We can’t wait for the release of Goop on Tuesday, August 2. The wonderful YouTuber touchgameplay made a video of the game play of and did a great job of showing exactly how Goop plays. It’s always nice to see a neutral party create a video that isn’t a review and filled with opinion.

I like to see people be able to make up their own opinion, especially about apps and games. Someone’s “this game is awesome” is someone else’s “this game is not for me”. Sooo….watch the video to get a sense of the game play.

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That’s right, I’ve finally done what I’ve been wanting to do for years (long before the days of a more open market that allows smaller developers to enter the scene) and that’s make a game.

The Company:

So my game company is Fine & Dandy. Fine & Dandy is a two person team myself and Co-Founder Ashli Norton. The Fine & Dandy name is what it is just because I’m silly and wanted something simple and clever. I’ve had admittedly more boring ‘company/official’ names in the past and wanted them to stay in the past, so Fine and Dandy games is what I wanted to make and that is the name of the company. Nothing deep really.

My purpose of the game company is to challenge myself and really provide games that I know I would like to play as well as games that would entertain others.  I want to make addictive, entertaining, great looking games with interesting and unique twists. I want these games to be games you will actually remember ten years from now like those from my generation remember the Mario and Sonic game series.

The FIRST Title:

It’s funny, but the title that is being released…Goop (the best future game release ever IMO) was not the first I started working on. I spent months working on a game title with an interesting theme, but all the elements just didn’t seem right. So I literally stopped everything and that game is sitting somewhere deep in some folders on my Mac just waiting for completion.

The game didn’t feel right. I needed something that had all the elements I was looking for in a release. Something simple, quick to release (yea right – more on that later), entertaining, addictive, and something Apple would like to feature (come on, we were all thinking it). Fortunately, Goop to me is that title.

So what the hell is Goop, get to the damn point!?

OK OK…Well like I said, Goop is the best damn game ever It’s my baby (and the game designer’s as well, I love her) and YOU WILL LIKE IT (in my most threatening tone LOL)!

(This is a bad screenshot, there is nothing going on and doesn't show the game action...but the game is not complete and I wanted to show you guys something. Sue me for being "the proud papa".)

Goop is a simple game really. It features four characters called Eeeps, that you must help save from the awful, disastrous goopy mess that drips in each stage. Your goal is to save as many Eeeps from the goop as possible, beating your own score each time you play the game.

It sounds a bit too easy until you realize that each Eeep has it's own personality, with each adding unique challenges to the game. You will also realize as you progress that slowly, for some reason more and more Eeeps are appearing on the screen making it a bit more difficult to control just how many Eeeps you can really save from this horrible goop (those poor little Eeeps).

Now, I've got your attention (at least I hope I do)! Do you see the addictive part? You lose when any character gets gooped, but the game goes on, getting harder and harder as you save more Eeeps in each stage.

So how soon after the game hits #1 in the AppStore will you be getting that Porshe 911 Targa 4S you want Patrick?

(Please refrain from drooling on your computers. You've been warned!)

Oh goodness! I guess as soon as I finish thanking all the little people I had to step on to get here. Well, ok...not my sentiments exactly, but surely that resembles something an idiot that whipped up something 'semi-successful' would say.

Honestly...all jokes aside, I've mentally prepared for the best (Angry Birds success X 2) and for the worst (Mom...you were the best download I've had all month!) and I still don't think my 'preparation' will be close to what will really happen. The good news is my motives aren't entirely (as cheesy as this is going to sound) financial, although I will very happily accept that fate...if I must. SIGH ;)

I am IN LOVE with this game. I enjoyed creating it on the nights I finally got a basic red box to move across the screen and even more when I just couldn't figure out why my sound wouldn't return when Game Center opened. Heck, even as I'm tying up these loose ends preparing for beta testing (biting fingernails) I find myself sometimes wasting literally 10 minutes each time I add something, mostly the final graphics, just sitting in astonishment staring at Goop on my iPhone screen. I just can't believe that I actually created this. It's unbelievable. I mean the damn Eeeps move and make sounds and tumble...OH MY! This must be the exact feeling Ms. Mother Nature herself gets when gazing upon the huge Arctic glaciers and vast oceans.

I love the menu, the help screen, and everything in between. It's just soooo exciting and I could go on...but I will end this now.

It's amazing how much this journey has taught me so far. I will sum them up in a few bullets below, because hey everyone loves bullets:

1. Enough with the timelines.

Goop is 5 months late. It's had more 'release dates' that I can count and Ashli insists on another and I will happily keep giving them to her. I like making neat release dates! At the end of the day, I think I've found a pretty decent balance between perfection and Goop becoming vaporware and we are finally at the finishing gates. Well worth being almost half a year late, LOL! I told Ashli repeatedly it will be done when it's done and she repeatedly replied 'You're killing the marketing team' (she is the only one in the "marketing team"...I've partnered with a nut).

2. Assemble the right team.

The game designer is experienced, talented, picky, opinionated, quick, and did I say talented!? Christina-Antoinette Neofotistou (look her up) was a treat to have on the team and was a major contributor to getting Goop out of my head and off the whiteboard onto this wonderful device. Ashli has some great marketing ideas that could easily fail or be sheer genius. We will see when the game is out, I mean isn't that how all marketing works? And I'm just the developer.

3. If it doesn't feel right, don't release.

The first title wouldn't have excited me the way Goop has. Goop has been challenging (especially for my first game programming ever) and happens to be one of the most refined products I've put out in my life SO FAR. I really think the sheer enthusiasm and passion I had while programming this game were responsible for the polish of this game, it was something I enjoyed instead of looking at the game's completion as work I had to do to 'finish' the project.

4. Only stop at complete and utter REFINEMENT.

Ashli pushed for it, Christina, the game designer definitely pushed for it, and I of course would accept no less than utter refinement in this game. I spent two days fixing a very tiny bug that made the most unnoticeable 1/9 sec. glitch on the home screen. Most users wouldn't have noticed it and the others wouldn't have cared, but it was just something that I told myself had to be done to make this game enjoyable.

So what now Patrick? Your team's great, your game is great, we get it! Now what's the takeaway here?

I guess the takeaway is simply that I HEART GOOP! I love the Eeeps, I love the sounds they make (which I made..which is an entirely different post), I love the team...and I want to share my excitement with you. I mentioned above that I was just around the corner from beta testing.

Well, I would like to invite you to beta test!!!! (the crowd cheers)

Please, if you are interested, sign up to beta test this damn game. I really would like your feedback and the challenge to fix all the bugs you can find. Of course, as a beta tester you will get the game for free. Those that sign up should expect to receive some detailed info in the upcoming weeks.

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When you get stuck on that programming nightmare, wouldn’t it be nice to simply turn to your kind next door neighbor that happens to develop wonderful apps like you and has 10+ years of Objective C programming knowledge that retired just a year ago from Apple Inc. Well since we all don’t have that privilege, we have to turn to the web for help and there is no better way to get help on an issue than from multiple peers in the field without leaving your seat.

So let’s check out some helpful sources for Cocoa developers!

#1 – Linked In Groups

Of course this is not just any old Linked In group -  these particular groups are made just to help Cocoa developers out when in a pickle. The plus is, it’s great to network with your peers and talk about other things besides code…if only we had a life beyond code *sigh*.

Links: iPhoneDevelopers & Cocoa and Cocoa Touch Developers & Cocoa Touch Technical Discussion

#2 – CocoaDev

CocoaDev.com is basically a wiki community by and for Mac OSX developers. It’s a good resource to find examples and solutions based on specific Cocoa documentation.

Link: CocoaDev.com

#3 – Stack Overflow

It’s not Cocoa specific, but when you run into an issue which you probably will, you can get your answers to your specific code issues from your fellow developers around the world. I like Stack Overflow because I typically get ACCURATE answers pretty quickly, plus the different views and point of views truly help.

Link: Stackoverflow.com

4 -#MacDev

This is the IRC channel dedicated to Macintosh development, loaded with a couple hundred people willing and ready to solve your programming nightmare issue. On the EFNet IRC network, when you don’t have time or don’t feel like waiting for answers that are usually solved within forums, it’s super helpful to chat in real time with other Cocoa developers.

Link: http://www.devintosh.com/

#5 -Mac OS X Reference Library

This may be a no-brainer, but this is the reference for everything iPhone, Mac, and iPad – anything Apple related period. This is where you will find documentation, tutorials, sample code and more. Hey, even the long time developer needs to reference the basics sometimes and this is the place to do it.

Link: Mac OS X Reference Library

#6 – Apple – or course silly

Again, this may seem like a no-brainer but it absolutely baffles me how often I forget to use this resource . Assuming you are a registered iPhone or Mac developer this is the place where you will find the latest OS downloads, links to documentation, official Apple developer forums , development tools, and much more.

Also remember, when you pay for an Apple developer account you can get Apple tech support that allows you to send your issues directly to the Apple dev team themselves. As a note, please reserve this for your most desperate times as you are charged for each request.

Make sure to enter iPhone DevCenter, Mac Dev Center, and Safari Center.

Link: http://developer.apple.com

# 7 – Mac-Developer-Network

Here you will find the MDN show podcast as well as training and tutorials for Mac, iPhone, and iPad developers. I love this source as I enjoy listening to Steve Scott and John Fox each week share their wisdom, groans, and pure silliness with the rest of the dev community. You  guys should totally tune in.

Link: Mac-Developer-Network

#8 -FaceBook

Yes, FaceBook is helpful beyond reading the not-so-helpful anecdotes of your friends and viewing their drunk weekend photos, you can actually get help from your fellow dev friends. There is one particular group on here that I’ve been checking out (and for some reason haven’t joined – please don’t ask why) for a while appropriately named Cocoaheads, join and participate in all the fun. Also, you can find other Cocoa groups with a simple FaceBook search, who knew.

Link: CocoaHeads FaceBook Group

#9 – Yahoo Groups

You may not use Yahoo for your search these days, but they have a great group here for developers on any programming level – CocoaHeads NYC (no you don’t have to reside in New York city to join). It’s only about 130 members currently , but seriously how many people do you need to answer one question. Plus, it’s seems super active so this can help.

Link: CocoaHeads NYC

BONUS:

This resource will not help you in a bind (sorry guys), but it has a plethora of outbound links that will. Tons of resources, documentation, and great reads fit for the absolute rookie to the Cocoa pro, check it out!

Link: http://www.cocoadevcentral.com/

Do you guys have a favorite helpful resource or community I didn’t mention? Please let us all know – we all can use as much help as we can get.

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Check out the short vid featuring the Flashcard Scholarship on the local Jacksonville, FL news. Make sure you enter or remind your friends and family to enter the scholarship as the deadline is slowly approaching.

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I have been working on our new app for months and it’s getting close to the time to share some info with you guys. Our new app is Monday and it’s a contact manager for the Mac.

I’m so excited to be sharing this because we have been planning this app out for several months, even before we started actually developing and designing the app – so needless to say this app was a process.

Anywho, we are a couple of months away from releasing the app for sale to the public and just wanted to offer the opportunity for some to participate in our private beta session.

We are not sharing too many details about the app or it’s functionality, but let me just say from the most bias point of view, it’s going to be great and something I think a lot of Mac users have been looking for.

To sign up for the opportunity to become a beta tester, please sign up here. FYI…We were originally only looking for 10 people to participate during the private beta testing period, but we  have received such an overwhelming response to our beta testing opportunity that we have kind of expanded this.

Just sign up and you will be emailed a short survey with more details. After you complete the survey, we will choose the participants of the beta testing period around June 15th and get back to those who were selected.

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Ars Technica has decided to hold their own design awards for Mac applications. This is very interesting as it may finally open the gate to more awards Mac developers can receive besides waiting to see what Apple decides what not to do. Either way, hurry up and submit your nominations as they’re taking submissions until May 21st (TOMORROW !!!). My biased opinion hopes Cram can pull out something.

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#1  – “Can I just call you collect?”

Ok, so if you’ve heard this one recently, I’m assuming bail money soon followed. Do you remember all the crazy competition and commercials featuring Carrot Top. If you don’t remember them, check the video.

#2 – “Dude…you’re getting a Dell”

I mean really, if your grandma still uses this oh so cool year late 1999 – 2000 line, it’s definitely time to find her a new replacement joke. Even the guy who was the star of the commercial (Ben Curtis) has moved on with an off-broadway show titled, “Dude Your Going to Hell”

#3 – “You’ve got mail”

That’s right, that righteous reminder of you getting your important spam email. Don’t you miss your favorite email reminder and AOL’s disc with free minutes at the front of every retail kiosk, well for old time sake – here you go.

#4 – THE Windows TADA

THE Window’s TADA sound for Windows 95 you can never forget -  Apple fan, Windows fan, whatever…you heard this and it’s just so classic.

Now, if you still hear this on someone’s computer, stop what you are doing and give them your computer, it’s an emergency.

#5 – Download Accelerators

God knows I only had 56k for a minute and of course I tried to download every piece of media (we will leave media at that) , so the only solution for this was the infamous “Download Accelerator” that did absolutely nothing to help, but you could at least pause your downloads this way. LOL…Oh the memories. Believe it or not, they still have these – check it out for yourself!

#6 – Beanie Babies (circa 1998)

Yes, Beanie Babies! Remember all of the riots in stores that carried them and the rushes to get one. People were desperate to just get something stuffed with beans in it. Even McDonald’s gave them away at a time. Go look in your closet or the attic, you know you still have them,  just waiting for the day for them to appreciate in value! HA!

#7 – The Window’s 98 Intro Music

When I found this online, I wanted to tear this brought back so many memories, don’t think you know what music I’m talking about…Ok, here’s a reminder!

#8 – Visit AOL Keyword…

The only keywords used now are in search engines, but remember when you watched a commercial by your favorite retailer and they wanted you to visit their “website” by typing in their KEYWORD, not a bad idea, but could you imagine the fight over keywords today. WOW!

#9 – Ohhhh…This has Anti-Skip Protection

You were sooo tech savvy and up to date when you had a CD player, especially a Sony Discman with “ANTI-SKIP” protection. I mean come on when you ride on the bus with your CD player, do you really want your CD to skip, that’s only for the non-cool cats. Oh, the things the iPod killed, lol.

#10 – “Pass the TV Guide”

Ya, we had a printed book with the TV show listings in there. Not saying these don’t still exist, but when was the time you used a printed TV Guide!

So I’ve shared  some of our favorites, what are the old things you just haven’t seen or heard in decades? I want to hear some funny ones.

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#1 – The Answers.com Scholarship
Answers.com

Website: http://scholarship.answers.com

The Answers.com Scholarship is unique in that you can demonstrate your knowledge on ANY subject (from Lego blocks to Romanian history!) to become eligible for the scholarship. Applicants provide quality, original answers to 50 questions of their own choosing online at Answers.com and then submit their application to enter. A panel of educators and education volunteers then review the answers and select the applicants who posted the best answers to receive one of the 13 scholarships.

Scholarship Amount: One $5,000 scholarship, two $2,500 scholarships, and ten $1,000 scholarships

Who Scholarship is for: Students in the USA/UK/Canada/Australia/India/Ireland/New Zealand who will be enrolling in undergraduate classes during the 2010-2011 school year. Deadline March 31, 2010
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Feeling destructive? Got some flashcards? Then the Flashcard Scholarship could be all yours.

#2 – Flashcard Scholarship 2010
SimpleLeap Software

Get a scholarship to stop studying the old-fashioned way & destroy your paper flashcards. Make a video of yourself destroying your flashcards, submit it to YouTube and get your friends to view and rate your video. It’s that straightforward.

Website: http://www.flashcardscholarship.com

Scholarship Amount: One $500 scholarship to use for anything related to school

Who Scholarship is for: Any High school or college student (yes even grad school students are welcome). It can be part time, full time, home school, online, whatever, but you must be an actively enrolled student in someone’s high school, college or university at the time of your application.

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Would you consider yourself an average student? Do you attend Ball State University? Good you too can get a scholarship!

#3 – Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship
Ball State University

Website: http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/Telecommunications/ScholarshipsandFinancialAid/Scholarships.aspx

For full-time students who are first-quarter juniors through first-quarter seniors, who are majors or minors in telecommunications. B) Grades are not a criterion or condition for eligibility or consideration. C) Applicants must have reasonable expectation of becoming a professional in the telecommunications industry. D) Except for the first scholarship, each scholarship is to be awarded on the basis of a creative endeavor. This may be in the form of a written project, a research effort, an audio tape, a video tape, a film or similar presentation so long as it can be clearly defined as creative in the area of telecommunications.

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Do you need a scholarship for changing? There’s a scholarship for that!

#4 – CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR  Step Up Program
Positive Change Award

Website: http://www.bigfun.org/generalinfo/stepup.asp

The Step Up Positive Change Awards, a non-traditional scholarship program because it highlights significant and productive life changes made by at-risk youth. Ideal candidates are youth who may have been in trouble in the past, but are making significant strides to improve their lives and their communities. (see attached press release for a better description)

Scholarship Amount: 1st place awarded $500, 2nd place $300 and 3rd place $200 ($1000 total donated by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Award winners must designate an organization to receive the monetary reward.

Who Scholarship is for: Any California resident, aged 16-25 who has made a significant and lasting life change is encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates are youth who may have been in trouble in the past, but are making significant strides to improve their lives and their communities. Candidates need to be actively involved as a member, employee or volunteer in an outreach program or non-profit organization.

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Are you a safe driver? Can you tell people about it on video, good apply for the Safety Scholars Scholarship.

#5 – Safety Scholars Video Contest
Bridgestone Americas

Website: www.safetyscholars.com

This scholarship is different from others because it’s not an essay, it’s Internet-based and the public gets to decide who wins. Here are the details: Car accidents are the number one killer of teens. The Safety Scholars Video Contest was developed as an extension of Bridgestone Americas’ youth auto safety education initiatives. Students submit a short, compelling video, 25 or 55 seconds long, about safe driving. A team of judges cull down the entries to the top 10, which are then posted on SafetyScholars.com for online voting by the general public. The top three to receive votes win the scholarship. In addition to the scholarship, the winners have the opportunity to get their videos turned into a PSA and broadcast on TV stations across the country.

Scholarship Amount: Three $5,000 scholarships are awarded

Who Scholarship is for: Contest is open to U.S. residents ages 16 to 21 (must have a valid driver’s license and be enrolled as a full-time student)

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Get a scholarship just for not eating meat!

#6 – Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
The Vegetarian Resource Group

Website: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $10,000 in college  scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities.

Who is it for? Vegetarians. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in the spring.

Scholarship Amount: Two awards of $5,000 each will be given. Deadline is February 20 of each year. Currently, we will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2011.

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#7 – “Frame My Future” Scholarship Contest
Church Hill Classics

WEBSITE: http://www.framemyfuture.com

To enter, you must submit an original creation that expresses how you frame your future (what you would like to accomplish in your life). The creation needs to be submitted online in a jpeg image format. Some example entries: photo, drawing, collage, poem, painting, graphic design, short typed explanation. The entry can be anything as long as it is the entrant’s own work, it fits the _frame my future_ theme, and it is submitted through an image. Entries are accompanied with a short description, under 500 characters. Once all of the entries are submitted, Church Hill Classics selects 24 Finalists, which are then posted online for a one month public voting period. The five entries with the most votes will each earn a $1,000 scholarship. The top vote-getter also earns a $1,000 donation for their school!

SCHOLARSHIP Amount: $1,000 each (Five students each win a $1,000 scholarship, and one $1,000 donation goes to Grand Prize Winner’s college/university. Donation goes to the school’s scholarship endowment fund on behalf of the Grand Prize Winner.)

WHO IS THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR? – Open to anyone (legal resident of the US), who will be attending college full time for the following academic year. (this could be any undergrad or graduate school)
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Have you lived in a foreign country before? You guessed it, you can get a scholarship for that!

#8 – “Life in a Flying House” 2010 Expat Youth Scholarship
Clements International

Website: www.expatyouthscholarship.com

Clements International’s “Life in a Flying House” 2010 Expat Youth Scholarship will award $10,000 to students ages 12-18 of any nationality who have resided in a foreign country for at least two consecutive years. This year’s theme asks, “Where would you go in your flying house?” The “flying house” is inspired by the idea that students who spend their childhoods moving between different countries and cultures acquire unique life experiences.

The scholarship contest offers expat students a chance to use their experiences living in a foreign country to imagine where their journey might take them next. Entries consist of an essay (500 – 750 words) and creative image or photograph that incorporates their own personalized flying house. A total of six winners will be selected from two age categories (12-15 and 16-18) based on the quality of the essay, how well their image creatively illustrates their answer to the essay question, and overall creativity. The scholarship entry deadline is Thursday, May 13, 2010.

How much is the scholarship for? A total of $10,000 for six students in two age categories (First place – $3,000, Second place – $1,500, Third place – $500)

Who is the scholarship for? Students ages 12-18 of any nationality who have lived outside of their home country for at least two consecutive years
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#9 – Hokey Pokey Scholarship Fund
College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho

This scholarship is funded by the royalties from the song, Doing the Hokey Pokey, which was created as an activity for guests at the nearby Sun Valley ski resort. Simply write a brief essay (up to one-page) describing the difference that music has made in your life, why you chose it as a course of study and what music means to you.

Website: http://www.idahosaberfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85:hokey-pokey-scholarship-fund&catid=34:scholarships&Itemid=53

Who is the scholarship for? Full-time, second-year student enrolled in the music program at the College of Southern Idaho; Recipients need not demonstrate financial need, nor does the receipt of another award (unless it pays academic fees) preclude receipt of this scholarship.

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I guess as apple becomes more lenient on the types of apps they allow in the AppStore, they return the favor by making it harder for people to jailbreak their device. From a business standpoint it makes perfect sense for them to plug this hole which made it possible for a few dedicated individuals to circumvent loading Apple’s pockets with money having to stick with Apple-signed apps in the AppStore.

For the time being Apple has won the battle, but we all know nothing is perfect and software is not invincible, and this may just be the push someone needed to try their luck in returning jailbreakage to the iPhone. I just hope Apple doesn’t get too caught up in this cat and mouse battle that new features and advancements become less frequent or dull.

TechCrunch also has a blurb about this: http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/10/13/apple-moves-to-block-jailbreaks-once-and-for-all/

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This release also includes some other minor bug fixes.

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