Smartphone videogame market explodes in 2008; dumbphone market wounded, but struggling on
By Tim Stevens 
posted February 2nd 2009 3:32AM
posted February 2nd 2009 3:32AM
[Via PHONE Magazine]
posted February 2nd 2009 3:32AM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
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This is what I love about tech. With all this tech we have this is news. Get an iphone and turn it into an idiots delight. I am sure this is what apple loves to read. Sell you one of the best techs to come along and the best you can do is play stupid games. Way to go people. It just goes to show the world why americans act the way they do.
I wouldn't necessarily agree with your slightly xenophobic final sentence, but it is definitely a shame to see that the only thing people take advantage of their smartphones for is playing slightly updated versions of the same games they have been playing on other platforms for years.
These things have more power than supercomputers from just a few decades ago, and people have so little imagination that all they can think of developing or playing is yet another version of Bust-A-Move.
"Games that people have been playing on other platforms for years"
Fot that very sentence I know you've never even seen the iPhone's games. Just because Engadget showed you a picture of a Bust-A-Move ripoff doesn't mean all iPhone games are ripoffs (or terrible ones):
Dactyl (Whack-A-Mole with multitouch, try that on your RAZR)
Spore Origins (The actual thing, not a ripoff, and that style of game is hard on most phones)
Snail Mail (a PC game ported to the iPhone, and only the iPhone could play it as a PERFECTLY FAITHFUL (literally) port)
Rolando
SciFly
Armageddon Squadron (3D airplane dogfighting over the internet)
more...
However, there are some games that are ripoffs of more unusal games that are not ripped off on other phones, and even though they are ripoffs, they are worth checking out:
Labyrinth (With tilt control!)
MazeFinger (not-rigged version of Flamin' Finger from the arcades)
AutoMangle (Twisted Metal)
Rebel Onslaught (Starfox)
Crazy Tanks (Battlezone)
iBowl (Wii Bowling)
I wish you people would do your research before you troll... Dammit...
Oh, that's a smartphone?
"A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone, often with PC-like functionality. There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone. For some, a smartphone is a phone that runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application developers. For others, a smartphone is simply a phone with advanced features like e-mail and Internet capabilities, and/or a full keyboard." Wikipedia
Yes, it is.
Yes. And that iPod touch + iPhone also represents the entire MID gaming market.
What, you think anyone's building WinMo games? Pfft.
@Patriks7
So by that definition any Nokia S40 also is smartphone. and it looks like so, if you don't compare it to some real smartphone
Just bit off topic here, but what's the game in the photo of the editorial called? I forgot and want!!!
Thanks!!!
I can name several "typical" mobile phones that can blow the doors off this so-called "smartphone" in basic functionality.
Oh wait, that'll take several years.
Looks like a Puzzle Bobble / Bust-a-move clone.
the game shown is Bubble Bash by gameloft...
Sorry Ben, wasn't meant for you.
Stupid Engadget comment system.
iphone sucks anyway..
Agreed. iPhone isn't even a smart phone anyway. Any other half decent phone would have better functions (and camera) than it does. So overrated...
Troll
Trolls*
Games called Bubble Bash on the iPhone.
Surely a screenshot of Bomberman would've been more appropriate...
Is anybody else amazed that 2/3rds of iPhone users have NEVER downloaded a single game? What are all these people buying iPhones for if they're not downloading any apps? Without the App Store the iPhone is just an overpriced dumbphone with transition animations.
I'm not aware of any dumb phones that support Exchange.
@T-Bone:
"I'm not aware of any dumb phones that support Exchange."
Any of the ~100 million Nokia S40 phones sold in 2008Q4?
Get a PSP for 199$. (I dont own one cause it would drive my kids crazy and lazy but I would totally like to play Final Fantasy Tactics on the go.)
Note to commenters above; you are on a consumer electronics blog. At times, this might entail reading articles pertaining to such frivoloties as "games" and products made by a company called "Apple". If you can't handle that, perhaps "Linux Sys Adm" or "Oatmeal Enthusiast" would make more fruitful blog reading.
Perhaps it's just me, but the iPhone is hardly a smart phone. From what I've seen, you cannot open office documents like you can on any phone running Windows Mobile OS or Research In Motion. Not to mention the inability to create and sync YOUR ringtones instead of SPENDING $.79, $.99, or $1.29 and then an additional $.50 or something to get a ringtone IF THE RECORD COMPANY AGREES. If you want a game platform, I hear the DS and PSP are good for that. Now I'm off to send my homework to my professor on Outlook Mobile -.-
@Mike B: you *can* open Office documents (read only by default though), there are free apps for editing Excel files at the app store and you *can* create your own ringtones for free if you have a Mac: it comes with Apple's GarageBand which allows you to export any audio as a ringtone, which syncs automatically. I'm sure there are third party windows apps for creating free ringtones too.
Your level of ignorance and its accompanying air of 'certainty of knowledge' is very unsettling. The iPhone CAN open Office Documents (as well as many other formats) like any other WinMo or RIM phone and you CAN create your own ringtones for FREE you ignorant POS. Do us all a favor: if you have no idea what an iPhone can or can't do (definitively, unequivocally, and without a shadow of a fuck*ng doubt), then either ask someone who DOES have an iPhone and is well apprised of its abilities what it is capable of or just keep your ignorant mouth shut. Only thing worse than a dumbass devoid of knowledge is an ignorant dumbass who thinks he knows what he's talking about.
Your ignorance in iPhone is a good behavior as a college student.
You shouldn't waste money on such a device especially paying $30 on top of the voice plan a month for downloading APPS, games, or addicting to browse the Internet anywhere via WiFi and 3G (excluding those jailbreakers).
Anybody can simply use the iTunes to create mp3 ringtones natively without paying a dime legally. If your song is in MP3 format or any non-drm version. All you need is go to iTunes, select the song and under the option, put around 30secs time frame play back for the song. Convert that to AAC and save as ringtone. Import that file to the ringtone section in iTunes. YOU NOW HAVE A FREE RINGTONE without PAYING AGAIN LEGALLY.
You can also Jailbreak the iPhone to fully customize and utilize the hardware. You can use it to do all the stuff your windows mobile can and cannot do.
If you come from the 1990s, I won't blame your ignorance, but you are in 2009, we have Google, do your research and homework instead of posting ignorant comments in Engadget.
You can open any office document an iPhone right out of the box. If you want to do some hardcore editting, you'll have to download one of the office suites, but it's right in the app store so it's easy. I don't know what you are saying about the phone nto being able to create and sync ringtones because you certainly can. I mean, if you really want to, you can buy official ringtones off of itunes, but that's just paying for convenience. You can just put your own ringtones if you want and for free.
I love the DS, but the iPhone's 3D graphics chip is much faster and the screen a much higher resolution. Compare games that are released for both the DS and iPhone (or at least similar games). The iPhone games run much smoother. Of course there's no control pad, so some games are better controlled on the DS or PSP. Also, don't forget about online gaming anywhere you have cell service. DS and PSP are restricted to Wifi networks.
Also, DS and PSP games are at least $30 each. The same game on the iPhone costs free to $10.
"Smartphone" is so loosely defined. My definition is any phone that has cut and paste. That takes care of Symbian, Blackberry, Palm, WinMo, and Android(i think G1 has cut and paste). All other phones that mimics smartphones capabilities are mid to high end multimedia dumbphones.
I'd also mention the ability to see the file system on the phone.
Thats an idiotic statement, frankly...
Am I the only person who noticed the flaming fuse on the upper-right corner of the phone?
Though judging from his comment, maybe Imran noticed before I did.
Holly molly...way to go Kizul. Didn't even see that. What does it mean, one wonders.
I have an iPod touch 2G, and a candybar dumbphone by Virgin Mobile. I would love to make the jump to iPhone, but I do prepaid mobile for a reason: I'm not on the phone very often. I have a mobile for convenience and emergency. I don't gab for hours. I don't send text messages. I don't communicate with a posse or coworkers. I use the mobile phone maybe once a day, if even that.
The big factor holding my back from the iPhone is that my slim talk needs don't warrant a $69.99/month plan (or $129.99 for a 2-person family plan). On my Virgin Mobile phone I pay about $20 for 90 days of use, and I barely use the minutes I get with that plan. $70 a month is crazy, unless it includes my 6 mbps DSL connection at home too.
Maybe if I switched from landline to iPhone it would be close to OK, but it's still $40 more than I pay for phone at home, and still doesn't include my DSL (and I'm not using G3 for my network at home, obviously).
I'd pay outright for an untethered iPhone, and then be happy to do the GoPhone thing... But I've yet to get any straight answers about that on the new models. AT&T won't admit it's possible, but people in the blogosphere say it is.
The iPod touch does almost everything the iPhone does-- But I would like to cut down on the number of devices I carry around. I'd pay $40 a month for it, but $70 a month is too much for my needs. It's a lot of wasted minutes and money... And I don't like getting into a costly contract. If I could get into the contract, and pre-pay for my year at a 10% discount, I'd do that. They're counting on my going over on minutes, though, so they don't like that sort of arrangement.
Really, they need to make a plan for those of us who don't live on the phone, or make the iPhone GoPhone capable (with the data subscription) as an advertised, supported choice. Switching from Virgin to GoPhone's not a big deal. Switching from a $10 per-month plan (at the most!) to a $69.99 per-month plan is a very big deal.
I understand that the plan they have caters to most business and college-age customers. It doesn't cover those of us who don't maintain a huge social network that spends every waking moment twittering and talking.
So I stick with my dumbphone. Until there's an option that makes sense, I'll have to live with two gadgets in my pockets.
I was kinda in the same boat as you. I had a $40/month plan with Verizon on a flip and wanted a smartphone. I found a AT&T refurb 2G iPhone on eBay. There is no 3G where I live anyway and the AT&T iPhone plan would have been a waste. I jailbroke and unlocked the phone and put it on a T-mobile $30/mo plan (300min). Added a $10 option that gives you a couple hundred SMS plus 50MB of data. (I missed the $5/mo unlimited data tweb by only a few days goddammit). End result, $40/mo smartphone. I have wifi at home and work, so rarely use the slow Edge anyway, but it's there when I need it. Yea, I know Verizon has a better network. They also are better at fleecing their customers.
As far as the iPhone being smart, IDK. It's close. But it has a snappier OS and browser than any Windows, Rim or Simbian phone I have seen. And I've seen them all. Except the Pre. I guess it depends on your needs.
You budget and usage cautious living habbits may probably never be able to have your dream comes true in the near future "officially". But there is always a twist.
The reason iPhone 3G is $199 and $299 are due to the AT&T subsidizing the phone, in return you must need to pay for the data plan each month with a 2 year installment.
Notice that the iPhone 3G uses GSM + HSDPA network, it is incompatible to any CDMA network such as Virgin Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.
If you really really want to experience the iPhone, you might want to check this strategy out:
Get a ToGo SIM card from AT&T, buy your own unlocked iPhone 3G separately from Europe, Hong Kong, etc, or just buy a iPhone 3G and jailbreak it yourself.
You can then enjoy using iPhone 3G's calling ability as well as the WiFi. ToGo also supports Data subscription, so you can add data plan to your ToGo phone and use iPhone 3G to go online. Then you will have your dream comes true with a twist around the AT&T's system. Be warned, if AT&T figures you are using iPhone with a ToGo plan, they might try to notify you, but I don't think you need to worry about it until they start telling you.
You budget and usage cautious living habbits may probably never beable to have your dream comes true in the near future "officially". But there is always a twist. The reason iPhone 3G is $199 and $299 are due to the AT&T subsidizingthe phone, in return you must need to pay for the data plan each monthwith a 2 year installment.
Notice that the iPhone 3G uses GSM + HSDPA network, it is incompatible to any CDMA network such as Virgin Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint. If you really really want to experience the iPhone, you might want to check this strategy out: Get a ToGo SIM card from AT&T, buy your own unlocked iPhone 3Gseparately from Europe, Hong Kong, etc, or just buy a iPhone 3G and jailbreak it yourself.
You can then enjoy using iPhone 3G's calling ability as well as theWiFi. ToGo also supports Data subscription, so you can add data planto your ToGo phone and use iPhone 3G to go online. Then you will haveyour dream comes true with a twist around the AT&T's system.
Be warned, if AT&T figures that you are using iPhone with a ToGo plan, they might try to stop you, but I don't think you need to worry about it until they start telling you.