Demiforce Releases "Trism", New Game for iPhone, iPod Touch

Game Set Watch is showcasing an interesting homebrew game called Trism from semi-pro developer Demiforce. The new game is designed to take advantage of the accelerometer in the iPhone and iPod Touch. While making use of this feature isn't new, this game certainly is pretty high on the simplicity and neat-factor scales. In addition to details about the game the site is also featuring a short interview with the developer.

Comments

Ho hum

[carcosa30]

Imagine that, a casual puzzle game! We don't have nearly enough of these, please write more. What a great use of new technology.

Re:Ho hum

[chunk08]

Actually, if I had the cash for an iPhone, I would love to play that game. People think puzzle games are simplistic, until they actually start playing them. Puzzles develop your brain (which is the ultimate goal of many geeks, I would imagine.) I love any game where you have to think. Monopoly, Tetris, frvade (www.frvade.com), baseball (yes, the real sport). No, there actually aren't that many original games. Just a whole bunch of clones. This actually looks innovative.

Re:Ho hum

[Brama]

Remember, its game play has been patented too by the author, as he mentions @2:25 in the interview.

So much for innovation. Let's show the prior art (tilt sensor games, anyone?)

iPhone could be a great innovative game platform

[RalphBNumbers]

With a nice big multi-touch screen, 3d accelerometers, proximity sensors, cameras, mics, positioning via wifi/cellular beacons, etc... all in a nice compact form factor, the iPhone and iPod Touch have the hardware to try a lot of really innovative and interesting things in terms of user interface and gaming. I've been looking forward to playing with that stuff since day it was announced last year.

I just hope the SDK Apple is introducing next thursday is reasonably complete and uncrippled.

Nintendo's Wii and DS have proved that unconventional control systems and innovative casual games can provide a lot of fun, and make a lot of money. By taking the next step down that road, Apple has the opportunity to finally make it big in gaming (after neglecting, and being neglected by, that market for years and years). It would be a real shame if they dropped the ball.

Waitasec..

[Creepy Crawler]

Is this the same guy/group that did the NES translations of Mother and FF2 and 3?

If it is.. Damn ;) It'll be quality.

Re:Waitasec..

[radimvice]

yup, he sure is the same demi...i remember he developed a pretty cool homebrew Game Boy Color puzzle game back in the day, glad to see he's still at it.

Re:Waitasec..

[Breakfast Pants]

Yeah, and he doesn't care about their IP rights, but he was first in line to snatch up a patent on this crap.

Re:I wonder

[rdradar]

It oblivously doesnt need to be jailbroken when sold via itunes.

Re:I wonder

[0100010001010011]

...However, as soon as the official iPhone SDK comes out next month, I plan on porting it over to that framework. I would love to get this thing on iTunes as early as possible...

He's going to wait until the SDK becomes available and then sell it via iTunes, which is how most people are thinking Apple is going to 'release' 3rd party apps.

The game is NOT released yet

[mcg1969]

All that has been released is a video demo-ing the game. If you go to the Demiforce web site you will see that the game itself has not yet been released.

Patented game design?

[radimvice]

The video mentions that he has 'applied for a patent on the gameplay'. Is this a necessary step these days for independent/homebrew developers, so that their new ideas aren't simply snatched up by the big guys for their own benefit? Or is this move something that should be discouraged in the indie scene?

Re:Patented game design?

[mdwh2]

Is this a necessary step these days for independent/homebrew developers, so that their new ideas aren't simply snatched up by the big guys for their own benefit? Or is this move something that should be discouraged in the indie scene?

Discouraged - if nothing else, such a move also stops other independent developers being able to write code that might infringe on the patent.

And anyone who's done any game development should know that ideas are cheap. It reminds me of when people post on forums like Gamedev saying they want to form a team to write the next MMO - it turns out they know nothing about programming, but they insist they have "lots of great ideas". Ideas are cheap. It's spending the time doing the actual programming work to make an implentation and end products that are worth anything. If you have an idea, and someone else uses that to make a better game, then tough luck - I don't see why innovation should be stifled just because someone thinks they had the idea first. I'd also be very surprise if his game doesn't use "ideas" that have appeared in previous games.

Re:Patented game design?

[xenocide2]

As an afficianando of both the scene and free software, I have to say it's conflicting. On the one hand, many people, Demi included, have taken wonderful games like Picross and made something similar. On the other hand, I recall hearing that shopping Drymouth around to publishers eventually wound up getting him screwed as someone basically took the work for free, so I can see why he'd take a new approach this time around. (I could be remembering a different guy's troubles, but the scene was small enough that even if it wasn't him, Demi's probably aware of who it did happen to).

Wouldn't it be sad if Apple beat him to the punch? They've got the resources, and they're not keen on sharing. Or if Nintendo took the DS Motion Card up and used his concept as a pack in? Its a tough battle hacking on closed platforms like these. The big guys have a huge advantage; in the time it takes for you to convince someone to take you up on it, they can have a game out and ready, slap a brand on it and suddenly half the world think's you're the copycat. To resolve this, does the GPL allow you to grant rights to the patent for a specific GPL'd piece of software? Perhaps its best not to eliminate software patents, but to reduce their lengths to a year or two.

Of course, this game is also very similar to a Nintendo Bit Generations game, so it's not at all clear he will be awarded the patent.

Slashvertisement

[LingNoi]

Ridiculous this made the front page, the games section I could understand but main page? W...T...F...

news that matters?

[nguy]

And this matters? What's next? Steve Jobs farted, news at 11?

Re:iPhone could be a great innovative game platfor

[noidentity]

Except that the display is on the controller. All the swinging around, tilting, turning, etc. will be moving the display with it. I remember Kirby Tilt 'n; Tumble for the Game Boy Color and it was annoying to play due to constantly tilting the system different angles.