A year after the initial release of Apple's iPhone, and the device continues to be the most popular of its kind, inspiring imitators all across the phone sector. Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry, HTC, and even Sony have all either released or planned to release smartphones with comparable capabilities, though at present, the iPhone remains the most powerful and popular smartphone on the market.
The iPhone has not only revolutionized the cellular phone industry and the way that people access the internet, but mobile gaming as well. It's not only Apple's first foray into the phone market, it's also a successor to the iPod Play, though Apple is also planning a dedicated successor handheld gaming console to the iPod Play, set for release in 2010 or later. The iPhone plays all iPod Play games and all digital iTunes classics, giving it access to a gaming library spanning from Sega's SG-1000 to the Katana. Thousands of downloadable games have already been released for it, giving it a more robust library than any of Nintendo's handheld devices ever had, even the Gameboy. The iPhone's touchscreen capabilities and processor, which is more than twice as powerful as the iPod Play, make it a revolutionary gaming device that can play games that the iPod Play and the Game Boy Supernova, the iPod play's main rival in the market, can't. It's also capable of accessing special modes in certain iPod Play games and also beefing up their graphics, making it a sort of game enhancement device similar to Sega's classic Mega Charger and Ring accessories.
What's Apple got in store for the little iPhone? Apple is planning on bringing Virtua Fighter 6 to the device, a game that won't be coming out on the iPod Play. It's also planning to port over Pixelworld in the fall, a game that could be the phone's killer app. In addition, Apple is planning to release an interactive Commander Keen experience called Reynaud's Interdimensional Thievery, in which the player can use their iPhone as an augmented reality device and allow Reynaud, the thieving villain of the upcoming iTwin game Commander Keen: Billy's Brave Odyssey, to steal real world objects. Depending on the rarity of the items "stolen", the player will get more points that will allow them to unlock certain things in the game itself. Apple also announced no less than five strategy-based role playing games, similar to Nintendo's hit Fire Emblem series. The most prominent of these titles is Shining Force VI, a full-featured title in the classic Sega tactical series. It's the first major mobile exclusive installment of an established console or handheld series, and it's coming only to the iPhone in 2009. Phantasy Star: Angels Of The Remnant has also been announced for the device, while three new tactical IPs are set for launch in 2009 and 2010.
Though some gamers used to cheap handheld consoles are still balking at the iPhone's steep price, an increasing number of them are hopping on board. Apple took a major risk launching the iPod Play at $299, a price that one would expect to charge for a home console and not a handheld, but it proved a hit at that price, and now gamers are willing to shell out $499 for the iPhone, even if their primary reason for purchasing the device is to play games. Commercials and promotional materials continue to tout the iPhone as a gaming handheld, and now even Gamestop is beginning to advertise and sell them, recently cutting a multi-million dollar deal with Apple to promote and sell iPhones. These iPhones come pre-loaded with a Gamestop app that gives special deals to iPhone owners, pushes advertisements for Gamestop promotions and Apple sales, and includes, for no extra charge, the iPhone gaming controller accessory (paid for by the ads loaded into the device). While the iPhone may not yet be seen in the same light as the iPod Play or iTwin, it's clearly become the "third side" of Apple's gaming triangle, and it's certain that the next gaming handheld Apple does put out will lean heavily on the iPhone for inspiration.
-from an article on Gamesovermatter.com, posted on August 13, 2008
-
"Our design philosophy behind mobile gaming is that it should combine the best elements of traditional gaming with the convenience of having this all-in-one device that you always have with you. Yes, the iPhone has a touch interface. Yes, it works best with games you can pick up and play a few minutes of at a time. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be able to get the same experience on the iPhone that you can get on our more dedicated gaming devices. That's why we push our classic lineup so heavily, and why we push our traditional gaming controller accessory. We're giving that accessory out for free more often than not now, that's how much we believe in the iPhone as a gaming device."
-Reggie Fils-Aime, in an interview with Wired magazine for the August 2008 issue
-
Motorola To Bring Back The Elite... Sort Of
Back in 2002, Motorola created a major stir when it released the Motorola Elite handheld gaming phone to compete with the Game Boy Nova. The device wasn't a flop, per se, but sales paled in comparison to the Nova, and the device was largely seen as a failure. Now, the Elite will be re-entering the market, as an optional model of Motorola's new XG smartphone. The Motorola Elite XG will have the same mobile calling and internet capabilities of the base model XG, but will have extra memory and a more powerful chip for handling graphically intensive mobile games, and a color scheme very similar to the original Elite device. The device won't have any exclusive games, but will be able to play most of the popular new mobile games on the market, including the first person shooter Energy Core and the RPG/card game hybrid Angel's Guardian. It will also come with free copies of the games Peggle and Bejeweled, the former of which was initially only available on Apple's iPod Play and iPhone. The Elite XG is being marketed as a phone "by gamers, for gamers", and it will come with a price tag of $399, $50 more than the base XG phone but $100 cheaper than the cheapest new iPhone on the market. Also, the Elite XG won't require the purchase of a data plan, so buyers are free to pick their own carrier or even use it on its own as a mobile gaming device. The Elite XG is set for release in October, and will be sold at mobile carriers, department stores, and most game stores (except for Gamestop, which has an exclusivity deal with Apple's iPhone).
-from a Gamestop.com article posted on August 16, 2008
-
August 29, 2008
It was a sunny Friday afternoon in San Jose, California, and an informal business meeting was taking place at a cafe just north of downtown. Google's Larry Page was dining with Andy Rubin. The two had been good friends and business partners ever since Google had purchased the start-up company Android just three years before. Now, Android was poised to launch as the operating system of a new generation of smartphones, with an open system designed to rival Apple's walled-off garden. It would be a gutsy move to challenge the undisputed champion of the smartphone market, but with Google behind them, Android was ready, and the possibilities were endless.
"Enough about phones, let's talk gaming," said Page, setting down his cup of coffee. "Apple's going all in on gaming, that's what we know. I think we can challenge them on that front."
Rubin nodded his head in agreement. The Android's open environment would be a boon for game developers, who would have the freedom to create and sell any games they wished. Apple, on the other hand, wanted to create a closed space for game developers, similarly to how Nintendo and its NES had held a monopoly on the whole industry before being challenged by software companies and eventually by Sega, who, ironically, Apple had used to make their strong push into the gaming industry.
"We need to be aggressive in recruiting developers," said Rubin. "We need to look for people who Apple rejected, not for quality reasons but for philosophical ones. And we don't need exclusivity. We don't want to lock anyone in. Not yet, not for a while. Maybe not ever. Make people feel like they can leave any time they want, and most of them won't want to."
"Sergey and I had this idea of an Android Gaming Package, 20 games that we could include with every Android phone. Well, every Android phone powerful enough to play them. A variety of games, across every genre. We need an FPS on there, a couple driving games, a couple RPGs... can we get a mascot platformer for the kids?"
"They gotta be good games, we don't want to create an Action 52 situation," said Rubin.
"Huh?" Page replied, having never heard of the legendarily bad game compilation.
"Oh, about 15 or so years ago, some guys got the bright idea to make a special NES cartridge that could play 52 games and sell it for $200. People thought they were getting a bargain, like, hey, that's four bucks a game! But all the games sucked. So my recommendation is to compile games that already exist, some overlooked gems, and have the thing ready to launch with the first Android phones. I've got some people doing research on games now. Really, all we need is one 'new' game, that can be our killer app and then the other 19 are just icing on the cake."
As the two programmers continued to talk, the Android gaming landscape began to take shape. The two had a similar philosophy to Reggie: Mobile gaming couldn't just be about bite-sized touchscreen titles. Those games had their place, but they also knew that gamers wanted meaty games, the kind they could play on their Supernovas, or even their Sapphires. The subject turned to emulation... obviously Nintendo wouldn't be on board, so no Mario or Zelda, but would SNK? Maybe Konami? Or possibly even Microsoft, since they didn't have their own dedicated gaming handheld and had abandoned their furtive attempts to develop one. It would be worth reaching out... other companies' names came up. Enix, or maybe even Squaresoft, though it'd be hard to pry them from Nintendo.
And all this talk of mobile gaming and ports and emulation turned to other discussions. The current state of the console market. Nintendo, dominating but challenged by Apple. Microsoft, struggling but still hanging strong and looking to shove their way into first.
The reality of the situation was that Larry Page, along with his longtime business partner Sergey Brin, hadn't been talking about the console market since they'd begun preparing to launch the Android OS.
They'd been talking about it since 2003, since the moment the news broke that Apple was acquiring Sega's gaming division.
"And... if this Android gaming push is a success," said Page, "then we can go even further."
"Do you have a partner lined up yet?"
"No, but thanks to our work with you, we've got plenty of candidates."
Rubin just smiled and finished off his meal. His Android OS was about to be at the core of a new wave of smartphones, and if Larry Page was serious about expanding Android's gaming possibilities, it was going to be a part of so very much more.
totally ripoff for american and europeans. 9980yen got to like 88$ or 76€. Even the 99$ convert to 84€.
