Progress update

A lot has happened since the latest blog entry. Here's a summary of what's been going on:

New packager release

I released a new version of the BennuGD Packager, this is what it looks like:

Packaging your games for Android has never been easier!

New features:

• Support for release builds. Just specify the path to your keystore and let the packager handle everything :) Build created in this mode can be uploaded to Google Play (and probably other marketplaces, too).
• Automatic decompression of resources. On Android your FPG, MAP and FNT files must be uncompressed. Up until now you had to do it manually but now it's the packager that uncompresses them so that you don't have to.
• AdMob support! Once you register in the AdMob website and create a new app there, you'll be given a Publisher ID. Just enter that ID into the packager and your app will display ads!
  Monetize your app by releasing both an ad-supported free version and a non-free version.

You'll need:

• Oracle JDK (not JRE): Get it from here. Again, install the JDK and NOT the JRE.
• Ant: I'm now distributing the packager with the installer for WinAnt. If you already have ant in your system you don't need to do anything, but you can use this installer to get Ant in case you don't.
• Android SDK: Within the SDK install the Android 3.2 (API 13) SDK platform and the Google AdMob Ads SDK if you want to be able to use ads.
• Make sure you uncompress the packager to a path without spaces in Windows.

Of course, if you're running Ubuntu Quantal or one of its derivatives, you can install the BennuGD Packager much easily from my PPA. You'll be happier and you'll receive updates automatically and more frequently.

>>Get the new packager from here<<

First Android games have hit the Play Store

Some brave developers have already uploaded their games to Google's Play Store. Here they are:

Monkey vs Robots Lite

On it's developer's words:

A casual puzzle game with pixelart graphics and classic arcade gameplay.
Monkey vs Robots is a casual puzzle game with pixelart graphics and some mid-nineties retro feeling, with a classic arcade gameplay similar to Puzzle-Bubble or Arkanoid.
Your objective is to wipe robots out of your jungle; the less shoots you use, the better reward you will get. Just avoid the coconuts to bounce on the walls since they break before destroying the robots.
This is the lite version of the game. Full game is not available yet.
If you liked the game and want more stages, enemies and coconuts please rate it and we'll be very happy to work on the full version.
Thanks for playing!

Have a look at the gameplay video:

Pix Frogger

Getk the free version here.
From my friends at Pixjuegos:

PiX Frogger is a multiplayer racing game about frogs crossing the street.
The game allows 2 players playing simultaneously on the same device!

A great casual Frogger clone with a multiplayer touch (it uses mod_multi, by the way :)

Dead Snow

Check the free version here.
From my friends at Pixjuegos:

*This game was made in only 3 hours!*
* Try it, and if you like it, please invite us to a snack by buying the donation version! *
You control a Snow Ball which hates the world and goes down the hill smashing everything.
But avoid trees, they are stronger, and also explossive barrels!

Another great casual game, created in just three hours!

Nerea's Bank Panic 

From the nice guys at Pixjuegos.

Some robbers are attacking the bank, and the only one who can save them is you, the sheriff!
A humble tribute to SEGA & Sanritsu Denki's Bank Panic!
It's dedicated to Nerea for her birthday!

Isn't love wonderful? Panreyes created this game and published it in Google Play for his girlfriend's birthday!

What's left?

People are already uploading games, the port mus t be done, right?

Unfortunately not quite yet. There are a few tasks to do yet:

• Wider GPU support. There are problems with some Adreno GPUs. I have an idea of why those are happening buthaven't still been able to test the fix.
• Mouse input support I've been working on patching SDL2 to support real mouse input. Up until now mod_multi simulated mouse events when the user touched the screen. You'll now be able to disable mouse emulation (mouse emulation will be an opt-out feature) and detect real mouse input just as in your PC. The code for this is already written in the SVN and the feature will be bundled with the next version of the Packager.
• Gamepad/Joystick support I've been looking at patching SDL2 to add gamepad/joystick input. The current implementation lacks any kind of joystick support and all the code must be written. I pretty much know how I'm going to do this but I'll have to sit down and write the code.
• Bugfixing Bugs will be found and we'll have to mercilessly kill them.

Please note that in order to enjoy full mouse/gamepad/joystick support you'll need to be running Android 4.1 in your device. Older versions of Android will give you some but not all of the features (from Android 2.2 on you'll be able to get left mouse button signals, but you'll need a more recent version to be able to get right mouse button clicks, for example).

Hope you like the news!