Defcon ports to other platforms

[SpitJock]

Perhaps an obvious question this but...:

I've read a few bits of chatter along the lines of "Why don't IV port Defcon to <insert random mobile platform here>?"

It seems to me, at least - if IV aren't interested in porting Defcon, that must be because they're unlikely to generate enough income from the port to make it worthwhile. Simple economics.

I also know that there are some lucky people out there who acquired the source code via the Humble Bundle (the sale was long finished before I found out about it ). Which begs the question - could some deal be cut between IV and an independent developer (or team of developers) to allow a community-built port to be released? Perhaps with the profits being split between IV and the developers in some fashion. Extra income for no effort for IV, and the buzz of seeing your work published (and generating a small income) for the port developer(s)...

It's a purely academic question at the moment - perhaps impossible/unworkable due to license restrictions, accountancy restrictions, technical feasibility restrictions, or whatever. Discuss, anyone?

It would certainly be interesting to work on adapting Defcon for touchscreen or PS3/XBOX/Wii controller. Getting different ports to all communicate to allow cross-platform PvP could get hairy too. It might generate a whole new set of debates in the community - never mind "SA v EU who wins?" how about "PC v DSi who wins?"

<shields up>
<prepare for xander-esque slapdown>


SpitJock (sig. pending)

[thedarkknightrises]

Perhaps an obvious question this but...:

I've read a few bits of chatter along the lines of "Why don't IV port Defcon to <insert random mobile platform here>?"

It seems to me, at least - if IV aren't interested in porting Defcon, that must be because they're unlikely to generate enough income from the port to make it worthwhile. Simple economics.

I also know that there are some lucky people out there who acquired the source code via the Humble Bundle (the sale was long finished before I found out about it ). Which begs the question - could some deal be cut between IV and an independent developer (or team of developers) to allow a community-built port to be released? Perhaps with the profits being split between IV and the developers in some fashion. Extra income for no effort for IV, and the buzz of seeing your work published (and generating a small income) for the port developer(s)...

It's a purely academic question at the moment - perhaps impossible/unworkable due to license restrictions, accountancy restrictions, technical feasibility restrictions, or whatever. Discuss, anyone?

It would certainly be interesting to work on adapting Defcon for touchscreen or PS3/XBOX/Wii controller. Getting different ports to all communicate to allow cross-platform PvP could get hairy too. It might generate a whole new set of debates in the community - never mind "SA v EU who wins?" how about "PC v DSi who wins?"

<shields up>
<prepare for xander-esque slapdown>


SpitJock (sig. pending)

Well since Apple killed Flash, how about a HTML5 port to the browser web stores and give it away as online game for free? They can write it off as a marketing expense (to gain some exposure in the metro/ browser/ mobile / tablet/ social / etc scene) and since Defcon isn't exactly selling like hotcakes these days anyway, it wouldn't really cannibalize that much revenue.

A simplified, multi-touch based HTML5 in-browser Defcon game given away for free would generate waves of buzz and be a huge plus to Introversion.

[namj13]

I agree a port would be useful, however, the community version would need some changes to the original Defcon game. Furthermore, if the port was written in Unity 3D wouldn't it be easier to port between other platforms?

[TheGranaryBytes]

Perhaps an obvious question this but...:

I've read a few bits of chatter along the lines of "Why don't IV port Defcon to <insert random mobile platform here>?"

It seems to me, at least - if IV aren't interested in porting Defcon, that must be because they're unlikely to generate enough income from the port to make it worthwhile. Simple economics.

I also know that there are some lucky people out there who acquired the source code via the Humble Bundle (the sale was long finished before I found out about it ). Which begs the question - could some deal be cut between IV and an independent developer (or team of developers) to allow a community-built port to be released? Perhaps with the profits being split between IV and the developers in some fashion. Extra income for no effort for IV, and the buzz of seeing your work published (and generating a small income) for the port developer(s)...

It's a purely academic question at the moment - perhaps impossible/unworkable due to license restrictions, accountancy restrictions, technical feasibility restrictions, or whatever. Discuss, anyone?

It would certainly be interesting to work on adapting Defcon for touchscreen or PS3/XBOX/Wii controller. Getting different ports to all communicate to allow cross-platform PvP could get hairy too. It might generate a whole new set of debates in the community - never mind "SA v EU who wins?" how about "PC v DSi who wins?"

<shields up>
<prepare for xander-esque slapdown>


SpitJock (sig. pending)

Well since Apple killed Flash

That's cute. Flash is alive and kicking & with Unity about to expand the list of compatible languages to include Flash, it isn't going anywhere.

[thedarkknightrises]

Perhaps an obvious question this but...:

I've read a few bits of chatter along the lines of "Why don't IV port Defcon to <insert random mobile platform here>?"

It seems to me, at least - if IV aren't interested in porting Defcon, that must be because they're unlikely to generate enough income from the port to make it worthwhile. Simple economics.

I also know that there are some lucky people out there who acquired the source code via the Humble Bundle (the sale was long finished before I found out about it ). Which begs the question - could some deal be cut between IV and an independent developer (or team of developers) to allow a community-built port to be released? Perhaps with the profits being split between IV and the developers in some fashion. Extra income for no effort for IV, and the buzz of seeing your work published (and generating a small income) for the port developer(s)...

It's a purely academic question at the moment - perhaps impossible/unworkable due to license restrictions, accountancy restrictions, technical feasibility restrictions, or whatever. Discuss, anyone?

It would certainly be interesting to work on adapting Defcon for touchscreen or PS3/XBOX/Wii controller. Getting different ports to all communicate to allow cross-platform PvP could get hairy too. It might generate a whole new set of debates in the community - never mind "SA v EU who wins?" how about "PC v DSi who wins?"

<shields up>
<prepare for xander-esque slapdown>


SpitJock (sig. pending)

Well since Apple killed Flash

That's cute. Flash is alive and kicking & with Unity about to expand the list of compatible languages to include Flash, it isn't going anywhere.

Are you suggesting HTML5 isn't going to win the war?

[TheGranaryBytes]

Perhaps an obvious question this but...:

I've read a few bits of chatter along the lines of "Why don't IV port Defcon to <insert random mobile platform here>?"

It seems to me, at least - if IV aren't interested in porting Defcon, that must be because they're unlikely to generate enough income from the port to make it worthwhile. Simple economics.

I also know that there are some lucky people out there who acquired the source code via the Humble Bundle (the sale was long finished before I found out about it ). Which begs the question - could some deal be cut between IV and an independent developer (or team of developers) to allow a community-built port to be released? Perhaps with the profits being split between IV and the developers in some fashion. Extra income for no effort for IV, and the buzz of seeing your work published (and generating a small income) for the port developer(s)...

It's a purely academic question at the moment - perhaps impossible/unworkable due to license restrictions, accountancy restrictions, technical feasibility restrictions, or whatever. Discuss, anyone?

It would certainly be interesting to work on adapting Defcon for touchscreen or PS3/XBOX/Wii controller. Getting different ports to all communicate to allow cross-platform PvP could get hairy too. It might generate a whole new set of debates in the community - never mind "SA v EU who wins?" how about "PC v DSi who wins?"

<shields up>
<prepare for xander-esque slapdown>


SpitJock (sig. pending)

Well since Apple killed Flash

That's cute. Flash is alive and kicking & with Unity about to expand the list of compatible languages to include Flash, it isn't going anywhere.

Are you suggesting HTML5 isn't going to win the war?

No anytime soon. HTML5 is still a mess.

[thedarkknightrises]

Perhaps an obvious question this but...:

I've read a few bits of chatter along the lines of "Why don't IV port Defcon to <insert random mobile platform here>?"

It seems to me, at least - if IV aren't interested in porting Defcon, that must be because they're unlikely to generate enough income from the port to make it worthwhile. Simple economics.

I also know that there are some lucky people out there who acquired the source code via the Humble Bundle (the sale was long finished before I found out about it ). Which begs the question - could some deal be cut between IV and an independent developer (or team of developers) to allow a community-built port to be released? Perhaps with the profits being split between IV and the developers in some fashion. Extra income for no effort for IV, and the buzz of seeing your work published (and generating a small income) for the port developer(s)...

It's a purely academic question at the moment - perhaps impossible/unworkable due to license restrictions, accountancy restrictions, technical feasibility restrictions, or whatever. Discuss, anyone?

It would certainly be interesting to work on adapting Defcon for touchscreen or PS3/XBOX/Wii controller. Getting different ports to all communicate to allow cross-platform PvP could get hairy too. It might generate a whole new set of debates in the community - never mind "SA v EU who wins?" how about "PC v DSi who wins?"

<shields up>
<prepare for xander-esque slapdown>


SpitJock (sig. pending)

Well since Apple killed Flash

That's cute. Flash is alive and kicking & with Unity about to expand the list of compatible languages to include Flash, it isn't going anywhere.

Are you suggesting HTML5 isn't going to win the war?

No anytime soon. HTML5 is still a mess.

True. HTML5 has a lot of cons along with the pros.

Introversion can right now immediately use Google's Native Client and port it to the Chrome browser as an "app".... which would be a quick and easy dirty port.

But if you ask me, I don't see the point other than "publicity"..... and even so, putting an app out there isn't the free advertising it used to be. These days discover-ability is the problem and Defcon as a game in Chrome Web store would just get lost in a sea of other games.

And frankly, since Defcon is already on Windows/Linux and Mac, it doesn't make sense to play it in the browser which is basically an emulation with the V8 engine. Would you purposefully play a game in VMWare when it runs on your host machine just fine? Doubt it... Only scenario I can see this playing out well for Goog is if everyone is on the gigabit fiber and chromium becomes the defacto operating system. That ain't never gonna happen. The whole "app" concept is just a fad. Like facebook and its stock price. Objective C has nothing on C++ for plain old Windows users. Too bad Microsoft chasing imaginary long tail with 8. Bet they will "can" that as quick as they did FLIGHT.