In September, 2006, Apple surprised the world by introducing “iPod Games,” a collection of nine titles that could each be downloaded for $4.99 from the iTunes Store. Nearly six months later, Apple’s library has increased by three to 12 total games – all of them reviewed here – and user comments have been varied. Some have praised Apple’s decisions to keep iPod games simple, relatively inexpensive, and appealing to casual players. Others have complained about the size and quality of the game library, problems with the iPod’s controls, and the inability of “iPod Games” to play on iPod nanos or within iTunes.
We wanted to get a picture of what our editors and readers thought about the current state of iPod gaming, so we asked for each of our editors to provide their honest views and experiences – positive or negative – on the topic, and published them below. Now it’s your turn: please add your take to the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Jeremy Horwitz, Editor-in-Chief, United States: “I’m a life-long gamer, so I was simultaneously excited and disappointed when Apple introduced iPod Games, mixed feelings that haven’t improved since then. Prior to last September, I played more Solitaire on the iPod than I care to admit, but only for lack of better options. But even now that there are a bunch of titles out there, I’m not enthusiastic about the catalog.
It’s hard enough to get excited over such old titles – even the popular ones – and seldom do the controls feel right. I’d gladly buy a $20 controller accessory if it meant I could actually enjoy games rather than struggling with them.
I’m only half-surprised that people are upset that iPod Games won’t play on iPod nanos. That’s no great shock for those aware of how limited the nano’s video hardware is, say nothing of the screen, but it’s interesting that people would even care that much about this slate of titles. Thanks to the games’ controls, there’s no guarantee that they’ll ever work on touchscreen iPhones, next-generation iPods, iTunes, or Apple TV, and Apple hasn’t made any reassuring promises about their future viability. It’s hard to invest in a gaming platform with such a limited guarantee of forward compatibility.”
Bob Levens, Contributing Editor, United Kingdom: “I fear that I am a luddite in the iPod world: games are not something I spend time playing. In all the time I have owned an iPod, I can probably count on both hands the number of times I have actually played the free iPod games. I used to play Tetris and Mahjong quite a bit on a PC, so if I was to buy any additional games they might be choices, but at £4 (almost $8) a game I’d have to play them a lot. For me that screen size is not conducive to playing something like Tetris which needs a reasonable sized image to get the blocks to fit.”
Dennis Lloyd, Publisher, United States: “I have played a couple of the games.
I like the old school games like Pac-Man, but the controls took some getting used to. I don’t play them often.”
L.C. Angell, Senior Editor, United States: “I’ve never been a mobile gamer. Always having a console and big-screen TV at home, I never saw the point. The iPod Games are no different. If I’m seriously delayed somewhere or waiting in line, I’d much rather just listen to my music or watch a video podcast than try to make a 5 x 5 pixel Pac-Man make his turns using an anything-but-intuitive iPod Click Wheel.”
Christina Easton, Contributing Editor, United States: “I have a 60GB fifth-generation iPod, but I’ve personally never wanted to try an iPod Game, even the ones built in to the iPod. I don’t think the iPod was meant for games given how well-developed the Wii, PS3, and Nintendo DS are for games; the iPod is a storage device by comparison, and worse-suited to portable gaming than even a cell phone. Other devices at least have directional pads and separate buttons. The Click Wheel wasn’t made for anything other than menu navigation.”
Jerrod H., Contributing Editor, United States: “At their original debut, I purchased a few iPod games simply to try them out, but I’ve hardly touched them since.
