Game Complete!
UPDATE 26th Oct: We’re submitting version 1.1 of the app to Apple and Blackberry today which includes a load of minor updates we’ve made in the last week. Unfortunately on Monday version 1.0 was rejected by Apple for a naughty line of code we weren’t even using. We’ll keep you updated.
UPDATE 24th Oct: Blackberry has approved the app on ALL OS 6 devices! We should hear back from Apple any-time now.
We’re almost there! This morning we finally submitted the app for approval by Apple (iPhone/iPad/iPod iOS 4+) and we should hear back within a week. As long as there aren’t any problems then we can announce a launch date for a very short time after. We’re just tweaking the odd thing for Blackberry (OS 6+) and then that will also be off for review. The game is also working perfectly on Android devices (phone/tablet 2.2+) and is ready to be submitted to the Android Market at any time, but we’d ideally like to wait so you can all access it at once no matter the platform you’re on.
We have largely been testing the game to death for the past month or two and battling through bug list after bug list. It has taken a little longer than anticipated but that’s to be expected and it has definitely been worth the extra time. We’re massively pleased with how well the game is working.
GP running on an iPad, HTC desire, BlackBerry Torch and iPhone 4
Aaron and Matt have been working here full-time for several months now on the app and the many systems involved. They’ve both worked incredibly hard and worked through some seriously daunting problems…developing for mobile and multiple platforms at once is no easy task. The app would never have been finished or be half of what it is now if it weren’t for them. GP is lucky to have such bright minds working on it!
To Rai and Ochie from ClickArt Studios who spent several months on the outstanding 130 or so unique pieces of artwork we’ve got in the app, thank you!
As many of you know, GP has been running since 2005. I’d played similar games of course and fell in love with the general formula these types of mafia games used. The community, the addiction, how rewarding it felt when you reached the top. However, I believed we could do better and…we did. We succeeded with the constant innovation in the hundreds of features present between GP1 and 2. We spawned and continue to spawn dozens of copy-cat games that have never pulled off and tied together the game mechanics we have so well. GP became popular and has enjoyed a lot of success over the years and that’s largely down to the players who brought along their friends and continue to be so ‘loyal’ to GP. So, this app really is for you. So many of you asked for it and we are happy to deliver.
I truly believe it is our best game yet and I urge you to give it a try. Done right, I think a text-based game such as GP is perfectly suited to mobile devices. It’s been challenging but there are various perks. The lack of screen space forced us to design things simply, think about usability and cut down on the waste a lot of these games pack in. Get attacked whilst at work? Your phone will pop up a notification and in a few touches you can protect yourself or get your own back. We’ve been able to take what you like best from GP1 and GP2, remove what you dislike or don’t use, add in some new features and spent months turning this into a fantastic experience. I cannot wait to see people battling for the highest ranks of the leaderboard, attacking people over losing at Spin the Shank, chatting in the chatroom, contributing ideas and basically enjoying the game. I’ve been dreaming this up for two years now and I’m excited to see it all coming together.
What’s next after this? We’ll continue to enhance all three games at the same time and we’re going to look at bringing the app to desktop computers, how best to promote it and building on your initial feedback.
Thank you for reading. I hope to see you playing within the next few weeks!
