Is it time that Apple got serious about hardcore games and hardcore gamers?

[wikoogle]

These two quotes sum up my point perfectly...

The majority of hardcore gamers which havent looked at the iDevice as a gaming console are dismissing it completely coz of lack of controls. I really think an Apple supported gaming accessory will be a giant leap for iDevices as a gaming console. Just look at any non-iOS centric gaming blog like kotako and everytime they mention an iPhone game, the comments are full of people dismissing iDevices coz of crappy touch controls. I cant blame them.

I'd love to see a good controller case, so long as it doesn't look like complete crap and matches the styling of the platform.

I love iOS gaming, but for many games the TS is pathetic for controls. Especially some types of action games. Would be great to have options for people who want real controls instead.

For games like Angry Birds, Flight Control etc, touch screen controls are ideal and more than adequate.

But the iPhone is about to get more traditional games, like this...
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Various/Infinity+Blade/news.asp?c=24893

From the makers of Epic Citadel. And the best part is, the devs said they can pull off a game along the lines of Gears of War, but with better graphics on the iPhone as well.

The video looks mind blowing, but the previews indicate that with all the various gestures to pull off the moves, it's clunky, as opposed to traditonal controls on similar games like God of War 3.

IMO, traditional games like that, are enhanced greatly traditional controls. There are only so many buttons you can squeeze onto a 3.5 inch touchscreen before it gets cluttered and confusing.

And there is a very easy fix...

There is a reason why Call of Duty is ported to every single gaming platform out there, except for the smartphone market. As Activision said, a game like Call of Duty needs buttons, lots of them, as well as dual analog sticks.


Apple just has to either release, or support something along what's pictured, and suddenly, a game like Final Fantasy or Halo or Gears of War becomes viable on the iPhone. Bungies next game might well see an iPhone release. The next Call of Duty might get an iPhone release. All it takes for that to happen is for an accessory like the one pictured to get released and supported by Apple.

 

[Muad'Dib]

Hardcore gaming != portable

(But if you want the above device....why not?)

Edit: I see you changed your subject title

 

[nednarm]

Agreed, some sort of pad is needed. There's only so much you can do on a 3.5" screen.

 

[wikoogle]

Here is how it would work. Apple releases something as pictured and soon Street Fighter, Black Pegasus, NOVA2, CoD: Zombies and a host of other shooters and platformers all get updated to both support the attachment and retain their current controls if they don't detect it.

Yes, games like Doodle Jump and Angry Birds are fun.

But at some point, gamers want to be able to play Call of Duty: Black Ops on the iPhone. Wouldn't you personally want to be able to play Gears of War on the iPhone? Honestly, as long as atleast Gameloft supports it, I would be happy. Playing Modern Combat 1/2 and Nova 1/2 with dual analogs would be a dream come true.

Also, this would benefit independent developers like you guys too. First, this would increase the appeal of iPhone gaming to gamers like these who demand buttons before they take gaming seriously...

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27498866

Due to the low cost of making games on the iPhone, an independent developer could with some hard work make the next Call of Duty style game that supports such an accessory and rake in the cash. A small developer team would finally have a shot to take on the big dogs like Activision if such an accessory gets released.

What's wrong with the iPhone being a gaming platform? It's not as if all it's other uses go away just because you can play traditional games with traditional controls on it as well. And it's not as if games like Doodle Jump and Flight Control would disappear either. Games designed around the touch screen would still remain the most popular, as not every single iPhone owner will buy such an accessory.

The more markets, and the more gamers iPhone gaming appeals to, the better.

 

[Psycdude]

I've been waiting for something like this for that last few generations of iPhone. I agree that it would have to be released/supported by Apple, otherwise it would be unlikely that more than one game company would support it.

 

[Carlanga]

it's a phone not a portable gaming console, games are part of the iPhone but not the most important factor, so no... If you want it for gaming buy the PSP phone when it gets out or the 3DS for full gaming.

I believe there is already an add-on controller that you stick the phone to play games, check macrumors for the thread on it and if you like it buy it so you can have buttons on your iPhone. Apple usually leaves accessories to 3rd parties...

 

[wikoogle]

There is an add-on controller that you stick the phone to play games, check macrumors for the thread on it and if you like it buy it so you can have buttons on your iPhone. Buttons will never happen on the iPhone!

I see the reason for your opposition. You thought the mockup is a picture of the next iPhone, rather than a picture of an accessory released for the current iPhone.

No, the mockup doesn't show buttons on the iPhone. Actually it's an add on controller just like what you mentioned that you stick the phone in to play games on.

it's a phone not a portable gaming console, games are part of the iPhone but not the most important factor

If this is true, why are Apple and Epic working so closely to port the Unreal engine over to the iPhone?

Why are devs like Gameloft sinking millions of dollars in developing traiditional games like NOVA and Modern Warfare to the iPhone?

I've been waiting for something like this for that last few generations of iPhone. I agree that it would have to be released/supported by Apple, otherwise it would be unlikely that more than one game company would support it.

Honestly, as long as atleast Gameloft supports it, I would be happy. Playing Modern Combat 1/2 and Nova 1/2 with dual analogs would be a dream come true.

 

[Small White Car]

Heck, I really thought something like this would have come out in 2008.

 

[aluren]

That looks good, except you forgot the shoulder buttons, which is a must for FPS. But what happens when you want to exit the game and send a text?

 

[wikoogle]

There is an add-on controller that you stick the phone to play games, check macrumors for the thread on it and if you like it buy it so you can have buttons on your iPhone. Buttons will never happen on the iPhone!

I see the reason for your opposition. You though the mockup is a picture of the next iPhone, rather than a picture of an accessory released for the current iPhone.

No, the mockup doesn't show buttons on the iPhone. Actually it's an add on controller just like what you mentioned that you stick the phone in to play games on.

it's a phone not a portable gaming console, games are part of the iPhone but not the most important factor

If this is true, why are Apple and Epic working so closely to port the Unreal engine over to the iPhone?

Why are devs like Gameloft sinking millions of dollars in developing traiditional games like NOVA and Modern Warfare to the iPhone?

 

[dscuber9000]

Hardcore gaming != portable

(But if you want the above device....why not?)

Edit: I see you changed your subject title

As a hard-core gamer, I could not agree more. The PSP is anything but portable (all of its games should have been PS3 games, they definitely weren't designed with quick ten-minute intervals in mind, especially since it takes two minutes to power it on and load a save ). The DS has a good feature where it goes into sleep mode when you close it, but there still is rarely a good "quick save" mode and has the same (but not as bad) issue with turning it on and loading saves. The iPhone is truly portable because it takes AT MOST a couple seconds to load, and if the developer is clever, there is no saving since the iPhone can just load where the player left off.

Nintendo is stealing some ideas from the iPhone for the 3DS, thank goodness.

 

[wikoogle]

Oh that must explain why the DS and PSP flopped so hard.

Oh wait a minute, no the DS sold 100+ million copies and the PSP sold 70+ million copies.

But... but... hardcore games that require buttons don't work on portable systems. How can that be?

 

[Carlanga]

...If this is true, why are Apple and Epic working so closely to port the Unreal engine over to the iPhone? Why are devs like Gameloft sinking millions of dollars in developing traiditional games like NOVA and Modern Warfare to the iPhone?...

You posted 2x your reply
That's because the iPod is being touted as a portable gaming device not the iPhone. They all run the same iOS so stuff from one benefits the other. Gaming for people older than 18 of age that own an iPhone is used mostly as a time waster... compared to all the other things you use the phone, gaming is for those in between and boring times when out and about. To carry an accessory like this, I would prefer to carry a true gaming device that would not suck up my battery for more important things I have to do later on my phone.

 

[h1r0ll3r]

Yes. Playing Street Fighter using touchscreen controls sucks.

 

[Tarzanman]

Touchscreen phones make poor gaming devices.

 

[DroidRules]

Honestly, as long as atleast Gameloft supports it, I would be happy. Playing Modern Combat 1/2 and Nova 1/2 with dual analogs would be a dream come true.

If this is a dream come true you should really dream better dreams.

No need for "hard core" games for iPhone IMHO. Like some have said if you want HC games buy yourself a PSP.

 

[wikoogle]

How does it make sense for apple to make me buy a psp when the iphone can produce games that look twice as good and could play twice as good with a $20 accessory?

Why should I have to have to buy a $200 device when a $20 accessory could let me use my iPhone for all my needs rather than having to swap devices constantly?

 

[The Phazer]

Yes, so very much. There'd be ways to do it that folded up onto the ends of the phone that were very compact too.

I'm still amazed we've not seen a third party one - I can only conclude that Apple see it as being against their buttonless vision and are being difficult about licensing the port adapter.

I wonder how the latency is in mapping buttons to the bluetooth keyboard input?

Phazer.

 

[wikoogle]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

We need a device like this.

 

[Risco]

Apples next big thing will be a standalone portable console, the iPhone will not be getting any buttons though.

 

[Merthyrboy]

I think that for different problems we need different solutions. If we just stick buttons on the iPhone or an optional pad then we still have buttons which would be sort of like gaming on a controller with the screen inside of the controller. Either we need smarter gestures to play games or we could stop trying to make something that really isn't working on the phone like first person shooters until a better technology is available or we are led to develop that technology. Some games work amazingly on the iPhone though like super monkey ball, osmosis and a number of driving games. these aren't the only games but ones that I really enjoy playing.

 

[ohaithar]

.....

That gaming add on for the iPhone is ugly.

 

[wikoogle]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

I disagree. This looks awesome.

 

[Savor]

Yes. But considering iPhone may always lack buttons, I don't see that happening anytime soon. It is okay. Apple can take over the casual market in portable gaming that Nintendo has dominated far too long. Sony and Nintendo just know more about gaming than Apple does. But once in awhile, we will get some hardcore games in the App Store and have those accessories to get buttons. And I used to think that Apple would never let a game similar to God of War sold in the App Store. Not with all the sex and violence that game has. But then I forget all the rated-R movies they rent out and sell on iTunes.

The 3DS I plan to get next year should provide me with both casual and hardcore portable fun after seeing games like MGS and RE. I wasn't sold at first, but the trailer to some of the upcoming games is starting to convince me. I'm just not a Xbox fanboy even though I own the first one and find all the FPS too redundant. I'll stick to Sony and Ninendo. I notice Nintendo is targeting the hardcore segment with the 3DS again and third party developers are all hopping on board. Smart move to target as Apple seems to be eating away at the same demographic of Nintendo's. Hardcore gamers is what keeps the industry going...

 

[Tears Apart]

This is an interesting topic, one which will bring unexpected turns and surprises in the times to come.

I believe so because:

(1) the iPhone/iPod/iPad will never be "real" gaming devices until they either employ pad-like inputs or develop a revolutionary touch experience.

(2) as said above Apple is investing in the gaming industry hence there is indeed an interest in going that direction (and we all know Apple's arsenal in terms of cash and intuition)

(3) the gaming industry is a massive business that keeps growing and which holds great potential to develop and transform itself.

That said, the apparatus displayed above is not ideal to me. I think we'll see something much more sleek, and most likely something totally Apple-backed-up. What that will look like remains to be seen!