That's BS. Even if it is, it's not as good to play on as the DC...even the PSP is better.

CutePuppyz

I'm an iPhone developer and I can pretty surely say that the device (at least the GPU) is not anywhere near as powerful as the dreamcast's. The iPhone has very limited bandwidth and so it can only process only a few thousand triangles per frame in real time. There's a reason the monkey in super monkeyball is 2D...

hfutrell

Phantasy Star Online.

rudeadly

@bobdobbs: ...at the warning track, going back, back...and it's over the FENCE!

92BuickLeSabre

I think I've got LUPUS.

bobdobbs

Does this mean we might get Seaman on the iPhone?

JaggedToaster

@92BuickLeSabre: why would you do something like that? only jerks and idiots would want to do this THING.

oo0cyst0oo

*raises hand*

michaelwiggins

In ten years, we will have phones as powerful as the PS3, with really wonky though-screen controls.

itchytooth

@MrSatan: Controls that.. controls this...

Let's see what you guys think about a couple of games designed by one of EA's producers, Rod Humble. [www.rodvik.com]

Keep in mind that these are artgames and the first one, "The Marriage" is specifically designed so you don't click.

Groggy Banana

Can I get in on this new ending in five letter words in all caps trend? Cool.
I'm actually pretty excited also JASON.

92BuickLeSabre

If they made an addon that snapped onto the sides and gave you D-pad controls, buttons, etc. a la PSP/DS...that'd be better. Until they get that going; touch-interface/motion tilting is BALLS.

Captain Bringdown

So doesn't mean the interface is as good. A game is only as good as it's controls and that is where the iphone FAILS.

MrSatan

@rudeadly: I thought you said Psystar Online.

I spend to much time on the internet...and if I did spell it correctly than it is SERIOUS.

Groggy Banana

@Captain Bringdown: Five letters! Those are the RULES!

@bobdobbs: Either that or BANN'D! YIKES!

92BuickLeSabre

Granted teh iPhone has a lot more processes constantly running, but the claim that the DC is as powerful as the iPhone is garbage.

- iPhone: 420MHz CPU (capable for 612MHz), 128MB RAM
- Dreamcast: 200MHz CPU, 16MB RAM

Leonard Nimrod

@bobdobbs: A man that threatens another man with a cockpunch is no man, MAN. And who the hell threatens arson via KEROSENE? Is this the 19th CENTURY?

Captain Bringdown

@92BuickLeSabre: We need to be careful or we're going to get punched in our DICKS.

bobdobbs

If that's the case, then why the hell did Columns end up being the piece of shit it is, SEGA? I mean... did your developers even play the port before publishing it? Oy vey.

mpeters13

Let us not forget to mention Skies of Arcadia, which was the best game ever.

rifdawg

Just wait till the iPhone gets one of those new AMD 12-core Mangy SORES!

frigg

Cuz SEGA is a shite company now, sigh. And I was a big SEGA fanboy, still have my DC and Saturn. They come out with 1 decent game a year these days, if they're lucky.

bitgod

i loved sonic adventure 1...
i must have burnt like 10 batteries playing that freaking chaos mini-games on the VMU

vinchbr

@MrSatan: Go blow Saddam. The iPhone is awesome.

Nongeek

@itchytooth: But, in ten years, the PS5 will have 128 cores and only 1GB of DDR3 RAM and will thus be bottle-necked... And will also only actually use 32 of its CORES.

hammertime94

But can it run Soul Calibur?

WickedEast1

@Nongeek:
use the arrow for reply, you flaming idiot.
until Rez gets ported, its PS1 level.
SRYSLY

roflwaffles

I still have a DC controller somewhere.....and the little memory card with the screen in my desk drawer....

Y2KGTP

Rez. I'd say "'nuff said", but let me lay it out for you anyway: If the iPhone is powerful enough (and you don't mind killing your battery life with the 3D graphics and the vibration), Rez would be a fun game, and reasonably adaptable to accelerometer and touchscreen controls, since normally it's controlled with a single analog stick and one button most of the time. Or it might be really really hard. Anyway, for the rare times you need to use another button (to activate an overdrive, or pause or quit), swipe or pinch gestures could be used.

ikepod

Let's see a clip on controller and some ports, then.

videoCWK

i thought sonic on nintendo was sega's final ego blow but having a phone own you most recent console... that rough... but i loved sonic and knuckles and the adapter thing to play as kunckles in sonic 2, i could fly through those levels no problem

purple_pillows

@purple_pillows: most recent console? come on it came out what 7 years ago. Its not rough at all beside sega is doing much better now as a software developer then a console maker. Of course you want to talk about rough last year for about a 4 month streak the Gamboy Advanced out sold PS3s. Now that is rough having your new blu ray playing console being out sold by the equivilant of a SNES.

taftsearlobe33

I'm up for the clip on controller and ports. Some great games there...but will skip a Shenmue port, not stopping to pet a cat everytime I leave my house ever again...

pcypert

i'm bored of all these gizmodo-iphone-over-enthusiastic-news

it's a phone with a nice display and it's from apple but it's not the messiah of electronica
it is fun to be excited about techno gadgets but imo it's a little bit otp

next news will be that the iphone can be the best president of the usa, so good is it

monstakind

The idea of "Snap On" technology is a bit outdated. Any two things with bluetooth can communicate. Apple is more than capable of releasing a bluetooth controller. Hell, if the thing were open enough you could get a bluetooth dongle and plug in an actual DreamCast controller.

Bobby McPresscott

@Leonard Nimrod: Comparing MHz is stupid, and never works. Architectures are very different, and have a different IPC.

Same goes for memory, but the difference isn't as big as with the CPU. Part of the 128MB is used by the OS and other tasks, so maybe 64MB is left for a game (which is indeed 4 times that of the dreamcast.

But most importantly you forgot the GPU, these were made by the same company for the dreamcast and iPhone, and are probably comparable in performance.

Knirfie

oops... Bobby McPresscott had already stated that... damn I r dumb in the morning.

gerbick

Surprised that nobody has thought of bluetooth controllers for the iPhone yet.

gerbick

The iPhone is made for House of the Dead - just tap to shoot, shake to reload - good times.

robotleawesome

OOOOhhhhh Dreamcast.

What other failed stuff is it as good as?

strider_mt2k

i would love to be able to play Shenmue on my iPhone when i was on the bus to work

shorty3508

Finally a Apple product that is game friendly.

liveallnight

if it is as good or better than a Dreamcast. then i immediately expect Worms: World Party on the iPhone. ASAP.

and not any of those stupid barely-any-weapons ones Team 17 makes these days (Worms: OW / Worms Wii / Worms 360) i want *real* Worms. like Armageddon / World Party level of goodness.

x23

@strider_mt2k: Palm?

(hahahahahahahhaha!)

x23

@strider_mt2k:
As powerful as the Sega Saturn and the Virtual Boy combined.

secretmanofagent

powerstone

tellahoohooo

aw hell yeah. Let's see some of that enthusiasm translated into new games! I am very excited to see what the developers can do for it. Too bad the iPhone doesn't have just a couple more buttons though. Touchscreen and tilt controls are novel concepts, but buttons are time tested and familiar inputs to all gamers. Time will tell I suppose.

gloveofpower

@secretmanofagent: c'mon, the dreamcast was awesome! I remember getting it just because of soul calibur and crazy taxi! Great fun!!! Adn ran pirated games without modding! oops...

Ariel_Wollinger

@Leonard Nimrod: that comparison doesn't work. It is not that simple...

Ariel_Wollinger

Hell yeah! Space channel 5 on iphone betches!

FeuerrotBenz

@MrSatan: just give me a snap-on VG controller and dreamcast emulator for iPhoney and I will consider buying one.

Ariel_Wollinger

It doesn't matter if it's twice as powerful as the PS3, the interface doesn't really work well for most standard gameplay types. Tilting is stupid, your fighting to see the screen, and touch is stupid with my big ol' fingers in the way of the action. But all the fanboys will spend a ass-load of money buying all the games they'll lose interest in because of poor controls.

So in summation;
iphone as a gaming platform = fail
Apple's business model = win

RobotVampire

This comment from the Sega team isn't completely unfounded.

The GPU for the iPhone is a modified PowerVR unit. If you recall, they built the GPU for the Dreamcast, as well as a couple of desktop video card products back in the day.

Beauty of the PowerVR design was that it had (and still has) a completely different rendering pipeline than its ATI and NVidia brethren. It made the chip incredibly efficient in its day, but not particularly scalable.

So PowerVR abandoned the desktop and started focusing on the mobile market--including the iPhone.

keylimesoda

Steve Jobs - the iphone is a gaming platform.
iphone users - how do we control the games?
Steve Jobs - hahaha, with my joystick of course.

slaughter33

according to the apple site, also twice as powerful as the psp (in a smaller package with phone to boot). All we need is a wireless bluetooth controller and it'd be a hell of a game system.

toyotaboy

I agree with having an addon for controls. there could be some great games created.

cbkproductions

"Sega Says the iPhone Is As Powerful As the Dreamcast"

Then why do my MotionX dice pause every now and then? Seems that power isn't always available.

JEmlay

Hey guys, dont know if any of you have seen this for the IPhone, I see alot of people here are wanting a iPhone gaming pad. There is one in development from the people who are making open pandora system.

[www.icontrolpad.com]

CulturePunk

Point: if the iPhone is indeed as powerful as the Dreamcast that is a monumental achievement for a PHONE.

Secondary point: we all know (or should by now) that everything that comes out of apple is just a stepping stone for what's coming three steps ahead.

bucklefilledbird

@taftsearlobe33: The Honda Civic outsold the Porsche 911 every day of the year too. What's your point???

WickedEast1

@tellahoohooo: yea man Powerstone was the shit

pdditty

Without a decent controller (no, touchscreen doesn't cut it), the graphics and processing power of the iPhone as a gaming device doesn't matter all that much. To me.

davezatz

BTW, Sega didn't develop the game they published it. The real credit goes to the guys at Other Ocean Interactive:

[www.otherocean.com]

rizzle

Just wait till teh Segaphone comes out

FinalValgas

4 words..

Chu
Chu
Rocket
iPhone.

phor11

The DC is gonna be 10 years this november. If in 10 years they cant get the power of a $199 console in a $600 phone (thats the real price of the iPhone) then apple IS DOIN IT RONG...

Anyway, the power of a DC? yeah, with lots of coding, but true. Now, the power of a PSP? I seriously doubt that, since that little thing has more power than the PS2 itself.

BTW, that 3rd party controller is awful: has no analog, just 4 buttons (fighters anyone?) and is bigger than the phone itself...

Shadowlayer