If 100 independent games go into development , 95 of them fizzle out once the coders realize how terribly boring the first chunk of the game development cycle can be. Between physics engines, sound engines, lighting engines, and all of the other groundwork elements that have to be done before the fun stuff starts, it’s a tough hill to climb.

Fortunately, there’s a short cut: engine licensing. By paying to use someone elses engine, you get to shave off an good amount of the work that comes before the fun stuff. It’s not an overnight path to John Carmack status, but it makes things a bit less painful.

In a move that’ll push even more people on the iPhone development celebration bus, GarageGames’ has ported their game engine, Torque, to the iPhone platform. Long used to make games for Windows, Mac, Linux, and the Xbox 360, Torque is a powerful 2d/3d game engine with a huge perk: it’s dirt cheap. While many engine licenses can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars (before royalties), Torque licenses generally cost indie developers less than $200. (Licensing for the iPhone will be done on a per title basis, so no concrete numbers are available)

It’s not so easy that it’ll trigger a flood of crap games, but convenient enough to entice otherwise uninterested talent. Good news all around!

[Via TUAW]

Via Mobilecrunch

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More often than not, it’s the easy explanation that makes the most sense. Commenting on a recent LA Times woe-for-the-movie-industry piece, Techdirt arrives at the stunning conclusion that people will pay to go see a good movie. The LA Times article describes in detail the efforts that the industry took to delay The Dark Knight […]

More often than not, it’s the simple explanation that makes the most sense. Commenting on a recent LA Times woe-for-the-movie-industry piece, Techdirt arrives at the stunning conclusion that people will pay to go see a good movie.

The LA Times article describes in detail the efforts that the industry took to delay The Dark Knight including shipping the motion picture reels in separate shipments to discourage a complete copy being lost or stolen. From production to post on through motion picture theater delivery, the motion picture was under tight security.

All of this sounded a little over-vigilant to Mike Masnick who simplifies the equation down to the bare facts. Make a good motion picture and people will pay for the experience. The Dark Knight, most say, is a good movie. That is where the success came from, not by the cloak and dagger routine staged by the MPAA.

Via [crunchgear]

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If Frankenstein taught us anything it is that fire is bad and if you stick a bunch of random stuff together the result is not going to be pretty. Case in point, this 4-in-1 USB webcam from Brando. This multi-headed Medusa has additional features like a dimmable LED light, microphone and a fan on bendable arms. Just don’t be surprised when the villagers come knocking on your door with axes and lit torches. Available for $23. [Brando via Geekalerts]

Via [Gizmodo]

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This morning, Sprint pushed a new default mobile portal called Sprint Web to around 40 of their handset models, with plans to bring it to all models within the next few weeks.

Built on technology developed by ChangingWorlds, Sprint Web takes a stab at what it thinks the viewer finds most important based off of past usage patterns, and places it at the top of the page. (Anyone wanna take bets on how long it’ll be before someone screams “ZOMG PRIVACY VIOLATION!!!”?)

They also added a Google-powered search box to the top of the page, right where it should be. Does anybody really use portals for anything besides search anyways?

Sprint customers should start seeing the change today, no action required.

[Via MocoNews]

Via Mobilecrunch

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One day Wii controller attachment manufacturers are going to run out of plastic, and the world is going to be a superior place. But until that day, there’s going to be a seemingly never-ending tide of white plastic crap like this “Laser Sword” attachment from French company Subsonic. It’s kind of like what Wilson found last year with the Wiimote Light Sword, but adds in a motion sensor so Star Wars poseurs can activate the lights inside with a wrist flick or Star Wars kid ninja move. [Subsonic]

Via [Gizmodo]

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Sometimes when you’re working on cramming a bunch of new features into a handset, you just can’t make the deadlines. Between compiling, testing, bug repo.. wait, it’s pretty much the Curve painted orange?

Erm, well, whatever the cause of the delays, the Curve Sunset has been pushed back a week. Expect it to roll out in all of its orangey-redness on T-Mobile come August 4th.

[Via TmoNews]

Via Mobilecrunch

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17 days after the iPhone 3G launch, could Apple still be pulling a crowd each day? A bit doubtful, I cruised over to the local Apple spot this morning. Sure enough, the line was about wrapped around the corner, 20+ iPhone-hopefuls deep.

In what’s being declared as an effort to make getting an iPhone 3G “easier and more convenient“, Apple has decided to open the doors to their retail stores at 8 a.m (2 hours earlier than usual) indefinitely. Additionally, they’ve added staff specifically trained in iPhone sales/activation who are able to “pre-qualify” customers while they wait in line. Once qualified, customers are given an iPhone voucher which can be traded anytime before the doors close.

While the new staff and pre-qualifying process oughtta speed things up, opening early seems more like an effort to get the morning mob out of the store (and out of the way) as early as possible.

[Via iLounge]

Via Mobilecrunch

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Motorola announced plans for another reorg, this time in its home and networks mobility unit. The division is the company’s second largest business unit after its flailing mobile phone unit. It supplies carriers and cable companies with networking equipment and currently is organized into product units including cable set-top boxes, modems, cable infrastructure and networking gear.

Reports state the reorganization will divide these businesses into three units: one for cable set-top boxes and digital video equipment, Internet-based video and modems; and then the company’s networks business will be divided in two units: one for traditional wireless equipment for carriers, and another focusing on next-generation technologies including WiMax and LTE.

For the rest of the scoop, see CG.

Via Mobilecrunch

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In this video I’m reviewing a bubble rap keychain from Japan! ~Enjoy Link- http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/japanfan/982f/ Want more funnycookie randomness, SUBSCRIBE TO ME!

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We’ve mentioned Skyfire before - they’re the ones aiming to hop in and face-punch all the other mobile browsers by doing everything the rest can’t; Flash, AJAX - all those fancy intertubes technologies generally reserved for desktop browsers.

After a $13 million funding round and a couple of roster expansions, Skyfire is all prepped for its Symbian launch - for beta testers, that’s.

Sometime yesterday, Skyfire began passing out beta tickets to those who had signed up over the past few months. We haven’t actually found anyone in the beta so far, though, so no impressions just yet. If you made it in, feel free to drop a comment and let us know what you think.

If you’re totin’ an S60 third series device and want to check out Skyfire pre-launch, head on over to the beta signup page. It might be a while before they open the floodgates again, but its first-come-first-serve, so the sooner you sign up the better.

Via Mobilecrunch

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