 |
As you know, there were a few shortcomings with the device at first, some that have since been addressed. To me, the main shortcoming was always the games. They seemed like nothing more than fillers designed to kill 5 minutes on the john or before a movie; pretty much what cell phone games have always been. The difference was that this was not a regular phone, so why should I be expected to play regular phone games? Well, as time drew on, developers began to tap the true potential of the iPhone, using the accelerometer and touch screen for more than novelty bullshit or lame ports. I distinctly remember the first game that had me reaching for my iPhone when I wasn't perched atop a porcelain throne: Fieldrunners. It was an eye-opening breath of fresh air that transcended the class of a mere cell phone game. It was an honest-to-god video game. This was a game that I could see myself playing on the DS or (as it became) the PSP. Maybe it was a different title for you, or perhaps you've never experienced it at all, but for me Fieldrunners forced me to consider the iPhone as a legitimate handheld gaming device.
Now before I move on, allow me to inform you why I believe the iPhone has incredible amounts of potential as a gaming platform. First there's the screen: it's a good size for a handheld, and it's got respectable quality and resolution. Then we have the 3G and WiFi connection allowing for near constant access to patches, updates, and add-ons. Those features, combined with Bluetooth, offer a number of methods to connect to other units for multiplayer gaming. Mix that all together with a plethora of comparatively inexpensive games right at your fingertips, and we have on our hands a potentially serious contender.
Fast-forward to where we are now, and a simple Google search will yield a number of recent articles addressing brilliant games that have come out on the iPhone. True as there analyses may be, the criteria used still seems to account for the fact that these games are on a phone -- despite that said phone, technically speaking, is more than capable of hanging with the DS and PSP. What I'm getting at here is that regardless of the progress made by games such as Fieldrunners, the majority of them irrevocably remain "micro-games" -- small in size, relatively short in length, addictive, and with high replay value. It goes without saying that there is, and always will be, a market for them on the iPhone due to the diversity of its users and the ease in which they can be accessed. However, what about us, the self-proclaimed hardcore gamers? What will it take for us to get full-length, fleshed out, big-title games? And for that matter, would we actually set aside our PSPs and DSs in favor of the iPhone, therefore making the continuation of these titles financially viable?
 |
So will it be like Noah's Ark? Build it and they will come -- develop it and they will buy? I find that to be highly unlikely. We need more than just the existence of these titles to offer our support, and more importantly (to them), our money. We need these games to be original, we need quality story and rich gameplay, and quite frankly -- in order for a hardcore niche to exist in the iPhone game market -- I think we need physical controls. I'm not going to try and get into how this would work on the business side of things to design and produce such a peripheral, because honestly I wouldn't know where to start. Nor will I get into the specifics of what joystick and botton layout I think would work best. I'm simply leaving it at this: no matter how magnificent, stupendous, or ground-breaking the games and it's platform are, without physical controls, the iPhone will have a hard time becoming a serious contender in the battle royal of handheld devices in the eyes of hardcore gamers.
Join The Joystick Division!
Become part of the Joystick Division community by following us on Twitter and Digg and Liking us on Facebook.
