The guys over at Console Arcade just posted an interview we did with them last week. In it we talk about our fondness for bright colours and the fact that Digital Distribution may let developers escape the problems of retail publishing but it also presents you with a whole new set of challenges.
You can check out the whole piece over at http://www.console-arcade.com/features/strawdog-studios-interview/
When it’s on the iPhone App Store. Apples original app rating/reveiew system was rather flawed in its implementation. It only prompted a user to rate an application when they were removing it and, by default, had the user rating set to one star. Users who weren’t really interested in rating an app would automatically accept the default rating, leading to apps with a large number of one star reviews – and a lot of unhappy developers.
Of course some of these users may have actually wanted to assign one star – after all they are uninstalling the app so it probably isn’t their favorite game of all time. Hoever many were almost certainly just hitting a button to accept the default as the quickest way to get through the process. Now, according to reports the version 3.0 update has the default set to no stars and the user must select a rating from one to five stars.
Users are still being prompted to rate the game while uninstalling it, which is far from ideal. It would be much better to prompt for a review after they have played the game 5 or ten times – or to not prompt at all. Leaving it to people who feel strongly about a to go and rate it. Still at least now there is a better chance that users will pause for thought and select a more meaningful rating instead of just accepting the default one star.
As detailed in a story on GI.biz (here) the UK government have finally decided that video games sold in the UK will now be rated exclusively by the pan European ratings body PEGI. This finally eliminates the long running dual ratings system in which PEGI (http://www.pegi.info/en/index/) rated games that did not require a UK 18 rating and the BBFC (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/) would rate games that required an 18 rating.
The past
The BBFC was designated as a body able to classify movies (and games) under the Video Recordings Act 1984. However it was not a legal requirement to get a game classified unless it meets the criteria necessary for it to be classified 18 or 18R.
| The BBFC classifies videos, DVDs and some video games under the Video Recordings Act 1984. (The video games covered by the VRA are those whose exemption is forfeited under section 2(2) because they depict human sexual activity, gross violence or other matters of concern.) |
For those games that didn’t meet the requirements for an 18 rating there was a voluntary ratings system in place. It was down to the developer/publisher to ensure they submitted to the right system and if you distributed a film/game without an 18 classification, which was later found to require an 18 rating, you could face a hefty fine and/or imprisonment.
As of now
Following the Byron report and some hard lobbying by various trade bodies the UK government have decided that the BBFC will no longer be involved in rating games. The PEGI system will be adopted for all games, thus eliminating the annoying duel system. This new process will be managed in the UK by The Video Standards Council (VSC/PEGI Article)
As a small independent developer looking to self-publish some of our titles we welcome our new PEGI overlords. Anything that simplifies the age rating process is a good thing for us.
Gamasutra posted a story about forthcoming changes to Xbox Live Community Games and (importantly for us) Xbox Live Arcade.
“…..Microsoft also revealed that, in response to user feedback, it would add user ratings to both community games and much of the Xbox Live marketplace content, including Xbox Live Arcade and game add-ons. Ultimately, the company will add the ability for users to sort content by rating.”
A more in-depth filtering and recommendation system would be a big plus but user ratings are at least a step in the right direction.
The full piece is at http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24008
A busy week at Strawdog central. Everyone is busting a gut to get to the next milestone on Space Ark as well as finalising an update for our iPhone title Turbo Duck (iTunes link).
We are going to be launching a free Lite version of the game so that people can try it out, as well as adding some updates to the main app. More details on what is coming and when as soon as it is nailed down.
We are currently preparing to post our latest Space Ark video which should be ready in a few days. Just so you have something to compare to I thought I would post the very first Space Ark visualisation trailer to our Youtube channel. This video was created when the game had the working title Bounce.
This video was produced as part of the Microsoft pitching process. The video, along with various documentation, was submitted to MS in order to get approval to publish Space Ark on Xbox360 Live Arcade.
