Pachter: iPod touch is "dangerous" for game publishers

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iPhone and iPod touch (both original) owner here.

I play a good amount of games on either device. But both leave me wanting more. The iPhone and iPod touch are too limited for "real" gaming, plus even the "big" developers have half-assed their products so far.

They're both good for games like Peggle and auto-accelerate racing games where precision control doesn't matter. But the lack of physical controls, like a real analog stick and actual buttons to push, pretty much leaves out all chances of real games being developed for the platform. Especially when you combine that with the low price point. If I'm a developer there is no way I'm going to dump the same amount of resources into an iPhone game as I would for the PSP because A) I can't make a high end product and B) I can't sell it a profitable price. So all I'm going to do is make half-assed amusing games that sell for $.99 and save the real games for proper gaming platforms.

My oldest sons have a psp and a ds. Both saved money to buy a ipod touch. If they'd have to choose, they'd keep the ipods as these are far more versatile although they do know how to surf the web with for instance the psp. But, they prefer the psp / ds interfaces for gaming. But the fifa addict of the two is going to buy fifa on the ipod, not for the ds. Could be a clue, as he doesn't know yet about pricing differences. Guess the ipod is the clear winner for them but the ds / psp aren't without chances yet.

I agree, I have both a DS and a PSP, with about a dozen DS games and a few hundred PSP games (I

There are 2 big differences between the iPhone/iPod touch and the other handheld gaming devices:

1, the iPod has no physical buttons (D-pad etc). This is a huge setback for many gamers and certain genres that just don't work that well with touch controls. Tetris (because it was mentioned in the article) is one of them. Granted, the "use your whole iPod as a steering wheel" experience (utilizing accelerometer) is extremely fun (for some), but it's just a matter of time until the next generation of PSPs and DSs will adapt.

2, most games for the iPod don't offer the same value as a similar PSP/DS game. Sure there are some that you can compare (Monkey Island, Need for Speed, Edge, to name a few) but the plethora of games on the App Store are played through rather quickly. So, the lower price is justified, but people who want a bigger and longer experience will stick to a PSP/DS.

Bottom line, it's these 2 points that will make the iPod not get #1 of gaming devices.

I recently got an iPod touch for my birthday (it's pretty darn cool). I have a Nintendo DS lite (Navy Blue from Japan) that I love! I was scared that the iPod touch would take over and I would never touch my Nintendo DS lite again. That has not happened. I got one game from the App Store and I played it for 5 minutes tops and then removed it from my iPod touch. As someone who actually plays video games, I am very surprised that Apple thinks the iPod touch is an actual contender in the portable gaming world. I've searched daily for a games to download but there is nothing I want. The games for iPod touch seem more like little distractions while on public transportation or waiting at the doctors office.
When I want to play a game I will reach for my Nintendo DS lite.

Too true. If the gamecos allow it, Apple will disassemble their business to leverage sales of its hardware. Did with music. Did it with phone. Doing it with films. Planning to do it with print. Why not games?

And can banking/purchasing be far behind? Money is the ultimate content stream.

Not true. At my school, I don't know anyone who has a PSP or DSi, but at least 25% of the kids in my class have an iPod touch. It's just the most popular device at my school, no question :)

If my 12 year old son is any example, he has a DS, an iPod Touch and a Sony Playstation II (way to many gadgets). He only uses the iPod Touch for music and his school work. When he wants to play games he uses the Playstation or the DS. He has downloaded a few games from the App Store but he loses interest in them quickly. I have downloaded a few on my iPod Touch and I lose interest in them even faster. The 12 year old market drives the game business. The iPod Touch is better as a pocket size computer than as a game device.

I bought an iPod Touch because I was sick of overpaying for crappy DS games executed on a crappy display. I have a DSi and will keep it for the (few and far between) must-have DS games. When it comes to pick-up-and-play games, the iPod Touch blows the DS out of the water.

I'd be interested to see what % of DS/PSP/misc console game budgets are used for advertising, PR, schwag, and corporate bloat. Let the game speak for itself. Long live the independent developer.