Blue OX , the folks behind the iPhone remake of the classic game Concentration called Moosentration, recently I had the chance to interview Christopher York of the company. I wanted to get a feel on how indie developers are enjoying working on the iPhone, working with Apple, and how great is the App Store really.  I want to try and get an interview a month from developers, so if you are ready this and want to do an interview please contact me.Below is the full transcript of the interview, if you are like the many Americans, myself included, who don’t like to read a lot here is a small sample of the full thing.

How do you feel about gaming on the iPhone? Can it be a serious platform like the Nintendo DS?

“Yes I think the iPhone has a lot of potential as a gaming platform, but the lack of traditional game controls is making for some interesting experimentation among game developers right now. I think that with this first wave of games, many developers are falling into the “man with a hammer” syndrome. You know how the saying goes: “To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

 Well the accelerometer is the hammer, and honestly not all games want or need to used the accelerometer as an input device. In fact it can take away from the game if it’s not appropriate or poorly implemented.

 It will take some time before we truly understand how to use this device to it’s full gaming potential.”

Finally how do you feel about the App Store? Do you think the way the store is set up  that you have a good chance of competing with companies like EA, THQ, and Sega for example?

“There is a lot of room for improvement as far as organization goes, but really nothing like the App store ever existed before that makes it so easy for developers to distribute their products and for customers to buy the product.

 I had considered doing development for mobile devices for several years, but it wasn’t until the opportunity to be on the App Store came around that I finally took the plunge. The App store is revolutionary for software distribution. For software developers, it’s the great equalizer I suppose.”

What drew you into developing for the iPhone?

“Building software for the iPhone is a rare opportunity for developers. Let me explain what I mean. I’ve been writing software since the early 1980s. Back then it was a whole different world. The industry of software for personal computers was very immature. Products for the Appple II, TRS-80, and Atari Home Computers were frequently built by single developers and often sold in ziploc bags. It was a real cowboy type of atmosphere, but it was very exciting because there was a feeling that anybody could build the next great product. And this in fact was true. It was a beginning time and it was exciting. This is when companies like EA got started and their initial products were indeed built by single developers working alone. Developers like Bill Budge (Pinball Construction Set) and Will Harvey (Music Construction Set).

But now we have this exciting new platform, the iPhone and iPod touch, and I feel the same excitement, the same sense that anybody can build the next great product. We have thousands of individual developers working alone and furiously coding new apps trying to score a hit.

I believe that out of these efforts we will the next generation of large software companies emerge. The next EAs if you will. It something I want to be part of and frankly, this is the first time computers have excited me in years!”

The Full Interview 

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1. What drew you into developing for the iPhone?

Building software for the iPhone is a rare opportunity for developers. Let me explain what I mean. I’ve been writing software since the early 1980s. Back then it was a whole different world. The industry of software for personal computers was very immature. Products for the Appple II, TRS-80, and Atari Home Computers were frequently built by single developers and often sold in ziploc bags. It was a real cowboy type of atmosphere, but it was very exciting because there was a feeling that anybody could build the next great product. And this in fact was true. It was a beginning time and it was exciting. This is when companies like EA got started and their initial products were indeed built by single developers working alone. Developers like Bill Budge (Pinball Construction Set) and Will Harvey (Music Construction Set).

Eventually the software industry matured and building a software product became more like making a movie, requiring a huge budget and a huge amount of manpower. The single developer working alone became a rare animal of sorts.

But now we have this exciting new platform, the iPhone and iPod touch, and I feel the same excitement, the same sense that anybody can build the next great product. We have thousands of individual developers working alone and furiously coding new apps trying to score a hit.

I believe that out of these efforts we will the next generation of large software companies emerge. The next EAs if you will. It something I want to be part of and frankly, this is the first time computers have excited me in years!

2. How do you feel about gaming on the iPhone? Can it be a serious platform like the Nintendo DS?

Yes I think the iPhone has a lot of potential as a gaming platform, but the lack of traditional game controls is making for some interesting experimentation among game developers right now. I think that with this first wave of games, many developers are falling into the “man with a hammer” syndrome. You know how the saying goes: “To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

Well the accelerometer is the hammer, and honestly not all games want or need to used the accelerometer as an input device. In fact it can take away from the game if it’s not appropriate or poorly implemented.

It will take some time before we truly understand how to use this device to it’s full gaming potential.

3. Is the iPhone really as powerful as others claim? What are some of the restrictions that could hurt the device?

I am blown away by the iPhone/iPod touch. It is a true computer in the palm of your hand.

4. How is Apple’s relationship with the developers?

Well I’ve had only good experiences so far, so I’m very happy. I have read some negative experiences on the forums, but for me it’s been great.

5. What made you do a remake instead of a new IP for a game?

Well I just turned 40, so I’m an old man, I suppose. But the first game I wrote for the iPhone was Moosentration a cutesy version of the card game Concentration. Originally I wrote a couple of MS-DOS versions and a third Windows 3.1 version of this game that I never did anything with.

In 1998 when Windows 95 came out I did a fourth version of the game and released it as freeware through ZDNet. The game wound up getting over 100,000 downloads and I got postcards from all over the world from people telling me how much they enjoyed the game.

It’s a very simple game that many people seemed to like so it was a natural for my first game for the iPhone. It was a quick port too. I bought a MacBook at the beginning of July. Now I had never used a Mac before. So I learned the Mac, learned the iPhone architecture, learned Objective-C and had my first game submitted to iTunes within 2 weeks.

I’m just amazed at how easy it is to develop for the iPhone. And the end product game is a lot nicer than any of the original versions by far.

6. Do you have any plans on making other games for the iPhone?

Absolutely. My company will focus on educational software and games and I currently have another game in development, which takes the Concentration concept to a much higher plane, turning it into more of an action/puzzle game with multiple levels.

The graphics on this new project are much better than what I did for Moosentration last month when I was just learning everything. The iPhone just makes things so easy. Some great games are going to built on this platform.

7. If so what would it be? A new IP or a remake?

There’s a game I’d like to remake, but I’d have to work out a licensing deal and right now I have so many original ideas of my own that I’m just going to focus on them for now.

8. Do you feel their is a big market for games on the iPhone?
Well I read about the game Chopper. Evidently it’s selling about 500 copies a day, and it’s not even in the Top 10. So yes, I think the market is huge. But developers will need to keep their prices low, because the competition is a plentiful as the market.

9. Other than your game, what are playing on the device?
I haven’t had time to get deeply into much else other than my own games, but there are some really great apps out there right now. The Pandora app is excellent. It’s a shame they might go out of business soon.

10.Finally how do you feel about the App Store? Do you think the way the store is set up that you have a good chance of competing with companies like EA, THQ, and Sega for example?

There is a lot of room for improvement as far as organization goes, but really nothing like the App store ever existed before that makes it so easy for developers to distribute their products and for customers to buy the product.

I had considered doing development for mobile devices for several years, but it wasn’t until the opportunity to be on the App Store came around that I finally took the plunge. The App store is revolutionary for software distribution. For software developers, it’s the great equalizer I suppose.

Christopher York

Blue Ox Technologies Ltd.