Apple declares iPhone a challenger to Nintendo DS
Further shifting attention on the iPhone towards gaming, an Apple executive has out-and-out stated the device is a genuine competitor to the best handheld consoles on the market.
The comments come from Apple Director of Technology Evangelism John Geleynse, who witnesses for Engadget say made the aggressive claims at an iPhone Tech Talk in San Jose, near the company's Cupertino headquarters.
At the developer gathering, the official urged developers to forget about the handset as a traditional cellphone and, as game developers, to think of it strictly as a game console.
"It's not a phone, it's a console experience," Geleynse is reported as saying.
While a bold statement, the claim is in line with an increasingly gaming-centric marketing strategy at Apple. Virtually all of the electronics firm's video ads for the second-generation iPod touch have focused on gaming, while the majority of paid apps at the App Store have typically been games.
Other parties are also known to be getting involved as well. Electronic Arts on Friday said it will host special events at flagship Apple retail stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco during December to promote the iPhone and iPod touch as gaming platforms and show off the software company's game library.
Apple hasn't necessarily needed to ask for help to position its touchscreen handhelds as gaming devices, though, and has been achieving similar or better sales than offerings from Nintendo or Sony. Nintendo recently touted NPD Group data noting that it sold a near-record 1.56 million DS handhelds during November, but is likely to be outpaced by Apple's iPhone sales alone: in summer, the company sold 6.9 million iPhones
The comments come from Apple Director of Technology Evangelism John Geleynse, who witnesses for Engadget say made the aggressive claims at an iPhone Tech Talk in San Jose, near the company's Cupertino headquarters.
At the developer gathering, the official urged developers to forget about the handset as a traditional cellphone and, as game developers, to think of it strictly as a game console.
"It's not a phone, it's a console experience," Geleynse is reported as saying.
While a bold statement, the claim is in line with an increasingly gaming-centric marketing strategy at Apple. Virtually all of the electronics firm's video ads for the second-generation iPod touch have focused on gaming, while the majority of paid apps at the App Store have typically been games.
Other parties are also known to be getting involved as well. Electronic Arts on Friday said it will host special events at flagship Apple retail stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco during December to promote the iPhone and iPod touch as gaming platforms and show off the software company's game library.
Apple hasn't necessarily needed to ask for help to position its touchscreen handhelds as gaming devices, though, and has been achieving similar or better sales than offerings from Nintendo or Sony. Nintendo recently touted NPD Group data noting that it sold a near-record 1.56 million DS handhelds during November, but is likely to be outpaced by Apple's iPhone sales alone: in summer, the company sold 6.9 million iPhones
Comments
So, when will all this gaming hysteria leak over to the Mac desktop? When will Apple announce the iMac as a competitor to the PS3?
Well, I believe thats why they are holding out on updating the Apple TV (one of the reasons). When the update arrives it's gonna be marketed towards gaming to a much larger extent.
I really think that it's silly to declare the iPhone a challenger to the DS. Yes, it has better graphics but so does the PSP. What do the PSP and DS have in common? They are both designed to be gaming systems, something that the iPhone was not. While I do think that the iPhone can revolutionize what Cell phone gaming is, that's all it will do. It will not touch the level of games on the DS or PSP. Not because it's incapable, but because they're selling to two separate markets.
If Apple is serious about this game thing, they really should make or officially bless a third party d-pad cradle for the Touch and the iPhone.
There needn't be much to it, it needn't cost much, but it would transform the iPhone/Touch into a serious contender.
Of course, Apple probably won't do that because they want all the developer focus to be on the out-of-the-box experience.
Nintendo recently touted NPD Group data noting that it sold a near-record 1.56 million DS handhelds during November, but is likely to be outpaced by Apple's iPhone sales alone: in summer, the company sold 6.9 million iPhones
I don't mean to rain on Apple's parade, but Nintendo sold 13.73 Million DS systems worldwide from April 2008 until the end of September.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/081030e.pdf
If Apple is serious about this game thing, they really should make or officially bless a third party d-pad cradle for the Touch and the iPhone.
There needn't be much to it, it needn't cost much, but it would transform the iPhone/Touch into a serious contender.
Of course, Apple probably won't do that because they want all the developer focus to be on the out-of-the-box experience.
There's no doubt that it would help significantly but I just wonder how bulky the thing would be. I've found a couple but can't remember where at the moment. I'm also wondering how deep of a gaming experience you would get on the iPhone. It could do wonders as a casual device, much like the Wii, but I'm wondering just how much of a GAMERS device this would be.
On a related note: I'll probably be getting an iPhone next week (my bday/end of VZW contract!) Upon hearing this a friend of mine asked if I would get rid of my DS Lite. At that point I laughed and walked away.
Yeah, I've got a couple decent game on my Touch, but other than that, it won't replace my PSP. I really do need physical buttons, especially shoulder buttons, as they allow you do multiple actions at at once, and give some tactile feedback. If you've ever tried playing the NES emulator or Quake on your jailbroken iPhone/Touch, it just isn't that comfortable at all.
And if it's any company that understands the handheld market, it's Nintendo. They would absolutely crush Apple. Not only that, but Nintendo and Sony both have established game franchises, Apple has nothing to draw people in.
The fact that I've now heard 2 heads from Apple (Joswiak was the other) that mentioned the iPhone as a gaming device, just leads me to believe that Apple knows absolutely nothing about games or the gaming market.
Yeah, I've got a couple decent game on my Touch, but other than that, it won't replace my PSP. I really do need physical buttons, especially shoulder buttons, as they allow you do multiple actions at at once, and give some tactile feedback. If you've ever tried playing the NES emulator or Quake on your jailbroken iPhone/Touch, it just isn't that comfortable at all.
And if it's any company that understands the handheld market, it's Nintendo. They would absolutely crush Apple. Not only that, but Nintendo and Sony both have established game franchises, Apple has nothing to draw people in.
I have elementary school age kids and both of them and pretty much every one of their friends spend most of the gaming time on their DS's playing Pokemon games. From their perspective (and they represent a HUGE audience) if it ain't got Pokemon, it's not a gaming platform. Of course Nintendo owns the rights to Pokemon, so I don't think you'll see any Pokemon games in the App Store any time soon.
The fact that I've now heard 2 heads from Apple (Joswiak was the other) that mentioned the iPhone as a gaming device, just leads me to believe that Apple knows absolutely nothing about games or the gaming market.
Yeah, I've got a couple decent game on my Touch, but other than that, it won't replace my PSP. I really do need physical buttons, especially shoulder buttons, as they allow you do multiple actions at at once, and give some tactile feedback. If you've ever tried playing the NES emulator or Quake on your jailbroken iPhone/Touch, it just isn't that comfortable at all.
And if it's any company that understands the handheld market, it's Nintendo. They would absolutely crush Apple. Not only that, but Nintendo and Sony both have established game franchises, Apple has nothing to draw people in.
I hear what you're saying, but the Touch/iPhone are multi-purpose devices. I would think the "draw people in" part would be well handled by that fact, and when some pretty good games prove to be available-- well, that's just icing on the cake.
That is, the Touch/iPhone don't suffer from the chicken and egg dilemma that a new dedicated game device would face, where no games equal no sales and no sales equal no games. There are plenty of reasons to buy these machines even if game development never takes off.
However, the devices themselves are capable enough, and the addition of some kind of cradle would make those that wanted a more robust controller experience happy. If Apple keeps selling these devices at the rate they are, and the app store keeps churning through product at the rate it is, I would think developers would have plenty of incentive to do their thing.
So that's kinda the whole enchilada, isn't it? Maybe you don't get the big boys poring resources into porting their marquee games, but the WII suggests that isn't necessary to be hugely successful-- you can create your own market if you offer something fresh.
I think the WII also puts the lie to the distinction between "casual gamers" and "real gamers", at least economically. What does Apple care if "real gamers" don't regard the Touch/iPhone as a legitimate contender, if they're selling lots and lots of games and lots and lots of handsets?
iPhone controls limit what kind of games are produced. There are way too many racers that use the accelerometer. Nothing stands out anymore.
The problem is that most people are using the concepts from physical/home computer based games and just porting them over to the iPhone.
The only real limiting factor limiting the iPhone as a gaming device is the level of developer commitment. If developers build great games that are designed for the iphone, the iPhone could eliminate standalone gaming handhelds. Apple could help this along in a number of ways, such as reworking the app store so that not just the $0.99 Apps all end up on top and helping games to break the $9.99 barrier.
I have elementary school age kids and both of them and pretty much every one of their friends spend most of the gaming time on their DS's playing Pokemon games. From their perspective (and they represent a HUGE audience) if it ain't got Pokemon, it's not a gaming platform. Of course Nintendo owns the rights to Pokemon, so I don't think you'll see any Pokemon games in the App Store any time soon.
Right. And before Pokemon there was no such thing as a good game. Come on. Things change. Eras pass away and new eras begin. Think like a visionary for moment and not an automaton.
I hear what you're saying, but the Touch/iPhone are multi-purpose devices. I would think the "draw people in" part would be well handled by that fact, and when some pretty good games prove to be available-- well, that's just icing on the cake.
That is, the Touch/iPhone don't suffer from the chicken and egg dilemma that a new dedicated game device would face, where no games equal no sales and no sales equal no games. There are plenty of reasons to buy these machines even if game development never takes off.
However, the devices themselves are capable enough, and the addition of some kind of cradle would make those that wanted a more robust controller experience happy. If Apple keeps selling these devices at the rate they are, and the app store keeps churning through product at the rate it is, I would think developers would have plenty of incentive to do their thing.
So that's kinda the whole enchilada, isn't it? Maybe you don't get the big boys poring resources into porting their marquee games, but the WII suggests that isn't necessary to be hugely successful-- you can create your own market if you offer something fresh.
I think the WII also puts the lie to the distinction between "casual gamers" and "real gamers", at least economically. What does Apple care if "real gamers" don't regard the Touch/iPhone as a legitimate contender, if they're selling lots and lots of games and lots and lots of handsets?
That's just the thing, because they can do so much no one will buy them just to play games. If games are nothing more than another thing that the device can do then the amount of big time support that the device is going to get will dwindle. Without this support there will be no big time games, just an evolution of what phones can currently do. Not to say that's not a feat in itself but it's far from eliminating the traditional handheld gaming device.
I don't mean to rain on Apple's parade, but Nintendo sold 13.73 Million DS systems worldwide from April 2008 until the end of September.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/081030e.pdf
And Apple will probably sell more iphones and touches this year than Nintendo, big deal.
And Apple will probably sell more iphones and touches this year than Nintendo, big deal.
Doubt that as estimates have the iPhone at at about 13 million units to date. (got the number off of wikipedia, they are using this AI article as their citation although I can't find the number directly in there) With the DS selling more than that between April and September this year I don't see the iPhone surpassing that. Still impressive numbers for a more expensive device, but not quite even.
Edit: Oops, missed the "and touches" part... But it's folly to disregard the monster that is the Nintendo DS, especially with the newly designed DSi having its worldwide debut in the middle of next year.
con·sole
Pronunciation:
\\ˈkän-ˌsōl\\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
French
Date:
1664
1: an architectural member projecting from a wall to form a bracket or from a keystone for ornament
2: console table
3 a: an upright case that houses the keyboards and controlling mechanisms of an organ and from which the organ is played b: a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system (as a computer or dubber)
4 a: a cabinet (as for a radio or television set) designed to rest directly on the floor b: a small storage cabinet between bucket seats in an automobile
5: an electronic system that connects to a display (as a television set) and is used primarily to play video games
That being said, I think Apple and Nintendo would've been far better off working together. Imagine this: the iPod touch held sideways, and slightly thicker to accommodate a physical storage medium. Add some extra width so there's a D-pad on the left, ABXY on the right, and two shoulder buttons. Such a device would allow for both casual games distributed via App Store, controlled almost exclusively by touch screen (many games would be exclusive to remain compatible with the iPhone), and deeper, more expensive games distributed via traditional channels with mixed button and touch controls. I would buy such a device. I also hold that they should do the same for a home console: essentially a Wii with Mac-cooperating multimedia features and greater internal storage.