Temped to Dev?

[WOW_GEE]

How many of you guys, because of the success of the app store and the hype over "good" iphone games and seeing the developments process and talking with the developers and whatnot, are actually tempted to start trying to develop iphone games yourself?

I have certainly thought about it; but it just seems to complicated. I really don't know the first thing about the actual programming, even though i have a bunch of ideas that i think would make pretty fair games!

Or even better, anyone here actually BECOME a dev because of the things they read here on TA?

[yourofl10]

How many of you guys, because of the success of the app store and the hype over "good" iphone games and seeing the developments process and talking with the developers and whatnot, are actually tempted to start trying to develop iphone games yourself?

I have certainly thought about it; but it just seems to complicated. I really don't know the first thing about the actual programming, even though i have a bunch of ideas that i think would make pretty fair games!

Or even better, anyone here actually BECOME a dev because of the things they read here on TA?

YOu giving Senior Members a bad name this should be the Devolper Section

[Ph4ntom4]

Yup, I was inspired to produce an app for the App Store. I've tried out Unity, Torque very briefly, and now Shiva (probably the best). However, the programming is so hard to learn, I've given up for the moment because i'm going to uni next year to study game design, and they'll teach C++ there, so no point spending time trying to learn it now imo.

I have loads of ideas though, can't wait until I can start to make them.

[WOW_GEE]

YOu giving Senior Members a bad name this should be the Devolper Section

hah oops! Hate to give senior mems a bad name! considering i am one :o

is there any way to move the thread?

[GatorDeb]

I have until I learned you needed a Mac :(

[iPodTouchApplication]

How many of you guys, because of the success of the app store and the hype over "good" iphone games and seeing the developments process and talking with the developers and whatnot, are actually tempted to start trying to develop iphone games yourself?

I have certainly thought about it; but it just seems to complicated. I really don't know the first thing about the actual programming, even though i have a bunch of ideas that i think would make pretty fair games!

Or even better, anyone here actually BECOME a dev because of the things they read here on TA?
I would definitely develop if i could! you are right, it is just to complicated. The good thing about being a dev is that we could just put a piece of crap app on the appstore, charge one dollar, get maybe 50 sells annd we just made 50 dollars. I know how to program small equations and stuff like temperature conversions but i wouldnt know how to put those into ipod format ot to get them to apple

[yourofl10]

hah oops! Hate to give senior mems a bad name! considering i am one :o

is there any way to move the thread?

Click the red triangle thingy I think.

Its no biggy.

I have wanted to dev for the mac SOOOOO BAD.

I'm learning .NET (i'm homeschooled and go to a co-op and they have a programming class) i dont like it cause i wanne learn c,c# etc......... But thats not the case in the class.

[inferi22]

Of course and as of right now I have a of so that's my excuse but soon my friend is getting an iMac and I'll going to help him dev but I don't no da first thing about it

[Coldar]

Well if everyone became devs who would be left to give good advice to them?......jk......but do think we already play an important role in game making. Kind of like they drive the car and we tell em' where to go....heh!

[WOW_GEE]

I have until I learned you needed a Mac :(

You need a mac? I always thought all you needed was an iphone and inspiration. :(
O well. So much for PC developing.

[Diablohead]

The iPhone SDK is programmed and made to run on a mac and os-x, so yeah you need a mac alongside an iphone, then you have to pay for the right developer license you want if you want to sell items on the app store, it's simple to do but if you lack all these things it's going to cost you a little bit to get started, as I am constantly bumping into :P

[yourofl10]

You need a mac? I always thought all you needed was an iphone and inspiration. :(
O well. So much for PC developing.

Well its not that bad. Most devs use C,Objective C,C#,or C++.

You can get use to deving in one if those codes so when you get a macv you know what to do.

You could download Microsift Visual Studio C++ and get use to C++. Before you get a mac

[Rohan Dalal]

You need a mac? I always thought all you needed was an iphone and inspiration. :(
O well. So much for PC developing.

yup u need a mac

[gnizama_Mitch]

Ideas are commonplace, being able to execute them is critical. Here's a couple helpful pieces of advice for anyone thinking of getting into development:

"Don't go at it alone." - Our first game Sliders - Match 3 was my first step in development with the iPhone/iPod Touch, but not the first time for our programmer. He had already done an application before, so he was quite familiar with Xcode, and the SDK. This prior experience helped a lot in the initial stages of prototyping.

"Write a design doc." - Having a universal design doc (or design bible) allows you to organize all the information, concepts, rules, gameplay mechanics, etc.. in 1 single place. This makes development a lot easier. Expect to revise and update this document more then you could ever imagine possible.

"Simplify and iterate." - The initial designs i wrote for Sliders - Match 3 had several additional modes, features, and ideas that never made it to the final version. They would have resulted in at least 1-2 more months of development time, and would probably not have resulted in significantly greater sales as a result. It's ok to cut features. Focus on keeping things simple, casual, fun, and addictive.

"Organize your tasks and todo's" - It's one thing to have a list of what to do, but knowing what everyone is completing, and what is needed to be done overall helps a lot. I'd suggest using a tool like Fogbugz to organize all tasks, bugs, and features.

[warpser]

I've been wanting to make my own apps, but the problem is I dont have apple computer! The other hurdle I would have to get over is the program language. At the moment I only know how to program with Visual Studio (Visual Basic). I don't know the syntax of the language required for the iPhone. I haven't had time to actually learn it.

The only thing i'd be able to make at the moment is the game art. I've been working graphics for a long time now.
My brother is learning the language though so hopefully he can help me understand the syntax and we can start making apps, with the purchase of a mac of course....

[WellSpentYouth]

Well if everyone became devs who would be left to give good advice to them?......jk......but do think we already play an important role in game making. Kind of like they drive the car and we tell em' where to go....heh!
We drive the car and we tell us where to go, not you. Do you remember what happens to threads that say "Make me this app" or "This is a good idea, make it"?

[WOW_GEE]

Well its not that bad. Most devs use C,Objective C,C#,or C++.

You can get use to deving in one if those codes so when you get a macv you know what to do.

You could download Microsift Visual Studio C++ and get use to C++. Before you get a mac

Yeah i've always stuck with PC since my first comp...But for my next computer i might get a MAC, especially now that i have a lot of apple software;

Maybe then i can get into Deving.

But really, the games like Scoops, Textropolis, Up There, all "simple" games content wise, but i play them all the time! Those are the kind of games that make me want to dev, because they're so polished and fun and yet they're not super duper complex like a game such as Zen Bound or Sway.

[WOW_GEE]

Although being able to be a developer on a game up to par with Zen Bound or Sway would be awesome too. :D

[Mindfield]

I've been working on getting into development since early last September. I finally got a Mac last month and am working toward learning Objective-C and the iPhone SDK. It wasn't anything to do with this place (I didn't even know this place existed last year), I was frankly just inspired by the iPhone and the innovative business model of the App Store. I've been a programmer before, wrote some of my own stuff years ago on other platforms, but I haven't picked up a compiler in a good 12 years, so I've got a lot of re-learning to do.

[SSquared]

Not only do you need a Mac, but you need OS 10.5. I just signed up as an iPhone Dev yesterday and could not download the SDK because I'm on OS 10.4. I just wanted to check out the development environment. You can download and use the SDK for free. (I am a Windows application developer by profression, so I am already familiar with software development.)

[anduril_ukr]

How many of you guys, because of the success of the app store and the hype over "good" iphone games and seeing the developments process and talking with the developers and whatnot, are actually tempted to start trying to develop iphone games yourself?

I have certainly thought about it; but it just seems to complicated. I really don't know the first thing about the actual programming, even though i have a bunch of ideas that i think would make pretty fair games!

Or even better, anyone here actually BECOME a dev because of the things they read here on TA?

Yes, me!!

My brother will be the coder and I have already gotten the main gameplay down, although it will probably alter as soon as the actual coding and development begins (we are stalled do to a few complications). If you want to help, check out "Developing Puzzle Game . . . Open for suggestions" thread in the dev. section. Your opinions are valued and will hopefully make this game a truly great title.

[WOW_GEE]

Just so anyone doesn't get the wrong idea about what i said earlier:

Scoops, Textropolis, Blue Defense, Up There are all my favorite games. The fact that they aren't too complex makes me like them MORE, and the reason that THEY'RE the ones that make me wanna dev is because they seem like 1 to 3 man projects; things that you do by yourself. It shows that even if you don't have a huge Dev team (like i'm assuming ZB or Sway had) you can still make a very successful and very fun game on the iphone. (I mean, look at scoops; they're even using it for demos in the apple store!)

[gnizama_Mitch]

If you read the tech review of iDracula, you'll see that it was done by a 2 man team. Not everything requires giant development teams. Proper planning, and execution is critical to a solid release.

[TheOZ]

Yea im on the same boat as pretty much everyone else, ever since around Novemeber when I first found out about these forums I got this urge to want to create iPhone applications and hopefully that urge will soon be satisfied. My friend has always wanted to make a game and he had already been thinking of ideas since middle school and once I introduced him to the iPhone and how it was practical enough for almost anybody to make it he was more ready then ever. We already have tutorials online and a book he got from christmas so all we need is a mac and the SDK and since our families are pretty supportive and we are going to be saving up money with jobs and what not we should be able to scrounge up about $1000(Mac(600)SDK(200)Unity(only because it would make it easier the first time we develop. 200 or 300). It may be harder then I am making it, but still it's a plan nonetheless.

[JesterDev]

It's actually not as hard as you think. If you know c then you can pick up objective c in an afternoon and cocoa in about that same time frame. I started to learn objective c awhile back and picked it up fast. Then real life kicked in and, well I had no time to continue with cocoa.

Anyway it's really not that hard. I started with TRS-80 basic way back when and from there moved onto c-circa 1984ish-was about 11 years old.

IMO you should learn c then c++ or you'll have to unlearn quite a few things.

[yourofl10]

I have a question.

IF I learn anything in .NET will ir carry over?? (I know the syntax wont)

But like this:


MessageBox1.Show = ("X_____X")


Will a code like that carry over or not?

For C.C++, etc.....

[1337brian]

Not only do you need a Mac, but you need OS 10.5. I just signed up as an iPhone Dev yesterday and could not download the SDK because I'm on OS 10.4. I just wanted to check out the development environment. You can download and use the SDK for free. (I am a Windows application developer by profression, so I am already familiar with software development.)

yep, same thing happened to me... I'm selling my powermac G4 and buying a new 15' MBP...

[lazypeon]

Before I started iPhone development, I didn't even have an iPhone, or a Mac. I decided to spent the ~$800 to buy a Mini and a Touch. I had zero Obj-C experience.

I do have a CS degree, and experience with C++, Java, ActionScript 3, etc... It took me about 2 weeks to get together a Pong demo. After that, everything has been really easy. Obviously I don't know all the tricks for memory management, performance, etc... but I know enough to pretty much do anything I could do in one of the other languages in Obj-C. Honestly, there's not THAT much difference. The syntax in a little weird at times and there are other little nuances. But all the concepts you expect are probably there (including but not limited to loops, conditionals, functions, classes, collections, etc... ). If you know any of the languages I mentioned above, you'll feel at home after a few weeks.

If it's your first game, I highly recommend using an engine to get you started too. I've said it before, but cocos2d is fantastic. Basically, it abstracts away all the OpenGL and setup you would need to do, and helps you get started in putting together a game ASAP.

I don't have a game released yet, but I've been working on one for awhile now and don't regret shelling out the $$$ at all.

[eeenmachine]

I highly encourage anyone interested in game development to give it a shot. I started out learning Flash many many years ago, and it was a great way to ease into proper programming and interactive design.

Also everyone should know starting out that 99% of iPhone devs probably aren't making much of anything off the App Store.

[Coldar]

We drive the car and we tell us where to go, not you. Do you remember what happens to threads that say "Make me this app" or "This is a good idea, make it"?
Sorry to offend you but think you took statement wrong way from my intent and my statment may have been misunderstood. Was trying to say suggestions from gamers has helped games become better. Unless you disput this?

[PeterM11]

YES!! Omg... me and my friend had it all planned out... had a few ideas.... even had a company name and motto.. XD
But 1) we didnt have the money to get a Mac (at first i just wanted a mac for this not i really love them and want one eventually even if i dont program)
And 2) the programming language just seems way to hard to learn.... if only there were some super "For Dummies" way where you could drag and drop. HA!
or if only someone could somehow port over the SDK to windows (so i could try some out until i can finally get a Mac) I know that its almost impossible because it runs off Xcode and all but anyone with half a brain knows that technology has proven us that NOTHING is impossible on the software side with enough work. I think it would be awesome if someone like ported it over and then sold everything to apple and then they cleaned it all up and added their stamp of approval and released a windows version....

*sigh*
....if only....

[wootbean]

YES!! Omg... me and my friend had it all planned out... had a few ideas.... even had a company name and motto.. XD
But 1) we didnt have the money to get a Mac (at first i just wanted a mac for this not i really love them and want one eventually even if i dont program)
And 2) the programming language just seems way to hard to learn.... if only there were some super "For Dummies" way where you could drag and drop. HA!
or if only someone could somehow port over the SDK to windows (so i could try some out until i can finally get a Mac) I know that its almost impossible because it runs off Xcode and all but anyone with half a brain knows that technology has proven us that NOTHING is impossible on the software side with enough work. I think it would be awesome if someone like ported it over and then sold everything to apple and then they cleaned it all up and added their stamp of approval and released a windows version....

*sigh*
....if only....

same problem.
my friend and i have been thinking about this, we're learning java so we have some programming experience. neither of us has a mac so we can't try anything out

during a lab in class my physics teacher saw me using the ihandly level on my ipod to measure the angle of an inclined plane. he was amazed. bought one for himself and said he'd speak to the school principal about it cuz he liked the graphing calculator and periodic table apps. he was telling our whole class about it and how developing an app could be a nice project, some of my classmates have macs so they have an advantage over me :(

[TitanT30]

How is the best way to get started (learning wise)?

Where should we begin, what kind of books should we read?

[Mindfield]

How is the best way to get started (learning wise)?

Where should we begin, what kind of books should we read?

I'd start with two books;

Progamming Objective-C 2.0 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321566157/ref=s9_k2a_c1_t2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=07W92ABRAWN73DWXENBX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938131&pf_rd_i=507846) by Stephen Kochan. This books assumes no prior programming knowledge whatsoever and takes you step-by-step through the process of loading XCode and starting to work in it. It covers many different topics about utilizing many of the iPhone's features, choosing the right views for the right application, and so on, holding your hand and explaining everything that's going on it pretty plain English and code samples. Really good for the beginner.

Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK (http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-iPhone-Development-Exploring-Professional/dp/1430216263/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236458784&sr=8-1) by Dave Mark and Jeff LaMarche. Much like the above book, this is a very good hand-holding book. It takes you from downloading and installing the SDK and covers an even wider range of topics than Kochan's book, including Core Graphics and OpenGL, which Kochan's book doesn't touch on. This one is best for those who want to start writing games.

Both books are excellent and worth buying. I bought both of them and am currently going through them. They use plain English, give plenty of code samples, diagrams, and explanations of each line of code to get you comfortable even if you're starting with zero experience in programming.

Also read this Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_programming#The_game_loop) article on game programming to get a kind of generalized theory on how games are designed from a development perspective.

[Donburns99]

iPhone SDK Application Development (http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596154059/?CMP=AFC-ak_book&ATT=iPhone+SDK+Application+Development)

O'Reilly books are solid.



I've always learned best through doing and experimenting first-hand though, but that varies from person to person.

[Diablohead]

I know 3D modelling very well but i'm still a code novice, if you wish to make your own game no goal is too big :)

To keep things realistic, I know that my first app will not come out until near the end of the year, and I also know a lot of quick made app's tend to only do well for the first week or two at a low price, so plenty to think about as I learn.

[TitanT30]

I'd start with two books;

Progamming Objective-C 2.0 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321566157/ref=s9_k2a_c1_t2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=07W92ABRAWN73DWXENBX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938131&pf_rd_i=507846) by Stephen Kochan. This books assumes no prior programming knowledge whatsoever and takes you step-by-step through the process of loading XCode and starting to work in it. It covers many different topics about utilizing many of the iPhone's features, choosing the right views for the right application, and so on, holding your hand and explaining everything that's going on it pretty plain English and code samples. Really good for the beginner.



So I should buy this and read this before starting the iPhone books?

[iloverightangles111]

I have until I learned you needed a Mac :(

me too

[lazypeon]

So I should buy this and read this before starting the iPhone books?
If you're a good programmer already in similar languages (C, Java, etc... ), I'd personally go the iPhone specific book route first. If you're just starting out programming or aren't very confident yet, I'd recommend the general language books.

From what I've seen, the iPhone books teach you enough to get by in terms of Obj-C specifics, and it's a lot more fun to get something working on the simulator / iPhone than general Obj-C stuff.

Just my 2 cents.

[spacecowgoesmoo]

If you read the tech review of iDracula, you'll see that it was done by a 2 man team. Not everything requires giant development teams. Proper planning, and execution is critical to a solid release.

Our games are made by only 2 people as well; I think there's actually a lot of devs going this way. Definetly possible to make a game solo as well.

[inkstar]

How many of you guys, because of the success of the app store and the hype over "good" iphone games and seeing the developments process and talking with the developers and whatnot, are actually tempted to start trying to develop iphone games yourself?

I have certainly thought about it; but it just seems to complicated. I really don't know the first thing about the actual programming, even though i have a bunch of ideas that i think would make pretty fair games!

Or even better, anyone here actually BECOME a dev because of the things they read here on TA?

http://www.idevgames.com/
http://udevgames.com/

2 very good sources BUT you should really move this over to the development forum here on TA :) There you can get much more help and answers. perhaps there are developers there that got inspired from reading here on TA ?

[gillygize]

Well, I didn't get started because of TouchArcade...I came to Touch Arcade after I got started, put something on the AppStore and was like...ok, now what?

Anyway, I made the transition to programming the iPhone over a long four-day weekend. My previous experience was an undergraduate computer science degree, and a year or so of developing websites, working with PHP and SQL and those sorts of things. I had plenty of Java in my Computer Science days, and some C, C++ experience so the transition wasn't that difficult, although there were several things, like OpenGL ES, that I used for the first time.

If you have never programmed before, it will probably be good to learn a little bit about programming first. For people who have some programming experience, the transition will be easier or hard depending on what you have had before. One important think is that Objective C uses what is called the "object-oriented" programming method. Other languages, like Java and C++, use a similar way of organizing their programs, so the transition is not as difficult as from something like BASIC (Visual Basic might be an exception here, I have done virtually nothing in VB, but I do believe it has an object-oriented syntax. On the other hand, I think VB hides a lot from the user so there still might be some rough patches). PHP and some of those languages look like C, which is helpful, but they also hide a lot from the user which means you will have some rough patches, but at least you will know how program logic works. Of course, Objective C also shares much common with C--really it is just C that has some added features to make it object-oriented--so if you are familiar with C, then you will be familiar with the way in which Objective C programs look (its syntax) but not the way in which the programs are organized.

If you have never learned to program, a class might be better than a book, but it probably depends on the person. At least, it is good if you learn how to program well. This means not just getting code to run on your iPhone, but learning how to write well-organized programs that are written clearly, so that three months later you don't go back and look at your program and wonder, "How does this work?" and that kind of thing.

But I have learned best with hands on experience. If you have a Mac, get the SDK, download some of Apple's code samples. If you look at the code samples, you will probably not understand 99% of what is going on. That's ok. Choose a simple one, like how to display text. Go find the text and change if. As yourself, "how do I make it green?" That sort of thing. If you change something and break it, no problem, just download it again. I would say, don't get too distracted by having your final game in mind. Just work step by step on simple processes like: how do put text on the screen? how do make text appear when in push a button? how do make a menu? how do I drag something around on the screen? Figure out how that kind of thing works first, and then step by step you'll have all of the tools you will need to make a project. Buy the book and refer to it when you have questions, or just Google them.

[WOW_GEE]

Man i really wanna develop, but there are plenty of things holding me back. (lol like not having a mac)
Also, it just seems so complex. I haven't the first idea on programming (seriously, i have no clue about anything having to do with programming) All i have are ideas. If only i could IMAGINE games and then poof they were on my iphone. :(

[Mindfield]

Man i really wanna develop, but there are plenty of things holding me back. (lol like not having a mac)
Also, it just seems so complex. I haven't the first idea on programming (seriously, i have no clue about anything having to do with programming) All i have are ideas. If only i could IMAGINE games and then poof they were on my iphone. :(

The mac is really the biggest barrier to entry. Don't worry about what you don't know. That comes with time, study, and practise. Don't concern yourself with how hard it seems or how long it will take before you're proficient enough to do something useful. If you obsess over the length and difficulty of the journey you'll never take the first step. (Believe me, I know. I'm a world class procrastinator, but I also know that once you take that first step, you'll see where the next one should be, and then the next, and the next ... before you even realize it you won't be able to see where you started anymore, and you'll have learned more than you thought you would.)

The key is figuring out what needs to be done, and then focusing on doing it, or finding a way to get it done.

[WOW_GEE]

The mac is really the biggest barrier to entry. Don't worry about what you don't know. That comes with time, study, and practise. Don't concern yourself with how hard it seems or how long it will take before you're proficient enough to do something useful. If you obsess over the length and difficulty of the journey you'll never take the first step. (Believe me, I know. I'm a world class procrastinator, but I also know that once you take that first step, you'll see where the next one should be, and then the next, and the next ... before you even realize it you won't be able to see where you started anymore, and you'll have learned more than you thought you would.)

The key is figuring out what needs to be done, and then focusing on doing it, or finding a way to get it done.

This comment actually helped me a lot, and heres why. Its gonna seem off topic, but bear with me.

I used to think learning the guitar was impossible. I used to think there was no way i could learn another instrument without proper lessons. (I spend 7 years learning the piano and i figured that would be the extent of my musical knowledge)
For some reason, watching House triggered me to want to learn the guitar (don't ask me why; i think i saw an episode that had a cool song and i wanted to learn it on guitar) So i went on youtube and i got some books from the library and two years later (today) i consider myself pretty proficient in guitar, despite the fact that two years ago i knew NOTHING about playing it, i was merely motivated to do so.

I believe the same can be done with developing. If ANYONE puts their mind to it and actually has the motivation to try, with baby steps, they will become a capable developer like Ian or John Kooistra (spelt wrong, sorry :o)
But like i said, it took me two years just to consider myself PROFICIENT in guitar, and i already had a partially musically inclined background.

If i wanna get into developing, I have no computer based background whatsoever, so i'll be starting from scratch. That first step is always the most difficult, because your diving into something you've never done before, and once i make that first step, (getting a programming book, starting to actually write a small program, going to a computer class, etc.) From there i can expand and in retrospect, having a Mac will seem like a very small issue.

And i know that this seems more like a "philosophical" aspect of wanting to develop rather than an a factual developers post, but its an aspect nonetheless, and certainly something that you have to overcome if you wanna get into the facts about actually programming a game at all.

[sam the lion]

Yep, I also thought about it. After all me and one of my best friends are both iphone users and decent programmers (he's far better than me, to be honest). We are not good with graphics but we know a good artist, so maybe also this problem could be solved. We already have some gameplay ideas, although I think we don't have a real "winner", yet. And I need to get a mac!

[Mindfield]

Your background doesn't matter, when it comes right down to it. It's what and who you are as a person that matters. I was born to a mother who was a wonderful artist who made gorgeous oil paintings, and a father who was a trumpet player in a variety of jazz bands. While I do have artistic inclinations, and I also do compose music, no part of my background contained computers. That's just something I picked up myself and learned very well over the years.

If you have inclinations toward programming, and if you have that sort of mentality (see this post (http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpost.php?p=97807&postcount=15) I made about the typical traits common to programmers based on my own experience) then the only thing stopping you, other than the lack of a Mac, is you. But it's not only possible, it's probable, if you're determined enough, and the iPhone dev community is fantastic and many, many devs are willing to help out newbies and get them on their feet.

[supg328911]

You need a mac? I always thought all you needed was an iphone and inspiration. :(
O well. So much for PC developing.

you can design the game on a pc but you need a mac for the sdk...correct me if I'm wrong

[Anders]

[...]

they seem like 1 to 3 man projects; things that you do by yourself. It shows that even if you don't have a huge Dev team (like i'm assuming ZB or Sway had) you can still make a very successful and very fun game on the iphone

[...]

We are just 4 people here at Illusion Labs (old friends from college), and ReadyFireAim is more or less just one person. I wouldn't go as far as calling that huge ;)

You don't need to be big to do great games, I would say being big is a bad thing.