Apple VP says PSP is the 'past,' iPod is the 'future of gameplay'
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Nov 12th 2008 at 3:00PM }
So, why is the iPhone the future? Maybe it's because it's all about a touch screen ... but, isn't that what the Nintendo DS does so incredibly well? Maybe it's because of the graphics hardware? We don't think so (see image, above).
According to Joswiak, the reason why iPhone and iPod will become the future of games is "the electronic distribution of the apps." He argues that delivering games directly to the consumer is a win-win for game developers and consumers. Buyers can get games instantly and for cheap, while developers no longer have to worry about licensing and sales targets.
It's true that the App Store is impressively large (in fact, it's one of the things we said Sony should do to "fix" the PSP). However, a single killer app has not yet emerged from Apple's offerings. This argument is a bit short-sighted as well. PSP now has a digital store, available on PC, PS3 and on the PSP itself. So long as Sony offers more PS1 classics, more original downloadable games, and PSP applications through the Store, we see PSP being able to match and exceed Apple's offering quite handily. And let's not forget, PSP fanboys probably like using buttons when playing games. It may be "antiquated" in the eyes of Joswiak, but we think it works.
[Via 1UP]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Endy @ Nov 12th 2008 3:10PM
If this is the future ... i will die now.
rofl i pod future ahahahahahaha.
Hreidmar @ Nov 12th 2008 3:10PM
Call me when the iPhone/Touch as God of War... or Crisis Core... or even Tomb Raider. Hard to be the "future" of gaming when you can't even compete with the past.
Tristan @ Nov 12th 2008 3:37PM
I have to agree with you there. Ive yet to see anything on the Ipod items that provides just as much gameplay as many of the solid games on the PSP.
Hashbrown Hunter @ Nov 12th 2008 3:54PM
Well I do agree with you both that the iPhone/iTouch has yet to captivate in any way the gaming scene (aka the hardcore) but I also do not believe in the 'no input buttons = no plausible games that could compete with DS/PSP' argument.
I felt that way when the DS was first revealed, and guess what? I was proven wrong. Imagine having fl0w on the iPhone/iTouch. That would be perfect.
Getting back to the point, the iPhone/iTouch may not be comparable right now, but just wait for the developers to truly start thinking outside the box and we'll see where this debate ventures to next.
mercurywa @ Nov 12th 2008 8:10PM
No... no... They have Super monkey ball! THEY WIN!!!
[/sarcasm]
E @ Nov 12th 2008 8:40PM
Dude, couldn't have said it better! I think the Apple rep is looking at things from a strictly marketing perspective and not from the aspect of people who actually play "real" games.
jacob @ Nov 13th 2008 11:38AM
The reason why apple has a chance is because of their fanbase. Honestly how far could you go with no buttons? the most things you'll see is like good remakes of cellphone games.
Dylan @ Dec 20th 2008 10:31AM
So you want God of War, eh?
Search Hero of Sparta.
The games weren't great at first, as with any console.
They are getting good, search Rolando iPod touch and you'll see. That's what I call a killer app! And it's out now
Tristan @ Nov 12th 2008 3:11PM
i had to comment with a gaint LOL.
I have owned a DS , DS lite , PSP slim.
An uncle purchased a iphone back when canada didn't have any. I tried it out a bit, personally i agree that the future is to have a handheld personal computer that can do anything you want it to.
But reality is , the iphone is a phone. A DS is a gaming portable , the PSP is a gaming portable.
With DSi and PSP store, theres already enough there to call it better a gaming device then the iphone.
Think the iphone is a couple hundred dollars to much for something that next year the phone companys will be selling with a plan for 59.99. When my psp will still hold value with a pile of great games to play.
six_sacher @ Nov 12th 2008 3:14PM
F*** Iphone!!!
En Mexico el Iphone y el ipod touch duplican el precio del PSP, nadie pensaría en comprarse uno solo para jugar.
Thnx
Vidaluko @ Nov 12th 2008 4:01PM
A webo, aun tenga graficas de PS3, es un telefono y en Mexico cuesta casi lo que un PS3 con esos planes de telcel...
aj @ Nov 12th 2008 4:48PM
Since you read the original post in English, you must speak English. So why respond in Spanish? You're only alienating everyone else here. Even if we all spoke Spanish, the blog is in English. Please be courteous enough to allow the entire community to participate in any discussion.
cafecito @ Nov 12th 2008 9:04PM
Maybe he doesn't speak english? Remember google can translate this page for foreign people.
Oh, BTW. Apple, metete tu Iphone por el culo.
six_sacher @ Nov 12th 2008 10:13PM
If i can't post a comment in spanish maybe this will be a kind of racism, because my english is bad but i can read a slurs comment.
Sorry but maybe i'll try to speak "ENGLISH" or use google translate
pixelator @ Nov 12th 2008 10:59PM
You speak English just fine. Nobody is being 'racist' by pointing out that this is an English blog. If you want to converse with people in Spanish, do so on a Spanish PSP blog.
I would expect the exact same response from on a Spanish language blog were I to post in English.
Yuel @ Nov 12th 2008 11:08PM
That's true, many people can read englis but they can't write very well so let's be a little tolerant. And you are right, who is gonna buy an iphone here in Mexico?, they are so expensive!!! and i mean expensive!!!
Y cierto, quien se va a comprar un ipod solo para jugar si esas madres están bien caras, jejeje.
Guido @ Nov 13th 2008 10:39AM
I'm Swiss, I usually speak Swiss German, and I wouldn't ever think it would be a good idea to write a comment here in German. That has nothing to do with racism, it has to do with common sense and respect ;)
JM @ Nov 25th 2008 2:05PM
It didn't bother me, I speak both. Learn Spanish people, its not that hard and you will be better off for it.
pixelator @ Nov 12th 2008 3:21PM
I wouldn't say the DS does touchscreen 'incredibly well'. The Apple drone has a point... Or should I say, the DS requires one (stylus) to function well. Since the iPhone and its cell-neutered sibling don't need anything other than a finger and the ability to shake or tilt the device, that would indicate the DS method is a thing of the past.
The DS screens are also dinky and the hardware not exactly sophisticated.
The part where I think the DS and PSP really do come up short is connectivity and downloadable media and games. Those are areas where Apple's cell/wifi based scheme is dominating. iPhone game and app sales are through the roof because 1). the thing is selling like wildfire and 2). the games are mostly very cheap, if lacking in the depth and polish of most DS or PSP titles.
What's unfortunate is that the latter bit about lack of depth is totally overlooked by Apple and its devs. They just want funky cute little mobile-wares that stir up big sales.
six_sacher: This isn't a Spanish language blog.
six_sacher @ Nov 12th 2008 10:21PM
Great! The first time that I try to make a comment after 9 months reading this blog and users like you make racist comments.
pixelator @ Nov 12th 2008 10:51PM
Excuse me, but it's not even remotely 'racist' to point out that this isn't a Spanish language blog. In fact, the most ardent 'the USA is not a bilingual country' person I know is a Mexican immigrant.
h0mi @ Nov 13th 2008 9:30PM
The thing about the DS is that while the unit itself is decent for gaming, too many games turn the touchpad into a gimmick (starfox comes to mind as an example, as does metroid or the mario basketball game) that (for me anyway) ruins the gaming experience.
Nate @ Nov 12th 2008 3:21PM
Slap some buttons on the iPhone and you might have something to say (I don't know how the hardware compares.... obviously most games on the iPhone right now don't have nearly the development time that most PSP games have).
Even *if* the iPhone somehow has as much power as the PSP, lack of buttons is a huge detriment. You end up having to give up screen real estate to put buttons on screen... and then why even bother having the thing?
Games purely on touch screens are very limited, which is why even the DS has buttons.
Darklighter @ Nov 12th 2008 4:05PM
How can Iphone/Ipod be used as a gaming device when it doesn't even have a slot to put in the games? Gameboy, DS, PSP, every game system has had one thing in common. . . YOU COULD PUT GAMES IN IT!!! MAybe if the next gen Ipod had a place to put games in and if some developers started putting out games for it but that is probably not going to happen.
p-diddy @ Nov 12th 2008 4:13PM
Um, you missed the whole point - he said the future of gameplay is because of digital app distribution, i.e., cartridges/discs are outdated and unnecessary.
While my argument above still holds, I will say the 20+ UMDs I have for my PSP are quite annoying to lug around.
Shoyz @ Nov 12th 2008 4:48PM
p-diddy: At least you -own- those UMDs. You can sell them, trade them, or lend them. What happens when you're done with your iPod games?
Guess you just delete them. Money down the toilet, IMO.
Much lolz @ Nov 15th 2008 2:24AM
Wow so those graphics are the future, the trees are 2d and the sky looks like something out of a snes game. yup if thats the future then ill stick to the past, i happen to like playing my games with buttons.
drepsp @ Nov 12th 2008 3:41PM
PSP is the past my a**! Let me give a little secret APPLE BUTTONS MY FRIEND!!!!!
Saigon @ Nov 12th 2008 3:44PM
Wow, just wow. If the ipod is the future of handheld gaming, then we all just simply screwed.
joeybeast @ Nov 12th 2008 3:45PM
Quickly, someone domain squat iphonefanboy.com and ipodtouchfanboy.com
p-diddy @ Nov 12th 2008 3:49PM
As an owner of the iPhone and two PSPs, let me say: ummmmm no and.... maybe.
The iPhone may be the future of casual gaming. But the PSP/DS/etc will not be unseated as the true gaming devices. Think of it like the inverse of the earlier articel about how only 30% of PSP owners use the PSP for music. Why would I when I have a device much better suited to it - the iPod/iPhone - right in my pocket? On the flip side, why would I run down the battery of my phone - my life line - playing a game at a quarter of the poly count of my PSP?
For casual pick-up-and-put-down-in-three-minutes gaming, the iPhone will likely see a huge increase. But this isn't the market the PSP or DS occupy anyway. Most of their games require a 10 minute session or more and the iPhone isn't a device that is well-suited to this, especially considering its battery life.
So, no, the iPhone will not unseat the PSP or DS for true gaming, but it will likely get a lot of people to download bejeweled/backgammon/poker.
Dr Haisook @ Nov 12th 2008 4:18PM
That's one good joke. How nice is it to keep covering the tiny screen with your fingers while playing? The iPhone doesn't even support stylus-based input; something that could at least give more room for viewing.
Daniel @ Nov 12th 2008 4:36PM
Wow is it april fools already?
aj @ Nov 12th 2008 4:45PM
Digital distribution is not the future.
I had a cell phone once, and I bought Tetris so that I could have something to do while sitting through really tedious lectures in uni (I was a philosophy major, every lecture was tedious) and to amuse myself at work. Then my phone broke and had to be replaced. And guess what? That 4$ I paid for Tetris didn't mean squat, because a digital download isn't yours to keep. I was told to just buy Tetris again.
Maybe the Apple store has a thing like the PSN where your bought games are able to be re-downloaded. That's nice. But how much does it take to wipe that out? One power outage, one virus, one anything and you're still paying twice for something.
And people STILL play NES and SNES games. Will you have that luxury with digital games that rely on devices and formats and "online shops" and servers that no longer exist in five to ten years?
No thanks.
Jeremy @ Nov 12th 2008 8:56PM
Digital distribution is the future, because the consumer doesn't own the games anymore, but are just renting them.
That's the ultimate goal of publishers, take away ownership rights from software buyers. That's why they are pushing it so much. And sadly, many consumers are going along as well.
yo @ Nov 12th 2008 4:56PM
wow, that guy is a idiot, all apple products are overrated
lakaihigh @ Nov 12th 2008 6:59PM
well escuse me! i don't have one of those confangled new toys.. but i do know that i heart my psp.
peace,
Lh
jabewocky @ Nov 12th 2008 5:04PM
Ipod Touch/Iphone is not the future of games. I have both a Touch and PSP Slim. The PSP has God of War for example. And moderate Music and Video capabilities. The Ipod Touch has good music, moderate video, and lame games. I mean the only game I ever play on the Touch is CubeRunner and thats when I'm on the bog. Its hardly a ringing endorsement.
I dont speak spanish but hey thanks to context I understood it. I doesn't bother me, as its not like it ruins the discussion the 'community' has. In fact the multilingual environment reminds me of home....
Das ist mir egal.
HAHAHAHA @ Nov 12th 2008 8:28PM
OHH YES, THE FUTURE, AND PLEASE CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN PLAY SOCOM IN THE INTERNET WITH THE IPHONE\IPOD TOUCH. AND WHEN YOU CAN USE YOUR HEADSET TO TALK WITH THE PLAYER OF THE GAMES...
Juan M Campos @ Nov 12th 2008 5:29PM
LMAO! This is hilarious! I just had to register to comment! The pic says it all! ROFL!
Neobeetle @ Nov 12th 2008 5:54PM
Ummm...... Apple VP, two words....
Not happening.
Jacksons @ Nov 12th 2008 5:58PM
If it is, then I'm done.
TM @ Nov 12th 2008 6:20PM
what bull****! psp has a lot of better looking games than that, buttons and an online store. screw apple
TM @ Nov 12th 2008 6:37PM
LoLing to death over this. Apple has big ideas
alberto @ Nov 12th 2008 6:39PM
here in mexico the iphone cost as much as ps3 (600+ USD), so at least in latinamerica there is no room for the iphone to be used like a game machine
MBO @ Nov 12th 2008 6:51PM
WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!
Greg josiak, go fuc* urself in the shame corner over there.
Ashe @ Nov 12th 2008 11:12PM
LOL that has to be the funniest thing I have ever heard! Wow Apple is sure full of themselves. Wouldnt get me to buy their piece of crap. Excuse me while I go play a REAL gaming system.
money_mike_preme @ Nov 12th 2008 7:51PM
i have an unlocked and jailbroken iphone (im on t-mobile not at&t) and even genesis games run slow. Some mame games are playable but some other games just plain aint fun compared to there ps3 counterparts (talking bout starwars force unleashed). they got a ways to go if there even trying to compete and make statements like that.
TJF588 @ Nov 12th 2008 9:24PM
Unless my Ctrl+Fing is wonked (or if someone's badly typoed), how has no one brought up the click-wheel-iPod-exclusive SRPG SONG SUMMONER: The Unsung Heroes? Perhaps the iPhone/Touch can develop a click-wheel emulator? That, or SE can publish a port/remake.
Ice Online @ Nov 12th 2008 10:33PM
what about ZUNE!!!!!!!!. Well I do own a Ipod touch, PSP, DS, and Zune and I have to say the ipod is lacking when compared to thoose (excluding zune microsoft is to dam lazy to make new games) it has no original 1st party games if you will that can even stand up to my ds and psp I mean really (god of war, daxter, ratchet and clank, etc...) or (kirby, mario 3 on 3, custom robo etc..) well maybe they want to compete with the ds and psp in the next 6 years when its outdated