(Credit:
CNET / Josh Lowensohn)
Ever wondered what some of the graphical differences are in games that make use of the newer hardware in the latest versions of Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch? So were we. That's why we put together a screenshot comparison gallery of 13 games, all of which are either packing extra OpenGL ES 2.0 goodies, or that more complicated graphics modes that run a whole lot better on the beefier hardware spec.
As for our testing, we ran each title on an iPhone 3G and a third-generation iPod Touch, the latter of which packs the faster innards required for some of the advanced OpenGL effects.
To our surprise, there were very few apps on the App Store that made use the new graphical spec, and even fewer that required a standalone version of that application to do so. However, many of the developers we talked with said that they were cooking up new titles that would be pushing these new devices a little further than what they had already created. That's good news for those with a newer iPhone or iPod Touch, but a definite thorn in the side of those who might not be able to play some of near-future App Store releases on their original iPhone or iPhone 3G.
Click on our slideshow link below to get started. We've also included links to each version of each app (in case there are variations), all of which open up in iTunes. Also, in case we missed any, feel free to leave them in the comments and we'll try to add them later.
Update: We've added bonus screenshots of Ravensword, the upcoming 3D RPG, as well as top-down pinball game Wild West Pinball.
See also:
The future of iPhone games
For games, no big rush to speedy iPhone 3GS
iPhone developer: 3G S graphics will be sooo much better than PSP's
The iPhone's almost ready to leap the final hurdle.
(Credit: TouchArcade)Apple had its own E3 press conference at the beginning of the week, with its newest model in the iPhone line finally being unveiled to the world. The iPhone 3G S, while in some ways a modest upgrade, introduces significant improvements for gamers--some obvious, others not so much. Will it help even further cement their growing position in a handheld games market previously dominated by Nintendo and Sony? Read on.
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Faster processor speed, more RAM. T-Mobile leaked the hard 3G S specs, and they're all-around zippier than the old 3G--which Apple confirmed when it promised overall speeds up to 2x faster. This will matter in particular with game load times and game crashes, both of which can tend to plague an overstuffed iPhone. While the spec bumps are relatively modest, the iPhone's game-playing prowess has already been more impressive than early pundits predicted, especially on recent releases like The Sims 3 and a PC-perfect port of Myst. The only thing missing now is...
Proper controller support. Sneaked in under the radar amid the iPhone 3G S news is the fact that the 3.0 software update allows third-party app interfacing with peripherals. While a larger focus on this functionality has been on medical devices, it's now possible for someone to make a clip-on control pad case and to have that controller be usable in any game. What should happen is that publishers gather to designate one universal controller that then gets adopted as the iPhone's "gamepad." The question is, who will make that accessory? For a while last year it was rumored to be Belkin, although it was unclear who would support the device. On consoles, the manufacturer usually settles these issues by making the controller themselves (except in the case of peripheral-driven games like Rock Band).
While it would be easiest if Apple made a gamepad, it's entirely unlikely. The whole appeal of the iPhone is its interface simplicity--too many plug-ins kill the minimalist chic. If a third party makes a controller, there's a likelihood that some publishers would support it, while others splinter off under some other controller accessory. Either way, someone should make sure there's a good consensus. Otherwise, soon enough we'll be buried in plastic miniperipherals, not unlike what's currently happening to (or plaguing) game consoles. ... Read more
Since the iPhone launched in 2007, I've yet to see a 3D game come close to matching the graphics of the best the Sony PSP has to offer, but according to at least one developer, this may be changing.
In an interview with Pocket Gamer, Michael Schade, CEO of Fishlabs, an iPhone and mobile games developer, said the iPhone 3G S's support for OpenGL ES 2.0 will push the machine's 3D graphics capabilities beyond that of the PSP.
While current iPhones only support Open GL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0 has several capabilities not included in the older version. Most notably, shader support, which allows developers to use more customized--and usually prettier graphics effects.
Kratos is willing to wait an eternity for iPhone graphics to reach this level of detail.
(Credit: GameSpot)Schade says that the biggest hurdle will be getting iPhone developers to actually implement these custom effects.
"As graphic assets need to be designed from scratch to benefit from 2.0 shaders, it will be very hard to monetize the extra effort in the early days," he says. "It's definitely not worth it for 99-cent apps."
Id Software's John Carmack, creator of Doom and Quake, agrees with Schade in that the potential for the iPhone to be a more powerful gaming platform is there, but he also points out, because of "software inefficiencies," we may not see that potential realized just yet.
While Carmack sees Open GL ES 2.0 support on the iPhone as a good thing, he made the point that he would not be taking advantage of it and instead will stick with 1.1 for Doom Resurrection, launching next week. The reasoning? He wants Doom to reach the widest audience possible, which for now, is the current-generation iPhone.
Schade may have a solution, though. ... Read more
Beryl gives you four desktops to mess up.
While we all wait for Windows Vista to bring the "Wow" and Apple Inc. to drop its Leopard, it's a good time to examine what might make a next-generation computer desktops really cool. One thing is certain; your next desktop will be more 3D and have task-juggling capabilities to satisfy even the most ADD among us.
BumpTop is a physics-based desktop prototype meant to behave as much as possible like an actual desk. It debuted last June but is getting renewed attention from the developer's presentation at Demo Camp in Montreal. With BumpTop, files can be thrown into loose piles, tidied into neat stacks, or fanned out like a deck of cards. BumpTop looks like good fun, but the Type A part of my personality shudders to think that my computer's desktop could look just as messy and cluttered as my physical desktop.
If you want an experimental desktop to play around with now, you can install a Linux-based operating system called Beryl that goes absolutely nuts with 3D. This is a multitasker's dream platform that not only uses an OS X Expose-like method for juggling windows but goes a step further by letting you juggle four distinct desktops across a 3D cube. There are tons of Beryl 3D videos up on YouTube (that's right, popular videos of people showing off their desktops), but here's one with a soundtrack and a presumably caffeinated user.
Will we see features like these in a conventional Windows or Apple operating system? Maybe not. Will the alpha geeks among us take up the cause of tactile 3D computer interfaces and 3D desktop systems in an effort to impress the girls? Undoubtedly.
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