For games like Angry Birds, Flight Control etc, touch screen controls are ideal and more than adequate. But the iPhone is about to get more traditional games, like this... http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Various/Infinity+Blade/news.asp?c=24893 From the makers of Epic Citadel. And the best part is, the devs said they can pull off a game along the lines of Gears of War, but with better graphics on the iPhone as well. The video looks mind blowing, but the previews all indicate that with all the various gestures to pull off the moves, it's clunky, as opposed to traditonal controls on similar games like God of War 3. IMO, traditional games like this, are enhanced greatly traditional controls. There are only so many buttons/gestures you can squeeze onto a 3.5 inch touchscreen before it gets cluttered and confusing. And there is a very easy fix... There is a reason why Call of Duty is ported to every single gaming platform out there, except for the smartphone market. As Activision said, a game like Call of Duty needs buttons, lots of them, as well as dual analog sticks. Apple just has to either release, or support something along what's pictured, and suddenly, a game like Final Fantasy or Halo or Gears of War becomes viable on the iPhone. Bungies next game might well see an iPhone release. The next Call of Duty might get an iPhone release. All it takes for that to happen is for an accessory like the one pictured to get released and supported by Apple.
Here is how it would work. Apple releases something as pictured and soon Street Fighter, Black Pegasus, NOVA2, CoD: Zombies and a host of other shooters and platformers all get updated to both support the attachment and retain their current controls if they don't detect it. These two quotes sum up my point perfectly... And this... Yes, games like Doodle Jump and Angry Birds are fun. But at some point, gamers want to be able to play Call of Duty: Black Ops on the iPhone. Wouldn't you personally want to be able to play Gears of War on the iPhone? Honestly, as long as atleast Gameloft supports it, I would be happy. Playing Modern Combat 1/2 and Nova 1/2 with dual analogs would be a dream come true. Also, this would benefit independent developers like you guys too. First, this would increase the appeal of iPhone gaming to gamers like these who demand buttons before they take gaming seriously... http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27498866 Due to the low cost of making games on the iPhone, an independent developer could with some hard work make the next Call of Duty style game that supports such an accessory and rake in the cash. A small developer team would finally have a shot to take on the big dogs like Activision if such an accessory gets released. What's wrong with the iPhone being a gaming platform? It's not as if all it's other uses go away just because you can play traditional games with traditional controls on it as well. And it's not as if games like Doodle Jump and Flight Control would disappear either. Games designed around the touch screen would still remain the most popular, as not every single iPhone owner will buy such an accessory. The more markets, and the more gamers iPhone gaming appeals to, the better.
You can't get serious on a system that has no buttons... And if you're going to say something about that hardware attachment where you put your iPhone in it, then good luck playing with that. All I have to say is that the iPhone is a PHONE, not a gaming platform.Tthe iPod Touch is an iPOD for MUSIC, not a gaming platform. It's made for multimedia, NOT games, but it plays games. Same thing with the PSP and DS: they're made for GAMES, not multimedia, but they can play multimedia. You can't get hardcore on a platform that has games as its secondary feature.
Then why are epic games, apple, ea and gameloft sinking so much money into iPhone gaming? The lack of buttons is an easy fix as that mockup shows, so why not fix it?
fyi this isn't a new or original idea. My take on it is WHY? Why on earth would I want to make my iphone like every other console I ever owned and still own? I enjoy iphone games because i like seeing developers try to design games built around the iphones unique input methods. Not because I want to play *AAA CONSOLE TITLE 5* on a tiny touch screen. Games like Jet Car Stunts, Hook Champ/Super Quick Hook, Tilt to Live are examples of developers making games that would not control better with buttons and for me, its games like these that keep me playing iphone games. For me its not a matter of casual vs hardcore its a matter of design standpoint.
The iPhone IS a gaming machine now. It's been modified for retina, and Steve has even called it a gaming machine. Apple is changing fast and additional control options might not be far off. The iPhone wasn't initially built for games, but after all this success and the ports (including Call Of Duty) it's really picking up....
If the iphone is to go hardcore, I would prefer integrated buttons rather than an extra peripheral I have to carry around all the time. By the way, why was this reposted under a different title?
I have a DS Lite and a DS XL. I have to admit I haven't played on any since some time. But both are the demonstration that Touch and Physical Pads + Buttons aren't compatible. For sure the pen makes it worse but even for those allowing use your finger, typically menus large enough, all games that tried mix both modes and that I played just show it's an announced failure to try mix both modes. My 2 cents are that it's not that obvious that the physical pad and buttons are that better than virtual one: One plus of virtual is to allow more customization by the games. Four buttons, five, or even 9/10 like in Zenonia 2, forms of pads, one pad or two pads or zero pad, and so on. A second plus is that it allows offer a much better personalization by the players, position and size of buttons and pads. A third plus is that some games suit much better a stick and some other much better a pad. With the physical pad you are glued to one choice. For sure such diversity is rude for the players who have to get used to many different type of controls. But it's a real chance for design diversity and it's quite unique. In fact virtual controls is the ultra hardcore approach of controls for real fanatic players, because it's much more potential for diversity at the price of requiring more dedication or skills to get used to such control diversity. There 2 possible problems with this ultra hardcore approach of controls: Is it too difficult for players? I'm very new to touch gaming, and with iPad only, so I'm not well placed to answer. My current feeling, is that the answer is yes, at least for me. But recently when playing a bit Catacombs I got a huge surprise to feel at ease for first time with a dual stick game. Not sure if there's something special in controls and if it's just because the game is easy or if after to have try so many dual stick/pad games a little I finally improve somewhere. This virtual controls approach is very very new and we are coming from 30 years spend in devices with game devices almost glued to one type of physical controls. That means this is new for game designers, this is new for players, and evolution can be chaotic making thing more difficult for players and designers. For sure the mouse is an incredible game tool that allowed various sort of controls. But see where it evolved, it's like if all games are evolving to two types of controls, point and click or doom/quake like.
