Apple: 'DS and PSP are in the past'

iPhone marketing vice president Greg Joswiak has been bigging up the iPhone while referring to Sony and Nintendo's portable games consoles as "in the past."

Speaking about iPhone to T3, Joswiak says: "There are already so many games and as we look at it, to us it really seems this is the future of gameplay. Whereas a lot of these devices [Nintendo DS and Sony PSP] are more in the past."

According to Joswiak, this is largely because of iPhone's digital method of distribution versus the handhelds' more expensive discs and carts.

"A big part of that is not just the device itself, which is easier to carry, and has the touch display and accelerometer which is great for gameplay, but it's the electronic distribution of the apps as well.

"That changes everything. Whereas apps on other devices have to be delivered primarily physically, they cost a lot more, £25 versus almost all the games cost £5 [on iPhone], because [publishers] don't have to worry about licensing and manufacturing hardware," he continues.

"...at under £5 a game, not only are people saving money, they're also discovering more because they end up buying more games, because they're five games for the price of one on another console. So we've seen this is getting some pretty significant traction. And we've geared our advertising and marketing towards that too."

So, iPhone - he claims - is easier to carry, features more advanced technology such as the touchscreen and accelerometer, has cheaper games and a better distribution method.

Some of those claims are hard to argue against. We don't think Nintendo needs to worry its going to steal huge swaths of its 100 million or so install base overnight. But the appearance of iPhone into the games marketplace is no doubt helping to keep both Sony and Nintendo on their toes.