The discussion here on The Unnofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch really speaks volumes. There seems to be quite a bit of debate among gamers as to whether the iPhone platform is a winner.
It is.
It may be a different type of winner than lets say other portable gaming devices like the Nintendo DS, but it’s a winner nonetheless.
The Independent Games Festival is right to give the nod to the iPhone for games. Why? Because in large part the iPhone is an “open” platform whereas the other traditional gaming devices are closed. It’s much easier and less expensive for an independent developer to start developing for the iPhone than let’s say the Nintendo DS. Game console makers charge hefty fees to write for them. Who wants that?
And on the consumer side, there’s no question that pricing for entry games is much less on the iPhone than other platforms. Again, this has to do with economics. The DS forces a high price for its closed environment. The iPhone doesn’t. So guess what, the iPhone wins in consumer adoption and developer numbers.
The trend is set and I see no reason why it won’t continue to evolve this way for at least the next year, maybe more. As I’ve said before, if you’re a developer, you should be looking at the iPhone as you number one platform of choice. This includes game devs.