Guild Wars 2 uses iOS apps for 'extended experience'

Guild Wars 2 is going to become the latest big PC game to get a satellite iPhone app. Our friends at Massively have a post up about the "extended experience" that ArenaNet is going to offer in the MMO sequel. You won't be able to play the full game on your iPhone or iPad, but you will be able to chat with friends, browse the world of the game, access character and achievement information, and even wiki information about the game, either from a mobile location or just using the mobile device alongside you as you play. It all sounds really interesting, and actually very forward-thinking; lots of gamers have an extra device around them as they're playing these PC games, so why not use the iPhone or iPad to enable mobile connectivity and add on to the experience as you play.

Guild Wars 2 is, of course, the sequel to the very popular first ArenaNet title, and it's expected out sometime in 2010 or 2011. The app will presumably be out sometime close to the game's release, though some of the functionality is mentioned as future plans, so we'll have to see. Meanwhile, there's a growing trend of supplementing PC gaming with iOS apps. Both Blizzard Entertainment and Fallen Earth developer Icarus Studios have released apps designed to work in tandem with their desktop titles. It's an intriguing idea -- most of the viewpoints on the App Store have it replacing traditional desktop computing, but these companies are using Apple's devices to supplement their other products.
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