[GAME] Air Tower Command ! (Air Traffic Control Game)

[MortonStudios]

A fast-paced, challenging air traffic control game. Two modes and 24 levels of action-packed air traffic mayhem will keep your fingers moving! Planes will land themselves, but like any air traffic controller, it is your job to make sure they land and take off safely, and do both quickly. Keep the planes moving and avoid accidents both in the air and on the ground. Watch your salary grow, along with the complexity and speed of game play, as your skills increase. Built on AndEngine and integrated with Scoreloop.

By Morton Studios

http://www.airtowercommand.yolasite.com

YouTube - ‪Flight Control Game for Android‬‏

Air Tower Command Lite

Air Tower Command($2.99)

Contact: MortonStudios@hotmail.com

 

[Vanquished]

Although there are quite a few air traffic control games already on the market, this one does seem to have some new gameplay features that sets it apart from the rest. The night mode looks fairly challenging. Making the planes taxi out and take off with ones landing makes it that much mroe challenging as well, I'll definately give this one a go.

 

[MortonStudios]

Thanks to all the early adopters for making Flight Control and early sucess. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going. Vanquished, thanks for trying the game out. I would love to get feedback from you if you have the time. Positive or negative, either would great!

 

[MortonStudios]

Hi All,

We wanted to let everyone know that due to a copyright exception with Namco and Firemint over their game Flight Control, Flight Control by Morton Studios has been changed to "Air Flight Control." We hope everyone is enjoying the game and look forward to feedback.

 

[Vanquished]

There is also one already called Air Flight Control...lol...You may have a hard time finding a hard name for this.

These are already taken:
Flight Control
Air Flight Control
Air Control
Air Traffic Control
Air Traffic

If you put "Tower" in there somewhere I think you'd be golden.

Also, I think you should add some sort of tutorial that shows explains what each button means/does as well.

 

[MortonStudios]

I'll look into the other Air Flight Control. Seems I can't win with the name here. I have a tutorial if you hit menu under the opening screen. Seems that is not very visible though as I do not mention it anywhere. I'll put a note on the splash screen directing people to the explanation. Thanks for your feedback, it is really appreciated.

 

[MortonStudios]

Air Flight Control will be $1.49 instead of $2.99 until June 20. If you have been waiting to download it, now is the time.

 

[MortonStudios]

Air Flight Control nears 3000 downloads and is going strong. We thank everyone who has adopted both the free and paid versions. We also have a special request. We are unable to replicate the force closes that seem to be plaguing only certain users and certain devices. If you are having these issues, please post to this board or email our site (mortonstudios@hotmail.com) with the following information:
1. What was going on in the game when the force close occurred?
2. How often does it happen? (sometimes, frequently, game unplayable)
3. What device are you using? (Make, model, version of Android)
4. Do you have mobile network or wifi turned on at the time of the FC?

This information will help us improve the game and make your experience better. Thanks for you time.

Design Team
Morton Studios

 

[MortonStudios]

Due to the strong positive response we have received, the price of Air Flight Control will remain at $1.49 through July 4th!

Thanks to everyone who has downloaded both the full and the lite versions. Be sure to leave feedback about what you like and what you want to see improved in the game.

 

[MortonStudios]

We at Morton Studios consider ourselves to be reasonable people, which is why when EA/Firemint contacted us shortly after we released Flight Control with a trademark claim, we listened. They felt that our game Flight Control was infringing on their game Flight Control. While we felt their use of words like demand and sue was excessive and that their claim was dubious at best, we also felt that we would do them the courtesy of changing the name anyway. That is how we got the name Air Flight Control. It turns out EA/Firemint is still not happy and they sent us the following letter. Take a look at it and let us know what you think. Are they being bullies or are they just protecting their property?

http://airflightcontrol.yolasite.com/ea-trademark-claim.php

 

[MortonStudios]

Because EA/Firemint choose to be IP bullies and because we haven't the resources to fight them in court, we have decided to change the name of my game once again. Air Flight Control (separate, distinct, and unrelated to Flight Control by EA/Firemint) is now called Air Tower Command.

Let us know what you think of both the new name and the tactics used by EA/Firemint. Do you think they are right to demand we change the name of our game from Air Flight Control, even though their game is called Flight Control? Do you think their strong-arm tactics are appropriate? Do you think they could have just asked nicely instead of starting out with threats and demands? We're curious to hear your opinion, so leave us some feedback here on this forum or at MortonStudios@hotmail.com.

More importantly, we want to know what you think of our game. Do you like it? What needs to be changed? What do you want to see improved? What do you want to see added? We're always looking for feedback.

Thanks to all of you who have followed us and downloaded our game so far. Happy gaming!

Visit us at our new site: www.airtowercommand.yolasite.com

Sincerely,
Morton Studios

 

[MortonStudios]

A special thanks to all the Air Tower Command Lite players who have helped us reach over 5000 downloads of the game. The full version is closing in on 100 downloads as well. Thanks to all of you for playing our game and for your feedback. Keep the comments and suggestions coming our way.

Sincerely,
Morton Studios Design Team

 

[MortonStudios]

Air Tower Command Lite is taking off (pun intended) with total downloads surpassing 6000. The full version is closing in on the 100 download milestone.

The game is currently at version 1.9 after several bugs were brought to our attention. Special thanks to Will and Jake who made us aware that the buttons to control planes were not visible on every phone. This was caused by the fact that some screens are longer than others when compared to their width. Our original programming worked on most devices until the length/width ratio got up over 1.7. When this happened, the buttons were being displayed below the bottom edge of the screen and were basically invisible because of this. With the help of Will and Jake we corrected the problem and the game should work on all screen sizes up to 960 px in length. Beyond that size, we cannot be sure, but we would love to hear from people playing on larger devices.

Thanks to everyone so far. We will be working on higher resolution graphics starting next week. These will be for users of high resolution screens so that the images look sharper. If you have suggestions for future images, we would love to hear them. Thanks again to all for playing Air Tower Command.

Happy Gaming from Morton Studios!

 

[Vanquished]

We at Morton Studios consider ourselves to be reasonable people, which is why when EA/Firemint contacted us shortly after we released Flight Control with a trademark claim, we listened. They felt that our game Flight Control was infringing on their game Flight Control. While we felt their use of words like demand and sue was excessive and that their claim was dubious at best, we also felt that we would do them the courtesy of changing the name anyway. That is how we got the name Air Flight Control. It turns out EA/Firemint is still not happy and they sent us the following letter. Take a look at it and let us know what you think. Are they being bullies or are they just protecting their property?

I'm pretty sure they're just trying to be bullies at this point (probably the cry babies at Firemint and not actually EA). You changed the name the first time but they continued to complain because it was too similar. How exactly do Trademarks (and the protection they offer) work? If you look at the list below you'll see multiple products with the name "Flight Control," everyone one of which were registered before Firemint did.

EDIT: To answer this question I found this:

Question: What are the limits on dilution?

Answer: The Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1995 (FTDA, 15 U.S.C. 1125) prohibits the commercial use of a famous mark if such use causes dilution of the distinctive quality of the mark.
A mark may be diluted either by "tarnishment" or "blurring." Tarnishment occurs when someone uses a mark on inferior or unwholesome goods or services. For example a court found that a sexually explicit web site using the domain name "candyland.com" diluted by tarnishment the famous trademark "CANDY LAND" owned by Hasbro, Inc. for its board games.
Blurring occurs when a famous mark or a mark similar to it is used without permission on other goods and services. The unique and distinctive character of the famous mark to identify one source is weakened by the additional use even though it may not cause confusion to the consumer.
The following uses of a famous mark are specifically permitted under the Act:
1) Fair use in comparative advertising to identify the goods or services of the owner of the mark.
2) Noncommercial uses of a mark.
3) All forms of news reporting and news commentary.
In addition, the courts have differed as to what constitutes a "famous" mark under the FTDA. In some cases the courts have said that the famousness requirement limits the Act to a very small number of very widely known marks. Other courts, however, have accepted lesser-known marks as PANAVISION, WAWA and EBONY as being famous and yet others have said that merely being famous in one's product line is sufficient. Many states also have antidilution laws protecting mark owners.

Free Trademark Search - flight control

 

[MortonStudios]

Hi Vanquished,

We agree with your assessment of the EA claim and we also do not think they have a trademark claim at all. However, they can still file suit, which could lead to a long and expensive legal battle. While we would likely win and probably retain legal fees from EA, it is not worth the hassle, the risk, or the time.

So, we decided to change the name again. We are happy with the current name and now there is nothing EA or Firemint can say or do. They are bullies and it is common. Perhaps one day we'll be as big as they are and we can return the favor. Here's to wishful thinking

Logan

 

[MortonStudios]

Air Tower Command has reached an important milestone with over 100 downloads of the
paid version and over 6500 downloads of the free version. We appreciate each download
as well as the feedback that comes with it.

Speaking of feedback, the response has been tremendous. With valuable feed back from
Robert, Jake, Michael, Menno, Will and others we have made important changes to Air
Tower Command and are already at relase version 2.2. Some recent changes include:

1. Fixed the bug that resulted in a $0 score being reported
2. Planes on the taxi way are no longer automatic. If they collide, the user now
determines in what order they proceed after the collision.
3. Support for large screens. Buttons are now fully visible and not out of the viewing
area on all screen sizes tested. The full score console at the top, including salary
should also be visible on all screen sizes.

We also have a new developer on board who brings some fantastic ideas to the table
including altitude control of planes, more control of planes as they taxi, and the
addition of real world air traffic control audio jargon. We'd love to hear feedback
about these ideas and which you think are most important. In the next several months
look for updates that include enhanced graphic for high resolution devices, more maps
and scenarios, and much, much more.

There are many exciting things coming to Air Tower Command! Thanks to all of the
downloaders to date. Your feedback is making this game better from everyone.

Sincerely,
Logan Edmiston
Design Leader
Morton Studios

Air Tower Command Lite

Air Tower Command (Full Version- $1.49)

 

[MortonStudios]

Air Tower Command light is well over 7,000 downloads after the weekend and showing no signs of slowing. We have fixed a number of quirks in game play and have customized the layout for display on screens of any size. We are currently working on updated graphics and have a new programmer on board with some great ideas for bring you even more fun and excitement from the world of air traffic control.

 

[MortonStudios]

Hello All,

Air Tower Command version 2.5 is now available in Android Market in both full and lite versions. This update provides enhanced graphics, support for full-screen graphics on large devices, and several bug fixes. ATC lite is on the verge of 10,000 downloads as well and we expect it to tip that scale over the coming weekend. We know a lot of people have been waiting for this update before buying the full version, so now is an
excellent time.

If you have comments or suggestions, send them to MortonStudios@hotmail.com or post them right here. We have received great feedback from a number of players which has helped us improve the game drastically. We are looking at adding new runways, new maps,
and new scenarios to spice up game play. Let us know what you think.

Design Team
Morton Studios

 

[MortonStudios]

Air Tower Command has undergone major changes and is now updated to version 3.3. Fixes include:
1. Planes now land centered on the runways
2. Higher definition graphics for larger devices
3. Full screen usage on all phones
4. Concorde no longer collides with planes, it just flies by.
5. Much, much more!

We are over 12,000 downloads for the light version and nearly 300 downloads for the paid version. Thanks to all the people who have played Air Tower Command. As always, we look forward to your feedback. MortonStudios@hotmail.com

 

[mattdanielc]

Glad you guys are doing well - and yes I would say EA was using strong arm tactics for sure - but sadly in this world we shouldn't be surprised.

Although... have to say if you were using 'Flight Control' in your marketing (like on your blog) then they are right in that you should have changed that too - but there's no doubt the tone of the letter is just wrong

Anyways, hope the game keeps selling well

 

[MortonStudios]

After several hiccups following graphic updates, Morton Studios is very happy to announce that Air Tower Command is back up to full speed and running well with enhanced graphics.

We want to think all of the users who helped us work out the bugs and who stuck with us through several versions that simply didn't work. Now that everything is up and running, we will be redoing the entire game from the ground up with new themes, new graphics, new maps, and more realistic air traffic control settings (including sounds)!

Happy gaming all!

Morton Studios