Apple: "the iPhone is a gaming console"

According to extremely reliable and embarrassingly handsome Engadget sources, at an iPhone event held today, John Geleynse (AKA Director of Technology Evangelism at Apple) made some statements regarding the iPhone platform that should seriously raise a few eyebrows. During an ADC "iPhone Tech Talk" in San Jose, Geleynse apparently waxed excited about the potential for the handheld as a viable threat to the DS (and the PSP by proxy), calling the iPhone a "gaming console" and claiming that "it's not a phone, it's a console experience." Pretty bold talk about a device that has yet to really prove its gaming mettle, but nothing new from the Apple camp as far as we're concerned. Considering these comments alongside those from a recent interview in which Greg Joswiak compared the touch to the DS, it seems clear that the company is making a noticeable effort to push this angle. Adding some fuel to that fire is PR that just went out announcing a series of EA "sneak peek" events at Apple Stores around the US. In their words:

Throughout the month of December Apple Stores in New York, LA, San Francisco and Chicago will host special "EA Games Sneak Peek" events where Electronic Arts will discuss why the iPod touch and iPhone are amazing platforms for mobile gaming...

While there's no question the iPhone and touch have made inroads when it comes to gaming, it still isn't clear that there's going to be anything beyond a casual interest for these devices. Then again, if the Wii's success has proven anything, it's that there's plenty of cash in casual if you can make it appealing enough. And you know how Apple feels about appealing products and money.

[cesium @ Dec 12th 2008 4:47PM]

wtf no

[Blaine Oliver @ Dec 12th 2008 5:14PM]

My iPod touch 2G runs games better than the iPhone...

[xtole @ Dec 12th 2008 5:19PM]

Cool that means my BlackBerry is now a TV cuz it plays video. Oh oh, better yet, its a woman cuz I can see naked pics on it.

[Tankyu @ Dec 12th 2008 5:20PM]

My Motorola V3i can play Zelda, so that makes it a gaming console as well?

[admiral H @ Dec 12th 2008 5:29PM]

It's no hardcore gaming console, but it is definitely an all-around device with casual gaming. It's got way better gaming experience than most mobile phones.

[Vander @ Dec 12th 2008 5:36PM]

"AiAi" codename for "WtfWtf"

[D.S = digtal shit @ Dec 12th 2008 5:42PM]

You cant play games on a iphone because THERE ARE NOWBUTTONS!

[sjdurfey @ Dec 12th 2008 5:45PM]

i NO there are KNOW buttons! :D

[Vander @ Dec 12th 2008 5:52PM]

Wait...

AiAi=AAii=VVii=Wii

OMGGGGGG I'M OMG GOING TO DIE!!!

[sjdurfey @ Dec 12th 2008 5:55PM]

dude, wtf are you babbling about?

[D.S = digtal shit @ Dec 12th 2008 6:18PM]

srry for my earler post typos but it is true

[Aguiluz @ Dec 12th 2008 6:41PM]

I bought a piece of sh*t "BlockZONE Brick Game" for $1 and it classifies as a game console.

http://is.gd/bpVQ

[Chuckles McGee @ Dec 12th 2008 7:56PM]

Yeah, and so is my TI-83 calculator.

[GiF @ Dec 12th 2008 9:06PM]

OMG
They came out with more iPod click wheel games that use the iPod nano 4G's accelerometer, but guess what? You can't buy them with an iTunes gift card. No, you need a credit card!
What's with that, Apple? Maybe I won't buy your freakin' iMac after all! Yeah! You know what? No.

[Sentax @ Dec 12th 2008 11:49PM]

@Vander .... come on!!

AiAi = iEye... its him in disguise now submitting articles that claim the most outrageous things!

[t-o89 @ Dec 13th 2008 2:28AM]

thats like calling the wii a gaming console...... oh wait

[haX0r @ Dec 13th 2008 2:40AM]

I am God. We have a phone. We have a music player. We have a communication device. We have a Gaming Console.

Welcome....to the iLame...uhhh....ohh...I meant iGame!

[who? @ Dec 13th 2008 3:34AM]

Webster's definition of a Gaming Console:

"An electronic system that connects to a display (as a television set) and is used primarily to play video games"

So it isn't a console. Yet. http://9to5mac.com/hidden-libraries

[Prince Muyo @ Dec 13th 2008 5:12PM]

xtole: You can see naked pictures ON women? Do you hang out with Teletubbies or something?

[protozoider @ Dec 15th 2008 10:26AM]

No it's not, just shut up already. I'm sick of all these spouts of rumors and things some idiot at apple said. I've seen this store over 20 times in the past month. I'm tired of the zune phone rumors, the apple rumors, all of this is just recycled junk that some guy that works somewhere said in passing. Anybody could make this stuff up. Is it just me or are blogs spreading more and more useless information?

[matthewlikestoburn @ Dec 12th 2008 4:48PM]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[iCandy @ Dec 12th 2008 5:17PM]

It's finally happened,You guys at Apple have lost your minds!

The iPhone is not a smart phone and it sure as heck is not a gaming console?

Where are the BUTTONS? +pad?

Anybody contacted Sony head of PSP to hear when they have to say on the matter?

oh wait, I guess it was the above comment,

"Hahahahahahahahahahahah!"

[The Dude @ Dec 12th 2008 6:06PM]

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/5151/bwahahaevenjesusislaugheb3.jpg

[adrian @ Dec 12th 2008 6:21PM]

Apple have got some front with that claim.

[Quix @ Dec 12th 2008 11:37PM]

Hmm, the rabid mockery here reminds me of the ranting and raving when the Wii was introduced.

I wonder how that whole "gimmicky, underpowered Wii" thing turned out...

[allislost @ Dec 13th 2008 1:48AM]

@Quix

The Wii controls have actual buttons and the iphone doesn't.

[who? @ Dec 13th 2008 3:31AM]

Webster's definition of a Gaming Console:

"An electronic system that connects to a display (as a television set) and is used primarily to play video games"

So spread the good word: it isn't a console. Yet. http://9to5mac.com/hidden-libraries

[Darkroom @ Dec 13th 2008 1:53PM]

@Quix. last time i checked, i couldn't call my friends on my wiimote...

@Apple. nice try.

[Master Bruce @ Dec 14th 2008 10:58AM]

Well, I'm not sure MacZealots realize video games exist on computers beyond Myst and World of Warcraft. Since the iPhone has more games than their Mac Airbook, its a hard core gaming console! ;)

[Oscarv77 @ Dec 12th 2008 4:49PM]

Seriously?

[Samboini @ Dec 12th 2008 4:56PM]

Just ignore until we are proven otherwise. At current it is just a load of corporate dick sucking.

[Krush @ Dec 12th 2008 5:18PM]

Now I'll never be able to convince my manager to buy this instead of the boring old Treo 750 everyone else gets.

[Esteban @ Dec 12th 2008 5:23PM]

This is why Apple needs to be taken down...

[Patriks7 @ Dec 12th 2008 5:27PM]

Why so serious?

[Jon @ Dec 12th 2008 6:18PM]

I just wish it was a phone.

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 12th 2008 6:42PM]

Apparently so.

[Fusion Fuzo 008 @ Dec 12th 2008 7:04PM]

Yeah, iPhone and iTouch Seriously bad for gaming with all the apple restrictions..

[PynkFloydd @ Dec 12th 2008 8:38PM]

I got a cardboard refridgerator box that's a rocket. I'd LOVE to sell it to Apple...

...just close your eyes and believe.

[macserv @ Dec 12th 2008 9:26PM]

Though he has done an amazing job of building and leading an amazing user experience team, Geylense has shown himself to be out of touch with user perceptions, necessities, and expectations on numerous occasions. He may be a relatively high-profile individual at Apple, but I would hardly interpret one of his offhanded comments to be a position agreed upon by Apple as a company.

Clearly, the iPhone is not a gaming console... that term carries a certain perception and set of requirements that the iPhone do not meet. Apple's official PR quote, on the other hand, is quite accurate; based on currently available software and the number of games released for the device each quarter, the iPhone is definitely "an amazing platform for mobile gaming".

[Dave Chappelle @ Dec 12th 2008 9:32PM]

"it's not a phone, it's a console experience."
Apple shares hit ROCK BOTTOM

My Casio graphics calculator is better than the iPhone at least I can play actual games like Mario and Duck Hunt because its OPEN SOURCE! gosh yesterday i heard a report on the iPhone's first must have game (Sim City) now this? 1. everyone has already played Sim City 2. No.

[Gad Get @ Dec 13th 2008 3:48AM]

Gad Get: "if the iPhone's a gaming console, then I'm Brad Pitt!"

[loocas @ Dec 13th 2008 7:33AM]

No.

[Mike10010100 @ Dec 12th 2008 4:49PM]

FLAME WAR! EVERYONE GET DOWN!

[dale1v @ Dec 12th 2008 5:08PM]

no, this isn't war, this...is...BULLSHIT! *kicks Steve Jobs into a shithole of apple propaganda*

[Aguiluz @ Dec 12th 2008 6:00PM]

APPLE GRENADES! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIIIIIIEEEE!

[who? @ Dec 12th 2008 6:15PM]

Did anyone actually read the article...? That's what I thought.

My 2G touch is way better than my DS, you can play full PS1 games @29.7 fps! Spyro the Dragon FTW!

[Aguiluz @ Dec 12th 2008 6:36PM]

@who?

My PSP emulates Spyro 1, 2 and 3 perfectly (yes, I agree they pwn all), but how does it play without any physical buttons? :/

(Not a flame, but a question of curiosity)

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 12th 2008 6:47PM]

Are you that cat which has a sniper rifle?

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Dec 12th 2008 7:16PM]

Didn't we already do this one last month?

[BlurMagic @ Dec 12th 2008 7:42PM]

Hi.