Comments on: For games, no big rush to speedy iPhone 3GS

The latest Apple phone is a hot ticket, but some game makers say it's still a niche product representing just a fraction of the market they're looking for.

[kasrhp1]

Its still a touchscreen device. It has a 3.5 inch display. Where would the controls be? If you put your thumbs on either side of the screen, you loose about half the screen. Its neat that it CAN do that, but c'mon. How many times can you shake, rattle, or roll your iphone playing a weak game before you drop it and break it? Until there are actual physical controls, I dont see this gaming on the phone being anything legit. Keep the simple games out now, but dont try to put Call of Duty on the iphone.

[kelmon]

So, the device should change to fit current games? I'd rather the games change to fit the device. Much like with the Wii, I am not particularly in playing the same games I played 10+ years ago on a mobile device but rather playing something new and interesting (particularly if the price is going to be cheap). I see no reason why physical controls are a necessity.

[Sausagebiscuit]

Why does the screen get loose if you put your thumbs on the side?

[Maclover1]

Dumbest comment ever on the iPhone. You clearly have never used one. Your thumbs ether only touch the edge, or rest on the edge/non-screen black sections on either end of the screen.

I am pretty sure that no one will make a call of duty game. You need to use your brain just a tad and think outside of your first person shooter PC gaming fog. Think DS or PSP. Those games are the type of games that the iPhone/iTouch will target. Ad in the motion controls and you have a Wii like difference that makes the device stand out.

[Synthmeister]

You guys have no clue. First there are already several successful FPS like Call of Duty on the iPhone including Metal Gear Solid, Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil, Brothers in Arms, Time Crisis Strike and Terminator Salvation despite the supposedly crippled control potential.
Second, with OS 3.0, device makers are allowed to add hardware controls which some people love to fondle.
Third, the iPhone/touch is opening up games to a whole new market of people who never used hardware controllers and will never miss them.

[molotov]

Emerge from stone age, grandpa. People have complained about ATMs in the past and were afraid to use it.

Do you need a joystick sticking out of your iPhone, is that what you want? You so sick. Thats like taking two steps back. Disgusting

[Mark_Anderson]

If you think the iPhone is going to challenge the mainstream handhelds you're delusional.

And yes, touchscreens suck for gaming.

[viper396]

While I agree that certain games simply don't work or play well on a touch screen device you can't expect the hardware to be changed to accomodate a game. A good developer makes games that accomodate the hardware, not the other way around.


I also agree that the iPod has a long way to go to challenge the mainstream handheld game consoles. While gaming is good It's still a phone first and foremost and will always be hindered as a gaming device because of that fact.

[don_bidarian]

@kasrhp1

If I were you I wouldn't argue with Apple fanboys. to them simply everything that apple makes is awesome, no matter what.

Personally I really like iPod Touch and iPhone, awesome devices, but I don't consider it as a GAMING DEVICE while there are devices out there such as DS or PSP, I don't know, maybe that's because I'm a hardcore gamer.
Thats my opinion, I hope I don't get bashed over this.

[mrmorozov987]

Come on, you're being EXTREMELY biased. Besides the fact that you don't actually push in, touchscreens are no different than buttons in terms of controlability. This is what game developers know how to do, they know how to get around obstacles and make game that are easy to play. Terminator Salvation is a perfectly playable game, and a fun one at that. It's quite obvious you've never used one, but once you do, you'll see our point.

And, about the article, I don't think anyone buys an iPhone or iPod touch because they think it's a gaming machine. They buy them because they want a good media player, and then casually play some games. However, with graphics this good, Nintendo and Sony should be on their toes...

[kool_skatkat]

Iphone 3.0 allows for harware to be connected and have it to interface with the phone. What are companies waitin for? sheet keyboard and game control should be coming soon. Unless universal drivers can't be created. mmmm...

[kelmon]

Correct - the new iPod Touch will be the device that triggers games that take advantage of the hardware available in the 3GS. Let's revisit this conversation again after September, although I suspect that it will be the Christmas period that will see large-scale adoption of the new hardware and therefore a sufficient market for developers to target.

[shellcodes_coder]

Why not get PSP instead of this crap for playing games. Anyways there are much better smart phones out there.

[Perry_Clease]

DAT

[samkass]

Because the 3GS has way more horsepower and games available for it than the PSP?

[Mark_Anderson]

@samkass

Yes, but the games are largely rubbish.

[viper396]

@samkass. More games? ....Prove it.

[codynews]

No need for all game makers to rush out with iphone 3gs only games, but if I were a dev, you could be that I'd be adding a 3gs "patch" to existing games that made them looks better and run smoother. Use that extra processing time to up poly/texture/sound quality.

[Get_a_life_Leo]

Huh? With 50,000 apps on the app store, the main problem for developers is standing out. Whomever develops a game (or other app) that specifically takes advantage of the 3G S hardware will have a powerful differentiator and a market of 1 million plus and growing every day. The developers who embrace this new hardware will leapfrog others as the half-life of phones is less than 3 years. The trick, though, will be in creating software that allows hardware feature awareness so that the lack of a magnetometer doesn't preclude the basic tenet of the game (e.g. there is no guarantee that a new iPod will incorporate a compass). This is already a fact of life for developers of apps for the iPhone that take advantages of the camera but there will be more subtle differences in terms of the underlying chipsets. Hardware abstraction should never take the lowest common denominator approach, rather there should be feature fallbacks to the lowest configuration the developer feels they can their application runs satisfactorily on (but not so low that the experience creates a negative reaction).

What's with the CNET redefinition of "infinite" by the way? "the iPod Touch is infinitely cheaper over the course of the device's lifetime".

This would only be true of the devices lifetimes were not finite.

[cvaldes1831]

It's called hyperbole.

[kplayaja]

It's because AT&T was too stupid to allow current iPhone users to upgrade for $199. Now, all us hardcore iPhone users have to wait until we're eligible. Boo AT&T!!! Boo!!!

[jchidori]

yep they changed their pricing strategy right before 3gs was released. anyone with an early upgrade can get the phone for the normal 99/199/299 price.

[no1uknowdfw]

I freaking AGREE. I just bought 2 iPhones, 2 months a part. AT&T gave me $100 back on my 2nd phone cause I was barely in the 30 day cut off... But I think if there is something that was going to come out better in less than 6 months, I should be allowed an upgrade and a free one at that. My freakin phones are still new and already freakin out dated...

Here is the way I'm thinking now... I'll wait 2 years to my next AT&T upgrade (and this includes 3 more iPhone I was purchasing for my family). And I'll make sure the iPhone released has been out less than 1 year before purchase.

And just so you know Apple, I'm the guy who purchases tons of stuff from iTunes and love my iPhone...
and if you think for a second I'm going to pay extra for an upgrade your nuts... smarter than that...

[samkass]

AT&T can't subsidize you based on a 2yr contract every year! News flash: there's going to be another iPhone next June. There has been every single year since its introduction.

My tip? If you're going to have 2 iPhones in the house, upgrade each one on opposite upgrade cycles. Upgrade 1 on year 1, the other on year 2, the first on year 3, etc. That way someone in the family always has the latest gadget to play with...

[sapphir8]

@kplayaja

I am a hardcore iPhone 3G user and was able to purchase my 3GS at the fully subsidized price on launch day.

[queticomn]

The iphone seems to be the latest oveheating, ovheated failure. Hmm, time for a cooling fan? haha!

[Perry_Clease]

You have and use one?

[Paul_Christie]

I hear white iPhones (3G and 3GS) turn beige when overheated. Not a bad idea to use a cooling fan.

[Perry_Clease]

"I hear white iPhones (3G and 3GS) turn beige when overheated. Not a bad idea to use a cooling fan."

Got any links regarding that?

[Sausagebiscuit]

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/06/iphone-3gs-handsets-overheat-turn-brown/

It's actually been in the news quite a bit today. Also some postings on Apple's forums about the issue. I am concerned a bit because my 3G S (black) arrived today.

BTW, I found this in 10s with a google search, Perry_Clease. Google's autofill actually pre-populated the field as I was typing "iphone 3GS overheating" so it shows that it is a common search term.

[Sporlo]

how would you fit a fan in the iPhone in a nice way??? And I doubt another variety of the iPhone advertised as good for games would sell well.

[queticomn]

I read this on google news today. :)

[queticomn]

As a matter afact, my brother bought his first ipod touch (against my advice) 2 weeks ago at a radio shack. The ipod failed in 2 days to only what i would assume was overheating. Radio Shack gladly offered a return or exchange. Never the less, my brother was out the songs he payed for hr put on his first ipod touch.

[123yik]

--sausagebiscuit

i dont think you need to worry for your black iphone because black more easily radiates heat than white, and anyways you wont notice the pinkish color on your black iphone

[nwojciak]

I have a 32gb 3gs and i have noticed that it does get warm, could cause problems down the road....but i hope not lol

[abcd9009]

I am looking for an App which I can use to replace my Universal Remote for TV & DVD Player. Any suggestions on which is a good app (or if it's even available)?

[matteagar]

The issue with controlling most home theater gear is that the iPhone doesn't have the ability to send out infrared signals. We've been working on a solution for a little over a year, and earlier this month released the RedEye - a hardware device plus iPhone application to fill that hole. Because of high demand, we've had to close down the beta program for now, but we will be back with more features when we launch the production version this fall. Please check out http://redeyeremote.com/ and let us know what you think.

[abcd9009]

@matteagar

Appreciate the update on RedEye. Looks like a good replacement for my existing Universal remote.

[ckurowic]

The article is a bit misleading. It makes it sound like the iPhone itself has a small percentage of market share when in fact is has a very large share. They are simply talking about the newest 3GS which has only been out for a month or so. Stupid article.

[Sporlo]

So because it doesn't accurately show a device's market share, it is stupid? Market share is talked about WAY too much on this site. I really don't care if a device/company has 1% share or 2% share.

[viper396]

@Sporlo. Marketshare is a tangible and viable way to measure the overall success of any product.

Like all good hypocrits, marketshare is the argument when you are on the winning side and conveniently dismissed when the numbers work against you.

[Sporlo]

That video is pretty cool. It really opens up a lot of control possibilities. It also (as demonstrated by the video) can make for more physical games. As in people have to get up and move to play, sort of like the Wii. I'm not saying this'll be the next big thing but it allows for a much wider variety of games.

[techslut]

Hmm. Read an article in the business section of the NYT today that says games on the iPhone will do very well. Who does one believe?

[rafusee2]

"Not (every user) has upgraded, so it makes sense for us to wait a little while...You can create a 3GS-only app, but it's not a good idea if there's only 1 million out there." haha "only" one million. just a few.

[rafusee2]

"Not (every user) has upgraded, so it makes sense for us to wait a little while...You can create a 3GS-only app, but it's not a good idea if there's only 1 million out there." haha "only" one million. just a few.

[ewelch]

A "no duh" comes to mind for this non-story.

That's like saying, I'll walk on the tarmac when it's had time to cool"

Yeah, tell us something we don't know.

What developers ARE doing is writing their apps for OS 3. Taking advantage of 3GS features will come when there are more of the phones. Tell us something we don't know.

[MPB]

OMG that is so cool!!!!!

[boy444]

I can see why. Heck no one made a 3g only game. Or an 1g iPhone only game.

[WheelerCub]

I think if the iPhone was available to more providers in the US, adoption would spread like wildfire. Unfortunately AT&T and Verizon are two of the more expensive plan providers and for many it's just not worth it to break a contract, pay penalty fee, and then switch providers for a more expensive plan.

[cbaisa]

the iPhone isn't a serious gaming device. much like the wii it will be restricted to simple games for the non-gamer. this isn't to say that it won't sell a lot of games, but calling it a gaming device is misleading because it cannot do what a PSP or DS can.