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Main forum => Announcements => Topic started by: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-16

Title: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-16
My puzzle game B'lox! (winner of the GLBasic/GP2X.de 2007/2008 competition) is now available to buy from iTunes for the tiny price of just 59p / $0.99

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blox/id419238899?mt=8&ls=1#

The game is fully updated and has never looked or felt as good and features 120 puzzles, 60% of which have been remodelled/improved since the GP2X/Wiz version.

(http://www.iprice.remakes.org/my_stuff/iblox00.PNG)

(http://www.iprice.remakes.org/my_stuff/iblox01.PNG)

(http://www.iprice.remakes.org/my_stuff/iblox02.PNG)

:)
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2011-Feb-16
Wonderful game! Only problem is - it ties me suspiciously long to the toilette now ;)
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: matchy on 2011-Feb-16
Congrats on your first iPhone release.  :booze:

Reminds me I need to refill my iTunes card.

Very cool looking and can't wait to play it.

Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2011-Feb-16
Sound does not play :(

Now, don't panic. Go to the itunes connect and edit the description text, adding:
Code (glbasic) Select

!!! SOUND DOES NOT PLAY ON SOME DEVICES !!!
An bugfix for the sound bug has already been submitted.


That will keep people from refusing to download it while it's hot. (I hope).
It plays great, though.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: okee on 2011-Feb-16
10/10 for the name  :D
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Millerszone on 2011-Feb-16
Nice job Ian! and good luck.

I had to pull my baseball game from apple a couple days after I submitted,
because of a bug I found, but should be on iTunes any day now.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: mentalthink on 2011-Feb-16
Hi Ian very good work, I think you have a Realease for wiz , a time ago?¿, I think I play to this game, and well, is very adictive, normally I don´t stay playing too much time whit a game, but whit this I traspass the 7 min barrier , playing a game. =D

The graphics are declicious, very very funny and pretty.

Kind Regards, and Good Luck, on the App Store.

Iván J.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Dabz on 2011-Feb-16
Congrats on the release! :)

Though, the name of the app seems a bit... well, you probably would guess what word sprang to mind when I read the thread title! ;)

Dabz
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-16
Thanks Gernot - Bob made me aware earlier today, but I haven't been able to get to a computer before now (wife's birthday!. I'll put up a message straight away.

And thanks to everyone for the positive feedback :)

And B'lox! is intentionally similar to the swear word - it's the sound you make when you bugger up one of the puzzles! :D Yep. B'lox! doesn't stand for Blocks...
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Leginus on 2011-Feb-17
Congratulations Ian.   :good:
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: msx on 2011-Feb-17
great!

Good luck and good sales.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: bigsofty on 2011-Feb-22
This looks great, reminds me of a retro NES game... which is good! :D
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: XanthorXIII on 2011-Feb-22
I'll be queuing up for my copy today.  =D
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-22
QuoteI'll be queuing up for my copy today. 
I'd wait for the update (whenever Apple sees fit to release it tbh) if I were you,  but many thanks anyway :)

Once the update (v1.1) is available and working properly I'll be promoting B'lox! a bit more. I really don't want to push something that I know doesn't work the way it's intended (without sound). If I'd known that before mentioning it here, I would have delayed tbh :(

Oh well, hopefully just teething troubles.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: erico on 2011-Feb-22
it looks great, don't worry.
quality will surpass any little troubles on the way... :good:
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: XanthorXIII on 2011-Feb-23
Oh I had no problem buying it now, I was listening to my iTunes anyway  =D
Great game, gets my old noggin a work out which I like.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: ampos on 2011-Feb-23
Remember that text changes in the app description are instantaneous. Just place a text somewhere saying that "on some devices may have not sound. We have sent an update to Apple. We apologize blah blah blah..."
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-23
Quote from: ampos on 2011-Feb-23
Remember that text changes in the app description are instantaneous. Just place a text somewhere saying that "on some devices may have not sound. We have sent an update to Apple. We apologize blah blah blah..."

I did that on the day of release ampos. Thanks anyway :)
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-24
The new update (1.1) is now available and sound and music plays properly now.

Yay!
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2011-Apr-12
B'lox! is now available for WebOS platforms - Palm Pre etc. :)

If any long-term registered user (been here more than a month) wants a free full version .IPK, then please PM me. Palm don't offer PromoCodes yet.

=D
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: ampos on 2011-Apr-12
Quote from: Ian Price on 2011-Feb-23
Quote from: ampos on 2011-Feb-23
Remember that text changes in the app description are instantaneous. Just place a text somewhere saying that "on some devices may have not sound. We have sent an update to Apple. We apologize blah blah blah..."

I did that on the day of release ampos. Thanks anyway :)

And this is not true for Palm.

If you reject an app submitted for review, or change any metadata in a published one, it will be put in "waiting" state until someone at Palm reject the app/update or confirm the change, a thing that takes 1 week as minimum, locking the app for any further change until they unlock it.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: MrTAToad on 2011-Apr-12
You got a Tax Number then :)
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: ampos on 2011-Apr-12
Quote from: MrTAToad on 2011-Apr-12
You got a Tax Number then :)

Not sure, really...
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2011-Apr-12
I didn't fill any of the forms, yet. I hope they won't butcher me...
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2012-Feb-24
B'lox! for iOS is now free until 23/04/12

http://itunes.apple.com/app/blox!/id419238899?mt=8

I'd appreciate iTunes feedback (hint, hint!)
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Moebius on 2012-Feb-25
Submitted a review (very smooth controls btw) but it still says 0 reviews?   :S  Guess Apple has to approve it first....  Easy to see how review-based marketing would work well in this system that effectively leaves your app on 0 stars until enough people rate it.....
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2012-Feb-25
Cheers :)

I'm not sure how the star/review system works tbh, but I suspect that it is pretty flawed.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Leginus on 2012-Feb-25
I think apple need to sort out some kind of filtering anyway.  Not sure how though to be honest.
I was looking at a game the other day (unfortunately cant remember which one).

It had excellent review after excellent review and then the last review was from someone who put "total crap" 1 star, which was obviously not true.
This apps rating was then 4.5 stars and not 5.  This can really damage devs. and it really frustrates me that anybody can just leave totally random, trolling reviews.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Omadan on 2012-Feb-25
I totally agree Leginus, im not even going to comment on the review system.
A Steady game with 5 stars all throughout, then some idiot like writes down whatever he feels like and rates 1 star, after saying that its been rated 1 star because he cant rate 0 stars. This is what id tell him/her, don't bloody rate the app then. lol
At least be constructive and rate 3 stars, and say what you would improve. Thats my opinion anyways.

Thanks again
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Ian Price on 2012-Feb-25
Perhaps there should be some sort of guideline from Apple stating what contributes a certain value star rating eg

1. App fails to work at all/has severe usability issues
2. App crashes regularly/has moderate usability issues
3. App is stable/has a few issuess, but still useable
4. App has no obvious issues/enjoyable
5. App is very enjoyable


Or have a multiple choice selection about the app e.g.

Stability              0 (app fails to start)    1 (Crashes regularly)   2 (Some crashes)    3 (No crashes)

Usability             0 (app is unusable)      1 (app is erratic)       2 (Usable, but has issues)   3 (Very usable)

Features ...

Graphics ...

Sound ...
     
Re-usability...

Overall...

Or something like that - that way the coders can see exactly what areas people are enjoying or where problems lie. Nobody should be allowed to enter a low review score and not give a reason.
Title: Re: B'lox! is now available for iDevice
Post by: Omadan on 2012-Feb-25
I totally agree Ian, particularly on what you just mentioned about the multiple choice thing :P

BTW ill grab your game later :P