Why the new iPod touch rocks for gamers
One thing was perfectly clear while sitting in the audience at Apple’s big press event last week: Music might have been the focus of the chat, but there was quite a bit of news for gamers, too. Here’s why on-the-go gamers should get excited about the new iPod touch.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the iPod touch is now the most popular portable game system in the world, with more than 50 percent market share. “We’ve sold more iPod touches than Nintendo and Sony’s portable game players combined,” Jobs said onstage.
Impressive? You bet. But keep in mind not everyone buys an iPod touch to play games — which is usually the case for the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP).
That said, Jobs maintains more than 1.5 billion games and entertainment downloads have been downloaded to the iPod touch to date.
Jobs also demoed Game Center, a new feature built into iOS 4.1, available this week, that provides a community-based online gaming hub for iPod touch and iPhones. Included in this free app is a matchmaking and challenge option, Top 10 game lists (showing what your friends are playing), global leaderboards and an Xbox Live-like achievement system. iPad owners will have to wait for the feature to be included in iOS 4.2, out this November.
Oh, in case you missed the news, the new iPod touch is thinner than its predecessors, has the stunning Retina display (326 pixels per inch) and includes two cameras: one that snaps VGA-quality stills (too bad it’s not 5MP like the iPhone 4) and shoots HD video (720p) and a forward-facing one that lets you video chat via FaceTime while in a Wi-Fi network. Available this week, prices are $249 for the 8GB version, $319 for 32GB and $429 for 64GB of memory.
Finally, another demo that managed to impress was a game called Project Sword (codename), an Unreal Engine 3-powered action role-playing game from Epic Games, and developed by Chair Entertainment (of Shadow Complex fame).
Designed for portable iOS devices, this multiplayer-supported fantasy game was fully rendered in 3D, and featured a turn-based combat system controlled by finger swipes across the screen.
In the live demo from Epic Games president Mike Capps and Chair’s creative director Donald Mustard, two knights hacked and slashed at one another, until the bigger of the two adversaries took a number of blows to the head and body and ultimately collapsed in defeat. “The bigger they come, the harder they fall,” joked Mustard.
It appeared each fighter had upgradeable attributes, such as strength and attack speed, and hit points were calculated based on the severity of the strikes.
After the impressive demo, Apple CEO Steve Jobs shook his head, laughed and said: “It’s on a phone.”
Due out sometime later this year, the game will also support the Game Center app for community features.
Without question, Apple has become a major force in the portable gaming industry. And hey, if they can add gaming functionality to its new Apple TV product for the living room, Nintendo and Sony (and Microsoft) might really have something to worry about.
Mobile gamers, do you play on an iPod touch? Or are you faithful to the Nintendo DS or PSP?
“includes two cameras: one that snaps 5-megapixel stills” Sorry guys that wrong- te megapixels on the new iPod touch is 0.7 mp. Doesn’t that really blow
“too bad it’s not 5MP like the IPHONE 4″
huuurrrr
nvm, sorry didn’t see marc’s comment.
Not even close to gaming with that pile of crap!!! This must be a Steve Jobs pay for ad
Scott,
My bad — thanks for the clarification. I actually wrote “VGA” camera last week while in San Francisco for the event. I’ll fix ASAP. Ya, it’s disappointing given the fact the iPhone 4 has a 5MP camera.
Marc
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