursby said:
you can instant message your friends outside games if you have an IM app, that's if they're your real friends and not randoms you added from here... lol
Click to expand...

Not particularly immersive though is it?

I need to tell my friend something, I'll just quit the game we're playing, open up an IM client, let it sign in, send them a message and then let them do the same to receive the message.
 
Daveoc64 said:
Not particularly immersive though is it?

I need to tell my friend something, I'll just quit the game we're playing, open up an IM client, let it sign in, send them a message and then let them do the same to receive the message.
Click to expand...

you're missing the beauty of multitasking and fast app switching, the IM clients stayed signed in all the time and then jump back in the game. the post i replied to stated about messaging in the app or OUT the app, it was the latter i was replying to, thus why i said about messaging outside the game, or did you chose to ignore what i ACTUALLY wrote?

also writing messages in the middle of the game isn't very immersive either, but VOIP is, which some games utilise.....
 
Daveoc64 said:
So?

A lot of other services (Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network, Crystal, OpenFeint etc.) had these features from Day One.

Apple is late to the game and has less.
Click to expand...

That was my original point. It reminds me of when Google released their GoogleTalk IM client. There were already a large number of features in other IM clients at the time that were not included. Development of new products shouldn't take place in a vacuum.

But back to the Game Center. If there are a number of key features in Xbox LIVE, PS3, etc, which seem quite successful, so much so that others have incorporated them into their own social networks, then there is nothing wrong with suggesting to Apple that these features should have been included.

Sure I give Apple time to develop the product. But remember, it didn't come out yesterday. Stating this is only Day 2 of Game Center doesn't hold much water when you consider it's actually been through Beta for SEVERAL months now, and any number of these features could have been added. The point of this thread is to just suggest what standard features other clients have which should have been there on Day One, but we're willing to wait...
 
andythursby said:
the post i replied to stated about messaging in the app or OUT the app, it was the latter i was replying to, thus why i said about messaging outside the game, or did you chose to ignore what i ACTUALLY wrote?
Click to expand...

Every other gaming network (like Xbox LIVE etc.) doesn't make a distinction between In-Game and out of game messages - they're all the same.

Therefore, I chose not to make that distinction either.
 
andythursby said:
well you're wrong, beejive and ebuddy stay logged in perfectly fine on my ipad and iphone, or am i imagining it!! lol :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

They can't stay running in the background, so the App itself must sign in again once you open it back up (some of the IM Apps hide this away from the user, others don't).
 
Daveoc64 said:
They can't stay running in the background, so the App itself must sign in again once you open it back up (some of the IM Apps hide this away from the user, others don't).
Click to expand...

no, i stay signed in as far as everyone is concerned, i appear online to everyone on my list, the app stays signed in on the cloud, the app on the iPhone does not sign in again, it just resumes where i left off. my point is, when i go into the app, it's already signed in and ready to use straight away. there is no waiting for it to sign in.
 
andythursby said:
no, i stay signed in as far as everyone is concerned, i appear online to everyone on my list, the app stays signed in on the cloud, the app on the iPhone does not sign in again, it just resumes where i left off. my point is, when i go into the app, it's already signed in and ready to use straight away. there is no waiting for it to sign in.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm arguing against because it simply isn't true.

When you go back into the App, it hasn't been running since the last time you had the app open.

It must establish a connection to the IM network like AOL or MSN and then check for any new messages.

That takes time - which doesn't bode well in a gaming environment.
 
Daveoc64 said:
That's what I'm arguing against because it simply isn't true.

When you go back into the App, it hasn't been running since the last time you had the app open.

It must establish a connection to the IM network like AOL or MSN and then check for any new messages.

That takes time - which doesn't bode well in a gaming environment.
Click to expand...

If it signs off than how can you still get IM notifications outside of the app?
 
Daveoc64 said:
That's what I'm arguing against because it simply isn't true.

When you go back into the App, it hasn't been running since the last time you had the app open.

It must establish a connection to the IM network like AOL or MSN and then check for any new messages.

That takes time - which doesn't bode well in a gaming environment.
Click to expand...

you're wrong, with beejive, i've never seen any delay when i switch to it, whether it's 10 minutes or over night. but you seem not to be able to admit where you're wrong, so oh well. i have better things to do for now.
 
Roofy. said:
If it signs off than how can you still get IM notifications outside of the app?
Click to expand...

Through the APN (Apple Push Notification) system.

Read my post again:

"...open up an IM client, let it sign in, send..."

I specifically stated that the IM client has to sign in.

Push notifications give the user the impression that their IM app is always running, but it isn't.

Most of the time that's not a problem, but when you are talking about switching between a game and IM chat that's ridiculous (particularly if the game session ends when you leave the game).
 
Aside from the instant messaging for a moment. What about those other features? Would you like full profiles? Icon pictures? Achievement sharing?

How about that missing Facebook integration?
 
I like your ideas, and I would like to add messaging between players to the list.

Also, last night I was challenged by someone here in a game, but I was busy with something different at the time.

Rather than simply choosing "Accept" or "Decline," I would like the option to type my own custom response as to why I am declining, so they don't just think I am blowing them off.
 
Swampthing said:
Aside from the instant messaging for a moment. What about those other features? Would you like full profiles? Icon pictures? Achievement sharing?

How about that missing Facebook integration?
Click to expand...

I think all of those are necessary. If they wont do Facebook, being able to check things through a browser would be nice
 
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