Notes

Mini-minecraft more than Carbon Copy

New Zealand is a strong country in film, music and literature, yet it has struggled to make an impact on the international video games market. The list of Kiwi games that have earned international recognition is surprisingly short, with the exception of Sidhe Interactive's rugby titles in Wellington and 1995's Megadrive classic Super Skidmarks.



Modern mass-market games with multimillion-dollar budgets and international publishers backing them, make it virtually impossible for start ups to gain traction. This is particularly applicable to console games that are sold by off-the-shelf retailers. With limited options as far as domestic developers are concerned, developers with a great idea have looked towards mobile gaming as a way to make it into the game industry.



At the forefront of this new wave of Kiwi digital entrepreneurs is Hawke's Bay developer David Frampton who is already an App Store enthusiast after making his name with quick-fix hit Chopper and its imaginatively titled sequel Chopper 2, Frampton hit the headlines earlier this month with a game that racked more than a million downloads in just three days of its launch on the way to becoming the number 1 iPad app in 15 countries around the world.



The Blockheads is a game with no any narrative structure, storyline or overall goal. It's hard to pinpoint the "point" of The Blockheads. There's no princess to save or a hostile alien to repel or a storyline to unravel. There's no high score or boss to defeat. It's a game with no end, where the only goal is to discover and create. This open-ended, blank slate approach lets you create whatever you will, take things at your own pace , and let your imagination take over.



Despite your muted protagonist having no personality you'll soon be concerned about the cube-headed protagonist as their mood is an integral aspect of the game.



If they go on too many adventures and aren't able to sleep or eat enough. This can leave them hungry and exhausted. You'll have to find materials to build shelters and food. Beginning with simple structures like huts, as you discover more of the vast virtual world, you'll unearth materials that permit you to construct more advanced tools and construct massive palaces.



While the game is free to play, its incredibly addictive nature is perfect for the "freemium" structure that a lot of mobile games have adopted. If you're patient enough to wait for your blockhead to complete tasks like building, mining, or sleeping, then you will not need to spend any money. However you can purchase the game's currency, known as "time crystals", to speed up the process and make more complex items.



With all the talk about mining and crafting, it would be impossible to discuss The Blockheads without not mentioning the elephant in our room. Another idea from an indie band of one man, Markus "Notch" Persson's hugely successful Minecraft. MINECRAFT SERVERS There's no denying the two games share many things in similarity, from the quirky, lo-fi graphics to the focus on resource gathering, exploration and creative expression.



When the Nelson Mail's Adam Roberts interviewed Frampton earlier this month, online commenters were quick to point out the striking similarities between the two games, inferring and suggesting that The Blockheads was little more than an "Minecraft rip-off".



While it's understandable that people might jump to the conclusion, and there's little doubt that Notch's game served as an obvious as an inspiration on some level for Frampton, there's far more to The Blockheads than some of the other similar cash-in shovelware that gets onto the App Store.



It's also lazy and unfair to jump on similarities between two games as proof of plagiarism. Video games more than any other type of entertainment, build upon the previous works.



As technology improves and trends become more popular, developers will be able to refine and modify what "works" and take inspiration from groundbreaking games. Just as Space Invaders led to a wave of space shooters Super Mario Bros set the trend of side-scrolling platformers and Gears of War opened the floodgates of cover-based shooters. the unimaginable success of an indie blockbuster like Minecraft will undoubtedly cause ripples within the industry. It's not plagiarism, it's advancing.



If you're a Minecraft fan and you're a Minecraft fan, then you're bound to enjoy The Blockheads but it's more than a carbon copy. While Minecraft is best played with keyboard and mouse, The Blockheads' 2-D take on the creative sandbox genre is perfectly suited for the mobile format and its use of touchscreen controls is well-designed and easy to use.



It's wonderful to witness an Kiwi developer making waves in the fastest-growing sector. With three hits under his under his fascinating to see what Frampton's Majic Jungle Software crafts and creates next.



The Blockheads (iPad, iPhone) Majic Jungle Software. Play for free.


Homepage: https://minecraftservers.buzz/