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iTunes Walled Garden Game Store opens
September 13, 2006 - by Ian Bogost

Back in January I mused about the relative inaccessibility of independent development for the handheld market. Today Apple released new iPods along with iTunes 7, which includes the new iTunes Game Store. Unfortunately, developing for iPod remains still a fantasy. Here's why.

Back in January, I offered these four properties as requirements for an indie handheld platform:

  1. low price-point
  2. high general install base
  3. open development environment
  4. supportive ad-hoc distribution model

Then I offered these observations about the iPod's potential to become such a one.

The iPod is probably the closest thing to a successful one: high install base, built-in distrbution channel via iTunes, relatively low cost given the variety of models out there and the fact that many owners have essentially amortized the cost of their devices. It might be hard to design games for the buttons and wheel on the device, but it's an interesting constraint to consider. But of course iPod is missing a key ingredient: open development. Maybe one day that will change. Until then, we're stuck with phones and PDAs, for better or worse.

While this might -- might change, for now the iPod is as closed a development platform as they come. Which means that the iTunes Game Store is a walled garden with the tallest of slick, stone walls. At present, there are under ten games on the game store. It's almost embarrassing. Certainly Apple must realize that the content will have to come from somewhere. Will the dev kits come? Only time will tell.



Comment from joyrexus on September 13, 2006

It's hard to imagine why Apple insists on keeping the ipod a closed, non-programmable device. Seriously, why wouldn't you people to develop content for your product? It sort of boggles me. Especially given the prospect of competing with the Microsoft/Xbox team's Zune device, which is rumored to be a target platform for J. Allard's XNA toolkit. For more info check out ...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003116550_brier10.html

http://www.engadget.com/tag/j%20allard/

http://www.comingzune.com/

Comment from Gonzalo Frasca on September 13, 2006

-I think Zune is a non-issue. So far it's vaporware and I think we shouldn't spend too much time thinking about it. So far, all it has is a lot of media coverage, that's it. Origami got its share, too and it's nowhere to be seen.
-I think Apple is keeping the iPod closed because they believe that part of their success is that the device has been extremely focused: it plays music and that's it. They have expanded it to video and now games, but they want to keep the whole experience simple. They don't want consumers to know that there is a way to browse the net on the ipod but that first requires installing linux on it, because that experience is not going to be user friendly and therefore it is going to be frustrating.
-Apple is testing the waters with these games. If they succeed, they may get new developers by invite only. I don't think they'll release devkits; they definitively do not want the ipod to be a psp. I see why they are doing it and, if I were them, I'm afraid that I would be tempted to follow a similar path.

Comment from Ian Bogost on September 13, 2006

I agree with you Gonzalo about Apple's logic. However, I think there's a difference between installing Linux to browse the web and buying SDK-built games from iTunes. That said, you're right that audio and video playback is inherently simpler (just sit there and listen/watch).

Mostly I think it's a shame, because here we have a massively popular, standardized, mobile device that is unavailable, for all the reasons you mention.

Comment from Gonzalo Frasca on September 13, 2006

Another piece of information that we should take into account is that Apple is expected to launch a bigger, meaner video iPod -which certainly did not launch yesterday.
So, people speculate that it would have a virtual control wheel. The whole idea is dubious in the first place, because of the lack of tactile feedback that such controller would provide. It would make really hard to control the iPod but, now that games are available, it would certainly be impossible to play games with a controller that does not provide tactile feedback. So, either the new games prove that there won't be a virtual scrollwheel on the next generation iPods, or that Apple is, again, simply testing the waters and the market for such applications.
Additionally, if Apple does launch later a bigger iPod with a larger screen, it does make sense that they keep only a few games available for now, because a different resolution would basically mean re-working the games from scratch.
Again, all that I am posting here still is speculation but I think that the mere inclusion of games can certainly give us some info of what is -or isn't- coming next in iPod world.

Comment from Danny Miller on September 14, 2006

While I recognize apple as one of the world’s marketing superpowers, I’ve got to agree with Ian. Apple is missing a huge market. The games that come with an IPod are ridiculously bad. Yes, the included Solitaire provides “some” entertainment if I’m waiting for the Stinger, I’d rather be playing with my keys.

I understand the risk of allowing third party developers to develop applications on an IPod - viruses, bugs, crashes to a very polished product. The only third party programs or games I’ve seen developed for an IPod is from IPodSoft: http://www.ipodsoft.com/ (a while since it’s been updated).

Maybe Apple messed up. Maybe the company didn’t program the IPod to have games on it. Maybe making an SDK is too difficult - who knows. However, each day that passes on is another day that a consumer chooses to buy an MP3 player that can play music and has the ability to install games. As Ian said, these few games listen right now on ITunes is a joke. It’s almost like releasing Playstation 3 with only ten games. Say goodbye to the shock-and-awe.

Apple should start to do what IRiver and other upcoming portable MP3 player manufactorers are starting to do: stop looking at an MP3 player as just an MP3 player.

Who wants a watch that can only tell time?
-Danny

Comment from Danny Miller on September 14, 2006

Btw Ian,
Quick note. I couldn't post before until I changed one of my words from "do wnload" to "install"

I think you have some anti-spam thing installed to disable the word dow nload from being submitted.

-Danny

Comment from Gonzalo Frasca on September 14, 2006

Macworld offers a general review of the games, as well as identifying the developers. It notices, too, that the games are available worldwide, unlike movies and music (a lot of, say, Swedish music is not available on the US site and viceversa. Interestingly, the Swedish iTunes store has more French and Spanish songs than the US). So, in terms of audience, yes, games on the iPod are reaching every single country that has a iTunes store (still, that's considerably much smaller than the actual number of people worldwide who own an iPod, since most of them do not buy music online).

Here's the link

http://www.macworld.com/2006/09/firstlooks/ipodgames/index.php


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