the thing is...
From my understanding of the MBX Lite, the PSP has the same or higher graphics capability. The PSP GPU runs at 166mhz while the MBXL runs at 100 (or so) in the iPhone. The PSP can output up to 33 million poly/sec while the iPhone can do around 7. Basically the iPhone is a mini dreamcast while the PSP is a mini PS2 (in terms of GPU ability)
You're actually incorrect.
While the clockspeed of the PSP "GPU" is above that of PowerVR MBX, the other specs you posted are absolutely misleading.
Can the PSP GPU pull off 33 million poly/sec? Yes. Same as the PS2 could pull of 75 million poly/sec.
By that I mean it's more Sony B.S. PS2 could never pull off that number
in game, with all textures, lighting effects, etc. 75 million was just pie in the sky floating, textureless polys without light sources. Same deal with PSP's proported 33 million poly/sec spec. In game, it's far, far, far less.
PowerVR's solutions, on the other hand, were always
downplayed, much like how Nintendo's estimates of Gamecube's power were downplayed. Imagination Technologies (or whatever the outfit is called now) bases their specs on what they think is actually do-able. Dreamcast was listed as being only able to push 2.5-3 million poly/sec in game, with all effects. There are quite a few Dreamcast games that push over twice that number (Test Drive Le Mans being one).
The MBX specs I've provided the link for list it as being able to push 10 million poly/sec. MBX-lite obviously pushes less, but those are still underestimates of what it could do in game.
. Apple really should have gone with the SGX, then they would have Gamecube/Wii levels of GPU power.
Eh...SGX is actually better than Wii and GC in one main area: Shaders. SGX can run pixel and vertex shaders 3.0. GC and Wii (and, no, both are
not exactly the same...Wii isn't just a suped up GC, it's quite a lot more powerful) can only do Texture EnVironments (TEVs) which are shaders, but not as flexible as the one's used in XBox, 360, and, yes, SGX.
I know everyone is excited about the iPhone having great games, I am too, but I am not sure if every genre translates to multitouch and accelerometer very well. 2D platformers would be good, 3D platformers would be difficult. Sports games would be hard, as would 3D FPSes.
I agree, but I think 2D platformers wouldn't actually be that easy. Those games, like their 3D counterparts, require absolute precision controls (after all, don't want to miss the platform your jumping to, or slide off). Fighters also will not be on the platform. Sega'll make Monkey Ball and Sonic (but not the same Sonic that we see on home consoles), but they sure as heck won't be making an iPhone Virtua Fighter any time soon.
So you add a controller to the iPhone, well as people in the console world know, if it doesn't come in the box (or as a part of a game which you can't do on a digital download) it doesn't sell well. So you can't gaurantee that everyone will have the controller add-on so you really can't program for it exclusively otherwise you reduce your userbase thus reducing your $$.[/
*applauds
Exactly!
The thing about having
just the motion and touch controls is that there are genres that simply won't be playable. Thus iPhone/iPod touch misses out on those. Will it get "new" genres? Probably not. Hasn't really been a new genre in very, very, very long. Most games now are still in established genres like RPG, action, adventure, action/adventure, sports, racing, etc. Having motion sensing and touch controls won't change that. Having just those inputs will lessen the types of game genres available, thus lessening, not increasing, scope and marketability. And just having those controls might force developers to think outside the box, but it'll actually force many more to think outside of the platform (that is, not even bother developing on Apple's little system).
Furthermore...the price point of the iPhone does not make it a mass market device to the level a game system should be. Best bet for Apple would be to strip it down a bit, maybe use SGX in there (rise in cost for GPU lessened by costs cut elsewhere), and put traditional controls on the device alongside the motion sensing and touch screen. That way, it's there for those that want to use it, and the traditional inputs there for those that don't. Best of all worlds, and thus a wider scope of games.
Keep TV out, though. SGX can even output HD, iirc. That'd be great, and, IMHO, a portable/home console hybrid is the future. Sizable niche can be carved with such a device.
Since they already cracked iphone 2.0 within the first few days of it released to developers 
