iDevGames

Smashing Magazine has recently released their iPhone Starter Kit, a set of images and interface images to help developers create mockups of their iPhone apps for clients or for their own design purposes. It was designed by Renee Rist, entirely in Photoshop. The kit is both vector images and screenshots. The icon set is a free download from their website.

Related Links:
• Smashing Magazine: New iPhone PSD Vector Kit 

Oolong is a game engine for the iPhone and iPod Touch, written in C++ with some help from Objective-C. It will help you to create new games and port existing games to the iPhone and the iPod touch.

Features:

• OpenGL ES 1.1 support
• Math library that supports floating-point calculations with an interface very similar to the D3D math library
• Support for numerous texture formats including the PowerVR 2-bit, 4-bit and normal map compression formats
• Support for PowerVR’s POD (Scene and Meshes) and the 3DS files formats
• Touch screen support
• Accelerometer support
• Text rendering to support a basic UI
• Timing: several functions that can replace rdstc, QueryPerformance? etc.
• Profiler: industry proven in-game profiler
• Resources streaming system
• Bullet SDK support (for 3D Physics)
• Sound Engine that supports OpenAL
• Networking library based on ENet
• Industry proven memory manager from Fluid Studios

For more information, visit the Oolong Game Engine website.

• Related link: Oolong Engine

FutureBASIC is now freeware! Starting January 1, 2008, FB will become freeware. Does this mean that work on the product will come to a halt? Absolutely not. For starters, you will be able to download a revised editor that addresses problems with Mac OS X, System 10.5. Later, you will be able to download the exciting new translator under construction by the FBtoC team that will allow FB code to be compiled by the gcc compiler.

Veteran uDevGames entrant Justin Ficarrotta has written up a “Must Read!” survival guide for newcomers to the uDevGames contest. Check it out and happy developing!

• Related link: A uDevGames 2008 Survival Guide

iDevGames is proud to announce the start of the fifth uDevGames Mac Game Development Contest! The contest challenges participants to create a Mac OS X game in three months time, which will then be subjected to public vote and peer vote, with the best in a variety of categories receiving prizes provided by our generous sponsors. Please visit the official uDevGames website to read more about this year’s contest, the official rules and schedule, as well as to register.

• Related link: uDevGames – The Mac Game Development Contest

MacDeveloper is a new website dedicated a networking and beta-testing resource for Mac enthusiasts. MacDeveloper connects developers to a large pool of beta testers to improve their products. It offers a portal for testers and developers to meet and work together to improve a product. It provides a service to developers, and the developers give back to the community. Check out MacDeveloper.net at the link below.

Related Links:
• MacDeveloper.net 

OSX Reality has posted an interview with our own Aaron Fothergill, the creator of Flick Fishing, Plank, and numerous other games. Read the full interview at the link below:

• Related link: Aaron Fothergill Interview: Creator of Flick Fishing and Plank

The Objective-C language (C++ “challenger”), is not very widely spread outside de MacOS X/Cocoa world. However, it is really worth studying. Unfortunately, the few documentations that can be found are targeted most of the time to OOP beginners. Therefore, an advanced C++ developer cannot find quickly the equivalents of its usual techniques : time is lost at exploring the language. So, I have tried to gather in this document a lot of C++ and Objective-C concepts, to show how to switch from one to another and understand the Objective-C paradigms. I hope that it will help good developers to rapidly adopt Objective-C.

• Related Link: From C++ to Objective-C

Calgary, Canada – Macgamestore.com today announced Mac Games Arcade, an exciting new digital download application for Mac OS X. Mac Games Arcade allows users to download, purchase and manage their Mac games all through an innovative and easy—to—use Mac interface. With Mac Games Arcade, users will be able to browse through hundreds of digital download Mac titles from over 100 Mac developers, check out demos, write reviews, purchase games, and maintain their digital downloads. Built by Mac developers, Mac Games Arcade is the brain—child of Inside Mac Games/Macgametore.com founder and former Bungie Software project leader, Tuncer Deniz. “Mac Games Arcade makes digital downloads fast and easy.”, said Tuncer Deniz. “No more unzipping, installing, scrambling for your serial number, and worrying about losing your digital downloads. It’s the one—stop solution for Mac game digital downloads.”
Read the rest of this entry »

iDevGames would like to issue a call for sponsors within the Mac community. uDevGames is a Mac OS X programming competition, now in its fifth year. The contest is sponsored by iDevGames & iDevApps — the leading online communities for Macintosh & iPhone developers. The contest requires Mac developers to create an original game in 3 months. “It has a great success and each year we grew the contest — energizing Mac gaming and most importantly, spotlighting up-and-coming Mac programmers”, said Carlos Camacho, Editor-in-Chief of iDevGames. “Many of our contest alumni have moved into professional development careers as a result of their experience and coverage in the uDevGames Contest.” Information regarding sponsorship benefits and the sponsorship form can be found at the link below. uDevGames is scheduled to start on December 2, 2008 and uDevGames website will be officially re-launched on first of December.

• Related Link: http://www.udevgames.com/sponsors/sponsorship/