Apple’s Game Center Nears with Latest iOS 4.1 Beta
For mobile game developers, Apple’s Game Center may be one of the most important developments this year. The social networking platform is coming to users with iOS 4.1, and available to developers now as part of 4.1′s third beta, which AppleInsider recently looked at.
Now that more of Game Center’s features are coming to light, it’s becoming evident that Apple is building something closer to an existing game network like Xbox Live than a standard social network.
The initial sign-in to Game Center uses the Apple ID, but users will be identified to each other by a nickname. Apple likely expects players to connect with people they don’t know for real-time multiplayer, unlike Facebook’s asynchronous games, which are played mainly by real-life friends.
However, there’s also a prominent “Find Me By Email” option, which suggests that Apple is also hoping to connect people who do know each other — thus taking advantage of both game networking styles. At the moment, there’s no obvious tie-in to Facebook accounts.
Since every iDevice user will potentially be part of Game Center, it should prove valuable to existing social platforms like OpenFeint and Plus+, which have had to ask players to sign up thus far.
Those services seem to be counting on Apple giving access through an API. Since Game Center was announced in April, the independent platforms have been working on new features beyond leaderboards and challenges — which should be part of Game Center — to differentiate themselves.
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:06 am
“Since every iDevice user will potentially be part of Game Center”
I’m afraid not, it’s looking like it won’t be supported on the iPhone 3G and Touch 2G despite them running iOS4 :(
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:40 am
[...] super-cheap to develop for, with the most successful digital distribution channel out there, with Apple Game Center built in, and iAds support for additional business models as a cherry on top. And, crucially, a [...]
August 23rd, 2010 at 1:57 pm
This will make the older iPhone and iPod touch obsolete – Open Feint is close to doing that already. Open Feint makes my iPhone 3G crash every time I use it!
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:51 pm
[...] Apple’s Game Center nears with latest iOS 4.1 beta [...]
September 1st, 2010 at 2:42 pm
[...] While Apple didn’t go into more detail today on how exactly the social features will work, previous reports indicate that the app will let users sign in with their Apple IDs (what you use for iTunes, etc.), [...]
September 1st, 2010 at 3:01 pm
[...] Apple didn’t go into much more detail today on how exactly the social features will work, previous reports indicate that the app will let users sign in with their Apple IDs (what you use for iTunes, etc.), [...]
December 17th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)