My gameboy is an ipod....

[AP_piano295]

I'm surprised by the lack of threads speculating on the ipod touch and iphones potential to take the portable gaming market by storm. Ipods are something that everyone finds cool practical bla bla bla and now with all the power and versatility that the ipod touch and iphone bring to the table I can see apple being a major contender in the portable game market.

I see the touch as being able to crush the psp and gameboy advance in anything resembling an rts.

With its vastly superior online capabilities a portable mmorpg is not out of the question

racing games would work brilliantly with the accelerometer as a steering weel, same with flying games etc.

So whats with the lack of speculative chatter what games do people want to see how do you use the interface? Who is going to be developing the games and when are the first big titles going to hit the ipod touch?

 

[apsterling]

I'm surprised by the lack of threads speculating on the ipod touch and iphones potential to take the portable gaming market by storm. Ipods are something that everyone finds cool practical bla bla bla and now with all the power and versatility that the ipod touch and iphone bring to the table I can see apple being a major contender in the portable game market.

I see the touch as being able to crush the psp and gameboy advance in anything resembling an rts.

With its vastly superior online capabilities a portable mmorpg is not out of the question

racing games would work brilliantly with the accelerometer as a steering weel, same with flying games etc.

So whats with the lack of speculative chatter what games do people want to see how do you use the interface? Who is going to be developing the games and when are the first big titles going to hit the ipod touch?

The Gameboy Advance was phased out a few years ago, and the DS is just about equal not considering the graphics or accelerometers.

I'd personally like to see an RTS soon, though.

 

[NT1440]

i play GBA and NES on my touch everyday =D

oh the joys of jailbreaking.

ZodTTD does some stunning work

 

[Chone]

The iPhone can't compete with the 2004 Nintendo DS and the 2005 Sony PSP, once Nintendo and Sony release new handhelds, it's game over for the iPhone.

We've been over this many times, the iPhone doesn't have good enough controls to take on the DS and PSP, I've played a lot of games on iPhone, even the ones that should shine like Monkey Ball play horribly. Your hand blocks the speaker when you hold it sideways, Spore is kind of cool but it's pretty shallow.

The iPhone has the best cellphone games but that's that, its games will never have the caliber of those released on the DS and PSP. There's a reason why iPhone games cost 5-10 dollars and DS games cost 30.

I love iPhone, but it's iPHONE, not iGamingDevice.

 

[ravenvii]

I love iPhone, but it's iPHONE, not iGamingDevice.

We've been through this quite a few times. Sure it's called an iPhone, but it's much more than that, and you know it. Email, internet, games, PDA, portable media player, and more, all rolled into one.

In fact, I don't even use my iPhone as a phone per se. I use it for email and internet and games mainly, as well as other PDA functions from time to time.

 

[Chone]

We've been through this quite a few times. Sure it's called an iPhone, but it's much more than that, and you know it. Email, internet, games, PDA, portable media player, and more, all rolled into one.

In fact, I don't even use my iPhone as a phone per se. I use it for email and internet and games mainly, as well as other PDA functions from time to time.

Yes, email, internet, media, PDA, that's all the stuff that's supposed to be a in a smartphone, it does have interesting apps and games too but not in the caliber of DS/PSP games.

Don't you think it's ridiculous to position the iPhone as competition to the DS/PSP? Not a soul in this planet will buy the iPhone just for it's "gaming" capacities. A hundred million people bought DSes for just that.

 

[ravenvii]

Yes, email, internet, media, PDA, that's all the stuff that's supposed to be a in a smartphone, it does have interesting apps and games too but not in the caliber of DS/PSP games.

Don't you think it's ridiculous to position the iPhone as competition to the DS/PSP? Not a soul in this planet will buy the iPhone just for it's "gaming" capacities. A hundred million people bought DSes for just that.

iPhone, no. iPod touch, sure, why not? A few megaton games, and people will come in droves. Throw a (good) Final Fantasy game on there, a Metal Gear Solid game of some kind, and maybe a Grand Theft Auto game - multiplayer online! - and bam!, the iPod touch becomes a venerable portable gaming system.

 

[0098386]

The controls are far too limited to be a contender for a real handheld gaming device, even the DS has regular controls too for the games that a single touchscreen can't realistically control. That's not to say some big games won't be released for it, quite the opposite. The DD method is great for casual games.

The iPhone/iPod won't be replacing the DS or PSP by a long shot.

And as for playing GBA/GB games on a device that only lets you push 2 buttons at any one point - how does that even work? Looking through my GB and GBA collection so many games require the player to hold A+B, or use a shoulder button as well as pushing a direction.

iPhone, no. iPod touch, sure, why not? A few megaton games, and people will come in droves. Throw a (good) Final Fantasy game on there, a Metal Gear Solid game of some kind, and maybe a Grand Theft Auto game - multiplayer online! - and bam!, the iPod touch becomes a venerable portable gaming system.

As I said above, the problem is control. Try playing a GTA game on the PC with a graphics tablet, or cut it some slack and try a controller with less than 8 buttons and 2 analogue sticks. Even the PSP GTA is extremely difficult to control at times since the camera is so limited. The games that you mentioned need a hell of a lot of control and full view of the game at all times.


Disclaimer - I love Apple and can't wait to get an iPhone, new iMac, MacBook etc. I've just been in the industry enough to have realistic expectations about the iPhone against proper, dedicated gaming devices.

 

[a456]

Yes, email, internet, media, PDA, that's all the stuff that's supposed to be a in a smartphone, it does have interesting apps and games too but not in the caliber of DS/PSP games.

Don't you think it's ridiculous to position the iPhone as competition to the DS/PSP? Not a soul in this planet will buy the iPhone just for it's "gaming" capacities. A hundred million people bought DSes for just that.

Sony thought that PS3 was going to beat the Wii hands down thanks to its sheer power and traditional gaming values, but it turned out the other way round - that the underpowered competitor won out. Now millions of people who thought they were buying a smart phone find themselves with something that plays quite good games - and from MS we have learnt the money to be made from "good enough" - so they download one and then another, and people who were never in the market for games suddenly are.

The non-gaming market is what Nintendo targeted with the Wii, and people who hadn't played games for ages were suddenly gaming. Apple have been even smarter, because they didn't even need to persuade people to buy a gaming device.

 

[selena12321]

But still I don't like iphone it is worst. Yes, ipod is fine. we people don't go on persuading. I play wii games and mostly like mario cart.

 

[0098386]

The non-gaming market is what Nintendo targeted with the Wii, and people who hadn't played games for ages were suddenly gaming. Apple have been even smarter, because they didn't even need to persuade people to buy a gaming device.

But they do need to get these people buying these casual games.

One of my friends has an iPod Touch and DS and is a non-gamer. Yet she doesn't buy games for the Touch, just uses it mostly as a portable internet device. Her biggest excuse being the battery life of the Touch (iPhone might be different?) and doesn't like the obscured vision since theres no secondary screen like the DS.

 

[AP_piano295]

Yes, email, internet, media, PDA, that's all the stuff that's supposed to be a in a smartphone, it does have interesting apps and games too but not in the caliber of DS/PSP games.

Don't you think it's ridiculous to position the iPhone as competition to the DS/PSP? Not a soul in this planet will buy the iPhone just for it's "gaming" capacities. A hundred million people bought DSes for just that.

But you never need buy the phone JUST for it's gaming capabilities, but I'm willing to bet quite a few people out there my self included dont really want a portable gaming device, to carry allong with their phone ipod etc... and everything else.

Maybe they dont play that all that often maybe or they dont have the money to buy lots of little devices whatever the reason, you buy an ipod touch/iphone you get the capability to play games along with all the other features.

I can belive the controls might be lacking to an extent, I dont really understand how percise an acceleromiter is but from the videos i've seen the answer seems to be more than enought (refering to the video of spore origins) multi touch is'nt super percise but with some innovative desighns I think it can be percise enough.

Even if first person shooters (i've never thought these are very good on any portable gaming device) and platformers dont shine on a touch turn based games and rpgs might be great...

 

[0098386]

But you never need buy the phone JUST for it's gaming capabilities, but I'm willing to bet quite a few people out there my self included dont really want a portable gaming device, to carry allong with their phone ipod etc... and everything else.

I (mostly) buy DS games because of what they are, because they're Mario, Pokemon or Zelda titles. I don't carry around certain devices because of what they can do - just as I won't carry around an iPhone just because it can do games. It's about what games it plays.

I can belive the controls might be lacking to an extent, I dont really understand how percise an acceleromiter is but from the videos i've seen the answer seems to be more than enought (refering to the video of spore origins) multi touch is'nt super percise but with some innovative desighns I think it can be percise enough.

The accelerometre is very precise but that's beside the point. Unlike the Wii the display is built into the motion controller itself which brings in viewing problems.

Even if first person shooters (i've never thought these are very good on any portable gaming device) and platformers dont shine on a touch turn based games and rpgs might be great...

Exactly. The iPhone will do what it can do. It will be great for Turn Based games of any genre and little casual touch screen titles like Monkey Ball, Bejewelled etc. And I'll await and buy those games (so long as they get good reviews).

Another case in point - Tris. I've got Tris for my iPod Touch and whilst it's good, because of the lack of truly precise controls like the DS accidents are much more likely to happen. I can play Tetris DS for hours and not make a single mistake, in Tris I find I accidentally move a block whilst taking my finger off the display.

 

[MorzillA]

.....No, the fact that the iPHONE can play games does not make it a complete contender for "handheld of the year" unless your talking PDA/PHONES. Ya'll remember when Nokia intorduced their version of a phone/gaming device?? Sure it opened the doors for games and cell phones to work together in that market but let's be real, the iPHONE is nothing more than a High end PDA, this goes for the iTOUCH too. If Apple wants to compete with Sony and Nintendo it better have some far more superior than the iPHONE/iTOUCH.
Look, Famed Neo Geo came out with their handheld version of their ubber expensive console, Neo Geo Pocket. Just like Dream Cast, it was left wayyyyyyyy behind and they are well known for some pretty amazing 2D fighting games, but alas! they gave way for Nintendo to License their [Neo-Geo] games into the hands of many whinny kids.
Even Tiger Electronics can't compete with the two Power Houses, and they have been around for a long time as well!
Yeah, I even remember that there was a TV add for a journal sized pc/book from Windows that showed a young kid playing HALO in an open area (mall or something like that). Rumors started to fly that Windows would triumph over Nintendo and Sony. Well? did it came out? did it "beat" the two powerhouses of portable gaming??
Frankly I believe that both companies have a strong grip on this market and no matter who comes into the feud, they'll leave with a black eye.

 

[AP_piano295]

.....No, the fact that the iPHONE can play games does not make it a complete contender for "handheld of the year" unless your talking PDA/PHONES. Ya'll remember when Nokia intorduced their version of a phone/gaming device?? Sure it opened the doors for games and cell phones to work together in that market but let's be real, the iPHONE is nothing more than a High end PDA, this goes for the iTOUCH too. If Apple wants to compete with Sony and Nintendo it better have some far more superior than the iPHONE/iTOUCH.
Look, Famed Neo Geo came out with their handheld version of their ubber expensive console, Neo Geo Pocket. Just like Dream Cast, it was left wayyyyyyyy behind and they are well known for some pretty amazing 2D fighting games, but alas! they gave way for Nintendo to License their [Neo-Geo] games into the hands of many whinny kids.
Even Tiger Electronics can't compete with the two Power Houses, and they have been around for a long time as well!
Yeah, I even remember that there was a TV add for a journal sized pc/book from Windows that showed a young kid playing HALO in an open area (mall or something like that). Rumors started to fly that Windows would triumph over Nintendo and Sony. Well? did it came out? did it "beat" the two powerhouses of portable gaming??
Frankly I believe that both companies have a strong grip on this market and no matter who comes into the feud, they'll leave with a black eye.

xplane 9....no the ipod/ipone is not underpowered and it has alot of poetential. It's a pda that can play games...and it's a machine that with some creative programing can contend head to head in many/most of the generes that run on a portable gaming machine.

 

[0098386]

xplane 9....no the ipod/ipone is not underpowered and it has alot of poetential. It's a pda that can play games...and it's a machine that with some creative programing can contend head to head in many/most of the generes that run on a portable gaming machine.

So how is an FPS going to run, or a precise speed racer or even a basic platform game?

About a year ago I tried to impliment a mouse-based control option for a platform/adventure game I'm working on. Even with 6 keyboard buttons and 2 mouse buttons I couldn't get something as detailed as my game working as fluid as a 360 controller or full keyboard. Creative programming has little impact on many popular genres.

Though I hope they release a standard stylus and somebody makes a Kirby Canvas Curse style game for the iPhone.

 

[Chone]

But you never need buy the phone JUST for it's gaming capabilities, but I'm willing to bet quite a few people out there my self included dont really want a portable gaming device, to carry allong with their phone ipod etc... and everything else.

Maybe they dont play that all that often maybe or they dont have the money to buy lots of little devices whatever the reason, you buy an ipod touch/iphone you get the capability to play games along with all the other features.

I can belive the controls might be lacking to an extent, I dont really understand how percise an acceleromiter is but from the videos i've seen the answer seems to be more than enought (refering to the video of spore origins) multi touch is'nt super percise but with some innovative desighns I think it can be percise enough.

Even if first person shooters (i've never thought these are very good on any portable gaming device) and platformers dont shine on a touch turn based games and rpgs might be great...

I'm not saying they can't make good games for the iPhone/iPod Touch (they actually haven't, Cro-Mag is just as bad as it was on the iMac and Monkey Ball is nowhere near as precise or fun as it was on Gamecube) but they will never be on the level of DS/PSP games, yes, the market might flourish and some games will get pretty good sales.

But like I said, you buy a DS/PSP to play games and JUST for that, when iPhone games are juicy enough that people will consider the device just for their games, then MAYBE you'll be able to compare the iPhone to the DS/PSP.

Not to mention the DS and PSP are already pretty old and on the brink of being replaced (just as soon as DS sales slow down).