iGDWC 2010: The Group Stages Review

With more twists and turns than Lionel Messi, Arjen Robben and Eastenders combined, the 2010 Pocket Gamer iPhone Game Developers World Championship is already shaping up to be the most thrilling, entertaining, and downright shocking tournament the world has even seen.

In our twin centres of Bath and London, England, we’ve been keenly following the fortunes of 32 app developing nations in two weeks of top-level app-on-app action.

48 scintillating group games have produced a staggering 164 scores in front of fans and critics alike at the iconic iStadia, and it's not over yet, not by a long shot.

Before we push headlong into the maelstrom of the knockout phases, however, we'd like to take a moment to reflect on the group stages and particularly the final round of group matches.

Whilst 16 countries are still in the hat with hopes of ultimate glory on Sunday 11th July, another 16 have had to sadly say goodbye, farewell, or, perhaps more accurately, Auf Wiedersehen and Arrivederci.

The mighty have fallen
Yes, as we've so subtly indicated, some traditional footballing titans have fallen by the wayside, making space for lower-profile, but nonetheless technically gifted nations to rise to the challenge.

In the ultimate case of art imitating life (or at least apps imitating sport), defending soccer World Champions, Italy, finished bottom of Pocket Gamer’s Group F, beneath the ever-improving Kiwis and unbeaten Scots. Even a valiant victory by Fallen Ep.1 in the final match against fellow fallers the Czech Republic (represented here by Totemo) wasn't enough to alter the Azzurri's fortunes.

In truth, it's probably the Czechs who had more right to feel aggrieved; the Hexage club trio of Buka, Radiant, and Totemo had been widely tipped to reach at least the quarter finals and ultimately were pipped on goal-difference by a solitary score after Scotland's Championship Manager 10 played out a tactical 2-2 draw with New Zealand's Ancient Frog.

Germany, likewise, ended the group stages rooted to the foot of the Group D table in spite of highly successful club team, Fishlabs, supplying two of its most prominent players (Rally Master Pro and Galaxy on Fire) to the Deutsche squad.

Indeed, a final match victory for Bluebyte's Settlers over Humble Gaming's EdiMon served only to condemn Hong Kong to a similarly early flight home.

Thus, it was the previously unfancied Serbians who topped the group above an Australian side with sky high hopes, courtesy of a dramatic, fan-effected 3-3 draw between Eipix's Golman and Firemint's Flight Control.

But some big names remain
In Group A, France's app-developers put their footballers to (more) shame, comfortably topping the group with maximum points after a 2-0 victory over Poland. In the process of Edge's comfortable victory over Ski Jumping 2010, they also inadvertently dumped their valiant opponents out of the tournament. A slender victory from Canada's LuxTouch over Iceland's Soft Freak Fiesta ensured that the North American continent could have two challengers in the Last 16.

As expected, South Korea eased through their Group B challenge with relative ease, a final game draw for Com2Us's Inotia 2 against Fuzzle of Estonia was their only stumble and even this wasn't enough to prevent them topping the table.

Joining the Koreans in the knockout phases were the dark horses from Romania. The Eastern European development powerhouse comfortablly overwhelmied a surprisingly lacklustre Argentinian side 3-0 in the Skies of Glory vs Truco match-up, leaving the South Americans pointless at the base of the group.

Some favourites are hitting form...
Home interest remains strong, as England comfortably topped Group C with maximum points after a 2-0 victory for Arachnadoodle over the Austrian's Glow Doodle Snake.

Meanwhile, in the battle of the former colonies, it was the USA that won the day and a slot in the Last 16, thanks to a dramatic late winner for Doodle Jump against India's Mystic Emporium. Move over, Landon Donovan!

In Group E, favourites Japan had already qualified and were joined by Holland after a 2-0 victory for ATC 4 over the Russian's Texas Poker, whilst a final day draw with Japan saw the plucky, Progressive Danes head home.

Likewise in Group F, the Brazilians lived up to their billing, topping the group after serving a third defeat to underpowered Portugal. In the other game, a disappointing 1-1 draw ensured the Swedes joined them, whilst Ireland (and their star PopCap player PvZ) were handed a ticket back to the Emerald Isle (although this time not by a chap called Henry).

While there had been some impressive performances elsewhere, pound-for-pound, it was unarguably the Finns who have proven themselves the most impressive team so far. This nation of only five million recorded three successive victories and notched ten scores (three of them in Draw Race's high-octane defeat of the Spanish) en route to topping Group H.

The race for runners-up spot went right to the wire with Bravo Game Sutdios' Touch Nitro Racing's injury time score proving far more than just a consolation. As the Swiss could only manage a 2-1 victory over the plucky Hondurans, they ended up rolling out by the most slender of margins.

...but there are plenty more games to be played
A truly gripping and fitting conclusion to an extremely entertaining and hard fought group stage then. Once again, the rivalries developed at this tournament have proved a testament to the talented and diverse array of mobile studios, indie houses, and bedroom coders that continue to support the iOS platform.

And there's still plenty more to come! Over the following few days, 16 game developing nations from all over the world (two from North America, two from Asia, two from Australasia, one South American, and nine from all over Europe), will square off in eight ties for the right to play in the quarter finals.

So, make sure you pledge your allegiance, register your vote, and tune in for the latest results from this, the Greatest iPhone App Show on Earth.

To clarify then, here are the Last 16 matches in chronlogical order:

France vs Romania
England vs Australia

Serbia vs USA
South Korea vs Canada

Japan vs New Zealand
Brazil vs Spain

Scotland vs Holland
Finland vs Sweden

Confused? Click here to go to the iPhone Game Developers World Championship info page.