When the iPhone was the Future of Gaming

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Video games are the biggest entertainment medium on the planet. Despite a hobbyist dominance of sector conversations, it is mobile that can claim the biggest slice of players and profits. Lack of buttons and some dubious business models aside, it makes sense that your best console might be the one you always have with you. Despite its prominance on the App Store it often seems like Apple keep videogames at arms’ length, relying on third parties for all their titles as well as additional hardware. Dig a little deeper though and you’ll discover iDevices have all the conveniences of a modern gaming platform including a large amount of platform exclusive software.

The launch of the iPhone and the popularity of the App Store caught everybody off guard. With titles available for as low as a dollar, mobile gaming blew up almost straight away, going from laughing stock to selling stocks. Apple meant business on day one, launching with titles from established brands like Sega and Electronic Arts. As with all industry disruption, it was treated with equal amounts skepticism and trepidation by the incumbants of the day.

Apple later stamped down hard on the mobile industry and launched the iPhone 4. It codified phone aesthetics, removed display pixellation and became the most popular camera on the planet. And by adopting its own processor with the A4 chipset…