iPhone demonstrated as a Wiimote at iGames Summit

[AppleInsider]

At the iGames Summit, Shervin Pishevar of the Social Gaming Network demonstrated the use of the iPhone or iPod touch as "virtual Wii Remotes" for interacting with PC games using the company's new iFun software in the session "Building Gesture-Driven Games for the iPhone."

SGN's iFun uses the device's accelerometer controls and touchscreen to drive computer or online games, forwarding control signals over local WiFi or the 3G mobile network.

Users login the Social Gaming Network using their Facebook account, and the system relays their swings, shakes and steering to games played on a computer. The system can handle inputs from multiple iPhone or iPod touch units at once, similar to the Bluetooth-connected Wii Remote controllers Nintendo developed for its Wii console.

Pishevar demonstrated the iPhone being used as a virtual steering wheel for a PC car racing game and fitted into a prototype Wii-style golf club or tennis racket unit.

While Nintendo's Wii was originally panned by gamer enthusiasts for being little more than a re-warmed GameCube, the console's innovative "Wiimote" controllers, which are easy and engaging for non-gamers to use, helped make the Wii the top selling game console and broadened its appeals to a wider audience of casual gamers.

SGN's technology also suggests the potential for increased interaction between the iPhone or iPod touch and Apple TV, were Apple to open up its "hobby" iTunes-connected movie rental box to third party game developers. One of the first iPhone apps was Remote, a utility developed by Apple to allow users to control Apple TV or an iTunes library on a Mac or PC via the mobile's touch screen.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[code4fun]

A cool idea although the device will have to be redesigned to allow for wrist straps. I can see injuries and accidents reported by flinging iPhones and touch devices. Yikes!

[teckstud]

AI needs to stop referring to everything as iPhone. The iPod Touch had much more significant growth percentage wise than the iPhone had as last stated. Gaming is more an iPod Touch accoutrement than the iPhone.

[GregoriusM]

It IS called the iPhone OS, even on the iPod touch.

[Kasper]

Originally Posted by teckstud

AI needs to stop referring to everything as iPhone. The iPod Touch had much more significant growth percentage wise than the iPhone had as last stated. Gaming is more an iPod Touch accoutrement than the iPhone.

It's not feasible to use both names all the time, especially in titles.

[Clive At Five]

I think I'll pass until there's a wrist-strap attachment...



Edit: Code4Fun beat me to the joke... I guess I should read the thread before I post...

-Clive

[vinea]

Originally Posted by teckstud

AI needs to stop referring to everything as iPhone. The iPod Touch had much more significant growth percentage wise than the iPhone had as last stated.

No it doesn't.

iPhone launched June 29, 2007 and has 17M sales.
iPod Touch launched September 5, 2007 and has 13M sales.

The iPhone had 13.7m sales in 2008 alone and the iPod touch numbers includes the 2007 and 2008 christmas seasons AND the free 8GB iPod Touch Back to School Promotion which discounted the 16GB and 32GB iPod touches by $299. It may or may not include the free 8GB iPod Touch numbers in that total but I'm guessing it does.

So even with an extra Christmas AND a giveaway, total iPod touch sales trail iPhone sales in 2008 alone by 700,000 units. You're so full of BS your keyboard is brown.