I've been pondering getting a tablet, and would like some opinions from people who have both apple and android access.
Right now ive only got an older generation ipod touch and lately every cool game i see you guys talk about is not available for my system. So I'm trying to decide if i want to stick with the ipad or an android tablet. The deciding factors are going to be the apps.
I dont have a celphone so i probably will consider the 4g option so i can use skype or something if im in need of an emergency phone. I'd probably not want a contract, so i want something i can buy like a prepaid time card on to keep for when i need it.
Are most apps cross platform at this point? is there much thats exclusive to apple or android? to be honest my ipod touch gets more use as a gaming system then anything else so thats also a factor.
Stercus, Stercus, Stercus, Morituri Sum
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
If games are important to you you should get an iPad. Full stop. No questions asked.
I have an iPad and an Android phone (fairly new, good hardware) and the selection of games is a world apart. I play more upscaled iPhone games on my iPad than I play games on my phone.
Word Fighter is FINALLY in review. Saw it at Pax Prime last year, and have wanted it since then. Don't buy the Word Fighter that's already on the store, it's something else.
Think of it as Puzzle Fighter except you're forming words by chaining letters as quickly as you can.
Word Fighter is FINALLY in review. Saw it at Pax Prime last year, and have wanted it since then. Don't buy the Word Fighter that's already on the store, it's something else.
Think of it as Puzzle Fighter except you're forming words by chaining letters as quickly as you can.
Mass Effect: Infiltrator is out. Supposedly playing that links to your Galactic Readiness in Mass Effect 3. It's $7 bucks though. I'll give it a quick whirl and let you know what I think.
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DietarySupplementStill not approved by the FDADublin, OHRegistered Userregular
Mass Effect: Infiltrator is out. Supposedly playing that links to your Galactic Readiness in Mass Effect 3. It's $7 bucks though. I'll give it a quick whirl and let you know what I think.
Everyone I've talked to about it say it's actually a pretty tight shooter. I was planning on getting it, but... 7 bucks?
If games are important to you you should get an iPad. Full stop. No questions asked.
I have an iPad and an Android phone (fairly new, good hardware) and the selection of games is a world apart. I play more upscaled iPhone games on my iPad than I play games on my phone.
Really? what about all the dos / nintendo emulators and pc games? Or is that only going to be available in a rooted device?
If games are important to you you should get an iPad. Full stop. No questions asked.
I have an iPad and an Android phone (fairly new, good hardware) and the selection of games is a world apart. I play more upscaled iPhone games on my iPad than I play games on my phone.
Really? what about all the dos / nintendo emulators and pc games? Or is that only going to be available in a rooted device?
Those aren't exactly titles that are exclusive to the platform though. iOS has far and away the better selection of exclusive games.
Well i don't really care if they are exclusive to the system, in fact the main reason ive been taking my time about this decision is im not all that eager to get into yet another 'console war' type of situation. (I solved that problem already by owning all three major consoles). I would hope that most of the apps are cross platform so i dont have platform envy about something or other.
Mass Effect: Infiltrator is out. Supposedly playing that links to your Galactic Readiness in Mass Effect 3. It's $7 bucks though. I'll give it a quick whirl and let you know what I think.
Everyone I've talked to about it say it's actually a pretty tight shooter. I was planning on getting it, but... 7 bucks?
Yeah, seven bucks. And there's in-app purchases up to and including a "CEO pack" that runs damn near $50. Microtransactions, oy.
But what you've heard is right, it's a tight shooter. Rather than have virtual thumbsticks in the corners of the screen, moving your thumbs anywhere on the left and right will move your guy around -- very nice. Tap guys to shoot them, select biotic powers to throw them around and do other stuff, etc. Very fun so far, and it looks great. My only gripe so far is that the game is pure action; there doesn't appear to be any sequences where you choose your dialog. The first level ended with me choosing simply "paragon" or "renegade" to determine how I ended it, and the time I thought I was thrown into a hub level to do stuff turned out to be the quiet beginning of another action sequence. Then again, the ONLY good thing about the last iOS Mass Effect game was the dialog sequences, so I guess we should count our blessings. Unless the game's really short or the microtransactions turn out to be really obnoxious it looks to be worth the $7.
Well i don't really care if they are exclusive to the system, in fact the main reason ive been taking my time about this decision is im not all that eager to get into yet another 'console war' type of situation. (I solved that problem already by owning all three major consoles). I would hope that most of the apps are cross platform so i dont have platform envy about something or other.
Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of cross-platform titles. The majority of the best mobile games are for the iPhone exclusively. Honestly, that's the reason why I chose the iPhone. I use it as a selling point too when discussing smartphone selection with people in passing.
iPhone is super user friendly, but overall Android offers a lot more features and customizability. The one conceit being their Android Market is a far cry from the App Store.
If you're looking for games first and foremost, get an iPhone. You won't be disappointed.
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
"Skeleton Key" holders get access to two work-in-progress prototypes. One is a potential new Magnetic Billiards mode, the other is a completely new game "ISMMTTM" (I Sent My Monkey To The Moon). It's a very addictive jumping with a unique and precise control method.
So I bought Mass Effect Infiltrator, and enjoyed it up until the icon to switch weapons vanished, which not only harshly penalizes my "style" score since that's almost entirely based around switching weapons between kills, but makes a later section where multiple enemies that are meant to be taken down with a shotgun appear, and I'm stuck with an assault rifle.
I may be the only person having this issue, since I can't find any mention of it online anywhere, but it's soured me on the whole game quite a bit.
Edit: Well, uninstalling and reinstalling fixed that glitch. And wiped out all of my saved game info. Whee!
Besides that glitchy glitch: I'm really curious to hear how ME Infiltrator is.
Overall my early impressions are mostly positive, glitch notwithstanding. I'd say it's worth $7.
The pros:
Quality of presentation. Like the Dead Space mobile game, the developers aimed for a more fully-blown console/handheld experience and pretty much nailed it.
The control scheme is pretty responsive and also less complex than the one in the Dead Space game, which is nice especially if you're playing on an IPhone and not an IPad. Thumbs move around, you take cover, then you tap on targets to shoot at them, then you can precision aim while your gun auto-fires until it overheats, the biotic powers are done roughly the same way: tap the biotic button, drag to the power, then target an enemy. The action does pause between when you select a biotic power, which makes them a lot easier to use.
The core of the game, the combat, feels like Mass Effect combat, only scaled down to a one-person squad. There's enough variety that you can take out enemies in different ways, so it's less of a rail shooter than I was expecting. The game also has a rather thematically strange "style" mechanic that encourages you to vary your combat tactics and use different weapons and attacks, which also cuts down on the rail shooter vibe.
The cons:
At times the game seems designed around an IPad-sized screen, so if (like me) you're playing on a smaller device and/or have clumsy thumbs there are occasional control annoyances.
So far the plot seems decent enough, but there's no attempt at in-game backstory. The main character is pretty much a gruff-voiced, bad ass cyborg cipher, since the game doesn't really explain (at least in the first half) what his role in Cerberus is supposed to be. The only dialogue-type options so far have been choosing a Paragon or Renegade response on a slider, which seems to mean "let some guy go" or "shoot some guy in the face".
Is Infinity Blade still worth playing, or should I jump directly to IB2?
I would play IB1 first. There isn't much story there, but what is there (especially if you play enough to get to the "basement stuff") definitely ties straight into the second game.
The other reason is that the fights in IB2 are quite a bit harder so I think it's best to get your grips on the first game first.
Infiltrator is pretty good, but I'm not sure it's really worth $7. Maybe 5. The controls are similar to the developer's dead space igame, but the faster pace makes if a bit fiddlier. And the cover controls are almost as wonky as the PC version's
All I can find are stories from when it was announced alongside Infiltrator.
Hmm, actually, here's a page at EA about what it specifically is, I didn't realize it had a game component, I thought it was pretty much just the codex on an ipad. https://help.ea.com/article/mass-effect-3-datapad-info
But no mention of a cost or release date.
Edit: Found a few sources that say it was meant to be free. Still nothing about when.
So iPad3 feels kinda underwhelming. Better hardware = better performance. More pixels = weaker performance. Will wait for iPad4
I'm also still waiting for a new iPod Touch rev.
Since I just got 2 this summer, I was mostly expecting the iPad 3 to be a preview of the minimum amount of cool junk I'd see in the iPad 4, whose release may see me weighing it against a mythical future windows 8 tablet.
It's actually just "iPad." That will work out well at retail.
I smashed the crap out of the refresh button on the store after the event ended, and after about a half hour of store errors I got my order through. 32gb WiFi iPad should be on it's way in 9 days. It had everything I wanted in the upgrade: retina and quad-core graphics. Would an upgraded FaceTime camera, more memory (no specifics on how much memory is in it yet, but I'm assuming it's unchanged), and a quad-core CPU have been nice? Sure. But I think aside from maybe the FTC they're largely unnecessary at this point and I don't see myself really using the FTC (if at all). So yeah, I'm extremely happy to finally jump on the iPad train at this point, and for those that don't care about the new specs and screen they have the option of saving $100 and getting an iPad 2 instead.
So iPad3 feels kinda underwhelming. Better hardware = better performance. More pixels = weaker performance. Will wait for iPad4
I'm also still waiting for a new iPod Touch rev.
To be fair, I personally feel like the iPhone 4 performance is better than the 3Gs, despite the same 4x increase in pixels relative to the previous device. Of course, when it comes to cutting-edge 3D games (which I don't use much on my phone... most games I play are 2D or simple 3D -- except Infinity Blade, which plays great), it may be that there are some limitations. But, if they've upped the resolution to support the iPad (3), then I assume they will tweak what needs to be tweaked to also get smooth performance. I'm not trying to talk it up, I was just worried about having the same issue moving to the iPhone 4, and I've never felt that the increase in resolution has hurt the experience. I obviously can't speak for the performance of the iPad (3).
Edit: I've read around the web that it's got 1GB of RAM now, but I don't think we'll know for sure until people start getting them in hand.
schmads on
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So iPad3 feels kinda underwhelming. Better hardware = better performance. More pixels = weaker performance. Will wait for iPad4
I'm also still waiting for a new iPod Touch rev.
To be fair, I personally feel like the iPhone 4 performance is better than the 3Gs, despite the same 4x increase in pixels relative to the previous device. Of course, when it comes to cutting-edge 3D games (which I don't use much on my phone... most games I play are 2D or simple 3D -- except Infinity Blade, which plays great), it may be that there are some limitations. But, if they've upped the resolution to support the iPad (3), then I assume they will tweak what needs to be tweaked to also get smooth performance. I'm not trying to talk it up, I was just worried about having the same issue moving to the iPhone 4, and I've never felt that the increase in resolution has hurt the experience. I obviously can't speak for the performance of the iPad (3).
Edit: I've read around the web that it's got 1GB of RAM now, but I don't think we'll know for sure until people start getting them in hand.
Well, the CPU actually improved from 3gs to 4. According to Wiki, 3gs was 833Mhz underclocked to 600, while 4 was 1ghz underclocked to 800. Gpu went from 150 to 200mhz but was otherwise same. iPad is going from 1ghz to 1ghz with a slightly better chip and quad-core GPU. Also, while both times the pixels are going up by 4x, in absolute numbers, the iPad is going up by quite a lot more. The GPU *may* make up the difference though.
i.e., I'm sure it'll have better performance, but not significantly enough for iPad3 exclusive apps becuase the older gens can't handle it.
So at 4x the resolution of the iPad 2, does that mean that most games/apps are going to look blurrier by comparison? Or will they get an instant upscale or something?
So at 4x the resolution of the iPad 2, does that mean that most games/apps are going to look blurrier by comparison? Or will they get an instant upscale or something?
Most likely upscaled, but it will be similar to an iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4's scaling as opposed to iPhone to iPad scaling. The resolution of the iPad HD (this is what I'm calling it until something new/less confusing comes along) is double the resolution of previous iPads, which will help with the scaling. It'll probably be akin to DVD upscaling in Blu-ray players; not as good looking as an actual Blu-ray but still pretty damn nice and maybe even a bit of an improvement. Having never looked at an iPhone of any kind I can't say for sure how that scaling works, but it's not a stretch by any means to think it'll work in a similar manner.
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Right now ive only got an older generation ipod touch and lately every cool game i see you guys talk about is not available for my system. So I'm trying to decide if i want to stick with the ipad or an android tablet. The deciding factors are going to be the apps.
I dont have a celphone so i probably will consider the 4g option so i can use skype or something if im in need of an emergency phone. I'd probably not want a contract, so i want something i can buy like a prepaid time card on to keep for when i need it.
Are most apps cross platform at this point? is there much thats exclusive to apple or android? to be honest my ipod touch gets more use as a gaming system then anything else so thats also a factor.
I have an iPad and an Android phone (fairly new, good hardware) and the selection of games is a world apart. I play more upscaled iPhone games on my iPad than I play games on my phone.
Think of it as Puzzle Fighter except you're forming words by chaining letters as quickly as you can.
Switch: US 1651-2551-4335 JP 6310-4664-2624
MH3U Monster Cheat Sheet / MH3U Veggie Elder Ticket Guide
Yeeeeeessssss.
Everyone I've talked to about it say it's actually a pretty tight shooter. I was planning on getting it, but... 7 bucks?
Really? what about all the dos / nintendo emulators and pc games? Or is that only going to be available in a rooted device?
Those aren't exactly titles that are exclusive to the platform though. iOS has far and away the better selection of exclusive games.
Yeah, seven bucks. And there's in-app purchases up to and including a "CEO pack" that runs damn near $50. Microtransactions, oy.
But what you've heard is right, it's a tight shooter. Rather than have virtual thumbsticks in the corners of the screen, moving your thumbs anywhere on the left and right will move your guy around -- very nice. Tap guys to shoot them, select biotic powers to throw them around and do other stuff, etc. Very fun so far, and it looks great. My only gripe so far is that the game is pure action; there doesn't appear to be any sequences where you choose your dialog. The first level ended with me choosing simply "paragon" or "renegade" to determine how I ended it, and the time I thought I was thrown into a hub level to do stuff turned out to be the quiet beginning of another action sequence. Then again, the ONLY good thing about the last iOS Mass Effect game was the dialog sequences, so I guess we should count our blessings. Unless the game's really short or the microtransactions turn out to be really obnoxious it looks to be worth the $7.
It's on sale for Android right now, know it came out a while ago for iOS so wondering if anyone had any opinions.
Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of cross-platform titles. The majority of the best mobile games are for the iPhone exclusively. Honestly, that's the reason why I chose the iPhone. I use it as a selling point too when discussing smartphone selection with people in passing.
iPhone is super user friendly, but overall Android offers a lot more features and customizability. The one conceit being their Android Market is a far cry from the App Store.
If you're looking for games first and foremost, get an iPhone. You won't be disappointed.
Dead Space is solid.
Switch: US 1651-2551-4335 JP 6310-4664-2624
MH3U Monster Cheat Sheet / MH3U Veggie Elder Ticket Guide
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/magnetic-billiards-blueprint/id432152950?mt=8
"Skeleton Key" holders get access to two work-in-progress prototypes. One is a potential new Magnetic Billiards mode, the other is a completely new game "ISMMTTM" (I Sent My Monkey To The Moon). It's a very addictive jumping with a unique and precise control method.
www.zee-3.com
I may be the only person having this issue, since I can't find any mention of it online anywhere, but it's soured me on the whole game quite a bit.
Edit: Well, uninstalling and reinstalling fixed that glitch. And wiped out all of my saved game info. Whee!
Yeah it's a really tight mobile game. I'm not sure how long it is but it's up there in quality with a fully fledged portable release by a big studio.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Picked it up and was surprised that it wasn't just a good mobile or Dead Space game, but just a good game as a whole.
Really translated the experience in a way that properly works.
Overall my early impressions are mostly positive, glitch notwithstanding. I'd say it's worth $7.
The pros:
Quality of presentation. Like the Dead Space mobile game, the developers aimed for a more fully-blown console/handheld experience and pretty much nailed it.
The control scheme is pretty responsive and also less complex than the one in the Dead Space game, which is nice especially if you're playing on an IPhone and not an IPad. Thumbs move around, you take cover, then you tap on targets to shoot at them, then you can precision aim while your gun auto-fires until it overheats, the biotic powers are done roughly the same way: tap the biotic button, drag to the power, then target an enemy. The action does pause between when you select a biotic power, which makes them a lot easier to use.
The core of the game, the combat, feels like Mass Effect combat, only scaled down to a one-person squad. There's enough variety that you can take out enemies in different ways, so it's less of a rail shooter than I was expecting. The game also has a rather thematically strange "style" mechanic that encourages you to vary your combat tactics and use different weapons and attacks, which also cuts down on the rail shooter vibe.
The cons:
At times the game seems designed around an IPad-sized screen, so if (like me) you're playing on a smaller device and/or have clumsy thumbs there are occasional control annoyances.
So far the plot seems decent enough, but there's no attempt at in-game backstory. The main character is pretty much a gruff-voiced, bad ass cyborg cipher, since the game doesn't really explain (at least in the first half) what his role in Cerberus is supposed to be. The only dialogue-type options so far have been choosing a Paragon or Renegade response on a slider, which seems to mean "let some guy go" or "shoot some guy in the face".
Ah well, at least the "game" bits are fun.
I would play IB1 first. There isn't much story there, but what is there (especially if you play enough to get to the "basement stuff") definitely ties straight into the second game.
The other reason is that the fights in IB2 are quite a bit harder so I think it's best to get your grips on the first game first.
Yeah, I would buy that... If it was dirt cheap.
Hmm, actually, here's a page at EA about what it specifically is, I didn't realize it had a game component, I thought it was pretty much just the codex on an ipad.
https://help.ea.com/article/mass-effect-3-datapad-info
But no mention of a cost or release date.
Edit: Found a few sources that say it was meant to be free. Still nothing about when.
I'm also still waiting for a new iPod Touch rev.
Switch: US 1651-2551-4335 JP 6310-4664-2624
MH3U Monster Cheat Sheet / MH3U Veggie Elder Ticket Guide
Since I just got 2 this summer, I was mostly expecting the iPad 3 to be a preview of the minimum amount of cool junk I'd see in the iPad 4, whose release may see me weighing it against a mythical future windows 8 tablet.
I smashed the crap out of the refresh button on the store after the event ended, and after about a half hour of store errors I got my order through. 32gb WiFi iPad should be on it's way in 9 days. It had everything I wanted in the upgrade: retina and quad-core graphics. Would an upgraded FaceTime camera, more memory (no specifics on how much memory is in it yet, but I'm assuming it's unchanged), and a quad-core CPU have been nice? Sure. But I think aside from maybe the FTC they're largely unnecessary at this point and I don't see myself really using the FTC (if at all). So yeah, I'm extremely happy to finally jump on the iPad train at this point, and for those that don't care about the new specs and screen they have the option of saving $100 and getting an iPad 2 instead.
To be fair, I personally feel like the iPhone 4 performance is better than the 3Gs, despite the same 4x increase in pixels relative to the previous device. Of course, when it comes to cutting-edge 3D games (which I don't use much on my phone... most games I play are 2D or simple 3D -- except Infinity Blade, which plays great), it may be that there are some limitations. But, if they've upped the resolution to support the iPad (3), then I assume they will tweak what needs to be tweaked to also get smooth performance. I'm not trying to talk it up, I was just worried about having the same issue moving to the iPhone 4, and I've never felt that the increase in resolution has hurt the experience. I obviously can't speak for the performance of the iPad (3).
Edit: I've read around the web that it's got 1GB of RAM now, but I don't think we'll know for sure until people start getting them in hand.
Well, the CPU actually improved from 3gs to 4. According to Wiki, 3gs was 833Mhz underclocked to 600, while 4 was 1ghz underclocked to 800. Gpu went from 150 to 200mhz but was otherwise same. iPad is going from 1ghz to 1ghz with a slightly better chip and quad-core GPU. Also, while both times the pixels are going up by 4x, in absolute numbers, the iPad is going up by quite a lot more. The GPU *may* make up the difference though.
i.e., I'm sure it'll have better performance, but not significantly enough for iPad3 exclusive apps becuase the older gens can't handle it.
Switch: US 1651-2551-4335 JP 6310-4664-2624
MH3U Monster Cheat Sheet / MH3U Veggie Elder Ticket Guide
Can you recommend any good third-party covers that protect the back as well, without adding too much bulk? "Smart"-ness isn't required
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Most likely upscaled, but it will be similar to an iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4's scaling as opposed to iPhone to iPad scaling. The resolution of the iPad HD (this is what I'm calling it until something new/less confusing comes along) is double the resolution of previous iPads, which will help with the scaling. It'll probably be akin to DVD upscaling in Blu-ray players; not as good looking as an actual Blu-ray but still pretty damn nice and maybe even a bit of an improvement. Having never looked at an iPhone of any kind I can't say for sure how that scaling works, but it's not a stretch by any means to think it'll work in a similar manner.