Making mini games for mobile phones with AGS

[gypsysnail]

Hi everyone, first off MERRY XMAS Hope you all had a lovely day like I did. Anyway this question I am posing to AGS is game related but *biting my lip* unsure of what category it should go in. But here goes, I have been thinking of trying my hand at making games that fit a mobile phone. Short length games - yes I have seen quite a few games on mobiles that have the point and click and this may be good for my games that I want to make for mobile phones. Friends are asking me if I could make games that suit phones and this has gotten me excited, I reckon this is a way for me to get my foot into the door in the game makers world of selling games (just like our successful brillant member Dave Gilbert - by the way, Dave I finished the 2nd, Blackwell Unbound and LOVED it!!). I am going to ask if any of you have any ideas of how I could make the games optimised for mobile phones? The games would have to be small and of low resolution (I guess?) and how would they fit to particular versions of phones? If anyone here could please help me get a leg up in this, ideas of how I could start off, that would be great!! and please please no saying its impossible or that its a silly idea. Thinking caps on guys!!

[Galen]

No. Mobile phones generally (I won't cross out oddities) just run Java games.
AGS games wouldn't work.

[DeathKnight]

that's true

[Renal Shutdown]

This thread, http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33101.0 was mostly about scummvm/portable devices like the gpxx/ds/psp etc, but I'm sure it mentions mobiles.

Even if it doesn't, the gist is still the same.

"No saying its impossible or that its a silly idea."  It's definitely not a silly idea, as mobile gaming is quite profitable.  As for impossible, I'd have to say it's as close to it as to make alternative software a more viable option.

[scotch]

If you want to make a commercial game for phones you'll need to find a coder to work with. It's not a difficult platform to develop for but phones are very different from larger computers, so AGS will never be ported to current generation phones. Or next generation ones.

The other problem is resolutions, speeds and input devices vary a lot between phones so it can be a lot of effort to make a widely compatible game. I'm interested in doing phone games too but right now the input options and tiny screens make it too poor for my purposes. Maybe in a few years!

[gypsysnail]

Hey guys thanks for your feedback and advice!! So now I have some idea of where I will need to head in to make the mobile phones. Java shouldn't be too hard once I learn how to use it properly. If anyone knows what is a good start with java, like a program that I can download to do java works on and what does it involve exactly? Like lots of coding? I know this sounds soooo silly as I have made websites using html and a couple other coding types but haven't ventured into java yet. Thanks renal shutdown for your support and for encouraging me and of course all of you others for encouraging me also . Yep about to embark on a mission in phone games as well as making some freeware games (for pcs using ags) before I make it into the business of making commercial games I figured it was better to start this way so people can get a feel for my style of games, graphics, story etc etc. Anyway let me know about java

EDIT: guys, I took a look at python and jython, those look like good software for a start in making mobile games. Thanks again always can count on you ags guys

[scotch]

Python is my favourite language of all, but unfortunately it really isn't an option here, phones are too slow for it, and their cut down version of Java doesn't support Jython anyway. You need to be fairly good at writing efficient Java to get good gaming performance out of them. I wouldn't suggest jumping into it for a new coder. Learn Java on the desktop first, write a few larger programs. I don't mean to put you off at all, but it'll take at least a few months of effort until you're doing release quality game stuff, as a new coder.

Most phone games run as MIDlets, a special format for cut down Java applications on mobile devices. Here's a guide to making your first: http://developers.sun.com/mobility/midp/articles/wtoolkit/ As you'll see it's difficult to follow if you aren't already proficient in a C++ style language. I'd recommend finding someone to work with if you're trying it commercially.

[gypsysnail]

Hi Scotch thanks for the advice, yes I'm not proficent in c+ yet but I was thinking I might do a short course in java language over the holidays. Yes probably I will get someone to work with me on the programming side while I do the graphics. Anyone here might be interested, and when the time does come, I will be asking for help and offering some payment because this will be a commercial endeavour. If you are interested in helping, you are more than welcome. I am aiming to start this project around early to mid 2008 just as a tenative starting timeline.

[zabnat]

I think you'll find this thread useful http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=32585.0.
There are some suggestions where to start.