2012
14
Feb

We have stopped developing with the Corona SDK

Posted by under Blog tagged , , , | 22 Comments

CoronaSDK

Due to recent developments, we will no longer be using Corona SDK. If anyone wants to know why, all I can say is that’s because of all the little things stacking up on each other such as:

    • Dropping ArmV6 support, first on Android and now on iOS.
    • Forcing 32 bit frame buffers for Android (to fix gradient banding issues) which causes slowdowns, without an option to disable it.
    • Launchpad Analytics appended to each app but simply I do not want Ansca to track my apps… Yes, I know there is an option to disable this but it’ll be back on as soon as you add something like game network, ads, etc…
    • They are still adding new features while there are major stuff waiting to be fixed such as properly working masks, better (retina, rotation, etc) sprites, etc…
    • Outdated core engine, Box2D
    • Bloating app size day by day with the stuff I won’t be using such as Papaya, super rewards, etc.
    • We wanted iAds, Ansca added InMobi. We wanted iAds, Ansca added Inneractive. We wanted iAds….well, still nothing…
    • Simulator vs Device inconsistency

I still think CoronaSDK is an good alternative but simply, it’s not suited for us anymore…

Btw, following CoronaSDK projects maintained by us will be discontinued as well. If anyone wants to continue working on those projects may do so freely.

Autocomplete Wordlist for Corona Project Manager (CPM) *

CoronaSDK Enhanced UI Library (ui.lua)

CoronaSDK Proper Orientation Rotation with Animation

For anyone looking for similar LUA based cross platform alternatives, I would suggest looking at Gideros or Moai SDK + Rapanui

* This project is taken over by Jay himself, thank you Jay…

Edit 2: Since I made that post, there were some improvements to the SDK such as Box2D update (appears to be WIP), new sprite API, off-screen culling, etc. I’m glad to see things are improving…

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22 Responses to “We have stopped developing with the Corona SDK”

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  1. Pingback: CoronaSDK | Pearltrees

  2. Gary

    Reply

    February 6, 2013

    I think you should look at Gideros especially if you have done some coding in Corona. I originally used Corona in the early days and was on the beta program.

    Gideros offers everything Corona does but most importantly exports projects to xcode/eclipse for local builds so no rogue code in your app. Can be extended using plugins and also has a free trial. Has a very active forum with tutorials/code snippets.

    It isnt as mature as Corona which means 3rd party libs are lacking (like a full UI lib) but its catching up fast.

  3. Sidharth

    Reply

    November 21, 2012

    Hi Er,
    I am quiet new to lua scripting and corona sdk. I am basically a C# programmer (coder), corona seemed to be fitting for quick game development. Will there be a 3d game programming in corona anywhere near the future? While searching YouTube and google for tutorials I came across one video about 3d wireframe of a Utah tea pot being rotated in corona simulator.
    Waiting for your response
    Sidharth

  4. Christopher

    Reply

    October 22, 2012

    How much more complex is Unity3D over using Corona? I am new to Corona and just started to pick it up, but wondering if I should put my time into Unity3D instead. I am ok with more complexity, but I am attracted to Corona for how fast you can develop with it.

    I want to do multiple types of projects, not just games. Is Unity3D good for other projects like business apps and kids apps or is it primarily good for games?

    • Admin

      Reply

      October 23, 2012

      Hi Christopher,

      Actually it’s a bit more complex yes, but not that much once you get used to it… Each scene object can it’s have own code attached and as you might know, you’ll need to use either C# or a customised version of java for programming. Lua is much simpler compared to this.

      Regarding you 2nd question, it’s theoretically possible to code business apps with it but I think that would be a bit overkill. It puts in some core elements required for all the 3d stuff which makes even an empty project’s binary size very large. It’s possible to reduce it a bit more by using PRO versions but still…

      But there are other things to consider, for example, Unity allows us to use Amazon’s in-app purchase system by using a 3rd party plugin. As far as I know, in Corona, it’s still not supported unless you go with the Enterprise version and code your own plug-in…

      I hope this helps…

  5. open768

    Reply

    October 17, 2012

    Have to say I agree with Admin. Bless their cotton socks Ansca are trying get it right with a relatively small organisation. I chose corona over unity as it seemed the simpler to get going with. Now having gone a long way down the road of coding I’m not sure I’d stick with corona for my next project.

    The issue for me is waiting for ansca to keep up with the mobile world – which is impossible as its moving so quickly and there are so many things to choose from. Theres a model that solves that crowdsourcing – put a plugin architecture out there and who know what the crowd can build and own.

    • Admin

      Reply

      October 19, 2012

      They’ve recently launched “enterprise” option that allows adding your own plugins and off-line builds which solves the main problem (at least for me) with the indie/pro versions. I’m not sure about the pricing but might be good idea to ask them if you are looking for a long term commitment to CoronaSDK.

      I agree there are other options but each have their own shortcomings. Fx, Moai gives you more access but at the same time that feels too much low level and require more coding. Regarding Gideros, it’s going good but as the user base grows it seems to hit more & more bugs previously they were unaware of.

      At the end, it’s your business and the tool get the job done sooner/easier should be the one you are using…

  6. Ed

    Reply

    May 17, 2012

    What is the status today?

    • tuhinbhatt

      Reply

      July 29, 2012

      i have the same question. What do you think of Corono as of today

      • Admin

        Reply

        July 31, 2012

        Well, things seems to be getting improved day by day and CoronaSDK is the most mature platform among the competition. They have a free trial, so I would suggest giving it a shot…

  7. Andy

    Reply

    May 11, 2012

    Thanks for providing this information! It is always helpful to see which direction other developers are going and, more importantly, why they chose that direction.

    Given that the Unity logo is present on the website, I assume that you decided Unity was the best path for your development. Can you give some insight as to why you chose Unity?

    • Admin

      Reply

      May 12, 2012

      Hi Andy,

      I’m glad to hear that… Yes, we have decided to go with Unity mostly because of it’s 3D support as we were planning few 3D titles. But it’s extendibility (through asset store) & community support also helped that decision. Also, when paid you are actually buying/owning it (current version) instead of annual leases as offered by other solutions…

  8. Nyle Musgrave

    Reply

    April 19, 2012

    I seems like my app runs fine on IOS iPhone 3G armv6 but was wondering when and where its documented they Corona no longer supports armv6 for IOS specifically (I know it doesn’t for Android). And do you have any idea on market percentage for armv6 devices?

    Thanks,

    Nyle

  9. David Rangel

    Reply

    February 15, 2012

    Erdener,

    I’m the COO at Ansca. We are sorry to hear you are moving off Corona, but we appreciate the openness and specific feedback. I’m going to send you an email directly to discuss and see if there is anything we can do.

    Thanks,

    David

    • Admin

      Reply

      February 16, 2012

      Hi David,

      I appreciate your attention and thank you…

      I still think CoronaSDK is more mature than other LUA based alternatives (as of today) and I hope you can keep it that way. But simply, I’d like to see all currently implemented features running bug free before adding new stuff… Anyway, I’ll reply to your email shortly…

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