"The iPhone can never replace portable gaming machines," says gamers

[skidbubble]

The gamers are correct. It will not replace the dedicated devices, but it will win over the casual gamers.

If you think it replaces these devices , then I would argue your not a hardcore gamer, and need to accept thier views which will probably be around the physical controls

FYI , angry birds is a time waster and not a gamers game .

Yup, agree with this 100%.

The iPhone is nothing more than a quick time-waster while waiting in line or waiting in the doctors office. A quick game of Angry Birds or solitaire, that's about it. It has no buttons, it will never replace a portable gaming console. Gamers need the tactile feel of actually pressing the buttons, not touching smooth glass. Try doing a 5-10 button combo on an iPhone. Not so much. Or how about hitting the start button real quick to take a glance at the map? That's right, there is no start button.

In short, if you're in the waiting room at Jiffy Lube for 15 minutes, then the iPhone is the right device. Playing something like Skyrim or Black Ops on an iPhone is just a stupid idea.

 

[Electa]

Yup, agree with this 100%.

The iPhone is nothing more than a quick time-waster while waiting in line or waiting in the doctors office. A quick game of Angry Birds or solitaire, that's about it. It has no buttons, it will never replace a portable gaming console. Gamers need the tactile feel of actually pressing the buttons, not touching smooth glass. Try doing a 5-10 button combo on an iPhone. Not so much. Or how about hitting the start button real quick to take a glance at the map? That's right, there is no start button.

In short, if you're in the waiting room at Jiffy Lube for 15 minutes, then the iPhone is the right device. Playing something like Skyrim or Black Ops on an iPhone is just a stupid idea.

Wait, what portable gaming console the Skyrim run-on again? Have you even read the title?

 

[Phokus]

Then there are those of us who game on PC's/Macs/Consoles who think gaming on a phone is stupid.

 

[Tadros]

Ahh, the glorious App Store. Over hundreds of thousands of apps waiting to be downloaded and discovered. Most of them, games.

I tried to argue with gamers that the iPhone is the future of mobile gaming and that the portable gaming machines (PSP, Nintendo DS) era is dead, they tried to fight back. They said that the iPhone can never ever replace them because the games are too childish (Angry Birds, Cut the rope) and graphics aren't good enough.

What are your thoughts?

As a videogame journalist, I both agree and disagree with both of you. On the one hand, physical controls are necessary to get the most out of any gaming situation (handheld or console) companies have tried to steer away from the controller, but this does not seem to help "true gamers" and is mostly beneficial to the "casual gamer." On the other hand, the bite sized nature in which iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch users can consume games, at low cost, adds to the great success of the platform. Are the games necessarily better on iOS over say, PS Vita or 3DS? I wouldn't say that, but I wouldn't say they are worse either, just different.

At the end of the day, it's personal preference. I for one have my iPhone on me at all times and would rather play a game on something that I already have than go out and purchase a 3DS or Vita for a couple hundred just for a handful of games, and carry another device. You may notice that the handheld manufactures are taking cues from Apple and offering more features outside of gaming, which is great, but I still personally wouldn't spend the cash on either of them. Essentially, what is needed for any gaming platform to strive is it's content, and right now Nintendo and Sony (on their handheld devices) just don't have enough to offer the average consumer, where the App Store has tons of bite sized experiences as well as more time consuming ones. There are, of course, a handful of great games on the PS Vita and the 3DS, but I feel as though both Sony and Nintendo aren't pushing as hard as they should be.

Will iOS replace home console gaming? Definitely not, but I could see iOS replacing the handheld market, especially if there were an elegant way of getting physical controls on the devices.

 

[appswipe]

Ahh, the glorious App Store. Over hundreds of thousands of apps waiting to be downloaded and discovered. Most of them, games.

I tried to argue with gamers that the iPhone is the future of mobile gaming and that the portable gaming machines (PSP, Nintendo DS) era is dead, they tried to fight back. They said that the iPhone can never ever replace them because the games are too childish (Angry Birds, Cut the rope) and graphics aren't good enough.

What are your thoughts?

1) The use of definitive terms like "Never" and "Always" arent meant to be taken literally. They are simply ways for people to express how strongly they feel about an opinion at a certain point in time. So just like so many out here said "3.5" is perfect and Apple will NEVER make a screen bigger than that" and changed their mind when they realized a bigger screen is nice, it is entirely possible for someone to say "the iPhone can NEVER standalone game consoles" and then change their mind when they see things catch up. Nobody is ignorant or better at seeing the future, they are simply stating what they see right now. And when it comes to gaming, it is such a diverse category that both sides can be both right and wrong.

2) Why are you trying to argue with anyone over something so stupid?

 

[tigress666]

My issue is missing the popular NES titles. Would love to have zelda, mario, etc on there. Maybe one day Nintendo will go the way of sega and we can buy Zelda on the iphone.

I've tried many RPGs on the iphone. Some are ok. But they still seem to miss something.

Not a big Nintendo game fan honestly but I am an RPG fan (especially Squaresoft) and I have to agree with that second sentence. I'd like to see some good quality rpgs on the iphone. Honestly, the touchscreen for at least turn based rpgs isn't a hamper at all and can be easier in ways so it's not like lack of physical controls is what is holding it back.

 

[joshwithachance]

Playing Pokémon ROMs on a jailbroken iPhone with a GBA Emulator is possibly the funnest mobile gaming experience I've ever had.

 

[Textureboy]

I believe its doing better than the PS Vita.. lol

 

[RotaryP7]

I don't play any of the current new gen portable gaming devices so I wouldn't know. But I'm sure most people including me would rather play the old school Nintendo games on their iPhones.

I know when I used to have a JB iPhone I would have those emulators. If Nintendo ever released their games to Apple. Imagine how much they would bank.

Too bad that's never going to happen.

 

[ipoddin]

What's wrong with having both?

 

[Lightey]

You're obviously not a gamer. The iPhone is fine for causal gamers, but people who want to play full, console quality, games, will want physical buttons and a handheld like the 3DS or Vita.

 

[MuddyPaws1]

Not to split hairs but the OP did say "portable" gaming, not home console.

You know, yer right. I missed that and when I was reading comments there was a lot of comparing it consoles and stuff.

Sorry about that.




On that note though, I don't think it's just the iPhone that might be the future but phones in general. I hate to call them phones....they are way more than that.

Bigger screens will be a must for games. My son has installed pretty much the same games on my wife's iPhone and my Galaxy S3 and when we are traveling or out and about, he grabs the S3 more often to play games. Says it's better because of the screen size.

But gaming on a phone has a long way to go to compete with the other systems out there. Battery life being one of the biggest issues I see.

 

[iPad 2]

It most certainly can, you just need one of these babies...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1703567677/icontrolpad-2-the-open-source-controller

 

[tigress666]

For you. Which is again my point. Not everyone is you, and not everyone plays games, or wants to play games, the exact same way you do.

This is the same logical trap that Apple fanboys and Fandroids fall into, every time: that everyone's preferences and behaviors are the same, and anyone using anything else is just being stupid.

Thank you

 

[phr0ze]

You're obviously not a gamer. The iPhone is fine for causal gamers, but people who want to play full, console quality, games, will want physical buttons and a handheld like the 3DS or Vita.

I disagree.

You grew up with console controllers so thats what you want. However my 10yr old son has grown up with iDevices and he whizes around the games like I can with the physical controller.

Just like when I play FPS, I insist on a keyboard mouse combo because I don't see how anyone can be accurate with a console controller. However thats because I learned FPS on a mouse and keyboard. I would say that combo is the only way to play. However there are plenty of youner people who whiz around on them too with a console controller.

Point being, you're getting old, the kids growing up with it are getting along fine.

 

[OutSpoken]

I disagree.

You grew up with console controllers so thats what you want. However my 10yr old son has grown up with iDevices and he whizes around the games like I can with the physical controller.

Just like when I play FPS, I insist on a keyboard mouse combo because I don't see how anyone can be accurate with a console controller. However thats because I learned FPS on a mouse and keyboard. I would say that combo is the only way to play. However there are plenty of youner people who whiz around on them too with a console controller.

Point being, you're getting old, the kids growing up with it are getting along fine.

...And then there is me, who owned joystick and tape playing PC's, grew up playing arcade machines down the local chippy and video rental store. Bought popular consoles from the mid 80s, 90s and early 2000s... and now i prefer to play games on my ipad and iphone.

Its all down to personal preference. On a side note some of my favourite games to play on iOS is Street Fighter IV Volt and SFxT. Both games which naturally require a joystick and buttons, however I enjoy it just find with touch controls.

 

[decafjava]

Infinity Blade is trash. Absolute trash. On the level of Angry Birds but prettier.

Pure uninformed opinion, which many others don't share, unless you think game review sites and thousands of gamers are idiots. Hell Infinity Blade has become a franchise, Chair Entertainment got a fairly well knowns sci-fi fantasy writer named Brandon Sanderson to write a short novel creating the backstory and filling the gap between IB I and II its sequel. Another game in the series is coming out as well....frankly everyone in the business has praised its optimal use of touch controls as perfect for the platform. IB II is much more complex, more fighting styles and various gems and power ups that really add to developing different tactics. If you don't like it that's your perogative but please enough with the attitude.

Besides, even Angry Birds - or my fave in casual gaming Tiny Wings - have their place as well.

 

[decafjava]

The gamers are correct. It will not replace the dedicated devices, but it will win over the casual gamers.

If you think it replaces these devices , then I would argue your not a hardcore gamer, and need to accept thier views which will probably be around the physical controls

FYI , angry birds is a time waster and not a gamers game .

Then there are those of us who game on PC's/Macs/Consoles who think gaming on a phone is stupid.

FYI, I am a PC gamer and tend to prefer hardcore simulations-especially flight and military sims. (Silent Hunter, Steel Fury, Il2-1946 and X-plane) and so am I allowed to express my praise of mobile gaming? I am allowed to think mobile gaming is NOT stupid? Yes I am fç%& you very much. Honestly the arrogance.

All games are time wasters and non-productive that's why they're games! That said Even poor old Angry Birds teaches you problem solving-though I actually think Bad Piggies is more challenging. What about World of Goo or Contre Jour?

Even some pretty good flight sims exist for mobile, that said I agree the whole battery issue is a problem.

Again, we are taking portable gaming here, not consoles or desktops.

 

[Krandor]

You're obviously not a gamer. The iPhone is fine for causal gamers, but people who want to play full, console quality, games, will want physical buttons and a handheld like the 3DS or Vita.

I have to agree. I have tried a few FPS on he iPhone like Mass Effect and they have all pretty much sucked. Trying to make the genre work on a touchpad is very very hard and makes for crappy controls.

 

[Interstella5555]

I disagree.

You grew up with console controllers so thats what you want. However my 10yr old son has grown up with iDevices and he whizes around the games like I can with the physical controller.

Just like when I play FPS, I insist on a keyboard mouse combo because I don't see how anyone can be accurate with a console controller. However thats because I learned FPS on a mouse and keyboard. I would say that combo is the only way to play. However there are plenty of youner people who whiz around on them too with a console controller.

Point being, you're getting old, the kids growing up with it are getting along fine.

So we're all playing baby's games now?

I think you're missing the point where they were talking about full, console or PC level games, which is not what people are playing on phones. Sure, we may be getting old but that doesn't change the fact that Angry Birds is a fundamentally different experience than Uncharted or Demon Souls. Just because Mcdonalds or Hard Rock Cafe sells more food or is more accessible than a 5 star restaurant doesn't necessarily mean the quality is any better or that they aren't better options that people are too lazy to explore.

 

[MH01]

FYI, I am a PC gamer and tend to prefer hardcore simulations-especially flight and military sims. (Silent Hunter, Steel Fury, Il2-1946 and X-plane) and so am I allowed to express my praise of mobile gaming? I am allowed to think mobile gaming is NOT stupid? Yes I am fç%& you very much. Honestly the arrogance.

All games are time wasters and non-productive that's why they're games! That said Even poor old Angry Birds teaches you problem solving-though I actually think Bad Piggies is more challenging. What about World of Goo or Contre Jour?

Even some pretty good flight sims exist for mobile, that said I agree the whole battery issue is a problem.

Again, we are taking portable gaming here, not consoles or desktops.

Mate, your not a hardcore gamer! And the games your listed, back to 2001 ha ha???

Some take gaming very seriously http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports

Do some research before posting, your a casual gamer and the iphone probably suits you.

I tried playing Metal slug 3 on my iphone, is crap without physical controls.

 

[alent1234]

Mate, your not a hardcore gamer! And the games your listed, back to 2001 ha ha???

Some take gaming very seriously http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports

Do some research before posting, your a casual gamer and the iphone probably suits you.

I tried playing Metal slug 3 on my iphone, is crap without physical controls.

electronic sports?
takes a lot of strength to move that finger

 

[phr0ze]

...And then there is me, who owned joystick and tape playing PC's, grew up playing arcade machines down the local chippy and video rental store. Bought popular consoles from the mid 80s, 90s and early 2000s... and now i prefer to play games on my ipad and iphone.

Me too. I grew up playing games on an Apple IIe and atari. Then moved on to IBM Clones and NES. Eventually tried PS2, PS3, Wii. While I did very well at some of those newer games, I still love the titles I grew up with more.

However, I have done some serious gaming on the iphone/ipad and I like it.

 

[decafjava]

Mate, your not a hardcore gamer! And the games your listed, back to 2001 ha ha???

Some take gaming very seriously http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports

Do some research before posting, your a casual gamer and the iphone probably suits you.

I tried playing Metal slug 3 on my iphone, is crap without physical controls.

You have a problem with reading comprehension-I have a PC and play my most complex games on it.

Besides Flight sims are not hardcore? Il-2 is the top WWII flight sim series that started in 2001 but has come out in installments with whole new game (brand new engine) "Cliffs of Dover" which came out in 2011, Steel Fury is a WWII tank sim, 2007 but still blows arcade games like World of Tanks out of the water.

X-plane is a modern game, constantly refined every two years or so and demanding high horsepower as well as equipment like joysticks and rudders that mobelie gaming can't provide.

I also play strategy games (Empire: Total War) that shooter kiddies like you would not appreciate. So anyone with some brains can see your post was hilariously wrong and I am a gamer-just as I enjoy fine cuisine or a quick burger equally well.

 

[WeegieMac]

One point no one has brought up is price, and by that I mean of the games themselves. You can get a comparable experience, which is enough for some, for £4.99 compared to £40 on a portable console. I mean, look at FIFA 13 on the new iPad. It's not close to the PS Vita in terms of graphics, but for a fraction of the cost you get 99% of the game modes, all the teams, and online play.

I've long since gotten bored of console gaming, it's repetitive now. I'm 33 now, began gaming on a Spectrum 48k aged 7 and I've seen and done it all. I used to import the latest consoles via a great store in Glasgow called CA Games. Dreamcast, PS2, PSP ... I've paid over and above to have them all back in the day when universal hardware release dates were a pipe dream.

Nowadays, my iPad suffices for my gaming needs. I personally, and I stress me personally, have no need to play yet another Call Of Duty or FIFA whist paying £40 for the pleasure, if not more depending on where you choose to purchase your titles from.