Three Things You Need To Know about Making Games for The iPad

If you're looking into developing on the iPad, knowing how to make games is a must. A recent study conducted by Distimo, an App Store Analytics company, found that games accounted for about 35% all iPad only apps. They were followed only by "entertainment" at 11% and "education" at 8.6%, both taking less than one third of this highly popular category's percentage.

All of this makes a great deal of sense. The iPad has huge potential as a portable gaming device. It's got a massive battery that actually lasts the advertised ten hours, and its one-of-a-kind multitouch interface offers a new kind of portable gameplay that designers and gamers are still trying to wrap their heads around. It's so unique that it comes with its own set of guidelines all iPad application developers should consider before writing the first piece of code for a new iPad game. We'll walk you through a few of them.

Image Source: GeekOSystem

Consider Multi-Player Options First
This is one key area where the iPad differs from the iPhone and iPod Touch. While the iPad certainly is a personal device, the fact that it doesn't fit into your pocket makes it a little less personal than its much smaller cousins. The iPad is designed to be passed around the room with your friends, which explains why pass and play games like Scrabble and Sketch and Guess (a Pictionary clone) are so popular on the device.

Think along these lines. Think of something that can be passed between friends and family during the holidays. If you can't think of an original multiplayer game idea, you can always go the way of Words With Friends, a Scrabble-like game for iPad that costs 1/5 the price of Scrabble. The only real difference we noticed between it and Scrabble is the location of the triple and double word score spaces. Other than that, the play is the same, and many of its purchasers love the substantially lower price.

Image Source: iPad Muse

Ask, "Is this suited for multi-touch?"
Not all games are. A lot of seasoned gamers and developers are finding that the iPad's multi-touch interface works really well for certain kinds of games and not so well for others. Consider Command and Conquer: Red Alert for iPad. There was a ton of excitement when this game first came out, but many people found that they actually prefer to play this style of game with a mouse and keyboard instead of the iPad's multi-touch interface. It's the case of something that seemed like a really good idea at the time but ultimately didn't pan out.

Most of the data we have right now suggests that people love playing board game and turn-based games on the iPad. They just happen to work really well on the multi-touch interface. That's probably another reason why Scrabble, Boggle, and Civilization revolution are on the top 10 iPad games list for the month of May.

Image Source: BCT Consulting

Use that extra screen real estate to your advantage
The word is out. iPad owners don't like using apps and games originally designed for the iPhone on their iPads. If you are thinking about merely "enlarging" your already existing iPhone app, think again. Try to do more with that extra screen space than multiplying everything by two. Think about adding new toolbars, menus, and other ways of controlling the game to areas where it might come in handy. Maybe a new view will do? It's all up to you.

In general, people appreciate it when you go out of your way to optimize the gaming experience for the platform they are playing it on. Show them you can do so much more than everyone else by creating your gaming experience specifically for the iPad and then testing it over and over again for overall feel and fun.

If you have a truly great iPad app, you can get away with charging a little more (you and your exhausted iPad app development team deserve it). Just make sure you put enough effort into it to keep your players interested. Follow a few of these rules, and who knows, you might have the next big gaming phenomenon on your hands.

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