How many devs have used the program Gamesalad? If you have used it how would you rate it based on ease of use for someone who knows absolutely nothing about programming? I'm trying to get into programming, and as of right now I have a few books and Gamesalad. I figure it would be easier to use Gamesalad and make a game based off of the tutorials they offer. Any info would be helpful!
I've used it. It's really simple. But it has limitations. You have to get pretty creative and resourceful with what is giving to you.
I never used GameSalad so I'm unaware of the learning curve but I do know it does not require nor support programing. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you want to do. If you just want a quick way to make a game without worrying about having to learn a programing language then It may be a good solution. Though with a program like GameSalad you are limited on what you can do, when programing a game from scratch there a far fewer limitations and much more room for customization. Also Apple may stop supporting Apps created from 3rd party programs, and only support applications created in the Xcode environment. It sounds as though you want to get into programing. If you want to be into development/design of applications like games for the long run then learning a programing language first would be far more beneficial. It's more time consuming and difficult but the end result is far more rewarding, and it opens up more possibilities. Objective-C/C is the primary language used with iPhone applications but some also use C++. It took me about 3 months of daily work teaching myself Objective-C/Cocoa Touch, with books, to begin making functional applications and the more you stick with it the more you learn.
Quick question for you, do you know exactly what language cocos2d uses? Is it Objective-C? I'm completely new to programming.
So i started making a little game today. After about an hour i had a a decent avoidance game built (and i mean decent for someone who jas nvr programmed anything). What pisses me off is that the company who designed gamesalad charges you $100 a year for a basic memership which allows you to publish more apps than the alloted number in the trial membership. For the pro package it costs $1k a year!!! Plus you have to pay apple $100. It seems as though this game salad thing is more trouble than its worth. Its kimd of easy to learn but its def not worth $100 a year. Guess ill stick to learning objective-c/c. Btw if there are any iphone game companies near albany NY and you are looking for an intern or anything like an intern im available whenever! I really want to get into iphone programming and figure it would be very beneficial for me to work along side those who create games for the amazing device! Like CM games! I want to work for you!!!
I may be wrong but I think the $100 yearly fee for GameSalad may cover the cost for signing up for the annual developer account for Apple (Which you need to pay regardless). As for the $1999 annual fee, that is a bit outrageous when the only extra features you appear to get is Tech Support/Custom Loading Screen. Personally if I were you I'd just go with learning to program. I think you'll be happy you went that route instead of GameSalad, but each person is different.
I don't know where you're getting your information from, but as a paid member for both GameSalad and Torque 2D, plus under beta/trail for Game Editor and Corona, I can tell you that there are two memberships for GameSalad: Express for $99/year, and Professional for $1999/year. Both allow you to make as many games as you desire, but the Professional version currently does away with their obligatory splash screen and also provides launching URLs, which is great to help promote your other titles on the App Store. Lastly, you can try GameSalad for free ("trial" membership) to develop games for the web, to see if you enjoy the engine and its simplicity in developing games with it. That being said, Apple will always charge you $99/year to develop and publish any applications on the App Store. But, I believe having at least an Express membership at $99/year is an absolute bargain, considering how easy it is to use, and if you can work around the current limitations of the engine (which is still in development), you can make a lot of games of various genres. I can't knock Objective-C, but IMHO, it's quite cryptic and syntax-laden. Being able to worry about the game design rather than coding it is very much worth that $99. I'd be very surprised if one cannot generate $200 in one month in revenue to pay for a year's worth of Apple developer's license and GameSalad.
You've enticed my curiosity ... how would you compare Torque 2D and the others to GameSalad? I've used GameSalad but not the others and I know nothing about them. Thanks!
I am currently using Torque, it has its own issues that you have to deal with, it is alot more powerful than GameSalad. You will need to know how to program and mess around with X-Code (which is fun itself .. but you can do alot more with it. I didnt get a chance to use GS that much because its the first Mac app to actually crash my MAC on a regular basis.. so after a few hours gave up.
Yes it is impossible to use Java. I learned Objective-C first then I began (and still am) learning Java, and at this point learning it hasn't been all that difficult for me. Syntax is the only difference really (Knowing Java before Obj-C might make the Obj-C syntax a little more intimidating) but they both share the same basic principles of OOP. Learning Objective-C shouldn't be that difficult for you.
I don't understand why that would piss anybody off. They offer a great product that lets someone with no knowledge of code and minimal knowledge of game logic publish to the app store. At $100 per client per year, I can't imagine they're making any kind of profit. The price tag probably helps them offset some of the cost of development. You could go to any restaurant and get a job as a dishwasher, thereby raising $100 in a tiny fraction of the time it would take you to learn to program.
Let not anyone forget that tools like Gamesalad are currently in limbo, since Apple introduced new restrictions with their "Terms of Services" in the iPhone OS4 Beta SDK. It's uncertain how this will work out, and it's possible that games made with such "intermediate" tools like Gamesalad (same like Flash and others) might be not be allowed on the Appstore in the future.... I would currently wait for some clearance from Apple in that regard before i spend money on an 3rd party iPhone development tool. Of course nothing speaks against downloading the tool and start to learn (it's free to download AFAIK )...
We just released Backlash that was developed in Gamesalad. It's good if you're not a programmer but it has some limitations. I think we're going to try one more game in it and then move on and try something else. Still, for a beginner, the learning curve is stupid simple, the tutorial game creator is all you'll need to understand to get started. Good luck!
I saw in a tut video that a dev used what i think he said was a 3D model (though i thought it was 2.5D. Where is the best place for me to find free/royalty free 2.5D and 3D models? I would like to start making a platformer but need characters, backgrounds, and stuff that you need for platformers lol. Ive decided to start working on a platformer kind of like Alien Hominid. I will pay all the fees tonorrow and start working right away! Wish me luck!!
