iPhone Compared to DS and PSP

With the new 2.0 firmware, the App Store has brought us new games as well as variants of old games. I know I’ve fallen in love with several games on my iPhone. Apple Insider reports that ID Software’s Carmack has compared the iPhone to handheld gaming consoles, the Nintendo DS and the PSP. ID Software is responsible for classic gaming series’ Wolfenstein and Quake. Carmack goes on to make strong statements that the iPhone is, “equivalent to that of the Sega Dreamcast…almost on par with Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Microsoft’s original Xbox” and “more powerful than a Nintendo DS and PSP combined.” With the games out now combined with the fact developers are motivated by receiving 70% of profit from their apps, how could you not see the potential in his statements becoming true? Even major games such as Spore, Doom 2, and Wolfenstein are being released for the iPhone simultaneously with the major consoles.

The DS is the leading handheld in the US and the PSP is the best selling system in Japan. The Playstation 2 has been around since 1999 and is still selling like hot cakes. With these statistics, it’s easy to see how his statements can be seen as controversial. Some media outlets are beginning to criticize them. On this weeks 1UP Yours Podcast, the hosts agree that Carmack’s statements were a little far fetched and although the iPhone does have great software, it will never be considered as a gaming console. Gaming giant, SEGA, agrees that the iPhone is as good if not more powerful than the DS and Dreamcast but lists several issues what is holding the device back from competing in the games industry.

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