In defense of iPod gaming

Christopher Breen had some harsh words about the state of gaming on the iPod. Peter Cohen responds, pointing out the interesting titles on the iPod and how iPod game development is paving the way for iPhone-based games.

Article: Does iPhone SDK mark the end of Click Wheel iPod Gaming?

When Apple announced the iPhone Software Development Kit in early March, game developers were nearly unanimous in praising the tools, iTunes-focused distribution methodology, and opportunities Apple was providing to their community: the iPhone and iPod touch, they made clear, were going to be exciting new gaming platforms, and companies such as Electronic Arts, Sega, and Gameloft were quick to commit to releasing new titles. But what, we wondered,…

Will the iPhone kill iPod Click Wheel gaming?

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPod Family, iTunes, iPod, iPod nano, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, OriginalsYes, and it’s about time we put it out of its misery. Even before the iPhone, the iPod never stood a chance as a legitimate gaming device. This saddens me somewhat, too, because I really wanted it to be. I viewed gaming on the iPod much as I do on my Macintosh, in that I didn’t buy a Mac to play games, but if there are games available, I’ll certainly play them. Unfortunately, developers just never put much thought into iPod games, and Apple didn’t seem interested in helping out. The main problem, of course, is the scroll wheel. There are very few games that can be effectively controlled with a wheel, and developers just haven’t been able to work around that. Games such as Mini Golf, Vortex and Peggle are workable, but only because of the simple control schemes that mainly involve spinning in a circle. Okay. But why is Sonic the Hedgehog on the iPod? Bomberman? Pac Man? These are big name titles, sure, but trying to control them with a click wheel is an exercise in frustration and futility that only turns gamers away from the iPod. Games for the iPhone are being developed specifically for the iPhone. Developers are excited about the touch screen and accelerometer, and are already putting them to good use. Obviously, developers didn’t have that excitement about the iPod’s click wheel. As a result, we got a mess of games with titles we recognize—Scrabble, Yahtzee, Pole Position, Pirates of the Caribberan(?!)—because that’s the only way people would buy them. Even EA, apparently recognizing no one wants to play pool on an iPod, threw their popular Sims franchise label on top of it in an effort to move some copies. They did the same with The Sims Bowling and The Sims DJ. Actually, The Sims DJ goes in a direction that more games should have, in that it puts your music collection into the game. It’s not just background music while you play; rather, the gameplay is built around your music. It’s an original concept that could only work on the iPod. The same goes for iQuiz, which creates trivia games based on your own music. This is what more developers needed to do, instead of just throwing unplayable ports of cell phone games at us. Or, someone could’ve given us an iPod game pad. I imagine if the market had been there, someone would have. I’m not a developer and know little of design, but I can’t imagine it would’ve been hard to put together a cradle in which the iPod classic and 3G nano would sit, placing a D-pad to the left of the click wheel and a few buttons to the right. The D-pad would take over the touch commands of the click wheel, and the buttons would take over the wheel and center button clicking functions. With that device, the games would be able to be played as they’re meant to, and the entire catalog would open to all iPod owners on a device combo no larger than a Nintendo DS. Of course, the problem with such a device is that Apple updates the form factor of the iPod so frequently that it would have to be a wide open design to avoid becoming obsolete within a year or two. Plus, as I mentioned at the top of the article, people aren’t buying iPods for the games. The Nintendo DS and Sony PSP have that market covered, so it’s unlikely the type of person looking to play Sonic the Hedgehog would look to do so on an iPod. And so, we’re back to game design. Developers need to put games on the iPod that work on the iPod, which is why I’m thrilled to see a company as huge as Square Enix getting into the mix with Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes. Here’s a game that not only works with the click wheel (it’s not a perfect fit, but the turn-based strategy gameplay doesn’t require quick, precise control, and is therefore more forgiving), but that takes full advantage of the your music collection; the songs on your iPod actually become ”Tune Troopers.” How cool is that...building an army based on your music. I just added this game to my collection, and can’t wait to see what type of soldiers songs such as Queen’s “Ogre Battle” and “Vultan’s Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men)” give me. Or, for that matter, “Particle Man” from They Might Be Giants. So, is there hope for iPod gaming, or is this too little, too late? I fear it’s the latter, but I hope Song Summoner does well enough to convince Square Enix to embrace the iPhone and iPod touch platforms. Support from big name developers and publishers will improve public perception within the gaming community, and that can only be good for sales. After all, showing friends Vortex on the iPod never convinced anyone to run out and buy one, but Super Monkey Ball could certainly have that effect. Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

TUAW Hands-On: Square Enix's Song Summoner for the iPod

Square Enix dropped a huge bomb at E3 a few weeks ago with the fact that their latest Final Fantasy title, number 13, was coming to Microsoft's Xbox 360. But a week before, they dropped another piece of surprise news on iPod owners: that they had released a game for the music player, and that not only was it an RPG, but it was actually a tactical RPG that used the iPod's own songs as characters.If you're a Squeenix fanboy, your mind is probably just blown by the idea, and as we reported last time, our Nintendo-biased friends were thrilled to hear about the game. But how does it actually play -- is it worth picking up if you're not a Square fan, and/or you just want to hear music on your iPod?Short answer: Probably not. While Square Enix's Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes is a pretty amazing game for the iPod, the iPod is meant to be a music player, not a game platform, and a few hardware drawbacks keep Song Summoner from shining as a game just for iPod owners. Square fans will enjoy it very much, RPG gamers will probably get their money's worth (the game is only $5, cheap by any estimation), but anyone looking for a pick-up-and-play iPod game will likely get mired in the slow pace.Continue reading TUAW Hands-On: Square Enix's Song Summoner for the iPodPermalink | Email this | Comments

News: iTunes Store drops eight 5G iPod Games, updates Zuma

Following an extended period that saw Apple re-release some of its fifth-generation iPod Games in a format compatible with third-generation iPod nanos and iPod classics, the company today added Zuma to its master list of nano- and classic-ready iPod Games, and removed a section of the iTunes Store that linked to eight other titles. The titles are: Bejeweled iQuiz Lost Mahjong Mini Golf Musika Royal Solitaire Vortex Two of these titles, iQuiz and Vortex,…

iPod Game Review: Pole Position: Remix

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod, iPod nano, Features, Review Genre: Sports Format: iPod Game (Download from iTunes Store) Developer: Namco Networks America Inc. Compatible iPods: iPod nano (3rd generation), iPod classic, and iPod (5th generation). They cannot be played on your computer, nor are they compatible with other iPod models including the iPhone and the iPod touch. Review iPod: iPod nano (3rd generation) and iPod (5th generation) Price: $5.99 ESRB Rating: N/A Availability: Now Demo: No After owning my iPod for a few months, I decided to purchase a few games to play while listening to some tunes and podcasts. Pole Position: Remix was one of them. After playing one race, I quickly felt the style of gameplay was much different. Your average racing game doesn’t force you to pause a few seconds then start racing again after you smash your car into a sign, wall or another opponent, it just dents your car. Your steering must be precise or you’ll end up going into a puddle or gas spill, crashing, then starting up again a few seconds later. While it can get annoying when you have the almost natural instinct to crash into other cars and knock them off the road, Pole Position: Remix does bring the classic 80s style of gameplay to your iPod. Racing in cockpit view the entire game, you must first quailify to race by achieving points based on the distance raced. The whole points system is also quite strange. In a typical racing game, you must pass the opponents and try to get first place. In Pole Position, try to go as fast as possible (without crashing) to gain points. At the end of the race, whoever has the most points wins. You’ll get extra points for passing other cars, but if you pass everyone at the start, more cars will appear ahead of you later in the race. The racing for points style of gameplay isn’t bad, it just takes some time to get used to. You’ll also be able to race the famous four tracks of the game: Namco, Speedway, Wonder, and Seaside. A fifth and new track—Misaki Point—comes in the iPod version. When racing in these five tracks you’ll notice that all the billboards are filled with album artwork from the content on your iPod. When you pass certain races, you’ll be able to unlock cockpit themes based on other classic Namco games from the 80’s; like PAC-MAN, Galaga and Dig-Dug. Racing in a bit of style defiently adds to change up the environment. This game keeps all of the elements of the classic game with added features for the iPod. The game is great if you’d like a fast game that’ll get your thumb spinning around the clickwheel while you listen to some tunes. Graphics aren’t the best compared to some other iPod games, but the original game’s weren’t that good, either. And while Pole Position: Remix is playable on the Nano, it’ll be a bit harder because of the small click wheel. Appletell Rating: Purchase Pole Position: Remix Full Story » | Written by Nicholas Montgomery for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »