A couple of days ago, I invested in all the hardware that I should need to start creating iOS builds of my existing and new games. I got it all set up, and began the process of joining Apple’s Developer Program under the Smiling Cat banner…
…And that’s where we still sit. One thing to know when joining Apple’s Developer Program as a company is that you will need to be verified by Dunn & Bradstreet (a company that maintains an authoritative business registry and issues credit reports on businesses) before you can successfully sign up, and it is not a particularly quick process. Getting listed in their database is not the issue – if your company has accounts at any financial institution, it probably already has a D-U-N-S number. However, if you have not worked with Dunn & Bradstreet before, it is likely that your company is in unverified status in their database, and you will need to provide them with proof of your business registration, as well as work with them to correct any inaccurate information.
Note that you do not need to do this if joining Apple’s Developer Program as an individual, only if joining as a company. I guess this is all an effort to keep the riffraff out of the App Store’s walled garden, but, WOW. After the ease with which I signed up for the Android Developer Program, this was unexpected. As of now, it looks like I will be clear to start iOS development the first week of March. In the meantime, I temporarily have some fantastic new paperweights that are shaped like useful development tools =P. Despite the delay, I’m still looking forward to releasing my full mobile games catalog on iOS in the coming months.
Work still progresses on Vintage Pachinko. Phil from Dioram has created an awesome background that continues the “Deus Penguin” series, and we are just working on adding some of the finer details to the machine.
Breaking Block, as it is now tentatively titled, is coming along nicely as well. Last weekend it saw a transformative overhaul that took the gameplay out of the 80’s, and brought it up to today’s mobile gaming standards. One particular problem that has always plagued block breaker games is the tedium of trying to get those last couple of bricks at the end of a level. Introducing a bit of computer-controlled competition for those last couple of bricks solves that issue quite nicely, and even makes the end of the level exciting. (“Gah! No! You stay away from my bricks!”) Bonus scoring opportunities now occur throughout the level. This is not going to be your typical block breaker game. It’s going to be more than a bit madcap.
Finally, I’m creating a Prepare for Warp surprise, not ready to announce what that is yet, but it will be very soon.