Is it 0.99c = 99th / 100 of a cent or 0.99 of a dollar? If the latter you meant, it is almost 3,000 bucks a month of selling. I believe he will get a double in income in the next month which is December. Amazing!
Yes I meant $0.99. Actually I think I he has sold more than 2700+ as that is just the number of people who bothered to rate his game!
Included in this release :
Audio and Initial Network support.
Multitouch and Accelerometer works, but still incomplete.
Marblets Starter Kit - Shows landscape rendering
Platformer Starter Kit - ScreenShot
Multitouch example
GameStateManagement example
and lots of under the hood changes to get an couple of extra frames per second.
Double thread deleted.
Although instead of making a new thread, I'd edit the last one and PM a mod to edit the title. I can easily do that. It's just so there isn't so many topics with different versions if one topic can be edited x_x.
Double thread deleted.
Although instead of making a new thread, I'd edit the last one and PM a mod to edit the title. I can easily do that. It's just so there isn't so many topics with different versions if one topic can be edited x_x.
You get what I mean.
The double post was caused by me hitting the back button, going away, coming back and me thinking that I had not submitted the post, so I made a change and clicked post. Then when I realised the I couldn't delete my double post, I posted the message about deleting the other thread.
Is it possible to deploy ported ZumeHD games to iPhone/iPod touch devices directly out of one of our existing computers, not just a Mac? I understand Mono framework (.NET) and MonoDevelop IDE (C#) can be utilized on Linux based computers. No? What about another alternative?
BTW, those three ported starter kits look great. They can be readily deployed to our ZuneHD without any further modifications. Yes?
Is it possible to deploy ported ZumeHD games to iPhone/iPod touch devices directly out of one of our existing computers, not just a Mac? I understand Mono framework (.NET) and MonoDevelop IDE (C#) can be utilized on Linux based computers. No? What about another alternative?
To be able to deploy between Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, then you need to write Winforms application using Mono. The issue is that on Windows it would not be 100% compatible with Microsoft's .NET, but you could always deploy the Mono run-time for Win32, with your app. iPhone does not currently support WinForm apps, nor does ZuneHD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KawaCoder
BTW, those three ported starter kits look great. They can be readily deployed to our ZuneHD without any further modifications. Yes?
The Marblets and AlienGame Starter kit don't currently support easy cross compilation to ZuneHD, but all they require is some IFDEFs around the using clauses and they should compile. They were originally XNA StarterKits so should just work. I ported the Platformer StarterKit, but didn't do the other 2, and that has the appropriate IFDEFs for cross compilation, but I've not tested it recently. In all cases, on Windows, you would need to create an XNA project and just add the respective images and level files to the project and hit build, as XNA on Windows/Xbox and ZuneHD uses a content pipeline, while XnaTouch does not. The game code itself should not need any changes.
Actually I'll go through this week-end and update Marblets and AlienGame to be more cross-compilable. So that if anyone uses those as a starting points, they will immediately know what they need to do, to ensure their game compiles on both ZuneHD and iPhone.
I've just checked in the changes to make Marblets and AlienGame more cross-compilable. Anyone wanting to build them for ZuneHD should just create a ZuneHD project, add the C# files,the images and level data etc to the Project, hit build and fingers crossed, it should just work.
Please try it out and let me know if it does not work.
Sometime in the future, I hope someone will port the RPG StarterKit over to both ZuneHD and XnaTouch.
I'll test cross-compilable Platformer starter kit with IFDEF's on my ZuneHD. I will post the results in a couple of days or so. I haven't deployed any game to ZuneHD yet.
I'll test cross-compilable Platformer starter kit with IFDEF's on my ZuneHD. I will post the results in a couple of days or so. I haven't deployed any game to ZuneHD yet.
AFAIK XNA Game Studio doesn't know or care whether you're deploying to a Zune HD or a classic Zune, so there aren't any #defines set by default that you can use to change behavior based on the target. However, there are various ways your code can detect the current platform, such as checking for a touchscreen or testing the screen resolution.
Also, XnaTouch seems like the definition of a losing proposition. XnaTouch is useless without MonoTouch, which requires a rather hefty license fee ($400 at the very minimum) on top of Apple's various charges if you want to actually deploy apps to the iPhone. Moreover, you end up with a port that's not going to run as well as a bona-fide native iPhone app. However, it still sounds like an interesting project nevertheless.
Last edited by itsnotabigtruck; 12-03-2009 at 04:10 PM.
AFAIK XNA Game Studio doesn't know or care whether you're deploying to a Zune HD or a classic Zune, so there aren't any #defines set by default that you can use to change behavior based on the target. However, there are various ways your code can detect the current platform, such as checking for a touchscreen or testing the screen resolution.
Currently the code is written as
#if IPHONE
XnaTouch.Framework;
#esle
Microsoft.Xna.Framework;
#endif
So if you compile this unit under Windows for either Zune or Xbox should just use Microsoft XNA, and under MonoDevelop you can just define a compile time constant of IPHONE and it will bind to XnaTouch.
My memory may be failing me but I believe Microsoft's XNA is aware of ZUNE, WINDOWS and XBOX compile time constants already.
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsnotabigtruck
Also, XnaTouch seems like the definition of a losing proposition. XnaTouch is useless without MonoTouch, which requires a rather hefty license fee ($400 at the very minimum) on top of Apple's various charges if you want to actually deploy apps to the iPhone.
MonoTouch has a trail version which you can use free of charge. Its limitation is that you can only test your application on the iPhone simulator. You are correct, in order to deploy to an actually device you would need to purchase the MonoTouch personal licence as a minimum. But the upside is one codebase to target 2 portable devices and the iPhone market is currently orders of magnitude bigger than the Zune market.
As mentioned earlier, if there is enough interest I may offer my services as a middle man to help people port their titles to iPhone. Details would still need to be worked out, but that would certainly get around Zune developers initial development investment for iPhone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsnotabigtruck
Moreover, you end up with a port that's not going to run as well as a bona-fide native iPhone app.
Unlike XNA on Zune/ZuneHD, XBox 360 or PC, MonoTouch actually compiles down to *native* ARM code on the iPhone devices. No interpreted code is allowed on iPhones. You are correct in saying that MonoTouch apps are not as fast as Objective C apps on the iPhone, but surely you have the same situation with .NET apps running on Xbox, Zune and PCs. I would be surprised if the MonoTouch apps are not faster than .NET code running on XNA's other supported platforms, due to the fact that it actually is native ARM instructions, assuming the devices are similarly powerful.
__ Screen shot showing Farseer Physics engine running on iPhone sim via XnaTouch. Not everything in FP will work as XnaTouch is currently missing some maths code. But hinge joints and collisions work as shown in the screen shot.
If I can work out how to edit the QuickTime video I took of it in motion, I'll upload it somewhere.
If anyone has a more complex Farseer demo, that is NOT based on DemoBaseXNA ( that uses Zune unfriendly Basic Effect ), I can port it and see what else breaks in XnaTouch. Some of it I will be able to fix, but other things I will leave to people with better maths knowledge than I.
Currently the code is written as
#if IPHONE
XnaTouch.Framework;
#esle
Microsoft.Xna.Framework;
#endif
So if you compile this unit under Windows for either Zune or Xbox should just use Microsoft XNA, and under MonoDevelop you can just define a compile time constant of IPHONE and it will bind to XnaTouch.
My memory may be failing me but I believe Microsoft's XNA is aware of ZUNE, WINDOWS and XBOX compile time constants already.
Right. I thought you were talking about Zune vs. Zune HD, not the #defines for the other platforms.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CartBlanche
MonoTouch has a trail version which you can use free of charge. Its limitation is that you can only test your application on the iPhone simulator. You are correct, in order to deploy to an actually device you would need to purchase the MonoTouch personal licence as a minimum. But the upside is one codebase to target 2 portable devices and the iPhone market is currently orders of magnitude bigger than the Zune market.
As mentioned earlier, if there is enough interest I may offer my services as a middle man to help people port their titles to iPhone. Details would still need to be worked out, but that would certainly get around Zune developers initial development investment for iPhone.
Sounds interesting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CartBlanche
Unlike XNA on Zune/ZuneHD, XBox 360 or PC, MonoTouch actually compiles down to *native* ARM code on the iPhone devices. No interpreted code is allowed on iPhones. You are correct in saying that MonoTouch apps are not as fast as Objective C apps on the iPhone, but surely you have the same situation with .NET apps running on Xbox, Zune and PCs. I would be surprised if the MonoTouch apps are not faster than .NET code running on XNA's other supported platforms, due to the fact that it actually is native ARM instructions, assuming the devices are similarly powerful.
That might be the case, but it's still suboptimal on the iPhone, even if it runs faster than the Zune. If you're going to write apps for the iPhone, why shell out $$$ for MonoTouch when you could just use Objective C, which has no performance penalty and easy access to the full iPhone API?
That might be the case, but it's still suboptimal on the iPhone, even if it runs faster than the Zune. If you're going to write apps for the iPhone, why shell out $$$ for MonoTouch when you could just use Objective C, which has no performance penalty and easy access to the full iPhone API?
You make some valid points. As I said earlier, the suboptimal argument is valid for apps on Zune as well, or any other platform where you can choose to write native code or .NET code.
For me it comes down to the following things.
1. I looked at Objective C and I prefer C#, so one less language for me to learn. Sure I could learn it if I had to, but luckily I don't have to.
2. Ease of deploying to multiple platforms, and for that I'll take the speed hit. This is true of commercial game engines as well.
3. Familiarity with the XNA api. With Objective C I'd have to get to know more of the the iPhone API before getting up and running.
I've not tried to access all of the iPhone API through Monotouch, but for example for the networking in XnaTouch I'm calling the Game Kit networking API from within a MonoTouch classe as can be seen here.
This is not to say they support every single iPhone API, but the last thing I thought they would have wrapped up in a class would be the iPhone GameKit .
If speed really becomes an issue for me, then of course I would have to jump into the deep end with Objective C. Luckily the games I'm hoping to release on the Zune/iPhone are not too CPU intensive and are likely to sell ( if they sell ) for around $0.99. Impulse buys that are easy to develop and almost throw away purchases. I will not be writing the next Uncharted 2 using XnaTouch or XNA . It all goes well, our first XnaTouch game will be out in Late Jan, early Feb.
Re: Platformer Game demo that comes with XnaTouch 0.7 package
I tried to open the existing project. No go. I was told that the existing .csproj file was for MonoDevelop IDE, not Visual Studio. So, I need to create a seperate project via Visual C# EE and then add all existing .cs files from the demo. I will continue to test further until it is finished.
May I suggest to set up a directory tree for both Mono and .NET projects as following:
Code:
Game Name (user-created folder)
GameName (VS-created folder)
GameName (folder)
GameName.Iphone.csproj
GameName.Zune.csproj
.cs files
...
GameName.Iphone.sln
GameName.Zune.sln
After Visual C# first creates a GameName folder, change GameName.csproj to GameName.Zune.csproj in the .sln file and rename the solution to GameName.Zune.sln. And, rename GameName.csproj to GameName.Zune.csproj in the GameName folder.
With this setup, both solutions share the same code in the GameName folder. GameName folder contains only two files, ie. solutions. It is easier for us to open either one depending on what computer we are using, rather than hunting for either in the windy long list of files in the GameName folder.
I've just added a youtube link in the initial post that shows the Alien Game with accelerometer support on an actual iPhone.
Also this week-end I managed to get Farseer Physics compiling and running with XnaTouch on the simulator. Screenshot available here.
@KawaCoder : I should have mentioned before, but it completely slipped my mind. If you go to this SVN changeset XnaTouch
This is the actual project file for the original Windows version, that I ported over to MonoDevelop. This should have all the source files you require, though I don't think back then we checked in the Content sub-project. Since that change set we have removed all Windows and Zune projects and only kept the iPhone projects.
When adding the level files, as you are aware, they cannot go through the content pipeline. Therefore, make sure when you add those to your project that the BuildAction is set to "None", the Content Importer/Processor are blank and the CopyToOutputDirectory is set to "Copy if newer".
The other thing to be aware of is that XnaTouch uses *.xnb bitmap fonts, while Windows uses *.spritefont files. In the project, You may need to right click on the Content/Fonts directory and select "Add New Item" and from there create a new Hud.spritefont and remove the Hud.xnb file.
I've not tried this alternative, but you might be able to treat the Hud.xnb file like the level files and use the settings I mentioned above after you add it to the project.
As I mentioned earlier, the changes are project changes and not code changes. Once you've set up both projects, you can then just focus on you codebase.
I've just added a youtube link in the initial post that shows the Alien Game with accelerometer support on an actual iPhone.
The link?
I have to stop testing the XnaTouch-compatible project. It was my mistake to take this role. I realized that the project given in the set at Codeplex is NOT ZuneHD-ready to compile. It took too much hassle to restore the original back to the said project. Hence, XnaTouch is not for us, the ZuneHD gamers/coders unless they at Codeplex provide dual compilation as I suggested earlier in this thread.
Is it 0.99c = 99th / 100 of a cent or 0.99 of a dollar? If the latter you meant, it is almost 3,000 bucks a month of selling. I believe he will get a double in income in the next month which is December. Amazing!
According to his blog, he did his Jelly Physics in XNA originally. In fact, I do have his source code for the engine. Yes, I remeber he rewrote his game in Objective C. My mistake.
I was instructed to replace all .cs files (11 of them) with the ones from XnaTouch package. Deployed the game successfully. The gameplays for both Zune and Iphone are identical.
Suppose we don't have the starter kit on hand. What is good for us, the Zuners, to have the package. I have a serious question.
At XnaTouch Project (at Codeplex), we saw the description:
Quote:
XnaTouch is a free implementation of the XNA Framework for MonoTouch. Your goal is help the port of Zune games for the IPhone / Ipod Touch (and vice versa).
What is "vice versa" supposed to mean? Do I misunderstand?
At XnaTouch Project (at Codeplex), we saw the description:
What is "vice versa" supposed to mean? Do I misunderstand?
The idea is that, once you know how to make your code cross-platform, you could start your coding on Windows with XNA and then port it over to the iPhone. So it should hopefully work both ways.
The idea is that, once you know how to make your code cross-platform, you could start your coding on Windows with XNA and then port it over to the iPhone. So it should hopefully work both ways.
So, I misinterpreted the description.
Now, the current findings are:
* All .cs files are fully compatible for both Zune and iPhone.
* Not all assets are compatible.
Was it because the content compiler is not yet implemented in MonoTouch/XnaTouch?
What changes/features do we expect in Version 1.0 if planned to release?
. It all goes well, our first XnaTouch game will be out in Late Jan, early Feb.
