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The Rumour Mine: Gameloft prepping Driver: San Francisco, Level-5 considering iPhone RPG, and Zynga porting CityVille to iPhone

Post-holiday game plan

The Rumour Mine: Gameloft prepping Driver: San Francisco, Level-5 considering iPhone RPG, and Zynga porting CityVille to iPhone
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As much talk as there has been about the rise of social gaming on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, there's been quite a lot of anticipation for games at the opposite end of the spectrum. Hardcore games - role-playing, shooters, racing - have seen an explosion of interest.

2011 should provide us with a clearer indication of what iPhone and iPad gamers like. Will it be the next social game from giant publisher Zynga? What about an in-depth role-playing experience by accomplished studio Level 5? How about an open-world driving game in the Driver franchise?

How about all of the above? One of the best qualities of iOS gaming is that it supports all of these kinds of games - it's this diversity that makes playing on these devices so much fun.

RPG experts Level-5 planning iPhone and iPod touch game

If it isn't Square Enix or BioWare, it's Level-5 that comes up in conversations about accomplished role-playing game developers. The Japanese maker Level-5 has an enviable record when it comes to crafting role-playing games, and that looks to extend to iPhone and iPod touch.

Word has it that Level-5 is exploring the possibility of developing a game for Apple devices. Commitment from Square Enix to push compelling content on iPhone and iPod touch is causing Level-5 to consider their own venture.

Given the developer's track record - the Professor Layton series, Dragon Quest IX, and PlayStation 2 title Rogue Galaxy - an original game built specifically for iPhone and iPod touch sounds sweet to me.

Zynga porting CityVille to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

CityvilleAnticipation has been brewing over the impending launch of Zynga's newest social gaming addiction, CityVille.

The urban take on hit FarmVille is expected any day now, yet the secret iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad versions are still a ways off.

That's right, you'll have the freedom to get your CityVille fix anywhere and everywhere. Like FarmVille, the game will connect with the Facebook version for seamless cross-platform gameplay.

Not only does this reinforce its social elements, but it also allows you to annoy your friends who don't plan on playing CityVille with requests to buy factory goods or whatever will be the economic currency of choice.

In all seriousness, Zynga pushing another game onto Apple devices shows interest from the mammoth company in portable gaming. While CityVille is unlikely to break new ground in terms of gameplay, its success could show us just how popular social gaming is on iPhone and iPod touch.

Gameloft to leave its heart in Driver: San Francisco this February

Driver: San FranciscoThe French publisher may have a stellar holiday line-up planned, but things are in motion for early 2011. Driver: San Francisco looks to be a key part of an early new year bonanza the publisher is planning.

Set three months after the events of Driv3r, the game casts you as John Tanner during a lucid dream of his early days as a police officer. Series fans are sure to have a field day with the unusual story, but for the rest of us it's about the open-world vehicular action. Expect that to remain intact in Gameloft's iPhone version.

While there are improvements to consider, the generally good work the company did in porting the original Driver demonstrates that this new Bay Area iteration has some real potential.

Ubisoft hasn't been specific about when it plans on releasing the console versions, although Gameloft has made so much progress with the iPhone and iPod touch instalment that it's shooting for February. That could very well change, however, if Ubisoft decides on a later release day and wants a unified release across all platforms.