Independent gaming could flourish on the iPhone

Slashdot It! When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 2.0 along with the app store, he surprised everyone by demonstrating a few small games along with it. Now, with WWDC and the launch of the App Store just next week, it will be interesting to see exactly how seriously developers will take the iPhone as a gaming platform. It’s a capable machine, that’s for sure. Early prototypes of games made by independent developers rival the graphical complexity of a PSP or Nintendo DS. This is mostly thanks to the iPhone and iPod Touch’s use of Core Animation adapted for ARM processors, allowing for the advanced effects of OS X and now OpenGL accelerated 3D games. Some are predicting this to be a boon for the mobile gaming industry, maybe even rivaling Nintendo’s DS. I predict a tamer response. Apple might finally put the lackluster java-based cell phone gaming market to death. While cell phones benefit from mobile stores for games and ubiquity, they suffer because they lack the graphical ability to run truly engaging games. Often they are designed poorly and only provide a minimal distraction at best. The PSP and Nintendo DS however, excel at developing and creating rich 3D games, but they lack an on demand store or constant internet connection. They do however, command a combined install base of nearly 84 million worldwide. The iPhone hopes to sell 10 million units and it benefits from the best of both the cell phones and PSP’s strengths, without any of their weaknesses. It also happens to be an outstanding device already, which will be bought regardless of its gaming success. Developers can create games with the confidence that there will be a user base in existence for years to come. via TIS Get Daily Updates via Email Protect your computer with Windows Onecare