Writing for FastCompany, Kit Eaton says EA is getting serious about Apple iPhone and iPod Touch as true gaming platforms. EA was recently distinguished as the game publisher dominating game app sales based on Apple’s year-end bestsellers list. The publisher is now preparing three more iPhone apps based on franchises Need for Speed, Spore and The Simpsons. Eaton says it’s not just that EA is bringing more of its powerhouse licenses to iPhone that points to the publisher s seriousness about the platform. EA is investing more money to develop games with enough content to make them rival traditional handheld console games. For instance, EA’s Need for Speed: Shift has far more car licenses up to 20 according to FastCompany and is showing significant graphical improvements over its iPhone predecessor Undercover. With the other titles, Spore Creatures and The Simpsons Arcade, EA is similarly promising richer features than gamers might expect in an iPhone game app. Eaton points to the notion introduced by VentureBeat that these are second generation iPhone games.
One observation outside of Fast Company and VentureBeat s coverage: EA is throwing some PR muscle behind the three titles, which speaks volumes about a more serious approach to its iPhone games business.
Read more at FastCompany {link no longer active}.
