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Latest iOS beta nixes Game Center support for iPhone 3G, 2nd-gen iPod Touch

Christopher Grant — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Apple's forthcoming Game Center service is alive and well in the latest iOS beta, 4.1 beta 3, and as those beta releases get more frequent, we get closer to the release of this "social gaming network" for iPhones and iPod Touches.

Unfortunately, with beta 3, we now have to further specify precisely which iPhones and iPod Touches will be supported by Game Center. Originally, Game Center was expected to run on the same iPhone / iPod Touch hardware that iOS 4 would run on, which only excluded the original iPhone and original iPod Touch. Now, perhaps in response to user complaints about the how poorly the iPhone 3G and 2nd-gen iPod Touch run on the new OS, those two (far more popular!) devices have also been stripped of Game Center compatibility in the latest beta.

Since this is getting confusing, we'll recap. You can use Game Center when it launches later this year only on one of these products: iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, 3rd-gen iPod Touch ... and that's it.

Latest iOS beta nixes Game Center support for iPhone 3G, 2nd-gen iPod Touch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone OS 4 detailed: multitasking confirmed

Christopher Grant — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:29:00 EST

Apple's iPhone OS 4 event is happening now (go play along at home with Engadget's liveblog!) and Mr. Jobs just announced support for what has to be the most requested feature on the platform: multitasking. While Jobs admitted that Apple wasn't "the first to the party" he did suggest that "we're gonna be the best." Apple's solution involves pulling a "Dock"-like bar from the bottom of the screen with a double-press of the Home button. That Dock features all currently running apps.

To illustrate the functionality, Jobs used a game, Tap Tap Revenge. "Now I want to go to eBay -- I go right to where I left off in the apps," Jobs said. "Now I want to play a game, Tap Tap Revenge -- it keeps me where I was. Again, the game stops -- let me go back and look at mail." But it's not all about games, of course -- Apple also demoed music-streaming app Pandora playing in the background regardless of app (take note, Last.FM on Xbox 360!) and Skype, available to take calls in the background.

Update: And, just as some of you feared, this particular enhancement will not work on iPhone 3G or earlier. "We are releasing it for end users for iPhone and iPod Touch ... for the 3GS and iPod Touch 3rd Gen," Jobs said. "And, for iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2nd Gen, they will run many things ... but there are some things they won't run, like multitasking." So there you have it. While your iPhone 3G or 2nd-gen Touch may run many other components of OS 4 (Game Center?), it won't be running them at the same time.

iPhone OS 4 detailed: multitasking confirmed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Devspeak: iPhone 3G vs iPhone 3GS

David Hinkle — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:40:00 EST

The introduction of the iPhone 3GS is huge for a variety of reasons, but most important to gamers is how the new phone improves gaming. And that's why IndustryGamers pinged a few iPhone devs to get their thoughts on the new device, how it'll make their games even better, and whether they should be developing for the larger install base of 3G users or specifically for the improved 3GS model.

The first developer to speak on the matter is EA Mobile, who says it'll actually be developing for both versions. "To take full advantage of the new capabilities of the 3GS, our development teams will create an additional version specifically for it, so that our products will be available and enjoyable no matter which iPhone or iPod touch a consumer has." Trip Hawkins, CEO of Digital Chocolate, thinks otherwise, and says that the new phone's capabilities will make existing products better, making it unnecessary to explicitly develop for the more powerful platform. Paxton LaZar, director of digital content at Sega of America, is more in line with EA Mobile, however, and says Sega will offer products tailored specifically for each phone, although only on select titles. "Sega will continue to develop games for the 3G iPhones and for appropriate games we will also deliver versions with added and/or improved features/content to take full advantage of the extra power afforded by the new 3GS model," LaZar said. LaZar further compared it to games that are offered across multiple platforms, and says this is basically no different.

While we wait for developers to figure out how they're going to tackle the 3G vs 3GS conundrum, we suggest you see for yourself just how much the 3GS brings to the table in this video for Firemint Real Racing. It just might blow you away.

Devspeak: iPhone 3G vs iPhone 3GS originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Round 1: iPhone 3GS vs. iPhone 3G -- fight!

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:00:00 EST

We're not sure if the lines at the Apple Store are moving any faster this time around, but the early word from Touch Arcade is that games are loading faster on iPhone 3GS compared to the plain, old 3G (see videos after the break). The revelation comes as little surprise considering the bump in processing power, but there may be a few surprises lurking for early adopters. Case in point: Check out Touch Arcade's comparison screen of Snowboard TnT above. It's like the game's graphics can't even keep up with the speed of the 3GS! Wow.

It's unlikely we'll see many leaps in existing games (perhaps some sharper 3D renders and improved frame rates here and there) and any glitches in the move to 3GS will hopefully be addressed with the quickness, but as soon as developers get to tinkering with the 3GS's superior technology there could be an entire class of games that are unplayable on a 3G or, dare we mention, the original iPhone. Of course, doing so would essentially cut off twenty-some-odd million potential app buyers.

Needless to say, we don't think it's realistic to expect a ton of support for 3GS-only gaming until the older iPhone models are phased out. In the meantime, you'll have to stick to bragging about those blazing load times.

Gallery: iPhone 3G S

Continue reading Round 1: iPhone 3GS vs. iPhone 3G -- fight!

Round 1: iPhone 3GS vs. iPhone 3G -- fight! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LiveFire: Online FPS with voice chat coming to iPhone

Randy Nelson — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST

Former EA Los Angeles studio director Neil Young (not that Neil Young) was on hand at today's iPhone OS 3.0 debut to show off upcoming games from his new venture, ngmoco. The company has already delivered a series of highly regarded iPhone titles, including Topple, Dr. Awesome and Dropship -- and today unveiled perhaps its most ambitious to date, a first-person online shooter called LiveFire.

Our compatriots at Engadget were live at the event, reporting that the game "is pretty impressive, a fairly smooth FPS with in game chat. Graphics aren't too shabby, if a bit basic," but that "the controls don't look super easy." The title makes use of Apple's new App Store integration within apps in the form of a microtransaction-based weapons depot. In this example, a rocket launcher cost $.99. Unfortunately, that's the extent of what ngmoco was willing to divulge on the title. Can you earn a rocket launcher? We sure hope so.

LiveFire: Online FPS with voice chat coming to iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo DSi vs. PSP-3000 vs. iPod Touch, v1.0

Ross Miller — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, Mac, Sony PSP

Note: Relative sizes approximate

Now that we have some concrete details about the Nintendo DSi -- which bears more than a few similarities between its multimedia competitors -- let's size it up against the PSP-3000 and Apple's "gaming handheld" the iPhone/iPod Touch. Remember this is based on tech specifications and not on games library. We'll keep updating as we get more news from Nintendo about its just-announced portable.

	Nintendo DSi	PSP-3000	iPhone / iPod Touch
Screen Size	Two 3.25-inch displays	4.3-inch display	3.5-inch display
Screen Resolution	256 x 192	480 x 272, 16m colors	480×320
CPU speed / type	One 67 MHz (ARM) and one 33 MHz ARM7TDMI²	MIPS R4000-based; clocked from 1 to 333 MHz	620 MHz ARM 1176, underclocked to 412 MHz
Form Factor	5.85 x 3.33 x 0.99 inches¹	6.7 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches	4.5 × 2.4 x 0.48 inches (iPhone); 4.3 × 2.4 × 0.33 inches (iPod Touch)
Camera	2 cameras, one with VGA resolution	Optional Go!Cam, 1.3 megapixels	iPhone has 2 megapixel camera
Memory	SD slot, internal storage (unknown size)	Memory Stick (up to 16GB)	8-32GB internal storage
Internet	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi (iPhone also has EDGE or 3G)
Browser	Yes	Yes	Yes
Online Store	Yes (DSi Shop)	Yes (PS Store)	Yes (App Store)
Touch Screen	Yes (single touch)	No	Yes (multi-touch)

Notes:
1: Approximate size, based on Nintendo's assertion that DSi is 12 percent thinner than DS Lite
2: Architecture of the DS Lite and, as noted, subject to change pending official release notes

Update: Massively has a comparison piece on the MMO potential of the three portables.

Gallery: What the Handheld War means for MMOs

Nintendo DSi vs. PSP-3000 vs. iPod Touch, v1.0 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega pleased by 'substantial' iPhone Super Monkey Ball sales

Randy Nelson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wireless, Puzzle, Business, Mobile

Talk about some serious monkey business. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sega's debut effort on the iPhone App Store, Super Monkey Ball, has racked up 300,000 downloads since it debuted on the service June 11.

At $9.99 a pop, that means the game has brought in just about $3 million for Sega, with Apple taking its 30% "upkeep" share off the top to the tune of $899k. Both parties must be quite pleased. Sega certainly is. Based on what SOA prez Simon Jeffery told the WSJ, the future looks to be full of iPhone games from the publisher. Speaking on the sizable sales of SMB, Jeffrey said, "That's a substantial business," adding, "It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform."

It's worth noting that these purchases, unlike those via XBLA or PSN, were made sight-unseen, as the App Store does not offer a SMB trial version. Now, if Sega would just release a patch to allow calibration of the iPhone's accelerometer so we can play SMB without staring straight down at it ... that'd be bananas.

Sega pleased by 'substantial' iPhone Super Monkey Ball sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Times: iPhone could be in 'same league' as DS, PSP

Randy Nelson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:35:00 EST

Filed under: Portable, Wireless, Business

The gaming community doesn't typically put a lot of stock in what media outlets such as Time have to say about our collective hobby. But these publications do tend to have their fingers on the pulse of the mainstream, providing perspective on and to that other, oh, baziliion or so consumers who aren't "enthusiasts." So, when they tell their audience that Apple's iPhone could be big for gaming, it's definitely worth taking notice.

In its article, "Can the iPhone Rule Gaming?," Time makes some compelling points. One quarter of all currently available iPhone app store titles are games, and, further to that, seven out of the top 10 paid app downloads are games. Also, as the article points out, a third of the iPhone userbase is in the game industry's hottest demographic, aged 26 and under. The article spotlights the ease of downloading games to the device directly as a key advantage over DS and PSP. These factors, combined with titles such as Spore: Origins, could, in Time's words, "Bring the iPhone into the same league as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP."

Still, there are questions raised, particularly regarding software quality. The piece's author, Anita Hamilton, states, "Key to the iPhone's success as a gaming platform is a deep portfolio of titles that take advantage of the device's coolest attributes, such as its tilt sensor," adding that, "It remains to be seen ... whether iPhone games actually evolve beyond the amusing, lightweight titles available now."

Times: iPhone could be in 'same league' as DS, PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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