Interview

More iPhone 3G S reactions: DChoc, Gamevil, Chillingo...

They're lovin' it, lovin' it, lovin' it

More iPhone 3G S reactions: DChoc, Gamevil, Chillingo...
Digital Chocolate boss Trip Hawkins is a big supporter of iPhone gaming, so what does he make of the newly-announced iPhone 3G S handset? We asked him.

The 3G S presents some new gaming potential with the compass feature and faster networking for multiplayer games," he says.

"I use an iPhone and have been pleasantly surprised by the 3G performance. It's already a great gaming platform. However, I avoid data transfers when I roam onto the 2G

network."

What about the fact that there is now effectively two levels of iPhones for consumers to choose from? "I think it's all good," says Hawkins. "High-end devices and networks for those that can afford it, and a trickle down benefit if existing devices and networks get to lower price points sooner."

We also asked Gamevil USA's Kyu Lee for his views on Apple's new handset, and he was similarly enthusiastic.

"Based off of what we've seen today, this definitely puts them far away from the competing platforms, which is incredible," says Lee.

"We are excited that they are introducing 3.0, which enables micro-transactions, P2P gaming through Bluetooth, and push notifications. Also, we hope the $99 price point will introduce new users to the platform."

Meanwhile Chris Byatte from Chillingo is enthusiastic about the graphical capabilities of the iPhone 3G S, and backs up several other developers with his view that having to support two iPhones isn't a problem.

"We are VERY excited about OpenGL ES 2.0 support - shader support should bring a giant leap in terms of graphics quality," he says.

"Yes, agreed that it isnt ideal to now have two different phones to code for. However, it is something that I am sure developers will learn to cater for - after all, two is a better number than thousands, which is the current state of the mobile industry!"

Contributing Editor

Stuart is a freelance journalist and blogger who's been getting paid to write stuff since 1998. In that time, he's focused on topics ranging from Sega's Dreamcast console to robots. That's what you call versatility. (Or a short attention span.)