Nintendo Reports Huge Losses

For the first time, Nintendo has reported huge losses. $458 million in losses, to be exact. How could Nintendo improve their profits? Apps, how else? Nintendo has always stated that their games would only be available on their own hardware. But that strategy hasn't been working well for them in the past few years. Demand for Nintendo portables like the 3DS isn't as high as it used to be, thanks to smartphones. The sort of games you could usually find on these handhelds are available on smartphones. In fact, they also have games thawee old not be be available on Nintendo handhelds, like a wide variety of third party apps, games, and even more mature games, such as shooters. People aren't willing to shell out the cash for Nintendo hardware just to get a game or two that they'd enjoy. So, if you can't beat them, join them.

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25 Billion iOS Apps Downloaded

The 25 billionth iOS app was downloaded last night at 9:45 PM PST (that's 12:45 AM EST). That's quite a milestone for Apple and the App Store. The App Store has only been around since 2008, and the second generation of the iPhone and iOS. In just 4 short years, iOS has seen plenty of success, as have app developers on iOS. 

If you downloaded an app around that time, you may have been the person to download the 25 billionth app. Apple will be giving out a gift card for $10,000 on the iTunes/App Store to the person who downloaded it. 

via CultOfMac

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iOS App Store on the way to 25 Billion

Apple will soon hit 25 billion apps downloaded from the App Store. And, if you download the 25,000,000,000th app, Apple will give you $10,000 to be used in the App Store, iTunes Store, or Mac App Store. Check out the countdown here.

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New iOS Apps Outnumber Android 3:1

The App Store is bigger, and now it's growing faster too.

Flurry posted a study about the growth of new apps on iOS and Android. They found that during last month, there were three new iOS apps for every new Android app. iOS already has a lead over Android of over 150,000 apps, and now it's growing faster than Android as well. Consumer and developer interest for Android has been dropping for some time, and now the numbers are starting to reflect that. But why has Android interest been dropping?

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Zynga Called out for Stealing Game Design

Nimblebit created Tiny Tower, which Apple named as the game of the year in 2011. Now, Zynga is working on Dream Heights, which looks suspiciously like tiny tower. 

Actually, except for the charming 8-bit graphics of Tiny Tower, it looks just like it. 

Instead of a lawsuit, they made the image below. I thought it was worth a share. 

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Soul Calibur Coming to iOS

Soul Calibur has been my favorite fighting game series for some time. But, I'm sure my love for the series isn't the only reason Namco has finally decided to bring the game to iOS. This Thursday, January 19th, the first Soul Calibur will be released for iOS.

Namco has apparently put a lot of work into making sure the controls are translated to the touch screen well, as fighting games in the past have had difficulty with this. Also, expect to see all the fighters and game modes from the original.

As long as Namco doesn't charge an arm and a leg, I'll be getting this game the day it's released. You know, because I'll at least need two arms to play.
via appadvice

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App Store Downloads Exceed Android Marketplace Downloads

It's a well known fact that the number of apps on the iOS App Store far exceed the number of apps on the Android Marketplace. But are users downloading those apps, or are they mostly not worth downloading?

As it turns out, iOS users really love the App Store. The App Store sees more downloads for the iPad alone than all Android devices on the entire Android Marketplace. The iPhone accounts for 4 times more downloads from the App Store and all the Android devices download from the Marketplace. With all those active users, it's no wonder most developers prefer iOS.

The iOS App Store is larger, growing faster, and iOS users download far more apps than Android users. On top of that, the App Store doesn't have malware or security issues, as the Android Marketplace does. All things considered, the App Store is better than the Android Marketplace in almost every way, both for users and developers.
via MacObserver

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Bejeweled Free on App Store

Bejeweled is an internet classic. And, while it used to be free as a flash game, it's now 99¢. But, Apple is offering the game for free again. All you need to do is go to their Facebook page here (like the Apple Store for future freebies and the code). You can download the game straight from your iOS device or on your computer.

Bejeweled is a classic for a good reason: it's addictive. If you haven't bought it yet, here's your opportunity to get it for free.
via CultOfMac

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OnLive iPad App in Limbo

It's been a while since the OnLive App was submitted to the App Store for approval. If you're unfamiliar with the service, OnLive allows customers to buy games, and have them streamed to your device. This means your local computer doesn't need to be very powerful, it just needs a decent internet connection, and the ability to display full screen video. So far, OnLive is on Macs and PCs, as well as TVs. But, they're looking to get into the tablet market as well, with iPad and Android apps. Unfortunately, the iPad app has been in limbo since being submitted, and OnLive is unsure of when the app will be approved.

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Grand Theft Auto 3 out for iOS

Rockstar is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 by releasing it for iOS. The game has some (slightly) updated graphics, and has been made specifically for the high definition retina display. The game will work on iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads alike. Whether you wan't some nostalgia, or you're new to the Grand Theft Auto series, this game looks to be just as good as the console version. You can download it from the App Store here.
via CultOfMac 

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Want a Top-Ten App on iOS? It takes 30,000 Downloads per Day

That's no mistake in the title. According to research done by Distimo, in order for an app to make it into the top ten list, it takes an average of 30,000 app downloads per day. On busy days, it could take as much as 80,000! Want to get in the top three spot? It's going to take over 200,000 downloads per day. The App Store sees over 1 billion downloads per month, that's an average of over 33 million apps downloaded per day. Which means, in order to get in the top ten, an app needs about 6% of daily app downloads. 

The App Store is huge, with the most mobile users. Because of that, all apps on the store see a decent number of downloads, and the most popular apps see an insane amount of daily downloads. No wonder the app development industry is booming. 

via Gizmodo

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1 Billion Downloads on App Store per Month

iOS users are downloading over 1 billion apps every month from the App Store. On top of that, the App Store still is the largest source of mobile apps, with over 500,000 different apps available to iOS users.

The iOS App Store is far larger than the Android Marketplace, Blackberry App World, or Windows Phone 7 Marketplace. On top of that, iOS is the most popular mobile operating system, with iOS taking up over 55% of all mobile users. Combine a large user base with a huge selection of apps, and you've got a highly active app market. That's what makes the App Store so attractive to developers, and the reason behind Objective-C becoming the fifth most popular programming language. If you didn't know, Objective-C is the native programming language for Macs and iOS devices.

The App Store has been around since 2008, and it's changed the mobile market. Developer interest for the App Store is very high, making the App Store the largest source for mobile apps, and a rapidly growing one at that. But no one expected downloads on the App Store to be over 18 billion, with 1 billion additional downloads a month. Happy downloading!
via CultOfMac

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Flipboard Released for iPhone

Flipboard has been a longstanding favorite news reading app for iPad users. The app presents the news in an interesting and yet easy to use interface, that feels more like reading from a magazine than from the web. It can even do the same enhancements for your Facebook or Twitter feeds.

Today, Flipboard finally made the app available for iPhones and iPod Touches. Many were worked that the interface, which was so well done on the iPad, wouldn't translate well for a smaller screen. Fortunately, those fears were put to rest after using the app for just a few minutes. 

But first, a bit of a story. I first spotted a news story about Flipboard coming to other iOS devices this morning. I quickly downloaded it, only to find that the app just wasn't working. A quick look on the developer's site, and I found the problem. Apparently, many people have been anxiously awaiting the iPhone version of this app, because Flipboard's servers were down. I was checking the progress all throughout the day. Finally, they're back online now, and Flipboard has begun to slowly accept new users. It seems as though it may be worth a try now, as it should work for most users. 

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Infinity Blade 2 Released

No screenshot can really show off just how good this game looks.

Infinity Blade 2 was released today. It's a fantastic game. After getting lost in it for a while, I decided I should write an article about it.
The game improves on everything that players loved about the original. Gorgeous graphics, fast and addictive gameplay, and an intriguing storyline make this a must have iOS game. The story is more in depth than the first Infinity Blade, you'll find yourself watching every cutscene that you may have skipped in the original. Not only do they reveal more of the story, but they look simply fantastic.

Weapons, shields, armor, and items have been improved greatly as well. The game breaks up weapons into three classes, light, heavy, and dual. Light weapons are quick, and can be paired with a shield. Heavy weapons deal more damage, but are slower. The fastest option, and the best way to deal out damage quickly, is to wield two swords. The problem with doing this, is that you lose the ability to block, although you can now duck.

Also added is the idea of gems. Gems allow you to add effects to your weapons. This adds more strategy. Going up against an enemy that specializes in fire? Equip a water gem to deal massive water based damage. Other than that, combat and leveling up will feel familiar.

The game is available on the App Store for $6.99. That might seem like a bit much for an app, but after playing it a bit, I would have been willing to pay a lot more. Go download the best looking, and one of the most fun mobile games ever created. You'll find the game looks best on the iPhone 4S or iPad 2, but it works on the iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S, as well as the first and second generation iPad. iPod Touch users with a 3rd or 4th generation can also join in on the fun. iOS 3.2 or higher is required. If you have an iOS device, get this game.

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Apple Pulls Big Fish Game Rentals

It looks as though Apple isn't ready to allow game subscriptions on the App Store just yet. They've pulled the rental versions of developer Big Fish's apps.

Apple hasn't said why they pulled the app. Either they're not ready, or they'd rather the rentals done by a standard system, which would be available to all developers. It's most likely a mix of the two. Apple would rather announce this feature with a number of developers at a later date. If they actually do want to add a feature like this to the App Store, they'd also want it to be a uniform interface across multiple apps from a variety of developers.

If you were looking forward to app subscriptions, you'll have to wait a bit longer, possibly indefinitely.
via Gizmodo

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Minecraft for iOS Out Tomorrow

Minecraft: Pocket Edition will be released sometime tomorrow, according to this placeholder on the App Store. It seems the pocket edition won't have crafting yet, instead it will just allow the user to move blocks around. Still, if you've ever played creative mode, you'd know that moving blocks around is actually quite fun.

It appears as though the app will be universal, for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, and will cost $9.99. Minecraft is extremely popular, but $10 is a bit steep. With any luck, the developers either add more features, or drop the price in the future. Minecraft should be available for download by tomorrow here. Although, despite the release date on the App Store page, Cult of Mac is claiming it could be out later today. Either way, it will be available before the end of the week!
via Cult Of Mac

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Rage HD: Possibly The Most Immersive FPS I've Played

I've been playing Rage HD for a while. But today, I decided to try a different control scheme, "Virtual Window". I noticed right away that though it still used the gyroscope, I had to move my iPhone around, 360º as well as up and down. It's as though your iPhone becomes a window into the world of the game (the control scheme is aptly named).

More on Rage HD below.

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Score Jetpack Joyride for iOS for Free

Apple often offers free apps on their Facebook page for the App Store. If you'd like to score Jetpack Joyride, an addicting game from the people who made Fruit Ninja, for free, head over to Apple's App Store page on Facebook. Over on the left side, you'll see a list of pages, including one called "Free App Offer". Go there to get JetPack Joyride for free from Apple.

It's a fun and addictive game, and works with both OpenFeint and GamceCenter. See how far you can get on a stolen Jetpack, with power ups and obstacles to dodge. Jetpack Joyride is normally 99¢, but you can get it now for free on Apple's Facebook page.
via MacRumors

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Nintendo Investors Want Mario on iOS

Nintendo investors aren't impressed with Nintendo's 3DS. Nintendo is losing a lot of ground in the mobile gaming market. Investors aren't happy about this, and they don't think a portable gaming system is the best way to compete with it. They think Nintendo should start putting games on mobile phone operating systems, specifically iOS.

With both Android and iOS, you can install emulators. Sure, you may have to side load it on Android, or jailbreak to get it on the iPhone. But once you do, you can play a large number of games, many of them from Nintendo. This is money Nintendo is losing because they refuse to sell their product on the systems customers want them on: their phones. Users would gladly pay for these games if they were released, but Nintendo has refused to comply.

Nintendo has been dead set on keeping characters like Mario, Samus, Pikachu, and Link on their own hardware. But, with increasing pressure from investors, perhaps we could, at the very least, see some classic Nintendo games on the App Store in the future.
via CultOfMac

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iOS E-Reader Apps Remove Store Links

Apps like Amazon's Kindle app and Google's Reader have been faced with a dilemma. Within the App Store guidelines, it states that apps that sell products or services must do them within the app, not by sending the user to the vendor's website. However, until today, to buy books through these apps, the user had to go into Safari, buy the book, and then go back into the app to sync with his or her online account. This is an annoying process, and it would be much easier to simply buy the books within the app. Apple thought so too, so they set a deadline, and asked app developers to comply with the guidelines or be removed from the app store.

More below.

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