[wilko]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to Symbian development, so a big "sorry" in advance if the following question turns out to be stupid...

You may have heard that id tech 3 (the game engine of Quake III Arena) has been ported to Symbian OS:
http://www.symbian-freak.com/forum/v...hp?f=5&t=26229

Sometime ago I released a Windows PC game called "Monkeys of Doom", based on id tech 3. After a couple of minor tweaks MoD was working as well as the original on the supported Symbian devices and - most important - is great fun to play too. The game supports accelerometer controls and WLAN multiplayer option. Video proof is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MonkeysOfDoom2010 ... Or you can check out the game's website: http://www.monkeysofdoom.org/

Problem is that id tech 3 requires pretty potent hardware (lots of RAM, 3D acceleration) only a few Symbian phones offer so far. What I read from Horizon's FAQ at least Nokia N97, Samsung i8910 HD and Sony Ericsson Satio have to be supported (but most likely are not).

So here comes my question: Do you think there is any chance to release MoD via Horizon or am I wasting time better spend on - for example - the iPhone version?!

Thanks for all tipps and hints!

[craigb]

I suspect a lot of people are going to want a game to play on their shiny new 3D-accelerated Nokia N8 very soon.

[lucian]

Indeed, these games would likely be great on N8. And Horizon is of course an option, but not the only one. Register a little company, invest 210€ in signing the application and 50€ in an Ovi Store publisher account and put the application on the market, for compatible devices...

[wilko]

Setting up a company to publish on Ovi is mandatory, right? To register a business is a pretty bureaucratic thing here in Germany. Not entirely sure if it's worth the effort for only one game... Do you know if the company status is already necessary for signing an app?

[lucian]

Yes, a publisher must be a registered company for Ovi Store publishing (and for certifying the application though Symbian Signed).

[wilko]

Hm... 260 € + company registration costs for the slight chance to set foot in Ovi store and sell an unpredictable number of game copies... Could turn out as one of those business models where everyone is making money but me.

But joking apart: I'm gonna think over giving it a try...

[wilko]

Oh, one more thing (although not sure if it belongs here as it is a legal question): Does anyone of you know if Ovi terms forbid a later release on another system (iPhone, Android)? Those two don't require companies as partners as far as I know...

[petrib]

Ovi Store does not require any kind of exclusivity, so you can publish/distribute your apps through any channels you wish, including Ovi Store.

Also (re. your original post), the N97 has no 3D hardware graphics acceleration whatsoever. Out of Nokia's Symbian based devices, the older models N95, N95 8GB, N82 and E90 from 2007/2008 have, and so will the upcoming N8 (and probably others following it).

[wilko]

Thanks a lot! Very helpful informations...

[markw]

Just FYI, the Samsung i8910HD and the Sony Ericsson Satio, Vivaz and Vivaz pro models are all based on an OMAP3 SoC, which has a Cortex A8 processor and the PowerVR SGX graphics accelerator (the same accelerator used in the iPhone I believe). This hardware is significantly more powerful than that found in all Nokia Symbian devices released to date (and the N8 too).

[wilko]

That's good to know. The more phone models Symbian Monkeys of Doom is gonna run on the more interesting to carry on work... Thanks for the information!

[teknolog]

Don't forget about Symbian Horizon, which signs and publishes your game for free!

[wilko]

Originally Posted by teknolog

Don't forget about Symbian Horizon, which signs and publishes your game for free!

Is there a chance to get somebody at Horizon to have a look at Monkeys of Doom before I start that company registering thing?

Don't get me wrong, I think MoD is a really good game. But I'm absolutely uncertain if it fits the needs of Ovi etc. - Especially when it comes to compatibilty with different phone models...

[teknolog]

Submit it to Horizon and see. If you clearly state which models it works on, I think it should be ok.

[wilko]

Will do!

[wilko]

... Just one more question (I hope ): Monkeys of Doom requires P.I.P.S. and RDAccelerometer DLL. How can I make sure people have both installed before starting MoD?

[lucian]

It is your responsibility to package those components in your sis file (look for embedded sis files in the docs) but it is pretty standard & easy stuff to do.

[markw]

Note RDAccelerometer DLL is not the preferred way to access the accelerometer and not supported at all in later devices. You might have a bit of work to do there. Refer to this wiki page:
http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.php/Nokia_Sensor_APIs

[lucian]

A more complete picture at http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.php/Category:Sensor

[wilko]

Thank you all for your quick replies! Great support here.

Originally Posted by lucian

A more complete picture at http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.php/Category:Sensor

Gonna check that out...