Upcoming iOS 7 APIs: Gaming Improvements, Multitasking Support, AirDrop, and More

[Dorje Sylas]

Controller support. Hmmmmm. I'm willing to bet we're going to see some combination of apps (games) that support Airplay and these controllers along with Apple TV APIs in the fall.

And that's when XBox and Playstation will have their lunch eaten before they even realized they were served a plate.

The upcoming XBox and Playstation? Unlikely. While mobile hardware is getting more powerful steadily it still is not going to stand up against coming generation consoles (which are functionally mid low-mid gaming PCs). There are a few things that will stop iOS with a controller from blowing away these machines.

• AirPlay video lag/delay. While good AirPlay is still laggy enough to not be viable for "serious" games.

• Storage. BluRay based games can support anywhere from 20 to 60 GB of data. Apple hasn't even released a 128 GB iOS device. Most folks aren't going to sit around and wait for a 20 GB game to download. This means that texture qualities will never be on the same level as a dedicated box. Even taking PC games as the size we're still talking 8+ GB on the low end.

Forget taking the market away from the two top players. What this really could do is put the hurt on Nintendo. Whenever the A7X processors drop they'll likely be able to perform on par with the WiiU. It would also remove the last obstacle to iOS devises going head to head with Nintendo Handhelds, lack of buttons. Even still there is the storage issue as above, WiiU disk can hold 25 GB of content/textures.

I see this a far more troubling to Nintendo then to Sony or Microsoft. The 16 GB $229 iPod Touch is not far off price wise form the NEW bigger screened 3DS. Depending on what a controller case will cost it will be a hard battle. You can almost kiss the PSVita goodbye.

 

[FSMBP]

Why wouldn't the camera film at 60FPS? Obviously, it might be something they're keeping secret for the ip5s.

Why doesn't iOS natively share pictures over Bluetooth but third-party apps do? It's just something Apple doesn't implement themselves.

I'm not saying iOS 7 won't have 60fps option in the default camera app, but Apple includes APIs to developers that they don't incorporate in their own apps.

 

[Daveoc64]

If you don't mind, could you post the link to the API?

If you have a (free) iOS Developer account, this link will show you the documentation for iOS 6 and older.

If you want to see the documentation for iOS 7, you'll need to find it by signing in with a paid developer account.

 

[mdelvecchio]

The "enclosure" idea is pretty reasonable, but it pretty much requires you to use it as your case 24/7. I wouldn't like that at all.

why would it require that? i dont use even my normal cases 24/7. if i wanted to sit down and game (which i often do), id grab my controller/case.

The "standalone" controller would be virtually unusable in a lot of situations - particularly with an iPhone or iPod touch.

again, id keep my stand-alone controller at home, for when i wanted to game. if my iphone can mirror to a TV (which it can and does), then im set.

 

[Daveoc64]

Why doesn't iOS natively share pictures over Bluetooth but third-party apps do? It's just something Apple doesn't implement themselves.

I'm not saying iOS 7 won't have 60fps option in the default camera app, but Apple includes APIs to developers that they don't incorporate in their own apps.

Your example doesn't really work.

Apple doesn't allow developers to use Bluetooth to share files with non-iOS devices. Apps can only use Bluetooth to communicate with another iOS device running the same App.

 

[3282868]

This is interesting, given Apple's history of sandboxing/keeping system related access out of developer reach. Should make for more full fledged app's with more focus on business applications/work/utilities as most current apps are games, media players, games, oh, and games.

 

[Daveoc64]

why would it require that? i dont use even my normal cases 24/7. if i wanted to sit down and game (which i often do), id grab my controller/case.

I don't personally use a case, but a LOT of people do! Some of them are easier than others to remove. Some cases pretty much break after being removed a few times.

With the iPhone 5 design, the antenna band shows damage much more easily. It's always been quite common for cases to leave small marks on the antenna band, but given how infrequently people actually remove cases, it's not a big deal. If you're taking it off/on regularly, that would change.

again, id keep my stand-alone controller at home, for when i wanted to game. if my iphone can mirror to a TV (which it can and does), then im set.

That's my point - it's not much use if the only situation that it can be used in is a very "staged" one. Gaming on Smartphones is heavily driven by spontaneous, short sessions.

 

[Benjamins]

making way for Apple TV games

 

[WilliamLondon]

The upcoming XBox and Playstation? Unlikely. While mobile hardware is getting more powerful steadily it still is not going to stand up against coming generation consoles (which are functionally mid low-mid gaming PCs). There are a few things that will stop iOS with a controller from blowing away these machines.

• AirPlay video lag/delay. While good AirPlay is still laggy enough to not be viable for "serious" games.

• Storage. BluRay based games can support anywhere from 20 to 60 GB of data. Apple hasn't even released a 128 GB iOS device. Most folks aren't going to sit around and wait for a 20 GB game to download. This means that texture qualities will never be on the same level as a dedicated box. Even taking PC games as the size we're still talking 8+ GB on the low end.

Forget taking the market away from the two top players. What this really could do is put the hurt on Nintendo. Whenever the A7X processors drop they'll likely be able to perform on par with the WiiU. It would also remove the last obstacle to iOS devises going head to head with Nintendo Handhelds, lack of buttons. Even still there is the storage issue as above, WiiU disk can hold 25 GB of content/textures.

I see this a far more troubling to Nintendo then to Sony or Microsoft. The 16 GB $229 iPod Touch is not far off price wise form the NEW bigger screened 3DS. Depending on what a controller case will cost it will be a hard battle. You can almost kiss the PSVita goodbye.

I agree with you, why is it assumed that Apple would be going after the Xbox/PS market? The biggest market opportunity I would imagine are the people who *don't* currently own one of those but enjoy playing games (but don't intend ever to buy a dedicated console). The Wii went after people who don't normally buy games consoles and ate a bit into Xbox and Sony sales, but sold to a huge chunk of people who would never have ever bought one of the big boy's consoles, so as you say, it'll be Nintendo, but the bigger group will be people who own not a single one of those consoles.

As for lag, wouldn't these apps running on an ATV solve that? They did just open support for BT devices on the ATV, these new controllers could just as easily be controlling that same game on the ATV instead of on an iOS device using airplay.

Your PSVita comment I think is spot on - haven't owned a device like that since my PSP, but with a controller like one of the two pictured, the iPhone will easily be able to compete against the handheld market even more effectively.

Finally, one thing that is often overlooked is that while a typical iOS device is portable and has on board storage (limited as it may be), the ATV with its limited storage is actually (normally) always connected to the home network, so theoretically it wouldn't have to store any of the big games on the device itself, it'd only have to download them locally from a local share and store them temporarily while it ran them. And future devices may increase this storage once they pull their collectives heads our of their arses and allow apps and an app store on the ATV!

 

[Yvan256]

Finally

With MFi Game Controllers + Sprite Kit + Peer-to-Peer Connectivity + Game Center, we have a real alternative to Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

Touch screens are nice for some types of games (such as Galcon) but for other types of games you really need a physical gamepad.

edit: as others have mentioned, it also means games on the 109$CAD AppleTV. And with the indie games coming in force and smaller consoles like Ouya, the hardcore consoles are going to be a hard sell with their sticker price.

 

[Squeak825]

so whats the point of having apps update in the background if they cannot be added anywhere as a "widget" like weather?

Perfect example:

We have to use Good for our email at work. Because of the current rules, Good can only download emails when it is the active application. It does get a push notification to update the badge to how many emails you have waiting for you, but the not emails themselves. They only download once you have it active.

With these changes, when Good gets a push notification for a new email, it can (hopefully) wake up, download the email and go back to sleep. That means that whenever I go to look at my inbox, it is current.

 

[Richdmoore]

MFi certified controllers!! YYYEEEESSS! It seems this API is available to Mavericks too!

Great to hear that both osx 9 and ios 7 will support the gamepad. I haven't heard that from anyone else. Where did you find that info, I just want to read it for myself.

I am very interested in finding out if my expensive Gameloft dual controller will work, or if I need to purchase a new mfi one. I guess it is the price for being an early gamepad adopter.....

 

[applefanDrew]

If you have a (free) iOS Developer account, this link will show you the documentation for iOS 6 and older.

If you want to see the documentation for iOS 7, you'll need to find it by signing in with a paid developer account.

Thanks!

 

[figgnuttan]

Peer to peer connectivity

So, now Apple devices no longer need the Internet to connect to each other.

With those 500 million + devices out there in the wild, this function can really
be a game changer?

 

[Nermal]

Yeah, it allows for it. But no apps have been developed that use it yet.

Try the app "SloPro" and see whether it works. It works with iOS 5, but Apple removed the support in 6. I don't know whether the "new" support in 7 works the same way or is completely redone.

 

[GenesisST]

Sprite Kit - just the name brings me back to my first steps in programming on my Commodore 64! Good times...

 

[FSMBP]

Your example doesn't really work.

Apple doesn't allow developers to use Bluetooth to share files with non-iOS devices. Apps can only use Bluetooth to communicate with another iOS device running the same App.

Fine - The default photos app doesn't allow you share photos over Bluetooth to other iOS devices. But two iOS devices with the same third-party Bluetooth app can.

My example wasn't the point - all I'm saying is, Apple doesn't always take advantage of 100% of iOS's features.

 

[herr_neumann]

• Storage. . Apple hasn't even released a 128 GB iOS device.
.

That isn't how I see it....
http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/

 

[polaris20]

I'm not sure, but I think the new upcoming next-gen console hardware is just a tiny bit more powerful and a different class of gaming than iOS. /sarcasm



----------



Queue slo-mo apps!

While that's certainly true, think of the target markets; they're different. For example, my family will never own an XBox One or a PS4. They're too expensive for the use they'd see.

However, we own two iPhones, an iPod touch, an iPad, and an iPad mini, along with three Rokus.

If I could replace my Wii with an Apple TV, a controller, and iPads I already have, it makes a lot of sense for the casual gamer.

I think a better thought is that Ouya is in serious trouble, because this is precisely the market they're competing in: the casual gamer.

 

[milo]

Interapp audio is a great idea. Are there similar audio improvements in OSX? Right now that sort of thing is fairly convoluted and people end up using things like Rewire, so it would be great to have better options built into the OS.

Most of the apps (unless they're playing audio or using your GPS) will just become inactive in the background so they don't use any RAM/CPU, their state was simply saved to storage so you it can resume when you switch to it again. "Killing" them had no effect except to clear their state cache.

Except that in real world use, it doesn't work that way. Example: Safari reloads each tab as they are switched. And then after killing other apps, the other tabs remain loaded and switch instantly. In that case it sure looks like the other apps are taking up ram and killing them makes it available to safari.

 

[rovex]

Why doesn't iOS natively share pictures over Bluetooth but third-party apps do? It's just something Apple doesn't implement themselves.

I'm not saying iOS 7 won't have 60fps option in the default camera app, but Apple includes APIs to developers that they don't incorporate in their own apps.

I think it's fair to assume 60FPS will be something they'll be pushing in the next device, where it's also fair to assume the camera will be the main feature.

 

[portishead]

I was just saying last week that we needed some gaming controllers for the iPhone. Looks like I was onto something.

 

[LeoNobilis]

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


During Monday's WWDC keynote, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, mentioned that iOS 7 would add 1,500 new APIs to Apple's SDK, including iBeacons, MFi game controllers, and new multitasking options.

Image​

These APIs reveal promising new features that developers will be able to incorporate into future app and hardware releases, offering new gaming technology, new location tracking options, and more. Here's a closer look at a few of the most notable APIs:

iBeacons - According to MacWorld, iBeacons are designed to use the Bluetooth Low Energy profile for microlocation, allowing iOS devices to use Bluetooth 4.0 devices to access location data.

AirDrop from Activity Sheet - Apps will be able to incorporate AirDrop support, giving users the ability to share photos, documents and more with friends from within an app.

Apple Maps - iOS 7 will let developers include additional mapping features in apps, including 3D viewing experiences, direction related route information and map-based images.

MFi Game Controllers - iOS 7 includes support for MFi "Made for iPhone" Apple Certified hardware game controllers, which will allow manufacturers to create dedicated iOS gaming controllers, turning the iPhone and the iPad into gaming machines on par with handheld gaming systems. Apps will be able to be designed around the Game Controller framework, allowing for seamless connectivity. Our sister site TouchArcade has shared an image from Apple's developer library detailing a reference design of both a standalone controller and an iPhone enclosure.

Image​

Sprite Kit - The Sprite Kit framework is designed to allow developers to create high-performing 2D games, controlling sprite attributes like position, size, rotation, gravity, and mass. It includes built-in support for physics to make animations look realistic and it also includes particle systems for additional game effects.

Game Center - iOS 7 adds new turn-based gaming modes (including simultaneous turns, chats, and trades) along with new methods for player authentication and secure game score transmission. This feature is likely designed to cut down on hacked Game Center scores from jailbroken devices.

Multitasking and Background Downloads - Apple's new multitasking APIs are designed to allow apps to update and download content in the background at intelligently scheduled times. For example, a Twitter app might incorporate this functionality, downloading new content in the background while the phone is not otherwise in use, staying up to date without unnecessarily draining battery. Push notifications can also initiate content downloads.

Inter-App Audio - With Inter-App Audio, apps are able to share audio streams with other apps, an API that will make it even easier to use Apple's iDevices to create music.

60-fps Video Capture - iOS 7 will allow apps to capture video at up to 60 frames per second.

Peer-to-Peer Connectivity - This data transmission API is designed to allow users to discover nearby devices and initiate direct communication without Internet connectivity.

Apple has a slew of other APIs available for developers, which should bring a lot of changes to apps when iOS 7 is released. For additional information on iOS 7, we detailed many of the upcoming features and we also explored some of the hidden tidbits.


Article Link: Upcoming iOS 7 APIs: Gaming Improvements, Multitasking Support, AirDrop, and More

So, no text input / keyboard APIs, right?

Then, well, HTC / Samsung / LG / Sony / Google! Our rendezvous, a while ago thought improbable, is slowly but surely materialising. Apple, darling, time for an eternal adieu. I'm sure, you'll continue making a few digitally illiterate pre-WWI grannies as delighted as I were in January 2007, when I first heard of you, and mid-2008, when our paths crossed first.

I can't continue stabbing at you with my limbs - all five of them - in the hope of getting you contented, all this time I've been more into caressing gently to convey my fondness. But in your infinitely stubborn, slovenly uncouthness, you ever failed to understand the gentle hankerings of my spirit.

Adieu, darling… Be a good stepping stone for others, too… I did love you once upon a time, I really did… Take care of yourself and your rapidly waining stock price, love…

 

[Millah]

Finally. iOS has always been a reliable and easy to use mobile platform, the only thing it ever lacked we're true killer third party apps.

Ummm.....what? I think you're confused. Either that or delusional.

 

[TouchMint.com]

Seems pretty cool. I cant wait to get into xcode5.