iPhone becomes Wii-like controller
The company behind many popular Facebook-based games has found a creative way to harness the iPhone’s accelerometer. ‘iFun’ will allow users to play computer games using either the iPhone or the iPod touch as a handheld controller in the style of the Nintendo Wii.
The accelerometer is a small device which can recognize movements. It’s the technology that allows iPhone and iPod users to physically ‘shuffle’ their songs, and makes video displays change orientation when the user rotates the device.
The first (and currently only) game available from Social Gaming Network’s iFun series is a golf simulator in which the player swings their phone to simulate a golf club. Baseball, basketball and bowling games appear to be imminent.
Users download the games from the iPhone app store, then register for an account (which allows play against other users online). The system can work over 3G, though it’s much more effective to link the phone to a computer’s wireless network. The games work on both PC and Mac and may later be extended to cover other handsets including T-Mobile’s G1 phone, which runs on Google’s open source Android system.
This isn’t the first application to use the accelerometer: the iPhone version of Google Earth allows users to tilt their phone to change the viewing angle, while Apple’s own TV advertising for the iPod touch highlights the ability to shake the device to roll in a dice-based game.
Several comments posters on various new sites have raised a possible problem with the device. While the Wii controller is fairly sturdy and cheap to replace, it’s potentially disastrous if, mid-swing, your iPhone flies out of your hands. While that fear may be overstated (the 3G iPhone is much less slippery than the original model), the various wrist-strap accessories on the market might be a useful precaution.
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November 19th, 2008
>While the Wii controller is fairly sturdy and cheap to replace, it’s potentially disastrous if, mid-swing, your iPhone flies out of your hands.
That’s one reason why I won’t be installing this any time soon.