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Opinion: iPhone set to take on DS and PSP

Musings following more details on Apple's SDK press conference

Opinion: iPhone set to take on DS and PSP
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You'll probably have read about Apple's revelation of its long-awaited iPhone/iPod SDK and only the harshest of cynics would deny things are looking good.

Arguably of most importance to gamers so far is Spore. EA demoed the game at Apple's SDK roadmap presentation today, including 18 levels, an editor and accelerometer controls.

As reported, Sega is very much on board, too. The publisher showed a very crisp looking version of Super Monkey Ball in glorious 3D. In fact, as you'll tell from the few screens floating about on the net, it looks as though the iPhone's graphical capabilities are a good bit beyond what the DS can achieve.

Importantly, all third-party applications, including games, are to be delivered wirelessly via a new specific channel called the App Store. Developers get to set the price, although 30 per cent of the revenue goes into Apple's coffers.

The other caveat is that all applications and games, free or otherwise, need to go through an Apple approval process. Even so, quality control isn't necessarily such a bad thing and with Steve Jobs stating that he hopes for there to be "potentially thousands of native applications for iPhone and iPod touch," there is every indication that Apple will encourage and nurture the development scene that hopefully emerges.

Indeed, you could interpret today's announcement as anything other than Apple's long prophesied, aggressive entry into the gaming space. With the much debated gaming-centric Apple phone currently topping the rumour list, it seems like the iPhone may yet sidestep such an awkward design brief.

Rather than mature into a mobile phone that is good for gaming, the iPhone may yet become a device as relevant and important to the pocket gaming industry as the PSP or DS, whilst doing nothing to compromise its credentials as a forward thinking, top-of-the-line communications device. In short, it's not unfeasible to consider the iPhone will be neither a mobile gaming device, nor a handheld console, but a contraption that cleverly transcends both definitions and as such is able to appeal to an audience beyond that of Sony and Nintendo's handhelds.

It's early days, of course, and we shouldn't let ourselves get too carried away. The one thing we can be certain of for now is that our workload is about to increase significantly with the entry of another player in the pocket gaming market.