Apple's claims that the
iPhone is a console might carry a bit more weight if the thing had, you know, some physical inputs. Touchscreens and tilt sensors are great, but without at least a couple of buttons and a D-pad it's kind of a hard sell to your average gamer. Inputs are exactly what the
iControlPad case for the iPhone adds, and we've got confirmation that the thing is at long last heading to production. The pic above is the final prototype, set to be colored black upon release -- and we presume those gaping holes will be filled with something other than air, too. No word on an anticipated ship date or price, but -- great as it may be -- without Apple support we don't expect it'll to do much to help the iPhone's gaming cred anyhow.
posted Dec 23rd 2008 9:07AM
Warms hearts?
What the heck does that even mean?
Heart + Toaster = Warm Heart
No, Heart + Xbox 360 from 2005 = heartburn!
more pressingly... "it'll to do" what does that even mean?
No, it means that when you use your MacBook on your lap for some time, it gets so hot that even your heart gets hot! (Got that from experience)
You see, its from/about/remotely connected to Apple and the article is written by an Engadgeteer...
wtf.. Still no buttons
if the crappy iphone ever comes a serious game machine, i will buy and slowly eat it.
I wonder what sort of wine goes best with machine.
I believe a nice '72 Margo!
Psh, snob. MD 20/20.
I don't think Apple has been treating the iphone well at all in terms of gaming.
This platform is RIPE for touch screen board games - with multiplayer online - but thus far, Apple hasn't made a serious attempt to offer good "pick up and play" games.
As for the attachment above...why doesn't apple release a add on like that with a d-pad, action buttons and A EXTENDED LIFE BATTERY PACK like the one's engadget always features?
I KNOW people would buy it. The iphone apps I see on Cydia and Installer are actually not bad at all, but no one is supporting them. At the very least iPhone can run games better than the Nokia N85 ( i.e. Reset Generation).
@Flashpoint
You know Apple doesn't make the games, right?
Oh I am no snob Sir. I just figure you have to wash crap down with something a little better tasting... though MD20/20 is a close second. haha
i know what kind of whine it goes with...
A nice Chianti. Th-th-th-th-th-th-thp.
Think I have more game time on my iPhone these days then any other device.
All you people are so going to get low ranked for talking positive about Apple, just as soon as the Anti-Apple brigade gets here.
It's good for casual gaming but as a serious platform?
Can't see it.
yeah, but really, 'serious gaming'.. is what exactly... Final Fantasy XV? Pretending to be a paladin rescuing the world from mythical dragons? Pal, if you're playing these games for more than 15 minutes at a time, you seriously run the risk of being disillusioned with reality.
Oh right, Halo.. That's definitely something for 'hardcore' gamers.
Oh wait, that's right... a) it can be done on the iPhone pretty easilly b) its not compelling for anyone over the age of 12.
@mike
Of course, what's really amusing are the people who think that enjoying video games precludes physical activities. It is actually possible to do both and, hey, adults do it too which is why the target gamer audience is 18-35 year old men.
Maybe they were too busy wrestling bears or doing other manly stuff to notice this. It's either that or gross stupidity.
All that really needs to be solved is the battery life and a few buttons. If the device pictured above had an extended battery, it really would allow for the iPhone to break into the gaming market.
Of course, I believe there would need to be SOME kind of support from Apples end to make a device like that work well.
The biggest problem I see with an add-on device like that is that if a game supported that "peripheral" it's likely that it would be required to play the game and I don't see Apple jumping on board with something that would ultimately limit the amount of sales for a particular app.
Wouldn't games have to provide specific support for something like this? I presume you'd need some way to turn off the accelerometer (where that's used for gameplay) or you'd end up with conflicts between it and this gamepad.
Thus the reason we jailbreak.
Not only would games need to support it, the SDK forbids them from doing so. If I remember correctly, apps basically aren't allowed to do anything with the dock connector (so, no USB-peripheral access).
Yes, you're absolutely right. This is going to be primarily useful for playing emulators on jailbroken devices. Might also be a good way to have pushbutton fast-forward, rewind, etc.
Can't wait, myself.
*Sigh*
Almost as bad as http://www.shop4tech.com/photos/item-7115-1-500.jpg
...almost.
I call shinanigins
they'd never sell those as a bundle
Ow! My shin! Stop that!
www.iccessory.com
I have a ton of games on my iPhone that could use real buttons. I think I've worn out my fingerprints.
Now if Apple could just make a "game mode" for the iPhone that disables the Phone, and other junk that uses all the RAM.
Uhhhhhh. Airplane Mode anyone for disabling the phone?
Airplane mode?
Ok let me specify; a "Game Mode" that allows apps to use as much RAM as they need. So basically something that can dedicate the entire OS to whatever application you want to play. Right now developers get very little allotted RAM to deal with, which is why there are so many crashing/framerate issues.
@other don
duhh, the iphone can fly! you didn't know that?
my wii and 360 both collect dust.
iphone games are awesome
Dude, didn't you get the memo?
The Official Guide to Avoiding Low Rankings on Engadget
1) Don't talk about Apple in any way positive, even if the praise is warranted and based on statistics, popular opinion, and actual sales.
2) Don't mention the iPhone in any Engadget post about a touchscreen phone, because as everyone knows, it is absolutely positively impossible that another company could be making a touchscreen phone because of Apple.
3) Don't suggest that Apple has innovated anything, because someone can always find an obscure company in Romania that did it first.
4) Don't suggest that a person might be a Microsoft Fanboy, because this is impossible, even if the aforementioned person has an Xbox, Zune, PC with Vista and every version of Windows minted in gold and platinum and a Bill Gates poster above the bed.
5) Never talk about "buying" a pre-built computer, unless you are discussing an article about a feud between Apple and a PC company like Dell. If it comes to this, you must choose the side of Dell, even if you never plan on buying a Dell for the rest of your natural life.
Really?
You play your iPhone more than your 360?
Your not much of a gamer, are you?
God damn it.
I meant You're, not "your".
@ Paul Chapel
New memo: Don't make up crap to make it look as if Apple is the poor ickle company with thick glasses that gets beaten up by the the big kids.
@ Paul:
1. Apple has amazing product designs.
2. iPhone is a phone with some nice features and some old ones.
3. Apple has innovated a snotty fan base.
4. Microsoft has many fanboys, but compared to the ratio of Apple users, Apple has a lot of fanboys.
5. I like the DELL XPS One pre-built computer, and might buy it sometime in my, natural life, whatever that means!
Let us see if I will get low ranked...
The Official Guide to Getting Low Ranked on Engadget:
1) Whine like Paul Chapel does.
@gnormie,
on this site, most of the time apple is the kid who gets beat up all the time by the commenters. he's not really making crap up, its mostly true with some exageration at an attempt at humor.
Here's to another couple decades of the anti-Apple fans vs pro-Apple fans war, yea! yea! \o/
I think the anti-Apple goons are wining though with their new 'Low Rank' weapon, yea!.
Pretty much hit it right on the head with that listing LOL!!!
I'm no technical jeanyous or anything but, if its the FINAL prototype wouldn't it be good if it were a final WORKING prototype...you know...with a demo?
"I'm no technical jeanyous" - Boarderwoot
Either that is a brilliant joke; or you need a new spell check, PRONTO.
Do you happen to work at the Genius Bar? Something nudges me that you do...
Ya....forget technical, you're not close to being any sort of 'jeanyous'...
@Agent
No spell check can fix that...also, best comment contender...
The ability to pick up on sarcasim must be on Christmas break this week.
"pick up on [sarcasim]" - Borderwoot
OK, now this is just too damn funny. Obviously it wasn't an attempt at sarcasm. Cause you seem to have misspelled that word as well.
Nice try on a recovery though.
forgive me agent, for it seems as though I've added a bit too much Christmas Cheer to my coffee this morning. Cheers!
Mmmm. Sounds like a plan.
No need for apologies :) Agent reaches for bottle of Bailey's.
Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all.
I wish they would make something like this for Zune. playing Zune games with the pad is kinda difficult.
There would have to be a market before they invest in creating something like this for the Zune.
Having just downloaded and started 'playing' the excellent X-Plane 9 flight sim on to the iPod Touch, it is 'plane' obvious that using motion control to play/fly games and apps is not only impractical*, but makes one feel queazy. (The only exception is games like labyrinth that by their nature require motion control.) Any mechnical game/flight controller like this is welcome - I just hope it works with the Touch as well as the iPhone.
*One of the most annoying aspects of motion control apps is that if you are (for example) in bed or other non standard position, you have to recalibrate the motion sensors.
The game should have the d-pad option built in.
"your average gamer."
I'm an average gamer, and I have a PC.
This is about as useful as modding a tilt sensor to an old Nokia so I can play "snake" button free.
I might be showing my age here, but this reminds me of a modern day Atari Lynx..
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Atari-lynx.jpg
I was thinking GameGear
I loved my Lynx. Too bad it never caught on...
I wanted the LynX. So bad. For the Fighter Jet game that was offered with it. However, after looking into it a bit deeper, I found the game support wasn't available for the LynX like it was for the Game Gear from SEGA. Sonic and Grand Monaco GP were my favorite games.
I heading to Ebay after this post. :)
Ya, a bit like the Lynx, minus 6 AA batteries, about one fifth the size with a bigger, brighter, touchscreen display.
nice but its butt ugly... you'll be way better with a psp.
Thank you! I can't believe that it took 50+ posts for someone to acknowledge that this thing is downright ugly.
Would you really be caught dead with this cheezy thing wrapped around your iPhone?
sorry, sometime I dont notice im mister obvious...
This thing is gonna rock if it would work with appstore apps after apple makes the tv out option official. But, I don't think it would work with appstore apps :(
Apple should at least give some support to this company!
Wait, I see a game pad on the left, and a collection of 4 buttons on the right!
This thing soo rips off the NES controller! Look at it, now squint... and wow, it looks just like a NES controller.
I see a lawsuit in the very near future... accept it will be apple suing Nintendo for them ripping off some obscure patent that Apple made in the 80's.
Well, it looks like Apple will probably sell a ton of these little things but everyone seems to be missing the obvious- It won't fit in your freaking pocket anymore!!
Umm, hardly. You are forgetting that the SNES controller had 2 shoulder buttons and no touch screen. Duh! :-)
It actually will fit in your pocket just fine; it's smaller than a PSP.
The idea is you don't have it on there all the time.
No true gamer is gonna buy this "gaming" on fruitphone shiaatttt.
This brings an entirely new definition to the term dongle.
If it doesn't have 2 analog sticks and bumper buttons, don't even bother. Did anyone learn from the PSP?
The design of this thing SUUUCCCKSSS!!! I mean even painted black it will be fugly.
Don't they realize that apple fanboys are not P.C. fanboys.
Aesthetics matter!!
No one is going to ugly up their iphone 10 fold with this thing. I designed a controller a while back
as part fun part 'entrepeneur experiment'
*SIGH* apparently its hard as f@#! to get anything made well in the good ol' USA as a little guy
anyway check it out to sooth your eyes from this abomination! YUCK!!!
http://www.iccessory.com/
click to cycle through pics
That's a neat concept for an iPhone game controller, but what happened to the home button?
Seems flawed in it's current design.
I mean, how do the headphones plug into the side? Does that case double the thickness of the iPhone just so I can plug headphones into the side?
How do you access the volume, power, mute, and home buttons?
Also, looks like you would need to take it out of it's case to talk privately unless you want all your conversations on a speaker phone. (Unless you use headphones or blue tooth I suppose.)
I do like the idea of routing the speaker and mic to the front and being able to plug the headphones in the side since most games are played in landscape mode. Having the speaker facing the user would be soooo much better for media in general.
Hey soltero did you try clickng the pics and cycling through before you start talking, I'm guessing NO.
It would be rerouted through the serial port, and have it's own port for headphones. Thanks for the critique though, I can always use them
When people bash Apple for saying that the iPhone is a "gaming console", they are missing the point. It's not a console in the sense that the PS3 or X360 are. It's more like a combination of a DS and a Wii. Portable, and casual. Plus, the games are cheaper ($5-10) and easier to get (download over the air). The iPhone as gaming platform isn't aimed at people who are hardcore gamers... it's for people who are waiting for the train or at the doctor's office. I'll wager there are a LOT more people like that vs hardcore gamers.
This was my sketch a while back. http://flickr.com/photos/danielmacdonald/2127089390/
Yeah, really, let's not be coy about this.
This has nothing to do with official Apple games released in the App Store. This has everything to do with "homebrew" games (read: pirated ROMs) available on Jailbroken iPhones. The "homebrew" community can pretend they're a bunch of tech-loving game enthusiasts who are just trying to provide proof of concept by running hacked ROMs on the iPhone, but the truth is that they're turning their iPhone into an emulation device, and this gizmo makes it easier for them to slap SNES games on there and play them properly.
Apple isn't going to have a bunch of Apps that use this device. It's another one of those not-so-subtle products that enables piracy without outright, blatantly saying that's what it's for... Like DVD backup software.
I'm not opposed to it. I just hate it when people are disingenuous about their actual intentions. You wanna play some ROMs. Great. Have a ball. These guys are about to make it easier.
Just don't tell me it's for the slew of Apple-supported software on the way. I know a lie when I hear one.
Lord Steve described the no button tip at an angle interface device as being a gaming device. He so is aiming it at hard core gamers. We all know that buttons are essential but that doesn't fit in with Steve's vision of the future where buttons no longer exist.
One day evolution will cause the thumbs of descendants of fanboys to recede and then the physical form of mankind will catch up with Steve's vision. If this device is accepted by Apple and games are made that utilise it then the whole aim of the exercise to breed Apple loving, thumbless mutants will be entirely defeated. The future won't be all about Grand Dark Overlord Jobs looking down from his throne over a universe where he has total control and has terraformed entire apple worlds.
This would obviously be a terrible thing so we should all sneer at this attempt to reintroduce buttons and hold back the advancement of the empire.
Damn you people just get so off topic sometimes.
Fi ally! I've been waiting for this thing, I cant wait to see how it actually works!
yeah i made this same concept in the middle of November...
http://www.theremainsofaliving.com/Site/The_Remains_Blog/Entries/2008/11/18_iPhone_Attachment.html
@sacapuntas:
Have you seen virtually every single game controller from the '90s? How the hell do you think "D-Pad on the left, butons on the right" rips off Nintendo? Thats what ALL digital game controls look like.
This thing has been long in the making and long overdue.
I guess it's extended gestation is due to the fact that, you know, the developers were aware of what a tiny niche product the iPhone is and they were afraid that this poor selling product might just disappear. ; )
I'm all for it regardless if its a good/bad idea because more games would be desired though the apple store. Look at what Dark Alex did for the PSP....MORE GOT SOLD. Cant say the same for the games because MORE GAMES GOT RIPPED and we found out which ones are really worth their weight in the asking price for them. Same goes for when an artist you like brings out and album... you buy it only to find out its ENTIRELY IN AUTO-TUNE. If you knew it beforehand you would leave that s@#*% on the shelf and hit it up on the bay. Goes back to the reason why some game reviews could not release a rating less than 8 when the latest Tomb raider dropped. Most know why they couldn't release a truthful rating. You want people to buy? Do it right and don't get lazy with the final touches of the final product. Otherwise it wont sell as much and people will hold out & wait for the next reiteration of it. Five megapixel w/flash & upgradable memory iphone anyone?