Epic Says Infinity Blade Won't Be Coming to Android

[John Funk]

Epic Says Infinity Blade Won't Be Coming to Android

The Android market is too fragmented and disparate to support a technically demanding game like Epic's hit Infinity Blade, says company boss Tim Sweeney.

Epic Games and Chair Entertainment struck gold with Infinity Blade, a project that became the fastest-grossing iOS app of all time [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103181-Update-Incredible-Looking-RPG-Coming-to-iPhone-et-al-from-Epic]. More than anything else, it demonstrated that "core" games could indeed work on mobile platforms like the iPhone and iPad.

I liked what I played of Infinity Blade on my friends' iDevices, so why can't I get it on my Droid? The problem, says Epic's Tim Sweeney, is that Google isn't quite evil enough - and a lack of stringent standards across all Android devices means that it isn't feasible for Epic to port the game to another large mobile OS.

"When a consumer gets the phone and they wanna play a game that uses our technology, it's got to be a consistent experience, and we can't guarantee that [on Android]. That's what held us off of Android," Sweeney told Gizmodo [http://uk.gizmodo.com/5789093/the-near+future-of-mobile-gaming-is-going-to-be-pretty-epic].

In other words, developing for iOS means that the game needs to work on iPhone 3/4, iPad/2 and their respective variants, and that's it - while trying to make an Android version would involve making a game for dozens of different phone models, some of which might not have the horsepower to run the game.

Sweeney likened it to a hypothetical situation in which Sony released multiple Operating Systems for its new NGP handheld. "If you took the underlying NGP hardware and shipped Android on it, you'd find far far less performance on Android," said Sweeney. "Let's say you took an NGP phone and made four versions of it. Each one would give you a different amount of memory and performance based on the crap [the carriers] put on their phone."

If Google wanted to see high-level development on its Android platform, said Sweeney, it needed to be more like Apple, and place tighter restrictions on its developers.

"Google needs to be a little more evil. They need to be far more controlling."

(Eurogamer [http://uk.gizmodo.com/5789093/the-near+future-of-mobile-gaming-is-going-to-be-pretty-epic])

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[LavaLampBamboo]

That's actually one of the reasons Android doesn't appeal to me. It's the lack of control over the handsets it's on. Admittedly I doesn't affect me if I had an Android phone because I'd only ever use that version of it, but I like the consistency you get with a iOS device or WP7.

 

[Petromir]

It's both a strength an a weakness diversity of hardware, and here we see the biggest issue. In phones its in many ways more accute than PCs as people are less likely to know the capabilities of their phone.

 

[Optimystic]

Epic, sorry you're missing out, but Android phones are the growth market right now. Don't come crying to us when other developers turn to Android and work past the technical hurdles instead of simply throwing in the towel.

 

[SoulChaserJ]

I'd rather not have a game like this on my android phone and allow Google to keep it's shiny reputation of not being assholes to consumers. Something a certain fruit themed company can't seem to understand.

 

[mxfox408]

Epic fail has only disappointed me again with thier lazy attitude. First they dont want to have to program GoW 2 for the PC because of piracy excuse whitch we all know is Bullshit, then they claim they cant make it for google android, i call bullshit. I think they just dont want to deal with different programming, and try to find any excuse. Why would they release dungion defenders on Android? Dirty deal on the side anyione?

 

[Sephychu]

I'd rather not have a game like this on my android phone and allow Google to keep it's shiny reputation of not being assholes to consumers. Something a certain fruit themed company can't seem to understand.

My thoughts exactly.

Fair enough it'd be hard to develop, but better it stays on iOS than Google submit to evil. We need some paragons.

 

[Flipao]

iOS is just as fragmented, you can't run Infinity Blade in an original iPhone or iPhone 3G as well as the equivalent iPod touch models.

The 3GS will be phased out soon as well, and the original iPad feels like old tech compared to the new one.

Sure there are more devices to support in Android, but most have a fairly common set of specs.

 

[Xanthious]

If Google wanted to see high-level development on its Android platform, said Sweeney, it needed to be more like Apple, and place tighter restrictions on its developers.

No high level development on Android? The Xperia Play would like to have a word with Mr Sweeney. Beyond that I would gladly take the top end Android hardware against the iPhone 4 and wager it would not only hold up but likely far surpass the iPhone.

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Seeing people arguing for even more control on mobile devices frightens me. I call bullshit on this. You have the exact same problem on PC hardware. The way we solve that is we have recommended system requirements and you don't guarantee performance across all PCs. It also gives PC developers incentive to create demos, which are always a good thing. I blame Epic for being lazy, but I also blame the walled garden environment of mobile devices for user expectations.

 

[The Imp]

Sounds to me like the exact same PC vs. Consoles discussion. They just want exclusive contracts with big numbers on them, thats it. Epic turned into a real fucking greedy bunch since Gears of War.

P.S.: I bought my Droid phone exactly because i dont want to face the Apple restrictions. I dont want Itunes, i dont want to jailbreak my phone just to be able to use flash.

 

[DTWolfwood]

android is great because its ubiquitous. ios is great because its constrained.

You have to live with the limitations of each. As i don't play games on my phone, I mainly just watch vids and streams, I don't care about the portable games market on smart phones. The fact google supports Flash means they have my vote.

If Google wanted to see high-level development on its Android platform, said Sweeney, it needed to be more like Apple, and place tighter restrictions on its developers.

No high level development on Android? The Xperia Play would like to have a word with Mr Sweeney. Beyond that I would gladly take the top end Android hardware against the iPhone 4 and wager it would not only hold up but likely far surpass the iPhone.

its like development for a PC games is what he meant. You have to make a game for a wide range of specs rather than just one or two.

While the newer android phones can and in most part beats the iphone, they are by their ubiquity different from each other.

In essence what sweeney has said can be summed up as "WE ARE TOO FUCKING LAZY TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT CAN RUN ON MULTIPLE SPECIFICATIONS" EPIC, a once proud creator of graphics Engines that prided itself on being able to run on a whole range of varying specs of PC, to whining about "its too much work to do that, y can't we all just run the same exact machines so its easier for us to port all of our work"

 

[JediMB]

It would be nice if Android phones could be easily divided into different "power classes" to make it easy for consumers and developers to know what phones would be able to run what games.

Nothing more restrictive than that, though.

 

[Simalacrum]

I can see where Epic is coming at, but surely there are ways around the problem? For example, treat phones like PC's - make sure that there are system requirements that are put on the product, so people know if they're phone will run it or not.

The mobile market is rapidly becoming similar to that of the PC market - I think developers need to treat them as such soon.

But meh, whatever, I have an iPhone 4 anyways

 

[samsonguy920]

This is definitely food for thought when I am getting ready to get a new phone. I am not all that eager to get anything Apple(no offense, Mac-fanboys), so have been thinking about Droid.
Not that the first thing I think of in phones is its gaming power, but this news also raises other concerns about app-availability. Like if I wanted to get an Android phone, with a certain app in mind to have with it, and then it turns out that phone is a stinker for it. Wasted money and/or contract time.
Thanks for bringing this up, Epic!

In essence what sweeney has said can be summed up as "WE ARE TOO FUCKING LAZY TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT CAN RUN ON MULTIPLE SPECIFICATIONS" EPIC, a once proud creator of graphics Engines that prided itself on being able to run on a whole range of varying specs of PC, to whining about "its too much work to do that, y can't we all just run the same exact machines so its easier for us to port all of our work"

The wide range of PC's isn't as wide a range as phones are. When you also take into consideration that you aren't going to be selling a game for the same amount as for a PC, then the costs have to be considered for the return. Yes, it is easy when the iPhone is propietary and being distributed under one company, but it is also cheaper when you don't have to worry about changing the code to fit dozens of different bits of hardware that don't have propietary set into their system.
Yes, Epic could make the game for just a select few of high-end droids, but that is hitting a small percentage of droid owners. Where's the return in that?
Frankly this is pointing out a glaring flaw in the argument that today's phones are the new main avenue for gaming. Casual gaming, yes. But trying to fit something for us bigger gamers? No.
I would just as soon do my gaming in an environment where I don't have to worry about distractions out of my control as much, as well as not kill my eyesight all the faster because I am looking at a screen smaller than regular handhelds. Especially when you take into consideration that your thumbs are going to be hogging 1/3 of that screen.