With the recent release of the new and much more powerful iPhone 5S, and the upcoming new iPads (November), and also native controller support in iOS 7, is it worthwhile to invest in gaming on iOS devices? Obviously, Computers and consoles will always reign king, but might the gap be shortened significantly? I've been gaming on iOS since the beginning of iOS itself, and have always preferred the serious games (Most often by Gameloft) like the Modern Combat series, the N.O.V.A series, and the Gangstar series, and with devices getting more powerful each year, is there a serious future for 'hardcore' iOS gaming?
Graphics capabilities ≠ hardcore-ness of games I would say that the upcoming controllers are more of a reason to get excited about iOS. I can't wait to see what developers will be able to do with physical controls. I've already been impressed by what some have been able to do with touch, but with controllers more developers will take iOS seriously and we'll get more really awesome games.
I'm not so sure the controllers will make all that big a difference, the majority of people will probably not even know you can buy controllers and even if they did they wouldn't spend money on one I'm not sure about it becoming a hardcore gaming platform because I still think most people who play on iOS spend most of their time on quick casual games. It just needs to be more recognised as a platform and that probably won't happen any time in the near future because people assume any portable gaming to be very casual. Controllers or no controllers they won't alone have much of an affect on how people view the gaming
Well, for me, who works over 12 hours a day, i dont have the luxury of sinking time in console games anymore. Maybe i could, but i prefer to keep playing even if im away from home in which so far, iOS gaming has provided well. So even these casual games can get hardcore-ish for me if i spend much time on them. As mentioned by AlexsIpad above, the general user base will be spending time on casual games rather than full blown games. Having these full blown games with me anytime anywhere is a godsend to me though, so for now, as long as this trend keeps up, iOS gaming is as hardcore as it can get for me.
Not being snarky, but it seems the OP equates hardcore gaming with FPS. and i believe that if reasonably priced great hsndling controllers become available and are supported by enough games to be sen as a worthwhile accessory, then yes, the gap will close as more publishers port games or raise the bar for new IP. IMHO. However in other genres ios has already provided hardcore content. RTS has quite a few great games out, Strategy games like Xcom and Battle Academy, and 4X type of games has plenty of choices, Modern boardgame have a ton out for hardcore players. RPG games are abundant both old school, and new or recent ports and new IP that could be considered for hardcore players of those games.
I don't think so. There are a lot of game in iOS which is casual. It according to the idea of the designers.
Cod strike team and asphalt 8 and the new upcoming apple joystick make me hopeful. But the run towards freemium counters this, so we shall see.
This is a genuine question; what are Done of these 4x games on ios and are they available on iPhone ? I love 4x games and it would be great to have on the go with or without multioplayer. The IPhone is for me the perfekt pbem device in many ways.
Your asking the wrong question. Will people pay $20-30 to buy a console quality title , that's the question. I know people don't want to pay more for games so we will continue to receive the same type of games we always had.
Well unfortunately i appear to have embellished a little. I only play 2 4X games myself and both are Ipad only, and i can only find 2 active games in a quick search for Iphone, starbase orion and civilation revolution, and maybe king of dragon pass, which is sort of a 4X card game. Sorry for the wrong info on these games but i think my point that there are hardcore games in different genres is still valid, if not as numerous as i had thought in this case. Mea culpa....
This is a good point, unfortunately. Square Enix has a big fanbase that was willing t fork out to double and triple dip the games they love. Xcom sold well for the same reason, everyone knew what they were buying. Would a unknown ip even from an established publisher and design team be able to capitalize on that?
No problem, I just got very interested when I saw 4X and iOS. It think the platform is a perfect way to play those kind of games. Regarding iOS and hardcore gaming I definitly ageree with you. There are plenty of deep and traditional games on iOS to satisfy the "hardcore".
There is alot of games for every genre. But remember a console is on a TV , so you can't capture that exact feel on a phone. If God of War came to iphone how much will people be willing to pay? Street Fighter 4 when it 1st came out was $10 and people were throwing fits about that.
Bwahahahahabahahahahaha... *Catches breath* Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Actually, this is rather sad, not funny. Controls (and controllers) are not what makes games "hardcore" or "serious". So I don't see how this two are even relevant.
Totally agree. Gamings changing all the time, people used to scoff when people played mobile phone games as to be fair they were often crappy Snake style games and that was that. Now you have all types of games, FPS games, puzzle games, platformers, retro games, adventure ones etc. I dont regard FPS games as 'hardcore', they're basically just a simple game but dressed up with nice looking graphics. I'm just glad iOS in general to be seems to be accepted as a great gaming platform (drives me mad when some people think 'its just Angry Birds and nothing else' !) With external controllers and 'perhaps' a great update to Apple TV it'll be even bigger soon
That's a weird post... 1. Snake (and such) were not crappy games. 2. We had awesome multi-genre games 10+ years ago on mobile devices, you just didn't bother to play them at that time 3. FPS is just a genre. None of the genres is defined as "hardcore". In fact, no game can be defined as hardcore. It depends on how you play the gameFPS doesn't mean it's a simple game. There can be simple ones, but also deeper and more complicated ones. FPS games don't have to be "dressed in" nice graphics, there are tons of crappy looking but great FPS games. 4. Deal with it. Mobile gaming will always have a "casual" sound to it. But not the platform is to blame, people are. Just look at what are the most played games on the AppStore.
+1 I could care less about the most played games are as long as devs continue to make games that appeal to core gamers crowd like us on the forums here. That's why we have games like Monster Adventures, Boson X, Asphalt 8, Republique, Project Joan, Meltdown, Badland, Reaper, etc, etc. to play or look forward to
I think the important think when talking about the looming announcement of controllers is to manage our expectations, because even though they might *potentially* signify that iOS gaming will be recieving a push in the future, the reality remains that whatever liberties these controllers might give devs will be hampered by the fact that, at the end of the day, devs have to make their games playable on touchscreens, regardless of the existence of controllers. For my money, do I think iOS can have a future as a hardcore gaming platform? Sure. There are plenty of games on the App Store that show that iDevices are delivering high-quality gaming experiences - whether you're talking about ports like GTA Vice City, KOTOR or X-COM, fresh iterations on franchises like Scribblenauts or Call of Duty or tailor-made experiences like Rayman Jungle Run or Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame. Also, on the Freemium topic, I don't think it's impossible to find a balance between having Freemium and Premium games. Currently we've been seeing a big haul of F2P games (and their models range from the recommendable - FIFA 14 - to the despicably greedy - Madden 25), but I feel confident that, with the success that Premium games like X-COM, KOTOR, Deus Ex and Call of Duty had this year, next year we might see more Premium offerings.