Using images as saves [SaveGameCard]

After playing a lot of mobile games I noticed something annoying: There is no easy way to save your progress or load it when you need it (when you change/rest your phone ... etc) .

One possible solution would be a Cloud based Save Game System (I think is self-explanatory). I will present another solution that can be Cloud based, but also Local (in user's device, not dependent on internet connection).

The problem is that the user don't know (don't have access) to game's save file, and iOS and WindowsPhone doesn't even have a File Manager. So what type of files can all devices store and show to the user ? Images and sounds/music are the most common.

This idea is based on the PSP's Save System (really nice and easy) and Pode's FileReader Plugin

As some of you may know, images and music files can contain additional information (Title, Author, Comments ... etc). We can use that to store SaveGame information (simple text like "l2p5" in the "Comments" section of the image could mean "level 2 and 5 player lives", but could also contain codified text to be harder to modify).

Advantages:

• The user will be able to manage his SaveGame information as he pleases
• The user can see directly what the progress of the SaveGame is (the image should show information about it's saved content)
• Is a MultiPlatform solution (the user can see the image/SaveGame's information on any device/OS)
• Can be used as a Cloud Save (save and load it online ... since is an image )
• Can be shared *

Disadvantages:

• Can't/Shouldn't be used for games that require IAP (for obvious reasons) *
• The image/save will be present in Gallery (some users could dislike this)

* Unless the save is coded to work only on the device that was made (the SaveGame information contains device's IMEI or stuff like that).

I will try to implement this solution into my future games. Also I would like to hear opinions or suggestions about this idea

Its not really a good solution since there are too many variables introduced by the different platforms.

A pixel can be one of a few million colors, whereas a letter is always a letter.

Its not really a good solution since there are too many variables introduced by the different platforms.

A pixel can be one of a few million colors, whereas a letter is always a letter.

I'm not talking about image's code, I know that it can be altered very easy by any platform. I am talking about image's properties (title, subject, tags, comments ... etc), like you said: "a letter is always a letter"

You mean the exif?

I'm not sure that would transfer easily, especially on png, which is pretty much the only format to use.

One of podes other plugs for qr codes might be a better idea, especially since we have access to url data via the browser object.

Or even better would be actual text with a service like dropbox, or gdrive.