iPhone success "freaking out" Sony and Nintendo - Hawkins

Nintendo aren't going to react proactively to the success of the App Store as long as Nintendo Japan call the shots.

I wouldn't be surprised if the next iteration of the PSP is very similar to the iPhone. Well, apart from the phone stuff.

And CODE was FREE.

I haven't seen the DSware store yet, but quite frankly they need to rip off the App store completely.

They need featured/top 25 games, etc, and they need to pack it with content, as rinks pointed out.

The reason the iPhone is stronger as a platform is because of the free tat. Every day (sometimes more than once) I load up the App store and browse through the featured or top 25, simply because there is almost always something new to check out. Even if it's gooseberry fool the prospect of there being something new keeps people checking it and keeps people downloading. All that exposure obviously results in increased downloads and sales.

DSware needs to be something people are checking regularly for new games. If you have your standard pathetic one day a week releases (or less often) people are hardly going to use the thing.

Harry Bizzle wrote:I haven't seen the DSware store yet, but quite frankly they need to rip off the App store completely.

They need featured/top 25 games, etc, and they need to pack it with content, as rinks pointed out.

The reason the iPhone is stronger as a platform is because of the free tat. Every day (sometimes more than once) I load up the App store and browse through the featured or top 25, simply because there is almost always something new to check out. Even if it's gooseberry fool the prospect of there being something new keeps people checking it and keeps people downloading. All that exposure obviously results in increased downloads and sales.

DSware needs to be something people are checking regularly for new games. If you have your standard pathetic one day a week releases (or less often) people are hardly going to use the thing.

How is that even remotely true?

Harry Bizzle wrote:I haven't seen the DSware store yet, but quite frankly they need to rip off the App store completely.

It's exactly like the Wii Store. Bare bones to the max.

What all the online stores for every system needs is the ability to write reviews or simply rate what you've downloaded. It's incredibly useful on the App store.

Herbi wrote:

Harry Bizzle wrote:I haven't seen the DSware store yet, but quite frankly they need to rip off the App store completely.

They need featured/top 25 games, etc, and they need to pack it with content, as rinks pointed out.

The reason the iPhone is stronger as a platform is because of the free tat. Every day (sometimes more than once) I load up the App store and browse through the featured or top 25, simply because there is almost always something new to check out. Even if it's gooseberry fool the prospect of there being something new keeps people checking it and keeps people downloading. All that exposure obviously results in increased downloads and sales.

DSware needs to be something people are checking regularly for new games. If you have your standard pathetic one day a week releases (or less often) people are hardly going to use the thing.

How is that even remotely true?

It's a stronger platform than DSiWare, that's certainly true. Stronger than the DS as a whole? Not a chance. (Yet.)

I've noticed recently that a lot of the larger gaming companies have also now jumped on. EA are throwing a lot of support at it, and companies like Square Enix, Bandai, Sega, Konami, Hudson, THQ have all released games for it and Ubisoft is prepping games for it. If the sales really are that good, I can see tremendous developer support in the future. Although I do find it encouraging and refreshing to see a lot of small independant developers higher in the charts than the large companies.

The only thing that worries me is the talk of introducing $20 games to the store, as for me it's the cheap price of the games and how they become impulse purchases that works.

The difference between PSP/DS software and iPhone software is price. There's nothing else to it. I got a fantastic game called Flight Control for my iPhone for 59p. I've spent more time playing it than I have with some of my £20-30 DS games and it is more fun too.

I don't care if it's shallow and only contains one level. It's great fun and really, when I do play it is only for a very short period of time. This is how handheld games should be.

I do certianly think that iPhone has massive problems in future when people inevitably look to it as a 'serious' handheld gaming contender. The lack of inputs means that there is only a limited number of game types that work on it, and I can see this getting a little boring soon.

I am a registered (paid!) iPhone developer, and prior to coding for iPhone I had no client side programming experience whatsoever. I've now created an App (for a Uni project) which can download data from the web, allows users to view images, movies and news and allows them to provide feedback via a poll and dedicated form. I had doubts over whether I was going to be able to complete it, but right now it is running just fine. This is all down to how easy the iPhone SDK is to use. Also, the fact that it only costs $99 per year to publish the applications (plus Apple's 30% cut) is probably a dream for developers used to spending thousands on proper development kits. The fact that there are also no publishers, distributors or anyone else to take their cut has made it perfect for independent game studios too.

Just look at the games on App Store and ask yourself, would that EVER have been burned to UMD or Flash Card and sold in the shops?

I guess you two guys are right as I just bought that Flight Control game upon reading Fishfingers post about it. How could I not at that price.

Fishfingers wrote:Just look at the games on App Store and ask yourself, would that EVER have been burned to UMD or Flash Card and sold in the shops?

Which rather neatly sums up the strengths and the weaknesses of the platform in one sentence.

I'm genuinely excited about getting an iPhone of my own, as my non-work gaming time is at a premium, and I find myself increasingly turning to quick-fix stuff with the odd lengthy adventure to relax with in between. But the lack of 'normal' button inputs is a massive obstacle to overcome, and it means that certain types of game simply won't appear on iPhone. Which is why the DS is a better platform for gamers, if not for developers.

I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' gooseberry fool. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' gooseberry fool. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of gooseberry fool for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

Hero of Canton wrote:

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' gooseberry fool. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of gooseberry fool for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

Wii games cost £40

Herbi wrote:

Hero of Canton wrote:

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' gooseberry fool. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of gooseberry fool for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

Wii games cost £40

You're paying too much then. Anyway, at what point do you draw the line? Inaccurate controls is inaccurate controls, dawg.

Quite well does not equal innacurate, sonny jim. I'll try and find exactly what he said about it

I can't be arsed typing it out so I'll just upload the clip

618kb

Hero of Canton wrote:

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' ****. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of **** for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

iDracula has dual virtual d-pads for Geometry Wars style control, and I personally think that works very well, and also another very good 59p game.

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' ****. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

If it is ever to catch on, either Apple has to release that accessory itself or it has to be standardised in some way.

fathom wrote:

Hero of Canton wrote:

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' ****. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of **** for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

iDracula has dual virtual d-pads for Geometry Wars style control, and I personally think that works very well, and also another very good 59p game.

iDracula's controls are nothing short of excellent. Better than anything the DS or PSP can offer for dual stick shooter.

And of course I meant DSware in particular, Herbi.

Harry Bizzle wrote:

fathom wrote:

Hero of Canton wrote:

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' ****. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of **** for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

iDracula has dual virtual d-pads for Geometry Wars style control, and I personally think that works very well, and also another very good 59p game.

iDracula's controls are nothing short of excellent. Better than anything the DS or PSP can offer for dual stick shooter.

i tried iDracula. I thought it was a shitty Robotron clone with dodgy controls and perplexingly long load times.

I also don't see any reason why it couldn't work quite successfully on DS with the D-pad for movement and the touch-screen for 360 aiming. Though I still wouldn't buy or play it.

TheTurnipKing wrote:

Harry Bizzle wrote:

fathom wrote:

Hero of Canton wrote:

chalkitdown wrote:I'm certain I read that the 3.0 update in the summer will allow for snap-on d-pad and buttons n' ****. A slimline shell that the devices sits into that adds controls to the left and right, something like that. Not ideal, obviously, but if it works well, looks nice and is comfy, how bad.

Also, aren't there some game that use a virtual d-pad on the touch screen that works quite well, I think John Davidson said something about it on Listen Up last week.

Quite well isn't good enough. The Wii gets a ton of **** for inaccurate controls. If the iPhone gets a free ride for that, then it's major double-standards.

iDracula has dual virtual d-pads for Geometry Wars style control, and I personally think that works very well, and also another very good 59p game.

iDracula's controls are nothing short of excellent. Better than anything the DS or PSP can offer for dual stick shooter.

i tried iDracula. I thought it was a shitty Robotron clone with dodgy controls and perplexingly long load times.

I also don't see any reason why it couldn't work quite successfully on DS with the D-pad for movement and the touch-screen for 360 aiming. Though I still wouldn't buy or play it.

I didn't like the controls much to begin with, but once you understand they're wheels, not analogue sticks, it becomes very good indeed.

I think Geometry Wars is better, but I'm not really sure why, which is high praise indeed.

And I didn't say it wouldn't work on the other two - Super Stardust portable works quite well on the PSP for example, but using a d-pad/face buttons is inferior to the touch screen wheels. They give you just as much control as dual sticks.