Core Access is the newest product available to Core Games fans, and it's full of great features. For example, you get our long awaited Puzzle Magazine which allows you to play 50 new puzzles a week! You also get a subscription to Core Games Live, an online feature that allows you to play 8 new puzzles a day on any web browser. This means that our Mac customers (and Linux as well!) will be able to play Core Games Live as long as Java is installed.
One of the best parts about Core Access is that new games will be added in the future. While there are already over 20 types of games in the Puzzle Magazine and 7 types of games in Core Games Live, those numbers will go up in the coming months. For more information on these great new products, check out this link. Happy puzzle solving!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Art of the Sequel
Hello everyone. As Jonathan mentioned Core Games has been working tirelessly on the Transformations word game for the iPhone. I personally can't wait for it to come out, as I've heard a lot about it. In a way this game will be the iPhone sequel (so it's really just a second game, but go with me on this for a minute) to Rich Diamond. While the two games have nothing in common, having the same developer means you'll have similar design goals for the players.
As the entertainment world has grown and expanded there has been both a boom and bust in creativity. To start with the bust you need to look no further than Hollywood. Especially during the summer there is an endless string of sequels, prequels, and spin offs from major titles, most of which are modern re-makes of older ideas. Now to find the boom side of this you need to look no further than the Apple app store. This new forum for mobile creativity has spawned thousands of people to create fun, innovative, hilarious and entertaining tools and games. Core Games is now venturing into this arena and it would be great to receive feedback from players and users about how our games stack up to the competition.
One of the main draws to the iPhone is that apps and games allow users to take very short breaks from work to entertain themselves. As a result it is difficult to retain a user's attention since more and more apps/games are released every day. What sorts of features make an app entertaining for the long haul? Is it the number of levels? The graphical look of the game? Is it the re-play value? As developers we struggle with the juggling act of all these things to fight for a niche in the marketplace. So far I think we're doing a good job of providing quality games that can hold your attention and challenge your mind. How do you feel? If you have any suggestions or comments leave me a reply or post in our forums.
In the mean time, keep your iPhones handy for the new Transformations game. It'll give you a whole new perspective on playing games with the english language. Also, keep checking back in on this blog as we're planning to ramp up the number of posts in the near future.
As the entertainment world has grown and expanded there has been both a boom and bust in creativity. To start with the bust you need to look no further than Hollywood. Especially during the summer there is an endless string of sequels, prequels, and spin offs from major titles, most of which are modern re-makes of older ideas. Now to find the boom side of this you need to look no further than the Apple app store. This new forum for mobile creativity has spawned thousands of people to create fun, innovative, hilarious and entertaining tools and games. Core Games is now venturing into this arena and it would be great to receive feedback from players and users about how our games stack up to the competition.
One of the main draws to the iPhone is that apps and games allow users to take very short breaks from work to entertain themselves. As a result it is difficult to retain a user's attention since more and more apps/games are released every day. What sorts of features make an app entertaining for the long haul? Is it the number of levels? The graphical look of the game? Is it the re-play value? As developers we struggle with the juggling act of all these things to fight for a niche in the marketplace. So far I think we're doing a good job of providing quality games that can hold your attention and challenge your mind. How do you feel? If you have any suggestions or comments leave me a reply or post in our forums.
In the mean time, keep your iPhones handy for the new Transformations game. It'll give you a whole new perspective on playing games with the english language. Also, keep checking back in on this blog as we're planning to ramp up the number of posts in the near future.
Current Updates
I know that we at Core Games have been a bit quiet lately. We have been working hard on the iPhone version of our word game Transformations. Now that it is finished, we are going to have quiet a few updates coming in the near future. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Marvels of the Handheld World
Recently personal electronics have taken a large step in the portable direction. No longer is a laptop the only way to take tech on the go. There are now several gaming consoles (Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, etc) that are both portable and powerful. In addition to games, cell phones have become a HUGE player in mobile technology.
I have seen, played with, and know several owners of the iPhone, G-phone, and Blackberry devices. The days of boring phones are long gone. Just the other day I was lost and called a friend to give me directions, which he looked up on his iPhone. How cool and progressive is that? Not only are these dynamic devices great resources, but they are acting as a whole new marketplace for software developers.
Core Games is currently working on an iPhone app (application), and this market has gotten very competitive. The beauty of the iPhone app is that you can parcel activities, games, etc into applications that require a small window of time, and users can take the device anywhere they go. Now granted, I currently reside in the Bay Area where technology is king and the new status symbol is how nice your phone is. But that aside, having games, or puzzles, or other apps that help you navigate your daily life is pretty cool. As I mentioned before, it’s hard to get lost when you have an iPhone with web access that allows map sites to tell you exactly where you are. Not only that, but there are new apps that allow you to GPS locate your friends. Sounds like a creepy techno-thriller movie if you ask me, though it certainly makes it easier to find someone to eat lunch with.
But look at where our society is headed. More and more the world is shrinking and becoming more digital. I think it’s great to have tools and games at your disposal. Who wants to carry around a Nintendo DS, a phone, and a pocket-sized map? For me, if you can combine items and reduce clutter in my pockets, I’m all for it.
As a game developer that hardest thing you can do is promote your products. Not everyone can afford Super Bowl airtime, or even lots of radio spots. But what if you could reach thousands of customers, and allow them to buy your products (at very affordable prices) in a single touch? That’s the beauty of mobile devices. Rich Diamond will soon be one of the many games available through Apple’s App Store. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to jump at the chance to take brain challenging puzzles with me wherever I go, and also reduce the clutter in my pockets.
I have seen, played with, and know several owners of the iPhone, G-phone, and Blackberry devices. The days of boring phones are long gone. Just the other day I was lost and called a friend to give me directions, which he looked up on his iPhone. How cool and progressive is that? Not only are these dynamic devices great resources, but they are acting as a whole new marketplace for software developers.
Core Games is currently working on an iPhone app (application), and this market has gotten very competitive. The beauty of the iPhone app is that you can parcel activities, games, etc into applications that require a small window of time, and users can take the device anywhere they go. Now granted, I currently reside in the Bay Area where technology is king and the new status symbol is how nice your phone is. But that aside, having games, or puzzles, or other apps that help you navigate your daily life is pretty cool. As I mentioned before, it’s hard to get lost when you have an iPhone with web access that allows map sites to tell you exactly where you are. Not only that, but there are new apps that allow you to GPS locate your friends. Sounds like a creepy techno-thriller movie if you ask me, though it certainly makes it easier to find someone to eat lunch with.
But look at where our society is headed. More and more the world is shrinking and becoming more digital. I think it’s great to have tools and games at your disposal. Who wants to carry around a Nintendo DS, a phone, and a pocket-sized map? For me, if you can combine items and reduce clutter in my pockets, I’m all for it.
As a game developer that hardest thing you can do is promote your products. Not everyone can afford Super Bowl airtime, or even lots of radio spots. But what if you could reach thousands of customers, and allow them to buy your products (at very affordable prices) in a single touch? That’s the beauty of mobile devices. Rich Diamond will soon be one of the many games available through Apple’s App Store. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to jump at the chance to take brain challenging puzzles with me wherever I go, and also reduce the clutter in my pockets.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Level Design 101- A short guide to building RD levels
Building levels for games is always a challenging proposal. Core Games is making a strong effort towards having users create their own levels and I figured some insight from a level designer might be useful.
For me, when I think of a game level it’s like a part of a story. The overall game has its theme, but each level should have a purpose or directive as well. When I design new levels I always try to pick a theme or a single event that I want to be the focus of the level. Now this usually will evolve as you’re making the level and sometimes you’ll have several ideas that work well together and create a fun level.
Where games run into problems is when levels have so much going on that there’s no cohesiveness. My first suggestion would be keep it simple and pick a small number (1-3) of ideas/events/themes you want your level to have. Once you have your list of ideas you can begin trying to map out a floor plan that best executes your list. I usually attempt to design a level from the ideas/themes I’ve chosen and a floor plan that works best. I try to figure out if there’s a particular floor shape or size I want, and then I adjust my list accordingly. If I had a list of 8 themes I’d need a HUGE floor plan, which takes a really long time to create. By starting small and thinking from the ground up it’ll make the initial part of level design much easier.
The next part of level design is one of my biggest stumbling blocks. You’ve got your ideas; you’ve got a basic floor plan: now where the heck do you start putting things? I usually put walls in last because it allows me freedom to expand and contract the level as I see fit. If I want a spider to chase me, but he eats Rich too quickly I can add more floor tiles, or add a nook in a wall to allow Rich to stay alive for a few more paces.
Once I get my first idea down on the screen integrating it with the next idea is also difficult for me. I try really hard not to have large open spaces in levels. Some space is needed (for spider avoiding, etc) but you don’t want your whole level to be a prairie. Again, staying simple in design allows one puzzle element to flow with another. In the original level set for RD there are plenty of levels that have different regions that teach you different things about the game. Some have only rocks, and some only arrows, then both are put together at the end to show how they interact. Feel free to use this strategy in your levels, if it applies. I recently made a level involving a robot that chases me. I used walls and spacing to keep the robot at bay, and at the end I used the same idea of spacing with rocks to round out my level. Using similar tricks with different obstacles allows the gamer to get the “feel” for a level and how to beat it.
These are just some of my intro ideas for level design. I just recently began making new levels for Core Games so my building skills will hopefully improve with time. Be sure to post your own levels in the Forums under “Rich Diamond Levels.” Also, feel free to share tid bits or ask questions about how to finish or start a level. The online community is there to test your levels, but feel free to bounce ideas off of each other. Jonathan and I are always happy answer any questions you might have. I hope this has been helpful and feel free to post tips or questions here. Thanks for reading, and happy level building!
For me, when I think of a game level it’s like a part of a story. The overall game has its theme, but each level should have a purpose or directive as well. When I design new levels I always try to pick a theme or a single event that I want to be the focus of the level. Now this usually will evolve as you’re making the level and sometimes you’ll have several ideas that work well together and create a fun level.
Where games run into problems is when levels have so much going on that there’s no cohesiveness. My first suggestion would be keep it simple and pick a small number (1-3) of ideas/events/themes you want your level to have. Once you have your list of ideas you can begin trying to map out a floor plan that best executes your list. I usually attempt to design a level from the ideas/themes I’ve chosen and a floor plan that works best. I try to figure out if there’s a particular floor shape or size I want, and then I adjust my list accordingly. If I had a list of 8 themes I’d need a HUGE floor plan, which takes a really long time to create. By starting small and thinking from the ground up it’ll make the initial part of level design much easier.
The next part of level design is one of my biggest stumbling blocks. You’ve got your ideas; you’ve got a basic floor plan: now where the heck do you start putting things? I usually put walls in last because it allows me freedom to expand and contract the level as I see fit. If I want a spider to chase me, but he eats Rich too quickly I can add more floor tiles, or add a nook in a wall to allow Rich to stay alive for a few more paces.
Once I get my first idea down on the screen integrating it with the next idea is also difficult for me. I try really hard not to have large open spaces in levels. Some space is needed (for spider avoiding, etc) but you don’t want your whole level to be a prairie. Again, staying simple in design allows one puzzle element to flow with another. In the original level set for RD there are plenty of levels that have different regions that teach you different things about the game. Some have only rocks, and some only arrows, then both are put together at the end to show how they interact. Feel free to use this strategy in your levels, if it applies. I recently made a level involving a robot that chases me. I used walls and spacing to keep the robot at bay, and at the end I used the same idea of spacing with rocks to round out my level. Using similar tricks with different obstacles allows the gamer to get the “feel” for a level and how to beat it.
These are just some of my intro ideas for level design. I just recently began making new levels for Core Games so my building skills will hopefully improve with time. Be sure to post your own levels in the Forums under “Rich Diamond Levels.” Also, feel free to share tid bits or ask questions about how to finish or start a level. The online community is there to test your levels, but feel free to bounce ideas off of each other. Jonathan and I are always happy answer any questions you might have. I hope this has been helpful and feel free to post tips or questions here. Thanks for reading, and happy level building!
Monday, October 27, 2008
What We're Working On
I wanted this blog to sort of be an update of "what's new" type stuff at Core Concepts, and I feel that a few mentions of what we're currently working on fits into that category.
Right now we are very busy with working on CoLa. We are not only editing the games, but we are fixing them and making them a lot better. When CoLa comes out again, we're going to have several new CoLa games (including at least one new Rich Diamond CoLa game) and a few new additions to the gameplay that will make them better overall. For example, there is now a level select menu for each CoLa game which will not only allow you to select any level at any time, it will also show you what score you got on each level.
Aside from work on CoLa, we are also busy putting Rich Diamond into updated code. This is going to allow us to do several very exciting things. Earlier, I had mentioned that it will allow for much faster replays of game saves. This will definitely still be happening. On top of that, this will allow us to fix the few bugs in the Leaderboard and make it much more solid for the future rush of new customers! Once the Leaderboard is working again, we're going to have another, better contest. Be on the lookout for that!
A few other things we'll be able to do which I haven't mentioned yet are the following: It won't be too long before we get the game running on the Mac. More and more people have been using Macs these days, and people have been asking us why our games don't run on them. Well, fairly soon this will be a reality. This will allow more people to play the games, post on the Leaderboard and Messageboards, and join the Core Games community!
The next project we'll be able to work on is getting RDDP onto the iPhone and other cellphones. We have looked into this, and it actually would be much easier than we originally thought. Hopefully that will be coming out before too long as well.
Aside from Rich Diamond things, we are also still working on the upcoming Puzzle Magazine and Core Access. Both of these are going to be wonderful new ways to play our games, and more details will be given the closer we get to release of these products. I am very much looking forward to their release as I believe our customers will enjoy them greatly.
Thank you all for your continued support of Core Games. Don't forget to tell your friends about us and happy treasure hunting!
Right now we are very busy with working on CoLa. We are not only editing the games, but we are fixing them and making them a lot better. When CoLa comes out again, we're going to have several new CoLa games (including at least one new Rich Diamond CoLa game) and a few new additions to the gameplay that will make them better overall. For example, there is now a level select menu for each CoLa game which will not only allow you to select any level at any time, it will also show you what score you got on each level.
Aside from work on CoLa, we are also busy putting Rich Diamond into updated code. This is going to allow us to do several very exciting things. Earlier, I had mentioned that it will allow for much faster replays of game saves. This will definitely still be happening. On top of that, this will allow us to fix the few bugs in the Leaderboard and make it much more solid for the future rush of new customers! Once the Leaderboard is working again, we're going to have another, better contest. Be on the lookout for that!
A few other things we'll be able to do which I haven't mentioned yet are the following: It won't be too long before we get the game running on the Mac. More and more people have been using Macs these days, and people have been asking us why our games don't run on them. Well, fairly soon this will be a reality. This will allow more people to play the games, post on the Leaderboard and Messageboards, and join the Core Games community!
The next project we'll be able to work on is getting RDDP onto the iPhone and other cellphones. We have looked into this, and it actually would be much easier than we originally thought. Hopefully that will be coming out before too long as well.
Aside from Rich Diamond things, we are also still working on the upcoming Puzzle Magazine and Core Access. Both of these are going to be wonderful new ways to play our games, and more details will be given the closer we get to release of these products. I am very much looking forward to their release as I believe our customers will enjoy them greatly.
Thank you all for your continued support of Core Games. Don't forget to tell your friends about us and happy treasure hunting!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What Happend to CoLa?
Some people have been asking about the 'CoLa' games, such as Quatryn, DigitHunt. When we switched over to the new store, we got Rich Diamond and Mad Scientist running, but we haven't yet got the CoLa games going.
We've been working like mad to get the CoLa stuff up, and it is very close. We were just finishing up our new store and new website, including user accounts, when our old webhost flamed out on us, so we had to switch everything over to a new webhost. The good news is that the new webhost is a lot more professional, and actually costs about 1/6 of what the old host cost, so that's great. But we had to change all of our online code because they didn't support the same types of databases we were using on the old host. The opportunity this gave us, however, was that we could add the new accounts to our site, and a new look and feel. So now you can get your own unlock codes on our website. If you need a code on the weekend or late at night, no problem, you don't have to wait for someone to reply to you.
Another snag we hit is that our DSL provider decided to put more protection on sending emails, without telling us (that would have been too helpful), so for a while this broke our store. People couldn't get their codes after buying a game. And we couldn't email them to tell them the codes! The good news is that this will help cut down on spam, but the bad news is that it cost us a lot of time to fix our system to their new standards.
So last week I was doing a final test of CoLa and the new games...and we ran into another wall. Microsoft changed some things with their new Vista operating system, which broke several things in CoLa. For example, they don't want anyone downloading programs across the web (except for themselves!), which is in general a good thing as this cuts down on viruses. But unfortunately it also cut down on CoLa! Arrgh!
I am finishing up the workaround now. I'm testing about 7 of the CoLa games. So we are getting close (and not just in geological terms, either!). The good news with this is that we have many new CoLa games, and our older games have all been improved. We have a new style of Rich Diamond game called Eldkim, we've got a Chess Game, several word games, some math games and more!
For our customers who have CoLa games now, we appreciate your patience. Next week we hope to be sending you information on how to get the new version of the CoLa games. Let's just hope nobody else decides to thwart our efforts! We've got some new stuff I'm sure you will enjoy...
-dave
We've been working like mad to get the CoLa stuff up, and it is very close. We were just finishing up our new store and new website, including user accounts, when our old webhost flamed out on us, so we had to switch everything over to a new webhost. The good news is that the new webhost is a lot more professional, and actually costs about 1/6 of what the old host cost, so that's great. But we had to change all of our online code because they didn't support the same types of databases we were using on the old host. The opportunity this gave us, however, was that we could add the new accounts to our site, and a new look and feel. So now you can get your own unlock codes on our website. If you need a code on the weekend or late at night, no problem, you don't have to wait for someone to reply to you.
Another snag we hit is that our DSL provider decided to put more protection on sending emails, without telling us (that would have been too helpful), so for a while this broke our store. People couldn't get their codes after buying a game. And we couldn't email them to tell them the codes! The good news is that this will help cut down on spam, but the bad news is that it cost us a lot of time to fix our system to their new standards.
So last week I was doing a final test of CoLa and the new games...and we ran into another wall. Microsoft changed some things with their new Vista operating system, which broke several things in CoLa. For example, they don't want anyone downloading programs across the web (except for themselves!), which is in general a good thing as this cuts down on viruses. But unfortunately it also cut down on CoLa! Arrgh!
I am finishing up the workaround now. I'm testing about 7 of the CoLa games. So we are getting close (and not just in geological terms, either!). The good news with this is that we have many new CoLa games, and our older games have all been improved. We have a new style of Rich Diamond game called Eldkim, we've got a Chess Game, several word games, some math games and more!
For our customers who have CoLa games now, we appreciate your patience. Next week we hope to be sending you information on how to get the new version of the CoLa games. Let's just hope nobody else decides to thwart our efforts! We've got some new stuff I'm sure you will enjoy...
-dave
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