iFlood
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20101211/tc_yblog_technews/infinity-blade-for-iphoneipad-looks-incredible-what-there-is-of-it;_ylt=AtOzjmNwOEunB_4e1hB9z94jtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTRqdTZzaWtlBGFzc2V0A3libG9nX3RlY2huZXdzLzIwMTAxMjExL2luZmluaXR5LWJsYWRlLWZvci1pcGhvbmVpcGFkLWxvb2tzLWluY3JlZGlibGUtd2hhdC10aGVyZS1pcy1vZi1pdARwb3MDMQRzZWMDeW5fYXJ0aWNsZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3QEc2xrA2luZmluaXR5YmxhZA--
Hack, Slash, Cast, Raise Shield, Stab! If you are on the subway some day and see a fellow rider’s hand spasming out, there is no need to worry; they are most likely playing the newest game to launch on the iPad/iPod touch/iPhone.
The game being played, Infinity Blade, developed by the makers of god of war; this release is said to be a game that actually looks like it was made for consoles like Xbox or ps3, but was instead released on Apple/Android platforms. The game utilizes glowing circles that appear on the screen as the controls of the game. By tapping or swiping these circles you control your characters actions.
Apple over the last decade has been revolutionizing the tech industry. First, they made history in music with the iPod, then they made history again with the touch screen iPod that changed the way people watch videos on the go. The iPhone combined all these together with the iPad which is seeking to change the way we read and game.
Apple, you could say is not unlike the flood parasite found in the Halo game. With each new addition to its tech and media empire, it seeks to assimilate the entire tech that goes along with the device (even if other companies have created it first, i.e. mp3 & tablets). This is not necessarily a bad thing but it would appear that with the release of Infinity Blade on Apple devices, Apple is setting its sights on the gaming world, which would make its tech empire complete.
Though some people may be excited by the prospect of a great game on their iPod or iPad, there are a few reasons why the effort is doomed without further advances in the tech world. The first major problem with gaming on touch screen devices is the lack of buttons/controllers; systems like the Play Station Portable or Game Boy have built in controls that make playing fun and easy. The iPod device however requires the player to use their fingers to control the action with no outside buttons or keypad; this makes games like Infinity Blade or Pocket Legends difficult to play.
If your finger misses the glowing circles by a hair it can mean instant in-game death.
The 2nd and perhaps most important flaw in the Apple/Android device is the battery. Games like Infinity Blade or Pocket Legends run reasonably high graphics and thus drain a lot of battery from your device; this is fine if you are at home or have your device plugged in and charging, but it is very inconvenient if you are playing on an iPhone or iPad and your battery is drained by the middle of the day.
The idea of creating these games as apps and selling them cheap is not a bad one, but it would seem they would benefit more if the devices had greater battery life. And maybe add a plug-in controller to game with greater speed and accuracy. Overall this article is not to discourage the buying of these games or touch devices but to warn the consumer about the down side of it.
Maybe in the future these problems will be corrected, and we can all game on the subway or on the way to work without the fear of death for our battery or the demise of our character due to a miss tapped cycle.
