Where in the world is Obleo

News in the gaming front is that in the very near future GameHouse and Real Arcade are combining there game websites.

Improvements that gameHouse says well see soon are;

More Games, over 900 titles and new games added weekly.

More value. Only with a game membership subscription.

More features, like a forum (oh ok. that not too exciting)

More Choices. They say they will equally support mac and windows with the same titles

(I will believe it when I see it. Generally all these casual game stores, sell only one boring genre for the mac and that is hidden object. There so many hidden object games that if I personally see another I will scream.)

There hundreds of developers making awesome games for mac, but gameHouse seems to like selling only hidden object or match 3 games. Hopefully real Arcade can change that and bring fun and awesome titles to gameHouse more than what was just once a year or twice a year in the past.

I think that actually is possible because real arcade actually has many genres covered and deliver many great game titles, and have for years.

Here the press release on gamehouse and real arcade merging. http://www.gamehouse.com/news

Digital Graffiti Wall, a blog post we wrote about with Wii Spray early this year in this blog. Has some updated stencils. Here a demo video showing it off.

made with openFrameworks More Info @ http://www.openframeworks.cc/

back track to wii spray post @ http://obleo.posterous.com/wiispray-digital-graffiti

Thanks Apple, for actually reading bug reports. This fixes an number of issue with iTunes. Also added new things. But many of the fixes are what interest me, to write about it.

Here is the short list of fixes and improvements.

iTunes 9.0.2 adds support for Apple TV software version 3.0, adds an option for a dark background for Grid View, and improves support for accessibility.

iTunes 9 comes with many new features and improvements, including:

• An improved look and feel, including a new Column Browser for easily browsing your artists or albums, movies, TV shows, and more.

• iTunes Store has a brand new look, with improved navigation for quick and easy exploration.

• iTunes LP and iTunes Extras create unique experiences that feature exclusive interviews, videos, photos, and more — available with select album and movie purchases on the iTunes Store.

• Home Sharing helps you manage your family's iTunes collection between computers in your home. iTunes can automatically transfer new purchases, or you can choose just the items you want.

• Genius Mixes are created for you by iTunes and play songs from your library that go great together.

• iPod and iPhone syncing now allows you to organize your iPhone and iPod touch home screens directly in iTunes. Syncing is now also more flexible, allowing you to sync individual artists, genres, or TV show and Podcast episodes.

• iTunes U items are now organized into their own section in your iTunes library.

• Sync with iPod nano (5th generation), iPod classic (Fall 2009), and iPod touch (Fall 2009).

• iTunes 9 also includes many other improvements, such as HE-AAC encoding and playback, more flexibility with Smart Playlists rules, simpler organization of your media files inside an iTunes Media folder, and more.

Check software update for the upgrade.

Another tool, GameSalad has drop there price. The once ridiculous fee of $500 for Express is now $99. Game Salad free for web publishing and now just $99 for iPhone Publishing.

The only thing is GameSalad is not a real programming tool. Personally I like programing with code. As you can do anything you want to, and it really pretty simple once you learn the syntax. GameSalad as reviewed a few months ago in this blog is like automator. The news here is another tool, has drop its ridiculous price. Specially consider GameSalad not a real programming tool. It more of just a publisher.

I hope any other development tools entering this realm soon of mobile publishing takes notice of these new price points. And comes down to reality.

In the most shocking move in history. Unity Indie licenses is now free. publish to the web, mac and PC for nothing. The indie version was $199. But as of now It is completely FREE!!!

The only really bad news is if you where like us and had the indie version of unity pre the new licensing of 2.6 and have the iPhone basic. And want to use Unity to publish to the iPhone. Pre October 27th 2009 it cost $699.00 total in annually updating the tools to do that with unity. Now it going to cost 10 times the amount money it did Pre October 27th to publish with the iPhone using Unity. Why? Because a very expensive pro license is now required.

That is really really bad news, consider we make less money with iphone builds than desktop builds. (19.99 a title desktop to under 4.99 a title iPhone is a major difference, specially when 40% of that skimmed off the top of the under 4.99 price point. Then add the mix of production cost and it hard to stay out of the red with mobile publishing.)

If your an indy developer or small shop these 3rd party over priced licenses to build out to the iPhone, are really become ridiculously over priced. It makes no more since to use any development tools besides Apples SDK and xcode. Unless your a huge company and making big profits of selling mobile apps for peanuts in price points.

Well go get the free unity It worth it. Not because it free, because it awesome and just works.

For the iPhone I guess it time to switch back to xcode. Now that it cost $1,101.00 more than yesterday. Because it now requires the pro version licenses to update (will be $2000.00, Total, annually!) to use Unity to build out to the iPhone. 

rejoice unity is free to some degree. The bad half just means, hello xcode good bye Unity iPhone publishing.

Update; if the people that commented below are actually unity staff, then it might be true that unity iPhone may not need a pro license. (I hope so) Why it worded like it should is beyond me? I have to send in a support email. as I will only believe the one person that help us with all our unity questions up to this point. As our free updates are over, for our current license #.

get it here @ http://unity3d.com/

here to unity news on the free version of unity.@  http://unity3d.com/company/news/unity2.6-press.html

RunRev's Official Launch of RevWeb and version 4.0 of Rev Studio, Rev Enterprise and the now Free Rev Media Web Authoring Tool. Will take place Wednesday, November 11, 2009. In San Francisco, CA.

This one-of-a-kind event will be the formal introduction to the world of RunRev's exciting new platform: a single, memorable language for Web, desktop, and server.

If your in or near San Francisco, CA. you can join in the event for free. Just RSVP that your going and meet some of the brilliant people at RunRev Ltd. plus get some added goodies.

More info on the event @ http://www.runrev.com/newsletter/october/issue80/newsletter1.php

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a while. A multi-touch mouse.

The mouse is like the gateway to doing anything with a computer. For years I would chuck the apple included mouse in the trash for having only one button and buy a logitech multi-button, with wheel.

Then The Big A introduced the mighty mouse, Witch was even worse than the one button mouse. the tiny little ball on the top would work 25% of the time, had buttons on the side, where is the natural place people rest there thumb and pinky finger. That triggered many unwanted things to happen.

The multi touch functionality is proven to work in the trackpads, iPhone and iPod touch and works very well. Adding that same functionality to a mouse is pure genius. The best part is now left handed people can set up the mouse to work in the opposite direction. I know one left handed person that just ecstatic that finally some mouse has made it to the market that will work for them, In the same way it works for righties.

Great design of adding a better and faster workflow to the desktop. Can not wait to get my hands on this. I am hardly ever excited by some piece of hardware, like this. But after using multi touch this seems to make prefect since. 

Great video here on the magic mouse (mid bottom, of page) : http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/

Commodore 64 is back on the iPhone? Why? I had a C64 when I was young and I loved it. That was so long ago. Are there really that many people out there looking to use this fossil technology these days? Considering the awesome stuff that has since replaced it.