First with the iPhone, and then with the iPod touch and iPad, Apple has delivered hit after hit in the handheld gaming market. But can iDevices continue their domination in the face of new competition, like the Sony Vita?
While no new Apple hardware was unveiled last week, iOS software announcements garnered massive media attention. (And I’m not just talking about WWDC.) iOS software was quite a hit at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) as well…
EA Sports showed off an early version of Fifa 2012 for iOS at their E3 booth last week. While the popular soccer game looked polished as usual, there was one particular feature that seemed to pique everybody’s interest.
The iPad version of Fifa 2012 will allow users to wirelessly connect an iPhone or iPod touch to use as a controller. Though it’s been done in titles like Chopper 2 and Scrabble before, the idea hasn’t really gone mainstream with developers yet.
TouchArcade got a glimpse of the demo in action at E3, and the implementation seems very solid. Controls on the remote iDevice automatically change with offense and defense, and you can even hook up a 2nd iDevice for 2 player action.
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj-WKUUxtOY[/tube]
I expect we’ll see many more titles like this, using add-on apps to turn secondary iDevices into controllers. Combine this technology with the new iOS 5 AirPlay mirroring feature announced last week (or even an iPad HDMI adapter), and Apple nearly has a full-blown gaming console.
What do you think? Is this where iOS gaming is headed, or is it just a passing trend?