News of the iPhone order comes via Mobile Review’s editor in chief, Eldar Murtazin, who tweeted simply, “Foxconn received order for next generation iphone” early Thursday morning. Murtazin is known to have good connections in the mobile phone industry, so there’s a good chance that there’s something solid behind the report. Engadget went so far as to call him “the ultimate insider when it come to all things mobile,” which is no small praise.

It also makes sense time-wise, since Apple basically now has about six months to ramp up production enough to deal with the massive demand that usually accompanies the launch of its iPhone products. It’s also worth noting that this time around, many people who got the iPhone 3G on contract through AT&T will be at the end of their 2-year agreement, and thus fully eligible for a new hardware deal, which should help boost sales even further.

Thus far, details regarding what the next iPhone will have that the current generation doesn’t have been scarce. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from working overtime. Some suggest we could see a CDMA or dual-mode CDMA/GSM model, or one that supports RFID technologies. If it’s true that production on parts of the iPhone is going to begin soon, we likely won’t have to wait long to see these rumors multiply and resolve into a more definite picture of what’s to come.

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Now, the trend seems to be to use TransGaming’s Cider, which in non-technical terms a wrapper game developers can use to bridge their Windows code over to OS X. It’s not a “true” native client, but, since it doesn’t require a virtual machine or the ritual sacrifices that seem to go along with getting games to run on Crossover, I can handle that. Warhammer Online, from EAMythic is the latest game to get ported. After a few months of beta, it was released October 26. Full disclosure: this isn’t a full review. I’ve only got about 15 hours or so of game play to base these observations on.

I’ve had decent luck with Cider ports, although my sample set of Sims 3 and Spore is a little small. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) is definitely the most resource-intensive of the ports I’ve tried. For the most part, it worked fairly well. I have a brand-new MacBook Pro, but with only 2GB of RAM. I had enough stutters and jerks to prove to me that jumping to 4GB would be optimal, but it wasn’t unplayable with 2GB, either.

Gameplay

Warhammer has two modes: one where you fight against the computer-controlled monsters (PvE), and one where you fight against other players (PvP). There are two sides, Order and Destruction, and they are locked in the age-old, time tried, cliché battle to control the lands. What I liked is you can earn the experience needed to level up in both modes — although there is a separate level called Renoun where you only earn in PvP.

The PvE quests are fairly trite, being mostly “go forth and kill me 10 of these.” One nice variation is a Public Quest. When you go into an area, you’ll get a pop up to “kill x of this.” Any player in the area killing these contributes to the kill total. Participating in these earns you some influence you can use to buy better gear — almost all the gear upgrades I found were earned from either Influence or Renoun rewards.

There are also PvP quests relating to capturing enemy turf or killing other players. You can also play PvP scenarios, which are similar to a Team Fortress-type map. You’ll go into a small area and need to fight other player for control of a few objectives. This is where I had the most fun. The battles are short, usually fairly intense, and last about 15 minutes. You can queue up for one with a press of a button. When enough players are queued up, the scenario will begin. When it’s completed the game will return your previous location. Being able to gain levels doing this relieves some of the boredom attached to just running quests.

There are a couple of amusing bones EA has thrown to Mac players. All Mac players unlock an in-game title, “I’m a(n) Order/Destruction” depending on your faction. If PC/Mac people kill enough of each other, you can also unlock a secret title.

Competition

Warhammer’s biggest competition on the Mac is World of Warcraft, and in many ways it’s not a fair comparision. WoW has years of polish behind it and only has a PvE mode (the PvP stuff is more of a tack-on than a core game component as it is in WAR). There is a visual similarity between the two, but it’s ironic. Warhammer Online is based on the old Game Designers miniatures game, which WoW borrowed from for its look. However, I found the look to not be a sharp as WoW, and the characters models were a little bland by today’s standards.

One of the benchmarks I’ve used when reviewing games to judge their elusive “fun” factor is how many times I bullcrap myself into thinking, “I’m just logging in to check one thing,” knowing full well I’m going to be in there for at least an hour. That about sums up my weekend with WAR. You can download a free, 10 day trial here. Existing customers, aka, yous Windoze folks, can download the client for free.

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Each studio showed off one of its new titles. While not particularly enthralling when you’re watching mostly for the thrilling possibility of revolutionary software/hardware announcements by Apple itself, considered after the fact, there were some impressive showings from third party guests at today’s presentation.

Madden NFL 10

EA presented last, but announced a title that’s nearest and dearest to my heart. Just in time for the start of the NFL’s regular season, EA released Madden NFL 10 ($7.99, iTunes link) today, after demoing it onstage at the event. It’s on sale until the real kick-off this Thursday, too.

The game features all 32 NFL teams, real players, and real stadiums. The playbook isn’t too shabby either, with almost 300 plays available to choose from. You can also draw your own passing routes on the screen using your finger and the iPhone or iPod touch’s screen. Season play is included, and roster updates will be part of an upcoming feature update. The game also auto-saves the state on exit, so you never have to worry about losing your game when you take a call.

Nova

Gameloft also got some facetime at today’s event, and it took advantage of the opportunity to show off its new first person shooter. Called Nova, it features a space marine hero (original!) blasting aliens, presumably in space somewhere.

Nova makes use of Gameloft’s powerful 3D graphics engine that’s found in titles like Modern Combat: Sandstorm, and has a similar control scheme, with movement on the left and firing controls on the right. Multiplayer via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is supported, as is iPod library access. Is it Halo called something else? Is Gangstar actually GTA? Either way, Gameloft is very adept at what it does, even if it’s actually only what other people have already done, except smaller.

Nova will be available later in the year. No word on pricing yet, but expect it to be somewhere around the $10 mark.

Riddim Ribbon

Presumably pronounced “Ride’em Ribbon,” this game puts you in the DJ/driver’s seat. It’s by Tapulous, makers of Tap Tap Revenge, and it follows in the popular rhythm game’s footsteps. You race down a ribbon track, and you have to follow the groove and create a dynamic track in the role of DJ in order to further your progress.

You control your racer via tilt, and use the accelerometer to jump at certain points. The Black Eyed Peas will provide featured music for the game. Completing a track essentially remixes it, and you can then share that remix with others online. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Assassin’s Creed 2

French Studio Ubisoft showed off the sequel to its flagship title, Assassin’s Creed today. Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery puts new emphasis on the fighting aspect of the game, featuring more realistic combat.

There are also some interesting iPhone-exclusive features, like the ability to take a photo of yourself and use it in wanted posters in the game. The iPhone and iPod touch version will be a puzzle and platform-based side-scroller, unlike its open world console counterpart. The game’s setting does match the console’s Renaissance-era backdrop, though. Expect it sometime later this year.

A lot of these games look like they will be pushing the envelope of iPod gaming, which is probably why Apple chose to highlight them today. The only one I’m picking up for sure is Madden, but that’s because I’m a degenerate Madden addict, no matter the platform. Any of these catch your eye today?

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It arrived shortly after midnight on Tuesday, the same day as the release of the desktop version, and I was all over it. “Pumped” would probably be the best way to describe me at 12:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning as my iPhone was syncing with my Mac mini and the Sims 3 ($9.99, iTunes link) was being installed.

I only briefly tested the game last night, but today, I spent many an hour becoming well acquainted with EA’s latest offering for Apple’s mobile platform. So much so that I was tempted to run out and buy The Sims 3 right away. In some circles, they call that a “starter drug.”

But does The Sims 3 for iPhone hold up as a game in its own right? After playing for several hours, and looking at all aspects of the stripped-down portable version, I think I can finally answer that question.

Graphics

The Sims 2 was quite the graphics pig by Mac standards. I remember being able to run it on my black polycarbonate MacBook, but just barely, and it definitely wasn’t a pleasurable experience. Sims 3 for iPhone acknowledges the limits of the platform, but still gives you a look and feel that is true to The Sims franchise.

One of the limitations of the portable version is a significantly reduced character customization engine. People generally look similar, but at the resolution the game is rendered at, it isn’t that big of a deal. You can still get a character to more or less resemble yourself, so long as you’re fairly average-looking.

There are some clipping issues in the game where there shouldn’t be, and the isometric perspective and camera controls sometimes make it annoying to perform certain actions and interact with other Sims. Some graphics (the fish, specifically) are just re-colored to cut corners, which I find a little sloppy in a game of this caliber. By and large, though, graphics issues are minor and not cause for serious complaint.

Sound

Music is typically Sims-ish (light, whimsical), but is only really active when you change locations/activities. It fades out pretty quickly, and then you’re left with absolute silence (no sound effects, either). Buying a stereo allows you to play Sim-ish music, and hear that now-familiar nonsense language, but it quickly becomes grating, in my opinion. Sound is definitely not this game’s strongest suit.

Control

Generally, controls work the way you’d expect them to on a touch-sensitive Apple device. You tap things you want to interact with, which brings up a menu of options from which to select. Some menus have sub-menus, and some are can be scrolled through in order to access more options (took me a little while to figure this out). But they’re relatively simple, which is a smart move considering the platform.

Camera controls are also fairly straightforward. Slide your finger around the screen to pan the camera, and use a visual slider on the right-hand side of the display to zoom in and out. To rotate the view, you touch with two fingers and move your fingers clockwise or counter-clockwise accordingly. Pinch-zooming seems like it would’ve been a perfect fit, but it’s possible developers decided against it due to interference with camera rotation.

Mini-game controls leave something to be desired. While cooking, you have to tap on boiling pots to select and raise them, then shake your iPhone to cool down the pot you’re holding. The game is incredibly easy, but such fidgety controls and odd positioning make it a little frustrating at times.

Gameplay

Your main task in The Sims 3 is to keep your Sim happy, hale, and hearty. This goal is a lot easier to achieve than it is in the desktop version, having presumably been tuned down to accommodate the more casual mobile platform of the iPhone and iPod touch.

To give you an idea of how easy it is, by the end of the first weekend (I started my job at City Hall on a Thursday), I was Vice President, romantically involved with my boss, and friends with everyone in town. Shortly after that, I married another woman, and upgraded my house. At no point did my satisfaction meter dip below “Very Happy.”

There are some interesting new elements for veteran players thanks to mini-games like cooking, repairing things and fishing. I’ve described the cooking game above. To repair an object, for example, you have to swap out broken parts for good ones on a circuit board before the timer runs out.

Fishing, for me, is probably one of my favorite aspects of the game. To do it, you buy a Fishing Kit at the hobby shop, visit the lake in the middle of town, and tap on a Fishing Spot action icon. You can catch a few different kinds of fish, all of which carry a different value at the town’s store. I quickly mastered the fishing skill, and it then became a very profitable hobby. Much more profitable than my day job as Vice President, in fact. Fishing bought me an upgraded house, a big-screen TV and a fancy new bed, all in one day.

Verdict

Depending on what you’re expecting, you might want to pass on The Sims 3 for the iPhone. It starts out as a fun, addictive little game, but it quickly becomes boring and repetitive. And the speed with which you accomplish goals results in little satisfaction when you do well. EA may have wanted to dial down the difficulty to accommodate casual players, but even the most casual of players will find this far too easy, I fear.

That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. It’s still a Sims game, and as such, I’ll probably keep going back to it just to accumulate enough cash to buy all the nicest furniture available. Also, the demo at the initial iPhone 3.0 event and some in-game clues (the Pawn Shop, for instance, which isn’t yet open for business), leads me to believe that EA has much more planned for The Sims 3.0 following the release of 3.0.

For now, save your money for something more important. Like The Sims 3 for Mac.

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As a general rule, racing games tend to leave me cold. My brother is the car buff and racing fan. I’ve enjoyed a few, like Gran Turismo, but I tend to give them a pass. Need for Speed Underground for the PS2 was another exception to the rule, mostly because of the RPG-type elements of customizing and upgrading your car, rather than the racing elements themselves. Oh, and I loved Mario Kart, but that doesn’t really apply here (Nintendo will probably never allow that dream to come true).

Need for Speed: Undercover, one of EA’s big iPhone releases for 2009, recently went live in the App Store, and I spent this past weekend being a hot shot street-racer. Well, a pretend hot shot, anyway. Those familiar with 2001′s The Fast and The Furious will recognize the plot basics in Need for Speed: Undercover. You’re an undercover (surprise!) cop, who’s trying to infiltrate the street racing world to recover some important stolen cars and/or arrest people. The story wasn’t exactly gripping enough for me to pay close attention to.

Graphics

Developer EA took a cue from the Command & Conquer series in NFS: Undercover and decided to go with live-action cuts cenes instead of CG. That means cheesy acting seems even more cheesy, but it also means they hired a bunch of hot female actresses to trot around looking sexy for no good reason. Actually maybe that’s the reason I couldn’t follow the plot.

In-game graphics are pretty good, although I found that your car looks a lot better in the garage than it does on most of the tracks, depending on the lighting conditions. Maybe it has something to do with the custom paint job I applied to my ride, but it looked off in most of the races, though perfect in the shop. Other than that, the in-game tracks and other vehicles actually look very good on the iPhone’s small screen, and there is no noticeable lag or slowdown, even when you’re going at top speed or using your nitrous boost.

I’m a huge fan of collision damage on car models in racing games, and unfortunately, NFS: Undercover is missing those. Maybe it’s too much to ask for in an iPhone racing game, though. Other graphic effects, like when you enter slow-down precision steering mode, or when you trash an opponent car or encounter police cruisers, work well but can become annoying if you have to replay a level a number of times. An option to turn off at least the cruiser-spotting effects would be a nice addition.

Audio

Sound was a bit hit or miss for me, but my experience may not be representative. First, I thought it was odd that there was no music during the intro/opening. But then things were working fine for cinematics, so I assumed it was just a choice the devs made. When there was nothing playing in-game, I started to worry (before you ask, I installed from iTunes and reset prior to playing, so it shouldn’t have been install issues). Eventually, the audio did start working.

When it did, I sort of regretted that it had. The soundtrack is OK, but very limited, and hearing the same songs over and over quickly gets tiring. You can always opt to listen to your own iPhone music, though, making this sort of a non-issue. Although I think developers taking shortcuts on game soundtracks for the iPhone just because it has a music player built-in is a pretty lame cop-out.

Gameplay

NFS: Undercover is very reminiscent of Underground when it comes to gameplay, and that’s a good thing. You start off with $25,000 and three cars to choose from. Once you’ve made your purchase, you get down to racing. There are a variety of types of races, including Battle, Sprint, Hot Car and Takeout, so even players who don’t like the repetition of most racing games shouldn’t find this one too redundant.

Winning races wins you money, which you can then use to purchase new cars, or to outfit your current ride with performance and aesthetic upgrades. A new paint job, lowered suspension, huge shiny rims, and a lot more are available, with different custom equipment for each car. There’s also tons of cars to unlock, so you won’t lack for motivation, even when some of the races are a lot more challenging than most and have to be replayed over and over. If you ever get stuck, you can go back and re-run old races to build your bank and buy upgrades and/or better cars.

Car control during races is kept simple, which is ideal for the platform. Your engine is going full speed by default, and tapping the screen anywhere will apply your break. Swiping down enters the slowed-down improved control mode, and swiping up activates your nitrous. You turn by tilting your phone in either direction, and doing so with a quick jerk will let you drift around corners. I find that I never use the slow-mo mode, though other might find it handy. In general, handling is good, and doesn’t feel either too sensitive or too loose.

Verdict

Despite not really being interested in the import car racing scene, or racing games in general, I really like Need for Speed: Undercover. It has good replay value, lots of unlockables, and customization that amounts to a leveling system. If you’ve passed on every other racing game for the iPhone and iPod Touch to date, this may be the one to get.

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If you go and do something like found Electronic Arts, which then goes on to be one of the dominant forces in video games worldwide, people tend to take notice of things you say. Yesterday in an interview with Venture Beat’s Dean Takahashi, Trip Hawkins, EA founder and current Digital Chocolate executive, said that Nintendo and Sony are probably “freaking out” over the rampant success of the iPhone as a gaming platform.

The threat of the iPhone to Sony and Nintendo, and their PSP and DS(i) respectively, is not the number or quality of games available for the platform, but rather the value proposition it represents from a business standpoint. According to Hawkins:

The iPhone is by far our most effective platform. We make as much money with these games on one device as we do putting a game on 100 different cell phone platforms. Between the iPod touch and the iPhone, I think the platform is freaking out Sony and Nintendo.

So it comes down to a question of investment vs. return, as does any sound business decision, gaming industry or not. If Apple can tip the scales sufficiently in their favor, the repercussions for the gaming industry could be immense. It could mean smaller dev teams, a quicker turnaround and or/development cycle, and less focus on branding and franchises (casual games succeed based on mechanics, not mascots), all of which could eventually affect not only mobile gaming, but the home console industry as well.

I’m not sure I like where this is going. Yes, I like playing Bejeweled 2 on my iPhone, and I’ve been known to enjoy a number of other games as well, but I just started playing GTA: Chinatown Wars on my DSi, and it reminded just how much catching up the iPhone has to do when it comes to gaming. The iPhone definitely offers a better gaming experience than any phone I’ve ever owned, but for real gaming, nothing beats physical control keys and buttons. I can’t even express the difference in words, but if you’re at all a gamer, you probably know what I’m talking about.

I’m hoping developers and studios don’t lose sight of this with all those dollar signs in their eyes. By all means, continue to develop for the iPhone, and do the most with what the platform offers, but don’t turn to it exclusively. Casual gaming is great, but for it to become the primary focus of the industry would be like all musicians turning their efforts to country because it sells best. I pray neither of these things ever happens.

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With the GDC ’09 well under way, there are heaps of announcements being made about video games by pretty much everyone in the biz.

Now that the iPhone and iPod touch have become genuine contenders in the mobile gaming world, they’re getting some high-profile game revelations as well. EA, for instance, who’ve already brought a lot of big titles to the platform, including Spore Origins and Sim City, will be bringing a slew of new games to the table this year.

In the pipeline for 2009 are a number of ports of some of their most popular titles for consoles and the PC, a hefty percentage of which are sports games, traditionally one of EA’s strong suits. Among the games announced at EA’s GDC keynote are Madden NFL, FIFA, NBA Live, and SSX, which join the previously announced Need for Speed and Tiger Words games.

The arrival of key franchises like NFL, FIFA, and NBA Live means that EA is taking iPhone gaming at least as seriously as the DS and PSP. Sales numbers on the iPhone platform are handily beating those of both Nintendo’s and Sony’s mobile platforms at the same time in their life cycle. The volume has to be tempting for industry-leading publishers, but the price points required to stay relevant in the App Store probably have them hesitant as well. In the end, profit margins will decide everything,

Besides the many sports games arriving on the iPhone in 2009, there are also many other offerings coming from EA, including Sims 3, which was previewed at Apple’s official announcement of iPhone OS 3.0. Sims 3 will feature an in-game purchasing system, as well as the ability to listen to your own music stored on the iPod through in-game objects, like a stereo system. Other games announced include Command & Conquer, Spore Creatures, American Idol and Wolfenstein RPG. A number of board game titles will also be released, including Connect 4, Battleship, Risk and Clue.

I think this upcoming year represents a significant make-or-break point for the iPhone as a gaming device, at least insofar as the continued support of major publishers is concerned. Last year things were probably rushed, and dealing with a brand-new control interface was a hit-or-miss learning experience. This year, they’ve had time to plan, and to come to terms with the iPhone’s advantages and limitations, and the novelty of the iPhone has somewhat worn off, so success should be due more to quality and less to a fleeting interest in new things.

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EA dropped SimCity ($9.99) for the iPhone recently, and I actually almost missed it. I was still buzzing over Hero of Sparta and I Love Katamari, both of which are also recent releases.

Of course, I had to put everything on hold and take a crack at SimCity, since the PC versions of the game had occupied so many of my youthful hours. Plus, I was pleased with Spore Origins, so EA had already begun to earn my trust on the iPhone platform. I really hoped they wouldn’t throw that relationship out the door with as precious a title as SimCity.

I couldn’t way to play, so I booted it up and waited. And waited. Wow, load times! A true desktop experience on your iPhone. It may have just been an initial load times thing, because it seemed to clear itself up after the initial boot, to some degree. It wasn’t too long before I was playing a city of my own, fair Darrelton. Setup was easy, and most of the customization options from the PC games were there, including initial budget, starting year, city size, and map layout. I opted for a small city to start, since I wasn’t sure how quickly I’d be able to get back in the swing of things.

It did take me a while to get my bearings. I couldn’t figure out why my city wouldn’t grow until I realized that the game speed was still on pause. This wasn’t due to the game, but my own ignorance. Once I figured out how to adjust speed, which is easy, I was off and running.

My biggest fear was regarding controls, since I couldn’t imagine how you would be able to zone, place buildings, roads, etc. with any kind of accuracy using a touch interface. The fear proved somewhat true, since I couldn’t place things accurately at first crack, but the game anticipates this, and lets you resize and reposition before eventually confirming your purchase and/or construction.

Another control problem that isn’t resolved, and that does occasionally prove aggravating, is the inability to rotate the view. Zooming using the pinch gesture works fine, but is a little awkward and frustrating at times. You can also double-tap to select between a number of preset zoom levels, which means cycling through, but I still ended up using this method the most.

I wasn’t all that put off by the minor control complaints, since I played the game non-stop for around three hours, which is unheard of in terms of my iPhone gaming experience. So, good thing, right? It was, until I absentmindedly pressed the home button to check an email I’d just received, assuming that SimCity would auto-save my progress, as any iPhone game should. Unfortunately, when I returned to the game, Darrelton was no more. The continue button, and the load button were both grayed out. I’d later find out that there is a manual save button in the settings screen, but it should’ve auto-saved anyway.

Still, after nursing my hurt feelings, I build Darrelton again, from the ground up, and this time when I accidentally pressed the home button, restarting the game did recover my city exactly as I’d left it. I recommend manually saving, just in case.

All in all, a pleasurable iPhone gaming experience, with a few hiccups to work out. Might want to wait for version 1.1 before you make the purchase. I highly recommend doing so nonetheless, especially if you’re a fan of the original series, or want to introduce it to a new generation of gamers, since it’s sure to keep them occupied during that long car ride to visit family this holiday.

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Yesterday, the long awaited Spore was finally released here in the US.

Spore, a product of Sims mastermind Will Wright, has been in development for some 8 years with the public knowing about the game for about the last 3-4 years. The lengthy development time along with multiple release-date delays built up a huge amount of anticipation for the game.

Spore is a multi-genre “massively single-player online game” developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. It allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a unicellular organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation. (Wikipedia)

In addition to the game itself, there is also an extensive online database of all the creatures users have created called Sporepedia. It currently has over 8.4 million user-created creatures. (If you have a Spore account and are logged in, feel free to check out my Spore profile.)

My initial impression of the game is that it is incredibly addictive and fun. There are a slew of complexities that make the game a different experience for every player and helps keep the game fresh. I’ve been playing the game on my MacBook Pro (2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, 3GB RAM). Initially the framerate on the game felt really slow so after reducing some of the graphic settings in the game everything felt incredibly smooth. It was a bit of a letdown that the game wouldn’t run at full graphic capacity on my MBP. I’ll be doing a full, in-depth review in the coming weeks on game play and performance.

Spore Origins

Last week, Spore Origins for regular iPods was released. And now, 5 days later, Spore Origins for the iPhone/iPod touch has been released and is available for purchase in the iTunes App Store for $9.99.

Spore Origins is essentially just the Cell Phase of the regular Spore game that consists of you, as a microbe, swimming around eating other creatures. You then upgrade/evolve your creature as you gain more DNA.

Overall gameplay is really smooth and the tilt control works better than I thought it would. It’s not an incredibly complex game but it’s still a lot of fun.

Have you played Spore or Spore Origins? What has been your initial impression as far as performance and game play goes?

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Spore, the game of origin, evolution, and life, is now officially slated to released simultaneously with its PC counterpart.

Spore has had a number of release date delays and its future with the Mac platform was initially uncertain. It being one of the most anticipated games of the decade makes this a huge announcement for Mac users who are interested in the game.

Used in previous EA Mac games, TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine will also be used in the Mac version of Spore.

No word yet on an actual date…just “later this year”.

Hat tip: TUAW

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