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Loose Threads: Should Apple have a first party game studio?

Yes it should, but that doesn't mean that it will...

Loose Threads: Should Apple have a first party game studio?
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Democrat, republican; Coke, Pepsi; and of course Mac or PC. It's a world of opposites and though Apple's closed ecosystem has often divided it from Microsoft's much more open Windows platform, the iPhone is a very different beast.

Sure the iPhone has all sorts of core Apple-coded bells and whistles, but for the first time ever with an Apple product, it's the third-party software that's really setting the tubes on fire as it continues to arrive by the truck load everyday. Making up the bulk of those multitudinous zeros and ones are games, and Apple has not had a hand in a single one of them.

Not very in keeping with Apple's traditional approach to being the first port of call for the best software on its platforms, prompting us to ask last week, 'Should Apple have a first-party game studio?'

It was hunter_alien who started the topic:

"Not only should it, but until it does, no serious gamer will consider it superior to the DS or PSP. The truth is that the real hardware pushers come usually from first or second party developer's IPs. The DS had New Super Mario Bros, Pokemon and Nintendogs while the PSP had two WipEout games, two Syphon Filter, God of War Chains of Olympus, Daxter etc.

"True, there are third-party pushers to like, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and probably CtW for the DS, but they are fewer and usually the quality isn't as high as the ones coming from the mother company. During a time when multi-platform games rule the consoles, first-party games have to convince gamers why their console is the best, and this rule applies for handhelds too.

"Thus far the iPhone has many quality third-party games, but none can be called entirely new and original, groundbreaking or breathtaking... Let's be honest, it has no major exclusive at all, and maybe if Apple showed us that they support it by creating a first-party development team (or more than one), maybe third-party developers would take the leap too, and try and make some bigger hits for it."

First of all, we have to ask, what does CtW stand for hunter? We racked our brains (and our DS games archive) and came up still wanting.

Back on topic, first-party games usually turn out to be polished, high quality titles because they get a nice big budget and access to people with a unique knowledge about any given system's architecture (and sometimes, access to features denied to third-party developers, as was the case with the PSP's full processor speed to begin with).

That is not to undermine the skill of first-party developers for any system, but at the same time it shouldn't be taken for granted that third-party developed games are not as good as first-party titles. In many cases they are better.

Indeed, most first-party developers cut their teeth as third-party software houses to begin with. Speaking of which, Accelorata Jengold had something to say on that score:

"I think it's a good idea, but because it's such a new platform, I reckon Apple will be waiting to seen if there are any iPhone specific game developers that really stand out in the first year before it goes ahead and acquires them and slaps a label on them.

"On the other hand, the device has plenty of third-party support from big developers such as Sega and Vivendi, and if the iPhone shifts enough games that way, Apple might opt not to adopt a first party studio, not seeing any benefit in doing so. I hope they do though, any bets on who it will be people? What have the best iPhone exclusives been. I've heard about Kroll and Moto Chaser, but I haven't played either…"

We have and both are pretty decent games. Not sure if either Digital Legends or Freeverse are looking to be bought mind. Right on cue, SetsFireToPoshHammer had a measured response to complete his weekly double act with Accelorata:

"I think the most interesting thing about this is that for Apple to not have a first-party games studio is very un-Apple. That is not to suggest that Apple's history in gaming is anything other than a footnote against its other achievements (if it is even that), but what I mean is Apple is famous for its closed ecosystem and that hasn't extended to iPhone games yet.

"Like Nintendo makes many of the best games for its consoles, Apple makes many of the best programs for its assorted bits of hardware, with the glaring exception of games for the iPhone (for the time being anyway). Like Accelorata said, the company is probably biding it's time, waiting until it can get it right."

Maybe it is or maybe...

"The thing about this situation is that Apple is currently in a position it has never been in. It has a platform that loads of people want play games on and that loads of developers subsequently want to develop games for.

"Apple has never really appeared to put much stock in games development, probably because the Mac has never really appealed as a gaming platform to either consumers or developers. Mind you, Apple's success with iTunes has not prompted it to launch its own music label; gaming against music is very much a case of Apple's and Oranges though (see what I did there...? No? Never mind)."

Said I

It's a contentious topic for sure, and not a Mac vs PC flamewar in sight. My, you're a well behaved bunch. At any rate, it's a hard one to call this, so I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. Don't let that stop you debating it however as any fresh insight that's worthy will certainly find its way into a future Loose Threads.

And so, next week's topic is upon us:

Which handheld has the brightest future?

Yep, we went there, and we're prepared to handle the ensuing dust up. Keep it clean folks. More details as always are in the forum. So until next week's showdown, happy posting and don't forget to click 'Track It!' to be sure not to miss the next Loose Threads.