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BusinessWeek has posted an article about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and why both Sony and Nintendo should watch out. The article mentions games such as Gameloft’s Real Soccer 2009 ($9.99) and EA Mobile’s upcoming SimCity.
I didn’t expect much from games on the iPhone. I had visions of casual games, perhaps a fancy take on solitaire or a version of poker that takes advantage of the handset’s touchscreen. Surely not a true mobile gaming experience.
Boy, was I wrong. For the last few days I’ve been sampling some of the games available from the iTunes Store on the iPod Touch, and I’ve been stunned at how elaborate and involved they are. On the iPod Touch I’ve played a version of Gameloft’s Real Soccer 2009 that rivals the version of the game on the Nintendo DS, and I didn’t even miss the buttons. I’ve seen demonstrations of Sim City, forthcoming for the iPhone and the Touch from Electronic Arts (ERTS), that look more elaborate and sophisticated than any versions I’ve played before on a desktop PC or console.
While personally I don’t think Sony or Nintendo has anything to worry about, I do think that they will take note of the success of gaming using the accelerometer and multi-touch capabilities and incorporate them into future gaming handheld devices. Just like the Wii from Nintendo hasn’t cut into sales of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, it still caters to a larger, more mainstream demographic, and it’s nice to have options.
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