Set simple rating parameters with just a few lines of code, and you're ready to go.  RateBox automatically tracks number of uses, how long the app's installed, and any custom trigger of your own choosing.  Then it prompts your most engaged users to say thanks with a great rating- and sends them directly to the built-in rating native rating dialog on the App Store.

RateBox even detects when a new version of your app has been installed, so you can be sure your ratings stay high with each new release.  The RateBox App Rating AIR Native Extension for iOS and Android is available now, and comes with the year of free technical support and updates you've come to expect from Milkman Games.  Check it out now in the tools section!

• Make money from free apps with in-app purchases
• Capitalize on the Amazon Free App a Day promotion by offering in-app products
• Step-by-Step illustrated guide shows you how to set it up, from the Amazon Developer website to your final APK
• Complete sample application, as3 docs, and getting started guide included
• Sell consumable, subscription or permanent products through your Flash app!

The extension is available now for $49.99, and comes with one year of direct e-mail support.   Learn more and get your copy now in the Tools section.

You've made a great game, and it's time to spread the word.  And we've listened to the hundreds of developers using our tools to bring you three of the most requested social features- Facebook, Twitter, and Mail- all in one awesome iOS Social Networking Native Extension for Adobe AIR! Here's just a few ideas for things you can do with the GoViral Native Extension:

• Seamlessly authenticate your players with their Facebook accounts
• Invite Facebook friends to your game - if they read the invite on facebook.com it will take them to the App Store site to buy.  Read it on their phone in the Facebook app?  Links right back to your app.
• Take a live screenshot of an epic boss battle in your game - and post it directly to the Facebook photo stream
• Send a Tweet announcing a high score
• Email friends an invite to try your game, with images and links attached
• Tweet a picture of your custom game avatar
• Post the solution to a tough puzzle to your Facebook wall
• Read and post scores to a Facebook app leaderboard
• Post Facebook Game Achievements or Challenges, into the game stream
• And a whole lot more!

The entire Facebook Graph API is at your fingertips - all with a familiar Actionscript 3 interface.  Tap the native Twitter features of iOS 5 in your app.  Send messages and pictures via the native iOS Email client without ever leaving your game.  Everything you need to Go Viral!

The GoViral Facebook, Twitter, and Mail iOS Extension for Adobe AIR is available now, and comes with a step by step illustrated guide, full AS3 documentation, and the year of free and friendly email support you've come to expect from Milkman Games!  Check it out now in the tools section!

OmnomBot's New Look

OmnomBot still lives.  We swear.  And he's getting a serious makeover.  This game is taking longer than originally planned, but it's going to be all the better for it.  I have a lot more to say about indie development time, bootstrapping a business, and ravenous robots- but I'll save that for another post.

• Simple and familiar AS3 API- Purchase items, load the catalog, or restore transactions with just one call
• Fully illustrated, step-by-step PDF guide walks you through iTunes Connect setup process
• Fully featured example code included
• Maximize revenue potential through in-app purchases!

The extension is available now for $49.99, and comes with one year of direct e-mail support from Milkman Games.  Learn more and get the iOS In-App Purchase Native Extension for Adobe AIR on the Tools page.

Selling in-app purchases inside your Android apps is a highly effective technique for driving revenue on the Android Market- one that was unfortunately inaccessible to Adobe AIR developers- until now! Today Milkman Games is happy announce our In-App Billing for Android Native Extension for Adobe AIR. With this extension, you can sell consumable and permanent items in your Android Flash and Flex applications, all using a simple and familiar Actionscript 3 interface:

• Fast and easy to use - access the complete Android in-app billing API from Actionscript
• Step-by-step illustrated guide shows you how to set up In-App Billing on the Android developer website
• Complete sample application, as3 docs, and getting started guide included
• Sell consumable or permanent products through your Flash app!

The extension is available now for $49.99, and comes with one year of direct e-mail support.  Combined with our AdMob Extension for Adobe AIR, Flash developers are able to make money on Android like never before.  Learn more and get your copy now in the Tools section.

iOS iAd Native Extension for Adobe AIR conforms perfectly to Apple's specifications, and is wrapped up in an easy to use Actionscript 3 interface. It has all the features and ease of use you can expect from all our tools:

• Fast and easy to use
• Fully documented with examples and step by step set up tutorial
• Full control over ad placement, visibility, and flow
• Support for banner ads on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch
• Supports the lucrative iPad-only fullscreen iAd format

The extension comes with 1 year of direct email support and free updates, and is available for $29.99.  Check it out now!

Happy Holidays!

Now that Adobe AIR for iOS supports Game Center via our Game Center iOS Extension for Adobe AIR, it's about time for some some step-by-step tutorials on getting your first leaderboards and achievements showing up in your Flash / AIR game!  We'll start with the iOS Developer Portal end of things, which is easy to do but takes a few steps to get it all put together.

Before you can test Game Center features on iOS, you need to register the game on the iOS Developer Portal and define your leaderboards and achievements.  So head on over to developer.apple.com and let's get started!

1. Log into the Apple Developer center at http://developer.apple.com and go to the iOS Developer area.
2. Select 'iTunes Connect' from the right hand side.
3. Choose 'Manage Your Applications', then 'Add New App'; 'iOS App'
4. Enter a Name and SKU for your application. Under 'Bundle ID', choose 'You can register a new Bundle ID here', which will bring you to the Provisioning Portal.
   

   Step 4- Adding a new App and Bundle ID in iTunes Connect

5. In the Provisioning Portal, choose 'New App ID'.
   

   Step 5- Adding a new App ID in iTunes Connect Provisioning Portal.

6. Enter a description for your new app. For Bundle Identifier, choose a unique name in the reccommended scheme (like 'com.yourcompany.YourGameName'). Take note of what you choose here, as you'll need to match it exactly later for Game Center to work.
7. Close the pop up Provisioning Portal, and select the Bundle ID you just created back under 'App Information'. If you don't see your new Bundle ID listed, refresh the page, or try going back and pressing 'New App' again. When you're done, press 'Continue'.
8. Continue through the next couple of steps, entering the name, description, keywords, screenshots and etc. for your application. If you're just creating a test app, you can set the release date far in the future.  At least one screenshot and icon are required to register an application- if you need some dummy images to test with.   If you need a quick one to test with for now, use this very basic icon and screenshot.
9. Back on the Manage your Apps screen, select 'Manage Game Center'.
   

   Step 9 - Managing Game Center from the App Management screen

10. On the next screen, select 'Enable'.
11. Manage Game Center, and choose 'Add Leaderboard'. From the Add Leaderboard menu, select 'Choose' under 'Single Leaderboard'.
    

    Step 11 - Adding a new Single Leaderboard

12. Enter a reference name for your leaderboard, and a Leaderboard ID. The Leaderboard ID is the internal name for accessing the leaderboard from code. I choose 'airleaderboard' for my ID, and it's what I'll use in this example. Whatever ID you choose, take note of it because you'll need it later to access GameCenter from your app. Choose the sort order that makes sense for your scoring system.  When you're done, choose 'Add Language'.
    

    Step 12 - Entering Leaderboard info and and adding language

13. You can add as many localized languages as you'd like, but you only need one to start. Choose integer for score format (simple whole numbers.) The suffix singular is the 'name' to put after a single value, and the suffix plural is for more than one (for example, 'point' and 'points' respectively.) When you're done, press save.
14. Press 'Go Back' to return to the management screen, then select 'Add New Achievement'. Enter a reference name, achievement ID, and point value for your achievement. Take note of the achievement ID, as you'll need it later to submit the achievement from ActionScript. I chose 'airachievement01' which will match the rest of this tutorial. When you're done, choose 'Add Langugage'.
    

    Step 14 - Entering an Achievement and Adding a Language

15. Enter a title, description, and pre-earned description for your achievement. You'll need to upload a 512x512 icon as well; if you need a test icon, you can reuse the one here.
16. Press 'Go Back' and then 'Done'. The final step is to select 'View Details' under versions. Scroll down to the Game Center area, and press 'Enable for this Version.'
    

    Step 16 - 'Enable Game Center' and you're done!

You're now all set up in iTunes Connect!  In part 2 of this tutorial, we'll cover adding Game Center code to your ActionScript 3 application, and compiling a working IPA file integrating the iOS Game Center Native Extension for Adobe AIR.   The extension package includes the next steps of this tutorial, so if you're anxious to keep going feel free to pick it up right now!  Don't forget to follow @milkmangames on Twitter for more tutorials and updates.