Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Apple
    • Apple
    • Development
    • Mobile
    • Small Business

    Nintendo Shrugs Off Threat from Apple iPhone Game Center

    By
    Nathan Eddy
    -
    April 9, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      News that the latest operating system for Apple’s popular iPhone, OS 4.0, was greeted with skepticism by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who said Apple’s increasingly surefooted move into the mobile gaming space is not having an impact on Nintendo. Moreover, Fils-Aime dismissed the selection of games Apple offers. While Nintendo has indeed achieved extraordinary success with its portable DS platform (not to mention with the Wii console), Apple’s Game Center platform, which could be compared to Microsoft’s Xbox Live offering, suggests Apple is moving to become a more competitive-and sophisticated-player in the mobile gaming space.

      Based on information gleaned from Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone Software, during Apple’s press event for iPhone OS 4.0, the Game Center, which is expected to debut later this year, will be integrated directly with the iPhone’s software architecture, allowing users to share their experience and connect to other users. “Gaming is extremely popular on the iPhone and the iPod touch,” he said. “We have over 50,000 game and entertainment titles on the App Store.”

      Comparing that number with rival dedicated gaming devices, such as Sony’s PlayStation Portable or the DS, Forstall pointed out the PSP offers just 2,477 titles and the DS offers 4,321 titles. “We just blow them out of the water,” he said. We want to make gaming even better on the iPhone.” This includes features like matchmaking, which finds users partners for multiplayer games, matched to each user’s skill level and access to leaderboards and achievements.

      Small wonder then, that Fils-Aime bristled at the idea of Apple suggesting they’ve been “blown out of the water” by Apple. But as Forstall pointed out, 50,000 titles is a huge library of possibilities, and it is likely that any efforts Apple makes to improve the social aspect of mobile gaming is likely to positively impact Apple’s efforts to move deeper into the mobile gaming space. Another aspect to consider is that unlike the DS or PSP, the iPhone is, of course, also a phone. While previous portable gaming systems were another piece of equipment to carry around, the iPhone, for many owners, is a necessary and constant presence in their lives.

      By enhancing the mobile gaming experience, the connection between user and device intensifies. In a world where “snack size entertainment” is increasingly more desirable, Apple may be on the right track by offering less sophisticated games but delivering equal (or greater) instant enjoyment. “If our games represent a range between snacks of entertainment and full meals depending on the type of game, (Apple’s) aren’t even a mouthful, in terms of the gaming experience you get,” Fils-Aime said in an interview with the gaming blog Kotaku. Despite his assertions, Fils-Aime may find consumers willing to dine with Apple are ready to change their eating habits.

      Nathan Eddy
      A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan was perviously the editor of gaming industry newsletter FierceGameBiz and has written for various consumer and tech publications including Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, CRN, and The Times of London. Currently based in Berlin, he released his first documentary film, The Absent Column, in 2013.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×