Software, not the hardware is important. By comparison, DS hardware is ancient, yet it is by far the best RPG device even compared to the home consoles this generation. In addition, controls are an issue. The touch screen really does limit what a developer can do with the controls. It's the same reason why the Wii hasn't seen good third party support (the motion controls).
Exactly. What counts is the software, the games. What counts is the developers behind the games. If you can get good developers to make a good game, then you've got a good game on a good device. I don't think you can compare the touch screen controls with the Wii's motion control. The Wii's controls are a restriction IMO, yet with the touchscreen you can place buttons anywhere you like.
I do agree that the RPG category on the iphone is pathetic. Zenonia sucked, even though it was touted as a loveletter to the 16 bit era. The only thing it had in common with the 16 bit era was crappy graphics. The rest is a loveletter to cell phone games. I love a good RPG, but I hated Zenonia 1 + 2. RPG's in general take a LOT of development time and energy. Probabally more than any other game category. I think that's the main reason there haven't been any great modern rpg's. It bugs me to no end, because they would do very well on the platform giving the controls of the idevice. And given the popularity of the crappy rpg's that have appeared on the app store, I would bet they would perform quite well. I do think that The Quest rivals any DS/PSP in terms of depth. But it doesnt compete in terms of production values. It's still a fun and immersive rpg though and has been quite satisfying for a handheld rpg.
What we need are big name developers behind the iPhone. That isn't happening with everyone discounting what it can do. It's just plain ignorance.
It's a restriction in that there is no option for the use of physical buttons. Precision is often an issue. The touch screen can be an advantage for some games, but it hinders other. Also, you lose some screen real estate by having with virutal d-pads and analog sticks (advantage of the iPad I guess). Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the Iphone will ever get true big developer support outside of what they have now. It seems like the big developers stick their B team on iPhone games.
I want to like the Quest, but I just can't get into it. The controls bother the crap outta me and I just wasn't feeling it (I have the lite version installed).
I personally get by fine with the touchscreen controls, I guess other people don't. I understand about the loss of screen real estate. At first when I got my iPhone I thought "Damn, I can't see a thing" but these days I can get by easily with my thumbs in the way. I understand that big name devs probably won't look at the iPhone, which is a real pity because it does have a lot of potential IMO.
I agree...I dont think the gaming industry as a whole takes the iPhone as a serious gaming device. They do understand that it sells games and can make money, but they don't provide it with the development and support to really grow and thrive.
this thread is kinda funny... the guy who made this thread is only asking for a somewhat some of the "console quality" games for the idevices and it turns out to be a never ending comparison of the idevices to other gaming platforms... geezzz answer for the thread maker: GTA: CTW IMO and that's it... cheers...
hahaha.. yeah i guess so, but newbies that will come to this thread will be surprised that they clicked the title of this thread and see stuffs that are somewhat unrelated to the topic... anyway back to the topic... i think IMO.FIFA 10 could qualify for the title "Console Quality" whatever console quality means... lol... i just find FIFA 10 great, some may find the controls hard but for me that's what made the game AWESOME... haters of FIFA 10 PLEASE don't flame on me THIS IS JUST MY OPINION... lol
If you haven't figured it out yet, it isn't about you. You don't get to decide whether or not the iPhone is a handheld gaming deviceor not. All you can decide is whether you like it as one or not. Whether I like DS or not it is going to continue being a gaming handheld no matter how much I don't want it to be. For better or worse and whether you like it or not the iPhone is a game platform.
Back to topic, I think the RPG genre might be the only one that is missing games that can truly compete head-to-head with the DS/PSP. I dont think there are any truly great rpg's on the iphone yet (aside from The Quest, but thats just my opinion based on my niche taste of the game). We'll see if Chaos Ring is any good or not. It does show promise, but I'm a bit skeptical. But I would love to be surprised!
I was really wanting to like FIFA 10, but got discouraged by all the reviews claiming roster bugs etc.
Except it isn't positioned as a portable game system. It's still positioned as a mobile platform, as a "do all" device. It was not designed primarily for, nor is positioned primarily now, as a "game system", but it is valued as a viable platform for games. There's a difference. Desktop PCs are not positioned as game systems. You can game on them, yes, there is a good PC game market, but the marketing of desktop PCs as a whole are really as "do all" sorts of devices. Same deal with mobile platforms like iPhone/touch. Other way around and with some editing for better accuracy: Among other things, Apple is positioning it as a viable platform for games. Three things: 1. the first "major" game review site to make a big deal out of iPhone/touch gaming was IGN, and they placed iPhone/touch squarely in the mobile platform heading. Gamespot was late (very, very late) to the party. 2. You are, again, confusing things. Being in the mobile platform market does not mean that iPhone/touch isn't a "legit" platform for games, but it does mean that it is not a portable game system. It's not. The same way that PCs are "legit" platforms for games but aren't game systems. Do you see? They weren't designed nor marketed with one type of use above all else to one sort of consumer market; no, they were designed for multiple types of uses and to a much, much wider consumer market. 3. iPhone itself, even in Apple's own press conferences, is always compared directly to Android, Palm, etc. iPod touch is, in passing, compared to DS and PSP, but still more directly compared, even by Apple, to the Android marketplace, etc. It's a mobile platform, not a portable game system. It isn't primarily seen as a dedicated device, but a "do all" device, and is marketed as such (yeah, you'll see iPod touch "the funnest iPod ever" commercials, but you'll also see iPhone ads for non-game apps a lot more, and even iPod apps for music downloads). You're looking at the device and it's capabilities; I'm looking at the product positioning as a whole and the consumer market for said product as a whole. I don't dislike the idea; it's just wrong, and the facts of the market prove that out. Except...it isn't. "There's an app for that" doesn't limit itself primarily to game apps above all else. The iPhone/touch platform isn't primarily about gaming even. It's about mobile computing. HUGE difference. While game apps make up a bigger percentage of app category downloads on the App Store compared to other individual app categories, against all the other categories as a whole it does not dwarf them. And there are a TON of iPhone/touch owners who don't even really use the App Store at all, believe it or not, outside of one or two apps. The "driver" of the App Store game market is iPod touch, but even then it isn't the vast majority of the iPod touch user base that downloads games from the App Store but rather a large enough percentage to make the platform as a whole a viable one for games. Contrast that to PSP and DS: the vast majority of consumers who are interested in DS or PSP is primarily in the market for games. That simply doesn't hold true with iPhone/touch even now. It's a sizable market, sure, but not the vast majority and that points to the fact that the consumer market does NOT see it as a game system because it isn't really positioned as such. It's, again, similar to the PC market for games. Sizable amount, but no where near the vast majority because there are a plethora of uses for that platform that don't involve gaming, and a plethora of consumers with no interest in gaming. It's a mobile platform, not a portable game system. That doesn't make it any less legit a platform for games, however. It's just a different market, with a different consumer base, etc.
I don't really mind the roster bug. It's annoying having to rearrange your players every time you play, but it does not, in anyway, reduce my enjoyment for the game.
I don't know if you live under a rock but DS in made by Nintendo a company by JAPAN. They don't need western RPGs or FPSs because most asians like RPGS. That's the main DS target , and i do admit that my favourite genre are jrpgs.
Try saying that on actual unbiased gaming sites. You will get flamed/owned. Obviously posting ideas that iphone games are inferior on a iphone gaming site will get you bad feedback. But guys , some of you are just in denial , next thing you know you'd think iphones are better than ps3s c'mon common sense. DS ftw
Because big name developers know that the iphone is not a gaming device. They won't spend big bucks developing games when people whine about $6 games. These people have no sense of what's good and bad making easy to produce games beating games such as FF 1 & 2 that took loads of money to produce. All idevice owners will get are lame ports and wanna bes made by gameloft(ubisoft gets owned on real consoles).
