Win a Nexus 5 from Vector Unit!

We've got our hands on the brand new Google Nexus 5 smartphone and we want to give it away to one of our fans!

Take a screenshot of your favorite Vector Unit game in action (anything from smashing lava monsters in Beach Buggy Blitz™ to busting out a Mad Monkey in Riptide GP™2, as long as it looks cool). Post the screenshot to the internet (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, anywhere you can post a picture really) and submit the link below.

We'll select our 10 favorites, and out of those favorites we'll pick a random winner to receive a 16GB Black Nexus 5*. The runners-up will receive a Vector Unit T-Shirt, and all winners will receive a code for an in-app purchase in a Vector Unit game.

Giveaway ends on November 20, 2013 at 11:59 pm PST. See full RULES below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RULES:

Void where prohibited. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Contest is open to to people 13 years or older. Nexus 5 and other physical prizes will be awarded to US residents only. Non-US residents are still eligible to receive codes for in-app purchases.Winners will be contacted by a Vector Unit staff member upon being selected and will be expected to respond to that staff member within 24 hours, else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected. Vector Unit’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners agree that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by Vector Unit.

* Prize is a Nexus 5, LG-D820, Black, 16GB (US). Unlocked: Use with any provider that offers service on Nexus 5 supported networks. Carriers T-Mobile, Sprint. For more information, please visitGoogle Play

Parents, Kids, and In App Purchases

Almost every week we here at Vector Unit get a support email like this one:

I just received my credit card statement and realized that my child has made these purchases in your free game Beach Buggy Blitz.  These purchases were made without my permission, and I don't understand how your application can allow this.  I would respectfully request a refund on them.

Many parents are not aware that it is possible to make purchases within the "free" games they download for their kids.  Furthermore, they apparently don't realize they can protect themselves against this kind of unwanted activity.

In the interests of human decency (and hopefully as a way of cutting down on a few support emails) we'd like to share some thoughts on why these purchases occur...and what you as a parent can do to prevent them.

Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

First of all, it's important to realize why these purchases even exist.  Google Play and the iOS AppStore are crowded with hundreds of games that are free to download and play.  Obviously these are very tempting targets for most parents, since ... well, they're free, right?

There's only one problem:  They're not really free.

See, every so-called "free" game in the app stores has some built-in mechanism for making money after you've installed it.  There's a good reason for this:  game companies are businesses, and they exist to make money so they can continue to develop new games.  It just so happens that by attracting players by making games free, and then charging players in game for stuff later, developers can often make more money than if they just charge once for the game up front.

There are 3 main ways developers make money in a free game. (Some paid games employ these as well):

1. Show ads.  These can be banner ads or full-length video advertisements for products such as apps, toys, or fast food restaurants.
2. Present players with "offer walls" which prompt them to install yet more apps in exchange for, say, gems or coins in the game.  
3. Offer a selection of "In App Purchases" or IAP.  These often take the form of bundles of in-game currency like coins or gems that can be spent within the game to unlock more content.  Prices on such IAP can range from $1 or $2 all the way up to $99 or higher.

It's the third option -- IAP -- that concern most parents.  (Although honestly you should be just as aware and concerned with #1 and #2).  Parents are sometimes shocked to discover that these IAP are so easily accessible within the games.  Indeed, many games repeatedly push the player towards the store where IAP can be purchased.  Some games are particularly aggressive about "monetizing their players" while others (like our game Beach Buggy Blitz) take a relatively hands-off approach.

But make no mistake -- if you download a free game for your kids, it almost certaintly will contain IAP.  It will try to encourage your child to click on those IAP buttons.  And it will try to make the purchase as frictionless as possible.  And once your kid starts clicking, there's nothing to stop them from clicking again, and again, and again....

So what can you do to protect yourself against a nasty surprise on your credit card statement? 

Password Protect Your Account

This is probably the most basic way to protect yourself.  Every app store has an option in the settings to require a password before somebody can purchase anything on the credit cards associated with the account.

For Android devices like the Galaxy S4 or Nexus 7:

1. Open the Play app (aka Google Play) on your device
2. Click the 3 dot menu button in the corner of the screen
3. Select Settings
4. Scroll down the list to the "User Controls" setting and turn on the item that says "Password: Use password to restrict purchases"

For iOS devices like the iPad or iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on your device
2. Click on "General"
3. Click on "Restrictions"
4. Click "Enable Restrictions" and set a password
5. Once restrictions are enabled, you can turn on password protection for lots of different behaviors on your device.  You can restrict all of iTunes, or just In-App Purchases, or even exclude particular ratings like "mature content".
6. You may also wish to change the re-lock time limit from the default 15 minutes to "immediate".

For other devices like Kindle and BlackBerry 10, please see the support pages for those particular devices.

Once you have a password protection set up, any time your child tries to buy something, the service will bring up a dialog requesting a password.  Then your child can ask you for permission to make the purchase, and you can chose to allow it or not.

WARNING:  On those occasions when you agree to unlock the device for your child, be aware that on some systems (like iOS), the device will stay unlocked for a period of time and allow subsequent purchases without re-entering the password. On most systems you can change this time or even eliminate it.

Use Gift Cards

If you have older kids and you want them to have a budget or allowance for games, gift cards can provide another option.

You can use your Google Play or iTunes account without a credit card -- just go into your profile settings and remove the credit card on record.  Then if you want, you can buy $10, $25 or other gift cards and refill your account to some set limit.  As long as your kids don't exceed that limit, they can make whatever purchases they want.

Get gift cards for Google Play here and for iTunes here.

Play in Airplane Mode

Switching your device to Airplane Mode disables internet connectivity and thereby diables unwanted downloads and purchases.  This can work well as a quick fix for smaller kids, but don't be surprised if your three year old already knows how to turn the WiFi back on.

Educate Yourself and Your Kids

If you've read this far, you may have already realized the single most important fact about giving your kid games to play on your phone or tablet -- there is no such thing as a free game.  Unless you've played the game yourself and have verified otherwise, you should assume that every free game on the market has IAP in it.  Just knowing that is half the battle.

Spend a little time to read the game descriptions and user reviews before you download them.  Maybe even search the web for a few reviews on blogs and websites.  Most responsible developers will tell you in the game description if the game contains IAP.  On the iTunes store you can see a list of the top 5 most popular IAP if the game has IAP.  On Google Play it's harder to know without actually downloading the game and trying it.  

It would be nice if all app stores had a little badge that alerted you whether a game has IAP or not, but we're not there yet.

Random thought:  Of course there are other benefits to knowing more about the games your kids are playing.  Not all games are age-appropriate for all kids, regardless of what they're rated.  Plus, let's face it -- some games are good and some games are lousy.  Just as with books or movies, you probably would rather your kids play high quality games. Right?

The other half of the battle is explaining to your kids how these devices work, and that clicking on buttons in the game can cost you real money.  Just like you wouldn't allow your child to take money out of your purse without your permission, explain to your child that they are not allowed to make purchases  or download games or stream movies or do anything on your tablet or phone without your permission.

Although even if you do explain all this, it's probably still a good precaution to require a password.  Not only will this act as a backup for your kids, it will protect you if your device is ever lost or stolen.

Developer Responsibilities

Although I firmly believe that the responsibility of monitoring and protecting children's digital activity ultimately lies with their parents, game developers and publishers can and should take steps to aid and assist parents trying to make educated choices.

First and foremost, developers should always clearly state in the game description whether a game contains IAP. 

Second, when parents do realize that there have been charges on the account they didn't expect, and request a refund, developers should give it to them.  No hassles, no hoops -- just give it to them.

At Vector Unit, we already take these precautions with our games.  But maybe we could do more.  If you have ideas or thoughts, please comment below or send your thoughts to info@vectorunit.com.  We'd love to hear them!

Riptide GP2 October Giveaway

We're celebrating the release of the Riptide GP™2 v1.1 mega-update with a fantastic giveaway. One lucky winner will receive an NVIDIA® SHIELD™ handheld gaming device.  Six runners up will receive a Moga Pocket or Moga Pro game controller.  And 10 more runners-up will strut their stuff in new Riptide GP2 T-Shirts.  And ALL of these winners and runners up will get game codes for in-game Riptide GP2 cash. 

Simply click the link below to enter. And for a bonus entry, follow us on Twitter for the latest news, updates, and giveaways.

Giveaway ends on October 31, 2013 at 11:59 pm PST.

*NVIDIA SHIELD, Moga controllers and T-Shirts will be awarded to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Update on 2013-11-08 04:16 by Vector Unit

Congrats to Brandon Young, our SHIELD grand prize winner, and all the rest of the winners of our October giveaway!  

Be sure to check back often, or follow us on Google, Facebook, and Twitter for more contests!

The Future is On Your Face

So yesterday I finally -- FINALLY -- had the chance to dive into the future of gaming with Oculus Rift.

Let me say first of all I have a huge crush of the idea of virtual reality.  You kids might not remember this, but back in my day -- hold on, let me get out my corn cob pipe -- back in my day we went to places called video arcades to play video games.  And in one of those arcades way back in the early 90's I had the chance to play Dactyl Nightmare, one of the very first VR games.  

It had terrible flat shaded polygonal graphics, head tracking slow as molasses, and a giant helmet that weighed down your head and filled your face with moist public-utility smells.  And after I played it for the first time (for the first time, note), I totally barfed. 

It was awesome.

Well OK you had to stretch your imagination a bit.  OK a lot.  It's hard to believe it now, but back then to my fevered teenage brain it really seemed like true virtual reality was just a few years away.  

And then a few years stretched into 20 years. 

And then Oculus Rift showed up. 

If you've followed all the hype, like I have, and if you're a huge VR nerd, like I am, then Oculus Rift has basically reignited your hope that totally immersive VR gaming and entertainment is here.  Or almost here.  

We don't have a Rift dev kit here at the Unit, and I've been dying to try it.  They had it at GDC last year, and E3, but everywhere we went there was a massive line and I couldn't spare the time.  So yesterday at the Gaming Insiders Summit, I jammed over to the Oculus VR booth to try it out as soon as I could.

And I have to say -- after all the hype and build up -- I was a little, just a little, disappointed. 

The potential is so there.  It's really close.  Obviously the 3D has improved a bit since Dactyl Nightmare.  And the headset is about a million times more comfortable.

The big problem is the head tracking latency.  The demo guy told me it was about 15 ms but it felt like more than that.  What it means is when you swing your head around to look at something, it takes a little while for the view to catch up.  So every time you move your head, you're reminded that you're looking at a screen and not a world.

Latency also by the way is largely what's responsible for the motion sickness that people sometimes feel in VR.  (Remember my little issue with Dactyl Nightmare.)

The good news is the folks at Oculus VR know all this, and they have a ton of really smart (and well funded) people working to solve this and other issues.  In his talk at GIS CEO Brendan Iribe said their goal is to get the latency down below 10ms.  And oh by the way their CTO is John Motherlovin' Carmack, and HIS goal is to get it down below 5ms.  

There are other issues too, screen resolution, spatial tracking, etc.  But I think all this stuff is solvable once -- if -- they work out the latency. And while I know this is a Herculean technological task -- c'mon, it's John Carmack.

So, OK yeah I was a little disappointed.  But I had 20 years of expectations built up.  

Mostly I came away with the feeling that we actually are close this time.  And the huge amount of money and interest that Oculus is generating right now are the magic ingredients that potentially can push it over the edge.  It's just technology.  It's a completely solvable problem, and once it does get solved...

What then?

Nexus 7 Commercial Features Riptide GP2

Check out the latest Nexus 7 commercial from Google, which features some sweet Riptide GP2 action right at the start!  Spoiler alert:  We're really glad the dog doesn't die.

Thanks Patricia Correa @patcorrea10 for the share!

Update on 2013-10-18 16:36 by Vector Unit

On further reflection, watching this ad -- we're not 100% sure the dog doesn't die.  What do you think is going on here?  Is the dog on his way out, and the kid comes home to say goodbye?  Or does the dog just miss the kid and is happy to get his toy back and all's well at the end?

One thing's for sure:  Riptide GP2 is so good, you'll keep playing it even when your mom tells you to call her ASAP.  Sorry moms.

Major RGP2 Update Adds New Game Mode & More!

This week Vector Unit is rolling out the first major new update to Riptide GP™2, and it's a doozy!  With version 1.1, players will be able to change the gender of their rider, unlock and race with a screaming fast new hydro jet, and pit their best times against the world in the new "VR Challenge" game mode.

VR Challenge is a new game mode that allows players to download and race against recordings of their Friends' best performances on any track in the game.  Every time you set a new best time, your performance gets uploaded for your Friends to race against.  It's the ultimate test of wave-shredding skill, and works best when you play against multiple friends from Game Center (iOS) or your Google+ Circles (Android).

In addition to VR Challenge, version 1.1 allows players to select between male and female riders.  The new female rider model has all the same great customization features -- and all the epic stunts -- of the original rider. 

And finally, the new update adds a new blazing fast hydro jet.  Fan favorite Scorpion makes its triumphant return from the first Riptide GP game, now retuned and totally remastered for Riptide GP2.  It's on a par with Manta, and excels in raw acceleration and boost.

Riptide GP2 version 1.1 will be available later this week on both Android and iOS.  

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ to find out when exactly the update goes live!

Advice on Getting Started in the Games Industry

One of the most common questions we get is what advice we have for people who are thinking about getting into the games industry.

Here's what I usually tell people:

1. That thing about parachutes and colors

First, realize that there are lots of different types of career paths into and through the games business.  There's game design, programming, art, animation, audio, marketing, advertising, testing (QA), project management, etc.   Even on small teams like ours games are usually made by multiple people, each contributing something unique.

Identify your area of interest:  What skills do you already have?  What are you passionate about?  What do you think you could be good at?  If you feel like you have options, you might also want to consider how hireable/desirable different professions are.  Programmers have an easier time getting hired and typically get paid more than, say, game designers.  But of course it takes more time to train up your skills in programming.

2. Edumacation

It's not a bad idea to get a college degree.  I know you hear stories all the time about people getting into the tech business without a degree, but trust me, it's easier if you have one.  Recruiters and interviewers will just take you more seriously, and in a competitive industry like ours every little bit helps.  It doesn't have to be from Harvard or anything -- there are a lot of vocational schools these days that have great game design departments.

Your degree doesn't have to be game-specific. I have found my B.A. in English to be extremely useful to me throughout my career; it helped me move from production artist to lead artist and creative director.  I would not be where I am right now without it.

3. Show your skills

Equally as important as a college degree (maybe more important) is your portfolio of work.  Of course that makes sense if you're an artist, but it applies if you're in other disciplines as well.  Looking to get into programming?  Roll your own rendering engine or physics demo.  Designer?  Create level layouts and spreadsheets with ability/stat balancing for an RPG.  Marketing?  Write up analysis of a popular game franchise and create marketing plans for how you would launch the next iteration in the series.

One piece of advice I have about portfolios:  It's better to have just a few really high quality examples, than a bunch of mediocre examples.  Be a ruthless editor and don't include anything that doesn't measure up.

When you're first getting started, you won't have a lot of on the job experience, so you need to create your own experience.  The best thing you can do is team up with other people from other disciplines and try actually making some small games. Mobile, PC mod, whatever.  Don't be too ambitious, just concentrate on small, quick, fun games that you can learn from, set aside and start a new one. Every game development experience, even the bad ones (sometimes especially the bad ones) is a learning experience. And employers in the future will love to see that you're motivated and creative enough to do stuff on your own time.

4. Job? I don't need no stinkin' job!

You'll probably ask yourself at some point:  Do you even need to get a job?  There are a lot of opportunities for small indie game developers these days.  You can make your own stinkin' job, right?!

Technically this is true.  But remember that are 1000's of games released every day on mobile and PC, and 99% of them don't make any money.  Of the remaining 1%, 99% of THEM maybe make enough money to buy themselves a coffee every day.  I know it's tempting to skip getting a job and go straight to founding your own mobile development studio.  And that might work for you.  But if you can manage it, getting a job at a major company like Zynga or Kixeye or EA or 2K is an invaluable experience, and one that will give you a big leg up on the competition if you ever do decide to try the indie thing.

5. Woohoo!

When you do get a job, here's some random bits of advice:  

• Be humble and realize that there's a lot to learn even from the most basic or mundane-seeming gigs in the industry.  
• Look up from your desk and absorb as much as you can about the process of making games that's happening all around you.  
• Meet people outside your discipline or department.  Learn what they do.  
• Ask questions. 

Above all be patient, it's a competitive industry to get into but it can be an incredibly rewarding one!

Riptide GP2's Phat Beats

One of the signatures of the Riptide GP series is a cool electronic soundtrack, and Riptide GP2 is no exception.  With the sequel we took things in a more dub-steppy direction, but still kept a few chill/trance tracks in there to help you relax when you're striving for those 3 stars.

We often get requests for the soundtrack, and unfortunately we can't actually give the music away or re-sell it.  For Riptide GP2 we licensed all of our music, which means we can distribute it in-game but not in any other form.

However, if you love the tunes and want to try buying them yourself, here's a list of the tracks in the game:

1. [Menu music] Launching and Landing (by Michael Musco) 
2. When Angels Fall (Stefan Bode) 
3. Atari Euphoria (by Paul Wilki) 
4. Uplifting Vocal Trance (by Caramusic) 
5. Zero Gravity (by Crispy Sound) 
6. Astronaut (by Vincent Tone)

We licensed these from a variety of online sites like audiomicro.com, premiumbeat.com, audiojungle.net, and shockwave-sound.com.  

Update on 2013-12-18 21:33 by Vector Unit

A few people have asked us about the music in the first game, Riptide GP.  There is one original track, and the rest were licensed off of www.audiomicro.com.   The tracks are:

• Urban Chaos [Menu Music] - by anubys
• Race Tech - by Studio1
• Uplift - by Studio1
• Synchronize - by Studio1
• Sonic - by curvemusic
• Bamboo Leaf - by EchoCreative2 (aka BlacKisS)
• Juice Bump - by Keith Merrill

Most of these songs can be licensed from audiomicro, but if you dig around you might be able to find them elsewhere.

Riptide GP2 Is Out and the Votes are In!

Vector Unit's latest game Riptide GP2 has been released for both iOS and Android.  The team here is excited, relieved, and really gratified that the customer reception has been so great.  As of this writing the average reviews on both platforms are hovering somewhere around 4.75/5.  Thanks everyone!

In addition, the critical reviews have been great!

Here's just a few comments from critics around the web:

Riptide GP2 is an excellent water racer that looks as good as it plays. With online multiplayer, upgrades, and several tracks on different worlds, it has a ton of replay value.

CNet, 5/5 (Full Review)

Riptide GP was a great game... the improvements and additions made by Vector Unit have turned Riptide GP2 into a full-fledged excellent racing game.

Touch Arcade, 4.5/5 (Full Review)

Riptide GP2 is...a fantastic upgrade over Riptide GP and is worthy of its asking price. It'll keep players entertained for hours while splashing around tracks, pulling off mega stunts, and earning enough money and upgrades to improve their ride.

148apps, 4/5 (Full Review)

At $3, this game is worth the asking price for the Career Mode alone. The multiplayer mode is the sweetest of cherries on the top, and it’s safe to say that I’m in love with the game

Phandroid (Full Review)

Thanks to everyone for supporting our new game!  See you online!