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Metal Gear Comes To iPhone

There's been a lot of talk about Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch becoming a major player in the mobile gaming market. Expect those talks to get a bit louder as the handset has just snagged some major titles, including Metal Gear Solid. But, should Nintendo and Sony be shaking in their boots?

Konami's much-lauded series will be bypassing the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for its next incarnation, and Kotaku reports the new version will be called Metal Gear Solid Touch. The game will be controlled with the touch screen (obviously) and gamers will be able to get gameplay points to unlock content like Metal Gear wallpaper.

Whether you're a fan of Konami's series or not, it does show that top-tier game developers are eyeing Apple's mobile platform as a viable channel. Konami's not alone, either, as Electronics Arts has brought out Spore, Scrabble, and the newly released Sim City. There's good reason, too, as six out of the top 10 most downloaded apps were games.

So, I guess there can be gold in them thar iPhone hills for some companies, as the installed base continues to grow. At $9.99 per game, a few hundred thousand sales could create a good amount of revenue.

But I still think that the chances of the iPhone becoming a dominant gaming platform are severely overstated. First of all, Nintendo's DS has shipped at least 80 million units worldwide, and even the PSP has shipped more than 40 million units. Plus, high-end games are expensive to make, and there's no guarantee that the iPhone community will continue to be willing to pay $10 per game.

Overall, I see the iPhone being the best mobile phone gaming platform by a lot. With its touch screen, graphics capabilities, and developer interest, the iPhone should continue to be the best way to kill a few minutes while waiting for a bus or train. But the battery life is still an issue, and I don't see it surpassing consoles for hard-core gaming.

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