iGame Radio

 

So, Corey and I weren’t able to link up this week for a regular iGame Radio session, so I’ve done a game review edition with iPhone games. I reviewed Plank by Freeverse, iSnap by Phelios, and Brain Jogging and Clusterball by Virtual Programming. But hopefully you already know, because you have already subscribed!

Over on the Wolfire Blog, I read that Overgrowth, their new 3D action-adventure game, has been picked up by Steam for distribution. Yes, this doesn’t directly impact Mac gamers, but it makes for an indirect impact nonetheless. See, as Wolfire does better with sales through Steam, they can improve both Overgrowth and other games that they release for both PC and Mac…making the Mac game industry all that much better. So, congrats, Wolfire!

I first saw a demo of Jumpgate Evolution at PAX in August. I was very impressed but disappointed that the game would only be coming out for PC at that time. I spoke to the developers there (NetDevil) and their opinion of a port to the Mac was surprisingly open and positive…they liked the idea, but it wasn’t in the works quite yet. They wanted to see what would happen as the game got closer to launch.

As I was trolling the news today, I saw a post on Slashdot regarding an interview with a developer at Netdevils, and though, hmm, I haven’t checked out what’s been happening with JGE recently. So I hoped onto the forums and did a little searching. And guess what yumminess I found?
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Apparently that’s okay for Apple for apps submitted to the App Store. a-steriods had submitted DrugLords to the App Store…the game is a location-based massively multiplayer online game about drug trafficking. Using GPS inside your iPhone (or iPod Touch), you become a drug dealer in the criminal underworld, which exists parallel to your everyday life. Basically, you learn how to buy and sell drugs on the street for money. Money gives you power: superior status, access to better drugs, high trafficking volumes, cash for bribes, independence from loan sharks, etc.

How, uh, cute.

Anyway, apparently Apple balked at the game. Well, if they are going to balk at a simple game about making farts, I suppose it’s no surprise. But no, Apple has apparently had issues with the name. All a-steroids had to do was change the game name to Underworld.

So now we’re all left wondering: Apple, just what are your parameters for applications to be placed on the App Store? You’ve got issues with a fart game, but a game teaching folks how to push drugs effectively is a-ok? Yeesh, get some context, already.

According to this IGN.com article, there is a rumor that Fable II, contrary to what we’d heard previously, is going to come out on the PC. There’s even a date…February 15, 2009. This is via the German game site Gamona which, beyond being completely in German, is not actually announcing this, but has just listed the game’s release date as such on their Fable II page.

Of course, one cannot help but speculate if that would mean the possibility exists that we might see Fable II on the Mac sometime after that. So, speculate away!