iPhone getting game thanks to the iControlpad
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted May 23rd 2008 6:01PM
posted May 23rd 2008 6:01PM
iPhone gaming aficionados -- your wildest dreams will soon be coming to fruition. Apparently, CraigX (one of the masterminds behind the Pandora project) is also busy whipping up a physical control pad add-on for the Apple device. The peripheral -- dubbed the iControlpad, of course -- will attach to the dock connector on the bottom of the phone and wrap around the sides, and is said to provide a PSX-like feel. The pad's site claims that compatibility is already built in to popular iPhone game emulators, and units are being sent out to other developers as well. The model pictured here is a prototype design -- but frankly, they had us at "Hello."[Thanks, Andy]
It's a slower wannabe, because the iPhone is a baby's toy compare to the PSP's 3D capabilities. It will pump out more polygons than an Apple user can count. The idiot who wrote the article doesn't understand the hardware being used, and the idiot Apple fanboys can't see anything wrong with the article.
Sorry - the iPhone processor at 412 mhz does not "beat the living daylights" out of the PSP processor at 333 mhz. First off, the psp processor is more efficient -- It can pump out 430mips while the iPhone is pushing 450mips. An advantage of 20 mips (4.6%) does not "beat the living daylights" out of anything. However, that small advantage is completely dwarfed by the graphical capability - the psp can transform 33million polygons per second, while the iphone can only push 12 million. (that's 2.75 TIMES faster).
That's sort of like saying that a 3Ghz PC with a 8500gt is better than a 2.8ghz PC with an 8800GT. It's just not true.
What you don't realize is that, even IF the iPhone has the power of a PSP or DS, the people writing the games and applications for it are, for the most part, teenage kids who want to make a "mark" on this product. They have very little knowledge of how to correctly use the hardware, and their applications have a very low degree of optimization. Sony, Nintendo, and big name 3rd-party developers have a much better handle on how to write efficient and optimized code for the PSP and DS, and this allows them to pump out high quality games. The iPhone won't meet up with the level of technological "complexity" of the PSP and DS because of its lack of decent gaming controls (which this add-on MIGHT be able to improve), and because there aren't enough good developers for the platform. Developers like Zodttd, the programming EXPERT who designed psx4all/psx4iphone, are the only ones who will be able to create software that fully utilizes the power of the iPhone. They are able to do this because of extensive knowledge of how to program for mobile/embedded devices, and developers of this caliber are in short supply.
In short - even if the iPhone has the same raw power as the PSP and DS, the software written for it using the SDK will not reach the level of the games written for these two mainstream GAMING handhelds.
Ha, nice choice of words.. the Apple phone dreams coming to fruition. :P
Think it looks tacky - doesn't match or fit the iPhone well, but a great idea none-the-less.
Well, that is just the prototype pictured.
Lovin' it!
Now to make a keyboard attachment for the iPhone like my old HP 6315 had, would be quite nice.
iphone just a more powerfull DS with 1 lcd instead of 2
Nintendo DS 67 MHz ARM 946E-S (N-Gage processor) + 33 MHz ARM7TDMI (same processor as the original iPods) 4MB RAM 256KB Flash + cartridge storage Dual, 256×192 3" displays; one is stylus touch sensitive No accelerometers No camera No mobile radio WiFi 802.11b/g No Bluetooth Sony PSP 333 MHz MIPS R4000 CPU + GPU with 2 MB onboard VRAM running at 166 MHz 32 MB main RAM (new models expanded to 64MB), and 4 MB embedded DRAM. MemoryStick storage, UMD media 480×272 (368×207 usable for video); no touch screen features No accelerometers No camera No mobile radio WiFi 802.11b No Bluetooth
Apple iPhone
Samsung ARM SoC 620 MHz 1176 running at 412 Mhz + PowerVR MBX 3D GPU
128MB RAM
8 or 16GB Flash storage
320×480 3.5" display with finger multitouch input
Accelerometers for direct physical control
2 Megapixel camera
Quad band GSM + EDGE
WiFi 802.11 b/g
BlueTooth 2.0 EDR
Just a question but, why does this website say that the iPhone's specs are lower than what you stated?
http://furbo.org/2007/08/21/what-the-iphone-specs-dont-tell-you/
not sure of the RAM on the iphone but the cpu is clocked down to improve battery life...the cpu is 600MHz capable but runs at 400MHz
Why can't someone just make a bluetooth controller? You would get solid gaming experience with a "real" controller and it wouldn't make you look like you were talking on a PSP.
Apple has gimped the Bluetooth hardware on the iPhone such that the only profile that's supported is the headset one. There isn't even a complete Bluetooth stack, just a sort of "stub" driver that only supports headsets.
To fix this, we would need to try and port bluez or something to it -- but no one has been able to get kernel modules working yet on the iPhone or iPod touch.
Whoa,
now thats just some crazy ass shit going on there. I wonder how Apple will feel after this? A gaming device and a phone, AWSOMENESS!
So who else here found out about this from the GBAX/GP2X e-mail newsletter?!?
Damn. Those guys are awesome, same guys making the pandora too.
The iPhone does have real solid hardware and it would be a shame not tapping it for gaming purposes although the above "add-on" does not impress me. Not many people would prefer this extra thing popping out. The NES emulator on the iPhone was good for an attempt. Maybe games which make use of the accelerometer and stuff would have many fans. Just my 2 cents.
YES! I was wondering if all the future games were gonna be strictly controlled by touch. That can get annoying for sure, as I've found with some of the attempts at games for jailbroken phones. And *ahem*... some people like to keep the screen clean whenever possible! ;)
Quite frankly as long as it plays an excellent version of Tetris well, I'll buy it. Give me some card games and some emulated old school ports and that's all the entertainment my phone needs to give me. Anyone else remember when you logged countless hours playing Snake on your Nokia?
It doesn't need to play PSP games, it just needs to play games that can't be played with a touch screen...
Someday when the Iphone gets a port of Bioshock this thing would already sell... Unless Lucasarts are thinking about porting KOTOR to the Iphone with enhanced graphics.
just get a psp....
Perfect for emulation.
all you people saying that the PSP is more powerful for gaming are missing the point. this isnt meant to replace the PSP or even compete with it, its meant to help you play games on your iphone if you have one. who cares if its more/less powerful than the PSP? its a totally seperate product made for a totally different purpose.
Sorry but this thing is fugly. The button layout reminds me of the crappy 1st gen giant xbox 1 controller. I hope they make it more symmetrical like the PSP that they're claiming it to be once it's done. Also, what the heck is up with that control pad? Let's have a normal d-pad please, no stupid analog nub that wouldn't work well with emulators anyway. Now if they came out with a DS emu with a stylus that worked with the iphone, I'm all set.
If you click the link:
"We have been reading your comments on engadget and zodttd and we would like
to say the photo below is just our prototype - don't worry the final one will
be much more sleek and fitting :)"
Idiots. I hope the SDK doesn't allow for this, because this is the single worst thing you could do for iphone game development. It fractures the platform, opens the door for a peripheral button arms-race, and even if it does become popular its most notable effect will be dramatically increasing the playability of legacy games, taking the focus away from developing actually new games that work well on the iphone. Its a lose lose lose situation.
Idiots.
Dude, calm down. Only people who are interested in emulation of past console games, etc. will probably pick this one up. For the vast majority of iphoners, this will be irrelevant. I'm sure there will be plenty of developers who will design iphone games that won't expect the average joe to buy an extra peripheral just for it.
Good words ;] Wii also got strange control system and making it king of the consoles sales.