iPhone Dominates 2009 Mobile Game Developers Conference [Archive]

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MacRumors

Mar 30, 2009, 07:50 AM

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/03/30/iphone-dominates-2009-mobile-game-developers-conference/)

Last week, game developers descended on San Francisco to take part in the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC) (http://www.gdconf.com/). GDC was broken up into different segments with the first two days dedicated to Mobile gaming. The mobile keynote speech was given by Ngmoco's (http://ngmoco.com) CEO Neil Young and was appropriately titled Why the iPhone just changed everything. Young's keynote described the dramatic change the iPhone brought to the mobile gaming industry which was previously focused on carrier negotiations and porting to all the different handheld variants.

Perhaps most telling was the fact that the iPhone dominated (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/24/igf-mobile-winners-announced-at-gdc-2009/) the Independent Games Festival awards in Mobile at GDC winning 6 out of 7 categories, including Best Mobile Game. iPhone winners included (app names link directly to app store):

- Mobile Audio Achievement Award: Zen Bound (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=305199856&mt=8) (Secret Exit)
- Technical Achievement: Real Racing (Firemint) - Preview (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/19/firemint-talks-about-real-racing-and-reveals-new-details-screenshots-video/)
- Art: Fieldrunners (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=292421271&mt=8) (Subatomic Studios)
- Design: Galcon (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=285820845&mt=8) (Hassey Enterprises)
- Best iPhone Game: Zen Bound (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=305199856&mt=8) (Secret Exit)
- IGF Mobile Best Game: Fieldrunners (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=292421271&mt=8) (Subatomic Studios)

All finalists have also been listed by Apple on a special page (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=309024098&id=25204&mt=8) in the iTunes App Store.

GDC also served to be the launching/demo ground for a number of notable future iPhone gaming titles including 14 new titles (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/25/ea-announces-madden-nfl-ssx-and-more-for-iphone/) from EA, Paramount's Top Gun (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/26/freeverses-upcoming-top-gun-and-flick-nba-basketball/), Showtime's Dexter (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/27/hands-on-video-of-showtimes-dexter-iphone-game/), and Ngmoco's Star Defense (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/26/a-hands-on-with-video-of-ngmocos-star-defense/), Touch Pet Dogs, and LiveFire (http://toucharcade.com/2009/03/27/hands-on-with-ngmocos-touch-pet-dogs-and-livefire/).

Most notable is the fact that the App Store is less than a year old, so the iPhone had no presence at GDC last year.

Article Link: iPhone Dominates 2009 Mobile Game Developers Conference (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/03/30/iphone-dominates-2009-mobile-game-developers-conference/)

DanielJvdBerg

Mar 30, 2009, 07:55 AM

That's some good news the iPhone has more and more presence.

Airforcekid

Mar 30, 2009, 07:56 AM

Wow there lucky! Thats a lot of people to compete with.

sammich

Mar 30, 2009, 07:58 AM

What are the sales of the iPhone verse the iPod Touch? Whenever they refer to App Store gaming, they always refer to the iPhone. Just curious.

Go Fieldrunners!

arn

Mar 30, 2009, 08:00 AM

What are the sales of the iPhone verse the iPod Touch? Whenever they refer to App Store gaming, they always refer to the iPhone. Just curious.

Go Fieldrunners!

Apple released numbers at the 3.0 event.

17 million iPhones
13 million iPod Touches

arn

sammich

Mar 30, 2009, 08:04 AM

Apple released numbers at the 3.0 event.

17 million iPhones
13 million iPod Touches

arn

That's a lot more Touch's than I thought. Jackpot for Apple.

Galcon is on sale for $1 this week! I was holding off, but it's a no-brainer now :D

talkingfuture

Mar 30, 2009, 08:05 AM

It looks like the iPhone as a gaming platform is growing very quickly. I don't think Sony and Nintendo were prepared for it to grow so fast and be so good at gaming either.

Interestingly on "The Gadget Show", a UK tech show they did a handheld gaming test last week in which the iPod Touch beat the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP to be named best portable gaming platform.

WhySoSerious

Mar 30, 2009, 08:21 AM

iCantwait

Mar 30, 2009, 08:23 AM

wow, bitches be crazy or wha?

ztigerpaw

Mar 30, 2009, 08:24 AM

Nice. I've been thinking of my 1st Gen iPod Touch more and more as a gaming device then anything else lately. Can't wait to see the rest of the year's games.

koobcamuk

Mar 30, 2009, 08:25 AM

i guess i'm probably the only one who thinks this is stupid.

I don't game on mine either - I have dedicated machines. That's not to say this is stupid. I would like to be a dev pulling in $£$£$£ everyday from app sales.

speakerwizard

Mar 30, 2009, 08:31 AM

What are the sales of the iPhone verse the iPod Touch? Whenever they refer to App Store gaming, they always refer to the iPhone. Just curious.

Go Fieldrunners!

well i think its because the touch is a 'secondary device' that benefits from the iphone dev (hard / software) its like a cut down version almost, but also a way to teach people how to use an iphone without them knowing it, making their next phone purchase an obvious one, who would buy a blackberry / HTC etc without the phone part? shows how good the iphone is, even without a phone.

arn

Mar 30, 2009, 08:35 AM

i guess i'm probably the only one who thinks this is stupid.

i wanted the iphone to be a smartphone first.....gaming, not so much. if i wanted to have a device focus so much on gaming, i would have bought a PSP or DS.

And shockingly enough, the iPhone's ability to be a gaming machine actually doesn't detract from your ability to use it as a smartphone. :)

arn

RedTomato

Mar 30, 2009, 08:37 AM

Who would buy a blackberry / HTC etc without the phone part? shows how good the iphone is, even without a phone.

Interesting point. Very true.

john7jr

Mar 30, 2009, 08:41 AM

What are the sales of the iPhone verse the iPod Touch? Whenever they refer to App Store gaming, they always refer to the iPhone. Just curious.

The iPhone OS is a platform. Whenever they say iPhone they are referring to the family of products including iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod touch, and 2nd gen iPod touch.

i guess i'm probably the only one who thinks this is stupid.

i wanted the iphone to be a smartphone first.....gaming, not so much. if i wanted to have a device focus so much on gaming, i would have bought a PSP or DS.

Apple is really pushing the iPhone in Corporate, while trying to push the iPod touch as a gaming device. The fact that neither is exclusive to each area only makes it better for people who want to do both of those things. I use my iPhone as a corporate device, yet it's got a few games on it to say the least.

=)

lamadude

Mar 30, 2009, 08:46 AM

diamond.g

Mar 30, 2009, 08:50 AM

Oh-es-Ten

Mar 30, 2009, 08:51 AM

Apple is really pushing the iPhone in Corporate, while trying to push the iPod touch as a gaming device. The fact that neither is exclusive to each area only makes it better for people who want to do both of those things. I use my iPhone as a corporate device, yet it's got a few games on it to say the least.
=)

I agree. I think that development breeds development. The iPhone/iPod Touch platform is flexible enough now that it does not suffer if you don't use it as a gaming device, or purely as a corporate tool.

I think the SDK is truly the envy of all the other manufacturers as the same device can be your work and home tool, and easily switch from one to the other.

The SDK itself also introduces more developers to the Mac as well. For us, it is win-win!

Bubba Satori

Mar 30, 2009, 08:53 AM

Maybe some of this will dribble off into game development for Apple Computer. Oh, wait, it's Apple inc. now. :rolleyes:

lamadude

Mar 30, 2009, 09:03 AM

Interestingly on "The Gadget Show", a UK tech show they did a handheld gaming test last week in which the iPod Touch beat the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP to be named best portable gaming platform.

I think this says more about "the gadget show" than about the iPhone. If look at the DS with games like Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, New super mario bros, advance wars games, fire emblem, mario kart DS, mario & luigi partners in time, metroid prime, final fantasy tactics A2, Trauma center, Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow etc etc etc

I consider any of these games better than what's available on iPhone, and most of these games wouldn't even be possible on iPhone because it doesn't have any buttons.

I'm not blaming apple here, it's totally normal that a phone isn't as good for games as a dedicated gaming device such as the nintendo DS, but when people clame that the iPhone is actually better for games they are really exaggerating.

lftrghtparadigm

Mar 30, 2009, 09:07 AM

Some of the larger game developers had better get their heads on straight if they want the iPad gaming to continue. There actually IS more to it than just having a slam-dunk distribution model.

They have to stop releasing games under official titles that are jokes by co parison. dS and PSP do not have this problem as they continue to wow users with the amount on real content packed into a game.
But to sell someone The Force Unleashed or Metal Gear Solid, and have neither top-priced game resemble anything the customer may have wanted... Well fool me once, maybe twice, but that's it. Other users are the same way. They won't be falling for the crap much more

Cleverboy

Mar 30, 2009, 09:17 AM

I've been playing Wolfenstein for the last few days and I'm addicted to finishing this ALL OVER AGAIN. I mean, same frustrations, same anxiety, same goofy sound affects and tongue-in-cheek action. It's all good. :-)

~ CB

NightFox

Mar 30, 2009, 09:18 AM

Good result for the iPhone, but I would have been somewhat surprised to see another platform win the "Best iPhone Game" category...

str1f3

Mar 30, 2009, 09:24 AM

I still think the iphone is too limited as a gaming device because of it's lack of buttons. All those racing games where you need to tilt the device to steer etc, it's just way too inaccurate. On the other hand certain puzzle games where you don't need such precise input could work.
I'm sticking with my DS for the time being but maybe I'm just not enough of a "casual gamer" that iphone developers are looking for.

If that's a problem for you, then it has been answered. Since 3.0 gives you the ability to use the dock connector, you're going to see 3rd party controllers and keyboards all over the place. :)

DELLsFan

Mar 30, 2009, 09:56 AM

i guess i'm probably the only one who thinks this is stupid.

i wanted the iphone to be a smartphone first.....gaming, not so much. if i wanted to have a device focus so much on gaming, i would have bought a PSP or DS.

+1

I like that the iPhone is getting more exposure, but it's not a PSP or DS. Spending a premium amount of cash for an iPhone implies you need a smart phone.

I've seen how kids use the PSP and DS. I'd rather not subject my iPhone to this kind of "attention". For that matter, given how many iPhone apps tend to be commandeered for pr0n purposes, I don't think it's appropriate for minor children to own an iPhone or iPod touch.

Just my two cents. :apple:

Sehnsucht

Mar 30, 2009, 11:05 AM

That's a lot more Touch's than I thought. Jackpot for Apple.

I work at Wal-Mart in electronics and I gotta say the iPod touch is one of our best selling items. Kids snap these things up. Ever since they first came out last year, kids have been turning up their noses at the 129-dollar Nintendo DS and the 170-dollar PSP and going straight for the 300-dollar iPod touch. They sell like crazy!!! :apple:

bug67

Mar 30, 2009, 11:33 AM

Doesn't surprise me. I know, personally, I use my iPhone for games way more than my PSP or DS.

BongoBanger

Mar 30, 2009, 12:50 PM

Nice but since the PSP and DS mainly use established studios and not independents for their premium titles it's not an indicator of success.

john7jr

Mar 30, 2009, 02:14 PM

Nice but since the PSP and DS mainly use established studios and not independents for their premium titles it's not an indicator of success.

You mean like this. (http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/07/25/john.camack.iphone.plans/)

chr1s60

Mar 30, 2009, 02:25 PM

The iPhone and iPod Touch continue to take the gaming world by storm, this is no surprise to me. It is probably the easiest platform to instantly reach millions of potential customers.

Also, Zen Bound continues to get tons of praise. I bought it and agree that it is a beautiful, well made game, and it is very original, unfortunately I find it to be very boring after the first few times playing. Maybe it's just me.

jbernie

Mar 30, 2009, 02:31 PM

i guess i'm probably the only one who thinks this is stupid.

i wanted the iphone to be a smartphone first.....gaming, not so much. if i wanted to have a device focus so much on gaming, i would have bought a PSP or DS.

I don't disagree with you, but that being said when it comes to non corporate devices there is a pretty strong demand for games etc which has been seen by how few games or at least how many demo vs full feature games you seem to get on a device these days so the carriers can nickel & dime you by making you download (over the air) more games, ringtones etc and thus making more money from you.

At least with the iPhone (& iPod Touch) you can do it all via iTunes without the excess charges.

gojira

Mar 30, 2009, 03:14 PM

I finally got an iPod touch 2G last week and immediately bought a few of the games in the winner and runners-up list.

Zen Bound is fantastic, especially when using headphones.
Eliss is a trippy puzzle-like game
EDGE is a block puzzle game.

Another I found mentioned elsewhere is geoDefense.

They all have fantastic graphics and sound. It's amazing to see this level of game in a handheld computer!

I'd been using a Palm and played a few games on it, but these iPod touch games are incredible in comparison. It's a new world!

Apple is putting OS X into the pockets of millions of people, setting new standards and forwarding the platform in ways we couldn't have imagined a few years ago.

ImperialX

Mar 30, 2009, 03:32 PM

I've seen how kids use the PSP and DS. I'd rather not subject my iPhone to this kind of "attention". For that matter, given how many iPhone apps tend to be commandeered for pr0n purposes, I don't think it's appropriate for minor children to own an iPhone or iPod touch.

Just my two cents. :apple:
iPhone 3.0 will have more advanced parental controls.

BongoBanger

Mar 30, 2009, 04:49 PM

You mean like this. (http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/07/25/john.camack.iphone.plans/)

Doom and Quake have been out on WinMo and S60 phones for years. In the meantime the PSP has Rainbow 6: Vegas and Resistance: Retribution.

rockosmodurnlif

Mar 30, 2009, 05:25 PM

Re: Zen Bound, I'm going to need a free lite version with three levels before I buy it.

And the iPhone is a smart phone. What smart phone doesn't play games? Though I only use mine for casual games (LD50, TanZen, Solitaire, Freecell, Falling Up, Glaurung).

twoodcc

Mar 30, 2009, 06:43 PM

this is huge for apple and the iphone. this can only help the iphone and ipod touch become a bigger player in the mobile gaming industry

Jamo12

Mar 30, 2009, 08:01 PM

Niko03

Mar 31, 2009, 01:07 AM

Doom and Quake have been out on WinMo and S60 phones for years. In the meantime the PSP has Rainbow 6: Vegas and Resistance: Retribution.

What screen size did those Phones have?
And what kind of UI and control scheme did they have?
I really don't know, and could be wrong, but I image subpar compared to the iPhone

I have to agree that as far as competeing with the established and dedicated handheld gaming consoles that it will be more of an uphill battle for the iPhone OS. But the delivery model Apple has is superior and cheaper for the developer/ publisher - no mfg / distribution costs. This is, of course, part of the reason for the explosion in small time independent offerings.

And while this makes for more chafe to sift through in the app store - and actually more innovation/ideas, I think it will also put pressure on the big names in development to become more competitive in thier pricing. Because
they will not be able to completely ignore the iPhone gaming market. And that
will be a win win for the handheld gamers.

The iPhone has made inroads into a new market or more effectively tapped a simmering potential market. I'm a good example - I did some light computer gaming before kids. I never would have bought a psp or ds. But I do buy games for my iPhone. And now that my kids are old enough to play games on a handheld and it can be an effective currency as a parent, - Am I considering a ds or psp as a second unit since I have two kids? Nope, I'm thinking iPod Touch. I already bought the games. Why spend more and actually much more per game? In this way the iPhone/iptouch can actually take market share.

Niko03

Mar 31, 2009, 01:23 AM

If you are a real gamer (not just a casual gamer that thrives off of cheezy flash-like games) you know that the iPhone will NEVER beat out the DS/PSP in quality of gameplay.

The iPhone has quite a few good games, but none that can compare to the good DS/PSP games.
BUTTONS BEAT JUST TOUCHSCREEN (for gaming)

Buttons may beat a touch screen for some things, but the touch screen beats buttons for others, such as more intuitively interacting with selectable objects Heck the accelerometers for steering a car are great. Someone in a previous post thought it wasn't accurate, I feel quite the opposite. Tell me what was the last car you actually drove where you pushed buttons to steer? No you actually moved and rotated something to turn the car.

The one area where buttons beat a touch screen is in tactile feedback.
And when you're really pounding on them. Not something that I or many others would feel comfortable doing to thier touchscreen.

I think it's a moot point anyway, because with OS3.0 offering hardware tie-ins through the dock connector/USB it's only a matter of time before someone makes a control dock with buttons like in that belkin rumor from last year.

iMaggot

Mar 31, 2009, 02:44 AM

The iPhone is the best gaming smart-phone imo, i like it more then the PSP.

Tybee

Mar 31, 2009, 11:35 AM

Buttons may beat a touch screen for some things, but the touch screen beats buttons for others, such as more intuitively interacting with selectable objects Heck the accelerometers for steering a car are great. Someone in a previous post thought it wasn't accurate, I feel quite the opposite. Tell me what was the last car you actually drove where you pushed buttons to steer? No you actually moved and rotated something to turn the car.

That's a failed argument, because realism of control rarely makes a good game. To use your own example, Mario Kart Wii offers a steering wheel control that literally mimics actual driving motions, but anyone who's tried it can tell you it pales in comparison to good ol' analog stick play. And when you steer your car, does your whole windshield rotate as well?

I really enjoy games on the iPhone, and we're seeing more and more great ones every day. But the kinds of games I play on that platform are very different from the kinds of games I enjoy on my DS. The DS just offers a deeper, more nuanced gaming experience. There's a reason you don't see many RPGs on the iPhone. iPhone gamers are looking for a quick get-in, get-out experience, so regardless of the controls, you're never going to have the features or complexity you'd find on a traditional console. That doesn't make one better than the other. Just different.

iphonerain

Apr 9, 2009, 03:55 PM

I couldn't imagine developing games for mobile other than the iPhone. It's been long since I've seen a truly creative game being developed for other mobile. Even if I wasn't a developer and just an avid fan of the iPhone, I couldn't imagine playing games on other devices. Stifling!