Poll: Escapist App

[Rhymenoceros]

I was thinking recently that it would be cool for the Escapist to release an App as I find it quite awkward to navigate the site on my Ipod Touch. I then started to think a little more in depth and thought that beyond that, they could add some new stuff that would be useful. For instance I take an hour and a half train journey each way every other weekend. And I thought it would be cool if I could download some of the text based content to access offline. Although I don't think I would bother getting it if you had to pay as I don't think it would be worth it.

I understand that perhaps they wouldn't be able to include the video's in that as currently it is only possible to view the video's on an ipod if you're a member of the Pub Club. Although I don't know whether you can on internet enabled phones and on androids. So they may keep it that way in order to add something else that people like me on Ipods are tempted into the Pub Club by.

So my question, fellow Escapists is: If the Escapist released an app, what would you be prepared to pay for it (if at all) and what they could include in it.

Edit: I tried to add a poll to this including Yes if it's free; Yes and I'll pay and a No option but apparently the Escapist didn't like that and decided to eat it, and now I can't add it Oh well, just tell me in the post!

 

[fenrizz]

I'd love to see an Escapist app for Android.

That would be great!

 

[SnowyGamester]

I've been wondering about this recently. If it was for Android, yes. But only if it made it possible to watch videos. My current droid can't play flash (flashed to 2.3 but processor not compatible or something), so until I get an Xperia Play (hopefully soon), I can't watch any of the videos without my computer or tablet. However other than that the site browses fine, and since I have 3g on my phone I'm not concerned about downloading articles for later use. Perhaps just an alternate web portal that had videos that work on mobile platforms...that would be good.

Though it would make sense to make an app for iDevices, since none of them play flash.

 

[gertmenkel]

Yeah, it would be really great!

By the way, if you own an Android phone with flash, you can view the videos even if you're not a member of the Pub Club.

Edit: didn't read the no poll thing, sorry

 

[Rhymenoceros]

Snip

I wasn't sure if video's work for android or not. Looks like it's just us sucker with iOS left out in the cold. Although that does raise my hopes of one day in the future when all iOS users will stand equal in their ability to watch Escapist content.

 

[SnowyGamester]

Snip

I wasn't sure if video's work for android or not. Looks like it's just us sucker with iOS left out in the cold. Although that does raise my hopes of one day in the future when all iOS users will stand equal in their ability to watch Escapist content.

iOS will NEVER play the videos on The Escapist, at least not through flash player. Apple seems to have a grudge against Adobe, which is interesting since Photoshop will come up in basically any pro-apple conversation (for some reason, even though its also on Windows...maybe thats why they mad).

Your best bet is to jailbreak it and download a browser or a plugin that will let you use flash. Maybe also something that will let you file->save as web pages, that way you can take articles on the go

 

[Rhymenoceros]

Snip

I wasn't sure if video's work for android or not. Looks like it's just us sucker with iOS left out in the cold. Although that does raise my hopes of one day in the future when all iOS users will stand equal in their ability to watch Escapist content.

iOS will NEVER play the videos on The Escapist, at least not through flash player. Apple seems to have a grudge against Adobe, which is interesting since Photoshop will come up in basically any pro-apple conversation (for some reason, even though its also on Windows...maybe thats why they mad).

Your best bet is to jailbreak it and download a browser or a plugin that will let you use flash. Maybe also something that will let you file->save as web pages, that way you can take articles on the go

Tempting but I'm too law abiding for that! Plus, that's why I hope for an Escapist App. In the hope that they will come up with a way to play their video's

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

I'd love to see that happen. The only option I've currently got to watch any videos from my iPad on this site is to join the Publisher's Club. A dedicated app for it would be great.

 

[Goldeneye103X2]

That would certainly be handy, yes. Either that or just play the videos in QuickTime, because it's a real ***** not being able to watch videos comfortably on my iPad. But if it meant paying for an app (rather than a monthly fee) then yeah, I'd go for it.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Definetly yes, now its really hard to use the Escapist on iphones etc because its diplayed in the website form. Also it would make publisher club members have an easier time finding videos which would probably get more premium members.

 

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

I've been thinking of getting a smart phone recently... There are lots of variables for me as to whether it'd actually be worth it, or just to stick to flip-phones which I love so much.

However, one of the major variables is how easily and cheaply I'd be able to connect to The Escapist wherever I am.
If it's free (or relatively cheap), not only do I want it, but it'd be one of the major deciding factors in whether I get a smart phone.

 

[William MacKay]

that would be useful because i need stuff to watch when i'm on the shitter.

 

[Virgil]

I was thinking recently that it would be cool for the Escapist to release an App as I find it quite awkward to navigate the site on my Ipod Touch.

We're slowly working on an Escapist iOS app, and the back end stuff for mobile apps in general along with it. No timeframe for release, but it's on the list.

By the way, if you own an Android phone with flash, you can view the videos even if you're not a member of the Pub Club.

I wasn't sure if video's work for android or not. Looks like it's just us sucker with iOS left out in the cold. Although that does raise my hopes of one day in the future when all iOS users will stand equal in their ability to watch Escapist content.

Our videos, and the site in general, are ad-supported. Without the ads, we can't pay for the bandwidth to serve the videos, or the people to create them, so the only way to watch the videos for free on any device is through our ad-supported Flash player. Any platform that can run it can play the videos, along with the ads that pay for them.

If you can't run Flash, then we have the PubClub membership, which removes the ads. Since PubClub members don't need to watch the ads at all, they don't need to use Flash, and can watch the videos using an HTML5 player or directly on mobile devices. They also get video podcast feeds that let them download all the videos automatically and sync them to their mobile devices to watch offline.

It would be great to not have to worry about the ads, and to just be able to give away everything we do without having to worry about money at all, but we can't. We're a small company, and we're not owned or funded by Google or MTV or any of the other huge media companies who own most of the bigger sites on the web. Without the ads, or enough PubCub members to make them unnecessary, we go away, and all the work we do with us.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

I'd totally pay for that. Hell, if an Escapist app comes out on the Blackberry, you bet your ass I will buy it.

 

[Rhymenoceros]

Huge Snip!

I'm not arguing that I don't want adverts! I understand the Escapists need for adverts. I can't afford to pay for the Pub Club, but you still deserve to earn money for the content I watch.

As you stated, the Pub Club members watch the video's in an HTML5 format. I was just wondering whether, wither on the site or app or both, it would be possible to use the video's in an HTML5 format but include adverts on the side as well, so I can watch and you can earn! It would be a win-win!