Web-based iPhone games begin to appear

by Kyle Orland { Jul 3rd 2007 at 12:25PM }

So you waited in line all day Friday for a coveted iPhone only to find you're already bored with the device's map-displaying, music-playing, video-watching, text-messaging, internet-browsing and sticky-bun-making capabilities. What you need is a quick, diverting touch screen game to distract you. Unfortunately, despite rumors that the likes of EA and Nintendo are looking iPhone game development, Apple is so far not providing any downloadable games for the device, or even hinting that any are coming down the pike. You can't even play your old iPod games on your new toy. What's a game-loving iPhone owner to do?

Enter the web. Already sites like iGiki, fun4iPhone, and MacMost are hosting simple web-based iPhone games to keep you busy. Much like similar web-game portal Wiicade, these games will work on practically any computer with a mouse but have been designed with the iPhone's screen and unique capabilities in mind.

Unfortunately, since the iPhone's Safari browser doesn't support Java or Flash, the offerings thus far are limited to relatively simple and uninspiring JavaScript games. Still, we're hopeful that the burgeoning iPhone hacking community can get around this limitation and turn the iPhone into the game-playing device it's obviously destined to be.

Tags: apple, EA, games, hacking, iphone, ipod, mobile, nintendo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

rrenna @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:39PM

Might want to scratch Text-Messaging off that list, the iphone can't send or recieve text messages

Oliver @ Jul 10th 2007 6:53PM

yes you can text i've had my iphone for about 4 days and have burned through about 3000 texts

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:39PM

So, it have more games than the PS3...

iPhone: Better value than the PS3

GodisaMyth @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:41PM

Who has one? Is it worth the $600? Or is it more Apple hype?

GodisaMyth @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:43PM

"So, it have more games than the PS3...

iPhone: Better value than the PS3"

Fernando,

If you believe that then you probably believe that the Clubbies will win the World Series.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:45PM

@GodisaMyth

If you believe that God is a myth, then I can believe than the PS3 doesnt have any gaming value.

deaftly @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:49PM

iphone > ps3 , they both dont have any games but at least you get a phone for the same price

Matt B @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:52PM

You may be surprised to know that all my games run exceptionally well on my PS3 Fernando Rocker.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:54PM

iPhone > PS3: Its more useful a phone than a protein researcher that also is a movie player.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:56PM

@Matt B

You may be surprised that any multiplatform game run exceptionally better, and have more value (rumble, achivements, better online integration) on my 360 than in the PS3.

sheppy @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:57PM

Christ... already? Thank you, Fernando Rocker. I couldn't possibly imagine how even the internets biggest moron could turn this into a PS3 bash but here you are, and second post no less.

Fucks sake, everyday my respect for the human race lowers. I'm about to say "let the terrorists win." I mean, if I have to deal with fucking ignorance on this level, at least I can hope their activities dwindle the numbers at least marginally.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:00PM

@sheppy

Thanks. I'm doing my best.

Baby21 @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:02PM

Can't wait for DS emulation in the future

GodisaMyth @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:06PM

"If you believe that God is a myth, then I can believe than the PS3 doesnt have any gaming value."

Right Fernando...any opinion different from your is wrong.

What are you so afraid of? What I believe or not believe should not matter to you...unless your faith is not as strong as you would like it to be and have doubts yourself.

Sheppy, the "sheep" fear and lash out at what they do not understand.

Seriously....is the Iphone worth it? I would appreciate any response given, even Fernando's...I am always up for a good laugh.

Bring on E3!!!

Final Prototype @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:16PM

Ok, so the iPhone can barely surf the web with no flash or java, it's on the EDGE network so it's at crawling speed, and someone said it can't send or receive text messages?

Please, besides being a frontrunner with the latest fad, is the iPhone really worth $600?

Oh and FRocker, until you have both systems and are able to explore them and their games properly, you should really relax your fanboyish side comments. I have all three systems and each has it's ups and downs. Trust me, the PS3 certainly has plenty of ups but based on "gaming value", all three systems are letting me down in that department. Especially the Wii: owned 15 games, returned or sold 11 of them.

Miro @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:22PM

It CAN send text messages just fine (and beautifully) and, from the half hour I spent playing with one, lives up to the hype. It'll hopefully get games and rock and, for those who can both afford it and imagine using the features, is worth the cost.

Skippy @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:39PM

$500 for javascript tetris? WHOO HOO!

Triforceowner @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:47PM

Sheppy is right about how the hell this thread already turned into a flame war over the consoles, but Sony so deserves it for E306.

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:48PM

It's not a viable platform for gaming until Doom is played on it.

Sam G. @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:54PM

If any phone actually came out with sticky-bun-making capabilities, I would clearly choose that over the iPhone.

Jon @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:13PM

Iphone cost: $600 plus at least £60 a month for two years.

Total cost: $2040, which doesn't include tax and activation fees yet.

Then you have to consider the missing features. No MMS. No copy & paste. No UMTS and HSPDA. No A2DP. No OBEX file transfer. No video recording. No swappable battery. A low-res screen.

For $2040++ you can get one PS3 plus 25-30 PS3 retail games or one PS3 and one Wii and a combination of 23-25 PS3 and Wii retail games.

But I guess people like Fernando Rocker aren't actually gamers when they thinks spending $2000++ on a crippled phone is better value than a $600 games consoles.

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:20PM

Nintendo DS controls + PS3 pricetage + iPod hypetrain = WIN!!

McHoffa @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:22PM

there is NO valid excuse for the iPhone to not display flash or java based content... i love the iPhone and would switch to att from verizon for one, if the browser wasn't crippled like this, and also if it could do MMS messages and allow custom ringtones... sorry, but i use those functions on my phone I have had a year...

the iPhone COULD be really sweet for gaming, if it was open and emulators could be installed, or something... other than javascript...

sheppy @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:34PM

@Godisamyth

Dude, seriously... give it a rest. Yes yes, God is dead, and no one cares. If there is a hell, you'll see us there... Yeah, I got that NIN album. Good shit. Meanwhile, as a thorough Agnostic, I actually find you even more annoying and "convert happy" than any christian presence found online by myself yet. Besides, your theologic opinion matters for naught as the Fimbulwinter approaches.

@all

In regards to the iPhone, not really sure. After all, the first phone I thought was "cool" was the Chocolate. Got one, but after the initial "it's awesome" phase, fell out of love with it and now I'm back to looking at phones as an annoying aspect of life in the 21st century. And as I watch my fellow meatsacks standing in line on phones, shopping on phones, driving while on the phone... hell, I know people who use them in the bathroom. I see this and I weep because, while America has adopted the cellphone culture head-on, they've since forgotten common courtesies and basic awareness of their surroundings and the people in inhabit it. I mean, case in point...

When I went to college for the first time, cell phones were a common thing, just not everywhere. So when a class ended and people left the class, students would talk to each other, arrange study groups, and a few would jump on a phone. When I took a writing class about a year ago, immediately after class, everyone jumped on phones and I got funny looks when I laughed at this.

So while I was interested in the iPhone, I cannot see it being cool for me in two weeks. Especially not for $600+. I know all the features and still I'm not sold. Because at the end of the day, it's yet another Chocolate that will be a passing fancy.

ill trooper @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:37PM

GodisaMyth -

I have one. It's awesome. Yes, there are things I want to see corrected with software updates, but right away when you use it, you can see how every other phone company will be stepping their game up on terms of software and interface. It's more like a computer than a phone, the way it seamlessly handles e-mail and web browsing...

I read Jon's comment and I can't help but laugh - it's pretty obvious he's never seen one and has only paid attention to the negatives he's only READ about - right off the cricket bat he's dead wrong about the screen - it's 180 pixels per inch; incredibly sharp. Some of the things he mentions will likely be addressed in a software update, and there are several hardware choices that will never change before iPhone 2 or whatever comes out, but overall, it's sick. I would suggest checking one out and seeing what you think. The web browsing is amazing, far better than my old SE p800 or my SE P910a ever was on opera mini.

And as for bring up the price+service+activation, that's fine - but we don't normally do that when we talk about phones, so it's funny you do that now - unless you're just a total hater, which I can respect too, I'm known to hate on things too.

Anyway, I read this post and responded off of my iphone.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:40PM

I just think its silly to pay half a grand for a telephone. I just use the one that came free with my plan.

(cue the people saying that I 'just dont know' and making fun of me for being poor)

JodyAnthony @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:40PM

I just think its silly to pay half a grand for a telephone. I just use the one that came free with my plan.

(cue the people saying that I 'just dont know' and making fun of me poor)

JodyAnthony @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:41PM

I also think its silly to double post, but that didn't stop me there, heh.

sheppy @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:47PM

Double posting AND cheap phones....

I'm beginning to worry about you, JodyAnthony....

Jon @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:53PM

@ ill trooper

Meet my HTC Universal. 640x480 pixels since **2005**. Joystiq looks sharp on Netfront. My Sony Clie PDA had a 480x320 screen way back in 2000.

Welcome to the future.

jay @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:57PM

Sheppy - Don't forget piracy too.

I don't want to be playing games on my iPhone. Same reasons why I buy Mac computers. Wii and DS for games, Mac for work and internet. it's what they're built for, after all.

Oh, and there will be no DS emulation. Unless the iPhone has a 3D chip, dual CPU's and a resolution capable of running both. And hard buttons for... hard buttons.

Jon @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:00PM

@ill trooper

The reason why I bring up tariff cost is because Apple doesn't sell the phone sim-free, so that is the only way to judge the true cost of owning an Iphone.

In normal circumstances I wouldn't but I am sick of Apple fanboys in Engadget posting the price of a $800 Nokia N95 forgetting that the price is for a sim-free device.

john @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:11PM

rrenna,

You're wrong.

Patrick @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:12PM

rofl @ 26, 27, 28 because hes poor. jk i too am part of the the middle class with no money to spare for these but back to the point of the article, i dont think gaming will take off on iphone, apple just isnt whre its at for games

Scott @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:17PM

Jon, your $2000 argument is tired. That only makes sense if the alternative is NO CELL PHONE AT ALL. Otherwise you are looking at around $1300 for a "free phone" with a plan for two years (and no data plan) or an iphone with plan and unlimited data for two years for around $2000. So basically $700 more ($350/yr) for the iphone and unlimited data plan.

Scott @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:19PM

also, a Nokia N95 can play music for 4 hours before the battery is dead. The iPhone does the same for 24 hours.

john @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:22PM

The iPhone is very neat and shiney, but anyone who can wait really should. My contract ran out right before it came out, but I opted for the Helio Ocean (the double slider phone) instead. It does most of the same stuff, it's just not as pretty. It does quite a few things that the iPhone can't (GPS, games, apps, and an easy hack for custom rings). It also costs 1/2 to 1/3 (with online coupon codes) as much as the iPhone.

I really want an iPhone... eventually. But for someone who really hates talking on the phone, I can't justify spending that much. hopefully they will have the price and features at much more reasonable place when my contract runs out 2 years from now.

Jon @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:26PM

@Scott, that is the problem. For people to get an Iphone, they have to go AT&T for 2 years.

If Apple sells it sim-free then I would no doubt be posting that price. But right now, the only way to get an Iphone is to buy it with a 2 year contract, regardless if you want to use another sim card with it.

Besides for a device with NO UMTS, quite why someone would want a dataplan with it is beyond me. You may as well stick in a pay as you go sim card in it...

Jon @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:29PM

@Scott, Are you basing your assumption through the table that Apple PR posted a few weeks ago when they conveniently lied about the N95 supposedly having no WiFi?

ill trooper @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:51PM

Hey Jon... I met your comments about the iPhone with respect and even acknowledged some valid points. But then you got condescending.
So... Meet my 8gigs of memory. Check out the multitouch screen and the dynamic sizing on web pages. The standard headphone jack for the iPod features, the visual-voice mail...

But mostly, check out the size of your 'phone' to the treo, a phone I already felt was too large!

"The Future" according to Jon:

http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/02/hands-on-with-the-htc-universal/

I couldn't really get into the treo becuase of the size... And compared to the treo... The iPhone is 11 mm thick, Jon. That HTC has some cool features... but your phone is simply too gnarly to carry in my pocket.

I'm not saying the iPhone is the 'best phone.' Many short comings that need to be addressed. But it definitely isn't slacking compared to that brick you carry.

...And it is funny how you're telling me that my iPhone is expensive when your phone, which you allude to owning since 2005, launched with a $999 price tag? Without service?

Welcome to your grumpy future? Huh? Somebody get this thing up to 88mph, let's get out of here!

Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:51PM

* "Unfortunately, since the iPhone's Safari browser doesn't support Java or Flash..."

WTF?

Let me get this straight... people are complaining that the $130 DS Lite doesn't have Flash support, but Apple fans are not dissuaded to spend $600 on a portable WEB COMPUTER for the lack of that feature, as well as many others?

Also, isn't most cell phone technology based on Java ME? So, a $600 device can't handle Java SE?

Then again, the normal version of Safari isn't that great with Java. I have an app that tried to resize applets with DOM, and it crashes the browser every time. Every other browser works fine.

*sheppy: "And as I watch my fellow meatsacks standing in line on phones, shopping on phones, driving while on the phone... hell, I know people who use them in the bathroom. I see this and I weep because, while America has adopted the cellphone culture head-on, they've since forgotten common courtesies and basic awareness of their surroundings and the people in inhabit it."

Indeed. My company FINALLY decided to crack down on their ban on cell phones for personal use, and boy, that caused more havoc than any other issue we've faced in years. We had a meeting about it, and people were literally yelling at the lead boss, and a lot of people, including a manager, walked out in disgust. I don't understand this obsession with cell phones, or why people think they deserve the right to get paid AT WORK talking to relatives all day. Bigger, faster, multifunction cell phones... it's a horrible obsession.

iPhone dumbfounds me. I have no clue why people want it at that price. But then again, the AppleII was an overpriced piece of shit, and marketing (actually, outright lying) saved that machine, too.

PSWii60Cast @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:56PM

You Apple fanboys are so typical. Worse than the worse Nintendo, Xbox and Sony fanboys combined.

Sure you can update the OS for features - assuming the feature upgrades are coming. I am not going to pay $600 for potential upgrades when I can obtain much better cellphones for less.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:59PM

"But then again, the AppleII was an overpriced piece of shit, and marketing (actually, outright lying) saved that machine, too"

but at least the apple II had oregon trail and lemonade stand.

Jon @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:00PM

LOL, here in the UK I paid £50 ($100) for the XDA Exec when it came out with a £35 ($70) tariff. No activation fee required. Note, the price listed already includes tax (VAT).

At the end of the 12 month contract I extended it and got another phone for free (Nokia N73), plus I get to keep the Exec.

The XDA Exec was even factory unlocked so I can go on holiday and use with any local simcards.

John @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:15PM

Before I post I want to state this is my FIRST apple product every, so in no way can you consider me a fan boy. I think most of the negative comments about the iPhone are BS, like it costing over $2000. If your going to attach the service plan with that then why not do that for all other cell phones?

Personally I love my iPhone and think its a better value then the PS3. I have been holding on getting and iPod because of the rumors of a touchscreen iPod, so by the time they announced this phone I knew I had to get it (My AT&T contract ended recently too, so I needed another phone)

The one thing major problem I have with the iPhone is for some stupid ass reason the keyboard does not go into landscape mode except when entering a web address, other then that you are stuck typing in vertical mode which makes the keys a touch too small.

Oh for all of you guys mentioning other phones, yes they might have more features of the iPhone, but guess what? I DONT CARE, none of those phones implements those features as nicely as the iPhone does. I don't care if a phone has alot of crap if none of it is usable.

GodisaMyth @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:35PM

"Dude, seriously... give it a rest. Yes yes, God is dead, and no one cares. If there is a hell, you'll see us there... Yeah, I got that NIN album. Good shit. Meanwhile, as a thorough Agnostic, I actually find you even more annoying and "convert happy" than any christian presence found online by myself yet. Besides, your theologic opinion matters for naught as the Fimbulwinter approaches."

I never start it. I only respond to it. Some people have a problem with my name and feel they have to put their 2 cents in. What should I do, not respond? Maybe so, but if someone had a name like Jebus is Lord I would bet no-one would say anything about it.

If you do not like my name fine....just do not bitch about it and I will not feel like I have to respond.

Thank you for those of you who have given me their opinions on the Iphone. I would bet that the majority of phones within 2 years will be Iphone clones with more and better features.

Bring on E3!!!