We broke the news a few weeks back that Namco Networks had created a dedicated Apple Games group, separate from the rest of its mobile division, to allow a particularly strong focus on the iPhone as a games platform. We recently had the chance to interview Jonathan Kromrey, head of the new Apple Games group, regarding the formation of the division and what it means to iPhone gaming.
Kromrey, who spent time as a producer at I-Play Mobile Gaming, has most recently been part of Apple’s own, internal iPhone apps division and was involved with the phenomenally successful Apple iPhone game release of Texas Hold’em [App Store]. He came to Namco Networks, bringing with him a team of developers from both Apple and EA, with the goal of “bringing freshness and newness to iPhone gaming." He indicates that his group has plans to not only bring a number of popular Japanese Namco titles to the iPhone, but also to generate wholly new titles written specifically for the platform. And when asked if the division intends to act as a publishing arm for independent developers, his response was a definitive “hell yes!" In fact, the group has signed two such deals, one of which will bear App Store fruit within the month.
Kromrey calls the iPhone “a wide open platform," ripe for both hardcore as well as casual game titles that everyone can enjoy. And games along these lines should appear scattered across the price-point scale. His group feels that a sound strategy for iPhone game releases involves basic, quick-play games at a low ($.99) price point, more involved and full-featured titles at a moderate ($4.99) price point, as well as long-play, large-scale games complete with microtransactions at a premium ($9.99) price point. And, in our reckoning, this seems the right strategy to maximize a studio’s market penetration.
iPhone 3GS owners have particular reason to be excited about Namco Network’s newly formed division. Kromrey calls the difference in capabilities between the iPhone 3G and 3GS “huge," and points to Namco’s popular I Love Katamari [App Store] as an example of a title that illustrates the increased power of the 3GS. And, more than just delivering games with higher framerates on Apples’ new unit, Kromrey’s team fully intends to exploit the features of the new device (such as the OpenGL ES 2.0 pipeline) in full.
In other, recent interviews, Namco Networks’ Apple Games chief has been asked about the possible arrival of Tekken, Soulcalibur, and the like on the iPhone platform. And while he would not confirm any specifics, Kromrey indicated that, with such titles, getting the controls exactly right is key, and that depending in particular on success in this area, the iPhone may indeed see such titles lighting up its four-inch touchscreen.
