Gadget.
The iPhone is pretty much the ultimate gadget. But it’s not just a gadget, it’s a game changer.
The release of the iPhone initiated a paradigm shift in internet connectivity. All of a sudden, there’s this device that is universally useful - it’s a phone, a full-featured internet browser, a GPS, a games console, a book reader, an email and text client, a camera… the list goes on. And, in the short time that the iPhone has been available, it now accounts for over 50% of all mobile internet access. With the forthcoming 3.0 system software, it’s all set to get even more impressive - cut & paste (yay!), turn-by-turn GPS satnav, peripheral access and many more new features.
But, the real revelation of the whole iPhone experience is the App Store. The quality and variety of apps are now driving sales of the iPhone itself, even to those who wouldn’t usually consider getting such a thing. As a means of distribution, it’s yet another paradigm shift. It’s streamlined, cheap, straightforward, not to mention a cash cow for those who can successfully sell their app, and has brought back small-team and solo development in a big way. This makes me very happy.
Before I got into the whole web design and development spiel, I worked for a video games company. I always wanted to be involved in the video games industry, ever since I programmed my first game in BASIC in 1983. The hot technologies at the time were the original Playstation, the N64 and the PC (in the nascent 3D PC gaming days, when the original 3Dfx card was king). Even then, with such comparatively humble technical requirements compared to the games that are produced now, the teams working on the games were already 20-30 people, not including project management, QA, etc. From my friends who are still in that industry, I’m told teams of over 50 people aren’t unusual these days, with some big games having teams of over 100 and development cycles measured in years. I can believe it.
This is a far cry from the early days of computer games (and, indeed, all software) development, when it was often just one or two people in a bedroom or basement, and, often, the software was better for it - leaner, more focussed, usually more original, unconstrained by market and brand influence, and developed by people who obviously have a passion for what they do. Some of these early coders became bona fide cult superstars - people like Sid Meier, Andrew Braybrook, Archer Maclean, Jeff Minter, David Braben, Lord British, Matthew Smith and many others were revered by 8- and 16-bit fanboys the world over, and with good reason - these people developed their games single-handedly, including all programming, graphics, sound, gameplay and level design. I realise those days are more or less gone, but, even so, Rolando, one of the biggest-selling iPhone games to date, was largely developed by just one person, with two other people providing input on graphics and sound.
This brings out the enthusiasm in me, as well as those long-repressed bedroom-boy coder instincts. The fact that Rolando made a fortune also helps - with low development overheads, an easy distribution model and only three people to divide the loot between, for those who can get in on iPhone development, the rewards can be huge. Certainly more than my first game on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum that I wrote in 1985 - I made the princely sum of £200 (about $300). A fortune for a 13-year-old (it paid for the BMX bike I wanted at the time), but not much in the greater scheme of things!
Guess what… I’ve got the iPhone development book. I think this is something that any self-respecting agency should get in on - the potential is HUGE. Good work is possible on this platform with small, adaptable teams, and it’s only going to get bigger. Thanks, Apple.
