Quick Tip: Implement fullscreen (interstitial) Ads for iOS in SWIFT

How to implement an Interstitial Ad combined with a counter

Today I'll show how to implement a often used pattern in free games: Usually you can play free games a certain time, till a fullscreen ad is shown. For example after each third game over an ad is shown. Implementing this behaviour for the iOS platform requires only few lines of code in SWIFT.

How to implement In-App Purchase for your iOS App in SWIFT

Adding In-App Purchases:

Welcome to part 8 of my swift programming tutorial. Today I'll show how to implement In-App Purchases:

• Create In-App Purchases in iTunesConnect
• Implement In-App Purchases
• Test and upload to iTunesConnect

As a starting point you can download the sample project from my GitHub repository.  

How to debug on a real Apple Watch

Today my Apple Watch was delivered :-)

I immediately tried to deploy my prototypes to the Apple Watch, to see how the behave on real hardware. The simulator gives only a first impression. 

Here are my learnings: Basically you need to perform two steps:

• Add the UDID of your apple watch to the developer portal
• Update your provisioning profile to support the watch

Luckily XCode can manage the whole process for you.

SWIFT 1.2

I've updated all my SWIFT tutorials to SWIFT 1.2 and XCode 6.3. You can find them here.

New Blog Domain

I've moved my blog to a new domain: developerplayground.net

Unfortunately it looks like Google has lost it's interest in Blogspot. There have been no major updates in the last two years.

It also looks like that it is nearly impossible to get AdSense running with a Blogspot domain.

I have moved my blog to a new domain. I'll continue posting links and copies of my articles also here for a while. 

How to add Social Media Integration to your iOS App

Welcome to my new SWIFT tutorial. Today I'll show you how to implement social media integration for Facebook and Twitter. Additionally I'll explain Email integration and how to embed a direct  AppStore link to provide a convenient way for players to rate an app.

My latest game in the AppStore contains a sample:

The four buttons at the bottom of the screen trigger the social actions:

How to implement a space shooter with SpriteKit and SWIFT is in the AppStore

The sample game developed in my SpriteKit Tutorial is in the AppStore:

SourceCode: here

A more sophisticate game also based on the tutorial:

Tutorial Overview:

• Part 1: Initial project setup, sprite creation and movement using SKAction and SKConstraint

• Part 2: Adding enemies, bullets and shooting with SKAction and SKConstraint

• Part 3: Adding a HUD with SKLabelNode and SKSpriteNode

• Part 4: Adding basic game logic and collision detection

• Part 5: Adding particles and sound 

• Part 6: GameCenter integration

• Part 7: iAd integration

• Part 8: In-App Purchases