Posted by Sqorgar on Mar 9, 2008 twenty past ten am
I really wouldn't worry about Apple's gatekeeping. The SDK is surprisingly robust and really goes beyond what most people were expecting. I think Apple really wants the iPhone/Touch to become a major new viable platform, and that's not going to happen if public opinion makes them out to be too controlling. Apple has everything to lose through open censorship. I think something like Leisure Suit Larry fails to qualify as porn by any stretch and already, there are movies on iTunes that are far worse in content (far worse... or better?). They have said that following the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines would be a "Very Good Idea" though (but frankly, I'm with them on that one).
The things that are more worrying, for me at least, is some of the limitations of the SDK itself. You can't even test content on an iPhone directly without joining the developer program (for $99). You can't create applications that live in the background. There's no support for any real file system (Apple suggests you create a SQLite database to save everything). Battery life is likely to be a major limiting factor. The lack of traditional controls makes certain types of genres to be a practical impossibility. There is apparently no support for getting files to and from the iPhone or syncing with desktop programs. And the inability to use scripting languages does present an obstacle for adventure games. Nothing insurmountable, but something like ScummVM is going to face difficulties.
Still, it's an exciting platform to screw around with. If only I could get my wife to give me a few hours off from pressure washing the deck...
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Posted by Sqorgar on Mar 9, 2008 twenty past ten am
The things that are more worrying, for me at least, is some of the limitations of the SDK itself. You can't even test content on an iPhone directly without joining the developer program (for $99). You can't create applications that live in the background. There's no support for any real file system (Apple suggests you create a SQLite database to save everything). Battery life is likely to be a major limiting factor. The lack of traditional controls makes certain types of genres to be a practical impossibility. There is apparently no support for getting files to and from the iPhone or syncing with desktop programs. And the inability to use scripting languages does present an obstacle for adventure games. Nothing insurmountable, but something like ScummVM is going to face difficulties.
Still, it's an exciting platform to screw around with. If only I could get my wife to give me a few hours off from pressure washing the deck...