Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Sprite Kit framework
: This is a new framework for developing 2D games,
and features hardware sprites acceleration, simple sound playback support,
and physics simulation.
•
Game controller support
: This is a new framework that provides common
ground for hardware controllers.
Developing games for iOS 7
In June 2013, Apple announced that the App Store has hit the next milestone—50
billion downloads with more than 14 billion dollars paid to developers all over the
world. The ecosystem that only started to exist a few years ago already raked in
more money for developers than any other platform.
A major share of this revenue is taken by game developers, ranging from large
companies such as EA, Disney, and Rovio to small indie developers that manage to
create best-selling applications with small budgets—everyone can find their place
under the sun.
The most profitable and most downloaded titles on the App Store are 2D games—
Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, and Doodle Jump. Rovio managed to create an empire
out of a single title, and now it is selling merchandise, soft drinks, and toys, and all
of this came out of a single mobile game (not their first one though, as Angry Birds
was their 52nd title!).
Framework for game development
Before iOS 7 (and Sprite Kit), there were various options for frameworks that could be
used for game development. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
If you wanted to make a game before iOS 7, you had only so many options. They are
as follows:
•
OpenGL ES
•
UIKit controls and views
•
Third-party libraries (Unity, Unreal 3D, and Cocos2d)
