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[Firestorm]

Posted in the iPhone/iPod Touch thread but I think it deserves its own.
http://theappera.com/2009/03/17/breaking-audiosurf-may-finally-arrive-for-the-iphone/

“Dylan Fitterer Regarding An Audiosurf for iPhone: I’M ON IT!!!”

We remember seeing somewhere in the past that Dylan Fitterer, Audiosurf Developer, was asked wether he sees an iPhone version of the very popular Audiosurf game in our future. All he said was something along the lines of: “it will take Apple to possiby open the iPod library access” before he can start working on iPhone version.

audiosurf1

Well with today’s keynote/preview for the new iPhone OS 3.0, one of the new features announced was: THE OPENING OF IPOD LIBRARY to be accessible by other applications! After the announcement, there was no question, we scrambled to email and contact Dylan with this exciting news!

We sent Dylan this message a couple of hours ago:

Hey Dylan,

We hope you saw the Apple announcement regarding iPhone OS 3.0, and how they’re opening the iPod library to be accessible from applications. This means that there is no way Audiosurf cannot work with the iPhone anymore.

I know the beta build of iPhone OS 3.0 is already available for download for developers enrolled in iPhone Developer Program.

Well anyway, think about it. We’re just excited that Audiosurf may finally come to the iPhone! Thanks!

To which he directly replied:

WooHoo!
I’m on it.

For those not in the know, Audiosurf is an award winning game where “its track-like stages visually mimic the music the player chooses, while the player races across several lanes collecting colored blocks that appear in sync with the music.”

This would only be available on Firmware 3.0 obviously as that's the firmware that enables using the iPod part of the phone in external apps. Firmware 3.0 is free for iPhone users but costs $9.95 for iPod Touch users because Apple thinks firmware upgrades should be charged for.

 

[TheGreatDave]

ITT: people justify firmware updates costing money.

Can't imagine the game actually being better on iPhone, so meh.

 

[Nabs]

awesome

 

[bard]

Firmware 3.0 is free for iPhone users but costs $9.95 for iPod Touch users because Apple thinks firmware upgrades should be charged for.

More like: iPhone users are already taking it up the ass, so charging for firmware would just make them more aware of that, so Apple will take its money from iPod users instead.

Oh, and HELL YEAH AUDIOSURF!

 

[Firestorm]

More like: iPhone users are already taking it up the ass, so charging for firmware would just make them more aware of that, so Apple will take its money from iPod users instead.

Oh, and HELL YEAH AUDIOSURF!

Isn't the hardware essentially the same except the iPhone is also a phone. Hell, they even cost around the same. What am I taking up the ass? I don't like things in my ass

ITT: people justify firmware updates costing money.

Can't imagine the game actually being better on iPhone, so meh.

Doesn't need to be better. Portable Audiosurf!

 

[bard]

Isn't the hardware essentially the same except the iPhone is also a phone. Hell, they even cost around the same. What am I taking up the ass? I don't like things in my ass

Yeah, almost the same, but... service contracts and monthly phone fees!

 

[evilchicken]

iPod Touch firmware is one thing I wouldn't feel guilty about pirating. Charging is just stupid.

 

[Firestorm]

Yeah, almost the same, but... service contracts and monthly phone fees!

I think most people without an iPhone have those too. Unless they have no phone at all which seems a little inconvenient.

 

[TheGreatDave]

Doesn't need to be better. Portable Audiosurf!

I suppose. I always played Audiosurf with a 360 pad (which makes me weird) so the idea of a touch based port doesn't excite me. I'd buy it if it was under £5 though.

 

[JCX]

This shall reinforce my decision to buy an ipod touch soon

 

[Lifeonmars?]

I'd totally buy that.

 

[dLMN8R]

I wish Dylan the best of luck, but I don't see this being all that great in the end.

Think about it - even on a speedy desktop processor it can take quite a long time to generate levels from music tracks. On the iPhone processor it would take freaking forever.

Same goes with the graphics - obviously they could be scaled down, but the graphics engine isn't the most optimized out there, and can run pretty slowly at times on my notebook's dedicated graphics chip.


In the end, the only real way I see this working is if he drastically reduces the complexity of the track-generating algorithm and the game's visuals, which would take away the vast majority of what makes the game so awesome in the first place.

 

[Ten-Song]

In the end, the only real way I see this working is if he drastically reduces the complexity of the track-generating algorithm and the game's visuals, which would take away the vast majority of what makes the game so awesome in the first place.

Yeah, I can't really see it working. If they dumb down either of those aspects, then the game has no reason to be on the iPhone in the first place.

Also, a touch interface for that game sounds really awful. Every game I've played on my iPod Touch has been no fun to play, and that's mostly because of interface.

 

[Rahk]

Fuck yeah! This would probably make me buy an iTouch or an iPhone.

Think about it - even on a speedy desktop processor it can take quite a long time to generate levels from music tracks. On the iPhone processor it would take freaking forever.

On my laptop it takes about five seconds to generate levels, and that's just a one time occurance for each song.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I didn't know Apple was opening the Music Library to devs now (I haven't been keeping up with iPhone news)! =o

 

[StuBurns]

This should have been there day one. It's the very first thing I thought of when all the 'iPhone is a gaming platform' crap started being thrown around.

 

[6.8]

iPod Touch firmware is one thing I wouldn't feel guilty about pirating. Charging is just stupid.

I have an iPhone, but I would feel the same. I recall people finding a link on the actual the apple website with the 2.0 fw back in the day.

 

[Diablohead]

It sucks that I have to pay to update my 2G touch but eh, the price to pay as a developer

I never played Audiosurf but I seen plenty of video's, looks fast as hell so I think an iPhone version would need to be toned down a bit or have some kind of easy mode.

 

[badrockjones]

I'm willing to bet that when it comes out, it'll be fine. I just think that if he's talented enough to make something as simple an awesome as Audiosurf, he's talented enough to make a quality port for the iPhone and double up on his millionaire status.

 

[bomb_jack]

battery life am cry

 

[Xater]

I'd totally buy Audiosurf for my touch.

 

[dLMN8R]

On my laptop it takes about five seconds to generate levels, and that's just a one time occurance for each song.

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, then. It's been a while since I last loaded up Audiosurf, but even on my Core 2 Duo notebook I remembered some longer songs taking 20-30 seconds, maybe even longer, to generate.

Either way, 5 seconds on your laptop could still easily translate to a minute or more on your iPhone.

The one way I see this working is by Dylan somehow releasing a tool that lets people pre-generate the tracks on their PC before transferring to their iPhone, but I just don't see that being very practical....


Anyway, the dude's already a millionaire, it's not like he needs this :lol

 

[Rahk]

The one way I see this working is by Dylan somehow releasing a tool that lets people pre-generate the tracks on their PC before transferring to their iPhone, but I just don't see that being very practical....

Now that you mention it, this is actually how Phase works for the older iPods. You put the songs you want into a Phase playlist, and it generates the tracks when you sync.

If Phase works on older iPods, I don't see why this couldn't.

 

[dLMN8R]

Now that you mention it, this is actually how Phase works for the older iPods. You put the songs you want into a Phase playlist, and it generates the tracks when you sync.

If Phase works on older iPods, I don't see why this couldn't.

Oh wow, I didn't realize that iPod applications could run custom code like that on sync. I wonder if that's allowed for iPhone/iPod applications.

 

[bryehn]

battery life am cry

Heh, it's already so very very terrible on my iPod Touch 2G. I'm even thinking about getting a wall charger for playing in bed.

I'm really glad that they're finally opening up the iTunes library. Hopefully I'll get a Song Summoner port or better yet a sequel. Also, port Phase HMX!

$10 FW sucks bad though.

 

[Hellsing321]

I wish Dylan the best of luck, but I don't see this being all that great in the end.

Think about it - even on a speedy desktop processor it can take quite a long time to generate levels from music tracks. On the iPhone processor it would take freaking forever.

Same goes with the graphics - obviously they could be scaled down, but the graphics engine isn't the most optimized out there, and can run pretty slowly at times on my notebook's dedicated graphics chip.


In the end, the only real way I see this working is if he drastically reduces the complexity of the track-generating algorithm and the game's visuals, which would take away the vast majority of what makes the game so awesome in the first place.

They could do it like Phase and have a playlist specifically for Audiosurf that generates the stages when you add music to that playlist in iTunes. No work on the iPhone needed to generate the levels then.

 

[ChoklitReign]

How would mouse clicks cross over? Obviously you could use your finger to move the vehicle but how would you pick up and drop cars with Pointman, for instance? Sounds like something that works better on paper.

<3 Audiosurf

 

[speedpop]

Whilst it's good to see other people get a chance to play it, I state good luck to having it run at a decent pace with all the bells and whistles.

 

[ZZMitch]

Has there been any more news on this? I would really like this game on iPhone/iPod Touch!

 

[Chû Totoro]

Rising fwom his gwave !

 

[Shard]

Has there been any more news on this? I would really like this game on iPhone/iPod Touch!

Yes, yes there has been news, and it isn't good.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/13/iphone-version-of-audiosurf-put-on-hold-due-to-music-library-r/

Though the Zune HD-owning community (whose names are Michael, Alan and Michelle) are now able to play the entrancing Audiosurf: Tilt on their beloved media device, iPhone and iPod Touch owners are still forced to go without. Many were hopeful that the iPhone Firmware Update 3.0, which opened up the device's music library to third-party developers, would allow the game's creator, Dylan Fitterer, to bring the game to the popular media player. Unfortunately, in a brief interview with gaming news site Charge Shot, Fitterer explained that the update "didn't bring enough access."

We contacted Fitterer to find out exactly what he meant by this -- he explained, "Apps can play songs, but they can't get at a song's bits (needed to analyze it and build a matching rollercoaster + traffic pattern)." He added that there were workarounds -- for instance, a player could upload a song to the App or through a central server, which would create a level for them. However, he said that system felt inconvenient, and that he doesn't "want to put Audiosurf on iPhone until it can really let you ride your music - all of it."

There's still a chance the game could end up on an Apple product -- though Fitterer negotiated directly with Microsoft to get his game on the Zune HD platform, the two parties came to no form of exclusivity agreement. "I'm ready for Apple to call," Fitterer joked.

 

[bomb_jack]

Isn't it out on the Zune? that pretty much kills an iPhone version and plus the fact that the iPhone OS doesn't allow direct access to the music tracks.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Isn't it out on the Zune? that pretty much kills an iPhone version and plus the fact that the iPhone OS doesn't allow direct access to the music tracks.

well, you may not have seen the post above yours, since the post time is so close, but the last paragraph says

There's still a chance the game could end up on an Apple product -- though Fitterer negotiated directly with Microsoft to get his game on the Zune HD platform, the two parties came to no form of exclusivity agreement. "I'm ready for Apple to call," Fitterer joked.

ball is in apple's court.

 

[Peronthious]

It is indeed out on the Zune. Surely someone here has a Zune HD and can comment? I've heard great things.

Apple needs to hurry up and open up the music library

 

[Diablohead]

Isn't it out on the Zune? that pretty much kills an iPhone version and plus the fact that the iPhone OS doesn't allow direct access to the music tracks.

bzzz wrong.