PlayFirst Grapevine
Making it Mac
I'm not entirely sure this is rational, but I believe in Macs. I've been an Apple fan since 1980, when I first started programming on an Apple ][. When I began reading about the Macintosh in 1983, it immediately captured my imagination. It was cool and special, with a groundbreaking user-friendly interface and sleek industrial design. I wasn't able to get a Macintosh right away, but in 1984 I bought a mouse for my Apple ][ and started writing mouse-driven software. Finally, in 1989, I got my first Macintosh – an SE/30. I have fond memories of that cute but powerful machine. In the late 1990's, Microsoft Windows finally started to narrow the gap between Macs and PCs, and if I say any more than that, I'm likely to incite war between the platform devotees! These days, I actually spend more time on my PC, but I still love my Macs (and I don't "love" my PC), and I have always believed in making cross-platform products.
What does that mean here at PlayFirst? It means that we're committed to releasing our games simultaneously for both PCs and Macs. Making the game for both platforms requires more software engineering, more quality assurance, and more customer service, but our experience allows us to be strategic and the effort more than pays for itself. Many companies release PC versions of their games first and then come out with a Mac version, but our approach keeps both versions in lock-step from the earliest milestones.
Because Apple has a smaller and famously passionate consumer base, there's a lot they can do to push the envelope. They are usually first to market with new technologies. They have a lot of control over their products and are very aggressive about upgrades—all Mac users are expected to be using the latest system. This enables Apple's pace of innovation, but also can make life hard on PlayFirst as a software developer. As a game publisher, we take great pains to trouble shoot problems and release glitch-free gameplay experiences. However, sometimes Apple's aggressive upgrades pull the rug out from under us – a game that works today doesn't always work tomorrow. Or sometimes, it will only work tomorrow, like when Apple fixes a video driver bug, but only if you upgrade to 10.5 (they will actually just leave things broken in 10.4). This can be frustrating from a customer support viewpoint, but hey! I told you my love for Mac was irrational.
We haven't let the challenge stop us, though, and happily count Mac users as a significant portion of our audience here at PlayFirst. Here's a quick review of some of our best offers for Mac users:
We have over 60 games on our site available to Mac users
The following games are Mac only on our site:
- Elythril: The Elf Treasure
- BoXplosion
- Checkers Challenge
- Bubble Shooter™
- TetriBox
- Blue Reef Sudoku
- Bubble Snooker
- Solitaire Studio
We're releasing Diner Dash: Hometown Hero, Seasonal Snack Pack (The first five add-on restaurants bundled together just for Macs)
We simultaneous release PC and Mac products for all PlayFirst games
Mac, for its part, has often loved us back. We frequently find ourselves in Apple.com's Top 10 downloads and often have games featured on their download site for over a week. Currently, we have over sixty Mac titles available on PlayFirst.com. Some titles, like Elythril and TetriBox, are ONLY available to Mac users—cool! The one time we weren't able to achieve simultaneous release was with the Diner Dash: Hometown Hero restaurants—releasing one original game and one original restaurant a month in different platforms (i.e., four separate feats of engineering) was more volume than we could manage. Solution? We're releasing a bundled product that makes the first five Hometown Hero restaurants available to Mac users. It's called the Seasonal Snack Pack and you can find it on PlayFirst.com.
There's no doubt that it would be easier to release games just for PC, that's not what we're about. At PlayFirst, we create engaging story worlds that capture imaginations and make those experiences available everywhere consumers want to play. And consumers want to play on PCs, on mobile, on handhelds and consoles, on iPhones (stay tuned!) and, oh yes, on Macs.
Player of the Month: SarahIsabella
If you knew our Player of the Month's real name, you'd smile. She shares it with a very funny comedienne but is notable in the PlayFirst community for all the tips she shares. Meet SarahIsabella! After a career as a molecular geneticist, she took on something more challenging: becoming a stay at home mom. The lab is great, she says, but she loves being able to spend time with her kids while they’re young. Helping is in her nature – not only does she give tons of game tips, but she also tutors students and trains other tutors. Read on for more info!
How long have you been "a gamer?" How were you introduced to video games, and what was the first game you remember playing?
I’ve been a gamer for about 3 years. Way back in the 80's, my dad was doing some marketing research for Atari and brought the system and a Tazmanian Devil game home to try. I thought it was awesome and was very sad when the project was over and the game went back. Games have sure come a long way since then!
A few years ago I discovered Yahoo games and got hooked on playing Zuma while watching TV with my husband in the evenings. A year or so later I discovered Diner Dash and was instantly hooked! Time Management games rock and Flo will always be my favorite!
How often do you play games?
I usually play a level or two in the mornings after my kids go to school while I have my cup of coffee. I play again for an hour or so to unwind after they go to bed. When I discover a new game, I have been known to play way into the night...
Do you have any funny gamer quirks?
I hate to move to the next level in any games until I've earned expert on the level I'm working on. I still haven't finished Plantasia because I can't get expert on the next to last level! I may finally break down and use one of the amazing walkthroughs posted on this site.
Aside from playing games, what are some other ways you like to spend your free time?
I love spending time with my family. We like to play tennis, go swimming, and play board games. We are also pretty fierce competitors on Guitar Hero - Rock Legends! I also love reading and listening to music.
What games are you currently playing?
Diner Dash: Hometown Hero (I will probably always be playing this one!) Chocolatier 2, and I'm looking forward to Cooking Dash!
What is your favorite game of all time?
Diner Dash: Hometown Hero! It is genius!
What attracts you to the PlayFirst Community, and how do you most like to participate in it?
I like that it's a safe, friendly place where game enthusiasts like to share info about games. I love the threads where members share which games they really like and really dislike - that helps me decide which games to try next. I also love how so many are willing to share their tips about the games - it truly has a community feel.
What's your favorite thing about PlayFirst?
I like the atmosphere of the site. It seems very friendly and welcoming. I also really like that the games put out by PlayFirst are such high quality and family friendly.
We noticed that you've racked up a lot of "Best Answers" in TIPs -- how do you go about finding TIPS questions you want to contribute to and then figuring out how you'll respond?
I certainly never meant to become the forum's own Cliff Claven - and hope that I don't come across that way! I didn't start answering TIPS right away, but noticed that there were some questions that I knew the answers to. I always appreciated when people gave thoughtful answers to questions I asked in the forums and felt that if I knew the answer to something I'd like to share the information. If I notice that a question has been posted for more than a day with no answers, I try to find out the answer - I hate for anyone to think that they are being ignored. I usually just scan through the most recent TIPS questions highlighted on the start page and answer if I have something useful to say.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Thanks for the honor of Player of the Month! There are so many great contributors to the forum and I feel proud be in such great company! Keep on making great games!
