“A Palo Alto company has released the first video game that wirelessly connects a personal computer and an iPhone or iPod Touch, allowing players to wave the mobile devices like a motion-based controller a la the Nintendo Wii,” Ryan Kim reports for The San Francisco Chronicle.
“Social Gaming Network, which has earned a faithful following with its Facebook and iPhone games, is marrying the Web and iPhone platforms in iFun iGolf, the first in a line of new, free cross-platform games. The game uses the motion-sensing accelerometer in the iPhone or iPod Touch along with its broadband connection – either Wi-Fi or 3G – to turn it into a Wii-like controller for a PC-based Web game,” Kim reports.
“iFun iGolf is available for free download in the Apple iPhone App Store now and will be joined by iTennis this year,” Kim reports. “SGN already has enjoyed success with iPhone games like iBowl, in which players swing their iPhone to simulate bowling. While games like that made do with the iPhone’s 2.5-inch screen, Pishevar said it would not support more involved games like tennis, in which players need to see the screen at all times, even during their swings.”
MacDailyNews Note: iPhone has a 3.5-inch screen, not a 2.5-inch screen. Sheesh.
Kim continues, “He said the company has filed patents to connect the two platforms wirelessly, which first resulted in a lag of a few seconds. In recent months, the developers have been able to shave off almost all of the latency.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Try free iBowl.
I still don’t know if I like the idea of swinging my iPhone to play tennis, bowling, etc. I remember the photos of Wii remotes stuck in TVs, walls, people’s heads, etc., even from people wearing the first wrist straps.
The last thing I need is one of my kids to be playing tennis with my iPhone and send it flying across concrete, tile, or whatever hard surface is in front of them (hopefully no people).
So how long until Apple officially partner’s the iPhone/Touch with Apple TV as a console that can match a Wii with games that can actually travel with you?
Bring on the Apple TV games! I am hoping that there are a bunch of game developers working on games under a NDA for the Apple TV, and using the iPhone/touch as a remote (don’t care much for swinging it around though).
Here’s a scoop. Square Enix is going to drop the PS3 and release Final Fantasy 13 exclusively for AppleTV.
It’s sounds like a great business decision to me!