Scott beat me to buying a movie from the store and posted his first impre io , so I thought I would move on to the new games section (iTS link) of the store. The games work with 5G iPods (of which I am an owner) as well as the newly a ounced 5.5G iPods. I can't decide whether I'm surprised you can't play the games right i ide iTunes, but this post i 't about my indecision, for I dro ed some cash and bought my first game: Cubis 2 (iTS link). The way iTunes handles games is interesting, largely in part because you can't really do anything with them in iTunes - you can't even rate them or modify any of their metadata; they're only usable and playable on an iPod. Read on for all the details!
Take my money - please!
First thing's first, though: the purchase experience. I encountered some of the same sluggishne that Scott mentioned in his first movie impre io , though I imagine downloading a full movie, which is just slightly larger than a game (Cubis 2 is a paltry 20MB by comparison), might have helped slow things down for him - that and, of course, everyone was probably pounding the store yesterday. The purchase went well, and I was soon parted with my $4.99 in exchange for what looked like a clever little game (i tant game addicts will be ha y to find they can purchase all 9 in one fell swoop for $44.91). As a side note: you need the latest QuickTime 7.1.3 update released yesterday in order to be able to watch video previews in the store.
What is perha more impre ive than a turbulence-le iTS purchasing experience is how iTunes di lays games in the library, and what A le decided to do with the extra window ace since, again, they aren't in any way usable from within iTunes.
I know it's a small scree hot, but the game library, naturally, automatically a ears in the sources list on the left once a game is purchased (for now, we don't know of any other way of making, importing or otherwise getting ahold of iPod games for iTunes). This is where A le's creativity shines: in the media window, my one and only game is listed on the left (note the sexy 'wet floor' look), while information, scree hots, i tructio and ti are listed on the right. This is a great idea, as I would hate to try and root through all this information on the iPod itself. However, for those wondering: there is a conde ed section of 'quick help' included in the game on the iPod, complete with animated examples of how to play, but it doe 't seem nearly as exte ive as what you get in iTunes.
All work and no play...
If you've ever synced an iPod, then the rest of the proce involved doe 't really need to be examined. iTunes moved the game over without a hitch, and it a ears next to the other built in games under the Extras menu, with no discerning marks to help you find it in the list.
Now this is the part where I need to be honest: when A le first a ounced buying games for the iPod, I didn't exactly leap out of my seat. I've played the built in games, and I always thought the iPod's unique click wheel wouldn't lend itself to many other kinds of game playing. But, since our fearle leader Scott found out that I own a 5G iPod, he again threatened my well-being, and forced me to buy a game from the store (with my own money, might I add). At first I felt I was going to mi my $4.99.. but that frown quickly turned u ide down. Cubis 2 is fun, and being able to bring it anywhere with me on my iPod is icing on the cake. I use my iPod to play music when I go to sleep, and I was able to crank out a couple Cubis 2 rounds in bed before my wife drew the line. The graphics are surprisingly rich (cmon, it's an iPod, not a ), and game play is slick and re o ive. I haven't pushed it that far to see how many hours I can get out of playing yet, but it didn't seem like my battery was crying uncle when I was finished.
As a nice touch, it's po ible to listen to music while playing a game. This is outlined in those aforementioned i tructio in iTunes, but Cubis 2 uses nothing more than the wheel and the center/select button, so menu, pause/play and the previous/next butto are free to direct your music. Again, I haven't pushed this so I can't tell you how badly you'll be thrashing your battery, but I'm sure music + game addicts will a reciate this.
Conclusion (or: Thanks for ruining my productivity, A le)
Overall, I think the new games (ok, the one I've bought so far) are a great idea. One could even call me a born-again iPod game player, if such a thing exists. The games are a y, and game play is fun and visually impre ive. I really hope this iTS section takes off and they add more than the seemingly experimental 9 games currently available. Hard core handheld gaming fa probably aren't going to be to ing their in the garbage anytime soon but I can easily see these becoming a hit with a good portion of the iPod crowd. Just don't blame TUAW when your bo /profe or/teacher nails you chomping pellets in Pac-Man i tead of finishing that project.
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