Wireless game controllers for the iPhone?
The new 3.0 update could be the key to external accessories
Pocket Gamer's intrepid liveblogger Stu Dredge has picked up on the news that the new iPhone 3.0 update will allow a much broader and accessible form of peer-to-peer networking between devices.
The iPhone already has the option for wi-fi networking through Apple’s Bonjour system, but the woefully underused Bluetooth function will apparently be brought into play to make this handshake between handsets easier to negotiate.
Naturally this means more multiplayer games on discrete handsets, but it goes beyond two-player gaming. This system also opens the iPhone up for accessories, and although Apple chose to demonstrate speakers and music players enjoying greater interactivity, we can’t help but wonder if Zeemote style controllers couldn’t also be a possibility.
Hell, even the blood pressure monitor Apple brought on stage could be tied into the right games. iPhone iterations of fitness programs, similar to Wii Fit, could benefit enormously from a bit of biometric feedback.
The fact that much of the news regarding the 3.0 update points strongly toward Apple’s new gaming-centric mindset - coupled with the rumours of AppleTV getting its own brand of living room gaming - suggests that wireless game controllers aren’t at all unlikely.
Wait for 3.0, then watch this space.
