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I had a chance to ask Carlos Camacho from iDevGames some questions about uDevGames, the premier Mac games development contest that’s been running since 2001.
TMG: Why and when did uDevGames start?
Carlos: The first contest was held in 2001. uDevGames was an annual competition until 2004 – it was back this year due to popular demand. We traditional hold the contest in late summer, early fall, but this year’s contest kicked-off on December 2nd – it will continue for 3 months.
In the early years of iDevGames, I was interested in collecting source code for iDevGames’ downloads section. My hope was that by having source code available, Mac programmers would benefit from an educational standpoint. As the open source concept was not very wide spread, there was very little source code available for the Mac outside of some tidbits on INFO-MAC. So, uDevGames was originally hatched from my desire to increase the amount of source code which Mac developers could learn from. The mandate for releasing the source code for game entries was pretty radical at the time, and many programmers wrote to me to say, “You’ll pry my code from my cold, dead, hands…” In order to get around some of that line of thought, we created a special license for uDevGames which limited usage of the code. I’m happy to say that attitudes have changed and that the community realizes the benefits of the code release requirement, and thus all games are now released under an OSD license. In fact, this rule hasn’t limited developers from releasing improved versions of their uDevGames’ entry as shareware.
Related to that last point, uDevGames’ other mission is to propel Mac developers to the next level. We hope that no matter your level, competing in uDevGames will teach you lessons to better your art of game development, or help launch your professional career.
In 2008, I think that the amount of source code available for game programmers is fantastic, so the vital role for uDevGames is now motivation of developers, building excitement for the platform, and spotlighting the best and brightness in our community, though we will continue to require source code for the benefit of the community.
TMG: What quality of games are developed?
Carlos: There’s a real wide range, and I’m glad that there is. This allows anyone, at any level, with any tool, to compete in the contest. So you’ll find anything from simple Pong games, to shareware-quality 3D games. As I mentioned, some games will eventually turn into shareware titles. While others are mere springboards for their developers. I love to see a developer release a simple 2D game one year, learn from their experience, and then push themselves the following year, and release a cool 3D game. Considering that half the games could be released as shareware, Mac gamers are indeed lucky to have so many nice games released for free during uDevGames! We are adding previous year’s entries to the uDevGames website, so I welcome your readers to visit and try the games.
TMG: How many applicants are there each year?
Carlos: It grows from year to year. In 2001, we had perhaps a dozen. I believe we had 40 in 2004. It’s too early to estimate 2008 participation, especially as it was launched in December, and not September. I should mention that uDevGames is a worldwide event, so we’ve had developers from England, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and many other countries. The key is for our community to reach out to non-traditional Mac sites and spread the word about uDevGames. There’s a lot of interest in the Mac platform now, and there’s never been a better time to make Mac games.
TMG: Do you recall any notable games over the past few years?
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Carlos: We’ve had some really great games over the years. Kiki the Nanobot was one of the early hits, and it’s been ported to Linux and Windows if I recall. Argonaunt 2149 in terms of polish was a great showcase game for uDevGames. Chopper too. There’s really such a wide range of genres in uDevGames, so no matter your taste, 2D, 3D, arcade, simulation, you’re sure to find a game you’ll love.
TMG: Have you seen a rise in interest in developing for Mac OS X?
Carlos: In uDevGames 2001, most of the entries were written in the Carbon API, with only two written in Cocoa. By 2002, most games were written specifically for Mac OS X. So I think Cocoa/Objective-C has brought a new generation of programmers to our platform. The Mac OS also embraces more open standards like OpenGL, and handy SDKs/APIs like SDL, which make porting and creating games on Mac OS X easier than ever. There’s also many environments for making games on the Mac such as REALBasic, BltizBasic, PyGame, dim3, etc. Tools like Unity3D have also placed the Mac at the cutting edge of game development. So creating a AAA level game is now within the reach of most serious game programmers.
With the success of the iPhone, it has created a lot of interest for Apple, and hopefully some of it will spill over to the Mac.
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TMG: What are the benefits of developing for the platform?
Carlos: I think Glenda Adams said it well in her interview with Gamasutra. A benefit that I have often heard mentioned is the unified nature of the hardware and OS, something that can be a nightmare for PC developers and their technical support departments. Due to its size, PC developers have a much harder time breaking through the ‘noise’, while the smaller Mac market allows developers with good products to reach out to Mac gamers. With today’s technology, cross-platform development is easier than ever, so the resources for creating a Mac title, along with its PC counterpart, I’m told, isn’t that much more.
TMG: Do you think gaming on the Mac is dead?
Carlos: Actually, I recently asked the question, “Is shareware dead on the Mac?”, in the LinkedIn Mac Developer’s Group. I think since switching to the Mac (from Amiga), there’s been a great deal of change. In my early days, a lot more attention was placed on the high quality shareware that small publishers were putting on the market. Obviously, this was due to a lack of AAA titles. Or should I say, the quality of the AAA that we were ‘fed.’ These ports lack a ‘Macness’ to them, and often came out months after their PC counterparts. Around the time of the iMac and G3 boom, we started to see better quality products and in a more timely manner – with Blizzard Entertainment being a great example. Shareware has gone through a revolution and can now reach the level of many AAA games, a good example would be the titles that Freeverse publishes.
For real hardcore gaming, the Mac will never be the number one choice, but there is still a great amount of opportunity in our market. With more developers coming to Apple via the iPhone, we can only hope that developers that would have never considered the Mac, take a closer look.
It would be interesting if we could see game titles that move back and forth between the iPhone and Mac, scaling itself to both platforms, and providing fun whether you are home or on the go.
They say that certain games and applications have sold the hardware. While ports and iPhone are interesting, the real excitement would be for an innovative Mac-first and Mac-only game to be released. Something as ground breaking as Sim City. uDevGames has helped to raise a new generation of Mac game developers, they are an innovative bunch with a lot of potential. Place some of the great prizes that are available in their hands from uDevGames, and I think we may see the next John Carmack, David Crane or Shigeru Miyamoto.
Thanks to Carlos for taking the time to answer my questions.
