Neil Hughes
Popular and former PlayStation-exclusive game "Flower" has made the leap to Apple's iOS, debuting on the App Store Thursday for $4.99, before developer thatgamecompany launches its next title, "Sky," exclusively on iOS and tvOS this fall.
thatgamecompany was originally under an exclusive agreement with Sony and its first three titles — Â "Flow" and "Journey," along with "Flower" — Â launched solely on the PlayStation 3.
After its launch in 2009, "Flower" later expanded to PlayStation 4 and Vita, but now makes its way to iOS. The critically acclaimed title was named "Best Independent Game of 2009" at the Spike Video Game awards, and won "Casual Game of the Year" from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
In "Flower," users take control of the wind and maneuver a single flower petal around a three-dimensional environment using motion controls, by tilting an iPhone or iPad. By flying their petal through flowers in the game world, more petals are collected to float in the wind.
Meant for casual play, the title allows players to experience the game at their own pace, changing the environment as they go.
Notably, the title is available only for iPhone and iPad, with no tvOS support. That won't be the case with the company's next title, "Sky," which was demonstrated earlier this month at the Apple TV 4K unveiling as supporting the next-generation set-top box, taking advantage of its A10X Fusion chip and Metal 2 API.
Features of "Flower" on iOS, according to thatgamecompany, include:
- Simple Gameplay Controls - Controlling the game is as simple as tilting your device in the direction you want to go.
- Lush and Interactive Environments - Vast grassy fields, blowing in the breeze, create a lush, immersive environment.
- Immersive and Emotional - Accessible to gamers and non-gamers alike, the game takes players on an incredibly personal and emotional experience.
"Flower" for iOS is available now for $4.99 as a 1.05-gigabyte download. It requires a device running iOS 10.3 or later.
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8 Comments
This is the kind of developer Apple could acquire to jumpstart their gaming category. A lot of iHaters were crying over sky being a timed exclusive.
Journey is on the PS4 as well. I believe it came out 2-3 years after the PS3 release. Hopefully Journey makes its way to the new Apple TV.
Whenever I see those grassy hills, I think of the Windows 98 wallpaper.
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- Via Wikipedia:
"What made Microsoft choose the image above all others?" he asked. Although the company had never told O'Rear or anyone else, Clark thought he could guess. "It's attractive, easy on the eye and doesn't detract from other items that might be on the screen are all contributing factors. It may also have been chosen because it's an unusually inviting image of a verdant landscape and one that promotes a sense of wellbeing in desk-bound computer users."
No wonder they picked it. As far as I remember, Windows 98 was the most stress inducing OS ever written.
Would buy Flower (again - once for the PS3) if it were available on tvOS, wonder if we'll see it there too (before or after "Sky" makes its way to tvOS).