iPhone 2.0 and the future of mobile gaming

The recent release of Apple’s iPhone 2.0 software has unleashed upon the world the possibility of graphically impressive MMOs and RPGs into the realm of mobile gaming.

While games have been on other mobile platforms for some time now a truly powerful graphical platform has been absent until iPhone 2.0. With this powerful platform it is my belief that MMOs and RPGs sporting decent graphics can now enter the world stage.

One particular game caught my eye when I was browsing the games section of the iTunes’ app store: Aurora Faint: The Beginning. This is a puzzle based game which allows you to create a character and then level the character up by solving Tetris-like puzzles. Once you level up you gain access to new abilities that assist you in solving even more challenging puzzles. This RPG even takes advantage of the iPhone’s unique motion sensing technology when playing puzzles which adds an entirely new level of gameplay.

While I am unsure of the multiplayer aspect of the game and how that factors into the overall enjoyability of the game (I don’t know anyone who owns an iPhone other than myself) the game does feature an email search function so you can add them into the game. The game has some sort of party system and again, since I don’t know anyone to invite, I am unsure how the party system effects gameplay.

But regardless we may in the next few years see pay per play MMOs as graphically impressive as Ragnorok Online or Twelve Sky.

Here are some images of Aurora Faint.

Unreal Editor

I recently purchased Unreal Tournament 3 Collectors Addition from Amazon for the purpose of learning UnrealEd.

I have to say that the program is amazing.  Though difficult for me to get used to.  It is difficult because the method for doing things in UnrealEd is very similar to 3D Studio Max and other more tradition CAD programs, something I have a little experience using.  Coming from Maya it is a less intuitive experience, at least as far as navigating the different window panes.

Though I have only gotten into the first tutorial I am finding that the tutorial is clear and concise and the people doing the tutorials are sometimes humorous in their explanations.  I recommend that anyone interested in UnrealEd buy the Collectors Edition just for the tutorial videos.

Will they get the message?

I have asked myself whether or not game critics will get the message about what truly ails the youth of this country many times over the years.  With the recent “I got the idea from GTA IV” crimes (a repeat of several other instances) and the spouting of certain pundits about the proof this provides to their arguments I have to ask myself again; will they get the message?

The message of hundreds of studies done by various psychology study groups who say that “yes… violent games do cause increased aggression and a numbness to the violence they see in the world.”  But is it really the game industry’s sole responsibility that we have youth crime in this country?

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/07/02/games-not-major-factor-newsweek039s-depth-report-violence

I have to ask with all the violence in the media whether or not some of the other sectors of the entertainment industry bear some responsibility.  Surely the ESRB has been the most responsible in giving parents the tools they need to know which games are and are not appropriate for their children – at least compared to the horrid record of the movie industry.

And let us not forget that violent and very inappropriately dramatic television shows are on all hours of the day.

So who is really to blame for the desensitized state of our nation’s children?  Is it the people and corporations that supply violent entertainment?  Or could it be something much closer to home?  I would argue that the responsibility ultimately rests with those supposedly ever present people called parents.  I say this with the caveat that it is most likely impossible for parents to prevent children from viewing violent and dramatic television; especially working parents.  However I think parents can sure well prevent their children from buying violent video games and to a limited extent from viewing “R” rated movies.

Some might ask “What if my boy Johnny goes over to Sam’s house and he has GTA IV and he plays it?”  I would say that it isn’t that difficult to call Sam’s parents and make sure that little Johnny isn’t playing GTA IV.

The responsibility lies not with the games industry, nor with the government, but with the parents, and that is where it should stay.  Until an irrefutable study finds a direct cause and effect relationship between violent media and violent behavior this is the way it will remain.