ZeptoLab's Semyon Voinov on why deeper social integration should be Apple's next step with iOS 5
Cut the Rope studio wouldn't cut a thing
It's stands to reason that the studios who've already enjoyed the fruits of the App Store would have a shorter checklist than most when it comes to Apple's next steps.
ZeptoLab's Cut the Rope is undoubtedly one of the biggest releases on the platform to date, and as such, it's of little surprise chief creative officer Semyon Voinov is more than happy with the upgrades iOS 5 has to offer.
We caught up with Semyon to ask what, if anything, Apple has got wrong with its latest update.
Pocket Gamer: The update to Game Center looks set to import more Xbox Live-style features. How do you think this will increase user engagement? Semyon Voinov: We love the latest improvements to Game Center, as they make the experience for the players more social, and make game discovery easier. How do you think its game recommendations will change the promotional opportunities open to you?This feature will hopefully help quality games get better visibility. It's a great thing for all developers focusing on quality, including ZeptoLab, and a very healthy effort for the App Store overall.
Given AirPlay Mirroring requires Apple TV to function, do you see it playing a major role in releases on iOS 5, or is it a first step towards acclimatising iOS users to TV-based play?We haven't experimented with this feature yet, but it is definitely an interesting opportunity to expand the gaming experience to the living room. We'll definitely get our hands on it at some point.
Do you plan to work support for iCloud into past releases?We are implementing the storage of the game progress data in the iCloud, so that the user will be able to share his or her progress across different devices and also provide the ability to re-install the game without losing the progress.
It's a great and much-requested feature from our players.
Is there anything missing from iOS 5 from a game development perspective?
Nothing major comes to mind. We would love to see even more social integration and an even deeper Game Center experience.
