Multi-tasking

gregr209

I have the 4.0 iOS installed and when I run my GameSalad made games every time you multi-task to them they re-launch. If I rebuild them and resubmit them as 4.0 ready apps well the multi-tasking API's be part of the build? Or does GameSalad need to add something so that multi-tasking works with GameSalad apps?

Vmlweb

I was wondering this too
Well I just submitted my app update 4.0 ready and I'll just have to wait and see

iDeveloperz

The developers have to implement the code to be able to multitask. Using game salad we are unable to do this and will probably have it in future updates.

chosenonestudios

I'm pretty sure GameSalad wont be multitasking until Gendai updates the compiler with 4.0 so until we get a notice from them... No multitasking for GS

Just like iAd, some people on the forums think that by checking a box when you submit your app it'll layer adds on top of it, unfortunately we'll need Gendai to add this functionality for us

Its stuff like this that will get GS banned (not supporting apples new features, (so multitasking is a must) then I guess they'll work on iAd (if their not working on it already ) )

gregr209

I thought Gendai might need to do something in order to make the multi-tasking work. Of course right now it isn't a big deal since SOOOOOO many apps are doing pretty much the same but this will be a feature we need to add pretty soon to our GameSalad apps.

iDeveloperz

Im not bothered really.

Game salad needs bugs fixing before any new features. I rather them having it perfect.

MagoNicolas

You use iPhone SDK 4.0 Beta for Making Apps for iso4? or Did i Miss something? Hehe

gregr209

Yes Mago the iPhone SDK 4.0 has been out of beta since Monday. As of June 10th Apple allows 4.0 submissions now.

MagoNicolas

I Was Concern of that, but didnt know you could send App with Beta Version, Thanks.

beefy_clyro

A nice little yellow post from Gendai would be useful about now ...

chosenonestudios

Multitasking is VERY important for the future of GS.... If Apple releases a feature like this, they will expect all of their apps to support it... Not to mention, somebody's playing your game, they exit, but they thought it would pause and it turns out its gone WTF? You know their gonna be pissed! Not supporting standard features is whats going to get GS banned... Apple doesn't allow cross publishing products because in the words of Steve himself, "they'll only be able to support the lowest common denominator" This better be ready by the end of June... Or we might all need to start rethinking what were doing again

Besides all that gloom and doom, I think they'll have it ready

SethsApps

Either way I think almost all of us here are scared to death that if GameSalad doesnt support multitasking then we will lose all of our games. I am working on 2 games for different clients and theres no way that I can lose the support from apple it would be catastrophic! GS PLEASEEEE!!!! add MULTITASKING! We need it!

chosenonestudios

SurgeApps said:
GS PLEASEEEE!!!! add MULTITASKING! We need it!

Agreed

iDeveloperz

Don't you think they need to fix the bugs before adding new features?

I'm not disagreeing or anything, multitasking is and always will be essential. But game salad isn't perfect at the moment and new features and updates usually cause new bugs. etc.

I dunno, i'm just saying.

Eastbound

What bugs are you speaking of?

GameSalad games will continue to get poor reviews due to features beyond our control, such as no online leaderboards, not pausing when multitasking, etc.

I believe GameCenter, iAds, and iOS4 pausing compatibility are pivotal next steps. And can't even work on games with the iPhone 4's resolution yet? This seems especially odd to me considering its release is in 10 days.

RH

@ iDeveloperz

you seem to be missing the point. everyone is worried that if multi-tasking isn't added to GS then GS apps will be rejected, in which case the game won't even make it into the app store, let alone have a few bugs in it. Surely you would rather your apps be in the app store than a few GS bugs fixed?

iDeveloperz

I dont think the resolution will matter. I am probably wrong.

@RH I doubt they will be rejected.

SethsApps

@iDeveloperz

I dont I really think that within 2-3 months after multitasking is out there in the public then apple will start cracking down on those who havent implemented it yet.

gregr209

What the issue is comes down to customer expectations. Customers are going to launch our GameSalad apps and then might jump out of them to check on another app and find that when they go back to our apps the GameSalad app is going to relaunch. For power users they are going to understand that the app hasn't been built to 4.0 standards but the average customer is going to be potentially upset and think there is something wrong with the app since it isn't doing what multi-tasking advertised. Even I expected when I first started using 4.0 on my 3GS that when I left my app it would stay put it. When it didn't I realized instantly what was going on. The average customer won't!

iDeveloperz

Well. Just don't fret about it. People here worry about rejected apps too much. I'm sure gendai know what will be required and will add the required features in future updates. Customers will feel our games are lacking but apple will not reject our applications, I have been told this buy a super clever developer guy.

Remember gendai r a pwetty cool guy. He makes stuffs and doesn't afraid of anything.

SethsApps

I on a personal level would love to see multitasking, not just a developers standpoint. Im getting so used to 4.0 that I still hit the home button thinking my app will reopen at the same point but thats only true for apple apps and it gets frustrating!

rmayii

Interesting article over on TUAW about this very topic - even as it relates to games.

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/14/multitasking-in-ios4-is-not-a-magical-sparkle-pony/

iDeveloperz

Yes I agree. Multitasking will be needed soon. No applications currently have it, bar the apple ones. (The TapTap one was specially made.) So if millions of other apps don't have it at the moment. People wont mind that game salad apps don't have it yet.

I think we need to realize that we ask too much from gendai at times.

chosenonestudios

Multitasking IS the most important thing for GS devs and for GameSalad....

Even IF Apple does start banning our apps until they have multitasking... We are on the verge of experiencing a new wave of 1 star reviews..... just because it doesn't have multitasking....

MULTITASKING IS TOP PRIORITY

chosenonestudios

This is probably the most important part of that article:

"Starting with iOS 4, if your app doesn't do that, your customers are going to expect that you are working on a new version that will. Yes, even the gamers. Save your state and bring us back where we left off when we exited your application and you'll be ahead of most applications."

Edit: This was also a good comment someone left:

"Why is this an issue? Those that don't update their apps will see negative reviews b/c the app doesn't work right."

iDeveloperz

"Even IF Apple does start banning our apps until they have multitasking..."
Yeh but they wont.

And as for the 1* reviews many people who have iPhones wont even care. About 10 people in my class have iPhones and iPod touches. None of them ever use the iPod controls the say its "too fussy." They never use spotlight because "it's quicker to go to the app." And probably they won't see the advantages in multitasking. A lot of people who have iPhones have them because they can not because of its capabilities.

chosenonestudios

It doesn't matter if the majority of the population doesn't care.... but its the minority.... you know the ones that don't understand and even if you give them a world class app for free... they give you a 1 star rating... just because they don't understand.. Its going to create a big headache for the rest of us....

This is also a good comment:

"It is an issue because the average user is going to expect that apps multi-task right of the bat. Apple has been pushing multi-tasking and when the majority of the streaming apps don't stream in the background (like Pandora as of right now) they are going to think something is broken. It all comes down to customer expectations."

"Even IF Apple does start banning our apps until they have multitasking...
Yeh but they wont."

You can never predict Apple... Multitasking is considered the most important new feature os iOS4... If they can reject your app for having slightly different app icons... you better bet.. you'll get rejected because of this...

iDeveloperz

Ok then.

I give up. I cba anymore, you win.

For now just have a save load attribute thing. Its not the same but maybe someone can work something out. Tshirt is the most obvious, he is a pretty cool guy, he makes games and doesnt afraid of anything.

But don't worry about rejected games. Sickipedia is on itunes and thats full of racism, sexism, the lot. If apple approve that they can approve apps. And the 1* reviews are nothing to panic about. iOS 4 helps prevent a lot of those with the new feature where that alertview doesn't pop up anymore.

chosenonestudios

iDeveloperz said:
For now just have a save load attribute thing.

The amount of save and load attributes needed to be able to pull something like that off would be ridiculous... It could be done but you'd need save and load attributes for every actor...

iDeveloperz said:
But don't worry about rejected games. Sickipedia is on itunes and thats full of racism, sexism, the lot. If apple approve that they can approve apps. And the 1* reviews are nothing to panic about. iOS 4 helps prevent a lot of those with the new feature where that alertview doesn't pop up anymore.

I'm just saying... considering how secretive Apple is we really cant understand what their going to do... Also I know they're removing the old way to get bad reviews but we'll still be beneath everybody else if we don't have it unfortunately

Eastbound

iDeveloperz said:
Ok then.

I give up. I cba anymore, you win.

For now just have a save load attribute thing. Its not the same but maybe someone can work something out. Tshirt is the most obvious, he is a pretty cool guy, he makes games and doesnt afraid of anything.

But don't worry about rejected games. Sickipedia is on itunes and thats full of racism, sexism, the lot. If apple approve that they can approve apps. And the 1* reviews are nothing to panic about. iOS 4 helps prevent a lot of those with the new feature where that alertview doesn't pop up anymore.

It wouldn't be an issue the gs developer could circumvent. Granted, Tshirt is very savy with the program, but the game would still sit there and load upon switching back to it. It is an issue with the GS program, not the abilities of the GS developer.

iDeveloperz said:
Yes I agree. Multitasking will be needed soon. No applications currently have it, bar the apple ones. (The TapTap one was specially made.) So if millions of other apps don't have it at the moment. People wont mind that game salad apps don't have it yet.

I think we need to realize that we ask too much from gendai at times.

LOL you cannot be serious. How do we ask for too much? There hasn't been a whole lot done since iPad capabilities were introduced, and all that really was was an enlarged canvas for us to work on. There were also bug fixes and speed increases, which are great, but we are hardly asking too much.

We need to be able to bundle different versions of our apps (for iPhone 4 resolution AND <=3Gs models) or we will have too many versions in the store. We need to have GameCenter support because it will become the standard. We will eventually need to be able to have the game save for multitasking. And we will need iAds.

I don't think we need to worry about our apps being banned, but the focus should rely on being able to give the users the best experience possible. Without these features, GS cannot hope to compete with the thousands of much better games in the app store that will inevitably support these features.

iDeveloperz

"LOL you cannot be serious. How do we ask for too much?"

I said we ask for too much. Not we don't get enough.

Two different concepts. :P