Foundation 42, a company renowned for creating games for the iPhone as well as other platforms, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming one of the first companies to get an app working on the Zune HD. Impressively, they managed to port an existing iPhone game to the Zune HD in just 12 hours.
The game they used for this experiment was a word puzzle game called Wordmonger. By leveraging their expertise and the available tools, they were able to get a fully functional version of their game running on the Zune HD. This rapid porting process highlights the potential for cross-platform game development and the versatility of the Zune HD as a gaming device.
The Porting Process
The porting process undertaken by Foundation 42 is a testament to their technical prowess and the flexibility of modern development tools. The ability to port Wordmonger from the iPhone to the Zune HD in such a short time frame is remarkable. This process involved adapting the game’s codebase to be compatible with the Zune HD’s hardware and software environment. Given that the Zune HD and iPhone have different operating systems and hardware specifications, this achievement underscores the potential for developers to bring their games to multiple platforms with relative ease.
Unfortunately, the only way to get the game on your Zune HD is by downloading the developer kit, as Microsoft has currently restricted the Zune to free, first-party apps. This limitation means that regular users cannot easily access third-party games like Wordmonger without going through the developer kit installation process.
Future Prospects for Zune HD
The success of Foundation 42 in porting Wordmonger to the Zune HD opens up exciting possibilities for the future of the platform. If Microsoft decides to open up the Zune HD to third-party developers, it could lead to a surge in available games and applications, significantly enhancing the device’s appeal. For Zune HD owners, this could mean access to a broader range of entertainment options, making the device more competitive with other gaming platforms.
Moreover, for game developers, the ability to transfer existing games to the Zune HD quickly and efficiently could reduce development costs and time-to-market. This could encourage more developers to consider the Zune HD as a viable platform for their games, potentially leading to a richer and more diverse app ecosystem.
Check out the video below which shows a comparison of the game working on the iPhone and the Zune HD. This visual demonstration provides a clear insight into the performance and functionality of Wordmonger on both devices, showcasing the successful porting effort by Foundation 42.
Foundation 42 via Gizmodo
In conclusion, Foundation 42’s achievement in porting Wordmonger to the Zune HD in just 12 hours is a significant development in the world of mobile gaming. It demonstrates the potential for cross-platform compatibility and the benefits it can bring to both developers and users. As we look to the future, the hope is that Microsoft will open up the Zune HD platform to third-party developers, unlocking a wealth of new possibilities for the device and its users.
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