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[alexandros]

It begins.

Edit: Gah, beaten. But still, this is huge news and maybe a sign of things to come.

 

[cyberheater]

At long last Apple has seen the light. A next gen iPad and a good controller would make the ultimate portable set up. Close to PS360 graphics that you can throw in your bag. I'm in.

 

[Number45]

I hope every iPhone comes with HDMI from now on and this controller support is real.

They won't come with HDMI output as standard, but I think you can buy accessories that allow you to convert the output to HDMI.

 

[thumb]

The thing is, only some developers will support it. And sometimes the support will be buggy. And sometimes particular controller models will be crappy. I predict a mediocre response.

 

[LyleLanley]

The thing is, only some developers will support it. And sometimes the support will be buggy. And sometimes particular controller models will be crappy. I predict a mediocre response.

I think if Apple shows off a good third party controller at the launch of the 5S and stocks them at their stores there'll be a good chance that it'll do well.

 

[IzzyF3]

I almost feel bad for Ouya.

 

[Seth]

Apple tv for airplay + a gamepad will be amazing...

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

I almost feel bad for Ouya.

Well, they had it coming

 

[$h@d0w]

I like the look of Logitech's prototype.

I hope someone comes out with a straight up Bluetooth controller without any docking though - for iPads.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

Apple also have their own 2d game framework in iOS7, Sprite Kit.

 

[Router]

Physical controls would make me much more interested in gaming on my iphone.

 

[KtSlime]

The thing is, only some developers will support it. And sometimes the support will be buggy. And sometimes particular controller models will be crappy. I predict a mediocre response.

Isn't this the case for *everything*?

 

[Seth]

I almost feel bad for Ouya.

I have the early kickstarter console, and I have to say when I first started using it it was just plain awful. OS was buggy, slow, controller lagged, and filled with references to android phone features. The console actually warned me that "this game may make phone calls".

However, there was a recent update for it that made it MUCH better, although its still pretty bad at the moment. I still have faith in the thing, so we will see where it goes.

However... if this gamepad comes out for iOS and 99% of games support it then I can tell you my ouya will become a paperweight or a playground for the rare occasion i feel like dealing with the android OS.

 

[Beerman462]

And PC, and consoles as well. The impact of the iPad/Android has fairly clearly not been contained to the DS/PSP.

PCs? Casual PC gamers play Facebook games on mouse/keyboard. Serious PC gamers are there for the flexibility/graphic superiority. Anyone that was going to leave consoles or PC for mobile have already left. A peripheral controller will not encourage gamers to move to a graphically inferior platform at this stage.

 

[numble]

Android had a standard, native controller API since version 3.1. This is just iOS catching up.

There is no standardized game controller for Android. Their API allows 28 different buttons, including buttons for "Generic Game Pad Button #1 through 16", excluding DPad, Start, Select, and Mode buttons. And you can throw other keys on there as well.

 

[Blackhead]

Android had a standard, native controller API since version 3.1. This is just iOS catching up.

There is no standardized game controller for Android. Their API allows 28 different buttons, including buttons for "Generic Game Pad Button #1 through 16", excluding DPad, Start, Select, and Mode buttons. And you can throw other keys on there as well.

He said "API"...

How strict is Apple's standardized controller guidelines anyway? I don't see any schematic for an arcade controller and it'd be a damn shame if that's not supported in iOS7.

 

[RedShift]

Hopefully there'll be a jailbreak tweak to use a Wiimote with the official API. They work great together for emulators already.

 

[Rashid]

Would it be possible to change the title to "Apple debuts APIs for game controller in iOS 7" rather then "Apple debuts game controller..."?

 

[numble]

He said "API"...

How strict is Apple's standardized controller guidelines anyway? I don't see any schematic for an arcade controller and it'd be a damn shame if that's not supported in iOS7.

Nothing in my post indicates that I missed that. I think a strict controller API with a strict MFi controller review is better than Android's API, which has to account for dead zones, and has no restriction on the number of buttons.

 

[Coolwhip]

Now i really see hard times for handheld consoles

I doubt it. The only relevant handhelds are Nintendo ones. You won't be able to play their games on iPhones and Nintendo handhelds are 100-200 dollars compared to 800 dollar phones. So perfect for kids, the main target audience for handhelds.

 

[Blackhead]

Nothing in my post indicates that I missed that. I think a strict controller API with a strict MFi controller review is better than Android's API, which has to account for dead zones, and has no restriction on the number of buttons.

Why is it better? I mean, you can connect a Playstation controller to an Android phone and it works just fine...

I doubt it. The only relevant handhelds are Nintendo ones. You won't be able to play their games on iPhones and Nintendo handhelds are 100-200 dollars compared to 800 dollar phones. So perfect for kids, the main target audience for handhelds.

Even kids these days get smartphones. Apple has an iPod Touch at $200—although it's pretty shitty value—and it's easier for a kid to convince a Parent to purchase an iPad (education value, casual computing for the family etc) over a Nintendo DS which is only for games.

 

[rschauby]

So what's the chance Apple will allow 3rd party controllers without charging some high $$ licensing fee?

Android has tons of controller options, but Apple has their drones and I can really see this taking off.

 

[.la1n]

I prefer touch for most of my games (bullet hell) but a controller would certainly be welcome when it comes to Sega Genesis / Neo Geo classics.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

This plus a low lag Airplay would make iOS a pretty huge player. Wii U properly realised...

 

[Petrae]

So what's the chance Apple will allow 3rd party controllers without charging some high $$ licensing fee?

Android has tons of controller options, but Apple has their drones and I can really see this taking off.

In talking with Power A reps at E3, they sounded very confident that the company will have MOGA for iOS this fall. I would expect other third-party companies to do the same.

 

[Blackhead]

In talking with Power A reps at E3, they sounded very confident that the company will have MOGA for iOS this fall. I would expect other third-party companies to do the same.

With or without the license fees?

 

[Petrae]

With or without the license fees?

They did not discuss license fees with me, but given the excitement and confidence in the room during the conversation, I don't see it as a sticking point.

The iOS market is huge. These controllers will have a decent market, especially if the right price point is found. Paying $50 for a controller versus $170+ for a dedicated handheld is a cost-conscious choice for consumers.

 

[heringer]

I doubt it. The only relevant handhelds are Nintendo ones. You won't be able to play their games on iPhones and Nintendo handhelds are 100-200 dollars compared to 800 dollar phones. So perfect for kids, the main target audience for handhelds.

You are in for a huge awakening if you think tablets and smartphones aren't perfect for kids. Cheap/free games are more interesting for parents than buying $40 software. With a couple of games a 3DS will already be more expensive than an iPod Touch. If it's a XL, one game is enough to make it more expensive than the 16gb iPod. It's more interesting for kids too, since they can get a new game every week if not every day.

 

[Rashid]

So what's the chance Apple will allow 3rd party controllers without charging some high $$ licensing fee?

Android has tons of controller options, but Apple has their drones and I can really see this taking off.

I fully expect jailbroken devices to be able to use all controllers without Apple's restrictions soon after they release it, it's just the sort of thing they'd find a work around for.

 

[Futureman]

doesn't the new iPhone usually have around 2x graphics performance compared to the last one? What can we expect from iPhone 5S? Similar to Vita? How long until it can match something like Wii U?

Man... It'd be cool if Apple reveals a 1st party controller when they reveal the 5S.

 

[Futureman]

You are in for a huge awakening if you think tablets and smartphones aren't perfect for kids. Cheap/free games are more interesting for parents than buying $40 software. With a couple of games a 3DS will already be more expensive than an iPod Touch. If it's a XL, one game is enough to make it more expensive than the 16gb iPod. It's more interesting for kids too, since they can get a new game every week if not every day.

Nintendo has the eShop. Not as diverse or cheap as the App Store, but it's not like it doesn't exist. I think they'll both coexist for awhile. Doesn't have to be one or the other.

 

[RooMHM]

iOS and Android games will still be made for "commuters" so I don't really see how this will impact portable and even more home consoles sales.

 

[Durante]

There is no standardized game controller for Android. Their API allows 28 different buttons, including buttons for "Generic Game Pad Button #1 through 16", excluding DPad, Start, Select, and Mode buttons. And you can throw other keys on there as well.

I said "standard, native controller API". Android has a standard, native API allowing you to access a variety of controllers.

Nothing in my post indicates that I missed that. I think a strict controller API with a strict MFi controller review is better than Android's API, which has to account for dead zones, and has no restriction on the number of buttons.

I think the exact opposite. But I also prefer PC to consoles.

 

[Futureman]

iOS and Android games will still be made for "commuters" so I don't really see how this will impact portable and even more home consoles sales.

some of these controller prototypes look VERY portable, totally fine for commuters. Though I think Apple needs to release their own version if it gets mainstream support.

 

[Shard]

iOS and Android games will still be made for "commuters" so I don't really see how this will impact portable and even more home consoles sales.

Finally, somebody gets it, even with standard controller support they are never going to solve the issue of spaces.

 

[gutter_trash]

i own this

 

[dhonk]

This might be a dumb question but I'll throw it nonetheless.

Since iPhones and such have bluetooth, does this mean that at any point in the near future I will be able to just hook up any Dual Shock 3 I've got laying around to my iPhone? Given that a game decides to support that, of course.

This is possible if you jailbreak. Ive done it to play Vice City. HOWEVER, it does it through a program called Blutrol that emulates on screen buttons. So anything using a swiping motion or anything beyond a simple button press cant be used.

BUT, if this new API is available Im sure the smart jailbreaking community can make the Dualshock 3 act like an iOS controller.

 

[numble]

Why is it better? I mean, you can connect a Playstation controller to an Android phone and it works just fine...



Even kids these days get smartphones. Apple has an iPod Touch at $200—although it's pretty shitty value—and it's easier for a kid to convince a Parent to purchase an iPad (education value, casual computing for the family etc) over a Nintendo DS which is only for games.

Because the Playstation controller isn't the Android standard. The developer has to put in code specifically for the Playstation controller, including accounting for the dead zones in the analog joysticks, and it's not code that will work for the next Android controller, which can have different inputs. The OUYA controller uses its own API for instance and has code optimized for its specific use. MOGA compatibility is best with including code from the manufacturer's own SDK. They need to come up with a standard to map the controller face buttons with the Android controller API, which doesn't consider 4 face buttons, but ABCXYZ and "generic button 1-16“. Unless developers all agree to a standard, each game needs a controller setup, where you train the game to map the controller inputs.

 

[Petrae]

iOS and Android games will still be made for "commuters" so I don't really see how this will impact portable and even more home consoles sales.

With controller API in place and the obstacle of more traditional controls removed, why exactly wouldn't the market expand? Of course infinite runner and slingshot games will still exist, but development opens up to porting certain games over to iOS and creating more games in different genres.

$50 for a controller that works with hardware you already own is a cheaper option than ponying up $180 plus games-- many of which are still $30+. If-- and that's a big if-- these controllers work as well as the MOGA 2 controller for Android that I got to use last week? That's going to be a big deal.

 

[Shard]

With controller API in place and the obstacle of more traditional controls removed, why exactly wouldn't the market expand? Of course infinite runner and slingshot games will still exist, but development opens up to porting certain games over to iOS and creating more games in different genres.

$50 for a controller that works with hardware you already own is a cheaper option than ponying up $180 plus games-- many of which are still $30+. If-- and that's a big if-- these controllers work as well as the MOGA 2 controller for Android that I got to use last week? That's going to be a big deal.

Because that misunderstands the iOS market.

 

[Rashid]

i own this

My cousin had one of those and it was brilliant. It wasn't well supported it's still on Gingerbread but apart from that it was great for emulators. The screen is low res and the processor weak but it was still damned good. The controls had a great feel.

 

[numble]

I said "standard, native controller API". Android has a standard, native API allowing you to access a variety of controllers.

I think the exact opposite. But I also prefer PC to consoles.

Developers could already work with controllers in iOS (look at the things the iCade folks have made--both a controller and an arcade box, with analog joysticks) and just use the CoreBluetooth API already in iOS. The difference here is a standardized controller with standardized inputs. Developers are free to support non-standard controllers like before--tons of iOS games support the iCade controllers already, for instance.

 

[lefantome]

I fear that, when the new Apple Tv will be released, it will be a huge success and all the bad journalists will start writing that is "the future of gaming" when it will have a completely different market.


- Pc gaming is dead
- MMOG are the future (they may be but in a different way)
- Episodic games are the future
- Motion gaming is the future
- Single player is dead
- Social gaming is the future
- mobile gaming is the future
- 3d tv gaming is the future
- cloud gaming is the future
- free to play is the future
- tv is the future


Nothing of that was THE FUTURE, some of these were innovation which are now part of the offer but none of them killed traditional gaming, which evolved.

But this didn't stop journalists to make overhyped headlines, analyst to sell a new and easier way to make money, and studio directors to be featured on gaming website for their own good.

Fortunately, until now, the gaming market corrected itself and incorporated what really good for gaming.

Unfortunately that didn't avoid some big mistakes and wasted potential.


I fear an apple tv coild be the "NEXT BIG THING" when it could be another big thing.

 

[Durante]

Developers could already work with controllers in iOS (look at the things the iCade folks have made--both a controller and an arcade box, with analog joysticks) and just use the CoreBluetooth API already in iOS. The difference here is a standardized controller with standardized inputs. Developers are free to support non-standard controllers like before--tons of iOS games support the iCade controllers already, for instance.

That's a proprietary API. The existing Android controller API is not proprietary, it's a native part of the system. Each controller can implement it.

I really don't see what's apparently so controversial about this.

 

[numble]

That's a proprietary API. The existing Android controller API is not proprietary, it's a native part of the system. Each controller can implement it.

I really don't see what's apparently so controversial about this.

CoreBluetooth is not a proprietary API. All iCade compatibility means is the specific mapping of their buttons to specific Bluetooth key presses. Even when an Android controller is made, developers need guidance on mapping the face button keys. The Android controller API is just providing Gamepad button #1-16, XYZABC, and shoulder keys on top of the normal Bluetooth keys, which also can be added to a controller if the manufacturer wants to. I think the non-standardized nature of the Android API makes it weak, it seems every controller manufacturer wants developers to put in their proprietary code to make the controller more compatible with their games, ensuring their buttons map correctly, and the dead zones in their analog pads are accounted for correctly. MOGA has an API it wants developers to put in, OUYA has its own API as well. Otherwise they have you map the controller in each game, or have an app specifically for calibrating the controller.

I don't see what's controversial about saying that this implementation is different from the Android implementation, and it is not "just catching up." Making sure controllers are standardized and part of the MFi program is much bigger than just tossing in a random controller API.

 

[out0v0rder]

Gaming on a 7 inch or 4 inch screen is hawkward.

 

[heringer]

doesn't the new iPhone usually have around 2x graphics performance compared to the last one? What can we expect from iPhone 5S? Similar to Vita? How long until it can match something like Wii U?

Man... It'd be cool if Apple reveals a 1st party controller when they reveal the 5S.

Considering iPad 4 is already quite a bit more powerfull than Vita, I would be shocked if the next iPhone isn't at least on par with Sony's handheld. If I'm not mistaken, iPhone 5 is already in the same ballpark.