1) Keep your specializations

When developing games, keep the specializations you chose (Game World, Polish, Approachability, etc) for multiple games in a row. This will create a situation where your reputation starts to form and you will get significant increase in fans.  I tend to switch directions after I get this notice, to replicate it in another area.

2) Get multiple game types and styles to lvl 2 and lvl 5.

Every time you get a genre to level 2 and level 5, you gain an additional 2 points to assign in the game specialization.  This will help your over all scores, and fans.  Thus making you more money, which is the primary goal.

3) Do not skimp on your staff hiring.

Everything relies on your staff.  Always spend the extra money to hire the best, it will make you a ton more money in the long run as their skills will create better games, which will sell better.

4) Advertise

Building your fan base inside the game is very important in keeping your sales high.  Spending the money on advertising seems expensive at times, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run.

5) Time your releases around the end of the year.

Try and make sure one of your games per year come out in late November or early December.  This will help even a poorly made game gain significant sales due to the timing of the release.

6) Create your own hardware.

Eventually the game will unlock the ability for you to develop your own console.  This will cost you $90 million if you choose all the top end options.  This is a good idea, as it will save you money in dev costs and produce revenue for you.  The problem most people have is finding a Hardware Engineer.  The way you gain one is to train one of you employees to level 5 in all the roles.  This requires a lot of discs, change job manuals and time.  So start prepping an individual early for this role.  Also, purchase job change manuals early as this will also save you money when it comes time to train yourself an engineer.

7) Take contracts when needed.

At times it’s good to gain some extra fast income from doing contracts.  This can be done very quickly with a highly trained staff sometimes finishing a 10 week contract in 2 weeks.  If you put a couple of these together quickly, you can make up that extra cost hiring that marching band cost you last month.  As a side tip: Never accept someones offer to improve a contracts graphics,sound, etc.  Many times it will cause you a loss of money, delayed time and lost discs.  Don’t even consider it.

8 ) When assigning jobs watch fatigue levels.

When you are giving someone a job at the various stages of development, make sure to give it first to someone who has the highest stat, but you also need to make sure that the person is not tired, and has not been used multiple times in a row.  It is sometimes not a bad idea to hire an outsider to do the job for you to give your main employee a rest.

9) Sequels rule the gaming world.

Eventually you will start creating sequels.  It is good to have about 3 or so different franchises that you run through consistently, trying to never repeat a type/genre.  Any game that reaches the hall of fame will be eligible to have a sequel created.  These will also be your biggest sellers, and as a bonus you get a base start of stats, which will help your score.

10) Use obvious combinations

This one seems like a no brainer, but make sure you always pick types and genres that match.  No one wants to play Puzzle/Marathon, but I’m sure there are a ton that like Shooter/Robot.

11) New Game++

After you complete your 20 years of service to the slave driver known as GDS, you get to go at it again if you want.  Start a new game and you will gain a bonus of all your previously gained levels in each genre/style, as well as access to secret Monkey and Robot employees.

I’ll add to this post as I think of more, or come across any additional information.

• Tethering Support
• 3mb Camera
• Tap to focus
• Video
• MMS
• Voice Activation
• Hardware Compass
• Battery Upgrade
• CPU/RAM upgrade

Most of this is old technology, and the iPhone should have had when it launched, but plugged some of the final holes/criticisms of the device.  Now we just need a front facing camera, and flash support built into safari.

The only thing stopping me really from getting the iPhone is Rogers.  It has been said before, but Rogers is the worst iPhone provider in the world.  This is a comparison of the fact that they require a 3 year contract, and they don’t offer unlimited data.  I really hope someday soon the spectrum auction that happened late last year here in Canada will open up the GSM spectrum so more than just Rogers will be able to sell the iPhone.

On another note, ngmoco got to show off their game Star Defense, which is available today, and my company Sculpin QA worked on it with them.  When I first heard about the iPhone 2 years ago, never did I dream the device would pay my bills, and I wouldn’t even own one.  haha.

The one thing that really impressed me today was the application for doctors.  I said to myself “wow we are in the future”.  This app lets a doctor monitor his patients without actually being in the hospital, now it just needs to read alien life forms and be used by Captain Kirk.

The new device comes in at $199 and will have 16gb of storage.  No mention of any new iPod touches, but perhaps that will come out later this summer.  Are there better devices out there?  Yeah in some areas, but it’s the App Store that really makes this device limitless in terms of expandability.  Should be another interesting year.

Since then, Reznor has pioneered a new, fan-centered business model that radically breaks with the practices of the struggling music industry. His embrace of “freemium” pricing, torrent distribution, fan remixes and social media seem to be paying off financially even as they have helped him forge deeper connections with the Nine Inch Nails faithful.

It’s something he never could have done before, even on an indie label. “Anyone who’s an executive at a record label does not understand what the internet is, how it works, how people use it, how fans and consumers interact — no idea,” he declares. “I’m surprised they know how to use e-mail. They have built a business around selling plastic discs, and nobody wants plastic discs any more.”

Meanwhile, the entire system that for a lucky few turned those discs into hits — rock radio, MTV, music mags, CD megastores — has crumbled, and label execs have no idea where to turn. “They’re in such a state of denial it’s impossible for them to understand what’s happening,” Reznor says. “As an artist, you are now the market.”(emphasis mine)

I believe you should have to pay for music, but nobody wants plastic discs anymore.  The last plastic disc I bought for myself was 3 years ago, but now I buy more music than I ever have.  I listen to all my music through my iPod or on my laptop at work.  Why would I want a disc that I have to rip and then just put away?  I want music digitally, cheap and fast.  Even today I bought the new Hip album on iTunes and didn’t have to go hunting for it.  Just clicked two things and now I’m listening to it.

I’ll scream on this soap box for a while I think.  Media is shifting, don’t get left behind.  This applies to all apsects of our lives, religion, tv, print, music, video, tourism.  The 21st century culture shift isn’t coming, it’s already here.  What are you going to do about it?

One trend I’m following is the discussion around the iPhone and the games made for it.  Right now I believe the company I work for Sculpin QA is the premiere testing studio for iPhone games.  We’ve worked on such hits as Rolando, Super Monkey Ball, Topple, and Diner Dash and learned a lot in the process.  One year ago no one was talking about the iPhone as a legit gaming platform, now indy devs are making $600,000 creating games in their basement.  Just a couple weeks ago, Apple announced OS 3.0 where they will be integrating in app purchases, peripherals, bluetooth, P2P, cut and paste, and a ton more other features.  Their SDK has opened the doors for some crazy ideas, and it’s not going to stop, according Neil Young of ngmoco 148 apps a day are being released on the store.  There are some issues with the store at the moment, but that is an entirely different discussion.  Google is releasing a competing operating system called Android with an app store, but I just don’t think it’s going to be as big as the iPhone.. but that remains to be seen, perhaps i’ll be blogging about that in a year.

In addition this year Twitter has now exploded and a lot of the tech savvy crowed at GDC is twittering most of the events going on.  So by following the stream of things tagged with #GDC, I’m getting access to the latest news without having scour the internet for a good article here or there, it just gets fed right to my feedwatcher.

So, within the next few weeks at Sculpin we will be getting very busy.  I’ve learned a lot in the last year about the difference of between White and Black box testing, assumption that should never be made, questions that should always be asked and how to test to a calculator program

If you are looking for some high quality game testing, or some good discussion on technology and where it’s taking us… look me up. filsinger@gmail.com

Well today on my twitter stream I saw an article about being able to buy the entire PUSA discography for $3.  I was intrigued, so I checked it out.  Most of my day is spent in the iTunes store and iPhone applications due to my job, so I am always checking out new stuff and this peaked my interest.  PUSA released their entire discography through an application that you download.  So I plunked down my $2.99 and downloaded the app.  I figured there would be at least one catch, that you had to use the app to listen to the songs, instead of your music app on your iPhone or iTouch.  But there are two more catches, that keep from completely loving this idea.  First is that you MUST have an internet connection of some kind.  Me having an iPod Touch only means I have to have wifi connected, and that means on my flight today I will not be able to listen to the music.  Second is that you cannot select specific songs, only albums and it will randomly shuffle through the songs.  These two issues keep me from completely falling in love with this idea.  But kudos to you PUSA for trying something different to get me to listen to your music.  Maybe i’ll go and pay that $0.99 for “Peaches”, so I can have that flashback feeling to 1995 where I was awkward and nerdy.   (maybe i still am… lol ).

If you don’t mind the two restrictions I mentioned, then go and spend your $3. The music quality is fantastic and now I get a full preview of their new album for the price of two coffees.