Instead, it pops the iPhone or iPod Touch into a Playstation-like grip, allowing you to hold it like a controller you're used to. But the controls will remain the same, and will maybe even be harder to manipulate when holding it like that.

But hey, if you want to try your luck it's only $17. [USB Fever via Engadget]

First of all, games would have to be compatible with the controller, and given that so many games are dependent on the accelerometer (hell, the "looka that!" sensation of the accelerometer is the driving force behind a ton of these games), the Gamebone wouldn't work with a lot of the most popular games in the App Store. Plus, the Gamebone doesn't physically attach to the iPhone itself; it probably connects via Bluetooth. The makers say they'll supply a vertical and horizontal stand for the iPhone, but that's still sort of awkward for what's supposed to be a handheld device.

But these guys have a great grassroots feel: They're asking users to suggest a price point for the Gamebone's hopeful release in September, and we're all for expanding the iPhone's gaming capabilities. Let's hope they quell some of our concerns before then. [Kotaku]

Even though the iPhone has the distinct disadvantage of being a platform that's not purchased just for gaming—pretty much every person who buys a PSP buys it to play games, for example—it's still a pretty damn huge market. Combine this with the fact that the faster graphics support in the iPhone 3GS is going to make it a pretty damn good gaming device, you've got a juicy target for game developers to hit.

Note: sales data was taken from Wikipedia, and in some cases the figures are from as far back as March 2009. There shouldn't be a huge jump between March and May/June numbers, so it's close enough for the ballpark chart we're showing.

Some are already hailing it as a "true next generation game" for the iPhone, and it does have some fairly impressive graphics, as far as the platform goes. But with iPhone 3GS on its way, with a more powerful graphics processor and support for a newer version of OpenGL, isn't this an odd time to market an iPhone game on its up-to-the-minute visuals and performance?

iD head John Carmack doesn't think so, telling Venturebeat that the game, like other Doom titles before it, will grow into new hardware. He specifically mentions the possibility of multiplayer with OS 3.0, but doesn't talk about whether or not the game content will adapt to the 3G S. [Venturebeat, Talking About Games]

It's especially interesting when you take into consideration Apple's other recent major hire, ATI's former graphics CTO, the guy who designed the GameCube's graphics card.

For the love of all that is holy and Jobsian, however, it doesn't mean they're going to make a MacBoxStationCube 1080—the iPhone (and maybe that tablet/pad thing) is Apple's gaming platform. 15 of the top 20 paid apps of all time are games. There are over 9,000 games in the App Store. And there are 37 million iPod touches and iPhone out there—still below the PSP's 50 million and the DS's 100 million, but consider these are consoles that have been out at least twice as long as the iPhone platform.

It's not just the numbers, either. The argument that the production value of games doesn't match those on on the PSP or DS, is slowly becoming more irrelevant—not simply because extremely short-form gaming, which the iPhone handily beats the PSP and DS at, is becoming more interesting, but because the iPhone is picking up fare like Metal Gear Solid Touch, even if hardcore gamers can't replace their dedicated portable consoles yet. (Bad sign though: I'm a huge gamer, but haven't touched my DS Lite in months. I do play an iPhone game at least a couple minutes every day I'm on the move.)

Apple's got a very real gaming platform, they've got their own chips in place, and now they have a legit gaming strategist. If Nintendo and Sony weren't concerned at all previously, I imagine at least a bead or two of sweat is dripping down their forehead now, even if direct, bloody conflict between their consoles and the iPhone is still a generation or two away. [MCV via 9to5Mac]

Here we can see the iControlPad wrapped around an iPhone, playing Quake. It works! But a few things stand out. First, there' a discernible lag. This is probably a software issue, as I can't imagine where along this short line of hardware connections that kind of latency could crop up. The developers say they'll have bits of source code ready for developers who want to include controls in their apps, so I hope it's a little more optimized by the time that's seeded.

Unfortunately, it's clear that "developers", means homebrew developers, as there's no indication that ZodTTD is going to get Apple's blessing on this device any time soon—something that they'd need if they wanted to see integration with App Store games. In others words, this'll only work on Jailbroken games, at least for now. That means no Brothers in Arms with a proper controller, but at least we'll be able to play our emulators properly now. [ZodTTD via NoWhereElse]

A company named Handheld Games Corp developed a tennis game named TouchSports Tennis for the iPhone/iPod touch and it runs at completely different resolutions based upon the product:

Where we can easily display two 1500 polygon tennis players with 32 bones each on the iPod touch 2G and maintain fast and fluid game play, the original iPod touch just chokes, and in some instances so do the iPhones. To speed up the touch, we reduced the players to 800 polygons in farther away moments of gameplay, and are now using 1000 polygon models for close ups, bringing the original iPod touch game play performance level close to that of the iPhone 3G.

According to the company, the platform rendering power goes in this order (from best to worst):

• iPod Touch 2nd Generation
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone (original)
• iPod Touch 1st Generation

Since the iPhone 3G, first gen iPhone and first gen touch all have the same processor, where is this performance gap coming from? It's tough to know exactly, though there is obviously some hardware differentiation between each generation of these products beyond the processor.

More importantly, whatever the exact reason behind said performance gaps, these findings indicate that Apple is simply not providing a consistent development platform for applications. Nintendo and Sony purposefully and vocally limit clock speeds during reiterations of the DS and PSP, guaranteeing a certain quality control and universal experience on the platform. Obviously, the iPhone/iPod touch are not seeing any such limitations or guidelines.

And while it's technically good news that the new iPhone is a more powerful gaming machine than the old iPhone, it's an unsettling proposition when you consider that there's only one store for the entire iPhone/iPod touch platform. And if this performance trend continues, which we expect it will, consumers will either be forced to upgrade for an optimum gaming experience or have their smarter, newer hardware dumbed down. Honestly, neither scenario sounds all that wonderful at the moment. [Touch Arcade via MacRumors]

To be fair, Monkey Ball has improved a lot on its spiritual forebear, with lush, fully 3D graphics and over 100 well-designed levels. It superficially reflects a few generational steps forward in handheld gaming. One thing that hasn’t changed is the control mechanism. Consider this IGN review of Kirby from April of 2001:

This tilting feature is an integral part of the gameplay, and it really makes Kirby original and a lot of fun. The designers built the game around this sensor instead of putting a sensor into the game, and it really shows... Since you cannot zoom Kirby around the mazes without screwing up, patience is needed. Of course, you can't take your sweet time—the clock is ticking.

This could just as easily describe the experience of rolling AiAi around on your iPhone. The tilt sensor technology, built into the GBC cartridge, was functionally flawless, even by iPhone standards. The tilt-sensing scheme surfaced in a few more (equally impressive and well received) games, but none ventured too far from the navigation paradigm of Tilt 'n' Tumble. Over the next few years, position-sensitive handheld gaming faded into relative obscurity.

At least, until now. Tilt gaming is now lauded by some as the future of portables, with developers and engineers making inconsistent claims about how powerful and exciting the iPhone is as a platform, even throwing out very favorable comparisons to the PSP and the DS. But does the iPhone really bring anything new to the table? The answer, as you’ve probably guessed by now, is no. Absolutely not.

Think of it this way: The best implementation of iPhone tilt control is conceptually identical to a seven-year-old Game Boy title, which itself was based on the old wooden marble-in-a-labyrinth puzzles that have been around since, well, who knows? The iPhone doesn’t have the buttons of the Game Boy (or DS or PSP), and touchscreen control overlays don’t provide the feedback they need to be adequate substitutes. (Anyone who has played any of NES/SNES/Genesis jailbreak emulators can attest to this.) Perhaps most significantly, the iPhone doesn’t address the shortcomings of tilt gaming that were helpfully pointed out to them in nearly every review of Kirby. Consider again the 2001 IGN review:

You're limited to where and how you can play the game, really... I've played the game outside and in a hotel room with no problems, but on the plane it was a little difficult because of the position you have to hold the system — it's not exactly a game you can sit in your most comfortable position and play.

And another, from the New York Times:

Children who play Kirby in the back seat of the car will learn to loathe potholes and quick turns, which can make Kirby spin out of control.

In respect to the limited locations in which you can play tilt games, the GBC cartridge system is actually superior to the iPhone, as it automatically recalibrates at the start of every game, a feature that Monkey Ball could stand to include.

A portable gaming device that necessitates a certain type of location and position to play isn’t truly portable. Anyone who has tried to play any of the iPhone’s tilt games in a moving car, bus or even train will tell you that slight acceleration in any direction can make sensitive games like Crash Bandicoot Racing and Monkey Ball almost unplayable—and what good are handheld games if you can’t play them in transit?

Since the launch of the app store, nobody has come forward with a truly exciting and original implementation of tilt control. The iPhone has demonstrated that is it capable of retreading tilt gaming territory quite well, but that’s about it.

It sounds harsh to deem iPhone gaming a mere novelty, but until a developer steps forward with something profoundly revolutionary it may be just that. For the most accurate summation of the iPhone’s tilt gaming, don’t listen to John Carmack’s breathless speculation, or Scott Forstall’s eery, glossy-eyed presentations. Look back again, this time to Gamespot:

Yes, Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is a gimmicky game, but it's a gimmicky game done well.

For Nintendo, handheld tilt gaming was a fanciful tangent; when the genre was exhausted, they were able to retreat to traditional controls. This option is unfortunately—and maybe fatally—absent from the iPhone, potentially relegating it to the unfortunate status of a impressive, elaborate gimmick.

He also goes on to say that it's almost as strong as a PlayStation 2 and an Xbox 1 at launch. Think back to the games you played on the PS2 and Xbox. Now think of the games you're playing on the iPhone. Doesn't quite match up, does it?

It's strange to us that Carmack is throwing out so much hype for Apple, seeing as he's got a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with the company.

The verdict is also out on whether Apple has a concrete grasp of gaming, the id co-founder said. The company's reception to criticism has also been counterintuitive, which has led to its relationship with id being something akin to a roller-coaster ride.

Apple essentially kisses his ass when they need him to show up for one of Steve Jobs' keynotes, but then throws him the cold shoulder the second he passes judgment, Carmack said.

[Apple Insider]

Previous Carmack coverage

As seen in the video, controlling Mario is fairly natural, though quick turns and exact jumps are difficult to execute (playing Mario with the stock controls is often worse, though). Bomberman sort of works, but in that case—and many others—the old touch control overlay is much easier. Obviously none of these games were designed with tilt control in mind, but a surprising number are at least playable. Add this to the pile of reasons we still want an active app black market. NES.app 2.3.0 with tilt control is available now in Cydia. [NES.app]

I use the iPhone myself. I know that it's an attractive product, but when I look carefully at the iPhone's users vs. the users of our Nintendo DS, I understand there are some overlaps. And if you ask 'Is the overlap too big?,' my answer is no, not so much.

Iwata's argument may be true, but the real reason that Apple can't touch the DS market is that Nintendo has sold like a bajillion of the things already. Oh yeah, and the iPhone still has some control issues... [Forbes via DSFanboy]

But how good is the iPhone in terms of being a game console? How good are the tilt controls for accepting input for programs that you to make small adjustments with the phone in 3D space? Here's what the same developer from EA said to better help you conceptualize its accelerometer. "Think of it as a loose analog stick...you get lots of random data." Developers need to create smoothing algorithms in order to take random data points and interpret them into a curve which can then be used as movement info. Think about the Wii Remote before the MotionPlus add-on in Wii Sports Baseball. Remember all that jiggling your bat did? Yeah, this is that.