I spent last week in San Francisco attending Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference. I’m always excited by the new stuff that Apple releases there. I spend that week each year lodged firmly inside the RDF.

But this year was different.

This year was a whole new level of “Wow!” for me. Given that it was my seventh consecutive WWDC, that’s saying something. And the bulk of the wows actually came after the keynote during the various NDA sessions.

During the keynote, the focus was on the user-facing changes to OS X and iOS, plus some hardware announcements, which included a completely redesigned Mac Pro (another “Wow!”). I may talk about the new hardware at some point, but right now, I want to focus on the software changes, and specifically the changes to iOS, because they are substantial and somewhat in-your-face.

We all saw the new UI that was shown during the keynote, and it’s been the subject of much debate ever since. Every single designer with a dribbble account or a copy of Photoshop has spent the last week or so telling anyone who would listen why the design of iOS 7 sucks. Now, I’m not a designer, so I’m not going to enter the fray except to say two things:

1. What they’re all judging is a developer preview released at a developer conference and made available to registered developers only. We’re at least three months, possibly more, from a final product. It’s very likely that many of the “design problems” that people are pointing out in these early builds will be gone by the time iOS 7 is released. Apple doesn’t design and then go build as two distinct and separate steps. They iterate, and they are still iterating, and they will continue to iterate for quite some time. The right place to point out actual design flaws on a pre-release version of iOS is right here, not on a blog or on dribbble.
2. I’ve read a lot of posts claiming the new iOS design breaks various “rules of design” and that “no designers” think what Apple has done with iOS 7 is right. They’re pointing out things like iOS 7 “using straight-from-the-tube colors” and explaining how “the new icon grid is wrong“. I’m sure there are many valid and worthy points buried amongst all the whining (but, again, see #1). Of course, when I hear these comments, I can’t help but think back to something an art teacher once said to me. I can’t remember the exact quote, but it was something along the lines of: “Competent artists know the rules and follow them. Masters know when to break them.” When the dust settles and iOS 7 ships, most of the “broken” design rules at that time will likely have been broken intentionally. Maybe you’re a better designer than Jony and his team, but you’re a dark horse in that race if so.

Square Enix’s Bloodmasque was undoubtedly the strangest game I saw at E3 last week, and in a year defined by indie titles and two new HD consoles, I think that’s saying something. Square Enix has had a weird time with the App Store — other companies like Capcom and EA have found a lot of success in smaller titles, but Square Enix has clung to its own console traditions, releasing relatively large and high quality, high production titles for a relatively high cost. Bloodmasque follows this trend (though the price has yet to be announced just yet), and it also brings one weird little twist that was actually more charming than I expected.

The game is based in an alternate universe, sort of steampunky version of Paris in 1890, where an empire of vampires (yes, a vampire empire) rules the world. One plucky adventurer has the guts and the magical powers to stand up to those empires, and that adventurer is you. Literally you, I mean, because the game scans your face, and then inserts it right on to the main character. That’s me and my character above, though keep in mind that this was day 3 of E3, so if I look a little tired, that’s why.

The face-scanning thing is a gimmick, and yet strangely it works: After my face was scanned in and my hair was tuned to the right shape and color, I watched as my character (a little more fit than I am) saved a damsel in distress, and carried out a vampire fight scene. I tapped to attack, swiped to dodge, and then when the vampire was almost dead, pulled off a jumping leap and staked him right in the back of the neck. You can actually record three different faces, so you get one frowning, one standard and one smiling. Each of them can look very different, which can make the animation a little strange. Even under the best of conditions, the face looks weird and a little creepy, sure, but I could tell it was me, so I guess that’s the point.

Bloodmasque itself is really just a series of missions, which you navigate around via an overworld map. There’s a light social game built on it as well — you can choose two friends to join you in battle scenes, and their faces will also show up on screen as you play (you can elect to keep your face private, if you like, or you can choose a premade face if you’re not interested in showing your mug to the world). Your friends get bonuses when you use them in battle, and vice versa, so having an oft-used mug will earn you more blood for upgrades and XP for missions.

There are exploration levels, too, but I found them pretty bland, unfortunately. We’ll have to wait until the full game arrives to see if the story pulls us in at all. But the setting is distinct (steampunk is always a plus), and that face gimmick makes for a very interesting twist indeed. If the combat can sustain the fun, Bloodmasque could be a riotous way to put a character together, featuring your very own look.

Square Enix seems attached to the idea that selling premium games at a premium price will work, and I’m not one to disavow them of that, especially as lots of other companies race towards the bottom. Bloodmasque should be an interesting experiment — it’s set to come out sometime later on this summer.

Square Enix uses your face for action in Bloodmasque originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square Enix uses your face for action in Bloodmasque originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#AltWWDC was a great conference organized by the Appsterdam folks in San Francisco last week. The intent was to be an alternative to the sold out WWDC next door. Interestingly there were many attendees wearing WWDC badges at AltWWDC. A testament to the high quality of the speakers.

There were several sessions at AltWWDC discussing marketing which is a topic that you won’t find at Apple’s official events. Here are my notes from the sessions that I attended.

Traditional Marketing Sucks. Let’s Get Weird.

Speaker: Eli Hodapp – Editor in Chief, TouchArcade.com
Slides: http://mds.public.s3.amazonaws.com/Eli%20Hodapp%20altWWDC.key
Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/415713862

• For your app launch, think about what you can do different. How can you be smarter than everyone else?
• Example: Bounce On 2 first launched a free version of their game. In the app there was a countdown timer to the launch of the full version.
• Bypass the press by building your own community. Make memorable connections in smaller communities.
• Examples: Post a thread for your game on the TouchArcade.com forums. Or in the iOS Gaming Subredit.
• Crescent Moon Games
  • Participated in every RPG discussion on the Touch Arcade forums. See user “JoshCM”
  • Posted early concept art.
  • Built a loyal following.
  • The end result was that the editors of Touch Arcade wanted to put up something on the main website because of the activity in the forum. Much better than sending press releases that nobody cares about.
• Summary
  • It’s so easy to connect to people.
  • Build a fan base.
  • You can do this every day.

Turning Angry Customers in to Fans – Tales from Indie Tech Support

Speaker: Josh Michaels
Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/416539228 (starts around 17:00)

• Tech support is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about app marketing.
• This session is very funny and offers great practical advice on how to respond to tech support emails.
• The presentation is well worth watching. My dry bullet points here cannot do it justice…

Marketing You Won’t Hate

Speaker: Jean MacDonald, Partner Smile Software
Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/416561363

Create an Email Tips Series

• When the app launches the first time, ask customer if they would like to get an email tips series?
• Schedule a short autoresponder sequence of emails. Send the first welcome email immediately, then the first tip on the following day. Send a new tip each week after that.
• Smile uses MailChimp. (Note that the autoresponder feature is not included in the free MailChimp plan.)
• The open rate for these tip emails is about 75%, and remains consistently high.
• This is one way to capture emails from customers that come from App Stores.
• Make the tips short
• Number the steps
• Include a screenshot. (Bonus: allows you to see email opens)
• Customers respond with fan mail!

Review Your Approach to Twitter

• Don’t retweet everything nice everyone says about you. You’re preaching to the choir.
• Retweet tips from your customers. (After verifying the tip.)
• Smiles uses Hoot Suite to manage Twitter with multiple people.
• Reply with thank you to customers.
• Don’t tweet actual promo codes.
• Better to have a give-away on Twitter.
  • Ask a simple question. (Related to your product.)
  • First five responses win.
  • Tweet follow up announcing winners, with their Twitter handles.
  • Then DM the code to the person. (Requires winners to follow you.)
  • The answers to your question also gives you valuable data.
• Encourage a dialogue
• Reply to mentions

Sponsoring Podcasts

• Smile started small with a coupon offer on one podcast.
• Like to work with smaller podcasts and grow with them.
• List of new and upcoming podcasts: smilesoftware.com/altwwdc
• On these smaller podcasts $1,000 will get you on 4 podcast episodes.
• You don’t want to sponsor just a single episode. That is a waste of your resources. You need to build recognition over time.
• Find a podcast where the host is a fan of your software. Much better than the host reading a script about you.
• Give the host guidelines, not a script. Change them over time, to not get boring.
• Promote the podcast yourself.

App Marketing Panel Discussion

Moderator: Brett Terpstra

Panelists:

• Jana Boruta, Prismatic
• Dave Howell, CEO of Avatron Software makers of Air Login, Air Display, Air Sharing and Air Connect.
• Ouriel Ohayon, CEO of AppsFire
• Marco Tabini, writer for MacWorld

Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/416578699

Random notes from a wide ranging discussion:

• Marketing has to start before the app is done.
• Blogs are a great way to get out pre-release information.
• Writers want personal interactions. They want to see indies succeed.
• Apps need to be marketed like music and movies. Before they are available in the store.
• Create a great teaser video.
• If you spend 3 months developing an app. Spend three months on marketing.
• Find influencers and try to get them to use the app.
• Beta program is also important.
• Send out creative beta invites to get people excited.
• Begin your launch at least 4 weeks before your launch.
• Comment on a blog with a thoughtful response to get the attention of a blogger.
• Attend events to connect with people.
• Advertising does not work for apps that cost less than $10. The economics are not there.
• Tracking is critical.
• Buy impressions with metrics in mind.
• ROI is difficult for paid apps.
• Price discounts works well for paid apps. Combine with paid installs to accelerate adoption.
• Measure app engagement before paying for ads or installs.
• Don’t underprice your app. Easier to lower price later and to have temporary sales.
• Try everything in the App Store.
• If your app does something sensitive, e.g. 1Password, people want to pay more for a “trusted” app.
• Huge difference in customer opinion between free and $1 app.
• Use an honest approach.
• Bloggers see everything under the sun. Excellent source for feedback.
• Don’t be afraid of showing your app before it’s ready.
• Make sure you list any limitations and requirements in your app description.
• MacUpdate advertising effective for Mac apps. Automatically does A/B testing.
• How do you get to the right person on a multi-person blog?
• Read and research past blog posts.
• Create a spreadsheet with names and interests.
• Friends are a powerful source of recommendations.
• Make it easy to virally spread the word inside an app.
• Don’t be pushy in the app. Give the control to the user.
• Email to blogger:
• Begin with a concise description of why your message is important to the readers.
• 85% of press releases don’t have active links to the website.
• Risky to mention past stories, since the writer may not be personally interested in the topic.
• Traditional press releases are pretty much dead.
• Create an HTML page where the writer can get all the necessary info, copy & paste, etc.
• The excitement of the developer is contagious. The tone of the email is important. How much passion is behind it.
• Many apps play well together with other apps. Reach out to those developers and collaborate on marketing.

Post from iPhone Development Blog Copyright © 2011 Nick Dalton - iPhone Developer

Notes from the AltWWDC App Marketing Sessions

Agricola is one of the most popular board games around these days — it’s sort of a farming simulation game, where you can take two turns every round, and then periodically get rewards paid off in a harvest. Playdek is an up-and-coming iOS developer that’s mostly done card games so far — they’re behind the Penny Arcade card game, as well as the excellent Ascension and a more complicated one I really like called Nightfall. Now, Playdek has teamed up with the creators of Agricola and Lookout Games to produce this iOS adaptation, available right now on the App Store for $6.99.

The way the game works is that every round, you send out a family member to perform some task for you, including growing crops, bringing in resources, or building fences for animals. During the game, you can add more members to your family, which means you’ll have more chances to bring in resources, but you’ll also have more people to feed when the harvest comes around. The game is complex, but the core idea (of building up your farm bit by bit) is strong, so after playing through the tutorial and seeing the process for a while, it’s easy to start building your own strategies and plans.

Just as with the rest of their titles, Playdek has done a great job here in the presentation — the game’s stark but beautiful music goes well with the theme of fighting just to have enough, and all of the title’s various processes and features are clearly displayed with charming and iconic touches. The game uses a top-down 2D drawn style, which might not have been quite as impressive as a full 3D farm environment, but works very well in getting all of the information you need across clearly. Plus, in addition to four gameplay modes, there’s online or offline multiplayer, including a pass-and-play mode which is always a nice. Playdek knows well how to translate card games over to iOS, and this title proves they’ve been able to bring that expertise to board games as well. Agricola might be a bit pricey for those unfamiliar (or uninterested) in the original, but if you’re looking for a full-featured, well-made adaptation of the popular board game, this is definitely it.

Daily iPhone App: Agricola is Playdek’s great adaptation of the board game originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Daily iPhone App: Agricola is Playdek’s great adaptation of the board game originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The excellent iOS RPG Knights of Pen and Paper has been updated to the +1 Edition (as we heard it would be back at GDC) and is now available as a free update on the App Store. This new version, which is technically 2.02, brings lots of new content, game updates, new dungeons to explore, and many other extras. For example, there’s now a place called The Tavern, where you can keep old heroes and swap in new ones. Several new battle options nearly turned Knights of Pen and Paper into entirely new game.

The +1 edition was spurred on by the game’s new publisher, Paradox. Thanks to that collaboration, the game is also now available on Steam for $9.99. But again, the iOS version is a free update, so if you’ve grabbed the game already, do be sure to download and give this version a try. If you haven’t purchased it yet, you can grab it now for $2.99.

Knights of Pen and Paper now updated to +1 edition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Knights of Pen and Paper now updated to +1 edition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#AltWWDC was a great conference organized by the Appsterdam folks in San Francisco last week. The intent was to be an alternative to the sold out WWDC next door. Interestingly there were many attendees wearing WWDC badges at AltWWDC. A testament to the high quality of the speakers.

There were several sessions at AltWWDC discussing marketing which is a topic that you won’t find at Apple’s official events. Here are my notes from the sessions that I attended.

Traditional Marketing Sucks. Let’s Get Weird.

Speaker: Eli Hodapp – Editor in Chief, TouchArcade.com
Slides: http://mds.public.s3.amazonaws.com/Eli%20Hodapp%20altWWDC.key
Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/415713862

• For your app launch, think about what you can do different. How can you be smarter than everyone else?
• Example: Bounce On 2 first launched a free version of their game. In the app there was a countdown timer to the launch of the full version.
• Bypass the press by building your own community. Make memorable connections in smaller communities.
• Examples: Post a thread for your game on the TouchArcade.com forums. Or in the iOS Gaming Subredit.
• Crescent Moon Games
  • Participated in every RPG discussion on the Touch Arcade forums. See user “JoshCM”
  • Posted early concept art.
  • Built a loyal following.
  • The end result was that the editors of Touch Arcade wanted to put up something on the main website because of the activity in the forum. Much better than sending press releases that nobody cares about.
• Summary
  • It’s so easy to connect to people.
  • Build a fan base.
  • You can do this every day.

Turning Angry Customers in to Fans – Tales from Indie Tech Support

Speaker: Josh Michaels
Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/416539228 (starts around 17:00)

• Tech support is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about app marketing.
• This session is very funny and offers great practical advice on how to respond to tech support emails.
• The presentation is well worth watching. My dry bullet points here cannot do it justice…

Marketing You Won’t Hate

Speaker: Jean MacDonald, Partner Smile Software
Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/416561363

Create an Email Tips Series

• When the app launches the first time, ask customer if they would like to get an email tips series?
• Schedule a short autoresponder sequence of emails. Send the first welcome email immediately, then the first tip on the following day. Send a new tip each week after that.
• Smile uses MailChimp. (Note that the autoresponder feature is not included in the free MailChimp plan.)
• The open rate for these tip emails is about 75%, and remains consistently high.
• This is one way to capture emails from customers that come from App Stores.
• Make the tips short
• Number the steps
• Include a screenshot. (Bonus: allows you to see email opens)
• Customers respond with fan mail!

Review Your Approach to Twitter

• Don’t retweet everything nice everyone says about you. You’re preaching to the choir.
• Retweet tips from your customers. (After verifying the tip.)
• Smiles uses Hoot Suite to manage Twitter with multiple people.
• Reply with thank you to customers.
• Don’t tweet actual promo codes.
• Better to have a give-away on Twitter.
  • Ask a simple question. (Related to your product.)
  • First five responses win.
  • Tweet follow up announcing winners, with their Twitter handles.
  • Then DM the code to the person. (Requires winners to follow you.)
  • The answers to your question also gives you valuable data.
• Encourage a dialogue
• Reply to mentions

Sponsoring Podcasts

• Smile started small with a coupon offer on one podcast.
• Like to work with smaller podcasts and grow with them.
• List of new and upcoming podcasts: smilesoftware.com/altwwdc
• On these smaller podcasts $1,000 will get you on 4 podcast episodes.
• You don’t want to sponsor just a single episode. That is a waste of your resources. You need to build recognition over time.
• Find a podcast where the host is a fan of your software. Much better than the host reading a script about you.
• Give the host guidelines, not a script. Change them over time, to not get boring.
• Promote the podcast yourself.

App Marketing Panel Discussion

Moderator: Brett Terpstra

Panelists:

• Jana Boruta, Prismatic
• Dave Howell, CEO of Avatron Software makers of Air Login, Air Display, Air Sharing and Air Connect.
• Ouriel Ohayon, CEO of AppsFire
• Marco Tabini, writer for MacWorld

Live stream video: http://www.twitch.tv/altwwdc/b/416578699

Random notes from a wide ranging discussion:

• Marketing has to start before the app is done.
• Blogs are a great way to get out pre-release information.
• Writers want personal interactions. They want to see indies succeed.
• Apps need to be marketed like music and movies. Before they are available in the store.
• Create a great teaser video.
• If you spend 3 months developing an app. Spend three months on marketing.
• Find influencers and try to get them to use the app.
• Beta program is also important.
• Send out creative beta invites to get people excited.
• Begin your launch at least 4 weeks before your launch.
• Comment on a blog with a thoughtful response to get the attention of a blogger.
• Attend events to connect with people.
• Advertising does not work for apps that cost less than $10. The economics are not there.
• Tracking is critical.
• Buy impressions with metrics in mind.
• ROI is difficult for paid apps.
• Price discounts works well for paid apps. Combine with paid installs to accelerate adoption.
• Measure app engagement before paying for ads or installs.
• Don’t underprice your app. Easier to lower price later and to have temporary sales.
• Try everything in the App Store.
• If your app does something sensitive, e.g. 1Password, people want to pay more for a “trusted” app.
• Huge difference in customer opinion between free and $1 app.
• Use an honest approach.
• Bloggers see everything under the sun. Excellent source for feedback.
• Don’t be afraid of showing your app before it’s ready.
• Make sure you list any limitations and requirements in your app description.
• MacUpdate advertising effective for Mac apps. Automatically does A/B testing.
• How do you get to the right person on a multi-person blog?
• Read and research past blog posts.
• Create a spreadsheet with names and interests.
• Friends are a powerful source of recommendations.
• Make it easy to virally spread the word inside an app.
• Don’t be pushy in the app. Give the control to the user.
• Email to blogger:
• Begin with a concise description of why your message is important to the readers.
• 85% of press releases don’t have active links to the website.
• Risky to mention past stories, since the writer may not be personally interested in the topic.
• Traditional press releases are pretty much dead.
• Create an HTML page where the writer can get all the necessary info, copy & paste, etc.
• The excitement of the developer is contagious. The tone of the email is important. How much passion is behind it.
• Many apps play well together with other apps. Reach out to those developers and collaborate on marketing.

Post from iPhone Development Blog Copyright © 2011 Nick Dalton - iPhone Developer

Notes from the AltWWDC Marketing Sessions

Pushing towards a paperless future, the neat folks at Neat have released version 2.0 of Neat for iOS. The new build of the scanning-on-the-go application features much faster performance, scan annotation, new sharing and collaboration options, plus a new expense reporting tool.

Neat has made its bones as a desktop scanning solution, offering both compact and ADF-enabled scanners that work with the company’s Mac and PC applications for document management. The Neat mobile app extends that find-my-files experience for access on the go, with scans and folders synchronizing to the NeatCloud online service. You can quickly share folders or individual scans to collaborate with colleagues, or search the OCR/indexed text of your documents to find what you need quickly.

The expense report feature is intriguing; it creates a summary PDF from a collection or folder of receipt scans, totaling up the expenditure and listing categories as it goes. It’s not going to supplant dedicated expense reporting iOS tools like Concur, but for mobile freelancers who want a quick way to send expense overviews while simultaneously filing the receipts for safekeeping, it may get some traction.

The NeatCloud platform also includes an optional human-powered verification step called NeatVerify, which will run the automatic OCR results from your receipt or business card scans (no documents) past the eyes of a real live person for checking. You can get 30 credits for this service for $4.99 a month, so it’s probably best to save it for key items.

Speaking of credits, while the Neat application is a free download from the App Store, the required NeatCloud service works on a paid subscription basis. After a 30-day free trial, you will need either the $14.99 or $29.99 monthly NeatCloud plan (discounted if you sign up for a year) to use the app; both plans offer additional features like extra users, cross-service search and more. Compare and contrast the $45 annual cost of an Evernote premium subscription, and you get the sense that Neat is aiming at the more demanding side of the market.

Neat revises mobile scanning app, adds expense reporting originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Neat revises mobile scanning app, adds expense reporting originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As noted by AppleInsider, AT&T has begun its FaceTime over cellular rollout to users. Back in May, AT&T stated that, by the end of 2013, all users would be able to use FaceTime over cellular. It appears that transition has begun. According to AppleInsider:

So far, activation of the service has been verified in parts of New York, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana, California and Hawaii. Voice and video quality is nearly on a par with the Wi-Fi implementation of the service, suggesting AT&T is not throttling those subscribers who choose to use the feature while on the go.

In January AT&T began rolling out FaceTime over cellular to users of its tiered data plans. By the time this current rollout is complete, all AT&T users will be able to use FaceTime over cellular, including those on grandfathered-in unlimited data plans.

[Editor's Note: A couple of weeks ago I noticed FaceTime over cellular was enabled for me, and I'm in Tennessee -- others confirm similar activations in the state. - VA]

AT&T begins FaceTime over cellular rollout originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T begins FaceTime over cellular rollout originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goal Zero’s solar charging products are a favorite here at TUAW, and the company loves New Yorkers — it provided a number of charging products during the power outages after last fall’s Hurricane Sandy. Now Goal Zero, AT&T, and Brooklyn-based design studio PENSA are teaming up to offer public solar-powered charging stations in NYC. Street Charge will be going live today at Fort Greene Park, with a total of 25 units bringing power to the people this summer.

Additional Street Charge devices will be installed as the summer heats up at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Coney Island, Riverside Park, Rockaways, Summerstage in Central Park, Randall’s Island, Governor’s Island, Union Square, and Hudson River Park. The 90-day trial program is light-impact — solar power means no digging up parks or pathways to lay cable.

The top of the “metal tree” is covered with three monocrystalline solar panels to charge up batteries located in the “trunk.” There are three tiny tables, equipped with built-in charging cords for iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and phones with micro-USB connectors. Each of the USB ports provides 5 volts at up to 2 amps of current (10 watts), enough to fully charge an iPhone in about two hours although the companies expect most people to just “top off” their devices. That current level is compatible with iPad fast charging as well. Three female USB connectors are also available for those who bring their own cords. The bottom of the “branches” feature LED lights to illuminate the area at night.

The design of the Street Charge units is also perfect for striking up a conversation with others while your phone is getting juice. Neil Giacobbi of AT&T was quoted about that social aspect on The Verge this morning, saying “What’s [the charger scene] going to be like at 4:30 in the morning in Union Square? I have no idea, but we’re going to find out.”

AT&T hasn’t said if it will sponsor Street Charge units in other metropolitan areas, but those who are interested in the solar charging stations can get a quote on how much it will cost to deploy one or more in their city. You can also check out this Serbian park charger, flagged by a Verge commenter as an early example of the genre.

Goal Zero and AT&T join up for Street Charge in NYC originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Goal Zero and AT&T join up for Street Charge in NYC originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chillingo, unfortunately, wasn’t mentioned at all during EA’s press conference last week. I thought the big publisher would at least give a little nod to its extremely successful mobile publishing arm, but no such luck. I did, however, go and see the team gathered in their annual suite near the LA Convention Center, and got a nice look at their upcoming slate for the next few months. Here’s a quick title-by-title rundown of what Chillingo and parent company EA were showing off.

Plants vs. Zombies 2

This is technically not a Chillingo title, as it’s being developed by Popcap and published by EA. But it was probably what will turn out to be the biggest title in the suite for sure. Plants vs. Zombies was a huge hit on mobile, and so Popcap is bringing it first to iOS later on this month. In addition to new plant types and lots of new stages, the title has a time traveling theme. Crazy Dave will take you and your plants back through time to fight zombies in Ancient Egypt, the Wild West, and the pirate-infested seas, with one more (probably a future) level coming soon after launch.

This time around, the game is based on that series of worlds, so each world will have its own core levels, challenge levels, and then endless levels to play through. Levels are unlocked as you open them up with keys that you collect, and you’ll need to earn a certain number of stars to open up “star gates” and move to the next world. Gameplay is as colorful and fun as ever in the very popular Plants vs. Zombies series, though there are a few new elements, like the ability to drag across the screen and pick up sunlight, rather than having to tap on each sun separately.

There are also new touchscreen-based powerups to play with, and this is where the game’s biggest issue comes in: It’s a freemium title. The original Plants vs. Zombies was very much a premium game, in that you paid once and played forever. But Popcap has elected to go freemium with PvZ2, so it’ll be free to download, and then various currencies and items will be available via in-app purchase. Popcap’s reps were very clear to say that players would be able to see the whole game for free, and that’s true, but even in my short playthrough, I saw no end of reminders that I could spend real money on in-game items. Powerups cost currency to use, which you can earn in-game, or you can spend real money on them if needed. And a special item called plant food provides your plants with a big boost, and can be collected from certain zombies or purchased directly.

The jury’s out on this one for now — we’ll have to wait and see if the changes bother Popcap’s audience at all. Popcap believes there’s more money to be made with a freemium scheme, and that’s almost certainly true. But the freemium elements may turn off a sizable part of the audience that doesn’t want to be continuously bothered for cash, and could taint the series’ otherwise sterling reputation for quality. Plants vs. Zombies 2 is due out very soon.

Fightback

Fightback is a Chillingo-published title being developed by Ninja Theory, the talented folks behind the great Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and the recent DmC: Devil May Cry, both for traditional consoles. Fightback is a much simpler action game with an ’80s feel, as you play a muscle-headed thug fighting through floor after floor of various towers, trying to save his oft-kidnapped sister. The game features a simple control scheme (tap to punch, swipe to kick or duck), and challenges the player to keep an attack combo going and defeat all of the baddies within a certain time limit.

Fightback seems simple but fun — one level takes place in an arcade, and the neon signage and fictional arcade cabinets add a nice bit of fun to the fisticuffs happening in the foreground. It too is a freemium title, and in addition to upgrading weapons and equipment, the hero can also get tattoos, which provide special buffs and abilities. Fightback should be an excellent but simple action title, and a nice entry into iOS for the veterans at Ninja Theory. It’s set to arrive sometime this summer.

Zya

Zya is the product of a company called Music Mastermind, and it has already picked up 300,000 users courtesy of a PC-based beta last year. It’s a music creation app, though while most music creation tools are buried under complicated UIs and science, Zya instead goes with cute characters and flashy graphics, and turns the process of creating and mixing a song into a game, of sorts. You start by choosing a series of music tracks (including a bass line and a rhythm section), either picking from the original pieces provided, or using licensed music from artists like Kelly Clarkson or Madonna. You can then add a melody, again from a licensed piece, or simply by singing your own into the iPad or iPhone’s microphone.

The game will then mix all of your tracks together (courtesy of a cute cartoony dog hitting a big green “Mix” button), and then reward you various points and achievements based on the mix you chose. You can then share that mix via YouTube or other social networks, with friends or online with the public.

Zya seems like a great idea — it combines some really impressive music creation and mixdown tools with cute characters and a very clear interface. There are only 20 licensed songs to start, but of course the company is ready to add more, if the app sees the popularity it needs. Zya will be out later this year, on iOS first, with an Android version to follow.

Icycle

Icycle was my favorite game at GDC this year, and we chatted with creator Reece Millidge just a while ago. The good news about Icycle is that it’s just as beautiful, charming, and well-made as it was at GDC, and it’s even closer to release (though obviously Chillingo is putting the time in to get it right).

The bad news, however, is that some freemium elements are creeping into the gorgeous gameplay. Now, when your character dies, you’re presented with a button to retry right from where you started, with a small cost of currency to pay (undoubtedly available via in-app purchase). There are also various boosts and other items buy, and unfortunately the menus for those items just appear garish and commercial when overlaid on the spectacular game itself. Icycle has to make money, of course, but it’s a little depressing to see commerce invade what should really be held up as pure art.

We’ll have to see how that balance plays out — it would be a shame for Chillingo to ruin such an excellent experience with a few overly crass sales pitches. Icycle is almost done, I’m told, and we should see it on the App Store soon.

Ultima Forever

Finally, Ultima Forever was on display yet again. I saw this in action at GDC for the first time, and it was and impressive retake on the old Ultima RPGs, made directly for iPhone. Unfortunately, it too suffers a little bit from the freemium focus that Chillingo has had lately, using a relatively annoying scheme of requiring keys of various qualities to do RPG-standard things like open chests and repair damaged equipment.

Fortunately, senior producer Carrie Gouskos seems particularly sensitive to the freemium concerns, especially after what sounds like a very enlightening Canadian beta. She told me that she’s very dedicated to not only making sure there’s a free-to-play path through the game that’s fun and rewarding, but has also been lowering prices lately, trying to get the in-app purchases to a place where they’re both profitable (for Chillingo’s sake), and tolerable (for the audience’s). We’ll be able to see the game soon — it’s set for a worldwide release sometime in July.

Chillingo is one of my favorite publishers on the App Store — the staff over there has made some terrific decisions in partnering up with quality developers, and all of these titles seem like great, well-polished experiences. Freemium is turning into a bad word with these titles, however, even when it doesn’t have to be. We’ve seen in the past that audiences on iOS are more than willing to pay for high-quality experiences, and while the constant ask may make Chillingo more money in the end, it could sully the company’s reputation, especially as there are more and more great experiences on the App Store that don’t constantly pester for cash. Hopefully this company can find a good balance between profitable and fun, and keep publishing these great titles without having to cram them full of controversial freemium pitches.

EA/Chillingo’s E3 2013 offerings: Plants vs Zombies 2, Fightback and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EA/Chillingo’s E3 2013 offerings: Plants vs Zombies 2, Fightback and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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