An Important Game Element

I realise one thing that is important for a game. As long as it is not a colossal game like Age of Empire or Command&Conquer, it is better for the game to control a main character instead of clicking places. This can be seen between Harvest Moon and FarmVille. Probably it's just me, but anyway, I found playing Harvest Moon much more fun compared to FarmVille even when the objective is the same. Because I am controlling the farmer itself. Even if Harvest Moon has no finding spouse, no going to mine, no going to the mountains, just mending the farm, I still found enjoyment in controlling the character, although it means that going and farming around is much more tiring. But the first person experience I believe is rewarding.

Touchscreen Mobile Action Games

After using Android for a while and downloading lots of games, I found that the current mobile games line up could not satisfy me, though it is limited to action adventure mobile games (the likes of God of War, Devil May Cry, Wild Blood kind of gameplay). Indeed, the addition of touchscreen to mobile phones (thanks to Steve Job for marketing it well) has revolutionized the way we play games on mobile phone, and games become a lucrative business with simple set up and probably relatively lesser cost compared to other business. But the way we play action adventure games in mobile phones has not changed. Those touchscreen are merely used to emulate buttons. Due to lack of space, the touchscreen gestures often used to change view or camera setting (pinch to zoom and swipe to look left and right). PS Vita probably took a wrong turn here, because its main advantage has always been those top notch mobile action adventure games, and since the touchscreen features are less used in those kind of games (well, probably for puzzle is better, but not for the core game mechanic itself), adding touchscreen features drain the battery more than needed to play those games.

Solutions? I have no solution yet. Cheers :D

Focus of the OSes - Updated

Well, I just realised this. The different OSes in the market today have different focuses, but that is also why Chrome/Chromium OS would not strive, in which Android may be affected. Here is why.

Let us start with computer OSes. The big ones are Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu (Linux, but since Ubuntu is much more well known, so Ubuntu). Chrome/Chromium OS tries to get a place in there but it would be difficult. Why? Because its focus is mediocre, which is web explorer (at least from what I read because this is the only OS I have not tried among the aforementioned OSes). Windows has the focus of file exploring and document creation - amplified by Microsoft Office. This targets the white-collar workers. Mac OS X has the focus of media creation as amplified by GarageBand, iMovie and the likes. This targets the artists or artists wannabe (who are the youth and probably the reason Macbook is popular among the young ones besides simple design of the laptop). Ubuntu has the focus of command executor. This targets the real hard coder. So, where does Chrome/Chromium OS stands? Its focus is web explorer in which the other three OSes have as well. If you can have more than just web explorer, why don't you have so? Indeed, the focus is fast and fluid OS, but Mac OS X is fast and fluid from my experience (though I am not a Mac person myself, but I have to admit it is neat for users who don't meddle with experimenting in software). Well, there is more.

Now, let us look at the current or recent or soon-to-be mobile OSes. We have iOS, Android, WP8, Blackberry, Meego/Tizen/Joola, Boot2Gecko and Symbian. Again, their focuses vary. iOS focuses on being a media player. WP8 has extra functionality for document creation and being on the update through Live Tiles. Blackberry focuses on enterprises. Meego and its friends focus on simple phone functionality. Boot2Gecko is not out yet (:p). Symbian was on full customisation of themes and for those toying with software, a file explorer (the best at its prime time). Android. Android tries to be a media player as well. However, Google does not earn any money from the media. Android focus is to be a platform for the ads, thus its focus is making it attractive to buyers so that more ads revenue can be earned. (Note: I am an Android user myself now and loving it :)).

The problem here lies not in Android being a driver for ads revenue. You see, Mac OS X is a media creator (even for games, it has Unity who backs it up). Windows and WP8 connection is obviously document editor/creator. The rest except Android has no brother in the computer OS market. Chrome OS and Android? Their link is just ads driver, one driving on web and the other on apps. This thin line needs to be changed. This way, not only Chrome OS thrives, Android may as well get more fans. How?

That is the question to be answered by Larry Page. I cannot think of any solution. One solution that is not really gonna work is that Chrome OS should focus on web creation, since Android can be made to be an available port for web apps. But yeah, it may not work since the prime time of web is over. Now everyone is insane about apps. And as I suggested earlier, Android may worth to be a universal OS. One thing about Google is that it focuses so much on web/cloud solution (as evident of online document editor in Google Drive and online ads by Google AdWords, and Google itself as a search engine). Android, though looks like a big thing for Google, actually is out of the company's focus on cloud solution. Thus, either change the company's focus or change Android focus from being just another smartphone to a phone whose content is shared across devices on cloud system, whether it is game and its save data, apps, documents and so on.

*Update*
Note: I forgot what I wanted to write so I lost some train of thoughts last night and it was after training, but anyway, here we goes.
The weak link between Android and Chrome OS is actually not a big problem. The problem lies in the fact that commonly computer OS and its respective mobile OS complement each other. For example, media created in Mac OS X (Unity for game, iMovie and GarageBand) is used in iOS, or even compatible in iOS to be edited. Documents made in Windows can be edited in WP8 so that you can have your document on the go in case of emergency, as in the video I embedded below (starts at 0:32). Android and Chrome OS? They don't make use of each other. That's what needed to be fixed.

History repeats itself

You know, now that I am using Android, I remember the old days, 6 - 7 years back when the dominating OS was Symbian. Why? I found a lot of similarity between Symbian and Android; many apps and games and easily pirated, file manager, freedom to customise (although now at a different level in Android), sometimes awkward UI, blah blah blah. But more than that. What was Symbian's main rival? Sony Ericsson's OS which is simple, having dumbproof UI and not so customisable yet many games as well. What is Android's main rival now? iOS; simple, dumbproof UI, not so customisable and yet many games.

Is history repeating itself? Probably. Will there be a game changer soon, much like iOS on Symbian and Sony Ericsson's OS? We have Windows Phone 8 and Blackberry OS 10 coming, not to mention Boot 2 Gecko by Mozilla and Tizen OS, and the newly formed Jolla OS, a continuation of Meego OS. Any of them beating the top two? Maybe, maybe not. Let us see if life really just repeats itself.

It's Google's turn to move

Yes. The Apple iPad Mini announcement yesterday was indeed Apple's answer to Android smaller tablets such as Galaxy Tab 7.0 and Kindle Fire. Now, Google needs to venture even more, because after Windows 8 announcement, things might get a little more competitive.

Apple products are overly priced, but Apple has its own fan base, thus price is not a problem for Apple. This is a different case for Android. Current casual Windows laptops are now priced around Android tablets (around S$1000). Right now Android tablets have better sales because of the apps. However, with the launch of Windows RT, the whole thing might shift entirely as the apps (and games, and touch controlled apps) in Windows might be growing with upcoming Windows tablet. Now, it is true that for the Windows apps to grow, it will take time. However, the demographic now is really not in favour of Google.

As I mentioned earlier, the price of Android tablet often matches price of Windows laptops now (and of course, non OS laptops which may be filled with Linux such as Ubuntu). But, Windows will soon the mobile market as well with Windows RT for tablet and Windows Mobile Phone. Apple already has its own Mac OS X and iOS. Google has Android, and yes, PC OS of Chromium OS. But, its Chromium OS is not on par with its rival, namely Windows 8, OS Lion and Ubuntu in terms of functionality of content creation and games. Android, for the game functionality, is closer to the three PC OS. That is why I wrote that Android should be developed as a mobile PC OS (since Chromium OS is not used in PC anyway, only laptops). Google has made 3D modelling software before, the 3D SketchUp (though now no longer owned by Google). It could either develop its own content creation software or hold hands with Adobe, Autodesk, Unity and the likes, or independent developers.

To extend this motion even more, Samsung with its creativity makes Android much more powerful in Galaxy Note 10.1. Yes. This is what Google may do. Make a tablet laptop hybrid (like upcoming Windows RT devices) that has a stylus. Why? Because this functionality can't be found easily in Windows devices (don't talk about Macbook here). It could dominate the mobile world with equal-to-Windows OS with extra functionality and portability (I believe Android tablets are thin and easier to carry rather than laptops. Not sure about the coming Windows tablets, though). Well, I am just a commoner, so probably Android will still be smartphone and tablet OS. But yeah, universal OS for smartphone, tablet and laptop (with each having optimized UI for itself and different capability like some apps are restricted for laptop only)  added with unified data across them or lightning fast data transfer might be in the near future. Now, sit back and watch as Samsung probably sues back Apple for copying Galaxy Tab design. Or Apple starts suing Samsung for "copying" iPad Mini design.

Trigger Button on Phone

Yes, I have written about capacitive side on mobile phone to enable more trigger buttons in playing games on smartphone. I came up with new idea, although the feasibility here is less.

Camera can be used as a trigger button. That is, when the user cover the camera with a finger such that the sensor only reads black screen, that means the button is pressed. Indeed, this does not add any more requirement to current phone. However, there are 2 possible damages here.

One is obviously the battery will drain faster as the camera sensor needs to be active at all time during the game. Another is that since the camera sensor needs to be active at all time during the game, it will heat up and the sensor might be damaged.

Well, it is an idea, so I just share it. Maybe it could be made feasible by activating the camera sensor only when the trigger button is needed (for example, when the action gauge is full).

JavaScript

I am picking up JavaScript because apparently Unity Game Engine preferred language is JavaScript. Haha. It's an interesting language, but let;s see if I can pick it up fast.

Zero (Megaman X)

I am a fan of Megaman X. Zero is, of course, the coolest of them all. I had this model all along, but I forgot to upload it. It is half done because I tried to add in my own flavor to the model but then I could not figure out how to do the lower body part. And then now I don't really have time to continue on the model.

Android as a computer OS

Google made Chrome OS (now named Chromium OS) a while ago as a light OS for web browsing. But for a light computer, it needs at least some games. So, why don't they make Android as a computer OS as well?

I believe Android has the capacity to be so. There are a lot of apps in Google Play, many games that can be played even on such a tablet. Just add a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse, then develop some kind of Counter Strike that can be played online and Voila, its tablet may even sell better than Windows 8 slates.

Indeed, Android may have a lack of development environments within it, but that's the point. Add that in, with some 3D modelling apps, sound making apps, and there you go. Even better, probably Google can make a reverse: Windows application Development Environment in Android.

Of course, these are my wishes, as the era of tablet is coming. And you know, action game in Android is better than games running on Windows slate or low-end laptop as the latter's graphic cards may not support such action games. I guess we are left with waiting till that time comes.

Google Rampage

Google Overtakes Microsoft's Market Capitalisation

Apparently, Google is overtaking Microsoft in terms of stock market value as in the article on the link above. I wanted to work for Google, especially after that talk I attended about the company culture. :D