Greg Joswiak, the iPhone's marketing guru, would like everyone to know that Apple's iPhone is "the future of gameplay."

"There are already so many games and as we look at it, to us it really seems this is the future of gameplay. Whereas a lot of these devices [Nintendo DS and Sony PSP] are more in the past. And a big part of that is not just the device itself, which is easier to carry, and has the touch display and accelerometer which is great for gameplay, but it’s the electronic distribution of the apps as well." - Joswiak

Bold statements by a bold man.

Is there any validity to his claims? Apple still has to overcome quite a few uphill battles to be taken seriously here, as we've pointed out before...

How viable is the iPhone as a gaming platform? Is it really going to cannibalize sales of the PSP or DS? I think we can learn a lot from the age old debate: Consoles vs PCs... simply put, each platform has its strengths and weaknesses; and as a gaming device, the iPhone is in its own category. PC gamers will tell you that a well configured computer "rig" has superior technical specs and superior control via the mouse and keyboard. Console buffs will tell you that a console is cheaper and easier to maintain, while a gamepad is better suited for platformers or fighting games. With the advent of HDMI/DVI supported TVs and USB connections on console, many of the boundaries are being blurred. You can now hook up an Xbox360 to a computer monitor via HDMI or connect PC keyboards and mice to a PS3. However, they all retain certain advantages over the other. Similarly, the iPhone tends to blur the lines of portable gaming with the PSP and DS, but it still has its little quirks which make it stand out on its own.

iPhone strengths as a gaming platform:
Large target audience: The iPhone is a hot seller. The massive hype and wide appeal of the Apple brand helped it become a blockbuster seller before it was even released (Kinda reminds me of another "apple-esque" gaming console). If you have a large audience, more developers are inclined to develop software for the device and with the newly released AppStore , it is very easy to distribute games without an expensive publisher.
Innovative input mechanisms: Much like the Nintendo DS, the iPhone sports a touchscreen and microphone. Additionally, the iPhone has an accelerometer for Wii-mote interactivity and even a GPS (on 3G iphones) for location based gaming. The touchscreen on the iPhone is multi-touch and allows for cool new ways to interacts with a touch screen: you have multiple button presses or perform zooming. One of the best free games on the iPhone is "Aurora Feint." This game is much like Tetris Attack for the old SNES but you use your finger to directly slide the tiles around instead of a dpad. This works incredibly well for a game of this nature. Even better, "Aurora Feint" adds another dimension by using the accelerometer to allow tilting: turn the iPhone sideways and the game goes horizontal with all the tiles shifting over due to "gravity." Definitely Cool. One overlooked feature is the light sensor. The iPhone has a small sensor at the top which detects how much ambient light there is - I hope this will lead to "Boktai"-like innovations in future titles.
AppStore: Like it or not: electronic distribution is the way of the future. People would rather pay 99-cents for an iTunes download over buying a CD at the store. Steam has shown us that many gamers are willing to pay for a game download over purchasing a boxed package and many analysts are describing a future where video downloads will eventually replace Blu-Ray (Microsoft is already inking a deal with NetFlix to distribute movies over LIVE). AppStore lets iPhone users log on and grab a game via Wi-Fi or EDGE/3G without leaving the home. With an intuitive rating system, it's even easier to find the gems over the generic shovelware. And honestly, who likes to carry around a stack of DS cartridges or UMD discs? Not me.
Hardware: Face it, graphics aren't everything, but pretty graphics do add much to your enjoyment. The screen on the iPhone is probably the best screen around for a portable device. Colors are lush, the resolution is crisp and there's virtually no ghosting (*cough PSP *cough). Backed with a powerful 400mhz CPU and 3D graphics chip, the iPhone can dish out eye candy with the best of 'em. Apparently there's enough power in this thing to run a Playstation1 emulator if you are willing to jailbreak your phone.

iPhone weaknesses as a gaming platform:
Innovative controls shouldn't replace traditional controls. Remember "Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" for the DS? Remember its "innovative" touch controls? Honestly, they weren't too bad, but whose boneheaded decision was it to completely remove all traditional controls? I can't count the number of times I yelled FUCK every time Link rolled into a pit instead of performing a stab. Just because you can have innovative controls, doesn't mean you should.. or even FORCE it without any options. For the sake of aesthetics (Steve Jobs thinks he's too good for buttons ), the iPhone lacks any sort of traditional controls. You are pretty much forced to use the touchscreen and accelerometer in every game and while it fits for some games (Aurora Feint), it doesn't for others (Try ANY FPS in AppStore). This pretty much constrains the genres that the iPhone can effectively support to puzzle games and slow paced adventure games.
Price and Demographics: An iPhone costs $199 to own with a 2-year data contract at over $60/month. Now honestly, that's a pretty good deal for a fully featured smartphone, but as a gaming device, it is not in the same league as the much more affordable DS and PSP. The average age of an iPhone user is in the upper 20's (since they are the ones who can afford one) and so most games will also be catered to the Blackberry generation (i.e. - games like Brickbreaker and Bejeweled). You probably won't be seeing Final Fantasy or Animal Crossing anytime soon on the iPhone.
Miscellaneous Nags: The iPhone's battery is not user replaceable and some of the more graphics intensive games can drain a full charge in about an hour. As a portable gaming device that's horrid. It's even worse if you drain your batteries playing Super Monkey Ball and can't answer an important phone call later 'cause your phone is effectively dead. Additionally, there is a single monotone speaker on the iPhone which is blocked by your palm half the time when you are gaming which basically makes it pointless. You pretty much have to use headphones while gaming in landscape mode.

All things considered, the iPhone makes a pretty decent gaming platform. While it probably won't replace my DS for hardcore gaming on the go (Final Fantasy Tactics A2 completely owns my life right now), the fact that it is a phone makes it much more convenient for the occasional gaming break. Hell, I can pretend to be texting a memo to a client during a business meeting while playing Aurora Feint. Try that with a PSP. It's also a great icebreaker: show a chick JirboBreak on your iPhone and she will be typing in her phone number within minutes. My DS only attracts obese kids if I bust it out in public. Much like how most gamers have both a console and a powerful PC, I see the iPhone as a supplement to portable gaming. Ultimately, I hope that many of the innovations that the iPhone brought to the table such as multitouch and wireless digital distribution will make way for future portable gaming devices.

I played the original Final Fantasy IV when it was called Final Fantasy II on the SNES, I've played the translated Japanese version, I've played the PS version, and I've played the GBA version.  And currently I am playing the NDS version.  How many times can Square Enix remake this game before it gets too old and stops making profit for them?  I have no idea, because oddly each time I play it I still enjoy it as much as the time before.  You could say this was the game that turned me into a RPG fan.

This time though it really was graphically enhanced.  It's not super nice graphics, but it's quite impressive and awwing to see FFIV in this new graphic.  The game opening cinematics are actually very nice.  It would've been nice to see the entire game like that, but I guess that would've been too hard for the DS? Don't ask me, I'm not programmer, just a gamer.  I still remember seeing Cecil closing his mask as he walks out of Baron castle.  I was like wh0a! the details are amazing!

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The other big difference between this DS version is that there are augments, which are basically other skills from characters that leave the party (sometimes skills from bosses).  They range from Yang's Kick to Edward's Bardsongs to Rubicante's Inferno.  I'm sure you get the idea if you've played any of the previous FFIV's.  Augments do add slight strategy on making your characters even better, but I would say overall it has made parts of the game much easier.

A minor difference (well some might not consider it minor, but I think it's minor) is that they added cutscenes that don't use original dialogue from the previous versions.  So you could say it's new content.  I personally like it, since it gives the characters more life/connecting with the characters.

I'm a Final Fantasy fanboy, so of course I would recommend this game to anyone who is thinking about it or just likes RPG's.  It's a great classic that has been given a make over - which makes it even better.  Don't even get me started on how excited I am about FF XIII coming out for the Xbox 360, and I don't even own a PS3!

So like many people I picked up FFTA2 last week.  Three hours into the game I made a dumb mistake and lost my save file *sigh*.

It's been too long since I played the first FFTA, so I can't do too much comparison, but I found the game to be pretty fun and oddly addictive.  In fact, about 80% of the battles/quest I'm currently getting myself into has nothing to do with the storyline.  I guess that's one of my rants about the game.  I tend to get caught up in trying to get more raw materials to make new weapons at the bazaar and what not, that often times I forget that there's an actual storyline.  You could argue that you could skip all these quest and just do the storyline quest, but who doesn't want to learn those new classes or get those new weapons to learn new skills?  I'm currently about 14 hours into the game with minimal storyline quests done.  This is going to be one long game.

My biggest rant by far would be the main character's clothing of choice.  It is one UGLY looking outfit.  I know Square-Enix usually doesn't do this bad with the outfits.  I remember when I first saw Vaan in FF XII, my eyes were already starting to hurt, but this is beyond ugly.  The colors all clash.  Come on, what are they thinking about by putting a red hat with that green clover/sash thing?  Is it Christmas or something?  As you may know there's a class system where you can change classes of the characters.  I was praying hard that his clothing would change with the class like all the non-main characters do, but no...he keeps this ridiculous clown outfit.

All I'm asking Square-Enix for are some decent looking outfits.  I mean I do have to stare at this guy for the whole duration of the game.  Hey, maybe I should be glad he's not a blonde, huh?

N-Gage? He's not talking about that paper weight, is he?  As some of us may remember the N-Gage was Nokia's first attempt to turn a cellphone into a gaming device.  And if you remember, it failed miserably.  For a handheld gaming device the N-Gage was considered expensive and bulky compared to the Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP at the time. (not even mentioning the small library of games available)  The N-Gage as a cellphone was horrible.  Not only was that thing too big for pockets, but you had to answer the phone holding the device sideways.  Sad to say Nokia made the device a total failure.

Well the reason I brought this topic up is because Nokia has recently brought back N-Gage.  This time around the N-Gage isn't a device, but rather an application that runs on a few of their cellphones.  When I updated the firmware on my Nokia N95 a few months back I noticed a new application called N-Gage under one of those files, so naturally I opened the program.  To my surprise it was a trial of FIFA 2007 and Asphalt (not sure which version since it didn't really interest me at the time).  I played FIFA 2007 for awhile and was semi-impressed.  I basically just shrugged it off until I heard that the full version of the N-Gage Next Gen was officially out.

I saw great potential.  The concept reminded me of the XBox 360, but a handheld mobile version of course.  Having a player name was like having an Xbox Live account.  I'd gain N-Gage Points from the games I played, I could get rep from fellow players I played with, and of course I could add friends.  N-Gage Arena is what I would call a miniature Xbox Live.   Of course the most noticable game available is Tetris.  Unfortunately the game doesn't have the functionalities to play against another player like the Nintendo DS does.  It does however let you put your score online and see how your rank among other players.  I haven't played around with alot of the other games yet since it does cost about $14 to actually buy a game.  You can try all the games out before you actually buy them, though.

I think if Nokia could get enough great games out there, this time around, N-Gage might not flop.  

Here are a few screenshots taken from my N95.

With the new iPhone 3G recently unveiled, the question of gaming on it is inevitable.  While Apple hasn't officially discussed the iPhone as a video game platform, the App Store, a virtual online store where you can download software by Apple and other iPhone developers onto your iPhone or iPod Touch, will make it almost too easy.  Also, games like Super Monkey Ball and Cro-Mag Rally were demoed at WWDC.  It almost feels inevitable that the iPhone will be jumping right in to the portable gaming arena.

In the same way that Wii has blurred the lines of gaming, the iPhone could soon blur the distinction between "mobile gaming" and "handheld gaming."  Should we just make a "Portable gaming" category on this blog to be safe?

The iPhone already has several favorable things in place if it wants to become a gaming machine. 

With gaming-related functions in touch screen and motion sensing technology, the iPhone easily rivals both the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP.  More and more developers become interested in the iPhone by the day, and having the ability to do what pure gaming systems do simply leaves the door open for third parties to get excited about the possibilities.

And there are oh so many possibilities.  No doubt one of the most exciting things about the iPhone 3G:  it's GPS capable.  Can you think of games that could take advantage of the GPS?  Tag?  Sardines?  Geography games?  Find your Facebook friend in the mall?  Get lost and try to find your way back as soon as you can?  I'm sure the developers will be more creative than me, but the GPS is a total X factor.  (in fairness, it should be noted you can give GPS to your PSP with some diligence)

If it wants to get into gaming, the iPhone also has history and circumstance on its side.  In 1995 the Sony Playstation gained a solid foothold in the console market because users were looking for a cheap DVD player (it also played CDs in the days before Napster, kids).  To many of these early PSX owners, the video game option was a plus.  The dual functionality of the Playstation as a gaming system and a reasonably priced DVD player made it a no-brainer purchase for many.  This supplemented the system's installed userbase; coupled with gamers buying the Playstation for gaming, each household that didn't have a DVD player (which was most households) could pick up a PSX for DVDs.  The iPhone can obviously mirror this strategy since it's a phone before a gaming platform.  In fact, the iPhone is poised to take this strategy to a whole new level since each individual person could use an iPhone (for cell phone purposes), whereas households only needed one Playstation (as a DVD player).  Convenience sells...just ask Wal-mart.  Set to sell at no more than $199 - twice more affordable than its high end 8GB predecessor - the iPhone looks to have plenty of users ripe for gaming.

But with all these great advantages already in place, there are still a couple issues the iPhone will face as it ponders its status as a gaming machine. 

First, Steve Jobs hasn't even spoken openly about getting into the mobile gaming industry, but the App Store (cute pun) is a clear path to getting games on the iPhone.  Technically, though, Jobs doesn't have to actively campaign for the iPhone as a gaming device - the developers will be the ones who determine that.  Third party developers can make games specifically for the iPhone and distribute them digitally.  Does anyone else think this sounds like the Wii Virtual Console with more incentive for developers (since they can set their own prices and take most of the cut)?  Maybe it's just me.  I don't expect Apple to start making first party games any time soon, so the iPhone's games will have to be all third party - and it's entirely up to the third party developers as to the quality and quantity of software available.  It would be interesting to see if companies like Nintendo, which has many exclusive franchises and their own gaming platforms, would develop for a mobile device.

It should be noted that games haven't historically taken off on other Apple devices.  The iPod games lacked practicality and charisma (though Bomberman wasn't bad), and I haven't played a good game on a Mac since Oregon Trail.

Furthermore, battery life may be one of the most limiting factors.  I know some people who have to charge their iPhones every 3 hours because they do power-intensive things like surf the internet and stream videos.  But of course, that's what the iPhone is for, and if you're not using its functionality, you're not maximizing your purchase.  Hopefully gaming on the iPhone won't suck power like a GameGear and ruin the fun.  At WWDC 2008, Jobs said of the 3G's battery life, "Browsing, 5-6 hours of high speed browsing. Video - 7 hours, audio - 24 hours."  No mention of "gaming," but it sounds more promising than the first iPhone.

As with any integrated tech device which overlaps several electronics industries, the iPhone would have competitors other than Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP.  In addition to the standard phone manufacturers, Microsoft is ever present in the phone industry and Google figures to enter the integrated phone niche as well.  Competition will directly affect decisions made by Apple and hence the viability of the iPhone as a gaming device.  And while Apple seems to have done more than a few things right with its iPhone, sharing playgrounds with bullies like Microsoft and Google (with Nintendo and Sony waiting on the four-square court) doesn't guarantee a fun recess. 

Regardless, it looks like the iPhone has all the resources it could possibly need to become the first legitimate mobile gaming device ever, and with a C.E.O. as whimsically genius as Steve Jobs, anything is possible.  It will need good third party support if it is to go head to head with the DS and the PSP, but some have already hinted at success as a gaming device.  While some things need to fall into place for this to happen, the video game industry is an ever-changing landscape, and oftentimes, change just feels inevitable.

The Fire Emblem series is slated to return to handhelds, and although there isn't much information on this soon-to-be Nintendo DS title, I couldn't help but make a list of what fans of this awesome series deserve to see.  The last two Fire Emblem games have come out for the GameCube and Wii respectively, but the game is always best on handhelds.  Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn didn't even live up to the graphical expectations with technical upgrades to console gaming, and if Intelligent Systems won't bother to maximize their resources, they may as well keep the series on handheld systems from now on, where pause-and-play works perfectly with tactical style RPGs (see Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis).  While the GBA Fire Emblem games were excellent, the Nintendo DS has even more bells and whistles to work with.  In gaming circles, the Fire Emblem franchise is appreciated by the most hardcore of fans - and in my experience, it's the more hardcore, the harder to please...

First deserved by the Fire Emblem faithful are improved aesthetics - the franchise needs a facelift.  Although the Fire Emblem franchise has always emphasized gameplay over glitz and glam, a few visual and audio upgrades can go a long way.  The Nintendo DS is much more capable of handling a few extra sprites per character (than the GBA), so it's only natural we should see more battle frames, more idle unit frames, and a little more pizazz.  Past musical scores have always been decent, save for a few annoyingly repetitive tunes (the desert level in Sacred Stones comes to mind).  And on the Nintendo DS, a system renown for its awesome stereo speakers and surround sound (use headphones), there is no excuse for anything less than a spectacular soundtrack.  I'm thinking along the lines of epic compositions like the re-vamped Fire Emblem theme in Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the lyrical Latin vocals laced over that familiar melody.   Whether or not Nintendo composer Yuka Tsujiyoko is on this project, the music better be Grammy-worthy.  No MIDIs circa 1991, please.  Since Fire Emblem is a game with extremely high replay value with a strong hardcore following of perfectionist gamers, you can expect a lot of time to be spent (especially if you're re-setting to save a character), and a few graphical and audio improvements will make the experience much more enjoyable.  

And enjoying the Fire Emblem experience is what it's all about.  In achieving this, the single most important thing Nintendo and Intelligent Systems can give us is a great multiplayer and online experience.  

Imagine battling armies against each other - you assemble your army with a handpicked assortment of units, explore the map, fighting the fog of war and gaining terrain advantages to outwit and rapier your online/WiFi foes.  Rounds can be timed so that laggerts won't ruin the game.  Fire Emblem veterans have long been salivating over the prospect of battling live opponents, and the Nintendo DS is the platform that will make it a reality.

Nintendo also needs to address friend code issue.  Sometimes having to use friend codes gets in the way of the action.  I understand that having friend codes helps keep child molesters out of your Animal Crossing town, but I simply want to connect to someone else and play.  It may take a centralized server to arrange, but the prospect of playing multiplayer free-for-alls or 2on2s online is too juicy to deny.  Nintendo could even give the game a ladder ranking system, which could increase interest in the game (and the tactical role-playing genre in general). 

Really, this game can't come any sooner.  It's set for an August 7th release in Japan.  Hopefully Nintendo/Intelligent Systems come through with what its loyal fans have been waiting for.  Improved aesthetics isn't much to ask, and online play is a natural evolution on a platform as capable as the DS.  Marth and friends won't be the only ones obliged! 

** Update

This game will be called Fire Emblem: New Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light.

They say that good things come to those who wait, and that couldn't be more true for those of us who have waited for the next Pokemon game.  Finally, that time is upon us and millions of restless trainers will soon find themselves in the all new wild world of Pokemon Clear!  Thinking of all the new Pokemon to catch and train makes me giddier than a Hentai schoolgirl in an adult flash game.  How quick can I get all the badges?  Which Pokemon will I choose first when I battle my rival?  Which ones can I selectively breed to satisfy my fetishes?  I'm stoked to get Poke'd.