n00b iPhone app mistakes

#1: ignore the sound switch the user set. Blare loud in the office when I start your app although I switched it mute (talking to you Skype!)

#2: save games. That's so last century. Auto save. Also cloud save so I can reuse it with re-installs or across devices. Thank you.

#3 super long intros. You know that most players don't even remember your company name and really don't care about the licenses you used. Stop doing this shit.

#4: make intros not cancellable. Yes. Let the user look through a 1 minute intro before he can play. Most users uninstalled your game faster than your intro finishes.

#5: full animated cinematic and voiced over sequences. Make your game a 1.8 GB download. Thank you. Enough said? Its a mobile device.

#6: make a mandatory registration. Yes, let me register before I can play and your registration either doesn't work or doesn't like m password or even needs a confirmation email click. Sorry. Uninstall is so much quicker and even user friendly!

#7: before I even finish your tutorial you ask me to rate your game. You know. I don't. Let me take a look at your game first. Thank you.

#8: Don't use incremental updates. Let me patch a 1.2 GB update. Thanks. Took an hour.

#9: Don't give me those updates "bug fixes". Give me a list of bug fixes. I know you just want to reset your ratings, ad placement or trackers.

#10 (Feedback from Tino): When I turn off Notifications I mean OFF. Not "maybe I can notify you again - without asking?"

Having more oddities and don#t likes of games on iOS? Let me know!

Mini Games in Games

I often get design pitches from my students which include mini games. I even got pitches in the past from professional developers with mini games playing a major role.

First I ask you: when is the last time you played a blockbuster hit which included mini games? There aren't many. You need to search for them.

Mini games in a design pitch is generally proof that the main game design sucks. The mini games were included to cover the entertainment holes of the original design. That is why mini games should never be included in a game design - mini games essentially admit fail in your main game design mechanics.

Of course IF you are a professional and know what you are doing mini games can be entertaining. In fact there are games just evolving around mini games (Mario Party, Puzzle Pirates etc.) or are just a tremendously successful mini game. But if you are a beginner designer please - please (!) forget all mini game ideas you have.

Mini Games