What our developers think of the iPhone game platform

A short while ago, Apple presented the developers SDK for the iPhone, and revealed the online distribution system / store that games and applications can be sold through. Being rather impressed by the potential of the new platform, I thought I'd send a few quick questions to our local developers that are well versed in the mobile / handset market, casual games, and or xbox live arcade to see if they shared the same excitement.

Which platform (hand held console, mobile, casual PC, Xbox Live Arcade) do you consider your primary platform? Which have you had the most success with?

Steve Fawkner (CEO, Infinite Interactive): Our primary platform is actually still PC. We prototype and do all of our base development on a PC and then port to other platforms. We've found this to be the fastest way to work, and the rapid prototyping allows us to begin polishing gameplay earlier which in turn gives us better games.

Because we were a PC-exclusive developer for so long, we've obviously sold a lot more PC units than anything else. However, these days we are looking at Nintendo DS as being our major platform for sales.

Rob Murray (CEO, Firemint): We currently work on mobile, PC and Nintendo DS and there are also the next gen mobile platforms such as iPhone and NGage. I still consider mobile phones our primary platform, but pretty much anything portable or with an online delivery model is of interest to us. Our most successful titles have definitely been high end 3D mobile games like Madden and The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive. We've also got our original IP Mega Monster in development, and it's looking great so we have high hopes for that.

Mario Wynards (CEO, Sidhe Interactive): While we are across a range of consoles, our bread and butter platform has been PS2. We've released Rugby League, Rugby League 2, Melbourne Cup Challenge, and Jackass The Game for PS2 in recent years, and are currently working on Speed Racer which includes a PS2 SKU. However, we have already moved on to developing and releasing Wii, PS3, and 360 product in anticipation of a waning PS2 market.

Tom Crago (CEO, Tantalus Interactive): Certainly handheld has been our dominant platform over the past few years. We developed 8 or so titles on the GBA, and look set to do at least that many on the DS. We've also now done three PSP games. At present we have a lot happening on the Wii, so we're transitioning back into the console space while continuing to support the handheld platforms that have been so good to us. We've sold more units on the DS than on any other platform.

What are your impressions of the recent Apple iPhone SDK presentation and the potential of that platform for game development?

Steve Fawkner (CEO, Infinite Interactive): The iPhone, and indeed the whole crop of multi-touch devices that are on the horizon, are very exciting both from a geek-ish point-of-view (because they just look cool to work with) and from a game design point of view (because for the first time a phone can have an input device that really allows games to be played properly.

Rob Murray (CEO, Firemint): I think the Apple iPhone has had a very positive impact on the entire mobile market for game developers. It is not just because the iPhone itself could be a strong platform, but because it has defined a new standard of user interface for other handset manufacturers to follow. I am thrilled that Apple has released the SDK and put so much support behind it. But while the iPhone will be an important platform for game developers, it is still just one phone in the mix of all handsets on the market so I wouldn't focus on the iPhone in isolation. It will be exciting to see how it shapes up against mass market offerings like the new NGage platform as well as other emerging next gen products.

John Passfield (Veteran developer, creator of Brainiversity): I think the iPhone has a lot of potential. The SDK and development environment looks great, but the most exciting thing is the iTunes distribution model. For indie gamers being able to get your game in front of an audience is half the battle.

Mario Wynards (CEO, Sidhe Interactive): The presentation was certainly exciting. There is a lot of potential not only in the hardware itself but also in the rapidly expanding user base.

Tom Crago (CEO, Tantalus Interactive): I love my iPhone and think that it's an intriguing platform for games. There's a lot of potential there, especially given the multi touch functionality and that beautiful, big screen. The user base is also getting more impressive by the day.

Do you have any plans to work on the iPhone in the future?

Steve Fawkner (CEO, Infinite Interactive): We don't have any products announced for iPhone at the moment, but we are certainly looking closely at the iPhone SDK and currently evaluating which projects might be a good fit for it.

Rob Murray (CEO, Firemint): I can't say too much about what we are doing there, except that we are actively looking at all 'next gen' mobile platforms. I am sure that iPhone will play a key part in our near future.

John Passfield (Veteran developer, creator of Brainiversity): I look forward to playing around with the SDK – but I won't be developing any games for the platform.

Mario Wynards (CEO, Sidhe Interactive): We have always been openminded about supporting new gaming platforms, and the iPhone is no exception. We are currently assessing the iPhone in the context of our strategic plan, technology, processes and original IP.

Tom Crago (CEO, Tantalus Interactive): At Tantalus? Probably not.

Which platform would you recommend most (mobile, handheld console, iPhone, Xbox Live Arcade, casual PC etc) for a new startup and why?

Steve Fawkner (CEO, Infinite Interactive): Startups (unless they've managed to snag a whole bunch of venture vapital funding) should keep it simple and stick to PC for their first title, especially if it's something original. On the other hand, if they're experienced in a given platform from previous games-industry work, then by all means jump into that platform and try to get some Work for Hire to kick things along. But I still think that if you can do something good on PC, the other platforms will soon follow.

Rob Murray (CEO, Firemint): I would recommend casual PC for a new startup because it is the easiest platform to develop for and it has the most open channels to market. You can always port to other platforms that may suit once you have demonstrated that your game has some legs.

John Passfield (Veteran developer, creator of Brainiversity): For a new startup nothing beats the PC platform. There are two simple reasons why – 1) you don't need approval from Microsoft, Nintendo, Apple or Sony to release your game, and 2) the development tools cost almost nothing. Brisbane based developer 3 Blokes Studios are classic example of successful PC game development. They made their “Magical Forest” game in less than a year and had it debut on iWin's Top 10 game chart.

Mario Wynards (CEO, Sidhe Interactive): That's a tough question. There is certainly a lot of potential in each of those platforms you list, but there is actually a risk in each of becoming saturated and the possibility for even great original games to become lost in the crowd.

If the startup had sufficient funding and expertise, I'd actually suggest supporting a couple of platforms from the outset which could share technology and content. With this approach, development costs could be spread across several SKUs and revenues can be maximised by tapping into different markets. Developing casual games across Xbox Live Arcade, PC download and iPhone or WiiWare and iPhone could be a great strategy.

Tom Crago (CEO, Tantalus Interactive): Look it depends on what you're interested in, and where your skill set lies. All of these platforms can be lucrative, but all (of course) are difficult to crack. I think mobile (including iPhone) has a lot going for it, but these games are getting much more sophisticated. Rob Murray said to me today that some of these new handsets are starting to resemble PSP's in terms of their processing power. That's pretty impressive, but developers will need PSP-sized budgets in order to do them justice!

Souri: A big thanks to Steve Fawkner, Rob Murray, John Passfield, Mario Wynards, and Tom Crago for their time in answering these questions! It looks like it's still very much early days for the new platform, with many of our developers understandably still evaluating the iPhone.

For those interested in developing on the iPhone, I recommend checking out the unity3d game development tool at http://unity3d.com. You can deploy your game to many platforms (Mac, Windows, Web, and iPhone coming soon), and unity3D has a host of features including physics, networking, shaders etc, and the license is pretty reasonable for the independent game developer. Well worth checking out!