Apple Watch for games

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by BanzaiTokyo, Apr 11, 2015.

  1. BanzaiTokyo

    BanzaiTokyo Well-Known Member

    Jun 23, 2012
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    Hello fellow developers!
    This forum is for game developers. I have been doing both games and apps. I have even released one app for Apple Watch already. And it got me thinking... Is there really a way to use Apple Watch in games?

    Have you already experimenting with new ideas and mechanics that could benefit from this new device?
     
  2. Storm Factory

    Storm Factory Active Member

    Apr 8, 2015
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    What was your experience submitting the Apple Watch app? Has it already been approved?
     
  3. BanzaiTokyo

    BanzaiTokyo Well-Known Member

    Jun 23, 2012
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    yes, it has already been approved, you can see the link in my signature.

    The process was pretty smooth.
    At first they rejected my metadata because I put "for Apple Watch" in the title, but when I changed it to simply "for watch" it was approved.


    The only thing I noticed is that it was very long "in review", more than 48 hours. Other than that, everything went the same way as with any other app.
     
  4. alextorex

    alextorex Member

    Oct 1, 2009
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    indie dev
    Romania
    I submitted a Apple Watch update for my word game, Word Swipe (yes, I know, bad name) - here's the link: https://itunes.apple.com/ro/app/word-swipe-mania/id971836959?mt=8 ; it got approved right before April 11, also after about 48 hours in review.
    I wasn't bright enough to add "for watch" in the name (or keywords, as a matter of fact), but I think it's a great idea.
    Regarding new ideas and mechanics, I'd say there isn't anything "new" that you can come up with for now, since the SDK is pretty restrictive, as you already know. I'm currently exploring some ideas based on the old pre-Gameboy handheld games, the old school games with very limited interaction and animation.
    It's weird to have all those SDK limitations, and it's even harder since we can't test the apps on the actual device to see what kind of responsiveness we can expect from it.
     
  5. Johnno

    Johnno Well-Known Member

    Apr 2, 2013
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    Game developer
    Brisbane
    I've submitted two watch games so far - Snappy Word and Smart Attack - and both have gone into review within 3 days and been approved or rejected within 12 hours. So yes, review times for Watch games are a high priority for Apple right now!

    The dev process has been fairly straightforward - the biggest challenge is that everything is so new that googling problems doesn't always result in finding answers straight away - but that is improving almost every day.
     
  6. Storm Factory

    Storm Factory Active Member

    Apr 8, 2015
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    For you guys that have made games, what's the responsiveness and smoothness of your games? Do you have any animations? Would the current Apple Watch be able to handle a quick tapping game like Flappy Bird or a side scroller?
     
  7. alextorex

    alextorex Member

    Oct 1, 2009
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    indie dev
    Romania
    The SDK doesn't allow you to read or update any coordinates of the watchkit UI elements, so you can't animate anything dynamically - flappy bird or sidescrollers are excluded from the start. All animations must be pre-made and saved on the phone as distinct images (one for each frame). The only types of games I can see possible with the current SDK are word games and other board puzzles where speed and responsiveness are not an issue. From what I understand from the Watch online reviews, responsiveness is a huge issue even when the iPhone is nearby the watch, and the time delay in the Watch simulator are even a bit optimistic.Just saying, until the next WatchKit SDK that allows code to be ran directly on the watch (currently all code is ran on the iphone and the watch only handles the display, much like a remote terminal) games will be very limited.
     
  8. RobinK

    RobinK Active Member

    Jun 30, 2013
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    Since board puzzle games work pretty well on Apple Watch, I made a 2048 clone for it.
    You can already download it and when Apple Watch is out, you can play it on the first day: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/2048-watch/id979995877?l=de&ls=1&mt=8

    You can start a game on your iPhone and keep playing on your Apple Watch (and vice versa).
    I couldn´t test it on a real device yet, but responsiveness isn´t that important in such kind of game.
    But action games like Flappy Birs are not possible at the moment.
    Here are some screenshots of the Apple Watch version.
     

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  9. knokker

    knokker New Member

    Oct 30, 2012
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    I am curios to know how they implement games like these: http://toucharcade.com/2015/04/13/football-twos-apple-watch-games/


    I suppose they implemented a UIView-based game framework which only sends portions of the full screen to a tile based watch layout.
     
  10. drelbs

    drelbs Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2009
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    IMHO with the battery life of the watch - if I had one I doubt I'd be playing games on it.

    That being said, the first thing I thought of when someone mentioned games and the watch was to be a controller for Jetpack Joyride. ;)
     
  11. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    Has anyone tried to to play with a watch on their wrist for 5 minutes to realise how awkward it is for a game?

    It could be interesting as secondary screen but to be honest I don't think gaming is really a significant portion of the market for it.
     
  12. drelbs

    drelbs Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2009
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    Yes.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    That was a different time however. Basically everyone carries their own mobile gaming platform on their phone. You have to convince someone their watch is a better platform for this. Seems unlikely to me. I can't comprehend games that would play better on it (although maybe my imagination just isn't wild enough.
     
  14. Xammond

    Xammond Well-Known Member

    Mar 22, 2014
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    UK
    It's like being in the 1970s when LCD devices were popular, they worked similar to animated GIFs...those things which are now taking over Twitter.

    2015 is the year of yesterday. I predict a Tamagotchi/Pet game owning the iWatch chart.
     
  15. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
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    well from a tech standpoint app extension are glorified "gif" players.. i was actually in complete disbelieve when i've read the "limitations" on the Apple Watch. I can only hope the full access SDK will be presented at WWDC but then why would you play a "real" game on it if the batteries dry up after half an hour of extensive use.

    What i find odd is the current expectations from the press regarding the watch when its clear as day that the technical limitations won't let you do much at all. Quite dissapointed with the clear vision that the first generation will be pretty much useless next year with a much stronger more versatile watch 2.

    Expect tons of "Game&Watch" stlye games.

    Let the developement begin! :D
     
  16. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    Dec 5, 2008
    1,718
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    Freelance interactive design and programming
    Ohio
    My Apple Watch game ideas are all ARG... and all way-off "maybe someday" ideas.

    Actually spending a significant time on the watch isn't a good use of battery, and you may as well take your phone out in that case. But an ARG might call on your watch (and phone) briefly and as-needed, in cool ways. You'd use it much like you would in non-gaming reality.
     
  17. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
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    Berlin, Germany
    ARG? Action Roleplay Games? :D
     
  18. PikPok

    PikPok Well-Known Member

    Nov 26, 2009
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    Wellington
    Wow. Stealing their name, look and feel, and exact gameplay is pretty shameless. Even if that dev borrowed heavily from Threes in terms of a concept, at least they had the decency to have their own name, look and feel and make gameplay changes.
     
  19. Eggsavior

    Eggsavior Active Member

    Mar 19, 2015
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    It's nearly here!

    Like Ingress? I thought about it, too! And it actually might be a very good idea.

    Reviving the past, I've also thought about text RPGs.
     
  20. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    Dec 5, 2008
    1,718
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    Freelance interactive design and programming
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    #20 Adams Immersive, Apr 22, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2015
    ARG = Alternate Reality Games.

    Like I Love Bees. (Sadly, most ARGs seem to be promotional in nature.)

    I'm not sure ARG's have ever been done to best effect, and I'm not sure I'm the one to change that! But I like the idea.

    (Ingress seems to be an AR game... augmented reality. Of course, the two concepts could mesh nicely!)
     

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