iPhone 4 Revealed; Gets Gyroscope for Gaming
This has some nice implications for gaming as it should allow developers to make better use of the iPhone as a motion and gesture based controller. It should hopefully make the device much more precise.
Apple describes the new sensor on its website:
iPhone 4 is the first phone with a built-in three-axis gyroscope. When paired with the accelerometer, it makes iPhone 4 capable of advanced motion sensing such as user acceleration, angular velocity, and rotation rate. Translation: More motion gestures and greater precision for an even better gaming experience.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs demoed the new gyroscope on stage at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference today, showing off a Jenga-like test game.
It's certainly an interesting addition, but I don't know how often I'll be able to spin around with my phone when I'm gaming. It should make augmented reality applications a lot more useful, though.
For more coverage on the iPhone 4, you can check out Engadget, TUAW, or MacRumors. If you want a laugh, follow along as the Shacknews community follows the announcement of the new device.
The iPhone 4 will be available for pre-order on June 15 and will be released on June 24 in the US, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
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PinkyImp
replyCool...
*Goes back to DS*
Seriously...who cares? I will never consider this a solid gaming platform over something like the DS OR PSP, and if someone came to me and asked "what hand held gaming system should I get" It sure as hell wont be the Iphone...
Then again if your in the market for a new phone with great multimedia apps and tools. Your in luck.-
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Apple is pushing hard to make it seem as one tho, and while this may be the case I just cant take this thing seriously when its being reported as a gaming device. But I understand your POV and it is a market for apple to capitalize on. I am not too well known with mobile devices but I am sure any other "smart phone" don't have nearly as much apps as apple does.
I guess for me its not the fact that it is a gaming system, just touted as a gaming system so much through the industry (or at lease I often hear it is). and probably the fact that I am tired of things like 3d and Gyroscopic motion controls.
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I'm sure Apple will get on that right away so you can play your emulators...
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Its on the fact that it IS an emulator, its just that touchscreen controls suck for precise movements and such. I'm just noting that i was playing on a emulator.
Even if apple themselves made better controls the fact is there is no feeling when touching the screen. Buttons feel like nothing, and there is no response when you do something like pushing a button.
Its the same reason why I don't like typing on the Ipad.
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People who don't wanna carry around 2 devices care
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Most people already carry 2 devices. And personally i would rather have 2 devices that are good at what they do than 1 that has basically "lite" versions of what other devices can pull off.
And really a DS and or PSP is not that big. Carrying 2 devices is pretty much a non issue for most people as they already carry around big shit with them anyways, to work at least (ex. laptop, hell sometimes 2 laptops). For me I have no issues carrying devices, because I have a nice bag that fits them all.
But its your choice. I know why people would care. My angle is more of saying "who cares" from a gaming aspect. not a practical or functional aspect (which I completely agree and get, nobody wants to carry more than 1 or 2 devices), but as far as gaming goes...really, who cares it has Gyroscopes and shit like that. I mean its cool, but traditional gaming is just fine. and I would recommend that over anything else. Hell I would recommend a DS to anyone for gaming on the go
Now if you have a Iphone and want to do light gaming with some other things then by all means, have at it.-
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We're talking about phones and mobile game platforms as per your original post. These are all things that should fit in your pocket. If you start counting anything with batteries just to prove your right I'm pretty sure everyone is going to see through that.
When it comes to mobile devices that people carry with them at all times, most people have a cellphone or smart phone and that is it. Some older people might also carry a PDA. Once you get into the younger demographic you probably do see a higher incidence of a gaming device being with them at all times. Someday they'll grow out of that. You don't need to play video games at any given moment once you work for a living.
Back to that whole "most people" thing... I'm pretty sure Ease One is right.-
That is fine. My fault for not being specific. But I agree with your message, I am not bashing the Iphones multimedia prowess, but more of its gaming library and control scheme (i am not really bashing that also, i just feel its not a great sub for other better gaming platforms.)
But thanks for clearing that up. For people who only have a iphone. Playing games on it is fine. But personally I would go with something a little more fun and fleshed out.
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I've never had a DS but given its popularity I have to assume it is pretty good. At least one of my friends who is over the age of 30 has one so that counts for something. I assume you'd say its a good example of a top notch mobile gaming platform?
So next in line I'd say we'd have to put the PSP. I don't know about the new version without the UMD drive but the original was not top notch. My main reason for this is because it had pretty iffy controls. It is a good example of a mobile gaming platform that could have been executed better in at least one way that had a major impact on its long term viability. After years of loyally using it and buying games you just start to realize it isn't meant for stuff like FPS or any game that requires accurate fine movements with an analog stick.
So there we have a device where you expect it to be as good as it gets, right? Yet in certain areas it just doesn't deliver. Maybe that is the fault of Sony, maybe the developers for forcing a genre onto an ill-suited platform, I don't know. Either way I like it less than I like gaming on my phone. So why is that?
I think that is why for many people (myself included) when I play games on the iPhone I am ready to forgive a certain level of crappy controls or shallow gameplay. I look down and say "well I'm doing this on my phone, so, its OK".
I think that delineation is probably where many shackers fall. Either you're using a mobile gaming platform that is well suited and performs to your expectations or you just don't have anything else or what you have is no longer worth lugging around. For the second group the iPhone become the definition for what is fun because there is nothing else.
In our own worlds, we're both right. In a purely gaming sense you're probably more right because you've dedicated money to something that is probably the best option out there. To the rest of us, the gyroscope is probably pretty cool :)
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what other device do you carry with you other than a phone? Im pretty sure most people just have one device on them at a time.
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I have had a PSP since right after they came out. Let me tell you what: I never carry that thing ANYWHERE. In fact, I haven't used it at all in like a year and a half. Even if I was playing it I still wouldn't carry it with me even if I was traveling. When you have something more powerful in your pocket there is no reason to bother with the extra weight. The iPhone provides as many of the same types of games while doing so much else far better (web, music, movies, etc...)
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Yeah I hear ya, eventually the Iphone/ phones in general will be gaming platforms much like the psp anyway with deeper games. Street FIght 4 and Earth Worm Jim are pretty amazing for the iphone right now and 90% less then a ds or psp game. But I hope to see full out games one day for dl content on them.
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You dont get the Iphone for a gaming device.! You buy it for a phone, mail, net, iphod, video, games, pictures, camera, porn, aps, calculator, weather, compass, google maps, dictionary, note pad, contact list, books, and many other things I can't think of all in your handy little pocket. Or you can get the Droid phones which are also good.
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Because it has a lot of awesome games. Is that so hard to see?
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Rolando, Beneath a steel Sky, Civ revolution, Zenonia, Monkey Island, Quake, Castle Wolfenstein, Orions: Legends of Wizards, Duke Nukem.Space Miner...
Thats just touching the tip of what is available, sure there is a lot of crap but there is a lot of quality too.
Pretty full featured gaming platform too me, i bought mine soley for gaming and an mp3 player.
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I hear a lot more about iPhone games than DS or PSP games now. Both with just overhearing conversations and on podcasts.
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