Apple previews Game Center social gaming platform for iPhone OS
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 8th 2010 1:41PM
posted April 8th 2010 1:41PM
Apple just announced Game Center, which is a social gaming network for the iPhone -- it sounds a lot like Xbox Live, actually. It's has a friend system, leaderboards, and achievements -- and we're guessing it'll blow up out of the gate, given how many games are on the platform. It's being previewed in iPhone OS 4 right now, and it'll launch later this summer. We're hunting for more info, we'll let you know!
Developing...
Make sure to check out the ongoing iPhone OS 4.0 liveblog!
Developing...
Make sure to check out the ongoing iPhone OS 4.0 liveblog!
So Apple copies Microsoft...
@LJKelley
LOL, I asked for this a few days ago thinking it was a long shot, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Oh, who am I kidding, this freaking ROCKS!
Bye, bye, Windows Phone.
@LJKelley
yeah cos MS never copies apple!!!
@LJKelley Game changer.
@LJKelley
I wasn't aware Microsoft had created, invented, or even implemented an online service such as this on their mobile phone.
This is a game changer. Get it?
@Aaquibn
No, it's not. At ALL.
@LJKelley Pretty much.
But remember When Apple does it, it's ok, because Steve told them it was better.
@LJKelley
Nah, more like a copy of N-Gage.
Hopefully it'll suck less though.
@LJKelley
The ironic thing here is that Apple will probably have Game Center out before the first Windows Phone.
@LJKelley Noooo. All of Apple's idea are original
@LJKelley
Apple fanboys creaming themselves over what MS has been doing for ages. "Innovation" my ass.
XBOX LIVE Hub?
Come to think of it, OS 4 has folders now, so you can categorize your apps, like a hub.
@LJKelley
I'm stoked. This should be just as good as XBox Live considering the high quality games available on the iPhone/iPod Touch. I mean, who doesn't spend hours and hours trying to unlock every achievement on today's current offerings of games through iTunes?
What a joke. I'm still waiting for ONE game on my iPod Touch that I would play for more than a few hours.
@Peter Church
What does that mean? Does that mean MSFT will have copied Apple since Apples handsets have it first?
@LJKelley
You mean other then the fact that Microsoft announced they were porting Xbox Live to Windows Phone 7 and this is extremely similar?
And I didn't say Microsoft never copies or takes inspiration, it just that I have always said it goes both ways and Apple fanbois laugh at it.
This isn't a ground breaking idea. This is a me too idea. Neither products are released yet and Apple has and does have plenty of time to implement this just announced feature before iPhone OS 4 comes out in the summer. No, Apple felt they needed this feature to help keep people in the iPhone ecosystem.
This is the problem with Microsoft announcing everything months before, but in all honesty they didn't have an alternative as everyone expected them to announce something or conclude their mobile devision dead.
@Peter Church
Theyll need the headstart!!!
@LJKelley
I hope MSFT sues Apple over this.....they proly cant, but itd be funny
@N900
EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS LOL
@N900
Dude, what does OS4 have that MSFT didnt announce on WP7?
@abedinthehouse
Multitasking.
@abedinthehouse
Multitasking. Wallpapers.
@LJKelley well lets be honest here MS will be across several platforms will Apple is mostly on mobile applications and really full games will always beat apps. Will they spend 3 years developing a app I don't think so.
@Aaquibn
Neither has Apple... Microsoft announced it first, but that doesn't matter cuz Steve "McJesus" Jobs said that his is better and everyone else sucks. That GD Parasite (Apple) of a company needs to just go beat-off in a corner and die!
@LJKelley Not debating anything, just chiming in that XBL is when I stopped swearing off the Xbox because I couldn't help but acknowledge that MS "got it."
Makes sense Apple would copy something awesome like XBL.
@Niklasnick
Wrong, WP7 has better multitasking since more APIs can be run at all times and full processes can be kept running.
@LAY
And the troll arrives.
@N900
It's like they watched Microsoft's every move for the past 3 months.
@most of you
Wow, looks like the unprecedented success of the iPad, and the fact that the iPhone will now have all the things the whiners here complained it didn't have has gotten the anti Apple mob all riled up!
@Sponge
"more APIs can be run at all times"
You have no idea what you're talking about. Clearly you don't even know what an API is.
As for this copying thing, yes Microsoft was first to announce a game network for a phone, but they did not invent the idea of a gaming network. Apple did not invent the idea either but they will be the first to market with it. Everyone's coping everyone else, that's how technology evolves.
@LJKelley
they didn't copy... They came out with this publicly before Microsoft. Thats why they previewed it early, it makes MS look like the bad guy. Steve is very strategic! :-D
@LJKelley That's why they use the Windows logo colors in the right order on that icon :)
@Rajivsri We all know that's not true, they just do things better than everyone else.
@Rajivsri
"All of Apple's idea are original"
im about to shit bricks into the 477th dimension...
LOL, this would actually be cool if it were linked with Xbox Live, but this isn't going to win ANYONE over who already has time invested in XBL or PSN.
@Tiptup300 I invest time in XBL, PSN and i'll invest time in this. You don't have to pick one.
@Tiptup300
This isn't meant to win people over since Apple doesn't sell a console. It's just meant to make gaming better for people with Apple devices.
@Ipadkiller magical crap games Sir.
@grahamj i hope they dont try a console again... the last one was a horrible failure
Just add marijuana for a completely different iPhone experience, now you can game, giggle, and invite friends while your phone looks a mile away. That folks, is innovation. iBud.
@tklr08
THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE HERE IN CALIFORNIA SOON! LOL
So, is anyone going to point out that this is a blatant rip off from Win Phone 7?
@TCrimson05
Well, except for the fact that the iPhone OS has copy & paste and mulit-tasking, unlike the Windows Phone but yeah, a total rip-off. I'm sure they threw this Game Center together in the few weeks since Microsoft announced Xbox Live on the Windows Phone.
@TCrimson05 How does one copy something when it does not even exist yet? Sure the concept is similar, but the copying comes from the execution, not the BASIC concept.
@Colrath
None of this "exists" either. So I take it you wont be too angry if Palm and Android does this too? Maybe use the same name?
@TCrimson05
Sounds like iHaters are a little butthurt that Apple beat them to the punch and now they won't be able prance around talking about their Live features on their Windows phone. It's ok, I'm sure you'll come up with some arbitrary reason why iPhone still suxxors or you could continue to use your old played out Lulz fart apps, copy&paste, and multitasking hate that no longer has any relevance other than getting a quick and easy Highest Ranked label from the drones. I look forward to being down-ranked into oblivion as it only proves my point.
@TCrimson05
Your post is a blatant rip-off of the first post. Oh the horror!
@Colrath
Thank you!
WinPho7 has an Xbox Icon and a simulated gaming demo.
Moving along..
Fail.
This will be awesome on the ipad!
I'm pretty excited about this!