Game developer limits iPhone support to 3GS
updated 12:55 pm EDT, Fri August 7, 2009
Mad Monkey goes 3GS-only
Game maker Mad Monkey Studio has announced plans to go into iPhone development. The company has in the past worked on minor titles for multiple platforms, including the PS2, Wii and DS. In terms of the iPhone, however, development will exclusively target the iPhone 3GS, as a result of the performance difference over the 3G. A demonstration video shows a 3D flythrough running four times faster on a 3GS. No other project details have been announced.
Concern has been raised in recent months that the game industry as a whole may begin to favor faster iPhones, leaving original models behind, much as Mac and Windows games tend to require better CPUs and video cards over time. Cellphone games have traditionally been immune to requirement creep, as a result of slower hardware evolution. Because Apple is committed to upgrading iPhones every year, however, new titles may begin pushing performance limits on a regular basis.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2008
It was bound to happen...
The only real big issue I see with this, is the way the current upgrade cycle works. Every year there will be people unable to purchase the latest games and/or apps because they are only half-way through their contracts and cannot upgrade without facing that prohibitive cost barrier.
There is no easy solution to this, though I have mused that carriers such as AT&T should allow for contract extensions rather than straight renewals as a way to get the latest and greatest in folks hands, and keep their own subscriber base as large as possible.
Still, the move by this developer is not really surprising. The devices are only going to get more and more powerful with every subsequent release, and I for one do not want devs to 'dumb-down' their apps to work on older hardware. The most compelling apps tend to be the ones that best leverage the available technology and push the platform to new limits