iPhone Gaming Continues To Grow 131
1Up reports that the popularity of gaming on smartphones is growing, particularly on the iPhone. In fact, gaming on portable devices is growing even at home, where users presumably have access to more powerful platforms. CNN points out that the developer for Trism, one of the first popular games, has raked in over $250,000 in profits through the App Store. Apple exec Bob Borchers and various game developers recently discussed the future of games on the iPhone. "Patrick Gunn, director of marketing for EA Mobile, showcased Need for Speed Undercover, which will be available next month. Gunn says that EA has 'taken full advantage of all of the unique elements ... like touch, flick, accelerometer, and motion sensitivity' — and graphically, the game appears to be roughly on par with a PSP title."
Re:I'm not suprised its "growing" faster (Score:3, Interesting)
Last gen you had the PS2 alone rack up over 140 Million units, then the Gamecube and Xbox racking about 24 Million each plus Gameboy Advance.
The N-Gage had alot of potential but was held back by design issues like taco looking side talking, game slot underneath the battery and screen taller than it was wide. Otherwise if you had a phone more like shaped more like GameBoy Micro with a retractable numeric keypad you would have a winner.
The iPhone has a real chance to succeed where the N-Gage failed, but it hasn't succeeded yet.
Re:CNN's article reads like Apple propaganda (Score:3, Interesting)
Fair enough. But in the meantime, hats off to him for making a bundle.
Come to think of it, the "alternative business model" could simply be the App Store itself. It's convenient and easy for any non-technical person to buy stuff there very cheaply. Maybe it's simply worth paying the five bucks for the sheer convenience of it all. I mean really, five dollars? It's just not worth it to look for the app elsewhere. It's not like he's charging $100 for the thing.
Anyway, it's here to stay until market forces say otherwise. Your argument boils down to "it's ethically wrong to make money from artificial scarcity", but the market doesn't care about your personal ethics.
And anyway, it's certainly not unethical to charge very little for a lot of convenience, which is what's happened here. People pay five dollars and have a lot of fun; the author makes a decent bundle and puts a down payment on a house. Everyone wins.
Re:Sure... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why do people want to do things with a PHONE that will make it so that they can't use it as a PHONE?
You've seriously never had a situation where you were idling, wishing you brought a book? Say, waiting at a dentist's office or during a 45min break between classes because of scheduling issues?
Having entertainment on-hand can be pretty damn useful, even if it comes at the cost of limiting the phone's usefulness before the next charge. Pre-smartphone I did my best to keep a book on my person 24/7, but now I can just pull out my blackberry and browse slashdot et al, even though that eats into my battery pretty quick.